Just a question I was asking myself when I read the email from Jerry Yang to the Yahoo employees announcing that 10% of them had lost their jobs. The fact that his job wasn't one of the ones to go is a complete injustice.
So here's his email:
yahoos,
i feel it’s important for me to reach out to you after our earnings announcement, and before our all hands meeting tomorrow.
we as a company have been through a tremendously challenging year; and managing the increasingly turbulent global advertising climate has been an important focus for the last three months.
throughout the first three quarters of 2008, we have been balancing between investing in our top priorities, and managing our cost structure. beginning in september, with the help of Bain & Co., we initiated a series of steps to determine how we can become more efficient and productive as an organization.
we heard from you through the YEES survey, and through your suggestions on backyard, and we’ve identified many areas that we all feel we can improve upon. our productivity efforts, based in part on what we heard from you, will involve initiatives such as streamlining our organizational structure through reducing layers and increasing spans of control, and eliminating redundancies. longer term structural efficiencies include consolidating facilities, improving procurement, and standardizing our global technology platforms.
today as part of our q3 earnings release, we said that our goal is to reduce our current annualized cost run rate of roughly $3.9 billion by more than $400 million before the end of 2008. we are targeting non-headcount expenses wherever possible, such as facilities and outside services. however, because compensation expenses are the single largest part of our costs, we anticipate a reduction of at least 10% of our global workforce by year-end.
affected employees will be notified of layoffs in the next several weeks. we understand that hearing this news now creates uncertainty, but we are moving ahead in a way that balances speed with a clear focus on accomplishing what is necessary to set the organization up for long term success. going forward it will continue to be important for us to make the right decisions to keep our business efficient and strong.
having layoffs is very difficult, particularly in light of all we’ve experienced this year. but we don’t take these decisions lightly, and are committed to treating affected employees fairly, offering severance and outplacement services.
the steps we are taking are not easy for us as a company, but as we become more fit as an organization, decision-making will be faster and it will be easier for us all to get more done and stay focused on our strategy. these changes will also prepare us to better deal with the macroeconomic downturn. as with previous downturns, yahoo! continues to be a place where consumers turn for information and communications, and is an integral part of their internet day. as the global economy improves in the future, i certainly believe that we will be stronger and benefit from the actions we are taking now.
as always, i thank you for all you do as yahoos.
best,
jerry
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
Some Article Marketing
I have embarked on an Article Marketing campaign in a bid to raise the profile of one of my websites. I haven’t done this sort of thing before so I am a little unsure of what benefits I will get from it, or how soon I might see the fruits of my labour.
So what I have done is that I’ve written a few articles and then submitted them to various article directories, such ArticleAlley.com. Then, after the article has been accepted, I have sent a few links to it from a selection of social bookmarking sites.
I have also promoted the article from a few of my other websites, using the rationale that the more exposure it gets the better chance that someone else will pick it up and use it. I typically say something like: Here is a useful article if you are planning on buying a new calligraphy pen.
As I said, I’m not 100% sure how much of a difference the articles will make to the number of visitors I get to my site, but I will be watching over the coming month to see if I can spot some rise in the traffic.
So what I have done is that I’ve written a few articles and then submitted them to various article directories, such ArticleAlley.com. Then, after the article has been accepted, I have sent a few links to it from a selection of social bookmarking sites.
I have also promoted the article from a few of my other websites, using the rationale that the more exposure it gets the better chance that someone else will pick it up and use it. I typically say something like: Here is a useful article if you are planning on buying a new calligraphy pen.
As I said, I’m not 100% sure how much of a difference the articles will make to the number of visitors I get to my site, but I will be watching over the coming month to see if I can spot some rise in the traffic.
Monday, September 22, 2008
AFL Grand Final Week
We’re up to the second half of the month of September and we all know what that means don’t we? That’s right, footy finals and to be more specific, AFL footy finals time.
The Grand Final combatants have been decided and Geelong are going to try to make it two in a row when they take on Hawthorn. I’m very pleased to point out that in our local tipping comp at the start of the season we were ask to nominate our two grand finalists and I picked them both. What I probably shouldn’t point out but will in the spirit of full disclosure is that the majority of tipsters also picked Geelong and Hawthorn as their Grand Finalists.
So after 22 rounds of AFL football this year plus 3 weeks of finals, we’ve reached the point that most people knew we’d be at half a year ago.
Each year you sort of get a feel for the teams that look as though they are building up to becoming forces in coming years. Hawthorn gave this impression way back when they were plumbing 12th – 14 places on the ladder. This year I reckon that team is Richmond. They were a little unlucky to miss the 8 and appear to have a team of young, talented footballers who are starting to display the ability they have only hinted at in previous years. It will all depend on how they fare during this year’s draft.
Apart from that little prediction I won’t do anything so crass as to give my own rating on each team’s performance during the year. All I will say is that I have enjoyed the way both Geelong and Hawthorn have gone about their games, both of them are highly entertaining teams that make the ground admission price more than worthwhile, which is more than I can say for some of the teams who made the final 8. The crowds during the final series reflected that, I think.
Tip for the grand final on Saturday is Geelong. (Surprise, surprise)
The Grand Final combatants have been decided and Geelong are going to try to make it two in a row when they take on Hawthorn. I’m very pleased to point out that in our local tipping comp at the start of the season we were ask to nominate our two grand finalists and I picked them both. What I probably shouldn’t point out but will in the spirit of full disclosure is that the majority of tipsters also picked Geelong and Hawthorn as their Grand Finalists.
So after 22 rounds of AFL football this year plus 3 weeks of finals, we’ve reached the point that most people knew we’d be at half a year ago.
Each year you sort of get a feel for the teams that look as though they are building up to becoming forces in coming years. Hawthorn gave this impression way back when they were plumbing 12th – 14 places on the ladder. This year I reckon that team is Richmond. They were a little unlucky to miss the 8 and appear to have a team of young, talented footballers who are starting to display the ability they have only hinted at in previous years. It will all depend on how they fare during this year’s draft.
Apart from that little prediction I won’t do anything so crass as to give my own rating on each team’s performance during the year. All I will say is that I have enjoyed the way both Geelong and Hawthorn have gone about their games, both of them are highly entertaining teams that make the ground admission price more than worthwhile, which is more than I can say for some of the teams who made the final 8. The crowds during the final series reflected that, I think.
Tip for the grand final on Saturday is Geelong. (Surprise, surprise)
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The Fathers Day Con
Today is Fathers Day here in Australia and there’s at least one positive thing that I have to say about the day. The wind and rain, that looked yesterday as though it had set in for the entire weekend, has given way to a beautiful clear day today.
As you may have picked up, my family and I don’t do Fathers Day. At least, my wife and I and our 3 kids don’t do Fathers Day. There are others in our extended family who insist on celebrating it with a family do. Now that’s all well and good for some, others not so much and quite frankly the fewer times I get put through the wringer that constitutes some of our dysfunctional family get togethers each year, the better.
To start things off Fathers Day and Mothers Day…and Valentines Day for that matter, are simply marketing ploys perpetrated by retail executives whose job it is to take as much of our money as they can. And there are any number of suckers out there. Surely you’ve noticed the number of hardware ads before Fathers Day, the jewelry store ads before Mothers Day and florist ads before Valentines Day. Retailers experience a lovely little spike in sales at strategically placed points throughout the year.
It’s not a coincidence that Valentines Day sits nicely between Christmas and Easter, Mothers Day sits between Easter and the mid-year sales (or clearance if you’re a brainwashed DJ’s devotee) and Fathers Day falls between mid-year sales and Christmas. Now they’re hanging guilt trips on those who don’t splash out the big bucks just because you splashed out some sperm.
So if you’re one of the suckers who have fallen for the commercial cons of Fathers Day, Mothers Day and Valentines Day, you seriously deserve everything you get. I mean it. You have been had and the retailers are laughing all the way to the bank.
