I saved you the trouble: http://www.maxmind.com/app/geoip_country
dsp
- Thu Mar 31 21:23:27 2005

It is possible to find out country from ip address. Do a search for Geo IP and you can download a free lookup file.
dsp
- Thu Mar 31 21:21:17 2005

Cokkie Monster? I don't think that's appropriate for young viewers.
Travis
- Thu Mar 31 19:50:49 2005

MMMMMmmmmmmmmmmm coooookkkies
Cokkie Monster
- Thu Mar 31 17:40:16 2005

John - Could your Google redirection perhaps be down to a good, old Cookie?!? Talking of which.. I smell food!
Nigel
Oswestry, On a blue chair... - Thu Mar 31 17:32:54 2005

When I go to google.us I get re-directed back to google.co.uk...!
John
- Thu Mar 31 17:17:47 2005

Errr, somehow that link got changed from google.it to google.co.uk... how weird.
John
- Thu Mar 31 17:16:10 2005

Incidentally Lorenzo I just took a quick look at Google Italia - Google is seems so much cooler in Italian for some reason... Oh and by the way, has anyone else noticed that when you go to google.com it actually redirects you to the site for whichever country you're in? How does it work? Is it some browser supplied attribute in your HTTP request? I recall finding this particularly annoying whilst in Japan. It was OK for me because I could just go to google.co.uk - but what is a poor American in Japan supposed to do...?
John
- Thu Mar 31 17:15:17 2005

Hmmm I don't think you saw what we did Lox! (I think Rob is referring to two random pictures of our friend Byrnie, who is definitely not Omar). How many ls did you use? One or two?
John
- Thu Mar 31 17:11:28 2005

Woooo I thought I was gonna see Omar's smily face and I got a bunch of oldies posing for the school picture!!
Lox
- Thu Mar 31 16:43:48 2005

YES. AMIT!
tom
- Thu Mar 31 16:37:49 2005

Try putting "Omar Salleh" into Google Images (including the ") and you'll get quite a shock!
Rob lang
- Thu Mar 31 16:29:22 2005

I remember an Amit - the guy who was starting his own company and wanted us all to go and work for him. You've not got confused with him have you?
John
- Thu Mar 31 16:10:15 2005

He was quite a big bloke, indian or pakastani maybe? I *think* I remember a camel hair duffle coat. But then I did drink quite a lot at Uni.
tom
- Thu Mar 31 15:41:35 2005

Well I don't remember any other Omars... Was he in the same year as us...?
John
- Thu Mar 31 15:24:03 2005

Well, anyway NOT THAT ONE.
tom
- Thu Mar 31 15:22:10 2005

According to a post on one of the 'Maisons articles:

I live in Mallorca now and have done for the last four years-ish. Oh and I'm married too!

...although that was in May 2003 - almost two years ago now!
John
- Thu Mar 31 15:13:45 2005

Yes that's right, he was from Malaysia if I remember correctly. He had a scholarship to come at Reading, I remember he was really panicking because he needed a 2.1 to get it approved... I wonder where is he now...
Lox
- Thu Mar 31 15:10:24 2005

I recall Spain and possibly Malaysia being involved in Omar's upbringing. Omar pops by the 'Maison every now and again. I did remember going and looking at his website a while back, but have since lost the address. Anyone know it?
John
- Thu Mar 31 15:07:43 2005

Omar (the "american" one) wasn't American. He was from Europe and East Asia (I think) but went to an International School, which gave him a US accent free of charge.
Rob Lang
- Thu Mar 31 14:40:49 2005

I remember an Omar, we used to play QUAKE(tm) and stuff like that, plus he used to come to Garp. Very cool Dude, moved to Spain at the end of the Uni then I lost track of him...
Lox
- Thu Mar 31 14:24:16 2005

Does anyone remember a guy called Omar (not the American dude) but another Indian chappy from Uni?
tom
- Thu Mar 31 14:11:10 2005

doh - greater than and less than the wrong way round. sk00l b01 error.
tom
- Thu Mar 31 14:07:18 2005

dsp: yeah you could. If you put a: >a name=[id no]< in there *and* if we used a month name based .html file to hold the board (even in the current month), then this would work. You'd refer to th article as, say, http://www.maison-de-stuff.net/board/jan2005.html#1234
tom
- Thu Mar 31 14:06:40 2005

Rob+John: Well I let them know, a way or another. The thing that pissed me off most is not the delay itself, it's the fact that a total blunder is considered "normal" and they just unload the shit on the commercial side... As for talking it through you are perfectly right, it's the good thing to do, but here is almost impossible, as MDs know it all and they are totally in control of everything, though in reality they know fuck all. It's this false modest attitude that makes me angry... Oh well better stop thinking about it

John: We do have Millionare here (4 years ago it was "BILLIONARE" but I won't enter the usual slag of old Lira), and the answer to that question would be "B" !!!
Lox
- Thu Mar 31 12:46:02 2005

Lox I would suggest, however enfuriating it may be, trying to keep good relations with your employers - remember you may need a reference for your next job! It is one thing to sit down with the MD and have a constructive chat about what you think could be done better in the company (as I did on my last day) and many companies will welcome and appreciate that. It's another thing to fly off the handle at them, call them all useless wankers and then storm off. In this particular instance it sounds like something has gone wrong, it's not your fault, nothing can be done about it at this stage, so however irritating it may be I would have said the best course of action is to just accept it and get on with it. Of course, that's easy for me to say, Mr. Unemployed!
John
- Thu Mar 31 12:19:29 2005

Sorry, classic nerdy Freudian slip there - "programmers" should of course read "programmes".
John
- Thu Mar 31 12:10:36 2005

Rob: Agree with you 'good to let em know' policy. Lox: If you're pissed off, tell em. If you're thinking of leaving tell em that too.
dsp
- Thu Mar 31 12:09:27 2005

Lox, on the subject of imported/exported programmers, do you have "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" there? I can just picture it now:

DOO DOO DOO DOOOOOO (dramatic music)
Questiono uno:
Ci sono molti fiori nel:
A) Bambino
B) Giardino
C) San Benedetto del Tronto
D) Scimia
John
- Thu Mar 31 12:09:23 2005

Rob: Change is good, but I'm more of an incrementalist than a rewrite from scratch. Is the board good enough to do the job? I am stuggling to come up with must have improvements.
dsp
- Thu Mar 31 12:08:15 2005

Tom: If you do a view source on the message board, you'll see that they're all numbered. Unfortunately not in any way that would allow you to do a named link. Each message used to be saved as a separate XML file but I think that has stopped working (but I'm sure would be fixable.)
dsp
- Thu Mar 31 12:06:38 2005

Always good to let management know what is going on - even if they don't seem to care. At least you have done your bit.
Rob Lang
- Thu Mar 31 11:59:15 2005

Need your advice. Lead times on production 3 months, I put an order with a 4months delivery. 1 month before shipping production department says that there will be a 1 month delay. I get totally pissed and the reply from my boss is that in 1 year that he's here there have been only 2 cases like that and that I'd better change company if I don't like it (which I am trying to do anyways). The question is: am I beign an ass or am I right to vent my hate? (by the way the 1month delay affects a lot of orders and it's a blatant planning mistake).
Lox
- Thu Mar 31 11:35:26 2005

I'd vote for that, but me beign completely useless at programming I can only help under the moral point of view (and maybe contents... but that depends).. It would be good to have the articles that John and other people write as RSS feeds though... Up to now only the messageboard..
Lox
- Thu Mar 31 10:07:33 2005

Nice, Lox. I think it's time we completely rennovated the Maison. Make everything XML. Then we can have RSS feeds, different skins and everything. Take ages to convert John's pictures? I don't think so. Same goes for the Greymatter content. What do you think, gents?
Rob Lang
- Thu Mar 31 09:26:03 2005

Hola Tim!! Well, there are no Italian TV shows that are worth this name.. All the stuff that gets broadcasted here is a copy of some American/English product... The shame is that the realy funny things never get here, only the lobotomic crap shows make the grade (Big Brother, Reality shows in general, Sunday afternoon shows..)... Ah we do import cartoons from Japan, save from PoRkermon, they are interesting though the level is getting pretty low there too... :( WHY can't we have "who's line is it anyways?" or all thoose nice shows? I watch tv only for the football and news at the moment..
Lox
- Thu Mar 31 09:22:19 2005

Ciao Nige! here in Italy CSO or LIIMP are called "CED" (Centro elaborazione dati - Data Computing Center), the job is rather poorly paid for the amount of work that they need to do... As for the acronym thing, I still think that the worst one, that beats all other bad acronym hands down, belongs to KOREAN RAP (K-RAP).... :)
Lox
- Thu Mar 31 09:17:30 2005

Yeah! Give them all GUIDs!
Jimmy
- Thu Mar 31 08:43:21 2005

Lox: I was a "SysAdmin" once too, for far too many years. I remember my counterpart in another company was called CSO - sounds good and military! - Computer Security Officer. I was a LIIMP - Local Infrastructure Implementation Management Person, or some such daftness. Always hated sounding so naff!! Pay wasn't so good either. Tom: Anything to make life easy!
Nigel
Oswestry, Round about the cats feet... - Wed Mar 30 21:37:56 2005

The idea came from reading Johns latest article. He should be able to say "this idea came from a message on the board and blah blah"
tom
- Wed Mar 30 18:29:24 2005

I have had an idea that could prove to be ab-so-fucking-lutely brilliant. Or it could be complete crap. Would it be possible to give a unique ID to each and every message added to the board? The simple premise is that we could then attach an HREF to it automatically so that you can add a link (track back) to a given message.
tom
- Wed Mar 30 18:28:23 2005

Just wondering if there are any Italian TV programmes that have successfully import across to UK television? Obviously their food and women are a big hit over here (pasta on the hob as we speak).
dsp
- Wed Mar 30 17:10:32 2005

Stop that RIGHT NOW!
Pun Police
- Wed Mar 30 16:45:15 2005

Is Al Gore at the route of all Al-gor-ithms by any chance?
John
- Wed Mar 30 16:04:37 2005

During my experience as a system administrator I have heard many times that "the internet was broken", but the nicest ones is when people try to give you a reason for it. In my previous job this lady claimed that the connection wasn't working because of AL GORE and his project to add an hardware device to check the data flow... Final users are an endless source of fun sometimes... :)
Lox
- Wed Mar 30 15:59:17 2005

Yes, this is where I'd better add: "Of course I was very young myself!!" Ah-hemmm!
Nigel
Oswestry, The same... - Wed Mar 30 15:50:23 2005

Nigel, I've seen "Soap" though it's a bit before my time. When I was a lad, I had problems watching "older" series like that. Something about the grainy quality turned me off somewhat, but I still found it better than much of the crap on television.
Travis
- Wed Mar 30 15:41:59 2005

I recall fondly the IT guy at the company I (used to) work for would occasionally get approached by less articulate members of staff proclaiming "The internet's broken.". He'd then, quite correctly, point out that in all likelihood the internet itself was, for the large part, still working, however, it was in fact our ability to access it that had been temporarily compromised.
John
- Wed Mar 30 15:38:22 2005

Ciao Nigel! I thought so the firewall management system here is rather shoddy, I think that they were probably playing around with it... Still, it happend once that a whole chunk of the main pipeline that connected Italy to Usa was down, and all the .com (or most of them) were unreacheable...
Lox
- Wed Mar 30 15:35:28 2005

Yes Jimmy, I agree. Jeeves and Wooster on DVD is the way to go. Superb stuff. One series was actually made in the US I believe (or partly) because of the success. Was either 3 or 4. They fitted Wodehouse's characters perfectly. Like David Suchet as Poirot... Wonder if anyone has heard of the original US series "Soap" a general skit on the whole soap formula?
Nigel
Oswestry, again... - Wed Mar 30 15:30:17 2005

