Sysadmin for an ISP, Luck, More Land Tax, and Swimming Rats

Sometimes weird things just happen to your life.

Like you hold a garage sale with a couple of computer books, and a week later you find yourself employed as the sysadmin for an Internet Service Provider; specifically Web Prophets. They seem pretty good. They treat their handful of staff very well, they treat their customers with an extraordinary degree of patience and loyalty, their kind to community organisations and they use FreeBSD. And now I'm their sysadmin now. Such luck.

Along with the website that I'm doing for James Nicholson (will be finished end of this week), the regular work I do for Borderlands, and some computer hardware sales it looks like December is going to be a good month for me.

Speaking of luck, a couple of weeks ago I went to an otherwise very expensive op-shop in the city. They had a very modern, nice Versace suit for sale - ticket price? $250 - which was about right, I reckon. Sale price? $4. But wait! Then there's more. Last week severina_242 and I went to an alumni fundraiser at RMIT for the Smith Family at the historic old Melbourne Courts (where Ned Kelly was sentenced, etc). Apart from a fantastic tour of the buildings both of us won a bottle of Moet and Chandon. Know what I'm drinking on NYE.

On Thurday I visited the executive meeting of Propser Australia - interesting bunch. Quite like the attitude of their President, a no nonsense sort of character. Thursday also saw me visit frou_frou's store and drop off some clothes to morgan303, and after that a symposium with Robert Reich and Mark Considine. The former has some very interesting things to say about the US election and the prospects of social democratic economic policy.

Apropos the Prosper Australia meeting, I've written to all state Labor MPs concerning Land Tax issues, which is getting a fair bit of press coverage. Several MPs have written back to me already - John Lenders, bless his cotton white socks, has reminded me that several years back that the Harvey Review recommended a flat rate of land tax of 3%. Which of course is the sensible option - but what would a report sourced from the best economists in the state know, right?

Meanwhile, some unarmed villagers in Nigeria have taken resource rents into their
own hands.

Unitarian's this Sunday was Peter Abrehart drawing some rather disturbing links between the rise of the neoconservatives and religious fundamentalists in the U.S. It even has the mainline Protestants worried, let alone the Latin American Catholics.

Took the rats for a swim at St Kilda Beach on Saturday with caseopaya. Watching the Vodaphone Beach Volleyball was an incidental extra (it's a simple sport I actually enjoy). Harlequin, with the dodgy back leg, proved himself to be excellent at the task of swimming, spending several minutes following my hand around and keeping his nose above water. He even seemed to be thoroughly enjoying himself; Montebank wasn't too sure, and headed for shore as quickly as possible. He dug himself an impressive hole under my sandal to sleep in, however.

17catherines has an informative diabetes website. Go visit.

Oh, look what's been revealed. Intelligence link cut over 'row on Indonesia'

Silly quiz, but good idea. What's your alignment?. *sigh* I'm neutral good, followed by lawful good, followed by chaotic good. Too much goodness all round. Whilst on-topic, From greg; Ian McFadyen's How to write a fantasy epic

Canada backs same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, President Bush wants 'pro-homosexual' drama banned.

Killed lots of people in a chemical accident twenty years ago? Whatever
you do, don't apologise. It will affect your share value.

Why do I support the abolition of prisons? Because
70% of inmates are mentally ill. And it's worse when you lock up youngsters.