Thursday 31 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:19 Pleasantly surprised by Blu-Ray, was expecting to be a little bit "meh" but have been impressed just waiting for Baraka to be delivered #
  • 16:23 RT @Psythor: My New Year's Resolution: 1280x800 (surprised no one else beat me to it yet this year) #
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Wednesday 30 December 2009

Daily Tweats

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Tuesday 29 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:05 With all this amazing technology today why do all emergency 911 calls sound like they are coming from the moon? bit.ly/7lTzX1 #
  • 12:37 I hate shopping in the sales everyone is possessed just need some pea soup #
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Monday 28 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 16:00 My faith in human nature has been restored, my missing mobile phone was found and has been returned! #
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Sunday 27 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 06:46 Back from the land of the in-laws, have been unable to locate my phone - last seen in Starbucks on Christmas Eve! Bugger! #
  • 06:49 downloading everything I didn't get to watch over Christmas, most of it will probably be crap - Victoria Wood I am looking at you! #
  • 15:29 Have just taken the Wii Fit Balance Board out the box... do I dare or am I still too sober? #
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Thursday 24 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:30 This morning Sky news was warning that Nottinghamshire was likely to snow today, yet nothing on Met Office website? #
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Wednesday 23 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:25 Embedded Linux - now this is getting scary! :-) #
  • 11:56 Voice of "Top Cat" dies. is.gd/5yAm9 #
  • 14:53 I just updated to Ubuntu Naughty Nutgoblin, and it broke again... :-) is.gd/5yMkZ #
  • 15:10 mmm.. just about to build a custom linux kernel (why do I feel the urge to talk like Professor Frink?) #
  • 15:54 It helps if you have downloaded the correct version of the toolchain required! Oh well another 135Mb download on a slow pipe #
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Friday 18 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 14:34 RT @alvinashcraft: Screw Iron Man 2 , Hot Tub Time Machine Will Be the Sci-Fi Event of 2010 [Movies] ff.im/-d5JPb #
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Wednesday 16 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 14:26 Played Jeremy Clarkson's fuel warning light game today and lost, thankfully whilst pulling out the car park not in the town centre! #
  • 16:16 Almost choked on a Stepsil, cue coughing fit & nose bleed! Just turning blue when I managed to cough it up! Desk looked like a crime scene! #
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Tuesday 15 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 14:29 Still feeling crap, sore throat, cough, nose bleeds - well at least I got something something something dark side to watch when I get home! #
  • 14:54 The couple's lovemaking was described as 'unnatural' *shudders* is.gd/5ozr5 #
  • 16:53 Christmas Light Hero is.gd/5oHfE #
  • 19:53 RT @RealBillBailey: come on we can do this! www.ratm4xmas.co.uk/ and donate to Shelter as well Win! #
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Sunday 13 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:51 Christmas decorations, what is the f**king point? Just spent an hour sawing trying to fit a 'real' tree into a stand now about 3ft tall... #
  • 19:19 Well it must be nearly Christmas, Delia is rehashing her drivel yet again on TV and the house smells like a freshly cleaned toilet #
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Saturday 12 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 14:57 Just listened to the Numan & Little Boots live session - why was the mix/sound quality so appalling? #
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Friday 11 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 17:12 Amazed at what some companies think are good evaluation kits, poor/wrong documentation and piss poor utilities - yeah I'll buy that! #
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Thursday 10 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:15 Question of the day "Why am I in work?" Don't feel well, but enjoying the latest technical challenge #
  • 09:56 LOL Avatar described as a "three-hour animated version of a progressive rock album cover" is.gd/5hHyU (off to listen to Yes) #
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Wednesday 9 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 16:31 feel like shit, shivering, sore throat and headache... and who have I got to thank for that? ;-) #
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Monday 7 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 12:54 f**k me is that the time? Can't believe I've not stopped since 8:30! #
  • 15:38 "This is my kung-fu. And it is strong!" #
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Sunday 6 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:31 Pouring with rain - looks like a day to stay doors! Oh well at least I've got the joys of javacard to keep me amused! (or not) #
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Friday 4 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:02 My xmas present sorted (no not the Xbox360 Elite) a Blu-ray player to replace our old and iffy DVD - Amazon doing well out of me at the mo #
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Thursday 3 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:03 classic headline on the sun website "Three under pa" #
  • 11:56 Yes most people have broadband, but filling websites with 4Mb animated GIFS is a bit much... #
  • 15:06 Oh so looking forward to next week, won't have to listen to 'the eating of the fruit' performance every afternoon #
  • 16:57 After some hard work, head scratching & swearing got something rather special & exciting to work! Trouble is I can't brag about it! #
  • 17:47 Oh look Google stomp on openDNS is.gd/5bmvr #
  • 21:47 I just ge nerated a #TweetCloud out of a year of my tweets. Top three words: blogpost, daily, please - w33.us/5cje #
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Tuesday 1 December 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 08:54 -2.7 Celsius at 7 o'clock this morning, glad the car was in the garage overnight #
  • 14:45 Yes it is cold outside! But you decided to go walkabout at lunch so coming back and cranking the heating up to max isn't appreciated! #
  • 15:55 please ignore - just trying out twitterbar for firefox #
  • 16:03 mmm... xbox elite plus extra controller and two s**t games from comet £175.. tempted #
  • 17:29 Tiger Woods is so rich that he owns lots of expensive cars. Now he has a hole in one. This and other jokes at is.gd/598Oy #
  • 17:40 EA to recall latest Tiger Wood PGA Tour game, reports that when players select Driver option it crashes! :-) #
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Monday 30 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:11 Decided to start playing Super Mario Galaxy again at the weekend - lots of fun! #
  • 14:27 I just love hypocrites #
  • 14:46 Subo bootleg underwear! The mind boggles! is.gd/57PCe #
  • 17:33 General Motors is to rebrand its Cadillac Escalade model the Tiger Woods Tree-Mangler GLX is.gd/57YnA #
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Saturday 28 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 22:12 Have aquired a Buffalo AP and frankly it is a total piece of shit, shit setup & admin interface and has just forgotten the admin password! #
  • 22:23 everytime you change a setting "Estimated time to restart about 56 s. Please Wait... " absolute crap #
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Thursday 26 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:07 RT @Glinner: Nice weather for the #Trafigura protest today! They're trying to silence Newsnight now.  bit.ly/4DvaNV #
  • 11:22 RT @giruff: ninja squirrel is.gd/53ZBv #
  • 11:37 kill-a-cow, save-the-world is.gd/53ZYb #
  • 13:36 Beat the gag! "toxic waste in the Ivory Coast leading to the deaths of a number of people" #Trafigura bit.ly/4DvaNV #
  • 13:40 LOL! - MPs could be forced to change Twitter usernames before election is.gd/543ks #
  • 14:04 Dan Bull - Dear Mandy [an open letter to Lord Mandelson] www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_P4lJD_OPI #dearmandy #
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Wednesday 25 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 12:56 and the moral of the story, don't spend money you don't have without first asking if you can! is.gd/53kYt #
  • 15:00 RT @aleksk: A Higgs-Boson enters church, priest "We don't allow Higgs-Bosons in here" Higgs-Boson "But without me how can you have mass?" #
  • 15:48 "there is a 50% chance that the world average temp in 2010 will be warmer than in 1998" - so it might or might not? is.gd/53rKb #
  • 15:54 why didn't they say "there is a 50% chance that the world average temp in 2010 will be cooler than in 1998"? is.gd/53rKb #
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Tuesday 24 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:56 Making a joke about it doesn't hide the fact there is something very rotten at the core is.gd/52uQg #
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Monday 23 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 12:11 Something fishy about the evidence of global warming? <sarcasm>No never! It can't be true! </sarcasm> #
  • 14:59 I knew installing Ubuntu on the laptop would come in useful #
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Friday 20 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:27 listening to the horror in Cumbria unfolding on BBC radio online #
  • 15:19 They have just confirmed they have found the missing policeman's body at Allonby.. sad news #
  • 15:58 Can't believe idiots are driving down the main street in Cockermouth causing bow waves and causing further damager! (via BBC Radio) #
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Thursday 19 November 2009

