NigePresto.com

Experiement: @Optus Cable internet at home

2012-02-03T17:15:00.000+11:00

My wife and I have been living in our new place for about three months now. We've been putting off hooking up Internet at home and using our iPhones to browse the web or tether to our computer at home, but there comes a time when 3G speeds just aren't that speedy.

As I was looking for an Internet Service Provider (ISP), it became apparent that our house had two things:

Optus phone lines
Optus Cable connections

The Optus phone lines were the biggest issue - a whopping $299 to transfer to Telstra, from which we could then move to another ISP. Otherwise, we were stuck with Optus. (at least that's what the sales consultants at other ISPs told us.
I was really keen to go with TPG or iPrimus, but neither seemed to be able to help us out of this dilemma.

Secondly, Optus Cable.
I'd noticed it when we first moved in and thought it would be neat to try out.
Would it actually be fast?
Some people say "Yes - it's amazing!"

... whilst others (including a very vocal posse on Whirlpool) say "It's hideous and they want to gouge their eyes out, because it's so slow."

Experiment - Optus Cable internet at home
Yesterday, we plugged it in and are going to test it out over the next two weeks, if it doesn't work, we'll switch across to a somewhat more reliable ADSL2+ connection.
It went like a rocket yesterday morning, but was definitely temperamental throughout the day and got to a crawl late last night.

What happens next, we'll very soon seen...

Foods my wife can't eat - Fructose Mal-absorption

2011-09-01T16:22:00.000+10:00

About a year ago, my wife Fee was diagnosed with Fructose Mal-absorption.
It's a food thing.

It means she can't eat fruit, onion, flour, wheat and honey (but more on that in a moment)

When she first found out, she cried. But once she got used to the idea that food wouldn't make her feel bad any more - but actually make her feel good, well we were on our way!

Fructose Mal-absorption isn't exactly front page news.Most people who we visit for dinner don't really know what Fee can or can't eat.
We don't blame you. We want to help you.

So, if we're coming round to your place for a meal, here's a quick list for you to reference so we don't have to kinda leave that awesome apple crumble. Sometimes it's easiest to say 'Gluten-free-plus-no-fruit-and-onion'.

1/ Stuff she CAN'T eat -

Onion
Flour (wheat flour)
Honey
Beans and Legumes
Apples, Pears
Lots of garlic (small amounts are ok!)

2/ Stuff she CAN eat -

All Meats including fish
Chocolate
Cheese
Eggs
Gluten free breads
Oats (ie. porridge)
Gluten free pasta
Gluten free cakes (yum)
Rice
Rice noodles
Dairy
Rice crackers
Ice Cream
Some fruits, like Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Pineapple & Bananas (if you can afford them)
She can eat oranges, but she's allergic to them, so she doesn't.
... and vegies, like Pumpkin, Sweet Potato, Potato, Corn, Mushrooms, Capsicum, cucumber, zucchini, carrots, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes
(oh wait, is a tomato a fruit? doesn't matter, she can eat it anyway!)

3/ Traps for young players

Most 'stocks' have onion or onion powder in them, which is a shame.
Maple 'flavoured' syrup: The fake stuff is not good for Fee, but 'Real' Maple Syrup is great.
Most dips, salsas and sauces are made with onion somewhere too, which is a bit sad.
'Dehydrated vegies': check the ingredients list for this one, this typically means it had onion.

4/ Choice meals

Meat & Veg
Gluten free pasta and sauce
Curry & rice (no onion)
Risotto (no onion)
Eggs & Bacon

Dinner soon?

Update: [SOLD] Bianchi 928 Carbon Fibre road bike

2011-07-09T14:00:00.000+10:00

## Update: A great young guy who will be racing in a school team in Human Powered Vehicles at the RACV Energy Breakthrough this year, came and picked up this trusty steed this morning. I hope he enjoys it as much as I have! ##

The time has come to sell my wonderful Bianchi 928 Carbon road bike.
I'm compiled an album to show it off in all it's (current) glory here...

I've really enjoyed spending plenty of hours on 'Fast Eddy' over the past 6 years or so. Whilst I have tried hard to keep it in good condition, there have been a few inevitable scratches and war scars.
I've only recently upsized to a larger frame and a newer rig, as this one was a bit small (56cm) for me.

