Saturday, December 25, 2010

Too early for new years resolutions, I think not.

I’m a selfish bastard but you knew that…

So today my wife and children went to Randwick to Libby’s Aunt and Uncles for Christmas Lunch tomorrow. I am at home because for the Second time in a little over a month doctors are using language like “if this course of action doesn’t work by Sunday will admit you for a few days”

With out going into details both issues I have had is because I treat my body like a tip, and even though it has concerned my wife for a decade I figured nothings going to happen, you worry too much, yada yada yada.

Well if I am to be admitted to hospital I would rather it happen in Canberra instead of an unplanned stay in a random Sydney Hospital, BTW we were coming home tomorrow night anyway.

Tomorrow I’ll be home and it is largely my fault so I guess I best start taking my health seriously and stop being such a selfish bastard.

Mind you having a fever for 24 Hours and then having another after it breaks in the same day does help to catch up on sleep. Not to mention a 48 hour computer free time.

So once I am well again I need to:

  • NOT be 150+ Kgs (might help with the Sleep Apnoea)
  • Take care to prevent more Kidney Stones
  • Look at making the ugly lower leg horrificness diminish (yep stuck with the look) but not the damage I hope
  • Generally pay attention to my health.

So I wonder how I’ll go now that I’ve had too scares so close together lets not wait for the Heart Attack trifecta before I clue up.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Lunar Eclipse to Milk for the SeaCat

LunarEclipseSydneySometimes I wonder at what pace my brain makes connections. Here are the links created from a Twitpic by someone I follow on twitter.

When I asked where it was taken they told me. Naturally I jumped on Nearmap.com for a quick squiz of the area because the foreshore was sweet. By the way it is somewhere on the left of that picture Balmain in case you care.

Scrolling out what do I notice? Cockatoo Island (Co Dock) I spent a little time there during refits of the last Submarine and first Warship (which happened to hunt Submarines) I served on.

imageThis was a time of transition for me and the beginning of a great few years. A generally really good time traveling the world with great mates.

Funny I have two photos taken on HMAS Parramatta when I was on her (1988-1991) hanging in my study since we moved in, in 1999 but I hardly notice them anymore. Ikara

Tonight I took them down scanned them for this post. I will clean up the frames and put them back up on boxing day.

Got some milk for the Seacat?Point is I am wired to leap from connection to connection at a rate of knots and I’d like to thank Catherine for reminding me of a time long ago, even though she might shake her head at how I got here.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Prepared to defend my views on #OffSpring

So I was talking about my Girly Programming Selections with @MolksTVTalk on Twitter tonight.

"@DavidLMackie I have no problem with people liking things like #Offspring - they just need to be prepared to defend their views. ;)"

Sad that I felt the need for a whole new blog for this but I know that folk would not cope well with just a new category.

So why do I like Offspring?

  • Not the Nina / Dr Chris saga so maybe I missed the point but I watch in spite of that.

  • Billy and Mick Super funny. Really like Eddie Perfect - (loved Howard 2.0 from 2007)

  • Jimmy such a funny funny loser, endearing and pathetic too

  • I like Cherie but Deborah Mailman has not been the same for me since she wiped off in the opening scene of "The Secret Life of us". Not that girl from play school anymore. Still a character that ties together many others so nice.

  • Dr Chris has a Crazy Runaway Bride who I quite like in #Rake


I really like no LOVE Zara. Funny and Hot too, which reminds me must watch the Nurses Webisodes

So there you have it MolkTVTalk the defence rests.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Small Agency Mentoring Program #AGIMO

I recently began following John Sheridan from AGIMO and since I’ve not followed much of what he has been doing since I was in Defence, I took a peek back through his Twitter Feed in as non stalkerish way as possible (BTW Days NOT Years) came across a link to the Small Agency Mentoring Program (SAM).

Mentoring programs like SAM are important because they help to build the capability of the APS by strengthening cross-agency relationships and developing future ICT leaders. For more information on mentoring programs supported by the Department of Finance and Deregulation please take a look at the website:

I’m an IT Contractor and have been for many years and the thing I find all over is Infrastructure People in Agencies both big and small have very little clue who their peers are, let alone what they can share with each other.

I notice Mentoring Programs for SES and Women in IT both of which I’m very supportive.

I wonder if Agencies are to do more with less how do Technical Leaders (Contractors too) get to network and share with each other.

I use Facebook, LinkedIn and even Twitter to extend my contacts in my field and locally try to connect widely with my peers. I am aware that there is some nervousness from Agency Security Advisors about public social networks and I understand why they think they should be nervous however are we not talking about professionals.

I guess I’m proposing Public Social Networking for an Essentially Closed Population. Not seeking to provide an answer but wonder how to discuss this sensibly.

What I’m saying is good job going as far as you do. How do we grow that???

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