tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70153712010-02-07T16:05:36.346ZIt's a play on words, see? "Coded" as in written like a computer program, or "coded" as in only understandable to certain parties.Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-12234706008531535442010-02-05T09:30:00.000Z2010-02-05T09:30:59.149Z

.. is probably being driven by a moron. In a Guardian article about sticky Toyota accelerator pedals was this quote: "I was driving in my Toyota Yaris at 60mph on a dual carriageway .. when my accelerator pedal failed to respond when I lifted my foot off the pedal. I applied the foot brake. It then took two and a half miles for it to be slow enough for me to drive half on to the verge, where the

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-45548322285080961812010-02-03T13:53:00.000Z2010-02-03T13:53:36.774Z

I spoke to Egg, and they do appear to have thought about it a little after all. The primary account holder has to sign up to their blame-shifting scheme first, and apparently the secondary account holder can then set up another password. I say "apparently" because this has yet to be tested. In this case the secondary account holder signed up first. In order for the primary account holder (me) to

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-44421575431831845772010-01-30T17:15:00.004Z2010-01-30T17:43:37.059Z

Despite prolific online shopping, I had so far managed to avoid using the stupid and useless phishing magnet which is known as Verified By Visa or Mastercard Securecode. I've done this by pretending to use it and then cancelling it at the last. This has always worked.Wen has less patience than me, so last time she used it she caved and registered.Today I tried to buy something from Tesco, and up

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-9418242657429124872010-01-02T21:03:00.002Z2010-01-02T21:21:14.003Z

This year, as part of the ongoing SKI project (see Phase 1), we are off on our first trip south of the equator - Train to Machu Picchu. To start the excitement rolling, and to check out where we exactly we will be going, I mapped the itinerary in Google Earth.If you have Google Earth you can see the KMZ and if you don't you can see it in Google Maps.

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-53810954467489094452009-12-04T12:26:00.002Z2009-12-04T12:41:04.464Z

John Prescott was on Today this morning.He was talking about the Conservative Plan to increase the inheritance tax limits, a tax change which would benefit approximately 1% of people in the country - the richest, of course - almost all living in Chelsea and Kensington. Mr Prescott said, "it will be the only tax cut ever proposed where the man making it will know by name everyone who will benefit.

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-86876619222254441542009-11-09T21:35:00.003Z2009-11-09T21:42:40.399Z

Yahoo Maps has a strange opinion about how to spell Macclesfield. It seems to be in Scotland, although the clan MacClesfield is new to me. It's not just a typo, as you can see from the nearby MacClesfield Forest. Obviously some over-zealous speel chequer, but it doesn't help Yahoo's image much.

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-76095584714521673112009-10-25T16:52:00.002Z2009-10-25T16:56:06.816Z

We went into Cambridge early yesterday for eye tests. I have at least another year without specs, although I am now a little short-sighted. Wen has plumped for some varifocals and prescription sunglasses. Some part of that was free, but it still ended up over £600.Then we met Donna for lunch, did a little clothes shopping in John Lewis, and went up to Ryman's for a scrapbook.When we got back to

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-14116599687411650442009-09-10T11:33:00.002+01:002009-09-10T11:40:28.039+01:00

This hurts my head.Apparently, my car insurance renewal notification got lost in the post. Prompted by Wen, I finally decided to check last night and discovered that last year's insurance ran out on the 6th. Oops! I quickly went online and insured myself with Directline (the interwebs never sleeps).This morning I rang Egg (for it was they) to find out why they hadn't sent my renewal notice. They

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-88801041510297863242009-08-19T10:10:00.002+01:002009-08-19T10:14:01.968+01:00

"I think the trouble with being a critical thinker or an atheist, or a humanist is that you're right. And it's quite hard being right in the face of people who are wrong without sounding like a fuckwit. People go: 'do you think the vast majority of the world is wrong', well yes, I don't know how to say that nicely, but yes."Tim Minchin

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-34226127164554969902009-07-09T17:19:00.003+01:002009-07-09T17:27:18.852+01:00

It was tremendously fab.We had a horror journey there (12 hours on the coach) and so had to put the tent up in the dark when there wasn't much room left, but that was soon forgotten.We ate Fish'n'Chips, Green Chicken Curry, Pommes de Terres d'Or, proper Sausages, bacon roll with rocket, fruit salad, Yeo Ice Cream and Yoghurt, tempura and noodles, organic jacket potatoes, never the same thing

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-23023326305595542692009-06-06T12:12:00.006+01:002009-06-06T12:38:00.490+01:00

This time, the people of Willingham, Over and Longstanton didn't vote for a representative on Cambridgeshire County Council.Despite the political cloud hanging over Shona after her brief tenure as leader of the council, she managed to convince 63% of the electorate to stay at home.Actual details:CandidatePartyVotesCharlie WilsonLabour185Rob FallaLibdem888Shona JohnstoneTory1485Lazy Bastards4448

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-3255705507719051142009-05-06T21:35:00.005+01:002009-05-06T22:06:17.235+01:00

We went to Mike's BBQ on Star Wars Bank Holiday Monday and had a very pleasant time. We particularly enjoyed watching all the other guests run around after their small-to-medium sized children, whilst we just reminisced about how that used to be for us.I was chastised for not updating this blog, but that's only by and compared to Mike - and he's obsessive. Or rather, he used to be; it's gone a

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-66494619828940485832009-03-17T22:18:00.001Z2009-03-17T22:19:33.554Z

A cute player card showing what I've been up to on the Playstation 3.

