That is splendidly cool, John!! In Oswestry someone would run off with your laptop!!
As for the job business - you are quite right. 2007 will see a change on the job front, but nothing sorted yet, more of a resolution! How I've managed to do what I've done for so long (urk! What a phrase!) is beyond me... I'm told I'm "too soft on them"... OK. So be it. That's me...
Nigel
Wed Jan 31 17:41:24 2007
Hey guys, I am posting outdoors in the middle of town using Google Wifi - no mobile phone type connection, just a regular WLAN adapter.... cool!
John
Wed Jan 31 17:14:59 2007
Nigel: that sounds really quite blissful (the "quality time" with Joc over a nice coffee). As ever it makes me think it would be great if you could change your job - you always seem so much happier when you don't have to go to work! Maybe working from home would suit you well...?
John
Wed Jan 31 16:42:30 2007
Should have said, he went to one of the Saturday morning Schools Music Association groups.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Jan 31 16:20:39 2007
Travis, we have some wonderful video of Robert playing the violin about 11 years old.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Jan 31 16:18:41 2007
Travis: Yeah, I've got to admit it's a rare novelty here too! It's actually a bit unsettling, not have a child nagging or whinging... Sort of a deafening silence... :)
Nigel
Wed Jan 31 15:00:40 2007
I'm jealous, Nigel. Wish I had time to hang out with my wife. Actually, we went to a concert our daughter was playing in last evening. She plays violin, and her group is becoming pretty skilled (this is her 3rd year), but they played horrible songs.
Travis
Wed Jan 31 14:18:12 2007
bon d'accord
dsp
Wed Jan 31 14:02:02 2007
Dsp: It's french and it's misspelled (my bad) , the right spelling is: TRANCHANT = CUTTING, sharp
Lox
Wed Jan 31 12:51:29 2007
Lox: Great word - "thranchant" what does it mean? Could not find anything in Google - John please check Google is working properly, it may have run out of disk space.
dsp
Wed Jan 31 12:35:19 2007
Ah... Yes... Right... Of course... (Would you believe I couldn't get a Doc's appointment until *next* Wednesday? Barmy! I'll be back at work before then!)
Nigel
Wed Jan 31 12:04:15 2007
Everyone tells me I'm sick ... but I still don't get to sit around at home.
Jimmy
Wed Jan 31 11:49:58 2007
Just remember Nigel, you're supposed to be sick ;-)
Mad Mumsie
Wed Jan 31 11:36:01 2007
Well Guys and Gals... Took the kids to school and Playgroup then Joc and me went to the local coffee house - "Milano's" and sat chatting while sipping a very respectable Costa Coffee... I could get used to café life! Sometimes getting stuck in the "daily grind" makes you realise how much you are missing of life... (end of introspection) :)
Nigel
Wed Jan 31 11:09:07 2007
MESSAGE
FreeStqwe
Wed Jan 31 09:44:36 2007
Nigel: The problem is that, I have got plenty of offers (as usual at the wrong time) but the most interesting ones are all in the NORTH of Italy that I escaped fortunately 6 months ago and I am not really wanting to go back... Oh well, I think I must give it more time before giving such a thranchant judgement, still it is not easy, especially in this moment where also the personal sphere is quite unstable... :(
Lox
Wed Jan 31 09:23:55 2007
Morning all! :)
dsp: Well done! So the "chain" moves on one. Hope the new house is suitably large and opulent. :)
Lox: I think you need to be "head-hunted" by another company who offer you vast riches... That would teach your present employers not to mess around! :)
Nigel
Wed Jan 31 07:52:44 2007
Dsp: Not sure how it works under intercontinental contracts such as mine... Sick leave and stuff like that I think it's not really contemplated or anything... :(
Lox
Wed Jan 31 07:41:13 2007
Lox: Do you work exclusively for this one company for more than 6 months? In the UK that would give you 'employee rights', e.g. paid holiday/sick etc.
dsp
Wed Jan 31 07:23:40 2007
Lox: You're right, but in theory, our solicitor, our buyer's solicitor and the solicitor of house we're buying arrange an exchange date where we all swap. We are expecting that the person will move out of our new house into rented making a space for us all to move along one.
dsp
Wed Jan 31 07:22:34 2007
Dsp: As for the house it's good news, but you ought to sort out the new accommodation before you sell this one right? otherwise where do you go to live in the meantime?
Lox
Wed Jan 31 07:13:48 2007
Dsp: No I am indipendent, but basically they consider me as an insider, although they keep a very convenient yearly agreement and all that stuff... So in a way I got the worst of both world, uncertainty of the free lance and duties of the employee (at least when I am here)... Or at least it feels that way... On the other side it might be to early to create havoc and complain, but I expected something different to be honest.
Lox
Wed Jan 31 07:12:56 2007
Lox: We have our next house picked (offer accepted), we just have to wait for solicitors to sort out all the details. We have a cash buyer so things should move pretty quickly (touch wood).
dsp
Wed Jan 31 07:08:15 2007
Lox: Are you still independent? Or have you returned to employment?
dsp
Wed Jan 31 07:06:50 2007
Well the nature of my remorse is mostly due to the fact that I seem to be considered a sort of disposable employee... I really do not understand my place in this company and that scares me because I have a 1 year contract so it might work out quite bad if they realize that they don't want me anymore... Oh well, let's cross that bridge if we get to it though....
Lox
Wed Jan 31 06:53:51 2007
Lox: you might be suffering NCR (New Company Remorse) as Tom suggested to me the other day. A guy at work today asked me how I've liked the first few weeks, and I couldn't help but be honest and tell him that I hadn't really liked it all that much. I know this doesn't necessarily help your situation at all, but at least you're not alone!
John
Wed Jan 31 05:25:48 2007
This day started off in a bad way. i am really having a lot of troubles in getting to work for this company, I keep thinking that I might have made a big mistake in going for this option... Not nice...
Lox
Wed Jan 31 00:56:59 2007
Dsp: Good news! But do you have a house sorted out already or are you going to live under a bridge for a while? You can crush at my place if you need, a bit far from Blackpool, but nice house nonetheless...
Lox
Wed Jan 31 00:24:15 2007
John: I don't know your employer. Nigel: Things are good. Assume they are continuing forward unless you hear otherwise! In other news, I'm ridiculously tired and overworked for this early in the semester. A shame.
Travis
Wed Jan 31 00:01:59 2007
John, I have you pegged as inventing something brill and being a multi-millionaire by selling your idea on ( hopefully not to some military sub-contractor hoping to make a fast buck ) of course.
Kev
Tue Jan 30 23:40:05 2007
Well done Tim. I on the other hand don't own a house and have very little prospect of ever owning one ever.
John
Tue Jan 30 23:05:05 2007
Good news everyone - we've just accepted an offer on our house!
dsp
Tue Jan 30 22:52:39 2007
Nigel - back home now.
dsp
Tue Jan 30 22:52:20 2007
Yes, 4AM was specially calculated as the optimally least useful time to be awake.
John
Tue Jan 30 20:45:01 2007
I'd like to point out the fact that I am up at 4 in the night. As John and I said many times, jetlag seems to know no directions, whether you travel east or west, you still wake up at 4.... it's deliberately done to piss you off because as you know at 4 everything is closed so there is little to do!!!
Lox
Tue Jan 30 20:24:36 2007
Jimmy: Ok' I'll break the secret, sorry John, but you a re a bastard for not telling, there is no shame in saying it...
John's current employer is quite famous, a company named GAY INCORPORATED, basically the do all sorts of squirrel based food (that incidentally John likes), for gay bars and stuff.
Lox
Tue Jan 30 19:54:30 2007
Jimmy: sorry! Haven't you guessed yet?
John
Tue Jan 30 18:18:06 2007
Rob: sorry mate - as always I did not want to mention it publicly on the website, but I'd assumed all of the regulars knew. Anyway, it's not really that impressive, I just happen to have a particular talent for doing well in interviews!
