Here we go. Tomorrow is the big day. This week has been about undergoing conditioning chemo to prepare my body for the transplant. Most people hear the word transplant and think it involves surgery. In the case of blood cancers it’s simply a blood transfusion. I say ‘simply’, … read more

This is a great take on AI.

Things are changing quickly and there’s plenty of talk of a job apocalypse. Maybe it’s further out than we think.

I once spent some time with Prince Charles (as he was then) and we had a good chat over a beer or two. Not on my own of course. He came onboard one of the ships I was on and a bunch of us got invited to meet him. I struggle to recall the year or even which ship it was. Much of it is a blur. I do … read more

I’m back in the UK and the bone marrow transplant is happening. My last post was about 2 months into chemo. Since then, it has continued to be a roller coaster. I ended up having 6 cycles of chemo and spent 5 months in hospital (so far). We made the flights that we originally booked and … read more

I thought it was kidney stones again. I've been plagued with them over the years and thought they were back. For 2 weeks I'd been suffering back and shoulder pains. At first I thought it was just posture pain from spending too much time at my computer. I was between contracts and using the time to … read more

After moving in the to city from the suburbs I’ve seriously embraced city living, to the point where I’ve even been using the Lime Scooters. Brisbane is conducting a trial of electric scooters and there are 500 of them randomly scattered in and around the CBD. A 43 year old man on an electric … read more

My thoughts on today’s Apple Special Event covering the new services... Apple TV and Apple TV+ All the press before the event speculated on Apple launching a Netflix-killing TV service. Well, let’s wait and see. Judging by the fact that they didn’t even play a single trailer for a show, they’re … read more

In no particular order, here are some of the podcasts that I’m listening to in 2019. Kermode and Mayo’s Film Review (BBC) Of all the podcasts I subscribe to, this I believe is the one I’ve been listening to the longest. I’m an LTL in Wittertainment speak. I really can’t remember when I started … read more

Today is the 15th March - The Ides of March. It became significant as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. For World War II buffs, it’s also significant as a fateful day for Europe. On this day in 1939 Hitler’s troops began the occupation of the rest of Czechoslovakia, ending the … read more

When Apple finally released the HomePod on the 9th Feb 2018 it didn’t take me long to buy one. I had looked at the Google Home and Amazon Echo with curiosity, but was never really tempted. I’m an Apple Music subscriber for one, and I was also reluctant to put an Amazon or Google listening device in … read more

Who has been the best midfielder in the history of the Premier League? Man Utd fans will pick Scholes. Chelsea fans will pick Lampard and Liverpool fans will say Steven Gerrard. Neutrals will vary between the three and the argument will go on and on in the pub and between the pundits on TV for … read more

Every gentleman has the right music for the right occasion. When Friday afternoon arrives, crack open a bottle of wine, start the playlist, set it to shuffle,  turn the volume up, and get up and jig! The Weekend - Michael Gray I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas Last Friday Night - Katy … read more

The continuing decline of the Royal Navy is a travesty. Today, it'a a shadow of its former self. When I joined the RN in 1991, the numbers, both in ships and manpower, were on the decline. This was expected. The cold war had just ended, Saddam Hussein was under containment after his adventure into … read more

Here's a couple of shots taken from the Skydeck observation deck at the top of Q1 on the Gold Coast. You need a lot of patience when taking shots from the Q1. The place was packed with selfie-stick wielding tourists, and of course, most of them had their flash turned on, which reflects off the glass … read more

This month we took a short trip to Melbourne and drove down the Great Ocean Road to see the Twelve Apostles. A few people remarked that only the English would holiday to Victoria in the middle of winter. While half of Melbourne flocked to Queensland to chase the sun, we headed the in the opposite … read more

Following on from yesterday's photo of Cataract Gorge, this is a shot from the First Basin of Cataract Gorge looking towards the suspension bridge. Now this was tranquil! What you can't see is that above where I was standing is a chair lift that you can take across the gorge. Unfortunately it stops … read more

I was only in Launceston, Tasmania for one night, and didn't think I would get time to visit Cataract Gorge, which would have been a shame as the place is amazing! I forgot about daylight savings (which we don't have in Queensland). That combined with the latitude of Tasmania meant it wasn't getting … read more

I took some time out after the New Year to go on a solo photography tour of the east coast of Tasmania. In a busy 4 days, I started in Launceston before driving over to the Bay of Fires, then down to Freycinet National Park, visiting various stops on the way, and finally on to Hobart. The weather … read more

When something tragic like what unfolded in Paris happens, we all have an opinion on what needs to be done. Well here’s mine - I’m going to play armchair general and pretend I know what I’m talking about. It seems to me that the strategy for containing ISIS/ISIL/Daesh, whatever you want to call … read more

The journey from Cairns to Kuranda has got to be one of the best railway trips in Australia. This is a shot I took hanging out the window just as it was traversing one of the many bridges and tunnels necessary to pass through the ancient rainforest. My only minor compliant - I wish they would grease … read more