Konnecke.com

digitalbucket.net

2008-04-21T20:00:00.001+10:00

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digitalbucket.net

via Mashups via Programmable Web on 4/21/08

DigitalBucket.net provides a web interface that can be used to store and retrieve data, at any time, from anywhere on the web. It uses Amazon S3 to create a remote data storage platform.

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Show Me the Money - Or Maybe Not!

2008-04-21T12:24:00.001+10:00

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Show Me the Money - Or Maybe Not!

via Lifehack.org by Craig Harper on 4/20/08

Like it or loath it, we all have a relationship with money. We don't really have a choice; it's somewhat of a necessity. Unless of course you're a skilled hunter, gatherer, farmer, living entirely off the land in your own hand-built hut, wearing animal skins and residing in some remote, exotic location. Who happens to have Internet access. Of course.

Part of the human experience

Money means different things to different people. Or different things for the same people at different stages of their journey - stress, anxiety, freedom, choices, arguments, happiness, sadness, motivation, sleepless nights, elation and sadly things like crime, violence, deception, manipulation and even marital breakdown. Like it or not, money is a necessary part of the human experience; something which needs to be negotiated and managed virtually every day of our lives.

What does money mean to us individually?

When we really dumb it down and we take the emotion out of it (yes, some of us are very emotional - periodically irrational - about money), it's kinda simple; money is a resource. It's a resource that let's us do stuff. Drive this car, live in that house, wear that dress or suit, fly to that country, enjoy this type of lifestyle; for some, pretty superficial and unimportant stuff, and for others, very significant stuff. On a certain level, things only have the meaning we give them and unfortunately, many of us seem to have handed over way to much power to the 'almighty dollar'. And in doing so, we seem to have lost part of us.

Different things to different people

For the majority, money is something to be used in a practical way to live our lives - pay bills, buy food, educate our kids, fix the broken fence and enjoy the annual holiday. While for others, it's their life-force; it's what gets them out of bed each day. It's their obsession. While many see it for what it is (a resource), others make money their god; they worship it and they spend a lifetime being hopelessly enslaved to it. Usually at great personal expense.

An identity?

For some people, their money is who they are. It's the thing that gives them a sense of worth; their self esteem, their confidence - or arrogance. Take away their money and they feel worthless and insecure; they lose their identity and their power (or perceived power anyway). Rather than it being a necessary resource, it has become their reason for being. They are captivated by it, driven by it, addicted to it and ultimately destroyed by it. Ironically, their tireless pursuit of wealth at any cost invariably results in bankruptcy in every other area of their life. When we hand over our power to something which can be taken away in a second, we have a tendency to become very vulnerable and insecure. If not, paranoid and obsessed.

Wealth without the money

What about the notion of being rich without having significant money or assets? Well, that depends on your definition of wealth. In my opinion, some of the wealthiest people don't have much money at all and some of the poorest people are literally millionaires - it's a matter of perception and definition isn't it? While it's not said too often or too loud in mainstream society (political correctness and all), the underlying message seems to be:

Money = happiness
More money = more happiness
Most money = most happiness

Having worked with some obscenely rich folk over the years, I can tell you with absolute certainty that there is no universal correlation between increased material wealth and increased happiness. And no, financial wealth and happiness are not necessarily mutually exclusive either.

Anti-Money?

At the other end of the scale we can find the anti-establishment, anti-material possession, anti-money brigade who see money as evil and the pursuit of it analogous to sin. This doesn't seem to be a very practical, realistic or empowering paradigm to inhabit either. There's nothing wrong with money. After all, money can't be good or bad, it's just a bunch of paper that's been assigned a value by us! No, money only becomes bad or destructive when it comes to represent something that it shouldn't.

What do I think?

Now before I get three hundred emails telling me that I'm a hypocrite because I charge companies thousands of dollars to work with them, don't misinterpret my thoughts on money. Making money or being wealthy is not of itself, a bad thing. In fact, for the most part I admire people who succeed in business - as long as that success doesn't come at the cost of their values, their health, their relationships, their integrity, their life, or their emotional, psychological and spiritual development. As long as we recognise and use money for what it is and don't bow down before it, we should have a relatively healthy relationship with it. Do I have financial goals? Yep. Are they at the top of my list? Nope. Do I focus on, or obsess about, money? Nope. Have I ever struggled financially? Yep. In fact, for the majority of my adult life I have not earned a lot of money.

