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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Is Microsoft about to release a Windows 'kill' switch?
A ZDNet.com Blog, posted by Ed Bott. Ed speculates that a specific unanswered question may reveal a September date to disable Windows if WGA has not been applied to computers running Windows.
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Saturday, June 24, 2006
Friday, June 23, 2006
WTF?
Noel "tidybeard" Edmonds says he has RSI (or Work Related Upper Limb Disorder (WRULD) as it's properly known) through picking up the phone on Deal or No Deal. I think it's more likely due to counting the money he's made from it. You have to admire how he spins a five minute premise into a forty-five minute, almost surreal experience.
Jumping on the bandwagon of "we can't risk something new let's rehash something old" that pervades hollywood nowadays, they've remade The Wicker Man, with Nicholas Cage in the lead role. If you want, you can catch the trailer here. That they've actually made the thing is the true horror. While we're with Nick Cage, he's also the lead in the movie version of Marvel comics Ghost Rider (trailer here). On this admittedly brief look, I think it'll fall into the "Hulk", rather than "Spidey", camp of conversions....
A homemade sign outside my local Woolies: Cheapest HD-TV Enquire In-side. Lynne Truss would raze the place to the ground....
Jumping on the bandwagon of "we can't risk something new let's rehash something old" that pervades hollywood nowadays, they've remade The Wicker Man, with Nicholas Cage in the lead role. If you want, you can catch the trailer here. That they've actually made the thing is the true horror. While we're with Nick Cage, he's also the lead in the movie version of Marvel comics Ghost Rider (trailer here). On this admittedly brief look, I think it'll fall into the "Hulk", rather than "Spidey", camp of conversions....
A homemade sign outside my local Woolies: Cheapest HD-TV Enquire In-side. Lynne Truss would raze the place to the ground....
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Arriva - I didn't think I would
Dear Sir or MadamI am just writing to thank you for the interesting journeys my partner and I had last week using your services. When I booked our tickets I expected an uneventful trip from Wolverhampton to Pwhelli and back, but there were surprises all along the way.
It began at the station, where I was told I didn't want the Pwhelli train, but the Aberystwyth one. When that train arrived, I noted it had two carriages, which made me raise an eyebrow as our reserved seats were on coach C. A quick look round on boarding saw no sign of any reserved seats, so my partner and myself found seats where we could, which meant being apart. But at least they were forward facing, which is what I had booked. That was until Shrewsbury , when the train changed direction, and they became backward facing. The next twist came when the conductor checked my tickets and told me we'd have to change at Machynlleth , which was news to me as I thought the outward journey was direct, and the only change would be on the return leg. The rest of the journey was relatively uneventful, though we were kept entertained by trying to decipher the driver's announcements, (as he seemed to be speaking with a sock over the microphone) and the jovial conductor (all the staff we met were helpful, cheerful and took time to talk. Frankly, they were better than the company deserves....)
The return journey a few days later was another matter.
It started off with good news. The train was a direct one, and almost empty, so we could settle in for the ride. The only blip would be a twenty minute wait at Machynlleth for the Aberystwyth train to meet up, which it duly did, and we set off once more, enjoying the stunning scenery. This was fortunate, as we got to view one particular landscape at Talerddig for half an hour because we were late and the train coming the other way had beaten us to the track. Then we were off again, but sadly not for long. At Welshpool station we ground to a halt once more, for the same reason. At least this time we could get out and stretch our legs on the platform, which was a relief, none more so than for the class of small schoolchildren who had joined at Machynlleth. One of the stewards handed them some much needed water, while the other absorbed the complaints as best he could. It seemed he had heard them many times before. After another half hour or so, we were off again. Could anything else go wrong? Of course it could. Approaching Shrewsbury, we heard the announcement that because of the delays, the train would be terminating here. But there was a Central train to our destination leaving in twenty minutes. So we went from a four carriage train to a two carriage one. Fortunately, I think the schoolchildren stayed at Shrewsbury, but it was still a crush, and not everyone got aboard. My partner managed to get a seat, while I stayed by the door with our luggage. To add the misery, the train was an all stopper practically all the way to New Street, which meant the joy of people trying to fight their way on and off. There was silver lining though, as it meant we by the door got a welcome blast of fresh air each time they opened. Finally, two hours ten minutes late, we reached our destination. Despite all this, we still count ourselves lucky. The lady who sat with us part of the way was heading for London...
I would have sent this earlier, but it's taken me awhile to strip out the abuse and swearing.....
