Recently I’ve decided to get back into creative writing/poetry again.  I can’t say that I ever was that wonderful at it, but hey I loved it, quite it and really shouldn’t have.  Kind of like art.  I think I might have even thrown away all of my poems I had written from my younger years.  So the book below is what I am reading to help get the creative juices flowing.   It’s a guide for student poets.  So far I Love it, but am intimidated by some of the exercises. I did a pretty easy one today, and I have to say it felt good working with words again.  My mind appreciated it.

The Roar On The Other Side

“For the poet takes bare fact and clothes it with meaning.  The poet hears the roar on the other side of silence”

THE FRESHMEN by Jason and Josh Mosberg
Out from:  BJ Ford & Erik Stone (ROAR)
ROAR attached to produce and looking to partner
Back to School meets I Love You Man.  A buddy comedy about two 30 year old best friends who missed out on the glory days of college and decide to enroll as freshmen.

On an August morning in 1976, French filmmaker Claude Lelouch mounted a gyro-stabilized camera to the bumper of a Ferrari 275 GTB and had a friend, a professional Formula 1 racer, drive at breakneck speed through the heart of Paris.

No dialogue, just the squeal of tyres and the roar of the engine. Breathtakingly insane.

Source:
http://shortsbay.com/film/cetait-un-rendez-vous

Witches Brew!
he shouted with a furious roar that
confused the teachers’ aids
and intoxicated the teachers

Witches Brew!
he knew this was a curious performance
infused with the cottonshirted angst
of a miniscule powderkeg

Witches Brew!
brewing in his pissoaked and ratty-heeled jeans
the cry distilled from father’s fever
and unbridled child’s yelps

This article was first published in The Examiner Newspaper on 21 October 2009.

POWER PLAY (#11) – by Paul Lennon

The decision by the Rudd Government to roll out the first stage of the National Broadband Network (NBN) in Tasmania is a major coup. The coup was made possible because of the decision by the State Labor Government some years ago to fund the cost of optic fibre in the natural gas trenches when that project was under construction. It is this fibre that has now become the key piece of infrastructure that will deliver the benefits of the NBN to Tasmanian business and households. It is history now of course that when the decision was made to provide the funding that there was the usual howls of protest from opposition politicians. Indeed the short-sightedness of the Liberals under Rene Hidding was such that he promised to sell the infrastructure had he won the 2006 election.

Had that happened then we would not be on the verge of the opportunity to take advantage of the leading edge technology that the NBN will give us access to. An opportunity provided by access to bandwidths of up to 100Mbps that the NBN will deliver. But it is just that – an opportunity.
It is up to us as a community to make sure it’s doesn’t become an opportunity missed. Bandwidths of up to 100Mbps mean significant new social and economic opportunity is on our doorsteps. One such opportunity lies in the area of education and there are excellent examples around the world for us to study and learn from. The London Grid for Learning is one of these. And there is a Tasmanian connection to it which I’ll come back to later.

After I learnt of the London project I asked for and recently received details about it from the Department of Economic Development.
What they sent me was of such interest that I thought I’d share it with you. So here it is just as they provided it to me -

The London Grid for Learning (LGfL), one of ten Regional Broadband Consortia covering England, is a collaborative initiative by the 33 London Local Authorities (clusters of schools) to provide broadband connectivity, managed services and on-line content, and to serve the education community throughout the London region.

The network is 100 per cent optic fibre and 100 per cent Ethernet; in these characteristics and in its scale, the network is a leader in its class, and almost certainly unique.
In addition to infrastructure and connectivity, the LGfL also provides a wealth of on-line educational content, accessible to over a million teachers and students through the LGfL Portal (www.lgfl.net).

Currently over 99 per cent of London schools are connected to the LGfL network at bandwidths between 2Mbps and 100Mbps. Work started with the largest schools and hence an estimated three-quarters of London’s one million pupils are already served by the LGfL.

The LGfL portal provides for the individual authentication of users, together with a suite of facilities including email, conferencing, special interest groups and on-line communities, notes, calendars, web creation tools, access controls, and 100Mb of personal storage for every user, accessible from school, home, library, UK On-line centre, overseas etc. This allows pupils (and teachers) to compile their own portfolio (rather like a virtual hard drive) of own web content, application files, presentations etc and play material anywhere in the world, with an Internet connection.

The development and acquisition of on-line materials is directed by an Editorial Board supported by a full time content manager. The Editorial Board is made up principally of Local Authority professionals, and has a substantial annual budget.