Daily Tweats

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Wednesday 18 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 12:29 quite impressed by the new wii iplayer channel might delays the purchase of a PVR for a while is.gd/4XTGM #
  • 15:41 "the problem with socialism is that you run out spending other people's money sooner or later" #
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Tuesday 17 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:36 Played the bit.trip beat demo on wii ware last night, 8bit inspired art/music and absolutely addictive bit.ly/3oSJoZ #
  • 09:39 RT @dizzy_thinks: Blogpost: Government sponsors anti-goth propaganda bit.ly/2PYLX0 #
  • 09:59 Latest Dilbert Cartoon reminds me so much of my previous job bit.ly/2H40Qc #
  • 16:25 wow ubuntu, lets make it easy for the non geek to install software.. is.gd/4XbN6 #
  • 16:39 Some success, got the laptop ubuntued and a crap twitter client installed! #
  • 17:00 Moby sums up Simon Cowell "I'm happy today but if only I had an extra £2 million!" is.gd/4Xd7Y #
  • 20:35 RT @guardiantech: Ordnance Survey maps to go free online bit.ly/1QzJiV #
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Monday 16 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:36 Every had one of those days when you feel disconnected from the world? #
  • 10:42 RT @guardiantech: Keeping 'digital 9/11' fears in check | Tim Stevens bit.ly/3U8ZuM #
  • 10:44 Surprise surprise, yet another 'java update' and NO I DON'T WANT F**KING YAHOO TOOLBAR! #
  • 11:33 RT @thek27: NoVirusThanks is a website dedicated to information technology and security solutions twt.gs/3pWXyd #
  • 14:50 A chimpanzee, a frog and I am lost for words (the crying baby adds a bizarre touch) - video not for the easily shocked bit.ly/3zrQO 0 #
  • 16:56 RT @ElReg: Home Office accused of sexing-up mobile phone rescue: Comms data 'essential'? Not really.. bit.ly/3ypiq8 #
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Friday 13 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 15:32 If I decided to write a diary at work it would read like "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" :-) #
  • 17:20 Water on the moon! bit.ly/30zJxj #
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Thursday 12 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 15:46 and the lesson today is, if you wash your coffee cup out with 'cucumber and basil' washing up liquid make sure you rinse it well! #
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Wednesday 11 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 16:09 Listened to PMQs online, when will Gordon Brown actually answer a question? For a nearly blind man he had no trouble reading the notes! #
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Monday 9 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:46 Is wondering if he should finally ask for an XBox Elite for xmas... #
  • 10:44 RT @TheOracleSpeak: David Haye defeats Valuev, thinks he's in Rocky IV: tinyurl.com/ylyvdsl #
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Sunday 8 November 2009

Daily Tweats

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Thursday 5 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 12:44 tweetrad.io - Excellent! #
  • 12:48 RT @simonpegg: Bonfire Night so commercial now, let's not forget true meaning:brutal punitive mutilation of Catholic terrorist called Guido #
  • 12:49 RT @thedailymash: JEDWARD 'ARE HARBINGERS OF THE APOCALYPSE' bit.ly/2zbjYM #
  • 15:51 RT @radio4blog: "Now I know the clock's ticking: I've started listening to Radio 4" Bryony Gordon in The Telegraph bit.ly/EoWii #
  • 16:35 RT @Scobleizer: If your Twitter account has been hacked remove apps here: bi t.ly/n3Duo (may be OAuth problem bit.ly/PT7IR) #
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Wednesday 4 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 07:29 RT @warrenellis: But, coming soon, Sandra Bullock romantic comedy I SHIT NEW BOYFRIENDS #
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Sunday 1 November 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:41 Home alone, doing some video editing, music playing loudly, drinking whisky, heating on - raining outside! Now this how a Sunday should be! #
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Friday 30 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 07:30 The nightmare with Linux continues - tried to install ubuntu lastnight.. nothing worked! #
  • 08:45 Karmic Koala didn't like my graphics chipset, my wifi cards (all 3 of them) the touchpad was erratic and black text on dark brown - fail! #
  • 09:21 RT @thedailymash: 色情 IS CHINESE FOR PORNOGRAPHY bit.ly/16WElp (the "reverse Dutch steamboat" is mentioned again - am intrigued!) #
  • 10:41 Hopefully these kids got free copies of Microsoft products that they won't be able to use on their Apple computers is.gd/4HZKo #bing #
  • 10:47 looks like Vir ginMedia have took a dislike to the BBC - none of their sites seem reachable at the moment #
  • 14:59 Friday ennui in full effect! Not helped by a depressing lunchtime trip into town (what a dump!) #
  • 16:16 Just trimmed my twitter feed - will probably still miss everything important #
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Thursday 29 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:08 Where is ubuntu 9.10? Yesterday it said 1 day to go, today it is coming soon! #
  • 15:37 Discovered the aural delights of OSI (prog experimental rock) is.gd/4Hffw sure @markhw42 would probably hate it! :-) #
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Wednesday 28 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:18 is www.airfix.com suffering from the James May effect? - an excellent program, Kids using sharp knives and glue sniffing! #
  • 14:22 Bob Ainsworth apologises for the unnecessary death of service men and Harriet Harman isn't even wearing a poppy! is.gd/4FUNp #
  • 16:33 Come on! I supposedly had 'swine flu' a few weeks back, so why do I feel ill again? #
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Tuesday 27 October 2009

