Mr Pete Has A Chat

suck shit, fuck face...

2007-11-25T12:15:00.000+11:00

Liberal/National Coalition	4,540,987	46.59	-6.15
Australian Labor Party	5,205,679	53.41	+6.15

HOWARD, John Winston	Liberal	34,472	48.16	54.13	-5.97
McKEW, Maxine	Labor	37,101	51.84	45.87	+5.97

Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke! Woot woot... cos truth be told I didn't really want to move to New Zealand.

Well done, Australia... a little slow on the catch up, some of you, but well done all the same :)

this is champagne comedy, colonel...

2007-03-31T03:38:00.000+10:00

Indeed it is, Graeme.

Laugh yourself silly :)

(via a commenter, lost somewhere in the jungle that is Friday Q and A, over at Fitsy's joint. Do yourself a favour!)

life, etc...

2007-03-03T13:53:00.000+11:00

Blogging has taken a back seat lately. There's been rather a bit going on. Firstly, for those following our infertility and recent pregnancy issues, all is going well. The ultrasound at seven weeks was good and so far all is well. Full post and pics to follow.

In other news, C's father is dying. He had been showing signs of vagueness and loss of motor function since about christmas. They thought maybe the drugs he was on for various things were out of balance so they went to the doc. He recommended going for some tests and sure enough, a couple of tumours on the brain showed up. They've biopsied it and the prognosis is not great.

It goes without saying, my wife is not a happy chappy. The bitter-sweet irnoy of these two things coming at once is hard enough. On top of that, there is some tension amongst her family about the best care for their father. There are a total of seven kids and there've always been some underlying tensions. It also brings back feelings for her of being seen as a kid. She's married now, a kid on the way, but she can't get past the idea that she's being marginalised as "the baby".

We'll see how it all pans out, I guess.

+

2007-02-08T11:38:00.000+11:00

We got our blood test results and its positive. We're pregnant. This is very good news :) C has put it more succinctly than I! BFP, for the unitiated, stands for Big Fat Positive (and is the opposite of the evil BFN monster :)

I'm trying to temper it a little because we have been here before. But, from what C tells me, the results are stronger this time. I've got a call in with the IVF nurse to get it first hand, just to make sure she hasn't coloured the news with her excitement :) The last time it was me who got the call and, I swear, it was so hard not to switch off after the nurse said the magic words. I just want to make sure its all covered.

But, that said, the last thing I want to do is panic her. We're very happy at the moment,as you might imagine, and I don't want to spoil it.

Anyway, we've got another blood test next Wednesday, as well as a scan and stuff a couple of weeks after that. So far, so good!

hanging in there...

2007-02-02T11:33:00.000+11:00

If anyone is following our little baby making dance, I'd recommend C's blog for the greater amount of detail! But steer clear if you're sqeemish :)

In a recent post she asked me break down exactly what my infertility issues are. This I'd already done a while back. So if you're interested, here it is.

The only thing I would update is around the following;

"...my body produces antibodies against my own sperm. Don't ask me why, ..."

Since then I've come to some greater understanding of the antibodies issue. In short ones own sperm are foreign bodies from the point of view of the bodies. Quite why I don't fully understand, but its essentially the case that your sperm is the DNA of another person. So it makes sense that its DNA is different and your own immune system doesn't recognise it.

This is why the testicles and that entire system are actually separated from the rest of the body by a natural barrier. (I'm not sure what kind, but its not a brick wall, anyway! Some sort of membrane, I guess.)

The problem is that in my case this barrier has been breached. It may have been constructed poorly in the first place or may have been the result of an injury at some stage. (I've copped my fair share of whacks in the goolies over the years, so I can't rule it out.) But, once its happened the horse has bolted. My immune system now knows of my sperm and as the fine people of Krikkit once said, "Its got to go!"

They can't fix the barrier, mainly because they can't find the breach. (Well, in my case no one has actually looked, but their experience is that it isn't practical to try.) They could supress my immune system with cartabolic steroids, but thats pretty nasty stuff and still wouldn't make our chances of natural conception all that flash. So, no joy there either.

Anyone would think the treatment methods were developed by blokes who got all squeemish at the idea of knives near other blokes tackle! But that's a whole other discussion.

how cute is this...

2007-02-02T11:02:00.000+11:00

This ad plays on TV in Australia. I can't find the English version, but this is just gold!

he's baaack...

2007-01-25T05:13:00.000+11:00

Oh, my giddy aunt. Bolt's back. 14 posts in one day? Obviously he's not putting much effort into any of them. But we already knew that. Maybe we'll try to get into a few of them, but really, I can't be bothered reading them that much.

It's like a train crash, his blog. You know you shouldn't stare, but you just can't help it. I catch myself gaping open mouthed sometimes. I try to justify it by telling myself its important to engage people like that. But really isn't it true that if you argue with a fool, eventually people can't tell which one's the fool?

And no, I'm not linking to him. I refuse to give him the google juice. Even my tiny little bit!

childish politics reaches a new low...

2007-01-24T21:08:00.000+11:00

Well, this is mature! I thought Question Time was inane.

Are they even trying to argue policy anymore?

Meanwhile, check out the Young Ferals conference agenda. If I get the chance I'll get into a bit later, but for now just take a deep breath and try not to cry.

another one down...

2007-01-24T02:32:00.000+11:00

Yesterday we cleared another hurdle in our IVF marathon.* Still a couple to go, but we're getting there.

* Actually, this probably isn't quite right. Its certainly been a marathon since we first started two and a half years ago, but this cycle has gone like the clappers. So, perhaps we should call it a sprint to the line!

how do you spell beat up?

2007-01-24T01:46:00.000+11:00

Congratulations, Herald Sun, you've done it again! The entire front page dedicated to an isolated bureaucratic fuck up. I have no particular knowledge of VLA's procedures in these matters, but I think its fair to call it isolated. If it wasn't, no doubt the Hun would have referred to "ongoing ineptitude", dragged out a whole swag of other victims and called for the ministers head.

The short version is a kid was sent a letter advising him he'd been named as the father of a child born when he was three years old. Hardly likely, of course, but when questioned the spokesman for the VLA was open and forthright;

Victorian Legal Aid managing director Tony Parsons said the bungle was an isolated incident. "We made a mistake," Mr Parsons said. "This went out under the hand of a junior lawyer here. He got the name from a telephone directory, contrary to his training. He has been counselled and has written a letter to the recipient apologising.
We are very careful about the basis of sending those letters out because we are aware how sensitive they are, and this is the only problem we have had in five years. "In this case it is a one-off, inexperienced practitioner who did something he shouldn't have and is being counselled in that regard."

Sounds fair enough. He was accountable and wore the hit without even trying to offer an excuse. The paper have no evidence of it being a systemic problem. (And lets face it, there'd be plenty of folks like young Mr Holden who wouldn't miss the chance to stick one to the government and see if its worth a quid if they got the chance!)

It's a simple, isolated mistake. So, of course, its a front page story! You can't expect the journo to go out and find a real story when this little gem lands in their lap, can you?

And that was going to be it. I was going to make my point and move on until I saw today's edition on line. They are the still going on about it. Seems a few other folk received the same letter. Which, of course, means it must be more than isolated;

Legal Aid's managing director, Tony Parsons, said on Monday that Tyler Holden's case was a "one-off". But four more men, also named T. Holden, were accused of fathering the same child.

But its still nothing more than an isolated incident, though. Its still just the one screw up which unfortunately involved more than one recipient. For God sake, Mr Guthrie, I know you're new to the job, but c'mon!

To add a personal touch to the matter, one of the other T. Holden's in the story is a relative. I'm not saying which one and he's not immediate family. My paternal grandmother's maiden name was Holden and he's somewhere in that line. Small world, eh!

you make me feel like... walking?

2007-01-23T14:23:00.000+11:00

Leo Sawyer walks out of the Celebrity Big Brother house in the UK! Well, I'm using "celebrity" very loosely here. Leo's one of only three or or four genuine has beens on the show. Dirk Benedict, Jermain Jackson, Ken Russell and Leo.

The rest don't even qualify for wanna-be status.

Anyway, on with the prison break :)

space...

2007-01-20T19:48:00.000+11:00

Space has been on my mind lately. I've not really mentioned it in this blog much, but I'm a bit of a space nut :)

Anyway, I went looking for a new wallpaper image the other day, one suitable for the higher resolution of our new monitor. We've had FSM on for a while and it was time for a change!

I was hoping to find an asteroid belt, or some kind of nebula or galaxy shot. And I did. But then, just when I was struggling to make up my mind, I tripped over one of the most iconic images of the entire space era. I love it!

