Banning 'extreme' porn - another sign that more yet more parts of our private lives are being controlled or a perfectly reasonable new law? It does seem odd that you could take part in it yourself and that's fine but take a picture whilst you are at it and then you become a criminal. Will this be extended to other forms of media? (all these links are SFW btw)

Reminds me of another story from not so long ago.

Labels: News

You're probably wondering where it is (or maybe not). Thing is I ran into a bit of a problem with that layout - spent a couple of days trying things out and nothing looked quite right. I've gone back to basics now and I'm almost there. Having gutted my links sections I've also been fleshing it out again a bit tonight.

Soon.

Honest.

Labels: Internet, Personal

Ever hear of Tania Derveaux? She offered 40,000 BJs whilst running for senate in the 2007 Belgium general elections (got over 100,000 requests apparently). Well she's at it again but this time is offering to help any virgins loose their virginity just as long as they support Net Neutrality.

You only get 30 minutes tho - *insert joke about leaving socks on*.

Labels: Internet

A watch that costs $300,000 and doesn't tell the time. Who wouldn't want one?

Labels: Gadgets, Weird

Now if you were a designer label company and wanted to generate some bad publicity, what would be a good way? What about trying to take a young art student to court and fleece her for loads of money because of her charity work trying to raise money/awareness about Darfur, which uses a picture which happens to look a bit like some of your designer clobber? Yeah, that'd do it.

Labels: Internet

Ah, that old excuse eh.

"No, it used to be huge but a witchdoctor shrunk it. Honest."

Labels: News, Weird

Boy stuck in lucky dip machine. How did he get in there - hmmm, maybe his powers are just starting to show....

Labels: Weird

A rather 'interesting' idea to make all airline passengers wear their own personal taser. First they use it to control the terrorists, then maybe drunk people and finally that bloke is row F that looked at you a bit funny. Could be handy technology however:

"Oh my god, his heart's stopped beating!!"

"Don't worry, I'll save him. CLEAR!"

*woman three rows back convulses and falls over*

"Oops, sorry madam, pressed the wrong button".

And what happens if you just slip a bit of rubber underneath it?

Labels: Gadgets, War on Terror

Interesting article looking at the future of nuclear energy in the US and elsewhere.

Labels: Environmental, Science

The worlds most prolific author. Can't wait to read his romance novels...

Labels: Technology, Weird

Well my new logo is done. I think. It's tempting to keep making small additions/alterations but I'd be here another week if I did that. I have to say I think it looks damn good but I'm seeking an unbiased view a bit later today.

That's the problem with getting too close to a project (heh, project - sounds dead professional) like this, it's hard to take a few steps back and look at what you've done objectively. You think it looks great but give it a couple of days and that opinion could change. The stupid thing is the opposite is also true. You are aware of every little blemish, incorrect angle and bit that didn't turn out quite like you wanted it to and yet no one else is likely to see unless they really look closely.

So logo is done for now and I'm going to start on the page layout. Shouldn't be hard although I also have to match the feel of the page to the new logo. And no doubt when I finally open it up in Internet Explorer it'll look more like a jigsaw then what it's supposed to but thems the problems of web design. Watch this space....

Labels: Internet, Personal

I took a fair while to write that last post because folowing on from my little run-in with some solicitors earlier this year I was being very careful what I said. I'm not sure I said it at the time but getting a letter out of the blue about something I'd posted here shook me quite a bit. Hell, it even put me off my bag of chips! That might have been partly down to being worried about my whole family finding this place

*shudders*

but the spectre of legal action - even if it had not been threatened or wasn't likely - got me worried. So for that reason I'm watching Bloggerheads closely to see if a campaign to change the UK libel laws is on the way.

I mean I'm not a heavy hitting blogger by any means and I'm also rather lazy but if I can make a little contribution here and there I'd be up for that. Could be interesting.

Labels: Internet, Personal, Politics

You may remember that I had a few issues with the TV licencing people hassling me about not having a licence which finally ended when someone came round for a nosey. I was beginning to miss the regular letters but it's ok because someone has stepped in to take their place.

Say hello to Advantis Credit Limited. Or is this them? Multiple personalities obviously.

When I moved into my flat a couple of years back there was an outstanding debt for the electric. When I phoned the company to set up my account with them I mentioned that and they told me that it wasn't mine so not to worry. Can you guess what Advantis are chasing me for?

Actually that's not true, they are chasing 'New Customer'. Excuse me if I'm wrong (and I wish I could find a definite link to prove it it rather than numerous links that just say it's the case, although this has lots of good info) but I am not the debtor so they have no legal right to chase me. Even if I was the debtor, addressing the letters in such a way is considered dishonest by the Office of Fair Trading.

"DEALINGS WITH DEBTORS ARE NOT TO BE DECEITFUL AND/OR UNFAIR.

Examples include:

* Sending letters addressed to 'the occupier' or discussing the debt with someone without knowing if they are you"

It also implies that they either a)Don't know who the debtor actually is or b)Are being intentionaly vague for reasons I can't imagine... ;)

So I start getting these letter saying that money is owed and should be paid in 14 days or *insert vague statements about what might happen*. Fourteen days pass and another letter will arrive saying pretty much the same.