Daily Tweats

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Monday 26 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 07:10 The Girls Aloud singer said reaching number one had put "a permanent smile on her face" bit.ly/1XOFXu - NO THAT WOULD BE THE BOTOX! #
  • 09:39 Would like to know how exactly the 'chip' appeared on the edge of the drivers door? Trip to Halfords to get some rubber protector strip! ;-) #
  • 09:43 RT @TechCrunch: Goodbye GeoCities: bit.ly/jb8Np - A tribute xkcd redesign: bit.ly/HenBp - BRILLIANT! #
  • 15:07 RT @radio4blog: Tell the sci-fi drama nut in your life that they can embed this mindblowing Planet B trailer anywhere bit.ly/31r2DK #
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Friday 23 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 12:23 It is turning in to a frustrating friday, project has turned into a broken mess within the space of 24 hours #
  • 15:02 from b3ta.. an unfortunate name is.gd/4xC4t #
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Thursday 22 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:03 #skypost ng24 6 Royal Mail could save money if they made the posties reuse the rubber bands - forever picking them up off the path! #
  • 11:00 Slowpoke - The Terminatrix pic.gd/f35fc2 #
  • 15:04 RT @TheOracleSpeak: Junk mail industry grinds to a halt as Royal Mail strike: digg.com/u1EqIm #
  • 16:10 Support Royal British Legion, add a #twibbon to your avatar now! - bit.ly/4AZ9S0 #
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Wednesday 21 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:07 Why not just let him go out and get his own food that would sort out his eating disorder! is.gd/4tM8s #
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Monday 19 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 22:00 Blog Daily Tweats: 10:01 Since 18 April 2004, I have listened to and logged over 90,000 songs! bit.ly/3kuV2A # 12:38... bit.ly/2dXlqI #
  • 09:22 I have it with this sinus headache, had it the best part of a month now so off to see Dr Death this evening #
  • 14:50 RT @thedailymash: EVERYONE TO RUN EVERYTHING BY STEPHEN FRY bit.ly/3vxLzY #
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Sunday 18 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:01 Since 18 April 2004, I have listened to and logged over 90,000 songs! bit.ly/3kuV2A #
  • 12:38 RT @gillardg: "Documentation is like sex; when it's good, it's very, very good, and when it's bad, it's better than nothing."Dick Brandon #
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Friday 16 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:17 RT @meandmybigmouth Can we get #janmoir trending? Read her vile piece here: bit.ly/kbgYo (via @markhw42) #
  • 14:57 RT @charltonbrooker: Mail website changes main Moir headline, leaves remnant on the right hand side: www.twitpic.com/lqchu #
  • 16:01 RT @janmoir: 100 followers! Ashton Kutcher here I come. [He's not one of them, is he?] #
  • 16:25 Large Hadron Collider being held back by its own future? is.gd/4mAAy #
  • 17:07 RT @charltonbrooker: Here you go: bit.ly/1UJjef #janmoir < a href="http://twitter.com/nerdsville/statuses/4919136927">#
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Thursday 15 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:17 Absolutely knackered today after a late night training, but it was encouraging to see Eddie zipping up and over the A-Frame! #
  • 09:20 RT @newsycombinator: Electromagnetic black hole bit.ly/2NMjwY #
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Wednesday 14 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 08:53 RT @thedailymash: SCHOOL LEAVERS NOT EVEN CLEVER ENOUGH TO WORK AT TESCO, SAYS TESCO BOSS bit.ly/ioI9G #
  • 08:56 Aldi and Lidl, are for highly educated people with a sense of irony who need something to talk about at dinner parties bit.ly/ioI9G #
  • 10:35 A catchy tune, a Stylophone and a video shot in Blackpool... should be #1 is.gd/4j0aW #
  • 12:20 when is a file access not a file access? when it happens on windows and you are using filesystemwatcher #
  • 16:15 Listening to: Machine Messiah by Yes. is.gd/4joma #
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Tuesday 13 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 15:15 Is spending the day listening to pretentious prog rock from Yes, how can you not smile at an album called Tales from Topographic Oceans? #
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Wednesday 7 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:15 Not feeling at all well, aching, sore throat and pounding headache #
  • 09:38 RT @Dr_Black: Interesting blog on postcodes from @iand bit.ly/k2dwl thx 2 @AntArch #
  • 11:44 Just had I never knew that moment... gmail ignores . characters in usernames! is.gd/42t8l #
  • 15:42 There is something rather satisfying about going through your music collection fixing tags and adding album art #
  • 16:56 RT @Man_in_a_Shed: 5,700 patients died or suffered serious harm due to errors over recent 6 months. tinyurl.com/ybwejel #WeLove TheNHS #
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Tuesday 6 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:34 Listening to: The Four Horsemen by Aphrodite's Child. is.gd/404aP #
  • 12:27 RT @The_MediaBlog: Daily Mail, eat your heart out. This is how to write a headline bit.ly/PSutY #
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Friday 2 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 16:36 LOL! Obama's magic deserts him... IOC say NO! #olympics #chicago #
  • 17:05 Call me Ishmael I have seen the great white fail whale.... is the world that bothered about where the Olympics are? #
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Thursday 1 October 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:05 RT @thedailymash: FUMP OFF, YOU BUNCH OF FUMPERS, SAYS MANDELSONtinyurl.com/ybr4pp3 (Fumping brilliant!) #
  • 14:20 Jesus! How can one man make so much noise eating fruit? #
  • 14:24 Bloody hell! He's just eaten a pear a noisy nectarine and now devouring an apple! #
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Tuesday 29 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 06:48 Charlie off for a day at vets, hopefully coming back with shiny clean teeth but might be missing a few! Just gave him a good morning cuddle #
  • 09:06 RT @TelegraphMG: Vodafone will sell the iPhone in the UK: bit.ly/cr5G5 #
  • 10:10 RT @bletchleypark: The Independent: bit.ly/3Qi7gU Huts Used to Defeat Nazis Rescued #BPark (via @corrosive6809 ) #
  • 10:41 RT @tweetmeme: The speech Safire wrote for Nixon if Apollo 11 astronauts were stranded on the moon. - Boing Boing retwt.me/ofzi #
  • 10:54 just messing about on the DVLA website with number plates - roll on December 2046 I could get AK47 GUN! #
  • 14:06 Just telephoned the vets, Charlie is okay and can be collected at afternoon surgery, not sure how many teeth he has left! #
  • 15:14 what a car crash of a speech! #gordon #
  • 15:16 with all the figures being shouted out, half expecting someone in the hall to shout "THATS NUMBERWANG!" #gordon #
  • 21:14 RT @BreakingNews: CNN: Tsunami in Samoa had a height of 23 foot; Reuters reports unknown number of fatalities in American Samoa. #
  • 21:25 Classic quote from Fringe "Well, we're all victim s of our own gene pool. Someone must have peed in yours" #
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Monday 28 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 08:53 "Connosr - The Whisky Social Network (Beta) - Discover, Review and Share Single Malt Whisky" (twitthis.com/c24uvm) #
  • 09:36 great, a promotion! Off to the sorting office to get an important package the Royal Fail didn't deliver! #
  • 10:37 Police catch bank robbers who used personalised number plate bit.ly/4hXc6S #
  • 11:09 Couldn't Brown dispel all the MAOIs rumors by throwing and attending a wine and cheese party for the press? #lab09 is.gd/3KdWG #
  • 12:09 Ros has just rung me from the garage, is she just about to sign the agreement on a new car? #
  • 12:35 RT @gabrielmilland: twitpic.com/jh7hj - Alistair Darling works his magic on an appreciative hall. #lab09 #
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Thursday 24 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:25 Wish I was a Corgi, left Eddie today upside down, legs in the air, snoring away - instead I am working! #
  • 09:51 RT @thedailymash: BANKRUPT BRITAIN FORCED TO GIVE UP WEAPONS IT NEVER NEEDEDtinyurl.com/lttvls #
  • 15:08 if you are going to modify a library then you might have least debugged it first rather than letting me totally break my app! #codemonkey #
  • 16:21 Ecclestone really is an idiot! is.gd/3DlwC #
  • 20:21 Listening to the Rock Show on Newark's Boundary Sound, well it's better than watching How clean is your house? - bit.ly/GDahe #
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Wednesday 23 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:06 I know which I would rather disappeared off my tv screen! is.gd/3AJOf #
  • 10:20 "Demon leaks thousands of customer details with ebills | Security | News | PC Pro" (twitthis.com/sgvx7q) #
  • 10:26 RT @charltonbrooker: Down With Grammar: bit.ly/3iUmG4 #
  • 17:02 Absolutely shattered, pounding headache and the likely prospect of an argument when I get home.. life is so sweet #
  • 17:10 all the world needs a spell checker! trending at the moment... gaddafi, gadhafi, ghadafi, qadaffi, qaddafi, qadhafi #
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Tuesday 22 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 22:37 Well off to London tomorrow on business... not often they let the code monkeys out of their cages #
  • 14:30 Sitting in a traffic jam on the M1 #
