Catching up

Sorry for not posting any photos the last couple of days. It turns out the problem I've been having with Blogger is a known issue, and clearing the cache solved it. Now I can finally post pictures (having seated Junior in front of the TV so that I have some time to myself).

I went out partying the last couple of nights right after work, which is highly unusual for me. I turn into a pumpkin long before midnight, now that I have my own little alarm clock that wakes me up at 6 every morning, demanding a cup of milk.

I took pictures though.
Here's a little tube of Vegemite, made especially for travelling Aussies. It should last us the trip to Israel.

And here's a small guitar I got at KMart. I couldn't help it... I was shopping for undies (20% off!) and saw this in the bargain bin. It was marked down by about 60% because it had been returned without the box. How could I resist? Junior loves it.
It's been raining the last couple of days.

I don't think the grapes will be ready for harvest by the time we leave.

grrrr Blogger!!!

Blogger is being annoying again. I can post text but I can't add photos, links etc. I promise to post pictures from the last couple of days as soon as the Blogger team fix things.

Berries

Red

Caterpillar

Bud

Roots

This is yesterday's pic

Gate

State of denial

So, you are asking yourself, why so little blogging lately?

Well, several reasons. One is that I am in some sort of denial about the impending trip to Israel. It's not that I'm totally in denial, actually I'm quite looking forward to it. It's just the time-frame that I'm not grasping very well. First it was "in a few months", then "another 6 weeks or so", and yesterday it was "about a month" until I checked my diary and saw that it's in fact less than 3 weeks. That was a shocker.

The other reason is that I'm frantically trying to get a whole bunch of things done before we go. I have a paper to write, quite a lot of research work to do and a huge report to write. And when I finally get my laptop I will have to install everything and make sure all is working. And I want to make sure I have everything working and ready to go so that I can hit the ground running when I start to work at the uni in Israel. Hubby is also scrambling to get a lot done, so that means less time for both of us for doing home-related work.

Also, since we switched to daylight savings a couple of weeks ago, Junior has been jet lagged for that one hour. This means he only goes to sleep around 9:00 instead of 8:00 like he used to. This leaves me very little time in the evening to do any blogging before I collapse in an exhausted heap on the couch at the end of the day.

Lights

Shower pics

If that doesn't get some traffic to the site, then I don't know what will.

Bird

Sculpture by the Sea

Plenty of uncovered meat at the beach in Tamarama. This sculpture is called Unveiled.

Holey tree

Gumboots

Today was cold and wintery. It should be summer! Where's that global warming everyone keeps promising?

Fan

Let's see how this Blogger beta works. In the meantime, here is a fan.

Window

Still on a U2 high

I'm still buzzing from the U2 concert.
It was awesome!! I have waited more than half my life to see them live and now I finally got the chance, and it was everything I hoped it would be.
The tickets said that no photographic equipment would be allowed, and like an idiot, I left my camera in the car. Of course nobody checked. I took some photos and videos on my mobile phone until the battery died.
We were way up in the nosebleed section, which we managed to climb without supplemental oxygen. It turned out that my friend is afraid of heights, and she nearly got a heart attack just getting to our seats. But we got there in the end. Sitting comfortably and watching all the people in the pit crowding, I thought to myself: I'm glad I'm not down there in the crowd since morning!
Then the show started.
All I could think was: OMG I want to be down there by the stage!!
But I enjoyed the show from the wuthering heights instead.
The band were great. The show was amazing. The crowd went nuts and sang along to every word. I was so excited, I cried during "Where the streets have no name", which was very emotional not just for me. At the end of the song Bono said, "Wow. What was that?! Whatever it was, I want more!". The energy in the stadium was palpable.
The show ended with Bono flying a kite tied to some balloons over the audience. For some reason he dedicated the song (Kite) to Cate Blanchett.
The show was over way too soon, I couldn't believe when I looked at my watch and saw that it had been about 2.5 hours...
I used to be totally nuts about U2. Now I am a bit older, maybe wiser, definitely more cynical. And still, at the show I felt like I was 16 again.

The Dalek Tree

Whenever I pass this tree I am reminded of a Dalek.

For now, photos

The U2 concert was amazing.
Unfortunately I don't have any time to write about it now.
In the meantime, here are today's and yesterday's photos. Both from the car.
A teacup and the Anzac Bridge.

Kangaroo Paws and a Butterfly

I suspected that

Australia in top five livable countries

Norway, Iceland, Australia, Ireland and Sweden rank as the best five countries to live in...

...and of these 5, I reckon Australia is the only country I'd actually want to live in.

The United States was ranked in eighth place, after Canada and Japan, in the report that rates not only per-capita income but also educational levels, health care and life expectancy in measuring a nation's well-being.