Lox: That's probably because the internet has no direct link anywhere (with the obvious exception of your own connection to the system, via a provider). Which is meant to be it's safety mechanism! Your problems are probably down to work on the corporate intranet if one exists. People playing with the firewalls etc. and not realising there are actually real people out there trying to use the system. :(
Nigel
Oswestry, Aaaahtishooo - Wed Mar 30 15:26:09 2005

Today I have had a strange experience... Basically for some awkward reason the net-connection that we have at work (which is totally crap by the way), started not connecting to some sites that previously were online... It looked like a crippling desease, where more and more sites were unaccessible... I started fearing that something was at work there (usual conspiracy theory) and that the net was going to be shut down or something... Images of hell on heart were popping up in my mind when my boss said that I had to run the usual statistical ananlysis on sales, and the world came back on-line, together with the internet few moments afterwards.... Oh well...
Lox
- Wed Mar 30 14:48:06 2005

I saw a list of some series that were successful in the UK that were actually remakes of American series. That said, I would really have preferred if The Office just came out on television over here, as a re-release. But reading message boards, it wouldn't do as well as Friends or other crap like that, because some people are ignorant and can't stand British accents and humor.
Travis
- Wed Mar 30 14:18:18 2005

Rob, I've seen the entire British run and I've seen the entire released US version (2 episodes and counting). I've also posted one of the comments on IMDB.com (under travis-j-rodgers). Interestingly, the US version is set in Scranton, PA, near where I was born and raised.
Travis
- Wed Mar 30 14:12:50 2005

Ah.
tom
- Wed Mar 30 13:20:51 2005

Tom - no not read any of his books (assuming you're referring to Garth Merenghi). It is hard to tell from that site what is real and what isn't - so I can't work out if he actually has genuinely written any books, particularly as he is a fictitious character!
John
- Wed Mar 30 13:09:19 2005

I watched a bit of one episode of Jeeves and Wooster not too long ago which I came across by accident whilst channel hopping - maybe something like ITV2...? Yes it was very good indeed... Although I think if I were to have to nominate my personal favourite from that list it is more likely to go to Blackadder (2nd or 3rd) or perhaps Father Ted.
John
- Wed Mar 30 13:06:05 2005

Jeeves and Wooster- that was the best by far. If you've not watched them recently (and hence might have forgotten how incredibly funny they really are) then go and buy 'em on DVD. Go on! Do it now!
Jimmy
- Wed Mar 30 12:54:27 2005

Have you read any of his books? Any good?
tom
- Wed Mar 30 12:53:23 2005

Must... pull... myself... away... from... reading... garthmarenghi.com.
John
- Wed Mar 30 12:46:09 2005

On the plus side, having quickly perused this site I am reminded that for the last couple of decades, on average, we have churned out at least one "sitcom" a year which more or less watchable - a few immediately jump out of that list as being rather good in fact. Incidentally, did anyone else watch any of Garth Marenghi's Darkplace?
John
- Wed Mar 30 12:35:09 2005

So, is it the maizon-de-ztuff now?
tom
- Wed Mar 30 12:27:54 2005

I think it's unfair to say that Americani(s/z)ation alone dooms a re-make to failure. However proud I may be about the gems of English Comedy - Monty Python, Blackadder, The Office - it is important to remember that as a country we have also produced a huge volume of absolutely apalling drivel over the years. BIRDS OF A FEATHER, for the love of sweet Jesus - what were we thinking?!!?
John
- Wed Mar 30 12:21:25 2005

...which we turn round and re-export back to them as a crap version...
tom
- Wed Mar 30 12:16:28 2005

Hmmm, custard. Yum! I guess we should view immitation / replication of TV shows by other countries as "flattery". As in "immitation is the sincerest form..." etc. We do, lets just be plain honest, get a lot of US TV. And a lot of it is great. I used to like a totally 80's maveric cop show called "Loose Canon" which itself was probably a take on the "Lethal Weapon" films. I wonder how many of UK TV shows are remakes of US originals ?
Nigel
Oswestry, Plague house... - Wed Mar 30 11:51:08 2005

... or gravy
Jimmy
- Wed Mar 30 11:48:16 2005

Http://weblog.rowan.me.uk is back.
tom
- Wed Mar 30 11:25:53 2005

The plot, like custard, thickens.
tom
- Wed Mar 30 11:25:27 2005

On a completely irrelevant subject, according to the BBC news site, it was on this day in 1981 that Reagan was shot (he did, of course, survive). What I thought interesting was that the would-be assasin, one John Hinckley, was the son of "a rich oil executive"... and incidentally, guess who was vice president at that time...? Why, it was George Bush Sr., of course.
John
- Wed Mar 30 10:47:02 2005

How's this for ironic: I searched for it with the google engine and the words: red dwarf americanised. Google came back and asked "Did you mean: red dwarf americanized".
Jimmy
- Wed Mar 30 10:44:48 2005

Ah. I've just looked for (and found) it on the wwwwww. The first review of it utterly slated it- as one might expect.
Jimmy
- Wed Mar 30 10:41:54 2005

Hang on a minute- are you saying there's a US version of Red Dwarf? I've never heard of this, but the concept sounds *dreadful* !
Jimmy
- Wed Mar 30 10:39:13 2005

T-Boy, actually, have you seen the original?
Rob Lang
- Wed Mar 30 09:58:41 2005

Not seen it, T-Boy (of XML fame). No doubt it's rubbish. Like Red Dwarf was.
Rob lang
- Wed Mar 30 09:57:34 2005

No Travis, I haven't seen the American version - not sure if we have any way of watching it over here. Although on the one hand I think The Office will be pretty hard to re-create without Ricky Gervais (and presumably not based in Slough), I still find that sort of predictable critics' reaction irritating to the point of making me want to like the American version to spite them. I feel a rant coming on...
John
- Wed Mar 30 09:27:20 2005

Anyone catch either of the aired episodes of the American Office? I'm curious to hear your thoughts. It's being killed by critics who have seen the original. I saw (I think) every episode and the special...and it's one of my fave series of all time. Just think people are a bit harsh.
Travis
- Wed Mar 30 02:26:10 2005

Nigel, I know the feeling of catching everyone else's illnesses. I teach in a university and my children go to a public school...and my wife works in a call center. It's like my family has quadruple the chance of catching whatever's going around.
Travis
- Wed Mar 30 00:14:31 2005

Well Easter up here meant FLU !!! Aaarrgg! We did get one hour of sun on Sunday. Grey Monday/today. Stayed off work today. Certainly didn't have the mental acuity to confront any XML! Improving now. However all this illness did start me thinking of a career change - too long in an airless, stuffy call-centre picking up everyone elses germs :(
Nigel
Oswestry, Ahh, you know... - Tue Mar 29 21:22:01 2005

I took an xml/xsl tutorial with me as it was a 7 hour drive to San Antonio. My wife and I split time driving, so I had plenty of time to get some reading done. I'll soon surpass Rob's ability with xml. Be warned.
Travis
- Tue Mar 29 16:10:40 2005

Easter was nice. I went on a brief trip. I'll likely post a few images later. Weather is a bit foul here early on, but it's supposed to be nice as the day progresses. Anyone else?
Travis
- Tue Mar 29 16:08:50 2005

Is it as dreary everywhere else as it is here today...?
John
- Tue Mar 29 16:03:48 2005

R i g h t.
tom
- Tue Mar 29 13:19:27 2005

Air Cav is emblazened on my psyche.
Rob Lang
- Tue Mar 29 13:01:04 2005

Is Charlie going to the toilet "au naturel" or something...?
John
- Tue Mar 29 12:07:49 2005

Wackachakachakachacka. Dum..da da dummmm dum. Dum da da dummmm dum. Dum da da dummm dum. Dum da da dum! Every minute I stay in this room, I get weaker, and every minute Charlie squats in the bush, he gets stronger.
Rob Lang
- Tue Mar 29 12:01:05 2005

Yea I was thinking it was a bit quiet too. So, er, did everyone have nice easters?
John
- Tue Mar 29 11:50:10 2005

Hellllllllllo?
tom
- Tue Mar 29 11:42:50 2005

What's that? DIY...?
tom
- Mon Mar 28 14:36:44 2005

Happy Easter everyone! I hope you all enjoy your eggs. Lets all try to spare a moment to remember the true meaning.
dsp
- Sun Mar 27 10:58:33 2005

John: Yes, I guess I did. This time round I had the idea of a small, quiet box that would do almost anything I'm likely to need for the foreseable. That includes audio, video and photo. Had to be on a budget though... Had to be small too as with two kids there's not much space left for my stuff! The Shuttles are well built little boxes with good quality fittings.
Nigel
Oswestry, Back at the VAIO - Sat Mar 26 20:24:31 2005

I think I am finally going to leave the house today - I need to go and buy some new batteries for my camera as all the ones I've got at the moment don't seem to want to recharge any more...
John
- Sat Mar 26 15:49:34 2005

Thanks Nigel I just got it - it looks very smart doesn't it? Do you feel an increased sense of satisfaction given that you have partly built this, rather than just buying a complete system off the shelf...?
John
- Sat Mar 26 15:48:42 2005

John: I mailed a photo of the Shuttle to the MDS email address on your page here...
Nigel
Oswestry, Taking a break from painting... - Sat Mar 26 15:45:25 2005

Thanks for the info Travis! Sounds like Easter over there is pretty similar to here then...
John
- Sat Mar 26 11:49:22 2005

Final post for a few days. Tomorrow morning I shall depart on a 5 hour drive to San Antonio so as to see some of the finer points of Texas culture. I'll return late Monday evening. Have a good Easter, all.
Travis
- Sat Mar 26 03:26:50 2005

More about Easter: Lots of people pay lip service to it. It's probably the most popular or second most popular day to attend a religious service. But when you get down to it, it's not as popular as Christmas. I don't imagine that many families who were not raised Christian celebrate it, unlike Xmas.
Travis
- Fri Mar 25 21:48:36 2005

John, it's much the same here. My family celebrates by giving candy. That's about it. At the university here, a lot of people miss class today though the official word is that classes were "on." We instructors have to allow students to miss if they claim to be observing a religious holiday.
Travis
- Fri Mar 25 19:22:12 2005

absolutely right about d.i.y. we even got in a trip to the tip. i'm turning into a right dad!
dsp
loo, - Fri Mar 25 18:11:39 2005

Thank God that i have no job...nil...total absence of money, a common undergraduate. I'm going home to mom and a washing machine. I suppose easter is big deal with my family. It means church services, easter eggs, sweets, the ever present ham. I really don't understand how the sweets and eggs represent the miracle of Christ. But the ham i suppose is a subconscious protest against jewish diets. Get some rest John! "Today, how far may he wandered, The brave hunter of Dragon-flies?"-Saigyo Hoshi
Jeff
- Fri Mar 25 17:42:35 2005

First test was a streaming video (ZZ Top - Gimme all your lovin') from the WinAmp web site via wireless to the Shuttle... All A-Ok!! I replaced the stock main fan with the Papst as it's sooo much quieter - just checked all ratings were similar and use M'board Monitor to keep tabs on temps. I can certainly send/post photos - what would you like to see? I've got no web-site/space set up of my own at present though (well I have but it's dormant...)Wanted a small VFD display but cost has ruled it out for now...
Nigel
Oswestry, Tart Poo..... - Fri Mar 25 17:30:42 2005

John: Yes I have to admit I'm experimenting with the Shuttle a bit (it's an SB65G2 in black roughly £180 delivred) and I had the CPU, HD and memory from a previous machine. I've been learning about MP3 and the like so building my resources. I registered WinAmp for e.g to rip and encode. The card-reader is for the digicam and because its better than a floppy. Wireless connects to the "old" VAIO which has the access point and BB conn. Part two to follow.....
Nigel
Oswestry, Left of the sideboard... - Fri Mar 25 17:24:59 2005