By the way, even with my business aspirations and goals I have never been driven by money. Of course it's an issue and a challenge from time to time, but it's not why I do what I do. If I was all about money, I wouldn't be writing this article - I'd be doing something that I get paid for. I've been driven by a desire to do whatever I do with excellence, to have fun and to impact the lives of others in a positive way - I see my (moderate) financial success as a by-product of that pursuit.

People often suggest that "money is the root of all evil", which is actually a misquote of a scripture from the New Testament which says, "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" (1 Timothy, 6:10). See, even two thousand years ago they were talking about this stuff!

Didn't know I could be theological did you? Me either!

Tell me about your relationship with, or thoughts on, money.

Craig Harper (B.Ex.Sci.) is a qualified exercise scientist, author, columnist, radio presenter, television host, motivational speaker and university lecturer. For the past 25 years he has been a leading presenter, educator, motivator and commentator in the areas of personal and professional development. You can visit Craig's blog at Motivational Speaker.

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How to Be an Expert (and Find One if You’re Not)

2008-04-20T22:36:00.001+10:00

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How to Be an Expert (and Find One if You're Not)

via Lifehack.org by Dustin Wax on 4/4/08

I've been thinking lately, what makes someone an "expert" in his or her field? Apparently Lorelle VanFossen has been thinking the same thing, because she recently wrote a post called What Gives You the Right to Tell Me? at The Blog Herald that explores the issue of expertise in some depth.

For me, the question started to percolate through my mind when I was invited to speak at an academic conference on anthropology and counter-insurgency recently. Apparently, I have become an expert on the topic, someone people look to when they want more information.

How did that happen? This is not a topic I studied at school nor the subject of my dissertation; in fact, it wasn't even really a topic at all until the US Army released their new counterinsurgency field manual last year and started recruiting anthropologists for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thinking about how I came to be a "go-to" person on this topic has gotten me thinking about how anyone becomes the person to call when you need help, about how people become experts in their field. It's not so simple, I think, as just learning everything there is to know and hanging out your shingle. In fact, anyone who thinks they have learned everything there is to know about a topic probably isn't an expert — I'd call them something closer to "rank amateur".

What's an expert?

While knowledge is obviously an important quality of expertise, it's only one of several factors that makes someone an expert in their field. I've come up with five characteristics of real experts:

Knowledge: Clearly being an expert requires an immense working knowledge of your subject. Part of this is memorized information, and part of it is knowing where to find information you haven't memorized.
Experience: In addition to knowledge, an expert needs to have significant experience working with that knowledge. S/he needs to be able to apply it in creative ways, to be able to solve problems that have no pre-existing solutions they can look up — and to identify problems that nobody else has noticed yet.
Communication Ability: Expertise without the ability to communicate it is practically pointless. Being the only person in the world who can solve a problem, time after time after time, doesn't make you an expert, it makes you a slave to the problem. It might make you a living, but it's not going to give you much time to develop your expertise — meaning sooner or later, someone with knowledge and communication ability is going to figure out your secret (or worse, a better approach), teach it to the world, and leave you to the dustbin of history (with all the UNIX greybeards who are the only ones who can maintain the giant mainframes that nobody uses anymore).
Connectedness: Expertise is, ultimately, social; experts are embedded in a web of other experts who exchange new ideas and approaches to problems, and they are embedded in a wider social web that connects them to people who need their expertise.
Curiosity: Experts are curious about their fields and recognize the limitations of their own understanding of it. They are constantly seeking new answers, new approaches, and new ways of extending their field.

How to become an expert

Sometimes becoming an expert just kind of happens, which is how I became an expert in anthropology and counter-insurgency without really trying. But most of the time, we carefully pursue expertise, whether through schooling, self-education, on-the-job training, or some other avenue.

