Images From London
With one day left on my contract in London, I have started taking photographs of colleagues and places - and writing a lot in my notebook.
Posts from 2007
4 Days Left In London
It is Monday morning. I have 4 days left working in London. In a strange sort of way I am going to miss the people I work with - for the last 10 months I hav...
Find Me Some Christmas Spirit
For some reason, Christmas isn’t happening in our house. Neither of us have any will to do anything remotely connected with Christmas. We’re wondering if it’...
An Image Speaks A Thousand Words
We were given a 20 minute video of our future children last night by their foster carer.
Fishy Fishy Fishy
I promised to post some photos of our fish, and here they are…
Rumours Of My Demise
The reason for so few blog posts - and so few comments from me on other’s blogs over the last several days - has been the finale in the saga of my body’s def...
Mybook Solves Storage Problem
The nice man from the post office arrived at our door yesterday carrying a parcel from Amazon. Unwrapping it revealed the Western Digital “MyBook” we bought ...
Missed The Best Party Of The Year
We are both at home ill now, and made to feel even worse by the knowledge that we missed W’s work’s christmas party last night - which was held at Pinewood s...
Webdrifter Gets All Galactic
I discovered a new video podcast this morning - Webdrifter. It’s part of the Revision 3 network, which also put out Diggnation and GigaOM.
The One About Python And Sqlite
This marks the first time I have written a technical post in the blog since I “crossed the streams” (in true Ghostbusters fashion) a little while ago. Many o...
Still Coughing Still Sniffing And Sneezing
This is getting beyond a joke - I have now been ill for nearly a month and a half. I’m inclined to think that I have actually had three different colds back ...
Sex Trends On Google
Give me ten minutes free time on the internet, and look what I come up with. I typed the word “sex” into Google Trends to see how often it gets searched for ...
The One About The Length Of My Hair
Following a request to put up images comparing the various lengths of my hair over the last two years, I put together a “montage” of sorts.
The Chain Letter From Hell
I don’t normally take part in Memes, but seeing as this was passed on by Ashley, who’s blog I like rather a lot, I thought it might serve as a good distracti...
Texas Haircut Massacre
The long hair that once adorned my head has now gone. Consigned to history. A footnote in my life story.
Christmas Party Decorating New Bike And Pond Destruction
The weekend for us started on Friday evening with the work Christmas party, held at the house of the managing director.
The Office Christmas Party
Tonight is the night of the office Christmas party, held at the house of our Managing Director this year.
We Apologise For The Late Running Of This Service
After nearly coughing my lungs up during the night, I awoke this morning with a curiously clear throat, and thought perhaps the day ahead might be a good one...
More Than A Few Words About Pluggedout
Those who visit the PluggedOut website will perhaps be wondering what on earth has happened - the website has changed considerably once again. I have been ti...
Time Off And Tony Hawks
I have now had a cold for a month. I should be in the Guinness book of World Records or something. If the causes of colds are to be believed, I could qualify...
Changing The Theme
I find myself wondering if the dalliance with the “Hemmingway” theme on PluggedOut will have caused irreparable damage to the few who wander past and read, o...
And So It Startsgolden Compass Condemned By The Church
I guessed this would happen some time ago, and today the headlines appeared on the BBC News website. A group called “The Catholic League” has condemned the n...
Kasparov Arrested
The former Chess world champion Garry Kasparov has been arrested in Russia for daring to take part in a march against Vladimir Putin.
The Week In One Post
After several days spent being pulled between work, home, and all kinds of thoughts about adoption, the week has flown past.
Jonathans Christmas Wishlist
Following pressure from friends and family, I have updated my list on Wishlistr with the things I would like for christmas…
Sony Dcr Hc27
While W was busy entertaining her friends yesterday evening (I gather it was body-shop style girlie shopping party type thing), I went looking on the interne...
Watch This Space
Several of my friends and colleagues have reminded me that I can actually draw, and they would like to see a version of my world turned into an online comic ...
The Beginnings Of A Comic Strip Character
In a shameless attempt to draw a version of myself as a cartoon character over the last half an hour, I came up with the following…
Lethargy
Apologies for anybody passing by my blog and expecting to read insightful stories, opinions and thoughts.
Grumpy Old Man In The Supermarket
Something happened yesterday that has cheered me up no end.
Doctor Who Time Crash
During BBC’s Children In Need programming last night, in between showcasing the Spice Girls, Boyzone, and the wonderful Kylie Minogue, they aired a specially...
British Museum And Science Museum
While taking a break for lunch from my usual software developer duties, I have the chance to upload the photos from our visit to the British Museum and Scien...
Warriors At The British Museum
I had the day off work today to visit the British Museum with W and her parents - with tickets for 1st Emperor of China exhibition. No cameras, phones, or an...
