Latest projects

Grant Ayre — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:50:50 +0100

I've been re-working some of my oldest sites. Both were coded for clients around the time of Dreamweaver 2, when Open Source CMS systems were but a dream. Desperately needing an overhaul was goldstarlimousines.com for an old mate Vlad.

A simple little site - now with some e-commerce functionality and a nifty little booking module. We've just launched.

gs_new_site

Instagram

Grant Ayre — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 07:35:24 +0100

I studied photography in the mid 90's. Back then Photoshop was in it's relative infancy. I think in my 2nd year photoshop released layers, this of course was amazing. However we were still in the old paradigm. Black and White tonal printing, a huge expnsive colour processing machine, and when we wanted to experiment and push the envelope some we'd reverse colour process, image transfer onto cloth with horrible turps gel, coat objects with liquid light and take it into the dark-room. In other Read More...

The new Australian site - and the Paywall

Grant Ayre — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:12:51 +0100

OK we did it. After a year's preparation. A thousand meetings, designs, wireframes, technical hurdles, road-blocks, discussions, frustrations. The new site is up. Not 100% yet - that will take a few more months. But it's a satisfying feeling. I work with an amazing team.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/

The new Weekend Masthead

Gillard and Asylum seekers

Grant Ayre — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 09:23:38 +0100

One would have hoped the recent High Court decision deeming offshore processing in breach of Australian laws would be the perfect opportunity for Gillard's Labor to revert to a humane, less expensive, and less offensive policy regarding the issue of people fleeing wretched lives and seeking a new start in Australia.

But no. It looks like the 'shock-jock' view of Australia (fully embraced by the Liberal Party) has won the day. That this country has learnt nothing from the miserable HowRead More...

My silly obsession

Grant Ayre — Sun, 29 May 2011 13:59:34 +0100

The Amco Cup in 1974 has a lot to answer for. It was the combination of blonde haired superstars, the colours red, white and blue, and the black face paint under the eyes* that did it. The Eastern Suburbs Roosters. An inexplicable obsession.

The fact my dad won tickets to the 1975 Grand Final and Easts won a famous game by a record 38-0 over another powerful side St George confirmed it. I was going for no other side..

Fast forward 36 years and I'm still hopelessly at itRead More...

Band set list memories

Grant Ayre — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 12:32:43 +0100

Cleaning out some cupboards today and came across my forgotten collection of band flyers and set-lists from the 1980's. I wondered how many people out there like me that thought they might be collectible one day... If that is what I thought.. I honestly can't remember.

Regardless, it's a nice nostalgia trip. I wished I'd got more actually, saw so many memorable gigs back then. The better ones I have;

Hunters & Collectors (Macquarie Uni 1986) [with beer stains and footprintRead More...

Google decline?

Grant Ayre — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 08:42:06 +0100

Been noticing a lot heavier critique of Google's search performance lately, seems the search behemoth is taking their eye of the ball in their core business - that is - providing the best non-spam search results.

Questionable SEO spamming techniques rule at present. A good account how is provided by self-described 'jaded' search engine consultant Jill Whalen, in Google sucks.

Seems to me - if their search ceases to work - all the other cool stuff becomes redundant pretty quickRead More...

Woolworths/Dick Smith major fail

Grant Ayre — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 22:58:33 +0100

I am not the first small business nor indeed average customer to welcome the release of credit/debit cards these past few years by the major banks. In short these allow you to use it as a credit card online and in store quickly and easily, track all your purchases for tax purposes, but most importantly, not spend money you don't have.

During the week, in desperate need of a larger external hard drive to back up all my precious data, I strolled into Dick Smith in response to their markRead More...

Guns,Glocks,insanity....

Grant Ayre — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 10:23:13 +0100

I read in The Sydney Morning Herald on the weekend that sales of Glock automatic pistols skyrocketed after the shooting of US Senator Gifford in Arizona some weeks back. Draw your own conclusions - but this is a sick society.

Tell me there are rational Americans who realise it's wrong that a nutcase can walk into Walmart and buy weaponry like this AND extended magazines that shoot off 30 odd bullets before reloading. Tell me that that's necessary in a civil society, even the self-defeRead More...

The new site....

Grant Ayre — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:00:00 +0100

I admit - I've been the proverbial painter who doesn't paint his own house. The mechanic who doesn't fix his own car.... The web guy who doesn't update his own site!!!

Well it's a low key start I know. I've moved it into Joomla - finally - and plan to put up all sorts of eclectic content. Not just a site for my biz. Kinda hybrid... I just want to tinker.

Man on a wire

Grant Ayre — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:00:00 +0100

Watched the documentary Man on a Wire recently. Enthralling for many reasons; from the sheer talent, fearlessness and chutzpah of this small wiry French tightrope walker, and the poignancy of seeing the World Trade Centre in its naive (in hindsight) glory days.

On the latter note, the beautiful black & white 16mm footage of the guerrilla tightrope team ascending the fire-stairs of the WTC jolted me. The insignificance of this action then and the knowledge of history I caRead More...

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