John
Tue Jan 30 17:43:46 2007
Actually... Another thing... Even the "staples" got messed up. The Raspberry Jam had a faulty seal - you know, the poppy-thingy in the centre of the lid... :(
Nigel
Tue Jan 30 17:12:14 2007
And another thing: John, you said you'd write to me and tell me where you work now. Well, you haven't. I think I shall sulk ...
Jimmy
Tue Jan 30 17:00:32 2007
I tried Tesco online once, but it took as long to order as going to the shop. Then I had to wait all day for the bastards to turn up, and *that* wasted as much time as going to the shop too. Top cap it all, they charge 5 quid for the deliver. Fuck it- I'll go to the shop.
Jimmy
Tue Jan 30 15:58:37 2007
The definition of 'not fresh food' in Radstock was food that was thrown out of the window by Lox. Regardless of who it belonged to.
Rob Lang
Tue Jan 30 15:56:50 2007
I quite agree, actually. We only trust online deliveries for those "staples" - tinned foods, frozen foods etc. It's a shame the good-quality fresh food around here is confined to a farmer's market in summer and ... er... well, a twenty-mile drive.
Nigel
Tue Jan 30 15:29:47 2007
No microwave is too advanced (although the ping cuisine reference is nice!)
Lox
Tue Jan 30 14:06:59 2007
And microwave meals (ping-cuisine!)
tom
Tue Jan 30 13:56:43 2007
Nnnnaaaaa I was only pulling your legs, I still live off frozen food really...
Lox
Tue Jan 30 13:53:44 2007
Really Lox?
tom
Tue Jan 30 13:46:31 2007
I can see a point in buyg delivered groceries only if the food that I buy is standard, i.e. tin food or prepacked. I wouldn't EVEN DARE buying vegetables and meat or fish on a delivery service... I am so fussy about fresh food, as the dwellers in Radstock road might remember...
Lox
Tue Jan 30 13:42:36 2007
We used to use Ocado, through Waitrose, but found that if we bought something with a sell by date, i.e. sausages, pork pies etc. the sell by date was usually the date the shopping was delivered. So we stopped. Also, I like to SEE what I'm buying.
Mad Mumsie
Tue Jan 30 13:33:44 2007
Nigel: it looks like Elite should have done (if we had 64 bit processors back in the 80's)
tom
Tue Jan 30 12:20:25 2007
... So then ... The reason you physically go to a supermarket is so that everything you buy isn't actually squished then... ah ...
Nigel
Tue Jan 30 12:16:51 2007
Hey, it all goes on while my back's turned... Tesco just bringing the weeky shop! "How much?!?!" I'm tempted to (but dare not) say!! Still, I think I'd pay just about anything not to have to trudge around a supermarket :(
Nigel
Tue Jan 30 12:00:32 2007
:) Thanks for the support!! :)
MM: Yes, it *is* good to be free of the restrictions... However the old back *is* painful - been taking pain-killers for a week and it's really getting aggrivated by driving etc... Docs later...
Tom: I've seen Oolite... An Object-Orientated Elite, or some such. Any good?
Nigel
Tue Jan 30 11:38:12 2007
Oh yes! h t t p oolite.aegidian.org/
tom
Tue Jan 30 11:26:33 2007
Exactly. I don't think you're ill at all!
tom
Tue Jan 30 11:25:54 2007
C'mon Nigel, you just missed your daily chat with us all on the Maison board. And we missed you too. Hope the back isn't too painful.
Mad Mumsie
Tue Jan 30 11:05:18 2007
dsp: It's cruel to make the injured laugh!!! ;) Actually nope. No telly. I'm doing a bit more "experimenting" here on the Mac... You still "across the pond"?
Nigel
Tue Jan 30 10:57:13 2007
Nigel - sorry about your back mate! Does this mean you are on the settee watching Trisha?
dsp
Tue Jan 30 10:49:14 2007
Thanks Lox. It's been "brewing" for a while I think. The driving doesn't help... Will go to the Doctor's later in the week.
Nigel
Tue Jan 30 10:23:28 2007
Nigel: I hope it's not that serious, and moreover I hope that you don't get shit from your employers... They seem to be very keen in doing that... :(
Lox
Tue Jan 30 10:08:05 2007
Hi Guys! No work today due to the old back problem... :))) Ouch!
Yeah Jimmy. I read-up on all the DRM HDI connector nonsense, and how some guy has already managed to intercept the keys etc. I for one, will never, ever buy digital content (DVDs or CDs etc) that rely on the vendor inspecting my system and telling me whether or not I can watch what I've bought. Nope. No-way. I don't need HD anyway - my eyesight is not that good. Ha! :))))
Nigel
Tue Jan 30 09:40:46 2007
Holy crapola! LinkIn has jsut informed me who John is working for! Well done, mate!
Rob Lang
Tue Jan 30 09:24:14 2007
I've just read that Vista will deliberately downgrade video if not played-back through DRM-protected connectors. How mad is that? Especially for a system that's trying to tout itself as a "Media Center"! John- I really hope you didn't have a hand in this one!
Jimmy
Tue Jan 30 08:16:51 2007
I do not think that I will touch vista before the SP2, they are already thinking about a SP1 and it's just come out....
Lox
Tue Jan 30 08:03:00 2007
Incidentally, I see from my emails that Vista has arrived today in the UK. (Ebuyer are listing it). Didn't realise there were going to be soooo many different versions! Even the Upgrades are pretty expensive. Oh, and you need the Premium version if you want the "glass" look to your windows. The Basic version seems to just offer Internet Explorer 7 - which is good but can be had for free from MS! All the other versions are going to confuse people...
Nigel
Tue Jan 30 07:19:46 2007
Morning all!! :))
Lox: I deleted that M$ trial straight away - didn't even try it! As you say, there are cheaper or better solutions out there already...
Travis: How goes it re the MIL ?
Nigel
Tue Jan 30 07:04:52 2007
Travis: On a more negative note I am starting to have arguments with my Japanese boss, I am giving myself a good old year before tell them to fuck off... i wanna be patient this time!
Lox
Tue Jan 30 04:22:16 2007
Sorry to hear that, Lox. I am quite accustomed to the ways of MS, but I feel your pain.
Travis
Tue Jan 30 02:44:00 2007
Goota tell you this.... M$ managed to fuck up the Mac OS with their useless piece of software called OFFICE. Basically there is a "free trial version" (wonder what's the meaning of using it when you can have NEO OFFICE for free which is 100% compatible), so I uninstalled it with the uninstall utility... Well basically all the associations with the .doc and .xls files have remained with Office so I had to reset them manually. I am getting so used to things working first shot on the mac that a little thing like this really fucked me up!! When I saw the message "permission denied" when trying to open a spreadsheet, I cringed, I thought that Mac os was like Windows, after realizing that it was actually a Windows component to give troubles all my worries disappeared...
Lox
Tue Jan 30 01:09:24 2007
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. DO I FEEL PRODUCTIVE TODAY!!?
Actually not.
Lox
Tue Jan 30 00:16:16 2007
Tom: You might even run a single mile significantly faster. Good luck in your half marathon.
Travis
Mon Jan 29 23:45:12 2007
Nigel: Why? Nothing else. Just 'Why?'
tom
Mon Jan 29 23:30:38 2007
Been trying "Crossover" on the Mac. This is the comercial version on WINE (as was) enabling Windows apps to run on the Mac... Not impressed, sadly.
Nigel
Mon Jan 29 23:14:36 2007
John: What you meant that it was you behind the "Tour of Vista" balloon that annoys even the most patient man (Dailailama fro example?)... Ot maybe you wrote the M$ predicted time routine where minutes have different meaning from the rest of the world....
Lox
Mon Jan 29 22:36:28 2007
(incidentally, very small and obscure bits you will never use, so you can't possibly complain about)
John
Mon Jan 29 22:29:22 2007
Playing with it??? Hell I wrote some of the damn thing!
John
Mon Jan 29 22:28:37 2007
Anyomne already playing with Vista? I was considering VMming it into Prallels...