The Map That Changed The World
Over the past several days I have been reading a book my better half bought for me at the Natural History Museum in London - “The Map That Changed the World”...
Just A Few Words
Just a few words today before heading out into the rain on the streets of London to find something to eat.
Artwork From The Archives
Many years ago I studied art at college. While digging around in the loft recently, what once was lost became found once more.
Written On A Sunday Night
Winter has announced it’s imminent approach in recent days. Leaves have now fallen from trees, and a silent cold darkness races through late afternoon to bla...
Pizza The Breakfast Of Kings
It’s 10:30am on Sunday morning, I am still sat in my pyjamas and robe, have still not had a wash, or shave, and look for all the world like “the missing link...
The Blockbuster Bargain Bin Strikes Again
While struggling into town with a bad cold to buy medicine, tissues, and food earlier I stopped at Blockbuster to raid their bargain bin for second hand vide...
The Adoption Journey Continues
This morning we were visited by our social worker, the social worker acting on behalf of our prospective children, and the social worker who took them from t...
10 Years Ago San Francisco
While looking through the attic for an old piece of computer hardware earlier, I came across a shoebox full of photographs - among them the long forgotten ph...
The Great British Pub Quiz
We are going to the pub tonight, to participate in the weekly ritual of the great British “Pub Quiz” with some friends. W insists she will be okay even thoug...
The Trolley Bag Morons
From small acorns might oak trees grow - and so do annoyances that could eventually end up with me kicking somebody to the ground in the middle of a busy rai...
What Light Through Yonder Window Breaks
Isn’t it wonderful when a day starts out well, turns into a steaming pire of excrement, and then finally bursts forth into a feel good evening, with reminder...
Working Late
Do you ever have days when the world slides off the rails, and no matter what you think or do, nothing really helps and you can’t see a way to make everybody...
The Face Of Tutankhamun
In order to protect the mummy of Tutankhamun against damage from exposure, his remains have been transferred to a glass box within the Cairo museum. While ex...
Autumn In Harleyford
I walked to work this morning, bedecked in fleece, scarf, woolly hat and backpack (carrying two laptops - I am mad).
Righting Wrongs At The Natural History Museum
While visiting London with friends recently, we took the chance to visit the British Museum of Natural History. It’s a wonderful, cavernous old building in K...
Apple Prepares The Uk Iphone
News is starting to appear this weekend that the Apple iPhone is arriving at stores throughout the UK in readiness for sales to begin on November 9th.
The Macbook Survives The Apple Osx Leopard Upgrade
While out supposedly buying something for lunch on Friday I got sucked into the local Apple store in London, and walked back out with a copy of Leopard. For ...
Saturday Morning
The soft light from the desk lamp paints the keyboard. It is 11am, Saturday morning. For the first time in days I have no plans.
Hooligans Disrupt My Journey Home
Once again this evening I was reminded why I don’t like football.
Simplification
While sat here becoming frustrated with having a cold, feeling rubbish, and wishing the world could simplify itself a little, I spent the last hour deleting ...
Nablopomo Between A Rock And A Hard Place
Last year I took part in “National Blog Posting Month” - also known as “NaBloPoMo” - the quest to write a blog post on each day of November. I discovered it ...
Groggy
I am at home with a cold. It’s been tagging along with me for the last couple of weeks, and I think somehow my body had worked a miracle to keep it away at l...
Friends
I have been off work for the last two days attempting to defeat a cold that has been hanging around for a couple of weeks. The self imposed exile from the wo...
Apple Osx 105 Leopard Arrives
Microsoft’s worst nightmare is coming to pass. Apple’s new operating system, OSX 10.5 “Leopard” is out, and it’s exceeding expectations almost everywhere.
Disenchanted
In perhaps the first openly critical blog post I have ever written, I wrote this earlier this evening over on my technical blog.
The Phantom Hourglass
While out buying some lunch in London yesterday lunchtime I wandered into the Virgin Megastore and bought W the game she has been waiting almost 2 years for ...
Short Sighted
Over the last few days I have become somewhat vexed by the short sighted view that many seem to hold with regard to the internet, the community that inhabits...
A Lull In The Adoption Journey
We find ourselves becalmed at the moment.
A Weekend In Photos
For one reason or another I have had no time to write a blog over the last few days. A mixture of apathy, real life getting in the way, and fun stuff (such a...
Biting Off More Than I Can Chew
About a month ago I wrote a quick email to the people behind NaBloPoMo asking what their plans were for this year. I offered assistance, and to tell the trut...
Tuesday Starts Famously
This morning evolved in the same manner as slow motion film of a car crash. You could see exactly what was going to happen, and there was very little that co...
