Hi dsp! I've been over to check those... and noticed "Gone Daddy Gone" music vid. Ha! That's actually rather funny (in a bad taste kind of way!)
Nigel
Tue Oct 31 23:42:54 2006

Dsp: GREAT MOVIES THERE!!!! nice find!!!! :)
Lox
Tue Oct 31 23:37:47 2006

And who could forget my favourite magic missile
dsp
Tue Oct 31 23:32:03 2006

Hey guys, check out this vid takes me right back to GARP!
dsp
Tue Oct 31 23:27:32 2006

Yes Nigel, it does! - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomium . Do you know, sometimes I realise what a "font" of knowledge I really am!! :)) Not sure where I get it from tho'.....
Nigel
Tue Oct 31 23:02:44 2006

Doesn't Brussels have some sort of large stainless-steel molecule thing you can walk around in? Sor of "Worlds Fair" type of exhibit from way back?
Nigel
Tue Oct 31 15:55:34 2006

Tom: To be honest Marta (who used to go there on business) always told me that the place didn't offer quite a lot.... :(
Lox
Tue Oct 31 15:25:11 2006

Tob: Apart from the national sport (Rape a kid), I would recommend a nice dish of fois gras and some Belgian ale (not together with the fois gras)... But I am sure Sheri knows better!
Lox
Tue Oct 31 15:17:33 2006

Anyone recommend things to do in brussels?
tom
Tue Oct 31 14:39:44 2006

Tom: In that case you are ok, I guess money is not the issue but at least it is a sweetener for the disservice... In Italy you probably wouldn't get the refund on the top of the crap service (which is now standard alas)... And then they complain about the fact that more people are travelling by car!!
Lox
Tue Oct 31 11:56:42 2006

Lox: to get a refund, you have to buy a ticket. As the Theale ticket office never opened and there was no-one on the train to take the cash, I didn't get an opportunity to buy one. So I got my refund anyway. But that's not the principal is it?
tom
Tue Oct 31 11:37:19 2006

Morning.
tom
Tue Oct 31 11:35:45 2006

There always has to be one!
Mad Mumsie
Tue Oct 31 09:23:26 2006

Morning.
dsp
Tue Oct 31 09:13:02 2006

In light of recent comments on the board, I'd just like to say: "Morning!!" :))))))
Nigel
Tue Oct 31 09:09:23 2006

Morning!
Mad Mumsie
Tue Oct 31 08:59:19 2006

Morning
Kev
Tue Oct 31 08:09:48 2006

....Morning....
Lox
Tue Oct 31 08:07:59 2006

...and I know the clocks have gone back, because normally if I post on my way to work (i.e. between 8 and 9AM here in Japan) it makes the board roll over to the next day.
John
Mon Oct 30 23:44:44 2006

Tom - agh I've got all that to come back to! My guess is the driver forgot to adjust his alarm clock back to GMT at the weekend, and overslept. Luckily here in Japan there is no daylight saving time to cause such confusion, and anyway train drivers who turn up late for work are shot.
John
Mon Oct 30 23:43:31 2006

Tom: I hope you've got a whoop ass refund for all this trouble!
Lox
Mon Oct 30 23:02:30 2006

Good grief!! What a catalogue of "British Efficiency!" Glad you got there in the end - hope the customer wasn't too unhappy!
Nigel
Mon Oct 30 21:50:33 2006

(2) I got on though, but I'd effectively missed my Eurostar. I had to change tickets for a later train. Unfortunately, the next train to Brussels was the 1043. I got to the client at 1500 BE time. :-(
tom
Mon Oct 30 20:25:08 2006

Hi Nigel. No, business unfortunately. If I play my cards right and work really fast tomorrow, I may get some time on Wednesday for some sightseeing. Had a crappy journey over though. Got to Theale station at 0630. The 0638 didn't show. Neither did the 0705. The 0716 did, but at 0730 - FULL!
tom
Mon Oct 30 20:24:01 2006

As in "rolling about in a bath full of..." ? Or the actual place?!?! :))
Would your trip be work or pleasure, Tom? If pleasure, it's a city I've always wanted to see (along with many others mind you!) Say "Hi" to Poirot for me... :)
Nigel
Mon Oct 30 20:18:59 2006

I am in Brussels.
tom
Mon Oct 30 20:05:11 2006

Issam! Hello! Kulam wa antoom bikhair! Where in the world are you now?
John
Mon Oct 30 13:31:00 2006

Gooooooodddd Morning everyone, just came back from the new house, if all goes according to plan I might be able to move there this week, and start all the refurbishing efforts that need to be done... :(
Lox
Mon Oct 30 10:12:22 2006

Morning Maisoneers!! :)
Well back into work today. Oh they are so happy I'm back (not!)
Nigel
Mon Oct 30 09:41:14 2006

John! I know that i'm behaving like a Windows Explorer popup window : -) it is just a big hello... from time to time... issam
issam
Mon Oct 30 06:20:57 2006

John: Your general impression is apt. I went to another bar that happened to have nearly 300 selections (not all on tap obviously). I had a Hoegaarden and a umm....W-ham something. Some sort of English cream ale. It was quite good. I'll find the name for it.
Travis
Mon Oct 30 02:21:27 2006

I bet it was a popular cake though...!!! :)))
Oh, and hello all!
Nigel
Sun Oct 29 20:10:54 2006

Hi all, just back from a sort of damp but sometimes nice week in Somerset. Using Cyberdad's PC and I don 't like the keyboard, very clunky. On the subject of brandy in cakes, did you all hear the one about a wedding cake, that had a liberal amount of brandy poured over it (and in it during the making), then a person who shall remain nameless and had nothing to do with the making, came along and poured another load of brandy over it!!!
Mad Mumsie
Sun Oct 29 19:06:13 2006

A very quiet Sunday on the Board... I thought I had to post something not to leave it blank at least!
Lox
Sun Oct 29 17:32:25 2006

Evening all! Yes, they sell Boddingtons in cans - four-packs etc - at Sainsbury / Somefield and others. Being out of the brewery's home area this is the only way to come by it. Not many pubs round here stock it... :((
Nigel
Sat Oct 28 22:22:28 2006

Boddingtons is very popular round here. I know Tim drank plenty of it in 'The Dunes' our local, when he lived at home! I believe John also drank it whenever he came to stay. I think they do sell it in cans, but it probably doesn't taste as good.
Tim's mum
Sat Oct 28 20:36:59 2006

I have never had this Boddintong, but the explanation given by Nigel made me thirsty!!! Do they sell it in cans?
Lox
Sat Oct 28 17:34:57 2006

Just had a wet, dismal day in Wales, so a pint of Boddingtons would go down a treat right now!!!! Incidentally T'sM, I'd class it as Bitter with a frothy head-making widget! :))
Nigel
Sat Oct 28 17:27:50 2006

TM: Milk perhaps?
Lox
Sat Oct 28 11:01:49 2006

John: So what category would Boddingtons (Cream of Manchester) fall into?!
Tim's mum
Sat Oct 28 10:27:23 2006

I get the impression Travis prefers more aley heavier types of beer, so maybe Japanese beers might not really be his thing, given that they're generally all lager types. In the UK I was never much of a lager drinker, but here in Japan I have been converted to cold, pale, refreshing but not very strong tasting beers. It's good that I'll be returning to Blighty in the winter in this respect, hopefully the transition back to warm beer will not be too painful!
John
Sat Oct 28 09:57:08 2006

Travis: I prefer Asahi Superdry, give it a go it will not leave you disappointed!
Lox
Sat Oct 28 09:14:40 2006

Morning all!! :)
Travis: Sounds an intriguing evening! :)
Nigel
Sat Oct 28 08:03:02 2006

