I read in the local paper that there was a lobby to try and entice state government into funding local wind energy technology research.

The primary beneficiaries would be the local industrial sectors.

I tell you what, if they had them wind turbines up now, what with all that gust outside, they'd definitely be making a lot of energy!

On a side note, with enough beers in me, well....

Shortly after putting this howto on the shelf -- the reasons for the stop gap solution being fulfilled, and the progress of this howto being a moot point -- i went back to wintel. Why? Work -- you might aswell use what you support from an employed perspective. Besides, the fact that the only two games i play online don't have good linux native nor wine support.

I still get hits to these howtos so i have not taken them down, but left them there for prosperity reasons. There are still some useful nuggets, and if there is something you may need, then get it. :-)

Link to the Linux Hardware Accelerated Desktop:

Fedora Core 5 and XGL / AIGLX - DONE QUICK !!

Taken from: http://xkcd.com/386/

I was reading up on a forum thread, with the OP asking people to describe work place related experiences that bore some humour.

After reading through it all and getting a good laugh or three, it sparked memories of my early adult life and a particular bit of temporary contract work i did at Sydney's Homebush.

The company at the time was located in what is now Sydney Olympic Park, or the home of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. The company stance was that if we won the right to the Olympics, they would have to relocate - which happened respectively.

Anyways, here i am doing some contract work for this company on night shift during summer. I was staying with relatives in Sydney at the time to reduce commute time and finding it hard to sleep during the smeltering summers day heatwaves.

So one cool night in particular, sleep deprived and all, i had to go do some other work onsite as the process operator i was assisting had to realign the machine and such. So shortly after i took a toilet break, did an extremely quick drop and plop, suited up and looked at the time and thought bah, i got a few minutes, i might as well just sit here for a sec and chill. With my elbows on my knees and my hands propping my head up in a lazy way.

The toilets were in between two industrial area overhead cranes. When the cranes are moving stuff around the crane drivers blow the horn to signal to people that they should take heed and be aware of what the crane driver is moving and such if they are nearby.

So these sirens are quite loud so as to get past the common use of earplugs there, and when i say loud, i mean L-O-U-D. So anyways, here i am in the toilet with my earplugs out, and off goes the siren, which startles me from my little doze. I get up, immediately look at the time and realise i had dozed off for 6 hours whilst sitting on the toilet seat.

Someone must have snitched on me as the team leader approached me the following week while i was in sick bay. They initially employed a group of us and were culling every second week, i presume to get the ideal workers, and i made it through a few culls. Let's just say it was a mutual reason to part.

I have been fairly drained lately -- i am finding it hard to get up of a morning, and hard to get to sleep within a reasonable time too. Strange thing is, everything else, in between, is okay.

I guess it's the lack of a full time job at the moment and such to keep myself active, focused and in a routine as such. I have been trying to keep the noggin busy by coding some projects i have kept delayed on the grinder, with some completed and others delayed some more.

Been doing some contracting stuff and such too but it aint enough stimuli; i applied for a few jobs i was keen on and had no ping backs. That sucked.

Is it a cake or an omelet? Who cares -- it is the most gross oven baked thingo i refuse to eat. No surprise, but the wife loves it, and has brain washed the kids into eating it too.

Repeat after me: spinach cake. Nothing sweet in it. Gah.

The wifey made another batch and i could not help myself and grab the plate, say the wife made it while offering some to my brother, ha ha. To top it off he took some home for the sis-in-law.

Recently, my four year old said that one of her preschool friends had been to the Sydney Opera House; and when i asked the obvious question - my daughter said that she wanted to go too.

So we planned it shortly after, took the train to Circular Quay ( being the nearest station to said location ) and as soon as we got off the train, my daughter -- who gets frightened by clowns, or anyone with a mask etc on - saw spiderman downstairs near the ferry docks. So yeah, we had to walk around and avoid spiderman altogether.

We got some lunch from the small kiosks below the station. There was one particular tiny shop there that sold pies and sausage rolls -- apparently has some heritage in that area -- and they were a treat. Especially the sausage rolls.

We eventually caught the train back home. After a few days of digestion, i asked my daughter if she was happy with the excursion and such. She said, "Yes. But, i don't want to go again." Purely as a result of being on the trains for 1.5 hours each way. She's lucky she doesn't have to do the trek to Central Station every day for work; well, not as yet, anyways. ;-)