Clarkson quizzed over gang ordeal

"Clarkson quizzed over gang ordeal
Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson has been interviewed by police after he was accused of being abusive towards a teenager who was harassing him. Mr Clarkson explained in his Sunday Times column how he was pestered by youths outside Xscape sports centre in Milton Keynes, on 23 November."

I don't personally like Clarkson, but again this appears to be a case of the police siding with the perpetrators and going after the victim.

BBC NEWS | England | Clarkson quizzed over gang ordeal

Smith plans 42-day terror limit

"Smith plans 42-day terror limit
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced plans to extend the period that terrorism suspects can be held without charge for up to 42 days. In an attempt to win over critics, it is planned to give MPs a role in any decision to let police hold suspects for more than the current 28-day limit."

And what puts MPs in any better place decide this? If the police arn't asking for this extension, and neither are the security services, just why is the Government doing so? To continue their climate of fear. This 42-day number has been simply plucked out of the air. I sincerely hope that this latest attempt to increase the limit - the third try, I believe - will once again be thrown out.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Smith plans 42-day terror limit

"Business call for plan on climate
Global businesses have called for a legally binding and comprehensive international deal on climate change. A binding agreement on emissions reductions would encourage business to invest in low-carbon technologies, a statement from 150 businesses said.

The statement - backed by Prince Charles - will be sent to environment ministers and heads of state ahead of talks in Bali on climate change. Nokia, Tesco, Lloyds TSB and Nike are among the 150 firms that made the call. The signatories represent companies from Europe, the US, China and Australia."

This comes as quite a surprise to me - is it all just hot air?

"The signs from America are that the business leaders will be rebuffed while President George W Bush is still in charge. The US head of climate policy has confirmed to the BBC's Environment Analyst that the White House will not agree to binding international emissions cuts during the UN's climate negotiations. James Connaughton said the US favoured national and sectoral policies - not a one-size-fits-all international target. He said the US would continue to increase the carbon efficiency of its economy but he could not foresee the day when America would stop its growth in greenhouse gas emissions."

So the USA, or much more accurately, the Bush administration is playing the same old tune and basically doesn't give a damn about global warming. Now, isn't that a surprise? My advice to industry - at least those who want to do something positive - ignore that lame duck administration and go your own way.

BBC NEWS | Business | Business call for plan on climate

Technorati tags: climate global warming industry Prince Charles Bush administration

One of the founders of my department, and a long-term friend and colleague of mine, Professor Marc Eisenstadt took early retirement today. After relinquishing his role as department co-director, his title became 'chief scientist' - appropriate since he very much liked to push the boundaries of our research. I was very glad to see a good turnout for his retirement do. He will be sorely missed.

Photo shows Marc (left) cutting the cake with our new director Dr.Peter Scott looking on.

Got a shock when I tried to view the Business section of the BBC News website - looks like the page has been hijacked by Conservative leader David Cameron.

An excellent result for the OU Vets football team today in their 4-0 shutout of Hanslope Wanderers. I used my EOS 1D Mk.II for this game and it has definitely still got focus issues - time for a visit to Fixation I think.

T-Mobile to open up iPhone sales

"T-Mobile to open up iPhone sales
The iPhone was launched in Germany in early November iPhone users are still tied to just one network in the US and UK T-Mobile is to start allowing German customers to buy Apple's iPhone without a contract to its network, as it moves to comply with a court injunction. Its announcement comes after rival Vodafone went to a German court to challenge T-Mobile's exclusive tie-up with the iPhone in Germany."

Well done, Vodafone, for breaking this monopoly.

BBC NEWS | Business | T-Mobile to open up iPhone sales

"Qinetiq deal 'cost UK taxpayers'
UK taxpayers could have gained 'more money' from the privatisation of defence research firm Qinetiq, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said. While saying taxpayers could have gained 'tens of millions' more, the NAO also condemned an incentive scheme that netted fortunes for Qinetiq's bosses. Qinetiq's 10 most senior managers gained £107.5m after the move, a return of 19,990% for their total £540,000 investment in shares, a return labelled 'excessive' by the NAO."

BBC NEWS | Business | Qinetiq deal 'cost UK taxpayers'

This all sounds very familiar - remember the sale of BT and British Gas in the 1980s? Where thousands of citizens were made to feel good about themselves and their country by buying the minimum number of shares in these companies (that they already owned as taxpayers), only to see all their profits wiped out when they came to sell them by dealing charges. Proof, if it were needed, that Thatcherism is alive and well in British politics.

A whole world sold on sell-offs | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

Technorati tags: Thatcherism selloff shares profits NAO

"Browne hits back over troops row
Defence Secretary Des Browne has hit back at criticism by former defence chiefs, saying morale among serving soldiers is 'as high as it could be'. Admiral Lord Boyce said Gordon Brown treated UK forces with 'contempt' - and his decision to make Mr Browne Scottish Secretary as well was an 'insult'. Mr Browne said he had not heard those criticisms from serving soldiers and he was happy to be judged on his record."

Must have his fingers in his ears, then.

"But Mr Browne said: 'We have in the United Kingdom the second highest defence budget in the world, in real terms. We are exceeded only by the United States of America.'"

Higher than China? I think not.

"Shadow defence secretary Liam Fox accused the MoD of spending £2bn refitting its Whitehall offices, while there was a lack of battle helicopters in Afghanistan."

£2bn might not buy many helicopters, but I'm sure it would fund a good number of bullet-proof jackets.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Browne hits back over troops row

Technorati tags: MoD military spending budget

"UK's families put on fraud alert
Two computer discs holding the personal details of all families in the UK with a child under 16 have gone missing. The Child Benefit data on them includes name, address, date of birth, National Insurance number and, where relevant, bank details of 25 million people."

What a bunch of idiots we have in charge of sensitive data in this country?! It should be illegal to post personal data like this. What's the point of all the security, firewall, etc. put in place in the data centre when some arse copies the data and bungs it in the post, or leaves a laptop in the back of his car - etc, etc, etc?

Just think of the potential for data loss once the Government's hair-brained and immensely wasteful personal ID card scheme gets up and running...

BBC NEWS | Politics | UK's families put on fraud alert

Technorati tags: data loss identity theft CDs home office

OU First team were on the wrong end of a 1-4 score line today against Great Holm Steel. Full gallery now live.

"Targets 'distort crime recording'
Government pressure to meet targets for less serious crimes is forcing detectives off major investigations, a Police Federation report has claimed. In one case an officer stopped hunting a paedophile ring to focus on solving burglaries, it said."

