This article piqued my interest. It says that the experts are struggling "to explain the meaning behind some of its details" - referring to various designs by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for a church in Glasgow, including one of birds and bees. Apparently he left no written record of what the designs mean.
There are lots of theories, including [yawn] fertility/sexual reproduction, and claiming that the church is 'Pagan in feeling'.
Has anyone ever considered this? There might not actually be a meaning! He might just have done it because he liked it. I love some of CRM's work, but I don't have to find a hidden meaning, I just find it pleasing to the eye. Why is there always this search for meaning? It's just nice, so accept it.
15 February 2007
03 February 2007
02 February 2007
29 January 2007
26 January 2007
Quotation of the Day
I have, for many years now, become very frustrated with both national and local newpapers when they misquote, take quotations out of context and generally screw up articles because they simply get the basic facts wrong.
I am a living example of how the press gets it wrong - apparently, as a baby, I was seriously injured in a bad car accident, which is pretty amazing, considering the fact that I wasn't even in the car at the time (I was at home) and the bad car accident was a slight bump resulting in a cracked indicator lens.
Tom Reynolds, star of the Internet and publishing world has discovered a wonderful quotation, attributed to Richard Sambrook, and I had to repeat it here because I love it.
"Bloggers suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, journalists suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder."
I am a living example of how the press gets it wrong - apparently, as a baby, I was seriously injured in a bad car accident, which is pretty amazing, considering the fact that I wasn't even in the car at the time (I was at home) and the bad car accident was a slight bump resulting in a cracked indicator lens.
Tom Reynolds, star of the Internet and publishing world has discovered a wonderful quotation, attributed to Richard Sambrook, and I had to repeat it here because I love it.
"Bloggers suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, journalists suffer from Attention Deficit Disorder."
New booby trap
The terrorists have sunk to a new low. Roadside bombs, suicide bombers, bombs strapped to babies, but this ... it's just wrong!
Thanks to Bob Mc for sending me that one :o)
Thanks to Bob Mc for sending me that one :o)
24 January 2007
If we could hold conversations with animals, would we all be vegetarians?
Love to Lead's discussion of the week :
'If we could hold conversations with animals, would we all be vegetarians?'
Of course not. The scientists would immediately begin to breed animals which could express a preference on how they wished to be cooked and perhaps suggest suitable recipes, putting the likes of Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay out of business.
But what about the animal rights lobby? Euthanasia is already illegal for humans, so perhaps the killing of animals would become illegal too, even for the ones which tell you that they wish to die. Since when have the do-gooders ever listened to what people want for themselves?
The number of vegetarians would probably increase slightly. After all, we don't eat all of the people we kill, do we? Well, most of us don't, anyway. if we did, there wouldn't be so many problems caused by famine in third-world countries.
I'm certain that there are many people who would leave a very bad taste in the mouth. Saying that, the meat in most donner kebabs is unrecognisable anyway, there may already be a bit of human rump in there.
'If we could hold conversations with animals, would we all be vegetarians?'
Of course not. The scientists would immediately begin to breed animals which could express a preference on how they wished to be cooked and perhaps suggest suitable recipes, putting the likes of Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay out of business.
But what about the animal rights lobby? Euthanasia is already illegal for humans, so perhaps the killing of animals would become illegal too, even for the ones which tell you that they wish to die. Since when have the do-gooders ever listened to what people want for themselves?
The number of vegetarians would probably increase slightly. After all, we don't eat all of the people we kill, do we? Well, most of us don't, anyway. if we did, there wouldn't be so many problems caused by famine in third-world countries.
I'm certain that there are many people who would leave a very bad taste in the mouth. Saying that, the meat in most donner kebabs is unrecognisable anyway, there may already be a bit of human rump in there.
Press illiteracy
Today's headline in numerous media sources
"Reid: Send Less People to Jail".
Fewer! The word is 'fewer', not 'less'!
It's no wonder that some of the children of today are struggling with literacy when they are surrounded by ill-educated journalists. It's about time someone who has an O-level (or GCSE) in Engligh proof-read these articles before publishing them. I'm pleased to see the BBC got it right though.
Of course, it could be that the Minister's press release writer is the one initially to blame ...?
"Reid: Send Less People to Jail".
Fewer! The word is 'fewer', not 'less'!
It's no wonder that some of the children of today are struggling with literacy when they are surrounded by ill-educated journalists. It's about time someone who has an O-level (or GCSE) in Engligh proof-read these articles before publishing them. I'm pleased to see the BBC got it right though.
Of course, it could be that the Minister's press release writer is the one initially to blame ...?
23 January 2007
999 Petition
I've been an avid reader of the wonderful Nee Naw Blog for a couple of years now, and I've just spotted a post about a new petition calling upon the Government to educate people about the proper use of the 999 emergency telephone number.
Go and sign it now, please, and then go and read about when not to call 999.
Nee Naw is an excellent source of information and still manages to be humourous in the right places.
Here's a few of my favourite links from Nee Naw:
Common Beliefs Held By The General Public about Calling 999
Hoaxes and Other Abuses of the 999 Service
The 10 Commandments of Dialling 999
101 Embarrassing Sexual Accidents (I nearly wet myself laughing at parts of this one. Am I a bad Womble?)
Go and sign it now, please, and then go and read about when not to call 999.
Nee Naw is an excellent source of information and still manages to be humourous in the right places.
Here's a few of my favourite links from Nee Naw:
Common Beliefs Held By The General Public about Calling 999
Hoaxes and Other Abuses of the 999 Service
The 10 Commandments of Dialling 999
101 Embarrassing Sexual Accidents (I nearly wet myself laughing at parts of this one. Am I a bad Womble?)
America's dumbest criminals...
Who stole GPS systems in New York. Guess how they found them?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6290261.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6290261.stm
21 January 2007
Home Office
At last the Government has been forced to admit what we've been telling them for years. The Telegraph's 'Matt' sums it up nicely:
19 January 2007
It's a bit windy, dear...
Well it was yesterday, anyway. When I got out of bed and peered, bleary-eyed, out of my bedroom window, I thought "I don't want to go to work, I want to stay in bed." Wearily, I dragged myself to the bathroom and did those things one does in the morning and, once clothed, set off to work.
The car journey was 'interesting', with things blowing all over the place. I was just very glad I wasn't out on the bike. It was very windy and the traffic was lighter than usual, probably because many people had actually said 'sod it' and stayed in bed. All day, at work, I could hear the wind whistling round the building and, every so often, the blinds in my office would blow inwards. By about 3.30, I'd decided I'd had enough and started packing up.
On the way home, I realised just how windy it had been. Within a few hundred yards of my workplace, a tree had snapped halfway up the trunk and was lying in the road. I went round it and a bit further up the road, at Queen's Park, another tree, very old and very large, had snapped off at ground level and was lying forlornly on the grass. There was debris scuttering all over the place and Central Park in Westhoughton had a couple of trees broken and busted at the edge of the road, and the housing estates were like wheelie-bin graveyards.
As I turned into my street, I started to feel a little sick. The house on the end of the street had a small group of people gathered outside, staring upwards at the roof, which had one corner peeled upwards like a giant sardine tin, and tiles all over the garden. Almost every house I could see had ridge and other tiles missing. My house is set back from the others and, as I approached, I breathed a huge sigh of relief - my roof was intact. In fact all 12 properties at the bottom of the street were undamaged, as far as I could see; the other 18 weren't so lucky. No matter in which direction I looked, there were damaged roofs, not just in our street, but in the surrounding streets too.
Just past 7pm, I was sitting in my chair, chatting on the telephone to HappyBiker, telling him how relieved I was not to have any structural damage to my home when, POP! The electricity went off, and so did the phone, being of the cordless variety. Bugger. I nipped outside, to see all my neighbours doing the same. 'Ho hum' thought I, and lit a couple of candles. I rummaged around in the drawer to find my old telephone, plugged it in and it rang immediately. It was HappyBiker. "Oh, so you've decided to answer this time!", says he. So I explained. Then I rang mum, more to whinge than anything else. She said 'Oh don't worry, dear, it'll come back on in a few minutes'. Ha! Yeah, right.
I had a look out of the window again and saw that a few of my neighbours seemed to have no lighting, so I grabbed a handful of candles and my lighter and knocked on a couple of doors to ask if they were OK. One neighbour, a doctor, said "It's very kind of you, I do have some candles but I'm enjoying just relaxing in the dark." Fairy nuff, sounds good to me.
Now, Internet-less, I wandered around the house like a lost child before deciding to while away the time playing my fiddle, which was quite fun, really. Eventually, I got bored and I wanted a brew, so I had a rummage in my rally kit to see if I could find my little gas cooker. Nope, it wasn't there. See, when I say 'my little gas cooker', what I really mean is 'Smurf's little gas cooker', which I suspect is sitting in Smurf's house as I type. Doh! Note to self - buy a little gas cooker! Anyway, I gave up and had a can of Pepsi instead.
Round about 10pm, I thought 'stuff it' and went to bed. Half an hour later, I was rudely awoken by a neighbour's burglar alarm, and then another, and another. Yep, we had power :o) So I went round the house checking that things were switched off and then got back in bed.
So, what have I learned from this powercut?
The car journey was 'interesting', with things blowing all over the place. I was just very glad I wasn't out on the bike. It was very windy and the traffic was lighter than usual, probably because many people had actually said 'sod it' and stayed in bed. All day, at work, I could hear the wind whistling round the building and, every so often, the blinds in my office would blow inwards. By about 3.30, I'd decided I'd had enough and started packing up.
On the way home, I realised just how windy it had been. Within a few hundred yards of my workplace, a tree had snapped halfway up the trunk and was lying in the road. I went round it and a bit further up the road, at Queen's Park, another tree, very old and very large, had snapped off at ground level and was lying forlornly on the grass. There was debris scuttering all over the place and Central Park in Westhoughton had a couple of trees broken and busted at the edge of the road, and the housing estates were like wheelie-bin graveyards.
