Hmmm... I haven't updated for a while, but there isn't really much to tell.
I may be out of a job soon, as the friendly come hostile takeover has come to a head. The other company won in the Supreme Court, so after 3 or whatever years we will finally be able to sort ourselves out.
In a southern drawl, "Well Maah, it's been a tad warm of late..." It was bloody 42c today!! That's nearly 108f in Yank speak. Thankfully I don't live further north, as they have been having days up to 47c. Tomorrow is expected to be 29c, so all good. :-)
See what it's come to!?! Now I'm a bloody weatherman!! hahaha
Monday, January 31, 2005
Tuesday, January 25, 2005
I don't read forums to look at your 5 meg avatar!!
This is to all the forum users out there that have no idea how to use an image editing program. I read forums to gain knowledge, not to look at your bloody huge avatar...
"But when I see it on the forum page it looks the right size!", I hear you exclaim.
That's because the forum has just changed the dimensions of the picture to fit their design, not physically made your picture smaller. If you Right click on the Image (your avatar, for example) and select Properties from the menu, check the size of your picture. If it's more than 20kb you need to resize it!!
Check this link... IrfanView.com
This program is so basic to use, and FREE, it allows even the most computer illiterate forum users to resize the picture they want in their avatar.
Step 1: Click File > Open (or the open folder icon on the top left of the window) and choose the big picture you want as your avatar.
Step 2: Click Image > Resize/Resample (or press CTRL + R)
Step 3: Type in a new size in pixels for the width eg. 100 pixels is plenty huge enough, smaller is better. Press ENTER and you're done.
Step 4: Save your file as a different file name by Clicking File > Save As ( or clicking on the little disc at the top of the window, or press S)
Now you have a nice small version of your big picture to use as an avatar. Upload it and make your fellow forum users happy.
"But when I see it on the forum page it looks the right size!", I hear you exclaim.
That's because the forum has just changed the dimensions of the picture to fit their design, not physically made your picture smaller. If you Right click on the Image (your avatar, for example) and select Properties from the menu, check the size of your picture. If it's more than 20kb you need to resize it!!
Check this link... IrfanView.com
This program is so basic to use, and FREE, it allows even the most computer illiterate forum users to resize the picture they want in their avatar.
Step 1: Click File > Open (or the open folder icon on the top left of the window) and choose the big picture you want as your avatar.
Step 2: Click Image > Resize/Resample (or press CTRL + R)
Step 3: Type in a new size in pixels for the width eg. 100 pixels is plenty huge enough, smaller is better. Press ENTER and you're done.
Step 4: Save your file as a different file name by Clicking File > Save As ( or clicking on the little disc at the top of the window, or press S)
Now you have a nice small version of your big picture to use as an avatar. Upload it and make your fellow forum users happy.
Magazine errors...
So I was reading my new copy of Zoom magazine, a car magazine, reading all the great tech info, when I come across an article about an old shape Skyline. Being a Nissan it sparked my interest and I read on. My gripe with this article is that the author couldn't decide which motor was installed in the car. In one paragraph he decides the original naturally aspirated motor was replaced with an RB25DET, usually found in the R33 Skyline GTST, and in the next he has changed it to an RB20DET, found in the R32 Skyline GTST. So what is it!?!
Might I suggest to the magazine editors/writers that you actually send a copy of your article to the actual owner of the vehicle, or to the workshop that did the work. This would help confirm the details and hopefully reduce the mis-information being circulated in the motoring community. People often take what is written in magazine articles as gospel, which may be wrong, but when you read an article, you're expecting that the author has researched the topic well.
Might I suggest to the magazine editors/writers that you actually send a copy of your article to the actual owner of the vehicle, or to the workshop that did the work. This would help confirm the details and hopefully reduce the mis-information being circulated in the motoring community. People often take what is written in magazine articles as gospel, which may be wrong, but when you read an article, you're expecting that the author has researched the topic well.
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Jim Courier, you're the coolest. :-)
I've been watching a bit of the tennis lately and I've got to say, Jim Courier is one of THE best commentators I've ever heard. I guess its because he has a rapport with the players and can hang sh!t on them which makes his way of commentating very refreshing.
