... than I have ever done ...

Sunny Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:27:00 +0000

I recently took a trip to Spain with my wife. Amazingly sunny and hot ... a welcome change to the weather in the UK at the moment ... rainy and cold. The weather in the UK is not always like that, despite the attention poor weather receives, but I have to say I enjoyed feeling the heat of the sun on my face and lounging around by the Mediterranean Sea.

Amazon.co.uk Widgets

TGIS

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 08:54:00 +0000

I love Saturdays ... for British people, not The Saturdays, no, the day itself. What a marvellous day Saturday is. It is a day of rest, of contemplation and hopefully relaxation.

Good quote on social status

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:56:00 +0000

Social ambition is not wrong in itself: it becomes wrong when it involves condescension, cruelty, or indifference towards the poor and blind admiration of the rich.

Taxes for the Rich

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Considering companies like News International did not pay one penny in tax to the US government in 2010 (due to a considerable amount of offshore businesses and tax breaks), it's probably high time the government decided to tax the rich.

Obama hints at new taxes

If every country did this, there would be a limited amount of options to where these individuals could go. Already Richard Branson in the UK is moving to Switzerland. I'm sure he loves the climate, chocolate, cheese and nice watches. Perhaps not?

This photo of Switzerland is courtesy of TripAdvisor

The Kite Runner review

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 12:10:00 +0000

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Kite Runner is an interesting and insightful look into Afghanistan before the various wars that have engulfed it. It is seen through the eyes of Amir, the protagonist. Numerous themes abound in this work: war, loyalty, racism, sacrifice, forgiveness and redemption. However it is really the last theme that will provoke differing opinions. Does the reader feel that the protagonist has achieved redemption by the end of the novel? Is this something that could in fact be achieved?

View all my reviews

Why to have a Firewall

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 11:02:00 +0000

I've already supported the use of firewalls and fortunately with the latest editions of Mac OS X and Windows 7, these are turned on by default. It's a good way to prevent the inevitable to happen to your system ... slowing down, being used as a 'bot' to launch attacks against other websites.

I was looking at my router logs this morning and saw blocked attacks from:

87.116.247.172 -> Poland
87.101.156.155 -> Saudi Arabia
87.122.156.21, 178.162.244.187 -> Germany
41.141.136.201, 41.234.103.173 -> Mauritius
213.27.229.166 -> Spain
87.116.138.40 -> Serbia
and
85.17.146.193 -> The Netherlands

And that's within the span of a few hours. Good thing I know something about technology!

A great way to check the location of an attack is to use this website: IP Address Checking.

Checkout the videos below for installing a firewall on Windows ...

on a Mac ...

or on Ubuntu Linux ...

15 minutes

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 07:52:00 +0000

The weekend will soon be here, but I can't help thinking how quickly the days pass. When I was a kid recess seemed to last forever and that was 15 minutes of my life. Now 15 minutes is a drive in the car to get groceries, or a journey on the Tube to get to my next stop. Fifteen minutes is also what Andy Warhol said in 1968:

"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes."

Earlier this year scientists trapped antimatter for 15 minutes

To an atom, that is such a long period of time. To a child, it seems like an infinite amount. To celebrities, it's what they keep trying to maintain. To the average adult it is just a fraction of our lives that passes by almost as quickly as it began.

Books for next to nothing

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:48:00 +0000

I read an article a few years ago and it is still relevant today. If you're an avid reader like I am you are often on the lookout for the next best read. Lots of books are available at your local library (which can be linked to your book collection with recommendations through LibraryThing).

Sometimes your local library doesn't have what you're looking for, so you turn to purchasing. While it's possible to buy many books from Amazon Discounted Books, there exist other ways that you can get books for next to nothing.

ReadItSwapIt is a site that is dedicated to swapping books. Some 300 000 books are available, but the only caveat is that due to its 'swapping' nature, someone has to want the book you have to be able to arrange a swap.

