Uncertain & Anxious

Schrödinger's Cat (Updated) . . .

2009-07-23T13:06:00.001Z

As it turns out, is alive.

I am extremely relieved.

Schrödinger's Cat . . .

2009-06-19T13:25:00.003Z

Well, at the risk of tempting fate, after a preliminary examination by a suitable professional it would seem that it is more than likely that Schrödinger's Cat is probably alive. And, even if it turns out that the cat is a bit sickly, it looks like it would more than likely turn out to be a case of putting it under observation rather than any of the more expensive options I'd worried about.

This is, of course, pending the actual proper examination of the Cat and the resultant analysis but, even so, it's a very great weight off my mind.

Stress, Worry and Schrödinger's Cat . . .

2009-03-30T08:14:00.007Z

Last week a letter from my solicitor dropped through the letterbox and as a result my stress-levels rose to new heights.

I won't go into details but, suffice it to say, something that's not my fault but is my responsibility to deal with will either be an unwelcome and irritating expense or a truly hellish one.

And when I say hellish, I mean really, really hellish. Put it this way: the worst case scenario would make the inconvenience of the recent repairs my car needed look like nothing at all.

And am I the kind of person who will focus on a worst case scenario as the most likely outcome?

Without question, I am.

For me, no matter what the probabilities, the most likely outcome is that Schrödinger's Cat will turn out to be dead when the box is finally opened.

I've been trying to keep in mind the various factors that are likely to influence the state of the Cat . . . and, thinking about it, the Schrödinger's Cat analogy is a perfect one for the current situation.

At the moment, in my mind the Cat is both alive and dead (albeit more probably dead than alive because of my pessimism) until the box is finally opened.

I hope the Cat is alive. I can't afford for it not to be.

Failed . . .

2009-03-16T16:30:00.002Z

Hm, a thought has occured to me after having read today's Dilbert while watching the news this morning.

Do politicians pass the Turing Test?

Based on their performance during interviews, I'd have to say they almost never do.

Cool . . .

2009-03-16T16:27:00.001Z

Looks like a remake of an old favourite of mine is on the cards: MacGyver.

Although, geek that I am, I have to say that I probably won't be looking forward to it as much as I am to the new Star Trek movie.

Apparently . . .

2009-03-16T16:25:00.002Z

Old age starts at 27.

Well, if I wasn't a bit depressed about my recent birthday before . . .

Says it all . . .

2009-03-02T15:25:00.003Z

I've been meaning to write for a while now about the state of democracy in this country and the direction in which it is sliding, but far more eloquent writers than I have more or less said everything I'd like to say.

Although, in Charlie Brooker's case he's done so with rather more coarse and graphic imagery than I'd have used myself.

To politicians, we're little more than meaningless blobs on a monitor. Bring on the summer of rage

Are such things done on Albion's shore?

An update . . .

2009-03-02T15:20:00.003Z

Well, not much is new with my wife and I at the moment, although I am cursing my decision not to go ahead and get a new car. I had my eye on the new Fiesta Econetic (I rather like the idea of not having to pay Road Tax) and figured it was a good time to buy with the auto industry being in dire need of business.

But I decided to hold off for another few years . . . So I really shouldn't have been surprised when, in addition to my MOT throwing up a couple of expensive repairs the coil springs on both front wheels failed within a month of each other.

Disappointing . . .

2009-01-02T18:31:00.001Z

Well, my wife and I were rather looking forward to the new version of the Krypton Factor as we both had fond memories of watching the original when we were growing up but unfortunately were disappointed by what we saw. While the challenges the contestants faced covered a similar mix of physical, general knowledge and mental dexterity there seemed to be very little else of the original remaining.

The assault course did look appropriately evil, however.

Finally . . .

2008-12-08T19:27:00.002Z

After getting a new kitchen ordered and installed in the summer, my wife and I have finally started to paint the walls and the ceiling. We got the ceiling done last Saturday and this coming weekend, the walls should be done as well.

Then we'll just have the spare room left to do.

And then our bedroom.

And last, but not least, the living room.

Mildly Amused . . .

2008-12-08T12:39:00.001Z

My wife and I were watching the British Comedy Awards over the weekend and when Ronnie Corbett was on presenting one of the awards I had a mildly amusing realisation:

It may be theoretically possible for someone with cable or Sky tv, and without the use of any recording equipment, to watch tv all day long without watching anything made after the Eighties. Between Bravo, GOLD, Alibi, ITV's digital channels, you've got everything from Airwolf and the A-Team to Space 1999 and the Professionals.

The Rant . . .

2008-12-08T12:26:00.003Z

I went into my bank today to pay my credit card bill and came across one of the few things that actually triggers an unreasoningly abrupt response from me.

I know it's not the fault of the poor sod serving me, but I am utterly fed up with the banks' idea of good customer service. I'm sorry but good customer service is, after you're finished serving a customer, to ask if there's anything else you can help them with. Or something along those lines. If they want anything else they'll ask.

Good customer service does not involve going into the customer's account information, seeing whether or not they have any loans, mortgages, home or contents insurance and then seeing if they want any of the above. To me that crosses the line from helpful service into an invasion of privacy because at that point it really isn't any business of the teller's what other products you have with their company and what the status of your other accounts is.

As I said, I know it's not the fault of the teller - they're just following instructions from management - but it really gets on my nerves and I don't like the reaction it triggers in me.

Hm, at what point these days does someone become a Grumpy Old Man?

Back again . . .

2008-12-08T12:25:00.000Z

I haven't blogged in a while and in an effort at getting back into the habit here's a rant and a mildly amused thought for anyone who happens to read this.

Time Passes . . .

2008-08-12T16:28:00.002Z

Dilbert has now been going for nearly 20 years.

Sometimes things just remind you how swiftly time passes.

Back again . . .

2008-08-04T14:25:00.003Z

. . . After a few months when I've been very bad and neglected to blog at all.

So, what's new with me and mine?

Well, my sister, L, has given birth to a lovely little baby boy.

The dental woes I've blogged about before have proven irritatingly persistent but should, hopefully, have been finally sorted by my last visit to the dentist.