Go ahead, entertain me

One more day till the U2 concert.
Their first Sydney concert is tonight. I'm going tomorrow.

Oh my, Bono looks older, especially with that haircut.

Take a look at the set! It's HUGE!

"I'm very happy to be here, I'm excited," Bono says.

You're excited?!

U2 reunited in the studio last month to record a new song, Window in the Skies. It's one of two bonus tracks on a compilation album, U218, which they're releasing this month.

Sydney fans may be among the first to hear the song performed live when U2 play tonight.

"Have you heard Window in the Skies?" Bono says. "Wow, that's a big song."

Woohoo!!

2 photos

because I forgot to post yesterday...
By the way, you can click on the photos to see the (slightly) larger versions.

U2 woohoo!!

In just a few more days I will finally get to see U2 in concert. Oh I am so excited....

You see, I have my tickets for this show for nearly a year now. It was supposed to be in March but it was postponed... and now the fab four are here in Sydney getting ready to entertain me.
When I was a wee lass I was totally, utterly nuts about U2. Absolutely insane about them. I hang onto every word that came out of Bono's mouth as if he was at least some prophet or something.

Now I'm a bit older... and a bit wiser... and I've changed quite a lot, I don't have quite as many hormones rushing through my veins, and I tend to look at the world in a slightly more mature, sometimes cynical way.

So I was really pleasantly surprised yesterday when I saw Bono being interviews by Andrew Denton (it's a weekly interview type TV show). I missed the beginning of it, but from what I saw I could tell that Bono is indeed more than just a dumb celebrity rock star. And I was quite happy and totally fine with the idea of him being one, just as long as he makes good music and gives a good show. But what I got from the interview is this: that he is smart, eloquent, educated, passionate, sincere, and very much grounded. He doesn't try to pretend that he isn't a millionaire rock star leading a millionaire rock star's life. He seemed a bit surprised that it turned out that way, but he embraced it fully. Which didn't stop him being an intelligent, hard-working, well-spoken person who is doing his best to do some good in this world.

Another band that I used to be completely nuts about in the 1990's is coming to town: Pearl Jam. I used to think that Eddie Vedder was the bee's knees when I was a teenager. But unlike U2, Pearl Jam don't seem to have changed much since then, not in their music and not in their politics. I feel I have changed so much and they have stayed the same. I take that back; their music used to be much better. Ten was an amazing album and every album the made since has been steadily worse than the one before it.

It's a pity. Eddie has a great voice and he makes for good eye candy. But I won't be going to their gig.

Horse Feathers

Today was Melbourne Cup Day, that yearly event that stops the nation for a few minutes as everyone tunes in to the big race. The entire country stops while the horses run.

Personally, I don't see the big deal. But that's probably because I wasn't born here.

Everyone bets something, whether it's $1 in the office sweepstakes or the really big bets made by people in expensive suits at the race.

It's also an important fashion event, especially for the women who strut around in spring dresses and big hats. The latest fashion is to have a few feathers instead of a hat.


I always find it amusing to watch them walking to the races at the nearby racecourse with their high heels in their hands because nobody can walk in those shoes anyway.

Here are some New Zealanders at the race.

From the Quad gates

TGiM

Thank goodness it's Monday...
Yes, it's been a hard weekend. I was actually waiting for Monday, all excited about going to work. It's not that there's anything particularly interesting at work, it's just that everyone there is an adult.
It rained the entire weekend and we were stuck at home going stir crazy. Lately I am not handling toddler situations very well and I tend to lose my temper. Also, last Friday hubby took care of things on the home front while I went out to the pub with my work mates. I had so much fun! I'm not normally the pub type of person, and I don't drink beer, but still: I had a great time just hanging out with friends.
It made me think that perhaps, sometimes, you know, I don't actually, you know, enjoy being a mum very much. It's not that I don't love my boy more than anything in the world. It's just that sometimes, it's hard.

Baby grapes

from the garden.

Bondi

The things we get used to.

A conversation I had with a PhD student as I was helping her out with some equipment:

MW: Let's first remove this sample so we can put your sample in.
PS: What is that?
MW: I think it's a rat's inner ear.
PS: Ewwwww!
MW: What? You've got a snail proboscis in a test tube.
PS: (thinks about this for a while). Yeah, you're right.

No Dogs

Kangaroo Paw

Yet another "springtime on campus" photo.

The oval

This is used to roll the grass flat in the centre of the oval for cricket games.

From the graffiti tunnel

A digger

for Junior.

In bloom

These trees are blooming with gorgeous purple flowers all over Sydney. Here's one at the Quad.

Yerushalmi Kugel

Recipe is here.
Does anyone know how to avoid getting burnt noodles on the top of the pan (which becomes the bottom of the kugel after you flip it out)??

