Gurkhas win right to stay in UK - Home News, UK - The Independent

“Rewarding long and distinguished service by the grant of residence in the country for which the service was performed would, in my judgment, be a vindication and an enhancement of this covenant.”

Martin Howe, the Gurkhas’ solicitor, said in a statement: “Today we have seen a tremendous and historic victory for the gallant Gurkha veterans of Nepal.

“This is a victory that restores honour and dignity to deserving soldiers who faithfully served in Her Majesty’s armed forces.

Support the campaign and sign the petition….

Posted by Mark at 7:17 PM | Permalink

“No one can possibly have lived through the Great Depression without being scarred by it. No amount of experience since the depression can convince someone who has lived through it that the world is safe economically.” Isaac Asimov

Every day I am more and more amazed by how dramatically the world’s financial institutions are melting down.

At least we have Santander to save us this time…

Posted by Mark at 6:49 PM | Permalink

Nothing more strenuous today than a gentle walk in the forest, a sit in the sun and long pub lunch.

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf’s a flower.
—Albert Camus

Posted by Mark at 10:45 PM | Permalink

“Kid, the next time I say, ‘Let’s go someplace like Bolivia,’ let’s GO someplace like Bolivia.”

Rest in peace Paul.

Posted by Mark at 6:33 PM | Permalink

“Are we at war ?”, asked K as we watched four large helicopters crawl across a clear blue sky.

The only battle I was aware of was the one between me and the half kilo of mussels I’d rather recklessly ordered.

Late Autumn sun, if only we could have stayed all afternoon ….

Posted by Mark at 10:24 PM | Permalink

Conservation areas and advice : Directgov - Home and community

The ultimate success of conservation areas will depend upon the care which individual owners take with the maintenance and repair of their properties and in any alterations or extensions they make.

So far I have made three copies of the application form (plus original); three copies of, “a plan which identifies to which the application relates drawn to an identified scale and showing the direction of North” (plus original); three copies of other plans and drawings or information necessary to describe the subject of the application (plus original).

It would be easier to use all this paper as a door …

Posted by Mark at 10:02 PM | Permalink

I’m rediscovering iGoogle today.

iGoogle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

iGoogle (formerly Google Personalized Homepage and Google IG), a service of Google, is a customizable AJAX-based startpage much like Netvibes, Pageflakes, My Yahoo! and Windows Live Personalized Experience. It was originally launched in May 2005. Its features include the capability to add web feeds and Google Gadgets (similar to those available on Google Desktop).¹

It was renamed and expanded on April 30, 2007 and is currently available in many localized versions of Google (42 languages, over 70 country domain names, as of October 17, 2007).² [3]

And that’s not just because it has a countdown timer and gives you the weather in a certain part of the world …

Posted by Mark at 7:06 PM | Permalink

“OK, but I think we need to use Net Meeting so you can try this on my system”.

At this point I give up explaining that the error message, “You do not have rights to run this service on the server” has nothing to do with how Internet Explorer runs on my laptop.

Of course it was kind of this person from tech support to dump my cache and clear out my cookies. I smiled as I watched them do that and remember the days when people who thought they had a little knowledge used to tell everyone that was the fix for all sorts of ills on the Internet.

I connect to their “system” using Net Meeting, watch them share their desktop (revealing their IE Window where they are Googling the error message and the chat window to a colleague asking for more help with this), connect and run up IE.

We both fall silent as the error re-appears.

“I cannot fix this - you need to contact another help desk for second line support”.

Something tells me I’ll be back in Net Meeting soon…

Posted by Mark at 6:50 PM | Permalink

It wasn’t that long ago I upgraded to the Canon G9 and now look what’s come along ….

Canon Powershot G10: Canon PowerShot G10 14.7MP Flagship Camera Goes Wide-Angle

The PowerShot G10 digital camera offers serious amateur shooters and professional photographers several essential ingredients for a flagship model, including Canon’s new DIGIC 4 image processor, 28mm Optical Image Stabilized lens and RAW mode. This trilogy of style, performance and image quality is an ideal professional complement for anyone seeking the photo quality of a DSLR, combined with the convenient size of a point-and-shoot.

As the successor model to the popular PowerShot G9 digital camera, the PowerShot G10 digital camera is loaded with Canon’s latest technologies, including a long-anticipated 28 mm wide-angle lens with 5x optical zoom, 14.7 megapixels and 3.0-inch Pure Color LCD II screen.

