There are a lot of relieved people in Scunthorpe today.

One of the towns main employers, Corus, announced at long last what it intended to do.

Now for a bit of history.

Scunthorpe grew into a town from five villages because of Iron and Steel. For many many years the whole town was dominated on all sides by Iron works.

In the 70's and 80's the number works shrank to just one main site. Several miles across, but still one site. ( the Appleby Frodingham Works - inc the Anchor BOS plant). At that point it was still British Steel. And then came the Corus/British Steel merger.

Everything started off OK, but then the cracks appeared. Several months ago was crunch time. The company were making serious losses. Jobs were on the line. Everyone was worried.

Today's announcement is good for Scunthorpe. They are centering their steel production on three main sites across the country,Scunthorpe being one of them. However the good news doesn't go far. Scunthorpe has escaped fairly un-scathed. For now Scunthorpe is OK. I know this sounds bad, me crowing like this. But my brother works there, and he has just brought a house. A lot of my relatives, if not actually working on the site, work for companies that supply the company.

Other people have lost out badly. 1500 straight away, and maybe another 2000+ at Redcar if they can't turn it around. Ain't life lousy sometimes.?

This is the last day of my Easter Holiday, and its raining.

Just my luck - go back to work and its raining.

My plans for the last fortnight that pretty much went out of the window.

Bart?. Its a long story.But it comes mainly via my daughter, from whence it swept over Liam (Bart?). We, along time ago, nicknamed Tilly (which is Laura's "permanent" nickname - after the girl puppet in a kiddies program "Tots TV" which Laura loved watching) - "Lisa", because of the studious way she does things. She is always reading, writing, learning whatever.

So , by association, Liam became Bart.

In some ways he is Bart, but in the ways that really count he isn't. Isn't it strange how nicknames come about.

Does that make me Homer? - DOOOOH!

Anyway - back on track. Easter was going to be decorating time. Having just finished our bedroom, it is time to go onto the kids bedrooms.

Liam's wallpaper was coming via Liverpool FC (along with his Goal Keeper Shirt/ birthday pressie - which has had to go back because they forgot to put his name on it), but that only came Wednesday. Laura's has been even more problematic in a way. As I have said in another posting, Laura was after a specific Dolphins pattern and matching paper. We have been everywhere in the nearby area - nothing. In the end we have had to order the paper, not that I mind - the Dolphin paper is very attractive. The others that we did find where, and I hope this doesn't sound snobby, looked tacky and cheap - they were awful.

Anyway, I spent more time visiting and clearing up. At least I've achieved something I suppose.

As I have said before, even on holiday, I wake up at about 6 a.m.(well on most days anyway - ) . So that I don't make excessive noise, and everyone else can get on "with their kip", I tend to either sit and read, or, normally, I play on the computer.

This week I have been rebuilding our family website. This is only the second version, and I am still learning the "why's and wherefores". The first site (which is still around at the moment) was OK, but I am trying to make the second a little more polished. Will let you know how I get on as time goes on. My problem at the minute is two fold. I would like to use both a "Guestbook" and a Forum/bulletin Board, but I am having problems deciding how to achieve this.

The Bulletin Board issue, I think is settled. It became a choice of two, one a hosted solution and the other which is a "self help" solution. The choice was between a board on my own site, supplied from the phpBB Website, and the hosted solution from ezboards ( the actual board being THIS ONE). I think I am going to use the self help solution for two reasons. It is very adaptable, and its free. The ezboard solution also does a free option, but it is so full of adverts it spoils the use of it of me.

The other issue is a Guest Book. At the minute the site is using a solution from Bravenet.com (this is the book), but I have been looking at other hosted solutions, and there are a couple that stand out ( I do like the one that can be set up as a Star Trek theme - sad or what).There was another one to look at just as I had to go out yesterday, but I do like the Star trek. The Existing one, however, has several entries on it I would like to keep.