There's no "quick and easy" path to expertise. That said, people do become experts every day, in all sorts of fields. You become an expert by focusing on these things:

Perpetual learning: Being an expert means being aware, sometimes painfully aware, of the limitations of your current level of knowledge. There simply is no point as which you're "done" learning your field. Invest yourself in a lifelong learning process. Constantly be on the lookout for ideas and views both within and from outside your own field that cna extend your own understanding.
Networking: Build strong connections with other people in your field. Seek out mentors — and make yourself available to the less experienced. Also, learn to promote yourself to the people who need your skills — the only way you'll gain experience is by getting out and doing.
Practice: Not just in the "gain experience" sense but in your the "practice what you preach" sense. you wouldn't trust a personal organizer who always forgot your appointments, or a search engine optimization expert whose site was listed on the 438th results page in Google, right? Your daily practice needs to reflect your expertise, or people will not trust you as an expert.
Presentation skills: Learn to use whatever technologies you need to present your expertise in the best possible way. And by "technologies" I don't just mean web design and PowerPoint, I mean writing, drawing, public speaking — even the way you dress will determine whether you're taken for an expert or a know-it-all schmuck.
Sharing: 10 years ago, nobody knew they needed expert bloggers on their staff to promote themselves. 5 years ago, nobody knew they needed SEO experts to get attention for their websites. A handful of early experts — experts that, in some cases, didn't even know what they were experts in — shared enough of what they knew to make people understand why they needed experts. Share your knowledge widely, so that a) people understand why they need an expert, and b) you don't become a one-trick pony who is the only person who can fix a particular problem.

How to identify an expert

The sad fact is, there are a lot of people out there passing themselves off as experts who aren't experts at all — who may not even be competent. How can you tell if someone's putting you on?

It can be hard to tell the fake experts from the real ones; many fakes have a great deal of expertise in the field of coming off as an expert! But here are a few things to look for:

Commitment: Experts are enthusiastic about their fields of expertise. It's the only thing that keeps them growing as an expert. Look for serious, obvious commitment to the field. Experts don't have to do what they do, they get to.
Authenticity: A real expert doesn't need to scam anyone to sell his/her services. S/he practices what s/he preaches. If you feel that someone is trying to pull one over on you, find someone else.
Openness: Expertise speaks for itself. Trade secrets are for people who aren't confident in their abilities that fear you won't need them if you know what they're doing. (This does not apply to magicians, who are special.) If someone is unwilling to explain to you what they're doing, move onto the next expert.
Open-mindedness: Experts are always looking for new approaches to the problems they're good at solving. They should also understand the mistakes that non-experts make, and why they're mistakes. If you're expert is dismissive when you explain what you thought might be the problem, it usually means they think they have all the answers. Real experts know they don't.
Clarity: An expert should be able to explain to you exactly what they're doing and why. While every field has its own jargon, any real expert can describe their work without using it — jargon is useful within a field as a kind of short-hand for complicated concepts or procedures, but has no place when dealing with people outside the field. If they can't say what they're doing in language you understand, there's a good chance they're either a) trying to rip you off (think "shady auto mechanics", here) or b) they don't really understand what they're doing or why.

I'm sure there are things I've left out of this meditation on expertise. What qualities do you think make someone an expert? What would you tell someone setting out to become an expert at something? And how do you tell if someone's a real expert, or just a snake-oil salesman out for a quick buck — or worse, a total crank?

Dustin M. Wax is a contributing editor and project manager at lifehack.org. He is also the creator of The Writer's Technology Companion, a site devoted to the tools of the writing trade. When he's not writing, he teaches anthropology and women's studies in Las Vegas, NV. His personal site can be found at dwax.org.

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Happiness at Work - 12 Simple Ways to Make it Happen!

2008-04-20T21:51:00.002+10:00

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Happiness at Work - 12 Simple Ways to Make it Happen!

via Lifehack.org by arvind on 4/10/08

If you are a relatively junior employee at your company, though you carry out a very important role, you may not always be recognised. You might also face some of the following challenges:

Little fulfilment at work
Long working hours
Conflicting demands on your time and loyalty
Little balance between personal life and work commitments
Tight deadlines
Time management pressures
Strained relationships with the important people in your life
Tight personal finances
Lack of any say at work
Internal politics and a rigid company structure
Bullying within the workplace
Few promotional opportunities

You are therefore faced with a number of dilemmas in your workplace.

