Winters here for real !!

Winter, at least here in the UK, has finally arrived. How do I know?. The Snow has fallen and everyone has come to a grinding halt - LOL

The last few days have been something else. Wednesday was really a fore taste of what was to come. The wind was strong and blustery - my big ladder (which is fairly heavy) was blown down - which has never happened to me before. The air temperature was biting. The rain almost horizontal.

Yesterday (Thursday) was worse. The snow fall had already started.The wind was even stronger (my Transit Van got blown across the road several times - it's a good job I slowed down - but not everyone). The scary thing was that the Weather Man (or more accurately Weather Woman) actually go the forecast right. Snow, biting winds, drifting - the full set (at least for Britain) As I slowly made my way from one job to another. Snow being blown quite literally sideways. A big heavy van buffeted about as though it had no weight at all.


But within this weather there was some beauty. On the way home, I drove across the Lincolnshire Wolds from a little village called North Kelsey back towards Scunthorpe.

Dusk was just causing the sky to darken. The clouds were dark and forbidding, full of snow. There were small dark blue patches of clear sky - but off to the right as I looked, there were more heavy, laden clouds blowing in from the coast.

As I drew closer to Brigg (a Market Town on the way home), the leaden clouds started to glow red. The red turned from orange to gold. It was really quite beautiful. The reason ?

The town motto of Scunthorpe is "The Heavens Reflects our Labours". Being a Steel town one of the processes the works carries out ids the tipping of Slag. This is a by product of the steel making process - and, having seen this in this in the flesh it is quite frightening, the slag is poured into pits where it is allowed to cool, and then it is broken up and sold onto other companies. When this is done during the day - you can see nothing. But at night!

Some nights in the middle of summer - with the mixture of dusk and reflections - awesome. But last night was something else. Looking out over the wolds, over the head of Brigg and towards Scunthorpe. The gold reflections in the tufts of cloud - wonderful.

Got home to find my Son (in the dark) running about in the snow - going absolutely mad.

This morning - as far as the kids are concerned - it was even better. The snow had fallen again over night. there must by at least 6 inches of snow the ground. When I took Laura to School the was a complete Cannonade of snowballs. It seemed as though every child in the Playground was throwing a Snow ball. And there was the noise. A School yard at the beginning of the day is never a quite place, but today. The squeals of joy at the snow was unbelievable.

The weather forecast? More Snow - but it's hard to believe that at the moment. Looking out my left, out of the window, and the Clear Skies, and the bright sun is glistening off the lying snow. But we shall see

Wednesday, January 29, 2003 07:36:28

The Hearings' Going - but the Eye Sight Isn't

If you haven't heard by now (see my last posting), it looks like my "tentative" question about whether someone had done a nasty to the Internet users around the world has proved to be true.

It would appear some one has released what is known as "The SQL Slammer or Sapphire" Worm onto the Internet. This has effected quite a number of computers (taking out many of the Bank of America teller machines for one - so I've been told).

I know that the IT people at work are waiting for some patch or other to become effective before they can bring some of the company systems back on line.

The following links takes you to one of the stories on the Internet reporting this worm: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1105-982135.html

This brings up two points:

Point one: Why do people cause so much grief to other innocent users of the Internet?

I have heard, and read, the various reasons for carrying out these sorts of "attacks". These reasons ranging from " I was only attacking a Corporate Target" through to "I did it because I could". Either way these people should be brought to book, not just locally, but Internationally. I know what I would like to do - but it would be in-polite of me to post how these things really make me feel.

and

Point two: Microsoft? Do they really care for their Customers and Users

The reason this Worm has been so relatively effective is that it exploit a known flaw that is at least six months old. If people had known about this for six months - why didn't anyone react to it. Issue a patch, some warning - something?. Genuine Customers have paid MS large amounts of money for this software - only to have their data and processes put at risk because of a sloppy software build.

The problem as I see it is this. As the Computer World is today, most users are caught between a rock and a hard place. Realistically, it is very difficult to stop the idiots who thinks it fun to destroy innocent netter's hobbies. And most of the computer world is now run on Microsoft Code. And Microsoft haven't covered themselves in glory as regards selling software that is bug free.

