Audio/video comments

I notice that you can now leave multi-media comments on Multiply. It's a shame that I have no webcam and my microphone is not working right now. Perhaps someone would like to try leaving a comment on this.

It's all about me

I posted previously about how to keeping with what's happening on the internet. I've been looking at ways to combine the updates from several sites I use into a convenient form. The latest candidate is Friendfeed. It covers most of my needs and can generate a nice 'widget' that I have now included on my Multiply homepage. It also lets me set up equivalent feeds for people I know. If they choose to do this themselves then I can just add them to my friends list. That's convenient as it means I don't have to join all the same websites as them to get the updates.

Some may argue that you can do similar things with Multiply or Facebook, but those tie you to a single site. I like having the flexibility to choose sites that fit my needs.

If you want to play with this stuff and don't know where to start then drop me a line.

English as she is spoke

How do we ever learn all this stuff?

I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough?
Others may stumble but not you
On hiccough, thorough, slough and through.
Well done! And now you wish perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps?
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird.
And dead, it's said like bed, not bead-
for goodness' sake don't call it 'deed'!
Watch out for meat and great and threat
(they rhyme with suite and straight and debt).

A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth, or brother,
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there's doze and rose and lose-
Just look them up- and goose and choose,
And cork and work and card and ward
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go and thwart and cart-
Come, I've hardly made a start!
A dreadful language? Man alive!
I'd learned to speak it when I was five!
And yet to write it, the more I sigh,
I'll not learn how 'til the day I die.

I found this in several places on-line, but all give the author as Anonymous, so I can't attribute it.

There are more in this vein here

The Ten Videos to Change How You View the World - lifehack.org

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/miscellaneous/the-ten-videos-to-change-how-you-view-the-world.html
Some great stuff here. I've only watched the first couple so far. I need to find time for the others. Who needs TV when there's so much stuff on-line?

Phil Windley's Technometria | Amory Lovins on IT Conversations

http://www.windley.com/archives/2007/10/amory_lovins_on_it_conversations.shtml
Some inspirational talks by Amory Lovins. I'd not heard of him, but he knows his stuff in the field of saving energy. His own house is super efficient and he's doing lots to help industry make savings.

Alan Ginsberg Evening

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Music
Genre:	Miscellaneous
Artist:	Philip Glass and Patti Smith

A unique event at LSO St Luke's in London. Reviewed on my blog.

9 Tips to Throw Off the Chains of Consumerism | zen habits

http://zenhabits.net/2007/10/9-tips-to-throw-off-the-chains-of-consumerism/
I'm trying to be less materialistic these days. I have far too much stuff in my life and am trying to get rid of some of it. This is partly to remove clutter from the house and partly to be a bit greener. This article makes a lot of sense.

Malcolm's musical garden party

Lots of music going on in the countryside.

If anyone wants pictures removed or wants the original image files, then drop me a line.

Details of performers on Malc's site

Working week in Israel

We're on the 13th floor

I visited our office near Tel Aviv. An interesting experience. I managed to see a little of the city ion the evenings

Living without brands

Is it possible to live without buying into all the brands that bombard us with advertising? Someone tried to. I'm not sure I could at the moment. It mean giving up a lot of convenience, but we do try with things like the organic vegetable box. I'm also looking at buying more of my books from charity shops.

Secret Bass play Letchworth

Start:	Sep 7, '07 4:30p
End:	Sep 7, '07 5:30p
Location:	Spirella building, Letchworth

The group I drum with will be performing at the Multiple Sclerosis Trust headquarters. I intend to be taking part, even though I will be flying back from Israel early that morning. We'll be playing some African rhythms and probably singing too.

See Secret Bass base

Support our school

It's coming up to the start of another academic year, so I will just do a plug for the site I set up to raise money for Gothic Mede Lower School. There are several schemes where you can start your shopping trips so that a percentage of your spending goes to the school at no extra cost to you.

Just go to PFGM and select one of the links. You can drag them to your bookmarks/favourites for convenience.

I know that the site design is not brilliant, but that's not really my field. Any help to improve it would be appreciated.

Prince at the O2 Arena

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

He did a great show last night. Review on my blog

Rhythms of the World

Nice acoustic folk and stuff. See their site

Hitchin's free festival. As much music as you can handle. We only had an afternoon there. More details on the official site

Herts LUG music making

David gave a great demo of making music with Linux. You can hear the results here

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

Interesting play about love, poetry and mathematics. Broadcast on Radio 4 last weekend. Full review on the blog.