I'm 186cm and can't quite believe that I rode a bike that was too small for me for so long. I'd recommend to get measured up really well before you buy any bike. Mine included.

The drive train was all replaced (front chain rings, chain and rear cassette) in late 2010, so that's all running pretty sweetly too.

Here are the overview...
It's a Bianchi 928 Carbon, not the one with the Celeste Green decals), with a...
Carbon Fibre frame, and it was...
Handmade in Italy

And here's the finer specs:
Size: 56cm seat tube, x 56 cm top tube (centre to centre)
Levers: Dura-Ace ST-7700 (9spd)
Wheels: Mavic Cosmos
Chain: Dura-Ace 9spd
Front Derailleur: Dura-Ace FD-7700 (9spd)
Rear Derailleur: Dura-Ace RD-7700 (9spd)
Rear Cassette: Ultegra CS-6500 (12t-23t)
Brakes: Ultegra BR-6500
Cranks: Ultegra FC-6500
Seatpost: BBB Alloy
Saddle / Seat: Bontrager Affinty2
Headstem: ITM Millennium Bianchi - 130mm
Pedals: Shimano 105 widebody (new, fresh out of the box)

And here's the album with all the pics:

For Sale - Bianchi 928 Carbon

What I do at World Vision

2011-05-18T08:00:00.001+10:00

It's been a while between posts ... over six months in fact, but it's not because I haven't had posts up there in my head ready to come out.

Since my last post way back in November, I've changed roles, but have still kept in touch with the RACV Energy Breakthrough & HPV community. I've bought a new bike (expect to see an ad for my old Bianchi 928 here soon!), celebrated my 4 year of marriage to Fee and have been certainly a lot more active at work than my 'year of reflection' in 2010. I think I'm getting better at saying 'no' too.

Since November last year, I've been the Digital Presence Co-ordinator for World Vision Australia.
I prefer the title: Online Guy, the myself, but hey - organisations are good at making up big titles for roles like mine.

What do I do at World Vision?

World Vision Australia homepage

Within our Digital Team, I find and publish stories, help with campaigns and do some project work for the World Vision website - worldvision.com.au.

Think of me as like a Magazine Publisher, I don't write the stories or take the photos, but I collate them, play a part in finding them and commissioning pieces and deciding on where they fit into the website structure. Once these pieces of content are published, my offsider Carlos and I let our Social Media Team know and they tweet and facebook out the articles.

I also look after content and advise on web projects like the 40HourFamine.com, Team World Vision and Connecting Lives.

Do I enjoy it?

Yes! I feel like I'm in the right place at the right time. The people I work with (like Richenda, Keith, Jeff, Carlos and Prarth - amongst a host of others) are wonderful, really colourful people and I have a sense that I am able to give my best for World Vision in this role. The opportunity to take stories of need or hope from around the world and bring them to an Australian audience where people can respond - financially or non-financially - is a great one. I hope I can do the people in World Vision's projects around the world proud.

So, really ... why no posts lately?
I think it's really challenging to spend all of my days online to come home and write a blog. There comes a point where there is just too much screen time for me and I can't take it anymore.

Let's hope that I've turned a corner and I get my act together to post a bit more often!

No Crap November

2010-11-29T10:35:00.000+11:00

Well, it's a bit off the wall from 'Movember' or 'Oc-Sober' or 'Dry-July' - but for this November, my wife Fee and I embarked on No Crap November.

Basically, in the lead-up we weren't eating particuarly well - we weren't doing terribly but we wanted to avoid chocolates, cake, soft drink and desserts.

How did we go?
Really well for the first fortnight, then we struggled big time once I got to the RACV Energy Breakthrough (right) and Fee had a Staff Retreat, then a meeting in Bendigo and then a Alpha Board meeting.

Once we broke the routine, it was all over. Once we were seperated (physically!) we couldn't keep it up.

We've never really been into diets, but this little insight into how we go at giving things up could really translate to lots of other areas as well - work, exercise, paying bills, getting enough sleep.
If you go it alone, we're less likely to get through.

Now for Christmas!

Off to Sydney for the Australasian Fundraising Forum (2010)

2010-08-31T11:57:00.001+10:00

Well, I know I've been very quiet of late here on my blog, but I've been really busy trying to keep my head above water with World Vision's 40 Hour Famine campaign (Aug 20 - 22).