Time to start saving…

Posted by Mark at 10:55 PM | Permalink

Another wonderfully sunny day, another excuse to drink cider and watch the animal judging and perhaps the start of new obsession for K…

Posted by Mark at 7:34 PM | Permalink

If it was down to me I’d have bought one of these.

Either that or the Camaro

Posted by Mark at 8:26 PM | Permalink

“Just look at that ceiling”, I said to K as we sat eating warmed goats cheese tartlets with black figs, grapes and baby mushrooms.

Above us Edward Middleton Barry’s ornate columns rose up to support the central octagon of the Barry Rooms at The National Gallery.

Before we’d sat down to dinner I’d been treated to a private viewing of the Impressionist collection where I’d surprised myself with what I knew and didn’t disgrace myself by mentioning The Thomas Crown Affair.

There’s something very special about being in a place that you have known and visited many times when it is closed. Suddenly you are free to see the mosaics in the floor (and notice the public house in one of them), to walk back and admire a Monet from a distance, to be the old person in front of Vincent’s sunflowers or to be able to talk to your own personal guide about Cézanne.

Of course the Domaine Dominique Roger Sancerre 2007. Chateau Paveil de Luze Cru Bourgeois Margaux and Mataro Alella Bodegas Alta Alella also helped to make the evening very, very special…

Posted by Mark at 11:39 PM | Permalink

An autumn evening
Still outside
Watching my cat chase moths on the landing

Posted by Mark at 10:49 PM | Permalink

I’m getting a little addicted to telephone boxes.

No, I don’t have two hearts and come from Gallifrey but like the good Doctor I’m rather attached to one phone box at the top of the road.

I’ve been thinking about a subject for a series of photographs and this once common sight seems a good subject before they finally disappear.

I’d love to do something along the lines of Photojojo’s Project 365 but the fact is I’d not make it through a month.

That said I am rather addicted to Hamilton365 Larry Strung’s celebration of the people of Hamilton….

Posted by Mark at 10:01 PM | Permalink

I’m not sure what’s more stressful tonight - reading about feline hypertension and it’s inevitableness or reading about why 26,600 people have to loose their jobs…

Posted by Mark at 8:13 PM | Permalink

Last year it all seemed so easy.

Ok, so we started off thinking about Itlay and ended up in Cuba but there was something exciting about a holiday.

This year it’s become more of necessity born from the lack of sun and summer and long year workwise.

Posted by Mark at 8:58 PM | Permalink

Posted by Mark at 7:41 PM | Permalink

Ironically today was sunny and I was nowhere that I could sensibly use a camera, despite the multi-storey having a great view.

Of course Saul would have taken his camera with him and taken some great pictures.

Me ?, I was happy to have some sun on me and to watch the Last Night of The Proms…

Posted by Mark at 11:54 PM | Permalink

Dear Mr Leiter,

I wish it was easier to get your books.

I’ve tried every bookshop in every town I have been to.

I’ve tried Boarders (who took my order and after a week said the book was out of stock).

I’ve tried Amazon Associates - who did the same.

I’ve even tried your publishers - who never replied.

For me Early Color may become too late colour and I may try once again with black and white….

Posted by Mark at 7:57 PM | Permalink

Of late it has been unusual for me to spend much time in an office.

I work remotely from home. One of an apparently increasing number of people who telecommute.

This week I have been more in the office than home. Today I was in the office but my thoughts were elsewhere.

This place is very different from where I work. Things are very different. The building is large, open plan and soul less. I don’t yet know many people and I don’t have the camaraderie of a team- my team - around me. Outside it is raining and dark.

But just for a moment I’m back seven years ago. A bright day, the familiar office, the people I worked with.

Those moments in time that I stop and look at my watch mean nothing here. There is no moment of silence, no remembrance, no acknowledgment of what happened apart from one person just for a moment.

Posted by Mark at 10:57 PM | Permalink

If the world did end today as a result of the Large Hadron Collider being turned on then this is very odd re-birth.

The same trip to work, the same issues (described to me today as an adventure) and the same trip home.

At least it’s nearly over and I can head off for the nuclear physicist’s favourite meal, fish n chips - geddit ??