Clock of the Long Now: Time and Responsibility - The Ideas Behind the World's Slowest Computer

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Nonfiction
Author:	Stewart Brand

A great book to make you think. It's about the ideas behind the Long Now Foundation, a group of thinkers concerned about how we think about time. We concentrate too much on the immediate past and future with too little consideration for long term consequences.

Friends can borrow my copy or you can buy from Amazon to benefit Gothic Mede Lower School.

20/07/2007-20:07

Another fun date/time

Another social network to play with

I'm generally happy with what Multiply offers, but there are plenty of other social networking sites. A friend was playing with Facebook, so I've signed up. It offers similar faclities to Multiply, with similar privacy options. In fact you can't even seem to view anyone's page until you sign up or let it read your email address book to check for people. I may be wrong on this.

It's a bit bigger than Multiply that just hit 5 million users. Facebook has around 5 times that. Just in the London region there are over half a million people registered, but that covers a fair bit of southern England. I've found a few people I work with there, but will only add them to my contacts if they want me to.

Counting day

I know it's geeky, but if you include hundredths of a second then very early this morning it was very briefly:

01:02:03.04 05/06/07

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

This is the first of this strand that I've actually seen at the cinema. We saw it at the Vue outside York where they showed it with an interval. It's a 3 hour film, so a break is quite welcome.

The film could have been a lot shorter. There's action all the way, but cutting an hour would not have hurt. Some of it is very strange, especially when Jack Sparrow is in Davy Jones's Locker. I didn't follow that completely.

All the main characters are back, plus a few new ones. Keith Richards is probably the best pirate in it. He was born for the part. Some of the other pirates are just a little silly.

The effects are amazing, of course, but there are some parts that looked a little half-baked.

Yes, there is a little extra sequence after the credits, but it's not that exciting. The credits last for ages, so give me a shout if you want to know what it is.

And of course they have left it open for another film.

Whilst in York we saw a display of swords used in various films. I got to hold what was supposed to be Jack's sword, but it didn't look quite the same. Apparently if has undergone various changes.

Secret Bass play Little Berkhamstead

Our drumming circle played a short session at their village open day. This was my first gig. It went pretty well and the small crowd seemed to enjoy it, even if our leader threw in one or two surprises ;)

Multiply is playing up and not letting me upload photos as I normally do. The Java uploader will not let me drop images on it and the HTML version is playing up too. I've managed to get a few on some how. I'll try the rest later.

Meet the craggers

Some people might think that I am a little too obsessed with saving the planet through changing my habits, but people are now setting up Carbon Rationing Action Groups around the country to take things further. It would be hard for me to match their efforts.

So what do I do?

1. Turn off unnecessary lights and appliances
2. Measure out water to put in the kettle
3. Keep the heating thermostat down on 18C
4. Turn off the shower when I'm soaping up
5. and the big one, driving a bit slower. I've taken to driving at 65mph rather than nearer 70 on the motorway and my consumption has gone from around 46mpg to almost 50!

The fact is that I do work further away than I would really prefer, so I try to minimise my impact. I also try to work at least one day a week from home.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Kids & Family

Another fun pirate romp from Disney. The plot is fairly unimportant as it just serves to frame the big stunts. These are done very well. The most impressive part is how realistic Davey Jones' crew are. Computer animation has got very good now.

Ultimately it is just setting the scene for the third part that is due out this month, but it's good family entertainment. There are some nasty deaths, but you don't see any blood.

Details and trivia at IMDB

Porcupine Tree in Cambridge

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

They are a British rock band who just got an album in the chart. A friend of a friend got me a ticket.

Review on my blog

Team America: World Police

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Comedy

As you would expect from the makers of South Park, this is not a subtle film. It's a Thunderbirds spoof with their usual excessive swearing and violence. Lots of digs at certain 'caring' actors. It made me laugh a few times, but generally not really my thing, whatever that is. Not suitable for young kids, but I expect 14 year old boys will love it.

Thanks to Dave for the loan.

IMDB

Buy the DVD

Another tragedy at the Blue Lagoon

Yesterday afternoon I saw several emergency vehicles speeding south through Arlesey. When I saw the rescue boat I could be pretty sure that it was something at the Blue Lagoon. There was a helicopter hovering there for some time.

Today I see this story on the BBC. It seems a man was reported as being in difficulties and a search is still on. It's a shame some scumbags had to steal some equipment from an ambulance.

Update: They pulled out the body of a young man last night. Someone told me he was 16. Probably from out of town as the locals know it's dangerous.

