Cracks showing but no break
US Republican presidential hopeful John McCain has picked Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska, as his surprise running mate.
BBC News - Read more ...
If she was picked primarily because she was a woman, then this is a step backwards from breaking that glass ceiling.
It will only truly be broken when real opportunities are available to women and when all achievements are recognised equally. Not because of some desperate tokenism.
Labels: pov
One Ton, Two Awards
Lance Franklin reached his ton and Brendan Fevola came tantalisingly close as Hawthorn tuned up for the finals in fine style with a resounding 78-point victory over Carlton at Telstra Dome on Saturday night.
Sportal - Read more ...
My award for the most miserable team of the season goes to Hawthorn, for believing a 72-point win wasn't good enough and doing whatever they could to deny Fevola his 100th goal of the season.
The award for the best handling of Franklin's achievement goes to the AFL, Victoria Police and the Telstra Dome security staff who allowed the crowd pitch invasion to go ahead without incident. It was a rare event and one worthy of the fans showing such appreciation.
Labels: sport
Well Done, Beijing
So, the games are over for another 4 years. And dear old London town gets to host the next party.
The build up to the Games weren't the best publicity for the Chinese (some justified, some over the top imho) but I reckon sport won out in the end.
Which has to be good news.
There were many memorable moments for me:
Well done to all the athletes.
Labels: sport
Sunday Paper Snippet II
DOCTORS say the State Government's decision to include a 24-week gestational threshold after which a woman will need the approval of two doctors in order to terminate a pregnancy creates an unnecessary complication in the bill to decriminalise abortion.
theage.com.au - Read more ...
After reading this article today, I couldn't believe that there a people who believe a woman can decide at any time to have an abortion.
The law has to specify a threshold to stop all but the absolutely necessary late-term abortions. I've never believed that abortion should not be available legally, but the thought of a woman and her doctor being able to agree to a termination of her pregnancy at anytime before the birth horrifies me.
Labels: pov
Sunday Paper Snippet I
The Sunday Age can reveal that the Sydney Symphony Orchestra mimed key parts of its performance at the opening of the Sydney Games in 2000.
And it gets better - it was, in fact, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra whose brilliant playing was heard by millions around the world at the Sydney Olympic opening ceremony.
theage.com.au - Read more ...
It never fails to amaze me how much fun the media have in the Melbourne/Sydney rivalry.
But Melbourne is better.
Labels: melbourne
Passed
I took my Australian Citizenship Test yesterday, and passed with flying colours. 20 out of 20 questions in under 5 minutes!
I didn't think it'd be hard, but there's always a doubt in my mind when I'm taking a test. I was quite relieved when I got the results.
Last night, I filled in my online application form. Now, I'm just waiting to hear that it's been accepted and I can make my pledge.
I'm hoping that my father will come out to join me at my ceremony. I've got a year to take the pledge, so there's plenty of time for him to schedule the trip. My only doubt is that there doesn't seem to be a way of selecting which ceremony you attend, so I may have to refuse a couple before the timing is right.
But I'll worry about that when I get the nod from the Government. For now, I'm just pleased I'm a step closer to being an Aussie!
Labels: migration
All wrong 2008
In my task of re-posting the entries from my first life, I posted this one today:
Work was completely demoralising. I beginning to realise that our whole team is no longer working as a team. Everyone is out for themselves now that the ship is beginning to sink.
Did's Life - Read more ...
By sheer coincidence, I can echo that feeling again today. Albeit for different reasons.
There's a big departmental restructure to be announced tomorrow, and we were given the heads-up for our team today.
We're to lose our manager. He was promoted from within the new-ish team around 2 years ago. He understands our role. He's an excellent thinker, negotiator and communicator. He's kept us together and looks out for us without micro-managing. The team has come of age under his tutorship. All in all, he's a great guy to work for.
And he did do his best for us in the restructure. The outcome could have been a lot worse than it was.
I'm sure the new order will soon start to feel "normal". But, for the moment, it feels like a massive blow to the chin.
Labels: work
Unbelievable
Medals table
Monday, 18 August 2008 14:28 UK
- China - 39 Gold
- USA - 20 Gold
- Great Britain - 12 Gold
- Australia - 11 Gold
BBC News - Read more ... (dynamic content)
I can't believe that GB is ahead of Australia in the medals table! Apart from a little time in the middle of the day, they have been for over 24 hours. I've made the most of it at work, coz I'm doubtful this is going to last!
Labels: sport
Jobsworth
Why are some people such jobsworths?