The other old fellas that have been doing it for the last 1000 years are well and truly past their use by dates. Guys like Fred Stolle, who admittedly was a great player in his time, are so damn boring to listen to. It's time to get some fresher blood in and I don't mean the generic commentators like Bruce Macavaney, who have hardly picked up a tennis racquet in their lives, yet consider themselves God's gift to tennis commentary. That may be a bit harsh as they do do a reasonable job under the circumstances, but I want to see the former characters of the game returning in these roles. It's a good start by having John McEnroe and Jim Courier in these positions, and I'm sure there's a heap more that would be suitable for the role.
The other old fellas that have been doing it for the last 1000 years are well and truly past their use by dates. Guys like Fred Stolle, who admittedly was a great player in his time, are so damn boring to listen to. It's time to get some fresher blood in and I don't mean the generic commentators like Bruce Macavaney, who have hardly picked up a tennis racquet in their lives, yet consider themselves God's gift to tennis commentary. That may be a bit harsh as they do do a reasonable job under the circumstances, but I want to see the former characters of the game returning in these roles. It's a good start by having John McEnroe and Jim Courier in these positions, and I'm sure there's a heap more that would be suitable for the role.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Ant attack!!
Bloody ants... Not the big ones, these are the little sugar ants. I think thats what they're called, they're everywhere.
When we first moved to Kal we lived in a house that had a major ant problem. Everywhere you looked there would be ants. If you left any food residue (crumbs etc.) out overnight, by the morning it would be swarming with ants. At one stage we had an ant trail in the bed... Yes IN the bed!! Enough was enough, so after trying numerous pesticides without much success we called in the exterminator. It lasted a while, but not too long...
Fortunately, we had the opportunity to move to a better house, with no ants. Well, we thought there were none, but now they're in most rooms, although they tend to stick to the kitchen, family/dining room and bathrooms. It's like dejavu... If we find them in the bed, I'm leaving!! :-)
Apparently a lot of houses are affected by the ant invasion in Kal, so people just accept it.
When we first moved to Kal we lived in a house that had a major ant problem. Everywhere you looked there would be ants. If you left any food residue (crumbs etc.) out overnight, by the morning it would be swarming with ants. At one stage we had an ant trail in the bed... Yes IN the bed!! Enough was enough, so after trying numerous pesticides without much success we called in the exterminator. It lasted a while, but not too long...
Fortunately, we had the opportunity to move to a better house, with no ants. Well, we thought there were none, but now they're in most rooms, although they tend to stick to the kitchen, family/dining room and bathrooms. It's like dejavu... If we find them in the bed, I'm leaving!! :-)
Apparently a lot of houses are affected by the ant invasion in Kal, so people just accept it.
HotFM... Good Work!!
It looks like HotFM's New Year's resolution was to put together a news/weather report without the stuff ups. I have been back in Kal for almost a week and not once have they messed up the 7am report. Well done, HotFM!! :-)
My rants are getting a bit light on... Hmmm, what can I rant about!?! :-)
My rants are getting a bit light on... Hmmm, what can I rant about!?! :-)
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Want to see a nice house!?!
Here's a gorgeous home that I have just written a webpage for. Bali Dream
I would almost go as far as to say it is my dream house. Except for the small theatre room, this is one awesome place. It should be ready for sale around July.
I would almost go as far as to say it is my dream house. Except for the small theatre room, this is one awesome place. It should be ready for sale around July.
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Channel 7... Man, what were you thinking?
Fortunately, when I am at home I don't have to watch much mainstream TV as I have Foxtel... And broadband internet. Geez I miss that while holidaying in Perth.
Anyway, so I'm watching Channel 7 and their new 2005 promo comes on... I watch in disbelief as a young lady dances around and then MARRIES a television... I mean, I've heard of mixed marriages before but this is just too strange. Try again Channel 7, try again... *shakes head*
Anyway, so I'm watching Channel 7 and their new 2005 promo comes on... I watch in disbelief as a young lady dances around and then MARRIES a television... I mean, I've heard of mixed marriages before but this is just too strange. Try again Channel 7, try again... *shakes head*
Learning... for me
Still having fun learning about HTML etc.
It's great learning about something enjoyable for myself. I've never been a great student as far as learning in a regimented classroom environment, but when I can just go along in my own time reading and practicing, I find I learn a lot more... I put it down to me being most importantly interested in the subject and secondly, I don't have the pressure of approaching exams that give me huge cases of mental blank...
