Daily Grind

Nothing to See

simon — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:26:31 +0000

Nothing to see here.

Will not be posting anything for a while.

New Clock Project

simon — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 14:12:48 +0000

I have a a new clock project, to work on:

RSPB Garden Watch

simon — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:59:10 +0000

My results (birds seen together, at the same time) for Garden Watch:

3 x blackbird, 1x collared dove, 1x greenfinch, 1x robin, 1x blue tit, 4x house sparrow, 2x jackdaw, 6x starling, 6x chaffinch, 2x goldfinch.

There was a rook just outside the garden, but I couldn’t count it.

Wiggle it

simon — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:59:51 +0000

Just got myself a new mountain bike from Wiggle. A friend recommended them a few years back, so thought I’d give them a go.

They have a very comprehensive website! Guides and FAQs to getting the right size of bike and a seamless ordering process. They even have a seven-day trial period: if you’ve bought the wrong size – you can return it, within seven days. Instructions galore, tool kit and even a bag of sweets were part of the very well packaged parcel that arrived.

Order placed late afternoon, bike setup and posted the next day, arrived the following day.
If you order more than £500 of goods you also become a Gold/Platinum member, giving you up to 12% off on further orders. So – totally impressed.

How Not to Run a Website

simon — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:25:47 +0000

One of, what used to be, my favourite websites – thesixtyone .com (can’t be bothered to turn it into a URL – they don’t deserve any more search-ranking) recently completely changed not only the design, but the fundamental operation of their site.

- They didn’t beta test with all the users
- They turned the beta test into a live site, without telling the users or the artists
- They don’t reply to any feedback, or e-mails
- They’ve destroyed a thriving community of artists and listeners
- They are an ignorant collection of money-grabbers.

I’ve moved to Uvumi, which has a promising community and developers who actively communicate with the community.

Sarcasm

simon — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:37:40 +0000

I know I’m sarcastic quite a lot. Sometimes I can’t help myself, it’s one of multiple character-flaws.

I’m going to try and remove my only form of defence for a while. I use it to deflect attention away from me, or end a conversation abruptly – as it’s uncomfortable for me to waffle aimlessly.

Hair

simon — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 22:03:44 +0000

Like milk – isn’t hair brilliant?

So many different types – head, nose, eyebrow, eyelash, facial, chest, armpit, pubic, arm, leg….

Stay tuned for more fascinating blog entries. Next time – table legs.

Redwing

simon — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:41:55 +0000

There was a redwing in the neighbours’ garden, which is a rare sighting. It looks like a thrush, with red under its wings. I think this was quite a young one, as it was fluffy (might have been the cold) and its feathers looked new.

New header image, with blackbird.

Book-selling Lesson #1

simon — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:54:40 +0000

Some lessons:

1. Modern fiction is worthless as soon as it’s purchased.
2. Modern first-editions won’t become really valuable for a long time.
3. Make sure your book is worth more than it costs to post it. Significantly more.
4. Try and describe all the main flaws with a book’s condition.
5. Find a niche market.

Hitman

simon — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 11:24:34 +0000

How does one start out being a hitman? Working on your own, with some nice money coming in is appealing.