Sugar & Spice

There are some things that were made to go together.

My batch of Dunkel beer from the Beer Factory is ready this friday...

Now I wish I'd thought about planting some edamame to go with it!

Stealing somebodies newspaper.

I have this persistent feeling that it's getting harder to find interesting stuff on the internet. As more normal people get online, the information gets dumbed down and the presentation gets shinier. In the early days of the internet, there was a similar phenomenon called "The AOL Effect". When the internet provider AOL, gave it's users access to "Newsgroups" the forerunner of the current discussion forums, the quality of the posts dropped dramatically, as the quantity of posts increased.

So in these days where search engines send you to the site that pays the most, as opposed to the one which has the most accurate information...
It's nice to take a shortcut, and instead of finding the good spots of the web yourself.. just steal suggestions from someone else.

Google asked some journalists, foodies, and tech bloggers, "What do you read"?

Itsy bitsy spider.

For those of you who haven't met one of these yet.

This is a huntsman. Mostly harmless, unless it gets your hair while you drive and causes you to swerve off the road. (Happened to a friend!)

K pointed out that there's no reference point for the scale of this monster spider...
So to put it in perspective, here's a picture of the empire state building. IT WAS THAT BIG, HONESTLY!

Trying too hard?

In a follow up to yesterdays post, I found out this today...




Yes, the Australian Prime Minister get's his news from Twitter.

Either he's trying very hard to be with the in crowd, or social media has come of age.

Shouts out to mumbrella for the scoop.

new media

Here's a neat perspective on why it IS worth your time to learn how to use new technology and social media.

Always be prepared

[Edit: Sorry had to remove pics and link instead after I saw the Copyright on the source page!]
If you're going to do
this...
Jump off this,

Or get around this..


Then for god sake, don't do it in road slicks!!

If only I'd taken the time to put on some knobbly tires, my trousers might not have been so full when I got to the end of the course.

As you can see, it's a bit hilly.


50km/h, over rocks, sand, and hairpin bends, is enough to give me nightmares.

I can't wait to do it again! (With real tires!)

Settle an arguement

Okay, so I'm going to watch the Bledisloe Cup, for the uninitiated, that means Australia is playing New Zealand. Aka, The Wallabies vs The All Blacks. Probably the biggest match of the year. And since it's happening 3km down the road at the ANZ Stadium formerly the Telstra Stadium and before that the Stadium Australia, I'd be mad to miss it!

View Larger Map

Now as to the argument...

If today is Thursday, how many days until next weekend.

Today, I said 2 days until the weekend but I got this one wrong. Now that I think about it, 9 days also makes sense.
A work colleague told me that the cup was being played next weekend, so I booked tickets expecting it to be on Saturday the 15th. Now I know that it's actually on Saturday the 22nd.

So did I get confused because the Australians use next weekend to mean the next weekend after this week, whereas I consider next weekend to be the next upcoming weekend. Did I get confused because the Germans have infected my English language with their incredibly useful and precise word "overnextweekend" (Uebernaechstewochenende) meaning the weekend after this next weekend, the logical conclusion being that if you remove the Ueber, then it becomes next weekend (Naechstewochenende) and that would be the upcoming weekend.
Or.. am I just being daft, And next weekend always meant the weekend after this weekend?

Personally, I'm of the opinion that I sometimes just take this stuff to literally, and I'm a bit daft.

As long as I turn up for the Rugby on Saturday the 22nd of August, then all's well with the world!

So what happened while I was on holiday.

Yesterday I got back from one of the best holidays in my life!

Today I had to go to work.. katherine made me go, and wiped the tears out of my eyes so I could see the road.

And when I arrived at my desk, this is what was waiting for me.



Thanks lads, it's good to know you were busy while I was away. :-)

RIP Michael Jackson

What child of the 80's doesn't owe a huge debt to this man, for his music and world influence!



Reports seem to be conclusive...
http://news.bbc.co.uk
La Times

I feel like I did the day Kurt Cobain shot himself. Which is strange, Mj was never my idol, and I didn't really listen to his musik like I did nirvana, but still he was a huge part of my youth.. the coca cola of his day.

