Doing something useful with my life October 17, 2007
Posted by Lloyd in Life Choice, getting older.add a comment
Well I’ve made a life decision. I getting older and haven’t really done anything useful with my life (except my son of course)
I have always regretted not going to university so I’ve decided to bite the bullet and do a degree at the Open University.
There are just two flaws to the plan:-
1) It’s going to cost about £ 4000 to do the degree of choice.
2) I can’t decide which module of the course to start with.
Probably start with an easy 1 week residential course next may to start me off gently as it is a requirement of my degree of choice, which I have realise I have told you which one. It’s a Bsc in Physical Science (my personal preference will be on the astrophysics elements)
So there you go!
Photography 101 October 13, 2007
Posted by Lloyd in Funny stuff.6 comments
So what is the most basic rule of photography ???
No matter what type of camera you use in my opinion the most basic rule is check your framing.
Alway take time to look for the lampost that may be sticking out of your subjects head ect.
If you dont you may end up with something like this!
Bloody Laptop October 13, 2007
Posted by Lloyd in Computers.5 comments
Well i came up with the clever idea to get a wireless network up an running so both me and my partner can access the internet at the same time. Now it works as the main Pc and the laptop can share the same connection. The problem is the laptop.
You see the thing is a dinosour, It has a grand total of 64mb in system memory. Yes thats right 64mb and i’m begining to wonder if this was a good idea. It works, don’t get me wrong, its just i have to wait 10 mins per webpage.
So it seams i’m left with two choices with regards to the laptop. Upgrade my current laptop which will cost about £ 100 or Buy a new laptop, which would cost about £ 700. Even if i go down the upgrade route i only get 512 mb.
So it would appear that my laptop is in fact not a laptop, its a craptop.
And having just read a article on collin’s geek rants blog would appear that the best thing i could do is nail a couple of peices of wood to it and use it at a bedside table.
Still since i currently do not have the money to replace the craptop, I’ll have to upgrade it, still on the bright side it would give me 10 times the system memory. Which will mean i only have to wait 2-5 mins per webpage.
Is Maths the universal language ? October 12, 2007
Posted by Lloyd in Science.add a comment
Whether or not you believe in intelligent extra terrestrial life scientist seem to agree that maths with turn out to be the universal language. Now, this may well be true, it does have a problem which in themselves can cause issues.
For example the answer to the following sum seems obvious: 1+1 =
Now the answer for us is 2. Now we use, most commonly, the decimal system of numbering i.e. we can use the digits from 0 to 9 without the need to repeat them. However, commonly in use by us today there are 3 main numbering systems: Binary, decimal and hexadecimal. Binary only has two digits, 0 and 1, Decimal has ten digits and hexadecimal has sixteen. So the answer to the sum above, in the three numbering system, is as follows:-
Binary = 10
Decimal = 2
Hexadecimal = 2
So although we get an expected result from two of the numbering systems, from binary we get a result that looks like ten to us. But it is in fact the same answer.
So let’s look at it in a slightly different way. If we take the number 10 for example this means radically different things depending on the numbering system used. In Decimal it of course means ten. As above in binary it equals two. In Hexadecimal however it is the equivalent of sixteen.
Although the fact that if you have an apple and add another one you have two apples remains the constant. The way that this number is denoted could be radically different. The three systems above are those in use by us today. However, there are many different ways that numbers can be recorded. It may be that a system similar to the Romans is used. It is equally possible that they could use a Pentidecimal system or an Octidecimal system.
So although the maths may be the universal language before any communication is possible we need to understand which numbering system they use.
Finally back October 11, 2007
Posted by Lloyd in Uncategorized.add a comment
Well I’ve finally got back up and running so should be writing my rants soon
Appologies for the lack of posts July 26, 2007
Posted by Lloyd in Uncategorized.1 comment so far
Unfortunetly i have been without internet recently and have been unable to post. For those that have noted this and posted a comment (yes Collin i mean you, lol) this is the reason for my lack of postage.
Normal service will be resuming shortly 
Proud to be who i am February 27, 2007
Posted by Lloyd in Life Choice, Religion.2 comments
The following are not my own words. I think, however, that I could do no better at expressing who I am.
An Open Letter from a Witch:
I am a witch. I do not worship Satan; I am not interested in Satan. Satan was invented by the Christians. Satanism is a form of Christianity. I am not a Christian. I don’t go to church on Sunday. Jesus is NOT my savior. He was simply a holy man who lived 2,000 years ago. I am not afraid of going to Hell because I don’t believe in Hell any more than I believe in Satan. I believe in reincarnation; that I will come back to this world or another and live out another life. I am not evil. Telling people I am a “good witch” or asking me if I am a good witch implies that there are evil witches. There are evil people in the world and there are people who chose to work with the forces of nature in a way that harms others; those people are NOT witches.
