Worry

[flexibeast]

Yesterday a near-clear-sky lightning strike started a major fire within kilometres of my parents' place. Within the last 24 hours or so, it's already burnt around 7000 hectares; and it's moving through rough country, not easily accessible.

Fortunately, the fire is currently moving away from them, but ember attacks are still a major concern. Also a concern is the fact that some of their neighbours have decided not to stay and defend - and in fact are interstate at the moment - which obviously provides increased opportunities for a fire to reach my parents' property.

Police-enforced roadblocks have been set up to prevent people travelling through the area. This isn't a problem in itself, but it is a problem when even family members aren't allowed to enter the area to assist their family. This has meant that my sister, who lives nearby, cannot assist my parents in defending their place; and even more stupidly, a roughly 80-year-old couple who asked police to let their son through to help them defend their place were refused. It's ludicrous.

And i'm very worried.
 

Comments

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

Ah an even weirder mix than I :)

Heh. :-)

You know an institution is dodgy when they make you sign a non-disclosure agreement as a student

i reckon! Who do they think they are, the Australian Institute of Technomages? :-P

And apologies for the deleted post with the stuffed link

No worries. :-)

[penguinpusher.livejournal.com]

You should read this (locked of course) post, as should others on my friends list http://penguinpusher.livejournal.com/9606.html

[flexibeast.livejournal.com]

Argh. My sympathies.

Re. the NDA, it vaguely puts me in mind of a Dilbert in which the company said it owned its employees' "DNA and all derivative works". Even if such 'agreements' are technically legal, and notions of consent through duress are put aside, i can't see them as being morally and/or ethically reasonable . . . . but then, apparently psychopathy is common business behaviour nowadays (http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200701/s1825713.htm). :-P

Re. employers having difficulty finding the IT staff they seek, here are a couple of my whinges on the issue:

http://hierodule.livejournal.com/34276.html (http://hierodule.livejournal.com/34276.html)
http://hierodule.livejournal.com/37686.html (http://hierodule.livejournal.com/37686.html)

[penguinpusher.livejournal.com]

Given the nda it's better further discussion is in locked posts I'm afraid. These people are not at all nice.

Re the links, wow that's ALMOST as bad as the games industry. Although games often features incredible and unpaid crunch times too- I understand the employee record at Ion Storm was 90 days in the office without going home at all while making Deus Ex for example :(