This is just one hole in the Border...

Having seen the strange and interesting people movements at Hull Ferry Port, this particular report only shows a small 'hole' in the UK Border:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/10528230.stm

A transformation by Morph

Greetings

I've stopped trying to re-write Mike Harding's "It's hard being a cowboy in Rochdale"
I got as far as "It's hard being a haggis in Rochdale" but the scanning of clogs, blogs, dogs, etc was getting to me.
So I tried morphing Brown to Bigot:

brown
blown - r changed to l ~ he's done that
blows - n changed to s ~ apparently he's done this also
blots - w changed to t ~ many, with his blocky writing
boots - l changed to o ~ yep
borts - o changed to r ~ diamond shard, hardly appropriate
bores - t changed to e ~ endlessly
bares - o changed to a ~ let's hope not
baret - s changed to t ~ the Dutch form of beret, or Dutch cap perhaps
beret - a changed to e ~ somehow it wouldn't suit him
beget - r changed to g ~ he's done this with Sarah
begot - e changed to o ~ see above
bigot - e changed to i ~ not found in Rochdale

Right enough brain bashing, settling down to watch the bun fight at the Bull Ring.

Place your Bets...

Well, BigotGate has really got the place humming.

The next door neighbour's young daughter was heard to remarked to her Mother that "she (Mrs Duffy) was a bigamist"..... well, the wee lass is only 9, but it's how these rumours start.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7OGUAQSYQ4&feature=channel
A few well known faces in this offering.

Who's your clever money on for next weeks Victor?

I know a man who as they say, knows a man:
http://www.worldgamingexecutives.com/profile/TheBettingHeadhunter?xg_source=activity

I'm a Game Bird...

Just had a fascinating conversation with a new mate who I hope will become a friend and colleague, Gavin Chase, re. the Gaming and Betting Industry.
Most of us have had a bet or punt at least once, even if it was only on the Office 'Grand National Sweepstake.' It's a fast moving and expanding sector, bringing in a great deal of revenue all over The World.
Gavin mentioned some words that really ticked big boxes with me:
~ Money
~ Malta
~ Professionalism
~ Job/Work satisfaction
My Wife and I plan to retire to Malta in a few years and it seemed that I might well be able to achieve my dream AND earn money AND be professional; not a bad combination.
Recently I've become even more disillusioned with the recruitment industry and the way it treats/mistreats candidates. I'm not going to soap box this but the lack of professionalism is reaching epidemic proportions. With this thought again ticking in my cranium, I decided to contact Gavin to explore how I might preserve my sanity, make some dough, fulfill a dream and be professional 100% of the time.
Gavin phoned and gave unstintingly 90 minutes of his time to explain his strategy and to answer my questions.
So armed with a desire to succeed, an interest in the sector, an appreciation of how technology can be utilised and a growing displeasure at the 'traditional ways of getting a job'........... let's roll the dice.

Have a look at: http://www.cna-executive-search.com

Left Handers...

Have a look at: http://www.simplylefty.com/Default.aspx

How many famous left handed people do you know?  Most left-handers have at some stage in their life, been on the receiving end of a uncomplimentary comment on the subject of their favoured hand.  This could have been during their school days, in the work place, or simply down the local pub.  It‘s a fair bet though, that the instigator of these remarks might not have been so smug had they taken into account the thousands of famous left-handers, who throughout history have excelled in many varied fields.  To produce a comprehensive list would be almost impossible, but below are just a small percentage, who make any southpaw proud to be left handed:-

Possibly some of the most famous left handed people come from the world of sport. Greats like: Babe Ruth; Larry Bird; Pele; Sir Bobby Charlton; Ferenc Puskas; Sir Garfield Sobers; Dennis Compton; Arnold Palmer; Rod Laver; Mark Spitz and “marvellous” Marvin Hagler were/are all proud “lefties”. To be added to this dazzling list are more famous left handed people from more recent times, such as: John McEnroe; Jimmy Connors; Ivan Lendl; Martina Navratilova; Diego Maradona; Marco Van Basten; Jimmy White; Brian Lara and Alan Border.

