Microsoft Australia’s Nick Hodge is partaking in Movember, a lets grow some facial hair in November charity event with sponsorships going to the ever excellent Beyond Blue.

I’m not a huge contributor to charity; as I’ve written on this blog in the past I use to donate to the Salvation Army until I discovered that they give cigarettes to poor people: don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-smoking, but if you’re sooooo poor you cant afford smokes that should be as good a reason to quit as any…and I don’t want my donations going towards that.

Unlike a slew of charity organizations in Australia, Beyond Blue is a-political…no seriously, they really are, which unfortunately puts them in a minority.

The black dog could bite you tomorrow so I’d encourage anyone with a spare dollar or hundred to sponsor Nick. Depression isn’t nice…and for the record I’ve been there, done that. It was called b…sorry, legally I cant say but lets just say that I was pushed to the edge in some of my previous activities. 30 sucked as well, which was probably complicit in it all. I got some decent (private) advice that set me on the straight and narrow. Lesson though: don’t think that the black dog cant get you, it can.

Nick’s id is 82950, you’ll also need to enter Nick + Hodge to sponsor. Link here.

Just back from Podcamp Perth 07. My thoughts

1. Good turnout, as always for anything held in Perth.

2. Crowd was a different mix to perhaps what I expected, a lot of people in education, teachers, uni folk etc. Always interesting to get different view points.

3. If Podcamp was suppose to be an unconference (which is what I was told) then it proves that Australian’s don’t understand unconferences. I purposely didn’t do a set speech, spoke for 5 minutes then tried to encourage audience discussion. Towards the end it started to work, with discussion amongst the audience with me just watching on. This was cool, but it was the only session I saw during the day that got close to this. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, it’s just my expectations were different

4. The guy from Apple didn’t have Leopard yet, or an iPhone.  

5. Multi streams suck, particularly when there are 4 concurrent streams. I didn’t get to go to everything I would have wanted to.

6. People presenting SL shouldn’t show virtual hardcore porn, even if the Machina is cool. Looking up skirts is not a good image to give to prospective SL members. Sorry Brett.

7. Perth hotels are insanely expensive now, dearer than Melbourne and probably at Sydney levels. It’s cheaper to get a hotel room in Silicon Valley than Perth.

8. Perth’s taxi system is the worst in the world. I had to walk from East Perth to nearly West Perth because I couldn’t get a cab, and neither could anyone else in the city. Fucking ridiculous, and it’s a disgrace. WTF will visitors to WA think?

9. Congrats to the organizing committee on a job well done.

10. Seeing Richard Giles’ daughter made me want more kids. Soooooooo cute!

1. The Government is fucked. Completely. Sorry about the language but there’s no nice way of saying that

2. I’m sick of the election, it’s ruining the ABC. Every time I get in the car it’s another pensioner whining about missing out. I hate the me-tooism that comes to the fore during election campaigns, it’s sickening. I want, I want, I want, I want. Fark. Pensioners have had big big top ups and special bonuses, and yet it’s still not enough. Fark. I’m expected to save for my retirement because the Government wont be able to afford to sustain my generation on a pension. Be grateful for what you’ve got, because I wont get it when I get old.

3. Liberal Campaign in Forrest is awful. Maybe Nola Marino didn’t forgo another holiday to pay for it. I wonder if she’s still driving the late European model car. She came knocking the other day, didn’t recognize me, I should be insulted given I’ve met with her half a dozen times and had her whine to me on the phone more times than I care to remember, but end of the day I don’t give a rats any more. She’s an agrarian socialist who shows why the Liberal Party is so fucked up now. Being a Liberal use to be about small Government, now its more left wing in some areas then the ALP, particularly when it comes to farm socialism.

4. Rudd isn’t running a very good campaign, but he doesn’t have to. Nothing seems to stick and as long as he doesn’t completely fuck it up before election day he’ll win.

5. I think the ALP is looking good in Forrest. Noel Brunning an off chance. The pundits are ignoring the fact that Collie will have a massive swing to the ALP that alone will cut the 10% margin to maybe 3% (I haven’t checked the figures but I’m thinking roughly). Prosser always had a strong following in Collie that wont translate to Marino as it didn’t to Craig Carbone at the state election. Take a broader swing across the electorate and all of a sudden a safe Liberal seat becomes a marginal ALP one, particularly if Brunnings 15-20% of the vote swings 80% to the ALP on preferences.

6. Jason Kotke has a post up on anagrams of Ann Coulter. I might be dropping the f word but there are more interesting words in that post that I don’t use here, even if I do use them in private.

