Archive
12-Mar-2016 Shanghai Stopover
5-Dec-2014 How I write my blog/journal articles
In general I read an awful lot of books, magazines, websites, blogs etc – reading is something I have done incessantly since being a little kid.
These days I make notes in Evernote – a great app for any decent phone and of course bookmarks in chrome or on delicious. I often do this on the train, as I have a 35min commute to and from work each day.
At some point later I write them up, but I usually prefer doing it on a decent pc with keyboard, hence I am often days, weeks or months later.
Also if you receive an email each time I make a post, it’s what I would call a draft as I often go back in and make edits.
No doubt as time goes on, I will keep changing my process.
9-Nov-2014 Swim with dolphins
Dawn was at work today, so I had a quiet morning doing chores, then in the afternoon I kayaked over to the White House, but as I was injured I went for a walk instead of a run. I walked to South Cronulla along the coast path, then went for a swim round the buoy. The sea was quite rough. Amazingly a dolphin swam underneath me. To be honest when I first saw the fin and flash of grey it scared the life out of me. When I looked up I could see it breach the water with it’s fin out – really beautiful once I’d calmed down.
I then got changed and had a coffee at Grind, then walked up to Wanda beach and then back to the White House and kayaked back home. I felt quite sore & tired.
In the evening, I was fiddling around with my new phone, the Samsung Note 4. After Dawn came home I took the first selfie – below.
1-Apr-2014 New tech gadget – Samsung Tablet
Today I got a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 10.1″ from work [link]. The Sim card is coming tomorrow. Woo hoo ! This is mainly so I don’t need to cart my laptop and power supply around when going between the city & Kogarah. I spent some time after yoga tonight setting it up.
Even though I work in IT it feels like I am behind my kids who are very adept on ipads (and a range of other tech).
15-Nov-2013 Friday Quiet Night In
I had to leave work early today, like most Fridays, so I could see Kody’s six a side soccer at Caringbah. We came home just as it started raining, developing into full on thunder & lightening. I had a hot & relaxing bath with a Lush bath ball. It felt very luxurious then I made dinner for about 4 kids, mainly using Jazmin’s home made raw vegan pesto (she is getting pretty good now … good training of course!)
I took a photo of my dinner – asparagus and broccolini with a little potato lightly sautéed with a dry Indian spice/masala with a few “activated” cashews and some banana chili. Lovely. Although the photo is really crap – I could have spent approx 15secs and checked the photo before I ate the food.
Whilst I had my camera out I took a photo of the cork board hanging just over my desk – click it for a larger photo:
Earlier in the week I bookmarked a heap of Hulu videos – mainly documentaries – all free. You can see the list here and access Hulu here. Yes I think that old skool TV is going to become less important as new access methods hit the mainstream. Of course TV won’t go away entirely but will not be the pre-dominant cultural force it has been since the 1960s, that’s for sure.
Our family are also BIG users of spotify – why not ? It’s both free and legal and is like being let loose in a big record store to play any record you like. so cool.
23-Sept-2013 Litter Free & Responsible Runners
Back in 2008 I started a website keepbundeenalitterfree.com [domain name expired today, but the content is still available here] with the aim of starting some kind of litter pick up service. I didn’t really do much with it, other than my own litter pickups along the beaches here in paradise. This is why I let the name expire (it only cost $10 a year).
There is a new group that has come along in Sydney, based out of Bondi, Responsible Runners [website here] who are doing a great job. I am talking to them about starting an offshoot in the Royal National Park (they are starting in Cronulla soon).
Over 40+ cleanups since September 2012, Responsible Runners have picked up over 3.5 tonnes of rubbish, including over 35,000 cigarette butts, 6,800 recyclable drink containers, 7,700 straws, 5,500 bottle caps, and much more. This, however, is only the beginning. We must all work together by saying NO to disposable plastic bags, bottles, and packaging and YES to reusable. Only be effecting positive behavioural change in ourselves and others will be truly begin addressing the problem of plastic pollution in our ocean.
18-Jan-2013 Work… blergh
Today started out with me having a headache and just feeling a bit rotten after a late night last night. I struggled into work a little on the late side. It was a hot day with another total fire ban declared and record temps predicted. During the day people discussed the latest high temps – I think Sydney hit 48C. There was a massive very hot wind blowing. Luckily my work pc got fixed in the afternoon so I could continue working. I bought some birthday presents for Chelsea’s 15th tomorrow. By the afternoon most rail lines were cactus so a lot of people left early to try to get home ok. At Town Hall station they were stopping people going onto the very narrow platform as there were too many people, However I got home ok.
