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May 12 Catching UpA whole year goes by and I've hardly touched my space ... well it's time to revamp and catch up! Some of the new features are pretty cool, like improved image embedding for articles, the guestbook, and also the ability to customise the theme. Certainly some features are still lacking - such as spellcheck and HTML buttons similar to the old MSN groups - which could be useful tools for speeding up article publishing with nicer layouts.
Moving on with this update, let's begin with some of the happenings in my life over the past year which have kept me from keeping up-to-date with my online blog duties. Firstly, it's been a busy year moving our family of ten to a larger house and adjusting to a new town. I completed my Certificate IV in Information Technology (Website Design) and Reanimated Residue Multimedia Studios has been busy with various web development projects since. Our website has undergone a massive transformation also - though far from complete, I'm quite happy with it now - however things have progressed so rapidily for us that it's already in need of another overhaul so you might notice a number of changes occuring over the next couple of months.
We've had another Christmas go by already, so here's a couple of pics from Christmas 2007. The first is a natural Aussie Christmas Door Wreath. The kids collected the native fauna from the park, including gum leaves and nuts, which I then assembled into a welcoming decoration more suited to the aussie festive season. The second pic is our traditional Xmas Eve photo of the completed tree. You can see our new aquarium in this photo - a hobby of my husband's - but more about that later. And taken at about 5:30am on Christmas Morning, is the third photo of myself, sporting new sunnies and a Virgo coffee mug.
As always, Nanna and Pop sent gifts including these beautiful hand-crafted soft toys for the triplets. I thought they were really special and that I should share them with you.
It's always good to highlight a worthy cause and the everyday people who are implementing inspirational working solutions. These toys are top quality products and I have no doubt they will last until the girls want to pass them on to their own children. So if you are looking for a unique gift for that special occasion, give Barefoot a look. You can also visit Barefoot Australia.
I mentioned earlier my husband's hobby so heres a couple of pics from our aquarium. These pics are a bit old - again around Oct/Nov 2007 - so the fish have grown somewhat since and need a new tank already. I tell you it's a scarey thing to feed these critters, let alone putting your whole arm in the tank to rearrange the neighbourhood ornaments. I've always enjoyed watching the community interaction of fish. I can sit for hours captivated by their little domestic disputes and mating rituals. Hmmm ... I think I mite have been watching too many David Attenborough documentaries lately.
Well that's a pretty good start for an update ... but I've got plenty of new stuff to write about so I'll be back a few more times over the coming weeks. I hope all the mum's out there had a fabulous day yesterday for Mother's Day 2008! November 10 Triplet Breakfast MilkshakeInto a measuring jug combine:
3 Weetbix
2 Bananas 250 grams Strawberry Yogurt 100 mls Heinz Multigrain Mix Fill to 900 mls with Milk and blend with an electric hand mixer. Poor into Dinky cups and serve. September 07 Bin Laden Arrested at Apec?Would APEC security notice if Osama Bin Laden arrived at APEC in the Canadian diplomatic convoy? Apparently not. Okay, so it wasn’t exactly Osama Bin Laden, but rather a popular Australian media personality dressed as the world’s most wanted man, who managed to infiltrate the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) security red-zone before being arrested 10 metres from the Sydney's InterContinental Hotel, where American President George Bush has been staying during the summit. The stunt made world headlines when several team members of the successful Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) satire television program, Chaser’s War on Everything, were arrested and charged under section 19 of the APEC Meeting Act 2007 on Thursday September 6th, after being waved through security checkpoints with a fake motorcade consisting of three hire cars flying Canadian flags accompanied by a motorcycle escort and security guards on foot.
The Chaser crew was denied media accreditation prior to the summit, and in an article published on September 2nd, executive producer and cast member Julian Morrow warned, “We're hoping at least three of the team will be arrested,” in plans to “play with APEC”. Morrow was among the 11 detained, which also included the 3 hire car drivers. NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione says The Chaser team were specifically told not to conduct “dangerous stunts” during APEC week. Speaking for the first time since his arrest Morrow said, "lucky it was us and not Al Qaeda." The skit has thrown doubt over the effectiveness of the AU$170 million security operation which has had large portions of the Sydney CBD in lockdown since the start of the conference on September 2nd. It involves some 3500 officers, including riot police and military personnel. Authorities and organisers are in desperate denial hoping to save face over the bungle, with Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer quoted as saying “The point is they were in any case arrested, so I think the security works”, while NSW Police Minister David Campbell said, “I think this reinforces that APEC security has been successful by the mere fact that 11 people have been arrested”.
