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Although this is not right out my window, this is where I started work thismorning.

Sunrise, it's hard to see because of the suns position but there is a train bridge across the water in the shadows of the hills.


larger pic
http://img26.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img26&image=sunrise.jpg


Brooklyn bridge, no not New York, but this leads out of Sydney to the central coast.


larger pic
http://img39.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img39&image=brooklynbridge.jpg

This is Brooklyn, a very outer suburb of Sydney, it's about 50km (31 miles) or so north of the city


larger pic
http://img30.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img30&image=brooklyn.jpg

It's interesting as I posted a pic recently that had the train bridge in it, (not the close up car bridge in the previous pic)

notice the bottom left corner of the pic


Like anyone cares, but It was a great way to start the day, and clear and sunny just like most other days,

out of those I've only played, BASS, Quest for glory I (Hero's Quest), and Quest for Glory IV

Thought Bass was pretty ordinary, glad it was just downloaded, but the Quest for glories are awesome, (Hero's Quest is the best one [whether it's the original or the remake] and QG4 is pretty good too)

it depends on whether you want to play the best one first or save it for a rainy day.

may just be firefox playing up though.

It's just that silly invis anonymiser thingy it hasn't worked for ages.

Hey ratracer, good to see you're still alive, there's no rush when it comes to creating games, or posting on the forums, just do what feels right at the time.

Here's the view off my balcony

an excuse to test my digital camera, but I've scaled and reduced quality on the computer for easier viewing





this is a higher quality shot
http://img30.imageshack.us/my.php?loc=img30&image=largeryard.jpg

http://img2.imageshack.us/my.php?loc=img2&image=sunset13.jpg
http://img2.imageshack.us/my.php?loc=img2&image=sunset14.jpg
http://img2.imageshack.us/my.php?loc=img2&image=sunset15.jpg

I've still gotta learn about the different settings and modes, and when to use the flash and when not to.

and this is my car in the street


notice the grass is pretty dry as we are in droubt, but the native bush is thriving as it's used to the climate.

While I don't relish the idea of living here in Florida ...

... it could be worse I suppose.

Ummm, yeah, I think everybody would hate to live there, especially at sunset (or rise)

I usually have short hair cause I can't really grow long hair, I've tried before but It ends up looking like Einstein.

I usually shave once a week, cause I'm lazy, and I just like the unshaven bogan look, I had a goatie for a few years, and then grew it every now and then, but I haven't for ages.

I grow a decent thick goatie and mow, but the sides still don't quite fill up yet, and I'm 28. but I don't have chest hair either, I guess I'm just not a hairy person.

This is me with my usual few days growth, I think I'm the one on the right.


You're all friggin girls with your fancy long hair, what's the next part of discussion? which fancy shampoo you use? conditioner?

Well, DragonRose and Pesty are allowed (but please shave your beards)

Congrats Sully, it's a good experience, I hope you know some good recipes (and can cook) cause that's probably the most important part (besides being able to afford to live)

Are you moving in with mates, or on your own?

how many rooms is the place, is it like a dorm or a unit/flat/appartment or house? I know you said appartment but it seems Americans call everything an appartment.

Good luck.

Just one small warning, don't let yourself slip into too many more bad habbits just cause you have that extra freedom.

Sounds like you had more rain at Brittens than I've had all year in Sydney (and I'm being literal)

wake up, oh gee, another sunny day, gets kind of predictable (but it is nice, especially as I work outdoors)

one of my brother inlaws parents are in London at the moment and they said it was colder over there than it was here.

I didn't see any soccer in CJ's photos, I thought everyone would be trying to imitate that Euro thingy that's going on (oh yeah that's right, England are crap)

I thought from some of the thumbnails that you were all pulling bongs, but from the larger image it seems you were just eating.

The earth goes through cycles and various weather patterns that we have no control over.

we may contribute slightly, maybe speed things up but really not as noticable as some people try to make out.

I still think we should take better care of our environment, but it's more likely to be caused from natural things like volcanos or even more likely by a large meteorite, asteroid, or comet.

one of those large pieces of rock hits the earth, it will send enough dust into the atmosphere to block out the sun long enough to cause major climate changes in much shorter time.

and that's is what some theorists think caused previous ice ages.


When it happens, it will happen much quicker than we think, with no time to adjust, just like in that recent movie. (in theory, what happened in that movie is a possibility too)

but we do need to start thinking about future generations, unlike our parents before us. (and not just our kids and grand kids, much further [but mother nature will probably get us before we get ourselves])

edit: and that's if we don't start using nuclear weapons anytime soon

This is an experiment with my new digital camera, this is at the lowest size picture

And it is the camera that took the picture, but obviously a flipped image.

