Monday, December 26, 2005

More web based games than is humanly possible to play (all of them rated).

Thursday, December 22, 2005

The GeekPod 100 from BatteryGeek.net provides 100 hours of iPod goodness.

Only problem is the foreign charger - so I am hoping for a UK version at some point.

Edit - Further to Michael Harrison's comments about Batterygeek. I have started to think that a homemade solution maybe a better way to battery power the iPod.

The solutions offered by Drew Perry and Chris Diclerico (Verson2 and Version3 seems a reasonable way to approach this.

The 8 hours seems a reasonable amount of time to get the iPod back to a power source and extra batteries could always be carried.

Monday, December 19, 2005

Sustrans Brochures for the West Coast of Scotland Cyclepaths (all pdfs, so download these links).

Clyde and Loch Lomond Cycleway (NCN 7)
Glasgow to Loch Lomond mainly traffic-free path for cyclists and walkers 20 mls

Lochwinnoch Loop Line (NCN 7)
Paisley to Kilbirnie mainly traffic-free path for cyclists and walkers 14 mls

Hillend Loch Railway Path (NCN 75)
Airdrie to Bathgate mainly traffic-free path for cyclists and walkers 14 mls

Paisley and Clyde Railway Path (NCN 75)
Paisley to Gourock mainly traffic-free path for cyclists and walkers 20 mls

Garnock Valley Cycleway (NCN 7)
Irvine to Kilbirnie 18 mls

Ayrshire Coast Cycleway (NCN 7)
Irvine to Ayr traffic-free route for cyclists and walkers 19 mls

Cunninghame Cycleway (NCN 73)
Kilmarnock to Ardrossan traffic free path for walkers and cyclists 17 mls

Clyde Corridor Cycle Route (NCN 75)
Heart of Glasgow to Uddingston traffic-free walking and cycling route 12 mls

edit one more from the East Coast -
The Esk Valley Cycle Route
Musselburgh to Dalkeith largely traffic-free route 5 mls
Perfect for giving this Christmas.

What says love more than handcrafted Duct Tape Wallet.

You can use Gaffer Tape which I find comes in prettier colours than duct tape, has better adhesive qaulities, sticks when it gets cold and stays stuck, and comes off with no adhesive residue (also it does does not remove paint when you remove it). Gaffer Tape comes in more sizes at well from 1" to 4" rolls (the latter is great for sticking cables to carpets).

The alternative Duct Tape cover for a HipsterPDA could also be considered the perfect gift.

edit - more great ideas for the that great tape called Gaffer.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Friday, December 16, 2005

I bank with British Bank and I needed to deposit a Canadian Dollar cheque into the account. So, I phoned them and asked how will it cost for me to deposit this cheque into my account. The guys says "hang on and I will find out".

He comes back and informs me that I will be able deposit this cheque into my account. I ask "how much will it cost" (the original question) and he tells me that I need to ask my branch. I then ask how long will it take for it to clear, and he tells me to ask my branch again.

So, I phoned their helpline and was answered a question I did not ask and was told an answer I already knew. How can they call this a helpline?

British Banks range from incompetent to evil. This event is more incompetent.
Hamachi is fast, secure and simple VPN, the holy Grail of SOHO networkers and Road Warriors.

Sunday, November 13, 2005

Well, I cam to Toronto for some meetings and have changed my mind about this town - slightly.

It may not be the most boring town in North America - top ten but not the most boring.

Met up with some friends from Mac and their new spouses.

One of the things that have thrown me is that everyone looks a lot older. Wayne Gretzky is really showing his age.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

And you think your users use passwords that are insecure?

At least they can't fire nuclear warheads.

Monday, November 07, 2005

I discussed Sony's attempt at surreptitious DRM shipping with CDs.

This is not the only case of unwanted software being installed by music corporations on individual's PCs.

So, unfortunately now Van Zant, who I assume had no knowledge that their CD would be carrying this software are now having their CD slammed on Amazon.

