Red's Place

So, that was the weekend that was. Did you watch/goto a Live 8 concert? What did you think? I saw a bit of the BBC show on Saturday, but then went out to a stag do, looked pretty impressive. Most importantly, did you sign the petition?

I'm now working on a customer site, currently trying to sort out some windows scripting, but the effect is that I'm isolated from the internet, only have access to the customer LAN, and our corporate email. (I'm working on finding a proxy in our corporate LAN that will give me internet access, should be sorted soon).

Thought this was sad, it was a notable view on our 2003 trip down under.

Have a good week all :)

Ok, so the title is a little misleading :)

The TV show Lost is due to start on Ch4 in August (10th) according to DigitalSpy, and that will keep some people happy.

Also, I'm thinking instead of getting a new phone, how about getting a GPS SatNav gizmo to use in the car? Now the question is, can you get UK and US maps? What about speed camera database? Lots of questions, no answers as of yet.

Also, poor old Mr Phone and family almost became real French fries (or should that be Freedom fries?), good to know they're ok, but what is he doing updating the blog from a campsite on holiday?!

It seems to be confirmed now that Al-Qaeda have claimed they are behind the transport system explosions in London. I hope those I know in the area are all safe, I'm unable to find out at the moment.

So, Mr Bush, your plan to drive out terrorism (since 9/11) in Afganistan and Iraq has actually done nothing useful? Yes, you may have sorted out a dictator, but what about the other dictators, such as the nutters in Korea and now Zimbabwe?

Is the US/Bush trying to counteract terrorism, or is it trying to be the worlds police force, or just protect oil? At the moment it seems the latter.

The bombs in Bali, Madrid and now London show that the terrorism battle can not be even touched with armies and shows of power. I don't know what is needed, but there are enough advisors for the men of the G8 they should be able to do something.

(And that's without talking about the African issues)

The news media are calling it London's version of 9/11. Not with the loss of life, but the chaos. Even the IRA (and others) never detonated bombs in the underground or tube. At least one was in a deep line (tube) rather than the cut&cover (underground), and so getting rescue services in is much harder.

Words just don't do justice, there are many swearwords people are using, but I keep hearing of people who were in the tube system, one who was in a train just before, one just behind, who heard explosions.

Come on the Mr Blair, Mr Bush, Mr Chirac, and the rest of the G8? Whats the solution? What do you mean, you don't know?!

Google's UK site put it simply, and best

And on the motorway network (this on the M6 apparently):

Ken Livingston, Mayor of London said this yesterday, and many TV networks quoted pieces. I thought these quotes were good, but the whole statement is excellent, says it all.

On a different topic entirely...

What music (lyrics, vocal or melody/instrumental) makes your stop whatever you are doing and smile to yourself, or sit back and contemplate. Yes, powerful music.

Some call it 'classic' some call it 'haunting', and there are other names. I'm just interested.

I'll add a couple that work for me, one is an all time, and one was discovered recently.

* Carly Simon - Coming Around Again
* Fleetwood mac - Sara

So whats that mean? Oh, you mean I have to respond? Ahhhhhh I think I geddit. So Lever, here are some responses, no laughing at the back right :)

• Number of books owned: Fiction, probably about 76 here, plus some at my parents. Technical, about 50 here, and more at my parents.

• Last book bought: "The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton" and read it in one evening, a school nite, when I should have been sleeping !!

• Last book read: John Grisham's The Firm. Great suspense in that!

• Five books that mean something to me:

  1) Now this is where it gets tricker, as I could put down the whole hitchhikers guide (trilogy in five parts) as five books, or as one. I'll put it down as one. These books can always make me laugh.

  2) Douglas Adams - The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul, and Dark Gently's Holistic Detective Agency. Both make me LOL.

  3) Contact, Carl Sagan - some interesting and great ideas.

  4) Close Encounters - the book of the movie, however its a good read, and I'll throw in Ghostbusters too, they're both page turners.

  5) A Tom Clancy from the Jack Ryan series, probably the Hunt for Red October at a close top.

