Confucius said...

After decades of discrediting Confucius as being feudal, old-fashioned and bourgeois, the Chinese government now seems to be re-embracing him.

The Chinese government has set up the equivalent of Goethe Institute and Alliance française - called Confucius Institute.

Aimed at promoting friendly relationship with other countries and enhancing the understanding of the Chinese language and culture among world Chinese learners as well as providing good learning conditions for them, the National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language is to set up "Confucius Institute" in the world, whose major activities includes Chinese teaching in countries that have the needs and conditions. At the same time, the "Confucius Institute Headquarter" will be established in Beijing.

And as reported by BBC News (3 January 2008)

China's thriving Confucian schools

By Jill McGivering BBC News

Parents believe studying Confucius benefits the whole of society

As soon as they walk into the tiny school, a converted apartment in a tower block, the children are bundled into grey cotton wraparound robes, fastened at the back with modern Velcro.

Flowing sleeves flap round their wrists, square black hats wedged on to their heads - some, too big, slip down over the eyes.

The children, from three to six years old, have come to special weekend classes to learn the teachings of China's ancient sage, Confucius.

Every room here has a large portrait of Confucius.

It is very good for my son and very good for Chinese society as well Yu Fang, mother

The teacher shows the children how to put their hands together and bow to him before the start of each lesson.

In some classes, they sing and play chasing games. In others, the teacher holds up complex Chinese characters on white cards and the children recite the sayings of the great teacher.

"In a group of three people, one of them will become my teacher," they chant in high voices.

Many of the sayings extol the virtues of harmony, humility and courtesy to others.

Bringing balance

This small private school, in the city of Wuhan in the central Chinese province of Hubei, was set up last year. Since then, more than 100 children have enrolled for classes.

People want a higher standard of living and they are focused on material things, not spiritual ones Wang Ching, mother

"Traditional culture has many advantages that cannot be learned by modern education," says Yu Fang, the mother of a three-year-old pupil.

"It emphasises virtues like kindness and self-discipline. It is very good for my son and very good for Chinese society as well."

Another mother, Wang Ching, agrees: "This is a material world, people want a higher standard of living and they are focused on material things, not spiritual ones."

Modern China, with its headlong rush for growth, needs more balance and more of the social order and courtesy extolled by Confucius, she says.

We should combine our Chinese traditional culture with the best from the West Teacher Li Guang-bing

All this may seem innocuous, but in modern China it is breaking new ground.

Confucianism and Communism have never been happy bedfellows.

In the 1960s, at the height of the Cultural Revolution, Confucius was vilified.

Mao Zedong and his followers criticised him, calling him feudal and old-fashioned and part of the bourgeois hierarchical thinking of the past.

All that traditionalism should be swept away, they argued.

The communists were also threatened by the reverence accorded to Confucius by his followers, which could be akin to religious worship.

Even today, the authorities are watching closely.

Some new, full-time Confucian schools have opened in recent years, only to be closed down soon afterwards.

Best-seller

But in the chaos and change of modern China, there is clearly a market for his old-fashioned wisdom.

It is seen by some as a much-needed antidote to globalisation and the growing influence of Western culture on China's young generation.

The school's founder hopes to run classes outside China

A modern book of Confucian thought, simplified to make it accessible to the mainstream market, has become a surprise best-seller in China, selling about four million copies.

The founder of the weekend Confucian school in Wuhan, Li Guang-bing, has already opened seven schools nationwide. But his vision does not stop there.

He wants to open 100 schools in the future, both in China and further afield, in Sydney and Singapore.

"Students today have a great passion for Western culture," he says.

"We should combine our Chinese traditional culture with the best from the West."

He accepts that it might take time to rehabilitate Confucius after some difficult decades.

The understanding of Confucianism was lost in the 1960s, he says, but gradually China is now rediscovering its traditional culture, including his teachings.

"I think the government's attitude is more and more positive. The movement to embrace and spread Confucianism is growing."

But he expects the sage's rehabilitation in Chinese culture to take time.

"It is a process, something we can do not all at once but slowly, step by step."

Interesting. Confucian values aren't compatible with democracy (eg Singapore). I wonder if there will be a revival of the concept of filial piety, in particular in relation to women - as a girl, obey your father; as a wife, obey your husband; as a widow, obey your son.

Mao Zedong once said that women hold up half the sky. No wonder he didn't like Confucianism.

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Today was quite a warm day and I did nothing except re-watch episodes of Angel. Great tv shows are worth another look. I missed the early references to Wolfram and Hart.

Films that I have watched this past week - The Illusionist, and The Night Listener. Both pretty good. I did not expect the twist in The Illusionist.

Doctor Who - theme music

The Doctor Who theme music was originally composed by Ron Grainer and realised by Delia Derbyshire in 1963. In the days before synthesizers she created every note individually, and played them using a bank of tape decks.

1963 - long version


For over 40 years, the theme has mostly been the same, varying over time and regenerations of The Doctor.

1967


1970


1974


1980


1982


1986


1987


2005


2006


2007 Christmas (should be in use for 2008)


Every Doctor Who fan notices when the theme music changes.

See also
- BBC (classic tv - title sequences)
- BBC (Radiophonatron) - mix your own, super fun
- Wikipedia

Did I ever mention that I like Doctor Who?

