Randomrants

We all remember the Be Alert fridge magnets that didn’t work… well these stickers do. They will stick, unlike those Howard era magnets that really didn’t magnet.

 
Of course, the home isn’t the only place to can avoid not showing what a Team Australia player you are. Why not wear your pride on your front. T-shirts or hoodies… why not mix and match, with a t-shirt under the your Hoodie. A true Team Australia Player would you know.

 
After a hard day at the office not generating any metadata, one needs to relax, and a Team Australia Pillow is just the thing.

 
Then when you are out buying your Australian Made products, from companies that would never track every purchase you make, you will need to put them in a bag. This bag has been proved not to generate metadata for any purchases, and if you line it with tinfoil and place it over your head is said to help listening to Brandis explain metadata 10x easier.

 
And finally a range of Phone covers ( Iphone, Ipad and Galaxy devices ) these cases will ensure that you never hand over your complete browsing history to the government. Because you are a Team Australia player, you don’t need to prove your loyalty, you are, we are, we are Team Australia as the song goes.

Tags: General // Add Comment »

The problem with being poor is that the system really likes to ensure you stay that way.

Public Transport Victoria’s new on the spot fines trial is just an extension of this. Always have a spare $75 on your Visa Card, easy no problem. Struggle to make ends meet on the dole or on Ausstudy well, tough luck that will be $217 thank you very much.

The new 12 month trial of “penalty fares” is nothing but a poverty tax. Spin it anyway you like, but those able to pay the $75 fine are $142 better off.

Funny how the only things the penalty fare applies for are:

where the passenger:
• travels without a valid ticket or fails to produce a valid ticket on request.
• travels on a concession ticket without evidence of concession eligibility or fails to produce this on request.

Yes because most people on a concession ticket always have at least a spare $75 dollars floating around in their bank account that is why they are on a concession fare.

To ensure the system is not open to corruption they say the only payment option is via EFTPOS or Credit card, not cash. So wait a minute, the Authorised Officers have a mobile payment system, one that can take a massive chunk of money and yet they can’t allow someone to top up a fair because the Myki Topup machine was broken, doesn’t exist on the trams at all, or say you had paid online, but tough that takes up to 24 hours to get through to your card.

The whole Myki system is designed to be punitive (and a giant waste of money, check out https://sites.google.com/site/cheaperthanmyki/ to see what the cost of Myki could have purchased). Many overseas countries have machines inside the big destination stations allowing you to top up before you touch off for example. Here is Australia you are all guilty, and must be fined.

I have on a number of occasions had enough money to top up my fair, noticed my Myki was low and found the machine at my non staffed station vandalised so I couldn’t top up. My choice is never to pay before exit, it is exit and hope I get away with it, or pay a fine.

Of course the system is not open to abuse, because the Penalty Fares are at the discretion of the Authorised Officers. So what is to stop one of them saying, “hey slip me a $20 and I’ll give you the $75 fine, instead of the $217 version”.

In the end the reality is that it now just means the fines are smaller for the rich and larger for the poor.

Tags: Annoyances // Add Comment »

I’ve made no secret of my love of shooting with my Nikon, my love of my Tokina 11-16mm, nor my love of Lightroom. So we can move past that mutual appreciation society and cut to the chase.

Running short of time, between moving from work to meet Mrs Wolfcat and the Cubs, I spotted a pretty sunset.  Of course, like any good photographer I had my camera and not just my phone on me, so I fired off a couple of shots.  In Auto-mode the camera just didn’t balance how I wanted, the sky just blew out the shot.  So quick flick to manual mode and start shooting.

The first shots got the sky closer to what I wanted, and the foreground element, but not the middle ground subject matter.  Never mind I said to myself.  Lightroom will be my friend when I get home.

So here is the process…
Stage 1 – Import – This is the Raw shot.

Stage 2 – Auto Tone ( to see what it does, never a final, always a starting point )

Stage 3/4 – Lens Correction and Camera Profile ( in this case Vivid )

Stage 5 – Saturation and Vibrance ( I want the colours to sing )

Stage 6 – Bottom Graduated Filter ( to bring up the shadows in the bottom and foreground elements )

Stage 7/8 – Top Graduated Filter ( Drop back the sky and introduce some shadows and contrast )

Stage 9 – Spot Removal ( in this case the bird, that wasn’t sharp at the shutter speed )

Stage 10 – Stuff around with Crop Angles… and export.

