The random rants and ramblings of a bloke with more ideas than time, and more opinions than audience. Officially, I advise people on technology and the application thereof. Unofficially I dream of becoming a grown-up Dexter...
Saturday, December 18, 2004
Calling Legal Eagles
Now firstly, is this correct? And is it applicable to the UK as well as the good ol' US of America? Because if it is, both MP3Search.ru and allofmp3.com state that they are licensed in Russia to distribute MP3's.
Can anyone shed some 'Official' light on this?
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Knock-on effect
So how are they doing the other things they, and you, need doing? They're either giving the work to other people to do, or they aren't doing them.
If they are giving them to someone else to do, then that someone else costs money.
So just giving them more notice, will save you money.
If they aren't doing them, then you are operating inefficiently, and inefficiency costs money.
So just giving them more notice, will save you money.
Is it me, or is there a pattern here......
Tuesday, December 14, 2004
Things are good
1) the Bathroom floor is down and looks <70'sScoolKidMode>BRILLO70'sScoolKidMode>
2) www.teamrelocations.com is looking good, and the add-ons are gonna Kick Butt
3) Abigail has her school Christmas Play tomorrow, (WaHay!) but I have Injections for our New Years trip to Tunisia (Boo!)
Just thought I'd share....!
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Pssst! Wanna score some SPOD?

Friday, November 26, 2004
Goo-Oooh-gle
Online wiki-mail anyone?!
Addendum :- Frasch also sent a couple of links, here and here, both found using Goole, which is kinda comforting!
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Behind the Bush
Is it just me?
Friday, November 19, 2004
Bill Gates is popular...
Humour me here people, how many of you have actually bought anything as a result of un-solicited emails? Not many I'll bet, and if this is the case, who is actually earning money from 'spam'? Thats right, the companies offering spamming services.
.....this message is endorsed by Twats with no brains or qualifications, who against all odds find themselves in the position of 'Marketing Manager'.
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Spot the Difference...
Speaking to my Brother-in-law recently (he's a Policeman, but you wouldn't know it by looking at him!)he was telling me about the alarming increase in ATM fraud, and the extraordinary lengths some gangs are going to. The lower picture purports to show a card-reader sprayed and glued to the front of a standard ATM. This is by no means the only model of fraud-device, so be on the look-out EVERY time you use an ATM
I am awaiting some more pics of the equipment used by these gangs, feel free to submit your own if you come across any. It is a shame I (and you) have to spend time and effort keeping track of these developments; the Banks do not seem to be at all concerned, judging by the lack of publicity they are generating to make the public aware of the problem.
Thanks to Isabel Santos for submitting the first pictures...
Thursday, November 04, 2004
VICTORY 2004: PRESIDENT'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH INVITING THE 55 MILLION AMERICA-HATERS WHO VOTED AGAINST GOD TO BEND OVER AND TAKE IT LIKE A PRISON BITCH

Wednesday, November 03, 2004
What can this mean?
Subject: Use caution in taking Utlram if you have a head injury crackpot
Cum enim non satagerem discere quae dicebat, sed tantum quemadmodum
encounters harvesters lingers Other guitarist depreciate
nourished name mounted UKinfluenced alternately hating clarify
bodes hailed Strelows products grabbing
monkey associated riotous voluptas alter hung
borrow wards Dual cupolas post scale wordy
forsitan fallar. sunt enim et istae plangendae tenebrae, in quibus me
solidify making lifetime downpull Sinfonia flaunt consciousness
partner Precede Arrow recognize registered parenthesis wave
gave circular pervasive marshal mustard
misericordia tua reddam tibi vota mea, ecce ego quam fidenter dico in
Educated youthful nonmembers rapore industry importance housed
hillside Nobody earlier Radio bomb command hardware
Bs hardware flourishes Iron living obscure
my attends merge depended stationary determine ladle
Tuesday, November 02, 2004
Commercial blogging
I have long been an advocate of the Blog for commercial purposes, but it seems to me that the wonderous tools and facilities available to is 'social' bloggers see simply not being exploited by the small trader...if anyone has any good links for commercial blogging services, could they enlighten me?
Thursday, October 28, 2004
Musical ATM
Basically, an ATM rebooted itself on-campus, resulting in a vanilla XP install and a Muppet of Students (for this is their official Group Designation) with itchy fingers.
How Cool!
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
John Peel 1939 - 2004
Thank you John, for opening my eyes and ears, for never resorting to the 'You could never hear the words in my day' rubbish, and on behalf of Thousands of bands who never saw an LP with their name on it, but heard themselves nationwide.
My only regret is that my children will never travel through Puberty with you at their side.
xx Ben
Friday, October 01, 2004
Thursday, September 30, 2004
implausible denial
Why is email breaking-down? Why are Tech-Support departments getting busier and bigger in spite of ALL figures proving they should be shrinking (or at least having an easier life)? Because of silly, ill-conceived (but 'well-meaning') initiatives such as Vodafone's 'Guide to Content Control'.
I use the phrase 'well-meaning', although it's really the Legal and Marketing departments trying to convince you they have your best interests at heart. In the real world, we all know it's to avoid compensation actions and so they can appear caring and concerned. (incidentally, these departments, in virtually ANY organisation or company of any size, comprise two-thirds of Satans-own Unholy Trinity along with the Klix drink-vending machine, and are despised equally.)
