Mike Riversdale

I need say no more than, read this from the Craft2.0 site : What: Craft, Coffee and Cupcakes Date: November 15th 2008 Time: this workshop starts at 10.30am and finises around 2pm Where: TheNewDowse Why: During this workshop you learn how to Recycle Records into Bags and Boxes, get to drink beautiful coffee from Cafe Reka and also also enjoy some cupcakes while crafting You'll Up-cycle vinyl into a new look as you create a stunning bag from vintage fabric and vinyl records. Then transform a record cover into some cute gift boxes this workshop runs from 10.30am till 2pm with a break in between for coffee and cupcakes Project 1: stitch your way to a shoulder bag with 2 vinyl records and some great vintage fabrics Project 2: convert the covers of those vinyl records into a gift box, the perfect craft to learn in time for Christmas Learn a new skill in a short time. Relax in a fun, friendly atmosphere. Take home 2 craft items made by you, and full instructions to try again at...

So, it's been 3 or so weeks, was it worth the NZ$1,142 + $40/month I spent on it? Yes. But not 100% yes, here's the "not so good things" first (no particular order): It is heavily (not 100%) dependent upon iTunes which doesn't work on Linux/Ubuntu Can't sync my iPhone Contacts with my Google GMail Contacts (both personal and work) Can't sync my iPhone Calendar with my Google Calendar (both personal and work) note: this is sorted in new version of the Apple OS ... if you have that No "To Do" app that will ping me - I don't want to use a full calendar entry, just a simple "do this on a particular day/time" No zoom on the camera Apart from the iPod, which can run in the background, it's a "one thing at a time" machine - for instance can't have a call and surf the web No video camera USB'ing to a computer (Ubuntu or Windows) has stopped finding photos on it even though there are some No cut-n-paste Saving numbers t...

Yet again Kevin Kelly over at The Technium writes this months best blog posting* with the Evidence of a Global SuperOrganism . It's too much to summarise here but two key standout thoughts for me were: How would we know if there was an autonomous conscious superorganism? We would need a Turing Test for a global AI. But the Turing Test is flawed for this search because it is meant to detect human-like intelligence, and if a consciousness emerged at the scale of a global megacomputer, its intelligence would unlikely to be anything human-like. We might need to turn to SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI), for guidance. By definition, it is a test for non-human intelligence. We would have to turn the search from the stars to our own planet, from an ETI, to an ii – an internet intelligence. I call this proposed systematic program Sii, the Search for Internet Intelligence. ... closely followed by: in 2002 researchers analyzed some 300 million packets on the internet...

As someone that loves old British TV ( proof ) I am chuffed that all my fellow Kiwis are now able to get their "Oh! My! God! I so remember that!" moments on-line at the awesome (ie, 100% useful and fun) NZOnScreen website . I especially loved the Forgotten Silver clip as I've never had the chance to see it but there's so much more in their for Kiwi's. Pop on over and watch your work day disappear before you - I bet you'll also start to ask the question, " Who watches New Zealand free-to-air TV? " Can't wait 'til the site allows us to embed clips a la YouTube, I'm sure that'll happen at some point in the future. TOP WORK Brenda and all her team !

MiramarMike.co.nz is very nearly wired up with equipment and needs one last thing - the laptop. And for those that have given advice, thanks and please bear with me just a little longer :-) Everyone tells me to get an Apple MacBook Pro but it's a darned expensive beastie. Having said that I am willing to pay a little premium for the ease of use over and above Windows Vista and Ubuntu. Also I have a mate currently traveling the US who's willing to pick up a laptop over there but I'm sure how much cheaper they actually are. And so, three questions I'd love some help with: Should I go for an Apple MacBook Pro no matter what (and why?) Should I get my mate to buy the laptop (any make) in the US? If not buy in US where in NZ/Wellington would you recommend? What do you think - leave a comment (over at my work posting) My calcs. You can edit this spreadsheet with more options at: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pmxKow-YfvkpQWjvBfAcpVw

