LukePDQ

2007-11-10T00:17:00.000Z

Testing...

Testing, Testing...

Speccy is 25 today

2007-04-23T16:06:00.000Z

Who remembered? Not me.
Until I read this link here...

Like many blokes, I do remember even now, the excitement of unpacking my 48K ZX Spectrum.
The slim black case. The rubbery grey keys. The multi-coloured "go-faster" stripe. The promise of mastering those geeky programming commands.

It was on this humble machine (Retailed at £175 - but I think I bought it direct for c. £125) that I first learned to program something more useful than the usual "Hello World" in Basic.

But I also learned how to program at machine code level with those magic "pokes" and "peeks" to make the Speccy do even more. I even learned to write my own code to design 3D wire-frame drawings of geometric shapes and fill-in to make solid bottle-shaped models. Then, to rotate these "bottles" and calculate internal volumes of each design for some course work, as I recall.

Who knew then, how far personal computer technology and the global reach of the internet would travel in those 25 years.

Technorati Tags: Spectrum, Speccy, Sinclair, machine code

Comments?

2007-04-05T00:28:00.000Z

Blogger seems to have swallowed my comments option on last post!
Settings are unchanged. Except I posted by email to the blog.
Why has this happened?
Will the comments option appear on this post?

Fantastic News!

2007-04-04T13:43:00.000Z

OK. I'm being slightly ironic here. Did anyone think we wouldn't get our Sailors and Marines back soon? But it is "Very Good News".

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has just announced that our 15 British naval personnel captured in the Gulf will be freed - "...as a gift to Britain."

Britain is very grateful. Personally, I think we should send Mr. Blair as a gift to Iran.

He can then spend some time reflecting on his real motives for sending our troups to wage War in Iraq.

Are you dying to meet a fit young doctor?

2007-03-13T15:39:00.000Z

Wanted: Male/female with GSOH, age/looks irrelevant. Must be dead.

Royal College of Surgeons hopes to meet responsible and civic-minded people prepared to donate their bodies to science.

The College, is training the next generation of surgeons, but an acute shortage of corpses is threatening their ability to teach anatomy properly.

Each year, about 700 people will die having donated their bodies be dissected after death. But the College needs 1,000 cadavers every year for each medical student to get proper dissection and anatomy experience.

R.I.P. Chris Lightfoot 1978 - 2007

2007-03-06T20:44:00.000Z

Well, blog. It's true I've been neglecting you for a while.
And this really isn't the post I want to be making today. But......

Today, I heard the sad news that Chris Lightfoot passed away unexpectedly on 11th. Feb. 2007. I can't believe that such a bright star in the blogosphere has suddenly ebbed and disappeared.

I didn't know Chris personally; yet through his sterling work on blogs such as mySociety and at NO2ID I came to appreciate the serious and ethical side of this talented Developer and programmer.

Chris's own blog gives a glimpse of his humour, whimsy and code-writing skills too. This is such a loss to his family, friends and the many web campaigns he helped to fuel and sustain with his energy, vision and sheer insight into the digital citizen and citizen rights.

One of the many tributes to Chris is here on his own team blog

This is yet another untimely death (three in three months) of a key blogger cut down at the top of their powers.

Chris's inspirational vision and memory will live on.... as will our memories of his fine work.
R.I.P. Chris Lightfoot 1978 - 2007.

Technorati Tags: Chris Lightfoot, mySociety, NO2ID,

The Cold War returns... cause and effect

2006-11-29T15:52:00.000Z

So:

an ex Russian KGB spy, turned UK citizen, is murdered in London by unknown agents.
the deadly poison turns out to be a lethal dose of Polonium 210 irradiation.
despite Govt. information to the contrary, it is actually relatively easy to obtain sources of Polonium 210. Fact.
Mr. Blair awaits outcome of police investigation into "suspicious death".
the wheels of political balance and UK sovereignty grind slowly over the grist of NIMBY'ism about foreign agents possibly killing UK citizens in our own backyard.
Mr Blair may call Mr Putin to "request" an explanation.
Mr Putin takes umbrage at Mr Blair's request.

Possible Outcome:
A new Cold War develops...... as Mr Putin orders the gas supply pipes to UK (via Europe) to be turned off. ???
All highly theoretical, of course... ...but it could happen!
Technorati Tags: Cold War, KGB spy, Polonium 210, radiation , Blair , Putin , gas pipe

Good News and Bad News.

2006-11-25T15:15:00.000Z

Arachnophobes can relax. There are no spider pictures shown here.

The Good news:

If you are a Male African golden web orb spider - you have two penises.

The Bad news:

Both penises drop off during sex!

Who knew that?
More to the point, what were they doing spying on these tiny mating spiders - which can take up to 14 hours!
All this peeping activity on a tiny male spider 5-6mm. long. The female of the species is 10 - 20 times larger!

Technorati Tags: Golden Orb, Spider, two penises, mating , Arachnophobia ,

"So, what music do you like?"

2006-11-20T03:25:00.000Z

I'm a musical polyglot in that I find it difficult to answer the question - "So, what music do you like?"
Truth is, if it's Classical music, I like listening to piano or 'cello pieces, like Baroque music for example.
But, for modern stuff, I like H.Metal, Rock, Blues, high energy bands, Indie stuff, etc.

I do like songs with guitar and piano/keyboard, especially with lyrics that tell a story or paint a mood.
I really listen to lyrics. So, if the music moves me and the lyrics capture a mood, then I like it.

An example:
I keep hearing this plaintive track recently which is playing a lot on several radio stations.
"Somewhere Over the Rainbow"; but not like Judy Garland. More Eva Cassidy, but less pure.

A man sings it..... mellow, plaintive, almost raw voicing....
And, here's the strange thing; it's accompanied by a ukelele!
Not the most obvious pairing. But for this track, it really works.

But who is it? No idea. Can't find it in iTunes search.
Google not immediately helpful, but after a few amended searches.
Got it. The singer is called - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole

The back story to this singer is almost a repeat of the Eva Cassidy story.
An Hawaiian guy. He released this record back in 1993 called "Facing Future".
Sadly, he died in 1997 at the early age of 38 yrs.
You can read more about his life here on Wikipedia

So, I listen again to this compelling rendition.
Strange, but this week, I really like this version of - Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
Makes me go to my own guitar and noodle a few chords.
Seems to work in G. D. Em. and C. but barred up the keyboard at 5th. fret.

And I wonder - why the sudden airtime for Israel Kamakawiwo'ole - who died nearly 9 years ago?
But, what a great track.
Technorati Tags: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, Somewhere Over the Rainbow, baroque, ukelele, Eva Cassidy, Hawaiian, Israel,

Thought for the day - #9. Plus a Pelican in the news

2006-10-29T00:59:00.000Z

A countdown of Thoughts for the Day: (who wrote these anyway?)

#9 - "Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die."

Not sure who wrote that, but doesn't resonate with me and wouldn't be in my personal Top 10 quotes du jour.

I prefer the less jaundiced (ha, ha) view and more upbeat quote below ...

"One of the most sublime experiences we can ever have is to wake up feeling healthy after we have been sick" - Rabbi Harold Kushner.

How true is that!
Whether recovery from "the morning after the night before" feeling....
Or to really be ill and be thankful to be returned to good health.

On another topic; who knew that Pelicans can swallow a pigeon whole?
At least, a resident pelican in St. James' Park in London did just that a few days ago. There was even a photo shown on TV of the pigeon gazing mournfully out of the gaping beak, before being swallowed alive in one gulp.

Thought for the day - #10.

2006-10-25T14:06:00.000Z

A countdown of Thoughts for the Day:

#10 - Life is sexually transmitted. - RD Laing.

Whereas, John Lennon (in Beautiful Boy) said:
"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans."

As an insomniac, I'm often making plans that LIFE rudely interrupts the next day or so.

Punc·tu·a·tion: what's the point?

2006-10-23T15:16:00.000Z

An English professor wrote the words :
"A woman without her man is nothing"
on the chalkboard and asked his students to punctuate it correctly.

All of the males in the class wrote:
"A woman, without her man, is nothing"

All the females in the class wrote:
"A woman: without her, man is nothing."

Punctuation is powerful, eh?

Pink for October

2006-10-05T01:14:00.000Z

I didn't know about the "Go Pink for October" campaign until reading about it here on Pix's site

Like a prat, I made a flippant comment about shades of pink on her site before following the link to the Pink for October site.
Do go and visit the site. The stories are both humbling and poignant.

Unlike some people, I have the luxury of time to learn from my mistakes.
Note to Self: Look once, look twice, then post comments afterwards!

Mea Culpa. PDQ.

Summer hols...

2006-08-04T10:12:00.000Z

So, Tony Blair's off on his Summer hols to Barbados today.
John Prescott's not fit to run a Dept, but is in charge of the country till TB returns.

In other news.... The Scottish Parliament is back on Sept. 4th.
The Welsh Assembly returns on Sept 18th.
The Northern Ireland Assembly is back on Sept 4th.
The European Parliament is also back on Sept. 4th.

The English Parliament?
O, the Houses of Commons and Lords is in leisurely recess till October 9th.

Me?
We will be sunning ourselves somewhere (note to self: hurry up and book somewhere) between Aug 24th. and Sept 7th.

There may be updates before then....

There comes a time...

2006-07-31T11:42:00.000Z

Quote to Self:
"If we wait for the moment when everything,
absolutely everything is ready, we shall never begin."
- Ivan Turgenev

Gun cops may need more Health and Safety training. ...whoops!

2006-07-17T15:33:00.000Z

Here is an official announcement regarding the unfortunate shooting of Mr. Jean Charles de Menezes - in Orwell's 1984speak.

Today the CPS announced it had reach its conclusion over the IPCC report issued to them in January this year.
Earlier this month, lawyers at the CPS reached a decision, approved by the DPP, that Police officers who shot Mr. Jean Charles de Menezes 7 times in the head at close range were not to be prosecuted over Mr. de Menezes' death.
But the Met Police will be charged with breaching health and safety laws.

So, armed police were called in to despatch (kill) a man their police colleagues had followed from his house, through the streets, onto a bus, off the bus, into a tube station, down the escalators, onto an underground train; and then fatally shot him 7 times in the head at very close range.

The summary execution last year was followed by an official decision today by the Crown Prosecution Service (and approved by the Director of Public Prosecutions) that "...there is insufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction against any individual police officer But...there is sufficient evidence to prosecute the Office of Commissioner of Police for an offence under sections 3 and 33 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 of failing to provide for the health, safety and welfare of Jean Charles de Menezes on 22 July 2005."

So, that's all right then.
Mr. Menezes was deliberately killed, but this was an unfortunate breach of health and safety regulations.
Of course, I don't blame the police officers concerned; they were only following orders.
I know, he could have been a terrorist; but he wasn't.
But, do take care out there folks, accidents happen.

Remember, in George Orwell's 1984....
Ministry of Truth (re-writes the news, history, education, etc)
Ministry of Peace (in charge of War)
Ministry of Plenty (economic affairs, production of goods, etc)
Ministry of Love (in charge of Law and Order)

Remember the Party slogan "WAR IS PEACE, FREEDOM IS SLAVERY, IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH."

Does this ring any bells in the year 2006?

Technorati Tags: de+Menezes, terrorist, Police, armed+police, IPCC, CPS, DPP, George+Orwell, Orwell, 1984, London, tube+killing, Ministry, Truth, War, Peace, Plenty, Love, Freedom, Slavery,

So much for Data Protection, then.

2006-07-12T12:26:00.000Z

It appears the DVLA made nearly £6.5 million last year by selling driver's addresses for £2.50 each.
That's about 2.5 million people whose personal contact data was sold to commercial organisations without the knowledge or permisson of the citizens (?) involved.

It appears that anyone with a "valid" reason can request personal contact details by quoting a vehicle numberplate. So far, more than 160 UK companies from clampers to credit agencies have been authorised for multiple applications for personal data.
Apparently the DVLA do not check the requester's credentials; they happily sell data for dosh! At least one clamping company, whose two directors were actually serving prison sentences for fraud ,were still able to collect personal contact data.
That's it then, game over. We citizens are just cash cows to our Govt.

No doubt we can expect much the same from the ID card scheme when it is up and running.
So then we are both mugs and cash cows since we have to pay for the "privilege" of a compulsory ID registration scheme - and then expect our personal data to be sold to any Tom Associates, Dick Brothers or Harry Ltd companies who request our personal data.

