I took the second part of test. Interesting. Makes me want to read the book, which is obviously the point of the test!

Frank, here are your full results from the Kingdomality RQ Dragon Test

Kingdomality Type:
Prime Ministers in the Kingdom (Medieval or Modern)
Prime Ministers are goal oriented and competitive.  They are sometimes seen as uncaring and even confrontative.  They are creative problem solvers who enjoy all manner of challenges.  Prime Ministers view people as ³with them or against them.²  They see no middle ground.  ³Lead, follow, or get out of the way,² pretty much sums up how Prime Ministers respond to others.

Dragons in the medieval kingdom seem to have their modern counterparts. How resilient would you have been then or now, and which Dragons appear to be most troublesome?

Hostility Results:
These Dragons are under control ...
A score in this area indicates a healthy awareness of environment and self as well as a positive involvement with life and its give and take.

Busy-Busy Results:
These Dragons are under control ...
A score in this area indicates a healthy awareness of environment and self as well as a positive involvement with life and its give and take.

Withdrawal Results:
These Dragons are under control ...
A score in this area indicates a healthy awareness of environment and self as well as a positive involvement with life and its give and take.

Resiliency Results:
RESILIENT - You are a Dragon Master!
Stress is managed exceptionally well and this very healthy individual is able to bounce back from almost every situation.

[listening to: Love at First Sight - Kylie Minogue ]
4:05:19 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • Random

I took the test that Mitch Denny pointed to recently.

I was surprised with the result. I didn't expect to come out with this rating.

our distinct personality, The Prime Minister might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. You are a strategist who pursues the most efficient and logical path toward the realization of the goal that you perceive or visualize. You will often only associate with those people who can assist you in the implementation of your plan. Inept assistants may be immediately discarded as excess baggage. To do otherwise could be seen as inefficient and illogical. On the positive side, you can be rationally idealistic and analytically ideological. You can be a bold decision maker and risk taker who can move society ahead by years instead of minutes. On the negative side, you may be unmerciful, impatient, impetuous and impulsive. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.

Click here to do the test yourself.

[listening to: Never Too Late - Kylie Minogue ]
3:53:19 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • Random

One minute to go, the Saints are one point ahead.
In a blink of an eye, 2 goals to the dogs, and it's game over.

As my wife reminds me, it's just the pre-season. We have 4 weeks before the real stuff begins

Match Summary
WESTERN BULLDOGS: 1.3.1, 1.4.4, 2.6.5, 2.10.7 (85)
ST KILDA: 0.2.2, 1.2.6, 1.6.9, 1.9.11 (74)

NINE POINT GOALS: Western Bulldogs: Boyd, Ray
St Kilda: Hayes
GOALS – Western Bulldogs: Giansiracusa 3, Faulkner, Cooney 2, Smith, Johnson, Ray
St Kilda: Riewoldt, Hamill, Fiora 2, Gwilt, Harvey, Milne
BEST – Western Bulldogs: Giansiracusa, Hahn, Boyd, Murphy, Johnson, West St Kilda: Hayes, Hamill, Fiora, Riewoldt, Jones
INJURIES – Western Bulldogs: TBA
St Kilda: TBA
CHANGES – Western Bulldogs: Ben Harrison, Tim Walsh, Kieran McGuinness, Cameron Wight
St Kilda: Justin Peckett, Allan Murray, Matthew Ferguson, Mark McGough
REPORTS - TBA
UMPIRES - Nicholls, Goldspink, Ryan, McBurney
CROWD - TBA at Aurora Stadium

10:44:36 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

I got an invite to the sneak peak of the Foxtel IQ this evening. It wasn't that exclusive as there were all sorts there, me included.

I took all my kids along, I told them SpongeBob may be there. (Well, the invite did say we could meet personalities from FOXTEL channels including FOX Sports, LifeStyle FOOD, W, The History Channel, Disney Channel, The Weather Channel, Channel V, Movie Network, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., FOX8 and Sky News.)

While the punters were being entertained by "the talent" I signed up for the service, scheduled the installation for early March, got my gift vouchers from Myer, and left as the demos were finishing.

As been discussed by others, the services offered aren't ideal and Foxtel still hasn't resolved the EPG issue with the 7 and 10 network - my response is not to watch their offerings.

Time shifted televion - bring it on.

9:03:59 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

100% Unlimited Downloads up to 12 GB

Username:  fda Usage plan:  Unlimited* Reporting period:  01 February 2005         to 28 February 2005 Data Usage^ this month:  12,000 MB ( 12 GB ) Last updated: 23/02/05 07:40pm

8:31:14 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Random

Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing
Downloading torrents is stealing..
Downloading torrents is stealing.
Downloading torrents is stealing.

