Snow Leopard arrived yesterday right when Apple said it would be delivered.

I ran the install on my iMac this morning. I can’t rightly say how long it took because I went off and did other things while it worked away.

However, it installed without a hitch.

By default it runs in 32-bit mode for compatibility reasons. You can check this by doing a

uname -a

in a terminal window.

You can also use System Profiler and check the “64-bit Kernel and Extensions” under “Software” if you’re a clickety-click type person.

I will have a little issue getting 64-bit working on my Macbook 2,1. While the processor supports it fine, the Firmware has limited it to 32-bit. I hear there are work-arounds for this and will need to investigate. To check if your firmware supports 64-bit mode run the following command in a terminal window:

ioreg -l -p IODeviceTree | grep firmware-abi

Check the EFI result, 64 is what you’re wanting to see.

To boot your new install into 64-bit mode, simply hold down the 6 and 4 keys while the computer boots. Reboot to go back to 32-bit mode.

To make the 64-bit switch permanent edit the file:
/Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/com.apple.Boot.plist

find:
Kernel Flags


change to:
Kernel Flags
arch=x86_64

and reboot.

If you then wish to duck back into 32-bit mode just hold down the 3 and 2 keys while the system is booting.

Tags: OS X, apple

Watch Stephen Fry explain GNU and Linux and why you should use it.

http://www.gnu.org/fry/

Tags: Linux

This looks interesting...

This site is collecting messages that will be transmitted to Gliese 581d, a planet outside our Solar System which may support life.

Messages will be transmitted at 28 August 2009 at 12 noon (Australian Eastern Standard Time)

http://www.hellofromearth.net/

Tags: astronomy

Today is/was sysAdmin day. Did anyone notice? ...I didn’t think so.

We’re so under appreciated.

I was browsing Youtube today for something of which I can’t remember, but what I stumbled on was some 80’s cartoon theme songs.

This took me back to my youth and got me thinking of the TV cartoons I grew up with in the 80’s. Here are some I came up with, in no particular order...

Astroboy
Mask
Star Blazers
He-Man
Danger-Mouse
Count Duckula
Pole Position
Mysterious Cities of Gold
Inspector Gadget
ThunderCats
SilverHawks
Ulysses 31
Transformers
Battle for the Planets - G-Force
Scooby-Doo
Galaxy Rangers
Jetsons
Mighty-Mouse
Voltron
The Wonderful world of Hannah Barberra
The Smurfs
Whinnie the Pooh

There are others but while I can see the characters in my mind, I can’t recall the name of the cartoons. I think the cartoons of today are lacking something by comparison.

As an aside, the comics I was reading included:
Judge Dredd
Asterix
Tin Tin
Superman
Spiderman

I had consumed the entire Famous Five and Secret Seven by 1984.

I miss those days, life was simpler.

Tags: cartoons

The planets aligned and finally I had enough pennies to purchase my PnS replacement camera. My old PowerShot A85 died and had come to the end of its intended usage lifetime. I will probably get it repaired as it takes really nice images. However... here is the replacement model.


The Canon PowerShot G10. 14.7MP and 5x optical zoom, plus more stuff than I will probably ever use. The main thing is it takes images in RAW format. The G10 is also small enough for me to take on the bike, while mountain climbing and all the other things that a DSLR is a little too large for.

Every thread of creation is held in position
By still other strands of things living
In an earthly tapestry hung from the skyline
Of smoldering cities, so gray and so vulgar,
As not to be satisfied with their own negativity,
But needing to touch all the living as well.

And every breeze that blows kindly is one crystal breath
We exhale on the blue diamond heaven:
As gentle to touch as the hands of the healer,
As soft as farewells whispered over the coffin.
We're poisoned by venom with each breath we take
From the brown sulfer chimney and the black highway snake.

And every dawn that breaks golden is held in suspension
Like the yolk of the egg in albumen.
Where the birth and the death of unseen generations
Are interdependant in vast orchestration,
And painted in colors of tapestry thread
When the dying are born and the living are dead.

And every pulse of your heartbeat is one liquid moment
That flows through the veins of your being.
Like a river of life flowing on since creation
Approaching the sea with each new generation,
You're now just a stagnant and rancid disgrace
That is rapidly drowning the whole human race.

And every fish that swims silent, every bird that fly freely
Every doe that steps softly,
Every crisp leaf that falls, all the flowers that grow,
On this colorful tapestry, somehow they know
That if man is allowed to destroy all we need
He will soon have to pay with his life for his greed

-- Don Mclean

Today my Toyota Camry, which I bought new in 1998, hit the 400,000 kms mark on the odometer.

Thanks to regular servicing, it still runs beautifully.

Keep track of what you owe, not who owes you.

Tags: farmerism

Keith Cunnington, my friend and colleague, passed away this morning.

Keith was a rough diamond with a soft heart, which shone through when he spoke of his son, his brother, and his friends. I was lucky to call Keith a friend, and honored that he called me one.

Keith rarely pulled his punches, always spoke his mind, told it as it was, and was never short of a wise-crack or joke - right to the end. He was always willing to help his friends and they were never far from his mind.

He was a lesson on life.

He was the Captain, and his friends and family will feel adrift as we come to terms with his passing.

He didn’t get to ride his new motorcycle and do the traveling he often spoke of, and was excited by. I know he was excited, because his enthusiasm was obvious as he quizzed me on my own travels, and whenever I mentioned some adventure or another.

So, Keith... See what I see, and let the road unwind before you. Feel the wind on your face and the sun at your back. Watch the green grasses turn parched and dry, only to be followed by swathes of desert wild-flowers. See the sky open up as you leave the rolling hills behind and head out onto the open plains. Enjoy the scents and smells of the wide open spaces. Chase the Sun west, and as you roll into Longreach, the Stockman’s Hall of Fame is on your left and the Qantas Museum is on your right. Your friends can’t come with you this time, but perhaps you’ll be riding along with us as we continue our journeys. Take notes, and tell me all about your travels the next time we meet.

Rest in peace Keith, you are, and will be, sorely missed.

..by the age of 50, you have the face you deserve.

He who thinks the world has only ten wonders needs to get out more often.

Tags: thoughts

“When the future's architectured
By a carnival of idiots on show
You'd better lie low”

Violet Hill ~ Coldplay

Lest we forget.

Thanks to Nigella Lawson, I have rediscovered Earl Grey. If Nigella says it’s good, then it must be!

The last time I drank this tea it tasted like methylated spirits, which I now realise, was probably due to it’s age. The fresh stuff is very nice and nothing like the last time I gave it a go.

For those times when a heavy flavoured tea is not wanted, Earl Grey with it’s light bergamot flavour is perfect.

Do try it!

I don’t normally speak about politics here, I don’t normally find it interesting but Queensland has the chance to make a change for the better on the 21st of March this year.

Like Australians did with the federal government, it is time to change the Queensland State government. Just like the previous federal administration they have been in power for too long, dead wood has collected and it’s time for the people of Queensland to clean up and chuck it out.

State Labor has had long enough to fix what they said they would. Last time they asked for an extension just like they did the time before, have things changed? NO.
It’s now time to give the other guys a chance. A fresh set of minds and eyes on the problems is what we need.

What the state does NOT need is another term of the current mismanagement, where we get more of the same we’ve had for the past 10 or more years. Yes, once again Labor will promise that THIS time it will be different and they’ll throw yet MORE money at the problems they said they’d fix last time. Don’t believe them. Just like a fruit tree needs pruning to get the best out of it, the current government needs pruning out so we can start to grow and flourish again as a state.

If you vote, I urge you to vote the buggers out of power.

I now step down from the soap box.

Tags: politics

Happy Birthday Tom!

I remember your 10th... I have a long memory.

Tags: changing times

I had a bizarre encounter today. I went to see the travel agent to start the preliminary work for my next trip, this time the destination is Botswana.

The young lady travel agent I usually speak to (I can’t believe I have a usual travel agent) wasn’t available but by the name tag, the lady I did speak to, is her mother. Nice lady.

We started the conversation with the usual exchange of pleasantries and then she asked how she could help. All rather normal so far. After giving her a rundown on what I was after she asked “Where was Gaborone?”.

This is usual for me, I’ve visited some strange places so I’m used to travel agents not knowing where they’re sending me, and me having to explain how I wish to get where I’m going. I get a small thrill (very small) knowing I’m going somewhere off the beaten path. Taking the road less travelled is the way I try to live my life...but I digress.

After explaining that Gaborone (the G is pronounced as an H) is the capital of Botswana and that I’ll need a South African Air flight from Johannesburg after arriving via Singapore she said “Do you come from there?”.

This threw me for a moment but I gathered my wits, where they had fallen to the floor like a scattered deck of cards, and asked her what she meant? She had assumed I had come from somewhere on the African continent because of the twang in my voice. Now that stunned me to silence for about fifteen-seconds (the floor bestrewn with cards again) and I sat there blinking like a mouse in flour bag, which embarrassed her a little I think.

Now, I’m the first to admit that I pick up an accent extremely easily - embarrassingly so at times - but outside of any foreign influence, I didn’t think I had any accent other than an Australian one.

So I throw this open to the people I speak to everyday, or at least regularly... Do I speak with an accent of any kind?

It seems a perfect stranger thinks I do. How odd.

Tags: travel

Marcus Alexander Johnston was born at around 3:30 this morning, February 1 2009.

8 and a bit pounds with all the usual bits you’d expect.

Happy Birthday little gladiator, from your uncle Farmer Ben.

Today marks the 25th Birthday of the Apple Mac, or as it was known back then, the Macintosh.

I remember playing a game called Artillery on an Apple Macintosh IIe back in primary school. Those were the days. Incidentally, there was a similar game that came shipped with MS Basic on MSDOS 5 called Gorillas.

The Mac has come a long way. Take a look at the Apple web site to see what the Mac has morphed into, along with all the other gadgets that have come along since.

Thanks to Paul for bringing this to my attention.

Tags: apple, mac

It is Christmas eve.

Tomorrow is Christmas day.

