Overseas Moving Solutions

Not quite what we're used to for an Apple Store.

2011-07-02T01:03:00.001-07:00

The tech centre of Ubud, Bali.

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

Trying to watch #F1 practice and satellite signal is breaking up due to the weather. #notberyinteringtweet

2011-05-26T06:21:00.001-07:00

via Tweetbot for iPhone

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

My wine glass is empty. This is not good.

2011-05-22T10:32:00.001-07:00

via Tweetbot for iPhone

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

iPhone images 2011

2011-04-28T02:05:00.001-07:00

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

Burqalicious. The Dubai Diaries. Brit ExPat lifts the lid on life in Dubai. Sun,sex,sand and shopping.

2011-02-09T08:46:00.001-08:00

SYDNEY-based author, Becky Wicks, lifts the veil on life as a young single British expat in Dubai in her new book 'Burqalicious – The Dubai Diaries' – a true account of what really goes down in the world’s fastest growing, yet relatively undocumented city.

Over two and a half years, an entire city rose from the dust around Becky in Dubai, along with a good few rungs of that hard-to-climb career ladder.

She recounts the time spent living on a mad inventor’s landing, living on a building site in the middle of mounting chaos, and struggling as a celebrity editor in a land where sex definitely does not sell. She also talks us through her steamy – literally - days and nights as a wealthy Arab’s mistress…

Eminently readable, this book fuses an exploration of the wacky and weird that comprise day-to-day life in the heady tax-free haven.

Told with a healthy dose of humour, anyone who’s ever worked abroad, or wanted to, will relate, laugh and maybe learn a thing or two.

Keep up to date with the latest news at the Burqalicious The Dubai Diaries Facebook Page.

Paperback and Kindle editions are available from Amazon

In the UK you can order Burqalicious the Dubai Diaries from Waterstones.

‘Burqalicious – The Dubai Diaries’ is on sale at all leading bookshops now. An ebook version is also available.
ISBN-10: 0732292484

ISBN-13: 978-0732292485

Wedding and Portrait Photographer in Hampshire. Jim Pascoe wedding and portrait photography in the New Forest

2009-09-15T09:35:00.001-07:00

via jimpascoe.co.uk

Top quality wedding and portrait photography. Jim Pascoe is a professional photographer in Hampshire specialising in wedding and portrait photography.
Based in Barton on Sea on the edge of The New Forest.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

RunPee.com. Tells you when to go to the bathroom without missing the best bits of the movie

2009-09-10T09:14:00.001-07:00

via runpee.com

RunPee lists movies currently playing in theatres and indicates the best times to go to the bathroom so you don't miss any of the crucial action. You can also see what you are missing during your run to the bathroom. Invaluable information for all movie fans. There's even an app for it.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Police Watches - The Watch and Jewellery Shop - Discount Prices. Free UK delivery

2009-08-22T09:26:00.001-07:00

POLICE WATCHES

With its design and appearance the new Police Timepieces collection reflects what Police already spread with its famous sunglasses, a cosmopolitan way of life for trendy modern people.
The quality and design of the Police Watches set trends in shapes and colours in the whole collection.
From retro to modern, trendy to sporty, Police watches have it all for the independent personality.
Police Watches combine stunning, contemporary design with exceptional build quality.
Cool and stylish, great for all occasions.
Police watches are Water resistant to 5atm and carry 2 Year manufacturers guarantee.
Discount prices on selected items. Free UK delivery on all Police Watches.
Special delivery Plus £5.00 Subject to stock availability.

via watchandjewellery.co.uk

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

iPhone images. August 2009

2009-08-21T10:19:00.001-07:00

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Untitled

2009-08-21T09:47:00.001-07:00

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Famous Scams: Therese Humbert - 17/08/2009

2009-08-18T04:30:00.001-07:00

The life of Thérèse Humbert is yet another tale of a rags-to-riches tale fraudster, this time in 19th century Paris.

When Thérèse Daurignac was born into a peasant family in Languedoc, France, in 1856, nobody could have imagined her future life would make her the subject of a 1983 TV movie. The little Thérèse was clearly a natural at the confidence trickster game, and even as a child would convince friends to lend her their jewellery in order to convince others that she was wealthy.

via fool.co.uk

Fabulous story about one the best scams in French history.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

TomTom for iPhone Appears in New Zealand App Store

2009-08-16T09:31:00.001-07:00

TomTom for iPhone Appears in New Zealand App Store

Sunday August 16, 2009 09:25 AM EST; Category: iPhone
Written by Eric Slivka

iPhoneclub.nl reports [Google translation] that four regional versions of TomTom's much-anticipated iPhone GPS application have appeared in Apple's New Zealand App Store: U.S. & Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Pricing is as follows (Users should set their iTunes Store to "New Zealand" prior to clicking the App Store links.):
- U.S. & Canada [App Store]: NZ $124.99 (US $84.41)
- Western Europe [App Store]: NZ $179.99 (US $121.55)
- Australia [App Store]: NZ $104.99 (US $70.90)
- New Zealand [App Store]: NZ $119.99 (US $81.03)
The App Store application prices obviously include only the iPhone application and not the companion car kit that will integrate a car mount, enhanced GPS receiver, built-in speaker, and power cables. The kit will also include an audio output jack, as well as a microphone to enable use of the iPhone as a Bluetooth speakerphone. A package supposedly containing both the hardware and software components appeared for pre-order early last month priced at £99 (US $163.39) plus taxes at UK retailer Handtec, although the legitimacy of the offer remains unclear.
It is unknown whether the applications' appearance on the New Zealand App Store is the first phase of a rollout to multiple countries or if the release was a premature addition.

Rating (29 Positives; 21 Negatives)
[ 88 comments ]

via macrumors.com

iPhoneclub.nl reports [Google translation] that four regional versions of TomTom's much-anticipated iPhone GPS application have appeared in Apple's New Zealand App Store: U.S. & Canada, Western Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Google Points At WebFinger. Your Gmail Address Could Soon Be Your ID.

2009-08-15T08:58:00.001-07:00

Finger revival could make your Gmail address your 'open ID' across the web.

From: http://ping.fm/sPINj

via Ping.fm

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Living the HIGH life... - The itchy foot & wheely case

2009-08-13T11:32:00.001-07:00

We’re pretty spoilt in Dubai but it’s nothing like the holiday-makers at the resorts we’ve been staying in this week. All inclusive hotels dot the coast of Negril and feed the whims of mostly American tourists looking to taste Jamaica from a silver spoon. It’s a costly business but everyone gets their money’s worth. Free flowing drinks, endlessly available food, live entertainment in the evenings, massage classes, jewellery making… you name it, you can do it. Yesterday there was even a tarot card reader in the main restaurant area, dishing out relationship predictions by checking who was and who wasn’t wearing a wedding ring, probably.

via beckywicks.travellerspoint.com

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

The day I became a diver… - The itchy foot & wheely case

2009-08-13T11:30:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I became a certified PADI open water diver. Sounds pretty cool to type that! It was facing a fear as much as it was learning a new skill – at some point between the ages of 10 and 29 I developed a mysterious fear of putting my face under water – something I’m sure sprung from an early viewing of a drowning scene in some scary film I wasn’t supposed to be watching. Jaws, probably. But anyway, if you could see the sea here, you’d probably think the same thing I did. There’s something about the flat, calming Caribbean waters that make you want to get right to the bottom of what makes them so blue.

via beckywicks.travellerspoint.com

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

abyssoft - teleport. Use a single mouse and keyboard to control several Macs.

2009-08-13T03:45:00.001-07:00

via abyssoft.com

Teleport lets you use a single mouse and keyboard to control several Macs.
Simply reach an edge of your screen, and your mouse teleports to your nearby Mac, which also becomes controlled by your keyboard. The pasteboard can be synchronized, and you can even drag & drop files between your Macs.
It works on Panther, Tiger and Leopard.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Candle Powered Lava Lamps from Mathmos.

