20061230
South Lakes weather cam
One of the Christmas additions to the array of gadgets hooked up to my laptop's several but now clearly inadequate number of USB ports is a webcam; a gadget I've fancied having for quite some time. Although I've not yet looked in to setting up an automatically refreshing cam, I can easily take stills with it and share the local weather with the world from outside my window. Here's my first such meteorological contribution:
20061228
Auntie's questionable geography
Tragic news strikes us from Morecambe Bay again with the gas-rig bound helicopter ditching in the sea with we assume the loss on all on board. Television news reports are oddly timed at this time of year but the one I caught on the Beeb featured a particularly slap-dash looking map which would have been hilarious if it wasn't for the circumstances. Morecambe Bay was placed vaguely off the coast of Whitehaven and later migrating into the Solway Firth while Liverpool was now in Lancaster and poor Barrow was up around Stanraer. The BBC has plans to move some of their operations up North to Manchester. By the looks of things it's not a moment too soon.
20061225
The good Doctor
Another Christmas Day passes into memory. The pessimistic could say it's another Christmas over but at the very least Boxing Day should be counted as part of the season melee, and really anything within the reach of the Christmas Radio Times is fair game in my opinion.
During the past few days I've been trying to catch up with the Dr Who episodes I missed in order to be fully prepared for the Christmas special. As it turned out I didn't have time to watch the 2-part series finale prior to the special but there were fortunately so few references to what had passed in the previous episodes that my enjoyment was unspoiled.
Although the Christmas special was fine, I must say I'm no fan of Catherine Tate. I watched one or two shows from her own comedy series and I found it to lack staying power. Good comedy sketch shows will be creative and entertaining enough to allow the audience to enjoy the series in its entirely. The likes of Little Britain, although extreme and abrasive in parts accomplishes this with most people. The Catherine Tate show endured one viewing with some amusement but come the next episode and the characters, catch-phrases and jokes were already tired and I found myself channel hopping before the end.
The loud, annoying and very southern character that forms the basis for many of Tate's own characters and indeed her role in the Dr Who Christmas Special similarly could be endured - just - for a single episode. When the Doctor asked Tate's character if she'd like to join him on his interstellar travels I was shouting at the TV "oh for Christ sake, no!" Thank goodness for the sake of series three that she declined; undoubtedly the most appreciated moment of her appearance during this Christmas special.
Compared to the season two finale however, the Christmas special pales into mediocrity. The plot didn't feel particularly soundly thought through and the arch-enemy of the episode was similarly rather lack-lustre and something of a stereotype of poorer quality sci-fi than the current incarnation of Dr Who represents. The climax to season two in contrast was intense, filled with excitement and emotion throughout. It was the archetypal season end and it really went out with a bang, not least as it wrote out Billie Piper's character who has become an integral feature of the first two series. It'll be a hard act to follow for her replacement, of whom we saw a few glimpses at the end of the Christmas special.
Dr Who does seem to be on a roll now, however, and it seems difficult to imagine that the next series won't be just as big a hit as the last. The momentum is going; let's just hope that whatever characters emerge in the next series can hang around longer than has been the case so far. Ecclestone was a disgrace leaving after just the one series and as far as the Doctor's sidekicks have gone in the past I suspect two series for Piper isn't too respectable either. It's by no means just Dr Who that has been suffering from the BBC's inability to stick on to leading actors; Spooks lost more or less all its main character over the course of a season or so. I do wonder if this is purely a issue of remuneration as in the US stars are given massive contracts to stick with series for years and years. X-files more or less managed to keep its dynamic duo for the duration of its very considerable run whereas we've long since reached the point in Friends where we're wishing intently that the Daleks would cross the dimensions and see off the tired old characters with their equally weary comedic style. Personally I stopped laughing in series four, back when the Universe was young.
Thinking about the Daleks; it appears that they'll be making a showing one again next series. Considering they've been exterminated twice if not three times in the most accurate sense of that word they seem to have an amazing ability to make a comeback. If the Doctor was so certain of their destruction and it transpires there's still millions knocking around in miniature prisons, is he really so certain that he's the last Time Lord? There's probably a heap of them knocking around somewhere, keeping out of harms way or stuck because they've crash landed their Tardises and some thieving local has made off with their sonic screwdriver. It could all happen and while the plots aren't always explained in great depth there's something to be said about the considerable degree of uncertainty that surrounds the events of each episode. Far more enjoyable than the instantly scanable quantum singularities of Star Trek and its ilk. Dr Who is a series of the people; light on the physics, or at least characters willing to listen to the Doctor explain it, but lashings of broad appeal. I for one will not be grumbling about the licence fee for the foreseeable future.
During the past few days I've been trying to catch up with the Dr Who episodes I missed in order to be fully prepared for the Christmas special. As it turned out I didn't have time to watch the 2-part series finale prior to the special but there were fortunately so few references to what had passed in the previous episodes that my enjoyment was unspoiled.
Although the Christmas special was fine, I must say I'm no fan of Catherine Tate. I watched one or two shows from her own comedy series and I found it to lack staying power. Good comedy sketch shows will be creative and entertaining enough to allow the audience to enjoy the series in its entirely. The likes of Little Britain, although extreme and abrasive in parts accomplishes this with most people. The Catherine Tate show endured one viewing with some amusement but come the next episode and the characters, catch-phrases and jokes were already tired and I found myself channel hopping before the end.