There will be lots of celebrating, unwrapping of presents, laughing children, and general merry-making.

Merry Christmas to all my constant readers (or should that be singular?), Friends and Family. Take it easy, try not to drive, and I’ll see you all in the new year after our much deserved break.

An interesting new entry in one of the blogs I follow closely.

Digital Steam

A voice of commonsense in a world of increasingly little.

I downloaded the recently released Firefox 3.1 beta 2 today.
The interface is looking very much like the recent Thunderbird 3.0 beta 1, specially the tabs component. But aside from this there is no radically obvious changes.

Launching seems faster but that could be my new 7200rpm drive.

I’ve only been using FF31b2 for 5 minutes but one thing I did notice in my quick look around was this...



Previously, a plugin was required to do this very handy option.

Tags: firefox

Meet Sammi.
Sammi is a Huntsman Spider, a Giant Grey to be precise.

Sammi isn’t so Giant yet. She’s about four inches from left leg to right leg.
This isn’t an actual picture of Sammi, but just one of her relatives and I won’t say they all look alike because she may take offense.

Sammi came to live on my bike around two weeks ago. I know this because she’s leaving her silk webs all over it. A daily wipe down in the morning cleans them up.

I have only seem Sammi twice, once about a week ago as I was tinkering in the shed. I saw her duck for cover as I walked in, skittering down under the faring. The second time was yesterday afternoon as I was riding home. She had, unfortunately, been caught napping and ended up becoming marooned on the handlebars of the bike in the less windiest spot.

How long she had been there I don’t know, probably when I started the bike to come home she had poked her head out to see what all the fuss was about.
When I finally noticed her, she had tears of fear in all eight eyes as she huddled next to the ignition keys, clinging on for dear life. Every now and then she’d try to find a more secure hiding place but because of the wind roaring up through the faring, couldn’t move beyond the steering column.

Sammi managed to hang on until I got home, where shaken, she finally managed to find some respite from the wind.

Sammi is still on the bike somewhere, I saw her webs again this morning. How long she’ll make my bike her home I’m not sure. I can’t imagine there being much to eat on a Suzuki DL650. But until she moves on... happy hunting Sammi.


Image borrowed from brisbaneinsects.com.

Tags: spiders

Today is Remembrance Day (Poppy Day) in Australia.

Originally called “Armistice Day”, today commemorates the end of hostilities for the Great War (WWI), the “war to end all wars”. Armistice Day is observed by the Allies as a way of remembering those who died, especially soldiers with 'no known grave’.
The signing of the armistice occurred on 11 November 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

Rolf Harris ~ Two Little Boys


We should remember them.

Tags: music

Paul loaned me a book by Wil Wheaton called “Just a Geek”.

“Where have I heard that name before?”, I hear you say, and yes it is the same Wil Wheaton who starred as Wesley Crusher in Star Trek - The Next Generation.

He writes really well, but I won’t review the book just yet. I’ll do that as a BotTF entry later.

Wil, in his book, mentions his weblog which can be found here. I followed one of the links he has to Think Geek, a website with all the stuff IT geeks just love. I’m not a geek. I’ll say that right now. But it has lots of cool things, even Monty Python stuff. Monty Python was/is great. I can almost recite line-for-line Monty Pythons Holy Grail.

I’m NOT a geek!

I’m NOT.

Oh who am I kidding.

Anyway, I was browsing through the t-shirts and came across one with the following motif:


$DO || ! $DO ; try
try: command not found


You might not need to be a geek to understand this. But it helps.

Once the AU$ settles down against the US$ I think I might get myself one of these. Not that I think I’m a geek, but jeez! How cool is that on a t-shirt? Would Yoda be proud?

I’m NOT a GEEK!

I SWEAR!

But. FarmerBen wearing a Think Geek t-shirt? I can hear Yoda saying about my impending purchase “hmmm, unexpected this is”.

And it would be.

Once I get the shirt I can also imagine him say, “hmmm, how you live this long, with a brain of this size? hmmm?”, with one pointy ear, like one eyebrow, raised slightly higher than the other.

Don’t worry, my little green friend, it won’t happen too often. The force is strong and the dark side will be resisted.

... cookies or not.

Learn to do it yourself.

You become more self-reliant and more helpful to others.

Tags: farmerism

Unisys: The one I worked for.


Novell: the one I’d like to work for.

OK, so I’m on my way to Melbourne to attend some spiffy training.

On walking through the security gates, I was selected as a random patch test. I’m not sure how random this event is, because I get caught every single time. Must be my troublesome nature preceding me.

Anyway, this time was a little different. While my stuff was being dabbed with a magic wand, the security alarms went off behind me. I was immediately thinking “I wasn’t... I didn’t...” (part of the troublesome nature I mentioned before), but the lady security guard who was attending to me said, “That guys has just been nabbed for an explosive material”.

A number of other security personnel started paying particular attention to bloke who was nabbed.

It couldn’t possibly be my flight. I mean really, what are the chances?

Life is never boring.

Interestingly I’m writing this blog entry from the domestic Qantas departure lounge in Brisbane.

Update:
I’ve finally made it to my hotel in Melbourne. I was delayed by about an hour. The reason: three people managed to get through the security without being scanned. I only found out the reason for the security breach on the late news here in Melbourne.

Could they have been a decoy for the bloke earlier? ...well we can’t live in fear can we? And it would have made for a more interesting flight than it actually was.

Update:
Just to ensure you the “random” patch test is indeed NOT random for me, I was “selected” once again for a “random” patch test on my way from Melbourne to Brisbane. Once again my troublesome nature is preceding me.

What catalogs your CD’s, movies, books and a swag of other stuff... and tastes delicious?

Delicious Library!

This beaut little program uses the iSight camera built into your MacBook to scan the ISBN bar-code on your books, movies and whatever else then looks them up on the interweb and puts them in your library. How easy is that!?

It can search through ISBN libraries in other countries just in case your “item” was imported.

Not only can it do this, but it also hooks into your iTunes library as well.

Once you’ve cataloged your tools and the like, you can then add “friends” from the Address Book so you can check out items to them. Never again will you forget who you loaned that widget-remover to. Even have Delicious Library notify you when they’ve had that doovey for too long.

Go to www.delicious-monster.com and check out the latest version.

Tags: OS X, mac

Remember this little guy? I used to watch this on TV when I was a young-en.

I was reminded of Morph today as I was building a Linux server, he first aired on TV back in the early 70’s.

Take the spoon out of the sink before turning on the tap.

Tags: farmerism

Never swing a tool in anger. Especially if you are holding on to, or standing on, the object you are swinging at. Leather gloves or steel capped boots will not save you.

Tags: farmerism

Thanks to Sadeq for this recipe.

The 5 minute chocolate mug cake (photo coming this weekend).

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons of self-raising flour
4 tablespoons of sugure
2 tablespoons of cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons of milk
3 tablespoons of oil
3 tablespoons of choc-chips (optional)
A few drops of vanilla essence
1 mug

Method:
Put all dry ingredients in the mug and mix well.
Add the wet ingredients and mix well, ensuring there is no dry mix in the corners of the base.
Place in microwave and nuke for 3 minutes (1000w).
Eat out of the mug while cake is still warm.

Options you can add:
A splash of rum into the mix.
A drizzle of hot fudge sauce after cooking.
A dollop of cream.

Fruit: The bigger it is, the less taste it has.

Finally success at last. Last night I managed to get a polar alignment. I found I had been looking in the right area of sky but the star formations I was expecting to see were larger than I was anticipating.

That is now sorted and I have completed a drift alignment that shows no significant drift within 5 mins. I have parked the scope so tomorrow night I’ll continue to work on the accuracy. I may even give some piggy-back photography a go just to see how it turns out.

The entire process took me 4 hours. I need to get this down to about 30 mins. Much more practise is required.

Tags: astronomy, astrophotography, telescope

This weekend I finally managed to get a couple of hours to spend with my telescope.
I tried out the polar alignment, in preparation for astro-imaging. This the first time I have tried the polar alignment method and it involves knowing your current latitude along with how and where to find the Southern Pole Star - Sigma Octanis.

Sigma Octanis is not viewable with the naked eye so binoculars are needed to find it. Once found, you centre the star in the veiwfinder of the telescope and with a couple of other things, you’ve aligned the scope to the south celestial pole.

Well, I didn’t find Sigma Octanis last night. Hopefully tonight will be the go.

The image shows me Meade LX200R 10” SCT telescope mounted on a wonderful Milburn wedge. The scope is currently pointing at where I believe (according to compass, and angle of lattitude) the SCP is.

I’m so glad this whole topic is interesting and a challenge for me, else I would have thrown in the towel a while ago.

Tags: astronomy, astrophotography, telescope

I saw this on the news tonight. A true story, the upshot is this.

Two Australians living in London buy a lion cub from a department store. They raise it in their flat in London. The authorities won’t let them keep the lion when it gets full grown so they arrange to get it released back in Africa.

The story.

Here is the first part of the story, re-enacted. Follow the links to the subsequent parts when Youtube opens up.



and here is the reunion a year later...



And while we’re talking of lions, do you remember Kimba!?
www.kimbawlion.com
The theme song (1966)

Fantastic stuff.

Money is like manure. Unless you spread it around it doesn’t do any good.

...but it doesn’t stick to your boots.

Tags: farmerism

Know thy neighbour. In a bind, they are the ones who will help you out.

Tags: farmerism

Leave it as you find it.

Tags: farmerism

At least for the rest of the world.

Admittedly it does appear on the surface to be a very cool device. There are others that do the whole mobile phone connectivity-entertainment thing better but that’s all by-the-by for some.

I’m sorry but I can’t help rolling my eyes and shaking my head at the people lining up for one of these gadgets on release day.

I’m not sure that these people would meet the criteria for Chappo’s “Earthlings on the right track”.

Has the world gone mad? I keep asking myself this question. I’m finding it more and more difficult to convince myself that there is time yet for people of this planet to wake up. I suppose there is always time. While there is at least one person who realises, there is hope. But the tide one has to walk against keeps getting stronger as more people get caught up in the maelstrom.

