It Was 20 Years Ago Today – Part 1

Jul 11

It Was 20 Years Ago Today – Part 1

It was 20 years ago today that I graduated. 11th July 1991 I wore a silly gown and wandered about the quadrangles of Glasgow University feeling generally pleased with things. For the record (and in case I forget in my dotage), I received a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronic Systems and Microcomputer Engineering. I went to Glasgow as a young, startled 17 year old....

Read More

The Age of Great Powers

Jun 21

The Age of Great Powers

I can’t help but get excited when I see an old book with this kind of traditional font. It doesn’t really matter what it’s about, the very feel of it adds gravitas and a suggestion of learning. It’s a bit like old people being deserving of respect, they may have been useless nutters in their youth, so you should listen to them. I think old...

Read More

Alphabetically, The Smiths – A Game

Jun 20

Alphabetically, The Smiths – A Game

My sharp eyed reader will know that I provide an excellent chauffeur service for @stuartamdouglas for our commute to work. This is usually an entertaining jaunt with hilarity worthy of a wider audience*. Over the last week or so we have taken to entertainment to a whole new level by accidentally tripping over a very fun game. I mentioned recently that my robust yet...

Read More

My Big Fat Lovely MP3 Player

Jun 05

My Big Fat Lovely MP3 Player

When people look at my Archos 504 these days, it usually gets the same reaction “What on earth is that thing?“. To which I reply “It’s my MP3 player”. At which point they are even more bemused “…but, but… it’s, erm… HUGE.” “Yes” I reply politely “I also use it for...

Read More

The Internet and External Validation Addiction

May 30

The Internet and External Validation Addiction

Back in the early 90′s there was much to celebrate. Aside from being thin and having hair, the TV was full of things to keep any self-respecting pseudo-intellectual happy. The ultra-cool obviously watched Twin Peaks. Still a classic and hasn’t aged at all. The more thoughtful and romantic were glued to Northern Exposure. Obviously, being intent on being...

Read More

I Used To Be The Internet

May 21

I Used To Be The Internet

Lady Gaga just came on TV. My lovely lady wife said “I don’t even know her real name”. Obviously, iPad in hand, I had the answer in a gaggle of picoseconds. And then the sagely question was asked by the beautiful one across the room from me “what did we do before the Internet?”. Well. I thought. Many years ago, in those tobacco brown...

Read More

Un dimanche après-midi à l’Île de Londres

Apr 27

Un dimanche après-midi à l’Île de Londres

Twas a lovely Easter Sunday in London. Here are a few photos from my meandrings… Firstly, onto Hampstead Heath where people were out enjoying the sun and generally chilling. And reading newspapers on top of Parliament Hill. And parking their Chevy Impalas… A brief hop on the tube. Down to Camden for the market, which was extermely busy and...

Read More

No Cameras Allowed #travel

Apr 20

No Cameras Allowed #travel

Being a holiday week, it’s very likely you’ll see me wandering around somewhere with my daughter and a far too heavy camera bag. As is my wont, I will take a lot of photos as I go and will liberally ping them online via my photos sites, stock sites, this blog, Twitter/Facebook etc. Occasionally I will visit somewhere were no photography is allowed. I...

Read More

Thoughts on Japan

Mar 22

It’s hard to watch the scenes of the Japanese earthquake and subsequent tsunami and not be just a little bit terrified. It’s equally hard to imagine that one minute I could be sitting hear at my computer and the next me, the computer and the house I’m in are swept out to sea. But that’s what happened and you feel deeply for everyone...

Read More

People and Planet : A Juxtaposition

Mar 21

The world has looked like a very tortured place of late. Hot on the heels of the global financial meltdown we have terrible natural disasters in New Zealand and Japan and much of the Arab world either having or about to have a barney. And then last week we had Comic Relief and the reminder of how bad the business as usual world can be. I suppose one of the modern...

Read More