As you may have picked up, my family and I don’t do Fathers Day. At least, my wife and I and our 3 kids don’t do Fathers Day. There are others in our extended family who insist on celebrating it with a family do. Now that’s all well and good for some, others not so much and quite frankly the fewer times I get put through the wringer that constitutes some of our dysfunctional family get togethers each year, the better.
To start things off Fathers Day and Mothers Day…and Valentines Day for that matter, are simply marketing ploys perpetrated by retail executives whose job it is to take as much of our money as they can. And there are any number of suckers out there. Surely you’ve noticed the number of hardware ads before Fathers Day, the jewelry store ads before Mothers Day and florist ads before Valentines Day. Retailers experience a lovely little spike in sales at strategically placed points throughout the year.
It’s not a coincidence that Valentines Day sits nicely between Christmas and Easter, Mothers Day sits between Easter and the mid-year sales (or clearance if you’re a brainwashed DJ’s devotee) and Fathers Day falls between mid-year sales and Christmas. Now they’re hanging guilt trips on those who don’t splash out the big bucks just because you splashed out some sperm.
So if you’re one of the suckers who have fallen for the commercial cons of Fathers Day, Mothers Day and Valentines Day, you seriously deserve everything you get. I mean it. You have been had and the retailers are laughing all the way to the bank.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Scam of Domain Renewal Group
It was bound to happen I suppose. I own quite a few paid domains, sites that I maintain on an irregular basis. Anyway, one of them will be up for renewal at the end of January. I was a tad surprised to find a letter in the mail yesterday from a domain register company.
When I opened it, the stench of SCAM pervaded out of the envelop and across my senses. The company was Domain Renewal Group and they offer to allow you to transfer your domain registration to them for a price that is more than 4 times higher than the cost of a regular domain registration.
Checking on Google and you can see that many others have twigged to the underhanded tactics used by Domain Renewal Group. Some of the posts about the company suggest that their shadiness extends beyond the overinflated prices they offer as specials.
I'll tell you what though, they win the prize for the smallest fine print I have ever squinted over.
Steer clear of Domain Renewal Group.
When I opened it, the stench of SCAM pervaded out of the envelop and across my senses. The company was Domain Renewal Group and they offer to allow you to transfer your domain registration to them for a price that is more than 4 times higher than the cost of a regular domain registration.
Checking on Google and you can see that many others have twigged to the underhanded tactics used by Domain Renewal Group. Some of the posts about the company suggest that their shadiness extends beyond the overinflated prices they offer as specials.
I'll tell you what though, they win the prize for the smallest fine print I have ever squinted over.
Steer clear of Domain Renewal Group.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Holiday Destinations
We’ve slipped into September with the realisation that there’s only 4 more weeks until the October school holidays are upon us. This will mark 2 years since our last major family holiday away together when we went to Airlie Beach and had a wonderful time. That’s too long to go without a holiday.
There’s not really enough time to organise a holiday for October but there are definitely some stirrings to make some plans sooner rather than later, possibly during the April holidays. So we’ve got a few options that we have already tossed around for consideration with more, I’m sure, to come before the end of the year.
The Gold Coast holiday has been done to death by our family and even though it’s jam-packed with things for the kids to do such as Movie World, Dream World, Wet ‘n’ Wild, Sea World and the beach we’re looking elsewhere for out holiday choice.
Top of our list at this point is Cairns. With options into the Great Barrier Reef on one side and trips out into the Daintree Forest on the other there’s a lot to like about the area. It’s one of the parts of the country that you tend to hear a lot about and looks as though it provides plenty to see and do. I’m not too sure about the kid-friendliness of the place, although I’m sure that as with all tourist destinations they will be well provided for.
Another place I have never been to but am keen to visit is Darwin. Australia’s Top End is holding an increasing allure to me and I’d like to get the chance to get up there and experience the true Australian Outback. With the possibility of touring Kakadu and Arnhem Land I would love to spend a week experiencing a part of the country that is unlike anything I’m used to. The Darwin / Northern Territory holiday strikes me as more of a strenuous, adventure type holiday and one that you would take with older children. So perhaps a holiday to Darwin will have to be saved for another 3 or 4 years.
The final idea we’ve had is a trip to New Zealand’s south island. Every bit of footage I have seen of the south island landscape has been absolutely stunning, so in terms of breathtaking scenery we would be set. It would be the kid’s first trip outside of Australia, so it would be a good learning experience for them. It’s also close enough so that travelling won’t be especially tiring.
I don’t really know a great deal about New Zealand’s south island so I will be doing some study to learn about places to stay, things to do and sights to see.
There’s not really enough time to organise a holiday for October but there are definitely some stirrings to make some plans sooner rather than later, possibly during the April holidays. So we’ve got a few options that we have already tossed around for consideration with more, I’m sure, to come before the end of the year.
The Gold Coast holiday has been done to death by our family and even though it’s jam-packed with things for the kids to do such as Movie World, Dream World, Wet ‘n’ Wild, Sea World and the beach we’re looking elsewhere for out holiday choice.
Top of our list at this point is Cairns. With options into the Great Barrier Reef on one side and trips out into the Daintree Forest on the other there’s a lot to like about the area. It’s one of the parts of the country that you tend to hear a lot about and looks as though it provides plenty to see and do. I’m not too sure about the kid-friendliness of the place, although I’m sure that as with all tourist destinations they will be well provided for.
Another place I have never been to but am keen to visit is Darwin. Australia’s Top End is holding an increasing allure to me and I’d like to get the chance to get up there and experience the true Australian Outback. With the possibility of touring Kakadu and Arnhem Land I would love to spend a week experiencing a part of the country that is unlike anything I’m used to. The Darwin / Northern Territory holiday strikes me as more of a strenuous, adventure type holiday and one that you would take with older children. So perhaps a holiday to Darwin will have to be saved for another 3 or 4 years.
The final idea we’ve had is a trip to New Zealand’s south island. Every bit of footage I have seen of the south island landscape has been absolutely stunning, so in terms of breathtaking scenery we would be set. It would be the kid’s first trip outside of Australia, so it would be a good learning experience for them. It’s also close enough so that travelling won’t be especially tiring.
I don’t really know a great deal about New Zealand’s south island so I will be doing some study to learn about places to stay, things to do and sights to see.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Luster Whitening
A new teeth whitening system has been released in the US that promises to whiten your teeth up to 6 shades in one hour. The product is called Luster 1 Hour White and it's an Over The Counter (OTC) product that you take home and use yourself.
This particular at-home whitening product is different to other products because it includes an activating light similar to the kind of light a dentist will use when you get your teeth whitened professionally.
It looks like it could be a winner at only around 40 bucks a pop. It's not exactly specified how long the whitening effect will last but the web-site did say that the 6 shades bit was a guarantee.
The product also has FDA approval which, from what I can gather, is unusual in an OTC product. Clinical trials have shown that it will also not cause tooth sensitivity either.
In the quest to give every American citizen a whiter than white smile the Luster Tooth Whitening system seems just the ticket.
This particular at-home whitening product is different to other products because it includes an activating light similar to the kind of light a dentist will use when you get your teeth whitened professionally.
It looks like it could be a winner at only around 40 bucks a pop. It's not exactly specified how long the whitening effect will last but the web-site did say that the 6 shades bit was a guarantee.
The product also has FDA approval which, from what I can gather, is unusual in an OTC product. Clinical trials have shown that it will also not cause tooth sensitivity either.
In the quest to give every American citizen a whiter than white smile the Luster Tooth Whitening system seems just the ticket.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
The Beijing Games Draw To A Close
The Beijing Olympic Games are all but over and the medals have been won, at least one of them has been chucked away and one referee has been kicked in the head because someone didn’t win one.
Australia finished with 14 gold medals which sits pretty close to expectations, although according to the news reports, Australian sport is in a little bit of trouble because we were down on the Australian Olympic Committee’s (AOC) prediction. As an average Joe, stock standard Aussie, I say rubbish. The haul of medals pulled down by our athletes was right on the money.