7. An interest rate rise is the difference between a 10 seat majority for the ALP and a repeat of 96 in reverse.

8 An interest rate rise will push the AUD closer to parity with the USD. This is very, very bad, for me at least.

9. Doesn’t the RBA know that the US is fucked and rising interest rates won’t help the economy, it will hurt it. Sure, imports get cheaper resulting in decreasing pressure on inflation, and in theory people spend less etc. but exporters are already hurting. Do we really want to screw exports and jobs. Inflation isn’t that bad.

10. Another digger killed in Afghanistan. Someone suggested on Twitter that it might get to the stage where we don’t care anymore about these deaths. God help us if we get like the Americans on that one. The funeral of the last digger killed was televised, along with the body coming home etc.. We should never forget the sacrifices made by Australians in the name of liberty and justice

11. The Walpole Weekly reported this week that I’m running for Forrest for the LDP. That is incorrect.

12. The Government is fucked…whoops, said that already.

13. Why does Windows Live Writer underline the word fucked as a spelling mistake? weird. 

14. Maybe I can’t stop at 13 as it would be unlucky.

I’ve noticed the Jason Calacanis stream of consciousness post is becoming popular, so I thought I’d give it a try. If it works it might see me blogging here more regularly: structured posts require time and thought, where as this seems more creator friendly.

1. Been a week of attacks. Threatened to be sued late last week, then got into a row with the folks at BlogWorldExpo. For the record that is now fully over, I realized that Rick’s issue was the Twitter rumor: I apologized for running it and we’ve privately concluded the matter. Wish I could go to it but I just cant afford to spend $5k on getting there, maybe next year.

2. Some people have no sense of humor: funny post about a completely bullshit product up on TechCrunch and a couple of losers are getting all serious about it. F*ck, why is it that some Americans always take themselves soo seriously all of the time. Note to self: try and avoid being funny on TechCrunch.

3. This whole blog network Google link thing is interesting. A couple of folks suggesting that it was some hidden agenda from me in relation to my past involvement in blog networks. Last time I checked I wrote nothing about them, didn’t even check their blogs…wouldn’t even know what blogs they own today, what they are doing and nor for that matter do I care any more. If they are affected by this, I find it sad for the folks writing the blogs who may see pay decreased, but again, I have no idea or involvement. There was nothing to disclose: this was a general news story, plain and simple. I do wonder though what Jason Calacanis makes of it: he was the one after all who really introduced this style of link farming to blogs. Ironic really given he’s ongoing anti-SEO stance.

4. Last line was anti-SEO stance and not jihad against SEO, as I’ve leant that American’s dont like the word jihad. Mental note: more bland post titles in the future

5. I love Flock. The social networking stuff is good but the tweaked Firefox platform is better. They have seemingly fixed the memory leak/ stability problems that plague Firefox. I’ve dumped Safari and am using Flock full time now. Download it: I order you 🙂

6. Gooruze going well. Check it out if you haven’t yet, I forgot to post about it when it launched last week. Clay and Rachel probably wont let me forget that :-). Good fun, interesting articles, and an engaging mix of people. If you’re interested in online marketing, including blogs, drop on down.

7. The cricket season is starting and I don’t care. 2 1/2 years at the WACA, part of the wasted years of my past. Crap wage working for self important wankers (mostly). There’s some ppl there that Karma needs to catch up with 🙂

8. Cameron Reilly bought a Mac. Miracles happen

9. No Colbert Report this week. I’m having withdrawal symptoms and TV sucks at the moment.

10. Hoping next week is a bit better, less attacking, more working. Got an announcement for Podcamp on Saturday, which reminds me I have to write the site. Work to do….

A week is a long time in politics and its been even longer for the Labor Party this week. The Labor Party’s momentum of the phony election campaign has given way to a Liberal Party that is running a blitzkreig on all fronts.

I’m for the Liberal tax cuts: Australia still remains one of the most highly taxed nations in the OECD and they are long overdue, but Rudd’s response has been pathetic. I heard talkback during the week: despite mainly being State issues people were whinging about hospitals and schools. Rudd should have come out and said we won’t support the Liberal’s tax plan: we’ll lift the tax free threshold but we’ll spend $20billion on schools, hospitals and roads. It would have split the electorate, but it might have been enough to get Rudd over the line. People like tax cuts, but given things are going well for most people now they’d more likely support schools and hospitals.

Rudd’s ad campaign has been awful. Ask people which election campaigns they can remember and the only ads that are always recalled are the Liberal anti-Union ads. Rudd talking positives his is bland delivery isn’t cutting through at all. Perhaps they need a jingle? wheel Gough out to sign it’s time or similar? 🙂

I’m still not predicting a Liberal victory, but I’m thinking that this election will be closer than the 15 seat ALP majority I predicted. Rudd needs to regain momentum and lead instead of follow (presuming he’s still got some rabbits in his hat) or there is a chance that we might see a slim Liberal victory.

