It cost how much?

Over the last few years there have been a lot of buzz words zooming around in the media, on the web and in your face, just like in this entry today. I'm going to use as many buzz words as I can to see if it actually works. What am I talking about? Sustainability.

It's become one of those cool things people talk about. But the sad truth is, it's pretty much out of reach for most Australian's. Why so?

Firstly, most of us have full time jobs and can't really be expected to come home to attend to our veggie patch... keeping in mind that a patch big enough to sustain you year round will have to be massive and constantly looked after.

Fine, you say. What about your water? Sure, there are those water storage tank shops that have sprung up all over Sydney. They're not cheap and neither is the installation. Speaking of cheap... Solar panels are not, and you would be silly not to think about installing the and supplementing them with a couple of nice neighbour friendly windmills because it's generally windy when it's cloudy.

Earlier this year the Australian Government announced and implemented a cashback scheme for anyone purchasing solar technology for their homes. We're not talking a few hundred dollars either. We're talking thousands and on most occasions, tens of thousands of dollars to install. So when the Government implemented this extraordinary scheme guess what happened?

Solar panel installation prices went up.

What happened when the scheme was shutdown due to its significant popularity thank to sucking the Government dry? Solar installations went back down in price by a significant amount of money.

So, were customers who took advantage of the scheme taken advantage of? I would say yes. Much in the same way flat panel television sets went up in price when the Government announced the $900 rebate they handed out to every one, including dead people.

I have an inkling suspicion that everyone, deep down wants to be more sustainable and more considerate towards the environment. But how can anyone be expected to obtain a large enough solar panel array to support their household's electronics?

How is anyone expected to be able to afford the technology that has been around for a very long time now and should be expected to have significant reductions in costs?

Most technologically advanced devices get cheaper over time due to the simple fact that it gets cheaper to manufacture and market saturation. Since it isn't cheap, the market isn't taking it up, if the market doesn't take it up, the price stays up.

Talk about a double edged sword.

As a child I remember watching that brilliant show called Beyond 2000. Sadly most, if not all the things they showed haven't actually been invented. However, solar panels were shown on the show. I constantly hear and read about advances in solar panels, bringing up their efficiency and bringing down their price by a significant portion.

The verdict? I haven't seen them yet. And believe me, I've been looking. I'm looking because I am planning on building a new house soon and I want it to be as green as possible. Since I run my own server in my business from home, it's a device that's always on and I'd like to have it powered off the grid. Infact, I'd like to invest a great deal of time into making sure my house relies on the grid as much as possible. I know that it may be impossible to have it completely off the grid. But I want to have the least amount of reliance as possible.

This goes for water too. I plan on installing some large tanks, probably underground for water storage.

I'm open to hear about any other alternative energy suggestions you may have for a house in the suburbs of South West Sydney.

Water Restrictions Lifted

Most of my friends and even some business associates know that my wife and I are fairly proactive water conservationists. While we also recycle properly and don't litter, we also like to make sure that we are considerate of the environment.

Noch ein Bier, bitte! - One more beer, please!

The day was not dry, but cold and wet.

As time drew near, closer, we fret.

It was now due for us to leave.

Onward to Sash's party this eve.

We arrive with fanfare and our usual grace.

Sash greeting us with a smile on his face.

"Shit, we're late" lets make a move.

Jove's still getting dressed, dude.

Finally, we're off. To the train station

Crossing the street and up the elevation.

With a sudden blur, the train appears.

If we miss this one, we won't get there for years.

Blasting down the stairs

We just make it in.

Settled on the seating

With compromised position.

A stroll through the Quay

We make it to Löwenbräu

Spelling mistakes

Cause us to have a cow.

We were let in okay

And taken to our seats

Where we ordered our beers

And selection of cold meats.

Our meals arrived quickly

And on to our secord course

The beer was flowing

I started talking in Morse.

Voices got louder

Dirtier jokes

Helgas with boosoms

Covered in coats.

What the fuck?

This isn't right....

More beer please,

It's the start of the night!

Alex and Mary

Are off to get home

5am start

I don't envy them both.

Sash and Jove

Karensa and me

Talk and drink

With merry and glee.

Karensa and Jove

Stumble up the alley way

Jove is sick

Mixed alcohol gone stray

From champagne to schnapps

To beer, Oi! That was mine.

Jove is wasted

Spewing all the time.

We found her up the street

Kneeling over a pot plant

Bleahhhh, out it came

We all laughed, what a rant.

Laying down on the bench

She takes a small nap

Rudely awaken

By Sash's bursting yap!

"Get up, don't sleep"

Sash is freaking

Jove says "Shutup"

"I'm not sleephmfthing..."

We get her up

And she chunders some more.

Embarrassed, we walk her

To the main street floor.

TAXI! We caught one

The driver not sure.

Karensa assures him

She's already spewed before.

Sash held her boot

Over her mouth.

Ten minutes later,

Bleahhh! like a spout

Straight into the shoe

Down the calve it goes

Again and again

Who knows how many times

We finally arrive home

And put her to slumber

Karensa crashes in the car

What a bummer.

I sober up

And find Karensa in the car

Say goodbye to Sash

Best birthday by far.

Gen Y.... bored yet?

Books have been written about them. Things have been said. Opinions voiced. And now game shows have been broadcast about them.... Who are they?



They're the generation Y. The generation that apparently can't hold a job for more than 6 months. It's a generation that was brought up with the need for everything NOW, and that's when they get it. Now later, not next week. NOW!

