"Your so wrong"

The book I'm currently reading, a novel titled "The Expected One", is about Mary Magdalene and the story / gospel she wrote about the life of Jesus . I am not a religious person. Not at all. But I chose the book for the same reasons as for the Da Vinci Code: controversial, a beautiful story, a blend of legacy, history and the modern world.

But it's not the book I wish to discuss... In it I came across one of the 'everyday' English Language crimes: people's inability to use punctuation properly for showing that letters are missing or for ownership, as demonstrated by the heading of this blog (intentionally of course!). In the book I came across this gem: "You're work isn't exactly his thing". I was really stunned, because I cannot conceive how it made it through to production (well, mass production to be precise). Yes, I know that MS Word and the like cannot pick this as a grammatical error when Spell-Checking; but what the hell??? The author herself, the reviewers, the publishers, the pre-productions people, ANYONE!... How can you print a book with errors like this one? It's not just wrong, it is simply unacceptable.

I started to learn English at high-school at the age of 12. I don't consider myself to be an genius or an A-student, but I never found this punctuation issue to be a problem. Yet I see people who are born into the English Language making this mistake every day; at work, in publications and even at schools. I just don't understand how kids are being taught these simple things. My own 10-year-old really impresses me when working out some maths problems pretty quickly, but she sometimes struggles with "Its" and "It's". I just don't understand why so many people get it wrong...

Maybe I care too much. But even if I ignore it, it does not go away. AAARGH!...

To publish or not to publish

An interesting article appeared in today's Green Guide and, more interestingly, the picture of The Falling Man (no, not G Dubuya...) made the almost full-page front cover. He is of course the man who AP photographer Richard Drew captured free-falling on September 11, 2001.

The article didn't talk about that picture alone, but spoke more of the fact that newsrooms around the world often have to consider the moral side of publishing such pictures; they normally don't want to out a victim's family through more pain and sorrow.

I am against this: humans display this unusual characteristic of ignoring and dismissing worrysome facts such as violence, horror and terrorism if they don't experience it first-hand. Yes, we can sympathise and donate money to buy blankets and food for tsunami-striken or AIDS-infested communities around the world. But are we moved? Mainstream Australian news programmes tend to focus on internal affairs and often glance over world news (with the exception of SBS). In my travels around Europe I was fascinated by the fact that a. world news are half of the bulletin and not just closing shots and b. events were described very vividly, backed with video or photographic evedence.

It is only then, when you confront people with the plain and obvious truth that an impact is likely to be made: The piles of hair and bones from the massacre Jewish people, rather than pictures of the empty furnaces. Families lying dead in gutters in Sarajevo, that stills pictures of bombed villages.

The same applies to our environment crisis. As I continue to explore Al Gore's book "An Inconvenient Truth", I can't help thinking: we all heard about the floods in Europe last summer and got to see the helicopter views for 30 seconds of water gushing around. We see graphs of bad things increasing and good things reducing - but so what? 35,000 people died in Europe and I doubt that this side of the world actually comprehends what that means (except for the ones who lost loved ones).

I think it's time that our media begins to vividly show us the real news and not just the narrative. So that we don't conveniently overlook the truth...

A Gory Truth

It arrived yesterday, after almost three weeks and after having tracked (on and off, systems permitting) the shipment of Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" from the US to Australia through Amazon. By the way, Dymocks in Australia might start selling the book Mid-September this year but I just could not wait and it worked out a few dollars cheaper.

Well, I've only gone through the first 62 pages on the train this morning and let me tell you - this book must be taken seriously. It is not your ordinary 300-page book full of scientific jargon with graphs, quotes and summarisations of studies. It is "How to Stop Screwing our Environment" for Dummies - that is, for everyone.
The book builds up page after page; it states the problem by presenting the facts (the melting glaciers, the rising temperatures, the CO2 rising levels ) in both pictorial and scientific formats. Some of the photos are truly disturbing: as a kid, I remember this huge old volcano covered in ice all-year round; today, it is mathematically proven that Kilimanjaro will be snow-less in the next 2 decades or so. The same goes for glaciers in the European Alps.

The book's format truly surprised me: it is full of pictures. As you read the introduction, you understand why. Over the years, Gore developed and has kept on enhancing a presentation about climate issues, global warming and its danger. The book is effectively that presentation coupled with more context and narrative. It works very well because I found myself sucked in and almost missed my station (which is not really a problem in Melbourne...).

The format and layout of the book is also cleverly aimed at young people, with clever fold-out pages and very plain English.

I'll continue my reading tonight and come back with another mini-review and some interesting facts about the issue - in the meantime we should all start thinking again. It's not the kind of problem that will go away if ignored. It's the equivalent of cancer for the planet. By the time you realise, it's already late. And it takes years to find a solution and to monitor its effectiveness.

As Gore quotes Martin Luther King Jr, "We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today".

TGI Friday

A colleague of mine recently returned from a 5-week Contiki Tour of some European Countries. To my astonishment he spent 10 minutes telling us by the different varieties of MacDonalds burgers across the different countries. I found that quite funny as this particular topic would have been (very happily) well off my list of things to experience while overseas. Another colleague and I agreed that, when overseas, MacDonalds is a good toilet-stop because every restaurant has a W.C. and they tend to be quite clean merely because of the turnover of clients.

I found myself asking so many questions about London and the truth is I miss London terribly. It's the whole area from Hyde Park Corner to Russel Square, to Covent Garden, to Embankment and to St James Park. The smell of fires from the street performers at Covent Garden, of food in Chinatown, roast chestnuts at Leicester Square, ink from the Evening Standard...

I spoke about some of the popular food establishments (which he missed) like Perfect Pizza and TGI Friday. The latter of course stands for Thank God It's Friday (whatever God means to all the different ethnic origins in England!).

