August 27th 14:55 What a strange world

Its a strange world we live in, one moment people are up in arms about something, the next thing you know they are complaining that something ahs been done about it. Take for example the Turkish Hacker. The two guys have been convicted of possesing Child Pornography, and yet people on CNET thought that the evidence should have been thrown out, and the defendants released! Unbelievable! The gathering of evidence may have been unorthodox, but these guys were into child porn. Allegedly one photo had a picture of a six year old girl being molested, how sick is that? Yet people are complaining that the Federal courts didn't reprimand the FBI for allowing a foreign citizen to hack into a US citizens computer and look for naughties. Why can people never ever make their mind up? I personally am overjoyed that they are off the streets, I just wish someone would go after some of the British child molestors as well.
In other news ;-) the bikes coming along well, it got a good clean and a wax the other day, god knows it needed it!
Gotta go now anyway, have lots to get done today

Posted by Shifty_ben

August 24th 18:51 I'm moving

I went and viewed a studio flat on Wednesday, and have decided to go for it. Never overly liked the idea of studio flats per se, they seem too..... well French minimilistic, but it gives me more space, and also means a better location. OK so it costs a little more but a manageable amount more, will be moving around about the second week of September so the site will be offline until I can get a connection set up again (shouldn't be more than a week hopefully). The bloody 9 key came off earlier so having fumbled with the proper mechanism I had to give up and superglue the key back on, thankfully IBM had used a large piece of rubber in order to try and keep the laptop splashproof so it hasn't caused too big an issue. Have to admit I have a horrible feeling the laptop is slowly falling apart, so I may have to turn it into a webserver and use my server as a PC until I can afford a replacement. Mind you the server has much higher specs so perhaps some graphically intensive gaming would be in order.
The laptop having a battery would be useful as a kind of built in UPS except that if the power dies the router will switch off anyway, still I suppose it minimises the recovery time.
It may be getting old but it still aint a bad piece of kit, if it does die it will be sorely missed.

Tried my hand at font creation earlier, my font looks scarily like the scrawl you see in horror movies, but its not bad for a first attempt.
Guess I should head into work now, no rest for the wicked


Posted by Shifty_Ben

August 16th 18:49

An update on the overhaul can be found at this page. The bike had its first service today, no major problems as yet. I've also got around to sorting out my roadside toolkit, so hopefully if any problems do occur on the way to Mums I should be ok. Looking at the route it should be quite a nice journey!
I suppose I better get on and get sorted.

Posted by Shifty_ben


August 12th 12:07 Getting there.....

Well the overhaul of the site is well underway, I have moved all the pages to the new template (least I don't think I have missed any.) Originally I was not going to bother moving all the old pages to the new layout, but they looked out of place mixed in. All that I really have left to do on it is to go through and restore the page titles (forgot to include it in my script) and also to create a couple of CSS stylesheets for screen/print layouts. the content is online, its just polishing it now.
Oh and of course I need to do some work on my work portfolio

Posted by Shifty_Ben

August 8th 13:01 On the fallacies of life

Well its been a long time since I last posted, and there have been many changes in my life. I will write about them in a bit but I need to nip out...........tbc

Ok now that I am back, i can continue writing what I began. Life has many fallacies, but the one that has always annoyed me, and probably always will is the human instinct to jump to conclusions and then tell people about your conclusions. So many difficult situations are encountered because of 'gossip', contrary to popular perceptions it is the male of the species who is msot dangerous with this. I encountered today a situation that would have been uncomfortable anyway, however 'gossip' has been spreading for some time, and so the uncomfortable situation became far far worse. I'm certainly not innocent in the whole affair, but I am not as guilty as some clearly think, and certainly not guilty of all that I stand accussed. But as I have always said, people are free to have their own perceptions and thoughts. It is the propogation of said perceptions and thoughts that I take issue with.
However as the rumours and ideas have closed off an avenue for me, they have by their own doing lessened the further harm that they can do. I could have handled various situations better, it is true, but many of the ideas are un-justified. Certain areas of the gossip are clearly influenced by beliefs previously held by parties outside of the issue. But as is often the case these particular parties have invited themselves into the frey.

Work has not exactly helped matters, and also has not improved vastly, we are still in the same loop of doing things and then finding that they need doing again and again. A certain member of staff has not exactly helped matters either, but thats working life and sadly that is likely to be the way it will always be.
Well the overhaul of the site is not exactly speeding along, between work and certain other issues I haven't even had chance to get started. I've just had tonsilitis for a week (in fact I've still got it) but I've kept on going to work. My body may be trying to let me down, but the work load doesn't ease up. I will rest when I get chance.

Anyway lots to do, so I had better actually get on and do it.