Life And Death
While stopping for a cup of coffee earlier today I checked in to a writing group I have been fostering and was dismayed to find that somebody I thought of as...
Archbishop Of Caterbury Attacks Atheism
While reading the newspaper this weekend, I happened upon the story involving the Archbishop of Caterbury - Dr. Rowan Williams - attacking Richard Dawkins, h...
Sunday Morning Disappears
At this point in time, I’m not entirely sure where Sunday morning went. I got up, had a cup of tea, had a shower, checked my email, peered out the window at ...
Seduced By The Nintendo Ds
Finally, after watching my other half play on hers for several years, I have succumbed to temptation. It happened while wandering around Gamestation in Maide...
Computers Take Over My Life
Several things happened this week, each of which has more or less dictated the next; W’s old laptop died. Perhaps “died” is the wrong word. Her laptop - whic...
I Want One Of These
I keep wandering into shops in London at lunchtime, and seeing Nintendo DS Lites for sale, and thinking what a great idea they would be to carry with me on t...
Stephen Fry And Anger About Hiv
For the last hour I have been watching a wonderful documentary on the BBC following Stephen Fry as he discovers the various personal stories of people with H...
Contemporary Dance In London
While wandering back towards Liverpool Street from Moorgate this lunchtime, I came across a street performer…
Blog Friday Different
The word this week at BlogFriday is “Different”. While searching through the various junk in the corners of my mind that might fit against “different”, I wan...
Going Live
Yesterday evening I stayed late to help fire-fight in the go-live of the project I have been working on for the last six months. I finally found myself wande...
Breakfast At Tiffanys
Inbetween perusing the internet (which Leo Laporte quite wonderfully described as a “drinking from the firehose” recently), I have been watching “Breakfast a...
An Awfully Big Adventure
After spending the best part of the last two years climbing a seemingly never ending hill towards a very abstract goal - “being allowed to adopt children”, w...
Approved To Adopt Children
After two years of soul searching, reading, studying, attending courses, and having every nook and cranny of our professional, social and personal lives inve...
Measuring The Speed Of Light With A Bar Of Chocolate
The following “back yard” science experiment was copied from the “Times Online” website - I hope they don’t mind me re-publishing an excerpt of their article...
Eve Of The Adoption Review Panel
We go up in front of the adoption review panel tomorrow morning - to get the final rubber stamp on us being able to adopt children. If they approve us, we mo...
Deciding On A Smaller Messenger Bag
After carrying my Macbook across London in it’s Messenger bag during the London Underground strike last month for several days, I somehow managed to injure m...
Well It Made Me Laugh
My friend Tracey, who writes at Gwelva Kernewek (very good blog btw) sent me a link to a t-shirt store on the internet today.
Blogfriday Breaks Cover
I travelled home on the train tonight with an idea in my head. An idea for a blogging website.
Wondering About Nablopomo 2007
During November last year I took part in “National Blog Posting Month” (NaBloPoMo), and had great fun doing so. For those wondering what on earth I am on abo...
Remembering More Innocent Times
After a somewhat embattled and stressful week, I found myself slumped on the couch with the first cup of tea of the day this morning, and discovered that one...
Unboxing The Moo Cards
My “moo” cards finally arrived today, so I have done the honours, and photographed the unboxing for your interest and amusement.
The Planets Align
Since the weekend I have felt there is some kind of long term change in the air. I’m not sure what it might be, or how it might manifest itself, but somethin...
The Long Road
Something has been on my mind recently. An annoyance, if you will.
The Eve Of The Cook Out
In the style of Captain Oates, I am going to start this weekend with the words “I’m just going outside, I may be some time”.
Excerts From The Moleskine
If you have been reading “Life and Times” for some time, you may be aware that I also write in a notebook that I carry with me - a trusty “Moleskine”. Withou...
The Nature Of Greatness
I missed the train this morningor rather, I forgot to pick my work laptop up when I left the house, and by the time I had remembered and returned for it ther...
Oops She Did It Again
I was checking the visitor statistics for “Life and Times” this morning, and was rather shocked to see a significant spike in hits over the last two days. It...
Not Enough Hours In The Day
Do you ever wonder where your weekend goes?
More Commuting Hell
I’m not quite sure what I’ve done, but it really, really hurts when I lift my left leg. Curiously, I have discovered that while walking, the weight of your l...
First Ever Medical
As a part of the marathon-like journey towards adopting children, we both had to get full medicals from our doctors today. Having never had a medical in my l...
Stop The World
I seem to find myself writing “Stop the World” posts every so often. This week has been hard - one of the most difficult in a long time.
Some Fun To Start The Day Fridge Poetry
In a fit of cleverness last night I build a new webpage, pretty much “just because I could”
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows
It is done. I have finally finished reading the last of J.
