NuffNang

Monday, December 26, 2011

Melbourne's Crazy Weather on Christmas Day 2011

Here are some photos I took near Whittlesea as the storms progressed across the city and suburbs - Noting that the sun set at 8.44pm on the 25th December 2011

Melbourne has had some pretty rough weather this last week - these are some of the shots I've managed to capture - noting that each frame is dated and timed AND in date order. just to give you an idea!

18th December 2011 - 22.09hrs - Lightning to the West of Whittlesea

24th December 2011 - 23.11hrs - Lightning to the West of Whittlesea

24th December 2011 - 23.20hrs Lightning to the South East of Whittlesea

24th December 2011 - 23.20hrs Lightning to the West of Whittlesea

24th December 2011 - 23.26hrs Lightning to the South East of Whittlesea

25th December 2011 - 18.13hrs - Now this is interesting - I posted a tweet at approx 6pm "#melbweather - cloud forming in round 'shape' over Greensborough -lightning seen 2B coming from it - Could get interesting/could be nothing" Not long after - reports started coming in of a 'tornado' in the Epping area and the BoM issuing a tornado warning for the Fiskville area!

25th December 2011 - 18.13hrs - "Tornado"

25th December 2011 - 18.13hrs - "Tornado"

25th December 2011 - 18.13hrs - "Tornado"

25th December 2011 - 18.14hrs - "Tornado"

25th December 2011 - 18.15hrs - "Tornado"

25th December 2011 - 18.15hrs - "Tornado"

25th December 2011 - 18.17hrs - "Tornado"

25th December 2011 - 19.07hrs - Lightning over the CBD - noting that it is quite hard to capture lightning on film during daylight hours - this was taken at 7.07pm and sunset was 8.44pm
25th December 2011 - 19.09hrs - Lightning over the CBD

25th December 2011 - 21.21hrs - Lightning over the South East Suburbs

25th December 2011 - 21.23hrs - Lightning over the Eastern Suburbs

25th December 2011 - 22.14hrs - Lightning over the Outer Northern Suburbs (Upper Plenty)

25th December 2011 - 22.41hrs - eastern Suburbs

25th December 2011 - 22.43hrs - eastern Suburbs

25th December 2011 - 22.53hrs - eastern Suburbs

The weather Chaser - sequence of radar images, showing the storms moving across Melbourne and Victoria http://www.theweatherchaser.com/radar-loop/IDR023-melbourne/2011-12-24-23/2011-12-25-18

Youtube - flooding in Eltham http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOqi3lH4Xzw

Fitbody Fifty Blog - Blogger lives approx 15km south of me and took a belting http://www.fitbodyfifty.com/2011/12/dear-santa-thats-not-what-i-asked-for.html and Kek's public album on facebook https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150548048993023.441440.728803022&type=3

Sunday, December 25, 2011

My Favorite Photos of the week

Taken by me for your enjoyment

Japanese Maple - recovered from Bushfire - marysville November 2011


Kangaroo and Joey - Inverloch - October 2011

Lightning over Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria, November 2011

Lightning over Mt Dandenong, Melbourne, November 2011

*Please do NOT copy photos without my express WRITTEN permission*

Sunday, December 18, 2011

My Favorite Photos of the Week

Taken by me for your enjoyment
Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo - Inverloch, Victoria - October 2011
Con Trail near over Tullamarine Airport September 2011
Echidna, Eden Park October 2011
Echidna, Eden park, October 2011 *Please do NOT copy any photos without express written permission*

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Social Media and Death

If you were hit by a bus and you were to depart this mortal earth. What would happen to your emails, your facebook account, you twitter account?

Does your online presence suddenly become inactive and your inbox full?

Have you left instructions for your partner, children, parents or executors to act upon if something was to happen?

Are your passwords written down somewhere that is easily located?

Have you even thought about this?

I had an online friend, who had been sick for sometime, I knew that things weren’t brilliant, but I didn’t expect “D” not to be around.

I had replied to an email that had been sitting in my inbox for maybe 2 weeks, I did not receive an immediate reply, which is not unusual with online friends.

After about 3 weeks, I started trying locate “D” using the information that I had. I found out that she had belonged to various groups and subsequently I emailed said groups. I did not receive a reply.

It must have been about 2 weeks later that I received a reply from “D’s” daughter saying that “D” was no longer with us and that the email account would be shut down within a 1-2 week time-frame. I am assuming this was to allow people like myself to get answers as to why “D” was not responding emails.

The reply I received was fairly bland, just stating the facts. I suppose having known “D” online for 2-3 years, I expected something more personal. I’m not sure, but even now it leaves me sad that I didn’t have a proper chance to say goodbye – even if it was sending flowers or a card to the funeral.

I wonder what happened to “D’s” memberships to forums and the like where she had groups of friends that she knew. I wonder what happened to people like me – who knew her and we shared to jokes, the good times and the bad. Was everyone advised of “D’s” demise, or were emails just bounced back when the email address became inactive?

Have you taken precautions to ensure that your online friends are advised when there is a problem or when you may not be able to respond any longer?

Have you shown those that will be responsible for your affairs after your demise, how to access all your groups and facebook accounts and say goodbye?

Have you formatted a goodbye?

I have all my URL’s and passwords written down in a notebook, but I haven’t shown, nor told anyone.

My darling husband has no idea how to switch the computer on let alone log in and send a message.

My will has a piece of paper inserted, which although not legally binding, tells everyone what I want said and how to get that message out. But certainly something that has to be done upon my death.

And what happens to my domain names? – are they allowed to expire and there be no more me on the net – or will in 20-30 years time, people pursuing the family history only to find references to me that look and perhaps feel current?

The weirdness of it all – oh what to do?