From all accounts this is the school fair to top all school fairs with the rich and mighty of Seatoun/Miramar Heights dropping off their seconds to be sold for a song - everything from designer clothes (oodles of girls stuff), object d'art and even the local businesses supplying goodies (you know what the local Miramar businesses are!) What: Worser Bay School Fair When: Sunday 9th November, 11am-2pm Where: 168 Seatoun Heights Road, Miramar, Wellington View Larger Map And don't forget that you can subscribe to the (currently) unofficial Worser Bay School calendar (iCal ) Oh, and finally the almost top Miramar North Fair is on this Saturday (I think). This is the school near Camperdown Studios and the Weta Cave so expect some fine articles for sale and a great made up set of classrooms to explore.

[Updated] We have a full winning team and therefore the offer is closed :-) Go Julia, Sue, Chan, Rowan, Sandy and myself - team name coming A sort of work thing but also not - read and be a part of it at Who Wants To Be In My P.I.S.S.U.P. Gang?

Samuel Pepys versus ye creditte crunche Several large fellows from ye tavern gave me such gd advice to whit: Paye up by Friday or my manhoode will be cutte off and thrust where ye sun doth not shine. Woe! I am greatly attach'd to my pecker and it wld affect me greatly if it were sent to Manchester. Brilliant line and verily I did fall off my potty

Singularity - will it happen, Kevin Kelly thinks not The Singularity is an illusion that will be constantly retreating -- always "near" but never arriving. We'll wonder why it never came after we got AI. Then one day in the future, we'll realize it already happened. The super AI came, and all the things we thought it would bring instantly -- personal nanotechnology, brain upgrades, immortality -- did not come. Instead other benefits accrued, which we did not anticipate, and took long to appreciate. Since we did not see them coming, we look back and say, yes, that was the Singularity. But then again what about The Maes-Garreau Point ? Singularity or not, it has become very hard to imagine what life will be like after we are dead. The rate of change appears to accelerate, and so the next lifetime promises to be unlike our time, maybe even unimaginable. Naturally, then, when we forecast the future, we will picture something we can personally imagine, and that will thus...

By crickey people ... took me a while as well After creating the two universes several bilion years ago, Tarvu came to Earth inside an egg as a tiny baby and landed in the middle of the ocean. He was rescued by a family of octopuses, who taught Tarvu how to swim, how to hunt and how to disguise himself from predators. Tarvu survived on barnacles and octopus ink. Tarvu lived like an octopus in the ocean until he was nine. At that age, his adopted father, Oobu the Octopus told him that he was ready to come on to dry land and join the human race. Thanks to The Presurfer

We are WiFi'd up baby, WiFi - with Ubuntu and an iPhone sharing! Gotta love it - the meeting of the totally open and the anally closed in the airwaves, yeah baby!

World leaders agree rescue plan – ‘turn all the computers off and then turn them back on again’ ‘It was amazing’ said Robert Zoellick, President of the World Bank. ‘A little animated paperclip popped up on the screen blinking at us and raising his eyebrows. ‘I see you have lent more money than could be guaranteed with your securities,’ it said. ‘Would you like some help restoring the flow of capital around the global markets?’ We just on clicked yes, and ‘Clippie’ sorted it all out. This whole global economic meltdown could have been averted if we had gone to ‘Microsoft Help’ tab and enabled the Office Assistant. Which is probably far better advice than I have just posted - Tough Times Call For Easy Decisions

Hee hee, top work Google - made Jack's day (and mine)

... having your picture taken in a photo booth Show all | explain this

Section 92a of the Copyright Act defaults to a world view of GUILTY before proven innocent. That is just plain wrong! As Colin stated on National Radio ( Weightless economy? Yeah, right. ) ... the provision in the act that says that Internet Service Providers have to cut off your Internet access if you are accused – that’s accused, not convicted – of unlawfully infringing someone’s copyright. And who is likely to accuse you (YOU!) - big media companies. They will use this to 'drift net' the ISPs and a whole stack of innocent people will get caught up. And if you think this is all happening in a democratic manner read Colin's write-up of a meeting he and others had with David Cunliffe and Judith Tizard, who is Associate Minister of Commerce and the responsible minster for copyright - Ministers: why we changed the Copyright Act So what can you do? Get educated Get vocal, such as these fine folks: Parliament may kill our Internet The broken Section 92A of the New Zealand copy...