Decisions, decisions

Feeling at bit this way out at the minutes. The SARS thing is getting much worse.

I'm going to give up watching the news - there was a fellow on there going on about the fact that:

1:The SARS virus may well not be just an epidemic, but a world wide pandemic (and the last major pandemic in 1918 killed approx 50.000.000 people) and

2:The virus mutation that has caused the infection appears to be different in China to that infecting people in Canada

Scary or what?

Am sitting here still not feeling to bright.

If this is just a cold (which I think it is), I feel that it's a bit unfair to take up a doctors appointment just for a bit of a cold, but this particular encumbrance has been running for nearly two weeks so I think I may not have a choice ( especially as Cathy was sat there yesterday when she came home saying that I didn't look to good - and with the various minor ailments that I have that is somewhat of a statement).

Spent most of yesterday afternoon sorting out my website books ( whilst at the same time trying to keep the kids far enough apart so that they didn't kill each other - roll on the end of the holidays -
Because my use of the web has increased so much over the years , I had to start using an indexed book to list the sites I use regularly. I know it's a bit naughty, but I had to keep all the access names and passwords some where.

Anyway, it started as one of those little tabbed address books (You know the sort - A5/A6 size - the sort you Mum/Granny uses for family addresses and birthdays)

Anyway, as time progresses, the book grows into a tabbed desktop address book, then a tabbed A4 file, two files. And now?. It has migrated into one of those big lever arch files. The only problem now is that I think it would be a good idea to go through the pages one by one and weed out the sites that are not there anymore (just like I did with the bookmarks a few weeks ago).

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I am going to have to log onto my work e-mail, or give one of the lads a call. Being off for the last 10 days ( and I'm still not back to work until Monday) I haven't got a clue as to what is happening with the SMT/ Industrial Action thing. The other thing with going back to work, the Blog entries will go back to a couple a week - and the will be best for everyone -

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Just one last comment.

Is anyone else "afflicted" with a Mobile Phone?, the way I have just realised that I am.

At one point, not that long ago, I had one work mobile (they supply for business purposes) and one home phone so that Cathy had a means of ringing for a mechanic and the like when the kids were little, and she was visiting her aunty in a nearby village. Now, after a wee "argument" about personal use on the business phone, I got one of those "pay-as-you-go" jobs. Now it stays with me most of the time. It is in my pocket when I go to the shop. It is in my pocket when I'm in the garden. It is even left, turned on, on the side board "just in case!".

"THEY" can get me where-ever, and it's all MY fault

Please Note: plse accept my apologies for this being in "the wrong place". It was posted to the wrong blog and I've only just found it. Ta for now

What a waste of a day?
- & -
Easter is on it's way

Morning Everyone - Hope you are all well?

Like the picture? It's another one of the avatars I was talking about a month or so back. Thought that I would give the "personal photo" a bit of a change. The picture of an alien?. The more the last few days have gone on , the more I wonder if I belong on this planet -

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What a waste Monday was.

As I have said before, and to cut a long story short, the strike day that never was, still wasn't.

Now to make sense - .

We went to work as we had been instructed. But, of course, because the strike days had been well advertised, the work books had been kept deliberately empty, hence when all these Engineers came into work, there was very little for them to do. This was compounded by the fact that, for various reasons, there is historically very little to do before Easter normally.

At least the local Union Chairman is on the ball. He has sent a letter to Union Head office, on behalf of the Lincolnshire branch, putting over the feeling of the Branch Members. He has forcefully put how we would have striked, not for reasons of ideology, but loyalty to our fellow workers. How the SMT scheme negotiations have been a "pigs ear" from start to finish. And the final point, the one I agree with whole heartedly, that "enough is enough". The Union should be back negotiating with BT and get the whole thing sorted out once and for all. Nice one Chris. It needed saying, and the Union "high up's" needed telling. Many of my fellow workers have come more and more to the conclusion the Union negotiators were getting more and more isolated from what was really happening.

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Easter is now only a few days away.

