Archive for May 2004
Age of Innocence 31 May 2004
I went to see the new Harry Potter film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, today. I’m a big HP fan and not afraid to say it. I’ve read all the books, I rushed out to buy book 5 (The Order of the Phoenix) when it was released, I’ve seen all the movies. Something [...]
Where I Wander 28 May 2004
I visit a number of sites on a regular basis, partly for news, partly for comment, partly for their funny stories. So, in conjunction with updating my links, I thought I’d enlighten you al with some of the sites I visit, and why I do. 1976 Design/Dunstan (www.1976design.com/blog) Dunstan’s blog is a mix between technical [...]
Parents: A Warning 23 May 2004
I know that parents are supposed to know best for their kids, and normally I would never suppose to tell anyone what is right and wrong where their child is concerned, but this time I’m breaking ranks. When naming your child, I beg you to consider what you do, and not make that decision on [...]
The Lost Civilisation of Dave 18 May 2004
Reading an article the other day I came across the name of an ancient civilisation from Mexico called the Teotihuacan (pronounced tay’-uh-tee’-wah-kahn). Why such long names? If I ever find a previously undiscovered extinct civilisation, I’m calling them Dave. (Actually, they were named by the invading Aztecs, who were relative newcomers at the time.)
Just Having Sun 14 May 2004
British weather, what the world opinion about it is, comparison to everywhere else, as part of the culture. The British, as many people know, are obsessed by the weather. We have to be, as someone once said, “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it’ll change.” We have an extremely variable climate, [...]
Web Sites As Food 11 May 2004
It occurred to me, as I contemplated my tea (as in dinner, not the cup variety) that maybe we could get across the importance of visual design on the web if we explained that web sites were like food. Food, at the most basic level, is fuel. We eat it so that we can turn [...]
IT: Office Saviour 10 May 2004
It was immense joy I read this article about the National Health Service (NHS) employing IT in an application for which it was intended. I know this may come as a shock to some people, but IT is actually designed to help people achieve results more efficiently. A key role to increasing efficiency is easy [...]
The Mother of Invention 7 May 2004
For reasons that are beyond me (my brain works in mysterious ways, some people see this as a random, slightly bizarre, often unnerving method of operation, I find it quite useful and very interesting) I recently found myself thinking about the speed of new inventions/breakthroughs that have been made in recent years. Recorded history dates [...]
Lessons in History 5 May 2004
I received the following by email from one of my work colleagues today, not sure if the facts are true, but interesting nonetheless:
New Muscles? 4 May 2004
I have to say that my current level of sporting activity is pathetically low. It was not always so. At one point I was super-fit. I swam for my county, played football for my school and a local team, and was decidely head of my class during all sporting events. I could turn my hand [...]