Facebook Friends

I have been peeved myself with FB since a friend was wiped off it for posting artistic imagery which some small minded person found offensive.
Found this interesting, though obvious really. best thing to do is hide everyone from your NEWS FEED apart from yourself then you’ll just hear good stuff.

Portable DVD Players Buyers Guide

In the past it was impossible to take your movies with you when you went out and about because all of the equipment required to play formats like VHS would have seriously weighed you down. DVDs are well and truly entrenched in society today and the great thing about this digital medium is that the portable players which can unlock the content anywhere you like are not only small and slim but highly functional and inexpensive. Let us take a look at what you should consider when buying a portable DVD player.

Since portability is at the heart of the device you will need to look at size. Size is affected by a number of factors, such as whether or not a rechargeable battery is integrated into the player. It will also depend on the size screen you would like. Larger screens make it easier to see the video and can be enjoyed by more viewers, but smaller options will use less energy and be more portable, so you will need to compromise in one area.

DVD movies have different regions depending on the area of the globe in which they are sold, so make sure that the portable DVD player you choose is compatible with your own region, or indeed multiple regions to avoid disappointment. Also check whether different formats are supported, such as re-writable DVDs or CDs, as this will allow you to listen to music and put your own home movies on DVD so you can watch them on the move.

For a DVD player to be truly portable you need to be able to use it when you are away from a mains outlet and for that a battery is essential. Many will come with integrated batteries which you can recharge via a plug, but you will need to look at the typical amount of playback offered from a single charge. If you are watching a whole film you could be using the device for two hours or more without stopping and if your battery cannot cut the mustard then you will have to stare at a blank screen or find a plug. A good quality portable DVD player should keep on trucking for a movie or two, but it is always important to check up on the specifications to avoid disappointment.

A decent portable DVD player will have integrated speakers, but since you may be on public transport or in a situation where you do not want to disturb others it is important to look for a good, appropriate headphone input. If you want to share the viewing experience with another headphone user then there are even models which come with multiple headphone sockets, although as with screen size you should always anticipate a price hike if you are looking for a player which has these advanced features. If you have some wireless speakers you may also be able to connect them to your DVD player, so always look at the fine print and make sure you are left with compatible gadgets.

N Series Nokia Phones

Nokia is the world`s largest mobile phone manufacturer, consistently out-selling its rivals over the course of many years. It has not earned this title lightly, as it has managed to cater to every niche in the market and even invent a few of its own. As such its mobiles appeal to the gadget fiend and the mainstream user alike. The N Series phones are at the top end of Nokia`s line up and over the years they have built up a large following, with new handsets arriving regularly to refresh the range. Here is a quick overview of the N Series Nokia phones that are on the market today.

Nokia N900

The Nokia N900 arrived at the end of 2009 and it was the first N Series handset to sport the Maemo operating system rather than the Symbian platform of which Nokia has been a patron in the past. The N900 represents a significant shift in the N Series in more ways than one, as its tablet style design marks it out as a serious mobile internet machine rather than a commonplace smartphone. The 3.5 inch touchscreen display is supplemented with a full QWERTY keypad hidden underneath and it has all of the hardware features that mark it out as a powerhouse. The main problem with the N900 is that its software and hardware is unlikely to appeal to the same audience that might go for something like the iPhone. It is a little too tech-heavy, but in the right hands it can be the perfect tool for mobile browsing.

Nokia N97 and N97 Mini

The Nokia N97 joined the N Series last year and it stuck to the Symbian platform of its predecessors, although it underwent some significant work in order to make the touchscreen interface operate accurately. This overhaul involved adding live widgets to the homescreen, which can be updated with information from social networking sites and messaging services without you having to open individual applications. This was quickly copied by many rivals and made the N97 something of a trend-setter. Few rivals chose to copy its angled, slide-out QWERTY keypad, although this was a boon for fans of messaging as it means you would be able to type fast without relying on the virtual keypad onscreen. The N97 was resized and released as the Mini later, with the smaller screen and less onboard storage representing the only major changes. It still possesses the five megapixel camera and wealth of software used by its big brother, making it a more pocketable alternative.