A good evening. I had two new castles, a warsteiner, and two kirin ichibans. First time I'd had a nihon-no beer. Pretty fair.
Travis
Sat Oct 28 03:02:53 2006

Cheers!! :)
Nigel
Fri Oct 27 22:33:42 2006

Murphy's? :) lol
Kev
Fri Oct 27 21:23:41 2006

Guinness?? ;))
Nigel
Fri Oct 27 20:42:16 2006

Friday night... nothing to do... I am bored as hell... I wish I was already in the new place, there are soooo many things to be done there... :(
Lox
Fri Oct 27 19:56:50 2006

I tried Googling for "rotate video" and found at least one program that looked like it would do that sort of thing.
John
Fri Oct 27 16:14:36 2006

John: Ciao John! I have looked over the net a little, nothing deep, but I haven't found anything... The main problem seems the keyword for what to look for!
Lox
Fri Oct 27 14:22:30 2006

Lox: I've made the same mistake several times myself. I don't know of any software that can fix that problem, but I haven't really looked either. As it seems like a common problem, I would have thought there is some software you can get to sort it out.
John
Fri Oct 27 13:54:26 2006

The following question might sound strange but it is not... i have shot a movie with my DC, but I forgot to keep it "flat" and shot the movie in a "upright" position. The result is a good movie but of course the subject is now the wrong way (i.e. normal "up" is now right)... Is there anything out there that will let me turn the movie in the proper direction?
Lox
Fri Oct 27 13:49:47 2006

Jimmy: GREAT STUFF!!! I have already done it! :)
Lox
Fri Oct 27 13:47:45 2006

GOTCHA! This is how to revert to old-style "Close" buttons: Type "about:config" into the URL box, and this takes you to the non-GUI-accesible settings (it seems to be like FF's internal registry). Scroll-down until you find a value called "browser.tabls.closeButtons". This is a numeric value, and its default is 1. Set this to 3 instead, and- hey presto!- your tabs will behave like they did in FF1.5! Hooray!
Jimmy
Fri Oct 27 13:08:06 2006

Morning all, Jimmy, middle click still closes the tabs just like the old version ( also middle clicking a link opens a new tab too in case you didn't already know! )
Kev
Fri Oct 27 10:50:26 2006

Jimmy: Totally agree... after a little bit of usage I have had the same problem.. .:( I am sure that someone will fix it though! The rest of the browser is great especially the spell checker! :)
Lox
Fri Oct 27 08:54:43 2006

Morning all!!
Nigel
Fri Oct 27 08:46:31 2006

Lox- I'm using FF2, but I find that tabs-with-individual-close-buttons are extremely annoying. I don't know what OS you're using, but on Windows the "Close" button is always at the top-right of the window, as it was in FF1. When I go to close tabs, I find my hand dragging the mouse to the top-right of the screen, just from muscle-memory. It's bloody annoying to have to find the individual close-buttons!
Jimmy
Fri Oct 27 08:14:41 2006

Using FFox 2.0 and loving it already!!!
Lox
Fri Oct 27 07:48:47 2006

'Morning..... off to get the car repaired... :(
Lox
Fri Oct 27 07:29:28 2006

In far off Florida, poised to present my paper on Saturday. Until then? I don't know. Spending some time with former colleagues. Hope all is well.
Travis
Fri Oct 27 00:37:59 2006

I seeee....
Lox
Thu Oct 26 22:59:55 2006

In Victorian times it was silver threepenny bits that went into Christmas pudding. If you swallowed one - too bad! It was supposed to be lucky to find one, but no I don't put any money in. Too tight! Nigel, I have heard about white Christmas cake, but have always made the dark rich fruit kind, with lashings of brandy in.
Tim's mum
Thu Oct 26 19:37:56 2006

Lox - the coins are both very roughly the same size. If you swallowed your prize... well you just had to wait a couple of days to claim it... :((
Nigel
Thu Oct 26 18:38:23 2006

I don't think I have even seen a 6pence coin.... As for the 5 pence one, what happens if you swallow it?!?
Lox
Thu Oct 26 17:56:18 2006

Hi Lox. Yes, my grandmother used to put an old-fashioned sixpence in the pudding or cake. Played havoc with your fillings if you found it. I think it's probably illegal nowadays!! An alternative to the old sixpence is the newer 5p!
Nigel
Thu Oct 26 17:35:29 2006

Nigel: What is this 5pence thing? I have never heard about putting a coin INTO the Xmas cake!
Lox
Thu Oct 26 17:04:37 2006

T'sM: Do you put sixpences in? (Well, ok, 5p's then). My Mum used to do a "white christmas cake", which I quite liked...
Nigel
Thu Oct 26 16:51:48 2006

Nope
Tim's mum
Thu Oct 26 14:47:44 2006

Can I suggest a chocolate sponge christmas cake?
dsp
Thu Oct 26 12:34:39 2006

Sounds good, TM!! :)
Well no one told me it would be so much fun, surfing the Internet while watching Carry On Camping on the PSP!! I can see I'm going to have to find some more films!!
Nigel
Thu Oct 26 10:56:07 2006

Today I are mostly baking Christmas cake. Don't worry Tim, you won't have to eat any of it!
Tim's mum
Thu Oct 26 10:15:52 2006

John- it's all in SI units because of this very problem. I've had a look for PI, but it's *definitely* 3.1415926535897932384626433832795. Bugger.
Jimmy
Thu Oct 26 09:59:12 2006

Morning all!!! :))))
Too right we are, Sheri!! Get typing!!! ;))
Nigel
Thu Oct 26 08:38:42 2006

Morning Ladies and Gents. New entry tonight or tomorrow at the latest. (I know you'r all craving for my gossips)
Sheri
Thu Oct 26 08:02:58 2006

Lox, I assume that you mean the North of Italy rather than you popped up to Newcastle for the day :)
Kev
Wed Oct 25 21:08:49 2006

Lox: I hope they treated you well, now you are the customer!! And of course, they couldn't trick you with clever talk, because you know them too well!! :))
Nigel
Wed Oct 25 17:15:12 2006

Sorry I have been up north (and still I am) working... Now I am writing from the EXACT same spot from which I have been writing when I was employed here! :) Oh well, DSP: I cannot do before I am 30 as I am currently 31... (DOH!)
Lox
Wed Oct 25 15:47:56 2006

Maybe you can search your code for comments like:

// Bugger it, let's just call pi 3, it's as near as dammit.
John
Wed Oct 25 15:46:29 2006

Or did you get metres/yards confused somewhere?
John
Wed Oct 25 14:11:09 2006

Jimmy: either that or it's a rounding error.
John
Wed Oct 25 14:10:18 2006

Jimmy: it's not a quantum physics / Schroedinger's cat type thing is it? Probably I misinterpreted the underlying meaning of all of the surrounding theory, but what I took away from that was the sense that if it is so difficult to decide whether something is one way or another, it probably doesn't matter either way.
John
Wed Oct 25 14:08:55 2006

Thanks guys, I knew I could count on you to solve my problems!
Jimmy
Wed Oct 25 13:27:40 2006

yes find a third way, then use "Paper Scissors Stone" to find the answer
Kev
Wed Oct 25 13:05:00 2006

Jimmy - I have two suggestions, take the average or come up with a third way and hope it agrees with one of the other ways.
dsp
Wed Oct 25 12:56:21 2006

OK- so I have two methods for measuring the same thing. The trouble is, they disagree, and nobody can understand why. BUGGER.
Jimmy
Wed Oct 25 11:31:53 2006

Morning Maisoneers!!! :)
Nigel
Wed Oct 25 08:53:20 2006

I've just been trying to browse the Internet wirelessly using a PSP. Actually works very well - just inputting data or text is a bit too fiddly though. Otherwise, for browsing it's surprisingly good.
Nigel
Tue Oct 24 21:55:26 2006

That way *my* plan, buit now I'm 33, so I've had to push-back the deadline to 40 ...
Jimmy
Tue Oct 24 12:52:40 2006

Lox - what about before you are 30?
dsp
Tue Oct 24 12:19:34 2006

I am totally happy now, one target in life less to accomplish (next one is to make a gazzillion dollars before I am 40)
Lox
Tue Oct 24 11:45:57 2006

Trial ignore
Lox
Tue Oct 24 11:45:07 2006

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS I did IT!!!!!!