The LGfL also provides a range of managed services, mainly concerned with maintaining security and ensuring safe use of on-line systems; these include URL filtering, email scanning, web, email and DNS hosting, and network management and security.

At the present time LGfL is developing a pan-London video conferencing facility, which will allow extensive use of one-to-one and one-to-many conferencing across the region at no cost to schools.

In developing a content strategy for the London Grid for Learning, the following principles have been kept in mind:
• To share good practice across the London educational community
• To encourage and support teachers and London Authorities to develop and share material across the grid
• to ensure that any commercial material is high-quality, makes the best use of broadband content and represents value for money
• to emphasise that all content should have relevance to London schools, topics and priorities, where possible
• to support and encourage partnerships within the broader educational community
• to work with other Regional Broadband Consortia to avoid duplication and maximise cost-effectiveness and relevance

Over the last five years, through the LGfL, much has been achieved to bring about a change in the way ICT has been integrated in London schools. Developments include:
• The establishment of true broadband connectivity to London’s 2600 maintained schools, populated with 65,000 teachers and one million pupils set in an area of 620 square miles. Currently over 99% of London schools are connected to the LGfL network at bandwidths between 2Mbps and 100Mbps.
• The LGfL provides a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) for all staff and pupils, at no additional cost to the school. The VLE enables pupils and teachers to use and create: 25Mb of personal web-space; e-portfolios; safe email suitable for year 3 upwards; discussion boards; online polls; course websites; school and personal websites ; online resources for Interactive Whiteboards; resources anywhere there is internet access for use at any time. Access is available from internet enabled computers, at school, at home, or indeed anywhere world-wide.
• Video conferencing to enable a class to see, talk to and work with another class anywhere in the UK is available through the LGfL. In the future, uses of video conferencing will go much further and include opportunities for a school wishing to offer a subject it does not have the resources to offer, partnering with another school, using video conferencing to enable pupils to take part in the lesson.

Benefits delivered to schools include:
• Improved learning performance
• Better procurement and economies of scale
• Closer collaboration with colleagues
• Improved standards of teaching and learning
• Trusted reliable source of content
• Improved home/school access
• Safety
• Security
• Administrative Efficiency
• Local flexibility

Comprehensive detail about the London Grid for learning is available at:

http://cms.lgfl.net/web/lgfl/about

Tasmanian online content developer Roar Educate has been developing online educational content for the LGfL since 2006 after they met at an Economic Development organised Tasmania exhibition stand at the British Education Technology Transfer (BETT) in 2005.

In its first project, Roar Educate collaborated with Brent LA, Havering LA and LGfL to produce a new online interactive learning resource for Physical, Social and Health Education Key Stage Four and Citizenship in Key Stage Two/Three curriculum areas. Featuring 32 activities the content looked specifically at issues relating to cultural diversity, identity, personal and media stereotyping and migration and is accessible by pupils and teachers from home or school.

Roar Educate uses a range of styles and media to engage both teachers and students. Students can create their own personal profile, which can be shared at a teacher’s discretion with other students from around London, celebrating the diversity of London’s wider school community and encouraging learners to reflect on their own position inside this community.

Roar Educate, a wholly owned subsidiary of nationally recognised local film and documentary maker Roar Film, completed its second project of online modules in conjunction with teachers from the London Grid for Learning in 2008. The latest modules provide highly interactive student activities in the area of esafety, esecurity and responsible use of the internet.

Roar Educate is bringing out Stewart Smith one of the Directors of LGfL in February 2010 as part of its ongoing collaboration with the LGfL to develop new online education resources. Mr Smith is a leading authority in the UK for broadband in education delivery and regularly delivers a two-day workshop which centres on exploiting high bandwidth and ICT in education. According to Roar Managing Director, Craig Dow Sainter, there would be an opportunity to leverage his visit to Tasmania by delivering workshops in Hobart and in Launceston.

Projects like the London grid for Learning can now be a reality here in Tasmania because of the bold decision taken six years or so ago to invest directly in optic fibre infrastructure.

It’s now up to the current political leadership to make sure that further bold decisions are now taken to make sure that the maximum benefit is gained from the opportunity that has been created.