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-21419646387213605212009-01-23T21:34:00.002Z2009-01-23T21:43:52.953Z

The observant may have noticed the new book widget - I was too lazy to update the hand-crafted Javascript version (and nobody used my Amazon Affiliates links to buy a single book), so I have out-sourced my book reading list maintenance to Good Reads.Also, I did get a reply to my complaint at the BBC - but as it was privately sent to me I don't feel I can publish it. It was very bland, and as

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-56685508907039458232008-11-04T14:48:00.002Z2008-11-04T14:51:06.788Z

Finally found out how to complain to the BBC - there's a section on their website.I would like to complain about the cancellation of one of the few BBC programmes which I (used to) watch every week, particularly this episode which was to have featured The Killers. I don't listen to Russell Brand's Radio 2 show, and I don't read the Mail on Sunday, so I am completely unconcerned about the

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-39780630181571497512008-09-19T10:07:00.003+01:002008-09-19T10:13:22.295+01:00

This should prove interesting.The Pope himself, when asked to put in a word with his boss for the failing Italian airline Alitalia, replied, "I have been praying for you for some time." [news]Now, if god listens to anybody, surely his infallible representative on earth must have the best chance. So when Alitalia goes bust, as it inevitably will, there will be indisputable proof that prayer

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-6272244372744711912008-05-07T21:53:00.004+01:002008-05-07T22:09:32.721+01:00

"Cannabis is a class B drug".The only message it gives me is that politicians are weak, the leaders are completely in hock to the tabloid press, and that the Labour party is getting close to being as bad as the Tories*. The very fact that stupid posh git Cameron agrees with it should be proof enough that it's the wrong thing to do. Gordon Brown is ignoring the considered opinion of an

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-85937800060361433972008-05-02T12:39:00.005+01:002008-05-02T13:23:19.916+01:00

Once more, the people who stayed at home won by a landslide, followed by a tsunami, followed by an earthquake.Actual details:CandidatePartyVotesNorman CrowtherLabour107Leslie GellingLibdem445Ray ManningTory1109Lazy Bastards3385

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-47824152516682716132008-03-29T09:45:00.004Z2008-03-31T15:37:01.354+01:00

In bed this morning I listened to last week's Archers. Not particularly technological, until you consider how I got to hear it.We couldn't manage the omnibus last weekend (we had visitors), so I downloaded the podcasts via iTunes to the PC. The PC is running TVersity, which is a DLNA/uPNP Media Server. This means that clients on our home network can see music, photos and videos on the PC.One such

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-22502417851117853382008-03-01T21:53:00.002Z2008-03-01T22:11:05.973Z

Saturday morning: I was sat at home alone when I spotted the usual smartly dressed family groups wandering up and down the street carrying briefcases. Hooray! Religious nutters coming to call. I really enjoy talking to these poor people and trying to shine the light of reason into their deluded minds.A young lad was standing by the door, waiting for his partner to arrive. I girded my loins whilst

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-52643359895090135762008-02-25T19:05:00.002Z2008-02-25T19:15:58.374Z

She's set off on her round the world trip. Here's a link to a Google Maps page which shows where she'll be. If you have Google Earth, you can look directly at the KMZ file.And if she gets time to update it, you can read her travel blog. There's an entry she made this morning to at least start you off.

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-87692781490494260622007-12-21T13:20:00.001Z2007-12-21T13:36:01.587Z

It can't be a lot of fun, working for a recruitment agency. However, it says very little for their chances of success pushing candidates if they can't recruit decent staff themselves. I am on the mailing list of a company called JAM and they send me the most appalling emails. I received two in two days, and I'm now compelled to share them:Here at JAM we specialise heavily within our market sector

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-8445106263760456452007-12-07T09:45:00.000Z2007-12-07T10:03:37.813Z

A first for this blog! I really like the new Chart API announced by Google which lets you do this:simply by coding up a URL with parameters. Insert it as an image, and Google will send back the chart in PNG format. That pie was made with the following ingredients:http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?cht=p&chs=300x120&chf=bg,s,fff2cc&chtt=Willingham+Elections+2007&chd=t:66,16,9,7,2&chl=Lazy+Bastards

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-6230555479350025392007-10-15T20:53:00.000+01:002007-10-15T22:14:27.479+01:00

I've been very lax. Busy, but that's no excuse. My excuse is that I wanted to do pictorial fancy reportage of stuff, but that is too burdensome and so to catch up all in one requires a Christmas Round Robin style holiday bragging session, but at least the slideshow is optional.A promise to take Wen's parents to catch the Eurostar ended up with us spending the weekend in Paris.Then we continued at

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7015371.post-67845267780205137472007-07-27T12:01:00.001+01:002007-07-27T12:43:45.135+01:00

Andrew Lansley MP was visiting a neighbour of ours, so they put a marquee up on the lawn.Later they decided to have the reception indoors, because of the wind - a good decision, as the marquee got away! The tree stopped it hitting any buildings. And after everyone (un-)pitched in (including the MP), it was made safe. Only the tree was damaged.There was an official photographer watching us take it

Derekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12519406107690917652noreply@blogger.com0