As I turned into my street, I started to feel a little sick. The house on the end of the street had a small group of people gathered outside, staring upwards at the roof, which had one corner peeled upwards like a giant sardine tin, and tiles all over the garden. Almost every house I could see had ridge and other tiles missing. My house is set back from the others and, as I approached, I breathed a huge sigh of relief - my roof was intact. In fact all 12 properties at the bottom of the street were undamaged, as far as I could see; the other 18 weren't so lucky. No matter in which direction I looked, there were damaged roofs, not just in our street, but in the surrounding streets too.
Just past 7pm, I was sitting in my chair, chatting on the telephone to HappyBiker, telling him how relieved I was not to have any structural damage to my home when, POP! The electricity went off, and so did the phone, being of the cordless variety. Bugger. I nipped outside, to see all my neighbours doing the same. 'Ho hum' thought I, and lit a couple of candles. I rummaged around in the drawer to find my old telephone, plugged it in and it rang immediately. It was HappyBiker. "Oh, so you've decided to answer this time!", says he. So I explained. Then I rang mum, more to whinge than anything else. She said 'Oh don't worry, dear, it'll come back on in a few minutes'. Ha! Yeah, right.
I had a look out of the window again and saw that a few of my neighbours seemed to have no lighting, so I grabbed a handful of candles and my lighter and knocked on a couple of doors to ask if they were OK. One neighbour, a doctor, said "It's very kind of you, I do have some candles but I'm enjoying just relaxing in the dark." Fairy nuff, sounds good to me.
Now, Internet-less, I wandered around the house like a lost child before deciding to while away the time playing my fiddle, which was quite fun, really. Eventually, I got bored and I wanted a brew, so I had a rummage in my rally kit to see if I could find my little gas cooker. Nope, it wasn't there. See, when I say 'my little gas cooker', what I really mean is 'Smurf's little gas cooker', which I suspect is sitting in Smurf's house as I type. Doh! Note to self - buy a little gas cooker! Anyway, I gave up and had a can of Pepsi instead.
Round about 10pm, I thought 'stuff it' and went to bed. Half an hour later, I was rudely awoken by a neighbour's burglar alarm, and then another, and another. Yep, we had power :o) So I went round the house checking that things were switched off and then got back in bed.
So, what have I learned from this powercut?
- Lightswitches don't work, no matter how many times you try them.
- My fiddle playing improves in the dark; my piano playing goes to shit.
- It's very peaceful, when there's no electricity on. It was lovely to experience almost-total quiet.
- A vanilla candle may smell lovely when it's lit, but when you snuff it out, the smell of the smoke ain't so good.
- The battery indicator on the Laptop might say '2 hours remaining' but what it really means is '25 minutes remaining'
- Keeping the house tidy is a definite advantage - I didn't fall over anything!
- I need to buy some matches - OK, I had a cigarette lighter in the drawer, but it took me a while to find it. I'll put some matches in the candle box (ok, cupboard) then I'll know where to find them.
- Backup batteries on alarm clocks are great - except when they reset the clock to run 10 minutes fast...
18 January 2007
17 January 2007
Baseball caps and cops
Great quotation from Paul Routledge in the The Mirror:
"COPS in North Wales have been issued with American-style baseball hats instead of helmets - despite a ban on wearing such headgear in Rhyl pubs to combat hooliganism.
"As I have observed here before, the baseball hat is at all times and in all places the uniform of the idiot. But if the cap fits... "
"COPS in North Wales have been issued with American-style baseball hats instead of helmets - despite a ban on wearing such headgear in Rhyl pubs to combat hooliganism.
"As I have observed here before, the baseball hat is at all times and in all places the uniform of the idiot. But if the cap fits... "
Body beautiful
It seems that more and more women are rebelling against the so-called 'norms' of ripping out their body hair and painting their faces with expensive muck in the name of 'beauty'.
When I was at high school in the late 1980s, I had a really good Home Economics teacher (hello Mrs. Taylor!) who made a comment that the top layer of your skin is already dead, so why waste money slapping expensive chemical preparations on it? She pointed out that the key to healthy-looking skin was in your diet. Eat well, look good.
The 'hair scare' first came to light when Julia Roberts's photograph was published, showing, horror of horrors, armpit hair! "Oh my God! She has armpit hair!" the paparazzi announced. No shit, Sherlocks! Almost everyone has. Shazia Mizra, the comedian has decided that she can't be arsed shaving, plucking or waxing either. After all, it's natural, innit?
I think that Kasandra Mason has got it right. She says " I know body hair is natural, so why is so much money and time invested in getting rid of it?" ... "My comfort is more important to me than the opinions of total strangers." Spot on, missus! How I agree.
Personally, I don't shave my pits and bits because I can't be arsed either. Like Ms. Mason, I haven't worn makeup since I was 18, because I don't see the point. Women spend millions of pounds each year on makeup and beauty products. Me, I use soap, shampoo and water. That's it. (OK, so I've dyed my hair black a few times; it's dark brown naturally.)
I reckon that if you need to wear makeup, you're not confident enough in yourself. Makeup is for people who think they're not good looking, and perfume is for people who think they smell bad and need to mask it.
When I was at high school in the late 1980s, I had a really good Home Economics teacher (hello Mrs. Taylor!) who made a comment that the top layer of your skin is already dead, so why waste money slapping expensive chemical preparations on it? She pointed out that the key to healthy-looking skin was in your diet. Eat well, look good.
The 'hair scare' first came to light when Julia Roberts's photograph was published, showing, horror of horrors, armpit hair! "Oh my God! She has armpit hair!" the paparazzi announced. No shit, Sherlocks! Almost everyone has. Shazia Mizra, the comedian has decided that she can't be arsed shaving, plucking or waxing either. After all, it's natural, innit?
I think that Kasandra Mason has got it right. She says " I know body hair is natural, so why is so much money and time invested in getting rid of it?" ... "My comfort is more important to me than the opinions of total strangers." Spot on, missus! How I agree.
Personally, I don't shave my pits and bits because I can't be arsed either. Like Ms. Mason, I haven't worn makeup since I was 18, because I don't see the point. Women spend millions of pounds each year on makeup and beauty products. Me, I use soap, shampoo and water. That's it. (OK, so I've dyed my hair black a few times; it's dark brown naturally.)
I reckon that if you need to wear makeup, you're not confident enough in yourself. Makeup is for people who think they're not good looking, and perfume is for people who think they smell bad and need to mask it.
Unfair bank charges?
Not any more! You may remember, back in March that I told you about a move to reclaim unfair bank charges. The BBC's 'Money Programme' featured the issue on 12 December 2006 in an item entitled 'Bank Robbery!'. Even the Open University has investigated the issue.
Well, hopefully, in the near future, you won't have to claim these charges back, because they may be stopped from imposing high charges in the first place. The average charge at the moment is about £30.
Treasury Minister Ed Balls has, apparently agreed that penalty charges imposed by banks should be no more than the real administrative cost to the bank.
Liberal Democrat Shadow Social Exclusion spokesman, Matthew Taylor said
"Ministers confirmed what we have known all along - that banks, like credit card companies, cannot justify penalty charges for anything above their administrative costs.
" The law says bank charges must be drastically slashed. If the banks postpone reducing their charges until the OFT findings are published, they are clearly ripping off their customers to make billions of pounds in unfair profits.
" Everyone needs to know that their penalty charges are illegal and they should phone their bank to claim them back. The £4.5 billion in penalty charges each year by Britain's top banks is the biggest bank robbery in Britain - against their own customers. It must be stopped."
Well, hopefully, in the near future, you won't have to claim these charges back, because they may be stopped from imposing high charges in the first place. The average charge at the moment is about £30.
Treasury Minister Ed Balls has, apparently agreed that penalty charges imposed by banks should be no more than the real administrative cost to the bank.
Liberal Democrat Shadow Social Exclusion spokesman, Matthew Taylor said
"Ministers confirmed what we have known all along - that banks, like credit card companies, cannot justify penalty charges for anything above their administrative costs.
" The law says bank charges must be drastically slashed. If the banks postpone reducing their charges until the OFT findings are published, they are clearly ripping off their customers to make billions of pounds in unfair profits.
" Everyone needs to know that their penalty charges are illegal and they should phone their bank to claim them back. The £4.5 billion in penalty charges each year by Britain's top banks is the biggest bank robbery in Britain - against their own customers. It must be stopped."
16 January 2007
Stolen bike alert
Please keep your eyes open for a Honda Varadero, stolen from a house near the hospital in Burnley between 4.30-7.30pm on Monday 15 January 2007.
Reg number is PN05 0LU got a top box in black and stickers on it saying http://www.printinginprogress.com and half an 'L' plate on the back!
If you have any info, please leave a comment on this blog and I'll get back to you.
UPDATE - the owner has now got the bike back, and one of his neighbours now has a fatwah on him ...
Reg number is PN05 0LU got a top box in black and stickers on it saying http://www.printinginprogress.com and half an 'L' plate on the back!
If you have any info, please leave a comment on this blog and I'll get back to you.
UPDATE - the owner has now got the bike back, and one of his neighbours now has a fatwah on him ...
Grrrrrr!
A couple of weeks ago, I sent off for my student ID card. My application was returned in the post yesterday, with a note saying I'd filled in the wrong form and giving me a link on the website to download a new one.
So I duly went to the website, followed the link and, guess what? It's the same bloody form!
So I rang them, and the girl who answered was unable to explain why my form had been sent back and suggested that I just return it.
To add insult to injury, the form states "Do not staple or glue your photograph to this form", so I carefully paperclipped it. It came back stapled to the form. Gits.
So I duly went to the website, followed the link and, guess what? It's the same bloody form!
So I rang them, and the girl who answered was unable to explain why my form had been sent back and suggested that I just return it.
To add insult to injury, the form states "Do not staple or glue your photograph to this form", so I carefully paperclipped it. It came back stapled to the form. Gits.
13 January 2007
10 January 2007
Drugs and common sense
There's a petition on the 10 Downing Street website which actually makes sense:
Heroin addicts are known to steal and commit crime to pay for their habits. If the cost of heroin to the addict was reduced to zero by prescribing it on the nhs (subject to counselling) the reduction in expenditure in police time spent due to related offences could be used to offset the cost. It may even be cheaper for the government to do this, and it may also be possible for these heroin addicts to then find suitable employment, through the use of a counselling system, which would enable them to earn money and pay tax. (which could further be used to pay towards the cost of the treatment)
Go on, sign it.
