Robbie's Journal

D&D meets hard(ish) rock.

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:10:47 GMT

This is cool. Especially if you're a geek... :D

Thoughts on Career and self

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:54:47 GMT

A bit of introspection, brought on by other people's introspective moments.

I realised recently that I've managed to achieve quite a few life goals over the years.
It's taken a while, but a surprising number of goals have slotted quietly into place.
* I own my own computer company, and am successfully self employed.
* I'm a published author, with my own book and everything.
* I'm acting again, and judging from the reviews not doing too badly at it.
* I've managed to teach myself to play guitar again after smashing my arm, and I realised recently that I'm getting quite good, actually.
* I have quite a number of good friends.

There are some goals that have fallen by the wayside. I'm not a millionaire, for example. I could be, I know how, but I'm not willing to put the considerable effort it would entail. I'm not a professional actor or writer... again, I think I could be if I wanted to, but I already *have* a job I enjoy and that pays well, and I'm happy to leave those as hobbies. (Although if someone offered me money to be in a movie or something, I'd say yes... but I'm not really ready to exert myself to make it happen)

It's worthy of note that in most cases the paths I took to get me there only vaguely resembled the paths I'd imagined. The Johnny Werewolf book snuck up on me almost completely by surprise and from an unexpected direction. I'd be writing the short stories for a while, and suddenly there was enough of them to put into a book, and Donna (who'd I met through CSFG) wanted to publish them.

And now Johnny is shortlisted for an Aurealis... who'd a thunk it?

The "own my own company" took a similarly complex route.

The point here is, when you have a dream (or more prosaic goal), and work out a path to get there, don't get locked into that one path, because opportunities often come from unexpected sources.

An Open Letter to Bob McMullen about ISP Filtering

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 07:02:01 GMT

In reply to a prior email:

I can't begin to tell you how little impressed I am by these arguments.
But I shall try.
* As an IT professional, I'm absolutely convinced this process will NOT work for its intended purpose.
* As a parent, I believe that the money earmarked for this scheme should be going to EDUCATION, not a misinformed technical solution.
* As a Labor voter, I believe strongly that we should have a "Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy" WHO KNOWS WHAT A COMPUTER IS!
* As an individual, I object to censorship in the strongest terms, and while I do not condone child pornography even slightly, I consider the threat of such to be a straw man argument... merely the latest witch hunt meant to distract us from whatever other skullduggery is going on.

I hope you will actually consider this, and think about what is going on, rather that blindly following the party line.

