2800 heated square feet Approximately 2 acre lot Huge master bedroom and bath downstairs

Not only me but them too. I'd seen the Steve Hooker who rocks, but now I find anbother Steve Hooker who builds houses. Nice ones too.

Oh and a 21 year old Steve Hooker, an up and coming pole vaulter in Australia. A student in management information studies, three years older than me who died.

1439 Also posted to: personal . At: 1:05:41 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Homes by Steve Hooker&Co.

"The US military command in Iraq has posted an urgent bounty notice offering $10 million for information on the whereabouts of Saddam Hussein’s former senior deputy, Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, who is believed to be dying."

1438 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 11:46:35 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: DEBKAfile, Political Analysis, Espionage, Terrorism Security

"The report concluded that most 15-year-olds to 24-year-olds felt that the ability to use the visual aspect of the video calling and messaging can be both unnecessary and unwelcome. They felt more pressurised to tell the truth and worried about their appearance."

"96 per cent of 15- to 24-year-olds now have a mobile phone, only six per cent have a 3G phone. What's more, 79 per cent neither own nor intend to own a 3G phone within the next 12 months."

1437 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:44:03 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: 'Yoof' spurns new mobile technology

"It's time for a grown up discussion. Big issues need real debate, a big conversation between politicians and the people. Let the conversation begin." Tony Blair PM 2003 More in the Guardian: Blair's neo-puritan appeal to voters to face up to the social irresponsibility which underpins poor parenting, unhealthy diet and anti-social behaviour towards neighbours. Mr Blair cited social ills from drunkenness in city centres to smoking in public places, poor diet and alcoholism as generating huge costs to the NHS and police as well as to society at large. Such problems must be addressed, he suggested. Think about it, it's a bald statement, but has truth. If the geezer down the street from me had a blog, would I go there, fairly regularly? Of course. If there were many locally wouldn't that be a community. Linked up together in their own mind share world, using the power of the network, as smart as the smartest people in there, as angry or visionary as the most maddened or utopian bloggers. [Blogs are all about reputation.] Answers you'd surely get, maybe too many, but it could also be the solution to many of the questions. We build a community, working locally this is how we face and discuss the challenge of the future. We talk and learn about healthy lives, safety, poverty, just as we talk about ourselves. And habituating more PC literate people from the wrong side of the IT gap, would be far easier when there's gossip and arguments to be had. [With the odd bit of wit, intellect, vision and building of knowledge as per your usual assortment of blogs.] Usual caveats: blogging could be via cable TV, mobile phone, library PCs and PDAs if you were a nob. You'd need a high profile local as well as national ad campaign, work within schools and higher ed, offer training courses free to low incomes perhaps even free PCs. But it would work. Connecting people will result in politics. We'd make the UK much stronger in Europe at a stroke. While building bridges across barriers of race, culture and creed. The missus awakes, back to the world. [Later: 01/12/03; 18:04:30] The Register runs a report saying the big conversation isn't well received. The Telegraph: a political fix with party officials "handpicking contributors and editing out their negative comments". Roy Hattersley: "a confidence trick in a good cause." and, a monologue designed to persuade voters that New Labour is taking the country in the correct direction.

1436 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 4:11:51 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Tony Blair's Big conversation

So we're off to the library. Bradley's first time, and it took ages to persuade him in the first place, then we had an argument coming out of the car. Then, two seconds after this picture, as he was running, whoomp, he fell. Nasty one too. Hands and knees grazed, tears. Screams.	I wasn't sure if we'd stay in the library, Bradley's really grumpy, and about to do the wailing tears at any moment. Just as he was about to start one of the ladies says he can stay, and starts talking to him, to which he doesn't answer, but still...
Some arguments over the horse.	But all in all a successful trip, and lots of nice books. Though I picked up some Xmas books, one was about angels, and another had no words whatsoever. Esme says it's a make it up book. Not quite the point I wanted though.

1435 Also posted to: personal . At: 5:12:07 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Saturday's visit to the library

Nice drive up to Manchester, though we were a little lost and walked past the tanning shop twice.

Pack those tanners in! These are upright UVs

1434 Also posted to: personal . At: 5:11:40 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Manchester tanning booths

Just a quick walk down to the ponds, though it was getting late.	Took thew little push chair, boy was the bumpy road even more bumpy.
Good fun, as usual, throwing stones into the lake.	Photos make it look much darker than it was.

