Monday, August 24, 2009

Illegal filesharing crackdown launched by government

with the choice of accepting this and innovating or, King Canute-style, staying the tide of change, they're choosing the latter option and looking to parliament for help with some sandbags.'


couldn't say it better myself - internet distribution of content is a reality and the main reason people pirate is that copyright holders charge way too much for content. The way forward is to charge so little that people don't think of looking for freebie alternatives to overpriced digital copies

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Sissinghurst Castle

Just back from a lovely afternoon at sissinghurst castle in Kent

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Apparently this blog has a personality

And it reveals this about me

The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

Monday, June 23, 2008

Keyhole gardening

Here's an interesting technique which is helping to feed African families - a keyhole garden

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Authors campaign to save Britain's only gay bookshop | News | Guardian Unlimited Books

Many many years ago, Gay's the word was just about the only shop in London that stocked any kind of gay title. Nowadays, with the Pink Pound an essential target market for the like of Waterstones and Borders, traditional old-style bookshops are at risk

Gay's The Word, which has been selling books in Bloomsbury, central London, since 1979, is hoping to secure its future by raising £20,000 to pay the rent, building a strong internet presence and beefing up community activities.

American novelist Edmund White, author of A Boy's Own Story, said: "It's a shop that keeps gay titles on the shelves for years in a way no regular bookshop, even one with a gay section, would ever do. The staff know the books and can give advice. It would be very sad to see it go."

Tusked away in a quiet corner fo Bloomsbury, it's easy to forget that it was once an essential location for the gay men and women of London. It would be a terrible shame for it to go out of business, though if noone uses it then what is the point of it?

If everyone went to the shop and bought a book, they'd surely be able to continue in business, so that's what I'm going to do - visit the shop and buy a book

Monday, December 18, 2006

Crowds roll up for a Banksy

Good old Banksy, he's released 1,000 prints for sale at £100 raising money for cataract operations for children in Bangladesh.

According to Sightsavers it costs on average £17 to perform cataract surgery on an adult and £27 on a child. It will give extra resonance to looking at the print in future

Thursday, December 07, 2006

Keep your evil monopolistic nose out

I hate Microsoft. I hate the way they squeeze their sticky little tendrils into any market they so that they can increase their monopoly

Now they're doing it to the one laptop per child project

This was meant to be an open source project that would avoid anybody's licenses and would stymie Microsoft getting a toehold in emerging markets so they can squeeze them dry in the future

Thankfully the Green party has brought this matter to the public eye


The UK's Green Party has accused Microsoft of "unacceptable bribery" in trying to run Windows on the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project.

"Open source tools are a way to let the global south develop their own knowledge economies," Siân Berry, principal speaker for the Green Party, told vnunet.com in an email.

"Microsoft wants to restrict the greatest profits in the knowledge economy to already established software corporations like itself.

"By installing its programs on these laptops Microsoft hopes to create market domination and vendor lock in. That is unacceptable bribery.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

What a lovely family

A 19 year old has been arrested for raping his mother to get back at his brother over a row - hmmmm how classy

what we understand the rape stemmed from an argument between him and his brother. And apparently they were arguing over a girlfriend. And the rape was some sort of retaliation towards his brother,' said Sgt. Jamie Smith of the Albertville Police Department.
It was unusual retaliation on an unsuspecting victim.
Authorities say Helms' mother was apparently passed out drunk on the couch when the rape started.
'During the attack she did come to and recognize her attacker. (Reporter: As her son?) As her son,' said Smith.