I reckon any gold medal tally that sits between 10 – 20 is perfect – just enough to make every last one of them special and able to be celebrated fully. While it would have been nice to win more, you accept that not everything goes to plan and there are always going to be surprises in sport.
And it’s the surprise gold medals that make the greatest impact. Matthew Mitcham winning the gold medal in the 10m Platform Diving on the second last day will long live in many Australian’s memories. That it came completely out of the blue, with even the Australian commentators completely writing his chances off before “that” dive, made it all the more sweet.
Yes, the Olympics are over for another Olympiad, China has put on a great show and Australia can be well proud of their efforts. Memorable moments in the Games for me? It’s got to be Usain Bolt on the track and Michael Phelps in the pool.
Australia finished with 14 gold medals which sits pretty close to expectations, although according to the news reports, Australian sport is in a little bit of trouble because we were down on the Australian Olympic Committee’s (AOC) prediction. As an average Joe, stock standard Aussie, I say rubbish. The haul of medals pulled down by our athletes was right on the money.
I reckon any gold medal tally that sits between 10 – 20 is perfect – just enough to make every last one of them special and able to be celebrated fully. While it would have been nice to win more, you accept that not everything goes to plan and there are always going to be surprises in sport.
And it’s the surprise gold medals that make the greatest impact. Matthew Mitcham winning the gold medal in the 10m Platform Diving on the second last day will long live in many Australian’s memories. That it came completely out of the blue, with even the Australian commentators completely writing his chances off before “that” dive, made it all the more sweet.
Yes, the Olympics are over for another Olympiad, China has put on a great show and Australia can be well proud of their efforts. Memorable moments in the Games for me? It’s got to be Usain Bolt on the track and Michael Phelps in the pool.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Cool Weather - Sally McLellan - Channel 7
Yesterday was reported as the coldest Sydney morning of the year so far, getting as low as 5 degrees Celsius on the coast. We’re pretty lucky with our winters in Sydney because they’re pretty mild compared to other parts of the country. It’s all about being acclimatised to the conditions though and we Sydneysiders really feel the cooler starts.
What we do get are fogs and sometimes they’re as thick as calligraphy ink, but it seems that we have largely missed out on any significant pea-soup events this winter. At least, that’s how it stands with only 11 days of winter remaining.
What we do get are fogs and sometimes they’re as thick as calligraphy ink, but it seems that we have largely missed out on any significant pea-soup events this winter. At least, that’s how it stands with only 11 days of winter remaining.
* * * * *
It was wonderful to see Sally McLellan’s reaction to her silver medal winning performance in the 100m hurdles in Beijing last night. She had a great start to the race, maintained her form right to the finish line and had a bit of luck. But, for the girl whose goal was to just make an Olympic final, her excitement, jubilation, disbelief and unbridled joy when her name was posted as the Olympic silver medallist was a pleasure to watch.
* * * * *
Still on the 100m hurdles brings me to the television coverage and brickbats galore go to Channel 7 for stuffing their viewers around once again. They simply refuse to do the decent thing and let us know exactly when events are going to be aired.
From 10pm onwards, every time they went to an ad break we were reminded that Sally McLellan’s race was coming up later but at no point were we given an idea of exactly when the race would be aired which is simply not good enough. The least they could have done was tell us the race was on at 12:15 and Channel 7 would be showing it live. Assholes.
From 10pm onwards, every time they went to an ad break we were reminded that Sally McLellan’s race was coming up later but at no point were we given an idea of exactly when the race would be aired which is simply not good enough. The least they could have done was tell us the race was on at 12:15 and Channel 7 would be showing it live. Assholes.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Stupid Interview Questions
I had to laugh out loud while watching the Olympics last night. Sally McLellan had just run a wonderful semi-final in the Womens 100m Hurdles to make the final and she was clearly over the moon. Naturally Channel 7 were there to shove a microphone under her out of breath nose demanding that she talk rather than recover from her efforts.
It was Pat Welsh doing the interviewing and he seems armed with an endless supply of dumbass questions that he is equally capable at trotting out at the athletics as he is at the golf. At some point, wouldn’t you think these guys would pause for a minute, work out some insightful questions and use them rather than the dross they appear to be happy chucking at our athletes?
When Pat asked McLellan “Did you realise you’re the first Australian to make the final in the 100m hurdles since Glynnis Nunn?” she came back with “I don’t care about that, I’m in the final now.” Ka-pow, take that dickhead.
Why the fuck would Sally McLelland care who made an Olympic final more than 20 years ago when she was celebrating the biggest moment of her sporting career. Good on her for her response to a dim-witted question. Are we going to have to take out an AVO to keep these idiot reporters away from our sporting stars?
It was Pat Welsh doing the interviewing and he seems armed with an endless supply of dumbass questions that he is equally capable at trotting out at the athletics as he is at the golf. At some point, wouldn’t you think these guys would pause for a minute, work out some insightful questions and use them rather than the dross they appear to be happy chucking at our athletes?
When Pat asked McLellan “Did you realise you’re the first Australian to make the final in the 100m hurdles since Glynnis Nunn?” she came back with “I don’t care about that, I’m in the final now.” Ka-pow, take that dickhead.
Why the fuck would Sally McLelland care who made an Olympic final more than 20 years ago when she was celebrating the biggest moment of her sporting career. Good on her for her response to a dim-witted question. Are we going to have to take out an AVO to keep these idiot reporters away from our sporting stars?
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Rail Lines in Australia
It’s hardly surprising with the ever-increasing rise of fuel prices that more and more talk is starting to be heard about the prospect of new rail links being constructed in various parts of Australia’s more isolated areas. You would have to think that there would be major obstacles with any rail line proposal considering the land issues involved with taking up over a thousand kilometres to stick railway tracks in, so the following two projects would have to be years away.
A new rail link has been proposed between Toowoomba in Queensland and Moree in New South Wales to speed up the shipping of goods between Melbourne and Brisbane by bypassing the more congested Sydney connection.
Another railway line, this one from the north-west Queensland city of Mount Isa to Tennant Creek, which is a distance of around 600km. This particular line would meet up with the north-south line running from Adelaide – Alice Springs – Darwin and would enable ore freight to be moved to a wider spread of ports from the town of Mount Isa. It sounds as though the people of Mount Isa are fully in favour of running the line towards Darwin, now it’s just up to the government to agree to the two plans.
At the centre of both of these projects is Australian Transport and Energy Corridor Ltd, a company that appears to be coming up with plenty of solutions when it comes to alternative goods haulage around Australia.
A new rail link has been proposed between Toowoomba in Queensland and Moree in New South Wales to speed up the shipping of goods between Melbourne and Brisbane by bypassing the more congested Sydney connection.
Another railway line, this one from the north-west Queensland city of Mount Isa to Tennant Creek, which is a distance of around 600km. This particular line would meet up with the north-south line running from Adelaide – Alice Springs – Darwin and would enable ore freight to be moved to a wider spread of ports from the town of Mount Isa. It sounds as though the people of Mount Isa are fully in favour of running the line towards Darwin, now it’s just up to the government to agree to the two plans.
At the centre of both of these projects is Australian Transport and Energy Corridor Ltd, a company that appears to be coming up with plenty of solutions when it comes to alternative goods haulage around Australia.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Under
Underwater, underworld, underground, underwear. Yes, that’s right, I’ve challenged myself to use the word under in a blog post as many times as I possibly can which, truth be told, puts me under pressure. But I’m under no illusions, I reckon I’m up to the task.
Under the terms of my own challenge under which there are an under-abundance of rules, I have decided to attempt to write at least a 200 word article with the word under as the binding theme. If it’s under 200 word I won’t be too underwhelmed, after all, it’s my blog, my show and only I know if I’ve underachieved or not.