  • 17:12 Cannot wait to go home and shower off the hideous stench of London #
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Monday 21 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 20:00 Off to watch some freaks on University Challenge... #
  • 20:04 well Magdalene College didn't let me down.... freaks! :-) #
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Sunday 20 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:37 Is wonder just how many more backups of important data he can make before switching harddrives1 #
  • 10:43 RT @andreisavu: Guy asks software maker for a crack, read the serial keys they provide him with. ff.im/-8pJLV #
  • 17:07 tweeting from a nice new fast fresh install of windows #
  • 21:25 He has become a handsome corgi flic.kr/p/6ZN9Tk #
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Saturday 19 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 18:38 Why can't women just say " can't speak right now I'll call you later" and hang up the phone? #
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Thursday 17 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:37 lol instruction of the day "The Nipples MUST be tightened by hand. Using tools to tighten the nipples may break the tip of the nipples" #
  • 17:02 Just moved into another cooler office, a bit nearer the MD, suppose it's a type of promotion. #
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Wednesday 16 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 08:47 well after a few hours work, got a nice new fully up to date virgin XP with Office installed.. now to make a drive image! #
  • 15:40 How much money has Sky wasted on 'special reports from Columbine' in anticipation of a guilty verdict? - CPS Epic Fail! is.gd/3leBQ #
  • 15:47 Renault F1 - admit they are guilty! Surely a clear case of reckless endangerment? is.gd/3lff8 #
  • 16:49 researching possible beaches to take the dogs to at the weekend, Skegness is the obvious choice but hate the chav factor #
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Tuesday 15 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 05:09 RIP Patrick Swayze #
  • 08:27 The irony "500 - Server Processing Error" on the Dell support website #dellsucks #
  • 16:47 "Warning: Showers can seriously damage your health • The Register" (twitthis.com/bodsbg) #
  • 17:14 another good day at the office, really getting the hang of c# produced some handy test applications/utilities for my current project! #
  • 21:46 don't believe it, just discovered my ancient dell has the case/cpu fan installed backward, no wonder it got hot! bit.ly/UNXZq #
  • 21:50 fans cleaned, new chipset heatsink fitted, 500GB drive currently formatting (slowly) latest drivers and XP disk to hand! - what fun! #
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Monday 14 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 12:06 awaiting arrival of the insurance claims investigator ! Don't you just love people trying to sue you for something you had no control over? #
  • 17:04 A massive leap forward with this project today, hopes the boss will be impressed! #
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Sunday 13 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 14:53 Great yet again Pinnacle Studio has decided to crash half way through an edit.. what a pile of S**t #
  • 15:44 Oh happy memories! RT @BuckoA51: Gotta fookin improve intit! Make framework easier to install intit! technical manager and I cant work MSVC #
  • 15:46 Success! only the 3rd/4th/5th (I lost count) attempt to edit Eddie's first efforts at agility into something watchable - just rendering now! #
  • 16:38 I uploaded a YouTube video -- Eddie's 1st Agility Class bit.ly/1b7coD #
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Saturday 12 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 07:46 Should have dumped vuze/azureus months ago - bloated and slow compared to the official bit torrent client #
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Friday 11 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:39 RT @thedailymash: EVERYONE NOW ASSUMING YOU'RE A KIDDIE-FIDDLER tinyurl.com/klhb7b #
  • 11:28 on a mission to discover the joys of SQL, haven't found one yet! #
  • 11:55 RT @TechCrunch Somebody Has To Say It: It's Time For iTunes Lite bit.ly/1skDlv #
  • 17:24 RT @RealBillBailey: check out de Burgh's latest outburst is.gd/39q9Q-"riffling through the garbage bins of despair" Class! #
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Thursday 10 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:01 Just been completely unable to log in to blt.ly using IE8/FF3.5 but worked with IE6.... take that #IE6MustDie #
  • 09:12 Doing some cleaning up of passwords, favourites etc. Logged on to inform the microchipping company of poor old Basil's demise last year #
  • 09:44 why have a captcha so difficult that after 8 attempts I haven't got past it... well website you aren't that important!, screw you! #
  • 10:59 Listening to: Shadows by God Is an Astronaut. is.gd/36sqs #
  • 12:39 "Yeah, thats right sweetheart, ergonomic management keyboard" tr.im/ykt6 #pee pshow #
  • 16:18 I am seething! Being tarred with the same brush as a certified imbecile! #
  • 16:53 Feels another facepalm coming on! #
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Wednesday 9 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:33 really should get on with some work - just don't know where to start! #
  • 14:17 RT @radio4blog: This week's archival treat: all of Douglas Adams' Last Chance to See #Radio4 programmes from 1989 bit.ly/227jbE #
  • 14:54 what happened to my blt.ly account? site seems to have developed amnesia and won't let me log in #
  • 15:05 Think I need to invest in a decent password manager, my memory isn't what it used to be! Any suggestions? #
  • 15:35 09-09-09 what a coincidence it's the day that Eddie starts proper grown-up agility training - videos will be posted! #
  • 17:25 decided to give lastpass a go... is.gd/3598m #
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Tuesday 8 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 14:04 The politics of fear (bit.ly/Ol6V9) masking the news that troops died so they could hold a crooked election! (bit.ly/IZPVF) #
  • 14:48 Just backed up important stuff, looks like yet another hard drive is suffering a slow painful death! #
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Monday 7 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:57 Reading: "Coding Horror: If It Looks Corporate, Change It" (twitthis.com/i6v4d5) #
  • 12:15 well twitthis.com you can now f*** off, sending spam on my account because I didn't uncheck a box! #
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Thursday 3 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 12:30 Spam message of the day "who cares about your personality if you have a large device between your legs." #
  • 14:49 "A blast from the past, kudos to the reverse engineering, but why bother? " (twitthis.com/lfedxh) #
  • 16:29 RT @mashable Honda Accord Crosstour Damaged In Facebook Hit and Run bit.ly/4ags22 #
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Tuesday 1 September 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:49 Take four red capsules. In 10 minutes, take two more. Help is on the way #
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Sunday 30 August 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 08:55 Damn you VLC when you do an update don't decide to steal all the file associations! #
  • 10:39 Listening to: Ghostdancing by Simple Minds. is.gd/2HgYq #
  • 16:06 I uploaded a YouTube video -- Boris Dashin Dogs Grade 6 Jumping - 2nd bit.ly/gAGYL #
  • 16:27 I uploaded a YouTube video -- Boris/Charlie Dashin Dogs Grade 6 Jumping - 1st and 2nd bit.ly/7FJSj #
  • 16:29 I uploaded a YouTube video -- Boris/Charlie Dashin Dogs Grade 6/7 Combined Jumping - Clears bit.ly/146MJa #
  • 16:29 I uploaded a YouTube video -- Charlie Boris Dashin Helter Skelter (Boris 4th) bit.ly/3gnvfs #
  • 16:48 I uploaded a YouTube video -- Boris Gets Some Contacts bit.ly/1dhPUk #
  • 16:49 I uploaded a YouTube video -- Boris & Den Dashin Dogs bit.ly/Ngzv3 #
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Wednesday 19 August 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 08:12 Listening to: Bulletproof by La Roux. is.gd/2o1IA #
  • 08:19 It's psychosomatic. You need a lobotomy. I'll get a saw bit.ly/pmf2j #
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Tuesday 18 August 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:13 Been up since 4am coding so I can clear the decks before Friday... time for another cup of coffee me thinks #
  • 17:25 Nearly home time, but time for a Nice Cup of Tea! #
  • 20:19 What a stink! - the smell outside could be the aroma of a 1000 strong zombie horde on it's way to eat my brains, or it's the river Trent #
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Friday 26 June 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 23:50 RT @warrenellis: Yes, it does occur to me that right now everyone in Iran's going "why the hell can't we get on Twitter?" #
  • 06:46 RT @guardiantech: Web grinds to a halt after Michael Jackson dies bit.ly/4YTpM (be should be ok if nuclear war breaks out!) #
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Thursday 25 June 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 13:00 That's it! After nearly 3 years tonight is the last time I have to go to a committee! meeting! #
  • 16:40 RT @ConHomeTim: Just pre-recorded for BBC1 Six'o'clock News; 'Cameron could shoot Tory MPs and public anger still wouldn't be satisfied' #
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Watchmen