The central law of being a witch is: “if it harms none, do as you will.” Please don’t ask me about sacrificing cats or desecrating churches. I love my cats! And I don’t go into churches or synagogues unless a friend from that religion invites me to some special occasion. And if I DO enter a church, I am not struck by lightning. If a Christian or a Jew or a Buddhist came to a pagan ritual, our gods would not strike them dead either. Isn’t that something to think about?
Wearing a pentacle is no different than wearing a cross, crucifix, or Star of David. If you want me to take off the symbol of MY religion (and Wicca is a religion, protected by the same First Amendment rights as other religions) because it’s offensive, you need to make everyone of every religion do that. The five points of the star signify the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire & Water, and the fifth point is Spirit; encircled by the World. How that can offend anyone boggles my little pagan mind. An image of a tortured, dying man is more offensive, yet thousands of people openly wear crucifixes every day.
Please don’t ask me if I’m in a “coven” in that half-horrified, half-fascinated tone of voice. If I want to talk about my coven, I will bring it up. If I am a solitary practitioner, I have no coven to discuss. In any case, our rituals have candles, food, drink, poetry, dancing…yes, there is a knife but it only cuts the air, not anyone’s flesh.
I don’t drink blood. I am not some kind of vampire. I wear black because it keeps negativity away and to tell the truth…it looks better on me than pink, orange and purple polka dots!
If you want to ask me something related to MY religion, ask me when the next full moon is. Or the next blue moon Or what a blue moon IS! Ask me about herbs. Crystals, Healing, Even ask me to make you a love potion.
I don’t cast spells on other people and I won’t cast a spell on you to make you prettier, thinner, more desirable. I won’t cast a spell on your quarry to make him/her love you. Trust me, you don’t want that, you don’t want the Karma that involves and neither do I! That’s a form of manipulation, taking away someone’s power, infringing on their free will. Not nice at all.
I also won’t cast a binding spell to make someone STOP doing something to you. Spell work is about co-creation. A witch works with universal energy, with the gods, to tilt the engine of probability somewhat.
Need money? Don’t try to ensorcel your boss to give you a raise. Simply ask the universe to increase the flow of abundance in your direction. That infringes on NO ONE’s free will.
Giving me a book about the Burning Times is like giving a book on The Holocaust to a Jewish person. It’s not funny and is rude!
Yes, I do go to Salem, but not because any of those poor executed people were witches(the jury is still out on some of them), but because there’s cool pagan shops there. If there were cool pagan shops in a town called East Cowflop, I’d go there as well!
Don’t try to make me ashamed of who I worship and what I am. Please don’t try to convert me or “save” me. Don’t throw holy water on me. Don’t leave little pamphlets on my desk or windshield. I don’t need to be saved.
Witches are proud of the fact that we don’t recruit people to become witches. We simply ARE and those around us see how we think, how we act and our inner peace and only when someone says “how do I become a witch?” do we take them into the fold with us.
I will NEVER leave a religious tract with anyone. I don’t have one, unless you count this letter. I am not asking you to convert. I am only asking you to pease understand. If you don’t want to understand, well then just leave me alone
~Author unknown~
BLESSINGS
Speak English February 21, 2007
Posted by Lloyd in Politics.2 comments
The Commission on Integration and Cohesion has today announced that the biggest barrier to relations is non english speaking workers and spouses. It has proposed that all non speaking migrant workers and people entering this country by marriage should be made to learn english. The report already has come under fire from barristers claiming that it is ‘impractical’ and a ‘posible infringement of an individuals human rights’. I have also heard the argument that we live in a multi cultural society and we should accept that some people do not wish to learn english.
Now i would be the first to agree that we do live in a multicultural society. I, however, fail to see how learning english would change that. I personally do not find it acceptable that people work in this country and do not have even a basic command of english. Learning english would surely help individuals to integrate into society and be able to interact with people. Not to mention that there are unscrupulous people that can and do take advantage.
I used to work as a personal injury lawyer and had a case where 4 polish workers were injured in an accident. Not one could speak english and trusted their boss to handle the claim for them. At the successful conclusion of the claim the boss demanded a 50% handling fee. I received a letter clearly written by this individual and unfortunately signed by the four workers. The upshot was that i had to pay the ‘helpful’ person a little over £ 5000 for his ‘help’. If the workers had spoken english this situation could have been avoided and would not have been ripped off.