YOU ARE DEAD

Ciao ciao Spammer, burn in the oblivion of the banned people!
Lox
Tue Oct 24 11:44:32 2006

Morning all!! I'm on hedge-trimming duty today... Oh joy :(

I wonder why the spammer chose to write "keep it UP" using the capitals... What are they implying?!??
Nigel
Tue Oct 24 08:23:20 2006

Awwww Lox man, you referred to another spammer, you need to nuke without conscience ( after all who will know - except John- )!!!!! Morning all btw.
Kev
Tue Oct 24 08:14:07 2006

Lox: if you're still around, then please feel free to go ahead and delete it!
John
Tue Oct 24 06:47:44 2006

Morning... Going up North for two days... Will visit my old company as a client this time!! :) The message here below smells of Spam BIG TIME, but I am still indecisive on what to do!
Lox
Tue Oct 24 06:45:34 2006

Lox: thanks for the heads up about Firefox 2 - I had downloaded the sources and built it myself a while back, but it's never quite the same thing as downloading a nice and proper shiny new release. Hmmm but I don't seem to have got the spel chekin working yet - I've installed a dictionary as prompted, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything yet - in the version I built from sources that just worked (TM).
John
Tue Oct 24 00:13:13 2006

Well you know, toilets on trains can be a bit claustrophobic....
John
Mon Oct 23 23:25:02 2006

I agree, dsp. What a plonker! What on earth makes people do such... stuff. Unless he's one marble short of a bag full... ?
Nigel
Mon Oct 23 20:18:44 2006

I agree... strange way to display one's idiocy though... On a less mundane note, FFox 2.0 has been released!! :)
Lox
Mon Oct 23 17:43:45 2006

If he gets caught - they should rub his nose in it!
dsp
Mon Oct 23 17:17:54 2006

The hunt is on.... news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/6077464.stm
Kev
Mon Oct 23 15:44:09 2006

Jimmy: F**K!! That puts the scrath on the car into a different prospective...
Lox
Mon Oct 23 15:30:44 2006

Jimmy, just get some pikeys round to fix it for a couple of hundred then you won't need the scaffolding. Of course you'll just end up with your chimney painted black ( so as they know not to call again!!!) and the roof will still leak ( but in a different place where they stomped through all your tiles and made them loose :)
Kev
Mon Oct 23 15:14:11 2006

Jimmy: Double-ouch! :(
Nigel
Mon Oct 23 15:10:38 2006

Yeah ... but then 2007 would absolutely *kill* me! And another thing: the man came round to look at the roof (which is leaking). He said the repair is a trivial, 5-minute job. But getting access to the roof is very difficult, and it might require scaffolding, which will cost upwards of 1000 quid. ARGH!
Jimmy
Mon Oct 23 14:53:11 2006

...or perhaps better still, every Monday.
John
Mon Oct 23 13:05:58 2006

Jimmy: you realise you could take every Friday off for the rest of the year?
John
Mon Oct 23 13:05:44 2006

Kev: That's the problem. If he was selling ViAgRA or Carboclidestronziumdesossinate I would have known staright away,but in this situation I have my doubts that it might be spam...
Lox
Mon Oct 23 11:53:28 2006

Way to go Jimmy!! Use that sucker!! :)))
Nigel
Mon Oct 23 11:03:06 2006

Hello all! I've got to use-up 15 days of holiday by the end of the year! It's been a very long time since I last had a holiday-surplus!
Jimmy
Mon Oct 23 10:35:00 2006

Ah, you see now Lox, you can't refer to the spam posts like that, because if you remove it it won't make sense anymore. You need to delete without conscience before anyone is the wiser!!!!
kev
Mon Oct 23 09:56:45 2006

Kev: Not yet really... But Trevor might do the job! :P
Is the guy below a spammer? PLEASEEEEE TELL ME THAT IT'S a Spam message so that I can BAN IT FOREVER!!!!
Lox
Mon Oct 23 09:52:56 2006

I like it a lot! Your web site is helpful, Thanks!
here you find all about laptop computers
Mon Oct 23 09:13:50 2006

Morning All. Damn shame about the scratch Lox. btw does your new car have a name yet. I suggest Trevor.
Kev
Mon Oct 23 08:13:03 2006

If I were you, Lox, I would change the whole car. It's like it lost its virginity. And it was not even you who did it. You will never look at it the same way. Repudiate it !
Sheri
Mon Oct 23 06:57:05 2006

It's a pearly colour, probably similar to metallic... Tomorrow I will enquire about a possible repair, I am so not looking forward to it.. .:( The funny thing is that if it happened in one year time probably I wouldn't care too much, but the car is only 2 weeks old and in a way it really pisses me off... Oh well let's see tomorrow anyways...
Lox
Sun Oct 22 22:35:45 2006

Oh dear! One of those cases where you know they were just trying to help... So you would feel guilty having "harsh words"... Black is an easy colour to repair though - metallic might be more difficult.
Nigel
Sun Oct 22 21:11:18 2006

The problem is that I didn't do it... It was a friend of mine who was helping with the move... I really don't know what tho say, it is a relatively small scratch but it looks like it is quite deep... I am fearing tomorrow a lot now, I will go to a couple of mechanics and ask how can it be fixed and more than everything how much will it be... :(
Lox
Sun Oct 22 18:00:08 2006

Ooouuch! :(
Nigel
Sun Oct 22 17:44:52 2006

Nightmare Lox! Hope its an painless fix!
dsp
Sun Oct 22 17:35:28 2006

John. Since you're leaving soon, why don't you sabotage the company network ? I'm quite sure you can do it.
Sheri
Sun Oct 22 16:32:18 2006

Well done, Lox! (talking about the scratch, naturally)
Sheri
Sun Oct 22 16:30:46 2006

Moved all my stuff to the new place, but in the process of doing so the new car got scratched, I am soooo pissed off about it... :( I hope it will not be too expensive to get it repaired... :(
Lox
Sun Oct 22 15:56:27 2006

Well I've had an altogether dreary weekend, and as it is 9:30 PM here now it is almost over, and Monday morning looms. I feel quite miserable.
John
Sun Oct 22 13:31:17 2006

Sunny and fairly warm, here in Vienne.
Sheri
Sun Oct 22 10:40:36 2006

Morning all, from a wet and grey Os! :)
Nigel
Sun Oct 22 09:39:46 2006

Have a good Sunday guys and gals!
Lox
Sun Oct 22 09:01:55 2006

Those V-Dubs can cope - easily!!! :)
Hi dsp! :)
Nigel
Sat Oct 21 14:56:53 2006

I move to the new house an hefty total of 3 boxes and some jackets !! :P
Lox
Sat Oct 21 14:14:29 2006

Hiya everyone. Happy weekend :-)
dsp
Sat Oct 21 13:22:45 2006

Afternoon!! :))
Nigel
Sat Oct 21 12:54:27 2006

Good morning everyone!
Lox
Sat Oct 21 11:25:30 2006

MM - have a good week.
Tim's mum
Sat Oct 21 09:34:01 2006

M$ is old style geeky and that's it... Maybe they should look into that part of their marketing....
Lox
Fri Oct 20 23:14:29 2006

