One of Darren’s favourite pastimes is geocaching. This outdoor activity involves using a GPS receiver to find hidden geocaches – or treasures as Isaac likes to call them. We search on the internet for geocaches at interesting locations and use the GPS receiver to guide us to the location.
We enjoy doing this as a family because it gives us an opportunity to spend time together, in the outdoors. It also presents Isaac with an opportunity to explore the world around him.
I enjoy watching MasterChef, but I’ve had this nagging feeling that I can see ‘behind the curtain’ so to speak. A friend emailed a link to this article on SMH.com.au (Why MasterChef treats us like idiots). A lot of it rings true for me.
The first thing that didn’t feel genuine for me this year was the ‘too-well-picked’ final 24. It felt like they were chosen to cover all demographics, rather than best 24 cooks. Mum, check, Italians, check, Greek boy, check, Hippy vegetarian, check, Blue collar bloke, check, Moody guy check, Young guy, check check. Young girls, check. Rock star, check. Asian, check. Gay Asian, check …
Then it started to feel like they were concentrating on the emotions more than the food.
Next the challenges were becoming too bizarre. Aussie icons, molecular gastronomy, Heston Blumenthal creations. Hey it’s amazing and quirky, but it’s lost touch with the viewer. There is no way I’ll make a lot of those things, it’s hard enough recreating Poh’s dishes from last year.
Maybe MasterChef is like Kevin Rudd. I think its losing its appeal and may not make it past a third year. Pity as I really liked it.
Did you know that you can use an iPhone to explore the night sky?
There are lots of apps available, but two of the best are Planets and Pocket Universe.
Planets is a free app that shows you where the planets are in the sky and when they rise and set. It also has a 3D view of the Earth showing where it is day and night.
Pocket Universe costs A$3.99. It displays maps of the night sky for your location, the position of Jupiter’s moon, lunar calendars and the latest space news.
The best feature of this app is that it can help you identify objects in the sky. At night, hold the iPhone up to the sky and the map will display exactly what you are looking at – no more guess work.
Recently, climate deniers have jumped on supposed comments from scientist Phil Jones that global warming has reversed since 1995. Really?
I decided to check out the BBC interview to see what he said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8511670.stm
Do you agree that from 1995 to the present there has been no statistically-significant global warming?
Yes, but only just. I also calculated the trend for the period 1995 to 2009. This trend (0.12C per decade) is positive, but not significant at the 95% significance level. The positive trend is quite close to the significance level. Achieving statistical significance in scientific terms is much more likely for longer periods, and much less likely for shorter periods.
Do you agree that from January 2002 to the present there has been statistically significant global cooling?
No. This period is even shorter than 1995-2009. The trend this time is negative (-0.12C per decade), but this trend is not statistically significant.
From what I read, he didn’t say that at all. He does acknowledge that the warming was on the borderline of significant increase, but he doesn’t say it decreased.
Time to find another flaw deniers.
Senator Conroy, take note. At a speech overnight, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton said the following.
“Some countries have erected electronic barriers that prevent their people from accessing portions of the world’s networks. They have expunged words, names and phrases from search engine results. They have violated the privacy of citizens who engage in nonviolent political speech. These actions contravene the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, which tells us that all people have the right ‘to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”
Most people, including Ms Clinton, probably have China in mind when they read this. Pity Australia is in the same boat.
