The Extraordinary Tourist

I'm Not a Geek

2012-01-24T13:34:00.000+10:30

Computer and I
Amiga 600HD animation

I'm not a Geek. At least I don't consider myself to be one. I know that would raise an eyebrow with a lot of people who know me and surely they'd protest...

"But you know so much about computers and technology and people are always asking you to help solve their computer problems."

It's true, I do know a lot about computers and technology - and people do ask me to help solve their computer problems (which has started to extend into digital camera and mobile phone problems too).

However a lot of what I know is because it's stuff I have to know in order to do the work I do. Much of my creative time is spent in front of a computer because computers have made massive in roads into the creative arts.

In the past, as a writer, I may have used a pen and notebook a lot more. These days, if I want to write something longer than a shopping list, I'll go straight to my computer.

Although I still draw, sketch and paint with my own two hands using traditional tools, more and more of my art is becoming digital. Whether it be photographing my paintings so I can sell prints, right up to drawing and painting with my Wacom digital graphics tablet... not to mention animation, which I create entirely on a computer thus far.

When I started making videos I filmed with Super8 VHS camera (I think that's the format? Video tape anyhow) and used to edit it all together with two linked VHS video recorders along with a stereo player hacked into the audio line so I could add a music track mixed with a live or taped mic recording of the narration. All of this because I couldn't afford a proper editing desk. Now all of that can be done with a digital video camera and my laptop computer.

If you want to keep all this technology running and have all your devices linked to home network so you can share a wireless internet connection then you need to learn about how all this works. How to set it up. How to install things. Otherwise you'll spend a lot of time sitting around paying someone too much money to fix something that you probably could have fixed in a few minutes if you bothered to learn how your technology works.

Hence I know a lot about Geeky stuff like computers, cameras, mobile phones etc. but only the technology I actually use.

My partner has an iPad and an iPhone neither of which I use very much at all. I kind of know my way around them - since they're Apple products and designed to be easy to use by almost anyone - but I'm not as confident with them as I am with my own phone, Android tablet and computer.

I tend to think of Geeks as people who are impressed by the best technology you can buy. They walk into a computer store and look dreamily at that high end laptop that they're going to buy one day. They look at your sucky laptop computer because it's nowhere near as good as theirs and they're quite happy to tell you why. You know what I mean right?

As far as I go, I buy the best technology I can afford then use it. I don't concern myself with what I can't afford or what I'd like to own if money allowed. I walk into a computer store and head straight for whatever it is I plan to buy. I don't stop to admire all the display computers.

I own a Toshiba Laptop that I bought new for under $500 on ebay. It's the first new laptop I've ever owned and was the best I could afford. It may not be as streamlined, powerful or flashy as a Macbook Air that costs two to three times more but it gets the job done. That's all that matters.

I've also got a number of older computers that date back to the beginning of the century (which makes them sound really ancient but that's only 12 years ago) that I try to keep running and find a use for because nobody would actually buy any of them.

It's actually the number of computers I own that makes me seem more of a Geek but really, I'm sure many people have a trail of old computers in the shed or wherever. It's not that Geeky.

When I was young I may have taught myself computer programming and spent a couple of years in College learning to business program. That doesn't make me a Geek... anymore... all that stuff is outdated. Anyway, I failed my computer programming course because I wanted to write games and there was no such course for game programmers back then. I can't really program now other than make minor hacks to java script code - even then it's all trial and error.

As usual I'm rambling now, so I'll end it here. I'm not a Geek really. However I know what you're probably thinking...

"Yes you are."

Movie: We Bought a Zoo

2012-01-18T22:48:00.000+10:30

Seeing a movie like We Bought a Zoo there is two very predictable things about the plot, that you can assume before going in, without so much as reading a single review.

Right away, just from the title, you know the main characters are going to be buying a zoo. No matter what happens in the lead up to that moment, you pretty much already know they're going to buy.

The film is based on a true story which immediately suggests these people didn't buy a zoo and then fail. No one wants to see a movie where they fail to make the zoo work. There probably isn't a filmmaker that would make this film if it wasn't an inspirational story of success.

It's one of those films that you really do watch for the journey and not how it ends.

It's also a chance to see Matt Damon play a some what naive but optimistic single dad to two slightly challenging young children rather than an action hero. I think he does a pretty good job at it. He doesn't quite get you believing he's a real battler - because you already know his character succeeds - but he does pull you into the characters emotional journey and keeps you invested in finding out how he succeeds.

As you'd expect the zoo comes with a bunch of colourful and quirky staff members who fill out the rest of the story with supporting sub plots, some humorous and others more in-depth and tugging at the heart strings. Some of the animals get their moments on screen too.

Of course, every film needs a villain. In this movie it's the Zoo Inspector with his extremely intimidating, powered, roll out tape measure (when I first saw that tape measure I couldn't believe you can really buy such a thing). Although the Zoo Inspector (played by John Michael Higgins) does an excellent job of being intimidating and unlikable the character's attitude seems a little unlikely.

This guy seemed to want the zoo to fail despite what that might mean for all the animals. I could understand a strict Zoo Inspector but ultimately I'd expect a person in that position to be more helpful and going out of their way to help get the Zoo up to scratch.

As always, this isn't so much a review of the movie as a few thoughts I had about the movie after seeing it. Follow the link above to the Internet Movie Database where I'm sure you'll find some user reviews.

I enjoyed it as a film but it's not one of those films I'd rush out and buy the DVD. If the story does inspire you then you might go out and buy the book or research which zoo the story is based upon.

Overall, it's a pleasant journey. Not too challenging and you should be happy with the end result.

Captain Proud Paddle Steamer, Murray Bridge, South Australia

2012-01-10T21:33:00.000+10:30

The Captain Proud.

I've been to Murray Bridge before but I don't think I've written about it. This trip, Enigma and I booked a three hour, two course, lunch cruise on the Captain Proud Paddle Steamer that sails on the River Murray and is based at Murray Bridge.

The Time Machine from
Back to the Future III?

In the car park Doctor Emmet Brown's Steam Train Time Machine was looking something the worse for wear and I was kind of hoping he'd done a conversion on the Captain Proud. No such luck however. As the paddle steamer pulled away from the jetty it didn't suddenly levitate out of the water and take us back to the old west or 1955.

The trip starts out with a good humored introduction by the vessels Captain with the expected orientation of where everything is. He notes that the boat is the 'tiger moth' of boats, with the people acting as ballast, so, if it starts to develop a lean to one side, it just means a few people need to move to the other side of the boat. Though the Captain did assure us that the boat wouldn't tip over.

For those interested in such things the Captain Proud does not have independent paddle wheels. It can only use the wheels to go forward and backwards.

Dining Room.

The lunch menu is pretty limited. On our trip the menu was fish or roast beef served with vegetables and for desert, Pavlova or Brandy Baskets with fruit salad. It's the first time I've ordered a meal simply by raising my hand on my preferences (since there were eight people per table and this was quicker than asking everyone individually) but the food was very nice all the same.

As you cruise down the river the Captain does give you a commentary on various interesting facts along the way, such as how much some of the river front properties are worth and pointing out where the banks collapsed, completely submerging a road and several cars.

Enigma takes some photos
from the upper deck.