Heroin addicts are known to steal and commit crime to pay for their habits. If the cost of heroin to the addict was reduced to zero by prescribing it on the nhs (subject to counselling) the reduction in expenditure in police time spent due to related offences could be used to offset the cost. It may even be cheaper for the government to do this, and it may also be possible for these heroin addicts to then find suitable employment, through the use of a counselling system, which would enable them to earn money and pay tax. (which could further be used to pay towards the cost of the treatment)
Go on, sign it.
08 January 2007
28 December 2006
Christmas comes but once a year ...
thank feck for that.
The run up to Christmas was spent, as usual, wondering what the hell to get everyone. My ex has a large family and I'm crap with kids so I never know what they'll like. Every year I wrack my brains trying to come up with something good and, once again, Hawkin's Bazaar came up trumps :o) Although I wasn't able to spend half as much as I usually do on them, I think I did OK. I got a message off Charlie, via Smurf, to say thanks for her prezzie and that she liked it (cheers hon). Dunno what the rest of his family thought of theirs cos I didn't get so much as a Christmas card off any of them. Hurt? Yes, actually, I am. Even a phone call, e-mail or text message would have been nice, but at least now I know where I stand.
I started with a mega-bad back on 20 December. It's now 28 December and it still hurts like hell :o( There have been days where I've been virtually unable to move. Round about the same time, I got the lurgy, which I'm sure was given to me by Freak in one of those nasty e-mail thingies, so I've been coughing my guts up (literally) for a week and no signs of it abating. To be honest, I'm bloody fed up of it. After coughing for several hours last night, and keeping Spike awake, I finally did the decent thing and tried to sleep on the sofa. I managed about 3 hours, which is about the longest yet.
OK, so I make it sound like the worst Christmas ever, but it wasn't. Despite me being ill, and feeling grumpy, I've actually had quite a good time. Spike and I went to my parents for Christmas dinner and had a lovely meal. Then we went off to spend the evening with Mad Dave, Jules, Pauline and Tony and had more food, lots of wine and a good laugh. Then on Boxing Day, Howard came over to see us and we drank lots of tea and put the world to rights. I even managed to drag myself out shopping yesterday and bought a few things for the house. Tonight, I'm off to a party with another bunch of mates in the Midlands, and then at weekend, health allowing, Spike and I are off on a New Year camping trip.
Right, time to eat. Again.
The run up to Christmas was spent, as usual, wondering what the hell to get everyone. My ex has a large family and I'm crap with kids so I never know what they'll like. Every year I wrack my brains trying to come up with something good and, once again, Hawkin's Bazaar came up trumps :o) Although I wasn't able to spend half as much as I usually do on them, I think I did OK. I got a message off Charlie, via Smurf, to say thanks for her prezzie and that she liked it (cheers hon). Dunno what the rest of his family thought of theirs cos I didn't get so much as a Christmas card off any of them. Hurt? Yes, actually, I am. Even a phone call, e-mail or text message would have been nice, but at least now I know where I stand.
I started with a mega-bad back on 20 December. It's now 28 December and it still hurts like hell :o( There have been days where I've been virtually unable to move. Round about the same time, I got the lurgy, which I'm sure was given to me by Freak in one of those nasty e-mail thingies, so I've been coughing my guts up (literally) for a week and no signs of it abating. To be honest, I'm bloody fed up of it. After coughing for several hours last night, and keeping Spike awake, I finally did the decent thing and tried to sleep on the sofa. I managed about 3 hours, which is about the longest yet.
OK, so I make it sound like the worst Christmas ever, but it wasn't. Despite me being ill, and feeling grumpy, I've actually had quite a good time. Spike and I went to my parents for Christmas dinner and had a lovely meal. Then we went off to spend the evening with Mad Dave, Jules, Pauline and Tony and had more food, lots of wine and a good laugh. Then on Boxing Day, Howard came over to see us and we drank lots of tea and put the world to rights. I even managed to drag myself out shopping yesterday and bought a few things for the house. Tonight, I'm off to a party with another bunch of mates in the Midlands, and then at weekend, health allowing, Spike and I are off on a New Year camping trip.
Right, time to eat. Again.
22 December 2006
I take it all back...
Father Christmas DOES exist! Yes, really, he does! I was so excited I nearly dropped me camera, but I managed to get this rare pic, just before he gave me a Vimto lollipop. Yay!
21 December 2006
Brightest blessings
and a very merry Yule to you all.
The picture below is from Amy Brown Fantasy Art, and I think it's just right for the Winter Solstice.
The picture below is from Amy Brown Fantasy Art, and I think it's just right for the Winter Solstice.
When is lying OK?
This article in the Manchester Evening News has made me quite annoyed and maybe not for the reason you'd think.
Parents are annoyed because a vicar has allegedly told kids that Father Christmas isn't real. Whether he did actually say that or not is a moot point. However, I truly believe that it is fundamentally wrong to lie to your kids and make them believe in a fictional character, only to tell them some years later that you made it all up. After all, most normal people bring their kids up to tell the truth, don't they? So what gives parents the right to lie to their kids? Some kids are so upset by the revelation that they cease to trust their parents, because if they've lied about that, what else have they lied about?
Surely a far more sensible approach would be to teach them from the outset that the Father Christmas portrayed by many people in this world, is not the real Father Christmas, and teach them about the story of St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, Christkind, or Kris Kringle, or whatever you happen to call him in your part of the world. Tell them that the original charitable gift-giver died many many years ago, and that people remember his kindness by dressing up and giving gifts to their loved ones. That way, they'll understand that the spirit of the deed is to be kind to one another, not to be money-grabbing little parasites.
Oops, sorry, got a bit carried away there. Um, er, Bah Humbug!
Parents are annoyed because a vicar has allegedly told kids that Father Christmas isn't real. Whether he did actually say that or not is a moot point. However, I truly believe that it is fundamentally wrong to lie to your kids and make them believe in a fictional character, only to tell them some years later that you made it all up. After all, most normal people bring their kids up to tell the truth, don't they? So what gives parents the right to lie to their kids? Some kids are so upset by the revelation that they cease to trust their parents, because if they've lied about that, what else have they lied about?
Surely a far more sensible approach would be to teach them from the outset that the Father Christmas portrayed by many people in this world, is not the real Father Christmas, and teach them about the story of St. Nicholas, or Santa Claus, Christkind, or Kris Kringle, or whatever you happen to call him in your part of the world. Tell them that the original charitable gift-giver died many many years ago, and that people remember his kindness by dressing up and giving gifts to their loved ones. That way, they'll understand that the spirit of the deed is to be kind to one another, not to be money-grabbing little parasites.
Oops, sorry, got a bit carried away there. Um, er, Bah Humbug!
19 December 2006
Turkey and Tinsel
I've been a bit slow with my blogging recently, cos I've had a lot to do, what with Smurf moving out, and me trying to catch up with my work. However, I thought I really ought to tell you all about Lost Weekend's Turkey and Tinsel gig on 2 December at the Sportsman Inn in Halifax (bloody good pub!).
I had absolutely no idea where the pub was, but Spike and I set off to Halifax in good spirits. I pulled in at Sainsbury's and asked if they had any A-Z Maps. I got a blank look, and then someone suggested I try the petrol station. So I went over there and they had A-Zs of Bradford and Leeds, but not Halifax or the big West Yorkshire one. Spike and I tried several other places but they all had maps of anywhere except Halifax. Maybe they don't like foreigners from over the border...
Anyway, it was whilst we were looking for another shop that we suddenly came upon the pub and found there was a parking space right outside the door. Bonus! I grabbed my trusty camera from the car boot and went inside, to be greeted by the lovely Mike South, who'd come all the way from Southampton especially to see the band.
Whilst the band were doing their sound check, Spike, Mike and I had a few drinks and put the world to rights, and had a chat with Ratty, the resident DJ.
The gig got going in grand style, and the whole pub was rocking. This was the first time I'd had the opportunity to listen to the material from the band's new album, Forever Moving On, and I was mightily impressed. In fact, since the gig, the album has been on 'repeat' on my CD play pretty much every day since. You can have a listen to some of their tracks on the Lost Weekend MySpace. My current favourites are 'Seize the Day' and 'High and Low', although I have to say I love all but one of the tracks.
During the gig, it became apparent that Robin had his own fan club in attendance, given by the number of people yelling out his name, and the rapturous applause when he left the stage, shortly before getting mobbed.
I had absolutely no idea where the pub was, but Spike and I set off to Halifax in good spirits. I pulled in at Sainsbury's and asked if they had any A-Z Maps. I got a blank look, and then someone suggested I try the petrol station. So I went over there and they had A-Zs of Bradford and Leeds, but not Halifax or the big West Yorkshire one. Spike and I tried several other places but they all had maps of anywhere except Halifax. Maybe they don't like foreigners from over the border...
Anyway, it was whilst we were looking for another shop that we suddenly came upon the pub and found there was a parking space right outside the door. Bonus! I grabbed my trusty camera from the car boot and went inside, to be greeted by the lovely Mike South, who'd come all the way from Southampton especially to see the band.
Whilst the band were doing their sound check, Spike, Mike and I had a few drinks and put the world to rights, and had a chat with Ratty, the resident DJ.
The gig got going in grand style, and the whole pub was rocking. This was the first time I'd had the opportunity to listen to the material from the band's new album, Forever Moving On, and I was mightily impressed. In fact, since the gig, the album has been on 'repeat' on my CD play pretty much every day since. You can have a listen to some of their tracks on the Lost Weekend MySpace. My current favourites are 'Seize the Day' and 'High and Low', although I have to say I love all but one of the tracks.
During the gig, it became apparent that Robin had his own fan club in attendance, given by the number of people yelling out his name, and the rapturous applause when he left the stage, shortly before getting mobbed.
Despite the tiny stage, the lads managed to put on a great show, and I even managed to get some rare pics of Jack, who is usually hidden in the dark and murky corners where no camera flash can penetrate. My photo-taking spree was interrupted temporarily by Paul trying to put his leg in front of the lens but I didn't mind, safe in the knowledge that I'll get my chance to leg him up eventually ;o)
Dave was in 'Guitar Face' mode again, to accompany his amazing riffs. I often wonder what would happen if the power went off mid-riff. Would he still pull the face, even with no sound?
