Category Archives: Blog

Personal observations.

Isaac vs Noah – 4 months

We just returned from Melbourne this morning, our first trip down south in more than 12 months and the first time with Noah. We got a number of comments along the lines of “He looks like you”, “He looks like Isaac”, “He’s so different”.

So in an effort to make it easier for you all, welcome to round 2 of Isaac vs Noah. Here are two similar poses from the 4 month mark.

Isaac aged four months.

Noah aged four months.

We’ve recently started discussing when to start Noah on solids. Most ‘books’ recommend six months. I had thought we’d waited that long for Isaac, but it turns out it was 4.5 months. He was also holding his neck up during ‘tummy time’ at this  stage of development. C’mon Noah, time to put in some hard yards.

Some illuminating stats regarding solar panels

solar cells on a house roof
In October 2010, after much deliberating and number crunching, we installed solar panels on our roof. I’m glad we didn’t wait any longer. A few days later the then NSW Premier Kristina Keneally reduced the gross feed in tariff from 60 cents per kWh to 20 cents per kWh. Soon after the election 10 months ago, the scheme was shut down and there were plans to retrospectively wind back the scheme – fortunately for us and 110,000 other families that didn’t happen.

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Compare the pair

We had friends around for dinner tonight and one of them commented about some other friends of theirs who have set up a blog (or something similar) in which they dress up son number 2 and place him in the same position as a photo they had taken of son number 1 a few years earlier.

So here is our first edition of Noah vs Isaac. As you can see, both are extremely cute at 2.5 months. Please note, we haven’t mimicked the look … yet.

Baby Isaac smilingSmiling baby Noah

Pass the Open Source please

A montage of some open source titlesLike most people I’m loath to shell out dollars for software, particularly when in the majority of cases it’s quite expensive. But as a writer, I know the value of copyright and therefore I avoid using pirated software. So in the end it’s a case of ‘if I can’t afford it, I go without’.

But over the past few years, there has been a growing stable of Open Source (OS) software titles and websites I come across. OS is essentially ‘free’ content, where the ‘labour’ of putting it together is been a community effort. As a result, everybody shares in the spoils.

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Credit where credit is due

Last Sunday I took my son to the museum to see the dinosaurs. He’s nearly three years old and, like most boys, loves dinosaurs (and cars).

Sydney’s public transport system comes in for its fair share of criticism and I’d be one of the first to complain – too many old trains, some without airconditioners, not enough tracks and underground city stations that are nothing short of death-traps should a fire or terrorist attack occur.

But one thing they do do well is Family Funday Sunday. For only $2.50 per person you can travel on any train, bus or ferry throughout Sunday. Compared to the entrance fee to the museum ($12), lunch ($17) and ice cream ($9), this is fantastic value.

Kudos to you NSW State Transit.