tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64827632011-09-01T15:56:46.332+01:00BOKEH'S BLOGThe background blur of my life: photography, building web sites, and cutting the grass. Maybe even the odd comment on the outside world...Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.comBlogger911100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1098989583594762562004-10-28T19:52:00.000+01:002004-10-28T19:53:03.596+01:00Yeah, I'm bored. Bored with this stupid work I have to do. Still, the end is in site :-)
Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1098314772766579362004-10-21T01:24:00.000+01:002005-05-15T22:53:21.573+01:00Looking for Daily Telegraph Fantasy Football Passwords?Then you may find that link useful!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1093263719756751512004-08-23T13:21:00.000+01:002004-08-23T13:21:59.756+01:00appie 1.1 - what a naughty bot.
This dammed bot has been 'crawling' my site, and it's just making shit up! I'm very annoyed with it - they should get some manners (or better coders).
Anyway, if you want to block it from your site, you can add something like this to you .htaccess file:
RewriteCond %{HTTP_USER_AGENT} ^appie.*$
RewriteRule ^.*$ - [F]
This will tell the bot it's forbidden to Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1092959300717210722004-08-20T00:48:00.000+01:002004-08-20T00:48:20.716+01:00House prices 'drop 2% in weeks'
Woohoo! There's hope for us all!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1092862432743417522004-08-18T21:51:00.000+01:002004-08-18T21:53:52.743+01:00All quiet on the western front.
Sorry for the silence folks; been really busy last week or so, and had nothing too major to moan about ;-)
I'm still alive: just. Need more sleep, more food, and more time to make the most of them!
Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1092182422121828532004-08-11T00:34:00.000+01:002004-08-11T01:00:22.120+01:00Argh, Clients!
One of my clients from a few months ago rang me up today in a really bad mood complaining that her web site was too big and everyone has to scroll over (to the right) to see it all.
I'm not going to waffle on here, but at the time of doing the site I told her that her screen resolution in her office is 800x600 (on a 15" TFT - go figure!), and that this site would be optimised forBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091874909990292512004-08-07T11:35:00.000+01:002004-08-07T11:35:09.990+01:00Google Cops to Illegal Shares
Looks like google have fu*ked up again. It's amazing that a company that should be doing so well is having these sort of problems. I wish they'd get this IPO over with so we can see how much they make. They just seem to be having one problem after the other at the moment.
Well it's a sunney day. Should be outside in the sun, and there's beer to consume. Am going Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091798203844442322004-08-06T14:16:00.000+01:002004-08-06T14:16:43.843+01:00Marky Moo
Woohoo! Mark has finally started blogging! This should be interesting...Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com5628tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091752080839084792004-08-06T01:28:00.000+01:002004-08-06T01:28:00.840+01:00Scamming the Scammer
Hehhe - you've got to see this! This chick has been winding up some Nigerian scammer, and she's even managed to get him to send a photo of himself holding a picture that she sent him. Classic!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091728466675323282004-08-05T18:54:00.000+01:002004-08-05T18:54:26.676+01:00CV done, may have found a job!
I had a quick look at the job web sites this morning and found something that looked interesting.... I've not written a CV since I was at university, so I rang up the recruitment consultant and explained the whole self-employed situation.
Anyway, she helped me cobble something together and apparently the client is moderately keen. The client has asked for some Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091655726206427962004-08-04T22:42:00.000+01:002004-08-04T22:42:06.206+01:00I think I can't be arsed
Is it time to get a real job? Should I go with the flow and work for some PHB? Mutter mutter moan moan.
Being self employed is great, but it can be a fu*king pain in the arse too. I hate the paperwork, I'm often not keen on the clients, and I'm beginning to really dislike the uncertainty of the work. I've been doing this for 5 years now - I think a stint in the real Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091637025889152662004-08-04T17:12:00.000+01:002004-08-04T17:30:25.890+01:00God what a day!
I've spent about the last week trying to agree a price for a project with this web designer chap. He usually takes my quote for programming, and charges the client double. He must spend about a day doing design bits and bobs, and then I have to fit it all into the template.
