tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26117107958589796142024-03-14T07:24:57.853+11:00Chuq and Emma's BlogBabies, balls, brass, broadband and building.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-14226543267278727262012-03-26T00:49:00.001+11:002012-03-26T00:49:37.866+11:00House update - slab and building upwards - Part IIThe first floor framing started just before Christmas!<br />
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... and as before, it went up rather quickly..<br />
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The relatively steep slope means that we can get a view of the roof by just walking up to the next block! Here is the framing completed, ready for the roof to go on. <br />
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Keen eyes may see some of the decks are in... the internal deck has been covered with cement sheeting (waterproofed - since it is above the home theatre room it is fairly important!) We will have another finish on top of this, details to be confirmed later.<br />
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.. and the room under the rear deck - which will contain the water tank, hot water cylinder, and so on - has had a treated pine deck - nothing fancy. In the picture below it had been raining which makes it look all shiny!<br />
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Both the rear deck and the lower (drying) deck have been done in <a href="http://www.modwood.com.au/" target="_blank">Modwood</a> - a product made of recycled plastic and sawdust! It doesn't require lots of maintenance like a timber deck, is environmentally friendly and looks great! The finish we have used is 'Silver Gum'.<br />
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Closeup:<br />
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Plenty of updates in the next couple of weeks, roof and cladding of course, but also bathrooms, kitchens, electrical, and more!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-23860771870466738452012-03-23T22:54:00.000+11:002012-03-23T22:54:10.107+11:00House update - slab and building upwards!Time for a series of house building updates ... When I last posted about the house, I think it was still at excavation stage... well, it is well past that, but let's tackle it a step at a time!
The slab was poured on 14th October!
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<i>(view from southeast and northeast, respectively)</i>
It is quite easy to recognise which rooms are where from the slab. The courtyard sticks out in the middle - notice it slopes towards the drain in the centre slightly, and (less obviously) there is an overflow drain which goes from the northwest corner to the under deck area only a couple of metres away.
The only area which may not be obvious is the guest room and bathroom, which are on a floating floor extending from the side of the slab (the "empty box" on the west side). However, this photo only five days later gives it away!
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It only took a couple of weeks (October 26th) for virtually all of the ground floor walls to be completed:
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Nothing too surprising here - although one change was the guest bath window, which was changed from facing the neighbours block, to face the mountain (through the undercroft area).<br />
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In the photo above, you may also notice the doorway in the block wall at the back. This provides access to the under-deck area with the water tank. The door was originally going to be in the western wall (from the backyard) but it was easier to do it this way as the level of the slab was closer. We decided to put a treated pine deck in there to give it more of a level floor so it can be used as a shed type area - technically outdoors, yet secure. The hot water cylinder has also been relocated here from the garage. I expect it will become a dog sleeping area as well, especially in the colder months!<br />
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From here, things progressed quickly. By mid-November, all the walls downstairs (including the concrete block wall next to the garage) and most of the floor joists for upstairs had been done:<br />
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A week later, they were all done (the front ones were waiting on the steel beam across the top of the garage door):<br />
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Notice the joists in the middle which are perpendicular to the rest - this is the internal deck area. They are aligned the other way so that rain run-off from the deck will fall into the courtyard area.<br />
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By early December, the flooring for the upper level was complete:<br />
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Note both decks and the stairway sticking out here!<br />
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This step was important as we could now determine whether or not we have a water view! (we are not quite on the top of the hill, so while the southern view of the mountain is amazing, the northern view is.. well, if you stand in the right spot, peek between the neighbours houses and the trees, and squint.. you can just see the Derwent River. I'm going to count that!)<br />
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To be continued!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-33900851553080159062011-12-31T23:11:00.004+11:002012-01-01T11:00:06.975+11:00The year that was ... 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGMLh4aC4zLdcHzx-Jmxb8UlzoTQEWopewF0DL3XufVXhqY99ugeXj4GOO10571LnPLgf7pbEF_9gj1-xTYi9W7616nOci7mdhjob3EyL9OBmgDVwMLHSjoeyLa3S1EHaoMSBMM0IR8I/s1600/301703_10150346058286042_636326041_9587046_6522352_n.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692264378281664786" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBGMLh4aC4zLdcHzx-Jmxb8UlzoTQEWopewF0DL3XufVXhqY99ugeXj4GOO10571LnPLgf7pbEF_9gj1-xTYi9W7616nOci7mdhjob3EyL9OBmgDVwMLHSjoeyLa3S1EHaoMSBMM0IR8I/s320/301703_10150346058286042_636326041_9587046_6522352_n.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 320px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 239px;" /></a><br />
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It's that time of the year again - I've posted so few blog updates this year that it would be entirely reasonable for even dedicated readers to not know what has happened in our lives in 2011!</div>
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The biggest change of course happened on 24 August - when our beautiful daughter Isla Abigail was born. What a change to the household... we are now outnumbered in our own house by our own children, and I am outnumbered by the females in the house! As much as we (or parents in general) like to complain about the challenges of parenthood, or their bad behaviour, or the lack of sleep... we are very lucky to have three happy, healthy, children who all make us smile every day.</div>
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I would like to say it has been a relatively easy transition - but honestly, I think most of the credit goes to Emma - having to look after three of them, by herself, three days a week - I don't know how she does it!</div>
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It seems to have been the year for babies - welcome to Eloise, Eleanor, Sofia, Lucie, Addison, Monte, Magnus, Charlotte, Max, Samuel, Oliver, Eli, Charlie, Sophie, Olivia, Quinn .. and I know I am going to forget at least one baby - but there have been so many!</div>
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The other big event this year was the start of construction of our new house in June. I won't go into detail as I have done that in other blog posts - but as of the end of the year, the frame for the upper floor is almost completed. We should be at lock up stage (cladding, windows and roof) by the end of January, all going well. The contracted end date is in May 2012. When I say end date - there will be some rooms incomplete as we wait on the sale of our current house. We can live with that - for those who remember when we moved into our current house - no flooring, no insulation, no fences, no decks, no concrete paths/driveway, no retaining walls - this won't be a problem for us to deal with!</div>
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Emma's business, <a href="http://www.wrapem.com.au/">Wrap 'Em</a>, is going very well - she now has five major suppliers in Europe, and it seems a new shipment arrives at least once a week on average. The most recent one came about when they contacted Emma and asked if she would be the Australian reseller - which was a great vote of confidence!</div>
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Emma is also very busy education wise - as well as continuing her training for her Certificate IV in Breastfeeding Education via the <a href="http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/">Australian Breastfeeding Association</a> - she is also enrolled in a Diploma of Music Performance at the <a href="http://www.utas.edu.au/">University of Tasmania</a>'s <a href="http://www.utas.edu.au/conservatorium-of-music/">Conservatorium of Music</a> - fully funded thanks to an arrangement with the <a href="http://www.hobartcityband.org.au/">Hobart City Band</a>!</div>
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Speaking of band - we travelled to Adelaide at Easter where Emma performed with HCB's wind symphony and brass band at the <a href="http://www.nbca.asn.au/">Australian National Band Championships</a>. Among other things, we learned that there is a fully fenced modern playground just north of the city, which kept the kids busy, and Charles sane. We also managed to sneak in a quick trip to <a href="http://www.adelaidezoo.com.au/">Adelaide Zoo</a> (that was Georgia's fourth zoo in as many states!), as well as watching the ANZAC Day march on Easter Monday.</div>
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Apart from that, Emma and Hamish had a few days in Melbourne in June - a trip that was lengthened slightly by the Chilean ash cloud! Charles also had a weekend in Sydney in July to take part in <a href="http://www.wikimedia.org.au/">Wikimedia Australia</a>'s strategic planning workshop. Charles was re-elected to the WM AU committee for another year in September.</div>
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Charles also joined the board of the <a href="http://www.tasmaniaunited.com.au/">Tasmania United Taskforce</a> in November. For those who don't know, Charles has been an active campaigner for Tasmania having a team in the <a href="http://www.a-league.com.au/">A-League</a>, and this makes it official - looking after the website and social media channels of the Tassie bid!</div>
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Work wise, Charles is still in the Corporate IT department at <a href="http://www.transend.com.au/">Transend Networks</a> - although changing focus for the first few months of 2012 to work as an Infrastructure Administrator, assisting with looking after the server and SAN infrastructure (translation for the non-geeks - the bigger, more expensive boxes with flashier lights). Certainly a welcome change of focus!</div>
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2012 will certainly be a year of big change for us - as well as moving, Georgia will be starting school (three days a week in kindergarten) - yes, already!</div>
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Once again, I will get in early for next year - have a Merry Christmas 2012 and a Happy New Year for 2013!</div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-43675784281230988772011-11-30T23:48:00.000+11:002011-11-30T23:48:40.414+11:00The first three months - digging!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I just realised my last update ended with the words "hopefully future updates will be more often than every three weeks" - how embarrassing!</div>
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A picture tells a thousand words ... these photos show the progress until the end of September. The most disastrous thing was being delayed an extra week due to some of the dirt wall collapsing. </div>
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(Note the curved wall - it isn't curved, it's just a side effect of the panorama software!)</div>
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Also here is a close-up of the rear of the house - this has confused a few people!</div>
