Strawberries and Cream

We had the strawberries

Dan had the cream

:)

The weekend in review

Jemma and Oreo.  I think Oreo was looking for food rather than suggesting that we eat him.

9am
Dan (centre of the picture) played his last game of soccer for the season

Whos that old fellow with the video camera.

They lost the game and you can see why when you look at whats on the table.

Speaches.  A big thank you to the coaches and manager.

12:00noon and Chris is playing rugby at Churchie.  U13D.  Chris plays second row and is the one being lifted into the air.

BGS lost.  Unfortunately I think BGS focusses too much on the elete and getting OP1's (Academic).  I suspect that  more focus on the rank and file might result in better performances by the elite teams.

At home everyone is computing
Here we see Chris on his school laptop using skype.

I though Chris may have called Megan but it appears that Megan was doing something else.

Dan and Kade have to fix Dan's computer.

Sunday we had FlashPoint.  That's our childrens church.  The bible reading was Ephesians 6:10-20. 








I think everyone had a great time but I think my science experiment was a bit ordinary.

The cost of Microsoft Office

I needed to buy Microsoft Office for the kids.
The MS web site advised me that there are two licensing options
For 1 pc $189 and for 3 pcs (in the one house) $209. (Download).
Figured we would go for the 3 license option.
So I figure how about Harvey Norman $168.  Wow that's better.
What about Office works I wonder $143.  This is good.
JB HIFI matches Office Works also at $143.  I guess that must be as low as it goes.
But then I figure how about UMART  $119.  But I would have to drive to Milton.
I wonder about GoComp.  They are on my way home and amazing $113.

Placed my order.  Picked it up on the way home.

BTW, Open Office is free and is on my computer.

temp

Flashpoint Prep - This Sunday 26-8-2012

For the uninitiated, Flashpoint is our children's church service that we hold once a month at Sherwood.

This week the lectionary readings are:-

Ps 84

1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43

John 6:56-69

Ephesians 6:10-20 -

- Is about strength in God.  Preparation -> strength.  Armour -> protection.  Lots of prayer.

I need a way of demonstrating this.  A science demo chemistry physics
What gets stronger with preparation?
Exercise -> fitness & strength but ids do not get gyms, it takes too long and most of us are pretty terrible with gyms anyway.

Most things get weaker with time 

1. Demo protective things
Dress up in....
Sun glasses, Safety Glasses, gloves, jacket, welding mask, ear muffs, orange safety fence, orange vest

Rope circle to keep kids back.
Mention air bags.  Skate board protection knee pads & helmet,
Sword & Shield.

2. Blow something up
Baking Soda & Vinegar in a Milo tin.
Do it first with no lid (no preparation?) just fizzles.
But in the tin it shows the power (prepared / knowledge in your brain perhaps - it's a very tenuous analogy here)
 

Uncle Bob's Funeral

This is a DRAFT.  Photos, spelling & Grammar to come

Sunday AM left Oxley & drove to Warwick.  At Warwick I dropped into Lewis's house.  Morgan, who has a automatic "P" license hopped into my car to get some experience in a manual.  To keep this all legal, he has a manual learners and so L plates were suitably displayed.  Lewis, Clare and Peter had to drop the dog (Roberta) off at a pet motel and so off we all went.

The marvels of modern technology meant that we were able to meet up in Tenterfield.  As Morgan and I arrived a few minutes early, we entertained ourseves with some hill starts.

We had a nice coffee and hot apple pie at a cafe / antique shop where I did not buy anything.

Lewis then took over from Morgan and drove the next keg.  Maye a manual has novilty value.

Lunched at a pub in Glen Innis.  Two fire places and a Ceasar salad.

Arrived Armidale around 3:30pm.  James VS snr came over and we had a cup of tea.  This necessitated approaching the motel management and signing for two more cups.

James and I then decamped and drove to our motel that was five minutes down the road in the down town area.

Sunday dinner as across the road from our motel at the pub.
We met James jnr & his girl frined Sally and Joselyn (how is it speldt?) and her partner Michael.
Nicely cooked T bone washed down with a rum and coke and followed by sticky date pudding although some of our party ordered a lava cake and so I figure next time I am in Armidale I need to try that.

James and I could walk "home" to our motel.

Sunday morning and James and I walked into the downtown area and found a cafe for breakfast.  Decided to do some sight seeing and not having been successful in negotiating a late check out, we duely checked out early and drove to the tourist info centre.

