The UK's Online Safety Act was designed with good intentions – to make the internet safer, especially for children, and to hold big tech companies accountable. However, as implementation begins in 2025, an alarming unintended consequence has emerged: thousands of small, community-focused websites across the UK are facing an existential threat. The legislation currently captures an incredibly broad range of online services – from personal blogs with comments sections to small gaming forums, hobb...

My paternal grandfather died in October 1957. My dad was twelve years old at the time. He was the oldest of three boys. From the pictures I have seen and the stories I've heard it seems his dad was a good man. A family man who loved his wife and kids. Last weekend I visited my parents. They'd recently got back from New Zealand. They'd gone to see my brother. He's lived there with his wife and family for the last twenty years odd years. I'd recently been reading my dad's blog posts from the tim...

Nearly finished planning a couple of weeks cycle touring in Ireland. All along the west coast is what's called the Wild Atlantic Way. A 1600 miles (2600 km) coastal route from the Inishowen Peninsula in the north down to Kinsale, County Cork, in the south. There are numerous Discovery Points. Of these fifteen are designated as Signature Discovery Points (SDP). These places are said to be especially unique and shape the image of Ireland’s west coast. The prevailing wind direction is between so...

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The Eddington number (E) for cycling is the maximum number where a cyclist has ridden E miles on E distinct days. For example, an E-number of 100 means you have cycled at least 100 miles on 100 different days. It need not be cycling. You could use it for any activity of interest. Mr. Arthur Stanley Eddington came up with the calculation. His primary interest was in astronomy, physics, and math. He also rode a bike. His life time Eddington number was 84. I have a lot of rides logged on ...

Over the weekend I was reading Annie's blog, "Talk about the thing itself - God help me, fediverse, we have got to stop being so pedantic". In her post Annie discusses how to better introduce and promote the Fediverse (decentralised social media platforms) to new users. Annie includes a formula to explain why people resist change - where the rewards and pain relief of switching must outweigh both the costs of changing and the existing value they get from current platforms. The pain you’re esca...

Nothing that can't quickly be found out elsewhere. May save you the bother. They might not reflect best practice. Post dated --- created_at: 2007-08-20 20:29:05 --- The above must be placed at the very top of the note to work as intended. Center align image <img style="display:block;margin:auto" src="IMAGE_URL_HERE"> Center align and make the image clickable and link to a webpage <a href="PAGE_URL_HERE" target="_blank"> <img style="display:block;margin:auto" src="...

Trump. Not discounting the fact I perceive things through a filter bubble of my own making, it seems to me it's common knowledge the man is vile, mean spirited, greedy, bullying (add whatever nasty characteristic you like here) person. All that aside I found it funny to read this morning that he'd signed an executive order to reverse a ban on the use of plastic straws. I guess he must have been at a loose end and was looking for anything he could practice his signature on. My job. I really lik...

I rode a 300k yesterday. An orbit of greater London. The route roughly follows the course of the M25 motorway. It passes through each of the original home counties (Kent, Essex, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Surrey) starting and ending in Kent. I planned it for an audax DiY. This months ride to keep my RRtY bid going. The weather was in keeping with the time of year. Grey and drizzly. It was not especially cold. There was little wind to speak of. The route I submitted on my en...

The blogopshere era. In my mind from early 2000s to the early/mid 2010s. I kept a blog back then. Blogger was the first platform I tried. Before much time passed I jumped to WordPress and stayed with it. Having my own domain name, control over where I hosted the blog, and liberation from Google's growing influence and control. This all informed my thinking at the time. Whatever I posted to Blogger has long been lost to me. Whilst my musings now are still are poorly composed, roughly thought o...

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Reading lots this week that has been infused with anger in a corner of the internet I have recently been frequenting . The inauguration of Donald Trump was I think a trigger. I am in no doubt the anger was motivated by wanting to address injustice and to help and protect others. Sadly that seemed compromised at times. I think the line between righteous and self righteous anger became blurred. Emotional outbursts. Personal attacks. Damaged relationships. Judgemental critique. Piling on. Ridicul...

Cycling lends itself to the wandering mind. Similar to ear worms some ideas emerge that have a stickability to them. Ideas which are good for pondering on over a few miles. One of these is the question: on a route starting and ending at the same point is the elevation the same regardless of which way you might choose to ride round?   Intuition tells me that elevation and distance should be very close to equal. Every uphill section in one direction is a downhill section in the other direction. El...

Will you tell the government you want more money for cycling? The UK government is currently preparing its first multi-year spending review since 2021. This is a rare opportunity to secure long term funding commitments for cycling, as it will set department budgets for the next few years. They want to hear what you think should be prioritised in the spending review. Cycling UK The government wants more people cycling, but isn't backing it with enough money. In 2020, they set an ambitious tar...

My use of social media has been on and off over the years. It's taken a very long time and many instances of having an online presence to understand how to use social media in a joyful way. Inner work around how I experience others and their experience of me has helped get me here. Think I've got it now. Social media is a space for meaningful connections rather than a broadcasting platform or receiving station. Oh you don't say! Yeah I know. We're all different though. I'm quicker with some t...

Reflecting on Fisher’s Capitalist Realism that it is "easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of capitalism". Wondering about the wildfires in LA. Thinking that those with lived experience of it may well be imagining both with a heightened sense of acuity right now. Fisher’s observation that “it is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism” reflects how deeply entrenched capitalist realism has become, especially in wealthy countries. In Los ...

I do like this time of year. I also like Mondays, change and novelty. I like being able to start again. Over and over again. Yesterday I got rid of my Mastodon account. This was for the third time. I'd been giving it a go this time round since October 23rd last year. Working my way through the settings. Putting up a profile. Finding people and accounts to follow. Creating lists. Scanning through timelines. Responding to the odd post. Good feelings from posts being marked a favourite or boosted...

Not sure why but this morning I am thinking about being distracted. Not as a distraction. That would not be odd though. Noticing the frequency of distractions. I deleted my Mastodon instance. I stopped scrolling through the news. I wrote a reminder to my self asking, "Are you distracted, what are you avoiding". distract (v.) late 14c., distracten, "to turn or draw (a person, the mind) aside or away from any object; divert (the attention) from any point toward another point," from Latin distr...

With a bit of a push through December I passed 10,000 miles for the year. Well pleased. At the start of 2024 I'd set out to cover 10,000 km. I reached that in August so stretched the goal to miles. It was far from certain pretty much from then until the end of the year. No riding during the first two weeks of September due to symptoms associated with Covid. Got back out though and continued to ride regular 40 - 50 km loops with one or more rides a month of a least 200km. On my second year of R...

Getting closer everyday. Todays ride took me over the 15,000km mark. When I was at school we used to run the 1,500m. Back then I'm sure we were told that equaled a mile. It doesn't. It's close but it's not quite a mile. I wish it was. It would make converting kilometers to miles a lot tidier. Not to old and grumpy to not still be buzzed when I come across a fallen tree on the road. It takes all sorts. I wanna' be in the dog shit gang. Looks worse that it was. ...

November done. Made good progress towards getting 10,000 miles in for the year. With just December left I'm going to have to put in some regular miles to make it. Luckily I'm in a phase of getting out for a ride on my bike every evening. Been a week or so now without missing a day. It's the way it is with habits. Ask James Clear he'll tell you. Once a routine is established it happens without much thought at all. Got my bike clothes sorted out so don't have to think about what I will wear...

I say I've phoned someone when I make a Teams call. I buy digital music and save it to my laptop. I sometimes listen to music with an mp3 player. I still use a digital camera. I guess that might seem old fashioned. Maybe using that term is old fashioned. I have no idea. To get to the point... Maybe you are one of what I imagine is only a few people who have wondered how you can update the GPS assist data on your Panasonic FT5 digital camera since Panasonic stopped supporting the download of thi...

A heavy rain of copper coins falling from the sky. Mentioned this to my son (4 of 4) yesterday. He pondered how great it would be if we could have multiplayer dreams. A dream server. Being able to invite other people into our dreams. I was giving him a lift to football training. His team won their match today. He scored. Out on the bike yesterday and today. The weather was grey, misty and damp on both days. It was not especially cold. I enjoy it all the same whatever the weather. Every rid...

Nowadays I work from home other than 1 or 2 days a month. My work rate is somewhat greater than what seems the norm. This is mostly down to using LLMs to get things done. I have been open about this. The use of LLMs has not yet widely been adopted within my workplace despite co-pilot being made available. I use that sometimes but find Claud via Perplexity much better for many of the tasks I'm given to do. This means I am often way ahead of where it's assumed I will be by my line managers. Slow...

Sometimes all I can do is to simply tweak things when not inspired to think of something new. That was the case with tonight's ride. I couldn't think of another route I wanted to ride whilst still fancying something different. Decided to go with it anyway but in the opposite direction than to what I usually go and with slightly different first few miles. It worked out well. It felt different whilst not losing any of the qualities I like about the route. ...