EXIF Data:

• NIKON D7100
• ISO Speed – 320
• Date and Time (Original) –2014:07:28 17:43:00
• Exposure Mode – Manual
• White Balance – Auto
• Focal Length (35mm format) – 16 mm
• Scene Capture Type – Standard
• Gain Control – None
• Contrast – Normal
• Saturation – Normal
• Sharpness – Normal
• Lens Model – Tokina 11.0-16.0 mm f/F2.8

This image is available to buy at both Redbubble and at 500px ( where it can be licensed as well )

Buy the print on Redbubble.

 
See the funny thing is, I would like to do more photography, but raising kids and camera gear don’t go hand in hand, so you really do need to buy my prints 🙂
 

Tags: D7100, Missing from the Exif // Add Comment »

Hard to believe, that it has been 3 years since the #wolfcatcubs came home.

Seriously, what was the hospital thinking.  No one came to do a building inspection, no one checked the car seats, no one check to know if Cat and I had any idea what we were doing.

I’ve had to provide more proof for a bank loan than I did to bring these monsters adorable little things home.

It has been harder than I thought it would be.  There have been so many sleepless nights, so much angst, so many nappies, so many times one child stopped crying for the other to start.

Now, I am facing a little faces that get out of bed before I do standing next to me saying wake up Dad. Yes, even the Mummy and Daddy have changed to Mum and Dad, such is the change.

We now have two little enquiring minds that want answers to everything and books read every night…  so that is 3 years down, the next 3 will be very different, but just as hard I am sure.

Tags: cubs // Add Comment »

In under a week the Liberals have managed to find, no wait lose 2 boats with nearly 200 people in total on them. Ignore that these boats have women and children, hold a non press conference where Scott Morrison said he isn’t holding a press conference, but say he was only doing a door stop to say he wasn’t doing a press conference. ¹

Then, change the law so that the Commonwealth Bank can screw its customers over even more, then say there is no need for a Royal Commission into the Banking Sector screwing over its customers.²

Follow that with ignoring the outrageous events that are happening into an inquiry into what is happening to children in detention… You know those children that don’t exist because there are no boats. ³

Then not hold a press conference. Despite having 95+ media advisors in the Immigration Department to not talk about the boats that everyone knows exists, expect it seems the minister.⁴

Follow that up with on boat processing of one of the non existent boats, violating countless UN recommendations for the treatment of “LEGAL” asylum seekers.⁵

And then to top of today, they go an appoint an ex Liberal and a well known ABC hater to the panel that appoints board members to the ABC, I wouldn’t be surprised if they announced Ivan Milat as special advisor for NSW Regional Tourism at this rate.⁶

Also taking  a leaf out of the don’t talk about the boats, because as we all know, not talking about an issue means their is no issue, the Liberals have also removed mention of extreme climate change from the Department of Environment’s website.⁷

For extra bonus points, to ensure that the cleaners in Parliament got paid less, Abetz screwed the workers there out of 9k a year.⁸

Only 2 and 1/2 years to go… The damage the Liberals have done this week alone to our nation, our economy, the weak, the vulnerable and our precious Aunty will take years to recover from, if ever.

Yes a week is a long time in politics… this week has been very long already, and it is only Wednesday.

1- Image of Morrison Transcript

2- Self-funded retirees left bankrupt

3 – Storify of #HRinquiry into children in Detention

4- Spin costs Immigration Minister Scott Morrison $8m a year

5 – Boats screened at sea

6 – Conservative commentator Janet Albrechtsen appointed to ABC panel

7 – Extreme weather official advice rewritten to remove climate change link

8- Jaunty minister makes a clean sweep to cut costs

( Appendum: Thurday: Scott Morrison ignores the High Court and says he will change the rules to not allow any refugees that he doesn’t personally approve, making him Judge and de-facto execution, or of boat people http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/scott-morrison-looks-to-national-interest-test-to-circumvent-high-court-ruling-on-permanent-protection-visas-20140703-3bbbz.html )

Tags: Annoyances, General // Add Comment »

Frances Abbott is fair game, she is an adult and was an adult at the time she accepted her mysterious scholarship. An adult that is more than enjoying the benefits of being a member of the privileged class. This is a class of people that with a nod and a wink (although, not the kind of wink her father is now known for) can get things done.

This mysterious scholarship appearing like a biblical burning bush, is bestowed upon this adult daughter (at the time she was old enough to drink, drive and die for her country) yet Tony Abbott says, nothing to see here, move along, leave my family out of it.

Sure, people would be more likely to leave Tony’s family out of it, but for one small factor, during the last election campaign he dragged them to every possible media photo op that he could in the lead up to the election. If he had sheltered them, then sure, he would have a case to say don’t attack my family in the media. But he didn’t shelter them. And Frances put herself in front of the media, as a human shield, more than once, to protect her father against his perceived sexism. Tony’s appearance on Big Brother with the “not bad looking daughters” comment just reinforced how much he was playing the media with them.

