The Missing Monsoon

We sort of lucked out, with Cyclone Grant passing by Darwin for Christmas 2011. Or is that got lucky?

Not so lucky, definitely, were people south of Darwin, around 250kms or so, a little north of Katherine, who copped a massive flash flood caused by monsoonal rain – some [almost] 400mm of overnight rain. This caused monumental road and rail line damage, including a major derailment and probably some environmental issues due to copper concentrate going in the river from the derailment and severely damaged several bridges, effectively cutting Darwin off from the rest of the country.



The rail line might be out for months is my guess, but the road [Stuart Highway] is now reopened, albeit on reduced service levels [ speed and some other restrictions] initially, with work to fix it probably also likely to take months and several millions of dollars [ remember – still 3-4 months of wet season to come yet].

A major disaster event.

Plenty of photos on the internet.

Since Boxing Day though, rain has stopped in Darwin. The weather is back to 35C days, clear skies and ultra high humidity, along with hot nights [29C at night].

This afternoon, and not before time, we have had around 15mm in a storm, but we are missing some monsoonal weather. Cloudy skies, occasional rain showers, and cooler [say tolerable 30 -31C days, 24-25C nights] conditions. While extended monsoonal weather makes for very poor clothes drying and does get you down a bit after several weeks, it does allow tempers to ease due to cooler conditions, and there is a reasonably steady north west monsoonal breeze, also aiding one feeling a bit cooler . A week of monsoonal weather with 10 - 20mm of rain daily would cool things down.

The monsoon has gone away, maybe sucked into Queensland as part of the tail end of ex Tropical Cyclone Grant.

Can we please have a slightly cooler few days, with some cloud cover?????

[photo taken NT Department of C and I, 2011]

Fragrant Orchids

It never ceases to amaze me that these orchids always seem to flower together.

There are now about six plants scattered around the yard and they almost always flower on the same day, every time, which is quite a few times across the year!

Unfortunately, the flowers only last one or at most two days, but they are an absolute outstanding mass of showy, small, fragrant white flowers when they blossom.

Today is the day..........a beautiful sweet perfume is all around the yard, and into the house, especially notable when I walked into the living room this morning.

A bit of a distraction from the cyclone that is brewing up offshore......another Christmas present for Darwin??






Enjoy the view.............

Mythbuster's Catastrophe

Mythbuster's TV show can be amusing, often quite funny.

But things sometimes go wrong........and this did, big time!

Worth watching the video!

http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57338281-71/mythbusters-cannonball-busts-through-house/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20&tag=nl.e703

Crappy Weather

It is.......and I am being polite!

Now 10pm, temperature is 31C and apparent temperature is close to 36C. This "apparent temperature' combines temperature, humidity and breeze to arrive at a different figure - more akin to what people feel the temperature is.

There is little breeze......apart from the wind flow out of the air conditioner!!

Maximum temperature today was a smidgen under 36C, although the humidity was down a little, and the apparent temperature close to 38C. The skies are clear, the sun is blasting down, and the radiant heat from the ground, concrete paths and driveways and the like is quite phenomenonal. And that is by 0900, getting worse s the morning goes on as there is little breeze in the mornings, with the maximum discomfort mostly around midday before the sea breeze kicks in, at least a little.

A single mm of rain overnight, but that cooled nothing! There has been a little rain, with 10mm two days ago, and several overnight falls of just 1mm each time. Some cloud cover would be nice, so would a breeze.

But it is that period...........the doldrums, when breezes are few.

One thing, though..... the solar hot water sure is VERY hot!!!

President Obama Comes to Darwin

It is brief, but significant.

The President of the USA - Barack Obama - came to Darwin today.

He placed a wreath on the USS Peary Memorial near the Cenotaph, and then addressed Australian military personnel at the RAAF Base.

While in Canberra earlier today, he formally announced the the US will deploy 250 marines to Darwin starting in 2012, on a 6 month rotation, building to about 2500 over 5 years, as well as pre positioning of military assets. There is also further integration with Australian forces, particularly the air force, through more training exercises, use of local airfield facilities and bombing ranges as well as the vast military exercise areas both east and south of Darwin.

Some locals do not like that......and the Chinese have had a bit to say as well.

But today was about the visit by the President. I did not get an invitation to anything special so had to resort to side of the road photos. It is a once in a lifetime event, for a resident of Darwin.

Unfortunately, the President would mostly see that nobody was around, yet about 100,000 people live here.

I can say...........I WAS THERE.

Gurrumul and Jessica Mauboy performed for the President .......and the NT goverment gave him a great looking piece of aboriginal art from the Tiwi Islands. Oh, and a crocodile attack insurance policy [which he referrred to in his speech at the RAAF Base]!

Yuendumu Doors - Great Historical Aboriginal Art

Yuendumu Doors - now in the SA Museum Adelaide in the aboriginal cultural display. These were created to encourage kids to go to school [ still an issue] by some of the traditional artists at Yuendumu, directly onto the doors themselves. Some were wood, many were metal covered wood.