There are countless numbers of famous left handed people in the world of show business, with legends like: Cary Grant; WC Fields; Steve McQueen; Peter Ustinov; Charlie Chaplin and Fred Astaire, plus present day actors such as Robert Redford; Tom Cruise; Robert De Niro; Sylvester Stalone; Bruce Willis and Jim Carrey, all favouring the left hand. Not to leave the ladies out, famous actresses include many of the greats: Judy Garland; Greta Garbo; Betty Grable; Marilyn Monroe, they were all “lefties”, as are current screen stars like: Julia Roberts; Angelina Jolie; Nicole Kidman; Emma Thompson and Demi Moore.

From the music industry, famous left handed people are well represented in the shape of: Bob Dylan; Jimmi Hendrix; Sir Paul McCartney; Sting; David Bowie; Phil Collins; George Michael; Marshall Mathers - Eminem; Annie Lennox; Celine Dion; Mark Knopfler; Paul Simon and Ringo Starr.

Some more famous left handed people from miscellaneous backgrounds include: Mr Micosoft himself - Bill Gates; J Edgar Hoover - the former Director of the FBI; Mark Twain, HG Wells and Lewis Carroll from the world of literature; and Prince’s Charles and William. First man on the moon: Neil Armstrong and his co-astronaut: Buzz Aldrin; fashion designer: Jean-Paul Gaultier and The Simpsons cartoon creator: Matt Groening are all left handed, as are/were American Presidents: JF Kennedy; Gerald Ford; Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.

Just to show that not all famous left handed people are, or were known for the all the right reasons, there have been a few bad apples in the shape of Billy the Kid; Jack the Ripper and The Boston Strangler.

Finally some of the most famous left handed people from yesteryear, are without doubt some of the greatest and influential individuals who have ever lived. The likes of Horatio Nelson; Leonardo Da Vinci; Michelangelo; Pablo Picasso; Julius Caesar; Wolfgang Amedeus Mozart; Ludwig Van Beethoven; Winston Churchill; Napoleon Bonaparte - and Josephine; Queen Victoria; Alexander the Great; Joan of Arc; Marie Curie and last but certainly not least, Albert Einstein. They all had one predominant feature in common with each other - they were all left handed! It is worth noting that Einstein learned to speak late, had problems in almost every subject in school and was frequently labelled as being backwards! So there is certainly no need for any left-hander to have an inferiority complex!

Lastly....... me.

Get it up the correct way...

I've just seen a news item re the imminent Winter Olympics and I was outraged to see yet again that the Union Flag (Union Jack) was incorrectly flown on the flag-pole.
It's not uncommon to see this mistake but it beggars believe that someone can't oversee this situation by reference to reliable source of information.
It's a bit like when you see a chess board set up in a film or play and the wrong colour square is bottom right.
See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Flag

Coronation Street...

An enjoyable day filming for two episodes (possibly) of Coronation Street, yesterday at The Church Inn, Knutsford.
Good to meet again up with fellow artistes from the Agency.
Great crew, great location, excellent catering, a good day all in.
Due to screen... 26th March 2007.
If you spot me (glass in hand) let me know.

More power to 3G elbow...

I think this should go ahead, not just because I'm a user and fan of 3G:

http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/3Glicences/3Glicences/

Radio Scrappage Scheme ~ interesting...

Old radios could be the next target of a scrappage scheme ahead of the switch to digital broadcasting.

Retailers are backing an initiative that could include a 20% discount on a new digital radio if an analogue model is handed in.  There are thought to be around 100m analogue radios still in use around Britain.

The plan would be similar to the Government's car scrappage scheme.

The plans are being discussed by the industry body along with retailers and manufacturers, as ministers prepare to switch off the analogue signal in 2015, making digital the primary platform for all national and local services.

Digital coverage currently reaches about 90% of the population but is patchy in hilly areas.  However, industry authorities are expecting a potential backlash from loyal FM listeners, while the cost of disposing of millions of radios is also a potential problem.

