John: The professor in question is one of the self-professed "openly gay academics" in recent history. He is very proud of his lifestyle...very ostentatious.
Travis
Sat Sep 30 17:27:32 2006
Travis: Have fun there!! :)
John: Respect your Hamsters, I always say. You never know when you might call on one for help...
Well the door is prepped, filled, sanded, de-fluffed and everything, ready for some paint... trouble is I'll only get to do the inside because of that pesky rain!!!
Nigel
Sat Sep 30 17:22:18 2006
I'm not sure why I felt the need to capitalise the names of the rodent (or whatever they are) species in that last post. Can we take it as a mark of respect?
John
Sat Sep 30 16:05:27 2006
Does his house contain an impractical number of Gerbils/Hamsters, akin to that Star Trek episode, The Trouble with Tribbles?
John
Sat Sep 30 16:03:50 2006
Travis: I'm not sure what I should be imagining.... can you give us any clues?
John
Sat Sep 30 16:03:00 2006
Good morning here. Probably late afternoon there. Just ate, have to run some errands, and then there's a departmental party tonight. Taking my wife to see the Department Chair's house for the first time. It's an amazing experience...and not for reasons you'd imagine.
Travis
Sat Sep 30 15:50:46 2006
We're all about irony here Kev!
John
Sat Sep 30 15:45:01 2006
Lol the irony of noting what time it is in seattle on the mac mini.
Kev
Sat Sep 30 15:43:53 2006
On the Mac Mini I've got those neat little weather and clock widget things set up - one each for Seattle, Tokyo and London. I checked just now and apparently tomorrow it is literally going to rain all over the world. I believe that's bordering on a reference to an ELO song.
John
Sat Sep 30 15:29:17 2006
The "at" there should read "and".
John
Sat Sep 30 15:23:45 2006
He seems like a really nice guy as well - very patient at courteous, even though he has more or less been at work solidly for 24 hours.
John
Sat Sep 30 15:17:47 2006
I want you to take note of that guys, comparatively speaking I'm just a part-timer at this company, but next time you lot go on one of your anti-well-known-software-company whinging extravaganzas, please remember this guy who stayed up until 7AM to try and make sure the process of building the applications you use every day ran smoothly.
John
Sat Sep 30 15:04:47 2006
Any whinging I may have done a while ago about working on a Saturday is hereby null and void. I've just got an email from the guy managing the US side of the nightly build, working in Seattle. He hasn't gone to bed yet - it is 7AM there.
John
Sat Sep 30 15:02:16 2006
Time for another beer methinks! Tonight the beverage of choice is "PRIME TIME" - the posh version of Asahi. Probably in a blind taste test I wouldn't really know the difference, but the can looks very upmarket if nothing else.
John
Sat Sep 30 14:43:15 2006
One thing I do rather like about Japan is "otsumami" - snacks designed to go with beer. They seem to comprise a whole industry in itself here. Of course, many of these we'd find familiar in the west (nuts etc), but in addition to some very nice pistachios, tonight my beer has been accompanied by some dried wakame (seaweed), and some kokuto hoshi ume - dried pickled plums. Hmmm not sure if the description really sells it, but these are all quite delicious.
John
Sat Sep 30 14:41:19 2006
Oh yea, I had a tremendously "fun" day - I had to work, to manage the nightly build of a well known application in a well known operating system made by a well known software company. Naturally, as I was doing this on what should have been a day off, the whole thing was in bits on the floor and refusing to co-operate. Still, I'm not bitter - I've had a very nice dinner and a few beers, and now it is all nothing but a distant memory!
John
Sat Sep 30 14:36:22 2006
So, it's official then. We're all having fun!! :)))
Nigel
Sat Sep 30 14:14:45 2006
Showered, Washingmachinned (i.e. did the washing), about to prepare lunch and iron in the afternoon... My uncle hasn't called me back so I had to switch from EXCITING accountancy, to even more EXCITING chores... :)
Lox
Sat Sep 30 11:18:36 2006
Morning all!! :))
Lox: Wooo!! :))))))))
Travis: "You know it makes sense!"
Graf: Is mary mix a bit of ryhming-slang gone wrong? (as we all advocate around here?!?!?)
John/Lox: Talking about having fun, I'm about to start painting my back-door... Doesn't get much better, does it... !! :))))
Nigel
Sat Sep 30 10:39:51 2006
You sure know how to have fun Lox!
John
Sat Sep 30 09:20:36 2006
Good Morning Vietnaaaaaammmmmm... It' Saturday, it's sunny and I am planning to go see my uncle to teach me how to keep accountancy books and make invoices correctly!!! What a day!
Lox
Sat Sep 30 09:16:40 2006
John: It was actually in-doors. I was expecting it to be outdoors.
Rob: I should have taken your advice. I think Hilary Duff was better than these clowns.
Travis
Sat Sep 30 05:24:58 2006
Still not working. Still smiling, even though we're out of bloody mary mix.
Graf
Sat Sep 30 01:39:51 2006
Kev: I seeeeee I wasn't going to try that page unless you explained it better!!! I am totally drunk by the way, I have had a great dinner with my clients (actually great people these ones), and we had two bottles of wine between the three of us plus several aperitives (sparkling white wine) and obviously the end of the dinner Grappa and sweet wines... AH!
Lox
Fri Sep 29 22:39:09 2006
Ah, I see!! I tend to be a bit smug these days as I do most surfing at home from the Mac. (Though the Memsahib still uses a WinXP machine).
I remember in the "good old days" (when I was an active SysAdmin at work) if I got a problem too tricky to sort I'd have to ring a boffin and he'd rather magically take control of my PC away... It was odd. One moment I'd be clicking and typing, the next the mouse pointer would start moving around on it's own - sort of Hi-Tech Ouija!
Nigel
Fri Sep 29 21:32:04 2006
Sorry for being a bit scary, I promise I didn't quietly go "Mwhahahaha" to myself after posting. To explain Dameware make a miniremote software thingy along the lines of VNC except it uses nt passthru athentication and can basically inject itself onto a remote machine ( assuming you know an admin account and password ) and then removes itself once you are finished. Its a pretty cool Admin tool, but it can also be used by Bad people.
Kev
Fri Sep 29 21:09:36 2006
From your cryptic message, Kev, that sounds just toooo risky!! :)
Nigel
Fri Sep 29 19:40:24 2006
talking of windows security, checkout dameware on google then go and check your firewall is turned on!
Kev
Fri Sep 29 17:31:22 2006
Well done Jimmy. Have a great weekend everyone.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Sep 29 16:55:37 2006
A stitch in time saves a kettle of fish. You can't teach your grandmother to throw stones. Look before you gather moss.
Jimmy
Fri Sep 29 16:47:42 2006
They may be proverbs, but they are also very corny.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Sep 29 16:44:47 2006
Amazing - I just read that an unprotected Windows PC will (on average) survive 112 minutes on the Internet before it is compromised. http://isc.sans.org/survivalhistory.php
dsp
Fri Sep 29 16:36:55 2006
Aren't they proverbs?
Jimmy
Fri Sep 29 15:59:02 2006
Lox: I just love cliches - Every cloud has a silver lining. It's always darkest before the dawn.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Sep 29 15:56:31 2006
One more night to go and I'll be totally free of this terrible working September... Luckily these guys that I am taking around are really nice people!
Lox
Fri Sep 29 15:43:52 2006
T-Boy, sneak the alcohol in using your veins. Staggering about might give it away but it's worked for me in the past.
Rob Lang
Fri Sep 29 14:59:21 2006
... oh, and for sure I'll be told off for yet another large box in the garage! :(
Nigel
Fri Sep 29 14:41:27 2006
Hi Kev: I didn't get chance to test it this morning (it arrived as I was going out, kind of thing) I opened it and for sure the documentation is new, and the rest looks fine. To be honest I never expected to win; it was just an impuse bid really! I'll have a play over the weekend. So no plans made - yet!