I have an idea that some people MUST have these types of devices because they’ve become disillusioned with their lives or perhaps have a lesser self-worth than others. So buying the latest *bling* makes them feel alive or worth something if only until the next *bling* comes along... retail therapy? I’m sure there is some modicum of thruth here, you tell me.

I may yet be surprised, it will be interesting to hear of the numbers who stayed out in the cold, lining up to hand over their cash (more likely credit card...spend someone elses money) for one of these shiny baubles.

The words I’m hoping to see in the news reports after today are “Not as many as expected...”.

Tags: Iphone, technology

Don’t stand between a cow and her calf.

Tags: farmerism

Forgive me this winge, I’m suffering from a cold but feel I should get this off my chest...

Regardless of what you believe, lets for a moment assume that climate change is real and will have a devastating effect on us and our planet.

Assuming the above, then the human race has given up.

Why?

Because the majority of radio segments, news paper articles, and TV reports no longer contain information on how and why to combat climate change.

They are instead filled with requests for governments to provide money to ailing industries so those industries can modify their operations to maintain a competitve edge when the effects of climate change start to have a detrimental effect on their current processes and products.

Read that last paragraph again.

The focus seems to have shifted from combating climate change, a potentially very expensive exercise, to how to make money when it occurs.

If the worst case senario is played out then climate change could be the worst natural/unnatural (depending on your view point) disaster to face humanity thus far.

Why has the human race become so apathetic?
When did making money take precedence over life on this planet?
Why would we not suffer a little pain now, to save ourself a huge amount of pain in the future?

If it was an alien race attempting to destroy our planet we’d be screwed. Is that what is required to make us wake up?

1. Switch off the light when you leave the room.
2. Stop buying electronic gadgets.
3. Drive only when you absolutely have to.
4. Read a book instead of playing a computer game.
5. Put on some socks instead of turning up the heat.
6. Reduce your consumables.

There are hundreds more, so pretend you will die if you don’t and get on with it.

Tags: climate change

Do not pee on the fence, no matter how desperate you are or how innocent it may appear.

Tags: farmerism

Don’t turn your back on the quiet bull.

Tags: farmerism

Keep your knees bent while walking through a paddock.

Tags: farmerism

When digging a post hole by hand, there are two stages.
The first stage involves digging the hole, the second, planting the post.

When digging a post hole by hand there are two tools.
A crowbar and a shovel. For a standard hole in standard dirt, the crowbar is heavy but does little. The shovel is light but does lots.

To a novice, one just starting out, it would appear based on initial observation, that the crowbar would be the easiest tool to use. You use its weight to break up the dirt and rock, so the shovel can get it out of the ground. The work of the bar at the outset is very light, a couple of smacks and then it’s back to the shovel. Indeed, to a beginner, the shovel is doing all the work. The time taken for the shovel to remove the dirt far exceeds the time taken to break it up.
Not only does it take longer, there is an art to removing dirt from a post hole efficiently without dirt falling back into the hole. The shoveller’s skill comes into play the deeper the hole gets. No such skill required for the bar.

Let’s sum up so far.
Crowbar: light, intermittent work. Requires no skill.
Shovel: constant work. Requires skill.

But now the hole has been dug, it’s time for stage two. The planting of the post.

This is where the novice who chose the crowbar suddenly realises that the light easy work earlier, turns into something else. For now, the crowbar is used to compact the dirt back in the hole around the base of the post. The shovel, merely places the dirt back in. The work of the bar becomes hard and heavy going. Not only do you need to use the weight of the bar, but you also need to force it down to compact the dirt.

The shoveller who earlier was working constantly is now taking it easy. The bar who was earlier taking it easier is working harder than the total combined effort of the shovel.

Let’s sum up:

Crowbar: light initial work requiring no skill creates constant work for the shovel, ending in severe effort to completion.
Shovel: constant work, have been created by the crowbar, requiring skill and ending in light effort to completion.

I’m a farmer, a simple kind of guy with a simple view of the world.

Why is it then, that when I think of I.T. Managers/Directors the image of a crow bar comes to mind?

Tags: farmerism, management

I’ve had to throw out a lot of old VHS tapes due to fungus detroying the tape. A couple of them were Victor Borge episodes and included the one I’ve linked to here. The first video is Victor’s inflationary language. There is also a skit called “Phonetic Punctuation” which I highly recommend you having a look at and I’ve included it below also.

Tags: humor

I’m a bit of a fan from Dave Allen, specially his earlier work. I liked the fact that a lot of the time there is very little swearing but terribly funny.

I was browsing some of his sketches and this is one I particularly like.

Tags: humor

I found this today while browsing YouTube.

Danny Kaye could well be one of the best entertainers of the past century. If you’ve never seen any of his material then go hunt some down and have a squiz.

Tags: music, humor

It’s been raining rather heavily over the past few days in the South-east of Queensland.

Once again I’ve been flooded in. I would be rather happy about this, but I’m currently fighting off a sickness of some sort, so I can’t really enjoy it.

The Mary River is due to peak at around 12m in Gympie, rather a small flood by historical standards.

I was shocked this morning as I headed off to work at 4am and nearly ran into the water. The rain had stopped the previous day (Monday) but obviously there was still a lot of water to come down from the headwaters of the Mary River.

Once I had returned to the house I checked the pump (hooked up to a Dam that is within flood reach). While doing this, a local lady drove her Toyota Corolla into the flooded crossing at Happy Jack Bridge. I have a photo here and the Corolla is still in the water somewhere.

I took the Fearless Squirrel out to take some photos this morning.

Now that the Sun is back out, the snakes are taking advantage of the nicer weather and coming out to warm up. I dispatched two brown snakes this morning. Normally I’d leave them alone, but I don’t want them around the houses. The local Kookaburra snapped them up the moment I had “sorted” them. I was surprised she could eat both of them, then even more surprised she could actually fly afterwards.

Tags: flooded

My first attempt at Saturn.


This was shot through the eye piece of the scope with my Canon 5D, hand held. Of course, it's much better viewing by eye... crystal clear and you can see the moons.

Tags: photography, astronomy, astrophotography, telescope

The screws that hold the finder-scope to my Meade 10" LX200GPS SCT telescope are too short. I remember thinking this the day I first assembled the scope. But in my eagerness to use the scope this niggly little issue was shoved aside.

That was until a few days ago when I went to move the scope outside for use. My shoulder hit the finder-scope and it popped off, hitting the concrete. Lucky the lens cap was on, and no damage was sustained. This brought the problem crashing back to the fore-front of my mind.

Easy fix.

Counter-sink the screw heads a few millimetres into the bracket.


After counter-sinking the head of the screws, they now have a good 5 - 6 millimetres of thread to hold the bracket onto the scope.


And fully mounted.

Tags: astronomy, telescope, astrophotography

It was a reasonably cool night last night. Perfect conditions for star-gazing. Almost perfect conditions for imaging.

I have the equipment (mostly) but until recently didn't move in that type of photographic circle, preferring to be just a viewer of the universe.

The pursuit of astrophotography can be as expensive, or as cheap as you want to make it. I'm trying to keep the costs down, but have decided to move on from the classic "star-trail" photos. Don't get me wrong, I will continue to take such photos, they're easy and if done right, rather spectacular.

Here is a couple of photos from last nights viewing/photographing session. I had to focus by eye - the most unreliable method - but I think I came close enough for the moment. I'll post a review of the scope I use, shortly.

And now in the interest of keeping the photographic content down on this particular site, I'll sign off.

Tags: astronomy, astrophotography, telescope, photography

I think this is the best version of "Hallelujah" I've heard.

Have a listen.



What do you think?

Tags: music

The Stanley Fubar.

Now this is what I'm talking about. One heavy duty whacker-smacker that can make anything you swing it at... well - FUBAR!!

Available at the local Mitre-10 hardware store and I got a free T-shirt with it - BONUS!

When you need something with a little more finesse than a 30 pound sledge, this is the tool for the job. While not quite as heavy as a sledge-hammer it still has a fair heft to it. Actually you could probably dismantle an entire house/office with this little nifty. Nothing quite like having the right tool for the job, and a perfect fit for someone with neanderthal tendencies.

Now all I have to do is find something to FUBAR... perhaps I should take it to work!

MMWAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAAHA

Tags: farmerism

You may have noticed I've given "The Other Side" a bit of a face lift. If not, try doing a refresh in your browser. The old site was plain, and I liked it that way. I didn't have much to display on the site, just ramblings from my warped mind. But, a little colour doesn't go a-stray so I've given the site a bit of pimping. I hope you agree with me, and that it's a nice change and a good way to start the month of April.

The sunset image is a royalty free stock photo that I will change for one of my own at some near point in the future.

Tags: website

Happy Easter everyone. Put your feet up, relax, and go easy on the eggs.

16 December 1917 ~ 19 March 2008 (90)

One of the great technological seers of the 20th Century, and a fine author.

The worlds of Science Fiction, and Science Technology will miss him greatly, as will the World.

Tags: books, arthur c clark

Ok I have just added rating stars to my blog entries. You'll see them at the bottom of each entry.

So now you can, not only enjoy reading my exciting news, you can also rate it. How you rate it and what criteria you use is entirely up to you. Personally I'd give it 5 stars simply because I wrote it, but that's just me.

What a perfect excuse to go back and re-read my entire blog.

Rate away!

Tags: website

To my Car.

My car turns 10 this year (in July to be exact). We've done 368,163 kms together so far - over 9 times around the Earth.
I bought my Toyota Camry CSX in 1998, brand new, the photo was taken about a week after it came home.

The only car I've owned since new, thus far. It is still going strong and drives as well as the day I brought it home from the dealer.

I put its longevity down to a couple of things...

1. It's a Toyota. Love 'em or hate 'em you have to admit they just keep going.

2. I've had it serviced every 10,000 kms. Check the log book, it's all in there.

3. I look after the car. I have a number of friends that can attest to the way I treat her as they knew me when I had my 1984 XX Corona.

