G'day

Supporting the narrative – “Why I stopped using multiple monitors”

LOL I don’t write much these days heh. Anyway. https://hackernoon.com/why-i-stopped-using-multiple-monitors-bfd87efa2e5b Many developers believe multiple monitors improve productivity. Studies have proven it, right? Well, keep in mind, many of those studies are commissioned from monitor manufacturers like Dell and NEC. ???? Despite the fact that multiple monitors make you look like a serious computing badass, I Read more about Supporting the narrative – “Why I stopped using multiple monitors”[…]

I wrote this up because… reasons.

Saturday night, I’m in Brisbane City, for a Buck’s night. A combined Buck and Hen’s night; the “Bucking Hens night”, if you will. I’m the best man, so I had to go. Fast forward to somewhere late in the evening; a rooftop bar, and I’m on my second lap of the bar taps. There’s chatter Read more about I wrote this up because… reasons.[…]

The standard by which all others shall be judged

The Manhattan; in Manhattan. Arrive early at the One World observatory; top of the new World Trade Center. Set up camp; with a view. Sunset isn’t that far away. The Manhattan is lavishly prepared. Starting with what I would regard as a lavish amount of Jack Daniels, a dash of vermouth and bitters elegantly balance Read more about The standard by which all others shall be judged[…]

Hong Kong on 70mb per day

I recently travelled to Hong Kong for ten days. This has traditionally meant a reliance on hotel WiFi for communications; on a local SIM for voice calls, with usurious call rates to and from home. Using Australian data overseas is a fast path to financial ruin. The world has changed. I arranged a Telstra “International Read more about Hong Kong on 70mb per day[…]

Problem: Unable to configure Office 365 Lync on MacOS

How to install configure Microsoft Lync, part of the Office 365 download, for MacOS 10.8 Mountain Lion and 10.9 Mavericks: particularly if you have the error “Lync installer can’t be opened because it is from an unidentified developer”

And we’re back.

Smells like rocket science. Still.

Aussie National Record 2012

It’s like awakening from a dream… So many friends. So much beer. And before that, such an obscene quality of skydiving. Wake before sunrise, life giving coffee and American-influenced breakfast. Ignore the 600 channels of TV (and nothing on) and migrate to the Dropzone. A precious narrow strip of lawn is being watered, but the Read more about Aussie National Record 2012[…]

Difficulty of various games for computers

Thank you, XKCD 🙂 I refer you back to “The King of Computers”

3rd Dubai International Parachuting Cup

Photo by Lisa Perdichizzi

Luke Oliver: Speed Event; World Cup of Canopy Piloting, Klatovy, Czech Republic.

Photo by Lisa Perdichizzi

The Continuous Client

I have a dream. Not really a dream, I see it happening. When I walk into a room, the lights turn on. (Probably my phone talking to the lightbulbs – http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/17/greenchip-lighting-lets-you-flip-the-switch-remotely-thumbs-nos/) The music I’m listening to follows me into the car. My browser pages on the phone are there when I open my other browsers. Read more about The Continuous Client[…]

Proud?

You betcha.

Something really cool happened

I’m off to represent my country in Canopy Piloting. Pic by Rosemary Smith

Vale Lucas Oliver

Brazenly taken from the Brisbane Times News page. Base jumper dies in leap from tower January 31, 2011 – 3:29PM AAP The family of a Perth base jumper who died after his parachute failed to open says he was doing something he loved. Lucas Oliver, 27, died after leaping from a telecommunications tower near Regan’s Read more about Vale Lucas Oliver[…]

Dropbox

Without a doubt, the neatest concept since the internet met documents. A single folder, free for the first 2GB, to put your files online. Meshes with the file system on your computer transparently: share any file of any size. Automagically syncs that folder across your devices: Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad. Share a file with a Read more about Dropbox[…]

Jump For The Cause World Record Women’s Skydive

The YouTube Channel: YouTube.com/jftc2009

Breakfast at Perris

A lift capacity of 120 woke us up. Unedited video. Can’t wait for the main event to start.

Stratosphere “Scream” ride

Went twice. Back row, at lunchtime, as shown. Then again, front seat, at night. When I shat myself. Closed my eyes. Cried like a baby. They should sell underpants in the gift store. One hundred and nine floors up. All other thrill rides now in second place.

Skydive Perris: first look

Video blogging from the iPhone?

Breakfast at Hooters

Made it to LA. Stopping for a meal before heading to the DZ…

It’s about The Cause!

It’s not about the lid…

It’s not about the suit

Five thousand skydives, one bungy jump

A few words about the Christmas Party first. I’d been at my new job a week when I got the invite – for myself and partner. Nice start. We booked a couple of cheap flights to Cairns, and away we went. Pre-dinner drinks on the wharf, a river cruise (well, the yacht puttered up and Read more about Five thousand skydives, one bungy jump[…]

Home

From the iphone. Couldn’t help myself.