The only reason I can see that the large music corporations are doing this, is to kill the CD format. As they continue to limit the uses of CDs through the use of more restrictive DRM, the attraction of online sources with their well published DRM becomes apparent. In addition, P2P sources allow people to gain access to uncracked versions of music that they have already purchased.

This fight has only just begun and already the music corporations are losing.

Thursday, November 03, 2005

How does the Death Star work?

I am wondering when this will be featured in Make Magazine. "A galactic space station made from PVC and duct tape: We show you how."

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Free access to Nature's Insight edition on Sleep

This is important on a lot of the fronts that I am concerned about - the opening up of scientific literature to those who would benefit from it, and the ability to read articles on sleep, since I live with someone who has sleep difficulties.
Buy a cd - get free software.

That is surreptitiously placed on your computer and acts a lot like a rootkit.

All from Sony - the music company you can trust.

Update: Another completely unrelated story has Sony in a pissing contest with Apple using DRM as the main weapon.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

New Systm episode has been released.

Thursday, October 27, 2005

If NerdTV needs to find inspiration - this is what good interview skills and camera work looks like.

Interviews with some very talented people, bnrought to you by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Computerworld's Salary Survey is out.

See how you compare to our Yank Cousins.

Thursday, October 20, 2005

Don't blame me for this little life stealer.

Gravity

Fire an atom amongst gravity sources. Great fun and probably educational - if you were an atom and needed to avoid gravitational forces.

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

I wonder if naming your kid Google is any worse than naming it Kylie or Jon?
The Escape Pod Podcast

The Science Fiction Podcast Magazine. Each week Escape Pod narrates fun science fiction and fantasy short stories, with commentary and review

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Go look at a few thousand SF Covers.
Haul out the conspiracy theories.

Tiny yellow dots have been discovered by the EFF and have published DocuColor Tracking Dot Decoding Guide to show you how this printer is encoding every page you print with a forensic tracking code.

Update:

Here is a list of printers that have been found to do the same.
What could be sweeter than a young man and his rail gun?

The story can be found here.

Monday, October 17, 2005

When USA Today determines that 30 percent of Americans are "early adopters", it means that they do not know how to construct a standard population graph and that they are well behind the bleeding edge where "early adopters" reside.

Friday, October 14, 2005

Amazing Colour photos of World War I

Why are these images more poignant when you see them in colour? Maybe it is the shift in perspective.

Monday, October 10, 2005

This is what happens when a good presentation style is combined with compelling content.

Dick Hardt's Keynote address at O'Reilly's OSCON on Identity 2.0 is well worth watching.

Tuesday, October 04, 2005

Orson Scott Card, reviews Serenity.

Card is one of the authors I respect greatly, he manages to incorporate the concept of consequence into his books, which results in humans in space, rather than mannequins in spacesuits.

Monday, October 03, 2005

Agenda for Change (or A4C) has managed to screw up the lives of a lot of people who build and manage the IT Systems for the NHS.

Just when we needed some stability in the National Health Service, a new initiative comes along to mess it all up.

They are saying that people will ciculate posts, I see a hemorrhaging of IT Staff from the NHS.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

FlickrBlog has some great ideas on doing things with Flickr.

These are some additional tools to the great site that features the Flickr Tool Collection
This guy made a carbon fiber bike in his garage, and then he made a website.

Friday, September 23, 2005

How to install Slax onto your iPod Nano.

Turns it into a portable bootable Linux drive.

I am looking for more podzilla functionality on the nano.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

What information is held on hotel keycards?

According to this article, it could be your name, address and credit card informaiton in unecrypted form.

It is not that tough to make a magnetic card reader

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Great piece on Make Magazine's Blog where they show off PodZilla.

It is amazing what the podzilla guys are doing with Linux on the iPod. Putting video on the little white box before Apple, better appearance control and loads more games.