I was going to go running then swimming but a massive southerly wind blew up and there were tree branches going all over and it was not safe (also Mum, Dad, Kody didn’t want to be left alone). So I had a quick swim instead then pottered around doing some chores in the evening whilst Dawn was at advanced yoga (I didn’t fancy staying out till 10.30pm tonight as I was so tired).
By the time we wrapped chelsea’s presents and made a card and read, it was approx 0130am!
3-May-2009 Why Blog?
I have a friend who is a frequent user of twitter and often encourages me to use twitter. But I am struggling, I am not sure I get “it” even though I am often an early adopter of technology – call me a twitter sceptic.
But I think I get blogs (started using Blogger on the homepage of CoolRunning Australia in 2000) which was well before it hit the mainstream.
For me I like the idea of a blog to capture the state of my mind at this moment in time – maybe to leave a record to my kids of the sort of person I was. Or for myself if I lose my marbles and want to re-find who I once was. At least to me that sounds like a convincing argument for keeping a blog. I have a personal website but suspect it needs more explanation. I also find that when I write, assuming I am not stressed out, it helps me sort out the sounds in my own mind (there is always a lot happening up there but its too noisy to make much sense).
I have also decided to not write comments on my own blog eg responding to previous comments, but will address them in future posts.
So a couple comments:
1) Plu asked for a photo of my Kayak. Technically its a “sit on” hence you might imagine that in the big sea it will be hard work. That day I was riding a Squid but I have 4 Kayaks – others include an Ocky and a cuttlefish.
2) Great Gatsby – sorry I didn’t like it. It is part of a concerted effort to read some more “classics”. I’d heard of the book many years ago but actually thought it was about a hotel called the Gatsby (for some reason) and it was only when I read the back of it that I realised it was on something else totally:
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby brilliantly captures the disillusion of a society obsessed with wealth and status. Young, handsome and fabulously rich, Jay Gatsby appears to have it all, yet he yearns for the one thing that will always be out of his reach, the absence of which renders his life of glittering parties and bright young things ultimately hollow. Gatsby’s tragic pursuit of his dream is often cited as the Great American Novel.
It came across as rich things with too much money and I couldn’t get into it. Or maybe I put up a mental wall so I couldn’t get into it. One of my mantras in life has been “I don’t wanna hear about what the rich are doing, I don’t wanna go to where the rich are going, They think they’re so clever, they think they’re so right, But the truth is only known by guttersnipes” or maybe I have successfully brainwashed myself into thinking that. Anyway life’s too short to worry aboutt bad books, there’s millions more out there to read.
i recently read the White tiger book as I am a total fanboy for stuff on India and China. I liked it.
3) Serena asked if I had read Vernon God Little – I haven’t but have listened to an interview with the author and would like to read it sometime. In general I don’t read many fiction books, usually prefer non-fiction, or pseudo non-fiction.
On the running front I ran down the street with the dog today, so its likely I will be able to start off slowly “soon”. if not tomorrow. In general if I get injured I am happy to come back slowly to make sure its healed properly.
Here are some of the Youtube videos I watched when I was doing the washing up last night – it’s a bit of an eclectic mix:
- Horse feathers “curs”
- Billy Bragg – Carpenters v Bob Dylan
- NME Video: Billy Bragg at SXSW 2008
- Show of Hands “Roots”
- Angelic Upstarts – Loneliness Of The Long distance Runner
- Dub Pistols and Terry Hall performing ‘Gangsters’ live
- Sonic Youth – Candle
- All the Young Dudes/Jean Genie – David Bowie & Billy Corgan
- Mott the Hoople: All the Young dudes
- placebo – the bitter end
- placebo – running up that hill
- Knockin On Heavens Door – Antony & The Johnsons
- placebo – bigmouth strikes again
This was originally on my blog on CoolRunning and I had a few comments:
runrosierun – I have the same problem with Twitter. I’ve tried a couple of times but I just don’t get it.
Fred – Mott the Hoople!!! All the Young Dudes!!! Thanks for the reminder of this great song.
rachinaus – You are right Kev…life is too short for bad fiction – which is why I gave up always trying to finish a book if I genuinely didn’t like it – its also why I never understand people rationing a book they enjoy so it will last longer – I mean there are so many great books no one will ever read them all in a life time.