Then drove and walked  to Womolomomom falls

The funeral was at St ??? Church.  This is a quaint, tiny, rural church.  As we stood outside I observed the mains power cable entering the building.  As it turned out, the presence of electriciy has resulted in a general lowering of standards as it meant that the service was lit by fluros.  After the service, we were advised that the kero lantern chanderliers will be lit for the 150th aniversery service.  The music department however have not allowed the presence of that new fagled electricity thing to compromise the quality of music and we were able to sing to the melodious tunes of a pedal pipe organ.  I volunteered Megan to come as a visiting musician next time we are in town.

I saw various people among them - Anunty [ken's] Mary and her daughter Antette (from Pennant Hills),  Bob and Mary's children John & Jeff, Alison and Joselyn and various children (teen) Rihannan, +????

The service was a wonderful celebration of Bob's life.  Alison read a beautiful Eulogy.

After the service the immediate family went to the crematorium and the rest of us went a few hundred meters up the road to Bob & Mary's house.

Then it was all over and Morgan and I are heading home.

Thunderbird - Install & Configure

Downloaded & installed Thunderbird mail client.
On first run it pops up a wizzard
1.  Said no to create a new account
2.  Mail Account Setup
     Your Name:  Frank Thomson
     Email_Address: frankt2010@gmail.com
     password:   xxx
     Remember password ticked
It says looking up configuration editor etc etc etc
Configuration found in Mozilla ISP database
3.  Select the IMAP (remote folders) option.  Click Done.  And wow there are my folder and it is busy trying to download all sorts of things.

4 Fix the email address - Change to frank.thomson@syndetic.com.au
   Tools>Account Settings
       Account_Name:  frankt2010@gmail.com  -> left as is
       Your Name: Frank Thomson
        Email Address:    frankt2010@gmail.com  -> frank.thomson@syndetic.com.au
       Reply-to-Address: (blank)   -> frank.thomson@syndetic.com.au

5 SIGNATURE
  Tools>Account Settings
  in the signature text box in the middle of the window, add:
Frank Thomson
Director
Syndetic Pty Ltd
4 / 20 Cansdale St
YERONGA 4104 Brisbane Australia
Tel +61 7 3255 8900, Mobile +61 414 329 164, Fax +61 7 3255 8901


6
Fix default reply to behaviour -
   Tools>Account Settings>

   Select "Composition and Addressing", Then,
    Drop down Box, select "Start my reply above the quote"
    OK
7
Address Book Synchronisation
   Tools>Add ons>
   Zindus (Google Contact Sync)
    Restart Thunderbird
    Tools>Addons > Extensions.
    Under Zindus, click Options.
        New window opens with nothing in he accounts box.
        Click Add

    New Account >  Enter
        email Address: frankt2010@gmail.com
        password
        Test Connection -> OK
        Accept the defaults.  Press OK
      Sync Now
      OK

Thunderbird delete account

I am giving my laptop to another staff member.
I store email on it using Thunderbird as a local mail client Imap'd to Gmail. 
So I want to
a) Delete my passwords.
b) Delete all the mail
c) Disconnect the calendar
d) Disconnect the address book.

A) DELETE GOOGLE PASSWORD FROM THUNDERBIRD
reference here
(This applies both to IMAP and POP3:)

For some reason, the password is not configured with the account's server settings (port, server name, user name are all in one place - password is configured elsewhere)
Thunderbird 'caches' your password. What you need to do is tell Thunderbird to 'forget' your (old) password.

1. In the menu, select Tools | Options.
2. Then click on Advanced
3. Move to the Passwords section and click on 'Manage Stored Passwords'
4. Select the site/username line where your password needs to be updated and delete it by clicking Remove.

click Close and then restart Thunderbird.

The next time Thunderbird tries to poll email from this server, it will prompt you for the password and offer to save it.

b) Delete all the mail
c) Disconnect the calendar
d) Disconnect the address book.

B DELETE THE ACCOUNT FROM THUNDERBIRD
reference here
Go to Tools->Account Settings. Select the account you want to delete. At the bottom of the left-hand side of the screen (i.e., the side where the accounts are listed), there's an "Account Actions" drop-down menu. Select "Remove Account". 

 And its all gone.
Probably did not need to do step A.