On the one hand you want to be involved in rewarding, enjoyable and fulfilling work, get recognition and promotion for your efforts, and be appreciated for the key role you play in the company.

On the other hand you want a balanced life with time for the things you really want to do with a full and interesting social life. Of course you want to have clarity about your career, job duties and you want to continue to be healthy, fit and stress free.

So what's the best way forward?! How can you too achieve a zen like happiness at work?

One key to resolving these seemingly conflicting challenges is to get clear about just how much you love the work you do. Is what you do something you jump out of bed every morning, or would you rather be doing something else?

How motivated are you with your work? And how do you cope with the day to day routine office work?

A UK survey last year found that almost 2 out of 3 people are dissatisfied with their jobs. And I am sure there is a similar situation in the USA and other parts of the developed world. This means that they are either apathetic about finding what they really love doing or they are resigned to being in this situation.

No matter how good things are in other parts of your life such as family, social life and relationships, work is a major part of your life, and not to be neglected.

Since for now you have chosen to be in the job you are in, it is up to you for the time being to make the most of what you do. Of course in the long term, you can either change your job or even embark on a new career. But for now, you can get to love more of what you do right now.

Assuming that in the short term you are not able to change jobs, there are a number of things you can do to begin enjoying more of what you currently do. Ask yourself - is it the job or is it you? And what can you do to make your current work more enjoyable?

Stop acting the victim. YOU are responsible for your life and if you can't immediately change the job you are in, then it is up to you to make the most of it.

Here are some simple tips for getting to enjoy your current job.

1. On the way to your workplace, get yourself motivated to face the day. Think of how the work you have allows you to have your life outside of it, such as a great social life. A positive attitude will make the day more pleasant and productive.

2. Keep your work in perspective. You can only do the best you can in each situation. Look beyond yourself and your work, and consider the bigger picture. Do some voluntary work to gain a broader outlook. Find a way to contribute to society in general.

3. Remember that you are more than your work. Do not have your identity too strongly tied to the job you do. Give up thinking that your work life "should" be a certain way. Such expectations of what you were supposed to be, as set by your parents and teachers, stop you from enjoying what you currently do.

4. Plan your time. In your to-do list include long term projects as well as the more imminent things that need doing. Prioritise your to-do list - do the most important things first. When performing any task, ask yourself - is this the best use of my time? Schedule in enough time for your studies etc.

5. Concentrate on the task at hand. Do not let yourself be distracted by worrying about all the other things to be done or losing energy over the undesirable situation you find yourself in. Stay in the moment.

Be ruthless and take care of a task before it gets on a possible procrastination list. For example, sort your morning post immediately in one go – open it, file it, act on it or bin it there and then.

6. Clarify anytime you are not sure or where you are faced with conflicting demands. The more clear and upfront you are with your manager and the other people you work with, the better it will be for you in the long term.

7. Delegate wherever appropriate. Decide if there is anything that can be delegated, or that more fairly belongs to someone else's work load. Always remember the "3D" rule – do it, dump it or delegate it - never handle a piece of paper twice.

8. Have regular breaks. Get away from your normal workplace even if only for five minutes. Try taking a break from the laptop, emails and do leave the mobile behind. Make sure that you do have that lunch break – it is not just for food but also for fresh air and a mental break.

Eat a healthy lunch and if you must snack, make sure it is healthy too – an apple rather than a bag of chips. Look for ways of energising yourself other than from adrenaline and caffeine.

9. Learn to relax no matter how challenging the work gets or how demanding your bosses become. At the end of the day it is only a job, and you are much more than that. In years to come, you will look back and wonder what the fuss was.

10. Contribute towards creating a pleasant work environment. Do not gossip in the office as it just creates negativity all around. Do not listen to any gossip either. Minimise your time with people that you do not resonate with or like.

Learn to have more fun at work. Laugh more and chill out. Perform with a more fun orientated approach.

