Ok, so it's not exactly the snowman I promised but you've got to admit it's a pretty fine snow dog!!
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
DONOR IS SOUGHT TO HELP REBEKAH
Staff and pupils at St Benedict's School are launching a desperate appeal for donors to help leukaemia sufferer Rebekah Deponeo.The 13-year-old's chances of survival hinge on finding a donor for a bone marrow transplant.Blood tests are being carried out at the Arle Road, Cheltenham, school on Thursday to find a match.
Rebekah was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia - a rare form of cancer that affects only 500 people a year in the UK - in June after complaining of stiff legs.Initial X-rays indicated nothing but the disease was spotted after a blood test showed some abnormal results.
The session at St Benedict's is being run in conjunction with the Anthony Nolan Trust, the charity that finds lifesaving donors for patients in need of a bone marrow transplant.
Everyone tested will be entered into the charity's database.Their blood may be matched with Rebekah or someone in need of a transplant.
The testing session is being run at St Benedict's School, Arle Road, Cheltenham, from 4pm to 7pm on Thursday.
Rebekah was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia - a rare form of cancer that affects only 500 people a year in the UK - in June after complaining of stiff legs.Initial X-rays indicated nothing but the disease was spotted after a blood test showed some abnormal results.
The session at St Benedict's is being run in conjunction with the Anthony Nolan Trust, the charity that finds lifesaving donors for patients in need of a bone marrow transplant.
Everyone tested will be entered into the charity's database.Their blood may be matched with Rebekah or someone in need of a transplant.
The testing session is being run at St Benedict's School, Arle Road, Cheltenham, from 4pm to 7pm on Thursday.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Snow - and lots of it!!!!
Hi all
Just thought you might like to know - we had about 40 cm of snow over the weekend - and it's funny cos you'd think that Canadians were used to that - oh no, not here near Vancouver, the schools are closed , people are crashing there cars and we are all whining about the cold!! It's just like being at home - although admittedly it did take 40 cms not 4!! anyway, I'm going to make a snowman this afternoon, and then figure out how to upload photos to this blog and show you all the lovely snow!! I better make sure I have lots of warm stuff on though - it's -10 out there and the wind chill is making it more like -20 brrrrrr..... Will be bakc later with piccies.
Just thought you might like to know - we had about 40 cm of snow over the weekend - and it's funny cos you'd think that Canadians were used to that - oh no, not here near Vancouver, the schools are closed , people are crashing there cars and we are all whining about the cold!! It's just like being at home - although admittedly it did take 40 cms not 4!! anyway, I'm going to make a snowman this afternoon, and then figure out how to upload photos to this blog and show you all the lovely snow!! I better make sure I have lots of warm stuff on though - it's -10 out there and the wind chill is making it more like -20 brrrrrr..... Will be bakc later with piccies.
How to tell if a Catholic is driving too fast
My Mum the Catholic HeadMistress sent me this! (clcik on the blob is it isnt displaying properly
Saturday, November 25, 2006
I am going to be an UNCLE!!!!
My Brother and Mez his wife came up to Cheltenham and told me and my sister and Yvette that they were expecting a baby on 8th June!!! She is 12 weeks pregenant!
WOO HOO :D heres a pic of the baby!
WOO HOO :D heres a pic of the baby!
Friday, November 24, 2006
Your all in Safe hands now
The reason i have been quite all week is due to me being on a First Aid course for the last four days. I passed with flying colours so you will be happy to know that if i am around you are in safe hands.
Anyway what are people doing this weekend?
Anyway what are people doing this weekend?
Thursday, November 23, 2006
NEWSFLASH
15 people have been found glued to the celing at Charing cross subway station, London. Key witnesses stated there was a loud exploshion.
Police belive terrorists have launched their first "No more nails" bomb.
:o)
Police belive terrorists have launched their first "No more nails" bomb.
:o)
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
What celebrity do you look like?
Celebrity Photo Fit
Apparently I look like Alyson Hannigan (Buffy/American Pie) but when I click on the next set of photos with smaller percentages of who I look like, I resemble Annette Benning, Kate Bosworth, Harry Potter (no really), Paris Hilton, and a host of American people I have never heard of!)
