Bebo Inspired (sic)

 What the heck is Bebo? I mean, like what was it?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55908193

Right now people are closing their Facebook accounts and Whatsapp accounts in droves, this happened about 5 years ago, but this year looks more like a single solid departing wave for many. I am perplexed by this, and so I'm writing now to clear up my thinking and also to poke fun at the fearmongers.

Exodus

My biggest fear with the social media exoduses that things like Parler which got killed off by AWS creates, merely cause new networks like the Bebo re-imagined service will undoubtedly bring the same broken services in the same way the google youtube algorithm would show you content to drag viewers in and thus was automatically showing them more and more extreme content just to see advert revenue. The fact that humans have failed to develop an allergic reaction to digital advertising and it's blatant waste culture distresses me. But even more distressing is the possibility that network fragmentation may split people farther apart. What am I talking about? Stuff nobody wants to talk about to be honest, but primarily the failure to inoculate against advert revenue is behind the Facebook screw-up. Because people don't want to pay for services, and even if we did, providers can make more money off of our data than they would off of a subscription. Even a Youtube ad-free subscription has very little take-up. The service probably costs more to run in that model to be fair. Why? I'm definitely no buying add-free youtube, not unless it comes with a fully add-free experience on the other platforms that touch it. It's a bit pointless. Like swimming in the goldfish bowl that is the internet. My big underlying fear is that the polarization that these social networks drive and thrive on is only now becoming evident and it's too late to stop a freight train that has been running down the track for decades. I have very little faith in the internet repairing itself. I keep seeing people on Twitter who think otherwise, and that old men cannot fix this thing, and that our youth will re-imagine the internet. Clearly the rose tinted spectacle wearers are prepared to wait for as long as their followers keep on promoting their bubble.

You could not make this up

As if 2020 was not an amazing yet humbling year, we not have 2021, it's over now for captain Tom. It's the movie script you could never write. I'm thinking of chucking out the TV set and youtube today, I keep seeing adverts for Netflix and other pointless entertainment services, sure I watch some non-broadcast TV, but not enough to warrant paying for Amazon Prime, the kids watch it for the most part, but if someone stole my TV, and blocked youtube.com on my internet, I would not cry. Just the captain Tom movie alone would be like the titanic movie that I have never seen and never will see, depressingly kitch.

And all because a spineless Prime minister could not be bothered to lock down the UK, and to actually stop all air travel in February when we all knew what was coming already. Your prevarication mister Johnson Sir, is costing 1000 lives per day, equivalent to about 5 lockerbie bombings every day. Chew on that one.

Fish Braai

Some notes on the fish BBQ.
It's probably the 1st time I actually cooked for someone else, which says a lot, but does not excuse 3 mistakes.
1. I forgot to add garlic to the bruschetta mix - I added a tad too much onion, but they were better than last time due to better toasting skills
2. I should double-foil the parcels on the braai, they all tore slightly, but with  no consequence, still more foil does help.
3. Put in a tad more coal to boost heat, it took over an hour to complete 2 re-loads of the grid.

This is the bruschetta recipe https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/bruschetta_with_tomato_and_basil/

This is the Hake braai recipe, it was a large fish, https://www.lovefood.com/recipes/60526/andrew-nutters-bbq-fillet-of-hake

I made a modified version of the recipe for quick following

Hake BBQ

·  200 g beetroot, peeled and cut into quarters

·  1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

·  4 tbsp olive oil

·  8 shallots - peeled and cut in half lengthways

·  2 tbsp runny honey

·  4 x 200g Fillets of hake, skin on and boned

·  1 juice and zest lemon

·  1 clove garlic, chopped finely

10 new potatoes, boiled and cooled

Dressing parcel 1

200g Beetroot, 1tsp thyme, 2 tbsp olive oil

30 minutes roast

Dressing parcel 2

8 Shallots cut lengthways, 1 tsbsp olive oil, 2tbsp honey, crush 1 clove garlic

30 minutes roast

Fish

1 tbsp olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice

Grill potatoes for 5 minutes.