Friday, September 16, 2005

Combine Glaswegian and Dolmio Ads and you get this brilliant collection.


BTW - Not Safe for Work (if you have the sound up).

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

The Washington Post has an article on the End of the Bush Era.

I am wondering what this discussion on the End of an Era actually means on the ground. Is it the impeachment that met Nixon when his numbers got as bad as W's? Or just a change in perception that the smugness is arrogance and not confidence.

Monday, September 12, 2005

The new Berliner edition of the Guardian is due out today.

The last couple days were blogged by the Guardian staff.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

I want a workbench - but first I need a house that has enough unused space to put a workbench.

Friday, September 02, 2005

OK, this is a site that is blowing up.

You could say that the The Rawker is like the Star Wars Kid, if you replaced the kid with an aging southern lead singer and the lightsaber with a microphone.

The story is on the website that explains the whole thing.

I do not know how long this site will be up. As soon as, they get broadband into the trailer park andThe Rawker learns how to hook up an ADSL modem, this site is gone.

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

The battery on my iPod was pretty well dead. It would only run for 35 minutes after showing a full charge.

I sent a cheque for £15.50 to ipodstop and received a replacement battery and the tools needed to open the case.

The kit showed up in two days and using the instructions and their online video made replacing the battery very easy.

I left the iPod to recharge for a full 24 hours and it now runs like a dream. The new battery actually should be able to run longer than the original.

Being without the iPod for a couple weeks was a complete pain in the butt. Nice to have it back.

It also is nice to know that the battery is replaceable, so along with the iToque this iPod should last a while.

Thursday, August 11, 2005

Stuck? - go to StuckGamer

I find them better than those text files you find on Gamefaqs.
Espresso Porn.com

I don't get it.

Some people find the image of coffee coming out of an expresso machine so pleasing that they label it porn?

Nope, I still don't get it.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Classic Phishing email.

Who could resist the temptation to enter their personal details after recieving this one?

We regret to inform you that your eBay account has been suspended due to the violation of our site policy below: False or missing contact information - falsification or imitation your name, address, and/or telephone number (including use of fax machines pager numbers, modems or disconnected numbers).
Due to the suspension of this account, please be advised you are prohibited from using eBay in any way. This prohibition includes the registering of a new account.
Please note that any seller fees due to eBay will immediately become due and payable.
eBay will charge any amounts you have not previously disputed to the billing method currently on file.

http://www.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?verifyccplace

If you have recently updated your billing information, please disregard this message as we are processing the changes you have made.

This notification expires on August 30, 2005.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.

Thank you for using eBay!

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

A good By New York Times article on the current hi-tech/high priced gadgets available for cyclists.

Power meters in your hubs, new heart meters - all available for a price.

Registration is necessary - so use bugmenot

Monday, August 01, 2005

Getting the band back together.

R&F on 202

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

The good people at Make have a new temptation for me to resist.

I have succumbed to the Blog and various videos, which tend to dilute the print edition.

But now they have released the entire Volume 3 in Digital form. I need to resist this temptation, since I know it will simply diminish the joy of that little square package coming through the door.

So, I will get the Digital Edition (for no extra cost) but only after the print edition is in my hot little paws.

Stopped at Clyde Tunnel Corner


Stopped at Clyde Tunnel Corner
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.


I took this photo this morning and then read the article by Lionel Shriver.

This photo is a perfect example of what she is talking about. The construction crews have not considered anyone but motorised traffic by laying these cones up to the center-line. If they had left a 2-3 foot path for cyclists, we would not forced into the right-hand lane, on an already dangerous intersection.

The Cycle Chat at Lochwinnoch


The Cycle Chat at Lochwinnoch
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

I saw these two guys chatting away on the shore of Near Castle Semple Loch and had to get a photo.

The Castle Semple rest area is a regular stop for cyclists and there were dozens of bikes and their associated riders out that day.