Yours sincerely,

Robbie Matthews
Melba ACT

McMullan, Robert (MP) wrote:
>
> Dear Mr Matthews
>
> Thank you for writing to raise you concerns about internet censorship. My apologies for not responding to you sooner.
>
> I am aware that the issue of ISP filtering has attracted criticism from people who are concerned that it will lead to censorship of the internet.
>
> Freedom of speech is fundamentally important in a democratic society. For many years however, most Australians have accepted that there is some material which is not acceptable, particularly for children.
>
> The genesis of this is in civil society where social conflict is governed by the imposition of rules that restrain citizens from harming one another and society, as a whole, accepts that the public interest requires those rules to be enforced.
>
> This is why we have the National Classification Scheme for classifying films, computer games and publications. Under the Scheme, it is illegal to distribute, sell or make available for hire, material that is deemed Refused Classification (RC).
>
> The internet is already subject to regulation which prevents internet content providers from hosting prohibited content as defined under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 within Australia. Prohibited content is determined by reference to the Scheme. We also have strong criminal laws aimed at preventing people from possessing or distributing material relating to child sexual abuse, including over the internet.
>
> The Australian Government recognises that the internet is an essential tool for all Australian children through which they can exchange information, be entertained, socialise and do school work and research. The ability to use online tools effectively provides both a skill for life and the means to acquire new skills.
>
> Cyber-safety commitment
>
> The Government has committed $125.8 million to a comprehensive range of cyber-safety measures, including law enforcement, filtering and education. Measures include:
>
> · expansion of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) Child Protection Operations Team—funding to detect and investigate online child sex exploitation;
>
> · Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions—funding to help deal with the increased activity resulting from the work of the AFP to ensure that prosecutions are handled quickly;
>
> · ISP-level filtering—funding to develop and implement ISP filtering, including undertaking a real world ‘live’ pilot;
>
> · education activities—funding to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to implement a comprehensive range of education activities;
>
> · websites / online helpline—funding to ACMA to improve current government cyber-safety website resources and to make them easier for parents to use, and to provide up to date information. ACMA has developed a children’s cyber-safety website, _www.cybersmart.gov.au_ <http://www.cybersmart.gov.au>, to provide information specifically for children, and improved the online helpline to provide a quick and easy way for children to report online incidents that cause them concern;
>
> · Consultative Working Group—funding for an expanded Consultative Working Group. This group considers the broad range of cyber-safety issues and advises the Government to ensure properly developed and targeted policy initiatives;
>
> · Youth Advisory Group—funding for a Youth Advisory Group which will provide advice to the Consultative Working Group on cyber-safety issues from a young person’s perspective; and
>
> · Research—funding for ongoing research into the changing digital environment to identify issues and target future policy and funding.
>
>
> International cooperation in relation to online safety is crucial. The Government is pursuing an international agenda for collaborative action on cyber-safety. Progress on this was made through the Minister’s engagement at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) forum in Seoul in June 2008. The Seoul Declaration for the Future of the Internet Economy states that participating economies agree to ‘Ensure a trusted internet-based environment which offers protection to individuals, especially minors and other vulnerable groups’.
>
> Education
>
> The above initiatives will tackle the issue of cyber-safety from a number of directions. More importantly, this approach is based on the key role parents and carers have in the online safety of children, and provides them with the necessary information to assist with this task.
>
> In particular, ACMA’s Outreach program has been expanded to provide additional general cyber-safety awareness presentations to teachers, parents and students which highlight the key issues and strategies to minimise potential online risks. The program will also include professional development on online safety issues for existing and trainee school teachers.
>
> ISP filtering
>
> A part of the Government’s plan is to examine the introduction of ISP-level filtering for RC material. Content defined under the Scheme as RC material includes child sexual abuse imagery, bestiality, sexual violence, detailed instruction in crime, violence or drug use and/or material that advocates the doing of a terrorist act.
>
> The Government is also considering additional ISP content filtering options for those families who wish to have such a service.
>
> The Government’s policy on ISP filtering is currently being considered. An informed and considered approach is being undertaken, including industry consultation and close examination of overseas models to assess their suitability for Australia.
>
> Filtering technologies have been adopted on a voluntary basis by ISPs in a number of countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Finland, predominantly to filter child pornography. In these countries, ISP filtering has not affected internet performance to a noticeable level.
>
> Live pilot
>
> The Government is currently undertaking a live pilot, which will provide valuable information on the effectiveness and efficiency of filters installed in an actual ISP network. A report of findings from the pilot will be publicly released.
>
> The Government is committed to working closely with the internet industry to address the concerns of network degradation, over and under blocking, circumvention and costs. These concerns will be carefully considered during the pilot and will further inform the Government’s cyber-safety policy.
>
> The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has prepared material on a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about ISP filtering. This list is available on the Department’s website at _www.dbcde.gov.au/cybersafetyplan_ <http://www.dbcde.gov.au/cybersafetyplan>.
>
> Thank you for bringing your interest in this matter to my attention. I trust this information will be of assistance.
>
> Yours sincerely
>
> Bob McMullan

R-18 for computer games

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:59:41 GMT

From makoknight
The discussion paper is out and available here: http://www.ag.gov.au/gamesclassification

What is also available here is a form to send to the attorney generals office, giving your input on the matter.

I am about to fill out my simple form letter and ask you all to do the same.

Spread it around. We might actually get to do something about this.

Tim Minchin Christmas

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:23:29 GMT

This... is quite sweet. And reflects my own slightly schitzoid fondness towards Christmas:

Aurealis

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 05:29:35 GMT

I've just found out that Johnny Werewolf has been shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards. I am tolerably pleased... :D

Crystal Ports

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:29:20 GMT

Remember Babylon 5?

They had these things call data crystals, which they used for transporting data.

One thing that bothered me about them was that there was nowhere to label the suckers! I mean, no matter how high tech you are, it's still convenient to be able to indicate which of these otherwise identical crystals is which without plugging each one in turn.

And in the days of the floppy disk, I was undoubtedly correct.

But: How many of you have USB sticks on you right now?

And how many of them are labelled?

The care and feeding of Deamons

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:31:17 GMT

As many of you may or may not know, deamondea has been forced onto a gluten-free diet, because she is celiac. Or possibly because our doctor is a sadist, but that's another story.

Not surprisingly, most people don't know what this involves.

What this means: Merely cutting down on gluten isn't good enough, as even a trace amount (ie, a breadcrumb!) can set off her stomach again. In fact, she's possibly more sensitive than before because she's been getting used to NOT being sick.

Gluten can be found in wheat, barley, rye and oats, or pretty much anything derived from them. Varieties of wheat like durum or spelt are still wheat... but Buckwheat is OK, because it's not related to wheat.

Unfortunately, this means that pretty much any processed food has one of these items in it, even things you wouldn't expect... either as flavouring or thickening.

Malt extract is also a no-no (from barley), putting things like Vegemite out of reach. Many frozen chips use malt extract for colouring.

