Happy Halloween

Heh heh heh. Turn on the speakers, Click on the title and follow the instructions.
(from Holties House .. and if I ever catch up with Peter I'll .. I'll .. )

paradox

Have been meaning to ferret around and see if I could find some good, but rarely seen , poems with a true Aussie flavour. However Peter, over at Holties House tells me that he has heaps, so am going to dump him in it and see if he will post a few. Here's one from the man himself..

The Spelling Chequer on My PC

Eye have a spelling Chequer
It came with my PC
It plainly marques four my revue
Mistakes eye cannot sea
I’ve run this poem threw it
Eye am sure yaw pleas too no
It’s letter perfect in its weigh
My chequer tolled me sew
Sew though eye try with all my mite
Too spell each word just write
And I’d steak my life upon each word eye right
Butt eye still get more wrong than eye get write
When they rote this spelling chequer
Its plane there wires were crossed
Yaw only knead too get it write
Is the dictionary yaw chequer lost


Peter Holt

the press of vanity

Once upon a time, books were written on parchment or paper, and with quill pen; quite often by candlelight. That must have taken a great deal of commitment, dedication and patience as each draft (and there would be many) had to be assessed, then re-written until the final product satisfied the author. Then, in collaboration with professional and experienced editors, publishers, graphic designers and printers some of the best, and longest lasting books ever written were produced, and was not for the fainthearted or 'casual' writer.

These days, with the advent of computers and 'desk top publishing' anybody with access to a keyboard can 'express their thoughts'. Where once the distribution was limited to the few, now, with the advent of 'Blogging', these thoughts and writings are accessable to the rest of the world. The range is from the exquisitely brilliant, the erudite, the deeply personal .. to the terrible and tawdry.

Apparently there are 19 million blogs available, increasing by five thousand per day. There are criticisms about the explosion of 'quantity' over 'quality', and the increasing commercial exploitation - but the fact remains that there is always a deep need to share experiences, thoughts, information; that cannot be denied.

Once upon a time, 'wannabe' authors - those with a deep need to see their 'family history', 'idle thoughts', 'second-rate poems', 'next blockbuster novel' in printed hardbound copy; most of which would never see the light of a commercial publisher's office - had then, to escape the flood of dispiriting 'rejection slips' that papered the walls, resort to the expensive, and frustrating experience of the "vanity press", ('self publishing') requiring largish print runs, often resulting in boxes of 'lovingly' written books mouldering in a back cupboard.

Whether we like it or not, "supply and demand" underscores almost every facet of our lives, and commercial publishers are hard wired into the "demand", as the "supply" is unlimited.

However, do not despair. Every so often 'available technology' spawns a brilliant idea. This one is a lulu.

Check it out. I haven't tried it, nor know anyone who has, so can't comment on the quality or efficiency ..

Perhaps, one of these days, when the world supply of oil dries up, when electricity will be only for the super rich or fortunate .. your great, great grandchildren will still be able to light a fire or candle; and read about you.
Davo.

random memes

G'day. Davo sent me along t' fill up the space while 'e thinks o' sumthin' t' write. 'E reckons 'e's busy, but I think 'e's a bit tired. Plus the fact that 'e's one of those dorks oo spends a lot of time thinkin' before 'e writes sumthin', then spends a long time tryin' t' figure out where t' put the commas an' colons (I ast 'im what 'e wuz doin' once, and 'e told me 'e wuz doing a colonectomy. I din get it.) Then 'e gets worried about a word an' goes orf fer hours lookin' in the dikshuny and terrorsaurus.. so much so that most of what 'e writes spends so much time in the Drafts that they catch new-moania an' die a dustbin sort of death.

Hey, has anyone seen one of those big circular thingos called a Tuit? Davo sez he's going t' get a round Tuit one day, but I ain't seen one yet.

Anyways, Davo wuz tellin' me that 'e wuz lookin' at Barista a while back, an' they wuz trying t' figure out what a group of Bloggers could be called when they get tergether fer a bittuva chat an' grog up .. y'know, like 'gaggle of geese' or 'convocation of eagles'. Davo reckons they should be called a 'memerandom of bloggers'. I told 'im that dint spell right, an' 'e said "nah, meme random .. get it?" I dint get it, dunno what a "meme" is.