From about 1983, some of the original large scale "permanent" art. Yes, they actually were the school classroom doors, at Yuendumu school. A bit battered and used.......but they are still some first class aboriginal art. Total approx 30, about 10 on permanent display. Considered to be among the original art from Yuendumu.

The doors were acquired by the SA Museum many years ago and some restoration work has been done, however, they do have the origianl art work. To celebrate the new aboriginal cultural gallery many of the doors are displayed until the end of 2011, in a large display upstairs with several downstairs in the entrance area.

They are full size doors - approx 2m x 800mm, complete with door hardware in some cases!

There is also a series of limited edition art prints [ quite small in contrast to the doors] .........worth having at least one, but the whole series is expensive!

More information here - http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/regions/yuendumu-doors.php

Lightning - Sears the Eyeballs

Storms, fierce storms - are common across the Top End in the rainy season.



Having been away for a little while one can forget they occur.

First morning home, around 0400 it came........an eyesearing blast that was like fierce sunshine that penetrated the eyelids, definitely waking you up, followed immediately by a levitating thunderball. Yes, one thinks, we are home - welcome to the Top End!!

Quite a storm, even by local standards with about 35mm of rain in 20 minutes or so, and some very fierce lightning and thunder following the early blast, and all without much wind. And it only happened in a fairly narrow strip along the coast with only a few millimetres of rain at the airport which is about 3 kilometres from the ocean.

There have been a few storms around Darwin while away, but this was special it seems and made the front page of the local newspaper.

Omelette - Forty Years in the Making

One must continue to learn in life. Even if over a long period of time.

There was a discussion with my wife yesterday over breakfast - along the lines of what there might be for breakfast.

The topic I ventured was - how about an omelette?

She appeared somewhat incredulous when I offered to make omelettes for us both. It was not about the offer to do that for us both, but more along the lines of stunned awe about the cooking of an omelette itself. She had never seen me cook omelettes. Not to mention some trepidation as to the outcome.

When one has been married for over 40 years there are not many [still some it seems] secrets.

Forthwith, two omelettes were produced.

To somewhat stunned incredulity. "I did not know you could cook omelettes" was the call, and the obvious answer - "I can".

We had omelettes for breakfast again today. The whole shebang - cheese, ham, onion etc.

Maybe I have incurred a rod for my own back, but really they are so easy and simple. Who can't cook a decent omelette?

You will have to speculate on their quality........without photographic proof!

Live Your Dreams

It has been said before, and indeed repeated a few times since his death, but it does bear repeating over again.

This time the memory was jogged by a story of a young man, already a registered architect - 5 years uni plus accreditation for registration, being unable to decide whether to practise his acquired profession. Living on odd jobs for friends and a very small part time odd job house maintenance business [ essentially providing the $$ for uni courses]. It seems as if scared to take on a real job and establish or even try his hand at his profession, of which most said he had some real talent. Fear? Or a realisation that architecture was not for him?

"Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking.

Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.

And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Steve Jobs 1955-2011Commencement address at Stanford University on June 12, 2005

Decadence and Shellfish

Decadence goes back a long way; it is not a new phenomenom.

Read the quote -

"Shellfish are the prime cause of the decline of morals and the adaptation of an extravagant lifestyle"
Pliny the Elder - Ancient Rome.

I have not heard of that quote before, but it is a pertinent one at this time of year in Australia, a time when local oysters are beginning to become plentiful.

I am not sure of that issue about moral decline, although I am equally as sure that I do enjoy oysters!!

Of course, oysters are not just the fare of the rich. For many years, oysters were thought food for only the poor. They could be gathered for free from local seashores, and can still be in many parts of Australia.

Historically, the rich purple dye, Tyrian purple, was produced from shellfish in ancient times, even prior to Roman times, and Pliny described the process in some detail [details on wikipedia]. Maybe that was the link between the rich and eating oysters.

Or was it the reputed aphrodesiac properties of oysters?

Stereotypes for the Northern Territory

The popular ABC show Q and A was held in Darwin last Monday evening. Our family was otherwise engaged and did not attend, so I am reliant on the media [ but is that wise ?- see post below].

It seems the show has caused a flurry of score and counter score among many.

To many, Darwin - and by inference, the whole of the NT -is seen a city of yobbo stereotypes, cultural cretins and many worse derogatory terms. It might be laid back, but it sure is not uncultured, uncivilised, nor full of yobbos. We, as a population might enjoy a drink [ it is hot you know], enjoy boating or fishing and water sports [ it is hot you know], and dress down rather than up, day to day [ it is hot you know] but we also are active, culturally aware, and articulate.

Our viewpoint is driven by location and surrounds - with strong links to Asia as well as awareness, concern and tolerance of the local indigenous population. Sometimes we are unable to influence views on these topics, views often held by those with less real knowledge about the issues.

One local ABC reporter got fed up with the piffle being bandied around after the show, and has written an op ed piece for the ABC web site. There are a lot of comments, too!

She is a resident - albeit a relatively newcomer, but the spirit of the piece does hold true.

We do loathe being taken as idiots..........we are not.

