tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43035423960461218692011-10-11T23:09:46.267+11:00Musings and scribblings from a writer and geek in Canberra, AustraliaLoquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.comBlogger1931100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-11176378410093082322011-04-10T20:20:00.002+10:002011-04-10T20:22:09.240+10:00

I've been talking about it for years, but never quite got around to it before. Finally, though, I can claim to have my very own domain. What that means is that all the really decent content from here (and a few other places around the intertubes) has been transferred over to lanabrindley.com. I suggest you head over there and check it out. And don't forget to update your bookmarks ... this blog

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-43893891085026223792011-02-15T22:41:00.003+11:002011-02-16T07:25:07.304+11:00

Louisa Albury was born in 1848 in Mudgee, the second of twelve children. Although she was offered a position as 'pupil teacher' at school, she was encouraged by her parents to leave school in order to look after her younger siblings. It was a fairly common thing to happen to eldest girls at the time, but judging by Louisa's later life, it seems that she regretted it most severely. And who can

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-18325757611920725972011-02-10T09:49:00.000+11:002011-02-10T09:49:46.514+11:00

Early last year, I wrote this blog post about Computer Engineer Barbie. It took me a little while to get the logistics sorted, but with a little help from an expat friend in the US, two of the dolls arrived on my doorstep yesterday. One to keep in the box, and one to play with. Because I got swamped with questions when I announced their arrival on Twitter, I thought I'd photograph the unboxing

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-5694664141045703212011-02-09T13:08:00.004+11:002011-02-09T13:13:29.741+11:00

I was absently staring at a new tube of toothpaste this morning as I washed my hair. You have to look at something, right? This one declared “healthy, whiter teeth for longer”. An image of extremely long (but healthy and white) teeth filled my mind, and was immediately pushed out by the technical writer in me asking “whiter and longer than what, exactly?” Most marketing slogans give technical

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-3122948896191720222011-02-01T20:55:00.001+11:002011-02-01T20:56:34.720+11:00

I've taken a bit longer than planned to write this final post, as it has required some ruminating. Apologies for the delay, and a trigger warning for discussion about (and links to) sexual and offensive behaviour. The Good Thursday was hot and humid, but it was nice to have my official duties over for the week, and to be able to kick back and just be a conference-goer for the day. I went along

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-22425050825585875902011-01-28T18:21:00.001+11:002011-01-31T20:12:35.163+11:00

Wednesday morning dawned and with it the rising awareness that today I had to perform. I was last up in the day, so I had some time to prepare. I started by waiting until everyone had left the hotel room. I'm quite happy to stand up in front of all sorts of people to give my talks, but I draw the line at rehearsing in front of anyone. When the hotel room was empty, I sorted out all my props: the

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-9505975024802140662011-01-25T10:59:00.000+11:002011-01-25T10:59:37.715+11:00

Today was awesome. That's about all I need to say. I'm exhausted, I'm feeling very anti-social (too many people for my reclusive heart!), and I wish I had my own bed to sleep in. But today was absolutely, marvellously, amazingly awesome. The day started with the opening address for the conference, where the organisers stepped us through just some of the major organisational maneuvers they've

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-87448897816080026742011-01-25T10:20:00.001+11:002011-01-25T10:21:20.885+11:00

This isn't the only sekrit plan I've working on recently, but it's the only one I'm allowed to tell you all about so far ;) For the last several months, a small group of people in Canberra including myself have been preparing a bid for LCA 2013. This is not just to give us more time to make the conference the most awesome, froody LCA you've ever been to. No - 2013 is also the centenary of the

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-21729378263475421812011-01-21T14:39:00.001+11:002011-01-21T14:40:48.057+11:00

With the kitchen now (almost) completed, I'm leaving Bananaman in charge of project managing the tiler next week, and popping off to Brisbane for linux.conf.au. Despite the recent floods—which wiped out their conference venue, most of the social event venues, and the open day venue—somehow or another the LCA crew have managed to persevere, and the conference is going ahead as planned (albeit in

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-23495721179510664462011-01-15T18:58:00.001+11:002011-01-15T19:01:49.235+11:00

Today, our first real hiccup: the tiles haven't arrived. They should be here on Monday, but the tiler is going on holidays for a week. So the earliest we can get the tiles laid is Tuesday week (incidentally, I'll be in Brisbane for linux.conf.au that week, so the lovely Dermott Banana will have to project manage that!). Never mind, we got the benchtops in, and they look OMGAWESOME: Want a closer

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-24399533485962895222011-01-14T10:48:00.000+11:002011-01-14T10:48:33.969+11:00

By the end of today, we have something resembling a kitchen again. And you know what? I'm absolutely stoked with it! The colour, unfortunately, doesn't come through in the photographs, but it's probably best described as a pale olive. They call it 'paperbark', and if you've ever seen the smooth pale green wood (not the brown falling-off bits!) of an Australian paperbark tree, it's pretty close.

