I was sitting doing some coding at work when The Posture Police arrived. The Chair Squad. The Ergonomic Inspectors.

Seriously, a team of three did a sweep through the office and checked every chair to make sure it was working properly, able to be adjusted, and offering the correct back support. Zowee.

It reminds me that my own desk setup at home is not serving me very well. Sure, the two Zed desks look okay, but I’m beginning to suspect they’re not ideal ergonomically. They’re too high (and they’re not adjustable), they have hard edges (apparently a no-no) and the straight edge at the front isn’t ideal. I’ve started getting arm pain when using the computer, something I first noted a few months after the desks arrived (I never did get a graphics tablet, as I mentioned in that post).

I don’t get that kind of pain at work, where both the chair and desk are more a standard corporate design. Nor was it a problem with the old desk.

So though the desks are only about a year old, I am seriously thinking about getting rid of them, in favour of something that’s adjustable, and more comfortable (and thus healthier) to use — even if it’s not as pretty.

And yes, I am considering the (apparently legendary) Ikea Jerker. Mind you, even getting some of those spongy wrist support thingies would probably help.

(No, I’m not going to get one of these Ergopod things.)

Wikipedia started a fundraising drive in December, and given the value I get out of it, I decided to contribute. Happily, I chose a day when all donations were being matched by some anonymous donor, which was a bonus.

Imagine my surprise when a couple of weeks after Christmas, I got a Christmas card from the Wikimedia Foundation, as thanks. I don’t know if all donors get such a card, or you have to meet a particular level, but it was most appreciated (especially as, unlike US donors, it’s not tax-deductable).

I was even more surprised when, about a week later, Josh pointed out there’s now a Wikipedia entry for one Daniel Bowen of Melbourne, Australia. Gosh. (No it’s not connected to the donation; I won’t name names, but someone I know has decided I get my name in the papers often enough to be worthy.) Wow. I’m humbled. That’s inestimably cool.

I’ll try to do the right thing and not edit my own entry. Well, not unless one of you punks vandalises it.

Some pictures snapped in the last few days…

I’ve never seen them have to explain what Happy Hour is before

Pah, I’m not even going to try

Hands up who remembers Stacks of Slax from The Late Show? Alas, they’ve just closed down.

With all the controversy over the flag this year, and what it may represent in the hands of some people, I found it refreshing to read this, posted on one of The Australian’s blogs by ex-serviceman John Taylor:

The Australian flag has many places where it can and should be displayed. But this is not unconditional, or non-negotiable. One place is does not belong is draped across the shoulders of a foul mouthed, drunken and aggressive yobbo who will do you violence unless you show ‘respect’. So far as I am concerned (and please note, my tipple of choice is beer, and I take my coffee black, and have served in uniform) draping yourself in the flag does not make such behaviour acceptable. In fact, I regard that as an act of desecration. Engaging in such behaviour shows no respect for the flag. In taking the action they did, the organisers of the BDO showed more respect for the flag than those bogans who would hijack it for their peurile and offensive conduct. Well done Mr West, you are a good Australian.

– John Taylor of Canberra (23 January at 11:23 AM)

I know how much I’ve changed over the years. I’d like to think I’ve matured. My outlook on all sorts of things has altered. My lifestyle is radically different now from when I was 18 (if you think I’m a dag now, you should have seen me then), and has changed several times during that time.

Which is why I’m not keen on tattoos, especially big ones, and particularly on prominent parts of the body. Tattoos (along with vasectomies) are, for all intents and purposes, permanent. Sure, you can spend a bomb (if you have it) and you may be able to get them reversed/removed, but don’t count on it.

So it’s a bit like buying an item clothing that you’ll have to wear for the rest of your life. No matter what the circumstances, no matter how fashions change, no matter how you change. It might be okay if it’s small and/or concealable, but if it’s big, you’ll live with it forever.

Frankly, I’m not brave enough to assume that my sentiments on a big tattoo would be what I’d want displayed in 10, 20, 30 years. My outlook will keep changing, and so will my opinions and my situation.

Other people may be different, of course.

I saw this Google Map Mashup a while back, but Pete found it for me again: What happens if the sea level rises?

Even for the maximum shown, a 14 metre rise, if this is right, apparently most of Melbourne will remain above water, though if you live in Altona, Port Melbourne or Chelsea, you might want to invest in a snorkel.

The cockroaches are starting to get me down. I gather they’re around the city in large numbers this summer, but that’s no consolation when I seem to find at least one somewhere in or around the house every day.

Possibly the worst moment was stepping on one in the dark last week in my bare feet. A lot of swearing and washing of the offending foot followed.

And another one was found in… the kettle. Honestly. What TF it was doing in there, I don’t know. (I almost didn’t mention this, but I should just add: the kettle has been thoroughly cleaned, and the nature of boiling water is that germs don’t survive. Nevertheless any visitors to my house may, at their request, have their tea boiled in a saucepan.)

It’s got to the point where now I keep thinking I’m seeing them. A dark spot on the edge of my field of vision will have me whirling round to check, only to find it’s a knot in the wooden floor or a chair, or some inanimate object.

Once spotted, cockroaches either perish under the sole of my trusty old Blundstone boot, or get sprayed with a marvellous Baygon spray that sees them dead within seconds (as per the pic), and, if you believe what the can says, provides protection against them where sprayed, for months. (Not sure I believe that, not from such a sweet-smelling concoction. And no matter how sweet-smelling, I feel compelled to clean anything used for eating that comes into contact with it.)

But it’s readily apparent that there must be a nest of them somewhere, as no matter how clean the kitchen is, they keep showing up. It’s time to call in the experts to deal with them.

This morning’s train in:

And if you think that’s crowded, you should have seen the one before it.

Admittedly this was down to earlier cancellations, but regular peak hour travellers know this kind of thing isn’t that unusual.

So, are they buying more trains? No. (In fact they just scrapped a bunch.)

But hey, they are blowing a billion dollars widening the Westgate and Monash freeways by a lane each. Idiots.

PS. Train home just as crowded.

PPS. Thursday 6pm. Connex will offer compensation for January’s poor performance. V/Line are offering compensation for December. Details here.