I was working in the new building today, where the hot desks are not yet setup with network connections so you've got to find anywhere you can to work. Not everybody has moved in, and so some floors are pretty empty.
The building itself has an open floor policy. You need your pass to get onto each floor, but everybody has access to them. The only exception is a department where there is a risk of disgruntled customers attempting to deal with their complaints 'face to face'. But even their floors are planned to have open access to the meeting rooms and hot desk areas.
Today, I went onto a floor that wasn't yet occupied and settled myself into one of the meeting rooms that had a network connection and a phone.
Half way through the day, a man walked past the room and asked me whether I worked for his department. When I replied in the negative, he accused me of not being authorised to be on the floor. I said I was just hot desking, because the nominated desks hadn't been set up yet. He asked how I managed to get onto a restricted floor, and seemed put out when I told him it wasn't a restricted floor. He left muttering that he'll have to get that changed.
Five minutes later, he returned asking for my details. I gladly gave him my name and department. He then said that he was concerned about the OH&S aspect of my being on an empty floor. Next thing I know, I get a call from one of our relationship managers saying she's been told I'm causing an OH&S issue. She obviously didn't think there was an issue, but I was leaving for a vendor meeting in the next half-hour anyway so everyone was happy.
I didn't see the guy again.
All that because I was sitting in a meeting room that nobody was using but he obviously thought I had no right to be in. Security had chatted to me when they were doing their rounds. The building move Project Managers were taking contractors round pointing out work that needed to be finished and didn't comment on my presence. But this guy just couldn't let it lie.
Trouble is, we've got a team workshop booked on this particular floor all day on Monday. I think they'll have moved in by then. I wonder if he'll ask why we're using one of "his" meeting rooms.
Labels: work
One rule for us...
"Russia has invaded a sovereign neighbouring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people," said Mr Bush.
"Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century."
BBC News - Read more ...
So, was the invasion of Iraq okay because a) it wasn't a neighbouring state; b) it wasn't a democratically elected government; or c) it was unfinished business from the 20th century?
Labels: pov
Back to the beginning
In the hope that wallowing in my past blogging glories (okay, so I might be wearing some very rose-tinted glasses at the moment) will get myself back into the swing of blogging, I'm re-posting the first edition of my life - one entry at a time.
All entries will be published un-edited. I'm just adding titles and labels to those that haven't already got them.
Here's the momentous occasion when it all began in May 2003.
Well this is it. This is the start of my blog. A momentous occassion, even if I do say so myself.
Did's Life - Read more ... (well, actually, that's it)
Hardly worth repeating, was it? Especially when it contains an horendous spelling mistake! ;)
And I didn't get much better later in the day:
Rushden & Diamonds have just won the Nationwide Division 3 Title, despite a goal from Hartlepool in the last few minutes. The score ended 1-1.
Did's Life - Read more ... (unfortunately, there is a bit more to this one!)
I was never even a Rushden & Diamonds fan. But when you're in rural England, anything that's bigger than a village fete can sweep you off your feet.
Labels: blog
Invisibility Cloak
Scientists in the US say they are a step closer to developing materials that could render people invisible.
BBC News - Read more ...
If I can't be a wizard, then this'll help me pretend!
Labels: world
Cold Snap
A cold snap has brought snow to many parts of Victoria, New South Wales and the ACT.
In Victoria, falls have been recorded at Daylesford, Woodend, Kinglake, Kilsyth, Trentham and in the Dandenongs.
ABC News - Read more ...
Blimey! I knew it was colder today, but I didn't think it was that cold!
Labels: melbourne
All was well ...
.. until I read those lines.
I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this morning. A bit behind the times, I know, but the rest of my collection is in paperback so I waited until now. It's made me feel a bit emotional. Not balling-my-eyes-out emotional, but a bit might-cry-if-I-watched-Lassie emotional (the old TV series - not one of the later telemovies that was on 7 recently).
I think there's a few things at play here. I can't mention them all in case I spoil it for you. Actually, to hell with it. The book's been out for a while now and if Scott Mills reckons 24 hours is okay to publicly talk about a TV episode, then I reckon a year is okay for a book. But, if you are thinking you'll read the books later, then consider this your SPOILER WARNING!
So, I first noticed myself getting a bit emotional last night when I read the chapter where Snape is found out to a good guy after all. It was so good to see that because I'd always believed that he was and I was devastated (that may be a bit of an overstatement) when he killed Dumbledore in the Half Blood Prince. I read that scene several times looking for anything that could give me a glimmer of hope that he was on Dumbledore's side. But I still didn't guess the truth.
