Stupid choices.

If you had owned and operated a Petrol Station /Mechanics workshop and it went bust. If you had almost lost your mothers house as she went guarantor on a loan for a failed hairdressing business. If you had purchased a beach house property on Phillip Island and over committed yourself. If you had other ventures that had gone badly, would you go back to the well and try again?

I expect most people would say ‘Yes’, it’s in the blood to find that pot of gold, and I wouldn’t blame anyone for giving it another go, but you’d think you’d really investigate the options. You’d do plenty of market research; you’d get plenty of independent advice. Well you’d think so.

So why is it that my second cousins decided to invest in 3, count them, 3, franchises of the Danoz Direct variety? I know that there might be people that buy the Danoz stuff from the TV ads but who would walk into a shop and buy that crap? For the life of me I can not understand why you would think this was going to be a huge money spinner. Not to mention the fact that the locations were inside 3 of Melbourne’s largest shopping centres, so the rent is horrendous. What the hell were they thinking?

I saw them at a funeral last week and they told me that they almost lost their house when the venture went belly up, what a surprise. I just wished they’d sanity check this sort of stuff with others in the family, removed enough so that we can be honest, I hate seeing people in that position. All it would have taken is for me to give them the “You’ve got to be kidding” look and maybe they would have thought twice.

I’ve been thinking about taking the leap out of the comfy desk job and into small business, hopefully I won’t fall into the same trap the cousins found themselves in. Now they have to sue and try to recover from someone for the broken promises, it will only get messy. I wish them well.

Nostalgic about my cars.

My first car. The humble Datsun 180B, built in 1977, rego IXA859. Colour scheme, cream body with black roof. I had it from about 1984 until about 1987. It basically got me to uni and back when I realized that traveling by train from Preston to Caulfield was such a time waster. Cheap on the petrol but a bit daggy. My uni mates had the following: EH Holden, Mitubishi Sigma, XB falcon wagon, '78 Toyota Corolla wagon, so my datsun was right at home with that lot.








Around 1987 I started working an thought I should replace IXA with something that might help the image. Well a lack of advice and bull at a gate attitude saw me buy a Holden JB Camira, circa 1982. Rego BMY256, in my possession for about 5 years, this was 5 years too long. The worst car ever made, it was my introduction to the "Friday Afternoon" car. After a couple of breakdowns, BMY's time was up. It was traded in for the next car (lucky dealer huh?).







This is the first (and only) brand new car I bought. The 1991 Mazda 323, rego ERW768. I got a $3500 trade in for the Camira which helped out, and probably could have got more if I'd brought my dad along. Anyway, still got ERW, it's the car I'm 60% through selling. It's a great little car, I got the Laguna Blue version which at the time drew a few comments from passing motorist, even cops (without getting a ticket). Although, I did get one speeding fine in this fine automobile. The only complaint I had was that the first clutch went after 40,000K's which I thought was a little early but Mazda said was "normal" for a car that lives in a hilly suburb.









After having our first child in 1995, we couldn't get around in the one small car, so I used the salary sacrifice facility at work and leased a Holden VT Berlina in 1998. Rego OVW798, It was a pretty average car, a few creature comforts but generally did what it was supposed to do. The lease was for 3 years so in 2001, we traded up.









The next car was a truck really. We succumbed to the 4wd craze and leased a Toyota Prado 2001, reg QWM968. We'd had a second child by this stage and thought that we needed the extra space to carry all of Child #2's stuff. In reality it was overkill but on occasions it was useful to have that extra space. The one thing I did like was the on top of the world feeling. The ability to see over the traffic was brilliant, but in most cases, the bulkiness and lack of speed made it impossible to use this advantage.









Due to some unfortunate circumstances, I had to break the lease on the Prado at the end of 2002. Once things settled down, in 2003, I took on a new lease. My current car is a For Falcon XR6 Turbo. You could call it a little mid life thing, but I'm not 50 and it's not a red ferrari, far from it. Ford were actually able to send me photos of my car being built. How many car companys do that?










From start above, to finish below.











Final product: tada.









Funnily enough I can't remember the rego of this one.

Life of a technologist.

Is it any wonder I work in the field that I do. I had a little dig around to find those bits of technology I used to own and those which I own now.

Starting from the start, my first bit of technology was a "“TV game machine"” which had 10 games built into it. I raised the money through confirmation presents/birthday money and a secret account mum was putting her child endowment money into. If I recall it right, the machine cost about $70 in 1978. It was basically the game of Pong with 9 other variations. Soccer, Hockey, Gridiron, Doubles, Tennis, Squash and a few others I can'’t remember. This is what it looked like:

After a couple of years, in 1980 I think, auntienty bought us a surprise gift for Christmas. An Atari 2600 game console. This was the greatest gift a kids could have at the time. Space invaders was huge, other games were breaking into the pinball market and the 2600 allowed you to play colour games right there at home. Over the next couple of years we amassed about 15 games. God I wish we still had the unit and games now. I'’m sure it'’s worth a few hundred dollars to a collector, that market has exploded recently. This is the unit we used to have:

Plus over that time, I managed to collect a couple of these games.