Nigel
Fri Sep 29 14:39:43 2006
Travis: any way you can sneak in some liquor? I've found that to be a lifesaver for tedious performances in the past.
John
Fri Sep 29 14:13:15 2006
Nigel, did it work, what do you have in mind for it?
Kev
Fri Sep 29 13:50:05 2006
Long day ahead of me, culminating in that dreaded Bowling for Soup concert. Wish me luck. Have a good weekend, all.
Travis
Fri Sep 29 13:37:25 2006
No-no Jimmy, please don't! (think of the mess if nothing else!!) :))
John: Funny you should mention that, further to my blog entry, a PC I won on Ebay for... 99pence... actually arrived today. Never expected it to, to be honest... It's nothing modern, but a boxed, brand new PC from 1996. (No, via ParcelForce, not Time-machine!)
Nigel
Fri Sep 29 13:30:59 2006
Yeah ... I have a spare room a bit like that! The whole thing really is getting to be a very painful experience. It would be a lot easier for everyone involved if I were simply to jump of the roof. Oh well.
Jimmy
Fri Sep 29 13:00:13 2006
I'm now imagining Nigel's Garage as a kind of Elephant's graveyard of old computing hardware...
John
Fri Sep 29 12:44:50 2006
Actually Jimmy, perhaps I have one!!!
My knowledge is rusty so I nipped over to Wikipedia to check the spec of PCI - it mentions both 3.3v and 5v (I'd assumed the oldies were all 5v - maybe are). Anywhichwhat, I certainly have an ISA / PCI motherboard. Or two. One's a Slot 1 with 333mhz CPU and the other Socket 7 with 450mhz CPU. :))
This is where we discover they are both 5v PCiI's or something....
Nigel
Fri Sep 29 12:10:13 2006
I'm with you there Nigel, but as slightly curious to know whether they are baby pink or shocking pink. And is the icecream strawberry, to match, you understand.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Sep 29 12:10:11 2006
Try this, hours of mindless fun. http://www.syix.com/elmer/Flash%20Games%202/Cat%20Bowling.swf
Mad Mumsie
Fri Sep 29 12:07:49 2006
Now you see, there's an image I just didn't want to imagine!! :(
Nigel
Fri Sep 29 12:05:11 2006
dsp: Actually I'm staying in tonight, so am wearing my pink pyjamas, watching Grease whilst lazily flicking through Cosmo and eating a big tub of Haagen Dazs.
John
Fri Sep 29 11:59:27 2006
Jimmy: try 1988!
John
Fri Sep 29 11:58:15 2006
According to Nigel's world time clock, John will be getting ready for his Friday night out. He'll have his 'going out' music on and will be prancing around his appartment with his hair in curlers bopping and singing into his hair brush. Probably to "Its raining men", "Girls just wanna have fun" or some similarly camp song by The Village People.
dsp
Fri Sep 29 11:55:34 2006
dsp: Ha! You did! Splendid! (I just thought to look at the source - how slow am I?)
Jimmy: Sounds tricky, for sure. This is for those odd PCI doobries you bought before, yes? It's the odd mix of slots that's the prob I suppose. Unless you ca nfind some specialist "industrial" board, I'm presently stumped...
Nigel
Fri Sep 29 11:27:52 2006
Does anybody know where I can find a motherboard with ISA and 3.3v PCI? I fear it may not exist :(
Jimmy
Fri Sep 29 11:09:48 2006
dsp: If anyone had Travis's phone number, we could call and see if he's asleep :)
Mad Mumsie
Fri Sep 29 10:54:36 2006
dsp: Did you use the clock I pointed out ?? (as I said it's not showing up here!! Drat! ) :)))))
Nigel
Fri Sep 29 10:36:24 2006
I guess Travis will be asleep.
dsp
Fri Sep 29 09:59:14 2006
Like this?
dsp
Fri Sep 29 09:58:10 2006
Sheri: I usually don't linger there - I normally just pop in to get something and take it back to my desk. More often that not I find my purchase a disappointment, but it's all that is available.
John
Fri Sep 29 09:08:35 2006
Morning all!! :))
I often munch pumpkin seeds as a snack (very healthy)... but never heard of the coffee! I'll have to scoot over to Shrewsbury and see if they do it there!
John: How about this for the Maison? Could we use it for world time differences? - http://www.worldtimeserver.com/clocks/wtsclock001.aspx .
Just a thought as it looks a good idea. (Though sadly work's firewall blocks it, it does work for me at home!)
Nigel
Fri Sep 29 08:58:34 2006
Why do I have the feeling you spend more time around the Starbucks than in your office ? Do you actually work, John ?
Sheri
Fri Sep 29 06:55:13 2006
So the Starbucks in our office building has a "pumpkin iced latte". Pumpkin. Yes, pumpkin. I enquired whether this madness was contained within this often eccentric east Asian island nation, and was informed that around Halloween the same thing is also available in the US. I mean honestly, pumpkin?
John
Fri Sep 29 06:26:58 2006
That's actually very scary Lox. I had no idea the materials (sic) were so cheap!!
MM: Ha! Well apparently three "youths" were apprehended in a phone box near to the Job centre. Actually they were chased for some distance, but like most "hard youth" they don't have much stamina for that sort of thing...
Nigel
Thu Sep 28 16:06:50 2006
John: The cheaper they are, the less the fabric is accounted. Take Jeans. The fabric itself is worth nothing, if you buy the FERRARI of Jeans you are looking to pay 2 Euro per meter, you need around 1,3/1,5mts to make a pair of trousers... And that's the FERRARI... The FIAT or SKODA are looking at 0,10 Euro if that... Economies of scale are what keep Zara, H&M and Uniqlo in the green (and WHAT green they make millions!!)
Lox
Thu Sep 28 15:21:44 2006
Perhaps there is a market opening for 'Shared Clothes' tm.
Shared Clothes is a fabric based clothing business aimed at multiple people sharing items of clothing. For example, a pair of trousers with 18 legs where 9 people share a single set or a Woolly jumper with 6 arms for 3 people to keep warm in. There would of course be a range of Shared Christmas jumpers. Shared Clothes is looking for £50,000 investment for 20% stake in the company. Thank you.
Kev
Thu Sep 28 15:11:22 2006
Lox: is that true even
for bargain basement
clothes stores like
Uni Qlo and H&M? Surely
with the sorts of
miniscule prices they
charge the materials
must account for a
far more significant
portion of the cost?
John
Thu Sep 28 15:06:59 2006
John, I think you're on to something. It has to cost significantly more to create larger clothing and shoes, but unless one goes to an extreme, as you've said, there isn't an increase in price generally. Strange...
Travis
Thu Sep 28 14:48:13 2006
Nigel: there are easier ways of stopping your wife shopping!!
Mad Mumsie
Thu Sep 28 14:39:39 2006
Just went out for a walk during my lunch break and there were bomb-scares in a lot of the town-centre shops... Quite scary seeing seething masses of dis-shop-possessed people milling around... :(
Nigel
Thu Sep 28 14:05:48 2006
As for the fashion industry I can say that smaller sizes DO differ in terms of fabric usage, but since the perchentage of the fabric cost on the price of the garment varies between 0,5 to MAX 3% you can understand that even using 10cms less fabric would have an impact of around 0,5 pence on the actual garment price... This was one of the first disappointing discoveries of the fashion industry when I joined this circus... :(
Lox
Thu Sep 28 12:31:31 2006
Well, I've had enough. I'm off now, to see if I can find some Llamas that will urinate on me.
Jimmy
Thu Sep 28 11:54:32 2006
John: What a shame!:)
Jimmy: Good question. I think the surface area must be larger, in proportion so to speak. Otherwise one foot-fall and the elephant would be pinned to the ground like a drawing pin!!