2009-08-06T11:34:00.001-07:00

Fireflow O1 - The first Tea-Light powered lava lamp
Fireflow O1 is a completely new type of lava lamp. The lava bottle is suspended within a mouth blown glass which in turn sits on a simple cast metal base containing the candle. The design makes visible the physics that enables the heat given by a tea light to create the mesmerising chaotic movement of the lava liquids. Fireflow O1 can be used for 3 hours at any one time; the average burn time for one tea light.

From: http://ping.fm/IcEE9

via Ping.fm

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

HTC T-Mobile myTouch 3G | Wired.com Product Reviews

2009-07-28T00:22:00.000-07:00

HTC T-Mobile myTouch 3G | Wired.com Product Reviews: "Android Phone Redux Is a Massive Upgrade

Hey, this Android thing may take off after all!

After wowing virtually no one with the hacker's delight T-Mobile G1 (one of the most egregiously ugly phones ever to hit the market) T-Mobile and manufacturer HTC have spent nearly a year re-educating themselves about what a cellphone should look like and how it should work. The result of that hard work is the myTouch 3G, a vastly better cell phone that finally gives the more mature handsets on the market a run for their money.

The most immediately noticeable thing about the myTouch 3G is its new styling. Gone is the clumsy, Sidekick-like chassis of the G1, replaced with a classic, scalloped shell and — more importantly — a much smaller size. At just 4.1 ounces it's tiny in comparison to the G1 (though the screen is almost the same size, at 3.2 inches diagonally), easily fitting in a pocket and comfortable to hold."

Are the cyber criminals selling your PC without telling you?

2009-06-19T11:15:00.001-07:00

Your home or business PC could be being used and reused by multiple criminal elements behind your back, security specialists have warned.

Cyber criminals are trading the digital assets of PC's without the users knowledge, according to security supplier Finjan.

Read more about this at Spalding Computers

The Spalding Flower Parade and Flower Festival

2009-03-15T05:43:00.001-07:00

It looks like Spalding is getting a flower parade this year after all..

The Spalding Flower Parade and Flower Festival 2009.

Some last minute negotiations by local authorities and interested parties has reversed the decision not to continue with the traditional May Bank Holiday flower parade made after last years parade . Also known as the Spalding Tulip Parade because of the floats decorated with tulip heads that parade through the town on the Saturday, it has a tradition going back 50 years.

This years New Look Parade will include the usual decorated floats and marching bands, together with a floral cavalcade of traditional decorated floats.
Many of these will be on display at Springfields Event centre throughout the flower festival weekend. Other events and attractions include a free circus, RHS displays, garden trade stands, music and entertainment.

The Spalding Flower Festival and Flower Parade Saturday 2nd to Monday 4th May 2009

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

Get quotes for your Overseas Move

2009-03-15T05:22:00.001-07:00

Here's a site that makes getting quotes for your overseas move easy.

We all know moving is a stressful experience, moving overseas even more so. So it's important to get the right moving company for the job.

Unlike the other comparison websites, this site doesn't just automatically pass your quote request on to a pre selected list of moving companies from their database. That list may well contain companies that are not qualified or capable of satisfying your particular requirements.

Instead they manually evaluate your requirements from the quote request form and pass the request on to a selection of vetted professional overseas moving companies that are specifically capable of the job. According to your location and destination, type and size of move, special requirements etc.

Staffed by moving professionals with many years experience in the overseas moving business, they have an enviable list of contacts with the best and most qualified overseas moving companies worldwide.

No matter where you are moving from or to in the world, they have the contacts and experience to guide you to the right moving company for your particular overseas move.

--
Moving overseas? Get your quotes here.
Get quotes for your overseas move from anywhere in the world to anywhere. Professional overseas moving companies waiting to quote you.
One simple form will get you several quotes from hand picked overseas moving companies.

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

Crisis in the newspaper industry. The future of journalism.

2009-02-27T13:36:00.001-08:00

This is an interesting piece on the BBC website about the crisis hitting the US newspaper industry.
It highlights the effect on the industry of people getting news from digital sources, and the effect on revenues of the current downturn in advertising spend. To be expected in the current economic gloom, but it won't last.
The question though is when we do claw our way out of the gloom, where will the future advertising spend be?
It looks like there will be fewer newspapers, at least in the US, but I would guess many of them will retain their online content. So print and online advertising in future, and online journalism is the future.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7913400.stm
--
Professional freelance creative writers for hire in Dubai, UAE, and England.
Creative writing, formal, business and website copy. Marketing and advertising copywriting, editing and editorial content.

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

Laid-Off Foreigners Flee as Dubai Spirals Down

2009-02-22T05:56:00.001-08:00

With Dubai’s economy in free fall, newspapers have reported that more than 3,000 cars sit abandoned in the parking lot at the Dubai Airport, left by fleeing, debt-ridden foreigners (who could in fact be imprisoned if they failed to pay their bills). Some are said to have maxed-out credit cards inside and notes of apology taped to the windshield.
The government says the real number is much lower. But the stories contain at least a grain of truth: jobless people here lose their work visas and then must leave the country within a month. That in turn reduces spending, creates housing vacancies and lowers real estate prices, in a downward spiral that has left parts of Dubai — once hailed as the economic superpower of the Middle East — looking like a ghost town.
No one knows how bad things have become, though it is clear that tens of thousands have left, real estate prices have crashed and scores of Dubai’s major construction projects have been suspended or canceled. But with the government unwilling to provide data, rumors are bound to flourish, damaging confidence and further undermining the economy.

via nytimes.com

A new draft media law in the UAE would make it a crime to publish anything that might damage the country's reputation or economy.
Clamping down on the truth may cause more damage than the truth. The population of the UAE knows full well it's economy is in free fall, the property market has crashed and second hand luxury cars abandoned by fleeing migrant workers are almost two a penny at the auctions.
A ban on reporting the facts just makes the government look stupid. But they seem to thrive on that so no surprise there.
If the constant traffic jams on Sheikh Zayed Road have now gone and most of the construction sites shut down, Dubai could become a reasonably civilised place for a holiday.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Microsoft denies it profits from Vista-to-XP downgrades - Business - Macworld UK

2009-02-17T02:56:00.001-08:00

Dell, for example, adds an extra $20 to the price to downgrade a PC.

Microsoft, however, may profit from the way it structures downgrade rights. Only buyers of PCs with pre-installed editions of Vista Business and Vista Ultimate can downgrade, and then only to Windows XP Professional .

All three editions are higher-priced versions of their respective lines, a fact that the lawsuit mentioned in passing.
"Customers have been forced to purchase the most expensive version of [Windows XP] in order to 'downgrade' from the Windows Vista operating system," the complaint read.

That was the cause of some confusion last year, when Dell Inc. was accused of gouging customers by charging $150 to downgrade a new computer to XP.

via macworld.co.uk

What is all this nonsense about downgrade rights?
Surely the owner of a PC is entitled to run whatever operating system he or she desires without asking for permission from Microsoft or the manufacturer, or paying a premium to do so.
It's laughable the number of different versions of Vista there are, when one version of OSX does it all. And at a cheaper price.
If I buy a new Mac now and want to run an earlier version of OSX I don't need permission from Apple to do so.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

BBC NEWS | UK | Nuclear subs collide in Atlantic

2009-02-16T08:06:00.001-08:00

A Royal Navy nuclear submarine was involved in a collision with a French nuclear sub in the middle of the Atlantic, the MoD has confirmed.
HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant were badly damaged in the crash in heavy seas earlier this month.
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Jonathon Band said the submarines came into contact at low speed and no injuries were reported.
Both the UK and France insisted nuclear security had not been compromised.

via news.bbc.co.uk

It's a big enough ocean, you would think they would be able to avoid one another.
The interesting fact here is that according to sources, the anti sonar devices fitted to both vessels designed to hide the submarines from enemies, may be too effective.
So where do you draw the line between too effective and just effective enough?

