ISS Photos

Been Quiet For a While

Time for this blog to leap back into action and hook up with my various other online presences!

4Q

Came across 4Q today, what a neat, free idea to get quite and easy feedback for a web site.
Tests start today on my business site!

Microsoft Office Accounting 2009

Just one more geeky post, then back to the real world I promise.
Today I got notification of Microsoft Office Accounting 2009 being available to download.

Actually, the MSOA UK site seems to still be a bit confused at the moment, mentioning 2008 version, but downloading 2009 version, and I'm having problems with the MPAN site too, but that's really too geeky.

I really do like this groovy piece of software - anyone running a small business should give the free express version a go at first - that will suit many, and the Professional version is not too expensive considering what it offers.

IE8

Well, last week Microsoft sneaked out the latest version of their web browser Internet Explorer 8, available to download from the Microsoft IE site
To be honest I was expecting a bit more drama in the press, but it really was a whimper rather than a bang.

At work we had to make some last minute changes to get things compatible, but it's all smooth as a baby's bottom now - I expect there will be quite a few webbie peeps caught out by the IE8 launch
Our pan-European daily audience of about 40,000 has just about 3% with IE8 - though I suspect we can expect this to grow if and when they release it through Windows Update.

I actually quite like IE8 and although many people will use any excuse to have a good old whinge about Microsoft being too big and all that. For the sake of those peeps you might want to consider Firefox or Google Chrome, Safari or Opera that are also excellent browsers

Blogtasitc

Well my poor old lifeblog has been somewhat ignored for quite a long time now, anyway, I'm back and am hoping to give it some long overdue attention.

Stay tuned for updates!

Hyperchips

Check out the new hyperchips web site at www.hyperchips.co.uk

Captain's Blog

Avast me hearties, today be In'ernational Talk Like a Pirate Day.
Aye, that it be.

So, tha needs to be clickin' on this 'ere link for more

Saddleworth Signage

I'm not one to encourage graffiti, although I have to say that the funniest piece of graffiti I saw was on a condom machine in Belfast that said "for refund, please insert baby into slot" - got to love that Irish sense of humour!

Anyway, I noticed that somebody has made what looks like an adjustment to a local sign, proudly naming Saddleworth in the West Riding of Yorkshire - I seem to remember that this used to say something about Oldham MBC!

Happy Yorkshire Day

August 1st is Yorkshire Day. In Saddleworth, the main celebrations were over the weekend though.
Nice to see that the white rose flags are still flying in the village today

TravelBlog - Nottingham

White Water Rafting was the order of the weekend.
Arranged through a friend, a large group of us trekked down to the National Watersports Centre to their excellent man-made white water course.

Because we were a large group, we got a good deal one the photographs supplied by Focused On Adventure. These guys have a great setup of two or three photographers with Nikon and Epson digital SLR cameras following the rafts down the course. At the end of the session they supplied a CD with over 100 images on it. This one shows me (with a red helmet) at the front getting completely submerged. Everyone got wet - without exception - but that was the name of the game, so a great time was had by all.

Travelblog - York

Took my favourite mother-in-law to York for a day trip. The place is really great, although the weather wasn't the best, it went from grey to damp to wet to thunder, lightning and soaking.

Fortunately for me, I had just purchased a Tilley hat, and I'm pleased to say that the nice people at Cotswold Outdoors in Harrogate could accommodate my fat head size!

The hat worked wonders, I walked round the place in my hat, tee shirt and shorts, staying quite dry under the brim, frequently passed by dampened druken groups of stags who all thought it was hilarious to say "G'day" to me. Well, laugh now they might, but he who laughs last.... you see, I know what's in store for them - years of marriage!!!!

Only kidding, I'm very happily married to my lovely wife, I just don't think that either of us realised that we got each others in-laws as part of the bargain!! Les Dawson eat your heart out!

TravelBlog - Harry Ramsdens Guiseley

What's so special about going for fish and chips? I hear you ask.

Well, as a Yorkshireman, I'm proud to tell you that I can remember going to "Harry's" in Guiseley long before it was the Corporate super-giant it is now.

In my day it was just a posh chippy up the road!

Interestingly enough, and not very well known or signposted, around the back of main Harry Ramsdens restaurant stands the original Harry's hut. Though I'm not old enough to have queued up at Harry's hut - unlike my parents!

Harry's fish and chips has a secret recipe for their batter, which does taste really good. Although friends in the food industry have told me what they think it is, I still have have some allegence to Harry's even though they are a Corporate Super Giant - so I will not share the secret with anyone!

TravelBlog - Tebay Services

I can see why Tebay service station has won awards, it is by far the best, highest quality service station I have ever attended - even the local graffiti artists are highly educated with graphic design degrees.

I'm not normally one for snapping photos in the gents (for obvious reasons) but fortunately, there was nobody about when I noticed this, so I was able to take a photo of this budding marketeer pointing out the crop marks on this sign.

For those of you not in the know - these marks show where you should cut the poster out of - anything outside the crop marks isn't meant to be shown.

I do wonder who goes into the toilets with a red (or any other colour for that matter) marker pen. In all my loo visits in my life, I can honestly say that I've never knowingly had a marker pen on my person when being in there. Maybe I could get ahead in the marketing business if I started taking a marker pen in with me on future visitations!

TravelBlog - Madrid

Equally as hot as Milan, a nice place but I didn't get to see any of it apart from the Airport and the office.

To be honest, after spending the last few days travelling about and the heat I wasn't really up for much tourism - but even then, the sunny weather and nice people left good memories of the place.

I shall be back (not before long either!)

TravelBlog - Milan

At last, a business trip to Milan with a few hours to appreciate the beauty of the place.
Although the weather was scorching hot - 32 (Centigrade) at 1 o'clock in the morning, the whole place is fantastic.

Italy remains "undiscovered" to me and I'm really looking forward to this year's summer holiday to find out an awful lot more about the place.

Travelblog - Dublin

To Ireland on business this time - I do like the Irish people, both NI and ROI people are very friendly and easy to get on with.

Saddleworth Whit Friday

Every Whit Friday, there's a very big, famous Brass Band Contest held in all the villages of traffic.

For the music lovers and tourists, it's wonderful, a whole day of parp parp tootle-doodle, boom boom. In fact, if you've ever seen the film Brassed Off, they play in the Saddleworth competition.

For the locals though (speaking as one) I have to say, it's chaos!! The whole area comes to a standstill - traffic queues up behind the processions, parking becomes a big fight and the incessant tootle of brass bands, though pleasant for the first hour or so, really begins to get on your wick a little after a whole day of it. Thank heavens, I'm at work during most of the day!! During one of said traffic jams I snapped a pic of this sign that shows some consideration for the locals ordering the drummers not to beat time!!

Anyway, it's only once a year, so I'll let them have their fun, but it won't stop me joining in by shouting, "that's not a brass band - I contest that !!" now and again just to keep my sanity

TravelBlog - Frankfurt

Yes, went to Frankfurt on business - turned up the day before the England match.
The taxi driver asked me if I was here for the match. Being a non pie-eating-thug I had no idea what he was talking about at the time, and only found out afterwards.

Travelblog - Gothenburg, Sweden

Went to Gothenburg on business, nice place lovely sunsets