The Simple Life

Over the last 9 months, I have been going through lots of various changes. Of course, my lifestyle has changed, and financially I am not in the position I was in Singapore. But this weekend just gone by showed how I have come such a long way from what I used to be like - that girl who had an infatuation with self-anihilation, with this harder, faster, bigger, stronger attitude. Whatever identity I could find, I would be.

This weekend, I went up into the Blue Mountains and Loz and I took Zee bushwalking in the morning. Just a simple bushwalk. When usually I'd be racing through it as a form of exercise, I took the time to stop off and look at all of the different types of native plants, look out for wildlife and just generally enjoy the fresh air - and I did it without trying. I think that is when you know you are capable of leading a simple life - when you can enjoy the simple things without, at that present time, saying to yourself "look at me, i'm doing things which are having a calming effect on me." You just do it. And afterwards, you think "wow, that was so enjoyable".

I also, for the first time in years (and I really mean it), spent the day watching DVDs on the couch with Loz and Zee and loving every moment of it - not worrying about needing to do something other than just being there on the couch. It was so enjoyable.

I realise I've been missing the simple things like this for years. I am so glad that I now have the ability to enjoy the simple things now. Sure, its been at an expense, but if I turn back the clock 9 - 12 months ago, these things were an impossibility.

Lots and lots of what we call here in Australia "Scribbly Gum Trees", because of the scribbles on it. The mountains are full of scribbly gums.

Just lots of native type plants.

These ones looked like mini-orchards, we decided.

Bottlebrush - one of our native plants in Australia.

A Busy Busy Time!

Organising a big charity event (which wasnt meant to be big, but accidently became big) is hard work, right up until the very last piece of the Marquee is taken down.

As you all know, I had this idea that I would contribute 120kms for kids, for the charity that is www.1200kmsforkids.com. While I am driving one of the support vehicles, I can't ride the actual 1200kms itself. So I wanted to do a 120kms ride. Then it turned into a ride that the guys wanted to join in on. Then insurance policy said that events other than the main event itself can only be on stationary bikes. So then it because a stationary bike event. And then we managed to lock in one of the best locations in Sydney as a venue....and the rest is charity history. Radio stations came on board, newspapers came on board, marquees, food, balloons, matching jerseys, raffles, drinks and of course stationary bikes donated for the cause, all concurrently being done both in Sydney and in Brisbane.

The result was a fundraising event which raised nearly $9000.00 in just coin donations alone from the public, which is a phenomenal amount. While I don't take the responsibility entirely on my shoulders, because it wasn't possible without the help of so many people, it shows that just one idea can turn into a big one if you really believe in it.

The boys riding hard, while I took a break.

The only photo of me of the day (I was so busy!)

It felt wonderful to be a part of something special!!!!

Doing Good Things for Good People

Photo is the copyright of the Macarthur Advertiser, at:
http://www.macarthuradvertiser.com.au/news/local/news/general/martin-place-still-ride-event-aids-sick-kids/1942341.aspx

Walking With Giants Pt II

Last night I attended the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation's 2010 Annual Lecture and had the privilege of walking with giants once again, but this time, for a very special cause that it very dear to my heart.

(below: the Honourable Mr. Keith Mason AC QC, former President of the Court of Appeal of New South Wales, the highest civil court in the State of New Wales)

(below, my new dear friend of two days, the Honourable Mr. Michael Kirby AM CMG, former judge of the High Court of Australia)

(below: and with great privilege, the current Australian of the Year 2010, Professor Patrick McGorry AO, leading international researcher, clinician and advocate for the youth mental health reform agenda)

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Legal Letter

Dear SearchPictures.Net and Other Entities Associated,

On or around 20 August 2010, someone acting on your behalf or as your agent entered the website entitled "www.kateonthebike.blogspot.com". Over a period of seven hours, there is evidence that shows that you collected up to 800 images from this website. These images have been found to be on your website and a series of other connected to you.

This is an infringement of the domain name holder's intellectual property rights and you are on notice that the domain name holder is currently seeking further legal advice with regards to these breaches.

We ask that you cease and desist immediately from using, referring or exploiting the domain name holder's intellectual property rights, being copyright in the images that the holder has in the images.

