Christmas with The Who in London - for members only!!

Image by oddsock via FlickrGot myself tickets for the December 14th Who concert at Indi02 in London. Can't wait. Indi02 is an intimate little venue holding only 2,500 and I've got standing floor seats.

The Who are putting on two special Christmas shows there for members of thewho.com only as a reward to their dedicated fans. If you want tickets, you must be a member. Membership, BTW, is a great deal in and of itself.

For $50 you get:
- View From A Backstage Pass - this double CD contains a whole generation of rare live Who performances (1969 – 1976).
- A members only, Wholigan t-shirt
- A 25% discount off your first purchase in the Who store, The Who Sell Out.
- message board area , forums, regular messages from Pete and Roger, including Pete’s blogs, and they both answer fans questions from time to time
- Personalised email address (yournamehere@thewho.com)
- Regular mailings you’ll be the first to know about new releases, special appearances, publications or tour dates. With more features coming soon.


"I'd call that a bargain, the best I've ever had!"

Traveller Weddings

Image by catzrule99 via Flickr

I agree that travelers are very badly treated in Ireland - but then the Irish can be very xenophobic in general and aren't very welcoming of "blow ins". I should know, I lived there for 10 years, my mum was born there and still I never felt truly Irish except when camping alone on the Hill of Tara. That was the only place I really felt part of my Irish ancestors.


An example of this exclusion of foreigners can be found here

... Dalkey is a compact town with a great deal of history and character. It was designated a Heritage Town in 1994. Timmy Ryan, an esteemed local, tells a story regarding his Grandfather Joe Ryan, who came to live in Dalkey age two. In the town, man and boy for a mere 68 years, Joe could be found with old pals on fine days, swapping yarns, sitting in the sun on the bench by Webster’s Corner as it was then known. (This same sunny bench can be found in front of the double hoardings down the end of town). One day a heated discussion on Dalkey matters arose, Joe offered his opinion and was immediately told to shut up, after all what did he know wasn't he only a blow in.

And yet, when a celebrity with tenuous links to Ireland like JFK or Bill Clinton visited, they were feted like long lost sons. It seems Irishness is an "honour" to be bestowed only when it suits. I suppose the fact that I don't have ANY nationalistic feelings of my own makes it so incomprehensible that people should feel proud of something that they had nothing to do with. Your nationality is an accident of birth and not an accomplishment! You might as well be "proud" you have blue eyes. Being proud to be Irish or English or American is the most useless of emotions and the cause of more wars than religion ever was.
Sorry, rant over and now for the article.
Cheers
James


Would You Raise Your Machetes Please In A Toast To The Bride And Groom? | Avalon5

Would You Raise Your Machetes Please In A Toast To The Bride And Groom?

July 29, 2007 (7 Responses)


WHEN YOU THINK of weddings and family celebrations the images which typically permeate your consciousness are probably along the lines of old aunts drinking a little too much sherry, old uncles grabbing the microphone and treating guests to various drunken renditions of Elvis classics, even perhaps kids sneaking the odd alcohol treat when no one is looking. All in all, you probably think of weddings as one of those events which brings the entire family together in celebration of starting a new branch of the family tree.

When you think of possible venues for such an event Tinakilly House Hotel - a four star victorian mansion set in the woods of County Wickow, Ireland - is one of those locations most people desire; secluded, steeped in history and elegant enough for the wedding event of your dreams.

Unfortunately, this is not the image which most people will be left with after the last wedding ‘event’ down in Tinakilly house. Rather than a wedding, it’s perhaps more accurate to describe the affair as a grudge match. Police were called to the scene when a brawl broke out between the two families gathered for a wedding last Friday. Not just any kind of disagreement however, this brawl involved the participants weilding machetes, pick axes, slash-hooks, knives, wheel braces and even a sawn off shotgun (no wedding pun intended!). Apparently up to 30 or 40 people were involved in the fight, which I’m sure must have looked like a scene from Apocalypse Now by the time the cops arrived.

You see this was a traveller wedding.

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The Story of the Guitar

Image via Wikipedia

The BBC has produced a fantastic documentary. Obviously, my favourite sections deal with Pete Townshend . Here Pete explains what the attraction of the electric guitar was to the bands of the 60s. How The Who found their sound, and how art school influenced what it meant to Pete: much more than just an instrument to play on.

The man who made his name smashing guitars on stage here argues for the guitar as an instrument of the salon. Pete Townshend sings the praises of the guitar as the most personal, intimate and companionable of instruments.

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Recognise your negative thinking patterns

Image via Wikipedia

Recognise your negative thinking patterns

Recognise your negative thinking patterns

Do you automatically think "I'm useless” if you do something wrong, or assume that if your neighbour ignores you, she must hate you?

