This is one of the coolest uses of Google Earth that I’ve seen in ages: a KML file with data from the official Sydney to Hobart race site so you can track the yachts in 3D!

That said, the site is a bit iffy at the moment due to what I’m guessing is heavy traffic. Considering that on the TV, the navigator of Wild Oats said she uses the yacht tracker on the site to know where the competition is (!), this is a touch disappointing … but still, very cool.

The one thing I miss most from my old job is the iMacs with their gorgeous 50cm displays.

So what to do? Well, my slush fund had a bit of spare cash, and it’s the time of year to be celebrating … so I bought myself an end-of-thesis present

And it arrived just in time to watch the Melbourne Cup, too.
(That quinella by the Japanese pair was awesome! It was plenty amusing to see the emotion on the faces of Delta Blues’ team when they won; closer to home I was also amused to see my sister successfully pick the winner yet again. But I don’t know why all the TV presenters get the idea that this win means there’ll be a sudden invasion and the Cup will be transformed into some sort of Japanese event.)