Photo shoot in November.

A fellow student where Xin-Wen is studying asked her if she would model for a photo shoot.

That was in November, and today the photo's arrived on disk - I like the ones that were done with a green tint. The light scribe effect is also nice.



I forget the name of the student who made these, but I'll be sure to put her name up soon.

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The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

:-D

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21-November-2006

[Click Here] Voice Entry

22 Oct 2006 Sunday

I'm going through this phase now where I'm attracted to greys and muted subtle colours. I've noticed many years ago that for just a few days of the year when the weather overcast, without wind - It creates an atomspheric pressure system that dampens noise. Everything is silent and grey, the ocean is a flat wide expanse of silver, as is the sky. On these moments I feel a kind of peace that I seldom feel - the "nothingness" of it, absense of colours denotes absence of emotion. Any emotion, high or low, pleasure or pain can frey at one's nerves - feeling nothing is a feeling in it's own right - pure lithium - the "nothingness" is perfection like a simple, mathematically precise silver-grey circle on a pure white background.

21 Oct 2006

The good news is I finally got off my but and completed my 2nd 10km run for the Month. The bad news is - I still suck and finished in 55 minutes. On the other hand it was nice to see Shane and Tjatji there. I would say that we ran "together" but the truth is, those two took off like rockets at the start of the race, and that was the last I saw of them, until I finished! Anyway, we had a chance to chat afterwards. From there I had to do some shopping. Next race is in a few weeks, so I'd better do some more training!

16 October 2006

Only two weeks until I start my new job. Funny that I don't feel nervous.
Just made a booking at the Lennox for my Birthday Party and started the invitation lists.
Should be interesting 'cos I'm inviting a lot of people from work, it's kindof a farewell party too. (Should be interesting because Bodene has some hard core party animals too (^_^) )

Other things on the move:
Time to look for a new car: I'm not fussy, not really into cars - just want something cheap to run WITH AIRCON- Summer is on the way afterall.

Finally found a site for GIT SAC Part I & II Yaaaaaay.

I joined the Neighbourhhood watch comittee and have decided to contribute in the pulic relations / news letter area. Give feedback to the community and try to encourage participation by making it more accessable to the people.

Master plan includes use of cellphones, creating small groups or "cells" where neighbours contact eachother if something is on the foot.

ch-ch-changes

Lots of things happening.
Changing jobs. After 10 years, time to move on. Lot's of contraversy and gossip, trying to keep a low profile and avoiding rumours is a *very* difficult to do *sigh* More on this later.
Satelite internet - so far, I'm loving it. (A bit slow @ 64kb/s)
My Linux skill are improving by the minute - using Ubuntu Linux (A South African version)
Mom's car's giving trouble - trying to get that sorted out. Jame's birthday tonight...lot's todo crazy hectic life...oh yea, started running again last week did a 10 km run (took it veeeery easy - managed to finish in min, goal =\under 4 minuntes)

.

Hear all about it!
http://www.orbitfiles.com/download/id670868805

You'll need speex codec - can get it here
http://downloads.us.xiph.org/releases/speex/speex_win32_1.0.4_setup.exe

See the video!
http://www.orbitfiles.com/download/id671705480

You'll need divx codec - can get it here
http://www.divx.com/divx/windows/download/index.php

Tue 18th July 2006

As God is my witness, never again shall I go through a single day at work without detailing exactly what happened.

I'm not going into details, but if you DO NOT KEEP A WORK JOURNAL - You're screwed!

Never ever again!!!!

2006-07-(08th to 12th)

Contents

0] Intro...
1] How am I - Physical
2] How am I - Emotional
3] Current Tasks / Projects
4] Upcoming Events
5] Recent Events
6] Entertainment Review /Anime/Movies/Music/Games/Outdoor

---

0] Introduction

My Blog entries will be structured from now on, more or less following this standard format. Occupation hazard for someone who write protocols for a living...had to happened sooner of later.

1] How am I? Physical

Category	Goal / Limits	Current
Weight	< 80 kg	83.8kg
BMI	18.5 - 25	25.9 (Arrrgggghhhh)
% Body Fat	14 - 22	20.4
Blood Pressure	<>	112/67
Cholesterol	4.1 -5.2	???
Blood Sugar	3.5 - 6.0	???

