Despite the pre-airing hype and attracting massive interest with the first episode of the revived ‘Doctor Who’, Christopher Eccleston has stepped down for fear of being type cast. The BBC is running a poll to see who will replace Eccleston as the Doctor but, as you can see form the screen shot below, the Beeb’s code monkeys look like they need the Doctor’s sonic screwdriver.
my lo-fi ears are listening to My Favorite Mistake/Sheryl Crow
|W|P|111230005365969731|W|P|Who will be the next Doctor?|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.comOn my return to the UK from Australasia, I was asked by a website owner to write an article on the first days of my visit to New Zealand based on my posts to my No.8 Wire blog. Today, I noticed that the edited article, First Impressions, has been published on the British Expat website.
Jason|W|P|Congradulations!“Can you give me the telephone number for Jack?”
|W|P|111217464995259388|W|P|How I wish this were true|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.comIt is perhaps a little strange that, of all days, it is today that I read Frank Duff’s great piece on Kuro5hin about giving up coding for a life on Toronto’s streets as a bike messenger. I say this because yesterday, whilst I was out bike riding with sprog No.3 round the docks, I bumped into an old courier friend Sally, who used to ride for the same firm and whom I haven’t have seen for at least 15 years. These events have brought memories flooding back and have made me more than a little nostalgic for the days I spent as a bike courier in the early eighties. Whether breaking the winter’s ice on the outdoor toilet at the courier office or wolfing down chocolate pudding and custard in the fuggy atmosphere of of the Court Cafe, I doubt I’ll ever find a job like it.
That said, it appears that whilst the radio technology has improved beyond all measure…
One of the defining items of the courier pastiche is the radio. Though, in fact, these days it is much more likely to be a phone. The phone my particular company uses is a really snazzy unix based number by Motorola with 'net access via the Telus network. We use text messaging for general communication and each courier has their own PHP generated webpage which they access to view their jobs. When voice communication is needed, the phones also function as MIC radios.
…the choice of bike hardware amongst those in the know remains pretty much the same:
The most common sort of bike you will see couriers on is your standard street bike. Light frame, slick tires, no suspension and between 18 and 24 gears. Among veterans however, the favoured bikes are single speeds. There is a large variety among single speeds as well (fixed drive or freewheel, coaster brakes or hand brakes, etc.) but they all share the advantage of being mechanically simple machines. When you are riding eight hours a day, any part that can fail, eventually will. And probably dramatically. Thus, the simpler the mechanism, the lower the mechanic's bill.
Br3nda of coffee.geek.nz|W|P|I guess a foldup bike is out of the question then....
Chilling in the park...
With the clocks going forward in the early hours of the morning, I overslept and woke to be greeted by the dull leaden clouds of first day of British Summer Time. I needed to lift my mood and so…
…whilst the rest of the family are out observing their religion, I have spent the morning taking a wander down a musical memory lane with the help of iTunes and eBay. Back in the early ‘80s, I first heard the The Neville Brothers when a friend made me a tape of Neville-isation (remember those days before digital and CDs?). I loved their stuff and, whilst I went on to explore more of their work, this is the album that got me started and remains a favourite. To get an idea of the seemingly endless variety of music hailing from Louisiana, from southern R&B and Gospel to Cajun and Zydeco, you can do a lot worse…
…than pick up the soundtrack of ‘The Big Easy’, a good movie that owes more than a little to it’s soundtrack. This recording makes a great primer with which you can explore the vibrant and emotive musical forms that are to be found in and around New Orleans – one of the few places that are on my ‘must visit someday’ list. Moving from the sublime to the downright unusual…
…I snapped up a copy of The Crash Test Dummies’ God Shuffled His Feet. This tape was a constant in the FFWD-only player in my rusty old Nissan years ago. Best known for their surprise hit Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm, Brad Roberts’ voices his (some say) highbrow lyrics with rumbling vocals against a band who appear to draw influence from pretty much every musical style there is. Revel in something different.
my lo-fi ears are listening to Swimming in Your Ocean/Crash Test Dummies
|W|P|111192727432404258|W|P|Sunday sounds|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.com
“If you’re an alien, how come you sound like you’re from up North?” asks Rose suspiciously. “Other planets have Norths, you know” replies the Doctor cheekily.
Tongue in cheek? Yes. Faithful in tone and content? Certainly. The first episode of the all-new Doctor Who has just finished and gets the thumbs up from me and the team of four Doctor Who newbies in this house. As someone who grew up with the various incarnations of Doctor Who, I think Chris Eccleston makes an excellent ninth Doctor and Billy Piper defies her media moppet image to have a good crack at the new sidekick, Rose.