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-43338294960143088432011-01-12T23:13:00.001+11:002011-01-13T06:48:55.931+11:00

By lunchtime, the tiles were finally up, and the concrete dust covering absolutely everything was starting to settle: I have a sink: But, perhaps most exciting, I have a dishwasher! The cabinets that have been stored in my dining room all week, are now starting to shift into place: Although there are still bits of cabinetry stored just about everywhere. This is my hallway: Tomorrow, the

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-9536684038212907592011-01-11T18:14:00.000+11:002011-01-11T18:14:27.379+11:00

Today, my cabinets arrived (just ahead of the rain!): The sparky turned up, and moved a few power points: The plumber turned up, got rid of the old sink pipes, and installed a gas line for the new stovetop: And the demolitions guy started taking out the tiles: Even though I didn't think it was possible, the place is even more of a bomb site than it was yesterday: Keep an eye on my

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-92169588712912939752011-01-10T17:48:00.002+11:002011-01-10T18:02:25.614+11:00

Well, today my kitchen started out looking like this: And ended up looking like this: On the way, it went through various states, including this: This: And this: So where did it all go? Here: And here: And good riddance to it too! For the full collection of photos, check out my Picasa album. I'll keep updating it and the blog as things progress. Tomorrow, the sparky and plumber 'rough

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-78159645435146233932011-01-01T23:32:00.004+11:002011-01-01T23:40:50.068+11:00

I've been looking forward to seeing Tron: Legacy for a while. I saw the original on VHS when I was a kid, and thought it was pretty awesome then, so I could only imagine what 3D and modern special effects could have done. And I wasn't disappointed in the slightest. While my partner had some trouble with the 3D and effects (for some reason it all seemed flat and kind of blurry and washed out to

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-63172367682208247162010-12-09T19:29:00.000+11:002010-12-09T19:29:03.213+11:00

Well, after a slight hiccup the kitchen is back on track. It won't be done in time for Christmas, unfortunately, but we're locked in for the week of 10-14 January now. So, with that in mind, what do you think of the colours I've picked? Improvement?

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-39597044426477326262010-11-30T22:33:00.005+11:002010-12-01T15:57:13.374+11:00

Receiving a MODY3 diagnosis can be a threatening, frightening time. However, by understanding the disease, and knowing what to do about it, you can live a long and healthy life. This booklet will explain what MODY3 is, and will outline some of the changes you will need to make. Diabetes mellitus refers to a group of diseases that impact the pancreas and how the body stores and uses both glucose

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-80951133649618846792010-11-29T12:46:00.014+11:002010-12-02T14:15:44.674+11:00

UPDATE: I have just heard from Kym Diercks at Origin, and called Veda to confirm it, but the defaults have now been removed from my credit report. Not just marked as paid, but completely removed. It only took three weeks, endless hours on hold, about $50 in long-distance phone calls, an ombudsman investigation, a Veda investigation, and lots of swearing. Thanks to everyone who followed along

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-90907829384641120712010-11-08T20:48:00.003+11:002010-11-08T20:50:48.484+11:00

Visit TuDiabetes For every view of this video, Roche (the company that makes Accu-Chek diabetic products) will donate life-saving insulin to a child. And if you have diabetes, participate in the Big Blue Test on 14 November, as well. Just test your blood glucose, get active for 14 minutes, then test again. Here's the vid: And as for "We got the 'bete" well, I can't take the credit, as

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-87219345020213368382010-11-08T20:14:00.000+11:002010-11-08T20:14:00.099+11:00

Astute followers of this blog (if any of you actually exist) might remember this post about the kitchen in the house I bought last year. Well, according to plan, the house has appreciated in value enough for me to fork out (read: "beg the bank for more money") to get the kitchen ripped out and replaced. It's due to happen during December, and I'm really terrifically excited about it. Even

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-92110042066533634622010-11-06T07:23:00.001+11:002010-11-06T07:23:00.697+11:00

I've been a type 2 diabetic for about ten years. Or so I thought. I've been lucky so far. For the past ten years my diabetes has been well controlled using diet and exercise. No pills, no injections, no six-times-a-day blood testing (just every so often). Even when I was pregnant with T, I only had to have injections once or twice daily, and I have never suffered a hypo (short for hypoglycaemia,

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-84692881641932319162010-11-02T10:02:00.003+11:002010-11-02T10:14:32.359+11:00

This blog turned three a couple of days ago. This auspicious occasion is usually marked by the precipitous drop into the crazy novel-writing month of November (see the NaNoWriMo website if you're not sure what I'm talking about). This November, however, the only crazy writing will be the penning of assignments, and the ordinary crazy writing of work-as-usual. Yes, this year (and probably next

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-9774164593695222522010-10-25T13:15:00.009+11:002010-10-25T14:30:39.710+11:00

I received this on email today. My parents live in a little rural area called Majors Creek, close to Jackie French's property, and the proposed Dargues Reef Goldmine. The trucks rumbling up and down the road just 15 metres in front of my Mum and Dad's house, are likely to push the little 130 year old building off its ancient foundations. Have you ever read "Diary of Wombat"? My daughter and I