Now I don't have a problem with that - he can charge what he likes if the client is happy and I'm happy Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091618094537591062004-08-04T12:14:00.000+01:002004-08-04T12:14:54.536+01:00It was a long day yesterday. Sat in a meeting in a very stuffy office for 3 hours discussing a new project. It's quite a large one, and has great potential for ongoing work and support. It should be worth loads! Sad thing is I don't think I'll get involved - I'm going to hand it over to a friend's business to do as they are far more suited to doing it :-(
I hope they throw some more work my way!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091479180714852262004-08-02T21:39:00.000+01:002004-08-02T21:39:40.713+01:00Gibster gone fishing...
Anyone know what's happened to gibster? Even Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby didn't go fishing for more than a week, so I hope to see him back soon...Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091323420093189212004-08-01T02:23:00.000+01:002004-08-01T02:23:40.093+01:00Princess Diana Portrait Baby Doll
To quote the Americans: Oh, my, God!
There are some scary people out there. And they even make two others!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091101157356688952004-07-29T12:39:00.000+01:002004-07-29T12:39:17.356+01:00UK consumer debt hits £1 trillion
Fu*k!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091100639672624352004-07-29T12:30:00.000+01:002004-07-29T12:34:04.853+01:00Handy mod_rewrite rule
I've been using mod_rewrite a lot lately, but never really got the hang of using environment variables with it (maybe I've never needed too...).
Anyway, I run several sites where we have the .com, .co.uk, and often the .org domains. Several of these are hosted on my business server, and the guy who runs this always sets them up so requests to any domain always end up at Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091094336853860662004-07-29T10:45:00.000+01:002004-07-29T10:47:01.096+01:00Almost an early start...
Ended up getting up around 8ish today. Went to bed at 11.59 PM so that I would be ready for a 7 o'clock start. As soon as I was in bed, the people in the flat above me decided to have one of their late night sessions. They're Greek, and they tend to stay up late making a lot of noise quite frequently.
I closed my windows.
Then my brother (who I live with) and his Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1091018500353713812004-07-28T13:41:00.000+01:002004-07-28T13:42:54.090+01:00Lazy Git
Wow, talk about having a lie in! My alarm was set for 7.00 AM this morning, and, as expected, it went off. Naturally, I hit the snooze button, and fell asleep again. Nine minutes later I got woken up by the buzzer going off (the permitted snooze period having come to an end), so once more I hit the snooze button.
This activity carried on for FIVE hours (!) until 12 o'clock, when I Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1090652940934247582004-07-24T08:09:00.000+01:002004-07-24T08:09:39.240+01:00BBC NEWS | UK | Children's pocket money rockets
Children's pocket money soared by 23 times the rate of inflation last year to an average of £7.82 a week.
£7.82 a week! When I was 7-16 I got 20 pence - £1.00 respectively. Lucky buggers don't know they're born. They can almost buy a CD each week, or wait two weeks and get e decent CD. It would have taken me about 4 months before I could afford a Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1090647789898097482004-07-24T06:43:00.000+01:002004-07-24T06:52:25.996+01:00Phew! Up early today!
It's 6:31 AM. It's very early. It's almost too early...
Still, this is a good thing. I've been sleeping in way to late recently - I often don't get up until 11.00 AM, 12.00 and sometimes 1.00 PM. It's such a waste of time!
Anyway, I decided last night to get up when my brother (who I live with) gets up. He works funny shifts and gets up at silly hours. I normally wake Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1090510614170252142004-07-22T16:36:00.000+01:002004-07-22T17:08:25.163+01:00Game Shows: Family Fortunes
Q: Something you open other than a door
A: Bowels
Found this on Kiss My Blog. This show cracks me up - they get some of the most stupid people in Britain on the show!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1090072418676052382004-07-17T14:49:00.000+01:002004-07-17T15:08:59.603+01:00New Blogger Template
So I've changed my template. I didn't like the old one, and I'm not too sure I like this one. I guess it's a bit neater than the old, but it's a bit blue... Will have to play with the stylesheet!
And as everyone predicted, Ahmed left the Big Brother house. Shame really, because it is funny watching them all argue!
It's nearly 3 PM, so I think I need to make some Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1090029965526621842004-07-17T03:06:00.000+01:002004-07-17T14:49:22.463+01:00Using XML-RPC with PHP
Hmm, this looks interesting. Been lying in bed trying to get to sleep, but a lot of stuff going through my head and this annoying fly/mosquito have prevented this.
