tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25659374720951328842012-01-23T22:10:13.047+10:30<p>Peak oil. Climate change. Environmental sustainability. Global economic<br> collapse. Endless war. The end of human civilisation as we know it.</p> <p><i>"Only the unknown frightens men. But, for whoever confronts it,<br> it is already no longer the unknown."</i> - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry</p>Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.comBlogger751100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-61190730231499321222012-01-23T22:10:00.000+10:302012-01-23T22:10:13.057+10:30

About two years ago, as many people who know me are no doubt aware, I started an on-line calendar to collate the green-minded events that are happening in the greater Adelaide metropolitan area. Well, the Adelaide Greenies Calendar has a new web site, with a new address: adelaidegreeniescalendar.info It's carefully disguised as a site not thrown together on BlogSpot, but it does the trick. I've

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-4335920622358553682011-09-11T21:33:00.000+09:302011-09-11T21:33:42.174+09:30

Those who perished ten years ago remain America's greatest loss, and those who gave themselves to save them its greatest heroes; but the terror conducted in their names must be its greatest shame. It is easy to forget that for the ruling classes to legitimise a war against another people, they must first wage war against their own, to the extent that no dishonesty or contempt lies beyond the

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-43481754853834330872011-06-26T21:04:00.001+09:302011-06-26T21:04:49.658+09:30

On 14 June 2011, I resigned from the ABSA Board, which I believe is still unable to fulfil its duties under either the ABSA Constitution or the Corporations Act. A week later, ABSA Chairman Michael Plunkett decided to send me an email, asking me to participate in an investigation against a trusted colleague who also doesn't work there any more. Here's my reply. Dear Michael, It's difficult to

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-22501469626882406342011-06-06T22:18:00.001+09:302011-06-13T19:10:47.237+09:30

Dear ABSA member, Even if you haven't been paying attention to ABSA's antics over the past year and a half - and documenting it along the way as I have - it's hard not to see their most recent episodes as anything more than theatre. Much of what members have heard over the past few months is predicated upon one specific, pervasive, fundamental lie. Let me dispel it right now: the ABSA Board

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-24835202511040305022011-05-09T21:41:00.009+09:302011-05-09T21:58:53.163+09:30

Dear ABSA member,Clearly, ABSA is an organisation in search of a scapegoat. It's doing its best to pretend that it's not, but this is surely not the way you would act if there weren't blame to be cast for something going wrong.At least our members get a chance to think for themselves about who that scapegoat should be. Jay Myers, Ian Turnbull and I called the EGM on 14 May to put the issue of

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-53835320487463010022011-04-25T12:30:00.003+09:302011-04-25T13:38:23.630+09:30

[On the morning of 23 April 2011, I sent the following email to all of the uncontracted Green Loans assessors I know, and a few other interested parties.] Hi everyone, I write to you today with heavy heart. I fear that the fight is over, not with a bang but with a whimper. I write to advise you to take DCCEE up on its Financial Assistance Scheme. Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving this

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-33223020863249905202010-11-16T23:33:00.000+10:302010-11-16T23:33:22.212+10:30

On Wednesday last week, I gave a presentation to the Mayo Greens in the Adelaide Hills about the Green Loans Program. A few people have asked for me to make the Powerpoint slides public, so here they are.

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-34699944487906126342010-10-28T22:46:00.002+10:302010-10-28T22:51:24.197+10:30

The Senate's report into the Green Loans Program has offered weak recommendations that will disappoint virtually everyone working in the Program, according to an assessor spokesperson. Last night, the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications released the findings of its inquiry into the Government's troubled Green Loans Program. The report recommended that the new Green Start

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-6419877087586073602010-10-28T12:00:00.009+10:302010-10-28T12:00:00.425+10:30

With the ABSA 2010 Annual General Meeting less than a month away, members will shortly be receiving information about who has been nominated to run for the all-new Board of Directors. There has been some speculation that I would be among the candidates. I am hereby announcing that this is indeed the case. If you've been reading my blog - which has been dominated for nearly a year by the (ahem)