Liz having Lunch at Lochwinnoch


Liz having Lunch at Lochwinnoch
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

Ladies who lunch (and ride 28 miles to Kilbirnie and back)

Artwork near Glengarnock


Artwork near Glengarnock
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

Liz spied this hidden artwork on the trail past Kilbirnie

Artwork near Glengarnock


Artwork near Glengarnock
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

Liz spied this hidden artwork on the trail past Kilbirnie

Liz trains for The Tour


Liz trains for The Tour
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

Elizabeth adopts the aerodynamic profile that will serve her well in the Tour de France

The Folly outside Lochwinnoch


The Folly outside Lochwinnoch
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

This Victorian Folly sits outside Lochwinnoch - never been up to see it but it looks good from a distance

Disused Railway


Disused Railway
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

The disused station on the way to Kilmacolm

Disused Railway


Disused Railway
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

The disused station on the way to Kilmacolm

Disused Railway


Disused Railway
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

The disused station on the way to Kilmacolm

Disused Railway


Disused Railway
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

The disused station on the way to Kilmacolm

Cyclepath to Kilmacolm


Cyclepath to Kilmacolm
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

Cyclepath to Linwood


Cyclepath to Linwood
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

Some photos from cycle trips during my time off.

First set are cycling from Paisley to Kilmacolm on my own.

Monday, July 25, 2005

GROW RPG is very cool - no idea what to do, but that does not stop me playing.

Tuesday, July 12, 2005

Does the Scribe, Mozilla Firefox Extension add a office type functionality to web forms?

I am looking for something that has secure online storage with the ability to link to other web services, like Flicker, Gmail, and a web Calendar and do basic office functions (word process and spreadsheet type stuff).

The evolution of my Hipster


The evolution of my Hipster
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

This is shows the stages that my Hipster PDA has undertaken.

I gave up the 3x4 version, since I needed to cut 4x6 cards in half to get the right size cards (it originally made sense). Also the 3x4 cards were not compatible with Douglas Johnston's DIY hipster pages which I really like.

The 3x5 one is much easier to refill (open pack of cards - job done). I then made a gaffer tape cover for it and chucked in a couple DIY cards and dividers between sections.

Finally, I tried to make a better gaffer tape cover and turn it into a gaffer tape envelope to hold the cards. Unfortunately, this is not very easy to open and make quick notes. So, I pack it into the rucksack and use it to carry extra 3x5 cards and DIY pages. Works a treat.

I use these along with a notebook for projects to keep myself organised. Not sure if I am doing this right (still find processing a bit difficult) but it definitely makes it easier to sleep at night when I am not trying to remember everything I need to do.

A very nice Railway Bridge


A very nice Railway Bridge
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

Saw this repainted bridge along the Sustrans Cyclepath to Kilmalcolm.

Monday, July 11, 2005

I have just noticed that Sean Kennedy reminds me of Mike from Spaced.

I am now looking for Brian.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Just wondering if this group are terrorist sympathisers?

Thank God for the bombing of London's subway today

What is the current American rule on groups that sympathise with terrorists?

Time to take out Kansas.

Friday, July 08, 2005

Hoops for Palestine


Hoops for Palestine
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

These Bhoys were making their stand for an independent Palestine - or they found a cool flag and were waving it to irritate the police.

MrBen


MrBen
Originally uploaded by MrLithic.

The Benster enjoying the crush in Edinburgh

Saturday, July 02, 2005

Off to the Edinburgh Demonstrations along with MrBen, Bagpuss and their associated spouses.

I will return with pictures and hopefully some stories.

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Another great find of Public Radio streams.

Instead of searching for your favourite shows - this is a one-stop shopping portal for great public radio.
Ugly but informative site on all things cycling. Including the specs on my Original touring bike: a Miyata 1000.

Monday, June 27, 2005

Two great words "cheap" and "raid".

Combine them together and you the The Poor Man's Raid Array

Cheap parts and about 3 hours assembly time gets you a very cool RAID array.