Ay, they are all good for a laugh, aren't they??? The background tune is well-chosen too. If only M$ was so much fun... !! :)
Nigel
Fri Oct 20 21:15:19 2006

My "alternative" doesn't work off the net so I had to download the movies but they are great anyways! :)
Lox
Fri Oct 20 20:27:44 2006

Now I have to see these ads!! I hate having to install QTime so I am downloading a prog called "QTime alternative" which ususally does the trick with an hefty 20Mb less of a download...
Lox
Fri Oct 20 20:13:51 2006

Evening!! Yes, those ads are great, aren't they. So true too!!! One thing I noticed... You know how on a PC Quicktime pops up a box asking if you'd like to upgrade, and you just press "later" to continue? Well this never happens on my Mac... Wonder why? Aren't they naugty?
Nigel
Fri Oct 20 19:54:28 2006

Cider in somerset surely?
tom
Fri Oct 20 16:55:36 2006

Well, off to Somerset on Monday for a week's adventure training with the cadets. Not me, of course, I know every good coffee shop for miles around the area, and mobile phone reception is good.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Oct 20 16:54:22 2006

Just not allowed to spend the cash at the moment. Canon EOS 400D.....
tom
Fri Oct 20 16:51:33 2006

Same here Tom!! :) I have a Mactop in the pipeline waiting for me... :)
Lox
Fri Oct 20 16:33:45 2006

I am SO getting a Mac next machine I buy.
tom
Fri Oct 20 16:32:27 2006

Speaking of adverts, watch the Mac ones: www.apple.com/getamac/
tom
Fri Oct 20 15:59:22 2006

Tim's Mum: the old ones are the best, aren't they.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Oct 20 15:11:53 2006

Morning, all! Lox: I understand that there's a fairly elaborate setup in place to monitor Vesuvius (Vesuvio in Italian?) so scientists believe they'll have sufficient warning to evacuate people. Looking at pictures of the area in modern times though, there are so many people crowded in the area at the base of the mountain...yikes.
Travis
Fri Oct 20 13:13:31 2006

... (sharp intake of breath) "Ooohh, I didn't realise yer joists 'ad gone! Not in the same league, is yer joists. We are talking three-months and a couple of grand..."
Nigel
Fri Oct 20 13:09:17 2006

'tis at home :( I'm having the afternoon off to meet the bloke (who will hopefully tell me it can be mended without a complete roof-replacement!)
Jimmy
Fri Oct 20 11:15:15 2006

Jimmy: is that your roof at home or at work (I'm guessing it is at home, otherwise it wouldn't have bothered you all that much!).
John
Fri Oct 20 09:47:32 2006

Morning all! Will look out for the new PG adverts MM. I used to like:- 'Dad, do you know this piano's on my foot?' 'No son, but you hum it, i'll play it!'
Tim's mum
Fri Oct 20 09:42:34 2006

Mornign all, Jimmy do you have enough buckets or have you already broken out the life raft?
Kev
Fri Oct 20 09:20:24 2006

Sorry, Morning all.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Oct 20 08:35:39 2006

Tim's Mum: look out for a new PG Tips advertising campaign in January.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Oct 20 08:34:12 2006

Shit. My roof ls leaking.
Jimmy
Fri Oct 20 08:13:25 2006

Morning!!! As for Pompeii I can clearly state that Vesuvio (the volcano) is just quiescent, so there is a chance that it might wake up and burn Naples and surrounding zones to ashes (after which it will cover everything with ashes, the major cause of the disaster in Roman times)....
Lox
Fri Oct 20 08:10:49 2006

Morning Maisoneers!! :)
Didn't know about Pompeii Travis... I'll have to look round for more info. As you say - scary! Not much we could do about it either...
John: Ah, well I remember some Harrods orange pekoe tips we bought a few years back. Great tea! :))
Nigel
Fri Oct 20 06:54:14 2006

My uncle likes to "mix it up" with tea, he's like a DJ but for tea. A TJ, if you will. For a brunch time brew, he put 3 English Breakfast with one Earl Grey. It was absolutely ghetto fabulous.
John
Fri Oct 20 01:08:57 2006

I never got on with Yorkshire Tea to be honest, too tinny for my tastes. Can't go wrong with PG tips. Tim, yes we can get reasonable tea here in Japan, we normally drink Harrod's or Fortnum and Mason's. I grew up on a council estate!
John
Fri Oct 20 01:03:00 2006

Pompeii and Herculaneum today. So there's talk of another eruption soon with Pompeii? Scary stuff.
Travis
Fri Oct 20 00:14:46 2006

Lox - I decided that Abigail is too young to eat parmesan, so I ate it. Thank you :-) The spaghetti measure is superb. We used to make way too much, not its always just right. Ta!
dsp
Thu Oct 19 23:22:55 2006

Tim's Mum: Yes you are right! I was thinking of PG Tips as a matter of fact... As for the parmesan please make sure that Tim or Claire don't eat it all, it was intended for Abi!! :D
Lox
Thu Oct 19 23:12:18 2006

However, you can't beat PG Tips - as Tim's Mum said! - and Yorkshire Tea is pretty good too... :)
Nigel
Thu Oct 19 19:23:05 2006

Travis: I agree. That's the problem with a lot of coffees and teas - the aroma is great but the actual taste rather an anticlimax... :(
Nigel
Thu Oct 19 19:22:25 2006

You can't beat a cup of PG Tips. Lox, the parmesan is wonderful, I was allowed some when I went for dinner.
Tim's mum
Thu Oct 19 19:20:37 2006

I don't drink tea or coffee really, but I did have something interesting a few days ago. It is called Ginger Peach Decaf Black Tea from The Republic of Tea. Smelled amazing, very little taste though.
Travis
Thu Oct 19 18:32:03 2006

That's amazing, John. We must submit 30 days in advance of our trip or we cannot be compensated. I'm about ready to fire off a nasty email, but I'd rather try to work the system, see if there's anything I can do first.
Travis
Thu Oct 19 18:03:45 2006

Dsp: Lemme think.... Once I have the new flat I'll let you know the address!! :) By the way how is Abi doing with all that Parmesan? Is that Pasta measuring thingy working at all? :P
Lox
Thu Oct 19 17:21:20 2006

John - are you able to get proper tea or does you abibe the green variety?
dsp
Thu Oct 19 17:16:36 2006

Lox - if you will stop travelling for a few days I can organise a UK care package for you. I'll need your new address too.
dsp
Thu Oct 19 17:15:56 2006

I say! Tea.. What a good idea... :)
Nigel
Thu Oct 19 17:09:04 2006

John: Not YET, when I have my place it will be totally like you said, at the moment no biscuits or anythingelse... :P But if it was perfect today I probably wouldn't enjoy it in my new house once everything is sorted! :D
Lox
Thu Oct 19 16:17:26 2006

Lox: an excellent choice sir - working at home, mug of tea, I'm absolutely 100% with you there. Perhaps a nice biscuit and some gentle background music as well?
John
Thu Oct 19 16:12:11 2006

BREAKING NEWS!

I am drinking a cup of tea! It must have been agaes since I have been quietly drinking a cup of PROPER TEA in a mug, alone at home doing work! I LOVE IT!!! How much I missed it!!

