Neil Rigby's Blog

Search for Gordon Brown

2010-03-22T18:40:00.000Z

Breaking News
If you do a Google search for "Gordon Brown" the Tories have an Adwords Campaign in the sponsored links.
They will have to pay for each click so it will be interesting to see how it progresses.
The advert reads "The New Militant Tendency - Read about Unite's stranglehold on Gordon Brown's Labour Party", and it links to the Conservative Party website.
Knowing the internet it could end up backfiring.

85015 Text Abuse

2010-02-18T20:17:00.004Z

A salutary tale for unwitting mobile phone users

I'm not one to usually get burned on net, as I am normally quite wary, so I thought I better let you all know about this one as it's particularly crafty.

Somehow I unwittingly entered a competition, probably on the internet or via email, as must have been asked for my mobile phone number, which I must have given.

Mistake number one: Never give out your mobile number online – it just opens you up for abuse.

I reportedly received a text which stated I would be charged £5 per week and I replied to "Yes"

Mistake number two: If I did respond, it must not have made this clear. I never would have agreed to this.

I have an O2 account, which I spotted these payments over the last four months. I of course called them and they conveneiently will wash their hands of any responsiblity even though they take the money.

O2's Advice

Text back to 85015 "STOP ALL" in capitals.
Call Phonepay Plus who regulate these matters on 0800 500212. You can report this as you see fit. Visit Phone Pay Plus.

The Company responsible for these rip off texts are:
Emexus or 2waytraffic and you can call them on: 0203 0262817

Give them a call to their customer services department got me no joy. They are so adept at batting off any complaints you can see their business model in full transparency – it relys on this.

They are not interested in repeat business or customer satisfaction – who would when they are tricking people into paying £4.25 / text received.

Just Google Emexus to read more about this company.
The company is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company. Funnily the video uses the word "Exploiting" in the video. Enough said!

Info from Phone Pay Plus website

PhonepayPlus has the following information about the shortcode number 85015.

This is a text message service charged at premium rate. The types of services operating on this number can be ring tones, jokes, games tarot, chat, mobile internet services (WAP) and more.

This service costs £5.00 per week

If you would like to find out more about this service you should contact the company listed below.

2waytraffic mobile group
Middenweg 1, 1217 HS Hilversum
P.O.Box 297,
1200 AG Hilversum
The Netherlands
0203 0262 817
na@smscustomercare.com

If you want to log a complaint to PhonepayPlus online please click here.

Alternatively, you can call our helpline on 0800 500 212 (Mon-Fri, 0800-1800).

To cancel a subscribtion service (services that charge a regular fee - for example £5 per week) you simply need to send a text with the words "STOP ALL" to the shortcode number.

You can check a Text number here.

Please feel free to comment if you have had something similar happen to you.

Biggest Full Moon of 2010

2010-01-30T02:06:00.005Z

The biggest full moon of 2010 will rise in the east tonight, and it'll appear with a bright planet next to it: See Mars to the left of the massive moon

The 2010 moon will appear 30 percent brighter and 14 percent larger than any other full moon this year, because our cosmic neighbour will actually be closer to Earth than usual.

The moon will be at its closest perigee—the nearest it gets to our planet during its egg-shaped orbit—for 2010 at 4:04 a.m. ET Saturday, reaching a distance of 221,577 miles (356,593 kilometers) from Earth.

At its farthest from Earth, the moon is said to be at apogee. Perigee and apogee each happen generally once a month, but the moon's wobbly orbit means that the satellite's exact distance at each of those events varies over the year. The moon's phase can also be different during each apogee and perigee.

"This month has the largest full moon of 2010, because it coincides with the special moment when the full moon happens to occur on the same day as it is at perigee," said Marc Jobin, an astronomer at the Montréal Planetarium.

And in a remarkable coincidence, Mars is at opposition tonight—directly opposite to the sun in the sky—so that as the sun sets in the southwest, Mars rises in the northeast.