While it is the season of the falling mango, long reputed to be the most troppo time of the year, and a highpoint of undesirable behaviour, locals just get on with it, tolerating the weather.........knowing that rain is coming. Elsewhere around the monsooon tropics, this pre wet season time is often the period of holidays......a time when work is less, think Songkran in Thailand in April for example, equivalent to our October/November time. But northern Australia is endowed with an inappropriate calendar schedule, imposed by temperate Australia.

Like anywhere else we have citizen behavioural problems, but we are not unaware of those.

The climate is tough on materials and people and the survivors and locals are coloured by that. Not like the soft latte set of southerners, politicians included, esconsed in their ivy towers.

Even Gurrumul, that great NT musician, is probably better known elsewhere than in Australia.

For more, read it here - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-20/kerrigan-qanda-in-the-nt/3580944

We do not really like being fed drivel by the latte set.

Truth in Media

We all use the mass media- whether it be newspapers, online information or tv. But do we trust it to report fairly and accurately?

Some say that commercial sources are less trust worthy than public broadcasting. In Australia as well as some other countries such as the UK, Germany, Holland there is a strong public broadcast ethos, but less so in the USA, where National Public Radio [ NPR] is only a small player, but some say, a growing one.

A recent study, shown below shows that for the USA, we now have less trust in the mass media.

And this was before the recent scandalous stuff appearing about the various arms of the Murdoch media empire in the UK as well as in the USA.

Go figure........


Source:LiveScience

Cyling - Do You?

Cycling can be a means of transportation, exercise, work, sport or just fun.

This past week in Australia has had the annual ride to work day. Did you?

I did not.......but then my trip to work is a short walk across the carport, into the office.......maybe ten metres. But I do enjoy some serious cycling. Hard, hard, hard training rides of anywhere from 30 - 60 minutes or more, aiming for several times each week [as well as few other pursuits such as swim training and the gym, not to mention some serious dog walking], and I usually return in a very sweaty state.

But cycling can be and should be fun, with a bit of camaraderie thrown in for good measure.

Even the environmentalists think it is fun, while being good for the environment.

Read more here - http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-10-12/phillips-peddling-the-cyclist-cause/3549128 . It is a good read.

Tolerance and Caring - Is It Over?

Trevor - the rubbish king - is regularly seen around Darwin, doing what he sees as his God given work - keeping the place clean. He picks up the rubbish the paid rubbish people leave behind!

His work appears on my blog here - http://monsoon-frog.blogspot.com/2010/05/art-installation-by-trevor.html

Darwin has a tolerant attitude to the odd bod........and has had for a long time. The motto, well known elsewhere of "do no harm" applies. If a bit odd, but doing no harm, well....., tolerate!

Trevor is a bit more than a garbo......read the op ed piece, which he wrote - below. Sort of says it all. It is a motto, a call to arms for the world of being a bit more caring and tolerant. While not being religious or evoking religion, it does have a ring similar to a few of the great people leaders around the world - from Christ, to Martin Luther King and Gandhi in recent times. Tolerance and care for the fellow man.

Read it yourself......


Towards a world embracing us all

Trevor Jenkins - is well known in Darwin for his work cleaning up rubbish. Ahead of Anti-Poverty Week, the man also known as the Rubbish Warrior, who was homeless for several years, argues that many may choose to ignore poverty and misunderstand those who are in that situation, but the poor and the homeless have their own strengths that enrich us all.

PAIN and human suffering is an im­portant resource. It can be as rich as minerals, as powerful as diamonds. It is more prolific than sex.

It's more than a base from which to write welfare programs. It's an en­try point into people's lives that is a gift to us all and enriches our lives.

Poverty allows us to once again see the distance we have placed be­tween ourselves and others.
Human pain and human suffering on the street is paradoxically what makes some human beings rich in survival skills: resilience, humanity, accept­ance, humour, resourcefulness, mateship, friendship and loyalty.

People are living with pain, living with disability, and living with abu­se and terror. Courage in adversity is an Australian gift we value ­think of the Anzacs.

Today these gifts, very visible in people suffering on the streets, have been overlooked and pushed away in our headlong pursuit of success, comfort, grandeur, programs, plans, ideologies, and careers. When real­life human suffering is right outside our doors it is all too much.

People say success breeds success and like-minded people should con­gregate together. If you don't suc­ceed you are judged as having a loser mentality and told it's "your own fault for thinking that way".

People say: "Don't blame me for not wasting my time with negative ­thinking people like you."

Social and community thinking about poverty does not accept fail­ures, reality, trying hard, earning respect, acceptance of suffering or humility. Instead, it's about appear­ances, about looking good, feeling great and hiding the truth.

When somebody doesn't hide their true suffering and their true, lived self, better watch out because they might spread their pain and de­stroy themselves, us and society.

I see all this on the street, and I look on in dismay at a society in love with its own image, its own self and its own plans. A society in which an honest, hardworking, single, poor man with good morals and values is somehow mentally ill. Where it's crazy to love, crazy to think and dream, crazy to be free and alive.

It upsets and saddens me, but it inspires me, too, to overcome my own ill ridden fears and challenge the status quo. And I love people all the same.

