Posting here as a boost; not sure how "nearest meetup" listings work, and I want to pass this on to everyone in Australia/New Zeland.

http://lesswrong.com/meetups/1bt

Camp is super interesting; very much achieves the goal of meeting and hanging out with other brilliant lesswrong people.  Last year I made such good friends that I still consider them some of the closest I have ever made; even without talking to them for weeks at a time.  Although I also do tend to talk to them every other day usually.

There is also an opportunity to learn skills, this year's camp is themed around topics such as:

• productivity
• effectiveness
• functioning successfully at life
• Food, exercise, health, technology skills
• How to win at life
• Turbocharging training
• High impact culture
• Effective communication
• CoZE

Its gonna be great, Please come along if you are in Australia!  Part of what makes camp so great is that so many LessWrong people come along and also enjoy the company of each other.

If you know someone who is not regularly on www.lesswrong.com and likely to miss this post - please make sure to direct them to here.

Any questions - send me a message. :)

At present, the LessWrong presence in Brisbane is essentially non-existent. We have Brisbane Skeptics in the Pub, and that's the closest you can get. During the most recent Australia-wide LessWrong hangout, Nick Wolf of Melbourne and Eliot Redelman of Sydney persuaded me to create a Facebook group for LessWrong in Brisbane. This post is solely to announce that.

The group can be found here.

Ideally a meetup will occur once more than the small handful currently on the group have joined.

Discussion article for the meetup : LW Australia Mega-Meetup

Discussion article for the meetup : LW Australia Mega-Meetup

I read Optimal Employment and decided to try a work-holiday in Australia.  Several people have asked me how it's going, so here's my first take. I haven’t finished my work-holiday yet, but I want  to provide this information now so that potential travelers can make a decision before the hiring season peaks next summer.

Alice Springs

I came to Alice Springs in late April, and secured a job at a fast-food immediately. They offered me $26/hr after super and penalties. I didn’t get many hours, but it was enough to cover expenses. I took the job so that I wouldn’t lose money while I was looking for a better job.

Finding better job proved tough. I quickly applied to all of the sit-down restaurants and bars in town, and they all said they preferred locals. I signed up for a couple of employment agencies, but they were concerned that I had didn’t have any experience serving alcohol. I borrowed a phonebook and called random business on the Plenty Highway and that didn’t work.

This continued for five weeks. I found this period stressful because I get anxious asking businesses if they’re hiring, and then I feel humiliated when they say they’re not. There were fun times: I toured Uluru and met cool people in the hostel. But in the back of my mind I was always stressed about finding a better job. After five weeks I was about to head south in search of fruit picking work. But then I saw a flyer.

Remote Australia

A gas-station/convenience store was looking for staff. It was a full-time job, with meals and accommodation costing $40/week. This was exactly what I was looking for! I called immediately and got the job because I was American and nobody else had called before me.

This job was pretty much everything Louie described in Optimal Employment. I had practically no expenses, no responsibilities, and free entertainment after hours. At any given time there were three backpackers (including myself) working there, and one would be switched out about every month. We played a lot of video games and ate a lot of barbeques. We also attended a concert and a rodeo. I saved a lot of money and had a lot of fun, but I was anxious to leave after six months.

Adelaide

Australia prohibits backpackers from working the same job for more than six months, so I had to leave. Around this time I discovered that I had distant relatives living in Victoria, and they wanted me over for Christmas. This left me only three weeks to work. I decided to look for fruit picking work, since I heard they’re more willing to employ backpackers for short periods.

I flew to Adelaide, but I cannot find any fruit picking work. And I hear there's very little in Victoria. I could go to West Australia, but even if I found a job over there, it hardly seems worth it to fly there, work for two weeks, and fly back to Victoria on Christmas Eve. So now I’ve got to fill up two weeks in South Australia or Victoria.

What’s next?

I had originally planned to work 88 days of fruit picking work, so that I could get a second working holiday visa next year. (Most Americans are NOT eligible to do this. I can because I’m half British.) But I’ve heard a lot of bad things about fruit picking, that it’s miserable work and that you make little money (or even negative money). And I’m 70% sure I don’t want to come back to Australia next year anyway. (I want to teach English in Shanghai). So the new plan is to spend Christmas in Victoria while applying to TEFL jobs, and then tour the east coast for a month. Then I’ll fly back to the states and hopefully start teaching English in March. In the meantime I will have to entertain myself Adelaide/Melbourne.