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-76874361189914012752010-10-22T17:44:00.000+10:302010-10-22T17:44:04.017+10:30

Friends of the Earth Adelaide have just published a trailer on YouTube for their short film, An Urban Orchard. It looks at the "growing" culture (if you'll excuse the pun) of producing and sharing food locally, and it was produced right here in South Australia. Although I wasn't involved in the production of the film, I am producing the DVD for it. Feel free to get in touch if you'd like to

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-74928421276710325592010-09-14T13:27:00.001+09:302010-09-14T13:27:59.677+09:30

I want to write this time about the Department of Climate Change and about ABSA. This was originally going to be two letters, and then two articles, with many of the key details duplicated. Bear with it being one long article now; it's been a long time since I've written publicly about what's happening, so there's a lot to cover. *  *  *  *  *  * Formalities aside, Australia has a new federal

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-19475616331089487902010-07-26T14:31:00.003+09:302010-07-28T16:48:58.943+09:30

(This article was republished in On Line Opinion on Wednesday, 28 July 2010. Thanks to Susan Prior for her consideration.) If you smear peanut butter on the roof of its mouth, a chimpanzee will rhythmically smack its lips together trying to get it off. It's apparently how they make those ads you see on TV with the talking monkeys. It seems that Sunday night's Great Debate 2010 was made the

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-24363795920462464412010-07-06T01:59:00.008+09:302010-09-14T13:30:13.031+09:30

I was in Sydney on Tuesday, 29 June 2010, to give evidence to the ongoing Senate Inquiry into the Green Loans Program. It was an interesting day, certainly, but it was exactly as much fun as it sounds. A proof transcript is available online here. In my all-too-brief few minutes in front of the Committee, I mainly spoke about the plight of those accredited Home Sustainability Assessors who never

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-69628418318650579322010-06-24T14:00:00.005+09:302010-09-14T13:30:21.973+09:30

What follows after the jump is a speech that I wrote for yesterday's United Programs of Australia rally in Adelaide. I didn't actually make the speech on the day: it would be an understatement to say that we didn't get the turnout in Adelaide that we hoped for. However, I did get ten minutes on ABC Radio in Canberra, and I got most of my points across in that. I understand that they found me via

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-651101272316666242010-06-24T11:33:00.003+09:302010-06-24T11:44:30.838+09:30

Ms Gillard says that Australia's first female Prime Minister is a "precious gift" that the country "should not give away lightly". Opposition leader Tony Abbott was unashamedly optimistic about the news that the Australian Labor Party was to replace Kevin Rudd as leader with his deputy, Julia Gillard. "It is a clear sign of weakness that the Labor Party should chop and change its leader so

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-64791729469045222592010-06-19T00:05:00.009+09:302010-09-14T13:30:26.469+09:30

Green Loans Assessors Action Group is proud to announce the United Programs of Australia protest rally, taking place simultaneously around the country on Wednesday, 23 June. The Adelaide rally will be held in Victoria Square from 8am to 9am. Printable flier here. More details after the jump. If you've been disaffected by the Green Loans Program, the Home Insulation Program, or Building an

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-89534371793074720312010-06-13T21:13:00.002+09:302010-09-14T13:30:31.686+09:30

As some of you may be aware, I was on ABC Radio Adelaide last Wednesday, posing a question to Senator Penny Wong about what will become of the 5000 of us accredited Home Sustainability Assessors waiting for 600 remaining contracts in the Green Loans Program. I got a few questions on the ABSA Forums about who it was that was calling in. You know it's been a long week when it takes you this long to

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-25704352551794458742010-05-15T13:20:00.003+09:302010-09-14T13:31:25.476+09:30

[Press release from the GLA Compensation Group. For a PDF version, click here. Full disclosure: I am a member of this group. - A.N.]  Canberra Green Loans Rally WHEN: Monday May 24th 2010, 10am for 1100am media call. Conclusion 12pm WHERE: Parliament House Lawns, Canberra. ‘A FAIR GO - for Green Loans Assessors and their families’   This is a call to join fellow assessors on the morning

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-23948110893322702982010-05-12T21:29:00.007+09:302010-09-14T13:32:54.399+09:30

[Press release from the GLA Compensation Group. Full disclosure, I am a member of this group. - A.N.] For immediate release:  Wednesday 12th May 2010 Green Loans $50 Rewards Card Axed Before Any Issued Uncontracted Assessors Left Out in the Cold Budget 10/11 papers suggest the Rudd Government has axed the $50 reward card for home energy assessments sent to householders after May 11th 2010.