Lox
Mon Jan 29 22:24:01 2007
Netscreen Security Manager. A long story. But, the re-install didn't fix it. The manual grafting of text files with bits of public keys did though... sigh.
tom
Mon Jan 29 22:04:15 2007
Evening!! :)
(Assuming XP...) So you're about finished now then, Tom?!?!?
Nigel
Mon Jan 29 20:59:15 2007
Oops. That's fucked it. I've got to re-install now.
tom
Mon Jan 29 14:19:57 2007
Webmasis: Actually this site is shite, so please get away from here, it's also quite scary and the people who write in it are all naziskins.
Lox
Mon Jan 29 13:35:57 2007
Ow! (thud!)
Jimmy
Mon Jan 29 13:07:34 2007
Dear web-master ! I looked your site and I want to say that yor
very well made it .All information on this site is represented
for users. A site is made professionally. So to hold !
Webmasis
Mon Jan 29 12:54:57 2007
Boom!
tom
Mon Jan 29 11:38:53 2007
Our corporate AV is, of course, Norton. It's like a doggy, old, slow, piggy, gloopy, stick-in-the mud that's just soooo slow. And it runs in about 6 different processes, so your Windows task-list ends up as long as your arm. SHOOT ME NOW.
Jimmy
Mon Jan 29 11:26:09 2007
Yup. Some are worse than others though. Norton is much worse than Fsecure for example.
tom
Mon Jan 29 10:44:39 2007
It's all a nightmare, if you ask me.
Jimmy
Mon Jan 29 10:26:50 2007
I don't use anti virus software I can't be arsed... :D It's a bit like having sex without protections? If it is, then it's crap! By the way I am STILL in the office it's now 7,20
Lox
Mon Jan 29 10:18:31 2007
I hate anti-virus software. It's bad enough when it chooses to do a computer scan right when you're using the machine (rather than, for instance, overnight). But the continuous-checking that makes the machine dog-slow is just too much. It's like trying to use a computer through a condom. And I don't mean a nice thin one ... I mean one of those big rubber-boot condoms specially designed for arse fucking. You can tell I'm in a bad mood this morning, can't you?
Jimmy
Mon Jan 29 09:31:33 2007
Morning.
tom
Mon Jan 29 09:16:41 2007
I wanna go home!!!! It's already 6PM and I am doing fuck all already...
Lox
Mon Jan 29 08:53:51 2007
Forgot the adaptor for the Japanese plugs, so I am running my mac on the sole battery supply... let's hoe it gets me through the day, then tomorrow I'll bring the reinforcements...
Lox
Mon Jan 29 03:36:39 2007
Good Morning.....
Lox
Sun Jan 28 22:10:03 2007
At my 10K speed, it would take nearly eight minutes for a mile. But I recon if I were just doing a mile, I could do 6 minutes. ;-)
tom
Sun Jan 28 20:03:28 2007
Travis: Yeah. I run every other day and both weekend days. I'm training for the Reading 1/2 marathon at end of March.
tom
Sun Jan 28 19:57:19 2007
Ah, and tomorrow the fight begins again.... Let's hope that the little work (didn't have a lot of time) that I managed to do in the two weeks in Florence will be appreciated....
Lox
Sun Jan 28 16:01:53 2007
It's now 1 in the night, I have suffered like a madman listening to the radio and text commentary of the latest Fioretina match, I missed a great game, but a very very very difficult one... Oh well, the important thing is that we won!
Lox
Sun Jan 28 16:01:02 2007
Nigel, Tom: You can comment on the Articles you know that right? :P
Lox
Sun Jan 28 16:00:00 2007
Tom: Do you run regularly? I can't because of knee ailments, but I keep those problems in check by wearing neoprene sleeves, icing, and stretching. 10k in 47 minutes seems quite impressive to me. My fastest mile was 6 minutes even, but I have little endurance.
Travis
Sun Jan 28 15:27:43 2007
Hi all! :)
A very touching aricle, Lox. Not happy, but heart-felt. You've probably said what a thousand other travellers wish to say... Splendid work...
Nigel
Sun Jan 28 15:03:06 2007
Tom: You have spent almost every night out in January?!? What do the kid say when they see you leave?My friend back up north had to endure tragedy scenes with his daughter (6 yo) every time that he leaves... He says that it's quite hard to get on the plane after the drama...
Lox
Sun Jan 28 12:34:13 2007
Tom: Impressive.. That's faster than 10km x hour, which is double the speed than a normal man walks in everyday life... Good stuff..
As for the book I'll keep it in mind, in the "book of Lox's life" there must be a chapter for Business Trips and the likes! :D
Lox
Sun Jan 28 12:21:09 2007
On foot! :-) Great article by the way. As a fellow business traveller (every week night has been away in Jan so far...) I can concur. If you want some help writing that book, I'm in.
tom
Sun Jan 28 11:15:21 2007
Tom: Was that on a moped or on foot? If it is the second it's bloddy impressive!
Lox
Sun Jan 28 10:13:47 2007
Mornin'. Personal Best for 10K is now 47mins 40 :-)
tom
Sun Jan 28 10:06:52 2007
John: It appears to be working fine! :)
Lox
Sun Jan 28 07:40:29 2007
Oh and by the way Lox - my mail may have gone straight into your junk folder - I've been getting that a lot recently.
John
Sun Jan 28 06:38:07 2007
Lox: I converted the articles section to SBM, but you should still be able to add new posts (although I haven't yet tested this!). I've emailed you the details - please feel free to give it a go, but make sure you have a backup of your new article (i.e. might be better to copy/paste from Notepad or something).
John
Sun Jan 28 06:36:15 2007
John: Is the "Article" section still open to articles? I cannot seem to be able to access greymatter to add a new piece that I have just concocted... Maybe you disabled it... Lemme kow!
Lox
Sun Jan 28 00:30:46 2007
Travis: Everyone seem to like gin and tonic, actually I find it too normal even though I drink it every now and then...
Lox
Sat Jan 27 22:00:28 2007
In other news, it's very cold for Lubbock. The cold weather has lasted almost three weeks. Very uncharacteristic.
Travis
Sat Jan 27 21:48:22 2007
Lox: I know a bit of Japanese, so I thought that was what he said. I asked him if he'd said that, and he replied, "Yes," but he was so drunk I couldn't believe him. My wife is certain he said, "Tequila shots!" and he is a big fan of tequila shots. Thus the indeterminacy. The party was a great success, and the gin and tonic was far better than I'd imagined, even with a far from stellar gin.
Travis
Sat Jan 27 21:46:49 2007
Nigel are you ok? First sleepless night of the trip, now it's somewhere in the area of 6,40 trying to decide what to do today..
Lox
Sat Jan 27 21:42:37 2007
... Headphones!!!! :)
Nigel
Sat Jan 27 17:57:39 2007
... everyone here shouting...
Nigel
Sat Jan 27 17:57:12 2007
I'll just go away...
Nigel
Sat Jan 27 17:30:53 2007
So is that - "Naz Drovy" ? Judging by all the delightful Polish ladies and gentlemen I meet on a daily basis...
Nigel
Sat Jan 27 17:00:10 2007
Also also I am determined to remember Nazdrowie - every time I meet someone from Poland I ask them how to say cheers in Polish, then manage to completely forget by the next day.
John
Sat Jan 27 16:53:11 2007
Also Lox, by my computer I've got a note with the word "nonloso" written on it. I have a feeling it was something I asked you when we were talking the other night, alas I was quite drunk and I now no longer remember what it means.
John
Sat Jan 27 16:50:13 2007
Unfortunately I think I'll be out all weekend! Going back to San Francisco today with my mate Simon (who is amazingly in California at the same time as me) and then tomorrow I'm heading South with the guys I went out with last night. I think we're going to visit the state parks etc - there are a lot of them round there.
John
Sat Jan 27 16:44:01 2007
Lox: yes I think all three of those things are a good idea... By auto update do you mean something a bit like GMail? I think with a simple bit of Javascript we could get it to periodicially check the time of the last message posted, without having to reload the whole page. Sort of like a poor man's AJAX.
