Tis' the crappy weather season. That horrible, still, humid, sticky and HOT time of year - November and December.
If only there was a breeze!!
Last night did cool a little, with a lovely breeze late in the evening. Absolutely necessary.
It has been around 29 - 31C by 0800hrs most mornings over the past week, but it has really been NO breezes that is the most trying. Doing almost anything, and you lather into a sweaty mess.
Normally, most days earlier in November, a breeze had developed by around 1200 - 1300 hrs - and while the temperature does not change much [around 32 - 34C], at least there is a cooling breeze across the body, and you FEEL better. But not over the past week or so, and humidity has been in the 80 - 95% range most mornings, with a hot burning sun cheerfully beaming down.
We are really in the middle of the doldrums, weather wise.............
And most working staff are in full action, trying to complete projects before Christmas vacation. Very easy to be in full sweat mode.
At least that hot sun is good for the solar hot water system!!
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Friday, 26 November 2010
Losing a Friend
Well.........sort of, although not as most people will suppose.
A tree is being given the first part of a significant makoeover today. A very large african mahogany. It is a great tree, with excellent timber too.
It is a friend........the only tree still standing on our house block of land, when we purchased the lot after Cyclone Tracy. Not only did it survive Cyclone Tracy, there have been a few more cyclones since then, although not as fierce. All were handled with aplomb and ease. Lost leaves, the odd branch........but still it stands there, magnificent, large and VERY shady. It has grown into a very significant tree
providing shade for all of the cul de sac in which we live, a very shady street. So with some reluctance it had to be addressed.
We have been awaiting the completion of undergrounding powerlines, which is now close to finalisation, and remaining overhead lines are de-energised. Time to wave au revoir to our friend, although it is NOT being totally removed. NO!!
A tree is being given the first part of a significant makoeover today. A very large african mahogany. It is a great tree, with excellent timber too.
It is a friend........the only tree still standing on our house block of land, when we purchased the lot after Cyclone Tracy. Not only did it survive Cyclone Tracy, there have been a few more cyclones since then, although not as fierce. All were handled with aplomb and ease. Lost leaves, the odd branch........but still it stands there, magnificent, large and VERY shady. It has grown into a very significant tree
providing shade for all of the cul de sac in which we live, a very shady street. So with some reluctance it had to be addressed.We have been awaiting the completion of undergrounding powerlines, which is now close to finalisation, and remaining overhead lines are de-energised. Time to wave au revoir to our friend, although it is NOT being totally removed. NO!!
But it does need a serious pruning, with many large limbs now over the house, 
the solar hot water system is shaded and much less efficient, birds are dropping seeds and bird droppings into the spa pool and all over the roof , and there is a danger from some branches falling and maybe causing damage / problems as they weaken and fall.
It has been a bit of a problem........a few weeks ago there was to be a start, but after the monstrous crane arrived, it was deemed "too hard". Anyway, after further deliberations, today is to be the day. A second attempt.
Things went ok for awhile...........limbs were cut, limbs were lifted, limbs were run through the shredder. BUT................a watermain burst, under one of the outrigger placement arms of the monster crane. Oh hell!!!
That required instant repair, as it is the main water supply to all residences in the street.
So work stopped again.
Some limbs are gone............but still more to go.
Until next time...............au revoir..................again!
UPDATE - it has not been all good above on the roof either. A broken glass panel on the solar hot water system, and a very serious whack on the side of the hot water tank - it is not leaking, but has seriously damaged the outside galvanised tank, and may mean the insulation will get wet.
Holy toledo........more tree created issues!
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Had Enough of Gen Y????
Gen Y can be a difficult group to deal with, especially in the work place.
One Australian, well respected, commentator seems to also have had enough, enough to say it like it really is.
Over indulged, vacillating and unable to complete tasks [ let alone multi task], and expecting to rise to be CEO within the first week of starting work, many fit the image in the article.
Read it yourself.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/executive-lifestyle/generation-misled-by-the-great-lie/story-fn6njxlr-1225955378555
It definitely pulls NO punches about Gen Y. While many have posited on how to accommodate for this group in the workforce, such schemes may not be the way forward.
It has had quite a lot of site visitors too.
One Australian, well respected, commentator seems to also have had enough, enough to say it like it really is.
Over indulged, vacillating and unable to complete tasks [ let alone multi task], and expecting to rise to be CEO within the first week of starting work, many fit the image in the article.
Read it yourself.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/executive-lifestyle/generation-misled-by-the-great-lie/story-fn6njxlr-1225955378555
It definitely pulls NO punches about Gen Y. While many have posited on how to accommodate for this group in the workforce, such schemes may not be the way forward.
It has had quite a lot of site visitors too.
Saturday, 13 November 2010
Orchids are Fantastic
Pat's Delight this is called..............a truly great Vanda orchid!
Probably the best of type I have grown of this variety, with the greatest number of individual flowers, each about 80-100mm diameter.
Well worth a little effort to water and fertilise regularly.
Probably the best of type I have grown of this variety, with the greatest number of individual flowers, each about 80-100mm diameter.
Well worth a little effort to water and fertilise regularly.
Thursday, 11 November 2010
Another Day, Another Nick
A life outdoors in the tropics has its drawbacks, with the potential for skin cancer one of them.
Another quite small skin cancer was surgically removed from the lower back today. Means no swimming for a few days, blast it. One at this visit to the skin doctor.................that is good!!!
Six months ago a rather nasty, but undetected by me, skin cancer was removed off the side of the nose, along with four other little beasties elsewhere on the body.
One this time is good, and even better, none on the face or arms, common "places of interest".
Apparently, there is often a peak of activity and skin cancers that develop, with a gradual decline in appearances of the blighters after that. Hopefully, I am on the reducing part of the curve now, although eternal vigilance is still needed!
It is prudent, and good insurance to have a regular six monthly check.