_______________________________

[The author Paul Lennon, was Tasmanian (Labor) Premier for four years. He quit politics earlier this year after 18 years in State Parliament]

ok, so this blows. i really really really wanted to see where the wild things are in theatres, but alas, my chances are slim. it just came out back home, so it prolly won’t be around when i get back for winter break. it comes out here on december 11th. i go back to canada on the 7th…..ugh! k, i know i can watch it through other vehicles (ahem, *megavideo*), but it’s not the same…my sister even saw it and said it wasn’t very good, but i love spike jonze and that damn book was like my fav when i was a kid. whatever, dems da breaks.

DOUBTS over Craig Moore’s future were dismissed by the Brisbane Roar after the A-League club unveiled former Young Socceroos mentor Ange Postecoglou as their new coach…. From The Australian. Full story

This site may contain information about: english football history. The blog is also related to: scotland soccer.

I’m really just echoing Thank You Thursday here today:

In 2005, Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by her co-workers while she was working for Halliburton/KBR in Baghdad. Jones was prevented from bringing charges in court against KBR because her employment contract stipulated that sexual assault allegations would only be heard in private arbitration. Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) proposed an amendment to the 2010 Defense Appropriations bill that would withhold defense contracts from companies like KBR “if they restrict their employees from taking workplace sexual assault, battery and discrimination cases to court.” Check out his speech from the Senate floor yesterday:

The good news is that the amendment passed ,68-30.

The 30 is baffling. Do Republican women feel ok being represented by this? I don’t see how.

I love Jon Stewart for representing a voice of compassion & common sense during the times that puzzle me. He’s on the Top 10 of my list of Brain Crushes,for sure.

more about “Daily Show: Rape Nuts “, posted with vodpod

I would like to add a huge “Fuck you” to the idiots who are blaming the victim here,with their reasoning that she shouldn’t have signed the contract in the first place if she didn’t want to be raped.  The idea of making a woman consent to rape…and that this is ok? What are you people thinking?

[blog title quote from Jamie Leigh Jones, in response to the amendment passing]

FRANK Farina’s fate has been sealed. Brisbane Roar will confirm today the embattled former Socceroo has been sacked as coach…. From The Australian. Full story

This site may contain information about: football team. The blog is also related to: football club.

Roar Film has proposed the introduction of a national internet user license to the Federal Government’s Inquiry into Cyber Crime (see Submission 64).

Appearing before the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications in Sydney (Thursday 9 October 2009), the Tasmanian film and multimedia production company argued that skills-based internet safety training, tied to national standards and ‘acceptable use’ agreements, would greatly assist efforts to protect citizens and networked communities from cyber crime.

Speaking for Roar Film in Sydney, Mr Terry Hilsberg said, “Everyday we hear stories about the incidence of cyber fraud, cyber bullying, intellectual property theft and other types of risky behavior associated with internet use. These occurrences are on the increase as we move more parts of our lives online, connect via a greater number of portable devices, and increase bandwidth.

“A major characteristic of this type of risky activity is the impact on other people. For instance, cyber crime by definition involves a victim(s) and a perpetrator, as does much risky social behavior such as cyber bullying. There are direct economic, emotional and social costs borne by those adversely impacted.

“Whilst some cyber risks can be reduced through prohibition – by using internet filters in schools or the diligent monitoring of online transactions by banks – ultimately for many types of cyber risk, the most effective measure is prevention by a skilled, responsible and empowered citizenry.

“Community education is therefore a fundamental component of any cyber risk prevention program, and Roar recognizes the many public and private initiatives in this respect. However, based upon our extensive experience in cyber risk education, we have come to the view that education will remain less-than-effect unless it is tied to agreed national standards for internet user competency.

“There is a need for internet users to complete training to attain agreed skills competencies (through schools, workplaces or community organizations) in order that they may be licensed to connect to the web at these locations … in much the same way as society requires the training and licensing of drivers on our roads,” he said.

Hilsberg said that whilst such a license should not be mandatory to use the internet, it might be required in circumstances where one user could cause harm to another if they did not exercise appropriate skills.

He predicted that such measures particularly would need to be contemplated with the roll out of the National Broadband Network (NBN), which brings with it both great opportunity and heightened risk.

Roar Film Pty. Ltd. is a film and multimedia production company based in Hobart, Tasmania. We develop exemplary e learning for schools (K-10) about internet safety, security and citizenship.

Foremost Roar is established in England through its education division Roar Educate, where Roar’s activity-based learning modules Celebrating Us (for Citizenship) and Us Online (about internet safety and security) are already deployed by over 40 per cent of government schools. In 2009 Us Online was a finalist at the prestigious 2009 BETT Awards in London.