Behold my current wallpaper!

Doesn't it bring out the geek in you? :)

no military in space, say... um, ah, the... U.S.?

2007-01-20T19:19:00.000+11:00

How funny is this;

WASHINGTON (AP) - Criticizing China's test of an anti-satellite weapon, the U.S. State Department said Friday "modern life as we know it" depends on the security of space-based technology.

State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said the administration raised concerns about the test with Chinese officials in Washington and in Beijing, making clear its opposition to "any militarization of space."

And their rationale for this amazing claim?;

"He said tests of the kind China carried out "produce extensive amounts of space debris, have the potential for disturbing or accidentally disrupting communication satellites or other kinds of space vehicles that are out there."

They can't seriously have forgotten, can they? Surely not! They've been at it since the Reagan days. In 2002 the U.S. renamed the BMDO to the MDA, having changed it to BMDO from SDIO in 1993.

As recently as 2002, the current Administration was planning "Son of Star Wars";

President Bush has ordered the setting up of a rudimentary missile defence system as early as 2004, underlining Washington's fear that the United States faces a real threat of intercontinental attack by rogue states.

As the Administration unveiled "Son of Star Wars" it asked Britain and other allies for their backing, apparently hoping to defray part of the cost, expected to be hundreds of billions of dollars over the coming decades.

The U.S. have also consistently vetoed U.N. treaties proposed by China and Russia aimed at banning the militarisation of space.

UPDATE: 23/1
Just re-read this and it probably sounds a little like I'm suggesting China are harmless. They're not. China are clearly bad news. I'm simply saying that blaming them entirely for starting a space arms race is a bit rich.

new toys...

2007-01-20T02:16:00.000+11:00

We bought a new printer today. An HP Laserjet 1600 colour laser. Tidy little unit, too!

The plan is to create some business making invitations and cards and the like. As well as maybe short run presentation printing and some other sideline things we're bouncing around. The cost of the technology required continues to drop and drop. The 1600 we just bought was only $445! For a colour laser! And if I'd done my research a little better I'd have noticed the $100 cashback on the next model up, which would've made it the same price!

But here's the really absurd part. It came with half filled toner cartridges included. Given the retail price of the full article is about $120 and it takes four cartridges, my math says the included toner was a bit over half the value of the printer!

Anyway, the cards and invites are the main plan. C is a very creative young lady. This sort of thing is right up her alley. We spent an hour and a half at the Doggetts outlet store this morning, taking samples of pretty much one of everything! Next step is to start laying different colours down together and see what we can come up with!

Wish us luck!

ivf...

2007-01-20T02:10:00.000+11:00

Things are progressing nicely for my wife and I with our latest shot at IVF success. You can see her blog for the details and earlier posts of mine for some background.

I don't really want to go in to too much detail. There are a couple of real life friends who read this and we haven't even told our families this time! Suffice to say we've cleared a couple of major hurdles in the last week or two and with a bit of luck we'll clear a couple more next week.

Its hard yakka, I'll tell you that much.

journalist was wrong... other journalists tell all!

2007-01-20T01:43:00.000+11:00

Looks like Terry Lane has earnt the ire of the Herald Sun again! I'm sure he's deeply hurt by their lack of faith.

SUNDAY Age columnist Terry Lane has been caught out again quoting unreliable Internet sources, despite a similar "almighty stuff-up" last year leading him to offer his resignation.

It is the second time Lane has used spurious Internet claims to back anti-George W. Bush attacks in the paper – and this time to criticise Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd.

Its good to see his boss standing up for him this time. Last time he pretty much hung him out to dry. But there are fighting words from The Sunday Age's editor this time;

"I think Terry Lane has made an assertion in an opinion piece," Mr Fray said. "It's a bit like me critiquing everything that Andrew Bolt has claimed. If we critiqued him like you're critiquing Terry, we'd have someone online from The Age calling you everyday.

Amen!

Still, one can only assume that if the Herald Sun is so strident in their criticism of just these two pieces from Terry, then they must agree wholeheartedly with his multitude of other writings for the Age. Like this one;

Sending in another 20,000 soldiers to search and destroy is not the way to liberate Iraq, writes Terry Lane.

Liberation goes like this. You see a country under occupation or ruled by a tyrant; you send in the army to drive the occupiers out or to depose the tyrant; then you bow to the natives' grateful applause and go home. Simple.

Or this one. Or this. Or this.

Stick with it, Terry. I still loves ya!

tamworth opens its heart... finally

2007-01-18T08:04:00.000+11:00

So, Minister Vanstone is happy that Tamworth have opened their heart to a handful of Sudanese refugees. Woop-de-doo! She must be pissed off that it took such an effort;

Tamworth City Council voted this week to spurn an offer by the Department of Immigration to resettle the families for fear it could lead to a "Cronulla riots- type situation", Mayor James Treloar said.

Cr Treloar said that "of the 12 Sudanese people who live in Tamworth, eight have been before the courts for everything from dangerous driving to rape. These people don't respect authority … They come from countries where there are outbreaks of TB (tuberculosis) and polio. How can we trust the department to screen those things?"

The part I fail to understand is exactly what council had to agree to anyway. As far as I'm aware they have no part in housing funding, visa applications or migration issues generally. While councils can be helpful in terms of leadership in community acceptance, I wouldn't have thought any decision they made would be binding in this regard.

here we go... this was always on...

2007-01-14T12:58:00.000+11:00

Okay, so the source is the Herald-Sun. Worse yet, the Sunday Herald-Sun. So I'll wait until I hear it from a reliable source like, I don't know, the three year old neice. But this one rings a bit true, don't you think.

THE Bracks Government is outraged at a leaked federal proposal to tax rainwater collected from roofs. The idea was revealed in a leaked email seen by the Sunday Herald Sun.

In the email, National Water Commission chief Ken Matthews says, "Legally, all water in Australia is vested in governments."

Mr Matthews' email continued: "Governments have not yet considered the capture of water from roofs in rainwater tanks to be of sufficient magnitude to warrant the issuing of specific entitlements to use this class of water.

Can't wait to see who's brave enough to trying taxing rain water!

end of bolta?

2007-01-14T12:33:00.000+11:00

For the unitiated (you lucky buggers), Andrew Bolt is a regular opinion write in the News Ltd stable. He writes directly for the Herald-Sun in Melbourne, but I believe he is cross-posted to some of their regional papers and appears on TV and the like.

Right Wing Dead Beat.

Anyway, its beginning to look like we might've seen the last of him. As a columnist, at least. The last post in his blog is telling. That and the fact that everyone else seems to have come back from holidays, but still no sign of Andy.

Understandable, too. His positions of denial on global warming have become ridiculously stark over the last year. Recently more and more of the media and political class have come to accept the blindingly obvious. Toward the end of last year even John Howard and Rupert Murdoch have jumped on the bandwagon! Bolt truly is alone on this issue. His publication will, in coming months, take on a much greater environmental message than it ever has before. As a result, Bolt's position must be considered untenable.

Of Bolt's other two high end flogging horses, Islam and Water, he is on safe ground with one. The News Ltd stable is showing no signs of reducing it's vilification of our Muslim community.

But on Water, the ground has shifted under him, too. The Herald Sun is beginning to take something of a "campaign" approach to water saving. Bolt's simplistic and generally derided solution is to simply build another dam! Of course, this is thoroughly pointless. The fact remains that, at least for the forseeable future, rainfall patterns have changed. We must capture more water in the cities of Australia. And use less. A new dam will not help when it isn't raining!

I may be wrong, but I believe the capacity of our current dams when full are adequate for a few decades yet. If they were full! I'll stand corrected, if anyone wants to refute that.

So, where to for Bolta? He's a loyal company man. The editorship of the Hearld-Sun is up for grabs, with Peter Blunden being kicked upstairs. Perhaps it would be easier to hide from the humiliation of abandoning his long held views from the privacy of a different office!

We shall wait and see.

simple and effective...

2007-01-14T12:21:00.000+11:00

Why isn't this thing mandatory in new homes? Or subject to a rebate of some kind?

Image shameslessly stolen from The Age

It's perfect in its simplicity. And absolutely correct in its core assumption that we lazy humans won't make any effort to save water that involves more than a seconds work.

The way this thing works is it allows you to flick off the water in the shower, while you're lathering up or whatever, then turn it back on at the same temperature setting. Rather than all that hassle of resetting the water when you turn it back on, you see.

Ingenious!

Oh. My. God.

