tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399Fri, 01 Nov 2024 10:47:56 +0000commentaryAustraliasportTouchrefereeingtravelrugbyIrelandairlinesfood and drinkjokepoliticsSix NationsSydneycoachinglifemedicalperspectiveresearchtvAmericaBill GatesCharles SykesDublinHeineken CupLeinsterMcDonaldsMiss USAMunsterNew YearObamaTwitteralcoholbeauty pageantscommunicationconservationcookingdisneydrivingeconomyenvironmentfootballfuel surchargegay marriagegesturesgreenimmigrationinnovationintrokindnesslanguagesliteraturemanagementmarvelmusicownershippenalty shootoutsphotoshoppublic transportreality tvreflectionresponsibilitysolidersspeedingstem cellstimulus packagestormtalenttechnologytrafficvisaRandom musings of a 30-something Irish guy trying to understand the world (and himself)http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Derek)Blogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-8168485461814914665Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:52:00 +00002011-10-12T21:00:36.997+02:00commentaryownershipresponsibility  I came across this serendipitously as I have been recently banging my head against a brick wall trying (and failing) to get traction from a group of people organising a project who just don't want to listen or take ownership for their own actions, or more particularly, their lack of action (or communication). Witty and apt description of how I'm feeling, but... ARRGH! =============== http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2011/09/thats-not-my-job.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-5436871090420122817Mon, 15 Aug 2011 22:13:00 +00002011-08-16T00:13:00.379+02:00commentaryconservationenvironmentgreen  Interesting look at the issue of eco-conservation from the perspectives of the different generations. =============== In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day." The clerk responded,http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2011/08/green-thing.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-1311579115987677998Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:45:00 +00002011-05-24T16:53:01.265+02:00commentaryjokemanagement  The Balloonist A man in a hot air balloon realized he was lost. He reduced altitude and spotted a man out walking below. He descended a bit more and shouted: "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago but I don't know where I am." The man below replied: "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground, between 40 and 41 http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2010/12/management-vs-engineering.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-2195538120049774753Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +00002011-05-05T21:31:10.913+02:00commentarycommunicationjokelanguages  I have learned a couple foreign languages in my time with varying degrees of success - I found French pretty easy but struggled with German grammar rules (and Irish was just awful). That said, I don't envy ANYBODY having to learn English as a foreign language and contend with so many subtleties, nuances and exceptions. Here are just some examples :-) 1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it ishttp://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2010/11/fun-for-lexophiles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-6781771044503752566Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:07:00 +00002010-10-04T22:36:57.244+02:00airlinestravel  Delightfully satirical ditty by singing/cabaret group, Fascinating Aida (wikipedia) (official site). Says it all really... can you guess who they're on about?  http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2010/07/keeping-air-fair-part-3.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-5153017988885816897Thu, 07 Jan 2010 10:34:00 +00002010-10-04T22:37:21.380+02:00Bill GatesCharles Sykeslifeperspective  An e-rumour attributed the following comments to Bill Gates in an alleged speech to a group of US high school graduates. In fact they are the work of Charles Sykes and excerpted from his book 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn In School. He makes some interesting commentary on how feel-good, politically correct teachings have created a generation of kids with no concept of reality (personally I http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2010/01/lifes-rules.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-8060503502471928980Mon, 04 Jan 2010 10:41:00 +00002010-09-27T11:45:22.295+02:00joke  Really bad joke that made me chuckle :-) Got my son an iPhone for his birthday the other week, recently got my daughter an iPod for hers, was dead chuffed when the family clubbed together and bought me an iPad for Father’s Day. Got my wife an iRon for her birthday and it was around then that the fighting started...  http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2010/01/istuff.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-1022495770707408918Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:34:00 +00002009-12-01T08:53:15.285+01:00Australiaimmigrationtravelvisa Friday 27th NovemberMy short trip to Bali hasn't started well.My original 1-year visa to Australia expired today. The intent was to leave Australia for a few days during which time I'll obtain a visitor visa enabling me to return for a week to referee another NSW Touch State Cup before I had to leave for good. I'd arrived at this plan following hours of research and also advice given to me http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/12/visa-woes.