Tim: If you are still sending that pack of goods from England please do add some proper heavy duty tea in it!
Lox
Thu Oct 19 16:09:44 2006

Travis: anyway, in summary it has been my experience of bureaucracy that an organisation (be it a university, company or government) makes things difficult and troublesome because fundamentally they don't want you to do those things.
John
Thu Oct 19 16:09:23 2006

Travis: sorry that last message was rather badly written, hopefully you can just about get the idea though.
John
Thu Oct 19 16:05:46 2006

Travis: one of my favourite university expense claim refusals came was on a kind of standard printed form, where the custom "error message" that had been inserted was that "we are unable to process any claims for expenses made more than three months ago". Underneath this it said (the standard text on the pre-printed form) "please correct the above error and resubmit your form." It wasn't entirely clear to me how I could resolve that particular error, but maybe I'm just not enough of a creative thinker!
John
Thu Oct 19 15:59:33 2006

Still morning here. I'm wasting some time before heading to the gym and then to classes. I thought I'd share a story of despair with you. I am presenting a paper at a conference at the end of the month. I put in a request for some funding to help defray the cost. I receive (after 3 weeks) a "judgment" that found that I could not be reimbursed because I made my flight arrangements through "one of those online sites" like Travelocity instead of directly through the airlines. Why would I spend more to do that, and still risk getting no reimbursement? I'm pissed right now. This is something that is good for the university's reputation, and they're going to shaft me on a technicality? Stay tuned. I'll be in touch with them.
Travis
Thu Oct 19 15:37:14 2006

I think it's more likely to be the unicycle and the rubber chicken.
Jimmy
Thu Oct 19 14:33:27 2006

Mmmmm.... glass of whisky....
John
Thu Oct 19 14:03:36 2006

Tim's Mum: Yes, and the smoking jacket, the glass of whiskey and the monicle - sort of a give away really.
Mad Mumsie
Thu Oct 19 13:53:07 2006

Must be your accent, John
Tim's mum
Thu Oct 19 13:33:40 2006

I only ever use IE where it's absolutely mandatory. That means using our intranet (it's full of MS-proprietary stuff), and also online banking (Firefox gets blocked by the firewall for some reason). Other than that, it's FF all the way :)
Jimmy
Thu Oct 19 12:43:36 2006

One thing I think is uber cool about Firefox is that there is a British English localised (not localized) version, and somehow when you go to the website to download the browser, it always just knows I am British. Immediately it says "we know you're British, and we've accomodated for that". Brilliant.
John
Thu Oct 19 12:20:30 2006

http://www.ie7.com/
dsp
Thu Oct 19 12:04:48 2006

Though it's rapidly disappearing, I'd just like to add my own "Good Morning All!!" :)
Nigel
Thu Oct 19 11:07:02 2006

Today my iPod has been busy reminding me just how fantastic Radiohead. I have just about every song they've ever released in there, playing back to back on shuffle. Marvellous!
John
Thu Oct 19 11:03:57 2006

Good morning each! I'm at home today, on my second coffee, just seen Tim's new batch of lovely pics on Nonhostile. Have a good day all.
Tim's mum
Thu Oct 19 10:33:49 2006

Lox: We still don't mention SAP. B...dy system.
Mad Mumsie
Thu Oct 19 09:49:20 2006

Lox: Yes in the office, it has been manic here for the last 2/3 weeks. All libraries have been migrated over to a new network. They were confused before........! Rob is well, I spoke to him last night, very busy, of course. Cyberdad is up a ladder in the hallway as I write, sticking wallpaper up. And Bethan, well, she, of course, is now a gorgeous three year old.
Mad Mumsie
Thu Oct 19 09:48:37 2006

MM: In the office today? How is Rob? Bethan? Cyber Dad? ... SAP?
Lox
Thu Oct 19 09:36:35 2006

Good morning Lox, and everyone. Ah, what it is to be called a "girl" again!!
Mad Mumsie
Thu Oct 19 09:21:20 2006

Good morning boys and girls!
Lox
Thu Oct 19 08:59:11 2006

dsp: "I've told you a million times before, don't exaggerate!"
Nigel
Wed Oct 18 19:22:03 2006

Dsp: I love the oximoron there! :) I am sure it was intentional!
Lox
Wed Oct 18 17:37:41 2006

DSP: You're so wrong.
Travis
Wed Oct 18 15:48:07 2006

All sweeping generalizations are bad.
dsp
Wed Oct 18 14:50:57 2006

I thought the "What did the Romans..." was a reference to Life of Brian. I now see. I think the guy's name was Keith Branigan or Branagh or something along those lines. He's a professor...somewhere.
Travis
Wed Oct 18 13:56:21 2006

Actually, I quite like sweeping generalizations!
Lox
Wed Oct 18 13:46:12 2006

I really ought to do my research a bit better before making those sweeping generalisations about what everyone hates then, sorry!
John
Wed Oct 18 13:40:06 2006

Actually, I quite like viruses.
Lox
Wed Oct 18 13:17:23 2006

Actually, I quite like spam.
Jimmy
Wed Oct 18 13:12:56 2006

I just had a thought. Wouldn't it be great if virus writers targetted people who create spam? Wouldn't that be cool - one of the internet's most hated groups of people trying to take out the other.
John
Wed Oct 18 12:46:37 2006

Kev- It has a really simple C++ API. I thought it would be an absolute bastard to get working, but I plugged-in the card & fibre-cable, and it just started working. YAY!
Jimmy
Wed Oct 18 12:37:22 2006

Jimmy, ScramNet looks really cool, what kind of API does it use? Is it all C++ and are they scarily expensive ?
Kev
Wed Oct 18 12:19:21 2006

I've heard of "Scram Jet"... :(
Nigel
Wed Oct 18 11:57:48 2006

Jimmy: Scram Net? What is it exactly?
Lox
Wed Oct 18 09:54:54 2006

ScramNet rocks!
Jimmy
Wed Oct 18 08:18:36 2006

Morning Masoneers!!
Travis: Alas the only history that I know of Poland is related to WW1 and WW2...
Nigel: Yeah, it's allright I guess... I mean you see so much of it in you daily life that you grow used to it in the end... But when I was away from Florence and all its art I missed it, so I gues that the brain did recognize it in the background! :)
Lox
Wed Oct 18 08:01:34 2006

Morning Maisoneers!! :)
I agree John - Adam Hart-Davies has a great style, sort of no-nonsense but great fun! Which is what history should be (in my mind!)
Travis: My bookshelves are lined with tomes on Roman Britain, but mostly from the "archaeology" viewpoint, as opposed to "classical". Guy De La Bedoyere is another TV presenter and prolific author about Roman Britain. He did a TV series for the Open University too...
Lox: I always feel envious of Italy. How great it must be to be able to put your hand on genuine Roman history just about any time you want to!! :)
Nigel
Wed Oct 18 07:39:58 2006

Travis: yes, as Nigel mentioned "What did the Romans ever do for us?" (or something like that) was a fairly popular TV show in the UK and I think the presenter is called Adam Hart-Davis, who looks at it all from a technological point of view (I think his background is as an inventor or something). I rather like him actually - I suspect if you found this particular program boring it was probably one of the other TV historians - we have quite a few of them in the UK.
John
Wed Oct 18 04:48:54 2006

Speaking of ancient home lands...my "strongest" ties are probably to Poland. I know nothing about their history. Something tells me Rob or Lox knows.
Travis
Wed Oct 18 03:39:09 2006

Specifically, today we watched a series of videos (this is very atypical) dealing with Roman Britain. I must admit that wasn't all that interesting. I cannot remember the program host's name, but it seemed familiar to me, if only in a scholarly light.
Travis
Wed Oct 18 00:30:28 2006

Lox: We did look at Etruria, but only in connection with The Aeneid and some other minor issues (they seem to have had some significant impact on worship in Rome?). Generally, we've looked at architecture, city plans, brief history, homes, religion. Last semester we read some Cicero, Horace, and Vergil. I must say that I'm quite partial to Horace.
Travis
Wed Oct 18 00:27:03 2006

dsp:!!!!! Did you buy anything?!?!?!
Travis: "What did the Romans ever do for us..?" :))
Lox: Glad to hear you distance yourself from those Roman bullies!! :))
Nigel
Wed Oct 18 00:22:08 2006