Nigel
Thu Sep 28 11:31:32 2006
I can imagine the
scene now:
"The usual sir?"
"Actually I was rather
hoping to try something
new - perhaps the
having-your-head-beaten-against-a-tree-stump-by-a-gorilla? Perkins
from the office tried
it last week, said it
was marvellous."
"Sorry sir - the
gorilla never works on
Thursdays - union rules
I'm led to believe."
John
Thu Sep 28 11:24:37 2006
Ohhh, hang on. I got that wrong, didn't I? You need the average of a "person" wearing stiletto's
Nigel
Thu Sep 28 11:21:37 2006
Yes, but I wanted to know the original woman-in-stilettoes value too. There is another question: Would the elephantine shoe have a heel-area greater than that of the human equivalent ... perhaps in proportion to the area of the foot?
Jimmy
Thu Sep 28 11:20:08 2006
Well, I seem to remember - while reading "Despotica" the other day - that "s" is 4500 divided by four. Then we just need the surface area of the heel as a percentage of an inch. Multiply the 1125kg by the percentage to get a kg per square inch. Then, as we are mixing systems here, we convert from kg to pounds... Ta-da!! :)
Nigel
Thu Sep 28 11:17:05 2006
Yeah ... I never quite understood that one. Wouldn't they end up with a load of puncture-wounds? That *can't* be fun!
Jimmy
Thu Sep 28 11:08:11 2006
Whilst I cannot claim an
encyclopedic knowledge
of the fetish scene, I
somehow struggle to
envisage being stood on
by an elephant as a
popular pastime for
your average deviant. Or
perhaps it is? Maybe
there are specialist
clubs where you can
go to be gored by
rhinocereses and
lightly mauled by
panthers?
John
Thu Sep 28 11:06:44 2006
It's all a bit odd this
though isn't it? I mean,
apparently some men
pay good money to
have women stand on
them wearing stiletto
heels, so presumably
this is an experience
one has a fair chance
of surviving. I struggle
to believe that being
stood on by an
elephant is going to
be less painful /
dangerous.
John
Thu Sep 28 10:59:50 2006
Jimmy: Google told me
up to 1600 psi.
John
Thu Sep 28 10:54:12 2006
OK- I have some figures:
e (elephant weight) can be about 4500kg
p (person weight) we'll call 65kg
This gives us a factor of about 70, so that's factor of 35 considering it has 4 feet. I still need "s" though.
Jimmy
Thu Sep 28 10:42:40 2006
I think the average elephant is about 50 times my weight, not that I'm an average stiletto wearer though.
John
Thu Sep 28 10:29:47 2006
John- good equation! Do you care to actually pad it out with some numbers? Nigel- I don't know if the elephant would wear suspenders, but they're unlikely to contribute any significant amount to its mass. Anyway- I think it's more likely to wear hold-ups, as getting a belt in the right size could be a problem.
Jimmy
Thu Sep 28 09:53:00 2006
Yes, I think it is!! We have a "model" signing-on here. Yes, she is tall and very thin, but to be honest doesn't look healthy - in the flesh so to speak - at all..... (Maybe why she is signing-on after all I suppose!!)
Nigel
Thu Sep 28 09:28:31 2006
Could this be the reason the fashion industry uses inhumanly skinny models to advertise their clothes? Are they just trying to persuade us to fit into smaller sizes as a cost saving measure for them? Have I uncovered a conspiracy here?
John
Thu Sep 28 09:19:42 2006
Has anyone else ever noticed how different sized clothes don't vary in price? Small generally costs the same as large, although with large you're getting more material etc for your money. I wonder if this scales up to footwear for elephants?
John
Thu Sep 28 09:15:36 2006
But will the elephant be wearing suspenders too?
Nigel
Thu Sep 28 09:15:02 2006
As for where to buy this kind of shoes: Taunton.
John
Thu Sep 28 09:11:20 2006
I'll miss the sea, but a person needs new experiences. They jar something deep inside, allowing him to grow. Without change something sleeps inside us, and seldom awakens. The sleeper must awaken.
Duke Leto Atreides
Thu Sep 28 09:10:15 2006
So if the surface area in contact with the ground of the special elephant stilettos was the same as those that people wear, then you'd be looking at:
(s * ( e / p)) / 2
Where s is the normal pressure exerted by a person wearing stilettos, e is the weight of an elephant, and p is the weight of the person. We then divide by two, as presumably the elephant will be standing on all fours.
John
Thu Sep 28 09:07:40 2006
It is said (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stiletto_heel) that stiletto heeled shoes produce more pressure on the ground beneath them, than the weight of an elephant. So my QUESTION OF THE DAY is: What would the pressure be like, if the elephant were to wear stilettoes? Also, where would an elephant go to find shoes in that size (especially considering their feet are also very wide)?
Jimmy
Thu Sep 28 09:01:24 2006
Morning all!!! Today I will mostly be manning an Enquiry Desk - Oh dear. My apologies in advance for the chaos about to be caused!!! :(
Nigel
Thu Sep 28 08:54:44 2006
Aaaaaa good morning!
Lox
Thu Sep 28 08:43:24 2006
Always nice to have
a second opinion from
someone who actually
knows what they're
talking about as
opposed to me and my
fete du copy
et paste a la wikipedia!
John
Thu Sep 28 01:19:04 2006
I should note that Despoina is a Greek term that we translate as Mistress or Lady, which is then the wife of a Despot (despotes in Greek). Penelope is referred to by this title in Odyssey. Yay! My degree had a practical function.
Travis
Wed Sep 27 20:48:39 2006
John - you will never be able to escape the grief. Because you had your hand in the latest release, any problems will automatically be attributed to lizard-fingered shoddiness.
dsp
Wed Sep 27 17:53:33 2006
John- that very thing! I purchased a magnificent pair!
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 16:09:20 2006
Look a lizard has got to live somewhere you know! I don't think it's fair to critisize the type of door he has. Lizard's can't help their skin for goodness sake!
(You just know it's that parallel-worlds thing, don't you?? :)))
Nigel
Wed Sep 27 16:08:44 2006
...which is presumably a DIY / home improvment focused publication about ornaments for unusually scaled doors?
John
Wed Sep 27 16:05:59 2006
Jimmy - Gives a whole new horizon for all those SDK out there, doesn't it? :))
Nigel
Wed Sep 27 16:05:56 2006
Nigel- I bought one of those once, but it was rubbish, so I've stuck to "Super Size Knockers" ever since ...
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 16:02:55 2006
Yeah ... but if you go to dictionary.com and look-up despot, the definitions are not gender-specific, so I think it's entirely possible that a woman could be a despot.
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 16:01:18 2006
I'm sure I bought a copy of "Despotica" the other day... It was on the top-shelf in 'Smiths.... Oooops!!! Sorry!! Shouldn't have said that... :))
Nigel
Wed Sep 27 16:00:53 2006
Looking back through a number of my messages over the last few days, it is beginning to occur to me that I could be replaced with a fairly unintelligent robot, which just scoured other people's messages for keywords, then posted a link to the appropriate wikipedia page. In fact, maybe I already have been?
John
Wed Sep 27 15:48:02 2006
Or indeed there's also a feminine form despotica (see here), apparently. Sounds like an unpleasant skin condition to me.
John
Wed Sep 27 15:43:04 2006
Sorry, that should read "...the word despoina refers to a female despot or the wife of the despot."
John
Wed Sep 27 15:41:13 2006
Jimmy - the word apparently derives from the Byzantine Empire, and I believe the word despoina refers to the wife of the despot - click here for the wikipedia article from which I gleaned this wholly useless nugget of fact.
John
Wed Sep 27 15:39:21 2006
Jimmy: I did - do you want to make something of it? And why shouldn't we have our own word. John was very clever and found it.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Sep 27 15:38:13 2006
Yea, from now on please direct all whinging about the well-known-software-company at Simon. I only have a couple of months left now, and feel I received far more than my fair share of complaints over the last year!