The loud, annoying and very southern character that forms the basis for many of Tate's own characters and indeed her role in the Dr Who Christmas Special similarly could be endured - just - for a single episode. When the Doctor asked Tate's character if she'd like to join him on his interstellar travels I was shouting at the TV "oh for Christ sake, no!" Thank goodness for the sake of series three that she declined; undoubtedly the most appreciated moment of her appearance during this Christmas special.
Compared to the season two finale however, the Christmas special pales into mediocrity. The plot didn't feel particularly soundly thought through and the arch-enemy of the episode was similarly rather lack-lustre and something of a stereotype of poorer quality sci-fi than the current incarnation of Dr Who represents. The climax to season two in contrast was intense, filled with excitement and emotion throughout. It was the archetypal season end and it really went out with a bang, not least as it wrote out Billie Piper's character who has become an integral feature of the first two series. It'll be a hard act to follow for her replacement, of whom we saw a few glimpses at the end of the Christmas special.
Dr Who does seem to be on a roll now, however, and it seems difficult to imagine that the next series won't be just as big a hit as the last. The momentum is going; let's just hope that whatever characters emerge in the next series can hang around longer than has been the case so far. Ecclestone was a disgrace leaving after just the one series and as far as the Doctor's sidekicks have gone in the past I suspect two series for Piper isn't too respectable either. It's by no means just Dr Who that has been suffering from the BBC's inability to stick on to leading actors; Spooks lost more or less all its main character over the course of a season or so. I do wonder if this is purely a issue of remuneration as in the US stars are given massive contracts to stick with series for years and years. X-files more or less managed to keep its dynamic duo for the duration of its very considerable run whereas we've long since reached the point in Friends where we're wishing intently that the Daleks would cross the dimensions and see off the tired old characters with their equally weary comedic style. Personally I stopped laughing in series four, back when the Universe was young.
Thinking about the Daleks; it appears that they'll be making a showing one again next series. Considering they've been exterminated twice if not three times in the most accurate sense of that word they seem to have an amazing ability to make a comeback. If the Doctor was so certain of their destruction and it transpires there's still millions knocking around in miniature prisons, is he really so certain that he's the last Time Lord? There's probably a heap of them knocking around somewhere, keeping out of harms way or stuck because they've crash landed their Tardises and some thieving local has made off with their sonic screwdriver. It could all happen and while the plots aren't always explained in great depth there's something to be said about the considerable degree of uncertainty that surrounds the events of each episode. Far more enjoyable than the instantly scanable quantum singularities of Star Trek and its ilk. Dr Who is a series of the people; light on the physics, or at least characters willing to listen to the Doctor explain it, but lashings of broad appeal. I for one will not be grumbling about the licence fee for the foreseeable future.
20061223
Incredibly close to Christmas
Arriving back in the UK in early December and not having any sort of routine to keep to has allowed Christmas to all but creep up on me. Christmas has been something that's been mentioned on the radio but I'd not really Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and it's only been today that I've got around to the present wrapping. It's one of those tasks that never appeal on paper but once stuck in it's a challenge to make your best effort of fitting various oddly shaped gifts within the wrapping paper and the strips of largely uncontrollable sellotape. Fine motor skills; I must remember to ask Santa for some of that this year. The wrapping was, for a change, accomplished without too much frustration and very limited swearing. My efforts will never win any awards but it'll serve the utilitarian purpose of vaguely disguising the assorted contents until the 25th.
Today saw the last of the pre-Christmas shopping. It's been bandied about that the British buying public will be spending 2 billion today, not that I contributed a single penny towards this having successfully accumulated a curious array of gifts during my travels which I shall shortly be making the effort to pass off as Christmas gifts. I suspect not having to do any December shopping is another reason that the approaching festivities and the increasing panic that this causes so many have entirely passed me by this year.
We're now firmly into Christmas Radio Times territory; that two-week bumper edition containing more listings of over-televised old films than you can shake a stick at. Quite why the television companies don't see it fit to spend some money on even relatively new releases over this time of year when such a lot of viewing goes on bewilders me annually. At least there's the Dr Who Christmas Special to throw a bit of life into the schedules, which reminds me that I've got to catch up on the past series first. The cybermen have only just been seen off and there's a long way to go. Still, there's nothing like quality, contemporary British programming to get in the Christmas spirit, however late in the day it may be.
Today saw the last of the pre-Christmas shopping. It's been bandied about that the British buying public will be spending 2 billion today, not that I contributed a single penny towards this having successfully accumulated a curious array of gifts during my travels which I shall shortly be making the effort to pass off as Christmas gifts. I suspect not having to do any December shopping is another reason that the approaching festivities and the increasing panic that this causes so many have entirely passed me by this year.
We're now firmly into Christmas Radio Times territory; that two-week bumper edition containing more listings of over-televised old films than you can shake a stick at. Quite why the television companies don't see it fit to spend some money on even relatively new releases over this time of year when such a lot of viewing goes on bewilders me annually. At least there's the Dr Who Christmas Special to throw a bit of life into the schedules, which reminds me that I've got to catch up on the past series first. The cybermen have only just been seen off and there's a long way to go. Still, there's nothing like quality, contemporary British programming to get in the Christmas spirit, however late in the day it may be.
20061222
The longest night passes
We've just passed the Winter Solstice for 2006; the point where, in the Northern hemisphere, we are tilted furthest away from the sun. It's all uphill from here, even if it is slow progress for the first few weeks.
