New Aussie Flag

Reports that the Australian Prime Minster elect Kevin Rudd has taken the suggestion of the Factions and Unions to change the Australian Flag to the new ALP emblem.

Sunday night saw a hastily appointed meeting of the ALP power brokers to change their emblem from the 6 stars to a condom.

The reason for the new emblem was explained in a media statement said it reflected more accurately the parties and their members political stance.

A condom allows for inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks, and gives you a sense of security while you are actually being well and truly f*cked.

Google Maps Mobile

This looks like a very interesting Google Maps offering; quoted from http://www.google.com/gmm/index.html

Take the power of Google Maps with you on your mobile phone.
New! Google Maps with My Location (beta)


Real-time traffic — See where the congestion is, and estimate delays in over 30 major US metropolitan areas.

Detailed directions — Whether you plan to walk or drive, your route is displayed on the map itself, together with step-by-step directions.

Integrated search results — Local business locations and contact information appear all in one place, integrated on your map.

Easily movable maps — Interactive maps let you zoom in or out, and move in all directions so you can orient yourself visually.

Satellite imagery — Get a bird's eye view of your desired location. (It's like you're there, we swear.)

What's been keeping me from blogging?

Water Ski Racing, is what!

I've gotten involved with a Ski Race Australia registered Water Ski Racking Team, through my mate Kev...

My role in the equation is to drive the support vehicle, and provide maintenance support if and when required.

I'm also taking extensive numbers of digital photographs, on which I'm hoping to be able to gain some financial return...

Here's a photo of the team race boat...

Birthday Wishes...

Happy Birthday MME...

Updates...

Been a while since I've had a chance to sit down and post up some updates on my life...

I finally took delivery of my ute, sometime back in July - man, what a blast this thing is to drive... 6 liters of manually shifted V8 goodness, wrapped up in a nice silver package...

After an artistic session on the camera, I came up with this photo, which doesn't show off the silver, but is totally un-photoshopped!



Aside from the new wheels, I've started in a new role, with a new client - in a process management role, which is a little more hands off than what I'm used to, which is taking some getting used to.

Couple of weeks ago, my mate Kev and I both signed with a water ski racing team, with who we will be competing in the 2007/8 Super Series, which is a set of ski races on various rivers in NSW and Victoria. Kev is going to be the observer for the boat, INXS, whilst I will be pit crew, driving the team bus, and towing the trailer to enable the team to race multiple classes in the same race series. The boat is capable of doing 93 mph on the water (well, this is the fastest we've had her clocked on GPS), with two skiers on 100 foot ropes. The ski racing fraternity are great fun people to be around, which is an immense bonus!

Last night, the fish tank also got a bit of an update, with some new fish, and a heap of new plants. I think it looks pretty good at the moment - very much like a big watery garden :-)



The next couple of weeks are going to be pretty busy - this coming weekend for example - going snow skiing at Mt Buller on Thursday - to take advantage of probably the last week of spring skiing, going out to dinner Friday night, going race testing at Echuca Saturday morning, returning to Melbourne Saturday afternoon, and having the ute at the V8 Supercars Sandown 500 to take part in the parade lap - one of the benefits of having an aussie built car - being able to make it look pretty, and go on international TV... :-) After all that lot, I reckon I will be going back to work on Monday for a rest!!!

Uncyclopedia

Taking the Wikipedia concept, and putting even more comedic, disturbing, and purely random content on the Internet... :-)


Uncyclopedia

for example, want to know HowTo Install Linux On A Dead Badger?

perhaps you're interested in Chuck Norris?

Then there are the sister projects:

Uncyclopedia's sista projects Uncyclopedia is hosted by the Uncyclomedia Foundation, a non-profitable organization that also hosts a range of other projects. UnNews The news source on crack Uncyclopedia The content-free encyclopedia Undictionary The ick!tionary of all things best left unsaid UnTunes Where noisy things can live and prosper Wilde Project Uncyclopedia's founder tells all UnMeta How Uncyclopedia doesn't work UnBooks Content-free books Unquotable Useless misquotes galore Uncycloversity If it makes sense, we don't want it

How do you get a research gig like this?

Potato Chip Flavoring Boosts Longevity Of Concrete

Summarized from : http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/sample.cgi/iecred/2007/46/i16/html/ie070527l.html

The ingredient that helps give “salt & vinegar” potato chips that tangy snap is the key to a new waterproof coating for protecting concrete from water damage, scheduled for the current (August 1) issue of ACS’ Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, a bi-weekly journal. Awni Al-Otoom and colleagues in Jordan point out that concrete’s unique properties have made it the world’s most widely used structural material. Concrete, however, is so porous that water soaks in, corroding steel reinforcing bars and meshes that strengthen concrete roads and buildings and causing cracks as water expands and contracts during freeze-thaw cycles. Sealants are commercially available, but they have serious shortcomings, the study notes. In the new report, researchers describe the use of sodium acetate as an inexpensive and environmentally friendly concrete sealant. One of sodium acetate’s many uses is in flavored potato chips. In laboratory studies using freshly made concrete, the researchers showed that sodium acetate seeps into pores in concrete and then hardens and crystallizes upon exposure to water. The resultant swelling blocks entry of additional moisture, they said. Under dry conditions, the crystals shrink back to their original size and allow moisture to evaporate. The net result is “a significant reduction in water permeability,” that “can be expected to increase the service life of the concrete,” the report said.