I must admit the scenery isn't the most scenic you'll ever see, mostly flat-ish bush land, river front houses, marinas and plenty of house boats.

The real attraction is that it's a great way to spend a relaxing 3 hours with friends on the water. You're completely free to move around the boat's three levels (with exception to the staff only areas), take a few photos, chat with your friends or get to know anyone else you're sharing your table with. You can also relax on the outside balconies and just enjoy the sensation of cruising down a river.

Me on the upper deck.

Enigma and I had a pleasant afternoon. The weather was a little overcast but it was nice and not too cold on the outside decks. We thought it was good value for the price.

Hillocks Drive, Butler's Beach, Marion Bay and Port Vincent, South Australia

2012-01-04T23:42:00.000+10:30

Homestead and Store.

It's all a matter of perception as to how much you'll enjoy a stay at Hillocks Drive Homestead. I'd describe it as a compromise between camping and caravaning.

The site is fairly remote, on the bottom of the Yorke Peninusula, South Australia, and requires driving down 19 kilometres of extremely bumpy dirt road once you leave the bitumen.

There is also no mobile phone reception so if you're not used to being 'unplugged' from the 'Matrix' (i.e. internet) then this is a great place to discover all those other features your phone has - like the camera.

The less bumpy dirt road from
Hillock Drive to Marion Bay.

My partner, Enigma, booked our two night trip probably thinking it would be more like a caravan park holiday - even though she knew the caravans had no power. Upon seeing our accommodation she soon realized her expectations were a lot higher than the reality.

What you get is a camping ground on the top of the plateau that drops down hill to an extremely pretty fishing spot known as Butler's beach.

If you want the premium experience you can book to stay in the homestead as a house guest (we didn't so I can't really comment on this) but the real experience of Hillocks Drive is fishing and for that you need to be on the camping ground near the beach. However being close to the homestead means you're right next to the homestead's shop where you can buy bait, tackle, ice etc.

For the budget experience you can book a camp site and bring your own tent or van. The sites are fairly well protected from the wind by the trees and the hillside. You'll be walking distance from a single Eco toilet (or drop toilet as they're sometimes called) and a short drive away from the four hot showers, sinks and flush toilet amenities back at the homestead - be prepared to queue for these if the grounds are busy.

Our van - The Hill Top Hilton.
Photo by Enigma.

Enigma and I went for the mid price experience of staying in one of several caravans, humorously named and distributed around the camp site. Ours was called the 'Hill Top Hilton' and I think it had the best view of the coast from the kitchen window.

Most of the caravans look liked they were dragged into place after they went out of style in the 1970's and their owners upgraded. Ever since then they've had patch up after patch up just to make sure they hold together. I think the only thing in our caravan close to new was the mattress on the double bed (which I have to say was pretty firm but comfortable).

Many of the windows on our van wouldn't shut properly and the screens were either missing or pushed out (which explains how the spider got in - more on that later).

As mentioned there's no power but you do get a gas stove and running water in the sink as well as a single solar powered light - so if you do forget torches you at least won't be sitting in the dark.

Now if these vans sound terrible remember, I said it's all a matter of perception. I didn't have any expectations other than I knew there was going to be no power. For me, while the van was the Hilton in name only, it was far more comfortable than staying in a tent - especially on the second night which was quite windy.

Enigma's disappointment was not eased by the van not having any sheets and - whilst we bought pillows we hadn't packed sheets. Fortunately a quick trip back to the shop and the homestead's owners, Pam and Lisa, were extremely accommodating and rounded up a set of sheets for us that would normally be used by house guests.

Our dog Oscar munching on
a piece of cuttlefish,
Butler's Beach.

One of the reasons we decided to holiday at Hillock's Drive was that it's dog friendly accommodation. Our little dog Oscar made himself at home in the van and had no trouble sleeping in the new environment. In fact he had the best time out of the three of us - wearing himself out totally every time on the beach, running around and playing chicken with the waves.

Another couple of hits to Enigma's initial disappointment...

The presence of a mouse on our first day - which I only saw once as it made a high speed dash between the side of the bed. We heard it again later but made sure there was no food within easy reach. Never heard or saw anything from it after that.

Oscar's impression of the big, hairy Huntsman
Spider I caught in our van.
Photo by Enigma.

The first night I was looking for a place to hang our lantern torch and happened to find a small hook located conveniently beside one of the biggest Huntsman spiders I've ever seen in a long while. These spiders are quite big and hairy. I don't have a picture but on the right is Oscars impression of it at Marion Bay.

Enigma mentioned these incidents to Pam and Lisa who were aware of the Huntsman spider in the van and were quite happy to hear that I didn't kill it (I'm surprised they hadn't named it) but caught it with a glass and put it outside away from the van.

As for the mouse they said the traps they set had been empty when they checked them before our arrival.

Both of these things didn't really phase me at all. By this point I'd come to realize Hillocks Drive is firmly targeted at people who like to fish from a beach and generally, aren't too fussy about accommodation. Me, I'm just happy to try to make the best of whatever situation arises. I didn't think we'd be spending that much time in the van so the fact that it wasn't actually the Hilton wasn't that big a concern.

If part of your holiday experience is about how good the accommodation is then you might want to book a room in the Homestead rather than one of the vans.

Yes I know, another picture
of Oscar. Marion Bay, SA

Marion Bay

Aside from Butler's Beach we also went down the coast a bit to Marion Bay, where there is a small township, jetty, boat ramp and a very calm beach. There wasn't too much to do here if you don't have a boat and you've got your pet dog with you but we had a nice time walking along the beach and Oscar got some swimming lessons followed by vigorous rolling in seaweed (which he loves to do).

If you don't have pets with you (and Hillocks Drive has a very shady and spacious pen to look after your dog if you need to leave it behind) you can visit the sights at Innes National Park. The park is strictly no pets so we had to turn back.

Enigma at Meehan Hill Lookout.
A great photo opportunity!

Meehan Hill Lookout

On our way back to Butler's Beach we stopped at Meehan Hill Lookout which overlooks a private beach and lengthy stretch of coast line. The sign suggests you're welcome to walk down to the beach but strictly prohibits the use of motorbikes or four wheel drives on the beach.

Butler's Beach Again

Butler's Beach view from just
outside the Hill Top Hilton.
Photo by Enigma.

At this point you haven't really seen any images of Butler's beach. So on the right is a fantastic photo, taken by Enigma, of the beach from just outside the Hill Top Hilton. With a view like this who really cares if the accommodation is a little 'challenging'.

I'm not sure how good the fishing is but I did see one family catch a small fish. The mum 'screamed like a girl' trying to pick up the catch and I thought to myself - that's exactly what I'd do too. I'm definitely not a fisherman!

You can actually swim at Butler's Beach but be warned it gets deep fairly fast and the waves have a very strong pull - as Enigma discovered with this freakishly big wave in the photo below. One minute she was siting in the wash up that was covering just above her waist, the next she copped a wave in the face!

Enigma getting an unexpectedly large wave very close to shore and
nearly being pulled into the surf by it.

As I mentioned we only went to Butler's Beach, Hillocks Drive for a couple of nights so we didn't do a lot of sight seeing. In fact we spent a large amount of our time on the beach its self.