My wife and I have finally gotten around to getting a new kitchen ordered and installed. All that's left for us to do is to apply the final coat of paint and get everything moved back into the kitchen from the spare room. The new kitchen is a vast improvement on the old one - finally we have a sensible amount of storage space in the flat! Although, there was a mix-up which resulted in us being sent two ovens, two hobs and a lot more tiles and flooring than was actually needed, and one of the tradesmen inadvertantly drilled right through to the next flat! That last, thankfully, is in the process of being sorted by the tradesmen in question and by our next door neighbour with no input needed from us.

The spare room will be the next project and hopefully will be a much simpler job and one that we won't put off for nearly as long.

We also gave in and treated ourselves to a Wii and Wii Fit, both of which we're enjoying immensely.

And we're still having problems with the upstairs neighbours and their tendency to play loud music at insane times of the day and night. While they haven't been that bad this last week or so, I do wonder sometimes when they actually sleep!

I know I've said this before, But I will try to blog more regularly from now on.

Just in time . . .

2008-06-19T12:20:00.002Z

Energy bills could rise by up to 40% this winter.

And just in time for Energywatch to be replaced in October by a new consumer body that will apparently lack the power to act directly on the behalf of consumers.

I'm not saying there's a connection between the two events or a reason for the increase other than the inevitable rise of wholesale energy costs but, still, how depressingly predictable.

Not at all Orwellian . . .

2008-05-20T14:06:00.003Z

This is our government's latest ploy to keep us all safe from the evils of the world.

“Ministers are to consider plans for a database of electronic information holding details of every phone call and e-mail sent in the UK, it has emerged.
The plans, reported in the Times, are at an early stage and may be included in the draft Communications Bill later this year, the Home Office confirmed.
A Home Office spokesman said the data was a "crucial tool" for protecting national security and preventing crime. ”

Given the kind of things we've seen the anti-terror legislation New Labour has brought in used for (ejecting hecklers at the Labour Party Conference and spying on fishermen and innocent families who want to get their kids into a good school) this is not reassuring in the least.

Blogging again . . .

2008-05-15T20:32:00.004Z

Back from a very nice holiday in Oban that was only slightly marred by a very draining cold/sinus infection that I've only just fought off.

We even finally got over to Duart Castle!

And where is it written that, driving in the Highlands, you shall be stuck behind someone who has no idea what a safe speed is on those roads and that, behind you, there will be an idiot who will risk his life and everyone else's lives on that road by overtaking when it is most definately not safe to do so.

In other news, Lego isn't just cool, it's habit forming.

Very Unnerving

2008-04-21T17:57:00.002Z

On the phone to the bank to query something odd in my credit card statement and they asked me for the last four digits of my phone number as one of the security questions . . .

And I completely blanked. Couldn't get the end right at all. Fortunately there were other questions and I was able to convince them that I am who I claimed, but it was still very unnerving!

Doctor Who

2008-04-19T18:22:00.002Z

Okay, seriously enjoying this season of 'Doctor Who' and looking forward to the rest of it.

I'm even liking Donna as a companion, which I wasn't sure I would. Up until the first episode of this season I thought Sally Sparrow from the utterly amazing, and terrifying, 'Blink' would have been a better one, but Donna's pleasantly surprised me.

As for where the season's going? I suspect the conclusion will involve 'the Shadow Proclamation', whatever that is (a galactic UN?) and the consequences of the Doctor's actions in the Time War. Perhaps a trial for war crimes?

Wishing I'd had my camera

2008-04-19T15:55:00.002Z

Wife and I were out enjoying the lovely weather this afternoon by having a nice, relaxing walk along the Forth-Clyde canal when I saw something that left me cursing the fact that, for once, I'd left my camera at home.

I don't think I would have got a good pic of it anyway, but swimming happily along and then rooting around the undergrowth on the other side of the canal was a small otter - and we were both very happy to see it.

Clubbing the Botanics

2008-04-17T08:12:00.006Z

This is one bit of news that I am very happy to see.

Apparently Glasgow City Council has decided to actually listen to their constituents and have finally put an end to plans to turn the abandoned railway station in the Botanic Gardens into a nightclub.

I have to say, happy as I am about this, it surprises me because the impression I had been getting from the way the council seemed to be trying to avoid public consultation and push the proposals through was that it was a done deal and that, no matter how much the public was against the proposals, the G1 Group would be getting their latest nightclub built.

Anyway, good news.

Now, we'll just have to see what happens to the proposed adventure playground over at Pollock Country Park.

Dust

2008-04-14T14:45:00.003Z

Dust motes in the air,
Flaring brightly in the sun.
Beauty sans housework.

It's not in the stars

2008-04-04T07:47:00.004Z

The causes of climate change, that is:"'No Sun link' to climate change'

But, on the other hand:

"Global temperatures this year will be lower than in 2007 due to the cooling effect of the La Nina current in the Pacific, UN meteorologists have said."

This is why I think that - despite the fact that I believe the evidence so far supports the assertaion that climate change is real, a threat to us as a species and, if not entirely caused by, then has certainly been accelerated dangerously by human activity - it's a mistake for environmental groups to focus on climate change to the extent they do as a reason for curbing human impact on our environment. I'll probably blog more about precisely why I think that in the future, I've been meaning to for a while and I'm sure I'll get there eventually.

In the meantime, this is seriously cool: "Astronomers have captured the first footage of a solar "tsunami" hurtling through the Sun's atmosphere at over a million kilometres per hour."

What, already?

2008-04-01T15:32:00.002Z

Seriously, where does the time go? It seems like only a few weeks ago 2008 had just rolled around and now we're almost a third of the way through it?

It just took me a bit by surprise this morning, that's all.

Not quite Taggart

2008-03-31T12:42:00.004Z

Wife and I woke up this morning to news of an 'incident' quite near where we live that had resulted in a street being closed off and traffic being diverted.

Turns out this was the incident in question: "Police are investigating a shooting incident in Glasgow in the early hours of Monday morning."

No one was apparently hurt, so that's something, at least.

2008-03-31T10:44:00.002Z

This, from the BBC:

"Scientists are beginning to uncover evidence that meditation has a tangible effect on the brain"

Not really news but, based on my own experience, I'd certainly say that meditation is definately effective at reducing stress levels. Of course, you've got to keep meditating regularly to enjoy the benefits and that's usually where I run into problems.