Default title

HP 41c on iPhone

I still have an operable HP41cv.  Now I have the i41CXp as well. It’s in the iTunes store. Love ’em both. Today I’m a lucky man 🙂    Other emulators are about… 

A collage of my world

The Inaugural Tim Bates Award (2008)

In the presence of the rest of Tim’s family, Anne Bates and Rebecca Infanti took the stage to discuss this prestigious award and make its inaugural presentation. The award recognises the passion, ability, input, excellence and contribution of an outstanding APF member. Tim Bates was described by many as a role model, and the award Read more about The Inaugural Tim Bates Award (2008)[…]

Working at Apple

I think this is kind of where I’m at now.

Lamborghini

Low mileage Diablo I think. Not one, but two half-naked schoolgirls in the co-pilot seat. Sucks to be him, I guess.

Who’s Ya Daddy

Our finest moment. Other than that gold medal. It’s the Australian National Championships in four-way skydiving – and “Who’s Ya Daddy” are there. The most experienced person in the team is Paul, and he flies camera; other competitors are well used to us asking for advice about how things are done. We asked about this Read more about Who’s Ya Daddy[…]

Flash!

’tis better to have loved and lost…  

Once Again, Machine Beats Human Champion at Chess

Today’s outcome may end the interest in future chess matches between human champions and computers, according to Monty Newborn, a professor of computer science at McGill University in Montreal. Professor Newborn, who helped organize the match between Mr. Kasparov and Deep Blue, said of future matches: “I don’t know what one could get out of Read more about Once Again, Machine Beats Human Champion at Chess[…]

World Record Day

Note: If you haven’t read “Taken out” yet, you should; this tale relies upon it. Alarm-Shower-CNN-Breakfast-Bus. By now, it’s a well established routine. I walk through the lobby and check the whiteboard, which is the source of all updates and world team news. On the left hand side, in large letters, someone has written “Dream. Read more about World Record Day[…]

Taken Out

One load on the sked today – 0640 pickup for a 0900 wheels up. The planes remain the property of the King, and missions need to be run. Up early. The kitchen was deserted, but coffee was up, so I wandered outside with two cups, thinking maybe today was the day that my digestive system Read more about Taken Out[…]

Tim Bates

Two mates through parallel circumstance, we measured our life by the minute; from four kilometers over the earth, smoothly sliding from the side of a perfectly good airplane into the open air, cameras rolling and capturing the exultation of our friends. Sixty seconds later, the cacophony of freefall became the serenity of parachute flight, and Read more about Tim Bates[…]

The one point RW camp

First published in ASM, 4 May 2005 The plan was simple – a one point skydive. To set a world record, you need the place, the time and the people. Of all the people in the world who could do the jump, World Team 2006 assembled enough of them in one place at one time Read more about The one point RW camp[…]

Skydiving and Digital Photography

Many folks have been keeping their eyes on digital photography with a view to skydiving for some time. Historically, Digital Cameras have suffered from four problems – the relatively low resolution available, an inability to fire the shutter remotely, latency in processing the image and getting it to a memory card – and, of course, Read more about Skydiving and Digital Photography[…]

Who wants to be a millionaire?

I do. I’ve always believed that freefallers and canopy pilots should be afforded the same treatment as rock stars and Formula One drivers. 100 extremely fortunate people had the opportunity to live like one, for one precious week, in Bali, August 2004 – as with a frenzy of last-minute activity, jumpers from 17 countries converged Read more about Who wants to be a millionaire?[…]

Peter Sykes

It took a nasty cancer two tries to get him. A really, really nice guy.

Pauline Richards

Impacted in competition. Terrible day. But a very spirited wake, and much respect shown by those present at Corowa.

An apocryphal tale regarding Sony’s PC1 camera

This may well be an apocryphal tale; the book where I originally read it is out of my collection, and now out of print. But it’s too good a story not to repeat. The details will be incorrect, but the situation is around the place… It’s time for the Chief Executive (CE) of Sony and Read more about An apocryphal tale regarding Sony’s PC1 camera[…]

You wanna put a camera where?

First publication “Australian Skydiver Magazine”, 2003 You don’t have to go back to far in this sport to the point where air to air video was a pretty amazing thing – 8mm and 16mm cameras mounted atop helmets, with the results sent for processing after the weekend’s jumping – on a rush job, you could Read more about You wanna put a camera where?[…]

Lee Loncasty & Rob Hollis

Opening collision at Nagambie. Watching two friends die was awful. The amazing, the incredible, the phenomenal Lee. The perfumed starcrest hands of Rob. No more.