And because it's Friday, I have attached one of 5 pictures sent to me this morning by Moshe titled "Maths Genius". They made my day! It's one of the funniest things I 've received for a long time and I wish I get more like those.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!...

Census 2006 and the Interweb

This one is close to my heart, as my dear better half is spending quite a bit of time and leg power to distribute forms (and later collect them) for around 450 houses in our area (the fact that she's ultimately employed by John Howard I choose to ignore, for my own sanity's sake).

We received our forms two days ago and we had already agreed that we would submit our answers/data electronically at www.abs.gov.au/census. So late last night, while waiting for one of my very few current favourite TV programs to start on SBS, I logged in with the intention to complete it in less that 15 minutes.

Surprisingly, the experience was very satisfactory! The website is no-frills and definitely no-thrills, which is great for the purpose. Australia, as a population in general, is still a very web-illiterate nation so the last thing one wants to do is put them off completely by presenting them with government 'stuff' to do over a complex web tool.

Once logged in, you start by listing all persons in your house on August 8th 2006. Yes, we can fill the information ahead of time, as long as it is accurate AND true. Once that's done, the system creates one set of questions for each person registered. In the case of couples, some smarts exist to create a 'relationship' between non-married, divorced people (our case). Once the adults are done, it's a matter of churning through effectively identical questions for each child.

We completed the whole thing in under 15 minutes, which is considerably shorter, more accurate and less frustrating than filling in paper forms. But, like with everything else, we picked on a couple of things:

1. We are asked to supply Current Address, Address as of 12 Months Ago and Address as of 5 Years Ago. The first two, can be easily reused later in the questionnaire (eg. in the case of your spouse and children) by selecting a "Same As.." checkbox. However the third address (previous 5 years) has to be typed in by each person registered. We thought that was a bit dumb; there are 4 children in our house and they were all living together with the parents 5 years ago. I would have liked to see another "Same As person 1 or 2" checkbox to facilitate this.
2. One of the questions in the 'Dwelling' section is whether access to the Internet is available. Now, I can't work out how crucial this question is... The Census is normally about population and demographic statistics. I thought this was a very technology-oriented question, with very little point (other than perhaps helping the Bureau of Statistics predicting where to spend more money in the next 5 years). Where do you draw the line? Why not ask if we have Colour or Digital Television? How about mobile phones? Or motorbikes? I suspect that more useful data could be collected from an exercise of that magnitude, like work/lifestyle balance questions like "How many holidays a year does the family take?".

I would recommend that you fill in the questionnaire online. It's quick, a no-brainer and secure. Save yourselves time AND raise the bar for Australia's Internet future! Big Kev would be excited!...

A few funnies about Ageing

An email full of jokes about getting older came through yesterday during a power outage here at work. I thought I'd share some with you:

- Reporters interviewing a 104-year-old woman: "And what do
you think is the best thing about being 104?" the reporter asked. She
simply replied, "No peer pressure."

- Just before the funeral services, the undertaker came up to
the very elderly widow and asked, "How old was your husband?" "98," she
replied. "Two years older than me." "So you're 96," the undertaker
commented. She responded, "Hardly worth going home isn't it?

- Know how to prevent sagging? Just eat till the wrinkles fill out.

- I've still got it, but nobody wants to see it.

- Don't let aging get you down. It's too hard to get back up.

But this next one is my favourite - not because it's funny but because it is so true. For a period of time I did feel it in myself; I was too serious or I just did not have enough to laugh about. Our children make us laugh a lot (but less as they grow into teenagehood). And so does love and trust. When we're at ease with each other but also with ourselves, we find ourselves laughing so freely and easily - even back at ourselves!... Anyway, here it is:

Remember: You don't stop laughing because you grow old, You grow old
because you stop laughing.

Brrrrrrrr!....

Earlier today I walked from the "West End" of Collins Street to my (other) workplace. Normally a pleasant 7 minute walk, reflecting on the meeting ahead and distracted by the constant buzz of Docklands building-erecting activity, I got blown away by a freezing wind.

Then I walked on the TelstraDome-to-Southern Cross bridge (not because I wanted to, I just had to) and I was very tempted to walk sideways, because the same strong, freezing wind was blowing straight into my left earhole. Instead I moved my mobile phone from my right ear to my left one and settled with having the fingers of my left hand freezing instead.

Next time I decide to make all the effort to get down there for face-to-face telephone meetings (where two of us are in Melbourne and 4 more over in Sydney, I'll think again!...

But today it has been very cold, due to the windshield factor (an expression mainly used by British ex-pats or Australians of strong English heritage). I can't help but being jealous of some of my friends and colleagues who are soon to visit or are currently enjoying the summer in Europe...

In the meantime, Soldier On!...

Heat, glorious heat!

This one is about central heating. But it’s also about some facts which could help Moshe trying to unravel the mystery of his central heating fan!

Last year we spent a considerable amount of time renovating our upstairs area – our retreat, if you like – which is an extension to the house. When the house was extended by the previous owner, someone ran two central heating outlets off the main system; one in the bedroom and one in the landing/study area.

We found that those two outlets were actually affecting the efficiency of the system on the ground floor – not enough airflow. It was also pointless as there is only one thermostat in the house, downstairs. So the first floor was never heated properly anyway.

Then there is the dust factor: floor vents stay gaping open for a large part of the year; therefore fluff and dust tend to accumulate in them, which eventually get shot back in the room when the heating comes on.

Then there was the aesthetic factor: newly painted walls and skirts and a new carpet, why spoil it with holes in the floor?

But most of all was the noise… With the heating on, we used to hear an annoying continuous whistle as the air passed through the plastic grille. Not very pleasant at 6:00am.

We decided that we should opt for electric heating upstairs and, instantaneously, agreed for the Nobo brand. I knew of their excellent reputation and Lesley had them fitted in a previous house.

