Mike Riversdale

Will try and give some links to some good ones as they come through ... and so will a whole gaggle of Wikipedians (I hope - the April 1, 2008 page wasn't there at time of writing this ) INNOVATION MAY BE DETRIMENTAL TO BUSINESS - report I get via email that had me pondering the points until the very end. Nice work Aha - here we go, good old Google Australia with their time jumping gDay™ with MATE™ The core technology that powers gDay™ is MATE™ ( Machine Automated Temporal Extrapolation ). Using MATE’s™ machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques developed in Google’s Sydney offices, we can construct elements of the future. Their "FAQ" is funny: Q: Wait a second. I live in the US. Does this mean I’m now 2 days behind Australia? A: Yes. Yes it does. Q: Why is this section titled "frequently asked questions", when the product is barely released? A: We used gDay™ to work out the questions that people would ask. GMail also has a giggle with Gmail Custo...

(another cracker from Adam's email Jokeslist)

Taken down after complaints, according to Adam's email Jokelist - sad, eh!

During my week "off line" I managed to catchup with all the photos that were waiting patiently to be uploaded to their Flickr homes. And so for end of 2007 and the first few months of 2008, you can now check out: December 2007 28th - trip into Christchurch (museum & aquarium) 29th - trip to Brighton beach with Meg January 2008 New Years Day 2008 - hanging around the Redwood estate 2nd - back in Miramar after saying tara to folks down in Christchurch 4th - BBQ at our place 12th - another BBQ at our place 20th (Wellington Anniversary Day) - trip over the hill to Worser Bay beach 24th - visit to Miramar Central School playground 26th - Hat BBQ 27th - Teddy Bear's Picnic and Botanic Gardens February 2008 1st - Kiwi Foo 9th - Riversdale Beach visit 27th - Bloggers meet up 29th - Nelson weekend #1 March 2008 1st - Nelson weekend #2 8th - Liz's 40th birthday bash at Hawthorn Lounge 14th - Miramar Central School Food Fair 15th - Worser Bay beach afternoon 22nd - Craft2.0 ...

News.com.au: 'Wombat rape made man speak Strine' By staff writers March 27, 2008 03:47pm NEW Zealand man has been sentenced to community work after telling police he was raped by a wombat and the experience had made him speak "Australian". Arthur Ross Cradock, 48, from the South Island town of Motueka, called police on February 11 and told them he was being raped at his home by the wombat and he needed help, The Nelson Mail newspaper reported. The orchard worker later called back and said: "Apart from speaking Australian now, I'm pretty all right, you know." Cradock pleaded guilty in the local court to using a phone for a fictitious purpose. He was sentenced to 75 hours' community work. Police prosecutor Sergeant Chris Stringer told the court alcohol played a large role in Cradock's life.

Unique Bus of Future to Duplicate Speed of Railroads (Jun, 1930)

Support the Earth Hour initiative tomorrow (Sat 28th) and turn off your lights between 8pm-9pm . But it will be dark! I know ... fun eh!? Light candles, play spooky games (I recommend Werewolf ) or tell ghost stories - in essence HAVE FUN! And it's not just about the lights , that's the minimum. If you can turn off anything else then do so - how about turning off the computer!!! More info: Wellington City Council press release New Zealand 'Earth Hour' Google news search ... Official Earth Hour site And finally - how do we feel about Christchurch being the official New Zealand Earth Hour rep ... crap eh, it should be Wellington!! Write to both Kerry Prendergast (Mayor - kerry.prendergast@wcc.govt.nz ) and Ray Ahipene-Mercer (Portfolio Leader: Climate Change - ray.ahipene-mercer@wcc.govt.nz ) asking for a big push for 2009 - think of the coverage we'll get internationally, all because you all got behind it and asked!