This is another reason why WiFi and notebooks are great: I can surf from bed :-)
Anyway, have been looking at PEAR a lot lately, but the documentation really blows goats. OK, I know I can look at the Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1090001052950199932004-07-16T19:04:00.000+01:002004-07-16T19:04:12.950+01:00Big Brother: Eviction Night
I always forget that Friday night is eviction night. I'm not really in to the series, but I will have it on the box if there's nothing else on.
Anyway, tonight is eviction night! So I wonder who will be going? I think it will be Ahmed, but that will be a shame. He's funny to watch, and is great a winding the others up.
I'd really like it to be Stuart who goes. He's Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089943871819259712004-07-16T03:10:00.000+01:002004-07-16T03:11:11.820+01:00Gmail Invites - sorry, all gone now :-(
Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089943369571090302004-07-16T03:02:00.000+01:002004-07-16T03:05:45.993+01:00Had quite a good day today. It started at 7PM with a silly meeting about a job which the client can't really afford. So I have to try and do something for them which just about meets their needs, but that doesn't really do anything special. This makes Bokeh very sad. Bokeh needs fun, inspiring jobs!
I got home and parked my car in the pub car park opposite my flat and bumped into one of the Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089847824432551682004-07-15T00:30:00.000+01:002004-07-15T00:30:24.433+01:00PHP, PEAR, and Blogger
I mentioned a little while ago that I had discovered PEAR (the PHP Extension and Application Repository). Well since then I have been playing with it, and have been working on a little command line blogger tool.
The idea is that you just open a command prompt (terminal on Linux or DOS shell on Windows) and type away at your post. Two blank lines terminate the post, and itBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089843206143275952004-07-14T23:13:00.000+01:002004-07-14T23:56:25.776+01:00British Bloggers Directory - BritBlog
I was one of the first members of BritBlog, and they now look to have well over two hundred (215 in Europe, 203 in the UK, and 170 in England)! I check back quite regularly, and the list of new blogs seems to change quite quickly now.
I've not been blogging for long, and when I started loads of sites I came across had the Blogging Brits webring code on Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089723586372836322004-07-13T13:59:00.000+01:002004-07-13T14:05:25.220+01:00Anyone for a threesome? [caution: may offend some people]
I had an interesting conversation with some people at the wedding reception on Saturday. It came up in conversation that a lot of men have a fantasy about having a threesome, often involving their girlfriend and some famous celebrity [insert any celebrity name here] or other.
I accept this may not be the case if you are in a really Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089589247951020752004-07-12T00:35:00.000+01:002004-07-12T16:46:17.226+01:00Just got back from an excellent weekend in Cambridge. A good friend of mine got married on Saturday, and it was great to get together with him and other people that I really see too little of.
Maybe I should move back to Cambridge - everyone else seems to be going back there!
Rather tired now though - had very little sleep on Friday and Saturday...
P.S. - still got some gmail invites left...Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089219766574355712004-07-07T18:02:00.000+01:002004-07-07T18:02:46.573+01:00I think I'll do a Gibster: Does anyone want a gmail invite? I have some left, so they are yours if you want them. Just leave your details in the comments box and I'll get back to you...Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089214608479360772004-07-07T16:36:00.000+01:002004-07-07T16:38:27.700+01:00Trend Micro PC-cillin Sucks!
It's official! I finally gave up with them. Their customer service is abysmal; their support web site abominable; and their product is abhorrent!
OK, that's all the "A's" dealt with.
Honestly, this service really sucks. I used McAfee before, and thought I would try something else as I was a bit miffed with their customer support never responding when one of their Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089204863700448792004-07-07T13:54:00.000+01:002004-07-07T13:52:40.503+01:00Still waiting for Trend Micro
I logged a support call with them this morning and it has been mysteriously closed. Apparently the issue has been resolved.... So how come I can't activate my product?
I'm getting very annoyed with this company. They seem to be run by a bunch of morons with little regard for their customers.
To really take the biscuit, they expect me to call a support line at £1/Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089194360594577792004-07-07T10:59:00.000+01:002004-07-07T11:16:51.866+01:00TREND MICRO Products - Personal - PC-cillin Internet Security More problems with Trend Micro.
OK, so the reason I had to buy the license after only a day of the trial software was because some features are disabled in the trial software, and the firewall rules that are pre-defined are to tight. I couldn't work with any other machines on my network, and this prevents me working.