Another quite small skin cancer was surgically removed from the lower back today. Means no swimming for a few days, blast it. One at this visit to the skin doctor.................that is good!!!
Six months ago a rather nasty, but undetected by me, skin cancer was removed off the side of the nose, along with four other little beasties elsewhere on the body.
One this time is good, and even better, none on the face or arms, common "places of interest".
Apparently, there is often a peak of activity and skin cancers that develop, with a gradual decline in appearances of the blighters after that. Hopefully, I am on the reducing part of the curve now, although eternal vigilance is still needed!
It is prudent, and good insurance to have a regular six monthly check.
Tuesday, 2 November 2010
Spring is Blooming - so are Waratahs
While not spring in the tropics, it is in New South Wales.
To celebrate the event, waratahs are flowering - large, glorious, red and beautiful. The state flower of NSW - it is beautiful. Photographed at Katoomba, near Echo Point. This was being grown in a private garden, not as a natural specimen in the bush.
Enjoy it!
To celebrate the event, waratahs are flowering - large, glorious, red and beautiful. The state flower of NSW - it is beautiful. Photographed at Katoomba, near Echo Point. This was being grown in a private garden, not as a natural specimen in the bush.
Enjoy it!
Monday, 1 November 2010
Sport, Head Trauma, Crash Test Dummies and Life
Australians love their football. Whether it be AFL, rugby [ the one played in heaven], rugby league [the working man's game] or as a late starter - soccer, oh sorry.........football.
But there is a new concept that seems to be achieving a somewhat higher profile. Are our kids who play these football codes being exposed to trauma that might rebound on them and be leading them to an early grave?
That premise is explored in the recent article on the ABC web site about head trauma in footballers. It is real.
As an ex rugby player [of both types] at semi professional level, I sure have experienced a few big hits. Even dislocated my neck playing. But I also find the gratutious heavy handed pushing and bumping, heads included - off the ball - that is common in AFL, as a bit farcical. In rugby you mostly do not have much happening unless involved with the ball. As for soccer, well maybe not heads, but there sure are plenty of knee and leg injuries to make up for less head trauma.
Would you let your children play rugby or AFL after reading this? -
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/40626.html
Does it make you think??
But there is a new concept that seems to be achieving a somewhat higher profile. Are our kids who play these football codes being exposed to trauma that might rebound on them and be leading them to an early grave?
That premise is explored in the recent article on the ABC web site about head trauma in footballers. It is real.
As an ex rugby player [of both types] at semi professional level, I sure have experienced a few big hits. Even dislocated my neck playing. But I also find the gratutious heavy handed pushing and bumping, heads included - off the ball - that is common in AFL, as a bit farcical. In rugby you mostly do not have much happening unless involved with the ball. As for soccer, well maybe not heads, but there sure are plenty of knee and leg injuries to make up for less head trauma.
Would you let your children play rugby or AFL after reading this? -
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/40626.html
Does it make you think??
Thursday, 30 September 2010
Torres Strait Pigeons - New Home
The Torres Strait Pigeons used to arrive in Darwin about this time of year [very early pre- wet season], stay for the wet season, and leave in February or March.
They seem to now be permanently here, or at least there are many now who seem to make Darwin home. In Darwin house yards we have an abundance of palms trees, especially Carpentaria palms and they absolutely love to eat the medium sized, bright, red seeds. These seeds are quite acidic, and the pulp around the seed can burn your hands.........they love to eat that and then drop or sometimes excrete the actual seed kernel, along with some acidic waste pulp. That material can lift paint off cars!!
There has however, been much ado in our backyard lately........a breeding pair of the pigeons has established a nest in a palm tree in the back yard. Since residency has been established, we have had two significant storms along with very strong winds in front of the storm rain. They do seem secure in the site now.
Very early days..........definitely no eggs yet.
Watch this space for updates.
It is unusual, as I cannot remember seeing Torres Strait pigeons breeding in our yard before, yet we have had plenty of palms. We have a few large trees, so bird nests are not unusual, but most of the nests seem to be those of honeyeaters, another common bird in backyards.
They seem to now be permanently here, or at least there are many now who seem to make Darwin home. In Darwin house yards we have an abundance of palms trees, especially Carpentaria palms and they absolutely love to eat the medium sized, bright, red seeds. These seeds are quite acidic, and the pulp around the seed can burn your hands.........they love to eat that and then drop or sometimes excrete the actual seed kernel, along with some acidic waste pulp. That material can lift paint off cars!!
There has however, been much ado in our backyard lately........a breeding pair of the pigeons has established a nest in a palm tree in the back yard. Since residency has been established, we have had two significant storms along with very strong winds in front of the storm rain. They do seem secure in the site now.
Very early days..........definitely no eggs yet.
Watch this space for updates.
It is unusual, as I cannot remember seeing Torres Strait pigeons breeding in our yard before, yet we have had plenty of palms. We have a few large trees, so bird nests are not unusual, but most of the nests seem to be those of honeyeaters, another common bird in backyards.
Saturday, 25 September 2010
A Tree Climbing Dog??
Well, actually..........NO.
However, it is VERY disconcerting to hear the sound of an apparent dog bark coming from up in the trees surrounding our house. We have a locally resident barking owl in our neighbourhood.
First noticed a few weeks ago on a quiet still evening, coming from behind the house, then in the large African mahogany at the front, near the street, then in the next door neighbour's trees.
A good quality torch was grabbed.........and there it was, back in the mahogany, then flew off a little way. Since then there has been a fairly regular cry in the evening.
We do have many trees around us, so there is plenty of sites to use.
There is a lot of information on this site: http://birdsinbackyards.net/species/Ninox-connivens
and some quality photos here - http://www.ntbirds.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=10
Obviously not so common in other places but it seems to be fairly common here in Darwin. The bird call is just like a quiet dog bark.
However, it is VERY disconcerting to hear the sound of an apparent dog bark coming from up in the trees surrounding our house. We have a locally resident barking owl in our neighbourhood.
