Google sent me out an email to my regular email account stating that I had an "unregistered" blog. This was a surprise to me, and I treated it suspiciously. The reason is that I use this blog for most of my postings. I investigated further.
I may have set this one up initially, but I thought I had deleted it. Everything I saw about it pointed to something I would have done.
Long story short, I now have splitcopy.blogspot.com available. And as you can read from the first page, I do not know what I will do with it yet. I may turn it into my own personal rant / twitter / pic of the day blog.
Any suggestions?
Showing posts with label Posts that don't have labels but this one.... Show all posts
Showing posts with label Posts that don't have labels but this one.... Show all posts
Monday, 30 April 2012
Saturday, 31 December 2011
All the best for the upcoming 2012
Just a quick note to everyone who reads this blog, either regularly or casually - I hope each and every one of you have a safe, joyous and prosperous new year for 2012.
KittyKat and I were going to catch up with Jay at the top of Melbourne, but tickets sold out to that before we got our act into gear, so he'll be kicking on with Az, and we'll be BBQing for dinner, and then most likely be popping into Melbourne city to watch the fireworks.
So where ever you are, what ever you are doing, and whomever you are with, may you have a fun in a safe manner ushering in the new year.
KittyKat and I were going to catch up with Jay at the top of Melbourne, but tickets sold out to that before we got our act into gear, so he'll be kicking on with Az, and we'll be BBQing for dinner, and then most likely be popping into Melbourne city to watch the fireworks.
So where ever you are, what ever you are doing, and whomever you are with, may you have a fun in a safe manner ushering in the new year.
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
Social notworking...
Two interesting articles recently came to my attention:
Let me start off this by saying that I do not use Facebook, and I have never seen the need to use it either. Why would I? Every one I would like to speak to, I do. Some people more than others. Some I see on a daily basis. Some I see periodically. Some I only speak to on the phone. Some I speak to via email or SMS. If someone needs to contact me, they will.
I do not need to have hundreds of thousands of friends. I do not need to be liked by people (not that I am). But with the increasing spread of Facebook in people's lives, is this a positive impact? Like all forms of media, you cannot have a simple yes or no answer, but it lies somewhere in the middle. I do believe it can be used innocently to be a form of communication - but I also strongly believe it can be used as a huge time waster, and a way to stalk / cyberbully people. It also is a great way to showcase humans being stupid. This is really waiting for statistics to illustrate that there is a small percentage of people that will do silly acts and publicize it. Apparently the use of Facebook is so addictive that users cannot cancel their accounts, even when they are being stalked or bullied.
I do not object to all methods of social networking. Used in a professional context, it can be a useful tool. Linkedin shows this - but once again, it can be corrupted and abused.
Do we loose the way we communicate to each other when all we do is a shout out post on a virtual wall? Do we even know how to interact with each other? I know this does not apply to everyone on the planet, but it does apply to a lot of technologically savvy people who use a computer on a daily basis.
How does everyone feel about this?
Let me start off this by saying that I do not use Facebook, and I have never seen the need to use it either. Why would I? Every one I would like to speak to, I do. Some people more than others. Some I see on a daily basis. Some I see periodically. Some I only speak to on the phone. Some I speak to via email or SMS. If someone needs to contact me, they will.
I do not need to have hundreds of thousands of friends. I do not need to be liked by people (not that I am). But with the increasing spread of Facebook in people's lives, is this a positive impact? Like all forms of media, you cannot have a simple yes or no answer, but it lies somewhere in the middle. I do believe it can be used innocently to be a form of communication - but I also strongly believe it can be used as a huge time waster, and a way to stalk / cyberbully people. It also is a great way to showcase humans being stupid. This is really waiting for statistics to illustrate that there is a small percentage of people that will do silly acts and publicize it. Apparently the use of Facebook is so addictive that users cannot cancel their accounts, even when they are being stalked or bullied.
I do not object to all methods of social networking. Used in a professional context, it can be a useful tool. Linkedin shows this - but once again, it can be corrupted and abused.
Do we loose the way we communicate to each other when all we do is a shout out post on a virtual wall? Do we even know how to interact with each other? I know this does not apply to everyone on the planet, but it does apply to a lot of technologically savvy people who use a computer on a daily basis.
How does everyone feel about this?
Monday, 24 October 2011
What is the idea with "brown bag" sessions?
Who ever came up with the idea of "brown bag" sessions was smart. The idea behind them is that it is an informal seminar / session to convey information. The concept is that attendees get a packed lunch either themselves or supplied - comprising of cut sandwiches, and maybe some fruit and a drink. Attendees would then eat while participating in the session. Used correctly, it could be an efficient use of what many would consider a lost hour.