In Need Of A Wrist Watch
On Monday evening my watch stopped. I’m tempted to recite lines from “My Grandfather’s Clock” but seeing as I have no plans on dropping dead in the near futu...
Starting An Eccentric Online Endeavour
A few weeks ago while browsing through the book store at Paddington Station in London, I came across a book where the author had “traded up” from a paper cli...
Nobody Will Ever Believe Me
While walking through the tunnel towards the east-bound circle line train at Paddington this morning, I could see a train in the distance with it’s doors ope...
Strange Thing This Internet
Following the decision not to go and see the new Harry Potter movie earlier this evening, I thought it might be fun to fill the time I would otherwise have s...
Juggling Too Many Plates
I’ve been having something of a tidy up both my computer and the internet this afternoon, and realised just how far the tentacles of my internet presence spr...
Hitting The Pause Button
I had so many plans this weekend. Go running, go to the cinema, sort the garden out, go and buy clothes. I have done none of these things. I am also aware th...
Another Day Starts
My watch ticks past 7am, and I sit on the train once more waiting to leave Marlow - bound for London. A light rain is falling, moistening the air. The world ...
Game The System
I have just been taking a look at the Bloggers Choice Awards website, and never realised before that the number of votes received by the “top blogs” tails of...
Running Again
I just got back from a 2 mile run.
Answering The Questions
In a recent blog post (“A Social Experiment - Ask Me Anything”) I asked for any questions people would like to ask me, with the promise that I would answer t...
Word Blind And Scattegories
We started out on a great new idea last night - spending an evening each week either at our house or a friend’s house playing board games - helped along with...
A Social Experiment Ask Me Anything
Here’s a challenge. Ask me anything you like in the comments to this post, and I will answer in the next post.
Its All About Me
Following my struggle to find anything of interest to write about in recent times, friends and acquaintances have provided a gentle nudge in the ribs, and th...
Blackmail On E Bay
cross-posted from my other blog, because I feel this is important…
Tank Girl Rules
While travelling home on Thursday evening last week I made a detour through London to “Forbidden Planet” - quite possibly the best cult book/movie/toy shop i...
Losing My Voice
Over the last few days I have struggled to find things to write about - to find my voice.
Welcome To My World
The place - Sloe, Paddington Station
Thoughtless Travellers Decorating And Adoption
The train journey between Marlow and Bourne End (the first leg of my morning commute) lasts about 10 minutes. Because Marlow doesn’t have a train station, a ...
Currently Readingjpod
Over the last couple of days I have been reading “jPod” by Douglas Coupland. My other half read “Microserfs” many years ago and has repeatedly told me I need...
Theres This Girl
There’s this girl that gets on the train at Maidenhead, and she doesn’t shut up. Ever. I swear she doesn’t breath either - at least not in through her mouth ...
The Morning Post
It’s 7:16, it’s Monday morning, and the train will be leaving Marlow at any minute. I’m ready to fall asleep right here and now while sat on the train, but b...
Pub Quiz
My cousin from San Francisco (who is living in London at the moment) came to visit over the last couple of evenings. I would like to think she came to stay j...
On Friendship
Through many times in my life I have struggled to find the place where being a good person ends, and friendship begins - and where friendship ends and love b...
Bicycle Crashes And Drunk Scotsmen
While walking round the corner towards the office door this morning I heard a huge crash behind me and the kind of thuddy crunch noise a person makes as they...
The Return Of Thoughtcafe
cross posted from PluggedOut
Poking Your Friends
Does nobody else think it’s a little weird to “poke” your friends on Facebook?
An Uncomfortable Journey
The journey into work this morning was uncomfortable, but not for a reason you might imagine.
George Michael At Wembley Stadium
We set off late this afternoon for Wembley Stadium in London to see George Michael live in concert. Here are a few of the photos from the afternoon (they are...
Rise Of The Lego Men
I just created the most ridiculous wallpaper ever
Awaiting The Adoption Interview
I am working from home this morning while waiting for the lady from the adoption services team to arrive. Normally these meetings have happened first thing o...
Another Oasis In The City
While trundling towards Liverpool Street on the London Underground this morning the driver crackled over the public address system “This train will be termin...
Surviving The Morning Commute
It’s 7:17am, and the train is just about to leave Marlow station (as I type, the engines roar, and we rumble forth into the bright morning sunshine).
A Summer Place
While out having a wander in the nearby streets at lunchtime, I happened upon perhaps the only green area for miles in central London, and while sat eating m...
Pirates Of The Carribbean At Worlds End
Arriving at the cinema a week after it opened, we finally went to see the final “Pirates of the Carribbean” movie last night - “At World’s End”.