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-171848933239281306Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:26:00 +00002009-11-27T01:31:13.084+01:00Australiatravel Today is deportation day from Australia - I arrived here a year ago. I have to leave the country in order to apply for a tourist visa so I can hang around for one more [Touch] tournament. I must be the only person on the planet unhappy about a trip to Bali... http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/11/deportation-day.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-4857144693978823055Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:13:00 +00002010-10-04T22:33:00.697+02:00food and drink  Interesting commentary by Bruce Buschel as published in the New York Times small business blog, "You're The Boss". I agree with 'most all of it. Part 1 Part 2  http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/11/100-things-restaurant-staffers-should.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-8942686687708630474Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:09:00 +00002010-09-27T12:08:16.632+02:00food and drink The. Greatest. Burger. EVER. Their chips are really good too - nicely thick but still crispy. Yum! I get this monster served up as a wrap. What's on it? Pffft :-) what's NOT frickin on it?! ---------> http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/10/moab-burgerlicious.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-3998984168990159921Mon, 12 Oct 2009 04:21:00 +00002010-09-27T10:25:15.628+02:00food and drink  UNSW has a salad / pasta / juice bar in one of its food courts. You rock up and grab a takeaway box of lettuce, pick any 7 additions from the salad bar (you can add things like chicken or tuna for extra $) and a choice of about 10 dressings. They make it up right in front of you and you're away. Cos lettuce Chicken Sweetcorn Olives Sun-dried tomatoes Roasted capsicum (bell pepper for http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/10/perfect-salad.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-657047680320853Wed, 23 Sep 2009 02:13:00 +00002009-09-23T11:16:27.435+02:00AustraliastormSydneyI've never seen anything like this. It was like waking up in a scorched desert scene from a movie like Dune or Terminator 2 - an eerie orange crimson dawn permeating through my bedroom window. I wondered briefly if when I looked out would I witness Armageddon with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse wreaking divine havoc on the world. OK that last sentence is actually a lie but it made good http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/09/waking-up-in-dustbowl.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-8264584875019823573Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:31:00 +00002010-09-27T10:26:14.517+02:00disneymarvelphotoshop  So Disney has flexed its financial muscle once again, this time buying Marvel for US$4bn. Not quite sure how I feel about it yet because I have enjoyed material from both brands in my lifetime So for now I'll leave the analysis to somebody else. I will say that my initial reaction to the news was a mishmash of fear and hope that each brand's characters would stay clean and un-merged from http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/09/disney-vs-marvel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-1287625599081457918Mon, 24 Aug 2009 08:56:00 +00002009-09-10T11:30:34.519+02:00innovationresearchtechnology No I'm not referring to the movie.This of THE COOLEST piece of technology I have ever seen. Introduced at TED2009, The Sixth Sense is: "...a wearable device with a projector that paves the way for profound interaction with our environment. Imagine "Minority Report" and then some."Truly astonishing.  http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/09/sixth-sense.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-8647046698043095790Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:25:00 +00002010-09-27T10:50:10.199+02:00commentaryDublinIrelandpublic transporttraffic  A delightfully cynical view of Dublin's public transport system - but alas there is truth in every second of it :-( Anybody from or living in London or Sydney should be able to relate to some of it too!  http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/07/not-there-yet.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-7311229403246623709Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:35:00 +00002009-07-07T17:36:21.249+02:00commentaryeconomypoliticsstimulus package An interesting but cynical view of the Australian Government's proposed economic stimulus package. If you're not aware, in February 2009 Kevin Rudd's government announced plans to begin handing out cash payments totalling AU$42 billion (approx. €22 billion at the time) to Australian workers and families with the first payments due in March.===============It is the month of June - a resort http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/07/economic-stimulus-story.