I think the longest dissertation in the department I'm in is over 1400 pages long, so mine's not that excessive. Most run about 300-450 pages. But it's nice to finish it anyway! (I shouldn't pity the poor examiners--they are well used to such things and they get paid for it!)
capeche <citizen.capeche@gmail.com>
- Fri Mar 25 16:36:58 2005

Thanks Travis! Do you make much of a big deal of easter over there? Here in the UK it means two days national holiday - today and Monday. Maybe some shops close over the weekend (or at least Sunday) too. It's odd in a way, because I don't think anyone really celebrates easter at all nowadays. I think it's more of a national festival of DIY than anything else.
John
- Fri Mar 25 14:33:07 2005

John, I have to work today. There was a slight chance that the governor would cancel classes today, but no such luck. I do have off Monday, though, which is nice. Chin up.
Travis
- Fri Mar 25 13:56:44 2005

I am very envious Nigel, this is exactly the sort of thing I've beemn wanting to do for the past few months (you may have noticed me banging on about it quite a bit)... I just love the idea of a tiny little PC that sits quietly in the corner of the lounge doing whatever odds and ends you need it to do for you... Do you have a digital camera by any chance? Do you think you could indulge me with some work in progress pictures of your project...?
John
- Fri Mar 25 13:40:54 2005

Hello John. Ay, a day or two off work for us wage-slip monkeys!! First proper break of the year. I've just been building a Shuttle - I hasten to add a computer not a spacecraft! Just fitted a rather good card-reader in the 3.5" bay and all is fine. Coo! It also came with a wireless add-on which I think it wasn't meant to, but got left in... He-he!! Also swapped out the default cooling fan for a *very* quiet Papst make. All going swimmingly so far... Must check temps soon. Don't work too hard there!! :)
Nigel
Oswestry, In front of a Shuttle! - Fri Mar 25 13:32:18 2005

Yes, it's just me isn't it. We ought to make some Greek Orthodox friends, because they'd be celebrating easter at a different date, which might help to overcome the likely shortfall in attendance this weekend.
John
- Fri Mar 25 11:43:42 2005

So I'm working today then... Why do I get the feeling it's going to only be me posting today...?
John
- Fri Mar 25 10:32:32 2005

I bet you've all gone home haven't you? Four days off work eh? Luxury!
John
- Thu Mar 24 17:34:37 2005

Hope you have a great time Mumsie! I used to go to Sherwood Forest a lot as a kid. I hope the Major Oak is still there!
John
- Thu Mar 24 16:16:18 2005

That's me for a week and a bit. Off to Sherwood Forest for a week with the cadets on Saturday. And yes, they will be practising Archery, and NO I have not packed any green tights! Have a good Easter everyone.
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Mar 24 15:48:05 2005

Ok Tom, so who is Andre, and how come he's making you cups of coffee.
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Mar 24 15:18:28 2005

Thanks, John. I'm downloading it. I'll have some time to play with it later.
Travis
- Thu Mar 24 15:15:53 2005

MMMmmm fresh coffee. Thank you Andre! :->
tom
- Thu Mar 24 15:03:34 2005

Lavazza is good.... Actually next time you come we'll go to VARESE where there is a place that toasts the coffee beans on-site and makes a truly wonderful coffee (as good as in Naples), and you can buy the mix there. It's truly splendid, even for a person that doesn't drink much coffee like me!!
Lox
- Thu Mar 24 12:54:10 2005

I don't think I can buy Illy anywhere in the village, so I may have to slum it with plain old Lavazza.... ho, hum.
John
- Thu Mar 24 12:46:39 2005

Thanks to Lorenzo I basically don't like "regular" coffee any more - the sort you would make in a cafetiere or whatever. After I'd had a few decent cups of espresso everything else started to seem like a poor substitute - thin, watery, tasteless, bland crap. Unfortunately we've ran out of Illy, and thus the experiment to see if it was more about the method of making it rather than the actual raw ingredients.
John
- Thu Mar 24 12:44:21 2005

Tom: Death by implosion.
Lox
- Thu Mar 24 12:39:41 2005

It was Santos and Java. The verdict: not bad, but not great either. I think the grinding process must be different between coffee destined for the espresso maker and the regular stuff you put in cafetieres, filters and so on. Normal ground coffee is more light and powdery. Espresso coffee is a lot denser. So I guess the water doesn't travel trhrough the grains in quite the right way, and the result is something a bit thin and not quite like espresso should be.
John
- Thu Mar 24 12:39:04 2005

Tom: Instant Coffee I should think.
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Mar 24 11:45:30 2005

What happens if you put Instant Coffee in an expresso machine?
tom
- Thu Mar 24 11:40:59 2005

The fact that John hasn't posted how the coffee tastes like, means that probably he's now burning in the seven hells of coffee tamperers, and should serve as a reminder to us all NOT to change the way things are meant to be (or a marketing manager made them to be)!!
Lox
- Thu Mar 24 10:35:38 2005

Mmmmmmmmmmm fresh coffee!
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Mar 24 10:28:08 2005

unpivking - an ancient Nordic ritual in which members of the aristocracy are covered in seal blubber and tossed into the sea. Or alternatively I may have been trying to write unpicking.
John
- Thu Mar 24 10:11:55 2005

I have attempted to make coffee in a stove top espresso maker using ground coffee that wasn't specifically intended to be used for espresso. Apologies to all in advance if the universe implodes as a result of me unpivking the fabric of existence in this manner. I shall report later on what it tastes like.
John
- Thu Mar 24 10:10:31 2005

Travis: my personal favourite for all-purpose text editing is PNotepad - you'll want the newer version (2.0.5.48 as I write). It does XML highlighting, and is generally just great. Of course, I may be a bit biased as I know the guy who wrote it. If you want something a bit more XML specific, then some people like XML Spy - although it's a commercial product there is a free version that lets you do all the basics available on that site somewhere, if I recall correctly.
John
- Thu Mar 24 09:28:15 2005

Very nice, John. Certainly seems helpful. Do you recommend an editor or anything? I'll search around your page, see if I can find anything.
Travis
- Wed Mar 23 22:42:21 2005

Am I the only one who wants to know more about Angela Trumpton......?
Nigel
Oswestry, Late, but still near the Sony... - Wed Mar 23 20:42:06 2005

Travis - if it helps I have knocked up a very simple XML/XSLT tutorial.
John
- Wed Mar 23 18:11:37 2005

Excellent. I'm reading up on XML. Looks interesting, to say the least. XSL next, I suppose.
Travis
- Wed Mar 23 15:29:54 2005

Travis: no knowledge of Java required! You can entirely hand code XML and XSL, much in the same way you would HTML and CSS. In fact, XML and XSL as a pair are in a sense very much like HTML and CSS, only arguably XSL is more powerful than CSS and the separation between style and content is a lot clearer in XML/XSL than in HTML/CSS.
John
- Wed Mar 23 13:48:02 2005

Do I need to know java to do xml? I don't know it. I know HTML and can do a bit with CSS.
Travis
- Wed Mar 23 13:07:27 2005

Yes.
Rob Lang
- Wed Mar 23 13:02:53 2005

Righty-ho.
Jimmy
- Wed Mar 23 13:01:49 2005

Good.
John
- Wed Mar 23 12:38:28 2005

Ok.
tom
- Wed Mar 23 11:06:52 2005

Yes.
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Mar 23 10:59:49 2005

Is it a Grandma thing to KNIT JUMPERS?
tom
- Wed Mar 23 10:47:37 2005

John: my mother was a dab hand with the knitting needles.
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Mar 23 10:46:48 2005

Best way to learn is by ripping other people's sites apart and joining a graphics community.
Rob Lang
- Wed Mar 23 10:14:51 2005

Mumsie: how difficult was it concealing Rob's third arm when he was a boy?
John
- Wed Mar 23 09:08:18 2005

dsp: have you any idea what a shock that was when I logged on this morning.
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Mar 23 09:04:51 2005

Rob, when my web site grows up, it wants to be like yours.
Travis
- Wed Mar 23 03:37:14 2005

Who's that hot dame in the leathers?
Man of the streets
- Tue Mar 22 21:29:37 2005

Look what i've found:
dsp
- Tue Mar 22 20:12:06 2005

Perhaps you need to embrace the terror which is "Find/replace in Files"...? I believe VS .Net does this. Maybe you want something that does regular expressions. Again VS might be your man. Oh, and back up everything in the world ever first. Twice.
John
- Tue Mar 22 16:46:30 2005

Guys, you've gotta help. My world is coming apart. A bloody W3C web checking tool is slagging off my HTML because the URLs contain querystrings that separate params with and ampersand. Apparently the right way to do it is to encode those as &amp; I've been doing URL querystrings this way for the last 8 years!!!
dsp
- Tue Mar 22 16:31:51 2005

Tom: I agree, either bore-aid or something-on-a-stick (tm)
Lox
- Tue Mar 22 15:35:00 2005

The dual tuner was the reason for lookign at the Thomson. Thanks Kev. :-)
tom
- Tue Mar 22 15:27:22 2005

Tom: check out http://www.pvruk.co.uk/ I myself have a pace twin, had it about 18 months or so, not too bad a piece of kit, firmware crashes occasionally. I think they don't make them any more, but, definitely try and get one with a twin tuner, so you can watch whilst you record. I am aways finding myself wanting to do that ( since the anolgue signal in pangbourne is shite ).
Kev
- Tue Mar 22 15:20:50 2005

Bored-Aid required
tom
- Tue Mar 22 15:14:01 2005

Tom: Yes, looks like you're right. I'd think the optical is for sound and the only video seems to be composite or RGB. You'd need an encoder card... I think I remember looking at similar Thomson gear from Argos when they had it, and decided on the DVD recorder for the same reason in the end.
Nigel
Wrexham, Busy... - Tue Mar 22 13:38:57 2005

The only issue I see with it is that there appears to be no way of outputting the digital data to, say, a DVD.
tom
- Tue Mar 22 13:19:38 2005

Hello all. May I just say Tom: "Ooohh, Pretty-Shiny". Looks a neat piece of kit. You could even replace the HD over time if nec. Sadly I don't get Freeview in the area I am so just stick to my DVD recorder. It's sooo much easier than recording to a PC then burning a DVD disk. For "PVR" I have a Haupauge PVR USB2 box which is a great quality hardware based MPEG recorder. John: if your MPEG card is based on the Hollywood chipset it'll be fine. There are plenty of ready-made tweak utils available. :)
Nigel
Wrexham, At the grindstone... - Tue Mar 22 13:12:29 2005

7 - dot - 99 that is!
tom
- Tue Mar 22 12:17:21 2005

Well, that would be fun and probably I will do that for my office upstairs, but The Management wants something that works for some reason... ??! I've been looking at this one: http://dtt.opennet.co.uk/thomson.htm 159.99 + 799 delivery from unbeatable .co.uk..
tom
- Tue Mar 22 12:17:01 2005

Tom, to be honest I don't really know! It's only recently I actually got hold of a proper set top box - from Kev. Up until then my only experience of Freeview was from PC based cards and assorted kit at work. I know very little about the consumer electronics side of things!
So I assume building your own is not an option? I've just got an MPEG-2 decoder card off ebay for the princely sum of 99p, which makes the possibility of putting together a little custom Freeview PVR on even the lowest spec of Mini ITX system a serious possibility - no real CPU effort would be required with that. I imagine there is quite a lot of legwork involved though...
John
- Tue Mar 22 12:01:24 2005

John: Looking to buy a PVR with freeview built in... what would you suggest?
tom
- Tue Mar 22 11:41:02 2005

The thought of Jocye made me feel sick!! Anyways Bradlyio DOES exists, I am going to prove it by taking pictures when I go to Florence for the weekend! Anyone remembers that strange habit of covering the windows with vomit? Dsp, snitch, any comments? :P
Lox
- Tue Mar 22 10:28:43 2005