Travis: One thing that you can say about the Romans is that unlike modern civilizations they NEVER exported their own credos and rules (read "democracy"), they instead tried to leave the conquered populations as they were before, keeping religions and social structures as much as possible. That made them different in ancient times and allow them to conquer without loosing too much time trying to quench the revolts and stuff like that... Divide et Impera! (Divide and Control) Not quite the correct quote, but it is close... :P
Lox
Tue Oct 17 22:17:58 2006

Travis: Actually, what are you examining in details? Is it Art, Poetry, Religion, Politics, Wars? I am curious! :=)
Lox
Tue Oct 17 22:14:15 2006

Travis: You mean the Romans? My ancient homeland would be Etruria (with the Etrurians) and not thoose crappy Romans who got lucky and conquered half of the known world at that time... :D
Lox
Tue Oct 17 22:13:22 2006

Lox: I wanted to inform you that we're currently examining your ancient homeland in my course on the Ancient City. Good stuff. Also, we just took a look at St. Albans. I'm now a master of Roman Britain.
Travis
Tue Oct 17 21:17:28 2006

Will you be bringing me a toy back from Hamleys?
Tim's mum
Tue Oct 17 19:34:36 2006

Hi guys - this is posted from the Apple Store on Regent Street. I flew into Stansted this morning from Blackpool and bought a 1-day travel card. John - it brought back a lot of memories. Just off to Leicester Square for some tea! :-)
dsp
Tue Oct 17 16:58:54 2006

Or you could download the free vmware which is way faster and better that virtual pc :)
vmware server is awesome. You can move virtual desktops around a server farm and the client connected to the other end using windows etc has absolutely no idea that anything is happening! Server isn't free though :(
Kev
Tue Oct 17 16:32:10 2006

... oh, and it's unrestricted. Not a beta; not a demo.. :)
Nigel
Tue Oct 17 16:10:30 2006

Now I'm sure all you developers out there will know this - but I didn't!! You can dowload a completely FREE version of Virtual PC (for Windows) direct from Microsoft. This will allow you to run a virtual PC / VM. The new 2007 version will also be free when it's ready. So I guess we can then upgrade to Vista next year and keep an XP VM on the HD!

Should anyone not know about this (I am usually last as ever!) it's only 18MB to download... :)))))))
Nigel
Tue Oct 17 16:09:49 2006

Hi all!!
Jimmy: I don't use the Beeb for much, but when have it is at least nice and fast!
Well just been to a toddlers Harvest Festival... All very enlightening! Seeing the priest on his knees so as to be at the same height as the kids was good fun for us, if not his knees!!
Nigel
Tue Oct 17 13:20:57 2006

So the BBC have this "News Ticker" thing you can embed on your web-page. It lists the latest headlines, and you can click on it to go to the news page. However, it does *not* go to the story you've clicked on- it goes to the news front page. If the story isn't right in front of you, you'll never find it! Have you *ever* tried to search the BBC news site for a story you heard on the radio? Type in a few key-words? Anly luck? Didn't think so.
Jimmy
Tue Oct 17 08:37:57 2006

Good evening all! Quiet today!! I went to "Parents Evening" at Tim's school, earlier. It's good fun playing with the electronic white boards, and trying to fathom the educational games... :))
Nigel
Mon Oct 16 21:18:57 2006

STOP! If you PHONE Apple, you WILL get a discount (if you ask!) with which means you pay less than if you buy it online. If there is anyone in the household in education, mention that and you will get a further dicount.
top
Mon Oct 16 11:28:43 2006

Kev: ;))))))))))
Nigel
Mon Oct 16 08:46:00 2006

Morning all! :)
Lox
Mon Oct 16 08:42:03 2006

lol Nigel, jusytfiying the high price of a Sony laptop by comparing it with an even more expensive Apple laptop. I like your style.
Kev
Mon Oct 16 08:06:38 2006

Morning all!! :)
John: Well on the UK Apple store the cheapest Apple laptop is actually £749... Which is why I was vacillating in my choice the other day. I can get a relatively high-spec Sony laptop for not much difference... :(
Nigel
Mon Oct 16 07:13:15 2006

At the Apple online store, the cheapest one is $1099 (just under 600 quid). I guess that's not so bad for a laptop really. My current one (a Dell, so Windows obviously) cost just under 400 quid though, and whilst it is the lowest spec on every front, it has served me really well the last 18 months...
John
Mon Oct 16 00:11:08 2006

We took a quick look at Mac laptops yesterday (Chie's laptop is getting a bit long in the tooth), but they seemed a bit on the pricey side still. Strange, because the Mac Mini is so cheap.
John
Mon Oct 16 00:01:28 2006

John: Wow Impressive... Since I am about to buy a new Laptop Mac and I want to buy an Ipod (the same that you have got by the way) you just gave me a massive boost of confidence into spending an awful lot of money for those things!
Lox
Sun Oct 15 20:04:10 2006

Yep, those are good sites - explaining the conversion process very well. Thanks for finding them!! Might give it a go and try viewing the resulting MPEG-4's on my LifeDrive.... :)
Nigel
Sun Oct 15 17:08:46 2006

Nigel - according to the the Handbrake website it works on several different unixy type platforms (Mac OSX, Linux, BeOS). The website has a link to an experimental Windows port, but no idea how complete that is. I just used it on the Mac, and it was really neat, just a few clicks and it went off and did everything. I found this page for the Mac (or this page for Windows) very helpful.
John
Sun Oct 15 15:06:32 2006

Afternoon all!!
Well done John! That's one of those things I've always wanted to do.... Though I don't actually have an iPod Video, just a "Mini". Is Handbrake Mac or PC software?
Nigel
Sun Oct 15 14:34:47 2006

Well I'm really impressed - I just transcoded Monty Python and the Holy Grail into an iPod viewable MP4 file, it was all really easy, and the end result is surprisingly watchable... The iPod and the Mac Mini work so wonderfully harmoniously together, it is an absolute joy to behold.
John
Sun Oct 15 14:11:46 2006

Right, well in the end I settled on the 80GB full size iPod. It is a tad on the heavy/bulky side, but I was rather taken with the idea of using it to watch movies on the train etc. So not only will the extra storage come in handy, but the 80GB seems to have a longer battery life than the 30GB for some reason. I've found a very neat tool called Handbrake which lets me transcode DVDs into iPod playable videos with seemingly very litle effort. So I'm just giving it a first trial run now.
John
Sun Oct 15 12:32:32 2006

John: I have noticed that the UK gets the shaft in a lot of ways, notably with respect to film release dates. Granted, we do not get all of the good DVD releases, but we often get huge films months before other regions, notably the UK. Doesn't seem right for some reason. I have an iPod Mini. I now need a new car adaptor. After five years it has failed me.
Travis
Sat Oct 14 19:54:12 2006

Welcome back, dsp!! (to the fog and the cold and the rain!!!)
Nigel
Sat Oct 14 19:34:27 2006

It was a great holiday - kids-disco-tastic!
dsp
Sat Oct 14 17:24:06 2006

ps. Hi guys! I am back from a 1 week holiday in Spain!
dsp
Sat Oct 14 17:23:24 2006

John: I have a 30GB video iPod. I love it, but sometimes it lets itself down with poor battery life.
dsp
Sat Oct 14 17:22:59 2006

Hmmm, yea I liked the fact that the larger one can play videos, has a larger screen and larger capacity... but it is also a lot heavier and bulkier and the battery doesn't last as long as the nano.
John
Sat Oct 14 17:00:52 2006

Morning all!!
John: Go for the 30 GB one! It is a bit bigger but it stacks a lot more! As for the HD I have had similar problems when reformatting my external USB drive in two partitions one FAT32 (for Linux) and the other NTFS (Windows), it was a pain in the arse! Windows in the end got the trick done so I suggest you try that option...
Lox
Sat Oct 14 10:03:03 2006

