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.

Worth reading: Yes
Summary: FBI crime investigation

I've only just started reading titles by Lee Child in the last couple of months, and I have come to like them a lot. I can read several one after the other which I find difficult with most other authors. The key character in all Lee Child's books is Jack Reacher. Ex US MP of 13 years, now drifting around the country and world.

From the back of the book:
"Sergeant Amy Callan and Lieutenant Caroline Cook have a lot in common. Both were army high-flyers. Both were acquainted with Jack Reacher. Both were forced to resign from the service. Now they're both dead. Both were found in their own home, naked, in a bath full of paint. Both apparent victims of an army man. A loner, a smart guy with a score to settle, a ruthless vigilante. A man just like Jack Reacher."

If you like "who dunnits" with a common central character with lots of gratuitous violence then Lee Child and Jack Reacher are for you.

Tags: books, Lee Child, jack reacher

Worth reading: Yes
Summary: Chasing down Dracula

This is a rather interesting read. It is another work concerning the tale of Dracula. Elizabeth Kostova has blended fact with a fictional story line. This tale is told by the daughter of the Historian. She is reading the notes and letters from her father who has suddenly gone missing, who in turn is recounting the search for his Professor who was snatched by Dracula years before.

The story traces the family line back through several generations and uncovers a family's connection with an evil past.

For me, this was a slow read for the first half of the book and at times the characters can be frustrating. But this aside, it is still an excellent book and well worth the time.

Tags: books

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.

Today, as part of my 5000km service, I had a 16 tooth front sprocket fitted.
The DL650 comes standard with a 15 tooth front sprocket, and while this delivers a high degree of power to the road, revs at the top end are rather high.

By changing to 16 teeth I have effectively wiped off 1000rpm from 6th gear. This has also had the added benefit of smoothing out 1st gear.

When I start "touring" I may put back the 15 tooth sprocket depending on where I intend going, but for general commuting and highway work I can recommend making this modification.

My fuel consumption is 23kms/litre. I have just filled up so will report back in a week or so what kind of difference an extra tooth has made.

--- Update: 20 December 2007 ---
Well I'm impressed. The extra tooth has given me, essentially, an extra gear to the top end. It has probably halved the power of first which will make any real dirt work a little challenging.

Tags: motorcycles

From time-to-time I go to the Chiropractor. I have done for years. It started as a spinal correction for a primary school accident when I was in grade six and has, over time, become an ongoing proactive/preventative health maintenance thing. Specially important now that age is starting to catch up with me.

Today I had an appointment with my Chiropractor. A good bloke in Gympie.. yeah, I know what you're thinking...not many of them.

On the way to Gympie I was considering my future with my current employer. It's that time of year. Studies have shown that staff move around more at Christmas, through some desire for something better. Starting the new year with something fresh. I can sympathise. I do it every year also. I was depressing myself with thoughts of incompetent, knee-jerk, management and was rather gloomy when I arrived. Wistfully wishing I was on my bike touring around the country, I was flicking through the local rag as I sat in the waiting room.

There were children playing with blocks or some such things as I arrived and, lost in my own thoughts, I didn't think much about them. I was more interested in how I was going to make it through the next 15-20 minutes... I had arrived very early. That was until a little boy, perhaps around 5 or 6, came and sat down beside me and started watching me read the paper.

He started pointing out the Santa Clauses that littered every page. He informed me that Christmas was coming very soon and let it be known that he wanted a motorbike. WELL..... that was the perfect introduction to a conversation.

We started talking about bikes, he wanted a red one... it was the only condition. He asked what the political cartoon was about (picture of a Croc and Bindi Irwin). He pointed out a couple kids from his school that had made it into the paper. He told me he had walked all the way to the Chiropractor on his own, and on asking how far that was, was told he lived just across the road. He asked me what I wanted for Christmas and I had to mention my bike.. it is red after all.

In short... it seems I had made a friend, much to the amusement of the other patrons and staff.

Our conversation went on and before I knew it I was being called to enter the "unkinking room". With a jolly wave and toothy grin he said "Seeya later" and went back to the trucks on the floor.

