So, after another 15 hour day...

...yesterday, today I have opted to telecommute...it's not the nirvana that you may imagine though - for concentration I prefer silence, so no TV, no music, the "workstation" at home is kind of "gamestation" aligned (i.e. WASD and Mouse friendly), so best ergonomic practice from the office is kind of out the window, not that one would complain too vociferously, my sofa is rather more comfortable than my office chair, and the commute is unquestionably preferable...but give me office banter anytime... ;)

Hmmm...bit worrying!

"04/01/2005 08:04:48; Oregon State System of Higher Education; 80.3.39.115:4271; 140.211.166.202:443; TCP; Blocked
04/01/2005 09:20:41; Hollywood Interactive, Inc.; 80.3.39.115:1605; 64.27.6.6:80; TCP; Blocked
04/01/2005 09:20:41; Hollywood Interactive, Inc.; 80.3.39.115:1606; 64.27.6.6:80; TCP; Blocked
04/01/2005 01:35:07; Albion College, International Institute for Applie; 80.3.39.115:1473; 147.126.46.146:10832; TCP; Blocked"

What on earth business does the "Oregon State System of Higher Education" have with me I wonder? Still, they didn't get past the front door whatever they were after... ;)

Has April 1st come early??

The BBC are running this story about Dr Who! For a minute I thought he had quit after one episode, that would have been rather embarrasing for the Beeb!

New Look...

...that's better, I have messed around with the template settings and settled on this new look (for now), I also added some links and an RSS Feed button...!

A wise precaution...

..(if you are risking enjoying all the wonders that the internet holds) can be found here, it is in public alpha at the moment so you won't have to pay anything...nuff said I think...

Google...

There is a bit of a discussion taking place on Slashdot at the moment about the comparitive merits of search engines, this link was mentioned and I thought it worthy of sharing, it is a really excellent list of all the various indexers out there, and which you should use depending on your the goals of your search...There is a lot more out there than just Google for your consideration, but sometimes it is rather too easy to forget that...

Solar Death Ray

I just had to post this, check out the awesome Solar Death Ray and a few of the items that have felt it's power! And just in case the site vanishes, a couple of shots, the death ray itself -



- and what happened to a pair of shades when the left in the path of the power of 112 suns -

Stuart Booth:Fan of Pork Pies

Hehehe...thanks Jinx for this story...just in case the link ever vanishes off the BBC site here is the picture -

- update - ...and yes, that was his wedding cake... ;)

Back to reality...

Well, that's Easter over and done with! A really relaxing break, fantastic weather meant that the garden became an extension of the living room, which it didn't seem to mind at all, even it's usual feathered residents begrudgingly cohabiting with us from time to time, making lightning raids on the peanuts on the bird table whenever they felt brave/hungry enough...but even these pleasant memories weren't enough to to keep me feeling warm this morning, freezing fog is covering London, I don't know why but I decided to climb up to the roof and take a look (suffice it to say it was a fleeting visit)...brrr...



...no flying cars today then... ;)

It being Easter...

...I thought this photo was rather relevant...snapped last week on the Thameslink between Brighton and Kings Cross...

Hmmm...

Not sure the BBC meant all that applause to be part of the broadcast though... :(

Here we go!

Dr Whooooooooooooooooo!

A pleasing and hard working day...

...toiled in the sun, after watering the (not even infant) herb garden, and a delicious, if a *little* naughty, fried breakfast, all efforts were devoted towards the periphery of the garden. Not that the boundary was in bad repair, quite the contrary! However, please enjoy the before -

...the during...

...and the after...

...in this last shot, you will perhaps note the contrast between east and west...I couldn't help but wonder if one or two of the other fences down the road might see similar treatment this year...(without exception collectively risking a hugely contrasting bleached aspect, even before we lifted a finger)...tut... ;)

Lifting the lid...

...reveals the unmistakable signs of growth! I have to say I am now regretting not actually labelling up which herbs I put where though, I'll just have to wait until they get a bit bigger and eat one...