First noticed a few weeks ago on a quiet still evening, coming from behind the house, then in the large African mahogany at the front, near the street, then in the next door neighbour's trees.
A good quality torch was grabbed.........and there it was, back in the mahogany, then flew off a little way. Since then there has been a fairly regular cry in the evening.
We do have many trees around us, so there is plenty of sites to use.
There is a lot of information on this site: http://birdsinbackyards.net/species/Ninox-connivens
and some quality photos here - http://www.ntbirds.net/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=10
Obviously not so common in other places but it seems to be fairly common here in Darwin. The bird call is just like a quiet dog bark.
Monday, 20 September 2010
FOUND - A New Tropical Frog
Frogs are supposed to be the barometer of the environment. If that is true, then the NT is doing ok............a new frog has been found!!
Rumour also hath it that there may be more.......
After all, the region is relatively unexplored for both flora and fauna, so one could expect these sorts of events, I guess.
But.......it is a new frog, and is as yet unnamed.
More about it here http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/20/3016622.htm including a photo. There are more on the ABC web site too.
And not to be outdone, a new plant was also found recently, near Emerald Springs [ see more here - http://oldfartz-on-tour.blogspot.com/2010/09/emerald-springs-revisited.html ] south of Darwin. This plant however, does have a name - Alysicarpus suffruticosa - a close relative of buffalo clover.
Rumour also hath it that there may be more.......
After all, the region is relatively unexplored for both flora and fauna, so one could expect these sorts of events, I guess.
But.......it is a new frog, and is as yet unnamed.
More about it here http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/20/3016622.htm including a photo. There are more on the ABC web site too.
And not to be outdone, a new plant was also found recently, near Emerald Springs [ see more here - http://oldfartz-on-tour.blogspot.com/2010/09/emerald-springs-revisited.html ] south of Darwin. This plant however, does have a name - Alysicarpus suffruticosa - a close relative of buffalo clover.
Sunday, 12 September 2010
The Weeping Rosewoods are DYING
What a difference a year makes......................
This is what the trees were like a year ago, shown in the middle photo
http://monsoon-frog.blogspot.com/2009/11/yellow-flowers-but-be-quick.html
The weeping rosewoods have beautiful yellow flowers, and are magnificent shady trees.
BUT........a dreadful disease is slowly killing many of the now large trees around Darwin.
The photo below was taken today.......and all the trees in the previous post, about 10 months ago are DEAD, very dead!!!
This is what the trees were like a year ago, shown in the middle photo
http://monsoon-frog.blogspot.com/2009/11/yellow-flowers-but-be-quick.html
The weeping rosewoods have beautiful yellow flowers, and are magnificent shady trees.
BUT........a dreadful disease is slowly killing many of the now large trees around Darwin.
The photo below was taken today.......and all the trees in the previous post, about 10 months ago are DEAD, very dead!!!
The problem was first noted in the main city area, and these trees are alongside Bagot Road, at Millner, in the northern suburbs of Darwin, maybe 12 -13km from the first dead trees.
It is hoped disease resistant lines will be available in maybe a year or so, but till then, there will be a lot more trees dead, and sadly, it is the larger specimens that seem to die.
And there are a lot of these trees around Darwin.
Friday, 10 September 2010
Its OVER........
Australia has a new government................but for how long?
Plenty of pundits [ on both sides of politics] are saying the new Labor government will be lucky to last 18 months.
It will be an absolute roller coaster of a ride so watch out.................
There are plenty of media stories around on all major channels.
The cartoon seems to sum up well the predicament of the new Prime Minister.
[cartoon "borrowed" from Punch magazine]
Plenty of pundits [ on both sides of politics] are saying the new Labor government will be lucky to last 18 months.
It will be an absolute roller coaster of a ride so watch out.................
There are plenty of media stories around on all major channels.
The cartoon seems to sum up well the predicament of the new Prime Minister.
[cartoon "borrowed" from Punch magazine]
Sunday, 29 August 2010
Election 2010 - Ongoing Saga
One week after the election, and we still do not have an outcome at national level.
Remember the Chinese saying.........'may you live in interesting times".............seems it is, and might be for a while yet.
Lots of column inches in the newspapers, and almost any other media. Still.
Most recent comment seen late this evening was that one of the key 'non-aligned" players thought there might be certainity by the end of this coming week.
A friend commented to me today............"do we need them?? Country is still functioning, thanks to the bureaucrats!"
Remember the Chinese saying.........'may you live in interesting times".............seems it is, and might be for a while yet.
Lots of column inches in the newspapers, and almost any other media. Still.
Most recent comment seen late this evening was that one of the key 'non-aligned" players thought there might be certainity by the end of this coming week.
A friend commented to me today............"do we need them?? Country is still functioning, thanks to the bureaucrats!"
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Election 2010
It was election day in Australia yesterday. I guess we do get to vote, so that is something.
BUT.............the cartoon from the AFR on Saturday, says it best, I think.
We in the NT seat of Solomon, appear to have a newly elected member of the Parliament lower house............a woman, Natasha Griggs, from the CLP. Bye bye Damian Hale - he was voted out!
But at national level, who knows???
Monday, 9 August 2010
Chinese Milk and Dairy Products- More Problems??
Recent reports are surfacing in China about high hormone levels in young children who have been drinking a particular milk brand of powdered milk.
Some children have been tested for hormone levels and results indicate that these are at levels equal to adult women, and the young children have been developing breasts.
The suspicion is that hormones fed to dairy cows to boost production are being found in milk. This livestock production practice is generally banned in most countires.
Comes back to the same issue.............do you trust Chinese food, especially fresh food imported to Australia?
Other than milk, there are a lot of fresh and frozen vegetables from China arriving in Australia via New Zealand, where they are repacked and get to qualify as "free entry" since they are now ostensibly "from New Zealand".