Oh Dear Our Cat Has Joined Facebook
I don’t believe it… our cat is on Facebook…
Its The Weekend
Finally, it’s the weekend. Before starting, I would like to promise to anybody and everybody who knows me that I will make no further mention of “Big Brother...
Big Brother Series 8 The Housemates
Last night I watched the first hour of the 8th series of Big Brother in the UK. I have no idea if the UK series has been in the headlines elsewhere in the wo...
Big Brother Starts Again
I just sat down to watch television for a bit before going to bed, and it would appear a new series of Big Brother is starting this evening in the UK.
The Sketchbook Comes Out
After something in the region of 6 years I fished a sketchbook out of the attic tonight, and started drawing. I’ve been meaning to do this for a LONG time… a...
Playing With Fire
On Friday night I installed a “Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game” (MMORPG) on W’s laptop called “Dofus” for her to try out. At the time she said...
A Lonely Place
Sometimes the internet can be a very lonely place - especially when you keep in touch with most of your friends via the internet, and their names don’t light...
If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things
While commuting I seem to be going through fads of either reading RSS feeds and writing emails on the laptop, listening to podcasts and music, or reading boo...
Astronaut Duran Duran
While reading various news stories recently, I learned that Duran Duran had fallen apart once more. While this isn’t exactly earth shattering news in and of ...
Chaos And Mayhem
Last night I put my “other” pair of work trousers in the dryer, and set it for 2 hours just before going to bed. This morning I checked them, and they were s...
Being The Computer Guy
Just watching the latest edition of Diggnation on the train, and they are talking about a post on Digg detailing the top 10 problems with being a “computer g...
Steve Jobs Versus Bill Gates
I first found out about this video while watching the MoBuzzTV video podcast on my way in this morning. I’m taking my coffee break to share it…
Wendy Completes The Moonwalk
My considerably better half travelled into London on Saturday night in order to do the “Moonwalk” - a charity 26.2 mile power walk through the streets of Lon...
Being Conventional
If you walked past our bathroom in the early hours of the morning you might be forgiven for thinking that I am half asleep while leaning towards the mirror, ...
People On Trains
While making my way across Paddington station this evening I seem to have found myself in “people watching” mode. As an aside, does stating that I was operat...
Relativity
We visited some friends a couple of nights ago, and - quite bizarrely - the conversation somehow turned to space travel, and that one of our friends couldn’t...
Seduced By Facebook
I spend a lot of time using the internet. Between the web, instant messaging, email and VOIP, it must add up into the tens of hours every week. While travers...
Is There A God
Something is happening to one of my friends on the other side of the world that is giving me a perfect reason to set out my stand and start arguing to anybod...
Boot Eskdale And Hardknott
We are back! On Saturday morning we left the south of England, and headed to the “Lake District” - a national park in the north west of England. It’s the mos...
Lake District Here We Come
Early tomorrow morning we will leave home with a car packed full of tents, sleeping bags, waterproofs, warm clothes, walking boots, camping stove, and variou...
Asleep On My Feet
My grand plans to use the day more productively haven’t got off to a very good start - I am therefore drinking a huge cappucino in the cafe above the concors...
The Pirates Of Silicon Valley
While crashed on the couch this afternoon I sat and watched the movie “The Pirates of Silicon Valley” - a made for TV movie from the late 1990s that tries to...
More Clothing
While crashed out on the couch (I am off work with a virus today), it turns out W (who is also off work) was buying things on the internet.
The Clothes Shopping Starts
I finally started buying clothes today - not specifically to replace anything in my wardrobe; more to help me survive our camping trip next week. We are goin...
The Prestige
A few evenings ago, W and I sat down to watch a movie I bought several weeks ago - “The Prestige”.
The Belated Morning Post
It’s 7:15, and the train will be leaving the station in a few minutes.
The Annual Wardrobe Renewal
After talking to W this afternoon it looks very much like I will be heading out over the next couple of weeks to do my spectacular wardobe renewal. Although ...
Youve Got Mail
We are just sat here watching one of the many “100 best” programmes on television. This particular programme is the 100 most romantic movies. At number 30 th...
Flash Me
While trying to ascend the mountain of blogs that my blogroll has formed over the last few weeks, I came across the post “Flash Me” on “All About Jenny” - so...
The World Of The Small
It’s a wonderful afternoon in the UK - the sun is out, birds are singing, and things are growing in the garden. I grabbed the camera, switched it onto “macro...
Goodbye Twitter Hello Jaiku
After the discovery of Jaiku earlier this week, I have decided to stop using Twitter.
Changing The Banner Artwork
I felt the banner artwork of Mario was getting a little old, so had a scout around on the internet for something new - something different.
Isnt It Time For Some Photographs
I have been carrying my camera phone around with me for the last few weeks, and not really keeping up my end of the bargain - recording the more interesting ...