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<a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/pano/pano-rear-e-2011-09-19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/pano/pano-rear-e-2011-09-19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's easiest to think of it in three sections:</div>
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- The left of the picture, with the extra height retaining wall, shows where the house will end</div>
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- The middle of the picture shows where the back deck will be - it will cover the two enclosed areas below. Of these areas, the back section houses the water tank (and will also house the hot water cylinder and the external part of the heat pump) and is accessible from the rumpus/storage room on the ground floor as seen in the previous pics. The section nearest the camera iis void/inaccessible. The roofline of the house will cover the deck.</div>
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- The right of the picture shows the two terraced grass play areas which will be accessible from the deck via a couple of steps. No, these aren't rooms - just big concrete boxes full of dirt!</div>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0Lenah Valley TAS 7008, Australia-42.8654471 147.2793304-42.8887236 147.2398484 -42.842170599999996 147.31881239999998tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-70292072964397572082011-07-22T23:09:00.000+10:002011-07-22T23:09:17.759+10:00House update: Excavation (weeks 1-3)I've been meaning to do this every night for the past three weeks... well, here it is!<br />
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This is the view from the front-right (south east) of the house - the last one was taken on July 21!<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A lot of bluestone boulders but nothing that couldn't be dealt with, fortunately!</div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Panoramic view from the eastern side:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQBTeFL8PYA/Tg_79bhV8VI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/-f93FpolphE/s1600/pano-1-s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yQBTeFL8PYA/Tg_79bhV8VI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/-f93FpolphE/s640/pano-1-s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oFbUyGlhQis/Tilu4tGySdI/AAAAAAAAASQ/zXe2HQnq42Q/s1600/11+-+2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oFbUyGlhQis/Tilu4tGySdI/AAAAAAAAASQ/zXe2HQnq42Q/s640/11+-+2" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Again the last picture here was July 21. Notice the house seems to take up the whole block? Well, not really - the flat section in the last picture (just right of middle, below the house with the red roof) is where the water tank will be - under the rear deck - so the house will end just to the left of this. The excavation work to the right is all related to the deck and levelling of the backyard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All the timber which you see is only temporary - to support the construction of the giant wall. The wall will run alongside the edge of the driveway, along the edge of the ground floor of the house. At the back it will surround the water tank (enclosing it, almost - there will be a small entryway) and then run partially into the backyard - enabling us to terrace it into multiple flat sections.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is our driveway - with 7 1/2 month pregnant Emma - and the view!</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CwmVGeBN5Ks/TilzUNF2AXI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/8YEg_s-kS7A/s1600/11+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CwmVGeBN5Ks/TilzUNF2AXI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/8YEg_s-kS7A/s320/11+-+1" width="320" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T5bqFs58Gfg/TilzUQ4hElI/AAAAAAAAAT8/wM2JOAbpX5Q/s1600/11+-+2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T5bqFs58Gfg/TilzUQ4hElI/AAAAAAAAAT8/wM2JOAbpX5Q/s320/11+-+2" width="239" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's it for now - hopefully future updates will be more frequent that every 3 weeks!</div>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-10416989172056774652011-07-08T22:42:00.000+10:002011-07-08T22:42:18.560+10:00The Mercury: Fair and balanced... and now, the top soccer stories in Tassie newspapers today:<br />
<br />
The Examiner - "<a href="http://www.examiner.com.au/news/local/sport/general/aurora-debut-for-kewell-melbourne-victory-confident-of-signing-soccer-sensation/2220121.aspx">Launceston may host Harry Kewell</a>".<br />
The Mercury - "<a href="http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/07/06/243431_soccer.html">FFT investigates brawl</a>".<br />
<br />
Just another example of how biased The Mercury is.<br />
<br />
Still not convinced?<br />
<br />
Of the thirteen top stories in the Mercury soccer section, six are about the "racial abuse" issue (the rest are local club news and match results). However, in that time period (19 June - 8 July), The Mercury has also published articles about soccer workshops during World Refugee Day ("<a href="http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/06/26/240701_tasmania-news.html">Kicking off a new life</a>", 26 June) and an update on the Tassie A-League bid ("<a href="http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/07/01/242061_sport-news.html">Tassie A-team in the pipeline</a>", 30 June). Why aren't these articles included? Too positive? Don't they suit The Mercury's point of view?<br />
<br />
This isn't unique to the Tasmanian media - it happens all across the country, sometimes it is subtle, often it is <a href="http://accidentalaussie.wordpress.com/2011/02/20/attack-on-soccer-fans-and-the-failure-of-multiculturalism/">patently obvious</a>. In any case, nothing is going to change if we stay silent!Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-26858154620927639822011-06-28T23:57:00.003+10:002011-06-29T00:04:34.160+10:00An open letter to Marti ZuccoSo not only do we have Hawthorn and North Melbourne playing matches in Tassie - the latter due to a fair bit of effort from <a href="http://www.hobartcity.com.au/">Hobart City Council</a> Alderman <a href="http://www.hobartcity.com.au/Council/Aldermen/Alderman_Marti_Zucco">Marti Zucco</a> - but it seems now he is <a href="http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2011/06/22/239741_sport-news.html">trying to get Melbourne Storm to play in Hobart</a>.<br />
<br />
This seems strange to me - an NRL team, instead of an A-League team, for a few reasons - first, Tasmania is certainly not known as a rugby league stronghold - it would be the #3 or #4 football code in Tassie. Second, because Marti Zucco is Italian - and although generalisations about a person due to their heritage are not always correct, he is very proud of his roots.<br />
<br />
<br />
Dear Mr Zucco,<br />
<br />
I'm writing to you since you have been in the media recently, due to your actions in trying to attract national club sporting events to the state - not only the AFL games at Bellerive Oval, but also about the announcement last week of a possible NRL pre-season game at North Hobart Oval.<br />
<br />
As you may know there has been an <a href="http://www.a-league.com.au/">A-League</a> pre-season match (featuring Melbourne Victory) each July for the past five years at Aurora Stadium in Launceston, generally drawing 5000-8000 spectators.<br />
<br />
It would be fantastic to see a similar event in Hobart. For the coming A-League season (October 2011-March 2012), <a href="http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/">Football Federation Australia</a> has marked five matches to be played at a "regional venue - TBC". I've contacted both <a href="http://www.crickettas.com.au/">Cricket Tasmania</a> and <a href="http://www.launceston.tas.gov.au/">Launceston City Council</a> about the possibility of hosting one of these but have not received a response. Going by the enthusiasm you have shown in drawing AFL and NRL matches to Hobart, I hope you would have a similar interest in negotiating an A-League match.<br />
<br />
It would be great to get to the stage where there are regular matches in Tasmania by Melbourne Storm, Melbourne Victory, Melbourne Heart or even the Melbourne Rebels super rugby team. Such events could hopefully be the precursor to the development or upgrade of a rectangular stadium - such as North Hobart Oval - in the state.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For reference the available match dates are:</span><br />
<ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wed 7 Dec 2011 - Sydney FC v Perth Glory</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sun 11 Dec 2011 - Gold Coast United v Sydney FC</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wed 14 Dec 2011 - Wellington Phoenix v Brisbane Roar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wed 18 Jan 2012 - Melbourne Heart v Central Coast Mariners</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wed 25 Jan 2012 - Adelaide United v Newcastle Jets</span></li>
</ul><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Full fixture list: <a href="http://www.a-league.com.au/site/_content/document/00002236-source.pdf">http://www.a-league.com.au/site/_content/document/00002236-source.pdf</a></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">CC:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Cricket Tasmania (events@crickettas.com.au)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Aurora Stadium (aurorastadium@launceston.tas.gov.au)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Football Federation Australia (feedback@footballaustralia.com.au)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">John Boulous, (CEO Football Federation Tasmania) (CEO@footballfedtas.com.au)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Michelle O'Byrne (Minister for Sport) (michelle.obyrne@parliament.tas.gov.au)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Mark Shelton (Shadow Minister for Sport & Rec) (mark.shelton@parliament.tas.gov.au)</span>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-53533571035030799402011-05-24T13:03:00.002+10:002011-05-24T13:11:32.540+10:00Never attribute to malice...".. that which is adequately explained by stupidity". - <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_J._Hanlon">Robert J. Hanlon</a>.<br />
<br />
If you get your information about the National Broadband Network from the mainstream media, you couldn't really be blamed for thinking that the sky is falling in. A lot existing media companies, including television and newspapers, have had their industry turned on its head by the internet, and as high speed communications becomes ubiquitous this is only going to get worse for them. They are struggling, just like the music industry did in the 1990s and 2000s.<br />
<br />
However that isn't what this blog post is about! Sometimes you find someone who is well intentioned, but just doesn't do their research! <a href="http://www.examiner.com.au/news/local/news/general/tasmania-faces-long-nbn-wait/2170489.aspx">This article</a> from the 22 May 2011 edition of <a href="http://www.examiner.com.au/">the Launceston Examiner</a> is a perfect example.<br />
<br />
<blockquote><span style="font-size: large;">Tasmania faces long NBN wait</span><br />
<br />
BY MATT MALONEY<br />
<br />
22 May, 2011</blockquote>To start with, the premise of the article flawed...<br />
<br />
<blockquote>LAUNCESTON could have to wait until 2021 to be connected to the National Broadband Network.<br />
[...]<br />
... the company has not identified towns and cities to be connected to the network beyond last week's announcement on the project's first and second stages.</blockquote>This is easily refuted by <a href="http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2010/015">this press release</a> from Stephen Conroy's office which was published over a year ago.<br />
<br />
Also note the end date of 2021 - this appears to have been calculated by adding the ten year build time onto this year - ignoring the fact that construction started about a year and a half ago.<br />
<br />
There are also comments such as:<br />
