As is my tradition, please find the following CSV file for importing into Outlook which contains the 2005 AFL Fixture. The AFL site has a series of Excel files for download, but they are useless for importing into other applications, so I needed to tweak the info to make it useful.

I did this last year as well, because there is no other way to get this information into my calendar.

Only 52 days to go before the premiership season starts ...

[listening to: The Only Living Boy in New York - Simon & Garfunkel ]
10:37:35 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • My Hobbies

It's a big week in the Arrigo household this week.

All our kids are heading back to school -  Billy starts Grade 6 today, on Tuesday Antony goes into Year 8 and Emma starts Grade 2 and on Wednesday, our baby Brice goes in for his first day of school!

All 4 kids at schools - what is their mother to do with herself now?? Time to sit on the couch and eat bon-bons???

[listening to: Better The Devil You Know - Kylie Minogue ]
8:56:27 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

:: how jedi are you? ::

[listening to: G'Day World Podcast - Cameron Reilly & Mick Stanic ]
4:11:03 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • Random

Mitch did it, so did Darren, Geoff and Eddie, so I thought it's time I did it too. I took the evil test. Who would have thought!!!

[listening to: Star 69 - Fatboy Slim ]
10:56:57 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Random

Antony sent me a link to this.

I'm not sure if he wants it, or he is suggesting I get it for me

[listening to: Radio Ga Ga - Queen ]
5:56:10 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

I see Cam's wishing Geoff Appleby a Happy Birthday.

I'll join in and wish Hard Head a Happy Birthday too.

[listening to: I'm Going Slightly Mad - Queen ]
5:32:49 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Friends • Random

We're working hard to prepare the party to end all parties.

Tomorrow our baby turns 5!

[listening to: Let's Rock - Smash Mouth ]
8:11:09 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

Hey Robert - Happy 40th

Hope you have a great and cheesy 40th party

To get you in the mood - here's a special song for you -  Cheese Roll Call from The Animanics

CHEESE ROLL CALL (Episode P4)
Lyrics by Paul Rugg.

Sung to Semper Fidelis by John Philip Sousa.

 
Pinky: A world of cheeses
       Deliciously made for you and me
       Flavors like Provolone and Brie
       Each with its own ethnicity.
       So many cheeses
       Are available all around the world for you to eat
       Especially good with crackers and meat
       A nice yummy treat.
 
       Thousands of cheeses
       The texture of some can be real gooey
       Others are quite firm and chewy
       Some are better when mildewy.
       Bountiful cheeses
       When you take a big whiff a few
       Will make you want to spew
       Especially strong is the cheese Remoudou
       A real stinkeroo.
 
       It's incredible just how many kinds there are
       From countries near and far
       It's really quite bizarre.
       Now from the mouths of cheeses big and small
       We proudly present to you
       The cheese roll call.
 
*Wensleydale: I am the British cheese Wensleydale, lightly
*             pressed and smooth textured with a subtle
*             milky flavor which is clean and refreshing.
*
*Pinky: Welcome, Wensleydale!
*
*Cheddam: G'day! I am Australian Cheddam, an
*         innocuous, golden yellow, rindless block
*         inspired by Cheddar and Edam!
*
*Pinky: Welcome, Cheddam!
 
Edelpilzkäse: I am the German cheese Edelpilzkäse, a fine,
              blue-veined cheese with a pale ivory paste
              and very dark veins traveling vertically
              through me.
 
Pinky: Welcome, Edelpil... Edel... oh, willkommen!
 
+Brie: I am the French cheese Brie, a soft,
+      unpressed, naturally drained cow's milk with
+      white rind flora, molded into large flat disks
+      and ripened for three to four weeks.
 
Pinky: Thank you, cheeses!  I want to eat you all!
 
Pinky: Oh, how I like my cheeses
       Cheese from around the world
       Cheese is the taste that pleases
       Cheese from around the world (sing with me, cheeses!)
 
+some: Oh, how I like my cheeses
       Cheese from around the world (everybody!)
+all : Cheese is the taste that pleases
       Cheese from around the world
 
       Around this great big world
       Around this big cheese world
       Around this great big world
       Around this big -- cheese -- world!
 
Pinky: Mmm... yummy! Narf!

[listening to: Ain't No Mystery - Smash Mouth ]
12:06:25 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek

Well, I got ready, waited my turn and I finally had my interview.

It was fun - I can really talk some crap :)

Thankyou Cam and Mick, for your very Australian Podcast. I can't wait to hear the finished product.

Did I mention tht G'day World is a unique Australian Podcast

[listening to: Maybe Tomorrow - Stereophonics ]
11:23:39 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • My Friends

Mick Stanic (he of Splatt and G'Day World fame) quit his job before Christmas.