I suppose the hint that Harry must die also put me in a good mood - I've never really liked him.
Then, this morning, I read the rest of the book. There was some humour, loads of action, and Good winning over Evil. What more could you want. I was taken along with the whole of Potter's journey and was sad to see it end.
But I think the real reason I felt a little emotional is because - secretly - I wouldn't have minded being a wizard myself. And the final chapter means there is no more of that world to be revealed.
Labels: pov
Beijing 2008
Begrudglingly, I have to give Beijing the edge on their Opening Ceremony when compared to Melbourne 2006. But, then again, this was the Olympics.
There were only a couple of things missing. Firstly, the Chinese may have invented paper, but they can't make a man walk on water. Secondly, me. I wasn't in the crowd waving my flashy wotsit that seems compulsory for ceremony attendees to be given these days. But, by Jeeves, I wish I had been. The experience must have been amazing.
Maybe in London 2012 ...
Labels: world
New Office
As an IT guy, I am not worthy of working in our main city office. The Nerd Inspectors (think of the wizarding world's Dementors) have cast us and our loving machines into the wilderness of the Melburnian suburbs.
To be honest, I didn't mind this because
- whenever you're around the business (i.e. the customer) they're always hassling you and asking awkward questions like "When are you ever going to do what you said you would?", and
- the data centre is a much more modern, spacious office.
That is, until now.
The Melbourne HO is in the process of moving to a brand spanking new building in the centre of the CBD. Today, I got a leave pass to visit the place. But almost didn't make it.
The Nerd Inspectors had obviously placed nerd repelling charms on the new building because I was having trouble finding the entrance. The obvious one still had temporary fencing around it, and the one door that I did manage to find didn't open when I tried to push and pull it (which I assume is how it opened). Beginning to feel a little stupid (as you do after trying a door that won't open and realising that everyone was looking at you) I carried on up the street a bit. After trying to push some panes of glass that didn't even have hinges attached to them, I was beginning to feel very stupid and panic that somebody I knew would come along and see me being a right nerd. Then I saw it, a massively massive rotating door system that even Hagrid could get in. It was a very clever nerd repelling charm. Nerds are people who are so used to things getting smaller and smaller, so make the entrance as large as you possible can! "The nerds will never find it!", they must have thought.
So, I finally got into the entrance lobby and looked around at the 'obvious' entrance that was fenced off. People were coming through it, which confirmed to me that nerd repelling charms had indeed been cast because the normal people could obviously walk straight through the fencing - they probably couldn't even see it. Either that or I just didn't see the gap in the fence.
Anyway, feeling good about beating the protective enchantments, I headed for the lifts and suddenly I felt a stealing sense of despair, of hopelessness, filling me. "Excuse me, Sir. Where are you heading?" a voice called to me. "Err," I replied - wondering how the inspectors had found me so quickly. "I think you'll be wanting to take the lifts on the other side of the lobby," the hooded figure helpfully (but menacingly) suggested.
With trepidation, I approached the other lifts. I reached the security gates, used my pass and was through first time. 'But this could all be part of the nerd trap. Don't relax yet,' I was telling myself. And, sure enough, there was another nerd repelling charm in place: Rather than a simple 'Up' button to call a lift, there was a large keypad with a display. People were entering and receiving codes and then disappearing into the various lifts around me.
Now I was for it. Why was everybody's input and output codes different? What was the right code for me to enter? Would it identify me as a nerd? What did the responding code mean?
After a few minutes of reconnaisance (pretending to be talking to somebody on the mobile phone - luckily this is no longer considered nerdish - so that nobody thought I was just hanging around the lift lobby not having a clue what to do) it all clicked.
The input code was the floor number you wanted, and the response code was the lift you had to take. Another fantastic nerd repelling charm. Nerds are so used to keypads/displays/codes being used for everything complex, so make it really simple. "They'll never understand this!", they must have thought.
But I did understand it (albeit after an embarrasingly long period of time), so I entered a floor number (where I'd heard some resistance nerds had managed to hide out) and got a lift code back. A scary moment! It was a completely different lift to those that everybody else had used, and I was now fearing that this was indeed a nerd trap.
But I had no choice except for getting into the lift (or looking a right prat). Slowly, it began to rise and I began to feel like I had when I first went on Nemesis. I just knew that it was taking me to the top so that the following free-fall had a much greater chance of killing me. As my heartbeat quickened, there was a sudden noise.
"Fifteenth Floor", a very loud and brash female voice announced. The doors opened and I stood there. Too frightened to get out. The doors tried to close, and I knew this was my only chance of survival so I dived through and landed in the empty lobby.