The route to work in my last job in mental health nursing. Rode it pretty much every working day between May 2020 - June 2024. The artwork in the underpass has been there for around 9 months. Surprisingly it's been left largely untouched by tags. Snodland. The home town of Judge Dread where a road was named in his honor (Alex Hughs Close). 1970s reggae singer infamous for his risque lyrics and ribald humour. 40 Big Ones ...

Decided to stick with the theme of the days bike ride for the rest of this week Here's the ride I did today. I used to follow this route or variation thereof on workdays between November 2009 - November 2013. Back then I managed a children's home on the route. It was a tough job. Not so tough as what the children and young people went through prior to and most likely after leaving there. We did our best to make it as good as we could. For many it was no more than an unwanted stop g...

Bit of a throwback. The route I followed this evening was one I followed many many times in 2015. In 2015 I rode every day of the year and some. I reached 407 days before breaking the streak. I had a vasectomy. I was advised to give riding a miss for a week or so. It seemed like good advice. In 2015 I cycled 18,188km. Not beaten that distance since. This years been pretty good though. 14,416km to date. My target was 10,000km. I hit that in August so stretched things a bit and have been goi...

Storm Bert. It was pretty windy on Sunday. I'd resolved to get out on my bike. Thought perhaps a route with hedgerows and hills may have helped avoid some of the wind. It did a bit. It was still very windy though. ...

On a couple of rides I have been struck by the sight of these letter boxes from Victoria's reign. This one was very near Low Dinsdale, about 10km SE from Darlington Wall boxes like these were introduced in 1857. Pillar boxes were expensive to produce. A cheaper way of providing remote collection facilities was needed. The answer lay in providing a cast iron box that could be installed into an existing wall where such a location conveniently existed. Just across the road from the reservoi...

Road signs that gave me laugh on a ride I did back in May 2024. I was tired. I'd been riding a long time. ...

A goto ride of mine to get the miles in. It was very wet and windy this morning. The landscape of the peninsula consists of low-lying marshes and mudflats along the Thames Estuary, with some areas of reclaimed agricultural land slightly higher in elevation protected by sea walls. The central area is primarily flat arable farmland. An excellent example of a cuspate foreland landform. A cuspate foreland is a triangular or arrow-headed shape piece of land extending into a body of water, formed ...

A sample post to see how things look styled with the current theme.css The structure and formatting are designed to showcase the theme's readability, visual hierarchy, and use of images. Exploring the Beauty of Nature Nature has always been a source of inspiration and wonder. From the majestic mountains to the serene beaches, every nook reveals a masterpiece crafted by nature. In this post, we will explore some breathtaking landscapes and their significance. The Majestic Mountains Mounta...

One Helpul Idea is the title of a newsletter from Spencer Greenberg. The newsletter includes a 30 second read about psychology, philosophy, or society, a question, a link to the newest episode of the Clearer Thinking podcast, and a link to one of Spencer's essays. Spencer is a human dynamo for generating and sharing thought provoking enquiries and ideas. The 3-2-1 Newsletter is from James Clear. The newsletter is sent out every Thursday. Each message includes three short ideas from James, two q...

Happy to share and recommend each of the podcasts below. Have a listen. A worthwhile way to pass a bit a time. You Are Not So Smart - The premise being that we are unaware of how unaware we are and have little idea why we act or think the way we do. Despite this, we create narratives to explain our feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. These narratives – no matter how inaccurate – become the story of our life. The podcast explores the ways we tend to develop an undeserved confidence in human pe...

I absolutely love this video. Very relatable. Inspires me to plan and get out on a long bike ride. A video made by Tristan Bogaard and Belén Castelló. In 2018 they cycled the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan. They asked cyclists they met on the route, why do you cycle? This is what they found out. Why do I cycle? I love the outdoors, different weathers, the sensation of travelling under my own power, being in and seeing the land I am passing through. Why do you cycle? ...

Moonrakers and Sunseekers. A 300km audax. A long distance bike ride through the night. Setting of at 10.00pm. Heading straight out of Bristol, through Bath and onto Devizes, passing The Crammer where legend has it Wiltshire folk were caught by the Excisemen raking for ‘the moon’. The story goes that a group of Wiltshire smugglers heard the Excise Men approaching the town, therefore they had to quickly conceal the contraband brandy they were carrying by rolling the barrels into the Crammer...

Had the idea to do this ride for good while. Seemed an interesting challenge. The first 310km was a ride round the perimeter of the M25. Out and back to Chatham. Never done the loop before. Given that London is surrounded by the Green Belt much of it was a lot more scenic than you might think and followed country lanes. Got a few hours sleep at home before setting off for a clockwise spiral into Trafalgar Square. This part of the route touches every one of the 32 London Boroughs on the way....

First big ride post Covid era. Started and finished at Manningtree. Following a counter clockwise route on the map. The aim was to finish between 22 and 25 hours. Managed to in just under that. 21.5 hours. Very pleased. It was the hottest day of the year so far. About 30c tops. A gentle northly on the way up to Wells gave us a welcome cooling breeze. I rode with four others. Cycling in a small group of similarly conditioned cyclists made a huge difference. Much easier to keep going and m...

It's good to journal. Often I don't feel like it or want to. It does though feel good whenever I do and something I never regret. Like exercising, getting stuff done or pretty much anything I suppose that's good for me. There is benefit to be had by reading through yesterdays journal or the last one I wrote. It serves as a reminder to me as to what was on my mind and of any insights gained and intentions made. It's also good to look back over the weeks, months and years from time to time. Repe...

Common themes: sharing, solidarity, cooperation, care, equality, limits and wellbeing. Doughnut economics and being growth agnostic Sharing for survival Sufficiency for sustainability Wellbeing economics Voluntary simplicity Buen vivir Ecological economics Ubuntu Economy of permanence ...

Struck down for nearly a month with back pain. Not related to riding my bike but unable to ride because of it. Recovered enough to have a gentle spin out today. It's good to be back out on it. ...

Mental Health Awareness Week is an annual event in the UK. It's been going for the last 21 years. I've never heard about it before. Perhaps now it's come to the fore due to millions more feeling the impact of a sick society. As bad as the Covid pandemic has been and is, it has perhaps in someways led to or permitted a wider conversation taking place about mental health. In the UK mental health is being spoken about much more than ever before. It's a good thing that this is happening. The...

I was looking for antonyms of conflict. As is in, '...habits that conflict with your desired identity are usually bad'. (Atomic Habits - James Clear). Concordant was one. The opposite of that would be discord, to be out of harmony or agreement usually noticeably. That prompted me to think of Discord. Why would the founders choose such a word to call the service which seems out of line with what many might instead hope for - understanding and harmony? It did not take long to find out. 2015....

The Political Compass. The essence of the site is a model for political analysis. The site has been online since 2001. Developed by a journalist and an academic working on the inadequacies of simple left-right political identities. Check the video for some background. Pleased to find my aggregated responses to the propositions posed indicate I am a lefty libertarian. I like the company I'm in. ...

So I have been learning to code using Python. It started as a distraction over the Christmas holidays in 2019. It's now November 2020. I've coded way more days than not over that time. #100 days straight? Most likely and more than once. Not been counting. Coding exercises, tutorials, blogs, websites, podcasts and so on. Enjoyed reading posts on dev.to where I'm learning the language and getting a feel for the culture of the development world. There's much talk about impostor syndrome. Seems it...

Seems the shared experience of COVID -19 both unites and divides. Whilst we're all in this together distance between us is growing by consensus. With so much to feed on, I'm finding the need to filter and ignore hyperbole, best guesses and bluster.   To that end, as a reminder for myself and to signpost something I found useful here's a piece I thought was pretty grounded and worth the time spent reading... Perspective matters - influenza compared to COVID-19 helps us understand more about the ...

A couple of heavy lift floating cranes moored on the River Medway between Chatham and Rochester. A story and some pictures here about the local job Atlas had in lifting the John H Amos Steam Paddle Tug. ...

I rode a 200km audax yesterday. The Fairies Crown and Anchor 200. Organised by Bob under the auspices of the San Fairy Ann Cycling Club. It rained hard for a while but only to the first control in Wye. Memorable moments. A great spread of food laid out for breakfast at the start. Granola, wholemeal bread, peanut butter, bananas. Decent tea. Plates. A speedy toaster. Liz was in the kitchen. Very kind of her to go to such efforts and lay on such a great spread. I did not eat much. Still full from ...

If you imagine yourself in the future ten years, looking back on today, what would you think of your present self? What would your future, more-successful- self tell your today-self? In ten years now I shall be 60 years old. Looking back on myself now I'd be thinking my goodness, after 50 years on this planet you have yet to be settled in having purpose and direction in your life. Think of the children! What do you think you have been doing for the last 19 years. You have been being the best ...

Well happy with that. No longer a ride only other people have done. For the sake of controversy, I found it easier than London Edinburgh London in 2017.  That would I guess be down to my readiness and the favourable weather we had.  Hope there is something here that resonates with anyone that completed, had a go, or is thinking of taking the ride on one year. Well done to you all. PBP 2019: Delighted by. Not having any stomach problems. Not losing my appetite.  Not having painful toes....