11. Review your day before you leave for home. Look at what worked well, and what could be improved the next day. If you feel satisfied with the day's work, then why not reward yourself later that day. You deserve it.

12. Switch off once you leave work. You are already at work a third of your time, so do not continue to keep it buzzing in your head during your supposed free time. Mentally say good bye to your work space the moment you leave for home.

See your work as a game. Life is meant to be fun and if you are going to spend a third of it at work, you might as well enjoy the game.

Arvind Devalia is a performance coach, professional speaker and author of best selling book, Get the Life you Love and Live it Committed to making a difference to people in their lives and in their companies, Arvind has a powerful phrase for everyone he meets – Make Things Happen! Find Arvind at ArvindDevalia.com.

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Take It Easy: 12 Ways to Kill Stress Before Stress Kills You!

2008-04-20T21:47:00.001+10:00

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Take It Easy: 12 Ways to Kill Stress Before Stress Kills You!

via Lifehack.org by Dustin Wax on 4/10/08

There's been a lot of fuss around the blogs about the New York Time's silly article about bloggers killing themselves. It's clear to anyone who reads it — and should have been clear to the reporter, Matt Richtel, even before he wrote it — that blogging isn't killing anyone. Writers don't blog 'til they drop.

Rather, Richtel offers a picture of several driven bloggers who, quite simply, worked too hard. Not all bloggers work too hard. Not even most bloggers work too hard. But some do — just as some engineers, politicians, landscape designers, pet groomers, phone psychics, agricultural product marketing specialists, computer technicians, telephone sanitizers, and vampire hunters work too hard.

I can see the headline now: "In World of 24/7 Politicking, Vice Presidents Hold Secret Meetings Till They Drop".

Bloggers working themselves to death is not a trend. The fact that it was notable enough for the deaths and illnesses reported in the story to pop up on the reporter's radar is proof of that. Dozens of corporate executives will have heart attacks while I'm writing this post — a trend the media won't even notice.

But working too hard, that is a trend. Working too hard until your health begins to suffer, that too is a trend. Allowing your life to be driven by stress, driven so hard that it kills you — that is a trend, and an unfortunate one indeed.

Stress Kills

Researchers suggest that as much as 60-90% of illnesses are directly caused by or exacerbated by stress. Stress is related to major illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, but can also cause back pain, headaches, tooth grinding, upset stomach and digestive problems, sleep loss and exhaustion, skin problems, unhealthy weight gain or loss, and of course, loss of sex drive. And that's just the bodily symptoms: stress is linked to depression, anxiety, mood swings, confusion, restlessness, irritability, insecurity, forgetfulness, and a host of other negative mental and behavioral symptoms.

For all that, stress is often worn as a badge of accomplishment in our society. It's not enough that we compete to see who can do the most, but we compete to see who can handle the most stress doing it. With such an unhealthy attitude towards stress, it's no wonder that stress-related illnesses are so common.

Kill Stress

The only way to minimize the negative effects of stress is to minimize the stress itself — to identify the sources of stress in your life and either a) eliminate them, or b) rethink them to reduce the stress they cause. Note that this doesn't include only the things we hate in our lives; stress can be caused just as easily by positive, life-affirming events as it can by negative events. Getting married, having a baby, getting a promotion, planning a kids' birthday party, or taking a vacation can be just as stressful as dealing with your overbearing boss for 8 hours a day or coming up on a big deadline.

Since the big positive changes in our lives can be just as stressful as the negative ones, dealing with stress can't be simply a matter of getting rid of everything that stresses you out. Instead, you need to develop practices and a mindset that dissipate and reduce the inevitable stress of life itself.