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I didn't do much today. Did the laundry, hung it out etc. The rest of the house still needs cleaning though.

celebrities' scientific nonsense

Sense About Science, an independent charitable trust promoting good science and evidence in public debates, has again criticised celebrities for speaking about scientific claims without foundation or knowledge. As reported by the Daily Mail (UK)

Stars who spout 'pseudo-science should check their facts first'
By FIONA MACRAE - Last updated at 23:29pm on 2nd January 2008

When your name's Nicole Kidman or Gwyneth Paltrow, everyone wants to hear what you have to say.

But before holding forth on their favourite remedy, celebrities should get their facts straight, experts say.

The two Hollywood actresses, along with the TV presenter Gillian McKeith and fashion designer Stella McCartney, are singled out by a charity founded to increase the public's understanding of scientific issues.

Sense About Science warned: "A small group of people in the public eye promote pseudo-science without embarrassment and cannot be dissuaded from it."

Alice Tuff, who helped compile the list of celebrity pseudo- science, said: "Celebrity lifestyles and comments have a lot of social weight. Once in the public domain, it's almost impossible for, say, a toxicologist to eclipse a Stella McCartney or a Gwyneth Paltrow in order to give the public the facts. So the pressure must be there to get it right in the first place."

Miss Kidman, who appears in the Christmas blockbuster the Golden Compass, is criticised for promoting Nintendo's computer-based mental workout programme Dr Kawashima's Brain Training.

Endorsing the game, the 40-year-old star said: "I've quickly found that training my brain is a great way to keep my mind feeling young."

However, scientists say there is scant evidence for her claim.

Dr Jason Braithwaite, a cognitive neuroscientist at Birmingham University, said: "There is no conclusive evidence showing that the continued use of these devices is linked to any measurable changes and general improvements in cognition."

Meanwhile, Gwyneth Paltrow has been singled out for her lack of knowledge of the genetics of cancer.

The actress, known to follow a wholegrain-rich, meat and caffeine-free macrobiotic diet, said recently: "I am convinced that by eating biological foods it is possible to avoid tumours."

But Professor Tim Hunt, of charity Cancer Research UK, said: "There is little evidence to implicate particular diets or particular foods with increased risk of cancer."

Also under the microscope is nutritionist Gillian McKeith. Referring to obesity among children, the presenter of Channel 4's You Are What You Eat, said: "If a quarter of kids are overweight now, then when they grow up and have kids, half of them will be overweight.

"And then if they have kids, everybody will be overweight."

But John Garrow, emeritus professor of medicine at the University of London, said: "Obesity is not mainly genetically determined, although it does 'run in families' because families share a similar environment.'

Stella McCartney is criticised for a magazine interview in which she said a chemical found in many skin creams is also found in anti-freeze. Scientists said the chemical, propylene glycol, is versatile and its use in cosmetics is not "scary".

Not all celebrities fared badly. The chef Jamie Oliver and the illusionist Derren Brown were praised for their responsible attitude to science.

Rather than trying to counter celebrities' claims, it might be more effective to educate the public to ignore what celebrities say. Surely people aren't that stupid to believe celebrities or that they are even intelligent.

What we really need are more celebrity scientists.

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Thank goodness the weekend is here.

books - finished reading

Hood by Stephen Lawhead
A re-imagining of the Robin Hood story, set in Wales following the Norman conquest of England. In this case, Rhi Bran Hud translated as King Raven.


Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead (part two of the trilogy)
Told from the perspective of Will Scarlet (Scatlocke) who joins King Raven's band.


John Elder Robison's Look Me in the Eye
He went on tour with KISS!! I still don't understand why looking others in the eye is such a big deal. Eyes don't listen, ears do.

Now I must go back to my other half read stack of books.

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Today was a bit cooler.

Police Constable Tizer, Chief Mouser

From BBC News (16 November 2007)

Cat recruited to patrol station


Pc Tizer is said to be a valuable member of the team

Police at a north London railway station have got mice running scared - after recruiting a 13-year-old cat.

Tizer was adopted by British Transport Police (BTP) from the Cats Protection charity in September and inducted into the force as an honorary constable.

In his role as the Chief Mouser Pc Tizer walks around King's Cross rail station to keep it rodent-free.

An "essential member" of the team, he has unfettered access to all areas and shares an office with a senior officer.

'Playing fetch'

Insp Roy Sloane, who enlisted the tabby, said: "Pc Tizer is already an essential member of the team.

"Since we got him we haven't seen any mice in the building at all... Prior to his arrival we were spending a fortune on pest control and it wasn't really working."

Insp Sloane said he visited the charity's adoption centre in north London with the aim of finding a cat to clean up the station's rodent problem.

He met Tizer, who arrived at the centre in August after his owner died.

Insp Sloane, who shares his office with Pc Tizer, added that his feline colleague helps other officers "de-stress" and has given a boost to the force's morale.

"Everyone is always asking after him, and he is probably the most popular member of staff," he said.

Cats Protection Adoption Centre acting deputy manager Alex Davies said: "He loves being around people, and likes nothing more than playing fetch with his toy spider."

Keiser would have loved this story.

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Kane2 would probably also enjoy working at a police station... but he would be ignoring the mice... and the criminals.

2008

Happy New Year. Or rather, Happy 2008. And Happy Tuesday.

I don't have any resolutions, but am looking forward to something new this year.

