Wake up!

"You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes."

I musta taken the red one. Damn. Rabbits everywhere.

Netbook

I read about these little computers and then found out that one in particular could run OS X.
Oooh, I thought, that would be really cool and I could just shove it in my camera bag with a portable drive saving me lugging about my considerably larger laptop.

I bought a Dell Mini 9, a few days before they stopped manufacturing them - obviously not an early adopter, eh?
Still, a very nice little machine running XP at present but 2GB RAM and a 32GB SSD to be installed and then it's OS X here we come.

It is very handy to read the news at breakfast...it's main use so far. Free wifi about the urban areas will be a boon when I am out and about!

The dell outlet have plenty of refurbs on offer (you think I stumped up for a new one? Pah! They even had a 100 quid off offer on which, of course, I took full advantage of.)

Blogging on the move also. Kewl.

Kodachrome RIP

How photography has changed, most professional colour work is now digital. With the end of production of Kodachrome we see the end of something special. It was the de-facto standard for professional colour photography for decades, even if it had a greenish tinge or a magneta tinge depending on it's age.

My interaction with it was short, in the early nineties. I much preferred the saturated colours of Fujichrome products. I blame youth. Now I would use Kodachrome.

I'm sure I can aquire a plugin for photoshop.....not the same at all really.
A projected slide is something to behold, especially one with the fine detail of Kodachrome. I suppose I could get my digital files written to film and project those if I wanted. I think I'll add that to my "to do sometime" list.

Litha

Happy Solstice people.

Peace and happiness to all.

Poison

Just say no to fluoridation.

I haven't used fluoride toothpaste in over 10 years and have only had one filling needed in that time. I used fluoride toothpaste up until then and have numerous fillings. Not a scientific argument but if I want to use a product with fluoride I can go and purchase it.

I do not want it in my drinking water.

There was a fluoride trial here in NI many years ago and it was let lapse and the area concerned never informed. They were never told as the powers that be thought the people might go public with their indignation.

We in NI are fluoride free at present even though dosing stations were built at many large reservoirs. The one thing added to our drinking water at present, that I do not agree with, is ortho-phosphoric acid. This is only added to ,ahem, protect those householders who have lead pipes. It is supposed to form a coating of lead phosphate on the pipes and thus prevent leaching of lead into the drinking water of the said individuals who have lead pipes leading into their homes. This happens because NIW are responsible for the water as it leaves the tap, even though they aren't responsible for the pipe work inside your property. So our drinking water has an acid added to it to protect the few at the expense of the many. Madness.

Sunday rant over.

I'm back.

Offline

I've been away but skirting around the edges here and there.

Bereavement in the family.

Fake normality has kicked in.

Expect something pithy sometime soon.

Go Greece

Greece has proper privacy laws for their citizens.

We should too.

Life begins at 40

I've turned 40. It didn't hurt.

I realise I didn't post for over a month.....no excuses, just didn't feel the urge.

I have taken up my favourite instrument, the saxophone.

I dearly hope I can release my inner Charlie Parker though it may take me a few years (one lives in hope).

Hopefully the weather will stay pleasant for some gardening this weekend.

I'm off to get saxy.

Memery

Via Nick......

I have: A wonderful relationship with my wife, a sense of wonder about the world and a feeling that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I wish: I could fly (no, really), that I had no need for money, that certain things in my life weren’t so damned difficult and that certain members of my extended family could have perfect health.

I fear: the worst but hope for the best.

I wonder: how bad things will get before people have had enough.

I regret: A few things in my life but nothing that hinders my progress as an evolving human being

I love: My wife and my family, photography, music, cooking, red wine, good beer, malt whisk(e)y, reading and thinking.

I always: Wonder if I could have done it better, look for the good points in people, get disappointed in males of the macho bullshit persuasion as they haven’t evolved past adolescence yet, enjoy good food and good company.

I usually: sit back and watch those around me puff their chests out and laugh inwardly whilst they do it, cook in our house, laugh out loud at things which I find amusing and scratch my head at people who are selfish.

I am not: a fan of sport, a political animal/career ladder climber or a fan of laddishness.

I dance: far too infrequently nowadays though I used to do so on a weekly basis.
I sing: the odd time, not too often.

I never: eat meat, say never, play rugby, juggle, hurt other people to get ahead.

I rarely: get really angry, shout at people, say snide things or fart in public.

I cry: on occasion, last time being the end of Gran Torino (who would have thunk it?)


I need: to get fit, to continue with my plan for growing vegetables in the back garden, the love of my wife, to keep in touch with old friends more often.

I should: Be more positive, more conscientious, care more about those around me and pay more attention to peoples micro expressions so I know when they are lying to me! ( I’m getting better at it)

Fight The Power II

Fight The Power II

So, Sir David Omand has come up with the idea that none of us should have any privacy.
I think we should start with him and publicly display transcripts of all his conversations, anything ever typed on his computer, all his travel plans and arrangements and let’s throw caution to the wind, details of his children too.

Do you think he would think it a good idea?

I think not.

This little fascist will lead the government into deciding that this is “best” for us all.
He must be stopped.

This is the road to fascism, just ask the people of former East Germany. They were shocked and amazed at the scope of the intrusion into their lives.
They found out after the wall came down.

The Stasi had samples of their clothing kept in jars so as to aid sniffer dogs, should they need to. Not if they were after someone suspected of true criminality but samples of EVERYONE.

This is what Herr Omand wants. Total lack of privacy for the entire population.

FIGHT THE POWER !

We must not let this happen.