These distorted thoughts can really take their toll on your self-esteem. Below is a list of 10 negative ways of thinking, if you can recognise yourself having these thoughts then you can begin the process of rationalising them.


1. Personalisation
Even though it’s largely out of your control you blame yourself for a negative event that occurred 'If I had taken more care, I never would have lost my mobile phone.'

2. Filtering
One negative happening, such as a rude comment made to you during an otherwise enjoyable evening changes your whole perspective on the evening and puts you on a downer

3. Rejecting praise
Closing off the positive such as a compliment, affectionate gesture or praise goes unnoticed, ignored or deflected; you might reply with, 'It’s no big deal.'

4. Drawing false conclusions
You draw negative conclusions without getting your facts straight. You try and predict the future or guess what someone else is feeling 'My sister is upset, she must be angry with me.'

5. Negative reasoning
You are sure that your negative opinion of a situation reflects reality. Such as: 'My husband drops his socks on the floor just to aggravate me.'

6. Using the word 'should' in your vocabulary
You adhere to being a perfectionist and following certain rules about what you 'should' be doing. You feel useless and guilty when you can’t stick to your rules.

7. Overgeneralisation
One negative event, such as an insult from your partner or an argument with someone causes you to exaggerate the situation. For example, you might think, 'She’s always cold' or 'You can’t trust anyone.'

8. Labelling
Rather than learning from a mistake and using it as an experience that has helped you grow as a person, you label yourself negatively: 'I’m a failure.' You do the same to other people too: 'She’s so controlling.'

9. Magnification or minimisation
You wind yourself up so that molehill problems become mountains 'I know I won’t be any good at it.' Or you minimize anything that might make you feel good, such as appreciation for a kind act you did or the recognition that other people have flaws, too.

10. All or nothing
If you don’t perform with perfection, then you consider yourself a complete failure.

Negative thoughts don’t have to be a way of life, you can 'unlearn' self-defeating ways of thinking that pave the way toward mood disorders.

Writing things down on paper really helps. Take some time out of your day to write down a negative event, notice your thought pattern from the list above and look at then write down a different perspective with a more rational and optimistic response.

Just the act of writing gives you back some power and control over the situation and once you have recognised your negative thought pattern you are on the way to teaching yourself new patterns, positive ones!

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Prison vs Work

Image via WikipediaJust in case you ever get these two environments mixed up, this should make things a little bit clearer.

@ PRISON
You spend the majority of your time in a 10X10 cell
@ WORK
You spend the majority of your time in an 6X6 cubicle /office

@ PRISON
You get three meals a day fully paid for
@ WORK
You get a break for one meal and you have to pay for it

@ PRISON
You get time off for good behaviour
@ WORK
You get more work for good behaviour

@ PRISON
The guard locks and unlocks all the doors for you
@ WORK
You must often carry a security card and open all the doors for yourself

@ PRISON
You can watch TV and play games
@ WORK
You could get fired for watching TV and playing games

@ PRISON
You get your own toilet
@ WORK
You have to share the toilet with some people who pee on the seat

@ PRISON
They allow your family and friends to visit
@ WORK
You aren't even supposed to speak to your family

@ PRISON
All expenses are paid by the taxpayers with no work required
@ WORK
You get to pay all your expenses to go to work, and they deduct taxes from your salary to pay for prisoners

@ PRISON
You spend most of your life inside bars wanting to get out
@ WORK
You spend most of your time wanting to get out and go inside bars

@ PRISON
You must deal with sadistic wardens
@ WORK
They are called managers

Now get back to work. You're not getting paid to read blogs!!!

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If you don't laugh, you'll cry

Image by tigitogs via Flickr

As the financial crisis bites deeper around the globe, people are reacting in the best way they know how: with a laugh!! The only other option doesn't bear thinking about.

FACTBOX-Jokes making the rounds on financial crisis | Reuters

Mon Oct 20, 2008 11:39am BST

(Reuters) - The financial crisis may ruin some banks and throw thousands of people out of work, but it has generated a wealth of jokes spawned by gallows humour.






Here is a sample:

Q: What's the definition of optimism?

A: An investment banker who irons five shirts on a Sunday evening.

An investment banker said he was going to concentrate on the big issues from now on. He sold me one in the street yesterday.

A man went to his bank manager and said: 'I'd like to start a small business. How do I go about it?' 'Simple,' said the bank manager. 'Buy a big one and wait.'

The credit crunch is getting bad, isn't it? I mean, I let my brother borrow a tenner a couple of weeks back, it turns out I'm now Britain's fourth biggest lender.

