Gemsling's LiveJournal

Glass gone

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:13:48 GMT

Almost 5 weeks after Carnivores at La Luna, guess what! The piece of glass that got stuck in my finger has finally come out! And yes, I promise to be more careful with my wine in future...

Missing: AAPT House Style

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:58:50 GMT

Wanted: A "house style" for Word documents.

Document structure will always vary based on content, so you can't be too prescriptive. But formatting typically varies based on personal preference (Bob likes Arial with 1.5 spacing, Carol likes justified Times) and legacy (Ted got a sample from Alice and used that as the template).

I'd love it if we have a nicely designed house style to meet these requirements:

Ability to collaborate with copy and paste, because styles already match.
Good heading styles, both with and without numbering, with enough difference in size, weight and spacing to easily distinguish between heading levels.
Good list styles that apply when you click the numbered/bulleted list buttons, and which nest gracefully when changing levels.
Enough whitespace to ensure easy reading and delineation between styles.
No logos, headers, footers, etc. Just styles. (But bare bones templates with such content could be published as well.)

Worth fighting for? To be successful, it would require sponsorship by Communications, buy in from several business units, EDS work to roll it out as the default template for new documents, plus additional work to adapt frequently used templates.

Hmm, perhaps not. But if you have seen good Word (or even ODF) templates out there in the wild, I'd love to hear about them.

Walking cold

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 12:46:35 GMT

Note to self: when suffering a cold, don't go walking in the rain.

Naturally, it wasn't raining when I left, but drizzle set in part way through. Of course, what I should have done was come straight home, but instead I waited for the rain to subside, which of course only made it heavier.

Oh well, home again now, with a few more steps.

Throttled. Teletech.

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:13:36 GMT

Through a combination of software downloads, video downloads, and automated backups after copying to much to the wrong directory, we've gone over quota for this month. Already.

And there's no provision under AAPT ADSL products to lift throttling or buy more data. Sigh.

On a related note:

Okay, I'll admit that outsourcing tech support is less than ideal. I have no problem with people overseas getting work, or with cultural and accent differences (his English was excellent). But as a customer, it is a bit frustrating dealing with someone who doesn't know much about the company or its services. I called to ask if there was any way to get around the throttled service, and every question was met by canned overly-official responses, plus a wait on silent hold whilst he checked with someone in the know.

On a differently related note:

Show me a study that indicates that customers like voice-activated phone navigation systems (IVR). I've encountered one good implementation: taxi bookings in Sydney, where you respond "yes" to useful questions. But most implementations are very poor and cause more stress than you get from simply pushing numbers on the phone. I wonder what Jakob Nielsen has to say about them...

Firefox Download Day & Opera 9.5

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:21:21 GMT

In case you've been living under a rock, today is Firefox Download Day. Download your copy of the new Firefox 3 before 3am tomorrow morning (Thu 19/Jun).

Sure, the Guinness World Record attempt is mostly a gimmick, but it does have a positive side: widespread adoption of modern browsers makes the web a better place.

Naturally, Firefox is not my primary browser, but it's good to have on hand for sites that haven't been developed well, or for those times when I just want a different browser.

And in case you haven't been paying attention, Opera - the world's most advanced web browser - is also making great strides. Opera 9.5 was released last week, with:

- Quick Find, with full text search of visited pages.
- Speed Dial, mouse gestures, content blocking and more.
- Opera Link, to sync bookmarks and settings across computers and mobiles.
- Faster rendering and better standards support.
- Fraud and malware protection.

Eastlink Family Ride

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 01:39:48 GMT

Well, that was fun. Although I now side with Theresa on questioning whether the 30km ride could be called a "Fun Ride"...

Sunday was the Eastlink Open Day and we joined thousands of people in cycling along part of the soon-to-be-opened Eastlink. At first, I thought the 30km ride would be a good idea, having enjoyed one of the Great Melbourne Bike Rides at that distance years ago. But with two growing kids in a tralier on the back? Forget it. Fortunately, we could take it in turns, but that last uphill stretch to where we had parked the car was a killer.

Thanks to the man who took the photo below. Other sights: unicyclists, skaters, tandems, and the architecture from a perspective where you can't normally stop to take photos.

We slept well that night, and surprisingly my limbs weren't sore the next day. The tiredness was increased by the rehearsed reading of The Ordinary Princess at Hartwell from 2-8pm. A good afternoon, but challenging after the ride.

ProVision - Ugh.

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 02:13:39 GMT

There is nothing less satisfying that modelling processes. I know people love diagrams, but I'd much rather write a blob of text and be done with it...

Laura Marling

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:59:35 GMT

Despite having now seen The Herd and Nightwish twice each now, I'm not much of a gig-goer. But with another gig coming up in August, I feel as if I am.

Whilst checking details for The Herd on Friday, I checked Laura Marling's website on a whim, wondering if she'd ever tour here. What timing: she's coming out for Splendour In The Grass and playing in Sydney and Melbourne before hopping straight back to the UK for more gigs.