Am I feeling as though I’m under stress? Perhaps a little, I’m not going to underplay how I feel about the exercise, but understand this, I will not allow the weight of pressure to send me under. I have some undercover plans that are still under wraps and I will only unveil them if I come under fire or feel as if I’m under duress.
Wait a minute, I can almost hear you muttering under your breath, but under no circumstances am I going to let any negative energy pull me down in its undertow. As a matter of fact, even though it feels as though I’ve only just gotten underway when suddenly, it’s over.
Under the terms of my own challenge under which there are an under-abundance of rules, I have decided to attempt to write at least a 200 word article with the word under as the binding theme. If it’s under 200 word I won’t be too underwhelmed, after all, it’s my blog, my show and only I know if I’ve underachieved or not.
Am I feeling as though I’m under stress? Perhaps a little, I’m not going to underplay how I feel about the exercise, but understand this, I will not allow the weight of pressure to send me under. I have some undercover plans that are still under wraps and I will only unveil them if I come under fire or feel as if I’m under duress.
Wait a minute, I can almost hear you muttering under your breath, but under no circumstances am I going to let any negative energy pull me down in its undertow. As a matter of fact, even though it feels as though I’ve only just gotten underway when suddenly, it’s over.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Peanuts
I’ve been thinking for some time now that I should eat more peanuts. Usually I’ll snack on 
cashews, sitting up late at night just casually munching my way through a packet while watching TV or working online. But for some reason, maybe its just to make a change of pace, I feel more like changing my snacking of choice to peanuts.
I’m actually thinking about keeping a container of peanuts, or even mixed nuts, on my desk at work so that I can nibble throughout the day. As long as there aren’t any people around with peanut allergies I should be okay – not that you hear about too many adults with severe allergic reactions to peanuts.
I find peanuts, well, all nuts in general, are a great healthy way to graze throughout the day. I’m pretty active – I do a lot of running, so I find that I need a constant intake of energy to keep me going. Basically, I’m always hungry because my internal furnace is running hot. My lunch time runs of 10km or more means that I’m ready for a fairly substantial lunch when I’m finished, which often doesn’t satisfy my hunger completely. If I’m not eating peanuts or apples or some other fruit, I’d be eating a chocolate bar and as much as I’d like to do that, I really shouldn’t.
See, now that I’ve been talking about eating peanuts at my desk at work, the craving has grown even stronger which is rather annoying because I don’t actually have any peanuts on me and I’m about to head out for a run.
cashews, sitting up late at night just casually munching my way through a packet while watching TV or working online. But for some reason, maybe its just to make a change of pace, I feel more like changing my snacking of choice to peanuts.I’m actually thinking about keeping a container of peanuts, or even mixed nuts, on my desk at work so that I can nibble throughout the day. As long as there aren’t any people around with peanut allergies I should be okay – not that you hear about too many adults with severe allergic reactions to peanuts.
I find peanuts, well, all nuts in general, are a great healthy way to graze throughout the day. I’m pretty active – I do a lot of running, so I find that I need a constant intake of energy to keep me going. Basically, I’m always hungry because my internal furnace is running hot. My lunch time runs of 10km or more means that I’m ready for a fairly substantial lunch when I’m finished, which often doesn’t satisfy my hunger completely. If I’m not eating peanuts or apples or some other fruit, I’d be eating a chocolate bar and as much as I’d like to do that, I really shouldn’t.See, now that I’ve been talking about eating peanuts at my desk at work, the craving has grown even stronger which is rather annoying because I don’t actually have any peanuts on me and I’m about to head out for a run.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
AFL Messing With Tradition
Here’s a question for the stodgy farts who run the AFL – why are you seemingly do everything in your power to spoil the enjoyment of the game for fans? Of course, I’m talking about the news today that they want to stomp on the tradition of fans running onto the ground to celebrate a 100-goal milestone.
Citing the bullshit excuse that player and fan safety is an issue, AFL spokesman Patrick Keane only succeeded in convincing the whole of Australia that the AFL are a bunch of surly stick in the muds who have fallen out of touch with what the fans want to see. If the AFL was truly concerned about fan safety they would’ve banned Cameron Ling’s ugly mug from ever being shown on the telly, scaring the kids half to death.
I would wager that a good chunk of the crowds coming to watch the last 3 Hawthorn and Carlton matches will be there to see Buddy Franklin and Brendan Fevola kick their 100th goal for the season. And if they’re not planning on actually running out onto the ground I’m sure they’re looking forward to the spectacle of seeing others celebrate the occasion in the time-honoured way.
This is just pathetic ass-covering on the part of the AFL, pure and simple. Let the fans celebrate the milestones ya miserable creeps.
Citing the bullshit excuse that player and fan safety is an issue, AFL spokesman Patrick Keane only succeeded in convincing the whole of Australia that the AFL are a bunch of surly stick in the muds who have fallen out of touch with what the fans want to see. If the AFL was truly concerned about fan safety they would’ve banned Cameron Ling’s ugly mug from ever being shown on the telly, scaring the kids half to death.
I would wager that a good chunk of the crowds coming to watch the last 3 Hawthorn and Carlton matches will be there to see Buddy Franklin and Brendan Fevola kick their 100th goal for the season. And if they’re not planning on actually running out onto the ground I’m sure they’re looking forward to the spectacle of seeing others celebrate the occasion in the time-honoured way.
This is just pathetic ass-covering on the part of the AFL, pure and simple. Let the fans celebrate the milestones ya miserable creeps.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Olympic Gripe #1
The local television station that holds the broadcast rights to the Olympic Games has, quite predictably I suppose, brought a slew of complaints onto themselves after only 2 days of action. They simply refuse to tell their viewers what time the events will be aired and it is seriously pissing everyone off. They’re playing the old “coming up is the swimming finals” game with us, advertising the upcoming events all day but not revealing exactly when the events will be on.
Now, I’m well aware that the TV station wants to keep as many people as they can watching for as long as possible, so to keep everyone hanging around for the promise of a big event is in their interest. But you piss people off long enough and it eventually comes back to bite you in the arse.
Speaking for myself, I’m happy to record the Games and fast forward to the bits I want to see, after all, because the IOC has decided to screw with the 2008 Olympic swimming program (stuff the athletes, as long as the Americans get to watch it in prime time that’s all that counts!!!) the swimming finals are on while I’m at work. So run your ads, I don’t care, when you’re zooming along at 30x normal speed on fast forward, you don’t really take all that much in.
Now, I’m well aware that the TV station wants to keep as many people as they can watching for as long as possible, so to keep everyone hanging around for the promise of a big event is in their interest. But you piss people off long enough and it eventually comes back to bite you in the arse.
Speaking for myself, I’m happy to record the Games and fast forward to the bits I want to see, after all, because the IOC has decided to screw with the 2008 Olympic swimming program (stuff the athletes, as long as the Americans get to watch it in prime time that’s all that counts!!!) the swimming finals are on while I’m at work. So run your ads, I don’t care, when you’re zooming along at 30x normal speed on fast forward, you don’t really take all that much in.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Soft Hands and Calluses
We’re finally getting a winter from the old days. Wet, cold and…well, wintry. The last few years, winter has been dry, dry, dry and not particularly cold. It just doesn’t seem right to miss out on an honest to goodness winter.
That being said, I’ll be glad when the Sparing weather takes over and we start to get the warmer weather again. As a runner, I don’t particularly enjoy running with layers of clothing on my back, all that chafing and what not. Not to mention the fact that we are just about out of firewood this year. Boy, a serious miscalculation on my part thanks very much. With at least a good solid month of cold weather ahead of us it feels like we’re on a serious wood ration, virtually down to burning bark and other scraps. It’s a-scrounging I must go.