Although, on current reporting, the ID card scheme has just hit the buffers, since politicians cannot agree on a detailed specification on which tender documents can be drawn up.
Expect Tony Blair to order compulsory tattooing from 2008 instead.
Me jaundiced ? Nooooooo.

Technorati Tags: Data, ID+card, DVLA, ID+scheme, cash+cow, Data+Protection, Personal+data, driver+addresses,

Syd Barrett of Pink Floyd is no more

2006-07-11T16:03:00.000Z

The sad news of the death of Syd Barrett (aged 60) was announced today.
Hugely influential member and songwriter of the original Pink Floyd line-up in 1965.
He was deposed by the arrival of Dave Gilmour in 1968 when Syd was no longer capable of performing onstage.

Syd was acknowledged as the creative force in Pink Floyd's early hits.
Sadly, too many hallucinagenic drugs and a fragile psyche proved too much and Syd suffered a mental breakdown.
Dave Gilmour replaced Syd Barret on tour and the plan was for Syd to carry on songwriting and recording for the group.
When that plan failed to work, Syd withdrew from any active role for some years; becoming a recluse for some 20 years.

Syd Barrett was an influential musician and songwriter for a number of bands in the '60's.
His original contribution to R&B and psychedelic music development in the '60's will surely be remembered.
Syd Barrett 1946 - 2006. R.I.P.

Technorati Tags: Pink+Floyd, psychedelic, drugs, Syd+Barrett, 1960's, music, R&B, Dave+Gilmour,

7/7. R.I.P.

2006-07-07T23:01:00.000Z

For all those Lost Souls.
May you Rest In Peace on this sad day of Remembrance.

We will mourn you through all our tomorrows.
Until Peace begins within us.

Technorati Tags:
7.7, R.I.P., Peace, London+bombs, religion, terrorists

This is what the global village really looks like.

2006-06-22T09:57:00.000Z

If all the Earth's population was shrunk into a village of just 100 people - with all the human ratios existing in the world still remaining - what would this tiny, diverse village look like? That's exactly what Phillip M. Harter, a medical doctor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, attempted to figure out. This is what he found...

57 would be Asian.
21 would be European.
14 would be from the Western Hemisphere.
8 would be African.
52 would be female.
48 would be male.
70 would be nonwhite.
30 would be white.
70 would be non-Christian.
30 would be Christian.
89 would be heterosexual.
11 would be homosexual.
6 people would possess 59 percent of the entire world's wealth.
All 6 would be from the United States.
80 would live in substandard housing.
70 would be unable to read
50 would suffer from malnutrition.
1 would be near death.
1 would be pregnant.
1 would have a college education.
1 would own a computer.

Think of it this way. If you live in a good home, have plenty to eat and can read, you are a member of a very select group. And if you have a good house, food, can read and have a computer, you are among the very elite.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness... you are more fortunate than the million who will not survive this week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation... you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.
If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest, torture, or death...you are fortunate, more than three billion people in the world can't.
If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep...you are richer than 75% of this world.
If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace ...you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

I found the above information here and quoted most of the salient points for its full impact.
It made me think anyway...

Technorati Tags: global, village, population, education, religion, culture, statistics, poverty, world maps, interesting,

Crowdsourcing is the new Outsourcing.

2006-06-12T15:25:00.000Z

There's been an interesting aggregation of articles on crowdsourcing I have been reading over last few weeks.
There is no doubt that the term "crowdsourcing" resonates with a lot of people. From gestation to 500,000 google hits in 2+ weeks is a pretty good birth rate for a new term. But it is a viable economic model; not a web 2.0 dot com without revenue.

In terms of the uptake of this as a viable business model; there are a number of commercial sites (some cited in Wired's original article - authored by Jeff Howe) already listed on Jeff's website at www.crowdsourcing.com. These include many established sites, such as: Innocentive for pharma industry, NineSigma for scientists and technicians, RentaCoder for programmers, YourEncore for retirees, iStockphoto for photographs, Mechanical Turk and many others.

The *upside* of crowdsourcing is the ability of big corporates to drive down the internal business costs of R&D. More beneficially, it offers a model for small businesses (SME's) to replicate the size and scale of a big company's R&D Dept.

The *downside* of crowdsourcing is the ability of big corporates to harness the global reach of the internet to recruit the masses who are willing to perform "task slices" or even complete project solutions for miniscule reward. This is more an ethical issue for those likely to mis-use this potential to create an army of data miners digging the dirt to mine nuggets of valuable data at peanut rates.

Amazon's Mechanical Turk is a good (bad?) example of the potential for, in effect, auctioning off people's honest labour (labor) for exploitative low rates of pay.

Who knows where it will all end. There is the positive and creative side where an army of retirees, scientists, technicians, artists and amateur boffins are paid to provide innovative solutions for problems that big companies cannot solve from within their own work-force resources. This is a valid commercial process where the price of hire and reward is determined by the value of a solution to the "problem owner".

But the term " backroom sweatshops " takes on a new meaning as crowdsourcing also defines a cheap remote labour pool for people with time on their hands to offer time-slices for hire across the internet. Such tasks include, mining computer data lists, make telephone calls to extract company contact details, review restaurant services, proof-reading input/output data entries, etc. Any repetitive data screening process that a software robot or computer program cannot solve or infer the correct answer is potentially a project for crowdsourcing. And there's the rub, some sites are offering such iterative tasks to remote workers for as little as a few cents to $1.10 per hour for their completion.

Technorati Tags: crowdsourcing, crowd, source, outsourcing, back+room, sweat, shops, cheap, labor, labour, Innocentive, NineSigma, RentaCoder, iStockphoto, YourEncore, Mechanical+Turk, SME, corporate, time+slices, data+mining, robot, program,

Friendly Bank plc are very helpful to "phishers of men" (clue - it's a biblical pun)

2006-06-08T15:24:00.000Z

So, I've been busy.......

Meanwhile, I get an email from my Friendly Bank plc about their internet banking security protection for ME.
They send me an official Friendly Bank plc email (unencrypted, naturally) telling me to be careful about giving away my account details to any Tom, Dick or Harry Phisher, who might ask me for my account details.

For my added security(gulp!!!), Friendly Bank plc, informs me that all official emails (unencrypted, naturally) from them will always include my Title and Full Name, PLUS the last 4 digits of my account number. Sweet!

Do they not know:
- How many email internet gateways each email passes through to reach their end user ?
- That each host system keeps a copy of all transmitted emails on their systems for xxx time?
- That determined hackers can easily intercept email files and read the plain text contents?

How hard can it be for a simple loop algorithm to test for two unknown digits from an account number that always starts with 00 - and ends in 4 disclosed digits!!!!!

Now I know, this of itself does not gain access to my account, BUT, it sure makes life easy for hackers -when they have a list of Full Names plus email address, plus significant digits of the matching bank account number. Peachy Sweet!

I am contemplating how to inform Friendly Bank plc of my appreciation for their tight security systems.

Technorati Tags: email, security, bank, encryption, phishing, phisher, hacker, algorithm,

Teen Buzz - another Urban myth, or not ?

2006-05-25T17:05:00.000Z

Well, it had to happen. Kids turn "teen repellent" sound into "teacher-proof" ringtones. Teen Buzz is outed.
Or, is it a new technology based Urban myth.
It's reported that Teenagers here in UK have cleverly become early adopters of a technology based science to communicate silently in class by text messages etc.
Apparently, school children are now downloading a high pitched MP3 ringtone called Teen Buzz to their mobile (cell) phones and using them in class to ring each other without Teacher hearing anything. Youngsters are able to share these Teen Buzz ringtones with each other by text or blue-tooth.
A great wheeze for the kids, if it actually works. More on the feasibility of this later.

This story started several months ago when a UK amateur inventor used physics to adapt an "anti-mosquito" device and invented a new electronics box to be placed outside local shops or buildings where teenagers hang out. When the youngsters (or feral youths !) become anti-social, shopkeepers can turn on a device which sends a high pitched tone (+15kHz.) out. This is a loud irritating whine to teen ears, but totally inaudable to most adults who can't hear sounds at this high frequency.

Thanks to my brother Alan in Chicago for the " Heads Up " from Boingboing.

You can read more here as to whether 15kHz. compressed MP3 ringtones can actually be audible to teens and not to adults.
Very helpfully, the kind Dan Lockton has created a range of 15 - 20kHz. mp3 and .wav ringtones for you to hear (or not, if you are 20 yrs.+) for yourself.

So, is this a real story, or another Urban Myth? What do you think?

Technorati Tags:
Teen+Buzz, feral+youths, ringtones, MP3, anti-social, 15Hz, Urban+Myth, inaudible, whine, mosquito

'Twas a Dark and Stormy night - part II

2006-05-25T01:31:00.000Z

Remember the Bulwer-Lytton contest, aka "Dark and Stormy Night Contest" I posted about last week?
I did say I would deliver up the rest of the count-down to the San Jose's State University Top 10 contest to write
...only the first line of a bad novel:
So, here goes....... Enjoy! (that's a post ironic suggestion).

7) "Andre, a simple peasant, had only one thing on his mind as
he crept along the East wall: 'Andre creep... Andre creep... Andre
creep.'"

6) "Stanislaus Smedley, a man always on the cutting edge of
narcissism, was about to give his body and soul to a back alley
sex-change surgeon to become the woman he loved."

5) "Although Sarah had an abnormal fear of mice, it did not
keep her from eeking out a living at a local pet store."

4) "Stanley looked quite bored and somewhat detached, but then
penguins often do."

3) "Like an over-ripe beefsteak tomato rimmed with cottage
cheese, the corpulent remains of Santa Claus lay dead on the hotel floor."

2) "Mike Hardware was the kind of private eye who didn't know
the meaning of the word 'fear'; a man who could laugh in the face of
danger and spit in the eye of death -- in short, a moron with suicidal
tendencies."

AND THE WINNER IS...

1) "The sun oozed over the horizon, shoved aside darkness, crept along
the greensward, and, with sickly fingers, pushed through the castle
window, revealing the pillaged princess, hand at throat, crown asunder,
gaping in frenzied horror at the sated, sodden
amphibian lying beside her, disbelieving the magnitude of the frog's
deception, screaming madly, 'You lied!"
Tags: humour quotes writing

I spy... in my little eye.

2006-05-18T18:43:00.000Z

I like to find medical or biochemical limericks on the web; so with E.coli (in children) and Fusarium (in contact lens wearers) in the spotlight again this week, it was topical to find this example at Quote Me!

Acanthamoeba - by BobfromThirsk

It's an Acanthamoeba! My soul! I
Would never want that in my whole eye.
This evil wee beast
Will soon make a feast
Of your vision, 'tween snacks of E. coli.

For info: Acanthamoeba is a free living organism, abundant in both soil and water. It will thrive between the eyeball and the rear surface of poorly maintained contact lenses, particularly soft lenses, causing dangerous eye infections. The standard test for acanthamoeba is to place a suspect lens on a "lawn" of E.coli bacteria (lawn is a term used to describe a cultivation of E.coli on agar jelly). If the organism is present a clear area will appear around the lens where acanthamoeba has ingested the bacteria.

Health Warning: contact your pharmacist or optician if you are worried by the following product recall.
Bausch & Lomb's *ReNu with MoistureLoc* contact lens solution has been strongly implicated as the source of Fusarium keratitis (a fungal eye infection) in at least 109 USA contact lens wearers.
So following discussions with the FDA, B&L had recently withdrawn their lens solution from sale in USA.
click here for more detailed info.

Thankfully, the MHRA (our own Regulatory body in UK) has now followed suit with their own warning, although it is important to stress that there has not been any similar increases of Fusarium reported in UK contact lens wearers.
So Bausch and Lomb have this week had to announce a global product recall.click here for more detailed info.

Anyone wearing re-usable contact lens might want to check alternative lens solutions to avoid this rare but unpleasant possibility of a Fusarium fungal eye infection.

Twas a Dark and Stormy night...

2006-05-18T00:29:00.000Z

My man Alan in Chicago pointed me to this writer's contest in USA.
Each year, there are 10 winners of the Bulwer-Lytton contest, aka "Dark and Stormy Night Contest" (run by the English Dept. of San Jose State University), wherein one writes only the first line of a bad novel:

Today, I am privileged (?) to bring you the winning entries placed at number 10, 9 and 8.
This year, No.8 has the ....um.... sort of thick treacly prose that strikes shame into any writer's heart.

10) "As a scientist, Throckmorton knew that if he were ever to break wind in the echo chamber, he would never hear the end of it."

9) "Just beyond the Narrows, the river widens."