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-44769650557217288872010-09-07T21:10:00.000+10:002010-09-07T21:10:36.829+10:00

The Haecksen miniconf is on again! This year, linux.conf.au is going to be held in sunny Brisbane, and we want to invite women who develop, administer and play with FLOSS to come and join us again at the miniconf. Important: The CFP closes at midnight 24 September 2010. Selected talks will be announced early in October. That's not much time, so get cracking! We're attempting to mix it up a bit

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-52486751346054328432010-07-13T10:51:00.000+10:002010-07-13T10:51:38.101+10:00

Everyone has heard the old adage about the "KISS Principle: Keep It Simple, Stupid". Easy to say, easy to remember, but often hard to do. At least, hard to do well. When we simplify our language, it often comes across as patronising, dumbed-down, or just plain rude. So how should Stupid keep it simple, without making it stupidly simple? Consider the sentence: "Insert the writable media into the

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-59569319974995127792010-06-28T06:17:00.001+10:002010-06-28T06:17:50.306+10:00

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-11458337565544149242010-06-24T09:52:00.000+10:002010-06-24T09:52:19.881+10:00

Image from The Punch

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-84129448228979226242010-06-06T22:32:00.000+10:002010-06-06T22:32:51.326+10:00

I have loved and supported Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA) for many, many years. The love affair began back in uni, and coincided with my discovery of open source software. The power of freedom (as in speech) was heady and strong back in those days. Today, in many ways, it still is. Right now the fight is not so much against the big software companies though (although that's still up there),

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-55551870556034261982010-05-13T19:12:00.005+10:002010-05-13T21:37:21.323+10:00

I quit Facebook on the weekend. For real. For good. And you know what? Nothing happened. Well, Facebook gave me a guilt-trip, but other than that, nothing happened. No one called me in a panic, asking where I was, and what I was doing. I didn't get an email pleading for me to come back to Facebook, and help them find red gems, or a lost cow, or a home for some virtual furry pet. I didn't

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-88909888092237593482010-04-23T09:51:00.001+10:002010-04-23T10:19:03.750+10:00

As ANZAC day approaches, and my bugling duties are again requested, I thought it would be apt to draw attention to the post I wrote on the topic this time last year. The last paragraph mentions this: This ANZAC day I'd like to remind you all to think about not just the white Australians (and all the members of other nationalities) that have died during war, but to remember the original owners

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-22224828469151489982010-04-06T21:08:00.001+10:002010-04-06T21:10:46.447+10:00

I was privileged enough to be able to attend linux.conf.au in Wellington in January. While there, I caught Bob Edwards' and Andrew Tridgell's talk on "Teaching FOSS at Universities" (video of which can be found here). It intrigued me. Open source software development is very different to developing software in a more traditional, closed source environment. The aim of the course is to teach

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-14478342357426439872010-03-25T07:12:00.006+11:002010-03-29T18:14:16.319+11:00

Often, when a woman joins an all-male technical environment, they will look at her strangely. They might try and pretend that she's a bloke, that she's just 'one of the boys'. They might ignore her. They might make a few distasteful jokes and then get on with the job. But mostly, what happens is that a woman is noticed. She'll be whispered about, she'll feel eyes watching her, she will notice her

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-52610765520479876322010-02-17T17:39:00.001+11:002010-02-25T15:59:47.609+11:00

The geek feminist establishment has spent so much time hating Barbie, that now it's a little hard to know what to think about the new Computer Engineer Barbie. I predict it's going to be yet another polarising factor, actually. There'll be those who think that Barbie is just mocking what we have tried so hard to achieve. And then there'll be those who'll think that this might actually help prove

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-91967585976770469332010-02-08T10:37:00.003+11:002010-06-27T17:13:53.140+10:00

I've just put in my application to speak at LinuxCon in Boston in August. Their speaker lineup is pretty impressive, so it would be an incredible honour to be selected. For posterity, here is the abstract I've submitted: This talk is a look into why documentation is so important to open source projects. It explains how to create documentation that will empower your users, guide them through

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-54754635151639268542010-01-25T14:38:00.005+11:002010-01-25T14:50:45.217+11:00

Well, linux.conf.au has been and gone. It was quite a ride! I flew in at about stupid o'clock on Sunday morning, and the fogged windows of the shuttle bus revealed nothing of the city I had landed in other than it was dark, wet, and very windy. Getting out of the bus confirmed these observations, and - dressed in my summery clothes from sweltering Brisbane - I hurried into the warmth of the

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-39968148259225461962010-01-09T15:08:00.000+11:002010-01-09T15:08:06.571+11:00

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-57626101727467820432009-12-23T14:13:00.002+11:002009-12-23T14:19:37.394+11:00

I think the answer is different for everyone. For me, though, the answer is "sometimes". Sometimes I do just stop writing, but I don't stop playing with language. When I'm not writing, I do crossword puzzles, I play word games, I dream up little passages in my head that will fade into the mists of memory before they're ever committed to paper. But most of all, I read. A lot. I've just picked up