What is an innocent netter to do?


current mood: annoyed
current music:

Liams Football Match ?

Park Tigers 1 v B.BC 5

Man of the Match - Andrew

What a game.!!
The ground was very damp and muddy. Although it was not raining, it was generally dull and uninspiring. There was the occasional guest of very cold wind blowing, left to right , across the pitch. The Players finished covered in mud, as did most of the parents and supporters - it was that sort of match.

Liam and his mates played some of the match, particuarly in the second half, fairly well. But , equally they played the remainder pretty badly.

Liam, specifically had a bad game - and he's the goalie.
For once, his sister asked to go watch, so we arrived five minutes after they started ( having delivered Liam 3/4 of an hour earlier), and they were already 3 - 0 down.

As I said ,Liam had a particularly hard time. You could tell that the confidence had gone, and had been replaced with doubt and self - anger ( he's like me in that - what ever we try to do we had to do well. When we fall short of that goal we get very frustrated with ourselves). To be fair to him, he had missed some of the training because of his ear infection, and that lack of training showed. But he lacked that sparkle, the effort, that he normally showed.

Andrew - one of the new lads, got the man of the team award, for his commitment and effort during the game.

Maybe next week will be a better game - the team is away at Crowle Colts.

Liams Football Match ?

Park Tigers 1 v B.BC 5

Man of the Match - Andrew

What a game.!!
The ground was very damp and muddy. Although it was not raining, it was generally dull and uninspiring. There was the occasional guest of very cold wind blowing, left to right , across the pitch. The Players finished covered in mud, as did most of the parents and supporters - it was that sort of match.

Liam and his mates played some of the match, particuarly in the second half, fairly well. But , equally they played the remainder pretty badly.

Liam, specifically had a bad game - and he's the goalie.
For once, his sister asked to go watch, so we arrived five minutes after they started ( having delivered Liam 3/4 of an hour earlier), and they were already 3 - 0 down.

As I said ,Liam had a particularly hard time. You could tell that the confidence had gone, and had been replaced with doubt and self - anger ( he's like me in that - what ever we try to do we had to do well. When we fall short of that goal we get very frustrated with ourselves). To be fair to him, he had missed some of the training because of his ear infection, and that lack of training showed. But he lacked that sparkle, the effort, that he normally showed.

Andrew - one of the new lads, got the man of the team award, for his commitment and effort during the game.

Maybe next week will be a better game - the team is away at Crowle Colts.

Is the Net Suffering Tonight?

Everything seems to be very slow this evening (and some sites are seemingly struggling very badly)

I had heard on the news that some nice person (I shall not put what I really feel) has released a Worm in the Internet and it is having somewhat of a detrimental effect on everything.

Has anyone else heard anything?

A Reflection on the Week?

This week has been , as they say, "one of those weeks!". With some members of the family shouting at each other for various reasons, me messing up one of my Blog pages rather badly, and then with each of us feeling pretty bad, this week has been very hard work.

You would have thought that, with the problems I have had with my own Big Blog Tool Site, that I would have "learned my lesson" by now. But you'd be wrong, at least partially. I shall not comment any further on my "errors" with regards to my Blogger mix up. Only to say that, instead of putting me off building and altering my own Blog templates - it has actually spurred me to try and do "my own thing". While I was look for solutions to my mistakes - I noticed that there were a multitude of Blogger templates for use with Blogger.com sites. I think that I may have to alter the way that the site is hosted (via some of my web space and not via blogspot.com) - but it gives my another goal to aim for. Mind you - I still have our own main website to update - so that should really be the first port of call.

For me, apart from being an Internet Idiot of the day (do Blogger communities have a Village Idiot - cause if they do I'm applying), the week has been a little hard to get used to . I'm typing part of this entry during my lunch hour (and now finishing it at home - feeling absolutely shattered)- this being the first Saturday at work for a very long time. It is both strange, and normal, in equal measure. strange, in the fact, that I'm not doing my normal Saturday things (cleaning the house, ironing, Computer maintenance and the like) and it feels weird to but here at work, but typing this.

