Best Job in the World

The Best Job in the World
Looking for an Island life on the Barrier Reef?
Here's a great new job opportunity. The Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef is a newly created position. There are a few minor tasks that need to be taken care of, but the most important duty is to report back to Tourism Queensland (and the world) and let us know what’s taking place on the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

Visit the website to find out more about the responsibilities of the job, employment benefits, selection criteria, and view the key dates. You can also read about the selection process, research how to apply, and get answers to frequently asked questions.

Below the water, you’ll find a World Heritage Listed natural wonder – the Great Barrier Reef. And above, the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef offer an abundance of wildlife to appreciate and activities to enjoy.

The Island Caretaker will be based on Hamilton Island – the largest inhabited island in the region. It’s located just off the coast of Queensland with a wide range of restaurants, activities, shops and tours. The temperature is warm all year round and the combination of blue skies, crystal water and pure sands forms the backdrop to an ideal island life.

Visit the Great Barrier Reef job website

1911 England and Wales Census

1911 England and Wales Census
What were your ancestors doing in 1911?
The 1911 census for England and Wales was taken on the night of Sunday 2nd April in 1911. The census count included all individual households, as well as institutions such as prisons, workhouses and, naval and merchant vessels. It also tried to make an approximate count of the homeless.

What can you find in the 1911 census?

The following information is available:

• Where an individual lived
• Their age at the time of the census
• Who (what relatives) they were living with
• Their place of birth
• Occupation

Additional information may also be available:

• Who their guests were on the night of the census
• The number of servants they had (if any)
• Whether they were an employee or employer
• Details of nationality
• Duration of current marriage

Visit the 1911 England and Wales Census

LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini

LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini
Disk disappears off network and just ticks
LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini is a great way to store back-ups, itunes music, photographs etc but what do you do when your back-up disk fails?
Under two years of service and my second LaCie hard drive dies a death – but has it really? After a bit of checking around on the net, various threads point to a possible power supply failure which stops supplying enough power to the hard drive. We're talking about the black box on the power cable, not anything internal. It's a LaCie AC POWER SUPPLY Model No. ACU057A-0512 that is used. I'm not sure you can use another compatible power supply.
This seems a logical conclusion as the ticking noise suggests a possible lack of velocity with the hard drive, ie the tick would become a continuous tone if it was going fast enough.
LaCie Support
The support page for the LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini is very limited. Basically two options for Mac OS X: restart it or wipe it with a LaCie utility. The Blue button is rendered useless with the ticking problem, so a restart isn't possible.
The ticking and power supply issues are not documented at all with LaCie.
Also, LaCie don't advertise any telephone numbers, everything being done via support tickets. To start one you need to have registered yourself and your LaCie product which is quick enough to do.
I've heard that LaCie are poor at product support, so I'll post back the conclusion to this issue when they get back to me.
As I said, this is the second LaCie hard drive to fail in this way and I'm sure there are plenty of other people in the same boat.

To Boggan or not Toboggan

To Boggan or not Toboggan
Your guide to Sleighs, Sleds, Sledges and Toboggans
When the snow falls you've got to get out quickly and enjoy it. If you want to go sledging you need the right mode of transport – but which one?
To clear up any confusion here they are:

Sleigh
A vehicle with runners for sliding instead of wheels usually drawn by a horse or reindeer eg. A one horse open sleigh.


Sled or Sledge
A sled or sledge is a simple version of a sleigh used for downhill sledging in the snow. Also can be drawn by Huskies over flat ground.


Toboggan
A toboggan is a simple sled without runners on the underside. The traditional toboggan is made of bound, parallel wood slats, all bent forward at the front to form a sideways 'J' shape.



The toboggan is a traditionally used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year
Should old acquaintance be forgot?
Ever wondered what you should actually be singing at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve/Day? Thought so. Here's the words to the Auld Lang Syne English Traditional version rather than Burns' original Scots verse – you can always claim to be singing the latter if you get stuck!
Auld Lang Syne roughly translated means Long Long Ago.

Auld Lang Syne

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old times since ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
And surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine^† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Here's to a prosperous New Year!



Robert Burns