I had a free pass to the Glastonbury Festival. This came about by volunteering with Festival Medical Services. I worked a couple of eight-hour shifts but was otherwise free to do as I pleased. Seemed like a good opportunity too for another ride. I left home on Wednesday evening, rode through the night and was on-site late Thursday morning. The first shift was from midnight to 8.00 am. It took a bit longer than I anticipated. Just under 16 hours in total. It was not the quickest of routes. I fol...

I have loads of tyres. I swap them on and off every now and then whenever I fancy a change. Yesterday I swapped out the bulletproof Marathon Tours for the super light and supple Compass Barlow Pass. I have had both on and off the bike at various times in the last five years. I've been riding on the Tours since the start of this year. Solely for the robust puncture protection they provide. I had a rash of flats and got fed up mending them. Thing is the Tours are very heavy and stiff. The Barlow ...

Top job. Qualified for PBP 2019. The Willesden's Last Gasp 600km audax done this weekend just gone. Felt good. Started at 7.00 am on the Saturday in King Cross and finished at 7.20 pm on the Sunday in Hitchin, Hertfordshire. Split the route by days. Ended on the Saturday at 11.30 pm. Started again on Sunday at around 4.40 am. 212 miles the first day and 175 on the second. Feeling pleased with the average speed. 15 mph on the first day and 14 mph on the second. Sunday felt lumpier but there was m...

Yeah I got a 600 to do this weekend. The last qualifying ride for PBP 2019. Feeling good about it. Feeling fit and ready. Couple of things to note that have made life on my bike a million times better.  Flipping the stem. Instead of it being angled down it is now angled up. What a difference. I must have flipped it myself before. It looks like it was supposed to be this way all round. How can I tell? Well all the writing is the right way up now. Such a simple and basic thing to do. Since the fl...

Things are looking good. The 200, 300 and 400 are in the bag. Just a 600 to do now and I'm qualified for PBP. Happy days.  Oasts and Coasts 300km last month and the Invicta Phoenix 400km this weekend gone. Needless to say I found them both hard going. I would do well to look after myself a bit better. Perhaps even do a bit of structured training.  Thinking back on the 300 now. Had a few moments from around 230 km. Just after a horrendous slog along the seawall from Westgate. Not far. Less than...

A follow-up to a post I wrote in November about taking back ownership of data from Google and the like. I now have a running instance of NextcloudPi at home. A fully functioning, secure, backed up, connected and synced data server. The hardware amounts to a Raspberry Pi (3 Model B), an SD card and a couple of 1TB USB drives. A shoe box that would be at least twice the size needed to put it in.   Also got myself a new router (tp-link Archer C9)  as Virgin's Hub 3 does not have the adminis...

First of the qualifying audax rides for PBP 2019 done. Tom Jackson's Wye Wednesday was on the 20th February. It went well. I was able to confirm no dramas to Tom's question at the end. Bit more than 200km for me and my riding companion Dave. We both started and finished from our respective homes in Chatham. That made it about 240 km all done.  The weather was unseasonably warm. No ice as there was in 2015 when it was last held. I rode in shorts. Glad I did. I would have overheated had I n...

Made a decent start to cycling in 2019. So far I've been out on my bike everyday. Average about 25 miles a ride. Bit slow I suppose but I have done a lot of climbing. Nearly twice up Everest. I've made an effort to ride a varied bunch of routes. Avoiding doing the same route over and over. My thinking behind that has been around breaking habits and working on having some novelty in what I do and how I go about doing it. Not just cycling but other areas of my life as well. I find cycling is a go...

PBP (Paris Brest Paris) 2019. 746 miles / 1200km in total. Lots of lumps along the way. Fifteen stages. The longest stage is 73 miles, the shortest is 28. I have entered the 90 hour time limit. Sunday evening to Thursday lunch time. I've been looking forward to this one for the last four years. All signed up and paid for today. Never imagined I would be riding it when I started randonneuring back in 2013. Definitely something other people did then. This year though I'll be joining them. Startin...

I took part in a cycling research study last year in April / May. It was led by Arthur Bossi who is a PHD student at the University of Kent. Arthur's research was investigating intra - subject variability in acute physiological responses to high intensity interval training sessions. Arthur was easy to get on with and a great coach. I enjoyed the experience. Everything I took part in was at the University of Kent, Centre of Excellence for Sports Science Research at Medway Park. The...

This time of year I feel inspired and look ahead to new beginnings, fresh starts and what may come to be. I don't always but usually do. I am glad to be in that place now. Enthused about learning new stuff, taking action and becoming more myself. Wishing everyone well for 2019. ...

A drone over Gatwick. The police, army and security services may well be feeling just a bit inadequate over this. A little impotent perhaps. Laughed at by their counterparts overseas. How can it be, with us the British public being among the most watched citizens in the world, that they have not been able to stop or find the person(s) who flew the drone over Gatwick airport?  No doubt this incident with the drone will lead to new laws being introduced, more of our freedoms being restricted and ...

What I have found is that it's not a simple task to transfer data from Evernote to Standard Notes as is. The apps are not close to being like for like. Standard Notes does not pretend to be an EN clone. This has turned out to be a good thing for me. Evernote led me to hoarding a lot of crap I have never gone back to. The big issue on making the jump was not being able to automatically transfer attachments with notes. As a lot of my notes had some kind of attachment. This put me off making the m...

Cutting down on Google et al and coming up with decentralized solutions to on line hosting and connections is either an incomprehensible effort and pretty pointless or... I have yet to hear another response about it other than from online converts who mostly seem way further down the line than me on this one.  So why then? I like new and novel experiences. I like learning about and trying these things out. It reduces my dependency on propriety platforms. There's some thought about moving on fro...

The defensible default is the decisions we take to cover our own back. It may not be the best solution but it does offer protection from accountability if things go wrong. It's safe but it stifles innovation. It's a grind sometimes but it is what's expected. It is what everyone might moan about on occasion but still feel compelled to follow. Defensive Decision Making: What IS Best v. What LOOKS Best in the Farnam Street blog sums it up very well.  I was pleased to have found it as it articulated...

I was looking through some draft posts and came across the following lines. Can't remember writing them if indeed I did or what they were referring to. Reading them now has me thinking of  some group bike rides I've been on! Odd that because the rides have mostly been good as far as my conscience memory serves me. Maybe I was having an off day...  Theme. Incursion. Nods. O hais. Greetings. Not. Click. Click. Click. Mouthaching smiles. Time for a distraction. Enter violence on legs. Awkw...

I've needed to replace a rear hanger twice this year. First time one got bent it was not catastrophic. It happened climbing out of Lllanidloes on the Bryan Chapman Memorial in May. I managed without the bottom gear till I got home and could replace it. Second time was in Holland in August. I allowed my second oldest son to have a ride on my bike. He was over enthusiastic and came off. Bent the hanger right out of shape. Gear change was totalled. Did not have a spare with me. Cut my intended mi...

Dr Karon Buck was the Principal of Medway UTC from July 2014 – December 2017 (3 years 6 months). In this time Dr Karon Buck's LinkedIn profile (recently deleted / made private) noted she was  -  Founding Principal of a fantastic new school for 14-19 year students from Medway and the surrounding regions. Medway UTC opened in September 2015 and specialises in Engineering, Construction & Design as well as core subjects including English, maths, science, DT, history, computing, business & ...

I am really enjoying mapping out and riding routes to cover Kent and by close association a large swathe of London with Veloviewer Explorer Tiles. For the uninitiated everything you might want to know about Explorer Tiles can be found here. I have also written a bit about them on this blog before here, here and here.   What's the motivation? Satisfaction from having  some added purpose to my rides, the pleasure of riding in places I've not been before, and incremental gains in fitness from ridi...

It’s hard to believe, but right now all the electronic money we use is created by commercial banks when they make loans. This means that the big banks get handed a £23 billion subsidy every year. The banks think they are ‘too big to fail’,’ and the government ends up on the hook if, through their risky speculative activities, they go bust. This system isn’t working for any of us, but now we have the chance to change it. This month, a powerful group of MPs, the Treasury Select Committee, launche...

Spend spend spend! Shiny new gear from my bike. Swapped out my old 105 shifters and TRP HY RD cable actuated hydraulic disc brake calipers for a fancy new pair of Shimano ST-RS505 Hydraulic Disc Brake Mechanical STI's with RS785 post mount calipers  Spending on experiences and not things is a more reliable predicate of future happiness. At least that's what the findings of some psychologists suggest. £289.00  from Probikekit was a bargain at the time but this splurge was still a bit of a gamble...

I was knocked off my bike on Bluebell Hill riding home from work at around 3:00 am. I was hit by the wing mirror of a passing Royal Mail DAF truck. Despite next to no traffic, lights and bright clothing on, it was just a case of the driver not paying attention. I have no recollection of being hit. The driver stopped and phoned the emergency services. I came round lying on the verge with a police officer in a white cap looking down at me asking if I was okay. Patchy memories of being att...

