Chris's Chinese Birthday Dinner

Chis is having his birthday party before his actual birthday date because we will be away then.

He wanted to go to a Chinese Restaurant with his friends.
Mitch, Callum, Chris, Jai & Calum (I hope I spelt that right)

I booked a table for 4 at the "China House"  In China Town Fortitude Valley.  It was great but getting there proved a bit of a challenge.  Unusually the google map had the wrong location and once we found the restraunt and were seated comfortably inside Grandma and Grandpa arrived having waited at another entrance that we were unaware of.

 After a great meal, at a cost of just over $300 for 12 we went walking through the china town mall.

 Looked at a big bell thing.

 Hung around a magician who seemed to be able to make cards jump from one pile to another and we were all watching his hands very very closely because you knew he would be sneaky.

Dual language street signs let us practice our Chinese and reminded us of Hong Kong.
















Rode home on the train closely watched by the two burley blokes in uniform in the background.

Flashpoint 31-JUL-2011

The lectionary readings are:-

• Genesis 32:22-31 - Jacob struggles with God
• Psalm 17:1-7, 15 - A prayer of David
• Romans 9:1-5  - Pauls anguish over israel.
• Matthew 14:13-21 - Jesus feeds 5000

Well the Matthew reading is the easiest and most straight forward.

SCIENCE EXPERIMENT
Insta Snow - gets bigger much larger increase in volume.

Medievil Problem Solving

We went to the medeval festival recently and this as inspired a new way to resolve conflict.  On a stage no less.  Reminds me of that 1970 video clip from ACDC "Dirty deeds done dirt cheap".  We could tow the stage around and parents could put their bickering children on to resolve issues. 

Jemma and Chris.
:)

HTC Desire HD Android Vodafone Data Slow Problem

The internet on my HTC desire HD is so slow as to be useless and often will not connect.
Voice and text works fine.

Is it the handset (HTC or Android) or Vodafone?

First test Vodafone with my pocket wifi device and a $150 prepaid  >10GB data dodad
It boots and displays VODA AU 3G and 3 bars of signal strength.
On netbook, have to connect to the pocket wifi network.

Control panel>Network and sharing center>Connect to a network.
Connected.  In Firefox, typed in google.com > Page came up almost immediatly.
Searched for "cabbage", this being something never searched for before.  Results came up almost immediatly.
Conclude Vodafone and Pocket wifi and prepaid sim -> OK

Now confirm the problem.
On HTC type in google.com.au
takes about 5 seconds to come up -> ok
search for carrot.  comes up immediatly.
Blast.
Is it connected to my wifi? - does not seem to be.
Searched for "turnip" over 1 minute and no result.  So it seems that the problem is present

Swap Sim Cards

On the netbook, connect to the pocket wifo with the Vodafone infinte 45 Sim in it.
Bring up google.  Search for "peas" OK.  Maybe slightly slower than before but still pretty fast.
Now search for "corn"  Likewise get a response in just a few seconds.
Conclude that Vodafone are not delaying the data on that sim card.

On the HTC (Now fitted with the prepaid data sim) Bring up a browser.
"Connection Failed"
Chose "Settings"
"Connection failed due to incorrect APN" setting

Phoned Vodafone and a nice Indian fellow had me put the original SIM back in the HTC and enter some new settings.  Seems to be working somewhat better.  We shall see.

jolicloud

My Asus 1005P  EEE Netbook with pre installed windows 7 starter is runing like a dog.

I figured it might be interesting to see how it goes with Linux.  Probably a good thing for me too learn a bit more about inux anyway.  So went looking for instructions on how to dual book windows 7 and Linux and found Jolicloud

http://inthecellar.wordpress.com/2011/01/29/the-jolicloud-experience/
" it’s basically a Linux/Ubuntu-based operating system....."
So went to 
http://www.jolicloud.com
and are downloading a windows installer that claims to install the jolios and to keep windows.
Lets see how it goes.

restore Asus M9V

http://www.jepstone.net/blog/2004/06/25/backup-and-restore-your-microsoft-office-activation/