Posted by Mark at 6:35 PM | Permalink

To remind myself that I need to book some time off I’ve been trying to get some video of our trip to Cuba onto my iPod.

Thanks to those nice people at Jodix this has proven to be very, very easy.

A quick download and install on my Windows box and I was ready to convert the file, import into iTunes and sync.

Now we just need another holiday and some more video …

Posted by Mark at 6:43 PM | Permalink

You may remember me writing about Phorm earlier this year.

Basically several UK ISPs will be selling your browsing habits to a third party so they can watch where you go and sell your data target their adverts.

The situation is looking a little rocky for Phorm at the moment with their shareprice taking a tumble and them struggling to get agreement with the ISPs

No significant progress has been made in Phorm’s dealings with the UK’s other two largest ISPs. Its statement today continued: “Phorm expects that Virgin Media and TalkTalk will commence consumer trials in due course. Following successful completion of these trials and an appropriate planning period, it is currently expected that Phorm’s platform will be rolled-out across these networks.”

Speaking to The Reg, Virgin Media maintained its position that no decision has been made on whether to deploy the system. It conducted a lab test some months ago during negotiations with Phorm, but has not moved beyond planning since.

A TalkTalk spokesman said that its position also remains unchanged. “We do still intend to introduce this system but we’re not committed to a particular date,” he said. “The key thing for us is that it will be an opt-in proposition.”

If you want to know more, visit BadPhorm

Posted by Mark at 6:53 PM | Permalink

“Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week”

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

A long, slow morning; a gentle walk to the local museum and a wander around there; into the town for some shopping and a pint and then a home cooked Sunday lunch.

What a great way to finish off the week….

Posted by Mark at 10:04 PM | Permalink

The two home made signs stuck to the AA board summed up the day.

One, cautiously hopeful, said canceled the other, it’s black ink dripping like a tear said abandoned.

I guess that tells the story of this summer and of this country show. There was nothing else to do than leave the camera in the boot of the car, point the car at the nearest town and get a little retail therapy…

Posted by Mark at 10:14 PM | Permalink

When I grew up I can remember something special about Fridays.

For my mother it seemed to be the start of two days off, something special to mark in the long procession of one day to another.

Somewhere along the way we seem to have lost that specialness about Fridays. In part I guess that’s the end of boy’s night but also the fact that I seem to have been waiting for most of the summer for an evening to sit out or a weekend to walk in a forest.

Those days, like a lot of other things, are over and it’s time to move on and make our own traditions.

Posted by Mark at 10:05 PM | Permalink

Just when we have things understood, agreed and documented almost every process is turned on it’s head.

This merger is going to be a rough one…

Posted by Mark at 12:53 PM | Permalink

So, the cross trainer has arrived, been carried up the stair by two very fit blokes from John Lewis and put together by one very unfit bloke from here.

I’ve managed enough time on it today to burn off 50 calories. That’s :

1. 15 grapes
2. 8-ounce brewed coffee with 1 tablespoon half-and-half and 1 teaspoon sugar
3. 2 slices (about 1 1/2 ounces) turkey breast
4. 1 cup steamed asparagus or broccoli
5. 2 cups light microwave popcorn

Or I could just give in and eat the polish sausage stew I just made…

Posted by Mark at 7:29 PM | Permalink

Finally announced - the new Nikon D90

• Newly designed Nikon DX-format CMOS image sensor with 12.3 effective megapixels and Integrated Dust Reduction System
• Incredibly low-noise performance throughout a wide sensitivity range of ISO 200 to 3200; can be set to ISO 6400 equivalent
• Incorporates Nikon’s comprehensive digital image-processing EXPEED concept
• The world’s first D-SLR movie function: D-Movie, selectable from 320 × 216 pixels, 640 × 424 pixels or 1,280 × 720 pixels in AVI format

I so want one…

Posted by Mark at 7:33 PM | Permalink

Already I’m beginning to think about what I could grow in containers over the Winter, not that this has been much of a summer.

Instead of the average 200 hours of sunshine we had just 90. Not quite the 140 days of sunshine they always said it took to grow the corn used in Kelloggs Corn Flakes.

So, successes this year have been potatoes, runner beans, tomatoes, lettuce. What wouldn’t I do next year ? Probably broad beans. They didn’t really crop well and the slugs loved them.

Winter spinach here we come…

Posted by Mark at 7:22 PM | Permalink