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-41464035404114808352009-12-15T22:00:00.008+11:002009-12-17T14:47:21.628+11:00

Something that I thought wasn't going to happen, today happened. Senator Conroy announced his plan to filter the internet (which I have previously referred to on this blog as "Conroy's Folly"). Admittedly, they have to get it through the Senate yet, and it's going to take a few coalition ministers crossing the floor to do it, but I just don't trust them. The fact that something I passionately

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-80659051839640606932009-12-15T16:20:00.001+11:002009-12-15T17:13:04.155+11:00

In her introduction to the 1994 edition of "Damned Whores and God's Police", the wonderful Anne Summers wrote "I believe that to address these questions [of women's struggle for equality] adequately, a new book is needed and I hope that someone, somewhere, right now is hatching another 'big book', a sweeping feminist perspective on contemporary Australia, because we need another interpretation, a

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-40691291326232918512009-12-14T21:56:00.000+11:002009-12-14T21:56:36.434+11:00

Every writer has been asked this. Even unpublished, unknown, and unrecognised writers like me. In Stephen King's brilliant book "On Writing" (which, you might have noticed, was the inspiration for this blog's title) he gives a simple and succinct answer: Anything you damn well want. Honestly, I don't know where I get my ideas. Sometimes I turn a little tiny nub of an idea around in my head,

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-31218352362511614332009-12-12T20:43:00.006+11:002009-12-12T20:48:39.240+11:00

Waiter: Would you like some coffee?  Woman: Yes, please.  Waiter: Just say when. (Starts to pour.)  Woman: There. (He keeps pouring.) That's fine. (He pours.) Stop! (She grabs the pot; there is coffee everywhere.)  Waiter: Yes, ma'am.  Woman: Well, why didn't you stop pouring?  Waiter: Oh, I wasn't sure you meant it.  Woman: Look, of course I meant it! I have coffee all over my lap! You nearly

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-19754440098365888332009-12-09T16:31:00.006+11:002009-12-09T16:47:23.244+11:00

Including the PM, it seems. And he's not afraid to tell everyone about it, either. Just off the top of my head, Kevin Rudd has voiced his opinion on everything from Bill Henson to Kyle Sandilands, and had a go at The Chaser on the way through. Now, the latest target for his disapproval is Westpac, it seems. Westpac, to be fair, hiked interest rates much further than the RBA did, but that's their

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-53035842795421205612009-11-30T16:04:00.002+11:002009-11-30T16:13:32.574+11:00

Last year, I wrote this: This year, I'm making an effort to give more than I receive, to make more than I buy, and to recycle more than I throw away. It isn't just a gift for now, this year, but a gift to our children, and their future. This year, T is spending Christmas with her Dad, so we will be child free here. I decided to take the opportunity to do a big chunk of volunteering, including

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-82105550122460094232009-11-27T22:55:00.000+11:002009-11-27T22:55:59.910+11:00

I did it! Three days ahead of schedule too. Check me out!

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-9510433494904631712009-11-14T14:01:00.001+11:002009-11-14T14:02:02.843+11:00

In order to protect my own sanity, and in light of the increased traffic to my site, I've decided to move my fiction offshore. I'm just moving the current NaNoWriMo off for now, but I'll be moving the rest (NaNo of past years and short fiction of all varieties) off as soon as I find two seconds. The best part is that in the process, I'm organising them a little better, so it should be easier for

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-58744138503868295762009-11-13T12:38:00.003+11:002009-11-13T12:47:01.800+11:00

To all my new wonderful visitors - hello and welcome! Thanks for dropping by! As you can see, the blog is a little crazy right now, due to a little thing that I participate in every year called NaNoWriMo. Be assured that it's not always like this. To everyone else who is just looking for the next installment in the story - I'll return you to your regular November scheduling madness shortly.

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-44387315172880817942009-10-31T16:17:00.003+11:002009-11-14T19:26:26.554+11:00

Once again, November has rolled around with its usual alarming regularity. The end of October marks not only the beginning of that rather fast descent into madness that is NaNoWriMo, but also the second birthday of this particular blog. Thanks for hanging in there for the ride! This year has been ... interesting. And it's not over yet. All in all, I'm a lot happier now than ever before,

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-38002903853662531322009-10-20T13:44:00.005+11:002009-10-20T14:06:04.302+11:00

I was invited to speak as a guest lecturer at the Australian National University last week. The audience was a class of third and fourth year computer science students, and the topic was technical writing. After speaking for somewhere pretty close to an hour, and successfully getting a few laughs in that time, I answered a clutch of questions, and was then drawn into a discussion about

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-39151195174793792802009-10-17T20:19:00.002+11:002009-10-17T20:20:49.647+11:00

Today marks the start of the 8-day long diwali (or dīpāvali) festival. It is a festival of light, celebrated in Hinduism and Buddhism, among others. Traditionally, people light candles, wear new clothes, and celebrate with sweets and snacks. What got me thinking, though, was the many and varied stories of how diwali came about, through legend and history. I won't go into detail (if you want