For starters:

Make quiet time: Whether you meditate daily, go to the gym three times a week, practice yoga, go hiking on the weekends, or just spend an hour a night with a book, you need to create a space where you can clear your mind of everything that's dragging at you.
Stop procrastinating: You can put off important tasks, but you can't put off worrying about them — and the stress that causes.
Write everything down: If forgetting something would cause you stress, make sure you've got it written down in a trusted system so you know you won't forget.
Eat better: A good diet can help your body better deal with the effects of stress. A healthy diet isn't all that complicated; as Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, puts it, Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. As a general rule, eat as much as you can from the "edges" of your supermarket — produce, bakery, butcher counter, dairy case — and save the stuff in the "middle" for once-in-a-while — Twinkies, Pop Tarts, potato chips, canned foods, instant meals, etc.
Make family time: Try to eat at least one meal a day with your family (or with friends if you're single). Better yet, eat at least one homecooked meal a day with your family/friends.
Talk it out: Bottling up your frustrations, even the little ones, leads to stress. Learn to express dissatisfaction (in a constructive, non-hurtful way) and to voice your worries and fears to someone close to you.
Prioritize: Figure out what in your life actually needs attention and what doesn't. Know what you can easily let slide — and what you can drop entirely — and focus your energy on things that will actually make a difference in your life.
Have routines: Having a set routine means you don't have to worry about what comes next; after a while, it becomes second nature.
Accept interruptions gracefully: Don't let your rituals become so rigid that you can't function if they're interrupted. Leave yourself enough wiggle room to adapt to changing conditions.
Know when to quit: Don't stand for employers, friends, or lovers who treat you badly. Decide how much of yourself you're willing to put into a relationship, job, or activity; when you cross that line, walk away and don't look back. This applies to the little things ("At 5 pm, I go home") and the big things ("If things aren't better after 6 months of marriage therapy, I want a divorce").
Pay attention to yourself: Notice when you feel stressed, and determine the cause. Notice when your body hurts or you feel unhappy, and determine why — or see a doctor. Figure out whether the things you're doing are fulfilling your own definition of a good, productive life — or somebody else's. Give up unnecessary competition (you need to make a better product than your competitor does; you don't need to have a prettier girlfriend or a faster car than he does).
Love: Build relationships. Share yourself. Feel human warmth.

What do you do to beat stress in your life? How do you maintain balance between the stressful and the not-so-stressful? Let us know!

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Skype Tripe

2008-04-19T22:15:00.003+10:00

I decided to go online tonight to check out what's been happening in the SkypeCast arena.

I went onto this last year a couple of time and really enjoyed the experience talking to lots of different people from near and far.

The SkypeCast I went into tonight was full on out of control. There needs to be a way to control this and make SkypeCasting a real service for real people, not the millions of idiots out there that think it's a kids playground.

Podcast Dreaming

2008-04-19T11:04:00.003+10:00

I've had recent and numerous conversations with a friend of mine about starting a podcast. She thinks I'm very funny, and I think she's pretty funny too. In fact I described her funniness last night, (in a rare moment of lucidity) as being "situationally funny" as opposed to well just funny. Whatever that means.

To be honest, I don't think I'm funny, more honest than funny, but I guess if thats what it is then it's okay. I must admit due to general laziness, and my flair for losing focus regularly, almost all the time (like now), that I've, see I've lost focus.

What I'm trying to say is that I have wanted to start a podcast for a long time but haven't had the time or skills or equipment to make one. Now I almost have the skills, and most of the equipment. As for time ... who the heck has any of that anymore.

Stay tuned, the time is near.

Surprise Autumn Storm

2008-04-13T14:27:00.001+10:00

2409531958
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke

The Sydney area received a nice little storm this afternoon. The morning was fine and mild but just after 1:30pm we started to hear a few rumbles from the west and then down it came.

Chinese Crack Down in Lhasa Tibet

2008-03-16T20:00:00.002+11:00

You really have to wonder. CNN was broadcasting video live from Lhasa, Tibet just now, on relay from a cable network in Hong Kong.

There was a period o exactly 14 seconds where the broadcast was blacked out, only to resume with an overlap of 14 seconds a short time later.

It makes you wonder if the Olympics will be broadcast on 14 second delay just in case a Chinese athlete doesn't win, so that history (albeit 14 seconds of it) can be re-written.

On a lighter side, the CNN correspondent in Hong Kong (John Vause) is an Australian. When speaking of the deadline just issued for protesters to give themselves up, he said "they have till midnight to dob them in". In Australia to "dob" on someone is to inform someone in authority. He immediately corrected himself for the international audience.