This year I was looking after the website and social media. It's all gone really well (if I say so myself) but I've also found myself quite stretched by the demands of both website publishing and being part of an online community through social media.

It even led me to give up technology myself and resort to a diet of oats and rice for 40 hours last weekend (Aug 27-29). Thanks to Crowey, James, Steve, Nathan and Kim who kindly gave me a few dollars!

Off to Sydney for the Australasian Fundraising Forum (2010)

With all of this recent knowledge, I'm packing my bags for the Australasian Fundraising Forum in Sydney to talk about how we used social media and why. I hope I can shed a bit of light on the idea of what all those 'social media people' are doing all day.

It will be a new experience for me - I've not spoken at a professional conference on behalf of World Vision before - and yet I've spoken at many other youth events for our supporters.

After I get back from Sydney, I'll be heading off to Pt Lonsdale for a week without computers again.

We're really looking forward to putting our feet up and switching off.

March Mayhem

2010-03-09T21:30:00.001+11:00

Sometimes everything seems to come together at once doesn't it?

Exactly where January and February went, well, I'm not quite sure - but we have found ourselves in March and a super busy one at that!

When I saw this recent post by Mark Sayers about his Mad March, I thought I could possibly do the same but call it March Mayhem so at least I'm not blatantly copying.

Sure, unlike Mark I'm not launching a book this month, but I will be on the road a lot more than usual.

If you happen to come my way (or I yours) make sure you say hello!

Where I'll be this March:

9th - Entries Open for the RACV Energy Breakthrough

(I manage the website, in my spare time)

STIR Sub-Editor Teleconference #3

11 - STIR Sub-Editor Teleconference #4

12 - At the Book Launch of Mark Sayer's new number: The Vertical Self

13 - Running a workshop for World Vision at the Victorian Christian Youth Convention (VCYC)

15 - STIR Session Perth at the WA Art Gallery

17 - STIR Session Adelaide at Higher Ground Theatre

18 - STIR Session Melbourne at the Melb City Convention Centre

19 - 21st - Joining up with young gun Lachy Hickey to perform some trackside

announcing at the Wonthaggi Human Powered Grand Prix

23 - STIR Session Sydney at the Birrung Gallery

Hopefully, I'll get to have a coffee or two in the delightful Toby's Estate in Wooloomooloo

25 - STIR Session Brisbane at the Uni of Qld

Hang out in BrisVegas for a bit too, and catch-up with my friend Crowey!

28th - Enjoy the Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne

(in case you didn't know, I LOVE Formula 1 racing. It's ok if you didn't - my wife didn't know until

Then maybe I'll spend April collapsing in a heap and sleeping it off...

Winter Olympics: Every sport is better!

2010-02-24T22:55:00.001+11:00

Like many Australians, I've been spending my evenings lately with the Collingwood FC President Eddie McGuire watching the Winter Olympics Games coverage from Vancouver.

What's struck me about the Winter Olympics is that every sport from the Summer Olympics is better.
It's faster, more exciting or more dangerous.
There's high risk of error and injury, the spray of the snow and the elite, model-esque athletes to admire.
Oh, and the outfits are cooler too!

Let me explain:

They've taken Gymnastics and turned it into Figure Skating

From Pole Vault to Aerial Skiing

(Image from the amazing Big Picture Blog / JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images)

In the Marathon - they give you a gun and it becomes Biathlon

Hockey becomes Ice Hockey (sorry Steve)

(Image from the amazing Big Picture Blog /AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

The Long Jump becomes Ski Jumping

Hurdles are Moguls

Track Running becomes speed skating

The Cycling Time trial is now the down hill skiing (They even had Phil Liggett behind the mic)

Even the newest Summer Sport - BMX - is outdone by Snowboard-X and Ski-X.

I mean, that's seriously good fun too watch!

Lawn bowls (ok, so it's in the Commonwealth Games) becomes curling...

... hmm maybe the rule isn't universal after all.

(Image from the amazing Big Picture Blog /Clive Mason/Getty Images)

BUT, those northern hemisphere folks didn't stop there.

No, they added Luge, Skeleton and Bobsleigh too.

Yes, I think you'll agree - EVERY Sport is better, more exciting and more dangerous.
Are you enjoying it too?

But really, how green ARE human powered vehicles?