2007-01-14T03:20:00.000+11:00

Courtesy of Talking Points Memo who in turn have cited the New York Times, how about this little gem. An Assistant Secretary of Defense in the U.S., responsible for detainee affairs has added this delightful little opinion to the mix;

In his radio interview, Mr. Stimson said: “I think the news story that you’re really going to start seeing in the next couple of weeks is this: As a result of a FOIA request through a major news organization, somebody asked, ‘Who are the lawyers around this country representing detainees down there?’ and you know what, it’s shocking.” The F.O.I.A. reference was to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by Monica Crowley, a conservative syndicated talk show host, asking for the names of all the lawyers and law firms representing Guantánamo detainees in federal court cases.

Mr. Stimson, who is himself a lawyer, then went on to name more than a dozen of the firms listed on the 14-page report provided to Ms. Crowley, describing them as “the major law firms in this country.” He said, “I think, quite honestly, when corporate C.E.O.’s see that those firms are representing the very terrorists who hit their bottom line back in 2001, those C.E.O.’s are going to make those law firms choose between representing terrorists or representing reputable firms, and I think that is going to have major play in the next few weeks. And we want to watch that play out.”

How do you like them apples. A government official suggesting there should be economic consequences for businesses daring to actually consort with "the enemy". Heaven forbid they should actually care for the rule of law when they try achieve justice for the poor bastards stuck in that hellish legal blackhole.

I don't know the chapter and verse to say exactly what sections of their constitution or laws are being violated here. If anyone wants to add something about that in the comments, I'd love to hear it. That's just unbelieveable. David Kurtz, the guy who posted it at TPM finished with this. I can't add to it!

"Each of us will mark our own low point in the Bush Presidency. This is on my short list."

ruddock v nicholson?

2007-01-12T11:18:00.000+11:00

I'm not a lawyer. I haven't read any documentation about the makeup of the new US military commissions, or even the old ones for that matter. I wouldn't know where to start looking and, really, even if I had I probably wouldn't have known understood much of what I was reading. Certainly I don't have the legal training or nuanced understanding of any relevant precedents to say with enough certainty that someone's claims are wrong.

All I've got is my gut. And an ability to assess for myself the quality of a source of information. I can take in to account perceived and actual conflicts of interest, perceived or actual truthfulness of previous statements, the consistency of someone's position in relation to a claim. (Is this opening drawn out enough yet?) In short, my BS detector is fully functional.

So when I read Philip Ruddock's op-ed piece in The Age the other day it seemed wrong. But, sadly, I didn't have the facts to just come out to call him a liar. But it seems Mr Alastair Nicholson has! Well, he doesn't call him a liar, of course. He's far too dignified a character for that. But his response piece yesterday was a wealth of information.

Mr Nicholson doesn't need to dip into any more dignity than he possesses in his little finger to surpass Mr Ruddock as a quality source of information. So, even though they're both only second hand sources of information and naturally, each comes with their own particular viewpoint, if its okay with you I'll accept the assessment of the former chief justice on this one!

feeling like an idiot...

2007-01-10T09:54:00.000+11:00

The last few days I've been feeling like a bit of an idiot. I'm making basic, dopey errors; I'm procrastinating on the most simple requests. They should be easy to complete but I'm drawing them out and making mountains out of the tiniest mole hills.

I've cocked up communication between my new brother in law and my sister about a possible fencing job. In order to cover my arse I've kind of lied to my sister. Its too long and boring a story to go into, but suffice to say I haven't really lied to her - the info she got is correct - but I've embellished the circumstances a bit.

Last night at work I made the kind of stupid, unnecessary mistake that I just don't make. Not a slip of the pen or anything. I utilised a function on the system that I knew nothing about and cocked things up royally.

To make matters worse, C has a new job. Well, of course thats good news in itself, but you see we've just gone back to IVF. So while I'm sitting here wasting time, my darling wife, who is about to undergo a painful drug regime, invasive tests and finally an operation in hospital is actually working longer hours and more physically demanding work than me.

I'm feeling lazy, stupid and very sorry for myself at the moment.

This is going to sound like changing the subject, but possibly its all tied in together. I don't know if its the root of the anxiety or not, but I've always been scared shitless of not being able to afford to support my family. Here we go again with the IVF and who knows, if it works this time we might be parents by November. Then where will we be?

My income alone is unlikely to be enough. Sure, there are tax benefits and so on, but still what if we can't afford stuff. Is C is going to go back to her backbreaking physical work while I cruise through in my cushy little 40 hour a week, entry level, somewhat poorly paying job?

I'm scared out of my mind.

The thing is, there is no need to be. I'm not without prospects. Together we have a broad range of skills and a couple of really good ideas, but getting off my arse and making them happen is proving rather problematic and I wish I knew why.

By the way, I'm not unaware of the irony of one in an essentially good place being so down on himself. It'll pass!

Anyway, I'm off to contemplate my navel some more.

it's not the same thing...

2006-10-06T11:51:00.000+10:00

When will folks get it through their thick skulls that just because some who claim to be Muslims commit acts of terrorism, that not all Muslims are terrorists. Why is that this flawed logic, this blatant breakdown in deductive reasoning has taken become so widely accepted?

It just doesn't follow, people. It just doesn't follow!

Just because some men beat their wives, therefore all men are guilty of domestic abuse? No, that doesn't follow. A Doctor diddles a patient while they're under anaesthetic, therefore all doctors are sex offenders. Nope, no truth there, either. Yet somehow it is acceptable to claim that all Muslims are terror threats, simply because of the actions of some.

I think one of Islam's "PR" problems is they don't have a formal "command" structure like the Catholic Church does. There are respected local leaders who effectively take the title Immam (sic? excuse my ignorance) from no greater authority than the respect of their peers. As far as I'm aware there is no process of ordination or formal authority. Everything is decentralised.

This leaves them open to so-called "journalists" describing every nut who opens his mouth as a "muslim leader". Generally speaking, they're no such thing. The closest analogy to the Christian world would be the over-zealous young who frequently claim, say and do the oddest things in the name of their religion. These young zealots, though, are routinely ignored, written off by the media as over-exciteable youngsters. Yet somehow these same overexciteable youngsters of Muslim faith are deemed to speak for their entire religion.

Then you get nuts like Cr Paul Donovan, saying straight out that Islam is a violent religion. I heard him call in to 774 ABC yesterday morning. There is no transcript I can find, but apparently his views are well known. He claims that the Koran contains a number of "war chapters".

Well, newsflash, Councillor and all you other holier-than-thou types. There's a fair bit of violence in the Holy Bible, too. You don't get to pick and choose which parts of your own holy volume you choose to live by, while holding another religion to every archaic verse in their book. So, in honour of all those Christian types who want to hold Islam to every verse in the Koran, I introduce to you a new, regular segment:

"Ancient, Hideous Verses in The Bible".

Join me as we shed some light on some of the things that apparantly all Christians must agree with, since it appears in their sacred text!

personality...

2006-10-03T22:45:00.000+10:00

I took this personality test.

On balance, I reckon it got me pretty right. Slighty off on a couple of trust in authority ratings, but rather spooky in a number of areas. I'd recommend it. Gets you thinking a bit, too!

There's a graphical representation in the sidebar. Ah, pretty pictures :)

watching the road...

2006-09-29T00:25:00.000+10:00

This might sound a little heartless. Maybe even a lot heartless.

I've been reading the reports of this big crash near Horsham the other day. Seven people dead. Exploding cars. The whole nine yards. According to reports, the intersection is a dangerous one and has been the subject of local anger and funding calls for decades. Evidently this deadly intersection is well known to locals.

So why then was it locals barrelling through the thing and cleaning up passing non-locals?

Heartless, I know. Especially because, as I look at the picture of the intersection, it really is a bit dodgy. And it could very easily have been the non-locals at fault. In which case, I guess, my sympathies would lie in a different direction.

While clearly the intersection could be improved, I'm concerned the authorities are copping such a one sided basting. After all, there is a very human public service officer probably feeling responsible for this thing right now. How will this attention make that person feel? The tabloid media must know that there is no way anyone at VicRoads can actually dispute their claims of bureaucractic bungling without sounding like unmitigated pricks.

But look again. There are signs. There is a merging traffic sign. There is a speed sign. There is a give way sign. There is a line across the road. These people must've known of the intersection. These people had their kids in the car. These people didn't stop at the sign.

Tragic, yes. But not entirely VicRoads fault.

it's amazing what you can find on youtube :)

2006-09-27T23:35:00.000+10:00

I haven't managed to embed directly from youtube yet, but in the mean time please use the text link.

turning the other cheek...

2006-09-26T03:15:00.000+10:00

Ok, so this is pretty funny :) Thanks Miss Politics!