Yet another example of government meddling making a situation worse. As with doctors and nurses - can't you please leave these people to get on with their jobs?

BBC NEWS | UK | Targets 'distort crime recording'

Technorati tags: police targets statistics Government meddling interference

"UK 'landfill dustbin of Europe'
The UK is officially the "dustbin of Europe", figures have suggested."

What a misleading headling?! It suggests that continental Europe is sending their rubbish to the UK - which it isn't. Instead of all this Government-fuelled tosh about charging on the weight of your wheelie bin - which everyone with an ounce of common sense knows will simply lead to more fly tipping - they should clamp down on the producers of waste - all the excess packaging we are (at least partially) forced to buy, transport and dispose of.

BBC NEWS | UK | UK 'landfill dustbin of Europe'

A big up to OU Reserves who won their cup game 6-2 today. Full gallery of photos now live - just click the image.

A severe case of trench foot to those few locals who think its acceptable to continue celebrating Guy Fawkes on Remembrance Sunday.

"Drivers of big, high emission cars - including family saloons - could be penalised by a £1,000 hike in their motoring costs, it has been reported. Recommendations are likely to include higher excise duties and a purchase tax for larger cars, the Times reports."

BBC NEWS | UK | 'Green' tax could hit family cars

The £1000-a-year tax disc was proposed a while back while smiling Tony was still in office - but in the end, I don't think a dared bring it in. Is Brown going to have more guts, I wonder?

"Mr Livingstone's proposal - which would affect cars that produce 225g of CO2 per kilometre, and vehicles with engines larger than 3 litres that were registered before March 2001 - is now out for public consultation."

Not sure what the year of registration has got to do with anything.

"The Energy Saving Trust points to the fact that carmakers are still struggling to meet voluntary C02 reduction targets agreed with the European Union. 'We welcome industry achievements in reducing overall energy use, as well as the steady reduction in CO2 emissions per vehicle,' says Caroline Watson, transport policy manager at the Energy Saving Trust. 'However, the UK industry still has far to go. We will fail to meet the EU Voluntary Agreement for average new car emissions by 2008/09, and on the current path it will take more than 10 years to meet the proposed 2012 target of 130g per km.'"

BBC NEWS | Business | Carmakers laud emission reductions

And motor manufacturers can bleet all they like about how fuel-efficient their cars have become - while monsters like the Mercedes CLS 63 AMG still exist (less than 20mpg combined, 345 g/km CO2) some of them haven't got a leg to stand on. If the EU can't stop the makers from making them, blatant oil-wasters like this should be taxed out of existence.

"Errors blamed for Menezes death
Police made serious and avoidable errors in the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube station, a watchdog says. The Independent Police Complaints Commission report revealed 17 witnesses said they had not heard police shout a clear warning before firing.

The body's chair said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair had tried to prevent its investigation. It also revealed investigators had asked the Crown Prosecution Service to look at possible charges against the two officers who shot Mr de Menezes, and the commander on the day, Cressida Dick."

So did the CPS ever really consider a prosecution? If so, why didn't they? Were they told not to?

"The IPCC said the Met had to rethink policies around deploying firearms officers and critical language governing the manner in which they stopped a suspect. It also called for a public debate over the Operation Kratos policy, which deals with the threat from suicide bombers and details how armed response teams should react. The watchdog said Operation Kratos had not been deployed on the day - but some officers had believed it had been."

The Home Secretary in a TV news interview last night said she expected that none of those calling for the resignation of Sir Ian Blair would ever have to make a split-second decision to end a potential suicide bomber's life. In this case it looks as though no one did. From the actions of the officers concerned, it really does appear that someone higher up had already made the decision to kill de Menezes. Is a "shoot-to-kill" policy actually legal - I don't remember hearing of any law having been passed allowing it. Remember all the furore over the SAS action in Gibraltar in the 1980s?

BBC NEWS | UK | Errors blamed for Menezes death
Blair under pressure after De Menezes report | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited
Blair blamed for delay in shooting investigation - Independent Online Edition - This Britain
ITN - Met Police chief refuses to step down

Technorati tags: Police shooting terrorism suicide bomber de Menezes Sir Ian Blair

Ever get this error when using the Google Maps API, even though you know what it says is wrong? Looks like the API key application is case-sensitive, so if someone visits your website and uses just one letter in a different case, this message will pop up. This happens with my Santiago de Compostela voice and photo blog (created for a Spanish language summer school) if you put the 'S' in upper case - try it.

Technorati tags: Google maps API key error Spanish language blog

Glad to have finally found a Rolling Stones track that's been in my head since it was used in trailers for the (not too successful) Robert De Niro and Sharon Stone 1995 movie Casino:

The Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter

Having problems getting the Windows last.fm client to scrobble the tracks you're listening to in iTunes? Keep getting the message saying "Won't scrobble: track is in a directory set to not scrobble" - even when that is patently complete tosh? Apparently the only solution (at least with the current client - 1.3.2.13 as of now) is to repeatedly go into the Options... and check the folder that your music files are in. Just keep doing it. Don't take no for an answer.

Have completed my involvement in a second movie specifically shot for a competition - this time to shoot a 3-minute movie in 24 hours for the britfilms.tv 24 Hour Film Challenge. Actually had to act this time - although (probably fortunately) no talking was necessary. Photo shows our setup for the most complex scene, in a church using four Redhead lights on stands. Unfortunately there was a technical problem with the DVD that was submitted for the competition (the sound didn't work) so we didn't stand a chance of winning.

Greenflame have launched their first album - sample tracks on MySpace

Back from France now and I must say I really enjoyed my short time there. It was only the second time I've really been in France. Chambéry is a very nice, quiet town - probably more so this time of year, just before the skiiing season kicks off. You certainly feel safe and welcome there; I had no qualms about walking around with a camera at night. It was a good test of my very limited knowledge of the French language, picked up from before my 'O'-levels which was when I dropped languages completely. The roads are busy, but the motorists generally very respectful of pedestrians - you don't get bursts of hooting and abusive language like you do in the UK. You don't see fat people, fat kids everywhere. You don't see crowds of pissed-up louts falling about in the street. In fact, everything about France is more civilised than over here - something you soon come to realise when you come home again.

Photo of Aix-Les-Bain's lake-side promenade and impressive tree avenue along Lac du Bourget, near Chambéry, on the way back to Geneva airport.

Night photo of the famous Elephant fountain in the middle of Chambéry.