Q: What is the difference between an investment banker and a pigeon?

A: A pigeon can still make a deposit on a BMW

Q: What is the difference between an investment banker and a large pizza?

A: The pizza can still feed a family of four

Q: What does a hedge fund manager with no fund to manage say?

A: Would you like fries with that sir?

Q: What is the capital of Iceland?

A: About $3.50

I tried to get cash from the ATM today but it said "insufficient funds." I don't know if that meant them or me.

And finally:

Mark Twain was ahead of the curve: "October. This is one of the peculiarly dangerous months to speculate in stocks in. The others are July, January, September, April, November, May, March, June, December, August and February."

(Reporting by Niklas Mika and Michael Shields; Editing by Paul Bolding)

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That there rock just moved!!!!

Image via Wikipedia

Well they don't move fast enough to be observed but something weird is going on here!!!


Been-Seen.com:: Travel Places - Moving rocks

Wander way out into the middle of Death Valley and you may come across some rocks. Not just any rocks (though there are certainly plenty of them around). Rocks that walk.



Sure, most rocks move when you kick them. But these rocks, found in the middle of an enormous dried-up clay lake bed called Racetrack Playa, seem to move all by themselves, leaving tell-tale trails behind them in the dust. They don't just follow straight paths either. Some zig. Some zag. Some practically do U-turns.


Why? Well that's the million dollar question. No-one, it seems, has seen them move (they move so slowly and so infrequently that watching them would be more frustrating than watching your toenails grow).



Nor is there any evidence that foul play is afoot. The most popular theory is that, after heavy rainfall, the ground gets seriously slippery, and gusts of wind push the stones (and we're not just taking pebbles here) slowly across the ground, some as far as 1,500ft. The prevailing wind direction (southwest to northeast) gives weight to this theory. Others believe the movement is caused when the lake bed is covered by a thin layer of ice, and the stones take off like rocks in a game of curling.

But, like I said, no-one has seen it happen, so the jury's still out. Isn't it about time someone left some cameras? RM

Serif's latest product gets glowing reviews.

I work at Serif, producing the foreign language versions of their software. Okay, so I am not responsible for the English version of this product but it's nice to bask in such glowing praise nonetheless!!

Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist Software Review

Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist Software Review
New Digital Scrapbook Software - Go to Serif to get it.
About.com Rating five out of Five

By Rebecca Ludens, About.com


I have wanted to get into digital scrapbooking for a couple of years now. I have two popular programs that I use all the time to edit graphics for my web site, however using them for scrapbooking has a huge learning curve. Many scrapbooking computer programs are based on templates and sticker-like embellishments that just didn’t quite measure up to current trends. Finally, a software program for digital scrapbooking is available that is exactly what I was looking for. Serif Digital Scrapbook Artist contains everything I need to get started scrapbooking in minutes making pages that look modern and fit with my style.

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Google - Things to do

Image via CrunchBase

Google - Things to do

Things to do
Find a new thing to do with Google today
Show us what you can do with Google

Post a video or comment on our YouTube channel.

You can do a lot more than search the web with Google nowadays, from reading newspapers in languages you don't speak to seeing the natural habitat of Komodo dragons.

Discover something new to do with Google today by clicking on a title below to watch a how-to video and try it for yourself.

1.
Browse the classics without opening a book
With Google Book Search, you can flick through books from the comfort of your home computer.


2.
Never wake up your Australian relatives at 3am again
Use Google Search to make sure you don't rudely awaken anyone the next time you make a call. Type 'time' followed by the location, and midnight disruptions will be a thing of the past.

3.
Convert £ to Yuan instantly
Going someplace nice? Type the currency you want to convert into the search box to find out how much it's worth in another currency. Note that rates provided are for information only

4.
See the Cerne Giant in your bedroom
Visit some of the world's most famous and unusual places on Google Earth. You can search for places you know or visit the Google Earth KML directory to make new discoveries. *Download required.
Download Google Earth

5.
Automatically save every draft of your wedding list/seating plan
Google Docs automatically saves every version of your document so you never have to worry about losing a valuable draft again.
Try Google Docs

6.
Flight arrival and departure times in real time
With Google Search, you can enter a flight number and get updated information on when the flight is arriving or departing.

7.
Say 'I don't speak Italian', in Italian
With Google Translate, type the word or phrase you want to translate and select your languages to receive your translation. Please note that Translate is only available in some language pairs. We're adding more as fast as we can.