1433 Also posted to: personal . At: 5:10:20 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Throwing stones in the pond at dusk

Another strange sky. Here's some more in my collection.	We came here last week, in fact we've been coming here since Bradley was born. Just because I like the land lady. However, for the first time last week Bradley and I discovered the hole in the floor to the water wheel. This, we told Esme was the secret hole.
Bit frightened he'd rip the cloth.	But he didn't ";->"
Doing skool work in the pub, where am I leading these kids ";->" At home a bit of a trim for all of us.	Esme took these pictures, she's getting quite good with the camera now.

1432 Also posted to: personal . At: 5:09:34 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Sunday in the pub

Not as noisy as Esme and me walking around Tescos, but still a lot of fun.	Even if he does pull funny faces.

1431 Also posted to: personal . At: 5:09:03 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Tescos with Bradley

"Sun, Skin, Twins Gay Block and Gwyn Sirota were identical twins"

1424 Also posted to: Spray on tans . At: 4:05:49 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Twins, facelifts, and plastic surgery

We know very little about the Trotskyite The Islamic Greater Easter Raiders Front (IBDA-C) who bombed Turkey the past few weeks, Bin Laden knows so much more.

1423 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 6:47:02 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Al Qaeda’s Turkish Knife Hangs over Europe

"No sooner was this blanket surveillance in place, when the flow of audiocassettes dried up. Clearly, Saddam’s contacts among the TV personnel and other objects of surveillance had warned him to lie low and observe total electronic hush so as not to give his hideout away." Very clever of him to remain hidden.

1422 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 7:34:54 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Electronic Pursuit of Saddam and Coalition Fortress in Baghdad

"According to the report, 61% of calls to the Thus service requesting business numbers were answered correctly. But this figure dropped to 33% for residential numbers, making Thus the least accurate service for home number inquiries."

Lucky for me I didn't want to advertise in the Yell version of 118, sure it may be more accurate, but I think very few will call for, "a local web designer, please."

1421 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 7:12:11 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: 4 out of 10 118 calls are accurate

I must figure a way to add video to these kid notes. To see him bungle about the kitchen and to listen to the highest pitch squeaks of delight. Heaven. Makes all the money more than worth while.

1420 Also posted to: personal . At: 11:56:31 AM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Squeak, snigger said the box boy

How much can two kids pack into two hours? First it was the painting, then the tents, then the dolls (below) who were invited to a party. Then, Bradley comes home from school also, and it's dressing up time, he as a pirate, she as a fairy bride, I think. "Daddy can you help?" That's too many babies Esme." "Daddy can you help? PLEASE!!!!"

1419 Also posted to: personal . At: 11:55:41 AM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Few hours of madness after school

You could have a shop that notices that you are wearing a Versace clothes and vary the level of services and prices accordingly "

I have heard about these tags but not realised that they were in such wide spread use. Nor, that their effective range was only 10 metres. But why worry that your clothes size is being transmitted around the shop? Vanity!

I don't like the idea of a burglar scanning my house to see what goodies are inside, but sure there'll be some effective way to stop this.

On the whole I like the idea, and there'll be plenty of benefits for the consumer to come out of this technology. Less shop lifters and thus lower prices is one.

1418 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 11:09:28 AM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Radio tags spark privacy worries

"and she feeds you tea and oranges that come all the way from China" One of my favourite songs, and now I know who she is and some of the story. Will this change the song for me? I'll find out as I play it now.

Lindsay German, convener of the Stop the War Coalition said that the attacks in Istanbul were an inevitable consequence of the war. "I hate to say we told you so, but we have been saying from the beginning that the war with Iraq would inevitably lead to more terrorist attacks.

War or now war in Iraq, we'd still be under more and more terrorist attacks.

I'm getting more and more angry at the prominence of anti war demonstrators. Whether it's 70,000 or 200,000, that's still a tiny number of nutters. I used to think that it was a good thing, a check on our sanity. But now I see them as ill-conceived. And when London has suffered the first WMD attack, they'll be saying, 'told you so,' still. We could lay down and let these terrorists tickle our tummies and still they'd try to kill millions of non muslims.

1416 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 10:30:09 AM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: And down comes the statue... but this time it's Trafalgar Square

Techies tend to be sidelined in key decision-making and are disconnected from the management mainstream. In effect, low-tech managers are forcing the UK economy into a low tech equilibrium.

This really pisses me off. I see this so often and hear, anecdotally from those techies, of idiotic management decisions spending orders of magnitude too much on pissy projects, and pennies on mission criticals.

I agree about the IT literacy tests. Especially in the 'jobs for life' UK Civil Service.