Radio executives hope that by coming up with an attractive scrappage scheme some of these draw-backs will be overcome.

Digital Radio UK, the organisation created to promote the change, is understood to have met with retailers.

A spokesman for the radio industry body said of the proposed scheme: 'It is something we are looking at we want to do.'  The digital switchover will formally be announced two years in advance and not until digital radio accounts for 50% of all radio listening is digital.

At the moment 20% of all radio listening is done through digital sets.  More than 10m Digital Audio Broadcasting sets, which can be bought for less than £50, have been sold.  The Government is planning to replace unused FM bands with some local radio services.  Medium wave services will also upgrade to digital.

However, there have been concerns that the quality of sound on digital radio is inferior to that of analogue sets.  There are fears the vulnerable and elderly and those living in remote rural areas could be left behind if the switchover is not managed properly. There is also a problem with car radios, many of which are unable to receive a digital signal and will need a special adaptor.

The analogue turn-off date, 2015, is the current Government target, not a definite policy. However, those in the industry say it is over-optimistic.

The former Conservative minister Lord Fowler, who chairs the Lords Communications Committee, told peers last week that in the eyes of the public it was 'quite a sensitive issue'. He said: 'For the person who has actually got three radios which have suddenly become redundant, it is going to be quite an issue.'

In terms of disposing of all the old radios, one option may be to send them to Africa.

Analogue radios are widely used there and the BBC's World Service is popular in many parts of the continent.  Of the 100m analogue sets in the UK it is thought around half are used regularly.

Central Heating ~ Boiler Scrappage Scheme...

I think it's all 'smoke and mirrors' or possibly 'steam on mirrors.'
Our trusty Italian made Combi Boiler is over 20 years old, so easily qualifies under the rules of the Scheme.
The registration process changed over the first few weeks but I did manage to provide the ever-changing type of information required and I got the voucher and paperwork.
I got a couple of quotes and it's clear to see that installers will inflate costs and in the long run the householder will pay more.
Interestingly, by buying a boiler direct from a supplier and even considering a 'B' rated boiler, there are savings to be made; this is the route I will take.
Unlike the car scrappage scheme, there are no book prices for the boilers + installation.
Caveat emptor...

2009 ~ Mickey Mouse Company of the Year Award...

Several Companies / Organisations have annoyed me over the past year.
In no particular order as they say on 'Strictly Come Dancing'...
BT
O2
The Post Office / Royal Mail / Post Office Counters
West Yorkshire Metro Bus
Leeds City Council
The Local Government Ombudsman
HMCS
3
TalkTalk
...
I wish I could award a suitable item of recognition in addition to striving not to spend anything with any of them and/or ignore them with a passion.

Happy New Year...

Is it time for a Football sin bin?

Hardly a football match goes by without the umpire or his fellow officials being subjected to comment, or far worse, by the players and/or team staff.
In rugby if a player contests the refs decision or transgresses, he's sent to the sin bin.
It would have an interesting effect on their team, if some of the more voluble players were sin binned for 10 or 20 minutes.
It's getting beyond a joke when players frequently verbally abuse the officials.
The numb nut fraternity in the stands get the impression that authority can be thus treated.
So, football is a game for gents played by hooligans and that rugby is a game for hooligans played by gents (paraphrase) has even more resonance.
Watch out Wayne, Rio, etc...

One of my favourite webcams...

http://www.timesofmalta.com/webcam

Emissions Trading Scheme costs us £3 billion a year

A new report from the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) reveals the high costs being imposed on British and European consumers by the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The ETS is intended to reduce carbon emissions across Europe by increasing the cost of energy for households, businesses and other organisations.  This increases household bills, but also increases business running costs and the cost of running public services such as hospitals.