Just took a look at ipods in akihabara here in Tokyo - the 8GB nano is the same price as the 30GB full size one. So really in two minds now...
John
Sat Oct 14 09:27:04 2006

Morning all!!
John: For the backup hard-drive I'm pretty unsophisticated really. I have an 80GB USB divided into two partitions. I did the work using Partition Magic on Windows. If you do it using the Mac, unless you get the settings just right, it's unviewable in Windows (I found!!). One 40GB for Windows, the other for theMac.
As for iPods. Amazon are great at he moment for the 30GB video iPod! (currently £174 inc vat and delivery to UK). Nano's don't seem to be varying much throughout the UK.
Nigel
Sat Oct 14 09:08:06 2006

Actually I'm not sure that thing about US/Japan salaries being higher than in Europe is true any more - I saw a table (probably about two years ago) which gave me this impression, but I can't find it on the web any more now.
John
Sat Oct 14 05:01:45 2006

I did a quick check on the Apple website to see which country would be cheapest to buy an iPod nano in - these prices are for Apple's own retail store, for the 8GB model:

US $249 (135 quid)
Japan 29800 Yen (135 quid)
UK 169 quid
Germany / France / Italy 249 Euros (175 quid)

They don't half rip off us Europeans don't they? Maybe these prices were set at some point in the past, and now a gap has emmerged thanks to currency fluxuations etc. Still though, given that the national average salaries in US/Japan are apparently higher than most Europe, it does take the piss a bit!
John
Sat Oct 14 04:54:34 2006

Hmmmm actually having thought about it, it might be easier just to buy a new laptop in the new year... I'm sure I can just about manage with the palty 30GB in this one for a few more months.
John
Sat Oct 14 04:27:46 2006

Oh and on a (very vaguely) similar front I think I want to get a bigger hard drive for my laptop, as I'm getting fed up of constantly having to clean things up. Does anyone know a good way to clone your old hard drive to a partition on your new one if all you've got is a laptop (i.e. only one hard disk connector). I guess I could get one of those USB cradle things, but then I'd probably have to boot into Windows for that, and you don't seem to be able to just copy the contents of a whole disk en masse once you're in Windows in the same way you can with, say, Norton Ghost.
John
Sat Oct 14 01:22:06 2006

I'm thinking of buying some sort of iPod this weekend. If anyone can suggest a strategy for me to avoid the usual whinging from the other half that seems to occur whenever purchases of electronic devices are made, then I'd be very interested to hear it. My current plan is just not telling her.
John
Sat Oct 14 01:18:14 2006

typedef double SMOOTH; operator SMOOTH() const {/*no need to ask*/return 0;}
Oh dear
Fri Oct 13 16:32:42 2006

Ah, you can't beat a well-turned ankle, John!! :)) This may well be a subconscious Watson / Hastings type reference!!
Nigel
Fri Oct 13 16:24:04 2006

Nigel: ankles? Watson reference?
John
Fri Oct 13 15:45:20 2006

especially at 1280x768. I'd need new glasses...
tom
Fri Oct 13 14:12:43 2006

Lox: Very true. What you say makes perfect sence... I just think I'm a Technology Tart!! :) I will let my ardor cool and then try to review my situation!
Tom: That's one tiny laptop! 7.2-inch screen!! That even beats the Sony TX series... Not sure my eyes are up to that small a screen for browsing!! :)
Nigel
Fri Oct 13 13:43:53 2006

I think a libretto might do it: uk.computers.toshiba-europe.com/cgi-bin/ToshibaCSG/generic_content.jsp?service=UK&ID=Libretto_info
tom
Fri Oct 13 13:29:32 2006

Nigel: As I often say to the people who ask me advice when buying pieces of equipment, "buy what is good for your needs, not what looks cool!". I don't want to cool off your cush on the Sony, but have you tried looking what could you buy for THAT money if it hadn't written Sony on it? I am sure you can get an even better laptop. Since I don't think that you are going to carry it around the world, as for example happens to me, the fact that is light shoudn't matter. Personally I'd go for an assembled state of the art computer (Latest CentrinoII processor, 15/16"TFT, DL DVDR, 150GbHD, 2GBRam), might not be a looker but I am sure that it will be better than the Sony (hardwarewise), or if you like them there are always the Laptop MacPRO...
Lox
Fri Oct 13 13:11:44 2006

In case anyone was wondering where 0.47 of MW is, since it says "go and get it" I have fooked up and in conjuction with the maison ftp server and smartftp I put the wrong version on and can't access it till tonight! I will recitify this stupedous mistake asap :) Humbly apologoes over.
Kev
Fri Oct 13 12:12:22 2006

Thanks Sheri!! I hope "listen again" works then. I remember the only time I wanted to use it the programme wasn't available!
Nigel
Fri Oct 13 11:08:06 2006

Nigel: Fine. 2001 by episodes of 15 minutes each on weekdays. There is a listen again facility. www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks/bbc7/audiolist.shtml
Sheri
Fri Oct 13 11:05:21 2006

Kev: The one I fancy does, but there are ones in the Sony range without. Joc's Toshiba doesn't either for eg.
Nigel
Fri Oct 13 11:05:18 2006

Tim's Mum: Thanks! Yes, of course I need one!! ;)) Well, actually only if I sell the iMac!! I bought Joc a new Toshiba laptop to replace her big desktop, to make some room we can ill afford to loose! (My excuse anyway!) You reason for choosing Sony is a good as any! I am, after all, just smitten with looks on this occasion ... :)

Sheri!!! Hello, how are you?! 2001 on the radio sounds a novel idea! Soon?
Nigel
Fri Oct 13 10:59:02 2006

Do they all come with built in webcams now, I think thats a pretty good idea, except for of course if you forget you left it on and its sending pictures of you prqancing about in your underpants to the whole world :)
Kev
Fri Oct 13 10:55:09 2006

Cheers Kev! Yeah, I had a Sony previously. I reckon the laptops are only proprietory in the software "Sonic Stage" but I just didn't use it. (It's for their ATRAC music format copy protection etc). This little baby has 1.66 core 2 duo (so the latest version) and should be a flier!
I'd just like to point out that this proves I am not brand-ist in my choice of computers!! :) Thankyou!
Nigel
Fri Oct 13 10:53:27 2006

Hi Guys. Brave New World and 2001 - A Space Odyssey on BBC Radio 4.
Sheri
Fri Oct 13 10:50:37 2006

My home computer is a big beast and I fancied a laptop to take on holiday, etc. Those are my personal reasons for wanting a Sony VAIO - i'm in no rush though, DS doesn't go to Oz till Feb 2009. I'm afraid all the technical stuff is over my head. I just know I like the look/feel of the Sonys. (a bit like buying a car cos you like the colour, I suppose!) The question you gotta ask is -- "do I need one?"
Tim's mum
Fri Oct 13 10:48:44 2006

Nigel: I fell in love with a lightweight Sony laptop like this. I liked the bright screen and the built in webcam. Our other son is emigrating to Australia and i'm hoping we'll be able to use webcams when we 'talk on line'.
Tim's mum
Fri Oct 13 10:48:25 2006

My brother recently got a new sony vaio from work I think it was a TX carbon fibre thingy. Very small, quick and looked smart. Also it was Really light!! Normally I don't like sony - far to proprierty ( and expensive for me ) but this was a cool peice of kit :)
Kev
Fri Oct 13 10:18:11 2006