2009-10-15T08:45:00.078+11:00

I've been around human powered vehicles for about 14 years now. With today being Blog Action Day, I've been thinking about this year's theme: Climate Change. Over this time the vehicles have become quicker and the green movement has become bigger - are the two actually connected?
Way back in the '90s, 'Green' was for the hippies
Yep, I will let you imagine me as a young year 7 kiddie in Maryborough watching my older bro' Luke race 'Tenacious' for Bendigo Senior back in the 1996 RACV Energy Breakthrough. (That still stands for me as one of the best team names ever btw) Unfortunately, I don't have a pic of Tenacious, but I do have one of our Year 10 trike - Intensus.

Above is my mate Cam Hine racing our petrol / pedal hybrid in the 1999 RACV Energy Breakthrough

A few murmourings, but nothing more...
There was a few murmourings back then about the climate, greenhouses gases, collecting coke cans and recycling - but really the only ones talking about going 'green' were those from Castlemaine and those involved in the development of futuristic solar cars. I think solar cars diverted attention from real progress in some ways because few people have been able to ever translate the concepts into a real road-going production car.

We were more excited about getting fit and pedalling fast than saving the planet - but we did learn abit along the way too.

There were fuel-guzzling V8 Holdens and we used plenty of water to have water fights.
Now there are just 'slightly-more-fuel-economical' V8 Holdens & no water fights.

But, Pedal Power is fun!
As I crossed the barriers from spectator to participant, I was drawn into this world where we could make something that is pedal powered cruise above 40 km/h - and race it too!

Like solar cars, the idea of human powered vehicles translating into real transport solutions didn't really resonate that well with us back in 1996 and I'm not sure that it does now, either.

Bendigo Youth Racing - a case study

When we go racing with Bendigo Youth Racing, the environment comes well down our list of priorities.

Winning is number one.

We learn about energy use as we're building the vehicles and developing concepts - we want to create the most energy efficient drive system we can.

But, we pump plenty of non-green resources into the construction process:

carbon fibre, kevlar, resin,
tyres, tubes, rims
alloys, nuts, bolts,
polycarb plastics for the windscreens,
plus of course mountains of race tape, cable ties, paints and stickers too.

When we get to the track - the anti-green activities continue:

We eat like soldiers,
rubbish piles up from all of the parts, components and supplies we use and
pit lane is (almost) full of generators powering our lights, power tools and tellies throughout the weekend.

Pedal Prix powered up - then the lights went out

A few years ago, the Australian International Pedal Prix tried to navigate the issue of every team having generators by using one large industrial generator for each pit lane. It worked a treat, but then they seemed to hit a few financial snags and weren't able to provide them again.

That's one example - but what else can we do?
Is it really fair to call these events a 'Green Grand Prix'?
Yes, the racing on the track may be carbon neutral during that 24 hours, but what about the 10 months leading into the events? Or the pitlane?

----- -----
I'm posted this post because it's Blog Action Day today (Oct 15, 2009) and this is a blog. On one day each year, bloggers from around the world talk about one issue, how it relates to them and what they think about it. Last year the theme was 'Poverty' and this year it is 'Climate Change'. This is my post, thanks for reading

Cadbury Customer Service Response to Fairtrade Announcement

2009-08-27T12:17:00.004+10:00

... Firstly, the BIG News!

After 17 months of extensive campaigning through World Vision Australia's Don't Trade Lives campaign, we can chalk up a victory for the cocoa farmers of Ghana and STIRRERS across Australia. Cadbury is going Fairtrade!

"Fair cocoa pricing is the difference between children wielding a machete in the cocoa fields or a pencil in the classroom", states Rev Tim Costello, in this media release that accompanied the news.

Cadbury Customer Service

Following the amazing announcement yesterday that Cadbury Dairy Milk will soon be Fairtrade Certified in Australia from next Easter, I decided to email their customer service team to congratulate them on the great news.

Within 16 hours (which I think is a pretty good turnaround for email customer service) I received this response:

"Mr Preston,

Thank you for taking time to contact us regarding our recent announcement that Cadbury Dairy Milk will be going Fairtrade in Australia. We value any feedback, especially positive feedback like yours.

Cadbury Dairy Milk is the first major Australian confectionery product to achieve Fairtrade certification.

This means that farmers who grow the cocoa beans we use in our Cadbury Dairy Milk will receive a Fairtrade minimum price for their cocoa and over 40,000 Ghanaian Fairtrade farmers and their families and communities will immediately benefit.

