ITs scary out there

Yes, I finally did IT... well ok, perhaps I'm not being transparent but I applied for a job last night. Way out of my leage of course but still enthralling to do so. It's a people manager role which is where I'm a bit soft but it's strong on technical skills so that part I should be ok. Just need to brush up on my Cisco voice stuff.

Wish me luck, applications close 5th of Feb so I imagine I won't know anything until after then.

Nicks Swimming

Nick is learning to swim! He has just started swimming lessons just days before his 3rd birthday.

Kays and Kays

If you have been reading you will no doubt recall that I was going to go for a drive on Friday to get my lease kilometres back into shape.

Well it was a successful day by all accounts. The drive down was nice, the Macquarie valley was extremely verdant and a interesting road to drive on. It is a tight twisty narrow road yet has semi-trailers travelling on it. The bends are so tight that you have to stop before each turn if there is a truck coming the other way. I almost got taken out by one.

The corners get worse when you get the the single lane section. Even normal cars have to cross over to the other side to get around the inside of the hairpins! It amazes me that semi trailers are allowed to use this road but I guess it is a great link between the Hume highway and Wollongong.

Once we were up in the highlands the mist and fog rolled in. I only wish I had fog lights on the car so I could legitemately use them! The pies at the famous Robertson Pie shop were ok I guess. The chicken curry could have had more bite to it. Oh well, I guess when you cater for the masses you don't want to offend anyone. Bit like Oporto's warning you about the chillie in their chillie burger or McDonalds warning you that coffee is hot.

Anyway, the trip was good. On the return leg I travelled up the M7 and on approaching the M4 realized that it was only 2:30pm and I still had time to kill. I could either go home and laze on the couch for a couple of hours or I could keep on driving. Considering the whole point of the day was to rack up kays, I chose the latter option.


View Larger Map
So on I went, down the M4, up to Glenbrook in the Blue Moutains, the turning off at Springwood to take the long route back via Hawksbury Heights and Richmond to Windsor. This is the way that my family always used to take from the Northern Beaches to the Blue Mountains before the M2 existed. It's a lovely scenic drive but took 2hrs rather than the 1hr 15mins that the freeway takes.

All up a very good day with a total of 425kms added. So now I'm not very far behind at all and saw some lovely country side in the process.

Crazy Card Canasta

Ok, that was a little forced alliteration.

I am in the process of trying to get rid of my credit cards in favour of Visa Debit cards instead. Doing this has highlighted how many different places you hand out this information to and how much fun it is to change it.

So far I have, eToll, iTunes, eBay and the phone company to start with. Each with a different process I'm sure. Then there are more things like my domain company and the online shopping website.

When you think about it, all these sites all have your credit card details (though I'm not sure about the shopping website). I used to only deal with sites that didn't store your card details but these days that is much more difficult. It would be nice if sites had to give you the option of not storing your card but alas there is no such law in place.

Oh well, for now we just have to trust them. I guess an encrypted website is better than nothing but it's still easy for users to get complacent and ignore warnings about a websites security (e.g. their invalid certificate) because our security software trains us to just blindly click on stuff.

So my TODO for tomorrow is to try and change my credit card details with all these people and do it without loosing my temper or signing up for any new value adds.

Wish me luck.

Making Plans

In an effort to blog more often as per my new years resolution, here is todays entry.

As you may know I was looking at Macquarie Pass as somewhere to drive to. Well I have made the arrangements and am taking next Friday (15th) off to do the drive. Google maps says it will take roughly 2hrs each way but the pass is pretty steep narrow and popular so who knows if I will get stuck behind someone going real slow or not.

In other news I've finally mailed off my application for trade access to TLE. This is part of my dream to freelance as someone who does network wiring for peoples houses. I've done three so far. Just need to get people to pay me for doing it (i.e. more than just parts). The TLE part of the dream is for access to discounts when buying parts.

It's all part of ze plan!

A Difficult Choice

I have made a new years resolution to blog more...

I am coming up on ten years in my current job. Logic says its time for a change but after ten years, change is a difficult thing to contemplate. I have the problem of having reasonable job satisfaction coupled with the nagging sensation that I could do better. Add to that the fact that I can't easily define my current position and it makes the thought of changing jobs daunting.

I have considered network engineer, generic manager, project manager and can't think of what else.

Any ideas? I had been waiting for my boss to move up the food chain but I fear he's in the same boat as me, likes what he does, reluctant to move and just in a cushy place.

I have recently acquired my CCNA Security specialization but I just can't see work rating that worth of a pay increase considering I'm not a network engineer.

Oh the pain of it all.