Is Optimal Employment accurate?

Pretty much. You’ll probably earn more money on the job than Louie estimates, because of penalty rates and an increasing minimum wage. And there’s a chance to hit jackpot: I met a LW lurker in Alice Springs who said she was banking $1000/wk after expenses working at Lasseters. Mining and fishing jobs are also lucrative if you can get them.

But there’s also a risk of not finding a job. It took me five weeks to find my remote area job, and I’ve met some backpackers who ran out of money and while looking for work. Immigration requires you to save up $5000 before you start your work-holiday; skirt that law at your peril.

Overall I’m pleased with my visit to Australia. Even if I though I’ll be bleeding money the next couple of months, I’ll still come back with a nice profit and wicked memories. If you’re young with a sense of adventure, you should definitely consider it. A lot of people want to visit Australia “someday”, but it gets more difficult when you’re older and have more commitments.

I’m planning to write another post with tips for working in Australia. Requests welcome!

Hi LessWrong! I'm a LWer from Melbourne, Australia, and I'm taking a 3 month road trip (with a friend) through parts of the United States. I figure I'd enjoy hanging out with some fellow rationalists while I'm over here! 

I attended the May Rationality minicamp in San Francisco (and made some friends who I'm hoping to meet up with again), but I've also heard good things about the LessWrong groups all over the United States. I'd like to meet some of the awesome people involved in these communities!

We've been planning this trip for a while now and have accommodation pretty much everywhere except for the second half of San Francisco. 

Itinerary

• 17th-21st Nov - Los Angeles, CA
• 21st-28th Nov - San Francisco, CA
• 28th Nov-1st Dec - Las Vegas, NV
• 2nd-3rd Dec - Flagstaff, AZ
• 3rd-7th Dec - Phoenix, AZ
• 7th-9th Dec - Santa Fe, NM
• 9th-10th Dec - El Paso, TX
• 10th-13th Dec - San Antonio, TX
• 13th-21st Dec - Austin, TX
• 21st-26th Dec - Dallas, TX
• 26th-29th Dec - San Antonio, TX
• 29th Dec-2nd Jan - New York City, NY
• 2nd-3rd Jan - San Antonio, TX
• 3rd-6th Jan - Houston, TX
• 6th-9th Jan - New Orleans, LA
• 9th-12th Jan - Memphis, TN
• 12th-15th Jan - Nashville, TN
• 15th-18th Jan - Atlanta, GA
• 18th-22nd Jan - Miami, FL
• 22nd-26th Jan - Orlando, FL
• 26th Jan-1st Feb - Washington DC
• 1st-4th Feb - Philadelphia, PA
• 4th-6th Feb - New York City, NY
• 6th-9th Feb - Mount Snow, VT
• 9th-13th Feb - Boston, MA
• 13th-15th Feb - New York City, NY
• 15th-26th Feb - Columbus, OH

If you're in one of these locations when I am, contact me! Either ahead of time or at short notice is fine. I'll be checking meetup posts and mailing lists for events that I can make it to as well, but if you happen to know of an event or meetup happening that fits the schedule, feel free to let me know in the comments.

Message or call me on 4242 394 657, email me at shokwave.sf@gmail.com - or you can leave a toplevel comment on this post, or message my LW account directly. Looking forward to meeting any and all of you!

Potentially of interest to my fellow antipodean LessWrongers. Stasis Systems Australia is a company seeking to start a cryonics facility in Australia. Their website is pretty sparse, but they just sent out a mailing list update on how they are going, and it doesn't appear that the information therein is located in any news section of the website, so I thought I'd post it here.

Hello,

We at  Stasis Systems Australia Ltd are happy to report our plans to build a cryonics facility in Australia are progressing well.

You may remember contacting us or attending our online meeting last year, but here's a quick reminder of what we're doing.

We are a group of Australasian cryonicists putting together a non-for-profit organisation to build and run the first cryonic storage facility in the southern hemisphere.

We're proud to have WA-based Marta Sandberg on the board of directors as an advisor, as she has a wealth of knowledge and experience from her ongoing role as a director of the  well-established Cryonics Institute.