It began at the station, where I was told I didn't want the Pwhelli train, but the Aberystwyth one. When that train arrived, I noted it had two carriages, which made me raise an eyebrow as our reserved seats were on coach C. A quick look round on boarding saw no sign of any reserved seats, so my partner and myself found seats where we could, which meant being apart. But at least they were forward facing, which is what I had booked. That was until Shrewsbury , when the train changed direction, and they became backward facing. The next twist came when the conductor checked my tickets and told me we'd have to change at Machynlleth , which was news to me as I thought the outward journey was direct, and the only change would be on the return leg. The rest of the journey was relatively uneventful, though we were kept entertained by trying to decipher the driver's announcements, (as he seemed to be speaking with a sock over the microphone) and the jovial conductor (all the staff we met were helpful, cheerful and took time to talk. Frankly, they were better than the company deserves....)
The return journey a few days later was another matter.
It started off with good news. The train was a direct one, and almost empty, so we could settle in for the ride. The only blip would be a twenty minute wait at Machynlleth for the Aberystwyth train to meet up, which it duly did, and we set off once more, enjoying the stunning scenery. This was fortunate, as we got to view one particular landscape at Talerddig for half an hour because we were late and the train coming the other way had beaten us to the track. Then we were off again, but sadly not for long. At Welshpool station we ground to a halt once more, for the same reason. At least this time we could get out and stretch our legs on the platform, which was a relief, none more so than for the class of small schoolchildren who had joined at Machynlleth. One of the stewards handed them some much needed water, while the other absorbed the complaints as best he could. It seemed he had heard them many times before. After another half hour or so, we were off again. Could anything else go wrong? Of course it could. Approaching Shrewsbury, we heard the announcement that because of the delays, the train would be terminating here. But there was a Central train to our destination leaving in twenty minutes. So we went from a four carriage train to a two carriage one. Fortunately, I think the schoolchildren stayed at Shrewsbury, but it was still a crush, and not everyone got aboard. My partner managed to get a seat, while I stayed by the door with our luggage. To add the misery, the train was an all stopper practically all the way to New Street, which meant the joy of people trying to fight their way on and off. There was silver lining though, as it meant we by the door got a welcome blast of fresh air each time they opened. Finally, two hours ten minutes late, we reached our destination. Despite all this, we still count ourselves lucky. The lady who sat with us part of the way was heading for London...
I would have sent this earlier, but it's taken me awhile to strip out the abuse and swearing.....
TOTP RIP
There's an opening in the Christmas Day TV schedules. No, The Queen hasn't decided to have the day off, but the Beeb has announced that Top of the Pops will end next month. For decades it was the music programme. No singer or group was too big (or too small) to ignore its call when they topped the charts. I have many fond memories of the show (which you'll be relieved to know I won't bore you with now. Ok. One. Seeing Kate Bush (pictured above) for the first time singing Wuthering Heights....) and it beat off many competitors (anyone remember The Roxy? My only recollections are Carol Decker (T'Pau) and The Eurythmics. Or The Tube? Now that was a show, though the memory of a raddled, pasty Ozzy Osbourne lumbered up and down the stage still gives me shivers - not good ones, either...). But it's popularity and infuence waned with the rise of MTV and the rolling 24/7 video show. Numerous tinkerings with the format (they never should of let Andi Peters out of the Broomcupboard) to try give something to everyone didn't help, and the moving of the show from Friday to Sunday signalled the beginning of the end. So, Jools Holland's Later is confirmed as about the only decent music show on TV. The only bright spot, escpecially for nostalgia freaks like me, is that TOTP2 will survive.... So if you have any particular memory of TOTP, let me know, I love a good reminisce......Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Tenant Time
Paying the dues this week is The Plumbutt Chronicles. No, I don't know what a Plumbutt is, but if you stroll down the sidebar you may be enlightened; and he has some amusing posts....
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Willie Sign?
Are the rumours true? I've heard that the EU has issued a directive to help women. All men have to measure their willies, and any under three and half inches have to display a sign to enable women to know in advance. The design of the sign has been agreed as a white background with a red cross infront.... Or is it right that the same sign has to be displayed by barmy drivers to signal the fact to other motorists....?
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Tenant Time
Not a post on the new Doctor Who, but an announcement of my new renter, Sunkingpoet. I picked him 'cos of his post on Stephen King's Salem's Lot (the '79 version starring David Soul pictured left, a role which showed he could do more than Starsky and Hutch). He has some other interesting things to say, so take a dive down the sidebar and give him a click. While you're there, check out the archives, I'm sure you'll find something of interest there.....
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