A Thunder for Thunder

For those who've known me for more than 13 years - I know one of you who reads this has, would know that in the good old days of the Internet, when I ran an ISP, I called myself Thunder...

Well, in the search for a new chariot, I finally decided on a Holden VZ SS Thunder Ute, which, even though being a V8 is so much better value than the SVZ I was looking at earlier.

After an early e-mail to SmartSalary, who are now managing our salary packaging, they located me a Silver Ute, and I dashed down to Elsternwick in my lunch break to drive one, to make sure it was what I wanted, and secured the order!

I should take delivery in a week or so, and she'll look something a lot like this:

Lunch in Paynesville

Headed down to Paynesville on the Gippsland Lakes for a quick lunch of fish and chips today. I hadn't been down there for a couple of years, when I was down there for a long weekend with Michelle and Bevan, who are now in Geraldton.

The wind would have blown a dog off a chain, but the day was beautiful nevertheless...





This cormorant looked for all the world like a penguin from a distance, so I had to take a closer photo of him...

And he STILL looks like a penguin on a post! :-)

Finally, a car decision

Never thought it would happen, but looks like I'm going to get myself a Holden!

Holden have just released a limited edition V6 ute, with upgraded brakes, leather trim and alloy wheels, calling it the SVZ

Currently waiting on a lease quote to come through, and should be putting a deposit down this weekend :-)



Thinking I will look around and pick myself up a small 4WD as well at some point in time, something like a Toyota Landcruiser Bundera, or a Daihatsu Feroza... Something I can take out in the bush and have a bit of fun in, that isn't worth a lot, but will get me around and about...

Some Images from Bruthen

Drove across the Great Alpine Road today, from Wangaratta to Bairnsdale. The weather on the way up to Mount Hotham was so bad, that I had about 5 meters visibility. I was dying to get out of the car, and take a photo of one of those orange snow poles, with the sign on the top saying "Keep to the Right of Poles", as it was kind of ironic you couldn't see them! Plus, it was too damn cold to get out of the car! Hoping from the fact that I got snowed on at Mount Hotham, we will have a better ski season that last year!

Once past Mount Hotham (I stopped to ask if there was any black ice on the road towards Bairnsdale), the weather cleared up rapidly, and I was soon at the other end of the Alpine Road, having had lots of fun on the winding road between Omeo and Bruthen - must come back in a car that doesn't have 300 kg of computer gear in the back sometime!

Saw a few old relics worthy of snapping photos of on the way down into Bairnsdale


Poor, old Chimney - having a lay down


Old Bruthen Rail Bridge - Must come back and ride the rail trail one of these days


Short, Succinct, and to the point...

New Life

Awesome news from long time friends Andrew and Lisa this morning...

Congratulations guys :-)


Photo Borrowed from Andrew Lighten

Abandoned

The remnants of an old galvanized bucket, in the bed of the Murray River at Thompson's Beach near Cobram..

Amazing what you spy when you're in a conference call... :-)

Hell of a meeting room!

Had to dial into a couple of meetings this morning. Given I'm currently on the road, doing some work for Vic Roads, I was in Cobram, so figured Thompson's Beach on the bank of the Murray River was as good a spot as any to be while I took the calls...

What a meeting room!

Interesting Architecture

This is one of the aspects of the new Customs House at Docklands in Melbourne... Pretty radical architecture :-)

4 Years On

Four years ago, Peter "Possum" Bourne died in a non-Rally related car accident. The Rally World hasn't been the same since....

All video clips are well worth the watch...

RIP Possum

Some People Will Scam ANYONE!!!

Here's an article from The Age today, which tickled my fancy...

It reminds me of going to the Melbourne 4WD and Camping Show last year with my sister and her husband, and while looking at the animals in the Petting Zoo, hearing a woman ask of the guy with the animals: "What sort of dog is this" and the guy answering "It's a Pig"

Japanese Fleeced in Poodle Scam

Sheep or poodle?
Photo: Erin Jonasson

Thousands of Japanese have been swindled in a scam in which they were sold Australian and British sheep and told they were poodles.

Flocks of sheep were imported to Japan and then sold by a company called Poodles as Pets, marketed as fashionable accessories, available at $1,600 each.

That is a snip compared to a real poodle which retails for twice that much in Japan.

The scam was uncovered when Japanese moviestar Maiko Kawamaki went on a talk-show and wondered why her new pet would not bark or eat dog food.

She was crestfallen when told it was a sheep.

Then hundreds of other women got in touch with police to say they feared their new "poodle" was also a sheep.