First day of a three-day gathering for a European languages teaching project called webCEF I have become involved, in Chambéry, France. Not that I am a language teacher - I'm just helping out on creating the web tools.

More nanny state nonsense:

"Firefighters face 'ladders ban'
Firefighters have been banned from using their ladders to take down festive bunting because it is deemed a health and safety risk. In previous years, firefighters have helped remove decorations in the centre of Ampthill, Bedfordshire, after the town's Gala Day in July. Three months on, the green and white bunting is still there. The festival committee is now trying to find another way of removing the bunting before the winter."

BBC NEWS | England | Beds/Bucks/Herts | Firefighters face 'ladders ban'

All these bans and extra legislation on "safety" don't say to me "we're doing this to make your lives safer" - instead it says "we no longer think you should be trusted to use your own common sense".

"Looking for a new way to save money on your car insurance?"

There is only one way to save money on anything - pay less.

Mobile phone use backed on planes
Passengers could soon be using their mobile phones on planes flying through European airspace. Plans have been developed across EU countries to introduce technology which permits mobile calls without risk of interference with aircraft systems.

They think they can do it, but have they ever stopped to consider if they should do it? I for one could not hack sitting next to some selfish git yakking away on a mobile phone. This is bound to lead to complaints, annoyed passengers and quite possibly unrest on planes.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Mobile phone use backed on planes

Canon finally cops to the focus issue that many early adopters of the EOS 1D Mk.III digital SLR are finding. Apparently its something to do with the sub-mirror (a little mirror that hangs off the back of the main mirrors) and it requires the camera to be returned to Canon for a hardware fix.

Rob Galbraith | An EOS-1D Mark III autofocus fix is on the way

Couldn't sleep last night so I watched part of the Chinese film "The World" (Shijie), about the lives of a small number of workers at a strange theme park just outside Shanghai, built around scale replicas of famous landmark buildings around the world - so much more ironic for many of the central characters yearn to leave China and see some of these buildings for real. I found it a sad yet compelling movie that accurately portrays the huge culture clash between the China of old and the Western world China now strives to become part of.

Entry in the Internet Movie database
Reviews on Internet Movie database
Another review, admittedly not good but includes a couple of stills

Town Crier

Town Crier,
originally uploaded by hockeyshooter.

Got a bunch of nice shots this morning at this year's Living History Heritage Day in Leighton Buzzard. The Town Council lay this event on every year.

Light Fantastic is a free, family spectacular which celebrates the best of light, special effects, technology and entertainment. State of the art large format projection will be used on buildings to transform their appearance.

Someone obviously feels our buildings need transforming! I presume this is something to do with this year's anniversary of Milton Keynes - but it doesn't say so on the website. But it does say:

Entertainment will include a light parade, a son et lumiere show, and huge gas jet flames choreographed to music.

Not exactly respectful of the environment is it?

Light Fantastic Milton Keynes 2007

Big brother really is here...

"UK ID card service mounts birth, marriage, death landgrab
The UK Identity & Passport Service (IPS) has staged an identity landgrab on birth, marriage and death records. From April 2008 the General Register Office, which is responsible for recording these matters and is currently a directorate of the Office of National Statistics, is to become part of IPS, meaning that IPS will be logging you from the moment you're born until the moment you die."

Why don't they go the whole hog and tatoo a number on your arm?

The Register | UK ID card service mounts landgrab

Photo montage of New Horizons images of Jupiter and its volcanic moon Io, taken during the spacecraft's Jupiter flyby in early 2007.

New Horizons Web Site | Jupiter-Io Montage
BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Pluto-bound probe's Jupiter vista

Have you seen the film 2010? Do you remember the reverence with which Dr. Heywood Floyd talks about Jupiter?

My personal feeling is that our exploration of space should be limited to unmanned probes. It takes so much more effort and expense to put people into space - and when you do, the focus falls on the people, not what they are exploring.

This poor bear nearly bought the farm after being scared off a bridge by passing vehicles. Probably the most amazing animal rescue story ever photographed:

Spectators, officers and advocates save bear from fatal fall

BBC NEWS | In Pictures | Beleaguered bear in bridge rescue

Technorati tags: bear rescue bridge California wildlife

OU First team beat Swan Fenny in today's Milton Keynes Sunday League match, but not because Swan's keeper was rubbish. Actually, he did a brilliant job but had to retire injured in the second half - only to come back on again as a forward and nearly score.

Technorati tags: football soccer action sports photography

What's with the German? Every time I post, Blogger seems to come back with this screen. I did study German at school, but that was a long time ago...

Technorati tags: Blogger German language post

"Bush climate plans spark debate
A plan by US President George W Bush for countries to set their own targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions has drawn considerable criticism. Some delegates at a meeting of the world's top 16 polluters saw Mr Bush's comments as a US reluctance to commit to binding action on global warming. Officials at the Washington forum said legally-set international targets were the only way to tackle climate change. Mr Bush stressed that combating climate change should not damage the economy."

Yet again, Bush shows his true colours on climate change - he won't let anything get in the way of making money for himself and his big industry - mostly oil industry - buddies. He's got his head buried so far in the sand, he can't even imagine how research and investment into new technology could actually benefit his country.

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Bush climate plans spark debate

Technorati tags: Bush climate change global warming enviroment pollution Washington

Northampton's motocross event at Long Buckby yesterday - full gallery now live.

Technorati tags: motocross motorcross sports action photography

Apple's iPhone hype reaches the UK

"iPhone wedding gets mixed reception
As Apple's Steve Jobs unveiled the UK deal for the iPhone with his usual showmanship, O2's Matthew Key and Charles Dunstone of Carphone Warehouse looked on like blushing brides. The O2 website crashed soon after the iPhone announcement, apparently gasping under the weight of inquiries from excited customers. They may be a little more cautious once they look more closely at the price - £269 is pretty steep these days for a mobile phone...

BBC NEWS | Business | iPhone wedding gets mixed reception

Lets do a comparison between this an a Nokia N95 on a Vodafone contract:

	iPhone/O2	Nokia N95/Vodafone
Contact	18 months	18 months
3G	no	yes
Wireless	802.11b/g	no
Camera	2 Mpixel	5 Mpixel
Storage	8Gb	extra memory card
Phone	£269	Free
per Month	£35	£30 (first 3 months half price)
Entire contract cost	£1259	£495

Well, that's quite a difference...
Technorati tags: Apple iPhone O2 contract handset 3G

OU Vets did well in their first competitive game of the season against Milton Vets, having won three out of three of their pre-season challenge games.