I for one am very unsure about food quality control in China.............let alone issues around corruption and poor production practices. While milk from China does not come to Australia, it does get exported to some other countries of SE Asia.
read more here-
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/entertainment/7733883/china-milk-powder-blamed-for-baby-breasts/
No doubt there will be more media coverage.
Some children have been tested for hormone levels and results indicate that these are at levels equal to adult women, and the young children have been developing breasts.
The suspicion is that hormones fed to dairy cows to boost production are being found in milk. This livestock production practice is generally banned in most countires.
Comes back to the same issue.............do you trust Chinese food, especially fresh food imported to Australia?
Other than milk, there are a lot of fresh and frozen vegetables from China arriving in Australia via New Zealand, where they are repacked and get to qualify as "free entry" since they are now ostensibly "from New Zealand".
I for one am very unsure about food quality control in China.............let alone issues around corruption and poor production practices. While milk from China does not come to Australia, it does get exported to some other countries of SE Asia.
read more here-
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/entertainment/7733883/china-milk-powder-blamed-for-baby-breasts/
No doubt there will be more media coverage.
Monday, 26 July 2010
Hot July Night [ with a wink to Neil Diamond]
It is July. The coolest [ note- NOT coldest] month of the year...........or it used to be. A time when Darwinians could gloat, just a little, at southerners, as the night temperature dropped below 20C, usually consistently, along with clear sky and warm but not too hot days. And a nice cool E / SE wind during the day. No doonas, nor even a light blanket, but at least a sheet on top and mostly not even an overhead fan going.
One expects a hot August night in the northern summer, but it should be a cool July night here!
BUT..........
It just ain't so.......
The past three nights have seen three of the hottest July nights on record for Darwin. Friday night equalled the previous hottest minimum for July of 25C, followed by Saturday night with a new record of 25.8C as the hottest minimum for July. But wait, that is not all.........last night was an even hotter night with a minimum temperature of 26.6C. Yes............that is the mimimum temperature, not yesterdays maximum.
It was 29C in the office as I opened the door this morning around 0800.
At least we have been sitting up at night watching the Tour de France on TV, not getting off to bed. But last night it was around 30C at 0100 this morning, and we decided...............the air conditioner got a run, after really crappy sleeping nights over the past few nights!
So we had a resonable sleep.
But an air conditioner for night time use in July????? That is crazy!
One expects a hot August night in the northern summer, but it should be a cool July night here!
BUT..........It just ain't so.......
The past three nights have seen three of the hottest July nights on record for Darwin. Friday night equalled the previous hottest minimum for July of 25C, followed by Saturday night with a new record of 25.8C as the hottest minimum for July. But wait, that is not all.........last night was an even hotter night with a minimum temperature of 26.6C. Yes............that is the mimimum temperature, not yesterdays maximum.
It was 29C in the office as I opened the door this morning around 0800.
At least we have been sitting up at night watching the Tour de France on TV, not getting off to bed. But last night it was around 30C at 0100 this morning, and we decided...............the air conditioner got a run, after really crappy sleeping nights over the past few nights!
So we had a resonable sleep.
But an air conditioner for night time use in July????? That is crazy!
Tuesday, 20 July 2010
Sexy High Heels?
Nothing like a great pair of womens' legs, accentuated in a nice pair of high heeled shoes.
Just ask any leg man!
However, it is not all good, health wise, according to recent research work, explored further here:
In essence, wearing high heels too much shortens the calf muscles and increases the thickness of the Achilles tendon, leading to further leg and ankle problems. Remedies are discussed in the article, but it means less good legs to look at.
Hardly likely to be replaced by this, though.........
Wednesday, 7 July 2010
The Dry Season Is Here and Frogs Are on the Move
Sounds like a conundrum.........but it seems to be true.
Trouble is, the move has been to come inside the house.......into the toilet bowl, and other damper places.
Anyone who has lived in the tropics will know that frogs in strange places are inevitable. BUT.....that is usually when the weather is wet, and frogs are common. At the present time although we have been away for 8 days, we have found frogs inside the closed house on returning.
I know we had cracker night [fireworks] and some dogs and cats get frightened..........could that have caused the frogs to hide inside too? Or have they just sought out a nice quiet dark place, not quite as dry as outside, where the humidity is very low [not so good for frog skin]?
Whatever.............too many frogs in the loo, too many on the tiled floors inside the house, not to mention the few also jumping around on the outside tiled terrace area. Those on the floor definitely a bit on the dry side, although the toilet bowl dwellers were having a great time!
Clammy frog fingers are not a pleasant experience when visiting the loo, however! Had to go...... all of them!
Trouble is, the move has been to come inside the house.......into the toilet bowl, and other damper places.
Anyone who has lived in the tropics will know that frogs in strange places are inevitable. BUT.....that is usually when the weather is wet, and frogs are common. At the present time although we have been away for 8 days, we have found frogs inside the closed house on returning.
I know we had cracker night [fireworks] and some dogs and cats get frightened..........could that have caused the frogs to hide inside too? Or have they just sought out a nice quiet dark place, not quite as dry as outside, where the humidity is very low [not so good for frog skin]?
Whatever.............too many frogs in the loo, too many on the tiled floors inside the house, not to mention the few also jumping around on the outside tiled terrace area. Those on the floor definitely a bit on the dry side, although the toilet bowl dwellers were having a great time!
Clammy frog fingers are not a pleasant experience when visiting the loo, however! Had to go...... all of them!
Tuesday, 6 July 2010
Red Bull Art of Can
Red Bull is a well known sports drink, and they sponsor a very exiciting aeroplane race at locations around the world too.
And they also sponsor an art prize............ for art made from aluminium cans. Darwin is well known for the Beer Can Regatta where the boats are made from cans, and a local from Darwin also constructed and sailed a beer can boat from Darwin to Singapore in the 1980s. But an art prize for cans???
