The SquizLogKeith Pitty takes a squiz at the world. |
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The SquizLogKeith Pitty takes a squiz at the world. |
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The difference between living standards of people in lucky countries like Australia, where I live, and many poor throughout regions like Asia is stark enough at the best of times.
The terrible tsunamis the day after Christmas have brought this imbalance into even sharper focus. For me the disaster has evoked a mixture of emotions. Shock, sadness and helplessness.
I think what sickened me most was that on the same day as I saw the horrifying scenes of the tsunami carnage, the television news also showed images of scores of Sydney shoppers rushing to find bargains. I suppose I shouldn't begrudge people their pleasure at the Boxing Day sales but it just seems to me that we've lost perspective.
Speaking of distorted perspective, there is also the sad fact that ridiculously large sums of money are spent on war whilst aid from rich to poor countries is sadly inadequate at the best of times, let alone in times of natural disaster.
Still, personally I'm glad to have the opportunity to contribute my little bit to the crucial aid efforts over the next few days through appeals such as that by Oxfam.
Update (31/12): Changed ABC News link to ongoing special presentation.
As I've said before, I'm a Tim Winton fan.
I've just started reading The Turning, a collection of his short stories. Winton has a wonderfully original, yet unmistakenly Australian turn of phrase. Consider the following paragraph:
That afternoon Vic sat out in the dinghy catching flathead and whiting with the men. Uncle Ernie bitched about traffic fines and summonses and the tax man and Vic's old man let it go. One of Ernie's balls kept peeking out of his tiny shorts like a dangling gingernut and both Vic and his father struggled to keep a straight face. Now and then, in lulls in the bite, Vic rubbed the tender lobe of his ear.Dangling gingernuts? Brilliant!
"You're smiling again. I've never seen you smile so much when you're reading a book!", my 12 year-old son said to me last weekend.
I was reading Kerry O'Keeffe's book, According to Skull, which was a welcome birthday present on Saturday. As I had expected, it was thoroughly enjoyable with plenty of laughs along the way.
Not all humour, though. As I've found with Kerry's appearances such as those on The Fat, he often switches out of laughing mode, quickly changing his demeanour to make a serious point. The book includes several surprisingly open reflections on periods in his life when he was doing it tough. Which, to me, made it all the more compelling.
Another reason for my interest is that I can actually say that I know Kerry. We're not best mates or anything but I did get to know him a little during his few years with the Vets at Sydney Uni in the mid-1980s when I was playing grade there. He mentions Andrew "Otto" Bell and Cyril Latimer in his few pages on that experience and I'm sure that, at least in retrospect, he enjoyed their humourous approach to the game. Even if he didn't appreciate their fielding efforts at the time.
Add to that my memories of him bowling in Test Matches when I was a youngster and then trying to imitate his unique bowling style in the back yard.
These days I always look forward to hearing O'Keeffe's cricket commentary on ABC radio. He's a gem, able to mix his unique brand of humour with insightful comments about the game.
As in his commentary, According to Skull shows how much he has mellowed and how much his ability to laugh at himself contributes to his humour. I thoroughly recommend the book. For those interested to know more, here's a good review by Graeme Blundell.
Soup Plus, Sydney's longest established jazz venue, has moved. After 30 years in the same location in George Street, today it opens at it's new premises at 1 Margaret Street (on the corner of Clarence Street).
Whilst there is some sadness associated with it closing it's old doors, I'm not at all unhappy with the new location of Soup Plus. It's literally across the road from the office where I work!
As we walked into the Kariong Public School hall for our daughter's end-of-year presentation I remarked to my wife that there was a gaggle of girls present. We were backing up after our son's equivalent event the previous night.
Soon the noise became even louder and more shrill as the hall filled. I had to be fair now and acknowledge that the boys were contributing to the decibels. So I changed my alliterative assessment to a cacophony of Kariong kids.
Anyway, eventually the rabble was brought to order and all and sundry enjoyed the presentation of various awards.
But the biggest prize for our two kids was being allowed a detour on the way home to see the various Christmas lights and search for the least tasteful in our neck of the woods. Believe me, there was plenty of competition!
Having just taught a brief topic on J2SE Security again I find myself still yearning for more understanding. So I'm glad to have found this list of links to various articles which I hope will be valuable.
I hate it when you're reduced to, at best, paraphrasing what's on the slide because you haven't a clue what the topic is about!
Maybe I exaggerate a touch. I did at least know that I was supposed to be teaching the class about Java Security last Friday in Canberra. And I remembered something vague about a "sandbox" years ago when I was first learning Java. But J2SE Security is hardly a subject in which I have needed to develop an intimate knowledge for my day to day J2EE development work.
My plan had been to prepare by doing some research beforehand but my head cold put paid to that idea. So the experience ended up feeling like attempting to tread water when one hasn't quite mastered the art of staying afloat yet. Unsurprisingly I made it to the end of the slides in rather less than the recommended hour; there was only so much embelleshing I could do with such a thin understanding.
Oh well, at least I resolved to become better informed prior to my next opportunity.
Little did I know how soon that chance would arrive! Tomorrow morning I'll again be standing in front of a class, this time with the benefit of at least some preparation. Now I have a passing aquaintance with, or even a knowledge of such things as message digests, asymmetric encryption, the Java Security Architecture, Java security policy files, digital signatures and digital certificates.
So hopefully I'll feel less of a fraud this time. As I've said before, teaching certainly motivates the instructor to learn!
I'm teaching in Canberra this week. (Canberra is Australia's national capital for the uninformed.) Three days gone and so far so good. It must be this cold that has been creeping up on me because I don't have anything more to add...
My apologies to anyone who may have hoped for some insightful comments about my teaching experience. Maybe later.
Meanwhile, it's time for a snooze...