The availability of MCBT courses on the NHS, however, is certainly news to me.

Short sighted idiots

2008-03-29T10:54:00.003Z

Combating climate change is a top priority for our government.

Or, not . . .

"Britain seeks loophole in EU green energy targets"

I wish I could say I was surprised.

How far we've come . . .

2008-03-20T09:17:00.002Z

From the days of computers like the BBC Micro.

BEEB creators reunite at museum.

Looking back at a computing icon.

I never had one (I had ZX Spectrums, first the 48k model and then the 128k version(so much memory!)), but I knew people who did and I remember using them at school.

It was a good bit of kit.

Putting it all in Perspective

2008-03-20T08:35:00.003Z

This, from the BBC: We’re safe, relatively speaking.

This bit in particular strikes me:

“In 1972 the UK saw 10,631 terrorist shootings and 1,853 bombings; 470 people were killed by terrorism.

In 2007, there were 47 shootings and 20 bombings - all in Northern Ireland and three people were killed by paramilitaries.

There were precisely no shootings, bombings or deaths associated with al-Qaeda.

It was the same story the year before.

Indeed, with the exception of the 52 people killed during the appalling attacks of 7 July 2005, no-one in Britain has been killed by al-Qaeda affiliates since 9/11. ”

And yet we need draconian anti-terror legislation and arguably useless ID cards to deal with this new threat? Sorry, I don’t buy it.

For some reason they seem to have forgotten about the amazingly ineffective attempt to attack Glasgow Airport last year, but the point remains as none of the propsed measures would have prevented the attack and the measures already in place contained it quite effectively and minimised the damage and harm.

Terrorism is, of course, a real concern, but there are other issues that need dealing with far more urgently, in my opinion and with the sort of will and attention currently being devoted on the 'War on Terror': poverty (both fuel and financial), the increasingly unsustainable environmental impact of our lifestyle, the state of the health service, the borderline institutionalised incompetence and corruption in politics, the unsustainable overstretch of our armed forces, and so many other issues . . .

When does it happen officially?

2008-03-19T08:04:00.002Z

At what age does one officially turn into a Grumpy Old Man?

The reason I ask, well, lately I've noticed that the list of things that get on my nerves just keeps getting bigger.

Drivers using cell phones: I don't care how slow you're going, it's illegal and dangerous. Stop.

Cyclists on the pavement: I'm sorry, but unless you're a child under thirteen you should be on the roads not dodging pedestrians.

Banking customer service: Okay, asking if there's anything else you can do for me is good customer service. Asking me, after you've asked if I need anything else, if I want a credit card/loan/mortgage/financial review and have I thought of moving my home insurance is pushy, annoying and if I want any of those things I'll damn well ask for them!

Music on public transport: we all thought that the endless, tinny beat from Walkman and MP3 players was bad enough, but now cell phones have speakers that can inflict one person's musical tastes upon a whole bus. And I thought I found "I'M ON A BUS!" annoying! And how many functions does a cell phone need anyway? Is it even possible to buy one that's just a phone anymore?

Drivers who don't know what to do when they encounter a yellow box junction or a roundabout: buy a copy of the Highway Code and read the damn thing. It's only £2.50, after all.

I could go on, but I don't think I need to, do I?

Oh, and politicians . . . They really . . .

Sorry.

The thing is, Grumpy Old Men get on my nerves too.

An infinite loop of irritation.

It's my birthday

2008-03-13T07:45:00.001Z

34 Today. Not quite sure how I feel about that!

Seriously, seriously cool

2008-03-03T08:48:00.001Z

Lego is, as stated above, extremely cool.

And I say this as someone approaching their mid-thirties.

Planning . . .

2008-02-25T20:19:00.002Z

According to the Scottish CBI, "There must be a greater presumption in favour of development built into our planning system."

Now, I won't argue that the planning system currently in place doesn't need a good working over to see that it works in a fair and timely manner, but there is already a bias towards developers in the system in that, if a development is declined planning permission, the developer may appeal but that is not the case if a development is approved over the objections of local or other interest groups.

Road to Nowhere

2008-02-15T08:00:00.003Z

Well, it looks like the M 74 will finally be finished and the 'Road to Nowhere' will finally go somewhere - well, assuming that the European Commission doesn't decide that the tendering process (with only one bidder) violated competition rules and puts a stop to the whole project.

On the one hand our roads are becoming more congested and the road would, at least temporarily, go some way to easing that, would improve Glasgow's road infrastructure and would, apparently, bring signifiicant economic benefits to the city. But, on the other hand, adding more capacity to the road network is only a temporary measure and that extra capacity will quickly be filled , with a corresponding increase in pollution in general and greenhouse gases in particular - something we're supposed to be trying to cut down.

And then there's the estimated cost: £445 million (with £18 million extra to cover the cost of dealing with any old mineworks encountered during the building process.

£463 million. For a five mile stretch of motorway. And how often do projects like that actually run to budget?

On balance I think that the money could be far better spent improving our public transport networks and turning them into something that works far more efficiently and affordably.

Driving on Air

2008-02-14T09:03:00.004Z

Well, Jeremy Clarkson's reaction to this should be entertaining.

It's a car that runs on compressed air.

I'll look forward to the road test on Top Gear, something I'm a little ashamed to say I quite enjoy watching.

Functionality Restored

2007-11-29T16:35:00.000Z

Well, I've got the computer working again, so the immediate crisis has passed, but I still think it's time for a new PC. Probably in January when prices drop a little bit.

Well, *&$K . . .

2007-11-28T09:22:00.001Z

Our computer appears to be on its last legs at the moment, so if anyone tries to reach me or my wife by e-mail and there's no response, don't worry.

Of course, the positive side of that is that I now have justification to shell out on a new PC.

Suggestions, anyone?

Sustainability . . .

2007-10-27T14:33:00.000Z

The BBC has a good summary of the GEO-4 report and its implications.

Hmmm, Stoatin' . . .

2007-10-27T14:18:00.000Z

One of the things I like about Saturdays is the fact that, twice a month, my wife and I head down to do part of our weekly shop at our local farmer's market. I could say that it's because we want to support local farmers and cut down on the food-miles of the food we consume, but the truth is that the food we get there tastes a lot better than its supermarket equivalent (the steak pies, venison burgers, sausages and cakes especially).