Just had my dad ringing from Portugal after he saw this in his email and thought we had a problem. That's why I've changed the title

Big house, slow progress

At the first planning meeting I went to when trying to get permission for our house there was also an application for an amazing looking house to be built just north of Arlesey. They even had a model of it showing how it would overhang a small lake. They needed special permission as it was outside the standard building zone. They got permission and started building around the same time as we did, i.e. about 5 years ago.

Last weekend we took a walk that passed fairly close to that house and saw that they are still building. They still have a couple of diggers there and some scaffolding. I'm sure it will be a wonderful house, but that's a long time to spend building and it must have cost a lot. Our build 'only' took about 18 months, but would have been quicker without some issues with the builder.

The picture was taken from a public footpath, but we noticed that there has been some hedge planting along the edge of the field. Perhaps this is to eventually give that house a little more privacy, but it will take a few more years to do that.

A Year with Swollen Appendices

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Biographies & Memoirs
Author:	Brian Eno

In 1995 Eno kept a diary of his work and family life. It's a fascinating insight into the life of an artist. During that year he worked on albums for U2 and Bowie as well as assorted art installations. Getting the inside view on those is pretty good, but he also shares his life with his wife and kids, which shows that he is a normal human being too. There are all sorts of throwaway lines on things that pop into his head each day.

The swollen appendices contain articles, interviews and stories that he refers to in the diary.

I really enjoyed it.

You can buy it at Amazon

Casino Royale

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

A new Bond takes on the role and has a different style to before. This Bond is tougher and more serious, as befits a man who kills for a living. In this adventure his main task is actually to play cards in a high stakes game against the baddie. There's still lots of running, jumping, shooting and fast cars, plus a nasty torture scene.

I found the multiple double-crosses a little confusing and I don't get that excited watching people play cards, but the action scenes were pretty good, especially the early chase which showed Bond struggling to keep up with his more agile quarry.

There's a lot less gadgetry, apart from the Aston Martin's full medical kit and no sign of Q or Moneypenny.

I might let the kids watch some of the old Bonds, but they will not be seeing this one for a while.

The product placement was a bit obtrusive. Some scenes almost looked like straight adverts. Nice to see that MI6 use Google for their research though.

DVP-NS76H DVD Player

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Computers & Electronics
Product Type:	DVD Players
Manufacturer:	Sony

I bought our original DVD player about 5 years ago. Back then the main brands were very expensive and not very multi-region friendly so I bought an Acoustic Solutions player from Richer Sounds. It has performed well and has been retired to the bedroom since the purchase of our new Sony.

I went for this player on the strength of a good review in Which and general good comments around the web. It's a very slimline unit, but well appointed with connections. I'm using component video, which looks good on our old Toshiba, but it also does HDMI for whenever we go for an HD-capable flat screen.

Making it multi-region was slightly tricky as you cannot do it with the supplied remote. I used the demo version of a program on my Palm, with a data file that someone had put together specifically for this purpose, so now I can play any of my DVDs.

It can also play Divx films from CD. I've tested it with some old ones I had and have also managed to make my own on the PC from programmes I've recorded from Freeview.

It also handles MP3 and photos, but I've still to test those functions.

Overall I'm very happy with it. I know you can get some very cheap players with most of these features, but I decided to go for a better quality product in the hope of getting many years of service from it.

You can buy it from the PFGM Amazon shop to have part of the price go to the school.

I've bought a couple of other gadgets lately (camcorder, cordless phones). I can post reviews of those if anyone is interested.

A new addiction

I recently tried out a Linux game I had heard a lot about. It's called Frozen Bubble and it's a simple concept. It's a sort of cross between Tetris and Breakout. One evening I thought I wopuld have a quick game. By the time I finished an hour had passed.

Now I find there's a web version (needs Java, but may be alternatives). Some people will even be able to play it on their mobile phones. Not on my old one.

I used to play more games, but don't seem to find the time these days. The kids like them though. I'll have to try the multi-player Frozen Bubble against them.

Global warming swindle?

Anyone see this programme on Channel 4 last night? Interesting, but I'm not sure if the science is really valid. I still need to watch the last half hour, but I was tired last night.

Basically they said that global warming does not work as everyone else says, i.e. due to build up of CO2. Instead they said it's a natural process due to sun spots. All the GW hype is due to politicians with their own agenda, green campaigners who are anti development and scientists who have adopted it as the orthodoxy and have to go with it to get funding.

In any case there are other problems besides CO2, like diminuishing resources and all the other stuff we pump into the air.

The God Delusion

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Religion & Spirituality
Author:	Richard Dawkins

This is a book that may upset a lot of people, but it says things that need to be said. Dawkins is in danger of becoming too much of an evangelist himself, but I agree with most of what he says. It's just a shame that the book is not better written. It waffles in places. Better editing would encourage more people to stick with it.