As well as calculating the cost of the scheme, the report investigates the flaws in its design and function.  These include the problem of the burden falling disproportionately upon the poor, the highly volatile price of carbon emissions under the Scheme and the failure of the Scheme to properly balance the social costs of carbon emissions with the cost of reducing them.  The Emission Trading Scheme cost British consumers nearly £3 billion in 2008, equivalent to around £117 per family, by increasing the cost of energy.  The report also presents estimates of the cost to consumers in every country participating in the scheme, in each year of the scheme’s operation.  From its introduction on 1st January 2005 to the end of 2008, our central estimate of the Scheme's cost to consumers across Europe is £67 billion (€93 billion).  That is equivalent to around €185 (£132) for every person in the ETS participating countries. Some countries' energy markets pass on these costs to consumers at different rates, meaning that at best the Scheme cost around £33 billion (€46 billion) and at worst £83 billion (€116 billion).
Link to full report:
http://ss6.chennells.com/sendlink.asp?HitID=1256921509377&StID=5024&SID=6&NID=138376&EmID=10272917&Link=aHR0cDovL3d3dy50YXhwYXllcnNhbGxpYW5jZS5jb20vZXRzLnBkZg%3D%3D

Don't get me started on this...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1222067/The-Lycra-louts-MPs-curbs-cyclists-lives-risk.html

When a disc is a disk and vice versa...

In an interesting knowledge base article, Apple clears up one of the age old computing confusions.  Namely, what is the difference between a disc and a disk?  While there is no ground-breaking revelations in the article, I found it to be noteworthy.  Often computer terms are mixed up or misused.
Using the proper language when diagnosing issues can be the difference between hours of work.  How many times have you heard someone say they couldn't connect to "the Google"?

What is a disc?
Discs are optical media such as an audio CD, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM (or RAM), or a DVD-video disc.  Discs also include recordable media, such as CD-R and DVD-R.  All discs are removable, meaning they eject from your Mac.

What is a disk?
Disks are magnetic media, like your built-in hard disk.  Disks also refer to external hard drives and are always rewritable, unless otherwise protected with software.  Disks can be partitioned into smaller sections and be given different functions.

So, the next time you are having an issue with a DVD that is not playing, you will be able to tell the Genius at the Apple Store that your d-i-s-c is not playing properly.  Or, if your internal hard drive is acting up, you can tell AppleCare that you seem to be having a d-i-s-k problem.

Um?

Too many leaves...

The contractor employed by Leed City Council can't cut the grass veges in our Road as 'there are too many leaves on the verges.'
The British Rail 'leaves on the line' saga springs to mind.
So now not only are we paying our Community Charge and not getting our rubbish collected, we're not getting the grass verges cut either.
Breach of implied contract?
I don't recollect ACAS / similar being asked to get involved with the bin strike.
The sooner I leave this sinking UK ship, the better...

I like this beastie

This must be a way of converting rubbish into energy.  Cram a tube with plastic waste, add a gas, add a match............ Wooooosh

An 'Erroneous Transfer'

Well, that's their opinion!
I recently transfered from Southern/Ebico to EDF for supply of both gas and electricity.
I had looked at another site, I won't name them as any free publicity is not worthy.
So, this un-named supplier (BG) think they have my gas account; think again, no readings have been supplied, no DD set up.
EDF are doing their best to resolve the matter but BG are blowing hot air.
I have an email from the regulator which may cause financial problems for someone.
Ongoing...

3 ways to 'fix' broken UK

1 ~ Death Penalty
Apparently more than 50% of those asked in the UK think we should have the Death Penalty.

2 ~ ID Card
The ID card has a very mixed reception.

3 ~ National Service
National Service is a strong belief in the 60+ folks.

Nearly every day we hear about a murderer or someone convicted of manslaughter, being given a prison sentance.
How can society believe that someone who kills a young child or an old person deserves to have a life.
Bring back the noose.

I would carry a photo ID Card, indeed I already carry a UK Citizen Card.
OK it might not stop major crime but it must have an effect on the nuisance/petty crime.

National Service for all able bodied males and possibly females of a certain age.
Keeps them off the streets, we at least get something for their earnings unlike nothing for their benefits.
If they don't want to National Service and go to live abroad.... good, job done.
Whether the Forces want them or not is not the case, the Government say whats to happen.