Author: Nick

3 years old yesterday. Still the most awesome cat on the Internet.

via Neatorama.

Sculptris is a digital sculpting program that has been getting a lot of attention since this video was posted on the Internet.

After 15-20 minutes messing around, I ended up with this:

(Click image for larger version.)

It’s very snappy and easy to use. I can see myself investing more time into learning it; I want to try out some of the more advanced features.

Conclusion: Try it out!

I always thought that the purpose of a democratic political system was to give people choice. Unfortunately, that choice is grossly compromised when the two major parties are, in practise, eerily similar.

Here’s a quick check-list of party characteristics:

1. No plans for any significant action in response to climate change
2. Supports centralised Internet filtering with a secret blacklist
3. Unwilling to pursue meaningful tax reform
4. Supports mandatory detention and stricter immigration control
5. Supports distortion of the real estate market to produce high housing prices
6. Against the introduction of an R18+ rating for videogames
7. Against equal marriage rights for all Australians
8. Against free tertiary education
9. Supports private health insurance
10. Supports private primary, secondary, and tertiary education
11. Supported invasion of Iraq and military action in Afghanistan
12. Supported government funding of school chaplains
13. Led by a devout Christian man (interesting, but not substantial)

Here are a few questions worth researching and considering:

• Who privatised: Qantas, the Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, as well as many state electricity, gas, transport, and healthcare providers?
• Who introduced: HECS, Negative Gearing, the Capital Gains Tax exemption for one’s primary residence, the First Home Owners Grant, the First Home Owners Grant Boost?

I find the situation immensely disappointing. Particularly given that there are apparently substantial philosophical differences between the parties. (Why are these rarely reflected in their actions and legislation?)

Maybe things would be different if the parties each had leaders (and politicians) who were more true to their party’s core values, willing to stand their ground, and capable of implementing corresponding initiatives.

From a recent email:

YOU MUST BUY SOXNLOX SOCKS AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCAL CHEMIST (although I can’t remember which brand of chemist).

http://www.soxnlox.com/

3 pairs for $10. My sister put me onto them. They are the best evar. Make in Korea, so you know that they are good.

Actually, there is a “where to buy” map on their website:

http://www.soxnlox.com/utility/WhereToBuy.aspx

Ahem… yeah… so they’re pretty good and stuff… take ages to dry though since they are so… ur… voluptuous.

Here’s a screengrab of the brand identity section of their website:

So now you know. You’re welcome.

Here are some photos and notes from my most recent travels around Melbourne, Bangkok, and Singapore.

Melbourne

House-sitting in Melbourne was interesting. It felt more like we were living there (rather than visiting) and I got a pretty good feeling for what I liked and disliked. In summary:

• Liked: Food. Chinatown. Footscray. Walkability. Urban art. Visiting family.
• Disliked: Public transport. Police “crackdowns”.

We pretty much trained and walked everywhere. I ate nothing but Sichuan for a few days. Taking the morning train was horrendous! The first day we didn’t get on the first train because it was full (and late). The second day, they stopped and evacuated the train because someone passed out. Despite this, transport is expensive! $3.70 for a 2 hour ticket!?

Apparently J-walking is a major problem. While rushing to make an appointment (due to late trains) we ran across the road while the “red man” was flashing. A cop called us over and issued $58 fines (one each) while noting “Western Australia? I imagine that you have traffic lights over there.” I should have noted that we live in Albany and there are no traffic lights here (only roundabouts)… or not.

Bangkok

I was in Bangkok for my brother’s wedding. I won’t post many pictures from the event (it’s up to him what he wants to post on the Internet), but I will say that it was beautiful despite the amazing heat (44 degrees Celcius!).

We initially stayed at the Grand Tower Inn Sathorn since that’s where everyone else seemed to be staying. It was a charming hotel with a distinctly Thai feel (fairy lights, friendly staff, random gaudy decorations) but there was only one non-smoking room. After the wedding we moved to a Wotif mystery hotel… which was amazing.