But the best bit is the Stoats Porridge stall.

Hmmm, cranachan porridge.

Boom, boom, boom

2007-10-26T15:36:00.000Z

For most of today from upstairs, and for most of the week.

It starts in the afternoon and stops at about nine, nine thirty - thankfully.

Doesn't change the fact that it's inconsiderate and annoying and if it keeps up I'll have to say something.

Sigh . . .

2007-10-24T13:47:00.000Z

It's rip-off Britain, even when it comes to climate change

'Unexpected growth' in CO2 found

Oceans are 'soaking up less CO2'

Climate threat to biodiversity

Although, on the slightly more optimistic side, there is this: a long overdue call to reframe the argument.

Change the message to save the planet

Back and blogging

2007-10-24T13:44:00.000Z

And while the tooth no longer aches, the infection is still there.

So, more anti-biotics.

The infection seems to be clearing though.

Ow . . !

2007-10-03T16:21:00.000Z

Apparently it was an abscess that was/is causing the toothache that's been bothering me for the last few days.

So a little drilling, a little clearing out and some antibiotics and in a few days I should be all better.

Still hurts like f***, though.

Apologies . . .

2007-10-02T15:42:00.001Z

Long time since I've last blogged and much has changed and much remains the same.

At the moment I'm cursing the fact that I haven't been able to get my dentist to move forward my check up by a few days so that I might get my toothache seen to before the weekend.

New Neighbours . . .

2007-10-02T15:37:00.000Z

Boom, boom, boom.

So goes the drone of the music our new upstairs neigbour likes to listen to. It was insanely bad the first weekend after they moved in, but got better after a few complaints.

At the moment it's just above the level of traffic noise - loud enough to be annoying, but not quite loud enough to complain.

What's really weird is that a few days ago I'd swear I heard what sounded like a dance/trance version of the theme from 'Fraggle Rock'.

Kind of Cool . . .

2007-10-02T15:35:00.000Z

Okay, I'm showing my geek roots here, but this is kind of cool. Even if I haven't decided what I feel about the possibility of a new Trek movie.

What next . . ?

2007-06-27T10:50:00.000Z

Apparently, this.

Tony Blair has apparently accepted the role of Middle-East Peace Envoy for the US, EU, UN & Russia.

Presumably because he feels that he's done such a bang up job in the region so far and is loved so very much by all the people there.

May the door of Number 10 hit him (hard) on his way out.

Everything's Topsy-Turvy Now . . .

2007-05-30T12:55:00.000Z

"The Tory leadership will risk infuriating traditionalists further by claiming that they - and not Gordon Brown - are the true defenders of Tony Blair's legacy."

If I were them, I wouldn't go shouting that too loudly.

More Big Brother . . .

2007-05-30T12:36:00.000Z

With the return of Channel 4's Big Brother to our screens it seems appropriate to mention the following links (some new and some old):

Data protection worries over CCTV

Stop and Quiz

Tougher control orders 'needed'

Staff asked to 'snoop' for police

Pilotless police drone takes off

Police chief's 'Orwellian' fears

VIP Stalker Squad can use mental health powers to detain people indefinitely

We aren't sleepwalking into anything here, are we?

Back in Glasgow

2007-05-29T13:57:00.000Z

Wife and I got back from Cambridge on Sunday and, while it's good to be back, in many ways I wish I was still away.

We were in Cambridge for the wedding of an old friend and we enjoyed both the ceremony and the reception afterwards. (although I wasn't feeling too well during the ceremony and immediately afterwards. I had a dodgy stomach which had fortunately cleared up by the time the reception started)

It's always good to see old friends and this was no exception.

I was going to blog more today but, between on-going battles with Amazon, the gas company and the bank, I really don't feel like it.

sigh

2007-05-22T15:13:00.000Z

This, from today's Guardian and covered by other media outlets as well: CO2 emissions rise outpaces worst-case scenario

"Worldwide CO2 emissions rose at a faster rate in 2000-2004 than the worst-case scenario imagined in this year's UN reports on climate, according to new research. The rise over the first four years of this century is also greater than in the 1990s - 3.1% a year between 2000-2004, up from an average of 1.1% a year during the 1990s."

It's depressing and worrying reading.

On a slightly lighter note this site serves as a good illustration of some of the problems I have with the idea "offsetting" your carbon footprint. Not that funding sustainable technologies isn't something we should be doing - because it most certainly is - but it's a bit much to pretend that by doing so we're somehow nullifying the damage that our cheap flights and car journeys have already done.

And on a much more cheery note here's Brian Taylor with some thoughts on the likelihood of new nuclear powerstations being built in Scotland or of a fight developing between Holyrood and Westminster on the subject.

Orwellian Present, Anyone?

2007-05-21T15:49:00.001Z

"Pilotless police drone takes off"

"A senior police officer has said he fears the spread of CCTV cameras is leading to "an Orwellian situation"."

"Council staff, charity workers and doctors could be required by law to tip off police about anyone they believe could commit a violent crime."

And remember, folks, the innocent have nothing to fear.

enjoy . . .

2007-05-19T16:03:00.000Z

Wife and I just found out about this place. It's a small cafe and shop selling ethical and environmentally sustainable products and is well worth a look. They've got quite a wide range of products considering they don't have much space - everything from stationary to composting bins and refills for ethical cleaning products although it has to be said that some of the things they carry aren't exactly cheap.

The thing that really impressed us, though, and one of the reasons we'll be going back was simply that I cannot remember the last time I had carrot cake that tasted quite that good.

Depressing Reading . . .

2007-05-19T09:29:00.000Z

The two phenomena discussed below were predicted by climate scientists and are factored into current climate change models, but the depressing aspect is that the reduction in the efficiency we're seeing now wasn't expected for another forty years.

"One of Earth's most important absorbers of carbon dioxide (CO2) is failing to soak up as much of the greenhouse gas as it was expected to, scientists say."

" Scientists have sounded the alarm after spotting changes in the environment in Brazil's tropical rain forests. They say they have found worrying signs that the forests may become less able to absorb the carbon dioxide emissions blamed for global warming."

And is anyone surprised to see this . . ?

"UN-hosted talks on climate change have ended in deadlock."

I'll probably comment on this in greater depth later on.