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-16629041758071295802009-10-05T10:35:00.000+11:002009-10-05T10:35:52.140+11:00

NaNoWriMo is coming! Check me out

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-69091566970516556292009-09-29T17:46:00.002+10:002009-09-29T18:12:23.113+10:00

I'm going to linux.conf.au in Wellington in January, to give my "Beautiful Technical Documentation" talk for the Haecksen mini-conf. Haecksen is the German feminine version of the English word 'hackers'. Te Whanga-nui-a-Tara is the Maori word for Wellington. I've done a bit of travelling in my time, but the opportunity to hop over the puddle to New Zealand has never presented itself before now

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-72115078862062625662009-09-22T20:12:00.001+10:002009-09-22T20:14:07.152+10:00

T has her school fête coming up next weekend, which means I get to bake. And I don't mean baking boring grown-up stuff, either. Kid food rocks :) I'll be making my standard chocolate buttermilk cake, and these Open Source Brownies. Yay! Image credit here. Check it out, it's an awesome site!

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-73587434047341403942009-09-17T08:26:00.001+10:002009-09-17T08:27:27.533+10:00

Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else. Gloria Steinem National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is coming up again. And so, like many other writers (both professional and aspiring), I'll be setting aside the thirty days of November to pump out 50,000 words of a novel, or about 1,600 words a day. This is in addition to the thousands of words I

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-82543230979127542032009-09-13T21:22:00.002+10:002009-09-14T18:26:46.287+10:00

I went to Woolworth's on the weekend. Not exactly blog material, I know, but what I saw there was. I didn't snap a picture (left my phone in the car, bummer!) but I'll try and get one up shortly. It seems as though we don't have quite enough gendered food to offer our children these days, so Allen's (owned by Nestle) have stepped into the gap we didn't know we had ... "Boy's Adventure Mix" and "

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-85731234265295670852009-09-11T20:56:00.004+10:002009-09-11T21:03:45.103+10:00

Back in December, I blogged this, which questioned the rationale behind the laying of criminal charges on the like of Chris Illingworth, at the centre of the "baby-swinging" scandal. I was lucky enough to have that post repeated over at The Thinkers' Podium, and Mr Illingworth himself responded to my original article as a result of that. And so it was with great excitement that I read that the

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-65929506642329107282009-09-03T09:50:00.004+10:002009-09-14T13:44:37.594+10:00

I had the misfortune to come across this ad while browsing today:  Apparently, to be 'sexy' (which inevitably requires me to lose 10lbs of 'stomach fat'), I just need to give birth.Is this genuine, or just a bot-fail, I wonder?  ~*~*~*~ Updated: 14 September Just found another pearler: (Click to embiggen) How do you lose 35lbs? By shaving your edges off (unevenly) in photoshop! Yay!

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-71819024720986926882009-08-30T17:10:00.001+10:002009-09-11T21:03:05.757+10:00

Pixar has a new movie out (warning: horrible flash site with sound) in a couple of weeks. Naturally, T is itching to see it. It even sounds like a decent story. The main character ties a whole heap of helium balloons to his house, to embark on a long-wished-for holiday. The climax is seemingly built around a somewhat irritating small child. The main thing I noticed, though, like a scratch that

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-28106987154529330282009-08-07T14:53:00.002+10:002010-03-25T06:49:56.708+11:00

Writing a book is an adventure. To begin with it is a toy and amusement. Then it becomes a mistress, then it becomes a master, then it becomes a tyrant. The last phase is that just as you are about to be reconciled to your servitude, you kill the monster and fling him out to the public. --Winston Churchill Step 1: Planning - who is the audience? What are the book's goals? Step 2: Content -

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-40347074512836463782009-07-23T19:17:00.002+10:002009-07-23T19:24:47.461+10:00

I put my proposal in to linux.conf.au last night. The conference will be in Wellington for 2010, in January. My talk is about technical writing for open source projects, and I've called it "Creating beautiful open source technical documentation". That was a little boring, though, so I gave it a subtitle: "Writing FOSS docs that don't suck". Better :)For posterity, I'm recording the abstract here:

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-36638652651270607182009-07-07T14:03:00.000+10:002009-07-07T14:05:38.138+10:00

Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it's just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it.- David SedarisTechnical writing is a strange breed. When you write fiction or poetry or a screenplay, it's a release, it's a way of expressing what is inside yourself, and allowing your imagination to creep into the those little crevices in your brain, and

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-60208341752803551722009-07-04T17:29:00.002+10:002009-07-04T17:41:48.346+10:00

I've been wondering what to do about the kitchen in the new place in the short term, but the answer has hunted me down, it seems. I was thinking that if I can just change the colour of the benchtops somehow, it would make me a lot happier. My first idea was to buy new laminate, and somehow glue it on top of the orange stuff, but after some investigation, it seems a lot more difficult, expensive,

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-61762895177627503672009-07-04T14:01:00.005+10:002009-07-04T14:29:00.046+10:00