John
Sat Jan 27 16:41:41 2007
Ok then time to go to bed for me... I'll be up in no time (for the usual 4o clock rule), but it's not that bad, I can go "social shopping" tomorrow, and since I am there I will also explain with a nice article what I mean by it... Buonanotte!
Lox
Sat Jan 27 15:28:27 2007
John: Two things to do on the message board:
- Make a sort of redirect thing when you use the spam killer
- Get some sort of auto update thingy working on the page
- RSS (so that Tom can give us his widget)
Lox
Sat Jan 27 14:04:16 2007
John: I am staying in Yutenji like last time, not too bad, but neither great... Tomorrw I will go around the city a bit as usual, maybe doing some techy shopping... Problem is that I really don't feel like it a lot, it's a bit of a down period this one, I wished I was in Florence...
Lox
Sat Jan 27 13:17:43 2007
John: Do they need a salesman in Google Florence?
Lox
Sat Jan 27 13:16:18 2007
Nigel: don't mention Gin.
tom
Sat Jan 27 12:33:20 2007
Morning gang! :)
John: Yes, I did wonder about the plane icon...
Lox: Glad your arrived safely!! :)
Travis: Getting nicely tipsey on G&T is a good-natured way to get drunk I always feel!! ;)
Nigel
Sat Jan 27 10:27:52 2007
Oh and tonight I used the Italian equivalent of Ikimashou - andiamo. My Italian colleagues were very impressed (actually more likely is that they were just very polite...).
John
Sat Jan 27 08:36:10 2007
Glad to hear you made it OK Lox! Whereabouts in Tokyo are you this time?
John
Sat Jan 27 08:31:32 2007
Travis: Ikimasyou, means "let's go", anyway I think they should ban alcohol in college altogether, it's a crying shame that young people get drunk and lead a dubious life, assisted by their professors. (this is all due to total envy of not being a student anymore of course).
Lox
Sat Jan 27 07:14:15 2007
Just returned from the strangest cocktail party in history. It involved all of the foreign language grad students and my people...Latin and Greek. At one point, an intoxicated Nihon-jin ran outside, walked on his hands for about ten feet, then screamed, "Ikimashou!" or perhaps "Tequila Shots!" Not sure. Quite drunk on gin and tonic, which was delightful.
Travis
Sat Jan 27 06:37:07 2007
It's bloody hot here! I hate it!! I brought my coat and I wanna use it for god'ssake!
Lox
Sat Jan 27 05:32:15 2007
Lox is alive and kicking in the hotel room!! :D
Lox
Sat Jan 27 05:31:40 2007
abcba3cfc8
jhdsgfj7
drukbq
Sat Jan 27 04:25:49 2007
abcba3cfc8
jhdsgfj7
drukbq
Sat Jan 27 04:25:41 2007
Just read the BBC article "Cognac and iPod ban for North Korea". What a bizarre concept - it would be highly amusing if this was the one thing that did actually topple the regime!
John
Sat Jan 27 04:03:34 2007
Nigel: hmm I think I found the right things just by typing in the first few letters into each box - i.e. Luf, Mun, Tok... Strange though, the little plane icon seems to stay at the start of the route the whole time - I'd half imagined it would move in real time. :) Anyway, Loxy boy should be in Tokyo by now - probably on the bus/train from the airport to the city.
John
Sat Jan 27 03:49:31 2007
Just tried it John... Interesting stuff, but it only came up with a flight at 18:30... Or does it not terminate in Tokyo? Perhaps somewhere else?
Nigel
Fri Jan 26 23:01:44 2007
Has anyone else played with the flight tracker widget on the Mac? I'm trying yo track Lox's flight now - I'm guessing he's on the Lufthansa which left Munich at 3:30.
John
Fri Jan 26 22:25:23 2007
Can you bring me some back?
tom
Fri Jan 26 22:11:01 2007
Just looked at my credit card statement, and apparently the almost-full-tank-of-petrol I bought the other day comes to a grand total of 9 quid. Gas round here is $2.59 per gallon, which means about 68 cents a litre. Which at the current exchange rate is 35 pence. A quick Google reveals that in Reading, for example, petrol averages at around 90 pence per litre. According to this site, about 60p of that 90p is tax, so I suppose that all does just about add up.
John
Fri Jan 26 21:38:53 2007
Good flight!
tom
Fri Jan 26 17:05:10 2007
Ok then time to go for me, will write when I get to Japan... :P
Lox
Fri Jan 26 13:46:59 2007
Tom: I thought it wasn´t you but before marking it as spam and get you through the Cerberus that John and Tim set up as a spam killer I thought it was better to ask... As for the picture I will send it from Japan.
Lox
Fri Jan 26 13:37:02 2007
On a shittiest note, I have found out that the Wlan in the lounges is not free and therefore I must use the computers that are there available... But outside the lounge area, there is a free Wlan connection... now I ask myself? QUID PRODEST (to whom is it convenient such an arrangement)... I mean why not extend it in the lounges too? Of ocurse I guzess that they want to milk the businessman as much as possible... when will the Internet be free and normal like the washing machine or the coke dispenser?
Lox
Fri Jan 26 13:35:42 2007
Anyways guys I thought that you would have liked to know that I am now in Munich ready to take yet another flight....
Lox
Fri Jan 26 13:22:02 2007
Tom is that you or just another spammer?
Lox
Fri Jan 26 13:19:41 2007
Guys how can I change the default program on the .XLS files on the Mac? At the moment it uses Crappy and annoying Mac Office, I want another program to handle it all... (Open office)...
Lox
Fri Jan 26 09:30:02 2007
Ok then, I am ready to go now, next post probably from Florence Airport, then Munich and then Japan... Tomorrow...
Lox
Fri Jan 26 09:13:20 2007
John: Had dinner with Gay Swan last night. He calls you a slag and wants to go out on the booze.
Rob Lang
Fri Jan 26 08:42:08 2007
Very cool, John. I am utterly jealous.
Rob Lang
Fri Jan 26 08:41:41 2007
Travis: Good news mate!!
Lox
Fri Jan 26 08:22:39 2007
Me and Loxy and Chie are having three way conversation via Skype - isn't that cool...??
John
Fri Jan 26 08:04:06 2007
Good morning chaps! Glad to hear things are looking up Travis! I have been out on the beers this evening, it was quite nice, America is a fun country to be in when slightly trousered!
John
Fri Jan 26 07:28:50 2007
Morning all!! :)
Travis: Good News!! I hope things continue in the same vein...
Nigel
Fri Jan 26 07:13:57 2007
Nigel: Things are pretty good now. My wife had spent some time with the MIL, but now she's back. And my MIL is at home. A nurse comes to see her twice per day just to check her relevant vital signs. Looks like it's all positive at this point.
Travis
Fri Jan 26 04:40:19 2007
MESSAGE
trolxblo
Fri Jan 26 04:12:13 2007
MESSAGE
FreeStqwe
Fri Jan 26 02:10:48 2007
Nigel: Skype maybe? or are you going to have dinner?
Lox
Thu Jan 25 19:46:31 2007
Nigel: I'll check it out! :) I might be able to make some sense out of it! :D
Lox
Thu Jan 25 19:46:06 2007
Evening all!! :)
Lox: The "Going in for surgery" one? Yeah, so true!
Incidentally Mac-Guys, did you know there is a set of Japanese Mac vs PC movies available on the Apple.jp site? They have different actors and I feel the quips are probably different... It's all in Japanese!
Nigel
Thu Jan 25 19:41:06 2007
I have been watching the latest Mac vs PC movies, they are just SPOT ON| :)
Lox
Thu Jan 25 18:03:34 2007
Tom, does the picture have to be landscape (I'm guessing this is the case as you said 640x480 rather than 480x640). All my favourite pictures of me are in portrait!
John
Thu Jan 25 17:49:11 2007
Thanks for fixing the board Lox! It's really heartwarming when I hear there's been a failure, and then it has just been sorted out without me having to lift a finger!