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Today was a rather warm day. This morning I found on the net, the Christmas 2007 episode of Doctor Who - Voyage of the Damned. Brilliant! There was a theme there about sacrifice for the greater good.


with Kylie Minogue as Astrid

Mary made mirin glazed Salmon for dinner (a Nigella Lawson recipe) with potatoes and a salad (see below). We were there for a few hours and I helped set up their new HDD/DVD player.

POFT or pointless?

I really like this article by Bryan Appleyard in the Sunday Times (UK) of 30 December 2007. I think he was too kind.

Twilight of the greats?

This year saw the death of so many big names. Perhaps it saw the end of greatness, too. So, where do we go from here to find the artists that matter?

It was a year in which a certain type of person died — Michelangelo Antonioni, Ingmar Bergman, Norman Mailer, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Jean Baudrillard. These were intellectually pungent, culturally potent individuals, angrily dismissed as often as they were called “great”, “seminal” or “genius”. And with Luciano Pavarotti dead, another type of greatness vanished from the planet.
...
The death of Baudrillard left a gaping hole in the cultural landscape. Suddenly, we lack a great POFT — a Pointlessly Obscure French Thinker. Baudrillard, like Kristeva, Foucault, Lacan and many others, was a poseur and rhetorician. But, like some of the others, though certainly not Foucault, he was also a very brilliant man. His insights into the constructed nature of contemporary reality were, while usually buried beneath pointless obscurity, scintillating. If the French could shake off the posturing that has disfigured their post-war thought, they could perhaps recover their role as the great essayists of the world. We need a new Pascal, a new Montaigne.
...

Pointlessly obscure? I think pointless would be a more apt description. As is much of post-modernism.

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Today was a work day, though most of the office was empty. Just like Christmas Eve, we were allowed to go home after lunch time. Woohoo! Except it was very hot in the middle of the day when I walked home.

I went over to Tim and Toni's for a barbeque dinner, but left to walk Kane2.

I should go back to Tim and Toni's now, but there is an interesting program on tv now - a telecast of the 2006 V Festival (squeezed into one hour). Maybe later. So much good music coming out of the UK. I know most of it. Unfortunately, they aren't as popular in Australia.

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(edit 11pm - new post in my music blog)

Wikitravel

I quite like Wikipedia, although I double check to make sure the sources are reliable. The new Wikitravel, on the other hand is brilliant.

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I went into town for a couple of hours, meeting Devi and her mum for lunch and returned with a new fry pan.

I'm now watching Children of Dune. Brilliant.


Leto Atreides II, son of Paul

James McAvoy is superb in the role of Leto II. No wonder he is now a much sought after actor.

Nar

Designed by Turkish designer company Ünal & Böler, the Nar coffee table has slots to allow books to be integrated into the coffee table.

“Nar” means “pomegranate” in Turkish. Pomegranate is a fruit that holds hundreds of juicy seeds inside. It’s a fruit that symbolizes fertility. Nar coffe table carries books and books carry ideas. Ideas can be destructive as much as they can be constructive. Our aim was to emphasize the danger and the dilemma it holds with utter nakedness.

It won the Istanbul Design Week Best Design Award 2005.

I could use it as a way to hold the place of all my half-read books at the right page, and as a daily reminder to finish reading them.

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Today was a warm day.

I have been watching the Dune series on DVD. I read the books when I was younger. Gee I was a geek.


Paul Atreides / Muad'Dib

celebrity activism... driving the policy agenda

There was an interesting article in The National Interest last month by Daniel W. Drezner about celebrity activism, particularly in world politics, discussing whether they are actually effective.

Increasingly, celebrities are taking an active interest in world politics. When media maven Tina Brown attends a Council on Foreign Relations session, you know something fundamental has changed in the relationship between the world of celebrity and world politics. What’s even stranger is that these efforts to glamorize foreign policy are actually affecting what governments do and say. The power of soft news has given star entertainers additional leverage to advance their causes. Their ability to raise issues to the top of the global agenda is growing. This does not mean that celebrities can solve the problems that bedevil the world. And not all celebrity activists are equal in their effectiveness. Nevertheless, politically-engaged stars cannot be dismissed as merely an amusing curiosity in foreign policy.

Um, who is Tina Brown and why should I care? I think this may also be a case of political leaders wanting some celebrity glamour to rub off on them

Why has international relations gone glam? Have stars like Jolie, Madonna, Bono, Sean Penn, Steven Spielberg, George Clooney and Sheryl Crow carved out a new way to become foreign-policy heavyweights? Policy cognoscenti might laugh off this question as absurd, but the career arc of Al Gore should give them pause. As a conventional politician, Gore made little headway in addressing the problem of global warming beyond negotiating a treaty that the United States never ratified. As a post–White House celebrity, Gore starred in An Inconvenient Truth, won an Oscar and a Nobel Peace Prize, promoted this past summer’s Live Earth concert and reframed the American debate about global warming. Gore has been far more successful as a celebrity activist than he ever was as vice president.

Al Gore had a film to promote. Without the film, nobody would have taken any notice of him.

Current entertainers have greater incentives to adopt global causes than their precursors. Furthermore, they are more likely to be successful in pushing their policy agenda to the front of the queue. These facts have less to do with the celebrities themselves than with how citizens in the developed world consume information. Whether the rise of the celebrity activist will lead to policy improvements, however, is a more debatable proposition. Promoting a policy agenda is one thing; implementing it is another thing entirely.

Some of these celebrities should put their money where their mouth is and run for high political office with an election agenda.