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-8720993812269250248Thu, 02 Jul 2009 02:13:00 +00002009-07-02T05:23:58.864+02:00commentarylifeperspectivereflectionsoliders This is an excerpt of something that arrived in my email this morning - and I will admit that it would ordinarily be trashed as spam without a thought - but for some reason today I am moved by its words.Lately I've been reflecting on life, particularly my own and it's recent dramas, trying to put some perspective on things. This was a timely reminder that just made me stop and think - not http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/07/when-soldier-comes-home.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-415032281806927922Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:37:00 +00002009-08-07T04:18:55.972+02:00AustraliacoachingrefereeingsportTouch A couple of weekends ago I participated in the Referee Recruitment & Retention course. It does pretty much as it says in the tin - is designed to equip people to present the entry level referee course (recruit) and provide basic coaching to new referees as well as discuss support structures and the like in order to keep new recruits motivated and developing (retain).One of the best http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/07/touch-rrrp.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-7630213801395796890Sat, 06 Jun 2009 11:27:00 +00002009-08-06T08:22:16.753+02:00 Most elevator systems have a simple call button on the floor you're waiting on and send you the most suitable next available one (based on whatever heuristic is implemented).Sometimes you wait... and wait... and wait... as all the people get on and off on the floors between where you are and where the elevator was when you called it.Then there are the ilk who stop the elevator to travel onehttp://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/06/intelligent-elevators.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-5691138020823126922Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:25:00 +00002009-08-06T15:34:41.414+02:00AustraliacoachingrefereeingsportTouchNSW Country Championships was held in Dubbo this year, a 6-hour road trip from northwest from Sydney (but with a difference of about 100km depending on route). I was originally not planning on attending until one of my referee mates pointed out that I really should "check the box" on it... and he was right because I have thoroughly enjoyed every State and National event I've been to so far and http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/05/touch-nsw-country-championships.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-6382828476167553925Thu, 28 May 2009 00:16:00 +00002009-05-28T06:46:42.006+02:00commentarycookingreality tvtvI'm a closet chef... somebody who loves to create good food but doesn't because I don't enjoy cooking just for myself and don't stock up on ingredients because half of them usually end up in the bin. (I really HATE seeing food wasted - there are too many starving people in the world so it's objectionable to me that the Western world discards so much with little thought.) So I really like this TV http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/05/masterchef-australia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-6665264384493090520Sat, 23 May 2009 15:01:00 +00002009-05-23T17:51:45.634+02:00commentaryHeineken CupLeinsterMunsterrugbysport In about an hour, Leinster will contest the Heineken Cup final for the first time, having smashed Munster off the park in the semi-final 3 weeks ago - something that gave me much satisfaction. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Munster at all. Munster is the heart & soul (not to mention proclaimed/propaganda crown jewel) of Irish rugby and I will happily and passionately http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/05/leinster-for-heineken-cup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-1239427950860454384Sat, 23 May 2009 13:58:00 +00002009-05-23T16:44:40.502+02:00commentarydrivingspeeding For years, road safety authorities in Ireland and UK have attempted to use "shock" tactics in advertising campaigns against speeding and drink-driving, displaying graphic images of destruction and painful injury. In the new age of digital special effects and reality TV though, people have become desensitised to these types of visuals. I reckon the Aussies have cracked it though, http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/05/anti-speeding-advertising-campaigns.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-279027365262272399.post-5740127750563243960Tue, 19 May 2009 13:42:00 +00002009-08-06T06:34:17.203+02:00AustraliarefereeingsportTouch I've talked before about the genuine recognition culture that exists within the Touch Football community here in Australia. Tonight I was a recipient of it - I just arrived home from the Sydney Rebels AGM where I was presented with a fabulous Kooga over-jacket with Rebels referee branding.The following is an excerpt from the Regional Director's report:"There has also been a new initiative http://dereks-thoughts.blogspot.com/2009/05/touch-unexpected-recognition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Derek)0