So my arm was Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1089192773034370982004-07-07T10:32:00.000+01:002004-07-07T10:32:53.036+01:00Printable Invoices It really bugs me when you buy something from a web site, they have a button that says 'Print VAT Invoice' (which you do), and the invoice comes out spread across two pages.
Stupid bloody idiots. I mean if you take the time and effort to build an online shop, you would think the developers would take 5 minutes building an invoice template that fits to the width of an A4 sheet Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1088978892955338432004-07-04T23:08:00.000+01:002004-07-04T23:08:12.956+01:00Sorry to sound like a geek, but.... my printer is just so good! It makes me happy when things work, and my printer is just great. It is an HP LaserJet 3300 MFP - one of these multifunction things. To be honest, I don't use the scanner (ever), and I rarely use the copier (though it is most useful on those rare occasions when you need one). And I guess I don't use the printer facility much either! Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1088818031064027152004-07-03T02:27:00.000+01:002004-07-03T02:27:49.816+01:00Been an interesting day. Even more potential work on the table.
And to round it off I spent the evening with two rather attractive girls. Life is good :-)
Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1088726462630189912004-07-02T01:01:00.000+01:002004-07-02T01:01:02.630+01:00Fu*k - b*llocks - w*nk My brother (who I rent a room off in his crappy little flat) has just stumbled home from the pub. He's brought with him two of his stupid friends and some random (incredibly ugly) women (err, I think). They all stink of booze and smoke (and the ugly woman has some really bad perfume on), and they are getting way too excited about a miniature table- football game.
Apart Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1088358331927851202004-06-27T18:45:00.000+01:002004-06-27T18:48:37.480+01:00PEAR :: The PHP Extension and Application Repository -- Ooh, very interesting....
Been looking at this Pear stuff for a few days, and as it is a wet Sunday afternoon decided to try it out on my workstation at home.
Been an interesting challenge: I'm running Windows 2000 Pro, and had the easy install PHP on it. Had to remove this and manually install the PHP with the CLI binaries and other stuffBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1088179247767163042004-06-25T17:00:00.000+01:002004-06-25T17:00:47.766+01:00And another... Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1087999646621761592004-06-23T15:07:00.000+01:002004-06-23T15:11:32.876+01:00Some photos with the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L (non-IS) lens
The orchestra was the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, playing in at a charity event in Beddington Park, Surrey.Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1087950635868354512004-06-23T01:24:00.000+01:002004-06-25T01:09:12.506+01:00Another long day... Been working on an admin console for a web site I'm doing for a friend. I hate admin consoles. They're so boring! All this editing stuff, previewing, deleting, and so on. Makes poor old Bokeh's life very dull :-(
Still, it'll be a good site when finished - that's if it gets finished. Even at 'mates rate' (~50% off) the project will cost over a grand once you include VAT. Not Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-108760831378207542004-06-19T02:25:00.000+01:002004-06-20T18:52:24.116+01:00Oh, what a long day! Had to get up at 5.30 AM today! (or should that be yesterday now?) Picked up my lovely rental lens at 8 AM from a place in Vauxhall (London, UK), then spent the next few hours wandering around taking snaps.
Saw a suicidal 'foreign national' (illegal immigrant) who was threatening to throw himself off a crane, and then saw Clive Anderson. My day was complete. Came home for Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1087501427867144742004-06-17T20:34:00.000+01:002004-06-17T20:46:28.310+01:00Fairly slow day... Started a new web site today, and this is not always a great experience. It's hard getting into some projects, and I've not been too inspired today.
I'm going into London tomorrow morning to pick up a Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM - not the IS one though :-(. Then I'm spending the day in London trying it out with my EOS 5 and my brother's EOS 300D.
Then on Saturday I'm Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1087081000781763742004-06-12T23:56:00.000+01:002004-06-17T20:44:41.050+01:00Map24
Wow! That's all I can say. This is one excellent mapping site! It uses Java applets and vector map data. You can pan and zoom so quickly. For example, you can zoom from a view of Europe to a view of your street in seconds. I'm very impressed!
Places like petrol stations and cash points are marked, along with a few other useful locations. It's just really good! Go try it out....
Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1086831826645481602004-06-10T02:43:00.000+01:002004-06-10T02:43:46.646+01:00Voting Damn. Got to get up early tomorrow and vote. What a waste of time - they're all a bunch of idiots!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1086831446807789422004-06-10T02:37:00.000+01:002004-06-10T17:03:36.996+01:00Been soooo busy! That is, for me I've been rather busy...