The joys of a lease

So I have a leased car. Yes, I'm behind on my kays and looking for somewhere to go to chew up the miles.

The other weekend we were in Mittagong doing the very same things. After getting back I was checking the maps (as I do) a noticed a lovely squiggly line not far from there.

Turns out this squiggly line is a popular road for people on bikes and I've found several videos on YouTube showing how great a road it is.

So my next mission, take the freeway down to Wollongong and then up the road to Macquarie Pass and on to Robertson for a famous pie!

Sounds like a plan?


View Larger Map

On a Whim

On a random suggestion whilst having guests over the other night for a low key new years I have registered the domain lazyparents.net with a tagline of "For Parents who couldn't be arsed".

My theory is there are lots of things parents find difficult to discuss with their kids that they know they should. This is much more than just education about sex. Things like where is heaven and why does Granny smell funny.

So, I play to find or create some content and see where it leads me.

Any suggestions?

Creative Ikea

Is is really bad when you starting getting creative decorating ideas based on Ikea furniture?

Is it a sign that you've done one too many visits to that great warehouse under the sun?

I think perhaps I should keep a secret my designer Ikea. Perhaps they might be interested?

A Foot Long

 
How long as it been? Not long but she's as pretty as ever and now is starting to roll over. She has the whole world ahead of her (what a cliche) and I'll be here watching.

New Addtion to the family

Here's a video of our new daughter getting ready to come home from the hospital.

Train Topology Anyone?

I have been playing with my sons Geotrax system of late. When he wants to play trains it means he sits on the bed and daddy puts the trains together so that he can break them apart.

So naturally, being the nurd that I am, was wondering if there was a mathematical way to determine the number of layouts that used every piece of a given set of pieces. I have recently managed to create a layout that uses every piece:


The question is. How many are there like this? Also, how do you determine what their basic topological properties are such as how the points relate to each other and what the symmetric must look like.

Any ideas?

There's no Honour in Killing

Ok, so there's plenty of news and blogs about the aborent practise in some places of honour killings yet most of them just repeat the same ideas, that it is incredible such things still go on and they should be stopped.

These are easy things to say and certainly put you on the right side of things but has anyone stopped to consider how something like this would play out in western society?

Picture this, teenage daughter comes home later than her curfew. Parents are upset as they expected more from her. They tell her that their family has a reputation has a good upstanding family and her actions would lead people in the community to think otherwise. They were sorry but she would have to be killed.

Can you put yourself in that position? Of course we find it difficult to image our parents ever saying something like that in the first place and if they did then we just wouldn't take them seriously.

But what if they were serious and more than that everyone we might speak to about it would take their side and agree with the sentance? What if even people in authority like the police whilst not condoning our theoritical parents actions they would not intervene.

Can you imagine that? Can you imagine a society were there is no recourse, there is no second opinion. I would imagine that you might resist and try to fight it and if you were strong willed then you might find a way out. But if you weren't then you might feel like there was no way out, that perhaps rather than be killed the only option is to kill yourself.

I have read recently that some females who have been given an honour sentence feel this way, it's almost like having suicidal thoughts yet they are no fault of your own.

How does one change society? Society has such a huge momentum behind it and exists in the behaviour of millions of people? If for generations these things have been accepted in a particular society then how is any member of that society able to break out from these rules? It seems impossible doesn't it? How am I any more able to change for instance the western social view on public nudity?

Yet perhaps the difference might be that we are taught to question the things told to us, to work things out for ourselves rather than taking at face value that which someone else tells us. This works for us but it doesn't help those who are dying for someones concept of honour.

Almost Christmas and I'm Good

Do you remember as a kid how excited you got for Christmas? All these presents and you didn't have to do anything (in theory) to get them? Yes, I remember being so excited you couldn't sleep I mean this was the highlight of the year.

Then we grow up and realize what our parents do to make it such a great day and although we appreciate it, it never has the same magic as it once did.

Then we become parents and we start to get excited about it again. We look forward to being able to give our little ones something they'll really enjoy and we look forward to seeing the enjoyment on their faces. It feels good to come full circle and enjoy it from the other side.

Yet something is gnawing at me making me feel like I'm doing something wrong. You see, due to scheduling constraints we are unable to get to Church this year having two places to be on the day. Growing up I always got annoyed when we had to stop playing with all our new toys and go to church but now that I am older I realise that its a bit shallow to celebrate Christmas without actually going to church but I guess that's normal these days.

Sure there will be thousands of people who only go to church on this day and the churches understand this and give the people what they want. I mean the service you get on Christmas day is not really a normal service, its a service for the people who feel guitly about celebrating Christmas without any thought for the true meaning.

