MyPhonePhoto

MyPhonePhoto is MyPlace to display what I think are interesting phone camera "snaps". These images are not intended to be high-resolution or razor sharp but more casual compositions, snap-shots of MyTime and MySpace. It is so convenient to be able extract the phone, switch to camera mode and snap away.
These images will be of what is happening around me at the time. An old building, a really great looking car or sunset - things I find interesting and wish to record - in image. Brief comments will be made with each image.

Feel free to use the image if you wish I hold no rights to it. I hope you enjoy these casual moments in MyTime and MySpace which are expressed in MyPhonePhoto.

Kananook creek - Franskton

Usually this creek is a disgrace and looks something like what you see here. It flows to the sea in the direction you see here which is only another 500m further on. The other way goes for miles. It does have some pretty parts but mostly it is awful. I have seen old bikes, cans, bottles, boxes, rubbish and milk creates thrown in here. Just up from where I took this shot is a bridge. When the creek is full (it is a tidal river) and flowing, in some areas of it, it is quite nice. This image here probably shows the worst of it.

Bird life is quite rich but also rats love it too. Notice the stationary bird and the one in flight. Quite a few homes back onto it particularly homes in the very exclusive Gould street. Gould street is the main drag of a three sided island call Long Island. The other side of Gould street backs onto the beach. Expensive homes and a dirty creek. Typically Frankston.

Autumn colours in Langwarrin Victoria

Hot summers and cold winters would be an easy way to describe the weather in Victoria. This may describe a number of country's weather pattern. But if there is one season we can really say Victoria shines it is autumn. With a lot of deciduous trees all over Victoria, Autumn colours can really be shown to their best. This small weeping cherry in our front yard has a rich green foliage during summer but in autumn these beautiful reds, orange and browns create a striking show against the rest of the garden and house. Soon to lose it's leaves and look awful, like some dead skeliton, we enjoy it while we can. Go to any park or garden or even through the Victorian country side you will see shows like this. Victoria in autumn, not to be missed.

Arches

While meandering back from a quick restaurant lunch I notice these old arches. They look modern against some of the other buildings especially the one on the left but don't look completely out of place. This shot doesn't show it well but modern skyscrapers can be viewed above and through these arches. The lane is cobblestone and original. Most of the old buildings around this end of Melbourne (King and Lonsdale) where grain and produce warehouses and have been kept and restored. The restaurant I went to is half a grain store and the building on the left in this picture was also some type of store. It is a quaint area and it's not hard to imagine an earlier Melbourne with original buildings like these around.

Masonically speaking

I am a member of a few Masonic orders. In this one I was promoted to the 31st degree. There are eleven different orders in Victoria. Most orders have multiply levels or degrees. In this order, Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, you can advance to the 33rd degree. This month I was promote to the 31st. A big night and long ceremony. Three years from now with regular attendance I can apply for the 32nd. Though this order goes to the 33rd degree it is reserved for the very best and hardworking of the members. I'm on the left. A member of Supreme Council and a 33rd degree member is on my left.

What I found while lost

Rosana is a hour drive plus north from my house. But when I got to my destination I was hungry so I decided to look for a food store. In a fashion I was sort of lost, driving down one street then another looking for food. Then around a corner (somewhere in Rosana) these old silos loomed up. Rosana probably supported some type of produce farming at one time. This should not have been such a shock. A shock it was but a pleasant one. Against the cloudy overcast sky these silos begged to be snapped and to be allotted a place on my Blog. The first snap tended to cut out the sky but after a little better composition the sky gave-up these cool grey tones to produce this prize winning shot. Well I think it is good anyway.

Camberwell, Victoria

My Daughter was competing in dance competitions in Camberwell, Victoria recently. I had a chance to sneak out and sample some of the local restaurants which have been excellent to date. Just on sunset this old school No. 888 looked so relaxed nestle in pleasant gardens that I had to snap it for prosperity.

Camberwell is a very old metropolitan suburb and there are many unique examples of early Victorian architecture. Many houses around this area are large and stately and it is quite expense to live here. Not only is the period architecture interesting but the main street, Burke Street, has some fabulous restaurants and shops. Not hard to spend a day here and if you enjoy good food and fine dining you could go home a kilo or two heavier-I did.