The final reason more celebrities are interested in making the world a better place is that it is simply easier for anyone to become a policy activist today. An effective policy entrepreneur requires a few simple commodities: expertise, money and the ability to command the media’s attention. Celebrities already have the latter two; the Internet has enabled them to catch up on information-gathering. Several celebrities even have “philanthropic advisors” to facilitate their activism. This does not mean that celebrities will become authentic experts on a country or issue. They can, however, acquire enough knowledge to pen an op-ed or sound competent on a talk show.

Perhaps some of these celebrities want to be taken seriously and use activism as a means to demonstrate that they have some intelligence. It's a pity that many don't show any sound judgment.

At its core, star activism hints that the famous are somehow better than you or me. Some Americans view celebrities who pontificate on politics and policy as taking advantage of a bully pulpit that they did not earn. There’s a fine line between principled activism and righteous indignation, and the celebrity who crosses that line risks incurring the wrath of the common man or woman.

Ha! I wonder if Governor Schwarzenegger has traded in his gas-guzzling Hummer. Some of these celebrities could reign in their over-consumption for a start and live by example.

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After three days off work (public holidays), it was strange going to work on a Friday. Hardly anybody was in. Strangely, I completed a fair bit of work today.

taking Chuck Norris' name in vain...

Chuck Norris eats steak for every single meal. Most times he forgets to kill the cow.


The Truth About CHUCK NORRIS is slampacked with 20 illustrations and 400 hard-hitting, unapologetic facts about the world's greatest martial arts master and Texas Ranger!

Mr Chuck Norris is suing the publishers of the book. From Reuters

Chuck Norris sues, says his tears no cancer cure

Fri Dec 21, 2007 7:21pm EST

By Christine Kearney

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tough-guy actor and martial arts expert Chuck Norris sued publisher Penguin on Friday over a book he claims unfairly exploits his famous name, based on a satirical Internet list of "mythical facts" about him.

Penguin published "The Truth About Chuck Norris: 400 facts about the World's Greatest Human" in November. Author Ian Spector and two Web sites he runs to promote the book, including www.truthaboutchuck.com, are also named in the suit.

The book capitalizes on "mythical facts" that have been circulating on the Internet since 2005 that poke fun at Norris' tough-guy image and super-human abilities, the suit said.

It includes such humorous "facts" as "Chuck Norris's tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried" and "Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits," the suit said, as well as "Chuck Norris can charge a cell phone by rubbing it against his beard."

"Some of the 'facts' in the book are racist, lewd or portray Mr. Norris as engaged in illegal activities," the lawsuit alleges.

Norris, who rose to fame in the 1970s and 1980s as the star of such films as "The Delta Force" and "Missing in Action," says the book's title would mislead readers into thinking the facts were true.

"Defendants have misappropriated and exploited Mr. Norris's name and likeness without authorization for their own commercial profit," said the lawsuit.

The suit, filed in Manhattan federal court, seeks unspecified monetary damages for trademark infringement, unjust enrichment and privacy rights.

Norris, whose real name is Carlos Ray Norris, claims in the suit he is protective of what his name is associated with. He has recently made U.S. headlines for backing Republican presidential candidate former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

A spokesman for Penguin, owned by Britain's Pearson, was not immediately available for comment.

(Editing by Michelle Nichols and Todd Eastham)

Some people do not realise that their ongoing fame is due to their fans turning them into an internet meme. Imagine if David Hasselhoff had sued.

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I spent most of today watching some more of Carnivale (season two) - a day at home thanks to a federal government employee additional public holiday.

what's in - cuisine

I was watching Food Safari on SBS this evening and the cuisine featured was Indonesian. In my opinion, Indonesian food should be more popular.

Indonesian food is one of the most vibrant and colourful cuisines in the world, full of intense flavour and varied textures. With 6,000 islands, there is a huge range of regional specialties, but wherever you are in Indonesia, most meals, including breakfast, are based around rice. There is also an abundant use of sambals, an accompaniment based on chilli and garlic which can be raw or cooked. It’s said that because of the hot and humid climate chilli and sambal help maintain your appetite. Indonesians need a "kick start" to their palate from chilli and from pickles, a burst of sour crunch. So each meal is generally rice, sambal, pickles with small amounts of meats, seafood or vegetables, often in curry form. People eat either with their right hand or with a spoon and fork.

Some of the intense flavour in Indonesian food comes from very sweet and sour ingredients - like the thick sweet soy sauce called kecap manis which is used in countless dishes. The sour note in the cuisine comes from tamarind and lime and the aromatic elements from eschallots, ginger, galangal, pandan, turmeric, lemongrass and lime leaves.

Two foods adored by Indonesians are tempeh - fermented soybeans usually found in block form which are high in protein and fibre - and krupuk or deep fried crackers made from prawn, seafood or vegetables and eaten at the start of a meal.

Because the climate is humid and the soil volcanic, tropical fruits, vegetables and spices are found in abundance. Indonesia was known as the Spice Islands when nutmeg and mace, pepper and cloves were grown and traded. Dried spices such as coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cinnamon quills, cumin seeds, cloves and nutmeg are still used every day in many dishes and each curry has a number of dried spices as well as fresh herbs.

Over the centuries many different races have visited and left their stamp on the cuisine - Indian, Chinese, Arab, Portuguese, Spanish, English and Dutch. As many Indonesians are Muslim, the Islamic code of generosity to the guest means newcomers are welcomed and a banquet prepared.