Ekka Public Transport

Another shining example of why Go Card is dumb

Remember the advertising mantra for the Go Card. 30% cheaper. Like bicycle helmets and speeding - The government says it enough times and you we believe it. Along with the idea that the Go Card is the best way to implment a public transport ticketing system.

Amazes me that we implement a system that requires so much hardware - terminals, people to answer queries and sort of account issues, A thing that you have to own and carryu with you.

Compare this with flying on a plane - book and print your own ticket at home.  Same with the footie and for both of those you can send it to your phone.  But not translink.  Oh no.  You need a go card.  The wonderful system that works oh so well and 30% chaper.  Must be so much better than anything else.

And then blow me over, you go to the Ekka and how much does it cost.

Well when you go to the footie, the train fare is just in the ticket.  You just have to have you footie ticket on your person and hey presto you are good to travel.

You would think that the Ekka could do this too but no they have the best of both worlds.

From http://www.ekka.com.au/plan-your-day/getting-to-ekka.aspx    and we read

 New for 2012
Getting to and from the Ekka has never been easier or cheaper with TransLink's new Ekka travel ticket.

Simply pre-purchase your Ekka entry ticket then show it at any attended Queensland Rail station or on board any TransLink bus or ferry and you can buy your Ekka travel ticket for only $6 return for adults and $3 return for children/concession.

That's one price across the entire TransLink network that covers both journeys to and from the Ekka.

 Sorry did I read easier?  You still have to rock on up to a ticket window and buy a train ticket and thats easier?

Mind you to use that wonderful GoCard thing its more expensive (I think) but how do you ever know.  I assume this is "Off Peak" being sunday. 

No wonder public transport is so frustrating.

Fare information

This is a 3 zone journey, travelling in zones 1 - 3

Ticket type	Price
go card adult	$4.24
	$3.40 (off-peak)
go card concession	$2.12
	$1.70 (off-peak)
Single paper adult	$6.20
Single paper concession	$3.10

Chris's Birthday Party

For Chris's 13th birthday party we went to the Sizzling Mongolian restaurant at Tarianga.

We was Chris, Callan, Caelum, Mitch - Good Friends from Primary School and 4? friends from BGS whos names I have to confess I do not know.

Two of our guys at the back near the window and the food.

Gold Medal Crisis

Apparently we have a Gold Medal Crisis.  (GMC)

You may recall recently we had a GFC and the government responded by giving us things - Cash, pink bats, school halls.

I think it is high time the govt handed out gold medals to each of us.

I wonder if we were to take the budget given to the AIS and simply use it to make gold medals and hand them out to the general populace.  Perhaps the KPI's would look significantly better.

Camp Sing A Lot

Megan vanished on Friday and it turns outy she went to Camp Sing a Lot. I am not sure if that is the real name or not.

Megan was responsible for the stage themeing and  this was her creation.

We (Frank, Marcus, Sarah, Alistair, Chris, Dan & Jemma) Thats 7 I think, turned up as requested to the final concert.  It was a lovely afternoon and great singing.  Ian & Fay were there too and they had brought Kerry Joyner's parents who I had not seen in years and did not recognise anyway but that's just me.

Megan (in red).

UQ Openday

Last night Marcus & Sarah stayed at Alistair's house.  This morning, Marcus got to UQ somehow for a music performance.  We managed to arrive just in time to not see him.  We could hear him playing through the door and sort of watch through a peep hole but they would not let us in.

After not watching the performance we did not wait for the judgement to which Marcus was subjected and instead went and looked at Arcitecture and Electrical Engineering.

I want a house like this

This was part of the Elec Eng display.  The students program an X-Box game using the microsoft Kinect.  Apparantly the Kinect does key things like working out the joint postitions and the student program uses this information to draw stick figures that follow your actions.  It was a lot of fun.

Dan and Jemma also managed to pick up some silly putty and marvel at some memory metal.  (Nitinol).  Chris enjoyed looking at the Robotics.

BGS OpenDay

Saturday Went to the BGS Open day.  Marcus was (I thought) supposed to be performing from 1-3pm.

Dan & I managed to miss him by that much.

On the way we did look in on the infamous lab 13 where (cue music) back in the 1970's I met "Doc Sol" renowend member of Sherwood Uniting Chuch who in conjunction with Geoff Beikoff managed to construct what I believe to be the first computer in a Queensland school classroom and inspied me to build my first computer.

Not sure if "Slow Point" is particularly inspiring.

Dan played soccer. They drew 2 all. Dan is number 12