Make your own entertainment

My home computer is about as stable Britney Spears riding a unicycle. On a bouncy castle. In fact it is back at the manufacturers at the moment being repaired because, they tell me, it is "broken". So me and the wife are having to remember how to make our own entertainment. Ali is reverting to reading "books".

I'm just staring at the cats in the hope that they will bring in a mouse. Unfortunately they just stare back. It is nice to see the cats back on the web log though. Since having a baby they seem to be getting slightly less attention.

Sat nav leads thieves home

This story has been making news of late (See Ananova here). Cheeky coves stole a car from the car park at Alton Towers. While the owners happily cavorted around the theme park, the villains tapped "Home" into the satellite navigation system and were led to the victims house where they stole another car off the driveway.

The Police suggest (as they have done for years) that you take your satnav with you when you leave the car. That's fine advice if you have a portable device like a TomTom but not so helpful if it is built into your dashboard. So what else can Her Majesty's constabulary think to suggest? "Only put in the town and not the full post code". I suspect that the good yeomen of Staffordshire are unaware of the size of Ye Olde Londone Towne. This is not a helpful option. So if anyone lives near me in South West London can I suggest you use this postcode: SW18 3HS. It should get you near something you recognise so you can find home - but it will direct our larcenous friends to the front gates of HM Prison Wandsworth.

Idiot requiring a history leason

This country drives me bananas! A few idiots who were disappointed that a Rave was stopped threw coke cans at the Police. What is the BBC's breathless headline? Mob lays siege to Police Station. That would be a huge mob of 15 people vs. 200 Policemen.

Always level headed, The Sun proclaims "Anarchy in the UK as yobs rule". It is true that there have been some nasty incidents of late, but I think it is a bit premature to declare Anarchy across the nation because a few hippies are waving tofu at the airplanes outside Heathrow.

Anyway - I was listening to the rather over excitable Radio 5 Live on my way into work this morning and I heard this brilliant exchange:

Victoria Derbyshire: "Listener Matt has a comment about British society."
Matt: "This country is going to the dogs. It's not safe to go outside any more. And it's full of immigrants and criminals."
Victoria Derbyshire: "Come on Matt, surely that's an exageration?"
Matt: "No it's not. I've had enough. I'm going to leave this country."
Victoria Derbyshire: "Where are you going to go Matt?"
Matt: "Australia."

(If you don't understand why this is dripping with irony have a look here Transportation or here Convicts to Australia)

Addiction

Crack, Heroin, Cocaine, Nicotine, Gambling. I'm not interested in any of that junk. I know from my many years in the past of smoking that things like nicotine can be quite moreish, but then I managed to stop a couple of years ago so it can't have been that addictive. Not like Ebay! Cripes, I can't put it down. I watch my bids/sales every night to see what is winning and who is buying what. I wouldn't mind - but most of it is going for around 99p - so it doesn't even matter. Bonkers. If you fancy buying any of the shmutter I currently have for sale then click here .... Go on, join in the madness.

Notes and Domino 8 ship

Today sees the launch of the greatest version of the greatest collaboration software ever.

Find out more about Lotus Notes and Domino 8 here.

Brand abuse explained

I'm sure that we can all think of companies product names which have ended up becoming verbs. Hoover for vacuum cleaner or Biro for pen are probably the most famous examples. But what will be next? iPod for media player? Powerpoint for presentation? Flymo for Lawn Mower? Bush for incompetent president? ...

See the source here at Hoodyhoo.

Potter

So I just finished the last Harry Potter book. I'm glad to say that I didn't whistle through it like some breathless teenager on the day it came out. I was much more restrained. It was quite enjoyable as well. The second half of the book almost reaching some of the gripping excitement that the earlier installments reached before J.K. Rowling's editor seemingly lost the ability to restrain her occasional aimless meanderings. I know that many folks will look down their nose at someone nearly 40 reading a series of children's books, but they are clearly a social phenomenon and if you want to get shirty I only just read The Gruffalo last year.

To the other folk that point to The Dark is Rising, His Dark Materials, The Hobbit and other superior children's fantasy series and say kids would be better off reading them, perhaps by getting involved in reading fiction through Potter they will leave their PlayStation's and Nintendo alone for a little while longer and try them as well?

If you can't be bothered to read HP though - this is an excellent spoiler. If that is too long for you then this is an even more concise version. I'm not joking - they really are spoilers!