A town in Germany that wants to use 100% renewable energy and an interesting article on the extinction of species around the world. Might soon need one of these to save what we have left.

Labels: Environmental

Looking for love but haven't got the time? Try outsourcing.

Labels: Interesting, Weird

Seems that siting in the sun a little more could be the key to staying healthy. Well, maybe. ;)

Labels: Interesting

So a lawyer takes his trousers (I'm sorry, I just can't call them pants) to the dry cleaners, they get lost and so he sues the company for $65.5 million. It's a wonderfull world we live in.

Labels: Amusing, News

Student writes 'disturbing' essay, is arrested for it.

Labels: News

Now I know a few women who - on a night out - wear very pretty shoes that just ravage their feet. At least they don't go this far however.

Labels: Weird

If you want to be an MP, tis best not to tell fibs cos you might get found out. But maybe it's worse to put a campaign video like this in the public domain. Unless you want to be a laughing stock I suppose...

(link via Bloggerheads)

Labels: Politics

Mayor of New York plans to plant one million trees.

It's also interesting to see how more and more companies are trying to show how green they are. Yeah we all know it's so they can get free advertising and woo more cutomers but at least there is a positive to it too.

Labels: Environmental

The weekly phone call to my mum.

"So your brother bought us a very nice bottle of wine for Sunday lunch. Do you drink much nowadays?"

I look at the large glass of wine raised halfway to my lips and place it back on my desk.

"Oh you know, just the odd bottle every once in a while..."

Labels: Personal

A woman celebrating her 102nd birthday puts her long life down to "eating no veg". Apparently potatoes, peas and onions don't count as veg anymore. Must be a slow news day at the BBC....

Labels: News

Wow, life sized moustrap.

Labels: Cool

Courtesy of Poons.

What a carve up.

If you want some background info...

Labels: Environmental

The WWF try to presuade Chinese people to drive less.

Labels: Environmental, Interesting

I'm not sure which of these is more weird - a dog sextoy or a woman hosting a TV show with her mother on pen1s power.

Labels: Weird

Ummm, words fail me....

Labels: Music, Video, Weird

An interesting and arty use for old plastic bottles.

Labels: Arty, Environmental

Labels: Music

Two people arrested for stealing wi-fi. I like this bit.

"He attracted attention from neighbours in the early morning, as he had put up cardboard around his car windows but the light from his computer could be seen through the back window."

So cunning....

Labels: News, Technology

The government announces plans to let everyone get their hands on a free energy monitor in an effort to reduce energy usage. Not sure how effective that will be really as the people likely to use one will be those already trying to reduce usage. Maybe they should go for something that will definitely reduce power consumption, like giving away free low power light bulbs as some companies are doing this weekend.

Energy usage has been playing a part in my week as well. The first phase of my environmental reign of terror started last week with an email around work informing them of plans to install timers and power savers to various electrical items. I was very pleased with the response I received actually and once practicalites were explained, everyone was very keen. Well, almost everyone. I knew there would be one and sure enough someone questioned the validity of most of the suggestions. So I've been trawling the net for technical specifications, case studies and reviews to try and prove the point. Last night we left a power meter monitoring our water coolers overnight energy usage.

I feel such a nerd. ;)

Labels: Environmental

Tee-hee.

Labels: Amusing, Arty

You have to know a film was pretty shit when they call the sequel a 'reboot'

Labels: Film

Ignoring all the politics stuff, I'm just impressed this guy managed to get all the links on his page to blink like that! And no one noticed! Impressive. Oh, only Firefox users can get this wonderful effect.

Labels: Internet, Politics

Looks like our days are numbered lads.

Labels: Science

Am I the only one that thinks of this when I hear this? Think it's just "Hey hey" bit....

Labels: Music

I've seen some interesting computer case mods in the past but this is just... very different.

Labels: Computers, Weird

Some tips when eating out. The one about not going out on a Monday night could be handy. Not that I think I ever do...

Labels: Interesting

Lately I've been giving some thought to dying. No, it's not high on my list of things I'd like to do, I'm thinking along more practical lines. For instance, I don't have a will. I've had a little look online and to be honest I don't think it would take much to knock one up but that led me to a problem I'd not thought about before - what do I put in it?

I'm by no means rolling in cash but I've saved up a few quid over the years. I'm not married and I have no kids so who should that money go to? The obvious answer is split amongst my family but it doesn't seem that straight forward when I try and think about it. Oooh, it's a tricky one....

