Posts for August 2005
This isn't going to be very exciting. I'm pretty much over my sickness now, and will hopefully find the motivation to start posting interesting things shortly.
I put up a selection of NZ photos on Flickr, in the NZ 2005 set.
I've been looking through the SBW Spring Program and working out what walks we're going to do over the next 3 months. Looks like some good ones there! Will hopefully have a lot of interesting photos to post from those, of various areas of Australia not many people get to see!
Posted by Marcin on
31/08/2005 @ 07:19 +1000
Tags: holidays, snowboarding
You're opposition leader in a state which has the most popular premier in recent history - a man who couldn't lose an election if he went on TV wearing a pornographic t-shirt .. then suddenly, he resigns! With no clear successor! The only chance you'll ever get at winning anything is if you make good on this. Do you:
a) Call his wife a mail order bride
b) Slap some shapely arses in celebration
c) Stay on your best behaviour and try to actually achieve something for the first time in your life
Bob Carr picking up a parcel at the post office.
Posted by Andrew on
29/08/2005 @ 04:05 +1000
So as you probably are awarez, Google launched an Instant Messaging program, Google Talk during the week. My question is, what's the big deal? At this stage all it is is IM using Gmail logins and voice chat. I was watching CNN at the hotel in Queenstown, and the "bizbar" news ticker even mentioned the fact they'd launched this. As far as I can tell, there have been programs that let you do both IM and voice chat for at least 4 to 5 years now? Most even let you do, gasp, video chat as well! It seems everything Google does now is suddenly fantastic and revolutionary, even if it isn't.
No doubt this is just a first basic release to get people using it, I'm sure they're planning something much bigger for the service - integrating it with their other "properties" no doubt - like being able to see where your chat buddies are on Google Earth, or being able to search your IM history like you search emails with Gmail. No doubt there are some smart cookies at Google, so they've probably got some other zany ideas up their sleeves.
Until there's an OS X client there's not much point for me, although I've got Adium X connecting to the talk.google.com Jabber server. Doesn't help if none of the people I talk to use it though :)
If anyone reading this doesn't have a gmail account yet and wants to have a play, shout me a holler. I'll send you an invite.
Posted by Marcin on
27/08/2005 @ 19:39 +1000
It's me! Promise! Well, back in Sydney at least. The great thing about the Interweb is that you don't really care where I am. I am actually sitting on my balcony, overlooking Blackwattle Bay and Anzac Bridge. It's a cool morning, the sun hasn't yet hit this part of the building.
A lovely Sunday morning on the balcony
I managed to get a cold during the last few days in New Zealand. Unfortunately being on a time limited holiday meant that rather resting and healing, I had to get back out on the ski slopes. I guess that didn't help. I'm getting a bit better now though. The descent for landing was absolutely terrible, with my congested head my ears weren't popping and it felt like my skull was getting crushed - like a massive migrane. I don't recommend the sensation.
I will have to get some of the photos up soon. I chose to disregard the airlines recommendation to keep electronic devices off during takeoff and landing and got some great photos on departure from Queenstown, and on arrival into Sydney. Unfortunately we didn't fly the southbound approach into Sydney so I didn't get to almost fly over my house!
I have some other fun topics to write about, like Scarlett Johansson - I didn't expect to stay on the first page of google results for long, it isn't even linked from anywhere - and whatever else!
Posted by Marcin on
27/08/2005 @ 19:04 +1000
Okay, finished the arseful course with only one stabbing.
Tonight I'm off for some SJ Appreciation.
Oh, I see we're down to page 2 of the results. :(
Posted by Andrew on
27/08/2005 @ 10:33 +1000
Apparently that's Maori for "Greetings to everyone". If not , I apologise to you and your mother.
We've been having a good week in sunny NZ (fucken). We're still waiting for the promised snow. Luckily the conditions haven't been too bad despite the lack of fresh snow, it's kind of slushy ice - almost like those things you get at 7-11 except with a bit more flavour - my favourite is yellow!
The average day is:
- Get up at 7am
- Get up at 7:20am
- Have a breakfast bar, banana, coffee.
- Call reception at around 8am and ask them to get our car around front in 15 minutes - really!