By the time we left I think Enigma was mostly happy with how the holiday went and would've stayed an extra day or so - but neither of us could be bothered to queue for the showers after not having a shower for our whole stay. We kind of wanted to get home to get clean again.

Port Vincent

Port Vincent from the beach in front of the
caravan park looking back towards the Yacht Club.

On our way back to Gawler we made a stop for lunch at the small town of Port Vincent where Enigma had lived for quite a few of the earlier years of her life. According to Enigma the town had changed quite a bit since she lived there though some things were still the same.

Unlike Marion Bay the beach and coastline have been developed a little more to create a very pleasant foreshore with parkland, barbeques and a very calm swimming beach. Enigma and I contemplated possibly spending a future holiday here - perhaps in the caravan park right on the beach (with power and self contained units). Dare to dream.

Oscar and I at Butler's Beach.
Both of us were too chicken
to go swimming.
Photo by Enigma.

Overall, whilst this holiday was definitely a bit of a challenge on the accommodation side of things, I think if we had known exactly what to expect (and in hind sight), we'd still both have gone.

I know Oscar would be there in a second. He didn't seem to be that much of a beach fan when we took him to our local beaches but he really took to Butler's Beach despite the strong swell and windy conditions. He's definitely a beach dog now!

Movie: New Years Eve (2011)

2011-12-28T16:30:00.001+10:30

As this will be my last post on this blog for 2011 I thought I'd write something about the appropriately titled movie New Years Eve which I saw at the cinema yesterday.

As always this won't be a review but more a commentary of my thoughts. If you haven't seen this film and don't like potentially having the film spoiled then stop reading now - come back when you've seen it. Though having said that, there are no major spoilers below.

The movie is pretty much a formula ensemble piece of intertwined 'relationship' stories. For me the best of this kind of film is Love Actually (mostly for Bill Nighy's performance).

In the case of New Year's Eve the entire story happens over the course of the day leading up to the New Year and is focused around events linked to the New York City, Time Square, Ball Drop (a world famous New Years event but somewhat over rated unless you're actually at Time Square I suspect).

Ensemble films with plenty of big stars (and this one is filled with them - even in cameo roles) is always hit and miss as to whether it's going to work. At best, usually one or two of the sub stories will pan out and be really interesting whilst the rest will be mostly 'meh'.

New Year's Eve is kind of like that. You may connect with some of the stories but others probably not so much. Though, to the film's credit, it did keep me guessing as to who the mystery girl meeting up with Sam (Josh Duhamel) would be out of the women from several of the other stories.

Generally why I like this kind of film is not for the deep and meaningful stories - which usually aren't that deep - but for the light humor sprinkled throughout all (or at least most of) the stories. There are some really funny moments between Katherine Heigl and Sofía Vergara whose characters are catering the Time Square event. The two couples competing to have the first New Years baby makes for some good humor too. There's also a great scene between John Lithgow (surprisingly uncredited) and Michelle Pfeiffer, where John plays her self centered boss.

One other reason to like this kind of film is seeing how all the stories are linked. It's not obvious straight away but, over the course of the film, each story does become a little more linked to one or more of the others going on. The only problem I had with this in New Year's Eve was that it felt like the people in the stories that had a link didn't really know anything about the other characters in those stories.

For example, though we find out Sarah Jessica Parker's character is Zac Efron's character's older sister, you get no sense that she knows anything about Zac's best friend, played by Ashton Kutcher who's in another story of his own.

I did appreciate the bloopers played through the end credits, though this film does suffer from having some of the best moments in the bloopers - which is always a risk when showing bloopers.

I'm glad I saw this movie on 'budget Tuesday'. It's not a bad film - certainly not as bad as many reviewers have said - just don't go in expecting it to be anything more than very light entertainment.

What to Write? The Problem of Being More Productive

2011-12-20T14:50:00.000+10:30

I recently discovered WeekPlan, an online, weekly planner site that I wrote about in my Art Time Productions, Business Advice blog with the post, Time and Project Management for One. The planner is inspired by the book, "Seven Habits of Highly-Effective People" by S. Covey and, at week four of using it, is proving to be very good at increasing my daily productivity.

I'm maintaining a weekly schedule of writing one article for each of my three blogs and still having plenty of time to devote to other projects as part of my daily plan.

The trouble is, writing for this blog (which has always been my main blog), is proving to be quite difficult to find subject matter for on a weekly basis. I've always only written for this blog when inspiration hit or if I was enthusiastic about writing. So trying to maintain a regular schedule of writing for this blog when inspiration isn't knocking is something of a challenge.

I can't write about what I do most of at the moment (Animation) because I made a separate blog for that - which is much easier to write for because I'm always doing something in that area.

I can't really write about Art Business because I made a separate blog for that too. Again much easier to write for too because the topic is so specific.

Red Dragon, Acrylic on Canvas
December 2011

Writing about my painting is something I could do but I find this a bit bland from my point of view. That is, most of my painting is what it is and isn't really that enhanced by explaining the inspiration behind most of the work.

For example, I recently painted this Red Dragon (see image right). I've explained before that I like drawing dragons because you can make them look like anything and I particularly like posing them in really awkward positions. It doesn't get much deeper than that. There's no symbolism, no hidden message. I wasn't inspired by other dragon images... I just doodled a dragon in my sketch book and then turned the doodle into a painting.

Oscar, our Dog.

I've written about our pets before and I have no doubt I could easily devote my one article a week to the antics of Oscar, out pet dog. However I don't want to start looking like I'm an obsessive pet owner, infatuated with every little thing Oscar does.

Yes, he is quite a character and yes I take him for a walk every day but for the most part he sleeps somewhere nearby whilst I'm being 'more productive'.

If you've stuck with this article to this point you may realize that I'm really just waffling to get myself through this week's post. This is the kind of article I write when I don't know what to write. It beats staring at a blank page and is a tried and true method of breaking writers block... just write whatever you're thinking.

I need to get back into the mindset that I had for a while where I would consciously look for things that might translate well into a blog post. Hopefully I can do that soon so you'll get some interesting and insightful reading instead of largely meaningless articles like this.

At least I'm being more productive... right?

Christmas Sales Lower Than Expected - Retailers

2011-12-13T18:11:00.001+10:30

Every year at about this time news reports focus on shopping. In particular, shopping in the central city (in my case that is Adelaide, South Australia). Every year sales are reported as lower than expected - at least I don't ever recall any report saying sales were higher than expected.

What this does is give the impression that retailers are doing it tough when in fact they're probably doing perfectly fine. Sales are still up, with more people buying during the festive season, it's just not as high as they expected.

It's almost become a traditional pre-Christmas whinge.

As you may know I sell my own original art and prints of my art through this website and Redbubble. I even sell Christmas cards featuring my art. For me Christmas sales so far are exactly as I expected - Zero.

It's not as if I don't promote what I sell or let people know my work would make a great Christmas gift. It's also not as if I don't have plenty of people telling me they enjoy my work. For some reason Christmas sales, for the most part, are elusive for me... except for that one year when I had a rush on. I bought ten of my own Christmas cards.

