tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34634462657281625682024-02-19T23:42:57.495+10:00Game of ThornsKicking Against the PricksPossum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-88444425146163914612022-10-31T21:40:00.000+10:002022-10-31T21:40:53.560+10:00The Steam Pumpkin This Halloween the evil steampunk inventor emerged from his lair.The Evil Steampunk Inventor [photo by Xesce]The Evil Steampunk Inventor [photo by Xesce]With his Robot YetiAnd his latest horror - The killer Steam PumpkinPossum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-60586135068052639852021-10-31T23:30:00.001+10:002021-11-01T17:54:45.348+10:00Another Pestilent Halloween The plague is still with us this Halloween.The Plague Doctor [photo by Xesce]The Yeti is still infected but has abandoned his mask, so keep clear!Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-78062021292990025532020-11-01T13:32:00.001+10:002020-11-01T13:45:35.366+10:00A Pestilent HalloweenThis year, the long-suffering Yeti caught COVID-19 and had to go into isolation.Consequently it was thought to be better not to hand out chocolate in person.The sign reads:Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-70422372294066975552020-03-27T20:12:00.001+10:002020-12-26T19:26:52.119+10:00Bushfires v Nuclear War
As usual, my writing keeps getting overtaken by events. I was working on the next part of my "Preparing for Nuclear War" series but this was further put off when Australia suffered something that was comparable to a nuclear war in its effects - at least in terms of the country's wildlife. I decided to write about this, but before I could post anything a freaking new plague descended on us.
I Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-14702766794908767962019-10-31T22:13:00.000+10:002019-10-31T22:13:11.017+10:00Fear the ReaperThis Halloween the Grim Reaper paid a visit.
[click for larger image] Photo by Xesce
Meanwhile, the Yeti's home in the Arctic continues to melt and he has joined the Extinction Rebellion.
If he finds that non-violent direct action doesn't work, he is liable to revert to his usual mode of biting off heads. Be warned.
[click for larger image]
Jack Skellington also showed his face.
Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-21567094273624207502019-08-15T23:18:00.000+10:002019-09-27T19:29:13.465+10:00Preparing for Nuclear War - Units of Radiation DoseBefore we can discuss the effects of nuclear radiation, it's necessary to get a handle on the units used to describe it. There are a whole lot of weird ones out there; you can be probably guess that a Curie is a measure of radiation of some sort, but what's a Sievert? It sounds like a type of cat. And what about a Becquerel - that sounds like a cute little marsupial. A REM? Is this something to Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-28261711559195078982019-08-11T19:40:00.000+10:002019-08-11T19:40:45.192+10:00Preparing for Nuclear War - Answers to the Quiz QuestionsHere are the answers to the questions I posed last time.
I should point out that this information doesn't really come under the heading of "Preparing for Nuclear War", as it's not especially relevant to the sort of things you'll have to deal with after the bomb goes off.
The intent of bringing this up was to illustrate that the sort of nuclear physics you get taught at high-school can Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-82833243853925413062019-07-12T19:43:00.000+10:002019-07-12T19:43:30.197+10:00Preparing for Nuclear War - An Introduction
"The most important thing is that when things get really bad and the world looks its darkest, you just have to throw up your hands and say well, all right! 'cause it's probably going to get a whole hell of a lot worse."Cannibal! The Musical 1993
In 2017 I posted a rant where I complained to the effect that politically and environmentally, there has been such a continuous stream of horrific Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-11165775062685961812019-04-11T15:05:00.000+10:002019-04-25T22:01:32.221+10:00Praising by Faint DamnationRecently I received an election leaflet in the mail; it was purportedly explaining why we should not vote for Peter Dutton.
I am shocked at these allegations.
Now the readers of this site will probably be at least somewhat familiar with my local member Peter Dutton, but let me just recap:
Peter Dutton is a strong contender for the most ignorant, dishonest, despicable and despised politicianPossum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-80991233829140814592018-10-31T23:39:00.000+10:002018-10-31T23:40:52.953+10:00Hippie HalloweenFrom a political and environmental perspective (which was meant to be the main focus of this blog), this year has so far been such a horrific nightmare that any attempt at a scary Halloween theme would have seemed pitiful by comparison.
So instead, just to be different, this year's Halloween was Hippie themed - although I suppose that here in the heart of Peter Dutton's electorate the concepts Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-91289404990582479112018-07-04T19:24:00.000+10:002018-07-04T19:24:07.784+10:00We will do more than just tread on you!
[click for larger image]
The photo of the mother possum extracting her baby from the coils of a python is from this story.
Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-31047459572867383522018-04-10T00:01:00.000+10:002018-04-27T23:43:42.091+10:00Preparing for nuclear war - Review of a cheap eBay Geiger counter[I was going to preface this review with a brief description of units of radiation dosage, how Geiger counters operate and other related information. However it turned out not to be possible to keep this brief and I am therefore excluding this information from the review. I will try to post this information later. For the time being, the FAQ on my Radiation Monitoring site contains some useful Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-52739189946996174222018-01-04T12:36:00.000+10:002018-01-04T12:36:03.132+10:00#BringYourGuillotine To WorkSome time ago I was talked into signing up to LinkedIn. I haven't used my account virtually at all; the last time I remember logging in was to change my password after they got hacked. However I still regularly get their spam. Normally their emails go straight to dev/null, however recently one caught my eye. It went as follows:
#BringYourWholeSelfKids don't have the same inhibitions as adults — Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-67928811067133754542017-11-11T20:40:00.004+10:002017-11-11T20:45:22.230+10:00Preparing for nuclear war - Launching my radiation monitoring stationToday is Remembrance Day. The day when we're meant to celebrate the end of the first world war and to remember those killed and maimed in that conflict. The message was meant to be that even at best war is a necessary evil, but it is always an evil and we need to exert ourselves to prevent it from happening again.