<blockquote>"Tasmanian NBN users have told The Sunday Examiner that communication with internet users with a lower digital bandwidth was much slower than the <strong>one-gigabyte-a-second</strong> promised."</blockquote>Gold. Confused by two different things in one sentence! The maximum connection speed of an NBN connection at present is 100 megabits per second, not 1000 - which, although it is within the network capabilities, it is not available to residential customers as yet. He then fails on the difference between megabits per second and megabytes per second. Easily confusing to the lay person, but someone educating the public should be better informed. For those playing at home, a 100 megabit per second connection should result in a throughput of around 12 megabytes a second.<br />
<blockquote>One Smithton business owner, Brett Dawes, said from his six months' experience, internet users must be on the same bandwidth for the network to work properly.<br />
<br />
"There is not much point having a patch connected here and a patch connected there - it's all or nothing," he said.</blockquote>Poorly worded, but I see the point he is trying to make... however, it ignores the fact that people in one house could be using the single FTTH connection to use several different services! You could have someone watching ABC iView on their laptop, someone else streaming a movie in the lounge room, a third person one a video chat with the grandparents in another part of the house, and the teenager playing online games in his bedroom. All with enough bandwidth left over for general web browsing and making phone calls! Not to mention - a lot of the time the "other end" will not be another end user, but a data centre with huge pipes to the outside world!<br />
<br />
There is enough misinformation about the NBN floating around in the media - from other news sources and opposing political parties - without errenous articles such as this one!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Just a note on the Hanlon quote at the top - I'm not suggesting stupidity in this case - just lack of research! </span><br />
<ul><li>Postscript: Andrew from <a href="http://www.digitaltasmania.org/">Digital Tasmania</a> is in the process of contacting said journo, to offer advice in future instances!</li>
</ul>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-61446548688132203062011-05-16T15:21:00.001+10:002011-05-25T10:49:19.391+10:00Nobody Loves a Neglected Blog!Hmmmm no they don't!<br />
<br />
Maybe life has gotten in the way a wee bit lately for writing blog posts, but we shall endeavour to fix that... I think that as more starts happening with the house the updates will be more forthcoming. Two months and there should be plenty to write about :D<br />
<br />
As for a life update from us, we've been to Adelaide for the national band championships over Easter. Lots of Daddy and Kiddy park time whilst I was playing then a lovely family day at the Zoo on ANZAC day before heading home.<br />
<br />
It's now less than 100 days until our EDD for baby #3, but in reality it will probably be at least a week more than that until he/she makes their big entrance... 41 weeks seems to be the normal baby cooking time around here! Having 2 small children already there isn't all that much to do in preparation for the arrival... we need to tidy out a corner of our bedroom for baby's things and I'd like to do a bit more general decluttering around the house and cook ahead some meals that we can eat in the early days but otherwise, we're pretty good. <br />
<br />
The children delight, surprise and frustrate us every day :) It's amazing the buttons a 3.5 year old can push... lots that yo u didn't realise you had. Her questioning and logic skills are amazing though, she asks some fantastic questions and draws some brilliant conclusions on her own. We are doing our very best to encourage and nurture this natural inquisitiveness but bedtime isn't the right time to be asking brilliant questions!<br />
<br />
I'm also plugging away at my business, have had a few sales in the last fortnight so am desperately hoping that things will pick up from here, that would be great as we've invested quite a bit of money and many hours so far into setting up. Obviously there are still so many things that need to be done but all baby steps.<br />
<br />
The last thing I've been doing is knitting... I've rediscovered knitting over the last few months and have actually COMPLETED over 20 items... yes ok, they were all for children but still, that's a record for me. It means I've been spending less time on the computer and more time creating which is good for me :) Knitting is definitely a separate, picture heavy post though, so watch out for a knitting post from me in the coming days.<br />
<br />
Anyhow.... *waves, we are still here!!! :DUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-83228250353841542492011-03-31T23:40:00.000+11:002011-03-31T23:40:54.837+11:00House update: All systems go!How many updates was I going to do this month? Did I promise three or four? It is now 11pm on March 31 so I guess I should get this one out there pretty quick!<br />
<br />
Last week we signed the contract to build our new house!<br />
<br />
Construction is due to start between April and June; the contracted end date is 1 May 2012.<br />
<br />
As expected we will have bits and pieces left to do afterwards; the guest room, home theatre, storage room, and so on - but that's fine by us. The upper level will be where we will be spending most of our time so that is the important bit for us.<br />
<br />
The latest plans:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/plan-0311/a1.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/plan-0311/a1.01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/plan-0311/a1.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/plan-0311/a1.02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
... and it has occurred to me that some people haven't seen the view from our block! Apologies for the blurry panorama stitching issues!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/panorama-small.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="110" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/panorama-small.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Other random items of note...<br />
<br />
- The geothermal heat pump came in at close to $100k... so it was swapped for a ducted electric heat pump... which came in at about $35k - it is now a $10k ceiling mounted unit for the main living area and panel heaters for other areas!<br />
<br />
- Some windows have disappeared - the glazing came in at $30k more than expected. Quite a few have gone (eagle eyes can check the plans!), this also helped to get our star rating up (it came in at 5.7 in the end ..)<br />
<br />
What is annoying is that the modelling used to calculate star ratings can't "cope" with "different" houses. eg. our cladding will be alucobond/vitrobond. They don't have an equivalent in their system (does everything have to be brick or render???). Our windows on the first floor have a niche which runs all the way around 3 sides of the house - making the roof height at the edge and therefore window height 2990mm. The niche is only about 290mm x 290mm, big enough to fit a roller blind, so the height for the rest of the house is 2700mm (think of it like a giant sunken ceiling). The problem is the star calculations can't deal with that shape of room and must base the calculations on the entire house having 2990mm ceilings, that is a LOT more space to heat! So in practice our house will perform much better than the ratings say in theory.<div><br />
</div>A little bit about the bathroom plans - the joinery details include: Square above bench sinks, mixer tapes coming from the wall; square ceiling mounted "rain head" shower heads; built in niches in showers for shampoo etc. Tiles are 600x600mm for floors, 600x300mm for walls. Colours can be changed but we have specified slate for now. The best bit - my cousin owns a bathroom superstore - so I'm getting all that stuff through him and supplying the builder/plumber :) Also, underfloor heating for the bathrooms has been estimated at about $1000 a bathroom - so we think we'll go for that.<div><br />
</div>- Kitchen benchtop - polished concrete bench of that size was, again, going to cost too much, so the architect has changed to an Essastone bench with a finish that resembles polished concrete - at a significantly smaller cost, which we are very happy with!<br />
<br />
- The Vitrabond cladding we will be using will be costing about $20k, but installation of it about $40k! That's someone's wages for the better part of a year! The builder is try to negotiate this down ...<br />
<br />
- We have also received a copy of the building specification document - which is a 133 page document that specifies the quality expected of the builder on every single detail.. as an example, the dimensions of the doors, number of hinges, minimum sizes of hinges, etc. Includes which Australian Standards they comply to. This kind of thing for every component of the house! Not exactly interesting reading but will be useful!<div><br />
</div><div>So that's it for now - deposit being paid next week and hopefully the next update will have a photo :) </div>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-36607023675423749792011-03-02T13:21:00.000+11:002011-03-02T13:21:27.892+11:00Slackness...March has started... you know what that means.. we have gone our first full calendar month without making a blog post since we started! Ooops..<br />
<br />
I told Emma that we had gone over a month without blogging and she keenly pointed out that technically that's not true, she has been blogging frequently on her business' blog at - <a href="http://wrapem.blogspot.com/">http://wrapem.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<br />
In an attempt to rectify this we will try to do one a week for the rest of the month! A house update, a technology update (Sonos and FetchTV), I'll try and get Emma to do a sling or babywearing one, and of course some other news that most of you may know about already ;)Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-74363529828744413622011-01-01T12:50:00.000+11:002011-01-01T12:50:55.627+11:00And that was 2010!I guess I should do a wrap up of the year, similarly to the <a href="http://blog.chuq.net/2010/01/charles-and-emma-2000-2009.html">wrap up of the decade</a> I wrote this time last year!<div><br />
</div><div>It has been a busy year - this time last year we had a 2 year old running round the house and a relatively immobile 3 month old - now we have two very active little children who keep us on our toes!</div><div><br />
</div><div>To keep up with them we have done some work outside the house to make the place a bit more suitable for them and to allow the dogs to have their share as well! The first is to pull down our old picket fence that separated the backyard (which was previously just "the dogs backyard") and have a bunch of black powder-coat gates and fences put in closer to the house itself (for the dogs!). We have had the backyard area levelled, and in December we finally put in a swing set (many thanks to Denis!) and some lush green turf. A much more child-friendly environment!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Of course, frequent readers will know that is only temporary! Much of 2010 has been spent on the design phase of our new house, which we plan to start building in Lenah Valley in 2011. We are hoping to start construction in February/March. There has been plenty on this blog about the house already so I won't go into detail here - but at least once a day something happens that makes one of us mutter "I can't wait until we are in our new place!"</div><div><br />
</div><div>Business wise - Emma's role as a <a href="http://www.babybeehinds.com.au/">Baby BeeHinds</a> reseller has been going well, and she has started another business - <a href="http://www.wrapem.com.au/">Wrap 'Em</a> - selling baby carriers - woven wraps, slings and other assorted baby gear! </div><div><br />
</div><div>As part of Emma's volunteer work with the <a href="http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/">Australian Breastfeeding Association</a>, she is undergoing training to complete her Certificate IV in Breastfeeding Education. By the end of 2011 she should be a qualified breastfeeding counsellor!</div><div><br />
</div><div>In September Charles was elected to the committee of <a href="http://www.wikimedia.org.au/">Wikimedia Australia</a> - an official chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation which operates and supports Wikipedia (among others). It is a non-profit organisation which promotes the distribution and creation of free cultural works in Australia.</div><div><br />