If, like me, you're up late tinkering on the web, why not follow this link to learn all manner of interesting facts about the Winter Solstice.
If, like me, you're up late tinkering on the web, why not follow this link to learn all manner of interesting facts about the Winter Solstice.
20061221
The lack of Christmas trains
I first brought this matter up in an internet forum around these time of year three years ago. My question to the group: why, when seemingly every other country in Europe runs rail services at Christmas do we not here in the UK? We must be one of the more secular countries of the EU and there are surely plenty of people who would travel if they could, but no services are provided. At that time I was living in Germany where as far as I remember a normal service would be running on Christmas, just like any other day. That Germany and so many other countries continued business as usual while we are forced to endure a total shut down of the network seemed illogical but perhaps symptomatic of the British work ethic.
Now it seems others have noticed this ridiculous hole in services. LibDem Transport Secretary, Alistair Carmichael MP, notes that until the Beeching era cuts the railways ran on Christmas Day. Surely running train lines in the 1950s would have required a good many more people to turn into work over Christmas given that every signal box would have had to be manned. Automation means that signalling is centralised and most trains themselves don't utilise the numbers of staff that would have been typical in the age of steam.
We've a sadly skewed sense of priorities when the importance of having a couple of fixed days off for a holiday that a great many of us don't really hold much significance in should outweigh running a national transportation network and thus cause a great deal of inconvenience for those wishing to travel during this time. As train usage rises and fondness for the CO2 emitting automobile declines, it seems like an extraordinary oversight that only ourselves and Ireland run no Christmas train services. There's no religious ground to support this transport blackout either since far more devout countries than ours run their services as normal without seemingly encountering any conflicts.
Of course raising this issue on the 21st of December isn't about to get this matter changed but at least through bringing awareness to this issue now when we can reflect on what more we might accomplish if rail services were operating over Christmas, perhaps the issue will reach the political agenda for change in the future.
Now it seems others have noticed this ridiculous hole in services. LibDem Transport Secretary, Alistair Carmichael MP, notes that until the Beeching era cuts the railways ran on Christmas Day. Surely running train lines in the 1950s would have required a good many more people to turn into work over Christmas given that every signal box would have had to be manned. Automation means that signalling is centralised and most trains themselves don't utilise the numbers of staff that would have been typical in the age of steam.
We've a sadly skewed sense of priorities when the importance of having a couple of fixed days off for a holiday that a great many of us don't really hold much significance in should outweigh running a national transportation network and thus cause a great deal of inconvenience for those wishing to travel during this time. As train usage rises and fondness for the CO2 emitting automobile declines, it seems like an extraordinary oversight that only ourselves and Ireland run no Christmas train services. There's no religious ground to support this transport blackout either since far more devout countries than ours run their services as normal without seemingly encountering any conflicts.
Of course raising this issue on the 21st of December isn't about to get this matter changed but at least through bringing awareness to this issue now when we can reflect on what more we might accomplish if rail services were operating over Christmas, perhaps the issue will reach the political agenda for change in the future.
20061220
Winter solstice
Religiously funded American media can often be heard reminding viewers or listeners of 'the reason for the season'. I know perfectly well what they're referring to but it doesn't mean I can't gleefully ignore it outright and instead focus on the original 'reason for the season' that is the winter solstice taking place at 0:20 on the morning of 22nd December. Yes, I always thought the solstice fell on the 21st but apparently there's a certain amount of annual variation pushing it just into the following day this year.
We'll still be exchanging presents and indulging in vast quantities of food on the 25th of course but the passing of the solstice represents that the winter gloom which seems to get so many people down at this time of year has reached its worst and the days will begin to lengthen. Reasons to be cheerful, 1-2-3. The change may been indiscernible at the outset but by February the extra daylight will be welcome and although winter is still with us for a few months yet the glass of summertime cheer will slowly begin to fill. Here endeth the most unusual analogy of the day.
We'll still be exchanging presents and indulging in vast quantities of food on the 25th of course but the passing of the solstice represents that the winter gloom which seems to get so many people down at this time of year has reached its worst and the days will begin to lengthen. Reasons to be cheerful, 1-2-3. The change may been indiscernible at the outset but by February the extra daylight will be welcome and although winter is still with us for a few months yet the glass of summertime cheer will slowly begin to fill. Here endeth the most unusual analogy of the day.
20061219
Multi-channel living
This is no doubt terribly old hat for many people but here in the wilds of Cumbria where we like things simple it's quite a turn up for the books. The SKY man has been and gone, the digibox card has arrived and we are now officially a multi-channel household.
For the time being there's an element of 'new toy' excitement about it all. The rest test will be in the longer term to see how we come to use what is a 50-fold or more increase on the number of channels we've had to date.
It's fair to say that the majority of satellite channels don't offer programming that can match the terrestrial channels when they're at their best. The advantage comes from having a wider choice of programming 24/7 which should in theory offer something of some interest at more or less any time whereas the standard four channels could often fail on this score.
Having become used to watching no television during the duration of my trip I'm not feeling a great desire to start now. I've enjoyed a few hours of different channels so far and I suspect being able to to sit down when it suits me and being able to put the news straight on or some other programme I'll find of interest will be an advantage. I can't see myself spending hours a day in front of the goggle box though. I've got my PC for that!