John
Wed Sep 27 15:37:08 2006
What- you're gonna work for Channel 4???
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 15:36:04 2006
Also- having looked around a bit, I don't believe the word "Despot" is gender-specific. Who suggested otherwise? And on what grounds?
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 15:35:29 2006
I am indeed, to join the even-more-evil-empire
Simon
Wed Sep 27 15:33:54 2006
Ah. I just read you previous post. So ... you *are* escaping! Hooray! (& well done etc.) Where are you going?
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 15:33:43 2006
Simon- are you escaping the evil clutches of Softel??!!
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 15:32:50 2006
MM: you're probably right, having had a bit of a look around on the web there don't really seem to have been many female despots (in the modern sense of the word) throughout history. Is this really just lack of inclination though, or is it more lack of opportunity?
John
Wed Sep 27 15:32:28 2006
John, Whatever, but never a despot.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Sep 27 15:23:25 2006
MM: Actually I believe the correct term may be despoina - see here.
John
Wed Sep 27 15:14:07 2006
Because no woman would ever become a despot, we are all too loveable. Anyway she would be a despotess.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Sep 27 15:06:59 2006
Not just equal rights for women, but equal rights for despots!
John
Wed Sep 27 15:05:59 2006
Simon: good for you mate! Unfortunately it does seem to be inevitable when leaving a job that it gets pretty sucky towards the end - it's like the break up of a relationship after all... but once you and the company have had some space to deal with it, hopefully eventually you'll be able to look back with affection on the time you had together.
John
Wed Sep 27 15:05:22 2006
We're all about equality here mm, no specific gender offense intended! And anyway, why can't a woman be a despot if she wants to?
Simon
Wed Sep 27 15:02:54 2006
MM: equal opportunities! If a woman wants to become a despot, that is entirely her perogative, and I don't think it is right of you to try and oppress her.
John
Wed Sep 27 15:02:37 2006
Excuse me - WHEN did the despot become a woman?
Mad Mumsie
Wed Sep 27 14:52:51 2006
And how can this be? For he is the Kwisatz Haderach!
Alia Atreides
Wed Sep 27 14:46:55 2006
Jimmy: In 2.5 weeks I finish my current job!
Simon
Wed Sep 27 14:45:25 2006
Ah, but with my amazing flying power I could swoosh in and remove the despot at that same point, not only stopping her from sitting but also from carrying out the rest of her despicable plan after getting up from the floor.
Simon
Wed Sep 27 14:44:47 2006
We have wormsign the likes of which God has not witnessed!
Stilgar
Wed Sep 27 14:39:02 2006
Do we have wormsign?
Paul Muad'dib
Wed Sep 27 14:38:42 2006
LOL!!!! That would just be soooo cool dsp!! Whipping the chair away from some despot at the crucial moment!! :)
Nigel
Wed Sep 27 13:59:02 2006
Invisibility could be used to help others. Particularly oppressed minorities. You could pull the chair from underneath a dictator just as they were about to sit down. Or sneek the keys from tyranical jailers.
dsp
Wed Sep 27 13:54:11 2006
Jimmy: is this sort of a personality assesment question? My take on it is that invisibility would probably only be of personal benefit, but being able to fly could potentially help others (for example, fire and rescue, lifeboats). So not wanting to sound self-centred, I'm going to say I would like to be able to fly.
John
Wed Sep 27 13:38:55 2006
Hi Lox!! Good to see you touch base! Hope things are calming down a bit!! :)
Jimmy: Pass - I hate flying and I'm already invisible - according to my promotion panel.....
Nigel
Wed Sep 27 13:26:24 2006
OK everyone- here's the QUESTION OF THE DAY: if you were to be given a super-power, and had to choose between flight and invisibility, which would you pick?
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 13:14:57 2006
John- it's a Dune quote!
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 13:13:38 2006
I am back! Although technically I am still busy until Friday at least I can connect from home... How is everyone?
Lox
Wed Sep 27 13:09:56 2006
...and what about braille / sign language?
John
Wed Sep 27 13:04:22 2006
Does it have to be said out loud, or will just reading it do the trick?
John
Wed Sep 27 13:03:56 2006
What, Jimmy?
John
Wed Sep 27 13:01:23 2006
My name is a killing word.
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 12:19:29 2006
Simon- what happen in 2.5 weeks, then?
Jimmy
Wed Sep 27 12:16:48 2006
Any road followed precisely to its end leads precisely nowhere. Climb the mountain just a little bit to test that it's a mountain. From the top of the mountain, you cannot see the mountain.
Princess Irulan
Wed Sep 27 11:53:55 2006
Still, at least I can enjoy the somewhat guilty pleasure of knowing that I have only 2.5 weeks of this crap to go. That and the Dune quotes of course.
Simon
Wed Sep 27 11:52:25 2006
Some days I just really wish that I'd not bothered to come into work. Days like today, for example. Sob...
Simon
Wed Sep 27 11:52:04 2006
And Jimmy's path to XML nirvana continues, I'm so proud!
Simon
Wed Sep 27 11:50:51 2006
Nigel, Yes, it is, but there are a few clouds, and some of them are not the white fluffy kind.
Mad Mumsie
Wed Sep 27 11:43:56 2006
A storm is coming, our storm. And with this storm, we will change the face of Arrakis.
Paul Muad'dib
Wed Sep 27 11:33:06 2006
Morning all!! Hope the sun is shining where you are! (It isn't here... :( )
Nigel
Wed Sep 27 10:46:55 2006
Jimmy: I'm right with you, XPath rocks!
dsp
Wed Sep 27 09:21:53 2006
John: With hair that colour lurking is not an option!
Mad Mumsie
Wed Sep 27 08:17:52 2006
Note to self: iStockPhoto and ShutterStock.
John
Wed Sep 27 05:55:43 2006
Travis: not me! My
money's definitely on
Rob. He may not be
visible all the time, but
he's always lurking
about...
John
Wed Sep 27 01:09:02 2006
I'm sure everyone else has realised this about 5 years ago, but having never used it before, I have to say "Bloody hell! XPath is amazingly clever isn't it ?!"
Jimmy
Tue Sep 26 17:44:59 2006
Who WAS the other Dune poster? I figure Rob is a fan, but he doesn't post much. John?
Travis
Tue Sep 26 16:37:47 2006
LOL !!
Nigel
Tue Sep 26 16:13:37 2006
YeahIoftensufferfromthatproblem
Jimmy
Tue Sep 26 15:09:08 2006
Here in Japan a surprising number of people are not really using Google, and instead sticking to Yahoo. I think perhaps Google isn't quite as good at handling Japanese text yet as Yahoo is. There's lots of issues whereby you need to treat Japanese text differently to English, for example, Japanese text doesn't really have spaces in, so the comparatively simple act of finding where one word ends and the next one starts is a lot more involved.
John
Tue Sep 26 15:06:45 2006
Dare I suggest looking towards the darkside.
?? (MSN and Yahoo)
Kev
Tue Sep 26 15:00:36 2006
I think, maybe, we come all the way back to Googlewacking, n'est pas? Sad though, isn't it, that there's nothing left to do or discover, unless the mighty Google fails to find it :(
Nigel
Tue Sep 26 14:53:47 2006
Ah, but I feel maybe he was confusing "varnished" with "Laquered". Therein lies all the difference!
Nigel
Tue Sep 26 14:51:23 2006
Well that settles it then - there's no point thinking as there are no new ideas left to discover in the world!
John
Tue Sep 26 14:50:32 2006
John- Actually, I *have* found a reference to squid varnishing. It's from "Short tales of adventure on the high seas" (under the section "Captain Pigheart's Birthday Party"). It reads:
I were provided with birthday treasures by the lads. Billy gave me a varnished squid containin’ some liqueur tastin’ o’ rancid seaweed.