1415 Also posted to: cyberSaps , GOWM . At: 10:21:00 AM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: 'Lost generation' of bosses blamed for IT mediocrity

"South Korea is embarking on a huge project to make its national broadband network even faster spending £1.06bn to upgrade their network."

Very aggressive, apparently they forced schools to use the net more.

1414 Also posted to: Broadband Britain . At: 10:15:43 AM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Korea plans ultra fast broadband

"From birth to leaving university at age 21 it costs parents £140,398 to feed, clothe and school their children."

No Wonder I'm always poor. £46,000 in the first five years? Mine are 5 years 65 days and 3 years 21 days . So that's £46k + £27k = £73,000

I think I'll send 'em back to the shop.

1413 Also posted to: personal . At: 10:00:51 AM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: High cost of bringing up baby

At last we're going to start an advertising campaign here in the UK for weblogs. This one, will appear in the Shrewsbury Yellow Pages in January. Now, to start building off the advert so when people come here there's a trail they can follow.

1412 Also posted to: cybersaps . At: 2:20:01 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Yellow pages advert

1. DVD
2. Mobile phone
3. Books
4. Digital Camera
5. PC Game
6. PS2
7. Computer
8. DVD Player
9. Laptop
10. Video
For the week 12/11/03 to 18/11/03.

Interesting, I notice that if it wasn't for books they're all electronic in someway. Now, if all those items could be put into one device.

1411 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 1:27:52 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Most popular consumer product searches

"I was given an official warning that I could not show or distribute *any* more posters under the Public Order Act because of the objectionable nature of *one* of them" One of the protesters yesterday with a poster that caught my eye and a good story. I listened to Bush's speech yesterday, at least the highlights on the news. He said the right things, aggrandising the special relationship, and saying that there's wicked people in the world, that need to be stood up to. "...the violent restraint of violent men. In some cases, the measured use of force is all that protects us from a chaotic world ruled by force." I completely agree with him. I still know that a WMD attack here in the UK (or US) isn't too far away in the future.

1410 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 1:02:37 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: My near-arrest experience

I received a marvelous bit of spam and followed the link to a badges site in Pakistan, beautiful. I once did a brochure for The Birmingham Mint for badges, just the one, before they sold the division.

Looking at these, wouldn't it be lovely to produce a theme for Radio or Manila using imageMagick.

1409 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 8:56:52 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Badges site in Pakistan

Initial thoughts about layout.
Add a little colour...

Work them up a little, first idea.

Second idea in different colourways.

Make the first idea look like the second.

And finally... In black. Three images. Each month the image will change being something seasonal.
And finally... In grey.

1408 Also posted to: cybersaps , gowm . At: 4:41:39 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Government Office of the West Midlands: the visuals

Definition of wellbeing: as a state that allows someone to thrive and flourish. "It's a result of things going well and the cause of things going well. It's thinking, I'm getting better and life is feeling better. I'm getting better at what I do, whether it is being a friend, a lover, or a worker. I'm enjoying life."

"What we've found is that if someone is happy with life, they are more popular. We all like hanging around with happy people. They are also more productive, healthier and live longer.

"If you're optimistic and you think life is going to get better, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. You will involve yourself more, you'll put yourself forward more, you will take more care of yourself. You'll figure that if you do more exercise and not booze as much, life will be better."

All we have to do is spend time mulling over all the things that have gone right for us, rather than dwelling on what has gone badly.

"You have to thank your lucky stars about what goes right on a daily basis. Whenever you get the feeling of being negative about things, just take a moment out and remind yourself of the stuff that has gone well. It could be anything from a conversation to your garden looking nice, or that it didn't rain on you when you were out on your bike. It's an extremely powerful technique."

I'm a terrible optimist. Too optimistic? Nah!

Things are always getting better IMHO. I must start to teach my kids this. Maybe I do already, someone, probably my parents taught me.

1407 Also posted to: personal . At: 12:54:00 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Why do some people enjoy life and others don't?

The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) found that UK productivity could rise by 2.5 per cent by 2015 - the equivalent of workers toiling for an extra hour each week.

Not only would people benefit, CEBR reckons that government borrowing would be down by £13 billion by 2015 through lower public sector spending and extra tax revenues from a faster growing economy.

The magic bullet? Bollocks! Broadband is simply the means to the end. It's how people use broadband that really counts. Whether they use the internet or let it lie, getting dusty in the corner. Sure it's more fun, fast.