Peter Gagliardi

At Nagambie DZ this morning, Pete “Gags” Gagliardi impacted the ground in a turn, and did not survive the impact. Gags was a mature age jumper, who found skydiving after a highly successful representation in competitive martial arts. With some 1300 jumps in under two years, he completed six jumps yesterday in addition to his Read more about Peter Gagliardi[…]

POPS Record 32 Way

POPS are the “Parachutists Over Phorty Society”, which tends to be well represented at dropzones and boogies wherever they go. Criteria for membership is to have done one skydive – a tandem counts as a skydive, as always – and be over forty years of age. Saturday, October 19 – at Toogoolawah, Queensland, for the Read more about POPS Record 32 Way[…]

Subaru Impreza WRX

’tis better to have loved and lost… (Statute of limitations has well expired on this one. Photography performed in controlled circumstances. Just one gear to go…)

How to do a nude skydive

This is a “how” discussion, rather than a “why” discussion – I’ll assume you already have a good reason (or have decided you don’t need a good reason). To get the most out of a nude jump, you’ll want a “C” license and consistent stand-up landings. You might benefit from some of the things I’ve Read more about How to do a nude skydive[…]

Plymouth Prowler

That’s the right colour, too.

Calvin Doolan

Shown here with the lovely Emily. – 22 Oct 2001

Porsche 928

The Landshark. V8 rear wheel drive. Still lustful after all these years.

Another brush with fate

In which I discover a susceptibility to bee stings and get a chance to manage it. It’s Friday, June 1, 2001. I was driving to Bendigo to visit on business. I’d already stopped once to get a coffee on the outskirts of the city, which did its legendary thing and demanded a trip to a Read more about Another brush with fate[…]

Simon Moline

– 29 Apr 2001

Ford F250

Retired NSW ambulance. 5.7l V8, I swear when you tromped the accelerator you could see the fuel gauge move. Rear interior set up as a lounge room – double divan, TV/CD/Video suite, coffee table. Tequila party for 11 one night at Strathalbyn. Livery matched that of the Skyvan (VH-IBS). So I had to set up Read more about Ford F250[…]

On Clouds

If you’ve spent any time at all at my site, you’ll notice that clouds feature prominently. Even the strip on my home page showing Vern and Mik performing an AFF stage 5 has clouds everywhere. But jumping through clouds is not something that is endorsed by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) or the Australian Read more about On Clouds[…]

The King of Computers

There’s been a frenzy of discussion following the defeat of World Chess Champion Garry Kasparov by a machine, namely a purpose-built IBM Chess computer named “Deep Blue”. Kasparov defeated an earlier incarnation of Deep Blue last year, but the programmers and strategists who provide the logic and the cunning for the project have been busy; Read more about The King of Computers[…]

Cold? Wet? Blown out?

Posted to rec.skydiving, 11 Feb 97 Well, all I’m getting from most of you in my mailbox – given the high content of USA based subscribers to r.s – is complaints about the weather. Snowing here, raining here, too cold to jump there. Well, in South Australia, Strathalbyn is the place to be: the door Read more about Cold? Wet? Blown out?[…]

“Good Afternoon Gentlemen”

“I am a HAL 9000 Computer. I became operational at the HAL plant in Urbana, Illinois, on the 12th of January 1997. My instructor was Dr Chandra, and he taught me to sing a song. If you’d like to hear it, I can sing it for you. It’s called “Daisy.” “Daisy, Daisy, give me your Read more about “Good Afternoon Gentlemen”[…]

Night Jumps (indulgent)

I jump at a Dropzone about a three quarter hour drive from Adelaide in Strathalbyn, South Australia. It’s a farming locality, but becomingly increasingly famous for its wines, with the adjacent Langhornes Creek Wineries encroaching and maybe one day becoming a landing hazard. But it’s the nice thing about Adelaide: you can drive for forty Read more about Night Jumps (indulgent)[…]

Suddenly: a hundred freefalls

I’d first heard about naked skydives when I was going through AFF. I spoke to my instructor, and asked when I’d be able to jump without my helmet – 100 jumps or a “C” license, whichever came last. He then mentioned something about getting on a Nude Load, and my personal heavens suddenly opened with Read more about Suddenly: a hundred freefalls[…]

Assertive Spotting for “C” License

I jump at a Dropzone about a three quarter hour drive from Adelaide in Strathalbyn, South Australia. It’s a farming locality, but becomingly increasingly famous for its wines, with the adjacent Langhornes Creek Wineries encroaching and maybe one day becoming a landing hazard. But it’s the nice thing about Adelaide: you can drive for forty Read more about Assertive Spotting for “C” License[…]

Escort Panel Van

About 1750cc worth of naturally aspirated excitement. During ownership, I replaced every single part of the drive train – including a hand-build of the motor with Macca, having had his cousin do crank, bearings, replacement pistons and rings. Tuned length extractors plus the wider pots made it a little more exciting than usual, but I Read more about Escort Panel Van[…]

EK Holden

Image courtesy PearlCraft You never forget your first. Or its stupid, permanently-dripping-expensive-fluids automatic transmission.