One couple said they became suspicious when they took their "dog" to have its claws trimmed and were told it had hooves.

Japanese police believe there could be 2,000 people affected by the scam, which operated in Sapporo and capitalised on the fact that sheep are rare in Japan, so many do not know what they look like.

"We launched an investigation after we were made aware that a company were selling sheep as poodles,'' Japanese police said.

"Sadly we think there is more than one company operating in this way.

"The sheep are believed to have been imported from overseas - Britain, Australia.''

Many of the sheep have now been donated to zoos and farms.

Source: AAP

Update on Cars

After going through the process of deciding the Liberty GT Spec B was the car for me, I duly had the lease company put together some pricing on a 4 year package, based on the 45,000 km I drive each year, and looks like I can't stretch the finances that far...

What a bummer, as it's a really nice car....

Currently, my thought process, is to wait until Subaru release the new Forester XT, and if it looks the goods, I'll order one of those as I know I can afford one! If they look a bit ho-hum, I'll order the current shape, and it'll still be all good :-)

Map My Name

Found some information on www.mapmyname.com a while back, and the site is now in Beta...

It's a kinda cool idea, although I'm not sure where it's really going to go... The aim, is to determine how many people use the Internet, but not sure how well it will take off...

Worthy of a look though... Seems I'm the first Aussie to put myself on the map, as it were...

It's using Google Maps, with another API over the top of it...

Looks very Google - although I don't know that it would fit into any one portfolio... Perhaps in the social networking world? Who knows!

P.S. First Australian to register :-)

Cool deviantART

Just been looking for a new wallpaper, and came across this guys work... awesome digital art!

http://stickersticker.deviantart.com/gallery/

Automotive Dilemnas...

Quite a bit of water under the blog since the last time I shared anything here about cars...

I've gone from researching the hell out of a Hilux, to a Prado (still turbo diesel), and recently, after pricing all the extra goodies I want on a Prado, to take me where I would (in my dreams) want to go, and back again - the cost of leasing such a beast was going to stretch me a little more than was desired... A bit of a pity, but I did a bit of soul searching, and asked "will I actually USE this vehicle for the purpose I'm going to modify it", and the answer came back as "maybe"...

Then I started considering "what do I REALLY want in a car"? and to be honest, I don't bloody know! I want something reasonably efficient, something that performs well, that I can rely on, and doesn't cost a sheep station to lease.

Now, I've been very happy with the Forester XT, but despite this, probably wouldn't get another just yet. Given my involvement in the Impreza WRX Club, I'm thinking of staying with the Subaru brand, but definitely not getting a WRX, as they can't tow anything as heavy as the boat. That pretty well brings me back to an Outback or a Liberty.

A good mate, Les, has the Liberty GT Spec B, which, with my recent pay rise, on a 5 year lease would actually leave me with about $300 more in the bank a month than leasing my current Forester... With a pretty reasonable fuel economy of around 10.9 litres per 100 km (ADR sticker) it's a good contender, as is the Outback 2.5i Premium, with a 9.5 litres per 100 km, but the consideration is really the return when towing the boat, and general driveability.

I'm leaning towards spending a little more, and getting the Liberty, but it really depends how the Outback drives, and could I live without the turbo, having had a turbo charged car for 3 years now.

A Long Time Between Drinks - errr Blogs

Long time between blogs!

Just sitting at the kitchen table, watching the fish swimming around the fish tank, and realized I've been ultimately slack in keeping any updates feeding into my part of the world... Given no-one's given me any grief about it, I figure it shows how many people actually READ the crap I type!!!

Let's see if I can sum up the past 3 months quickly.

December, just before Christmas - started seeing someone.

January

• worked through the Christmas break, finalising the design for the Vic Roads Dealer Online System remediation project that has been all encompassing for the past few months...
  
• Implemented the remediated Driver Online System for Vic Roads

February

• Started back onto the Vic Roads Driver Licensing System remediation design...
• Researched and planned a 4WD trip to Cape York
  
• Did something I vowed never to do - got my Jetski endorsement for my boat drivers license.
  
• Spent 10 days on a Luxury on the Murray Houseboat, on the Murray River, starting with the Southern 80 ski race, and finishing with the Echuca Moama Wine and Jazz Festival.
• Discovered, that even though I'm 15 years older and 15 kg heavier than the last time I tried, I CAN still ski on a slalom water ski!
• Also discovered that if you start drinking beer at 7.30 am on a 44 degree day, you can drink 30 cans and still not be pissed by 2.30 the following morning!
  
• Made some great new friends, who live in the Echuca area!!
• Spent a weekend in the Victorian High Country with my sister and brother-in-law, and some great friends I have met through www.offroadsubarus.com
  
• Became single again

March

• Went on a Sun Microsystems training course - three days of training to get a free t-shirt!! (although their hardware is VERY cool)
  
• More time with my new mates in Echuca
• Lots more time working on the last of 4 Vic Roads projects.