GreenMetropolis allows you to make a bit of money while swapping books. Most every book listed sells for £3.75 and this includes postage, so it's a great resource to find used books. If you sell a book you own you get £3.00 for it, but realise that you are paying for postage, so the real amount is minimal, but the point of the website is recycling. There are also charities that you can give money to for each purchase.

BookMooch is a great resource for swapping books, but unlike ReadItSwapIt you rack up points for each book you add to your inventory, then you can 'mooch' books based on the points you have. This means you can get mooching straight away. Postage costs are your own, but it evens out in the end as you can get some used books in really good condition or that cost more than the ones you send. It is also international, so it makes it easier to find hard to get books.

Bananas is a good site if you are looking for a collection of books. They often have collections at substantially reduced rates (like 10 Penguin Classics for £7.00).

Prodigy to perform

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 22:43:00 +0000

The one hundred sixteen year history of the Classical Proms is showcasing their youngest soloist ever. Benjamin Grosvenor is a nineteen year old pianist from Southend-on-Sea. He is predicted to be the next Mozart. A daunting task, but music label Decca believe in him and have already signed him. First British pianist to be signed in sixty years.

Celebrities becoming moral compass of the nation

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Hugh Grant has become the moral compass for the UK. Steve Coogan, of Alan Partridge fame, said something that deserves repeating:

"People keep saying it is a very bad day for the press," said Coogan. "It is a wonderful day for the press: a small victory for decency and humanity."

Reference: The Guardian

Summer Books to Read

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0000

The New York Times article about summer reading offers up a list of great novels to keep one busy.

Here is the list:

Germinal by Émile Zola
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain
Scoop by Evelyn Waugh

I have to admit, I have only read Wuthering Heights. (Love it when people use words you never hear anywhere else ... ever!) I plan to read Uncle Tom's Cabin and The Grapes of Wrath. Most of these classics you can get freely through Amazon for Kindle or MobiReader. Or how about even checking out your local library?

The Kite Runner

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:45:00 +0000

I am about half way through reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The book follows the life of an Afghan from childhood through to adulthood in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States. At first the treatment of the protagonist makes one less sympathetic to him. But as one reads an attachment develops which makes one wonder on the outcome.

Hopefully will finish this soon.
The Kite Runner

Books

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:30:00 +0000

So I've been reading lots over the years. Here is a selection: http://www.goodreads.com/profile/canadianBill of some that I have read.

Happy 52

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:58:00 +0000

Sometimes one is able to go against the trends in places like Hollywood and actually exist in a stable relationship. Well done to my parents for demonstrating this!

Blogs

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 07:50:00 +0000

Hello all.

I'm going to make some changes to this blog in the coming weeks. I hope you enjoy. I will also be looking to do some reviews and look at exciting new developments on the web.

Here is very recent blog I've started to follow: hey jo! design. Take a look when you have the chance. Further reviews to follow.

Hidden Treasures

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:05:00 +0000

Salty air whispered across the bow of the boat. In the sky the sun was ablaze. Helen gripped the starboard side of the deck and flung her hair over the side. With her left hand she lifted a bottle over her bare neck and let the water pour out. It cooled her briefly. She craned her head up to watch the main sail. Stillness. She peered around the stern. No movement in the water. Helen sighed. She waited.

A seagull cawed in the distance. A ripple appeared off the port side. A head emerged out of the water. Fred removed his mask and tossed it into the cockpit.

"Find anything?" Helen asked.

"Nothing. The storm yesterday must've moved it." Fred removed his scuba kit, handing parts to Helen.

"Damn. Well now what do we do?"

Fred grabbed both hands onto the deck and pulled himself out of the water. Helen counterbalanced his weight by leaning off the starboard side. Once in the boat Fred sat opposite Helen and dragged his hand through his hair. He stared off into space.

"Fred? What do we do?"

"I'm thinking."

"You're staring mindlessly into space. Do you even have a plan?"

He sighed. "Yes, we'll just need to recalibrate."

"Recalibrate what exactly? This isn't some high tech boat. All we have our some random charts, GPS and guesswork."

"Guesswork? I'm not guessing."