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Press Release

2009-02-16T07:17:00.000-08:00

Overseas Moving Quotes Online
Brought to you by Experienced Moving Professionals

Planning to move overseas? Then you’ll know just how important it is to use an experienced and reliable moving company; a moving company that specialises in overseas removals.

Overseas Moving Solutions Ltd operate differently to the majority of the competition. Whereas most websites automatically pass your details over to a selection of moving companies in their database, Overseas Moving Solutions Ltd will hand-pick the right moving company for you, based on your current location and your intended destination.

Who are we?
With Overseas Moving Solutions, you’ll receive the best possible quotes from the most suitable moving companies near you. Or from anywhere else in the world, for that matter. We’re a group of experienced veterans, with expert knowledge of the international moving industry. With many years of in-depth exposure to the needs and requirements of individuals and families moving from one country to another, we’ve evolved to meet the needs of our customers.

Our years of experience in the industry have enabled us to build an enviable list of contacts with the best and most qualified overseas moving companies, worldwide.

How can we help?
Amongst the thousands of moving companies you’ll find on the net, we’re one of few who are qualified to provide the essential expertise needed to offer fully comprehensive services, including adequate overseas packing and loading, customs formalities in different countries and reassembly service.

We also offer help with corporate moves for families and children, moving cars and boats, plus advice on foreign customs regulations, container tracking and general moving hints and tips.

Click for more information on:

* Moving to or from Europe
* Moving to or from USA
* Moving to or from Dubai and the UAE

Make the move
Wherever you are in the world, take a minute to complete the enquiry form and you’ll receive up to five cost estimates from carefully selected international moving companies, tailor-made to your individual requirements. Best of all, it’s absolutely free.

Our mission, on your behalf, is to simplify the task of acquiring quotes from international moving companies.
GET A QUOTE request form and compare the overseas movers quotes you receive from our established network.
Overseas Moving Solutions is a free service for anyone planning an overseas move.

Downgrade to Windows Vista. No thanks I want XP. Microsoft's future dilemma?

2009-02-15T02:18:00.001-08:00

An interesting scenario for the future.

Windows Vista was such a disappointing mess that many people who bought new PC's with Vista pre installed opted to downgrade to XP.
There is currently a class action lawsuit against Microsoft to recover the downgrade charges levied by Microsoft. You can read about that here.
http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?RSS&NewsID=24981

The rights and wrongs of this action are up for debate. The cost of the operating system is included in the price of the PC so to install an alternative version would entail buying it. The argument here is that Vista didn't work as advertised and Microsoft should refund the cost and or provide the requested XP alternative without charge.

But the real story here is what happens when Windows 7 is released.
The normal OS downgrade path is to the previous version. In the case of Vista it's back to XP.
But will anyone want to downgrade to Vista if Windows 7 turns out to be another hideous mess?

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

How to use Google. Structure your search queries to get the best results.

2009-02-14T06:25:00.001-08:00

Do you know how to use Google?

One of the most common complaints I hear about search engines is there are too many results for any given search.
Taking Google as the most commonly used search engine and applying a few simple rules to its usage can really help weed out the stuff you don't want to see.

Start by setting your browser preferences:

Go to www.google.com and click on the Preferences link to the right of the search field.
In the 'Number Of Results' section, use the pop-up menu to change the default Display from 10 Results Per Page to something larger. Say 100.
That means less clicking through results pages.
The 'Provide Query Suggestions In The Search Box' option in the Query Suggestions section will save you some typing.
Google will now guess the rest of a search term as you enter it. Once you’ve customised your settings, click on Save
Preferences.
You will have to do this for every browser you use.

OK now you've done that lets look at how to structure a search to get the most relevant results.

By default Google searches for pages that contain all the words you enter in the search box, in any order, anywhere on the page.
Contain those words within quotes "like this" and Google will return pages containing the exact phrase.

You're looking for pages that contain some common words or phrases but you would prefer not to see pages that contain certain words.
OK leave them out by prefixing them with a minus sign -. A search for Pluto -Disney should return results about the planet and not a cartoon dog.

Find This OR That:
You're looking for a Plasma TV but you're fussy about the manufacturer.
Panasonic OR Sony Plasma TV will return results for Panasonic and Sony and no other manufacturers.

Find Similar Words:
When searching the Web, you often know approximately what you’re looking for but are unsure exactly how something may be phrased.
Place a tilde (~), which means “words like this” (in other words, synonyms or near synonyms) in front of the word you’re unsure of.

Google’s Search Features page http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/features.html contains much useful information, hints and tips for efficient searching.
Using these simple search rules can cut down the amount of time spent sifting through pages of results that have no real relevance to your query.

--
Moving overseas? Get your quotes here.
Get quotes for your overseas move from anywhere in the world to anywhere. Professional overseas moving companies waiting to quote you.
One simple form will get you several quotes from hand picked overseas moving companies.

Professional freelance creative writers for hire in Dubai, UAE, and England.
Creative writing, formal, business and website copy. Marketing and advertising copywriting, editing and editorial content.

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

Microsoft to open retail stores?

2009-02-13T01:11:00.001-08:00

A bold decision if true, given the difficult economic times for the foreseeable future.
Many of Microsoft's established retail partners are finding times tough and some may not survive. So this may not be such a bad idea. Retail premises in prime locations are becoming vacant and could be snapped up for a good price.
But the question is, can Microsoft do retail.
Unlike Apple, Sony and Nokia, all experienced in the art of retail, Microsoft doesn't really have a "Lifestyle". It's a software company that dabbles in bits of hardware, Xboxes and Zunes, the odd mouse or two and a couple of web cams.
I can't see a Microsoft retail store being very exciting, any more than PC World is now.

Plus the door is now open for a round of the most obvious jokes.

Will the store be filled with Blue Screens?
Will you have to press the enter button to leave?
Will you be advised to have all your shots up to date before entering?
Will the Genius Bar be staffed by lank haired slightly smelly and overweight nerds in dirty anoraks?
The in store WiFi network might work on your Windows laptop. Then again, it might not.
Etc.

We'll see how this develops, but given Microsoft's less than stellar nose for style I predict the stores will be a bit gaudy and confusing to the shopper trying to find that new Office application or media player.

http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/channel/microsoft_plans_to_open_retail_stores.html

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

Do you really know how to use email?

2009-02-07T08:04:00.001-08:00

Do you really know how to forward emails?
Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail?
Do you hate it?

Well so do I, so read this and maybe you can help in some small way to reduce the amount of rubbish circulating the net and clogging up our email servers.

Every time you forward an email there is information left over from the people who received the message before you did, namely their email addresses and names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and all it takes is for one person to get a virus, and his computer can send that virus to every email address that has come across his computer.

Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them to spammers. Or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit.

How do you stop it? Well, there are several easy steps. Try the following if you haven't done it before:

1) When you forward an email, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top). Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second. You MUST click the 'Forward' button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message. If you don't click on 'Forward' first, you won't be able to edit the message at all.

2) Whenever you send an email to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: fields for adding email addresses. Always use the BCC: (blind carbon copy) field for listing ALL additional email addresses. This way the people you send to will only see their own email address. If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says to: and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy. When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say 'Undisclosed Recipient s' in the 'TO:' field of the people who receive it.

3) Remove any 'FW :' in the subject line. You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.

4) ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual email you are reading. (You may have had to open numerous other pages before you got to the real forwarded message!) Ever get those emails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it? By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many emails just to see what you sent.

(5) Have you ever received an email that is a petition? It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book. The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses. DO NOT DO THIS. The completed petition is actually worth a couple of dollars to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein.

If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email addresses on a petition.