I have trouble believing it's been a decade.

I still remember the day I went in and spoke to the sales guy and picked out all the options. (The choice of colour wasn't mine. I got advice from the neighbors kids at the time, and am glad I did.) I still have the brochure!

I remember washing my Corona on the morning it was to leave me. I remember driving my Corona into the dealer on the day I picked up the Camry. (I should have kept the Corona.. it was worth nothing but still very reliable)

I remember arriving at the dealer to see my new wheels glowing in the showroom.

I remember handing over my key, driving away, leaving my Corona behind... a sad day.

I remember arriving home with my new wheels. I was happy with my new purchase. I was concerned about my repayments on the loan (I hadn't exactly been truthful with the finance application). I missed my Corona and hoped it would go to a good home.

That was 10 years ago, I still think fondly of my Corona and the places we went together.

I don't really understand the mentality of people who only see their car as a tool to get them from A to B and that's it.
Those who say "It's just a CAR!".
I don't think those people really look after their vehicles the way they should, and I don't mean just washing it every week.
They're probably the ones who go through cars every couple of years and think nothing of it, perhaps citing "unreliability" as the reason for the change.

If one truly takes care of a vehicle, keep it serviced, and in good running order, how can one not become attached to it?

If you look after your car, it looks after you. It becomes attached to YOU.

My car's birthday present this year will be a complete detail, cut and polish, and where necessary a re-spray. She may be 10 and have a lot of km's under her wheels, but she's going to look brand spanking new because I owe her that much at least.

Note: I have just decided that a future post will include photos of my Camry at the places she's taken me over the past 10 years. Stay tuned, constant reader.

All this and Rabbit stew!

Where did the saying "Rabbits Rabbits Rabbits" come from? Wikipedia sheds some light on it here. My parents and grandparents have been saying it as a bringer of good luck, for as long as I can remember, and I guess it was handed down to them.

You can read more on the "White Rabbit" theory here.

Regardless of the colour, size and number of rabbits, we're now into the third month of the year, first month of Autumn.

Summer has gone, not that we actually had one. Long range forecast is for a wet year. Not that crash hot if you're a motorcyclist.

However, on those chilly nights after returning home from the daily commute to work, a hot rabbit stew or rabbit pie is just the ticket! Haven't tried one? you should. It puts hairs on your chest... as they say.

"Dat's de end."

Thanks to a window, that may as well be a whole in the wall, my phone got wet.

This happened at work last week. We've been getting a lot of rain 'round here.

My Nokia 6230i is a great little phone. Fairly basic, and does everything I need.

I made the mistake of turning it on before dismantling it to check it out. Everyone one told me later that "Oh no, you don't turn it on!". Pearls of wisdom that would have been more effective earlier rather than later.

I thought all was OK. It turned on and seemed to function. However, after a day or so, the keypad started to 'act up'.

I pulled the whole thing down to component level, noticed that the backup battery was starting to corrode... can't be a good thing for the phone in the long run... but couldn't see any water or damage.

After assembling and disassembling a number of times and getting nowhere I had almost resigned myself to having to get another phone. Even had one picked out. But, given a bone, I'm not one to stop chewing on the thing till I get it sorted.

So... at the suggestion of one of our cabling technicians I pulled it down again and left it on the window sill. I did this and have been walking around with my little Nokia 8210 as a backup.

The suggestion was to leave it for 3 weeks. I don't have that kind of patience, so today I put it back together.. just to check you see.

TADA! It works!!!

Just in case, I have iSync'd the phone to my MacBook to make sure I have a backup of everything.

Fingers crossed, it will continue to work long enough for me to get an iPhone... perhaps. But that's another story.

I'm not sure what is more concerning. The power of the weapon or the manner in which the presenter talks about it.

This always makes me laugh.

... and laugh

... and laugh

Tags: firefox, mac, OS X, Linux

Open up Google and type "Find Chuck Norris".


Read the first hit.





...nuff said.

Today is the day that Australians celebrate living in the best country in the World.

* Prawns are thrown on the BBQ.
* Cricket is watched.
* Beer is consumed (national drink)
* Beaches are visited.
* Cares forgotten (if only temporarily).
* Fishing becomes the national sport for the day.
* Grass is mowed.

I'll be doing the latter. I have let the grass run away again so I need to reel it back in. Curse this sunny weather!

Congratulations to Steve Parish for being recognised and receiving Australia Day honors.

Congratulations to Lee Kernaghan for receiving "Australian of the Year" (Can anyone remember when he did the McDonald's ad. for the McBeef Burger? ... he earned the nickname of "McBeefers")

Congratulations to Novak Djokovic for making it to the Final of the Australian Open.

Commiserations to both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. They have both been knocked out of the Aus. Open. I was really hoping both of these guys would be in the final and that Nadal would win after a brutal encounter. Maybe next year.

R.I.P Heath Ledger

Aussie BBQ - Lyrics by Eric Bogle

When the steaks are burning fiercely
When the smoke gets in your eyes
When the snags all taste like fried toothpaste
And your mouth is full of flies
It's a national institution
It's Australian through and through
So come on mate and grab your plate
Let's have a barbecue

When the summer sun is shining on Australia's happy land
Round countless fires in strange attires you'll see many solemn bands
Of glum Australians watching their lunch go up in flames
By the smoke and the smell you can plainly tell that it's barby time again

The Scots eat lots of haggis, the French eat snails and frogs
The Greeks go crackers over their moussakas and the Chinese love hot dogs
Welshmen love to have a leek, the Irish like their stew
But you just can't beat that half-cooked meat at an Aussie barbecue

There's flies stuck to the margarine, the bread has gone rock-hard
The kids are fighting and the mossies are biting, who forgot the Aerogard
There's bull ants in the Esky and the beer is running out
And what you saw in Mum's coleslaw you just don't think about

And when the barby's over and your homeward way you wend
With a queasy tummy on the family dunny many lonely hours you spend
You might find yourself reflecting, like many often do
Come rain or shine that's the bloody last time that you'll have a barbecue

Happy Australia day!
C'mon Aussie C'mon... C'mon.

So.
Have we all been watching the Tennis?

Lindsay Davenport - when she smiles she's a completely different person.
Amelie Mauresmo - ah, the French!
Anna Ivanovic - need I say more?

Men's tennis? Is there such a thing?

update: 19 January 2008 9:00pm
Ok. I'll concede the point.. there is such a thing but it was OUT DAMMIT!!!.
I just watched the marathon match between Roger Federer and Janko Tipsarevic. Federer finally took the match, but only just. Beating the Serb 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-6) 5-7 6-1 10-8. Roger was off his form, and Janko had nothing to loose which made for a fantastic tennis match.

Roger Federer - Greatest tennis player of all time.
Rafael Nadal - World number 2 and closet Ninja Turtle.

It arrived today, actually I picked it up. Introducing the Canon 5D, released in 2005 it is still considered one of the greatest digital SLR cameras on the market today. But I'm not going to review it because I only just got it.

I've spent the past 2 years gearing up for this purchase, it isn't an insignificant one.

This camera will sit along side my current 10D. The 10D was the 3rd generation digital SLR from Canon and in my mind still one of the best cameras for the money, I have seen. My 10D still takes stunning photos and I look forward to using it for many years to come.

The 5D doubles the effective number of megapixels of the 10D to 12.8. But this wasn't the reason I finally bought it.

Reason 1: Superb ISO performance even up to 1600iso.
Reason 2. Full frame sensor giving my wide angle its true width.
Reason 3. Spot Metering.

I'm looking forward to getting down and dirty with the new 5D.
(Image courtesy of Canon Australia)

Tags: photography, cameras

Chinese year of the RAT.

We are supposed to be in the height of summer. Sweating. Cursing the heat. Instead, we have unseasonal rain and cool temperatures over most of the continent.
I've been getting around in slippers and a coat today, the first day of 2008. Do I care? Not bloomin' likely. I'm a cold weather person.

Happy New Year everyone. Hopefully this one won't go as fast as 2007, which for me seemed to fly past in a blur.

I'm not really a resolutions type of guy. I like to remain flexible. However, I will be making one or two this time, that I will write down, as I intend to place these a little higher on my list of "todos". No numbering of importance here, like I said, I like to remain flexible.
I should mention before I move on, that one of my resolves for 2007 was to ditch a lot of my computer stuff. I managed to just squeeze this in last weekend. I took a load of old working computers to the tip. 486's, PI's, PII's and a few other bits 'n bobs. I had considered salvaging parts from some of these but in the end decided that if I hadn't turned them on in over 2 years then I probably wasn't going to need any of the flotsam and jetsam. I offered some of the stuff to the local "tip man" but as there were no monitors with the collected computing history, he didn't recognise any of them as "computers". He's a fairly simple kinda guy. I can recall a TAFE teacher with the same level of PC savvy. I must admit a sense of evil joy as I threw them from height into the skip, watching them bust to bits.. MMWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHA

..ahem.

Resolutions for this year.

Spend a bit of time communicating with my World Vision sponsor child. I'll send photos and letters a little more often than I did last year, which I am ashamed to admit was not very often at all. In one of his letters he did say he wanted me to go over and visit him, which I'm not sure I can accomplish this year, but you just never know. If you have thought about sponsoring a child (not necessarily though World Vision) it's a worthwhile thing to do.

Spend more time on photography. I let this slip rather badly in 2007 and it's starting to show in the quality of images I'm producing just at the moment. Laziness is what it boils down to. I hope to purchase a telescope this year to do some astro-photography out in the dark skies of central QLD. This, along with an upgrade to my camera. My trusty Canon 10D is still going strong, but long exposure noise is starting to irritate me. Maybe even a lens or two, who knows.

Do some riding. You may know that I upgraded my motorbike this year. The intention is to do some serious tripping around the place on it. This is the year. I'm a solitary fellow and riding a bike gives me the solitude I crave. I just need to pick up some panniers and I'm off. My first real trip looks like it will be to Longreach via Emerald. I have also been looking into some guided/self-guided tours of Tasmania, NZ, and Africa. I think I'll do them in that order over the next couple of years. I could try to tie in the ride through Africa with a visit to my sponsor child. That should be fun!