Apparently I look like Alyson Hannigan (Buffy/American Pie) but when I click on the next set of photos with smaller percentages of who I look like, I resemble Annette Benning, Kate Bosworth, Harry Potter (no really), Paris Hilton, and a host of American people I have never heard of!)
Monday, November 20, 2006
Im in love im in love and i don't care who knows it
Not really (well maybe a bit) but thought i would quote from Elf (Ben/Drew and i's favourite film).
Well my weekend was as follows:
Friday i was off work so went to the King Eddie for lunch with my lady it was lovely, Fri night as below went to see Bond - ace.
Sat as below played footie - shouldn't have lost and looks as though the league may be slipping away but hope is not lost just yet.
Sat night stayed in with Becky and James and eat cake/ice cream and pringles and watched Pushing Tin.
On Sunday i went out with Becky to meet her family as it was her Mums birthday. Went to The Windmill near Oxford for Sunday lunch which was really nice i eat a lot of food then went back to her parents house for a brew and to meet all the animals (4 dogs, 1 cat, 2 tortoises, a lizard, parrot and fish). Was a bit nerve racking as there were 11 of us but i didnt make a tit of myself so think i did ok.
Went back to James' and played some XBox (Becky loves Ghost Recon but tends to get a bit loud and swears a lot) then we watched a film called Dead End which was pump was supposed to be scary but was just weird.
Im back in Bristol this week (well until Friday) then taking my mum to Heathrow as she is going to Bali for a month as her 50th birthday present. Im taking Becky down to meet her and her boyfriend Graham then will take her to see my Dad too so this week it is her turn to be nervous.
Looking forward to seeing Sparks in a couple of weeks then having most of December off.
Bye Bye
Well my weekend was as follows:
Friday i was off work so went to the King Eddie for lunch with my lady it was lovely, Fri night as below went to see Bond - ace.
Sat as below played footie - shouldn't have lost and looks as though the league may be slipping away but hope is not lost just yet.
Sat night stayed in with Becky and James and eat cake/ice cream and pringles and watched Pushing Tin.
On Sunday i went out with Becky to meet her family as it was her Mums birthday. Went to The Windmill near Oxford for Sunday lunch which was really nice i eat a lot of food then went back to her parents house for a brew and to meet all the animals (4 dogs, 1 cat, 2 tortoises, a lizard, parrot and fish). Was a bit nerve racking as there were 11 of us but i didnt make a tit of myself so think i did ok.
Went back to James' and played some XBox (Becky loves Ghost Recon but tends to get a bit loud and swears a lot) then we watched a film called Dead End which was pump was supposed to be scary but was just weird.
Im back in Bristol this week (well until Friday) then taking my mum to Heathrow as she is going to Bali for a month as her 50th birthday present. Im taking Becky down to meet her and her boyfriend Graham then will take her to see my Dad too so this week it is her turn to be nervous.
Looking forward to seeing Sparks in a couple of weeks then having most of December off.
Bye Bye
Think I will stick with IPOD
Microsoft's Zune Only Looks Simple
By Rob Pegoraro
Sunday, November 19, 2006; Page F01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/18/AR2006111800040.html
The new Zune digital-media player may be an all-Microsoft production, but it feels like it came from two companies.
One's the smart, aggressive competitor that built the Xbox and Xbox 360 game consoles, carving out a franchise from scratch in a tough market. The other's the clumsy, lumbering giant that can't seem to avoid occasionally stepping on its own customers.
That combination won't help the Zune grab market share from Apple's iPod. Apple has dominated the market by emphasizing simplicity above all, and Microsoft aims to follow suit with the Zune, a wireless-enabled player that sells for $250.
But the Zune's relentlessly proprietary nature suggests Microsoft drew the wrong lessons from Apple: It matched the restrictiveness of the iTunes Store, not its utility.
The Zune player itself is the most appealing part of the package. About the size of a deck of cards, it comes in dark gray, brown or white and provides almost 30 gigabytes of hard-drive storage. It has an intuitiveness absent from most other iPod rivals.
Pick up the Zune, and its controls fall under your thumb: a back button, a circular four-way controller that resembles an iPod's click-wheel dial and a play/pause button. Once you realize that the central controller doesn't spin, its operation is pretty much self-evident: Press up or down to adjust volume; press left or right to skip to the previous or next song.