Some other emails to delete and not forward are:
A. The one that says something like, 'Send this email to 10 people and you'll see something great happen.' IT WON'T HAPPEN!!!!

b. And don't let the bad luck ones scare you either, they should get trashed.

c. Tempted to forward an 'Amber Alert, or a 'Virus Alert, or some of the other emails floating around nowadays? DON'T. Most of them are junk mail that's been circling the net for YEARS! Just about everything you receive in an email that is in question can be checked out at www.snopes.com or www.truthorfiction.com or www.factcheck.com. It's really easy to find out if it's real or not.

And one more thing.
Don't use HTML in your emails, switch it off. Use plain text only. HTML email is the spawn of the devil, loved by spammers and virus writers because it can so easily contain bugs.
Read your emails in plain text only and do not download images contained in any html emails.
The ability to switch off HTML is in your email applications preferences. If it isn't get yourself another email application that does offer it.
You don't need pretty coloured text and background images to write a message. It's not going to add anything to your prose.

So let's stop the junk mail and the viruses.

And get rid of the advertisements at the bottom of your emails! You pay for your internet why advertise free for them? If they want to advertise in your emails let them pay you!!!!

--
Moving overseas? Get your quotes here.
Get quotes for your overseas move from anywhere in the world to anywhere. Professional overseas moving companies waiting to quote you.
One simple form will get you several quotes from hand picked overseas moving companies.

Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

The Twitter Effect

2009-02-04T11:27:00.001-08:00

Steven Fry, actor, writer, humourist and gadget nerd of this parish, tweeted this morning with a link to http://www.iPhorest.com/. The website gives details of a forthcoming iPhone app that plants a virtual tree on the phone and a real tree by way of The Conservation Fund, in areas where the natural habitat is vulnerable.

A fine idea. Unfortunately such is Mr Fry's following on Twitter the iphorest website buckled under the strain and within minutes the server had cried enough and fallen over.

In another tweet a few minutes later he mentioned the online petition to Save Bletchley Park, http://savingbletchleypark.org/. The number of petition signatures immediately started to rise.
The previous evening he was kept amused by fellow twitterers while stuck in a lift in a London high rise.

TV presenter Phillip Schofield, unable to get to the studios on Monday due to the snow, kept his followers amused with his accounts of playing with the kids in the snow, complete with the occasional photo.

All this has added to the interest in Twitter by the mainstream media, and anyone vaguely tech is being asked to comment in the press and on TV and radio. A family friend who works at the BBC and tweets for the Working Lunch show is frequently asked to assist other programs with things Twitter, and was interviewed by a local radio station about it. The BBC's media correspondents are in demand all over the network to talk about social networking. And increasing numbers of other "celebrities", correspondents and journalists are tweeting their daily lives.

What are you doing, in 140 characters or less has certainly captured the imagination of millions. But there are still many more millions who 'just don't get it'.
The feeling among many Twitterers is that's ok. At the moment it's good fun, not really taken too seriously, although it has it's serious uses. News stories have been broken on Twitter, including the very first image of the airliner floating on the Hudson River.
But if the unwashed masses start steaming in we may have to find another playground.

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What is inside your contact lens cleaning solution

2009-02-03T02:09:00.001-08:00

If you wear contact lenses I bet you have at some time wondered just what is so special about the solutions you use to clean and disinfect them. This article lifted from Wired spills the beans on the constituants of ReNu.

What's Inside: Bausch and Lomb ReNu:

Dymed
Contact lens solution has to strike a balance between killing germs and not burning your eyes when you pop the lenses in. Dymed (polyaminopropyl biguanide) is an antimicrobial agent that attaches to bad little bugs and rips open their cell membranes, letting their guts spill out. Fortunately for your eyeballs, it only works on single-celled organisms.

Hydranate
Known by chemists as hydroxyalkylphosphonate, it removes protein deposits, eliminating the hassle of a separate enzyme treatment. The eye's lubricating fluid contains mucus protein, which over time can build up and cloud your vision like a snot cataract. Hydranate is a compound that traps the mucus molecules and lifts them off the surface of the lens.

Boric Acid
It's a fire retardant, a nuclear-reaction controller, and the stuff that turns silicone oil into Silly Putty. Grandma knew it as an antiseptic eyewash; here it's also a pH buffer. But boric acid has been tagged by the feds as an infant-killing poison. There's only a dash in ReNu, so don't worry—unless you experience one of the more memorable symptoms of boric acid toxicity: blue-green vomit.

Edetate Disodium
This commonly used compound sequesters metallic ions (calcium from tears or possibly particles from air pollution) that might otherwise react with the lens.

Poloxamine
Made of multiple oxyethylene and oxypropylene segments, poloxamine is used in gene therapy as an alternative to artificial viruses for carrying DNA into cells. In this solution, it's just a surfactant that ensnares lipids so they can be washed away.

Sodium Borate
More widely recognized under the alias Borax, it's the same crystalline alkali dust found in Death Valley. It's added to ReNu as a buffering agent, keeping the solution at a comfy pH of 6.5 to 7.8, so you never have to utter the words 'Ahhh, my eyes!'

Sodium Chloride
Since soft lenses are liquid permeable, you want to make sure that your cleaning fluids are as osmotically close to tears as possible. That calls for a pinch of salt—otherwise, the lenses would dry out. Add too much, of course, and your lenses will suck all the moisture out of your eyes, get oversaturated, and start to weep. Creepy.

(Via Wired News.)

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Snowball Fight, London. Trafalgar Square, 6.20pm tonight.

2009-02-02T07:02:00.001-08:00

Oh this is going to be good. I hope the mainstream media pick this one up.
Trafalgar Square will play host to The Battle of Trafalgar - Part Deux at 6.20pm sharp.

You can stay up to date with the battle via http://www.twitter.com/SnowballFight
or read the blog post here http://snowballfightlondon.blogspot.com/

Wrap up warm and get down there.
Oh, and bring your own balls.

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Snow in the UK. Country grinds to a halt.

2009-02-02T04:28:00.001-08:00

It's amazing how well we in the UK don't cope with a few inches of snow.
Despite the met office assuring us over the last seven days that we were in for a significant spell of Arctic like weather with some serious snow falls over the weekend, we have a situation this morning.

London has pretty much ground to a halt. No buses are running, the subway system has no trains running and both runways at Heathrow are shut. There are delays on most of the main line rail links and to top it all off, the mobile phone networks almost fell over under the strain of people trying to call in or text to say they wouldn't be going in to the office today.

Hello, is this a 21st century first world country?

The TwitterVerse is awash with #uksnow tweets and photo's on Twitpic. It was the number one trend for most of the morning.
Other countries manage, why don't we?

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Eurovision 2009. This time we're serious.

2009-02-01T09:16:00.001-08:00

During the first edition of Your Country Needs You, the Eurovision "let's pick the singer" TV show, I said of Jade, she's the one.
And I've just seen the news that she did in fact win the viewers vote in the final show last night.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7862824.stm

Congratulations to the voting public, you picked the right one. And Andrew Lloyd Webber must be pleased with the result.
I was really worried the fickle finger of fate would fall on the cutesie but not quite up to it identical twins.
Good but not really good enough, they had the ahh factor so popular with British viewers, but need a few more years yet.

Jade is something special. She not only sings well, and many people can do that, but she performs the songs, and there is a big difference.

Mind you I didn't see the show last night so I have no idea what the song is like. It could be a stinker, but Diane Warren has an enviable track record of mega hits and his lordship is no slouch with the melodies.
Big reputations are on the line.

Note to Europe.
We're coming, and this time we're serious.

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Naked ramblers bumming around in Switzerland.