Thursday, December 15, 2011

How much is an email address worth on the black market?

Due to this post:- Syncing Mobile Phones Offline and this post Why Can't I Sync my Mobile Phone Offline I had many people question my demands to be able to sync my personal data (possibly including your data, OFFLINE) My reasons are purely privacy of your data and mine.

I don’t want the world knowing what I’m doing and where I’m going and who’s birthday it is (via my calendar) I don’t want the world to have access to your email address and phone number (via my outlook address book)

In other words, my reluctance to use a phone that requires the transferring of all this information online, (via an email account or similar) before I can download back to the phone is something I refuse to do. PERSONAL SECURITY.

If my email address was hacked (hopefully never) there would be close to $7000 worth of data available for sale on the black market! Did you know you are worth that much?

Depending on who you listen to – your email address ALONE is worth anywhere between $10-$30 depending on what you do, who the address was gained from and what information is attached to that email address! Add to that other personal data of addresses and phone numbers AND BIRTH DATES and that value could triple! That’s JUST IF MY EMAIL address was hacked. Then the documents that you store online (in your email account sent folder), like passports, credit card information etc, that adds hundreds ($100), if not thousands ($1000) to the value of the data stolen.

From Expert Reviews UK Expert Reviews - How Much Are You Worth to a Cyber Criminal?

From Experian Experian - How Much is Your Personal Identity Worth?

So are you happy using a HTC Mozart which requires data to be uploaded/synced via a live.com account? Or happy to use iTunes to transfer your data?

Online security has been a big issue recently, not just at the personal level, but at the commercial level, look what happened to Telstra this past weekend, look what happened to Sony and another gaming venues recently. Is anything online ‘safe’ anymore?

Should people be more aware of the information they store online and perhaps reduce/delete unnecessary information? It’s not for me to say, but I prefer to store everything locally and not online, thus my demand to be able sync MY personal information OFFLINE on MY computer and not yours!

Edited: 26th December 2018

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Mobile Phones, Telcos, Customer Loyalty and Failing Hardware #2

On the 10th October 2011, I had the unfortunate need to write THIS POST http://itaintalwaysmylife.blogspot.com/2011/10/mobile-phones-telcos-customer-loyalty.html due to Optus’s inability to solve simple customer questions.

On the 9th December I spent a further 2 hours on the phone to Optus Support, regarding handset that wouldn’t stop ringing. Literally. The phone (Nokia X7) was stuck in some sort of loop, even with the SIM card and Memory card removed, the bloody thing rang for nearly 20 minutes before I managed to somehow turn the phone off. (You can’t remove the battery because it’s an all in one unit). Keeping in mind I was driving ALONG a freeway at the time and normally the bluetooth picks up. Handsfree.

As soon as I reached a landline I called Optus help and again offered numerous handsets, this time, the operator attempted to answer my questions, which did surprise me, completely different approach, I was pleasantly surprised. The only problem was………….. NOT ONE handset could do the 3 things that were/are and will continue to be ESSENTIAL for my day to day operations. Which are sync with Outlook (offline), tether to a laptop, and make phone calls. Not anything terribly complicated.

90% of handsets available to Optus Customers with faulty handsets are NOT SMART PHONES and 100% of handsets WON’T do everything that I require. This surprises me greatly. So I ran a short survey on Twitter, which revealed that 86% of people used and operated a smart phone. Number of participants was 43 people.

So own a ‘smart phone’ and need a replacement whilst yours goes back for ‘repairs’ (software upgrades) DO NOT EXPECT to get what you pay for.

I have to admit that Optus DID handle this query FAR better than previously, BUT it is still appalling that a majority of Optus network users, USE smart phones and yet Optus DO NOT provide a smart phone as a ‘loan’ phone in the interim.

My problems so far with my Nokia X7 have been:-

.Looping/ringing handset that you can’t stop
.The unit asking for USB cable to disconnected, when it is not connected
.’Connection Error’ when attempting to make outgoing calls
.Phone ‘freezing' which required the intervention of an Optus Employee, who was unable to tell me what he did to ‘unfreeze it’ (Chadstone Store)
.Unable to connect to Android Market (probably my fault) but no help guide can solve the problem.
.Phone not always recognised when connected to PC for sync/upload/download.

And NO - I DO NOT want an Apple iPhone, I do not want to use Apple iTunes, I dislike Apple products, I dislike iTunes ability to wipe things when it feels like it, I dislike numerous personal security issues that arise with the use of Apple Products (and no doubt Nokia as well). and look what happened Friday 9th/Saturday 10th December with Telstra Bigpond.

I am currently waiting for Optus to send a 'post pack' for the return of the 'faulty' phone and no doubt, they will find nothing wrong with it and in the interim I have to put up with a sub-standard issue 'loan' phone, which won't do what I NEED  until I get my phone back. A lose lose situation if you ask me!

My Favourite Photos of the Week

Taken by me for your enjoyment




Old Railway Bridge, Kilkunda, Vic 18th April 2011



Kilkunda beach near the Old Railway Bridge, 18th April 2011



Kilkunda beach near the Old Railway Bridge, 18th April 2011


Kilkunda beach near the Old Railway Bridge, 18th April 2011


Please DO NOT copy any photos on this blog - without my express written permission




Sunday, December 4, 2011

My Favourite Photos of the Week

Taken by me for your enjoyment


Fish Jumping, off the coast of Eden, NSW. 21st April 2011



The first coffee of the day. (chocolate) Pure Heaven! 2th April 2011


Dragonfly IN FLIGHT! Very lucky shot and the only one I have even taken. 15th February 2011


French Bulldog catching some rays at Pambula, NSW 22nd April 2011


Please DO NOT copy any photos on this blog - without my express written permission