Nokia N8

When the Nokia N8 arrives it will represent yet another shift in the N Series line up, because it is set to make use of the brand new Symbian 3 operating system. Gone are the slide-out keypads of its predecessors, replaced with a touchscreen interface and a powerful new array of hardware. Its most interesting feature is the 12 megapixel camera mounted on the rear, which can take stills and record video in high definition. Critics are concerned that the N8`s software will not go far enough to make it competitive against the likes of Android and the iOS, but hopefully it will be cheaper than rivals, benefiting from mobile phones deals and an attractive price point.

Paddle Round The Pier Brighton

This year’s Paddle Round The Pier Beach Festival plays host to some fantastic water-based events, all helping to raise thousands of pounds for three deserving charities.

The action kicks of for professional paddleboarders early on the Saturday morning with the Funky Puffin Euro Enduro SUP race. A gruelling 20 mile stand-up paddle to Worthing Pier and back – seeing competitors from across Europe and beyond.

Another race for watermen (and girls) is the Errant Surf Holidays Pier2Pier challenge. This sees both ‘amateurs’ and ‘pros’ paddle from the eastern side of the Brighton Pier across to the west side of the West Pier – a tough paddle of over 2 miles against the current.

Also a favourite with the crowds is the ‘Paddle Something Unusual’, where teams paddle ‘unusual’ rafts they have built around the West Pier and back. The past few years has seen a floating island, pirate ship, Dodgeball court and even Thunderbird 2!

And of course at 2pm on the Sunday it’s the event that started this all back in 1996 – the ‘Paddle Round The Pier’. Hundreds of people will take to the water on surfboards, bodyboards, paddle boards, canoes etc and paddle around the West Pier. Having collected sponsorship money each will make a massive difference to the amount raised for the charities.

Other water based events include: the Neilson Sailing Regatta, Inshore Rescue Boats, Outrigger Canoes, The British Ocean Ski Series, Wakeboarding displays and a Fishing Contest (held at Brighton Marina).

If you want to have a go at some sports yourself then you can head to the beach and try out the likes of wakeboarding, kayaking and Stand Up Paddleboarding.

Over 40,000 people are expected to attend this year’s event, which takes place on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 July at Hove Lawns in Brighton and is completely free of charge to visit.

And organisers are hoping to raise over £30,000 for this year’s chosen charities from donations made by visitors. The charities are the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, SurfAid International and Whoopsadaisy.

As well as all of the water activities, there is a lot going on in the ‘Paddle Village’ on Hove Lawns and the promenade next to the beach. Hundreds of stalls, children’s entertainment area, main arena and big top with live bands, plus tons more fun.

More information at the website at : www.paddleroundthepier.com

Art Restorations

Just been working on a website for some friends who specialise in fine art restorations. They are a mixed bunch of skilled individuals with a wealth of experience in the many doctrines of restoration.

The site is made to be simple : http://www.artrestorations.co.uk/ and act as a showcase for their work and services.

It has been fully optimised for search engines with a friendly URL structure and easy navigability.

It is just, now, for them, to add the content…..

When the Greeks are Marketed to

Now, I may be completely wrong, this is all conjecture of course as I am no expert in the economy for sure.

Recently I have been made aware of the awful crash of a country I loved like a lover, like a sibling or like a child I am not certain which, just it was an unconditional love – that is for sure.

Greece, it seems, had fallen on bad times, it has become debt ridden and bankrupt, it can no longer function and there is a general malaise and public discontent.

As someone who has spent a considerable amount of time in that fair and beautiful land I have some comprehension how this has come about.