Sunday, June 26, 2005

I do not understand why Computer Bowl did not take off like the SuperBowl.

Maybe they needed to drink beer during it, to attract corporate sponsorship.
This seems like a lot of work for pizza.

DIY Brick Oven

Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Get iPodder subscribed to the tartanpodcast and listen the best new Scottish music.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

How to make a camping stove from an aluminium drink can.

PCTHiker.com: Scott's Stoves: Overview

If you want a full collection (including the Pepsi Can stove) Check here.
Who would not want a replica scientific instrument from the Middle Ages?

I especially like the ones that show the Ptolemiac model of the universe.

ESI_RepInstIndex

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Bush lied

So Americans need to sign.

The Downing Street Memo :: What is it?

Monday, June 13, 2005

These people want to have the largest HowTo Wiki on the web.

So here is my contribution.

How to Make Canadian Pancakes - wikiHow
The guys at MAKE do some very cool things (that is why I subscribed to the magazine).

This a great piece on reading text files on your iPod.

MAKE ebooks for your iPod guide!
From someone who is trying to implement GTD into his planning and now carries a Hipster instead of a the several electronic versions of this tool, here is an article which provides some nice additions for that very useful bulge in your back pocket.

I will blog more on GTD later. I have been completely rethinking the way in which I organise my time and actions.

D*I*Y Planner Hipster PDA Edition

Wednesday, June 01, 2005

I am eagerly awaiting the moment when Sunderland are moved from the Championship to the Premiership page on the BBC.

Friday, May 27, 2005

DIY Cat5 Speaker Cables are supposedly much better than high end speaker cables. Only problem is that they rip hands as you try to make them.

Cat5 cables are the best thing for everything.

I am waiting for the Network Cable Car to come out.

Tuesday, May 17, 2005

Geobloggers

Early use of Google maps to tie web elements to the real world.

Are these photos improved by knowing where they were taken?

I can see some uses for this.

Archaeological sites and their associated site photos is my first thought.

But a photo of someone's ugly kid in front of a tree does not improve with geotagging so that you know where the tree is.

Sunday, May 08, 2005

The place to get all of your Air America Podcasts.

I will get a list of the podcasts I subscribe to up here soon. But right now I am subscribing to a load of crap shows and I need to trim it down before I post it here.

One crap show I have on my iPod is the Richard Vobes Show. I tried to listen to it a couple days ago and it made me ill.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

So, Google Local UK and Google Maps UK are released.

Now to see what people do with this. Real estate, renting, cab availability etc.

All we need are the Satellite photos to start Google sightseeing UK (here are three to start, Edinburgh Castle, All of the Premiership grounds and Stonehenge).

Saturday, April 16, 2005


Out in the main bar Posted by Hello

The Foreign Beer Bar Posted by Hello

Some of the Breweries in the Scottish Bar Posted by Hello

With the Beer Menu in the other pocket Posted by Hello

Essential #1 - The Pint Pocket  Posted by Hello

Mace gets his Matrix face on  Posted by Hello

Thinker showed up first Posted by Hello

MrBen enjoys his bratwurst Posted by Hello

Neil brought signage for the BeerCam Posted by Hello

Thinker and Big Kev Posted by Hello

Sandy and ScottMac enjoying pints Posted by Hello

Sunday, April 10, 2005

So what happens when you combine craiglist and google maps?

This!

When is someone going to do this for Prostitutes?

But seriously, I am looking forward to Google Maps coming to the UK. This integration with other web services is not going to stop.

Sunday, April 03, 2005

The talk at ScotLUG went well. I did a short slide show on Social Engineering and then did a live demonstration.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Saturday, March 26, 2005

A Coder in Courierland

A true tale of guy who gave up the cubicle for the world of the bicycle messenger.

I would love to do this.

Monday, March 21, 2005

What is better than Shufflephones?

Shufflephones 2.0
2-sided pov toy

This sure beats the playing card in the spokes.