Flightpath

Yoga on horseback

The King David Stables. Sounds like a pretty amazing place. And this is very close to where we'll be staying near Jerusalem. (OMG! Just a few weeks left till the big trip!)
They offer good old horseback riding, and if that's not enough then there's horseback yoga and tai chi.
And I thought yoga was hard enough on a mat...

Bird of Paradise

Today I cannot blame blogger for not posting this yesterday.
What's my excuse then? How about having an opportunity to go to after-work drinks at the pub in Coogee? I haven't done that in ages!
And we didn't even need a babysitter. This must be the only country in the world with family-friendly pubs. One area of the pub is especially kid friendly, with a ball pit and toys and games. The place was full of families with prams and toddlers. And I got to have a glass of my favourite (Strongbow) (because I'm not 100% Aussie and can't drink a whole beer).
The occassion was a farewell party for a good friend who is moving half way around the world...

Today's pic

I love these freaky gargoyles.

Yesterday's pic

Happiness is (nearly) instant gratification

Blogger was being a lemon yesterday so I couldn't post my daily picture. I'll have to snap something new and see if I can download it here at work.
Meanwhile, I'm a happy camper! I finally gave in to my desire to buy an mp3 player. Hubby offered his old iPod by I tried it and didn't like it. It was heavy and clunky, the battery doesn't last long, and besides it has all of his music on it. So I bought an iRiver T30. It's so cool!!!! I plugged it in and Suse recognized it immediately. Drag 'n dropped my ogg files into it and voila! Perfect. And it's small and cute and (if you believe the company) the AAA battery lasts for 20 hours!
Since I could never get my sound card to work on Suse Linux, I have never been able to listen to music at work. So now I can! When you share an office with 4 other people, it's sometimes necessary to be able to tune out and focus.
I just need to get some comfy headphones instead of these horrid stick-in-your-ear thingies.
Oooooh I'm so happy...

Quad Gargoyle

A Uni intersection

Where are all the students? Studying?
My bet is they're all at the pub...

363 to go

Coral at the Sydney Aquarium.

1001 uses

I have some soda water left over from Rosh Hashana's kneidalach. I don't drink the stuff, so I started experimenting with it in the kitchen. So far I have had success.
As well as making fluffy-as-clouds matza balls, soda water also makes fluffy:
1. scrambled eggs, and
2. pancakes.

365 - I'm in

Noorster has started a photoblogging project in which, briefly, she posts one picture every day and has also challenged others to commit to similar projects.
Well, I accept the challenge!
I'll have to get used to carrying the camera around, but I reckon if it'll help me post more, and also learn more about photography, then why not.
I've wanted to learn more about digital photo editing and I never had the time to read about it as much as I'd like.
So let's see if I can keep this up. A whole year! wow.
First day: Boats in Junior's bubble bath.

You don't have to put on the blue light

Lately in Sydney the Electric Co. has been handing out free six-packs of energy efficient light bulbs. You can get them if you sign a form saying that you won't take more than one pack, and that you promise to install them in your home.
Like many people I happily took the freebie. I wanted to change the light bulbs in the dining room anyway because they were rather dim. But after about an hour with the weird bluish light of these new bulbs, I got hubby to switch back to the good old yellow ones. The blue tinted light is just weird, it messed with my eyes. I couldn't stand it.
We replaced the light outside on the porch, and also my bedside reading light, but that's it. The others we keep as spares.
Apparently we're not the only ones who didn't install them. And of course, there's quite a lot of politics and money involved in the whole story, and not just green concern for the environment.
When it comes to reducing carbon emissions and all that, I reckon the best bet is to invest in fusion technology. Australia missed the wagon but is now trying to jump back on, while France and Japan are firmly in the lead.
In the 19th century, people thought that cities reached their population limits because of the incontrollable amount of horse shit on the streets. Help eventually came in the form of the internal combustion engine. I think energy from fusion will one day--maybe in 50 years, maybe in 100--bring about a radical solution to our dependence on fossil fuels. I long for that day both for the political changes that it will bring, as well as the environmental.

Parallel Universe

I share my office with several other post-docs. One of them is a woman I totally admire. She's my age, married but no kids. I was talking to her when I suddenly got this bizarre feeling that I was talking to myself in some parallel universe.

Here is a woman who has had a similar education to mine, some industry experience like I have, has been in a relationship for about a decade like I have. And yet our careers are totally different.

She does great research. She's published a gazillion papers in the last year. I'm still writing the draft of my first one at this job. She is involved in committees ranging from simple university tasks to multi-million dollar government funding schemes. She does so much and gets lots of deserved praise for her hard work. And she works hard, long hours and weekends and business trips all over the place.

