Cyclists

On the way to work, on the bus, we often see plenty of cyclists travelling the same route as the buses and innumerable cars.

Now, the cyclists are always yapping on about how the rest of the traffic don't take account of their presence but if the actions of these four this morning are the norm, it has to be said the cyclists are their own worst enemies. Not one of these four bothered stopping at the red light that clearly stopped the lane they were in.

If something had happened to them (assuming they'd been lucky enough to survive it) due to this stupidity, it wouldn't have there fault, oh no!

Where's the space gone?

Over the last few weeks, I've been trying to sort out the massive number of books that have accumulated around the house (we'll politely draw a veil over the magazines - 4 sci fi magazines and 4 computer magazines...).

The vast majority were scattered over the floor of my 'spare' bedroom in roughly alphabetical order so I bought 4 billy bookcases from Ikea (light oak finish - very neat!). When these arrived flat packed I was nearly straight on the phone to Ikea asking where the ones I had ordered were - these appeared to be far too small a package. Fortunately, I opened the packing on one first and found out how they'd managed the trick - a concertinaed back panel!

Next problem - finding the room to assemble them. I have the room height (and then some), but floor space is limited even after clearing away those piles of books.

I've managed to assemble two in the front 'spare' bedroom before just running out of space there. Looks like the front living room's next. At least I'm getting quicker at assembling them...

And then I can start shelving the books though I don't think I'm going to get everything on even then but hopefully I'll get enough on so I can make sure my database agrees to the physical books :-)

Where's My Privacy?!

‘If I have done nothing wrong why should I have anything to worry about?’ is the constant cry of those advocating ever increasing infringements on our privacy.

You may not think that you have done anything wrong, but who’s to say what the definition of wrong is? You, or the government? Can you guarantee that the stated uses of the ID card database will be the only uses to which it is put? Already we’ve seen how RIPA (supposedly only to be used against terrorists) has extended it’s murky tentacles into the lives of such hardened criminals as people putting the wrong item in their recycling boxes.

Then there’s the vexed question as to who’s going to have access to the data and whether they can send it through the post…

And, finally, maybe, this is a government project – underfunded and with impossibly great expectations, so I would doubt that the database would actually be able to perform to spec and this is something that you’d want to be right from day one.

Prince Caspian

I've just seen the latest film in the group of Narnia films this morning and enjoyed it quite a lot.

The film is a bit different to the book, particularly in the way that the film shows a conflict between Caspian and Peter as to whom was the leader of their merry band and the attraction between Susan and Caspian.

Some reviewers have commented that the girls don't get much action in this, but they must have seen a different version of the film. If anything, they are more involved than in book, particularly Susan. The reviewer also seemed to miss that it was both Peter and Susan who were stopped from coming back to Narnia.

Now we just have to wait until The Voyage of the Dawntreader comes round...

BBC - Radio 4 - Excess Baggage

BBC - Radio 4 - Excess Baggage: "JUNGLE - WAR GRAVES
Sandi Toksvig takes a trip through the Amazonian rain forest with Yossi Ghinsberg author of the 80’s US best seller Lost in the Jungle. She is also joined by The Commonwealth War Graves Commission Outer Areas Director Brad Hall and journalist and writer Nigel Jones author of The War Walk to discuss the work of the CWGC which operates in 150 countries around the world and the importance of maintaining and visiting war graves."

Not often that one hears one, let alone two, good articles on a radio programme these days but today's Excess Baggage managed the latter with the story of an Israeli born explorer who found himself having to survive several weeks with absolutely no experience or equipment. The second story covered the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Both stories were emotionally exceptional and enhanced by Sandi Toskvig keeping silent except for the minimal necessary intervention to guide the conversion - not something she always manages!

Hi There

My first post so this is just to say hi to the world out there.

Be seeing you all in the future