The ticking of the clock behind me is saying 2008 is moving steadily forward. I'm off to have a coffee and fortify myself for the coming 12 months of joy and frivolity. I hope yours will be a good one too.

The tradition of godparents started in the fourth century, when the Romans were persecuting the members of the newly-formed Christian Church. The godparent, in those times, was to attest to the faith of the adult who wanted to join the Christian church, ensuring they were not a Roman spy.

Over the centuries, this role has changed. No longer is the focus on the adult, but rather the child. No longer is the concern about religious persecution (although this still does exist) but rather the bringing up of the child within the Christian faith. Outside the Catholic Church, godparents generally should have a belief in God and an understanding of the principles of the Christian faith, be Baptised and ideally Confirmed within the Church. It's rather more strict within the Catholic faith. There are 19 personal characteristics that disqualify a person as a godparent, including not living his or her faith in accordance with the teachings of the Catholic Church such as not going to Mass, or using birth control.

Outside of any particular Christian denomination, the role of godparents seems to be as varied as parents themselves. Some choose godparents to be guardians of their child/children should they die unexpectedly. Others choose godparents to be a moral compass to help them guide the child as they grow into a full human being in their own right. There are many reasons for choosing a godparent, and it's not usually taken lightly by the parents of the child.

"This is all very interesting", I hear you say, "But what is this all about???

Well...

bearing in mind what you have just read (sourced from many sites on the internet), I was asked and, as of the 30th of December 2007 became a godfather to the daughter of close friends of mine.

...You can stop laughing now. :)

PS: I just looked at the date. This will be my last blog entry of 2007.

Christmas is coming,
The geese are getting fat,
Please to put a penny in the old man's hat.

If you haven't got a penny,
a ha-penny will do,
If you haven't got a ha-penny,
then God Bless you!

It's an old rhyme, but I think it speaks volumes of what Christmas should be rather than what it has become. I'm a little jaded with the whole Christmas "thing". The commercialism has become all to much. Giving gifts is fine, what I'm talking about is the excess and the flow-on effects it has, that we all read about in January.

Putting aside the Christian Christmas message for a moment, Christmas has become an exercise in "getting". Getting the latest electronic gadgets or whatever. Somewhere along the line, we (as a society) have forgotten the true Spirit of Christmas and have been coerced by big business into thinking that big/expensive is what we all really want/need. Business encourage it, they're rubbing their hands with glee with every sale, banks are doing the same with every slap of the plastic.

Everywhere I look there is the same advertisement over and over, all pushing different stuff, but all saying the same thing.. "Perfect Gift" (or words to that effect). Christmas is Big Business.

Everywhere I look I see people slapping down the plastic, giving in to the coercion.
Am I the only one who can see it? Is this really what we want it to be about?

_sigh_

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

"It is cheaper to stay drunk than to sober up each night, and then have to drink quickly every morning to get back to a state where I can deal with TAFE"

~ HRH M. H. Seville

Tags: quotes

My iPod Nano locked up for the first time this morning.

I guess it had to happen at some point.

Technology is made by humans so how can we expect it to be infallible?

Anyway, it's not a drama. For those that don't know, this is how you reset a 2nd Generation iPod Nano (might also work with others).

1. Flick on the Hold switch
2. Flick off the Hold switch
3. Hold down the Menu and centre buttons for a couple of seconds.

Done.

I'm glad it's this simple. I'm a Farmer, if it was any more complicated I'd be stuffed (think clean shoe in fresh cow poo).

Tags: Ipod

I have taken "Inbox Zero" to heart. If you haven't heard about inbox zero, do a google for it. It is a methodology for taking back your life from your inbox.
I actually started doing this about a week ago. This is what I'm doing.

1. Check work email Once per hour, closing down the email client at the end of the check. Spending no more than 10 mins responding or actioning any new emails that have come in.

2. Check private email Once per day, and will push this out to once per 2 days. Spending no more than 30 mins responding or actioning.

I have already applied this philosophy to my mobile phone.

1. On the weekends I turn off the phone. I check it for messages once per day if I'm within range.

2. After hours I turn off the phone and check for messages the following day.

3. During work hours I don't carry the phone around with me, but check for new messages every couple of hours. I will turn off the 'New Message' notification in a week or so.

4. If it rings I'll answer it.

It is amazing how much extra work you manage to get done when you're not constantly scanning for email or phone messages. Technology is supposed to make our lives easier and simpler.. but we really just end up waiting for the next message/phone call/event.

Give it a go, get your life back.

If there was a group of supposed IT experts that offered you their opinions, based on what very well could be unverifiable information, on the IT industry and where it was going, would you pay for those opinions? Probably not.

If that group of supposed IT experts tells you they are not aligned with any vendor of software or hardware, but were then accepting money and support from software/hardware vendors, could you then trust the advice coming from these supposed experts? and would you still pay for that advice? Probably not.

That, my friends, is what Gartner offers.

Gartner accepts money from some of the most powerful vendors in the IT industry. It is no wonder then, that their reports favour those companies. It is no wonder then that those same reports are, more often than not, vague and without real substance. They are just opinions. Opinions based on how much money a vendor is willing to pay for the opinion to swing their way.

Gartner is the perfect accomplice for every weak-willed manager looking for somewhere to point the finger, when a decision based on their [Gartner] advice causes excrement to hit the fan.
Gartner is the perfect partner for every IT manager without the balls to make their own decisions on where the future of their company lies. And they [Gartner] are happy to take your subscription fees.

It is unfortunate, but I have seen managers make decisions based solely on Gartner reports, and it shows their inexperience and naivety as managers of either IT or IT finances. I guess they figure the old adage "Nobody ever got fired for buying ..." applies. It is easier to show a lack of backbone than to prove the information presented. It's time for managers like this to find another occupation because they're holding back the IT industry as a whole.

Go ahead and use Gartner's reports to gain information on what companies are out there with the technology you need, but Gartner should only be used as one of many sources of information. Certainly NEVER the only source, NEVER the primary source, and always with a grain of salt. Gartner has already shown it gets things wrong. Take a look at their reports on the Open Source community and open source software. Or even OS X and its enterprise readiness. How much money has such mistakes cost companies around the world?

If, at the end of the day, the product you choose does NOT sit in the "Magic Quadrant", don't loose sleep over it. There's a good chance it's because the vendor of your choice refused to pay money to get it in there. And, if at the end of the day, the product you have chosen does the job you need it to do, then you've chosen the right product.

This, I believe, is what the God's have been trying to protect for a long time.

I don't particularly like Jarrah coffee, it's too sweet, and I think the additives give me indigestion.

However it is good for the following late-night put-me-out if used sparingly.

Make sure you use full cream milk. If you use skim milk or the no-fat milk (which is actually water with colouring), you deserve a smack upside the head.

Ingredients:
Jarrah Swiss style Coffee mix
Mug of hot full cream milk
Nutmeg

Method:
1. Heat milk in microwave (180secs for 800w)
2. Add two level teaspoons of Jarrah Swiss style coffee mix and stir well
3. Add a good sprinkle of Nutmeg and stir well
4. Enjoy.

PS: Make the same drink using "French", and replace the nutmeg with half a capful of Jamesons Irish Whisky. So good it makes your eye-balls roll back in your head.

Early start this morning so I found myself at home not long after midday.

I was enjoying frozen yoghurt. Mango.

The day had turned warm.
It tends to get warm when one is running around the paddocks chasing cattle.

Cows are rather intelligent when they want to be.

Behind the facade of stupidity lies a cunning that isn't matched by too many other animals. For instance, you want a cow to move somewhere, they just stand and look at you. Even with a bit of prodding with a fire-stick they're likely just to run in any direction and usually the exact opposite to the one you need them to run in. You'll then find them in the farthest corner of whatever paddock they're in. This is compounded when combined with the herd mentality. On their own they have some semblance of free will, but in a herd the only thought to occur is a recurring "RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY".

However, if you turn your back...
They will find the only open gate within... oh about a thousand square miles. The one that leads to the road that you thought you closed, but just happened to swing back open. That one completely out of sight that you figured you had enough time to duck down and close. Or even the one that looks closed but is actually just a fart away from falling open.

A Cow has an "open gate" sense.

On its own in an average sized paddock... say fifteen acres, a Cow will find an open gate in approximately fifteen minutes. A herd of Cows will find the open gate instantly. Their combined "open gate" sense has an unlimited range. You turn your back and they're running directly for the gate. You couldn't get a straighter line if you were on tracks.

They also learn very quickly that if they can jump a fence, it's fairly likely they can jump any fence. Once this realization takes hold, Cows become veritable Kangaroos. Nothing can stop them. Even gates are no longer important, for why worry about a gate when you can just jump the old fence and be done with it. Is the grass greener on the other side? Well, lets find out.. BOOIIING. Why yes it is!

I have such a cow. A steer actually. It has an acute "open gate" sense combined with a talent for high-jump. Behind that innocent dumb look is a cunning and masochistic mind. I'm sure of this. I can see the smirk as it turns and, nonchalantly, walks away. I'm left cursing and swearing under my breath wishing I'd brought the fire-arm.
Fuming!! ...picture Wal Footrot.

It thinks it's smart, and for a steer it probably is. I'm sure, given the chance, it could win gold medals in the "open-gate-finding-high-jump-fence-clearing" biathlon event at the international bovine olympics.

But it won't and I'm smarter.

One guess where that little bugger's going this weekend.

Only one decision remains... pepper or mushroom sauce?
Don't feel so smart now do we? Punk!

Tags: farmerism

I'm a rather big Stephen King fan. A fan in the sense that I've read almost everything he's ever written more than once, and everything he's ever released in Australia... more than once. As I was hunting around for the contents of the previous blog entry I came across the Gunslinger Litany. I had this tucked away on a CD from years back.

It always reminds me of Clint Eastwood, or rather the character of Roland reminds me of Clint Eastwood (greatest western gunslinger ever created..You can thank me later Clint). Can you imagine a world where everyday people took this type of thing seriously? I can, I look forward to it. To me it seems a much simpler life.

