Inverted Reality

apple, tech, coffee, vespa, gadgets, family

By the sea shore

She sells sea shells by the sea shore. The shells she sells are surely seashells. So if she sells shells on the seashore, I’m sure she sells seashore shells.

It’s easy to forget some of the good things in life. Today, riding along the coast, as I always do on my way to work. I took a deep breath and just “aaaaah’ed” at the lovely smell of ocean.

I live in Perth, Western Australia. About 2km inland from the Indian Ocean. Riding to and from work on my Vespa is probably the second best part of my day (with the first being… seeing my family when I get home from work).

I’ve put a few pictures in this post, of exactly what I ride past each day… just a snippit, just a little taste. It’s Cottesloe beach, and it’s brilliant.

The things we take for granted huh?

2 Comments by James on February 8, 2010
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old school blogger

You know what, this morning I realised how long I’ve been blogging for, one way or another. Put it this way, the word “blog” didn’t exist when I started blogging. In fact, the word “internet” was only just becoming popular when I was doing it… I started blogging in about 1994. I ran a web site that I called “Dimension X”. It was built on an old Mac when I was visiting my mother in Hong Kong. I’d sit in the computer lab at her work (University of Hong Kong) and just tinker. An easy way to entertain myself while my mother worked.

Tinkering with this mac in the lab soon had me coding up some simple HTML. Pretty easy stuff. Yeah, there was no blogging platform or web design applications back then, just a text editor. HTML was pretty new. Did I mention that I actually met the guy that pretty much invented the world wide web? Yeah, Tim Berners-Lee. I’m not tryna show off or anything.

This “Dimension X” web page was so simple… it had a header image at the top (which I drew on the Mac), and some text underneath. It had about four pages, including an ‘about me’ page and a ‘links’ page which linked to other peoples simple, boring, basic pages. I even had links to sites like sony.com and altavista.com. Sites that I thought were impressive back then. These days, anyone’s site can be impressive.

My web site was hosted with iiNet (an Australian ISP) which started commercial operation in about 1993 from the owners parents garage. All server’s were Linux-based which made for easy web serving. My site was “iiNet member site of the month, for several months”… there were not many member sites! Back then they even had a ‘top member sites’ page, and even a ‘members site index’. I would say they have too many to index these days hahaha.

Unfortunately my site was ‘lost in the matrix’… I’ve had many sites since then. Inverted Reality has been running for about as long as I’ve had a keen interest in the ‘wordpress’ platform. In my opinion the best blogging platform available. I think the team are doing a great job and bringing blogging tools to the masses.

Is blogging becoming a lost art with new web apps and social networking, like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and the like? You tell me. Have you been twitting or posting on facebook more than you’ve been blogging? Are these new web apps great tools to market your blog? Or perhaps at least let your friends and family know you’ve updated your blog recently? Is RSS dead?

I wouldn’t care if a single soul didn’t read my blog. In fact there is probably only a handful of people that check it out anyway… it’s a great way to get down experiences and thoughts. Subject doesn’t really matter (unless your blogging for a living, and even then, it sometimes doesn’t matter)

You should start a blog if you haven’t already. Even if it’s just updates on what crazy shit your grandmother did last week. It’s probably good for a read!

1 Comment by James on February 6, 2010
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Irrigation of the nation

I’ve been so busy around the house lately, with all the works going on, new patio, new ground work, new retaining walls, etc. I’ve been breaking my back preparing the remaining areas for lawn and gardens. Getting soil levels right, removing rocks (boulders), bringing in additional soil and installing reticulation for the new lawn / gardens.

This week I finally finished the majority of the retic system. I have four zones. Three for lawn areas, and one for a garden bed. Lawn areas include the front verge of approx 8×3m which has eight regular popup sprinklers, a front courtyard lawn area of unusual size (lets just say 6×4m) which has five MP Rotator 2000’s on popup’s, and a rear 4.5×5m section with four MP Rotator 2000’s on popup’s.

What the heck is an MP Rotator? It’s a pretty neat popup sprinkler nozzle that waters the lawn more slowly, evenly, and reachers further than a conventional popup spray nozzle. (oh and they look hardcore) The down side is, the nozzles are $25 EACH. (don’t hit em with the mower!)

This weekend I’m bringing in the final “lawn mix” soil, to get the areas up to level and ready for the new lawn’s arrival. I’m going for Palmetto which is a Buffalo variety. I can’t wait! (it’s going to look good AND keep the dirt and crap out of the house). Stay tuned for awesome pictures of super greenery!

2 Comments by James on February 5, 2010
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Theme Change

I’ve changed the blog theme.. I hope it’s a little easier to read. Might be more changes in the pipeline too

No Comments by James on February 3, 2010
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No Freedom for Cagers

The cagers drive in their cages in a frenzy to earn their wages,

boxed in, they cannot see, the guy riding freedom, that guy is me,

I ride my freedom every day, 2-stroke, thin-bloke, dressed in black, hunched back,

fueled by caffeine navigating my steel machine, when I ride I keep it clean,

you don’t see me, you do not care, occasionally you give a scare,

you swerve left, you swerve right, leave little space, it’s getting tight,

no respect for my means of travel, the way you treat me I’ll be kissing gravel,

I watch you in your cage, every day, it’s just you trapped in there, all the way,

it’s sad to see so many cages passing by, with just one head, I ask myself why,

is there a better way to get to work, without driving your cage like a jerk,

respect my freedom, it’s small, has two wheels, let me tell you how it feels,

I turn the key and the freedom starts, push in the choke and give it a blast,

it’s quick and quiet for the first stage, then I join the others in their cages,

first there’s wind in my hair, I’ll take my time getting there,

I experience freedom along the beach, deep breath, the ocean is within reach,

I smell bread baking, coffee brewing, breakfast cooking and..

your exhaust, blowing a great big cloud of black crap in my face,

I’m at the lights in front of you, I do not like being in a queue,

next time you are in your cage, driving in an epic rage,

think about the one who’s free, riding along peacefully.