Serve

Serve the parcels with fish on top, and with potatoes arranged around it all.

/rant
Pictured above is a incorrectly assembled Texas 47cm BBQ, as made in China - they missed out the grid between the 3 legs, so I had to find 2 bolts to put the wheels on, which is just an incredulously huge Homebase QA failure if you ask me.

Sponsor please : I'm braving the cold 2 help Syrian Refugees

So here is the backstory first.
I live in a small village in Cambridgeshire, and since many of us felt the refugee crisis touch us we decided to mobilise in a big way. The usual committees formed and some people went off to set up cake sales and other events. We planned a different fundraiser for almost every month of the year, but I pooh pooh'ed the cake and coffee things and aligned with a plan to do something more radical. Something that would show that we cared for Syrians impacted by the war. By sleeping under the stars. Well, I did not realize that by the time we got organised mid-winter would be upon us.

It does not seem to have stopped 12 of us who will sleep out (admittedly under canvas) with no facilities or support for 2 nights on the village green. It's not really sheltered and will probably be noisy. I don't count on getting much sleep nor being able to feel my toes in the morning. Most of us are not real campers, so it's going to be a cold one.

Click on this link to register your donation http://goo.gl/forms/5sHDLx7ak4
I'll be accepting preferrably cash; cheques made out to Cottenham Cares , or Paypal online payments

All moneys go to MSF and Save the Children Syria .
Please fill in this form with as much or little information as you like, which I'll keep secret. But would also make it easier to collect cash and importantly thank you for your sponsorship.

More Events

Cottenham Cares have a host of other events planned, a golf tournament, a Ceilidh (which is apparently a dance) and quizz nite are already in planning. During the summer, we plan to support other initiatives, to find out more please visit and like our Facebook page :
https://www.facebook.com/CottenhamCares/

Fundraiser progress update

I only started raising on Wednesday and I'm standing at £175 thanks to pakshivaandytomcaroline . I'm targeting £400

ISIS are not terrorists

Think about it for a second. ISIS, IS, Taliban, Daesh are not your traditional terrorist organization. I'm against the bombing of Syria for this reason. I'll explain in a second, my rationale, so let me throw some background.

A terrorist is someone who uses fear, guerilla tactics and bombs directly to accomplish a goal in a situation that often includes civil war. Activities are normally limited to one country or a region, since the terrorist accomplishes little by travelling far from home. And there is the key, the ISIS goals are not to resolve civil war, but rather - to create it. Starting with the Arab spring as the source of civil unrest, the IS militants just drop in to further destabilize. A bit like mercenaries, who pop up wherever regular forces are not making progress at the time. It's a low cost operation with lots of bang for your buck (literally) and that's the other key - funding.

IS funding is a completely separate blog post I think, I'll continue instead. So when we rush in and bomb IS in order to stop them killing off more groups like the Yazidis, we just give them a platform. They are a lot more organised than we think and although we stop them from killing innocents through a bombing campaign, we don't really fix the problem. It's laudable to stop the killing of innicents, do not get me wrong. But terrorists are normally not lawfull. Two rights do not make a wrong in their books.

Bombings cut supply lines, sure, but they also cause people, civilians to leave the area. We call them refugees, IS cell members are able to secretly mingle with these refugees and travel more freely than normally as a result. Where do they go? Oh, I'm sure they know, and David Cameron knows where they want to go, or does he? Well there you have it, bombing just pisses people off, it might save lives, but it plays into their hands... something we keep on doing it seems.

Proniunciation on Govt spending cuts

Govt is not responsible for jobs. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/10426714.stm : WE ARE! I moved house, so did my grandad, over 8000 miles. WAKE UP!
Hey just because I am not entitled to benefits in the UK does not mean I have a reasonable opinion on this matter at all, so if you are faint of heart, please click here www.disney.com now.