I intend to fight for myself and others in similar positions, hope­fully helping to teach a society to truly love again.

Anti-Poverty Week events in the NT will run from Monday October 17 to Thursday October 20.
[Article by T Jenkins sourced from NT News October 15 - but too good to not disseminate further!]

Hot Nights and Hotter Days

A cool day today, as temperature only reached 32C, and a cooler night now, although still 28C as I write this.

With most nights now around 27C as a minimum, the airconditioner is getting a good work out, in the office during the day and in the house at night.

Most days in the past week have been around 34C, and inland even a few kilometres that max is often 37 -39C. And it is humid, so humid you sweat [ note NOT perspire] even standing still! And it will get warmer.....and warmer......for a while yet.

Ah the joys of living in the monsoon tropics!! At least the green tree frogs are beginning to utter mating calls, even though we have really not had a good, decent shower of rain here [ been a little around, but none over our way].

There are plenty of trees flowering in anticipation of rain, with most weeping rosewoods in full flower as are the yellow Tabebuia argentea [http://monsoon-frog.blogspot.com/2009/09/fabulous-yellow-median-strip-flowering.html ], and the frangipanni are magnificent, with lots of flowers.

Hows Your Spam Level?

Some interesting statistics below. Where do you fit in this pattern?

You may say, my spam level is much lower....... so maybe your ISP has a good spam filter, so you never actually see all of the debris, with only a few getting through.

I ocassionally need to check material prior to any filtering for spam.......and I would think the results are reasonably true. There is an awful lot there that never even seems to reach the inbox, so thank your ISP!!!

On an average day, only about 23% of received email is legitimate, 75% tends to be spam and the remaining 2% leads to malware.

The spam portion is pretty predictable.

The top 3 most common types of spam are online pharmaceuticals (29%), counterfeit luxury goods (17%), and online romance scams (16%). This breakdown has been the same for several years, indicating the spammers are meeting with success. Over 60% in these three alone!

Overall, successful spam seems to feed on people's feelings of inadequacy and need to compensate.

How Do You Communicate?

Source:LiveScience

One could assume that Australian communications methods are fairly similar to the US data.

Fuel Shortages in Darwin?

The Shell refinery in Singapore has been on fire since 28 September.

This refinery is supplying between one third and one half of the total in Singapore's refining capacity, and all of the NT fuel comes in as refined fuel by ship from Singapore.

What will be the situation in the NT?

Refineries do not get repaired quickly.

More here -http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/43324

and here - http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-29/shell-to-shut-singapore-refinery-after-extinguishing-worst-fire-since-1988.html

[ photo from news.com.au 29/9/11]

Boeing 787 Goes Commercial

While space junk comes down [ in the Pacific Ocean??], the Boeing 787 Dreamliner goes up and finally gets to be commercial, with September 26 the handover of the first commercial plane to All Nippon Airways of Japan.

Likely to be a short while before it is part of the day to day commercial fleet, however.

I have not checked, but would be sure there will be plenty of coverage online, including photos.

Remember......it is carbon fibre, NOT aluminium. A definite first for commercial large aircraft.

RUGBY - the Game THEY Play in Heaven

http://youtu.be/nW0Fp16XhZo



A great video clearly demonstrating the game of Rugby.

With the World Cup now playing in NZ, this has to be a must see video for those not fully aware of the nuances of the game.

a visually appealing presentation too.

Get Exercising

Source:LiveScience

As the commentariat said recently.........not exercising when older might mean being able to live longer, because of medical advances, but if you do not exercise, well........you might not be able to get out of the chair!! So it improves QUALITY of life.

So .........get to it!

A COOL Blast

It is mid September........and it should be warm to hot, even at night.

But we have a coooool blast at the present. No, not complaining at all........and I have no doubt that it will not last more than a few days. Then back to warm and humid weather. So lets enjoy it!

Temperature fell to just over 16C last night in Darwin. Thought it might be cold when it was already below 20C by about 11pm last night. Definitely was a cold one. And the relative humidity is very low this morning - around 20%.

Even colder last night out of town in the rural area where temperature dropped to 8.2C at Middle Point, the second coldest night EVER for there, and in September, which is a bit strange, as most cold nights are in the June - early August period. Strong winds and a total fire ban today, but it is warm and sunny. A wind chill factor of 7 degrees, giving an apparent temperature of only 17C now [ actual temperature is 24C]

The office is quite cool this morning, even with no fan running either.

Do not think it will last.....maybe one or two more nights below 20C, then back to the humidity. For the next 6 months!

Night Road Works

While common in larger cities, Darwin has seen more of this over recent times.

Partly due to a need for considerable renovation of roads after the very damp wet season of 2010-2011, and well, it is cooler to work at night too. Especially now, when day temperatures can reach 36C, while night temperatures are rising too, but are more pleasant at around 25C.

The effect can be a bit eerie - people all kitted out in bright refective vests, flashing lights and the odour of hot tar, a hint of steam rising from the asphalt too, and traffic moving slowly past the work.

Enjoy the photos........hope they convey some of odd imagery seen during night road works.