Yeah, I'm not bitter! LOL

I'm not really complaining. Overall I do okay. Mostly from Ebay auctions of my original art and my Art Business Services (to which I recently added animation services). Sometimes it's a long spell between jobs but eventually something turns up to keep me afloat for a few more months.

I'd just like to say my Christmas sales were higher than expected for once. I'm sure many of those city retailers would like to say their Christmas sales were higher than expected too.

Let It Be Beatles Show in Gawler

2011-12-06T11:02:00.001+10:30

Last weekend I went along to see the Let It Be Beatles show at a local hotel as a tag along guest at my partner's work Christmas function. I wouldn't say I'm a fanatical fan of Beatles music but I do enjoy most of their hits - though my preference is for their later work, when they were able to really explore their musical creativity.

Personally I was a little disappointed by the show, not because of the band or the performance but because it was just too loud for the room. Don't get me wrong, I like my live music loud but I was having a hard time making out what the band members were saying even just speaking into the microphones between songs.

Granted we were seated near the front, so you'd expect it to be louder but we were still at the opposite side of the dance floor to the band and there was a table (it was dinner and a show) of people in front of us. I'm sure it sounded great to the people up the back, down the elevator and in the ground floor dining room.

Just before the first interval the band also said they were having trouble hearing themselves - so the sound definitely wasn't right even for them.

We left about two thirds into the show because our ears just couldn't take it anymore. Mine were buzzing every time the music got a little loud - and that was after the sound guy seemed to get the level a little more appropriate for the room. Still could hear the band clearly at the bottom of the stair well (located right up the opposite side of the hotel to where the band was) as we left.

I didn't get to hear the songs from later albums I would like to have heard but one could argue I wouldn't really have heard them had we stayed - since I was trying to block my ears a little to get the volume down without much success.

However, don't let me put you off if you're a Beatles fan and you'd like to see a really good cover band perform their songs faithfully to the originals. Let It Be Beatles certainly did that well on the songs that I knew. A particular highlight was 'Paperback Writer,' despite only being able to hear about half the lyrics.

On a side note...

Maybe I don't get out to events often enough but it struck me as kind of fascinating to see so many people watching the show with (smart) mobile phones close to hand. Plenty of people taking pictures or just generally doing things on their phones - especially at our table.

I have a smart phone too but I don't live through it when I'm out. Most of the time it's a substitute for not wearing a watch or so my partner can text me. Occasionally I'll use it for internet or take pictures and video but not that often.

It was just fascinating to see so many phones because I remember a time when you could go to events like this and even the first consumer digital cameras hadn't been invented yet. For the people in the audience that actually went to a Beatles concert (and there were one or two because the band asked) it may have been quite a reminder at just how far technology has progressed.

Why Do You Do Art?

2011-11-29T12:04:00.001+10:30

I was recently asked the question 'Why do you do Art?'. You'd think after forty plus years of doing art I'd know the answer to this question but I actually had to stop and think about it.

Anywhere but here, by TET, July 2004
"The art that I'm most proud of is work where
I've set out to communicate an idea..."

I'm aware many people create their art as a relaxation or escape from stress. I suspect many artists in this category are those that get their inspiration from painting their surroundings - such as landscape, still-life and portrait painters.

Just from my observations those artists, once they've developed their skills and are confident in their techniques they can afford to relax and enjoy the experience of creating their art without stressing too much about whether their final artwork will be successful... chances are it will be.

I'm not one of those people.

Creating my art certainly isn't a stressful experience by any stretch but I can't say my mind is relaxed during the process. If anything, it's more active than ever as I have to bring my idea out into a visual image from my imagination. On top of that, my painting style is rather quick, so the next decision is never very far away and I'm usually planning ahead to what I imagine the finished result to be.

Some people do art to earn a living. I'm certainly in that category but it's not why I do art. I create art whether I think it will sell or not. I do consciously try to steer my non commercial efforts towards a commercial gain, as I did with my GoAnimate videos, which started out as a fun activity two years ago but this year earned the bulk of my freelance design income. However the reason I do that is to avoid having to get a regular day job - which would severely limit me from doing art.

The more I work as a freelance artist/designer the more I realize that bringing other people's ideas to life is not personally satisfying to me. Challenging sure but not satisfying. Even though I'm the first to admit that some of my best work is done for other people (particularly among the cat paintings that I'm known for) this is more a result of my high personal standards than trying to fulfill my need to create art.

I used to think I create my art for other people because I'm not that sentimental about hanging on to my own work. Having other people enjoy my paintings and having them on display in their homes. It's great to know that people do that with my work but I think it pleases me mostly because, if I kept hold of it, I'd store it away out of sight - because once an artwork is completed, I've got from it what I needed. I don't need to keep looking at it.

When it gets down to it, I do art because I have an idea to express. The art that I'm most proud of is work where I've set out to communicate an idea, whether that be a simple emotion or an entire narrative. It's why writing and animation both appeal to me. They allow me to express complex ideas and complete stories in a creative way beyond the single image or series of images you can create with a painting.

That's pretty much why I do art. I'm all about expressing an idea.

Keeping Up with TET on your Mobile Device

2011-11-26T18:05:00.001+10:30

Click image to install my
Mippin Mobile Application
Works on most devices.

Mobile internet and devices have become a lot more popular since smart phones and tablets have really taken off. Especially with the launch of iphones, ipads and their Android equivalents. With so many different screen sizes to cater for my web site isn't always that easy to browse on mobile devices.

To help make your browsing experience easier I've enabled Blogger's mobile view on all my blogs. This view essentially strips back all the sidebars and leaves you with just the articles, which scale nicely to fit whatever size screen you're using.

Download my Apps...

However if you want to keep up with everything I upload to my three blogs, two YouTube channels, My Facebook Page, Flickr, Ebay and more (so many sites that I can't even name them all off the top of my head) then I'd recommend installing my Mippin Mobile Application.

The application works as an installable app on iphones/ipads and Android devices. On all other mobile devices it gives an 'app like' experience using your mobile devices browser. It includes everything that gets channeled through my Master RSS feed and has separate sections for posts to my TET Facebook page and both my YouTube channels.

Finally if you have an Android device and would just like my main site (i.e. www.extraordinarytourist.com) installed as an app instead of having to open your browser then you could install my AppsGeyser Android App. It's no different from viewing this site in your mobile devices browser, it just allows you to access my site directly as an app.

Software Stylus for Tablet Drawing

2011-11-25T15:54:00.001+10:30

I own an Android Tablet that has available to it many great drawing applications. The trouble is, drawing on a touchscreen with your finger is like trying to sketch with jumbo crayons. As is trying to draw with most stylus pens which are only a marginal improvement over using your finger.

Precision drawing on your average touchscreen seems like wishful thinking.

However I've had this idea for a software stylus that acts like an extension of your finger and allows drawing with greater precision. See my rough diagram below. Essentially it's a pointer that follows your finger around the screen. Its angle can be adjusted so that from your vantage point it looks like the tip of your finger is coming to a point.

Softnib concept sketch.

You simply move the pointer around and the line is drawn from the point of the stylus instead of somewhere under your finger, where you can't see it.

Obviously I haven't worked out all the details - such as how the pointer tells the difference between positioning the stylus and drawing with the stylus. I'm sure these kind of things can be sorted with further development. It could even have different shaped pointers for different shaped lines.