8.
Are you big in Uzbekistan?
With YouTube Insights, you can find out what countries your viewers are from and also get additional information like viewer demographics.
Go to YouTube

9.
Settle trivia disputes in the pub
Settle a bet in the pub with Google Search on your mobile. Access all the information on the web without needing to be in front of your computer. Go to Google search on your mobile by typing m.google.co.uk into your mobile phone browser

10.
Watch your favourite YouTube clips in high-resolution
If you have a fast internet connection, you can change the setting in your YouTube account to always play videos in high definition when available.
Go to YouTube

11.
Stargaze on a bright sunny day, or on a cloudy afternoon
Amateur astronomers rejoice. With the Sky feature in Google Earth, you can stargaze at any time of day or night. View everything from supernovas to entire constellations, complete with information on what you're looking at.
Download Google Earth

12.
Get directions when you're on the move
Taken a wrong turn? Use the My Location feature of Google Maps on your mobile to figure out approximately where you are. No GPS required. It's also handy if you want to get directions from your current spot without typing in the address. *Download required. *Available for most web-enabled mobile phones, including Java, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Nokia/Symbian devices.
Download Google Maps for Mobile

13.
Find out who's free for lunch without asking
Struggling to figure out when everyone's free for a get together? With Google Calendar, you can add the calendars of friends, family and colleagues to your own calendar, and your only problem will be agreeing on a restaurant.
Try Google Calendar

14.
Keep your family videos in the family
Keep family videos private by using the privacy setting on YouTube videos.That way, only the people you want to see your videos are able to.
Go to YouTube

15.
Know not only when the FTSE moves, but why
Stock prices go up and down. Google Finance pairs financial charts with related news of the day. So you can see what happened and why, when you're reviewing your portfolio.
Try Google Finance

16.
Find local cinema times
Get big-screen showtimes on your little screen. Type the movie you want to see and your postcode into the search box to get current times and locations. If you need ideas on what to see, you can type the word 'film' and your location to see what movies are playing in your area.

17.
Make your homepage YOUR homepage
Personalise your homepage by adding your favourite content to iGoogle. If you want to give it an extra special something, you can also add designs by well-known artists.
Try iGoogle

18.
Inspiration, insight or information for your essay, dissertation or thesis
Begin your research with Google Scholar. Search hundreds of different journals, universities, books and other sources from the comfort of your favourite armchair.

19.
Turn your email into a conversation
Instead of emailing back and forth, you can reply to an email by chat instead with Google Mail. Your conversations are automatically saved, so you can revisit them just like email.
Go to Google Mail

20.
Show your kid where the Komodo dragon lives
To see where the endangered species of the world live, use Google Earth's ARKive layer to display their locations and important facts about them. *Download required.
Download Google Earth

21.
Go back to work without going back to the office
Never be without that important file again. With Google Docs, all your documents are saved online. So no matter what computer you're using, or where in the world you are, you can pick up where you left off.
Try Google Docs

22.
What Coleridge actually wrote was…
To avoid misquoting the greats of literature, use Google Book Search to check those famous lines, word for word.

23.
Have your daily schedule sent to you every morning
Stay on top of your schedule by setting up Google Calendar to email your agenda to you every morning. You can also set up text reminders to your mobile phone.
Try Google Calendar

24.
Map out the local sights for visiting friends
With My Maps, you can add your own information to a Google Map, such as descriptions and photos, and share it in an email, instant message, or on a web page. It's a great way to help out-of-town guests find their way, show a favorite route to your running club, or plan your next family road trip.
Go to Google Maps

25.
Share your YouTube favorites on the bus
Liven up your commute with YouTube on your mobile. Search for videos, browse categories or sign in to your account to view your own videos or favourites. Go to YouTube on your mobile by typing m.youtube.co.uk into your mobile phone browser

26.
Get the latest weather forecast for Hyderabad, or anywhere else on Earth
Taking a trip or going for a stroll? Find out the weather before heading out by typing 'weather' and the location into the Google search box.

27.
Search the web Elmer Fudd style
Feewing Wucky? Google Search Preferences lets you choose the language you want to see when you use Google. In addition to many of the world's popular languages, you'll find a few fun ones, like Elmer Fudd and Pig Latin.
Go to Google Search Preferences

28.
Fill in web forms with one click
Chances are you've entered your personal details on websites more times than you can count. With Google Toolbar's AutoFill feature, you can enter all of that information once, and the next time you encounter a web form, just click the AutoFill button and your information will be entered automatically.
Download Google Toolbar


29.
Add comments directly into your videos
With YouTube annotations, you can add speech bubbles, comments or spotlight a particular section of your video to make sure your audience gets your message. For more information, visit http://uk.youtube.com/t/annotations_about
Go to YouTube