The Zune's bright, clear color screen, three inches across, allows more room to present its menus. That made building a playlist more obvious than on an iPod.
When you view photos or videos, the screen automatically switches orientation to a wide landscape mode. A built-in FM tuner offers an alternative to your music and can even display the program data many stations broadcast, such as song titles or call letters.
The rest of the Zune's design shows a similar elegance. Its headphones click together magnetically for tidier storage, while its grippy, rubber-like surface should resist scratching. The thing even looks clean, without the usual Windows logo or even the word "Microsoft." (Only a tiny "Hello from Seattle" on the back reveals its ancestry.)
The Zune, however, is a little thick and heavy, about six-tenths of an inch and just over six ounces with headphones. That added bulk comes from the Zune's major innovation, its wireless music sharing.
If you and a friend with a Zune are nearby -- we got this to work from 50 feet away -- you can beam songs to each other.
This isn't a permanent transfer; the Zune erases the song after three days or the third playback, whichever comes first. But it is a neat way to expand your music library, and eventually your tastes.
If you like the new music, you can flag it for later attention. When you plug a Zune back into your computer, its software will look for that song in your music library and Microsoft's Zune Marketplace.
With wireless on, a Zune's battery lasted through 12 hours of music playback; with that feature off, it ran for 13. This rechargeable battery, sealed inside, will wear out eventually, but Microsoft hasn't set a battery-replacement policy yet.
If Microsoft had stopped there, the Zune would be in fine shape to challenge the iPod. Instead, the company chose to limit the Zune to one program and one Internet music store.
The Windows XP-only Zune software is almost functionally identical to the new Windows Media Player 11. Like that program, it can't subscribe to podcasts or print out CD labels, but otherwise it handles most digital-music chores smoothly.
But the Zune program takes longer to install, counting time needed for a mandatory update of the Zune player's firmware. (Microsoft says you'll need to do that with Zunes sold this year.)
Incompatibility with other Windows Media-based online music stores should provoke a lot more angst. Zune software and hardware only play "unprotected" MP3, AAC and WMA files, plus Zune Marketplace downloads. They ignore anything obtained before from stores using Microsoft's formats. Rhapsody, Napster or MSN Music songs, audiobook loans from a library, Amazon Unbox video rentals--they're all dead to the Zune. This is a breathtaking display of corporate faithlessness, cluelessness or both.
The Zune Marketplace can't replace those other sources of Windows Media content, since it doesn't sell TV shows or movies. Its music library totals about 2 million songs, fewer than other popular Web music services, with most available for either rent or purchase.
Rentals can be copied to two Zune players, but they can't be burned to audio CD and will go silent if you cancel your $15 monthly subscription.
Purchases don't require a subscription and have the same usage limits as elsewhere; for instance, you can't play them on more than five computers at once and can only burn a playlist to audio CDs seven times.
But unlike other stores, the Zune Marketplace doesn't let you pay in U.S. currency. You must first purchase "Microsoft Points," a financial instrument Microsoft created for its Xbox Live video game service, then trade them in for each song or album.
Like a county fair that makes you buy food tickets, this system forces you to buy more than you need for the next transaction. The minimum Microsoft Point purchase is 400 points for $5, while songs go for 79 points each -- at the current exchange rate, nearly 99 cents. Album prices equate to $10 or so.
Beyond the arrogance of requiring Microsoft's own "money," the Zune Marketplace also shows sloppy workmanship.
Its registration screen wouldn't accept three Washington, D.C., Zip codes.
When presented with a shared song that I'd tagged (and which was in the Zune Marketplace inventory) its search function couldn't find it.
And when I tried buying a new album, I only got six of 13 tracks and a message that the others "might not be available." (Microsoft said that shouldn't have happened.)
Microsoft has enough of a challenge without all these self-inflicted flaws. Do the folks there realize nobody's handing out extra points for difficulty?
By Rob Pegoraro
Sunday, November 19, 2006; Page F01
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/18/AR2006111800040.html
The new Zune digital-media player may be an all-Microsoft production, but it feels like it came from two companies.