From the comments section on the skepchick article regarding the "Ban the Burka" furor:ekimbrough // Jul 3, 2009 at 5:14 pmThe argument for banning burqas is an argument that shoots itself in the foot. We don’t like burqas because they’re a symbol of a ruling authority forcing a restriction onto women because the women aren’t respected enough to be allowed to decide for themselves. So, what

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-48343726825245561572009-07-01T19:44:00.004+10:002009-07-01T19:52:11.702+10:00

What's so wonderful about being a little boy anyway? Why is that necessarily any better than being a mouse? I know that mice get hunted and they sometimes get poisoned or caught in traps. But little boys sometimes get killed, too. Little boys can be run over by motor-cars or they can die of some awful illness. Little boys have to go to school. Mice don't. Mice don't have to pass exams. Mice don't

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-49903325519209106612009-06-30T21:32:00.001+10:002009-06-30T21:34:26.202+10:00

Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it's just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it. - David Sedaris

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-86845179991310509372009-06-30T14:30:00.004+10:002009-06-30T15:43:55.520+10:00

I've been lucky enough to be present at a few conferences now where there has been what has been termed the 'Twitter backchannel'. One formal, and a few informal. I gave a short talk at one of the informal ones, as well.The term 'backchannel' refers to a conversation being held by the audience, in addition to and alongside the formal channel of the speaker talking to the audience. Increasingly,

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-43233646500413791762009-06-22T20:58:00.002+10:002009-06-22T21:52:22.050+10:00

I like the word zealot. Much more than I like the trait, I must admit. What's interesting is how much the term gets used to describe people who use Linux. And as much as I wish it weren't so, I can see why it happens too. All too often, Linux users are seen to be ranting on about why the whole world ought to be using it. Yes, I like Linux too, but what kind of dream world do some of these people

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-18907768288070685952009-06-21T22:50:00.003+10:002009-06-21T22:55:11.212+10:00

Looking for a recipe hit? I've just added a new one, over at Slow Food Adventures, my new foodie blog.By the way, happy winter solstice everybody. I intend to spend my extra night-time sleeping, how about you?

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-5670591456033473952009-06-20T15:16:00.002+10:002009-06-20T15:43:15.257+10:00

In preparation for launching my brand new foodie-blog, I've moved the recipes to a temporary home over at Wordpress - http://slowfoodadventures.wordpress.com/. And, to add to the excitement, I'll be posting a new one up this weekend. What is it? Not telling!

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-65179610086115528162009-06-17T13:05:00.003+10:002009-06-17T13:06:58.488+10:00

(click to embiggen)

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-71128259920754071132009-06-17T12:17:00.000+10:002009-06-17T12:18:04.143+10:00

Get Your Cyborg Name

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-58093066456354778592009-06-13T18:09:00.003+10:002009-06-13T18:35:04.633+10:00

We got the building report for the new house the other day. The main points were the floors:the kitchen:and the front fence:All of which were already on the plan (for reasons that should become obvious with those pictures!).To that end, I've been hanging out on the Renovation Forum, where I happened to meet a guy who polishes floorboards for a living (he's also a Linux user, which makes him good

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-77225372554358888862009-06-13T14:59:00.003+10:002009-06-13T15:13:42.516+10:00

For those of you who have been wondering what's happening to my absolute-beginner Linux idea, wonder no longer! Jumpstart Linux is now up and running over at http://jumpstartlinux.blogspot.com. Once you're there, please sign up to the mailing list. We also have a Facebook group so if that's your poison, you can sign up over there too.Just a quick thanks to you all for the massive response I had

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-22328383926016565472009-06-13T13:56:00.004+10:002009-06-13T14:01:01.790+10:00

Because customers don't always think the same way you do.

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-64237172740430681192009-06-12T08:49:00.002+10:002009-06-12T09:00:08.830+10:00

Well, Fedora 11 is finally here. And the first reports are out. And they are ... well ... less than glowing. Here's arstechnica:The developers behind the popular Fedora Linux distribution announced this week the official release of version 11, codenamed Leonidas. This release introduces some significant new features but it also comes with some unfortunate bugs, particularly in the installer.It

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-17477820231978652762009-06-09T21:23:00.003+10:002009-06-09T21:28:06.411+10:00

My beloved bought me a present today, and I just had to share it:Very geeky, no? It's around my neck. It's staying there. In case of emergencies, you know ;)

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-33755890092967356112009-06-09T21:09:00.002+10:002009-06-09T21:13:40.791+10:00

It is the struggle that won't let me fall asleep. Because I have to write. Something. I don't know what it is yet. But it's there inside of me, barking, screaming, crying, aching, swearing.http://www.lethesblog.com/2009/05/what-is-it-to-be-artist.html

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-85981349625012029712009-05-30T17:20:00.003+10:002009-05-30T17:47:56.895+10:00

Is "noobs" the kind of term that people consider offensive these days? It appears to be perfectly acceptable within the geek community, but what about non-geeks? Would love to know people's thoughts on that ...The reason I ask is that I've been doing some thinking. I did a talk at the beginner CLUG last Thursday that was all about debunking some common Linux myths, and explaining why people might