Another shocking realisation of just how indentured to the office lifestyle I have become when I did a bit of yard work last weekend. Nothing overly strenuous mind you, just cutting down a palm tree segment by segment. The fibrous nature of the palm means that the saw blade gets continually caught as you work your way through it. Anyway, I’d only been at it for an hour or so when the first blister made its presence felt on my hand. Man, it doesn’t take long for the hands to soften and a bit of hard work really shows you where you’re at.
I did the right thing, though. I sucked it up and kept sawing away until the job was done. I only did a bit of whinging and whining but not so much that I can’t hold my head up in front of the kids!
Most of the palm is still standing ( I really only lopped the top two segment off) but at least it’s getting lower and lower. The next segment will have to done from a ladder – the first couple were so high I was standing on the garage roof to get to them. I’m not sure how I’ll go cutting into the top of a palm tree up a ladder with nothing more than a pruning saw. The effort that has to go into getting through the sappy palm will really get that ladder shaking I should think. Some care…some care. At least my hands should be a little tougher for the next part of the job, I’ve got that going for me.
Soft hands and calluses, the difference between hard manual labour and none. It’s an indicator right there in the palm of your hand that reminds you whether you’ve been putting in the hard yards or not. Hopefully over the next few weekends I’ll be getting my calluses back up to a respectable level again.
That being said, I’ll be glad when the Sparing weather takes over and we start to get the warmer weather again. As a runner, I don’t particularly enjoy running with layers of clothing on my back, all that chafing and what not. Not to mention the fact that we are just about out of firewood this year. Boy, a serious miscalculation on my part thanks very much. With at least a good solid month of cold weather ahead of us it feels like we’re on a serious wood ration, virtually down to burning bark and other scraps. It’s a-scrounging I must go.
Another shocking realisation of just how indentured to the office lifestyle I have become when I did a bit of yard work last weekend. Nothing overly strenuous mind you, just cutting down a palm tree segment by segment. The fibrous nature of the palm means that the saw blade gets continually caught as you work your way through it. Anyway, I’d only been at it for an hour or so when the first blister made its presence felt on my hand. Man, it doesn’t take long for the hands to soften and a bit of hard work really shows you where you’re at.
I did the right thing, though. I sucked it up and kept sawing away until the job was done. I only did a bit of whinging and whining but not so much that I can’t hold my head up in front of the kids!
Most of the palm is still standing ( I really only lopped the top two segment off) but at least it’s getting lower and lower. The next segment will have to done from a ladder – the first couple were so high I was standing on the garage roof to get to them. I’m not sure how I’ll go cutting into the top of a palm tree up a ladder with nothing more than a pruning saw. The effort that has to go into getting through the sappy palm will really get that ladder shaking I should think. Some care…some care. At least my hands should be a little tougher for the next part of the job, I’ve got that going for me.
Soft hands and calluses, the difference between hard manual labour and none. It’s an indicator right there in the palm of your hand that reminds you whether you’ve been putting in the hard yards or not. Hopefully over the next few weekends I’ll be getting my calluses back up to a respectable level again.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Wind
As the house shudders from pillar to post I can hear the wind howling up the valley like a demon on the warpath. The wind that has hit our city this evening is flying through the trees with a vengeance stripping every last shred away from the grasping twigs.
Loose awnings are clattering and the streets are getting pelted with debris that was lying safely in yards until the fury hit. This is going to be one wild night as we huddle indoors and hope the things that aren't nailed down are still nearby in the morning.
Yikes but it's windy as the house next door gives another almighty creak. It sounds as though the wind has doubled its intensity, yet it was already at full cry.
I'm off to huddle under the doonah.
Loose awnings are clattering and the streets are getting pelted with debris that was lying safely in yards until the fury hit. This is going to be one wild night as we huddle indoors and hope the things that aren't nailed down are still nearby in the morning.
Yikes but it's windy as the house next door gives another almighty creak. It sounds as though the wind has doubled its intensity, yet it was already at full cry.
I'm off to huddle under the doonah.
Friday, July 11, 2008
A Catch Up
I’ve let things slide for a few weeks as work has taken over somewhat, not to worry I’ll just pick up again where I can. Winter seems to have hit us, such that it is here in Sydney. We tend to get a bit shivery when the temperature drops below 18 degrees Celsius. I suppose when you’re acclimatised to temperatures in the mid to high 30s in summer you’re allowed to complain about how freezing it is in weather most would consider mild.
A quick word on World Youth Day that is about to take over our city next week. I can’t recall an event or a concept that has given me the irrits as much as WYD SYD has and it hasn’t even started in earnest yet. Personally I would like to simply press the fast forward button and have it all behind me already. A bunch of religious nuts (and Tykes at that) wandering around the city expressing the goodwill to all humanity is almost more than my stomach can take. The fact that the event is going to significantly affect my movement into and around Sydney for the next week only makes me more resentful of the entire thing. And as for the tacky merchandise we’re being subjected to…Pope on a Place? Spare me.
A quick word on World Youth Day that is about to take over our city next week. I can’t recall an event or a concept that has given me the irrits as much as WYD SYD has and it hasn’t even started in earnest yet. Personally I would like to simply press the fast forward button and have it all behind me already. A bunch of religious nuts (and Tykes at that) wandering around the city expressing the goodwill to all humanity is almost more than my stomach can take. The fact that the event is going to significantly affect my movement into and around Sydney for the next week only makes me more resentful of the entire thing. And as for the tacky merchandise we’re being subjected to…Pope on a Place? Spare me.
Monday, June 2, 2008
The Start of Winter
The first day of winter and we’ve just finished one of the driest Mays on record in Sydney. To underline the fact that it’s winter we were greeted with overcast skies and mizzly rain for most of the day. Fair enough, but the forecast for the rest of the week – right through the long weekend – is for a lot more of the same. It’s a good thing we’re getting out of town this weekend.
We went to the football yesterday to watch the Swans do as they pleased to the Richmond Tigers and were treated to one of the funniest sights in the AFL. As everyone knows, Matthew Richardson is a card-carrying clown. Every possession throws up a new adventure is comedy as he thinks of the most ingenious ways to completely stuff up. To sweeten the pot, and as proof that Swans coach Paul Roos has a sick sense of humour, Richo’s direct opponent for the match was the Swans version of the bumbling idiot Lewis Roberts-Thompson. And so we were treated to 2 hours of Dumb and Dumber as these two fools tried to out-mistake each other. It was worth the price of admission alone.
The only downside for us was that, even though we were sitting in the top deck of the Clive Churchill Stand, when it started raining we were getting wet. What the bloody-well use is it to stick a roof on a grandstand that can’t even protect you from the elements? That was the whole point of forking out the extra dollars. The game was well and truly over by three-quarter time, Richo and LRT were starting to repeat their respective routines and the goofs were starting to grow old, so we decided to head home early.
It would be remiss of me not to mention Collingwood’s 100 point victory over the West Coast Eagles on Saturday. What a game! The Pies are starting to look like the teams of 2002 & 2003. It’s all starting to look very promising, but there’s a long way to go and there are plenty of contenders out there.
We went to the football yesterday to watch the Swans do as they pleased to the Richmond Tigers and were treated to one of the funniest sights in the AFL. As everyone knows, Matthew Richardson is a card-carrying clown. Every possession throws up a new adventure is comedy as he thinks of the most ingenious ways to completely stuff up. To sweeten the pot, and as proof that Swans coach Paul Roos has a sick sense of humour, Richo’s direct opponent for the match was the Swans version of the bumbling idiot Lewis Roberts-Thompson. And so we were treated to 2 hours of Dumb and Dumber as these two fools tried to out-mistake each other. It was worth the price of admission alone.
The only downside for us was that, even though we were sitting in the top deck of the Clive Churchill Stand, when it started raining we were getting wet. What the bloody-well use is it to stick a roof on a grandstand that can’t even protect you from the elements? That was the whole point of forking out the extra dollars. The game was well and truly over by three-quarter time, Richo and LRT were starting to repeat their respective routines and the goofs were starting to grow old, so we decided to head home early.