Water feature

Winter is coming to Melbourne. Now we have cold mornings which can heat to lovely warm days. One cool Saturday morning this shot took me as a statement of the change of seasons.

This is one of two water features we have in our backyard. At one time the Piper played water music to the reeds below. But the pump decided it would stop. So still a nice water piece but not as dynamic as in previous years. I love the way the sun flows across the pads and even the surrounds make for a very pleasant snap. I put this feature together from a few different pieces. It has received many flattering comments.

Valve preamap Tech-Heads only apply

The black box on the top of the Onkyo 7555 is the third of the Hi-Fi valve preamps I have made and each time they have got better looking and sounded even better too. This has to be the very best I have ever made. Not only does it look great with it's valves protruding from the top but it sounds "absolutely fabulous". On a dark night you can see the valves glowing red hot. If you think it looks good you should hear it.

With this iteration of the this unique little kit comes a big improvement in sound-stage, detail, bass extension and low frequency weight. This is hard to explain because the previous unit was very similar in all the internals. The big difference is the heavy die-cast case, all silver solder and pure silver hookup wire. Whatever it is this is one exceptionally beautiful preamp. And it looks stunning too. I will build you one of these for $AU800.

Poodle for Tekah

We have always had big dogs. Borzios in fact. We had a our last one put down nearly two years ago and as far as I was concerned-no more animals. My daughter of late has had the urge to get a small dog. Something she can take with her always. It looks like we have decided on a Toy Poodle. Not my kind of dog but then it is not to be MyDog.

The local KCC park had a Poodle show on over the weekend so we thought we would inspect the prospective. Similar to this but pure white is what has been decided on. Two weeks from now we will be the proud owners of a powder puff with legs. Stay tuned. Not actually a stunning shot but a cute one none-the-less.

Sydney fast train

Once again back at Central Station Sydney. I have no idea where this train goes or even how fast it is but it needed a shot. I have ridden a similar train in Queensland and it hit 160Kh for short periods. This train would probably do the same. You may notice some officials at the front of the train. There appears to have been some drama there involving a woman a short time before this was taken.

Darling Harbour monorail

The monorail runs around Darling Harbour and into Sydney. It' s not cheap and the light rail covers a similar route and is a fraction the price. I have done the trip years ago and there is some great sights to be seen from the train.

There is more to Darling Harbour than the monorail. Stacks of shops, restaurants (though I am yet to get a good feed here) and iMax theatre. Good for kids and adults and plenty of hotels to stay in with harbour views.

Darling Harbour

Late afternoon, this really is a great spot. The lights only get better as the night progresses. I wanted to get the sky in this shot and the dark clouds (though it didn't rain for the two days I was there) added to the drama.

Night life in Darling Harbour is good. Plenty see or just stroll around. I managed to find a bar which looked into the harbour so I made this my home for an hour or two. When all is closed there is a pub close by which goes to all hours (so I'm told). So no excuse to be thirsty.

CeBit-five halls of computer stuff

CeBit is huge and generally takes two days of hard yakka to get around. This VoIP was big time. Many different hand-sets, plans and schemes to sign up for. The other big show was thin client terminals, and Citrix type systems. Some based on Linux others Microsoft based.

Linux had a hug showing with a whole "Open" section dedicated to Linux and open source systems. Good to see at last. If you go to CeBit give yourself two days it really is worth it.

Darling Harbour, daylight

A very spectacular place. This is where CeBit is held yearly. Lots of food, wine and shopping.

Big clock Central Station Sydney NSW.

You have to love this old clock against the steel work. Structure, lines, light and time.

Central Station Sydney NSW

This is Central station Sydney. I just love the light coming in over the top. From here you can catch other trains and the light rail. This day I caught the light rail to CeBit the biggest computer expo in the southern hemisphere.

Rapped in sepia

A friend's son has his heart set on being a rapper. He has now played a few gigs and is gaining confidence. This time at a local venue. After sound checks and an intro from the MC Cryptic was was into it.
He did well and I set-up the camera to shoot this in sepia. I like the "down in the dungeon" feel about this shot. This is the first snap from my new Samsung Black Jack (i600).