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-79806502837248340012010-05-07T23:56:00.003+09:302010-09-14T13:33:00.153+09:30

On Thursday, 6 May 2010 - nearly 11 weeks after the fact - DCCEE awarded a contract to work in the Green Loans Program. Some other uncontracted Home Sustainability Assessors received news of theirs the next day, and were kind enough to share the news on the ABSA Forums. Good luck to them. But what's really going on here? There have been no formal announcements made about the GLP since that of

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-82167967298205519872010-05-07T23:50:00.003+09:302010-09-14T13:33:05.807+09:30

[These three media releases were passed on to me by Patrick Moroney, the media consultant for the GLA Compensation Group. They are available for immediate release. In the interest of full disclosure, I am a member of this group. - A.N.] Green Loans Assessors Compensation Group (GLACG)Media Release For immediate release:  GLACG to Submit Claim Against Rudd Government Failed Green Loans

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-56619007306192149402010-04-17T21:51:00.002+09:302010-04-17T21:53:11.530+09:30

[Held in Adelaide in February 2010, From Plains To Plate was a convergence dealing with issues of the sustainability and security of the food industry in South Australia. The following declaration has arisen from the convergence. Feel free to spread it far and wide to politicians or other interested parties. The original publication is here. - A.N.] From 10-13 February 2010, over 700 farmers,

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-47853869123999070522010-04-13T23:29:00.001+09:302010-09-14T13:33:11.767+09:30

With a Senate Inquiry looming, this is as good a time as any to take stock of the Green Loans Program. The scheme has been riddled at all levels with a broad spectrum of problems, many of which have already been discussed at length, even on this blog. However, we need to understand where we are at this point in time and, most importantly, what to do from here. What follows is a summary of the GLP

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-24805985354044502082010-04-05T19:59:00.002+09:302010-09-14T13:33:25.811+09:30

[I have written the following letter to Mark Butler MP, my federal member for the seat of Port Adelaide. If we in the GLP are to secure a fair outcome, in either the short or long term, we need the understanding and support of the federal government. - A.N.] Dear Mr Butler, I remember meeting you at a public visit to Mawson Lakes when you were first a candidate for the seat of Port Adelaide. We

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-468608572359935882010-04-02T14:06:00.004+10:302010-09-14T13:33:35.006+09:30

This week, I want to look at what that pack of bastards at Fieldforce have suggested doing to thousands of defenceless participants in the Green Loans Program. (With apologies to Mr Littlemore QC for the paraphrasing, of course.) To those involved in the federal government's now-misleadingly-named Green Loans Program, the story of Fieldforce Services is quite well-known. Fieldforce is a business

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-28933473797824387312010-03-15T19:55:00.001+10:302010-09-14T13:33:44.028+09:30

Wednesday saw Senator Penny Wong, now the Minister in charge of the stagnant Green Loans Program, on her third day on the job. As is par for the course, though, the afternoon was less about what was said that was left unsaid. Read the relevant pages from Senate Hansard here. More analysis after the jump. To some degree, I sympathise with Senator Wong: nobody would be envious of taking a job that

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-1508410243294616112010-03-11T19:15:00.002+10:302010-03-11T19:18:16.185+10:30

This is the second video I've uploaded for Transition Adelaide West. This is a short documentary film covering TAW's screening of Fresh! The Movie at Henley Square on 26 February 2010. Watch the movie below, or use this link to see it on YouTube. This video is also available in YouTube HD (720p).