From an Australian's point of view it's nice to see all the Aussie bits have not left him during his overseas assignment.

In The Long Paddock

2008-03-13T21:39:00.001+11:00

2285858302
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

This farmer was happy to stop and have a chat on my recent visit to Araluen. I was there in search of my grandmothers roots. This town happily whiles away it's days basking in the sun ... it's almost of the rest of the world is spinning around it, while Araluen takes it's time, to move on.

Araluen

2008-03-13T21:35:00.001+11:00

2286930181
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

Of the places I've been in NSW his would have to be one of the nicest. Hidden in a quiet valley about 25 kilometres south of Braidwood NSW is the small hamlet of Araluen.

I visited there a few weeks back and found nothing of note other than peace tranquillity and a former moving his cattle along the long paddock.

The town consists of a General Store / Pub / Accommodation House / Petrol Station, a Memorial Hall (no town is complete without a hall dedicated in memory to someone or another), a Catholic Church and a few dozen houses at the most.

It's a very special part of NSW which, once crowded with diggers mining the gold in the Deua River, now spends it's days luxuriating in peace and quiet that all small country towns jealously guard from us city folk. A friendly wave usually breaks the ice and you can strike up a conversation with a local without any problem at all.

Long Live Araluen NSW.

Stormy Weather Again

2008-01-30T19:04:00.000+11:00

Conditions were near perfect again in Sydney this afternoon for more thunderstorms to form across the Blue Mountains. Tomorrow looks even better with most predicting the storms will move into the Sydney basin in the afternoon. This spctacular video was shot by Ben (Weatherzone - www.weatherzone.com.au)

Major flooding in NSW and SE Queensland

2008-01-05T11:02:00.000+11:00

Major flooding has occurred in the lower Tweed Valley and SE Queensland, as a tropical low crosses the coast in the tourist packed region. Areas around the town of Murwillumbah have suffered a wild night with 10 inches of rain in some places. Springbrook in SE Queensland has received almost 41 inches of rain in four days.

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Sydney New Year's Eve Fireworks Midnight

2008-01-02T21:56:00.001+11:00

Sydney New Year's Eve Fireworks Midnight
Originally uploaded by GrubbyLens.

Once again Sydney has put on it's party hat and welcomed the New year in style, with the largest fireworks spectacular ever staged in the harbour city.

Sydney has confirmed it's enviable position as the New Years Eve Party capital of the world.

Oldest U.S. WWI Vet Dies at 109, Only 2 Survivors Remain

2007-12-28T10:20:00.001+11:00

The two remaining U.S. veterans are Frank Buckles, 106, of Charles Town, W.Va.; and Harry Richard Landis, 108, of Sun City Center, Fla., according to the Veterans Affairs Department. In addition, John Babcock, 107, of Spokane, Wash., served in the Canadian army and is the last known Canadian veteran of the war.

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Yet more rain for Sydney

2007-12-16T19:23:00.001+11:00

2114721424
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

It's looking very much like a wet Christmas now with more rain falling in the Sydney region this afternoon. A very loud thunderstorm passed through the Northern beaches district about 5pm AEST resulting in a few overflowing gutters.

Hunter Valley Flash Flood

2007-12-15T19:08:00.000+11:00

Recent storms in the Hunter valley have produced spectacular but sometimes frightening weather phenomena. Kellicks Creek was a prime example of why you should avoid low level water or causeway crossings during and after thunderstorms or heavy rainfall. This video was captured showing the full force of a flash flood which arrived in seconds out of nowhere.

Heading in the Right Direction

2007-12-15T18:27:00.001+11:00

Hunter & George
Originally uploaded by thepretenda.

With all the trouble this past week with Sydney Buses and steering problems, there is one vital question being overlooked.

If Morris lemma's re-election slogan was "NSW - Heading in the Right Direction", was he driving a Sydney Bus at the time ?

More Storms for Sydney

2007-12-07T23:18:00.001+11:00

2092572185
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

Yet another violent storm lashed Sydney tonight in time for the evening peak. Roads flooded across town like this one seen in Kensington.