We bought one heater on Monday – rated at 2400W with a built-in timer. Very excited, we installed under our bedroom window last night after work. It took less than half an hour, most of which was spent on measuring and centering. Nobo have a smart and very reliable way of ensuring that the heater is correctly placed and at a specific distance above the floor.

Next was the power-up ceremony. Lesley was nervous about the window blind being close to the top of the heater. I was slightly concerned that our temporary extension cable is rated the same as the heater itself. I would have preferred a bit more tolerance.

These heaters are spectacular. Within half an hour, the room had turned from a pretty cold to very comfortable. The air was not dry, the heater was radiating a reassuring glow and you could feel the natural, gentle air circulation from the floor through the heater and upwards. I set the timer for the week and that was it.

Moshe’s problem came to mind as I started to fret about the next electricity bill, so I turned off the gas central heating, the dishwasher and a couple of other things and I headed for the electricity meter: One revolution in 3.5 seconds. The heater was running at its maximum 2400W.

It may sound a bit scary and potentially expensive. Over the next few days I’ll be watching a bit more closely, as the Nobo heaters are supposed to be consuming a lot less once the room has reached the desired temperature. If I was to think about a new central heating solution I’d probably choose between these heaters (because you can wire them to a control panel and create zones too) or a hydronic system.

But overall, we are happy with the choice. We slept really well and woke up to a warm room. It was just a little hard getting out of bed though!...

Justice with criminal intent

It just happens that two blog entries in a row are about football referee injustice. Or shall I say stupidity. Or gross inadequacy. Same difference. Everyone who has kept an eye on World Cup 2006 would have by now worked out that there has been an issue with referees. I will not go into detail about the previous games in the tournament but rather focus on last night’s Italy – Australia game.

And do not, even for one minute, think that I’m biased because Australia did not go through. I’ll come back to that.

Last night’s referee exceeded his English colleague’s inabilities by quite a long stretch. And he did that in one clean shot. In fact, that kind of action is almost criminal. I can picture the last few hours before he stepped on the pitch (or ‘the park’ as our SBS commentators call it… What park exactly??? It’s a field, a pitch! Nobody is walking their dog in it). Anyway, ref standing in front of the mirror, in his knee-high socks, admiring himself, hair gel dripping down his forehead, smirking, getting excited, clenching his little fists, thinking:

“Ha ha!... I’m gonna screw this game good! I’ll show that English guy what I can do! I’ll play cool, I’ll confuse them. Not too many yellow cards, I’ll get some of them right too. Yeah, that’s right… Maybe 2 or 3, maybe a red one. I so wish I could give out 9 – but no, I won’t. I’ll save it for the big one. Yeah… That English guy didn’t call a penalty when he should have – but I’ll do the opposite! I’ll make one up… Yeah… everyone will remember me for that!!!! Ha Ha Ha!!!”

This is what I reckon the referee was thinking about (well, except for the fact that he was thinking all that in Spanish). And boy, he stuck to his guns, didn’t he?...

So here’s what I really think of last night's drama:

• Australia started the game very well. Their passing was excellent and methodical, based on a good plan (Hiddink’s plan).
• They just could not execute a shot. They did not even want to take a risk or two and just shoot, for heaven’s sake, like the Italians. Luca Toni did that a few times and scared the hell out of us.
• Italy started to lose it a bit once they got down to 10 players – but they were still giving the Ozzies a very good run. Their defence was excellent. But the numbers advantage seemed to lift the Australians’ courage.
• Australia would have probably lost – but they did not deserve to lose like they did.
• Without Schwarzer, Australia would have been buried 2-0 in the first half.
• (Almost) everyone was blaming Hiddink today for not bringing Aloisi out earlier than he did. Well, the way the game was going and without the referee’s sniper shot, Aloisi came out at the right time – 10 minutes to warm him up and have him ready for the 30 minute extra time.
• Viduka is not as hot as he’s talked up to be. And I think that as a captain he should have been a bit more ‘proud’ and dignified after the match. He’s supposed to carry the team, not join in the mourning – and not when the whole world is watching
• Guus Hiddink will be really missed by the fans (even if half of Australia had no idea who he was until three months or so ago) and by the team. He'll be hard to replace.
  
• FIFA should seriously reprimand some of this Cup’s referees. They buried the ambitions of some teams and they gave the sport a bad name; it is now easy to perceive that, no matter how good a team is and how hard they try, they’re at the mercy of this one man.

After the Croatia game, FIFA officials tried to raise our hopes by suggesting a rematch should Australia had lost the game. Well, what about last night’s game? Is FIFA thinking of cancelling the outcome and stage the 30-minute extra time and possible penalty shoot out?

FIFA must seriously look into what happened this year (and hopefully before the next few games). If football is to flourish in this side of the world, people need to see the serious and fair side of it which, right now, is rather comical and unfair at the same time.

Let’s hope that what happened last night will not put people off and that Australian youth continues to discover the magic and the passion – as well as the fact that it is the “real football”, because of a. the shape of the “ball” and b. the fact that generally one uses their “foot” and not their hand!...

As for these criminal whistle-blowing, card-issuing morons walking up and down football parks… Hasta la vista referees, you’re just no good!...

Ref off!

I didn't get much sleep last night, partly due to a bad cold I cought two days ago. I also wanted to get an early night so that I could get up early and watch "The Game" - Australia vs. Croatia.

I was awake by 3:30am, before the alarm. Feeling pretty banged up and misearble I popped a pill and headed for the TV. I quickly (4:05am ) realised that the game was not starting till 5:00. Oh well, I watched the ending of the Ghana match, then endured the painful pre-match commentary and predicions by the pitiful SBS commentators.