Ok, the intro. and public safety anouncement over, let's take our seats, or should I say thrones for the onion awards once again. I just listened to some people who clearly are so lost that they are afraid to lose their homes if they move elsewhere to find work. I think admiral Nelson might call them lilly livers, but I have a less harsh pronunciation over the council housing estates... simply poor schools. I have traced back most of western society problems to a wave of miss-guided education policy from the 1970's and 1980s. Just look it up and you will see how true it is, I mean they must have scrapped classes in home economics, because nobody can ballance their credit cards, and we all blame the bankers for it... schools also failed to teach history properly over the same period, (In South Africa we wasted too much time on a guy called 'Jan', and then how thousands of people got slaughtered in one day in a battle which later got commemorated as a holy day, yes that was evil), but in europe, we totally screwed up history teaching. I mean they forgot to mention the industrial revolution in class somehow, maybe because it meant people of low education or skills suffered when machines took over. Maybe they forgot to teach about how man has constantly roamed the face of the planet for almost 5000 years, and it's the roaming, and not staying stuck in council houses that got shipbuilders mobilised, created a invincible navy, got coal extracted from the ground, and finally built a economy to be proud of in a land one can be proud of. I have one thing to say to number 10 : "David, do not give us jobs nor food, instead teach us how to feed ourselves."
I'm just a grumpy old man now, pride does not feature for me now : maybe I should just stay where I am and wait to die.

Sustainable Cottenham Group

With the end of winter almost in sight, we will stop thinking about heating bills, recover from the Christmas giving crunch, and probably have discarded another diet plan. But while matters hot and cold are still foremost; remember the environment and prepare your pocket before next winter. If your energy bill has been stressing you out, read on.

my best foot

The Sustainable Cottenham group was created to implement the goals of the Sustainable Parish Energy Partnership (SPEP) which helps parish councils support residents and communities to reduce energy bills, tackle climate change and build sustainable communities. The Cottenham group's main project at the moment is to get Cottenham insulated via the Eastern CRI Scheme.

The Sustainable Cottenham Group, has partnered with Cambridge Carbon Footprint who are guiding us in doing home surveys intended to help us find poor insulation, drafts, and other problems in our homes. Consisting of volunteers and some steerage from our councilors I would urge those interested to engage with the group via a councilor or group member. Not only are Cambridge Carbon Footprint arranging learning sessions which take homeowners through the technology, attitude change and available help sources, but they have also made a special thermal surveying camera available to Sustainable Cottenham and other groups. With these tools we can visit your home on request, and help you get started keeping your home warmer, bills down, and eventually greener too. A visit typically takes an hour, and we can help you find the exact cause of the cold air leaks you suspect are there but cannot find. We will show you ways to heat your home more efficiently without spending any money to start with.

my letter slot is letting in the cold

At the moment, thermal insulation surveys done can be particularly effective because cold air leaking into your home is so much colder and easier to detect, so you may want to hurry. A winter survey must be done in the cold of the evenings, with the house being heated at the time. The walk-through starts downstairs, moves upstairs, and then to the outside. Although recently built homes are well insulated, typical problems found are:

• a gap under the front door?
• gaps where door insulation has come away?
• radiators hidden behind large furniture?
• insulation disturbed by recent wiring or plumbing?
  

Get a check list tailored to what is going on in your home, and formulate your own family energy sustainability plan. Then move on to the structural changes and have Eastern CRI quote you on cavity wall and ceiling insulation.

The Sustainable Cottenham group plans to re-show the Age of Stupid DVD and to arrange a visit to the Donarbon recycling center. Energy monitors are available on loan for the power wizards amongst us; please contact Cllr Kelso for further information.

Sustainable Cottenham Group

Probably the easiest way to reduce your carbon footprint is to take steps to reduce permanently, without affecting your lifestyle. People will always reject long term sacrifice, a major reason why all diets start in January and fail in February, so better insulation and appliance use in your home (about a third of your footprint) can reduce impact long term. The Cottenham group are encouraging villagers to take up an offer to insulate your home based on a standardized quote and work order. This has been set up in conjunction with local councils to simplify getting insulation installed and reduce the cost to homeowners.