Got pulled over this morning for jumping a red light. I do it all the time. It does not bother me that some people frown on it. Motorists, other cyclists, pedestrians. Makes no difference to me. There are those that say it gives cyclist a bad name. Whatever! If you're the type to make generalisations from singular observations of one persons behaviour chances are you're an arse anyway.  Just because I'm undercover don't go jumping red lights.  It was an unmarked car that pulled me. I dutifully ...

An amazing effort. I met Mark Beaumont back in 2013 near Loch Katrine up in The Trossachs National Park, Scotland. He had just completed a section of the 230 miles from Arran to Aberdeen he was doing by foot and in the water, in only 10 days to raise money for the STV Appeal’s fight against child poverty in Scotland. True to his reputation and as seen in the video above he was affable to the end and did not hesitate in agreeing to have his picture snapped with me. This time round Mark has...

Six weeks have passed since completing LEL. Not much riding done in this time. Giving my hands and fingers a chance to recover. Cyclist's Palsy. It's a slow old business. Fed up with waiting for them to get better led to a decision to just get back on the bike anyway. Up to Hartlepool for work last Tuesday. Stayed an extra day to get in a 200km DIY (Do It Yourself) audax. It was touch and go whether I'd even set off. Storm Aileen swept in Tuesday night. Weather warnings of westerly winds and ...

Nerve damage for sure. It's over two weeks since completing the LEL. Still got numb and tingling hands. Electric Hands. Hands pumped full of fizz. Pins and needles. Not great. Makes typing and writing a bit cumbersome. I do a lot of both for work. Gets worse as the day goes by. They feel the worst by the time it comes to go to bed.  Cyclist palsy involves compression and subsequent inflammation of the ulnar nerve as it passes through Guyon’s Canal close to the bony prominence on the insid...

LEL 2017. With the EE group as we roll away from the start at 2.00pm on Sunday 30/07/2017. Only another 1441km to go! LEL 2017. Typing this post with tingling fingers and numb palms.  Cyclist's palsy brought on by peddling 1,441 km over 70hrs between the 30th July and 4th August 2017. Audax UK London Edinburgh London completed. Elapsed time around 115 hours. An extraordinary achievement by all who entered. A ride that required confronting and overcoming many mental and physical barriers encou...

Just a few days to go before the off. Bikes ready. I'm ready in my head. Ready enough in my legs. Route sheet printed. GPX files loaded. Working out on what needs to come with me and what I can put in my drop bags, one in Edinburgh and the second in Thirsk. These are times I am scheduled to pass through each control. Northbound Control Times London Start at Sunday 14:00 St Ives opens Sunday 17:20, closes Sunday 22:07 Spalding opens Sunday 19:22, closes Monday 03:04 Louth opens Sunda...

My approach to this one was characterised by a self handicapping nonchalance brought on by the woeful lack of miles I've pushed out this year. Tapering sounded good when another rider wittily suggested this as my training strategy for LEL. Maybe pushing my luck a bit by adopting the approach over the last seven to eight months. Thinking of this I taped both Achilles before leaving home. Correlating with not having sore Achilles during or after the ride makes it seem worthwhile. There was a ...

Christmas 2015. An automatic update to my laptop led to a "Windows sockets registry entries required for network connectivity are missing" error in Windows 10. After hours of reading potential fixes which all proved to be futile I abandoned Windows and installed Ubuntu. The installation was simple enough and completed without errors. I have not regretted it. My top five reasons why... Stability is great. The only time my machine has crashed is when using Citrix Receiver to run a Windows desk t...

We set off a few minutes before midnight. This led to an odd feeling later in the day thinking back on what had gone before. All I remember of the predawn stage is the illuminated back-end of a tandem. All good training for the LEL in July/August. Pleased with the effort. Especially pleased to still have something in my legs at the end. I think that was down to the gentle elevation, slip streaming the tandem for the 75km between Manningtree to Barton and hanging on to a fast paced group bet...

Juggled family and work commitments to get this one in. Had planned it for Sunday 2nd but ended up riding it Tuesday 4th April. Work in Meriden had me up near the start on the Monday. Booked a cheap room and stayed over. Still not picked up the regular miles again which had me doubting myself a bit in terms of fitness and endurance.   I set off at around 8.15 am and headed south from Bournville through Welford on Avon, Long Marston, Mickleton and on to Morton-in-the-Marsh to the first control a...

Without the benefit of regular miles and fitness the first 200 of the year. Missed the two 100 km rides planned for January and February respectively for one reason or another. All best laid schemes and so on... Still it went better than I expected.  The first two sections; Golden Green to Faversham and from Faversham to Wingham, were both wind assisted. Very nice too. Riding with company and making the most of the rolling windbreaks provided. I got up Hubbards Hill with less of a struggle than...

The ride was scheduled between a run of rolling work commitments. Busy all week and up to midnight before the off. Dirty grey late January morning. Nursing a bit of a cold. Arrived early enough for a coffee and munch provided. Set off as usual with the customary 'off you go then' shortly before 9.00am. The keen ones got away sharply while most continued to fettle their fit and sort themselves out for a few hours on a wheel. I peddled off on my own after the first flurry had departed confident i...

There is some irony in Trump becoming president elect on 9/11. Americans have a reputation for missing irony. They seem to have missed it on this occasion. The American people manufactured their own dilemma. Clinton or Trump? They're both as despicable as each other. Clinton may have been perceived by many as the lesser of two evils. If that's true it's only in so much that her's is a conventional type of evil. Seems like the American public had a stomach full of that. Who can blam...

I have non conformist tendencies. On occasions there has been uncomfortable costs in this way of being. Here follows Friedrich Nietzsche’s meditation on the Tragedy of Conformity.  Reading this puts those costs into perspective.  Something to reflect on.  'A traveller who had seen many countries, peoples and several of the earth’s continents was asked what attribute he had found in men everywhere. He said: ‘They have a propensity for laziness.’ To others, it seems that he should have said: ‘Th...

I'd heard and read much about the fabled Dunwich Dynamo aka Dun Run. Originated by a bunch of London cycle couriers in 1993 who fancied a ride to the coast one evening after work. There are plenty of coast lines nearer to London but whatever. It was to Dunwich they headed. I'm guessing it was the relative lack of hills (couriers on fixed wheels) on the way through Essex and Suffolk compared to heading down to the beaches of Kent that may have swung it for them. I'd been thinking about having a ...

There is a strong association between cycling and coffee these days. From the short ride to sit outside your favourite café on a Sunday morning to the performance enhancing drug enjoyed by all from weekend warriors to top competitive cyclists. I'll admit to having a cup or two of the stuff to keep me going on one of my long rides. If Coffee Commercials Were Honest - Honest Ads (Starbucks, Coffee Bean, Folgers Parody) ...

Prologue: It's Thursday 26th May 2016. This Saturday I'll be riding the Dros Fynyddoedd ac Anialwch Niwlog 401km audax. It's starting from Bushley, Nr,Tewkesbury, heads over to the coast then loops back again. I've been thinking about this for the last week. It is the toughest ride I've taken on. The distance grabs the attention first. 253 miles is a long ride... ...but it's the climbing involved that made me really sit up and take notice. That's 19,180 feet or 5,846 meters of lumps on the way...

There's a lot be gained from sitting quietly, noticing your thoughts emerge and disappear. I've developed the practice over the last few years or so. The benefits have been many. Give it a go sometime. Helps not to take it too seriously though... F*ck that: An Honest Meditation ...

Nah not really but that's the first thing that came into my head when thinking about a title for this post. Gawd bless Mr Dury. New bags and frame sack doesn't have the same ring to it. I splashed out and bought myself a Carradice saddle bag and handlebar bag. The frame sack is made by Restrap. All handmade in England for what it's worth. Ten kilos / 23 litres in the back; seven kilos / five litres up front. As much as I can stuff in the middle. That's close to the forty litres capacity o...

Virgin trains had sale on for one week at the start of January. London / Edinburgh return for £30.00! Wasting no time I booked a ticket for Monday 1st February to return on the Wednesday evening of that week. The next section of the North Sea Cycle (NSCR) route, Dundee to Inverness was waiting. A bit of company never goes amiss so a I contacted a couple of friends and invited them along. Unfortunately neither could make it. Putting intention to one side the 'good fortune' I had to do this ride ...

Shortly after completing this post it struck me that covering Kent in explorer tiles did not fit with my day-to-day life. As inspired it seemed the practicalities of the mission quickly became clear. To complete it would mean having to make dedicated trips to fill in missing tiles for no reason other than doing so. Not feeling especially enthused by that idea I began to iterate. There was a better way. My work takes me all over the place. Mostly around the home counties and London but from time...

Setting some cycling goals last year worked well. Ride every day, 10,000 miles and the Audax UK Super Randonneur Award. Each complimented and fed into the other. They were all beyond my proven abilities when I set them. People who had done any of these things were in my mind pretty special. Having done these things myself now I would rebuff any suggestion that there is anything special about me. That's not to discount the achievement but rather more to do with understanding what went into gettin...