Nice - http://twitter.com/Dompost (and it/they are following the Wellingtonista tweets - nice x 2) And for those that don't know about Twitter - read/watch Twitter in plain English Then sign-up as is fast becoming the way that news, events and connections are happening around the world. (just like every other new fandangled thingy)

If you watch the Google Apps Team Edition Overview video there is, for me in NZ, a very large advert ("Ads by Google") for Microsoft Office 2007 to the right of it ... nice work Microsoft NZ

Having sent the Pervasive Penguins article to someone I know (but shall remain nameless* as she is a fully paid up Club Penguin member - imagine the shame and embarrassment!?! :-) I was challenged as to why I wasn't enrolled. I thought I'd better check it out ... for the kids sake ... MiramarMike is taken!?!?!? And it's not me ... I don't think ... [checks GMail one more time] ... nope, definitely NOT ME! Be aware young (and old) penguins, this MiramarMike you may waddle up to and squawk with is an imposter. Do not buy used fish from this penguin. I should've taken heed of my own advice eh! * the nameless Penguin Club member has previously left a comment on this blog confessing her Penguin addiction

Following on from the Ponoko post (bytes to bits) how's this, Sketch Furnitur e, for "bits from nothing" - simply wave your hands around and let the computer design a chair for you ... ish Thanks to the World Sweet World blog (buy the mag ) for the link

Mighty Mighty jobs for you bar tending types PLUS this weeks gigs This via the Mighty Mighty Facebook group Heya Kiddos! Mighty Mighty is looking for part time glassies and bartenders, gotta cut the gravy. Contact us at mightymighty@xtra.co.nz or drop into the bar. Also while I am at it :D Come pop in for some super times @ The Mighty :D A Word From El Capitain Richo and The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers! They also give us the low down for the week ahead - read on ... Read the full article ...

The very best exchange of the evening... #2 (corrected link - thank Llew) i HEART NZ - which leads to this ... “You haven’t kept chickens before..?”

Via my wonderful my last.fm connections (Sue!) this came to my notice: Details: Tickets $22.50 plus service fees, available online from Ticketek . Pulling together some of the capital city’s favourite musicians and commanding the four-string like you’ve never heard it, the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra’s live show features comic banter, singalong favourites, stunning dress sense sparkling harmonies. Having already jammed with the likes of Jordan Luck, Don McGlashan, Annie Crummer, Camp Mother and Shortland Street’s Dr Potts, you can expect plenty of surprise guests from across the pop spectrum, along with some classic uke gags and legendary licks in this cabaret spectacular.

Getting to Junglerama wuithout a car is probably not gonna happen People are flexible Applying a Microsoft SP1 is not always the norm ... !?!? Taking your attention away from your sporting team for a split second WILL mean they lose Moo Cards do arrive, eventually - want one? Coffee -via Twitter with Mauricio and now his blog : Ristretto = "This is the strongest and most concentrated espresso drink." Espresso = " A one-ounce shot of intense, rich black coffee made and served at once" Demitasse = A small (1/2 size) cup used for serving espresso Not everyone understands Agile/SCRUM ... not everyone can comprehend it Isn't life wonderful!

Now local Ponoko is in the printed version of Wired (16.04): Jeffrey Wegesin is a furniture maker. His most popular creation is a curvaceous side table, and even though he has sold only two copies of it, he has already turned a profit. He did it without so much as setting foot in a wood shop. And he is not alone. Wegesin is one of 5,000 merchants who have established accounts with Ponoko, a year-old on-demand manufacturing service in New Zealand. Designers upload their blueprints to Ponoko's servers; when a customer places an order, Ponoko's laser cutters automatically trim wood and plastic to create the product on the spot. Wegesin, a Web designer, sells the tables through the site for $250, not including shipping. He then pays Ponoko $124 for each table to cover the cost of materials and cutting fees. The $252 he's brought in so far may not be much, but because he incurred no up-front costs it comes as pure profit. Ponoko - a Wellington based global distributed manufa...