Everything was still. Not even a mouse was moving (but then a mouse probably couldn't be bothered going all the way up to the 15th floor - and certainly couldn't have worked out the keypad system to get a lift). I walked around the corner and saw that the whole floor was empty and dark. The normal people who would shortly inhabit this space had not yet moved in. More worrying was the fact that I couldn't see my fellow nerds. Then I realised that they would have placed their own protective charms against the normals. The only way to overcome this was to declare your nerdishness. It was a dangerous thing to do in public, but I pulled out my bluetooth earpiece and put it on. Suddenly, I heard laughter at the far end of the office. Walking towards the noise, I began to make out my friends. Fellow nerds, enjoying their place of freedom in the knowledge that they were protected from the normals by an electomagnetic field from a Wi-Fi hub.
I was finally safe in the new office.
And, boy, it is a lovely office.
(Which was the original point of this post but I got a bit sidetracked!)
Labels: story, work
No more Down Under?
Flat earth theory is still around. On the internet and in small meeting rooms in Britain and the US, flat earth believers get together to challenge the "conspiracy" that the Earth is round.
BBC News - Read more ...
But my favourite quote from the story has to be from a flat-earther:
"If you will forgive my use of the term 'global'"
Labels: makes me larf
Double Standards
The foreign media outrage over the limits placed on the internet — a bit self-righteous, but fair enough over all — and the suggestions that some in the International Olympic Committee had cut a deal to renege on the agreement to allow free reporting, seemed to set up a culture clash between a China paranoid about dissent and a West that values free speech, even when it's uncomfortable.
Sunday Age Editorial - Read more ... (probably for a limited time)
I'm pleased to see somebody else acknowledge that the calls from the world's media for unrestricted access to the internet were slightly over the top.
I do agree that there was a story here, because there was obviously a difference between what the journalists believed they were promised and what they got. But there seems to be demands called of China that we wouldn't make of any other country.
The editorial later says that the latest agreement is for only sites that are pornographic or deemed to be subversive to the Chinese national interest will be blocked. Which sounds fair enough to me.
I've always seen the Games as an olive branch to China to start having better relations with the rest of the world. It was never conditional of adopting western social standards, and it shouldn't have been. They've got a long journey to make, and we should fear the results if they go too quickly.
Labels: pov
Events Galore
People often ask me "Why Melbourne?" - even some Melburnians. Everyone seems to think that Sydney is the place everybody heads for. Fortunately, that isn't true and the enlightened few experience everything that this great city has to offer. Including a new NYE celebration that will hopefully be an annual event:
Sensation has identified Melbourne as the right place to kick off their southern expansion because Melbourne understands events, and it understands style. In addition, there is a strong understanding of dance culture in the city.
Sensation believes Australia's most European city is a perfect fit.
"What I really like about Melbourne is the city feel," says Sensation director, Duncan Stutterheim. "We want to grow something and in Melbourne you can do that because the community is very connected. It's a fashionable city ...
Sensation Press Release - Read more ...
Melbourne really is a great place, and deserves to be the event city of the world that it aims to be.
Labels: melbourne
Why?
Q&A is the australian version of the long running BBC show Question Time and, after a ropey start, it is beginning to become as enjoyable as its british counterpart. (Although I do wish Tony Jones would stop saying "We'll take that as a comment" whenever somebody in the audience makes a comment.)
This week, they took a question via a video submission that asked the panel (specifically a gay cabinet member and a prospective opposition leader with a large gay electorate) why they supported the ban on gay marriage. (Unfortunately, there isn't a transcript of the question, so I can't quote it.) The man didn't want to hear about the discrimination that had been removed, just why they supported the ban.
But isn't the removal of discrimination the key goal? So why try and remove it from the debate?
I think there's a need to rethink the many reasons why the state recognises marriage. Some benefits are granted to married couples because it is viewed as the best model for raising a family. With today's lack of respect for the institution leading to the high rate of divorce, I suspect that this argument has been lost. Some because of the recognition that a married couple live "as one" and share all that they have. This is where arguments for recognising close sibling relationships come in.
Essentially, society has moved on from the Christian teachings that our laws are based on. There needs to be a new model that respects the views of everybody. For those who want society and the law to recognise that they live their lives together and benefit from all the rights and priveleges that support the good that comes from it, to those who see marriage as a religious sacrament witnessed before God.
This can only be achieved if the Government replaces the Marriage Act with one that allows for different forms of recognised relationships. Whether they be called marriages, partnerships or unions.
Labels: pov