I take it the Corner is a larger venue than the Northcote Social Club? In any case, the gig has been moved to the Corner Hotel, and I snapped up a ticket. Good thing, too: on RRR this morning, Fee said the show was already sold out... Now just to learn from Friday and a) turn up later, and b) drive there, as it's on a Nightrider-less Wednesday.

The Herd @ The Hi-Fi

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 02:45:39 GMT

Awake again now after a late night: saw The Herd at The Hi-Fi Bar. Great night, with a good mix of old favourites and new material from Summerland. Pleased that Under Pressure was in there. The crowd lapped up I Was Only 19, getting all patriotic like, and naturally The King Is Dead and 2020 went off. Finished up with the very early Scallops, which I don't have, but recall from a bit of airplay.

Is it wrong to comment on YouTube videos?

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:18:01 GMT

The future of Internet TV relies on decentralised distribution and aggregation, and as such, I have held out from creating a YouTube account.

But in this participatory age, I have the urge to interact; to comment and converse. So tell me, is it wrong to create a YouTube account solely for the purpose of commenting on videos? Naturally, I would actually post videos there myself...

There's mounting pressure to join Facebook too, but I believe I can continue to resist that one.

Those crazy Irish

Tue, 20 May 2008 15:26:14 GMT

I knew there was a pillow in her way (you see), but why would anyone - regardless of accent - pronounce "closer" as "close air"?

Cyberduck with S3

Mon, 19 May 2008 12:57:55 GMT

So I finally got Transmit. And now Cyberduck supports S3. Oh well.

She's not my daughter...

Fri, 16 May 2008 06:11:06 GMT

Jesara's a lateral thinker. Must come from Theresa.

Today's reader is "Bricks, Wood and Stones", about how these materials can be used to make houses. Afterwards, I asked what else can be used to make houses and we talked about things like paint, glass (windows) and wool (carpet).

"What else can you use to make houses, Jess?"

"Dot-to-dot".

Meme: various questions

Wed, 14 May 2008 12:16:02 GMT

Gacked from trayce, who got it from raven_.

TECHNOLOGY:

Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?

Q. How many televisions do you have in your house?

One. (And 5 computers.)

BIOLOGY:

Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?

Right.

Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?

Polyps. Finally getting tested again on Monday.

Q. What is the last heavy item you lifted?

Not sure. Maybe slabs of soft drink.

Q. Have you ever been knocked out?

No. But I believe someone made me faint briefly in school.

BULLSHITOLOGY:

Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
Time travel is stupid and this is little better.

Q. If you could change your name, what would you change it to?

Um... Suggestions, people?

Q. What color do you think looks best on you?

White? I'm not cool enough to wear suave pink.

Q. Have you ever swallowed a non-food item?
I guess...

DAREOLOGY:

Q. Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?

Sure. But I'd only do it or free if he's cute, or for a play. A dare to kiss someone who doesn't want to be kissed: not so much.

Q. Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?

Nup.

Q. Would you never blog again for $50,000?

Considering I rarely blog anyway, it's tempting.

Q. Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?

Of course, but what magazine with that budget would want me?

Q. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?

Probably not: don't know if I'd ever recover.

Q. Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000?

Well, considering I don't highly value human life, probably. But who's offering and how are they going to guarantee non-punishment? BTW, I consider punishment to be any negative consequence. I don't fancy being a social outcast with a "stay out of jail free" card.

DUMBOLOGY:

Q: What is in your left pocket?

Wallet.

Q: Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?

That's what they say, but I haven't seen it.

Q: Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?

Scratched floorboards.

Q: Do you sit or stand in the shower?

WTF? Do you understand the fundamental characteristics of showers versus baths? (Which is not to say I never sit in the shower, or that I would insist on standing if a physical disability dictated otherwise.)

Q: How many pairs of flip flops do you own?

Ugh. Yet another American meme. None.

LASTOLOGY:

Q: Last person who texted you?

My phone's screwed. But probably Theresa.

Q: Last person who called you?
My project manager.

Q: Last person you hugged?

Theresa.

Happy birthday Dom!

Mon, 05 May 2008 15:50:15 GMT

One word meme

Mon, 05 May 2008 14:01:08 GMT

[Taken from willow_blossom]

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.

Not as easy as you might think. Remember: one word answers.

1. Where is your mobile phone? pocket
2. Your significant other? significant
3. Your hair? eh
4. Your mother? dead
5. Your father? diabetic
6. Your favorite thing? food
7. Your dream last night? slept
8. Your favorite drink? Shiraz
9. Your dream/goal? regretlessness
10. The room you're in? kitchen
11. Your ex? Russian
12. Your fear? loneliness
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? here
14. Where were you last night? bed
15. What you're not? productive
16. Muffins? yes
17. One of your wish list items? DVD
18. Where you grew up? roving
19. The last thing you did? procrastinated
20. What are you wearing? clothes
21. Your TV? dusty
22. Your pets? ageing
23. Your computer? cool
24. Your life? mid
25. Your mood? restless
26. Missing someone? yes
27. Your car? worn
28. Something you're not wearing? vest
29. Favorite Store? bakery
30. Your summer? memory
31. Like someone? yes
32. Your favorite colour? green
33. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
34. Last time you cried? recently

QotW: guess the source

Sat, 03 May 2008 12:15:38 GMT

"His lust is so sincere."