She was telling me about one of her committees, and then she asked me, "aren't you involved in anything like that?". No, I said. I don't have time.

I have to leave at 4:30 every day to pick up my son from day care before I get slapped with a $1 a minute fine. I can't work weekends and nights. I chose a completely different life, and I am a mother first and foremost.

But still, sometimes I think to myself: that could have been me achieving all that.

It would have been nice, but I'm not jealous and I don't regret a thing.

I just have to keep reminding myself that I will have quite a few decades left to invest in my career after the kids (yes, there will be more than one...) grow up enough to allow me the time to work as much as I need to. I guess this is a dilemma lots of working mums have...

Three years ago today

Today is Junior's third birthday. Much excitement; this is the first year he actually understands what a birthday is and everything that it entails, like cake, balloons and presents. We are having a small party at the day care centre this afternoon, and a big party this weekend. Which is odd because they will both invlove mostly the same kids. But still, I just had to do something on the actual day.

Since last night I've been annoyingly saying every once in a while, "three years ago right now, I was having contractions." I will be like a broken record till this afternoon, then it will change to "three years ago right now, I was writhing in agony" for a few hours, followed by "three years ago, my son, the doctors finally yanked you out since you absolutely refused to leave after overstaying your stay by nearly two weeks."

It was the happiest day of my life... and every day since as well.

Tzom Kal...

... if this applies to you, then I wish you an easy fasting and blessings for the new year.

Australian Jews don't need to take a day off this year for Yom Kippur, since it falls on a public holiday. I think it's officially Labour Day or something, but essentially it's yet another sports day. I'm not sure if it's the rugby finals, or the footy, or maybe both? They both look the same to me; big men running around in tiny shorts and violently throwing oddly-shaped balls. The tiny shorts occassionally cause other, more hairy, balls to enter the field. I think this is a ploy to get more women to watch the game. I'm not sure, I'm still figuring it out.

Anyway, so last week everyone was telling me about their plans for the long weekend. These mostly involve having friends over to watch the game and also a BBQ and assorted food.

Now, I'm not a religious person. I don't fast, and I don't go to synagogue. But still, having a BBQ on Yom Kippur just seems like a bit too much, you know what I mean? It doesn't mean I won't enjoy the long weekend... just not so blatantly.

So, if you are more observant than me then let me wish you once more, a happy new year and Gmar Hatima Tova!

The Return of the Goth Dentist

Last week was that time again - time to see my Goth dentist.

She is sweet, gentle, 100% professional, and also has all sorts of piercings, wears black leather boots, and listens to Death Metal while she works.

The Death Metal freaked me out the first time I heard it but really, it's the most appropriate music.

Junior got his teeth checked briefly - 100% fine - and had a ride up and down on the chair. Then it was my turn. I try to be positive and see it as an opportunity to lie back for half an hour without a toddler demanding anything from me. I also get to practice my yoga breathing and relaxation. Always look at the bright side!

Shana Tova

Hubby has been sick for the last week with fever and sore throat. Looks like I've finally caught the bug myself.

I decided to take care of myself and took an extended lunch today (Friday noon - Monday morning). It's the Australian way!

Happy new year! Shana tova!!

The return of the Jedi

I'm back from holidays, refreshed, happy to be home and happy to be back at work.

A family holiday is not always quite as idyllic and fun as you might think. It's not easy spending 24 hours a day with spouse and child in one hotel room. I finished off half a packet of Nurofen just for my headaches. But overall, it was really good to be totally away from the daily routine of home and work for a week. And it also makes everyone appreciate the little things that make home so wonderful: your own bed, a piece of toast in the morning that doesn't cost $26, and all those familiar little things that make you feel good.

Next trip will be a big one, half way around the world to the holy land...

PM&D

Sounds like some "women's thing" doesn't it?

Well no, it's the uni's annual staff performance review.
Seeing as I just wrapped up my first year here, I have the honour of going through this task. What it amounts to is a small mountain of paperwork, several meetings with various bosses, and such general jumping through bureaucratic hoops. Just the thing I need to squeeze in between sick leave and annual leave! Very convenient.

Actually, it's not bad to have an oppurtunity to reflect on what I've done in the last year. You tend to forgot a lot of the stuff and when you are forced to think about it, and write it down, you suddenly realize how much you have done. And it feels good.

(By the way, I am still listing 3 good things that I have done each day before I go to sleep. It's such a simple thing and yet really fun and surprisingly addictive.)

The problem is that I will have to also list my goals for the next year and spell out how they mesh with the university's goals. And all I really want to do next year is get pregnant and have another baby!
I haven't found the section in the form that deals with that yet.
Oh well, I guess it'll just have to be a surprise.