8) "With a curvaceous figure that Venus would have envied, a tanned, unblemished oval face framed with lustrous thick brown hair, deep azure-blue eyes fringed with long black lashes, perfect teeth that vied for competition, and a small straight nose; Marilee had a beauty that defied description."

Tomorrow, the ~~better (?)~~ winning entries and the source of these pearly gems....

A plague on all you plagiarists.

2006-05-11T01:52:00.000Z

More and more we are reading about bloggers having their blog posts ripped and re-posted on other blogs without any attribution or linking to the rightful owner. Luckily I have no posts clever or funny to be worth plagiarising, but I have had some of my digital images copied and re-posted elsewhere without attribution.

We all struggle to find original or amusing things to write about, but when we succeed, copyright is automatically owned by us. However, to set up a creative commons licence or assert our copyright by means of a simple statement on our written material or digital form (such as blogs) does warn others not to copy or infringe our copyright without permission and/or attribution.

Plagiarism is not cool, is illegal (without permission) and is disrespectful to the owner whose copyright has been infringed. Once digital (web or blog) plagiarism has been discovered, it should be relatively easy to identify the ISP hosting the offending website and request them to remove any copyrighted material.

Failure to comply with such requests to remove stolen material is theft, a breach of intellectual property rights (IPR) and could be construed as *passing off* if the plagiarist purports to be the person who authored the material.
The claim of *passing off* is especially relevant to established bloggers who write in a particular genre or style.

Any breaches of copyright are a serious legal issue and once the theft has been established, can lead to the plagiarist being sued for damages, compensation and legal costs, etc. Enough to make all but the most hard-nosed plagiarist back off and cease and desist from repeating the act. This applies equally to ISP's who are well aware of the laws of digital or electronic copyright infringement. Many ISP's when asked, will simply take down offending sites if they are blatently plagiarising other peoples digital copyrights.

Many ISP's in USA have signed up to the Digital Milllennium Copyright Act (DMCA) which amends secton 104 of the Copyright Act. ISP's in the UK are also sensitive to copyright issues (and easier to get at since they are in the same legal jurisdiction as UK bloggers) as our UK Copyright laws also clearly protect our digital words and images.

There is a very good blog at: http://www.plagiarismtoday.com
This guy (Jonathan Bailey) really seems to know his stuff in the USA and offers straightforward *how-to* action points on tracking down the ultimate responsible person or ISP in the USA. His helpful advice also shows how to send a DMCA notice to ISP's hosting websites who are plagiarising other author's works.

A statement of universal values.

2006-05-05T23:17:00.000Z

I was interested to read about a man in Powys, South Wales who was visited by the police last week.
Seems he sent an email to his local council protesting about plans to site a waste re-cycling facility near his house.
At the end of his email he included an historic quotation by a protestant pastor who was a peace activist and pacifist.
The point he was making was "...who will speak up for the ordinary man in the street".

Too subtle, maybe. Someone in the council took umbrage at his quote and complained to the police, who then paid an early morning visit to this chap and officially warned him of possible harassment charges if he repeated this "offence".

Just another tale of official heavy handed political correctness gone mad, you might think.
But, it seems to me, the quote he used (reproduced below) is entirely appropriate for these oppressive times.
Wake up people. We are sleep-walking into Orwell's 1984 as the Thought Police seek to control our precious civic freedoms.

A statement of universal values.
"In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics, but I didn't speak up because I was a protestant.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me."

written by Reverend Niemoeller, a German Lutheran pastor, was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to Dachau in 1938.
He was freed by the allied forces in 1945. Rev. Niemoeller died in Wiesbaden on March 6, 1984.

Abominable Rain man.

2006-04-19T02:11:00.000Z

The Easter weather was typically british - abominably rubbish.
True to pattern (typical!), Tuesday dawned bright and sunny and remained so ALL the fcuking working day.
Otherwise, the world in microcosm is peaceful.

The bigger picture is not so peaceful.
Politicians are plotting and wars will be waged.
Iran, better watch out. Bush is coming to getcha!
Blair, watch out. The Truth is coming to getcha too!
Cameron, wake up. The colour make-over thing isn't working.
Menzies Campbell, just wake up ...up ...up.
Is this all a dream? ....Nurse! More tablets please.

It will be less busy soon. I'll post at Easter. (!)

2006-04-18T14:58:00.000Z

So anyway... There was I, thinking "...it will soon be Easter".
And it came to pass that indeed Easter had just passed by.
Time to put blog in gear again.
Right... just time for a mocha coffee.

Bloggles are GO...

2006-03-23T02:08:00.000Z

The bloggles are back. You know, don't you. When bloggers get the wobbles.
That time when commenting on other blogs generates more inspiration than the blank pane (Windows, geddit) of an empty Notepad. Especially the taunting of that "Untitled - Notepad" which means you know it knows you can't title the file till you place some words in it to give meaning to the filename. Gah!
The Blogging Muse has bu33ered orf again.
Question: Is the word *Amuse* like the word *amoral* ?
Because being without one's Muse is definitely NOT amusing.

This is Preshident Buschhh 'hic here, Tony.

2006-03-16T01:17:00.000Z

Who'd a thunk it.
Tony Blair must be praying that George Bush has not hit the bottle again.
This video here... is probably not to be relied upon; but there are stories circulating, appaaaarently.
Late evenings are not a good time for troubles to erupt against Homeland Security.

But the video is amusing.
Except in cases of War, emergency, floods, hurricanes, obviously.
In fact... No, I won't go there.

Flowers for m'lady...

2006-03-15T12:20:00.000Z

I've learned that flowers for saying "Sorry" or "I love you" or "Thanks" are always well received.
Except if they come from the garage as you fill the car with petrol.
I don't know why. Flowers HAVE to come from a proper flower shop or stall.
Fact.

You are not obliged to say (er, covertly record) anything.....

2006-03-13T20:17:00.000Z

a.k.a. The Secretive Policeman's Ball 's Up.
Well. Sir Ian Blair has been caught with his trousers down again, metaphorically speaking.

This time, Sir Ian Blair, the Chief PC has been found employing the un PC act of ... covertly tape-recording phone calls... to his boss at the Police Authority, the Solicitor General and even the IPCC who are investigating him over the command and control issues relating to shooting ...Jean Charles de Menezes.
At least this Blair ( not Tony Blair, of course ) has given a personal apology, but only to keep his job, methinks.

So now, before taking a telephone call from anyone like Sir Ian Blair, one should presumably caution them first. Along the lines of...
"You do not have to record anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned, something recorded, which you later rely on in court. Anything you do record may not be given in evidence."
You saw it here first.
The modified police caution to be given when being telephoned BY the police.

Steve Jobs on...Life, Loss, Love, Cancer and more...

2006-03-10T01:17:00.000Z

I found this report of Steve Job's address to Stanford Uni students very interesting.
It's a powerful story with 3 (actually 4) main points, from Steve Jobs, CEO at Apple Corp.

1. He tells how he was adopted from birth....talks about dropping out of college....when, in fact, he "dropped out" of his formal course, but stayed on campus (unofficially) and just "dropped in" to the courses he was interested in.
2. He explains how Calligraphy was one of the courses that interested him. Years later, when designing the first Macintosh computer, he specifically added multi fonts and proportional spacing that we now take for granted on our iMacs and PC's; then IBM copied his multi typefaces on their personal computer as well.
Who knew that's why computers have more than the old typewriter fonts of the days B.C. (Before Computers)?
3. Jobs also says words to the effect... "In life, and work, find what you love, then go do it."
4. On Cancer and Death..... Jobs was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year.
Go read this link for yourself, because IMHO it is quite profound. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.
...click here to read more.

Thanks to ManilaOfficeLife for the link.

Very realistic text to speech applet.

2006-03-09T00:38:00.000Z

Here's an interesting snippet of webby amusement. An online text-to-speech converter.
Click this link... and type in a few words, select the language and avatar; to try out a very realistic text to speech applet.

Thanks to www.digg.com for the link.

15 people killed in Bomb blasts in Varanasi (Benares) India.

2006-03-07T17:58:00.000Z

How terrible. More terrorist attacks on innocent people.
In who's God was this atrocity committed ?
At least 15 people killed and many more injured today.
This time in the Holy City of Varanasi - in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh; which is a major pilgrimage centre in India. Three bombs were detonated, one at a major Hindu Temple - the Sankot Mochan temple - and two bombs at a local railway station.

How can any terrorist group justify such actions in the name of their God?

I know a few Indian programmers, at least one of whom comes from Uttar Pradesh , so they will be very apprehensive till they know their loved ones are safe.
Also a UK blogging friend is travelling in the area, so hope she is safe and well too.
...click here for more details.

Can you see what it is yet ?

2006-03-07T03:20:00.000Z

So, we have a regular *friendly* challenge competition in our family.
It's a traditional thing we started a few years ago.
We try and organise two or three a year.
There are three teams of two in our family group.
There used to be four teams, but the older generation now watch and laugh.
We have a proper engraved Trophy for the Winners, a Runner-up shield and a Casualty (booby) statuette for the, er, LOSERS, basically.

The rules are simple:
The basic element is for each event to be fun rather than competitive.
Some members take it more seriously than others, so the outcome must be won more by luck than skill or judgement.
This is easier said than done as spreadsheets, savants and secret practices have been known to be deployed in the past.
The winners get to choose the competition for the next challenge.
Last time WE got to win for choosing the nearest birth weight for the new baby at 6lb. 10oz.
Yes, a spreadsheet may have been used, together with econometric forecasting algorithms, but mother nature helped us to win by conveniently organising a slightly prem. birth. So, we were spot on.

This time, each team was provided, by us, with identical metal holders filled with identical selection of natural fibres, suitable for bird nesting material.
These nesting materials were synchronously deployed in three separate gardens at 10.00am on Feb. 14th.
The winners will be the team with the least amount of nesting material left by Easter.
Already, strategic decisions have been taken on most *suitable* spot in each garden for birds to see and remove nesting materials.
Team M have sited their container near the bird bath and blue tit feeding patch.
Team J have sited theirs alongside a massive bird table with all sorts of birdie treats.

I contemplated farming our container out to a neighbour's garden who has masses of bird visitors.
I was overruled, so Team Luke have deployed bird fat feeders near our container to encourage the birds.

Watch this space..............

plug-in

2006-03-06T17:07:00.000Z

test plug-in

A bed-time story about Three little Bears.

2006-03-03T02:38:00.000Z

CAST:
Daddy Bear (played by the masked Mr.B.) is a secretive Italian V.I.P Bear. He doesn't have a speaking part in this narrative.
Millsy Bear (played confidently by David Mills) is an important International Lawyer who specialises in Tax Avoidance schemes for rich clients.
Baby Bear (played winsomely by Tessa Jowell - she's so sweet) is a young innocent housewife who doesn't *do* paperwork (except in heavy red despatch boxes) and signs any form her husbands asks her to sign for him, "...without question, Dahling."

SCRIPT:
This bed-time story has lots of twists and turns, so the *elevator pitch* (this could be a film script, you know) goes as follows:

Once upon a time, Millsy Bear is given a gift of £344,000 for *special* favours to an Italian V.I.P. Bear.
Millsy Bear (also husband of a Cabinet Minister) spends some time trying to pursuade Inland Revenue that this money was a gift and not taxable.
Eventually, Millsy B. agrees to pay tax on this sum of money, which has been filtered (anonymised ?) through a series of complex hedge funds and offshore trust funds.
Mr. and Mrs. Millsy B. serially mortgage and redeem mortgage charges on their houses. Often mortgaging and then paying off mortgages within weeks. Very *New Labour*, are these kinds of mortgages. Especially when Millsy Bear want to *invest* in serial get-rich-quick money-washing schemes.
Meanwhile, Mr and Mrs Millsy Bear (Baby Bear - aka Culture Secretary) never discuss this large sum (£344,000) of money over breakfast, lunch or pillow talk. "...Oh, No. Dahling. Never, Ever."
Suddenly, the Big Bad Wolf (aka media/press) realises that all these old folk tales about Millsy Bear and his rich clients who dispense their largesse in large wads of cash, must be true, because Baby Bear (aka Culture Secretary) is busily signing mortgage forms for Millsy Bear; as a means of helping to siphon offshore funds into UK and vice-versa.
Baby Bear (a real-life VIP Cabinet Minister) is never aware of potential conflicts of interest, because she simply has no idea where all this money is coming from. The money simply roars in and out of their bank accounts like a series of monetary tsunami's.
"...Doesn't everyone have money swilling around their Trust Funds, Dahling ?"