Dave and Squiz weren't pissed at all after the gig. Oh no. Honourable mention should go to Jeff the Tech, cos he works really hard behind the scenes and never really gets any credit for it.
15 December 2006
Playing God...
When I get asked to go to fancy dress parties, I never have a clue what to wear. Woody always seems to be able to come up with something good, though (although his pimp costume was maybe a bit too 1970s). Maybe I should ask him for ideas. I think this latest costume, and photo is brilliant. He won't tell me if the Saviour goes commando though. Spoilsport.
14 December 2006
Wet
I've just seen on the news that the village of Milnathort in Perth & Kinross has been flooded. One of Cooldrums's mates, lives there and, if I recall correctly, lives pretty damn close to the river. Cooldrums, get some pictures, you never know, they might come in handy for an insurance claim. Failing that, you could sell them to the press.
Hazel, I hope that you and your stuff are OK.
Hazel, I hope that you and your stuff are OK.
Lonely T.O.G.
Tradgedy has struck in the Womble-mobile. The radio in my car has decided to die on me and I have been forced to travel to work Wogan-less. I've checked the fuses and it's not that, so that's about the limit of my expertise. Bugger.
13 December 2006
12 December 2006
Mass medication
I am so fed up of the state trying to enforce medication on the citizens of the UK.
Some kids have bad teeth because their parents feed them on sugary food and don't make them clean their teeth properly, so the Government wants to mass medicate the water supplies with fluoride, even though most people neither need nor want it. Indeed, for some people it could prove fatal.
Now the Food Standards Agency has decided that because some young women don't get enough 'folates' (folic acid) in their diet when they're pregnant, that all flour and bread supplies should be doctored with the stuff. I realise that a folate deficiency when pregnant can lead to problems with the baby, such as Spina Bifida, but that is no reason to mass medicate the whole of the UK's bread supplies.
Well how about this? The UK has a massively high teenage pregnancy rate, so let's reduce it by adding contraceptive drugs to the water supply? Whilst we're at it, how about adding aspirin to the food supplies, so that people can avoid headaches and heart attacks? Hmm, I wonder if adding paracetamol to beer will help to prevent hangovers?
I've got a better idea. Why doesn't the Government let people take responsibility for themselves for a change. If you don't want your kids to have bad teeth, teach them proper nutrition and dental hygiene. If you want your baby to be healthy, make sure you eat properly during the pregnancy. Don't let the majority suffer for the stupidity/incompetence of the minority.
If you want to have your say on the folic acid debate, have a look at the Food Standards Agency website.
09 December 2006
The big cleanup
Smurf's in the process of moving out and I'm the process of cleaning up. Everything's going OK so far, except that I've cut my nose-picking finger which, to me, is a tragedy.
07 December 2006
ET has landed!
"Well not so much landed as spluttered his way here."
Yes, that's how my mate Debs announced the arrival of her first grandchild. From the text above, I'm guessing it's a boy, but we haven't been told if he's got a name yet.
Debs, please make Kelly give him a sensible name!
Congratulations Kelly, now the hard work really starts ;o)
Yes, that's how my mate Debs announced the arrival of her first grandchild. From the text above, I'm guessing it's a boy, but we haven't been told if he's got a name yet.
Debs, please make Kelly give him a sensible name!
Congratulations Kelly, now the hard work really starts ;o)
05 December 2006
Pachelbel's Canon in D
Many many years ago, when I played in a Chamber Orchestra, my favourite piece was Pachelbel's Canon in D. Even now, saddo that I am, I will put the CD on and play along to it, reliving my former passion :o)
Anyway, I've had this bookmarked on my browser for bloody ages and it's about time I shared it with you all, cos this lad is the dog's bollocks.
Anyway, I've had this bookmarked on my browser for bloody ages and it's about time I shared it with you all, cos this lad is the dog's bollocks.
29 November 2006
A miracle of modern medicine!
This bloke should have been sacked, IMO.
Copied from the BBC News website:
'Pregnant' man fined in SA court A South African man has been fined $140 for taking a week off work, telling his employers he was pregnant.
Charles Sibindana, 27, stole a certificate from a clinic during his pregnant girlfriend's checkup, a court near Johannesburg heard.
He then added his own details to the note and submitted it and took seven days off work, seemingly unaware that only women consult gynaecologists.
His employers became suspicious and investigated the matter.
On passing sentence Magistrate Bruno Van Eeden warned Mr Sibindana "not to walk around faking sick letters from gynaecologists" as if he was pregnant, the South African Press Association news agency reported.
Copied from the BBC News website:
'Pregnant' man fined in SA court A South African man has been fined $140 for taking a week off work, telling his employers he was pregnant.
Charles Sibindana, 27, stole a certificate from a clinic during his pregnant girlfriend's checkup, a court near Johannesburg heard.
He then added his own details to the note and submitted it and took seven days off work, seemingly unaware that only women consult gynaecologists.
His employers became suspicious and investigated the matter.
On passing sentence Magistrate Bruno Van Eeden warned Mr Sibindana "not to walk around faking sick letters from gynaecologists" as if he was pregnant, the South African Press Association news agency reported.
26 November 2006
Boycott Walkabout
I don't go out drinking in Liverpool very often, seeing as it's a bit too far to stagger home. However, next time I go, I definitely won't be going to Walkabout in Concert Square because their dress code stinks.
The Liverpool Echo has reported that Walkabout refused entry to a group of Royal Marines who were in the area for the funeral of one of their comrades who was killed in Basra.
If this pub manager likes to judge people by the clothes they wear, then he should think about how these lads have been serving their country in the armed forces, whilst he's been sitting in his cosy little world. I bet he wouldn't allow bikers in either. Probably a good thing, it saves us from finding out how petty-minded he is. Wanker.
The Liverpool Echo has reported that Walkabout refused entry to a group of Royal Marines who were in the area for the funeral of one of their comrades who was killed in Basra.
If this pub manager likes to judge people by the clothes they wear, then he should think about how these lads have been serving their country in the armed forces, whilst he's been sitting in his cosy little world. I bet he wouldn't allow bikers in either. Probably a good thing, it saves us from finding out how petty-minded he is. Wanker.
Printer installation woes
A little bit of help for people struggling to install the HP PSC 2510 Photosmart printer onto a wireless network.
Yesterday, I spent approximately seven hours trying to set a wireless connection between my dad's printer with his new computer. Every time I ran the installation program,it would get stuck in a loop and kept going back to the 'which type of connection do you require' screen. It was bloody annoying, so I decided to search the Internet. I was rather peeved to find that many people had had the same problem and no-one had posted a fix. Indeed, most people seemed to have given up and left it as a wired connection.
I tried the 'online help' chat thingy with a bloke from HP, and he did try very hard indeed, but even he was stumped, and then the damn connection dropped and 'Calvin' disappeared.
Anyway, in the end, I sussed it for myself, so here's how you do it.
First of all, this page is useful.
Yesterday, I spent approximately seven hours trying to set a wireless connection between my dad's printer with his new computer. Every time I ran the installation program,it would get stuck in a loop and kept going back to the 'which type of connection do you require' screen. It was bloody annoying, so I decided to search the Internet. I was rather peeved to find that many people had had the same problem and no-one had posted a fix. Indeed, most people seemed to have given up and left it as a wired connection.
I tried the 'online help' chat thingy with a bloke from HP, and he did try very hard indeed, but even he was stumped, and then the damn connection dropped and 'Calvin' disappeared.
Anyway, in the end, I sussed it for myself, so here's how you do it.
First of all, this page is useful.
- Go to the HP website and download the latest installation software. The one on the CD supplied with dad's printer was way out of date.
- Go into the printer's networking menu using the keypad on the machine itself (setup >> networking) and then choose the option 'wireless radio', and set it to 'OFF'.
- Using the printer's setup menu, print out a network configuration report.
- Using your Internet browser, connect to your router using the gateway address. On the Belkin routers I use, it's 192.168.2.1 but if you use a router from another manufacturer, it'll probably be different. If you are on an ad-hoc network, it will show a channel number under your channel and SSID settings. Make a note of this number,and also of the IP addresses of any machines connected to the network, and the subnet mask.
- Connect your printer to your wireless router, using a CAT-5 ethernet cable. There should have been one supplied with the printer.
- Remove any wireless networking dongle from your PC, or disable your wireless card, as appropriate.
- Connect your computer to the router using another CAT-5 ethernet cable.
- Run the software installation program, selecting 'wireless network' at the appropriate place, entering the channel number when it asks for it. If you use WEP, you will also need to tell the printer the WEP key.
- Once the software is installed, remove the ethernet cables, reinstate your wireless dongle/card on the PC, go back into the printer setup menu and switch the 'wireless radio' back to 'ON' and get printing.
I hope this is of some use to someone out there, and saves them several hours of annoyance.
25 November 2006
Buy Nothing Day
Saturday November 25th 2006 is Buy Nothing Day (UK), It's a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. Anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!
This year the message is simple, shop less - live more! The challenge is to try simple living for a day, spend time with family and friends, rather than spend money on them.
Buy Nothing Day also exposes the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries - only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth's natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage and unfair distribution of wealth.
As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? The argument is infinite - while it continues we should be looking for simple solutions - Buy Nothing Day is a good place to start.
Of course, Buy Nothing Day isn't about changing your lifestyle for just one day - we want it to be a lasting relationship with you consumer conscience - maybe a life changing experience? We want people to make a commitment to consuming less, recycling more and challenging companies to clean up and be fair. The supermarket or shopping mall might offer great choice, but this shouldn't be at the cost of the environment or developing countries.
Go and have a look at the website for more information.
Turkey and Tinsel Show !
Lost Weekend will be be playing at the Sportsman's Hotel in Halifax on Saturday 2 December. Entry is free and the band are due on stage at 9pm.
More info on the Lost Weekend website.
24 November 2006
A story to chill you to the bone
A nine month-old baby was severely scaulded when hot water pipes above her bedroom burst and sprayed her with almost-boiling water as she slept in her cot. Read the story here.