[listening to: Kentucky Rain - Elvis Presley ]
8:25:08 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

 

I was watching the Channel 10 news tonight and they had a story about a recent Simpson's episode in which a regular character (Patty) "comes out of the closet", and it deals with the topic of same-sex marriages. Even The SMH carried the story.

The kicker was at the end when the newsreader said that Australian viewers can see this episode in April!

UPDATE: Really? Here's the torrent - watch it tonight. Tell the networks that you are as mad as hell and you can't take it anymore

UPDATE: This episode has it's own special website - http://www.springfieldisforgayloversofmarriage.com/

[listening to: Dancing Queen - Kylie Minogue ]
6:30:54 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

So, my procedure yesterday went well and I find myself at home recouperating. I am feeling a bit tender at the moment.

My care package from Amazon arrived yesterday, so I am kicking back watch a few movies

• Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
• Kitchen Stories
• Ray

[listening to: Slow - Kylie Minogue ]
12:58:45 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

Reading Engadget today, there was a funny story about Paris Hilton having her Sidekick hacked. The Sidekick is a cute mobile device that isn't available in Aus. It is sold by telcos, like T-Mobile.

All her infomation is there - photos, notes, contacts. Including phone and email for Mark Philippoussis.

The downside of hosted services, or maybe marketing folks shouldnt give their stuff to flaky B-grade celebs.

[listening to: Ignorance - Joey McIntyre ]
6:55:01 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek • Random

Interesting times indeed. I spotted the following article in The SMH this week. It coves the topic of PVRs, lack of an Aussie EPG and what the networks are NOT doing. You may have guessed this is a discussion near and dear to my heart.

Them's the breaks
By Rod Easdown
The introduction of a clever device has the networks and advertisers spooked.

Personal video recorders (PVRs) - real ones, such as those in the US, not the pretend ones we've seen here so far - are about to arrive in Australia, and a lot of people are nervous.

PVRs record to hard-drives or high-capacity blank DVDs (or both), so they don't require tapes. But they're far more than just new and sexy VCRs. They're highly intuitive devices that record programs they think you'll like as well as the ones you've asked them to. They can prevent children watching inappropriate material, freeze a broadcast while you take a break, picking up from where you left off, and eliminate ads.

It's this last capability that has the networks sweating. Some expensive PVRs are so clever they automatically delete ads as they record. Even when you're watching broadcast TV they can automatically mute or reduce the volume during ads, blank the screen or switch channels, returning to the program when the ad has ended.

Simpler PVRs have an ad-skip function that jumps the recording ahead by 30 seconds, the length of most ads. As soon as an ad starts, you hit the button and keep on hitting it until the ads are finished.

Advertisers know all about this. American Business Week magazine says PVRs are a big reason why advertisers reach only 15 per cent of the American population with a prime-time ad, down from 40 per cent in the mid-'80s. Fearing this will happen here, local networks are doing all they can to stop American-style PVRs taking hold.

PVRs work by accessing an electronic program guide (EPG) over an internet link. Instruct a PVR to tape any episode of The West Wing, for example, and it will find them in the EPG and record them no matter what channel or time they're on. It's no surprise, then, to discover local free-to-air networks have no intention to broadcast their EPGs. The best they do is provide digital viewers with details of the program being broadcast and the one that follows. This is where Foxtel has jumped in, recently announcing a PVR for digital subscribers that will interact with its EPG.

A Sydney inventor, however, has developed his own EPG that will interact with several existing PVRs. From March 1, Peter Vogel plans to sell subscriptions to his service, called Ice (Intelligent Content Engine), for $3 a week. It provides subscribers with the benefits available to American PVR owners.

"It would be correct to say the networks are not happy about it and have been doing everything they can to stop it - which is nothing," Vogel says. "We tried to buy their TV guides but they refused, so we had to develop our own in line with legal advice we have received ensuring we don't breach their copyright."

Vogel's plans have been delayed by funding shortfalls. Put simply, investors were spooked by flack from the networks. "It became a classic case of inventor mortgages house to make invention," he says.

Ice subscribers will need a compatible PVR and an internet connection, or a computer with compatible software, such as Microsoft's Media Centre. Several PVRs have internet connectivity through a USB computer connection. Vogel points to Topfield's TF5000PVR, a standard-definition unit with a 120GB hard drive and twin tuners (so it can record from two channels at once), which sells for about $899.

Initially, Vogel's service will be available in Sydney and Melbourne, with other cities to follow. He's not the only one working on user-friendly solutions for TV addicts. Melbourne-based Development One is marketing a computer-based home-media centre that does much of the work of a PVR.

Details of Vogel's Ice are at http://www.icetv.info and information about Development One's products is at http://www.d1.com.au.

[listening to: Take Me With You - Kylie Minogue ]
6:02:56 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

Something seen recently -- A parent's primer to computer slang -  Understand how your kids communicate online to help protect them

I have one in my household!