Frequent Flyers

We're going on holiday in a few days: a week in a nearby tropical island paradise... I can't wait, ah...
When we booked the trip it was damn cold and the thought of lounging by the pool on a tropical island sounded delicious. For the last week, however, we've had one gorgeous spring day after another. So I was happy to note on my ForecastFox that starting from tomorrow it will be cold and rainy once more, and winter has not gone despite the promises of the global warming doom-sayers.
Mean? Maybe.

I really need this vacation.

I have to jump through a lot of hoops at the Uni to get all the paperwork for our trip to Israel. It's all working out though. But, that trip will not be a vacation. I'll have a ton of work to do in a short time, and whenever I'm not in the lab I will be rushing around visiting relatives and friends. All great fun, don't get me wrong, but not exactly relaxing.
Not like spending a week lounging by the pool on a tropical island!

I'm still recovering from that annoying virus I caught, and I'm now at the Ugly Rash All Over My body stage of fighting it off. Oh, I wish it goes away before our vacation... as if I don't have enough to deal with, what with stretch marks and hairs and all the regular stuff.
It's not easy being a woman!

But sitting by the pool with an exotic drink in a coconut with a little paper umbrella will help.

Something that only happens to mothers of small children

...and probably old people too.
It happens to me way too often: I boil water in the kettle, put the tea bag in the cup, pour the water, and then go do about a million things that need to be done.
Two hours later I throw away a cup of very strong, cold tea.
*sigh*

Steve Irwin z"l

The man who was the face of Australia for most of the world has died.
He did so much for nature conservation and education. And he represented the "good old Aussie values".
It is indeed a cliche but he died doing what he loved most... and apparently he also died quickly and with little pain.
He left behind a wife and 2 children. His wife was climbing a mountain in Tasmania at the time of his death. I was quite shocked to read in the news reports that she had not been told yet, while all the news shows were running the story. I hope she was told by someone close and not by hearing the sad news on the radio.
Update: I just watched the opening of question time at the Parliament. Prime Minister Howard and Opposition Leader Beazly opened the session with moving words about Steve. John Howard had a close relationship with Steve and you could really feel his sense of grief. He was loved by all.

If only I could run Linux

then I probably wouldn't have gotten this annoying virus.
Fever, aches, itchy eyes, and now an ugly rash all over. Yuck.
I can't even sit long enough at the computer without getting all dizzy. Oh well, I'll survive.

Post-war and uni politics

My stress levels have gone down considerably since the cease fire. I'm not so naive as to think that this is the end of the war; indeed it was just one battle. But still.
Last week I met with a new PhD student who just came here from Israel. We talked about his research and the software he's using. Then he told me how his best friend from uni had died in Lebanon. He was the last soldier to be killed before the cease fire came into effect. He left a wife and 10-month old daughter. Then we talked about his scholarship, and a conference he wants to attend.
Later that day I just couldn't handle the whole surreal situation any more. I had to go out for a walk and a bit of a cry.
Here everything is going on as usual of course, the sun is shining and we're getting beautiful weather after a cold winter. Even the Swedish exchange student was complaining about the cold. Now we have a nice, early spring (thank goodness for global warming!) and flowers are blooming.
Things at the uni are also going on as usual. There are lots of "activists" handing out brochures and putting up posters all over campus. Most are by the Socialist Alliance and usually feature rather histrionic vitriol against Israel, the US, and capitalism. Apparently some Jewish students were harassed, spat on and yelled at. This morning we got an email from the Vice Chancellor warning that offensive behaviour agains Jews will not be tolerated. Not surprisingly, there has been no anti-Muslim behaviour.
I must admit that I sometimes feel scared when confronted with these crazy Marxists and their friends in some of the other student groups. I've heard that some Jewish students choose to wear hats over their kippas so they won't be harassed. I don't "look Jewish" so I don't have that problem, and I don't walk around campus all that much either. But it's sad to think that this is the situation here.

Bad thoughts

Hippy "Peace Now" activist in Tel Aviv: "This won't end till we annihilate Beirut"

I'm usually a very rational person who abhors violence in all its forms. But lately I find myself in a bellicose mood.

Yesterday while watching the news I could only think of one thing: one mushroom cloud over Beirut, one over Damascus, and one disproportionately big one over Tehran.
The war would be over that same day.

I don't like what this war is doing to me. I want to go back to my good old optimistic self.