Driving up from Kent for a 9.00 till 5.00 job in Hartlepool on the 8th of January. To far to get there and back in a day. An overnight stay was booked up on the 7th. With the accommodation and mileage paid for as a business expense it would have been a missed opportunity not to schedule in a decent days ride while I was up there. The drive took me up past Osmotherley on the western edge of the North Yorkshire Moors. I cycled the moors back in January 2014. It was mostly dark when I did. I though...

05/01/2016 at 18.20 Dear Kelly This Wednesday morning (06/01/2016), a Westminster Hall debate will be taking place on child prisoners and detainees in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Israel has dramatically increased its detention of Palestinians in the past months, including children, subjecting them to abuse and torture, and holding most of them in prisons inside Israel in violation of international law. Yet the UK government continues its unconditional support for Israel, making it c...

Alistair Humphreys is an adventurer, blogger, author and motivational speaker. I've followed his blog for a good few years. In some ways his writings helped inspire me in 2009 to take a risk and step way out of my comfort zone. I left a secure job, a good pension and mind numbing drudgery to manage a children's home with a small school for kids with emotional and behavioural difficulties. After four years I moved on. I took another risk and since late 2013 I've been freelancing. I've not regret...

The close of another years cycling. Ticked off the three goals I set for myself back in January. Ride every day, ride at least 10,000 miles and earn the Audax UK Super Randonneur Award. As you might imagine I am feeling pretty good about all of this. We all go about things in different ways. I don't think that many people want to ride every day. Lots of people like the idea of being a cyclist though. Probably not so many keep up the habit. These are the five top things that helped...

When I shut down my laptop on Christmas Eve I had a working internet connection (wired and wireless). When I next switched it on it didn't. Nada. Zilch. Kaput! Windows 10 troubleshooter told me that the "Windows Sockets Registry Entries Required For Network Connectivity Are Missing". Worked through a few different 'solutions' others had tried and/or found to this problem. I was no better off for it. Still no internet. For some time I'd been thinking about switching to Linux. This was the tippi...

Aimlessly passing time in front of the computer on Christmas Eve had me thinking back to this little adventure I had geocaching a few years ago... 29 May 2012: Yay I made it. Bit of an adventure. Came up from near Killearn. As far as the farm track takes you and then a bit more. Got within 1.5 miles on my bike. I left it on a hill with a note saying I'd nipped up to Earls Seat before walking to GZ. Got there within 15 minutes. Took photos, signed a bit of card next to other remains of earlier c...

A woman called police to say she has just bought a kebab and it was cold. The shop would not replace her kebab. Callers, who missed their alarm and were going to be late for a flight, wanted officers to take them to the airport. A woman called stating that she was angry - she had seen a clown in London selling balloons for £5 each. This price was much more expensive than other clowns selling the same product. Callers phoned in distress; they were driving and the low fuel indicator light had com...

I have had poor returns on the time and attention I have invested in reading and talking about what's 'wrong' with the governments and corporations of this world during 2015. Reading and re-posting on Google+ what I have read and signing online petitions have been about the sum of my protest. The pay back has been free floating disgruntlement with the state of the world. A feeling that everything is teetering on the brink of collapse. A feeling that nothing is as it seems. A feeling that we are...

The forecast for Saturday 05/12/15 was pretty windy. 28 mph with gusts of 43 mph from the SSW. Kings, Castles, Priests and Churches 200 km audax was on my calendar. I struggled with the hills and ice last year on this route. Not feeling especially on form this time round. Convinced I was in for a tough ride I had mulled over excuses for bailing it before I started. The ride sets off and finishes in Tewkesbury. The mother in law is in Gloucester just 15 miles from the start. The missus and I had ...

I'm really disappointed with my local MP Kelly Tolhurst. Kelly didn't speak out or represent me and her other constituents who will be penalised by the proposed cuts to tax credits. Before the general election, Mr Cameron promised that he 'didn't want' to cut tax credits, and that tax credits 'were not going to fall'. I emailed Kelly to ask her to take a stand against these brutal cuts and keep her election promise. I'm saddened that she did not do so at the opposition day debate even though ot...

01/01/2015 to  21/10/2015 I reached a personal cycling milestone today. I passed my previous yearly high. 2013 ended with 8,939 miles completed. This mornings ride took me up to 8,950. A #RideEveryday and the goal to get in 10,000 miles before January 1st 2016 has got me there. I'm pretty pleased with the progress. ...

Suffering. I don't mind suffering a bit. I'm OK taking on and going through discomfort. A friend of mine recently commented, “Once you're there it's only a memory”. That's so true. There is much to enjoy about a ride after you get off the bike. The sense of achievement, the numbers, the mapping and so on. It's lovely though when it all comes together and you can enjoy the experience as it happens and not mostly in the story telling. On Sunday I completed the Man of Kent 400 km audax. This was t...

Not often I go to bed at 10 pm with the alarm set for midnight. That's what happened this midsummer's night eve. The Fairies Flattest Possible 300km audax was scheduled to start at 2am! Some people I speak with describe these long rides as madness. Starting at 2 am I did begin to wonder. Mad maybe but I was in good company. It is only through consensus that we are deemed sane. About a dozen or so of us stuck together for the first 50 km to see the dawn in at Dymchurch. It was a fast pace ...

I was in Meriden on Monday. The historic heart of England. Stopped of at some shops and came across this memorial to the cyclists who have died serving England in the wars. I had no idea about it before then. One of the few occasions this year where I have been away from home without my bike. Stupid decision. There were some lovely roads up there and the weather was perfect for a ride. ...

Last weekend I was told how irresponsible I was being for riding without a cycle helmet. I reacted to the berating I received. I did not put my position across well. I was a bit taken aback by the scathing vehemence in the other persons view and responded in kind. I have since mulled things over. I am no less convinced now of the redundancy of cycle helmets and the false reassurance they provide any more now than I was then. The case for and against cycle helmets has been all over the internet ...

This was the third organised Audax I was to complete this year. Quite unintentionally each has been 50 miles further than the previous ride. Today was the the turn of the Man of Kent 200km. The ride set off from Golden Green near Tunbridge. Just a 40 minute drive from home with the bike sitting pretty on top of the car roof. The sun was shining, the sky was blue. No noticeable breeze. It was a bit chilly but only when waiting around. Things were looking promising. The forecast was sunshine and s...

I'd travelled all day on the train from Chatham to Pickering. Passed through St Pancras, Kings Cross and York. All magnificent stations. Met an American called Mike on the platform at York. He enjoyed cycling and we made easy conversation until our train arrived. We bid farewell as I went to the guards carriage to stow my bike. "No room for you. Already three bikes in here", I'm told. I produced my ticket and cycle space reservation. "Not your train. This one's going to Edinburgh. Your train is ...

For some time I'd fancied having a go at the London Borough Spiral Ride. It follows a route planned out by a user named Earthloop on the London Fixed-gear and Single-speed forums. Not sure why I came across it as I don't ride a fixed gear bike. Regardless of that once I found it I had set on having a go at some opportune time. That time arrived on January 2nd.  It was a lovely day. The sun was shining. The sky was blue. No wind. Perfect for a good long ride. I decided that morning to have a cra...

I follow a fair few  round the world cycling blogs. One day when all the kids are a bit older I shall go cycling off on such an adventure myself. Robbie Sage set off on a round the world trip on his bike on the 26th February 2011. He couldn't go anywhere without his guitar so took that with him. He's also taken equipment to record music as he goes sampling the sounds around him.  I love this idea and pleased to be able to support his journey if only by purchasing the album and blogging about it...

Our oldest is on a weeks work experience from school at Radio Sunlight, a community station based in Gillingham, broadcasting across the Medway Towns. He's having a great time there. They've been really supportive and giving him a lot of encouragement, which we are massively grateful for.  Today he controlled the airwaves for 60 minutes on the morning show. Amazing opportunity! Really pleased for him. Have a listen here and give him some props on SoundCloud ...

Today I got a letter and report from the Professional Standards Department of Kent Police. The letter confirms that my '...complaints relating to unlawful and unnecessary arrest and detention have been recorded as proven' . The complaint relating to oppressive conduct or harassment resulting from officers treatment to me whilst under arrest has not been upheld.  I am minded to appeal against this. The account of the officer in question is untrue in relation to point 3.4 and 5.9 of the investiga...

To follow on from my last post; I was contacted by the Investigating Officer (IO) from Kent Police this morning. He confirmed that their barrister holds the view that my arrest was unlawful. The IO said that being the case then the subsequent search would also have been unlawful. Though the IO never mentioned it I presume that means my detention in the back of the police van was unlawful as well. What happens next? The IO said that the Professional Standards Department (PSD) of Kent Police woul...

Got a phone call today from Kent Police. Well I was at work and they spoke to my spouse. They were ringing to let me know that my complaint has been upheld. The only details I have right now is the phrase unlawful arrest and that that they want to say sorry. The message was that they are keen to speak to me. That they will be writing to me with the details I asked for in my letter of complaint. So how about that then ehh? Looks like a photographers rights have been upheld. I'm a happy snapper!...

