Visit to Rivendell

On the southern bank of the Parramatta River is an imposing red brick building nestling in spacious lawns, this is Rivendell, originally the Thomas Walker Convalescent Hospital.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 26mm f7.1, 1/200 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 75mm f7.1, HDR

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Just like the The Lord of the Rings location of the same name it was a place of refuge and healing. It is one of only two institutional building complexes in Australia to have survived from the 19th century. Well known commercial structures that survive that were built in this architectural style are Taronga Zoo, Pyrmont Bridge and Grace Brothers Broadway.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 40mm f22, 1/80 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 18mm f8, 1/400 sec

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It was built as a convalescent hospital by philanthropist Thomas Walker in the late 19th century and designed by John Sulman in the Queen Anne style of architecture featuring columned courtyards with fountains. 'Internally reflecting the influence of Florence Nightingale on 19th century hospital organisation, its grounds are an intact example of older style institutional gardens.' Quote by Heritage NSW

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 18mm f8, HDR

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On the banks of the Parramatta river is a brick jetty or landing called a water gate that is flanked by a pair of Cook's pines.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 70mm f8, 1/200 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 18mm f8, HDR

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Driveways extend from the water gate along the shore and then curve up to the hospital's wings, encircled by areas of lawn planted with pines, Araucarias and figs.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 18mm f8, HDR

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 18mm f8, HDR

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And one from yesteryear???

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 18mm f8, 1/500 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 200, 75mm f7.1, 1/160 sec

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Hermione - Staffordshire Bull Terrier

Nikon D300, Nikkor 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 @ ISO 400, 34mm f4.2, 1/60 sec

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Hermione had a specific post in April 2009 on this blog (here) but these pictures are more recent of her walks around the leash free dog park in Leichardt Sydney, the site of the famous Cafe Bones. Not that Hermione has a 'pupachino' (a stock based drink with froth on top and a sprinkle of herbs) we just walk.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/640 sec

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Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f5.6, 1/200 sec

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Bourbon or Whiskey?

While having a bourbon tonight I thought I'd do some research. In the USA Rye whiskey was most popular before prohibition, more popular than bourbon, especially in the East of New York. After prohibition, few if any of the New York distilleries came back, at least not as whiskey producers.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/320 sec

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Vodka was very popular in the post war era, and was most successful in New York as was gin and this is why New York was always more of a cocktail town than a straight spirits town, that is with the exception of Irish whiskey, due to the huge Irish population.

In the USA Bourbon has always been right up there with college football, Nascar and weak canned beer and only the more affluent drinkers explored the wonders and complexities of single malt whiskey's made in the style of scotch and Irish. The taste of Bourbon begins with a distinctive sweetness turning spicy and peppery with clear fruitiness then mellow into a creamy caramel toffee with highlights of citrus. Whiskey on the other hand is sweet on the tip of the tongue but salty and sour at the sides and a dry or even bitter finish.

Tennessee whiskey, like Jack Daniel’s, which is essentially made like bourbon until it is filtered through a layer of maple charcoal, at which point it becomes Tennessee whiskey.

Do they get it?

The internet and web (cloud) based applications, services and new devices are ushering in an exciting and incredible future for all of us, and no one can precisely predict how it will play out. Very soon all content will be able to be easily sourced through your TV, computers and a myriad of portable devices.

Resistance in Australia is plain to see by the antics of Telstra et al, and the media oligopoly who have been complicit with successive governments to hold back the tide of change and stifle opportunity and freedom to protect their profits. Just one example of resistance to change is the music industry resisting new distribution channels and their failure to adapt to change, now they have lost control. Their mediums are irrelevant, DVD, CD's etc are declining and electronic channels are controlled by new world models like iTunes.

Books and newspapers are quickly going the same way. Movies and television left the building long ago but at least that industry is playing catch-up, too little too late and I think many of the institutions and conglomerates of in that industry today will disappear. What most fail to realise is consumers will always embrace the channel that provides the greatest convenience.

Do old school, old money conservatives just not get it? Established corporations seem to view the web and all its emerging technologies through their limited perception of the past? Will they be the dinosaurs that flee the new business models and huddle together against the cold wind of change and die in venomous denial? Or will they slowly traverse the typical human response to change shock, denial, blame, self blame, uncertainty and hopefully through that slump upward into problem solving and adaptation.

This is not a generational thing entirely, there are plenty of people in the Y and X categories who while the technology is omnipresent for them, they have no vision of what opportunities it presents, and perhaps, nor do they care. For everyone is it too little too late?

One fascinating piece I know of is "A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace" a paper on government regulation on the rapidly growing internet. It was written by John Perry Barlow, a founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and published online February 8, 1996 from Davos, Switzerland. Although primarily targeted to government at the time it has great relevance to todays business institutions. Some notable quotes are:

"Cyberspace consists of transactions, relationships, and thought itself, arrayed like a standing wave in the web of our communications. Ours is a world that is both everywhere and nowhere, but it is not where bodies live"

"You are terrified of your own children, since they are natives in a world where you will always be immigrants. Because you fear them, you entrust your bureaucracies with the parental responsibilities you are too cowardly to confront yourselves."

See the full text *here*

Another interesting article can be found here "Challenging the old media business models"

Walking in Sydney on a Saturday

Looking west from Five Dock across Hen and Chicken Bay you can see the prominent landmark of the Bushells Head Office Concord. The factory was used for tea production from 1958 and later instant coffee making, now I believe only coffee continues to be produced at the Concord Factory.

Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/320 sec

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Nikon D300, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ ISO 200, 11mm f8, 1/400 sec

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Some puffy thing I found interesting while on our walk.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f8, 1/250 sec

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Grass . . . . . . . . . .

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 200, 35mm f2, 1/1600 sec

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Birthday

Its my birthday, thanks to everyone for their best wishes and this beautiful card from Jacqui and Eladio. Happy birthday to my lovely daughter Jacqueline too as hers is on the same day. The events below happened in our birth years. Do you know which year and for whom they correspond?

• The Summer Olympics are held in Melbourne, Australia.
• The worlds first personal computer, the Commodore PET, is demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago USA.
• The Hungarian Revolution starts.
• Portugal's traditional naming conventions change such that children's surnames can come from either the mother or the father, not just from the father.
• Television broadcasting commences in Australia.
• Star Wars opens in cinemas.
• The hard disk drive is invented by an IBM team led by Reynold B. Johnson.
• The first Apple II computers go on sale
• Elvis Presley dies.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 35mm f2 @ ISO 450, 35mm f2, 1/60 sec

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