Playing: with Google Sketchup

Sketchup is an easy to use 3D modelling tool now owned by Google. I first tried it out a couple of years back and then, not having any reason to use it, put it away in a dark virtual cupboard.

I needed to create a model today though so I reached deep into the back of the cupboard and was able to whip this up in a couple of hours (in between meetings and reacquainting myself with elements of how it works).

There is also a nifty third party plugin with the imaginative name of Sketchup Web Exporter that enables you to display your models in a web browser - you can actually click and drag on this object to rotate it.

Watching: The Hollowmen (Episode 3)

Happy to say that The Hollowmen has continued to improve since the first episode - last nights one about the minutiae of dealing with Indonesia and the language of diplomacy was great.

If you haven't seen this show yet and have any interest in the way this country is run (and you should) it's a must. It still cuts close enough to the bone to make the viewing experience somewhat of a laugh then cringe then sigh that it's probably true situation. The humour is fast paced and very dry and highly highly pointed.

If this show had gone to air during the Howard government, Liberal ministers left, right and centre would have been going ballistic about ABC anti-government bias, so it's nice to see the Rudd response of - no response at all. (Because they know it's just a tv show).

Preferring: this Batman/Baman

Nice work by Alexander Butera

Thinking: about warmer climes

Scraping the ice from the car windscreen this frosty Canberra morning had me rather nostalgic for the beautiful weather on the Europe trip just past (and considering other options)

LOLing: Inappropriate Sesame St censorship

Apparently I've been going a little OTT with the YouTube posts but I have to give a special mention to this one - it has changed the way I will see childhood favourite Sesame St forever. (And it's only 1.31)