OU Firsts, on the other hand, were hammered 1-5 by Wolverton Town.

Technorati tags: football soccer sports action photography

I recently bought the 500Gb Premium version from the Western Digital MyBook series of external hard disk specifically to backup my various machines using Retrospect 7. It seemed to be very flakey, however, taking ages to get going, or simply not working at all. Apparently the problem is common and may be down to Windows System Restore. You can turn this on or off on a per-drive basis:

Right-click on My Computer and choose Properties
Click the System Restore tab
Click once on the target drive and click the Settings... button
Check the box marked Turn off System Restore on this drive

Technorati tags: Western Digital MyBook external hard disk Windows System Restore Retrospect

Lets combine these two news stories and see what we come up with:

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | UK 'must have human space role'
"The UK must play an active and central role in future human space missions to the Moon and Mars, a report concludes. It has proposed a plan in which two British astronauts could go into space by 2015 at a cost of £50-75m."

BBC NEWS | Health | Fears over NHS e-records system
"A key plank of the £6.8bn NHS IT upgrade project in England has come under attack from MPs. The Health Committee said there was a 'worrying lack of progress' and raised concerns about the security of patients' electronic records."

So, we can either have a national computerised medical records system, or we could send approx 272 people into space, for the same money. Perhaps instead we could send all the idiots in Government who want to waste OUR money on these hair-brained projects into space. If we send them one-way, it would be cheaper too...

"Brown welcomes Thatcher to No 10
Former prime minister Baroness Thatcher has left 10 Downing Street after a meeting with Gordon Brown. Lady Thatcher, 81, spent more than two hours at her former home, where she was greeted with a warm handshake from the current prime minister.

Mr Brown recently surprised many by praising Labour's long-time political foe as a 'conviction politician'. The Tories said they were 'relaxed' about the meeting, pointing out that she had previously met Tony Blair. The visit followed an exchange of letters between Mr Brown and Lady Thatcher, who led the country from 1979 to 1990, shortly after he became prime minister in June."

I guess she is so impressed at how Blair and now Brown have continued her policies with New Labour, she wanted to thank him in person.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Brown welcomes Thatcher to No 10

"PC buyers: 'Vista Capable' machines weren't Vista capable
How misleading was Microsoft's 'Windows Vista Capable' campaign? Misleading enough for a judge to approve a federal trial.

On Tuesday, a federal judge ruled that two PC buyers, Dianne Kelley and Kenneth Hansen, can proceed with a lawsuit that accuses Microsoft of deliberately deceiving the public with the 'Window Vista Capable' stickers it slapped on Windows XP machines in the run-up to Vista's January debut, InformationWeek reports. Microsoft had asked for a dismissal, but US District Judge Marsha Pechman of Seattle is happy to oversee an October trial.

With their class action suit, filed in March, Kelley and Hansen claim that Microsoft used 'bait and switch' tactics to move XP systems as the world waited for the long-delayed Windows Vista. They argue that Microsoft's stickers reassured buyers "that they were purchasing Vista-capable machines when, in fact, they could obtain only a stripped down operating system." Some 'Vista Capable' machines, they say, were only capable of running versions of the OS that lack things like Microsoft's new Aero interface and a spruced-up Windows Media Center."

I think they're on dodgy ground here - they're basically arguing that whilst the machines in question can run Vista, they will only take a very cut down version. Well, is it Vista or isn't it?

PC buyers: 'Vista Capable' machines weren't Vista capable | The Register

"Contagious yawn 'sign of empathy'
Yawning may reveal more about a person than their boredom threshold, according to research. A susceptibility to contagious yawning may actually be a sign of a high-level of social empathy. Although many species yawn, only some humans and possibly their close animal relatives find yawning infectious, suggesting the reason is psychological. "

As soon as I read this article, I yawned. No, really.

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Contagious yawn 'sign of empathy'

"US B-52 in nuclear cargo blunder
The US Air Force has launched an investigation after a B-52 bomber flew across the US last week mistakenly loaded with nuclear-armed missiles. It follows reports in the Army Times that five missiles were unaccounted for during the three-hour flight from North Dakota to Louisiana. The air force said the cruise missiles were safe at all times. Army Times said the missiles were to be decommissioned but were mistakenly mounted on the bomber's wings."

I guess its just as well they weren't flying over Afghanistan.

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | US B-52 in nuclear cargo blunder

Technorati tags: Nuclear weapons cruise missile USAF B-52

"Amazon tops online retailers list
Amazon remains the UK's most popular online retailer, a study has found. The website has once again come top of the latest quarterly IMRG-Hitwise Hot Shops List of the 50 most used online retailers in the country."

BBC NEWS | Business | Amazon tops online retailers list

I would argue that Amazon are running the risk of loosing this lofty position because of their "Marketplace Sellers" programme. The Amazon website has become almost like eBay - it isn't entirely clear where a product is going to come from and some of their third-party suppliers are less than entirely honest. There appears to be no way of saying to the system "only list products actually supplied by Amazon".

"Thousands of crimes by under-10s Teenagers
Children committed 66 sex offences last year, figures suggest almost 3,000 crimes were committed last year where the suspect was too young to be prosecuted, the BBC has learned. Figures show there were about 1,300 incidents of criminal damage and arson, and over 60 sex offences where suspects were under-10s in England and Wales."

And here we see the result of New Labour's idiotic Nanny State.

BBC NEWS | UK | Thousands of crimes by under-10s

Congratulations to the Open University cricket team on earning promotion to Division 2 in a very hard-fought end-of-season match against Shenley Church End today.

An excellent "And finally..." story:

"Woman pays £1,800 for chicken leg
A woman from Cwmbran, Torfaen took out a bank loan and lived on beans on toast for a year to pay £1,800 in vet bills after her pet chicken injured its leg. Vicky Mills, 24, was heartbroken when Lily, a Rhode Island Red, got her leg trapped in a barbed wire fence. Despite the costs, Mrs Mills told her vet to try to save the limb rather than have her put down. When the treatment failed, she paid for an amputation. Lily was also diagnosed with depression but has now recovered, said Mrs Mills."

Yes, that's still the chicken, she's talking about.

"'My wife loves that chicken so much that she could not bear to have her put down,' said Mr Mills. 'But now she is a happy hen again and laying eggs regularly for us. She is quite happy to hop around on one leg. But sometimes she tries to scratch herself with her missing leg and falls over'."

Sure she'd only fall over if she tried to scratch herself with the leg she still has...?