Now some elements of the media are addressing an issue (that is not about a child, but a daughter who is legally an adult) over something and he wants the media to leave well alone. Not going to happen. Those in the Right happily jumped on the “Died of Shame” comment in regards to Gillard’s father, but now in power, questioning potential wrong doing is a terrible thing, showing the level of hypocrisy that surrounds the privileged class.

At the age Frances was getting her 60k gift, I was already out of home and on that great scholarship Newstart.  Now before the opportunity of obtaining Newstart Tony Abbott et.al will ensure people starve for 6 months.  Even in her situation, I would have consulted with my parents on all the details about a $60 grand scholarship.

As an aside, thanks to Newstart, I did get my act together, didn’t starve to death and now pay an bucket load of taxes, something I am very pleased to do.

So we are meant to believe that Frances Abbott never talked to Mum and Dad and said, ‘hey, just got offered a 60k scholarship to a school from a well-known Liberal Party donor, that you should just ignore’. Sure, we are meant to believe they were doing it tough on a Leader of the Oppositions Salary of over 300k at the time, with all the expenses that he could think of paid for, say competing in various triathlons around the country. Yes, we are meant to believe he was a battler like the rest of us you know. Frances also we are meant to believe was I am sure like many of the other students in the school, she was struggling to make ends meet.

But a nod a wink get those with the right connections the right grants, the right doors opened and the Right are happy with the status quo.

Legally Tony Abbott did nothing wrong, but the law and ethics often blur, and the further embedded in the privileged class the further these lines blur. Frances Abbott is fair game because she and her father obviously must feel this is normal acceptable behaviour whilst slashing the dole, raising education costs and thinking that mysterious scholarships are o.k. Frances would have talked to her father about it before signing the dotted line; perhaps he gave her a wink and said everything is o.k.

Sadly for the rest of us, that is not how life works. All of us are more than able to say this is wrong and stand up against it.

Frances, or her father likewise could have said no thanks.

Tags: General // Add Comment »

Look, poor people, stop getting sick. Really, it must be the poor people that are causing all the issues with the upcoming budget, and that is why they are being targeted with the new sick tax.

Remember the outcry over death duties all those years ago, when rich people were going to have to pay tax on their estates when they die, forget that. This is more important than that matter.

A charge on the poorest of the poor, when they are feeling poorly, surely, that is the only way forward in these times of crisis.

If you are reading this and thinking, pffft a $6 dollar charge to see the Doctor, what does that matter. Guess what, you are part of the rich class. If you have never been so poor that this could mean the difference between you seeing a Doctor or not, then really, right now you can shut the FUCK UP NOW about this being fair.

This isn’t a one off charge, this will be every time you visit the GP when you are hunting to find a GP that still even bulk bills. $6, when you want a medical certificate for your minimum wage job to take a day off. $12, if you have two children who are both coming down with the flu, $18 if those two children have the flu and you need a medical certificate, $24 if you partner gets the flu from the children and you need a medical certificate. Then the Doctor says come back in 3 days time if people are still feeling ill, and you are up to $48 in one week.

Oh, and yes then add, medicine on top of that.

This doesn’t include the impost to family of multiples for example, or the families of those with chronic conditions requiring lots of trips to the GP over a single year.

If a woman needs to visit the GP for a script for the pill, $6 is a small price to pay for her not getting knocked up, not like that anyone worried about this charge would ever receive a cent under the Liberals PPL scheme anyway.

Of course, it is only poor people that this impacts. Why should the rest of us care? It might even be good for the economy as some of them drop off this mortal coil for what could be easily remedied illnesses, that they are too poor to seek medical treatment for.

At least now Australia is on that American Health Care path, where only the rich get treatment. Whew, I say, nothing worse than wasting money on those that can’t afford to see a doctor early on, when an illness first presents.

P.S
This charge is being leaked as a charge just for bulk billed patients only. How long before it becomes a charge on everyone visiting a Doctor. How long before you have to ensure you have $6 on you, so that the ambulance can frisk you for the money before they take you to emergency. How long before your comfortable middle suburb Doctor suddenly adds $6 to your $80 trip to the GP, where you will now get only $36 back of the $86 you spend. And how long before that $6 charge becomes a $10 charge, a $15 charge, or due to the 2020 budget crisis a $25 charge.

Welcome to the slippery slope, but at least there won’t be poor people on it, they will have all died from preventable illnesses.

Tags: Annoyances // Add Comment »

The first video (Published 12 Jun 2013) about sexism, with Lieutenant General Morrison, sets a high bench mark for what Australia can be.

