Archive for December, 2006

Contacts database

Some of my friends and family will no doubt have noticed a message in their e-mail with a link in it allowing them to click and make amendments to their contact details. This is a part of a large contact details database (see the faq) that I have added to my site which will allow me to look up individuals details and stay in touch with them.

If you’ve already got your e-mail or get one in the next few days or so, congratulations – you’re a part of a select group of my friends I’ve chosen to help test the system and make sure its good to hold and manage every single one of my contacts details. You don’t have to do anything special to test it out, just read the FAQ and click your link to make sure I have your details correct and that any omissions are completed. Every update gets back to me so I’ll be able to see if things are working as they should.

If you’ve not got an e-mail, don’t fret, within the next two weeks I will have all of my contacts in the database and you will be able to amend your details every time they change using your e-mail link. If you still don’t have your link after that feel free to contact me and if I know you I’ll add you. Be rest assured that providing your details this way is as secure as handing me a piece of paper or sending me an e-mail with them on and you will not be spammed as a result of being in my database. In case you didn’t already know, I absolutely hate spam and those that send it.

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Back to Leeds

Well its been a restful Christmas holiday and its now time to get back to Leeds and the work that lives there in earnest. Theres much to be done and exams are what feels like just around the corner. You might say they’ve rather crept up on us all, but thats the way things go. I wouldn’t imagine I’ll be writing here or indeed sitting online as much as usual but I’ll try and get on in between revision blocks etc.

I have a lot to look forward to though what with seeing friends after the holidays and of course going to the Wardrobe for the new year celebrations with Heather which I’m really looking forward to 🙂

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Vista content protection cripples PCs

I was directed yesterday to a very interesting article on the subject of content protection in the new Windows Vista and how it is increasing the cost of hardware and increasing the likelyhood a user will have problems with audio and graphics output as a result of content protection measures inbuilt into Vista.

All sources are creditied and despite seeming to be biased in places the article is actually very fair given the information available. You can read it on the link above. Comments on this would be most welcome.

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Family Photos

Christmas TreeOn Christmas day I went a little mad with the camera so there are a fair few photos from this years family Christmas knocking about on my computer. I’ve picked a few of them and popped them into the Family Christmas 2006 gallery for you all to look at. It was a very enjoyable day and nice to be with the nearest and dearest. There is another family gathering tomorrow so there will probably be some shots of the wider family going up into the gallery when I get home afterwards.

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No Peace

Ok this is a bit of a rant I guess, but on Christmas eve I did end up wondering if there was anywhere and any point in time where someone isn’t trying to take thier gadgets everywhere with them.

There we were at midnight mass on Christmas eve, in the church where I used to sing in the choir – St. Michaels, and every time there was a silent moment I could hear what I thought was a radio, very quiet, tinny but musical and it wasn’t going away or in any way linked to what was going on in the church. After a while I finally realised what it was. Yes, you’ve guessed it, some stupid little child a few rows back, most likely recieving insufficient discipline from thier parents in general day to day matters, had an MP3 player stuck in their ears.

I just couldn’t really believe it, one of the few places in todays loud and non-sleeping world where you expect silence to really mean silence some idiot was ruining it all by dragging a part of their modern world into a building a few centuries its senior. It was at that moment that I started to wonder if all this technological progress is really such a good thing.

I realised though that its not the technology its self that causes us the grief, its how and most importantly when we choose to use it. Get this wrong and we’re all going to end up suffering in the long term.

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Merry Christmas

Though its been said, many times, many ways, Merry Christmas to all 🙂

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Family Christmas 2006

Family Christmas 2006

All the photos I took when with my family for Christmas 2006

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Acoustic Alchemy

Acoustic Alchemy at Pizza ExpressOn Thursday 14th December I went to see Acoustic Alchemy play at the Pizza Express jazz club, Dean Street, Soho. It was two firsts for me – both the visit to the venue its self and seeing Acoustic Alchemy live – I’d done neither previously. I can now say however that doing both are most certainly worthwhile.

The Pizza Express club in Soho is really unique in its setup. All the tables are small, the ceiling is low and the stage is almost on top of the area where the tables are positioned. This provides a very close and intimate atmosphere in which you can almost reach out and touch the performers in the majority of seating positions. The food and drink of course is up to usual Pizza Express standards.

Acoustic Alchemy are made famous by their smooth jazz style that draws influence from a huge spectrum of jazz and blues music. On CD it is a very pleasent listening experience, one that complements any quiet evening in by the fire or conversation with good friends and the inevitable bottle of wine. Live however the music takes on a new lease of life, vibrant, exciting and captivating.

What really amazed me about their live performance was the depth to the music and how, even in songs I knew well, I could hear so much more there. I was insipired to buy their new album almost immediately after the start of the gig because of the way they played one of the tracks that features on it, The Crossing. The night was made even more special by the special guest appearance of Jeff Kashiwa, a superb jazz saxophonist who has released many a superb smooth jazz album in his own right. Hearing Jeff jam with members of Acoustic Alchemy was really cool and something I was so glad I got the chance to enjoy.

Another fascinating thing about Acoustic Alchemy that I learnt while at the venue was the colourful past of each of its members and indeed the band its self. The group have seen a fair bit of flux with the artists that compose it, and yet have managed to hold on to their unique jazz style – no mean feat. As for individual members, many have played in up to 3 or 4 groups before joining Acoustic Alchemy and it made me proud that I recognised nearly all the group names mentioned, in fact at one point when a name was mentioned only myself and 3 others let out the customary cheer of appretiation that always occurs when a crowd hear the name of a band they know and respect being mentioned by the band they are currently watching.

We left the venue feeling very much elated by the good music we had heard and by the fact we got to speak to each of the band members and Jeff Kashiwa. I came away with both Acoustic Alchemy and Jeff Kashiwa’s latest albums, both of which are nicely signed. Its always the sign of a gig thats gone down well.

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Foggy Photos

Foggy TreeGiven all the foggy weather we have been getting in the south of England lately I decided to try my hand at taking foggy photographs. I headed out into Verulamium park, St. Albans and took a few shots. The thumbnail on the left and the photo album are the results, please check them out and leave me your comments. I know some are better than others!

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Fog in St. Albans

Fog in St. Albans

There was a lot of fog about in the south of England this week and St. Albans was no exception. I took the camera out to grab some spooky fog shots

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