BBC NEWS | Wales | Woman pays £1,800 for chicken leg

This evening's Art and Architecture walk for the work's camera club was successful - as well as a few club members, we hosted around 9 regulars of a Flickr group called the MK Flickrites. I concentrated on the architecture as the light was better for that.

"Court hears of computer blunder
Useful evidence may have been destroyed when a laptop seized from a terror suspect was switched on before being passed to analysts, a court has heard. The court heard the machine had been seized from Mr Siddique at Glasgow Airport in April last year.

A report from Mr Dickson, a forensic analyst with the e-crime unit attached to the police, stated it had been turned on before he examined it. Mr Dickson went on to say that turning a computer on could have serious consequences. He said: 'Nobody should be turning a computer on after it has been seized for any reason unless they are suitably qualified to do so. Anything that they do may cause catastrophic damage to some of the evidence held on the computer's hard drive and the whole process of turning the computer on will cause a number of things to happen to the hard drive which may override things that may have been useful to see.'"

Which just goes to show that some claims of ability to recover over-written files are probably complete tosh. It appears that simple re-use of the files in question, but the operating system itself, is enough to trash their contents.

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Tayside and Central | Court hears of computer blunder

"Lib Dems urge end to petrol cars
Petrol-powered cars should be phased out within decades to help fight climate change, say the Lib Dems. Environment spokesman Chris Huhne says cars should use alternative fuel - like hydrogen fuel cells - by 2040 as part of plans to make the UK carbon-neutral.

'The EU acting together through the internal market can make sure that change happens,' he said.

The government's draft Climate Change Bill aims to reduce carbon emissions by at least 60% from 1990 levels by 2050. But last month it was reported that officials had told ministers the UK would miss EU climate change targets by a wide margin."

Its a pretty drastic suggestion, but in order to reduce our emissions by the amount we really need to, its probably essential. However, the EU haven't even brought in regulations to limit emissions on new cars - engines are actually getting bigger. Why?

Technorati tags: petrol emissions energy Liberals climate

"Greek fires threaten ancient city
There are fears for the ancient ruins of Olympia, a world heritage site and home to the Olympic flame, as Greece's devastating forest fires close in. Water-bombing planes are trying to suppress the flames near the site, and nearby villages have been evacuated. About 50 people have died since fires burst out on Friday. They are still burning and nearing villages in the south, on islands and near Athens. The Greek PM has implied that many fires were started deliberately.

Among many tragic stories to emerge, one that shocked many Greeks was that of a mother who burned to death with her four children. They died clutching each other."

What kind of sick idiot sets fire to his own country?

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Greek fires threaten ancient city

Its pretty sad when you find that listed on WikiPedia, one of your home town's claims to fame is that it hosts the UK head office of Tupperware.

Checkboxes, JavaScript and PHP

You may already know that if you name a set of checkboxes as an array, that array can be passed directly into PHP. This is especially useful where the form itself is created from data on-the-fly using PHP. For example:

<FORM ACTION='action.php' METHOD='post'>
  <INPUT TYPE='checkbox' NAME='delStory[]' VALUE='4574'>
  <INPUT TYPE='checkbox' NAME='delStory[]' VALUE='4577'>
  <INPUT TYPE='checkbox' NAME='delStory[]' VALUE='4581'>
  <INPUT TYPE='checkbox' NAME='delStory[]' VALUE='4602'>
  <INPUT TYPE='submit' ONCLICK='return checkDel(this.form);'>
</FORM>

If all these boxes were checked, action.php would receive a string array in $_POST['delStory'] containing '4574,4577,4581,4602'. However, if you need some client-side form validation, JavaScript will have problems since you cannot directly use square brackets in referring to the form elements. Instead you have to go an indirect route, creating a JavaScript object first - thus:

<SCRIPT TYPE='text/javascript' LANGUAGE='JavaScript'>
function checkDel(form) {
  var temp=form.elements['delStory[]'];
  var flag=0;
  if (temp.length > 0) {
    for (i=0;i < temp.length;i++) {
      if (temp[i].checked) flag++;
    }
  }
  if (flag > 0) {
    if (!confirm('Delete - are you sure ?')) return false;
    return true;
  } else {
    alert('NOTE: None of the boxes were checked');
    return false;
  }
}
</SCRIPT>

The problem comes where there is only one checkbox in the form. In this case, you will find that the length of the array is returned as 'undefined'. I have yet to find a way around this...

Technorati tags: JavaScript PHP form array validation

"Democrats condemn Bush over Iraq
Leading members of the US Democratic Party have criticised President George W Bush's speech in which he defended his Iraq policy. Mr Bush said a military retreat could trigger the kind of upheaval seen after US forces left Vietnam. The leader of the Senate, Harry Reid, dismissed the comparison and said the decision to invade Iraq was one of the worst blunders in US history."

Well, actually, Bush is nearly right. He's correct to compare with it Vietnam:
. its a quagmire with no easy way out
. thousands of innocents are loosing their lives
. the lives of hundreds of US military personnel are being wasted

Now, if he'd have just listen to those that were telling him this before the invasion...

Technorati tags: Bush Iraq Vietnam

"One of Britain's leading Buddhist monks has died in a freak accident cutting lawns at his temple in Milton Keynes. Reverend Gyosei Handa was killed while using a ride-on lawnmower. Rev Handa was the chief monk at Nippon zan Miohoji Buddhist temple in Willen."

BBC NEWS | England | Beds/Bucks/Herts | Monk dies in freak mower accident

"A&E closures 'put lives at risk'
The closure of local A&E departments will put the lives of seriously ill patients at risk by making them travel further for treatment, a study claims. Researchers said it was time to debate the merits of big regional units after finding the risk of death went up with each mile travelled for urgent care. The Emergency Medicine Journal research involved 10,000 cases in four ambulance services between 1997 and 2001. But a government health tsar dismissed the study as outdated and irrelevant."

That's a pretty arrogant response. Hardly 'irrelevant' if your spouse/kid dies on the way to hospital is it? If a patient needs hospital treatment, and its takes longer to get to hospital, how can it do anything other than put that patient's life at risk. New Labour are starting to show the sort of arrogance the Tories did just before they lost power.

BBC NEWS | Health | A&E closures 'put lives at risk'

Technorati tags: NHS A&E hospital ambulance Labour

Today's cricket game was rained off after the first innings. Eaton Bray batted first, but were bowled out for 99. This gained the promotion-chasing OU an important 5 extra points. But the downpour that started at tea went on at least an hour, so the match was abandoned.