While this is good, I believe it falls down on one key point. People value their own time. And if you are cutting into someone's lunch time, you should give them a benefit. I am not referring to the benefit of gaining more information, but something more tangible.
Something that organizers of these events should consider is providing the lunch to the attendees - not relying on the attendees to bring their own lunch. More people may then be interested in attending, and it would offset the feeling that attendees are loosing an hour of their own time. I guess this would be a different view if people worked in hard labour / sweatshop conditions, and personal lunch time is a rarity.
While this is good, I believe it falls down on one key point. People value their own time. And if you are cutting into someone's lunch time, you should give them a benefit. I am not referring to the benefit of gaining more information, but something more tangible.
Something that organizers of these events should consider is providing the lunch to the attendees - not relying on the attendees to bring their own lunch. More people may then be interested in attending, and it would offset the feeling that attendees are loosing an hour of their own time. I guess this would be a different view if people worked in hard labour / sweatshop conditions, and personal lunch time is a rarity.
Monday, 4 July 2011
Jay gets older, Win Scripting is poor, and NBA is out
I have not got much to report at the moment. It has been a while since my last post, and while I am busy, I am effectively news-less.
What I can say is that my bro Jay is another year older. Happy Birthday to him.
I have also been doing quite a bit of Windows scripting in my current role to get application servers installed onto Microsoft Windows servers. While this does not sound like a difficult task, being exposed to other forms of scripting has essentially spoiled me. I much prefer the scripting on a UNIX / Linux system. It allows for better handling of different conditions - for example, checking to see files or directories exist, and acting appropriately afterwards. This experience only inspires me more to write more in my series on how to script on this blog.
Lastly, if you have not heard, the NBA is under a player lockout as they have not come to an agreement with the player's association for the "working conditions" for the players. The NBA wanted to introduce a new range of conditions that effectively means they can cut down on the amount of money that goes to the players. I have a mixed mind on this matter. I know at the end of the day, these players earn millions of dollars in today's modern game, and effectively we (the fans) are paying them to distract us from our day to day troubles, but I also understand that to a lot of these players, all they have is sports, and if you take that away from them, they will have little else.
If I think of anything else, I will be sure to jot it down here...
What I can say is that my bro Jay is another year older. Happy Birthday to him.
I have also been doing quite a bit of Windows scripting in my current role to get application servers installed onto Microsoft Windows servers. While this does not sound like a difficult task, being exposed to other forms of scripting has essentially spoiled me. I much prefer the scripting on a UNIX / Linux system. It allows for better handling of different conditions - for example, checking to see files or directories exist, and acting appropriately afterwards. This experience only inspires me more to write more in my series on how to script on this blog.
Lastly, if you have not heard, the NBA is under a player lockout as they have not come to an agreement with the player's association for the "working conditions" for the players. The NBA wanted to introduce a new range of conditions that effectively means they can cut down on the amount of money that goes to the players. I have a mixed mind on this matter. I know at the end of the day, these players earn millions of dollars in today's modern game, and effectively we (the fans) are paying them to distract us from our day to day troubles, but I also understand that to a lot of these players, all they have is sports, and if you take that away from them, they will have little else.
If I think of anything else, I will be sure to jot it down here...
Thursday, 26 May 2011
Spudman's bookshop
Some time ago, I used to work with Spudman. He was a very wise person, who favoured using command line tools over a graphical interface. He preferred running scripts more than clicking on buttons. Open source over proprietary products.
And he was good for a chat and a laugh.
He has left IT, and now works in his own bookshop in Tasmania - Shambles. If you are down his way, and you want to pick up a book, or have an interesting chat about poetry or IT, don't hesitate to pop in. He is a very approachable guy!
And he was good for a chat and a laugh.
He has left IT, and now works in his own bookshop in Tasmania - Shambles. If you are down his way, and you want to pick up a book, or have an interesting chat about poetry or IT, don't hesitate to pop in. He is a very approachable guy!
Monday, 23 May 2011
Some additional articles I have recently written
Additional to the recently written article about the Qantas A380 flight that needed to stop for refueling, I have also authored:
Anyone got any suggestions on writing style, or topics? Feel free to put them in the comments section of this post.
- Copying of digital media to be OK'ed in UK
- Ghostbuster's HQ to be closed by City of New York
- Vettel wins the 2011 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix
Anyone got any suggestions on writing style, or topics? Feel free to put them in the comments section of this post.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
New look for the blog, and some more news...
Regular readers of this website may have noticed I have just updated the template while still keeping some of the design elements from my old look.
