I got sick of the old black one, too dark and small writing and generally – meh!

Anyway – here we are, end of the working week (thank- you Easter) and its still lunchtime.  Well, of a fashion. I have a conference call in a few minutes – the joy of working on large projects with lots of people and multi millions of dollar (that I’ll never see more than a fraction of a % of) contracts. 

So, Perth was a bit on fire this morning.  I didnt notice it on my way in (which, lets face at, at 6:50am, I’m not really in the business of noticing very much, its a mirracle that I make it in unscathed every day at all – there’s a story about that actually, which I might decide to write in a minute), but when I got to work shortly before 8 in the salubrious suburb of Cannington (yes, some more eagle eyed readers (of which there are only about 3, so who I am kidding) may make the connection about where I actually spend some of my working life) the place was all smokey and burny.  Not Cannington proper (although some may say this is a wasted opportunity), just “somewhere out there in the direction of the hills”  – smoke and whatnot everywhere.

Its all gone now, so the helitacs and firemen (for the record – I am never going to use the terms “firey” and “ambo”) must have got it all under control.  So thats all good then.

No idea where I’m going with this..

I like shirts (make sure I have an “h” and not a “k” in the word so I’m not telling the world something quite different).  I get to wear them for work and I mostly have interesting ones – I like pink shirts lots – people don’t tend to wear them in Perth, perhaps the average man on the street is not as comfortable with his masculinity as I am.  I’ve oft wondered if people who drive very pimped V8’s (I’m leaving very and pimped bit in there cos my finacee’s ex-  my to-be step children’s father – drives a V8 and he’s a Good Bloke) are the same people who noticably don’t wear pink shirts.  Anyway, as I was saying, I like to wear cool shirts and look smart and its become clear that I dont have enough non work shirts.  We have casual dress Fridays and I refuse to wear t-shirts to work, but I only really have a couple of non-work shirts.  So I need to get some more.   I love Paul Smith shirts, but I’m not sure I have the look (or height) to carry them off. Never mind the cost.  They’re something like $250 each.  They saying goes “you cant put a price on style” – well, you can.  $250.  so there.

Well that was all totally random – lunch over, back to work and conf calls..you’ll have to wait for the story bit that I promised earlier..

30 degrees in Perth

a conversion chart for my US viewiers..

Which is nice.

I’ve been to Toronto when it was -25 and yes, it was swearingly cold.

from here http://xkcd.com/526/

Its great to be living in such a lightly populated area.  Yes, there are lights, roads, houses blach blah, but so much less than in good old England.  I dont know if the sky is much clearer than I’m used to as well, but just looking up at the sky from the front porch reveals many times more stars than I’m used to seeing.  

Milky Way – no problem, all there in glorious detail.  I think it seems brighter down here cos the Milky Way passes through Sagittarius, the direction of the center of the Galaxy and thus lots of stars 🙂

But also I can see Orion (albeit upside down) much more clearly, although it does sit over an area of slight light pollution so its not all perfect

So, whats the purpose of this post?  I want another telescope!

I gave my old one to a friend before I left England (hope you’re still getting some use from iut, Michael) as its too fragile to make the trip down here and I really wasnt using it that much.  Plus, its so much warmer here -wandering outside at night for the best clear sky isnt the ball numbing experience it is in Blighty!

so, I shall save up some and convert the top of my shed to become an observatory.  Maybe.

Senator Stephen Conroy, Australia’s communications minister is the master genius of all government ministers.

Not only is he still pushing ahead with is universally laughed at “internet filter” plan – where he wants the government to filter and control access to naughty websites around the world (and to note, he has publically branded anyone that doesn’t support this plan as a paedophile – perhaps I should sue for deformation?), he has also come out and publically commented on an active Federal court case.

Its pretty much off limits for any government minister to speak publically about court cases, so it’s eye wateringly imcomprehensible that the minister for comminucations should comment on a Federal court case against Iinet (an ISP which opposes the filtering plan and has recently pulled out of the planned trial) .