The Gunslinger Litany
( ...as recited by Roland of Gilead, last of the Gunslingers)

I do not aim with my hand.
He who aims with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I aim with my Eye.

I do not shoot with my hand.
He who shoots with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I shoot with my Mind.

I do not kill with my hand.
He who kills with his hand has forgotten the face of his father.
I kill with my Heart.

Tags: books, stephen king

The Lorax
by Dr. Seuss

At the far end of town
where the Grickle-grass grows
and the wind smells slow-and-sour when it blows
and no birds ever sing excepting old crows...
is the Street of the Lifted Lorax

And deep in the Grickle-grass, some people say,
if you look deep enough you can still see, today,
where the Lorax once stood
just as long as it could
before somebody lifted the Lorax away.

What was the Lorax?
And why was it there?
And why was it lifted and taken somwhere
from the far end of town where the Grickle-grass grows?
The old Once-ler still lives here.
Ask him. He knows.

You won't see the Once-ler.
Don't knock at his door.
He stays in his Lerkim on top of his store.
He lurks in his Lerkim, cold under the roof,
where he makes his own clothes
out of miff-muffered moof.
And on special dank midnights in August,
he peeks
out of the shutters
and sometimes he speaks
and tells how the Lorax was lifted away.

He'll tell you, perhaps...
if you're willing to pay.

On the end of a rope
he lets down a tin pail
and you have to toss in fifteen cents
and a nail
and the shell of the great-great-great-
grandfather snail.

Then he pulls up the pail,
makes a most careful count
to see if you've paid him
the proper amount.

Then he hides what you paid him
away in his Snuvv,
his secret strange hole
in his gruvvulous glove.

Then he grunts, "I will call you by Whisper-ma-Phone,
for the secrets I tell are for your ears alone."

SLUPP!

Down slupps the Whisper-ma-Phone to your ear
and the old Once-ler's whispers are not very clear,
since they have to come down
throught a snergelly hose,
and he sounds
as if he had
smallish bees up his nose.

"Now I'll tell you," he says, with his teeth sounding gray,
"how the Lorax got lifted and taken away...

It all started way back...
such a long, long time back...

Way back in the days when the grass was still green
and the pond was still wet
and the clouds were still clean,
and the song of the Swomee-Swans rang out in space...
one morning, I came to this glorious place.

And I first saw the trees!
The Truffula Trees!
The bright-colored tufts of the Truffula Trees!
Mile after mile in the fresh morning breeze.

And, under the trees, I saw Brown Bar-ba-loots
frisking about in their Bar-bo-loot suits
as they played in the shade and ate Truffula Fruits.

From the rippulous pond
came the comfortable sound
of the Humming-Fish humming
while splashing around.

But those trees! Those trees!
Those Truffula Trees!

All my life I'd been searching
for trees such as these.
The touch of their tufts
was much softer than silk.
And they had the sweet smell of fresh butterfly milk.

I felt a great leaping
of joy in my heart.
I knew just what I'd do!
I unloaded my cart.

In no time at all, I had built a small shop.
Then I chopped down a Truffula Tree with one chop.
And with great skillful skill and with great speedy speed.
I took the soft tuft. And I knitted a Thneed!

The instant I'd finished, I heard a ga-Zump!
I looked.
I saw something pop out of the stump
of the tree I'd chopped down. It was sort of a man.
Describe him?...That's hard. I don't know if I can.

He was shortish. And oldish.
And brownish. And mossy.
And he spoke with a voice
that was sharpish and bossy.

"Mister!" he said with a sawdusty sneeze,
"I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees.
I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.
And I'm asking you, sir, at the top of my lungs"--
he was very upset as he shouted and puffed--
"Whats that THING you've made out of my Truffula tuft?"

"Look, Lorax," I said. "There's no cause for alaram.
I chopped just one tree. I am doing no harm.
I'm being quite useful. This thing is a Thneed.
A Thneed's a Fine-Something-That-All-People-Need!

It's a shirt. It's a sock. It's a glove. It's a hat.
But it has other uses. Yes, far beyond that.
You can use it for carpets. For pillows! For sheets!
Or curtains! Or covers for bicycle seats!"

The Lorax said,
"Sir! You are crazy with greed.
There is no one on earth
who would buy that fool Thneed!"

But the very next minute I proved he was wrong.
For, just at that minute, a chap came along,
and he thought that the Thneed I had knitted was great.
He happily bought it for three ninety-eight.

I laughed at the Lorax, "You poor stupid guy!
You never can tell what some people will buy."

"I repeat," cried the Lorax,
"I speak for the trees!"

"I'm busy," I told him.
"Shut up, if you please."

I rushed 'cross the room, and in no time at all,
built a radio-phone. I put in a quick call.
I called all my brothers and uncles and aunts
and I said, "Listen here! Here's a wonderful chance
for the whole Once-ler Family to get mighty rich!
Get over here fast! Take the road to North Nitch.
Turn left at Weehawken. Sharp right at South Stitch."

And, in no time at all,
in the factory I built,
the whole Once-ler Family
was working full tilt.
We were all knitting Thneeds
just as busy as bees,
to the sound of the chopping
of Truffula Trees.

Then...
Oh! Baby! Oh!
How my business did grow!
Now, chopping one tree
at a time
was too slow.

So I quickly invented my Super-axe-hacker
which whacked off four Truffula Trees at one smacker.
We were making Thneeds
four times as fast as before!
And that Lorax?...
He didn't show up any more.

But the next week
he knocked
on my new office door.

He snapped, "I'm the Lorax who speaks for the trees
which you seem to be chopping as fast as your please.
But I'm also in charge of the Brown Bar-ba-loots
who played in the shade in their Bar-ba-loot suits
and happily lived, eating Truffula Fruits.

"NOW...thanks to your hacking my trees to the ground,
there's not enough Truffula Fruit to go 'round.
And my poor Bar-ba-loots are all getting the crummies
because they have gas, and no food, in their tummies!

"They loved living here. But I can't let them stay.
They'll have to find food. And I hope that they may.
Good luck, boys," he cried. And he sent them away.

I, the Once-ler, felt sad
as i watched them all go.
BUT...
business is business!
And business must grow
regardless of crummies in tummies, you know.

I meant no harm. I most truly did not.
But I had to grow bigger. So bigger I got.
I biggered my factory. I biggered my roads.
I biggered my wagons. I biggered the loads
of the Thneeds i shipped out. I was shippping them forth
to the South! To the East! To the West! To the North!
I went right on biggering...selling more Thneeds.
And I biggered my money, which everyone needs.

Then again he came back! I was fixing some pipes
when that old-nuisance Lorax came back with more gripes.

"I am the Lorax," he coughed and he whiffed.
He sneezed and he snuffled. He snarggled. He sniffed.
"Once-ler!" he cried with a cruffulous croak.
"Once-ler! You're making such smogulous smoke!
My poor Swomee-Swans...why, they can't sing a note!
No one can sing who has smog in his throat.

"And so," said the Lorax,
"--please pardon my cough--
they cannot live here.
So I'm sending them off.

"Where will they go?...
I don't hopefully know.

They may have to fly for a month...or a year...
To escape from the smog you've smogged-up around here.

"What's more," snapped the Lorax. (His dander was up.)
"Let me say a few words about Gluppity-Glupp.
Your machinery chugs on, day and night without stop.
making Gluppity-Glupp. Also Schloppity-Schlopp.
And what do you do with this leftover goo?...
I'll show you. You dirty old Once-ler man, you!

"You're glumping the pond hwere the Humming-Fish hummed!
No more can they hum, for their gills are all gummed.
So I'm sending them off. Oh, their future is dreary.
They'll walk on their fins and get woefully weary
in search of some water that isn't so smeary.
I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie."

And then I got mad.
I got terribly mad.
I yelled at the Lorax, "Now listen here, Dad!
All you do is yap-yap and say, 'Bad! Bad! Bad! Bad!'
Well, I have my rights, sir, and I'm telling you
I intend to go on doing just what I do!
And, for your information, you Lorax, I'm figgering
on biggering
and BIGGERING
and BIGGERING
and BIGGERING,
turning MORE Truffula Trees into Thneeds
which everyone, EVERYONE, EVERYONE needs!"

And at that very moment, we heard a load whack!
From outside in the fields came a sickening smack
of an axe on a tree. Then we heard the tree fall.
The very last Truffula Tree of them all!

No more trees. No more Thneeds. No more work to be done.
So, in no time, my uncles and aunts, every one,
all waved me good-bye. They jumped into my cars
and drove away under the smoke-smuggered stars.

Now all that was left 'neath the bad-smelling sky
was my big empty factory
the Lorax...
and I.

The Lorax said nothing. Just gave me a glance...
just gave me a very sad, sad backward glance...
as he lifted himself by the seat of his pants.
And I'll never forget the grim look on his face
when he heisted himself and took leave of this place,

through a hole in the smog, without leaving a trace.

And all that the Lorax left here in this mess
was a small pike of rocks, with the one word...
"UNLESS."
Whatever that meant, well, I just couldn't guess.

That was long,long ago.
But each day since that day
I've sat here and worried
and worried away.
Through the years, while my buildings
have fallen apart,
I've worried about it
with all of my heart.

"But now," says the Once-ler,
"Now that you're here,
the word of the Lorax seems perfectly clear.
UNLESS someone like you
cares a whole awful lot,
nothing is going to get better.
It's not.

"SO...
Catch!" calls the Once-ler.
He lets something fall.
"It's a Truffula Seed.
It's the last one of all!
You're in charge of the last of the Truffula Seeds.
And Truffular Trees are what everyone needs.

Plant a new Truffula. Treat it with care.
Give it clean water. And feed it fresh air.
Grow a forest. Protect it from axes that hack.
Then the Lorax
and all of his friends
may come back."