In 2010 it is in Singapore and the art work is truly spectacular. The on line catalogue does not do the art work justice - photos I think are a little washed out, and slightly over exposed, for what are shining examples of creativity by Singaporean artists.
Have a look at : http://www.redbullartofcan.sg/ [not - .com.sg!!] for more information. Links to earlier exhibitions too.
Art show closes 11 July.......at *Scape in Singapore............but the web site will remain.
The top photo is titled - Samurai, but it is not listed in the catalogue. Definitely my favourite. Lower photo - title is "Very Happy'.
More photos being posted shortly at http://www.flickr.com/ at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/surfie999/4795292361/in/photostream/?rotated=1&cb=1279182337843
Monday, 28 June 2010
Studies Give Coffee a Positive Rap
The pundits say that tea is good for you. Well, it now
seems that for us coffee drinkers there is a benefit too, so one can indulge in a great coffee.......now knowing it is good for your health, with 3-4 cups being a good 'dose" daily.
seems that for us coffee drinkers there is a benefit too, so one can indulge in a great coffee.......now knowing it is good for your health, with 3-4 cups being a good 'dose" daily.Recent studies show coffee makes you sharper, lowers cancer risks, reduces neural degeneration and age related brain damage.
It also seems to lower risks of incurring stroke and coronary diseases, by at least 19% in studies on female patients over the past 25 years. That is a significant longitudinal study.
Read more here -http://www.enn.com/top_stories/article/41475
So, coffee drinkers..............here's to us!
Sunday, 27 June 2010
Lunar Eclipse Last Night
We were among the lucky ones.............a great view of the eclipse last night.
There was no prior announcement locally, although not a surprise. I was coming back from swimming training, and noticed a small gap on the moon. A bit odd Methinks.........looks suspiciously like a small lunar eclipse.
Checked it out online after getting home..........and we would get a great view! Only seen across the Pacific, Australia and eastern Malaysia. Darwin had a great view, as moon rose almost into the eclipse as sunset was around 1830hrs and moonrise just after 1900hrs with the eclipse commencing soon after that. Photo is very similar to early stage from last night, but is from an earlier one in 2001, taken in the US by Richard Seaman.
There was no prior announcement locally, although not a surprise. I was coming back from swimming training, and noticed a small gap on the moon. A bit odd Methinks.........looks suspiciously like a small lunar eclipse.
Checked it out online after getting home..........and we would get a great view! Only seen across the Pacific, Australia and eastern Malaysia. Darwin had a great view, as moon rose almost into the eclipse as sunset was around 1830hrs and moonrise just after 1900hrs with the eclipse commencing soon after that. Photo is very similar to early stage from last night, but is from an earlier one in 2001, taken in the US by Richard Seaman.
Maximum coverage was about when the moon was high in the sky, so it was a great view, on a clear cloudless dry season night, with maximum cover in Darwin at about 2100hrs.
While we usually know what it is today, I wonder how ancient peoples wondered about the events??
While we usually know what it is today, I wonder how ancient peoples wondered about the events??
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Identity Theft IS Real
No, it has not happened to me........well, not yet, as far as I know.
Recent data from Australia, and this is probably similar elsewhere in westernised countries, is that while people are concerned, they do little..........really.........NOTHING to prevent it occurring.
There are simple steps you can take that can reduce the chance of it happening. And it includes not getting boozed and losing your wallet or mobile phone too!! A bit of an issue with the 20 somethings, from reports.
Australian credit agencies reckon there are a few simple practices that do help this not happening and recommends you take a few steps to make it a bit harder for the crims, to effectively deflect them from you to easier targets:
1. Check your credit file regularly and sign up to an alert service to be notified if someone applies for credit in your name;
2. Change passwords and PINs regularly, and have more complex PIN numbers;
3. Lock your mail box and shred personal information, such a bank account statements / utilities / [a personal electric shredder costs about $30 here in Australia];
4. Store personal information in a secure database so it can be easily cancelled regardless of your location;
5. Sign up to a loss assistance and retrieval service for financial cards, mobile phones, documents and personal valuables and
6. Keep track of the personal information stored in your wallet / handbag / mobile phone / PC or PDA.
Remember, just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
Oh, and remember............you might have a lot of data hanging out on Facebook too. [Bugger!!.....too late if it is]
Recent data from Australia, and this is probably similar elsewhere in westernised countries, is that while people are concerned, they do little..........really.........NOTHING to prevent it occurring.
There are simple steps you can take that can reduce the chance of it happening. And it includes not getting boozed and losing your wallet or mobile phone too!! A bit of an issue with the 20 somethings, from reports.
Australian credit agencies reckon there are a few simple practices that do help this not happening and recommends you take a few steps to make it a bit harder for the crims, to effectively deflect them from you to easier targets:
1. Check your credit file regularly and sign up to an alert service to be notified if someone applies for credit in your name;
2. Change passwords and PINs regularly, and have more complex PIN numbers;
3. Lock your mail box and shred personal information, such a bank account statements / utilities / [a personal electric shredder costs about $30 here in Australia];
4. Store personal information in a secure database so it can be easily cancelled regardless of your location;
5. Sign up to a loss assistance and retrieval service for financial cards, mobile phones, documents and personal valuables and
6. Keep track of the personal information stored in your wallet / handbag / mobile phone / PC or PDA.
Remember, just because you're paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get you.
Oh, and remember............you might have a lot of data hanging out on Facebook too. [Bugger!!.....too late if it is]
Monday, 14 June 2010
Is It Fixed??
The football World Cup is now on.
And Australia got totally thumped, humped and blasted by Germany in their first game. By four goals! oh dear ------4-0!
Interesting outcome, even worse than possibly feared. Will they get past the preliminaries?
An even more interesting interview today was on Radio National here in Australia with Declan Hill, author of the book, "The Fix". It is based on his PhD thesis at Oxford that examines the fixing of soccer games worldwide.
