Or why some things just don’t age well at all…

On a recent Internet trawl I happened upon this.

That’s right kiddies. Glen Michael’s Cavalcade.

Wow.

I don’t know how long it’s going to available on that link so enjoy it while you can.

This particular episode, one I’m sure I remember (although I would have been seven at the time and I can barely remember what happened last week…), has The Krankies, The Priesthill Puppet Group and the usual selection of quality cartoons.

I recommend that everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) checks this out.

BigAl

FoxMarks is a handy tool for FireFox that allows you to use your bookmarks over several machines while keeping them synchronised.

Currently I’m using it on my Win XP & Ubuntu machines, my login on Ruthy’s laptop and my machine at work.

Very Handy.

Almost as good as the Wiki on a Stick and portable yWriter setups I have.

Dang, dontcha just love technology?

BigAl

I have a new computer! Bwah ha ha!!!

On Saturday I picked up that the primary drive on the old computer was starting to fail. Currently it still changes it’s mind whether it actually wants to work on any power up. But a new computer was bought…

I nipped into a local city centre parts shop and picked up many, many fine things including 2GB of Ram, a 250GB HDD, a 1GB Graphics Card and an Intel Quad Core Q6600.

And it’s very fine indeed.

The system is currently using a fresh install of Win XP Professional.

And not to fear, the old pc will be the media system on the network running the new version of Ubuntu released in 9 days time.

Of course, the network has been further blessed by the KVM switch provided by Edgy. Thank you very much for that sir…

BigAl

From Brick Commander, a fine collection of Lego spaceships.

Now, where’s that Lego box of mine…

BigAl

I spent some quality time with BBC’s iPlayer this evening catching up with The Apprentice, the only real reason to pay a license fee.

And I happened to notice that the volume control goes up to 11.

Aye, very good you Spinal Tap loving freaks..

BigAl

So,

Back in sunny Glasgow, suitably fed and watered by pizza and beer. Bliss.

Was the funeral of Ruth’s Gran this morning. Good service. Lot’s of good stuff said.

But lets have that as the last funeral I go to for at least a year? Yeah? Good.

And I managed to catch up with my writing and my reading while away. A productive few days away.

Anyways, tired and time for bed. Back to work tomorrow…

BigAl

I’m posting from a remote location 1 1/2 hours drive east of Inverness today, sufficiently far enough away from civilization that I can actually relax.

The reason for being up with the in-laws isn’t the happiest; Ruth’s Gran died last week and her funeral is on Wednesday in Inverness. But Ruth and I came up a few days early (on Sunday) to spend some quality time with her folks.

It has been really restful, it’s feeling a lifetime away from all the stresses of Living and Working in Glasgow. And with everything Ruth and I have been putting up with in our respective jobs It’s nice not to have to think about it for a while.

And the peace and quiet has been a godsend for my writing, with no other distractions present I’m getting some good stuff written. It’s rare enough that I’m as happy with my writing as I am right now!

Better head now. I’ve had a lazy day so far and I’m thinking that the others might be wanting to get out and about for a bit.

See ya,
BigAl

(Beginning to feel like a postcard here… )

Is it just me or does anyone else fail to understand her?

I generally dodge anything to do with popular music but I’ve happened upon Ms MacDonald a few times on the telly recently, a reason in itself to stop watching the box, and I’m constantly astounded that she seems to have some kind of musical career.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m hardly the greatest singer myself, barely able to carry a tune in a box, but surely she sounds like she’s chewing her way through a mouthful of words with every breath.

If anyone can explain to me what the deal is with her, please illuminate me…

BigAl

I have a MyMiniCity.

It’s here.

For reasons that remain unexplainable, it has become relatively important to myself, Ruthy and mrBen, that the city grows and continues to grow.

So every day (more or less) without fail, we go to the site and help the city grow. There are a handful of others we have managed to con into sparing precious seconds of their online existence to helping us build what is realistically a waste of bandwidth.

Nevertheless, we come to you, the dedicated followers of JediMoose, to help our city grow…

Why should you do this?

Well, do you really have anything better to do?

BigAl

Left my Kangaroo Poo beanie on the bus this morning while on the way to church.

Gah.

It left me in a distinctly bad mood, one that not even the lovely people of the church could get me out of. And, no, I didn’t ask God for help when I was there because I fancied some self indulgent misery for a while.

Well, it passed the time.

So if you see a brown/gray/black beanie with a Kangaroo Poo tag on the First Glasgow 62 service, grab it and let me know.

But this does give me an excuse (and a really weak one at that) to break out the stupidly long Doctor Who scarf I have (the one that Ruth knitted for me but won’t let me wear out the house as I look to much of a tit in it…)

BigAl

In no particular order:

Time off Work

I’ve had almost the whole two weeks off work and although it has been good I really have slumped into “holiday mode” because of it. There has been the odd day, or morning, where I’ve nicked in to the office to get some stuff done but apart from the bare minimum I’ve found it too hard to work any enthusiasm up.

Perhaps it’ll all change on the 7th. The festive period will be over for good then.

GuildMadness

Edgy now has GuildWars. And he’s hooked. And I think he’s going to blame me for the all the free time he no-longer has… Oh, well…

JediMoose sued?