Thursday, March 17, 2005

Geek Pimpin'

Pimp My Shuffle - Retro Cordless Edition
What is cooler than a very nice motorcycle?

A bike that runs Unix!
How do you make the RAZR V3 better?

Pull out the crap VGA camera and put a 1 Megapixel version in it.

Motorola are doing some good thinigs - I am waiting for Nokia to heads out of their fashion asses and start producing the phones we need now.

A Nokia 6230 with a better OS and better camera would get me to upgrade. But there is nothing else out there. Unless Nokia want only the Schoolbus SoapBar market, they need to wake up and get the better phones out.
A handy guide on how to shred your old hard drives.

I normally use Darik's Boot and Nuke but I may try this next time.
I would love a bluetooth adaptor for the iPod.

No more wires sounds good to me.

Cycling Diary 17/03/2005

Cycling has been off for the past week.

This head cold has floored me since Saturday. Trips outside have consisted of going to the shops and then getting back to the flat to try and warm up. The weather has not been cold but the sickness has brought some bad chills with it.

I hope to be back on the bike soon.
Well, this makes Christmas giving pretty easy.

The perfect gift for the man in your life.

I would love to go to work in this. Just need to get it bigger.

Big enough to be in The Incredibles.

Monday, March 14, 2005

Sunday, March 13, 2005

Right, so this is something I need to try out.

Monday is going to be devoted to downloading and installing ZenWorks for Linux
Cool Flickr Tag collection

So - whatsinyourbag?

Wednesday, March 09, 2005

Cycled in today and the weather was clear and chilly. I needed the leather gloves to keep the fingers warm.

The mist was rising and the sun was a bit blinding but I am not complaining. It is a lot better situation than ice and darkness.

The tops of thighs were burning but the ankles and achilles tendon got a massage from Liz last night, so no problems there. Stretched the thighs out did some calf stretches. Everything seems better now.

I will do some riding this weekend and I hope to be riding everyday next week.

Monday, March 07, 2005

Well, I am back on the bicycle.

The cycle computer is hooked up and working.

I found out that I am running 80% of my max heart rate for roughly 30 minutes in the morning. Not sure if this is a good thing.

Also the distance is not as long as I thought it was, but I will stick with my original estimate since it sounds better.

Average speed was 23 Km/h
Top speed was 37 Km/h

Traffic was fine. I started a little earlier jusat in case I needed to slow down due to the ankle. The ankle feels fine and the ride was quite enjoyable.
Hey, let's watch it shred.

Friday, March 04, 2005

Not much on the cycling - since I have not been cycling much.

I blew out my ankle on Wednesday and had to take two days off work. By 'blow out' I mean, ankle took too much abuse and the calf went into spasm. The anklle itself swelled up and the back tendon was really sore.

Liz did some massage on it and I rested for the two days and it seems much better now.

I really pushed it on Wednesday. I cycled in and out of work and went to the gym at noon for an hour workout.

Too much, too soon. I want to start including the gym in the weekly routine but this is a strong suggestion that I need to build up the body a bit more before that happens.

Friday, February 25, 2005

Thursday, February 24, 2005

Hey honey, Can I build a 135 foot high Ice Wall in the back yard?

I would love to do this.

But I doubt it will happen.
More snow - almost a blizzard.

If I was not wanting to get out cycling, I may almost enjoy the white stuff.

But for now it is filling the skies and turning the streets into ice rinks.

The light is good and I would be fine riding at 7am, in terms of visibility.

Wednesday, February 23, 2005

Ice and freezing temperatures have stopped the cycling temporarily.

ScotLUG is coming up on Thursday and the LPI course is tonight. So it is doubtful I would be able to ride this week.

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Cycle Diary - 20050216

The mornings are still cold – near freezing, but thankfully there is no ice on the roads.

