March 23, 2010
iDay
So much for blogging regularly...
Anyway, all that might be about to change, for I am about to get the internet in the palm of my hand. My new iPhone is, according the phonecall I got first thing this morning, waiting for me at home. So I've been itching all day to finish work and get back to play.
It's sod's law that I've got two papers to write for first thing tomorrow morning that, if anything, are going to keep me behind tonight.
[drums fingers on desk in an effort to get time to speed up a bit]
0 Comments
March 4, 2010
Surplus to Requirements...
I'm impressed that this is even an option...
Greece should sell islands to cut debt
Brilliant. Maybe the next government needn't raise taxes or cut spending after all. We could just see if the French want the Isle of Wight..?
0 Comments
March 3, 2010
You Learn Something New
I've been an acknowledged advanced user of Excel for around 10 years now, and yet I've literally only just learned how to use =INDIRECT() to create dynamic links to external workbooks (generally, I've used manual find and replace or over-complex VBA routines to achieve this in the past)...
http://www.techsupportforum.com/microsoft-support/microsoft-office-support/72872-excel-using-variable-link-external-workbook.html
A whole new world has just opened up in front of me. I like it when that happens.
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February 11, 2010
10 For 2010 Update!
Look, I've achieved something!
#1: Blog regularly
#2: **** ******* *** ***** ** * ****
#3: ****** **************
#4: ***** * *****
#5: Launch new NHGP website
#6: *** ** ***** ***** ********* *****
#7: **** ** ***
#8: *** *** ** *****
#9: **** ***** *****
#10: **** ** **** ** *** ****
What new NHGP website, you ask?
This one:
http://northherts.greenparty.org.uk/
Check it out!
Update on the rest? Well, #9 was going OK but has come off the rails a bit in the last couple of weeks. #2 may not now happen, but that's because something better might take its place. I'm going to try something slightly different that what I planned for #4. And I'm a bit stumped with #6.
With any luck, the next update will be in March...
2 Comments
February 3, 2010
Finally..!
Two posts in twenty minutes - what's going on?!
Ages ago I tried to switch off paper billing for my mobile phone. I pay by direct debit, I always check my account online during the month and I generally put the bill straight in the shredding pile, which seems like a spectacular waste of energy and paper.
I seem to remember they stopped coming for a while, then started up again inexplicably and have continued ever since, whatever I do with my account settings.
I should have phoned up and complain but, to be honest, I didn't hold out much hope that would achieve anything either, so I hadn't got around to it.
Just had a text from Vodafone:
"From March we'll no longer send you paper bills... To keep paper bills text KEEP..."
Like it was their idea or something.
Cheek.
1 Comments
Not what it appears...
This story: Hi-tech exam cheating increases says Ofqual
has been illustrated by:
1. a picture of a mobile phone - caption "Mobile phone cheating is a growing problem for examiners". Because not many people know what a mobile phone looks like.
2. a picture of an ear - caption "Hidden wireless ear-pieces are on sale to listen to notes on music players". I can't decide if the picture is of a hidden wireless ear-piece or not. It doesn't look like it does. But then it wouldn't be very well hidden if it did, would it? But I really think it's just an ear.
So that's a picture of a phone and a picture of an ear. A picture of an ear. Just an ear. I wonder if it's a library picture or if someone posed... The ear looks a bit embarrassed about the whole thing, if you ask me.
It's definitely just an ear...
1 Comments
February 2, 2010
You learn something new...
There is a variety of apple called the McIntosh.
The Apple Mac named after it.
It was Mac designer Jef Raskin's favourite apple.
I never knew that.
(this fact was legitimately uncovered in the course of this afternoon's work. I love it when that happens...)
1 Comments
January 28, 2010
Technical Difficulties Pt 2
Good news, we're back up and running.
The correspondence is too long to post (and possibly gives too much detail about the workings of the PTS empire...) but suffice to say that after a misdiagnosis of the problem and an email containing the phrase "You are not alone in the shared hosting environment. Perhaps it is time for you to consider getting a server. Thank you." in the middle of a paragraph (for maximum snarky effect) I have now had the database reopened and PTS is back in action.
