Mike Riversdale

I regularly receive a very nice email from Joanne who, I assume, sits inside my local sanctuary ( ? ) that we generally know as the Wellington City Library . The email outlines latest malarkey happening in aforementioned place of bookyness and has useful links to get more out of the learnings and fun that's just bursting to get into your brain. Let me share the latest with you but why not get it yourself using MyLibrary ? New features: 1. The Recent Picks pages have been updated. Note the latest - biographies at http://www.wcl.govt.nz/mylibra rycurrent7/currentbio60.html - historical fiction at http://www.wcl.govt.nz/mylibra rycurrent7/currentfichist11 .html - contemporary fiction at http://www.wcl.govt.nz/mylibra rycurrent7/currentfic67.html and - popular science at http://www.wcl.govt.nz/mylibra rycurrent7/currentsci63.html ****************************** ************* 2. The CHILDREN'S section has new features - 2 new video files to download of readings of childre

Don't forget ... I did!?!? This just in - full story at Wellingtonista: Prepare to whinge about the bus service on Wednesday This just in from Metlink - Disruption to GO Wellington bus services - Wednesday 30 April 2008 On Wednesday 30 April bus services on all GO Wellington routes will be suspended between the hours of 10am and 2pm. “The suspension of services is to allow a scheduled union meeting for our people represented by the Wellington Tramways Union,” says Zane Fulljames, General Manager Southern Region. “The union has one meeting each year to discuss union business with its members.” ... Services will be limited between the hours of 9.00-10.00am and 2.00-3.00pm. Between 10.00am and 2.00pm, there will be no GO Wellington bus services. ...

Nice - as usual ... Click for BIGGERY

According to Google's Blogger platform there are 3,400 Bloggers in "Wellington, New Zealand" I'm assuming that's Wellington New Zealand but it may not be. Fun to see who else is blogging and what about - especially when they're NOT blogging about techie stuff and just using the technology to share with their families and friends.

Whilst Google made the headlines last week with their US$1.3 billion PROFIT they are still way behind the behemoth that is Microsoft which earned US$4.41 billion PROFIT for the quarter (i.e., in THREE months). Microsoft's profit was larger than Google's revenue! Apple did OK, US$1.05 billion profit for around 12 weeks hard labour. In comparison Yahoo! looks like it's just playing, a mere (!) US$542.2 profit for 84 days in front of the steaming hot computer. Sources Microsoft: Yahoo ‘unrealistic’; Deadline stands; Quarter mixed Apple blows through estimates; Ships 2.29 million Macs; Outlook light by desi gn? Yahoo 1Q profit rises, but Microsoft bid likely to stand pat

Found a wee article about "ICE" top right of page 3 of last weeks Wellingtonian * which is a freebie newspaper here in Wellington, NZ. In essence you put a contact named ICE (In Case of Emergency) in your mobile phone with the number of someone you'd like the emergency services to contact when you've had your heart attack, car smash or spotted someone with the same handbag and are overcome with a "fashion nightmare". Cracking idea eh? Wikipedia starts with this: In Case of Emergency ( ICE ) is a program that enables first responders, such as paramedics , firefighters , and police officers , to identify victims and contact their next of kin to obtain important medical information. The program was conceived in the mid- 2000s and promoted by British paramedic Bob Brotchie in May 2005 . [1] It encourages people to enter emergency contacts in their cell phone address book under the name "ICE". Alternately, a person can list multiple emergency c

My blog posts haven't I know a man who has. JonnyB highlights what is probably a common misconception with journalists (newspaper, TV and radio) about blogs: There’s nothing quite so Rikfromtheyoungonesesque about people with blogs getting on their high horse about print journalists, except perhaps print journalists getting on their high horse about people with blogs. Clearly, however, there’s a little bit of a mutual-understanding issue here. I always go for cock-up over conspiracy, but one paragraph of his reply to me does seem a bit… a bit not quite fitting in with what I thought things were about. ‘We generally take the view that blogs published on the internet have already been placed in the public domain by their authors and, in case of amateur writers, most people are happy to have their work recognised and displayed to a wider audience.’ Discuss. Probably yet another example of people imagining that the Web is "just a hobby really, just somewhere for the kids to han