The Osborne 1 during my 5th form (15-16years) at Monmouth Comprehensive School, Wales under the strict and moody tutelage of Mr Clements. I remember the twin (TWIN!) floppy disks (super large size), the clunk of the doors slamming shut as you inserted them. The horrors of forgetting to "dismount" the floppy drives as you took them out and then lost the file that was still "open". Programming in machine code. The smell of the room, the heat of the summer sun at lunchtime and the inordinate amount of time these things took to do anything. But it was a COMPUTER ... on my desk, that I could solely and totally 100% use for whatever I wanted ... for 45 minutes. The green, beige and black was eventually replaced by the BBC Micro after which I totally lost interest in hardware. Check out more Osborne nostalgia: Cracking open the Osborne 1: The original portable computer Old computers: Osborne 1 Wikipedia: Osborne 1 Google 'osborne 1' search ...

That was fun - let's get on with it! PS: Thanks for all the kind messages over the past week. Um, I think people may have got a slightly wrong impression that I was (or even "we were") having some sort of crisis. Not really, just needed to make a little space in the life for the family and fun things in amongst all the work and web malarkey and re-charge our batteries a little. Thanks anyway, totally appreciate the thoughts and sentiments - maybe I can save them for when I finally realise I won't be a movie screen heart throb :-)

Back end of next week or beginning of the following.

Enterprise 2.0 blog: 5 reasons why 92% of New Zealander's don't use RSS A massive 92% of Kiwi's have no idea how (or choose not) use the RSS technology as reported by Russell Brown * Why is that? (If you're unfamiliar with the term RSS check out the excellent RSS in Plain English video) I commented on the NZ State Services Commission blog where Jo reminded me of this amazingly high statistic: I know, 92% have no idea … and whilst I still a little unbelieving at how high that seems from my experience introducing this “stuff” into organisations I am no longer stunned by it. Mind you, the “young ‘uns” might not be able to tell you what RSS is but they probably use it in Facebook and the like. Maybe it’s a technology that (like TCP/IP) doesn’t need to be known but just works. Having said that. I bet close to 90% wouldn’t know what “reader”, “subscribe” or the wee orange logo are referring to. Good thing is, hardly anyone hates it when they discover it … all growth ahea...

WTF! This has been bugging me for ages. When you add a contact to GMail there is no "web address" field type. What that means is I can't call up someone's details and click to go to their blog (say). And now, in Google Sites the same bloody issues with lists. Crazy eh!

Following up on the excellent discussion over on Don's earlier " Ready for the desktop " Stuff blog post I thought I'd share these two over on this blog as well. Playing DVDs on Ubuntu : http://www.debuntu.org/how-to-play-dvd-under-ubuntu-linux Installing software on Ubuntu : http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/installingsoftware

This regular craft market is run by the totally awesome Sue . It's a chance to meet up with quite a few of the Wellingtonista staffers who will be on both sides of the stalls (I think). It's a perfect time to treat yourself with something special and totally you darlink! Details, details, details: When: THIS SATURDAY, 11am till 3pm Where: TheNewDowse [ ZoomIn map ~ Google map ] Want to know who's got craft stuff for sale - this is direct from the Craft2.0 blog : This list only covers our crafters who have a web presence SuperVery felt World Sweet World Chromatophobic Dandylion Melina Martin Nibbles Jo pearson Sue Quigley Design Baibin FloraGeorge WeGotKnits artdivine Badgeosaurus van Rose Kids’ Couture minu Papertin Fiona Duffy Red Rag Sam TeaPea Tolka frames trixiedelicious Scrappers WHSKR ... and remember, that's just those online!

Mike Riversdale Originally uploaded by webstock . Watch the videos (yes, there's more than 1 angle for you to enjoy) and see more Webstock photos of my session Thanks to Mike and the Webstock gang for the photos - Day 1 / Day 2

What a cracking idea, the Barcode wikipedia , from the Social Innovation Camp (4th-6th April in Bethnal Green, London, UK ) Create a site for storing user generated information to be stored against a product, identified by its barcode number. People would be able to access the info by entering/scanning the barcode number. The kind of information that would be stored against the product would be things like reviews, manufacturing conditions, news stories about the product/manufacturer, farm subsidies paid to the manufacturer etc. All entered in wiki form by end users.