It also means that fairer prices under the Fairtrade system will help farmers tackle poverty and grow their businesses, and the Fairtrade premium paid by Cadbury will provide new investment in community infrastructure such as schools, roads, and access to medical services. In addition, Fairtrade certification means better labour standards as Fairtrade standards explicitly prohibit the use of forced or slave labour.

Cadbury Australia believes that Fairtrade certification for Cadbury Dairy Milk is the right thing to do. It builds upon our existing commitment to improve the livelihoods of cocoa farmers through our $100 million investment in the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership.

To learn more about Fairtrade Australia, please visit:
http://www.fairtrade.com.au/

To learn more about the Cadbury Cocoa Partnership, please visit:
www.cadbury.com/ourresponsibilities/cadburycocoapartnership/Pages/cadburycocoapartnership.aspx

Once again we thank you for your feedback.

Kind regards,

Tracey
Consumer Services

CADBURY PTY LTD"

Nice work Cadbury !!!

40 Hour Famine - thanks!

2009-08-24T20:27:00.002+10:00

Phew! I did it!

With a certain sense of a achievement, I completed the 40 Hour Famine from after dinner last Wednesday night through to lunchtime Friday.

Going without food for 40 Hours is really hard. Thursday night in particular was a tough time. Friday morning felt like the home straight and therefore a bit more manageable.

I am really stoked that so many of my friends and friends-of-friends got behind me and our campaign to fight the Global Food Crisis.

Thank you to those of you who have supported me!

Some people might think that since it's my job to work at World Vision that I should do the Famine out of obligation for work. But I don't think that's the case.

I have been personally really inspired by the great stories of people doing the 40 Hour Famine across Australia. Check out the VGen Blog for some of the best ones...

One of the best ones I've heard just today was about an Australian Chef, based at Mawson Station in Antartica who competed in the 40 Hour Famine over the weekend.
AMAZING! Check it our here. [You have to scroll down the page]

If you still want to sponsor me - you still can by following this link

Giving up food for the people of Cambodia - 40 Hour Famine 2009

2009-07-28T21:37:00.004+10:00

At the start of this year, I travelled to Cambodia with 7 Youth Ambassadors and another World Vision staffer. Read my blog post about it here. It was full-on in many ways - from the shadow of the Khmer Rouge, the bustling city of Phnom Penh and then the poverty we saw first hand near Battambang.

This video features Lennon, our (Youth Ambassador from Western Australia) and Chanra, who battles the Global Food Crisis each day

Why did we go?

To see the people who are living the Global Food Crisis (like Kak Da, Chanra & Klooun)
To fire these Youth Ambassadors up so that they would come home and tell everyone about the plight of Cambodia's poor.
To see the work World Vision is already doing there, with the potential to do so much more with our Help.

Quick Facts about the Global Food Crisis:

The world's biggest food crisis is on now.. and you probably didn't even know it!

People in over 30 countries are suffering from the effects of the Global Food Crisis.
There are now over 900 million chronically hungry people around the world, and approximately 1.4 billion live in extreme poverty.
Malnourished children are more likely to die from illnesses like diarrhoea and malaria.
Every day, an estimated 25,000 children die from hunger and preventable diseases.

For plenty more information and videos on Global Food Crisis, head here:

http://trans.worldvision.com.au/40hourfamine/factsGFC.aspx

Doing the 40 Hour Famine
I'm giving up food for 40 hours to raise money to help hungry kids affected by the Global Food Crisis. I've seen the work that World Vision does on the ground and I believe by supporting World Vision I'm doing the right thing and that I am investing in 'responsible development'.

Would you like to help?

Just $40 helps 5 kids for 1 month!
My target is to raise $ 500.

Please donate online now

My 40 Hour Famine Number is: 29010029-6

thanks....

Oh and Donations are tax deductible depending on your personal tax position. The minimum amount is $2. You will receive a tax receipt via email as soon as you've made the donation.

Sorry for any inconvenience while we are improving this world class facility...

2009-06-30T11:43:00.003+10:00

I was going through Southern Cross Station in Melbourne last Saturday as I had just been to Bendigo for a quick overnight 'splash-n-dash' build and training session with the Bendigo Youth Racing team.