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-11526110958837765872010-03-11T19:10:00.002+10:302010-03-11T19:18:59.089+10:30

I've just uploaded two videos for Transition Adelaide West. The former is a slideshow of photos that illustrates TAW activities in the community. I put this together as a video backdrop, to play in the background at TAW events. Watch the movie below, or use this link to see it on YouTube. This video is available in all formats up to 1080p. It's my second YouTube HD offering, and my first in

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-78392278022913783512010-03-06T13:47:00.003+10:302010-09-14T13:33:53.549+09:30

[This was emailed to ABSA, DEWHA, and others for whom I have email addresses. If you know a HSA, practising or not, or anyone else involved in the Green Loans Program, please pass this message on to them. - A.N.] Subject: a complaint on behalf of assessors yet to be contracted To whom it may concern, Much has been written and spoken in recent weeks of the plight of HSAs, upon whom the recent

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-11213800612862240512010-02-20T13:55:00.013+10:302010-09-14T13:34:01.162+09:30

Update: This article was republished in On Line Opinion on 24 February 2010. Many thanks to Susan Prior for her consideration. Given the pressure mounting against the Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, you would think that he would be trying to stem the tide of scandals unfolding from his portfolio. If a problem persists, try to solve it, or at least try not to make it worse. Sadly,

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-29426442897397723582010-02-19T18:35:00.001+10:302010-02-19T18:47:45.257+10:30

Following on from my participation in the Great Australian Internet Blackout, I received a charming letter from Senator Stephen Conroy. OK, it's just a form letter, and he already had my email address from the protest letter I wrote to him. I just wanted to sound important. Senator Conroy's pitch was simple: to defend the proposed mandatory internet filter. Really, it's the same old claptrap,

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-23092691303952934692010-02-19T16:45:00.005+10:302010-02-19T17:12:43.629+10:30

This article was published in the 2010 issue of Projections magazine, conceived and compiled by Ewan Scott and Nick Petch. Many thanks to Ewan for his consideration, and to Cecilie Corless for recommending me. Peak Oil: Under The Radar While climate change has been in our consciousness for over a decade, another pressing issue remains largely untouched by the mainstream: peak oil. In 1956, a

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-62375358256981037402010-02-09T23:03:00.004+10:302010-02-19T16:37:13.542+10:30

The Adelaide Greenies calendar has moved to a permanent home on Google Sites: http://sites.google.com/site/adelaidegreeniescalendar As a mild inconvenience, the addresses of the calendar subscriptions have changed. The old addresses will be phased out at the end of February, but the new addresses are available right now. See the How To Subscribe page for more information. The links in the sidebar

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-91850788816795090782010-01-25T18:56:00.006+10:302010-02-19T17:14:02.601+10:30

This blog is supporting The Great Australian Internet Blackout. From the link: "The Great Australian Internet Blackout is a combined online and offline demonstration against imposed online censorship. We’re collaborating with Electronic Frontiers Australia to make sure every Australian knows why this draconian policy is unacceptable." This blog will be in a black theme throughout the

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-12035466542742805412010-01-25T10:53:00.007+10:302010-09-14T13:34:08.424+09:30

Happy New Year to you all. This has been a busy time for me, but hopefully, things will be calming down over the next couple of weeks. As some people know from meeting me in real life, I have taken a course to become a Home Sustainability Assessor, under the Australian government's Green Loans programme to help householders become more energy- and water-efficient. The process of becoming a HSA

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-56423791200517834792009-11-25T10:36:00.003+10:302009-11-25T10:39:40.202+10:30

Now that we've got Franco's place under control, it's time to put the video up. There was a lot of material there, shot over three afternoons, but I did manage to get the whole thing to fit just under YouTube's 10-minute limit. Enjoy!YouTube link: "Franco's permablitz - October/November 2009"

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-36047099384163811842009-11-19T12:56:00.004+10:302009-11-19T13:08:55.492+10:30

In the few weeks since I launched the Adelaide Greenies calendar, I've received a large amount of feedback. Thankfully, most of this feedback has been positive. I thought I'd write about it again, just to clear up a few questions that people may have.How can people read it?While putting "Adelaide greenies" into Google presents the calendar as the #1 hit, and my original blog entry about it at #3,