I've taken some precautions to prevent unreasonable load on the servers - which is what apparently caused the database to be closed - however I can't see what effect the (alleged) 78,000 update queries and 28,000 insert queries had. The database looks exactly the same as it did on Tuesday.
Fingers crossed for no more meltdowns...
1 Comments
January 27, 2010
Technical Difficulties
My heart sank last night, when I started to get emails like this one:
"Been trying to get on all night ... and can't get on the site for some reason, just keep getting Database Not Found as per attached."
And this one:
"As no doubt you are aware PTS website is broken..."
Logged on to my webspace Control Panel, and found that the PTS database status was "closed". All my other databases were OK. hmmm.
Sent this email:
"To: support
From: Phil Oddy
I have had a number of emails from my users tonight to tell me that my site at http:\\predictthescore.net is offline. On checking I have found that it's displaying a "Database not found." message.
Checking via the control panel, it says that the MySQL database status (host xxxx database xxxx) is "closed".
What does this mean? How has this happened? Why wasn't I warned? Please can you reverse it?
Many Thanks,
Phil"
Got this response:
"To: Phil Oddy
From: support
Thank you for contacting us.
We believe that it is due to the email sent to you by our Abuse Team department*. All you need to do is to response to their email for your database to be unlocked. You may send them an email at xxxx**.
If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Technical Support"
To which there is only one response:
"To: support, abuse-team
From: Phil Oddy
I have not received an email from your Abuse Team.
Regards,
Phil"
Actually, there is another response, sent after I'd not heard anything for 5 hours.
"To: support, abuse-team
From: Phil Oddy
My site is still down and I still have no idea why.
I have checked my spam folder and my 1&1 control panel for a message from the abuse team - I haven't had one.
Please could someone tell me why my database is unavailable, and what I need to do to rectify this?
Regards,
Phil"
This isn't the first time I've had to engage "Technical Suppport" (who have a fondness for the keystrokes Ctrl-C > Ctrl-V). I have a nasty feeling this one could run and run. In case you're wondering, the web host you need to avoid is 1and1...
* Abuse Team department? A department responsible for the Abuse Team?
** I've taken out the email address there, they weren't sending me kisses...
0 Comments
January 22, 2010
Niche Spamming
Just received the following email, from my local Freecycle group:
"You may have noticed a message from somebody claiming to be xxxxxxxx* which was offering a DS Lite.
Unfortunately people are targeting Freecycle groups with "tempting offers" such as this, and when you reply you'll be told that the items gone but you can buy another one from this or that website - (in this case xxxxxxx**)
We do try to get on top of these as soon we we see them - I have deleted the message from the board and removed the posters account - they will now also automatically be banned from most other Freecycle groups in the world too!"
Wow, that's some targetted spam. I thought the point with spam was to spread your net as far as possible because the probability of anyone giving you any money was slight. Surely there aren't that many Freecycle groups? And if anything, the probability of making money must be even lower as the expectation of Freecycle users is that they'll be able to get things for nothing..?
* Name removed by me - that's not their name. That would have been a bit obvious, spam-wise***
** And again. That was a url, in case you were wondering
*** Frodo's friend from Lord of the Rings...
3 Comments
Z List "Celeb" Feud Alert
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/xfactor/news/a198394/jedward-left-devastated-by-bleakley-jibe.html
I think they *did* know who she was and that was their way of snubbing her right back. Although that would suggest that the pair of them are significantly more subtle that might otherwise appear.
Oh, I don't care. I don't even know why I clicked on the link. Don't click on the link! Please don't click on the link! Save yourself! You're worth more than... oh. I over-did it, didn't I?
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January 19, 2010
Leave. It. Alone.
George Lucas: 'Star Wars 3D getting closer'
There's nothing wrong with the original films. Leave them alone.
At least if he's doing that then he's not thinking of making any more...
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philoddy.com
Stuff and nonsense
Stuff and nonsense