Yes, of course mine's there! Can't you tell? :)

Can you tell, C?

fields of experience...

2006-09-26T00:23:00.000+10:00

I work in hospitality, so it goes without saying that I work with a lot of young people. My department is about eight people, one female about 40, myself and another male each about 35 and the other handful are all female and average about 22. The whole hotel, about 65 people and including managers and all, probably averages about 23.

I know what I'm about to say is just about different fields of experience. I know full well there are things others would find self-evident which would receive a similar response from me. But all that aside, what follows made me feel something. Whether that feeling was very old or a little snobbish and superior, I can't in all honesty say!

When I got to work Sunday night, after having been out at the movies instead of sleeping, my colleague commented on my visible tiredness.

"Yeh, I didn't get much sleep. I went to see 2001 at the Astor"

*blank stare*

"You know, classic science fiction movie. One of the best known films of all time"

*blank stare*

"Stanley Kubrick. {me affecting HAL accent} What do you think you're doing, Dave? {me humming theme music}"

*blink and shrug* "Cool ,well as long as you had fun"

Bugger me!

movie time!

2006-09-25T00:48:00.000+10:00

C and I went to see 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Astor today.

Two of the stars of the film, Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood, were there for a Q and A and they were signing stuff. They weren't really the draw card, I have to say. It was more to see it on the big screen. And may I say, wow! But them being there kind of added a "this won't come around again factor".

Somewhat surprisingly C enjoyed the movie. Although she's spent the greater part of her social and dating life hanging around with nerds, sci-fi geeks and sundry other film buffs, comic book fans and "cult-following" types, she'd never seen 2001 and has only reluctantly sat through Star Wars and the like! But I digress.

General spoiler warning, if by chance you, also, have never seen it!

Firstly, the music. Well, the sound in general, really. Such a mood is created that you could pretty much follow the film with your eyes shut. Naturally, the big anthemic pieces most associated with the film are powerful. I've posted earlier about my love for big, bold orchestral pieces. When the sun rises over the Earth at the very start and the boom kicks in! Very cool. I'd never heard that piece over the big speakers before. It's quite moving.

But there is also the silence. The shots of the Earth* and the emptiness of the deserts. The way its framed somehow fills the scene with tension. It's not a peaceful day we're looking at. The notion of survival is somehow drawn out of what is essentially nothing more than a series of still shots of a rocky canyon-like environment. Such tension that one is not remotely surprised when the cat comes from nowhere and attacks the ape.

The silence in the space scenes is also telling. And realistic, too. Seeing metal objects bump and crash into each other and make no sound is offputting, especially as we've been so conditioned by our earthbound experience and unrealistic films where space explosions make noise! There are scenes, when Bowman and Poole are EVA (spacewalking) and the only sound is their breathing. C was left feeling claustrophobic! As I said earlier, you could watch much of the film with your eyes shut and not miss that much.

Of course, there is that seminal moment when it dawns on the ape that this bone can be used to break things. It's probably one of the most famous moments in film history and for good reason. Right there in that almost accidental discovery is the whole human condition and the strongest possible statement in support of evolution.

What follows, though, is something I'd never noticed before and is rather more disturbing. We see an ape teaching its off-spring to employ the bone as a weapon. That really struck me this time.

The moon scenes, ironically enough, are a fairly innocuous part of the film. I say ironic because that is the only part that is actually based on Arthur C Clarke's original short story, The Sentinel. In that short story, they find the monolith on the moon and, as in the movie, it emits a signal which is presumed to be some kind of message to whoever placed it there. Keir Dullea described it today as a kind of cosmic alarm clock, which is a good analogy. I guess it's kind of stating the obvious a bit, that the monolith was placed somewhere we could only find it when we'd advanced enough to be of interest. I've always been a little confused as to when it was placed though. I get the impression from the Earth scenes that the apes woke up one morning and it was there, so were the Moon and Jupiter ones placed at the same time?

The short story leaves the question open as to who is receiving the message that the Moon monolith emits, whereas the film follows the signal to Jupiter and beyond. Although by the end the question is no less answered for the journey, which is for the best.

You can take the rest of the film any way you like, really. From a simple story about a malfunctioning computer and a film director on serious hallucinogens. Right through to, oh, whatever you like, really :) The power of the film lies in what isn't expressly shown. In what is left to the imagination. That may be in part in deference to Clarke's original story being so open ended, or Kubrick's preference for doing the same. Perhaps its both. Perhaps that's why the two were such a good fit.

C actually made more sense of the trippy lights at the end than I ever have. Now, she wasn't aware of the foetus at the end. Even though it's on the posters and so forth, but as I say, she'd never seen it. But, even without that knowledge she'd spotted birth, rebirth and creation type themes through the light show. Apparently some of the images were rather phallic and others rather gynaecological. In her words, Kubrick was in part a dirty little boy who was continually amazed how much he was able to get away with!

Dullea had some interesting things to say about the scenes in the room at the end. He felt it was something this alien intelligence had picked up from his mind as preferred habitat. Whereas, of course, that wouldn't have been his habitat, perhaps his character had been to the museum recently and that's what they'd picked up on. In other words, it was their attempt to make him comfortable while they did whatever they were doing.

Anyway, we had a good time I think. But one comment on the appearances of Lockwood and Dullea. While they had their well rehearsed shtick going on, as I watched them sitting at those tables, signing autographs and posing for photos, I have to say they looked rather sad. Imagine having such long and successful careers as both performers have, but all anyone wants to talk to you about is one role from 40 years ago. I couldn't imagine anything worse!

So that was my day. Hence very little sleep. Hence (again? can you roll one hence on top of another like that?) I'm a little bit tired at work tonight :)

* It's easy to forget that one doesn't need to specify prehistoric Earth to make clear the scenes involved. There are no contemporary scenes set on Earth in the film.

worthless blog...

2006-09-24T02:17:00.000+10:00

So I'm at work. I'm alone. It's 2.18 and I've already completed my primary function.

There are other things to do, but even they're out this time. Usually I can shred some old archived material and make some more room in the shed, but not tonight. The other ad hoc task is making up sales kits. But I can't even do that, because we're out of one of the brochures that goes in them!

So, of course, I blog! I love the 'next blog' button on blogger. You find some weird shit including, tonight, this.

My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?

T'rific!

catching you up a bit...

2006-09-20T13:49:00.000+10:00

I guess it's probably time to put some of this IVF stuff in context. If this thing is going to be anything more than purely venting, then a post like the last one needs a little background. Let's start at the beginning.

Firstly, a quick Too Much Information warning for the squeemish :)

Male Factor Infertility, or MFI for short. That's what I've got. As is usual with such things, there is no one type and no one cause. There are a whole swag of different types. I have several of them. I have Oligospermia, which is basically a fancy way of saying low sperm count. Then there is the tetrazoospermia, which relates to the motility or swimming ability of the sperm. I also experience a high abnormal forms ratio, which means that there are relatively few of my sperm which are properly developed, even before the other matters have their effect.

As a final whammy - and this is the bit my doctor describes as "clinically significant" - my body produces antibodies against my own sperm. Don't ask me why, but the upshot of this is that if and when any of them finally reach an ova, they can't stick to it while they burrow in.

About six months or so after C and I started trying to conceive (ttc is the jargon, I've learnt!) we started to suspect something might not be right. C had always felt she had some sort of a problem. Prior to the coeliac diagnosis she'd much of the five or so years before that vomiting fairly regularly. This she felt had limited the effectiveness of her oral contraceptive regime over that time. Also, she had never had a single scare in ten years or so of sexual activity and her menstrual cycle wasn't particularly regular.

All things considered, some problem sounded likely, so we went off to the doctor. Sure enough she hadn't been ovulating, possibly for quite a long time. The doc gave her some stuff which seemed to do the trick. A couple of months after that I thought I'd go along and get myself tested, more or less just to dot the i's and cross the t's. After all, we'd found and fixed the problem. But that wasn't the case at all. The diagnosis came back and the rest is history.

There are a few key milestones in an IVF cycle. Broadly there is the harvest, where they draw the ova from the female. There's the fertilisation, which is kind of self explanatory. Although there is a little more to it in terms of the continuing development of the zygote in the dish. And there is the transfer of an embryo back into the female. From there it all becomes essentially the same as a natural conception, in terms of pregnancy, miscarriage etc.

Before the harvest they boost the ovulation cycle of the female to try to get just the right number of ova. If they get too many the hormone levels can be dangerous to the female and too few means its not worth the hassle of harvesting.

Our first cycle C hadn't grown enough ova, so they pulled the plug.