Basically, they have been rogered brutally by the Great Powers, not for the first time either. It is a pattern one can see repeated on both macro and individual scale and is a perfect example of the ongoing slave trade these days. On an individual scale the crash of the western economies over the past few years has been down to the same cynical exploitation of greed by the money lending corporations.

In the late 1950′s Karamanlis paved the way for Greece’s entry into the then EEC.

Since then the real West : America, Germany, France, England and China have convinced this poor Balkan state that it too, could and should, be living the Western dream.

Slowly this appeared possible, The Greeks, of course, knew that they were in no way inferior to the rest of the Western countries so they took the bait an waited….and spent

Sure enough it was not long before their way of life was changing, they were soon reaping the rewards of this new way of life.

In 1985 the average Greek drove 0.25 of a car which was 15 years old. By 2005 the stats had changed to 1.5 cars and 2 years old on average. The Greeks had also become accustomed to a steady increase their ‘standard of living’, mobile phones were widespread, laptops, newer automobiles, new cocktails, German air conditioning, French Wine, English steel, Chinese gadgets, American clothes ….. they had made it, and all because they had answered the simple question :

“why don’t you live like us?”
well the trouble is that there is one simple answer ~
“they can’t afford to!”

You see, this lifestye we are so busy selling the world costs money, we can afford some sort of fascimilie of the lifestyle because it is actually a representation of the lifestyle we have created ourselves…our temperate climate and historical progress has allowed us to create a way of living rich in the very goods we have invented..to some extent….

Not so for the rest of the workd, not so for most of the world, all we will do to them is sucker them into chasing our dreams and saddle with a vast consumer debt…

Greece is now in financial ruin because it tried to ape some ethereal soap opera lifestyle which maybe does not even exist, and certaionlyl if it does, proffers far less in terms if humanity and joy than the languid and happy lives they had before this katanalotic idiocy started them up.

Most Dangerous Surf Break on the Planet

Surfing is great fun, anyone who has slipped into the sea with a board knows that. It is a spiritual experience, bringing you closer to nature.

But there is a darker side too, nature is savage and anyone who wants to ride the wild sea must pit themselves against brutal and harsh elements on a regular basis.

Now, I am writing this as a warning to those not in the know. You have all read about the precipitous drop in at the Mavericks, we all know about the vicious reef beneath the Pipeline’s azure hues and we have all seen recent footage from Jaws. But for some of us, in our own backyard, there is a break so dangerous, so hostile and so unpredictable that only the foolhardy would paddle out into its apparently benign break.
I am talking about the Hotpipes in Shoreham – UK.

Here nature’s forces are funnelled into a maelstrom which makes the slab at Teahupoo look like a longboarding grom’s wet dream. On the South Coast of sleepy Sussex gargantuan waves break over a reef of razor sharp coral and scrap metal. The prevailing onshore winds lash the surface into a frenzy or churning mush which means that the waves are not only unsurfable but any slight error is generally punished severely.

Moreover the break is patrolled ( I can not say surfed as these locals know the stupidity of entering the Shoreham waters ) by a gang of out of work welders with severe personality disorders. Not having the politeness of Sir Ken Bradshaw these types will bite a chunk from your board while it is still on the roof of your car. Needless to say car crime is rife in this area and it is a designated police ‘no go zone‘.

mean local surf dude at the hotpipes

As if things could not conspire more to make this place a spot to bookmark under the heading : do not surf here; there is more. It has recently been discovered that Shoreham Port Authority has been laundering Russian Uranium at the Power Station and the Geiger Counters go off the scale down at ‘the Pipes’. This radiation in the water has led to severe mutations amongst the indigenous shark population.

So, please take it from me. Do not venture down to, perhaps, the nastiest break on the planet. This is really a place to avoid.

This article was originally submitted to Magic Seaweed, but they, strangely did not want to publish this denouément of such a break.