2 Comments by James on February 2, 2010
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Avatar Movie

Last night I went with friends to see Avatar in 3D. James Cameron’s latest film. Yeah, I took my time seeing it. Just happens I have a newborn and a toddler that I need to juggle my life around. On to the nitty gritty…

What a great movie. How far has Sam Worthington come lately? I was pretty excited when I heard that he’d landed the Terminator movie, and now this! Sam is actually from my home town (Perth, Western Australia). He even went to the same school as my wife! Small world huh.

On to the movie. Special effects, wow. Should we call it ’special’? Don’t all movies have special effects now? Is there anything special about it anymore if it’s ‘normal’? Avatar is spectacular, from the moment you step in to the world of Pandora, you are overwhelmed with colour and 3D objects flying out of the screen. The depth and colours are incredible.

The story is tried and tested as an old fashioned love story with a conflict. I will not delve in to the actual story, perhaps you haven’t seen it yet. I don’t want to spoil it.

At no point is this film boring, yet I wouldn’t label it an ‘action film’. (although there is plenty of action. Action / drama?)

It’s nice to see Sigourney Weaver in a film again. I can’t say I’m a huge fan of her but she was very good in this film, her part was great. Giovanni Ribisi plays the evil, heartless mining boss and does a good job. Everyone is just great in this film.

The meld of ’sfx’ and ‘real’ is top notch. I had a lot of trouble trying to figure out if characters were in make-up, or completely CG. That’s a good thing.

I recommend you see it, see it in 3D, then go see it again. No wonder it’s smashed the box office and made over $1b.

* avatar movie posted used without any permission what-so-ever

No Comments by James on January 31, 2010
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iPad is just iTunes enabler

or is it?

Bringing us the iPad is one of the greatest moves Apple has made since the iPod, and here’s why…

Think about what the iPod offers us already. Music, movies, TV shows, games. All delivered easily and reliably through iTunes, Apple’s digital delivery store. Sure you can load your own music on it, you can check your email on it, you can surf the web on it. Heck, with the iPhone you can even make phone calls.

Don’t forget about Apple’s core purpose for these devices. Delivering digital content to you via their app store / iTunes. Making money.

Now think about this… Just how profitable do you suppose iTunes / app store is for Apple? Lets not forget that the iPod single handedly resurrected Apple from a really deep hole. Of course it’s profitable. It’s also controlled, scaleable, reliable, and simple for the average Joe. Just what you’d expect from Apple.

Have we forgotten that the core of all these Apple products is paid (and some free) digital delivery via app store and iTunes? Yeah there’s free stuff, it keeps the punters happy, and pulls in the customers.

Lets look at the iPad. It’s much like an iPod Touch, only, larger and more powerful. When it was announced to be running an iPhone-style OS, I immediately wondered why.. but it’s becoming more clear all the time.

I bet Steve is sitting at his desk thinking to himself “If only all our devices ran an iphone-style OS”. Why you ask?

Some reasons:

  • Apps for the OS are designed strictly to Apples rules and guidelines. They must be approved before they hit the app store. They even get age classifications. You couldn’t possibly install a “bad app” that might wreak havoc on the device. It pretty much makes the device really use friendly and renders any support arrangement almost useless.

Read the full article »

1 Comment by James on January 30, 2010
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Apple iPad announced

Well Apple have done it again. They’ve gone and made yet another product that we are all going to want, even if it doesn’t perfectly meet our requirements. It’s a new wanky gadget. It’s the Apple iPad. It’s a giant iPod Touch. Yay!

http://www.apple.com/ipad/

Do I want one? I don’t really know yet. I can see some uses.

It has a 9.7″ screen (as I predicted last week), and runs an iPhone’esque operating system.

No Comments by James on January 28, 2010
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Back at work after 3 weeks off

Being back at work after 3 weeks off is tough business. Not only did I have an epic pile of work waiting for me, there’s an epic hidden pile the boss is yet to palm on to my job queue. *sigh* I can’t win!

On a high. Melissa and I had a baby boy. Spencer Hugh Mandy. He’s doing great and is now 4 weeks old! I have done heaps around the house, including some landscaping, gardening, tidying, retic installation, and more.

Roll on 2010! The year of my family!

No Comments by James on January 27, 2010
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New Playground

So finally, after letters of complaint from residents in our estate, the local council has installed a play gym in the park down the road.

Of course, it never was a park, it was ‘an undeveloped open space, not maintained by the council’. Urgh, that was quickly fixed with more complaints. The council now maintains the park. They even named it.

When we got news of new play equipment to be installed in September 2009, we expected a set of swings and a slide. We got nothing. We waited and waited.

Last week the council came through with the goods, installing not just some swings and a slide, but this epic monstrosity of deluxe play equipment. Bravo council, bravo. Now how about some shade?

No Comments by James on January 21, 2010
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