2009-01-31T07:11:00.001-08:00

Blame the Germans.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7860556.stm

A local Swiss authority has decided to get tough on tourists who go wandering around the mountains in the nude.
Many of these nature lovers are from Germany and subscribe to the FKK or 'free body culture.' In short they like taking their clothes off in public.
The local Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden is taking action to discourage them before the warm weather starts.

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Does anyone know where Quentin Godwin is?

2009-01-28T01:44:00.001-08:00

This is a sad story.
http://www.qismissing.com/page1.php

One afternoon in May 1992 Quentin Godwin walked out of his house in New Zealand to go to his after school job and has not been seen since.
Despite numerous appeals, press coverage and the help of various missing persons organisations around the world, there has been no news of Quentin.
Someone somewhere must know something.
Do you?

Spreading the word over the internet and your social networks may just help.
His family and friends just need to know. Something.

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Isn't it great that some criminals are stupid.

2009-01-27T01:55:00.001-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/the_p_word/newsid_7852000/7852248.stm
The Police are surfing the web and social networking sites looking for pictures of people posing with offensive weapons.

It's amazing the numbers of people, young and old, who photograph or film themselves doing illegal things and then posting the results up on the internet.
It's bravado I suppose. "Look at me Ma, I'm on top of the world."
Knobs.
They deserve to be caught. I suppose we can be thankful their stupidity is making that easy.

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Government unveils UK net report.

2009-01-26T02:22:00.001-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7848028.stm

"Lord Carter is expected to publish his full report later in the year. Communications Minister Lord Carter is expected to publish his interim findings on the UK's digital economy."

I always get worried about Government meddling in technology things. They have a habit of getting it all spectacularly wrong.
And here we have Government talking about regulating the Internet. How we're not all being treated equally in the broadband speed stakes. It even suggests the people who don't get the fastest connections are the socially deprived.

"areas of digital exclusion are likely to mirror those of social deprivation."

Yes I guess if you can't afford a computer or a fast internet connection then you may be considered deprived socially. But you could be living in central London, or central any city where it's available if you can pay for it.
Me, I live out in the sticks where we're lucky to get a cellphone signal and broadband speed is about average, which is way below the published maximum available. But I don't consider myself socially deprived. I just live too far away from the exchange.

There are some areas of the internet where Governments could get usefully active. Some action on spam would be a good place to start.
Most internet users will agree spam is the number one pain the arse, and a significant cause of PC infections.
Governments worldwide need to get together and act against this. Not against the spammers, they just get paid to spew out the stuff. Follow the money back to the peddlers of dodgy porn and pills. Close the websites, shut down their ability to process online payments.
Kick the bastards in the wallet where it hurts

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British Gas Homecare - Update

2009-01-22T02:24:00.001-08:00

Fixed.
Tame plumber who lives opposite came in last night. My wife (always blame the wife chaps, it's our way of getting back for always being wrong) dislodged a plug into the controller while washing down the kitchen walls.

Reminds me of an old joke.
Definition of Central Heating?
A bonfire in the middle of the room.

Very nearly came to that last night having first checked the house insurance covered total destruction by fire.
The gas man doth no longer cometh on the morrow morn.

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British Gas Homecare don't care

2009-01-21T09:21:00.001-08:00

Buggerit
The boilers gone titsup.
No hot water or heating tonight. British Gas HomeCare guaranteed call out within 24 hours isn't guaranteed.
The gas man cometh sometime Friday morning.

We are not amused.

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Missing girl seen on a ferry to France

2009-01-20T07:53:00.001-08:00

This has to be worth spreading about the internet just in case someone sees them

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/humber/7839502.stm
BBC NEWS | England | Humber | Missing girl and man 'on ferry'

A missing 15-year-old girl has been seen travelling on a ferry to France with a man she is believed to have met through an internet chat room.
CCTV shows Laura Stainforth, who has been missing from Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire since Wednesday, with 49-year-old Robert Andrew Williams.
Police said Mr Williams, also known as Dave Ingram, was on bail after he was questioned over the rape of a teenager.

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Do I keep the Blackberry or go back to the iPhone?

2009-01-19T05:09:00.001-08:00

My Vodafone business contract is coming to an end soon and I'm seriously looking at reducing my monthly spend on mobile phone bills. I have a .Mac (MobileMe) account which currently pushes all my email to the Vodafone Blackberry service and thence onto my Curve. As MobileMe is an IMAP push email service, to the iPhone only at the moment, I really don't need a Blackberry service. The trouble is I like my Blackberry. I also like the iPhone, I have a JailBroken 2G model with a PAYG Orange sim for backup purposes. My BB Curve is unlocked to any GSM network.

So where to go next?
After some research it would seem to o2 and a sim only Simplicity Online 20 with a free "Unlimited" web bolt on, for £20 a month give or take a few pence, and it's only a 30 day contract.
This gives me 600 minutes of calls and 1000 text messages plus enough bandwidth a month to cover my data usage.
This represents a significant saving over my current contract, does not tie me in to a 12 or 18 month contract and puts me on to what is at the moment the only network supporting the iPhone. Plus it gives me EDGE coverage which Vodafone has never managed.
But I like my Blackberry Curve and a Blackberry only works with a Blackberry email service.
Well actually no it doesn't. Some Googling found at least 2 alternative email clients for the Blackberry that will access POP and IMAP mail servers.
http://www.logicprobe.org/proj/logicmail LogicMail
http://www.tiggit.com/tiggitmail/index.html Tiggit

I'm going to give these a try. Hopefully they will give me my .mac email over the o2 data network and allow me to continue using the Curve until Apple release iPhone 3 or the Palm Pre goes on sale and is actually as good as it looks.

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So why is porridge porridge and not boiled oats

2009-01-15T09:50:00.001-08:00

I became interested in this today for no real sane reason other than a bit of sillyness on Twitter.
Why is it called Porridge when it is just boiled oats?
In case you're not sure, this is what oats look like before they are boiled.

You can boil the oats in water or boil them in milk, it's up to you and down to taste. You can add salt if you're a tough wind blown kilt wearing Scotsman. Or sugar if you're just plain sane. You make the consistency thick or thin, but too thin and the result is called Gruel with all the images of poverty that name conjures up in the mind.

"More. You want more, boy?"

Too thick and you can hang wallpaper, mend car bodies, plug holes in the hulls of ships or use as an eco friendly replacement for cement to build a brick wall. Ultra thick and it becomes a weapon of mass destruction, and no amount of washing up liquid will remove it from the bowl.
It's not new of course and porridge has been found in the stomachs of 5,000 year old Neolithic bog bodies in central Europe and Scandinavia. It's unclear if the porridge was the cause of death.

Porridge is known all over the world by different names.
In Greece it's call Atheroma (meaning a lump of porridge from Athera, porridge in Greek).
The Russians call it Kasha and probably flavour it with spiced vodka to keep out the cold.
In Italy it's Polenta and in Scandinavian countries it's called a variety of unpronounceable names.

In England we call it Ready Brek.

In Scotland the art of porridge-making is competitive, and the World Porridge Making Championships are held annually in Carrbridge, Inverness-shire. The event is also known as the Golden Spurtle due to the winner receiving a gold-coloured trophy of a spurtle, which is a utensil used for stirring porridge.
The rest of the world calls that a spoon.

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We're all doomed

2009-01-13T01:51:00.001-08:00

Research results are flowing out from various think tanks to reinforce the dire state of the economy.
House prices are plummeting faster than a loose womans knickers,
business leaders say we are now in a "frightening decline".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7825213.stm
Anti litter campaigners blame McDonalds for everything instead of the morons that drop the stuff, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7825339.stm. I don't know about you but when I was at school I was taught that dropping litter was a no no.
And to top it all we're now buying more baked beans than ever because they're a cheap meal.
This does not bode well for the ozone layer.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7824072.stm

But the good news is. A bunch of celebs have found sufficient funds to buy half a football pitch in an effort to stop Heathrow's third runway expansion.
It's nice to know who our rich saviours are. Perhaps they would care to fund the unemployment packages of all the workers who would actually benefit from that expansion. Misguided nitwits should stick to what they know best and not mess with stuff that's way above their heads. Your politics are of no concern to me, entertain me or shut up.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7825169.stm

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Flying car from London to Timbuktu

2009-01-12T02:24:00.001-08:00

"Just popping out for a drive in the old Motor dear, back in time for tea."