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-80944028628678382912009-11-01T16:25:00.007+10:302009-11-02T21:40:09.810+10:30

Having found it very easy to lose track of all of the different events that Adelaide's environmental movement has organised, I have started a Google Calendar to remind me. It's called the Adelaide Greenies calendar, and it's an agglomeration of an array of different mailing lists that carry events that might interest fellow environmentalists. There's a little gadget (in list form) on the side of

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-77370238668376518632009-10-15T16:02:00.002+10:302009-10-15T16:04:32.322+10:30

I've finally finished the video I shot on World Car-Free Day on 20 September 2009. There is footage here from both the Mawson Lakes Environment Watch suburb walk in the morning and the street party in College Park.Click here to watch the video on YouTube.

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-63346507249920722072009-10-02T11:28:00.004+09:302009-10-15T01:37:24.128+10:30

A few days ago, George Monbiot of The Guardian newspaper published an article entitled "The Population Myth". The article was circulated to me with the rather blunt title, "Monbiot loses the plot". Fearing that some on the mailing list had hypocritically missed the point, I wrote my own response.I suspect that a lot of the controversy surrounding this article (at least here) could be averted

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-38127023825553479702009-10-01T13:50:00.003+09:302009-10-02T11:25:20.680+09:30

I've finally gotten around to uploading the video I put together from a permablitz I went to in Belair, just up the hill. It's not as long as the video I did for Soph's permablitz, but I think it's still OK.There's more video on the way as well. I shot some video for the recent World Car-Free Day, and there's another permablitz happening on the long weekend.To add a rating or comment to this

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-39075640359412376352009-09-07T23:34:00.005+09:302010-02-19T16:45:50.480+10:30

Update: This article was republished in On Line Opinion on 23 September 2009. Many thanks to Susan Prior for her consideration. A couple of Wednesdays ago, I went to see a film entitled The Age Of Stupid (IMDB link), about the current state of the climate change debate. The movie only played in three cinema complexes in Adelaide, and two of them were in Westfield shopping centres - probably the

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-10415337477732510402009-08-24T19:16:00.003+09:302009-08-24T19:25:40.276+09:30

In January and February 2009, I attended the Permaculture Design Certificate course at The Food Forest in Gawler, South Australia. As part of our course project, we prepared a Powerpoint slide show entitled Weaving An Orb - an experiment in small-scale demountable permaculture, where we apply permaculture principles - perhaps only temporarily - to a suburban flat with very little territory of its

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-25906562122348909042009-05-13T21:57:00.002+09:302009-05-13T22:15:54.733+09:30

On Monday, 11 May 2009, I handed in my letter of resignation from QinetiQ Consulting, where I'd been working for nearly one and a half years. Today - Wednesday, 13 May - was my last day at work, notwithstanding the notice period and my annual leave.I didn't get a chance to see all of my colleagues in person between announcing my departure and the departure itself, so I wrote an email to them to

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-48258031607185913232009-04-21T21:00:00.001+09:302009-04-21T21:03:36.294+09:30

My time capsule posts aside, it's been a while since I've written here, and a lot has happened since I failed to decide on any specific New Year's resolutions. Here goes...Sadly, I'm still working in the same spot; gladly, not for much longer. I've been applying for other jobs and I'm starting to get a few responses back, although nothing too positive yet. It's strange, perhaps, that as tense as

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-44725566848102006172009-04-12T16:44:00.001+09:302009-04-12T16:46:10.941+09:30

A few weeks ago, I caught up with two of my friends, from whom I had gotten two conflicting reactions about how I was doing. One of my oldest and best friends took a bit of convincing that I was doing OK, while another friend who sees me fairly regularly, hadn't noticed if anything was different about me. I wrote in my blog about it at the time, and left it for a few weeks before I looked at it

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-7699628846872799242009-03-19T22:46:00.003+10:302009-04-12T16:48:24.962+09:30

I'm disappointed not to have had time over the past two months to write. Surely, though, having more news to spread than time to spread it is a good thing, right? I'm especially glad to say that most of the news has been good news. I will write more over the next few days to fill in those gaps.I'm doing something a little different this time around. I just got off the phone with a friend of mine,

