Bend in the Weather

Computers can be wonderful things.... you can accomplish tasks that takes a matter of seconds that would take you days, weeks, or months if done manually.

They can also be a right pain in the @#$&!

Last night was my first night on call at work.    Some of the crazy servers kept going up and down like yoyos....   which meant that about every 10 minutes I got a page -- all night.

I feel like crap and even look it....  I'm sure Pauline didn't get much sleep as well.

Dragging myself into work was an effort...   how I'll make it through the entire week will be a miracle!  I'm really hoping last night was the exception and not the norm.

Current mood: sleepy

There has been a lot of debate whether Linux is ready to be a desktop replacement for Windows over the last 5 years.

Companies like Redhat (Redhat Desktop and Fedora Core), Novell (Novell Linux Desktop and OpenSuSE), and Canoncial (Ubuntu Linux) are doing a lot to make that a reality.

Novell is forging ahead with some major new components that will give Linux desktops the edge when it comes to eye-candy and stunning graphical displays.  Novell is working on both Xgl and Compiz that will turn desktops upside turn (literally!)

You have to wonder what these marketing people were thinking when they decided to market their products.

Obviously they aren't all English speaking, which would explain some of it, whilst others you have to think are intentional.

If you want to see more of them... you can view them here.

Are you wanting that specific application you used under Windows available on Linux?

Novell are running a survey where you can have your say.

Novell are collating the results and will share them with software publishers to help push to get them ported to Linux.

So if you're really wanting Quicken, Adobe PhotoShop, Macromedia Dreamweaver or even iTunes, here is your chance to have your voice be heard!

So if you're a Linux user and don't fill out the survey -- don't complain if your favourite app isn't available!

I've already submitted my request - which was for Macromedia Studio (includes Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Flash).

Now -- if only Adobe/Macromedia start listening !

Saturday I headed down to Geelong and went fishing with my father.
It's always a good time to spend some quality 'bonding' time together and something we both don't do enough of.

I'm no fisherman, and have as much fishing skill and the hunchback has sex appeal!
However, my Dad is an awesome fisherman!  I always learn something when I go out with him.

So I got down to Geelong around 11am and we headed out shortly afterwards.  Dad took me down to St. Leonards and we fished off the pier.

It was quite a non-descript day, with a gentle breeze most of the day, not cold and not warm, and reasonably overcast most of the day with the clouds rolling in from the west most of the day, whilst the sun occasionally broke through just to keep us all warm and hopeful for more.

A bunch of kids were spear-fishing near the pier and made the experience even more difficult.  Whether they were scaring the fish away, making enough noise to wake the dead, or just a nuisance always not far of getting tangled in your line.  Those fishing on the pier tolerated them, though could be seen cursing them under their breath.

We ate our sandwiches on the pier, swigged a cold drink and some coffee and had a perfect vantage point to watch the Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) enter the heads of Port Phillip Bay and head towards Melbourne.

The fish came and went, with a few nibbles here, and a few there.  Though no-one caught anything of note most of the day.   I caught a 29cm whiting that we ended up bringing home.  (Pauline cooked it up for lunch on Sunday!)

By 4:30pm we'd had our fill and decided to call it a day.   I looked a little read, but nothing too bad.
I stayed at my folks until about 7:00pm and then headed back home.  It was a fun day.

By that evening... the sunburn had come out.    I started to look like a living tomato and had been burnt on my legs, neck, ears, face, fore-arms and hands.   As Pauline so delicately put it "Who get's burnt on the back of their hands?!"    Apparently I do!

Sunday has seen me in pain from the experience.   I'm not sure if this will blister, though it's likely to peel.  I should have slipped, slopped, slapped....  though I did have a shirt, hat and sunnies on and I imagine would have suffered a lot more without them.  In hindsight a good dose of sun-cream might have been an even better idea! 

Ahhh well...  a little bit of pain and discomfort for a few days.... still doesn't take away from the great time I had with my dad.

The Australian Federal Government wants to snoop on their citizens.

According to recent reports, it appears the government wants to be able to undertake line-taps, read Email and SMS messages of innocent people.

Should you be worried?   Very much!

These laws are passing today - and are unlikely to raise a whimper.  It will be interesting to see how much mainstream coverage it will generate.

The Greens and Democrats will oppose the bill, however nothing has been heard on the Labour front.

So what exactly does the bill provide both the AFP and ASIO?

• Ability to read SMS messages
• Ability to place a tap on a telephone line
• Ability to read Email messages
• AFP can 'monitor' for up to 45 days.
• ASIO can 'monitor' for up to 3 months
  

So this you would imagine would be for organised crime or hardened criminals under a close watch?     Not at all....  basically any innocent person who might lead them to a suspect.

Notice the word 'might'?   I might win the lottery, I might be the next prime minister.  
All AFP and ASIO officers need to do is 'judge shop' until they get one judge that is soft on ordering such warrents and they are home.

Australia already has the highest rate of line-taps in the world.  We even spy on our citizens much more than the US (who are always under constant attack for such breach of civil liberties).  The figure is staggering....  as we spy on our citizens upto 26 times more than the US!

I'm sick of everything falling under the 'terrorist' label to allow such agencies the free reign the so greedily want.   What's worse is our pollies fall for it hook, line and sinker.

I don't like the idea of terrorists any more than the next bloke, though I do believe that a person is innocent until proven guilty.    The threat from terrorists has always been here -- it's no less or greater since 9/11 -- no matter what the US and Australian governments beat their chest about.

These groups also work in code and hidden messages...   so such laws don't provide any asistance anyway.
Whilst you can do little about line taps, and SMS reading (unless you use take on your own coded message format! )  you can actually do something about your Email being read.

PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) encrypts Email you send, allowing it only to be read by the intended person.  You can download free PGP programs that automate the process and can encrypt your Email from within Outlook at other similar Email clients.

I recommend you all look seriously at using such tools.

Last night Pauline and I headed down to Geelong to celebrate AC's birthday! 
We took her out to Mexacano's Mexican restaurantin Moorabool St in Geelong. (highly recommended!)

Everyone enjoyed a fantastic meal (boy they have big servings!) I don't think any of us finished our servings. 

We all then headed back to AC's place and watched our favourite TV show House. 
Pauline prepared a birthday cake, whilst AC put on a fresh brew of coffee for us all to enjoy.

The Black Forrest was a little dry, but we all took a generous piece.

All in all, it was a great evening. 


A fun night for all!

It's been a tough day in the office!

The local Victorian heats for the Miss Universe contest was held outside our building today.
So there were 30 stunning models strutting their stuff today.

Seems to have captured the imagination of most of the guys in the office.

Some of the girls were quite stunning...   Unsure how they will go at the National contest, but it does look like there is some genuine naturally beautiful girls in the state.

One contestant was only 16 years old appears to be the local favourite.   Will be interesting to see how far she progresses.

It was one sure way to have an interesting day....

Yup... even I celebrate birthdays!



A fun day for everyone there...  Even though it was 35^oC that day! 

This wasn't Pauline (my wife), but her cousins birthday!