John
Thu Jan 25 17:42:41 2007
Tom: Do you still need the picture? I have taken it with photoboot, but I have a very old email account (freelance something something), so maybe drop me a mail at the account that you see on my bit of the page and I'll send the details...
Lox
Thu Jan 25 17:35:37 2007
Just back from another hellish tour around Prato looking for fabrics... On a positive note I have got a new printer that actually works over the network so i am quite happy. Shame that all the printing that I have to do will be postponed until March when I will have the strenght and time to do all the accounting of the company...
Lox
Thu Jan 25 17:22:36 2007
Don't forget, I'm blogging my training. www.daemonchild.net/kernel/blog/
tom
Thu Jan 25 16:47:44 2007
It's all about wrapping your data in condoms.
tom
Thu Jan 25 15:10:09 2007
Data protection. What's what about?
Jimmy
Thu Jan 25 14:43:44 2007
Lox: the dust won't be helping!
tom
Thu Jan 25 13:31:04 2007
Spent all day cleaning the house now going to see the doc because the bronchitis doesn't seem to have subsided.... :(
Lox
Thu Jan 25 11:16:22 2007
No it was working last night.... Oh well John must have done something maybe...
Lox
Thu Jan 25 11:14:41 2007
Oh. Not my fault I hope.
tom
Thu Jan 25 10:47:25 2007
Yes it looks like working... .had the usual problem of the index file being crapped out.... :(
Lox
Thu Jan 25 08:47:15 2007
Board restored... i hope
Lox
Thu Jan 25 08:46:43 2007
Oh - morning! (off to bed then.)
tom
Thu Jan 25 00:30:12 2007
Aye: if there were RSS on the board, it should be easy. As for the applescript, the work is done - just fucking about with angles now. Have discovered that it's a Tangent problem. The main work was done hours ago, but as usual, it's the making it pretty that takes the time
tom
Thu Jan 25 00:29:52 2007
P.S. Tom: I always enjoy seeing celebrities, no matter how D-list they are - in fact if anything the more minor the better! At various times over the last few years I've seen quite a few - always in or around London. I feel a pointless blog article coming on.
John
Wed Jan 24 23:29:58 2007
I haven't tried to use AppleScript at all yet. Wouldn't even know how to get started without Googling for it. Would quite like to write me a dashboard widget though - I liked Tom's idea of a message board widget. I can't remember what came of that - Tom, did you say there was a generic RSS feed widget, and all we needed was to sort out an RSS feed for the board?
John
Wed Jan 24 23:23:05 2007
Applescript is just another language. You just have to learn how it fits together; the same programming skills then kick in (or, in my case, don't).
tom
Wed Jan 24 22:51:30 2007
As for the mighty-mouse. It's an odd beast, for one used to a conventional two-button (or more) MS mouse - as I was. The smooth top surface has several "hot-spot" which are invisible but touch-sensitive and match pretty much the two or three button types. The set-up I mention works well for me though. Getting used to the scroll ball - tiny as it is - is fiddly, but after a while it's great. It does get temporarily "clogged" though, but seems to clear...
Nigel
Wed Jan 24 22:21:45 2007
I'm coming to the conclusion I am never going to catch up (re Applescript etc). You're way ahead now!! I did download Proxi to play with... Good old Griffin! :)
Nigel
Wed Jan 24 22:15:50 2007
I'm writing some applescript to parse a NetScreen firewall policy file and drag out the inter-zone communications... then to graph this in OmniGraffle Pro. I'm going to have the 'zones' be represented by equally spaced blobs around an invisible circle. :-)
tom
Wed Jan 24 21:14:37 2007
Unless I got the wrong person - does look like her though. They were going on about rehearsals and the 'awful BBC'. So I'd assume it was her?
tom
Wed Jan 24 21:12:58 2007
Indeed. and eating curry.
tom
Wed Jan 24 21:12:16 2007
I have a microsoft (!!!) intellipoint at the moment. Need to get a mighty mouse.
tom
Wed Jan 24 21:11:57 2007
Wow Tom! According to IMDB that makes her 84! "Living quietly in Rural England"
Nigel
Wed Jan 24 21:05:49 2007
Evening guys!! :))
So good to be connected again!! :)
Tom: Happy to whizz a photo over. Yeah, I use expose a lot. But I have an Apple Mighty-Mouse (any of you Mac-users use a Mac mouse with your laptops?) It looks totally one-button but actually has many touch-sensitive bits... Anyhow, I have the two side buttons configured so when I squeeze the mouse, expose kicks in! Oh, and press the scroll-wheel to bring up the dashboard! ;) Should ork with other mice too!
Nigel
Wed Jan 24 21:02:30 2007
And I have just returned for having a fantastic curry (well, curry crossed with stuffed peppers - an interesting, if delicious, concept). At the next table? Mollie Sugden!
tom
Wed Jan 24 20:57:21 2007
I just made my own cappucino - that was surprisingly fun. They have proper espresso machines in all the little kitchens here, so I've just been having espressos up until now. Today however I thought I'd go the extra mile and froth up some milk as well. I normally think it is a sin to add milk to a decent espresso (like putting coke in whisky!), but actually the result is rather nice.
John
Wed Jan 24 20:47:53 2007
Well I did finally manage to come into the office, I suppose it is not all that bad - I'm sitting out in the sun with my laptop, benefitting from the wireless networking that seems to be everywhere around here and having some inari sushi for lunch. It could be worse.
John
Wed Jan 24 20:22:23 2007
You're probably right Tom, it's always sucky starting at a new company - these companies really need to work on that!
John
Wed Jan 24 19:18:25 2007
Fuck me. I've just discovered Expose. No more Apple-Tab for me. (try filling the desktop with windows and hitting Fn-F9.
tom
Wed Jan 24 18:43:38 2007
Right. I want a small photo (640x480?) from each of you for my Mac address book. You can email them to tom at {my second name} dot me dot uk. Also, your email address and a contact number if you wish. :-)
tom
Wed Jan 24 18:42:26 2007
Oh. And it *could* be because you drink too much. :p
tom
Wed Jan 24 18:40:26 2007
You're suffering from NCR ("new company remorse"). This is when you start to discover all the cracks in the new company and look back at the old one with misty eyes. Get over it! You're right - you work for an exciting and vibrant company. All companies have the bullshit induction stuff. Wait and hang in there. It'll be ace.
tom
Wed Jan 24 18:39:55 2007
Well chaps, it is 10AM here and I am suffering a severe enthusiasm crisis - I literally cannot be bothered to get out of bed and go to the office (OK well technically I have at least got out of bed now as I'm writing this message). Anyway, what is wrong with me? I am working for pretty much the most sought after company in the IT industry, and so far I'm finding it totally boring and uninspiring. Am I in completely the wrong line of work? Or am I clinically depressed, or cursed with a perpetual motivation deficit?
John
Wed Jan 24 18:14:02 2007
I'm told that it's going to get really bad tonight.
tom
Wed Jan 24 17:52:51 2007
Actually there has been a lot of snow in Pizzaland too... Quite extraordinary considering that it was 20 degrees Celsius last SATURDAY!
Lox
Wed Jan 24 16:58:48 2007
Lox, after waking up to SNOW (how I hate the stuff) the day brightened considerably and sunshine and blue skies are much in evidence, although now it is getting dark.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Jan 24 16:36:39 2007
I was out all afternoon, quite rainy and cold in Florence today, it's funny how I am going to leave it all behind soon, and will land in Japan by Saturday... How is everyonelse?
Lox
Wed Jan 24 14:46:38 2007
It's quiet here now that Nigel is offline during the day... ;-)
tom
Wed Jan 24 13:18:59 2007
Tim: Hope yesterday went well. It's nearly lunchtime here but you are probably still asleep. Drop me an email when you get chance. Love, Mum
Tim's mum
Wed Jan 24 11:51:28 2007
I went for the cube transition.
tom
Wed Jan 24 11:25:55 2007
Yup found the way! :) Marvellous! I like it! Now I have to use it a little.... :P
Lox
Wed Jan 24 11:24:36 2007
Try Ctrl-Shift + left (or any other other arrow keys)
tom
Wed Jan 24 11:23:12 2007
ok installed (i think) but how do I configure it ?