Blogger have brought in new blog templates some time ago, and I never got around to looking for one that I liked the design, giving me an excuse to transition. After looking through all the designs on offer, I merged some design elements of the old blog with this new template - the main one being the "wallpaper":
Additionally, I have been contacted by Armen Hareyan of huliq.com, who asked me if I would like to try writing a news article about a current news topic. The result was a quick article on the recent incident of the Qantas A380 Quick Fuel Stop in Adelaide. I will advise if there are more to follow, but I do not think I will be suited for the life of an on-line journalist.
Blogger have brought in new blog templates some time ago, and I never got around to looking for one that I liked the design, giving me an excuse to transition. After looking through all the designs on offer, I merged some design elements of the old blog with this new template - the main one being the "wallpaper":
Additionally, I have been contacted by Armen Hareyan of huliq.com, who asked me if I would like to try writing a news article about a current news topic. The result was a quick article on the recent incident of the Qantas A380 Quick Fuel Stop in Adelaide. I will advise if there are more to follow, but I do not think I will be suited for the life of an on-line journalist.
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Starting a new 2011
Everyone still here?
I am back now for 2011, and I am hoping you are all here too. There is a lot of interesting things going on for 2011, even though it is a few days old. I know of many major changes in a few people around me, and I am sure you have a similar scenario going on in your life. I am predicting there will be a few great changes in my life as well.
So if you wish to continue reading, I am hoping to deliver more personal observations on Information Technology, Freedom, Open Source, Linux, Football, sneakers, and whatever...
I am back now for 2011, and I am hoping you are all here too. There is a lot of interesting things going on for 2011, even though it is a few days old. I know of many major changes in a few people around me, and I am sure you have a similar scenario going on in your life. I am predicting there will be a few great changes in my life as well.
So if you wish to continue reading, I am hoping to deliver more personal observations on Information Technology, Freedom, Open Source, Linux, Football, sneakers, and whatever...
Friday, 31 December 2010
Wishing you the best for 2011
As 2010 draws to a close, I would like to take this time to wish you and your family / loved ones a very safe and prosperous 2011.
There are a few things I would like to target for 2011. They are:
There are a few things I would like to target for 2011. They are:
- Learn more - by reading more both technical and non-technical literature
- Live more - taking time to appreciate what I have around me and allocating it the time to enjoy it
- Love more - appreciate, respect, support, nurture more the loved ones around me
Saturday, 25 December 2010
My gift to you for the festive season
If I have offended or upset you with any of the content I have written, just do what intelligent people with freewill do - just stop reading! It's the Internet. Go to another website that is more family safe. This applies to everyone and anyone - including people I know, people that have been in relationships with me, and people I will never meet. Exhibit freewill and choice. Don't complain to people that can't make a difference. Don't hand your power over to the government. Censor yourself. And this applies not to just this post or this blog, but to everything on the Internet or through other forms of media. If you don't like what you are taking in, do something else. Some people seem to have forgotten they have choice. I've even heard of people complaining to others during inappropriate moments. Your "ability to choose" is my gift to you - the reader of this blog.
Lastly, Christmas may have become more commercialised over the years, and may have lost a lot of spiritual meaning for many people, as well as meaning nothing for a lot more other people, but it is always a time where people can show their appreciation for each other. So, show some appreciation for the people around you that care for you. I would like to wish everyone everywhere a joyous, festive, and safe Christmas period, regardless of personal or religious beliefs.
Lastly, Christmas may have become more commercialised over the years, and may have lost a lot of spiritual meaning for many people, as well as meaning nothing for a lot more other people, but it is always a time where people can show their appreciation for each other. So, show some appreciation for the people around you that care for you. I would like to wish everyone everywhere a joyous, festive, and safe Christmas period, regardless of personal or religious beliefs.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Another time at Inception
I'm off to see Inception again. The movie is fantastic, and interests me on many levels. It has elements of other films I truly enjoy - like The Matrix series, and eXistenZ. I will not link to the film directly on wikipedia, as the entire plot is available to be read, but I will give you the link to Google's search on it. You can decide whether you want to spoil the film if you have not seen it by reading the plot.
What appeals to me about the style of films that it questions reality. There are realities within realities. I appreciate how they make the transition from one to another. It makes me question my own. It also makes me think about how little my problems are sometimes. Things that happen to me may appear to be so insignificant to so many other people. The films make me appreciate my own reality. And if I do have problems, I understand they are not the end of the world or universe for me. I can find work arounds. I can find other ways to do things. Other people may have a better life than me, but I also know I have it a lot better than many other people.