Tags: climate change

Democracy at its greatest is on display.
Thankfully it's all over. If I had to listen to Kevin Rudd say "Working Families" or Julia Gillard say "EmploYEES and EmploYERS" one more time I think a seismic event would occur.

For better or for worse Australia has spoken.

The Howard era is at an end and Prime Minister Kevin Rudd takes the helm of the country. (This is the assumption, I can't imagine the Labor Party putting forward a different person as PM when they ask the Governor General to take power.)

This will be an interesting time. All things considered, the new Labor government takes over at a time of high prosperity, we have no national debt of which to speak, our employment rate has never been higher, and consumer confidence is so high that Australia's personal debt is in the tens of billions.

The election wasn't a landslide, but Labor has won enough seats to form government. Australia is now in almost virgin territory. Both Federal and all State governments are Labor. This has only happened once in Australia's history. The last time was back in the early 20th century when the Liberal Party controlled both Federal and State for some 9 months or so. Back then there was an almost immediate correction whereby the Labor Party and National Party took control of various states ensuring a single party did not control the two highest forms of government. I only hope this occurs again, as there must be balance. No party should have control of both Federal Government and State Government, in my view.

John Howard will now retire, and I think he has earned a comfortable one. Regardless of what one might think of his government and its policies, I consider him as Australia's greatest PM yet. He wasn't afraid to make the hard decisions and I think most people will accept that he did his best for the country and her citizens, without shirking his responsibilities as the nations leader. Kevin has some rather large shoes to fill and only time will tell if he has the mettle to do it.

Personally, I didn't vote Labor. There are reasons for this, and they ensure I will never vote Labor. I am not alone, and this shows in the way that Labor did not even come close to taking my electorate.

However, change is good. At the right time, change can be very beneficial and it seems that this time is now.

I thank Chappo for the inspiration for this blog entry. A list of his top 10 favorite songs made me think about which 10 I would take with me if I were to be trapped on a desert island. In no particular order, this is what I came up with...

Down Under - Men at work
Sounds of Then - GANGgajang
Throw your arms around me - Hunters and Collectors
Man of Colours - Icehouse
Who wants to live Forever - Queen
Indian Pacific - Slim Dusty
Fields of Gold - Sting
Feeling Good - Nina Simone
Milk and Toast and Honey - Roxette
Shilo - Neil Diamond

Creating this list was rather difficult. It would be easier for me to create a list of top 20. But I guess, after I had created that list I would want to add yet more songs. It was hard, but I kept it to 10. I'm not going to tell you why I like these particular songs. You'll just have to listen to them to figure that out.
Of course, if I was stuck on that desert island for any length of time I would quickly grow to hate this list. Too much of a good thing is never good.

C3PO: "Uh, the mighty Jabba asks why he must pay fifty thousand."
Bounty Hunter Boushh (in Ubese): "A yuttoh!"
C3PO: "Because he's holding a THERMAL DETONATOR!!!!"

The guards instantly back away, as do most of the other monsters in the room. Jabba stares at the silver ball, which begins to glow in the bounty hunter's hand. The room has fallen into a tense hush. Jabba stares at the bounty hunter malevolently until a sly grin creeps across his vast mouth and he begins to laugh.

Jabba (in Huttese): This bounty hunter is my kind of scum. Fearless and inventive.

C3PO: Jabba offers the sum of thirty-five. And I suggest you take it.

There is a pause and then Boushh releases a switch on the thermal detonator and it goes dead.

Boushh (in Ubese): "Yuttoh Cha"

C3PO: He agrees!

The silent crowd breaks out in cheers and applause as the party returns returns to normal. Boushh surveys the scene while speaking to C3PO, his gaze stopping only when it connects with a glare from across the room. Boba Fett is watching him. Boushh shifts slightly, cradling his weapon lovingly. Boba Fett with equal arrogance gives Boushh a nod of ominous acknowledgment.
---

This is my favorite scene out of all the Star Wars films. Why? because Boba Fett is my favorite character. "What does this scene have to do with Boba Fett?" I hear you ask. Well, while all the courtiers have fallen into a flap, Boba Fett doesn't duck or weave out of the way. He raises is blaster in readiness, assesses the situation then lowers his weapon again. He isn't phased in the least, and this scene, to me, defines his character completely.

He is a bounty hunter of few words and fewer scenes, but given he's still alive at this point in the film, must be fairly good at what he does. Yeah, OK.. he did help out Darth Vadar in capturing Han Solo, but he was just doing his job.

We don't get to see much about Boba Fett's life, other than he's the son of Jango Fett (who is killed by Obiwan). As Boba also became a bounty hunter it's safe to say he followed in his fathers footsteps. But like all bounty hunters who live by the blaster, he dies by the... Well actually he doesn't die by the blaster.

Unfortunately, his jet pack is damaged in the fight with Luke over the Dune Sea. He hits the side of Jabba's sand barge and falls into the pit of Carkoon, and the waiting jaws of the all-powerful Sarlacc, where he's digested over a thousand years. Not a nice way to go.

He's a crafty bugger, and given his cunning and craftiness, I like to think he got out.

On the next turn of the wheel, I'd like to be Boba Fett.

I've noticed there are a number of lists around titled '100 books you must read', '100 albums you must listen to' etc etc. I'm starting a list of my own. 1001 experiences you must have before you die. This is actually a metamorphosis from a blog I was going to publish about the sense of smell and how it can take you back to a place in time that you have associated to it. I decided to change that blog entry to encompass all experiences so as not to be limiting.

Of course, I'm not going to plug away at the keys and come up with a list of all 1001. It would be rather one-sided. I'll just start it off. Perhaps if the authors of those other lists read this blog they might decide to take up the challenge and publish something official. Perhaps it's already been done...

As you read through the list (they are not in any particular order), and perhaps take up the challenge, remember... it is the journey, not the destination. Remember also to use all your senses, not just your eyes. Some of these experiences will seek you out, you won't need to go looking. Some of them you won't create, but just be there. All of them will make you more human.

New rain on savannah grass
Sulphur from the caldera of a volcano
Wood-smoke in the remote countryside of China
An open-air spice market on a warm day
An open ocean breeze
A tea-plantation
A pine forrest
A eucalypt forrest
Freshly tilled earth in a 3rd world country
An authentic house of every major religion on earth
Standing 20m away from your car for 10mins in a remote part of Kruger National Park
The wind in a field of bamboo
A ferocious electrical storm
Jumping in puddles
Holding the hand of a child
Standing beneath the Eiffel Tower
Strolling through the Colosseum
A BBQ with old friends
Solitude
2 days without food
Hiking to the top of a mountain
Gut-aching laughter
Being a pillion on a motorcycle
Diving with sharks (cage optional)
Stroll around the Pyramids
A child crying
Freshly baked bread
A city's land-fill rubbish tip
A nation's war memorial
The opposing nation's war memorial
An orphanage

...to be continued.

What occurs when you let a manager out on their own...

If you don't think Monty Python is some of the funniest stuff around then there's something wrong with you. I have noticed that a lot of the younger generation (younger than me) do not understand the humour of the Pythons.

I believe this is genetic damage. I'm convinced that something in the water has caused irreversible damage to the funny genes of the current generation. How on earth could there ever be such a personality like 'Emo' if they understood Monty Python at a genetic level? It's impossible.

However, this damage can be reversed with a solid dose of Python twice a day for one week. Only one week, such is the power of the Python.

I recommend the following: two coconut-halves of "Holy Grail" followed quickly by a fjord-full of "Parrot Sketch". If the patient requires something stronger, crucify-by-immediate-discussion with "Life of Brian" at the end of the week.

I particularly liked the Bruces' sketch and can't help but feel it was rather closer to the truth than the 'learned types' care to admit.

[Queue the Pythons]

Immanuel Kant was a real pissant
Who was very rarely stable.

Heidegger, Heidegger was a boozy beggar
Who could think you under the table.

David Hume could out-consume
Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

And Wittgenstein was a beery swine
Who was just as schloshed as Schlegel.

There's nothing Nietzsche couldn't teach ya
'Bout the raising of the wrist.
Socrates, himself, was permanently pissed.

John Stuart Mill, of his own free will,
On half a pint of shandy was particularly ill.

Plato, they say, could stick it away--
Half a crate of whisky every day.

Aristotle, Aristotle was a bugger for the bottle.
Hobbes was fond of his dram,

And René Descartes was a drunken fart.
'I drink, therefore I am.'

Yes, Socrates, himself, is particularly missed,
A lovely little thinker,
But a bugger when he's pissed.

Tags: humor

I'm a big fan of Stargate SG1, have been since it started. I think it's the quirky personalities mixed with science fiction. I consider SG1 to be training in how to deal with ET when we finally get to meet them.

Colonel O'Neill is my favorite character, his bumbling wise-cracking way is hilarious. The military would be mad to choose anyone else to represent Earth when negotiating with an alien species.

The other day, the discussion that occurred between the brasserie and the office touched on our team members and which members of the SG1 team they were most alike. Going through the team we came to me.

Apparently I'm most like Daniel Jackson.
Ok stop laughing now... This was Chappo's opinion, and while my immediate response was akin to WTF!!?? I have since accepted it as a good deal... even if I don't totally agree.

Daniel Jackson is the bookworm that turned. He's intelligent, can negotiate with aliens, can decipher alien languages, makes glasses look cool, can handle a military weapon with aplomb, always seems to have his head in a book, and is rather good looking as far as guys go ("buff" is a word that was used). I know what you're thinking... to be someone like that sounds GREAT!! ..the girls would go nuts.

However, I am none of those things. (I could probably handle the weapon though.)

The reasons given were interesting, and it did make me think.
It just goes to show, that how the world sees us, is not what we expect.

...don't worry Paul, Carter is an excellent character :-)

I decided to wash the bike today. It has been a while and I was feeling sorry for it, the amount of bug-guts smeared over the fuselage was becoming a distraction for the flies.

Sudsy foam washer in hand I began to scrub back the layers of splat, when to my surprise I uncovered a startling truth...



Seems the bike has aligned itself with the rider!