Lox
Wed Jan 24 11:03:48 2007
downloaded now, I'll try it out! :)
Lox
Wed Jan 24 10:57:02 2007
Have you tried using VirtueDesktops? Get it get it get it.
tom
Wed Jan 24 10:47:29 2007
Now posting through a newly setup Windwos XP from Paralleles on the Mac.... INCREDIBLE STUFF!!
Lox
Wed Jan 24 09:57:45 2007
Well the situation that you describe is what we live commonly in France and Italy where there are even "seasons" for strikes. The good point of the UK economy, is that there aren't anymore many state run companies, meaning that train and plane strikes are not possible or not so common anymore. The real problem is the over employment that was carried over last century in the state run affairs. it's a big cost and since everyone is trying to save on the expense bill that is the first place where rationalization must take place. Not a nice period for poor old Europe, it's probably going to take more than a generation to get some results, and I am afraid that we'll get stuck in the middle of it...
As for UK, it is probably the most successful economy in Europe right now... You have high wages and high costs, compared to places like Italy where living expenses have surpassed Japan (not joking here) and wages have fallen due to the introduction of the Euro... Oh well... Goodmorning!!!
Lox
Wed Jan 24 08:27:01 2007
Right... Well... Goodnight John! I'm off to work now! :)
Nigel
Wed Jan 24 07:22:19 2007
Strange, isn't it? What I can't figure out (I'm no politician) is... Do we have sooo much better social and welfare services than any other "rich" country? Better than the US, Western Europe or Japan? I am at a loss...
Nigel
Wed Jan 24 07:18:30 2007
What I don't get is how in the US and Japan, national average wages are higher than in the UK, and yet cost of living is lower. This makes everyone in the UK poor by comparison!
John
Wed Jan 24 07:14:57 2007
Morning all!! :)
Yes, John. I might be wrong, but I seem to remember reading recently that the UK was the 5th richest economy. Given there are some bloomin' big countries out there, this surprised me. Then again, considering we are deemed "rip-off-Britain" by most of the world, perhaps there's some correlation....
Nigel
Wed Jan 24 07:05:09 2007
On a bit of an aside, when I was in France a couple of weeks ago, I got the impression there had at some point in recent history been large scale protests about everything being too expensive (presumably as a result of the introduction of the Euro). Why doesn't this sort of thing happen in the UK, which is pretty much the most expensive country in the world, even before we've adopted the Euro....?
John
Wed Jan 24 01:28:25 2007
Oh what a joy it is going to be living in London when the already crippled public services come to a complete standstill as a result of strikes. Still, if it does actually make for better working conditions for people, then I suppose you can't really oppose it!
John
Wed Jan 24 01:26:27 2007
Yeah, good point, Kev. The 31st is only a begining I suspect. After all, when Tony resigns there will just be GB to carry on anyway..
Nigel
Tue Jan 23 23:03:14 2007
well not having a union is the price you pay for private sector work, although unions aren't what they used to be, I personally think we will be seeing alot more public sector strikes when people realise Gorden isn't going to be giving them inflation matching pay rises this year!
Kev
Tue Jan 23 22:34:06 2007
Kev: Yep, start an onion instead!! Tee-hee!! It's a bit mad in the CS... If you are in the union you can strike, lose a days pay, then go back. If you are not in a union and you strike you get, basically, court-martialled! Probably even drummed-out. I really feel for people not in the union because they will have to run the gauntlet of the massive picket-line. (Apologies for careless use of metaphors there...)
Nigel
Tue Jan 23 20:16:58 2007
John: Well shouting: "Oi, you lumpy-red-itchy-thing! doesn't quite do it... ;)
Nigel
Tue Jan 23 20:11:40 2007
Because Software engineers don't have unions. Maybe we should start our own ? :p
Kev
Tue Jan 23 20:11:29 2007
Nigel: no I can confirm that, contrary to popular belief, I am not in fact pregnant.
John
Tue Jan 23 20:10:59 2007
Yeah, don't suppose we can mention that other delightful name they use... Being generally adverse to working anyway, I'll probably stay at home on the day and pretend i'm a highly motivated striker! Any excuse! (Will have to make up the financial shortfall with a bit of Ebay trading ;))
Nigel
Tue Jan 23 20:09:44 2007
Why don't software engineers ever get to go on strike?
John
Tue Jan 23 20:09:01 2007
Is it going to be like the miner's strikes, with picket lines, and angry Northerners shouting "scab, scab, scab, scab!"...?
John
Tue Jan 23 20:08:42 2007
You'd be a Scab :) Another tick for the 101 things to do before you die :)
Kev
Tue Jan 23 20:07:09 2007
Hi Kev!! Maybe...! :) Trouble is, I won't get paid if I do so it's actually a double-edge sword... I have never been on strike before - don't think it solves much for the CS, just makes "us" more reviled by the public. We'll see. Personally, I wouldn't mind being made redundant... ;)
Nigel
Tue Jan 23 19:58:47 2007
So Nigel do you get to have 31 jan off ?
Kev
Tue Jan 23 19:50:06 2007
Evening all!! :)
What a boring day I had too! Plus I was working with a "colleague" who seemed to enjoy telling me I was doing everthing incorrectly... all day... If I were in charge, I'd fire me for incompetence!
I have to admit when I saw Joniepoo, it did occur it might be you John, having a laugh!! (As in John-ee-Poo or some such). However, strike that thought as i am clearly wrong! I apologise... And Congratulations to Joniepoo!! Hurrah! :)
Nigel
Tue Jan 23 19:44:34 2007
No you are not on....
Lox
Tue Jan 23 19:30:19 2007
ope actually i am here waiting to go roleplayinggaming... Skype maybe?
Lox
Tue Jan 23 19:29:44 2007
I am so bloody bored! Where the bloody hell is everyone? Have you all gone skiing or something?
John
Tue Jan 23 18:47:05 2007
Is Joniepoo actually a real person - do any of you know her?
John
Tue Jan 23 18:41:02 2007
Alas, I have another training course now - in fact several hours of it. Pretty tedious. Later on today though I may get the opportunity to see a guy from Virgin Galactic speak. Anybody got any good questions?
John
Tue Jan 23 18:03:16 2007
Lox: are you done for the day now? Is it Miller time?
John
Tue Jan 23 17:59:10 2007
Ciao everyone, congrats Joniepoo! What a long day for me... I must have driven 200kms around the city visiting suppliers today!
Lox
Tue Jan 23 17:34:49 2007
Rob: I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that long overdue and very well deserved celebration!
John
Tue Jan 23 17:12:36 2007
Congratulations Joniepoo!
Rob Lang
Tue Jan 23 10:51:24 2007
HI - I just found out i am pregnant, we are very excited! Last night waiting for my husband to come home so I could take the test nearly killed me. but when that little blue + came up there was much jumping up and down and squealing.
So now finally I am pregnant and suddenly realise that I don't know anything, so that's a bit scary!
I need to start researching diapers and strollers and stuff! This is great!
I just had to tell someone! weeeeeeeeeeeee!
Joniepoo
Tue Jan 23 10:03:51 2007
Tim: Hope it's going well. We pick up the car at lunchtime and are going to visit Clare and Abi. Beautiful sunny day here. (I think it's about 2.00 am where you are - sleep well!)
Looking forward to hearing all about it.
Tim's mum
Tue Jan 23 09:48:43 2007
Rob: you wanna give me a call tonight, would love a chat!
Mad Mumsie
Tue Jan 23 08:52:47 2007
I might actually graduate with a PhD this July. I have all the corrected sections of my thesis. Expect a big piss up.
Rob Lang
Tue Jan 23 08:18:29 2007
'later. Lox: with your voice you could sing, you know! And become a pop star (boys'band)! Then remember I've been your friend...
