2021
Finding your passion - 2021-05-11
Everyone says you need to find your passion. I think having a passion is not universal. I enjoy many things - drawing, programming, building, thinking, making music, hiking, driving. But none of those is my passion. None of those do I ...
Life on an exponential curve - 2021-05-09
Recently I've been reading "Guns Germs and Steel" - a book that tries to explain human development while ignoring, well, human history. It's a fascinating approach that looks at differences of geography and so on. Early in the book ...
The Curse of Faux-Instant-Messaging - 2021-05-07
Every so often someone invites me to a discord server or a facebook group. It seems that because I enjoy helping others on forums or StackOverflow, people assume I'll enjoy chatting with others on discord about their problems. But it i...
Dancing vs going through the moves - 2021-05-06
For the past few months I've been doing social dancing fairly regularly. I recently have been thinking about what makes the difference between a great dance and an OK dance.
The Nature of Critique and Praise - 2021-05-05
Why is it that sometimes when someone says "you've done a great job", we internal go: "ahhh, nope"? What is it that determines if we accept criticism, or if we let it pass over us?
When the going gets tough - 2021-05-04
... the tough get going? Or so the saying goes. I think there are three things people do when the going gets tough: they try to change the situation, they try to change themselves, or they leave.
Then vs Now - The Result - 2021-04-21
In my post "Then vs Now" I mused over how I didn't used to care how things turned out, and as a result I just, well, did things. And at the end I said I'd head out to the workshop and build something. Well I did, but my opinion has ...
Then vs Now - 2021-04-20
I've started converting all my posts from facebook over to this website, because one day I will delete my facebook account, and I'd rather not lose that content. However, I've noticed how different my interaction with the internet is n...
Exercise is not adventure - 2021-03-15
A couple weeks ago I was with a group of young adults, and we were talking about how we could get more engagement with a group of teenage kids. One idea I put forward was "Well, we should have some adventures with them" to which the re...
A trip into the red hills - 2021-03-14
I'm currently doing a course to become a forest ranger, and have just returned from a trip to the "red hills" - a plateau near Porters Creek Hut. We were up there for five days and (on the three working days) pulled out approximately 1...
2017
Snow in Switzerland - 2017-12-11
Well, it's my first winter in Switzerland, so of course I had to go for a walk at midnight just to see what it was about.
Learning Digital Drawing - 2017-05-21
As a kid I used to enjoy sketching with a pencil. As I went through school and university, I did less and less art, though I still did doodle dragons occasionally. As part of university, I bought a laptop with an active stylus so that ...
The High Country - 2017-04-10
Where is the high country? Head south a little, and cross some braided rivers. Head inland until the land curves up, and the grass flats start turning into scree slopes. If there isn't some bog and some spaniards, you're in the wrong p...
2016
The Swiss Alps - 2016-12-11
While the high country of New Zealand is spectacular, so are the alps in Switzerland. Sometimes I wish I had a proper camera - but then I look at the price tag. Maybe one day. These are photos from two separate trips.
My Car #2 - 2016-12-11
Well, When I moved to Switzerland, I had to get rid of my 1995 escudo. I ended up passing it on to one of my friends, but initially I planned to sell it. So of course I had to photoshop some images of it. So here we have the 1995 Suzuk...
My Car - 2016-11-26
A few weeks back I bought a car. It's a 1993 Suzuki Escudo, and it runs very well considering it's older than I am! This car is is a four wheel drive and thus capable of driving (and having fun) off road. Also, rather surprisingly it...
Being a Librarian - 2016-07-23
In year 11 (2010) at school I became the 'Student Library Shelver' which meant I was in charge of shelving the returned today books at the end of each day, stamped and barcoded new books, helped with textbook distribution and a few oth...
2014
Age and the Internet - 2014-03-16
In the physical world age dictates how people act towards you. People look at you, and decide if you're "old enough" to be "sensible enough" to do something. At school, we're divided up based on age, and only later in life does this 'a...
What Makes a Hero - 2014-01-04
Is a hero someone who helps people when they need it? Or is it a person who does the right thing in the difficult times?
2013
Distro or Window Manager - 2013-11-18
Because there are millions to choose from, each slightly different. How do you pick? Does it make a difference?
The Perception of Time - 2013-11-06
Time seems to bend and shift. When you're doing something you enjoy, time passes at a frantic rate. But when you are doing something you don't enjoy, it seems to take forever.