The interview is absolutely fascinating, and definitely gives one something to think about regarding football.
Go the Socceroos!
Download the audio file here - [ about 8 mins]:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/australiatalks/index/subjects_Sport_2010.htm the heading is "Fascination Football" on 14 June.
And Australia got totally thumped, humped and blasted by Germany in their first game. By four goals! oh dear ------4-0!
Interesting outcome, even worse than possibly feared. Will they get past the preliminaries?
An even more interesting interview today was on Radio National here in Australia with Declan Hill, author of the book, "The Fix". It is based on his PhD thesis at Oxford that examines the fixing of soccer games worldwide.
The interview is absolutely fascinating, and definitely gives one something to think about regarding football.
Go the Socceroos!
Download the audio file here - [ about 8 mins]:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/australiatalks/index/subjects_Sport_2010.htm the heading is "Fascination Football" on 14 June.
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Women now Violent?
A Northern Territory researcher says studies show women can be just as violent as men and social changes are behind a reported rise in violence among young women.
A senior lecturer in psychology at Charles Darwin University, Dr Peter Forster, says there is no truth to the argument that testosterone levels make men more aggressive.
He says social factors such as the rise of feminism in the last few decades could be behind the rise in violence amongst women.
"We've now taken away the expectation that women will behave differently to men," he said.
"It used to be that one of the biggest differences was that women were more peaceful, they were peacemakers."[But] that kind of inhibition to be violent has gradually diminished to the point where it no longer inhibits women at all."
Does playing soccer and football encourage women to be violent?
Lets be provocative.............what do women think??
A senior lecturer in psychology at Charles Darwin University, Dr Peter Forster, says there is no truth to the argument that testosterone levels make men more aggressive.
He says social factors such as the rise of feminism in the last few decades could be behind the rise in violence amongst women.
"We've now taken away the expectation that women will behave differently to men," he said.
"It used to be that one of the biggest differences was that women were more peaceful, they were peacemakers."[But] that kind of inhibition to be violent has gradually diminished to the point where it no longer inhibits women at all."
Does playing soccer and football encourage women to be violent?
Lets be provocative.............what do women think??
Saturday, 29 May 2010
Yellow Steps have GONE
I blogged some time back on the strange appearance of yellow steps on a cycle path close to home.
They have gone..........enveloped by a giant asphalt machine. While I may lament their passing...........and my curiousity about who did it remains, their loss is really a fantastic gain.
A brand spanking new, widened to four metres, covered in super smooth road grade asphalt hot-mix cycle path appeared this week. Has been some goings on and repair work for a few weeks, but it was thought it was just that......minor repairs. This is some bike path now!
I had originally been one of the "urgers" seeking the development of the bike path along Rapid Creek, urging the then local politician to seek funding to get it built. Our family has used it for many years, with the bike path the usual route to and from the pool for training, a daily event for us swimmers in the family. The path originally built was about 1.8m wide, and really too narrow - the game plan was to aim for 3.6m. It widened to about 2.5m a few years ago, but was still too narrow for the traffic.
But.......wow.........this is now a great bike path. Sets a very good standard for other local cycle paths to upgrade.
Maybe the wags who created the yellow steps will be back.........hasta la vista!!!
Congratulations - Darwin City Council!
They have gone..........enveloped by a giant asphalt machine. While I may lament their passing...........and my curiousity about who did it remains, their loss is really a fantastic gain.
A brand spanking new, widened to four metres, covered in super smooth road grade asphalt hot-mix cycle path appeared this week. Has been some goings on and repair work for a few weeks, but it was thought it was just that......minor repairs. This is some bike path now!
I had originally been one of the "urgers" seeking the development of the bike path along Rapid Creek, urging the then local politician to seek funding to get it built. Our family has used it for many years, with the bike path the usual route to and from the pool for training, a daily event for us swimmers in the family. The path originally built was about 1.8m wide, and really too narrow - the game plan was to aim for 3.6m. It widened to about 2.5m a few years ago, but was still too narrow for the traffic.
But.......wow.........this is now a great bike path. Sets a very good standard for other local cycle paths to upgrade.
Maybe the wags who created the yellow steps will be back.........hasta la vista!!!
Congratulations - Darwin City Council!
Friday, 28 May 2010
Art Installation by Trevor
Trevor Jenkins is a Darwin character. Many of you non - Darwinians would say - a complete nutter! We tend to let live here, and in many ways the town is richer in character.
Trevor is religious and honours his creator by collecting rubbish; he reads the bible too. Maybe that should be ordered the other way?
Anyway, been round town for quite a few years and is, in many ways quite respected. Even has won a "Pride of Darwin" award. He is homeless, but quite cogent and sensible to speak with, and even gets an occassional radio interview. He has also been co-opted by several volunteer groups to assist with anti-litter advertising.
He spends his evenings [usually, rather than day time which is a bit hot] collecting roadside rubbish...........the stuff left behind by commercial services. It is usually in neat, small piles and the local council does pick them up and remove them.
However, his recent art installation was something to behold. Complete with old chair, metal stanchion support and a fork in the tree branch angle. Right on the corner of a major intersection.
Artists get paid big bucks for art.............will Trevor be joining that elite soon?
Judge for yourself!
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
It's THEIR Turn
The pre wet season period in the monsoonal tropics [say 27N to 25S] can be appallingly trying.
It is hot, little cloud, high humidity, burning near direct overhead sun, and every time there is a shower of rain, the humidity goes up a few notches, breezes are low to non existent...........I could go on for some time.
In Darwin, this period is "madness month" or month of the falling mango, as it coincides with peak mango harvest - say October to mid December. Once rain is more regular, and clouds increase, it does cool somewhat, with the increased cloud cover an important factor.
At the moment while we still have residual humidity here in Darwin.......it just will not go away this year, maybe this weekend.....I wondered how the recent troubles in Thailand have been influenced by THEIR pre wet season, hot weather?
