Hi folks,

I am writing this at a Buddhist centre in Todmorden, because I am having a little retreat to celebrate new year. We will be doing prayers for world peace to see in the new year. In the meantime I will be drinking plenty of hot chocolates and meditating occasionally.

David

I've just seen this news article about an amazing parrot that not only has a vocabulary of 900 words, but has a sense of humour, and can make statements in the context he is in.
For example, when he saw another parrot hanging upside down on a perch, he said, 'got to get that on camera'. This is certainly no dead parrot....

click on the link below.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/3430481.stm

Dear viewers, we at DFS are pleased to announce that due to unprecedented demand we have now run out of settees and sofas. Therefore, you will now not see any more advertisements from us for half price sofas and settees until next christmas.
Thank you.

YEEEEHHHAAAAA!
:D

Good morning, Happy Christmas, New Year, Boxing day, etc to all my blogging friends, and anyone else in the world who might read this.

I was watching one of those 'top 100' programmes last night, it was something like the top 40 most embarrassing moments on TV, one of them being when one of the contestants on 'family fortunes' had the fortune to have one of her breasts pop out of her blouse, when she was jumping up and down and waving at the end. I say 'fortunate' because I didn't find it in the least embarrassing.

Seriously though, the presenter of the top 40 programme said that these were the top 40 as 'voted by you'. I couldn't help wondering who had voted and when, because alot of the clips were not particularly embarrassing. And also the number one clip was pathetic in it's embarrassment factor, it was when someone in changing rooms declared that she hated the room they had done for her. I thought the best one was when that politician at a conference was caught on camera pretending to sing the Welsh national anthem when everyone else was singing it. He looked really embarrassed as he pretended to mouth the words when it was obvious that he didn't have a clue. But in general I find these sort of programmes are just a cheap way filling the air time, and are merely chewing gum for the brain.

Anyway, i've decided that if I ever become a producer, I'm going to make the worst programme ever to hit our screens over Christmas. It's going to be called something like 'The x factor's top 100 celebrity come dancing circus, I'm killing the kids so get me out of here.'

David

Yipee,I've passed my plumbing exam today, on health and safety in the workplace. I got 96%.

Soon it will be time to revise for my next exam at the end of january. That one will be about 'common plumbing processes', such as soldering, jointing, bending pipes, etc.

I've also finished my next practical assignment, another copper pipe model.
I had to test this one by pumping water into it under pressure and it passed. I'm quite pleased with the pipe bend I did over my knee.

P.S. If you click on the picture you get a bigger one!

David

The investigation into the five murders in Ipswich went into a higher gear yesterday, when a man, Tom Stephens was arrested. But now, this morning, another man, Stephen Wright, has been arrested. Really is getting interesting, but of course the police will know alot of things that they won't be making public. There has been some speculation that the first man arrested is just seeking attention and did not really do anything. it has to be said that it is not usual to give such a frank interview to the BBC, about his relationship with the deceased women. He is either trying to hide his guilt by seeming to be very open about things, or he really is just seeking attention.
The BBC have been criticised for broadcasting the interview because it may jeapordise a potential future trial. I am frankly surprised at the level of discussion in the press about this man; it seems that we know almost everything about this man before he has even been charged or not charged, as the case might be. I don't think that should be allowed. Having said that he has got his own website which is in the public domain.

And I agree that the BBC should not have broadcast the interview. It's better to err on the cautious side until any potential trial is over.

I put 'ripper' in the title in inverted commas, because apparently he is not a 'ripper' like the yorkshire ripper was. It's another case of the press creating stereotype.

David

I've got a plumbing exam on Wednesday, it's my first one. I'ts a multichoice paper, so shouldn't be too difficult. Having said that the pass mark is 80% so I will have to know my stuff. I had better get revising then, and do less oggling at the blogging.

David

When I watch films these days, they seem less and less interesting, and I find it easy to spot bad acting or poor direction, or a poor story.

is that because I am getting older and wiser, or is it because there really isn't many decent films being made? I watched with anticipation the film that was on today: Twister, about some storm chasers who are following tornadoes around with the hope of being able to measure them with scientific instruments. The visual effects were very good, but the two leading characters, both ex's to each other, were arguing with each other all the time which I found annoying. And surprise surprise, they got back with each other by the end of the film.

I'm finding more and more that I would prefer to watch a documentary on animals. Planet Earth, now that's worth watching!

David

I'm so glad that Leona won the x factor. She has got a great voice, and she is not cocky.

Ray is very good in other ways, but at the end of the day this competition is for a recording contract, not a dancing contract, and Leona is by far the best singer. She has an amazing range and control.

And I just love her unnasuming nature.

David

Now that the official verdict is out, I think the conspiracy theorists should now give it a rest. Diana's death was an accident, not murder, period.

I think all conspiracy theories are just the result of overactive imaginations and too much spare time. At the end of the day, the most simple explanations are probably the most likely ones too.