One's the smart, aggressive competitor that built the Xbox and Xbox 360 game consoles, carving out a franchise from scratch in a tough market. The other's the clumsy, lumbering giant that can't seem to avoid occasionally stepping on its own customers.
That combination won't help the Zune grab market share from Apple's iPod. Apple has dominated the market by emphasizing simplicity above all, and Microsoft aims to follow suit with the Zune, a wireless-enabled player that sells for $250.
But the Zune's relentlessly proprietary nature suggests Microsoft drew the wrong lessons from Apple: It matched the restrictiveness of the iTunes Store, not its utility.
The Zune player itself is the most appealing part of the package. About the size of a deck of cards, it comes in dark gray, brown or white and provides almost 30 gigabytes of hard-drive storage. It has an intuitiveness absent from most other iPod rivals.
Pick up the Zune, and its controls fall under your thumb: a back button, a circular four-way controller that resembles an iPod's click-wheel dial and a play/pause button. Once you realize that the central controller doesn't spin, its operation is pretty much self-evident: Press up or down to adjust volume; press left or right to skip to the previous or next song.
The Zune's bright, clear color screen, three inches across, allows more room to present its menus. That made building a playlist more obvious than on an iPod.
When you view photos or videos, the screen automatically switches orientation to a wide landscape mode. A built-in FM tuner offers an alternative to your music and can even display the program data many stations broadcast, such as song titles or call letters.
The rest of the Zune's design shows a similar elegance. Its headphones click together magnetically for tidier storage, while its grippy, rubber-like surface should resist scratching. The thing even looks clean, without the usual Windows logo or even the word "Microsoft." (Only a tiny "Hello from Seattle" on the back reveals its ancestry.)
The Zune, however, is a little thick and heavy, about six-tenths of an inch and just over six ounces with headphones. That added bulk comes from the Zune's major innovation, its wireless music sharing.
If you and a friend with a Zune are nearby -- we got this to work from 50 feet away -- you can beam songs to each other.
This isn't a permanent transfer; the Zune erases the song after three days or the third playback, whichever comes first. But it is a neat way to expand your music library, and eventually your tastes.
If you like the new music, you can flag it for later attention. When you plug a Zune back into your computer, its software will look for that song in your music library and Microsoft's Zune Marketplace.
With wireless on, a Zune's battery lasted through 12 hours of music playback; with that feature off, it ran for 13. This rechargeable battery, sealed inside, will wear out eventually, but Microsoft hasn't set a battery-replacement policy yet.
If Microsoft had stopped there, the Zune would be in fine shape to challenge the iPod. Instead, the company chose to limit the Zune to one program and one Internet music store.
The Windows XP-only Zune software is almost functionally identical to the new Windows Media Player 11. Like that program, it can't subscribe to podcasts or print out CD labels, but otherwise it handles most digital-music chores smoothly.
But the Zune program takes longer to install, counting time needed for a mandatory update of the Zune player's firmware. (Microsoft says you'll need to do that with Zunes sold this year.)
Incompatibility with other Windows Media-based online music stores should provoke a lot more angst. Zune software and hardware only play "unprotected" MP3, AAC and WMA files, plus Zune Marketplace downloads. They ignore anything obtained before from stores using Microsoft's formats. Rhapsody, Napster or MSN Music songs, audiobook loans from a library, Amazon Unbox video rentals--they're all dead to the Zune. This is a breathtaking display of corporate faithlessness, cluelessness or both.
The Zune Marketplace can't replace those other sources of Windows Media content, since it doesn't sell TV shows or movies. Its music library totals about 2 million songs, fewer than other popular Web music services, with most available for either rent or purchase.
Rentals can be copied to two Zune players, but they can't be burned to audio CD and will go silent if you cancel your $15 monthly subscription.
Purchases don't require a subscription and have the same usage limits as elsewhere; for instance, you can't play them on more than five computers at once and can only burn a playlist to audio CDs seven times.
But unlike other stores, the Zune Marketplace doesn't let you pay in U.S. currency. You must first purchase "Microsoft Points," a financial instrument Microsoft created for its Xbox Live video game service, then trade them in for each song or album.