For the time being there's an element of 'new toy' excitement about it all. The rest test will be in the longer term to see how we come to use what is a 50-fold or more increase on the number of channels we've had to date.
It's fair to say that the majority of satellite channels don't offer programming that can match the terrestrial channels when they're at their best. The advantage comes from having a wider choice of programming 24/7 which should in theory offer something of some interest at more or less any time whereas the standard four channels could often fail on this score.
Having become used to watching no television during the duration of my trip I'm not feeling a great desire to start now. I've enjoyed a few hours of different channels so far and I suspect being able to to sit down when it suits me and being able to put the news straight on or some other programme I'll find of interest will be an advantage. I can't see myself spending hours a day in front of the goggle box though. I've got my PC for that!
20061217
A coherent, intelligent transport policy is needed
Back in April I began my big trip by taking a DFDS ferry from Newcastle to Gothenburg in Sweden as part of an overland route that would take me from the UK across Russia into Asia without flying. During some web surfing this evening I was dismayed to learn that this ferry service ceased in October; just the latest in a recent stream of ferry services to be cut.
The latest edition of the New Statesman offers a weighty article as to the impact of flying on the environment. However if aviation does contribute so significantly to CO2 emissions and climate changes then a more intelligent transport policy is called for than simply hiking aviation passenger taxes as seems to be the only action taken under consideration thus far.
I'm someone who enjoys flying and like many others have used it on a number of occasions to reach the continent cheaply and quickly either for breaks away or to meet friends. If the government wants us to change our flying habits as part of lowering CO2 emissions then some thought needs to be given to the possible alternative modes of transport that can be used. Within Europe especially it's increasingly commonplace for people to live and or work in other countries, therefore necessitating relatively frequent journeys to visit friends, family or to even go to the office. Not travelling is often no longer an option and simply pricing the poorest out of flying, which may seem the easiest option for the government to take is not an intelligent way to proceed.
If travel by ferry is a preferable option for the environment then the government should ensure travel by this means is actively encouraged perhaps through steps to make it more attractive in the marketplace. Reasonably pricey fares compared to those of budget airlines and naturally longer journey times are not going to be instant winners for the ferries and an inability to compete is likely the reason for the reduction in so many services in recent years. If the government is willing to grab the environment nettle it needs to give benefits to greener transport providers while simultaneously taxing the polluters. Similarly it needs to ensure that greener services are running and available for the public to use. Yet is the government willing?
Although green in words the government is clearly not sold on the issue of climate change. After all, steps to curb flying will have a significant impact on the economy. It'd have to be a government certain of the facts to make that step and while the evidence and visible climate change is stacking up the voices unconvinced by climate change remain vocal, numerous and not disrespected. Let's also not forget that Labour's ability to convince anyone of anything since the Iraq debacle has likely been terminally impaired.
If the prospect of curbing aviation usage is too prickly for the present then why not take the positive step instead of encouraging greener transportation. Begin with the carrot in changing the public's habits. If we're to get off the roads and out of the skies we need to be encouraged onto the rail and into ferries and other means of reaching our destinations. The government has no excuses not to proceed down this avenue which will in the long term be vital in an overall greener transport policy.
The latest edition of the New Statesman offers a weighty article as to the impact of flying on the environment. However if aviation does contribute so significantly to CO2 emissions and climate changes then a more intelligent transport policy is called for than simply hiking aviation passenger taxes as seems to be the only action taken under consideration thus far.
I'm someone who enjoys flying and like many others have used it on a number of occasions to reach the continent cheaply and quickly either for breaks away or to meet friends. If the government wants us to change our flying habits as part of lowering CO2 emissions then some thought needs to be given to the possible alternative modes of transport that can be used. Within Europe especially it's increasingly commonplace for people to live and or work in other countries, therefore necessitating relatively frequent journeys to visit friends, family or to even go to the office. Not travelling is often no longer an option and simply pricing the poorest out of flying, which may seem the easiest option for the government to take is not an intelligent way to proceed.
If travel by ferry is a preferable option for the environment then the government should ensure travel by this means is actively encouraged perhaps through steps to make it more attractive in the marketplace. Reasonably pricey fares compared to those of budget airlines and naturally longer journey times are not going to be instant winners for the ferries and an inability to compete is likely the reason for the reduction in so many services in recent years. If the government is willing to grab the environment nettle it needs to give benefits to greener transport providers while simultaneously taxing the polluters. Similarly it needs to ensure that greener services are running and available for the public to use. Yet is the government willing?
Although green in words the government is clearly not sold on the issue of climate change. After all, steps to curb flying will have a significant impact on the economy. It'd have to be a government certain of the facts to make that step and while the evidence and visible climate change is stacking up the voices unconvinced by climate change remain vocal, numerous and not disrespected. Let's also not forget that Labour's ability to convince anyone of anything since the Iraq debacle has likely been terminally impaired.
If the prospect of curbing aviation usage is too prickly for the present then why not take the positive step instead of encouraging greener transportation. Begin with the carrot in changing the public's habits. If we're to get off the roads and out of the skies we need to be encouraged onto the rail and into ferries and other means of reaching our destinations. The government has no excuses not to proceed down this avenue which will in the long term be vital in an overall greener transport policy.