My copy is now available for loan or you can buy it from the PFGM Amazon shop

For some spirited discussion and interesting content have a look at the Does God Exist? Multiply group. It's incredible how some people try and twist the evidence of nature to fit their holy books, e.g. that the world is only 6000 years old.

A full list of what I have been reading can be seen here.

PFGM has it's own Amazon shop

I set up an affiliate account for the school ages ago, but have now been playing with their new service that lets you set up a customised shop. Have a look here. Up to 5% of your purchases goes to the school.

Happy shopping.

Snow

Arlesey is blanketed in snow. The roads are clogged and the school is shut. We just can't seem to cope with snow in this country. We're going to Finland soon where they have it for months and temperatures of -25C and below. It's bad enough trying to defrost the car when it dips below freezing here.

Anyone else got some nice pictures to show off?

Strange new animals

It's amazing what some people can do with some animal pictures and Photoshop

1st February - Global Warming Action

I was sent this by a friend. I will try to take part. Of course it may not be practical to turn off things like your heating (but you could turn down the thermostat for a few minutes), but lights, TV and computers should be possible.  Need to find some candles.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Participate in the biggest mobilization of Citizens Against Global Warming!

The Alliance for the Planet [a group of environmental associations, site is in French] is calling on all citizens to create 5 minutes of electrical rest for the planet.

People all over the world should turn off their lights and electrical appliances on the 1st of February 2007, between 1.55 pm and 2.00 pm in New York, 18.55 for London, and 19.55 for Paris, Bruxelles, and Italy. 1.55pm in Ottawa, 10.55 am on the Pacific Coast of North America, 1.55 and 2.00 am in Vietnam.

This is not just about saving 5 minutes worth of electricity; this is about getting the attention of the media, politicians, and ourselves.

Five minutes of electrical down time for the planet: this does not take long, costs nothing, and will show all political leaders that global warming is an issue that needs to come first and foremost in political debate.

Why February 1? This is the day when the new UN report on global climate change will come out in Paris.

This event affects us all, involves us all, and provides an occasion to show how important an issue global warming is to us. If we all participate, this action can have real media and political weight.

Please circulate this call to your utmost ability to your network.

Big Garden Birdwatch

We've just done our second RSPB survey. Tilly, Dylan and I spent an hour counting the various visitors to our garden. Not as many as last year, but still a fair range of species. Our counts were:

Blackbird	4
Blue tit	1
Collared dove	2
Dunnock	1
Greenfinch	1
House sparrow	3
Robin	1
Starling	1

We also saw lots of others (crows, seagulls etc), but they didn't settle and so we could not include them.

Anyone else take part?

Ignore my other post about this. I meant to post it to the Arlesey group.

Thank you for shopping with PFGM

I've been checking on the income over the Xmas period and it's been fairly good. Around £40 was raised for the school. I think Amazon gives the best rate at around 5% on purchases, but it all adds up.

I'm hoping that 2007 will be an even better year for PFGM's affiliate schemes.

If you have any questions, give me a shout.

Uri Caine at The Vortex

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Other

Last night we went to see this jazz pianist in London. I've got a review on Last.fm. There will be a longer one on my blog once I sort out some technical issues.

Easy customisation

I've been playing with the new page maintenance features for my Multiply page. It's very easy. Just click Customize (sic) Site. Then you can drag things around and edit various things.

If you understand CSS (I don't) then you can apply all sorts of customisations, but they have standard themes you can select from.

Since I started using Multiply about 18 months ago it has just got better and I have no real issues with it. I still like to maintain a blog at Bag Of Spoons, but that's more for geeky stuff and for playing with various web stuff. Multiply is my preferred outlet for family news and stuff I want to share with those I know who use it.

I've looked at a few other networking sites, but they seem to be overrun with kids trying to connect to the maximum number of people, regardless of if they actually know them. Mind you, Multiply seems capable of being made to look just as horrible as some of the Myspace pages.

Reducing junk mail

I can't help you with reducing junk/spam email, but here's a couple of tips from Which magazine on reducing the advertising that comes through your letterbox:

1. Go to the Mailing Preference Service and register your address. This may take a few months to take effect. There is also an equivalent for stopping telephone marketing linked from there. This only affects companies that are registered with them

2. Email optout@royalmail.com to tell them you do not want unaddressed marketing material with your post. They will automatically email you back a form to post to them

We recycle all the junk we get, but that takes some time to remove any personal details and is still wateful. Better to not get it at all. I've lost times of how many times some of the credit card companies have tried to sell their services to me.