Yep, only in Victoria and only at Southern Cross Station would you see a sign like this:

Stuck on some barriers protecting a cherry picker, I am amazed that even our health and safety is branded these days. I was prompted to post this pic after seeing Ross Hill's Post: 'Why So Serious?' graffiti in Brisvegas.

PS> Oh yeah - I'm back from my European adventures too! Photos are coming (there are lots!)

Rudd billions may bypass planning system - but at what cost to the environment and social capital?

2009-05-04T08:43:00.004+10:00

So, Rudd billions may bypass planning system.
$1.5 billion of Kevin's whopping $42 billion stimulus package has been put aside for public housing - according to an article in The Age today. The plan is to press 'GO' on every project possible to get people building, often at the expense of full planning processes.

I wonder - as did the editorial today and a number of other people quoted - at what cost to the Environment and Social Capital.

I honestly hope that we don't end up with more versions of housing estates in Long Gully,
Caroline Springs or Mernda Villiage: unconnected cookie-cutter developments which foster unsustainable travel and living.

Why not take this opportunity (& cash) to build world's best practice housing and community planning? I'd be proud of that.

Why not mandate that every new house and shopping centre has solar in the roof, insulation in the walls and has north facing windows?

We know this stuff works, we've known it for years and I just don't think that the traditional: "Green is too hard, just build it quick"is good enough anymore.

... or maybe we could spend the development money in regional Australia? (or is there no votes in that?)

Don't get me wrong, I think much of the planning, consultation and permit processes currently in place are too slow. But we don't have to spend slow - just smarter.

The Future by Us : What I'm Reading

2009-04-02T11:00:00.001+11:00

I'm not much of a reader - it takes me ages to read anything, even when I try the speed reading tips encouraged by Tim Ferris in the 4 Hour Work Week.

But I am currently reading The Future by Us: Young Leaders imagine Australia beyond 2020.

Flowing on from last year's 2020 Youth Summit, young writers cover each of the discussion areas:

Building wealth from knowledge - rather than the minerals and the sheep's back

Climate Change,

Indigenous Australia

Health
Gender Equality

Our future as a country

Communities

Citizenship & multiculturalism and

the Arts.

Tip #1: Read the Book
I'm only a few chapters in and will attempt to give a short overview of each chapter as I go, but at this stage I'd like to warmly encourage you to buy the book or borrow it from a friend. Despite any criticisms I have, I believe it is essential to be informed and to participate in any debate which could shape our future.
I'm not as critical as 'Bob Dumpling' on the New Matilda, who has slammed the authors for having not one decent thought between them. But as I said, I'm only 3 chapters in!

Tip #2: Fight your reactions
I have been finding that I am constantly fighting the knee-jerk reaction: "That'll never work" as each author lays out their vision for how to make life in Australia more 'just', inclusive and progressive. How is it that I'm 25 and already so cynical of process, procedures and governance?

Concern #1: The Hugh Evans factor
Hugh goes to my church and whilst his presence on this book seems to be on the cover rather than through the content, his introduction does help put it all into context. He also co-chaired the 2020 Youth Summit with Minister for Youth Affairs, Kate Ellis. My concerns with 'Hugh projects' are that young people may be drawn to follow his lead and try to be a 'poverty celebrity', rather than actually taking action to change the world.

Concern #2: The blueprint for (South Eastern) Australia ?
As I read through the list of contributors, I note that there is no authors from Western Australia or South Australia, Tassie or even Queensland. So maybe it's just the blue print for the South Eastern seaboard, who are always over represented in forums and debates.

The Body Shop Activist: Hushed on Safe Sex campaign

2009-03-24T14:19:00.001+11:00

The Body Shop's latest awareness campaign about the importance of safe sex in fighting HIV has been hushed by a suburban shopping centre not far from my work - you may know it, it's called "The Glen".

The Glen management have decided that the campaign could draw complaints and have asked for the materials to be removed from the shop window...

Full the post and story here: The Body Shop Activist: Yes! Yes! Yes! to Safe Sex

It seems that the removal of the 'offensive' poster caused as much of a stir as when it was there.

Let's just hope that the real messages of the campaign -

- not talking about HIV, one of the world's biggest killers, is socially irresponsible
- pretending people are not having sex is naive and not talking about sex is dangerous, and that
- promoting SAFE sex is one of the best ways of fighting the HIV virus.

manage to get through!