People in this world seem to forget that. They seem to think they are the most important people in the world. They seem to think their problems are the worst ones out there. They appear to forget that there is always someone worse off then they are, but only think about that there is many people better off than they are. I know I have done it myself, but I am also fortunate in knowing I have people that appreciate my company, and add value to my life.
Getting back to the movie, it is entertaining, and thought provoking. If you liked the Matrix series, then I do recommend you to see Inception. If you watched the Matrix, and still could not understand or appreciate it, then stay away from seeing Inception. You always have choice...
What appeals to me about the style of films that it questions reality. There are realities within realities. I appreciate how they make the transition from one to another. It makes me question my own. It also makes me think about how little my problems are sometimes. Things that happen to me may appear to be so insignificant to so many other people. The films make me appreciate my own reality. And if I do have problems, I understand they are not the end of the world or universe for me. I can find work arounds. I can find other ways to do things. Other people may have a better life than me, but I also know I have it a lot better than many other people.
People in this world seem to forget that. They seem to think they are the most important people in the world. They seem to think their problems are the worst ones out there. They appear to forget that there is always someone worse off then they are, but only think about that there is many people better off than they are. I know I have done it myself, but I am also fortunate in knowing I have people that appreciate my company, and add value to my life.
Getting back to the movie, it is entertaining, and thought provoking. If you liked the Matrix series, then I do recommend you to see Inception. If you watched the Matrix, and still could not understand or appreciate it, then stay away from seeing Inception. You always have choice...
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
And we're back for 2010
I hope that everyone is having a safe, prosperous and happy 2010. I look forward to writing about more stuff that comes to mind...
Thursday, 24 December 2009
Best wishes for the festive period of 2009 to 2010
No matter what your beliefs or religion are, I would like to wish you and your family a safe and happy festive period of 2009 to 2010.
I hope to be able to continue to bore / entertain (strike out the one that doesn't apply) with my rantings / insights (strike out the one that doesn't apply).
I hope to be able to continue to bore / entertain (strike out the one that doesn't apply) with my rantings / insights (strike out the one that doesn't apply).
Friday, 9 October 2009
Help out with some causes...
If you looking to help out a charity (and score yourself a tax deductible donation - in Australia, at least), a few people I know have donated their time and efforts to raise money.
- Marcus - Yoga for MS
- Nathan - Ride for MS
- Jackie - Shave for Leukaemia Foundation
Sunday, 6 September 2009
Why don't people just censor themselves?
Someone once told me "If you have nothing nice to say, then don't say anything at all!" I'm sure this is good and all when it comes to being polite, since everyone appears to be very sensitive but let's just apply that to other things around us.
If you don't like what's on the internet, then disconnect yourself and don't search for information.
If you don't like what's on the TV, turn it off.
If you don't like what's on the radio, change to another channel or turn it off.
If you don't like what you're reading, put down the piece of text you're reading, and do something else.
If you don't like someone, don't spend your time researching / stalkbooking / googling them.
Do the things in life that matters. Take care of the people that count. Look after yourselves and each other. And if you don't like what you're reading on this blog, why are you reading it then? I'm not forcing you to read it...
If you don't like what's on the internet, then disconnect yourself and don't search for information.
If you don't like what's on the TV, turn it off.
If you don't like what's on the radio, change to another channel or turn it off.
If you don't like what you're reading, put down the piece of text you're reading, and do something else.
If you don't like someone, don't spend your time researching / stalkbooking / googling them.
Do the things in life that matters. Take care of the people that count. Look after yourselves and each other. And if you don't like what you're reading on this blog, why are you reading it then? I'm not forcing you to read it...
Friday, 3 October 2008
The ultimate dinner...
Tickets asked today who I would invite over for dinner - dead or alive. Going along the lines of having an ultimate dinner, as in a table of 6 plus me, I came up with the following list:
1. My dad (who passed away in 1998 - it would be awesome to catch up with him one more time)
2. My soul mate (my one true best friend - who I thought I was married to, but I now know I have never met her or realised I've met her - so for me the search will continue for her, but not at the moment)
3. Jay (cos he's my bro) - "rollin" with him is fun and if it's boring he will make it fun
4. (a) Rodney Mullen / (b) Bucky Lasek / (c) Chad Muska / (d) Bam Margera / (e) Tony Hawk - each of these guys has pioneered a particular style of skateboarding - I just wish I had places for all of them, but I wouldn't want to table conversation to be just focussed on skateboarding, so only one (in the order written)
5. Adam Duritz (lead singer and songwriter of the Counting Crows - because he sounds like he's been through much emotional pain in his life - something I am partially experiencing at the moment... have a listen to "August and Everything After" and read the lyrics... and I know some of you may think I don't have emotions)
6. Audrey Hepburn (simply one of the most visually stunning women of all time - actually she was divinely beautiful even in her later years, and this was the days before plastic surgery - her on-screen presence and her off-screen work showed great character)
I haven't thought about this for a while. The list is not in any particular order (with the exception of point #4). And strangely enough, I don't have any major influence from IT in there - if you don't count Jay, who works in IT.