Railways on track
They seem to receive a lot of stick but personally speaking I don't have many complaints with Virgin Trains. I took the train home from London when I arrived back from my trip and it was absolutely fine. Near enough on time and comfortable enough aside from facing backwards as did most of the seating in the carriage. Only the alarm from one of the toilets caused by someone pressing the ill-located emergency button rather than the flush button was cause for annoyance. I can't believe this problem still hasn't been solved. Surely someone could have concocted some extra labelling that would dissuade even the most unobservant from pressing the wrong button.
In any case, during my web snooping of the past few days I've unearthed some interested news and facts concerning the rail services to this part of the world. First off, a Department for Transport press release announces improved services on the West Coast Main Line (that's the London to Glasgow route) from the end of 2008. These include:
- 50% increase in frequency in London - Birmingham and London - Manchester services
- A further 30 minutes reduction in London - Glasgow journey times, so that travelling time is around 4 hours 30 minutes.
- London - Liverpool services will be 20 minutes faster than today and there with extra peak time services
- Hourly services all day between London - Liverpool; London - Preston and London - Chester
- Improvement in weekend services
Also of interest is a transfer of services 'between Birmingham - Scotland currently operated by Virgin Cross Country to Virgin West Coast from 11 November 2007. An enhanced timetable will also be put in place on these routes from December 2008 and journey times between Birmingham and Glasgow and Edinburgh via the West Coast line will be 4 hours', the likes of which will pass through Cumbria en route to Scotland.
This all sounds like good news. If the journey time from London to Glasgow is being cut by half an hour then in theory the journey times to Cumbria should become maybe 15 or 20 minutes quicker. Trips to Glasgow and Edinburgh will also be speedier. It's a couple of years away still but it seems to be movements in the right direction.
While browsing information on the local MP, who changed at the last election while I was living down south, I came across some figures for usage of Oxenholme station, given as a response to a parliamentary question by the MP.
Daily average of Cross Country Weekday Return Journeys originating at Oxenholme:
Preston - - - - - - - -60
Birmingham NS - 21
Bristol TM - - - - - 10
Plymouth - - - - - - 2
It's not terribly useful as by far the majority will use West Coast trains to Preston and London. It's intriguing that there's 10 people everyday wanting to go to Bristol.
In any case, during my web snooping of the past few days I've unearthed some interested news and facts concerning the rail services to this part of the world. First off, a Department for Transport press release announces improved services on the West Coast Main Line (that's the London to Glasgow route) from the end of 2008. These include:
- 50% increase in frequency in London - Birmingham and London - Manchester services
- A further 30 minutes reduction in London - Glasgow journey times, so that travelling time is around 4 hours 30 minutes.
- London - Liverpool services will be 20 minutes faster than today and there with extra peak time services
- Hourly services all day between London - Liverpool; London - Preston and London - Chester
- Improvement in weekend services
Also of interest is a transfer of services 'between Birmingham - Scotland currently operated by Virgin Cross Country to Virgin West Coast from 11 November 2007. An enhanced timetable will also be put in place on these routes from December 2008 and journey times between Birmingham and Glasgow and Edinburgh via the West Coast line will be 4 hours', the likes of which will pass through Cumbria en route to Scotland.
This all sounds like good news. If the journey time from London to Glasgow is being cut by half an hour then in theory the journey times to Cumbria should become maybe 15 or 20 minutes quicker. Trips to Glasgow and Edinburgh will also be speedier. It's a couple of years away still but it seems to be movements in the right direction.
While browsing information on the local MP, who changed at the last election while I was living down south, I came across some figures for usage of Oxenholme station, given as a response to a parliamentary question by the MP.
Daily average of Cross Country Weekday Return Journeys originating at Oxenholme:
Preston - - - - - - - -60
Birmingham NS - 21
Bristol TM - - - - - 10
Plymouth - - - - - - 2
It's not terribly useful as by far the majority will use West Coast trains to Preston and London. It's intriguing that there's 10 people everyday wanting to go to Bristol.
20061216
The danger of Firefox
Returning to my PC after several months means that inevitably half the software on it will be out of date and insisting on being updated on pain of death or incessant pop-ups (it's a toss up as to which is worse).
One of the updates has been the latest version of Firefox which supports even better tabbing than previously. However for the likes of me who likes to have loads of windows open it's dangerous. With other browsers everything starts to get clumsy after a certain number of windows are open, such as the old IE making windows tabs group together which I always loathed but Firefox can show ten tabs and has a handy scroller to accommodate more. As a result I've now got no less than 30 tabs open in Firefox alone! It works well for the way I work but in some ways I could do with some limitations to keep my jumping browsing habits in check!
One of the updates has been the latest version of Firefox which supports even better tabbing than previously. However for the likes of me who likes to have loads of windows open it's dangerous. With other browsers everything starts to get clumsy after a certain number of windows are open, such as the old IE making windows tabs group together which I always loathed but Firefox can show ten tabs and has a handy scroller to accommodate more. As a result I've now got no less than 30 tabs open in Firefox alone! It works well for the way I work but in some ways I could do with some limitations to keep my jumping browsing habits in check!
20061215
Catching up with the times
Being largely out of touch with the movements of the online world for seven months leaving a good deal of catching up to do on return. One of the major names to have dominated 2006 has been Youtube. This is a site I'd heard of prior to my trip but only briefly glanced upon. Throughout the year the media have continually giving mention to Youtube in relation to content, the buy-out by Google and legal issues regarding content; all great promotion of course.I seem to lack the type of friends who forever forward interesting, bizarre or hilarious Youtube video links (most I suspect are working too industriously these days) but during my trip and much more so since my return I've been exploring what this massive collection of video clips has to offer. It's impressive; more or less any music video you fancy, a good many concert recordings and even relatively little known bands are up there, such as 'Show of Hands' (see above).