Posted by Shifty_Ben

July 21st 23:59 aiaiaiai....

Well its been a while since I last posted, I feel like I have been living at work. I have spent a fair bit of time on the bike mind you. It has occurred to me that certain pages on this site can be rather hard to read at times, so I am planning on doing a restructuring and redesign. Any pages already created will remain the same (although this page may change, and the Index certainly will). My main intention is to improve navigation, though I have no idea how long the rebuild is going to take, I have a project folder on the laptop all ready for it.
I listened to the Defective By Design teleconference on DRM earlier, it certainly makes interesting listening. I knew what the RIAA is doing is wrong, however I hadn't realised just how underhanded they are being, it seems more like a protection racket to me than anything else.

Anyway I am off to work again first thing tomorrow morning, so I shall update my google sitemap so they are aware of this change and then toddle of to bed I think. Who knows I may even get some sleep!

July 10th 16:58 Holiday is slipping away....

I go back to work tomorrow, and Im not sure if I want to go or not, part of me does and part of me doesn't. I've been rather bored at home, but I am not certain if I want to go back just yet! Still it has to beat sitting at home all the time, having said that the time off has given me a good chance to get started on my Getting Started with Linux series. At time of writing there are four articles available with another three in planning. One on configuring additional keys on multimedia keyboards, one on Window and Display managers, and a bit further down the line (at the more advanced end) one on configuring and installing a new kernel.
Mind you the time I have had for a bit of on-line house keeping has been invaluable, I found a syntax error in my Google Sitemap that must have been present for quite a while. I am also going to create a backup as I have not made one in a while, would be a pity to lose all my hard work through one stupid mistake.
We have a Poker night organised for tonight so that should be a good laugh, especially as everyone is too skint to play for real money. The bike is absolutely fantastic, and it looks good as well.

Posted by Shifty_ben

July 2nd 10:18 What to do.....

Well its the second day of my holiday (officially) in reality I have been off for four days, and I have absolutely no clue what to do with myself. The sun is out and hot but I don't really have the energy to enjoy it properly. Once I get my bike then that will make life easier, Ill be able to go out for nice long rides. Well between yesterday and today I have managed to get two new articles online, Getting Started With Linux and Getting Started with Linux Part 2 - Installing Software, hopefully they will be able to help someone. There are likely to be a few more articles in that series fairly soon, especially if I cannot find anything else to do. You would think I would love the fact that I am not at work, and can rest. Problem is I cant seem to rest, n I keep thinking about work. I think Ive let myself get wound up too tight. Still it could be worse I guess.

I think I will try and get a bit more sleep, and then given the heat I'll probably walk down to the swimming pool. Havent been swimming in ages come to think of it.

June 30th 13:30 My holiday starts....

Well my holiday effectively started today, officially it doesn't start until Sunday but as I have today and tomorrow off it basically starts today. I have been trying to get a few things done as one does, for instance I ahve tidied up my sitemap I'd forgotten what a pain they are to keep in order, I really should do it as I go along in future. I posted and article on software patents earlier having read an article on yet another lawsuit arising from a patent that would never have been given out had the patent examiner searched for prior art properly. Tonight I am off out to see the Red Hot Chilli Peppers live, I may well post some photos if I get any good ones, though it sounds like we will be quite near the back so I am not too hopeful. With any luck I will get my bike next thursday, I have already arranged the insurance and what not, just got papers to sign now and then I am back on the road. I still can't believe it has taken a year for me to replace it, its madness really.
I intend to set up a proper blog index at some point as well, all the postings have an anchor attached to them, but I never quite got around to creating links to point to them. I cannot believe I have been off work for half a day and I seem to be running short of things to do, all I want to do is get my bike, but thats 6 days away. Might just have 2 spend the next few days asleep I think.
Ah well back to work

Shifty_Ben

June 23rd 11:38 Todays the day!

Well todays the day I take the plunge and pay the deposit on my bike, its going to be fantastic when I get it :-D As part of the Defective By Design "Freedom rings at the RIAA" action, Ive also had quite an interesting conversation with Peter Jamieson of the BPI today. For those that don't know BPI is the British Phonographic Industry, and Mr Jamieson is the CEO. The BPI is more or less the equivalent of the RIAA, and is one of the forces behind DRM. I phoned him up, explained why I was calling and asked him about DRM. I explained that as a consumer there are things I want to do with my music, I also mentioned that DRM makes it very hard to obtain music online (legally at least) if your operating system does not support DRM. His point was that DRM makes it easier to buy online, which is kind of beside the point, it is easy to buy online, but its impossible to use the music you have just bought if your OS doesn't support DRM.
I then pointed out there has to be a better way of doing it, one that doesn't detract so much from users rights and he said he hoped that in the future he hoped that they would be able to release something that was a bit more "consumer-friendly".