Background:
The Virgin Active computer has confirmed what I've expected...I've become a fat-ass. I've tipped over the BMI 25 line.

---

2] How am I? Emotional
Mood (1 = I wanna Die 10 = Whoohoo!) Current = 6 Same Same - Wish I had lithium

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3] Current Tasks / Projects

Health
- See the Dentists!!! - Still must do
- Get Cholesterol & Glucose Readings - still must do !!
- Loose weight / Get toned -
- Diet !!!! -

Home
- Plans for Home extension
Got the drawing plans, must take them to a Draftsperson for submission to the municipal authorities for approval
- Get some nice paintings for lounge area - Get the garden into place - Free landscaping service anyone?
Where to start!!!!

Cyber
Update my Web Page
- Write articles on my field of work
Update my Blog
- Upload videos of visit to China
Ja... I DID this on YouTube and a few days later it ALL DISAPPEARED - Ok so let's try Clip Shack out instead
- Get efficient system for video uploads
Ditto for the above
- Getting confused again - should I stick with blogger or do I go to MSN Spaces or to Yahoo 360 UUUHHHHH

Work
Validation documentation project for the new production area - 2 week till dead line.
Made some progress here
Office relocation preparations - hmmm doesn't look like this is gonna happen soon, my new office that is
Updating of company SHE reps for the new Engineer - DOne
Arrange Safety Meeting for this month. - Done

---

4] Upcoming events

Not really an event but there are two things I really want to do

1) Get my bicycle fixed and go for a looooooog cycle

2) I haven't been clubbing for - like forever - need to call Justin and ask him if he's still alive ...

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5] Recent events

Grahamstown Festival: It was nice all in all. It seemed a bit quieter than last year, I suspect the cold weather and the soccer world cup had an impact. I was disappointed when I found that the restaurant I normally go to didn't sell GLUVINE anymore :(

On the way to Grahamstown I got this cool footage of Declan
==> http://www.orbitfiles.com/download/id389954262
Ofcourse when I go camping, I Really rough it. I mean it was so tough out there in the wilderness I even had to run a power cable out to the DB board so that I could plug in my heater, laptop and light, and pump up the inflatable air mattresses.
And ofcourse I had to hold the camera while the woman pitched the tent.... no seriously I did help pitch the tent.
==>http://www.orbitfiles.com/download/id389955118
The end result
==>http://www.orbitfiles.com/download/id389956219

The Ride Home (Billy Idol and the Bunny Girl)
==>http://www.orbitfiles.com/download/id389957987

I was very happy with the air mattresses and I didn't even get cold :)

---

6] Entertainment Review / Anime / Movies / Music / Games / Outdoor

Viewing the first few episodes of an Anime called Speed Grapher.
It starts out with the song from Duran Duran called "Girls on Film"
It's a series about an ex-war photographer and is interaction with a powerful corporation in Japan.
Looks very promising so far.

Fw: 2006_07_03

Contents

0]        Intro...
1]        How am I - Physical
2]        How am I - Emotional
3]        Current Tasks / Projects
4]        Upcoming Events
5]        Entertainment Review /Anime/Movies/Music/Games/Outdoor


0] Introduction

My Blog entries will be structured from now on, more or less following this standard format. Occupation hazard for someone who write protocols for a living...had to happened sooner of later.

1] How am I? |Physical|

Category	Goal / Limits	Current
Weight	< 80 kg	84kg
BMI	18.5 - 25	25
% Body Fat	14 - 22	20.7
Blood Pressure	<140/<90	96/62
Cholesterol	4.1 -5.2	???
Blood Sugar	3.5 - 6.0	???

Background:
Optimal physical heath peaked around 2000 - 2003, where running 45 km half marathons were the norm. BMI was at 22, weight at 80.
Demands of new job (at the time) working 12 - 14 hours routinely
Contributed to the "back-sliding".
Goal and intent is to return to this state with systems in place to
maintain it, with the knowledge that the challenge will increase with
each passing year.