"The Game" kicked off at 5:00 and of course my heart sank after the Croatian goal - but Viduka should have known better. I think this was the first Australian players' error (Hiddink is still impeccable, even after taking Schwarzer out - he had to).

The Viduka Incident was out of this world too. But there were still more idiotic moments to come. There were three more incidents which annoyed me:
a. the "two yellow cards and still playing" moment - what the hell are the FIFA officials doing? OK, the ref was overwelmed with on-the-field action, but someone could have wispered something to his ear!
b. Kalac's brainless hand-throw minutes after the crucial equaliser straight to a Croat's feet. I have no words for that...
c. The end-of-match wistle and simultaneous red card to Simunic. Uh?

This was a dramatic match, more so because of the panic of both teams towards the last 15 minutes - but the referee's inadeqacies elevated it to soap opera status.

But Australia is through, for all it matters. And once again, hats off to Guus Hiddink. And all the best to Russia. I'll be watching out for them in the next World Cup.

Dilemma

Do I wake up at 2:00am to watch Brazil vs. Australia? Something tells me I should, reasoning tells me that sleep will do me more good than a late night/early morning...

If Brazil wins, what are the Australian papers going to write about fron now on? Days before the match, even the more serious papers (except the AFR) started to dedicate spreads on 'the miracle' - that's right actually, because this is exactly what it will take.

However, if the native team was to win, this would be the most significant moment, as well as only chance, in the shaping of football in Australia. So for that reason alone, go Kewell, go Aloisi, go the Roos!

OH&S 'rules'

Since October 2005 I've been the (certified) head of my Company's OH&S Committee - of course in addition to my real job. Why, you may ask? Well, because someone had to do it... We're eam of 6 jolly H&S people, including the Chief Fire Warden and a First Aid Officer.

And as much as I love my day to day job (Systems Architecture, that is), there is something about OH&S that I really like and enjoy. Yes, I do love the fact that I am licensed to be anal, pedantic and strict about things that are really common sense. And sometimes you don't even have to have a smile on your face!...

Last week it came to our attention that our kitchen cleanliness (actually, lack of) has taken another turn. So to cut to the point, we have now installed handwashing apparatus to every kitchen at work. Exciting, you may say! However, we have given a few males the opportunity to wash their hands after they've been to the loo and just before they go to make lunch or a cuppa. Yuk, you may say! But true too. And the same goes to the boys and girls in the Mail Room (no, not the Male room...) handling all sorts of correspondance before they feel they've earned a break.

But it did not stop there! Someone came up with the idea to stick up hand-washing instructions (no, not me). So now we can all read not just why, but also how to wash our hands! In the interest of health and safety, I must welcome this - at the same time though, something tells me that this will offend someone. I guess we 'll have to wait and see.

The other associated achievement is that we finally got rid of tea towels and replaced them with disposable rolls of paper. This had always been a bugbear of mine, as one could never be sure as to where they've been, when and forhow long.

Two small steps in preventing 10% of a work force spreading germs around the place! I'm excited!!!

Investing in our children

Over the past couple of days Moshe and I exchanged a few opinions which were triggered from the Government's $300 cash for new school starters (you can have a look here). Moshe rightly pointed out that in Australia people complain that they're always worse off and struggling. The truth is that Australians would not know otherwise.

And, as far as spending on kids goes, it's all getting out of control too. And it's ultimately the parents who encourage it. Although I agree that having a mobile phone from the age of 13 is useful and almost necessary because kids commute to school for, dome times, an hour each way, I have a problem with this:
a. Kids will accept nothing without a colour screen and polyphonic ring tones. What the??? Because, if something happens, your parents will take you seriously if you send an MMS rather than a plain SMS? It's not a fashion accessory or a toy, it has a purpose. But, thanks to Optus and the likes, our kids can spend the whole night yapping on the phone for free. Or become recluses for free.
b. 27 years ago I entered high school and had to take 2 unreliable buses each way. I did not have a phone. A year later I was riding my bike to and from. Still no phone. I survived, millions others like me survived too.

The same "kids/money" subject somehow brings me to the next topic: On the way home last night on the train, a young woman (perhaps 18 to 24, hard to tell), very smart-casual dress (not cheap) and very presentable entered the carriage at Ringwood. She was sporting a fashionable handbag in one hand/shoulder and a MASSIVE Deal or No Deal cheque for $26,000... The funny thing is, nobody had any idea if it was real and if it was hers (and nobody, amongst the ones who cared, had the guts to ask her...). So she took a seat, clumsily positioned the cheque on the opposite seat proceeded in making a couple of phone calls. She was in possession of the latest Sony Ericsson walkman phone, in a fashionable leather pouch. A few calls later she grabbed the giant cheque and held it tight. She got off at the same station as me and waited for her lift.

While on the train, I was just trying to think (assuming the money was hers) how it would be spent. And, as much as we should not judge a book by its cover, I almost saw it all happening; clothes, car, iPod, this and the other.

The whole system is rigged: we're copping it from all sides. We are encouraged to spend more and want more. Game shows are screwed because they're all consumer-driven because of the revenue through advertising. Kids no longer ask for a TV in their bedroom (as if...), they want LCD. While choosing a new car, all the kids in my house want a DVD player rather than being interested in safety and comfort. A young guy in his mid-20s here at work is buying a huge plasma screen while he's still living at home. Another one just bought a new small car and is investing in accessorising it for looks.

In all those things, there is no forethought on resources, the environment or energy impacts and requirements.

It's really bad and proceeding very rapidly in getting even worse. It's gone so far that there is no magic bullet. Talking to kids about the value of money only makes you sound even more uncool, mean and old-school.

Looking back, the one thing I kept hassling my parents about was a motorbike at 16, mainly from peer pressure and the copycat factor. After six months of nothing happening, I gave up. There was no 'life or death requirement' for VCRs or video games. I was happy to be out socialising and meeting real people face to face.