Movies suck

A couple of months ago I posted a review of 5 second films. I liked how I didn't have to commit a great deal of time to watch something that is most likely a boring bit of drivel that came from a country that has such an abundance of it, they have to export it for the rest of the world to absorb.... and for some reason, the world laps it up.

I for one can do without such verbal and visual diarrhoea.

2009 Sydeny CeBIT review

Every year I head over to Darling Harbour to see what's new in the wonderful world of IT and electronics.



Every year, I come away with some new piece of technology that I end up selling because it will make life easier for me and all my clients, friends, family, the world.

My Pasta Recipe

WTF?

Hell on Earth... X2

My close friends will know how much I hate IKEA. While I love the design concept and the whole idea of making the world feel like they're all good DIY'ers because they were able to assemble a table or some shelving. You can't deny that IKEA furnishings do look okay.

Top Gear Australia

Some of you know you know that I ended up getting tickets to see the filming of Top Gear Australia. I have to say, it was fun... for the first two hours.

people, Don't know how to sentence structures. anymore

The other night on television, I heard an advertisement for McDonald's. It told me that I should try their new menu. What it actually said, and I quote is, "7 items under $3"

Great musicians, but are they really?

Over the years, as you play music in various states of this life-cycle, you grow musically by taking on something new every time you jam or perform with other musicians.

Solar powered electric plugin cars.

I guess electric cars will have to start somewhere. I guess the people bagging them out are the ones who'll also laugh at the early adopters (beta testers) that will buy these cars. Maybe to show off, maybe because of more legitimate, environmental reasons. But at the end of the day, while still using fossil fuels to create the car I'd imagine the significant petro-costs of running the car will be discounted immediately due to the fact that it won't need to be refuelled, but plugged in.

Baby Animals

Like most people in my age group we all grew up during an iconic time in Australia's music industry where bands came and went but some stuck around. While some never left at all, others went through a re-birth under new names and new genres.

No Sketch-a-Rama today

Last Monday was a downer. The model was late and when she did arrive, she had a bit of attitude. Unfortunately, this tainted the rest of the evening, and as such my sketches were lame. It wasn't until I moved over to the other model that I was really starting to feeling.

Once things were under way it was okay, but Peter pretty much said it best when he turned to me and said "I can't quite pick the colours, I'm not feeling it with the mood of the room tonight"

He was right. So when he pulled out the pastels which I had never used in my life I went with the blue end of the scale. Only adding a bit of colour later just to add a bit of dimension to the drawing. I was ultimately happy with how the evening panned out even though the beginning was pretty ordinary.

Unfortunately being long weekend, there was no sketch sessions booked tonight at the Arthouse. So there will be no images for this week.

But I've included a few of the nights sketches from lest Monday below for your critique. Hope you enjoy the evolution as much as I have.

[nggallery id=12]

Etchy Sketchy

Another week and another Monday night of sketching nude women.

Dealer review - Holden on Milperra Rd.

When I was in the new car market, I went around to pretty much every marquee out there from the ones that I could afford to some of the ones I couldn't afford. Holden was a brand that I could pretty much pick up any car I wanted. I decided to go and test drive the Astra.

The let down was there as soon as I arrived at the dealership with the sales guy walking out of his office, high and mighty with the greeting that went something like this, "Wanna buy it mate? I'm doing them on special today, so, lets go inside and talk about it."

Whoa there big fella. I turned to him and said "You want to get into bed with me and you haven't even got to know me yet."

So I walked off without test driving the Astra. I got to do it at a later stage though, so tune in for a brief encounter with a car that would be every teen boys dream car that they can actually afford.

Pity about the local Holden dealership. The service was poor.

This one time, at Sofala....

Just like every year, I went camping to Sofala. Unlike most years though, I have taken my friend Sash with me. I took him there for the first time last year and this year we had our long lost mate Ben come along too. Sadly, Ben got married nearly 2 years ago, and I think I've only seen him twice since then. Sash and I have a pretty good gut feeling that he's being locked away with a ball and chain, so we really pushed for him to come camping with us. I think he could have used the time away from the missus.

Arty Farty Pantaloons!

Part II of my journey through art was complete last night when Peter and I returned to The Arthouse hotel.

I arrived slightly early, so I grabbed a pint of golden nectar and found myself a seat. Moments later Peter has arrived and we were talking crap when the model got up on the podium and derobed. Unfortunately, while she wasn't attractive, she was rather unflattering for my liking. Her nipples were large, the aereola was pale and blended into her skin tones too much. Where as I like a defined nipple and contrasting colour. Her body was a bit flabby, nothing to complain about there as I like women with meat on them, but the shape was unflattering. In fact, it was almost boyish, with bumps in the wrong places. I decided to have a go, when Peter said he'd rather go to the toilet now than later.

Arty farty pants

Having been mates with Jack and his brother Peter for a couple of years now I have been able to hang around some artistically talented people. Besides music, I also draw. Much like my nephew Andre, who draws when he's not playing video games I too drew all the time when I was a child.

Movie time

As most people that know me know well enough that I barely watch television, and I barely go to the cinema to watch a movie. Movies aren't something that provide much satisfaction to me. I'd rather be doing something else, read a book maybe based on the film. During a film I will constantly sit there wondering about other things. My mind is never really there, or here if you happen to be reading this while watching a movie.