Been doing a lot to BritBlog over the last few days. I've now got a rather cunning map of UK bloggers working, and a free text search tool.
The map is my little baby though :) Members supply their postcode, which I automatically convert into an Ordnance Survey grid reference. The blogs are then plotted on a map of the UK, which you can Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1086172169563724732004-06-02T11:29:00.000+01:002004-06-02T11:29:29.563+01:00Back from holiday Spent a couple of days in the Lake District for a stag do. Was good fun and much beer was consumed :-) Did some short walks too which was good, but it is scary how unfit I've become. Need to do more (some?) exercise...
Had over 1200 emails in my inbox to go through when I got back. So much spam! It has reached the point where I dread coming back from a weekend away. It's such aBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1086133336369359932004-06-02T00:42:00.000+01:002004-06-02T00:42:16.370+01:00FeedBurner - The spark for syndication success Just found this site. It looks like a useful tool for converting the Blogger Atom feeds into RSS. They say they are in the pre-alpha stage at the moment, but things seem to work :-)Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1085141057790120722004-05-21T13:04:00.000+01:002004-05-21T13:07:13.683+01:00Groovy! I'm planning a new project and am thinking about the platform to use. A friend of mine (a very good Java programmer) has suggested I take a look at Groovy. As is becoming my way, in their own words:
"Groovy is a new agile dynamic language for the JVM combining lots of great features from languages like Python, Ruby and Smalltalk and making them available to the Java developers using a Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1085012260291923322004-05-20T01:17:00.000+01:002004-05-20T01:17:40.290+01:00opensourceCMS Found this rather cool site. In their own words:
"This site was created to give you the opportunity to "try out" some of the best open source and free php/mysql based software systems in the world. You can log in as the administrator to any site here, thus allowing you to decide which system best suits your needs.
Each system is deleted and reinstalled every two hours. This allowsBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1084965941169721892004-05-19T12:25:00.000+01:002004-05-19T12:25:41.170+01:00Car insurance My insurance is up for renewal and it's not a pleasent surprise. I had a could of bumps last year you see, and the premium has gone up loads!! I simply can't afford to pay the new amount (over £1,200!!) so decided to look around. I was told about a site called http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ which has lots of handy hints and tips on saving money. Anyway, they link to a site calledBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1084792574412331532004-05-17T12:16:00.000+01:002004-05-17T12:16:14.413+01:00The British Bloggers Directory - BritBlog - There's been a problem with the DNS server at the BritBlog ISP meaning we lost several potential signups :-(
I've done a quick fix, but it's a real shame we lost the members. The error log shows about 6 or 7 failed attempts which may not seem like many, but they are a crucial number at this stage of the site's life.
Ah well. All fixed now so we'll seeBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1084667806767942762004-05-16T01:36:00.000+01:002004-05-16T01:36:46.766+01:00BritBlog Update - Just did a count of the members before going to bed. We're now up to 50. This is quite good, but it's not as many as I would have liked :-(
So if you're a blogger and you're British, then get registered now!
Night night!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1084667310333291242004-05-16T01:28:00.000+01:002004-05-16T01:28:30.333+01:00Out with the old Got rid of the old comment system today (sorry Haloscan) and replaced it with the new (?) one from Blogger. The down-side is that I loose all my old comments, but on the up-side I can get rid of the nasty JavaScript stuff (which I dislike as a rule).
Anyway, if you're passing, try out the new comment system and say 'Hi' :-)
Cue: Utter silence.Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1084550475726203672004-05-14T17:01:00.000+01:002004-05-14T17:01:15.726+01:00The British Bloggers Directory - BritBlog - I'm very excited. This new project seems to be working quite nicely. We've now got 30 members -- woohoo! -- and a large number of them have been kind enough to link to us too :-)
We've had some nice feedback too, and some suggestions for new 'nodes' for the directory.
Watch this space!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1084463402840493992004-05-13T16:50:00.000+01:002004-05-13T16:50:02.840+01:00Tooth ache My wisdom teeth are really sore. They’ve been hurting for over a week now and it's getting hard to ignore them :-( I had two out a few years ago and it was a terrifying experience. One of them snapped in half as the dentist was yanking it out so he had to cut it out. I don’t want to go through that again. I’ve been rinsing my teeth with some sort of antiseptic mouth was in the vain Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1084404557539262642004-05-13T00:29:00.000+01:002004-05-16T01:33:34.246+01:00The British Bloggers Directory - just launched my latest web site.