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-5367175597438756962009-01-08T21:32:00.003+10:302009-01-08T21:38:09.805+10:30

Now that the silly season is over, you'd think this would be as good a time as any for things to start settling down again.Indeed, this would appear to be the case, at first glance. My family has returned home after an altogether too brief spot of Adelaide's indecisive weather. I'm back at work as of today and I start work on a new project next week. I sign off on some investments tomorrow, and

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-86983358928647529582008-12-11T15:53:00.002+10:302008-12-11T15:57:40.356+10:30

At the end of October, while wondering why I was at work, I wrote something of a manifesto to implore myself to figure out whether to start looking for a new job. The one I have now is boring me and wasting my time, and I wanted to know for sure whether or not things could be improved.Some six weeks later, I am convinced that things are actually worse now than they were. Two supplementary tasks

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-69914148484551994142008-11-23T18:27:00.001+10:302008-11-23T18:27:18.238+10:30

I saw a video that Natalie (from CommunityChannel) in which she responds to a racist comment that she had received. Well, I've shot my own response, and I've finally had a chance to cut it together and publish it.

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-26401391562863963872008-11-10T23:11:00.001+10:302008-11-10T23:13:31.851+10:30

Half-way around the world, another country embraces change. Upstairs at my place, things are more the same than ever.The upstairs rooms are still in a state. I've been meaning to tidy up the bathrooms, but I got gastro a couple of weeks ago and I didn't feel like doing much for a few days. That set everything else back, so I'm only just getting back to it now. Admittedly, I've only got a few odd

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-47557818920851591982008-10-13T21:05:00.001+10:302008-10-13T21:07:44.510+10:30

Well, I've had a pretty full-on couple of weeks. It's been a real rollercoaster ride: the highs have been really high and the lows have been major catastrophes. I'm glad things are starting to calm down now.Alright, where do I start?* * * * * *When my friend Janet visited a couple of weekends ago, we talked a little bit about fixing up one of the rooms at home. The room at the top of the

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-69323778116557437872008-10-12T17:07:00.001+10:302008-10-12T17:07:47.612+10:30

At the start of the year, I cut together a sketch from Newstopia about the Reserve Bank of Australia. With the show back on TV for a third season, I've finally put the video I made on YouTube.I know I don't own the copyright to this, but there are plenty of other Newstopia clips out there, and SBS doesn't seem to mind. (Personally, I think they need all the publicity they can get for this show -

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-30001148123796735652008-09-28T21:23:00.005+09:302008-09-28T22:34:45.101+09:30

Not much is happening at the moment. I had hoped to be busy enough to appreciate the calm, but really, I'm itching to disturb it.I was paid a visit last weekend by an old friend from Townsville. Janet and I have only kept in touch sporadically over the past couple of years, but she came down for a wedding and stayed a few nights here. I was fighting off a generic lurgi from two different

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-68749510593710399842008-09-01T20:14:00.003+09:302008-09-01T21:06:24.941+09:30

Last night, I watched a film called Crash, which you may remember as the dark horse that pipped Brokeback Mountain for the Academy Award for Best Picture a couple of years ago. I'm not going to get into the controversy of the Oscar nod, particularly because I haven't even seen Brokeback Mountain to comment on it. Crash, however, despite its low budget, is something special: it's a powerful and

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-52248479622494949062008-08-17T22:25:00.002+09:302008-08-17T23:20:00.576+09:30

Once again, there are lots of things to talk about, but through all of them runs a common theme: cleansing.I'm only just getting over the flu. I starting feeling a bit rotten last Sunday, and I took Monday and Tuesday off work to slack off and recover a bit. (If only there had been something on TV - some sport, perhaps - that I could have watched while I was at home in bed.) It turns out that

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-42308204489778533722008-07-30T21:28:00.003+09:302008-07-30T21:47:58.868+09:30