Again JediMoose has been threatened with legal action over a post I made two and a half years ago. We had already been threatened with legal action over the same post six months ago and I had thought it was all sorted out.

Apparently not. Good to see that this guy is the reasonable type.

MrBen and I are awaiting the next stage of this with baited breath…

Sci-Fi wonder

Deep Space Nine season 1 was a late addition to the Christmas haul this year, but a welcome one. It’s no Firefly but it does have The Sisko in it so that’s forgivable.

And Doctor Who season 16, The Key To Time, was invested in. Makes up for the piss-poor episode this Chirstmas Day.

Hogmanay

It came and went quietly this year with Ruthy and I heading over to Edgy’s with Billy in tow. Enzo was there having produced enough food to keep an army on the march for the season. It was a good evening with good company, a few beers and a game of Zombies to round it off.

Podcasting and other creative nonsense

mrBen and I have been bouncing this idea about around for a while now, my doing a regular PodBook thing in an attempt to try and encourage me with my writing. Fortunatly on that front I’m taking things a lot more seriously at the moment. Who knows what the New Year will bring?

Have a good one.

BigAl

Edgy will be experiencing this for the first time as currently Ruthy and I are wandering about the land with him, smiting foes.

Hopefully Enzo will have bought the game by the weekend so there should be plenty of gaming done by the end of the year.

“Multiplayer online gaming - you never have to see your friends face to face ever again…”

This one’s for Edgy.

BigAl

How not to build a pc is when you’re trying to remove the metal plate in the CD drive bay, you force it a bit too hard, it comes away quickly and your hand gets stuck by one of the sticky-out metal supports.

Everyone gets cut when, as I was doing, they are building a pc quickly and without due care and attention.

But it’s a special kind of joy when you take your hand out the drive bay to find it covered in blood and with an unfortunate gash over the thumb joint.

It should be sufficient to note that after a few stitches, a tetanus shot and enough sugary food to floor a rhino, Ruth finished putting the damn thing together.

BigAl

They include:

enjoying this years NaNoWriMo experience,
getting some Church work out of the way in record time,
having a stupidly large bar of chocolate,
listening to Boston in the office at a stupidly loud volume.

Sometimes life just works.

BigAl

Yes, today I was at a multicultural workshop for arts and crafts.

Sent by the work (the after school care work, not the church work), I spent 2 hours learning to make a variety of arty things celebrating various faiths.

And I get paid to go. Excellent!

But what I found quite worrying is that out of 26 people in the workshop, including the teacher, I was the only man there.

And I’ve noticed that in days in the park with the group, other after school care groups never seem to be any men with them.

Are men just not interested in this kind of work?

Or is it that society sees something suspicious about a man who professes to show an interest in the well-being of young children?

BigAl

This is a Christian kids Manga-esque animated thing.

I managed the first ten minutes before it got switched off.

BigAl

Having had a chat today with someone (who shall remain nameless to save his embarrassment) about tithing. That is, the giving of a tithe at church.

Now, without getting too bogged down in theology (and to generalise), tithing is the giving back to God what is his. Specifically, in today’s society, 10% of what you earn.

Depending on how much, or how little, you earn that can be an inconvenient bite out of your monthly finances. And yes, I do tithe because I want to support my church and the valuable work in the community that it does.

But there are people who don’t tithe. They go to church and they don’t tithe. They see the work that is done and they don’t tithe. They see other people tithe and they don’t tithe.

They just don’t tithe.

And that’s fine. Really. No-one HAS to tithe. It’s not like the Church Gestapo will come a-knockin’ at your door if you haven’t tithed… (Hmm, Church Gestapo. Maybe I should suggest that…)

And there are always factors that eat away at your finances that you can’t control.

Fair enough.

But maybe people aren’t given the right encouragement to tithe. Perhaps we should be preaching that giving your life over to Jesus Christ just gets your name on the list of the saved. Keeping it there depends on your continued financial support.

Your salvation is dependent on your 10%.

How about it? How much does eternal life really cost?

Ten percent of what you earn in non-sequential ten pound notes every month, if you don’t mind. Just slip the envelope under the church door and that’ll be fine.

(No cheques please. Just cold, hard cash.)

I’ll take care of it from there, from my office on the beach…

BigAl

You need a calculator to multiply 8 by 12.

Oh, dear…  I need to go back to my bed.
BigAl 

Having idly wandered over to the website of ITV (the masters of light entertainment), I thought about catching up with my The Jeremy Kyle Show fix.

I can’t watch it when it’s on ITV1 as I’m away out at work and I have been suffering withdrawls.

Sure I can nip on YouTube and catch past examples of the Jeremy Kyle genius at work but there are only so many old clips available.  Fresh meat is what I want.

So, I’m on the ITV website, checking out the Jeremy Kyle page and get understandably excited when I see the Catch Up Video section.

Catch Up Video of The Jeremy Kyle Show!  This truly is too good to be true!

But there’s a problem.  The ITV website does not yet support Firefox for viewing video.  What?  Shurely Shome Mishtake?

So it looks like I am yet again denied my fix of The Jeremy Kyle Show.

But then, I’m hoping to have a day off on Friday.  Hopefully I’ll get my fix of The Jeremy Kyle show then…

BigAl