HAPPY EASTER - EVERYONE

I know this is a few days early, but knowing the way I work, I'll forget at the weekend -



My kids are already swamped with Easter Eggs, and have already eaten several. I know that my main job this week (and next week come to that as I am on leave for a few days) will be to carry on decorating - this time being Liam and Laura's bedroom.

Both of them have "placed their orders" so to speak. Liam's has had to be ordered via the Liverpool Football club website.It seems I surround myself , one way or another, with Liverpool supporters, be it Lee or fellow Xangian englishjuls . Mind you , we ordered his birthday pressie at the same time - The Liverpool First Team Goalie top with Lee's name on the back.

Laura's choice is a little problematic. She has seen a paper with Dolphins on. But other than this particular pattern book, we haven't seen it, or anything similar, anywhere else. Well almost. We have been told of another shop that may have something like and we are going to have a look later on.

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Had to laugh. Was just watching the BBC Breakfast news, and they have just done an item on the appilcation of correct Grammar and Spelling.

Apparently the standard of both has progressively worsened over the past few years. So much so that some firms are sending their workers "back to school".

The one thing that intrigued me was that, apparently, most people have a "demon word". A word that, however hard you try, however often you learn it, you still can't seem to spell it. I know that most people have access to spell checkers and the like on their computers, but the falling standard is in the use of mental application.

My personal demon is experienced ( and this is after spell check - ), whatever I do, no matter how many times I use and check it, I always get it wrong.

What word is your nemesis - ?

Happy Easter - and Welcome to Easter Sunday.



I hope your Easter is all you wish ( and all the chocolate eggs the kids wish too - )

It would appear the plague & pestilence is stalking the house. Liam has an ear infection again (and is the only person with "proper" treatment), Laura has a very bad cold, and woke up last night with what appears to be a bad dream. Cathy has a bad back and sore muscles (probably a mixture of Liam's "bugs" and a hard week at work), and I have the full set - for me at least. A cough, blocked and painful sinus's , and, I think, the beginnings of a Chest infection (a sore chest at least) We were due to go out last night to a wedding reception, but no-one was fit enough.

I am beginning to really detest my computer - which is a shame, because it had run so well for so long - in fact ever since I upgraded to Windows XP.

The major problems of the past week have gone (I hope), but now it seems to be be little niggling things. Odd little settings have gone a-rye. Personifications have gone and the "basic defaults" have returned. Annoying and very frustrating, even more so than the actual main failures. But, I suppose,I have only my self to blame. I have downloaded a couple of new programs - is it these that has made things so un-stable?

Maybe I should stop "playing"?


But then that wouldn't be me would it.


Talk to you later

God Bless

Friday, April 18, 2003





Welcome to a quiet Good Friday. The kids are a sleep (or were when I started this and Xanga then coughed (as I typed this firstly on Xanga - spell checking and the like you know) and lost the lot - twice-not happy, not happy at all
)

I am a person with a quiet, personal faith, a "backroom christian" shall we say. I am not one to stand out and shout my faith at the top of my voice to all and sundary, that is not my character at all. Although I don't attend Church every week, but neither do we attend "Baptisms, Weddings and Funerals" only either.


Laura is quite interested in the Bible, where as Liam can "take it or leave it" as they say. Myself and Cathy have always believed that the kids should "find their own level". If they ask the questions, we will try and answer them - if we can, theology has never been my strong subject. But then it never harms anyone to keep on learning.

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The last few days have been a case of technology fighting back. Apart from having to fight my Xanga log to place an entry this A.M., and boy does that seriously annoy me, the Computer is also giving me jip.

Firstly the Office Suite stopped completely (well not quite - Outlook worked OK). I tried the repair function, I tried uninstalling / re-installing it, spent hours on the internet trying to find help, and eventually I sorted it. I have to thank Microsoft for its issue notes ( I know that's not the correct name for the notes - but at the minute I can't remember what they are called). To top that all off, I powered up the computer this A.M. to have to spend another hour getting the display resolution back to what it was - I could have screamed.