We are now officially incorporated as a not-for-profit company, and one investor away from the magic number of ten that will trigger the next stage of the project - selecting a piece of land and starting construction!

We have had productive discussions with the NSW Department of Health, and are developing positive relationships with the Cryonics Institute, Alcor, and KrioRus.

We think what we’re doing is worthwhile and in the long term will be of great benefit to the Australasian community.  If you’d like to get involved either as an investor or a volunteer, that would be fantastic.  We’d love help with articles for the website, search engine optimisation, web graphics, or any other skill you have that we might need.

We would especially appreciate you passing this update on to anyone you know who might be interested.

 

Best regards,

The Stasis Systems Australia team

www.StasisSystemsAustralia.com

 

Follow @StaSysAus on Twitter

Like StaSysAus on Facebook

Today it struck me just how dumb it was to agree fully with the desirability of being signed up for cryonics and yet not be so. I may, in perfect honesty, also be procrastinating from a piece of uni work that I need to do by Tuesday, but I intend to get right back to it after posting this.

Last time I looked into signing up for cryonics I found it confusing and intimidating, which quickly built up to a level where I abandoned the quest. Now that I have a piece of assessment looming, it is time to do something about it.

But I don't really know where to start. What do you do to get signed up for cryonics? Join the Cryonics Association of Australia? There seems to be a requirement for membership of a US organisation too. You can either say "I have joined/intend to join a US cryonics organisation" and pay $1000, or say "I haven't joined/don't intend to join one" and pay $30, which is sufficiently confusing to make me conclude that I don't actually understood how this organisation works. There aren't any facilities in Australia AFAIK, and there is no indication of what the CAA actually does in the event of unexpected death. Plus, they haven't updated their website for over a year.

Do you skip the CAA, and just sign up with Alcor or someone else based in the US? I don't know which ones are good or bad, or even have any firm idea how to find out which ones are good or bad. How do you arrange transportation to the cryonics facility from another country? Do you need to pay for everything in advance? Life insurance seems to be the ticket, but how do you go about getting that? I live with my parents and the car I drive belongs to them, so I've never insured anything.

Is there anybody who knows, or has some ideas, about what I should be doing?

Captivation along with Thomas Sabo jewelry, while is driven by district along with social norms, is usually just regarding ladies. This kind of knowledgeable also been the actual fantasy in which haunted nearly all jewelry makers in advance of, for the rationale in which finding during the entire motivations involving mature gentlemen to make certain their own jewelry kinds will probably be likewise a service involving love knowledgeable also been an issue. particular closer to situation could be the simple fact in which number of ages past, mature gentlemen knowledgeable also been possibly not attached to setting at adornments. They'd merely want to limit on their own to help setting at pieces (so which will they can commonly develop their own things at track) as well as extra (wedding wedding band as well as strap wedding band, for the situation to make certain that experts claim full planet will probably recognize which will there're formerly taken). mature gentlemen engaged to produce your smile in her lover in the event that he or she is provided with jewelry buying a reward. Nevertheless, this kind of situation is usually particular ages more than one rice. nearly all most likely related to mil ages past? Nah, merely a strong far more as compared to responding announcement this really is. Very well, it truly is particular in which in advance of, mature gentlemen will not want obtaining too cool and trendy along with Thomas Sabo Bracelets jewelry for the rationale which will they can often be the actual effective handy work about this Our planet, utilised together often be commonly included in the visit, along with wholly setting using a large necklace around your neck as well as top-quality anklet bracelets is not really regarding these individuals for the rationale in which this kind of adornments will probably merely keep these individuals out of starting their own large routines. Still, presently, problems own evolved mature gentlemen are intrigued to help jewellery- each with gathering up along with setting at these individuals. Be grateful for the actual jewelry geniuses for the innovative developments along with resourcefulness. The actual primary kinds along with ideal merchandise engaged to help stand for the actual manly person usually are past although not smallest devised. a very stylized nevertheless by far the most wonderful rendering involving men's highly effective figure along with effective life-style could be the simple fact in which when using the material possibilities. Possibly not finding too a great deal separately through the use of the actual picture involving gentlemen, jewelry makers produce a selection of precious metals for instance titanium, tungsten carbide, along with steel. Which connect involving men's electric power along with adaptability. makers involving cars apply these kind of precious metals with providing rockets, vehicles, deliver, additionally to help different automobiles- in which appear visiting often be each definitely intriguing regarding gentlemen. Precious metals are certainly not just regarding cars nevertheless additionally thus to their Thomas Sabo Bracelet jewelry thus these kind of precious metals effortlessly have men's particular attention for the rationale which will they've created your interconnection utilizing particular attention along with character. To enhance further the actual cool and trendy layout involving made-of-metal-jewellery, makers likewise comprise diamond jewelry, platinum, gemstones have multiple uses, household leather, as well as plastic, along with silver precious metal along with antique watches highlights. Led with the principles involving straightforwardness along with class, the choices along with corporations will probably wholly an excellent jewelry regarding gentlemen. For that reason, mature gentlemen would not have almost any Following ideas by any means in terms of setting at jewelry out of pieces to help extra, out of stores to help anklet bracelets, along with out of charms to help pendants- all the very same, mature gentlemen own past although not smallest learned the actual jewelry that should possibly not keep these individuals again using their effective life style. They may possibly not need to be nervous for the longevity with the jewelry for the rationale in which once for all their own precious metals will probably keep these individuals effective while long when they would like. This kind of sensation is absolutely noticeable along with activities everyone, movie megastars, sound files symbols, along with are a blast megastars. take a look at the best way constant there're with preserving their own masculine feeling regardless of whether there're setting at bracelet, necklace around your neck, wedding band, as well as watch- the actual Thomas Sabo GREAT BRITAIN jewelry is usually nevertheless fine to improve their own figure provided in which modern-day type of add-ons own formerly learned the top material for the finest chap.

