TET.Life (The Extraordinary Tourist Life)

A Quadrotor 600 Robot. At first I thought the machine uprising was probably going to begin with those robots that clean your floors now they have their own social network , MyRobots , but they do suffer from 'Darlek syndrome' when it comes to steps (yes I know the new Darleks can fly but no one ever thought of this in the 1970's). However, now I've seen Quadrotors in action , I'm thinking this is the beginning of the end right here. As soon as someone figures out how to attach lasers to these little puppies it's all over! Let's back up a little and take a look at these tiny but cute, fit in the palm of your hand, flying robots that can operate in swarms and destroy all life as we know it once somebody attaches lasers to them... it's going to happen... mark my words!! These robots can operate autonomously, mapping their environment as they move. They don't even need to communicate with each other yet they can still work effectively as part o...

The newly installed, 8 kilometre (km), bitumen cycle/walking trail that runs through the length of my town has one rule, which is really more of a guideline in both the interpretation and literal sense of the rule, and that is to keep left. You can see in the image that this rule is painted onto the trail periodically to remind people. Apparently the rule doesn't apply to pedestrians who are used to walking anywhere they please on the majority of footpaths. Which would be fine if only they'd do one thing every now and then - look over their shoulder to see if anything is coming up behind them. When you get two or more walkers together, they often get so caught up in conversation that, whilst taking up the width of the walking trail, they forget that others may want to get past. As you may have guessed from the picture I've been cycling this trail. I've been doing so every day for the last three weeks, five days a week, 8km there and back (16km total) to get to...

Last week the full documentary of Kony2012 was broadcast on the Australian, National Ten Network, ad free, and it got me to thinking about the rise and rise of raising awareness of war criminal Joseph Kony in Africa and just how quickly the whole issue seems to have gone world wide. In only six days it has become the most watched video on You Tube with more than seventy five million views since being uploaded. In contrast, wind back the clock to 1985 and Bob Geldof's Live Aid Concerts . Similarly Bob was attempting to raise world wide awareness and funds for famine relief and starving children in Ethiopia. I don't have any great revelations about either to share, despite doing some research and noting the Live Aid's estimated world wide audience of 1.9 billion was achieved long before we had internet and social media. Where as Kony2012 is being applauded as a demonstration of the power of social media by many commentators. I wonder what Bob Geldof would be think...

Err... yeah... you guys are not helping. Image: The Muslim Brotherhood wants to Rule the World . Recently a friend sent me (and a number of others on their email list) the following chain email, that has been circulating around Australian email boxes, asking for my opinion on the message. Just before you read it I'll pre-warn you that it relates to immigration laws and ideas that I'm sure many countries are grappling with in this post 911 world. I've reproduced the email as closely as I can to how I received it, complete with large typeface. Have a read and then read my response. The email is titled 'Go the Dutch'. The comment in red is by the last person to forward the email to my friend. About time the Australian government did the same......why do we suck up to these people whose "values" are from beyond the dark ages ,who still live the way they did 2000 years ago.  Go the Dutch - but why wait until 2013? The Netherlands, where si...

Kevin Rudd is not an idiot. He's certainly not delusional as media magnate, Rupert Murdoch, supposedly said about Kevin's leadership challenge of the Labor party and, ultimately the position of Australian Prime Minister. For my international readers, our government has been in the throws of a supposed leadership challenge by ex (and ousted) Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, for months. All of which came to a head over the last weekend where Kevin finally resigned as our Foreign Minister and announced he would be making a challenge. Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, announced the Labor party would be holding a ballot on Monday morning at 10am, in which Kevin lost his challenge 31-71 votes. You can read a blow by blow account of how Monday went down on the Sydney Morning Herald's website, Live: Labor leadership challenge - Gillard vs Rudd  (Tip: start from the bottom and work up the article, which is in blog format - newest info first). Kevin knew, long before he made his ch...

If you're a fan of realistically styled superhero movies then Chronicle is a movie that you should enjoy. I didn't really know what to expect from this film. The previews made it seem like a Blair Witch , found video footage, wannabe but, after hearing a few good reports from people who'd actually seen the film, I definitely started to get more curious. The basic premise is three friends, teenage boys, gain superhero like powers after making an amazing discovery in some kind of cavern in the woods. The story then documents how these new found powers affect the lives and friendships of the three. The film starts out in a fairly mundane fashion with the main character, Andrew, setting up his newly acquired video camera for the first time as a way of documenting his Dad's abusive behavior. You don't really think too much of this at the time (in fact I found it a little mundane and typical) but all the set up for Andrew's home life becomes significant in ...

"Scary" Samuel L. Jackson In a recent interview with Ebony magazine, re-quoted on the New York Post website in Politics of Color , Samuel L. Jackson says he voted for Obama because he was black. Samuel goes on to say: "Cuz that’s why other folks vote for other people — because they look like them. That’s American politics, pure and simple. [Obama’s] message didn’t mean [bleep] to me. In the end, he’s a politician. I just hoped he would do some of what he said he was gonna do. I know politicians say [bleep]; they lie. ’Cuz they want to get elected." The interview is notable for some pretty strong language including repeated use of the 'N' word and some fairly radical suggestions that I'm willing to bet many people were thinking but are surprised that Samuel actually said out loud in an actual interview. Samuel also goes on a bit of a rant, suggesting that Obama should get 'scary' because real N's are scary. Which leads me to think...