Itchy Fingers
It’s been several months since I built anything on the web, and I’m starting to get itchy fingers. I want to build something.
What Is Happening To America
Over the past few days I have seen some of the media coverage of the shootings in Virginia. Inevitably, after the news channels had reported the available in...
The Morning Post
I regularly write an email to a few close friends on the internet, and thought it might be nice to post it both out to those who matter, and to my blog for a...
Changing The Way I Use Twitter
This has been cross-posted from PluggedOut, because I feel it is important.
Wendy Loses Sock Madness
W (my wonderful other half) has been taking part in a sock knitting competition on the internet recently called “Sock Madness”. It would appear there are far...
Victory In The Pub Quiz
We won our local pub quiz last night for the first time. We have come joint first before, but last night they changed the format of the quiz - meaning the mu...
First Adoption Interview
Yesterday I had the first interview with an adoption services representative at home - taking us a little closer to the review panel later in the year that w...
Curmudgeonly
I have just spent the last two hours on the train home from London trying not to cause an argument over a number of small children that got on the train with...
Tired
I woke at 5am this morning, and didn’t go back to sleep. This would have been fine if I hadn’t gone to bed at 1am. 4 hours sleep can’t be good, can it.
Retail Therapy
After spending the first three days of a 4 day break decorating the house, we finally put down tools, paintbrushes and paint today, and had a day to ourselve...
Decorating And Curry
While spending 90% of the weekend transforming our two spare bedrooms into liveable (and safe) future bedrooms for children, the other 10% was spent taking t...
Happy Easter
I finished work for easter today - I have the long weekend off before returning to work next tuesday. With so many bible bashers climbing out of the woodwork...
Thick Head
I’m not at work today. I’m sure if I appeared in the computer game “Theme Hospital”, they would diagnose me with some weird sounding thing called “thick head...
King Of Shaves Turns Up Trumps
“Turns up trumps”? I’m wondering if I need to define what these words mean before continuing with this blog entry… perhaps not - perhaps they use the term el...
Weekend In Cornwall
It’s 8am on Sunday morning, and I have been up since 7 this morning when the dogs asked to go out. We are staying in the south west of England - Cornwall - w...
Talland Cornwall
We arrived in Cornwall just after 7pm last night after a nightmare journey that found us stuck in just about every build-up of traffic between Marlow and Ply...
Blagging It With King Of Shaves
Those who read my blog regularly will know that I recently posted the start of a series entitled “A Day In My Life”, which described my typical morning routi...
Ip Address Blocking Doesnt Work
I just want to flag this up for anybody who happens to read this blog. If you are looking at ways of stopping spam on your blog, do not use IP address blocki...
View From A Train Window
It’s just coming up to 6pm, and I’m on the journey home. Slightly strangely, this post will not hit the blog until after 7, due to a couple of reasons I won’...
Sunday Off
It’s 2pm on Sunday afternoon, and I’m having a quiet day at home. I say quiet, but there is the constant rumble of the washing machine and tumble drier in th...
Idiocracy
After hearing about it on the MacBreak podcast a couple of weeks ago, I have aquired a copy of the movie “Idiocracy”. It’s one of the funniest movies I have ...
A Day In My Life Morning
Simpson, being furious.
Girls In London Are Pretty
I am busy building a line of sandbags to hide behind in response to the title of this post. It all dawned on me while walking back towards the office from Pr...
Why I Dont Like Football
Football is a sport played by under educated, over paid psychophants. When not trying to cheat each other, they run to the referee of a match as small childr...
To Show Or Not To Show
Simple question. What works for you? Seeing more, or seeing less?
Gran Turismo 4
A good friend of mine has just bought a Playstation 2, and it would appear the entire family have become addicted to Gran Turismo 4 - probably one of the bes...
Pub Quiz
Apologies for such a late (and brief) posting. We just got back from the local pub quiz. We came joint first, and won nothing because the pub have a policy o...
Ridiculous Overcrowding
The underground trains were so overcrowded this morning it could have been funny. I have never seen it like it.
Morning Mist On The Thames
You know how sometimes you take a photo, and the planets seem to line up in your favour? It happened to me this morning…
Scrapbooking With Tumblr
This is rare. I am going to cross-post between PluggedOut and Life and Times. There’s a good reason though - this morning I have been looking at Tumblr.
More Photographs
Okay - after finally scraping myself out of bed at about 8:30, and watching rubbish television for an hour I finally had a shower, got dressed, cleaned the k...
Afternoon In Higginson Park
It has been unseasonably warm and sunny this weekend in Marlow, so W and I took it upon ourselves to go for a stroll in Higginson Park - about a mile from wh...