Songkran [ Water Festival/ Buddhist New Year] is mid April........that is early in the build up.
It has been quite hot and steamy in Thailand since then, with not too much cooling rain so far.............surely this must be influencing [badly] decision making?
It is hot, little cloud, high humidity, burning near direct overhead sun, and every time there is a shower of rain, the humidity goes up a few notches, breezes are low to non existent...........I could go on for some time.
In Darwin, this period is "madness month" or month of the falling mango, as it coincides with peak mango harvest - say October to mid December. Once rain is more regular, and clouds increase, it does cool somewhat, with the increased cloud cover an important factor.
At the moment while we still have residual humidity here in Darwin.......it just will not go away this year, maybe this weekend.....I wondered how the recent troubles in Thailand have been influenced by THEIR pre wet season, hot weather?
Songkran [ Water Festival/ Buddhist New Year] is mid April........that is early in the build up.
It has been quite hot and steamy in Thailand since then, with not too much cooling rain so far.............surely this must be influencing [badly] decision making?
One has to remember that other parts of the world also cop crappy weather before the monsoon.
Tuesday, 18 May 2010
Cramped Vision
Oh dear................five long weeks [plus] without a new post.
Doesn't time fly if you are having fun......or busy? Several trips away to distant places, work [not done while away], and a bit of writers block do not aid the sensible scribbling on paper.
That in itself raises some issues. We all seem to use keyboards today, but the easy flow of pen or pencil on paper is quite inspiring.
I spent many months away from family working overseas in some pretty remote regions where letters were it! No phones, telegrams, faxes, let alone computers and e-mail [some of these places still exist you know]. Often letters were quite soliloqual [ except I guess technically a soliloquy is a spoken, not a written piece] conveying observations, events and miscellanea, getting my personal view to the readers in my family. But I actually enjoyed the flow of words across the page.
Keyboards are not quite the same. NEVER.
A hand written note is the exception today............and it is always nice to get one. Or send one too, as a short thank you, bereavement note, even as a card.
BUT.............back to the keyboard.
Darwin can be an odd place........it is mid May, and it has been seriously raining and expected to continue. The local newspaper found an old news item today - May 18 1989, with a photo of heavy rain on that day - 89mm [that is quite a bit], so it is not necessarily rare. But unusual, well yes, if in volume! Especially since it has been about five weeks without much rain except for a few less than 1mm scuds.
However, good for the garden, lawns and will save irrigating.
Interesting conjunction between blog posts and rain.............maybe the recent irrigating rain has allowed the fingers to function again!
Doesn't time fly if you are having fun......or busy? Several trips away to distant places, work [not done while away], and a bit of writers block do not aid the sensible scribbling on paper.
That in itself raises some issues. We all seem to use keyboards today, but the easy flow of pen or pencil on paper is quite inspiring.
I spent many months away from family working overseas in some pretty remote regions where letters were it! No phones, telegrams, faxes, let alone computers and e-mail [some of these places still exist you know]. Often letters were quite soliloqual [ except I guess technically a soliloquy is a spoken, not a written piece] conveying observations, events and miscellanea, getting my personal view to the readers in my family. But I actually enjoyed the flow of words across the page.
Keyboards are not quite the same. NEVER.
A hand written note is the exception today............and it is always nice to get one. Or send one too, as a short thank you, bereavement note, even as a card.
BUT.............back to the keyboard.
Darwin can be an odd place........it is mid May, and it has been seriously raining and expected to continue. The local newspaper found an old news item today - May 18 1989, with a photo of heavy rain on that day - 89mm [that is quite a bit], so it is not necessarily rare. But unusual, well yes, if in volume! Especially since it has been about five weeks without much rain except for a few less than 1mm scuds.
However, good for the garden, lawns and will save irrigating.
Interesting conjunction between blog posts and rain.............maybe the recent irrigating rain has allowed the fingers to function again!
Thursday, 15 April 2010
Why Is It Brave to Want It All?
Reproduced from
Camilla Cavendish From: The Times April 10, 2010
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/why-is-it-brave-to-want-it-all/story-e6frg6zo-1225852004961
SO here I am, "fresh" back from maternity leave but feeling about 102, gripped by a vertiginous fear that the third child was a step too far. I am standing on a cliff edge marked "woman who failed".
My baby is blessedly robust and easy, yet I can't remember the names of colleagues, have lost my security pass and need a thesaurus to write. My brain is on the blink.
With the first two children, I managed to cover up for deficiencies by wearing mascara and cultivating an air of efficiency.
It is a maddening aspect of modern life that most careers take off when we are in our 30s. Many of us hit a period of acceleration at 30, just when we are thinking about children. If you miss the moment, it's almost impossible to catch up.
The early 40s are prime time for men. British political leaders David Cameron and Nick Clegg are 43, the age at which Tony Blair became prime minister. Many men are at the top of their game when many women are waylaid by teething, phonics, lunch boxes and childcare.
These things seem to clog up the brain's easy access account and push other information - the size of the deficit or the news from Tehran - into some kind of remote cognitive overdraft facility. Hands-on fathers are better able to compartmentalise than many working mothers, because we are the ones who get the call when the shoes are lost or the child is ill.
This shouldn't matter so much. In a working life that might span 40 years, it seems absurd that a few middle years can be make or break. Yet downsizing temporarily can have a devastating effect on female careers. In the US, the writer and thinker Sylvia Ann Hewlett has found that women lose about a third of their earning power if they take even three years out to care for children or relatives. Some drop in earnings is inevitable. What is scary is the permanent relegation of many older women to the sidelines.
In her book Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success, Hewlett finds that 37 per cent of highly qualified American women voluntarily leave their careers at some point. Another 30 per cent take what she calls the "scenic route", working part-time and/or from home. A whopping 93 per cent of those women try later to get back on to the career highway, but half fail to find an "on-ramp" back to mainstream jobs. Some become self-employed. Many end up in jobs for which they are over-qualified. This is an extraordinary waste of talent. What employers see as a "gap" in a resume has actually been filled with learning how to parent, negotiate with small irrational people, remain patient and alert on almost no sleep - surely all valuable management skills.