Like a county fair that makes you buy food tickets, this system forces you to buy more than you need for the next transaction. The minimum Microsoft Point purchase is 400 points for $5, while songs go for 79 points each -- at the current exchange rate, nearly 99 cents. Album prices equate to $10 or so.
Beyond the arrogance of requiring Microsoft's own "money," the Zune Marketplace also shows sloppy workmanship.
Its registration screen wouldn't accept three Washington, D.C., Zip codes.
When presented with a shared song that I'd tagged (and which was in the Zune Marketplace inventory) its search function couldn't find it.
And when I tried buying a new album, I only got six of 13 tracks and a message that the others "might not be available." (Microsoft said that shouldn't have happened.)
Microsoft has enough of a challenge without all these self-inflicted flaws. Do the folks there realize nobody's handing out extra points for difficulty?
My Weekend
Apart from bond (see below) Saturday involved football lost 3-1 (got beat by 3 mistakes :( ) didnt deserve it. nothing was dropping for us. but then the usual gang went to the pub and had lunch and had a good time.
Saturday night Yvette and I went to her "uncles" 50th birthday. Had a skittle tournament - our team came 4th - out of 6th. i cam 8th out of about 40 in killer - so that was not too bad.
Sunday James and I went to see Tenacious D, but due to a printing error it wasnt actually on - but Cinema didnt bother telling people. So we went to Copa (Peppers) for brekkie, wandered around the shopes and went back to mine to play james new copy of Gears of War - WHAT A GAME.
We also started making Lasagne.
Hearts played Rangers - shoosh!
then Yvette came home had tea, watched 6th episode of lost, then planet earth - minted series.
Then ran James and Lou home. went to bed
Saturday night Yvette and I went to her "uncles" 50th birthday. Had a skittle tournament - our team came 4th - out of 6th. i cam 8th out of about 40 in killer - so that was not too bad.
Sunday James and I went to see Tenacious D, but due to a printing error it wasnt actually on - but Cinema didnt bother telling people. So we went to Copa (Peppers) for brekkie, wandered around the shopes and went back to mine to play james new copy of Gears of War - WHAT A GAME.
We also started making Lasagne.
Hearts played Rangers - shoosh!
then Yvette came home had tea, watched 6th episode of lost, then planet earth - minted series.
Then ran James and Lou home. went to bed
Craig..Daniel Craig goes in @ #2
Bond was minted!
From the opening black and white sequence to the end (bar the crap theme tune) the film was firing on all possible cylinders.
Daniel Craig was superb, Bond is a killer, and Craig looked like he could kill. Looks like the Sean Bond as you could belive he could kill whilst Roger Moore could ony raise an eyebrow. Mr Brosnan has gone to #3 but he was a good bond too - when he killed Electra in the world is not enough you believed he was a glorified hitman. And the women seemed to like him.
But back to Casino Royale. No Q branch and no miss moneypenny - although a quick sly nod to her in one scene. Aston Martin was back, thank goodness they got rid of the damn beemers in the last one! there was no gadgets which was a good thing as in the book there was none either. Talking of Ian Flemings 1st Spy novel, the film stayed true, although the baddies were updated to be world terrorists and instead of playing the card game baccarat we saw bond pit his wits in high stake Texas Hold 'em which again is an update to current times.
There was never a dull moment in the film, cant wait to see the next one!
From the opening black and white sequence to the end (bar the crap theme tune) the film was firing on all possible cylinders.
Daniel Craig was superb, Bond is a killer, and Craig looked like he could kill. Looks like the Sean Bond as you could belive he could kill whilst Roger Moore could ony raise an eyebrow. Mr Brosnan has gone to #3 but he was a good bond too - when he killed Electra in the world is not enough you believed he was a glorified hitman. And the women seemed to like him.
But back to Casino Royale. No Q branch and no miss moneypenny - although a quick sly nod to her in one scene. Aston Martin was back, thank goodness they got rid of the damn beemers in the last one! there was no gadgets which was a good thing as in the book there was none either. Talking of Ian Flemings 1st Spy novel, the film stayed true, although the baddies were updated to be world terrorists and instead of playing the card game baccarat we saw bond pit his wits in high stake Texas Hold 'em which again is an update to current times.
There was never a dull moment in the film, cant wait to see the next one!
Friday, November 17, 2006
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