On my things to learn list is to teach myself how to arc weld... Now that should be interesting. :-)
It's great learning about something enjoyable for myself. I've never been a great student as far as learning in a regimented classroom environment, but when I can just go along in my own time reading and practicing, I find I learn a lot more... I put it down to me being most importantly interested in the subject and secondly, I don't have the pressure of approaching exams that give me huge cases of mental blank...
On my things to learn list is to teach myself how to arc weld... Now that should be interesting. :-)
Friday, January 07, 2005
A letter to HotFM...
Here's the letter I sent last week to HotFM about their weather reports. I guess it was too much to expect a reply, especially when the staff have enough trouble pushing the correct buttons for their primary job. I'm not a Triple J fan, but it seems increasingly like they will be receiving my listening ear... Is there any other 'mainstream' stations in Kalgoorlie?
Dear Sir
I am writing to you with regard to your morning
weather reports for Kalgoorlie, or rather lack of
them. I listen to your station because of the style of
music you play but find it increasingly frustrating
and unprofessional that the weather report gets messed
up so often. We get nothing but silence, or there's
other noise/music playing over it, or it cuts straight
to the Albany morning show.
Why does this happen? Is it not controlled by a
computer? Does the voice-over guy decide he's not
doing it some days?
Thank you,
Randal
Bet you thought my ranting days were over!! ;-)
Dear Sir
I am writing to you with regard to your morning
weather reports for Kalgoorlie, or rather lack of
them. I listen to your station because of the style of
music you play but find it increasingly frustrating
and unprofessional that the weather report gets messed
up so often. We get nothing but silence, or there's
other noise/music playing over it, or it cuts straight
to the Albany morning show.
Why does this happen? Is it not controlled by a
computer? Does the voice-over guy decide he's not
doing it some days?
Thank you,
Randal
Bet you thought my ranting days were over!! ;-)
This Web Design is great fun... :-)
I bought this web design book, Creating Web Pages : Weekend Crash Course by Charlie Morris, and it's the perfect tool for my developing HTML skills. Before picking this book up I had no idea how to make frames work and had never heard of Cascading Style Sheets, but now, thanx to this book, I've implemented it into my website.
For those that saw my website, www.daSilvia.org, in its original form, you can see what a difference some time and fresh ideas have made. I am SO inspired, that once I get my skills to a more professional level, I will be game enough to charge for my new found expertise. I've already named my 'company' WebbSpin Designs... :-)
Currently I'm working on a couple of unpaid sites for my family and friends, but I am thankful for the experience. My gf is already counting the extra money I'll be making... hahaha
So anyway, big thanx to Charlie Morris!! Great book, mate!! :-)
For those that saw my website, www.daSilvia.org, in its original form, you can see what a difference some time and fresh ideas have made. I am SO inspired, that once I get my skills to a more professional level, I will be game enough to charge for my new found expertise. I've already named my 'company' WebbSpin Designs... :-)
So anyway, big thanx to Charlie Morris!! Great book, mate!! :-)
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Web Design...
I've really been getting into Web Design/HTML of late. My recent delvings into this art began because my work website needed some updating and the original writer (boss' son) had nicked off, leaving us with a page and no writer. Having a little bit of experience with a website I wrote using a WYSIWYG editor, I put my hand up to have a bash...
It was great fun and I learnt a heap... In fact it inspired me so much that I have recently created a revised edition of my website for my car www.daSilvia.org. Now, I've bought a book to give me further ideas and knowledge to improve my site with flash gizmos like frames and things...
"Why isn't this a rant?", I hear you ask... I guess I've outlined my most 'rantable' material and have decided to show I'm not a total devil worshipper... :-) This is what interests me at the moment, so if it pisses me off I'll be sure to rant about it... hahaha
It was great fun and I learnt a heap... In fact it inspired me so much that I have recently created a revised edition of my website for my car www.daSilvia.org. Now, I've bought a book to give me further ideas and knowledge to improve my site with flash gizmos like frames and things...
"Why isn't this a rant?", I hear you ask... I guess I've outlined my most 'rantable' material and have decided to show I'm not a total devil worshipper... :-) This is what interests me at the moment, so if it pisses me off I'll be sure to rant about it... hahaha
To the dude in the AU Falcon with MH-4.... Number Plates.