This sort of story makes me go cold. The family had only moved into their new home the day before and, if my own experience is anything to go by, they were probably very happy that they'd got their new place and could relax.
The little girl has suffered 85% burns and and is in intensive care. Doctors have said that it is still possible that she may die. My heart truly goes out to this family. The highest amount of compensation in the world cannot even begin to make this better.
This sort of story makes me go cold. The family had only moved into their new home the day before and, if my own experience is anything to go by, they were probably very happy that they'd got their new place and could relax.
The little girl has suffered 85% burns and and is in intensive care. Doctors have said that it is still possible that she may die. My heart truly goes out to this family. The highest amount of compensation in the world cannot even begin to make this better.
23 November 2006
Ever wondered why there's never a copper around when you want one?
I know exactly why. This morning, I went to an inquest at the local Coroner's court. There were eight Police Officers in attendance. That's OK, they needed to be there.
However, the entire morning was wasted because a key witness couldn't be arsed to turn up (even though they'd said they would), so the eight coppers were sitting around for four hours, waiting for this dickhead to put in an appearance. In the meantime, several more Police Officers had to be sent off to try to find the aforementioned dickhead, only to discover he'd gone to the Lake District instead.
The hearing has had to be adjourned to another day now, so those eight coppers will have to turn up again and probably waste another morning. The Coroner was less than impressed too. I think that the missing witness is gonna get a serious bollocking over this.
So, don't blame the coppers, blame the idiots who think that their absence won't be noticed. As my old school teachers used to say, it's not just your time you're wasting, it's my time, and all these other peoples' time. Thanks a bloody bunch.
However, the entire morning was wasted because a key witness couldn't be arsed to turn up (even though they'd said they would), so the eight coppers were sitting around for four hours, waiting for this dickhead to put in an appearance. In the meantime, several more Police Officers had to be sent off to try to find the aforementioned dickhead, only to discover he'd gone to the Lake District instead.
The hearing has had to be adjourned to another day now, so those eight coppers will have to turn up again and probably waste another morning. The Coroner was less than impressed too. I think that the missing witness is gonna get a serious bollocking over this.
So, don't blame the coppers, blame the idiots who think that their absence won't be noticed. As my old school teachers used to say, it's not just your time you're wasting, it's my time, and all these other peoples' time. Thanks a bloody bunch.
It's true, having babies makes you stupid
Honestly, how desperate is the Manchester Evening News for a real story? They've got a stupid article about how 12 women who all sat in the same chair on a supermarket checkout have had babies., so they are claiming that the chair has 'special powers'. One mum said "It was the last thing expected" Oh FFS! How thick do you have to be? If they don't know what's causing the babies by now, they need serious help. Get real!
Come on M.E.N., put some real stories in, please!
Come on M.E.N., put some real stories in, please!
20 November 2006
Crüxshadows gig
Club Heresy is putting on a gig on 1 December, and for a measly £12 you get to see Crüxshadows and Trauma Pet. Bargain! Rumour has it that there's a bit of a party afterwards too...
The gig was originally scheduled to be at Edwards No. 8 in Birmingham, but some bugger burnt the place down, so it'll now be held at The Crew in Nuneaton. Not a venue I know, but what the hell, you go to see the bands, not the venue!
Buy a ticket and help keep Rob in schnapps :o)
The gig was originally scheduled to be at Edwards No. 8 in Birmingham, but some bugger burnt the place down, so it'll now be held at The Crew in Nuneaton. Not a venue I know, but what the hell, you go to see the bands, not the venue!
Buy a ticket and help keep Rob in schnapps :o)
Leave our Witchwood alone!
There is a shortage of good live music venues as it is, and the Witchwood is one of the best, so if 'Inventive Leisure' insist on selling it, I hope that the buyer is someone who cares about live music, and not some profiteering business person who wants to turn it into flats.
16 November 2006
Bad bogs
Beswick was asking about motorway service stations on his show this morning, and it led me to think about the one thing that really pisses me off, not just at service stations, but in any public place. Bad bogs.
You spend ages searching for a bog which has a working lock on the door, and then have to deal with loose or missing bog seats. Then you have to hunt for bog roll, or search your pockets for scraps of tissue. Then you try to flush it, but no matter how many times you punch the stupid plunger, it just won't co-operate. Some service stations have started using ones with a light sensor now, so you just waft your hand past it, and the bog will flush. These are great, unless you are wearing a hi-vis vest, like I do when I'm out on the bike sometimes. The hi-vis constantly triggers the flush which can be rather interesting when you're sat down.
And who designs the bloody cubicles? Do they not realise that when they make them so small that when you open the door it scrapes against the bog seat then it also means that you have nowhere to stand whilst you try to shut the door? I've taken to stepping up onto the bog so I can close the door. Perhaps that's why the seats are always broken... Then there's those nasty little sanitary waste bins. The cubicle is so narrow that the bin has to be rammed right up against the side of the bog, so that when you sit down, you have one thigh resting on the cold edge of the bin. It's not nice! Some places have started to use bins which are smaller in height that the bog, and that's great, but not many places have them yet.
OK, so why you've finally managed to use the bog and extricate yourself from the cubicle, without trapping your feet between the bog and the door, you have to negotiate the washing facilities. Whoever designs those stupid 'press to operate' taps, please have a rethink. You press the button and get a split second's worth of water and not enough time to get your hand from the top of the tap to the water flow, so you end up leaning on the tap with your arm whilst trying to contort your hands under the water. I understand that these taps are designed to prevent people from leaving the water running, but it would be nice to be able to get some water at all! If you're lucky, there will be someone else around to hold the button for you, whilst you wash your hands, and then you can return the favour.
Finally, there's those dreadful hand dryers which operate off a light sensor, so that you have to wave your hands around like an idiot to activate the damn things and then they switch off after 2 seconds so you end up doing a stupid John Cleese-style war dance to get the bloody thing to work. Bring back roller towels!
Designers of public bogs take note: Please make the cubicles a minimum of three feet wide and six feet long. It is better to have fewer, usable cubicles than to squash in as many as you can and make them damned awkward and uncomfortable to use. Sanitary waste bins are not nice to sit upon, please bear this in mind. Make sure the flushing mechanism is heavy-duty and actually works. This is a public bog, not a home one, and it will get a lot of use, so it needs to be up to the job. Please provide at least one cubicle which has a sink in the cubicle. Sometimes, one needs to wash things which one would prefer not to display in public.
You spend ages searching for a bog which has a working lock on the door, and then have to deal with loose or missing bog seats. Then you have to hunt for bog roll, or search your pockets for scraps of tissue. Then you try to flush it, but no matter how many times you punch the stupid plunger, it just won't co-operate. Some service stations have started using ones with a light sensor now, so you just waft your hand past it, and the bog will flush. These are great, unless you are wearing a hi-vis vest, like I do when I'm out on the bike sometimes. The hi-vis constantly triggers the flush which can be rather interesting when you're sat down.
And who designs the bloody cubicles? Do they not realise that when they make them so small that when you open the door it scrapes against the bog seat then it also means that you have nowhere to stand whilst you try to shut the door? I've taken to stepping up onto the bog so I can close the door. Perhaps that's why the seats are always broken... Then there's those nasty little sanitary waste bins. The cubicle is so narrow that the bin has to be rammed right up against the side of the bog, so that when you sit down, you have one thigh resting on the cold edge of the bin. It's not nice! Some places have started to use bins which are smaller in height that the bog, and that's great, but not many places have them yet.
OK, so why you've finally managed to use the bog and extricate yourself from the cubicle, without trapping your feet between the bog and the door, you have to negotiate the washing facilities. Whoever designs those stupid 'press to operate' taps, please have a rethink. You press the button and get a split second's worth of water and not enough time to get your hand from the top of the tap to the water flow, so you end up leaning on the tap with your arm whilst trying to contort your hands under the water. I understand that these taps are designed to prevent people from leaving the water running, but it would be nice to be able to get some water at all! If you're lucky, there will be someone else around to hold the button for you, whilst you wash your hands, and then you can return the favour.
Finally, there's those dreadful hand dryers which operate off a light sensor, so that you have to wave your hands around like an idiot to activate the damn things and then they switch off after 2 seconds so you end up doing a stupid John Cleese-style war dance to get the bloody thing to work. Bring back roller towels!
Designers of public bogs take note: Please make the cubicles a minimum of three feet wide and six feet long. It is better to have fewer, usable cubicles than to squash in as many as you can and make them damned awkward and uncomfortable to use. Sanitary waste bins are not nice to sit upon, please bear this in mind. Make sure the flushing mechanism is heavy-duty and actually works. This is a public bog, not a home one, and it will get a lot of use, so it needs to be up to the job. Please provide at least one cubicle which has a sink in the cubicle. Sometimes, one needs to wash things which one would prefer not to display in public.
10 November 2006
Just how shit is Orange Broadband?
Well, after making numerous complaints to Orange and having them ignore every single one, I took drastic action. I rang and obtained the MAC in order to transfer to another provider, and told them exactly why I was changing. After further complaints with no acknowledgement I thought 'Right, you buggers, I'm going to get your attention one way or another', so I cancelled the Direct Debit. Funnily enough, they rang me the very next day. Strange, that, innit?
Anyway, the girl was very nice, listened to all my complaints and said that as a gesture of goodwill, they would give us a free month's broadband. Great! or so I thought. Five days later, they cut us off. I have given up complaining now, because I am aware that Orange are completely and utterly useless and deserve to lose every bit of business they have. I hope they fold.
In the meantime, my new Internet connection should be sorted by Monday 20 November, so my apologies to anyone who e-mails me over the weekends because I won't be able to respond until I get back to work.
Anyway, the girl was very nice, listened to all my complaints and said that as a gesture of goodwill, they would give us a free month's broadband. Great! or so I thought. Five days later, they cut us off. I have given up complaining now, because I am aware that Orange are completely and utterly useless and deserve to lose every bit of business they have. I hope they fold.
In the meantime, my new Internet connection should be sorted by Monday 20 November, so my apologies to anyone who e-mails me over the weekends because I won't be able to respond until I get back to work.
Vote for Mark Thomas!