For Office XP and 2003, backup the data.dat or opa11.dat files in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\OFFICE\DATA,

I had to smile when I read this on the microsoft web site
Another compelling reason to encourage customers to move to Windows 7 is the ability to downgrade to Windows XP.
http://www.microsoft.com/oem/en/licensing/sblicensing/pages/downgrade_rights.aspx

WINDOWS UPDATE FAIL
After instaling about 160 updates these 3 fail
Security Update for Windows XP (KB950974)

Security Update for Windows XP (KB2479943)
Security Update for Windows XP (KB2555917)
I ran the fix suggested on the microsoft web site.  -> Failed
It suggested that a particular DLL need to be registered.  I did the automatic fix and then the manual fix and it said it was registered but still the update failed.
Somewhere I read that the virus protection needed to be switched off.
So temporarilly disabled AVG Free  >Failed.  Renabled AVG.
Searched google and then downloaded each update as a separate exe file from microsoft.com.
Ran and installed each separately.  Two needed a restart so it was quite timeconsuming.
Now Microsoft Update finally says all is OK.
-----------------------------------------
Shift and Caps problem
The keyboard seems to have issues.  have to press caps lock to get captials.  The shift keys have problems.  It is not that they do not work as keys because when you press the shift key and press some letters, you get nothing. 
OK it was the "stop" button jammed in.  It is where my right hand rests.
-----------------
Time to make a ghost backup.
Fail
Ghost can not see either my external USB drive (formatted NTFS) nor the D partition also formatted as NTFS.
http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/ghost.nsf/d87bb6ce0bde286d88256d6a00452701/f83d8e86c0a7bfef88256874006a7223?OpenDocument
Well seems like I have a 'consumer' version of Ghost and it does not save to NTFS drives.
Ghost consumer versions other than Norton Ghost 9.0 and Norton Ghost 2003 cannot save image files directly to NTFS partitions. See the section "Alternative storage locations." Note that the version of Ghost included in Norton SystemWorks Professional Edition is a consumer version.
Well my version seems to be Version: 2003.789 (May 28 2003, Build=789)
But I got it from Norton System Works so is it or is it not able to do NTFS.
Why do they make it so frustrating!
Ah - It seems that it can do EITHER NTFS or external USB drives but not both at the same time.  Possibly a limit on how much can fit on the ghost boot floppy?

Blender Worship

We have a newish service style.  It is held on the 3rd Sunday of the month and called Blended Worship.  I think emphasising that it is all in together.

This week the Thomson's are doing
bible reading: Romans 8:12-25
Childrens address


Workshopping




V15 Our new life is an outward looking adventure
Prizm & rainbow jump to mind.

Being adopted into a happy / inspirtional / involved / on top of it type of family
Annie vs Oliver
Hope for something good
Also doing good alog the way.


!¹⁶ God's Spirit joins himself to our spirits to declare that we are God's children
Magnets.  Overhead projector?  I bet there is at least one at the church somewhere.  

Romans 8:12-25

The Message (MSG)

 ^12-14So don't you see that we don't owe this old do-it-yourself life one red cent. There's nothing in it for us, nothing at all. The best thing to do is give it a decent burial and get on with your new life. God's Spirit beckons. There are things to do and places to go!
 ^15-17This resurrection life you received from God is not a timid, grave-tending life. It's adventurously expectant, greeting God with a childlike "What's next, Papa?" God's Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who he is, and we know who we are: Father and children. And we know we are going to get what's coming to us—an unbelievable inheritance! We go through exactly what Christ goes through. If we go through the hard times with him, then we're certainly going to go through the good times with him!
 ^18-21That's why I don't think there's any comparison between the present hard times and the coming good times. The created world itself can hardly wait for what's coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens.
 ^22-25All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

The cat is in charge

Marus looses the cast off his arm

A few weeks ago, Marus broke his arm playing soccer.  Broke being somwhat subjective as us plebs could not see anything on the x-ray.

Today, Marus dropped in and they cut the cast off.  You will be disapointed to know that the tool is unfortunately not an angle grinder but some kind of vibrator.  So we did not get a huge gash along his arm.