For further details, see http://www.captainpigheart.blogspot.com/
Jimmy
Tue Sep 26 14:44:32 2006
Think I missed a couple of line-breaks there, but I hope you get the gist ...
Jimmy
Tue Sep 26 14:41:38 2006
Jimi-kon? A cheap-and-cheerful wedding? That's marvellous, but it *does* sound more like some sort of super-dangerous transformer-robot-thing. You know ...
Evil King:Release the Jimi-kon!
Frightened population:Oh no!! No the Jimi-Kon!
Jimi-KonrrrRRROOAAAAARRR! Raarrgh! AAARRRRR!
Frightened population:Arrgh!
Jimi-KonRRRoooaaRR!
Frightened population:Arrgh!
Jimi-KonCan anybody remember my proper name?
Jimmy
Tue Sep 26 14:40:55 2006
There's a site here offering a "pickled pet" squid in a jar, however it does not appear to have been varnished.
John
Tue Sep 26 14:30:38 2006
It is a little hard to believe that no-one has ever written on the web about varnishing a squid before today. You'd think this would be a common practice in the marine branch of taxidermy.
John
Tue Sep 26 14:28:33 2006
Then I'll send you, Feyd (Sting), beautiful Feyd. WHERE'S MY DOCTOR!?
Baron Vladamir Harkkonen
Tue Sep 26 14:20:05 2006
Jimmy: On an unrelated note, I was talking to Chie's Mum at the weekend about weddings and all that. The Japanese for wedding ceremony is kekkonshiki, and the "kon" from here is taken and used in a variety of slang phrases to describes different types of wedding, including those that adhere to a modest budget, which is apparently a "Jimi-kon".
John
Tue Sep 26 14:19:00 2006
John- you appear to be right. Indeed, Google has only this to say on the subject: Your search - "varnishing a squid" - did not match any documents.
Jimmy
Tue Sep 26 13:48:05 2006
He'd better fuckin' NOT show his face around here!
Stewart Copeland
Tue Sep 26 13:46:28 2006
Is Sting going to make a brief and seemingly pointless appearance at some point soon?
John
Tue Sep 26 13:42:52 2006
I feel a deep sense of pride: few other message boards on the web could foster a conversation which could culminate in "Unless you're varnishing a squid, in which case it's OK."
John
Tue Sep 26 13:42:14 2006
Oooh! That's not true! I've lost a lot of weight recently!
Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV
Tue Sep 26 13:41:42 2006
Oh shut you mouth, Padishah- you're just a fat bastard!
Reverend Mother Mohiam
Tue Sep 26 13:41:03 2006
Paul is Maud'Dib?!
Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV
Tue Sep 26 13:40:02 2006
We have wormsign the likes of which even God has never seen.
Stilgar
Tue Sep 26 13:38:48 2006
And I'm starting to click here... Who's the Frank Herbert (Dune) fan then? :)
Nigel
Tue Sep 26 13:28:21 2006
Ah... "Squid Varnishing"! Happy days!!
Nigel
Tue Sep 26 13:25:09 2006
I used to paint my rabbit before it died (well, I must admit to painting it *once* afterwards, but that was just for fun). In the summer, the paint stayed on OK, but would tend to chip in the winter. I find an extra coat of varnish usually helps. Of course, once the emulsion coat has been applied, it's best to use a brush to apply the varnish. Dipping animals is varnish is NOT a good idea, because the varnish tends to go all streaky. Unless you're varnishing a squid, in which case it's OK.
Jimmy
Tue Sep 26 13:18:31 2006
Nigel: I'm wholly with you on that one - in many ways a cat is a ready made brush, so to use another brush to paint it would be sheer madness.
John
Tue Sep 26 13:03:08 2006
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
Paul Atreides
Tue Sep 26 12:36:40 2006
Oh, and John - I'm a "dipper" !
Nigel
Tue Sep 26 12:17:18 2006
Welcome to the board, Baron!! :)) Not sure what you mean though....
MM - Yes there's a good posibility I'd "find" another!!
John: I find Silk Emulsion is best. After all we are talking about a cat here (Matt is so passe)... :)))))))
Nigel
Tue Sep 26 12:16:17 2006
And he'll know, HE'LL KNOW, that it is I, Baron Vladamir Harkkonen that encompases his DOOM.
Baron Vladamir Harkkonen
Tue Sep 26 12:05:45 2006
...or did you mean,
paint a portrait of
the cat? In which case
is it oils or water
colours?
John
Tue Sep 26 11:54:36 2006
Nigel: do you use
matt or emulsion on
the cat? Brush or roller,
or do you just dip him
straight in the tin?
John
Tue Sep 26 11:50:43 2006
Nigel: From memory, the last time you cleared the garage, you found enough bits to build a computer.
Mad Mumsie
Tue Sep 26 11:34:11 2006
No, no... I've decided... I'd much rather be digging the garden, clearing the garage, painting the cat... :(
Nigel
Tue Sep 26 11:26:06 2006
Hi MM! Yes, good point!!! :))
Nigel
Tue Sep 26 10:31:33 2006
Nigel: does TOIL mean the same for you as it does in our department - time off in lieu. If so, from your comment yesterday it sounds as if you have gone back to work for a rest :)
Mad Mumsie
Tue Sep 26 09:57:04 2006
Morning all!! Ah the joys of toil!! :(
Nigel
Tue Sep 26 09:54:22 2006
The tooth...remember the tooth...
Dr. Yueh (oops)
Tue Sep 26 00:02:52 2006
"The tooth...remember the tooth..."
Travis
Tue Sep 26 00:01:31 2006
Who's "Freddy the Tooth"??
Nigel
Mon Sep 25 19:09:18 2006
I just had a very strange e-mail conversation with Alison. If it had been a 'phone conversation then I'd have understood, but it was e-mail!
Jimmy:Guess where we're going on February 10th?
Princess Alison:Friday the 10th of what?
Jimmy
Mon Sep 25 15:48:43 2006
It's not jut the equipment they'd have to re-design ... it's the human ear! Ultimately, the whole DRM idea is utterly futile, because you can always re-record the sound at the analogue stage. Any determined "Pirate" will be able to steal the music regardless, so why bother with all this crap that only serves to inconvenience honest users?
Jimmy
Mon Sep 25 15:45:02 2006
Afternoon all!!
Been mowing lawns today, that and going to the library, and tidying the garage... tomorrow I'm back at work....
Nigel
Mon Sep 25 15:32:06 2006
Jimmy - I did have the whole home taping thing in mind when I wrote that, and thus the "easily copy and distribute" bit. The thing with tapes was that copies got gradually worse and worse, and you also, generally speaking, had to know the person you were thieving a copy of an album off (somebody had to physically hand you a tape). So compared to the internet / MP3s / peer-to-peer file sharing the extent of that kind of piracy was pretty limited really. Oh and also copying a CD was a real time operation - taping a CD required basically playing it back at normal speed - obviously with digital media this is not necessary, and these days you can rip a CD in just a few minutes. So anyway, my point was only really in response to your point about CDs not having any kind of DRM - my assumption is that this is because the record companies didn't see home taping (the only generally available mechanism for copying) as a serious enough threat at that point to have to bother. Moreover, home taping was all analogue - and of course if your hi-fi lets you plug in a pair of speakers or a headphone, then you can just as easily have a recording device at the end of that cable... so I suppose in a sense there was just nothing that could be done about it without having to fundamentally re-design all hi-fi equipment the world over.
John
Mon Sep 25 15:18:35 2006
Not your fault Jimmy, just wondered where everyone was. I know its Monday and not a good day for chatting, but nonetheless..................
Mad Mumsie
Mon Sep 25 15:01:51 2006
Hello MM- sorry for that total-conversation-killer!