Tags: apple, mac

I was hoping for some kind of storm this afternoon. All the weather reports pointed to it and the day certainly felt like it should have stormed. But alas...

So in the absence of new lightning bolts, here are some from a few years ago. I'm sure Zeus would be impressed with his handiwork and I must apologise to Thor, it's difficult to capture thunder in pixels. This is a single flash, and it wasn't till after I looked at the image did I realise that it was 5 bolts that hit the ground. Yes I've added a bit of colour for some atmospherics.

I have a fascination with storms, I like to watch them coming, to hear the roar of the wind as it come screaming up the valley. Getting blinded by the lightning and deafened by the thunder...brilliant!
If I don't turn up to work the next day after a stormy night you'd best look for a pile of ash, and a tripod that looks like it may have had a camera attached to it... if you can be bothered :-)

Tags: photography

I was enjoying a Tooheys Extra Dry this afternoon and started thinking about a particular afternoon along the Mooloolaba esplanade a number of years ago. The reason doesn't matter but the occasion was a good one, couple of mates (tip o' the hat to Mark and Jason) and a great afternoon. The particular establishment we selected had a rather extensive beer list so we decided to start at the top and work our way though it. Several times.
Ah... those were the days.

Anyway, as my thoughts progressed from those happy times I started thinking about the beers that I've come across that I rather don't mind. I don't drink much beer anymore. I try to stay away from the fizzy stuff preferring a good wine instead. However, there are a few beers below that I like, this is not an exhaustive list and only includes the more notable ones. Not in any order of preference...

Something from South Africa


One of Tassie's finest


Goes in black, comes out black


Doesn't kill your head the next day


With lime is the best

~~~~~~~
Friar Tuck: "This is grain, which any fool can eat, but for which the Lord intended a more divine means of consumption. Let us give praise to our maker and glory to his bounty by learning about... BEER. "

Keeping the photographic side of things to a minium I'll make this brief. Snide comments abound...

In a moment of credit card flippancy I slapped down the plastic and upgraded the endowment package of my camera.

...is that a Canon lens in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?

I've been wanting to try my hand at birding for a while now and also generally getting closer to my subjects. I've been using my 200mm f2.8 with a 2x converter but this has only driven my desire for a larger package.

Enter the super-telephoto Canon EF 400 f5.6 USM lens. This 1.2kg hunk of glass and steel is just another marvel from the Canon line-up, and will for a time, complete my lens collection. The 2x teleconverter will push this baby to 800mm f11 which should give me the reach to tap a bird on the shoulder from 50 yards or so. I can hear the SQUAWK already.

Ok so it wasn't fiippancy, I've been putting pennies aside for this baby for quite some time.

So, I'm now just waiting for my new toy to arrive and then I'll be out making all the lady cameras swoon (back of hand to forehead type stuff I'm sure :D )

Update: 22 October 2007
It arrived today and this is the first image out of the lens, 100% crop and no sharpening...
EXIF info: 1/350s at f5.6, ISO 100, 400mm on tripod

Tags: photography, cameras

I subscribe to a Dilbert delivered internet thingy and I look forward to Dilbert skits that arrive in my mailbox from time-to-time.

Today's is rather humorous to me because I've been in this exact situation. However, I knew the perfect way to get out of the infinite loop from hell.

Problem: My situation was while I was doing some project management. The Client was never happy with the project documentation I was submitting. His nit-picking involved only the documentation, not the project itself. Insufficient detail apparently, including format, font, colour etc. However, it was becoming more time consuming to continually redo minutiae in the documentation than to actually complete the project.

Solution: Increment the project management bill at an hourly rate as applicable to the documentation updates.

From memory my PM hourly rate was around AU$160. The dollar figure for the project increased by this amount with each submission. At the time I wondered how long it would take for said Client to figure out what was going on. It took him 4 revisions, after which he accepted the final submission and the project was completed to spec... on time and on budget.

I never had that problem again with that Client. Many others, but not that one.

Incidentally I think the project was for the replacement of 5 Servers and 1000 workstations, including SOE design and rollout.

Says it all really... and the election has been called.

I must've dreamed a thousand dreams
Been haunted by a million screams
But I can hear the marching feet
Theyre moving into the street.

Now did you read the news today
They say the dangers gone away
But I can see the fires still alight
There burning into the night.

Theres too many men
Too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Cant you see
This is a land of confusion.

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands were given
Use them and lets start trying
To make it a place worth living in.

Ooh superman where are you now
When everythings gone wrong somehow
The men of steel, the men of power
Are losing control by the hour.

This is the time
This is the place
So we look for the future
But theres not much love to go round
Tell me why, this is a land of confusion.

This is the world we live in
And these are the hands were given
Use them and lets start trying
To make it a place worth living in.

I remember long ago -
Ooh when the sun was shining
Yes and the stars were bright
All through the night
And the sound of your laughter
As I held you tight
So long ago -

I wont be coming home tonight
My generation will put it right
We're not just making promises
That we know, we'll never keep.

Too many men
Theres too many people
Making too many problems
And not much love to go round
Cant you see
This is a land of confusion.

Now this is the world we live in
And these are the hands were given
Use them and lets start trying
To make it a place worth fighting for.

This is the world we live in
And these are the names were given
Stand up and lets start showing
Just where our lives are going to.

Lyrics by Genesis

The ebb and flow of office conversation came around to Victa mowers the other day... as it does.
A few of us were reminiscing over the Victa's we had known or owned or both. As I was mowing the lawn yesterday I thought I'd mention mine. I have a Victa that has been in the family longer than I have.

My Victa is still going strong. Every once in a while it refuses to start but I leave it overnight, and sure as God made little green men, the beast starts the next day. It's old, temperamental and starts when it decides it wants to... as it should, given it's age. There are 3 Victa years to every human year.
It happily shreds anything that goes under it. Cane toads, sticks, garden gnomes, newly planted flowers, all regularly fall victim to its cutter-deck. I could slash a paddock with this little guy... if I have the time, it has the patience.

Being a two-stroke wonder, this mower runs by smoke and mirrors and just a touch of arcane magic. With all the hoo-ha of climate change and environmentally friendly devices this Victa would probably be thrown onto the junk heap in preference for some new sleek emissions-neutral model. But it's lucky. I'm not about to do that.

This mower paid off its debt to the environment decades ago. It has only really required fuel to keep it going, with the occasional check-up. I live in the country, I have plenty of trees that more than adequately soak up the carbon emmissions this little machine puts out once a month for an hour or so.

It's old, but it's a keeper. May it long reign over the lawn.

I've been on leave... give me a break!

Several hundred photos to sort through. I'll get to all that this week some time, perhaps.

I'll update this page shortly.

I walked into the WOW Superstore this afternoon and lo and behold they had video clips of Roxette playing on their TV screens. Being a Roxette fan I thought, "I gotta have that" so picked up the DVD which has the entire collection, 1987 - 2001, for under $10. BARGAIN!
So I'm typing this listening to the strains of Marie singing "Dressed for Success". Ah, those were the days, big hair and even bigger shoulder pads.
Now I guess you thought that Roxette had fallen off the face of the Earth a long time ago. Well, actually they're still producing music, and rather good stuff if you ask me. But then I'm biased. For the latest goss you can visit the Daily Roxette...or just Google them.

Room Service in 2001 was their last new material album, since then there has been a number of "Greatest Hits" type CD's. This albums first track "Real Sugar" is a typical 80's Roxette sound. The final track "My world, my love, my life" is probably the best song on the album. Per and Marie have both had successful solo careers staying mainly in Europe

I have always liked Marie's voice, powerful yet subtle, and I think it's getting better as she gets ...how do you say older without offending a woman?
Here's hoping they continue on for a while yet.

Pearls of Passion - 1986
Look Sharp - 1988
Joyride - 1991
Tourism - 1992
Crash Boom Bang - 1994
Don't bore us, get us to the Chorus - 1995
Have a nice Day - 1999
Tourism - 2001

There are other remixes and best of's.

I also picked up a few Led Zepplin's and Pink Floyd's as I slowly replace tapes with CD's

Tags: music

I probably shouldn't have ridden to work. Lack of sleep was causing my brain to wander. This is not a good thing when you're on a motorcycle.

Screaming my way to work I had visions of my first coffee for the day.
Sitting my helmet in the usual place, I made a statement something to the effect of "I'm not thinking straight, I need a coffee".

I walk to the lift. I enter and push the button.

Nothing.

I push the button again.

Still nothing.

Oh for crying out loud, what is wrong with this damn thing. Then the doors close. Finally!

Nothing.

WTF???

I press the button again.

Still nothing.

Ok losing patience really fast now. I start pushing the button furiously and then realise...

I'm pushing the 4.

I'm on level 4.

SMACK.

"If I have to explain why money is bad, you're clearly going to have trouble understanding it."

Quote: Craig Chapman (aka Chapmaan)

I had to include the above quote because I think it's one of the best I've seen that didn't come from someone considered famous. He may end up being famous.

As I was checking my mail this afternoon I received an email reminding me that my support for a very good cause, had come to an end. The Sepilok Orangutan Appeal is operated from the UK but is for the support of the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary in Sabah, Malaysia. I have been adopting a little orangutan by the name of Naru for 3 years now. It costs bugger all and you get a photo of your adopted orang. and a certificate.

I have visited the Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary twice and I have seen how your money is being to put good use. You can view some of my images here.

If you have some spare cash why not adopt a little orang. and help out these gentle creatures whose natural habitat is fast disappearing.

Visit www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk

Well it's raining again. A week or so ago, Noosa and parts of the coast were suffering from a deluge and subsequent flooding. The forecast is for a couple more days of rain so they well may be facing the same again.

The dams are full, on my place at least, and the creeks and river floweth strongly.

I'm used to the flooding. It takes a bit of water but every 10 years or so I get a large flood that cuts me off from civilisation for up to 5 days. My previous place of employment took this in their stride and with grace. My new employer may not be so obliging. Time will tell, and I think I'll be putting the 'Flood' option on my leave form in the near future.

I only hope they don't think I have control over the weather conditions. I'm good, but not that good.