</div><div>We went to Queensland in August-September for both work and play. Charles attended <a href="http://australia.msteched.com/">Microsoft Tech-Ed 2010</a> on the Gold Coast where he completed his first Microsoft qualification (Windows 7 Configuration). After that, the entire family flew up, and we visited family and friends in Brisbane, Bribie Island and Caloundra. The highlight was meeting Charles' Grandma - the first time she had met Emma, and two of her sixteen great-grandchildren! Not a bad effort for 101 years old!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Our other interstate trip of the year was to Melbourne in May - we spent a week there during Charles' birthday - he and Emma's brother Mark went to see the <a href="http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/">Socceroos</a> vs New Zealand at the MCG before they headed to the World Cup. The rest of the trip seemed to be focused on Georgia, with trips to the <a href="http://www.zoo.org.au/MelbourneZoo/">Zoo</a>, <a href="http://www.melbourneaquarium.com.au/">Aquarium</a> and <a href="http://www.farm.org.au/">Children's Farm</a>, all of which she loved!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Easter usually involves travelling for us - for the <a href="http://www.nbca.asn.au/">National Band Championships</a> which Emma's band, <a href="http://hobartcityband.org.au/">Hobart City Band</a>, competes in. However in 2010 the Championships were hosted in Hobart! The Brass Band was competing in A grade for the first time, after being B grade champions in 2009. </div><div><br />
</div><div>In 2011, with our house build starting, it promises to be a very exciting year for us!</div><div><br />
</div><div>I might get in early now - have a Merry Christmas 2011 and a Happy New Year for 2012!</div><div> </div><div> </div><div><br />
</div><div> </div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><div><br />
</div></div>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-45505711505513699242010-12-27T09:53:00.000+11:002010-12-27T09:53:39.456+11:00House update - almost there!Hi everyone,<br />
About time for an update! We had another meeting with the architect on December 22nd. Over the last few months he has been working with the engineer, drawing up structural, plumbing and electrical plans, and made a few minor changes to the floor plan to account for these. We also went through the glazing schedule, confirming the sizes and types of all the windows. We also met the builder for the first time!<br />
<br />
Latest plan revisions:<br />
<br />
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There were another 20 or so diagrams/plans with these ones but I won't upload them all - things like updated elevation diagrams, subfloor plan, roof plan, and so on, I won't scan them all :)<br />
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Major changes:<br />
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- A niche running all the way around the top cornice area of 3 sides of the house - this was because the roof support structure needed a bit more space than what was available (and raising the roof level would have required going back to planning approval) so to keep window sizes the standard height they added a gap. This works out well because it provides a spot where blinds etc. can be installed and then be hidden when they are open - and also allows some niches to be built into some walls.<br />
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- Laundry chute location confirmed, after about 4 different options were attempted!<br />
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- AV/network cabinet location changed - made it bigger and placed it between the theatre and the garage. Discussions with many AV enthusiasts have let me to believe that cat5/6 will be used for AV in the future (there are adaptors to do so now) so as a result it made sense to consolidate the network and AV runs.<br />
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- A step before entering the garage - because the garage is 300mm higher than the rest of the lower floor. I think the step may get in the way a bit, so will raise some alternatives with the architect! <br />
We've also confirmed some floor surfaces:<br />
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- Polished concrete in the downstairs hallway (as well as hopefully a polished concrete benchtop)<br />
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- <a href="http://www.modwood.com.au/">Modwood</a> for the decks - modwood is made of sawdust and recycled plastic milk bottles, doesn't require oiling every year or other maintenace, and doesn't splinter!<br />
I've also done some sketchup mockups of some areas to give the architect and builder an idea of what we are after.<br />
Kitchen:<br />
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(Appliances are Electrolux oven & induction cooktop, F&P fridge, Robinhood rangehood and Asko dishwasher)<br />
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Laundry:<br />
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And my work of art, the AV unit!<br />
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Construction is now expected to start in March 2011.. which means we may not be in there before Christmas 2011 as we had hoped, but that's ok, we'd rather it be done well than done quick! <br />
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That'll do for now, electrical and plumbing to come in a future update!Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-5599769700487399622010-12-06T23:03:00.001+11:002010-12-07T22:00:50.996+11:00Picking up the pieces ..A year ago, Australia was the favoured nation to win the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Two weeks ago, FIFA's technical reports said England, United States and Australia were the three bids best prepared and capable of hosting a World Cup - Russia and Qatar, the most high risk. Yet, on Friday morning, Russia and Qatar were declared the winners, while England and Australia were eliminated in the first round of their respective votes. What went wrong?<br />
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Frank Lowy stated that before the vote, they were confident that they had at least four votes in the first round - maybe as many as six - meaning at least three ExCo members had looked him in the eye and lied. Even afterwards, two members have claimed responsibility for the single vote. Who can he trust?<br />
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Clearly politics and backdoor deals played a role, but it isn't as simple as "whoever donates the most money gets my vote". The voting pattern is a curious one:<br />
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The number of votes for Qatar and Japan actually decreased after the first round - leading to suggestions that some blocs of members planned to vote in pre-arranged ways in particular rounds, targetting individual nations one by one. USA, Qatar and Australia were the only nations seen as the likely hosts of the event (not to say the other bids weren't good - but too soon after their 2002 hosting). Australia was probably identified as the easiest of the three to "get rid of" early.<br />
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Now for a game of "what-if" ... notice how Japan had an extra vote in their first round as opposed to the second? What if that vote was originally going to Australia but was "switched" to Japan just to knock Australia out, as it was deemed a bigger threat? Japan and Australia would be locked 2-2 for last place, leading to a "knock-out" voting round between the two.<br />
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A poster on the <a href="http://au.fourfourtwo.com/">FourFourTwo Australia</a> forums, girtXc, appears to have some sort of insight into the workings of the FIFA ExCo and has <a href="http://au.fourfourtwo.com/forums/default.aspx?g=posts&t=45880">posted an interesting theory</a>. Apparently when the Tahitian delegate Temurii (I'm going to assume people know all about that!) got suspended it had bigger ramifications than just losing a single vote. His theory about the Japan vote is that powerful Qatari ExCo delegate (and Asian Football Confederation chief) Mohammad bin Hammam arranged it so that Japan wouldn't go out in the first round, therefore keeping Japan ExCo delegate Oguru's honour (very important in Japanese culture) and thus ensuring Japan's vote went to Qatar after Japan was knocked out. Talk about swings and roundabouts!<br />
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The theories about how it happened can go on forever, and we may not ever know... but what happens from here, for Australia?<br />
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The sad thing about losing is that, as well as not hosting, it makes the moronic anti-sockah brigade in this nation think they have the right to spout rubbish about the sport. Rebecca Wilson is already at it. I won't go into detail about this one, if you read it, you know about it, and if you don't believe it happens I'm not going to change your mind.<br />
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The corruption has hit several major nations hard - the USA and England are <a href="http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/England-should-quit-FIFA-.6649935.jp">even discussing a breakaway governing body to FIFA</a>. Australia could potentially be a part of this but we don't have the standing to do so - any form of dissent and the AFC - headed by bin Hammam (conflict of interest much?) - will send us back off to Oceania.<br />
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When will Australia get another chance? The disappointing thing is that these opportunities come up so rarely for Australia. FIFA has had vague continental rotation policies in the past - usually the rules are changed before a full cycle occurs. With the 2018 and 2022 bid process, the rule was that once a continent hosted, they were not able to bid for the next two. Although it is possible that this will change in the future, if it continues, then 2026 would likely go to the USA, and 2030 to Europe. That puts Australia's next chance at 2034 at the earliest.<br />
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I will be 56 by then. Frank Lowy would have well and truly fallen off his perch - he will be 104 if he makes it that far!<br />
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... and the big question is - will the government at the time support it? We were lucky in that we had bipartisan support from Kevin Rudd (a "foreign affairs nerd prime minister") and Malcolm Turnbull. It may not be that easy for a government to fork out $45m again, depending on the political landscape at the time.<br />
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But then again, in 1986, Melbourne unsuccessfully bid for the 1992 Olympics. 11 votes out of 85 in the first round. Brisbane bid for the 1996 Olympics, 12 out of 86. Imagine if those two experiences were derided as being "wastes of money" - it may have stopped the AOC supporting Sydney's bid for the 2000 Olympics - 30 votes out of 88 in the first round, defeating Beijing 45-43 in the final round, and going on to host the "Best Olympic Games ever!"<br />
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In the meantime, lets support the Socceroos at the <a href="http://www.the-afc.com/en/tournaments/men-a-youth/afc-asian-cup/">2011 AFC Asian Cup</a> - strangely enough, hosted in Qatar in January - after all, it is the game on the pitch that matters!Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-49013717514271052872010-11-22T22:01:00.000+11:002010-11-22T22:01:32.221+11:00How many of these books have you read?This is a meme going around Facebook at the moment and, I haven't written a blog post for a while so this is as good as place as any!<br />
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For a geek I've done a rather poor job! (I've tagged both mine and Emma's in the one list!)<br />