There are lots of little ideas an' themes that are picked up and followed by bloggers, apparently. Like one where somebody write the first paragraph of a short story, then someone else writes the next. Or where y' type "your name needs" into the Google box an' see wot pops up. Wombat needs .. to produce alarm instances (umm, thinkin' about that),to grow, water, sharp claws, your cash (oh?) an' Davo needs .. a good wallop (Oh yeah?), his car (durn tootin'), to see a shrink (nah, been there, done that), olive oil (the mind boggles), your monetary help (yer, don't clap, throw money .. heh heh) (google must be psychic).

Was sittin' round a campfire with a couple of cobbers an' a bottle of rum a while back, an' one of 'em came up with wot 'e called "The oddball Alphabet". Dunno whether 'e heard it from somewhere, or just made it up. Anyway, we kicked it around a bit and came up wiv the bit that follows. Now, I can't remember some of the letters. So mebbe some of you eddificated littoral people will be able t' help. Technically the 'connectors' should all be the same .. either 'for' or 'fer', but I've mixed em up a bit so that they make sense. Fill in the blanks .. or come up wiv some new ones. Y'll get the idea as y' go along.

A is for Horses
B for Mutton
C fer Yourself
D fer Kate
E fer Brick
F fer Vescense
G fer Police
H
I fer Novello
J
K
L fer Fairy (Troll, Goblin?)
M fer Semia
N
O fer There
P
Q
R fer Sixpence
S fer Williams
T fer Gums
U fer Mism
V fer La France
W
X fer Breakfast
Z

Have fun, Wombat Wol.

new toys

Gee, the marvels of modern technology. What will they think of next. Have to say though, that it reminds me of an occasion some time ago when I was working in the Audio Visual section of a Queensland University back in 1993. One of my jobs was to videotape visiting lecturers. On this occasion a couple of characters had come over from America to give a seminar on "voice recognition" software for computers.

When we stopped for a cuppa tea, I had a conversation with one of them, and he told me that it had taken twelve months and about a million dollars to get the computer to recognise 14 spoken words. The difficulty, of course, is that there are many different pitches and intonations, not to mention accents. At that point the words .. had .. to .. be .. spo .. ken .. slow .. ly, clearly and with the same pitch. Very proud of their achievement, they were.

I sort of looked at him and said 'sheesh, mate, if you give me twelve months and a million dollars - I could teach about fifty kids to recognise a vocabulary of about three thousand words. Read, write and speak them.'

He gave me a sour look and went off to talk with his friends.

I still think that the most powerful computer sits about 12 inches above the collarbone. Cheap, portable, runs on a small amount of carbohydrates and stuff, works when wet - and only needs replacing about every 70-80 years.

PS. Tuesday 26. Needs constant 'up-dating' though. But that can be cheapish if there's a local library.

identity

G'day. Me name's Wombat Wol, an' I've been having a bittuva discussion with the bloke who runs this site. Just t' confuse yz all 'is name is actually David, but 'e's been usin' my name a lot 'cos I look over 'is shoulder sometimes when 'e's writin'. 'E's also been findin' some funny little toys that 'e'll probly tell y about sometime. Anyways, what we'll try t' do is separate us a bit, 'an put me logo at th' top of the post when I'm me. But yer never know, sometimes I think I'm him, an' sometimes 'e thinks 'e's me. OK?

I've been around a bit an' spent some time out in th' desert. Wonderful place that. Well, it's not really "desert" like the Sahara - more like "arid". Y' c'n walk fer hundreds of miles in a straight line without bumpin' into, or trippin' over anybody. Y' c'n see the horizon all the ways round, and the mind expands t' fill the space. The silence of the night is so profound y' c'n hear the earth breathe, an' the stars are so bright y' c'n touch 'em. Space and Time take on a different meaning in th' desert, thousands, perhaps millions, of years without much change. City folk tend t' ferget their yesterdays in the rush n bustle, an' keep trippin' over the minute hand of their clocks.

There aren't any newfangled gadjets t' take away yr self reliance, so y' better not get into trouble 'cos there aint nobody around to help - or if there are, they're probly several days away. The only silicon chips out that way are flecks of rock, and the most powerful computer ever developed sits about six inches above yer collarbone. Not too much in the way of electricity either .. well .. unless y' count a helluva lot of solar power, but that goes away at night. Nights an' early mornings are the best time. Bit coolish, but.