For anyone using this scheme, a referral portion is given back to the Parish Council through the Sustainable Cottenham Group.

See also -Community escapes big British Freeze and Thermal Imaging for Insulation.

Community escapes big British Freeze

Well to be honest, the whole county seems to have escaped the horror stories about the entire United Kingdom. There has been the good-natured grumble, the dismayed grumble, and then defense of Councils and the Highway Agency maintenance of our roads. The gritty part of this story is how the state has now gotten involved in what is really a day-today matter of letting a tiny team of often overlooked men, women and their machines get out there and grit the roads. Ok, it's not that funny - seriously; why do we need to get salt imported from the mainland in such a hurry? Are the 'food-miles' out of proportion with the emergency? That's not going to do my carbon footprint any good at all.
Talking about carbon, I wonder how green we can make our websites?
I have lost count of the internet interests in the village I live in. For 2500 households, we have at least 10 websites, all doing different things, for different reasons, many looking a bit Web 1.0. Sure, sites link to each other, we have to do this kind of thing to survive, but are we just surviving, or are the geeks in the community actually going somewhere with all this computing power.

I got a newsletter recently, one of the Cambridge professors has a plan to make PCs greener, perhaps things like desktops that shut off when not in use, servers that go into sleep mode when not used; I'm probably breaking some patent law by just talking about this. So where are you going today Conrad? (Wow, this journal is looking like a blog, suddenly I'm talking to myself)
Greener printing, greener load-time web pages, in short greener conscience.
In more pertinent news, an update on a new plan to start a Cottenham e-newsletter circulation will be up next. The site is still blank, but it won't hurt to get some early visits.

I should get ready for my big interview tomorrow. Ciao.

Thermal Imaging for Insulation

Our village has been awarded some funding recently by peoples ITV millions program for our community center. It meant we had to get together and vote for our village via phone over a single day. The number of telephone votes proved, that the village has a lot going for it, and a lot of spirit. Hopefully the Sustainable Cottenham project will see similar support. The part of the program that interests me is energy saving, in all it's forms.

The interesting bit for me at the moment is thermal insulation surveying, and a cool tool called a Thermal Imaging Camera - sometimes used in firefighting, electrical fault detection, and in building inspection.

The picture  left is the kind of thing the camera does. There are a number of conditions that need to be right for the survey to be effective, and even tools that can assist in amplifying the leak detection opportunities.
Aspects like:

• Rain
• wind
• Sunshine
• Heating not actually running

All mess with the survey, meaning it has to be

• Cold at night, or
• Overcast

I can only imagine, this survey - although lots of it is done indoors too will be a lot of hard difficult work. The survey is being assisted by the loan of the device from 'Carbon Footprint'.

Links:

• Transition Cambridge website 
• Thermal images from homes in Cambridge
• Cambridge Carbon Footprint
  

Boxing day meaning

It turns out that the origins of boxing day are lost in the mists so to speak, this is only interesting because where I lived, the name got changed to Day of Goodwill, in order to remove the colonial connotation attached to the holiday.
Because the history has been lost in the British observance , its particularly cunning to bring up the topic of how we treat our history. It's honestly moot, because even the origins of festival days 'adopted' by the christian faith seem to be lacking in effectiveness at bringing their point across.

For a long time I thought public holidays (called bank holidays in the UK after the abolishing of the slave trade) were just ways to get extra holidays, and undercut a countries GDP in a secret communist plot to make people believe they were getting a day off for free. That was a long time ago, a long time ago. I went on for a while to the idea that holidays were productivity devices, intended to make people work even harder in the run-up. It works well for projects that need to get out of the door sometimes. But my healthy paranoia has been proven unfounded time and again. It's just a in which day to recover from our own indulgences.

Iced in for Xmas?

Tomorrow we will decide if we are going to be traveling on Christmas day. Looks pretty poorly, it snowed 5 days ago, and there is no sign of this stuff melting away. More cold weather, and some sleet already falling tonite means more slippery conditions.