30.
Star or label important emails for easy reference
Google Mail makes it easy to locate important messages in more ways than one. Star or label your messages so you'll be able to easily find them again.
Go to Google Mail

31.
See tomorrow's storm coming a thousand miles off
Try your hand at weather forecasting by using the weather layer in Google Earth to see when the next storm is coming. *Download required.
Download Google Earth


32.
Multiply 27,334.56 by 21.3 without a calculator
Use the built-in calculator in Google search to solve maths problems, as well as units of measure, conversions, and physical constants. For the full range of possibilities, visit our instructions page: http://www.google.co.uk/help/calculator.html

33.
Tart up your holiday snaps before sending them out to mates
Make your next holiday slideshow for your dinner guests more interesting. Use Picasa to turn your images into black & white or sepia, or add captions and visual effects. *Download required
Download Picasa


34.
Read a newspaper written in a language you don't speak
Browse a foreign website by entering the URL into Google Translate to convert it into the language of your choice. Please note that Translate is only available in some language pairs. We're adding more as fast as we can.
Try Google Translate

35.
Learn a new skill in a minute
Watch instructional videos on YouTube to learn new skills, from badminton to the piano. Search for the topics you're interested in or browse the 'How-to & Style' section.
Go to YouTube

36.
You are here. The pub you want is there
Use the My Location feature of Google Maps for Mobile to figure out approximately where you are. No GPS required. Once you know where you are, you can also search for nearby places to go. *Download required. *Available for most web-enabled mobile phones, including Java, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Nokia/Symbian devices.
Download Google Maps for Mobile

37.
Work on the same document from four corners of the Earth
With Google Docs, people can work on the same document at the same time, without sending attachments back and forth, or merging changes.
Try Google Docs


38.
Know when to take the high road or the low road
Customise your route with Google Maps. Use features like the 'avoid highways' option to tailor your directions.
Go to Google Maps

39.
Make yourself feel better - convert your weight from pounds to kilos
Use the built-in calculator in Google search to convert your measurements. For more possibilities, go to http://www.google.co.uk/help/calculator.html


40.
Translate your website into 13 languages with a single line of code
No hablo Espanol? No problem. Add the Google Translate gadget to your website, and visitors can view a translation of your site by choosing their language from a list. Please note that Translate is only available in some language pairs. We're adding more as fast as we can.
Try Google Translate

41.
Glam up your YouTube channel
Give your YouTube channel the red carpet treatment it deserves. Pick a new colour combination, add a border, or include your own background images.
Go to YouTube

42.
Find the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything
You could meditate under a waterfall for the answer to life. Or try typing it into Google Search and see what you get.

43.
Find the email in the haystack
Tired of trawling through 1,932 important emails to find the really important one? Google Mail automatically groups email replies in a single thread, and you also can search by name or keyword to find what you're looking for.
Go to Google Mail

44.
DJ at your friend's party...take your playlist with you
Leave your record bags at home and take your laptop to play a set at your mate's party. YouTube's QuickList feature allows you to add videos to your playlist with just one click.
Go to YouTube

45.
See the effects of climate change for yourself
Add KML files to Google Earth to see a variety of information geographically displayed, such as the predicted effects of climate change or what country an unusual species calls home. *Download required.
Download Google Earth

46.
Survey your mates to conclusively agree on the best film of all time
Settle a friendly debate amongst your friends by using Google Docs to create a survey. Email it to your friends and Google Docs will automatically update with their responses.
Try Google Docs

47.
Be famous for 15 seconds, minutes or days
Could you be the next YouTube star? Upload your latest video and spread the word.
Go to YouTube

48.
Travel as the crow flies, or go right around the houses
If you prefer the scenic route, use the draggable route feature in Google Maps to change your course and your directions will automatically update to reflect your changes.
Go to Google Maps

49.
Work on your online documents even when you're offline
With the offline feature of Google Docs, you can work on your documents on a plane, at the beach, or in a land far away. Your changes will be automatically saved online the next time you sign in. *Download required
Try Google Docs

50.
Love this video? Don't miss the sequel
Make sure you're in the know when the latest videos are released by your favourite YouTube stars. By subscribing to their channels, you'll receive an update as soon as they add new videos.
Go to YouTube

51.
Preserve instant message conversations
Google Mail automatically saves all your instant messages, so you can refer to them later on. Of course, there are some you may not want to keep around. In those cases, simply take the conversation Off The Record, and it won't be saved.
Go to Google Mail

52.
Add a YouTube player to your website
You can create a custom YouTube player to play your own videos, or your favourites from others, on your website. You can also embed individual videos by copying and pasting the embed code next to a video into your website.
Go to YouTube

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