In 1982, my dad decided I needed a computer of my own. I had studied basic programming in 1981 (year 11) and was also doing computers in year 12. I researched and decided on the best thing I could come up with, a Disk Smith System 80.

This was just a basic programming system with about 16k of memory. This thing helped me learn some programming concepts etc, but as with all technology, soon was outdated. IBM and Microsoft were starting the conspiracies which lead to today'’s machines and operating systems. The system 80 though lasted about 2 years, I could record my programs onto a cassette tape with a flaky cable between the unit and the cassette recorder. I remember that the cable had to be titled slightly so that it would work; the programs would take about 20 minutes to load so if it stuffed up, and it usually did, I'’d be sitting there for hours waiting. I wrote my own Bathurst car racing game on that thing, something else I regret throwing out.

Uni followed and in my final year, 1986, dad bought a computer for his company. This was a semi leading edge Epson PC (yep Epson made computers in those days). These were the days when computer were made by manufacturers and they all fought for the brand name end of the market.

This set up cost dad about $3000, I learnt a valuable lesson that day. Any future computer purchase was going to cost $3000.

A few years after this, dad upgraded to an Epson 286. This was the next generation PC and was sold to us by a former workmate. It was a solid unit and had a whopping 1 meg of ram. This thing lasted about 3 years and served me well. Did a lot of my dad'’s accounts on it as well as mastering Kings Quest games, Leisure Suit Larry and countless other bits of software that came across my work desk. This unit also cost about $3000 in about 1989.

The next computer was a no name cream box, supplied by a workmate. It was a 386 with 4 meg of memory and a 300 meg hard disk. It cost about, you guessed it, $3000. This was my first official purchase in 1993. I used this computer to connect to bulletin boards, and later, make the first steps onto the internet. It'’s now sitting at my mum'’s place, gathering dust. No photo of it as it was just a regular cream box. The monitor was a 15 inch VGA monitor and was about $1000 by itself. You buy them now for under $100, if anyone is actually selling them.

The beauty of that machine was that I wrote a stock management program for a stock broker and he paid me $400 for the effort. What did I spend that money on? Well, I rushed out and bought a Playstation (original) in about 1998? I think.

I still have this, and I even had it chipped. I must have about 40 games for this thing. I used to play it constantly. Favourite games were Gran Turismo 1 and 2, The Army men games, Actua Golf and tons of others.

The next PC I bought in 2002 was a quantum leap from the last one. It'’s my current machine, an AMD 1.6 GHz machine with 512 meg ram and lots of other bells and whistles. ADSL connection to the net, a router to connect the kid'’s computer to the net and run a little local area network around the house. My favourite game for this PC has been Far Cry, very realistic and very spooky with the surround sound on and in a dark room. Especially when the kids wake up and sneak in behind me.

Over the past 3 years, we'’ve also acquired the following game boxes.

Nintendo Game Boy.

Playstation 2 with a network card for on-line play.

Microsoft XBOX -– Halo collectors edition, also with network card.

Nintendo Game Cube for the kids.

Plus, an impulse purchase of a Playstation 2 bean bag.

So, is it any wonder that my work life revolves around the humble computer? I'’ve been in the industry for 18 years, I'’ve seen a lot of technology come and go, I recall the Apple Newton which was going to be the next big thing. I'’ve resisted the urge to splurge on an iPod of any description. I like my music, but these toys don'’t interest me. I don'’t use public transport much at all which would be the only time I would want to get lost in a musical world.

You'’ll notice I'’ve steered clear of Apple gear all together, they were never seen as a real techo’s PC. One for the schools or publishers, techo's want to strip things apart and break them; you couldn'’t do that with the Apples, also objected to paying $6000 for a PC. They eventually got it and brought out the iMac, and they finally are becoming price competitive, but still donÂ’t interest me.

PS: The geekiest guy I know has glued used CD's to the ceiling of one of the rooms in his house. Last I heard, he was starting on the walls, this was "his" room. Somehow he negotiated this with his wife, that must have been one hell of a discussion.

How we met.

20 months ago today, I shared a coffee and a sandwich with a very special woman. I remember being as nervous as all get out, sweaty palms, deodorant working overtime, it was a couple of weeks before Christmas and I recall it was over 30 degrees. It was a mid week meeting, Wednesday to be exact and Honey came to town to meet me for the first time.