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<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen (Emma)</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling - read first 3</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (Chuq)</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>6 The Bible - read parts</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>14 Complete Works of Shakespeare - read 7 or 8, seen more on stage.</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Chuq)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">20 Middlemarch - George Eliot</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald </b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Chuq)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Chuq)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>34 Emma - Jane Austen</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">35 Persuasion - Jane Austen</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Chuq)</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">41 Animal Farm - George Orwell</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Chuq)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">50 Atonement - Ian McEwan</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">52 Dune - Frank Herbert</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Chuq)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">72 Dracula - Bram Stoker</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">75 Ulysses - James Joyce</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">78 Germinal - Emile Zola</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">80 Possession - AS Byatt.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Chuq)</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">94 Watership Down - Richard Adams</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b>99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl</b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Chuq)</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><b> (Emma)</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">9 out of 100. How embarrassing! If you don't count the ones which are (a) children's books or (b) books that were a compulsory part of our high school english curriculum, then the ONLY book on the list would be Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">What is even worse is that a significant number of the books on the last are sitting right on our bookshelf and have done so for the past 9 years. Most of them were inherited, not purchased ... I know many of them are classics which is why they are still there!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Some titles on the list do stand out as standard geek fare.. Nineteen Eighty Four, Animal Farm, Brave New World, Catch 22 and The Time Traveller's Wife are titles that I should really familiarise myself with more!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">If I scrape the bottom of the barrel ... </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">I've read the book of Contact, and it WAS better than the movie, does that give me cred? </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Also there were episodes of Lost named 'The Little Prince' and 'A Tale Of Two Cities' .. there was a lot of CS Lewis references in the show as well. That has to count for something?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Emma scored 27 on this list, quite a few of which she attributes to owning the complete works of Jane Austen, the whole Harry Potter series, and all of The Lord of the Rings books! </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;">Quick plug: If you are a bibliophile - check out <a href="http://www.librarything.com/">http://www.librarything.com</a> - fellow geek John Dalton helps to run this one!</span></span>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-38432704106602170322010-10-23T23:57:00.001+11:002010-10-24T00:07:54.850+11:00Putting the NBN rollout into perspective<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">There has been a bit of news about Australia's <a href="http://www.nbn.gov.au/">National Broadband Network</a> in the media recently - specifically the suggestion that <a href="http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/10/21/180531_tasmania-news.html">Only 262 homes have been signed up to the NBN</a> so far, in the stage 1 sites of Smithton, Scottsdale and Midway Point. But are the figures really that bad?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">The facts:</div><ul><li>Three months after activation, the number of homes connected in Tasmania is 262. Including homes that have requested a service but connecting is pending, it is 436.</li>
<li>The number of households passed with the fibre is reported between 3000 and 4000 in difference sources. (Note: The source that said "4000" was from The Australian)</li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">So the percentage of homes that have requested a service is between 10.9% and 14.5% (if you only count the ones already connected, it is between 6.5% and 8.7%)</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">So, how does this compare to other services?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">ABS - 2006 Census - <a class="external" href="http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/8146.0.55.001Media%20Release12006?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=8146.0.55.001&issue=2006&num=&view=" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/img/extlink.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: navy; padding-right: 7px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTA<wbr></wbr>TS/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/8<wbr></wbr>146.0.55.001Media%20Release1<wbr></wbr>2006?opendocument&tabname=Su<wbr></wbr>mmary&prodno=8146.0.55.001&issue=2006&num=&view=</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">The 2006 census reports that in Tasmania, 28% had broadband. This was in 2006, <strong>six years</strong> after broadband was first available.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">That media release details comparisons between the 2001 figures and 2006, so the same question was asked at the 2001 census – I can't find the figures though. Still looking! I did find this survey from November 2000 (note – not census):</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">ABS - Survey on internet usage, November 2000 - <a class="external" href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8147.0/" rel="nofollow" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: url(http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/img/extlink.gif); background-origin: initial; background-position: 100% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; color: navy; padding-right: 7px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/8147.0/</a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">Stating that percentage of homes with internet access (note any form of internet – not just broadband) was at 37% in Nov 2000 – the year that ADSL broadband was launched. Only two years earlier the same figure was at 19%, and more specifically, regional areas was 13%.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">To reiterate:</div><ul><li>Dial-up internet had been around since 1994;</li>
<li>In November 1998 (four years later), 13% of households in regional Australia had internet access.</li>
</ul><ul><li>FTTH over NBN has been around since July 2010;</li>
<li>In October 2010 (three months later), 10-14% of households in regional Australia had signed up for a service.</li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0.8em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.8em;">Now I realise it is hard to compare these two exactly, but four years vs three months – thats quite a difference.<br />
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(More discussion can be found in <a href="http://whrl.pl/RcvIaa">this Whirlpool thread</a>!)<br />
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</div>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-78314938889886213752010-09-25T08:03:00.005+10:002010-10-02T09:00:06.535+10:00A few of my favourite buildsEnough about our house.. here are some of the other fantastic houses (and houses-in-progress) that I've found on the <a href="http://forum.homeone.com.au/">HomeOne forum</a>. It’s a great resource if you are building a new house, with dedicated sections for everything to do with building a house - kitchens, bathrooms, heating and cooling, lighting, AV, automation, security, flooring, landscaping ... it’s not even restricted to the work itself, with sections on investment, real estate, being an owner/builder and so on.<br />
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<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2uTlqtzvRswn2yQsZ_-AMjRx6nYcbKIPMgA4muMQ2rI0bTac4zyOKNWo-sze4XBcuuLLa1wI22Yvn85LjNj-V730lSHplI63W13qkm0cskPmGs3b33PccQnC9LDZeUhDuMhs0xrslvd3grk/s1600/homeone.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw2uTlqtzvRswn2yQsZ_-AMjRx6nYcbKIPMgA4muMQ2rI0bTac4zyOKNWo-sze4XBcuuLLa1wI22Yvn85LjNj-V730lSHplI63W13qkm0cskPmGs3b33PccQnC9LDZeUhDuMhs0xrslvd3grk/s1600/homeone.gif" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Many people keep a record of their builds in dedicated threads – there are literally dozens going on at any one time in varying stages of completion! I thought I would share some of the more interesting ones ....</div></div><br />
<a href="http://people-in-glass-houses.blogspot.com/">People in Glass Houses</a> is Michelle and Tom’s blog. They are nearing the final stages of completion of their architecturally designed 5 bedroom house in a bushland area only 5 mins from Hobart’s CBD! It is a very modern design with lots of angles and designed for a big family similar to ours.<br />
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Chris and Kelly’s blog is called <a href="http://house.yeoh.info/">Housearama</a>. They have just finished building a passive solar designed 4 bedroom house in Adelaide, roughly based on a Longridge Madison 255. It features a separate home office, a great kitchen (including a professional wok burner – which is a story of its own!) and lots of “cat features”. This is of course on top of all the smart environmental features like retractable shades, opening skylights and power monitoring features.<br />
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<a href="http://buildingour9starhome.blogspot.com/">Building Our 9 Star Home</a> is the blog of Rodney and Elizabeth in Melbourne. Hopefully the key feature of this house is obvious. Their house will actually be ranked as 9.1 star! Not only do they use passive solar design, but they are going to great lengths to ensure the house is as friendly to the environment as possible through choices such as materials used in their kitchen and type of paint used. One of their friends owns the block next door and they will be sharing a backyard for their vege garden and chickens. Construction hasn't started (last I checked), but I think this is going to be a great one to follow!<br />
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<a href="http://bigredscastle.blogspot.com/">Big Red's Castle</a> is worth the link just for the amusement of <a href="http://bigredscastle.blogspot.com/2009/05/concept.html">this post</a>!<br />
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And last but not least... they don't have a blog that I can link to but sis & bro-in-law Ben and Laura are also planning to build soon, and drawing on Ben's experience in AV & automation they are planning some pretty smart things for their house! As an example .. they will have an automated watering system for their garden - not that unusual - but the system will take into account time of day, current temperature, recent rainfall, water tank level and weather forecast for the next few days! So long as it isn't called Skynet ...Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-12686831629522596592010-09-20T00:47:00.000+10:002010-09-20T00:47:12.050+10:00Before and after - Part 1<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />As I alluded to in a previous house update, here are some "before and after" plans of some parts of our new house, compared to similar areas in our current place.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">First, the master bedroom (include walk-in robes and ensuite). Note the orientation of the rooms have been adjusted so north is to the top in both cases.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/compare-masterbr.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/compare-masterbr.png" style="cursor: move;" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I think you would be hard pressed to find a new house design that doesn't include a walk-in robe - in face many of the pre-designed plans show a WIR and ensuite which combined are bigger than the bedroom itself! Our architect has instead, packed a stack of built-in storage into the area, much more than a WIR could offer! As well as standard built-in robes in both the bedroom itself and the ensuite, there is a walk-through robe on the way in the bedroom (both entrances to the WTR will have cavity slider doors, to allow extra sound insulation and privacy). All of these items will be full-height - making the most of the 2700mm ceilings!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">There is also a lot of "low joinery" - about 500-600mm high - in the form of built in bedside tables (extra-wide - just enough space to fit a king size bed in between), and a daybed area near the window. The daybed part will probably not be built initially, to allow for a cot and change table to go there - until we don't need them anymore!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Speaking of windows, there will be a full height one from the bedroom facing the deck, and another full height one from the shower facing the internal deck. Not sure how that shower window is going to work regarding privacy... there are a few details to be worked out!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">On to the kitchen/dining/meals areas - yes, these are to scale!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/compare-kitchen.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="215" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/compare-kitchen.png" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