He has started his new company - it has a website and everything.

Now Mick, I don't know about the name Principius - sounds too much like Festivus.

Anyway, good luck with the business mate!

[listening to: Can't Get Enough of You Baby - Smash Mouth ]
9:10:42 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • My Friends • Random

What else to do on a lazy Monday afternoon, but take an online quiz or three. Thanks to Geoff for the pointers.

So, here goes....

Your Dominant Intelligence is Logical-Mathematical Intelligence

You are great at finding patterns and relationships between things. Always curious about how things work, you love to set up experiments. You need for the world to make sense - and are good at making sense of it. You have a head for numbers and math ... and you can solve almost any logic puzzle. You would make a great scientist, engineer, computer programmer, researcher, accountant, or mathematician.

[listening to: Don't Let the Man Get You Down - Fatboy Slim ]
3:22:43 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Random

Don't use shampoo when you really want to use body wash.

I made that mistake.

[listening to: Don't Let the Man Get You Down - Fatboy Slim ]
3:07:44 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Random

*silence*

[listening to: Jig - Reel Big Fish ]
11:59:39 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Random

I learnt a new word while I was in hospital recently - colorectal.

I had never heard it before, but I will be hearing a lot more of it from now on.

I did  bit of poking around the web and found that there is a Society of Colorectal Surgeons in Australia. A society! How many of them are there??

These guys have a website and they even have a cute logo for their society - which I have produced here on the right.

The logo is a scalpel surrounded by these little brown things winding up (or is it down?) the scalpel. Are the brown things meant to represent anything?? Like maybe little spherical pellets of ..... (I realy cant say that can I?). They do on their website as they describe diverticular disease

Anyway, I am now learning way to much about this particular subject. Way much much more than I ever expected.

[listening to: Can't Get Enough of You Baby - Smash Mouth ]
1:15:59 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • Health

While I was in hospital recently, I had the pleasure to read a few books. There's always an upside!

I finally started AND finished State of Fear by Michael Crichton, as well as I got to read two of the books from the Covert-ONE series by Robert Lodlum - The Hade's Factor and The Cassandra Compact.

State of Fear was excellent - a thriller regarding a global conspiracy (is there anyother kind) and the threat of global warming. The tsunami reference was chilling. It was a LONG read but really enjoyable.

The Hade's Factor was the first of a series of books that Robert Lodlum has been producing. It features a classic hero Jon Smith who gets embroilled in a global conspiracy (really? another one) regarding a killer virus outbreak. I liked the characters that popped up in the story, such as Marty Zellerbach, the computer genious who has Asperger's Syndrome. Hmmm, now I know why Antony suggested I read this book.

The Cassandra Compact is the second of the series and introduces us to the secretive Covert-ONE organisation, while pitting our hero in a global conspiracy (again?) regarding an outbreak of smllpox and the use of biological weapons. Hmmmm.

Actually, I can't wait to read the other's in the series as they were a good read. I found it a good way to pass the time while I was lying in bed.

[listening to: Pet Names - Smash Mouth ]
11:43:00 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Interests

Yesterday I came out of hospital, after spending 6 nights connected to a IV for the treatmeant of my recuriung problem. Yes, I was admitted back in October 2004 for the same problem. You think the nerd god king would learn by now.

During my stay I took some photos with my "illegally smuggled into the room" XDA II. The funniest one was the Windows XP Channel I found when I was swapping channels on the inroom telly. How about the dodgy warning on the equiment and everybody's favorite the "NIL BY MOUTH" sign.

How many of you have had an IV? It's not pleasant. They stick in this thing called a cannula, which had a really long pointy needle, into a vein and then they add tubes, tape and god knows what else to complete the system. I had 4 different cannulas during my 6 night stay, as well as 4 failed attempts. My arms look like an Iraqi battlefield. The doctor who botched it all, who shall remain nameless but I know who you are mate, made a real mess of it all. I finally met the hospital's IV maestro who sole job is to look after these IV installations. He was the Jedi Master of  intravenous cannulas. I never felt the needle go in, and in one fell swope he plugged me, taped me and was gone.

During my stay I noticed so many inefficiencies in the day to day business of treating patients - technology could really a HUGE difference and I am sure there are medical facilities out there using lots of great stuff. I hope NOT to stay in any of them in the near future.

Anyways, I am now out of hospital and sitting at home recouperating. I'm sitting in my bedroom, blogging, listening to music and the odd podcasts, drinking my 2 litres of water a day and looking forward to my next high fibre meal. 

[listening to: Walking Contradiction - Green Day ]
10:42:51 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Health

What I want to know is why I didn't score 100%

Overall, you scored as follows:

2% scored higher,
0% scored the same, and
98% scored lower.