I'm quite pleased, this being seven days from the planting date and although the instructions indicate that each of the plants take different times to germinate, this is on the early side for all of them, so I must be doing something right! ;) Even though the soil wasn't particularly dry I put a little more water in for good measure and now both the propagators look like little saunas again, which is pleasing...

Can't believe how blue the sky is today, the good weather has meant that a constant stream of light aircraft have been taking off from Redhill Aerodrome (which is just around the corner), I'll try and take a snap of one tomorrow if the weather is nice again...Oh and getting out in the garden is just fantastic, it makes me realise that this place is going to be great for BBQs...the genius who positioned it somehow managed to arrange the garden so that all day there is sun in one corner or another, and spots of shade for those "too hot" moments...perfick... ;)

Dr Who...

Snapped from one of the very many billboards vying for the commuters attention at East Croydon station, great poster...I think the first episode airs tomorrow night, regardless of it's easy availabilty in "73h 5c3n3", I fully intend to be glued to the box for the duration... ;) The Dr Who website gave me a bit of a shock though, my system time is set wrong for some reason on this machine and they are running a count down timer which obviously relies on local settings, it said that there was only 2 hours to go before it aired! I thought I had lost a day somewhere!

At the risk of seeming like a bore..

...Canal 125 (if you click that link you can see the "top table" summary for the place along with some 360 degree views, I must post a review on there at some point!) was yet again the venue for lunch, unfortunately I had to pay my own way - this time... ;)

After some debate about where to sit - "Torquay Slag" was keen to sit right by the canal, but "Time Based Bulk" and I had already huddled under one of the umberella-sized patio heaters for warmth, so we opted *not* to enjoy this view (it'll still be there on a warmer day!)-


-"scran"-wise I was helpless but to request the irrestably named "Chicken Bang Bang", which turned up looking rather stunning-


-essentially, it was a layered stack constructed from julienned cucumber, long coriander and smoked chicken, liberally drizzled with a fantastic chilli and peanut "dip", not that there was much dipping required...there appeared also to be a fair drizzling of chilli oil over the whole affair. Now, not to detract from this great dish, I couldn't but feel that next to what "Torquay Slag" (sausage baguette, minus tomato) and "Time Based Bulk" (steak cheeseburger-ordered medium but in actuality bloody as hell) had ordered, my dinner looked rather...well...small...

Tasty it was though, and through sheer good luck, the size of the others main courses left a lot of crunchy fries ripe for the plunder...excellent... ;)

Less than a week in...

...and here I am making a post about the weather... ;)

It's been an interesting March though, here is the view from the office window on two different days this month. The first is from the 4th of March -

- and the second is from today -

- quite a difference...! You can click the pictures for a slightly bigger view. Just in case you are wondering, the subject of these pictures is the London Canal Museum. Interestingly people actually do live in these narrow boats, there even appears to be some sort of parking ticket machine on the bank so they can pay for their moorings!

If the last few sunny days are anything to go by, the summer will see swarms of school children, all yelling at the top of their collective voice (it is astonishing to me exactly what a cacophony 12 school children can make when they put their minds to it) taking exciting rides disturbing all the old men whose only occupation appears to be to sit and unsuccessfully fish in the same water.

28-day hung steak at Canal 125...

Mmmmm...in reward for a rather long day last week, "B" from the office has kindly taken me out for lunch, I could choose both the venue and the delicacy...my selections? Canal 125, a small(ish) gastro pub not far from work, staffed by (what at least pass for) French people...a delicious starter of rosemary and thyme bread with a dip of olive oil and balsamic vinegar was followed (at a respectable distance) by what you see above...a 28-day hung Angus beef steak, medium cooked, with a fantastic gorgonzola sauce (chunks of said cheese still melting over the meat), accompanied by lemon drizzled fresh (and crisp) watercress, with the obligatory heap of crunchy fried potatoes, departing wildly from the usual "chunky jacket" Kings Cross-style I have become so used to of late... in summary, it was *rather* delicious... ;)

Update - "B" says that he was of the opinion that the staff were actually Italian, but *I* think that this is just because of his pathological hatred of the French...it's a denial thing... ;)

From tiny acorns...

