I’ve recently been lucky enough to participate in the recommendation of a Content Management System for the University of Melbourne. In the process I learned a little about CMSs so I thought it was about time I tried one out myself.

I didn’t want to try Mambo. Partly because I knew people on the original development team and I sort of felt too close to it, but after several recommendations I thought I’d better try it and see what it would offer me – well, I have to say, it installed beautifully, but that was about the end of it! it’s waaaay too busy and complicated for my needs.

So, I looked around at what else there was – thought Typo3 looked nice and clean, so I installed that. Again, a nice easy install, but after a couple of hours I still hadn’t worked out how to change the templates, so I decided that it definitely wasn’t the cms for me!

I’ve now installed my third cms – well, perhaps cms is a grand word for it, lets say ‘rich blog’ – WordPress, and finally it seems like it’s a back end I can understand. The easiest and quickest install of them all. Not only that, but when I was adding links I happened to visit Eric Meyer’s site and found that he’s using it too! what exalted company!! OK, so it’s a way off being and enterprise system, but it’ll do me (for now!). By the way, straight out of the box it does valid xhtml – nice!

I am so cross! According to the election result, more than half of the population of Australia have chosen to forgive John Howard for his lying, sneaky politics, his disrespect for human rights, his dragging us into an illegal war, his destruction of the health and education systems… </blood_boils>

Why? – presumably, because they thought they might be a few dollars in the pocket a week worse off than they are now. (and they’re almost certainly wrong about that!)

Sometimes being right isn’t cheap, but you’ve still got to do it. What a pathetic lot we are!

There’s a park near us which was redeveloped about 18 months ago. For reasons unknown, it’s taken until today to officially open the facility. An auditorium is part of the facility, so musical acts were on the program – headed by the wonderful Vika and Linda.

Well, I don’t know what happened to the publicity – there were almost as many councillors as there was audience, such a disappointing crowd! – still, once the officials had all droned on enough, the music started.

So, Vika and Linda played to about 120 people – almost like a private concert – their voices cutting through the late winter wind, weaving and crying their way through about 10 numbers – most of my favourites – mostly gospel. Sensational! The band, just cool and unfussed – perfect.

Yesterday was Melbourne’s coldest August day in 26 years. 100km/h winds on the bay, trees blown over, local flooding etc. and where did we spend it? At the snow, where else?

It was sensational! I have never seen snow like it – hanging thick in the trees, deep drifts everywhere. The best skiing snow I’ve ever been on. It was busy, cold, wet and a lot of fun! Photos here.

Not quite so much fun getting off the mountain when a car that ran off the road turned the road into a parking lot and the half-hour trip to Marysville took 2 hours, but you can’t have it all.

Went out yesterday to buy my daughter a digital camera. I’d done the research, had a price to match ($280 incl. shipping) from a website that I’d used before and trusted. So it was an exercise to see if we could do better – either a better deal on a different camera or a matching deal with nice service.

Anyone who’s had anything to do with cameras in Melbourne knows that you start at Elizabeth Street. Where you can wander from one store to another (there are about 6) getting the info… making comparisons. Fierce competition!

We start at JB – they don’t stock the one I’m after, but make a good offer on a similar camera – we’re tempted, but decide to walk the strip first.

Next stop, Michaels. First, a little background – Michaels have the most prominent and well known store – it’s always busy, but I have never bought anything there… not for the want of trying, but they’ve always missed: either price, the deal, the people, the service… always something. Today was no different. “That camera is $299” accompanied by blank “take it or leave it” look. No offer of a reasonable alternative, no assistance… obviously we were wasting the time of staff who could be better employed selling to customers with deeper pockets. We walked on.

Ted’s camera store is another institution – in fact, I used to buy my bulk Ilford FP40 B+W film there as a student! We are immediately helped by a young guy with an Irish accent and strong opinions about cameras. He agrees that the one we seek is a good choice, pours appropriate scorn on a couple of others we’d been shown at other shops, freely admits he can’t match the internet price, but throws in a couple of promotional sweeteners which more than bridge the gap. He immediately makes a sale.