Not only has he commented, he has branded Iinets defence (“we don’t know what our customers are doing”) as laughable and something out of “Yes, Minister”

This shows he really doesn’t get it, not at all, in any way, shape or form.

He’s okayed the legal action – which accuses Iinet of not inspecting the traffic flowing over their networks, without realising that this is, in fact, against Australian communicaitons law.  

The “Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act 1979” and to quote Electronic Frontiers Australia’s description of it, “This Act prohibits the interception of communications passing over a telecommunications system and prohibits access to stored communications (i.e. email, SMS and voice mail messages stored on a carrier’s equipment) except where authorised in specified circumstances”.

Laws from Conroy’s own department.  Idiot.

So Iinet may well be breaking the law if they had moniored and filtered the traffic.

The court case, if one were to apply the same logic – i.e a service provider is liable for actions committed over their infrastructure, might mean that phone operators are liable if crimes are arranged or purportrated using a phone, the post office might be liable if a criminal act was commited by post.   Asking an ISP to inspect every packet of informaiton to determine if it’s an illegal act is like asking the post office to open every letter to determine if its contents are in any way dodgy, or like having the government roads department inspect every car on the road to make sure its journey is above board.  

Its nuts, and thats why the police are there – to investigate crimes.  First, it starts with an accusation, then gathering of evidence, then arrest and prosecution.  Monitoring on this scale is like the Owellian 1984 telescreen in every house monitoring every move, action, deed and spoken word incase it harbours desires against the Party. 

Iinet are considering whether they should sue Conroy for Libel and damages for deformation- he’s cast them inm a bad light for a trial that s barely even started – its a trial, he’s not allowed to comment, its a legally allowable defence that I hope they win and I hope Rudd fires his sorry arse.

Earth Hour – good idea, in theory.  Turn off unnecessary lights, computers and stuff, don’t have to generate so much power, use less coal/gas, pollute less as a result – yeah, I can buy into that.  Efficiency is a Good Thing.

Tie that in with “Global Warming”, however, and link in CO2 production with it – I’m less than convinced.

Mostly cos the people shouting loudest about Earth Hour and the evils of CO2 were sitting aroung holding vigils by candle light whilst the lights were off.

Yes, candles.  Thousands of them, living rooms, all lined up on the steps of national monuments, patio tables, all over the house…

Yes. Fire and burning and all releasing, no, wait for it – CO2.

Pure. Genius.  Well done folks.  Credibility at 0%

wandering through Myer in Carousel shops today I saw a nice shirt – must save up 🙂

The sky today looks like the sky in the opening credits from the Simpsons.

fact fans, its 25 degrees today.

have to pick up my camera tonight. I’m gonna gonna gonna.

so there

that told you, didnt it?

I’ve been following Eddie Izzard on twitter – very cool – I’ve been a fan since the early days, not that it makes me a “better” fan or owt. Anyway, he’s funny in a very funny french speaking transvestitey kind of way and its cool to get a snippett of that in teeny bite sized chunks every few hours as he goes about his business. Hope he keeps it up Stephen Fry style, its such a good idea provided, like all these blog tech ideas, that you dont let it take over your life.

anyway, work to do, people to meet…

enjoy your day, random readers..

*yawn*

things are a bit boring in here today.. ah well.

conference call
meeting
meeting
home

and to top it all, its raining. I know, the audacity of it! Its not rained much since December (well, its not supposed to) and everything looks so dull today! Clouds, overcast. Meh! I like the blue skies and sunshine..

what else

humm, getting the TV fixed at the weekend. Its odd – had several quotes to fix the ariel

$1000 and $230

bit of a difference really.

bloke across the office after taking a call

Caller: ..(whatever a caller normally says)- “is Dave there?” (or something)
Office man: “nah mate, you got the wrong number”
Caller ..obviously asks something like “what do you mean I have a wrong number?”
Office man: “normally it means you pressed the wrong button mate”

and hangs up.

Brilliant!