But fear not good readers for I have made some preperations already and should I meet my untimely demise, a trusted friend shall post and let you all know my ultimate fate. Feel free to have a collection and buy some sort of BlogMonkey shrine at that point.

Labels: Personal

Well, you have to reckon this guy won't be sticking his arm through any cage bars again in a hurry....

Labels: News

Article drags on a bit but it is an interesting social experiment.

Labels: Interesting

Grow a 'tache for charity.

Labels: Weird

Thinking of going to the new Grand Canyon Skywalk? Might want to reconsider...

Labels: Interesting

The day started with sticking labels on 80 CDs, and that was the highlight of the day! Urghh, I so want another week off work very soon.

I case anyone was wandering, I've not heard back about that job I applied for. Almost four weeks since the deadline and whilst I'm still pretending that the Easter holidays may have delayed any interviews, I suspect my chances are dead and buried. Bugger, thought I might at least have been good enough to get an interview...

Labels: Personal

A little while back the nice Mr Poons sent me an invite for the Joost beta. If you don't already know, Joost is TV on the internet provided using P2P technology. The programs are supplied legally by companies who then take a slice of the advertising (adverts are minimal - one every 15 minutes or so).

As you can imagine this interests me as being archived programs, you don't need a TV licence to watch them.

The quality is actually very good (although you may have to watch your bandwidth usage and I'm sure a lot of ISPs will go spare very soon) but there are limited programs available at the moment. I have watched the first few episodes of this tho...

*cough*

Anyway, I have five (four really as one is being saved for someone) invites for further beta testers so if anyone is interested, let me know.

As I'm giving away free stuff, I also have four invites for a 10 day trial of City of Heroes. You will face a hefty two and a half gig download unless you actually know me in real life, in which case I can give you the game client on DVD.

Labels: Computers

I have to say I wasn't impressed by the news that the captured navy personnel were going to be allowed to sell their stores. Seems like a publicity stunt by the British government really.

And if they want to sell their stories fair enough but pretending that they aren't really doing it for the money - please. A percentage going to navy families you say? You just can't say what percentage.....

Labels: News

You may be wondering about the lack of posts recently. Well, it's a four day easter weekend for most but in my case (yay) we get an extra two days off work. Six day weekend. Not that I haven't had to go in to work twice already and will be popping in again tomorrow. Luckily it's not for long each time - although I did set a security alarm off the first visit and would you believe I actually had to go and find security to confess when they'd not turned up after 5 minutes. And then they asked me via intercom to stand and wait for someone to come.

Ah, quality service that.

So bewteen being lazy, trips to Miss C's parents and other such stuff, I've not been about much. Normal service resumed shortly.

Labels: Personal

I have to admit to being a little nervous about the training course (virtulization, it's the way of the future baby), especially the first morning which was very much to do with servers and stuff. I don't do servers, I don't know much about them and I don't need to know much about them. I survived that part ok and then when I realised that this wasn't like school - I wasn't checked to see if I was doing everything correctly and if I wanted to go out and get a coffee I could - I settled in. Plus from my vantage point at the back of the 'class' I could see other people checking their email and looking at the internet too. I really could have done without being quite as hungover as I was on the second morning however.

Well, if you aren't going to get pissed when you are off on a jolly away from work when can you get pissed?

I have to admit it was quite useful as well. I can see it being an interesting part of my job and god knows I need something interesting to do at work! Maybe combined with my new environmental role I'll actually be able to muster some motivation during my working day.

Truth be told I could do with it. I'm a line manager for a lot of people that don't really need managing doing a job that involves a lot of tedious activities and customer support. If I wanted I could implement numerous projects and changes and run a highly efficient team delivering a quality service. Would it really get noticed tho? Doubt it. Would I get paid more? Not a chance. And so I don't bother to update the 'Computer Buyers Guide' I wrote as no one really reads it. I don't scrap that box of backup tapes for systems we threw away 5 years ago as it makes no difference if they sit in that box for another 5 years in the corner.

If I'm serious about getting a new job though - and I am - maybe I should get into the right habbits even if it achieves nothing in this job....

Labels: Personal

I'm off down to London early tomorrow morning for a three day training course. Urghhh, it's going to be like being back at school - not sure I can cope with that. Oh well, it's a few days off work so I can't complain.

Back soon.

Labels: Personal