2] How am I? |Emotional|
Mood (1 = I wanna Die 10 = Whoohoo!) Current = 6

Background:
After several months of deep despair and general feelings of being overwhelmed, a new sense of determination is returning, I'm beginning to feel like my old self.
The first thing that is needed to set a course for task completions


3] Current Tasks / Projects

Health
- See the Dentists!!!
- Get Cholesterol & Glucose Readings
- Loose weight / Get toned
- Diet !!!!

Home
- Plans for Home extension
        Got the drawing plans, must take them to a Draftsperson for submission to the         municipal authorities for approval
- Get some nice paintings for lounge area
- Get the garden into place
  Where to start!!!!

Cyber
Update my Web Page
- Write articles on my field of work
Update my Blog
- Upload videos of visit to China
- Get efficient system for video uploads
- Getting confused again - should I stick with blogger or do I go to MSN Spaces or to Yahoo 360 UUUHHHHH

Work
Validation documentation project for the new production area - 3 week till dead line.
Office relocation preparations
Updating of company SHE reps for the new Engineer
Arrange Safety Meeting for this month.

4] Upcoming events (8th-10th July 2006)
Graham's town Festival!!! South Africa's woodstock.
I saw a couple of stage shows last year, and they were pretty good.
The actors have very little in the way of props - just a bare stage
A few lights and perhaps a sound system if they're lucky.
I've been going every year since 2000

It's already started this weekend and I'm hoping to go this weekend coming . I hope that Xin-Wen will be free this weekend so that we can both go. Last year I pitched a tent that I bought ( 8 man double layer dome construct) but two oversights on my part

1) The floor is damn hard! Yup, unlike my Grandfather and Uncle and Mother who could (and probably did) sleep in the bush veldt without a qualm, I'm not made of such hardy stuff.
- So I bought inflatable matrices, yea I know, I'm a real man - step aside John Wayne

2) It's damn cold! Grahams town is inland and in a valley, and the festival is in winter. All the restaurants sell gluvine - which I love by the way. (Warm & Drunk!) The tent site has electricity beacons, and so this time I'll be bringing a fire proof heater ..or an electric blanket if I can find one...they're all sold out.

5] Entertainment Review /Anime/Movies/Music/Games/Outdoor

|Anime|
Title: Samurai Champloo
Viewed: June 2006
Comment: I really enjoyed this one! The characters were better developed than some animes. Essentially three very different characters on a single quest. Yes, they are Samurai so there's the obligatory sword slashing, jumping through the air etc, but what really kept me watching was the sense of humour and the occasional inserts / historical facts about life in Japan during the Edo period and how they impact on modern Japan today. Although the anime is set in the Edo period it's trendy and very accessible to the young generation (and the young at heart ... that's what I call myself anyway... (^_^)

The anime was directed by Shinichiro Watanabe, for the Anime folks out there - yes, it's the same guy that did Cowboy Beebop.

Characters:
Jin (My Favourite) I wish I looked like him!
Well kept, quite, well mannered wears a indigo blue hakama and gi (also my favourite colour) - of noble heritage

Mugen - wild haired, just plain wild vagabond, born on a penal colony on the Ryuku Islands. I assume that his fighting style is
A hybrid of so many different style that he learned on the penal colony, that his opponents get taken by surprise and do not know how to react.

Fuu - I grew to love this character. A wilful 15 year old girl (ex-waitress) is on a mission to find a Samurai who smells like sunflowers, by the way, Sun Flowers don't really have a smell -very Zen like to me..

|Anime|
Title: Bleach
Viewed: Still busy (as of July 2006)

Not as good as Samurai Champloo I think.
Too much fighting, chest beating and bravado
Still watch able in the same way soapies get you hooked to know "what's gonna happen next", but you don't really learn anything from this series - except I keep hearing the word "Bankai!!)
I watch Anime every night before I go to bed and invariably fall asleep before the 3 successive episodes has finished - I'm beginning to worry about what effect this will have on my sub conscience...maybe I'll be sitting in the boardroom one day, and I'll be trying to explain why my department needs more resources - my request will be denied, and infuriated I'll stand up and shout -
So...you dare challenge ME! NOW YOU WILL SEE THE FULL POWER OF MY SWORD'S BANKAI!!!!!
Don't laugh - it could happen!