Around opposition, the red planet gets closest to Earth. This year Mars swung by at just 61 million miles (98 million kilometers) on January 27, and it will still appear remarkably bright during tonight's sky show.

"To the naked eye it will appear as a bright, orange-colored star right next to the full moon—the pair will jump out at you for sure," Jobin said.

Full Moon Illusion

Because this unusually close perigee is happening during a full moon, it is expected to have an effect on Earth's tides.

(Related: "Mysterious Tremors' Strength Ebbs With Tides.")

These effects should be modest, most likely measurable in inches, although perigee tides can be higher if there happens to be a storm surge at the same time.

As for observing the effects of perigee on the moon itself, most casual observers should notice an obvious difference in the moon's apparent size as it rises above the eastern horizon, Jobin said.

That's when an optical illusion usually comes into play that makes any full moon seem larger, since the moon is set against familiar Earthly objects rather than appearing high in the empty sky.

"The combination of the two effects—perigee and moon illusion—will be really be noticeable and spectacular near the horizon," Jobin said.

Derren Brown The Event Live Lottery Prediction

2009-09-11T09:20:00.003+01:00

Watch this. Learn carefully and do it next week!

Wouldn't that be goo!

Derren Brown The Event Live Lottery Prediction live on Channel 4. He'll tell you how he did tonight.

I'll post that too unless I'm sitting on a beach in the Bahamas!

UK Shipping Forecast

2009-08-26T16:48:00.006+01:00

Ever wondered where on earth those areas are in the UK Shipping Forecast?

You can probably name a few and surprise yourself!

Here are the sea areas covering the waters around the British Isles:

Viking
North Utsire
South Utsire
Forties
Cromarty
Forth
Tyne
Dogger
Fisher
German Bight
Humber
Thames
Dover
Wight
Portland
Plymouth
Biscay
Trafalgar
FitzRoy (formerly Finisterre)
Sole
Lundy
Fastnet
Irish Sea
Shannon
Rockall
Malin
Hebrides
Bailey
Fair Isle
Faeroes
Southeast Iceland

Sea Eagle SE370 Inflatable Canoe

2009-07-21T21:57:00.006+01:00

Sea Eagle SE370 Review
This looks a pretty tough inflatable canoe with high quality seams and is equally at home in the rapids or the calm. It has two skegs to help you track across the water in a straight line. Cheaper inflatable canoes without these tend to weave about.

The Sea Eagle SE 370 has plenty of leg room and storage area making it ideal for camping trips on the river. It packs up into a neat bag.

Dimensions
Length: 370cm
Width: 86cm
Carries: Up to 295kg
Pumping time: About 8 minutes
Warranty: 3 years

Standard Features:

NMMA Certified
Self bailing drain valve
Three deluxe one-way valves
Lashed down inflatable spray skirts
I-beam construction floor
2 skegs on the bottom for better tracking and speed
Pressure Gauge and Repair Kit
Bow and Stern Grab Line

Gumotex Palava Inflatable Canoe

2009-07-20T22:08:00.005+01:00

Gumotex Palava Inflatable Canoe Review
The Gumotex Palava is made from incredibly strong, robust Nitrilon material as opposed to just nylon. It folds up into a small rucksack. It will carry three people comfortably or two people with lots of gear, making it suitable for overnight trips.

Measuring 380cm and weighing 21kg, the Gumotex Palava can be inflated in 10 minutes.

It retails online between £500 and £600.

Stearns Back Country Inflatable Canoe

2009-07-16T08:52:00.006+01:00

Stearns Back Country Inflatable Canoe Review

Specifications

Deflated canoe fits easily into carry storage bag.
600 Denier polyester and heavy duty tarpaulin outershell.
PVC bladders
Robust five chamber design, 2 x sides, 1 x floor and 2 x inflatable seats with padded back rests
Two tracking fins
Kayak paddles can be used
Abrasion rails to protect from sharp rocks or unseen obstructions.
Molded carry handles for easy manoeuvring
Multiple D-rings along the top of the craft for tethering or to secure gear to
Waterproof pocket for valuables
Bungees on the bow and stern
Boston valves
Size: 330cm x 95cm
Weight: 17kg
Colour: Green/Grey
Maximum capacity: 165kg
Supplied with Bravo Pump.
Supplied with 2 x 2 Part Canoe Paddles (150cm).
Supplied with 2 x Baltic Bouyancy Jackets.