- Drive up to Coronet Peak, park, change shoes to boots. This is around 9am.
- Timo drives back down to the Novotel, gets his ski jacket and drives back to Coronet Peak. Actually, that only happened once.
- Snowboarding until around 2pm with a break for morning coffee and later lunch.
- Back at the Novotel at around 3pm.
- Shower and then nap until about 5pm.
- Have a strong drink with duty free alcohol we bought on the way.
- Go out and eat expensive meal
- Drink some more at random pub.
- Asleep, usually at the Novotel, by 10pm
That wasn't as funny as it could have been, but I just ate a big Fergburger. Boy, was Ferg imrpessed! Now we're catching up on Interet crap for a bit, and then we're off to find a drinking venue for the evening.
Not so many photos this trip (everything looks pretty much the same), but will have some to put up on my return on Saturday.
Posted by Marcin on
24/08/2005 @ 02:34 +1000
Tags: holidays, snowboarding
Getting Around...
If you insist on driving yourself then hiring a motorcycle might be the best option for getting round the village. You'll need to produce an international driver's licence although many motorcycle hire agencies will also accept a clearly visible tattoo.
By law rental agencies are obliged to supply a helmet but this will often be a home-made version, constructed out of spray-painted egg cartons. There have been numerous reports of unsafe motorbikes offered for hire in Queenstown. Before riding check carefully the state of the bike - anything with less than two wheels should be treated with caution.
Remember that New Zealanders drive on the left-hand side of the road except for the period leading up to a full moon at which time the right lane is considered more auspicious. The middle is always a safe bet.
adapted from Phaic Tan by HGB books
Posted by Andrew on
20/08/2005 @ 12:56 +1000
Tags: holidays, snowboarding
I'm off to New Zealand early Saturday morning for a week's snowboarding in Queenstown. Forecast looks good, rain in Queenstown which hopefully means snow in the mountains - if the temperatures are right!
According to Timo there may be "laptop ports" in the hotel room, so I'm thinking of taking the Powerbook for some photo uploading and SnowBloggingâ„¢, I'll see how I feel. No doubt it'll cost money to use, so it wouldn't be all the time or anything like that.
Hopefully Zuid can keep you entertained during my absence, if not i'll have to have words with him when I return. Words I tells you!
[Update: "laptop ports" == RJ-45 socket according to the hotel, which == dialup internet. Fuck that. I'd rather just go to an internet cafe for $2/hr or whatever and post from there :)
Posted by Marcin on
18/08/2005 @ 07:38 +1000
Tags: holidays
"Who is Chloe Sevigny?", you ask?
Well, I'm glad you did! Unbelievable that you pre-empted me like that. Pat on the back, that man.
That is Chloe Sevigny. She was the shy secretary in American Psycho. The hot shy secretary in American Psycho!
Also, she was in a lovely little Disney release called Brown Bunny. A tale of .. well actually I don't know, I've only seen a clip from it. Let's just say it isn't Bambi.
If you were the kind of raging pirate who has some disgraceful method of accessing the e-donkey network, you might like this:
4621C41FC17972BC9B7D21F7146A6A0A
That's right, it's gobbledigook. PAY NO ATTENTION.
Posted by Andrew on
17/08/2005 @ 14:02 +1000
It seems my Scarlett Johansson Nude page has been picked up by Google and is currently on the first page on a search for "scarlett johansson nude". Heh :) Also someone has found my Pizza recipe by searching for "avoid soggy pizza base". That's pretty cool.
I have put up a review of Wedding Crashers, it's a pretty amusing film.
Nerd Alert: Progress on Junkheap 4 is steady, but there's still a lot to do - especially because I want to migrate the existing content into the new framework too.
Posted by Marcin on
17/08/2005 @ 06:02 +1000
For 3 long years I hid that uncomfortable presidential nomination slip up my ass, and now I give it to you.
[Update: This is a hoax.. shame :) - Marcin 16/08]
Posted by Andrew on
15/08/2005 @ 03:42 +1000
I might just be behind the times, but Kevin Smith has a blog. It seems to be fairly mundane day to day stuff:
[...] and Jen and I head down to our room.