Jimmy
Mon Sep 25 14:18:35 2006
Is there anybody there, knock once for yes and twice for no!
Afternoon each.
Mad Mumsie
Mon Sep 25 14:12:55 2006
John- (sorry to return to a previous point) you wrote: "When CDs were first introduced there wasn't any mechanism for the average member of the public to easily copy and distribute them." Maybe the CDs themselves couldn't be copied very easily, but in the early days of CD most people couldn't afford the players (let alone the software). Most rip-off recordings were made onto tapes if you can remeber those! And remeber how the record industry treated tapes? They made almost as big a fuss about it as they do MP3s, except (of course) they couldn't do anything about it (actually that's not quite true, lots of countries imposed an extra tax on blank tapes, and this was paid directly to the recording industry, regardless of whether those tapes were used for illegally copying music or not). Do you remeber their anti-taping logo? It was a kind-of skull-and-crossbones, except the skull was a casette, and the logo read "Home taping is killing music." (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_taping_is_killing_music). Of course, when CD burners became widely available, the insidstry whinged about them as well. Of course they were going to whinge about MP3s, but the issues of copying and piracy have not changed in the last 30 years ... which really rather demonstrates that they're only pushing DRM because they *can*.
Jimmy
Mon Sep 25 09:22:35 2006
One city per 15,000 people seems extreme. I really thought that 100,000 or 200,000 was the cut-off. I can understand THAT a cathedral was the measuring stick, but I don't understand WHY that would be. In the US, the idea of a city is generally that there's more "stuff" there. So, as Nigel said, if you want to do some good shopping, you go there. If you want some culture, you go there, etc.
Travis
Sun Sep 24 15:43:35 2006
Morning all!!
Interesting! Yes, the cathederal thing seems logical. Never thought of that. However, having lived in Lincoln, a city with one of the most spectacular cathederals in the world, (yes I'm biased!) for many years, and yet one which had, while I was there, a relatively small population of around 75,000, size per se, doesn't seem so relevant.
Other things now spring to mind... Oswestry, where I live now, doesn't even have a river running through it, let alone a church of any magnificence. Surely an historic prerequisite for any type of settlement!! But then, there's nothing normal about Oswestry... :(
Nigel
Sun Sep 24 08:26:08 2006
In other words:
UK, 1 city per 750,000 people.
Japan, 1 city per 128,000 people. (6x UK)
US, 1 city per 15,000 people. (50x UK)
John
Sun Sep 24 06:18:00 2006
What surprises me about other countries is the way the term city appears to be applied so liberally - in the whole of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland there are less than 80 cities. Japan on the other hand, a country with about double the population of the UK, has something in the order of a thousand cities. The US is even more extreme - this page seems to suggest there are something like 20,000 cities there, and the population is only something like four or five times the size of the UK.
John
Sun Sep 24 06:06:50 2006
Newport, in South Wales, is a good example of how this can be confusing. It seems that from 1949 it had an "official" cathedral, but wasn't officially designated as a city until 2002.
John
Sun Sep 24 05:55:44 2006
I'd always thought that being a city is equivalent to having a cathedral, but I think there are some recent exceptions, and possibly even historically this hasn't been a one to one correspondence.
Wikpedia has an article on what it takes to be a city in the UK which might clear it up.
John
Sun Sep 24 05:49:59 2006
Kev: I don't know about the cathedral distinction. It would make sense historically, but I'm sure modern anthropologists would like to be usurpers and make their own criteria. I imagine it's based on population now. Lubbock, where I live, houses just more than 200,000 people.
Travis
Sun Sep 24 05:49:15 2006
On a completely unrelated note,
www.nhc.noaa.gov/refresh/graphics_at3+shtml/204534.shtml?5day
Looks like there is a slight possibilty of hurricane Helene hitting the west coast of the UK middle of next week!!!
Kev
Sat Sep 23 23:57:45 2006
Isn't a city defined by the fact it has a cathedral, although some cities have been promoted from towns without this. Thats why we have odd cities like Worcester, Chester and Winchester since they are old medieval towns, but don't really have large comparative populations any more.
Kev
Sat Sep 23 23:46:20 2006
Travis: Well over here most towns aspire to be cities. To my mind it's just a size thing - don't know what the actual criteria are! It's probably set down in some tome somewhere. Yes, the nearest mall or shopping-centre is 22-miles away from us. Oh good... :)
Nigel
Sat Sep 23 22:33:21 2006
A shame, Nigel. I'm fortuante enough not to have to leave my town/city (what's the cutoff anyway?) for any shopping. Back in Pennsylvania, the story was much different. 28 miles to the nearest mall of any significance. I feel your pain.
Travis
Sat Sep 23 21:29:24 2006
Hi everyone... posti from a room in Paris, since I have started this new venture the business trips have become really heavy, sign that I now feel that I am actually leaving a life in Florence that I`d much rather concentrate my efforts on more than hanging around with Japanese people... Oh well few more days... the end of the month is nearer...
Lox
Sat Sep 23 17:47:31 2006
Ah! Families cause these onerous duties, don't they Travis? For example I have just been to our local "big town" (Shrewsbury) on a shopping trip (shudder!) for shoes, socks and trousers. How awful is that?!?!?! :)).
Nigel
Sat Sep 23 17:10:42 2006
Morning, all. At least for me. In some really, truly amazing news, I have gotten 4 free tickets to a local concert featuring such juggernauts as Bowling for Soup. I really dislike the band, but my kids want to see them. And I suppose nothing could be as bad as the last concert I attended in the name of fatherly duty: Hilary Duff. *Shudder*
Travis
Sat Sep 23 14:50:57 2006
Afternoon :)
Kev
Sat Sep 23 13:51:45 2006
Morning Maisoneers!! :)
Nigel
Sat Sep 23 10:55:52 2006
I think we should revert to the days of recording music off the radio. SERIOUSLY. John, some neat solution to stream DVB radio and neatly crop as MP3s would take the world by storm. Watch out for the Fraunhofer patent nazis though.
dsp
Fri Sep 22 17:02:12 2006
I'm going home in 6 minutes, Nigel. Have a good weekend, y'all.
Tims mum
Fri Sep 22 16:53:44 2006
Hmm, this is interesting stuff, Kev. News to me. Good spot. So... all of you... Dump windows and move to Linux or Mac. Buy old-fashioned music CDs and rip them to MP3. Obviously I'm calling for compete capitalist anarchy here and the thought police will come and get me!!! :) To be honest I wouldn't buy online unless I *could* backup to CD - not interested in DRM per se. It is rather immoral. As long as I can make a CD copy I'll continue to buy online. When I can't; I won't. Simple. (Bet you've all gone home now, haven't you?)
Nigel
Fri Sep 22 16:41:29 2006
Microsoft Media Player shreds your rights
Kev
Fri Sep 22 15:02:14 2006
John: A sectional is normally a very long piece of furniture, often curving so it fits into corners. It is at least a very long couch. Often, it has a recliner or two in it. It also sometimes has drink holders and the like.
Travis
Fri Sep 22 14:23:38 2006
Hmmm. I suppose this is why music companies are keen to push downloads - precisely because they *can* impose DRM whereas before it was patchy. The trouble with "protecting" CDs is that there is a fixed standard that manufacturers build hardware to, laid down many years ago. Any DRM - for eg Sony's attempt - pushes that technology to almost unreadability. Which happens a lot with some hardware. CDs not being able to be played on CD players? That's madness.
Anyway the ultimate way round all this paranoid tinkering is just to keep a decent CD player to hand. Use the audio-out sockets and connect to your PC. Don't put the CD in the PC directly. Some free software out there even spots the track splits and organises them for you ("LP Recorder"). Unless you are a hifi buff - or a pirate - the quality, with good equipment is fine, especially if you then rip to MP3.
Very often download music stores offer a set price per LP/CD whereas Amazon is often cheaper for a physical CD.