The 380kV Thames Crossing. An overhead powerline crossing of the River Thames between Dartford and West Thurrock. Its towers are the tallest electricity pylons in the UK. Two 190-metre tall lattice towers either side of the Thames. The span width is 1372 metres, the minimum height of the conductors over the river is 76 metres. Each tower is equipped with three crossbars and is capable of carrying two circuits for 380 kV three-phase AC. Check out The Gorge - Flash Bristow's website for a bit more...

A few dozen pairs of Medway Eyes and some from further afield met up last Saturday in Chatham to stroll down the High Street and take some pictures. The photowalk was inspired by the actions of Medway Council and Kent Police when they arrested me on the 8th July,  for what I'm unsure. The only official line I've seen on it seems to be so that they could establish my identity. I'm not so sure about that.  I don't think they are either. I suppose that's why I've still had nothing in writing from ...

To follow on from this post - Though Kent Police have not put anything in writing to me they have written to Amateur Photographer Magazine and the British Journal of Photography.  Here's a copy of the letter. The text is very guarded carefully considered. Dear Editor I write in regards to your article concerning the arrest of amateur photographer Alex Turner. The police have a number of powers that they are able to use in relation to stop and search which have to be assessed according to th...

JOIN: Not A Crime. Group description : Police in the UK and abroad routinely invoke bogus anti-terror legislation to prevent photographers from carrying out their work, and photojournalists are constantly filmed at gatherings and their details kept on an ever-growing database. The British Journal of Photography is beginning a campaign for photographers' rights, and we need your help. There is no point petitioning governments, because they're not listening, and the problem is generally that l...

I went down to Chatham High Street today to take some pictures of the flyover being demolished (that's another post to come) and to use up a film I've had in a camera for over a year. Doing so had some unexpected consequences... This photo... Mick's Plaice led to this photo... Questions in the High Street which led to this form... Prevention of Terrorism which led to this letter... To the Professional Standards Department RE: Complaint relating to the behaviour of police officer ...

Went to see The Beat last night. They were the first band I ever saw playing live. Then it was in Keynes College at the university of Kent in Canterbury. This time it was at the Beaconcourt Tavern in Gillingham. I was about 14 or 15 years old then. Loved it. I came home with one of Everett Morton's drum sticks. Thrown into the crowd after having played Mirror In The Bathroom. I still have it. The journey back was was unreal. Much more than I expected. It took me by surprise. Rudeboy revival! ...

If you work with or are otherwise familiar with statutory instruments then this may make you laugh as much as it did me. ...

The last post was 10 questions designed to encourage some thought and reflection on where I / you stand in life right now. I've given it some thought and here's where I am right now. 1) How would you rate your HEALTH? 7/10. Getting better. Intermittent smoking and drinking - not a problem as far as I am concerned. Not exercising as much as I used to but still getting out regularly on my bike. I can tackle all the hills in Medway without getting off. Swimming with the kids. I can swim at least ...

The possibilities that photography offers are a wonderful thing. I enjoy getting out with my camera and taking pictures. I have though been disappointed with over 90% of what I've been coming up with for some time now. I do however still find the process captivating. Maybe this is because what I want to create continues to elude me. I feel a bit ungrateful for not valuing more the comments left and favorites made on the photos I post to my stream on Flickr. I don't get many compared to some. I...

About 18 months ago I was subjected to a compulsory transfer from one organisation to another due to restructuring or whatever name management comes up with as a pseudonym for cutting costs. We were given plenty of reassurances that we would not be disadvantaged by the transfer and blah blah blah... I was transferred on what is know as a TUPE like agreement which is supposed to mean the rights and benefits from the previous employers are protected. What this actually meant in reality is that t...

Just laughing today at posts complaining about some aspect of software applications like CS3/4 & LR2. The first line of research seldom seems to include reading up the user manual. Just yesterday I discovered there is a an acronym that fits that kind of attitude and behaviour EBAC - error between computer and chair :) ...

I should I suppose be pleased spouse thinks (hopes) I'm competent in solving damp problems, treating timber infestation, carpentry, plastering and decorating. Have a good weekend! ...

Last week we went down to the coast. It had been planned for a couple of months or so. A kind uncle had loaned us his static caravan for the week. It was going to be great. It was going to be cheap. Everyday on the beach. Swimming in the sea and playing in the sand. I knew we were hoping. May is always a bit of a gamble on the weather front. That there had been a hot two weeks previous and some hot weather in April had no bearing on how things would be for our week away. Added to that the fact ...

Some things make little sense to me.  Here's a dozen of them - Little electric cars for very obese people. Homework for 5 year olds. World financial markets based on rumour, nerves and speculation. Allowing estate agents (spits) to dominate and shape the housing market. The war against terror. Royalty. Having to hand-write essays for timed exams. The governments housing targets for SE England. Having pernicious dross like Ed, Edd n' Eddie on kids TV. The criminalisation of drugs. Britain's bi...

I've just published an about page after just over a year of writing this blog. It's more about the blog than about me. I guess that does say something about me. I'll update it if I think of something witty and clever to write. Anyway one of things I'd like my blog to be is a scrapbook. Not sure if kids even have scrap books anymore. If not they should have. Mine are all getting one this weekend. Do you remember being ill as a youngstar? Nothing too dramatic I hope. I never got ill much and nev...

Let’s face it: nobody wants the attention of unwanted behaviour from youths outside their home. Not only can they indulge in anti-social behaviour and be overly loud, but they can also make you feel uncomfortable in your own home. By using the ultra-sonic youth deterrent known as Mosquito, these issues can be removed from the equation permanently. If a crowd of teenagers decides your neighbourhood is the one they want to hang around, you can simply turn on the Mosquito for a few minutes and wa...

Back in October 2006 my dad went of to Flores, an island at the southern end of the Indonesian archipelago (not sure if that is the correct term for the Indonesian islands). He's been blogging about his time over there. In November of 2007 my mum went out and joined him there. They are there working by virtue of the VSO (Voluntary Services Overseas). Whenever I have mentioned this to people I'm not surprisingly asked about what they are doing. Up until now I've spoken vaguely about my dad havin...

A week or so ago Medway Council demonstrated it's complete lack of balls and vision by giving the nod to the construction of the first coal fired power station to be built in England for 34 years. It will replace the one that is already there as seen in the picture below - The councils decision is not the one that gives the final say so to the power stations owners e.on to build or not, that is down to central government. Even if Medway Council had not agreed there is every chance that pe...

Gather eight people in a room. Ask them to describe what a dog looks like. Let each person have their say. Now provide a description of a dog based on the descriptions provided. Try to get everyone to agree your description is the right one. Though we did not discuss dogs we may as well have been. That dogs are different would have been dismissed are irrelevant. Listening to at the time - Dream Team - Raw Dogs Relik by Max Power on Max Bass 1 ...

We went to parents evening yesterday. Both boys were praised. Proud as punch. Oscar's teacher mentioned that she had had a grumble during the days assembly. She had told the kids that some of their behaviour had made her feel sad. When they went back to class she told us that Oscar had come to her to say that when she said she had felt sad that he had felt even sadder. She said that she was touched by that. I think she must have been. He came home with this certificate today He also got...

Today I've been shopping and keeping the boys entertained. Family life. Core business functions of the monaxle household. I'll spare you the details. Very happy this morning to see some photos posted on flickr from a cousin in Australia. Saw one of my uncles for the first time ever it seemed. It's not but may as well be for all I remember of seeing him. I find something good about seeing such a striking family. Two brothers (my dad being one of them) getting older over the ye...

I was driving home to Chatham yesterday along the A2 and I passed by this crane. It is a biggy. 500 ton lifting capacity. It was in place to lift sections of a new bridge being constructed to replace the bridge I was standing on when I took the shot. I went back later in the evening and hung around to see the thing in action. I took a load of pictures of the actual lift. It was a bit tricky with the light conditions - the glare of powerful halogen lamps combined with the darkness of the ...

I wrote yesterday I would post something about the tension there has been of late focused around a primary school in Chatham. I provided a link to some of the BBC news coverage of it yesterday. Here's another one for a bit more background. Well today I can't be bothered with much comment. I just think the parents ought to be ashamed of themselves and do better for their kids. The view of Rose Collinson, Medway's director of children's services, that the school was a safe place for children and...

Another long day. Last one for this week. Hopefully be back to a more sedate pace tomorrow. I had been intending to post some comments about the bigotry taking place in Chatham at the moment centered around a primary school of all places. I shall leave it till tomorrow. If I finish work in time I'll also see if I can get some shots to illustrate the foolishness that's occurring. Here's a link to the BBC's coverage for a bit of background. ...