Not sure how it will do - it all relies on people linking to it...
Anyway, for once I am the first person to sign up for one of my own web sites :-) It's in beta testing now, so we'll see how it performs with 'real' users...Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1084277074523886242004-05-11T13:04:00.000+01:002004-05-11T13:04:34.523+01:00PowerShot S60 - more info. The more I read about this, the more I think it is the camera for me! Only problem is the price. According to Steve's Digicams, "It will be available in June for an estimated $499". While $499 (US) doesn't equal £499 (UK), it will probably retail here for that much due to the way we get screwed on prices over here.
Anyway, moving on. I found this handy article on home Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1084209601379337932004-05-10T18:20:00.000+01:002004-05-10T18:20:01.380+01:00Canon PowerShot S60: Digital Photography Review Cool stuff: Canon has finally released (what looks like what looks like it will be) an affordable compact digicam with a wide angle lens! Woohoo! The S60 has a 28 - 100mm (equiv.) lens. It's not as bright as it could be (F2.8), but it could still be pretty good.
I've been trying to find a digicam that can be usefully used indoors, and this may Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1084107960896887122004-05-09T14:06:00.000+01:002004-05-09T14:10:31.746+01:00Finished the project I'm pleased to say. The guy who it was for is minted (I mean millionaire) and yet he still asked to pay in two instalments! The cheek! Still it's better to be paid in instalments than not at all.
Anyway, I am definitely fed up with my lifestyle at the moment. I'm not very good at being self employed because I'm no good at looking for new jobs. I've been doing it for four andBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1083763294934784632004-05-05T14:21:00.000+01:002004-05-05T14:26:00.170+01:00It's been a good few weeks since my last blog. I spent a few days in Cambridge visiting some old friends. Went to see Claire Martin at the Mumford Theatre. It wasn't as good as I'd hoped to be honest. I have Claire's Offbeat album which is good. It is quite brassy with Mark Nightingale's Trombone, but alas there was non of this at the gig.
Still, it was good to see my old friends. I've started Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1081840476553530092004-04-13T08:14:00.000+01:002004-04-13T08:22:49.793+01:00BOKEH'S WEB SITE Hmmmm, well I slept well. Not.
Damn bloke and his girlfriend upstairs decided to have a shower at 1.30 AM and it seemed to last for about an hour. The bathroom in our maisonette is adjacent to my room, and theirs is above ours, so I hear all that goes on in there. Not great at the best of times. I wanted to be up early today because I've got to work out where I'm going today (Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1081790153888766282004-04-12T18:15:00.000+01:002004-04-12T18:19:47.793+01:00Well I hope you all had a good Easter. Mine's been fairly slow - especially as my hayfever has been really bad this last week.
On the plus side I saw my nephew on Saturday and he's now crawling. That makes him cute and interesting!
I've basically finished a 'small' project today too. It should have taken two weeks tops, but the client has a communication problem (he can't read or write) so it'sBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1080575236537625372004-03-29T16:47:00.000+01:002004-03-29T16:50:50.793+01:00I can't believe a whole week has gone by since my last post. Sadly though, I have very little to blog about. I've got a new ring tone on my phone: it is the Benny Hill theme. You can get it (for free) from Cool Smartphone.
Another interesting site is Ringtones 2 Go. They expect you to pay for ringtones, but they do have some good ones.
Other than that, I've been working on two projects. One is Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1079954897417960432004-03-22T11:26:00.000Z2004-03-22T11:31:42.013ZWell it looks like all the packages have downloaded and installed OK. Now I can go about setting the machine up to actually do something useful...
Sorry to have bored you with this topic, but I've been meaning to try out Fedora for some time.Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1079912444580766472004-03-21T23:37:00.000Z2004-03-21T23:52:50.840ZWell it looks like all I needed was a slight tweak after all. I'm not exactly sure why this now works, but I changed the 'Windows' section in my /boot/grub/grub.conf file from:
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,0)
chainloader +1
to:
title Windows
rootnoverify (hd0,1)
chainloader +1
In other words, I changed the target partition. Still I can get into Windows now, soBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1079909719213018532004-03-21T22:43:00.000Z2004-03-21T22:58:43.403ZThings are still going slowly. 4kB/sec isn't very fast, and the connection keeps dying on me. This is getting annoying. I don't like being dependent on Win2K, but I do need to be able to use my machine tomorrow for work. It's not looking likely at the moment.