Here endeth Nigel's lesson. Please feel free to lampoon...
Nigel
Fri Sep 22 13:33:44 2006
When CDs were first
introduced there wasn't
any mechanism for the
average member of the
public to easily copy
and distribute them. I
assume the record
companies didn't
foresee the internet
and MP3s, if they had
then they might have
built in DRM from the
start. A good case in
point being DVDs, which
came later, by which
time the need for a
content protection
mechanism (albeit
flawed) was
recognised.
John
Fri Sep 22 12:58:48 2006
There's no need for it at all. CDs have no DRM- why should online music be any different? They're only pushing it so hard because they *can*. All it does is cause inconvenience for honest customers ... people who are gonna rip-off music will do it anyway.
Jimmy
Fri Sep 22 12:33:19 2006
So if not DRM as it
exists today, then what
else? Without some kind
of content protection
the record companies
simply would not let
their music be sold
online. How would you
do it better?
John
Fri Sep 22 12:14:18 2006
I'm on the shinkansen,
whizzing off to
Hiroshima for a few
days. Beer in hand of
course!
John
Fri Sep 22 11:15:35 2006
I think *everyone* is against DRM. It seems the best thing to do is convert your music into a non-DRM format.
Jimmy
Fri Sep 22 09:49:08 2006
Hiya y'all. I am dead against DRM because there's nothing to stop them changing the rules later. Particularly with the type that depends on an external license server.
dsp
Fri Sep 22 09:18:25 2006
OOps sorry, should have said good morning all.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Sep 22 09:09:30 2006
Don't talk to me about holes in the ground!!! That's all they seem to do round my area is dig the road up, the water board are the latest culprits, but we've had new gas mains, new cables, new sewers, you name it, they've dug up the road to replace it. Why can't they get together and use the same hole at the same time. It causes absolute mayhem in the rush hour.
Mad Mumsie
Fri Sep 22 09:08:56 2006
No problem! I answer to most things! :) Well, after last night's mammoth music buying sesh, I'm about to "back it all up". Incidentally the Oslo Strykekvartett featured large... along with a Bernard Cribbins number "Hole in the Ground". Eclectic? that's me!! :))
Nigel
Fri Sep 22 09:01:39 2006
(incidentally that was an unintentional typo related move to the more casual "Nige" there)
John
Fri Sep 22 08:19:16 2006
Nige: I'm not at all adversed to buying an iPod, in fact I'm fairly sure I will eventually. Probably one of the smaller ones (Nano maybe) - I want something that easily fits in my pocket. My current MP3 player is already looking rather shabby and it seems very likely when I do finally upgrade it will be to something from Apple.
John
Fri Sep 22 08:14:21 2006
Morning all!!
So is a "sectional" a sofa in separate, unattached, sections? A sort of mix-and-match layout feature, Travis? Due to the children my sofa now has a hole in it - much like my bank account!!!!! :)))
John: Yes, the burn facility seems to be just the backup option you see when you've just bought the music, doesn't it? Mind you, I'm not worried yet. There's bound to be some third-party software to burn those AAC files to CD. And if not, well, annoying though it is to say, an iPod is rather excellent - especially the new models. The new Nano is superb value for money and stunning to look at. The new Shuffle, due next month is a 55-pound marvel, from what I've seen of it!
Sorry, I'm beginning to sound like an Apple Salesman aren't I. Apologies - the need for a cup of tea is my only excuse...
Nigel
Fri Sep 22 07:37:36 2006
I'm not sure I know what sectional means in terms of furniture - but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't used in UK English - having never owned my own house I've never really had to buy a lot of furniture, so I am probably not very up-to-date on the terminology.
John
Fri Sep 22 06:25:14 2006
Nigel: hmmmm yea, as I think I mentioned earlier I was a bit disconcerted by this - I wonder if in the next version the ability to burn protected music to CD might disappear altogether? I would probably stop buying from iTunes if they did that - a significant portion of the time I spend listening to music per day is on my way to/from work, with my very cheap-and-cheerful MP3 player. Without the CD burning "loophole" I wouldn't be able to listen using to iTunes music using my MP3 player.
John
Fri Sep 22 02:28:42 2006
We'd have to trade a full sectional (if they're called that over yonder) for one sofa given the exchange rate.
Travis
Fri Sep 22 00:33:01 2006
John: Yeah, haven't Apple demoted the "Burn Disk" option until it's almost out of site, burried deeply, in the new iTunes!?!? (Just purchased my Shopping basket!)
Nigel
Thu Sep 21 23:32:27 2006
iTunes is great - once you get used to it. Especially on a Mac where it seems so much more "integrated" and fluid. Ah-hem! I used to buy from Tiscali's music store, which was WMA only. OK, so I'm now lumbered with AAC or whatever. Easy to get round. Thing is, podcasts are so darn good. Even BT are briniging out a podcast site...
Hey, perhaps we should have a Maison PodCast!!! (I have no idea at all how to implement this by the way!)
Nigel
Thu Sep 21 22:05:02 2006
Would it just be in England that we trade in sofas? Or would there be an exchange rate with -say- the European chaise longue?
Jimmy
Thu Sep 21 17:20:26 2006
Sheri: Ah! Chesterfields, eh? Sounds like "old money" to me!!! ;)))
Nigel
Thu Sep 21 16:44:28 2006
I love that image of somebody timidly putting their card into an ATM, and then being flattened by a sudden outburst of furniture dropped on top of them... Again yet another incentive to be sparing with your money!
John
Thu Sep 21 15:40:14 2006
The added benefit of using sofas being that as long as I have one left, I still have something to sit on at the pub. Result!
Simon
Thu Sep 21 15:40:04 2006
I still like to count my money in pints - how many pints would a sofa be?
Simon
Thu Sep 21 15:39:28 2006
Hole-in-the-wall machines would have to be very large indeed (as would the holes). Imagine one trying to dispense a wad of 20 sofas ...
Jimmy
Thu Sep 21 15:25:23 2006
Jimmy, what were you looking to do with iTunes? I use it on PC, and I enjoy it. I don't use it as my default media player, but I do use it because I legally purchase my music and I was subscribing to a free podcast for a while. It worked great for those things and for uploading music to the ol' iPod.
Travis
Thu Sep 21 15:10:07 2006
I luuuuuuve Chesterfields !
Sheri
Thu Sep 21 15:03:19 2006
Ah ! For a Chesterfield !
Sheri
Thu Sep 21 15:02:48 2006
But how many acorns to the sofa?
Tims mum
Thu Sep 21 14:55:51 2006
This will put an odd change to the role of furniture stores and also DFS adverts. Buying a sofa for your home will be odd, you would just need to swap with your mates.
dsp
Thu Sep 21 14:53:25 2006
EFT will need to be modified to Electronic Furniture Transfer
dsp
Thu Sep 21 14:52:16 2006
Pocket change is obviously dolls house furniture.
Kev
Thu Sep 21 14:21:42 2006
dsp: That's just a minor problem for garment manufacturers. I think we need Lox's input here!!! :)
Nigel
Thu Sep 21 14:15:33 2006
Sofas wouldn't work - no such thing as "small pocket change"
dsp
Thu Sep 21 13:39:21 2006
Removal men would therefore be the new Law in town, 2nd hand charity shop, fences and leaving an old burnt sofa on your front lawn would now be an indication of your extreme wealth.
Kev
Thu Sep 21 13:24:09 2006
The trouble with sofas is, you would lose that wonderful feeling when you find the odd piece of currency, be it coin or acorn, down amongst the cushions
Mad Mumsie
Thu Sep 21 12:38:19 2006
Scene at the local bank... "OK, hands up! I want all your low-denomination notes... Cushions, throws and antimacassars!!"
Nigel
Thu Sep 21 12:21:33 2006
... and muggers could never realistically get away with a large amount of wealth. Unless they turned-up in a low-loader, is which case you'd see them coming!