Just use it ... but also check out the fun and games at: Things to do on your new Ubuntu 8.04 Hard Heron Installation 10 Tips for After You Install or Upgrade Ubuntu Howto: Install New Google Earth 4.3 (Beta) In Ubuntu Linux The easy way! Top Linux BitTorrent Clients For Ubuntu Speed Up Ubuntu Updates with a Mirror Server ufw ftw! Ubuntu 8.04’s uncomplicated firewall Playing DVDs on Ubuntu Installing software on Ubuntu And two tips about getting around Ubuntu: List of Ubuntu Keyboard Shortcuts Ubuntu eye candy - keyboard shortcuts to get the effects going

It's no longer a choice of one OR the other - you can now run Windows XP/Vista AND Ubuntu on the same machine (not the same time , of course without running it in a virtual machine). Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) comes with a nifty piece of software called Wubi (Ubuntu installer for Windows): Wubi is an officially supported Ubuntu installer for Windows users that can bring you to the Linux world with a single click. Wubi allows you to install and uninstall Ubuntu as any other Windows application, in a simple and safe way. Are you curious about Linux and Ubuntu? Trying them out has never been easier! Of course I don't have Windows so I can't give you the personal story here but I direct you to: stuart @ amanzi: Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron - First impressions linux.com: Use Wubi to install Ubuntu without partitioning iTWire - Ubuntu 8.04’s Wubi makes for universal desktop

Yep, every upgrade comes with issues no matter how many open source community developers are involved. With Ubuntu Hardy Heron upgrade there are, for me, two majors that I am quite pissed off about: 1: No sound Yep, the sound has gone away ... again as this happened when installed the previous version! Not all sound - the login screen plays it's wee drum roll thingy so I know the machine can make sound and it's got the drivers it needs. But when I (or anyone else) log on the sound stops wanting to play. Initially I had sound working with streaming video (YouTube and the like) but after some fiddling to get the sound for MP3's to work I have managed to kill that as well. It seems that I can have MP3 (and anything else suing Ubuntu installed media players) working with ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture ... so there) but Firefox streaming malarkey (using Flash I suspect) don't want to play that game and like using OSS (Open Sound System). See what happens when there

Last night I read a post on How To Upgrade Ubuntu 7.10 to Ubuntu 8.04 and thought, "What the heck, let's go for it!" I have no idea what it's like upgrading Windows XP to Windows Vista or Mac thingy to Mac thingy+1 but by crickey upgrading Ubuntu 7.10 to 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron) was an absolute breeze - 4 clicks, count 'em: Oh, "LTS" = "Long Term Support" which means: the company commits itself to providing three years desktop support and five years server support. This means that Hardy Heron isn’t going to go anywhere soon; it’s here for the long haul. This invariably means the designers have focused less on putting brand new stuff in but rather more stability, more robustness and more reliability. On with the upgrade , firstly let's get it running: Press Alt-F2 and type update-manager --devel-release [click #1] After about 5 minutes of checking through the system it decided I was OK, told me a few package ("apps") wouldn't

Kiwi's will ALWAYS think of Bliss by Th'Dudes first ( YouTube vid ) - and it is a cracking song to have a few jars with. But for me drinking in the pubs on Monmouth is what comes back when I hear Sham 69's, Hurry Up Harry - top this for getting ready for a night out on the town!

For those that saw the TV One CloseUp interview with Steve Tew last night will now know that the rugby following pundits here in NZ are ... bored / apathetic / fed up. Rugby in Ruins In spite of the rugby World Cup disaster, a financial loss, dwindling attendance and waning interest in Super 14 games and the continuing loss of key players overseas the New Zealand rugby union gave itself a pass mark at its AGM on Wednesday. There's no shortage of critics who reckon the union has been rather generous giving itself a 52% pass mark. Just how serious is the decline in our national game, and are we reaching a crisis point? Close Up debated the issue live with New Zealand Rugby Union CEO Steve Tew, rugby commentator Phil Gifford and former All Black Frank Bunce. I think Frank Bunce and Phil Gifford hit the nail on the head with their thoughts. It was Gifford that said something like, "What worries me is that the rugby community aren't angry about this [NZRU review] , t

[Updated] I no longer keep this list up to date as I now use my Google Profile If you want Mike in a work/professional manner check out his MiramarMike.co.nz work contact details Use the following 'social networking'* sites to connect with me online. (or just contact me the old fashioned way - here's how ) Use all the time Blogger del.icio.us Flickr FriendFeed LinkedIn StumbleUpon Twitter - mikeriversdale Use frequently Bebo DOPPLR Facebook last.fm MyBlogLog OldFriends Pop in now and then again but don't expect a rapid response 43 Things digg FriendsReunited Friendster MySpace Orkut reddit Technorati Virtual Tourist xing Yahoo! YouTube * Social Networking , this from Wikipedia - Social network service : A social network service uses software to build online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities or who are interested in exploring the interests and activities of others.

