Stop the world Mummy, I want to get off...

Letters to Sir David Attenborough

2012-04-03T00:00:00.000+10:00

In the lead-up to his Australian tour, my brilliant friend Upulie has set up a great project - Letters to Sir David Attenborough.

Below is my contribution.

Dear Sir David

You have, without a doubt, always been my biggest inspiration.

As a child, I had a passionate interest in the protection and care of the environment. I was involved in Scouts for eight years, developing my knowledge and love for the Australian bush. But it was through watching your documentaries from an early age that I developed a desire to ensure that my working life could be in some way devoted to the natural world that surrounds, protects and nourishes us.

It was largely due to studying your work at the BBC and the pioneering attitude you applied to documentary film-making that led me to complete my undergraduate degree in film and media studies. I then carried this interest into the world of youth and independent publishing, politics and eventually the human rights and development work that I now undertake.

When I started my political career in the employ of one of the Australian Greens Senators, my father reminded me of a simple yet powerful memory. He showed me a drawing I made at the tender age of five. It features giant towering ghost gum trees, dwarfing a small, lopsided figure. In scrawled writing next to this reads ‘wen I grow up I want to bee a park ranger’. I know that you were the inspiration for this dream. As my father said at the time ‘you’re pretty close.’

I just want to thank you for the beautiful, respectful, engaging and incredible contribution you have had to mine and others lives.

Thank you.

MATHS! PENGUIN BOOK DESIGN!

2012-03-02T21:51:00.000+11:00

Oh. My God.

(via Book Cover Archive Blog, via nonlawyerylawyer)

OMG HOVERBOARD

2012-02-14T22:13:00.004+11:00

Mattel are releasing the Back to the Future hoverboard.
WANT

Windows.

2012-02-12T21:00:00.001+11:00

So this weekend we installed double glazing safety glass with a Low 'E' coating in our windows.

w00t

YES

2012-02-10T23:39:00.001+11:00

Latest on TTLL

2012-02-10T14:02:00.003+11:00

The truth about Anakin

2012-02-09T12:47:00.002+11:00

via Dan

FIRST EGG

2012-02-09T12:45:00.000+11:00

LOOK! LOOK!
Good chickens.

Back to the Lego

2012-02-03T22:43:00.002+11:00

Back to the Future recreated in Lego? I would buy the shit out of that.

Obama IS Batman

2012-02-01T10:54:00.004+11:00

Don't believe the pipe

2012-01-28T22:30:00.001+11:00

Best.

Credit: marcos c.

Latest on TLL

2012-01-28T20:33:00.003+11:00

Rap News: Australia Day

2012-01-26T23:09:00.001+11:00

Nice.

Obama side of the moon

2012-01-26T22:39:00.002+11:00

One of those nights when you just start Photoshopping something and end up with this? Yeah, one of those.

Jeeves and Rooster

2012-01-24T20:32:00.000+11:00

Now that the construction of their home is complete, I can finally introduce you to our two new additions to the family: Jeeves and Rooster.

May they live long and healthy, and provide me with an unending supply of delicious cholesterol oblongs.

Star Wars Uncut

2012-01-22T00:40:00.002+11:00

Outstanding.

Building a chicken coop

2012-01-19T21:49:00.000+11:00

I'm finally getting around to making a nice little home for some chickens in our backyard. With a dachshund who is adept at digging and likely very interested in eating said chickens, this had to be done properly.

Step one: scoure the recycled building material yard and come up with an old screen door. Brace it and hang against garden bed.

Step two: assemble chicken coop that was given to us by my family for Christmas. Note cardboard chickens created by my six year old niece.

Step three: hammer in stakes to create first fence. Had to purchase a great big steel picket driver, which is super handy as I'm sure I'll have heaps of use for it with all my picket-driving projects in future.

Step four: run wire lines through stakes and tighten.

Step five: attach chicken wire, running it into the pen 30cm and staking along the ground to discourage naughty dachshunds and sneaky foxes.

Step six: do the same on the remaining three fences, dig in a concrete doorstop and plant native shrubs along front fenceline.

Stay tuned for step seven: purchasing the actual chickens.

A Brief History of Time

2012-01-17T22:49:00.002+11:00

Errol Morris did a documentary about Stephen Hawking and his theories on space and time. With a soundtrack by Philip Glass. Why did no-one tell me this!?

Finally, a desk.

2012-01-02T20:28:00.003+11:00

In yet another of those "hey wouldn't it be a great idea if we did this but oh yeah that baby thing which means we don't have any time or energy to do it" projects, I've finally built a proper desk in the study.

w00t.

In Caffeine We Trust

2011-12-29T11:20:00.000+11:00

This is amazeballs.

A DIY infographic on coffee consumption, with the genius medium of coffee on paper.

YES

via Laughing Squid

How to build a cubby house

2011-12-26T22:54:00.002+11:00

Get power tools

Get annoyed at power tools

Get someone else to show you power tools

Build base

Build walls

Have a rest

Build other walls

Obtain inspection by beagle

Ride broom like horsey

Cubby = finished!

Invite friends over, pass out.

Christmas

2011-12-17T11:23:00.003+11:00

TIME Person of the Year: the Hipster

2011-12-15T14:39:00.001+11:00

What the people of TIME really wanted to put on the cover.

Thanks to Barry for the idea.

Speak out: control arms now!

2011-12-14T14:02:00.000+11:00

Each year, hundreds of thousands of people are killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes as a result of the poorly controlled global arms trade. In July 2012 governments will come together to negotiate a global treaty to better regulate this deadly trade – and they must do so in order to save lives and livelihoods.

By adding your voice in support of a bulletproof Arms Trade Treaty, you demonstrate that there is widespread support for a strong and effective treaty. That’s why we are asking you to join us and SPEAK OUT to urge governments to CONTROL ARMS NOW.

By speaking out, you join the global call for a bulletproof Arms Trade Treaty that:

Stops transfers when there is a substantial risk that the arms or ammunition are likely to be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law or international human rights law, or fuel armed violence and undermine socio-economic development.
Holds governments accountable to existing standards of international law and the UN Charter.
Includes all conventional arms and ammunition, all transfers and all transactions.
Is enforceable and includes detailed guidelines for full implementation, reporting, international cooperation, compliance and accountability.

Take action now and SPEAK OUT TO CONTROL ARMS.

First published on Oxfam Blogs

Keep Up

2011-12-14T01:38:00.000+11:00

I'm pretty impressed with myself over this one. I done drewed a KeepCup in vector. Then I made a vaguely amusing joke out of it. Hah!

Keep Up T-Shirt