Jimmy
Thu Sep 21 12:04:09 2006
But you could always sit on it. Have trouble getting a cab, tho.
Tims mum
Thu Sep 21 11:36:14 2006
Ha! Just imagine going to a restaurant and wanting to show off by leaving the waiter a big tip... "Here my good man. Take this sofa for your trouble!" :))
Nigel
Thu Sep 21 11:30:07 2006
Kev- Grumpy player is a bit stuck ... but that's only because I *still* can't decide what the volume control should look like. However, I am determined to complete it!!!!!
Jimmy
Thu Sep 21 11:21:16 2006
Hey, how about
sofas as the basic
unit of currency? It
would definitely
encourage people to
be more cautious with
their cash, given the
logistics of moving a
large article of
furniture about. Sofas
could be the
equivalent of today's
larger notes, with
armchairs for the
smaller notes, and
dining table chairs and
stools for coinage.
John
Thu Sep 21 10:47:25 2006
Tim's Mum: The only thing I can see against it, is that kids always think that money grows on trees, and this would prove the point. Mind you I think that most of the current generation have now found out that it doesn't :)
Mad Mumsie
Thu Sep 21 10:14:05 2006
Yea, I think that bout
of iTunes bashing was
just a pretext for the
impending launch of
GrumpyPlayer (TM).
John
Thu Sep 21 09:54:45 2006
But wouldn't it make life hilarious! (or is it just me?)
Tim's mum
Thu Sep 21 09:43:21 2006
Nigel, Yeps its sunny and going to be a scorcher in Norwich today!
Jimmy, hows GrumpyPlayer coming on ?
Kev
Thu Sep 21 09:42:09 2006
Jimmy: I recall that you don't generally have a great time with media players though do you? I agree they can often be over the top for something that really only needs about four buttons (play/pause, skip forward, skip backwards and exit). I actually found the iTunes interface to be quite neat and well organised, but I guess everyone has different tastes.
John
Thu Sep 21 09:20:03 2006
Jimmy: I actually really like iTunes, although admittedly I mostly use it on the Mac, and a few things do seem to work slightly better there compared to the Windows version. I like the way it manages podcasts for you - they're generally all free, a lot of them are updated weekly and iTune will automatically download the ones you're subscribed to. Oh and I found the CD burning feature really useful. Plus on the Mac it integrates nicely with Front Row so you can control it via the remote. Oh and I like the new layout stuff that lets you browse through your collection of albums with the cover art.
John
Thu Sep 21 09:17:55 2006
Oh! And morning John, too! :)
Nigel
Thu Sep 21 09:15:20 2006
Morning M aisoneers!! :)
Tim's Mum: Good idea! (I know where there's a laden Oak tree!!)
Jimmy: Ah... Not an auspicious start then...
Kev: Hope the sun is shining in Norfolk!! :)
Nigel
Thu Sep 21 09:14:45 2006
Tim's Mum: I like the idea of acorns, however I have two major issues with it:
1) Difficult to fit a lot of them in your pockets.
2) Squirrels would be at an unfair advantage.
John
Thu Sep 21 09:14:33 2006
I just tried to use iTunes. The install was perfect, but the application was utterly useless. The search was utterly counter-intuitive. The UI was extremely slow. There were too many buttons for stupid things I didn't want to do, and NONE for what I needed. I HATE IT!!!!! (uninstalled in disgust)
Jimmy
Thu Sep 21 09:06:37 2006
Can I suggest acorns be the new currency? I like acorns, and it would encourage people to plant more oak trees!
Tims Mum
Thu Sep 21 09:03:22 2006
morning all
Kev
Thu Sep 21 08:53:02 2006
dsp/Jimmy: LOL!! :)
Nigel
Wed Sep 20 17:24:22 2006
... or anything non-deterministic, for that matter. MS Windows, for example.
Jimmy
Wed Sep 20 17:15:29 2006
... Unless you work with applied quantum mechanics of course!
Kev
Wed Sep 20 16:49:45 2006
Another expression of Jimmy's point is that: Doing the same thing repeatedly but expecting a different result is madness.
dsp
Wed Sep 20 16:45:54 2006
Kev: We'd hold this big conference behind your back, then we'd all declare that actual money was worthless, and choose some other commoditiy to use as legal tender (something you obviously don't have a lot of - this will need research...) :)))
Nigel
Wed Sep 20 16:10:44 2006
So if I had all the wealth in the world, how would you service your loans exactly?
Kev
Wed Sep 20 15:25:09 2006
Yes there will come a
point when kev will
posess all wealth on
the planet. The rest of
us will only subsist via
a system of loans.
John
Wed Sep 20 15:18:20 2006
.. or even: Kev ends up owning your posessions.
Jimmy
Wed Sep 20 12:48:15 2006
How about: Your possessions end up owning you.
Jimmy
Wed Sep 20 12:28:34 2006
Yes, I believe "Mr Soft" must have been the basis for the mint advert, John! (Now you mention it!!)
Jimmy: Have you been reading "Motivational" books too! I've decided on a couple of sayings of my own: "It's not me who has to change; it's everyone else" (A personal favourite!). And: "The harder I work, the less I want to."
Nigel
Wed Sep 20 09:38:08 2006
Jimmy: I agree!
John
Wed Sep 20 09:21:24 2006
The point is this: if you want something in your life to change, it is you that has to change, not your environment. If you keep on doing the same old thing, you'll stay in the same old position. If you want to be somewhere else, you have to make the move. Hence if you feel stuck in a rut, it's entirely your own fault for not changing.
Jimmy
Wed Sep 20 09:19:55 2006
Lox: can I suggest you send the tax information to the people in Japan with a covering letter written in really agressive Hiroshima dialect. I can help you with that if required.
John
Wed Sep 20 09:17:33 2006
Jimmy: the more I read what you wrote, the less I get what on earth you're on about.
John
Wed Sep 20 09:15:39 2006
So giving up is the new succeeding? I love it! Anyway, for those of you who feel stuck in a rut, here's a thought for the day that proves it's entirely your own fault: The more you do of what you do, the more you get of what you've got.
Jimmy
Wed Sep 20 08:47:35 2006
After a long discussion with my uncle we managed to work out a simulation on the tax returns that the japanese wanted... I am going to send it today, let's hope that they will accept the situation and proceed with the idea of contract that we discussed in Japan... I am starting to realize that the fact that I have no fixed contract (despite having signed a temporary one) it's a major source of stress... Oh well... I am also leaving for Paris today!
Lox
Wed Sep 20 08:43:27 2006
Morning Maisoneers!! :))
Ho yes!! Kev - you have another career possibility!! More please! :))))
Nigel
Wed Sep 20 07:26:33 2006
I love that last message from Kev there - the words really trip off the tongue don't they? It almost has a hint of Blackadder about it.
John
Wed Sep 20 00:41:48 2006
Nigel: is that Mr. Soft as in the one used many year ago on that SoftMints advert? "Miiiiiiister Sooooooft, won't you tell me why the world in which you live in is so strange? Miiiiiister Soooooft, how come everything around you is so soft and re-arranged?"
John
Wed Sep 20 00:34:19 2006
Evening/Morning all! :))
John: When you're next on iTunes may I recommend Mr.Soft by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel??? I just spent an hour or so browsing, filling my basket, when I came across this one and rather took to it (could be old news to most I guess...)
Nigel
Wed Sep 20 00:15:21 2006
Nigel: I'm guessing it needs loads of power on board... especially at 3 frames per second!
tom
Tue Sep 19 17:47:57 2006
Afternoon all! Just back from the docs and the barbers - not sure about which I liked best... Of fwork for a week! Nothing contagious!!
Lox/John/Kev: Giving up as the new Positive Mental Attitude? I like it!! :)) Actually there is a lot of truth in knowing when you're beated. Slogging away just for