Also revealed yesterday, two police identification passes were incorrectly issued to staff members of the government Opposition which theoretically gave them unrestricted access to all APEC secure zones. The passes were eventually revoked and new passes issued in replacement, but again the error confirms uncertainty in what is the biggest security operation the country has ever seen. The Chaser team was released on bail to appear in court on October 4th and face a maximum of six months jail for entering a secure area. December 25 Twas the night before ChristmasWell Okay ... so it's actually Christmas morning now. I've just finished wrapping all the pressies and stacking them around the tree for the kids to wake up to in the morning. Here is what it looks like now.
Merry Christmas Everyone! December 22 Christmas is here!Its been ages since Ive left a post ... spose I should drop by more often, but it's been a busy year, what with seven kids and lots of projects to undertake. So it's that time again and all the lil kiddies are excited. Pointing at big pressies on top of the cupboard, "oOo thats a big present Mummy" .... "Yes it is, and it's not yours." says I lol. How mean am I? hehehe. Anyway here's some pre-christmas pics ...
Local Santa at the Community Christmas Party - Dec 14th 06
This Year's Christmas Tree - Dec 22nd 06 Wasnt that exciting? I think so, I love Christmas ... I mean who doesnt? Even though I dont get all the pressies I want anymore ... i love watching the kids open theirs and get everything their hearts desire. Ahhhh the spirit of giving. Can't put any pressies unda the tree yet cause they wouldnt survive til Christmas day. Hopefully I can take some more pics on Christmas Eve when its all laden with gifts. So as I said, Ive been undertaking many projects this year. I completed my first semester in a Certificate IV Information Technology (Website Design), so my next project is to spiffy up the Reanimated Residue website before classes start again. My kids have been bugging me for a homepage on the web too, so that is also to come. I've also got to add some links to other communities we run or are involved in, as well as some stuff for our new internet radio station, Radio Residue (thats a "listen" link btw). We've been involved in a community of radio stations for a few months now over at radio-forums.net - a pretty cool concept of numerous radio stations and listeners interacting via forums while on air. We've also been trying to get some video happening through the same station, and recently unleashed "The Videodrome" ... a b-grade movie TV show. First night was riddled with issues but things will certainly improve as we smooth things out. Currently we support 1500/256 and up connections for the video nights. So head on over to radio-forums.net and get involved. Radio Residue's dedicated forums at the site can be found here - that's where you can find out all about our station, chat with the DJs and other listeners, and find out when our shows are scheduled to be on. Hope to see you there! So it's almost to time finish up here ... I'll leave you with one last photo. The triplets will be 11 months old at the end of this year, so I thought I'd show an update picture. They're crawling around now, and babbling baby words, laughing, and exploring. They are such good lil girls - hardly ever crying and always sleeping through the night. So here it is, taken Dec 14th, three lil faces all the same ... Havent they grown?!?