"You are, we've been boating for two days now and still nothing. Today you're telling me we would've found something if the storm didn't happen last night? Were we really that close? I doubt it. I think it's all been a bunch of guess work on your part. It's so hot out here. I've been applying sun cream like you wouldn't believe and been downing bottles of water. I would prefer we find something soon or call it quits."

"Helen, we're not calling it quits. Not when we're this close."

"How close are we, Fred? I mean two days and nothing."

"I'm sure it's near here. I'm sure of it. We haven't drifted today. Minimal wind. Calm waters. We're probably a lot closer than we think."

She laughed. "I don't think so. But tell you what. Let's have something to eat, then you go dive again and after another hour or so we call it quits. If you haven't found it by then, there's no use going on, is there?"

Fred nodded. "Fine. I'm starving. What we got?"

Helen opened their cool box and extracted numerous fruits and sandwiches. She opened a bottle of water and handed it to Fred. They ate voraciously without speaking.

Stillness had returned to the water. Helen leaned over the starboard side and watched various fish swimming past. She could see downwards about a metre in depth.

Once Fred felt rested he put on his scuba gear and dropped off the port side. Helen again waited. Off the bow she thought she saw a tiny triangular shape on the surface of the water. It was at fair distance and was moving perpendicular to their position. She opened the seat beside her and rummaged around until she picked out the binoculars. Looking back to the bow she had lost sight of the shape.

"Damnit," she muttered. She stood up and scanned around the boat. Off the port side she could barely make out Fred's body under the water. She only knew he was down there. As a precaution she grabbed the air horn. Fred would hear it, if he needed to come aboard quickly. She waited. She scanned the water from right to left to try to pick out anything. Nothing.

Then she saw the triangular shape again. Raising the binoculars to her eyes she made out more detail. It was a dark grey fin. At that distance it was hard to tell whether it was a shark or a dolphin. Dolphins normally travelled in groups. This was a solitary fin.

Helen watched and the perpendicular movement changed. It turned towards the boat.

"Shit!" Helen quickly placed the binoculars on her seat and rummaged for the air horn. It was not there. She opened another seat. Nothing. She darted across to the port side and opened the seats there. Nothing. "Fuck, fuck!" she muttered. A quick glance made her realise the fin was coming closer this way. She scanned the inside of the cabin. The air horn was by the radio. Grabbing it she pressed clumsily on the button. The harsh blurting sound cut through the air.

Peering off the port side she saw Fred making his way to the surface. She pressed the button a few times in rapid succession. Fred hurried upwards. Without speaking he quickly removed his gear and threw them into the boat.

"Oh my God, hurry, Fred!" Helen watched as the fin approached quickly, slicing through the water. The fin was bigger than anticipated. "It's a fuckin' shark! Hurry!"

Fred pulled himself up quickly as the fin began to descend under their boat. He lifted his legs over the side just as the shark emerged off the port side.

"Jesus! Would you look at that? I think maybe a tiger shark, not sure. Damnit. I actually saw it, Helen. It was just out of reach when you sounded the horn. Fuck!"

"God, Fred, sorry for me saving your ass."

"Sorry, Helen, I mean thank you. It's just frustrating. We were so close. Maybe the shark will go away."

"It might but do you really want to go back down there?"

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Tue, 10 May 2011 14:14:00 +0000

Perhaps one of the coolest websites I've discovered has been the LibraryThing website. It allows you to catalog your books, see what shops are nearby, check out events, etc.

Good stuff!

The Run

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:51:00 +0000

Panic is never a good feeling. I felt consumed by it. Every sound seemed louder. Every nerve attuned towards fight or flight. I constantly looked around, searching for something to grab hold of. The room was bare. It was dark. I stayed in the corner behind the closed door and wished the events of several moments ago did not happen. I wished it was all some horrible nightmare and I would awake at any time. My breath could barely be contained. I had run for too long. How long would it be until I was discovered? I waited.

Footsteps. He was coming up the stairs. I winced at every step he took. I felt sick. Please go away. I knew he was slowly getting closer. Soon he would be at the top of the stairs. What could I do? I waited.