This is verging on downright bizarre.

I’ve been spammed twice now by BlogWorldExpo or people saying they are representing BlogWorldExpo.

I was told the first email was sent by an over-zealous PR company, which I accept. The company was authorized by the BlogWorldExpo folks to send the emails, so although they may not have sent them directly they still bare some responsibility. To date I’ve received apologies and I’ve accepted them, but now this Rick Calvert fellow is denying the spam. Bizarre, he would have been far better off just saying sorry, the PR company shouldn’t have done that etc, instead of attacking me.

Even more bizarre is that the post he refers to isn’t on TechCrunch. It was deemed uninteresting and taken down less than 5 minutes after it went up. Calvert links to a spam blog that scrapped the TC post and deems me in the wrong because I didn’t correct the post. WTF? How I’m suppose to correct a spam blog is beyond me, but hey, why let facts get in the way of a good ol’ fashioned lynching.

I’ve received another spam email, claiming to be from BlogWorld Staff. I’ve never mentioned that before today because I really didn’t care. Again for Rick’s sake: I corresponded with a couple of people involved with BlogWorldExpo, received apologies and had a good yarn, zero hard feelings at all until today.

As for the rumor on Twitter it was just that: I rumor on my Twitter stream I heard. If I thought it was important or serious I would have posted it on a blog, not just put it on Twitter. I received a number of emails from people telling me that it wasn’t true, which I did and still accept at face value: again, some perspective, it was so minor a thing that I’m still struggling with the fact that I’ve come under attack over it. I heard it, I was told that it wasn’t true, and I’ve never so much as said boo about it again until today, so you’d think that was the end of story.

The personal attacks in the comment stream are perhaps even more bizarre, given they deal with a post that is NOT live and was deemed to be uninteresting in the bigger scheme of news that day, or over subsequent days. As someone who writes on topical news I was simply trying to present a fact, and that was that I had received a spam email from someone claiming to represent BlogWorldExpo. As noted above I’ve since been told that this was a PR company (although Calvert claims it’s an exhibitor now, which is different to what I was told…unless the two are the same) and I thought was the end of the story. People make mistakes, and this email was sent in error: I’m totally cool with that, which makes Rick’s attack more bizarre. People suggesting that I’m posting for notoriety or attention shows more about their insular, sad lives than it does about me. I’d rather write a post on censorship in China that is extensively quoted in the MSM, including TV, than a convention I’m not involved in. Or about a great new startup with a promising product, or the latest in Second Life and virtual worlds, or break the latest VC deal. BlogWorldExpo may sound great, but it’s not the center of the universe to me, as many in that community aren’t to me full stop. I’m not slighting the many good people in blogging (there are heaps of them) but some in the blogging community become very self obsessed and self important when at the end of the day there is much more in the world. Over the last 12 months I’ve opened myself to new people and ideas, and I still believe I’m a far better person for that.

I’d also note that the comment I left on his blog has either been deleted or is stuck in a moderation queue. Unlike Rick I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that it’s in moderation and hasn’t been deleted, so I look forward to seeing my response published.

Post note: The irony of saying I don’t care then writing a long post about it isn’t lost on me. This post is only written as I was asked in an email titled “media enquiry” to comment on it. I do respond to emails but if others are blowing this up as well I want to be on the record. Indeed, if it wasn’t for the email I would never have known about the post from Calvert.

I tried reaching out to MyMac Australia, but the rather heated person who called me earlier today just sent me this. I find it rather odd but he thinks I’m bullying and threatening him when the first thing he said to me on the call today was get the video down or we’ll sue you.

Dear Duncan,

The person you spoke to was me, Steve Bardel the owner of My Mac Australia,

Buy all means Duncan contact Apple and the ACCC I will be happy to show them your invoice, Like you I will not be bullied or threatened. I am happy to supply you with contacts numbers for both.

Like you said to one of my staff members when you bought the isight it was a product you could not get from anywhere, and it was the last one we had and you sighted it it our display cabinet,  we did not have the box and that is why it was bubble wrapped  for you, you knew this.

I see your you tube outburst as offensive to my company and this is not a threat you will be hearing from my Lawyers if it is not removed.  It is unfounded and I will fight the removal of it and for compensation for lost business that you may of caused.

Regards,

Steve Bardel
Managing Director

My Mac (Australia) Pty Ltd
Apple Premium Reseller
172-192 Flinders Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Tel: 03 9662 9666
Fax: 03 9662 9855
Email: sbardel@mymacaustralia.com.au
Web: www.mymacaustralia.com.au

My response:

Steve
the simple fact remains that I was NEVER informed that the iSight being sold to me was incomplete, either by your employee or by notice in the display cabinet. The fact that it was not displayed in a box does not suggest that the item was incomplete, the only thing it shows is that you take things out of a box to put on display, a fairly regular sales tactic employed by about 99.999999% of retail sales outlets in Australia.