November 19 DVD Review: Classic Albums - U2 - The Joshua TreeAt first impression, this Eagle Vision release from the Classic Albums series could be perceived as a “making of” documentary. The band and producers unveil old studio recordings of the most poignant tracks from The Joshua Tree, sharing musical snippets that did not make it to the final cut, and anecdotes of how those songs were born.  In its essence this documentary is U2 reminiscing about recording their most successful studio release, The Joshua Tree. Of course, expect the usual vanity to exude from Bono and the boys, but nonetheless their drive to create to the best of their abilities, and passion for their chosen subject matter, is powerfully sincere. They describe the album as highly influenced by American folk and blues culture, with their urge to draw on political messages born of their Irish heritage and experiences. Fans may appreciate a demure Bono in the presence of producer Daniel Lanois, Adam’s misguided assertion that The Joshua Tree was one of the first techno albums on the music scene, Larry’s quiet offence at being the ignored drummer, and an exuberant Edge proudly demonstrating his atmospheric melodic riffs. We learn that mixing the album was an art in and of itself with producers, Steve Lillywhite, Brian Eno, and Daniel Lanois, developing and injecting their own ideas into the music. They lament over their difficulties in creating “Where the Streets Have No Name”, seemingly a work of great difficulty and contention for both band and producers. Along with cuts of concert footage from the Popmart tour, Classic Albums: U2 – The Joshua Tree includes potent live performances of “Mothers of the Disappeared” and “Running to Stand Still”. The 60 minute documentary closes with the full-length music video of “The Sweetest Thing”, crafted as an apology to Bono’s wife for forgetting her birthday while on tour. The song was not included as a track on the album, but was recorded during the same studio sessions, and released as a b-side for the 1987 single, “Where the Streets Have No Name”. With this, their fifth album release, The Joshua Tree won a 1988 Grammy Award for Album of the Year, and established U2 as one of rocks most significant musical artists, filling arenas world-wide to this day. November 06 DVD Review: Queen Under Review 1980-1991 I am not certain that a hardcore Queen fanatic would garner much from this, the next instalment in the Chrome Dreams Media “Queen Under Review” series, a critical analysis of the band from 1980 until the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991. Other than the satisfaction the brilliant genius from Queen during this period is finally recognised by influential critics, Queen Under Review 1980-1991 is probably more enlightening to those of us who were too young to experience the earlier achievements of Queen in the 1970’s, only to discover them during the course of their temperate popularity in the 1980’s.The in-depth discussion on this DVD, from acclaimed music journalists and other experts within the industry, is a positive accolade to a powerful revolutionary band. This is an educational journey through each album release, and their twenty chart topping singles, between 1980 and 1991. Dialogue focuses on Queen’s bold experimentation with a multitude of challenging genres, when others were looking back at an era of punk and new-wave pop was hitting the music scene. I have always loved the music of Queen, but I don’t know Queen as a loyal fan would. They grabbed my attention from the first day I heard their music and I have always taken it for granted that they were considered legends in the same way I viewed Led Zeppelin or The Stones. I assumed it was a just a given that Queen were highly commended artists throughout their career. It was quite surprising to learn that their popularity had somewhat waned in the United States following the release of the “Flash Gordon” soundtrack album in 1980.  Queen Under Review 1980-1991 features snippets of Queen as an exuberant live act, including stadium performances such as that which stole the show at the Wembley Stadium “Live Aid” concert on July 13th, 1985 – often hailed as one of the greatest live sets of all time. Unfortunately the documentary is deprived of any interviews with remaining band members. Radio broadcaster and journalist, Paul Gambaccini, probably offers the closest connectivity, with an occasional revealing anecdote concerning his close friend, Freddie Mercury.Overall, Queen Under Review 1980-1991 presents a intriguing retrospective on the music and personality of a band who were ultimately groundbreaking, extravagant, flamboyant, and an undeniable influential force on the landscape of contemporary rock music. October 23 United States Bans VegemiteWell this IS a curious issue … and I’m not a happy little Vegemite!  America has decided to make its opinions quite clear about Australia's favourite black breakfast spread, by banning it's importation into the United States. Now I understand Vegemite is an acquired taste, but we Aussies can't resist the tasty yeasty properties of beer residue, and this ban is preventing Aussie tourists from sharing this unique condiment with our American mates - not to mention the affect this crackdown is having at the breakfast table of our expatriates. About Australia, a US based store providing American consumers with traditional products from Down Under, was forced to stop importing Vegemite six months ago, however the product was actually limited to 113gram (4oz) jars in 2005. Expat Daniel Fogarty, now living in Canada, was recently searched for Vegemite while crossing the border on a trip to Montana. Other travellers have had their jars of Vegemite confiscated. This insult on our national iconic symbol is almost as un-Australian as politicians banning the word 'mate' in Parliament ... oh wait ... that did happen.  