The normality?. Work is hassle, hassle,hassle. To be honest it hasn't actually been too bad - so far. But those work-a- day pressures are still the same, whatever day it is.

Liam is defiantly growing up. The only problem with this is that, at the moment it is leading to some loud "discussions" - particularly between him and Cathy. Liam is a proper boy, nee teenager. He is nice and nasty, happy and sulky, quiet and noisy in equal measure. But he can be stubborn, short tempered and bolshy(if that's a dictionary word) - I wonder where he gets that from? - LOL. He is certainly like me in many ways - he has a "work" and home persona, he takes a while to build up anger and then "its helmet time". He is very smart - but doesn't often feel it because of his dyslexia. I suppose the "head to head" battles are part of his growing up - but do they have to be so loud?

As I have mentioned before - I have somewhat of an interest in World War One. I have tried to understand why - but I suppose it is a combination of things. Anyway yesterday (Friday) we received the books form the new book club we had joined - and one (or two) of them where history books about WW1. The one thing that has always horrified me about WW1 (apart from the obvious) was the way the world almost fell into a conflict by accident. Every Country was basically looking after it's own self interest, no side being any better than the other. Some making agreements to do this at hat with other, and within no time at all - most of the world is at war. Four years and far to many casualties later - was the world actually any better. Families destroyed, great tracks of land laid waste - only for the World to have another go at each other within 20 years or so.

What frightens me is that I can see another fall into war looming on the international horizon. Whether it do true or not, I get the impression that Mr Bush is going to blow dirty great holes in Iraq whatever ( and I still can't shake the feeling that he is finishing off what his Father should have done in the first place). I don't know about any other UK citizen, but I'm not convinced that our Country should be involved with this. Don't get me wrong - The Gulf War had to be fought. Iraq were definitely the aggressors in that case, and I can support the rational and the fact that it was truly a alliance Force. But this time? it just feels wrong. It seems , on the face of it, that it is the US and the UK against the world - and stuff what anyone else thinks.

Anyway - have just seen the news. Colin Powell has been interviewed on TV and he basically said that he would be quite happy to give the Arms Inspectors a little longer to do their job. It has also been suggested that there may be some compromise to gain the support of other countries. I hope they can come to some sort of conclusion - for everyones sake.

This is one of the longest entries that I have ever made. I hope this isn't to long for you - I'll try to be a little shorter next time - but this time I just wanted to say all this before I forgot what I wanted to say.

Friday Night and Oh God its soon to be Saturday Morning

It's been a bit of a nightmare with regards my Blogs this week - most of it (O-KAY all of it) self inflicted.

As I have already said - I have started a Blog via the Big Blog Tool Site.Now this site is a self hosting site (and if your reading this you are already on the site), and I have been lucky in the fact that Ruzz, one of the moderators for the site, has been very helpful - in fact he is a Hero. If it wasn't for his advice ( and the fact that I have left well alone for the last day or two) - this site would be a complete heap. I had the site deleting its self, java errors , what could go wrong did go wrong. And in came Ruzz. I shall now leave alone (and if you believe that - you'll believe anything. I'm running a book - how long will it be before I start fiddling again - LOL).

This week is the second week of my new work rota. Tomorrow is the first Saturday that I will have worked for many years. It already feels a little odd, but I suspect that, once I get there it will feel like any other day - And if it's any thing like today I'll give up before I start.

This is just a quick entry - I'll make a fuller "Week" report on Sunday - hopefully I'll talk to you then.

What happened to today?

Today, as I have explained previously, is the first week day off as apart of a new work rota, for taking part in BT's new HomeComputing service. What plans I (or should I say we) had. All that tidying, sorting ,ironing and the like.

As normal I got up at normal "work wake up time" - this is 06.30 in the morning, and I got on the computer.