Virgin / Sky: The Saga Continues . . .

2007-05-19T09:21:00.000Z

Another call to customer services because promised discounts haven't been reflected in our bill and then this appears in the news.

Bored now. Just fix it, eh?

Also, do you think there's any chance of lessons being learned from this: "More than a third of consumers would stay loyal to a firm if it apologised following a customer service failure, a survey suggests."

I didn't think so.

I'd like to direct your attention to . . .

2007-05-19T09:17:00.001Z

This slideshow from Alcluith.

Great pictures of a lovely city.

Feels like Winter . . .

2007-05-19T09:14:00.001Z

Outside, the weather is cold, wet and the wind is gusting to the point where the rain sometimes seems almost horizontal.

Looks like we'll be putting off visiting the Falkirk Wheel yet again.

Well, Typical . . .

2007-04-11T15:23:00.000Z

"The next episode of hit sci-fi series Doctor Who will be shelved for a week if Saturday's FA Cup semi-final runs into extra time."

You know, I really hate the way that the terrestrial channels screw around with their schedules to suit sporting events.

Behaving like Children

2007-03-02T07:42:00.000Z

Consumer body angry at BSkyB row

The National Consumer Council may ask for a review of the digital television market after Virgin Media stopped broadcasting some BSkyB channels.

The broadcasters were accused of "behaving like children" by the organisation, which is considering making an official complaint.

As far as I can see neither channel seemed as if they were at all interested in reaching a deal and customers have lost out as a result.

Meanwhile my call to Virgin's customer retention people has resulted in £25 being knocked off my monthly rental and free evening and weekend calls while my wife and I decide what our best option is.

Virgin versus Sky IV - The Customer Strikes Back

2007-03-01T06:56:00.000Z

Well, just checked cable for Sky One this morning and it's not there.

So, I suspect Virgin's going to be deluged by pissed off customers this morning.

Including me.

And now for something completely different . . .

2007-02-28T12:28:00.000Z

. . . And actually important.

How the war on terror made the world a more terrifying place.

This from the cover story on Today's Independent:-

Last month John Negroponte, the Director of National Intelligence in Washington, said he was "not certain" that the Iraq war had been a recruiting factor for al-Qa'ida and insisted: "I wouldn't say that there has been a widespread growth in Islamic extremism beyond Iraq, I really wouldn't."

Yet the report points out that the US administration's own National Intelligence Estimate on "Trends in Global Terrorism: Implications for the United States" - partially declassified last October - stated that " the Iraq war has become the 'cause célèbre' for jihadists ... and is shaping a new generation of terrorist leaders and operatives."

The new study, by Peter Bergen and Paul Cruickshank, argues that, on the contrary, "the Iraq conflict has greatly increased the spread of al-Qa'ida ideological virus, as shown by a rising number of terrorist attacks in the past three years from London to Kabul, and from Madrid to the Red Sea.

"Our study shows that the Iraq war has generated a stunning increase in the yearly rate of fatal jihadist attacks, amounting to literally hundreds of additional terrorist attacks and civilian lives lost. Even when terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan is excluded, fatal attacks in the rest of the world have increased by more than one third."

And meanwhile, Blair and Bush are still arguing that the so-called "War on Terror" has not made the world a more dangerous place and is, in fact, making us all so much safer.

Interestingly enough

2007-02-28T12:26:00.000Z

Virgin are still advertising Sky One as part of their basic channel package to new customers. Hardly ethical, is it?

Virgin versus Sky III - Updated

2007-02-28T07:31:00.000Z

Apparently bosses from both companies will be on BBC Breakfast this morning.

I expect to be fulminating about this later on and maybe ranting, just a little bit.

----

Okay, Virgin want the dispute to go to binding arbitration - fair enough - but the problem is that Sky are in the dominant negotiating position and don't see any need to - also fair enough, from their point of view.

Sky have already apparently extended the deadline for losing Sky One, etc, by three months and the first that we heard (from Virgin) that this was a possibility was an e-mail last Saturday morning when they told us that Sky had "picked up their ball and gone home" (Not really accurate).

Virgin have no intention of reflecting the reduced service in their customers bills as they feel that their 'Virgin Choice' on demand channel more than compensates. Hm, let's have a look at what's on that channel, shall we?

Alias season 4 - already shown elsewhere
The Closer season 1 - no idea if it's been shown elsewhere
Little Britain season 2 - already shown elsewhere
Nip/Tuck season 1 - already shown elsewhere
The Office (specials) - already shown elsewhere
Spooks season 4 - already shown elsewhere

None of which my wife and I watch, or even want to. Yes, they'll be getting Lost seasons 1-3, but that won't be happening until August. So, yet more that has already been shown elsewhere.

How exactly does this compensate for losing Bones, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, Dresden Files, Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate: SG-1 mid-season? And in the case of the latter two, with only two episodes left to air. SG-1, it's worth mentioning, is finishing after ten years on the air and these are the final episodes. It's a small thing, but the final ep was due to air on Sky One on my birthday and I was rather looking forward to sitting down and watching it with my wife and a nice glass of single malt.

So, to give us more choice, they're giving us less and expecting us to pay the same, if not more.

Frustrating is one word that springs to mind.

Absolutely abysmal customer service are some others.

Imagine if they were losing a sports channel with only two games to screen before the World Cup final and it was being shown exclusively on that channel? (I know it's not a perfect analogy, but it's the closest I could come up with.)

What's worse is that, apparently, Virgin have been signing up customers (up until Sky started screening ads telling people that their channels might be lost from Virgin) to packages including Sky One and not informing them that there was any chance those channels might be lost from their line up. Those customers, of course, are now tied to Virgin for a whole year based on arguably false advertising.

It's not so much the loss of the channels that's got me so annoyed, but rather the timing of this whole thing and the way it has been handled by Virgin and the attitude they are demonstrating toward their customers. To be honest, I suspect that even if Virgin backs down and keeps Sky One, we'll probably wait until the current season ends and then drop our digital tv package, wait for things to come out on DVD and then start looking for an alternative telephone and broadband provider.

If they do lose Sky One that will happen a whole lot sooner.

Virgin versus Sky II

2007-02-27T11:45:00.000Z

"So Sky have picked up their ball and gone home."