This says we can be better. This video says we should be better. It is not just about the issue, but about us as a people.

The Standard we walk past is the standard we accept.

(1.4 Million views and oh look, the comments section is open )

The second video ( Published 2 Apr 2014 ) shows what happens we accept low standards.

Our Defence force is turned into a political play thing for Scott Morrison (same last name as above, but very different person!) and we as a nation haven’t just walked past, we have blindly followed. Believing that stopping the boats is the issue.

(as an aside, putting people on a different boat and sending them back, doesn’t mean that the boats have stopped! )

And yes, the shame is that this video has closed comments. Can’t have people trying to walk past this standard can we.

Tags: Annoyances // 1 Comment »

There are a few major things missing from the all new singing and dancing My Broadband Site.

Firstly, the lack of upload speeds on any data. Upload speeds are critical in creating the work place of the future.  The sharing economy, telehealth economy, learning economy and the cloud economy.  Sure you can download “fast”, but if you can’t up upload you can’t share, create or engage.  You can’t have a remote health uploading content to a Dr in another city whilst you video stream in high definition to him or her. You can’t cloud backup your personal camera which takes 20mb+ files already to the cloud when upload speeds are so slow. You can’t generate the high quality print files as a designer to telecommuting when you have made edits to the final document.

Next is the lack of speed definition. Telstra advertise HFC connections as “Fast”. “Fast” broadband, what does that even mean? I don’t walk into a shoe shop and ask for “big” shoes.  If Telstra can’t even tell us what “fast” is on their HFC, but they can charge us an extra amount for “extra fast”, then we have major issues. And of course they don’t mention upload speeds at all.

Then there are the overly optimistic “ADSL” speeds they are using.  My area is listed at 12.2mpbs.  Congrats to those in my neighbourhood getting those speeds, but sure as hell I am not. Nor does this speed factor in things such as many peoples ADSL slowing down when it rains for example.  I get 4.5mpbs according to this funny thing called Speedtest. (tested at midnight!)

Obviously this Speedtest site is unaustralian, reporting facts against what the current government has told us are facts, my like the ABC reports facts I guess.

Surely someone in the Comms Department told Turnbull about this, people will share the data showing how slow their connections are, not the steaming pile of crap numbers that they deemed important enough to put on their website.

And finally, it shows just how much of Australia will never get the 1gbps/500mbs speeds that NBN was going to offer.

So now we have a new website to look at, one that tells us what we don’t have, what we won’t get and nothing about when we won’t get it.

Money well spent if you didn’t want a real NBN really.

—-

Check the fiction here https://www.mybroadband.communications.gov.au/

And your reality here http://www.speedtest.net/

Then add your numbers to this survey http://yathink.com.au/article-display/my-broadband-vs-reality,106

—

Tags: Annoyances // 2 Comments »

Why do religious people feel it is their right to stick their two cents in when it comes to other people’s reproductive choices?

Once again a chemist is in the news for refusing to stock condom’s, sell the morning after pill and this one is also inserting letters into pill prescriptions. Imagine a chemist being allowed to not sell to black people because they were a member of the KKK.

Guess what, you don’t like giving out certain legal medication due to your religious beliefs, my view is simple… Get a different job. As a chemist or any medial professional, your personal beliefs have NO place in the work place.

When someone goes to the chemist they want something, your job is to supply the best medical information, not your 2000 year old archaic point of view.

Oh but there is a chemist a few km away, nope, not an excuse. “Their store, their rules”. Why, why is this even an option, they are a chemist, they get money from the government for what they sell, including the pill. A woman without a car, little public transport in the area, she is then suffering from their, not her prejudice.

If they feel so bad about it, why don’t they just go home, light a candle and say a few prays for the poor soul they feel is lost. That way, there is no impact on the individual, and they have still ticked the right boxes for their religion.

The solution is quite simple, we can’t all boycott the store, but we can do unto others as we would have them to unto us.

So if they feel it is perfectly reasonable to put unsolicited church propaganda into a delivery, why can’t people do the same back to them.

Now as an atheist, I think non-religious material would be appropriate, however, given the nature of what they think is o.k to do, I think any religious material would also suffice. Perhaps Scientology, Nation of Yahweh, the cargo cult of Prince Philip Movement, Islam, Judaism, or any religion apart from Catholicism, that is sure to be very upsetting to their personal beliefs. But they feel their beliefs trump everyone else’s with their actions, so why can’t people do it back.

I wouldn’t give them anything violent though, no offensive material (you know nudity, piles of poo etc.) keep it clean and nice, but keep it coming.

So next time someone has a delivery for them, why not include some reading material, seems fair.

Tags: Annoyances // 2 Comments »