Well, here we go, the result of about 30 minutes effort last Saturday morning (in the blazing sunshine), two little propagators filled with fresh compost and liberally laced with tiny seeds (namely oregano, sweet basil, rocket, chives and parsley (which involved soaking the seeds overnight for some reason))...so now we wait...! I have no idea how often I have to water them, but they certainly don't *look* like they are drying out (and it wasn't even *close* to warm this morning when I took the picture)...

T3h 5c3n3...

As far as my research has gone, opinion is very definitely divided with regards to this (free online) "documentary" series that takes a look at the high end of the globally enjoyed and decades old "scene"...some are even convinced that it has been artifically constructed and was paid for by Sony (although quite why I cannot begin to imagine..heh..)! There is no doubt that it is full of "l@m3n355" like clearly displayed IP's etc. (which of *course* would be deliberately spoofed on request if the doco maker were legit), but some of those in "the scene" have issued statements warning that even if this were fictional, the series is a valid and timely cautionary tale for those involved...but from my POV - Whatever! Even if it is a ham drama, it makes it's points and, well, the scene is light on coverage, so please enjoy a hell of a good show..!

Bus Crash... <:-0

This was the scene that greeted me and my close colleague "Torquay Slag" upon hearing a rumour whispering around the office that the road by Kings Cross station was closed due to a bus crash (this was back on the 24th of Jan). I think the picture merits a little commentary...in the foreground on the right you can pick out a number of policemen (I suppose between them and the firemen present there must have been about 20 members of the emergency services "attending the incident"). Not that there was a lot they could do - everyone was already off the bus (someone had helpfully built a pile of bricks by the bus door, which you may be able to see is around 2 feet off the floor thanks to the way the bus had lodged itself between the building and the pile of sand it's front wheels had very successfully mounted) and I don't think anyone fancied trying to shift it by hand...

The strangest thing,I suppose, about this scene is exactly how close this crash happened to the bus stop, the driver has basically managed to pick up his passengers, drive about 100 yards and then execute a 90 degree, right-hand turn into the wall...no other vehicles appear to have been involved...

Here is a close-up...no-one seemed to mind... ;)

Test picture...my Xbox... ;)

This is just a first try at upping a picture...this is my Xbox, lovingly modified by Mr Rat for my Christmas present. After viewing the disasterously eye straining blue L.E.D. "decorations" at the London Eye over Christmas, and the almost fit-enducing scrolling message bars that appeared briefly in Kings Cross station, I have to say I was slightly dubious about his choice of colour, but by then, the purchase had been made...I think I made him feel pretty bad about it...whoops... :(

As you can see though, the final result turned out to be absolutely stunning...! A thing of beauty...especially the circlet of cold cathode around the logo on the top! 8)

Thanks again Ratty...

Fink... ;)

Update - I forgot to mention that I took that picture with my Orange SPV C500 which gives me something in common with this fellow...

First Post...

Having enjoyed a challenging day at work (bar the excellent lunch of Wild Boar and apple sausages, courtesy of NY Boss, overlooking our local canal), this evening offered some tasty respite by the way of a re-heat of last night's (self prepared and scratch cooked) roast lamb dinner, served with a generous amount of red wine jus and petit pois (thanks to Tesco) (Pois only! The jus was to my secret recipe!) plus a 25cl bottle of Stella Artois (although that particular delicacy was brewed goodness knows where)... ;)

After the slightly less than amusing Thameslink experience of "de jour" thanks to the (although not omnipresent)/(arguably less than unusual) cancellation of services this evening, here I find myself somehow finding the energy to place a first post here on my blog...which has, courtesy of Google been in existence since early 2004...!

Thank you Google for not deleting me..!

Fink... ;)

For what is to come - All this happened, more or less.