Second time around they changed the mix a bit and we got a harvest. They didn't get as many as they might've liked - only four ova - but it turned out that was enough. All four fertilised into embryoes and they transferred one fresh embryo back into C. That one didn't take.

A month or two later they went to thaw a couple of frozen embryoes to try again. They successfully thawed two, while one of the remaining embryoes failed to develop any further. They transferred those two thawed embryoes. One failed to take, but the other was successful. Unfortunately we miscarried that pregnancy at about the six week mark.

So, that's where we're up to. I hope that puts the earlier posts in context!

so it begins again...

2006-09-19T13:32:00.000+10:00

I don't think there are many reading this who would know in real life. Maybe one or two. For the rest, suffice to say my politics are broadly centre left. Actually, the whole left-right thing does nothing for me. This guy has written a very thorough post on the subject here. But, so far as the left-right might be instructive, I am far more likely to vote for one of our veteran or emerging third parties than Liberal or Labor.

I have been involved with the Democrats over the years. I'm deeply ambivalent about it's future. On one hand, I'm concerned that too much time and effort is going to be spent trying to rescue a party that has essentially been navel gazing for quite a while now. I was disturbed to read in their national journal recently that they are again - or still, really - holding a consitutional review. FFS! Now?

On the other hand the role they've played is so vitally important. We've seen in this current term of parliament the kind of behaviour we haven't seen from a governing party in many years. Dominance of both houses must never be allowed. I had begun to become a little more relaxed with the prospect of the Greens becoming the balance of power party, but then I see stuff like this;

The Greens will campaign to stop the Bald Hills wind farm in the seat of Gippsland South in the lead-up to the Victorian election in November.
The newly appointed Greens candidate, Jackie Dargaville, will contest the seat held by the leader of the National Party, Peter Ryan.
Ms Dargaville lives at Fish Creek and lived on a farm at Bald Hills.
She says the Australian Greens support renewable energy over coal and nuclear electricity generation.
"But we do believe that renewables should be in the right place," she said.
"In coastal areas of great beauty and fairly high population and a lot of tourism potential we believe that's not necessarily the way to go unless that's what the community wants."

Oh, my giddy aunt. They're not ready.

They've done it before, of course. Polly, whose blog alerted me the item above, also reminded of an old favourite. This was hanging on that vacant block on the corner of Boronia Rd, Mountain Hwy and Wantirna Rd during the 2004 election. That's where the fast food joints have all just opened.

Ari has it blogged for posterity here. If I remember rightly I sent him that picture. In any event, I certainly took a photo. Actually, I stole the thing. Not sure where it ended up. I wish I'd kept it!

It's not that I don't trust the Greens specifically. But my very great fear has always been that their unity will crumble the first time their decision actually counts for anything more than shouting from the sidelines. I fear that the electorate will scream "oh shit, not them too" and swear off third parties for a generation. Examples like the above are evidence of maverick sorts and a lack of discipline that will not bode well if they get the balance of power.

In truth, I have no doubt that they would learn to handle the role. But I'm concerned that the electorate won't give them time.

There's a couple of other possibilities to step in to the breach. Family First have shot their bolt I think. Or maybe it's just with me. Their particular brand of populist policy might just be what the majority would be happy with. But I suspect the image of Steve Fielding making deals after being in the house about five minutes might raise flags with many. Check the site. They're calling him their 'Federal Parliamentary Leader'. That is champagne comedy, Colonel!

Then there is People Power. I'm a little bit interested in these guys. They seem to have picked up some intellectual capital and by the look of a couple of the names involved, they might have a few bob in kick to boot. Their existing published information is sound, although there are still many gaps. And they haven't answered my email yet after nearly a week, which is a slight concern.

Some of my persuasion might be concerned by a party that allows a board, albeit an elected one, to make it's decisions. May I say I've seen participatory democracy first hand and its not always that flash! Sometimes you just need to pick managers and let them do their job.

And so it begins. Another election cycle. State election almost upon us and then, for Victoria anyway, the federal campaign will be the focus of all attention.

back on the train...

2006-09-19T12:35:00.000+10:00

So, we started back on the IVF train this morning. It's our second treatment cycle and within the first cycle we had two transfers, or implants. For the record, the first didn't take and the second resulted in a miscarriage.

I admit to being a little thrown by how quickly it's taken off. We're going in for Cate to have a hysteroscopy and a D & C next Wednesday. Already! Fuck! I'm concerned with the overlap with the last of C's study and the wedding, which will now all be happening at once. She assures me she's thought that through. I can only take that on face value and tell her of my concerns, which I've done.

She had the same procedure last time. Last time they did it primarily to see the lay of the land first hand. They wanted to check her uterus was in good shape. Even though the tests and scans had all been fine, it never hurts to be surer than sure. Plus they also wanted to stretch her cervix a little, which sounds bad but while uncomfortable for Cate is handy later on. It wouldn't do to go all the hassle of the cycle and then find the tube with the embryo in it won't fit! Plus, they're not stretching it to fit a large object through. Just a very narrow delivery tube, but I suppose even that's a wide opening in relative terms. She was uncomfortable last time, but it wasn't the worst part of the whole thing.

This time they're going to do it for the stretching reason, but less for the checking reason. They also want to make sure there is no tissue left from the miscarriage. But also, fascinatingly, they've discovered recently that fresh, regenerating endometrium cells are better for adhesion of the zygote.

It sounds, from what our doctor was saying, that there has a been a quantum leap in technology since we last tried. And that was only a year or so ago. Which, I fear, makes it a little harder not to get my hopes up. That's my dealing tool. I just convince myself that we're not there yet, so that failing is no surprise. C completely fails at this. It hurts so much to see her crushed every time, but I know she'll never take my tack. All I can do is hug her lots.

Nowadays they try to let the embryo grow in the dish an extra day or two. It then becomes, using the technical term, a blastocele. Apparently, and I suppose naturally enough, less embryoes get to the blastocele stage, but those that do have double or better chance of going on with it. According to the doctor they're up to about 50% success from that stage, as opposed to about 20% to 25% before. So that's got to be good. If it's better, I don't know why they haven't always done it. Presumably they've just got better at keeping the cells alive outside the womb, or something like that.

C is never a fan of internal examinations. Notwithstanding the personal discomfort it bring back certain memories of unpleasant experiences. So it's no surprise that the unexpected pap smear the doctor gave her today threw her a bit. :(

So, no move before next Wednesday.

porridge...

2006-09-15T11:25:00.000+10:00

No, not gaol time!

C and I had porridge for breakfast this morning! Doesn't sound post-worthy yet, I know, but give me a minute.

A few years ago C was diagnosed coeliac, which is a gluten intolerance causing all sorts of intestinal ickiness. Oats, from which porridge is made, is one of four main sources of gluten. The others, all grains, are wheat, rye and barley. Derivatives of these four grains rule out other things, but that's the essence of it.

More recently, in response to increased stomach upsets, we took C off to the doctor for another look. According to this doctor it wasn't coeliacs at all. Never was. The only problem, at least from my point of view, is the nature of the diagnosis. See, coeliacs is a condition whereby part of the bowel, when exposed to gluten becomes inflamed. By staying off gluten as she has for a long time now, this inflammation won't occur. So how can you then look at the bowel and say she doesn't have it? Isn't it just that she isn't currently affected?

Apparently there is a blood test now, but I'm sceptical, particularly when the earlier scopes were quite clear. But maybe it isn't coeliac after all.

From time to time C has considered deviating from the gluten free diet, to test the waters a little. There is definitely something there, because a wheat bread sandwich made her sick a while back. But the other day, unbeknown to me, C had porridge and has been unaffected, it would seem.

T'rific.

As for me, I had epilepsy as a younger man and by sheer coincidence all three of my seizures came after a bowl of porridge. Pure coincidence. But, needless to say, it's become a bit of a family joke, rather like the one about keeping me away from knives, after "the incident" in '93! I'm pretty sure I'm not allergic to porridge, though :)

So, we'll see how today pans out, shall we :)

beta ain't so flash...

2006-09-14T20:57:00.000+10:00

I should've read the fine print! Seems as a beta blogger, I can't post comments on a non-beta blogspot!

"That function is coming soon."

Oh well, I guess we wait :) I don't think there is anyone in the blogosphere who would notice my absence in comment-land anyway :)

a theory...

2006-09-12T14:48:00.000+10:00

I've got a theory.

I reckon sex is the largest drawer of crowds to any website. Some say it's pop culture. Hard to argue with their logic. I just think it's sex!

So I'm going to make this post all about sex. Boy girl sex. Girl girl sex. Naughty cheating housewife sex. Sex. Sex. Sex.