11 hour work day. Glad I have only a few of them a month. I'm knackered. No dinner break either. Did a good job though. Very thorough. Ohh, and I put in a claim for my expenses. Some time on the road. Remembered I've not had a reply back from the Highway Agency to my mail about photographing some road improvement works on the M2 motorway. Time to send another. Here's the mail I sent to them last week minus my details - I am a keen photographer and am very interested in completing a photo assi...

Sat down this evening to write my daily post (it has been a week now since I wrote that I would and so far I've been sticking it with it) and saw that a big new WordPress release was available to download. Version 2.3 For those that don't know what the significance of that is, it's the software I use to publish this blog with. So just 20 hours after it has become available I'm up and running with the latest version. Having done so I discovered I had 7 plug-ins (enhancements to the basic softwar...

Bit of a ramble this one. Stick with it. The crunch is at the end. This week I should have been recommencing my part time degree studies at the University of Kent at Canterbury. I’d been doing well and finished stage one with distinction. I say should have been rather than I am in part because of the shortsighted, inequitable and bureaucratic application of policies and guidance by my current employer. The other part is down to me. Prior to April 2007 I’d been working for a different organisat...

Me and second son started early today. We were at the park by 8am. He learned to ride a bike without stabilisers. A proud and happy occasion for both of us. ...

Following on from yesterdays post I'm pleased to say that today the majority of my time has been away from the computer. Been out with the youngest wandering around some local woods. Took some pictures of him throwing leaves amongst other things. Shorne Woods Country Park. It is a great place to walk with the kids. Though the path round is well beaten and there is the usual mess left by dogs, which their owners have not bothered to clear up we always enjoy time spent there. The place is m...

Today I have spent perhaps 80% of my wakeful hours looking at a computer screen. Roughly half and half between work and recreation. I am posting this as I want to keep the momentum up though have little to say about anything other than what's been occupying my time in front of the screen. That seems to me a little odd. I'm checking out and switching off. Tomorrow will be different. ...

In my work, I have what is called supervision. Bit of a misnomer really as I’m not supervised at all. What it really means is from time to time I meet with my manager and talk about what I have been up to professionally. An opportunity to discuss progress, setbacks, plans and for my manager to tell me about any issues in connection with my work from their angle. How it actually pans out is that I listen to him bang on for as long as I have to about all his problems and concerns, which are often ...

Today I have been mostly winging it and driving slowly. Only one of those things is a break from what I normally do. Dull dull dull. Still feeling knackered due to fitful sleep and lucid dreams. Why is it when I do something to improve my health I go through a period of feeling like absolute shit? Been thinking about photo projects. I'm a big fan of major roadworks. Not driving through them or the environmental consequence but the civil engineering and the scenes they create. I'd love to do a ...

...is what racists are. Today our oldest boys were for the first time in their lives subjected to overt racism. The oldest is six. The remarks were made by other kids and referred to skin colour and belonging. Whilst the kids who made the remarks may not have the understanding to appreciate fully what they were saying they never picked that stuff up from watching kids TV. ...

Opened up the local rag and found they had chosen to print this picture of mine to go with a story about the higher than planned for cost of having the race come to Medway. I had submitted it soon after taking it with a few others I got. They published all that I gave them. This one and a couple of others twice already. Once in a regular edition and then again in a souvenir edition. I was pleased with that but am extra chuffed they've picked this one out again for publication some weeks a...

30 pictures on Flickrs Explore pages. 500 of the most interesting photos posted on any given day make it to explore. These are those of mine that have made it. It's been around this number for ages. Used to be a lot less until they changed the way they worked out what interesting was. A lot of people were upset to see the amount they had in explore reduce dramatically as a result of these changes. It had the opposite effect for me. From about 6 or 7 it went up where it is now and remains there. ...

The last day of school. Six weeks summer holidays. What can we do dad? ...

I should have posted about this ages ago. I completed stage one of my degree with a distinction. I was not expecting that especially after writing the drivel I did for the last exam I sat. Four essays in three hours for the wild module I was doing about environmental problems. No revision, a house move the week before and a very painful thumb on my writing hand from doing myself an injury with DIY. Never mind the point about who on earth still hand-writes to the extent that having to write ...

I don’t miss going into an office one bit.  Though I have an office of sorts at home none of the office dynamics come with it. I don’t miss the office systems that are I understand there to help but are so often a hindrance. I don’t miss seeing a note above the kitchen sink reminding us of our responsibility to wash up our own cups. I don’t miss self important administrators who miss entirely the point they are there to help make things work. I don’t miss managers and their delusions of grandeu...

So its the 21st June. Days get shorter from here on in. We have been in the new house for three weeks. Things are going well. I've been able to spend a lot of time at home doing jobs about the place. The move went very smoothly. The removal men arrived at 08.30 and worked hard to get us out of the house by 12.30. I only had to disassemble one additional item than I had already. Makes me proud that we got the piece up the stairs in the first place! I think back and wonder how is it that spouse a...

Things are moving. Well they will be at the end of the month. For now though things are in boxes. Lots of them. Nearly six months have passed since accepting an offer on our house. We are moving at last on the 31st May. Given that we are moving to an empty house and our buyers are first timers, six months seems like an inordinate amount of time for this process to complete. The estate agent lived up to the reputation. Lies, promises, broken words, poor communication and excuses. Our solicitor h...

The race passed through Medway at the weekend. It stopped raining and sun shined. Lots of people turned out onto the streets to watch the publicity carnival and then the cyclists race through after them. Really good atmosphere. I found a good spot to take some pictures at the top of Star Hill in Rochester. I got got the new camera during the week. Having a great time learning how to use it. The picture above is one of many I took with it on the day. Sent it off on Sunday to the Medway M...

No not to this blog just in case the title is what got you reading! I've been busy writing the final essay of this years modules. What are the implications of the global food system? I've handed it it now. Very happy. Two more exams, one at the end of May and the other at the beginning of June and thats it for stage 1 of the degree. Yay. Return for year one of stage 2 at the end of September. On the paid employment front I'm now officially designated as a home worker. More to say about this la...

Here in Chatham we have what has been coined a "concrete collar" around the town centre otherwise known as a ring road. Amid much local skepticism the ring road was changed in September 2006 from one way to two way. One of the stated intentions of the scheme was to lift this "concrete collar" and reconnect the town centre with the riverside. In reality making the system two way has done nothing of the sort. The "collar" is still there, the only difference being that traffic go both ways round it...

I came across BzzAgent today. It' s a sign up to web service that enables you to get in on early releases and freebies from companies looking at alternative ways to raise a "Bzz" about their products. BzzAgent is just in England though it's been going for a while in North America. The story goes that conventional means of advertising products is coming to the end of its shelf life. We are all now too long in the tooth to be taken in by the promises and suggestions as seen on TV, heard on the r...

Things have been happening just not with the blog. Elijah had a birthday - he was two years old this week. Oscar lost two front teeth. Otis is a champion reader. They are growing up very quickly. Got a couple of conversion lenses. Not very good quality - lots of distortion and blur around the edges. They were cheap so to expect much more would have been silly. The degree continues. On the home stretch for stage one with final assignments and exams before and after Easter. Grades remain middli...

Recently spent some time in Bristol. Work related. Took every opportunity to get pictures. Came back with a some keepers. For most I've done hardly any post processing. I use Adobe CS2 all the time and enjoy the process but get a different satisfaction when things look good straight from the camera. ...

What are the environmental implications of the global food system? Writing an essay on this title to hand in on the 6th April. First thing to find out is what the global food system is understood to be. Discovered that it is what it says. A term used to describe all the factors encompassed in the production, distribution and supply of food stuffs around the globe. What there is now has evolved over the last two or three decades. The US and Europe have shifted quite awkwardly towards where they ...

I've been mulling these things over... Procrastination. Driven by an irrational fear of failure? Turn of stuff that's not being used. What are the environmental implications of the global food system? T tests (paired / unpaired / two sample) Statutory notifications ...

Taken while standing up, hand held, from outside the front door on Friday 4th February 2007. I took a few photos. Used the digital zoom. Not sure if that was the best idea. Better than not taking a shot I suppose. ...

We are moving house. Ours went on the market just before Christmas. We accepted an offer in the 2nd or third week of January. Soon after that our offer on a house was accepted. We got a solicitor and the sale and purchase proceeded. Our lender charged us for them to carry out a survey. They have a survey commissioned to satisfy themselves that their investment is matched correctly against the value of the house. They are very clear about the survey being limited and that it should not soley be ...

I started blogging to learn about the process. How to create and manage a blog and so on. I also thought it might be a good place to link up other stuff I have online and a place to store things like essays I've written for my university course. That was my only purpose in mind. I had no idea what I would be writing about as you can probably tell by the mish mash of posts that I have written. Since December I've visited a good few other blogs and have been reading a number of sights dedicated t...

I started blogging to find out more about the process. How to create and manage a blog and so on. I also thought it might be a good place to link up other stuff I have online and a place to store things like essays I've written for my university course. That was my only purpose in mind. I had no idea what I would be writing about as you can probably tell by the mish mash of posts that I have written. Since December I've visited a good few other blogs and have been reading a number of sights ded...

