Banging On

So every so often on this space on the internet I bang on about Climate Change.  The last time was back in November of last year.  At that time I had come up with the idea that you really need to relate the global problem of climate change and excess CO2 back to an individual level.  You need to say that this is the level of carbon that you produce now and this is what you need to aspire to.

Turns out that someone has approached the problem from this angle.  I was looking at tons of CO2, Saul Griffith's looks at it in terms of watts or energy. I think his approach has several benefits as it's not just a climate change issue but it is also a energy security issue and it relates the global problems back to an individuals experiences. It is also a more direct and complete measure of ones impact on the world.

This is a long video (bit over an hour) but a very worth while one. Please take the time to stream/download this and watch it.

Array

Saw a tee shirt for sale recently with this design on it. Really rather clever though only funny to a fairly select audience. I think it's great though.

A Perk of Our Evolution - Pleasure in Pain of Chilies - NYTimes.com

I just read this in the NY times (link below). interesting fluff piece but with a great line in it, "In my kitchen, as I turn my homegrown habaneros into hot sauce while wearing a respirator (I’m not kidding)". He is using Habaneros which I'm also growing in my garden. they are now the 2nd hottest chillies in the world. I would actually recommend elbow length chemically resistant gloves when handling them rather than a respirator.

A Perk of Our Evolution - Pleasure in Pain of Chilies - NYTimes.com

Openbook - See what's public on Facebook

Another interesting read

http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/09/six-reasons-why-wired-uks-editor-isnt-on-facebook/

Then Try out;

Openbook - See what's public on Facebook

Roof Dog

LOL Cats have Ceiling cat. Well I've just spotted Roof Dog.

He Watcheth over us and sees all.

First Time Ever

So here is proof First ever trip to the Ballet.

Ballets not bad. Great as an art form and is an amazingly athletic display. The dancers are definitely to be admired, but to tell a story I prefer a musical or a play. They are just better mediums for story telling.

Where we're at now

Min and I have been back in the country for a while now.  Min has been in hard training and just over 2 weeks ago ran in her first ever Half Marathon.  It was at the Townsville Running Festival held by the local club the Townsville Road Runners.  It was a hard slog for her but she made the 21.1 km in under 2 hours.

For me though my weeks and especially weekends have been all about my house. I have been doing paint prep, gardening, taking off gutters, and  stripping floors nearly every spare moment.  One good thing though is that I am finally getting very close to having the place finished.  Another 3 or 4 weeks and I should have the first of two apartments ready then another couple of weeks and I will have both places finished.  Not long now!!  Just paint both places then sand the floors in one and replace the fans.

Once the house is finished I will have time to get back to my own training and prepare for the OC1 races that are coming up later in the year. I actually hope to start running as well, ot long distances mind just 4-5km once or twice a week. With paddling and cycling I should start to see a definite improvement in my fitness.

All of that though is a while off and we will have to see how the house goes.  For tonight though I'm off to see the The Imperial Russian Ballet Company preform the Nutcracker suite.  I'm quite looking forward to it I've never been to the Ballet will be interesting to see.

Please read before you go to vote

People should know who they are voting for and what those people stand for. Over the last few elections federal politics has definitely declined. Labour hasn't had a strong leader running on strong policies since Keating. The Liberals on the other hand had a strong leader more recently in John Howard. Now I didn't agree with many of Howard's Policies (Especially Work Choices and Lack of Climate Change action) but Policy was front and centre in his election campaign.

If Julia Gillard would put up a strong central Policy on say Climate change or some other area that the Labour party think needs improving in Australia's current system I think they would be further ahead in the polls. All of this is a bit beside the point that I am trying to make though. I want people to know what a bunch of lunatics they would be voting for if they vote for the Liberal party. Please read the direct and referenced quotes on this website and see if Tony Abbott is the type of man that you would want in charge of a country. Remember his policies will affect people you.

http://thedawnchorus.wordpress.com/2010/08/05/reasons-to-not-vote-for-tony/

Also please be aware that Liberal Preference are being directed towards the Family First Party. If the Liberals are a bunch of right wing lunatics then the Family First party are foaming at the mouth crazy! Here is an example of the Family First party trying to Advance Australia as a Modern Country.His contribution to the passing of Australia’s first paid parental leave scheme in June was to VOTE AGAINST IT BECAUSE:

“Drug addicts and welfare cheats can go out there and get themselves pregnant and then after 20 weeks have an abortion and still pocket the government’s cash,” Senator Fielding told the Senate.

Then also there is the belief that the world is only 10,000 years old and we all descended from 2 individuals.

Please take the rather extreme views of these peopl in to account when voting in the election on the 24th.

Get up Ad About Tony Abbot

Some thing everyone should see before the coming election.

Thursday 10th June – Plantation Inn

Lemon Grove to Bakersfield

We left The Plantation Inn after a stunning breakfast of sweet chilies in an omelet pie type of thing. Said goodbye to Scott and Marie and headed off to Bakersfield. We were only heading to Bakersfield so that we could get ready for the flight to Australia, wash and repack the bags. It would have been awesome to stay longer at the plantation inn and see more of the area around there but I felt that driving all the way to LA in one day would have been a bit much.

Min and I did some shopping in Bakersfield. and I have to say that without my iPhone we would have been lost a few times and never would have found the stores that we were looking for. We went to a Big 5 sports store and Min bought a nice pair of black runners. I was wandering around and discovered that sports stores sell guns. Not just any guns either but Automatic rifles and pump action shotguns as well as hand guns.

We then went to Action Sports Store, they didn’t sell guns but they did sell bikes very nice bikes. I wanted to buy at least 3 but, you know transporting them back to Oz would have been a little hard (let’s not talk about the price either). I ended up buying a long sleeve thermal base layer made from silk and merino wool. Also in the carpark outside Action Sports we saw a Humvee or Hummer H1 which is a stupidly sized 'car' that was never really sold in Oz. We only get the baby siblings the Hummer H2 and H3 here in Australia.

We also stopped at a Wal Mart, as Min wanted to show me how big they were. They are sort of like a Big W and Woolies rolled into one, only 10 times the size, and they sell Guns.

One bonus of the trip was that we got to eat at a Denny’s Diner again. I ordered a pan fried dish and the meat was so awesome. Really tender and only $5.50 how can they sell food that cheep, it’s just ridicules. Min got something from the $4 value menu then with a milkshake for me and a drink for Min the total bill came to about $12 Crazy.

We did laundry then went to the hotel and repacked our bags ready for the next day and the final drive to LA.