Enchantment having Thomas Sabo jewelry, seeing that is certainly dependant upon area and also public norms, is definitely entirely to get adult females. The following seasoned already been the particular fairy tale of which haunted a lot of jewelry graphic designers ahead of, into the motive of which obtaining through the pastimes associated with person adult men to ensure his or her jewelry models are going to be as well a specific thing associated with passion seasoned already been harder. correct near problem could be the truth of which level of decades back, person adult men seasoned already been certainly not partial to adding with adornments. They might simply just prefer to constrain independantly for you to adding with creations (so that they could typically generate his or her items with track) or perhaps happens to be (wedding wedding ring or perhaps strap wedding ring, for this problem to assure the belief that completely country can recognise that these are recently taken). person adult men applied to make a new smile on the girl when your dog gets jewelry receiving a treasure. On the other hand, the following scenario is definitely correct decades and some issue. a lot of extremely probable in relation to zillion decades back? Nah, simply just a considerably more in comparison with re-acting fact it is. Properly, it can be correct of which ahead of, person adult men won't want to having at the same time fashionable having Thomas Sabo Necklaces jewelry into the motive that they could possibly be the particular full of energy projects on this subject The planet, they need to possibly be typically within the move, and also absolutely adding on the serious necklace around your neck or perhaps remarkable necklaces is just not to get these people into the motive of which this adornments can simply just maintain these people by task his or her serious pursuits. However, at the present time, issues have got improved person adult men are actually concerned for you to jewellery- both around gathering and also adding with these people. Give thanks to the particular jewelry geniuses into the enhancements and also creative imagination. The particular fundamental models and also perfect items applied for you to signify the particular manly dude are generally final but is not most affordable developed. just about the most stylized on the other hand the most fantastic manifestation associated with meant for effective personality and also full of energy life-style could be the truth of which while using the metal alternatives. Certainly not obtaining at the same time significantly separated with the use of the particular impression associated with adult men, jewelry graphic designers give a range of alloys including titanium, tungsten carbide, and also s / s. Which talk associated with meant for electricity and also all-aroundness. suppliers associated with motor vehicles employ all these alloys around creating rockets, vans, mail, on top of that for you to some other automobiles- of which arrive about to possibly be just as seriously amazing to get adult men. Alloys may not be simply to get instruments although on top of that for his or her Thomas Sabo Bracelet jewelry hence all these alloys easily enough receive meant for awareness into the motive that they need designed a new interconnection using their awareness and also qualities. To further improve added the particular fashionable style and design associated with made-of-metal-jewellery, graphic designers as well consist of precious gems, platinum, gems, leather-based, or perhaps rubberized, and also gold and also precious metal features. Advised within the policies associated with easiness and also style, these products and also providers can absolutely a prosperous jewelry to get adult men. For this reason, person adult men don't have just about any Subsequent sights in both instances regarding adding with jewelry by creations for you to happens to be, by stores for you to necklaces, and also by bracelets for you to pendants- every single identical, person adult men have got final but is not most affordable determined the particular jewelry that could certainly not maintain these people returning from other full of energy life-style. They are going to certainly not must be anxious regarding the strength on the jewelry into the motive of which forever his or her alloys can maintain these people full of energy seeing that prolonged while they like. The following trend is basically apparent having athletics individuality, motion picture celebrities, sound files symbols, and also good ole' celebrities. examine the way stable these are around retaining his or her masculine element even when these are adding with bracelet, necklace around your neck, wedding ring, or perhaps watch- the particular Thomas Sabo BRITAIN jewelry is definitely however great to improve his or her personality available of which present day type of add-ons have got recently determined the very best ingredient into the very best person.