A creak of the top landing. He was close. The thin strip of light from the hall was my only means of detecting how close he was. Soon his shadow would be at the door.

2012 end of the world?

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:15:00 +0000

With 702 days left until 21 December 2012, it seems very unlikely that the world will come to an end. The Mayans predicted a time of great change, but considering they were all killed off about 300 years ago, sadly we cannot ask them what they think this change will be.

21 December 2012 marks the end of their cyclical calendar, in their format 13.0.0.0.0, but there is nothing to state that the world will end, as Mayans believed in cycles and hence the new cycle will continue (22 December 2012 = 13.0.0.0.1).

Into the snow

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:57:00 +0000

As thick slow flakes drifted down to the street, the cars trudged through the poorly lit street. A lone figure peered from behind the curtains of an upstairs window. Peering down she watched the traffic. Slush formed under the tyres. Across the street a black door opened. A man exited. The woman raised her binoculars for one more look. It was definitely her target. She hit the speed dial button on her mobile phone.

'Lazarus has awoken,' she said. An acknowledgement was given from the other end of the phone. The call ended.

The man stopped before the kerb and looked up. Seeing no one, he turned right and continued walking down the road.

Anger

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 14:59:00 +0000

Anger feeds the flame of hatred. Hatred is hard to consumer or suppress. It was without notion or reason that Tiran felt deep inside. His family was dead. Smoke billowed black from their charred remains. Payment would be required. Tiran knew he had no choice. To rise himself up against the agression of Devlin would mean he would join his family. Now was not the time. Tiran held onto his anger, but he kept hatred in check. Later he would release it. Later.

Trying to get back at it

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:16:00 +0000

Hopefully over the coming days I will be more ambitious and post to my blog.

Watch this space (or don't, it's your call).

A new world dawns

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Tue, 04 May 2010 14:02:00 +0000

In the beginning was nothing but a void. Empty was the overall feeling that inhabited my persona. I came from nothing, had no one and didn't care about anything. That was the emptiness I felt. All I could do was exist. What else would I need to do?

I started my day in the usual way ... rising from slumber, showering, dressing and going to work. Work was a necessity as it gave me a meager income by which to buy such necessities as food, clothing and shelter. That was all I saw as necessary. Emotions I could do without. Well, for the most part. I guess that also contributed to my feelings of emptiness.

My soul was hollow, if that concept could ever be explained. I didn't bother to ponder this too readily. Most of what I did mattered very little. It probably mattered in the aspect that it made some form of money for my employer. So I guess it mattered. But my job was a repetitious, boring one, which I am sure denoted an unskilled worker was required for it. I was the one who had the job, but I could have easily been replaced. That was certain.

Data entry was my job. My title was something like Data Technician. My employer wanted to glamorize it ever so slightly. I'm sure if they posted the job as Data Enterer ... it would not have attracted anyone to the role. It didn't matter the title, really. It was a job I had. Easy to do, did not require too much of me, and I guess suited me just fine.

My day continued in its usual path. I worked approximately an hour and a half, then had a fifteen minute break, which I normally used to relieve myself and eat a bar of chocolate with my meager funds. Then my day continued with more data entry until lunch time. I had a half hour to spend to myself in the cantina, going over the daily news on the TV. That bored me no end. News was such an opiate for the masses, but I had no real interest in it. If I didn't care about myself, why care about others or the world I lived in? Rhetorical, I know, but a question none-the-less.

[Fiction Friday - 12 Feb 2010]

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 12:40:00 +0000

[Fiction] Friday Challenge #142 for 12th February, 2010

A family’s life changes dramatically after they are bequeathed an old painting in the will of an obscure relative.
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"What do you mean Hester got it?" Todd's voice raised with anger. The assembled group looked at Hester as she sat expressionless at the back of the lawyer's office.

[Fiction] Friday's challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Bill) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:48:00 +0000

[Fiction] Friday Challenge #142 for 12th February, 2010

A family’s life changes dramatically after they are bequeathed an old painting in the will of an obscure relative.