"Compact disc hits 25th birthday
The compact disc was jointly developed by Philips and Sony History of the CD Exactly 25 years ago the world's first compact disc was produced at a Philips factory in Germany, sparking a global music revolution. The CD was jointly developed by Philips and Sony and the disc has also become a key storage method for computer users."

I had one of the first models of players available - a Marantz CD-63B.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Compact disc hits 25th birthday

Back in the early 80s, music CDs cost around £12 new. Considering how much cheaper they are to make now, and how much technology has dropped in price, they should probably cost about 50p now. But they don't. And the music industry wonders why their sales have plummeted...

"Legal drinking age rise dismissed
Politicians and drinks manufacturers have dismissed a call by a chief constable to raise the legal drinking age to 21. Peter Fahy, of Cheshire police, said raising the limit would send 'a clear message about the dangers' of alcohol. But Home Office minister Meg Hillier said parents, not legislation, had the power to stop underage drinking."

There have been numerous cases this year of people being murdered trying to protect their property - or themselves - from drunken yobs. Does this government really think they are in the right to continue to sit on the fence and do nothing - and continue to receive the £millions in funds from the drinks industry?

"And drinks industry body the Portman Group said 18-year-olds 'should be trusted to drink'."

Well, that's just pathetic - they might as well just say "we don't care what these drunken idiots get up to so long as we continue to make a profit".

The OU cricket team were in action for their last-but-2 game of the season today at Eggington.

"US concerns over Guantanamo men
The US is considering a request from the British Foreign Office to release five former UK residents from Guantanamo Bay detention centre. A senior US official said Washington would seek guarantees that the men would be treated humanely and would not be allowed to pose a security threat."

That's a laugh, isn't it? Its OK, apparently, for the USA to lock someone up without trial for five years, but when another country asks to release them, the US has the gaul to ask that they be treated humanely.

BBC NEWS | Politics | US concerns over Guantanamo men

Technorati tags: Guantanamo Bay prisoners

"190,000 weapons 'missing in Iraq'
The US military cannot account for 190,000 AK-47 assault rifles and pistols given to the Iraqi security forces, an official US report says. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) says the Pentagon cannot track about 30% of the weapons distributed in Iraq over the past three years."

As the old saying goes "to mislay one weapon is unfortunate - to mislay 190,000 is pretty chuffin stupid".

"Meanwhile, at the end of July, the US Defence Department admitted that the US-led coalition in Iraq had failed to deliver nearly two-thirds of the equipment it promised to Iraq's army. The Pentagon said only 14.5m of the nearly 40m items of equipment ordered by the Iraqi army had been provided."

I'll give you a hint guys - leave them in the cupboard.

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | 190,000 weapons 'missing in Iraq'

Technorati tags: Iraq military Pentagon weapons

"US House passes clean energy bill
The draft law aims to boost US use of renewable energy
The US House of Representatives has passed a radical new energy bill, which aims to expand the use of renewable fuels and cut tax breaks to oil firms. The draft law details support for 'clean' energy sources like biofuels, wind, solar and geothermal resources."

Lets hope this doesn't lead to yet more US-owned or US-backed companies hacking down yet more rainforest.

"It would withdraw some $16bn (£8bn) in annual subsidies from the oil industry. But the bill is opposed by President George Bush, and still has to be merged with other energy measures passed by the Senate before it can become law."

Bush - opposed to subsidy cuts to the oil industry - well isn't that a surprise.

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | US House passes clean energy bill

Technorati tags: oil energy environment green biofuel rainforest Bush

BBC NEWS | Business | Norwich Union in 10% premium hike

"Norwich Union in 10% premium hike
Norwich Union is to raise domestic property insurance premiums by an average of 10% from next week, the BBC has learned. The firm, the UK's largest household insurer, said that the hike was not linked to the recent floods and that the timing was coincidental."

So why the hike? Why not just say "we're raising our premiums by several times the rate of inflation because we want to make an even bigger profit. We'll no doubt raise them again a little while after all the flood claims come in."

BBC NEWS | Business | Norwich Union in 10% premium hike

Here's a video of part of an interview by "Democracy Now" of retired US General Wesley Clark (NATO commander during the Kosovo war and who, incidentally, stood as Democratic Party candidate for President in 2004) talking about the Bush administration's plan to "take out" no less than seven Middle East countries in succession.



Wes has now set up a website to try to stop the US starting a war against Iran.

Technorati tags: neo-cons Bush Iran Iraq war Wesley Clark

India don't stand a chance:
"SECOND NPOWER TEST, Trent Bridge, day four:
England 198 & 2040-3 v India 481"

(no point me putting in the link since the BBC are updating this page constantly)

Gordon brown-noses his way into Camp David.

"Brown flies to US for Bush talks
Gordon Brown is flying to the United States to meet President George Bush for the first time since he became prime minister. Mr Brown reaffirmed the UK's close relationship with the US ahead of the visit saying he wanted to discuss how the two countries could work together.

[Earlier] A foreign office minister had suggested the US and the UK would no longer be 'joined at the hip' on foreign policy. But Mr Brown said links with the US would become stronger in the future."

Oh, look. Bush has a new puppy.

BBC NEWS | Politics | Brown flies to US for Bush talks

The BBC have actually changed this story since I blogged it. The headline now reads "World owes US a debt, says Brown". Yeah, I guess the 1.8 million refugees from Iraq are ever so grateful.

"Nearly a third of the population of Iraq is in need of immediate emergency aid, according to a new report from Oxfam and a coalition of Iraqi NGOs."

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Third of Iraqis 'need urgent aid'

Technorati tags: Bush Brown Iraq refugees special relationship

"Flood chiefs get big cash bonuses
SENIOR executives at the Environment Agency face new controversy after it emerged last night that they received five-figure 'performance bonuses' shortly before the recent floods hit Britain. Baroness Young, the quango's chief executive, got a bonus of about £24,000 on top of her £163,000 salary. A further eight executives, including the director of water management, shared in the bonus handout last month. The average paid to each executive was equivalent to 10% of their salaries, although Young received 15%.

Details of the bonuses were to be revealed in the agency's annual report, which was expected to be released last week but publication has been delayed due to the floods. Board minutes also show that the agency's top executives privately expressed strong concerns last September about the country's preparedness for serious floods."

New Labour used to bang on about "the fat cats of industry" paying themselves enormous bonuses whilst making employees redundant. Now we find New Labour quangos rewarding themselves for poor performance - at the tax-payers expense.