I don't know why, but for the last few days I have felt pretty poor. Anyway the day dragged on, and I stayed on the computer. Bad move. I had altered the templates for my own person The Smudger BigBlog site (that's via Big Blog site). I think I altered something on the posting site through, because now, when I post a new item, it seems to amend (that's the polite way of saying "DELETE"). I know that it is my fault - I'm an idiot (or that's how I feel at the minute) - why can't I leave anything alone.

I have e-mailed for help - what can I do to make things worse?

At the minute all that involves is turning on the computer - LOL

Now all I have to do tonight is wait!!

Tonight, both Liam and, I assume, fellow Xangain(is that a real word?) englishjuls , are waiting for the kickoff of a Football (that's Soccer for those of you in the US) of Liverpool against Sheffield. This match is fairly important as this is the second game of a two game semi final of a UK Cup competition(shows how much I know - I can't remember whether it is the FA Cup or the Worthington Cup - although I'm sure it's the FA Cup) , and Liverpool are 2 - 1 down ( and they are going to have to play a damn sight better than they did in the last game - the last few games I've seen them play , they were awful.)

This Week - part 2

I've deliberately split this week up into two parts, one positive and one negative.

This is the positive one.

Laura's birthday went well. She had a fair few presents (especially considering how close it has been to Christmas & New Year). The floor has continually thumped to the Playstation Dance mat. At School she has joined the Chess Club.

Now this might seem a strange thing to make comment on - and in many ways it shouldn't be. But it was one of those things I never really expected any of my kids to get into. I know that sounds bad, but the thing is it is a game I never really liked (unlike Golf - which I really can't stand - ROFL). So Chess has never been one of those games that's been played in the house. The kids have played various card games - the normal run of board games and the like. Even Draughts (or Checkers for our US friends) - but never Chess. Never mind - we shall see what happens from now on.

Liam has had another ear infection. No big surprise there you might think, but this one hasn't really hit him as badly as normal. He is even able to go and play Football this A.M. - which he hasn't been able to do with previous infections (it affects his balance as well as the pain that goes with an ear infection). It's Cathy turn to take him today - so we'll let you know what happened later on in the day .Also, with Liam being dyslexic, the reading and the like has always been somewhat of a struggle for him (more so than most). But in the last few weeks and days, it has become more apparent that he is starting to get the hang of the old "English" - he's even spelling words out when his Sister asks for help.

The film we went to see yesterday, that is myself, Liam and his friend Ryan (Cathy took the birthday Girls and her friends to see "Like Mike"), was the latest Jackie Chan film - The Tuxedo. Now I don't really like Jackie Chan films - would rather have gone to see Star Trek Nemesis, but that's another story, but to be honest,this wasn't that bad a film. If you like that Slapstick / Martial Arts / Comedy / Drama type of film - it is worth a look. Well don't blame me - its the best way I could find that described the film, Slapstick , certainly. Martial Arts - with Jackie Chan , what else. Comedy - it was funny in places and Drama - there was actually a reasonable story behind it all. But I've never been able to describe films very well. That sort of thing I leave to Barry Norman and Jonathan Ross.

Tired - Fed up - And Back to Work Tomorrow

This Week - part 1

Sounds bad doesn't it? Well in some ways it is.

I haven't slept well for a couple of days. I have a sore throat and a snotty nose (thanks Liam - LOL). All of the last week has been centered around Laura's birthday. Work was mainly hassle and grief. I'm sure if I looked back with the proverbial "Rose Coloured Glasses" maybe things weren't so bad - but at the minute?

Friday and Saturday have just been a bit of a blur. Another Family party for Laura's birthday, a visit to the Cinema and then going out with friends last night, it just feels that I haven't had 5 minutes to myself. I know this is not really the case (my blogging is time for my-self) but it's that feeling of busy , busy, busy - no rest, no time for me. Its very hard to shake off at the minute. Its probably that accumulation of circumstances - the January "Blues" , not feeling to good, fed up of people shouting at each other. I know it's a feeling that most people get from time to time ( and I'm equally sure that some people have that feeling now)

This is the second week of my new work rota - which means that, for the first time in quite a few years, I have to work on a Saturday (mind you I get two week days off - which will also be something of a new experience).This new rota was a trade off for getting on a training course and learning some new skills - they paid for the course so I don't' think that the "cost" was that bad.