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-2583476534931561822009-05-24T22:00:00.004+10:002009-05-24T22:14:29.004+10:00

Lasagne is one of those perennial favourites. I love Italian cooking, and my mother always made a really wonderful lasagne, so I've spent many years perfecting this one. I think I'm more or less on to a winner now though, so here it is for you all to enjoy.Start here, with the meat sauce. You can do this up to a day or two in advance. Just cook it up to the end of this phase, let it cool down a

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-73919381360803652332009-05-24T21:40:00.004+10:002009-05-24T22:14:17.715+10:00

And now for the exciting part! Putting it all together, and cooking it into something truly wonderful!You will need a good sized baking dish (corningware works the best if you have one. Otherwise, any solid ceramic dish should be fine). Put it either on top of a biscuit tray, or sit it inside a larger baking dish. This is to catch drips because, if you're anything like me, you're going to fill

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-1032983004940720482009-05-24T21:22:00.005+10:002009-05-24T21:33:09.671+10:00

Garlic bread is dead easy, it really is quite hard to stuff up. You can use virtually any kind of bread, and just about any herbs. This is my version:This is a Turkish loaf. And a gratuitous knife shot.Use your bread knife to chop it into thick slices.Then cut each slice in half along the length.Here's some butter that has been in the fridge.I put this in the microwave for twenty seconds. The

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-73330917544996474772009-05-24T20:34:00.007+10:002009-05-24T21:22:04.511+10:00

Bechamel sauce is a basic white sauce. I like to add cheese, pepper, and some herbs to it for lasagne, otherwise it just tastes, well ... white. And that's not much fun. It's a little fiddly if you're doing it from scratch, but not too difficult. It does require a lot of stirring, and you really can't walk away from it at any point, though. Make sure you have a good twenty minutes up your sleeve

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-64265589008053983942009-05-24T19:14:00.009+10:002009-05-24T19:36:29.393+10:00

Creating the meat component of a lasagne is similar, but not quite the same, as creating a bolognese sauce. You could probably quite happily use it on top of pasta and nobody would be any the wiser, but - when I cook it at least - it has slightly different components, and different final consistency. Here's my method:Here's the cast of characters: basil, marjoram and oregano (dried is fine),

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-42756793860436093362009-05-24T15:06:00.006+10:002009-05-31T14:01:17.334+10:00

Ever since I first heard the words "Global Financial Crisis", it's been creeping inexorably closer to me. At first, I couldn't see any effects at all. Then, a friend lost his job, then another friend. Then I started to see changes in companies around me, and then in the company I work for. Little things, mostly, that all added up to an encroaching feeling of impending panic.So naturally, I am in

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-22450998219990720522009-05-14T21:08:00.015+10:002009-05-14T23:01:08.079+10:00

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for ... another picture recipe! I had so much fun doing the last one, and had such a great response to it, that I've been trying to think up another recipe to try another one. And here it is: Chicken Parmigiana.This is my own recipe, that I've developed over quite a few years now. It goes from scratch, so it's a bit time consuming, but it really is very

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-69039697938059825192009-04-29T16:40:00.015+10:002009-04-29T22:13:16.044+10:00

I've been reading the The Pioneer Woman Cooks for a little while now, and I am terrifically inspired by her photographic journeys through her recipes. So, today, when someone asked me for my Lamb Rendang recipe, I decided to try a Pioneer Woman-style rendition. My photography isn't a patch on hers, but I'm hoping you'll recognise this for what it is - a poor imitation. Anyway, here it is, please

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-88249009906608124322009-04-27T21:49:00.000+10:002009-04-27T21:50:15.422+10:00

In the kitchen, it's all action. People everywhere. I've been planning the menu for weeks, and had done most of it by the time the first guests - my parents - arrived. I saw Dad briefly, he gave me a kiss on the cheek and I could smell alcohol on his breath. I said nothing. He looked around with haunted eyes, then opened the fridge just enough to slide a beer out from the bottom shelf, and then

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-76775553883988476162009-04-24T16:34:00.003+10:002009-04-24T16:49:46.826+10:00

Many of you already know that I am bugling for the ANZAC day services in Braidwood this year. I'm sure most of you also know that I am morally opposed to war and in no way condone its glorification. That said, I'd like to explain why I do this:Despite the many elements of the traditional ANZAC day service that glorify war and the 'ultimate sacrifice', the bugle is played specifically to mourn for

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-38474340423447066462009-03-31T14:50:00.002+11:002009-03-31T14:59:11.601+11:00

I'm lucky enough to be welcoming Ruth Ellison at the second Girl Geek Dinner, which is going to be held this Saturday at Indian Affair in Phillip. I had a good chat to Ruth at the inaugural dinner, and found her to be absolutely fascinating. Can't wait to hear what she has to say. If you're interested in coming along, you need to hop along to the GGD blog and RSVP.As an aside, yes, the pictures

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-79133121489793628392009-03-24T20:14:00.004+11:002009-03-24T21:18:33.962+11:00