It's only a pity this scenario will never happen. Both my dad and Audrey are probably hanging out somewhere together (not that I believe in an afterlife, or fate, or destiny, or me having a soul - that's already been sold, just waiting for the proceeds - but I like the term "soul mate" and I know people that are extremely well matched for each other - Dr Cav and his wife, as an example), so they won't be able to make it.
Actually, with that sub-comment about fate or destiny, I do think I am supposed to meet certain people in my life - whether I need them to help me, I need to help them, or they're just someone to spend time with (sounds very "butterfly effect"). For example, I met Jarvo's cousin, Sister, about 10 years ago, and now I hang out with Jarvo. After many discussions with my ex-wife (a long time ago, not recently), it was determined that we were going to meet at some stage. Just got to figure out the rest of the puzzle.
Anyone want to comment on their dinner guests?
1. My dad (who passed away in 1998 - it would be awesome to catch up with him one more time)
2. My soul mate (my one true best friend - who I thought I was married to, but I now know I have never met her or realised I've met her - so for me the search will continue for her, but not at the moment)
3. Jay (cos he's my bro) - "rollin" with him is fun and if it's boring he will make it fun
4. (a) Rodney Mullen / (b) Bucky Lasek / (c) Chad Muska / (d) Bam Margera / (e) Tony Hawk - each of these guys has pioneered a particular style of skateboarding - I just wish I had places for all of them, but I wouldn't want to table conversation to be just focussed on skateboarding, so only one (in the order written)
5. Adam Duritz (lead singer and songwriter of the Counting Crows - because he sounds like he's been through much emotional pain in his life - something I am partially experiencing at the moment... have a listen to "August and Everything After" and read the lyrics... and I know some of you may think I don't have emotions)
6. Audrey Hepburn (simply one of the most visually stunning women of all time - actually she was divinely beautiful even in her later years, and this was the days before plastic surgery - her on-screen presence and her off-screen work showed great character)
I haven't thought about this for a while. The list is not in any particular order (with the exception of point #4). And strangely enough, I don't have any major influence from IT in there - if you don't count Jay, who works in IT.
It's only a pity this scenario will never happen. Both my dad and Audrey are probably hanging out somewhere together (not that I believe in an afterlife, or fate, or destiny, or me having a soul - that's already been sold, just waiting for the proceeds - but I like the term "soul mate" and I know people that are extremely well matched for each other - Dr Cav and his wife, as an example), so they won't be able to make it.
Actually, with that sub-comment about fate or destiny, I do think I am supposed to meet certain people in my life - whether I need them to help me, I need to help them, or they're just someone to spend time with (sounds very "butterfly effect"). For example, I met Jarvo's cousin, Sister, about 10 years ago, and now I hang out with Jarvo. After many discussions with my ex-wife (a long time ago, not recently), it was determined that we were going to meet at some stage. Just got to figure out the rest of the puzzle.
Anyone want to comment on their dinner guests?
Thursday, 31 July 2008
I would have thought I was worth more...
Now I'm disappointed! According to www.howmuchisyoursoulworth.com, I'm only worth $475,050.
Only $475,050?!?!?
Only $475,050?!?!?
Tuesday, 1 January 2008
Happy 2008 to all!
May you and your loved ones have a happy, safe, and prosperous 2008. It's been 2008 for about 16 hours now in Canberra, but I know there are probably some places around the world that it's still 2007.
All the best to all, and catch up with those of you I can!
All the best to all, and catch up with those of you I can!
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
The start of something...
As some of you may know, I'm from Melbourne and was happy there. Recently I've taken a leap of faith and am working in Canberra in an infrastructure role with IBM technologies. It's mainly around their UNIX and application server technology.
So why did I start this? Wanted to get some bits down of what I was thinking as well as document some of the things I have been doing or playing with. So let's hope this becomes something big, and not just another neglected blog.
In case you're wondering more about me, here's my current homepage.
So why did I start this? Wanted to get some bits down of what I was thinking as well as document some of the things I have been doing or playing with. So let's hope this becomes something big, and not just another neglected blog.
In case you're wondering more about me, here's my current homepage.
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