It would be remiss of me not to mention Collingwood’s 100 point victory over the West Coast Eagles on Saturday. What a game! The Pies are starting to look like the teams of 2002 & 2003. It’s all starting to look very promising, but there’s a long way to go and there are plenty of contenders out there.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Versus Versus Verse
Pulling in to the end of another week and it hasn’t exactly been a particularly noteworthy one, it has to be said. Work continues to take up way too much of the time I would rather be spending elsewhere, but at least this week I had a few projects that kept me reasonably busy.
The warm glow from Collingwood’s win last Friday night has only just started to wear off and is now being replaced by the apprehension over Saturday’s match against the West Coast Eagles. Will the boys be able to get themselves up again after their mighty effort last week?
As I was writing that last paragraph I was reminded of a word that has inexplicably crept into the English language – at least in my part of the world. At first I thought it was just my kids then I thought it was just the kids who went to my kids’ school. Now I realise it has grown to parents as well.
My wife and I do our best to correct out 3 young children whenever we hear them misuse words. The prime examples of this is when they say “should of”, “could of” and “would of” instead of “should have”, “could have” and “would have”.
But the word I’m talking about here is “verse”. I thought it was only children who would say something like “who are we versing next week, Dad?” To which I would invariably correct them with: “Do you want to know who you are playing?” Recently though, we received an email from the manager of my 8 year olds soccer team who informed us that the team would be versing the Seagulls this weekend.
Versing?!?
Where was I when the word versus was bastardized into a verb? Is this how languages develop? Someone hears a word that sounds similar to a completely different word and decides to misuse it, whereupon someone else picks it up thinks, yep, that sounds right and misuses it too until one day it becomes part of the acceptable lexicon.
It remains to be seen though. I will totally eat my words if the Under 9s get out this week and recite Keats to the Seagulls.
The warm glow from Collingwood’s win last Friday night has only just started to wear off and is now being replaced by the apprehension over Saturday’s match against the West Coast Eagles. Will the boys be able to get themselves up again after their mighty effort last week?
As I was writing that last paragraph I was reminded of a word that has inexplicably crept into the English language – at least in my part of the world. At first I thought it was just my kids then I thought it was just the kids who went to my kids’ school. Now I realise it has grown to parents as well.
My wife and I do our best to correct out 3 young children whenever we hear them misuse words. The prime examples of this is when they say “should of”, “could of” and “would of” instead of “should have”, “could have” and “would have”.
But the word I’m talking about here is “verse”. I thought it was only children who would say something like “who are we versing next week, Dad?” To which I would invariably correct them with: “Do you want to know who you are playing?” Recently though, we received an email from the manager of my 8 year olds soccer team who informed us that the team would be versing the Seagulls this weekend.
Versing?!?
Where was I when the word versus was bastardized into a verb? Is this how languages develop? Someone hears a word that sounds similar to a completely different word and decides to misuse it, whereupon someone else picks it up thinks, yep, that sounds right and misuses it too until one day it becomes part of the acceptable lexicon.
It remains to be seen though. I will totally eat my words if the Under 9s get out this week and recite Keats to the Seagulls.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Monday Sports Rant
It seems to me the Australian cricket team have been just a touch complacent in the First Test against the West Indies in Jamaica. Admittedly, because of the time differences I haven’t seen a heck of a lot of the game, but what I have seen included some very ordinary bowling apart from Stuart Clark and then a dismal batting performance that had Australia at 4/17. Not a lot of value appeared to be placed on each wicket. Is this the curse that 20/20 cricket will place on Test cricket? Thank goodness for Andrew Symonds and his face saving innings of 79 in a total of 167. At least he has managed to ensure that the bowlers have a score that can be defended.
On to Aussie Rules and I’m going to go on record to say I don’t rate North Melbourne at all. In fact, I think the majority of their players are talentless jokes who wouldn’t get a game at a real club. The fact that they are in the top 8 (and ahead of Collingwood) lower s the tone of the entire competition.
I remember the good ole days when crap teams were given a good hiding and sent packing. These days it seems whenever a good side comes up against North Melbourne (aka, a crap side) North seems to have the ability to force the opposition down to their rubbish standards. They’ve done it against Collingwood, they eked out a draw against Sydney and now they’ve lulled a win out of the Western Bulldogs.
Enough’s enough! For the good of the game, give North the 100 point hiding they deserve and send them to the cellar where they belong.
On to Aussie Rules and I’m going to go on record to say I don’t rate North Melbourne at all. In fact, I think the majority of their players are talentless jokes who wouldn’t get a game at a real club. The fact that they are in the top 8 (and ahead of Collingwood) lower s the tone of the entire competition.
I remember the good ole days when crap teams were given a good hiding and sent packing. These days it seems whenever a good side comes up against North Melbourne (aka, a crap side) North seems to have the ability to force the opposition down to their rubbish standards. They’ve done it against Collingwood, they eked out a draw against Sydney and now they’ve lulled a win out of the Western Bulldogs.
Enough’s enough! For the good of the game, give North the 100 point hiding they deserve and send them to the cellar where they belong.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Lewis Roberts-Thompson Is A Clown
School fete today. We had to go...I mean, you have to don't you? Soccer first, boys lost, one was close the other wasn't - usual story. Then we ducked into the school to see how things were going. As it turned out, not a lot. We've got to back up yesterday. One of my sons is in the band, dance and choir and all three are performing at various times during the day.
It's been a big day of celebration for me though. The Mighty Magpies flogged Geelong last night and I loved every minute of it. I loved it so much I watched the replay after midnight too! Collingwood played like a team possessed and showed the rest of the competition that Geelong are beatable. Not only are they beatable, they're floggable. Very exciting stuff!
The Sydney Swans followed up their good win over Essendon with a hard fought victory of Port Power in Adelaide. Very lucky escape from that game for the Sydney boys today. Happy to see them get up of course but they looked a little shaky.
And I've got to go on record to say that Lewis Roberts-Thompson is quite possibly the worst player in the AFL. The guy has absolutely no idea what to do with the ball when he gets it in his hands. You might as well put a red nose and floppy shoes on him and let him run around as the half-time entertainment it's so obvious the guy's a CLOWN. The most bitter pill for the majority of players playing AFL at the moment is that this sorry excuse for a footballer has got a premiership medal in his trophy cabinet and they haven't. You can see that his team-mates even think twice before they pass the ball to him.
It's been a big day of celebration for me though. The Mighty Magpies flogged Geelong last night and I loved every minute of it. I loved it so much I watched the replay after midnight too! Collingwood played like a team possessed and showed the rest of the competition that Geelong are beatable. Not only are they beatable, they're floggable. Very exciting stuff!
The Sydney Swans followed up their good win over Essendon with a hard fought victory of Port Power in Adelaide. Very lucky escape from that game for the Sydney boys today. Happy to see them get up of course but they looked a little shaky.
And I've got to go on record to say that Lewis Roberts-Thompson is quite possibly the worst player in the AFL. The guy has absolutely no idea what to do with the ball when he gets it in his hands. You might as well put a red nose and floppy shoes on him and let him run around as the half-time entertainment it's so obvious the guy's a CLOWN. The most bitter pill for the majority of players playing AFL at the moment is that this sorry excuse for a footballer has got a premiership medal in his trophy cabinet and they haven't. You can see that his team-mates even think twice before they pass the ball to him.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Recovery Mode
Well, it’s all over. After 12 years and 3 kids we have decided that we would quit the weekly swim training. Now that all of our children are reasonably strong swimmers we have decided that rather than go through the weekly arguments about whether or not they should go we’ve decided to pull the pin. This now leaves Tuesday evenings blessedly free –the only night of the week we won’t be running hither and yon. Bet that won’t last.
I’m in recovery mode after running in the half marathon over the weekend. My goal was to break 90 minutes which I managed to achieve, so cue the theme to “Rocky” for me. It’s an interesting experience to be setting myself goals that, in the past I would have reached without having to try too hard. It’s all about the aging process and these days it’s a lot more important to manage the recovery process a little more closely. Anyway, I’ve had a couple of days rest and the body’s raring to go again.