By the way, I want to apologize for Americans everywhere for remaking "The Office." I know that some of the crew are carried over from the British version, but after having seen previews, it cannot possibly be anywhere near as good. There is only one David Brent, after all.
Travis
- Tue Mar 22 03:06:21 2005

Rob: Love the new Icar site, i've viewed the source hoping it would reveal its secrets to me. It seems or xml technology is highly advanced. <vader>The source is strong with this one.</vader>
dsp
- Mon Mar 21 20:49:28 2005

BTW Rob: i was w llpapering the nursery this weekend with winnie the pooh and tigger wallpaper - saw that and thought of you!
dsp
- Mon Mar 21 19:51:23 2005

Who used my bread board and left it in the sink covered in crumbs?
Jon Ellis
- Mon Mar 21 19:47:35 2005

Yummy Yummy Yummy Yummy Yummy Yummy Yummy Yummy Yummy Yummy!
Joycey
- Mon Mar 21 19:45:45 2005

Right Rob and Lox, be warned or I'll open a jumbo can of whoop-ass on you! Bradlyoni my arse! Are you havin' that? I bet a quid there's no such place!
dsp
- Mon Mar 21 19:44:04 2005

A friend had an international driver license and so could drive in other places, despite differences in driving age. Also, at age 16, one can drive into different places where the age is 17 or 18, I believe, and not be illegal.
Travis
- Mon Mar 21 17:51:09 2005

No, Robert. Of course not all laws of the like would apply. I belive that in Texas, if you are married and your spouse is old enough to drink, you can legally drink. Something like that...so if you're from another reasonable country, etc. But you may be right about drinking age.
Travis
- Mon Mar 21 17:49:53 2005

http://www.negativepositive.org/Things-that-need-to-die.html
tom
- Mon Mar 21 17:29:53 2005

How are the lizard fingers snitchboy?
tom
- Mon Mar 21 17:28:50 2005

Did I tell you guys that there is a town near Florence called Bradlyio? Ah and by the way, John is still a wussie-veggie-snitchboy-gaylord... (I miss Radstock sooo much...)
Lox
- Mon Mar 21 17:01:23 2005

Tired windups? I don't know what you mean. After all (Bradley), Tim (Bradley) is (Bradley) keeping (Bradley) very (Bradley) quiet (Bradley).
Rob Lang
- Mon Mar 21 16:42:30 2005

HAH! It is common knowledge that it wasn't the Italians changing sides during the two world wars, but it was instead everyone else who had a sudden change of feels towards us! You underestimate the power of me and Rob, do I have to remind you of the picture that we took once we moved in?
Lox
- Mon Mar 21 16:03:08 2005

Look at you both, rolling out the same tired old wind ups - you wouldn't catch me doing that. Besides, I'm not overly concerned about the pair of you ganging up on me, as by about half way through the slanging match Lorenzo will be duty bound by tradition to switch sides, etc.
John
- Mon Mar 21 15:39:56 2005

OK - SO WHO'S UPSET MY LITTLE BOY?
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Mar 21 15:36:00 2005

Rob: You are right, John is the worldwide expert of 14 years old, I almost forgot!! Is murder legal is the UK? Or were you referring to the wonderful land of GINEGERLAND (where the only legal drink is IrnBru)?
Lox
- Mon Mar 21 15:28:34 2005

Thanks lads, will sort out the Google logo. Lox, John is the only person who's qualified to talk about 14 year olds. A University without drunkeness. How do they survive all three years? Now I can see why American students like to come over here to study. T-Boy: I don't think our laws apply over there. Otherwise, I'd set up an independent nation of Gingerland where murder was legalised.
Rob Lang
- Mon Mar 21 15:20:27 2005

I remember having several discussions with the guys at Radstock... In Italy I am sure that they have some laws for drinking/smoking/shagging but generally speaking nobody cares... I mean, 14een must be right huh? :)
Lox
- Mon Mar 21 15:13:53 2005

Good Lord Travis, all that time to make up!!
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Mar 21 15:13:32 2005

John, I think there are bans on having open alcohol containers in every state. Not sure though. There might be some sort of carryover law about if you're legal to drink in your country, it's okay here. I never understood the drinking age...but abided by it nonetheless. I didn't really start drinking until I was 22 or 23.
Travis
- Mon Mar 21 15:10:31 2005

Very nice re-styling Rob!! The Google logo is grayed out on my pc too (firefox, win xp), still the site looks great! BRAVO!
Lox
- Mon Mar 21 14:53:34 2005

Nice one Rob... the site looks VERY good and the technology is clearly up to the mark! I don't know about the google logo though.. looks a bit greyed out. (firefox, linux).
tom
- Mon Mar 21 14:33:40 2005

Interestingly on my one and only visit to America I broke a number of alcohol related laws without realising it. I drank underage (I was 19 at the time), but sort of assumed this wouldn't count as I was old enough to drink in my own country. Apparently, in Connecticut it is also illegal to have an open container of alcohol in the car whilst moving, which I don't believe I've ever really done here in the UK, but perhaps because it was illegal I often supped beer whilst other people were driving. Oh, and drinking on the beach - again - might be a CT only thing.... but did that too. Presumably as I've now passed the statute of limitation there's no harm in admitting to these violations. Hey, hold on a minute, what are all these guys with ATF on their jackets doing outside my house...? How strange!
John
- Mon Mar 21 13:54:01 2005

Yeah, John. 21 is the legal drinking age in the US, so if you're living on campus and you'd like to drink, you must be covert about it. Interestingly, at most universities I know of, even if you are 21, you can't have alcohol on campus. Of course, that is one of the most frequently broken rules...
Travis
- Mon Mar 21 13:39:05 2005

John - thanks very much. You flatter me.
Rob Lang
- Mon Mar 21 13:34:53 2005

Yes. In aisle two. That's where we saw the Ragu.
Rob Lang
- Mon Mar 21 13:34:26 2005

Cutting a pigeon in half with a stick?!
Jimmy
- Mon Mar 21 13:16:48 2005

Really beautiful design job there Rob - as always!
John
- Mon Mar 21 11:54:04 2005

Finished the new Icar website last weekend. Hurrah! Try doing a view source on one of the pages. Go on. Dare you. http://www.icar.co.uk/index.xml
Rob Lang
- Mon Mar 21 11:33:09 2005

Well just thank your lucky stars your notice period is only 1 month!
John
- Mon Mar 21 11:24:03 2005

Yawn. Bored at work now... 18 days and 4 hours to go until I leave. Not that I'm counting.
tom
- Mon Mar 21 11:23:18 2005

Thanks Jeff. Nice to have you pop in. John - I can imagine secret societies where undergrads meet in dark rooms to swap their illegal contraband. It's barking. 21, really. Old enough to die for your country but not old enough to celebrate if you don't.
Rob Lang
- Mon Mar 21 09:40:09 2005

...and yes of course the drinking age is 21 in most parts of America. So this means that technically you can not drink whilst at university? Clearly everybody must flout this, but it still must make the university experience in the US very different as any kind of drinking has to be slightly sneaky and underhand surely? For example, presumably you can't have an equivalent of the student union bar?
John
- Mon Mar 21 08:45:45 2005

Thanks Jeff (and Travis!). What a wonderfully random exchange. It's at times like this when the sheer genericity of the "de Stuff" part of the site name seems wholly deserved. I don't think we've ever broached the subject of Sophocles before, and how much better that it is done from a Texan perspective!
John
- Mon Mar 21 08:39:23 2005

Jeff, welcome. But you're disgracing both the US and the fine state of TX by misspelling Sophocles. That said, I'm a grad student at Texas Tech. Our basketball team crushed yours. I was at the game. Take that.
Travis
- Mon Mar 21 05:01:22 2005

Its Sunday night, no beer because i'm not old enough...so i'll leave you with some Sophoclies...'King Oedius' ...oedius: Well, well...so wife what of the Pythian fire, The oracles, the prophesying birds..that scream above us? I was to kill my father, now he lies in a grave, here am I. Who never touched a weapon..." (its for class) I have this strange feeling to call my mother...Goodnight England!
Jeff <losbandito_7@yahoo.com>
university of texas, 'ditto' - Sun Mar 20 23:21:10 2005

Score: Maison's Filter 1, Stupidity: 0
Travis
- Sun Mar 20 18:09:57 2005

Cheers!
Nigel
Oswestry, Outside a Tiger... - Sun Mar 20 16:41:01 2005

Beer.... now there's an idea.
John
- Sun Mar 20 16:21:51 2005

Hmmm. One Gin.... Well I've just opened a Tiger Beer so I'll have that instead... Not so sunny here today so only a few of the basics done outside - trip to the tip with bottles and bags etc. Played footie with the boy... Packed my Ebay sales... Let's hope for a relaxing evening... (with two kids... unlikely!)
Nigel
Oswestry, In front of the Vaio... - Sun Mar 20 16:20:20 2005

Tell you what onejin, why don't you give up...?
John
- Sun Mar 20 15:49:53 2005

Sorry, this message was too big.
onejin <tianzy19802000@yahoo.com.cn>
onejin, onejin - Sun Mar 20 04:30:43 2005

Sorry, this message was too big.
onejin <tianzy19802000@yahoo.com.cn>
onejin, onejin - Sun Mar 20 04:28:03 2005

Sorry, this message was too big.
onejin <tianzy19802000@yahoo.com.cn>
onejin, onejin - Sun Mar 20 04:26:36 2005

Sorry, this message was too big.
onejin <tianzy19802000@yahoo.com.cn>
onejin, onejin - Sun Mar 20 04:25:18 2005

Thanks Kev. I'll give it a go then (can't have you all laughing and me missing out!). Just being a bit cautious these days as I seem to spend too much precious time cleaning out :( Well I hope you guys had a good day. Up here it was glorious sun after the fog burned off around midday. Gave any form of town (or even large group of people) a miss and did some serious chilling out!
Nigel
Oswestry, Watching Dr Who Night... - Sat Mar 19 20:50:01 2005

Nigel: the web site I posted seemed friendly enough to me, its basically a colletion of links to the weebls flash thingies. I just took the swf file and played on it my pda using 'flash assist'
Kev
- Sat Mar 19 19:25:53 2005

Well all I can say is I pity your examiners capeche!
John
- Sat Mar 19 12:14:53 2005

capeche, you're a twat.
Rob Lang
- Sat Mar 19 11:59:51 2005

Good site! welcom to my page sports books !
sports books <sports@revolutionary.com>
USA, sports@revolutionary.com - Sat Mar 19 11:19:43 2005

Errr...is that supposed to make me feel better? Cheers for that!
John
- Sat Mar 19 10:28:45 2005

Just to say I turned in my dissertation for the PhD. 567 pages. More than 170,000 words, and not one (or at least not TOO many) excess to requirements. Five years of work, just on this. Done.
capeche
- Sat Mar 19 04:27:45 2005

Reeling from a sinus infection that kept me out of any St. Patrick's Day festivities. A shame...
Travis
- Fri Mar 18 23:10:12 2005

Kev: So is "Magic Trevor" on your PDA or desktop? Is the site you mention spam/cookie etc free?? I'll risk a butchers if it is... :)
Nigel
Oswestry, About time for cocoa ... - Fri Mar 18 22:42:21 2005

half a beer Mmmm.. #...taking a bow is magical trevor, everyone has seen that the trick is clever...#
Kev
- Fri Mar 18 22:20:02 2005

I've had curry pizza, and half a beer. Does that count?
Graf
- Fri Mar 18 19:47:59 2005

Mmmm. Curry and BeerS.
tom
- Fri Mar 18 18:28:34 2005

Right, well that's enough for one day... I'm off for beer and a curry!
John
- Fri Mar 18 17:56:54 2005