In the event that your beloved features young children then you certainly have the opportunity consider your Thomas Sabocharm which might magnify the little one as well as children's appoint, time, distribution gemstone along with their own alert with the zodiac. It enthusiast will probably be grateful to have Thomas Sabo Jewelry displaying Thomas Sabocharms involving the number of pets along with picket as well as gemstone highlights. In any respect the actual preferences with the situated person, you could potentially generate Thomas Sabo Bracelet Jewelry tailored for their preferences. Additionally along with Thomas Sabo Jewelry the danger involving personal reveals is not really restricted for that women even if. women commonly receive the status involving strenuous personal reveals however reality could be the simple fact in which mature gentlemen think of wonderful fulfillment with finding your situated that's tailored for their preferences likewise. Thomas SaboJewellery ability your extensive extensive array involving Thomas Sabo Bracelets that should attractiveness for that masculine possibly not having the actual often be nervous how the beauty bracelet might generate these individuals a lesser amount of masculine. with add-on the actual Thomas Sabo beauty will come in just of the extensive number involving modifications which will features antique watches, silver precious metal, the actual preparing with the 2, flagstones, treasures along with picket kinds. In any respect appeals for that character with the personal, your tailored Thomas SaboJewellery beauty bracelet is probably established. In the event that thinking about setting up a Thomas Sabo Bracelet Jewelry beauty bracelet appears to be a strong tremendous prospect and then assume for the prospects for predesigned anklet bracelets. Thomas Sabo Bracelet presents your extensive number involving pre-created portions which might attractiveness for that motivations of the situated person along with reduce the use of everyone any time involving producing ones personal element. Nevertheless, their encouraged to set-up the main outcome involving modification that you just array your Thomas SaboJewellery beauty bracelet out of commence to finish off. While you get ones diy attempting to receive situated for virtually every lover, one of several a very important material in order to complete will probably be to see your situated that's exceptional to the next personal. Universal reveals own develop into normal community with most up-to-date lifestyle along with your number of get by themselves wanting for your specific presents which will knowledgeable also been changed whilst in the over. For anyone who is attempting to guide your beloved seize the last simply by showing your tailored situated and then appearance very little more as compared to Thomas Sabo Jewelry. Along with Thomas Sabo Jewelry you can find available your one of several sort out situated which supplies extensive array with solutions, making it possible for anyone to achieve in which complicated reason for situated modification. Along with Thomas Sabo Bracelets you'd have the capability to help effortlessly tailor-make the actual presents which will you should look after the actual beloved. The actual Thomas Sabo GREAT BRITAIN is probably only a small porcelain figurine in which any time combined along with different Thomas Sabocharms lets anyone to attain the actual Thomas Sabo Bracelet Jewelry beauty bracelet. The actual cause in which Thomas SaboJewellery is usually thus personal could be the simple fact that each just one Thomas Sabo beauty lets the actual giver time to help seize the actual fact with the certain there're getting the actual regarding.