Lying on the "unkinking table" I thought.. how odd. Kids don't normally walk up to me and strike up a conversation. I don't really know why and it doesn't keep me up at night. Don't get me wrong.. Kids are great, will have some of my own some day.
What I did realise was that I was in a much happier mood than when I first walked in. All thoughts of nad-less managers had dispersed. I suddenly became envious of all the parents out there who get to do that every day. His enthusiasm for the simplistic gave me hope for humanity in the future. Ah! ... to be a child again. Why is it that adults make everything so convolutedly complex?

He was gone when I came out, but he gave me the boost I needed.

Perceptive little bugger :-)

Don't get me wrong, I think the DL Wee-Strom 650 is a great bike. But for me, the bar is a little low when I stand up, giving me the feeling that I could fall forward over the bars at any second. I tried rotating the bars forward a bit but this wasn't much better.

Solution: Bar raisers.

These lift the bar up without altering the position and they're perfect.

Installation tips for the DL650...

1a. Check that you have enough cables to extend the bar to the height you need. I did this by removing the electrical cables from the two spring-clips either side of the column as shown below...

Right side, looking forward.


Left side, looking forward

1b. I also removed the cables on the right side (looking forward) from the spring-clip at the base of the forks. To do this, remove the bolt holding the assembly shown below, remove the cables, then do the bolt up again.

Right side looking forward, under the headlight assembly.

1c. Remove the bracken shown below, holding the cables on the left side (looking forward) and remove the cables heading up to the bars. Once you have adjusted the cable length you can tighten this clip again.

2. Remove the four bolts with an allen key, that holds the bar to the forks. Place the bar gently on a rag that covers the tank. you don't want to scratch the finish.

3. Attache the raisers and tighten the supplied bolts.

4. Replace the bar, position and tighten the top of the bar clamps.

5. Rotate the bar to full-lock left and right with the engine running to ensure you're not dragging any cabling...like the throttle. Adjust as necessary.

Voila!!

Tags: motorcycles

Nothing ever fits the way you're told it will.

Just in case there is anyone else out there wanting to fit a Givi top-box to the rack on their Suzuki DL650, here is the way I did it.

You will need the following:
1 x 6mm twist drill
1 x drill
1 x set of allen keys
1 x 10mm spanner (slim with long handle is best)
2 x 30mm diameter washers (outside diameter)
1 x rule
1 x metal scribe
1 x small socket set.
1 x DL650 (mine is an 06 model)
1 x Givi Top-box with supplied mounting plate and fastenings (Mine is a E370N)

Step1.
You will need to remove the rack from the back of the bike. In case you didn't notice, there are 4 bolts holding this on. Two at the top of the rack itself and two under the seat.

Step 2.
Remove the rubber mat from the top of the rack. A small amount of spray-grease will help pull the rubber plugs through the holes. Store flat, in case you want to put this back on at some point. (I guess you could drill through the rubber but that would look rather tatty if you ever took off the top-box permanently.)

Step 3.
Finding the best position for the Givi mounting plate is tricky. The rack plate has reinforcing ridges underneath and these frustratingly line up with just about all the bolt option in the Givi plate. I found just two that would line up without the need to remove some of the strengthening ridges underneath. You'll know what I mean when you turn the rack over and look at the under side.

I was able to use an existing hole in the rack, but had to drill a second. The following image shows where I put the extra hole. I'm hoping two will be sufficient and it feels very solid.

Step 4.
Test fit the Givi mounting plate to the rack to check for fit and alignment. You will need to remove the mounting plate again as you won't be able to put in the two rack bolts that hold the rack on the bike.

Step 5.
Re-attach the rack to the bike, replacing the 4 bolts and do try not to strip the thread.

Step 6.
Attach the Givi mounting plate to the rack.

This is rather tricky. You will notice the recess that the rubber mat came out of (not shown). If you don't place one of the 30mm washers between the rack and the mounting plate, as you tighten up the bolts you will distort the plate which will make attaching the top box almost impossible. Do yourself a favour and remember the washers. I used two bolts, so needed two washers to act as spacers. The following image shows the back most spacer.

Only attach the back bolt to finger tightness at this stage. You can use one of the supplied W brackets for this bolt. I found there wasn't enough room to use one on the second bolt.

Position the mounting plate and push through the second bolt (remembering the washer between the rack and the mounting plate)

Attaching the second nut will be a challenge, but if you have a long handled 10mm spanner you'll be fine. Don't forget the small washer and remember you may not have space to use a W bracket.

Don't fully tighten bolts just yet.