Of course, this blog has nothing at all to do with it. At least not in such an overt "C and I bonk like bunnies" way. But I'm willing to bet that the amount of times I've mentioned sex, boobs, porn stars having sex, naughty sex , dildoes, cocks, MILF sex, voyeurs, exhibitionists and all types of weird sex, will make this coming day or two my most hit upon yet!

This picture has nothing to do with sex either. It's the Flying Spaghetti Monster. You can read about his - or should I say His - history here! For now, I've altered the meta data to get me into the image searches too :)

Over the next couple of weeks I might try the same thing with pop culture! If anyone has any theories of their own they'd like me to test, drop me a line.

By the way, beta blogger is working well. Almost better than - say it with me - sex!

...

2006-09-12T12:53:00.001+10:00

John Tucker Must Die.

Hard to argue with that!

gone beta!

2006-09-12T00:41:00.000+10:00

Just a quick note to flag the day I went beta.

Blogger is introducing some new functionality and while I'd never consider trying a beta on something critical, this blog presently represents a low risk factor for me and the new toys sounded worth the risk.

So, we're off and running. I took the opportunity, too, to change the template. Never really liked the old one. This one was my first choice originally, but I had trouble configuring it and settled for the other. Not so this time! Yay.

separated at birth...

2006-09-11T06:09:00.000+10:00

Here's a quirky one for the Eddie McGuire and Collingwood fans out there. Guess who the host of the original UK Millionaire is?

Chris Tarrant!

Fancy that, eh!*

* For those not finding this even the slightest bit quirky, Eddie was until recently the host of Millionaire in Australia. He is also the president of the Collingwood FC, whose star forward is none other than Chris Tarrant.

a trekkie and a cyber stalker...

2006-09-10T01:11:00.000+10:00

Yep, that's me!

I can't remember where - some blogroll somewhere, I imagine - but I tripped over a link to Wil Wheaton's blog the other day. It's pretty funny. Now, just to really tip my geekness over the top, he's started writing reviews of TNG eps like this one, for a TV blogsite called TV Squad.

His blog displays an enjoyable writing style. It's just self-deprecating enough to make it light, without coming over as needy, lacking in self-esteem or fishing for a compliment. And honest it would seem, about his family life. That's a refreshing trait in anybody these days. I'm not one to be caught up in the cult of celebrity - far, far from it (just ask C!). And from reading this blog, it seems he isn't either. So, kudos to you, Wil Wheaton!

Now, there is one thing. He uses this word 'grok'. In context it seems to be something like 'understand'. As in "my dog doesn't grok that this is my side of the bed", for instance. Does anyone know this bit of lingo?

UPDATE: Ah, now I grok it. Check this site and tell me if you think I'm using grok correctly in that sentence :) I'm not sure! It seems very nuanced!

giving it all away...

2006-09-09T02:49:00.000+10:00

There must be some new unknown and nasty punishment for coming first on Forbes rich list! No one seems to want to be at the top anymore! First Bill puts a bunch aside for charity. My cynical side thinks that might've had more to do the anti-trust settlement than philanthropy. But on the other hand it did start once Melinda came on the scene and she seems a decent, grounded sort!

Then Warren Buffet got in on the gig. His method is remarkably simple. Just never sell anything. He figures that when you buy and when you sell is when you incur the costs. Taxes, bank fees, legal fees etc. Since you have to buy things in the first place, the next best thing is never sell! Makes sense when you put it like that!

Now this fella, who I must admit I'd never heard of, doesn't have a use for $30B of his loose change. Can't say I can think what to do with it, either! Amazing, isn't it? In a world of such intense celebrity scrutiny, the world's third richest person can be so anonymous. Relatively so, anyway, considering.

What happened to the Sultan of Brunei? Wasn't he the World's richest man at one point? Has he slipped backwards, or have the others done pretty well lately? :)

some perspective please...

2006-09-09T02:02:00.000+10:00

I've become increasing uncomfortable with the whole media beatification thing going on around Steve Irwin. Have a read of Clive Hamilton's take on the whole Steve Irwin.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Damn shame Brocky had to go and follow suit, though!

even idol producers think its crap...

2006-09-07T11:57:00.000+10:00

Ok, I'm going to concede from the outset, I've watched a grand total of about two hours of Idol. Ever. Not just this season. I mean in total. And now it seems I'm vindicated. Even the producers - the ones who write the ads - can't think of a nice word to say about the performers themselves.

I rely on updates like Bland Canyon's excellent summaries to keep up with the water cooler chat :) Thanks PetStarr!

I've just heard the ad for the first episode of the final 12 series. According to the ad, its on;

"the most impressive new set in Idol history"

and you'll meet;

"the most unique final twelve ever"

Now, putting aside that "most" in front of unique is a bit dopey, is that really the best that the famed Idol hype machine can come up with?

They really must be rubbish, then, eh?!

trying to recapture lost yoof cred...

2006-09-01T18:50:00.000+10:00

Well, maybe just potty-mouthed, icky cred.

These Dolmio ads on tv lately have got me wondering. And giggling naughtily, frankly :) Is "the Dolmio grin" still a euphemism for a certain act that results in a similar appearance as the ads testify?

I know. Tacky and gross. But what else is an anonymous blog for? :) Guess I don't qualify for one of Steph's nice guys!

interaction, please :)

2006-08-30T23:00:00.000+10:00

Well, I've put a site meter on and it turns out I'm not quite alone. (Almost, but hey I'm only new :)

So, my question is, where are you from? Tell me where you're from and what floats your boat :) If you drop by, leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you.

By the way, check out the world map function on sitemeter.com. Very funky indeed.

So, hello I say. Ciao. Arrividerci. G'day. Hi. Aloha.

chess

2006-08-30T14:44:00.000+10:00

I've been playing chess on line the last few weeks. Wanna play?

nice day for a drive...

2006-08-30T13:39:00.000+10:00

Last night I'd accidently taken the mobile phone from work home with me. No big deal. It doesn't really get used during the day. It's just a back up if someone is alone in front offce and has to go elsewhere. So there was no rush to return.

C and I had some free time this morning so I thought, bugger it, I'll show her around. She's been out a couple of times to pick me up or drop me of if one of our cars was at the mechanic, or something like that. But I hadn't yet taken her around, shown her the rooms, that kind of thing. so that's what we did.

We took the scenic route out there, dropped the phone off, had a coffee and went for a wander around the hotel. Then we had a wander around the winery next door. Very pleasant morning, may I say. I work in a very nice area.

Then on the way home, we got in an accident!

It's okay, no one was hurt. A three car fender bender, no less! We were at the front, faultless might I add. We were shunted from behind by one car, then that car was hit from behind by another.

Fun for all the family! Still, the panel beater did a really good job last time this happened, so at least we know it's all going to be fine in that regard. And as I say, no one was hurt, so all is well there, too.

I'll keep you posted!

Pop

2006-08-30T13:32:00.000+10:00

My last surviving grandparent is my mother's dad. My Pop. He's 91 and these days calls a local high care aged care facility home.

Pop has been one of my best friends over the years and a genuinely positive role model in my life. Always encouraging. Always believing in my potential, even during those horror adolescent years when even I couldn't see it, let alone others.

Among other influences, his spruiking of the benefits of a military life were probably the reason I served in the Reserve as a younger man. Might've gone full time, too, if I hadn't developed Epilepsy. One year, while marching with my unit in the Anzac Day parade here in Melbourne, he and my sister were on the side of the road. I'd seen them from a distance, but once we got closer I couldn't turn my head to see them beside me, although we were only feet apart.

Pop made some comment like "looking good lads" or something similar. Despite my best efforts to keep a straight face, a slight curl at the side of my mouth gave me away. My sister said "he heard you!". To which he replied, "Of course he heard, sweetchick, they're not deaf!".

He taught me chess. I'll never forget his smart arse remarks whenever I'd try to watch tv and play at the same time. Of course, my concentration would be shot and he'd roll over the top of me!

Up until he was about 85 I really thought he'd be cracking the ton.* He was spritely, energetic and full of life. But that year, 2000, was the one that took the wind out of him. Over a twelve month period he lost his ability to walk without a frame, some cognitive function, his wife of 62 years and as a result of all that, naturally his confidence, too.

These days its pretty much a day by day proposition. I don't visit him as much as I'd like and it saddens me greatly. I used to be able to say I had no time which, notwithstanding that old "you can always make time" truism, was pretty much true. I was deeply engaged with an activity of which Pop was enormously proud. I got kudos for that and it kind of got me off the hook a bit. But that time has passed now. That activity is over and my work hours are now very civilised indeed, I must say!

