port7 - co - uk

Thinking about getting a new car, at the moment it’s a toss up between a Land Rover Defender TD5 110, Audi A4 Quattro Tdi 1.9, Audi A4 Quattro Tdi 3.0 or a Audi Allroad Quattro Tdi 2.5.

Anyone had any of the above and got any comments?

Then again, I may just stick with the current Passatt till it falls over

So I am sitting writing this at my brothers computer in Edmonton, Julie is doing some last minute panic-packing and Niamh is in the land of nod, we end our 2008 Canadian Holiday.

It has been rather good, I have managed to kick someones screen door off (I didn’t see it, honest!), cast a spell over my brothers computer so that the PSU gave up the ghost just as I started using it, he DVD player also went on the blink when we arrived. We nearly lost the camcorder, and also Niamh took her first tumble down the stairs (pride hurt more than anything).

Despite all the excitement, we have had a great time, its been good to be here with family. To let Niamh get to know her cousin’s Noah and Colby a bit more, as well as her Uncle and Aunty. This is also the longest continuous time I have spent with her, so thats a good thing too.

We spent a few days up in the mountains in Banff at the start, and spent the rest of the time in Edmonton. Where we spent most days at West Edmonton Mall, as Niamh loved the free rides at Galaxyland, and also the world waterpark there.

Anyway if anyone is interested there is a flickr photoset.

Reading an interesting post about community equity, some interesting thoughts there. I have been wondering myself recently about how business and community can help each other, getting involved in communities I think is a big step forward.

I may post more about this in the future….

Just booked for a weekend in London, thought it would be a nice break.

I tried to get in at the County Hall Premier Inn, but alas that is fully booked up. But I managed to get somewhere just a bit further down the river. And it so happens that the new place is right next to Borough Market, the famous central London foodie haunt.

So having never been there before, can anyone offer any recommendations, of must-do’s?

Just want to echo PerfDave’s post on the Hacienda exhibition at the Urbis. I have been a few times and always found it really interesting.

Loots of interesting stuff there, and like PerfDave says, you could spend hours there. So I would encourage you to get down there and check it out before it goes.

Just setting off for a meeting at Microsoft HQ, should be interesting. As I am there on a professional basis I am going to avoid pointed questions about closed standards, document formats and anti-competetive practices.

Then again, maybe not…

This is a ‘Dear Lazyweb’ call….

The other day I had a bit of a clear out of the loft, I made good progress and managed to shift quite a bit of kit. Whilst clearing out I managed to find various bit’s and pieces that I have not seen for some time. One of the this I found was my 1st computer, a Sinclair Spectrum 48k the rubber key’s version, finding it gave me some pause for thought.

That thing, a present from my Mum and Dad in my early teens really gave me a lot. As well as years of enjoyment, playing such classics as Jet Set Willy, and Sabre Wulf & The Hobbit, gave me a taste for computing that put me where I am now, in a good career that I enjoy and food on my table!

So in honor of that pivotal machine, I am looking to frame it. I am thinking a wooden case with a glass / perspex front, with the Spectrum sitting in some sort of recessed material like felt, velvet, foam etc. Anyone know where I would get such a thing? I guess it would have to be custom made, or is there an online market for such things?

Today I was taught a lesson, don’t use 100% Bio Diesel in cold weather.

That’s all I want to say about that….

So my article on Second Life and Linux is in the latest issue of Linux User & Developer (issue 75), go grab a copy and let me know what you think!

So the latest issue of Linux User and Developer (edition no 94) is running an article I wrote on how Linux and Free Software can help a company towards PCI: DSS compliance. Hopefully it’s informative and people will find it interesting, its certainally a hot topic in the IT profession nowadays.

It’s in the shops now, so go buy it!