There are clips of seemingly anything and everything. Teenagers singing into webcams or sharing their angst, a group of lads doing a spoof white-water rafting video on the river in my home town, favourite football goals (sigh), creative reworking of movie trailers turning The Shining into a family movie and Mary Poppins into a horror, the list goes on and on into the far distance. As with everything on the internet the quality is very variable, ranging from a finely crafted piece of work to someone droning on and inflicting their face upon us while doing so but it's no worse for that; if anything it harks back to the earlier days of the internet and gives it an interesting multimedia spin.
Youtube is a fine use of broadband internet speeds which most people now enjoy, adding an extra dimension to the online content which the normal man on the street can upload. Digital camcorders in one form or another are pretty much the standard these days making content creation within the grasp of seemingly anyone who has the time and inclination. It remains to be seen what will become of Youtube under its new ownership as some copyrighted content has already been removed in response to complaints by musicians and their solicitors. However for now it's pretty much all out there and worth exploring.
20061214
MP calls for sense on school PE lessons
Now here's a story I can relate to. LibDem MP Sandra Gidley calls for a change to the mandatory practice of competitive team-based PE lessons in schools which so often leaves the less able with a lifelong disdain for sport and instead offer a wider variety of options for keeping pupils fit.
Being dyspraxic, although unaware of it during secondary school, I was forever picked last for teams and had no athletic ability to speak of. This led to derision by peers and being ignored by teaching staff who seemed only interested in those with sporting ability. In my experience those who are particularly sporting tend to be ultra-competitive are unable to grasp the concept of or make allowances for anyone who isn't. PE teachers being generally hewn from this mould often suffer from this same flaw. As the MP rightly states, putting children through a schooling of competitive team sports when they've little ability to offer in that area is not going to make for a wholesome, positive experience to take with them into later life. That's certainly what I've found. As is so often the case the system is at fault in being too narrow in its aims and modus operandi.
In business it can make good sense to target a central majority and ignore those on the periphery who don't fit so conveniently into the business model you're using. Schools however must never adhere to such a system. Every effort must be made for full inclusivity down to the last pupil. Anything less has to be regarded as a failure. Perhaps schools should look to hiring PE teachers with more varied personality types to better suit the range of pupils, implement tiered groups within PE as is used in other faculties or even shift PE training of those with difficulties into the remit of special needs.
I do certainly hope that PE lessons are better suited to those with difficulties than when I was as school some ten years ago, however I suspect that the national panic and clamour over an obesity epidemic will lead to all pupils being pushed outside into the same sort of lessons that will continue to fail a struggling minority.
Being dyspraxic, although unaware of it during secondary school, I was forever picked last for teams and had no athletic ability to speak of. This led to derision by peers and being ignored by teaching staff who seemed only interested in those with sporting ability. In my experience those who are particularly sporting tend to be ultra-competitive are unable to grasp the concept of or make allowances for anyone who isn't. PE teachers being generally hewn from this mould often suffer from this same flaw. As the MP rightly states, putting children through a schooling of competitive team sports when they've little ability to offer in that area is not going to make for a wholesome, positive experience to take with them into later life. That's certainly what I've found. As is so often the case the system is at fault in being too narrow in its aims and modus operandi.
In business it can make good sense to target a central majority and ignore those on the periphery who don't fit so conveniently into the business model you're using. Schools however must never adhere to such a system. Every effort must be made for full inclusivity down to the last pupil. Anything less has to be regarded as a failure. Perhaps schools should look to hiring PE teachers with more varied personality types to better suit the range of pupils, implement tiered groups within PE as is used in other faculties or even shift PE training of those with difficulties into the remit of special needs.
I do certainly hope that PE lessons are better suited to those with difficulties than when I was as school some ten years ago, however I suspect that the national panic and clamour over an obesity epidemic will lead to all pupils being pushed outside into the same sort of lessons that will continue to fail a struggling minority.
The best wi-fied fields in the land
My return to the green and pleasant land has necessitated a shake up of the internet connection in the house. Having just the one PC connected to a fixed connection wasn't going to cut it, so following the delivery of a rather fine Netgear router yesterday we're now a fully wireless household.
I have yet to test the full range of the router, which intelligently uses a number of antennae to provide the best reception for wherever the connected PCs are located. It seemed to do the trick as taking my laptop downstairs I still receive a full 5-bar signal. As and when the wind and rain subsides I'll go for a wander with the PDA to see just how far the signal can reach. I suspect the coverage won't extend much beyond the garden but some signal will undoubtedly reach the adjacent fields meaning that we've perhaps the first sheep with wi-fi internet coverage in Cumbria.
Having wireless internet is a great help especially if I'm in the search for my muse and have to find a good spot in the house for some inspiration to get the jottings and compositions under way. Although I thought my laptop battery was about knackered when I left for my trip it seems to have been rejuvenated meaning I could work entirely wireless for a couple of hours if I feel like it. It's fair to say the garden's not really going to be an option for the foreseeable future with the weather how it is. Even if I did wrap up for the cold there's still the force 10 gales whipping through here to contend with and the sort of rainfall the drought-stricken Aussies would give up the Ashes for.
