Well that’s what I am doing at the moment. It feels like a Shaun of the Dead evening somehow. I could do with a laugh!
I have noticed how late evening laptop use seems to stop me from getting to sleep. I think my brain starts whirring and then all sorts of things start going through my head. It’s nice to think that the old brain cell still works from time to time, but actually it’s nice to switch off…. so I am going back to my movie now!
I am currently reading lots of different books.
Recently completed Coram Boy and The Blood Stone both by Jamila Gavin. Although written for children, they are well researched and imaginitive tales set in the past and highly enjoyable.
I am part way through The Unbearable Bassington by Saki, which is highly amusing set post WW1 - a tale about a character called Comus Bassington who just won’t settle down.
I am also reading The Games People Play by Eric Berne. Interesting - challenges me to think about the games I may or may not be playing as well as those played by others.
I have also just picked up the latest Kathy Lette - How to Kill Your Husband - very amusing from what I have read on the train so far. An interesting insight into the battle for equality between husband and wife…..
I’m liking the macro function here !
For purposes of comparison, this is the photo from the cybershot. See what I mean?
Maybe I just need to RTFM to see what I can get it to do.
This is a photo I took on my cannon SLR. Its interesting I got a new SONY cybershot for chrimbo and its great. Its compact and I can take it everywhere, but I the optics in the SLR are definitely better. Maybe film isn’t entirely dead!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6321351.stm
Well it seems that “we can be very confident” that human activity has contributed to Climate change.
I hadn’t realised that there was still any doubt that we contributed to it.
Its upsetting. Having grown up in the 80s global warming was a cause that most children were concerned about. We were also taught of the certainty of running out of Oil and Gas and alternative energy sources were our future…
Why has it taken so long for this to be taken seriously? (I know that there are those who have interests in it not being taken seriously)
And can we expect our governments to do anything about it in time for it to have an effect?
How many politicians does it take to screw in an energy efficient light bulb?
We are currently trialling community server at work for blogging: http://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/blog/default.aspx
Some bits of it seem quite neat. I like the fact that we can separate groups of blogs into sections.
Other parts aren’t well thought out. I am currently playing about trying to get feeds set up. Its not as easy as Wordpress that’s for sure!
So it’s that time of year again. The Online Information information Conference 2006 starts tomorrow.
I attended one of the seminars (part of one anyway) on social networking. It was interesting. Lloyd Davis chaired the session. He kept it open and allowed the delegates to decide the subject matter they wanted to cover - action learning style. The discussion was interesting. It did make me think more about what I wanted to obtain from the conference.
I’m most interested in how social media is being used - beyond the sites we are all far too familiar with. I use blogs and flickr and other social networking tools as an individual. Its great for individuals wanting to network for either social or career purposes and also for campaigning. I want to see how these technologies are being used by companies and organisations. It would be nice to have some new examples other than the same old, same old. From looking through the conference proceedings, it looks as if there will be just that. It will be interesting to see what will be presented.
Anyway, today I left the seminar with one of Lloyd’s Flickr Moo cards - I’ve got one with an eye on it. it made me think maybe the Moo cards could be like top trumps or a trading game. Its a move away from the bland identikit business cards of American Psycho.
It always surprises me the conversations that people have on their mobile phones on trains. This morning there was a lady sitting next to me discussing rather confidential HR type stuff which was clearly audible to everyone on the carriage. I have also heard people divulge credit card information and security details.
There was one particularly memorable journey between Paddington and Bristol where a lady was discussing the intimate details of her florid personal life. As you may imagine the whole carriage went silent and the lady in question said rather self conciously to the listener - ” I’ll have to call you back later as the whole carriage is earwigging.” There was a palpable sigh of disappointment from her audience.
Similarly, I have seen people marking examination papers, reading documents marked confidential (not that I was looking of course) and discussing business strategy with colleagues face to face.
Its interesting because both individuals and organisations get uptight about blogging and what can and can’t discussed, but the same issues often apply to other forms of communication ….
My Dad makes the Christmas puddings in my parents house. Its been a tradition for as long as I can remember. Dad, who is handy at doing roasts and casseroles etc normally leaves puddings to Mum, but Christmas pudding is different. Why? Because my Dad’s Christmas puddings incorporate large amounts of alcohol of course!!! Funnily enough the puddings are delicious and friends and family actually ask if they can have one.
Christmas pudding has long been associated with the purchase of a couple of crates of beer. You understand that not all of it is used in the recipe, its also an excellent excuse for my Dad to indulge in some proper, flat, Southern Ale. Through much testing and consideration on my fathers part, it now absolutely has to be Gales Prize Old Ale! I have to confess it is pretty nice. It tastes of Molasses and is really quite festive at 9% by vol.
Disaster has struck however. This year Fullers have taken over the Gales Ale Brewery. For some reason, the corking machine (for Prize Old Ale is a traditional corked beer) has been out of order and there is a shortage of the beers. Dad can’t get them through his usual distributors (who as he lives in the North of England are much bemused and amused about the lengths he goes to to get his crates of beer - funny southern stuff).
I’m going to have to track some bottles down, or my Dad will be pouty. It’s too late for the puddin’s as they have already been made, but he’ll need something to wash ‘em down with.
If anyone knows where a crate can be found…. let me know
