This never ceases to amuse me.

Classic.

The population of New Zealand has reached 4 million apparently! (thanks for the info Mich) ..wow, I try to imagine the entire population of NZ living in one city and then multiply it by three ..I can't imagine it, yet I'm living in it right now in New York. Bizarre.

Today, April 25th, is ANZAC Day in NZ (actually it was yesterday in NZ, since I'm a day behind in NYC). Anzac Day commemorates New Zealanders killed in war and honors returned servicemen and women, originating from the commemorations of Gallipoli (Turkey) in 1915 during WW1.

On that day ANZACs stormed the beaches in Gallipoli and suffered huge casualties, but the valor that was displayed earned the ANZACs tremendous respect, particularly from Turkey, even though they were on opposite sides. The day (obviously) has similar importance in Australia, New Zealand's partner in the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (hence ANZAC).

It's a national 'holiday' in NZ, where many people attend the Dawn Service (aka the Dawn Parade), which is basically a march by returned service personnel before dawn to the local war memorial where a service is held. Over the last few years in particular there have been more and more people attending the dawn service, which is really good to see - national pride / honor / identity / respect. The service itself can be pretty emotional, concluding with the last verse of Laurence Binyon's 'For the Fallen':

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

and then 'The Last Post' trumpet or bugle call is played (similar to playing 'the Taps' in the US) which is pretty emotional, followed by one minute silence and Reveille, and finally the National Anthem.

I'll have a look around and see if I can find a copy of the bugle call.. [a few minutes later] ..ok, found it. The Last Post is also sounded at 10pm each night to inform soldiers that they should be inside their quarters for the night, and also at military funerals to indicate that the soldier has completed his life's work and has entered into his rest.

Click the little triangle on the left end of the player to listen - I had a few issues with the inline player, so if you can't see or use the flash player above, you can download the file instead if you wish (1.2MB) - it's in .mp3 format (right click and Save Link As / Save Target As...).

Check this out - Twenty Questions is a website where you think of an object (and it can be anything you want) and then the AI will try to figure out what it is by asking questions, the first being is it animal, vegetable, mineral, other, or unknown. It will attempt to come up with what the object is within twenty questions, and it's pretty good at it! It got surfboard in 28 questions, but came up with wakeboard in under 20 (pretty close). Give it a try, see if you can stump it.

Something I just read in Douglas Adams 'The Restaurant at the End of the Universe' that made me giggle at first, but then think. Interesting really. It's in regard to the Garden of Eden and the Bible (if you're a religious type person, sorry if this offends you). It's a conversation between Ford Prefect and Arthur Dent. Here's what it said:

(Ford): "Your God person puts an apple tree in the middle of a garden and says, do what you like guys, oh, but don't eat the apple. Surprise surprise, they eat it and he leaps out from behind a bush shouting 'Gotchya!' It wouldn't have made any difference if they hadn't eaten it."
(Arthur): "Why not?"
(Ford): "Because if you're dealing with somebody who has the sort of mentality which likes leaving hats on the pavement with bricks under, then you know perfectly well they won't give up. They'll get you in the end."
(Arthur): "What are you talking about?"
(Ford): "Never mind, eat the fruit."

Well, I thought it was funny. I'm sick today. No, I mean it. I've been to the doctor and I have infectious pharyngitis (at least that's what it looks like in his writing). I have to stay away from work (and anyone) until at least Thursday or I'll infect them too. I have to call back tomorrow to the doctor and check the results of a swab test just to make sure it's nothing else. Some flu.

Just been watching the huge statue of Saddam Hussein in Firdos Square, Baghdad, being pulled down while Iraqi citizens cheer and jump on it.

I was pretty shocked when that soldier put a US flag over the head of the statue for a few seconds - not a good move, but I guess he just got caught up in the heat of the moment. Fortunately they removed it quickly and put a pre-Gulf War Iraqi flag on it instead, shortly before pulling the statue down completely.

One of those moments that will stand out in history a long time, I believe.

Since I have little news of interest to post, I'll give you an image to look at that's pretty groovy. The image is a panoramic view of the earth taken from the Boeing built Space Station last November on a perfect night with no obscuring atmospheric conditions.

This is a scaled down image. You can check out the full 2400x1200 image here. The lights clearly indicate the populated areas, and you can scroll east-west and north-south. Funny how Canada's population is almost exclusively along the U.S. border (wonder why? heh). Moving east to Europe, it's easy to spot London, Paris, Stockholm and Vienna, and check out the development of Israel compared to the rest Of the Arab countries. You can spot the Nile River and the rest of the the African Continent; after the Nile, the lights don't come on again until Johannesburg. Check out the difference between North and South Korea, and the density of Japan. Thanks to Pete VV for sending me this link.

Just dropping in. It's now April. It's now spring. It's usually around 60-70°F this time of year in NYC. It's now snowing. Yup, you heard me, snowing. Plenty of it too, like 6+ inches on the ground accumulated so far. Freakville.

I just received this poem via email from my sister in New Zealand. The poem was allegedly written by a terminally ill young girl in a New York Hospital who had 6 months left to live at the time. Apparently she wanted to send a letter telling everyone to live their life to the fullest, since she never will.

Although this is apparently an urban legend of sorts, I thought the poem was worth publishing here regardless of the validity, because what it says is just as valid no matter who wrote it.

Slow Dance

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Hey. Found this pic from one of my old websites, always cracks me up.

I think Jackie sent it to me originally. Classic.