Bye Bye sitemeter

I have been using a piece of software called sitemeter to see where on earth people are who visit this blog.

Please understand that sitemeter only tells me how many visits per hour/day, the location of the visitor, what computer/pad they are using and the country and location within that country they are visiting from. No personal details, names or email addresses are shown. In the third image, the duration of the visit shows as 10 seconds.  The initial visit is not timed and that 10 second notification shows the time looked at a previous posting.

I have been using sitemeter for 8 years and over the last few years it has started to go offline for weeks at a time. It was started in 1999 by a single man. I guess he may have onsold sitemeter and the new owner(s) may be struggling to keep it running. I think I will close my account and try another counter.

Some screenshots of sitemeter.  Click images to enlarge.

It is a pity sitemeter is not functioning well. It is the only way I know if anyone is actually reading what I write.

Phishing?

I get regular Phishing messages asking me to test a product and for my assessment keep that product.   Dishwashers, juicers, BBQs, electric toothbrushes, coffee machines, Kenwood products and many voucher offers for retailers in Western Australia.

All the messages come from Wilmington Delaware in the good ole U.S.A..  There is a click here if I no longer want to receive these offers, but I’m guessing that that will just confirm that it is a real email address.

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Tinpis Papua New Guinea style

Doing some grocery shopping at a Fremantle Woolworths store, I saw  a familiar can of Mackerel 777.  Last time I saw this brand of tinned fish was 40 years ago when we worked in Papua New Guinea.  I bought a can and when I got home made a typical PNG meal of tinpis rais; tinned fish and rice.  It was as I remembered all those years ago.  Nice!

I am a member of an online group called I used to live in Papua New Guinea, so I thought I would take a photo of the can and post it on the list.  Within a few hours it got dozens of comments relating to the edibility of said mackerel.   Many expatriates claimed that they only fed it to their dogs and never tasted it. Others told where 777 tinpis could be bought in Australia.  I figured that as 777 Mackerel was the basic fare of PNG nationals, some expatriates looked down on it.  Others were familiar with it being used to feed almost every expatriate's dog and figured it was below human consumption.  Others told of  recipes using 777Mackerel.

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Cross with Red Cross

A few years ago I signed up for monthly donations of $20 to the Australian Red Cross. I assumed that I was agreeing to a one year arrangement.   I cannot recall if it was a door-knock or a phone call to which I agreed to join.   A couple of weeks ago I received a donation receipt for the 2014-15  financial year.  It seems that once signed up, the donations continue to be sucked out of my bank until the arrangement is cancelled.

I rang Red Cross and they confirmed that I had to cancel to stop further payments.  I remonstrated that many oldies like me don’t often look closely at bank statements and that their bank account may be drained for years.

I am getting a little forgetful of late, but I cannot remember receiving a tax statement from Red Cross before. 

My friend Dennis is home and well after his major surgery.  I find it quite amazing that after such complex surgery he was well enough to come home after just 12 days post op. 

Billy Cart finals

Friday’s Billy Cart race off went well.  I took some pics of the Lower Primary groups. It was well attended by parents and grans and I think it turned out a highly successful day.

There were a few policemen attending and they provided a bit of entertainment when they breathalised and booked a couple of staff who knocked over some witches hats due to erratic driving.

I am sorry that photos of students are not allowed on 

public accessed sites and so my pics of the Billy Cart finals cannot be shown.

Dennis 'on the mend'.

I have been to visit Dennis who is in recovery after major surgery for oesophageal cancer.  He was moved from Intensive Care to a general ward a couple of days ago.  He is in remarkably good condition, but will not be allowed home until perhaps Monday.   

His blood pressure has dropped somewhat and his kidneys are not functioning fully, but he is looking good and has been up for a shower etc.  He has a room to himself and constant minders dropping in to add or remove the numerous hoses draining fluids and monitoring other bodily functions...if you know what I mean.

I was most impressed by the hospital which was fully commissioned earlier this year.  It is a world class facility with wifi controlled meal delivery to patients.  See here.

Dennis and Carole

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    When I get ‘crook’ this is where I want to be.

Billy Cart Derby

Daughter Helen brought home her class project of the ‘billy cart’ for final touch-ups and  a ‘service’ before the big race day on Friday.

Each class in her primary school has constructed a billy cart with help from dads and mums.   I will attend the big event and take some pics.  

Today a team of two; driver and pusher, is to be selected with trial runs around the short course (the staff carpark).    

The ‘race’ is to be a time trial and Helen’s class is one of two Pre-Primary classes.  Should be fun.

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The patient is getting better

My friend Dennis has had the big operation and has come through OK at this stage. Carole, his wife, has told me he is looking better and it would seem that they feel he is ready to shift to a general ward in the hospital.  Good news.

I have a Hewlett Packard printer I am configuring to give away with a computer.  It ran out of ink and I purchased two new sets of cartridges from China.  When I replaced one of the original cartridges with a new one it told me that the cartridge was not compatible.  I tried a few tricks to get it going, but no luck.   I was about to take it to a recycling depot when I thought of a possible solution and carefully prized off the chip from the original and fitted to the after-market ink tank and it is working beautifully.

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Post-0p

I haven’t heard any news from Carole about my friend Dennis.  He was due for his major surgery some time yesterday.  I rang Carole just after 9am this morning, but she hadn’t heard from the hospital.  She promised to ring as soon as she heard from the hospital.

He was to be in the Intensive Care ward for a week or more; then a longer time in a general ward before being discharged.  The surgery is risky. One in ten patients don’t make it.

Hope to hear some good news soon.

I have prepared five Macs and printers for some welfare clients. Must start to get a bit tidier and not clutter up several rooms.

My fruit trees are doing well with all the winter rain. I have started to give away as many lemons as I can, but most people with a yard already have lemons. 

Tahitian Limes turn yellow when ripe

The Tahitian Lime tree is bearing well and a locquat tree is loaded with fruit.  I will make sure I spray for fruit fly this week.

I love Locquats!