REAL LIFE (TM).
Ms Jowell told Sir Gus O'Donnell, she had first become aware in August 2004 that her husband had received a sum of money (£344,000) in September 2000 "which he thought he had reasonable grounds to believe was a gift".

The END:
The moral of this story is...

If you are ever given a large sum (£344,000) of money as A GIFT.
and you stick to the fairy story script
and you have friends in high places
and you are a clever VIP politician, with heavy red VIP despatch boxes
and you have the ear and heart-strings of a very sympathetic Prime Minister (Billy -No Mates- Bear)
and the Ministerial Code (for Cabinet Ministers) is quietly shredded to tiny, tiny, invisible ickle pieces.

All the Bears keep their money, their jobs, and live happily ever after.
Although, a week is a lifetime in politics!

2006-03-02T18:20:00.000Z

Sod's Law.

Physics Law: Matter can neither be created, nor destroyed.
Luke's Law: However, it can be lost!
Typically if stored somewhere on a hard drive.
And you need it in a hurry.
Especially if all the keywords you can think of cannot dredge it up.
Not even Google Desktop search....
Oh, ~~Bugger.~~ Bother.

Linda Smith - R.I.P.

2006-03-01T02:49:00.000Z

Linda Smith, comedian, writer, broadcaster and humanist has died of ovarian cancer aged 48.
Linda was well known on the comedy circuit before turning to radio (Just a Minute, News Quiz) and many TV appearances on topical or current affairs programmes like Have I Got News For You, et al.
Click here to read the Guardian obituary ...
Linda Smith, 1958 - 2006. will be sadly missed by her family, friends, colleagues and fans. R.I.P.

2006-02-22T16:12:00.000Z

Welcome, but...

...don't expect us to look after you.

Red sky at night....

2006-02-15T16:58:00.000Z

I looked out at the darkening sky yesterday and saw the dying embers of the sun lighting the clouds in a glorious blush of colour. Then as the sun dipped below the horizon, the reddish glow seemed to backlight the sky in a final flood of red sky.

It brought back a memory of a dry dusty village and another red sky.
Today, I saw a picture on Flickr of a similar looking dusty village, although this one was in Laos.
It reminded me of a time in Kongwa, Tanzania a few years ago.
There are many parts of Tanzania, where the soil is also very dry and dusty.
Especially in the dry season, where the sandstorms whip the soil up and carry it for miles.
The earth around Kongwa is also very red, unlike the soil in Laos.

Then I remembered this time in Kongwa...
One day we could suddenly feel the hot dusty wind gusting around us, followed by a rapidly aproaching cloud of red dust, which seemed to quickly envelop the village we were visiting.
Soon we were completely surrounded on all sides and overhead by this hot, dry, red, stinging sand. We were in the middle of a fierce sandstorm.
At this point there is nothing to do, except take cover with clothing over mouth and eyes to try and keep out the sand.
A large sandstorm is a bit like a dry hurricane, including the eye of the storm where the sand diminishes, showing the clear blue sky above, as the epicentre reaches your position.
Then the stinging sand starts all over again as the trailing edge of the vortex sweeps across the village, before moving on across the plain.

The sand really does get everywhere! The redness seeming as if the sky was bleeding.
The only remedy is a quick shower back at the house to flush out all the sand.
At which point, the water runs red too.
That's the memory, ...bleeding sky ...red shower water.

Covent Garden

2006-02-13T20:11:00.000Z

Mime Artiste in Covent Garden on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Take 1 Mime artiste, 3 willing stooges, a complicit audience and this is what you get.
Each time I've looked at this pic, I notice another interaction in the crowd.
A rapt expression, clapping, or just sheer enjoyment at the act playing out before them.
Covent Garden at its best.

2006-02-10T23:45:00.000Z

A Girl witha... Dolphin.

A little fun with the title. A blogger's reference to another girl.

So, I finally got some more pics up onto Flickr.
I like this sculpture ( A Girl with a Dolphin - by David Wynne ) for its flowing lines and sensual movement.
It's sited by Tower Bridge.
Who knows... the erstwhile Thames whale may even have sensed this dolphins magnetic aura as the whale passed London Bridge.

That's all, folks. Have a relaxing weekend.

2006-02-10T01:00:00.000Z

People power.

I will not dwell on the mis-use of draconian police powers (section 44, et al) which allows the police to stop and search any person on the grounds, not for reason to believe an offence HAS been committed; but the Orwellian belief that a crime may possibly be committed at some future unspecified date.
Nor, shall I dwell on the stopping and searching (under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act) of people trying to peacefully protest or exercise their "right" of free speech. Ha.

To lighten the mood....
Already, we are having the Data Protection Act invoked against us by Corporate or Local Authority suits, intent on hiding something from us.
Or, for corporate or public servants convenience, to avoid answering hard questions from their ~~serfs~~ consumers or customers.
To wit: Those Jobsworths who refuse to supply requested information on the grounds of "...sorry, can't do that, ...data protection act, sir."
BTW. Why do they have an uncanny act of pronouncing "sir" in a lip-curling dog-like "cur ?"

Anyway, today was a small victory.
A telephone call..... ring..ring....
"Hello" says Luke. That's me.
"Hello sir, SeeBoard here. Do you mind answering a few questions ?"
"Why?" asks Luke warily.
"We are contacting our customers for..... ...but first, can I ask your postcode?"
""Why?" asks Luke cautiously.
"It's for the Data Protection Act, sir," says SeeBoard Man helpfully.
"Well, I know who I am" says Luke gratuitously. "So its not for my protection." Followed up with "And you are phoning me, so you know who I am" and "So, what *exactly* are you phoning me for ?"
"OK, its regarding a promotion, sir" say Mr. SB man with a certain air of resignation.
"Aah, I thought so" says Luke. "Sorry, but I'm not interested in any sales promotions today. Thank you."
Collapse of stout party from SeeBoard.

2006-02-02T23:47:00.000Z

Is it time for Spring yet ?

Dandelion Clock.
Here's the thing, I'm cold. It's always cold and damp or wet.
Not to mention the overcast dark skies.
There seems no end to this cold depressing weather.
Although we are in the winter season, UK is nowhere near as cold as those countries in Europe's hinterland, so that's a good thing.
But, we are not living in those frozen territories.
This is London, not Siberia!

So, that's why I'm again sitting here in a warm Costa Coffee, somewhere in London.
Drinking this smooth mocha coffee and musing quietly to myself.

Hmmm....hibernation is not an option, but the idea has a lot of merit.
What do people mean by "Winter Warmers," I wonder ?
Is that a euphemism for close coupling ?
What about "Hug a stranger ?" For warmth, you understand.
Is that allowed these days ?

Nah. I'd rather move somewhere warm.
Except....... Having moved around a bit, I rather like living in England again.

2006-02-01T02:42:00.000Z

Is it art? Or is it moulded scrap metal ?

An interesting story emerges from these recent thefts of bronze statues and sculptures.
These are heavy and valuable works of art, including human figures, abstracts and even a seven-foot cockroach.
The Chadwick sculpture is worth £300,000 and the Henry Moore sculpture valued at £3.0million.
Art dealers say it would be implausable for a genuine art dealer or private buyer not to be aware of these thefts if offered any of these valuable sculptures.
The Police say that a gang of crooks is more likely stealing these heavy bronze pieces for their scrap value.
So, a £300,000 Chadwick would melt down to £1,000 worth of scrap bronze and a Henry Moore at (say) £5,000.

Then, along comes Peter Sorene of the Anorak (www.anorak.co.uk) to suggest these tea-leaves might be artists, and not of the p**s artist variety.
Melting expensive sculptures could be Art, he argues, like the K Foundation arts movement which famously burnt a million pounds in cash in 1994.
click here to read more ...

Mr Sorene has a point. Except, most art performances require an audience at some point.
Now, a giant 7 foot cockroach bronze sculpture, melted down to a shiny bronze puddle before an appreciative gallery of art critics would be very "Turner prize" material.
"Art! My Foot!.... as a well known TV character would say."

2006-01-31T13:28:00.000Z

Music star McFadden dies...

Just heard the talented soul singer and songwriter (No, not Brian McFadden) ...Gene McFadden has died of cancer aged 56.
He formed a songwriting duo with John Whitehead and went on to write and record a string of R'n'B hits, often covered by other more famous stars.
His co-writer, John Whitehead is also dead, having been shot dead in Philadelphia in 2004.
No, I don't know why either.

Best known for creating original song, "Ain't No Stoppin' Us now"; this became a global hit, entering the top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic, selling more than eight million records and was nominated for a Grammy Award.'
Luther Vandross fans will know Luther's cover version of this track.
I'm not into rap, but rap fans will know this song was also covered by rapper Big Daddy Kane.

You can read more here....

2006-01-27T16:33:00.000Z

Fish and ...um, lots of ingredients, please !

Fancied fish today and we got this haddock in sauce package.
Checked the ingredients.
What the ..... It contains fish and 34 ingredients!
Still, we got it anyway.

Microwaved and ready to go.
Tasted good as well.
Couldn't taste more than fish and ..hmmmm, pleasant but fairly neutral sauce. Would never have known it had 4 cheeses, let alone all the other stuff in it.

2006-01-26T02:00:00.000Z

Multi coloured blog swaps - and video framed storyboards.

Excuse this mini brain dump. It's to help me refresh my approach to this static and moribund blog of mine.
Here's the thing. Right now, all I do here is write words and add a few pictures. This is because in blog years, my blog is still toddling about like a two year old, rather than striding confidently out into the world.
I started this blog, because I could; and didn't think too much about the style and content other than on an ad hoc *what shall I blog about today* kind of way.
Everybody (well OK, media types and bloggers) is talking about blogs being the new *media*. As if there is a *generic" class into which most blogs fit.
Whereas, the truth is, blogs are now becoming more multi-faceted, multi layered and (shock, horror) multi-media by the hour.
There are so many niches and layers of content, with Blogs, popping out of Blogger... and ...Flickr ...for photos and ...Moblogs... for pics and videos from our mobile phones like frog spawn. So much so, that we need tags and groups to collate and navigate to our favourite topics and pictures on many blogs these days.

Blogs were envisaged as an online diary or personal publishing space on the web. Why not, since most blogs are free to use and easy to create.
We could all generate our 15 minutes of fame, before the world and the interweb rushed by.

The introduction of Blogger, Moveable Type and all the other web-based publishing tools, allowed people with little or no html skills to compose and publish *their own thoughts and ideas* and distribute their words and pictures to wherever the internet could be accessed.
Now, plain blogs, like mine, are old hat, passe, boring even. Thus, to maintain some semblance of interest, and to exercise the blog-owner's freedom of expression; blog content includes:
* words
* pictures
* audio tracks
* audio podcasts
* video clips

Whilst behind the scenes, the alphabetti spaghetti of html, dhtml, xhtml, xml, xsl, xslt, css, server-side scripting, SQL, Javascript and Ajax are all busy weaving and wefting words and pics into web-shaped compliant goodliness,

All this multi-media web development is a good thing. It has diluted the power once held by radio and newpaper proprietors to report what they think we should know - and allow anyone with access to a computer and the wish to write a fews words, to have their own say.
Suddenly, investigative journalism got much sharper and more focussed when hundreds or thousands of bloggers decide to dig around a bit, then shake a stick at errors and omissions of the powerful figures or corrupt officials/politicians in the land.

Think of the way in which Wikipedia content has grown into the huge free resource it is today. All created by volunteers who took the time to add definitions, historical facts and narrative to the web-based encyclopedia that now dwarfs the OED, Encycl. Britannica, Funk and Wagnell, et al., for speed of origination and disssemination of info around the globe.

Not to mention, instant news collection by citizens via their mobile phone reporting with pics and videos *as it happens* and shown on the BBC, CNN, Reuters news streams !

What does this all mean ? Well, for a start, it means an added potential income stream for those *on the spot* amateur reporters.
It also means that copyright attribution and royalty payments suddenly got a lot more complicated for the media, BUT are now within the control of those artistic and gifted amateur photographers, etc. to gift or charge for their artistic expertise.

At last, ordinary people, often beavering away in unfulfilled jobs, or stuck at home, can unleash their thoughts and creativity on the unsuspecting world thro their personal space on the web.
And, (who says you can't start a sentence with a preposition ?) many bloggers have honed their skills to write, speak and make pics or movies about their thoughts, dreams, rants or reflections for us all to see and enjoy.
Indeed, commenting seems to be a further channel of communication, feedback and expression of free speech, even for non-bloggers, or bloggers on hiatus.
Brain dump over...