There Goes Another Week

Here goes another week. Christmas seems to be slowly vanishing off into the wild blue yonder. This week has seen Laura's birthday, two infections and two tired parents, and we still have the weekend to cope with.

As usual on a Saturday, I am sat here in the dark of an early morning (it's just gone 07.15 a.m. UK time) - its part of that automatic body clock thing - I wake up most mornings at around 06.30 "ready" to go to work.

Most of this week has seem to have been focused on Laura's birthday (even though that was actually Thursday).Last week was the hunt for her present (one of those dance mats - similar to the arcade game) - which strangely was scarily painless. Normally we spend hours going from shop to shop, followed by - "is that what you want?" "NO!", "what about that then?" "NO!!", only to end up going back to the first shop and then buying something different. But this year! Two shops and an agreement - still think something has gone wrong .

I suppose - work wise at least - this week has been the same as many others. Just your box standard week of grief and hassle. It's not really been that bad - but the last couple of days have been entertaining - waiting for the wind to die down a little so you can climb a telegraph pole.

Liam's ears started troubling him again on Tuesday. In the doctors on Wednesday, and anti-biotic's by tea time. I've started with a cold , as has Cathy, but as normal my face is starting to ache around the sinuses - so we shall have to see how things go.

To top all this off - we are all going to the cinema this afternoon, Cathy's taking Laura and her friends to see "Like Mike", whilst I'm taking Liam and his friend to see Jackie Chan.

And the this evening we are supposed to be going out with family friends - and I'm shattered before we even start.

And to top all that off - this week we find out that within ten years there will be no more Bananas'. - What a pig!!!!

What's happening to my Banana's?

I was listening to news this A.M. - and along with the build up to war with Iraq. Train Troubles. Immigrants, something of actual importance.

There is a virus that has the potential to wipe out most of the banana varieties within 10 years

What a nightmare - no more nana's. This is my staple food for dinner whilst I'm at work - I'll starve. What was worse - with all this technology. GM foods and the like, and what did the expert come up with. Well it might not be that bad - it is unlikely to destroy all the banana types. When asked could there be a technological solution - the answer. Unlikely, but they can fiddle with wheat , apples, tomatoes and the like, but they can't do anything with a banana - what a pig!!!!!!!!!!!.

Batman and other Comic Characters

This may seem a strange thing to type about, but to cut a long story short, this is how this came about.

My relaxation before bed is the have a read in the bath. For a long time I have read various comics (usually 2000 ad) and various graphic novels. For a long time (ever since my brother brought issue 1 and then brought issue 2, 3 ,4 and just about every other one for the last 25 years) I have read the various 2000 ad comics - my favorite characters being Johnny Alpha and Judge Dredd / Judge Anderson - but they are stories for another day

Any way back to last night. I had just finished reading the DK "The Ultimate Guide to the Dark Knight". This is just the short reference book for all Dark knight buff's. I grew up with the Batman little realizing that he was already nearly 40 years old when I first remember seeing him. Along with the DC Comic version, the first real memory of Batman was the Sixties "Camp" - Adam West/ Batman TV series. I know many people look down of this program - but I still look at it with affection. I now know this was really nothing like the dark Gothic original , but what the hell - I liked it. To be honest I did drift away from the Batman for a fair while, until my lad was little. It was then that I saw the cartoon Batman series, along with the various Batman films (the ones with Michael Keaton/Val Kilmer/George Clooney as Batman - and Miss Pieffer as CatWoman - wow). This is when I got back into Batman - dark, brooding. The imperfect, human Batman. A more realistic Batman. Anyway - back to the book. A very informative book - with most of the information a Batman Geek would wish to have. The history, the allies and of course the villain. Who could forget the Joker, the Penguin, Two face and Poison Ivy.

Who'd want to live in Gotham City?

Am I Obsessed?