Yes I love Blue Tongue lizards, I've had some big one's in the garden, also Eastern water dragons around the local creeks, not to mention deadly snakes, but you are pretty lucky to see them, as when they hear you coming they hide before you get near.

The weather in Sydney in the middle of winter today was 21 C (70 F) which is 5 above normal but it's been pretty normal for the last couple of years.

but as far as weather goes it ranges a lot depending where you live.

Australia is much larger than what everyone thinks, it's about the size of the USA minus Alaska. The east coast would be like going from Mexico to Canada, or Egypt to Sweden.

It also extends well into the tropics

- Sydney likes to give the impression overseas that they're a big harbour based city but again... for the tourists, really. Whenever I see Sydney portrayed on overseas shows, I'm like "All they -ever- show is the harbour!".

very true, I live about 28km out of the city in a suburb surrounded by bush, I don't see Kangaroos (or the harbour) but there were a few roos after the fires a few years back as they'd moved from other areas that got burned out.

There's other wild life that comes closer to the city, eg bats, possums, and a large variety of birds, Kookaburras, Rosella's, Gallah's, Cockatoo's

but there's much more to Sydney than just the silly polluted harbour

- There may be a lot of spiders and stuff in the outback but you hardly ever see them in a city environment. My biggest problem this year is ants.

that may be true in Brisbane (I doubt it though) but spiders are literally everywhere if you look.

I work outdoors in Sydney over a large area, covers the whole north area, which is friggin huge, and you are pretty much guaranteed a few spiders in every yard, they are my friends, I may break a few webs now and then (a few hundred everyday) but it's pretty safe.

also Sydney has the most deadly spiders in the world. They are also quite easy to find if you know where to look, but the average person won't see them or get harmed by them.

Sydney has a larger population than LA, but not the greater LA area

Brisbane is the biggest city by area

The temperature of Darwin is above 30 C (86 F) every day of the year

Most people live in the cities of Sydney, Melbourne & Brisbane, the rest is pretty much country areas with a few large country towns.

I think the dressing like whores thing is quite big in Sydney, although I'm not sure of the age level, cause it's hard to know the age. It doesn't really bother me (as long as they keep doing it once they pass 20 [and can still pull it off]) but seriously, I guess it's getting more dangerous these days as rape seems to be going up dramatically (well at least the reporting of it)

I can't wait to have enough money to move into a quieter smaller town.


a root is not part of a plant

if someone says  "did you remember your budgie smugglers" make sure you remember to bring your swimmers, boardie's, cozzie's, bathers, speedo's, which ever you call them.

I think you'll find you wont get any better compression than Inno Setup.

It really depends on what resolution your game is in, if it's 640 by 480 high colour, and uses a lot of colours, it wont compress very much.

My current project is in 640 by 400 high colour, but uses a lot less colours than necessary, and with Inno setup compresses from 50MB to 2.6MB. but another of my projects uses a lot more colours and compresses from 10MB to 6MB.

Pleughburg Dark Ages is in 320 by 200 or 240 and is in low colour which is why it compresses better.

So I'm not sure of your options other than to change resolutions or colour depth.

In Aus it is 000 on normal phones but I'm not sure from mobiles, I have a feeling it's 112, but I've never tried. but this isn't common knowledge so it's pretty silly.

any aussie's (without actually pressing call), type the number 112 on your mobile phone when it's locked and it will allow you to make the call, it doesn't work with 000 when locked.

That's just typical of couriers as far as I know, quite often they couldn't be bothered to knock on someones door and just card them instead. They just assume that everyone is at work.

If you have the option of who delivers stuff, here's a little bit of advise, get it delivered by australia post with no signature required, then they will at least just leave it on your doorstep if you're not home. Unless you live in a dodgey area it should still be there.

also when sending something fragile, NEVER put a fragile sticker on it, they're the packages the sorters play football with when bored.


edit:
It always seems to be delayed when you're really looking forward to something

I think it's just the fact that they have to find a way to tap into a HUGE potential market, what they don't realise is they just have to associate it with cricket somehow and they'd hit a gold mine.

Well big Swervin Mervin has to be included on any list


Oh yeah, and happy birthday Evil, bloody hell, your still Illegitimate

2. Post in a mature manner. Remember, the minimum age here is 16 - if you're unable to act that age, don't post.

This is an impossible task but heres 10 songs I still like after time goes by or in some cases just because it's semi recent, but only one song per band

Monster Skank - Infectious Grooves
Apache rose peacock - RHCP
Ego Brain - SOAD
Get off - Frenzal Rhomb
Falling down - Mad Caddies
Killing the Right - The Living End
The Gentle Art of Making Enemies - FNM
Gone Daddy Gone - Violent Femmes
Out of Space - The Prodigy
There would have to be a Beatles song in there but I can't think of the one in the back of my mind.