How about this concept of a nanotechnology phone from Nokia? Morph is a joint nanotechnology concept developed by Nokia Research Center and the University of Cambridge and has gone on display as part of the " Design and the Elastic Mind " exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. This exhibit even has an online component , that is impressive. Thanks to EDS' Next Big Thing blog

Watch the swimmers ... man!

Great Flickr photo's from gideon_jones1 of the Welsh Grand Slam win on Sunday!    

Beat that Petone people :-) Bus #31, 6:46am - 6:46am

Week 1: 34 points Week 2: 47 Week 3: 32 Week 4: 23 Week 5: 16 Currently I ( miramarmike ) have 152 points , and are in position 60,373 out of 144,251 . Amongst my friends I am 12th of 20 . And the Hurricanes are scoring tries - all as the universe expects it

Whilst I regularly have a StumbleUpon session (usually after working on the latest Enterprise 2.0 blog goodness and need to change the brain to less "serious" stuff) I have noticed that I'm not getting the StumbleUpon awesomeness I used to - even getting the same old sites come around again. Don't get me wrong, it's still my number 1 port of call but to keep the creative juices flowing (why are they "juices" and have to "flow"?) I love reading this sorts of posts - ReadWriteWeb: Ten Sites for Finding Wonderful Things I also have a stack of site subscriptions that I use to keep those old juices up and creative - you can use them as well if you want: Mike Riversdale shared 'creative' feeds

Second in four years - nice. And that's how you beat France , *ahem* (and in pictures )

It's only 18 minutes long but but boy-o-boy does thus woman nail it with her TED talk: My stroke of insight Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another! If you can't/don't want to watch the video then check out the transcript Thanks to Presentation Zen for the link

Oooh, here's a few I didn't know from Simple Firefox Tips and Tricks (Some of Which You Might Not Know…) 1) Drag and drop There are many things that you can drag and drop in Firefox. Drag the favicon of any site to your home icon to set it as the home page. Drag a hyperlink (or image) to the new tab icon to open the link in a new tab. Drag a download link (or image file) to the download icon to instantly download the file. Drag a highlighted word to the search bar (beside the address bar) will bring you to the Google search result page for that word. If you drag the highlighted word to the address bar (and press enter), Firefox will perform a Google “ I’m Feeling Lucky ” search 2) Keyboard shortcut Other than the usual shortcut keys such Ctrl + T :open new tab, Ctrl + N : open new window etc, here are some not-so-well-known, but useful, shortcut keys: Ctrl + Enter : Insert www and .com to the address bar. If you enter “about” in the address bar and press Ctrl + Enter , ...

They're splitting the final Harry Potter film into two parts ... for no apparent reason. It's not the biggest Potter book (in word/page count). It's not the most complicated (in Mike Brain Power Usage Accumulator) It's not got the highest count of new characters for us to assimilate. So why ... why split? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Although the wheeled out response is: "I think it's the only way you can do it without cutting out a huge portion of the book," star Daniel Radcliffe, 18, told the Times on the set of Half-Blood Prince , the sixth Potter film, which is due in theaters on Nov. 21. "There have been compartmentalized subplots in the other books that have made them easier to cut--although those cuts were still to the horror of some fans--but the seventh book doesn't really have any subplots. It's one driving, pounding story from the word go." $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Harry Potter 6 (" Ha...

What is a Barcamp? A cracking Barcamp description from Rob O'Brien (with a little editing from yours truly): BarCamp is an ad-hoc Unconference born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an event with discussions, demos and interaction from attendees. Anyone with something to contribute or with the desire to learn is welcome and invited to join. After conferences may people say that the best aspects of the event were the people they met and the impromptu hallway conversations they had. An unconference amplifies these connections and conversations. Barcamps are unconferences organised by a community of interested individuals and participated by those same individuals. Anyone can organise a Barcamp around any area that interests them. There is no corporate agenda, no vested interests, no absolute authority and often no cost to attend. Instead Barcamps are a way for like minded people to come together, collaborate, innovate and make things happ...