Flood chiefs get big cash bonuses - Times Online

Technorati tags: floods Environment Agency bonus pay

Way to go, Bush - let's promote peace in the Middle East - by selling them all weapons:

"Israel hails US military aid rise
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has confirmed that the United States is planning a significant increase in military and defence aid to Israel. The package would reportedly amount to more than $30bn (£14.8bn) over the next 10 years. US defence aid to Israel currently stands at $2.4bn a year - the new package would amount to a 25% increase."

BBC NEWS | World | Middle East | Israel hails US military aid rise

"US 'plans huge Saudi arms deal'
The United States is reported to be preparing a major arms deal with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states worth $20bn (£9.8bn) over the next decade. Defence officials quoted by US media said the sales would include advanced weaponry, missile guidance systems, upgraded fighter jets and naval ships. It is said to be an attempt to counter the regional threat posed by Iran."

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | US 'plans huge Saudi arms deal'

Iran, you'll remember, is the country that the US sold 79 F-14s and 284 Pheonix Missiles to in the 1970s.

And some people wonder why there will never be any peace in the Middle East.

Technorati tags: peace weapons Saudi Israel Bush Middle East peace

Some stories have caught my eye relating to "yobs", the Police, and how the general attitude to the young in the UK has changed in recent years. One story appeared on Teletext and I can't find any trace of it on the Internet: some branch of Government was apologising for wrongly labelling the youth of today as "yobs" and was blaming the media for showing the youth of today in a poor light. But then, we get the following:

"Man dies after gang delays medics
Paramedics were delayed by youths who tried to attack them as they treated a heart attack victim who later died. At one stage the crew was forced to leave the scene as three youths shouted abuse and attacked them. Norman Bell, 84, of Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, was playing crown green bowls at a club in Ashton-in-Makerfield in Gtr Manchester when he collapsed.

A spokesman for North West Ambulance Service said the experience had been 'frightening' for the crew. 'Paramedics are not used to being called to give medical assistance and being treated in such a way,' he said.

Greater Manchester Police are investigating the incident which took place at Council Avenue Bowling Club at 1945 BST on 19 July. A GMP spokeswoman said the incident happened after a motorcycle was put in the path of the ambulance. 'The driver of the ambulance got out to move the motorbike, when it is believed three people ran over to him and stood in the way,' she said."

BBC NEWS | England | Man dies after gang delays medics

Technorati tags: youths yoofs ASBO yobs yobbos crime

BBC NEWS | England | London | Reporters held in 'fake bomb' bid

"Reporters held in 'fake bomb' bid
Two journalists have been arrested after attempting to plant a fake bomb on a Tube train, police said. The Daily Mirror reporters were arrested at the Stonebridge Park depot, north-west London after they were seen acting suspiciously by staff."

What a bunch of idiots. Haven't they heard of Jean Charles de Menezes? How would their paper have reacted had they been shot by anti-terror police? What possible good did this stunt do for anyone?

BBC NEWS | England | London | Reporters held in 'fake bomb' bid

Had my first experience of a hospital A&E last night having to take my 87-year-old Mum in because her tooth extraction hadn't stopped bleeding after 12 hours. Paramedic turned out to our call in minutes but couldn't do anything; ambulance appeared just a few minutes later. Fortunately it wasn't a Friday or Saturday night, so the hospital was very quiet. Doctor called an oral surgeon who gave some injections and managed to stop the bleeding. Considering the hour (about 4 in the morning), the staff were all very attentive - so a big "up" to the NHS.

"Bank boss wants mortgages measure
The Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has told the BBC he wishes mortgage costs were part of the official inflation target. They represent the biggest expense for many households, but are not included in the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).

The CPI fell to 2.4% in June, official figures show. But at the same time, the more familiar Retail Prices Index, which does take mortgage costs into account, rose to 4.4%."

Meanwhile annual house price inflation is around 11%.

BBC NEWS | Programmes | Inside Money | Bank boss wants mortgages measure

Well, in the end, we didn't get quite such a downpoor here - less than Sunday - but other areas of the South of England certainly got a good soaking. I think the most was about 5" near Worcester.

Here's the BBC's weather forcast for tomorrow (20th July) - I live and work near the little red cross. They're predicting up to 4 inches of rain. These are certainly the brighter colours (strongest downpoors) I've ever seen on these weather charts!

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Sydney urged to pack for attack

Australia's government takes paranoia of terrorism to a new level:

"Sydney urged to pack for attack
Residents of Australia's biggest city, Sydney, have been urged to pack a survival kit to prepare for a terrorist attack or a natural disaster. The local authority wants people to put together an emergency 'Go-Bag', including maps, food and a radio.

Officials have denied the campaign is a government attempt to create fear and enhance national security credentials ahead of elections due later this year.

Critics are not impressed. A member of the Greens in Sydney said the campaign was a conspiracy by the federal government to whip up fear ahead of national elections due in the next few months.

Sydney's Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, has brushed aside the criticism. She said that cities had to be aware of the threats posed by militant groups and climate change."

Reminds me of America's McCarthyism of the 50s.

BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Sydney urged to pack for attack

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | New X-Files movie 'coming soon'

Surprising news:

"New X-Files movie 'coming soon'
A new film reviving the cult 1990s TV series The X-Files is moving closer to being made, according to reports."

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | New X-Files movie 'coming soon'

The torrential rain we had on Sunday did at least wait until the end of Northampton club's enduro event at Barn Farm, Whaddon near Milton Keynes.
Full gallery now online.

Was actually called on to play in the OU's home game against Milton Bryan today. We lost, but I did score 1 not out.

NowPublic.com - 50 Best Websites 2007 - TIME

I've just received personal thanks from Michael Tippett, as a regular contributor, for helping NowPublic achieve a place in Time Magazine's 50 Best Websites of 2007.

"...nowhere are the merits of citizen journalism more apparent than at NowPublic. At this 'participatory news network,' a.k.a. bastion of 'crowd-powered media,' anyone can write a story, or upload images, audio or video."

NowPublic.com - 50 Best Websites 2007 - TIME

BBC NEWS | Business | Boeing unveils Dreamliner plane

"Boeing unveils Dreamliner plane
US plane manufacturer Boeing has unveiled its 787 Dreamliner - the firm's first all-new jet since 1995. It is the only big commercial aircraft made mostly of carbon fibre rather than aluminium and is billed as the most environmentally friendly ever built."