I also agree about Gatsby and the rich but I was always intrigued by the sub text of old money versus new money. Jay Gatsby never ‘belongs’ in this book because he ‘made’ his money. What he yearns for is not just Daisy – it is the life they represent – even with money he cannot have it because he had to earn the money and is a self made man.
I think maybe this can strike a chord for any one who has felt that they are not quite part of the society they are in – or the one they want to be in. But also to want what you cannot have is an affliction that affects more than just the rich I think – OK I promise to stop commenting about Gatsby.
Hmmm – the book stuff always engages me – maybe that’s why I’m giving up my job in the new year to open a bookshop
tim – I gave twitter a good go. I found the most interesting people I could. I read their tweets each night. It became a chore. i like blogs. I like this blog. It has a range of topics with cool links and is about someone I know quite well. Twitter is just too short to have any quality to it. I sometimes wonder if we as a society just love new things.
serena – I agree with everyone re twitter. I gave it a shot. My thinking is that I will keep up with all the social network stuff so I can stay up to date on what the kids are into, but twitter made my brain get sucked out of my head and into the ether. I had to keep patting the latest Vanity Fair for reassurance that people aren’t that boring everywhere (although the thing that made me squirm was seeing how boring my own ‘tweets’ were).
Kevin I was sorting through my books that have to be moved (I have hundreds; a book junkie) and stumbled upon The Great Gatsby. I wouldn’t have opened it but thought of this blog and had a look at it was filled with notes from year 12 Lit TAE exam, a little trip back in time.
1-May-2009 This Is The Sea
So I couldn’t run last weekend, and the decks were reasonably clear of Six foot stuff and the missus was at work so I had a few hours spare to myself and fancied a kayak to Jibbon Bombora. Normally we are content to stay kayaking within Port Hacking but i have had the sniff of the open sea, and the Bombora is just out the heads and round the corner.
I paddled off in budgie smugglers and a rash shirt and cap. The water was a bit nippy. Half way there i could see these huge waves crashing against the rocks.
Anyway I continued, steering well clear of the waves and rocks such that I was halfway between Jibbon and Cronulla. I went out the heads the waves got really big. The first time a wave came over the kayak and got me wet I was a bit nervy as that hadn’t happened before in Port Hacking. By about 2mins later it was every wave coming over the top and I was like Kayaking a white water course. I decided that the Bombora was a bit far away and would head back in. Wow – THAT WAS THE RIVER AND THIS IS THE SEA!!!! I know exactly what the waterboys were going on about now, and that’s all I could think about.
Of course turning back to go in was harder than coming out. I really had that feeling of “oh my god, I could die out here”. (in fact someone did, but luckily not me). I eventually made it back in one piece and even managed a swim, however I was really cold and went home and got in a hot shower. There was no blood in my hands or feet and it felt like I was walking on high heels. I’d also hurt my wrist and finger. gripping stuff. I then spent the rest of the day under a blanket on the sofa totally cactus.
Actually went to a doc this week and I have raised glands due to (likely) some of many leech bites from last week being a bit infected.
I guess the worst thing is that I now have unfinished business at Jibbon Bombora. There is no way Dawn will go out there, so I should get it over and done with quickly.
I finally finished the R4YL magazine article on six foot, and I guess to reward myself I finally cracked how to upload my old outlook pst files into gmail, via thunderbird and a imap account on the coolrunning server. I still have 30,000 emails to upload to the following accounts: kevintiller, sixfoot, coolrunning and Loco. keep me busy I guess…. I loaded about 500 emails as a test. o wonderful.
listening – I downloaded a bunch of reggae (not listened to yet) and did listen to The Word Magazine’s cover cd
readingwise I finished the great gatsby. I was impressed when I saw it released as a popular penguin as I had wanted to read it for a long time. However I was totally unimpressed and it was a waste of $9.99.
This post was originally on my coolrunning blog and I had some comments:
Fire Horse – Well, I’m bummed about the injury for you (prev post), and that The Great Gatsby was disappointing. I started, but didn’t finish it – Ooh, that could be a new term for reading, DNF. The kayaking adventure is fab. My tip would be to practise riding in the surf – how long is the boat? You’ll be better able to work the waves. This is all armchair advice, you understand, as I haven’t been in whitewater since high school – too many kids hanging off me since then. Good luck, keep posting. And maybe get a life vest? Just a thought… 😀
rachinaus – Always loved the Great Gatsby…sorry you found it a disappointment. Currently reading ‘A Fraction of The Whole’ debut novel by Australian Steve Toltz…in the running for a few literary prizes this year (but don’t hold that against it) It’s a great read (and not anything like the Great Gatsby).