On the fine Russell Brown hosted (as in host of the dinner evening not this new fandangle web "host" we call talk about) Public Address System * I can edit my details (name, URL) but I'm danged if I can find how to change my picture. Leave a comment and let me know how * which I've just noticed is still "beta" - hee hee, nice one ... but then again so am I AND this blog

Woman sat on toilet for 'two years' Key phrases include: boyfriend finally called police skin had grown around the seat Sheriff Bryan Whipple initially refused emergency medical services She was "somewhat disoriented," "She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body," will determine whether any charges should be filed against the woman's 36-year-old boyfriend. (thanks to the fine Wellingtonista folk for the initial lead ... no, it's not on the site as it's not about Wellington)

For those wearing kilts! (Adam's Jokeslist email comes up trumps again ...)

No prizes for second place ... darn there goes my US$10,000. Of course the whole point of the competition was for iYomu to gain an audience and to generate some buzz. I have to say, it didn't. No-one I know has the slightest inclining about iYomu and no-one in the know (and I count myself as one of those that has a fairly firm finger on the "2.0" pulse) has been talking about it. The result for iYomu will, of course, be in the aftermath. Will there be a buzz generated, i.e. will the result be Twittered, blogged, Digged etc? Will the numbers of active subscribers maintain it's current level? My suspicions are that the answer to both will be, "No". And it's not the competition that's the problem. It's the product. It's just very average and no-one can be arsed signing up for something that's basically the same as every other social networking site. Why iYomu when you (and all your mates) are on Facebook? I wish the winner the best, enjoy th...

[Updated] Chiaradina is IN THE FINAL - it's between her and one other ... every click counts [Updated] Chiaradina is currently 2nd with 2 more weeks to go ... every click counts Wow, just voted for Chiaradina in the iYomu race for US$1,000,000 and she's a well placed second in the race. She might actually win a stack load of money - one million dollars (place little finger in corner of mouth for full effect). And you might get some of it if you help her past the finish line first. 4 steps to help her and yourself Register on iYomu (give as little info about yourself as you feel comfortable) Got to the iYomu homepage Select Chiaradina as your person to vote for Push the "Vote" button at the bottom of the list If you would like Ed (her partner in crime with this) to remind you to vote then you can send him an email and he'll add you to the, "Don't forget to vote" email he sends out - leave me a comment or send me an email ( miramar.mike@gmail.co...

Watched Bugsy Malone tonight - it's as fun and Beano-ish as I remember, just cracking silly fun. Awesome songs - this is You Give A Little Love , the finale of the film.

... going over a bump in the road and feeling your tummy do a triple somersault Show all | explain this

Where have all the socks gone? Why do T-Shirts expand to the size of my duvet? Am I becoming (or have I become) a "high rider"? Answers to be sent to this post on a postcard or the the back of a sealed envelope

[Updated] More barcamps added ... Barcamp season is approaching - 4.5 I know of With the passing of this year's Webstock the calendar is clearer for a few more Barcamps (definition). There are two three four and half that I am aware being generated at the moment, all in Wellington but I'm sure that Ludwig will be kicking off an Auckland one soon. .... read the rest of the article >>

You can skip the intro if you want ... but then, watch carefully! DoTheTest (and you'll never guess what it's all in aid of )

Have a look at show pictures and behind the scenes at Flickr™ Ever wondered what a theatre show looks like behind the scenes? Or you want to have a look at some images from a show before you buy your tickets? Or simply drift away in memories when watching shots from a production you’ve recently seen? Have a look at our newly established photo gallery at Flickr. From now on you can have a look at pictures from shows, rehearsals and behind the scenes at http://www.flickr.com/photos/downstage/ We hope you enjoy them!