What does this mean? Your nerdiness is:

All hail the monsterous nerd. You are by far the KING NERD GOD!!!

For your nerdy work, here is the promised image:

[listening to: All Because of You - U2 ]
7:32:04 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Random

It has been a slow and lazy week at home. On Monday, Moira was complaining to me that we didn't have any interesting DVDs!

So, I went onto Amazon and ordered a few new ones. They arrived this afternoon (Thursday). We now have some new movies to watch. Moira, I hope you are happy.

• DodgeBall
• Garden State
• The Manchurian Candidate
• The Terminal
• Anchorman
• Napoleon Dynamite

Now, to get Antony to update the DVD collection.

[listening to: Microsoft CES - Microsoft ]
2:23:21 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • My Interests • TV

We all love Sponge Bob Squarepants. The kids like it, I like it. What can I say, it just rocks.

When we found out that a SpongBob movie was in production, we counted day the days for it to open here in Australia.

Well, today was the day.

We lined up outside the theatre waiting to get into see the movie. When they finally removed the rope, I was first in line to buy tickets. Then the boys raced up the stairs, made a mandatory biological pit stop, and then we all ran inside into Cinema 2.

90 minutes later (give or take) we left Cinema 2 feeling very satisfied. Yes, Brice had sat still *AGAIN*. The movie even had a Deus ex machina in the form of David Hasselhoff. (Antony told me that)

We all walked out singing the SpongeBob theme song (download it here).

Ahh, good times.

[listening to: Veronica - Elvis Costello ]
1:56:29 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • My Interests

I signed up with LinkedIn many many months ago. Interestingly I have been contacted mainly for the folks I know, with people wanting me to refer them onto others.

Out of curiosity I checked my status today to see how big a network I had - apparently I can make contact with 555,100+ professionals. My summary is as follows:

Your Network of Trusted Professionals

You are at the center of your LinkedIn Network. Your connections can help you make contact with 555,100+ professionals — here’s how your network breaks down:

Your Connections Your trusted friends and colleagues	45
Two degrees away Friends-of-friends; each is connected to one of your connections	1,800+
Three degrees away Reach them through a friend and one of their friends	61,600+
Four degrees away The broadest group, reach them through a chain of referrals	491,600+
Total users contactable through a trusted referral:	555,100+

Your network also includes 42,000+ users who can be contacted without a referral. In total, you can reach 597,100+ professionals.

[listening to: (I Don't Want to Go to) Chelsea - Elvis Costello & the Attractions ]
6:07:52 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Friends • My Organization • Random

Today was a overcast humid miserable day in Sydney - even the cricket was delayed by rain, so we decided to take the kids to the Powerhouse Museum to visit the recently opened Lord of the Rings exhibit.

The exhibit consists of props from the movie (costumes, jewellery, armour, models, digital effects etc..) as well as a bunch of video interviews (kinda of like the stuff you find on the extras section of a DVD), as well as some special events, such as the Shire playspace where hobbits under 10 can dress up an elf or create a sword.

Well, when we got there, there was a queue snaking out of the museum. Looks like the rest of Sydney had the same thought as we did. Since we are Powerhouse members, we went in the express lane. When we got in, we found another queue to get into the exhibit! 30 minutes later we made our way into the exhibit. Phew. It took a lot to keep Brice entertained in the queue - three more corners to go. Oh this is the last corner before we can get in, yada yada yada.

Now, I like LOTR, but I am not that really crazy about it. Seeing the clothes and the walking tree, and touching the swords was kinda ok, but not worth the time it took us to get into the place. To make matters worse, Antony freaked out when he saw the crowd and spent the whole time complaining and wanting to get out. This set Emma off as she complained she never watched the whole movie and the monsters were ugly.

In the end we rushed through the exhibit bumbing into the other freaks and geeks who made the pilgrimage to middle earth.

Finally we exited via the obligatory tour via the LOTR gift shop - luckily for me no one wanted a plush talking Gollum doll.

[listening to: Poison Moon - Elvis Costello ]
8:13:08 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • My Interests

My kids gave me a copy of State of Fear for Christmas.
I have yet to start it. It is a really big book. I feel intimitated by it.
Besides, as soon as I start reading this, I am sure that Brice will want me to build blocks with him, or Moira will need me to take out the rubbish, or Emma will want me to take her for a bike ride.
The book has left *ME* in my own state of fear

[listening to: If Every Day Was Like Christmas - Elvis Presley ]
8:00:24 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • My Interests

Oxfam collected more than $1.1 million for the victims of the Asian tsunami as millions of New Year's Eve revellers gathered in cities around Australia to see in 2005.  more

[listening to: (They Long to Be) Close to You - The Carpenters ]
12:43:48 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Interests