I know this stage of cycling. I still have some energy in the legs. Soon there will be a time when the energy is gone, that is when the building of the legs and the cycling begins. You attack the hills that almost stopped you a couple months earlier.

The traffic is pretty light and I am leaving a bit later than I did when I was in full swing last year. I will heading out earlier as the days get longer.

Did not cycle back due to a late day and haze, which made visibility an issue.

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Cycle Dairy - 20050215

Inspired by Sparkes tales of avocational agriculture, I decide that it may be interesting to blog the daily cycle to work, if I can manage it daily (that refers to both the blog and the cycling).

Weather - Cold this morning - 0C, warmed up in the afternoon, possible tailwind inthe morning, no wind on the return. The cold really froze the ears though, might try to see if I can wear a toque under the helmet.

Traffic - nothing major. dodged between a trinity of buses this morning, which made the middlle portion interesting. We travelled at roughly the same speed, so I was passing them (and being passed) for about half the journey.
The StrathClyde Police Station Roundabout is still a mess with large barricades blocking the left hand lane. Means I have to start my run earlier when approaching that roundabout to get myself in the right hand lane. Not a big deal but it really burns the legs.
Messed up the Mario Pizza corner (I will find the street name later). Thought I could run up the middle line and get myself in position to avoid the left hand turners. Mistimed it and got caught out on the wrong side. Dived on the pavement and used the pedestrian crossing to get out of that mess.

Other Stuff - pedalled behind a kid who has been cycling over the winter. He had good pace and I struggled to keep up. Hopefully that situation will change as I continue to cycle to work. It took me about a month to get my legs and fitness back last autumn. I have started to cycle in a lot earlier this year and I hope it pays off.

Monday, February 14, 2005

I remember visiting a friend’s cousin’s place when I was growing up. He was a record distributor for the music publishers. He would drive to the small towns of Manitoba and drop off records to be sold in the hardware stores and specialty shops. We went to his basement and the place was typical of prairie suburbs, with that 1970’s orangey brown carpet and lined with crates. They were turn on their sides so that you could see the edges of the vinyl records.

There were hundreds, possibly thousands of records in that basement. It was time when you bought a record to be able to hear that song whenever. Cheap re-issues were not prevalent and “Best Of Albums” were only put out by bands that had a solid career not only a single LP.

I think back on that time and it seems both magical and other-worldly. To be in a time where music is heard only by those who own a particular piece of plastic seems very strange. The music held a greater significance, but that position came at a cost.

It amazes me that music seems almost disposable in this current age. That people will purchase music online then delete it when the next single comes along seems strange to me.

If the cost of this new access to media is to diminish it to a recycle bin, then maybe it is too high a price to pay. I still think back to that time when each album was held by the edges and in esteem. Hearing something from a rare recording was like vintage wine. Only to be enjoyed by a few.

Maybe the new access to music has opened up a world that was unobtainable before, but it has come at a cost. These will have to be tallied before we know if it is too high a price to pay.

Monday, February 07, 2005

Novell: Public Service Announcement

I have come across every single one of these disorders in Microsoft people.

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Favicons have never been so easy.

FavIcon from Pics
Stupid, annoying, life-wasting java games.

Is that what you expect from this Blog?

Well, then

Here you go - HIGH WHEELS

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

I started back riding into work this week.

The mornings are a bit dark, but I have some lights on the back of the bike. I may need to look into getting some more reflectors and some lights for the helmet.

The early morning ride has reinforced how my easy life over winter has softened me up. So, I am getting myself back into my previous shape.

The construction on Paisley Road West has definitely added some edge to the trip.
OK, here is the post stating all of the cool stuff that everyone else has been using for months.

Flickr
delicious
bloglines
blogdigger

And live bookmarks in the Firefox toolbar

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

The best thing performance tip for Windows XP is here.

But if you have to run it, check out this.
Google Tools

Great Resource?

Or a way to waste your life away in front of a Glowing Screen?

Tools You Might Have Missed
New piece from Sparkes.