Comfort food

Maybe it's the stressful times, but lately I've been preparing and eating more and more comfort food. For example, I bought some semolina and I've been spending quite some time in the mornings lately stirring pots of cream of wheat (I found out that this is what solet is called in English) trying to get a lumpless bowl of yummy cream of wheat, sweetened with cinnamon and honey, or brown sugar and vanilla. mmmm.
It reminds me of my childhood when grandma used to cook solet for me. It also reminds me of the hospital that we were forced to "volunteer" at when we were in high school. We would spend nights there on alert. In case of a chemical weapons attack from Saddam, our job was to wear plastic clothes and gas masks and shower the injured before they were admitted to the hospital. Looking back I'm appalled by the whole thing, but back then it was just one big co-ed slumber party. In the morning we'd have breakfast at the hospital dining room. The solet was lumpy and not at all as yummy as savta's.
Anyway, I've found out that you can make all sorts of things with semolina: bread, cakes and cookies. Yum!

What he said

An English translation of Ben Caspit's proposed speech for Olmert.

Now it's personal

My cousin has been called up for reserve duty. My brother-in-law was told to be ready to be called up any day. They both have pregnant wives at home.

It's a tough job

...being an IDF spokesperson right now.

Making life easy for academics

I'm writing a paper: a process that is long, stressfull, and fun. Paper-writing also reminds me why I love linux so much, and specifically Latex and Bibtex and all that good stuff that makes life easy for academics. Of course, they work on Windows and Mac too, but Linux is the ultimate enviornment.
I share my office with several coleagues and I constantly hear them grating their teeth, pulling their hair, and complaining loudly about MS Word and such. They spend so much time editing, formating, losing images, changing font sizes, and typing out bibliographies by hand. What a waste of time!
I'm not a Linux evangelist. I don't hide it, but I don't try to push it on people either (mostly for selfish reasons; I don't want them coming to me to solve all their problems if they do decide to try it). But I'm working on another paper that's mostly written by one of our PhD students, and I asked him if he would be willing to write it in Latex. Apparently several other students started looking into it and got hooked. Now if I could only get him to actually sit down and write!
Latex and Bibtex work best with a good frontend. I started out using Lyx, which is nice, but then I switched to Kile which I've been working with for years and really like. (I'm an avid KDE fan so Kile is a natural.) For bibliography management I use Jabref which is a Java Bibtex frontend. It's awesome!! It integrates well with Kile too (ctrl+L pushes a citation to Kile). It can do all sorts of neat tricks, like direct Medline search and import, journal abbreviations, automatic local PDF searches, custom Bibtex key automatic generation, and other cool stuff.
Having the right tools for the job makes life easy. But at the end of the day you still have to write the paper yourself!

Some good news from Israel, for a change

A heart-warming story about the transfer of two African elephants, Yoki and her son Yitzhak, from the safari in Ramat Gan to their new home in Hungary. Yoki was reunited there with an old friend, Ninio, who moved to Hungary a few months ago. (Sorry, the links are in Hebrew and Hungarian, but there are pictures.)
The Ramat Gan safari has had a huge success with breeding elephants; 19 sabra elephants have been born there. The airlifting operation was not simple but ended with success.
Yay elephants!

Pendant shock

I was window shopping at a local shopping centre today when something caught my eye at a jewelry store. There were several chains on display with swastika pendants. My heart skipped a beat. I didn't know if I should talk to the salesman or not, I decided not to because I didn't feel comfortable about it. I continued my window shopping and tried to forget about it, but I couldn't.
I went to the mall management and filed a complaint. I was pleasantly surprised at their reaction, since I wasn't sure how they would take it. Well, I had to explain to the lady what a swastika is, but once she got it, she was very understanding of my state of mind. She had me fill out a complaint form while another guy went to the shop to see for himself. They promised me they would take care of the matter.
I didn't stay around to see what they actually did, but I hope they do something.

Small world

Why am I not surprised to see this picture here and also right at home, here in Sydney.


Lisa has all the background info on this picture.

Tzippi and Condi

Two women I admire.
Condi for president!
Livni for PM!

We interupt this war and go on with life

I'm suffering from news overload. I am forcing myself to limit the amount of time I spend reading news because it's just depressing. If you get your news from the Australian media you would probably think that Israel is attacking Lebanese civilians and killing children for no reason other than blood lust. If you listen to talkback radio all you hear is the anti-Lebanese venom coming from Australian rednecks.
So, excuse me while I go back to writing about normal things for a while.