The Stearns Back Country is a well made, robust inflatable canoe. It is very light and packs down to a relatively small size making it easier to transport than a rigid Canadian Canoe or Kayak. This also makes it a good choice for river trips – you can arrive at your destination, pack it up and return to your starting point via public transport.

The Stearns Back Country has five air chambers including the comfortable chairs.

Kayak paddles are an option for paddling if you prefer them to canoe paddles. It might be worth buying sea kayak paddles for their extra length, as the high sides of the inflatable canoe prohibit Kayak paddling slightly.

All in all the Stearns Back Country inflatable canoe is a great choice for a family canoe.

Cricket Fielding Positions

2009-07-08T12:07:00.005+01:00

Listening to the Ashes series and don't know all the cricket fielding positions?

Simply bring up this page so you can refer to it when listening to the radio.

This diagram will help you work out you with your Mid Offs from your Long Ons as well as your Silly Mid Ons from your Short Mid Wickets.

Wicket Keeper
First Slip
Second slip
Third Slip
Fly Slip
Long Stop
Third man
Gully
Deep Gully
Silly Point
Point
Deep Point
Cover Sweeper
Cover Point
Extra Cover
Deep Extra Cover
Silly Mid Off
Mid Off
Long Off
Straight Hit
Silly Mid On
Mid On
Long On
Forward Short Leg
Short Mid Wicket
Mid Wicket
Deep Mid Wicket
Sweeper
Short Square Leg
Square Leg
Deep Square Leg
Leg Gully
Long Leg
Leg Slip
Short Fine Leg
Deep Fine Leg

Working out the cricket fielding positions
Reading off the list of cricket fielding position, you could get completely confused, although there is a bit of method in all this madness!

Anything with position with 'Leg' in it refers to the Leg side which is the side of the batsman's leg eg. Square Leg, Leg Gully etc.

Any position with 'On' in it also refers to the On side which is batsman's leg side again eg. Mid On, Long On etc.

Oppositely, cricket fielding positions with 'Off' in it refers to the batsman's off side which is the opposite of the leg side eg. Mid Off, Long Off etc.

Distances of the fielding positions from the batsman are described as Silly, which is very close, Short which is quite close, Mid which is a mid point to the boundary and Long and Deep which are closer to the boundary.

Of course you can't do all of the cricket positions at once!

I hope it all make sense! Enjoy the Ashes!

Rare 20p coins worth 50 pounds

2009-06-29T16:48:00.003+01:00

The Royal Mint has issued a batch of 20p coins without the year on either side by accident.

A private company is offering £50 for the first 10,000 dateless coins registered by their owners.

Somewhere between 50,000 and 200,000 of these coins were minted with a new 'tails' design on one side and the older 'heads' image on the other.

Nick Hart of the London Mint Office dealership said: "We believe this extremely rare error will certainly get the public looking at the coins in their pockets again and noticing the excellent new designs launched by the Royal Mint last year on our coinage."

A Royal Mint spokeswoman told The Daily Telegraph: "The fact of the matter is they are still legal tender but if people want to pay more it's up to them."

Best Job in the World Pt2

2009-06-29T16:40:00.002+01:00

After a worldwide search, Tourism Queensland have appointed their new Islands Caretaker. A British charity fundraiser Ben Southall has been given a job on this Australian tropical island. Work begins from the 1st of July, when he starts work.

Ben Southall was picked as the winner after a campaign from Tourism Queensland that attracted 34,700 video entries from over 200 countries.