Back in the HPV Race Seat

2009-03-05T14:00:00.000+11:00

It's been two and a half years since I finished in an active role with Bendigo Youth Racing (BYR). So, I was a bit nervous (as you can see in my pic on the right) when I was back on the HPV race track on Saturday - albeit with a Ex-Pats Racing - at the 6 hour Casey Cycling Festival. Come ride with me...

Hang on - What's a Human Powered Vehicle?
It's typically a three wheeled vehicle that you lie / sit in and pedal (although you can have more than three wheels, most teams don't).
Standard set-up is for the two front wheels to steer and the rear wheel to drive. That means a long chain running under your seat.
Those in the game call them HPVs (but don't Google that...)

Why Race?
I either attending or helped organise eight human powered vehicle (HPV) events last year. As much fun as spectating and organising is - being out there racing is a much bigger thrill. I contacted Tim Jones at Ex-Pats earlier this year and asked if he'd have a spare seat. He did. I raced the yellow and black one on the right here.

Did I enjoy it?
Yes!
It was great fun. I felt like I knew what the vehicle was going to do in terms of popping onto two wheels or making a turn.

How long did I ride for? Was it hard work?
I rode for an hour as the second rider in our team of six.
Yep, you are working hard inside even though they breeze by quietly at speeds of 40-55km/h. I got some cramps about half an hour in, which is partly due to the unique seat angle and also due to my fitness level.

How was it different to a BYR trike?
It was a lot thinner - about 15 centimetres in fact. This means it's a bit less stable (ie. keeping all three wheels on the deck), but I didn't notice it as much as I thought I would. I did roll the test vehicle in practice a month earlier though, so there is definitely a tipping point.
The seat a bit more reclined, but with they share the same steering design so I'm surprised at how similar they were!

Did we win?
Our team was fourth overall out of about 50 teams. We were convincingly beaten by a strong team from Mt Martha way called 'TruBlu' (they are in the right of the picture below right here), or sister team at Ex-Pats (titled 'Ooh La la')(they are in the left of the picture below right here) was second and third was a team from Trisled HPVs called 'Easy Tiger'.

So... what did I learn?
That I can still race a trike with some decent speed, and
- as I mentioned earlier, that I still enjoy it.

Special thanks to Aaron and Tim at Ex-Pats Racing for preparing a great vehicle and letting me fill a seat.

There's plenty more pics here too

PS. Just for the record in 2008, I got along to the:

the Wonthaggi HPGP,
the Casey Cycling Festival,
the Cartridge World Bendigo Madison Pursuit,
the Maroondah EIEP Grand Prix,
the Maryborough Technology Challenge (in Queensland),
the Australian International Pedal Prix (in South Australia),
the CityLink Vehicle Efficiency Day, and
the RACV Energy Breakthrough.

Six things I learnt in Cambodia

2009-02-19T11:45:00.000+11:00

Late last month I led a World Vision Study Tour to Cambodia as part of my role as Editor of STIR.org.au

With 7 Youth Ambassadors and another WV Staffer, we learnt a lot in 9 days ... here's six things I learnt:

The name 'Pol Pot' is short for 'Political Potential'
Well, the political potential of anarchy at least. Cambodia was more prosperous than Singapore in 1975.
Imagine the work World Vision and the 3,000 Aid & Development Orgs would be doing there if one fifth of the population weren't killed by the Khmer Rouge, while the rest had their lives on hold.
Visits to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum and the Killing Fields really are a must. It's great to see the Kmher Rouge Trials starting to take place this month.
World Vision is doing some amazing work through some amazing people
I might have been there on a work trip, but this was a real eye-opener!
World Vision Cambodia staff are so committed to the work they do that they stay in the field office Monday-Friday every week. They grow their own vegies and fish on-site too.
They spend two nights during that week at a families home in the area, building relationships, learning, listening and helping. The schools, clinics and small loans that have transformed lives in rural and urban Cambodia is very cool. That's Daracheat on the right here - he's a star!
Mobile phone coverage in Cambodia is better than regional Victoria
I'm not kidding, I tweeted my way around Cambodia without signal loss. Sure, it ain't 3G, but there's always a strong signal. They've erected massive mobile phone antennas all across the country. Think about that one Optus...
There can be a fine line between a poor life and a simple life
We met many families who were really struggling. One would collect the rice husks that had been missed during harvest, did not have a roof to sleep under and were protected by their blind father.
But then others down the road were playing volleyball, whistling while they packed rice and selling corn for biofuels.

