The Home of Tom & Morven

Do you know what everyone is talking about when they talk about how the US economy is slumping due to the subprime mortgage market? I only vaguely knew, so I’m thankful to Shaun who sent me this hilarious take on what the subprime mortgage crisis is.

Before you watch this PowerPoint Slideshow, it is important to know what it really is. Wikipedia explain subprime lending much better than I ever would:

Subprime lending (also known as B-paper, near-prime, or second chance lending) is lending at a higher rate than the prime rate. The term “subprime” refers to the credit status of the borrower (being less than ideal), not the interest rate on the loan itself.

The Subprime Primer (contains bad language)

File Size: 2.4 MB

Today Adelaide broke a new record for the number of consecutive days 35 degrees celcius. A news article was just released on the web about it, and I’ve archived it for downloading just below.

Record heatwave in Adelaide ABC News Broadcast

File Size: 31.5 KB

The hot weather has been frustrating because it means if I want to do some training for my cross country mountain biking, I have to do it really early in the morning. Even then, it’s still around 30 degrees just after sunrise. I tried going riding after work at the start of the heat wave which is when I got heat stroke. At least not only have we beaten the previous 1934 record (when records first began), but we’re set to smash it!! It makes everyone’s winging worthwhile. Below is a screenshot of our official weather forecast from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.

I had a random thought on my way home today about Microsoft Office 2007. It’s great that Microsoft have adapted the XML format for Office 2007, but it’s not particularly useful when sharing with someone using Office 2003 or prior, who can’t open this new file format. I’ve read previously that the Office 2007 Word Document .docx format file can be opened with a ZIP extraction utility, and the XML file can be read within the file. However this still isn’t particularly useful.

It makes sense for me to start using these new file formats since I’m using Office 2007, but what about people I send the files to? What are they going to do?

Blow and behold, Microsoft have actually released a compatibility pack for Office 2000 onwards, which depending on the exact previous version of Office you have, allows you to open and possibly even save to .docx format.

I shall go install it on my fathers computer before he asks me how to open that .docx file I just sent him!

I am engaged!!

I have been engaged to Morven Crane since Valentines Day this year (when we were in Paris), although haven’t publicised it until now because of the hierarchical fashion in which one spreads the news to family and friends.

Every once in a while I go out on my mountain bike and get reminded why I stopped mountain biking for a few years. Today is a good example. I got to work super early (just after 7am) so that I could leave super early and go out on a good mountain bike ride. My team member (Nick) advised me that it might be a bit hot, but my standard response to remarks like that is mountain bikers do it in the dirt, regardless of weather and terrain. It was 38 deg C and not at all cooling down when I left, and after 20 minutes of riding mostly uphill I started vomiting from heat stress. I’m disappointed about this, I think my body partially adapted to the Scottish winter as I normally wouldn’t suffer from the heat so quickly. Not a big deal, just sit in the shade feeling dizzy for a few minutes sipping water before I ride home. Not so easily. About 4km from home my pedal broke off! I had heard a slight rubbing sound as I was going uphill, so I guess that’s what this problem was. The axle snapped right through, see in the picture below. They are Look brand 4×4 model (copy of eggbeater brand) pedals. I bought them second hand from a mechanic in the store, so I may possibly be able to get a warranty replacement, but regardless I will probably just go back to SPD pedals because I’ve never really liked this eggbeater style - they seem to be too loose with the shoe and make me feel insecure when for example I’m about to attempt hopping over a log. Also I’ve read lots of reviews about this brand that the axle brakes, and people recommend to go for the authentic Eggbeater brand of eggbeater style pedals if SPD just isn’t your style.

Click on the picture to enlarge it so you can zoom in on the broken axle.