Back to the land of the 24/7 connected and constantly informed. Strange as it may seem, I missed it not.

Back at the grindstone, but still enjoying the slow take-up of business activity in the post Xmas lull. That enjoyment extends to getting back to blogging, which had a respite over the last three weeks. One I think was well and truly necessary after a hectic, and somewhat unproductive 2007. A little harsh, I suspect, but at least experience has benefitted, if not the bank balance. Here's hoping the latest changes on the income front are for the better.

Poor Gerard! It seems that his work, if indeed he actually did any, on John Howard's revisionist history agenda is about to be scrapped and he's upset.

There really is no other category for this post, than 'Bizarre'. If you've never heard of this event before, then you have now.

I'm really at a loss as to what more to write. Make up you're own minds, I suppose.

And you thought "Weekend at Bernies" was all in good fun. These guys took the idea just a tad too far.

News Radio is chock-a-block with the death of Sir Edmund Hillary at his home in New Zealand. He'll live on the minds of many, especially the Nepalese Sherpa people for whom he worked so hard in fund raising and infrastructure provision making their lives just a little easier. He'll live on in the memories of many 'boomer' like myself, as the man who first climbed Everest. Like Neil Armstrong's Moon landing, climbing Everest in 1953 was just as great a feat.

As an aside, I notice Jeremy Sear spiking Tim Blair for belittling the occasion yet again. According to Blair, Hillary said about the climb;

"Well, we knocked the bastard off"

Now......I wonder if my Mum still has that autograph of Sir Edmund's she managed to get when he visited Brisbane in the sixties?

Wayne Swan seems to have been brought up-to-date on some of the realities which confront Mr & Mrs Average Home-Owner.

The world of technology is a fascinating place, but every now and then, I get the distinct impression that people are being paid way too much to have too much time on their hands. Take, for example, this latest gizmo from the makers of the Walkman.

No intention to commercially market the thing, and frankly, I'm left wondering why anyone would bother, so why have anyone actually produce the thing in the first place?

It seems Jeremy Sears still holds true to some misguided blogospheric allegiance in the face of bigoted bias. I'm afraid I can't offer the same sentiments.

Karma will always out, I find.

Dad's birthday today. He'd have been 85, but he's been gone now three years, this March. I still miss him like it was yesterday but given the loss of health at the last, I'd not wish him back.

Happy Birthday anyway, Dad. We can share an ale tonight.

As a subscribed member of Getup!, that relatively newly created think-tank and public activism group, I've received a couple of emails promoting a program of public submission to Treasury to do with just how I'd like to see my taxes spent by government.

Today's crash landing of a British Airways Boeing 777-200 will throw massive shocks through the aviation industry worldwide, if early speculation of a catastrophic power loss in both engines turns out to be correct.

It's occurred to me that perhaps the Oz should be updating some of it's columnists photos.

Glenn Milne's for example.

Too damn busy with work at the moment to take much time aside for the blogging hobby, so here's something I came across while reading the Brisbane afternoon daily, MX. Quite a fascinating pictorial project, I reckon.

There's little else to say about the death of actor, Heath Ledger. Platitudes are flying around about his being a wonderful actor and terrific human being, but in the final washup, for me it's the abrupt end to a young life with so much potential for the person living it which I find so shocking.

Twenty-eight years of age is so very young to be suffering sleeplessness, stress or anxiety from any cause. Perhaps he was working too hard, or submerged himself too deeply in the recently-played 'Joker' character for the latest Batman film? Perhaps he was suffering from the breakup of his familial relationship? We may never find out, however it's yet another example of how stress can impact on our lives. The important point to remember is that while it's all well & good for people to offer the usual platitudes about not stressing over what you can't control, the human mind is far more complicated than simple platitudes can accommodate. Only we can know ourselves. It's important that we do. Too many of us don't, don't know how to find out, or fear what they might find out about.

As the classic say, 'There's nothing to fear, except fear itself'

According to this article on Spaceflight Now, those in the know in the US manned spaceflight program are already planning new presentations and new directions for the program once the Bush Administration ends in January next year.

Time once again for some motorsport news updates.

This case and subsequent appeal ruling raises far more questions regarding just what is an employer's business, and what isn't, than it resolves.

Sitting here over lunch, listening to George W. Bush's last State of the Union address, I can't help but think it's pure empty rhetoric.

Dear Mr Andrew Laming MP, Member for Bowman [LP], I DO NOT SUPPORT the saying of 'Sorry' to aboriginal Australia if in the saying any inferences are made to current generations of white Australia being in any way, shape or form implicated in the misguided behaviours of a culture and political time which is now long past. I wholly support Brendan Nelson's stance in this regard.

I was born in 1957. I have not been involved in the 'stealing' of aboriginal children from their parents by a political, moral and ethical culture which was clearly flawed at the time and highly disrespectful of a culture which existed long before white men decided that they knew best for aboriginal Australians and their children. I am not implicit in the actions of those who came before me and will NOT accede to populist actions of a government which I helped elect, to simply see that government sell my vote down a river of expediency. Saying 'Sorry' will ultimately prove inadequate, insufficient and unacceptable to those portions of aboriginal Australia who have an unending agenda of angst towards white Australia. Regardless of the terms in which the apology may be couched.

I exhort the Rudd government to, if it must, make whatever words it chooses sound sweet and pleasing, but it MUST NOT offer them in my name. I am not guilty and will never claim remorse in this matter.

Yours in rectitude

Niall Cook

and GetUp! can go fuck themselves as well! If you're of a similar mind to me, then I strongly urge you to act likewise.