It's been nearly a month to the day since I posted anything, but so much has happened that I've had trouble finding the time to tell people about it.At the start of July, I was whisked away for a week to attend a C++ training course. It was a good course, and it's been very useful for me to brush up. It also meant I could walk to work for a week, since the training course was just on the other

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-61863042274717931262008-07-01T22:20:00.003+09:302008-07-01T23:51:24.446+09:30

Ces derniers jours, je me suis senti un peu renouvelé. Le jeudi passé a marqué une année depuis mon départ de DSTO, et je reviens à tout à l'heure d'une sensation de libération.C'est l'heure.La solitude pendant cette période m'a offert beaucoup d'occasions de découvrir ce qui reste «en moi» (merci une fois encore, CC). Il s'est passé plein de choses - quelques bonnes, quelques mauvaises - mais

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-86920578326111324832008-06-26T21:40:00.002+09:302008-06-26T21:48:35.046+09:30

I'm a regular reader of a Yahoo group called Running On Empty Australia (ROEOZ), which is primarily concerned with environmental sustainability in a post-peak-oil world.A few days ago, I posted some links conveying the news that Tim Flannery - yes, the 2007 Australian Of The Year - was actually advocating covering the atmosphere with soot as a possible solution to global warming. It seems that

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-33461158736010273922008-06-10T22:17:00.003+09:302010-02-14T13:39:50.398+10:30

As I promised myself, I've recorded a brief video about why the people of Ireland should vote No to the Treaty of Lisbon on Thursday, 12 June. I don't know whether this will get through to anyone, but I really need to warn people about how important it is to stop this going ahead. Watch it here. UPDATE 2010-02-14: I have deleted this video because it's no longer newsworthy. Ireland was forced

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-62726465847574548752008-06-01T21:53:00.002+09:302008-06-01T22:16:31.248+09:30

I haven't posted for a few weeks, partly because I haven't had a lot of time. I've had two eBay auctions go through, both of which worked out pretty well. I've had my first performance review in my current job, and I'm really happy with how that went. I've got a few things to sort out with my fabulous wealth (which is really neither), but things are going OK.One thing I want to do is get a

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-87409685596221704622008-05-05T19:08:00.002+09:302008-05-05T19:15:22.486+09:30

About a month ago, I wrote about trying to get to work for a whole week without using my car. With a renewed sense of adventure, and with convenient new bus timetable coming into effect, I thought it was time to up the ante.There would be a few important differences this time. For example, instead of subjecting myself in the worst heat wave in recorded history, I'm now facing the onset of the

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-62010608258523325202008-04-28T21:02:00.004+09:302008-04-28T21:24:12.424+09:30

The infiltration of September's APEC summit by the boys at The Chaser's War On Everything was one of 2007's greatest moments of popular culture, on TV or anywhere else. Originally a prank that got a bit out of hand, it sent jaws dropping across Australia and achieved worldwide acclaim on YouTube.If it weren't funny enough already, all charges relating to the incident have been dropped. The New

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-16181080506884317592008-04-27T23:33:00.003+09:302008-04-27T23:49:34.471+09:30

While I've got a few half-finished things to write about, I thought I'd write an update so that people wouldn't think this was another abandoned blog.I've been pretty busy for the past few weeks. Mario Kart Wii is out and I've hardly had a chance to touch it - although I'm liking what I've seen so far. I've got some new music to listen to - Absolution and Black Holes And Revelations by Muse, and

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-66000178886320713022008-04-06T21:12:00.003+09:302008-04-06T21:25:26.267+09:30

The Adelaide Metro - the blanket brand for Adelaide's trains, buses and trams - has released a number of new bus timetables that will come into effect at the end of April.The big change for me is that if I choose to get the one bus to work in the morning, and the one corresponding bus back again in the afternoon, I'll be able to stay a bit longer at work, and probably even get in a full

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-58080001351144771762008-04-06T20:51:00.003+09:302008-04-06T21:10:32.114+09:30

Barack Obama may only be slightly ahead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, but for mine, he's way ahead in the Quote Of The Year honours:Chris Matthews ('Hardball', MSNBC): At any time in this campaign, did you have a chuckle that you just couldn't get rid of - something weird that happened that was so crazy that you just went to bed laughing about it?Barack Obama: I think