[listening to: Kalifornia - Fatboy Slim ]
3:17:28 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Geek

This week-end, I am preparing for a minimally invasive endoscopic examination.

This begins tonight, as l have to take these pills.

Tomorrow, I can't eat anything except clear liquids plus I have to take some other stuff which sounds disgusting.

Wish me luck!

[listening to: "Anxiety" With Papa Roach - The Black Eyed Peas ]
9:01:56 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Health

The Saints led all night against the Hawks and have won by 9 points in a very close game.

Molly, time to re-skin!

[listening to: AFL Live Radio - Chief Entertainment ]
8:33:14 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

The Saints are playing the Hawks this evening and as usual the game is not on the telly in Sydney until 11.30 pm.

So, what does an AFL loving geek in Sydney do? He listens to the game live on the net, thanks to AFL.COM.AU

Oh, and they are winning at the moment, SO l hope my new friend Molly updates his site's skin..

[listening to: AFL Live Radio - Chief Entertainment ]
6:57:02 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

I spotted this in Australian IT today. Hmmmmmmmm.

 UK, Australia top TV piracy list
 
AUSTRALIA and Britain have been revealed as the world's biggest markets for pirate TV downloads.

The trend is being driven by tech-savvy fans who are unwilling to wait for popular US shows such as 24 and Desperate Housewives.
Australia ranked as second largest downloader of TV programs after Britain in a study of the phenomenon by UK technology consultancy Envisional. The US was in third position.

According to Envisional, Britain accounts for about one-fifth of TV downloads through file-sharing networks such as BitTorrent and eDonkey.

"Because there's such a demand for US TV, the UK is going to be the main downloader," Envisional research consultant David Price said.

Popular US television shows such as The West Wing, The Sopranos and Friends usually air in Britain and Australia months after they are broadcast in the United States. For impatient fans, the internet offers bootleg, advertisement-free programs that can be downloaded in a few hours over a high-speed connection.

Episodes of the espionage drama 24 show up on the popular file-trading network BitTorrent within minutes after they air in the US, according to Envisional, and a typical episode is downloaded by about 100,000 users.

The company said that 24 is the most pirated show online, with The Simpsons, The OC and a host of sci-fi programs including Stargate SG-1 and Enterprise also popular.

UK broadcasters Sky and Channel 4, which air large blocks of US shows, say they are monitoring the growing popularity of online TV downloads.

If the situation worsens, it may result in lower prices paid by broadcasters for shows such as the Friends spin-off Joey, which went to the UK's Channel Five after an intense bidding war.

For the moment no one in the UK or Australian television sectors will admit to losing any sleep over TV downloads.

"Unless you're a pretty big cybergeek, people are generally happy to watch it on TV," said an executive at one UK broadcaster who asked to remain anonymous.

Nevertheless, Hollywood is not standing by idly. Fearful of a repeat of the rampant downloading that crippled the music industry, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has forced the closure of several sites that provide the links needed to download movies and television shows.

Lawsuits are also being used.

When the MPAA shut down a site called LokiTorrent last week, they seized reams of data including logs of user data that could enable legal action against individual users.

"I'm not sure if the MPAA are going to follow that route," Mr Price said:

"The MPAA have found a very worthwhile technique, which is to go after the tracker sites and shut those down, which means the users don't have anywhere to go to get what they need."

But there is little evidence that Hollywood's counter-offensive has had any effect, according to web analysis firm CacheLogic, which estimates that BitTorrent accounts for a staggering one-third of all internet traffic.

"We've seen very little change, and in some cases we've actually seen an increase," CacheLogic chief technology officer Andrew Parker said.

"The MPAA has had no impact."

Reuters
AAP

[listening to: Don't Let the Man Get You Down - Fat Boy Slim ]
7:48:09 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • TV

The pre-season AFL competition is almost amongst us, which means the real season isn't that far away.

In honour of the upcoming game, I have accepted a wager from a fellow footy tragic who happens to be a Hawthorn supporter.

The Saints are playing the Hawks on Saturday night and the wager is pretty simple. The loser is to reskin their blog in the colors of the winning team. So, if the Saints lose, this blog will become brown and gold. If the Saints win, Phil's Mollyzone will become red white and black.

Footy, it's good to have you back!

[listening to: No Viviré - Gipsy Kings ]
9:01:15 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

I had a nice surprise this week, when I got my 2005 AFL Season Guide in the mail.

I tried to order it online, but the Herald Sun Shop haven't heard of this thing called the internet, so I ordered it over the phone. On the plus side it was dispatched pretty quickly. This is the earliest I have gotten my hands on the guide over the years.

[listening to: Bamboleo - Gipsy Kings ]
7:48:18 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

You speak eloquently and have seemingly read every book ever published.
You are a fountain of endless (sometimes useless) knowledge, and never fail to impress at a party.
What people love: You can answer almost any question people ask, and have thus been nicknamed Jeeves.
What people hate: You constantly correct their grammar and insult their paperbacks.