Rochester Riverside regeneration. The picture was taken from the viewing platform off Gas House Road in Rochester. A very helpful lady called Emily who is a Senior Project Officer with Medway Renaissance arranged for access. I'm planning on taking more pictures as the work progresses over time. Hopefully they will turn out a bit better than this effort. The plan is that 25% of the residential properties built here will be so called affordable housing. Wondering what that is? Affordable hou...

Last minute rush. One day before the deadline. Deadlines are not targets - I should remember that. Books, notes, word documents, excel spreadsheets and powerpoint slides all open on the desk. This is not going to get me a credible mark. Tackling the latest assignment has been tricky. The task was to write up an APA style report of an experiment looking at verbal facilitation effect and visual face recognition of own and for the first time in such an experiment, other race faces. Verbalizing V...

My dad is doing a good thing. In October 2006 he went of to work with the VSO. For the first three months he was in Bali. Time was spent learning the language and getting used to the way of life. Since January he has been on Flores which is where he will be doing most of his work. Flores is an Indonesian island. Lots of volcanoes and forest. He has been brought there as an IT expert. The idea is that he will be helping local people to establish and develop computer resources for learning and wo...

Our second oldest son drew these yesterday. Pleased to see he'd given both of us a happy smiley face. ...

These two photographs are from a series created by Masashi Harada using just paint and snow. Masashi applies paint to snow, ice, glass and to found objects. He composes images from the paintings he makes and photographs them to produce 20"x 30" prints. No digital work is involved. On the surface of the ice, colors emerge, multiply, divide and mutate in fractal patterns. A fusion between organic forms and geometrical, micro and macro. This is the first visual book by the dancer...

Laura Thorn 2007 Back in January I posted a formula that had been developed to work out which day of the year was the most depressing. As it turns out that day also happened to be my birthday - January 22nd. I like the tongue in cheek, quirky nature of that academic endeavour and am pleased to have found another one to share - Manchester University 2005. Scientists actually came up with a mathematical formula to calculate the extent of the "beer goggle" effect on a given individual in a giv...

One again I have left it to the very last minute to complete an essay. Started and finished it yesterday to hand in today. Not really the best way to go about getting a good grade but I've known that for years and it's never made the slightest bit of difference. I wonder if procrastination is a genetic trait? The topic was population and environmental problems. To discuss the pros and cons of population reduction as a means to address environmental problems. This is a huge subject on which thou...

I could probably think of quite a bit to criticise a big motor company like GM however I think I would have let this one slide... GM became the subject of sharp criticism when The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention complained about the insensitivity of a commercial by the automaker that showed a factory robot leaping from a bridge after it was fired for a making a mistake. The group said in a statement the commercial "is offensive to the tens of millions of survivors of suicide loss na...

Moving house. All going well. Offers accepted and the wheels are in motion. We have found a great place to go - four bedrooms, nice long garden and at a reasonable price. Fingers crossed. ...

Freedom Fuels have produced an interesting film that... "...takes an in-depth look at renewable fuel sources, such as bio-diesel, ethanol and vegetable oil. It explores the interaction of the petroleum industry and alternative fuels over the last 150 years, and examines the global impact that bio-fuels can have on our future." The producers were awarded Winners of the Environmental Preservation Award, 2006 Artivist Film Festival. The film offers an examination of the interconnection of huma...

Moving house. All going well. Offers accepted and the wheels are in motion. We have found a great place to go - four bedrooms, nice long garden and at a reasonable price. Fingers crossed. ...

Following on from this post it seems that untaxed cars could also provide a solution here... …police forces across the UK have lost track of 322 convicted sex offenders. According to the News of the World, registered sex offenders - including rapists and paedophiles have used a loophole in the system allowing them to register vague addresses in order to disappear… Ms Berry told ITV1’s The Sunday Edition: “We warned the government about three years ago when they were reviewing the Sex Offende...

I heard a good one this morning from Terry Wogan. I'm not a fan of his but I am of Radio 2, which is what I have mine tuned to most of the time especially in the afternoon for Steve Wright and then Chris Evans. Anyhow Terry was reading out a suggestion a listener had sent in. They were commenting on the fact that the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) has a very good track record of knowing where every untaxed car in England is. The suggestion was that John Reid of the Home Office ough...

How's your January 22nd? According to Dr. Cliff Arnall it's  blue Monday - the most depressing day of the year - The Equation ‘Blue Monday’ is the worst day of the year according to a mathematical equation. The equation was first devised by Dr. Cliff Arnall, former lecturer at Cardiff University and founder of No Pills, a consultancy specialising in confidence, motivation and happiness. Blue Monday marks the start of the final full week in January when people experience a series of combined dep...

To follow on from the pessimistic outlook of the previous post here's something to counterbalance the doom. WHAT ARE YOU OPTIMISTIC ABOUT? WHY? The place is a treasure trove of thought provoking ideas that hooked me in and made me aware of a whole lot of stuff worth knowing about. There's enough there to keep me going back for some time to come. So what are you optimistic about? ...

"By mid-century we'll be thinking about moving to the arctic regions, to Scandinavia, to the north to Siberia. We don't seem to realise how bad it is and how uninhabitable most of the world is going to become." Radio Netherlands. Not an Atom of Doubt.  My parents generation and the rest of us since have not in our lifetime gone through any trauma on the scale as those that have gone before us. The world wars, real poverty, disease and other social ills of times past. Whilst this could not be ...

Trip up to Arsenal's new Emirates stadium. I'm not into football at all but have a friend who works on site. The club have done a great job with the new development. The area used to be a tip. Literally - it was run by Islington Council. The stadium is surrounded by open public space. A pedestrian link between Holloway with Highbury has been created. Its a good place to have a stroll. Whilst I was around I walked over to the old ground to have a look. The guts have been ripped out of that and ...

Seeming as most things get put off this grabbed my attention - The Nature of Procrastination: A Meta-Analytic and Theoretical Review of Quintessential Self-Regulatory Failure. Procrastination is a prevalent and pernicious form of self-regulatory failure that is not entirely understood. Hence, the relevant conceptual, theoretical, and empirical work is reviewed, drawing upon correlational, experimental, and qualitative findings. A meta-analysis of procrastination's possible causes and effects,...

Once we act, we forfeit the option of waiting until new information comes along. As a result, no-acting has value. The more uncertain the outcome, the greater may be the value of procrastination. Bernstein (1998) I found that today reading a paper about procrastination. What a great argument for doing nothing. ...

I'm probably missing the point a bit in that I'm spending miles more time playing around with widgets, links and profiles than I am in adding anything original to this blog. Become a little bit distracted by the frills and fancy bits. Finding out how to make a blog and what you can do with it is at the moment providing all the fun. Probably all of the sites that have inspired me to cultivate monaxle interneticity are linked to from my de.licio.us tags. Incidentally I am trying out ma.gnolia as...

After announcing record profits ExxonMobil seem a bit tight fisted in their offer to scientists and economists to undermine the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change fourth assessment report (IPCC). In a very cynical move the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) which is an ExxonMobil-funded think tank has offered payment for papers ($10,000 each) that emphasise the shortcomings of a report. You'd think with profits of $75,000 a minute and what they have at stake they'd have dug a bit deeper...

Christmas is nearly over. New Years Eve tomorrow. Been out with the youngest today to look at some houses. The first is not far from where we live now. It has three bedrooms but with room to extend on the side. I think you could get an extra two rooms in up and down. And its detached. The walk to town from the house is marginally more taxing than it is now with a couple of extra hills / flights of steps to deal with. The second was quite unusual. It is built on Chatham Hill alpine style over th...

Sister came today from Deal. Its about 50 miles away. Its very foggy. Nice to see her. I would have understood a phone call crying out due to poor visibility. Christmas Spirit perhaps. Had the fire burning. 10 kg of coal and a big sack of logs. What have you contributed to global warming today? Nipped into town with the boys early evening. They played on the old canons and I perched the Panasonic and snapped this. The Friday Before Christmas Converted from colour and added a little bit of ...

Wife and boys back home. Much better with them around. Looking forward to Christmas. Two five minute stories - Great Aunt Flora Comes to Visit and a story about a bear that had been grumpy through lack of sleep. Been messing with a web hosting, a home page and a picture gallery thing. Should really have been doing something in connection with what I’m paid for. I justify this by knowing that last weekend was spent completing the inspection record for my final big job with the current establishme...

We are moving house. This is to buy somewhere bigger. I would prefer if we could use less space. I think I am alone in this wish. I had two visitors today. Mrs Lee arrived at 12.30 pm. I had spent an hour or so cleaning up and making the house look warm and welcoming. Mrs Lee was reluctant to come in. She got no further than the lounge door before scurrying back out. I asked Mrs Lee what the problem was. She said it was the parking. I phone Ian the estate agent and provided feedback. He suggeste...

Ours just got knocked over by the youngest. The oldest is whining and no. 2 is trying hard to keep up. Mummy is going out tonight. Bath time in 15 minutes. Its the weekend tomorrow. What we going to do dad? ...