And looking a dozen years into the future, it'll be the way people share, communicate and mingle, that really counts, not forgetting by then, we'll all be on broadband on our phones too.

[Later:] I take it back. Looking at the speeds they're offering in Japan now 26Mbps and only at £20 a month. This really makes my proud 2Mbps pipe look anemic.

If we were all on that type of speed here in the UK, then surely we would be hitting those targets mentioned above. Think of those video conf calls. Web sevices, like I can only dream of. Many, many more web shoppers... Like it says on the BBC article, "a utility like gas or water that is simply there." And, "it seems clear that speed - or the lack of it - as a restraining factor is but a dim memory, and rather it is what you can do that matters."

Bring it on!

1406 Also posted to: Broadband Britain , cyberSaps . At: 12:41:19 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Competitive broadband could add £22bn to UK economy

"AOL has teamed with Systemax and Sun to ship a PC for $299, if the consumer is willing to commit to a year long $23.90 per month AOL subscription. The box runs on a 1.7GHz Celeron processor with 256MB of memory and a 40GB hard drive. Microsoft's Windows XP Home Edition is there as expected, but what should come as a surprise is the AOL Office - powered by Sun. The system also ships with a monitor and a Lexmark printer." My dead reckoning brings that to £344.87 a year (or $585.80). Or £28.74 a month. Yip, I could do with two of those, one for my daughter and one for Amanda. Maybe Bradley (3 years) would like one too? Prefer to do without the AOL stuff, bringing the price down by half to £14.64 a month. This is just the start of the commoditisation of 'puters. It's not only businesses that need more and much cheaper PCs.

1405 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 12:30:06 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: Sun and AOL form StarOffice pact for cheap desktops

"Response rates to bulk commercial email is less than 0.005 per cent. That means that a typical email message appeals to 50 people and annoys 999,950."

A new report (pdf) tells it like it is. "It might seem that the miniscule response rates would doom the spammer to failure. Quite the contrary, email is so cheap that they can make money even with almost no click-through."

1404 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 12:16:55 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: The economics of spam

I'm the new and proud owner of an 0800 number. Not bad for £39 one time set up fee and 4.95p a minute during the day.

1403 Also posted to: cyberSaps . At: 4:20:59 PM  . .
Permalink  Top    Technorati
Other title(s) for this story:

And the main site is here, where I just read there'll probably be a mobile phone blackout in the safety bubbles. Why haven't they an RSS feed?

"Gadgets are now being used more proactively to make protests more visible and disrupt any potential stage-managing of the President's visit. " Here's the poster calling for camera phone pix and SMS messages .

1402 Also posted to: warBlog . At: 3:16:16 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: BBC: Mobile users told to 'chase Bush'

Above, the view through the rainy windows on the way to Cound. Looking at the River Severn.

Sunday morning. I like to watch fishing programmes, or at least have them in the background. This morning, Bradley comes into the kitchen, and says he like them too, pulls up a chair and watches. Later, I ask what he wants to do today, he says "fishing."

So, we head off to Cound Lake.

The red line is the way we walked, stopping every now and then to look into rabbit holes and throw stones into the lake.

One, looking back the way we've walked.

Two, looking further at the little bulge.

Three, the other lake, where there's a few brick built bird hides.

And, of course after a hard afternoon's fishing, we call into the pub.

We have fun, play tickling, looking down the glass floor at the old water mill, used in the foundry, playing, "look at that!" While we steal each other's crisps.
We leave as some others do also. "See-ya," they say. Bradley, also says, "see-ya." Like he's been going there for years, this is only his second visit, I believe. Everybody laffs. The land-lady, who remembers when I went in there with Esme when Bradley was first born, always makes a fuss of him; she calls out, "Bye Bradley!" "Bye." He says, as we walk out. Ever so naturally, like everybody knows his name. I didn't know she knew his name, anyway. She comes out to the door, as we're walking across the car park. I says to her, I thought she was saying bye to someone else called Bradley... We smile. Bradley does a dance by the car, which make me and the land-lady laugh. I like this pub.

1400 Also posted to: personal . At: 11:36:45 PM  . .
Permalink  Top  Search Google  Technorati
Other title(s) for this story: The fishing lake and pub with Bradley

Feeding the ducks in Telford Town Park. I can't believe how quickly she's growing up. Her hair, and the denim jacket make her look much more mature than the 5 years she is.

There's some special event in the big park today, something to do with Children in need. Tank rides, which neither of them are interested in, play bus, very interested, and bouncy castle, extremely interested.