Check this out...Garson Hampfield, Crossword Inker

It's not just funny.. it's brilliantly done!

That Lorikeet stare

Lorikeet stare_0478a
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

Up close and personal with a daily visitor. As long as there's food around, that is...

Lorikeet lout

Lorikeet_0455
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

They are very bright, very colourful and full of personality. They are also bossy, noisy and, umm, feisty. The lorikeet. Product of Australia.

The new capitalism

The new capitalism looks just like the old one, except it takes shares in Citigroup and Bank of America... and underwrites shoddy loans

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TV analog one RF connector_0219

TV analog one RF connector_0219
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

This 1990 model TV set, pictured with 2 1978-vintage Canton speakers, is part of my growing - and working - collection of audio/visual relics. Yes, I collect old stuff. The old Sharp TV has just a single input - an antenna connector, not even a composite "yellow" input - so I have had to rig up an RF modulator. Now the kids can use a DVD and a set top box on that old set. The picture's not great - but it works.

WiFi bridge - look Mum, no USB!

WiFi bridge_0218
Originally uploaded by gtveloce

I couldn't get an old Windoze 95 box to connect to WiFi in the usual manner, mostly because 'version B' doesn't support either USB or WiFi, so I added a bridge instead.

It uses an existing Ethernet connection (which Win95 B does support) and bridges to our wireless LAN (which it doesn't, being so old). No USB needed!

Bridges are a good way to connect dumb boxes to TCP/IP. You do some simple configuring on the bridge itself, so it recognises your WiFi LAN, and then put your DNS and gateway info into Win95 (or whatever you connect). This one is connected to an old Acer P1. It's slow. Really slow. But it works.

Turnbull keeps the bull in interest rates

Sadly, new Opposition leader Turnbull can't say the truth, just the politically "expected" instead: <a href="http://www.domain.com.au/…ticle.aspx%">Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull, however, says that the banks remain highly profitable in a market of shrinking competition and can afford to follow the RBA's rate cuts.</a>

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Speculation: Macbook 'carved' from aluminium block

Is it April 1? Is this cool or crazy? Firstly, this is of course idle gossip. Secondly, numeric control machines have been around for 'yonks', so carving a block of aluminium is not news. Fluid-flowed aluminium is newer but again not news. Thirdly, it can only carve the case, anyway. So why would this be a game changer? It's not.

Seth Weintraub a blogger at 9to5Mac.com claims that Apple has invented a new manufacturing process for MacBooks that will result in the product being manufactured from a coplete block of aluminum. He writes "It is totally revolutionary, a game changer. One of the biggest Apple innovations in a decade. The MacBook manufacturing process up to this point has been outsourced to Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturers like Foxconn. Now Apple is in charge. The company has spent the last few years building an entirely new manufacturing process that uses lasers and jets of water to carve the MacBooks out of a brick of aluminum.

And best of all, why is it so grand to waste precious resources like this? An expensive aluminium block (what is often called 'congealed electricity' because it uses so much in its manufacture) is presumably cast, then 'carved', leaving a lot of wasted off-cuts. Sure, it can be re-melted and re-cast, but why increase waste, especially when electricity generation and aluminium production are so heavily linked with carbon emissions?

The only advantage here is that you end up with a nice one-piece (or maybe 2 piece?) aluminium case. Form Apple's point of view that may be cool, and it may even save some bucks if the carbon offsets aren't made. Otherwise it's not cool at all.