A great excuse to spend 45 minutes on the sofa with the kids each Saturday evening – as if one were needed.
Ian McKenzie|W|P|Don't give away too much. The series doesn't start over here until April 5. Br3nda of coffee.geek.nz|W|P|*sigh* it'll be at least 2 years before we get to see Dr. Who in NZ. The state run television doesn't like scifi.. the only show currently running is battlestar glactica. Br3nda of coffee.geek.nz|W|P|This comment has been removed by a blog administrator. Br3nda of coffee.geek.nz|W|P|*sigh* it'll be at least 2 years before we get to see Dr. Who in NZ. The state run television doesn't like scifi.. the only show currently running is battlestar glactica.Instant messaging is one of those things that many younger web users simply can’t image living without. Although it can trace its parentage to the bulletin boards and online services of the ‘80s and early ‘90s, it only really emerged as a distinct entity in it’s own right a little under ten years ago when four Israeli programmers released ICQ to an unsuspecting world. Before long, other pretenders for the IM crown appeared, including AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger. Like many, I spend a fair proportion of my days and evenings with one form of instant messenger or another running behind whatever else I’m doing. During work hours, I use Jabber and Lotus Sametime to talk to my team and colleagues the world over via a secure intranet connection. For family and other folks beyond the firewall and when I’m on my own time, I rely heavily on Trillian to hook me into the AOL, Yahoo, MSN and ICQ networks and Skype to provide VOIP connectivity when I need it – and a great job they do too.
That said, there are folks out there who are pushing and stretching instant messaging, moving away from the established chat, voice, video and ftp stuff and tackling enterprise-style projects. One of these folks is fellow London blogger Riaan van Schoor, whose company Inside C is developing Person to Application Messaging (PAMs) solutions. These ‘technolutions’ enable the use of IM clients to interact with data sources and websites which normally require portal access. If this sounds a little dry and lacking in fizz, there’s one example you can try immediately that might help demonstrate the possibilities. One implementation of Inside Messenger lets you search your regional Amazon site from an IM client window with no need to fire up a browser until you’ve found the item you want to purchase.
Rather than take my word for it, fire up AOL or MSN in your favoured IM client and try the following:
- Add the following buddies to the relevant contact list:
- InsideAmazon for AIM.
- amazon@insidec.com for MSN.
- Fire up a chat window for that buddy, type the word ‘domain’ and hit the ‘Send’ button. You will receive an automated message in return offering you a choice of localised Amazon domains to choose from. Enter the number for your choice.*
- You’ll now be offered the main menu from which you can search for CDs, books, DVDs, iPods, software, electronics and more.
- Go explore.
As you will see from the screen grab below, where I’m shopping for a Kasabian CD, the Inside Messenger PAM is simple to access and use. For those who don’t need bells and whistles or prefer less ‘noise’ in their online shopping, this might be an indication of another way to interact online. If you need a little more warmth in you online dealings, simply type “call me XXX” using your name and it will be used from then on. If you like what you see and have an idea for an enhancement, why not post it to the Inside Messenger forum?
my lo-fi ears are listening to Club Foot/Kasabian
|W|P|111186327305009044|W|P|IMazon, anyone?|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.com Br3nda of coffee.geek.nz|W|P|you forgot about powwow..it did IM and voice way back in 1993.
There are many things wrong with London. However, views like this one on the Thames riverside cyclepath last night help to remind me that many live in places and conditions that are far worse. Small mercies and all that.
my lo-fi ears are listening to Club Foot/Kasabian
|W|P|111184531603212541|W|P|A River Runs Through It|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.com
The last Friday in the month means that it is Critical Mass time again but tomorrow’s ride will also celebrate the 11th year of monthly bike rides. Last year’s anniversary ride saw over 800 cyclists on the streets with a bike samba band, a guitar player in a rickshaw, various sound systems and some amazing bike creations. For those who haven’t experienced the fun and friendliness of a Mass, I can thoroughly recommend it for a good night out. Folks gravitate towards the Southbank at Waterloo, specifically outside the NFT Cafe under Waterloo Bridge from 6pm with the ride setting off about 6.30pm. This mass of riders then moves around London (no specific route) together with safety in number all but removing the danger of cars and lorries for a few fun hours. It's a bank holiday for most tomorrow, so there is no excuse for not attending especially if the weather is brighter as in recent days. For a glimpse of what went on last year, have a look at these pictures.