Sheri
Tue Jan 23 07:53:55 2007
Sheri: No, it was OK :) We are safe.... !!! Right I must start my drive to work... See you later..
Nigel
Tue Jan 23 07:40:26 2007
Nigel, Lox, that was really amusing, last night. Nigel, I hope Joc wasn't reading when I kindly asked my beloved wife to keep her mouth shut...
Sheri
Tue Jan 23 07:38:33 2007
Travis: How are things with you? I hope your mother-in-Law is still stable and improving. Lubbock features on the BBC today - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6287367.stm :)
Nigel
Tue Jan 23 07:24:42 2007
Morning Maisoneers!! :)
Well, as usual, my first visit before I drive into work. The CS really are being a pain in the proverbial...
It looks pretty cold out there, but it's one of those star-lit, crisp and clear mornings that could promise some sun later!! I like it!
Nigel
Tue Jan 23 07:19:40 2007
John: Congrats on updating your Friends Reunited profile, I think mine still says "J'aime jouer au football" and "J'ai douze ans"
dsp
Tue Jan 23 06:34:06 2007
John: Hiya - a couple of my American colleagues treated me to dinner out which was nice and prevented the crap lonely dinner syndrome.
dsp
Tue Jan 23 06:33:10 2007
Right, well so far I seem to have satisfied myself that I am more successful than everyone I went to school with. It's superficial I know, but it does seem to be brightening up my otherwise exceedingly dull evening.
John
Tue Jan 23 05:52:11 2007
Right, I know what'll cheer me up - I haven't updated my entry on Friends Reunited for a few years - I'm going to go and gloat about my wonderful career.
John
Tue Jan 23 05:17:53 2007
By the way Tim, I was thinking of you the other day when I was going through a training course about search technology. The presenter asked the audience to estimate how big the Internet was - and it turns out the correct answer was that, for all intents and purposes, we should actually consider it to be infinite. This came from the mouth of a senior engineer at the world's leading search engine. So ten years on I feel you've been vindicated mate - not such a stupid assumption now, eh Revd Ogden?
John
Tue Jan 23 04:39:38 2007
Sounds like you get on with business trips a lot better than I do Tim! I'm feeling generally miserable after a crappy dinner and the prospect of another dreary night in my hotel room. A large glass of whisky is currently assisting me in taking the edge off it a bit.
John
Tue Jan 23 04:27:19 2007
Mum: Got your text, thank you. Today has been non-stop, just got in from dinner with a couple of the guys and have to prepare a presentation for tomorrow. The hotel room is great, it is palatial with free wireless and a 42" plasma telly.
dsp
Tue Jan 23 02:01:20 2007
John: Hiya - breakfast was great thanks! I skipped the cooked stuff and just had two plates of raspberries, blueberries, melon and pineapple. I wanted to make a good first impression at the office and didn't want to feel bloated and sleepy.
dsp
Tue Jan 23 02:00:01 2007
though no beer was involved I had a great chat with Sheri and Nigel, plus I finally managed to hear Sheri's voice! :D Powers of technology!!
Lox
Mon Jan 22 22:36:33 2007
Evening all!! :)
MM: Yeah, good idea. It's a bit far to go within the confines of my lunch "hour" but worth a go... Thanks.
Tom: Your idea is also pretty cool actually. There's bound to be a whole bunch of unsecured stuff in the area. Can I sneak my old Thinkpad past the Security Guards? ;)
dsp: So, you are about 6-hours behind the UK? Around lunch time then! Has your new American parent compant equipped you á la John, yet?
Nigel
Mon Jan 22 19:28:09 2007
Tim: how was your breakfast? I just had a relatively pleasant meal of scrambled eggs, fried potatoes with some kind of herbs (probably pronounced without the 'h') and a kind of fake vegetarian sausage pattie thing. It wasn't bad I suppose, but the espresso that followed it was rather good.
John
Mon Jan 22 17:50:57 2007
I've spelt alegedly wrongly, allegedly, that's better.
Mad Mumsie
Mon Jan 22 16:54:48 2007
That'll be just lilke "home" then, alegedly, at some point this winter, perhaps tomorrow or Wednesday!
Tim's Mum
Mon Jan 22 16:50:30 2007
Tim: Hope today went well. Temps around freezing huh?
I received your text message/phone no. OK. Love Mum
Tim's mum
Mon Jan 22 16:39:42 2007
That's not fair.
tom
Mon Jan 22 16:23:12 2007
Dsp: WoW no jetlag!!! I envy you!!
Lox
Mon Jan 22 12:05:01 2007
Nigel: thanks! I managed to get a decent snooze :-)
dsp
Mon Jan 22 12:00:25 2007
Morning everybody. 7am here. Just going for breakfast then the office. Lox: Could't find Capone.
dsp
Mon Jan 22 11:59:45 2007
Alternatively, stick you own laptop on the desk next to you and steal some wireless access form a nearby building. Ahem.
tom
Mon Jan 22 10:16:54 2007
Morning All. Nigel: regarding your amputation - is there by any chance a library near your place of work. If there is, they should have PCs for use, should be free for the first hour, which you could book for your lunch hour, or part of it, then at least you could catch up in the middle of the day!
Mad Mumsie
Mon Jan 22 09:42:42 2007
Dsp: How is Chicago then? Found Capone yet?
Lox
Mon Jan 22 08:35:24 2007
Not sure about the Gallo plonk, guys ... I always found it mediocre and overpriced.
Jimmy
Mon Jan 22 08:25:19 2007
And morning everyone!
Sheri
Mon Jan 22 07:54:29 2007
Nigel. sorry, I couldn't make it yesterday. Busy sunday.
Sheri
Mon Jan 22 07:54:07 2007
Morning Maisoneers!! :))
A long time travelling, dsp :( Hope you get time to "recover"...
Nigel
Mon Jan 22 07:11:20 2007
Welcome to the US Tim! Sorry to hear the journey has been such a pain!
John
Mon Jan 22 06:03:40 2007
Hiya - just got in to my hotel. I set of nearly 24 hours ago and was supposed to arrive 8 hours earlier Snow in Chicago ('windy city' my arse)
dsp
Mon Jan 22 05:46:24 2007
John: this is the first effect of eating squirrel meat, it's a bit hallucinogenic and gives aggressiveness, a bit like the animal itself that would attack lions if in need of food.
Lox
Sun Jan 21 23:29:03 2007
Sorry, the "no they bloody well are not" was directed at your comment on artichokes/squirrels, I hadn't seen the post about Californian wine at that point.
John
Sun Jan 21 23:08:48 2007
Lox: no they bloody well are not, you idiot!
John
Sun Jan 21 23:00:08 2007
And Nozzoli is a decent wine, but since you are in Cali ask for some ERNST and JULIO GALLO, it's a very good Californian brand. (honest, I quite like their Cabernet Sauvignon)
Lox
Sun Jan 21 22:59:35 2007
John: Did you know that Italian artichokes are made of squirrels? I mean, I wanted to warn you because you are a veggie and you have infact ate a nice fluffy little animal, a bit like quorn mind you...
Lox
Sun Jan 21 22:58:44 2007
I went out to lunch for "Italian" food - or the American variant thereof. Had penne marinara with mushrooms, then an olive and artichoke pizza, and washed the two down with a couple of glasses of reasonable chianti (Nozzole?). It wasn't exactly haute cuisine, but it was homely and satisfying and I quite enjoyed it.
John
Sun Jan 21 22:51:35 2007
Well done Tom!! The distance is not the problem... it's keeping going for 80-minutes! Splendid!! :)
Nigel
Sun Jan 21 22:14:47 2007
Although it's terribly late, it was worth the wait... I have concocted a marvellous Broccoli and Courgettes Flan, slightly curry flavoured (Carebbean curries bought in Guadalupa this summer) with Parma ham and Mozzarella crust. Simply PERFECT. Shame I am all by myself... :(
Lox
Sun Jan 21 21:37:45 2007
Thanks Lox - so was I. It was pretty hard going. But it has proved to me that I will not be beaten - so I WILL do the 1/2 marathon. :-)
tom
Sun Jan 21 21:18:28 2007
Tom, as for the run I am impressed it's quite a lot!!!