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This is one of the areas to gain the most in the new house. One of the hardest parts about doing the map above was working out what room was what in our current house to make the comparison!<br />
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At the moment the dining room is the first room that people walk into when they come in the front door, which is not ideal considering how much mess babies and toddlers make when eating! It also means part of the room is basically a hallway which only makes it smaller. The new dining room is twice as big and also features a length of daybed storage (similar to the master bedroom).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">It is also physically separated from the kitchen area.. oh the kitchen. If you thought the new pantry looks about the same as the old kitchen - you'd be pretty much right. In fact on the plan above it is pretty hard to spot the old pantry, tucked away there. I've worked out that the volume of our current pantry matches the capacity of the narrow shelf on the eastern wall of the new pantry... and we can't wait!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Also notice the windows - almost all north facing to let in the sun. In our old house the kitchen/meals area - which became the de facto living area - is south facing.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Two of the other nice things we plan for the new kitchen include an appliance cupboard on the end of the bench, and a child gate, built in to the joinery, at the other end. When the child gate is open it is fully recessed into the bench so you don't even know it is there. The meals area will also have a computer desk at one end - which can be used for children to do homework supervised, as a kitchen recipe computer, or as a TV. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">So that covers two of the main areas of the house - more to come! In other news, our council plans were approved and in even more exciting news, we will most likely have a builder who can start in January 2011 (given we get all the engineering and detailed plans done by then) which would mean a November 2011 finish! There's a lot to be done before then - I'm currently sorting out my cabling plans (for data/phone/AV/security), which means a lot of researching into home AV distribution as I know next to nothing in that area ... but that's another blog post it itself!</div>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-38994142691367629292010-08-23T21:40:00.001+10:002010-08-23T21:44:39.194+10:00And the winner is ...Well, it has been quite an eventful few days in the world of Australian politics. Noone really knows who our Prime Minister will be. All the analysts are currently saying that the coalition will have 73 seats to Labor's 72. On first glance this points to a coalition victory, but it isn't as simple as that!<br />
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Enter the independents - or more technically correct, the crossbenchers! Three of them - <a href="http://www.bobkatter.com.au/">Bob Katter</a>, <a href="http://www.tonywindsor.com.au/">Tony Windsor</a> and <a href="http://www.roboakeshott.com/">Rob Oakeshott</a> - are sitting independent MPs from regional seats in Queensland and New South Wales who have be re-elected by their elecorate. They are all from rather conservative National Party backgrounds. The other two (<a href="http://greens.org.au/content/adambandt">Adam Bandt</a> and <a href="http://www.andrewwilkie.org/">Andrew Wilkie</a> - noting Wilkie's position is not confirmed) - are from a different background - both representing urban seats in Melbourne and Hobart, and both from the left side of politics - Bandt being the first Greens representative in the lower house, and Wilkie being a former Green member.<br />
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On face value it could be assumed the first three would side with the coalition and the last two with Labor. It is never that simple! After all you would assume that the four independents are no longer members of their party for a reason.<br />
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Which brings me to what I personally believe was the only policy in the election that clearly separated the two major parties - telecommunications.<br />
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While watching the television coverage over the weekend, as expected there were live crosses all over the nation including the three conservative members. And a picture spoke a thousand words - or rather, no picture. The live crosses were just a still image with audio provided by a grainy mobile phone call. Even though the members pointed out that telecommunications was a big issue in their electorate, the fact that the current situation was being clearly demonstrated only served to reinforce this!<br />
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The Greens and Wilkie also ran on a platform of supporting the <a href="http://www.nbn.gov.au/">National Broadband Network</a> so it could be assumed they would side with Labor in this regard - not to mention the fact that the Greens and Liberals are polar opposite ends of the spectrum.<br />
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The other factor that gives hope to Labor is that the crossbenchers have indicated that they want to support a stable government. It is not in their interest to see the country go to another election in six months time. These comments have made specific reference to the Senate. After the massive surge to the Greens - their number of Senators will increase from 4 to 9 - perhaps the independents think that a conservative government would not work with a left leaning upper house? It is worth mentioning that the Senate does not change until 1 July 2011. Until then, a Labor Government will need the approval of either the Coalition, or all Greens senators, Family First senator Steve Fielding, and Independent Nick Xenaphon, to pass legislation. After the new senate term starts, only the Greens will need to be appeased. Probably not an issue for a Labor government but it could be a challenge should the Liberals form government.<br />
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(As I write this, news has come to light that Wilkie may be not as likely to win Denison as first thought. If it did go Labors way, it may put it at 73-73 for the major parties. That's probably a sign that I should stop writing this, every few hours there is something new!)Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-44560485692469064922010-08-06T21:43:00.000+10:002010-08-06T21:43:38.507+10:00House update - models and pictures!It's been a long time since the last update, but plenty has been happening! I just haven't kept the blog updated... here is a roundup of the last few months ... and this post will be light on text, high on pictures!<br />
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At our May architect meeting, we saw a cardboard model of the house!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/card/cbmodel-1s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="320" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/card/cbmodel-1s.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/card/cbmodel-3s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="320" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/card/cbmodel-3s.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">(Apologies for the camera-phone blurriness!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Note the garden and (fortunately) driveway will not be tiered like that - those are the limits of using cardboard as a modelling tool!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At our next meeting in June, we received the final plans that will be submitted to council, including some 3D renders:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/render/render-front-s.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="150" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/render/render-front-s.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/render/render-back-s.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="190" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/render/render-back-s.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>If you are wondering what sort of material the black sections of the external facade will be, it is something called <a href="http://www.alucobond.com.au/">Alucobond</a> - I hadn't heard of it until the architect mentioned it! It is a type of aluminium cladding ... I found some images of it used in a residential environment, <a href="http://www.alucobond.com.au/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=164&nav_cat_id=184&nav_top_id=73">reproduced from here</a> (click link for bigger images):<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/aluco/aluco-sample-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="132" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/aluco/aluco-sample-1.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/aluco/aluco-sample-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="140" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/aluco/aluco-sample-2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/aluco/aluco-sample-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="200" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/aluco/aluco-sample-3.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/aluco/aluco-sample-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="165" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/aluco/aluco-sample-4.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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It is long lasting and very low maintenance - basically needs cleaning once every ten years - which is great for people who are, lets say, home maintenance challenged such as ourselves!<br />
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Our plans are currently with the <a href="http://www.hobartcity.com.au/">Hobart City Council</a> and were <a href="http://www.hobartcity.com.au/content/InternetWebsite/Development/Planning/Advertised_Applications.aspx">advertised publicly</a> on July 21st!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/hcc-sign-s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/hcc-sign-s.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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The public review period has ended and I don't know if the council received any submissions, but we did receive one call from a neighbour - saying that if we had any clean fill to get rid of, we are more than welcome to have it dumped on his block!<br />
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Last of all, I have been playing with <a href="http://sketchup.google.com/">Google Sketchup</a> (which incidentally runs quite well under <a href="http://www.winehq.org/">WINE</a>) to design some of the joinery areas. The most complete one so far is the kitchen:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/sketchup/kitchen1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/sketchup/kitchen1.png" width="200" /></a><a href="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/sketchup/kitchen2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://users.on.net/~chuq/img/house/sketchup/kitchen2.png" width="200" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">More work to do on that one - and of course more parts of the house in progress!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-69637616149300590882010-07-12T22:50:00.000+10:002010-07-12T22:50:59.217+10:00Tasmania - "No we can't!"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.room11.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/king-island_ip2100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://www.room11.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/king-island_ip2100.jpg" width="320" /></a>Last week, the Mercury published an article entitled "<a href="http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/07/03/156421_tasmania-news.html">Space-age Bass Strait bridge</a>". "<i>Hobart will be linked to Melbourne by a bridge -- in the next 50 to 100 years.</i>" it reports. It is part of a proposal by <a href="http://www.room11.com.au/">Room 11</a> (who, in the interest of full disclosure, I should point out are designing our new house!)</div><br />