Desserts are some of the most exuberant in South East Asia, especially the favourite eis cendol, made with pandan-flavoured mung bean flour "worms", sweet potato and taro, beans or tropical fruit, palm sugar syrup and coconut milk, served with a small mountain of shaved ice.

Asian cuisines make many others seem bland.

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Today was another day off work for the Boxing Day public holiday. I spent most of it watching episodes of Carnivale (season one). I am looking forward to watching season two.

music blog

I've added a post to my new music blog.

The art of Henrik Simonsen

Henrik Simonsen is a Danish artist living in the United Kingdom.

I really like this painting of poppies (oil and charcoal on canvas)


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Today was a short work day. We were allowed to go home at lunch time.

Recipe - lamb Rogan Josh

As demonstrated by Shahena Ali, of the Maharaja restaurant in Benfleet, Essex.

Ingredients

* 600g (1 lb) lamb , chopped into 2.5 inch pieces
* 3 Tbsp garlic and ginger paste
* 3 Tbsp oil
* 2 tsp salt
* 1 tsp turmeric powder
* 3 tsp garam masala
* 2 tsp coriander powder
* 2 tsp ground cumin
* 2 Tbsp plain yoghurt
* 1 tsp chilli powder
* 2 medium onions , finely chopped
* ¾ tin of peeled plum tomatoes
* fresh coriander , to garnish
* 1 saucepan with lid
* 1 metal or wooden spoon to stir

Step 1:
Fry onion
Add oil into a saucepan and heat on a high heat until it is very hot. Now add in the finely chopped onions and stir fry until the pieces soften and become translucent.

Step 2:
Add pastes
Then add the garlic and ginger paste and keep stir-frying for 3 minutes to prevent burning and until the mixture turns light golden.

Add all of the ground spices and keep stirring whilst continuing to fry on a high heat.

Step 3:
Add the meat
Then add the lamb and stir into the mixture; fry on a high heat for 5 minutes until the meat has fully browned.

Step 4:
Add tomatoes
Add in the tinned tomato and mash the tomatoes into the mixture with a spoon, taking care to ensure that the plum tomatoes do not remain in chunks and stir into the meat mixture.

Step 5:
Stir in yoghurt
Allow to cook uncovered for 5 minutes before adding the yoghurt. Stir this in and then cook on a high heat to bring this to the boil.

Now cover the pan with a lid simmer on a very low heat for 30 minutes. After this, take the lid off and give the mixture a stir.

Step 6:
Simmer and stir every 30 minutes
Replace the lid back on the pan and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. Repeat this for around one and half hours - and you will notice that the consistency of the mixture is a bit thicker – the meat is very tender and the colour of the sauce is redder/browner.

Serve hot (with rice), garnished with fresh coriander.

VideoJug is fantastic - check it out.

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Sunday, and a busy day today.

Devi dropped over in the morning for a cup of tea. After all these years, she finally told me that one can remove the canvas from director chairs, including the piece of wood where it joins the seat, and wash them! Duh!

I went over to Klaudia's place for a really nice lunch with her family and friends.

Afterwards I returned home and had a nap.

random footy pic

Jed Adcock, round 2 (2007) at the Gabba (versus Saint Kilda)

Gehry twists

Frank Gehry designed and built Gehry Tower located at Steintor, Goethestraße 13a, in Hanover, Germany. The building was commissioned by üstra (the city public transport operator) and completed in June 2001.



Frank Gehry also designed the IAC Building in New York, which was completed this year.



Definitely a twist happening there in his designs.

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It was wet and windy for most of the day. After the rain cleared, with the sun out (but still windy), I finally managed to walk to the local shops, with Kane2.

Yeah, it's been a slow and do-nothing day.

another useless invention 2

From Plow & Hearth

Sno-Baller® and Snow Block Maker
Remember The Simple And Exciting Fun Of Snowball Fights?
The Sno-Baller® turns out huge numbers of snowballs in seconds, so gloves stay drier and hands warmer, and you can fire away without running out — crucial in family and neighborhood snowball fights!

Snow Block Maker forms perfect-sized chunks for snow forts and walls, and also works in sand at the beach. Injection-molded high-impact plastic. Ages 5+.


Sno-Baller®

Price US $8.95

I thought half the fun of snow balls was making them with your hands.

Another unnecessary and useless item.

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Thank goodness the work week is over. Today was a slowish day. Most people in the office were waiting for the day to end. Sue B came back with me after work and we had a drink.

There isn't much on tv, so I'm re-watching episodes of Doctor Who, season three.

whales - part 2

The Australian government has taken a firm stand against whaling, with a Special Envoy on Whale Conservation to be appointed to "convey our views to Japan".

I think we should ransom all our koalas. That'll upset the Japanese public.

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Happy Thursday.

I watched Species IV (the Awakening) tonight. Meh.

laksa

Food-enlightened Australians know where to find the best laksa in the town they live.

The best laksa I ever ate was from the Mindil Beach market in Darwin.



As the coconut milk used is fattening and unhealthy, laksa is a rare but truly tasty treat. I made laksa once, but used a pre-made paste. I used low-fat coconut milk.

Reuters recently reported that in Malaysia, where laksa is part of the local cuisine (also in Singapore), they have started using soy milk. Blech!