Halloween Mass 2004
Additionally, with there being a full moon and hopefully clear skies, CM rider Roger Geffen is planning another of his all-night bike rides from London to Hastings in time to watch the sunrise. Roger plans to set off at 9pm from the Southwark Needle, the sculpture at the southern end of London Bridge outside Evans bike shop. “The sky will begin to lighten up the wonderful countryside on the Kent/Sussex border approaching the South Downs, allowing us to enjoy sunrise itself (which is at 5.52am) on the final descent into Hastings about 70 miles later. Much of the terrain is gently rolling, but it is pretty hilly where we cross the North Downs (just before reaching the M25) and again as we cross the South Downs just before reaching the coast.” Roger further advises anyone who fancies joining will need to “bring lights, some energy-rich food and drink to keep you going, enough money for breakfast in Hastings (there is a cafe near the marina which opens early) and for the train fare home (£14.90, or £9.85 with a rail card), and clothing options to deal with the possibilities of cold or wet conditions. No doubt those of you who are really optimistic about the weather will want to bring some bathing stuff too!”
I’m off to pump tyres, check lights and make sure the camera has batteries.
also blogged to Metroblogging London
|W|P|111176812974217407|W|P|Alternative Easter Mass|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.com
Chip and PIN is relatively new here in the UK. In New Zealand, the more established EFTPOS has been around for years. However, in America where signing is still the norm, some folks have been having way too much fun playing The Credit Card Prank and The Credit Card Prank II on retail assistants who, in the main, clearly don’t give a stuff.
from ZUG as spotted by Michael.
|W|P|111175372316149096|W|P|Forget Chip and PIN - this is the way to pay|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.com
Mostly, I shall be doing lots of this. Bliss.
I have just been having an online chat with a fellow London Metblogger who used to date a Marine. Asking how it was going, I was told that she had kicked the Marine to the kerb in favour of a construction gang boss in the States. Before I could stop myself, I typed:
[13:41] BigNosedUglyGuy: Are you dating The Village People in rotation?
[13:41] BigNosedUglyGuy: Who next? The sailor, motorcycle cop and Indian Chief?
She replied:
[13:44] <blogger>: meanie.
making me feel bad for implying loose morals - but then spoiled the illusion and cracked me up with:
[13:45] <blogger>: you know... I’ve already had a copper.
That said, serially dating representatives of the Village People professions would be one hell of a wager – but old hat for some gay friends I suspect.
|W|P|111167324846129246|W|P|Dating The Village People |W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.com Jason|W|P|Oh man...I needed that laugh! Ian McKenzie|W|P|If you can remember the Village People, you're "dating" yourself. ;)
To celebrate excellent performace as well as the upcoming holiday, I went Easter shopping for my team today. The 40-odd eggs didn't stay in the box long with one being comsumed within 30 seconds of handing it out!
Lucy P|W|P|i want a kitkat egg.... someone get me a kitkat egg... i WANT a kitkat egg! ....what a nice thing to do, by the way...
BBC News: In Pictures has a few intriguing photographs of Afghanistan in the 1930s. I have had an interest in the history of the Afghan people ever since reading Helen Saberi’s excellent book on Afghan food and domestic culture, Noshe Djan: Afghan Food and Cookery.
|W|P|111150331503271940|W|P|Rare photos of Afghanistan|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.com
This is how exciting my little corner of the universe gets around lunchtime. Simply sent to test moblog connection is OK.
--
Sent from my Treo
I have finally managed to ‘upgrade’ the roller wheels on my Brompton with skate wheels, which should allow me to wheel rather than carry it through stations on my commute. Thanks are due to Caroline, esteemed member of Tower Hamlets Wheelers who sourced the wheels at Decathlon and kindly grabbed some for me as I was abroad. Thirty pence-worth of slightly longer than original bolts from the local DIY shop and five minutes effort saw them installed and looking rather neat
All of which reminds me I haven’t ridden the beast since my return from New Zealand.
my lo-fi ears are listening to Thinking About Tomorrow/Beth Orton
|W|P|111132971090065067|W|P|New wheels on my wagon|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.com Br3nda of coffee.geek.nz|W|P|WOW.. that thing is much better looking than i thought..can it do hill climbs? how'ss the gear range ?
tireetoo|W|P|How exactly will you drag it?By a short rope?
bignoseduglyguy|W|P|tireetooYou can:
use a small strap
or extend the seat
or leave the bars extended
whatever suits the place you're in. Rail station tend to have smooth(ish) floors so rolling is easier.
Three weeks is a long time with a full bladder.
|W|P|111105155406688879|W|P|Inconvenient convenience|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.com True_Halcyon|W|P|Let's see if David Blaine can pull this one off...I am suffering with an advanced case of jet lack so please forgive me if it takes a few days to get back in the blogging saddle. In the meantime, feel free to check out No.8 Wire, which should be updated again later or the photos of my trip over on Flickr.
|W|P|111089993041120319|W|P|What day is it?|W|P|bignoseduglyguy@gmail.com