So what's the big deal? What did Vegemite do to offend our brothers in arms? After all, it might be a little salty on the palette, but it's packed full of healthy stuff, in addition to that good ol' Aussie spirit!At the bottom of this bizarre prohibition is the US Food and Drugs Administration (of course), who say they disapprove of the addition of folate to anything other than bread or grain products such as flour and pasta. Hey, I don’t know what the FDA have been spreading their Vegemite on either, but spread on bread is what it's meant for! Okay, time for the serious stuff. Exactly what is folate and why is it so bad? Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin found naturally in green vegetables, legumes, liver, and some fruits and nuts – not to mention yeast extracts. It works in conjunction with B12 (also present in Vegemite) to produce the genetic materials for cell growth and reproduction. Folate helps to build proteins and healthy red blood cells, which means it is an important nutrient in the defence against anemia. Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that high folate intake can reduce the risk of certain diseases. Sounds like pretty good stuff, right? The FDA thinks so too. In 1998, after several years of deliberation, the FDA ruled on regulations for the mandatory addition of folic acid (the synthetic equivalent of folate) to breads, cereals, and other grain products, to assist in the prevention of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Nine months after the policy was introduced, incidence of spina bifida was reportedly reduced by 31%. However, it is argued that the supplementation is inadequate and many more cases of birth defect could be avoided with a higher dosage. Nevertheless, the FDA purports to the theory that too much folate can mask vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly and, they argue, Vegemite contains just too much. Now I’m thinking the FDA hasn’t been reading the nutritional information panel on their jar of Vegemite, which suggests a 5 gram serve for 50% of the recommended dietary intake (RDI) of 200 micrograms of folate per day, or 400 micrograms for women of child bearing age. Not only that, the Institute of Medicine has established a daily upper intake level (UL) of no more than 1000 micrograms of folic acid, so as not to mask symptoms of B12 deficiency … that’s an awful lot of Vegemite … even for an Aussie. Just how much Vegemite is the FDA slapping on their slice of toast?  October 08 Our Orbital Space JunkyardOrbital debris, more commonly known as ‘space junk’, is an unavoidable byproduct of human space exploration. Not only do we rubbish our Earthly environment with all sorts of crap, but since the dawn of orbital spaceflight in the 1950’s, humans have been littering the skies above as well.
There are believed to be over 100,000 manmade objects zipping around the Earth at a speed of around 28,000 km/h, and the smaller items can be just as troublesome as larger ones – they’re just harder to track. Where NASA can warn astronauts and shuttle pilots to move out of the way of an impact with some of the larger pieces, it is almost impossible to avoid collisions with smaller debris. Fragments such as paint flakes can dent a craft or scratch the shuttle windshield, while clouds of smaller particles which can cause sandblasting. September 28 Triple Bed Bunk With seven kids in the house, it was time to reorganise the living arrangements. So SoulElectronique and myself decided a triple bed bunk would be the perfect solution to fit our three eldest girls into one room. You can buy them .... not out here in the sticks, but they do exist .... at a major price. So it was decided - we would embark on our first woodworking project. I think we did pretty well, if I do say so myself.We began this project on 8th August 2006, completing the building and sanding on 16th August 2006. Stain and varnish completed on September 7th 2006.
First we measured the height of our eldest sitting down, so we could work out how much space she would need from the ceiling .... and went from there .... a bit of a fly-by-the-pants project. The bunks are 210cm high and made of pine. The ends and bed bases are bolted together so they can be pulled apart for moving. Dark Maple stain and varnish.
September 04 Steve Irwin – The Crocodile Hunter DiesAustralian naturalist and TV icon, Steve Irwin, “The Crocodile Hunter” died earlier today while filming off the North Queensland coast. Irwin was pierced in the chest by a stingray barb while filming an underwater segment for his daughter’s new TV show, called Ocean’s Deadliest, at Batt Reef, off Port Douglas in North Queensland. Collapsing at approximately 11am on Monday September 4th 2006, he received CPR for almost one hour. When the emergency helicopter arrived at the scene, both his pulse and breathing had stopped. It is believed he suffered cardiac arrest, however further assessment will be carried out at a post-mortem examination in Carins. Death from contact with a stingray barb is considered “highly unusual”.  