I'm sure I've forgotten heaps but that's a good list for me

Sydney in winter is generally around 16 C (61 F) it can get below zero away from the coast in the suburbs over night, the next few days it's supposed to be around 18 & 20 C (64, 68 F) and down to 4 - 8 C (39 - 46 F) over night. The record Low in the daytime is about 8 or 9 C.

It's also generally sunny, so it can be quite pleasant in the day.

There's much colder places in Aus, but compared to the far north, sydney is cold

I just got back from my escape to Cairns in tropical north Queensland, just to give you some idea of the location, here's a map showing similar proximities. eg, just like hanging out in the Caribbean.



It was an awesome adventure, and fairly cheap too, as I got cheap airfair and free accommodation at my sisters (except when I went further north).

It was great to get out of Sydney's cold weather, at this time of year in Cairns, everyday is generally 26-28 C (78-82 F) and gets down to about 20 C (68 F) at night, and this is winter time.

Here's some photos from my trip, I don't have a camera, so I just used disposable one's, so they are just scans, but here's a taste anyway, they're all nature shots as I love the wilderness.

This is Cairns Harbour at dusk


This is Josephine Falls, just a little waterfall about 60km (37miles) south of Cairns


This is Emmagen Creek, which is the furthest point north on the east coast of Australia that you can go without a 4 wheel drive vehicle (there's still about 1100km (683miles further to go)


Now after walking 10km (6.2miles) on your own, running into this sign miles from anywhere can be a little freaky, especially when you have to get back that distance to get any help. (you still hope to see a croc though [but I didn't])



This is Emmagen Beach which was just past that last sign (this looks back to Cape Tribulation, where I stayed for a few nights a backpackers place in the rainforest on the beach)



This is Myall beach where I stayed at Cape Tribulation (located in the Daintree National Park [A World Heritage listed place 140km {87miles} north of Cairns]), the backpackers place was called PK's Jungle Village, which was literally in the jungle behind the beach. This beach reminds me of some adventure game, I can't remember the name but I think it had some island and there were monkeys.



There was another crocodile warning right here, this is Myall creek, had a nice setting.



I went on a river cruise up the Daintree River looking for crocodiles, we saw a few, and some snakes and birds, but the biggest one was only 2meters (6''6') there are apparently 5meter crocs in the river



Lake Barrine is a volcanic crater lake in the Atherton Tablelands south west of Cairns, surrounded by lush rainforest and reeds & mangroves, I did the 5km (3.1miles) walk around the lake



This is a curtain fig, it's friggin huge in the midle of the rainforest, really hard to get a good shot as you can only see it up close otherwise trees are in the way (this is looking up at it, it goes down much further [I also took a vertical shot but it's so dark in the rainforest that the photo was worse than this one])



Cairns Harbour at very low tide, there's heaps of wildlife in the mud flats, birds, crabs etc



This was on the way home thismorning at dawn looking at the northern beaches of Cairns during take off



This was disappointing as it's the only shot I got of the Great Barrier Reef, I had a trip out to the reef and did some snorkeling, it was fucking awesome, My Brother inlaw even brought his under water camera, got film and batteries, the problem was it was broken (we only found that out when we were out there)
During the flight home we passed over heaps of reefs but the problem was it was dawn so the sun was facing the window, this was about the best opportunity I got as we were banking towards Townsville (where I waved to Kandyman, but as usual he didn't wave back)



I was really happy about this part too on the way down decending into Sydney, we passed Broken Bay, which is the border between Sydney & the Central Coast of NSW, if you saw a picture I posted a few weeks back about work with a big headland, you might recognise the thin piece of land just under the wing of the plane.



I still had some film left when I got home, so I took a photo off the balcony at my house.



Well I hope I haven't bored anyone too much, but that's what I've been up to lately and I haven't even seen a computer for a week and a half, I didn't miss it at all.

I don't know the point in this post, except to show what I've been up to, but feel free to make any comments or post pics of natural places you've been to, or even straight out your front door.

Cheers

~Tim

Here's some recent photos of me:

This is me, my older sister and niece & nephew in their backyard


Me with nephew & niece


Me, my brother inlaw & niece in park


Me and my niece


She's 2.75 years, he's 2.75 months


Oh yeah, I think it's deleted now but I was the one who recently caught up with Las Naranjas in Newcastle, aka Suymot