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I have been playing again. I have a new Blog site (again), but this one appears to be pretty good. Anyone interested can see the site by clicking HERE , but as with anything, seeing as I have just joined there isn't much in the way of content. (Are you also interested in another Blog? give it a try via the Blog-City main site ) I have to blame the Web-User magazine. They have , this month, run an article on Blogger/Weblogs. And in it were all the weblogs I use regularly, inclusive of my new "plaything".

My other new play thing is the FireBird Browser from the Mozilla People. It is a "low footprint" browser in that the install file is less than 7MB. Have only just installed it so I will see how it goes. But initial impressions are favorable - although it does suffer a bit from "Netscape" malaise in that some sites are IE specific.

Hi everyone, hope all is well.

It has been the usual mixture of the mundane and the ordinary - for me at least.

(and boy am I glad for the good old spell checker, if it wasn't for that , this posting wouldn't make any sense at all - )

_________ _________ __________

It is nice to see, that, the F1 establishment has ratified the right result for the Brazilian GP.

Giancarlo Fisichella has been made the winner.

This is what should have happened on Sunday, but none the less, they have made the right decision. The joy on the face's of the Jordan team was something to behold.And then, how they graciously accepted the result as it was posted on the day. But at least now justice has been done.

_________ _________ __________

The reason for a picture of Homer?

Any guesses?

It was one of those "DOH!" moments.

The worst of it was it was something I do two or three times a month as a routine.

As an attempt to keep the old PC in top form, I have habitually carried out a set of routines like de-fraging the disc, running the virus scan program, you know the type. Unlike normal (if that's the right way to put it) I decided to run some of my routines on Thursday night, instead of Saturday Afternoon (I pick Saturday afternoon because everyone else is busy doing something else - so there is no-one wanting to actually use the computer).

Anyway, Thursday night I decided to remove the unwanted files via the property function on the right click of the "My Computer". Having picked "remove Internet files" and the like, and added the "do you want to remove old restore points" I set it going. After about half an hour, it still looked as if it had only just started (mind you - truth be told I hadn't actually run this particular task for several weeks - so there were a few "spare" files to go through). It was getting late, so I thought "I'll leave it running over night" and went upstairs to say "night night " to Tilly. A few minutes later Liam came up saying he'd turned off everything downstairs, and the Kids went to bed, Cathy sat reading on the bed and I went for a bath.

When I got up in the morning, I realized that Liam had actually do something "sort of right" for a change. I know that sounds bad, he's a good lad really (although well into his training to be a teenager - )

What he normally does is turn off the lights, the TV, close the door and that's it. Not that night. He had seen the screen was still lit on the computer, closed it down as he had been shown, and turned everything off.

Good lad.

I'm not complaining, he did what he was supposed too, and he did it correctly. The fault was mine for leaving it on in the first place - it hadn't, as far as I can work out, finished the file deletion cycle.

The results?

When I fired the computer back up, the display would only come up in "4 bit colour" mode.

Ohh Ohh I thought. Never mind, I'll just reset to resolution back to normal.

Guess what?

The were now no other choices - only 4 bit colour. What ever I did I just couldn't get the resolution back - it was starting to drive me crackers. Then worse. The Explorer function in XP started to fail. "What was I to do?"

Thank god for System Restore. It still worked. The whole thing came back as it did before. Took a deep breath, and was glad it had all come back OK. Or so it seems. Nothing has gone wrong this morning - but we shall see.

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BT has a new logo.

The BT "Trumpeter" has been around for about 15 years, but it has been decided, so I've been told, that it was seen that a trumpeter was representative of the "old world" of telecoms - old technologies.The new logo is an image of a global comms revolution of BT's intention to be part of the future.

In truth, I quite like it.

I never really did like the trumpeter, not counting the initial jibes about "blowing your own trumpet" and the like.