Lotion - it puts it on its skin

Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:25:30 GMT

When you make your photos available online, they can end up in the strangest places...

See also: original photo.

QoTW

Sat, 26 Apr 2008 04:35:24 GMT

"I'll keep on going I've got nothing to lose;
I gave up morals when I took up you.
And it's boring to hear of another young truth,
And what a typically shit thing to do..."
- Typical by Laura Marling

MacBook Pro gripes

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 07:13:35 GMT

I need to start posting again. Stuff of substance. In the meantime, my thoughts on the new MacBook Pro that replaced my MacBook.

It's excellent. I like it a lot. Leopard is a worthy upgrade. But you can read all about the good stuff elsewhere; I'll just list my complaints...

An unknon percentage of MBPs have been affected by a squeaky spacebar... inluding mine. Right on the spot where my right thumb hits the key. The keyboard is otherwise nice to use and key presses have a good feel.

The screen doesn't tilt back far enough. The screen is better than the glossy screen of the MacBook, but colours still change a little when looking down from above. Noticeably, the drop shadow on the active window turns from grey to white. I find myself wishing I was shorter, as I'm not always looking at the screen from the best angle.

The Wi-Fi/networking implementation is screwy. It thinks the wireless LAN at work is encrypted with WEP or WPA (it's not), and it either won't connect automatically, or it will connect and choose its own IP address, instead of authenticating like it had been told. Grrr.

Fetchmail wants to deliver email to localhost:25, but there is no longer a mail server running, and with Leopard being comparitively new, I've not yet found good information on enabling one. Interestingly, when I was playing with this the other day, localhost resolved to some uknown SMTP server's IP address and fetchmail was trying to give my mail away...

Time Machine seems to be just what the doctor ordered, but not exactly what I want. Since I already do a full disk backup with SuperDuper, what I really want is to select a few folders for backup by Time Machine, instead of backing up everything and choosing folders to exclude.

Unrelated to Apple, some third party developers need to think harder about their application icons. SuperDuper and YummyFTP, for example, have icons that are harder to pick out, since they are mostly grey and have fine detail that is not clear unless you're looking at a big version. Some of the best icons on my Dock: Opera, Safari, Firefox (vivid colours make it easy to pick out a particular browser); Coda and Transmit (Panic are known for design); iView, CaptureOne, Miro (yes, it looks like an M&M), Adium, TaskPaper and WriteRoom. Hmm, most apps have good icons, actually.

Australian English: grey or gray?

QotW

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:07:32 GMT

Sometimes I get an urge to post a lyric that appeals to me, and now I'm finally acting on the urge...

"Though I never really needed to explain this is true;
I see a lot of your dear father when I'm looking at you.
He worked hard and enjoyed inebriation,
And really that's a trait that doesn't skip a generation."

Another strike in the war between control and privacy

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:08:42 GMT

"Australia considers email snoop powers for bosses: minister". SYDNEY (AFP) — Bosses will be able to spy on workers' emails without consent under new anti-terror laws being considered in Australia, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said Monday.

For fuck's sake, Julia - this is a tired argument and not one that justifies further erosion of privacy and freedoms.

1. Untrained network and systems administrators do not guard against terrorism: authorities do.

2. Authorities who need access to data for a national security investigation are going to get it, regardless of employee consent.

3. Many workplaces make surveillance a condition of employment. There's little benefit in changing legislation just to make it easier for companies that have not yet informed staff of the intention to monitor usage.

4. The EFA is right: the powers will be used to serve the corporate agenda more than they will be used to protect national security. Are any safeguards going to be introduced with these changes?

Microsoft's 26-Apr ultimatum

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 08:28:57 GMT

Waiting for the conclusion of Microsoft's Yahoo! takeover is like sitting in the eye of a cyclone.

Once again, we say "maybe next year"...

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 03:24:12 GMT

Whoops. Seem to have run out opportunities to see anything at the Comedy Festival this year. Sigh. Next year?

Mission (almost) accomplished

Sat, 05 Apr 2008 16:28:51 GMT

Except that I should have called 1194 ten seconds earlier...

2:59am [~/]: date
Sun 6 Apr 2008 02:59:58 EST

2:59am [~/]: date
Sun 6 Apr 2008 02:00:02 EST

DING! [~/]: date
Sun 6 Apr 2008 02:00:12 EST

2:00am [~/]: date
Sun 6 Apr 2008 02:01:13 EST