I’m in recovery mode after running in the half marathon over the weekend. My goal was to break 90 minutes which I managed to achieve, so cue the theme to “Rocky” for me. It’s an interesting experience to be setting myself goals that, in the past I would have reached without having to try too hard. It’s all about the aging process and these days it’s a lot more important to manage the recovery process a little more closely. Anyway, I’ve had a couple of days rest and the body’s raring to go again.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Cool on Saturday
Another Saturday means another day of soccer for the boys. As sometimes happens we had a scheduling clash with the first game starting at 8:00 and the second at 9:30. The clash came with team photos which coincided with one of the games. You've got to expect these things. A win and a loss led to mixed celebrations at home. You don't want to enthuse too much when the other team has done pretty poorly. It's all got to be reasonably tempered.
By the way, I'm a happy Collingwood supporter today after the Magpies downed St Kilda in a a hard fought match at the Telstra Dome, eventually getting up by 9 points. Not as comfortable as I had hoped or expected but a win's a win and we can move on with a 50% record after 8 rounds.
Weather forecast for tomorrow has been promising cold and wet conditions for the day, not particularly pleasant for running but at least we won't be overheating. We'll see what the new day brings for tomorrow's half marathon.
By the way, I'm a happy Collingwood supporter today after the Magpies downed St Kilda in a a hard fought match at the Telstra Dome, eventually getting up by 9 points. Not as comfortable as I had hoped or expected but a win's a win and we can move on with a 50% record after 8 rounds.
Weather forecast for tomorrow has been promising cold and wet conditions for the day, not particularly pleasant for running but at least we won't be overheating. We'll see what the new day brings for tomorrow's half marathon.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Grinding to the End of The Week
I missed checking in yesterday but with the day proving to be particularly blah I figured I had nothing else to add. As it turned out I was kept pretty busy last night chasing backlinks for a few of my sites so I figured I’d let it slide for a day.
With another day down we’re almost into the weekend and a hint of freedom from work for a few days. That seems to be the way of it lately. Nothing at work is inspiring me enough to hold my attention so I’m spending the days counting down the hours until I can get out of there. With a little bit of luck something vaguely challenging will show up and drag me out of this funk.
On to brighter news and Collingwood are playing St Kilda tonight. It should be an easy win for Collingwood but I’m a little apprehensive about this match. Collingwood have gone into games as favourites a couple of times this year, looked good for the majority of the match and then had the other team run over the top of them in the last quarter. They simply haven’t looked as solid as they were the last couple of years. Anthony Rocca’s missed a couple of games and Josh Fraser was injured in the Legends match, I would expect the Pies to be too strong…surely.
With another day down we’re almost into the weekend and a hint of freedom from work for a few days. That seems to be the way of it lately. Nothing at work is inspiring me enough to hold my attention so I’m spending the days counting down the hours until I can get out of there. With a little bit of luck something vaguely challenging will show up and drag me out of this funk.
On to brighter news and Collingwood are playing St Kilda tonight. It should be an easy win for Collingwood but I’m a little apprehensive about this match. Collingwood have gone into games as favourites a couple of times this year, looked good for the majority of the match and then had the other team run over the top of them in the last quarter. They simply haven’t looked as solid as they were the last couple of years. Anthony Rocca’s missed a couple of games and Josh Fraser was injured in the Legends match, I would expect the Pies to be too strong…surely.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Post Federal Budget
Another beautiful day in Sydney town today makes you appreciate this time of year in this part of the world, with the bright sunny days overseeing cool, comfortable temperatures.
Today Australia awoke and began digesting the Federal Budget that was handed down by the Rudd government, their first. Predictably the Liberals poured shit all over it and made themselves look like the incompetent brainless pricks that the rest of Australia voted on a few months ago.
The Budget looks like it’s taking a decent stab at helping the lower wage earners while hitting the rich a little harder, and so it should. Tax cuts, means testing of the baby bonus and an increase in the Medicare Levy Surcharge were the main points.
But the part of the Budget I want to talk about is the money set aside to combat climate change. What a complete disappointment! Australia has some of the greatest potential renewable energy sources in the world with solar, wind, geothermal and wave power available for the taking. Instead, the government seems content to ignore the prospects of these clean technologies and continue to pour money into the polluting coal-based power.
The government has announced $2.3billion in climate change measures, but these amount to funding changes such as introducing a standard 1-watt power limit on appliances on standby, $500 million for scientists to develop a low-emission car, $13.3 million on research into how a trading emission scheme will affect industries.
But here’s the real kick in the teeth for the solar, wind and geothermal industries in Australia. $500 million has been set aside for a “National Clean Coal Fund” to reduce the emissions from Australia’s coal industry. To which I can only throw up my hands and say, You fucking idiot politicians, there is NO SUCH THING AS CLEAN COAL!!! The only way we can clean the coal industry is by developing major renewable energy projects that will generate power to replace power created by dirty, filthy coal burning power plants. Clean coal is a concept devised by the coal industry to save their sorry asses. It's about as believable as the cigarette industry telling us that smoking doesn't cause lung cancer!
Unfortunately, when it comes to the climate, I fear Australia is still a third world nation. What kills me is that $150 million is being budgeted so that Australia can help other countries in the region prepare for and tackle their climate challenges. Our government’s demonstrating that they’ve got no idea how to address climate change and then they’ve got the gall to suggest they’ve got the goods to advise others!
Look, let's put this in perspective, while the Australian government are kowtowing to the coal industry and trying to convince us that clean coal is a viable climate control option, the US government thorugh the US Department of Energy have announced that by 2030, 20% of the country's energy needs can be handled by wind power.
Today Australia awoke and began digesting the Federal Budget that was handed down by the Rudd government, their first. Predictably the Liberals poured shit all over it and made themselves look like the incompetent brainless pricks that the rest of Australia voted on a few months ago.
The Budget looks like it’s taking a decent stab at helping the lower wage earners while hitting the rich a little harder, and so it should. Tax cuts, means testing of the baby bonus and an increase in the Medicare Levy Surcharge were the main points.
But the part of the Budget I want to talk about is the money set aside to combat climate change. What a complete disappointment! Australia has some of the greatest potential renewable energy sources in the world with solar, wind, geothermal and wave power available for the taking. Instead, the government seems content to ignore the prospects of these clean technologies and continue to pour money into the polluting coal-based power.
The government has announced $2.3billion in climate change measures, but these amount to funding changes such as introducing a standard 1-watt power limit on appliances on standby, $500 million for scientists to develop a low-emission car, $13.3 million on research into how a trading emission scheme will affect industries.
But here’s the real kick in the teeth for the solar, wind and geothermal industries in Australia. $500 million has been set aside for a “National Clean Coal Fund” to reduce the emissions from Australia’s coal industry. To which I can only throw up my hands and say, You fucking idiot politicians, there is NO SUCH THING AS CLEAN COAL!!! The only way we can clean the coal industry is by developing major renewable energy projects that will generate power to replace power created by dirty, filthy coal burning power plants. Clean coal is a concept devised by the coal industry to save their sorry asses. It's about as believable as the cigarette industry telling us that smoking doesn't cause lung cancer!
Unfortunately, when it comes to the climate, I fear Australia is still a third world nation. What kills me is that $150 million is being budgeted so that Australia can help other countries in the region prepare for and tackle their climate challenges. Our government’s demonstrating that they’ve got no idea how to address climate change and then they’ve got the gall to suggest they’ve got the goods to advise others!