Also this year Roar created the Budd:e E-Security Builder, a learning program for Australian primary and secondary schools, developed under contract to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE).

Taí outro jogo que me deixa triste, pela simples falta de reconhecimento. Trata-se de um dos poucos jogos de luta 3D, de movimentação 3D, que eu realmente gosto. ^^

O jogo usa o mesmo mecanismo de Tekken, ou Dead or Alive. Teu personagem, o cenário, e a movimentação estão inseridos em um ambiente 3D, com movimentação 3D. Esse tipo de ambiente permite, por exemplo, que o personagem possa ser arremessado para fora do cenário, pelo fundo da tela, ou pela frente dela. Mas o jogo tem um primeiro grande diferencial comparado com os outros jogos de luta, 3D ou 2D. Nele, cada personagem tem a habilidade para se transformar em um animal, e quando o faz durante a luta, ganha uma nova variaedade de movimentos incríveis e vantagens muito boas pra a jogabilidade.

Long, o Tigre

E o melhor é que a capacidade de se transformar em animal é facilmente ativada apertando um único botão. Afinal de contas, existem outros jogos onde o personagem atinge um estado diferente, mas isso com um certo comando, que seria secreto ou de difícil acesso. Por exemplo, o Zangief de Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 que pode ficar com aspecto negro, e para isso é preciso fazer o comando de especial pra trás com chute [algo que ninguém normalmente faria com o Zangief]. Aqui não, temos um botão para transformar o personagem em animal [círculo] e com isso dispor de uma “dimensão” a mais para explorar as capacidades do jogo.

Busuzima, o Camaleão

A jogabilidade também é bem simples. Quem já jogou Tekken e se lembra, perceberá do que eu to falando. Lá tem três botões de soco e três botões de chute, e os combos se fazem combinando os três botões de soco com os três de chute, junto com o direcional, e junto com comandos. É absurdamente complicado, e para ficar realmente bom nesse jogo é preciso muito treino, e isso para dominar bem um personagem. O Tekken, portanto, acaba obrigando o jogador a jogar se esforçando para fazer os golpes, não se esforçando pra derrotar seu inimigo.

Uriko, a Gata

No Bloody Roar os comandos são bem mais simplificados. Você tem um botão de soco, um de chute, e o botão de se transformar em animal se torna um terceiro botão de ataque que usa das habilidades bestiais do animal em que você se transforma. Ou seja, são só dois botões de ataque, e o resto dos botões servem para outras coisas, como defesas, esquivas, movimentação no cenário 3D, etc… No que isso me lembra? Lembra-me muito o jogo do Naruto, que tem quase tota a estrutura em 3D, e os comandos são muito simples. Combinando só esses poucos botões, mas juntando com direção e comandos simples, dá pra se fazer muitos combos.

Stun, o Inseto

Ou seja, no Bloody Roar você já não se concentra mais para apenas conseguir fazer os golpes, mas se concentra muito mais na luta em si, nas estratégias de combat, na defesa e no ataque, na esquiva e na ludibriação, nos combos e na beleza dos golpes. E isso torna o jogo muito especial pra mim. Gosto de conseguir fazer os golpes, e tornar o desafio da luta no desafio de acertar meu oponente, não no desafio de fazer os golpes. ^^ Por isso eu prefiro Street Fighter a The King of Fighters.

Shina, o Leopardo

E a história do jogo, para mim, também é muito mais interessante. O estilo lembra muito a história de um animê, com alguns clichês bem trabalhados, no cara sério, silencioso e tímido que é muito foda, no outro fodão poderoso que prefere treinar para controlar seu poder para não matar os outros, no fortão rude e arrogante que na verdade é bem, mais sensível do que aparenta, na doce e meiga garota que esconde uma ótima capacidade de batalha, na frágil meniniha que na verdade tem mais poder que o seu mestre, no inimigo bizarro e puramente malígno que usa dos seus experimentos como escudo para nunca ser capturado, no clone malígno, na monstruosidade vítima de preconceito que tem um coração bom, etc.

Bakuryu, a Topeira

Enfim, na verdade em algumas versões de Bloody Roar a história é mais bem elaborada, e em outras bem menos. Os jogos existentes são Beastorizer, Bloody Roar, Bloody Roar 2. Bloody Roar 3, Bloody Roar Extreme, Bloody Roar Primal Fury e Bloody Roar 4, e de todos esses o último que saiu, o 4, é o que possui a história mais mal aproveitada. Claro que teve como resultado o congelamento que a Hudson deu ao jogo logo depois, e não lançou, nem planejou lançar alguma continuação.