I've been planning to move to Win XP Pro from Win 2K Pro ever since I got my notebook (an IBM Thinkpad T41). Win XP Pro seems to be more Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1079873862278538302004-03-21T12:49:00.000Z2004-03-21T13:01:05.090ZInteresting... I'm currently setting up Fedora Core 1 on my machine at home. So far I am fairly happy with the installation. All the hardware seems to have been detected, including my obscure PERC3 SCSI driver, my graphics card (which nearly always caused a problem in the past unless the card was a few years old) and my HP laserjet 3300 MFP.
I'm currently trying to run the update program to get Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1079616170957278392004-03-18T13:22:00.000Z2004-03-18T13:26:10.123ZI'm so stiff I mean I'm really stiff! My back hurts, my arms hurt, my chest hurts, and even my legs hurt! I need a good massage.... any offers?Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1079564752816188102004-03-17T23:05:00.000Z2004-03-17T23:09:11.420ZWhat a day! I got up at 7.10 AM today. I had to speak to my accountants and someone else before 9.30, then get to over to my parents for 10.00. I then spent the remainder of the day digging up an old tree stump with my father. Boy oh boy it was hard work! I got a very nice lunch and dinner out of it though, and I think it helped my old man a lot. Had a good fire burning too, though it is a bit ofBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1079401656965494102004-03-16T01:47:00.000Z2004-03-16T01:53:18.153ZAnother good day :) I seem to be getting better at getting up at a reasonable time. Famous last words: I'm sure I'll ruin it all tomorrow.
I've managed to get quite a bite done today. I'm working on a site which will run off MySQL, and it's been a challenge working out alternative ways to do things when you don't have stored procedures and views.
To compound matters there is simply loads of Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1079142816882956902004-03-13T01:51:00.000Z2004-03-13T01:56:48.153ZAn exciting web day to be sure :) I've just set myself up with a Yahoo! email account and web hosting account. I can now upload images and things to my yahoo account and you can see them all at this blog. Isn't that cool?
You can visit my new web site at http://www.geocities.com/bokehbloke/, though I warn you there is nothing there yet.....
Night night!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1079108531525711362004-03-12T16:17:00.000Z2004-03-13T13:45:12.403ZLondon Bloggers Found a good site today called London Bloggers. It is an interesting idea: grouping bloggers by their local train station. The site is nicely put together and easy to use. Well done chaps!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1078466172829446472004-03-05T05:56:00.000Z2004-03-05T05:59:13.326ZEarly start! It's not even 6 AM yet, but I couldn't sleep. I had an idea yesterday afternoon after my boring meeting and it has been growing in my mind ever since. I woke up nearly an hour ago thirsty - something to do with beer intake last night - and haven't been able to get back to sleep since because of this idea rattling around my head!
I'm going to do some research now to see if it might Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1078449671711061472004-03-05T01:21:00.000Z2004-03-05T01:24:12.436ZI hate customers! OK, I don't hate all of them, I just hate some. Specifically, I hate the tight fisted ones that want all the bells and whistles, but don't want to pay a penny for it.
Just went to see some guy today about his existing web site. He wants it to "do more", but still wants to be able to edit the whole site in some crappy HTML editor software. I can't take it. We build web Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1078071782484518502004-02-29T16:23:00.000Z2004-03-01T16:55:22.936ZWow, what a busy few days! OK, perhaps not as busy as a lot of people, but for my relatively relaxed lifestyle it has been quite busy.
I've been working on a new project for someone, and it is always a slow start. I'm now beginning to get into the work though, so it doesn't feel like such a hard slog as it used to be. I've been learning about MySQL. In the past, all my database work has been Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1077751094815280562004-02-25T23:18:00.000Z2004-02-25T23:21:04.450ZHad a very pleasant day today. Met up with an old friend form University and went to the Abinger Hatch for lunch. I had a very tasty shepherd's pie washed down with a lovely pint of ale.