I have never read Alan Moore's graphic novel but did watch the film last night (not sure exactly how it got on my computer harddrive, think it was mix of newsgroups and voodoo!) While not exactly a DVD rip, or indeed a decent R5 version it was watchable.



I hadn't got any preconceived ideas of what to expect (other than I knew it involved superheroes in an alternative reality 1980s) but must say I was pretty impressed with what I saw (and not just the thigh eye latex and rubber of the Silk Spectre or indeed the glowing blue appendage of Dr Manhattan)

Wednesday 24 June 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:12 Think I might be doing too much judging this year, seem to be constantly designing courses! Suffering a bit of designer's block! #
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Tuesday 23 June 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 15:04 That's the signpost up ahead — your next stop, the Twilight Zone. #
  • 16:03 Setanta goes bust - why is that not a surprise? #
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Monday 22 June 2009

Daily Tweats

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Thursday 18 June 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 07:17 Got my computer back up and running! #
  • 16:52 RT @windley: PETA sent a "humane fly trap" to Obama after he killed a fly on TV. Give me a break... #
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Friday 12 June 2009

Daily Tweats

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Thursday 11 June 2009

Daily Tweats

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Friday 15 May 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:33 Is struggling to stay awake #
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Thursday 14 May 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:22 Had my MOT today! Officially morbidly obese , cholesterol through the roof and probably clinically depressed... wow I feel so much better. #
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Wednesday 6 May 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:16 Nursing a sore back after falling down the stairs this morning, tripped on one of Eddie's toys #
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Tuesday 5 May 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:21 Are touchscreen self-check in systems in GP surgeries good infection control? All those sick people touching the same surface? #
  • 12:06 Is feeling faint, had a fasting blood test this morning but not eaten anything since! #
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Thursday 30 April 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 08:08 Can't help thinking that I should really be too old to be enjoying the Prodigy's Invaders Must Die album.. not sure what Eddie makes of rave #
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Wednesday 29 April 2009

Daily Tweats

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Tuesday 28 April 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 22:38 TomTom Support FAIL! - yes I did try turning it off and on! #
  • 10:37 Another day, another pointless response from TomTom support #
  • 12:15 Can't believe Sky are reporting a 3.7 magnitude earthquake in Cumbria! There are only about 49,000 a year bit.ly/SskU6 #
  • 12:22 at last a RMA from TomTom #
  • 12:52 Should I be worried that Firefox seems to be updated at an alarming rate lately or content that they are fixing security issues quickly? #
  • 15:04 RT @bengoldacre: Skivers!: spreadtweet rly.cc/8VKn8 #
  • 16:40 RT @bengoldacre: "cc all your emails to Jacqui Smith" Day: Labour are now an urgent threat to liberty, they must go. rly.cc/8C5Bo #
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Monday 27 April 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:29 Tomtom! - The issue isn't with my PC, the drive in my GO 910 seems to have died! It is just over 2 yrs old & cost £350, Sales of goods act?? #
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A Successful Agility Weekend

I have decided to give my loyal readers a rest bite from the seemingly endless and pointless 'Daily Tweet' posts.