Many mayonnaises contain wheat, as do most soy sauces and teriyaki sauces. Not all, but many do.

To add insult to injury, the damn stuff spreads like crazy during cooking, so things like roast chickens etc are also out, as they have wheat in the stuffing, and often malt extract in the seasoning. We've tried not eating the skin or stuffing, but this has turned out to be unsuccessful due to contamination during cooking.

Many salad dressings have wheat in there somewhere.
Exceptions: There are some things so highly processed that it doesn't matter where they are derived from. Maltodextrin and Glucose are ok no matter what their source.

What can she have?
Plain meat and veges are good. Gravy should be made with a non-gluten thickener, ie corn-flour. (Warning: not all corn-flours are made with corn! Check packet...)
Roast Chook provided there is no stuffing or funny stuff in the seasoning. And that's not cooked in the same pan as something that does.
Many sausages are gluten-free, and these are often better quality. Most rissoles aren't gluten free.
Gluten-free pastas are fairly easy to find these days. If you use a pre-made sauce, check ingredients carefully. Dolmio bologneses seem OK.
Home-cooked stirfry is a good choice (again, check sauces and thickeners first)
We've only found one manufacturer of stock cubes that promise to be gluten free (Massens)
We've also found a small number of Chinese restaurants that have gluten-free recipes, mainly Master So Kitchen in Kippax.
The Canberra Labor Club (in Belconnen) has gluten free options, and so does Zeferillis.
Dominos has started advertising gluten free bases, but our local one has so far failed to stock them.
Ali Babas now has gluten-free kebabs (this is exciting...)
White Wings make a good gluten-free flour.
Most hams and salamis are gluten-free, but cabanossi and twiggy sticks aren't.
Most cheeses are OK, although check the ingredients of the more highly processed ones.

Things not to bother with:
Gluten Free Bread: Most of these are horrible, don't bother buying them just for us. It's possible to make a nice damper from the aforementioned gluten-free flour, though.

Hopefully that helps!

Further reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten_free

Sci-Fi Goodness

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:47:43 GMT

There is some good SF on TV at the moment (well, Foxtel et al, anyway).

I'm particularly impressed (so far) with "Defying Gravity" and "Flash Forward".

"Stargate Universe" is struggling, for me... it's interesting enough to keep watching, but none of the characters are very likeable yet, which is sad.

New Bub

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:45:47 GMT

On behalf of ripleylarkham and pixie_b:

Violet Joy was born perfect water birth and is feeding happily. Details to follow when the glow wears off.

Women in Science

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:25:55 GMT

I'm a bit chuffed about this, because the woman in question is my cousin:

http://www.csiro.au/news/CSIRO-innovator-wins-NSW-Telstra-Business-Women-award.html

Romeo + Juliet

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:07:26 GMT

You should all totally come and see my play. It is excellent.
http://canberradramatics.org.au/production/take-their-life/

A smack in the brainpan

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:21:58 GMT

Alzheimers or not, Pratchett can still turn a phrase that leaps off the page, burrows through your eyes and smacks you in the brain...

This latest (from "Unseen Academicals") caught me completely by surprised, and moved me so much I had to have a bit of a lie down.

"(Your father) let you down, Mister Trev. He wasn't the small boy's god. It turned out he was only a man. But he was not only a man. Everyone who has ever watched a game in this city has heard of Dave Likely. If he was a fool, then any man who has ever climbed a mountain or swum a torrent was a fool. If he was a fool then so was the man who first tried to tame fire. If he was a fool then so was the man who tried the first oyster... Perhaps only a fool gets out of bed. But, after death, some fools shine like stars, and your father is such a one,"

Avenue Q reminder

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:36:08 GMT

Avenue Q STARTS at 7:30. Ideally, we want to MEET at the theater around 7PMish or so, so we have plenty of time.

SO

AVENUE Q, 7:00PM FOR A 7:30 START AT CANBERRA THEATER, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28 (THIS WEDNESDAY)

robTweet

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 07:56:44 GMT

I've been fiddling with mobile phone applications, and have built a Twitter browser that should run on most Java enabled mobile phones:

http://www.mithril.com.au/robmobile.html#robtweet

It's lightweight, and IMHO easier to use than most the others I've looked at. Although that may be just me.

Anyway, if anyone wants to look or play, please do so. Feedback appreciated.

Defying Gravity

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 06:47:56 GMT

Just watched first episode of Defying Gravity.
Impressed.

Castle (part ii)

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 01:56:11 GMT

Much as I love Nathan Fillion, at first glance I thought Castle was going to be pretty silly. I mean, the basic premise is pretty flimsy.

And yet... the writing and acting carry it off.