I have yet to test the full range of the router, which intelligently uses a number of antennae to provide the best reception for wherever the connected PCs are located. It seemed to do the trick as taking my laptop downstairs I still receive a full 5-bar signal. As and when the wind and rain subsides I'll go for a wander with the PDA to see just how far the signal can reach. I suspect the coverage won't extend much beyond the garden but some signal will undoubtedly reach the adjacent fields meaning that we've perhaps the first sheep with wi-fi internet coverage in Cumbria.Having wireless internet is a great help especially if I'm in the search for my muse and have to find a good spot in the house for some inspiration to get the jottings and compositions under way. Although I thought my laptop battery was about knackered when I left for my trip it seems to have been rejuvenated meaning I could work entirely wireless for a couple of hours if I feel like it. It's fair to say the garden's not really going to be an option for the foreseeable future with the weather how it is. Even if I did wrap up for the cold there's still the force 10 gales whipping through here to contend with and the sort of rainfall the drought-stricken Aussies would give up the Ashes for.
20061213
The north wind shall blow and we shall have snow
...because once again the local TV transmitter has gone belly up by today's wind and rain. It's not atypical weather for this part of the world but every year without fail our televisions will be reduced to snow and white noise, normally just in time to interrupt festive television. It rubs salt in to the wound that in addition to having only 4 channels which are grainy at the best of times we seem to be subject to the whims of least reliable transmitter in the country. It fits rather nicely with the previous post though. I wonder if after Monday we'll even notice the fluctuations of bog standard terrestrial analogue.
Digital living in a rural land
It wasn't so long ago that all this talk of going digital was wholly ignored around here, being something limited to the high-density living rat-racers in the cities. Internet was dial-up and there was no expectation of receiving digital radio or TV within the foreseeable future, if at all. Times are changing, although the move to digital is often thwarted by the geography of the area. Internet is now broadband and digital television is available from one of the local transmitters although it's available very patchily. Similarly digital radio is available from certain locations but in most cases it's having make it over some distance to reach here, meaning that signal levels normally hover around the threshold level for usability. We've long since tolerated a rather ropey analogue signal but for not much longer. There remains little or no possibility of receiving Freeview for now and even when it commences from our local transmitter in a year or two the signal may still not be up to scratch. This has left us with no option but to look up to the Sky, or to SKY, to be more precise.
I'm pleased to have finally convinced my parents to go down the good-picture-quality, multi-channel route, as for long enough they've been picking through the best of what the four terrestrial channels have to offer (no channel 5 of course), which is often somewhat limited. Even free to air satellite will help. I'm a big fan of BBC 4 as a source of decent programming many evenings and when I had Freeview in London last year even the likes of Sky Travel would occasionally bestow should gems upon us: an old Whicker's World or Ewan McGregor's 'Long Way Round' series.
The situation is even better than that though. The free to air price is some £150 which covers the equipment, installation and FTA decoder card. However for the time being Sky are also offering the same plus 2 mixes (a mix is a collection of their subscription channels such as entertainment, documentaries etc.) for only £120, which comprises a £10 monthly subscription charge with gratis installation and equipment. This means that for a year at least we'll also be able to enjoy the likes of Sky One, UK Gold and for my father more documentaries than it would ever be possible to digest. Most important though is the fact that for the first time ever at this house, that's a good 10 years or so, we'll actually have a good television picture. Is this going digital so much as catching up to what most people have had for many years? Rural life indeed.
I'm pleased to have finally convinced my parents to go down the good-picture-quality, multi-channel route, as for long enough they've been picking through the best of what the four terrestrial channels have to offer (no channel 5 of course), which is often somewhat limited. Even free to air satellite will help. I'm a big fan of BBC 4 as a source of decent programming many evenings and when I had Freeview in London last year even the likes of Sky Travel would occasionally bestow should gems upon us: an old Whicker's World or Ewan McGregor's 'Long Way Round' series.
The situation is even better than that though. The free to air price is some £150 which covers the equipment, installation and FTA decoder card. However for the time being Sky are also offering the same plus 2 mixes (a mix is a collection of their subscription channels such as entertainment, documentaries etc.) for only £120, which comprises a £10 monthly subscription charge with gratis installation and equipment. This means that for a year at least we'll also be able to enjoy the likes of Sky One, UK Gold and for my father more documentaries than it would ever be possible to digest. Most important though is the fact that for the first time ever at this house, that's a good 10 years or so, we'll actually have a good television picture. Is this going digital so much as catching up to what most people have had for many years? Rural life indeed.
20061212
The scribe is born
In order to cause the maximum confusion, as part of getting the blog back up and running I've been spending some time giving it all a thorough overhaul; a new style and now even a new name with a URL to match. It was a bit of a spur of the moment decision, but that's often the source of my best work, and also my biggest mistakes. We'll see which one this transpires to be. Thus 'The Village Scribe' was created, reflecting my return to rural England.
20061211
Glorious Cumbrian rain
If my big trip around Asia and Oz taught me something is that for much of the time a lot of the world seems to be a pretty dry place. I encountered precipitation so seldom in fact that when I did it was something of a novelty; a tropical downpour in Bangkok flooding the streets within minutes or an infrequent shower during Japan's so called wet season. No doubt most places do get their fair share of rainfall at some point, but having been back in Cumbria for a few days and subject once more to the westerly prevailing winds I can safely say that I've more or less encountered more rainfall in the past few days than in the previous seven months abroad. Perhaps we don't win in volume here, as those tropical showers are nothing short of torrential, but yesterday it began raining in the afternoon and only eased and gave way to sunshine this morning. When it comes to persistent rainfall the British Isles, or at least their Western coasts have it made.