Ohh maaaaan

(-_-)

I turn my back from my blog for a few weeks, I come back and what do I see, some idiot hacks my blog and puts up adds for adults products.

The hack seems to have been worked via flicker rather than blogger.com ...
I'll get to the bottom of it, when I have the energy, or I'm feeling vindictive. (\_/)
The poor sod tried to be poetic as well with the subscript, the person's obviously over-reaching themselves.

Anyways - either that or I'll migrate to msn spaces or something.

Lot's of stuff to be done here, seeing as I'm almost out of my hibernation phase.

2006-03-15

Extreme traffic, stressing out changing Rands to dollars @ JHB international as the Chinese currency isn't available ... We found a not too glamorous bar call the Shebeen. Xin-Wen is meeting some friends here who owe her some money. I' having a brutal fuit. Alcohol make me sleepy during the day, which is the point.....long flight ahead. Got up @ 04:00 this morning and went for a short run.
Hopefully I'll get a SIM card in Hong Kong that can be used on my Phone. I bumped into Eddie Westraadt in PE, looking rather pleased with himself...he's on his way to the Grand Prix in Malaysia. He was with two other friends one of whom I recognized from a photo he used to have on his office wall.

Our flight leaves at 12:20.
When I phoned Mom, she was at the Casino...squandering my inheritance ... Only jokes... There is *no* inheritance ... He he...why am I laughing...oh yea I'm drinking alcohol ....

2006-03-11

Wouldn't you know it... a few days before I leave to go on holiday and I get the flu... Hardly slept last night. Flu (actually just a minor cold) has been going around so it was just a matter of time. Anyway...seem to be moving through the phases quickly, you know...first the nose starts, then coughing, then the sore throat, I went through the whole thing in two days...must be a weak strain. Doping on extra Vitamin C and antioxidents plus paracetalmol to drive down pyrogens in the system.

Technically I'm on leave as of this Monday but the work wants me to attend a meeting to finalise the handover of a project I was working on earlier this year.
When I get back most of the projects will be in full swing.
This last week has been hectic trying to close up all the loose ends.

Anyway..the camcorder is ready, must start packing....

The Fool and The Goddess

There once was a man, a broken man, lost in the sea of life and love. He undertook a journey of discovery and sought enlightenment. He traveled East believing he would find some answers there. He, like Buddha, sat under trees waiting for answers, but they never came.

He saw the sick and the frail, knowing that one day soon he too would be nothing more than dust and still with no assurance of what lay beyond the abyss.
One road took him to India, still seeing human decay, still no philosophy to comfort him

Then one night, he saw the goddess.
The Physical manifestation of perfection.
Her face was narrow and fine. Slanted almond eyes and small perfectly framed mouth.

The man felt both elated and ill. Her beauty inspired the divine but also the carnal.
The war which raged inside him such that his body struggled to know how to respond.

Surely she was a goddess,
Surely she knew all things, because she asked no questions
Surely she had done all things, because she made no movements
Surely she needed nothing, for she said nothing.
She would never age like those around her. She was made to last.

The man pledged his life to the goddess, what small matter that she was made of stone.
Maidens came and went but none compared to the goddess.
The man became blind to the comforts of a soft embrace of flesh and bone.
But the weather changed as winter was approaching and the winds and rains came as they
often do with fury and without warning.

The man a times felt frightened by lightening and the winds and the ghosts of the past and future. At times he reached a hand out to the goddess... "Just one embrace" he begged. "Just one soft, tender embrace and I shall be fueled with inspiration, I shall weather these storms and build the castle worthy of you"

But the goddess stared on to the heavens.

After five years, the man who had forgotten much of himself heard the march of soldier feet.
"Move, scoundrel" Said the general, kicking the man.
We have been given orders to move this statue to the emperor’s garden court.
He has told us that we may each have one of his concubines in exchange for the transport of the statue. My men are eager - move or we will gladly slit your throat. The statue moves tonight!

The man lay on the ground in pain as the men stronger and seemingly better than himself worked together to raise from the ground and onto the giant cart that would transport her to where she belonged - the royal court. As she moved away - no sign or pity or emotion showed, perhaps for the briefest of moments but the sun was setting and the shadows played tricks at these times.

So now there was an Emperor about to learn what the man had learnt.