Lots of people think that the Aussie desert is boring, mostly 'cos they scoot through it in their cars, or fly over it. But if y' get out 'n' walk in it, each grain is different - an' the subtle little plants an' flowers hide away, sometimes fer years, until they feel a speck of rain. Then they burst up out of the ground like a multicoloured carpet. The little buggers are quick off th' mark, as well. Grow, flower, set seed; all in a couple of weeks. Real survivors, them seeds. Can hide in the sands fer tens of years if need be, then pop up full of life and colour when they feel a bit of moisture.

But don't get the idea that the outback is all dry n flat. In a country roughly the size of the US of A, there's a lot of variation. I'll see if I c'n find some photos, later.
Cheerio,
Wombat Wol.

Battle hymn of the Republic (new version)

Words Attributed to Mark Twain. (Chorus by Wombat Wol)

(clicking here should bring up a separate screen with the music. Click back to this page to read the words with music in background.. best that I could do with limited knowlege .. grins))

Mine eyes have seen the orgy of the launching of the Sword;
He is searching out the hoardings where the stranger's wealth is stored;
He hath loosed his fateful lightnings, and with woe and death has scored;
His lust is marching on.

(Gory, Gory, Fall-u-u-jah,
Gory, Gory, Bagh-da-a-dad,
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah,
And the tanks go rumbling on.)

I have seen him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded him an altar in the Eastern dews and damps;
I have read his doomful mission by the dim and flaring lamps --
His night is marching on.

I have read his bandit gospel writ in burnished rows of steel:
"As ye deal with my pretensions, so with you my wrath shall deal;
Let the faithless son of Freedom crush the patriot with his heel;
Lo, Greed is marching on!"

We have legalized the strumpet and are guarding her retreat;*
Greed is seeking out commercial souls before his judgement seat;
O, be swift, ye clods, to answer him! be jubilant my feet!
Our god is marching on!

In a sordid slime harmonious Greed was born in yonder ditch,
With a longing in his bosom -- and for others' goods an itch.
As Christ died to make men holy, let men die to make us rich --
Our god is marching on.

retrospective research

Um, nothing like doing things backwards.. in that I wrote all the previous gribble, then had a look around the net. Have found that there weren't "ten" commandments. Apparently the ten that we know today (does anyone remember them?) have been distilled from 17 or so chapters in the bible.
(click here for one perspective.)

Have also found this site which gives a great deal of "food for thought". (it's going to take up quite a few of my nights and weekends .. grins)

a matter of faith

Now here's a strange thing. There are are few 'quizzes' floating about on various blogs including several 'religious' ones. I tried this one, Which religion are you? and it came out as this ..

You scored as Islam. Your beliefs are most similar to those of Islam. Do more research on Islam and possibly consider taking the shahadah and officially becoming a Muslim, if you aren't already. Despite the actions of some - who go against the teachings of Islam - Islam is a religion of peace; the word "islam" means "peace through submission to God." "Muslim" means "one who submits to God." Islam is the third of the three Abrahamic faiths, and it shares much with Judaism in Christianity; its differences are the acceptance of Muhammad as the last and final prophet, and the oneness of God - in other words, that Jesus, though he was a revered prophet, was not in fact God, and only one God exists. Apparently the Taliban could not read (though their name means "students"), because the Qur'an states that men and women are equal as believers, and that all believers should be educated and seek knowledge. Modesty in dress and behavior is required in Islam for both men and women to preserve the values of society and move the emphasis from superificial appearance to intelligence, knowledge, and God. Islam 83% Paganism 79% Buddhism 67% Satanism 67% atheism 67% Judaism 63% agnosticism 58% Christianity 46% Hinduism 42% Which religion is the right one for you? (new version) created with QuizFarm.com

.. which is a bit strange, since I was brought up in a Methodist household, with staunch Anglican ancestors. The whole thing must be rigged :-).

However, if I try This one the results come out as ..

Your Results:
# 1. Unitarian Universalism (100%)
# 2. Neo-Pagan (95%)
# 3. New Age (90%)
# 4. Liberal Quakers (88%)
# 5. Mahayana Buddhism (86%)
# 6. Hinduism (81%)
# 7. Scientology (78%)
# 8. New Thought (77%)
# 9. Jainism (74%)
# 10. Bahai Faith (72%)
# 11. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (71%)
# 12. Theravada Buddhism (68%)
# 13. Reform Judaism (66%)
# 14. Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants (64%)
# 15. Sikhism (64%)
# 16. Taoism (63%)
# 17. Secular Humanism (59%)
# 18. Orthodox Judaism (58%)
# 19. Orthodox Quaker (56%)

All very strange, though I like the sound of "Neo-Paganist" .. heh heh heh .. has overtones of cavorting in the woods with Pan pipes and nubile maidens.