You have to love us eccentric Brits. Forget Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, this car is real. Well actually it's a sand buggy with a few cunning modifications and a couple of parachutes.

Ex SAS officer Neil Laughton plans to fly drive from Central London, over the Pyranees, the Straights of Gibraltar, The Atlas Mountains and the Sahara, and on to Timbuktu in the African country of Mali.
We shall watch with interest and wish him all the luck in the world, we hope he makes it.

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The Palm Pre

2009-01-11T04:20:00.001-08:00

I've always been a fan of Palm products, I like the user interface and some of the applications are very good indeed. I still have a Palm Lifedrive and despite the usual criticisms of this product mine has always behaved itself. It's now used solely for TomTom satnav, my PDA requirements are now taken care of by Blackberry and iPhone.

But I do like the look of the new Palm Pre. It seems to do everything the iPhone does and more, including some things that the iPhone relly should be doing, like copy and paste. It's got one, or more, over on the Blackberry Storm by having WiFi and probably a better touch screen. And the currently available Google phones are just plain ugly.

I really hope the Pre pulls Palm back from the brink. I'm interested but it depends on which UK network gets it first and whether they hobble it in any way.

Read the Engadget review of the Palm Pre here

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HELLO, I'M ON THE PLANE. ON THE PLANE. HELLO?

2009-01-10T03:18:00.001-08:00

Rory Cellan-Jones, he of the BBC, goes up in an old flying boat over Las Vegas and holds a Skype conversation via mobile broadband with BBC colleague Maggie Shiels. Although the noise in the old aeroplane was such that a conversation was almost impossible, the video bit worked well. Nice to see him using a Mac.
He also posted a number of tweets on Twitter while up there.
This is not unique as the system is already in place on some US airlines.
Stephen Fry sent a number of messages via Twitter on his recent flight from LA to Auckland, only to be met by a paparazzi snapper when he got there.
With the internet you are never alone. If you're a celeb be careful what you say.

See here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/technology/2009/01/surfing_over_vegas.html
and here
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=VkSISc8APYs>

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Ron Aldo crashes his Ferrari

2009-01-08T09:26:00.001-08:00

Some bloke called Ron Aldo who kicks a ball about for Manchester United, escaped unhurt after driving his Ferrari into a wall.

Which reinforces my notion that some people get behind the wheel of an exotic motor car and assume it somehow magically makes them the worlds best driver. I have noted this also happens to men with short hair and big ears when they climb into BMW's and young chavs with baseball caps in Vauxhall Corsas, which are of course far from exotic.

These dicks also get a kick out of driving around with their front fog lights on when there is no sign of any fog, let alone rain or snow. I believe such moronic activity is actually an offence which can lead to a significant fine from the feds if caught.

I suggest the good folks at Ferrari refuse to supply Ron with another motor. He's just not the right sort of chap to be driving one.

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UFO hits wind turbine? An Unidentified Flying Object, No.

2009-01-08T07:04:00.001-08:00

An alien crashes in lincolnshire? I doubt it.

Damage to a wind turbine in rural Lincolnshire (clue there) is being attributed to a UFO. Ufologists in the area are looking into it after receiving many, several, well a few emails and phone calls reporting sightings on the night in question. Local councillor Robert Palmer said he had seen a hovering white light. Is he the right man for the job?

The wind turbine is at Conisholm near Louth and suffered damage in the early hours of Sunday 4th January. One blade was completely sheared off and another severely damaged. Speculation as to the cause is rife in the area and ranges from the aformentioned UFO through aeroplanes to a bloody big bird.
The lights in the sky reported in the area are almost certainly fireworks of the floating lantern variety. But what caused the damage is still a mystery. My guess is one of the blades just fell off, damaging the other one as it fell.

The Ministry of Defence, guardians of our safety, are not investigating the incident. As far as they are concerned there was no intrusion into UK airspace by anything hostile or alien.
So that's alright then.

In some parts of rural Lincolnshire they still point open mouthed at aeroplanes.

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iPhone Nano is a NoNo

2009-01-08T06:37:00.001-08:00

You have to wonder at the mentality of some people who are willing to shell out some hard earned cash on something that is obviously too cheap to be true.

Just before Christmas we were warned of some fake and possibly dangerous Nintendo DS Lites on sale in the UK and elsewhere. If you bought one, tough, you should know better, I have no sympathy.

Now it has emerged that the far eastern fakers have been wrong footed by Apple.

It was speculated widely on the web by those who know nothing that Apple was about to introduce an iPhone Nano at this months MacWorld in San Francisco. The faking factories went into overdrive shipping out replica iPhone Nanos complete with authentic looking Apple logos. They started to appear in Thailand shops just after Christmas and some have reportedly been seen in European shops.

Since Apple did not introduce a new iPhone Nano this month, and is actually unlikely ever to do so, the retail value of these fakes has plummeted. No doubt they will soon start appearing alongside their full size iPhone Fake brothers on eBay. Goodness knows what's actually inside these things or if they even work as cellphones or media players. But if you were mug enough to buy one, serves you right.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

The spammers cat sat on the keyboard

2009-01-04T04:52:00.001-08:00

Way back when I wore a much younger mans clothes, in fact I was in
shorts and long socks, our English teacher would insult our handwriting
by suggesting we had pet spiders to write our essays.
My handwriting wasn't all that great back then and a couple of decades
of keyboard use have ensured it's a lot worse now. But sometimes you
still see the efforts of the pet spider, or the cat, in text on the
internet.
It may be God awful spelling and grammar, or something like the example
below.

This came in to my inbox this morning from the contact link in my usenet
sig file. I have some idea of why someone would apparently waste time
sending me a bunch of gobbeldegook (love that word) links that don't go
anywhere, and they don't so no worries about spreading the word.
Just testing the web form were you?

------------------------- COMMENTS -------------------------

kI2db5 txsjvgiojcdx,
[url=http://weejmaggikxu.com/]weejmaggikxu[/url],
[link=http://kgrjisgbqnwj.com/]kgrjisgbqnwj[/link],
http://tuyffygvxfhn.com/

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

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An embuggerance of Live(Hot)mail

2009-01-03T07:54:00.001-08:00

A message from a friend in New Zealand via Facebook bemoaning the loss of his Hotmail address book and email address, prompted me to look at my own Hotmail. This isn't something I do very often as I only use it if a website asks for an email address in order to use any part of it. Apart from this and MSN the address is just a throw away pot of spam.
Anyway my friend said he had been forced to change his address to something@windowslive.com.
I have queried this as I believe it should actually be @live.com.

Anyway back to the issue at hand, I logged into my hotmail account only to find it's all changed, there are no emails in my inbox, nothing in the spam box, and nothing in the address book (I don't think there ever was). In fact there isn't anything to suggest -----@hotmail.com ever existed. It's a new account.
Thanks a bunch Microsoft. Despite it being a throw away address there were a few emails in there I did want to keep.
My fault I suppose for not accessing the web interface for Gawd knows how long.

A lesson there for anyone still using webmail as their primary email system. Unless you can download mail to your local machine for safe keeping it ain't safe.

Anyway with nothing better to do I decided to look deeper and discovered I could set up another new account and still get my hotmail user name with the spanking new shiny @live.co.uk, so I did.
I am now @hotmail.com and @live.co.uk.
But whereas in days gone by you could email me @hotmail.com or @hotmail.co.uk, with the new shiny Live system only @live.co.uk works.
Maybe someone else has datasmog@live.com, if they do they got a couple of odd test emails from a dead TV personality with a gmail address.