I could go on, as you would expect, but I will take a deep breath and say to this particular toolbox on the road today... "Please have a nice day, and remember,.. karma is a bitch..." :-)
Monday, January 03, 2005
And I thought Japanese language would be the hardest to learn...
This isn't a rant, for a change, more of an observation...
Until I started writing this blog I hadn't really taken much notice of how difficult the English language is to write. As English is the only language I attempt to speak or write, besides some swear words in a few other languages, I guess I've always taken it for granted.
I'm writing this because I was just correcting a few errors, namely where I had used "you're" in place of "your". No wonder it is difficult for people learning English as a second language...
We have so many uses for the same sounding words it isn't funny... Some examples, "saw" and "sore", "your", "yaw" and "you're", and there's heaps of others...
I hate to say it, but in a few cases the way Americans spell words is better than English English. :-)
Until I started writing this blog I hadn't really taken much notice of how difficult the English language is to write. As English is the only language I attempt to speak or write, besides some swear words in a few other languages, I guess I've always taken it for granted.
I'm writing this because I was just correcting a few errors, namely where I had used "you're" in place of "your". No wonder it is difficult for people learning English as a second language...
We have so many uses for the same sounding words it isn't funny... Some examples, "saw" and "sore", "your", "yaw" and "you're", and there's heaps of others...
I hate to say it, but in a few cases the way Americans spell words is better than English English. :-)
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Are your indicators painted on!?!
What is it with the lazy drivers who can't take a few seconds to let the drivers around them know what their intentions are? The number of times this happened today was unbelievable... Do you people think everyone uses the 'force' and can automatically sense what your next move will be... A bit more courtesy, there's that word again, would be nice...
Saturday, January 01, 2005
Stoopid squeaky brakes...
You want to know the most irritating characteristics of my car!?! It's the squeaks and rattles!!
The bonnet hinge squeaks, the ECU, S-AFC and my toolbox all rattle, the rear suspension 'clinks' and the front suspension knocks, but the worst thing of all is the toothache inducing squeal produced by the brakes!! It is soo embarassing!! Driving up to a set of lights and all you can hear coming from my okay looking car is a dreadful high pitched scream.
I'm almost at the stage of changing the pads, which are near new, just to get rid of the noise!!
The bonnet hinge squeaks, the ECU, S-AFC and my toolbox all rattle, the rear suspension 'clinks' and the front suspension knocks, but the worst thing of all is the toothache inducing squeal produced by the brakes!! It is soo embarassing!! Driving up to a set of lights and all you can hear coming from my okay looking car is a dreadful high pitched scream.
I'm almost at the stage of changing the pads, which are near new, just to get rid of the noise!!
Dip your high beams... Oh, Happy New Year. :-)
Firstly, Happy New Year to everyone, I hope this year will be great for you.
I just travelled the 600km from Kalgoorlie to Perth and in that distance you are bound to find plenty of 'ass clowns' on the road... Here's my rants for the trip down... I'm sure there will be more as I cruise around the city. I've been cut off twice so far... All good. :-)
This time it was people with their high beams on during the day. By all means have your lights on (I do myself, as it makes you more visible on the road), but make sure you have them dipped to low-beam. The last thing I need is to have your four billion candle power spot lights blinding me as I pass you.
It doesn't help when our local car manufacturer, General Motors Holden, makes cars that switch your headlights off for you when you turn the motor off and exit the vehicle. Fine, it saves your battery if you are the sort that leaves your lights on, but if the Commodore owner had the high beams on when they got out of the car last night, the high beams will be on the next day when the motor is started... Great!!
As there wasn't a whole heap of traffic on the road, there wasn't a whole heap of things for me to get pissed about... Not even a sore back that I would normally get from driving my car. The new seats I have fitted are great!! :-)
But of course there's a couple more things... hehe
When myself and my gf come to Perth we usually bring two cars, as it makes it easier for us both to do our own thing and I can get my car serviced etc. and not be without a car. So we have CB radios to communicate with each other and leave enough space between us to allow faster travelling cars to leap-frog us... After all, it's the courteous thing to do...