I'm calling it 'softnib'. A solution that allows for precision drawing without the need for an actual stylus.

What do you think - is it a good idea? Have you seen it before?

If it is a good idea let's hope someone sees this post who can actually implement it.

Pt5. Three Cat Tails Painting by TET

2011-10-29T16:08:00.000+10:30

Finished: Three Cat Tails
Acrylic on Canvas panels.

Day five of my video diary (embeded below) following the creation of my latest series of paintings, Three Cat Tails.View Part one, Part two, Part 3 and Part 4 if you haven't seen them yet.

In the final episode of this series I get to paint the black and white layers that I thought I'd be painting on day 4 but delayed in exchange for adding more purple and green shadow.

The black and white layers take the artworks through to completion. Then I finish each panel off with a dark blue border around the edge (to cover up the paint marks on the sides).

Whilst I do continue to talk about what I'm doing as I paint this episode does contain a few quite moments of just me painting away because there isn't really a lot to say about the white and black layer. However I hope you'll stick with it to the end just the same.

The series of artworks are available to buy so if you're interested contact me to find out if I'm still looking for a buyer.

Occupy Wall Street - Movement for Change of... Something?

2011-10-27T23:44:00.002+10:30

I've been kind of following the Occupy Wall Street 'movement' from my position of apathetic denial of what's actually happening in the real world - that you can see if you pull back the curtain or disconnect from the Matrix.

In particular I've watched vlogs of the Melbourne, Australia, Occupy Movement through the eyes and camera of You-tuber Sean Beadlam. Sean is quite a hard hitting comedian whose humor is topical, political and often based on the injustices faced by the oppressed. He also focuses on the media and how they'll beat up a story to get their 'angle' rather than provide balanced reporting of the whole story.

Although not one of his comedy routines this video below from Occupy Melbourne is a good example of Sean's work with several juxtaposes of the Occupy movement with media and Sean's use of technology.

Although Sean isn't the only source of my information, you would think that a guy like him would have more to say about the movement and why you should get involved. But instead he aligns himself with the movement perfectly by not really explaining anything about it at all beyond 'It's not just one reason we're here'.

One of the Occupiers even explains in one of Sean's videos (and I'm paraphrasing) "Why would you Occupy? The real question is... Why wouldn't you?" As if that explains everything clearly. I hate that kind of nothing statement. You can apply it to anything.

"Money, power, greed. The real question is not why would you want these things it's why wouldn't you?"

I get that the core point of the occupy movement is about corporations holding all the power at the expense of real, hard working every day people. Corporate fat cats getting richer whilst the rest of us supposedly struggle just to put food on the table... and I'm sure for a lot of people it is a struggle too.

However there's no way I feel I can join a movement where you just pick something to protest about and suddenly you're a part of it. Which is how it seems to me from my apathetic perch in denial.

An interesting development is a new web meme that lets you Occupy any web site, passively. Just enter a URL into occupytheurl.com and you'll be taken to a copy of that web site where images of protesters will gradually occupy the site. Click here to Occupy my blog (I'd recommend you finish reading before you try it). The meme will give you a link to the Rebuild the Dream web site - a great place to learn more about the original movement.

Whilst the meme site is an interesting way to support the movement online it also seems to capture the lack of focus. You can apply it to any site and then click the links to share your occupation of the site on Facebook or Twitter.

The Occupy movement's lack of focus is a real problem. To me it seems they're too busy setting up tent cities and building communities of like minded individuals who all want to change something. Ultimately what you get is a group that wants to change everything and no consensus on where to start.

Personally I don't want to change everything. That's why I wouldn't get out and protest - there question answered. Why wouldn't you protest? That's why!

Then again, I'm not the kind of person that goes out and protests period. I find it a very negative thing to do despite the fact that protesters probably feel it's a positive action of empowerment.

There are better ways to affect change than sitting in a street marveling at how people have come together and built a real sense of a grass roots movement by pitching tents and holding meetings.

I don't like publicizing Bikie Gangs but those people did what I think is a better way of bringing about change. Fight fire with fire. When South Australia's new Anti-bikie laws went too far they all got together, hired lawyers and challenged the SA Government in the courts and won.

That's the thing about living in a so called 'free' society. All those things the corporations are taking advantage of could also be used against them if you know the system.

Yes but we're all too poor to afford fancy lawyers, legal advice, flash cars... come on. This is the internet. The age of crowd sourcing just about anything. With a bit of focus you can do just about anything. Like the Egyptians did in affecting change in their government through social media.

It's just an idea. You can start a movement from your lounge room. If you really wanted to start something.

Instead of berating all those apathetic people living in denial and not getting out and joining the 'movement' why not actually do something that enables them to support the cause without affecting their day jobs... that they're struggling to keep due to the economic climate.

People power is there to be harnessed by anyone who really knows how to affect change... and it's not building tent cities and marveling at how awesome it is to be protesting.

It's about knowing what needs to be changed and having some kind of plan to actually change it that people can get behind and support.

Pt4. Three Cat Tails Painting by TET

2011-10-27T23:31:00.001+10:30

WIP: Three Cat Tails
Darker purple and green shading added.

Day four of my video diary (embeded below) following the creation of my latest series of paintings, Three Cat Tails. View Part one, Part two and Part 3 if you haven't seen them yet.

Yesterday I said that I would begin on adding my black and white final layers today. However after looking at the paintings a few times over night I decided the cats could really use more shadow to give them just a little more three dimensional form.

I had a strong feeling that adding purple and green shadows was what the images really needed. Especially the two larger images needed the purple shading on the background behind the cats to connect them with it - since those two particular images actually make more sense if you get the feeling that you're looking at the cats, laying on a blue floor, from above.

At this point I pretty certain I'm ready for my final black and white detail layers - which I'll get onto on day 5.

Continue to part 5.

Pt3. Three Cat Tails Painting by TET

2011-10-26T23:57:00.000+10:30

WIP: Three Cat Tails

Darker shading and cream fur added.

Day three of my video diary (embeded below) following the creation of my latest series of paintings, Three Cat Tails. View Part one and Part two if you haven't seen them yet.

In this video I mix a dark brown colour to add some shadow and stripes to my cats. You'll see how the brown tones the orange down quite a bit to make the colouring of the cats a little more believable.

I also mix a light cream colour to fill in the transitions between the orange and white area of the cats fur. You'll see in a later episode more clearly what I mean once I add the white back in. Note how, when I add the cream, it initially goes on too thick and I have to wipe it back with a cloth and water it down to make it more translucent. The perils of mixing colours with white paint!

Finally I finish up by adding in a few small details like paw pads and noses.

It doesn't actually seem like I did that much today. Ordinarily I'd probably keep painting but I'm trying to pace this out so I don't cram too much into one video - since each part is really a little longer than I'd like as it is.

If you're enjoying the series I'd really appreciate some feed back on how you think I went and whether you'd find this kind of studio diary useful if I did it again with future paintings. I'd also love to hear any constructive criticism you may have of my presentation and how I explained things. Was it clear or did it leave you with questions?

Use the comment section to share your thoughts.

Continue to Part 4.