Photographed on Trower Road, Rapid Creek not far from our place. Available light using DSLR with ISO at 3200.

Chocolate is GOOD for YOU!

A recent finding, that is sure to delight many of us with a sweet tooth, claims that high levels of chocolate consumption may be associated with a 33% decrease in the risk of developing heart disease. The study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), confirms existing studies which have explored the positive link between eating chocolate and heart health. While other factors are much more important for a healthy heart, such as exercise and proper dieting, this finding gives a nice reprieve to chocoholics.

Chocolate has great qualities other than a great taste which include antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It can reduce blood pressure and improve insulin. This may be one reason people enjoy chocolate when they are stressed out. It can actually make you feel better.

Previous studies had found the link between chocolate and heart health but the evidence backing it up remained unclear. Researchers from the University of Cambridge, led by Dr. Oscar Franco, set out to establish the link by carrying out a large-scale review of existing evidence.

Previous studies compared two groups of individuals, those with high and low chocolate consumption.

Five studies reported a link between chocolate and heart health. Individuals with the highest levels of chocolate consumption had a 37 percent decrease in cardiovascular disease and a 29 percent reduction in stroke. This is in comparison with individuals with the lowest level of chocolate consumption.

The type of chocolate was not taken into consideration for any of the studies. For example, dark and milk chocolate were not differentiated. Nor were chocolate bars, chocolate beverages, or chocolate desserts differentiated.

The authors of the study caution that people should not take this as free license to consume bucket loads of chocolate. It is extremely high in calories which could lead to weight gain and diabetes. If the fat and sugar content of commercially sold chocolate could be reduced, it would be safer. According to the findings of the study, this is an option that should be explored.

Link to published article: http://www.bmj.com/content/343/bmj.d4488

Planes Above

Darwin is an important link in many old and new air routes and aviation. A vital link between Australia and the rest of the world.

A lot of it is unseen, but pass overhead the aircraft do........with monotonous regularity.

Sometimes, especially at night you can hear aviation traffic overhead, or even see an aircraft by the moving navigation lights. Darwin is a way point, where slight adjustments to the course are made, so coming close is a regular occurrence for many commercial aviation operators.

Last night was unusual with two north bound aircraft leaving very large and conspicious con trails in the sky above Darwin, a few minutes apart. They hung in the sky for maybe 30 minutes, without dispersing, two obvious pink con trails illuminated by the setting sun.

Even captured one on camera, with the light of the rising moon.

Enjoy the view - going north. Leaving Australia.

Are You a Cyberslacker???

Cyberslacker - it is a beautiful term to describe those who contribute to cyber forums etc while at work, in work time.

Are you one?

It seems an awful lot of Australians ARE.

The following is from the Weekend Australian newspaper and says it all!! It is a very interesting set of statistics and ancedotal materials.......a great story.

Digital forums being skewed by cyberslackers
Christian Kerr
From: The Australian
August 06, 2011 12:00AM

THE anonymity afforded by the internet makes it hard to know for sure who is driving online public opinion. But one thing can be said about this surfing, tweeting, blogging community busy putting links and comments up on their Facebook pages: it is made up of people with nothing better to do.
When the digital dawn arrived as the 20th century drew to a close, it was heralded as a new dawn, too, for democracy. But digital democracy is not representative democracy; representative in the sense it embodies the true vox populi.

Online political commentary is driven by what the pollsters would call a self-selecting sample. And just as many online opinion polls now come with footnotes pointing out that their findings are not scientific, online public opinion needs a similar qualifier.

Web-based activist group GetUp! claims almost 600,000 members. Since it was founded in 2005, its email-driven campaigns and web-based petitions have become influential political tools.
Its national director Simon Sheikh claims one in every 30 Canberrans belongs to the organisation. He also has said that contrary to its youthful image, the average age of members is 55.

This has led many on the Coalition side of politics to deride the group as a bunch of cyberslacking, bored and idle, middle to low-ranking, left-leaning, white-collar public servants getting older and grumpier every day as they strive to hang on to just a little of the idealism of their radical youth.

Tommy Tudehope, a social media expert who served as social media adviser to Australia's most cyber-savvy politician, Malcolm Turnbull, during his time as Liberal leader, warns against taking online opinion in isolation.

He compares the situation with looking at the polls. While one may contain dramatic figures, wise politicians will look at their longer-term patterns. They will study the trend lines.

"I would never taken one social media platform in isolation," Tudehope says. "You have to take them all together." Even then, he says, the information and opinion received from social media needs to be married with data from other sources to form a reliable view.

Tudehope points out some of the immediate distortions of the web world. Tradesmen and manual workers do not sit at desks with computers on them. He talks of cyberslacking, too. "It's an issue for all companies," he says, but goes on to warn that the problem is particularly prevalent in enterprises where employees are "given more freedom at their desks".

Michelle Prak, a social media consultant with Adelaide-based Hughes Public Relations, points to Sensis data from earlier this year that shows only 22 per cent of social media users say they visit social media sites at work, but wonders aloud if the market researchers have been told some little white lies.

