More crazy weather! Tonight there was another huge storm and things half-flooded at the office. Blimey.

I listed my first item for sale on eBay tonight, though I don't think there would be many people interested in it (it's a used coin mech). Still, it's an interesting process. The Weird Al song eBay is worth a listen if you've had any dealings with eBay - it's funny because it's true! I particularly like the line "I am the type who, is liable to snipe you, with two seconds left to go, woah-oh!"

Another night, another storm. This time power lines were downed in three different streets within the surrounding blocks (overgrown trees falling on the lines), so there's no power here, and probably won't be until some time tomorrow. Adds a little entertainment, sort of.

I'm currently in Brisbane, sitting in the half-dark of a brown out. A heavy rain and lightning storm struck about four hours ago and caused a tree nearby to hit power lines. There was a brilliant green explosion of light and sparks before all the lights dimmed, and they haven't regained strength since despite the line having been fixed. The freezer is slowly thawing, I'm typing on what battery power my laptop has left, and the forecast for a hot coffee isn't looking good ;) Energex are apparently on their way, but after hearing that there are "several thousand properties still without power", it could be quite some time before there's any action here.

I like brown outs, though... they're calming and strange, light bulbs weak and struggling to produce but a dull brown glow reminescent of a camp fire made with damp wood. But they obviously cause problems with electrical equipment, especially those with motors, and eventually become a large inconvenience. A trip to the supermarket will probably be on the cards for tomorrow. Unluckily for us, it seems there are few buildings affected in this area; houses and units just a few blocks away are fine. I wonder who won the cricket match that was on tonight...

The month-long server troubles should now be over. Another server move was performed; a hassle, but one that should result in better stability. If I see one more Server Too Busy error, I will not be a happy man.

Meanwhile, it's hot as hell. This heat, or something, is making me feel constantly tired. Perhaps I'm lacking in iron, though it'd be fairer to ascribe the tiredness to a simple lack of sleep.

I've managed to find a buyer for the last of my Sony Trinitrons. Since upgrading to LCDs the Trinitrons have been hiding under the pool table waiting for a new home. It's nice to have them gone from under there! I've also sold a couple of other items recently that are no longer of use to me, like my old laptop bag. After I perform a transformer transplant there'll be two transformers left over, in addition to a reproduction translite, that will all go up for auction or sale. A new electronic coin mechanism should arrive tomorrow or the next day, though installing it will have to wait as there's too much work that needs to be done.

Tomorrow should see a website completed, and the start of another.

This past week and a bit I've been in Brisbane. Yesterday I had the chance to briefly say "hi" to a few friends I hadn't seen in far too long. Although I didn't talk very much when words could have counted, given that among other things the effects of sleep deprevation aren't kind to the ability to hold a conversation, I did find it enjoyable to see familiar faces again, and I hope they did too. Due to reasons of geography there are often months on end where I won't see any of my friends, so even a minute just to say "hi and bye", regardless of the setting or the time, means a lot to me.

But for now it's sleep that has to be found, as in around six hours I'll be heading back to the console of waves and wind.

g'night.

For some time I've thought of ending this area of the site... packing it away on a CD like so many photo albums on dusty shelves. Still, I can't bring myself to do it, even though there are rarely words to say that would be interesting to most people that happen upon it. Why then am I here typing away on my laptop on a mid-summer night, watching lightning scratch a silent horizon in the dark? I'm not quite sure. Maybe it's because there's no one willing to listen, face to face, in that analogue context full of subtlety, where silence can speak volumes: the real world.

It would appear that no one is interested, but is interest requisite for listening? You'd have to assume it's not if you've read this far, but then again, you're here on your own terms ;)

Why am I saying this? In the hope that someone would be willing to listen, even if it's just for a minute. It seemed like an interesting quandary to pose, and something worthy of a New Year's Resolution: listening ever more.