Alternative Transport

El Cheapo Skateboard - $40
Model Airplane motor - $200

The result - Priceless!
How Awesome is this.

Propeller Powered Skateboard - Test Day! from Crazy Builders on Vimeo.

The toaster is out to get us!

I think our toaster is out to get us...
It's trying to communicate through the medium of blinky lights!

We wanted a high tech toaster that could toast toast properly.
We got a HAL2000 complete with schizophrenia and a nasty charcoal fetish!



Actually now I've watched the video, i'm dissapointed, it doesn't make the hair on the back of my neck stand up quite as much as in real life.

Ungebildet?

Aber bei der Prufung trotzdem bekomme ich eine Eins!



"Sie haben 45 von 49 Punkten.

Chapeau, für dieses Ergebnis bekommen Sie eine glatte Eins. Falls Sie es nicht schon sind, können Sie Deutschlehrer werden - oder sich zumindest auf Ihren sprachlichen Lorbeeren ausruhen"

Ich muss's zugeben, das ich ein oder zweimal das Frage wiederholt habe...

If you're in a rush.

For those of you who are in a rush, here's a quick summary of the big day.

The big day

On the big day I woke to a house buzzing with... snoring, In fact I was one of the first up. I guess everyone thinks that it must have been nerves, but 7 hours of sleep is more than I would get on a normal night. So I had a casual breakfast, followed by two runs out to the hall with best man in tow to make sure all the last minute preparations were ready. Tap the kegs, sample the beer, provide enough ice to open an Ice rink in the bush, and have a quick peek at the cake, erm cupcake cake, that Bev was putting together.



Then it was back to Mandelsons H.Q. to get changed for the big event. At this stage I had heard nothing from the other party and so I assumed all was well and was able to crack the first beer at about 12. Of course things weren't all plain sailing. Groomsman C_ had been absent most of the morning, and It was at this point I was informed that he was showing the ozzies just how to drive the porcelain truck! A stomach bug, apparently. After a VB and a sausauge roll, the C_ put on his Suit and a brave face, and was quickly on the road to recovery if not sobriety.



Soon enough the bus was there and it was time to jump on with the rest of the Guests. Only retreating briefly to secure some more VB stubbies for the bus ride out to Bungonia. We arrived at the Church at 2.30, plenty of time.. for T_ to show me how that button hole flower (Boutonnière) should be attached, apparently not as the name suggests, through the buttonhole.



Everyone took their seat in the church while I chatted with Fr S_. At five minutes to 3pm I took my place at the front of the church and waited for my bride to arrive while my best man and Groomsman made jokes at my expense, and baby Charlee blew kisses from over her grandma's shoulder.




At 3.30 my bride arrived, obviously she couldn't resist making me sweat a little, but by then I'd managed to convince myself we were meant to be starting at 3.30 anyway!
The ceremony couldn't have gone better... as you can see in the pictures.
There were a few moments where we all had to laugh, when R__ forgot that he was giving a reading, and when R___ decided he wanted to stand at the front with K and I. There were tears too when we exchanged vows. After Fr. S told me I could kiss the bride K retorted asking if she could kiss the groom too. Katherine couldn't help herself and let out a Yippee at the end.




After the ceremony we all streamed out of the church and had a few moments for a few words with a each of the guests. The photographer grabbed some of the family members for some of those photo's that will garnish mantelpieces for years to come.




We wanted to walk the few hundred metres through Bungonia proper to the reception hall, so K grabbed my arm and instructed me to take her to the Party.




After we led the exodus to the hall, the photographer took some more great snaps against the ruins of the old bakehouse building in the dying light of the evening.




Once all the photo's were complete, and the light was gone, we both concurred, it was time for a drink.





So the party was a hit, the food was good, there was more than enough drink, and plenty of craic. The speeches were only very embarrassing. The dancing was awesome, the kids leading the way, followed by their parents.




The lumpy underdaks got the place thumping, with an Extreme version of Wild Thing by K's brother M_ which they probably heard in the northern hemisphere.