Thing is, I love it. It may be damp, cold and seemingly miserable especially at this time of year but it feels like home. Damn it, it is home, and convivial or not for outdoor pursuits it's the climate I've grown up with and rather oddly become attached to. It sounds odd to say I'm attached to lakeland relief rainfall but that's just the fact of the matter. Now I don't mind living somewhere dry; I lived on London for two years and it hardly ever seems to rain down there; yet familiarity is driven by more than just sights and people, it's the whole caboodle of which getting rained on on an all too regular basis is part and parcel thereof.
Yet now the sun is shining. The field across the way is slightly waterlogged and the sleep are all sitting down looking contented in whatever warmth the December sun is able to offer them. The northern English green-ness is positively glowing. I'll pop into town shortly and no doubt there'll be that unmistakable smell of fresh rain, the damp ground offering a cacophony of hitherto hidden scents and smells. And to think I had some reservations about returning to the UK in mid-winter. How quickly dispelled they are. Certainly it's not a climate conducive to the sort of walking I was until recently doing in Australia, but then the same could be said of the weather in the rapidly approaching Aussie summer and give me cool weather over an excess of heat any day.
It's time to go and support my local Post Office while I still can.
Thing is, I love it. It may be damp, cold and seemingly miserable especially at this time of year but it feels like home. Damn it, it is home, and convivial or not for outdoor pursuits it's the climate I've grown up with and rather oddly become attached to. It sounds odd to say I'm attached to lakeland relief rainfall but that's just the fact of the matter. Now I don't mind living somewhere dry; I lived on London for two years and it hardly ever seems to rain down there; yet familiarity is driven by more than just sights and people, it's the whole caboodle of which getting rained on on an all too regular basis is part and parcel thereof.
Yet now the sun is shining. The field across the way is slightly waterlogged and the sleep are all sitting down looking contented in whatever warmth the December sun is able to offer them. The northern English green-ness is positively glowing. I'll pop into town shortly and no doubt there'll be that unmistakable smell of fresh rain, the damp ground offering a cacophony of hitherto hidden scents and smells. And to think I had some reservations about returning to the UK in mid-winter. How quickly dispelled they are. Certainly it's not a climate conducive to the sort of walking I was until recently doing in Australia, but then the same could be said of the weather in the rapidly approaching Aussie summer and give me cool weather over an excess of heat any day.
It's time to go and support my local Post Office while I still can.
The blog is back!
The attention all shipping blog has been in a hiatus for the past seven months while I'll been gallivanting across Europe, Asia and Australia (details of which could be followed on my travel blog). I returned to the UK on Thursday and having had a few days to get over the jet lag and caught up on seven months of news from friends, family and wider world it's about time the show got back on the road.
I arrived back in the UK amidst news of expected widespread Post Office closures. This makes my blood boil as many Post Offices are central to rural communities and it seems to be a further step that the government is either unaware or uninterested in the needs and workings of towns and villages.
One of the most glorious features of Post Offices is that they're the most local of services, residing often at the heart of village life. Despite previous closures Post Offices are still for many an easy walk down the street; a crucial factor for the sizable elderly population that exists in rural communities. If these were to go thousands if not millions would be faced with a substantial journey to the next branch, which in turn creates untold additional car journeys and yet further CO2 emissions at a time when the government is in theory looking at cutting this greenhouse gas. Closures will also rive the heart out of many small towns and villages and toll a further death nell at a time when community spirit should be being nurtured.
Particularly annoying is the fact that these closures are being announced with no effort being made to look into options for diversifying Post Offices' incomes. One particularly interesting suggestion I heard on the radio was to use the network of Post Office branches as collection hubs for the many couriered parcels that are undelivered each day. Currently these return to local courier depots, often scores of miles away and redelivery may be attempted another couple of times which on a national basis much constitute a huge number of needless road journeys and CO2 emissions. However more broadly there have got to be a number of avenues that can be tried to introduce new services to the Post Offices and boost turnover.
I arrived back in the UK amidst news of expected widespread Post Office closures. This makes my blood boil as many Post Offices are central to rural communities and it seems to be a further step that the government is either unaware or uninterested in the needs and workings of towns and villages.
One of the most glorious features of Post Offices is that they're the most local of services, residing often at the heart of village life. Despite previous closures Post Offices are still for many an easy walk down the street; a crucial factor for the sizable elderly population that exists in rural communities. If these were to go thousands if not millions would be faced with a substantial journey to the next branch, which in turn creates untold additional car journeys and yet further CO2 emissions at a time when the government is in theory looking at cutting this greenhouse gas. Closures will also rive the heart out of many small towns and villages and toll a further death nell at a time when community spirit should be being nurtured.
Particularly annoying is the fact that these closures are being announced with no effort being made to look into options for diversifying Post Offices' incomes. One particularly interesting suggestion I heard on the radio was to use the network of Post Office branches as collection hubs for the many couriered parcels that are undelivered each day. Currently these return to local courier depots, often scores of miles away and redelivery may be attempted another couple of times which on a national basis much constitute a huge number of needless road journeys and CO2 emissions. However more broadly there have got to be a number of avenues that can be tried to introduce new services to the Post Offices and boost turnover.
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