Environmentally friendly? I think not. Not unless its made from 100% recycled materials, takes zero energy to make and runs on carbon dioxide, methane or ozone. In no way can an airliner be friendly to the environment.

BBC NEWS | Business | Boeing unveils Dreamliner plane

Apple's iPhone - oh, so much hype.

This thing doesn't cost $500 - its costs $1940 - when you've factored in minimum the AT&T contract you have to have just to use it.

Peter S Magnusson evangelises thus: "It is a fantastic device. I am in love with it.

"So why was the iPod different? Very simple: Steve Jobs actually understands music and related technologies. He’s an artsy guy. He's even known to have a real good musical ear. That's why the iPod was awesome. Jobs actually understood the target customer."

All Steve Jobs did was to take a Walkman - invented at least 20 years before - and take away the moving parts and put an Apple logo on it. The clever bit was getting the incredibly (and still) reluctant music industry to allow the digital sale of music.

iPhone’s missing killer app: social networking « Peter S Magnusson

Here's a list of 10 Things that "Absolutely suck" about the iPhone.

The OU played Caddington away this weekend. Weather stayed sunny most of the day. I decided to use my 1D Mk.II body for a change to see just how the autofocus is miss-behaving. Even when the subject didn't hardly move relative to the camera, there are instances where one frame in a sequence can be sharp and another blurred. Really must get around to having it fixed!

Hot off the press - well, not 'press' but editor's computer I guess - is the first 'full' video production I've been involved in to date. I did all the lighting and a lot of the camera work too, over a mere two evenings. Editing - lots of chromakey work - took a week.

YouTube - Anticipation trailer contest (Mydeo, Canon, Digital Video)

Its up against some stiff competition, though, so I have no idea it if will win. This is the competition it was entered in.


Technorati tags: video trailer cinematography chromakey effects lighting camera

The Firefly/Serenity world gets another boost, this time from UK daily broadsheet The Guardian on Wednesday this week in an article on how SciFi and Fantasy has changed over the years. The author lists Firely as one of his five best shows, thus:

"2. Firefly (2002)
Set in the year 2517, when America and China have joined forces to become the somewhat sinister Alliance, a band of rogues, smugglers, criminals and reprobates - diamonds, the lot of them - struggle with existential problems more than they do with warp engines. Created by Joss Whedon, and often described as a western in space, it's more Deadwood than Bonanza. Cruelly cancelled after 14 episodes, it spawned the feature film, Serenity."

The Guardian | Sci-fi has never been more now

Play.com (UK) : Serenity : DVD - Free Delivery

play.com are currently offering the DVD of Serenity (the movie that Joss Wheedon got made against all the odds after the TV series Firefly was cancelled) for a mere 2.99 including postage. No excuses - get yerself a copy now!

Play.com (UK) : Serenity : DVD - Free Delivery

BBC NEWS | Technology | 'Day of silence' for US web radio

"'Day of silence' for US web radio
Web radio broadcasters across the US will hold a 'day of silence' on Tuesday in protest at plans to hike royalty payments when music is played online."

These new fees are yet another knee-jerk reaction by a tierd and old-fashioned US music industry to new technology, desparate to hold on their massive profits. When will they wake up to the fact that people end up bying music that they hear online - just like broadcast radio? All Internet radio stations should just stop broadcasting for a month to make the record companies realise how they help sales.

BBC NEWS | Technology | 'Day of silence' for US web radio

Was very lucky with the weather at today's motocross from the Northampton club at Whaddon near Milton Keynes. But unfortunately there were a couple of accidents in the morning, one of whic resulted in a rider loosing a finger. A full gallery of the day's photos is online now.

UniversalHD Boards

"Browncoats Unite! Join the Independent Militia"

Universal Studios (rather than Fox) appear to be gauging audience opinion on the continuation of the outstanding cowboys-in-space sci-fi series Firefly having launced a Firefly section to their HD message board.

UniversalHD Boards

Lisa (my niece) and Casey's wedding went off ok yesterday, despite the best efforts of the weather to spoil it. Personally I'd rather it rain than be baking hot, which is what we all expected for mid-June. I had been asked to be the official wedding photographer, but as I don't ever do weddings, of course I declined. Which was just as well, going by the 80 or so shots I did manage to take with one of the borrowed-from-work Ricoh 500SE-W cameras which was having trouble seeing its SD card.


Just emerged from the service - we had about 10 minutes before the rain started again; fortunately the reception was just a short walk.



Left to right: my eldest brother and father of the bride, bride Lisa, Lisa's mum, and Lisa's two grandmothers.



Left to right: groom Casey's grandmother, Lisa and Casey, and Casey's parents.



The cake.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Microsoft to reflect UK dialects

"Microsoft to reflect UK dialects
A Microsoft project to create downloadable dictionaries to reflect the UK's rich local dialect heritage is drawing to a close."

The next release of Vista will therefore include the following phrases:
"Windows is shite" - Northern England
"Windows is pants" - Home Counties
"Windows is crap" - Essex
"Windows is tawdry" - Kensington

BBC NEWS | Technology | Microsoft to reflect UK dialects

Apple - Safari 3 Public Beta

Apple have now made available a Windows version of their Safari web browser, touting speed as one of its prime attractions. Frankly anyone willing to put up with the time Windows takes to start up, shut down, or do pretty much anything, would probably put up with a web page taking the odd few seconds extra to load.

Apple - Safari 3 Public Beta

Some students at the Open University have made a 23 minute video, now hosted on Google Video, on their perceptions of Milton Keynes. Its a very impressive production:

MK - at first sight

BBC NEWS | England | London | MPs call for Olympic logo rethink

"MPs call for Olympic logo rethink
MPs have signed a series of Commons motions calling for a rethink of the 2012 London Olympics logo. In one, the Conservative MP Philip Davies described the design as 'childish and ridiculous' and 'a pathetic attempt to appear trendy'."

The biggest tragedy of this farce is that it has wasted £400,000 of Lottery money that could have gone to sport centres around the UK, currently crying out for money, to train the very altheletes who should be looking to compete in the 2012 Olympics.

BBC NEWS | England | London | MPs call for Olympic logo rethink

"US rejects German G8 climate goal
Washington says it will not agree to a deal on slashing greenhouse gas emissions at the G8 summit in Germany. A top US climate official [briefly removed his head from the sand and] said the G8 should not dictate members' policies..."

Well, what a surprise - not.

BBC NEWS | World | Europe | US rejects German G8 climate goal

Technorati tags: climate Bush G8 Washingon greenhouse gas CO2 emissions