Lox
Sun Jan 21 21:04:53 2007
Tom: :D Sure I can ask the guy next door he's bound to have plenty... (ya' 'now what I mean!)... :P I'll take a look at this Toast as well :D
Lox
Sun Jan 21 21:04:33 2007
Did a long run today. 80 minutes, 13.6K (8.5 miles)....
tom
Sun Jan 21 21:02:49 2007
I use Toast for handling CDs and DVDs. Burning copying, mounting images. Wicked. :-)
tom
Sun Jan 21 21:02:17 2007
But it's only £40 Lox... PLus, I'll BET you can find a, ahem, license.
tom
Sun Jan 21 21:01:43 2007
How about that program that lets you rotate the desktop like a "dice"? And as for Parallels you can use it only for 15 days? Not a lot... :(
Lox
Sun Jan 21 20:59:34 2007
As for burning CDs or DVDs. You just need to create a "Burn Folder" and drag your items to it. Like XP it only handles complete disks at a time, no multi-session.
Nigel
Sun Jan 21 20:54:21 2007
Evening Lox! Parallels itself comes as a 15-day demo. No VMs supplied. You just start it and set it to boot from an install CD (Windows XP CD etc) and it will install a VM for you. Or you can rip the CD to an ISO using ImageTool and use the ISO instead.
Nigel
Sun Jan 21 20:52:51 2007
Other question.... The Mac book is equipped with a cd/dvd burning unit? I need to go check it out... :P God I know so little of this beauty!
Lox
Sun Jan 21 20:51:36 2007
Question: Where do I get the Virtual machine to run windows and linux on the mac? I have checked a site (Parrallels) and it is a non free software... :( Maybe I am making some mistake...
Lox
Sun Jan 21 20:34:32 2007
LOL!!!! :))
Nigel
Sun Jan 21 18:22:56 2007
Yea I heard colour deteriorates as altitude increases. So Nepal, being fairly high up, appears black and white to us. It's a common misconception that mountains have snow at the top - it is in fact just grass rendered in monochrome.
John
Sun Jan 21 18:11:03 2007
Well, i had no joy at all installing a directX app in Parallels... It came up with the message - "Hardware Acceleration Needed" and aborted. :( Know thy limitations Nigel...
Nigel
Sun Jan 21 16:46:19 2007
Tom: As for AOE and the screen scrolling... Ah. I see. I'm gonna try installing a tricky DX prog to see how it fares...
Nigel
Sun Jan 21 12:03:06 2007
Tom: Yes, I did wonder if they were originally colour and the guy converted them. Whatever... B/W still works well as a documentary.
Tim's Mum: So true about their dignity...
Nigel
Sun Jan 21 12:01:54 2007
Nigel: One thig I noticed form those photos is how backward nepal is. I mean, they don't even have colour yet.
tom
Sun Jan 21 11:02:45 2007
The problem I had was to do with scrolling. In AOE, you move around the landscape by moving the mouse to the edge of the screen. When you do this, parallels freezes the VM and pops up the menus at the top of the screen. The graphics and multiplayer networking all worked fine.
tom
Sun Jan 21 11:01:23 2007
Good morning and very nice pictures on that BBC site! :) I was planning to go to Nepal for holidays... now I really wanna go!
Lox
Sun Jan 21 10:32:27 2007
Nigel: Good morning to you! Those pictures are superb. My eldest son took a video in Sri Lankha before the Tsunami of men working at a sapphire mine, by candlelight. The people are incredibly poor yet have such dignity and superb manners.
Tim's mum
Sun Jan 21 10:20:18 2007
Good morning all! Tim starts his journey to Indianapolis this morning at 10.00 (that's The Plan anyway). I know he'll check in here whenever he gets the opportunity so here is a little message for him.................
Have a safe trip, son, take care, we love you loads, steer it well our 'Arold! Mum xxx
Tim's mum
Sun Jan 21 10:07:54 2007
MESSAGE
webcmsdq
Sun Jan 21 09:47:39 2007
Morning all!! :)))
Well, after my usual morning trawl of the BBC News site, I really liked these photos... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6245947.stm
Nigel
Sun Jan 21 08:42:17 2007
Gee, thanks John. You're my hero!
Sheri
Sun Jan 21 08:26:30 2007
Hello chaps, I'm back from San Francisco now, had a jolly nice time, it is certainly a far more characterful city than Seattle was!
Sheri: I don't have the relevant details to hand, will have to have a bit of a dig around... will let you know when I find them.
John
Sun Jan 21 07:52:26 2007
John. I erased by mistake all the links regarding my space on la Maison. You know, the bit dealing with my pics and html pages, and the one which enables me to create (and modify) new entries. Could you send them to me? Thanks
Sheri
Sat Jan 20 18:43:26 2007
Enjoy SF!! It really is one place I'd love to visit. I have friends in the East Bay area. :)
Nigel
Sat Jan 20 16:55:49 2007
Right, well I'll be off then!
John
Sat Jan 20 16:42:16 2007
Yea it has been cold here in the US of A over the last week - one morning I had to scrape the frost off my car (finally that NorthWest mileage card had a use). Anywho, it's Saturday morning here, and the weekend is all my own! I'm off to San Francisco in a bit for a bit of sightseeing.
John
Sat Jan 20 16:09:54 2007
Sorry to hear about the continuing Bronchitis, Lox... Hope you are feeling better soon. That's the trouble with this time of year...
Yeah, the storms are very "colourful" aren't they? It's not so cold here - around 12-degrees C which is warm for the time of year. Cold coming though, we are told.
Nigel
Sat Jan 20 10:36:57 2007
Glorious sun in Florence, very hot weather, actually the situation is so bad that flowers are IN BLOOM!!!! Shame that because of my bronchitis I cannot go out.. .:(
Lox
Sat Jan 20 10:11:39 2007
Morning all!! :))
Wow... Snow in Lubbock, eh? Didn't think it *could* snow in Texas.... Glad to read things are improving slowly for your Mother-in-law. Slow but steady, I hope.
Nigel
Sat Jan 20 08:57:32 2007
Travis: Good news!! I am glad that she's feeling better! Tom: is Dx supported allright on the virtual machine? I am sure that it'll have troubles finding the Graphic Card...
Lox
Fri Jan 19 22:52:49 2007
Five to twelve inches of snow to fall in Lubbock? We'll see. We have about half an inch on the ground, and it's supposed to fall for another 24 hours. Insane! In other news, mother in law doing better despite a bit of a scare. Could be released from hospital on Monday. Great news.
Travis
Fri Jan 19 22:39:30 2007
Got to be DirectX (?) This seems the weak spot...
Nigel
Fri Jan 19 22:26:38 2007
Just had a few issues trying to run Age of Empires under Parallels.
tom
Fri Jan 19 21:59:40 2007
Doubting it was Guinness...
tom
Fri Jan 19 21:00:26 2007
Do you remember what brand of beer it was John?
Lox
Fri Jan 19 20:27:07 2007
In the end the solution was to order another printer (samsung) and on monday we'll try with that. If it can print directly from the mac, it should be able to print from the network once it is installed onto windows...
Lox
Fri Jan 19 20:26:03 2007
If there's one thing I love, it's waking uo the next morning and finding the messages on the board that I'd forgotten I'd posted whilst drunk.
John
Fri Jan 19 20:25:18 2007
Yes. And possibly no. The driver (on the windows box) might well just act as a go between for the [dumb] printer and the GUI on the - ah, fuck - the Mac. :-(
tom
Fri Jan 19 20:23:50 2007
I seeee.... it seems that you are right it must be a GDI printer, it's darn cheap as a matter of fact.... But then again if I find a way to get the mac to talk with the wondows driver it might actually work over the network (although it won't work directly)... correct?
Lox
Fri Jan 19 19:53:43 2007
Yeah, I can understand your train of thought there Lox. BUT Unless I am wrong it simply does not work that way (Incident