... watching the man who has come to fix the TV or the washing machine Show all | explain this

Who knew the New Zealand's National Library has a Flickr account with some amazing photos on? Enjoy - http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationallibrarynz/ And definitely check out their photo sets , especially the Movember set - nicely done someone in the Library :-) I am, however, curious as to what the National Library think is going to happen when they add this to each photo ... Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library must be obtained before any reuse of this image. Contact us about reusing this image ... BUT they leave the "Blog this" button on each picture. I can tell you what will happen - people will blog without asking for permission because it is implicit with the button. On with three that caught my eye: Sir Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance approaching Antarctica Crew on the ship Endurance as it enters pack ice Attributed to James Francis Hurley, Crew on the ship Endurance as it enters pack ice, 1914-1917, Orde Lees Collection, Alexander Turnbull Library

A mere US$1.31b in profit* ... for 3 months work ... A single solitary lonesome Google share will set you back around US$506* ... And it's not just Google doing OK IBM, US$2.32b PROFIT for 12 weeks toil*. But spare a thought for 'poor' old Intel whose profits fell 12% to US$1.4b for 84 days at the office*. And as for Microsoft ... couldn't find it - even the Wall Street Journal's MSFT News page was all about Google, that's gotta annoy somebody somewhere. I know, I know it's all funny money but it's can sometimes be quite amazing/sad/crazy how much money a few companies make and how much the lack of money causes soooo many people hardship. * Source: Computerworld - Wall Street Beat: Google, IBM, Intel lift gloom

Unlike previous years when there's been popularity voting elections this year MiramarMike is gonna let you have the inside thinking from between the ears ... And it starts right now. BUT WHY? It's fucking ages away* ... all elections, including the one that's been going since January 2007 which will change the world * New Zealand general election, 2008 It is expected to take place in late 2008, and must be held no later than 15 November 2008 .

If you have Google Gears installed ( here ) then some online apps will work quite happily offline. The most obvious of these are online editors , online task lists and online ... other things . When you pop along to one of these sites for the first time Gears will ask if you want to let it play along. I have Google Gears installed - yes, on my Ubuntu computer it all works just fine and dandy. Through a typical Web journey I ended up on Niall Kennedy's blog ... and Gears asked me if I wanted to let it use it. WHY?

This from NewsBiscuit is much better than the one you received in your InBox a few days ago But these are probably even funnier - bet you can't resist clicking, that's the power of a good headline ;-) Grandmother kidnapped by wolf; police staggered by stupidity of victims Office workers find team building weekend relevant and useful And I update this posting one more time with Scaryduck's, On letting somebody else do TEH FUNNAY for a change , thanks Dad for the Milligna moments for Robert and I.

Thanks Rowan , you've made a happy man feel very old ;-) Then: Now: Does that make you feel old?

Congestion Charges - what do you think?

Manley Power - cracking stuff ... what made the Empire THE Empire ... originally uploaded by emilychughes I bet Manley Power beat the shit out of Marmaduke Peacocke Esq on a daily basis. Here's what Wikipedia has to say: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manley_Power

Of course the technology is world wide, the content is available world wide and there are many trying to sort out language translators to make it accessible world wide. However, most people don't think 'world wide'. In particular people don't think about the time zone differences. Oh, yeah, in the USofA they are conscious of different time zones across their country. In the UofK they think a wee bit about the hour or so difference between themselves and continental Europe. But when there's a release of something that marks a particular day/event it's generally assumed to be local time. You want examples, you can't handle examples ... or something. Try these on for size: Pirate Day (September 19th) April Fools Day Christmas Day New Years Eve ... the list could be endless ... Next time you're on-line during those particular events check out when the 'themes' for your web dashboard get updated. Check out when the quirky logos get updated for the sea

A space for top notch shops and services that I think rock - they may or may not have a web presence but they will definitely offer quality, the personal touch and a little extra. No, you cannot ask me to place you on the list ... it's all down to me, sorry. You can, of course, let others know about cool shops and services in the comments . I'll randomly chose which three will be displayed on the blog (to the right) as well as being added to this list. Mike recommends ... because ... Espresso Rescue is not just run by good mates with the best attitude to service in the world supporting organic, sustainable and awesome coffee. We're at the Riverbank Market L Hutt on Sat a.ms and Waitangi Market Sundays. (And soon to be at Bunnings Naenae Luke knows that taste is everything and delivers it fifteen times over with an EPIC Pale Ale But it's not just Pale Ale - if Lager is you thing then they have that and, for those brave enough, a beer aptly named Armageddon Check out th