Pt2. Three Cat Tails Painting by TET

2011-10-25T21:08:00.000+10:30

WIP: Three Cat Tails
background and base colours.

Day two and part two of my video diary (embeded below) following the creation of my latest series of paintings, Three Cat Tails. View Part one if you haven't seen it yet.

After painting my initial base painting using the three primary colours, in this episode I demonstrate blocking in my backgrounds and the base colour for the three cats.

This episode is a little longer than the last but hopefully is still interesting to watch. All the painting you see is in real time but obviously edited down quite a lot to show the 'highlights' and I explain what I'm doing as I go.

I realize these videos aren't as exciting to watch as the more common 'speed painting' style videos but if your the kind of person that likes to watch over the shoulder of a real live artist at work then these might just be up your alley.

Continue to Part 3.

Pt1. Three Cat Tails Painting by TET

2011-10-24T23:47:00.000+10:30

WIP: Three Cats Tails
Primary Colours under painting.

Determined to start painting more frequently I decided this morning to start a new artwork. However the only canvases I had to hand were a pack of three square canvases of three different sizes that I received as a gift.

I generally don't paint on canvases smaller than 30 x 40 centimetres in size so rather than not use the two smaller canvases I decided to create a series that I could paint across the three panels at the same time.

As much as I enjoy painting I also need my art to sell. My cat paintings nearly always sell so it was a no brainer to do a series of cats. Cat themed paintings are what I would call my 'Bread and Butter' art. i.e. art that pays the bills.

There's no shame in that. It's not selling out. All professional artists have particular themes that sell well which they continue to return to for both the fun of painting and the financial return. In between those paintings they experiment with other themes. People who are familiar with my art always enjoy my cats the most.

As far as this series of cats go the theme is 'Tails' and cats lying in odd positions. The first and second paintings (see image above - the two largest paintings) are cats viewed from above, lying on a pillow or mat perhaps?

Anyhow, as I painted I filmed myself and spoke about my process for creating most of my art (video embeded below). I've done this a few times before but if your new to my art this is a great way to learn my technique. It's also the first time I've done a semi instructional video in HD.

The video runs for about twelve minutes and takes you from the original sketches up to my primary colours under painting that you can see in the photo above.

I'll be filming me creating these artworks until they're complete so watch for future episodes and blog posts which I'll be posting as I make them.

Watch Part 2 here.

Casper, Gizzy and Oscar - Talking Cats and Dogs

2011-10-03T20:38:00.000+10:30

I don't think I've ever chosen a pet dog or cat for myself. Of all the pets in my life, as far as I remember, they were always chosen by someone else. I wouldn't call myself a 'dog' or a 'cat' kind of person not because I don't like them but because I like them a little too much - if that makes sense?

They're not just 'pets', they're companions and friends. At least that is how I view my relationship with our cat Casper who recently passed away (and our dog, Oscar for that matter). I like to spend time with them, often at the expense of my own productivity.

Casper and Gizzy

Casper Two-Face
After rolling in the dust Casper
went from all black to two tone!

I first met Casper about eleven years ago when I became a part of his family. Back then he had a younger friend called Gizzy. Gizzy wasn't exactly attention seeking but she was more vocal and generally upstaged Casper for attention when she needed it. Casper was happy to let her. I think it saved him from having to get our attention because he knew whatever Gizzy was asking for he'd probably get too.

The two of them were part of our lives and probably indirectly inspired much of my cat art that I'm known for with their antics. Gizzy in particular would madly dash up anything at speed without any thought for the climb down and how that was to be achieved.

Casper would dash up things too but he wasn't quite as light and agile as Gizzy so often he wouldn't climb quite as high. Though he lost none of his strength in his last year, having witnessed him, from a standing start climb a two and a half metre pole, dragging himself onto the top using only his front legs to pull the rest of his body up.

Gizzy in my Evanston Studio.

Gizzy never passed away. I let her out one night with Casper over two years ago and she just never came back. We never knew what happened to her. She just vanished. I like to think she found her way to somewhere better to live - as unrealistic as that might be. However, until you actually know what happened it doesn't hurt to be positive - since we'll probably never know.

When Gizzy vanished it brought Casper out of being in her shadow. He had to ask for things himself and became more vocal accordingly. It also brought him closer into the family. Casper didn't need a lot of attention. He was quite okay doing his own thing but every now and then he liked to be in someone's company and just kind of sit and contemplate with you (or sleep on your lap if it was evening).

Casper on my desk with
my morning coffee.

Before our dog, Oscar, came along it was Casper who would sit on my desk while I worked on my computer.

Although I love Oscar I never really thought it was the best idea to get a dog whilst we still had Casper. Dogs and especially puppies need a lot more attention so Casper kind of got marginalized again, only more so because Oscar wasn't a cat.

Oscar freaking out over being
so close to Casper grooming.

He eventually learned to tolerate Oscar as a part of the family and, on occasion, Oscar could tempt Casper into a game of chasey but I don't think he ever saw Oscar as anything more than a friendly annoyance.

Though Oscar did teach Casper about food sampling from our meals. When I first started feeding Oscar small tidbits from my lunch, Casper soon found out and both of them became a fixture, not far from us, at any meal time. Casper was more particular. If he didn't like what you let him sample he wouldn't wait around because he knew it probably wasn't going to get any better.

On Casper's last day, he'd been to the Vet the evening before for some antibiotics and pain killers, he seemed to be a little better. He ate more of his breakfast than he had the day before and even sampled some of my lunch. It was quite a shock to see him rapidly go down hill only hours later, in a lot of distress from internal bleeding.

We took him back to the vet in the hope something could be done but unfortunately there wasn't anything that would have helped. He probably wouldn't have survived an operation in the Vet's opinion.

Although I used to play with Gizzy she always had Casper as her companion. Casper kind of became my companion after Gizzy vanished. He'd spend a lot of time in the same room as me when he needed company and would position himself right in my face if he needed real attention. Once Oscar arrived he did this kind of thing less because he wasn't the kind of cat to compete for attention.

Casper's age and quietly confident nature made him a much better listener than Oscar. Talking to Oscar, I swear sometimes all he hears is, "Do you want to play now?" He'll become a better listener with age I hope.

The purpose of this post was really just to put down some memories of Casper and to a lesser extent, Gizzy and Oscar, in a longer article than a Facebook Status update. Casper was my kind of companion pet. He didn't need a lot of attention and if you really tried you could encourage him to play, if only for a very short time. For the most part he did his own thing but was there in the background, ready to listen to me ramble on when no one else was around and to be a companion.

He thought the Frog Van was cool too (sleeping in the drivers seat when he could get to it. Usually when I was working on the van).

I'm still seeing him out of the corner of my eye and looking around expecting to see him there. I also still think about him whenever I take Oscar for a walk. I used to look back to see if Casper wanted to come out the front door so he could sit out the front until we got back.

I didn't choose him as a pet but he will certainly be missed by me.

Timeline - Finally a Reason to Use Facebook

2011-09-23T17:14:00.002+09:30

Mark Zuckerberg introduces Timeline at F8

I got caught up watching the F8 Keynote speech this morning on Mashable. Which is unusual in its self because I'm not that much of a Facebook user but with the introduction of Google+ I was interested to see if Facebook would do anything that would leap it far ahead of its new rival. With Timeline I think they've delivered something special. See the short video below.