She also cites data from Google Analytics that points out Twitter reaches 11 per cent of the Australian population, compared with 8.5 per cent worldwide; and Facebook 67.3 per cent, far higher than the global average of 50.8.

Web consultant ROI says social media dominates how Australians use the internet.

Nielsen research published last year found almost one-quarter of online time was spent on social networks and blogs, and this number was increasingly rapidly. The average visitor spent 66 per cent more time on these sites than was the case 12 months before.

Australians, Nielsen found, averaged the most time on blogs and social networking sites, seven hours and 19 minutes, and were logging on from work and home. Our time spent on these sites outstripped the No 2 nation, the US, by just under 45 minutes and the No 3, Italy, but just over. More industrial nations exposed our cyberslacking shame. Germans devoted only four hours and 13 minutes of their home and work time every week to blogs and social networking and the Swiss three hours and 43 minutes. Japan's usage rates were even lower, at two hours and 50 minutes.

Andrew Braun, director of mobile, internet and technology at Roy Morgan Research, says his company's Single Source data shows that more than a million Australians aged 14 and older have read or added a comment to a newspaper blog in the past four weeks. More than 1.3 million of us have read or commented on someone else's blog or online journal.

Almost 400,000 Australians have started or managed their own blog or online journal. More than a million have viewed or contributed to online forums. Monash University researchers have found workers spend more than one-quarter of their time on the internet on non-work-related activity.
The Australian's online traffic climbs noticeably as the working day begins. It stays high all morning, peaks during the usual lunch hours, stays strong through the afternoon, then falls noticeably as home-time looms.

All the experts agree; just what is done while cyberslacking is next to impossible to quantify.
But given all these patterns and figures it is impossible to avoid the conclusion that much of the political commentary offered on the web and through social media is produced on someone else's time. That fact itself may explain the snarky tone of much of it.

Vivienne Storey, of Blands Law, helps companies develop social-media policies governing all kinds of web-based interaction. Workers who spend too much time online on non-work-related activities, Storey says, may be unhappy or frustrated. "I always say wasting time on the internet, that's really a deeper issue in the workplace," she says. "It's got nothing to do with access to social media. It's: why are the employees bored?"

The Roy Morgan data lets us quantify another demographic with time on its hands that may also be bored or frustrated and shaping online opinion.

In the past four weeks, close to 250,000 people who do not work have read or added a comment to a newspaper blog. More than 400,000 have read or commented on someone else's blog or online journal. One hundred and eight thousand have started or managed their own blog or online journal. And 284,000 have viewed or contributed to online forums.

There are fears that the often angry tone of web-based political discussion is making mainstream debate derogatory.

The climate-change debate has raised temperatures, in recent weeks and in the past.

Coalition sources say some offices were receiving an email every second at the height of the emissions trading scheme dramas of 2009.

Last week an angry Turnbull tweeted the details of a serial text message pest. "I don't mind abusive emails or tweets but why does Thomas Lynch [Turnbull gave his phone number] think it's OK to send me abusive SMSes about climate change?" he asked.

Online political opinion is unrepresentative. Much is ferocious and fiercely partisan in tone. That is because many of its authors have too much time on their hands and, like everyone who finds themselves in that state, have got bored and cranky.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/digital-forums-being-skewed-by-cyberslackers/story-e6frgakx-1226108577149

is the link, and there are plenty of comments too.

Does this represent YOU??

Time to Spare?

So the Tour de France is over for another year, there has been time to catch up on sleep.... so what do you do now??


In Australia and Asia the time difference makes for late night tv viewing, and with the finish so relevant.....it is about 0130hrs here in the Central time zone of Australia......and later on the east coast, around the finish time each day.


Is now the time to hit the bike and catch up on exercise?



OR.......prepare for the Tri Nations Rugby and the World Cup? More tv viewing.......it is a struggle!


This week cool nights are back with us, so swimming may not be a good option either.

Time Trial - Penultimate Stage 2011 Tour de France

There have been some late nights over the past three weeks sitting up watching TV coverage of the event as the cyclists torture themselves through the 2011 Tour de France.







The last three stages in the Alps have been tremendous, with some heart stopping moments, including some awesome descents, a few crashes and miscues, and some great climbing.


Final stage in the mountains finished at Alpe d'Huez after that monumental climb - 21 hairpin bends to hell!! At that moment a young Frenchman won the stage [ Pierre Rolland] bolting away with Contador vanquished after publicly stating he wanted to win there. Andy Schleck seemed absolutely spent at the finish. And Cadel Evans the hope of Australia finishing not very far behind the stage winner, and looking not spent. Evans was 57 secs behind Andy Schleck in the GC [ General Classification], the new Yellow Jersey wearer.


Many thought it might be be over for Evans again, relegated to a placegetter in the Tour.

What a time trial though. Even bunny hopped a few of the road speed bumps [ isn't that what all mountain bike riders do anyway?], and was immensely smooth all through the ride. Seven seconds behind Tony Martin the time trial stage winner, and a comfortable two minute plus margin over both Schlek brothers - and Cadel is now in the Maillot Jeune as winner - elect for the final stage into Paris.!