Visit the Best Job in the World Blog

Singapore Gin Sling

2009-06-25T07:15:00.001+01:00

Singapore Gin Sling
2-3 Ice Cubes
50ml / 2 fl oz Gin
25ml / 1 fl oz Lemon Juice
15ml / 1/2 fl oz Cherry Brandy
15ml / 1/2 fl oz Cointreau
10ml / 2 Teaspoons Caster Sugar
Soda Water
1 Lemon Slice

Method
Put ice in a tall glass with gin, lemon juice, cherry brandy, Cointreau and sugar. Stir and top up with soda water. Decorate with lemon slice.

or

Put ice in a cocktail shaker with gin, lemon juice, cherry brandy, Cointreau and sugar. Shake, pour into a tall glass. Top up with soda water. Decorate with lemon slice.

Gin Sling

2009-06-25T07:14:00.000+01:00

Gin Sling
2-3 Ice Cubes
40ml / 1.5 fl oz Gin
20ml / 3/4 fl oz Lemon Juice
10ml / 2 Teaspoons Caster Sugar
1 Dash of Angostura Bitters
Mineral Water

Method
Put ice in a cocktail tumbler with gin, lemon juice, sugar and bitters. Stir and top up with mineral water.

or

Put ice in a cocktail shaker with gin, lemon juice, sugar and bitters. Shake, pour and top up with mineral water.

May Day Celebrations at Goudhurst

2009-05-01T09:06:00.003+01:00

Morris Dancers at Goudhurst in Kent
Up early to watch the Morris Dancing for sunrise at 5.32am with the Weald of Kent Morris.
To follow their stands visit www.wealdofkentmorris.org.uk

A bit about the Weald of Kent Morris and Morris Dancing...
We are often asked how and when Morris dancing started. There are many theories but nobody knows for sure. We do know that it is a very old custom and believe that it had its origins as a means of ensuring fertility for crops, animals and perhaps for our forebears themselves! Even today many believe that there is powerful magic in a Morris Man's hat and we would advise any young woman against wearing one.

The dances which we perform came originally from the Cotswolds but different forms of dance came from other parts of the country, notably ceremonial clog dancing from Lancashire and Cheshire and two types of sword dancing from Yorkshire, Durham and Northumberland. Cotswold Morris was traditionally danced by men and each village had its own style of dancing. Most Morris dancing had ceased by the turn of the century but luckily it was seen by the well-known folk song collector, Cecil Sharp and others who made notes on most of the dances that we do today.

Every dance has its own tune. The music was provided, in the earliest times, by the pipe and tabor. Later came the fiddle, concertina and melodeon and in more modern times, the piano accordian. The Weald of Kent Morris use all of these instruments for their dancing.

Though we have no knowledge from the past of Morris dancing in this county, one of our characters is purely Kentish. The Hooden Horse and his attendants were part of an old custom which came from the Isle of Thanet in East Kent. We took pity on this one and now he follows us everywhere. We hope he will not be too much of a nuisance to you - he means well.

We hope you enjoy our performance and will take part in another old tradition, the collection. This should ensure for you, good luck and fertility and only temporary poverty.

The Weald of Kent Morris were formed in November 1988 and first appeared in public on Mayday 1989. We practise in the church rooms, Goudhurst on Wednesday evenings throughout the winter and we dance locally throughout the summer.

Any potential new members will be made welcome. Visit www.wealdofkentmorris.org.uk

Funny Job Advertising

2009-04-29T11:43:00.003+01:00

Well worth a look at these creative job website adverts.
The adverts include people appearing to work inside a cashpoint, coffee machine, cigarette machine, petrol pump, photobooth and laundrette.

Saint George

2009-04-23T15:53:00.006+01:00

Saint George and St George's Day
Saint George of Lydda (circa 275 / 281 to April 23rd, 303) was according to tradition, a Roman soldier in the Guard of Emperor Diocletian, venerated as a Christian martyr. In Christian hagiography Saint George is one of the most venerated saints in the Anglican Church, Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, and the Eastern Catholic Churches.