Those fine folk at Common Craft has done it again ( other "plain English" at my work blog)- this time explaining Twitter . Twitter say this about themselves: Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing? Bloggers can use it as a mini-blogging tool. Developers can use the API to make Twitter tools of their own. Possibilities are endless! This video does it in Plain English: And now you know what that picture of me with the speech bubble is all about (reading this as a feed - pop over to the blog ) - it's my latest tweets. My tweets also update my Facebook status - all linking together! So, sign up, add me (miramarmike) to your Twitter list and let's tweet together!

A Social Network for Coffee Drinkers ...

Because here in New Zealand the law may change soon so that any constable can demand full and frank access to your computer and you have to give it to them right there! No right of appeal, silence or anything! No right to silence for computer owners About 50 IT professionals were alarmed to hear District Court Judge David Harvey say the government is about to do away with their right to remain silent should they be arrested for any crime. Of course by putting my data into the cloud I may merely be delaying the inevitable and potentially, making it a lot easier in the long run. Thanks to Paul Brislen (Vodafone External Communications Manager) via Stephen's posting about how NO txt's are stored at the moment which has made the Police whinge recently.

Yep, turn 41 tomorrow and my rule to myself is to be allowed to smoke every decade of my life. And that's that. ....

As Stu says , "How genius is this?!" The Star Wars opening credits in the style of a 1960's movie that's very hip and down with it daddy-0. The style comes from a guy called Saul Bass ( Wikipedia ): Saul Bass (May 8, 1920 - April 25, 1996) was a graphic designer and Academy Award-winning filmmaker, but he is best known for his design on animated motion picture title sequences, which is thought of as the best such work ever seen. [23-Nov-2024: The video is no longer available]

Very happy with the rugby results coming in from the Northern Hemisphere. In case you didn't know (where have you been?) the Six Nations has been playing over the past month or so and with 3 games to be played next weekend it's looking increasingly like Wales will get a Grand Slam (win every game). Top work. The story so far: Sat 9th Feb - Wales 30 - 15 Scotland (Millennium Stadium) Sat 23rd Feb - Wales 47 - 8 Italy (Millennium Stadium) Sat 8th Mar - Ireland 12 - 16 Wales (Croke Park) One more game: Sat 15th Mar, Wales v France at Millennium Stadium (Cardiff)

Using it as my Twitter background as well - nice. Source: Country road - Steve Highfield

Heh! Stuff: Dozy film-goer left in the dark A Christchurch man paid the price for dozing off while on a date with his wife last night. Radio reports say a husband and wife were at the film PS I Love You at Hoyts Cinema in Northlands Mall, when the man nodded off. His annoyed wife decided not bother to wake him up at the end of the movie and went home alone. She woke at 3am to discover her husband had still not made it home so rang his cellphone and woke him up. The man then set off the mall's alarm system when he tried to leave. Radio said police arrived to find a very embarrassed couple. A police spokesman said it sounded like a case of "husband neglect'' to him. A Hoyts Cinemas representative could not be reached for comment. (thanks Dan via Che on the super secret, utlra-limited and totally exclusive Wellingtonista email list)

You know you have to even if you don't want to - details at my "Enterprise 2.0 New Zealand style" blog ...

At times when I let my mind wander* every now and again I feel the urge to re-connect back to the universe and humanity. A trick I have is to ask the question in the title I wonder what Clint Eastwood is doing right now I ask in a general "I wonder what Clint Eastwood is up to in his life" but in a very specific and detailed way. What time is it where he is (where is he?), what would I be doing if I were him at that time (getting the toast out of the toaster etc etc). It's not about Clint Eastwood at all and I can't even remember why I picked him. It is about trying to connect across the planet to another person and bringing me back to to the realities of day-to-day living. We're all in this together and having this particular question helps me remember that. * when I do the best work ... as long as it's very quickly followed up with talking to people!