After that we did walk number one from "PUB WALKS IN SOUTH SURREY" (Forty Circular Walks Around South Surrey Inns) by John Quarendon. The weather was great for the time of year, and it was nice to get out into Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1077536252766854032004-02-23T11:37:00.000Z2004-02-23T11:40:18.733ZBack home now! It was a successful weekend. Amongst other things, I wrote of one shirt and jumper in a red wine accident of phenomenal proportions. My partner in the enterprise that I have mentioned previously is keen to be a part of the project, so now we just have to get on with it.
Brainstorming sessions weren’t as successful as they could have been: we ended up getting too drunk to really Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1077295940588654692004-02-20T16:52:00.000Z2004-02-20T17:00:20.390ZAt last! The wheels of human labour have turned and I can progress again. That's right: my idea is on the roll once more!
Just got to get it all down on paper now and spend some quiet time thinking (so it's back to Ceri's Office* for me). I'm going away over the weekend to speak with a potential partner about the idea, so alas these posts may temporarily pause! Still, it is all for a good cause Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1077274074828652262004-02-20T10:47:00.000Z2004-02-20T10:50:36.483ZThe idea is progressing...
Everything seems to be coming on quite nicely. Had a problem getting to sleep last night because new thoughts kept popping into my head, but it is now all beginning to take shape.
I am now waiting for some people to do some stuff manually, and this may take over a day! I don't like waiting around like this, but it will give me time to do a bit more planning so that I Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1077270158806888562004-02-20T09:40:00.000Z2004-02-20T09:45:20.623ZNew Blogarama listing
I've just had my confirmation email from Blogarama telling me I am now officially listed in their directory. Now maybe I'll get someone reading this site!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1077223734591316282004-02-19T20:54:00.000Z2004-02-19T20:56:51.716ZCunning idea...
Maybe the early bird really does catch the worm? As you know, I was up at a stupid time this morning and I had a rather cunning idea. OK, maybe cunning is not the correct choice of word, but the idea is pretty darn good.
I can't tell you a lot about it just yet, but i'll fill you in about it in due course.
On another topic, I have re-planned my camera buying strategy. The EOS Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1077181112106359492004-02-19T08:58:00.000Z2004-02-19T09:02:03.530ZLets Jump With Symphony Sid!
Yes, that's right: I'm still listening to Tuesday's album del jour. This has been mixed in with some early Miles Davis (an album called "First Miles") which is of a similar vein.
Got up at 7AM today, so can't hang around here all day - things to do!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1077067648124210762004-02-18T01:27:00.000Z2004-02-18T01:31:21.420ZOh dear: late night television and Time Team. They're talking about dog cults, ritual shafts and such like. Why did I jack in archaeology? I could be rummaging around in my very own ritual shaft right now!Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1077023137753122722004-02-17T13:05:00.000Z2004-02-17T13:17:20.450ZAlbum of the day: Dizzy Gillespie, The Bebop Revolution.
It's raining and very grey outside - not the weather I need for the photo I had in mind :( So instead I am at home (again) and lurking on photo forums.
Anyway, today I'm listening to the above album. It's quite an old one and is, I would think, an acquired taste. Still, I like it and that's what counts. I'm not a music critique - I'll Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1076980105510584822004-02-17T01:08:00.000Z2004-02-17T13:09:19.043ZHad a very bad day. Spent nearly 12 hours without broadband!
Normally this wouldn't be such a bad thing - especially if I was out and about, at work, on holiday, etc. etc. However today I was at home! I didn't know what to do with myself: no email, no camera forums, nothing!
You realise how much you begin to depend on net too. Looking up 'phone numbers, paying invoices, researching 'topics' (I Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1076888628619644882004-02-15T23:43:00.000Z2004-02-17T13:09:47.403ZMy new camera: Canon EOS-1D Mark II. OK, not quite, but I'm thinking about it...
I'm just not convinced if I can move to digital photography yet. I'm not made of money, and I could get a couple of nice lenses for my EOS 5. But my camera has seen better days. It's showing its age, and I'm still tempted to get a new body. So what options are available? The EOS 3? I don't think so. This was sold asBokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1076870463814125052004-02-15T18:41:00.000Z2004-02-17T13:10:11.733ZFound this cool tool on the web - Lens Angle of View & Field of View Lens Calculator. It's actually quite useful ;)
Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6482763.post-1076867299798179692004-02-15T17:47:00.000Z2004-02-17T13:10:29.793ZMy first post! Not very exciting I know, but who has an exciting first post?Bokehhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15331495290581219817noreply@blogger.com0