It seems some people haven't caught onto this concept, as when travelling in convoy with friends/family some people leave hardly enough braking space for themselves, let alone enough room for an overtaking vehicle to slot in between them. What this means is the overtaking driver has to pass both vehicles in one maneuvre, which is unsafe and I believe also illegal.
On one trip down there was three caravans in a row with hardly two car lengths between them, and to make it worse they were travelling 20kph below the speed limit. I wonder how many 'near misses' were caused because of them...
When I overtook them, I ended up passing the first two and forcing my way in between the second and last van. I could've easily overtaken the lot but the road was coming to a crest... I'm sure other drivers would've taken the risk with a possibly catastrophic result.
Tailgaters... Geez I hate being tailgated. I've done the apply the brake pedal enough to make the brake lights work trick, to warn them to back off, but it never seems to work.
On the way to Perth this time, and it's happened heaps before, I noticed a car coming up behind me going approximately 10kph faster than me judging by how long it took them to catch up. I'm thinking, no worries, he'll be able to overtake easily after the next bend, but no, he (turns out to be a she) decides to sit on my ass for kilometres whilst having had at least five chances to overtake safely.
I'd had enough by this stage, as the distance they sat behind didn't allow enough braking distance for them if I needed to emergency brake for wildlife or something, so I waited for another safe straight and eased off the accelerator, forcing them to overtake. By this time there was approximately 6-800m between my car and my gf, but rather than just pulling in front of me and leaving a safe distance between the three cars, they insist on sitting right on the tail of my gf's car...
I just travelled the 600km from Kalgoorlie to Perth and in that distance you are bound to find plenty of 'ass clowns' on the road... Here's my rants for the trip down... I'm sure there will be more as I cruise around the city. I've been cut off twice so far... All good. :-)
This time it was people with their high beams on during the day. By all means have your lights on (I do myself, as it makes you more visible on the road), but make sure you have them dipped to low-beam. The last thing I need is to have your four billion candle power spot lights blinding me as I pass you.
It doesn't help when our local car manufacturer, General Motors Holden, makes cars that switch your headlights off for you when you turn the motor off and exit the vehicle. Fine, it saves your battery if you are the sort that leaves your lights on, but if the Commodore owner had the high beams on when they got out of the car last night, the high beams will be on the next day when the motor is started... Great!!
As there wasn't a whole heap of traffic on the road, there wasn't a whole heap of things for me to get pissed about... Not even a sore back that I would normally get from driving my car. The new seats I have fitted are great!! :-)
But of course there's a couple more things... hehe
When myself and my gf come to Perth we usually bring two cars, as it makes it easier for us both to do our own thing and I can get my car serviced etc. and not be without a car. So we have CB radios to communicate with each other and leave enough space between us to allow faster travelling cars to leap-frog us... After all, it's the courteous thing to do...
It seems some people haven't caught onto this concept, as when travelling in convoy with friends/family some people leave hardly enough braking space for themselves, let alone enough room for an overtaking vehicle to slot in between them. What this means is the overtaking driver has to pass both vehicles in one maneuvre, which is unsafe and I believe also illegal.
On one trip down there was three caravans in a row with hardly two car lengths between them, and to make it worse they were travelling 20kph below the speed limit. I wonder how many 'near misses' were caused because of them...
When I overtook them, I ended up passing the first two and forcing my way in between the second and last van. I could've easily overtaken the lot but the road was coming to a crest... I'm sure other drivers would've taken the risk with a possibly catastrophic result.
Tailgaters... Geez I hate being tailgated. I've done the apply the brake pedal enough to make the brake lights work trick, to warn them to back off, but it never seems to work.
On the way to Perth this time, and it's happened heaps before, I noticed a car coming up behind me going approximately 10kph faster than me judging by how long it took them to catch up. I'm thinking, no worries, he'll be able to overtake easily after the next bend, but no, he (turns out to be a she) decides to sit on my ass for kilometres whilst having had at least five chances to overtake safely.
I'd had enough by this stage, as the distance they sat behind didn't allow enough braking distance for them if I needed to emergency brake for wildlife or something, so I waited for another safe straight and eased off the accelerator, forcing them to overtake. By this time there was approximately 6-800m between my car and my gf, but rather than just pulling in front of me and leaving a safe distance between the three cars, they insist on sitting right on the tail of my gf's car...
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