Born Stephen Robert "Steve" Irwin in Melbourne on 22 February 1962, he moved to Queensland at a young age, where his parents operated the “Queensland Reptile and Fauna Park”. Beginning his career as a crocodile trapper, he took over the park in 1991, renaming it “Australia Zoo”. He met Terri in 1992 and their honeymoon was spent trapping crocodiles, which became the pilot episode of the highly successful TV series, The Crocodile Hunter. The show aired across 122 countries worldwide.Though highly revered in his home country for tireless environmental preservation efforts and promotion of his state and nation, Irwin’s career was not without controversy. In January 2004, Steve Irwin hit international headlines following a live show at Australia Zoo, in which he held his one month old baby boy under one arm, while hand-feeding a chicken to “Murray” the crocodile. This became known as the “Baby Bob Incident” and was compared to Michael Jackson dangling his son outside a window in Germany. His actions were cause for concern amongst child welfare and animal rights groups, along with much criticism from the general public. Irwin escaped charges but as a direct result, new laws were established in February 2005 which prevented children or untrained adults from entering crocodile enclosures. In June 2004 Irwin again found himself in the media spotlight while filming the Ice Breaker documentary for US television channel Animal Planet. It was alleged that Irwin had closely interacted with several Antarctic wildlife - a federal and international crime attracting fines of up to $1 million dollars and two years jail. The Australian Antarctica Division of the federal government investigated the footage but found no grounds for charges to be made. Beyond all his unconventional antics, Steve was a well-loved personality, national ambassador, and highly respected conversationalist. He appeared in the movies Dr. Dolittle 2 with Eddie Murphy; Wiggly Safari in the company of popular children entertainers, The Wiggles; and his own feature film, The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course. His exuberant personality attracted a strong fan base around the world, with children his most loved audience.  In conjunction with his work at Australia Zoo, Steve Irwin established Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, International Crocodile Rescue, and the Australian Wildlife Hospital. His conservation work was not just centered on crocodiles, having made noteworthy contributions to the preservation of many other endangered species, including koalas and wombats. He urged Australians to be aware of strict quarantine requirements, for the benefit of native ecology and wildlife, in an advertising campaign for the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. He was honored with a Centenary Medal in 2001, for his service to global conservation and Australian tourism.Steve Irwin was 44 years old and is survived by his wife, Terri; daughter, Bindi, aged 8; and son, Robert, aged 2. August 25 Pluto Demoted - And Then There Were EightIn an historic vote, the International Astronomical Union has finally agreed upon the definition of a “Planet”. RESOLUTION 5A (1) A "planet"1 is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit. The decision is exciting news for astronomers but it was not an easy task for the IAU to reach an agreement on the final definition. The furor began when it was found that Kuiper-belt object UB313,
August 21 Shapelle Corby - Final AppealFurther links between Australian baggage handlers and drug smuggling have surfaced during a court case involving a plan to smuggle cocaine from Argentina to Australia. The case offers more proof towards claims by accused drug smuggler Schapelle Corby, that baggage handlers were possibly responsible for planting 4.1 kg of marijuana in her luggage during a flight from Sydney to Bali in October of 2004.
Corby faces her final appeal, for freedom from her twenty year sentence, to the Indonesian Supreme court on Friday August 25th 2006. Her sentence was recently reduced by two months in celebration of Indonesia's Independence day. The trial is Schapelle's last opportunity to prove her innocence before filing for clemancy from the Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The prospect of a prisoner exchange, which would have her serve the remainder of her sentence in Australia, has not been received with open arms by the Corby front. They claim that should she be transferred to an Australian jail, her avenues for appeal and proving her innocence could be forfeited.
Visit the official Free Schapelle website for further information and updates. August 01 BOINC - Berkeley Open Infrastructure for Network ComputingBOINC is an open-source software platform for distributed computing which uses volunteer computer resources around the world for computationally-intensive tasks in scientific research. It was originally developed for the SETI@home project and is now used by many different grid computing network projects. The BOINC Manager allows participants to connect easily with several independent projects and decide how their computer resources are divided between each. When a project is offline or has no available work-units, BOINC distributes participant computer resources among other chosen projects.
My deviantART community of Scifi-Fans has a team at the SETI@home, Einstein@home, LHC@home, and QMC@home projects. Once you have an account at any of these projects, please feel welcome to join our team and have your credits counted toward our community total. You must join each team seperately and you can only be a member of one team for each project - we would love it if you could join the 'Scifi Fanatics' team when you participate in any, or all, of these projects.
Click on the logos below to join the Scifi Fanatics team
at your chosen projects
July 31 Australian Big Brother 2006: The Winner RevealedAfter 100 days in the Australian Big Brother house at Dreamworld, the winner has finally been selected. | |||||||||||||||
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Anyway, until next time, Cheers!
Canada was chosen by the Chaser team because they thought it was a country that would 
What both fail to mention is that “When The Chaser reached the perimeter of what they thought was the APEC restricted zone, they voluntarily turned around,” said The Chaser in a statement released today. It was only when Chaser comedian Chas Licciardello emerged from the vehicle wearing a long white robe and fake beard 
