Yakedi! free SMS
I wrote briefly before about Yakedi! It’s a free web-based service for sending text messages to Australian mobile phones.
I’m so impressed with Yakedi! that this post is simply a blatant plug to say thanks and well done.
I read somewhere the modern human has evolved to be more dextrous with his thumb than his pointer finger, thanks to the phenomenon of text messaging. Read more
Football theme songs after away games
I’ve just listened to Hawthorn defeat Fremantle in the AFL on ABC Radio. The Hawks theme song blared out across the ground and on national radio after the game.
That’s been the case for a few years, that the winning team has its song played regardless of the venue.
For the record, winning away teams didn’t always have their songs played after the game.
I can recall watching Fitzroy lose and feeling the funereal atmosphere afterwards at a home game. Conversely, I wanted to hear the song ring out sometimes and it didn’t.
I think I like the old style. Why should the opposition hear their song after winning a game on opposition territory?
What’s in a name?
That’s the logo of the Federal Government’s Area Consultative Committees (ACC). Not very impressive, is it? And you couldn’t blame anyone for wanting to change it. However, at what cost should it be changed?
Regional Development Minister Anthony Albanese announced just before Easter that ACCs would be replaced by a similar organisation called Regional Development Australia (RDA). Read more
WordPress 2.5
Like much of the WordPress community I’m waiting to hear some user feedback on the upcoming 2.5 version. So far I’m aware of changes to the admin section and the database, but not much else.
WordPress is free, of course, and any development work is highly appreciated.
I’m wondering though if I should upgrade immediately, as I normally do, or let the dust settle and see what issues might arise, if any.
I’m not concerned about the core WordPress application, but rather the various plugins I use. Plugin troubles caused me to change the blog theme and I’ve probably got too may extras functioning right now, if you consider they may slow down the site and cause compatibility problems.
So this time round I might just wait and see.
Proud to be Irish
St Patrick’s Day came and went. Because of the early Easter, St Pat’s Day was actually moved to March 15 in many places. I don’t think many Aussies heard the official edict, because we still drank Guinness and green beer on March 17.
Anyhow, it begs the question: how Irish am I? Sue from Beggars Shot Glass wrote a blog which prompted me to consider this question.
Gorey is an Irish name and I’ve always considered myself Irish Australian. My daughters are named Kathleen and Margaret.
The truth is I have more Dutch in me than Irish. Read more
2005 Ovens & Murray grand final
Oh dear! You Tube has taken over the world. It was one of the saddest days of my life when Myrtleford lost the 2005 grand final by one point to Lavington.
For international visitors, this is the Ovens and Murray Football League in North East Victoria/southern NSW. The grand final was played at Lavington (Albury) in front of about 15,000 people. Quit after the game finishes.
Boycott Beijing
Beijing should never have been chosen to host the 2008 Olympics. China has a repressive society. It’s a one-party state which kills opponents to the government. Catholics are persecuted.
There are many corrupt and despotic regimes in the world today, such as Zimbabwe and North Korea, but China is the biggest.
I don’t envy the Chinese government in holding together such a vast country with so many people and an inequitable distribution of resources. That enormous challenge warrants some leeway in how we respond to internal governance issues.
However, there is no excuse for Chinese expansion into Tibet. The world should send a loud message to China that Tibet is a sovereign nation entitled to self-determination. The influx of Chinese workers is similar to the Soviet influx of Russians to the Baltic states.
Many western countries, including some Australian sports, boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
It’s appropriate we should consider Chinese behavior in Tibet in the same context. To participate in the Beijing Olympics will give legitimacy to an evil regime. Reflect on Berlin 1936.
Maggie’s voice
I tried to get Jim to talk into the recorder today, but he wouldn’t. So here is Maggie again:
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Good Friday holiday
The Herald Sun reports a Uniting Church cleric who believes Good Friday should be dumped as a public holiday in favor of something to do with reconciliation.
That’s the sort of nonsense you come to expect from the Uniting Church.
I have written before about how Australia’s public holidays need an overhaul, but I never envisaged dropping Easter or Christmas.
Australia’s demographics have changed, but it’s important we respect our Christian origins and observe the major feast days. To do otherwise would be to suggest that our value-system has changed, and I don’t believe that’s the case.
Labor Day is the most obvious holiday to be dumped and made uniform across the country.
Long weekend
I’m about to begin my first four-day weekend in nearly three years. The joy of working on a daily newspaper is such that we work most public holidays.
I work every third Sunday, in lieu of which I have Monday off eight days later, ie a three-day weekend. But four days in a row has been reserved for annual leave.
This weekend is an exception. Good Friday is one of our two statutory holidays. My Monday RDO happens to coincide this year with Easter.
I had worked the previous two years on Good Friday to finish the paper, but this year that isn’t necessary.
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