Nominations are being taken for the Morgan Stanley Great Britons Awards 2006.
I could write you a 5000 word essay on why you should vote for Mark Thomas, but I really don't have time right now. So please, take my word for it that he really does deserve an award.
So go on, vote for Mark Thomas, you know it's right! Vote here.
I could write you a 5000 word essay on why you should vote for Mark Thomas, but I really don't have time right now. So please, take my word for it that he really does deserve an award.
So go on, vote for Mark Thomas, you know it's right! Vote here.
27 October 2006
Faith School Fiasco
The BBC has reported that the Government has denied a 'climb down' over the faith school issue. Basically, the Government wanted all Faith Schools to be obliged to give up to 25% of their school places to children who did not subscribe to the designated faith of that school.
What I'd like to know is why people think that the state should fund faith schools anyway, either in whole or in part. If people want their children brought up in a particular faith, that's the job of the parents, not the state. Yes, by all means teach children about the basic precepts of each faith and the differences and similarities between faiths, so that they can learn about respect and tolerance for others, but the state should not be expected to fund their religious indoctrination.
If you want your child to go to a faith-specific school, then fine, pay for them to go to one. Otherwise, send them to a state school and let them get on with the National Curriculum, and teach them about their own faith (on in most cases the faith their parents have chosen for them, seeing as kids usually have no say in the matter) at home or at evening/weekend classes.
Many of my Muslim friends send their children to state schools and then to additional lessons at the local Madrasah. Many of my Christian friends send their children to Sunday School at the local Church. That's their choice and I respect them for it.
What I'd like to know is why people think that the state should fund faith schools anyway, either in whole or in part. If people want their children brought up in a particular faith, that's the job of the parents, not the state. Yes, by all means teach children about the basic precepts of each faith and the differences and similarities between faiths, so that they can learn about respect and tolerance for others, but the state should not be expected to fund their religious indoctrination.
If you want your child to go to a faith-specific school, then fine, pay for them to go to one. Otherwise, send them to a state school and let them get on with the National Curriculum, and teach them about their own faith (on in most cases the faith their parents have chosen for them, seeing as kids usually have no say in the matter) at home or at evening/weekend classes.
Many of my Muslim friends send their children to state schools and then to additional lessons at the local Madrasah. Many of my Christian friends send their children to Sunday School at the local Church. That's their choice and I respect them for it.
Show Us Yer Ghoulies!
This weekend, I shall mostly be getting blown over and rained on in a field. Probably.
I'm off to the Brickies Hallowe'en Rally to get disgracefully pissed. Again.
Intolerance of intolerance
Paul Routledge has got this spot on:
"TOLERANCE, the openmindedness that we show to each other, is what makes British society tick. "Live and let live" could easily be the nation's motto.
"That is the spirit in which I approach the row over Muslim veils, multiculturalism, integration, and all the other long words used about living together.
"Aishah Azmi, the Muslim teaching assistant suspended for refusing to take off her veil in her Dewsbury classroom has done us all a favour - by forcing us to confront the real issues.
"Kirklees Council says she cannot do her job properly. Mrs Azmi says she is the victim of religious discrimination.
"I do not envy the Employment Tribunal members who had to rule which of the two is right, but they would have done well to consider the words of philosopher Karl Popper, who wrote The Open Society And Its Enemies.
"He said: "We should claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant."
"To my mind, it is intolerant to refuse to show your face to children. And we should not tolerate this intolerance. "
"TOLERANCE, the openmindedness that we show to each other, is what makes British society tick. "Live and let live" could easily be the nation's motto.
"That is the spirit in which I approach the row over Muslim veils, multiculturalism, integration, and all the other long words used about living together.
"Aishah Azmi, the Muslim teaching assistant suspended for refusing to take off her veil in her Dewsbury classroom has done us all a favour - by forcing us to confront the real issues.
"Kirklees Council says she cannot do her job properly. Mrs Azmi says she is the victim of religious discrimination.
"I do not envy the Employment Tribunal members who had to rule which of the two is right, but they would have done well to consider the words of philosopher Karl Popper, who wrote The Open Society And Its Enemies.
"He said: "We should claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant."
"To my mind, it is intolerant to refuse to show your face to children. And we should not tolerate this intolerance. "
26 October 2006
Supergran
OK, it's not that one. But it is about knitting. Innocent are trying to raise money for Age Concern by getting people to knit cute little hats for their drinks bottles. Yes, really.
So if you can knit, and you have some spare wool and time, why not give it a bash. I can't knit; I've tried and I was crap at it. I did, however, manage to make a pretty good Dr. Who scarf on mum's knitting machine. I never did wear it, I was too embarrassed.
Let's start again, shall we?
Those closest to me will know that I've been having a pretty shitty time really, workwise. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but there's just so much work to do at the moment that I'm getting really stressed out trying to wade through this mountain of paper. I can't even dole it out to someone else, because by the time I've sorted out the stuff to give them, I could have done it!
Anyway, the lads in the office next door have started a petition to cancel 2006 and start again. I think that's a damn fine idea, and I've said I'll happily put my name to it.
Anyway, the lads in the office next door have started a petition to cancel 2006 and start again. I think that's a damn fine idea, and I've said I'll happily put my name to it.
Bigger beer?
I had a little chat with my pal Martin today. Martin is the Shop Steward at our local Sainsbury's. I told him it might be a good idea if he were to ask for the replacement of the sign in the beer aisle before they are prosecuted under the trade descriptions act, purporting to sell 'Beer and Larger'.
24 October 2006
20 October 2006
The Masterplan
Oasis's 'The Masterplan' is just about the best video I have ever seen. If it doesn't win awards, I'll eat my monitor.
Oh yeah, but it only works in Internet Explorer :o(
Oh yeah, but it only works in Internet Explorer :o(
19 October 2006
Tarland Mad House Blog
18 October 2006
Orange Problems
Seems like the snowball is gathering momentum. I just found this site: Orange Problems.
Hmmm, I think I might do a bit of reading.
Orange: the future is even dimmer
Smurf made a very good point this morning. Orange advertises its broadband service as 'always on', when clearly it isn't. Is this a breach of contract?
I bet they have a line in their terms and conditions which says that equipment failure doesn't count.
Orange sent out a mass e-mail yesterday apologising for the outages. Smurf sent a very snotty reply telling them that their service has been shit since they took over from Wanadoo and their customer service is appalling. He also pointed out that they still haven't replied to his complaint from several weeks ago. I wonder if they'll bother to reply to this one?
I bet they have a line in their terms and conditions which says that equipment failure doesn't count.
Orange sent out a mass e-mail yesterday apologising for the outages. Smurf sent a very snotty reply telling them that their service has been shit since they took over from Wanadoo and their customer service is appalling. He also pointed out that they still haven't replied to his complaint from several weeks ago. I wonder if they'll bother to reply to this one?
17 October 2006
From one ranter to another
Don't you just hate it when you go and see something so good, that when you try to recall it to tell someone else, your mind just goes blank? I've got that problem right now.
I saw Mark Thomas at Bolton Octagon Theatre tonight. He's as funny as fuck, but he also makes some very serious points.
I loved his tale of how his mate Sian presented an application for a licence to protest outside Parliament to the Police by icing it onto a huge cake. "Well the law doesn't say it has to be on paper!" I think that the copper who deals with all of Mark's protest applications deserves a medal too. He sounds like he has managed to combine a sense of humour with the patience of a saint. Congratulations to Mark, though for getting into the Guinness Book of Records for the most number of demonstrations (I think).
Mark made some very astute comments about my MP, Ruth Kelly, too. Mark, you were absolutely spot on, but you forgot to mention that she had her personality and sense of humour surgically removed at birth.
Anyway, I'm not going to tell you what he said, cos I really think that you should go and see him for yourself. Trust me, you won't regret it. His tour dates are on his website.
Oh yeah, and read this too. It's all about dodgy arms deals, and makes very interesting reading.
See, I was right!
Remember this rant about how shit my Orange broadband service is? Well, it seems that I'm not the only one.
The BBC Technology website has reported that Orange has a major outage at the moment, and you should read some of the comments from readers. I have, of course, added mine, but I don't know if the moderators will let them through - they're a bit caustic.
The BBC Technology website has reported that Orange has a major outage at the moment, and you should read some of the comments from readers. I have, of course, added mine, but I don't know if the moderators will let them through - they're a bit caustic.
12 October 2006
and speaking of saving lives
Some people are just too modest. Big clap on the back for Oz, for preventing a death by drowning yesterday.
Well done mate :o)
Well done mate :o)
The 10 Commandments of Dialling 999
Have you ever watched TV dramas, where someone dials 999 and shouts "We need an ambulance, now! High Street!" and then hangs up? Annoying, isn't it?
Have you ever stopped to consider how many 'High Streets' there are in the UK? How the hell is the call-taker supposed to know where you are? OK, if you ring from a landline, they can trace the location, but if it's a mobile phone, the patient will probably be dead before they figure out where you are. How is the call taker supposed to know what's wrong with the patient? Is it a broken leg, or a severed jugular with claret pumping all over the place?
That jolly nice chap, Mark Myers, over at the Nee Naw Blog has come up with ten commandments for people ringing the emergency services, and I strongly suggest that you read, digest and attempt to remember them. It might just save someone's life.
Have you ever stopped to consider how many 'High Streets' there are in the UK? How the hell is the call-taker supposed to know where you are? OK, if you ring from a landline, they can trace the location, but if it's a mobile phone, the patient will probably be dead before they figure out where you are. How is the call taker supposed to know what's wrong with the patient? Is it a broken leg, or a severed jugular with claret pumping all over the place?
That jolly nice chap, Mark Myers, over at the Nee Naw Blog has come up with ten commandments for people ringing the emergency services, and I strongly suggest that you read, digest and attempt to remember them. It might just save someone's life.
11 October 2006
Bikers take note
OK, the summer months are over now, and people are dressing more appropriately to the weather. But what will you do next summer? Discard your leathers and pull on your jeans? Forget the leather jacket, surely a denim or a sweatshirt will do?
Or will it?
Read this, enlarge the photos, and have a damn serious think about why bikers wear leathers.