Over the weekend we travelled down to the Newbury Show Ground, complete with caravan to compete at the Working Belgium Shepherd Dog Society Agility Show.

Boris and Charlie excelled themselves and picked up some places, Boris did exceptionally well winning two classes and coming second in another. The classes had nearly 80 dogs and the standard of competition was high.

It has given me a much needed boost to my enthusiasm as I had almost decided over the winter to give up the sport, but when I see how much the dogs enjoy it could I really deprive them of it?

Here are the videos of the runs.







Wednesday 22 April 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 14:40 RT @bobbi10100: Don't think much to the budget...it's a load of poo! #
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Saturday 18 April 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:58 Worth forsaking my lie in to watch the F1 qualifying - perhaps Brawn isn't quite as dominating as the doomsayers would have us think #
  • 16:03 RT @bengoldacre: Bohemian Rhapsody for scanner, floppy disk, and 8bit computer: respect rly.cc/qt1yw #
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Friday 17 April 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 08:58 I am wondering if I should buy some "Just for men" to hide the grey hairs.! (sounds more like jazz mag than a bottle of hair colour ) #
  • 10:58 RT @bobbi10100 Running Gt North 10K for Childrens Hospice, would you support by re-tweet/follow pls? tinyurl.com/asdq66 #
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Tuesday 14 April 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 15:56 Getting back into work mode after Easter break is always hard #
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Thursday 2 April 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 10:39 Formula 1 is now a farce - results changed twice since the weekend & now Hamilton disqualified after driving a blinder bit.ly/whePy #
  • 14:49 thank God (whatever he/she/it may be) for Lidocaine and Zinc Oxide #
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Wednesday 1 April 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 11:08 Can some one please design a multimeter with a continuity test mode that emits a nice melody rather than an ear splitting hi-pitched beep? #
  • 15:38 RBS unprepared for the downturn, now unprepared for a riot! Taxpayer money and resources used to bail them out again! bit.ly/yickr #
  • 16:47 RT @channel4news: C4 News "Burying-badnews-watch" - the count so far: tinyurl.com/cx722aKeep the suggestions coming #
  • 16:48 RT @channel4news: C4 News "Burying-badnews-watch" - the count so far: tinyurl.com/cx722a #
  • 16:55 beep beep beep - it is starting to annoy me now! #
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Tuesday 31 March 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 08:44 Didn't give after the first day, back on the bike again today! #
  • 17:15 Well on the second day I suffered a puncture #
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Monday 30 March 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 09:57 Cycled to work today, but will my fitness regime last? #
  • 10:05 I worked hard to get a few A B and some C grade in my school exams, now everyone gets A* - now we know why! bit.ly/tIeuZ #
  • 14:43 Catch22: Need to exercise and lose weight but too fat to ride bike without almost having a heart attack! How much for liposuction? #
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Tuesday 24 March 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 08:59 Feeling happy after getting nearly £20 a month slashed off my broadband and phone package #
  • 20:20 Some great home truths, same the grinning idiot didn't listen bit.ly/UaHt #
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Monday 23 March 2009

Daily Tweats

  • 22:41 looks like I have got some form of wierd blogpost tweat recursion going on... will fix when not drunk #
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Gaza and the West Bank

b3ta.com come up with the goods once again

Saturday 21 March 2009

Daily Twitter Posts

  • 22:32 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:35 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:36 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts.. bit.ly/7b3wq #
  • 07:29 BlogPost: Links for 2009-03-20 [del.icio.us]: disambiguity � Ambient Intimacy bit.ly/OwJoz #
  • 21:12 I haven't had hiccups in years #
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Friday 20 March 2009

Daily Twitter Posts

  • 22:35 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:36 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 07:18 Beavers for England? Bet the .. bit.ly/5rwiP #
  • 07:12 @corrosive6809 @bobbi10100 hey don't knock Jilly! Should I admit to once having a weird crush on her? #
  • 07:16 @markhw42 Who is that a review of? ;-) #
  • 10:04 @corrosive6809 does that mean you now have gainful employment? #
  • 12:13 RT @Glinner: Please RT: Update and gameplan on Dunblane/Express campaign... bit.ly/18eaWN #
  • 12:17 RT @dizzy_thinks: Twitter worm vulnerability: bit.ly/Bdagp #
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Thursday 19 March 2009

Daily Twitter Posts

  • 22:36 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 07:18 Beavers for England? Bet the comics have fun with this story bit.l.. bit.ly/KW4EB #
  • 10:57 The global financial crisis (and unplayable DVDs) came from America bit.ly/pwZOY #
  • 12:32 BlogPost: Battlestar Galactica is brilliant TV "So Say We All": Today on the Guardian website is a shor.. bit.ly/huLyI #
  • 15:04 @derekdraper "like many busy families, we are lucky enough to have a cleaner" not many 'non-toff' families I know can afford this luxury #
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Battlestar Galactica is brilliant TV "So Say We All"



Today on the Guardian website is a short and good summation of the TV phenomena known as Battlestar Galactica.

I've watched all of the re-imagined BSG episodes since it first appeared on Sky TV back in 2004. After five years this weekend sees everything draw to a close with the broadcast of the final episode.

I won't go into the brilliance of the series or it's political and social commentary, you can read that in the review and on wikipedia.

I will comment on how refreshing it is that this science fiction series will actually finish and hopefully complete all the plot arcs and answer all the questions raised. Too often promising series have been cancelled mid season leaving views cheated, or they have been dragged out far too long losing sight of their original vision (X-Files anyone?)