As for the proposals being ‘impractical’ at the moment it would seem that this is the case. The current government is in fact cutting places for free english lesson for migrant workers who cannot speak english. It is also the case that one of the suggestions put forward that english should be learnt before coming to this country. This is impractical as english lessons will probably not be so freely available in their home country. This would mean ,of course, increasing the lessons available to incoming non english speaking people.
The ‘Human rights’ argument is frankly the most laughable of all of them. Nobody has forced people to come to this country to work and i therefore see no reason why english lessons should not be made compulsory. It seems simple that someone choosing to come to this county should also choose to learn english. I do not know of any cultural or religious restriction that would prevent this being the case. There may be one and if there is please enlighten me.
No one is asking for them to speak english all the time or to give up there own language. It is simply a case of learning our national language to have the ability of communication. It would be unreasonable of me to go and live in Spain, for example , without learning spanish.
We do live in a multicultural sociaty that has brought us meny benifits and additions to our culture.
So how do we pay for the english lessons ? Is it fair for the ‘tax payer’ to fund the lessons ?
Frankly i say yes it is right for the ‘tax payer’ to fund the lessons. After all legally working immigrants are ‘tax payers’. By the same token, however, I also believe that free language lessons should be available for the english speaking public.
I have no doubt that there are some people that would find this unfair. There are, however, meny situations that are with regards to taxation. That, however, is another subject.
Here are my favourates, what are yours ? February 19, 2007
Posted by Lloyd in Funny stuff, Science.add a comment
Now having had a look through a website that features the Ig Noble Awards i though i’d share with you my 10 favorites. I’m going to list the winner(s), year, category, title and what there research consisted of(if applicable). Now in no particular order they are :-
1. Gauri Nanda – 2005 – Economics – For inventing an alarm clock that continuously runs away so you have to get out of bed.
2. Ivan V Schwarb & Phillip R.A May(late) – 2006 – Ornithology – Why woodpeckers don’t get headaches
3. The Vatican – 2004 – Economics – Outsourcing catholic prayers to India
4. Antonio Mulet, José Javier Benedito & José Bon – 2006 – Chemistry – Ultrasonic Velocity in Cheddar Cheese as Affected by Temperature
5. Gregg A Miller – 2005 – Medicine – For inventing the Neuticles (artificial testicles for dogs, availible in three sizes and degrees of firmness)
6. Karl Schwärzler and the nation of Liechtenstein- 2003 – Economics – For making the entire country available for rent for corporate gathering, weddings etc.
7. Karl Kruszelnicki – 2002 – Interdisciplinary research – For performing a comprehensive survay of human belly button lint (who gets it, how much etc)
8. Peter Barss – 2001 – Medicine -Injuries Due to Falling Coconuts
9. John Keogh – 2001 – Technology – For patenting the Wheel in 2001 (jointly awarded to the Australian Patent board)
10. Jillian Clarke – 2004 – Public Heath – For investigating the scientific validity of the 5 second rule (IE is food safe to eat after being dropped on the floor and retrieved before 5 seconds have expired).
Well theres my list, please feel free to tell me yours.
Just goes to show that if you have a stupid enough idea and are good at spouting nonsense people will be falling over themselves to give you grant money.
Computer Games help you lose weight !!!! February 19, 2007
Posted by Lloyd in Computers, Science.2 comments
A recent study at the John Moores University in liverpool has reveiled that regulur use of consoles like the Nintendo wii can help you loose up to 27lb (12.25 kg) the BBC has reported.
Apparently research has shown that the new generation of active games that are available can have positive health benefits if used regularly. The research tested active games verses the traditional joypad played games. This has lead to the health improvement stated.
Well Drrr !
Did we really need serious scientific research to tell us that if we are up an moving as opposed to sitting on the couch we’re going to burn more calories. Yes, granted, we now know the exact amount of weight that we can loose by using the active games.
This is one research project that the world can do without. Not to mention the thousands in grant money that have probably spent on this research when there are far more important things that need to be researched and studied.
Perhaps we have a contender for this years Ig Noble prize in heath.
Still if you happen to be passing my window and happen to see me waving my arms like a loony its because i’m playing with my eyetoy. Not because i have gone stark raving mad !!!!!
I notice that Nintendo have been quick on the uptake for this. So I’m looking forward to the ‘buy a WII, its good for you’ campaign. If or when it happens get ready for a ‘told you so’ blog entry 