Look, let's put this in perspective, while the Australian government are kowtowing to the coal industry and trying to convince us that clean coal is a viable climate control option, the US government thorugh the US Department of Energy have announced that by 2030, 20% of the country's energy needs can be handled by wind power.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Autumn Illness
We're barely any distance into the colder months of the year and already two of my three children have picked up colds. For some reason, and I don't know if anyone else has experienced this, but the moment they show signs of a sore throat or a runny nose they seem to become very affectionate. It's almost as if they have an instinct for passing the cold on. Anyway, nothing too serious this morning, off they went to school without a complaint.
The day was passing along fairly quietly until about 2:30 when we got the call from school - one of the kids was sick. Working in the city meant it was going to take an hour or so to get home. This meant that school would be over by the time I got there to pick my son up. He couldn't go to After School Care so after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing it was decided he would stay at school until I got there. (Personally I don't know what the dilemma was, it's not as if they were going to turf him out or anything). So for the second week in a row the boys got to miss their swim training, much to their delight.
Funnily enough, after the insistence that we get to the school as soon as possible, by the time I got there, my son was starting to feel better. By the time we arrived home, he was keen to have a kick of the soccer ball. Not impressed.
We've now begun the pool deck, although at this stage it amounts to a whole bunch of holes in the ground as the footings are prepared. Once the ground has been sufficiently broken we'll be able to actually see some progress.
* * *
The day was passing along fairly quietly until about 2:30 when we got the call from school - one of the kids was sick. Working in the city meant it was going to take an hour or so to get home. This meant that school would be over by the time I got there to pick my son up. He couldn't go to After School Care so after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing it was decided he would stay at school until I got there. (Personally I don't know what the dilemma was, it's not as if they were going to turf him out or anything). So for the second week in a row the boys got to miss their swim training, much to their delight.
Funnily enough, after the insistence that we get to the school as soon as possible, by the time I got there, my son was starting to feel better. By the time we arrived home, he was keen to have a kick of the soccer ball. Not impressed.
* * *
We've now begun the pool deck, although at this stage it amounts to a whole bunch of holes in the ground as the footings are prepared. Once the ground has been sufficiently broken we'll be able to actually see some progress.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Of Late Trains
Not a great start to the week with City Rail up to its old tricks again. The train before mine was running late this morning, not that any City Rail employee was going to let us know. It was already 5 minutes overdue when someone finally decided to play the recorded message announcing that the train was running 6 minutes late. This was already after the time that MY train was supposed to have arrived. Naturally, they were keeping quiet on when exactly that train was going to get there.
After it finally arrived they added another twist by throwing in a couple of unscheduled stopes at Banksia and Arncliffe stations. They didn't tell us why and no-one got on or off seeing as the train wasn't supposed to stop there in the first place. Thanks to City Rail's arse-about way of reporting lateness, this will be one of those situations where the trains were not "technically" late.
After it finally arrived they added another twist by throwing in a couple of unscheduled stopes at Banksia and Arncliffe stations. They didn't tell us why and no-one got on or off seeing as the train wasn't supposed to stop there in the first place. Thanks to City Rail's arse-about way of reporting lateness, this will be one of those situations where the trains were not "technically" late.
* * *
It was a good day for a run again today. May weather continues to provide the most superb conditions for running in Sydney. Cool and sunny ensures that you're comfortable pretty much from the first kilometre to the last. It inspires me to get out and enjoy the conditions as often as I can. 10k today just sailed by.
* * *
I noticed on the news tonight that tornadoes have ripped a huge path of devastation across Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. The images showed massive damage with whole neighborhoods completely obliterated. The sobering news came at the end of the report when we were reminded that this is only the very beginning of tornado season and it's very possible that more will follow. add to that the terrible scenes from Burma and the death toll as a result of the recent cyclone and it hits home just how much power Mother Nature can wield at times.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mother's Day 2008 Blah
As is traditional at our house we do not celebrate Mother’s Day (or Father’s Day for that matter). We sneer at the saps who have been conned by the retailing industry into forking out even more money on gifts. So if you’re a believer, consider yourself sneered at. My opinion of you just went down a notch…ya sap!
* * *
I washed both the cars today. It must have been around, oh I don’t know, 6 months since I last pulled the chamois out and cleaned off the road grime. I’m not what you might call car proud, but they both desperately needed the spruce up. There are now a host of spiders that are homeless thanks to my hard work.
* * *
My weekend run was next on the agenda today. I started at just after 10:30 which is around 4 hours later than when I would normally start, but I needed the sleep in and with perfect autumn running weather at the moment, the conditions were absolutely perfect for a nice long run.
* * *
Back at home and with lunch out of the way, it was time to finish cleaning up the massive pile of palm fronds that were still lying around after yesterday’s epic battle. I stuffed as many as I could into the garden waste recycling bin before I realised that the more practical solution was to pull out the shredder and put the rest of them through. Two garbage bins worth of mulch was the result and that has been spread under the mandarin tree. Pretty silly really, I spent a helluva long time chopping up palm fronds when I could have just shoved them through the shredder and been done with it.
* * *
This left just enough time to spend about an hour kicking the soccer ball around with the kids in the front yard. Although I’ve got to say, the energy levels were pretty much flagging by late afternoon. A quick tidy up in the backyard was necessary though because the deck guy comes tomorrow to begin work on a brand new pool deck.
I washed both the cars today. It must have been around, oh I don’t know, 6 months since I last pulled the chamois out and cleaned off the road grime. I’m not what you might call car proud, but they both desperately needed the spruce up. There are now a host of spiders that are homeless thanks to my hard work.
My weekend run was next on the agenda today. I started at just after 10:30 which is around 4 hours later than when I would normally start, but I needed the sleep in and with perfect autumn running weather at the moment, the conditions were absolutely perfect for a nice long run.
Back at home and with lunch out of the way, it was time to finish cleaning up the massive pile of palm fronds that were still lying around after yesterday’s epic battle. I stuffed as many as I could into the garden waste recycling bin before I realised that the more practical solution was to pull out the shredder and put the rest of them through. Two garbage bins worth of mulch was the result and that has been spread under the mandarin tree. Pretty silly really, I spent a helluva long time chopping up palm fronds when I could have just shoved them through the shredder and been done with it.
This left just enough time to spend about an hour kicking the soccer ball around with the kids in the front yard. Although I’ve got to say, the energy levels were pretty much flagging by late afternoon. A quick tidy up in the backyard was necessary though because the deck guy comes tomorrow to begin work on a brand new pool deck.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
The Saturday Blah
Heard today that Jack Gibson died, aged 79. Another reminder that time waits for no-one. Apparently he’d been battling Alzheimer’s for the past few years. He was a terrific football coach but always for teams I despised (Eastern Suburbs and Parramatta) so I never really appreciated him.
* * *
The boys had their soccer matches today, today being Saturday and all. As usual the Under 11’s struggled, although it didn’t look too bad at half-time with the kids only down 3-0. Then the floodgates opened and it got pretty ugly finishing 9 or 10 – nil. We’re getting used to the floggings now.
The Under 9’s continue to improve and were looking for a 3rd win on the trot. They had to be content wit ha 4-all draw, which I though was an appropriate result for a hotly contested match. Good viewing all round.
Came home to some yard-work to round the afternoon off. Attacked a fan palm which had grown a tad rampant behind the garage. Bloody thing was well armed with it’s ample supply of thorns and put up a commendable rearguard battle. But in the end it was no match for me, my pruning saw and extension secateurs.
The Under 9’s continue to improve and were looking for a 3rd win on the trot. They had to be content wit ha 4-all draw, which I though was an appropriate result for a hotly contested match. Good viewing all round.
Came home to some yard-work to round the afternoon off. Attacked a fan palm which had grown a tad rampant behind the garage. Bloody thing was well armed with it’s ample supply of thorns and put up a commendable rearguard battle. But in the end it was no match for me, my pruning saw and extension secateurs.
* * *
No AFL last night or in the afternoon today because the Victoria v Dream Team match to celebrate 150 years of AFL football is on this weekend. It’s a bit hard to take, only one meaningless match all weekend. I’m sure I’ll get by.
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