Ada Lovelace Day is all about putting the focus on women in technology. It's about raising awareness of, supporting, and encouraging women in technology. It's about acknowledging the work that women have done to contribute to technology. And it's about recognising that women everywhere have shaped and will continue to shape the face of technology, whatever technology that may encompass.According

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-28235508263029249952009-03-14T09:58:00.005+11:002009-03-14T10:47:03.779+11:00

Those of you who know me well know that I am an avid consumer of 'foodie' magazines. In the March edition of Australian Good Food (a relatively new magazine and my current favourite), they discuss Alice Walters' book "The Art of Simple Food". I don't own the book (although I'd love to!), so I can't comment on it directly. However, my understanding is that it encompasses simple food (what we would

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-47791103213127029172009-03-10T08:41:00.002+11:002009-03-18T10:19:13.390+11:00

I bang on about the virtual commons quite a lot. I'm involved, and have been involved, in a few different community websites and (more reluctantly) social media networks. Some are great, some are tolerable, some fall under the 'necessary evil' category and others are just downright painful. In one particular case, it started out as great and made a rather swift downward slide towards

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-63199258261519878402009-03-09T10:44:00.002+11:002009-03-09T10:47:21.510+11:00

From my dear friend Estelle, a delightful short story titled "Mrs Mummy":-=oOo=-Once upon a time …… in a long ago land …… far away …… lived Mrs Mummy.It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. “Hello, sun! Hello, birds!” sang Mrs Mummy.Mrs Mummy was very busy. She hustled and she bustled. The coffee was hot. The porridge was bubbling. The sausages were sizzling. Suddenly

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-70584640059553722402009-03-02T10:08:00.005+11:002009-03-03T21:36:44.348+11:00

I noticed this post over at bookninja today. A short one, all about reading to children. Apparently, only 3% of fathers read to their children, compared to 89% of mothers. The statistics could be wrong, there appears to be no more information than that, and I'm not quite sure what they're measuring (read to their children every night, once a week, ever ... ?). Being a writer and a lifelong book

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-14646909306978671082009-03-01T13:25:00.002+11:002009-03-01T13:52:42.513+11:00

Thanks to my wonderful friend Greg Sydney-Smith, and his most stunning web-dev skills, my blog has been restored to more than its former glory, complete with working comments!Thanks Greg, your generosity and talents are very, very much appreciated!

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-77242228491754950472009-02-09T21:59:00.004+11:002009-02-09T22:05:55.461+11:00

My blog is in serious disrepair, and needs some love. I don't have the talent or the time to be able to fix it, so for now I'm going to leave it in its sorry state. Unfortunately, the comments section is entirely broken. If you want to leave me a comment, either drop in and see me on Twitter (username: Loquacities) or sling me an email to loquacities(at)gmail(dot)com. In the meantime, here's a

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-16976215799260251502009-01-21T23:32:00.001+11:002009-01-21T23:35:27.740+11:00

I was going to post something about the US Presidential Inauguration tonight, but before I could finish the post, I had an idea for a short story. Stay tuned, I will post about Obama soon. In the meantime - enjoy!-~=oOo=~-The thumping bass of the last song drifts away, and the sexy notes of a saxophone glissando ease across the dance floor. The deejay, bloated with his own importance, growls

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-49836529653737585962009-01-18T18:10:00.004+11:002009-01-18T18:15:41.816+11:00

I've launched the inaugural Girl Geek Dinner over on the GGD Blog and have been fielding all sorts of traffic since then ... the blog has just about melted down with visits, I've had a bunch of RSVPs already, Facebook has been going nuts and Twitter - wow! Twitter is amazing! According to the stats on the GGD blog, Twitter has driven something like 20% of the traffic to the site, which I think is

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-59164185314615362502009-01-16T13:07:00.002+11:002009-01-16T13:29:21.123+11:00

Between an upcoming release at work and the whole Girl Geek Dinner thing, I've been snowed. It's not all bad though, the response to the GGD idea has been well ... overwhelming, actually. I set up a Twitter feed this morning and, much to my chagrin, will be fumbling through Facebook at some stage very soon (probably tonight). I've had so many ideas thrown at me for getting the word out, and so

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-26842717777137442162009-01-13T17:45:00.002+11:002009-01-13T18:08:18.541+11:00

Girl Geek Dinners have been around for a few years now. They were originally started in London by Sarah Blow, and have been gradually spreading all around the world. Last year saw the Sydney dinners arrived, followed closely by the Brisbane group.So, naturally, when I heard on the grapevine that there were plans for a Canberra branch I got a bit excited and tried to work out who was organising it

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4303542396046121869.post-3660311480711329552008-12-15T21:36:00.007+11:002009-09-16T14:08:48.036+10:00

Certain recent articles (linked to throughout the post) have gotten me thinking about the way that society is treating children in this age. I haven't seen a lot of research on this topic, and I'd love it if someone could point me in the direction of some studies. In the Victorian age, children were treated more or less as short adults. Society quite happily sent nine year olds down mines, and

Loquacityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04441639648185651632noreply@blogger.com2