We shall see if this lasts 15 years

_________ _________ __________

Last comment for today?. Have just got a letter from the Union about the first one day Strike ("Day of Action" they called it). BT have obtained a High Court injunction preventing the strike from taking place. It doesn't say on what grounds the injunction has been based (I suppose it's one of those legal things, "We cann't comment until our lawyers have studied the text of the ruling" and that sort of thing), but that does seem to be that for now.

Although I am now back in on Monday, from Tuesday I am then on leave/rota days off until 28th April, so I will be "away" from the information and/or gossip of what is going on. Something major "Is going down", but I'm not sure what.

In a way I'm releaved, and in another it makes me angry. And both "big boys" are still not talking to each other. What a waste of time and money.

What's the world coming too - a mid week entry from me -



Watching the Grand Prix on Sunday was a Revelations.

It was almost the race with everything. Safety Cars, crashes, disappointment, jubilation, and Mr Schmacher bouncing off the armco (tyres in actuality - but one can dream).

I did feel sorry for Giancarlo and Jordan. To get in front, lead for most of the lap , only to lose it on a "back count" rule. That's the way the "cookie crumbles" as the saying goes.

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The strike is now only 6 days away.

And the pressure from the firm, at least, is starting to rise. There seems to have been e-mails and broadcasts ( these are local multi-person e-mails ) on , almost, a bi-hourly basis. They have pointed out this and that.

"Our Customers will suffer".

"All our good work will be destroyed" and the like. What annoys me is that these seem to have been sent out as though we don't know the implications of a strike.

We are not fools.

We are not idiots.

We know exactly what this means.

I know I have said that I am anti-strike, and I am . But this sort of thing only gives people greater resolve. I for one am now intent on supporting my fellow workers. Strikes are wrong, but this "conscientious objector" is an objector no more.

And then reason?.

The firm I wanted to support on behalf of the Customers that keep us in jobs, The firm that pays my wages, the firm that I have worked for for over 20 years, has, I feel, treated me as a fool, a child to be chastised.

I maybe many things, but a fool I'm not.!!

All I can hope is that, they see sense on both sides, and find a negotiated solution.

I am sat here at the minute, watching the news finish waiting for the Grand Prix to start.

I said I would let you know how Liam got on. Sadly the Tigers lost 3 - 1. Liam, as usual, blamed himself to some extent, although we can fairly blame him for one of the goals (if he had come out he would have met the attacking player before he got a chance to think of what he was going to do).

Never mind , training again on Wednesday and another match on Friday.

Morning everyone - hope you are all well?

Laura's fingers are,happily , getting better. They are still badly bruised (you can see the "trap line" in the shape of the bruise, it's weird).

When you hear a scream of pain like that, it vibrates down to the very bottom of your soul. It's horrible to hear anyone in pain, especially Children. But when its one of your own, it effects' you deeply.

Like any Child, Tilly has played up her part up a bit. She trapped her fingers, true. But you would have thought that she had had her arms removed.

Still can't work out how she trapped her fingers, it just doesn't "gel", but what has happened has happened.

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It is, as I type, around 6 a.m. I have a bit of discomfort with my nose at the moment, so any further sleep is just not going to happen. Mind you, by the time that I have finished typing, watched TV news on and off, had several Mugs of tea and the like it will probably be nine o'clock - .

I have just seen a report on the BBC News24 from a German Writer - Gunther Grass (apologies if I've mis-heard the game). To be honest, I think that I have heard his name in passing before .Apparently he has obtained, or developed, a role as somewhat of a Conscience writer (although he is also a very good artist). He actually voiced on TV some of the thoughts that I have - and controversial they are too. He believes that George Bush is a danger to world peace. All he is trying to do at the present is, in actuality, a "Am I doing right?" type adoration of his Dad (the previous President Bush). The piece added certain other comments (you got the definite feeling that he doesn't trust the Presidents' motives at all) - but it did go someway to explain the German position on things. I've never been very good at putting voiced comments into words, but basically the German reaction is an id thing. Their history (especially recent history) have made them wary and cautious. He was, in a short piece that obviously been trimmed to fit the slot, very intelligent and sure of his beliefs. The point was made without "waffle and wiffle" straight to the point. I found it very refreshing to hear a calm, thoughtful, dissenting voice