Step 7.
Test fit the the top box. If you can attach and remove it easily you're done. If not, you may need thicker washers to act as spacers between the rack and the mounting plate.
Tighten the bolts, don't strip the thread.

Step 8.
Replace the cover to the mounting plate, and attach the top box.

You're done.

Tags: motorcycles

"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

Finally an actual BotTF entry. I hope no one was holding out for one. I'm actually cheating a bit with this one. I read it for the second time several months back after a discussion with one of my friends prompted me to pick it up again.

Thermopylae - Battle for the West, recounts the tale of the three-day battle for the pass at the "Hot Gates" of Thermopylae. This tale was most recently told in the Hollywood over-simplification-but-still-impressive block-buster "300".

If you're not familiar with the story, the then King of Sparta, Leonidas, played a devastating yet suicidal delaying tactic to hold the advancing Persian army of Xerxes. This gave the Greeks time to settle their differences and prepare for the coming onslaught.

Thermopylae - Battle for the West, also covers the lead-up to the battle at the Hot Gates, and the final crushing defeat of of the Persian army at Plataea that ended the Greco-Persian wars, where the Spartans once again showed their superior military tactics and training.

This is a very compelling read for anyone interested in Greek history. This battle, and the resulting defeat of the Persian army is what defined the western world.

Tags: books, history

Picked this up on the weekend while passing through Gympie.

This Motorcycle atlas has 100 top rides of Australia. I've been browsing through it over the past couple of days and it looks rather good.

This is the Third Edition and the Author Peter Thoeming covers not only the top rides of Australia, but also some guidelines on what to pack and how to pack it. It's also full of imagery of the ride areas.

Most of the "Top" rides in Queensland are right around where I live, so I have no excuse not to try them out.

Many of the top rides in Queensland, New South Wales, and Tasmania I have already covered by car and so I know they're good.

I just have to do them on the bike.

So here's waiting for Summer to end and Autumn to start so the temperature drops a little. I don't find it too much fun riding in the 30+ heat. Don't get me wrong, it's all fun, it just could be funner... ahem, more fun.

Tags: books, motorcycles, road trips

Microsoft would have you believe they have the only computer operating system in the world. But nothing could be further from the truth. There are much more capable OS's out there than Windows. More capable in every way.

People move away from Microsoft Windows for many reasons, and they're all good ones. I have made the move away from the endless security updates, virus scanning, failed promises, poor performance, lockups and all the other problems that are endemic to a Windows world. There are so many better options than a Microsoft operating system and the world is starting to realise this.

I thought I'd share the strategy I used to move away from Windows, which is also the one I recommend to my friends.

Step 1 - Find open source equivalents to the windows software that you use

This is actually a very easy step. I have blogged about some of the open source software on this site but there is so much more. First of all I made a list of the windows software I used and went hunting for replacements. It also helps if you have an idea of which OS you think you'd like to move toward. I wasn't sure but figured it would be Linux of some flavour but also considered MAC OS X, so the software I went looking for ideally would work on all three platforms. Once you have your list you can now install your Open Source software on Windows so you become familiar with it and ensure that it meets your needs.

OpenOffice replaces Microsoft Office
This is an easy one for me. I'd been using OpenOffice for a while and already new about the product before I decided to make the move. Thanks to the Novell/Microsoft agreement, you are guaranteed that documents created in on will work in the other.

Thunderbird replaces Outlook
Thunderbird is a worthy replacement for Outlook. It has most of the bells and whistles and all the features you need in an email client. It's also available for Windows, Linux and OS X.

Firefox replaces Internet Explorer
This is a no-brainer. If you're not using this Web Browser already, you should be. Firefox has been available for Windows for a long time, and is usually where Microsoft gets their improvements for IE from. Just look at the Tabbed interface. Firefox also has a built in pop-up blocker and enhanced security features that are lacking in IE. Even if you decide to stay with Windows, you should be using this browser.

RealPlayer replaces Windows media player
Not much to add here, they both play media files.

The GIMP replaces ...MS Paint????
Yes, you noticed this too.. Windows doesn't have a half-decent image editing application. The GIMP is a powerful Open Source image editing package. It has a lot of the features of the VERY costly Adobe Photoshop, and if you're not in the image editing area this is still worth a look. All those digital photos you take and store on your computer can be touched up beautifully with this application.