New Mobile
I have finally joined the “modern age” of mobile telephony, after purchasing a Sony Ericsson K800i this morning, and signing up for a contract with T-Mobile....
Spamalot
Last night W came to meet me in London and we travelled to the west end to see Spamalot - the Monty Python musical. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
The Blogroll Mountain
While talking to a good friend last night on the internet, I realised how little I have been sharing recently via my blog, and how few blogs I have read (the...
Currently Reading
This week’s book is “Nostromo” by Joseph Conrad. At the time of writing I’m about 5 chapters in, and so far it’s very hard going indeed. I’m still trying to ...
Weekend To Remember
I have consumed more alcohol this weekend than I can remember getting through (and surviving) in quite some time. It must be a birthday survivability thing.
Happy Birthday To Me
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear Jonathan, happy birthday to me. In continuation of my immersion into the “Apple Lifestyle”, W...
Walking The Streets
I have just spent the last three quarters of an hour walking the streets of London around the place I am working - in the spitting rain - both to stretch my ...
Empathy
While walking through Liverpool Street Station this morning, I started thinking about how I see the world, and if it differs from others. I’m don’t usually w...
On The Train
I am currently spending 4 hours each day on the train with my MacBook - reading stuff, listening to music, writing inane emails, and fiddling with the odd bi...
I Am A Strange Attractor
This morning has provided proof (if any was required) that I am indeed a “Strange Attractor”. You may be wondering what I’m talking about.
Final Fantasy Xii
While out shopping this morning (buying some goodies to cheer W up), I bought something for myself - Final Fantasy XII…
Endless Amusement
Once upon a time I wrote in the about pages of this blog that if anybody should ever write me an abusive email, I would almost certainly post the message in ...
Carpe Dium
It all started yesterday evening. During the second leg of my train journey home from Paddington to Bourne End I woke with a start. I have never fallen aslee...
On A Treadmill
It feels like I’m on some kind of treadmill at the moment. I’m working all kinds of hours, and regardless of how interesting the work might be there is a sen...
Keeping In Touch
If anybody would like to keep in touch with me during my various adventures in London (where I have no access to instant messaging, and limited access to pri...
Dinner With Aunty
Yesterday we travelled to Oxfordshire to have lunch with my Aunty Janet (we joked about me calling her this childhood name all day before setting out yesterd...
Britney On The Edge
While spending my Sunday evening catching up on the various news stories doing the rounds, I saw something quite sad. It would appear the media have finally ...
Images Of The Morning
Probably the last “photo blog” for a while (I need to get back to writing proper blog posts… posting photos seems a bit too easy - a bit shallow. I talked ab...
Life In London
Somebody asked for more photos of life in London…
Its Good To Talk
My spirits have been lifted today by something rather simple - a telephone call from W.
The Order Of Things
While out for a walk this lunchtime I made the mistake of walking past a book shop. Not one of these rubbish modern “book-sellers”; a proper, old fashioned b...
Adoption
We have now been en-route towards adopting a child for longer than several friends who became pregnant during that time, and have now had those children.
Working On A Sunday Afternoon
Following last week’s snow and falling behind with some things at work, I spent some of my Sunday afternoon trying to catch up a bit.
Bloggers Selling Out For Money
While reading some of the blogs listed on the “Great Wall of Blogs” at FuelMyBlog this morning, I kept tripping over the same money making scheme again and a...
Magnetic Fridge Poetry
A couple of years ago we were given a set of magnetic words to go on the fridge - with the theme of those words being “poetry”. Although our fridge is hidden...
Hips Lips Tits Power
I can’t help feeling that while commuting has given me the opportunity to write endless photo blog posts, they are somehow more shallow than a normal post. E...
Anna Nicole Smith
When I got in from work this evening I discovered that America’s celebrity media had chalked up another casualty.
Winter Hits Marlow
I am working from home today following the skies depositing several inches of snow across most of the Thames Valley last night - it’s still snowing hard now ...
Photos Of A Day In London
I finally remembered to take the camera with me on my commute today. Here’s the various photos - feel free to click on them to see the full size versions in ...
The Macbook Gets A Bag
Since getting the Apple MacBook a couple of weeks ago, I have been making do with carrying it around in the bag that was bought for W’s Windows laptop some t...
First Day In London
Strictly speaking, the title of this post isn’t accurate - I have been working in London for ages - but only for the odd day or week from time to time. Today...
Headache
I have had a headache ever since waking up this morning, and have no headache tablets. I have rubbed a headache stick thing across my forehead, but it hasn’t...
Apprehension
I start work in London tomorrow. It’s like starting a new job. Although I am being “seconded” to the client from my full time employer, I’ll have my own desk...
Gigabytes Of Memory
Isn’t it weird how your memory fails you sometimes.
