Monthly Archives: October 2008

gnomenapped

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I’ve got a pet ‘garden variety’ gnome on my desk at work. I found him abandoned (in a basket) when I started my job last year, and since then he has always been there with me. Until last week that is…

One day whilst answering my phone I noticed a random note hidden under the handset. I quickly read it and looked up to confirm my suspicions; he was gone.

Ransom Note

Ransom Note

The worst part of the situation was that there were no instructions. I did an ‘all staff’ office email asking for leads and offering a reward for safe return: gnome is dearly missed.

A confidential source told me that my gnome ‘didn’t get out much’ and so he was currently making his way around our office and would return in a few days.

I didn’t get much else for those few days, only another cryptic note of my gnome taking help desk calls and asking where I was.

Second Note

Second Note

The next day when I arrived at work I was rather suprised to find my gnome, on my desk, with another gnome, and some candy.

Gnome returns with friend

Gnome returns with friend

Today, a week later, I was still quite confused about the whole thing when a parcel arrived for me. It contained a copy of Gnomeland: An introduction to the little people, and four additional photos of my gnome in various poses around our office.

So it’s been a fun couple of weeks. I’ve had my gnome gnomenapped, returned with candy, another pink gnome friend, and six random portraits. I’ve finally worked out who did it all and they know me well because I think the whole thing was hilarious.

Now I just need to come up for a name for both the gnomes.

five new things that just aren’t the same

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One: MP3s vs Vinyl

There is something great about the experience of listening to a piece of vinyl spinning around on a turntable. Even the large cardboard album cover of a LP was asthetic. Listening to compressed mp3s on an ipod doesn’t produce the same warm sound or experience.

Two: Cards vs Cash

I believe that one of the main reasons that we, as a society, are so indebted is that we mainly use cards instead of cash. Cash has the effect of feeling very real. I don’t get this much nowadays because I mainly transact electronically. The different between one grand and ten grand in my bank is a single digit on the ‘puter screen, the difference between one grand cash and ten grand cash is very real. I understand that cards are much more safe, but are they? With all the phishing, scamming, swiping, frauding and the like, maybe we should all just use plain old cash. I reckon they should make people pay for houses in cash too, it would quickly stop people overpaying for housing. Handing over 500K in cash would feel very serious and real, even if it wasn’t all yours.

Three: Digital Photography vs Analog Lomography

There’s something amazing about Lomo. I haven’t seen a digital camera that captures the same warmth. Digital cameras are all just bits, bytes and pixels.

Four: Modern Architecture vs Gargoyles

I often walk around looking at buildings in cities, and most of the time I like the old ones much better than the new ones. The old ones were often made of stone, and were handcrafted and ascetically pleasing. The new ones are mostly built hastily to maximize investor profit. There’s an old building near my work that has gargoyled cats… Why don’t they put gargoyled cats on buildings anymore?

Five: VHS vs Internet Video

I enjoy watching music video clips. I used to have a collection that I recorded off Rage onto VHS. Sometimes I relive those days and watch them on the Internet (YouTube), but the quality sucks. Why was my 1980′s VHS better quality than YouTube? Why is YouTube all pixelated and splotchy? It is 2008.

we need affordable housing not seven grand more

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I’m pretty passionate about housing (un)affordability in Australia. I don’t particular like that young Australians face a life of debt just to afford basic shelter.

It came as a big suprise to see Kevin Rudd (increasingly known as KRudd) basically slap me in the face this week when he announced the doubling/tripling of the first home buyers grant, effectively enabling sellers to ask seven to fourteen grand more for their overpriced properties.

It’s taken a few days for my rage to subside, especially since hearing many, many intelligent people state that this will actually make housing less affordable, just like the introduction of the first home buyers grant initially did.

The most refreshing response I read was ‘Built for shelter, not prosperity‘ by Terry Sweetman:

The purpose of housing, surely, is to provide shelter for people, not to become a commodity; the purpose of government investment should be to put people into accommodation not into mortgages.

But, instead of people rejoicing in the mere fact of home ownership or affordable rental accommodation, spirits soar or crash on the basis of projected market prices.

How extraordinary that we celebrate the rising costs of shelter, one of the most basic of human needs. Would we be so delighted if food and clothing were similarly placed beyond the reach of so many citizens?

I needn’t say more.

investing

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It’s not really good times all round for investors. Perhaps they should have read more TS Elliot.

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

T.S. Eliot — “Little Gidding” (the last of his Four Quartets)

Translated for the current economic climate:

We shall not cease from investing
And the end of all our investing
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.

Juiced Pixels — 2008