Re the kayaking – you certainly know how to live your live Kev
plu – You have put on hold my midlife crisis for a twin cab ute and sea kayak.
serena – Kev I can’t remember how much I enjoyed reading The Great Gatsby – I just keep thinking of Mia Farrow and how ethereal she was in the movie. Have you read Vernon God Little by [aussie] DBC Pierre? I don’t know what made me think of that one but I loved it. It was his first novel and won the Man Booker a few years ago.
03-Oct-2008 Peace In Myself Makes Peace In The World
They say a peaceful mind makes a peaceful man. A peaceful man makes a peaceful family. A peaceful family makes a peaceful village. A peaceful village makes a peaceful country. A peaceful country makes a peaceful world. Peace. Kindness. Sustainability. It’s all the same to me.
yeah beautiful. I don’t feel beautiful – work is a total shitter but the things outside of work are good.
Our habit of turning off electricity at the wall is paying off – 29Kwh per day for the last quarter – pretty good as it was half the previous bill even though it covered the winter period and a third what is was when we lived (in a bigger house) in Berowra, and there are 5 of us in the family. what’s yours ?
I am spending time reading some old books, currently Narcissus and Goldmund – I first read this as a 14year old or so. It’s like how I feel – part scholar chained to a desk and part wildman exploring all the world has to offer.
I am thinking of buying a netbook, one of the $500 jobs running XP. I have a nextg usb modem. Will need something when six foot season comes around (no new Race director to replace me yet).
On Saturday I ran over the curra moors loop to garie beach yha and back. 2hrs 10mins all up although I took a detour over sand dunes and bush bashed before I found the right track to the yha. it is the coolest place I have ever been too, very impressed indeed. I love garie beach anyway so its always a pleasure to run there.
We picked up a load of rubbish from bonnie vale – it was a hot day and lots of boating people out (the worst litter louts) – too much to carry so waded (chest high) to maianbar twice to put in the bins there.
On Sunday I made a very rare trip north to run with the sydney striders, from kogarah. Although I needn’t have bothered. I ran with the 6.10am group but got dropped by approx 7km, luckily almost back at the start. I stopped (6.55am) and drove home for 8am and went running for 2hrs with the missus. You could say I should harden up and get fitter, but I can’t be arsed, it was a crazy pace. sod ’em. Needless to say I was a bit stuffed. In the afternoon we went kayaking and that finished me off.
fyi I found some photos of the exact spot I go swimming at wattamolla – palm tree to the right, waterfall to the left.
This was posted on my old blog and had got the following comments:
Vurt : If you are interesting in the Dell Sub notebook let me know 
I have been looking at these for when Ellie and i travel next month. My impression is that the Acer Aspire One or the latest ASUS offered the best value if you are after an decent sized hard drive rather than a SSD. The Dell is a nice product though.
Mick : I hate seeing rubbish also, but having those that don’t create it, cleanup after those that do, although it helps, does not get to the source of the problem. I really just can’t understand how someone who is finished with a fast food container can just open the window and throw it out. Where do they get this from ? Surely they can just keep it in their car until they get to their destination and put it in the bin. Weird.I wish someone like Ian Kiernan could influence local government, etc to fixing the source of the problem …Impose fines, give them weekend liter detention on the sides of our roads, etc. The police are never going to be interested, probably going to have to rely on Council / Park rangers. If the fine was $200 (and that’s just for starters, etc out of window object), they should only need to issue 2 fines per day to cover their wages/overheads, with the amount of liter around that should be easily achievable.
RunBare : Hey Kev,
I’ve been doing the ‘turn things off at the wall’ as well as ‘why is THAT on???’ and trying to see how much I could save power wise. We have 5 in our house as well, and our last quarter was was half the previous one. 10.73 kWh/day. It’s only served to make me more determined/annoying (the kids LOVE it….) to see how low we can get it.
Moondust : I bought an Asus and I love it, but in all honesty the keyboard is *just* too small for a touch typist. The Acer has a better keyboard – the extra $100 (ish) would be worth it to me. Haven’t seen the Dell.
Kevin Tiller 
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