  Now, tagging others? I'll put these in a most likely to probably respond order:
  Sue
  Craig
  Ribshack
  Paul (Mr Phone)

  Enjoy :)
  

I didn't say anything before, for what will become obvious reasons, but landed this morning at 6:42am UK time, from a great week in New Jersey. I have a busy weekend ahead, but should have some time next week to update this blog, so stay tuned as they say about Wednesday/Thursday time :)

So, I'm finally back home after a fantastic week in the USofA, and a really good wedding of some really long time friends in Sussex last weekend. I'm exhausted... in a good way I think :)

Like Lever, I'm not impressed with the weather coming back from the States, but I have to remind myself I'm going back in Sept for a second dose!

Ribby has written up the reasons behind the trip, but it was Phut's 30th birthday, and so a bunch of us, aided and abetted by his wife, decided to surprise him. The future Mrs Ribby took a great photo of that moment.

After that it was beer, cheesesteaks, a bit of a club, baseball cages, great italian food, jet skiing, and even a quick stop in a gun club to fire some bullets :) All too soon it was all over. :( Thanks to Mr and Mrs Grumpy (ie, Craig & Von) for being excellent organisers and travel sharers, I had a good time. I know they went off to do some more exploring after dropping me at the airport, but Craig may update his blog in about 2010 ;-)

The wedding on Saturday of Ben and Penny went without a hitch. At the very old church of St Nicholas in Worth (nr Crawley, W. Sussex), which is apparently the 4th oldest church in the country. Then the reception/wedding breakfast/disco was held at South Lodge, Lower Beeding (nr Horsham, W. Sussex). I have quite a few photos :)

I had a good time, with some good conversation, and a lot of alcohol :) Think I might have still been drunk the following morning at breakfast, but I was definately tired. Jetlag could also be the reason!!

Wish the weather would sort itself out, met my (cute) next door neighbour outside this evening and she told me it had been really hot (32/33degC) last week, yet now the schools have ended its crap. Fate, I tell you, fate.

From Sue, a great blog piece, that I just had to borrow :)

A is for Age: Just settled into being 30 thank you very much.

B is for Booze: Normally only at weekends, unless I'm in New Jersey with Phut and Ribby, then it takes an amazing increase, with corresponding decrease in my wallet contents :)

C is for Career: IT Specialist, doing engineering stuff (not programming)

D is for Dad's Name: Tony

E is for Essential Item to Bring to a Party: Beer and myself actually turning up :)

F is for Favorite Songs at the Moment: Green Day's When September Comes, and Fleetwood Mac's The Chain.

G is for Goof-off Thing to Do:

H is for Hometown: Farnborough, a fairly small, and quite genteel town in Hampshire

I is for Instrument You Play: LOL, I once tried learning Guitar aged 8, think I lasted about 3 days ;-)

J is for Jam or Jelly You Like: Jelly (as in US:Jel-o?) I can't stand the stuff.

K is for Kids: Annoying early teens making lots of noise outside my flat.

L is for Living Arrangement: Me and my TV.

M is for Mom's Name: Sally.

N is for Names of Good Friends: All the bloggers I link to, plus a few others. :)

O is for Overnight Hospital Stays: Very few, unlike my sister who was a lot as a kid.

P is for Phobias: Sometimes spiders or the moon on a night that seems quite 'Tim Burton'ish. Weird.

Q is for Quotes You Like: "Do we have to talk about Religion? Its Christmas!"

R is for Relationship That Lasted Longest: err, don't have anything I can put here. Does 2 weeks count ?! :)

S is for Siblings: 1 younger sister.

T is for Texas: Never been.

U is for Unique Trait: I tend to read signs on doors (like Pull) backwards, through the glass, so always get it wrong first, despite the sign on the door. LOL!

V is for Vegetables You Love: Carrots.

W is for Worst Traits: I talk too much when drunk. :)

X is for X-rays You've Had: Teeth, many, due to breaking my teeth falling of a bicycle when aged approx 8.

Y is for Yummy Food You Make: Anything in the microwave :)

Z is for Zodiac Sign: Taurus (Middle May).