There's something uncomfortable about visiting him. I'd like to think it's not just personal awkwardness at the environment he's in, or boredom at the lack of conversation. I'd like to think I'm a better grandson or, for that matter, a better person than that. But honestly I can't rule it out.

The thing that gets me, is that I think he notices the awkwardness, too. I believe he can see from the way I look at him, or talk to him, or whatever that he isn't the same Pop anymore. I think he feels hurt by that. And I think that's why I don't like going.

But what if I'm wrong? What if he can't see what I credit him with seeing and would he just love to see me, even without conversation. Or maybe he does feel the hurt but would still rather see me. I don't know what to do. I've spent enough time with him over the years that I won't have any regrets about these last few, but it still hurts. It's like dealing with the grief before the death.

*reach 100 years of age, in case that bit of jargon is not familiar to you :)

innovation, non?

2006-08-26T03:28:00.000+10:00

Well, fuck-a-doodle-doo!

Microsoft's IE7 will finally include tabbed browsing! They'll probably plug it like it's revolutionary technology, too, no doubt.

Is there anyone other than the most basic plug-and-play end-user who is still using IE? Steered clear of it for years, personally. I was the one using Netscape. Even though I got laughed at a lot and Netscape were counting their total users on two hands. (Well, maybe they were counting in binary, but that still would've been enough, I gather!) It was a bit resource intensive, a bit slow and occasionally unstable, but it was still better than IE.

I used to try the Mozilla stuff way back when, but I think it was just API's and stuff. I could never manage to get a GUI browser going from their gear. But then Firefox came along and I'll never use anything else! Best featured, most stable browser I've ever used. If you're not already, try it out here.

Channel Seven exploit JonBenet

2006-08-25T14:09:00.000+10:00

Trust Channel Seven to take a perfectly painful, sensitive matter and exploit it for profit. After all, it is their reason for existence these days!

This Saturday night they're replaying that movie about the whole affair. I think it's called Perfect Town, Perfect Murder, or maybe it's the other way around.

Pretty tacky, eh! And a little counter productive, I would've thought, given the current confession, given that from what I recall of the movie it rather leaves open the suggestion that the parents did it.

Which leaves me wondering if maybe they're editorialising a bit. Making a subtle statement that they don't believe Mr Karr's version of events. I haven't been paying a lot of attention to their news lately, but the ads at least have been spruiking stories of Mr Karr's alegedly menatally ill past.

Guess we'll have to wait and see where they go with that. In the meantime, please don't reward their cynicism with ratings by watching it! Ta!

pets are fun :)

2006-08-15T00:18:00.000+10:00

These are my cats. The moggy is Nutbag. The ginger Tom is Bosco.

Well, that's their formal names. More often than not they get "Furball The Orange" and "Pusscat The Grey". Or sometimes Mr and Mrs Magilla-catty. I think this last one very clever indeed :) Please laugh politely at the very least :)

Here's another one of Bosco. I think I might post this at Cats In Sinks. Whatta ya think?

I've a couple that might crack it for a run at Cute Overload, too. Another time, perhaps.

peter gabriel videos...

2006-08-14T22:00:00.000+10:00

We just found the Sledgehammer video clip, the Peter Gabriel song, on Limewire. I always liked his stuff. Is it true he died? I thought he did, but what do I know :)

C had suggested that those crazy arse videos of his were the early work of one Nick Park, or Wallace and Gromit fame. I'd never heard such a thing, but that doesn't mean anything and her instinct on such trivialities is usually pretty reliable.

Sure enough, I was watching the video just now and I reckon she's right. I'm having difficulty getting a screen capture up, but there are these little clay dodge 'em cars at one point and their little mouths are classic Aardman mouths! A couple of other scenes look very much like that kind of stereotypical, almost satirical English loungeroom that the W&G has down pat.

If I can get caps up, i'll do it. But in the meantime, I'm calling it for the affirmative. Nick Park did the Gabriel videos! Very cool :)

bad habits...

2006-08-14T21:22:00.000+10:00

I'm not going to kid you. Or myself for that matter. I have a considerable number of bad habits. I bite my nails. I'd really like to stop, but, you know, it's a habit, right? I know, very soft option.

Now my neice has started. She's five and a bit. I don't think it's been seriously suggested that she's copying me, although we do have a close relationship. We haven't seen all that much of each other lately and my sister would not feel any compuncion at all in laying it right on the table in front of me if she believed it were true. (C has had a shot, but it's more philosophical - and part teasing - than actually blaming me.)

So anyway, I thought I'd try a little pact with the girl. You know the kind of thing. Taking advantage of the trust she has in me to make a pinky promise something she'd have to stick to. (Of course, so would I. The irony is not lost!)

You know what she said?

"Maybe when I'm older. Like six, or seven."

I shit you not. Cheeky little bugger!

a favourite journalist...

2006-08-14T11:23:00.000+10:00

I like Matt Price.

Generally, journalists don't float my boat at all. My view of that profession is that the content should speak for itself. All I ask of the writer is to keep it neutral and keep it moving. From that starting point I'll then make my own assessment of their impartiality and readability.

Mostly they fail on at least one of those crtiera. Some are coming from a particular standpoint, which would be cool, by the way, if they weren't trying to make out they're not. Others are just plain dull. It's rare to find someone entertaining to read and paradoxically, I know, someone whose writing is so unobtrusive that I can hardly tell they're there.

His writing style is conversational, which is my personal preference. Most of the time his coloumns sound to me just like transcripts from The Insiders! Anyway, I've just read this one and felt like saying I like his work :)

one space too few...

2006-08-13T05:39:00.000+10:00

I don't know if it's the template I'm using, or the blog editor or what's going on, but something is removing the second space I'm putting in after a full stop. This is very annoying! There. See what I mean.

You'll find me something of a grammatical snob. I was never the greatest student in the world. In fact, I was bloody ordinary as my VCE score of 232 out of a possible 410 will attest. But for some reason I could always spell reasonably well. Perhaps it's not too late to become a proof reader... that'd be cool, except for that whole turning-your-fun-into-work problem, but I'd be willing to take the chance.

In the meantime, no wisecracks about not leaving two spaces after a full stop! It's not my fault ;)

the "honourable" dissenters...

2006-08-12T04:22:00.000+10:00

I'm not sure how I feel about these "dissenters" in the ranks of the Liberal party.

Don't get me wrong, I completely agree with the sentiment. This government's treatment of refugees is nothing short of appalling.

But where have they been before now? I know there's been a lot of public backtracking. I'm paraphrasing very broadly here, but we're hearing a lot of "I've always been opposed to" and "I'm very outspoken in caucus" from rather a few coalition backbenchers. But we've never seen this kind of open defiance of the little rodent. So where exactly have they been?

Its no coincidence that this public soul searching amongst government MP's has begun since they took control of the Senate. Previously they've been able to sit back, minding their careers, safe in the knowledge that others will protect the Australian people from the worst of their collective will.

Now that the others have been eviscerated, these people are forced to take a stand. Bruce Baird said in parliament this week that he expected to die politically for this stand. I hope he does. Not for the stand he's taking now, but for never having done so before.

There will be those who might argue that these folk have been vocal in their opposition to their government's policies, but simply saying it isn't enough. Words are just hollow, unless you've got the guts to cross the floor. And abstention is the cowards way out.

This group made some noise about a year ago and achieved some mitigation of the policies in question. But nowhere near enough. We can assume from their aquiescence to Howard's concessions that they are happy with their win and therefore with the government's current position.

I'm not. Neither are many others. Their day will come.

Yasmin ain't gettin' married after all...

2006-08-12T03:58:00.000+10:00

Thank God that appalling dross is off the air. And completely wiped from the face of the planet, too! Even this link doesn't work anymore!

This one was plagued from word one, I reckon. And rightly so. It really is the most distasteful concept. And there was another one of those professionals behaving badly! Who was that "relationship counsellor"? How dare she call herself that in this context. If a single person came to her looking to solve her loneliness issues, would her professional advice be to go on a television show? Of course not. Anyway, the argument against Dr Phil goes equally for this unconscionable character!

Not for nothing, the rest of the panel was little better. Anything involving the incredibly ordinary Matt Hardy is pushing it up hill to begin with. Jo Stanley, I must say, I find entertaining and a bit of a spunk. Maybe she has a thing for carrying untalented Matt's, given her day job. But even her talents couldn't save this stinkbomb.

Am I the only one who noticed the very early teaser ads for "Rene Is Getting Married". Maybe Rene saw the writing on the wall and wisely scarpered.