Perhaps we will find out what happened to Boxey? (maybe not)

Wednesday 18 March 2009

Daily Twitter Posts

  • 07:18 Beavers for England? Bet the comics have fun with this story bit.ly/nBchd #
  • 07:30 BlogPost: Links for 2009-03-17 [del.icio.us]: For the first time in 35 years I'm out of work. I didn'.. bit.ly/2IFQ #
  • 10:11 will Radio4 please stop changing the data rate on DAB! It confuses my ancient ModularTech PCI Card #
  • 16:36 RT @Glinner: bit.ly/3hukrY Please retweet this if you agree with the sentiments. My take on the Express/Dunblane story #
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Tuesday 17 March 2009

Daily Twitter Posts

  • 22:33 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:31 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:32 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts.. bit.ly/25cUdv #
  • 06:24 RT @markhw42: Hypocritical tabloid hack gets taken down: tinyurl.com/d72kyv live by the sword die by the pen #
  • 11:33 BlogPost: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Isn't The Answer: The Daily Mail has an interesting article tod.. bit.ly/ZU0X8 #
  • 14:13 jobseeker told to cut back on interviews because it was costing too much bit.ly/MNTXs #
  • 15:23 Just read the weirdest story of the day - "woman attacks wife with turkey baster full of her brothers joy juice" bit.ly/QDE6 #
  • 15:28 RT @SocietyGuardian: Society news: Health secretary apologises over damning report on Mid Staffordshire NHS trust bit.ly/tnFeR #
  • 17:33 BlogPost: Formula 1 Rule Changes - WTF?: So two weeks before the race season starts and the World Motor.. bit.ly/XNo7D #
  • 20:03 @derekdraper While CBT might help some it is a cheap 'cop out' treatment in my view - "cheer up things aren't that bad" bit.ly/zSKJ #
  • 20:04 @iaindale Rosk taking? Isn't that what they do to naughty babies? ;-) #
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Formula 1 Rule Changes - WTF?


So two weeks before the race season starts and the World Motor Sport Council decides to change the rules yet again, the driver with the most wins now gets the F1 title!

Teams have been working to develop cars for the numerous technical rule changes brought in for the new season, strategies for the season have been worked out and that work and investment has probably been dealt a blow.

The old system meant that a team and driver who found themselves consistent but not quite up there with the fastest cars could at keep themselves in contention with lower places, but not now. One strong team and driver and the whole championship could be decided at the half way point.

The BBC have listed past F1 championships that would have had different outcomes with these new rules and apart from last year where Ferrari and Massa lost the championship on the last bend of the last race (with the added embarrassment of the world watching them celebrate prematurely only to then realise they had in fact lost it) you have to go back to 1989 to find one!

So Bernie Eccleston wants more overtaking? Change the rules to allow it! Last year Hamilton and Massa were two drivers who actually tried to overtake and both of them were heavily penalised by over-zealous stewards for racing incidents. Lets not forget many independent observers believe Hamilton was stripped of a vital win in the latter part of last year's competition.

The FIA and WMSC are are often accused of being pro-Ferrari and the cynic in me can't help but wonder if the rule change was proposed and adopted for their benefit (at least they didn't opt for the idiotic Eccleston medals option)

However it might not be quite as clear cut now with the reassurance of the ex-Honda team now re badged Brawn GP who have shocked everyone with their pace during pre-season testing. This coupled with the ban on mid-season testing might give them an edge in the early races.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Isn't The Answer



The Daily Mail has an interesting article today about the pro and cons of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a short-term psychological treatment based on the idea that negative thinking and behaviour can trigger problems such as depression or panic attacks.

During treatment, the therapist helps you identify these negative thoughts - and encourages you to work out a way of looking at things more positively. CBT is used to help with a wide range of mental health and physical conditions, including phobias, anger, relationship problems, sleep problems and eating disorders.

The process was developed by the American psychiatrist Aaron Beck in the Sixties. He believed that our emotions and moods were influenced by our patterns of thinking.

But rather than focusing on past events in your life such as your childhood - as most of the older psychotherapies do - CBT focuses on the here and now.
Fearing the growing recession will cause a depression epidemic, the Government recently announced funding for hundreds more therapists trained in CBT. This is on top of the 10,000 new therapists promised two years ago.

The Mail article features psychologist Oliver James who argues that this is a waste of money as CBT doesn’t work, while psychotherapist Derek Draper argues that it really does transform lives.

James argues that CBT is nothing but personal spin, so it is slightly ironic that the case for the defence is the ex-labour spin doctor Draper.

In the past I have had treatment for depression brought on my death of my father due to cancer and intolerable pressure at work. As well as being prescribed anti-depressants I also had sessions with a therapist, these sessions were in my opinion a waste of our time as she insisted on dwelling on my negative thoughts, poor self esteem and personal relationships rather than the real reason I was depressed which was crippling grief and an unsympathetic employer. The pills and being signed off work were what helped me recover and not the ridiculous hand-wringing navel gazing weeping sessions.

I now know the therapist was using CBT, It was a short course of sessions and involved filling in before and after questionnaires and I agree with James assertions.
If given no treatment, most people with depression drift in and out of it. After 18 months, those given CBT have no better mental health than ones who have been untreated.

Yet the claims that the Government has made for this method have been dishonest. CBT’s inefficacy becomes explicable once you understand just how shallow a form of psychiatric spin-doctoring it is.

The patient is taught a story to tell themselves, a relentlessly positive one. If the therapist is skilled, the patient persuades themselves and others that they are feeling good.

When tested, they often regurgitate the positive story, literally placing ticks in the right boxes of the questionnaires used by researchers to evaluate their mental state.

CBT does have some short-term effect: while undergoing it, people admit to fewer and less intense symptoms. But a few months after the therapy, their negativity forces itself to the surface and they cease telling the positive story.

Re-tested, they no longer tick the right boxes. The initial gains measured in CBT patients are often a simple parroting of what they have been taught, rather than expressing their real state.
Interestingly James backs up his arguments with scientific studies and reports, while Draper who is a proponent of CBT just argues that it works for some people. James acknowledges that fact but his argument is that it doesn't work for sufficient numbers to warrant the investment and the money should be made on different treatments with a higher success rate even suggesting Cognitive Analytic Therapy, or the Hoffman Process.

Whilst driving home last week I caught the back end of an discussion about CBT on the BBC Radio4 PM program, where Oliver James was being interviewed. He made a coherent and strong argument and I found myself agreeing completely with everything he said.

Unfortunately it is now unavailable online but there are plenty of comment on the PM and iPM Blogs.

Just a note, Don't do a Google image search for CBT without a the safe filter on, will make your eyes water!

Monday 16 March 2009

Daily Twitter Posts

  • 22:31 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:32 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:35 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts.. bit.ly/B6NAD #
  • 08:10 Hard hitting political debate? Yeah right! More like puerile playground games from the man with 2 MAs don't you know! bit.ly/7Wzmi #
  • 10:12 RT @markhw42: Chris Tarrant arrested... But did his use his one phone call to phone a friend? *gets coat* #
  • 14:38 Catching up with some Radiolab podcasts, just listened to Jerry Coyne's experience of a botfly larva eating his scalp! bit.ly/133lnb #
  • 16:38 BlogPost: I am not a binge drinker - why should I be punished?: Well this weekend we had the ridiculous.. bit.ly/fhhVW #
  • 17:40 jobless to receive £300 for an interview suit! bit.ly/k6F1 #
  • 21:18 I can't help but wonder if the answer is staring her in the face (when looking in a mirror!) bit.ly/LXXO #
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I am not a binge drinker - why should I be punished?