People have taken the piss out of me for wearing leathers on even the hottest of summer days. I bet this lass won't.
Or will it?
Read this, enlarge the photos, and have a damn serious think about why bikers wear leathers.
People have taken the piss out of me for wearing leathers on even the hottest of summer days. I bet this lass won't.
10 October 2006
I must be mad
I just worked out that I do more than 300 hours of unpaid overtime each year.
"Ay! Boss! A word...!
"Ay! Boss! A word...!
09 October 2006
Amir on the way out already?
I thought that people wrote autobiographies when they had actually had a life to write about. However, nineteen year-old Amir Khan has written his already. Does this mean he thinks it's all over, already?
Don't get me wrong, Amir Khan has made some wonderful achievements in his short boxing career, and I'm dead chuffed for the lad, but surely there's a lot more to come?
Don't get me wrong, Amir Khan has made some wonderful achievements in his short boxing career, and I'm dead chuffed for the lad, but surely there's a lot more to come?
The postman always knocks twice...
Unless he's my postman, that is.
I've been sat in my office since 8am. The post arrived at 11:00am; I heard it drop through the letterbox, along with a little red card saying"Sorry you were out" and notifying me that there is a parcel which has to be signed for, but I have to wait 48 hours before I can go and collect it.
So why the hell didn't the postie trying knocking on the door, or ringing the bell? Stupid idiot.
It's even more annoying because I know what the parcel is, and I know that it says "No Signature Required" in huge blue letters on the front, but the people who sent it to me will have attached a 'Special Delivery Sticker' on the front, which does require the postie to ask for a signature.
So who's more stupid, the people who sent it, or the postie who can't be bothered to knock?
I've been sat in my office since 8am. The post arrived at 11:00am; I heard it drop through the letterbox, along with a little red card saying"Sorry you were out" and notifying me that there is a parcel which has to be signed for, but I have to wait 48 hours before I can go and collect it.
So why the hell didn't the postie trying knocking on the door, or ringing the bell? Stupid idiot.
It's even more annoying because I know what the parcel is, and I know that it says "No Signature Required" in huge blue letters on the front, but the people who sent it to me will have attached a 'Special Delivery Sticker' on the front, which does require the postie to ask for a signature.
So who's more stupid, the people who sent it, or the postie who can't be bothered to knock?
06 October 2006
No safe place to hide...
Local residents are protesting about plans to build a womens' refuge in Farnworth. This Story has made me rather angry, for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, I thought that the whole point of a refuge is that it is a safe place for people to go. The location of the refuge has to be kept secret, in order to protect the residents. Surely, by broadcasting the proposed location of a new refuge, the protestors have already defeated the primary purpose of that refuge and another location would need to be chosen. If the development were to go ahead, the protesters have potentially put those in need at further risk.
How did they find out about the proposed use? I suppose our stupid planning laws meant that the Council was obliged to write to everyone and tell them.
Secondly, do these people not realise how desperate some people have to be before they take that massive step of deciding to seek help?
I hope that all of those people who are protesting never find themselves in need of such a refuge. How horrible it would be, to be fleeing a situation, perhaps in fear of your life, only to be told "Sorry love, there's no refuges because the neighbours didn't want your sort there."
Firstly, I thought that the whole point of a refuge is that it is a safe place for people to go. The location of the refuge has to be kept secret, in order to protect the residents. Surely, by broadcasting the proposed location of a new refuge, the protestors have already defeated the primary purpose of that refuge and another location would need to be chosen. If the development were to go ahead, the protesters have potentially put those in need at further risk.
How did they find out about the proposed use? I suppose our stupid planning laws meant that the Council was obliged to write to everyone and tell them.
Secondly, do these people not realise how desperate some people have to be before they take that massive step of deciding to seek help?
I hope that all of those people who are protesting never find themselves in need of such a refuge. How horrible it would be, to be fleeing a situation, perhaps in fear of your life, only to be told "Sorry love, there's no refuges because the neighbours didn't want your sort there."
05 October 2006
Colouring in
Otter has been exploring his creative side and has kindly coloured in our new Tory logo. I wonder if he clocked Chris and me singing The Red Flag outside the marquee the other weekend; the marquee inside which the local Conservative Party meeting was in progress ...
04 October 2006
The light at the end of the tunnel...
has been switched off until further notice.
My boss has announced he intends to retire, which means that when he goes, I'm redundant.
In the meantime, my colleague is leaving on Friday and although I'd never tell her this to her face, she's been a bloody good friend and I'm gonna miss her. She's good at her job and I have a suspicion that everything is going to fall apart, probably on Monday morning.
I've got over 100 job applications to wade through to select a replacement. About 80 of those applicants are wholly unsuitable :o(
Oh yeah, and I've just sent out 5 letters calling people to interview for the position of part-time assistant - to me! I hope none of them read this blog, cos they'll be too scared to come!
My boss has announced he intends to retire, which means that when he goes, I'm redundant.
In the meantime, my colleague is leaving on Friday and although I'd never tell her this to her face, she's been a bloody good friend and I'm gonna miss her. She's good at her job and I have a suspicion that everything is going to fall apart, probably on Monday morning.
I've got over 100 job applications to wade through to select a replacement. About 80 of those applicants are wholly unsuitable :o(
Oh yeah, and I've just sent out 5 letters calling people to interview for the position of part-time assistant - to me! I hope none of them read this blog, cos they'll be too scared to come!
01 October 2006
More on The Hamster
I never thought I'd ever pay Clarkson a compliment, but his article in The Sun is a bloody cracker. Fair play to the man.
28 September 2006
A few lessons in life
Whether or not it is true that Bill Gates said the following, is doubtful However, they are damn good point about how feel-good,politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.
- Life is not fair - get used to it!
- The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
- You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school.You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.
- If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.
- Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.
- If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.
- Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.
- Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
- Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.
- Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
- Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.
New Tory Logo
I thought that Beau Bo D'or's new Tory logo was good, but Smurf has come up with another one which I think is better. Sadly, I don't have a colour scanner, but hey, you get the idea.
27 September 2006
25 September 2006
Social Exclusion
The Labour Party is hosting an evening reception at the Party Conference in Manchester, and have very kindly invited the staff who work for Labour MPs.
However, the reception is within the security cordon, which means that all those hard-working constituency staff who are still slaving away in their offices whilst their bosses are listening to the drivel from the dais, are not able to go because they don't have conference passes.
Gee, thanks.
Bitter? Me? Why yes, I am, funnily enough. Once again, those who actually do the work are excluded, or perhaps it's just another money-saving exercise - invite people who can't actually get near the venue and save a fortune on nibbles.
Have a nice time, without us, and don't spend too much time wondering why your workers are so disaffected. If you haven't figured it out by now, you never will.
However, the reception is within the security cordon, which means that all those hard-working constituency staff who are still slaving away in their offices whilst their bosses are listening to the drivel from the dais, are not able to go because they don't have conference passes.
Gee, thanks.
Bitter? Me? Why yes, I am, funnily enough. Once again, those who actually do the work are excluded, or perhaps it's just another money-saving exercise - invite people who can't actually get near the venue and save a fortune on nibbles.
Have a nice time, without us, and don't spend too much time wondering why your workers are so disaffected. If you haven't figured it out by now, you never will.
Heart in Mouth
This morning, as I was driving to work, I heard a police car coming up behind me. The whole queue of traffic pulled over to the left to let the vehicle through and I was pleasantly surprised to see the message 'Thank You' being flashed on the LED screen in the rear windscreen. 'Nice touch' I thought.
A few moments later, a car stopped about four cars in front of me, indicating to turn right. I glanced in my mirror and saw a bike coming up the outside of the traffic and he didn't appear to be slowing down. The car turned right, the bike slammed on, I held my breath and was relieved when the bike did actually manage to stop under control, about 2 feet away from the car.
Observation. It's a very useful technique, better used well in advance...
A few moments later, a car stopped about four cars in front of me, indicating to turn right. I glanced in my mirror and saw a bike coming up the outside of the traffic and he didn't appear to be slowing down. The car turned right, the bike slammed on, I held my breath and was relieved when the bike did actually manage to stop under control, about 2 feet away from the car.
Observation. It's a very useful technique, better used well in advance...
21 September 2006
No shit!
A certain large organisation has written to my boss, to express their concerns about a funding defecate of £1.4m.
For that price, my friends and I will be more than happy to supply!
I wonder if we should tell them to stop using 'autocorrect' on their wordprocessor? It took me about two hours to stop laughing.
For that price, my friends and I will be more than happy to supply!
I wonder if we should tell them to stop using 'autocorrect' on their wordprocessor? It took me about two hours to stop laughing.
not such a smart move
OK, I admit it. A tube of smarties (or these days, a hexatube, since they ditched the tube last year), doesn't last very long in my hands, and I'm not averse to eating more than one packet at a time. However, now that Nestlé have decided to switch production from York to Hamburg, I have decided to stop buying them. My little boycott may not make much difference in the grand scale of things, but I think it's another great loss to UK industry.
Nestlé is a Swiss company which bought out Rowntree's of York in 1988, so what did we expect? It's about time that UK employment law was tightened up to the same levels as it is in Europe, and make it more difficult for these foreign companies to come in, buy out and make our workers redundant.
Nestlé is a Swiss company which bought out Rowntree's of York in 1988, so what did we expect? It's about time that UK employment law was tightened up to the same levels as it is in Europe, and make it more difficult for these foreign companies to come in, buy out and make our workers redundant.
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20 September 2006
the state of the country
The Extra Special PC has hit the nail right on the head with this one. Work hard, get nowt. Skive hard, get everything.
19 September 2006
An ode to Steve Irwin
A bright & brash Australian,
the Hunter was his name.
All those slimy reptiles
brought him wealth and fame.
Some say he was a looker,
to girls he was a dish.
He knew everything about Crocodiles,
but fuck all about fish!
the Hunter was his name.
All those slimy reptiles
brought him wealth and fame.
Some say he was a looker,
to girls he was a dish.
He knew everything about Crocodiles,
but fuck all about fish!
Back to Skool
OK, so most places have stopped mis-spelling 'school' now, after numerous complaints. However, one wonders who this promotion was aimed at, the teachers, or the kids (seeing as 1 in 4 apparently hit the bottle).