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</div>Of course, it sounds like a pretty extreme proposal - and didn't the rabid hordes let everyone know! Complaints about "taxpayers are funding these nutters!" (even though they aren't) and "who's gonna pay for this little dream-up?". One particular comment amused me "oil will be of such dwindling availability and so expensive that only the super-rich will be able to afford to drive over it. " Apparently someone thinks we will still be driving petrol-powered cars in 50 years time?<br />
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One person seemed to be rather displeased with the suggestion when he suggested that "These people will destroy Tasmania!"<br />
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It's quite obvious that no-one looked at the design in context. It is an entrant in the <a href="http://www.architecture.com.au/i-cms?page=1.13262.13475.13318.12811">2010 Venice Architecture Biennale</a> - an international architecture exhibition. Entrants have been asked to explore possibilities for urban developments 50-100 years in the future. Room 11's entry, <a href="http://www.ip2100.info/">Island Proposition 2100</a>, sets out a design which answers the question - "If, in the face of climate change, Tasmania had to accept 5 million eco-refugees, how would they do it?"<br />
<a href="http://www.room11.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/room11_tasmap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.room11.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/room11_tasmap.jpg" width="228" /></a><br />
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The bridge is only one part of this proposal - obviously the Mercury used it as a headline grabber - but it doesn't give credit to the rest of the design. The basis of it is a high-density, urbanised spine running from Hobart, through the Midlands, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, through to Smithton - and then continuing on in the form of a bridge to King Island and Victoria. This "spine" would contain infrastructure such as high speed (maglev) rail as well as energy generation (wind and solar) and grey water processing.<br />
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All these details are available by simply <a href="http://www.room11.com.au/blog/?p=1599">reading</a> <a href="http://www.room11.com.au/blog/?p=1679">the</a> <a href="http://www.room11.com.au/blog/?p=1786">website</a> - obviously many of the comment writers are incapable of doing so!<br />
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Tasmania's small, decentralised population and physical separation are the root of so many issues in the state - here is a concept which would solve all of them in one go! And it is just that, a concept. It is designed to make us open our eyes and look at things from a different perspective. But we could never have that in Tasmania - the "can't do" state - could we?Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-68413764596092731492010-06-10T13:06:00.004+10:002010-06-10T13:11:27.083+10:00Human Babies...Do not have fur, they need contact with other humans for warmth.<br /><br />They can't walk or run away from predators. They don't camouflage too well either.<br /><br />They can't find their own food.<br /><br />They have high energy requirements but a small stomach, so need to feed frequently.<br /><br />Are rather a lot like Australian marsupial babies, being born helpless and needing to be close to their parents well into toddlerhood. We could learn a lot from koalas and kangaroos.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-32529361465567645142010-05-20T00:49:00.001+10:002010-05-20T00:56:41.484+10:00Australia's World Cup - the bid venues<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><div>Last week, <a href="http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/">Football Federation Australia</a> submitted its "bid book" - a 750 page document on how <a href="http://www.australia2018-2022.com.au/">Australia would host the 2018 or 2022 FIFA World Cup</a>. Among the details contained in it were the Australian sporting world had been waiting for.. the 12 proposed venues that would be used.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Here is the list, and my review of each one (I won't replicate all the images <a href="http://www.australia2018-2022.com.au/australias-bid_stadiums.aspx">which are available on the official website.</a>)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Just a note about capacities - for those who haven't been following the bid closely (as I have)</div><div><br />
</div><div><ul><li>All venues have a "saleable" capacity - which is total capacity minus space for corporates VIPs. Generally stadiums are all seated, so generally "standing" areas are not available. This is why many venues are listed as several thousand below their expected capacity.</li>
<li>The minimum "salable" capacity is 40k, for semi finals it is 60k, and for the final, 3rd place match and opening match it is 80k.</li>
<li>Many of the venues will be downsized after the World Cup. </li>
</ul></div><div><br />
</div><div>Now, onto the list ...</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Stadium Australia</b> – Homebush, NSW - 83,000</div><div>In December, the NSW Government suggested that the ground would be modified into a permanent rectangular configuration, and the venue would get a retractable glass roof as a result of our bid! The image supplied doesn't match that, so it seems it may not happen - disappointing, would have been the 'jewel in the crown', but a great venue anyway. I suggest Homebush may be the location of the International Broadcast Centre and so on – facilities may be available from the Olympics?</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Sydney Football Stadium</b> – Sydney, NSW - 41,000</div><div>A great "minor" venue for Sydney, a shame there isn't much happening to it, but I guess there isn't that much to do.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Blacktown Stadium</b> - Sydney, NSW - 41,000</div><div>A new venue in Western Sydney. The design looks nice! It will be built to Good post-WC capacity for Rovers (26k).</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>MCG</b> – Melbourne, Vic - 88,000</div><div>It would be nice to see some sort of redevelopment to improve the venue for rectangular sports in the long term. Fellow blogger Matt Winter's plan would be ideal.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Brisbane Stadium</b> (Lang Park) – Brisbane, Qld - 50,000</div><div>It would be nice to see it reach the 60k capacity for a semi-final, maybe they have more work to do!</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Perth Stadium</b> (Stadium WA) – Perth, WA - 60,000</div><div>A proposal for a multipurpose stadium with adjustable stands has been on the cards in Perth for a few years. It is good to see the general plan making a re-appearance here - common sense won out! Will be a great venue for all sports in WA. Both AFL and cricket can use the venue in it's oval mode, and big Socceroos and Wallabies matches will again return to Perth.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Adelaide Oval</b> – Adelaide, SA - 50,000</div><div>Are those stands adjustable, or just majorly redeveloped? I guess since the AFL uses Football Park at the moment, they don't have any existing contract over Adelaide Oval, so if it takes longer before and after the cup to reconfigure the stands that shouldn't be a problem. Adjustable stands would leave Adelaide with a great legacy - without them, Adelaide United is stuck playing in the little 18k Hindmarsh Stadium still.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Gold Coast Stadium</b> (Carrara) – Gold Coast, Qld - 40,000</div><div>We'd all prefer Robina Stadium, but it was only built a few years ago to its present side (27k) and I guess with Brisbane an hour away they didn't think it would need upgrading! Carrara won't benefit football but it will be reduced to 27k after the Cup to be a potential venue for AFL, cricket and even a Commonwealth Games bid. </div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Newcastle Stadium</b> – Newcastle, NSW - 42,000</div><div>Looks very nice - and 34k will be a good post-WC capacity for A-League and NRL use.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Canberra Stadium</b> – Canberra, ACT - 40,000</div><div>It's good to see the fearmongering about the ACT not wanting to be involved didn't eventuate. This one will be a new venue built right next to the current Bruce Stadium - which itself will be redeveloped as an oval venue to use instead of Manuka Oval.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Geelong Stadium</b> (Kardinia Park) – Geelong, Vic - 44,000</div><div>Looks better than I expected in rectangular mode. Not happy about the way it came about (Andrew Demetriou being pig headed) but it will be good for the city. I found <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGvUqJmkqTg">a CGI animation of the "conversion"</a> on Youtube. It will be reduced to 37,000 after the World Cup.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>Townsville Stadium</b> (Willows Sports Complex) – Townsville, Qld - 40,000</div><div>Is this an upgrade? It looks like a complete rebuild! The roof will be great for the Fury during summer. An appropriate post-WC capacity too (30k) for A-League and NRL use.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>So which two will be eliminated?</b></div><div><br />
</div><div>We need twelve venues for our bid book, but as few as ten of them will be selected by FIFA. So which will go?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Maybe Gold Coast – which, even though it's an oval, would be disappointing because it's like a second venue to Brisbane and the city is big enough warrant it.</div><div>Maybe Townsville – just because of the cities' size and distance.</div><div>Maybe Blacktown – because it's a 3rd venue in Sydney.</div><div>Maybe Geelong – would be a shame for the same reason as Gold Coast, being Melbourne's #2 venue.</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>On the talk of "displacing" the AFL and NRL...</b></div><div><br />
</div><div>Stadium WA and Adelaide Oval are not currently AFL venues. How does this work? The AFL can't claim to have rights to venues which they don't play in?</div><div><br />
</div><div>WA is a tricky one, to build Stadium WA to completion they have to partially demolish Subiaco. But they would have to do this anyway, whether or not we hosted the WC. If Stadium WA was just built as a matter of course, the AFL would have the exact same issue, but they would put up with it, knowing that after it was completed they could sell another 17k seats per game – no compensation expected.</div><div><br />
</div><div>If Gold Coast and Geelong happen to be the two eliminated venues, we could be in the situation where the ONLY venue requiring compensation to be paid to the AFL would be the MCG – and that may only be used for eight matches! This "compensation formula" could be the best deal the federal government ever made :)</div><div><br />
</div><div>Again with Canberra – new venue – no pre-existing rights to the NRL – what will happen to the old Bruce Stadium next door? Keep it rectangular (for NRL/ARU use) until after the WC?</div><div><br />
</div><div><b>So where is Tasmania?</b></div><div><br />
</div><div>Why, missing of course!</div><div><br />
</div><div>Tasmania would not require a 40k rectangular stadium after the World Cup - even I can admit that. But don't forget that six of the venues above are going to be reduced in size by over 10,000 seats after the World Cup!</div><div><br />