Beckett is probably the strongest female character I've seen in a long time -- smart, professional, no-nonsense, but with a sense of humour. And the fact that she's really too good looking to be a cop (come on, TV doesn't like to cast ugly people for their leads) is addressed believably on-screen.

And Alexis (his daughter) is brilliant-- an excellent portrayal of the modern intelligent teenage girl.

Heck, all the relationships are handled with considerable panache, even the relatively minor supporting roles. Beckett's offsiders-- Ryan and Esposito-- are a case in point, with their running commentary and occasional insights.

It's well worth watching, if you can find it.

Castle

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 14:21:15 GMT

Someone has way too much time on their hands.

OK, I've been watching "Castle" with some enjoyment. Apparently the in-story book that is being written during the first season is about to be published. In real life.

That speaks of a scary commitment on someone's behalf...

Avenue Q - the Booking

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 07:55:42 GMT

Alright, the following people have been confirmed for seeing Avenue Q on Wednesday, 28th of October at 8:30PM:

Nick
Robbie M.
Tim
Jacinta
Rob B.
Barb
Rod
Steph
James V.
Marcus
Steve M.
Fish
Eric
Mike W.

We will be purchasing tickets at 12:00PM (Midday) on Friday, 18th of September. If you DON'T want tickets, please inform either makoknight or me before then. I'll probably have to pay for it all up front, so prompt payment will be appreciated/required.

Tickets are $54.90 per person.

Short and Sweet

Sat, 05 Sep 2009 00:44:39 GMT

About to go off to do my play... Short and Sweet:Wildcards, Street Theatre, 4pm people... you know you want to see it.

Wraith Freeform

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:11:58 GMT

Wraith Freeform

When: 7pm Friday 4/12/09

Where: ANU. Rooms to be confirmed but most likely Copeland Building.

Note: Pregens will be used.

Blurb will be put up by Joe soonish I hope.

Contact deamondea or uberxael. Livejournal or facebook will be fine.

deamondea'll be keeping a list of potential players so that Joe can make sure we have enough characters.

Dreamwidth Account?

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 23:51:54 GMT

Anyone got a Dreamwidth invite to spare?

... and another play

Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:23:31 GMT

Errm...
I appear to be in another play.

I'm not sure how.

It's called "Take Their Life: Romeo + Juliet Reimagined"... I'm assured it's better than it sounds... :")

http://canberradramatics.org.au/production/take-their-life/

This *will* stuff up my Mondays and Thursdays until the end of October, apologies to anyone this might affect.

Oh, I'm playing Friar Laurence.

Thor, Hammer of the Gods

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:23:43 GMT

Just watched "Thor, Hammer of the Gods", on Foxtel.

And I have to say I enjoyed it... in spite of its flaws, which at the very least I enjoyed analysing.

It's an obscure, made for TV movie on a budget, about a bunch of vikings exploring the far north and legends of an island of the gods. I think it was made in Bulgaria.

But anyway... it held my attention, and I enjoyed the interesting playing with mythology.

I felt the writing was fundamentally sound, veering into quite good at times, although the dialogue itself could have done with more work. But the plot held together, and the character relations between the three brothers were actually rather well handled.

The special effects ranged from appalling to quite good considering, the acting ranged from pretty basic to quite decent, the costuming was actually damn good and surprisingly historically accurate (well, it *seemed* that way to me, which is what's most important).

The sword fights again ranged from pretty bad to quite good considering... I think their fight choreographer knew his stuff, but ...

I feel that the directing is where the movie was let down. It could have been a good to excellent B-Grade movie, instead of "Ok, considering". Nearly all of the flaws I spotted could have been resolved by better directing.

There's a scene, for eg, where the fleeing Vikings make a stand against the werewolves (did I mention werewolves?) and spring a trap. As written, it sounded like a reasonable trap, but as shown on screen it was pretty bodgy. This is where good directing and clever camera angles could have made all the difference.

Another sign of iffy directing is the acting... most of the main actors could act quite well, and most turned in some excellent scenes. Notably, the acting seemed to get better as the movie progressed... in early scenes, the accents in particular were all over the place. Later on, they seemed much more in synch.

So it's entirely possible we're seeing a first time director, in which case he's learning as he goes... (quick IMDB check... this guy has assistant directed quite a bit, but this is only his second movie directorship... not sure, then)

Probably overthinking this way to much, but enjoying myself anyway.

Play (Again)

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:43:43 GMT

Which reminds me, I'm in a play again.

Short and Sweet...

http://www.shortandsweet.org/shortsweet/canberra/top-10-and-wildcards

The actual play(let) I'm in is "Downsizing", which is one of the "Wildcards"

Wildcard plays will be performed at The Street Theatre, Sept 5, 4pm. Tickets $25/$20.
Bookings 02 6247 1223 or http://www.thestreet.org.au/