Allotment Day 1

I like his description of hacking the earth.

So you want to start a blog?

Read this first.

Monday, January 31, 2005

Things to say when you are losing a tech argument

Two ways to use this article -

See who has used these statements (+1) or had them used against them (-1) the most - Highest Score Wins!

Take this sheet into a project meeting and play Geek Bingo.
So you want to be a consultant...?

Read this article first.

Sunday, January 30, 2005

Well, the Episode Three parodies have started.

I really like the guy playing the Anakin character. He has perfected the really bad acting.

Saturday, January 29, 2005

Sometime you come across a cool thing that just sounds really great. This clock-radio is one of those things.

I like the wireless snooze function is brilliant but I am unsure if many blokes sleep with teddybears.

Friday, January 28, 2005

Hey, let's laugh at idiot businessmen!

101 Dumbest Moments in Business gives us a good opportunity to laugh at the people who own the US presidency.

This what happens when a submarine runs aground.
Take a great publisher and a great browser, put them together and what do you get?

A brilliant book on the Best Browser available.
Software and electronic mediaVending Machines, You have got to love the japanese.

Although, I would say that internet downloading is a perfectly fine delivery system.
What are you going to do with yourself for four years?

How about building your own Apollo Guidance Computer in your basement?

Plans and project files are available on the site - for anybody who wants their own AGC.

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

I love the guys at engadget. Torrone does a brilliant podcast and they have the newest information on latest stuff, I will blow my pay cheque on.

But their latest howto on turning a Mac mini into a media center is something that I will use.

- After reviewing the comments, maybe I will continue to look at building a MythTV or Freevo PVR with a Shuttle-esque box.
Google Video Search appears to be a great service, but I wonder how this will develop?

It seems that whatever google does is amplified by the others, who use the search power of this group and present it in a new form.

This could be another Google news.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

My camera is in the shop.

So, there is a dearth of photographs on the blog. This happened just as I signed up for Flickr, which seems to be a great service and much better way of getting photos into this blog.

So, I chucked a couple Christmas photos up.
My camera is in the shop.

So, there is a dearth of photographs on the blog. This happened just as I signed up for Flickr, which seems to be a great service and much better way of getting photos into this blog.

So, I chucked a couple Christmas photos up.
Unusual articles in Wikipedia is always a good source of entertainment. From the Largest photograph to the smallest park, there is something well researched for everyone.

Guinness - eat your heart out.
Get your GMail tips here.

Great site for the Missing Gmail Manual.

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Time to get the new January wallpaper from Ordnance Survey.

I kept November on through last month since I thought December's offering was crap. But with a New Year it is time for a change.

Monday, January 03, 2005

A good start for the New Year.

A New Year rant.

This is just a quick one for the folks at Novell. They have taken some brave decisions in the past year and it they have started a process which is going to completely change their business.

However, despite the fact that several parts of the company have changed not all of the departments have adopted this new attitude, mainly the folks who send out the disks.

Novell are currently the large player in an environment dominated by small startups invigorated by the open source marketplace. Novell need to step-up to the challenge and undergo a change in attitude if they are going to compete in this arena.

Basic to this is getting your product out to those who will use it. That is not happening.

I defended Novell before when people were commenting on their failure to deliver disks for the Novell Nterprise Linux Services Evaluation Kit.

But now it is becoming increasingly difficult to get the Novell Linux Desktop. We went to the trouble of ordering two disks from a supplier to be told that these disks had to be sold in batches of twelve. Getting the media has also been a troublesome task, and finally the downloads seem to constantly fail and deliver bad images. The last I would blame on my connection or download agent except that this seems consistent with several organistaions I have talked to.

So Novell, get your act together. Figure out what you want to be.

If you are going to be an Open Source Company – then start acting like one.

Sunday, January 02, 2005

Is it comedy or tragedy when items marked DO NOT CIRCULATE are visible to the world.