We engaged in some pretty awesome late-morning fucking, after which I take a shower and check email, putting up the “Degrassi� trailer on the board.
Posted by Marcin on
14/08/2005 @ 06:33 +1000
This is pretty funny. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes singing Candy Shop. (via Save Dakota Fanning).
Posted by Marcin on
14/08/2005 @ 04:42 +1000
I made pizza again tonight. I usually make pizza about once every two weeks. I used to buy little mini-pizza bases and just put the topping on them but recently I discovered the joy of also making the base. It's not very hard once you've done it a few times and the pizza tastes 100 times better! At least!
So here it is - Marcin's Ultimate Pizza Recipe.
I'm not saying it's the be all and end all of pizza, but it's a recipe that works for me and everyone who tries it loves it (or they just tell me that to make me happy).
Posted by Marcin on
11/08/2005 @ 06:21 +1000
This is pretty interesting, apparently speed camera photos in NSW have MD5 hashes on them but they have no way of proving that the MD5 hash is what it says it is. A guy managed to have a speeding fine overturned because the RTA could not provide proof the image was undoctored. Interestingly the article also says that the tunnel speed cameras have been turned off for three years because they're dodgy. So how'd they catch that motorbike guy doing 225KMH (or whatever it was) recently?
Anyway, this story is also on Slashdot, where I'm sure you'll find lots of ill informed opinions and heresay.
Posted by Marcin on
11/08/2005 @ 04:22 +1000
We had "wild" Rosellas literally eating out of our hands at a friend's house today. It was really cool. I don't think I've seen them that friendly to people before. Not that they're usually unfriendly, they just don't tend to sit around waiting for food like seagulls or pigeons do. There are photos on Flickr. Unfortunately didn't have my camera so photos are from my phone camera, first real use of it!
It was a lovely winters day in Sydney, probably not 20 degrees but it was sunny so if you were out in the open it was quite warm. We had breakfast in Dee Why (at 11:30am) and then walked around Long Reef. Bad weekend to have made the decision not to take my camera.
Also in case you didn't notice (since it's not in the feed) I've posted a movie review of The Island, which we saw earlier this week. Not a bad movie, read the review for more :)
Posted by Marcin on
07/08/2005 @ 04:55 +1000
I haven't actually got Battlefield 2 yet (don't know if I wil at all) but this Something Awful article is very amusing if you've played any Battlefield (or similar style) games: Guide: "Mastering Battlefield 2"
Posted by Marcin on
03/08/2005 @ 07:04 +1000
Exclusive pictures of Scarlett Johansson naked!!
Posted by Marcin on
03/08/2005 @ 04:25 +1000
Tags: scarlett johansson
via Moonbuggy
Posted by Andrew on
02/08/2005 @ 13:40 +1000
Just some small items to keep the regular blogging thing up!
I was reading this article in the SMH about a Malaysian Airlines plane that experienced technical difficulties and had to turn back. Anyway, the point is that at one point one of the flight attendants started praying. I asked Ela, who doesn't like flying, how she'd feel about this, especially given that the plane had just been "falling". She basically said she'd probably have a heart attack and then never fly again. Fair enough really, flight attendants are supposed to be calm and authoritative in that situation for a reason :)
I have added some Adsense Ads to the site. They are pretty unobtrusive and it's more of an experiment to see how they go. The site gets a lot of links in to old articles and movie reviews. Obviously some indexing and stuff is required, I'm getting ads for Baptist websites on the homepage..
I'm not going to use the email notification for articles anymore, everyone should subscribe to the RSS feed instead! Might keep them on for movie reviews, as they're less frequent and they're not in the feed. I'm also ramping up the thinking on Junkheap 4 - note I say thinking and not coding - I'll keep the scope down for the first release just to get a clean codebase and the existing content across and go from there!
Posted by Marcin on
02/08/2005 @ 06:55 +1000
Probably of more interest to Zuid than anyone else, but this guy makes some interesting looking speakers: Pass DIY. Not being an audio nut I have no idea if they actually sound good, but the guy seems to know his speaker theory (based on all the pretty pictures in the article) so the designs might be sound (ha!).
Posted by Marcin on
01/08/2005 @ 04:42 +1000
Tags: audio
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