</div><div>The Qatar bid - as much as the nation has major logistical issues with size, population, climate and alcohol laws - does have one thing right - the plan for all of their 40k capacity stadiums is to split them in half after the event - resulting in twice as many 20k venues. The FFA could have proposed a 40k rectangular venue in Hobart which, post-WC, became a 20k in Hobart and a 20k in Launceston. As a bonus, such a venue would be "legacy" free - no prior tenants to pay compensation to! </div><div><br />
</div><div>At the moment, the best the state can hope for is a couple of training facilities to be built. In an email from Michelle O'Byrne in January I was told that the state government has proposed two venues in Tasmania for the bid book. In the media this week it was also announced that York Park and Bellerive Oval would be "reserved" for AFL use during the World Cup - is that a strong hint that the training venues are new venues?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Time will tell.. only 196 days to go!</div></span></span>Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-54191564252151633722010-05-11T08:11:00.000+10:002010-05-11T08:11:52.295+10:00Who will save the World Cup from Victoria?"<a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/footy-saved-from-world-cup-threat/story-e6frf7jo-1225864261632">Footy saved from World Cup threat</a>" read the front page of the Herald Sun yesterday. What an alarming title – you would think FIFA was going to roll their tanks in and destroy the AFL headquarters from a headline like that.<br />
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So what has actually happened? Let’s pick a few key quotes from the article.<br />
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<b>The AFL and the “biggest show on earth” will co-exist if Australia hosts the soccer World Cup in 2018 or 2022</b>. Co-exist is a funny word. It implies some sort of equality. For example, the AFL and soccer don't "co-exist" at the moment - for the best part, the AFL totally dominates it in the media. Does the AFL expect that this will happen during a World Cup hosted in Australia? It won't even be 50-50 - the World Cup will, dominate. The AFL's season continuing during the World Cup is not about whether it is legally allowed to - it is whether the AFL wishes to commit financial suicide by attempting to do so.<br />
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<b>Skilled Stadium [Kardinia Park in Geelong], Subiaco Oval, Gold Coast Stadium and Adelaide Oval would also be off limits to the AFL during the Cup.</b> Oh yes, the FFA/Federal Government is taking these venues, modernising them, upgrading their capacity, using them for a couple of months – and then handing the nice shiny new venues back to the AFL to play on year after year. Not to mention the MCG and Homebush. Are we supposed to think the AFL is doing it tough?<br />
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<b>The government guarantee appears to contravene a FIFA regulation that a major sport can’t run in the host nation during a World Cup.</b> Actually, the truth is a little simpler than that – the AFL is not a major sport. The FIFA regulation relates to events such as Wimbledon, or the Ashes series. Even Major League Baseball continued in the United States in 1994, and MLB is much bigger than AFL.<br />
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<b>[Demetriou said] "We’ve always said we would be providing the MCG and Skilled Stadium [Kardinia Park]"</b> How nice of him to be able to speak for the Victorian State Government and the City of Greater Geelong. Did the AFL "provide" the MCG for the Commonwealth Games, or was it simply that it isn’t theirs to provide? <br />
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<b>The AFL has also been concerned FIFA would require the MCG for longer, before and after the tournament.</b> This refers to a proposal to "rectangularise" the MCG temporarily, requiring the ground for longer for conversion, which was announced publicly in December last year. However, this proposal had already been eliminated by the bid taskforce privately before this time and also again publicly about 6 hours after the news story was published (in the Herald Sun, no surprises there). For some reason, despite the fact that it is not going to happen, it gets brought up time and time again by the AFL and the Herald Sun, alongside the equally unlikely threat of "cancelling a season and sending clubs broke".<br />
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In fine form as usual, the Herald Sun has followed up with another article today, "<a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/league-compo-for-cup-games/story-e6frf9jf-1225864757939">League compo for cup games</a>". This is all about the compensation they will receive for ... hang on - what are they being compensated for? They apparently aren't going to stop their season or reduce the number of games. They are mathematically perfectly capable of honouring their existing stadium contracts even with some of them being unavailable, so no issues there. They are going to have to play some games in reduced capacity venues for 10 weeks, certainly - but this is negated by the fact that they are also going to play in increased capacity stadiums for years to come - surely hundreds of millions of dollars worth of government funded infrastructure is enough? In fact, the United States bid - our closest competitor for the 2022 World Cup - is already taking advantage of the ammo being provided to them <a href="http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/australia/news/997742/US-bid-looking-strong">to promote their own bid</a> - how much compensation is the AFL going to pay the federal government if it is their antics which causes our bid to fail?<br />
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Melbourne's self proclaimed title of the "sports capital of the world" is now a joke - nowhere else would you see the largest newspaper in such a city against the World Cup.<br />
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I really feel sorry for the hundreds of thousands of Victorians who support both codes, as well as the hundreds of thousands who have no specific interest in soccer but want the World Cup to come here. Unfortunately to the rest of the country and the rest of world, their local media is portraying the state as extremely insular and closed minded.<br />
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... and to think that if the World Cup comes here, the Herald Sun would be the first to complain when Melbourne only hosted six matches and Sydney hosts twenty! But why shouldn't Sydney get more? Not only are they upgrading their largest venue - Stadium Australia - by adding 5000 seats and installing a retractable glass roof, they are also offering their secondary stadium (Sydney Football Stadium) as well as offering to build a new 40,000 capacity venue in Western Sydney! The New South Wales Government and the people of Sydney obviously want to host World Cup matches, not treat it like some sort of invading threat. <br />
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The AFL can't really be blamed for their actions - their job is to look after their sport - but the Herald Sun is supposed to be a media outlet, not the AFL's PR department.<br />
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If I were an international football fan planning the best location to base myself during a World Cup in Australia, I'd be looking at the city with three venues (and within commuting distance to Canberra and Newcastle). Melbourne wouldn't even be on the radar. Is the Victorian Government looking after the interests of the state, or the interests of the AFL?Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2611710795858979614.post-74312424336464950912010-04-28T00:11:00.000+10:002010-04-28T00:11:22.992+10:00House before and after: The landIn a previous house blog post, I mentioned doing a serious of "before and after" posts about how the new house compares to the old one - after all, we already have a house so there must be something different about the new one worth talking about! Here is the first - not focusing on any room this time, but the land and house as a whole.<br />
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One of the major complaints about our current house is that it is too small! That isn't strictly correct - square metre wise, it isn't that bad, but it is laid out in such an inefficient way.<br />
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In theory, our current house has four bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, three living areas, a study, a workshop and three separate outdoor entertaining areas (two decks and a paved area). It doesn't exactly read like a bad real estate agent spiel at all - I have high hopes that when we sell it, the house will be very appealing to someone else with different usage patterns or requirements to us!<br />
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In practice, half of the rooms are full of stuff (in boxes or crates if we are lucky - in a pile if not) due to a lack of built-in storage, and the rooms that aren't are .. lets say, very cosy.<br />
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The main kitchen/living area is on the upper floor and doesn't have direct walk-out access to the backyard - unless you go out the front door and down the driveway. In addition, the garage is around the back of the house, which means we have a driveway separating one of the other living areas - the downstairs lounge - from the yard area. Neither of these are particularly helpful when you have kids - of course, it wasn't the kind of thing that was on our minds when we were 23!<br />
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A picture is worth a thousand words .. so here are a couple of diagrams. The first is our current house on the left, and new house on the right, at the same scale, and both aligned so that up is north. The outline of the old house is based on the Google Maps satellite view, and the outline of the new house is based on a diagram provided by our architect.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/%7Echuq/img/house/compare-land.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://users.on.net/%7Echuq/img/house/compare-land.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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The new block is about 20% larger than the old one, and the new house also has a much bigger footprint. I didn't think the block difference was particularly obvious from this map. Note one thing which isn't apparent from this picture is that the old house has the same floor area on both levels, whereas in the new house the ground floor is only about 60% the area of the first floor.<br />
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The 'garden' area on this diagram pretty much means 'the rest' - some bits are lawn, but many areas are concreted pathways, rock gardens, retaining walls, or otherwise areas which are impractical for use as 'backyard' due to shape and slope. Note that this applies equally to the new house as well - it can't be helped on a sloped block - but at least we are taking it into consideration this time and making an effort to minimise it!<br />
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The second diagram shows both floors of the old house, and then matches up the corresponding room locationss on the first floor new house. Note that these images are also the same scale - it looks totally wrong, especially compared to the previous diagram, but I have triple-checked and put it down to the fact that the old house outline on the first diagram included the eaves.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://users.on.net/%7Echuq/img/house/compare-rooms.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://users.on.net/%7Echuq/img/house/compare-rooms.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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As you can see almost all of the old house will "fit" on the first floor of the new house, with a room to spare (eventually for the third child)! This is great as it means we (including the kids) generally won't be running up and down the stairs constantly - pretty much only when we leave the house.<br />
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The unmarked areas on the old house ground floor include the garage, laundry, and storage/workshop/office area. I won't worry about these ones in this post, but they will get their own post eventually when I do the room-by-room comparisons!Chuqhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10005365984125561278noreply@blogger.com0