I’m hoping to upgrade my own camera this year, and I know where I’ll be heading! To the manager of Ted’s – give that man a raise! To the manager of Michael’s, I don’t think I’ll ever bother again.

Just spent four days in the warm at SeaWorld Nara Resort… business; not pleasure!… Ausweb ’04
Actually, it was pretty full-on… dawn to dusk activities and speakers, learned lots.

I also learned that SeaWorld Nara Resort has dreadful food! How can they get away with this? – a $25 buffet breakfast where they serve square, sliced, supermarket bread – and the cream for the pancakes is not real cream!!
The food we paid extra for was bad enough, but the catering for the conference was pathetic. Lunch was invariably dried out cocktail sandwiches (made from the same awful bread) and hot chips! – there’s a balanced diet for you!!

The staff were great, but I felt a bit sorry for them. I reckon the place is in $ trouble and management is turning the screws – every way you turned they wanted another dollar. Even the papers cost extra.

Anyway, the conference was great, the polar bear was beautiful, the resort sucks!

I really pity people who, for allergy or other reasons, can’t eat chocolate. After a second or so I get over it!!

Last Sunday was cold and windy – good day to stay inside – but we hopped on our bikes and headed into the city to try out the latest Melbourne chocolate sensation.

Actually, it seems to be a Sydney import, so it’s at an immediate disadvantage, but I’ll admit Max Brenner is not too bad! They had just had a good review on TV, so they were frantically busy, but we enjoyed our hot chocolate in exotic flavours.

While on the topic, I have to put in a word for their direct competitors, Koko Black, a very much more ‘Melbourne’ shop and (I think) a cut above in quality. Koko Black doesn’t have the range of flashy flavours and snacks, but this is made up for by sheer class and flavour. Sitting above Royal Arcade, flicking through beautiful chocolate cookery books, sipping on their brew – you wouldn’t call the king your uncle!

Of course, when we just want great chocolate, we go for Haighs every time!

Three posts in a row about Viv. that’s getting obsessive!
Never mind, I think this is worth it… Viv has joined the Infinite Cat Project. I won’t say any more – check it out, it’s cool!

OK, so we’re besotted with our new kitten, Viv (or Vyv, if you’re going to be fussy). Not content with boring workmates and family with his antics, I’ve posted a couple of his pics on the web for voting. So get along there and give him a 10 (well, I think he’s worth at least an 8!). You’ll find him here and here.

It was probably a silly thing to do, but on the weekend we bought a new kitten. Haven’t we got enough trouble already with two cats? obviously not!

He has the provisional name ‘viv’, possibly should be ‘vyv’ because it’s in tribute to Ade Edmonson’s legendary character with a girls’ name.

Actually, the little guy has a big task – our other two cats are female and fight terribly – one has adopted the ‘alpha male’ role. So we’re hoping that when this little guy grows up and asserts himself, the dynamics will change and the other two will have other things to think about. (Clutching at straws?)

More pics of Viv’s first afternoon at home here.

Do you like my shoes? Ok, they’re … bright, but they’re comfy, waterproof and slip on easy, so they’re ideal for the beach. They’re even better for clambering over the rocks when I’m going snorkelling… which is what I did today.
I left them wedged between two rocks and they stood up as a bright marker for me to swim back to when I’d finished… perfect. Except that one time I looked up and they’d gone!
I couldn’t believe it, someone was walking around in a pair of hot orange shoes that LOOKED JUST LIKE MINE!! I swam ashore and shouted at her at which point she looked nonplussed, left them and walked away.
By the time I clambered to where she left them I’d cut my foot on the rocks… grr!
So, lots of my friends laughed at my shoes, but i like ’em and you can sure spot someone if they try to nick off with them.