Wow, ManagedQ search is different. Got this from an email (via my Enterprise 2.0 blog but it's not really what I talk about over there) and gave their services a go. Not sure it's better but it's an alternative. Check out my search for miramarmike - http://beta1.managedq.com/search.php?q=miramarmike Other alternative search links: VortexDNA ReadWriteWeb: Alt Search Engines This is what ManagedQ say about themselves: ... ManagedQ is a Search Application that radically enhances the Search Experience with a highly visual interface and Natural Language Processing algorithms that instantly identify the key Ideas (People, Places, and Things) related to a Search query. By allowing you to explore your Results without leaving the Results page ManagedQ helps you find, explore, and learn more effectively. ManagedQ was founded on the idea that the field of Search is years behind where it should be, as it hasn't fundamentally changed in more than a decade. As Results are now esse...

Mesh network The cinema open Statues of Pillars of Argonath either side of 'the cutting' Mesh network Drop me a line if you're interested in helping make this happen ( miramar.mike@gmail.com ). There are already some influential and experienced people on board but the more the merrier. The discussions are at a very early stage and whilst there is a lot of cross over with TheFreeNet - Aotearoa it might not be exactly the same as that model .. but it might. Oh, and if you're in Maupuia (you know who you are ) then we'd love to involve you! Cinema opening Hmm, seems that this might not happen until certain owners get some spare time. I'm thinking in a few years then. Darn! Statues of Pillars of Argonath either side of 'the cutting' This is NOT my idea - total credit to Duncan! But what a welcome into Miramar ("Wellywood") it would be. And everyone flight into/out of the airport over Evans Bay would have people staring out of the wind...

And the best is that it came here in Wellington on the fine Dropkicks wiki site ! Think of it as your one stop online shop (doesn't that trip off the tongue well) for all things rugby - all the facts, information and ... hang on, it's got bits missing! Fear not intrepid rugby fan, you can right that wrong, you can plug that gap - merely push edit on the page and type away. Yes, this is a Wiki. A website that YOU can edit with no downloading, no installing and no cost. Just push Edit. I leave you with those fine gentlemen and ladies of The Dropkicks to explai n the rest: ... Basically what we are after is any and all factual information you have about rugby. If you know the exact time and place that Victor Matfield scored his first try or who refereed the World Cup qualifier between the USA and Uruguay, we want you to tell us (in the wiki). But what we don’t want is anything subjective, so no complaining about poor refereeing or the quality of play by any team or player. No pra...

IT Departments in the spotlight The world's view is slowing turning its gaze onto IT Departments and I applaud that people are starting to think about why they exist (no presumption implied that they shouldn't). Maybe from this discussion we'll get a far reasoned view of what IT actually does for a business and then a more appropriate level of business support. A little list: ... read the full article ...

I remember Slash answering that to a question in a lads magazine a few years ago. It must have been coming up to 2000 and there was a spate of "what did we think it would be like" articles and programmes. This article asked an eclectic bunch of celebs, "Is the future as you imagined it?" - Slash answered, "No, nothing like it" and then came out with the line I use a lot myself: I mean, where is my jet car? When I was growing up all the magazines promised we'd have jet cars in the year 2000" As you're probably aware I am subscribed to a cracking blog called Modern Mechanix and through its blogroll (how that word seems so dated now) I found myself at the doors of Tales of Future Past . I won't explain them is as they do it so much better than I: It wasn't that long ago that we had a future. I mean, we have one now; the world isn't going to crash into the Sun or anything like that. What I mean is that we had a future that we cou...

*aaargh* - suggestions people, want music, radio, txt, wifi, web and to be able to talk to people Tell me what I should buy - drop me a line ( miramar.mike@gmail.com ) or leave a comment

Hope (1st March) it was a happy one for you all and that you were eating leeks, speaking Welsh and singing (just to perpetuate the myth) to the best of your abilities. The classic picture is still valid :-) HAPPY ST DAVID'S DAY! If we were in Wales ( "Never Forget Your Welsh" ) we'd be wearing a daffodil and/or leek , quoting Max Boyce , singing at the top of our lungs AND having a go at every Englishman you could find . Thanks to Mandy for the reminder. Oh, and I missed St Davids because of Liz's 40th birthday celebration weekend in Nelson, just the two of us for three whole nights, it rocked!