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-77303389295845000352008-03-30T19:23:00.006+10:302008-04-06T21:24:49.628+09:30

I've written before about getting to my new job without a car. Well, a couple of weeks ago, I gave it a shot.Since I started my new job in January, my car use has gone up from about 7000km to about 12000km per annum. Getting to and from my new workplace constitutes 90% of my driving, but it is simply unrealistic to avoid it - or, at least, so it would seem.I've thought a lot about getting to work

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-76781932825163662902008-03-02T21:37:00.003+10:302008-03-09T18:57:45.580+10:30

I've uploaded some NBL footage to YouTube. The video is from the NBL game between the Adelaide 36ers and the Cairns Taipans, which took place at the Distinctive Homes "Dome" in Adelaide on 9 February 2008.This was Lanard Copeland's last home game in the NBL, and it was good to see a veteran, and a two-time champion, going out on a high note. Not that the Sixers made the playoffs, but you can't

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-66189088351906981522008-03-02T14:44:00.005+10:302008-03-09T18:54:46.563+10:30

I have uploaded a new video to YouTube: How To Torment Your Cat - starring Cleo.Cleo belongs to my friend Penny, who lives near Canberra. When she's not complaining bitterly about wanting to go outside, Cleo has learnt to shake hands, which is very cute.I shot some video of Penny and Cleo in December and wanted to include that in my all-encompassing Christmas videos. However, given the reaction I

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-39589213222008033162008-03-02T14:33:00.004+10:302008-03-09T18:51:58.461+10:30

I have finally finished my project. We handed it over on Thursday morning and I think it went over reasonably well.Personally, I'm still in the same lucid state I've been in for the past couple of weeks, the sense of relief not yet compensating for the sense of fatigue. The weekend is nigh, though, and with any luck, things will return to normal within the next few days. Until I start thinking

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-8484156479036817922008-02-10T21:53:00.001+10:302008-03-09T18:49:27.541+10:30

I didn't have time to write an entry last week. In fact, there are so many things happening, I've barely got time to write one today. I've still managed to find time for some Oxfam fair trade chocolate, though.I went to the Mawson Lakes Environmental Expo last Thursday. I was hoping to make contact with a few like-minded individuals and organisations, and it's amazing how much it gets you

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-31109618900205381072008-01-28T22:51:00.000+10:302008-01-28T23:13:02.747+10:30

Well, the Australia Day long weekend has been and gone. Our broadband connection at home was shaped back to dial-up speed for two of those three days, because somebody who will remain anonymous blew the last of our download cap just in time for the end of the week. I certainly take no responsibility for it whatsoever. Much.I didn't vote in the Triple J Hottest 100 for the first time in years,

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-62266688075737304052008-01-21T20:51:00.000+10:302008-01-27T13:25:49.917+10:30

I'm going to talk more about the economy this week, but I'm going to start small.My own economy has taken an upturn, with a new projection of healthy revenue for the coming months. In other words, my new job pays better than my old one (and much better than being unemployed).I took some time to crunch the numbers on my first pay, which was coincidentally almost identical to the amount I was being

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-52556534764344156182008-01-13T22:09:00.001+10:302008-03-09T18:47:06.060+10:30

I've just started a new job with a defence contractor. Pending any more joyous paperwork or induction activities to dismiss, I'll be back in my good old software engineering boots in a matter of a few hours. I didn't sleep well before my first day on Monday, so I was tired for most of the week, but I'm feeling better now.Actually, I had an interesting experience on Friday, being back at my old

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2565937472095132884.post-56434571717288833232008-01-07T00:05:00.000+10:302008-01-07T00:57:21.496+10:30

So I have a blog now. *sigh*I realise that the cool kids have all left to join social networking sites, but I decided to set up a blog in case I ever had something to say that I thought was important and wanted everyone on the internet to read it. Getting a few more blogger introduction clichés out of the way, I don't know what this blog will predominantly be about, and I don't know how often

Aaron Nielsenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13463906422426366341noreply@blogger.com0