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Today was a great day at work. Our work section went out for a Christmas lunch at the Dumpling Inn for Peking Duck, and we could go home afterwards. All staff is allowed one afternoon off for the occasion per year. Woohoo!

definitely

Someone out there is also very annoyed when definitely is spelt incorrectly.

www.d-e-f-i-n-i-t-e-l-y.com

monkey see monkey do

This is a television advertisement for Orange from Israel.



Cute.

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Happy Monday.

Ørestad Gymnasium

Ørestad Gymnasium was designed by Danish architect 3xn. I like the look and functionality of this building.

The Ørestad College is the latest ‘gymnasium’ (college or upper secondary school) in Copenhagen, built in the Danish capital’s development area; Ørestad. The demographic development in greater Copenhagen has resulted in a remarkable growth of the 16 – 19 year group, with Copenhagen needing 50% more study places, and this led to a decision to build a new college in Ørestad City; the new city centre for the entire Ørestad.

Ørestad College offers fields of study within science, social science and human science. The purpose of the college is to realize the latest reforms (2005) aims to strengthen and renew the students’ professional capabilities, to prepare the students better for university and to enhance the science aspect. This college has chosen a profile of media, communication and culture, and with wireless internet all over the school and with laptops for all students - hence the knick-name the Virtual College.

The brief was deliberately formulated without traditional terms for rooms, and left much to the architects’ interpretation. The proposal was therefore not so much a response to a specifically defined task as an element in the necessary development of the idea of a Danish college.

Four boomerang shaped storey decks rotate in relation to each other like the shutter of a camera. They form the superstructure; the overall framework of the college, and provide space for the college’s four study zones. Each zone is on one level, providing organisational flexibility, with the option of micro adjustment to create different spaces, learning environments and group sizes. The rotation of the storey decks projects a part of each deck into the high central hall. This part is the so called X-zone; a spatial expression of the colleges’ ambition to promote interdisciplinary expertise between study zones with physical and visual links.

The storey decks are open towards a central core, where a broad main staircase winds its way upwards to the roof terrace. The main staircase is the heart of college educational and social life; the primary connection up and down, but also a place to stay, watch and be seen. Three ‘mega columns’ form the primary load bearing system, supplemented by a number of smaller columns positioned according to structural requirement, not as part of a regular grid. As a result, each floor has few permanent elements and can be laid out and rearranged almost completely at will.

The superstructure is supplemented by a series of newly developed ‘room furniture’, which accommodate the need for the flexible and temporary room arrangements and learning environments required by varying group sizes – from one on one to an entire cohort.

The rotated decks are mirrored in the facades. Due to their rotation, the decks create openings double- and triple high while drawing lines on the façade. As a rule, the glass is smooth with the deck fronts, but on each floor, one façade is withdrawn to create an outdoor space. These outdoor spaces are connected from ground to roof. In front of the glass facades, a series of coloured semi-transparent glass louvers can open or close to protect from the sun, while adding dashes of colour to the indoor environment.

One would hope that the building is also energy efficient.

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I didn't do much today. This morning I visited Klaudia who lives nearby for a coffee and a pat of Kettles. While I was there, she escaped and climbed up a very tall tree, all while it was raining. Eventually, she climbed back down. Silly kitty.

I caught a few episodes of Moonlight on the net. It's another interesting vampire- detective show. The lead actor was born in Canberra!

wisdom of savage chickens

Sometimes the Savage Chickens make a lot of sense

"Was a bear chasing you?" is a valid question. Nonsensical, but valid nevertheless.

Next time somebody tells me that they went running, I will ask this question.

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Mary and I went to the farmers market early this morning. It was already full of people before 8am. Aside from a few loaves of bread (pumpkin, sour dough etc), I stocked up on fresh fruit and vegetables. There is nothing like carrots with the green tops still attached and still dirty.

This afternoon, Emily dropped over with Turkish bread and a dip. So we watched Pan's Labyrinth.

Finally there is something interesting on tv tonight - Marco Polo telemovie.

cute animal pics

They are everywhere. I don't like them.

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This week at work has been very hectic and exhausting.

Vandy's Australian star

ESPN has given Andrew Ogilvy, an Australian playing American college basketball for Vanderbilt University a big write up.

Meh! We can be proud of an Australian who is successful in the US, but this was much more interesting

The truth is that Ogilvy's biggest adjustments have come off the court. He's still getting his hands around the differing American accents, especially the southern twang.

"I've gotten pretty good now," he said. "At first, I was looking really hard and would try not to be rude and ask them to repeat themselves."

Of course, everybody else loves hearing his Aussie accent.

In particular, he's frequently asked to repeat the words "banana" and "zebra". Ogilvy's pronunciations of "ba-NON-a" and "ZEB-ra" are always a hit at parties.

And, no, he hasn't taken a liking to country music and says he's still not used to what he calls the "cold snaps".

His roommate, freshman guard Keegan Bell, jokes that Ogilvy has a secret weapon to fight the cold weather.

"He's got this pair of boots," said Bell, shaking his head and wearing a sheepish smile. "I don't even know what they call them. They're these huge things, kind of like those boots the girls wear, but for guys. He lugs around in them, and they come up to just below his knees. They've got cotton inside them with what looks like suede material on the outside.

"I've never seen anything like them."

They haven't asked him to say "tomato" and "water" yet...

The boots he means must be something like these

Cotton and suede? No, they are made from sheepskin and called Ugg boots.

Vanderbilt centre AJ Ogilvy scores against Austin Peay in a college basketball game in Nashville.