Which is a long-winded way of saying "will you look at this ?" Channel Four is inviting any budding film-makers to create and upload a fact-based, four minute film of our choice.
Click here to learn more...

We can all dream about storyboarding our own short film. Although I can think of Andre... and a few more innovative podcasting, piccy taking, video streaming bloggers who could do this for real.
Who's up for the challenge ?

2006-01-19T20:11:00.000Z

Remember Spinal Tap ?

I just bought this new (well, new to me) mixer deck.
This for a new project to mix down guitar, keyboard, drums etc before sending to recording software.
This mixer stuff is all pretty new to me, but should help control and improve our instrument sound levels.

Anyway, when studying this mixer a little closer, I had my Spinal Tap moment!

Oh, look! Some of the the volume pots go up to 12!
Then I looked closer and saw they actually go up to 22!

O.K. A small thing, but it amused me for a few minutes.
Back to reality.....

2006-01-17T03:12:00.000Z

Does a Mocca coffee hit the spot ?

Here's a real-life tale of mystery, blogging and the vagaries of real life.

In the beginning, there was - a man, a plan, and a blog.
Things went OK at first, the blog evolved, stumbled a bit, was neglected for a while, but got out a bit more in 2005.
Then Real Life (TM) intervened last summer and the man went walk-about again.

Oh, the blog struggled to bring the man back to heel for a while, .....but to no avail.
The man was pre-occupied with other things.
Meanwhile the blog was determined to put an end to what he saw as a sulky silence.
Dumb Insolence on the part of this bloke, thought the blog.

So, this is why I'm sitting here in a Costa Coffee, somewhere in London.
Drinking this coffee. It's a bribe from the blog.
Or, "a cure for Bloggus Hiatus", says the blog.
We'll see..........

2005-08-21T00:48:00.000Z

I'm so rubbish at continuity posting.
First a hot weather hiatus, although that's not really the cause of my cerebral drought....... then ~~two~~ three posts in last few days .

But, on Monday we are off to Guernsey for some R and R.
So, posting next week will depend on :
*weather.
*whither I can find a T'internet connection, and
*whether I have anything useful to say.....

Otherwise, enjoy yourselves, stay healthy - and look left (AND right) before crossing those busy roads.
Hopefully, I'll be back here the following week.

2005-08-20T21:09:00.000Z

Mo Mowlem. R.I.P.
First Robin Cook, now Mo Mowlem has gone too. Mo was a moral giant amongst her political peers; in the sense that people and principles mattered more than the party line and poodle politics.
Dr. Mowlem carried out a difficult task as Northern Ireland Secretary, using humour and empathy to make progress on the Good Friday Agreement against obdurate and entrenched partisan views. Arguably, we would not be where we are today with the IRA and Sinn Fein trying to lay old ghosts to rest in the name of Peace and Unity in Ireland, but for Mo's personal charm, energy and commitment to the Peace process.

In my view, the Good Friday Agreement may well be Mo Mowlem's legacy in politics; which makes even more shameful the smears and spin against her by Labour's Central Office and No.10 Downing Street, when she was weakened by her ultimately fatal brain tumour.

Mo was a people's politician. She had courage, principles and humility - and deserved better from Tony Blair than when she was suddenly replaced as N. Ireland Sec. with Peter Mandelson - (probably to settle an old score) or because she was more popular than Princess Tony. She was treated badly.

I hope Tony Blair does not trumpet false eulogies at her funeral. She deserves better than that. Especially from a *rent-a-quote-here* and *drop-a-principle-there* Mr. Blair.
I reflect at this point on the old saying "what goes around - comes around".
Mo Mowlem passed away 19th. August 2005 aged 55yrs.

2005-08-19T15:30:00.000Z

Tempus Fugit.
There's no beating about the bush, I've been a bad boy for not posting in a while.
Sorry. I'm rubbish at blogging when Real Life (TM) gets hectic.

This man, Mr. D has ~~shamed me~~ inspired me to start posting here again. The same Mr. D. also waxes lyrical on his blog about the other Mr. D. in the Blockheads; and reminds me what a great bloke Ian Dury was .....before he shuffled off his mortal coil, as he predicted in these Blockhead lyrics from "The Passing Show".

"....When life itself can chart the course
Then life's the product we endorse
When circumstances tell of death
We keep our counsel, save our breath

Our laughter rang around the world
When we were happy boys and girls
As now we baulk and hesitate
Encumbrance comes to those who wait

But when we're torn from mortal coil
We leave behind a counterfoil
It's what we did and who we knew
And that's what makes this story true."

Then the other Mr. D (Dury) quietly shuffled off his mortal coil on 27th. March 2000.
Doesn't seem five years ago. How time flies.
To quote another of his own song titles..."What A Waste".

2005-08-09T00:39:00.000Z

I'm back.
It's been a long month away. Although at least I am able to return here, unlike the poor souls I last blogged about.
I have kept up with reading other blogs, but I just didn't feel able to add anything worthwhile here for a while.......

2005-07-08T01:25:00.000Z

Further Update. 20.00 hrs. GMT. Friday.
Now 50+ killed ....and still more bodies to recover from Tube site.
80 people seriously injured still in hospital.

Latest Update: 37 people killed and 700 injured.
This is such a tragic waste of life.
What kind of Religious Mullah or Cleric can preach that killing innocent people is God's will?
Whose God condones such wicked actions in his name? Not mine.
R.I.P. to all those innocent souls who lost their lives today.

2005-07-07T18:41:00.000Z

London's Bomb Blast will not destroy the spirit of Londoners - and may help the G8 Summit to achieve more cohesive outcomes.

Today is is a sad day for London, a tragic day for those injured commuters (and their families) and the worst day for the families of those who lost their lives so randomly and indiscriminately at the hands of nameless terrorists today.

But these terrorists will not win in the end.
Our Western democracy is rooted in better and fairer principles.
Random terror attacks will not destroy the will of free people to uphold free speech and the right to live in peace and dignity alongside our neighbours.
If anything, the G8 summit Leaders will be drawn together against terrorism, simply because they are all uniquely in the same place to feel the outrage when terrorists randomly killed and injured innocent people in London today.

Meanwhile, those who peacefully protest at this G8 Summit for Fair Trade, reduced Dept and freedom from poverty and tyranny in the rest of the world have a powerful example today of the need for positive outcomes from the G8 summit.

Ironically, the terrorist bombers today may have quelled the more violent street thugs heading for Gleneagles, who are not real G8 protesters, but use occasions like this to create anarchy and street violence against the Police in the guise of lawful protesters. Violent protest is more about anarchy and civil disruption than the clearly stated aims of the peaceful Live8 protesters.

Ultimately, the carnage in London today may cause the G8 Leaders to show more solidarity in fighting Al Qaeda terrorism, as well as making real progress towards some of the stated aims of the Live8 campaign to reduce poverty and tyranny in Africa.

2005-07-02T15:30:00.000Z

I've not been able to blog for a few days/weeks; but today seems too important not to echo what's happening in the big world out there TODAY.

Live8 is a big wake-up call to the G8 leaders to try and "...Make Poverty History".

This Live8 event today (broadcast simultaneously around the world) is probably the biggest wake-up call to the G8 leaders, the leaders of the most powerful countries in the world, that we are watching and waiting for a clear signal ...that they are listening!
They can only show us they are listening by their subsequent actions next week at Gleneagles.

Like millions of people around the world, I am watching the opening acts on TV.
Bono of U2 made a powerful opening message when he said "...the G8 leaders can make history by making Poverty history."
Let's hope the G8 leaders actions speak louder than rhetoric by announcing real tangible measures that will benefit the non G8 countries, like Africa, by helping to eradicate poverty, malnutrition and premature death.

WHY?
*Every day 30,000 people die unnecessarily from extreme poverty (UNICEF Statistics, www.childinfo.org)
*Every three seconds a child dies from preventable causes (Grow Up Free From Poverty, 80 Million Lives, 2003)
*Each year 3 million children die in their first week of life (DfID, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, 2004)
*In sub-Saharan Africa more than 12 million children have been orphaned as a result of HIV and AIDS (DfID, Factsheet, 2004)
*During 2003 an average of 14,000 people a day became infected with HIV. 40% of infections were in women and nearly 20% were in children. (UNFPA, State of the World Population, 2004)

HOW?
By adressing 3 key measures
1) Trade Justice.
2) Drop the Debt.
3) More and better Aid.

How the G8 leaders achieve these aims is a measure of their personal commitment, political cunning and economic expertise, given that we expect nothing less than measurable actions and meaningful progress to "...make poverty history".

Mr. Blair is hosting this historic G8 meeting between USA, Canada, Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia from 6th – 9th July in Gleneagles.
If Live8 means anything (Well done Sir Bob Geldorf, Midge Ure and Bono) it is about raising awareness, demonstrating global concern and demanding our G8 Leaders act now. So, this Gleneagles meeting, for us, is now about leadership and action.
Tens of Millions of us in Britain and Hundreds of millions around the world will be waiting and watching to see how well G8 leaders meet our clearly expressed and simple expectations.

Eagle Owl's beady eyes on me

2005-06-24T13:42:00.000Z

Eagle Owl's beady eyes on me
Originally uploaded by LukePDQ.

This amazing bird has all the charm of a Barn Owl, only three times as big.
The Eagle Owl pictured here is about two feet tall from perch to tip of its tufty ears.
As I approached to take a picture, the bird heard my movement. Then his/her head swivelled and looked over its shoulder at me to reveal two piercing eyes of a hunter.
Lucky for me I was not its prey.

2005-06-22T11:12:00.000Z

The need for ID cards and the *true* costs of implementing biometric ID cards in UK - Discuss.
There are a few issues about the way our UK Govt. has presented their arguments for the *necessity* to introduce biometric ID cards.

THE FACTS:
SPIN: The UK Govt. claim 80% of people support the need for ID cards.
TRUTH: Latest ICM poll shows collapse of public support for ID cards. In fact, 43% of population now think ID cards are a bad or very bad idea.
click here to read more...

SPIN: The Govt. says "...ID cards are necessary to combat the Terrorist threats facing us in the UK".
TRUTH: If this is the case, why doesn't the Govt. issue emergency ID cards *now* to protect us, whilst they are seeking approval to "roll out" their proposed ID card scheme over the next 3 to 5 years.
Alternatively, they could insist all foreign nationals visiting or resident in UK should immediately have biometric ID cards issued to protect UK citizens.
After all, this is pretty much what USA are doing right now. All the IT hardware/software is installed at USA Border controls and their Immigration Service ensure compliance.

SPIN: The UK Govt. says "...It's imperative to introduce ID cards to combat identity theft".
TRUTH: In fact, "...ID cards will help fraudsters" says Dr James Backhouse of LSE's Info Systems Integrity Group
click here to read more...

SPIN: The UK Govt claims they have "...International obligations on fingerprinting".
TRUTH: There is NO such obligation on UK Govt. The USA has passed an internal law, the little-known Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act 2002. Part of this internal law includes seeking international co-operation with this standard.
This is not an International obligation on the UK. It is the USA seeking to harmonise card reader standards, which also suggests the USA are seeking access to UK ID databases in order to access data on UK citizens. See next paragraph.
click here to read more...

Data Confidentiality:
This reveals the bigger issues about Confidentiality, who gets access to our personal data, etc, etc,
The UK Govt. has quietly passed legislation designed to allow them to integrate or "link" all (currently separate) National databases on UK citizens.
Not publicly debated so far, is that these biometric ID cards will contain not only your Biometric data and Personal details, BUT access to your confidential Financial/Tax details, confidential Health records, Police records, Social Services data, etc.
Much of this data will be definitive, but some will be anecdotal, eg, Police, Social Services, Medical records information that is "intelligence" on their "clients".
This *anecdotal*, ie "officer reports..." data is currently justified to share information on criminals, benefits fraudsters, to protect vulnerable children, old people, battered wives, etc.
But once this personal data and anecdotal reports are all integrated into a shared National database, ALL this data can be accessed by ID card readers. These card readers will be be installed in Border Controls, Police, Inland Revenue, NHS Hospitals/GP surgeries, DHSS/Benefits offices, Social Services, etc. In fact, any UK "official" offices where UK citizens access local services.
Thus, your local Council offices, Social Services, DHSS, Benefit offices, Education Dept, Hospitals, GP surgeries, Police, Inland Revenue, etc, can all access your personal online records. Any of these "officials" will be able to access the data in National databases containing your personal and confidential data.
There has been *no* debate about controlling access to your confidential data by "curious" officials probing your data records for information other than their own immediate authorised use; other than the Govt. insisting this would not happen. Hah!