Anyway, I've given this steaming pile enough of my precious key strokes. I'm glad it's gone. It restores a certain amount of my faith in the viewing public, that this - for now, at least - is a line we're not willing to cross. Phew!

remembering babies

2006-08-11T08:23:00.000+10:00

Today is a rather odd sort of a day for C and I. Today was the due date for the pregnancy we lost at about six weeks or so.

Of course six weeks doesn't sound far in. And it isn't really. Most folk are only just starting to think "hmm, I'm a little bit late" by then. But you see ours was IVF, so we knew about it from day one. There was a time I'd have really liked to believe that it is worse to miscarry an IVF pregnancy than a regular one. After all, for us it just means another costly few months of emotional roller coasters and painful procedures. Whereas for those without such issues, they just get to jump back in the sack, right?

Of course, that's not right. Actually it's very wrong and hurtful of me to even think it. My sincere apologies to anyone reading this who has miscarried a naturally concieved pregnancy. Your experience could not possibly be any less painful than ours.

More on IVF as we get closer to our next treatment cycle. But I wanted to tell you about one bonus that normal folks don't get. It's the really cool baby photos! We've disposed of the photos of the zygotes that haven't gone forward, but I've seen them all at the eight cell stage. It's the most amazing sight. I can't wait for the successful one. I'm gunna be flashing around zygote pictures. Eat my dust, fertile people! All you have are those mundane eight-week ultrasounds :P

Well, okay, they're pretty funky too :)

Geez, I'm ready to be a dad!!

my cat is crazy...

2006-08-04T13:55:00.000+10:00

Well, if she is, its cos I made her that way :)

We have two cats. One we adopted together about six months ago. The other I got as a kitten when I bought my unit almost eight years ago. (It wasn't until just before C came along that a friend pointed out that I was single, living alone with a cat. We comtemplated trying to pull with the old, "my friend thinks he's gay and wants you to save him" line, but mercifully, we thought better of it!)

I think she was happy alone with me. She gave all the signs... lots of sitting on my lap purring, lots of sleeping beside me at night. That kind of thing. Lately her life has changed considerably and it wasn't her choice and she probably lacks the reasoning skills to make sense of it.

Firstly, this other person came along and took her side of the bed. Took her all of five minutes to accept her. C is definitely a cat person, so no real dramas there.

Then we got the other cat. A ginger tomcat, who wasn't neutered I might add. Although she's basically an indoors cat, my little girl has got out once or twice over the years, so I can't say for sure she was "inexperienced", but she certainly isn't now! I hadn't actually heard cats having sex before. The noise woke me up and I knew it was the cats so I went looking for them and there they were :)

Not too long after that we got the boy cut and it stopped almost immediately. Which begs the question, is she mad that I brought brought this male upon her, or that I took it away? :)

Professionals Behaving Badly...

2006-08-02T13:24:00.000+10:00

You know what, I get really jacked off by professionals lending the credibility of their professional roles to something they wouldn't consider doing in that professional role.

"Dr" Phil McGraw is a case in point.

He may very well be a excellent medical professional for all I know. I've never experienced his work in that role. It may very well be that his badgering style of "what are you thinking" counselling is even appropriate in a lot of cases. God knows, if I was a counsellor, it'd probably be my approach!

But do you think even for a second that he would take a client into the foyeur of his office or to the show stage in the local shopping centre and counsel them in full public view? Of course not. That would be ridiculous. A serious medical professional would never do such a thing.

So am I the only one who thinks that he shouldn't be allowed to effectively advertise his professional credentials in an exercise that he'd probably get struck off for if he did it for real? By all means produce a show of this type. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I can see the appeal and from the little I have seen and from what C tells me, I gather he raises some decent issues.

Just don't call yourself a Doctor while you're doing it! Cos in that moment, you aint, buster!

Setting Dates...

2006-07-30T03:43:00.000+10:00

C and I have set the date*.

The 2nd of December 2006.

The venue is booked, the best man and matron of honour are lined up and as of yesterday my two little neices are booked in as flower girls. One great-nephew of C's is still to be asked about page-boy activities. C's sister is her matron of honour and due to a disparity of ages, she is already a grandmother. One of her grandsons is the great-nephew in question.

A friend of some fifteen years standing is my best man. I kind of regret that I don't have that one "best mate" for whom I'm also their best mate, but he's a great mate all the same. And I know where his bodies are buried as well as he does mine, so the speech will be safe enough. I'm harking back to Cold War terms like Mutual Assured Destruction here, but you get my drift!

I never thought I'd end up having an actual wedding with a "normal" reception and all the rest, but it should be a good day. I always imagined I'd be one of those ones who surprised their house warming guests with a wedding surprise.

I've been trying to work out why I've been uncomfortable with the idea of a wedding (as distinct from the being married part) and I have to admit part of it has just been an awkwardness about romantic, sickly sweet displays of affection... worse yet, in full view of other people. Truth is, though, it must be the real deal with C, because right now the prospect doesn't bother me at all.

The thing that I'm really fearing is the bridal registry. I've never felt comfortable recieving material gifts. There's far too much stuff in the world and I've never been a particularly material guy. The idea of actually asking people for gifts and suggesting something for them to buy is of deep personal embarrassment. I'm not yet sure how we're going to get past that issue. Time will tell.

*I'm just going to work on the understanding that this particular phrase comes with an implicit understanding such that I will not need to clarify exactly what we have set the date for :)

muppets save the world...

2006-07-25T05:22:00.000+10:00

So I tripped over this little gem :)

I love the muppets. I'm not even kidding. My favourite little golden book when I was a kid was "The Monster At The End Of This Book". They did a sequel, too, with Grover and Elmo. Of course Elmo is the fearless little fella turning the pages.

...

2006-07-24T21:59:00.000+10:00

Okay, so I'm watching Grey's Anatomy and I just have to ask.

Is Katherine Heigl hot or what?

A bit of cultural fun...

2006-07-24T20:36:00.000+10:00

Yesterday C* and I went to the symphony. We were given tickets to the MSO Pops's Cinema Paradiso for Christmas and I had a blast.

We'd both worked overnight on Saturday night so we were a tad tired, but for me at least the prospect of some John Williams music cranked out by an orchestra was a buzz waiting to happen. I wasn't dissapointed on that score, either... most of the second half was Williams, which is hardly surprising. If you're talking cinema scores for orchestras he's just about the most successful in history.

For the uninitiated, Williams has composed Jaws, Star Wars and everything in between. Name a Spielberg or Lucas film and he's your man. ET, Raiders, 1941, Close Encounters. Okay fan boy... settle down :)

The tickets were amazing; in the middle of the front row of the stalls, so we were literally looking up their skirts. Clive James was the host, which I wasn't expecting. He was great, but looking up his metaphorical skirt was far less enjoyable than the violinist two back in the second row :) (Don't worry, C had her favourite too!)

James was a little slow getting started. For the first little bit I thought he was going to be phoning it in all night, but by the time they played Superman for an encore he had one arm extended over his head (classic flying pose, if that description doesn't make sense), running around the stage, having a little mock collapse Kryptonite style and pretending to carry Lois over the city. A few frank admissions regarding why he liked Janet Leigh movies, a cracker of an orchestra goes without saying and all up an entertaining show.

Afterward we went out for dinner and ended up getting a hotel room in the city for the night. Which is not something we do very often. It's just that for the first time in a little while the money was there to do it and it just seemed like a good idea at the time. By the way, if you're looking for a vegetarian meal I wouldn't recommend a "ye olde englishe tavern" type venue. Their definition of vego was offal, as far as I can tell, but they came up with something and it was nice enough.

So, all up a pretty good night was had by all. Also, please don't take the above comment about money as gripeing or a lack of gratitude for my life of relative luxury. We do okay between us and we both have good prospects. It's just that there have been a lot of bills the last year or two, which will gradually become self explanatory, I guess.

* I haven't decided yet but for now 'C' will be code for my girl, fiancee, partner, gf, live-in lover, de facto wife. Pick the term which best suits your preference... I'll stick to 'C' :)

Welcome...

2006-07-24T20:06:00.000+10:00

Hiya All...

I haven't the faintest clue what this is going to turn in to as we travel along, but it just felt like the right time to write a few things down. Not even that sure why, because I've never really kept a diary of any sort before.

Anyway, I won't be giving you a whole big "tell you everything at once" starter post. Much more fun if these things come out gradually. All I'll say is that some of the subject areas you're likely to encounter are impending marriage, infertility, pet ownership, parliamentary politics and, well, probably a lot of nonsense and a few jokes.