So back to my problem. I won't be going to church on Christmas day but I have managed to get my head around this by realizing that unlike all those people who go just that one day, I have been going to church throughout the year and trying to learn and get something out of it. So I feel that I won't really be missing out and that my heart and head will be in the right place as I try to remember why we do this in the first place.

Hope you all have a happy day and think of each other as we go to our various events.

A New Life

There is nothing quite like the news of hearing that friends have just had their first child. It comes so out of the blue sometimes that its quite a surprise when it happens. As it did happen to me this morning, I found out that friends of mine had had their first child at 6am this morning and all was well. I couldn't help be feel so happy for them. It can be a time of extreme stress so it's good to know everyone has made it through ok. It makes me look forward to the birth of my second child next year. I can remember how I felt waiting for my son to be born, not knowing when things were going to happen, waiting and more waiting.

So I know where my friends are at right now, in this weird place, tired, exhausted but over the moon. It's surreal, shortly followed by an endless stream of visitors. Enjoy.

Somehow I don't think the second time around for me will be the same. I know too much going in so there won't be quite the same heightened anxiety as there was the first time. I'm sure it will still be an amazing experience, birth will always be that way but I still think there's nothing like being first time parents, completely stonkered at what has taken place.

Well, I should send some congratulations to my friends and their speedy arrival. Well done.

A bit too close to home

This is what I was confronted with when leaving for work this morning:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sydney-car-blast-mystery/2008/07/15/1215887577802.html

Didn't hear a thing but that 4WD has a habit of parking on the curb right at the corner and I've almost taken him out several times. Perhaps someone got pissed at him?

The Decline of Company Loyalty

I originally created this blog as a place to vent my frustrations. Then there was a period where I just wasn't frustrated. Getting married, buying a house, having a baby, whilst stressful are not frustrating.

But now, I have something to post about. Perhaps this is indicative on me than on IT in general but I have come to the conclusion that not only is it the done thing to change jobs every 2 years in IT but IT companies now also expect it. Company loyalty no longer exists. It is expected that if you don't like your job you change. Simple as that. Companies now know that they no longer have to try to retain staff as staff will leave regardless. IT workers also know this and know there is no point trying to move up the ranks as people will be moved in sideways and they will not go anywhere.

So both sides of the employment coin understand the situation and have agreed on terms yet for some reason I haven't bought into this scheme. Here I am after eight years of service still waiting to move somewhere. Each year I hope for something and each year I get told how tough the market is and how the company is struggling. Obviously this is just management talk to manage my expectations. They expect that if I'm not happy I will move on. They don't need to do anything as I am just the same as the rest of the cattle here. Even if your performance review rate you as execptional that just means you are allowed to stay.

I remember years ago when employement was supposed to be a win win situation. You put your time in doing work for your employer and they made it worth your while. Now they don't care what you do, just that you do it quietly and move on if you're not happy. Your direct manager no longer has any control over your career, nor does his manager and so on. Everyone is treated the same and promotion is only through knowing the right people and being at the right place and has nothing to do with merit or loyalty.

Yet here I am, still here still enduring. What gives?

Official Google Blog: Looking towards IPv6

Looks like IPv6 is getting the big name support it needs. Now we just need Google to IPv6 enable the rest of their services and we'll be set.


Official Google Blog: Looking towards IPv6

Riding Away

I've started riding to work and something strange has happened. Instead of my inherent
lazy streak overriding me and telling me to take the car when the weather is nasty I have found that I'm now feeling bad for taking the car. I actually find myself feeling like a wimp of some sort for not riding in the rain or for thinking a little bit of wet is an excuse not to ride.

I don't understand this myself as it's not what I would have expected of myself. I know I'm lazy and it's a constant battle to get past that. Yet here I am wanting to ride in the rain, wanting to not skip days. I think some of the motivation has to be that I've lost 4kg. Not that that sounds like a lot (it isn't) but it's more the fact that people have noticed and finally I have felt like I'm getting somewhere.

I know how hard it is to diet which is why I'm not being to careful on that side of things. Yes I'm trying to eat less but I'm not that fussy of what it is. Instead I feel like I'm changing my lifestyle for the good here. I've wanted to ride for so many years yet haven't managed to get there until recently. Now I feel liberated. I look forward to riding, and once I'm at work I feel happy that I have to ride home because now I am enjoying the whole deal.

Ok, enough ranting about riding.

Find me by the Shorefront

Well it's about time. I finally have a shady front to hide behind. Yes, I've registered a business name and gotten myself an ABN.

http://shorefront.googlepages.com

Now just to find some consulting work.