Read this interesting post by Mark Evans and his comments on Dave Winer’s meme on sacking the VC industry. I hovered over the link that Mark had included to Dave’s site - as you do - and hey presto! A dynamic, frequently updated box appears telling you how many people have clicked on the link.

I could just be catching up on a blog feature that everyone already knows about <shrug>, but it’s interesting to see that sort of information populating up to the surface of the web. It’s readily available to site owners and via services like Technorati, but until now I’ve not seen it integrated into a page. Why is it interesting? It gives you an insight into the so-called attention stream, as Steve Gillmor would say.

Speaking of Steve (g’day if you read this..), I got a chuckle from his latest Notes is dead post. We got a good larf out of that when he wrote the first Notes is dead story at InfoWorld and IBM/Notes people plus a small collection of groupies short-circuited a few brain cells. It’s a story that’s just keeps on giving.

The weather in Melbourne, as Crowded House sang in the song "Four seasons in one day," can swing wildly from cold to hot, and back again. Last Friday while on a one-day trip to the southern Australian city my emotions ebbed and flowed as varying degrees of heat, humidity and storms swirled around me.

* Up at 5:30am and out to the airport. Tired, but doing ok.

* Off the plane in Melbourne at 9am to get greeted by voicemail from PR guy saying the international IT big-wig due to fly in that day for my face-to-face interview in Melbourne was now coming a day later. The big objective for the trip was undone. Very low point. Rare moment of anger for mild-mannered Mr Jones. (Here’s a little tip for PR people: don’t do this to journalists. Call the Fairfax switch, and ask to get put through to my mobile even if it is 8:30pm at night the day before I was due to get on a plane.)

* Other meetings scheduled for the day went well, including lunch with Cameron Reilly. Great to finally meet the man behind the Elvis sunnies. Happy days.

* Got caught in stinking hot, Melbourne downpour. Turned up at Fairfax Melbourne office "hot & bothered" as my mother would say. Grrrr.

* Caught early flight home, wrote stories on the plane and finished reading The Big Moo. Very thought-provoking. Things are getting better…

Now into week two of 2006 working life and it’s already a blur. Of course, it doesn’t help that my big holiday project – a home restoration job – conformed to all the expected norms for a project of this type. Over budget, over time, over stressed. We’re living at the in-laws while I slave over painting picture rails, feature walls and ceilings during my “spare” time. Ayeee.

What’s that got to do with IT? Absolutely nothing. Interestingly there are few parallels between tradespeople and geeks. A few quotes & observations of various tradesmen I’ve worked with over the summer:

• You must ALWAYS talk on the job about your private life. In detail.
• Commercial radio must be played LOUD. "Blogs? Podcasts? Huh?"
• Start time varies between 6am and 7am. Lunch is at 10:30am. 3pm - gone.
• “Now, I don’t want to boast, but geez I’m a good painter/plasterer/plumber/carpenter…”
• “If you pay cash, I’ll cut my hourly rate by $10.”
• “One day? I never said it would take one day.”
• “It’s almost finished except for…”
• “See you tomorrow. If you like, I can also bring along a friend of mine. He’s a good painter.”