Magpies

We have had a number of magpie families living in our backyard for many years now. When they are hungry they sit on the window sill and peck at the window until we feed them. They know I don't feed them but my wife does so they are non-plussed on sighting me and all excited when seeing my wife. Cath feeds them dog meat. Also they get shredded cheese. One family fed from your hand but this lot will only come close to that. Unfortunately they mess the place up badly. There is four in the current family and you can see one of the others in the back ground. Two adults and two children who fight continually. We have even had them come into the house to eat in the middle of the family room. That's dinning magpie style.

Emerald Lake Park

This is Emerald Lake Park. Quite a tranquil and extensive picnic area with many walking tracks and interesting spots to check-out. We had a family day here and of course the customary long walk after a picnic lunch. I realised that as a kid my parents had brought me here over forty-five years ago and we swam in a concrete pools a part of the whole complex. These days the swimming areas are all closed and in chronic disrepair. Insurances have killed any sort of commercial venture here and now it is strictly picnics and walks only. Still it was a great family day and though the extended walk didn't thrill me in theory it didn't kill me in practice.

Telstra Dome

From my work window I can see Telstra Dome. This is a huge sports dome with a roof which can be detracted during good weather. I was here for a computer symposium. It was being set-up for the "Biggest Breakfast". I spent a half a day at the symposium and then returned to work about 15 minute away. Was this a useful symposium? It was interesting and informative but it didn't really rattle me.

MyChild and MyGrandChild

This is my daughter and our three week old grand daughter. This snap has been taken at my eldest daughter's and son-in-law's house in Queensland. We were around for a meal and to spend as much time as possible with grand-daughter. My daughter feels she was never cut-out to be a mother but from my observations she was doing great job without even trying. My daughter's husband is absolutely over the moon with his little creation. I have it on good authority if he could fit her into his lunch box he would take her to work. It's funny you know, I felt the same way about all my kids. Parent-hood is inside all of us-it just takes your own child to reveal it.

MyWife-MyLife

This is MyWife Catherine. We have just had our 18th wedding anniversary and I still love her to death. This is a very casual snap of her but catches her profile-her best view. Like all married couples we have our ups and downs but we get over the bad times and enjoy the good times. This night it was all good times and we enjoyed new year's eve 2006 at the Ranelagh Club, Mount Eliza Victoria with Cathy's sister and brother-in-law. Cathy has gone back to primary school teaching and teaches at a local school. She is a keen gym goer and enjoys dining and socialising and has a large extended family and group of friends. MyWife-MyLife!

Bloody Big Valve-Tech Heads only apply

Goeff, an electronics engineer, plays guitar. He has many valve amps which all sound great and sufficiently different. BUT none look quite like this one here. For the tech heads, this a 60W single Triode SE Class A very, very loud amplifier. The massive, $1000 HF transmission triode can deliver 100's of watts if called on. Geoff has limited the HT to 700V and drives this graphite plated mega-valve with a multi-stage transistor amplifier. He wound the OPT himself and interlaced the primary and secondary plus had the windings vacuum impregnated. I have seen this type of valve used in a $400K HiFi amp and are trying to convince Geoff to build a HiFi equivalent. This amp is-big, hot and beautifully clear. I would love to build a Hi-Hfi amp with the same valve. No harm in dreaming.

You have-gotta-hate-thier-house

Jim and Rozz are MyFriends which go back twenty-plus years. These days we rarely catch-up but we share a style and ideals which goes beyond kitch. This is their knockout "negative edge" swimming pool. If you think the pool looks good you should see the house!

On the day we (my good lady wife and I) were hosted in fine style, with Jim doing a butterfly lamb and rosemary on the BBQ and a excellent selections of side salads and wines. A great deal of experiences has been played out in our for lives-but it doesn't stop us from enjoying time with each other.

MyBrothers-in-law

The Vass and Vincent. Two guys I have had some great times with. Snapped when they were very relaxed, restaurant atmosphere induced and "havin-a-good-time-then-are-we". We all had a good time at this Sandringham restaurant. MyFriends don't have to live in MyPocket-but when we catch-up-it's a good time for all. MyTime.