What Kind of Elitist Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

[listening to: Daddy Can I Turn This? - Elvis Costello ]
3:03:53 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Random

It's that time of year again. The 2005 AFL season guide is now on sale in Victoria. When will it make it's way to Sydney. September? I complained about this last year too. In the end I made a trip to Melbourne and bought it, but why can't I order this online and have it shipped to me. Come on AFL Publishing get with the program!

2005 season guide now on sale

The AFL’s annual statistical and historical guide is about to hit the bookshelves and the first thing readers will notice is its title has changed.

The guide – now in its 10th year – has changed its name to AFL Record Season Guide to 2005 to reflect the title of the AFL Record, the long-running and popular gameday publication of the AFL.

This year, AFL Publishing has added another 16 pages to the Season Guide, making it 848 pages in total. And once again, it is crammed with up-to-date statistics and information, as well as a thorough review of the 2004 season and a look ahead to the 2005 season.
New additions in AFL Record Season Guide to 2005 include:

- A complete list of all Rookie Drafts since the Rookie Draft was introduced in 1997. Previous editions only listed the Rookie Draft selections of that particular year but now readers can look back on every Rookie Draft.

- There have been 12 sets of four or more brothers who have played at AFL level. This year’s guide lists them all, including the famous Rose brothers who all played for Collingwood.

- A list of recent cases of individual players who have outscored the entire opposition. For example, Gary Ablett senior scored 9.6 (60) in Geelong’s score of 27.21 (183) against Melbourne in 1996. The Demons only managed 8.8 (56).

- Highest and lowest quarter-by-quarter aggregate scores. The most recent example of a highest aggregate score for a quarter was in 1991 when Melbourne and the Kangaroos scored 9.1 (55) each in the opening term for an aggregate total of 110.

- With the re-vamp of the AFL Tribunal, the guide outlines the new Tribunal reforms for the 2005. There is also a list of all Tribunal chairman since the Tribunal became an independent body in 1976.

AFL Record Season Guide to 2005 has a complete wrap-up of the 2004 season and has profiled every currently listed AFL player. The guide also pays tribute to Melbourne defender Troy Broadbridge, one of the many Australian victims of the tsunami disaster.

[listening to: Monkey to Man - Elvis Costello ]
9:34:49 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • My Hobbies

It's taken a while, but the my OnThePod interview with Cam & Mick from G'Day World is online.

Grab it before they exceed their bandwidth!

[listening to: Hello - The Cat Empire ]
9:11:02 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Geek • My Organization

What follows is the code to display 10 random photos from my Flickr account. If no images appear, you can see my flickr photo slide show or how about just photos of brice

[listening to: Mi Bebé Masoquista - Fatboy Slim ]
11:30:32 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family • Geek

Saw this in The SMH today...

Redlands school stabbing charges dismissed

A magistrate today cited mental health laws when dismissing criminal charges against a 15-year-old teenager accused of stabbing a fellow student at a Sydney private school.

A 13-year-old was stabbed in the back while in the playground of the exclusive SCECGS Redlands school, on Sydney's north shore, on November 19 last year.

The victim, then a Year 8 student, was hospitalised but released the next day.

The 15-year-old was charged with maliciously wounding the 13-year-old, maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm and having custody of a knife in a school.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges when he appeared in Bidura Children's Court last December.

The case returned to Bidura today but Magistrate Paul Mulroney dismissed the charges under the Mental Health Act.

Mr Mulroney released the boy into the care of his parents and ordered the teen, who suffers from the developmental disorder Asperger's Syndrome, continue receiving therapy and assessment.

Sufferers of Asperger's Syndrome often experience impaired social interaction, due to their inability to understand social behaviour.

My eldest son Antony has been diagnosed with Asperger's and he experienced a terrible time at primary school in which he was bullied constantly. In his final year he lunged at a bully with a pair of scissors, in a final act of desperation - just like the boy mentioned in the article. We dealt with the issue amongst ourselves, but in retrospect we should have taken it further as it would have forced the school to have their bullying programs reviewed.

Oh, there is a happy ending here. Antony is attending North Sydney Boys High School and he LOVES it and there is no problems with Bullies. It seems High School is more accepting of those who march to a different beat.

[listening to: Talking Bout My Baby - Fatboy Slim ]
9:10:25 PM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Family

It has been a long time since I updated my Orkut Stats - November in fact!

My Orkut network continues to grow.

I am now connected to 3,975,578 people through 100 friends, with 15 fans.

I need more fans - come on people! Especially those who asked me to invite them to Orkut. Show me the love!

[listening to: 5th Set - Spiderbait ]
8:58:58 AM    comment []  trackback []  G!   • Geek