Phnom Penh has an Olympic Stadium despite the fact they've never held the Olympic Games
Yep, it's true. Amazingly the place is literally buzzing every night with runners, soccer players and mass aerobics. Cory, Jesse and I rocked down for a run one night with Lennon and Jo to be confronted with a massive stadium where huge boom boxes were pumping out dance music. For about 1000 riel you could jump in and have a go (which we did a little bit of here - I'm the third one along with the aviators)
You aren't allowed to run on the track itself, you have to run around the seats: ducking, dodging and weaving along the way. It's kinda like Tetris meets running.

Being sick on a plane is not fun
On the way home I threw up in both the Phnom Penh & Bangkok Airports and 2 planes. There were also plenty of stops to the loo.
I almost managed to finish the trip with a 40 Hour Famine because I couldn't keep anything in. We ate pretty well in Cambodia, but some "pork that wasn't pork" brought us unstuck. That's me having some kip in Starbucks at the Bangkok Airport.

Victorian Bushfires could boost consumer confidence

2009-02-16T12:29:00.000+11:00

Despite being constantly told over the past six months that consumer confidence is down and that we're about to lose our jobs - Australian business and the average punter have pooled $100 million in under a week for the Victorian bushfires.

Maybe we're not so tight on for cash?
This got me thinking: Maybe we're not so tight on for cash? Gen Y apparently isn't according to a few articles I've read and I personally haven't seen stark changes in lifestyle for many of my friends. Though maybe we're in denial...

Back to the fires and the business...

Those businesses who pitched $100,000 - $500,000+ into the Appeal last week wouldn't have done so if they didn't have the money. I don't think that's cynical, I think it's logical. I'm certainly not knocking anyone who's donated (my wife and I donated too) but I think that being told that we have no confidence leads us to have no confidence. Telling us we have no money leads us to not spend money, which in turn slows profits and causes employers to lay off workers.

A number of my friends lately have been personally affected by job losses through lack of action in the economy - but is it all linked to an unfounded belief in a lack of cash, which we've proved this week IS out there?

Maybe these bushfires will spark a sense of confidence and hope amongst us that will drive Australia through the gloom.

Happy Wedding Day Mike!

2009-01-18T03:35:00.000+11:00

Happy wedding day to Mike Wolfe and Lisa Day, who are tying the knot today in Ballina on the NSW Central Coast.

They win my personal award for one of the coolest sets of Wedding Invites and Wedding Website I've seen.

Unfortunately, I'm in Cambodia at the moment with World Vison, but want to wish both he and list all the best for the big day and a long marriage!

This photo was taken on Christmas day a few years ago when Mike joined the family in - yep - Jackass Flat. (Look it up, it's as Aussie as you can get!)
Mike (being an American) was fascinated by this and so we headed up the hill into the bush to take a series of these pics by this sign.
(Unfortunately the little date stamp in the corner was a bit off ... so we didn't appreciate the full effects!)

Writing letters to join the postal revolution

2009-01-09T07:41:00.000+11:00

One of my favourite bands is Skipping Girl Vinegar, who have recently been getting airtime on The J's with their fun and folky 'Sift The Noise' album.

At their album launch last year, they made mention of their Postal Revolution, which encourages people to get back to the era of letter writing.

I have to say that they have a good point:

Send me a letter and you've got my attention,

Send me a hand written letter and I know there is a personal message here that someone has taken the time to compose,

By sending me a letter you'll draw on some of the romance of days gone by.

Romance, huh? How did we get onto that?
My wife, some friends and I were recently chatting about throwing out letters from past lovers when you get married. (it's prob a good idea!)
At a funeral I once went to, love letters written by this grandpa when he was away at war were read out to reveal amazing stories, feelings and insights from days gone by.
I cannot see anyone purging and reading any of my emails (or this blog even) when I'm gone... It's just not the same.

Inspired by Skipping Girl Vinegar, I've recently written letters to soon to retire Petro Georgiou, The AIPP and now the team at Etiko.

Don't you think the post has a place in our society?
Viva la revolution.

Hello

2008-12-22T17:59:00.001+11:00

Well... hello there