Now guys and gals, would you think me a Loon if I bought a new Sony laptop? You know what it's like, you see a well-turned ankle and you're smitten... The lady in question is a VGN-FE31H. Hot off the Sony press, Vista capable and bloomin' gorgeous!
Your opinion *is* important to me, but you know what it's like with love affairs, I might have to elope to Gretna Green!! :)
Nigel
Fri Oct 13 10:11:49 2006

Hmmm. I am doing the most repetitive and boring job at the moment. Basically data-entry. But at least I don't have the public in my face! So the thought of BEER is quite attractive! Roll-on 5-o'clock!! :|
Nigel
Fri Oct 13 10:03:41 2006

nice one jimmy, did you manage to drink any Norfolk ales like Woodfordes ? Incidently I went to the brewey there the other week, very nice indeed.
Kev
Fri Oct 13 09:39:25 2006

iwenttothebeerfestivallastnightinoxfordandnowmyheadhurts
Jimmy
Fri Oct 13 09:34:30 2006

Morning Nigel! It was supposed to be a nice sunny day here, but that didn't really materialise. Or maybe it has and I just haven't noticed because I've been cooped up in this dreary office all day!
John
Fri Oct 13 09:24:25 2006

Morning Maisoneers!! :) Thick fog here!! (And that's just me!!)
Nigel
Fri Oct 13 09:09:27 2006

Nigel: Well actually I only showed it to my mum, BUT in the next days I will certainly bother everyone with it! :)
Lox
Thu Oct 12 23:47:09 2006

Excellent Lox! I expect you have been showing everyone around it! :))
Nigel
Thu Oct 12 20:06:35 2006

I am finally back with my new car!!! :D Now I'll try to post some pics...
Lox
Thu Oct 12 17:40:01 2006

Not ture :P
Lox
Thu Oct 12 17:39:29 2006

The trouble with Kev's app is that it encourages people to post lots and lots and lots of 1-line comments, so the board fills-up very quickly. It's becoming tricky to find anybody who has something to actually *say* :(
Jimmy
Thu Oct 12 17:14:36 2006

Hmm, you are right, not sure whats going on here :( !!!
Kev
Thu Oct 12 14:53:31 2006

Kev: Some of the conversations seem muddled, so I keep seeing questions from lox after you've answered them! The main messageboard seems ok.
Simon
Thu Oct 12 14:38:46 2006

Sure I'll see what I can find
Kev
Thu Oct 12 13:35:28 2006

AH! Marvellous! :) How about the emoticon for BOW?
Lox
Thu Oct 12 13:34:52 2006

Actually I was going to add this feature as well. It was going to be a surprise ;)
Kev
Thu Oct 12 13:33:48 2006

Kev: Forgive my blatant rudeness for askign so many things... How about a little menu where to choose the emoticons from? Ok I SWEAR this is the last request for today... :P
Lox
Thu Oct 12 13:31:15 2006

I'll add an emoticon for :star too :)
Kev
Thu Oct 12 13:29:32 2006

ignore test...
Lox
Thu Oct 12 13:28:23 2006

:sick :burp :? :cheers :beer
Lox
Thu Oct 12 13:28:01 2006

:rant :drool :yarr :asleep :yikes
Lox
Thu Oct 12 13:27:46 2006

Kev:You Star! :)
Lox
Thu Oct 12 13:27:14 2006

Save password is easy, I think MW will need to start the sentences with a @ or something so it can differentiate. I see I fit can fit it in tonight, should only take a few minutes :D
Kev
Thu Oct 12 13:25:52 2006

Kev: On the wishlist for the maison watcher there is the "save password" request, and the notifier if someone not using the maison watcher puts up a message... Ok sorry I am stepping the boundary between "nice guy" and "whatthehelldoyouthinkIamdoingnothingallday"... :P
Lox
Thu Oct 12 13:22:39 2006

:beer .... I like this one! :)
Lox
Thu Oct 12 13:20:46 2006

Lox: Yes, for VMs I use Parallels Desktop (www.parallels.com). It's superb as it lets me run Linux as well as XP. XP is even full-screen. As it only works on newer Intel Macs there's very little resource hit in the XP session as the CPU has the multisession thing, built-in. It runs fine. Only problem I had was with serial-port devices. USB is fine etc.
Nigel
Thu Oct 12 09:55:18 2006

Simon, its probably all broke now :) 1 day to go :beer
Kev
Thu Oct 12 09:50:44 2006

Morning all, thanks for the changes kev :)
Simon
Thu Oct 12 09:44:36 2006

Nigel: how abut the virtual machines that let you run windows together with Mac Os? Do they have a critical impact on resources and run slow as a snail?
Lox
Thu Oct 12 09:38:59 2006

No problems - especially since BootCamp lets you boot to XP should you need to. (Download it from the Apple site etc - it's about 180MB). This should cover all those other apps that you can't bear to be without!! Getting used to a one-button mouse system (or trackpad) is strange, but you can use a standard USB mouse if you need to.
Nigel
Thu Oct 12 09:37:35 2006

Nigel:Ah... I see ... I was planning to put an hefty 2 gigs or RAM anyways... Other bad sides of going Apple?
Lox
Thu Oct 12 09:16:35 2006

Hi Lox. Well my only reservation at present is that the MacBook utilises built-in Intel graphics rather that a dedicated, seperate CPU. So part of system RAM is pinched for that...
Nigel
Thu Oct 12 09:05:34 2006

Incidentally I want to buy a Macbook for work. Any suggestions? Is it a good laptop? ideas?
Lox
Thu Oct 12 09:01:19 2006

Morning all!!
Kev: Why are we talking about your colon? (Yeuch!)
John: Hmmmm... Maybe. You know how fickle I am, however... !
This is going to sound daft, but I actually "had fun" setting up Joc's new lappy last night. Apart from the cludge which is Norton Internet security and trying to disable most of it except AV... It's not a happy bunny!
Nigel
Thu Oct 12 08:58:05 2006

.. all lower case
Kev
Thu Oct 12 08:40:17 2006

you can only see today unfortunately. on the websitr use the "previous day" button and they are 3 or 4 entrys down. They all start with a colon and are usually a word like Yikes :yikes
Kev
Thu Oct 12 08:39:57 2006

I will try to pester John in order to enable this feature... As fot the emoticons, I cannot see them, how do you go back with Maisonwatcher? (or maybe you can't)...
Lox
Thu Oct 12 08:37:15 2006

lox, if you look at yesterday from the website then there are the full list of emoticons currently supported
Kev
Thu Oct 12 08:35:14 2006

:drool
Lox
Thu Oct 12 08:34:15 2006

I think John can do this, if he can so a replace on keywords i.e :drool : drool
Kev
Thu Oct 12 08:32:02 2006

Kev: You are a genius! now we gotta put the emoticons on the main board too... Is it possible actually...?
Lox
Thu Oct 12 08:28:11 2006

It WORKS!!! :P
Lox
Thu Oct 12 08:27:43 2006

wait I have the old version still!
Lox
Thu Oct 12 08:24:09 2006

AHHHHH
Lox
Thu Oct 12 08:24:00 2006

:)
Lox
Thu Oct 12 08:23:52 2006

Kev: I cannot see where the password bit is... Mind you, I meant the password to write on the site, not the proxy one... :P
Lox
Thu Oct 12 08:23:44 2006

sorry lox I messed the link up, its maison-de-stuff.net / icons / maisonwatcher.exe
Kev
Thu Oct 12 08:23:17 2006

Trying
Lox
Thu Oct 12 08:22:49 2006

Kev: Where? I forgot the link... Oh well I'll scout for it !
Lox
Thu Oct 12 08:20:45 2006

Lawn Tennis?
The Women's Institute
Thu Oct 12 08:17:58 2006

Parsnips?
Jimmy
Thu Oct 12 08:17:11 2006

Nigel: Macbook?
John
Thu Oct 12 00:12:55 2006

lox, there is