So says Virgin Media's statement to their customers about the forthcoming loss of Sky channels from Virgin's cable network. A statement, by the way, that was the first and so far only notification from Virgin to their customers that they might be losing Sky One, etc, in less than a week.

By Virgin's own admission it was them who walked away from Sky's offer, which I understand is still on the table. So as far as I can see it would be a better analogy to say that:-

"Sky were playing a little too rough for us and we can't keep up, so we've stormed off in a huff with the ball still in play."

Virgin versus Sky

2007-02-25T09:09:00.000Z

Few people other than Virgin Media customers will have been following this, but what it basically boils down to is two companies feuding and customers losing out as a result.

Neither company comes across particularly well in this dispute. Yes, if Virgin are to be believed,the behaviour of Sky comes awfully close to bullying, but Virgin hasn't exactly handled this well either. They have consistently failed to keep their customers informed and because of this my wife and I will lose our favourite shows mid season (in the case of one of them with only two episodes remaining to air before it ends after ten years). Sky One is the channel we watch the most on cable and for it to be removed from our package with little warning, mid-season and without an appropriate reduction in our bill demonstrates a disturbing contempt for their customers. That contempt hardly fits well with the corporate image that Richard Branson seeks to cultivate, does it? If those shows were to be made immediately available on Virgin channels that would be one thing, but somehow I doubt that is going to happen given the abysmal selection currently available.

Sky already offers packages that, even including the BT line rental, are significantly cheaper, and one of Virgin's own customer service people has admitted to me that they cannot compete with them. In fact, the same customer service agent who said that also assured me that they were in no danger of losing Sky One. It is easy to wonder, given recent events, if Virgin had any intention at all to renew their contract for the Sky Basic Mix. Given how much we watch it, if Sky One is lost from their channel line up then I cannot for the life of me find a logical reason to remain with Virgin Media.

To put it bluntly: if Sky One is kept in the Virgin line up and prices go up, my wife and I might leave but if Sky One is lost we most definitely will leave. Whether or not we switch to Sky or simply wait for DVD releases is another matter entirely.

We really won't feel that we have a choice and will remember the way Virgin has treated us when considering their products in the future.

And in other news

2007-02-23T10:40:00.000Z

Wife and I went out last night to one of the talks at Glasgow's 'Aye, Write' literary festival. This one was given by the Guardian columnist Jon Ronson. We had a great time and neither one of us can remember the last time we laughed like that.

The talk was hosted in the main hall of the newly renovated Mitchell Library and I have to say that I really like what they've done with the place. It seems so much more open and welcoming now than before.

The cafe was good to and there's something oddly civilised about being able to have a glass of wine in a library - not near the books though!

Interesting

2007-02-23T10:37:00.000Z

Chimpanzees in Senegal have been observed making and using wooden spears to hunt other primates, according to a study in the journal Current Biology.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6387611.stm

Primate experts say they have proven that chimpanzees, like humans, show social conformity.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4166756.stm

I've been bad . . .

2007-02-22T22:24:00.000Z

And I haven't blogged in ages, so tomorrow I will blog!

Reality TV . . .

2006-12-15T09:02:00.000Z

Just watching BBC Breakfast this morning and was reminded of an idea I had a while back for a reality TV show, a genre that I normally loathe: One Celebrity and Their Dog.

Maybe not a series, but a one off special could be entertaining.

In other news, I really must blog more regularly!

Meanwhile . . .

2006-09-27T08:08:00.000Z

With a holiday and our second wedding anniversary looming, things are good.

What a surprise

2006-09-27T07:52:00.000Z

The Iraq conflict has become a "cause celebre" for Islamic militants worldwide, declassified parts of a US intelligence report say.

No surprise there, then.

Nor is it a surprise, unfortunately, that Bush and Blair are denying that their decision to go to war in Iraq has in any way worsened the situation.

'"I think it's a mistake for people to believe that going on the offence against people that want to do harm to the American people makes us less safe," he added.

Mr Bush has consistently dismissed such reasoning in the past, arguing that Islamic militants had hated the US long before it invaded Iraq or Afghanistan.'

And at the Labour Party Conference Tony Blair said, "This terrorism isn't our fault. We didn't cause it."

I'll grant that point, but it's certainly equally true that our countries' actions in Iraq have exacerbated the situation and made matters far worse, rather like throwing water on an electrical fire. To pretend otherwise is, to use President Bush's own words against him, naive.

Here's hoping

2006-09-27T07:30:00.000Z

It seems that there are plans to extend recycling collections in Scotland to cover high rise buildings and tennements (only a fraction of which are covered by a pilot scheme at the moment).

Living in a tennement, as wife and I do at the moment (and the majority of people in the West End of Glasgow), we're hoping that this means the recycling collections will befinally extended to cover our area and that we'll no longer have to head out to our local recycling centre every few weeks.

Sorry

2006-09-26T20:37:00.000Z

Okay, I haven't blogged in ages.

Tomorrow I will remedy this. Or begin to.

Coming, Going and Painting

2006-07-25T14:19:00.000Z

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve last blogged and my wife and I have been keeping ourselves quite busy lately.

We went to see Dylan Moran at Perth, “Mum’s the Word II” in Glasgow, we’ve been giving our hallway a much needed lick of paint and are thinking of ripping up the carpet and seeing if it’s worth polishing the floorboards underneath, and last week we were down at Reading visiting some friends of ours we haven’t seen in ages.

As far as painting the hall, we’re nearly done, and even now, with some work still remaining, there’s a great sense of satisfaction at the way it looks all newly painted. It’ll be even better when it’s done, but then there’ll be something else to do – we’ve put off redecorating for quite a while and it does show in a few places.

Mental note: try to avoid going down South in the middle of a heatwave with temperatures that are the highest since the beginning of the *last* century! I don’t do well in the heat, and neither does this country’s infrastructure. I’ve said it before (all my friends are probably rolling their eyes at this point) but I think about the only weather this country is capable of handling is light drizzle. Anything more extreme, in any direction, and everything seems to fall apart: heating / air con fails, trains are delayed (leaves / snow on the tracks, or the tracks expand), roads buckle or are undermined, etc, etc . . .