Wartime humour

"How was I?"
"Zilzal"

Stress and a rosy picture of the near future

I am suffering from news overload. Earlier this week I was spending hours reading news and blogs and getting way too stressed, so much that I couldn't work. I decided enough is enough, and I will limit my news consumption. It's not like I can change anything anyway. This morning I listened to NPR on the radio on the way to work. They were interviewing and Arab professor in Berkley and a NY Times journalist who is openly anti-Israel. I nearly puked. Then I remembered that I am trying to cut down on news consumption... I have a CD player why not use it? Hey, it brought my blood pressure down to normal levels.
Yesterday I made the mistake of getting into a tea-room discussion about the war with my colleagues. Big mistake and I regret it. I've decided not to talk about it here any more. It's no use souring relationships with people I have to work with.
At this point all I can do is trust in the people who, unlike me, do have the power to make decisions, and hope they do the right thing.
My most optimistic, rosiest dream for the near future: Hizballa will be shattered, Syria will be driven out of Lebanon, and the Lebanese people will get on with, once again, rebuilding their country. This time they will be in control, and the cherry on top: they will sign a peace accord with Israel. Money will flow in from around the world for rebuilding and the region with flourish. Oh, and the Iranian nukes will somehow be taken out. Amen.

The war is across the ocean

I'm deeply concerned about the war in Israel. Not like Kofi though. I really am worried. I'm sick of this low-grade war that has been going on for decades. I'm sick of a bunch of maniacs making life hell for millions of people whom I believe really do want nothing more than to live in peace. (I have to believe this, otherwise there is no hope for a solution ever.)
I'm sick of having to worry about my family and friends, having to ask who has been called up for reserve duty and where.
Yesterday I was listening to the news on the radio. First item was the war with Hezbollah and in Gaza. Second item was about the unemployment rate in Australia; apparently the past year has seen the lowest unemployment rate in three decades. The reality of it all hit me at once; my body is living in a sane, normal country, and my mind is at the other side of the world in a totally different state.
It reminded me a bit of the first gulf war. I was in high school and we were woken up every other night by the siren outside my bedroom window telling us to go into the sealed room. I would count 4 1/2 minutes from the beginning of the siren, listen for the muffled booms of the scuds (and later of the patriot missiles too), and then breathe freely in the knowledge that our apartment building is still standing. At some point my parents had the bright idea to send me to stay with my aunt and uncle down south, away from the threat of scuds. I stayed there for a few days. There, when the sirens sounded, the family would sit around the television and watch the news. I went nuts with worry. 4 1/2 minutes passed and I had no idea if my family were ok. I could take the stress, and I went home the next day.
Life is good here. The main news stories lately are about minor squabbles between the prime minister and the treasurer. But damn, sometimes I feel like a schizophrenic.

Gotta fly....

From Instapundit, check out kite flyers! They

are basically go-karts bolted to hang gliders, with giant engines on the back driving pusher props.

Ooooh that sounds like fun....
The main thing I miss about living in California is being able to fly... It's not impossible here, just inconvenient and expensive. So I haven't really flown since.. well since 2001. Wow, it's been too long. I've gotta go flying.

Gaza

It's hard to tell from the little reporting coming out of Gaza what's really going on. I presume we'll know more once it's all over.
My thoughts have been with the Israeli soldiers doing what they are good at in Gaza. May they and the 2 kidnap vicitims return home safe and sound... And it certainly looks like this time the IDF has been given the go-ahead to clean up a lot of the mess that has been festering in Gaza.
Hamas leaders arrested! I like that.
Sonic booms over Baby Assad's palace in Damascus! I like that too.

Like all (or nearly all) Israelis, I hope and wait for the day when the Palestinians establish their own free, democratic state side by side with Israel, with fill economic, political and cultural cooperation.
But this is not possible with crazy Hamas in power who want to kill all the Jews.
I'm afraid that there's only one way to solve this mess, and that's with war. It can be long and drawn-out, or it can be short and decisive.
Let's hope it will be short so we can get on with more constructive activities.

In the meantime all my thoughts are with the IDF soldiers, go and do a good job and come home safely, so you don't have to go back any time soon.

Socca

I'm not much of a sports person, but it's hard not to get caught up in the world cup madness. People here are going nuts, but in a good way, about the soccer (or 'socca' as the Aussies say). They stay up all night to watch the games, and then half the country takes a sickie on Monday because they can't get out of bed in the morning.
It's all good fun, and while everyone wants the Soccerroos to win, it's all done in that wonderfully light-hearted Australian way. "Goooaalll!!! Wait, who scored? Ahh, have another beer mate!"
I was happy to see the Ghanian player wave the Israeli flag, and not at all surprised by the childish and stupid reactions from the rest of the world.
I was also very happy that Australia lost to Brazil "only" by 2 points. I was worried they would get totally creamed. Nobody seriously expected them to win, but after the sensational win over Japan, people are starting to get optimistic. Even the Brazilians admit that the Soccerroos played a great game. All they need to do now is win or tie with Croatia, and we're off to the next round!
Go Soccerroos!