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How high is the Burj Dubai. Is it the world's tallest building?

2009-01-03T05:48:00.001-08:00

How high is the Burj Dubai. Is it the world's tallest building?

We don't know for sure yet, it's not finished and they're not saying.
But William Baker, the chief structural engineer of Skidmore Owings Merrill the company in charge of building the Burj Dubai has this to say:

"The structure is almost finished and is expected it will be unveiled in a few weeks' time. But no one is saying how tall it will be.
"We're not allowed to say. The client hasn't announced what it is and I don't think they will," says Mr Baker. "It'll turn into urban folklore, you'll have people measuring the shadows on Google Earth and trying to figure it out.""

Really? Has Mr Baker not heard of 'Triangulation'?
It's a very simple formula involving angles and it's a bit worrying if the man in charge of building the worlds tallest structures isn't familiar with it.
It was known to the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Chinese and the Arabs.
Measure a distance to the base of an object, measure the angle from that point to the top and a bit of simple maths will give you the height.
A very long tape measure and a head for heights is not required.
I doubt the height of the Burj Dubai, when finished, will remain an Urban Myth for long.
Measuring shadows on Google Earth indeed? It makes you wonder if he is the right man for the job.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7798943.stm

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Get rid of those stupid sunglasses Karl.

2009-01-02T02:22:00.001-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7786000/7786527.stm
Karl Lagerfeld, international designer and Max Headroom lookalike
looks like a knob in sunglasses and bling.

Dressed in his trademark black and white, his fingers weighed down with rings, Karl Lagerfeld sits in his Chanel studio and is in expansive mood.
Those rings clink noisily. 'Today I counted 19. Sometimes I go up to 23. I have only 10 fingers like everybody else, hm?' he says."
So what is it with these people and sunglasses? It's like Country and Western singers and cowboy hats indoors. Why for God's sake, does the roof leak? Is the light too bright for you Karl?
Or are you really a silly knob? I suspect the later.

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Bugatti Type 57S Atalante found in a garage.

2009-01-02T01:12:00.001-08:00

Reclusive Newcastle doctor Harold Carr stashed away the classic Bugatti in his lock up garage in 1960 after using it for around 5 years.
Originally built for Earl Howe, first president of the British Racing Drivers Club, in 1937 the car is one of only seventeen produced by Bugatti and was bought by Doctor Carr in 1955 from Lord Ridley.
The car is in original condition in need of restoration and has a remarkably low mileage.

Doctor Carr died in 2007 and left the contents of his garage to his family. A classic Aston Martin and an E Type Jaguar were also in the garage.

The Bugatti Atalante was a two door coupe body style built on both the Type 57 and 57S, but with a single piece windscreen and no fin. Only 17 Atalante cars were made, four of which reside in the Cité de l'Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, France (formerly known as the Musee Nationale de L'Automobile de Mulhouse).

The name Atalante was derived from a heroine of Greek mythology, Atalanta.
She was the daughter of Schoeneus (or Lasius), who really wanted a son so badly that when Atalanta was born he left her in the middle of the forest in the mountain tops to die. She was raised by a hunter and became a fierce huntress capable of running very fast.
Reunited with her father she agreed with him to marry anyone who could outrun her in a foot race. Anyone who tried to beat her and failed would be executed. Atalanta features in several Greek legends including some versions of the Quest for the Golden Fleece.

Doctor Carr's Bugatti Atalante is due to be auctioned by Bonhams in Paris in February 2009 and is expected to fetch up to £3m

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One million viruses and counting. How the bad guys attack your PC.

2008-12-28T02:00:00.001-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7797280.stm

If you ever wonder why your PC is a bit sluggish at times, it"s probably your anti virus program sifting through it's database to make sure the incoming email from aunty Beryl isn't infected with a nefarious piece of crapware looking to take over your computer.

"Sophos said it was now seeing more than 20,000 new malicious programs every day. 2008 was also the year in which Symantec revealed that its anti-virus software now protected against more than one million viruses.
The vast majority of these malicious programs are aimed at Windows PCs. Viruses made their debut more than 20 years ago but the vast majority of that million plus total have been created in the last two-three years."

The bad guys are turning to new ways to attack your PC. That social networking site you spend so much time on could well be infected, and that great little application you tried out that found all that spyware and offered to clean it up for a small fee, probably put it all on there in the first place.

On the plus side, the common or garden spam email is on the decline.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Track Santa round the world with Google Earth and NORAD

2008-12-24T02:59:00.001-08:00

http://www.noradsanta.org/en/home.html

You can track Santa as he circles the globe delivering presents. NORAD has teamed up with Google Earth to pinpoint Santa's location as he travels round the world on Christmas Eve.
You can track his progress in 3D in Google Earth by downloading a special widget from the NORAD Santa site, which also has hi-resolution videos from a Santa Cam of the jolly man flying by different locations
You can even keep an eye on his progress on your cellphone with Google Maps for mobile, and by using Twitter by adding @noradsanta to your follow list.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Hackers exploit IE bug with 'insidious' Word docs.

2008-12-19T02:48:00.001-08:00

ActiveX control in Word file downloads malware to unpatched PCs, says McAfee.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9123898&intsrc=hm_list

One of the very few attack vectors available to lowlifes intent on invading a Mac involves Word Macros. Of course these can also attack Windows so the savvy computer user be they Mac or Windows based, will have turned off the relevant settings in Word that enable these macros to run, and be very wary of receiving Word documents by email. Even docs on a cd/dvd can be infected.

So here we have another use available to the online lowlifes courtesy of Microsoft.

""Inside the document is an ActiveX control, and in that control is a line that makes it call out to the site that's hosting the malware," said David Marcus, director of security research and communications for McAfee Inc.'s Avert Labs. "This is a pretty insidious way to attack people, because it's invisible to the eye.""

Malicious ActiveX in Word docs isn't new, but this is a new way of using it.
So be careful people. Even if you have applied the recently issued IE patch, you should still say no to Word docs. At least until you know they are safe.

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Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

A Recipe for Mulled Wine

2008-12-19T02:16:00.001-08:00

Tis the season to be jolly. Log fires, the flickering seductiveness of candle light, old black and white Christmas films on TV, and the warm festive taste and scent of mulled wine.

This is our recipe.

1 bottle of inexpensive full bodied red wine
1 cup of water
1 whole orange with a quantity of cloves pressed into the skin. Clove quantity according to taste of course.
3 cinnamon sticks
A pinch of cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg
2 heaped teaspoons of caster sugar

Pour the wine and the water into a saucepan, add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Put the orange, cinnamon sticks and spices into the liquid. Leave to simmer for 20 minutes. Do not allow to boil.
Serve in glass goblets.
Stand a teaspoon in the glass while pouring in the warm wine to stop the glass from shattering.
Enjoy.

Of course you could cheat and buy a bottle Gluhwein or mulled wine from the supermarket, but where is the fun in that.
--

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Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

A Hint of Broiled Meat

2008-12-19T01:11:00.001-08:00

The Scent of seduction
with a hint of flame broiled meat.

Be quick people and you can get this as a last minute Christmas present for the man in your life. Or indeed for the woman.

Burger King has joined the ranks of designer brands and celebrities by marketing a men's fragrance with the scent of cooked meat.
So ladies if your man is not quite up to the mark of certain celebrity TV chefs in the kitchen, maybe the seductive whiff of a Big Whopper will turn you on.

The website is suitable for vegetarians and contains a variety of romantic images, including a semi naked Burger King character reclining in front of a log fire, and a Barry White knock off soundtrack, but no burgers.
http://www.firemeetsdesire.com/

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Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?

2008-12-18T00:26:00.001-08:00

How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?
Stop and think about it and decide on your answer before you scroll down.