Photo: Mark Humphrey

Vanderbilt University

Andrew Ogilvy is the No. 2 scorer in the SEC behind teammate Shan Foster.

Such a shame he didn't stick with Australian Rules Football. He may have made a good ruck.

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What a day today. I even had a job interview in the afternoon.

Emily stayed home sick today, so she didn't come around tonight for dinner.

w00t

wOOt - it's Meriam-Webster's word of the year.

This year's winning word first became popular in competitive online gaming forums as part of what is known as l33t ("leet," or "elite") speak—an esoteric computer hacker language in which numbers and symbols are put together to look like letters. Although the double "o" in the word is usually represented by double zeroes, the exclamation is also known to be an acronym for "we owned the other team"—again stemming from the gaming community.

1. wOOt (interjection)
expressing joy (it could be after a triumph, or for no reason at all); similar in use to the word "yay".

wOOt!!

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Today was a long day at work. Not wOOt!

three dimensional street-art

Some artists have amazing spatial conceptual abilities that let them create three dimensional artistic illusions.





More - here

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Happy Tuesday.

I'm starting to have visitors again. Bobby came over after work for a quick dinner. I made the roast pork belly (again - it's beginning to be regular repertoire of mine) along with roast beetroot and sweet corn, and blanched button squash and broccolini. We always have good discussions about religion.

do giraffes get tired?

Giraffes only sleep for about 2 hours a day and horses, 3 hours a day.

I'm guessing that they eat the rest of the time!

Source - University of Washington

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I had a doggie visitor today after I arrived home from work. Next week I will be minding a 15 year old German Shepherd (coincidentally, another Kane) as part of a home kenneling scheme while his person travels to the US for two months.

Kane seemed a lovely dog. He needs a daily injection for 'water diabetes'. I took him for a quick and short walk . His person Margie was happy to have someone take good care of him. I also gave him a treat of smoked chicken liver.

Amma's hugs

Amma, whose real name is Mata Amritanandamayi has hugged about 26 million people in the world. She is known as the 'hugging saint'.

BBC correspondent Mario Cacciottolo received his hug on Friday.

Now it's my turn to experience darshan. I kneel before Amma and shuffle forwards. She flings her arms open with a delighted smile that reminds me of the infrequent occasions that I go back to see my mother.

Heart leap

Amma takes me in her arms and I melt naturally into her embrace. Everything goes black. There is noise out there, but it seems to just become an indecipherable hum. It's just calm and comfortable in my head and heart.

Her robes are beautifully fragrant, and for the rest of the day I keep getting wafts of it, distracting me momentarily from whatever I'm doing.

Amma murmurs into my ear, repeating something that sounds like "Lo, Lo, Lo." Whatever the words, they have a power.

She kisses my forehead and cheek, and finally we part. She lifts up my hands and kisses them, and that for some reason makes my heart leap.

There are beaming smiles all round. I thank her and to my surprise, as I stand, I'm a little wobbly on my feet.

Amma, incidentally, means mother. On the way home, I call mine.

Melbourne will be host in 2009 to Parliament of the World's Religions. Maybe Amma will attend and give hugs.

It's amazing how a simple gesture like a hug can change the world.

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This morning I watched the first four episodes of season seven of Smallville. I found episodes on the net.


There is a new girl in town, and she's Kryptonian.

Aside from vegging out, I also did some house cleaning.

This evening, Jacki and Brian came over for dinner. I made roast beef and vegetables. I forgot to put the horseradish and hot English mustard out. This was the first time they have been to visit without being greeted by Keiser. I still miss her, and her brother Fatty. Keiser of course, loved cuddles.

a guide to geeks

From Sydney Morning Herald

WHAT GEEK IS THAT? A NERD-SPOTTER'S GUIDE

Gamers
With the advent of online games in which players share massive virtual worlds, gamers can fend off accusations of antisocial behaviour by pointing to the incredibly gregarious avatar they've designed for Second Life.

Gearheads
Like a walking copy of Wired magazine, gearheads show off their latest tech acquisition before you've even heard of it. And they're willing to explain - at length - why it's already obsolete.

Otaku
In Japan, "otaku" denotes someone with an obsession so fanatical - with videogames, for example - that they seldom leave their bedroom. In the West, however, it's more often a positive self-description for hardcore fans of Japanese anime and manga.

Cyberpunks
Combining enthusiasm for high-tech gadgets with a rough and dirty punk aesthetic, cyberpunk fans envision a future where we are all cyborgs - internet-enabled, prosthetically enhanced, and ready to rumble.

Cardy Rockers
From the retro-geek rock of '90s-era Weezer through to today's Brunettes, Concretes, and Shins, the easy-listening sounds of neatly dressed, baby-faced bands have become the soundtrack to a new generation of dress-alike fans.

Librarians
For some, books aren't just collections of words - they're faithful companions, though each comes with its own needs and wants. If a friend fobs off your drinking plans in favour of a secret rendezvous with a new novel, you might be dealing with a librarian.

Boffins
Plenty of people are smart, but only some wear their brain on their sleeve. Usually possessing prodigious knowledge on obscure and, sometimes, completely useless topics, a boffin should never - ever - be corrected on a point of fact.

Hogwarts Alumni
For a generation who've grown up with the series, the adventures of Harry, Hermione and Ron are today's answer to Luke, Leia and Han. Expect similar lifelong dedication.

Film Tragics
Some buffs take the study of favourite films, directors and movements to new levels of obsession. And like a friend with a new partner, they'll find ways to relate any conversation back to their true love - even if it's Italian slasher movies of the late '70s.