At the end everyone had to go home. So it was onto the bus and off to Goulburn.
Well one of the trips, the bus broke down, but after that everyone got home.

And don't worry, there'll be some more photo's up soon!

Nearly the big day

We traveled down to Goulburn on the Thursday, with a mid-size SUV packed to the roof with drink and decorations. I spent that day up a ladder putting the lights up in the hall.
Friday morning, it was out to the hall again, with K's extended family there to help put out the Hired goods, dress tables, stock bars, label ginger beer, clean toilets, make cups of tea, and admire a job well done.



By Friday evening, the hoard had arrived. Most of the relatives and wedding party had checked into their accomodation, and we all had a slap up meal in The Fireside Inn. We enjoyed ourselves mightily, and as is standard with the McCoy clan, we were the last people to leave! Even the staff left before us, with only the owner staying long enough to lock up after us. I journeyed the few hundred metres back to Mandelsons Guesthouse with the McCoys, while my bride to be spent her last night as a single back at her mum's house.

Where it all started

It's probably not fair on you to have to read my ill prepared ramblings about what was an incredibly good (and well prepared) shin dig... but I'll try to do it justice.

Lets start with the theme...
There's a girl and a boy.. and they love each other..
So he asks her to marry him. And She says yes. Down at the front, on the right....

Look harder!!

"I know just the place", says she, "there's this little church where I grew up."

So we went down and had a look at the place...

"Oh dear, it needs a bit of work" said we.

"We could use the hall down the road for a reception!"



"Oh... that might need a bit of work too actually"

It's on it's way

Hi folks..

Thanks for being patient, I'm still working on the Bungonia Gazette "Meet the new mccoys" article. With photo's and stuff.
So soon enough I'll blog about the wedding, the dancing, the honeymoon and plans for the near future.

Bad Timing

Energy Australia got their Earth Hour timing a bit off, sending the City Center into involuntary blackness at peak hour with a power failure.
I traffic jams were the norm in the CBD, however people trapped in lifts is a bit out of the ordinairy. Makes you wonder just what these 'City Folk' would do if the lights went out for good.
In fact I think I could imagine it very well after reading the 50's SciFi novel "Earth Abides".

Harnice the power of doughnuts.

Using donuts to create electricity? Sounds dubious right?

Personally, I would be concerned as to why donuts contain titanium dioxide? Apparently it makes stuff white, and if it's good enough to make white paint white, then it's good enough to put on your sugared donuts.


Alternatively save time with the washing.


Fast Folding: How To Fold A T-Shirt In 2 Seconds
Here it is again... slowed down for you.




Fast Folding: How To Fold A T-Shirt In 2 Seconds - Explained

The blame game.

There are reports in the Sydney Morning Harold (The "quality" shitty tabloid!) of a woman "suing the Department of Education for negligence [...] by failing to recognise the 'increased risks of horseplay' at the end of the school year"

Apparently, after her teacher dismissed class early, in the ensuing horseplay she fell from a height (Read toilet seat) after a "waterbomb" shattered a window she was standing behind.
Now, she claims that the injuries she received were the reason for her dropping out of school at the age of 16, and being unable to attend university to study for a career as a marine bioligist.
Her injuries also spoilt her backup career as a country singer, as she can't remember song lyrics or play the piano or guitar.

Now at 23, she's seeking damages for "injuries as well as for future economic losses".

So I assume she wants the average wage of a marine biologist AND that of a country music singer.

Well, boo fucking hoo!
What arsehole took this case up?
Is this the same guy who will represent me because the Sydney Bus didn't stop for me last week while I was on my way to buy the winning lottery ticket? And what about my future earnings on the accrued interest?

Let's just get one thing straight... this women who was about 13 at the time, had her life spoilt by a Teacher, who let the kids out early on the last day of school.
Not by her playing the fool with the boys.. or the waterbombs, or standing ontop of a wet toilet seat, or by dropping a window on her head?
Perhaps the department of education could countersue, as this woman obviously came to school without a clue that day. Shit happens, live with it, wise up, don't let it happen again, and get on with your damn life.
Don't let it fester for 10 years and then start complaining that you've been hard done by. Why? Because I'm sick of reading this shit in what passes for a newspaper in Sydney!