Spa Country

After a leisurly awakening at 8:30 on Saturday morning, we packed our picknic basket and headed towards Victoria Spa Country. Having said that, the term 'Spa Country' is an exaggerated optimism, as the latest series of draughts have somewhat transformed the once free-flowing landscape to a network of dry creeks. But enough on the bad points!...

With the excuse of missing some pate, we stopped at Woodend, on the Calder Freeway. It is a lovely spot and a good opportunity to stretch your legs after an hour in the car, along a boring Freeway. While walking down the shopping strip (20 shops or so each side of the road), we popped in the local bakey in search of some fresh bread. We soon realised that this particular bakery is famous for its vanilla slices, for which both Lesley and I have a soft spot for... 15 minutes later we emerged content - especially me, having consumed the coffee I was craving for.

We spotted a deli and looked for some pate but to our disappointment there was nothing to get excited by. A jar of pickled gherkins for almost $7 put us right off the place. Luckily, another deli was to be found on the other side of the road and the so far untouched cracked pepper pate was begging to be bought!

From Woodend, Daylesford is an interesting 20 minutes drive non-stop but one should detour and make a point of visiting Trentham Falls. Don't expect Niagra-style falls, but do attempt to walk down the totally hidden path to the falls and get behind the water, just above the lagoon. We were there 2 years ago - I'll publish some photos soon.

Once at Daylesford, we made sure we know what time the chocolate shop closes (more on this later) and headed for The Blowhole. Incidentally, we picked up a local map from the Information Centre but one of the two assistants, allegedly a local, did not know if The Blowhole was blowing, so to speak. Given that we planned to go up there anyway, I wasn't too fussed about his ignorance.

Around one o'clock at the Blowhole, we decided to follow the 15 minute loop track. We soon realised that the place was lacking water... Despite recent months' rainfall, there was no water flowing along the steams. However as we walked clockwise along the bush track, we came to the lower (and only accessible) of two rockpools. The way the blowhole appears to work is that, once the upper rockpool has filled with water and as water keeps filling the first rockpool, a 3-metre long tunnel and approx 1 metre in diameter empties the its contents into the lower rockpool.

From there we drove back to Daylesford and down to the lake - our favourite spot. Walking around the lake takes 20-30 minutes, depending on whether I stop to take photos or if we stop now and again to admire and take in the beauty of the place. We decided to have lunch first so we occupied the picnic bench closest to the water and got going with our packed delicacies and a bottle of sparking wine (or, as Aussies would say, bubbly - how sad...). We enjoyed the sunshine and, once again, admitted how lucky we were to be out there without any rain. We started to shange our minds as a dark heavy cloud hid the sun for 10 minutes - but the windchill factor kept the wine cool!

We then took a brisk walk round the lake. 20 minutes, a few photos and a few cuddles (to warm each other up) later, we got in the car and headed towards Decadence. To us the big attraction of this place is not so much that they sell their own, handmade chocolate, but their signature Chilli Chocolate. Before some of you start saying "What? Chocolate withChill? eeew!...", watch the movie Chocolat. And google chilli chocolate too.

Decadence use their spicy chocolate to make hot chocolate drink. This is the ultimate indulgence on a coldish day and after a few kilometres of walking!

With our lungs full of fresh, cool air and our bellies equally full with delicacies we started the 90 minute drive back home. We felt relaxed and ready for the week ahead.

The Code (pt.2)

So we did watch the DaVinci Code on Friday night, as planned. There’s no point going on and on about it, I’ll be brief.

As I said in the previous entry, I liked the book a lot. I appreciated Brown’s extensive research and I liked the controversy it surfaced. It was about time someone challenged the power of the Vatican and how the higher rank priests use the poor and needy to get what they want and, more than anything else, forcing women to be inferior and stripped of any power and self-esteem.

To me, the movie was a fairly good representation of the events and characters described in the book. Silas was beautifully brought to life. Sir Teabing was more fascinating than in the book. Fache was just as stubborn and anal. The butler was fairly inconspicuous and cunning. Bishop Aringarosa was ok – not as impressive as I was expecting. The main characters did a pretty good job – Tom Hanks was spot on with the book’s Langdon. Sophie Neveu was sweeter on film than in the book.

What I really liked:

• The choice of places was very accurate, with Teabing’s little house possible the most stunning house in France
• The night photography in the Louvre and around Paris – truly, the most beautiful city in the world.
• How Teabing visually explained everything about The Last Supper and Mary Madgalene
• Roseline church and the crypt
• The last scene, over the inverted pyramid.
  

There’s nothing I didn’t like, but these three things I hated:

• Why the butler died at Docklands and not inside the Rolls Royce by the park, like in te book
• Product-placement: one reason not to buy a Sony Ericsson
• Why the hell did they swap the London library scene with the bus scene and the unnecessary internet search via the guy’s mobile? I know, probably for more product placement…

I really enjoyed the movie, not as much as the book of course. I’ll leave it at that. Let’s now stop being so critical and let’s just get on with our lives.

One last thing about the book… If at some point it turns out that it’s all true, can you just imagine how many movies would be made then?

The Code (pt.1)

While catching up with last week’s UK news on telegraph.co.uk I came across one of Matt’s comic strips (no copyright contention here people, it's just a link!) - which prompted this blog entry.

I have stayed away from the DaVinci Code avalanche of opinions for as long as I could bare. But I cannot take it anymore!

As many of you already have, I read the book last year and I absolutely loved it. Not just because it is a fantastic story (yes, it is a story!) but mainly because it is challenging and brave to question some very fundamental beliefs who a large part of our society is adamant about.

So the book got a huge amount of criticism – no surprises there. And now the movie is getting slammed too.