Well this weekend we had the ridiculous proposal for a the introduction of a 'minimum price' for a unit of alcohol to cure binge drinking.

However realising the political damage that such a proposal would have the Government are currently back peddling to distance themselves from it.

The problem with the proposal is many people are asking "Why should the majority of the public who are responsible drinkers be punished for the actions of a minority?" It is also obvious that the prosperous in society wouldn't be inconvenienced in the slightest by this "minimum price" so it would be another tax on the law abiding poor.

The price and availability of alcohol are often cited as the main reasons for binge drinking and the anti-social effects it has. Ironically it was this Labour government that relaxed the licensing laws in 2005 to bring 24 hour alcohol availability. It was claimed at the time it would reduce binge drinking, people were seduced by the promised 'cafe-culture' seen in continental Europe.

Well clearly that utopia never arrived and back in 2007 Gordon Brown said binge-drinking was "unacceptable" and that he would "not hesitate to change policies" if he thought this was necessary.

Well despite these promises they seemed to have done nothing, even Cabinet Ministers now admit that they are bereft of ideas on how to tackle the problem, but they seem hell bent on attacking the supply of alcohol rather than demand for it.

The most frequent reason cited for binge-drinking is escapism. Amongst bar staff, patrons, police and alcohol referral workers binge-drinking was viewed as a method by which people could temporarily break loose from their personal and professional responsibilities.

On bar manager was quoted

"People drink to escape their own lives — the problem has been developing over thirty years, it's a release for the working class to forget their hard monotonous jobs"
Perhaps the Government should address this factor? Other societies such as on continental Europe seem able to cope with a drinking culture without the accompanying mayhem we experience in the UK.

Is alcohol now the solution and a scapegoat for the anger, tensions, resentments and inequalities in today's society? Is 2009 society so dystopian that a large number of it's populace think their only means of escape is to drink themselves to death?

God I need a drink!

Sunday 15 March 2009

Daily Twitter Posts

  • 22:32 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:35 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 23:40 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts.. bit.ly/i0F8T #
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Saturday 14 March 2009

Daily Twitter Posts

  • 22:35 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 23:40 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:33 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts.. bit.ly/GGyq #
  • 07:30 BlogPost: Links for 2009-03-13 [del.icio.us]: Compromising Electromagnetic Emanations of Wired and Wi.. bit.ly/UP3b8 #
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Friday 13 March 2009

Daily Twitter Posts

  • 23:40 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:33 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts: 22:37 BlogPost: Daily Twitter Posts.. bit.ly/GZWUg #
  • 10:01 What next? Will it turn out he only played Little Big Planet & SuperMario Galaxy? bit.ly/uo32a #
  • 11:04 not a good idea have 3 browser tabs open on Google Reader it was getting a bit confused as to what I'd read or not read bit.ly/CLgo8 #
  • 13:36 BlogPost: What am I doing on Red Nose Day?: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!So it's that time again... is it really .. bit.ly/2VgB15 #
  • 14:56 funniest thing I've seen in ages, a Y-reg Rover 25 being driven by a flat-cap old man with a 'for sale' sign on the back.. £2,100 o.n.o #
  • 17:35 BlogPost: Stephen Fry Eating A Pie: A bit of comic relief from Tart Monkey on B3ta.com bit.ly/nIoS #
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Stephen Fry Eating A Pie

A bit of comic relief from Tart Monkey on B3ta.com

What am I doing on Red Nose Day?

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

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So it's that time again... is it really only on every two years? ...yes it is the nation wide guilt-fest known as 'Red Nose Day' The bi-annual semi-holiday when normal people become all faux-zany for the sake of charity! Schools have non-uniform days, workplaces are full of idiots with dyed red hair - the general public go around wearing ridiculous plastic red noses which they obtained after making a small donation at supermarkets and petrol stations "oh I just fancy a few bars of chocolate, beer and a tank of diesel while I am here"

This year the patronising slogan is "do something funny for money" - while some will decide this involves spending the day sitting in baths of baked beans, I am sure many this year will be thinking "I would rather be doing a job for money!"

As usual the entire evening's output of the BBC will be turned over to the cause in the form of a telethon where celebrities like Jonathan Ross (who reportedly earns £6m/year from the BBC) will bully the watching public to hand over their hard-earned wages to charity!

The 'funny sketches', 'specials' and 'free adverts for rubbish TV programs you would normally never watch' will be interspersed with special reports where celebrities, that have been sent to these deprived countries, can look into the HD-camera with tear-filled eyes and say something along the lines of “your money helped pay for this, please give us some more”

How much money is spent on this sentimental crap? What is the cost of flying a camera crew out to Africa? How much did these celebrities claim on expenses?

This year a bunch of nonentities including Gary Barlow, Ronan Keating, Chris Moyles, Ben Shephard, Cheryl Cole, Kimberley Walsh, Fearne Cotton, Alesha Dixon and Denise Van Outen climbed Africa's highest mountain to raise money. Even Gordon Brown took time out of saving the world to get in on the publicity bandwagon.

They did raise £1.3m which is laudable but how much did the whole venture cost and who paid for it? I am sure the financial cost of that group climbing Kilamanjaro was huge.

The cynic within me is convinced that many of the celebrities are just involved for the publicity rather than the cause. If they were then I am sure a sizeable donation from their own bulging wage packets would go some way to solving world hunger?

Reading this incredulous report on the BBC News website today about The Saturdays (responsible for this year's atrocious cover version charity single) was the last straw for me
"We're working the hardest we've ever worked to promote a single because it's so important to us that people go out there and buy it because it's for such an important cause."
Bollocks! Not only does the article manage to advertise Red Bull (as a rock and roll drink!) but it also contains this little gem.

First, it is only their fourth single and secondly, the track is for Comic Relief.

"We were honoured to be asked so early on in our career," says Molly.

"We're so happy to do it, and do everything we can to help it. It's amazing we can."

I hadn't even heard of The Saturdays, so getting involved is obviously helping to publicise them and listening to their record they will need all the help they can get with their career, especially as they no longer have the Woolworth's bargain bin to shift their dire albums.

I am sure many of the redundant shop workers would happily trade places and work as hard as them for the money they are undoubtedly going to make on the back of this 'charity work'