Good site! welcom to my page fioricet !
fioricet <submit@ua.fm>
USA, submit@ua.fm - Fri Mar 18 17:52:22 2005

Where can you see lions? ONLY in Kenya. I fancy doing a metal version of Magical Trevor and Kenya.
Rob Lang
- Fri Mar 18 16:53:35 2005

Everyone here is singing along. Brilliant!
tom
- Fri Mar 18 15:58:19 2005

I now have magical trevor on my pda. #...look at him now disappearing the cow.... #
Kev
- Fri Mar 18 15:55:33 2005

Kev, you should check out the original home of Magical Trevor. It's also got the sequel. http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/ I'd also recommend Kenya ( http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/29/ ) and Breadfish ( http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/46/ ). Go and check them out but as Kev rightly says, they are catchy.
Rob Lang
- Fri Mar 18 14:53:07 2005

Sunny Day + River + Laptop = John getting pissed off with poor contrast on laptop and deciding to got sit indoors. Oh look, a conveinient public house... Hmm. Taxi for work!
tom
- Fri Mar 18 14:45:20 2005

For some reason I am imagining that song in a Lou and Andy sketch - a bit like when he watches monster trucks.
John
- Fri Mar 18 14:32:06 2005

#...beans, lotsa beans,lotsa beans yeah-yeah ...#
Kev
- Fri Mar 18 14:07:21 2005

I am considering taking my laptop and working down by the river at some point this afternoon... Hmmm although that sounds a bit too much like a recipe for not really getting anything done...
John
- Fri Mar 18 14:05:36 2005

http://gprime.net/flash.php/magicaltrevor
Kev
- Fri Mar 18 14:05:13 2005

If you haven't seen this already I would like to share this with you all. http://gprime.net/flash.php/magicaltrevor be warned, its extremely catchy.... #now,now - now, the cow is back... lala-la, the cow is back....#
Kev
- Fri Mar 18 14:04:47 2005

Its Friday, and I'm jumping ship really early. Well, the sun is shining, and its too nice to be stuck in an office. Have a good weekend one and all.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 18 13:52:05 2005

Blimey, John! You're not working full-time on your thesis, are you?! BTW- have you guys seen that a musical version of the Holy Grail has just opened in New York ... entitled "Spamalot" ?
Jimmy
- Fri Mar 18 12:43:04 2005

They were certainly a great deal thinner when I'd finished with them.
Jimmy
- Fri Mar 18 12:41:06 2005

Thanks for your consideration Tim! I have actually worked quite successfully so far this morning... As I started at an amazingly early 8:30 it must be time for lunch pretty soon...
John
- Fri Mar 18 12:23:53 2005

Hi John, I've waited until lunch time to post because I didn't want to provide a thesis distraction!
dsp
- Fri Mar 18 12:13:22 2005

Lean 'em... as in make them less fat?
John
- Fri Mar 18 10:03:24 2005

jimmy: that'll lean 'em
Kev
- Fri Mar 18 00:11:52 2005

Yeah ... I've really crushed 'em!
Jimmy
- Thu Mar 17 17:37:16 2005

Cool.
tom
- Thu Mar 17 17:27:18 2005

Today, I am squashing bits of rubber between metal plates. Do I know how to have fun, or wot??!?!
Jimmy
- Thu Mar 17 16:58:43 2005

Tom: Just nipped over to check it out before leaving (didn't think the firewall here would let me!) and a quick scan through the screenshots page is very interesting indeed. Nice one!
Nigel
Wrexham, Almost out the door... - Thu Mar 17 16:58:07 2005

Cheers! I'll have a proper search when home later. Appreciate it :)
Nigel
Wrexham, Nearing the bell... - Thu Mar 17 16:53:07 2005

Nigel: http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/
tom
- Thu Mar 17 16:51:49 2005

I can't add html, but someone who can should add the appropriate tags please.. you'll like it/
tom
- Thu Mar 17 16:50:56 2005

img alt="Terror Alert Level" border="0" src="http://www.geekandproud.net/terror/terror.php"
tom
- Thu Mar 17 16:50:25 2005


tom
- Thu Mar 17 16:49:54 2005

Tom: Now that sounds interesting! Does that include a GUI? I fancy that on a USB key... Can you remember the URL ? I'd be grateful for it... :)
Nigel
Wrexham, Still working... - Thu Mar 17 16:21:13 2005

there are loads of distributions *based* on knoppix... I found one that's less than 50meg in entireity,,,, you can install it to a usb drive too.
tom
- Thu Mar 17 16:03:27 2005

I'll run a search for this release (knoppix) it seems a good idea to try out the linux system before installing it...thanks guys!!
Lox
- Thu Mar 17 13:46:33 2005

Knoppix avoids all that mess by booting from CD-Rom. This will let you play with it without changing your PC. If you don't like it, throw it away. Easy.
dsp
- Thu Mar 17 13:40:22 2005

Lox: Yes, I'd recommend dual-boot for any person new to Linux - you need a safe, familiar place to retreat to sometimes! Also SUSE comes with the necessary HD partitioning software to set up the disk, which works with XP. If you want a no-install try-out of a Linux system boot from a "Knoppix" CD to get a feel for how it will run on your PC. This doesn't need to modify your machine at all :)
Nigel
Work, Apres dejourne - Thu Mar 17 13:27:07 2005

Thanks for the info Nige!! I'll give suse a go... A frinend of mine installed it and said that it was a good OS, but he still needs a dual boot as he cannot rule MS out (yet)...
Lox
- Thu Mar 17 11:59:26 2005

Hi Lox: Yes, Xandros is a Linux variety - one I personally like. It is a continuation of the defunct Corel Linux. Nice, trim and reliable. SUSE is also good though - especially for a beginner (I'm not that advanced myself!). I'm sure the other guys around here will have their favourites too.
Nigel
Work, Looking through the window mostly - Thu Mar 17 10:58:57 2005

Sorry guys, as the computer wiz wannabe of this forum, I have a question that WILL result stupid to most of you... What is XANDROS? Is it some sort of Linux release or is it a standalone thingy? I wanted to install Linux SUSE on my laptop, but there are so many versions of it (mandrake, etc etc) I was wondering which one do you think is best... Cheers!
Lox
- Thu Mar 17 10:26:49 2005

DSP: Is that Personal Interface Multiplexing Provider ? Ho dear. The jokes are getting bad... Good night...
Nigel
Oswestry, Bye-bye time... - Wed Mar 16 23:06:26 2005

Kev: Well there were two versions of Xandros - std and pro when I became interested. Pro comes with Crossover Office so, yes, it has to be bought. I think a mag gave away a version of Xandros recently - probably version 2 Std (it's up to version 3 now), which of course is the one I actually *paid money for*!!! The ex-Corel guys at Xandros certainly know their stuff. Looks stunning too. I tend to use WINE for any Windows apps I need to run while in Linux - found SUSE WineRack on Ebay a while ago.
Nigel
Oswestry, Gettin' late... - Wed Mar 16 23:02:53 2005

nigel: i know what you mean about the norm; i feel like a change too. perhaps i might call my pimp.
dsp
loo, - Wed Mar 16 18:41:17 2005

I want to really try Xandros, although isn't all the interconnectivity with windows stuff like Word all payable i.e not in the free version? My linux of choice is Gentoo, although not as my main desktop ( XP Pro ), sorry have to go sync and 'emerge world' again :)
Kev
- Wed Mar 16 18:35:40 2005

Is this a new trend then? I feel the urge to tell my bosses where to go.... ;) Sounds like a nice move though Tom... Ah the laptop I have is ATI and as I mentioned, a Sony Wide. I think I need more courage before I risk the big L. As you mention John, the supplied XP Pro does indeed "just work" so I'm a bit reticent about installing a Linux on it. Incidentally my desktop is dual-boot with Xandros... Oh so pretty and annoyingly reliable...! (Did I really say that!?)
Nigel
Oswestry, Kids screaming.. - Wed Mar 16 18:22:53 2005

Dsp: Yup. More focussed on 'ethical hacking'. Should be fun! John: Yes... that's the usual way to go about it!
tom
- Wed Mar 16 17:44:29 2005

There's an idea, quit your job when you've got another job to go to instead. I must bear that in mind. Anyway, congratulations Tom!
John
- Wed Mar 16 17:26:05 2005

Well done Tom, is it another security consultancy job?
dsp
- Wed Mar 16 17:14:13 2005

Well-done, Tom
Travis
- Wed Mar 16 17:10:35 2005

I've got this laptop (works unfortunately) going with dual monitors under Fedora Core 3 (linux) using the NVIDIA official drivers (from the NVIDIA website) and enabling 'TwinView' options in xorg.conf. If you're intersted, I'll post my xorg.conf??
tom
- Wed Mar 16 17:08:41 2005

Did I mention that I quit my job? I've got a new one starting 11th April! More cash, primarily work from home or client site, getting a new car too. :->
tom
- Wed Mar 16 17:07:13 2005

I'm just using the OEM Windows XP which came with the laptop. As it happens this is the first time I've properly used XP for anything more than a couple of minutes. For all its faults, it does at least have the "it just works (TM)" factor about it. Past experiences of Linux seem to suggest it would consume vast swathes of my time to get it all set up the way I want it, and I really ought to be concentrating on other things now!
John
- Wed Mar 16 16:49:40 2005

John: So do you have a Linux set-up on the new lappy, or is it still windows? I guess finding a dual-screen Linux driver for your new PC would be hard... I've done the linux thing on three laptops: 2xthinkpads and the iBook I mentioned before. I got too "creative" one day and jiggered the dual-boot nicely... Had to re-install the lot. The current Sony is still Windows-only. It's widescreen and there are no other reliable (in my view!) display drivers yet :(
Nigel
Oswestry, Left of the coffee-cup.... - Wed Mar 16 16:28:36 2005

John: Lovin' would be easy if your colours were like my dreams. Red, gold, and green. Red, gold, and gree-een. I'm a fan of the Culture Club.
Travis
- Wed Mar 16 15:52:41 2005

The official start date for the final push is tomorrow, although I have been tinkering a little on the periphery this afternoon. I've just worked out how to to a dual monitor output thing with my laptop. All that extra desktop space makes using LaTex a whole lot better.
John
- Wed Mar 16 15:10:06 2005

Brown....? You lucky, lucky, lucky... You know the 16.7 million colours, right? 16,699,999 were for *splitters*! We had the one left and though we knew what a rainbow was.... :/ Ah-hem... This is infectious, isn't it?!?!?
Nigel
Oswestry, Home early... - Wed Mar 16 14:57:11 2005

Hey John, how is the thesis coming along?
dsp
- Wed Mar 16 14:48:18 2005

Of course, when I say colours, I mean barely distinguishable shades of a soul destroyingly murky and dismal brown... but they were colours to us.
John
- Wed Mar 16 14:37:09 2005

Isn't that part of the lyrics to Karma Chameleon by the Culture Club - something about red, gold and green, or something....?
John
- Wed Mar 16 14:35:20 2005

3? I used to dream of 3 colours. That would've been technicolour to us. We didn't have any, we had to feel the monitor with our tongues.
dsp
- Wed Mar 16 14:32:16 2005

16? Luxury! I was thinking more along the lines of 3 (no, not 4, 3).
John
- Wed Mar 16 14:01:13 2005

Yeah! And everything could be made from ASCII-art! A retro-web, with only 16 colours!
Jimmy
- Wed Mar 16 13:01:08 2005

Yea I really like the idea of a web which is really simple and basic, making it much easier to implement browsers on PDAs or TVs or little boxes that people can plug into their ADSL connections at home and do nothing but web and internet, and never get viruses, never crash, and never need upgrading.
John
- Wed Mar 16 12:35:45 2005