My lack of response obviously has an affect as I then start getting letters from Crown Litigation Services who just seem to be the legal arm of Advantis. Loving the use of the word "Crown" as well - very official sounding. The "act before" date has also dropped from 14 days down to 10 although I've had two letters already with no sign of movement. And is it just me or does repeatedly setting a deadline and then failing to stick to it not undermine your whole argument?

So I'm now seeing what happens next. If I was less lazy I'd follow the advice in one of the links above and demand they prove the debt is mine. I'm guessing they'll just get bored after a while tho.

Labels: Personal.

Whilst around at mine over the weekend Miss C mentioned wanting to fix up her work website. The inner geek in me perked up at that point of course, keen with the opportunity to demonstrate my masterful web skillz (part of me suspects this was part of a plan of advanced female cunning designed to invoke just such a response). So we took a look and it does indeed require a little care and attention. Rookie mistakes like full size, 2MB digital pictures resized in the browser to use as thumbnails.

*Slaps forehead*

Oddly though something else happened - I started thinking about fixing this place up. I know long time readers can probably point out numerous post over the last three years where I've said the same thing and did anything change on those occasions? Did they my arse!

The reason for my relative silence this last week however is that I'm creating darlings! Like a tide of custard held back for so long by a wall of jelly and then released, my creative juices have gushed forth and taken shape on my computer.

The first part - the part that always takes me the longest and usually leads me to give up rather sharpish - is close to being finished and soon I shall have my new logo. I'm downloading fonts as we speak and trying to pick one. Come the weekend I should be at the (relatively easy depending on how much I can remember) stage of jotting down a bit of HTML and creating a framework into which the logo will fit. Then comes tidying, some Blogger code, testing and finally the grand unveiling.

Just don't expect me to do it all again anytime in the next 5 years....

Labels: Personal

You'd really not blame these conservationists if they just said "Bugger it" one day, would you.

Also seems a good way to help coral reefs flourish is to nuke them. Not good for the coconuts however.

Interesting article from George Monbiot. He mentions towards the end that growing meat in flasks is probably one of the most sustainable ways. It's maybe not that far off actually. Looks like I should eat more Tilapia too.

Labels: Environmental, Interesting

Was reading this story about a woman denied her dead daughters kidney with interest yesterday. Yes it's a tragic story but what really got me were the comments on the BBC website. The bulk are overwhelmingly against the decision of the doctors and a large number are of this ilk

"My family comes first. I've now ripped up my donor card, and will no longer consider being a registered organ donor."

So it's a case of 'my family get my parts or no one does'?

I can understand wanting to help your family first - and I can see there being scope for changing donor laws so that there is a little more flexibility in situations such as this (not least as a way of getting more people to be donors). This woman isn't at deaths door however. Her daughter never put it in writing that she should get her kidney, probably because she was/is already due to get one of her sisters kidneys next year in a live donation. Tragic maybe but it seems the logical choice to save people at the top of the recipient list that could very well have been dead by now otherwise... I did like this subtle comment

"They should have been given to her next-of-kin as a matter of course.

What this country is coming to I don't know???

A perk of having children should surely be having first dibs on their organs and vice versa when you die at the grand old age of two score years and ten if your lucky

As a publican, having a matching pair of kidneys on tap is gold dust, as the wear and tear in this trade is absolutely outrageous, why do you think I have three kids? for the fun of it???

Update: This can't be real?! Seriously.

Labels: Interesting

Probably one of the saddest stories you'll read all week - World peace hitcher is murdered.

Labels: News

Probably one of those ideas that never goes anywhere but still looks quite cool - solar balloons.

Labels: Environmental

Glad to see the BNP are improving their image so much.

Labels: News, Politics

Find the price of a pint in most countries. How useful is that? I now know I won't be drinking beer in France when I go next month!

Labels: Interesting

If you ever go to play paintball, what you need is one of these.....

If you can't be bothered to build something like that and you get in a fight, try whatever comes to hand.

Labels: Weird

You might remember I linked to Plankton Invasion a while back - great little animations and you get to submit the stories they use to create them. Except they don't seem to have many submissions so far. So if you fancy giving it a go, you could win a t-shirt.

I'd try myself but I've little imagination. Best I could come up with is that old joke about why the beach is wet. Cos the sea weed....

I'll get my coat.

Labels: Animation

And all together now - awwwwww!

Labels: Cute

So is it right or wrong for a mum to let her 9 year old ride the NY subway alone?

More importantly however, would you let your 3 year old choose their own haircut?

Labels: News

Oh great, our bogs are famous. Maybe I need to go visit and see for myself these wondrous urinals.

Labels: News, Personal

I think Google may have tweaked their search algorithms recently. I'm now the top result for this search and had well over 600 visitors last month from that alone. Over 100 looking for BlogMonkey too.

Hmmm, really should give the place a spring clean in that case...

Labels: Internet, Personal