We had met earlier, about a month earlier but that was via a modern medium of introductions. It was via RSVP.com.au. “Internet dating” was how we met, in fact J found me and I replied that I was interested in chatting via email at least. Our profiles matched up pretty well, some areas of difference but you need variety, you need to be able to learn from one another.

Being in our late 30’s (when we met) and both having children, made this method of dating the best option for both of us.

I was led to RSVP by a work colleague (Barb) who had dumped her husband and being in her late 40’s wasn't interested in the pub/club thing coz that was going to be too much hard work. She’d met 5 or 6 "RSVP" guys either via email or over coffee and the last one was Mr Right for her. She even told me that they were going to get married, not sure if they did, I should ask her one day, but anyway, she said to me, over a boozy lunch “Capeman you ought to try RSVP, there are loads of girls on it and one of them will be right for you”. Thanks Barb, I sort of looked at her with a “what the f@ck are you talking about?”

A few days later, I was playing a game on the PC and I was just about to shutdown and I thought, I ought to give that site a go. Fired up the net and headed to RSVP.com.au. I don’t know why, but I thought to myself, is anyone looking over my shoulder, why do I feel a little ashamed? I used the free search facility and looked up my likes (see turn ons below) and up popped a plethora of women. Skipped through them, refined the search, narrowed the field to a few then thought “now what?” I did nothing. I just shut it down, shut down the PC and didn’t return to RSVP for nearly 4 months.

On the second go, I had a little more confidence. This time I prepared my profile, photo and posted it up there. Up there on the net for the all the world to see. I started searching and made some preliminary kisses*. All my kisses came back unopened [sniff].

But then, in early November 2003, a kiss landed in my mailbox. Honey had sent me a kiss and I thought woo hoo. After I stopped shaking, I clicked on the profile button and thought hmmm, she’s encoded her email address here, I’ll send her an email. Otherwise, you can pay RSVP 5 or 10 bucks to be introduced, but Honey had carefully hidden it in her profile so only the cleverest of detectives would be able to bypass the elaborate security system RSVP employed. I sent an opening email, and Honey replied a day or so later. So we back and forth-ed emails until it was obvious we had to meet. I think we spoke on the phone first and we set the first official lunch date.

December 10 was the day and we met near my office building in the city. That meeting went well, we talked and talked and talked, I was instantly smitten and thought to myself, we need to explore this more. 20 months later, we are going as strong as ever. Lots of ups, a couple of downs, plenty of learning and lots of fun.

So, I can honestly say, there is nothing wrong with Internet dating.

*kisses are emails sent to the target person who can either accept or decline the offer.

Tag, my turn. My top Tens.

Well it’s my turn for a top ten Turn on’s and Turn offs.

I’ve seen a few of these lists and slightly confused about how to approach this. I’ve gone the traditional route and list the things that get me fired up and in the mood and the things that will turn me off either in the short or long term.

Top 10 Turn Ons.

1. Jazz music playing softly in the background.
2. Entertaining fingers.
3. Nothing less than a C cup.
4. Next to nothing on.
5. Intelligent.
6. Finds me mildly amusing.
7. Excellent technique.
8. Running her finger nails up down my back.
9. Makes me smile.
10. A hint of Vera Wang all over her body.
11. Yearning for a life more extraordinary.

(oops one too many)


Top 10 Turn Offs.

1. Annoying loud voice.
2. Overabundance of hair (except on her head).
3. Fake nails, ie too long.
4. Smoking. If I'm in the mood, the smell of tabacco is the quickest way to turn me off.
5. A Liar.
6. Tattoos. I used to think I could handle them but I'm right off them.
7. Illicit Drug user or abuser.
8. Child intolerant. I've got kids, you have to be tolerant.
9. Racist attitudes.
10. A closed mind.

Next........

Ok, I’m going to have a tag team, no holds barred wrestling match to decide who I will tag next.

In one corner, from part unknown, weight unknown, Roguemaze and Cotton , in the other from Melbourne, weighing 100kgs (wringing wet) Aleks and Elaine.

The winners will be tagged.

Roguemaze and Aleks square off first as the bell rings, and after a 20 minute dissertation from Aleks about how the Government and the puppet ALP opposition is screwing the country and how he knows how to fix it and proceeds to explain how. Roguemaze rolls his eyes back and collapses, Aleks tags Elaine, she climbs to the top rope and splashes RM through the canvas, 1, 2, 3. The ref lifts Elaine and Aleks’ hands and declares them the winners. Cotton, storms out, leaving his partner dazed and confused, pissed at not even getting his white trunks and matching wrestling loafers into the action.

Elaine and Aleks, you're tagged.

My next house?

I just saw a news story about architectually designed shipping container homes.

I looked around and it didn't feel like April 1, so I did some research. Lo and behold, there are many articles on the subject of solving the housing - space crisis by investing in container homes.

This mob makes and ships them and there are many, many, many models. Even a camping unit!