Hmmm, am I the only one who is starting to feel web-languages are becoming too "extensible" and far too numerous? There seems an incredible number about now. No wonder browsers have to work hard to keep up - only the big-boys like MS can ensure their offerings are up to speed by throwing resource at it. And look at the reputation IE has!?! I reckon this extensible habit all started when plain old "C" grew it's "++" add ons. W3C are trying to ensure technology keeps up - but how much there is to learn!
Nigel
Wrexham, Work, work, work... - Wed Mar 16 10:37:33 2005

Some bits of the 'maison - particularly John's Pictures are heavily XSLT driven. I did do a certain amount back in the days when I used to have a job, too.
John
- Wed Mar 16 10:03:56 2005

Still doing financial software. Lots of the financial data formats are moving towards XML (Swift, Fix etc..). So it's not just for the web, Mr Rowan.
Graf
- Wed Mar 16 09:40:17 2005

Me too Tom! Don't suppose there's much call for non-visual languages (BASIC & Ansi C) either anymore :/ I was thinking of having a badge made - "I Love GOSUB" just for the sake of anarchy...
Nigel
Oswestry, Cocoa... - Tue Mar 15 22:16:47 2005

What sort of applications do you write graf?
dsp
- Tue Mar 15 20:46:50 2005

WTF are you on about? Hmm - spot the non-web developer!
tom
- Tue Mar 15 20:11:05 2005

I do lots of XSD stuff, not so much XSLT - I remember looking at XSLT once and my brain melted. Use lots of XPath though (which is part of XSLT iirc)
Graf
- Tue Mar 15 16:41:47 2005

Yup. The new Icar website is being coded in XML with XSLT to produce the XHTML. I also use it at work because communication between all our products is XML based. It's lovely. A bit limited but lovely.
Rob Lang
- Tue Mar 15 15:21:58 2005

As its such a quiet message day, I'll break the silence with a nerdy question to the geeks amongst us. Does anyone use XSD and XSLT in anger?
dsp
- Tue Mar 15 15:02:58 2005

For those that don't speak iraqi, I mean work.
tom
- Tue Mar 15 07:42:29 2005

Yeah - my wqork laptop is very quiet. It's got a Centrino based motherboard, so I'm with Nigel on that. My Sony is quite noisy though... but then it's a few years old now.
tom
- Tue Mar 15 07:42:02 2005

John: The quiteness of the new laptop could be because it's a new-style mobile chip. Maybe the fan only gets up to any speed if the temperature goes up. I once (long ago) had an Apple iBook and it only started to get noisy after a long Yellow-Dog Linux install. I mentioned this to another iBook user who seemed surprised the machine even had a fan! My current Sony is more noticeable but never very intrusive. Oh, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (Sorry to shout!) :)
Nigel
Oswestry, Near a Sony VAIO... - Mon Mar 14 20:11:28 2005

Lorenzo - thanks for the thought anyway! Yes, things are good actually, although I'm not particularly looking forward to the next few weeks (I'll be trying to finally finish my thesis).... -eugh-
John
- Mon Mar 14 16:58:25 2005

JOOOHNNNNNN!!! How was your last day at work? I was meant to call you but totally forgot to take the mobile numer.. I was in paris for a crap exibition... Sorry.. I wanted to congratulate... How are things?
Lox
- Mon Mar 14 15:33:07 2005

Happy birthday to those of you who are celebrating or have just celebrated. And what would you like for the big day?
Travis
- Mon Mar 14 14:52:41 2005

3 of you at once? That's a whole load of births that need celebrating.
Jimmy
- Mon Mar 14 14:22:24 2005

...and/or how about a (slightly) more planned event this weekend - a sort of combined John's/Tom's/Kev's birthday thingy?
John
- Mon Mar 14 14:20:45 2005

Incidentally, I posted that last message (and this) using my new laptop which arrived at lunchtime. The greatest thing about it is that it is absolutely silent... although actually that is starting to make me worry this actually means the fan (or whatever laptops have) isn't actually working, and what I've actually just bought is a rather expensive bit of heating equipment.
John
- Mon Mar 14 14:18:22 2005

Nothing really planned as yet for tomorrow. I had arranged to show Chie's sister round Oxford in the daytime, and when I realised this morning that was actually my birthday, it occurred to me I could extend that to an evening thing, get Chie to join us after work, and go for a meal, a couple of drinks etc. If anyone randomly wants to come along they'd be very welcome!
John
- Mon Mar 14 14:14:45 2005

Went to a wedding and had a few bevvies there.. but no other plans as yet? 'awkins?
tom
- Mon Mar 14 13:54:32 2005

Happy Birthday Gents! How are you going to celebrate?
Rob Lang
- Mon Mar 14 13:49:17 2005

No worries John... I couldn't remember how old I was on Saturday!
tom
- Mon Mar 14 13:17:53 2005

Hello everyone- I know this is tempting fate, but my day is going unusually well!
Jimmy
- Mon Mar 14 12:49:04 2005

Sorry Tom! Time has been passing really strangely this year, and I barely know what month it is, let alone what day it is... and as I said I've more or less forgotten my own birthday, so not much hope of remembering anyone else's! Hope you hada good day anyway...!
John
- Mon Mar 14 11:46:49 2005

Was my birthday on Saturday.
tom
- Mon Mar 14 11:34:15 2005

AND (Sung) Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday dear John Happy Birthday to you.
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Mar 14 11:23:23 2005

Is it Tom's Birthday? (Sung) Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday to you Happy Birthday dear Tom Happy Birthday to you.
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Mar 14 11:22:39 2005

Kev's is also dangerously close I believe...
John
- Mon Mar 14 10:33:08 2005

Shiiiiiiiit - not only have I forgotten all about my birthday, I must therefore have also forgotten about yours Tom.... sorry mate!
John
- Mon Mar 14 10:32:38 2005

Kev: Thanks for the light socket tip! It worked a treat mate!
dsp
- Mon Mar 14 10:22:04 2005

John: Why not get out of bed at the same time, the get in your car and drive around at 20mph until 9:30. Then come home. PS. Can't Chie's sister make her own breakfast?
dsp
- Mon Mar 14 10:21:30 2005

What you doing for your birthday Johnnnnnny boy?
tom
- Mon Mar 14 10:12:41 2005

It's so you can be up and at home having a nice brew and watch everyone else rushing off to work.
tom
- Mon Mar 14 10:11:02 2005

I always feel it's a bit rude to still be in bed when Chie leaves the house. Plus I needed to make breakfast for Chie's sister.
John
- Mon Mar 14 10:05:15 2005

John, whats the point of being a man of leisure and still getting up at 8.25 ?????
Kev
work :) - Mon Mar 14 09:34:42 2005

The cheek of it! I was out of bed by about 8:25 this morning - about the same time I would normally get up on a work day.
John
- Mon Mar 14 09:19:14 2005

Morning Mad Mumsie! I don't think we'll hear a peep out of John until well passed Tricia.
dsp
- Mon Mar 14 09:06:05 2005

Good morning everyone. Hello John, and what time did you wake up this morning.
Mad Mumsie
- Mon Mar 14 08:43:45 2005

Thanks kev! i'll give that a go tomorrow and let you know how i got on. ta.
dsp
- Sat Mar 12 23:16:03 2005

Top tip: don't paper round switches and light fittings, unscrew them from the wall and paper OVER them and cut out the space behind with a stanley knife, that way you don't see ugly paper cuttings etc. Also ALWAYS turn off the leccy before unscrewing plugs and wall switches to prevent death.
Kev
- Sat Mar 12 18:07:06 2005

Just taking a break from wallpapering the nursery, and i'm very pleased with our progress. plug sockets and light switches are a bit fiddly, anyone got any top tips?
dsp
- Sat Mar 12 16:20:18 2005

John: WH Smiths sells those 'experiences in a box'. Why not use your vouchers for a hot air balloon flight, or a makeover/photo shoot?
dsp
- Sat Mar 12 16:16:11 2005

Ha! It's pretty damp and gloomy today! How's the head? I spent £5.35 in WH Smiths today... Far too stressful.. :/
Nigel
Oswestry, Sadly free of the Sex Pistols - Sat Mar 12 15:01:12 2005

That was an obscure reference to a Green Jelly spoof of the Sex Pistols' classic, if anyone was not aware.
John
- Sat Mar 12 00:46:13 2005

...and I-i-i-i-i want to be-e-e-e-e-e Oswestry,
In Bedrock it's the only place to be!
John
- Sat Mar 12 00:45:13 2005

To the sounds of the sex pistols Anarchy in the UK:
I-i-i-i-i want to be-e-e-e-e,
In Oswestry.

John
- Sat Mar 12 00:43:06 2005

OK so 90 quid of W H Smiths vouchers... not wanting to sound ungrateful, I mean, I think it's great to have been given any kind of present at all really, there is no real reason why I derserve it.... and yet 90 quid of WH Smiths vouchers... Given that I spen on average about three quid in WH Smiths per year, what am I possibly going to spend 90 quids worth of vouchers on?
John
- Sat Mar 12 00:37:50 2005

Hmmm, hmmmm, hmmmm.... welll I am unemployed then... doesn't feel too bad so far... (am also drunk at present, if that makes a difference).
John
- Sat Mar 12 00:35:05 2005

Rob - I know about being "regular". My Grandfather taught me. It involved 6am cold showers, and prunes for breakfast. They don't make 'em like him any more!
Nigel
Oswestry, A P.S - Fri Mar 11 20:32:34 2005

Have a good evening John! Everyone else - I hope your weekend is restful! Thanks for the offer of web-space - much appreciated! This probably means I'll have to write something meaningful, insightful... I'm actually still recovering from shock after leaving work early to go pick my car up from its annual service... You know it's bad when the man behind the counter calls you "Sir!" with that knowing grin. My checque book is also in shock... It may never recover!
Nigel
Oswestry, Home again, naturally...! - Fri Mar 11 20:31:02 2005

Right this is the last message I will ever ever post from my work PC.... Have a good weekend all of you!
John
- Fri Mar 11 17:26:05 2005

John, I thought you were going to insist that you get frogmarched off the premisies ?
Kev
- Fri Mar 11 17:08:47 2005

But surely John, its POETS day today. Why are you still there.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 11 16:27:29 2005

Right well, I've had the goodbye speech, given back all the stuff I've borrowed, made a little pile of stuff to take home, and cleared my desk. All that remains now is some serious twiddling of thumbs.
John
- Fri Mar 11 16:24:32 2005

Congrats Tom!! I'm in the process of decorating this weekend too. This weekend I'm doing wall paper. This was posted from my desk at work.
dsp
- Fri Mar 11 16:14:47 2005

Ah, go on Nigel, you're more regular than me! So to speak...
Rob Lang
- Fri Mar 11 16:14:02 2005

Congratulations Tom (& Sarah, though I guess she is unlikely to read this)
Graf
- Fri Mar 11 16:08:24 2005

Nigel if you happened to want any webspace on the 'Maison then you'd be very welcome - absolutely free, no strings attached!
John
- Fri Mar 11 15:59:40 2005

Leave it on. Dancing is well within the reasonable conduct. Vomitting off a balcony onto passers by is not. Nigel: You're one of us now. It's only a matter of time before you get webspace! John: WHSmiths vouchers is erm... bollocks.
Rob Lang
- Fri Mar 11 15:49:08 2005

God, that would shock 'em!
tom
- Fri Mar 11 15:33:01 2005

Tom, you could always take it off if you wanted to behave disgracefully.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 11 15:28:12 2005

Nigel: Cool plan... laptop land!
tom
- Fri Mar 11 15:24:21 2005

Rob: checked with the Wg Ad O. He's cool with it all.. but I'm "not to disgrace the uniform". Do you think this includes dancing about with blow up instruments??? ;-) John: WHSmiths accepts those vouchers. You could buy a book to read in the pub while unemployed???
tom
- Fri Mar 11 15:24:03 2005