Now finally he can do the wahing up!

abbey medieval festival

 Megan has gone away to a music conference in Gumpee.

On Saturday, Chris, Dan, Jemma went to the Abbey Medieval Festival up on the North side of Brisbane.

The main purpose of our visit was to help Derek with the PA systems.  We met up with Paul Merrifield, Glyn Carter, Roz Window, Steve Richardson.  So it was somewhat of a reunion.

Having gotten the PA system at the Jousting to work, we were able to enjoy the show.  Attempts to photograph the moment of contact between the two competitors proved too much for a camera phone.

 There are many people who dress for the occasion and set up medieval style tents and light cap fires and roast venison and other game.  No issues with poaching as they are all Lords and Ladies.  Not a surf or a slave in sight.






So Dan was press ganged into operating the blacksmiths bellows.

 He then decided to rise to the ranks of the knight hood and tried out some armour.

My suggestion is that if you intend attending the tournament, fit out your budding knight in shining armour at home as the purchase of armaments at the festival is not cheap.  One might even suggest a rip off.  These swords that I think consisted of two bits of 3 ply glued together and a dollop of paint went at $9 each.  Another vendor would give you a better quality sword complete with shield for $30.


My other suggestion is to bring a packed lunch and wear a nappy because the queues for both the food vendors and the toilets were very very long.  At one stage while waiting for said convenience I was inconvenienced by having to step round a huge pile of poo.  Wondering aloud about the pour soul who had been so unfortunate as to have not been able to maintain a dignified stance in the line caused a helpful queue member to point out that it was horse poo.  I suspect the horse realised that tying to back into a porta loo would not have been particualaly genuine in keeping with the medievil era. 

Pascoe UK Adventure Blog

http://www.pascoeukadventure.blogspot.com/

Warwick Von Steiglitz visit

James (jnr) was scheduled to fly in to Brisbane tonight so in the afternoon, Lewis, Clare, Morgan and Peter arrived.  Morgan came complete with various incendiary devices and this spured Chris into action.  Chris had been watching videos on youtube that inspired him to make some kind of chared cotton that responds well to sparks from a flint.  At one stage Morgan lit up some kind of smoke / flash thing which was quite spectacular.

James was picked up.  Then we all posed for a family happy snap.  How often do you get the whole family together.

To save the picture, right click on it and choose "save link as".  This saves the original file.  If you choose "save picture as", I think you only get the low res version that you clicked on.

Sand Pit

A working bee held in the back yard to get the new sand pit installed

Jemma took on the challenge of sweeping the roof of the garden shed.  It was about 50mm thick compost.  Leaves that had fallen from nearby trees.  Along with miscellaneous junk.

 Oreo supervised and had a great time hasing leaves and being entertained.  here Dan has him chasing a leaf.  I had not seen him expend such enery for ages.

 After we dug all the old sand out and spread it on the lawn near the house we lined the sand pit with black material of some sort.  Complements on Easterfest.

Backed up the ute and shoveled out the sand.

Day Camp

Singing songs

Jemma










Marcus and the teens apply the rule that fire must be made in oil drums.  In their case, lots of oil drums

Cal and Chris










Dan in the red tee shirt at the middle right.  Sitting.  Sulking.  Looking at the fence.

Day Camp bike Ride

This week is all the Thomson children are going to the Oxley Uniting Church Day Camp.

Because their parents are too lazy to drive them, they will have to ride their bikes.

So politically un correct these days.  We should drive them right to the park and then hover over them just to be sure they do everything just so

Dan and Jemma prepare by pumping tyres.  Actually Dan had to put a new back tyre on because someone had been skidding and had worn out the tyre.  We could not identify the culprit.










Then we had a practice ride so they would know where to go and hopefully not get lost on the way.

I took my GPS tracker with me but I think I should have had it sample at a higher rate.

Portable Sandpit

Dan, Jemma and Oreo playing in our new sand pit.

And this is where it came from.
Chris Chapman (L)
Trevor Armstrong (R)