There are many other applications, and I'll let you find them. Remember, GOOGLE is your friend. You might also wish to have a look at www.theopendisc.com

Step 2 - Practice
Now that you have your software, spend a good 6 months getting used to it and how they work. Learn how they work, how to back them up and restore them. Now is also the time to look at the hardware you use. Start researching support for your devices under other Operating systems. Search for drivers and software to support your devices. 6 months may seem a long time and it will depend on the individual. Only you will know when you're ready.

Step 3 - Testing the waters of a new Operating System
This step is the most exciting one and it's fortunate that Linux especially has many options that boot from a "Live CD". A Live CD is a bootable CD/DVD that contains the operating system. You can boot from it and load up the OS into memory without effecting your installed OS. This enables you to test the waters without actually taking the plunge. Ubuntu is my favourite choice for Linux, for the home user. Novell's SuSe Linux Enterprise Desktop (SLED) is also an excellent choice but doesn't come as a Live CD. All Linux distributions are essentially the same under the hood. So you could trial one but select another.
Another option is to download the Free VMWARE player software or Microsoft Virtual PC software. These applications allow you to create a virtual workstation on your Windows computer and use it like any other application. You could trial every OS you wanted this way and get comfortable with how they work.
You should be using the Internet to good effect. There are uncountable support forums for every OS available. All of them are filled with people just waiting to help you out and answer your questions. Make good use of these resources, ask lots of questions.

Step 4 - Ripping out that hapless water-buffalo
You're now ready. You're comfortable with your new software suites and you have all the drivers for your hardware (bare in mind that recent OS's have nearly all the drivers built in). Backup your data to an external drive. If you've decided to go with a version of Linux that comes on a Live CD then all you need to do is double click on the install icon and you're away. Otherwise, follow the install instructions that come with the version you've chosen.
If you've decided to go Mac OS X then you've bought yourself a new bit of kit. Either way, have fun and start enjoying the world without Windows.

Conclusion:
There is no reason to stay with Microsoft Windows. Unless of course you want to.. but that couldn't possibly be the case. Why would you want to pay large amounts of money for all the bits and pieces you need to maintain a Windows OS? The saying "It just works" doesn't really apply anymore to Windows (not that it ever did).

Anyway.. this is the process I followed. I ended up going to both Linux and Mac OS X. There were two reasons for this and the first was Adobe Photoshop. I use it rather heavily for photography and well, Adobe don't release Photoshop for Linux...yet. The other was I had only just bought a new Dell PC and so I went Linux on it. I've been happily Windows free for nearly 12 months. During this time, Vista was released, but there is nothing that I've read that could tempt me back. I haven't missed Windows at all.

Tags: Linux, mac, OS X

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.

Wireshark is now available for OSX 10.5 (Leopard). You can download it from VersionTracker. There are still a few bugs in it, but it seems to work better than it did under 10.4 (Tiger).

Wireshark is the most popular packet capturing software available today. Wireshark is a continuation of development on the Ethereal product that I have used for years.
Wireshark on OS X and Linux enables you to capture data packets not only on your wired network interface, but also your WIRELESS! You have to pay money for this ability under Windows...nothing to do with Wireshark...just Windows.

Check out VersionTracker for the install package and Wireshark for more information on the program.

Happy sniffing.

I was having a look at the stats for my photography site today. StatCounter tracks what type of browser was used to view a page, one of many stats you can get from this service.

As you can see the Windoze browsers are only slightly in front of the Non-Windoze browsers. Could this be indicative of a M$ loss of market share to OS X and the Open Source community? Probably not, but I like to think so.

Tags: firefox

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.

I am a voracious reader. It's not uncommon for me to have up to four books on the go at any one time. Just of late I've slackened off the pace a little and am reading just one. I won't go into the authors I tend to gravitate towards, with the exception of Stephen King. I only mention him because I've already mentioned him in another blog, and he's my favourite author.

Book of the Time Frame (BotTF) will be a section I will update with each new book that I finish. I will attempt to provide a review of said book and give some indication of whether I think it might be worth your book-time...or not. Book of the Time Frame is so-called because I don't want to be held to any specific number of books or to any specific period of time.

I was going to start with a review of my current read, however I'm staring at the bottom of my second GT for the evening and the words are starting to swim on the screen. I had a feeling that last one may have been a bit strong...pity the feeling didn't hit me till just now.

Tags: books

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.