The COSTS:
SPIN: The UK Govt. claims "The total costs of introducing biometric ID cards is £5.85 billion".
TRUTH: Authoritive independant reports put this figure at more like £15 billion - £18 billion.
Think of many of the big IT Govt. projects in last 10 years that massively overran on budgeted costs to decide which figure is more likely.

SPIN: The UK Govt. has said £93 is their "indicative unit cost" for ID cards. ie, each citizen must pay £93 for their ID Card.
TRUTH: Independant IT industry reports that the true cost of ID cards is more likely to cost us around £200 - £300 each.
This discrepancy is due to flawed Govt figures for IT infrastructure costs. eg, Govt says card readers will cost around £750 each.
The IT industry estimates that biometric card readers will likely cost up to £3000 each to provide accurate ID recognition.

COMPLIANCE:
SPIN: The UK Govt says "...Biometric ID cards are quick, easy and definitive proof of ID."
TRUTH: Even if biometric ID cards are deemed necessary, some 600,000 people are likely to be "failed" by their biometric scans due mobility/disability issues, eye defects, cataracts etc.
In any case Biometric body morphology changes over time, so it is likely growing children or older people will need fresh scans every 3 - 5 years to maintain their biometric identity compliance.
click here to read more...

INDEPENDENT SUMMARY:
The London School of Economics (LSE) have released their independent interim report on the whole issue of ID cards.
This is a serious body of work which highlights in much detail, the many flaws in the Govt arguments about ID cards.
click here to read more...

DISCUSS...

2005-06-16T15:16:00.000Z

Sorry. I've not been blogging much this last few weeks.
Note to self: Must do better and take more painkillers.

Allergies on the increase.
Allergic conditions increased threefold in Britain over last 20 years.
UK now has one of the world’s highest prevalence of allergic conditions, with allergies affecting one third of the UK population.

* Approximately 18m people in the UK will develop allergy at some time in their lives
* 4 in 10 school children have at least one allergic condition
* 25% of 13-21 years olds suffer hayfever
* 1 in 8 children has asthma
* 5.1 million people have asthma
* 6 million people have eczema
* 9 million people have hayfever
* 1 million people have a food allergy

(Source: Royal College of Physicians, National Asthma Campaign, Allergy UK)

That's an awful lot of itching, wheezing or sneezing people.
Many of whom will suffer regular sleep deprivation as a result.
Not to mention missed schooling, exams, lost days at work.
Plus, the cost to NHS for drug treatments, plus prescription charges to affected families.

Wouldn't you think that someone, somewhere would have told Tony Blair about all this.
Then our Nanny State could ban us, on pain of ASBO's, from suffering above conditions and save us all that time and worry.
.......as if Life (TM) was that simple.

2005-06-14T00:28:00.000Z

A simple rant about Jonathon Ross. O.B.E. on ugliness and disability.
Now, Wossy is a very accomplished Radio and TV presenter (since 1987 apparently) and has his own chat show as well.
He is amusing, witty, informed, a cool kid on music trends, geeky on films and comics.
Originally a punk, now uber smartly dressed in designer suits and trademark long floppy hair-style.
Married to Jane and proud father of his privately educated children.
In short, a typical successful and rich man; where all appears wonderful in his world.
He has won many TV/Radio/Showbiz awards. So, why am I troubled by his OBE award ?

Firstly, his career achievements seem a bit lightweight to justify an OBE. Except, these Honours are now issued by ~~decree~~ recommendation of Tony Blair, who seems to go out of his way to use these Honours lists to reward his cronies and demonstrate his *street cred* with populist figures. Especially if it might influence younger voters that ~~President~~ Prime Minister Blair has his finger on the pulse of what's cool and happening in the lives of young people in Britain today.
Secondly, Wossy, is a bit of a foul mouthed, sex obsessed bloke at times. Who, since he regularly rants against Queen and Royal family, I find it a bit of a turn-around that he now accepts an OBE from the Queen.
Thirdly, he is a vain, shallow creature, whose world is so perfect (lucky him) that he regularly (like most weeks on his show) makes disparaging, crude or even cruel comments about ugly, disabled or mentally handicapped people getting in the way of able bodied people or cluttering up his perfect world view.
He does seem oblivious of the fact that some people do not cope as well as he does; probably because they don't have his health, wealth and family support.

I think JR is so obsessed, with good looks and smart clothes, witness his often harsh comments about the *ugly* looks or clothes of his guests or other *stars*; that he has long forgotten to count his blessings for a healthy family who are not ugly, disfigured or disabled.
I would like JR to take time out to visit a few children' wards in hospital to be more thankful for the health and wellbeing of his children.
I would like JR to visit a few residential homes for disabled or special needs adults to appreciate that many *ordinary* people are desperately trying to cope with life and adversity as best they can.
Who knows, he might even meet a few people whose souls shine like a beacon through their physical imperfections.

I think it was Roisseau, who said "...most ordinary people are leading lives of quiet desperation".
Enlightment, Jonathon is what I hope for you. A little humility and respect for other people not born with your good looks and charm.
Then you would be more worthy of an O.B.E. in my eyes.

2005-06-08T23:17:00.000Z

Not blogging - due throbbing ....
Not been able to blog all week due worsening of left shoulder pain.
This was the booby prize received when go kart racing some time ago and tore a shoulder tendon which refuses to heal. The pain has eased off with heavy painkillers for now, but movement still difficult. Still waiting for 2nd. shoulder op to repair the supraspinatus tendon, which our NHS service has given me a "definite maybe" date sometime in Sept. Hopefully, this year, please.

In other news, I posted previously about Swahili. Now I've got an e-mail from "Isobel" asking me to translate "One Man went to Mow" into Swahili and email it to her. Like me, she learned this childrens rhyme in East Africa, but has forgotten the words.
So, Isobel, gird your loins to receive a Swahili version of "One Man went to mow, went to mow a meadow - or rather...
"Mtu Moja kwenda, kwenda kwa lima Shamba..., etc, which is presently being typed up in all its 10 verses glory for your amusement.

2005-06-03T12:30:00.000Z

The Question - by Bob Moore
This isn't my story, it may be saccharine; but I copied it here because it says something about how our American friends foster their *can do* attitude.

Isn't it amazing how few of us ask ourselves the important question?
Some years ago I was invited to hear an important speaker address the students at college in South Carolina. The hall was filled with students excited about hearing a person of her stature speak. After the Head introduced her, the speaker moved to the microphone, looked at the audience from left to right, and began:
"I was born to a mother who was deaf and could not speak. I do not know who my father is or was. The first job I ever had was in a cotton field."

The students were spellbound. "Nothing has to remain the way it is if that's not the way a person wants it to be," she said. "It isn't luck, and it isn't circumstances, and it isn't being born a certain way that causes a person's future to become what it becomes." She softly repeated, "Nothing has to remain the way it is if that's not the way a person wants it to be."

"All a person has to do," she added firmly, "to change a situation that brings unhappiness or dissatisfaction is answer the question: "How do I want this situation to become?" Then the person must commit totally to personal actions that carry them there."

Then with beautiful smile, she said, "My name is Azie Taylor Morton. I stand before you today as treasurer of the United States of America."
...from Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work

The moral for me is that we should celebrate *achievement* (whether personal or academic) more than we do, given our stoic british upbringing.

Have a great weekend. Back on Monday.
Feel free to comment with your "chicken soup for the soul" moments.

2005-06-02T00:22:00.000Z

"Is this God's Eye ?"

(pic sourced from NASA web-site.)

Isn't this image just fantastic ?
I've been searching for the original, after hearing about it on the t'internet webbie thing.
It's a composite pic of the Helix Nebula taken by the 0.9 metre Telescope at Kitt Peak Nat. Observatory and the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope.
Someone named this pic "Gods Eye". Whilst not the official Nasa description, it does have a certain iconic ring to it.
Anyway, it's both a scientific reality and a brilliant image. If it is God's Eye, then he must be temporarily staying in a celestial hideaway some 650-700 light years away from Earth in the direction of the constellation of Aquarius. Unless you know different.
So, if there is a God, where does He live ?
Click here to read more about The Helix Nebula on the NASA web-site.

2005-06-01T15:20:00.000Z

Why a little knowledge can be dangerous for your health.
So I was idly perusing my medical dictionary, like you do. No, don't ask.
But in this case, I needed to check out the medical abbreviation "SAD"

Wow, I thought, this looks scary. Sudden Death Syndrome (SADS)
What's Sudden Death Syndrome ? Is it when you just drop dead ?
So I looked for the details.... Well, yes, it is.
SAD's are due to Long QT's. Of course.
.... you can read about long QT's here.

Luckily for me, there is another syndrome called "SAD".
This one is called Sub Acromial Decompression or SAD. That's the one I'm looking for.

P.S. I'm sorry if this post upsets anyone bereaved. I write here to amuse or enlighten myself, not cause personal offence.
P.P.S If you are concerned about your health, you should consult a doctor.

2005-05-31T21:34:00.000Z

Follow the money... to the Watergate scandal

The phrase "follow the money" was first voiced by Deep Throat, the anonymous source whose tips helped Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the Watergate scandal that brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon in the early 1970s.
So, who was "Deep Throat" ?

After all these years, even though Woodward and Bernstein never revealed their source, the secret is now out. The man (or woman) who covertly steered Woodward & Bernstein in the right direction by exhorting them to "follow the money" can be named!
Was it:
Assistant Attorney General Henry Peterson;
deputy White House counsel Fred Fielding;
former FBI Director L. Patrick Gray;
former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger;
then-presidential adviser Alexander Haig;
OR even former President George H.W. Bush, who also served as U.N. ambassador and director of the CIA.
Other names included ABC newswoman Diane Sawyer, who then worked in the White House press office; Ron Zeigler, the press secretary whom Nixon famously shoved; White House aide Steven Bull; speechwriters Ray Price and Pat Buchanan; and John Dean, the White House counsel

The answer is - None of the above.
It is now revealed, the real Deep Throat, was none other than former Number 2 at the FBI.
Now, at the splendid age of 91 years of age, W. Mark Felt finally admitted it was him.
click here to read the full story...

2005-05-26T23:32:00.000Z

Out of the mouths of children...
Thanks to Alan for this, which goes to show its not what you say, but how you punctuate the words.

A visiting minister at the start of the offertory prayer:
"Dear Lord," he began with arms extended and a rapturous look on his upturned face, "without you we are but dust..."

He would have continued, but at that point a little girl (who was listening intently) leaned over to her mother and asked quite audibly in her shrill little girl voice, "Mummy, what is butt dust?"
Church was pretty much over at that point...

2005-05-25T21:35:00.000Z

Old Marshall amp could be worth a cool £750,000.
I used to own a Vox AC30 amp, which I thought was pretty rock 'n roll at the time.
But an old 1966 Marshall amplifier, said to have been owned by Jimi Hendrix, could now be sold for a cool 3/4 million pounds.
This site has all the details.

What was I thinking at the time ? Vox AC30 over a Marshall amp seemed an obvious choice to me.
Must have been in a Purple Haze, I guess.
I could add a few more puns, but All along the Watchtower, Hendrix fans are howling Hey Joe, as the Wind cries Mary, while I look Straight Ahead with my Gypsy eyes at the Foxy Lady...

2005-05-24T15:42:00.000Z

God knows ! Or does he ?
In yesterday's newspapers, we had this.
Three sisters have given birth aged 12, 14 and 16.
Their Mother blames schools for not teaching sex education properly.
So the natural inclination is to ponder why the mother feels it's not her fault, but the Government's for not adequately teaching young girls about sex education.
Her accusation might just be relevant in the older girl's case. However, whose fault was it that both younger children made exactly the same "mistake" as their elder sister ?
Meanwhile, the State is paying this family a combined £31,000 per year in State benefits for the next (say) 16+ years.
Click here to read more...
And then what ? Does the cycle repeat itself ?
One can feel outrage at the cost to society. Or, the waste of young lives, Or even the folly of adults with a parenting style that apparently allows a 12 yr. old daughter to conduct a sexual relationship in their own home.
A deeper question, is why a 12 or 13 year old seeks affection and love in a sexual form at such a young age.
Or, is this just the new career move ?

Meanwhile, God must be playing a really deep game.
In todays news, another family.
Another 13 year old mother called Beckie. See how already she becomes more than a statistic.
Only this time, Beckie is diagnosed with bone cancer at 14 and is dead at 16 !
Beckie's biggest regret in life was that her daughter would grow up never knowing who she was. She said she was not scared of dying but of leaving people behind, like her daughter. It was this which drove her to make a legacy video for Courtney.
She started filming using the family's video camera,
Where is my moral stance now ?
It's just such a sad story.......