I am sick and tired of people who upfront dismiss something they don’t agree with. I see it every day, on the train, at work, in news broadcasts. And I did exhale a silent ‘yesss!’ when Ron Howard said: ‘if you think you won’t like it, don’t go to see it”.

And then there are the Tom Hanks critics: “His performance and portrayal of Langdon is wooden”. Well, if you did read the book, Prof Langdon is not quite Einstein, is he? He needs help every step of the way, he’s not Indiana Jones (which is probably they didn’t cast Harrison Ford).

The plan is that we’ll watch the movie tonight. You have no idea how eager I am to re-live this wonderfully provocative story. And I can’t wait to see Jean Reno (Leon) and Alfred Molina (Chocolat), two of my favourite actors. So watch this space for the post-movie reaction…

Not what you know, who you know

Because of my frequent travel to Sydney anthe fact that my company is happy to cover travel expenses, when I travel to or from Melbourne Airport I can catch a taxi instead of leaving my car at the airport and having to drive back home.

Now most people would share with me that catching a taxi anywhere in the world is sheer luck (good and bad). Melbourne is no exception. Since 2004, and up until late last year, I had to take my chances with the levels of standard of service quality and cleanliness (of both the car and the driver).

Then one day I hailed a cab from Docklands, going to Collins Street – normally a 10 to 15 minute drive and often accompanied with an upwards flick of the head, followed by a moan or the sound ‘Tsk’.

The taxi looked brand new, the driver well-groomed and polite (extremely) and, astonishingly, there was no unpleasant smell of any kind either. In the space of those 15 minutes we were calling each other in first-name terms, had covered the fact that I travel to Sydney, using Melbourne taxis to and from the airport and that I live 40 kilometres from the airport and via the city. I got out feeling happy and with a glossy business card with his name and mobile phone number – at my request.

The rest is history. I have used Mehmet’s services since then at least twice a month, mainly to and from the airport but also around the CBD too (although somehow he’s keener on the longer fares!). It is also worth mentioning that there’s a little network of friends and family happening, who sometimes step in when Mehmet is not available.

But the ‘value-add’ of Mehmet's service is the conversation over 45 minutes. And last Sunday was the most enjoyable so far. We spoke about memories from our childhood, mine in Greece and his in Turkey. We spoke about our kids, his now married and mine still at primary school, and about the difference in expectations and how much kids these days take for granted. We spoke about food – how could we not! – and found that we shared very similar experiences and memories from local markets as well as from home. But we did not debate who came up with the names – I do believe and admit that the Greeks borrowed quite a few words form the Turks and then “Helenicised” them.

Incidentally, at my work there are two interesting characters; a late-forties Turk and a mid-twenties Australian-born Greek. Both opinionated and both right at any point in time; last week we sat back and listened to their interesting debate about the origins of Baclava as well as the origins of Turkey itself.

Back to my taxi story and as we were talking, I started to feel my age. Not that I have a problem with growing older. I actually felt warm and fuzzy that, out of nowhere, I started to reflect and remember things about my childhood, things that in my normal day to day life only come up when the kids or Lesley ask about my childhood and what Greece is, or was, like. It is amazing but also sad, how many things I had forgotten in the last 15 years. But somehow parenthood and my new relationship have urged me to slowly think back, remember and re-live some of these memories.

So to me Mehmet’s taxi (by the way, a silver service, long-wheelbase Ford Fairmont with leather seats) is not just a clean, civil and safe ride. It is simple but meaningful conversation, making you feel grateful for where you are and what you’ve got. It is a few laughs and a friendly face when you come out of a plane full of strangers and a few days away from home. It is coming home.

If any of you catch cabs long-distance, I recommend Mehmet’s service for its obvious merits: clean, civil and safe. Anything else is a huge bonus.

Uber waste of time

The latest budget has shaken the country's Superannuation industry - or so we are being told on a daily basis. And there are, no doubt, a few significant improvements and simplifications to the one of the two most vital weapons to decent, comfortable requirement (the other one being your health of course).

Here’s a disclaimer: I work in the industry in a Technology capacity, I am not qualified to give advice – and I won’t.

But I am licenced to observe and whinge. A slow-cooking recipe, on the stove since 2001 and after a few stirs in 2003 and 2004, is on the brink of being served later this year – after the Government and Superannuation Iron Chefs gave their nod of approval: members of accumulation funds will be able to split their personal and employer contributions with their spouse. Sexy stuff, I hear you say… Yes, Superannuation is a fascinating subject, OK?

I won’t go into the technicalities of Splitting and an analysis of the issues around sexy three-letter-acronyms such as RBL – because I don’t want to be sued of causing fatal boredom. But here’s the whinge: I have spent a couple of weeks of my life developing technology solutions for the enablement and support of Contributions Splitting. Not just me – Business Analysts, BDMs, Member Communications and Project people in all similar Super providers around the country have been spending weeks analysing requirements and composing letters and communications to investors.

And all of a sudden, it’s all academic! Our future Prime Minister (chill...) has just gone and voided years of effort. And here’s me thinking: do these people actually talk to each other? Do the consultants actually consult? Do the researchers perform any research? Do the wizards cover all bases?

But the one thing that to me stands out the most in this reform is this: Over the age of 60 your allocated pension becomes tax-free income. Which poses the question: knowing that this is a gamblers’ nation, should the government be encouraging people to lift their life-long saving and disposing of it as they may think best? Did Tabcorp have a play in this strategy?!

And really, what’s the big deal anyway? Another government comes along (say in 5 years!...) and work out that there’s a lot of money sitting locked in superannuation accounts, because of the latest incentive. What do I think they’ll do? They’ll probably tax it.