The only geeky question I have is - when did comic books become 'graphic novels'? I have no problem confessing to still reading comics.

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I didn't do much today. It was one of those days.

This evening, Mary, Margaret, Jim, Leslie and I had dinner at a fish restaurant called Cape Cod. The food was great. Unfortunately, the ambiance was ruined by the presence of another diner, who is a highly ranked federal bureaucrat and a nasty piece of work.

another useless invention

Are you fed up with bringing bananas to work or school only to find them bruised and squashed? Our unique, patented device allows for the safe transport and storage of individual bananas letting you enjoy perfect bananas anytime, anywhere.

The Banana Guard was specially designed to fit the vast majority of bananas. Its other features include multiple small perforations to facilitate ventilation thereby preventing premature ripening and a sturdy locking mechanism to keep the Banana Guard closed. The Banana Guard is of course dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Duh! Put the banana at the TOP of your bag! What idiocy! Banana has thick skin.

Another unnecessary and useless item.

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Today was another busy day at work.

Devi came over tonight for dinner. I made preserved lemon/marmalade/soy marinated baked chicken with baked potatoes and blanched broccolini.

We also watched a scary movie called Turistas. A variation of Hostel.

when Scots are no longer Brits

There is talk about Scotland withdrawing from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland within the next ten years.

There is an interesting article on the BBC website.

What wasn't mentioned was whether BBC in Scotland itself would become SBC?

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Emily came around and I made BLT for dinner. Mine had cucumber in it.

umbrellas

I lost an umbrella in Copenhagen once, and bought a new one in Lisbon.

The umbrella that I now prefer to use is a fold up golf umbrella I bought in October this year while visiting Brisbane. Yes, it's a Brisbane Lions one.

It looks like the one below, but is all maroon in colour.


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After I got home from work today, the lady who owns the local Don't Fret Pet franchise came over with her Cairn Terrier called Mac.

Mac was cool. I've offered to be a dog minder for people who go away during the Christmas break and don't want to put their dog into a kennel.

random thought

Grease was a great musical film, set in a high school

After Disneyfication (eliminate any resemblance of what actually happens in a high school), you get



Good innocent fun.

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Not much happens on Tuesdays.

Kyoto Protocol... ratified

From our ABC (3 December 2007)

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has signed the instrument of ratification of the Kyoto Protocol.

Mr Rudd says it is the first official act of the new Government and demonstrates the commitment to tackling climate change.

The ratification document will be sent to the United Nations and it comes into effect 90 days after that.

Mr Rudd says Australia will be a full member of the Kyoto Protocol before March next year.

The agreement means Australia's greenhouse gas emissions should not be higher than 8 per cent above 1990 levels.

Ratifying the treaty was one of Labor's major campaign promises.

The Greens say the move makes today a historic day for Australia, but comes years too late.

Mr Rudd, Climate Change Minister Penny Wong, Environment Minister Peter Garrett and Treasurer Wayne Swan are now preparing to go to Bali next week for the United Nations conference on climate change.

Climate change... it's not a myth.

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This evening Emily came around (she had left her work pass last Thursday), so she helped me cook a chicken and asparagus risotto for dinner.

truffle madness

From Associated Press (2 December 2007)

Giant Truffle Auctioned for $330,000

FLORENCE, Italy (AP) — A Macau casino mogul bid a record $330,00 at auction Saturday to win a giant white truffle dug up in Tuscany, organizers said.

Billionaire Stanley Ho made the winning bid for the 3.3 pound truffle during an auction staged simultaneously in Florence, London and at Ho's Grand Lisboa hotel in Macau, said auction organizer Giselle Oberti.

The price bested the previous record for a truffle of $212,000, she said.

The unusually heavy truffle was dug up last week by truffle hunter Cristiano Savini, his father Luciano and dog Rocco in Palaia, a town about 25 miles from Pisa. The Savinis said Rocco started sniffing "like crazy" when he zeroed in on the fungus.

Guinness World Records lists a 2.86 pound white truffle found in Croatia in 1999 as the biggest.

Truffles usually weigh from 1 to 2.8 ounces apiece. Slivers of white truffles, with their strong aroma, are prized in Italy to flavor pasta sauces and rice dishes.

Proceeds from the auction were to go to an Italian organization that helps sufferers of genetic diseases, a group that helps street children in London and Catholic charities in Macau.

Calls to Ho weren't immediately returned late Saturday.

US$220 a gram. Like sevruga caviar, out of my price range. I use truffle oil. I hope that counts for something.

See also - Goldarths Review factfile on truffles

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I spent all day napping and trying to write a job application, wasting lots of time procrastinating. As usual, I sent it in with five minutes to spare.

stupid people vote

From Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader

Sometimes it is far better to admit ignorance and say "I don't know" than to incriminate oneself to stupidity.

What is scary is that these people vote. Hopefully they don't.

Budapest is a great place to visit. Unlike their former Austro-Hungarian Empire cousins in Vienna, they seem to have a lot more fun.



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I didn't do much today. I did get a sneak peak at episode 10 of Heroes online (which won't be broadcast here for sometime as the network here claimed episode nine as the finale).

It rained all day today, but I still walked to the shop with an umbrella.

Tonight, Kim, Declan and Nell came over for dinner which was roast chicken and vegetables. Good old roast chook. Such a comfort food.