The first Australian to win a grand Tour - the Tour de France. Cycling's Everest, probably the most prestigious individual sporting win in the world. Blows away major tennis and golf events, world chess titles, Olympic gold medals and whatever else. WOW! WHAT A WIN!

As an individual event winner, at least matches that Australian win in the America's Cup in 1983, which really was a team and machine win. What a win!

He still has to finish the stage on Sunday, but it is traditional that a clear winner of the Tour is given a gentleman's ride to the finish. Do not forget to watch though.........the sprint up the Champs Elysee is a great sight to watch. Mark Cavendish to win??

[ photo copyright the Australian ]

Watch the follow up summaries coming too........the first on tv on Monday night.

The Truth - or Is It??

The truth can be confronting, it can also set you free.

Speculation in the media often canvasses ideas about whether truth is being promulgated. 'Spin reigns', is the cynical view these days among the masses.

Maybe rightly so.

Too many junk media releases to promote the deliverer [aka a politician, media mogul etc], not to promote the information. We almost always suspect politicians are not telling the truth. That seems a bit sad.

Look at events in the UK at the moment.......truth has been a casuality of the events unfolding over the phone hacking scandal. Probably more to come too.

In Australia, with all sides of politics debating.......or promoting, various options over carbon reductions and carbon pricing, what is the truth?

In science maybe there is no absolute truth.......and with climate change the science while clearer, is almost likely to be always an unknown [with some probability limits], especially as data about past climate change events is found, and debated scientifically. Scientists accept this theorem about truth and facts - they can change, and then our views are adjusted, or not, depending on the arguments advanced.

Over historical time, many in the scientific community have had ridicule heaped upon them over theories........later shown to be the now accepted idea. Continental drift, planets including earth around the sun .......there are many in this category.

The op ed piece in todays's Australian newspaper is on truth.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/the-real-truth-is-that-there-is-no-hidden-agenda-behind-the-story/story-e6frg6zo-1226096370394

And it comes back to one issue - not everyone has a hidden agenda, even among politicians. The writer makes the point strongly that often there is no hidden agenda or spin. Even politicians may believe that the course of action proposed, the legislation etc is actually the best option.

A well written piece, a bit on the philisophical, even strongly intellectual view, but a view worth revisiting.

We seem sometimes to forgot that people of all persusions may actually believe in issues they are advocating.

Red Trumpet Vine - Pyrostegia venusta

You know it is a good dry season if this plant is in its vibrant flowering glory.

And it is......

The plant is often used as a screen vine on fences and most of the year it is just a green plant. But when it flowers it is spectacular! It seems to flower best in a dry season that has at least some decent cool nights below 20C.

Masses of reddish-orange flowers in large clusters against a dark green foliage makes for a great ostentatious display. Really offers a major statement.

The photos are from a site just around the corner from our house along their fence. Just a short 15m or so. But it is by no means the only one around the area, nor the largest, although it is in a cul de sac, and may not be the most obvious display seen.

I noticed a long fenceline - maybe 30m - the whole front fenceline - on a house block along Bagot Road, a site seen by many thousands of commuters travelling to and from work each day. It is a mass of flowers also. A great feature.


The bright flowers also seem to survive for a few weeks so it is not just a short burst of flowering. The botanical name is Pyrostegia venusta - definitely worth considering for a screen vine in the tropics and sub tropics.

Bikes - the Motorbike Types

It is July, and there is a lot of talk and viewing of bikes.........the pedalling kind.

But lets not forget one of the legendary bikes - Harley Davidson. If you talk of motorbikes, then this is a name most everyone will know, along with maybe Triumph, Norton and the current crop of names being used in motorcycle racing.

Like many large corporations, Harley Davidson has another side, a past set of glory. A fantastic collection of motorbikes that is rarely seen.

No, I do not have any entry passes, and the site is not normally open. I can however, give you a link to a site where there are some great photos of some unusual and legendary motorbikes.

Go here - http://news.cnet.com/2300-10797_3-10008534.html?tag=nl.e703

Test ride by having a look.

Carbon Pricing or Carbon Fibres?

Mayhem on all fronts.


Australia gets a carbon price and the Tour de France has more nasty crashes.


Opposite poles one might think.







However, the editorial comment by Paul Kelly is a useful commentary, and the cartoon excellent.


I have no doubt that carbon pricing and not carbon fibre frames will be the lead news item this week in Australia.


Read more here -http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/carbon-plan/alp-green-values-triumph-in-julias-finest-political-fix/story-fn99tjf2-1226091907108

Its Official - Tour de France a Sleep Hazard

Following on from my previous post, there is an article in the Australian Financial Review of Friday 8 July on the effect the TDF is having on sleeplessness in Australia.

A tv audience now over 200 000, means a lot of people getting to bed in the early am, and being short of sleep at work, the next day. Not to mention interfering with their own exercise regimes.

Watch out.......still two weeks to go and we have not seen much yet in terms of interesting stages in the mountains.

Vive le tour!

Late Night Biking - from France

It is that time of the year again.