The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe, and close the door. This question tests whether you tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

2 How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?

Did you say, Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant, and close the refrigerator?

Wrong Answer.

Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door. This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your previous actions.

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference. All the animals attend .... Except one. Which animal does not attend?

Correct Answer : The Elephant. The elephant is in the refrigerator. You just put him in there.? This tests your memory. Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your true abilities.

4. There is a river you must cross but it is used by crocodiles, and You do not have a boat. How do you manage it?

Correct Answer:? You jump into the river and swim across. Have you not been listening? All the crocodiles are attending the Animal Meeting. This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

According to Anderson Consulting Worldwide, around 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong, but many preschoolers got several correct answers. This conclusively disproves the theory that most professionals have the brains of a four-year-old.

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Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

Microsoft issues emergency patch for IE vulnerability

2008-12-17T02:00:00.001-08:00

This is a public service announcement for all those poor unfortunate souls still using Internet Explorer.
Stop it. Now. Get Firefox or buy a Mac.

Microsoft will issue an emergency patch later today to quash a critical bug in Internet Explorer (IE) that attackers have been exploiting for more than a week, the company announced on Tuesday.
The advance warning came less than a week after Microsoft acknowledged that exploit code had gone public and was being used by hackers to hijack Windows PCs running IE.

Microsoft will deliver the out-of-cycle patch on Wednesday at 1 p.m. EST via its normal update mechanisms, including Windows Update, Microsoft Update and Windows Server Update Services (WSUS).

Initially, Microsoft and other security companies believed that only IE7 was vulnerable to attack, but on review, the company confirmed that all versions of its browser, including IE5.01, IE6 and IE8 Beta 2, contain the bug.

So even the much vaunted IE8 is crap.
And Microsoft have today acknowledged that attacks can be launched through Outlook Express because Outlook Express renders HTML-based messages using IE's engine. Attackers could exploit the bug by getting users to open or view malicious messages.
Come on people stop reading emails in HTML. Switch to plain text, you know it makes sense.
According to Tuesday's advance notification, Microsoft will provide patches to users of Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008 for IE5.01, IE6 and IE7.
A separate patch will apparently be issued tomorrow for IE8 Beta 2, a preview version of Microsoft's next browser that is not officially on the support list.
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Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

Britain wouldn't be Britain without pints

2008-12-17T01:16:00.001-08:00

An agreement has been reached with the EU to allow Britain to keep measuring its roads in miles and serving beer in pints.
Quite right too. We have standards to keep, where would we be without a pint of warm beer.
Pubs and restaurants are facing tough times in the current recession. The investment involved in changing glasses, reprogramming tills, reprinting menus etc. would kill it.
And the beer drinkers of Britain just don't want it. So there. Cheers and up yours Eurocrats.
Oh and our mile is bigger than your kilometre, so there.
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Posted via email from Gilbert Harding

Not in their back yard

2008-12-14T04:30:00.001-08:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_west/7781657.stm

"Campaigners opposed to one of the world's largest offshore wind farms being built off the north Wales coast are planning to seek a judicial review.
The UK government announced earlier this month that the 250-turbine Gwynt y Môr farm would go ahead 10 miles from Llandudno in Conwy county.
Now the campaign group Save our Scenery is seek a legal advice about asking for a judicial review.
Campaigner Professor David Bellamy will talk at a Llandudno meeting later."

There is an image on that site that indicates what the visual impact on Llandudno would be. I've been to Llandudno, there isn't much you could do to make it any worse than it already is.
Except maybe a Nuclear power station on the foreshore.
Hmm, how would you like that then, eh?

I'm aware of the for and against arguments for wind farms and their efficiency or lack of, but at least it's something. It's better than doing bugger all.

David Bellamy has probably realised he hasn't been in the news much lately and oh isn't this a good way of getting his name in print. That'll bump up the invites for a few paying gigs after dinner speaking next year.
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Worlds 50 richest Arabs are poorer this year. Bless.

2008-12-13T08:00:00.001-08:00

The world’s 50 richest Arabs have lost a staggering $25 billion between them in the last year, as the global financial crisis sweeps through the region.The figures are revealed in the Arabian Business 2008 Rich List, which will be published on Sunday.

Their average fortune has slipped to $3.99 billion, down from $4.99 billion last year.
In total the the top 50 now hold between them $199.48 billion.

The colapse in the value of property and banking shares is blamed for their decline into relative poverty.

More information at Currentaffairs.com

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Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

How to make a Black Russian

2008-12-12T04:42:00.001-08:00

With the onset of Christmas I checked the drinks cupboard to see what needed replenishing.

There are certain things one simply must have over Christmas. A bottle of Warninks Advocat is top of the list, followed by a bottle of Baileys for the wimmin folk.
Some whiskey, my preference is for Jack Daniels but I'm prepared to drink a good scotch malt.
Vodka, Smirnoff will do.
A bottle of good quality gin, the cheap stuff is good for nothing more than cleaning the dead flies off the car windscreen.
A selection of red and white wines of course, orange juice and tonic water, and a bottle of brandy with SOP on the label.
Which we all know stands for 'Slightly Over Priced'.

During the inspection I came across a dusty bottle of Kahlua at the back of the cupboard. There's about an inch of this coffee flavoured liqueur left and it's, shall we say, a bit old.
But it reminded me of why I bought it in the first place, so here we go.

How to make a Black Russian.
There are many how to's out on the web but this is mine.

Keep it simple.
1 part Kahlua
2 parts vodka
poured over ice and stirred gently.
The parts can be as big or as small as you like.

Make this into a White Russian
As above but add one part cream.
Milk is for woosies.

Some say it's not worth using good quality vodka for this so your local supermarket brand may suit you.
And vodka should be cold. Keep it in the freezer. The refrigerator is not cold enough.
As an alternative, if you can find it, 42 below Manuka Honey Vodka adds a touch of class. It's even really good on it's own.

Posted via web from Gilbert Harding

Designer watches and jewellery in time for Christmas

2008-12-11T09:36:00.001-08:00

If you hurry up you can still get that important Christmas present for that very important person in your life from The Watch and Jewellery shop. Quality designer watches and jewellery for sale online in the UK.

For that special person, a style icon, the Mondaine Official Swiss Railways Watch - the Swiss time icon

The simple design, the unmistakable easy to read face, distinctive hands and the famous red seconds hand have made the Mondaine Swiss Railways Watch collection successful the world over.
Ingenuity and simplicity are the elements, which often distinguish an attractive piece of design from a truly iconic design classic. The Mondaine Official Swiss Railways watch is proud to be associated with such an example of excellent 20th century design.

With a choice of movements from high precision automatics to a quartz chronograph with a Big Date and slim quartz movement the collection offers something for everyone but keeps true to the classic design created over 60 years ago.

Free UK shipping on Mondaine Official Swiss Railways Watches. Next business day delivery Plus £5.00. Subject to stock availability

Posted via web from Gilbert's posterous

Google Zeitgeist

2008-12-10T09:14:00.001-08:00

What does this say about the mentality of the average UK internet user?
The Google Zeitgeist lists the top 10 most popular search terms for the United Kingdom in the last 12 months as follows:

facebook
bbc
youtube
you
games
ebay
hotmail
weather
yahoo
bebo

7 of those are domain names. If you want to go to Facebook surely you don't have to go searching for it on Google.
Crikey just typing facebook into the browser address bar will get you there.

Posted via email from Gilbert's posterous

Comtrend Homeplugs

2008-12-10T05:50:00.001-08:00

They really do just work. The two I won on eBay fetched up in the post today. One hooked into the router and the other one connects the Mac Mini by the TV into the network. And this streams video from the old Cube very nicely indeed. Much smoother than over wifi. And this post is from the Blackberry.

Posted via email from Gilbert's posterous

2008-12-10T01:16:00.000-08:00

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