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Random observations

Goodbye global-roam Pty Ltd

Yesterday was my last day at global-roam. My time there was short and sweet. Being a small company, I got to learn a little bit about a lot of things: the most interesting parts of the job were probably not related to software development.

After a two week break over the Christmas period, I will begin work at National ICT Australia (NICTA). Looking forward to it.

Ben tells me he’s accepted a position at the QUT usability lab, so he’ll be back in Brisbane on a permanent basis soon. Congratulations Ben!

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Random observations

BBQ

Every year since we graduated with Bachelors degrees in 2000, my friends and I have got together at around Christmas time to catch up and remember some of the things we did in our undergrad years (because, let’s face it, there’ll never be a time like undergrad again, and there are some things worth remembering!). This year we had a BBQ at Karen’s and my new house last Monday. It was really great, because everyone was able to make it: Ben and Marice (sans baby Daniel), Anna and Will, Kai and Julie, Rhys, Ian, Matthew "Boggo" McGill and Nathan. Karen also invited her friend Belinda around. I think everyone enjoyed themselves. I always look forward to these occasions, and I’m looking forward to next year’s get-together already!

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Random observations

World Cup Draw

I was up early this morning to watch the World Cup draw. The atmosphere of that event always seems way too similar to the Eurovision song contest for my liking, but I digress…

  1. Brazil
  2. Croatia
  3. Australia
  4. Japan

Australia’s been drawn in a tough group. It’s probably the strongest group after the one containing Argentina and the Netherlands.

For the record my fiancée will be barracking for the Netherlands (because she’s half Dutch, although I secretly think she’s just being difficult) and Harry Kewell (because she thinks he’s cute).

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Random observations

Everything days

It’s been another one of those days when everything happens at once. Already today we’ve had a fridge, dishwasher and BBQ delivered. A guy is currently putting Cool or Cosy insulation in our ceiling (I don’t envy that man: he must be frying). At work this morning I also received delivery of our new ADSL router/modem/switch/wireless access point from iiNet. Karen and I have been using the free dialup account that comes with any iiNet ADSL account. It’ll be good to have a fast connection again! In addition, I collected the permanent copies of my Ph.D. thesis (I was awarded my Ph.D. on the 29th of November), collected graduation ceremony tickets and had my sunglasses fixed.

On the way back from the University I ran into Bill Segall (from Mantara) and had a bit of a chat with him. I’ll be catching up with a lot of former DSTCers this Thursday at the DSTC Xmas reunion party.

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Eco-philo-pol

Nguyen hanged

Today Singapore executed a man because the drugs he was smuggling to Australia may have resulted in the deaths of many people. Nguyen was caught. The drugs seized. The drugs never even reached the streets of Sydney. I will never understand how any country can justify putting someone to death because something they might have done had they not been caught might have resulted in people dying.

Number of people killed by Nguyen’s drugs: 0.
Number of people killed by the Singaporean government: Nguyen plus countless others.

Joseph Koh, the Singaporean High Commissioner in Australia was quoted as saying:

We respect Australia’s sovereign choice not to have capital punishment. We hope Australia will likewise respect Singapore’s sovereign choice to impose the death penalty for the most serious crimes, including drug trafficking.

The sovereign choice to impose the death penalty is one thing; having a mandatory death sentence for a crime which may have resulted in the deaths of some people were it not foiled, is quite another, especially when the means of execution is a barbaric relic of the dark ages.

In this instance, Singapore asks for respect where there is none to be found.