Late evenings, early mornings, tranquil views of the French countryside while about 200 bike riders tear around the dales and glens of France. THE Tour de France.

We now get full tv coverage for most of the day's racing, and it is online as well, as streaming video, for the full day's event.

Must be the greatest tourist coverage available for France - three weeks of cover for many of the regions of France. There are some fantastic scenes, and I am sure it has generated many, many visitors to France over the years.

So far........ Alberto Contador seems to have a dose of bad luck, and his bike throw yesterday was a bit of a classic dummy spit. Cadel Evans has had some good luck, with a well deserved stage win, and Mark Cavendish also won a sprint finish yesterday. Thor Hushovd continues along successfully wearing the GC leader's yellow jersey.

Early days in the event, with much more to come.

The TDF has become a huge event world wide. Even if vaguely interested in cycling, it is almost worth watching as a travelogue, on its own. If interested in cycling.........then at least some viewing is essential.

However, in Australia, that means getting to bed very early in the am, not conducive to a decent days work next day. Nothing beats time-shifting to watch it when you can!

Bike Helmets Reduce Injuries - Latest Research

It seems as if a long argument finally has a solution - wearing a bike helmet does actually reduce injuries for bike riders.

Rarely has an issue evoked as much debate.........with staunch advocates for both wearing and not wearing a helmet.

I have split a helmet in half after an accident caused by a dog hitting the bike at around 50km/hr, after which my head hit the ground first- and not suffered head injuries so I am more pro use than not. I am sure a helmet saved my skull.........and as a family there was rarely much debate by the kids over wearing a helmet while biking after that incident.

Most serious bike riders seem pro helmet use, with more support for not using one in the itinerant bike riding group I think.

However.........read more here:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/23/3251272.htm

And...... wear a bike helmet while riding.......it might just save your head.

Darwin - What a Ripper of a Dry Season 2011 - So Far

The past two weeks have seen some great cool dry season weather here in Darwin.

As I write this at 9pm at night it is 17C and cooling rapidly. Cool enough for a light fleece or jumper even. Many nights, or rather early mornings have been around 13 -15C over the past two weeks. Up to 28C, if lucky, in the day, but with a few around 25C max. Lots of sunshine too......eleven hours approximately every day.

Truly a magnificent dry season so far, and it seems with more to come this week........predictions of a similar pattern this week, with 16 - 17c nights.

Last year the dry season did not ever get started, and this year has been truly different and a great dry season so far. They say if it gets cool early in the dry.......it will continue the same way.

Even the swimming pools are very cool - 21C water temperature earlier today on the sign outside the local pool......that is COOL!!

Roll on 2011 dry season!!!!

International Surfing Day - June 20, 2011

International Surfing Day — 20th June 2011

June 20, 2011 marks the 7th annual International Surfing Day (ISD), a day where surfers and surf enthusiasts alike from across the globe join together to celebrate this world-renowned sport. Since its founding, ISD has grown into over 200 separate events in 25 different countries with an emphasis on giving back to the world's oceans and beaches that provide us humans with such awe-inspiring experiences.

It's not just humans that can ride the waves though, hang ten and take a look at ARKive's top surfers!

Perfect 10 for Fantastic Maneuvering

Gentoo penguins may have a funny walk on land, but when they are in the water, there is nothing funny about this amazing talent. Using their feet for powerful propulsion, gentoos can dive an impressive 170m deep in pursuit of prey.

Perfect 10 for Waves Caught

The most common of dolphin species, the short-beaked common dolphin can be found swimming in packs of 10, and sometimes even up to 500 individuals! They are highly active mammals, often leaping out of the water (known as breaching), and slapping their flippers on the water's surface (called lobtailing).

Dolphins are known to use surf as a way to travel on long journeys, and also for sport.

Article continues: http://blog.arkive.org/2011/06/international-surfing-day/

GONE - to Volvo Heaven

We have had a venerable Volvo 142S in our driveway for a long time. Has served our family well - many trips to and from Sydney as well as the NSW snowfields, across some pretty awful roads at times in the 1970s and early 80s, then as a second car for around town use.
Has not moved for some considerable time.

One son was going to work on it - and renovate it, but left and is now overseas.

Have been under some pressure to move it for quite a while.

It has now left the building driveway, and gone to the Volvo heaven!!

A bit sad really.............

It's COLD in Darwin!!

Darwin is COLD this morning......a minimum of 14.4C with a low humidity, means an effective temperature of around 9C.

Inland, effective temperatures were closer to 5-7C, with one reading of 4C meaning an effective temperature of -1C..........thats cold!.

And you thought Darwin was never cold! In Alice Springs, quite a few nights in a row below freezing.

Many users of fleece jackets today.......at least for a while, as day temperatues of 30C are expected later.

And there are at least a few more days of similar weather still to come according to the Met Bureau.

Toooooooooo cold for frogs to go swimming.

The Future of Australian Politics - I Wish!!

This is a great op ed piece on the ABC web site.

Probably need to have connections to Australia to follow the story........but it reads well. Not only that, there seems to be a lot of support judging from the comments.

DEFINITELY worth a read!

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2738702.html