And just so you know that it's not a freak occurance, a google of Standing on Toilet actually finds photo's of daft schoolies standing on toilets!



Perhaps this sign that I found so rediculous when I first started working here, actually makes sense. Yes, in australia, you have to actually inform people that this is wrong!



On a lighter note.

Busy times.

So 5 weeks 5 days to the big date.

All the barrels are loaded, and the relations and party goers are all preparing to land.

To add to the busy weeks, both K and I have been infected with the fitness bug. Trying desperatly to get the most out of the last of the good weather and long evenings.

I've been sporting myself to exhaustion..
Monday - Touch (Rugby) training
Tuesday - Jogging with K
Wednesday - Cycling 20k to work
Thursday - Touch (Rugby) training
Friday - Cycling 20k to work and 25k back

It's nice to not have to think about excercise on the weekend.
And I still REALLY LOVE watching all the fools in car's waiting in traffic, while I wizz past on the bike path. Muhahahaha!

And did I mention that I've given up the grog for Lent.
I didn't think that one through... Paddies Day on the March 17th and Touch Comp on the 22nd and numerous other temptations. Well I guess I'll just have to grin and bare it until easter sunday.
Do you reacon they do beer flavoured easter eggs anywhere?


[Update]
Oh my... I think since I've been such a good boy I should get one of these...


[Update 2]
I wish I was this creative... the remix reaches the next level.

Here's the rest of his stuff

This shit happens to me all the time

I know, I should really do better that posting something everyone's surely already seen.
But honestly, this made me laugh, and then it made me think, "I do this all the time".

I especially hate the dreams where you start falling and then you wake up so fast, that you end up catapulting yourself out of the bed onto the floor.



The Next time I go to ikea, I'm so doing this!


On another note, if anyone has some spare readies, can you buy me one of these

Songs not to play at a wedding.

We were talking about songs NOT to have played at a wedding.


#1 on the list, Country Roads.


What are your number 1 no go songs?

Greetz

This is just a little message to say hello to Noelle.
SHE READS THIS.

Different kinds of people

So there is a name for my strange cleaning habits.

New Sport is coming

I saw these OrbitWheels today on MAKE.

How cool are they?!



I've already been thinking how to adapt these for the halfpipe. (Add straps to the paddles, make the paddles out of alumunium, add a vinyl slip bar on the underside for slip tricks... oh the joy!) (Looks similar to these)

Maybe I should dust off my Inline Skates first. I don't think I've actually taken them out of the box since I arrived in Sydney. [What with the roads and paths being so well maintained! :-( ]

On an related note... at least I am not this mad bastard.

it's obvious really.

Sometimes people ask me why I left Nor'n Ireland.

There are plenty of reasons why...

There's only two Uni's so that you are either US or THEM.
There's no jobs, unless you want to work in security, construction or assembly lines.
My Family wasn't staying.
There's only one motorway, and that's not really a motorway.

But the biggest reason, was the widespread ignorance.
Never forced to confront the big wide world beyond their borders, some of the most backward and destructive ideas are able to fester in the minds of the populous.

How can you stay in a place where elected officials threaten the National Museum for creating an exhibition on Charles Darwin. Demanding an alternative Creationist exhibition.

Words fail me. Elected officials? These people represent the state on the world forum! Also, these are the people who control school funding, and the direction of education in the state.

Depression is nothing to be ashamed of.

Life has its ups and downs.
People get sick.
Mostly, they get better.

Depression is also an illness,
in some people it's chronic,
or can wash over you like the flu.

I don't know how it feels for other people.
For me it's black fog, that decends over everything,
tainting all that it touches
Things that brought you joy, bring you to tears.
Everything's washed out, in shades of matt grey.

When I dig myself out of one of these bouts,
I thank my lucky stars for the people who help me up.

K_ Thank you, I love you.