-----------------------
Well ladies, what have you got to say about that???
Camilla Cavendish From: The Times April 10, 2010
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/why-is-it-brave-to-want-it-all/story-e6frg6zo-1225852004961
SO here I am, "fresh" back from maternity leave but feeling about 102, gripped by a vertiginous fear that the third child was a step too far. I am standing on a cliff edge marked "woman who failed".
My baby is blessedly robust and easy, yet I can't remember the names of colleagues, have lost my security pass and need a thesaurus to write. My brain is on the blink.
With the first two children, I managed to cover up for deficiencies by wearing mascara and cultivating an air of efficiency.
It is a maddening aspect of modern life that most careers take off when we are in our 30s. Many of us hit a period of acceleration at 30, just when we are thinking about children. If you miss the moment, it's almost impossible to catch up.
The early 40s are prime time for men. British political leaders David Cameron and Nick Clegg are 43, the age at which Tony Blair became prime minister. Many men are at the top of their game when many women are waylaid by teething, phonics, lunch boxes and childcare.
These things seem to clog up the brain's easy access account and push other information - the size of the deficit or the news from Tehran - into some kind of remote cognitive overdraft facility. Hands-on fathers are better able to compartmentalise than many working mothers, because we are the ones who get the call when the shoes are lost or the child is ill.
This shouldn't matter so much. In a working life that might span 40 years, it seems absurd that a few middle years can be make or break. Yet downsizing temporarily can have a devastating effect on female careers. In the US, the writer and thinker Sylvia Ann Hewlett has found that women lose about a third of their earning power if they take even three years out to care for children or relatives. Some drop in earnings is inevitable. What is scary is the permanent relegation of many older women to the sidelines.
In her book Off-Ramps and On-Ramps: Keeping Talented Women on the Road to Success, Hewlett finds that 37 per cent of highly qualified American women voluntarily leave their careers at some point. Another 30 per cent take what she calls the "scenic route", working part-time and/or from home. A whopping 93 per cent of those women try later to get back on to the career highway, but half fail to find an "on-ramp" back to mainstream jobs. Some become self-employed. Many end up in jobs for which they are over-qualified. This is an extraordinary waste of talent. What employers see as a "gap" in a resume has actually been filled with learning how to parent, negotiate with small irrational people, remain patient and alert on almost no sleep - surely all valuable management skills.
-----------------------
Well ladies, what have you got to say about that???
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Long Live the Grey Legion in Lycra ...
[editorial from The Weekend Australian newspaper of April 10, 2010]
Guest Blog ... what the Monsoon Frog is reading while he is recuperating ...
"Which is what older men who take up exercise generally do
THEY were out this morning, swimming and cycling, lifting weights and running laps, the army of middle-age men who understand the way to stay sane and live long is to exercise like mad - which in Tony Abbott's case, as he rides from Melbourne to Sydney, looks like a literal description. These blokes of a certain age don't have to share the Opposition Leader's opinions on other matters to know he is on to something, that exercise is an investment in health and sanity, that they feel better, think smarter, are easier to live with and more reconciled to life's routine rejections when they are fit. And they know it is cheaper and safer than self-medicating on alcohol, which is what many men in their 50s watched their dads endure. So good for the legions in lycra - they may be sweating but it's not over the small stuff."
Comment from the Monsoon Frog
It is about time that the rest of the population came to the realisation that we are not mad, no......absolutely the opposite. And it is fun, develops camaderie and as has been said, it is good for you. But to get an editorial in the premier national newspaper.......that is something else!
As someone who has been considered a bit crazy over exercise, and been a regular exercise person since primary school, I liken it to the words of Zorba in the movie "Zorba the Greek" as Anthony Quinn intones ......"a man needs a little madness" except here it is exercise!
The madness is really among those who DO NOT exercise. Yes, Jim Fixx the runner's junkie died while running, but I bet he was still enjoying himself. Exercise IS good for you. Yes, we do not always do what is good for oneself, but with exercise, and all the benefits that come from it, one is a bit crazy not to indulge.
Guest Blog ... what the Monsoon Frog is reading while he is recuperating ...
"Which is what older men who take up exercise generally do
THEY were out this morning, swimming and cycling, lifting weights and running laps, the army of middle-age men who understand the way to stay sane and live long is to exercise like mad - which in Tony Abbott's case, as he rides from Melbourne to Sydney, looks like a literal description. These blokes of a certain age don't have to share the Opposition Leader's opinions on other matters to know he is on to something, that exercise is an investment in health and sanity, that they feel better, think smarter, are easier to live with and more reconciled to life's routine rejections when they are fit. And they know it is cheaper and safer than self-medicating on alcohol, which is what many men in their 50s watched their dads endure. So good for the legions in lycra - they may be sweating but it's not over the small stuff."
Comment from the Monsoon Frog
It is about time that the rest of the population came to the realisation that we are not mad, no......absolutely the opposite. And it is fun, develops camaderie and as has been said, it is good for you. But to get an editorial in the premier national newspaper.......that is something else!
As someone who has been considered a bit crazy over exercise, and been a regular exercise person since primary school, I liken it to the words of Zorba in the movie "Zorba the Greek" as Anthony Quinn intones ......"a man needs a little madness" except here it is exercise!
The madness is really among those who DO NOT exercise. Yes, Jim Fixx the runner's junkie died while running, but I bet he was still enjoying himself. Exercise IS good for you. Yes, we do not always do what is good for oneself, but with exercise, and all the benefits that come from it, one is a bit crazy not to indulge.
As the guest blogger says....."I know that the MF is a lot easier to live with when he has his swim every day, or at least regularly ..."
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