In the event that you do not cease and desist, the domain name holder will not hesitate to commence legal action against you with respect to the above breaches.

Yours Sincerely

Domain Name Holder
www.kateonthebike.blogspot.com

Solving the Puzzle of the Image Thief

So I caught on to the idea that someone had scoured my entire blog for hours, taking each and every photo on this blog. I have found them out - the website is called www.dongo.org.

They have mentioned my site on their website, and so someone has seen my web address, and has ventured to my site after leaving www.dongo.org. The reason I know this is because I have a I.P address identifier on this blog and I can see who enters this blog and where they were prior to coming to this website.

It appears that "Dongo.org" is just one of many website runs by this Belgium set up, that takes people's images, sets up random websites, and then gets money for everytime someone clicks on an image, or heads to their website.

In laymans terms, they steal images, label them as their own, when Google images does a search for images of a particular topic, people see the pictures come up as their own, people click on them, it goes to their website, and then they earn money from advertisers and sponsors who pay them based on how many clicks they receive.

These websites include:

z6.com		travel pictures, picture, tourism, country
visit-kenya.com		beaches, coast, kenya, holiday
travelingonline.com		photos, pictures, travel, picture
searchpictures.net	▼0.23K	images, pics, travel, holidays
micbinks.co.uk		images, holiday, leisure, tourism	United Kingdom
lloretguide.com		lloret de mar, travel, beach, beaches	United Kingdom
bokelberg.us		pictures, images, travel, pics
bokelberg.com		people, picture, photos, pics
traveljournals.net	▼3.43K	images, picture, photos, pictures
explainthisimage.com	▲5.74K	pic, picture, photos, pictures

I dont like pulling out this card, but I will.

Whoever you are, I am a lawyer who is very familiar with intellectual property law and have significant connections throughout Europe, including the Netherlands.

I am aware of who you are.

I am currently seeking further legal advice with respect to the taking of copyrighted images from my blog.

You have been warned.

Walking Amongst Giants

Six months ago, I stopped pretending to be a happy high flying corporate lawyer. In doing so, I struggled with a great deal of grief. Grief over a sense that I had lost my identity, an identity that I had cultivated and fine tuned. Grief that I had turned my back on a life that would easily have given me a great deal of wealth and material goods. Grief that I had convinced myself (and others) that I was a young success in my chosen field only to have slight suspicion that rather, I was a fraud - that I wasn't actually a success, that it hadn't happened because I had engineered it in any crafted way or that it was all a result of having an exact idea of what success was and going after it. I had found myself in the corporate world by accident - and in amongst it, I had totally forgotten why I had become a lawyer.

I forgot why I became a lawyer.

So admitting to myself and others that I was to become "Corporate Roadkill" was confronting, but by laying on those corporate train tracks and allowing the freight train to roll over me, I have had many wonderful things happen to me.

None more wonderful than what happened today.

Today, I met the Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMG, recently departed Justice of the High Court of Australia, and one of the most eminent, well respected, and at times, controversial men in law. http://www.michaelkirby.com.au/

Today, Michael Kirby reminded me of why I became a lawyer. Today, he reminded me that you dont become a lawyer to fight over clauses in contracts, to draft the tightest deeds of release, who can fight the hardest and dirtiest, who can come out with the most amount of money. I wasn't put on this earth to give people legal advice, only to for them to choose which parts they wish to take.

Law is not just what comes out of your mouth or what you put down on paper. The law is in your heart. Its about believing in rights, its about acceptance of wrongs, its about making sense out of ambiguity. Its about human rights, its about remaining apolitical, its about accepting that at times, human justice is imperfect. Its about believing in our Constitution. Its about believing in the rule of law, its about believing in accountability.... I felt more of a lawyer today, than I ever felt standing at the boardroom table, giving advice to people who just want to make money.

Michael Kirby spent a considerable amount of his time standing up for his beliefs about the way justice should be dispensed and he had to do it in a very public manner. He did it without fear, he often did it knowing that he would be the minority, yet held firm when challenged publicly. He may be considered "left wing", he may be considered "argumentative", but he is one of the most popular High Court judges Australia has ever had. And today I met him.

Today, I not only walked amongst a giant, but I made him his tuna sandwich.