MyValve MyAudio

This snap was taken of my first valve amp. The attack of MyNerd is upon you. These simple but beautiful sounding valve amplifiers are inexpensive and a great pleasure to build and look at. And they photograph well. MyValve amps have come and gone but of the original three I painstakingly constructed and listen too this is the only one remaining. Visitors listen. Visitors take away. Now there is one. It sits proud and tall and is a great example of a great sounding amp. MyBuild, MySound.

I am MyNerd-just ask Maynard G Krebs from Dobie Gillis Show-think about it.

When I was a kid I was a nerd before the word nerd was even invented. A 50's nerd was a punk. And I had no friends. In fact in my day (early 50s) you were just square or cool-well I was "cuboid". Jazzers and rockers ruled the world on up-beat and down-beat syncopations. Maynard G Krebs was so cool none of his atoms vibrated. Goatees, Jazz, Big Band and Swing (thanks dad) and Bill Hailey and the Commets were "what's in". Now when I say I had no friends I did but they were nerds too. If you didn't play footy or cricket (or most played both) you were on the outer.

If you are not into broken ribs and pulled hammies-you and your square mates will have to get a thinking hobbie. First chemistry at the tender age of six then across to the dark side of electronics at fourteen. "The Nerd is born, long live The Nerd". This image is not the replaced part of MyBrain but a MOSFet power amp engine I developed based on a premise-KISS-Keep It Sounding Sweet. These days I am very Nerdy about my Audio. And nerds have ears-very good ears, I know-I have a pair.

Pelicans

Australia's wild life is rich and varied. These pelicans were snapped in Queensland, a northern Australian state. The Sunshine Coast is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Australia. These pelicans call it home. We call it paradise. Hot, sunny weather, beautiful beaches and some great eateries. But for the serious coffee drinkers amongst you-they can't make coffee. And they can't make you stop sweating outside where the humidity is constantly high. Nice place to visit but give me Victoria.

View from the RACV building

The first snap on this Blog was also shot from the top of the RACV building. Just a simple view of the city of Melbourne. On this floor is the main restaurant. I am lucky to have visited this fine eating establishment on a number of occasions and not once having to pay. Before the end of 2007 I will be relocating to the building beside it. No doubt I will become a member when we move.

Old Stock Exchange

This old Stock Exchange building has a walkway connecting Flinders Lane and Collins. The massive lamps used to adorn this once hallowed ground are truly unusual and represent something out of Batman's home town of Gotham City. If I'm going past I always take a walk through there. It' s a long, cool, granite and glass corridor which feels like a worm hole in the fabric of space-time. If no Blogs appear after this one it means I was right, in my time and space anyhow.

Wig

When it comes to caricatures, Wig is a living legend in Victoria. Here he is, well advanced in years, semi-retired turning his hand to a cracft he almost invented. Yes he did mine though in this snap he is drawing a young girl's caricature. I wish him well but when he is gone I can see his work becoming valuable. Wig did my Caricature and got me in one! It was a great honour to sit opposite him and watch him in action.

The Waterfront

The Waterfront Hotel, in Melbourne, was once where you could get a drink at 6am in the morning when pubs didn't open until10 am. It was (or possibly still is) very cheap accommodation for the homeless etc. A grand old building with a steamy and shady past, it is in bad need of some serious restoration. I love good, solid, old-style architecture. It is still majestic none-the-less.

Turkish Bread on the Peninsular

Mornington, on the Victorian Mornington Peninsular, has a street festival every year with dozens of food and wine stalls and thousands of people. Always great weather and a great time. This women's job was to make the bases for some fine Turkish delights which were cooked right in front of you. This type of "some of this and some of that" eating is. This is my preferred eating style. I can live with it.

The Atrium

The Atrium. Now houses a coffee bar where I work in Melbourne. Not really exciting but the way the blue glow of daylight bursts through the five story high glass wall I think makes this worth the effort. My photos have to have some prime reason for "doing it". This alien glow is just what it took. And the coffee is good too.

Mansfield

This is a holiday we regularly get to rent from friends. It is situated about 15 minutes from Mansfield Victoria. Very high up you can see into Lake Eildon and miles of hills and beautiful country side. Great to get away. Lay around and do nothing and do it in clean air with stunning views. That's my idea of a relaxing Holiday.