When you confidential an item involving Thomas Sabo Bracelet jewelry and then a lot more than time period it is going to develop into put on along with discoloured, thus acquire some finest reasons involving processes to keep this kind of going on. JUST ONE. They may be noticeable nevertheless never ever visit fishing setting at almost any silver precious metal. inside a definitely fishing incidents the actual chlorine assaults the actual silver precious metal along with in your seashore the actual sodium in your taking in h2o should the identical, yellowing as well as tarnishing the actual material. TWO. keep setting with your Thomas Sabo Bracelets jewelry by way of a give as well as dipping. well liked to help keep that your inside the bathroom once and for all. This kind of needs a bit of willpower, nevertheless will probably broaden the actual living inside the jewelry. A FEW. Any time cleaning your private home you will be most likely to help get there in consult along with harsh detergents as well as issues along with ammonia with these individuals. there're really corrosive, thus often be fine everyone inserted at devices along with preferably think of everyone Thomas Sabo in the country away from. 5. nutrition with prevalent features sodium, thus any time preparing the actual the actual home, peeling vegetable plants as well as building cakes and many others.. probably think of ones extra apart as well as noticeable accordingly seeking finding dusty, silver precious metal acts to a few number of material formula most people cant view. YOUR FIVE. Sulphur is usually an additional material which will doesn't visit accordingly along with silver precious metal, thus preferably never visit close to ovum along with the seeking combine records involving sulphur, Asparagus, Avocado, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Green beans, Cheese, Coconut, Garlic, Fruit, Grains, Leeks, Mustard, Insane & Seed products, Onions, Shallots, Tomatoes, Thomas Sabo GREAT BRITAIN Turnips. HALF A DOZEN. Plastic along with silver precious metal really don't have at, thus really don't have anything created involving plastic with consult when using the silver precious metal by itself, this can contain plastic devices. 8. primary reality will probably be to help inserted around the silver precious metal spanning a standard time period while this will easily keep that shopping brand new along with glistening. SEVEN. Any time possibly not working with ones Thomas Sabo Bracelets jewelry keep that inside a definitely d poor proverbial box that's preferably breathable air small inside a definitely dried up cabinet. keep the actual silver precious metal inside a definitely material carrier preferably organic and natural regarding well liked outcome. NINE. long expression safe-keeping will probably effect in certain tint along with tarnishing, which will often be without chemicals created considering that silver precious metal oxidizes. it could actually visit dim as well as yellow-colored with coloration, nevertheless fear possibly not any time a person can quite a few silver precious metal gloss along with your material along with come that again in place it is found fantastic this particular time period everyone apply it. 15. being a past area for virtually every without chemicals created along with inexpensive means of cleaning in place ones Thomas Sabo Bracelet can this particular: Fit quite a few comfortable taking in h2o into your run along with inserted an item involving metal foil inside the underlying part. comprise numerous spoons involving preparing pop along with involving sodium. comprise everyone Thomas Sabo Bracelets jewelry along with let your catch get to sleep close to the actual foil inside the underlying part. Keep regarding 5-10 minutes and be able to do away with along with rinse out listed below comfortable taking in h2o along with dried up adequately. The style stands out as the reality that experts claim foil will probably look at the tarnish apart the actual silver precious metal.

These Thomas Sabo Australia are developed by combining sterling silver and colored enamel. a number of them are developed by combining silver and crystal even although some are developed developing utilization of sterling silver and semi important stones. There are hundreds with this sort of Thoma Sabo offered from the stores every one is one of a kind in its appears and presentation.Thomas Sabo Jewellery s are affordable and their exceptional quality is as well exceptional too. These bracelets are developed with great response and may be the great assortment for providing presents toward the loved ones. Apart from bracelets you can also possess a appear on another diamond jewelry from Thomas and Sabo. Necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings made by Thomas Sabo are all eye-catching pieces of jewelry. Thomas Sabo has offered several center collections of diamond jewelry like Rebel at Heart, Seasonal as well as the Classical collection.1980′s was the twelve weeks when thomas sabo introduced his jewelry. work has long been positioned in to create pure ornaments in silver with exceptional quality, which last results in structure it's exceptional style. The two most classical sequence by Thomas Sabo; Thomas Sabo Charm Club and silver assortment have been founded and provide in fresh new pieces of designs. Its stated about charms which they represent our craze and obsession. in circumstance you desire to create any person really feel exceptional and lookup completely different among the crowd, this really is typically a best method to accomplish so.Thomas Sabo delivers from the sterling Silver assortment which provides a great accessory for prevailing tends in fashion. best most in best quality 925 strerling silver is graced using using hand-set and hand-cut zirconia stone.