Subsequent history has shown how well that message has been taken on board, and Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-45747240569681356962017-10-31T20:15:00.000+10:002017-10-31T20:15:27.401+10:00The Abominable Snow MonsterThis Halloween a seven foot tall Abominable Snow Monster visited.
His home in the Arctic had melted due to climate change and he was here searching for those responsible.
I also carved a pumpkin.
Halloween Pumpkin 2017
Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-17206377870240562032017-09-18T19:24:00.000+10:002017-09-18T19:24:51.025+10:00Be kind to Bots - Part 2When I wrote the first Be Kind to Bots post, I had initially intended to continue on with a discussion about Artificial Intelligence and whether a machine could be thought of as being conscious. I ended up not doing this because it wasn't immediately relevant to the point I was making. It would simply have diluted the message while making the post harder to read.
Source and they want me to Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-27229789769472037992017-07-31T19:34:00.000+10:002017-08-17T18:35:40.087+10:00The Delusion Of Gainful EmploymentSince this will be a long post, I'll briefly outline the points that I'm trying to make:
1) Criticism of unemployed people on the basis of not contributing to society, or being in some way a burden, is unjustified and irrational; even if considered on a purely economic rationalist basis.
2) Many jobs are deliberately structured to be inefficient and unproductive and this is at least partly a Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-29544229208805841322017-07-19T21:36:00.000+10:002017-07-28T18:46:17.341+10:00A RantThere are a number of things I have intended to post about on this blog, but it seems that every time I get close to finishing something, I'm overtaken by events.
The main thrust of the blog was intended to be shining a light on things that one takes for granted and showing that there is more to the story than it may appear. Something to challenge people's assumptions, make them uncomfortable, Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-89842490367698927962017-05-14T20:02:00.000+10:002017-05-14T20:03:51.822+10:00Bargain!You can get some wonderful bargains if you shop around.
What is 2 x 7.95?
Here you see two bottles of wine on offer for ... twice the price of one bottle of wine.
Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-90580571929696057772017-03-21T20:45:00.000+10:002017-04-30T22:11:57.002+10:00Dispatches from the War on the EnvironmentRecently we have been treated to the spectacle of members of the government front bench joyfully fondling a lump of coal, with Deputy Prime Minster Barnaby Joyce displaying an expression of such manic lust that your first instinct is to check that there are no sharp objects within his reach.
But while big attacks on the environment like this grab our attention, a termite-like army of smaller Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-18284050311526147682017-01-20T20:11:00.000+10:002017-02-14T22:13:06.802+10:00Turnbull's VictoriesPrime minister Malcolm Turnbull has had some big successes since his party formed government.
I will consider here only those successes related to the IT field, since Turnbull is considered by some to be an IT genius who brought the Internet to Australia (he bought shares in the now-defunct Ozemail and sold them a few years later at a massive profit).
To the uninitiated, it might seem that hisPossum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-18239264119530087102016-12-29T13:49:00.000+10:002017-01-01T00:46:49.661+10:00RoHS Complaint
[For the uninitiated: RoHS stands for "Restriction of Hazardous
Substances" and is an initiative to reduce the use of stuff like lead and cadmium in electronic devices. And, yes, there
is a typo on the label above which has deliberately been replicated in the
title of this post.]
One thing that puzzles me about a lot of technical people - that is to say, people with a trade/technician/Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-34159034348321664162016-10-31T23:53:00.000+10:002016-10-31T23:53:13.007+10:00Blinky the Three-eyed Pumpkin
Halloween 2016 [click for larger image]
This Halloween, the house became a nuclear waste dump, complete with a mutant three-eyed pumpkin. Kids were scanned with a Geiger counter and given the antidote (chocolate) when found to be contaminated.
Circuits by Dronny Darko (Neuroplasticity album) was played as background music.
As I've mentioned before, even if Halloween is being introduced Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-41349938557058997742016-10-04T22:02:00.000+10:002016-10-04T22:02:28.555+10:00The Emperor's New DoughnutYesterday I decided to check out a store that has recently opened at a nearby shopping centre. Doughnut Time it was called. It was a cool hole-in-the-wall with a retro neon sign above and music playing. It was surrounded by a crowd of young adults and was obviously very popular with them.
They were selling doughnuts at six dollars a piece.
I purchased a doughnut with the somewhat witty name Possum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3463446265728162568.post-6620150778190262762016-07-08T22:31:00.000+10:002016-07-08T22:31:34.551+10:00The Great Toilet Paper ScandalConsider this: Paper made from fresh wood is higher quality than that made from recycled paper. [My understanding is that the fibres get broken down into shorter lengths during the recycling process, thus making the texture worse, and in addition, contaminants (dyes etc.) get introduced, further reducing the quality of the product.] Recycled paper made from paper that had previously been recycledPossum Dreaminghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17899807829180610336noreply@blogger.com0