Australian Election - an Historic Victory

2007-11-25T10:19:00.000+11:00

Australia has voted. Australia has voted for Opposition leader, the Hon. Kevin Rudd M.P., to be the next Prime Minister. Australia has voted for Labor, and Australia has voted for totalitarian rule for the first time in it's history. An historic victory indeed.

Our country is now governed by a single political party, across every state and now in the federal government. God help Australia and our freedoms.

Never before has our country been subjected to such a singular set of ideals such as this. Never before has Australia and it's freedoms, (with the exception of WW2), been under such threat.

Evidence of this is in the spin speak of Mr Rudd during his victory speech last night, when he said, "I say to all those who voted for us today, that I will govern for all Australians." Is this "leader" already showing such arrogance as to assume that all Australian's voted for him ? He seems to think so already.

I have some sad and dire predictions for Australia over this next term of Federal Government.

1) The Australian economy's ability to keep creating jobs will suffer dramatic and irreversible losses, due to the return of socialist, union led rule.

2) Australia's currency will plummet through the floor so much so that our ability to keep a cap of fuel prices with a strong currency, will erode significantly, resulting in fuel prices in excess of $2.00 a litre. So much for "working families".

3) The unemployment rate will double. But that will be an acceptable level to the new government, because of our guaranteed return to a socialist welfare state, where apathy and non-effort is rewarded with endless and spiralling welfare payments.

4) Australia's sovereignty will be under significant threat, with the ability to protect our borders, destroyed by socialist, leftist policies.

5) Internationally Australia will be seen as weak, uncaring, and isolationist, following the imminent recall of our forces from Iraq who have made significant progress in assisting Iraq to change to a democracy.

6)Australia's foreign debit will escalate beyond control following the payment of hundreds of billions of dollars, to countries that have not signed the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, and are not bound by emissions targets. These countries include China, who share a one party state ideal, as it seems Australia does now. But at least Mr Rudd will be able to talk to the Chinese, in Mandarin, not English, so Australian's can't understand what he is saying.

7) The rights of Australian families to their properties, may become under threat when the new government apologies for past wrongs to Aborigines, and extends native title legislation.

But worse yet, Australia will return to the dim dark days of union led rule, with business and the economy held hostage to a front bench dominated by socialists.

You may well think not, that is your prerogative, but consider this. When was the last time you saw a bunch of blue collar workers (unionists if you will) get behind and back an academic ? Kevin Rudd is the leader for now. It is only a matter of time until the unionists heavy in on what's left of our democracy and demand the spoils of victory. Not a share of the pie but the entire pie.

I will go as far to say that the Prime Minister of Australia may not be Kevin Rudd, in a years time. The Prime Minister of Australia may well then be a radical socialist, union bred. And Female.

I predict that the next Prime Minister after Kevin Rudd will be Julia Gillard.

Finally I wish to offer my congratulations to the Rudd camp and the Labor central party on their victory. I wish them well. I ask that all clear minded and freedom loving Australian's pray for our country. We'll need all the help we can get.

Lightning Show dazzles Northern Beaches

2007-11-23T22:42:00.001+11:00

2052513118
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

Severe thunderstorms rolled across the Sydney Basin on Wednesday night, 21/11/2007 and created a spectacular lightning show. I managed to get this picture from Harbord Point near the Harbord Diggers Club.

Some folks are saying his picture shows a tornado or water spout in the centre of the picture.

Stormy Afternoon

2007-11-17T22:24:00.001+11:00

2039148131
Originally uploaded by Peter Konnecke.

Quite a few storms built up between Sydney and Canberra this afternoon. I took a drive down that way to see if I could get a few shots. I wasn't disappointed. Here's hoping tomorrow will allow some pictures closer to Sydney with some action of the high voltage kind.

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How to fry Turkey for Thanksgiving

2007-11-16T23:04:00.000+11:00

Major Fire Erupts In London

2007-11-13T20:43:00.001+11:00

The Fire Brigade initially responded with 8 trucks and 40 FF’s to the area where construction has begun on buildings for the 2012 Olympics. There are also reports that a major bus station is in the vicinity as well. INCLUDES VIDEO

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They're Coming Back

2007-11-10T22:03:00.000+11:00

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