I’ve had a paper proposal for an introduction to Antlr accepted by two conferences now, OSDC and LCA 2008, with the full paper due at end of Septempber. Along with the paper I need to do some work on the Python language target so that it works with the Antlr GUI.

Also due at the end of the September is the bid document for LCA 2009..which I haven’t started yet.

And just to make things fun, our local unix group is having it’s AGM soon, and I’ve got to work on a platform.

So..I guess I should stop blogging..

A couple of months back I finished up at ACQAO, the physics research group I was with for twenty odd months. My association with that group hasn’t entirely come to an end, as all the software being developed is GPLd, and some of it is quite generic, I’m poking my head in from time to time.

It was actually during the last LCA that I was being interviewed for my current job, a robotics platform engineer (read, jack of all trades when it comes to unix, electronics and gaffer tape) at CSIRO. You know you’re in for a good time when you meet some of your future workmates at an LCA.

The job is two faced so far; one side is the awful hassle of dealing with the bureaucracy in this huge, sprawling organisation. The other half is working with very cool tech and people.

I’m not completely happy with where I am at the moment, I find myself trying to solve problems that really shouldn’t exist in the first place. But prior experiene experience shows me that implementing a new software process can’t be done overnight, and I’m just going to have to deal with the hang overs of the previous CMM level until I can drag us kicking and screaming to the next one.

I don’t buy many presents for people, I’m hopeless at picking something that’s useful, affordable and attractive, so I don’t complain much when I don’t get any presents. This year I bought myself a minature compass to ease the alignment of the telescope. I was also given a lovely book by my sister and some death-by-chocolate from Karen and Ricky.

But really, this year, my best presents have been to spend time with friends, Anna and Will, Karen and Ricky, John and Katarina; thanks for all the support.

I’ve recently gotten into podcasts in a big way, it’s good to have something to listen to while exercising or doing house work (really would like a pair of wireless headphones one of these days..).

First, a thank you to John Goerzen for the lovely hpodder program, that makes managing podcasts trivial.

And now, a list of podcasts that I like:

43 Folders

A getting things done tribute podcast, short and infrequent.

All in the mind

ABC radio mental health program, very interesting.

Background Briefing

ABC radio current affairs/investigative reporting program

Boing Boing Boing

The boingboing.net podcast, more interesting than the website I think.

CBC Radio: Quirks & Quarks Complete Show

Canadian science show, fun and interesting.

EFF Line Noise

Infrequent interviews about EFF’s happenings

Escape Pod

Scince fiction readings, some great stuff.

Hack a Day

New, but interesting podcast about DIY tech

In Conversation

ABC science based interview.

LugRadio

A great UK LUG podcast, very funny

MSF Voice

Medicenes sans Frontieres podcast, how my money is saving lives.

NPR: Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!

A weekly news quiz, similar to good news week.

Ockham’s Razor

ABC science show which is a forum for science based speeches.

SolderSmoke

A great little podcast run by ham radio guys talking about home brew tech.

Science Show

ABC radio science show.

Toolmonger

High end tools, podcast of the website

Sunday Night Safran

ABC show with the irrepressibly whiny John Safran.

Today I visited the Amazing Human body Exhibit. It’s quite amazing to see such well preserved bodies up close.

I wouldn’t call myself a generally squeamish person, but it’s hard reconcilling respect for the dead as you’re peering at their naked body from a few cms away.

The highlight for me were the tubular castings, where the veins/arteries of an organ are protected with resin and the surrounding flesh is removed, leaving just an incredibly detailed, beautiful piece of art.

I popped along to the MoB today to see two exhibits.

Double Take is a set of artistic works using older works as inspiration; there’s some great stuff there, though the abstract interpretations are completely lost on me. My favourite is easily the Russian doll set of high rise offices, with the worker looking no happier no matter how large he gets.

Somebody must think that Joh’s body is cold enough to put together this large set of artifacts covering his reign that go to make up Taking to the Streets exhibit. There’s a lot of fun and interesting stuff here, but only if you lean to the left.

An interesting exhibit at Queensland museum, until 21st May.

There are a lot of artifacts accompanied by some modern scans of their contents.

I didn’t know the Egyptians mummified so many animals.

My only complaint was the very low lighting used, to minimise fading colours, made it difficult to see detail. Perhaps some bright photography of the detail would have helped.

For the Brisbanites, I heartily recommend picking up a free copy of the City News, if only to read the Paradox section, a parody of recent Political events in QLD.

A quote from the premier, Peter `Beatup’:

I have renamed the Government jet `Beetup’s Ark’ and I am aiming to bring back two of every health professional.

We want two doctors, two dentists, two midwives, two scientsits, two pharmacists, two medical imaging technologists and two allied health workers - whatever they are.

And the section finishes with:

Latest opinion polls show Mr Beatup’s popularity has fallen. My Cyborg’s approval has also fallen. At the current rate, pollsters expect no-one will win the next state election.

Anthony has kindly given me some space on his virtual box azure.humbug.org.au for my blog, a small number of my galleries, and place to hang a screen session off. I think he actually believed the bogus readership numbers I gave him.

After four plus years at DSTC I’m finally moving onto a new job. I’ve accepted a position at the Quantum Atom Optics theory group, an ARC centre of excellence at the Physics department of UQ. On the physical side I’ll barely be moving at all, as the new job is still on campus. On the philosophical side of things, the new job is worlds apart, I’ll be working on a GPL project surrounded by people who understand software, versus working on code destined for a commercial black hole and short sighted management. My fondest memories of DSTC are the early days (I must be getting old), rubbing shoulders with some very cluey people and learning a lot. My last day is next Friday, as is normal, there will be a farewell lunch at the ville Indian place, midday. This blog is currently hosted on DSTC space, it’ll probably be removed shortly after I leave, never fear though, dear readers, it will promptly be back once I’ve settled in at the new job.

I’m trying to jazz up the humbug website a bit with Nifty Corners - I’ve long had a thing for rounded corners, but balked when I found out it was done with images, Nifty Corners solves that problem. I’m starting with the planet website, I’d appreciate any feedback on the new look baring in mind that I haven’t spent any time on the usability side of things yet.

I’ve finally gotten around to transfering the list of things I like to take on my walks from the whiteboard. You’ve now got proof of how paranoid I am. In my defence, I mostly walk on my own, so I can’t rely on someone else being properly prepared. Checklist.

In the process of adding James’s blog to Planet Humbug we came across a problem where the atom feed didn’t contain an url back to the blog. The root cause seems to be blogger’s stupid feed creator, the work around is to ensure the blog has a description.

Be nicer to Tinni. It’s OK, I’m sure I can hold out for the expected length of these resolutions.

The Australian Red Cross has launched the Asia Quake and Tsunamis Appeal. You can make a donation online, easy peasy.

As promised I’ve finally gotten around to adding a basic sort of subscription option to planet humbug. To ignore the del.icio.us users, for example: http://planet.humbug.org.au/index.php?skip=ClintonRoy,DavidStarkoff,BradMarshall Over time I’ll add a web form and a cookie, so all the horrible bits will be hidden.

It’s bekkake, you dolt.

“It’s like red wine, without the red.”

The Creative Glass Guild had their annual showcase this weekend, and I went along to take a look. There’s a gazillion ways to make pretty glass, these guys do everything but glass blowing by the looks. I bought one piece, a little black/white to pearl/clear nibbles tray. And, of course, I took a few photos…

And the scariest outfit I could come up with included a neck tie…