Thanks to Kurt for this one :o)
Thanks to Kurt for this one :o)
Lost Weekend at Z-Rock Fest
Get yer arses down to Dudley on Sunday for the Z-Rock Fest and have a listen to Lost Weekend. Or else. Besides, you can get a copy of their new album 'Forever Moving On', which promises to be another good 'un.
best news website yet
OK, I thought that the Burning Times was fantastic, but I've found an even better one. Newsbiscuit! Woo hoo!
stolen bike alert
Red and black Ducati Monster Mob (very rare in the UK)
Reg number : HF 04 LKY
VIN number : ZDMH500AD4B007370
Stolen from Tyldesley, nr. Atherton, Greater Manchester at 2pm on Wednesday 13 September 2006
Any info, please contact wizardslair7@hotmail.com
Reg number : HF 04 LKY
VIN number : ZDMH500AD4B007370
Stolen from Tyldesley, nr. Atherton, Greater Manchester at 2pm on Wednesday 13 September 2006
Any info, please contact wizardslair7@hotmail.com
18 September 2006
Cashpoint cripples
The cashpoint at most supermarkets is usually less than 20 yards away from normal parking bays, and yet some people are so lazy and bone-idle that they can't be bothered to park up in a bay and walk for the extra five seconds to get to the machine. Instead, they park up on double-yellow lines, or in bays marked for use by disabled people and seem to be oblivious to the havoc they can cause.
Get off your fat arses and walk the extra few yards, and leave the disabled bays for people who really need them.15 September 2006
incontinence
Smurf's GT had a bit of an accident in the night and pissed petrol all over the garage floor; it would appear that the breather in the fuel cap was blocked. It stinks. Anyway, he's swept out as much as he can and put the offending machine in the garden to think about what it's done.
14 September 2006
more BB woes
Oh what a fucking surprise! My broadband connection has been down again, all evening apparently. Not that I'd know if I hadn't been told, seeing as I've just worked 13 hours without a break.
I wonder what their excuse is this time? Oh, sorry, Orange don't give excuses, do they? Just platitudes and just lies, then tell you they're fixing it.
Now that it's back on, it's slower than dialup.
addendum
Orange's 'contact us' page is shite too, it's not compatible with Firefox. Magnifying glass, anyone?
The future's not so bright...
I am utterly fed up with my current broadband provider. Yes, Orange, that's you. Ever since Orange took over from Wanadoo, the service has been terrible. There have been several outages, lasting hours and even days at a time with no explanation or so much as a 'by your leave'. When you ring the service status line, they tell you everything is hunky dory, so you ring the helpline, get kept on hold for over half an hour and then speak to some pre-programmed robot who reads from a script which says:
"I'm sorry, we are aware that some customers are experiencing problems, but we are working hard to fix it."
If I hear that line one more time, I shall scream. I asked the last one "when will it be fixed" and was told "soon, probably". It was out for two days.
I'm fed up of them saying 'sorry' too. I don't give a flying fk how sorry they are, I want it fixed and I want it to stop collapsing on me every time I have a bloody deadline to meet.
I don't just use the Internet for leisure purposes, I need it for my work too, and it really is unacceptable. I'm paying £28 a month for a shite service, which is flaky at the best of times. I have a little network of friends now, all using Orange, and we text each other each time we can't connect, to make sure it is Orange's fault and not ours. One friend has been unable to gain access for two weeks and Orange refuse to talk to her because the account is in her boyfriend's name, even though he has given them authority to deal with her and she pays the damn bill.
Orange seriously needs to get its act together.
In the meantime, I am investigating other ISPs. So if anyone has any recommendations, please do let me know. I don't want e-mail addresses, I don't want a free modem (I've got three already, thanks), I don't want free webspace or flashy add-ons, anti-spam or anti-virus software.
All I want to do it connect to the Internet on a reliable service with no download limits. Is that too much to ask for?
"I'm sorry, we are aware that some customers are experiencing problems, but we are working hard to fix it."
If I hear that line one more time, I shall scream. I asked the last one "when will it be fixed" and was told "soon, probably". It was out for two days.
I'm fed up of them saying 'sorry' too. I don't give a flying fk how sorry they are, I want it fixed and I want it to stop collapsing on me every time I have a bloody deadline to meet.
I don't just use the Internet for leisure purposes, I need it for my work too, and it really is unacceptable. I'm paying £28 a month for a shite service, which is flaky at the best of times. I have a little network of friends now, all using Orange, and we text each other each time we can't connect, to make sure it is Orange's fault and not ours. One friend has been unable to gain access for two weeks and Orange refuse to talk to her because the account is in her boyfriend's name, even though he has given them authority to deal with her and she pays the damn bill.
Orange seriously needs to get its act together.
In the meantime, I am investigating other ISPs. So if anyone has any recommendations, please do let me know. I don't want e-mail addresses, I don't want a free modem (I've got three already, thanks), I don't want free webspace or flashy add-ons, anti-spam or anti-virus software.
All I want to do it connect to the Internet on a reliable service with no download limits. Is that too much to ask for?
Ban on skinny models
Well done, the organisers of Madrid's Fashion Week, for banning overly-skinny models from appearing on the catwalk.
It's about time that the fashion world realised that in the real world, most women don't look like anorexic stick-insects.
As for the comment that the ban is discriminating against the model and the freedom of the designer - get a life. If the model can't get a job as a clothes horse, she could get one as a xylophone instead, and if a designer can't design something for someone with a bit of meat, they should realise that they are crap and get a different job too.
It's about time that the fashion world realised that in the real world, most women don't look like anorexic stick-insects.
As for the comment that the ban is discriminating against the model and the freedom of the designer - get a life. If the model can't get a job as a clothes horse, she could get one as a xylophone instead, and if a designer can't design something for someone with a bit of meat, they should realise that they are crap and get a different job too.
11 September 2006
red means STOP
Another Constable has declared war on cyclists who think that traffic lights don't apply to them. Exellent! Perhaps all the other coppers could do the same. I, for one, am very pissed off with cyclists who just barrel on through red lights and then glare at any driver who happens to be trying to cross their path.
Well done, AC, more power to your elbow!
Well done, AC, more power to your elbow!
10 September 2006
oh poo!
We were having a lovely time at the Autumn M'NABD'ness rally at Cornbury Park. The sun was shining, the beer was flowing and the company was fantastic. We had to leave on Saturday afternoon to get home for Spike's mum's 60th birthday party, so we packed up, got on the bike and managed just over a mile before disaster struck. My throttle cable had snapped.
So there we were, at the side of the road, scratching our heads, when the lovely Bonehead happened to pass by, saw us and came back to ask if he could help. He then zoomed off to the site for backup. Ten minutes later, my knights in shining armour (well, in a white van anyway), Bob and Chris arrived, loaded the bike into the back of the van and took us back to the site.
It was clear that the cable wasn't broken at the handlebar end, so we took off the tank to get a better look at the other end, but that was intact too. It was then that Smurf came along, had a poke here and a pull there, and pulled out about a foot of cable from the sleeve. It hadn't just snapped, it was completely knackered. It was rusted and falling apart in several places. Not bad for only 2 years old :o( Anyway, Eddie and Smurf had a good look and decided that the only way to get a new cable on would be to drop the carbs. Not a job I really wanted to carry out with few tools and in the middle of a field so, for the first time in my life, I rang for the nice man in the big truck with the flashing lights. He really was a nice man too. Kevin the recovery bloke explained to me how he was going to put the bike on the back of the trailer whilst I watched anxiously as he winched my pride and joy up the ramp, and we were soon on our way. When we got back to Spike's we realised that there was no way that the truck would get up his street, so he dropped off the bike at the end of the road, and I fired it up on choke and used the choke as a throttle to get it up the back street to the garage, when it now sits, all lonely and forlorn.
I've tried ringing a few places today, but there are no Kawasaki dealers in Coventry, apparently, and not many other places are open on a Sunday. I may have to put an emergency cable kit on it to get me home and then go to a dealer nearer home. It may even come to using a bit of string yet. Oh what fun I have. I think it might be a good idea to replace the return cable at the same time, given the state that this one was in. It would save having to drop the carbs twice.
Big thanks to everyone who tried to help, though. Bonehead, you are, as always, a star :o)
So there we were, at the side of the road, scratching our heads, when the lovely Bonehead happened to pass by, saw us and came back to ask if he could help. He then zoomed off to the site for backup. Ten minutes later, my knights in shining armour (well, in a white van anyway), Bob and Chris arrived, loaded the bike into the back of the van and took us back to the site.
It was clear that the cable wasn't broken at the handlebar end, so we took off the tank to get a better look at the other end, but that was intact too. It was then that Smurf came along, had a poke here and a pull there, and pulled out about a foot of cable from the sleeve. It hadn't just snapped, it was completely knackered. It was rusted and falling apart in several places. Not bad for only 2 years old :o( Anyway, Eddie and Smurf had a good look and decided that the only way to get a new cable on would be to drop the carbs. Not a job I really wanted to carry out with few tools and in the middle of a field so, for the first time in my life, I rang for the nice man in the big truck with the flashing lights. He really was a nice man too. Kevin the recovery bloke explained to me how he was going to put the bike on the back of the trailer whilst I watched anxiously as he winched my pride and joy up the ramp, and we were soon on our way. When we got back to Spike's we realised that there was no way that the truck would get up his street, so he dropped off the bike at the end of the road, and I fired it up on choke and used the choke as a throttle to get it up the back street to the garage, when it now sits, all lonely and forlorn.
I've tried ringing a few places today, but there are no Kawasaki dealers in Coventry, apparently, and not many other places are open on a Sunday. I may have to put an emergency cable kit on it to get me home and then go to a dealer nearer home. It may even come to using a bit of string yet. Oh what fun I have. I think it might be a good idea to replace the return cable at the same time, given the state that this one was in. It would save having to drop the carbs twice.
Big thanks to everyone who tried to help, though. Bonehead, you are, as always, a star :o)
05 September 2006
knackered
OK, I know I've not blogged for ages. It's cos I'm too bloody busy and too knackered, so sorry but I'll get round to posting something constructive soon.
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