When Beckie was too ill to continue filming her video diary, her sister Vicky took over.
Filmed sitting on a beach in Bridlington one evening with her camera, Vicky asks: "If there is a God up there, if you are up there, just please help us. You always seem to take the good people away and leave the bad people here. There's all these rapists and murderers about. There's no justice."

For once, I'm speechless.
You can read more here, OR, watch BBC1 tonight at 10:35pm.
Beckie died in late September 2004,
We'll know more about baby Courtney after watching tonights BBC1 TV programme.

2005-05-22T23:53:00.000Z

Useful Swahili phrases.
It seems an age ago when I learned Swahili. Well, KiSwahili to be precise.
just for you, here are some useful phrases when travelling to East Africa.

Welcome = Karibu
Goodbye = Kwaheri
Thank you = Asante
You’re welcome = Karibu
Yes = Ndiyo
No = Hapana
How are you? = Habari?
I’m fine, thanks? = Nzuri

Obviously not a lot of call for Swahili in the UK.
Although, I once taught these phrases to our team on one of those silly management seminar team building jollies.
I also got our team to sing "One Man went to mow" in Swahili, which won us the round.

What do you mean ? What else was there to blog about on a quiet weekend ?

2005-05-21T23:35:00.000Z

In the interests of balance, re my post Thurs 19th. May on "The Law is no longer Black and White".

Most of our Police force in UK are "the good guys" and trying to do a difficult job the best way they know how.
I was pointed by Alan and Patrick to this poem online about a good cop. American source, but same principles apply to our UK police officers too.
The original has many verses. This is an extract, with thanks to The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi .

You don't remember me, do you...
I was the one who held your hand, wiped the blood out of your eyes, and calmed you down while the Fire Department cut you out of what was left of your car.

I was the one who called you at 2 a.m. to come pick up your 16 year old daughter because she had been drinking too much.

I was the one who knocked on your door at 4 a.m. to let you know your 16 year old daughter would never be coming home again.

I was the one who did CPR on your 3 year old after you found him in the pool.

I was the one who helped deliver your new baby when you didn't quite make it to the ER.

You don't remember me, do you...
I was the one who escorted your son's funeral procession from the church to the cemetery and cried behind my sunglasses because he was my friend, too.

I was the one watched over your place while you were on vacation.

I was the one who worked for you on Christmas Day so you could be off with your family.

I was the one who joked around with you after your truck got hit by a train and you walked away without a scratch.

I was the one was able to talk your husband into going into counseling with you.

You don't remember me, do you...
I was the one who got shot when I pulled over a car for a traffic violation and the driver turned out to be an escaped convict who had sworn he would never go back to prison.

Oh, by the way, my memorial service is at 2 p.m.

Will you remember me now?

For all the good cops. You know who you are.
You can click here for the complete version...

2005-05-20T23:14:00.000Z

Feedback is good and moves the topic along.
Alan commented on my post yesterday about Ronnie Wood and gave me a link to some of Ronnie Wood's artwork and a charity he supported for their work with children caught up in war and conflict.
you can see some of Ronnie's artwork online here...

Also, more here about his support for the charity "War Child"
In checking this link I was appalled to read these statistics.
60 million people have been killed in wars during the 20th. Century.
- of which more than 80% were civilians, mostly women and children.

In last 10 years alone, more than 1.5 million children were killed as direct casualties of war,
- plus 4 million children wounded
- and 10 million children traumatised by war.

As you read this piece, more than 30 wars and conflicts are still being fought.. Yet, here we are in 2005 and millions of people are pro-active about anti-war campaigns and committed to seeking PEACE.
What more can we do? Any ideas?

2005-05-20T00:14:00.000Z

Pete Doherty (Docherty ?) - ex of the Libertines.

Watched a quick clip of Ronnie Woods gigging on Ch.4 tonight. Looking very crinkly now, but still plays a mean guitar. He didn't really shine on this set with the Charlatans though. Ronny was playing slide guitar, so couldn't hear any of his trademark showy licks and finger frettin' godliness. Amazing that he has cleaned up his act in recent years and still playing gigs at all.

Also saw Pete Doherty with the Babyshambles. Very sad to see this erstwhile fine songwriter and poet, reduced to mumbled replies instead of fluent responses to camera. I really hope he can clean his act up and fulfil his potential for so much more than being a recovering heroin/cocaine abuser.
He was a published poet at just 16 yrs old, and capable of touching lyrics in songs like "For Lovers" and other tracks. He deserves more, I hope he can sort himself out in time to grow into his lyrical talent.
Whom would you feel has yet to achieve their artistic or musical promise ?

2005-05-18T23:35:00.000Z

The Law is no longer Black and White, but infinite shades of Grey.

I heard a radio DJ talking on his show today with Suggs (of Madness) about motorbikes and scooters.
Suggs was saying he had an old scooter which was his pride and joy to drive. However, he was not driving it unless absolutely necessary as he had acquired 9 points on his licence in last month due a speed camera recently installed nearby. It seems he has been ticketed 3 times for speeding between 30 and 35mph in a 30mph zone.
Fair enough, he broke the law; children or old people could be knocked down and killed. He paid his penalty x 3.

In the news today, a police constable was cleared of speeding and dangerous driving. He decided to take a new unmarked police Vauxhall Vectra out for a "familiarisation" test.
When the vehicle was checked after his impromptu road-test, other officers were shocked to see the onboard video had clocked the police driver travelling at:
60+mph in a 30mph zone
120mph in a 60mph zone
159mph in a 70mph zone on the M54.

It's OK though because 1) he's a PC. 2) he's an advanced driver. 3) he's trained in the use of firearms.
This was his defence. Plus the fact he was "...was driving in accordance with his training, honing his skills while possible and testing the vehicle's capabilities so that if he was required on an urgent call he would be driving safely."
So, he was cleared of driving at speeds even Royal Soc. for Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) said were dangerous.
In fact, RoSPA said "...We don't believe 159mph can ever be justified on public roads. Even in emergencies we consider that driving at 100mph or more is too dangerous."

So, you and I can be charged and convicted for driving at 33 or 35mph in 30mph zone and a PC can exceed 60+ in a 30mph zone on a routine "road-test" and go on to achieve 159mph on the M54. Yet, he was cleared of speeding and dangerous driving.
What's your experience ?
...you can read more here if you doubt the facts.

2005-05-17T23:57:00.000Z

George Galloway MP puts Senators on defensive over more Iraq "dodgy" documents.

Think what you will about the firebrand British MP, you cannot accuse him of being a weak timorous speaker. His ire was raised by being publicly charged (traduced)in US Senate documents about illegal oil dealings; without being asked a single comment or given the opportunity to make any defence before these documents were published in the public domain.
Not surprisingly, He flew over to Washington in combative mood and thundered his impassioned oratory/speech at the hapless Senator Norm Coleman and powerfully rebutted all their accusations, batted away their questions and managed to include a public lecture of disgraceful behaviour over the Iraq war at the same time.
Like British politicians, many Senators are lawyers first, and politicians second. How can they subvert the normal mechanisms of due legal process, for cheap short-term political gain.
You can read the BBC news report here....
Or for American readers, you can read Herald Tribune report here...

Never mind the merits of this particular case against George Galloway, the disturbing thing to me is how powerful Committees, whether in UK, USA or whereaver; are able to blame or incriminate peope by name, without first giving them the right to defend or reject claims made about them.
More and more, this political "spinning" which became endemic in Britain's last Labour Govt, under Tony Blair, seeks to subvert truth and justice in the name of politics.
Oh, I remember now; being in politics is a "career". Dog eat dog. Justice, Law, Truth, et al, was their previous lives.

2005-05-16T23:08:00.000Z

"Do you know this talented classical pianist, possibly Swedish ?"

(pic from BBC web-site BBC news )

Here's a real-life tale of mystery and personal tragedy.
This young man was found wandering on the beach at Sheerness in Kent five weeks ago in a state of distress and still has no name.
He was picked up by the Police, frightened, confused, clothed in totally wet Dinner Dress suit and bowtie, mute and so unable to say anything about who he was and where he came from.
He is still in a hospital in Kent, being treated as an amnesiac.
The fascinating thing is he is a very talented piano player, possibly a classical musician. Yet he is apparently still unable or unwilling to speak.
Strangely, somebody didn't want his true identity to be traced, because all identifying labels had been carefully cut out of all his clothes.
Do you know who he is ? ...you can read more of this bizarre story here

2005-05-16T00:13:00.000Z

A little red car...
We went to
John Lewis to look at baby things this week-end.
En route to our intended purchase, I saw a cute little red plastic car.
About as big as a plastic potty. Hang on, it is a potty.
You lift off the roof of the car and it becomes a convertable............. ~~car~~ potty !
How cool is that ? Well, not very cool, it seems to me.

Picture the scene. You get little toddler to associate the little red ~~car~~ potty with usual potty functions.
"Come on, little person, wee etc..." as you toilet train them to use the little red ~~car~~ potty.
Brilliant ! Jobby well done, so to speak.

Then, when you take your well-trained little toddler out in the car, shopping, or to see your friends.......
That's right. you have to train him/her to stop peeing, or worse, in the real car
How confusing is that to your little person ?

2005-05-14T23:32:00.000Z

50 facts about men - according to Rudner.
- iblog on shuffle mode.

34. Most women are introspective: "Am I in love? Am I emotionally and creatively fulfilled?"
Most men are outrospective: "Did my team win? How's my car?"

2005-05-14T01:46:00.000Z

50 facts about men - according to Rudner.
Played here in random order - iblog on shuffle mode.

2. Men who have pierced ears are better prepared for marriage.
They've experienced pain and bought jewelry.

2005-05-13T10:12:00.000Z

Overhead in a heated exchange as a couple walked by.
"I don’t mind admitting that I’m wrong, but I rarely am...."
Priceless.

2005-05-13T03:01:00.000Z

Happy Slapping ?
Does it really exist, is the question posed in a paper?
Well, this link says it does...

This sick craze is where ~~sick~~ ~~Feral~~ ~~Yobs~~ teenagers set out to slap an unsuspecting victim around the head or face, whilst another member of the posse or crew captures the incident on mobile phone camera. This video clip is then shared around T'internet for the sick amusement of friends and peers !!!
Here's another link...

On TV last night we saw a documentary on these "happy slapping" stunts where people can really get hurt. From burst eardrums, to in one case, two 16yr. old kids set alight a chap who had fallen asleep by a wall. These Happy Slappers set his jacket alight, then kicked him, all the while filming the "stunt" on a camera phone. Said chap was terribly burned and extensively scarred on chest and neck. He will be in pain for the rest of his days.
The answer ? Oh, Yes, it certainly exists in UK and should be banned immediately.
Does "happy slapping" exist elsewhere in the world, or just us lucky Brits ?

2005-05-12T00:10:00.000Z

Boy or Girl ? I can't remember...

As a bloke, I'm constantly amazed at how a small feotus in early pregnancy can so disrupt the normal hormonal balance in the mother, that she will develop a dislike to tea or coffee, etc, during pregnancy.
Sudden or bizarre food cravings are more anecdotal examples of this phenomenom.

Another example is how the maternal brain becomes so internally absorbed in nurturing and protecting the developing baby, that external events, such as work related facts and figures, become difficult to remember or not important enough to recall.
Now, it seems scientists have surprisingly discovered that cognitive skills can be strongly correlated to the sex of the unborn child.

Research indicates: "More forgetful" tends to predict a girl. "Less forgetful" indicates a boy child.
So far, it's only a small trial, but nevertheless, these unexpected results are due for further study.
Click here to read more....

2005-05-11T15:23:00.000Z

PDQ news
"Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” John Lennon
Thanks to this blog for the quote

2005-05-11T01:07:00.000Z

From the sublime to .... the Ironing Masterclass.

Today we have the naming of the parts - shirts. (Yes, this is a clue).
Your task, should you choose to accept, is to list the order that one should iron one's shirt, in the "approved" (clue) manner.

Put the following "top tips" into the approved order. (Yes, my order is listed randomly).
1. Cuffs: Inside first, then outside.
2. Body: Use wide end of ironing board, iron front panels first, then the back.
3. Collar: Start with the underside.
4. Shoulder Yoke: Slip each shoulder over narrow end of board, press from shoulder to centre of back.
5. Sleeves: Iron cuff opening side first, then the reverse.
6. Viola!: Re-press the collar and hang it up.