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It would appear that a strike at work is just round the corner (Three - one day strikes - have been arranged starting the 14th of April). Both BT and the Union are both saying that they want new talks, both blaming each other for the talks not taking place, and both pontificating about their own view. Why don't they cut out the _________ (insert a word you think appropriate - I'm sure I couldn't, not in public at least) and get it sorted. As per usual no-one is listening to us when it counts. It's sad to see a good principle (encourage good practice and efficiency) so badly applied. This sort of thing makes me so angry - bull,bull,bull and bull. Peoples lives will be effected, not just mine (missing wages - means trouble paying the bills),Customers miss out and the firm and Union are acting, in my opinion, like spoilt kids.

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As part of my Bookmarks cleanup , I came a cross a site that I had intended to use, but never did. I am a great fan of Douglas Adams, with the Hitchhikers guide being one of the things of my Childhood (all thirty odd years of it - )

Anyway, early on in my Internet career, I found a site that is now the BBCi h2g2 site. The idea being that "members" , like the writers for the Hitch Hikers Guide, would place entries on what goes on (sounds a lot like a weblog? or is it more a discussion board?), where they lived. What type of animals live about you and the like. I must of had a user name (a guide researcher ID) for three or four years and never really used it, especially since the BBC took it under their wing a couple of years ago. Well, given time and inclination, I will, probably, try again to add to it.

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Just a last thought. I know I'm reasonably intelligent. I know what I want to say. But I wish that I had the talent (like many of you out there have) to put, adeptly, what you think into sensible type. Grammar and structure. Sense and logic. Even passion (I think), but , compared to many, I feel that my entries are "Clunky" (if that's a word). "Lack of self-confidence" statement over.

Have a nice Weekend

God Bless

Another day off - I wish

Just a bit of background to today's posting. I was just going to put down a few idea's I have had over the last few days, but the plan has been put on hold for an hour or two as my daughter has trapped her hand in the car door when we came back from taking her mum to work - and, of course we have had to help her out.

The damage, happily , is relatively minor.Her fingers are badly bruised, and they have been taped together for now to give them chance to recover. But it's going to be a case of cuddles as required, paracetamol and just keeping an eye on the wounds for a day or two

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England England !!!!

Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes - England beat Turkey 2 - 0 in the Euro 2004 qualifying game. What a match. Passion on both sides, well played Football - what a game (Pity about some of the idiots outside the ground - but the Police seem to have sorted them out well enough).

Wayne Rooney - what a hero. The kid is fantastic. David Beckham (even though he didn't have the best game I've seen him play) still did a Captians Job - even scored the penalty. David James pulled a couple of excellent saves. Overall a good team effort - as they say, a lot lot better than the Liechtenstein on Saturday.

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An Oh-My-God Moment !

Yesterday, whilst talking to a work mate, I had one of those OMG moments.

We had been talking about "this and that", when he mentioned that one particular lad I used to work with was talking about applying, if he could, for early retirement.

Nothing out of the ordinary you may think, not in this day and age, but it came to pass that that this lad was coming up to to his 54th birthday. OK for early retirement I suppose, but I went with him, as a Trainee, when I first started.

I've have never been troubled by "how old I am", well not normally - but yesterday!

As I thought about it, there were quite a few people I started with, or trained with , that have left BT, either for other jobs or retirement. Several of them have passed away. For the first time I felt really old (baring in mind I'm only 39 - ). I have been with BT for 22 years, a long time to be with any company.

The bigger shock?. Was it the fact that I had done 22 years, or that I had at least another 20 odd years to go?