I don’t know – and it’s not advice – but the Italian way of saving might have its merits after all…

Kung-Fu Writing

OK, nothing other than mindless, harmful fun! Spruce up your email signatures, your website, your blog. Tell your kids or your kids' friends!




Courtesy of http://tools.fodey.com/generators/animated/ninjatext.asp

What's so hard?

Three years ago I jumped on the personal webspace wagon. Before all that I was happily ignorant to the fact that a lot of people spend heaps of time fuddling around with web-publishing technologies.

Having spent weeks researching the best and cheapest provider of such a facility, I picked a U.S. firm mainly for its .NET capability and very cheap price. I then proceeded to design a website – menu structure, look and feel etc – and started to upload some photos too. I soon realised that I need automation, because it was taking too long to do something simple and repetitive. I moved to Microsoft FrontPage because it is almost intuitive (provided you have a convoluted mind) and clever enough to only publish the changes.

But it all started to get too hard.

So a few months ago (and having written a year’s worth of hosting off) I jumped on the blog wagon. And I am proud to point the finger to a ‘power’ blogger, ex-colleague of mine (see sidebar for link!). I was shown a free solution, a no-fuss no-frills interface and the ability to blog from anywhere, including work (sorry to rub it in Moshe!).

So I started blogging – venting off, showing off, stating the obvious etc. The thrill of it is the fact that you can say whatever you want and the gratification of receiving replies. And I can still post pictures if I want to in a not-so-direct way – but I don’t have power-user requirements any more.

But it all started to get too hard.

I found that it is a matter of free time. It seems that, no matter what, I manage to find time to start a new thing up. But it somehow tapers off. Not because something else comes up, but because I find myself saying “where’s the day gone” and choosing to pick up a book rather than pick up the keyboard and blog. The other factor is that I spend hours on the keyboard as part of my work (emailing, writing, drawing and happily not coding), so being faced with a keyboard late at night gives me the chills.

The subject of this blog has partly to do with the title of my blog space – “too hard to get”:

- I knew that at some point blogging would get “too hard”

- It was hard finding a catchy and well as available blog space name, so I made that frustration obvious in the title

- Friends often remark that I am really hard to get. I am famous for ‘deep dives’. People lose me for months and all of a sudden here I am again – either in person or in a blog.

But the truth of the matter is that I am a big fan of blogging. I love the sense of freedom that’s available to us. Sending a letter to newspapers or magazines often suffer from editorial freedom to sensor. This leads to more frustration.

My next research task is around mobile blogging. Because I spend a few hours a week on a train or a plane, I would like to use some of that time to read blogs rather than books. I am also looking for a new gadget and a music player… but that’s another blog coming up.

Have a good weekend, wherever you are.

You (really!) had to be there...

Matchbox 20 was been from day one and still is one of my favourite bands. I was sad to see them breaking up and I was thrilled to see Rob Thomas carrying on with his songwriting and singing career.

The thing about Rob Thomas is that he seems really genuine. A well-balanced male who can write, talk and sing. No stunning beauty, no pin-up - an ordinary looking guy with a gift.

It just happens that Lesley has a thing about Rob. Rob's new album gets a lot of play at home and in the car. She loves the acoustic session that Matchbox 20 did a few years ago and the DVD finds its way to our screen often enough. And it's all about Rob connecting with te audience and telling stories while introducing the next song.

It just happened that Rob announced that he would play Melbourne on February 14th which also happens to be hir birthday. I am sure this was the biggest threat to Melbourne's younger male population. You try to be romantic with your girl and all she can think that night is Rob on (and perhaps off) stage. To me, hoerver, it was the perfect Valentine's day present :) but I will not elaborate further on this point. I am quietly gloating inside...

Rob played for 1 hour and 45 minutes. And to our silent requests, he played not just his new album but also all our favourite Matchbox 20 songs - the ones who really touch people, whatever their mood or circumstances. He also sang one of only three David Bowie songs I like. And the place went crazy. Totally.



He 's got a magnificent band together; The drummer is a character and a half, the guitarist is wild, the bass player seems to have his guitar fluidly connected to his body so that the music flows into him, the keyboard player/guitarist is cool with the keys and at the same time wild on his lap steel.

All in all, it was a fantastic night. I hope a DVD comes out soon. Last night's concert is now my favourite ever. It has just overtaken Nickleback's Long Road in 2004.

If any of you were there, I hope we share the same memory. If you are going tonight, be prepared to be moved.

Me, Me, Me

It so happens that my employer owns a large car fleet and novated leasing company. They claim that, because of their purchasing power and volumes every year, they can get cars at prices that dealers cannot beat. There's a catch, naturally. No shop front.

As my current Astra is coming out of lease later this year, it is only natural that I have started to look for a new car. I have gone as far as obtaining some quotes for some cars we're interested in. Looks attractive, no complaints so far. But it's also only natural that one has to see, feel and test drive a car.

So we head off to our local motorcar dealer and are greeted by the smiling vulture - are we buying or are we leasing. My hunch: neither. We're here to perve (excuse the spelling), to squeeze information out of the vulture and to ultimately score (sorry, demand) a test drive. So I reply that we're leasing, because ultimately we are - although technically not through Vultures Inc.

Chatting creatures that we are, we get talking, I'm asked who I work for and once the honest reply hits his ears, the realisation is causing his eyebrows to shift closer together: "aaaah, so you lease through XYZfleet...". Shit - do vultures have to know everything?
But I share my bit of knowledge, that we are not commited to buy through XYZfleet and we are free to seek a better quote, should a sales-driven (number of, as opposed to commission) vulture exist. Does he believe me? Didn't look like. So he asks me to double check! Because he knows everythig about XYZfleet and my employer! What cheek...

And as he painfully takes us through a couple of cars, I ask him kindly that in a month's time I'd like to come back for a test drive or two. A quick nod probably means "whatever" or "I'm not listening" or "we should start charging time-wasters for test drives".