I have been given a bundle of W H Smith's vouchers as a leaving present, all we need to do is find a bar which will accept those and we're onto a winner.
John
- Fri Mar 11 15:10:25 2005

Well hello all! I know no one here actually knows me at all, but thought I'd just say a hearty "Well done!" to Tom. And a hearty "Well Done!" to John. For different reasons, obviously! I lost my "study" about 18 months ago for the same reason, Tom. That's why I'm all portable and laptoppy these days. Not quite reached DSP's level of "convenience computing" yet though! John - I'm sure you will be celebrating tonight. Don't buy all the drinks though - it's a nasty trick they make the leaver do !! ;)
Nigel
Wrexham, work as usual.. - Fri Mar 11 14:57:54 2005

Check with the Wing Co.
Rob Lang
- Fri Mar 11 14:52:18 2005

Any tips for wearing number ones to a wedding Rob? I'm going to one tomorrow... ah! must press my uniform....
tom
- Fri Mar 11 14:40:36 2005

Thanks!! Um. No - it's another separate child (sex unknown) which will be due to arrive in late September. I'm working on the second nursery today.... and then converting the loft into an office for me over the next coupleof months!
tom
- Fri Mar 11 14:28:24 2005

Or are you actually telling us that due to a complex administrative mishap, for a short period of time you were not actually technically Dom's father, but now that has been put to rights so you're now on your second stint of being a Dad, but for the same child.
John
- Fri Mar 11 14:20:23 2005

Bloody hell Tom, you have to go and do one better don't you? I'm leaving work, and you're having another baby.... typical. (Oh and by the way - Congratulations!!)
John
- Fri Mar 11 14:17:34 2005

Congrats mate! great to hear.
Rob Lang
- Fri Mar 11 14:00:06 2005

You didn't learn your lesson the first time then Tom. But reading between the lines I assume CONGRATULATIONS are in order. When is the happy event?
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 11 13:42:47 2005

Anyone else going to be a dad for the second time then? No. Didn't think so.
tom
- Fri Mar 11 13:21:14 2005

Doubly so for John.
tom
- Fri Mar 11 13:20:20 2005

Can't fault you there :) my point is the transition from friday to saturday is often marked with a hangover :D
Byrn
- Fri Mar 11 13:09:12 2005

I hate to be pedantic, but tomorrow is Saturday
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 11 12:49:39 2005

Well, it is friday...
Byrn
- Fri Mar 11 12:24:02 2005

I'll most likely wake up tomorrow with a really bad hangover.
John
- Fri Mar 11 12:21:45 2005

That won't happen, everyone knows John doesn't shower.
dsp
- Fri Mar 11 11:39:17 2005

I hope not.. I hadn't met him by then. I might be a figment of his imagination...
Byrn
- Fri Mar 11 11:34:41 2005

John, do you think you will wake up tomorrow morning in the shower and find out its still 1997 and the last 8 years have been a dream ?
Kev
- Fri Mar 11 10:31:39 2005

Yes, so it's my last day then. Feels a bit weird actually! Although this is actually sort of the third time I've left the company, so I ought to be getting used to it by now...
John
- Fri Mar 11 09:19:17 2005

dsp: A pattern seems to be emerging here.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 11 09:11:28 2005

Have a good last day John. Good luck.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 11 09:09:24 2005

Happy last day John :)
Byrn
- Fri Mar 11 08:56:20 2005

Hi john, whilst i'm sat on the loo, i thought that i would use the time to wish you a happy last day at work. enjoy it mate.
dsp
- Thu Mar 10 20:06:30 2005

John, you should register http://www.lastday.me.uk although it won't be much use to you after tommorrow :p
Kev
- Thu Mar 10 18:37:13 2005

Well that's another day over and done with then.... Only one left to go now!
John
- Thu Mar 10 17:34:56 2005

Ahhh unemployment.... those were the days..!
Kev
- Thu Mar 10 14:33:21 2005

Apparently my laptop will (probably) arrive on Monday. Well that's decided what I'll be doing on my first day of unemployment then!
John
- Thu Mar 10 14:27:37 2005

Do optical mice work in the dark?
John
- Thu Mar 10 14:12:02 2005

They would just switch to using optical mice
Kev
- Thu Mar 10 13:27:31 2005

But what about those mice that don't have balls. And some mice don't even have cables - or so I'm told.
Mad Mumsie
- Thu Mar 10 13:27:11 2005

This could leads to all sorts of problems of "users" sharing keyboards which have not been properly sterilised. Diseases would spread like wildfire, etc.
John
- Thu Mar 10 12:35:33 2005

This would probably result in a black market trade in keyobards, mice, etc. You can imagine shady looking characters hanging around on street corners, selling HCI devices:
- You got any, err, keyboards...?
- Might do. What you looking for? QWERTY? DVORAK?
- Whoa man, I ain't been a user that long, I ain't ready for none of that Dvorak stuff!
- Yea, that's what they all say first couple of times...
John
- Thu Mar 10 12:33:47 2005

For really serious offences, they take the ball out of your mouse.
tom
- Thu Mar 10 11:55:24 2005

The world keyboard manufacturers could create embargos against very naughty countries.
dsp
- Thu Mar 10 11:47:23 2005

Using the Italian music piracy logic, a hefty tax could be applied to new and reconditioned keyboards.
dsp
- Thu Mar 10 11:46:27 2005

Yea and maybe a key could be chosen based on the severity of the violation. If it's really trivial, then just the Scroll Lock, but if it's a real no-no then they take your space bar. That'll learn 'em!
John
- Thu Mar 10 11:39:38 2005

How about for each non-compliance, a key is removed from the perps keyboard. That'll learn 'em!
dsp
- Thu Mar 10 11:36:38 2005

Problems with enforcement? You're not thinking in the style of a despot regime enough. Just make the punishments terrifying and cruel, make an example of the first couple of offenders, and then after that you hardly have to put any effort in as everyone else will be too scared.
John
- Thu Mar 10 09:58:16 2005

You are assumming the internet has infinite storage capacity? Surely that would be a bloody stupid assumption (TM).
John
- Thu Mar 10 09:41:46 2005

I think prosecuting non-compliance is the big problem, of course what you might do is blacklist at the DNS caches :) that'll learn'em.
Kev
- Thu Mar 10 09:41:15 2005

Nice idea. But I don't think that would be enforcable for two reasons. 1. You'd need a global enforcement group with all countries participating. and 2. As we all know, the information stored on the Internet is infinite so there could never be enough people to enforce it.
dsp
- Thu Mar 10 09:30:06 2005

This actually seems like a very good idea Jimmy. It would require quite a lot of effort to implement and enforce, but I don't think it is totally beyond the realms of possibility. When I first heard China had the internet, I assumed it wouldn't actually be connected to anything outside of China. So if you're running a regime in some developing country, and want to introduce the internet (I suppose technically it would have to be called something else) to your country, this would be a very good way to go.
John
- Thu Mar 10 09:27:39 2005

Like I said- non-compliant sites should be prosecuted. If it was enforced, then everything would be OK- and searching and content-related blocking would become trivial.
Jimmy
- Thu Mar 10 08:11:57 2005

Surely the problem with self-rating is that the kind of sites that are being blocked want you to accidently stumble across them and click through, so would never comply because its not in their own interests to do so. Those sites that did comply and were blocked because of content they owned up to would then be at a commercial disadvantage. Nice idea though - in an ideal world :)
Kev
- Wed Mar 9 18:56:09 2005

Of course, I have a better idea: self-rating sites. If you have adult content, you should have to have the correct tags in the metatdata for every page. Same for violence, or pictures of kittens (there could be any number of categories ... not just for censorship). It should be the legal responsibility of the site-owner to keep the tags correct, and anyone who doesn't should be prosecuted. That way, nobody would have to censor anything, and it would be easier to find what you want. And there's be a fair bit of income from the fines levvied at non-conformers. Why not? If you publish something, you should be responsible for what you say/write. That's the way it works with books and films- why not the www?
Jimmy
- Wed Mar 9 17:53:02 2005

John- it's highly unlikely that the maison will be visible in China. Left to its own devices, the firewall here at my work blocks it (it's full of porn, apparently). I think the online blacklists should be held accountable for what they block. It should come under the data protection legislation- because they're holding and distributing data about your site ... so the data is actually yours. So if they block you for porny-content, they should either have to demonstrate the content or remove you from the blacklist. It should be the same as credit-checking agencies. I can dream ...
Jimmy
- Wed Mar 9 17:48:39 2005

Oooh you know what they say about cathedrals.... errr.... um.
John
- Wed Mar 9 17:43:50 2005

Mind you, where I'm working they have some auto-blocking which can do strange things. It banned me trying to view a photo of a Cathederal the other day. Nothing dodgy at all, but the warning was quite scary! I quite expect Men In Black to be following me home now..... :/
Nigel
Still working, - Wed Mar 9 17:00:00 2005

They ban all western news channels, I remember reading about it on /. where one of the regulars there had to work in China for a bit and he couldn't read the site, nor BBC news or anything!
Rob Lang
- Wed Mar 9 16:43:04 2005

I like rice and noodles and aromatic duck.
dsp
- Wed Mar 9 16:19:58 2005

It's scary if a fairly reputable world-wide news service is being blocked, that's for sure. I can see the argument for blocking the EastEnders content of course...
Nigel
Refreshed now..., - Wed Mar 9 16:07:09 2005

Don't they just block IP ranges ? Thats the easiest way to block en-masse therefore only the ISP ranges distrubted in China are allowed and they can control those by send men round with hammers and such.
Kev
- Wed Mar 9 15:36:48 2005

Excellent pun there Nigel (although sadly I think you may not be the first person to have used it!). Yes it does at first sound like a wholly unmanageable effort... Apparently though one difference is that ISPs are held responsible for the content they distribute, unlike here in the west. So I guess this partly passes the responsibility of censorship down to them. Here at work the firewall uses an online database for a black list/white list of sites to block all the usual adult/illegal/gambling/whatever material, as I imagine many companies do... So I guess there's just a similar thing to that in China, only bigger, and it is still in force even when you use the internet from home.
John
- Wed Mar 9 15:14:00 2005

Hmmm. Is there a www.google.cn or similar perhaps? If they could outright censor all web pages there must be one heck of a large firewall somewhere... Not the "Great FireWall of China" perhaps... :)
Nigel
On the verge of a tea-break..., - Wed Mar 9 15:06:27 2005

I've just been reading an article about all the censorship controls on the web in China - sites like Google and BBC News are apparently all censored or blocked outright. I wonder if the 'Maison gets through? Is there an amibannedornot.com by any chance?
John
- Wed Mar 9 14:41:35 2005

Ok well I decided to buy it, and have submitted my order... I'm having second thoughts a bit now though. Plus they do seem to have quite a long lead time (they're predicting it'll arrive on the 21st)...
John
- Wed Mar 9 14:29:12 2005

Woohoo, can I have one Jimmy >?
Kev
- Wed Mar 9 13:42:18 2005

I got sent two council tax bills the other day ...
Jimmy
- Wed Mar 9 12:57:24 2005

Yes I believe a similar thing happened here too at some point. I think we did actually send the surplus ones back though, being a decent sort of a company and everything.
John
- Wed Mar 9 12:03:07 2005

A friend of mine ordered a Dell laptop, and due to an administrative error, he received two. Try your luck John!
dsp
- Wed Mar 9 11:35:02 2005

John: I've had a Dell laptop for two and a half years, and apart from the fact that the CD player packed up just after the warranty ran out, I've had no problems.
Mad Mumsie
- Wed Mar 9 11:03:47 2005

Hi John. Sounds like that might be a bargain. If it's new and with a warranty, Dell stuff is usually well-respected and reliable. Certainly spares are always available. My Sis has one and she's had no problems at all.
Nigel
Wrexham, Work... - Wed Mar 9 10:32:52 2005

