But this year, I am determined. And in order to give myself a kick up the bum and actually accomplish them, I am posting them here. No doubt in 12 months I’ll look back and chuckle at the complete futility of it all but I can’t take the chance that this action won’t motivate me to new resolution completion heights! So here it goes. Resolutions for 2009:

• * Obtain my boat licence - I have already completed the compulsory safety course, so now all I gotta do is pass the test. Good start huh?
• * Become fit enough to run another half marathon - just to prove the first one wasn’t a fluke. Fitness levels at rock bottom right now so I’m essentially starting from scratch.
• * Read Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. Then Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Did you know I have never even seen the film?
• * Play field hockey - this is a big one. I haven’t played hockey for 17 years and the game has changed radically in that time. But it’s on the list anyways.
• * Travel to New Zealand to go fly fishing for trout.

That’s probably enough for one year don’t you think? Got any resolutions of your own?

Sometimes, however, specials seem to defy common sense. Take this example:

Two for less than the price of one

A single pack of Golden Crumpets costs $2.59. If you buy two packs, it costs just $2. Bargain!

But whether it was some loss-leading marketing ploy or the store really needed to move those crumpet stocks quickly, I am in two minds about this special. The tight-arse in me loves that crumpets are just a dollar a pack. Another part is really quite appalled that it costs more to buy one item than two. It defies common sense. Plus, it encourages people to buy more than they need, which in turn leads to either to waste (if it’s not eaten and subsequently thrown away) or weight gain (assuming you do eat them, with lots of butter and honey…mmm…sorry, I’m projecting).

It’s a bit like when you go to the cinema, where buying smaller portion sizes often ends up costing more than ‘upsizing‘. My tastebuds love the idea, but my I have a sneaking suspicion it’s not as good as it seems on the surface.

more animals

I almost sprayed my wee Macbook!

And if the Federal Government has its way, Australia will soon have a great firewall of its own.

At the moment ACMA is trialling an ISP-level filtering system which, ostensibly, is aimed at helping parents protect kids from the more unsavoury aspects of the web. I can understand the challenges parents face in this regard - it’s a bit of a minefield if you’re not technically savvy, and kids generally have it all over mum and dad/gran and pop when it comes to Net nous. The worry, however, is the ‘ISP-level filtering’ aspect.

The problem with the plan currently on trial is what starts out as a mild-mannered idea to save the children ends up as internet policing. It’s not so big a jump to go from this level of filtering to filtering for copyright breaches, for example. It’s known in industry parlance as scope creep. Innocuous enough under normal standards. Far from it when we’re talking about our right to access the internet as an essential service. Call me cynical, but I don’t believe it will stop at saving da kiddies.

Filtering would be mandatory in homes and schools and would be based on a blacklist of prohibited content. The arguments can get quite technical but it boils down to expense, slowing everything down and the potential for sites to be incorrectly filtered.

Electronic Frontiers Australia has set up a campaign webpage at http://nocleanfeed.com. I must admit, I’ve signed the petition. And you can follow all the commentary on Twitter if you’re registered - just search for #nocleanfeed.

Found on YouTube: Footage from the Leeds festival of Adam Hills‘ (from Spicks & Specks on the ABC) standup where he sends his prosthetic leg off crowd surfing while he sits on stage and sings Footloose. Very amusing! A mild warning: the language is understandably colourful, but only if you’re very easily offended.

http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/beyond/2008/summer/an-enduring-legacy.shtml

UPDATE: The Google homepage is displaying a very classy tribute - a text link to his awesome Last Lecture.

Perhaps I have come full circle, but I think I’d like to retire from the opinionated rhetoric that is the blogosphere. To be honest, I have come to loathe the officious, holier-than-thou banter that in many cases fails to recognise that it’s not OK to personally attack somebody because they have a different opinion and I recognise the hypocrisy in being part of it. In the end, it’s so bloody pointless. With apologies to the late, great Anthony Newley: stop the web, I want to get off.

I seem to be in a bit of a black hole from which I cannot escape. And I’d like to say, ‘move along please, there’s nothing to see here’ and have it go off on its not-so-merry way. I’m being a drama queen, I know. Don’t worry; I’ll get over it and normal operations will continue, I’m sure.