Heidi has worked out (by matching descriptions) that the mystery hotel was Maduzi (Thai for “come have look at this”). The suites were huge and each featured (amongst other things):

• An entry way with illy coffee machine
• A full-length bed that was also wider than it was long
• Full-height windows along one wall
• An infinity edge bath that fills with water from the ceiling
• A printer-fax and wireless Internet access for complementary use

So that was pretty special. I’d stay there again… and so should you! Tourism has (obviously) taken a very hard hit with the recent protests in Bangkok, and a lot of small businesses (eg. clothing stores) will need support in order to stay in business when things calm down.

Singapore

My impressions of Singapore may be slightly skewed because:

1. We’d just stayed at one of best boutique hotels ever
2. We were both kinda sick, probably having caught a cold during the wedding
3. We were looking forwarding to returning home (to fresh home-cooked food and our cats)

Anyhow, here is my summary:

• Liked: I didn’t look too out of place (there were a lot of mixed-race people). Food. Singapore Slings. Red Dot Design Museum. Singlish. Public transport.
• Disliked: Expensive hotels (compared to Thailand). Pushy people in touristy areas (Night Safari). Very commercially oriented. Humidity. Being sick.

I can understand the commercialism in Singapore (no natural resources, so they have to rely on human resources and the financial services industry) but by this point in the trip consumerism was frustrating me. It feels like no matter where you go (in the world), people are preoccupied with eating, drinking, and shopping. I enjoy eating, and  I partake in drinking on occasion, but I don’t get shopping for stuff as a pass-time.

I guess that we could’ve done other things if we had planned ahead (eg. taking cooking classes in Thailand in 2009 was a great experience)… and despite my apparent dislike of shopping, I did pick up a few DS games while in Singapore (Picross 3D and WarioWare DIY; Picross is great, but I haven’t tried WarioWare yet).

There were some interesting things in Singapore though. Such as an escalator in a park so that people didn’t have to walk up a hill. There are obviously nice people too; Heidi lost her wallet at the Night Safari, but was later contacted via Facebook by someone who had found it (and was sending it to us forthwith and post-haste).

Came across this charming animation via 4cr:

Crater Face from Skyler Page on Vimeo.

I just got back from Thailand (via Singapore and Perth) yesterday.

It was a little tense while I was there, but it looks like it’s gone nuts since I left. I haven’t been able to get through to family (maybe the mobile phone network is overloaded), which is a little concerning. However, I’m confident that they are well outside of the dangerous areas.

Here’s a map outlining the danger zone and sites of various events:

View Bangkok Dangerous – Red Shirts Rally March-May 2010 in a larger map

Thanks to Kathy for posting this to facebook. Hopefully someone else finds it useful.

(I’ll post more about my trip tomorrow. Thankfully, it’s generally good times!)

Update: Just got a call from my sister. Everyone is fine.

Driving to Perth then flying to Melbourne for a week. Then onto Thailand for my brother’s wedding (I hope the protests don’t escalate). Holidaying in Singapore after that. Finally, back to Albany via Perth.

It’s going to be a busy month.

Possibly all soon followed by a trip back to Perth (for a Let’s Make Games event and hanging with Simon before he heads to the US) and a trip to China. Yay travel… although I dislike flying.

I should get packing… and cleaning (for our house sitter).

So yesterday Heidi and I totally owned Bluff Knoll, the highest point in the south-west of Western Australia. True story.

When we were on our way down, I was all swift quick-stepping like a ninja. Heidi mistook that for shaky-legged tiredness (as if) and we had this witty repartee:

Heidi: Are you alright? You seem kinda jumpy.
Me: Yeah. I’m more stable like this. It’s called… dynamic balance.
Heidi: Hmmm, I’m more of a plodder.
Me: What are you plodding?
Heidi: Descent.
(Pause)
(Knuckle punch)

Here are some pics:

(Click on the images on the image pages for full-size images… image image image.)

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumoured by many. Do not believe in anything because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find anything that agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.

That quote is attributed to Siddhartha Gautama (aka. the Buddha). It’s very progressive thinking from around 1500 years ago.

I admire Buddhist philosophy for its focus on personal responsibility (for knowledge and actions). This contrasts greatly with Abrahamic religions‘ philosophies, which tend to focus on faith in external sources (eg. texts, organisations, a god).

However, (given the above quote) I find it strange that Buddhist religions tend to include supernatural aspects. Chiefly a belief in reincarnation, which I doubt would satisfy independent and objective scrutiny.