Another example is the theory that the World Trade Centre towers were not brought down by aeroplanes, but by bombs planted in the buidings by people acting on behalf of the Government.Even if explosives had been used, the towers would not have collapsed the way they did, caused by explosives. Surely just getting planes to crash into them would have been good enough for the Government if it had been them, and anyway, it would be a funny place to put them, in the middle of the buildings, rather than at the bottom where they would cause more damage.

The hallmark of a conspiracy theory is that it introduces complications which stretch credibility, and makes statements that have no direct evidence to back them up.

But of course there is no direct evidence, because it has been suppressed by THEM!
(Only joking)

David

Has anyone had any experience of local loop unbundling?

My Broadband service provider (Eclipse Internet) has written to me saying that they are in the process of local loop unbundling at my local telephone exchange, but I can opt out of it if I object before Christmas. Apparently they will be be able to offer better service after my local loop is unbundled, because they will be installing their own equipment in the exchange rather than relying on BT's equipment. But it may be more difficult to change to another internet provider, once my local line has been unbundled.

I just wondered if anyone had any words of wisdom about it. I suppose I should just let them get on with it, but another question I have is, how long would it take for them to get round all the exchanges? There's about 1500 exchanges to think about so I believe, and I wonder how many customers they have got.

Did anyone see that film last night on Channel 4 about Doug Bruce, the man who lost his memory?

He lives in New York, and he suddenly lost all memory of his past, it's called total retrograde amnesia. Since then he has been re discovering the world around him, and his old friends and family. A really interesting film. It raises questions about what makes our identity. He has become a different person, because he is now not programmed by his experiences, but interacts with the world in a fresh way.

David

Hi folks, I've been looking for a really nice flat screen television at a cheap price. How's about this for an idea?

Perhaps not recommended for everyone.....

It's 2 am in the morning (I'm a master at stating the obvious), and I'm not usually up at this time. I have had terrible heart burn/indigestion and could not sleep. It is due to the medication I am taking. Thankfully I don't get it very often.

David

The video shows one of the peacetime nuclear tests carried out by the U.S. in the Pacific. To appreciate the scale, the ships floating around at the base of the explosion are disused battle ships and aircraft carriers. About 40 of them were dotted around to see what effect the underwater explosion would have on them. To think that the U.S. and other states would create and let these things off is frightening, but I also find such shock and awe spectacles interesting to see, looking at it from a scientific perspective. Perhaps seeing the 'beauty' in them is not the best word to use.

Hi folks, thought I would share with you a photograph of my creation in plumbing class. The contraption is not meant to have any function, but I made it to demonstrate that I can cut and bend pipe to exact shapes, then solder them altogether using a diagram with exact measurements. I got a good sense of satisfaction from this, and I can't wait to start the next model.

David

I think rule 6 is especially profound and meaningful.

RULES FOR BEING HUMAN

1 You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it will be yours for the entire period.

2 You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full time informal school called life. Each day in this school you will have the opportunity to learn lessons. You may like the lessons or think them irrelevant or stupid.

3 There are no 'mistakes' only lessons. Growth is a process of trial and error. The 'unsuccessful' experiments are as much a part of the process of life as the 'successes'.

4 A lesson is repeated until it is learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it you can then go on to the next lesson.

5 Learning lessons does not end. There is no part of life that does not contain its lessons. If you are alive, there are lessons to be learned.

6 'There' is no better than 'Here'. Wherever you are in life is 'Here'. From any 'Here' there will always be a 'There' that looks better. However, this is an illusion. When your 'There' has become a 'Here', you will simply obtain another 'There' that will again look better than 'Here'.

7 As without, so within. Others are merely mirrors of you. You cannot love or hate something about another person unless it reflects to you something you love or hate about yourself.

8 What you make of life is up to you. You have all the tools and recourses you need. What you do with them is up to you. The choice is yours.

So Tony Blair has given the ok for renewing the Trident nuclear missiles? I don't see much point in it myself. Technology is so good these days that missiles can be accurate to within a metre. So instead of putting a nuclear warhead on the end of a missile, why not just put a cannon ball on it, so if there is someone who is causing bother and needs sorting out, just take them out with a cannon ball. It would be alot cheaper and there would not be any nuclear fallout.

Seriously though, I don't agree with it. it's alot of money and won't get used. Nuclear weapons have only been used in anger twice in the history of the world. All the weapons that have been built and stored and maintained since then have been a waste of time and money. Deterence is just a game.

David

I bought one of those fibre optic trees today, and it looks great glowing away in different colours in my living room. It's a bit noisy though, sounds a bit like my washing machine if it was going in the kitchen. When I opened the base to check the bulb, it was apparent that it was using very cheap components.

A look at the label reveals it was made in China. It seems that everything I've bought recently comes from China. Are they the only country making stuff these days?

David

Satellite navigation systems in cars are not perfect.
I got lost in my car yesterday, and it instructed me to exit via the sunroof. The problem is that I have not got a sunroof.

I'm going out with my Dad on a walk this morning to learn to navigate. I am feeling very tired so will probably not be able to navigate my way out of a paper bag...

David