My 'personal' view is that all 'religions' are 'man made', in that they have been constructed in the dim dark past as a set of 'ethics' to control the social behaviour of local tribes - most of whom, if not all - could not read nor write. It seems to me that most of the 'popular' western religions are based on rules invented by the 'patriarchs' of tribes based in the Middle East, and revolved around "patriarchal" dominance, purely as a method of 'survival' in a generally hostile and difficult environment - though apparently the Jewish religion was the first to latch onto the idea of One, all powerful, unknowable God which could not be named.

In the beginning, (and I mean pre-history) the tribes were small, and the ethical and social rules of behaviour were handed down by 'word of mouth' and, of necessity, strict and simple - so that the 'mythology' could be transferred from generation to generation without too much alteration or change. Whether Moses went up the mountain with a chisel, the 'intelligent spacemen' used a high powered laser, or 'god' was/is a dab hand with a lightening bolt is open to conjecture, but - as a social and ethical premise - the "ten commandments" have pretty well been 'written in stone' and form the basis of a a simple ethical premise that seems to apply across many, if not all societies and cultures.

We really have no idea what sort of philosophical discussions or schisms went on between populations and/or priests until later, when writing and reading became a bit more commonplace, and we have the 'records' to see what they thought about.

It seems to me that anyone who "hears voices in the head" has a diagnosable illness, but back in those times the peons may have thought it strange enough to give whoever insisted on it some sort of 'status' as a 'holy man'.

And so, the stories were told and re-told, passed down from generation to generation, then written down - to become 'the word' of 'god' - and so, today .. we have 'undeniable faiths'.

It all reminds me a bit of something like

Lesser Primate Committee Thinking Experiment

Start with a cage containing five apes.
In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs under it. Before long, an ape will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the Banana, but as soon as he touches the stairs, spray all of the apes with cold water. After a while, another ape makes an attempt with the same result-all the apes are sprayed with cold water. Turn off the cold water. If, later, another ape tries to climb the stairs, the other apes will try to prevent it even though no water sprays them.
Now, remove one ape from the cage and replace it with a new one. The New ape sees the banana and wants to climb the stairs. To his horror, all of the other apes attack him. After another attempt and attack, he knows that if he tries to climb the stairs, he will be assaulted.
Next, remove another of the original five apes and replace it with a New one. The newcomer goes to the stairs and is attacked. The previous Newcomer takes part in the punishment with enthusiasm.
Again, replace a third original ape with a new one. The new one makes it to the stairs and is attacked as well. Two of the four apes that beat him have no idea why they were not permitted to climb the stairs, or why they are participating in the beating of the newest ape. After replacing the fourth and fifth original apes, all the apes which have been sprayed with cold water have been replaced. Nevertheless, no ape ever again approaches the stairs.
Why not? "Because that's the way it's always been around here."
Sound familiar?

(Which can be found on Mad Elaine's Fun Page)

And so, I guess it all comes down to a matter of 'training' and 'choice'. Pick a religion, any religion, they are all just as valid. The trick, of course, is living by the rules (and having enough 'faith' that it will all turn out for the best in the end).
(grins)

Men of letters

pdberger, who writes "Englishman in New York" has an interesting post about a couple of characters using the letters on a cinema marquee to create .. well .. signs of the times.

(click on the title to read)

World Community

Hey, the marvels of modern technology.. grins. This "site meter " thingo is amazing. Tells me where people are coming from .. the US (both coasts), Canada, England, Singapore, Australia. (Whyalla?? good heavens) and somebody up in the middle somewhere. If near The Alice, give my regards to the desert.. I love that part of Oz.


This is a pic of "Henley on Todd", an annual "regatta" held in the "River" Todd. Usually dry, but the event had to be cancelled one year 'cos the river was actually running.





The "Devil's Marbles" near Tennant Creek. There are several acres of these things.








Kata Juta, near Uluru. (Kata Juta used to be named The Olgas, Uluru is Ayres Rock. We are gradually acknowleging that these things had names before we arrived.)