Baby Boom

The Australian government wants us Aussies to have more babies. At least three, in fact ("one for mum, one for dad, and one for the country"). Two years ago the government started paying new parents $3000 for every new little Aussie brought into the world. And it worked! People were cynical, and said that nobody would have a baby just for the $3000.... true, I don't think anyone did, but it sure helped them decide to have one when that was added to all the other reasons. In fact, more babies were born in Australia on July 1, 2004 than on any other day in the last three decades.

When the baby bonus policy was first announced, in the big-spending pre-election budget of 2004, the families minister at the time, senator Kay Patterson, was asked whether it would have been better to have announced and introduced the policy on the same day. She said: "Well, I don't believe mothers would put (their babies) at risk."

Yeah right!! Hardly any babies were born on June 30!
This year the baby bonus will be increased to $4000 and this time they are expecting another mini-boom.
I just hope the government is planning to increase the number of day care workers and centres because even now there is a 2-year waiting list for some of them, especially in Sydney.
I know what would make me keener to have another bub: better maternity leave benefits at work. The only reason I'm waiting with #2 is because if I wait a bit more, I'll get better benefits. I couldn't imagine having nothing more than 12 weeks off. What am I supposed to do, put a 12-week old baby in full time day care so I can keep my job? As it is, with the waiting lists I wouldn't be able to even if I wanted.
Having extra cash to help with the expenses involved in caring for a new baby is great. But I need more than that; I need to know that I'll be able to raise my kid and keep my job, if only part-time, until I'm ready to go back to full-time work.

Home?

I spent waaay too much time this morning reading this article in ynet. It's written by an Israeli who has been living in Canada for 10 years and will soon be moving back to Israel. Most of the time I spent reading many of the hundreds of comments. Roughly half say what I figured they would say: you are crazy for wanting to come back here, and can I please take your place? I was quite surprised to see quite a lot of comments welcoming the writer back home and telling her she's making the right choice. But the comments that scared me most were those that said "your children will hate you for forcing them to leave their home and growing up in a much worse country".
When we think of leaving Australia of moving back, the most important thing (well, the only thing really) that we miss is our families and good friends. It's hard to raise a child so far away from his grandparents, uncles and aunts and cousins. And it's not fair to our parents to raise their grandchild so far from them. But will my son really have a better life there? What with the terrible education system and all? I look at Israeli kids and I see spoiled brats who walk all over their parents and teachers. I'm not sure I want that for my son.
I'm very, very keen to see with my own eyes what things are like "back home". I'm glad we have the opportunity to be in Israel for a much longer visit this time, because you don't get enough time to see and do much in the standard 2-week family and friends whirlwind visit tour.
I'm hoping that our visit later this year will answer a lot of questions, but I have a feeling that it will only create many new questions instead...

Henna

Sometimes I get an idea in my head that makes me do slightly crazy things. hmmm must be the 'compulsive' bit of my OCD...

Anyway, the latest craze was that I wanted to dye my hair with henna. Some of my friends used to henna a lot in high school but I was never into it. I think it was my hairdresser who gave me the idea, she offered a coupon for $5 a semi-permanent dye job and I took one look at it and threw it away. I don't dye my hair.

One week later, I'm in the Indian grocery shop buying $1.90 worth of authentic Indian henna.


I mixed it all up yesterday based on some recipe ideas I got from this great site, with lots of black coffee, some tea tree oil, a bit of ground cloves, and chamomile tea.
After brewing all night I finally got my chance to spread the stuff all over my hair. Junior finally went to bed for his nap, and I got all my plastic gloves and saran wrap and other gear and proceeded to smear goo all over my hair, and also my face, hands, sink, mirror, floor, and the inside of my ear. I think I made it too watery cause the foul stuff kept oozing down my face and neck. I finally managed to get it under control with a shower cap, 5 meters of saran wrap, and 2 towels.

After spending an hour cleaning up the mess I finally had a chance to sit down and turn on the TV. At that moment Junior woke up, so much for the relaxing bit.

Anyway, I'm done rinsing and cleaning and laundering towels with Nappy San, and now have rather orangy tinted hair. Hubby can't see it at all cause he's colour blind. The orange stuff is supposed to fade in the next couple of days and then the final colour will settle in. Good thing it's a long weekend, I wouldn't want to shock anyone at work with my new orange look.

Ding Dong, the Murdering Scumbag is Dead

I don't usually gloat over people's death, even of "enemies", but I was mighty happy to hear that the Zark finally got a big dose of karma, in the form of 2 x 500 lb laser guided goodness.
The only thing I regretted was that he died so quickly he never knew what hit him.
But!
Turns out he did indeed know exactly what hit him, and had a few coherent, if blood soaked, moments to have a bit of a think about it and to look into the eyes of the Iraqi and American soldiers who got him.
So now I'm even happier.