Inside Facebook has this really interesting article online about the developer of the Where I’ve Been widget for Facebook, the MySpace-esque social networking site for GenXers. I must admit that, against all better judgement, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying using the Facebook, as I’ve mentioned before.
Anyway, Where I’ve Been is gaining new users every second, leaving the poor developer in a quandry. Everybody loves popularity and success but not when it costs moula. All that bandwidth is expensive. So he’s asking for donations - I wonder if he’ll get back his costs or, even better, make money?
If somebody can find some good stats about your chances of dying at an air show, please post them there. I reckon it’s gotta be pretty high (comparably, anyway).
The latest air show accident report comes from Ireland - the BBC reports three people were injured when a door fell from a hovering helicopter. Ouch!
In other news, I’ve rediscovered the joys of baking (and eating!) Anzac Cookies. Mmmmmmm.
OK, I’ve been tres slack and haven’t posted for simply ages. Mea culpa. Self flaggelation and all that. Well, not really. But I’m sorry, anyhoo. The reason for the lack of posting is because we’ve been away in the Sunshine State on holiday. How was it? To tell the truth it was a tad disappointing. Perhaps because I’d been expecting too much: our itinerary ran something like this:
Four days in Port Douglas, staying at the Mirage Resort. We got a fabbo deal when I was watching Getaway.
Four days in the Atherton Tablelands, staying at Lake Tinaroo, where they apparently catch massive Barramundi. Not that I’d know. We didn’t see hide nor hair (nor even scale) of one.
Three days at Mission Beach, opposite Dunk Island, just north of Hinchenbrook.
One day in Cairns, before we flew back to Sydeney.
Now that sounds like a damn fine holiday right? Yes, except it was cold and we only saw the sun for a total of four days. My beloved will dispute this if you ask him but, being English, he has a very warped idea of sunshine (Umm, it’s the big shiny thing in the sky, causes shadows and woman to wear next to nothing at the first chance they can, no matter if it’s just 22C; we went for a swim in a pool that was so cold the penguins were on the deckchairs watching - dumb Pom hubbie).
It’s been a bit quiet on Swandives of late. Largely because I’ve been taking a break from the computer to galavant around North Queensland with the beloved. Ahhhh…yes, fishing photots abound. More later. For the moment, I’m watching Big Brother.
I’m in the midst of reading a fabulous book at the moment called The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. It’s part of a trilogy called His Dark Materials and it has been made into a movie, so the race is on to read the series before it becomes tainted by marketing. I’m halfway through the first book and it is consuming me. I can’t think of anything else. And the Golden Compass official movie website lets you find your own daemon.
My daemon is a lion named Elleron!
UPDATE: In Australia, the first novel has a different title; instead of The Golden Compass, it’s called The Northern Lights, which I like better. It taps into a deep, abiding desire I have to see the Aurora, which is probably one of the reasons I’m loving the book so much. Funnily enough, Pullman says on his website that he thought it would be hard to find an audience for the story. Just goes to show, sometimes you can be doing something and not realise how you’re unknowingly tapping into some collective psyche. It’s awesome.
Yesterday, the beloved and I did the 8 km MS run from Milson’s Point to Balls Head and back. One word: HILLS. Argh. I am very sore now.
But I did a minute better than the Mothers Day Classic, so I’m pretty happy. I powered home, thanks to some downhill and flat action on the home straight…plus running along the harbour foreshore rocks! Oh, and it was freezing, which isn’t good at the start of the race, but helps no end once you’re actually running. I don’t do heat well.
Now I can hardly walk.
The next run is in through the vinyards of the Hunter Valley. 10 km. Should be good.
OK, so I was searching YouTube for Arcade Fire’s Intervention film clip, because the track is amazing and I feel the need to share it with as many people as I can. But instead I came across this: Arcade Fire and U2 doing Joy Division’s Love will tear us apart.
Wonderful stuff. For those who aren’t up on my latest musical love, Arcade Fire is a Canadian band from Montreal. They recently released their second studio album, Neon Bible. I recommend track four, Intervention - it’s incredible. (The first album, Funeral, is also awesome.) They’re playing at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark in a month or so. I’d give anything to be at that - Mike and I had a plan to go to Roskilde a couple of years ago…but work intervened unfortunately. They are also playing in Ferrara, Italy, at the Bands Apart fest (for those of us living in Italy…hint hint). It’s times like these I miss not being closer to the action.