Before I continue, just a quick comment on the F8 speech, which went for 1 hour and 40 minutes. The opening joke by SNL's Andy Samberg impersonating CEO Mark Zuckerberg, whilst funny to begin with, kind of stretched into something weird to the point where I was just glad to see him get off the stage. I was definitely with Mark when he jokingly said "Don't start doing impressions".

The rest of the keynote was delivered in Mark's somewhat awkward but still very listenable style. I felt he really did explain the changes well. The highlight for me though was when Chris Cox, FB Vice President of Product Management, came onto the stage and explained the inspiration behind Timeline. A fascinating story in its self. I'd recommend you watch the keynote speech just for that - which starts at about 1 hour and 24 minutes in.

Back to Timeline and my thoughts. In a nutshell, to me, Timeline is like the Super Profile page you've been waiting for. It's the scrapbook of your life. It doesn't just record your activity on Facebook as it happens, it also allows you to add to it retrospectively. For example, if you have a photo of you as a very young child, you can add it into your timeline so it appears chronologically in the year it was taken. That ability to me is important enough on its own.

In many ways your Facebook profile could become the ebook of your life.

Imagine using your Timeline as a basis for a book to preserve your family history. I'm sure print on demand publishers like Blurb will see an opportunity here. Pick a year from your timeline and turn it into a gift book for family.

How about all those videos you've uploaded or the music you've shared. Create a DVD of a year or two in your life, complete with the music you liked that year, perhaps?

There's certainly a lot of potential for how Timelines can be used and why you'd want to spend time curating yours. It's the kind of profile page that you won't just fill out and occasionally update - if you remember. It's something you'll probably visit just to see how it looks... and it does look good.

I have to hand it to the designers and programmers of Timeline. It really is something you want to look at just to see if the automatic algorithms are really picking out the highlights or whether you need to tweak things a bit.

I'm sure when Timeline is finally rolled out to everyone on Facebook there will be the usual backlash of people who liked the old Facebook. They've already started with the recent introduction of the new look news feeds and live ticker. Both of which I like a lot - especially the live ticker.

In the big scheme of things the complainers will settle down because Facebook, wisely (or arrogantly depending on your point of view), usually sticks to its guns when it introduces change. Quite frankly I want to see Timeline succeed... and maybe Google+ will then look at its self and do something complimentary rather than competitively.

I haven't even gone into all the ways the new look Facebook will help you discover all kinds of things from your friends as they discover them. It's probably better if you watch the keynote speech for that.

All I'm saying is, for the first time, I'm looking forward to using Facebook... and that's a paradigm shift for me.

Frog Van, Right Spanner - Part 5

2011-09-06T22:46:00.001+09:30

The Frog Van is all back in one piece but it seems having the right spanner just wasn't enough. After cleaning off a year's worth of dust and cob webs from the exterior I took it for a test drive.

It seemed okay at first but the engine power and acceleration was definitely sluggish compared to how I remember it. I managed to get to a service station before running out of fuel (the petrol tank has been sitting on empty for some time after semi regular start ups just to make sure the van still worked).

From there I took it to the other side of town - only a five minute drive at most - but the backfiring problem was back and getting worse. I headed back for home with the backfiring finally getting so bad that it stalled the engine. Fortunately I was at a point where it was easy to pull over.

At this point I was pretty much at a loss for what to do. The backfiring seemed to get worse as the engine got warmer so I decided to remain parked for a while to let the van's engine cool down.

Twenty minutes later I got it started again and spent a little time adjusting the mixture screw on the carburetor - which seemed to help a little. The van still drove sluggishly but the backfiring had settled down a little and I was able to drive it all the way back home.

My knowledge of engines is limited to broad strokes. I know, in a general sense, how they work and I can perform basic repairs but recognizing faults and understanding what causes them - that's a little beyond me. Even with all the information you can find on the internet... and believe me I've researched backfiring engines extensively.

The Frog Van definitely did need the manifold gasket changing. I knew that because a professional mechanic told me the van had a manifold leak - and he was right. After changing the gasket the van did start easier and idled much better to begin with. However fixing the backfiring may need a professional eye (or ear). With any luck a proper tune up and service may be enough to solve the problem.

Unfortunately that will have to wait until I have some funds again.

Frog Van, Right Spanner - Part 4

2011-09-05T22:51:00.000+09:30

After a couple of days delay waiting for the right manifold gasket I was able to start putting the Frog Van's engine back together. (Note: if you have a picture of the gasket you want but not the part number, show it to the person who is ordering the part - even if they say they don't need it - that way you should get the right part first time).

Before I could get started I had to drill out a bolt that had snapped inside the inlet manifold. After a bit of research on Youtube for the best way to do this I discovered you could get a special drill bit just for the job.

Fortunately I was able to improvise with a regular drill bit and a precision sanding drill bit head (I'm not exactly sure of the drill bit's proper name but essentially it's a drill bit with a metal coarse grain head in the shape of a cylinder slightly wider than the drill bit its self).

If you've never had to remove a broken bolt before the technique I used was to centre punch the end of the broken bolt. Drill a small hole into it - smaller than the diameter of the bolt. Then I used the precision sanding bit, with the drill in reverse. Pushed it into the hole I made. The roughness of the bit gave it enough grip to spin the broken end of the bolt right out of the hole.

I also had to re-glue the part I glued previously as this broke almost as soon as I started trying to detach the hose fixed to it. The extra day this had to dry was the only benefit of not getting the right gasket first time.

Once that was done I cleaned up all the surfaces between the manifolds and the cylinder head block and commenced putting it all back together. I won't describe putting everything back in detail. I'll just say it was much easier to reconstruct the engine than it was to pull it all apart.

The Frog Van's engine back together again.

It was quite dark by the time I was ready to start it up and I'm happy to say it started without too much effort. However there was a worrying white smoke coming up from between the carburetor and the engine block. It was too dark to tell where it was coming from so I shut it down for the night just to be safe.

This morning I started it up again and discovered the smoke appeared to be coming from one of the manifold studs. I think maybe it was just some gunk on the stud burning off because it cleared up and everything appears fine.

The engine's still not running as well as I hoped but it's no longer back firing and I've managed to minimize the back firing it appears to be doing back through the carburetor by adjusting the mixture screw.

I didn't get to take the Frog Van for a test drive today because the registration had expired so I went into town and paid that. Now all I have to do is fix the front passenger seat back into place and I'll be ready to give it a spin.

Will be nice to drive it again since it's been year (almost to the day) that it's been stuck on our back veranda waiting to be fixed.

Frog Van, Right Spanner - Part 3

2011-08-31T20:38:00.001+09:30

Continuing my work on fixing the Frog Van, today I've removed both the inlet and exhaust manifolds to reveal the damage to the gasket (see image below).

Manifolds removed with the metal gasket still in place.

From the image above, the circular holes are for the inlet manifold whilst the square holes are for the exhaust manifold. Around the square hole on the far right, the top of the gasket was severely damaged with an obvious leak.