Jenny, a Morcega

Mas caramba, eu não me canso de jogar esse jogo. O único problema é que a única pessoa que eu conheço que joga bem é o meu irmão, e com um Xbox 360 nas mãos dele, descobrindo um novo mundo a cada dia, e sem um segundo controle de PS2, nem dá mais pra gente jogar. Os especiais também são até que bastante fáceis de se fazer, e possuem um visual muito legal, com uma autenticidade única pra cada personagem. Por exemplo, se pensarmos em Marvel Vs. Capcom veremos que um dos especiais do Homem de Ferro, outro do Ciclope, o do Ryu, e o do Megaman são praticamente a mesma coisa. ^^ Mas não tem similaridade entre os especiais de Bloody Roar, claro com exceção aos especiais dos personagens que são clones de outros. XD

Yugo, o Lobo

ENFIM, meu personagem favorito é o Bakuryu[com o qual o meu irmão já aprendeu a derrotar facilmente usando Sheng Long, o clone do Long], mas também jogo muito bem com o Yugo [A quem o meu irmão não vence nem fodendo. XD]. Se qualquer um de vocês um dia resolver jogar o jogo e aprender bem, eu to aberto à desafios. Como dizia Ryu em Street Fighter 2 Victory, vou em busca do mais forte. ^^

]]> http://cheapdrinksnz.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/thurs-8th-roar-gallery-opening/ Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:57:08 +0000 cheapdrinksnz http://cheapdrinksnz.wordpress.com/2009/10/08/thurs-8th-roar-gallery-opening/ http://masonpug.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/i-am-lizzie-hear-me-roar-or-the-adventures-of-squirrel-girl/ Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:15:07 +0000 Mason http://masonpug.wordpress.com/2009/10/05/i-am-lizzie-hear-me-roar-or-the-adventures-of-squirrel-girl/

As I’ve said several times in my blogs, I will never understand females. They are the final frontier for this pug. I am, of course, referring to Lizzard since she is a member of that gender. Just when I am absolutely convinced that I know and understand every dull little facet of her personality and internal workings, she astonishes me.

After her arrival into our family unit, I very easily filed her under, “Dull-witted, Malleable, and Of No Interest.” How very shortsighted of me that now seems. To wit: in the course of one year this plump little partridge of a pug has become sleek, fit, and fast. Her passive meek self has emerged as a serious contender, with a bark that can raise one’s hair. I have mentioned before that she will fearlessly go after any dog foolish enough to bark at us when we are passing. She will strain at her leash, rising up on hind feet, baying like a bloodhound, and not back off. She must be dragged forcefully away, while still emitting her bloodlust filled cries.

The most recent change in Lizzie’s behavior was evidenced last week. After breakfast she likes to perch on the back of the couch, allowing her a view of the backyard, kitchen, family room, and hall leading to the front of the house. And, because she is lying on the top of the couch she has a good vantage point. On the particular day to which I refer, our little Lizzie began a frantic and wild barking, flung herself from her perch, and hurled her body at the back screen door. Grandma was so startled that she ran to open it for Lizzie, and we all watched amazed as she barreled across the lawn in mad pursuit of a squirrel. She blazed through the woods and screeched to a halt at the base of a pine tree where the terrified rodent had fled to its top. Lizzie stood at the base howling in frustration and anger, until she surmised the creature was not going to come down and meet its fate.

Who knew that such a fierce and bloodthirsty beast lay hidden in the meek and ditsy guise of “Miss Thing?” I am yet again shaking my head in wonder. In this there is a lesson for all of us, I feel certain. I hope I can refrain from making snap judgments and absolute pronouncements about pugs and humans. I still don’t understand females but I am learning that there is more to Lizzie than initially meets the eye. Please don’t, however, confuse grudging respect with love.

Respectfully submitted,

Mason

I couldn't capture Squirrel Girl in action since she was too fast...but here she is, sitting on her perch, keeping a vigilant eye on the backyard.

:* miau 3

Just a few words to introduce ourselves …

At Roar Educate we develop exemplary e-learning for children and young people … media rich learning activities with full teacher resources for key stages 1 to 4 that map to the national curriculum for Citizenship, ICT, PSHE and English.

Our internet safety and security module Us Online was a finalist at the 2009 BETT Awards, and our new release of this product – Us Online v2 – comes with extra resources and activities for learners across key stages 1 to 4.