Not impressed. And what's worse, I can see his point. He's an employer of a franchisee, he doesn't give a rat's arse about Mr Motorcar's wealth. He's working his ass off in a market where many are tempted by cheaper novated leases as a result of purchasing power. I do understand.

But the nature of the vulture is well known. Selfish, ruthless, cold... I'm left feeling guilty and he's off to the next couple of customers, off to another sale.

How the hell am I supposed to test drive the car I want and buy it where I want from? Because, after all, it's about ME!

Bloody Evolution

Vampires. Complex creatures. I like the way they are portrayed in books, where my imagination is free to explore and paint the picture about how they look and behave. I have grown to disagree with the way certain movies depict them eg. From Dusk to Dawn.

This is a short(ish) blurb on my fascination not so much about the creatures themselves but about the way they have been perceived, or invented, over the years and how their legacy is explained to us, books versus films.

Backtrack 1#: The Historian and Anne Rice. While on holiday at Cradle Mountain, we did some reading in the comfort of our log cabin, in front of the fire while it was snowing outside. I picked Ian M. Banks' The Algebraist and Lesley picked Elizabeth Costova's The Historian.

Late last year I started The Historian myself. It's the story of Paul and Helen, two historians from either side of the Atlantic who meet by both of them embarking on the same journey: Him to find his tutor and dear friend and her to find her father. Ultimately they are tracing the steps of the head honcho of the vampires, Count Dracula.

This book is captivating. In a similar but very pleasant manner as the DaVinci Code, historical events and locations are explored and described with passionate details. It gives a very convincing account of how Count Dracula came to be and his legacy over the centuries and you can't help but admire the man, his conquests and abilities. The author is very cleverly swapping narrators between the male historian and his young daughter.

About the same time I finished The Historian, I had also finished the 6-month project of renovating our upstairs retreat and bedroom. The retreat features inbuilt shelving and cupboards so we got talking about filling the voids with our evolving book collection. Then Lesley suggested that I read the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. My only Rice experience to date had been the movie Interview with a Vampire, the fist book of the series. Unable to find that book, I got started on The Vampire Lestat and then moved on to The Queen of the Damned (still in progress). Rice's talent in describing all things vampire is simply exquisite and you cannot help but feeling a degree of admiration about the creatures. Such amazing, supernatural powers such as the ability to transfer images mentally from one to another, telekinesis etc. But with all this perfection, there's a flaw: daylight is a big no-no.

Backtrack #2: Underworld and Underworld:Evolution
Two years ago (and during our early courtship), Lesley and I went to see Underworld. It was really enjoyable and the midnight session and (coincidentally, of course) the cold and rain outside only enhanced the experience. Except for Scott Speedman's performance as Michael, which was wooden. All vampire rules were there. Vampires must die a mortal death, only to be awaken centuries later and come back stronger.

Last weekend we saw Underworld:Evolution. Amongst other evolved facts, Speedman's acting has evolved too. No longer Mr Pitiful, we're now talking Mr Smarty "it all makes sense to me" Pants. Michael and Selene kick werewolf ass and utilise some kick-ass weaponry to fight the bigger wolves. We relaxed and were going with the flow...

...But as it seems that all good thing must come to an end, here's the spoiler - which came to me hours later: Underworld:Evolution was leading to an all-out, visually impressive ending. And it was quite all-out captivating, except for the last few seconds: The 'evolved' vampire Selene (and perhaps their offspring, if Underworld:Maternity is ever released) is no longer affected by daylight.

I am sorry, I don't like it. It's not normal.

Christmas in August

In August 2005 we took a few days off and visited Cradle Mountain. As we don't like having it rough, we booked the Cradle Mountain Lodge resort for 5 nights.

We flew to Launceston on a cold but sunny morning and jumped in our hired Hyundai Excel. Having stopped at a couple of places on the way - mainly for some warming liquor provisions as well as the necessary accompanying cheeses, crackers etc - we arrived at the resort. It was no longer sunny but not that cold either - however we were drawn to the fire in our cabin and got it going quickly!

After a relaxing spa, pre-drinner drinks and dinner, we studied the guides and brochures - walks, tours and the "must experience" Spa Sancruary, situated in the resort.

The surprise of the holiday came the next morning - 15 centimetres of snow all across the resort and the nearby places of interest. We found it hard to walk around as we were not prepared for the snowfall! But we tried our best and it was a good way to kill time. Not that we were bored but to put it in context, a 25-minute walk in dry weather took over an hour in icy conditions.

Cradle mountain is a unique place on Earth. We read about the Europeans who found it and fought to preserve it as part of the National Park. The pictures we took capture some of the magic of the place. There's more for me to upload, hang in there...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kostasw/sets/72057594060073354/

My favourite spot, if I had to pick one, was Glacier Lake. Due to the slippery walking conditions we didn't walk all around Lake Dove and a couple of other walking tracks. But we saw nature to its purest, winter elements, chewed pure white snow, carefree wombats walking around in slow pace and crows tapping on our cabin window for a snack.

To me, it was an unforgettable experience. I can't wait to go back, for some more walking and discovering. From now on it'll be hard to choose the warmer states in winter from this piece of paradise.

Here I am...

Well, it had to be done. A late adopter, rather than follower, I have finally succumbed to the temptation...

But, most of all, the blog is a tribute to three people and their families. I have shared many days (and nights, thanks to our Employer at the time and our own good will) with them and due to personal circumstances at the time I was unable to be close to them in their happiness.

However, blogging and e-mail has ensured that visibility still exists - I am thrilled to know how well they are doing!

It may sound soppy, but it's the honest truth... I'm sorry to not have kept in touch as much as I would have liked. My deep-dives go on for too long.