Alone On The Internet Ocean
Sometimes the internet can feel very lonely. I spend the greater part of each day “connected” to the internet - writing e-mails, sending and receiving instan...
Homer Simpsons Car Exists
Am I the only person in the world who can see the similarity between these two cars?
What Is It About Paris Hilton
Somebody needs to help me here. I am struggling - indeed, have struggled - to understand what the fascination is with Paris Hilton. What does the media see i...
Pages From My Life
While out on the road with work, I have been filling the quiet moments by writing in a notebook. I thought it might be fun to share some excerpts from it wit...
Three Months In London
Before starting, I should probably explain the photograph. It’s the statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, London. James Barrie, the author of Peter Pan ...
All Hail Kylie
While listening to the Showgirl Homecoming concert tonight, the idea popped into my head that it might be fun to stick a different icon at the top of the blo...
Reflections On Burns Night
We went to a Burns night supper last night, held by some good friends of ours. We have been before a few years ago and upon being offered an invite, immediat...
Slowing The World Down
After several weeks running between counties of England with my work to visit faceless office buildings, the weekend has arrived once more, and half of Satur...
Poetry For Burns Night Supper
I finally decided on a poem for the Burns night supper we have been invited to this evening…
Photo Booth Rules
Okay - my good friend Lunesse just informed me of the killer feature in the Photo Booth software built into my MacBook that I didn’t even realise was there…
Early Morning Snow
After getting up just before 5:30am and wandering along the landing, I wondered what the strange glow from outside was…
Too Tired To Write
I got up at 6am, travelled to London, and walked back in the door at 7pm. Tomorrow I will leave the house at 6:25am (meaning getting up at 5:30am).
Busy Week Ahead
It’s Monday morning, and I am preparing for a busy week ahead. At least I find myself in the office this morning - unlike the last few months where I seem to...
A Letter To My Future Self
I thought of doing this while daydreaming earlier this morning (I often daydream - it’s a Pisces thing apparently) - what follows below is a letter to myself...
Thinking About Friends
While reading quite a number of blog posts this morning and issuing forth comments like confetti, I started wondering why I do it - why I write a blog.
The Macbook Arrives
I finally have a MacBook. My prediction nearly came true too about various disasters occuring to prevent it’s arrival. Last night the heating packed up in ou...
Storms Lash England
Today has been rather exciting for a change. The day would probably have been even more exciting if I had (a) not overslept, (b) not had a headache all day, ...
Googling Images
I saw this idea on Alex’s Vox blogto visit Google Images, search for your name, and post the first picture that comes up.
Dead On My Feet
The day started for me at 6am when I got up. I left the house at 7am, and did battle with the rail network for several hours. I then worked like a trojan all...
Subscribing To The Apple Lifestyle
While talking about my imminent purchase of a MacBook last night, W commented that I cannot be seen with a MacBook unless I subscribe to the “Apple Lifestyle...
Back At Work
For the first time in what feels like weeks, I am back in the office at work - writing up notes from the various site visits I have been taking part in, and ...
The Adoption Process Continues
This post is being written in response to my being mentioned on a friend’s blog today. I have often agonised over writing about our involvement in the adopti...
A Sunday Walk
After rolling out of bed at nearly 10 this morning, it was decided that we should put our coats and boots on, and venture out into the surrounding countrysid...
Weird Dream The One About God
I had a really weird dream last night. This is what happens when you read “The God Delusion” before going to sleep.
A Continued History Of Computing In The Beckett Household
In early 1992 I saw Windows 3.0 for the first time. I had asked to use the laser printer of the IT department at West Oxfordshire College to print out a poem...
A Short History Of Computers In The Beckett Household
Following a post to the “Community of Bloggers” forum, it struck me that it might be appropriate to cover my entire computer history in the form of a blog po...
Tales From The City Of London
Today finds me taking my lunchbreak in an office building just off Bishopsgate in London. They have kindly allowed me to use a workstation with internet acce...
Quiet Sunday
Next week will find me joining the daily commute to and from London, so I am trying to use today productively - relaxing.
The Slow Death Of The Windows Computers
Following the enforced replacement of the antivirus software on my computers this weekend, I have decided to withdraw life support from the PCs in the house.
Thinking Up Schemes
I am sat here at work, studying books for an exam, preparing for a site visit next week (I am returning to London), and quietly trying to figure out how to a...
Build A Community Of Bloggers
I have been thinking. About community stuff.
This Life Ends
I feel a bit sad tonight - “This Life” sort of officially came to an end.
Lunchtime Diversion Celebrity Blogs
While taking a break from studying this lunchtime, I headed over to del.icio.us, and did a search for “celebrity blog” to see what came up (del.icio.us is a ...