Having never seen a new version of this gasket I'm not sure if it is simply a metal gasket or a metal gasket with a black coating on each side? I've since watched a few Youtube videos on changing a manifold gasket where all the gaskets are metal only. Leading me to believe that possibly, the person who installed this gasket, coated it with a product called 'gasket goo' on both sides.

Which may have been fine except, with all the overheating trouble the Frog Van has had in the past, the heat may have been more than the product can take and the 'goo' has burned away. However I won't know for sure until I get the new gasket - which I've ordered from a local parts retailer and should have by tomorrow.

I don't know if I'll get this finished tomorrow. I've got another problem of a bolt that's broken off in the bottom of the inlet manifold that may not be easy to remove (another problem of not having the right tools to remove it). Crossing my fingers though. It would be great to have this finished and be driving by the weekend.

Frog Van, Right Spanner - Part 2

2011-08-30T22:59:00.001+09:30

I don't buy spanner's that often so the price of quality spanners tends to be a minor shock to the system. I needed a 10mm fixed head spanner in order to continue work on fixing the Frog Van that I started yesterday.

Looking at the range of spanners in my local auto shop I could either get a high quality, single spanner in just the size I needed or, for two dollars less, get a pack of six cheaper spanners that includes the one I need. No brainer, right? (I bought the cheaper spanner pack).

Rather than go into a long blog post about disconnecting a few wires and pipes and undoing four bolts with my trusty new 10mm spanner I thought I'd just post a before and after picture...

Before (above): This photo is looking from above directly into the top of the carburetor (air filter removed). Notice all the pipes and wires around the top. I'm sure a skilled mechanic wouldn't be daunted but this is me and, as I said in my previous post, I'm not a natural mechanic. I know what the carburetor does but all that other stuff around it is almost a complete mystery to me.

After (above): This photo is the same section of the engine with the carburetor removed. Those four nuts you see on the corners of the blue gasket were the reason I needed a 10mm spanner. What you're looking at is the inlet manifold (the metal pipes that the carburetor was attached to) and, underneath that, the exhaust manifold.

Just looking at the after picture you can see near the top of the image where both manifolds are bolted to the engine block some fairly black deposits that shouldn't be there. It's not oil but carbon deposits (I presume that's what comes from burnt fuel?). That area should be clean like the front of the manifolds, where they are attached to the engine (middle left of the picture).

I'm hoping changing the gaskets will be enough to get a proper seal which in turn will hopefully solve the van's backfiring problem.

We'll see. It's slow going but hopefully it'll all work out.

Frog Van and the Right Spanner

2011-08-29T22:52:00.001+09:30

I haven't written about my Frog Van for some time because it's been sitting under our back veranda waiting for some much needed repairs. The last time I pulled bits of the engine apart was to remove the radiator, which I had reconditioned then reattached.

Since then, apart from a dead battery stranding my sister and I in Kapunda, the van had been running particularly well. Well enough for me to trust it driving all over the place and know that it wouldn't break down. It still had problems with running on and backfiring but at least it worked.

When Enigma and I moved house in September of 2010 we used the Frog Van to move all of our furniture to our new home. It took a few trips over a few days but I reckon we probably saved quite a bit by not hiring a moving company (which we did price to see what kind of cost was involved).

Unfortunately on the van's very last trip between houses it died after progressively getting harder and harder to start and keep going. It turned out the problem was a broken part that I had broken and fixed earlier as part of replacing the fuel filter. I managed to re-fix it using the same glue that fixed it the first time but the van never really recovered and it's sat on our back veranda ever since.

I have had a look at it before now and really want to fix the leak it has in the exhaust manifold that should stop most of its back firing problem. However I'm not that confident when it comes to pulling engines apart. It all seemed a bit daunting so I left it in the hope that maybe I could afford to get a real mechanic to look at it.

Nearly twelve months later it's still waiting for a mechanic.

Today I've decided to give it another look. I'm determined not to let it get the better of me. A manifold leak is actually not that hard to fix. The trouble is, to get to it I need to remove the carburetor, which has numerous pipes and wires attached to it. Most of which I have no idea what they do.

I'm taking photos as I pull things apart so that hopefully I can use them to guide me in how it all goes back together. Necessary because I don't have a repair manual for the van and - try as I might - I've yet to find someone who has a copy available to buy. Actually if I had a repair manual I wouldn't be concerned at all about pulling things apart. Not having one is why this task is so daunting. I'm not a natural mechanic.

All those spanners (top left
and middle) don't even come close
to how many I have available.

My problem today has been a serious lack of the 'right' spanner. I've inherited more spanners than I probably will ever use from the owner of our house. You would think with so many spanners I'd be set but no. The size spanner I need is nowhere to be found - and nearly all the nuts in the engine are this one size.

Consequently I didn't get as far as I'd hoped because I didn't want to risk using the crappy shifter spanners I have, which are great for rounding nuts to the point of being un-removable.

Tomorrow I'm going to go out and buy just the right spanner I need and then hopefully I'll be able to get going again. I'll let you know how I get on.

Aliens Are Watching Us!

2011-08-24T09:09:00.002+09:30

"Alien Landing" Art by TET

Aliens are definitely watching us. To illustrate, this is going to require some background on my last few trips to the doctor...

Late 2010 I was getting chest pains but couldn't see a specialist until February 2011 who promptly hooked me up to an ECG, sent me off for an ultrasound of my heart and had me do a heart stress test (which involves being wired to a machine and walking very quickly on a treadmill). Results were 'nothing'. Everything normal. I'm fit - apparently.

Since they found nothing I'm thinking, maybe the aliens have got to me with some kind of undetectable implant that's causing chest pains every time it broadcasts back to the mother ship? Don't believe me? Well, I'll continue...

Recently I've been getting cramps in the lower left side of my abdomen that have varied in intensity. Not excruciatingly painful but enough to raise some alarm bells and get me off to the doctor.

After doing the obligatory urine test - which came out normal - my doctor sent me off for a blood test and an Ultrasound scan of my abdomen.

The blood test was done by a nurse, who I swear you could replace with a robot and probably get a better standard of 'bedside' (or in this case 'chair-side') manor. I think she might be one of the aliens? The test revealed a potential problem with something in my liver but not something that would cause cramping.

The Ultrasound of my abdomen revealed nothing out of the ordinary either - well it also picked up some minor problem with my liver that I've apparently had since birth but has nothing to do with the cramps I've been getting.

Not finding much of anything relating to the cramps my doctor again sent me off for a CT scan of my lower torso. This was the first time I've had CT scan and I have to say, whatever that stuff is they inject you with that sends a warm flush through your whole body, I'll have every night just before I go to bed. Better than a hot chocolate on a cold winters night. The technician made it sound like that injection was going to have bad effects... but I digress.

Not surprisingly the CT scan showed a potential problem with my liver (nothing to be concerned about just yet but possibly something to check in a few months time for comparison) and came up blank on the cramps issue. No sign of an infection... nothing.

My conclusion is, the Aliens are definitely watching us. You see, this cramping in the lower left of my abdomen is obviously another undetectable alien implant causing pains every time it beams information back to the mother ship.

Aliens must be monitoring my every move but I'm onto them. It's the only rational explanation I can think of when, even big, expensive machines can't find anything wrong with you.

Well I'm pretty sure that's what it is anyway.