Once you've listed the above in the correct order, ...you can click here to reveal the correct answer.

2005-05-10T11:45:00.000Z

Sunday was VE Day, but I held this post over ...till I reflected some more on what I wanted to say.
There were VE day ceremonies on Sat/Sun in many other countries this weekend.
George Bush came over from USA to a US miltary cemetary in Holland to respect the 8,000 American fallen forces. Then he went on to share a similar National State occasion with Pres. Putin in Moscow, which turned out to be a huge State event.
In fact, more than 50 world leaders, including US President George W Bush, have been paying tribute in Moscow to the Soviet people's sacrifice in World War II, but not our Mr. Blair.
Pics were shown of Bush driving Russian President Vladimir Putin's Soviet-made Volga car. As a gesture of what, I wonder ?
Even Pres. Jacques Chirac lit a flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Arc de Triomphe, Paris.

All we had in London, was a very low key semi-official affair at the Cenotaph, attended by Geoff Hoon (WTF!!!) and Prince Charles, plus many veterans and famiies.
The Queen was not invited, despite this event being held on VE Day every year until this year.
Tony Blair (~~Old~~ ~~New~~ Tired Labour) decided not to bother going, so neither could Michael Howard (Cons.) or Charles Kennedy (Lib.Dem.) attend due to silly protocol.
However, the BBC staged a "Party to remember" in Trafalger Square which 15,000 people enjoyed, plus millions via TV.

Monday was the turn of the Channel Islands. I'm glad the Queen was invited. Guernsey and Jersey were able to properly mark this event in history, as they wished, with respect. They even mark it as a Bank Holiday.

This whole VE Day thing is not just to mark the liberation of Nazi occupation, but importantly, for those who want to reflect their thanks to the fallen.
It's still a sobering thought to me that 40 million people had died by the time World War II ended in Europe on 8 May 1945.

All that history and Mr Blair can't be bothered to register the value of a formal VE day ceremony. Although, it's said the reason we have no official VE Day this year, is that VJ Day in August coincides with MP's and civil servants holidays in August. Therefore it was decided (no consultation) to hold a joint VE and VJ Day in July.
A bit like lumping the Jesus Easter and Christmas thing together in (say) September !

I wonder what our brave veterans and soldiers, seamen and airmen of more recent theatres of war in Falklands, Afghanistan, Iraq, et al, feel about all this.
Nope, it really doesn't work for me either.

2005-05-09T14:28:00.000Z

On a completely different topic. The word is "Discombobulated".
...I was moved (like you do) to comment on Pix's pixelated website that I loved the word "discombobulate" which she used in her post yesterday. I said I must try and work it into my blog next week.

Today's Word: dis•com•bob•u•late. Discombobulate (Verb). Brits say [dis-com-bob-u-late].
U.S. Pronunciation= [dis-kêm-'bah-byê-leyt]. See also, Discombobulation (Noun).
Definition 1: (Humorous slang) Perplex, befuddle, confuse, throw in disarray.

Well, already I am discombobulated (Adjective), and it's only Monday.
Today. Pix was discoursing on the trials and tribulations of being invited to see Derren Brown, live at Reading. This is the man who can not only make you choose certain words, numbers or cards; but then tell you in advance what he implanted in your mind to choose!
"Yeah, I know, (says Vicky Pollard) it's only magic."

Here's the thing. I was only commenting on another blog yesterday, about the very same Derren Brown and last Friday's TV show; where he appeared to stage a very dodgy "mind control" stunt. This involved filming a young bloke going into a pub, playing a video arcade game and then falling into a semi-catatonic trance state. At which point, jaunty Derren pops out of a magic cupboard, wheels young bloke off on a (ready to hand, yeah, right) hospital trolley and transports sleeping victim up the street and round the corner into another building which had been mocked up to look exactly like the video arcade game. So, poor victim is then zapped awake and he is then a player in a real life "shoot em up" kill the walking zombies stunt.
There's lots more.... But I won't go on as you may be too terrified to read more, or fall into a catatonic trance-like state and never read my blog again.
Now that would be scary magic. ;-)

2005-05-08T17:06:00.000Z

The little girl killed in Mosul has a name - Farah.
Michael Yon who took the pic below (my post Thurs.) emailed to say I can post more details.
The little girl in the pic, her name is Farah.
The US soldier craddling Farah in his arms as she died is Major Bieger.
Mike gave me permission to quote his story here as he was patrolling with Deuce Four patrol in Mosul. This was the Stryker (US Armoured Combat vehicle) that was targeted by the terrorists when this tragic attack happened.

Mike wrote "..Major Mark Bieger found this little girl after the car bomb that attacked our guys while kids were crowding around. The soldiers here have been angry and sad for two days. They are angry because the terrorists could just as easily have waited a block or two and attacked the patrol away from the kids. Instead, the suicide bomber drove his car and hit the Stryker when about twenty children were jumping up and down and waving at the soldiers. Major Bieger, I had seen him help rescue some of our guys a week earlier during another big attack, took some of our soldiers and rushed this little girl to our hospital. He wanted her to have American surgeons and not to go to the Iraqi hospital. She didn't make it. I snapped this picture when Major Bieger ran to take her away. He kept stopping to talk with her and hug her.

The soldiers went back to that neighborhood the next day to ask what they could do. The people were very warming and welcomed us into their homes, and many kids were actually running up to say hello and to ask soldiers to shake hands.

Eventually, some insurgents must have realized we were back and started shooting at us. The American soldiers and Iraqi police started engaging the enemy and there was a running gun battle. I saw at least one IP who was shot, but he looked okay and actually smiled at me despite the big bullet hole in his leg. I smiled back."

One thing seems certain; the people in that neighborhood share our feelings about the terrorists. We are going to go back there, and if any terrorists come out, the soldiers hope to find them. Everybody is still very angry that the insurgents attacked us when the kids were around. Their day will come.

How desperately sad is that story ?

2005-05-06T11:26:00.000Z

Michael Yon is the photographer who took the poignant pic of the little girl I posted about yesterday.

Michael emailed me today to correct my attribution of his pic, which appeared in NY Post, under their banner. Michael says "...I have absolutely no affiliation with the New York Post, or with the Army other than being embedded."

I am delighted to correct this information on my blog. No doubt, he will take up any issues with the NY Post as well. Click here to see Michael's original work on his own blog... Do go and read it. Michael has the most compelling images and his back stories to the pics really sharpens the reality of this tragic war.

2005-05-06T10:58:00.000Z

Someone emailed me this poem after reading my post yesterday. It's written about another little girl, by the Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet (1902-1963) but seems fitting for the little girl who died in Mosel this week.

I Come and Stand at Every Door
I come and stand at every door
But no one hears my silent tread
I knock and yet remain unseen
For I am dead, for I am dead.

I'm only seven although I died
In Hiroshima long ago
I'm seven now as I was then
When children die they do not grow.

My hair was scorched by swirling flame
My eyes grew dim, my eyes grew blind
Death came and turned my bones to dust
And that was scattered by the wind.

I need no fruit, I need no rice
I need no sweet, nor even bread
I ask for nothing for myself
For I am dead, for I am dead.

All that I ask is that for peace
You fight today, you fight today
So that the children of this world
May live and grow and laugh and play.

-- Nazim Hikmet

2005-05-05T01:57:00.000Z

Tony Blair said again on Monday, "Iraq is a better place now than before the war against Saddam."
Meanwhile Ba'ath or Sunni rebels triggered yet another car bomb against passing U.S. patrols.
Just one of five bombings in the last week and 140 people killed.
Here's the story of just one of those terrorist attacks.

"Whose God condones this action in His name ?"

(Photo courtesy of Michael Yon )

Isn't this pic is a powerful symbol of the utterly savage madness of terrorism ?

The soldier carrying the dying child is an American.
The dead child is an innocent victim from Mosul in Northern Iraq.
Oh, and an adult civilian Iraqi was also killed - and 15 civilians injured by this bomb.
The intended victims were the passing U.S. military patrol.
Yet this U.S. soldier shows compassion for a foreign dying child rescued from the debri.

And what of the brave terrorists ?
Do they slink away into the shadows satisfied with their work and at peace with their God ?

Thanks also to this blog where I first saw the pic

2005-05-04T01:43:00.000Z

One of my friends is a Funeral Director. Yeah, I know, but someone has to do it. Anyway, Mark (not his real name) is a great bloke and very experienced and compassionate in his job.

Mark is on a specialist list of Funeral Directors who are on call to deal with recovery of bodies in sudden accidental death in motor vehicles, aircraft etc. As part of this group, he was invited to go to Thailand and has just returned from three weeks in Phuket and other places, helping identify and prepare the remaining victims of the Tsunami. The story of his trip is grim, yet he also has many touching stories to tell.

Mark said the Thai people really went out of their way to look after him and others in the multi national group. Their work in identifying and repatriating the tragic victims allowed the authorities to speed up this difficult work. Apparently, professional counselling was available to those involved in the identification and repatriation of victims. As a stoic Brit, Mark tells me he did not avail himself of this facility; yet he also says his vivid memories will stay with him for a very long time.

2005-05-03T13:51:00.000Z

Bob Hunter - the co-founder of Greenpeace. R.I.P. 2005
I remember seeing the ship "Rainbow Warrier"on TV, being used as a passive barrier to impede nuclear testing. This being my early awareness of Greenpeace as a lobbying organisation. But that was not all Bob was active in. He did a lot to raise awareness of real cruelty by those involved in whale hunting and seal culling.

I recall many TV clips of the rubber dinghies being launched from M.V. "Rainbow Warrior" to protect whales and seals on those bloody hunting expeditions. This was dangerous and challenging work and all the more exciting because it showed that there was strength in numbers by people protesting together and lobbying for change.

I remember this being an early wakeup call for me about the importance of the ecology movement and the power of peaceful protests. I will remember Bob Hunter as the co-founder of Greenpeace. I will also remember him as the original "Rainbow Warrior". May the big man rest in peace.
Read more about this amazing man here...

2005-05-02T00:26:00.000Z

A frog in the throat... is entirely possible if you are drinking a cocktail in Lima.
Apparently, frog cocktails are regularly served as an aphrodisiac in Peru.
You choose your frog from the bar's tank (if you are a Peruvian in search of naturopathic viagra) and hey presto, your selection is blended (this is sanitised for readers of a normal disposition) before your very eyes.
click here to read more about this sickly treat"

2005-04-29T18:09:00.000Z

Hi Folks. Just back from a trip away in Spain. Stayed at Mijas Costa, near Calehonda. After business, strolled around Puerto Banus, near Marbella. What a place for swanky yachts and swanky women in their designer clothes. Saw quite a few flashy cars (some with personalised UK number plates) parked in the harbour alongside even more flashy boats and yachts.
Great trip. More later.

2005-04-24T17:27:00.000Z

This is not about party politics

One of the few things I decided not to post about on this blog is politics.
The other self imposed blogging (SIB) ban is on religion. Both of these topics bring out the best and worst in people because of their necessarily partisan views.

............However, I have noticed how this year's hustings has been primarily fought out via media coverage, with very few local posters or stickers from each of the National parties proclaiming their candidate for election. In contrast, most other countries hang bunting, flypost stickers and generally create multi-coloured mayhem on the streets for a few weeks.

P.S. The above SIB ban is also why I had decided not to mention St. Georges Day on Sat. 23rd. April. ;-)

2005-04-22T13:41:00.000Z

Earth Day 2005

I'm sorry World, I didn't even know we had an "Earth Day". But, today 22nd. April is the 35th. annual Earth Day. You can read more about it here...

The only UK event I can see is a lecture in London on 27th. April about Grey Whales and Orca.
You can click here...

Much scarier, you can complete an online quizz to check your own "ecological footprint".
I did, and my pathetic results are shown below.

CATEGORY
FOOD = 1.3 GLOBAL HECTARES
MOBILITY = 2.0 GLOBAL HECTARES
SHELTER = 1.4 GLOBAL HECTARES
GOODS/SERVICES = 1.9 GLOBAL HECTARES
TOTAL FOOTPRINT = 6.6 GLOBAL HECTARES

IN COMPARISON, THE AVERAGE ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT IN YOUR COUNTRY IS 5.3 GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

WORLDWIDE, THERE EXIST 1.8 BIOLOGICALLY PRODUCTIVE GLOBAL HECTARES PER PERSON.

IF EVERYONE LIVED LIKE YOU, WE WOULD NEED 3.7 PLANETS.

You can check it out here

What can I say, I will try harder.