Needless to say, I was very glad of the cooler clothing that I bought just before we left for Reading. Even so, we ended up spending nearly two hours in Birmingham New Street station waiting for our connecting train during the commuter rush on the hottest day of the year. It definitely wasn’t fun. In fact, about the only good part of our time waiting for our (perpetually delayed due to the, according to the announcer, ‘extreme’ weather conditions) connection was spotting Bill Oddie, who appeared to be stuck waiting for a connecting train as well.

It was great to see our friends again and, despite the heat, we had a great time down in Reading and it was good to spend some time away from Glasgow relaxing together. In fact, it felt like a proper holiday, even if it was shorter than we’d have liked. Although the next time we visit, we’ll wait for cooler weather, I think.

Meanwhile, I’ll try not to leave it so long between blog entries this time.

Not a good idea

2006-05-16T17:55:00.000Z

If I was to buy this my wife would very definately kill me.

House of the Hacking Cough

2006-05-11T11:57:00.000Z

As I said in an earlier blog entry, my wife's been off work sick for the past couple of days with what turned into a very bad cold. And, now I've started coughing too. . .

How did this happen . . ?

2006-05-10T18:34:00.000Z

This courtesy of Karen Traviss and Chris Billett: go to Google and type in 'liar' and look at what the first entry is . . .

How very appropriate.

Don't you hate it when . . .

2006-05-09T19:09:00.000Z

You take a few days off work and then fall ill, especially when there are things you want to do.

Not me, my wife. She took this Monday and Tuesday off work and then started to feel a bit ropey on Sunday, worse on Monday and today she's spent the day moving between the couch and the bed, coughing a lot, while I ply her with tea, soup and hot water.

She's feeling a bit better now, which is good, but we'll see how she is tomorrow.

Such a pity that, in circumstances like this, you can't swap holiday days for sick days.

Sneezing and snogging

2006-05-05T07:32:00.000Z

Apparently there's been a study (I wish I could find a source to reference for this) that has determined that one way of reducing the effect hay fever can have on someone is to snog for half an hour each day. The theory behind this is that it relaxes you enough that the reaction to the pollen particles you encounter is lessened.

As a hay fever sufferer, I think this needs investigation.

Purely scientific inquiry, you understand.

Thunder and lightning

2006-05-05T07:12:00.000Z

Last night there was the most spectacular thunderstorm I can ever recall seeing in Scotland. Thunder, lightning, kung-fu fighting (sorry, I've had that song rattling round my head all morning), and I quite enjoyed sitting and watching it, and, geek that I am, trying to remember what the speed of sound was so I could work out how far away the lightning was.

Something I saw amazed me though, and it wasn't the storm. Thunder and lightning crashing all around and I saw four or five people walking around with umbrellas up. Even in a relatively built up area walking about holding a metal pole above your head doesn't really strike me as a terribly sensible course of action.

School philosophy

2006-05-04T15:43:00.000Z

Students turning to philosophy

I've been saying for a while that I thought philosophy should be taught in secondary school, and this article pretty much outlines why.

Personally, I think it's one of the few subjects which teaches people how to think, rather than what to think. And any subject that encourages critical thought, analysis and argument is definately a good thing.

Wish I could have seen this!

2006-05-02T14:37:00.000Z

Colbert Lampoons Bush at White House Correspondents Dinner -- President Not Amused?

It sounds almost as good as the daydream I have sometimes of Bush and Blair on 'Have I got News for You' being savaged by Hislop, Merton and whatever guest host they have that week.

Narrowing it down

2006-05-02T14:32:00.000Z

Now the situation that's developing with Iran is deeply scary and statements like this don't help matters at all.

Iran will target Israel first if the United States does anything "evil", a senior commander in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday.

If the US does anything 'evil'? He couldn't have narrowed it down a bit, could he?

Talk about obvious

2006-04-30T14:12:00.000Z

Apparently most people think Tony Blair's government are "Sleazy and incompetent".

Is that actually news?

Or, for that matter is this?

Worst President Ever

Great Day Yesterday

2006-04-30T07:32:00.000Z

Lovely weather, lunch at a great tapas place in town, headed down to Ayr to enjoy the weather and the clear air, finally found a birthday gift for my godson, bumped into an old friend in town, and nice pizza for dinner.

Peerages . . . not just for loans

2006-04-28T07:34:00.000Z

Well, allegedly.

Oops

2006-04-28T07:19:00.000Z

Shoplifter heads in the wrong direction.

A bit reassuring

2006-04-27T12:03:00.000Z

It seems that an influential group of MPs is demanding more changes to the Legislative and Regulatory Reform bill on top of the changes that the government has already been forced to concede.

And this is all to the good. The stated aim of the bill is to reduce red tape and make it more easy for government to eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy, but there are problems with the sweeping scope of the powers it would grant ministers with a greatly reduced amount of oversight and parliamentary debate, they would also be able to establish new laws and crimes and even alter or abolish bodies established by statute. The bill would also be able to be applied to itself recursively to alter and expand its powers at a later date.

What isn't so good is that while the Government has accepted that the bill needs to be changed with limits put on the powers it grants, they haven't yet given any indication of what those changes will be or how far they'll go.

Hopefully by the time the bill is debated in May we'll know what changes the government has in mind. And hopefully the bill's ability to be applied to itself will have been removed.

More Managers

2006-04-25T07:32:00.000Z

Well, here's where some of that money being poured into the NHS is going.

On managers.

I wish I could say that I'm surprised.

Pot, meet Kettle

2006-04-25T07:09:00.000Z

And his name's Tony Blair.

It seems our PM is of the opinion that todays MPs are out of touch with voters on law and order issues.

Now, I won't argue that at all, but what really sticks in my throat is that someone, anyone, in Tony's government accusing people of being out of touch with the day to day reality of people's lives. For some reason the phrase "despite the headlines, the NHS has just had its best year ever" keeps popping up in my mind.

And then there's the money his wife spent on hair while campaigning during the general election: £7,700 pounds, or £275 per day, not that it was her own money, of course.

Appearances on chat shows, speaking engagements, holidaying in celeb villas, free tickets, dodgy property deals, consultancy deals, and so on, of course it's not just Tony and co, but that's not the point. There are some who aren't out of touch, but I suspect they're in the minority and the idea of an MP, especially Tony Blair accusing others of being 'out of touch', and therefore implying that he isn't, just smacks of rank hypocrisy.