Vodafone has taken on the role of Public Protector, and decided that they have the power to judge what is suitable and appropriate for ALL their subscribers. While Cable TV companies provide Parental Control in the form of security codes, and Film and Music distributors sunscribe to a 'review & information label' system, Vodafone, in their all-knowing wisdom have opted for a 'positive-approval' whitelist system, meaning you can't view what they haven't rated. Unless you contact them to request a blanket lifting of this system, (invariably to some spotty salesman in a mobile 'phone shop who looks at you like you are a serial porn-scrounger) you are denied access to sites such as Pete's Eats and numerous other completely innocent and informative sites.
As if you can view any decent filth on a bloody Nokia anyway! So restricted are we in the UK to available mobile-bandwidth (not due to technology, I hasten to add, but by the fact the Networks paid so much for the licences for 3G they can't afford to ditch the old technology yet) that Blogs and info-sites are just about the only thing you can browse with any speed anyway!
Apply Vodafone's ethos to email routing, spam filtering and a multitude of other 'imperitive' business functions online, and you end up with IT departments battling with un-arbitrated Whitelists, reverse-domain lookups and all manner of other hurdles, most of them doing as much blocking of legitimate traffic as unwanted (as if the users they support aren't enough of a trial....)
Monday, September 27, 2004
I'd like to point out....
Good Night.
Is there anybody Out There....
You get 1 smart-bomb, from Blogger, or Atom, or Moveable Type, or whoever. The concept of a 'Joker' is far from new, but Technorati or whoever could REALLY make it count (yeah, yeah, it's open to abuse, but I deal with concepts; let the others deal with the detail already).
You decide that *this* subject really matters..more than any other, at ANY time....so you play a *Blog=Bomb*. The full might of the Boyz-in-da-Blog are placed fair and square behind YOUR post, to ensure that once, just once, EVERYONE IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSE knows your views. Head of the banners, Search-engine Supremo, these lads could make it happen.
You'd play the card careful, after all, you only get one, but mate, what a Joker. Sure, it'd be open to abuse, and sure, it needs a little work, but the concept of Mr Warhol's 15-minutes would apply on a scale even his demented, fucked-up psyche couldn't have comprehended...this time they'd HAVE to listen. Top of every list you've ever referred-to, if only for a day.....
But wait. Think of the come-down. You've spunked your one and only chance of changing world opinion on dissin' the President of the US, only to realise the bastard is only EVER going to be there for a couple of years anyway. Boy, do you feel stupid. You've expounded the virtues of a world without War, or Hate, or McDonalds or Shell Oil, but tomorrow....they've forgotten. And not just the people that were listening, but everyone.
They've ALL forgotten.
Is that better than them never having listened, or is it better to have Loved and Lost.......?
Friday, September 24, 2004
I luurve photos
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
Flashlight developments
Thursday, August 12, 2004
spam: Have YOU had your leaflet yet?
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
ooh ooh, me too
And free.
Thursday, July 29, 2004
Vitriol...have I uncovered something yucky?
The link above is an oldy but a goody. It is obviously written once for every large corporation that ever existed, but It sums my general feelings up quite accurately. One 'special-moment' is happening as we speak. The father of a very good friend of my son's recently passed away after a short illness. My son and his friend (lets call her Susie Smith) are ten years old, and as you can imagine, it has introduced them into a very sensitive area quite early in life (I think). Anyway, whilst attempting to reduce the number of cable channels they subscribe-to with NTL, Susie's mum has had numerous occasions to attempt to gain access to a human with a brain, via their DIRE support processes. So far, despite AT LEAST THREE attempts to get something sorted, they insist on calling Mrs Smith back, and when she or her daughter answers.....asking to talk to Mr Smith.
This is not careless.
Its heartless.
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Big Brother is Watching you?
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Summers here at last
Amazing how a bit of sun and a gin & tonic with mates can change your outlook. Superficial yeah, but hey, I'm a shallow guy.....BJ in the beer-garden of the Open House, Brighton.
Internet Carve-up...
Quick Synopsis:- The ‘Internet’ is becoming regionalised, but why? Is it to ‘enhance the Internet experience’ or because of existing companies exercising (or trying to extend) their copyrights? You decide.
Make sure you pop by www.creativecommons.org if you want to see how some people are trying to rationalise an outmoded system and make it relevant today....BJ
Friday, July 16, 2004
Nice IM touch
http://www.engadget.com/entry/4610517748548251/
and AOL Messenger or somesuch, if you want true mobile IM!
Intriqued? Well don't get too excited if you live outside the the good 'ol U S of America (just yet...)
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
O-bloody-2
After 32 minutes of listening to the most repetitive Aural Pap specifically designed to distort mobile-phone speakers, a call management system directed me (after accurate responses to well defined queries) to someone who was probably cleaning the offices.
Who then cut me off. 24 minutes later, I was talking to the very same lady, who this time realised I may turn violent, so put me through to someone else who could not help me, very swiftly indeed.
Having discovered that I was completely beyond help (in a task that takes Vodafone around 35 seconds to achieve, I know, I've tried) I was silly enough to ask just how many people were staffing this particular hotbed of techno-Samaritans.
Although I could not elicit an answer, I was reliably informed that the call-waiting time was less than a minute, and there was no explanation for my lost hour, "..perhaps I could put you through to customer services..." she said.
Monday, July 12, 2004
Blogging blogging
It is possible that none of my thoughts will be of interest to anyone apart from myself (and only then fleetingly) but I intend to try anyway, and should I strike a chord, touch a nerve or spark a thought in the coming posts, then I will have done something..............................umm...............................done something.