Saint George is immortalised in the tale of George and the Dragon and is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers. His memorial is celebrated on 23rd April and he is regarded as one of the most prominent military saints.

St. George is not only the patron saint of England and the Scouts, but also of Aragon, Catalonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Palestine, Portugal, and Russia, as well as the cities of Amersfoort, Beirut, Bteghrine, Cáceres, Ferrara, Freiburg, Genoa, Ljubljana, Gozo, Pomorie, Qormi, Lod and Moscow as well as a wide range of professions, organisations and disease sufferers.

Crecy-en-Ponthieu

2009-03-12T14:20:00.006Z

Crecy-en-Ponthieu
The scene of the Battle of Cressy
The Battle of Cressy took place on 26 August 1346 near Crécy in northern France, and was one of the most important battles of the Hundred Years' War with King Edward III with his son, the Black Prince, against Philip VI, King of France.
The English army numbered some 4,000 knights and men-at-arms, 7,000 Welsh and English archers and some 5,000 Welsh and Irish spearmen. The English army fielded 5 primitive cannon. The French army numbers were as high as 80,000 including a force of some 6,000 Genoese crossbowmen.
King Edward III installed himself and his staff in a windmill on a small hill that protected the rear, where he could direct the course of the battle. The location marked with the present day tower shown in the photograph.
If you would like to visit Crécy-en-Ponthieu visit www.crecyenponthieu.com for Tourist Information.

Seeding Clouds

2009-02-20T14:53:00.003Z

China seeds clouds and ends up with snow!
I'd heard of cloud seeding but thought it was more fanciful than factual. I found out this is not the case when the Chinese Authorities in Beijing seeded clouds using rockets to induce rainfall after three months of drought.
Zhang Qiang, deputy director of the Beijing Weather Modification Command Centre, said his staff had blasted chemicals into the clouds to increase the snow.
"More than 500 cigarette-size sticks of silver iodide were seeded into clouds from 28 weather rocket-launch bases in the city," Mr Zhang said.
They ended up with snow and according to Beijing's meteorological bureau, the snow should have stopped quite quickly.
A spokesman for the Badaling section of the Great Wall, about an hour from the capital, said twice as many tourists as usual had been to view the snow- covered site.
"Even though it wasn't the weekend, about 4,000 tourists still showed up yesterday to watch the snow… the scene is spectacular," the official said.
Sledge and Toboggan stockists in Beijing are reporting brisk trade.

Best Job in the World

2009-01-13T14:46:00.004Z

The Best Job in the World
Looking for an Island life on the Barrier Reef?
Here's a great new job opportunity. The Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef is a newly created position. There are a few minor tasks that need to be taken care of, but the most important duty is to report back to Tourism Queensland (and the world) and let us know what’s taking place on the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

Visit the website to find out more about the responsibilities of the job, employment benefits, selection criteria, and view the key dates. You can also read about the selection process, research how to apply, and get answers to frequently asked questions.

Below the water, you’ll find a World Heritage Listed natural wonder – the Great Barrier Reef. And above, the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef offer an abundance of wildlife to appreciate and activities to enjoy.

The Island Caretaker will be based on Hamilton Island – the largest inhabited island in the region. It’s located just off the coast of Queensland with a wide range of restaurants, activities, shops and tours. The temperature is warm all year round and the combination of blue skies, crystal water and pure sands forms the backdrop to an ideal island life.

Visit the Great Barrier Reef job website

1911 England and Wales Census

2009-01-13T13:32:00.004Z

1911 England and Wales Census
What were your ancestors doing in 1911?
The 1911 census for England and Wales was taken on the night of Sunday 2nd April in 1911. The census count included all individual households, as well as institutions such as prisons, workhouses and, naval and merchant vessels. It also tried to make an approximate count of the homeless.

What can you find in the 1911 census?