Here's me thinking am just sort of making notes to myself..and one or two others.. umm, guess that I'd better start writing something a bit more interesting.

In the meantime, have just discovered The Gods are Bored
and Old Horsetail Snake which should keep a smile on the face.

A copper copped

Am not really sure what's happened at one of the blogs that I used to enjoy reading. I had it listed down on the links list as "Brit sense of humour-sort of", but was "The Policeman's Blog" and written with a delightful, whimsical sort of sense of humour - sort of like "The Bill" meets "Heartbeat". It also has numerous links to other related sites, some "official" some "personal" - on both sides of the Atlantic.

Written from the perspective of an ordinary copper on the beat, it was essentially harmless, though he did on occasion 'criticise' various aspects of ' official policy', and gave the impression that they all sat around drinking tea, or filling in massive amounts of paperwork rather than actually 'policing'. It was very funny.

Apparently one (or several) Brit newspapers got hold of it and printed some of it (apparently without permission). It now looks as if the 'higher ups' got wind of it. He has been forced to remove all his "archives" and is apparently looking for another job.

The site is still there (click on the title to link) but only one post at a time.

The "War with Terror" claims another victim. (wry grin)

The Policeman's Blog

photo

OK, am succumbing to a modicum of vanity. Apparently the only way I can get a photo into the Profile is to post it as a post, then paste the URL into the 'profile' page. Does it look like me? Well, yes and no. Was taken some time ago while "in the outbacks" (as a German friend used to call it) and am using it as it reflects the "wombatty" theme.

slow going

Sorry about the paucity of posts, haven't had much time to look for anything new or interesting (err, haven't felt much like it would be closer to the truth, but that's another story), so don't expect anything much during the week. Hey, am learning how to understand the blasted 'template' a little better, and have added a 'site meter'. Good heavens.. people read this stuff .. thanks for visiting. Have also discovered a cool addition for 'daily quotes'. Actually was looking at another site re 'quotes' here then found the one down on the sidebar, as i was looking for the author of

"A neurotic is a man who builds a castle in the air. A psychotic is the man who lives in it. A psychiatrist is the man who collects the rent."
Jerome Lawrence

Dunno why, particularly, just thought it mildly amusing. Had heard it from a particularly nutty friend several years ago. Dunno which of the first two categories I fit into :-) Actually, have to admit to what the shrink calls 'clinical depression' for the past six or eight months - so much so that an event last month, miniscule in its own way, nearly put me over the edge.

Comes from 'being a bloke' in that admission of such a thing is almost impossible and, as a fiercely 'independent' sort of bloke, the last thing that I want to do is "see a Doc". However, one of my customers found me quietly weeping among her rose bushes and convinced me to make an appointment. So duly went, was prescribed some pills, and well, they work. I call them 'happy pills', but that's not quite right. They do seem to have taken away all those 'negative' thoughts that kept churning around in my head, and now find it difficult to get all het up about the dire state of politics and the world.

Have been told that that is precisely what the 'little fuehrer's' of the world want, as a 'compliant' population is less likely to object to the ridiculously restrictive rules that are being insinuated into the 'law', but am still aware, and will get agitated again. They don't get away with it that easily.

WHY????

It is too easy to sit here in a house in a quiet treelined street in the suburbs and wonder WHY?? Why blow up Bali again, what do these murderers hope to achieve? It is too easy to sit here and say 'don't let them win .. go visit Bali' ..when the worst that happens here is bit of rain and wind now and then. Or perhaps a minor vehicle accident at the local nearby intersection. Too easy to write 'oh well, there is more chance of dying from a heart attack .. or cancer .. or being run over by a bus .. or being in a train wreck .. than being blown up by a suicidal mass murderer.' But what do the Balinese feel now?

It is too easy to 'tighten' security laws and facilities over and over again .. but still it happens. And happens. What sort of people are prepared to do this to others? What is their mindset? This is CRAZY.

The awful thought is that we will soon be living in 'total lockdown' .. unable to move without passing through multiple 'checkpoints' and having to furnish a sheaf of 'identity cards'. This is also crazy. Little Johnny keeps saying ' they hate us for our freedoms..". Will 'reducing our freedoms' make us safer? Bullsh.. A couple of years ago the mantra was ' we must invade Iraq to make us safer'. Well that didn't work too well.