On a lighter note, 2010 may be a good year :-)

Brrrr it's cold outside

OK, can someone remind me, why I came to live in this icy cold place?













The snow is very powdery as you can see here. Not wet enough to roll up into a snowman without a whole lot of effort.










It's unusual to get snow before Christmas, if at all until Feb, but it has been pretty much fun.

Programmer for Hire

• Cambridge, UK - experienced software engineer
• Available immediately
• For details, see my online CV

Hats and tipping

Today is a thing about hats, hats are a passion for some, but for me, a hat is a literary device.
My first hat device is almost 4 years old now, it's called "throwing your hat across". The bestway to cross a river with no bridge is to throw your hat across first. It guarantees you have a solid motive for crossing, and although appearing foolish it is a kind of contract too.

We could get all technical about the hat, but motive is the means, and motive is something we can trust in (our legal system appears to do so at times). Oh Tipping,... yes I got another tip today - I think I will spend it all on registering an internet domain, part of my next venture into the wild world of open-source.
If you think suddenly he's insane, please visit www.plcsimulator.org , and click on the donate button - either that or send me a new hat, mine is getting soggy.

black thief in my yard

the thief breaking in...
Yep, he's carrying something I think.
Definitely a nut!
And the black squirrel is gone

Call now!

TODAY

24th November 2009

CALL

0871 6268804

Calls cost 10p on a BT Landline (other networks may vary)

From 9am until Midnight

Vote up to 10 times on both

fixed line and mobile phones

Passengers worse than dogs

Motor passengers were today treated worse than dogs, it's unclear why sanitation, and security was withheld for 4 hours when trapped on the M10 on Sunday afternoon.

Anyway, I think you get the idea, caught in a tailback that took an our to get out of, and 3 hours totally stationary with no information, no loos, and hence missing the plane at Heathrow by about 40 minutes.
I started out at 12:30, leaving 2 hours, with an hour and a bit to spare, to get there at around 4pm. M25 expeditions (it really is an expedition using this bit of gravel-way) have proved they can have 2 hour delays, and since I use it about 10 times a year, I get caught in a delay at least twice a year. I vipped myself (no that's not an english word) this time though, the customer experience was totally crap, I was treated worse than a bloddy dog. I am unsure of why people put up with this crap, probably because many other civil services are just as dismal.

Anyway I have started out to write to the Highways agency to find out why incident scenes are so dangerous. I'm not suggesting portable toilets get dropped off, just that people with problems get some kind of help. Hey I feel sorry for anyone ho got killed on the motorway, don't get me wrong. I also know that the boy-racers who cause the problems also get out of these accidents unscathed most of the time.

I know many people who turn even a 1 hour stint on the M25 into a "great trek", because it is concievable to get stuck for 5 hours. This has to stop.

It is possible to fall off

Solid proof that it is possible to fall off. To be sure that's not all I have fallen off recently.

In other unrelated news, I have fallen off the social ladder by staring at unemployment. This is the first time ever for me that things are not my own choice; so how do we take it? I suppose we could talk about hope, we could talk about prayer, we could talk about humility.
Maybe all it means is time to clear out the closets, air the loft and start anew. Bad thing happen to bad people, bad thing happen to good people, even to great people. God lets sh%t happen all the time, I mean He let stuff like life and intelligence and self-awareness happen. He let random subatomic particles happen too, I don't do that stuff at all tho.
Time to get the shovel out and find work because I expect I have only got a few more weeks of real motivating work still to do. I hope it's not so, but due to the lack of respect held by some people in suits, I now shall have a chance to get to the loft.

Hey if that was glum!
My mum is coming to stay with me next month. maybe I will let her hold the camera, which I so closely guard every time we go out so as not to monopolize every photographic composition. (grin)

Just wondering

Hey, I was just wondering about what happened to all the kids who are turning 40 around now who came from a small southern african coastal town, and how many have been blown to the four winds of adventure or circumstance.
I mean, how many have stayed behind. Those who have not, why have we moved, and is our generation especially mobile today or not really.

Holiday Banana