Friday 29th January 2010 Busy busy...

No pictures this time. There ought to be, but there aren't. Things are a bit more peaceful 'round 'ere just now. And I am working on another project. If I get a chance tomorrow I will post a picture of my latest project.
I am building an antenna. Haven't done that for years. It's proving to be a steep learning curve as I try to re-learn/remember what I did and all the theory involved. I am attempting to build a 5 element Yagi beam to work on 146 MHz. And so far the total cost has been to drive around to a mate's place and collect an old TV antenna and a few nuts and bolts. Oh, and loads of time. Ask my Stephanie, she'll tell you.
Lots and lots of time. Designing is the major part of the project. Theory book to look at, antenna designs to study and polar plots to look at and fiddle with. All very time consuming.
Take this afternoon for instance. I spent 2 hours beginning the process of building the driven element and the associated tuning arrangement and it's not completed yet. It might be completed tomorrow afternoon, maybe. Then I have to complete the construction stage, then start the tuning stage.
I had hoped to have the antenna up and running for this seasons ducting. But I doubt that will happen. I will finish the project this summer and then next summer work the ducting.
What else? Well, I think I might have mentioned a time or two that our family attends St Luke's Anglican Church in down town Frankston. I also head up, sort of, Triple M's. My current partner at Triple M's and I decided a while back to look at the Book of Revelation as part of our Bible plan. I must confess, I don't much like Revelation or understand the book, which is maybe why I need to spend time in it. Seems I am alone in my feelings for the book. My partner seems to have a better understanding of the book. So I hope he is going to help me get a better handle on the book. A part of that process is looking at the Book of Daniel. Now that book I do like and I understand it. It seems some time one must go backward to be able to go forward. I hope so.
So, assuming we have finished reading our part of Daniel this week, next week we will progress to Revelation chapters 1 to 10. Watch this space.
Enough for now.

Monday 18th January 2010 I am not surprised by this

It would seem some research has been done into home births. That is from ABC news. Why am I not surprised at their findings? The claim is that more deaths have resulted from home births that hospital births. Well, that would be obvious wouldn't it. If the baby is born in a hospital help is right there. But that is only partly true. A good midwife worth her salt will recognise problems in the birth and respond very quickly. Go have a look at this. Look at what the midwife has done. This is excellent.
"He says the AMA does not support home births." Of course the AMA wont support home births. Less work and income for their doctors and nurses.
We have two children so far. The hospital was useless with both past the birth. The births of both were good. The care was excellent up to the point of returning to the ward after the birth. The nurses have too many patients to give good post natal care. Breast feeding help and support was not available at the time is was needed with our first. With our second Stephanie got independent counselling and support. The hospital was not happy with that even though we outlined our reasons. Their answer was to try to get Stephanie to attend a breastfeed class. They didn't like the idea that Stephanie had used her initiative and sort help. They wanted to be her only source of support even though they wouldn't offer her the help she needed.
For my part, I went along with what she wanted. She is the mother and knows best. The hospital may think they do, but they are way to busy to cope.
Do I support home births as a father of two with maybe more to follow? I support a woman's choice to have or not have a home birth. It should be a woman's choice, not a hospital. This is one area where governments should but out.
Call me cynical, but the Australian Medical Association has a vested interest in not supporting home births. Long live a woman's choice!

Sunday 17th January 2010

This is an after dinner photo in our house. Usually it is me doing the reading. On this occasion, Michele requested to do the reading and the girls wanted to sit on Mummy's lap instead of mine. How could I possibly pass up an opportunity.
As I write this blog post there are a number of things on my mind.
First there is the earthquake in Haiti. Seven and a bit on the Richter scale. Go have a read of this. Why? Why has it taken so long to get aid to these people?

This image is from ABC news today. It is terrible. It shouldn't happen. It doesn't need to happen. Within hours, aid and food should have been on the ground and the people should have had access to it. I heard a radio report this morning that said ready to eat food packs had been delivered but that the people didn't know how to open or eat them. Why? Because they weren't shown. Some one is going to tell me they can't read. So what is wrong with pictures. If the army can't land to deliver much needed aid to a starving people, then do as one helicopter pilot did, drop it direct to the people on the ground. They will work it out. And do it fast. And put out more feed than is needed. If there is waste, so be it. But get aid on the ground yesterday. The world has the resources to do it.
Desperate men do desperate things and so we need to also do desperate things to help. One does what one needs to in desperate situations. A lot of bad things are happening because of delays. Unnecessary delays will always lead to lawlessness such as is evident in Haiti. People are going to lose their lives unnecessarily because of the rapidly deteriorating situation.
One thing I think it relevant to point out. Haiti is not known for earthquakes. Apparently the last one was a couple of hundred years ago. Of course the nation isn't going to be prepared for this. And my criticism isn't of the Haiti people. I am squarely pointing my finger at the governments of the world who are clearly in a position to offer humanitarian aid and have delayed that much need aid.
And that is my first post for the year of 2010. may the future posts be of a more positive nature than this one.
And one learns something new every day. Seems what used to be Richter scale is now known as Mercalli scale. And I found that bit of information here.