You can check out our content and register for a free trial at http://www.roareducate.co.uk/

And please stay tuned for more …

Pounding headache and a lot of script to work on means this will be short,sweet and shallow. A review of what my weekend was. It was a pretty eventful one. Dead Snow, Parnell’s, Bridge Project, Columbus Crew match and more.

It was quite the weekend. I haven’t shaved since Thursday and so I currently look like this:

The lack of shaving has more to do with laziness/desire to sleep a little longer before going off to work. Nonetheless I’m sporting the whole wolf man look. Upon further review perhaps being forced to work every Sunday isn’t such a bad thing. I mean it is a laid back sort of day where anyone with real power couldn’t be bothered to come in. The main reason is maybe their doing me a favor by making it impossible to watch the Browns? It is downright painful. Has I was working in the backroom I pulled out my phone to check the score. It was about an hour after the game started, and I clicked my sports link and what came up was Cle 7 Balt 0 and I was shocked and happy. Of course when I clicked it I realized it was the Indians score against the Orioles. I went to the right place to see the 10-0 Ravens lead. How is it they appear to be getting worse and worse each week? Aren’t you suppose to improve? If both Qb’s suck can there be controversy?

Friday night we went to see Dead Snow. That night we got to meet Linzi’s friend Kat (not to be confused with her friend and my wife Kat.) Before we went to the flick we went to Parnell’s and had a drink. I love sitting around and talking with good friends (and new ones) at this watering hole. It is always good to see Liz and shoot the shit with her too. Now seeing as I didn’t take any actual pictures I’ve a crudely rendered paint version of the ladies.

This in no way represents how I think they looked. The three of them are very lovely.Dead Snow was fantastic. You have less than a week to get over to the Cedar Lee Theatre and see it. It is a fun time and very well done. A zombie fan? Go see it. Horror fan? Go see it. It has gore, it has jumps, and it has jokes. It may even have a message, but most of all it has Nazi Zombies! Here is the trailer:

Saturday it was off to The Cleveland Bridge Project. I was very excited for this unique event for a long time. It is one thing I love about Cleveland, there are many ways to promote/enjoy/get yours out there art wise. It was a lot of fun. It was a very interesting site and I hope it continues to happen. The views and setting itself was as big a draw as the art and performances. Here are a few pictures of the site itself.

It looked awesome! After the Bridge Project we headed over to Burger King where we got to see the Heaven Train.

I stole that pic from Linzi. We didn’t hop on board because we were headed to Columbus to watch the Crew take on the Galaxy. It rained the whole way there and for the 2 hours we waited at the Stadium. It looked like were doomed to sit in the rain for 90 minutes. At least they keep playing throughout, but 10 minutes before the match the rain stopped. It was a pretty night for the rest of the match. It was probably our last chance to stick to Beckham. So of course as he was announced we…wait what oh yeah he didn’t fly with the team because he was too busy doing this:

I think he had a hang nail.

The Crew won and has sole position of first in both the east and the entire MLS. None of you care but whatever. Linzi and I enjoying the match/the teams come out:

Steak and shake followed. Mmmmmm Butterfinger milkshake was tasty. Long drive home where all three of us were falling asleep (or wanting to). Of course we got home at about 2 am and the stench from Bigfoot that was in our apartment hallway when we left was still there.

Sunday I had to work and then we went to the wife’s dad’s house for some Beef Ribs. Damn they were tasty!

What was your weekend like?

THE cashed-up ANZ Bank still has an appetite for more acquisitions, after finally resolving its underweight position in wealth management by spending $1.76 billion on the 51 per cent share of the ING Australia joint venture it does not already own.

Hello everyone,

My parents and my brother Kolja left yesterday and are on their way to Berlin again. They spent more than 3 weeks with us here in Brisbane. We had a wonderful time with heaps of fun and way too much alcohol Unfortunately they are gone now and I have time to write again. You can see some pictures of their visit at my picasa site (link at the end). We also went to a football game here in Brisbane. Brisbane Roar vs. Perth Glory who play in the fairly new Hyundai A-League. The game ended 2:4 but was fun anyway, although Football isn’t that popular in Australia. Only 7500 people came to the game, which looked a bit sad in the Suncorp Stadium which holds 52500 people.

The house is now empty again and everyone is a little bit sad. Hopefully we are able to come to Germany next year. Keep your fingers crossed.

Family visit September 2009 @ Picasa