1: Will the Google revolution engulf IT departments? No. Will the Google revolution engulf IT departments? is the question posed by Jason Hiner: Gartner has embarked on a wide-reaching new study of Google and its potential impact on IT, enterprise businesses, and society in general in the coming years. On April 10 at the Gartner Symposium ITxpo 2008 in Las Vegas, Gartner Vice President Richard Hunter revealed some of the first data points from this study. The two most interesting points were: 1.) The best way to think of Google is as a disruptive technology. 2.) Disruptive technologies create big losers and big winners, and one of the biggest losers in the Google disruption could be traditional IT departments. My view - no, it won't. And not for the reasons that early commenter's on the article have listed - IP security or sudden application of charging for the services. ... read the full 'Will the Google revolution engulf IT departments? No.' article ... ----

Of course this is for all the other married men ... not me ... or you ... And a bonus joke of ... FIVE RULES FOR MEN TO FOLLOW TO ENSURE A HAPPY LIFE: 1. It's important to have a woman who helps at home, who cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job. 2. It's important to have a woman who can make you laugh. 3. It's important to have a woman who you can trust and who doesn't lie to you. 4. It's important to have a woman who is good in bed and who likes to be with you. 5. It's very, very important that these four women do not know each other. Nod to the almost always 'quite good' Adam's Jokeslist

A great read from Kalena about how two SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) gurus caught Flight Centre (Australia) doing some dodgy clocking malarkey live on stage. And sitting in the audience was the Adam Lasnik, Google's search 'anti-spam' head honcho. Reminds me of half-pie's Ticketek fiasco some time ago!

Then read the following English blogs: Kaliyuga Kronicles There are less advertisement breaks. This means that the fucking thing is finished more quickly. JonnyB's Private Secret Diary Essentially, shorter toenails would not change my life materially for better or worse, whereas I suspect that a reduction in leg quantity would. greavsie! Not all day mind, because when good things happen to other people it's worth being happy for them. There's cat crap in the vegetable patch again too... ...Ah, modern life. Scaryduck We grabbed a plastic bag, and with my new-found friends forming an outward-facing circle around me while I went about my grim task as if I were merely cutting off a length in my own shed, as any grown man would. And this Irish one: Head Rambles Was last week Organ Donor Awareness Week? I wasn’t aware of that. It’s a pity, because I always wanted an organ.

As you may know I'm not really a football/soccer sort of guy and, despite my recent comments , I'm probably not really ever gonna be. Being from Wales however my attention is raised whenever I see something "Welsh" and the fact the Cardiff are in the FA Cup Final definitely did that. I then blasted off an email to my oldest school friend who, unlike me, isn't so tied to just rugby. Having said that he is as Welsh as they come and, of course, rugby is probably his number one sport. I also remembered that he was (is) a Cardiff FC supporter and recall the posters on his walls. In the email I asked if it was true and how cool was it for him. His reply reminds me how sport can be more than just a game and that it generates awesome memories, great moments in lives and can be a focus for the happiest and most communal times we have. His reply: Cardiff City in the FA Cup final: What a MAD MAD World!!!!! In 1972 I would catch the Hill’s bus in Rhymney with my grandad to t

(the use of bullet points is only to ensure I keep up with the Jones, or in this case the Martha-like craze currently spreading Wellington ;-) Non-Smoking Going very well. Gave up on March 10th for the ten year break. Oh, if you've not heard the rule I've set myself - I have given myself a year of smoking (if I want) every decade (aged 30, 40 , 50 all the way up to 140 when I expect to take on new future vices involving alien pancreas' and strange other world drugs). And so, when I turned 41 I had to stop. And did. To be fair I did have a few ciggies at Brenda's birthday party a weekend or so ago (thanks Lesley!) and so will have to watch it when the following occur in unison: I am out Liz is out There are smokers at our table Otherwise ... all good. Wouldn't say it was easy but the early days angst are gone. Work lives Vista Coaching ( http://www.vistacoaching.co.nz ) is going from strength to strength! I am just so impressed by how Liz makes it happen and hap

Why!?!? From the always entertaining and informative Modern Mechanix blog Also check out the craziness that is Windshield Cleaned by Jets of Water While Driving (Nov, 1936) - never catch on, surely :-)