Another cracker, 8 Phases of dating , from Mr Matthew Inman complimenting his other efforts* * 10 reasons it would rule to date a unicorn / 9 reasons NOT to date a Tyrannosaurus Rex / ZombieHarmony - Free Online Dating for Zombies / Types of Bad Kissers

Hi everyone, I've just bought a Belkin N Router (from TelstraClear) and connected it up to my computer (Ubuntu Linux) and the TelstraClear Cable Modem. The router's PC light comes on blue (good), the Router light comes on blue but the Modem light flashes orange (not good) and Intranet connection light not on (definitely not good). And so I need to configure the router. The CD given has set-up program for Windows and/or Mac. Everything else runs through the web-based set-up by opening a browser (Firefox 3 for me) and going to 192.168.2.1 as stated in the manual (on the CD). And that's the problem. Something is stopping the browser getting to the router address ! I've done the following: stopped the firewall changed Firefox to use No Proxy checked the cables (all correct) What should I do? What should I open, disable, munt around with? Any, all advice gratefully received - leave a comment / email me

Thank you Adam

Thanks Pete for arranging the "cup holding" (surprisingly light) Anyone can see the cups, just pop along to the NZRU and there they are in reception. For those Wellingtonians thinking "It's bloody miles away" it's actually only 5 minutes from the railway station, around 7 minutes from Parliament and about 15 minutes from the corner of Lambton Quay and Willis Street ... walking! I would suggest, if you get the chance, to not choose the "wall of b/w pictures" as your background for photo taking! Mike with the Bledisloe Cup Mike with the Tri-Nations Trophy

This video was made by Ethan Gilsdorf and posted up to Boston.com in their Globetrotting section. He pops into Weta Cave and there's some shots of Miramar in general - really, it's a Wellington suburb and it's not lattes with the stars all the time :-) Enjoy [3-Dec-2024: Video service no longer exists]

Weta are hosting book launch on Saturday October 11th at 2pm - this from Infonews : Champ the Chopper fans don't have long to wait now – a new children's picture book illustrated by the award-winning Weta special effects workshop is due out soon. The second book in the series about a little rescue helicopter, Kids to the Rescue is written by local author Rebekah Palmer with illustrations done by Weta artist Daniel Falconer. The picture book will be launched at the Weta Cave in Camperdown Rd, Miramar, Wellington, on Saturday October 11 at 2pm. (For directions and details see www.wetanz.com/cave .) ... An animated television series based on the characters is currently in development. The books are available from all good booksellers as well as through the Life Flight Trust, which operates the real rescue helicopter for the Wellington region. For more information check out www.champthechopper.com

For reasons I won't bore you with I was forced to use my credit card to top up my pre-pay Vodafone mobile phone last night. Well, I attempted to. I called 777, followed the prompts and having entered my mobile number (WHY? I was calling from the damn thing) I was then asked for a PIN* Huh? What PIN??? Ok, let's try a different tack. I called 777 and pressed 0 to talk to someone. "Sorry, you do not have enough credit to make that call" ??? * Never say "PIN number" as that is "Personal Identification Number Number"

Bush new rescue plan ‘is to collect up all the 5 cent water bottles’ ‘It works out as only 14000 billion empty plastic bottles’ explained one upbeat White House aide, ‘And the President already collected about thirty. We are tidying up the streets of our cities AND solving America’s debt crisis so it is a win-win solution.