So I'm still trying to decide on buying some kind of portable PC... I seem to be able to get a reasonably decent looking Dell laptop brand new for just under 400 quid (including delivery and VAT)... I'm pretty tempted to hit the "buy" button right now - this is by far the best offer I've seen yet.
John
- Wed Mar 9 10:27:01 2005

Kev: If you think I'm giving up a leg after all I've been through in the last 12 months, you've got another think coming!!!!
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Mar 8 11:36:10 2005

You could make it compulsory to only have one leg and a real parrot - for authenticities sake!
Kev
- Tue Mar 8 11:28:32 2005

I have a sudden overwhelming desire to organise a pirate themed fancy dress party.
John
- Tue Mar 8 11:21:11 2005

That's the one.
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Mar 8 11:03:59 2005

Ahhhh.... Ole' Redhaired Longbeard the notorious pirate, scourge of the seven seas...?
John
- Tue Mar 8 11:01:41 2005

Or even someone a little closer to home - a clue - with red hair!
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Mar 8 10:56:40 2005

Rupert Lombard?
Reginald Lassiter?
Raymond Lee?
John
- Tue Mar 8 10:48:43 2005

I went to Edinburgh Castle many years ago - and before some wag with the initials RL makes any comment - it was NOT when it was being built!
Mad Mumsie
- Tue Mar 8 10:36:53 2005

Smashio, John. Get posting!
Rob Lang
- Tue Mar 8 09:55:09 2005

Yep, and her sister who is staying with us at the moment. Obviously neither of them are mad keen on whisky, so it was necessary to plan stuff for them to do between the visits to the club. So we also did some of the usual touristy things like go to Edinburgh castle. I'd never been inside before as it happens, and this turned out to be quite good.
John
- Tue Mar 8 09:52:34 2005

John: Did Chie go with you?
dsp
- Tue Mar 8 09:34:58 2005

I am back in England now. Spent most of the weekend in my club's two Edinburgh venues which are very nice indeed. Will upload some pictures, hopefully later on today, if anyone is interested.
John
- Tue Mar 8 09:24:51 2005

You can use the alliance to get information or just open a dialogue with other players. See what you can find out. That is how the real power is controlled.
Rob Lang
- Tue Mar 8 09:00:30 2005

Jimmy, check your email?
Travis
- Mon Mar 7 21:53:47 2005

Rob- I don't see how I can participate any further. I have no income or savings- what am I supposed to do?
Jimmy
- Mon Mar 7 16:44:44 2005

Nice, Lox. Jimmy - it's not over yet. The most hardcore players in the past have been those who have had no pawns at all.
Rob lang
- Mon Mar 7 14:30:05 2005

read: wanted to "congratulate with him" on his final day....
Lox
- Mon Mar 7 14:09:21 2005

I seeeee... I'll try to call him then, I am in paris all week and I wanted to compliment on his final day.... :P
Lox
- Mon Mar 7 14:08:20 2005

No Lox, John's last day is this friday, I believe he is in scottyland today.
Kev
- Mon Mar 7 14:03:00 2005

Chom *was* fun, until my pawns all got killed :(
Jimmy
- Mon Mar 7 13:34:06 2005

I might be utterly wrong but isn't today John's last day at work?
Lox
- Mon Mar 7 12:21:01 2005

Glad you like it! It's the players that make it fun, though. :-)
Rob Lang
- Mon Mar 7 09:20:57 2005

Rob: Chom is so damn much fun :)
Travis
- Sat Mar 5 19:04:31 2005

Rob: And she carried on running around after you until she left home!!!
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 4 16:00:34 2005

I didn't need to walk until 18 months. I had my own slave in the form of an elder sister. She did all the walking for me!
Rob Lang
- Fri Mar 4 15:39:06 2005

Tom: One thing I've learned is to never leave a computer or hifi on standby if it's within reach of little exploring fingers... I was actually working away one night when my daughter scuttled up and pressed the power button - and held it for the requisit 5 seconds! How did she know to do that? All data lost etc... She's bright my girl! :/
Nigel
Wrexham, work... - Fri Mar 4 15:23:36 2005

Actually you're so right. I hate it when people compare their kids with yours.
tom
- Fri Mar 4 12:07:54 2005

Finger problems - IS should read IF
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 4 12:06:45 2005

I always think that they will walk when they're ready - all these goals just make parents worry that their child is backward is they don't hit the targets.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 4 12:06:08 2005

So perhaps he is a bit early then.... or Rob is just lazy... Ah.
tom
- Fri Mar 4 11:51:23 2005

Oh Tom, Robert was nearly 18 months before he got off his butt - I thought he was going to shuffle around for ever. His dear little sister walked at 11 1/2 months.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 4 11:40:29 2005

It's great fun to watch him tottering about... I think a year is about normal for boys, girls usually walk a bit earlier.
tom
- Fri Mar 4 11:18:28 2005

Its also the time when paint work gets chipped with wooden brick trolleys that can't be steered and like supermarket trolleys, have a mind of their own.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 4 11:11:08 2005

Tom: Nice to hear that about Tom. Tearing up the house comes next. And yes, it was my van. Oddly, it occurred to me that the van had broken down on the other side of the road just a mile further down! Perhaps it's collecting hard shoulders. John: Are you going to have trouble getting home in this snow?
Rob Lang
- Fri Mar 4 09:49:49 2005

Passed, even though it was more a challenge to stay awake! Only took 2 hours each way, too!
Rob Lang
- Fri Mar 4 09:36:48 2005

Well done Dom! Tom - would you Dom is walking early for his age? I have no idea of when you would expect them to walk off. Is it approx 1 year old?
dsp
- Fri Mar 4 09:26:26 2005

Rob: I assume you passed the very strenuous medical.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 4 08:57:20 2005

Tom: Isn't it fun to watch them, hours of endless amusement.
Mad Mumsie
- Fri Mar 4 08:56:03 2005

Did I mention that Dominic is walking now? He's fast too!
tom
- Thu Mar 3 17:53:37 2005

Or not, as it happens.
tom
- Thu Mar 3 17:52:59 2005

Rob - wow is that your old one then...?! What are the chances? Nice to see someone else is getting some fun out of it!
John
- Thu Mar 3 17:51:59 2005

Other cigarette products are available. Tom: Yes, its works wired too. And I would image better than wireless as it doesn't half fanny about sometimes when its locating a server.
dsp
- Thu Mar 3 17:49:24 2005

While driving back from my RAF medical, just after JN 10 on the M4, I notices a bright yellow camper broken down on the hard shoulder. As I shot past, I noted the plate to be TFC 651P. Good to see it is still up to its old tricks!
Rob Lang
- Thu Mar 3 17:35:28 2005

Smoking kills.
tom
- Thu Mar 3 17:29:29 2005

"Our malboro prices are incompatible."
Incompatible with what exactly? The PAL standard? One wonders if this irritating and clearly quite poorly educated individual may have been trying to say incomparable.
John
- Thu Mar 3 17:20:29 2005

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- Thu Mar 3 17:18:06 2005

Quite tempted by that mp101... does it have to use wireless? I thought I saw a Rj45 plug on the back?
tom
- Thu Mar 3 17:08:06 2005

Yes, you are quite right! Mind you, a rare Scotch is either the investment you mention - ie not drunk - or on a one-way down the drain! Try looking at sterlingxs.co.uk or computerbargains.co.uk morgancomputers.co.uk for New / old-stock laptops. I've bought both recon Thinkpads and a New Compaq there. No problems for me. My latest is a Sony (Ebuyer) and has Bluetooth and 802.11g so I'm hoping for a good few years reliable use! Crossed fingers... Needed a stiff drink paying :/
Nigel
Wrexham, Second Meeting over ...:/ - Thu Mar 3 15:55:07 2005

Not quite true. Yesterday I paid £327 for a new starter motor. In my experience, cars just hemorage money. Computers (unlike cars) are mainly solida state, hence much more reliable and don't require fuel, tax, and insurance. And thanks to Moore's Law are perpetually better value.
dsp
- Thu Mar 3 15:49:07 2005

Yes it is frustrating buying technology stuff like that - it's like buying a car - the price will only go down. In many ways computers, cars, etc have become consumables - you're effectively paying to have a particular service (processing power, transportation) made available for a finite amount of time... and then it breaks. You're renting it really, it's just you make all of your payments up front.
John
- Thu Mar 3 15:03:52 2005

John: That depends on whether you open and drink the whisky. If you view them as investments, there's no way that a laptop will appreciate in value. Unless you do something brilliant and it becomes a national treasure.
dsp
- Thu Mar 3 14:33:34 2005

For 500 quid I could just about buy a bottle from each of the four annual releases of Port Ellen. Whereas a laptop is aruably more useful than four bottles of whisky, the malt is infinitely more desirable!
John
- Thu Mar 3 14:17:16 2005

Hmmm having check ebuyer, dabs and simply it looks pretty much like you have to pay about 500 quid for a laptop - I thought they were a bit cheaper than that these days...
John
- Thu Mar 3 14:02:41 2005

Yes you're probably right - laptops are designed for being carried about and taking the odd knock. If I kept luggin around my own little home made mini ITX system, held together with bits of string and sellotape, it would probably be broken within a week!
John
- Thu Mar 3 13:51:15 2005

I like DSP's idea! You old freeloader you! On reflection John, yes go for a laptop. You need serious, reliable kit. They are selling fairly cheaply now for a basic model fully capable of 802.11x and I reckon would cost not much more than that ITX combo with a LCD display. Laptop batteries vary enormously. Mine lasts for 2hours plus so need to take my PSU with me. SMy view (getting more formed by now!) save the ITX for a "tinkering" project (like the DVB/Media Centre) not one you would need to rely on :)
Nigel
Wrexham, Meeting pending :( - Thu Mar 3 12:19:25 2005

Nigel - you're absolutely right about the monitor, keyboard etc... So a little ITX box is fine if you go somewhere like a university lab, or an office, where there are no doubt spare monitors etc hanging around.... but not so great for working in a coffee shop. Of course you can buy flatscreen LCD planels to attach to a mini ITX system...
John
- Thu Mar 3 11:10:31 2005

don't forget powering an itx board John, you can get dc PSU with external transformer ( like the one you charge your phone with ) but you still need to lug a battery around or have access to a power point.
Kev
- Thu Mar 3 11:09:15 2005

That is a really cool idea Tim! Hmmmm.... but how long do the batteries on laptops normally last for...? I guess you'd probably need to find somewhere that didn't mind you using the mains.
John
- Thu Mar 3 11:06:56 2005

I read a great story about a software development company that used a coffee shop (not starbucks but equivalent) as their office. There were six or seven of them in there for several months developing their product. Free wireless access etc. They paid their rent by buying food and drinks. John: get a laptop, go to Oxford for the day, or work in the great big library in Londa (they have wireless too).
dsp
- Thu Mar 3 10:56:57 2005

Sorry to clog the page... On second thoughts maybe the PDA route is not so good for longer documents. I have to confess I don't use it for anything as important as a thesis... :/ I still like ITX myself but feel the monitor maybe a sticking point for portability...
Nigel
You know by now, sitting - Thu Mar 3 10:32:43 2005

Incidentally I do most of what I mention in my last message using my Sony Clie PDA. It's an "old" NX80V with wireless CF card and Belkin portable keyboard. It's certainly pushing the tech and software a bit but works. More recent kit should be better suited. :)
Nigel
Wrexham, tum-ti-tum... - Thu Mar 3 10:28:01 2005

Nice idea DSP! It's got to be a "breaking" idea - please remember me when it comes to offering discounts!!. John: Yes ITX is cheaper and easier to maintain, but the monitor and cables put a crimp in the mobility stakes. Some SFF PCs come with a case handle for carrying though. Why not use your existi