For those of you who aren't as lucky as I am. I wish you luck.

The Lotus Cup

See K_ This is what I was talking about, the lotus leaf's structure allows it to stay clean. (And this is my lunch break!)

And my world changing idea? The Lotus cup. Perfect for the office, because the coffee cup cleans itself!

New Years Resolutions

It's taken me a month to decide, but I've finally decided what I'm resolving to do.

Some of you who know me very well, will know that I have a tendency to rub my belly button. It's right up there with sucking your thumb, for childish self comforting nervous ticks.
I don't notice it myself, but certain people have pointed out how odd it is.

And so, out of regard for others I've decided to stop rubbing mz belly button, cause I don't see any one else running around sucking their thumb!

(And yes it's a damn sight harder to stop, that I thought it would be.)

Sydney in heat

K and I went to one of the Sydney festival performances today.


It was a pleasant 40°C degrees in Ryde today, 4Gazillion °C on the train into town.
K, enjoyed a Gaytime while waiting for the train, and it was still 40°C when we reached the domain at 5pm.
For some reason the Australian media insists on refering to the mercury when giving temperatures.. because they have obviously spent too much time chewing on themometers.
At the domain we proceeded to talk about the wild temperatures while the MET office was issueing warnings of a Souwesterly moving in.
By 6pm the temperature had dropped to a frisky 20°C. You may scoff, bah that's bloody hot, however, when you are dressed for between 35 - 40°C as it has been the last two weeks, then 20°C is damn cold.

But it was worth it for the fireworks at the end of TCHAIKOVSKY's 1812 Overture.

And then we ran for the hills... where we live.. and where we keep our other clothes.

A little bit of give and take

--This is of course ripped off from someone elses blog.. because I can have no original thoughts of my own.. without then googling them!

The first six people to respond to this post will get something made by me.
This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make.
- What I create will be just for you.
- It’ll be done this year (2009).
- You have no clue what it’s going to be. It may be a mix CD. It may be a poem. I may draw or paint something. I might bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that’s for sure!
- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch is that you have to put this in your journal as well, if you expect me to do something for you.

Also, I'll need you to identify yourself. Although I pretend to be, I am not actually psyhcic, infact I can't even spell psyhcic.

Still alive!

This whole holiday thing can be really distracting.


I had a whole 4 days holiday over the festive season... not much I know, but the fact that everyone else was on holiday, allowed me to get all my work done without interruption. So after the holidays, I was probably more relaxed than if I had take a holiday myself.

Christmas and Boxing day were spent in Goulburn. Hot & Dry, so we kept ourselves cool and moist with a traditional christmas lunch of Ham and Turkey, and an Austrailian traditional christmas lunch of Beer and monster Prawns off of the Barbie. Excellent.
(Apparently there's a nack to shelling prawns, and Australians have a secret code, only tell the foreigner about the "Shit Strip" after he's eaten it!)

On new years is was strange to be at a new years party with children at it... but strange in a cool way, not strange in a put them on the BBQ way.
Besides that the Sydney fireworks were quite spectacular, especially seen from a balcony in Dromoyne, instead of at the waterside with 10,000 drunks.

After midnight K turned around to me with a look of horror and said, "Do you realise that we're now getting married THIS YEAR!". After some quick sums, we arrived at 14 weeks until the big day. That's about how long it was between deciding to move to Australia and getting on the plane.
(Personally, I was thinking, how long before we're bringing our kids to watch the fireworks)

K's been steadily ticking things off the wedding todo list, doing me proud. I think however it's about time I contributed... my first idea, a heartshaped pinata, was speared immediatly and set alight in the pit of bad ideas. I'm working on getting all the bad ideas out of the way, so that I can concentrate on the solid gold ideas. ;-)

I just hope I can get the "job" work out of the way so it doesn't affect the "home" work.

On a side note... still cycling to work twice a week. I need to, it seems to be the only sport I have time for. Still, at least we are getting faster.

And I'll have to tell you about my new garden.
And my "keep the mosquitos out" automatic door closer.
And my remote control LED flashing thingy.