So you still use Internet Explorer for your everyday browsing? Ah… Why? Would you keep eating poo if you knew you could be eating honey in your sandwich?

Get Firefox and see for yourself how it compares to Internet Explorer

Still using Outlook? Try Gmail and set it up nicely in Firefox with the GreaseMonkey add-on and the Top 10 Gmail scripts. Like that? Lube up your browser with more GreaseMonkey scripts at http://userscripts.org/ where you’ll find a dab of oil for flickr, YouTube, Facebook, Hotmail, and much more.

Welcome to smoother than ever sailing around the web. Although you may wish to hear both sides of the fence. Digital Planet had an interesting discussion on Firefox 3.0, and also on the psychology of Facebook. (24th June 2008 episode) Take a moment to listen (26minutes 30 seconds).

Firefox flies

Firefox 3.0 exceeded 10 million downloads within days of its release, but will it break into the corporate world?

As the latest open source browser goes online Digital Planet asks if it will ever replace Internet Explorer as part of the desktop in big business.

Mozilla Firefox
IT Blogwatch: “Firefox 3.0 delights and frustrates in equal measure”

Check out Professor Kerim Friedman’s comparison of Firefox versus Safari.

Amy and 3 dragon fountains

Meeting Amy started a special something in my life.

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The test of whether I was a good guy began a few weeks later, without my knowledge whatsoever. For the May holiday week, the 2 of us jumped aboard a southbound train for a mountain retreat in Anhui province. Visiting locations of several gorgeous scenes from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon certainly excited us. Also the ancient villages we stayed in, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in late 2000, the same period when the film was released. I have to admit I was more than a little surprised to find the name of the first place we visited, is Lovers’ Valley.

Here, everyone is surrounded by it, drenched in it, soaked in it. Love is everywhere It’s not only written in the gardens but also painted on the rock floor – of course in red, the Chinese colour for love!

But wait, there’s more! Not only chock-a-block full of love, the valley also has gorgeous waterfalls, a sea of bamboo, and a free show of the sky high trapeze trio!

We’d spent such a long time in Lovers’ Valley that the third destination for the day had to be cancelled. Onto the second place we visited, The Phoenix Source. Since the main Chinese symbol of womanhood is the phoenix (whereas the dragon is the male counterpart) this relentless gushing could easily be thought of as an ongoing re-birth origin of water. A day in China inevitably involves that water turning to tea.
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Running Bull Productions proudly presents 2 nights of back-to-back screenings of the digital impressions slide-show trilogy, including the première of a Tibetan travel tale. Following on from where we left off in chunks of China, the third part of the trilogy takes on altitude, a different culture in far flung lands, and concludes the story.

I hope you can make it on either night, Friday the 9th of March or Saturday the 10th of March, from 6pm at my house . The program plan for each evening is :

• 6pm Japan – a year in the life
• 7pm chunks of China
• 8pm a Tibetan travel tale

Please enjoy the poster and YouTube preview (1 minute and 11 seconds) before you see the main feature!

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This years main Australian Photographic Expo is in Melbourne, May 3-6. The show is run by the Photo Marketing association of Australia and the Photographic Imaging Council of Australia.

A feature of every years show is an exhibition of photographs from the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers.

This year however the organisers would like to invite members of the Melbourne Flickr groups to submit images to be used in a special ‘Electronic Gallery’.

In keeping with the sharing nature of Flickr, we have created a wall of LCD frames of various sizes that will feature a constant electronic slide show of images of Melbourne. This Electronic Gallery will feature nothing but images of Melbourne taken by Flickr members.

I won’t be able to make it to this event. If you are in Melbourne though, please check it out and tell me what it’s like.

Flickr: Tara and James’ wedding is a group for anyone who can contribute or is interested in the photos from Thursday. Let’s go! I swear she’s doing it just for the Canadian permanent resident / citizenship thingo Why not, I would!

What a beautiful day it was. I got a lift with Paul and Karen and we chatted about their past 8 months of world travels. $26 for a tent site was a very cheap start.

All of Tara’s wishes came true on the day: the weather was stunning with blue skies and golden warmth; her dress was amazing; Bill walked her down the aisle; the ceremony went off without a hitch; her husband is a great guy; the venue was just marvellous; the catering was simply to die for; and the most excellent company of family and friends. What more could you ask for?

Here’s a few little video snippets. Enjoy! Congratulations to Tara and James. I wish you all the very best in your future together.

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Next week will be the screening of my digital slide-show chunks of China. Following on from where we left off in Japan – a year in the life, this second part of the trilogy takes on a different approach, a different country, a different culture, and of course it has a different story.

I hope you can make it on the night, this Sunday the 19th of November from 4pm… Meanwhile, the poster and the YouTube preview (55 sec’s) before you see the main feature!

I must admit I was quite chuffed at the screening of my Japan – a year in the life slide show. It was brilliant to see many friends again who have inspired me and often joined up for our adventurous journeys together. We didn’t have cinema seating, but Mark rounded up the projector for the big screen effect and Tim’s burly 5.1 sound system definitely cranked out the soundtrack.

Our little theatrette has been re-converted to our lounge room and the coffee table back in place, soon to be smothered with an inspiring and beautiful book.

Legends of the Dragon is a photography project
profiling the fabulous corners of Asia.

A few of my pic’s are being published in the second book of Dragon’s Playground. If your coffee table is lacking in lustre just now, check out this salubrious next edition when it arrives… soon.

Last night we held the opening screening of my digital slide-show Japan – a year in the life. A great night and a big thanks to all who made it. Copies of the (all regions, PAL) DVD are now in the mail. Thank you to the people that made it a lifetime in a year experience for me. Also thanks to my cousin Lynette for motivating me to produce the show. The poster and the YouTube preview for those still waiting to see it.

Is it the end? Not by a long shot. There’s a sequel in the pipeline which takes a different angle and course. The next project aims to cover my tourist-style travelling through China. The final chapter will take us through Tibet, a return to Japan and my odyssey to Australia.

Hooray! It’s a miracle. Tomorrow is my first real income earning opportunity since returning to the lucky country. I’m donning the overalls to slave my guts out come 9am tomorrow. In a warehouse in Little Bourke Street you’ll feel the earth move as this machine begins turning once again. At the end of the day, I may have earned enough to buy a loaf of bread and perhaps a carton of milk. I’m joining the unskilled labour force for some fast cash, believe me when I say I need it!

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In other news today, my new digital video camera arrived by courier. Great! Where’s the tape? How dodgy is that? Even when you buy any digital still camera you get a pathetic memory card to at least play with. I’m sure back in the old days you might have won a free 35mm film or two after shelling out your hard earned for the old school contraptions.

Somehow I will find a way to make a movie and when I do, look out Spielberg!