Best Year Ever

2006-04-24T07:00:00.000Z

"Best year ever."

Or not. As can be seen here, here, here and here. I could go on, but you get the picture.

"Over 7,000 job losses have been announced in recent weeks as the NHS struggles to balance the books. Operations have also had to be delayed and wards closed.

A deficit of at least £600m is expected to have been run up at the end of March.

But Ms Hewitt told the BBC at the weekend that "despite the headlines, the NHS has just had its best year ever", saying job cuts were helping hospitals to manage their financial problems."

"Best year ever"? I wonder what health service our Heath Secretary was looking at when she said those words and what evidence she has to support that. Yes, funding has drastically increased and waiting lists are down. But I thought that waiting lists start when you see a consultant for the first time, not when your GP refers you, and if you have to be taken off the list for any reason your waiting time resets to the start again . . . the fun part of statistics is that they can be used to say whatever you want them to say.

And there's the issue of the job cuts. Job cuts and redundancies, we are told, won't impact on patient care or on those staff remaining.

Hm, I know that the situations aren't exactly comparable, but I remember working in a certain bookstore and just before I left staffing levels had hit the point that there was only one full time member of staff to cover each floor, supported by part-time staff (not enough) and management (often busy with management type things), as we had three people off long term sick (one of whom was off with stress-related problems), and let me tell you staff morale and customer service were effected, as much as we tried to do our best in the situation we found ourselves. It's inevitable that staff morale and patient care will be altered by the current climate of cuts, redundancies and reorganisations, to pretend otherwise is ridiculous and to try to convince the public of it is just insulting.

But really, "Best year ever"? I know a few people who would take issue with that statement.

And, yes, I know that Hewitt's statements don't really relate to the NHS in Scotland, about which the news has been quiet lately, so I assume that things aren't quite as bad here, but the point remains that to even say those words in relation to the current situation shows a worrying lack of contact with reality.

You have to wonder why

2006-04-19T16:22:00.000Z

This has happened:

Scott McClellan, the Press Secretary for President George W. Bush, has apparently resigned.

And the possible reasons are many, varied and some are disturbing.

Could it be something he's had to announce in the past, or is going to have to announce in the future?

I think the best bit of the BBC report is the following line:

Mr Bush said Mr McClellan had had "a challenging assignment"

Well, 'challenging' is one word for it!

Family Trees

2006-04-18T16:18:00.000Z

I came back from Perth with a bunch of family documents that my Mum passed to me when I asked about the possibility of looking into my family tree and I've been looking through them today.

It's fascinating stuff, and sobering.

One of the documents is my grand-father's last letter to my gran from France during the Second World War. It's strange to read it, knowing that it was written not long before he was killed and to see someone refer to my gran as 'Honey' and 'Sweetheart'. Intellectually I knew that my gran was different before I knew her, but somehow looking at that letter . . . It makes me wonder what she really was like back then.

Not at all Surprising

2006-04-18T13:31:00.000Z

To be honest is anyone at all surprised by the findings illustrated in this BBC report or this one?

I'll be blogging more about these reports over the next few days, and my feelings on the subject.

Yet More Norton

2006-04-18T12:53:00.000Z

Well, bugger this.

Still banging my head against Norton's malfunctioning subscription and upgrade so . . .

I'll be switching to Zonealarm.

More Norton

2006-04-17T10:08:00.000Z

Well, still can't access Norton to change anything, and the one time I've been able to get into it the damn thing reported that the subscription for the whole Norton Internet Security has expired . . . despite it being an upgrade newly installed and registered last Monday.

If I don't hear from Symantec Tech Support soon I'll probably just switch to Zonealarm Internet Security and curse the lost money of it all.

And any time I try to download e-mail with Outlook the e-mail scanner hangs, which it didn't do before the weekend, so it seems the subscription problems are screwing other parts of the suite up as well.

Oh, what fun!

Norton

2006-04-13T11:10:00.000Z

Just when I thought my upgrade of my firewall and anti-virus software had gone with relatively few (sorted) problems.

NAV says the subscription's died. Um, no, it hasn't.

Oh the joys of computing!

Cheese, Gromit!

2006-04-09T12:58:00.000Z

Who knew that 'Curse of the Were-Rabbit' would turn out to have some basis in fact?

Monster Rabbit

Uncertain & Anxious

Schrödinger's Cat (Updated) . . .

Schrödinger's Cat . . .

Stress, Worry and Schrödinger's Cat . . .

Failed . . .

Cool . . .

Apparently . . .

Says it all . . .

An update . . .

Disappointing . . .

Finally . . .

Mildly Amused . . .

The Rant . . .

Back again . . .

Time Passes . . .

Back again . . .

Just in time . . .

Not at all Orwellian . . .

Blogging again . . .

Very Unnerving

Doctor Who

Wishing I'd had my camera

Clubbing the Botanics

Dust

It's not in the stars

What, already?

Not quite Taggart

Short sighted idiots

How far we've come . . .

Putting it all in Perspective

When does it happen officially?

It's my birthday

Seriously, seriously cool

Planning . . .

Road to Nowhere

Driving on Air

Functionality Restored

Well, *&$K . . .

Sustainability . . .

Hmmm, Stoatin' . . .

Boom, boom, boom

More depressing reading . . .

Sigh . . .

Back and blogging

Ow . . !

Apologies . . .

New Neighbours . . .

Kind of Cool . . .

What next . . ?

Everything's Topsy-Turvy Now . . .

More Big Brother . . .

Back in Glasgow

*sigh*

Orwellian Present, Anyone?

enjoy . . .

Depressing Reading . . .

Virgin / Sky: The Saga Continues . . .

I'd like to direct your attention to . . .

Feels like Winter . . .

Well, Typical . . .

Behaving like Children

Virgin versus Sky IV - The Customer Strikes Back

And now for something completely different . . .

Interestingly enough

Virgin versus Sky III - Updated

Virgin versus Sky II

Virgin versus Sky

And in other news

Interesting

I've been bad . . .

Reality TV . . .

Meanwhile . . .

What a surprise

Here's hoping

Sorry

Coming, Going and Painting

Not a good idea

House of the Hacking Cough

How did this happen . . ?

Don't you hate it when . . .

sigh