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Archive for November, 2007

A world where we co-operate or die

Nov 30

Posted by Lachlan in Changing the World | 1 Comment

I have deliberately avoided writing much here about the recent Australian federal election. I did, however, follow the process and ensuing events with interest.

A few days ago I read a piece in the Sydney Morning Herald by former Prime Minister Paul Keating, arguing that Howard squandered the opportunities provided to him. Obviously Keating is somewhat biased, but the article made me think about the legacy left by the outgoing Liberal government.

Even more interesting was an article I read today predicting the demise of the Liberal Party. Psychologist and author Steve Biddulph argues that: Read the rest of this entry »

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Bicycle trailer – design ideas

Nov 23

Posted by Lachlan in Projects | 1 Comment

I’ve decided to build a bicycle trailer, and the first step that I usually make in such a project is to explore the work that has already been done in the field. A cursory glance is enough to indicate that bicycle trailers can be divided in to two categories: single wheel and multi-wheel. Read the rest of this entry »

Bicycle trailer – motivation

Nov 23

Posted by Lachlan in Projects | 5 Comments

Shifting to Canberra this year has given me the opportunity to increase my bicycle usage. I routinely ride to university, and Clansi and I have begun cycling to buy groceries. This year I have accumulated over 1000 kms on my cycle-computer odometer. Read the rest of this entry »

Green roofs

Nov 19

Posted by Lachlan in Changing the World | 1 Comment

Just before popping in to pre-poll vote this afternoon, I spent a minute in the adjacent newsagent scanning some magazines.  One seemed focussed on sustainable development, and thumbing through it I was introduced to green roofs.  They are literally made of growing vegetation, and there are plenty of reasons why green roofs are a good idea.

A few years ago, when I read Tom Robbins’ “Half Asleep in Frog Pyjamas“, I was enthralled by the idea of growing enough food on the roof of a bowling alley to feed the surrounding blocks.  Read the rest of this entry »

Walking against warming

Nov 11

Posted by Lachlan in Changing the World | No Comments

Walk against warming After the Remembrance Day ceremony today, Clansi and I walked back into the city to participate in the Walk against Warming. It was estimated that at least 8,000 people gathered here in Canberra for this event. Read the rest of this entry »

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Remembrance day at the War Memorial

Nov 11

Posted by Lachlan in News | No Comments

Remembrance Day 89 years ago today, the guns on the Western Front of The Great War fell silent. Today Clansi and I went to the remembrance day ceremony held on the parade ground of the War Memorial. Read the rest of this entry »

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Fixing annoying Firefox mouse gestures

Nov 1

Posted by Lachlan in Hacks and Tricks | 1 Comment

On my ThinkPad, I scroll by holding down the middle mouse button and moving the little trackpoint joystick. This means that it is easy to couple a little bit of sideways scroll with vertical scroll, which is not usually a problem. In Firefox, however, the default settings are for a left/right mouse scroll to go back/forward a page. This is most unsatisfying.

The solution has been published online in a multitude of places, but to save me needing to search for it again I’ll mention it here. Read the rest of this entry »