The following information is available:

Where an individual lived
Their age at the time of the census
Who (what relatives) they were living with
Their place of birth
Occupation

Additional information may also be available:

Who their guests were on the night of the census
The number of servants they had (if any)
Whether they were an employee or employer
Details of nationality
Duration of current marriage

Visit the 1911 England and Wales Census

LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini

2009-01-06T11:19:00.002Z

LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini
Disk disappears off network and just ticks
LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini is a great way to store back-ups, itunes music, photographs etc but what do you do when your back-up disk fails?
Under two years of service and my second LaCie hard drive dies a death – but has it really? After a bit of checking around on the net, various threads point to a possible power supply failure which stops supplying enough power to the hard drive. We're talking about the black box on the power cable, not anything internal. It's a LaCie AC POWER SUPPLY Model No. ACU057A-0512 that is used. I'm not sure you can use another compatible power supply.
This seems a logical conclusion as the ticking noise suggests a possible lack of velocity with the hard drive, ie the tick would become a continuous tone if it was going fast enough.
LaCie Support
The support page for the LaCie Ethernet Disk Mini is very limited. Basically two options for Mac OS X: restart it or wipe it with a LaCie utility. The Blue button is rendered useless with the ticking problem, so a restart isn't possible.
The ticking and power supply issues are not documented at all with LaCie.
Also, LaCie don't advertise any telephone numbers, everything being done via support tickets. To start one you need to have registered yourself and your LaCie product which is quick enough to do.
I've heard that LaCie are poor at product support, so I'll post back the conclusion to this issue when they get back to me.
As I said, this is the second LaCie hard drive to fail in this way and I'm sure there are plenty of other people in the same boat.

To Boggan or not Toboggan

2009-01-05T10:39:00.004Z

To Boggan or not Toboggan
Your guide to Sleighs, Sleds, Sledges and Toboggans
When the snow falls you've got to get out quickly and enjoy it. If you want to go sledging you need the right mode of transport – but which one?
To clear up any confusion here they are:

Sleigh
A vehicle with runners for sliding instead of wheels usually drawn by a horse or reindeer eg. A one horse open sleigh.

Sled or Sledge
A sled or sledge is a simple version of a sleigh used for downhill sledging in the snow. Also can be drawn by Huskies over flat ground.

Toboggan
A toboggan is a simple sled without runners on the underside. The traditional toboggan is made of bound, parallel wood slats, all bent forward at the front to form a sideways 'J' shape.

The toboggan is a traditionally used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T11:30:00.003Z

Happy New Year
Should old acquaintance be forgot?
Ever wondered what you should actually be singing at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve/Day? Thought so. Here's the words to the Auld Lang Syne English Traditional version rather than Burns' original Scots verse – you can always claim to be singing the latter if you get stuck!
Auld Lang Syne roughly translated means Long Long Ago.

Auld Lang Syne

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old times since ?

CHORUS:

For auld lang syne, my dear,

for auld lang syne,

we'll take a cup of kindness yet,

for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
And surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine^† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Here's to a prosperous New Year!

Robert Burns

The Twelve Days of Christmas

2008-12-25T13:42:00.004Z

The Twelve Days of Christmas
Happy Christmas
The Twelve Days of Christmas, and the evenings of those twelve days, are the festival Christmastide starting on Christmas Day on December 25th and going through to the evening of the Twelfth Day of Christmas, January 6th. The first night of Christmas is December 25–26 and Twelfth Night is the night of January 5th.
The day after Twelfth Night is Epiphany.

In Memories

2008-11-21T09:22:00.000Z

InMemories.com by Pierre Vandervelden
A website by Pierre Vandervelden covering the visits to the Commonwealth War Cemeteries, Communals Cemeteries and Churchyards in Belgium and France
Thanks to Pierre (shown below) for adding my Great Grandfather's picture and details to his website covering CRECY en PONTHIEU Communal Cemetery in Somme, France. Click here to view the Cemetery page.
Have a look at his In Memories website and see if you can contribute in some way.