The fact remains that I would never have purchased it if I had been made aware that it was incomplete package, particularly at the cost. By all means talk to your lawyers but there is NOTHING defamatory in that video, only the simple facts that you failed to supply me with a complete iSight package and my warning that people check packages sold to them by your store as in my case I was not provided with a full package, which I’d note you don’t disagree with.

An invoice issued after the purchase does not constitute fair point of sale notice that the goods being sold were deficient. You’ll find the onus of disclosure under fair trading laws is with the seller to disclose this upfront: if I bought a car I’d expect it to have a steering wheel, are you seriously suggesting that you could sell me a car legally without a steering wheel on the premise that you only disclosed the fact on the invoice issued after the sale was made? It certainly seems that way because we seem to have no disagreement that the missing parts were not disclosed to me in that your only justification has continually been that I knew because “it was on the invoice.”

 I was offered bubble rapping only as I mentioned that I would be returning to WA with it; it was NEVER noted to me that it was missing a box, which is really irrelevant anyway because it wasn’t just the box that was just missing, it was standard parts that are meant to be sold with the iSight as per your deal as an Apple reseller. I couldn’t really care less about the box, I simply would like the missing parts of which I’m presuming are probably still somewhere in your store given that they were not provided to me when I purchased the iSight.

As for the case being unfounded, I look forward to hearing from your lawyers as to how this is unfounded. You have already admitted, both verbally and in writing that you did not supply me with a full iSight kit, and you’ve also admitted that at no stage did your store or employee advise me that the iSight was lacking standard parts. Indeed, we actually both agree in full on that case, so again I don’t see how my online request for these missing parts is unfounded. Perhaps you’d care to clarify which part was unfounded? I may consider editing the video is anything in inaccurate.

I’m also interested as to how something I posted on YouTube that took you 6 weeks to find has cost you business? I have never once said that people should not shop at your store, and indeed your sales staff were prompt and polite. I have simply suggested that people check what they are provided by your business to make sure that what they are buying is all there, because as we both agree in my case it wasn’t.

best
Duncan.

I’m suffering a strange sense of withdrawal, as this is the first Federal Election since 93 where the calling of an Election has sent me into a complete and utter panic, and the first since 1990 where I have absolutely no involvement (or she who must be obeyed BTW: despite the rumors the local f*ckwits in the Liberal Party might be spreading).

First day of election campaign is to authorize postal votes flyers to go out, presuming that head office isn’t doing them, or in the case of the WA Liberal Party isn’t completely f*cking it up like they did at the last State Election campaign here.

Step two is to order your advertising, presuming that you’ve already pre-recorded and/ or designed the material.

My prediction: ALP by 15, with the surprise result being that they’ll pick up Forrest on preferences from Independent Candidate Noel Brunning. Portlandbet might have Brunning at $3.50 to win but he’ll primarily poach Liberal voters, and the ALP vote can only go up so Brunning won’t get enough to come in second and take it to preferences. Presuming the ALP is smart and runs dummy HTV cards directing Brunning voters to put them second, they will be looking good, even with the 10% margin.

SBS launched a new show last night, a Shaun McCaulife news-style satire by the name of NEWStopia. It’s playing 10pm Wednesdays for an initial 10 week run. I didn’t see it last night, but read about it in Crikey today, you can watch the show (for the next week) here.

It’s actually pretty good, and I’ve never been a McCaulife fan. 297% of voters cant be wrong on the Pakistan election story and the spoof ad on NetAltert in the middle of the show, with Coonan swearing is a classic. Enjoy.

Sad, by Tim Blair who has a copy of an email Matt Price sent to News Corp colleagues:

A couple of weeks back I returned from Canberra with low energy levels. Then last week – and this is perverse – I noticed my left side slightly awry writing a story on Chris Mainwaring. A trip to the GP and a CT scan proved devastating. I have several brain tumours and will undergo exploratory brain surgery on Wednesday.

There is no sugar coating this – it?s dangerous and serious. Telling the three kids has been horrific. I am distraught at the prospect of introducing cancer into their innocent teenage lives. We are entering a long dark tunnel with no guarantees.

Wishes to Matt and his family. He’s one of Australia’s better jorno’s, and is certainly one of the few columnists I’ll actively seek out and read on the odd occasion I buy the print edition of The Oz. He’s also a fairly regular guest on ABC 720 Perth as well where he’s always enjoyable to listen to.