I have just logged onto another of my blog sites (my own xanga site) and one of my fellow "Xangers" (is that a real word?) has created this quiz just to see what sort of blogger you really are (at least Xanga wise).
All it's proved to me is that really am obsessed with Internet (just like "she who must be obeyed" has said many times)

The results of the test are below - and so is a link to the test

Try the What Kind of Xangan Are You? Quiz

Tomorrow is Laura's big day!

Tomorrow is Laura's 8th birthday. As I have already posted, we went out on Saturday and got Laura "our" present - a Play station game and a dance mat (they go together).

Other presents have arrived during today - and she's being a right pain, trying to open them early (a mission she has somewhat succeeded in). I can see one particular present ending up at the bottom of a pond somewhere - not only does the doll sing - but it only sings 3 songs , and I hate them already -LOL

Will let you know how things go tomorrow.

A Big Thanks to a Web Guardian

This is just a quick thanks message.

Got an e-mail last evening from ruzz at bigmedia.com. This Guardian Angel keeps a wary eye on the new strays that wonder across the Big Blog Tool enviroment.

The information was spot on. I have altered a couple of things as advised - and my latest foray into the blogging world is now - for the main part - working

I'm at it again!!!

Even after what I have said on previous postings - I just can't help myself.

I've signed up for another Blog site - The Big Blog Tool .

This one, however, may prove to be a bigger challenge than those that have gone before. This particular blog is hosted via my own web space - and at the minute it isn't working to well .

If the kids stop shouting at each other for long enough - I may well get some peace and try and work out what's' going wrong.

Is it impossible to cancel a website subscription?

Just a question, or is it a statement of truth. Maybe it lands somewhere in the middle.

What it is. As part of the continuing saga of too many blogs, and not enough time, I have actually tried to cancel some of the accounts (free up some server space for someone else). Needless to say - this site ISN'T one of those going.

None of the sites actually have any "cancellation" function - although one site did say , in effect, leave it alone and forget about it. Is this really the right way to go about things.

Mind you - I'll take their advice and forget about the ones I no longer use.

Where has all the time gone?

Here I am, sat in front of the computer on yet another horrible Saturday Morning. Laura (my baby - LOL ) is up, cutting out shapes and watching cartoons (Scooby-doo at the moment). The weather is cold and very foggy(is that better than cold and icy?)

One of the jobs for today is to go to the local shops to find Laura a Birthday pressy. Next week she will be 8.

The reason for the posting?

Memories I suppose. I was at Laura's birth, as I was at Liam's. And the memories of both are as clear as if they were yesterday. Cathy (that is "she who must be obeyed") had been in and out of hospital with both of them (and they've been awkward little devils ever since - mind you Cathy always insists that they got that particular trait from yours-truly).

With Liam, Cathy went into labour the night before. That was a long night - but he was born at 6.30 in the morning, just as the sun was coming up. The next few days were equally hard as he had to be treated for jaundice, and it felt like the little devil had screamed continuously for three days solid ( where as now - being a trainee teenager - he just sulks for that long - LOL)

Fast forward four years. Cathy had been hospital again for most of the previous month (she had been allowed out for Christmas and Boxing Day but had then gone back in.), Liam was constantly asking to see his mum, where was the baby - you know the questions that an almost 4 year old would ask. Anyway a call at 5 in the afternoon, a quick visit and drop off at the grandparents, and then a baby daughter by 6.30 (in the evening) - you get the suspicion that 6.30 has some commonality in this family (would you believe that 6.30 is the time I normally get up for work - weird or what). Making sure it was alright to bring up an anxious toddler - back to Mums, tell the grandparents ( and the family ) about the new addition (first time I'd ever nearly seen my dad cry - as it turned out it was his only grand daughter) - then take an awe struck 4 year old to see his sister for the first time.

Back to today - we have a shopping list, and a mission. Laura wants a dance mat (possibly one for a play station) - and Liam and Laura are like proper Brother and Sister. One minute lovey-dovey, the next shouting at each other at the tops of their voices.The next - silence, they are not talking.