He was a fairly friendly guy, although it did sound as though he has had a few calls from DBD members today, that is part of the point though, and whilst I don't think I changed his opinions much, he may at least be more aware of how people feel about DRM now, and of DBD in general.

Shifty_ben

June 19th 23:48 Interesting day.

Its been an interesting day, starting out with problems at Argos I then get to work and joy oh joy its red counts. still at least the day is over now, I've got people to talk 2 online and I have my Southern Comfort.
Short blog today I guess

Shifty_ben

June 12th 13:13 hmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Once again its been a while since I last posted here. Yesterday was horrible, I felt so low and I still have no idea why. I partly attribute it to the anti-depressants, and as I was dubious about them before I had even taken them I have decided to stop. So I crushed the remaining pills up sealed them up in a change bag and threw them away. Hopefully those measures will stop anyone finding and taking them, it does look worryingly like cocaine though. I'm not feeling any better today either, I just can't seem to find joy in anything. I also have this irrepressible urge to do something, problem is I don't know what that something is. I have work later on today so that will make the day even worse I am sure.
This weather is unbelievable, I just wish I could keep my room cool, but its impossible to do, even with both windows open the temperature is soaring. It seems to be a British thing, we complain about the weather whatever it does, still it could always be far far worse. Just wish I could keep cool. I have changed the background of this page, as I think the new one is more appropriate for now. I have also done some streamlining on the page in an effort to make it load more quickly, just things like removing unneccessary white space in the html markup.

The conclusion I have reached (again) over the last few days, are that doctors cannot help me, whether its a problem with my leg, wrist or my head they cannot seem to do anything, in fact the only recent time a doctor seems to have investigated a problem was my food poisioning, even then that was the third time I saw a doctor about it. From now on I shall deal with my problems myself, rather than listening to the chorus of people telling me to go to the doctor, and inevitably being dissapointed.

Shifty_ben

June 4th 01:14 Bit of a delay since my last post

Well its been a while since my last post, I have been rather busy lately. I went to see the Doctor yesterday morning, and after what I must say was a rather brief talk he prescribed me some Anti-depressants (for anyone who is interested - escitalopram.) Until earlier today I was rather torn on whether or not to bother taking them. Its not that I don't want the situation to improve, just that I never thought I would be someone who may need to take anti-depressants. We have all heard about the problems that can occur through taking them, but I have come to the conclusion today that I am going to try them just to see if they do help. Apparantly they take about 3 weeks or so to kick in but hopefully after that I should be feeling happier. A main cause of worry is the side effects, Insomnia and loss of Appetite. I already have those, in fact they are the reason I went to see him so what do these drugs gain me? If they make me feel happier then that has to be a good thing though, so I will give them a try. I should be able to remember to take them, and I have to go see him again in about 2 weeks so hopefully by then things will be improving. Watched the Metallica - Cunning Stunts dvd earlier. It is really really good, I read some reviews online saying tht they sang things like 'Nothing Else Matters' wrong, but it is more of a case of them singing it differently to the Album version. Mind you the part where the scenery comes down is pretty immense.

Went to go for this massage this morning, we get there (admittedly a couple of minutes late) and not only is the Front door still locked but there doesn't appear to be anyone inside, no-one answered the phone that's for sure. We hung around for 20 minutes or so and no-one turned up, so we said fuck it and came home again. It has been a bit of a doss day today really which is good because it is much needed every now and then. All in all not a bad day, I just hope tomorrow is just as good, but I do suspect a large part of my good mood today is due to the fact people have been around to distract me. Still we'll see how it goes I guess.

Shifty_ben

May 30th 01:45 Could today have been any worse?

Ok so technically it was yesterday, especially as days are traditionally seperated by sleep, so as far as proper sleep is concerned yesterday was a few weeks ago. I had my err... chat with the person mentioned in the previous post. I just wish I knew if it went well or not, he is one of those people where you can never quite tell if they have taken your words on board. In fact I have had two "little chats" with people today, although I know the second definitely went well. She took on board everything I said, probably partially because it is very unlike me to get to the point where I feel the need to be brutally honest. I said earlier that this shit ends tonight, and it appears it will have done. I can go back to living my life, well actually I probably can't I still have to work and whatnot but theoretically at least life should improve, and I should feel less depressed and stressed. I do need to get back into the habit of eating properly however, but that will come with time.
I have my product knowledge exam tomorrow as well as a driving lesson, yet it still feels as though tomorrow will be a better day, perhaps I have finally cracked, I don't know.
Guess I should try to sleep, and if I can't then I will re-read my PK workbook ready for tomorrow.

Shifty_ben