Category: Life

This is my own life, in which I hold a masters degree.

How Many Figures Am I Holding Up?

Check this out. It’s a deposit slip from the Commonwealth Bank, which you pick out of the pile when depositing money at the local branch. (Yes, Virginia, there is non-electronic currency.) It takes a little while to fill the form out, but by the time you get to the final figure you’re depositing, you’re given the capability to describe an eight figure amount in the boxes.
Yes, folks – you can walk in off the street, use the pen on the chain to fill in a deposit slip which is able to handle up to 1 cent shy of one hundred million dollars. There’s a website which set out to investigate what 1 million dollars actually looks like, and it’s no mean feat to transport that amount of money.
Hey, maybe the banks are making obscene profits and are a bit aloof, but I can’t help thinking that maybe they’d consider waiving the need to fill in the little green slip if you walked in the door with an amount of money that huge. On the other hand, maybe you’d need a little more paperwork if you were handing over a cheque with that many numbers.
As I turn around, I see a sign warning people that they need to give notice if they’re wanting to withdraw more than 5 thousand dollars, because they don’t handle that sort of money in the branch these days.
I think the ‘8 figures’ is probably a theoretical limit. I’d love to be able to test the theory one day, though.

Virtual Stars of Stage and Screen

Here’s a treat for anyone who’s been too scared to try ‘Theatre Sports’ and doesn’t have the voice for Karaoke. Movieoke sounds like a great night out. All you need is the DVD and the subtitle function of your player, and you’re away. Perform scenes from your favourite movie for the benefit of family and friends.
If you ever saw the ‘Double Take’ shows a few years back, where the actors stood at the back of the theatre and re-voiced some of the old classics, you’ll know some of the potential.
Now, should anyone actually start this up in Perth, be sure to let me know. There are a few scenes from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ which need my special touch.

It's Time For Some Serious Picking of Nits Over Iraq

I hope Margo Kingston’s admonitions for Mark Latham to start sinking the slipper over Iraq get the attention they deserve. As she points out, it’s all but official that there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and therefore, no explicit reasons to start a war there.
However, I think the clearest point to be made from all of this discussion is this:

“It’s time to trumpet Labor’s credentials as the party of good judgement in such circumstances whose policy on Iraq has proved spot on.”

I Hope You've All Brought Your Bible Reading Software

I’m impressed that one of Microsoft’s evangelists has written about his experiences at a full-on Tech Church – Dallas Fellowship. Apart from his observations about the cool technology they use, there are some interesting observations from the marketing bibles about how the church is distinguishing itself in a crowded world of multi-media and technological advancement.
We might not have the money (or inclination) to match what they’re doing in our own church, but consider some of the lessons:
“Lesson one: make it easy for everyone to learn about you — on their terms.”
“Lesson two: make it easy to experience your product’s special attributes.”
“Lesson three: to get word-of-mouth advertising you need to be remarkable.”
… and, herewith, gentle reader; proof of Lesson Three.

It's a Conspiracy, I Tells Ya

No sooner has Dad been showered with love and gifts and praised for all his noble traits, (it was Father’s Day last weekend in Australia) than someone sees fit to bring him back down to earth:

Dads sleep on as baby cries
Half of fathers either continue to doze or pretend to be asleep when their babies cry during the night, making many mothers resentful, a survey released today shows.

I find the suggestion shocking and appalling. It’s an outrage that someone should dare suggest such a thing.
Look at the publishers – “Mother and Baby Magazine”. Obviously the mothers are jealous of all the good press. You wouldn’t see a ‘Half Of All Mothers Can’t Kick A Footy To Save Their Life’ in May, would you?
Did anyone think that maybe those fathers mistook the noise for something else? Like cats fighting? Or a power tool somewhere? Yeah. A power tool. That’s it.
Sssh. Here she comes.

It's Bad Enough We Have To Work Together

In a daring move, my work colleagues have seen fit to elect me president of the local social club. It’s a brave decision, considering my only experience in getting people to work happily together is by confining them to their rooms until they’ve had a good long think about their actions.
Luckily, the club also has a treasurer and secretary, so the train at least has some rails. If anyone’s got any experience running one of these things, or any tips, or any ideas, I’d appreciate it. At the moment, I think the strategy is to organise just enough events so that people have options, but not so many that we wind up on the front page of the West Australian somehow.

i knew this internet thing would catch on eventually

Have you noticed a strange blending of your online and offline social circles? Blame the Blog. I keep discovering old (Real World) friends with new online diaries. Mark has popped onto the blogosphere with the beautifully designed lowercase. Great to ‘see’ him again.
In many ways, you find out so much more about people through reading weblogs than the regular ‘itsgreatweatherheymate’ converations you seem to find scattered in hallways and elevators. I wish more of my friends blogged.

Dissecting Elections

With a state, federal and global election looming (well, at least the US thinks it’s global) I’m enjoying watching the subtleties of each campaign. Having studied media and communication, it’s fascinating to watch the social and psychological games being played out before us (and on us).
In the Australian federal campaign, John Howard has started turning his right shoulder to the TV camera during interviews (to seem cuddlier) and wearing striped ties (to suggest decisive activity). He’s stopped turning his palm upwards (to seem more decisive and forceful). He doesn’t seem comfortable with it, but he’ll get the hang of it after 6 weeks of electioneering.
Mark Latham is going for a more organic approach – which has him constantly checking his language and behaviour – he’s not, deep down, a particularly politically correct guy. And if there was ever a time for political correctness, it’s now, buddy. Interesting to see what happens when he cracks under the pressure of leading a double life in week four.
As for the issues? The Liberal party got all their ‘playing the man, not the ball’ messages out before calling the election, so they don’t have to worry about running a negative campaign. They’re assuming Latham can’t resist pulling out the cheap shots, so are hoping that they can keep a nice, clean, tidy moral high ground while Labour squeezes the juice out of whether Howard lied during the last election campaign.
I really, really hope we start seeing some discussion of competing policies, soon.

You Have Won 2 T-Shirts In A Radio Competition. Collect Ten Dollars.

I was in a pretty poor mood this morning, so it was good to recieve the news I’d won something in a radio competition. I never enter anything. Much less a competition where the main qualification seems to be brevity. (Just read some of those posts below.)
NewsRadio was asking for a catchphrase to put on some t-shirts to celebrate their 10th anniversary. I came up with ‘Now You Know’, because it works on a couple of levels.
I’m told I can expect some t-shirts and a diary in the mail. (NewsRadio is part of the government broadcaster, so the prizes aren’t as cool as, say, a box at the footy. But I’m not sending it back, no sir.)
Maybe there’s something in this whole ‘less is more’ thing.