Sat Nav on the Omnia

Having just returned from a lazy 1000 mile traversal of France in a Renault Traffic I found the Sat nav facility on the Omnia superb. I have all the Western Europe maps on a small memory card which I bought on ebay

With the Route 66 application installed the i900 whirred into life. Sadly the battery was taking a hit as was the fuel tank of the Renault but we made it there.

The Sat Nav responded with alacrity to every sinuous and treacherous bend in the French transport system, it located the rare Garage on the peage and even warned when nearing campsites.

The phone ( the Omnia ) is a splendin travel companion, combining Sat Nav, Wifi, DivX movies, a very sturdy 5 Megapixel camera, mp3, radio, 16 gig of storage and of course a telephone. I would like more games but I guess they will come and a final reques would be a big stonking battery do that the machine stays on when you want it turned on.

All you need to know about surfing

Well I have been surfing for a year now so I feel I should pass on a small guide as to what I have learnt

Attire
It is important not to get cold so you should in the UK wear a wetsuit covering your arms and legs.
If you are well hard you can go for a short suit or even shorts, but you would have to be actually born in Brighton to be that hard.
In the winter you should wear gloves, boots and a hat.
I am still wearing boots now as it is easier to run on the pebbles.
Make sure it all zipped up nice before you go in the water.
You should rinse out your suit with fresh water after use and try to get it as dry as possible for the next session
Shoes should be turned inside out to dry I think.

Equipment
You need a board
You need to tie it to your leg using the rubbery leash thing.
You should heavily wax the board as it is really hard standing up anyway, and if you slip off it is just maddening.

Surfing
You have to get out in the sea to here the waves are breaking – it is a right basterd.
If you are out of your depth and have to paddle through breaking waves there are tricks like dipping the front of the board or goin upside down to stop getting mashed of washed back to shore but I can’t suss them properly.
You must pick a good wave this is often a hunch, or it s huge, or it is preceded by a trough ( like tsumanis are ) or is nice and steep faced.
Once you are ready and a wave is coming you should try to get going forwards as fast as you can to not be pulled back off the wave and miss it and to get some intertia going so you can surf it. Just paddle as hard as possible and don’t give up, that last splash is sometimes what gets you on the wave.
Once you are going forward try to stand up in one fluid movement – that is the easy part…

Ha like fuck is it. I almost have it sussed though.

Recommended preparation

Push ups not like pressups, just practice ‘popping up’ on an old ironing board
How to pop up

Also I reckon everyone should bring some wax -as it makes you feel cool waxing your board.
And you should own one item of neoprene, like not a whole suit necessarily but wetsuit shoes I think.

Nokia 5800 is a soft touch

Well, I am nearing the end of a contract and looking rather desperately for the successor to the Nokia 6500. To tell the truth I thought it would be more like an N Series phone when I ordered it and did not realise that was not S60. Still it has proven a reliable and rugged gadget and has logged 100′s of hours of gaming time thanks to the RBS Rugby 08 game installed on it. ( the 09 looks rather silly so far).

So, I look around and the Nokia 5800 shouts out, like imagine a touchcreen S60 – sounds great, oh and I am dying to get back to a standard 3.5mm jack plug as anything else really does not work the same – way too fiddly.

Nokia Announce :
“As Nokia’s first mass-market device with a touch screen, the Nokia 5800 XpressMusic turns a ‘user interface’ into a ‘human interface’ by truly putting people first. For example, we’ve introduced the Nokia Contacts Bar, which is like a digital RSS feed on your life,” said Harlow. “By adding the benefits of touch screen technology to S60, the world’s leading smartphone interface, Nokia is taking the familiar and giving it a human touch. We have used touch technology where it really adds value such as the Contacts Bar, Media Bar and clever shortcuts from the homescreen to menu items such as calendar, profiles and clock. ”

The phone has, as we now expect, everything , like every thing you can imagine from a mobile. Lay it on me.

Worth mentioning in retrospect that the Nokia N95 survived the fall into the toilet and total immersion.