The memory - Liam was born 12 years ago, Laura 8. Before that we had even lost a baby at about 15 weeks, something I, for one, never really got over. Dad lived long enough to see all his grand kids - but I still miss him. Cathy's Mum and Dad never got see any of their Grandkids (I never knew Cathy's Dad amd her Mum die before we got married) - and I know that that is something that has bothered Cathy from time to time.

But isn't memory funny. These things I remember clearly - as though they only happened yesterday, but the normal minutia of life ?.It's as though I'd forget my own name - isn't memory strange or what?

Ta very Much

Many Thanks

Just a quick entry. I would like to let everyone how thankful I am for your kind enquiries about my health.

I am, at present, feeling very well, and the malaise of the New Year appears to have vanished off in the winter mists (or after the last few days - it's shot off on it's bottom across the Ice).

The nose will still remain a problem to put up with, and no doubt, from time to time, my wonderful Children will bring some contagion or other in from School - but that's life.

So once again - many thanks to those of you who took the time to ask after me.

I shows that some people still care

Good Bless

What a busy Blogger Day

As you can see from the entries for today - I have been a busy little beaver. Just a last entry for today (I hope). Cathy is doing a University Course ( or at least part of one) as part of her job, and she has asked me to give a quick look over.

This makes me a little nervous, as it has to be in in this week, and I don't want to mess it up (or worse of all delete it by accident)

I know it'll be alright - but this is important.

I've done it before - so I'll see how we go

What we have been reading

Sunday, January 05, 2003

Horrible Histories !!

I don't know if anyone has seen them, but the local TV here in the UK have been showing an advert for a collection of magazines based on the Horrible Histories Books.

These books have the by-line of telling the more gruesome and gory side of history, that the "proper" books don't tell.

Our family have always had an interest in History. I , for one, have a major interest in , for some reason I have never really understood, the First World War. Maybe it has something to do with trying to understand the horror - the waste of life.

I recommend anyone interested in this period of history to read any of the series of books written by Lyn McDonald. Her basis of writing was to use the letters and personal retellings from the Soldiers at the front - what they had to put with, how they felt - it certainly gave me a different view on what happened in France - and I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy, let alone try and picture most of the male members of anyone's family suffering those conditions.

Anyway back to the main thread of the posting. Liam, and to some extent Laura, have inherited, if that's the way to put it, mine and Cathy's interest in History. As you can probably guess I'm more the "why's and where fore's" person, whilst Cathy (and Liam) have some interest in the "why" and have more interest in the "what". That is they like to see the Castles', the houses, the places , and in Liam's case, the objects of History ( mind you I do Like the Tanks, the uniforms and the minutia of history).

Anyway - we are drifting again. We have always encouraged the Kids to look at History and hopefully to some extent, learn for it. But as Liam is Dyslexic, we have had problems with him reading about History, and as part of the encouragement process we brought him some of the "Horrible Histories" books (you know what young lads are like - they always seem to be attracted to the more disgusting side of life - nose picking competitions, the "I've collected the largest amount of ear wax out of one ear" competition) but , apart from a cursory glance thorough to, sort of, make sure they were appropriate reading but we never really took the time to look at them "properly".

Anyway, Liam and Laura both asked if they could have the magazine. At 99p for the first issue - I couldn't see the harm, so off to the Newsagent we went.

I have since read that magazine - and it is quite entertaining, not really what I was expecting in someway's. If you want "serious" history - forget it, but if you want to know what else went on - well that's different. It will be interesting to see what the rest of the series brings. This week has been "Rotten Romans" and the next is "Terrible Tudors" ( and I already know that Henry VIII was a bit of a "Rotter") so it should be good

Life Time Membership

Just before Christmas (maybe a bad choice of "time of year" but I did it anyway) I signed up for Xanaga Life Membership.

I have tried , as you will have seen, many of Blog sites and/or programs out there, and , as far as I'm concerned , Xanaga is definitely one of the best.

Although I only started using Xanaga in the middle of Summer, as a freeby account, I soon upgraded to the two year premium account, funnily around the same time as I did the same on Blogger.com, another blog I do like using. Anyway in the intervening months, my liking for Xanga has grown and grown.It is so easy to use, so straightforward. And also over that time I had seen mention of the Lifetime Memberships. So eventually, being the sort of person that I am , I asked whether there would be any more. After a kind, and prompt e-mail back , I sat and waited. I waited and I waited - NOT . About a week later the announcement was there again - "Would you like a lifetime membership" - would I. You didn't see me for dust. I was in there like a shot.

Mind you - I can't have been the only one waiting - the 100 accounts available went really quickly (or at least I thought they did) - so I wasn't the only one who thought this was a good move.

Don't take this as a cringing, crawlling, creeping recommendation - but I have always "said as I have seen" - if I like something I say so, if I don't I don't

Boy - do I feel Bad.

If it wasn't bad enough that I have had to go back to work this week (although it was only for Thursday and Friday) I have made mention that, over this last week, that most of the family had come down with one thing or another. Well my sufferance this week, shall we say, requires some running skills that you never know you had until you needed them. Anyway , Thursday morning , first thing, things didn't appear to , initially be any better. But by the time I came to go to work - things weren't actually to bad, on the lower levels. Back to work, and within in the hour, it was as I had never just had seven days off - hassle, hassle and grief - how can we get delivery of items needed to do a particular job so badly wrong. The excuse - "IT'S BEEN CHRISTMAS - you must expect some delays" . Not a bad excuse, only this Customer had accepted an early appointment. Anyway , after some "firm discussions" on my part, luckily the Store delivery wagon arrived and the situation was saved. Luckily - the afternoon's work was a little more straight forward. But the stomach (and that general area if you know what I mean) however decided that it had had enough of playing nice - and then started to rumble once again.

Yesterday, was a different day again. It's a good job that facilities were available at most of the places I went to yesterday.

Maybe I shouldn't have gone to work at all, but I have had several days off already in the past few months, and apart from the fact the I feel that I'm letting everyone (work, our customers and my family) down - it doesn't look that good either

And Today?

It's as bad as ever this A.M. - I'm wondering if there should n't be a visit to the Doctors (or at least the Chemists' for something to help out).

I don't want my blogs to turn into a "I'm sick,ill,not very well" story (having already mentioned my Sinus's and the like) but I also want the reflect not only my views, but how I feel - emotionally and physically, so for now at least, I'll just post what is happening - what ever.

Happy New Year - to Everyone

Happy New Year to everyone - I wish everything that you would wish yourselves.

I am sat here, typing , having been the first one in the house to wake up , which is the norm for round here. As I sit here, the day is still struggling to fight its way out through the gloom. The rain is falling pretty heavily ( you can still hear it striking the window - even with the TV on)

Because a couple of us were not very well yesterday, we have had to put off the Family New Year Meal until today (New Years Day), so the house should be really full this afternoon, with my Mum, my Brother and his family and my Sister and her little whirlwinds.

But the weather? - what is happening with that?

I know us Brit's' have somewhat of a pre-occupation with the weather at the best of times, but the last few months - rain, rain and more rain.

I live in the North East of England (the North Lincolnshire area to be precise), and there has been so much rain in the last few months ( and again in the last few days) that there are people in the surrounding Counties who are waking up to flooded homes for the New Year. The reason for the floods appears to be two fold. Firstly there is so much rain that the rivers are either coming over their existing banks, or , in addition, there has been so much rain that the ground can no longer drain away the amount of water that falls on it.

Being born in 1964 (no comments please - LOL), I have heard , via the news and the papers, of the various floods that have happened around the UK (and the world for that) - but I don't remember it being quite so bad as it has been in the last few years.

Maybe there is something to this Global Warming Thing



Just a quick aside - and it just shows how sad I am - LOL

The TV is playing away to it's self just over to my right. The show on at the moment is a BBC Children's Art Show called SMART. They have just shown a Sand Artist who had to create a Horse Sand Sculpture before the tide came in. I'm not bad at the old pencil sketches and watercolors myself, but these Sculptures were absolutely beautiful.

What a skill, I do envy him.