• Phil Bradley’s weblog: 28 delicious alternatives to Delicious
  Ironically, I've tagged this with Delicious. (Thanks Bob).
  delicious bookmarks tools social software

• BBC – h2g2 – Toffee Popcorn
  Toffee popcorn recipe.
  food recipe popcorn

• Gites de France: Pas de Calais
  Much better than the main GdF site, IMHO.
  gites France Pas-de-Calais accommodation
• Le Gite du Mont des Chevres
  Nice looking gite in Nord Pas-de-Calais.
  France gites accommodation

• The Old Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast
  Local B&B – could be handy for clients.
  accommodation East_Sussex Uckfield

• Private land burial | Natural Death Centre .org
  An even better article on burial on private land.
  burial advice England
• Burial in Private Land
  Comprehensive article on the processes involved in arranging interment of human remains on private land. My parents have expressed a preference for this. It looks pretty straight forward.
  burial regulation England

• Pinboard – antisocial bookmarking
  Delicious replacement?
  delicious bookmarks tools software online
• Diigo – Web Highlighter and Sticky Notes, Online Bookmarking and Annotation, Personal Learning Network.
  Delicious replacement?
  social bookmarks tools

• BBC – Tom Fordyce: In the company of a legend
  Interview with Arthur Morris. Are modern sportsmen made of the same stuff?
  cricket Australia interview sport
• BBC News – Australia floods: New storm forecast for Queensland
  Worrying. I have family in Rockhampton. Their house should stay dry, but they'll be cut off. Maybe this will wake up Aussies to climate change – they haven't been the fastest to sign up to some environment protection initiatives.
  environment flood Australia Rockhampton

• MorePeople – Specialist Recruitment & HR Practice serving the fresh produce, fresh food, horticulture and garden & leisure sectors
  Horticulture jobs. 2011 could mean a change of direction, which I'll confess to finding somewhat daunting.
  jobs employment agency horticulture

• Pdftk – The PDF Toolkit
  Free PDF editor for Windows
  tools opensource software free utility pdf

• Export Your Bookmarks on Delicious
  How to export your Delicious bookmarks. Because it looks like you need to, as Yahoo plan to kill this service.<br />
  Of course, it won't deal with the hundreds of dead links in your blog (or mine).
  delicious backup tools computer utility bookmarks
• Live view – AXIS 211 Network Camera
  Live webcam overlooking the Vrijthof in Maastricht.
  maastricht webcam vrijthof

• Camerabeelden
  Webcams on Belgian motorways, so you can check both the weather and the traffic.
  webcam motorway Belgium
• WH1090 – Weather Stations | Signatrol
  A toy. I reckon I could use one of these and bore you rigid with the current weather conditions in Ruralville.
  weather equipment station

• Pitt Rivers Museum – Thesiger exhibition
  Astonishing photography. Must find a way to get to see this exhibition.
  photography history culture Africa Thesiger

• Nouveautés — Site de la ville de liege
  Website of the Belgian city of Liege including (ever-so-brief) details of the oldest and largest market in Belgium, held ever Sunday on the banks of the Meuse/Maas.
  belgium liege market
• website Tongeren – Homepage stad Tongeren
  Website for the Belgian town of Tongeren. Includes details of the famous huge Sunday flea/antique market.
  Tongeren Belgium market

• www.kwiekmaastricht.nl – Dé 50 plus speciaalzaak van het zuiden!
  Wheelchair hire in Maastricht, very close to the railway station. (In Dutch).
  wheelchair mobility hire Maastricht Netherlands

• NotionAddicts Forums
  Forum for Notion Ink fanboys and fangirls.
  Notion_Ink notionink adam forum
• TeslaTouch | Home
  Rumoured as a possible additional feature on Notion Ink’s Adam. Would certainly have the “wow” factor.
  technology hardware display touch

• kim jong-il looking at things
  Does what it says on the tin.
  politics humour photography korea

•  TomiLaw | Technology, Online, Media & IP from DMH Stallard: EU patent in the offing? Google translations on the way?
  Patents in Europe cost 10 times more than patents in the US. That can't be right. But that is one of the inherent problems with a union of 27 nations with 21 official languages – if you only speak Greek, surely you deserve equal access to patent records?
  patent law Europe

• Meteo Maastricht ::::….
  Quite possibly the most ridiculously detailed weather website covering Maastricht, including a live weather webcam in the southeast of the city. Wonderful.
  maastricht meteorology weather Netherlands

• BBC News – Arsonists target saved railway signal box near Bognor
  This sort of thing makes me angry. I stood in the lee of the box on many a wet and windy evening stood on Barnham railway station. It was also the venue for one of my first school trips when I was a kid. Why exactly would anyone want to set fire to the thing?
  railway heritage Barnham Sussex

• BBC News – When exactly is our winter of discontent?
  Interesting article cutting through some of the fluff in the media about the country being gripped by strike action.
  media news strikes

• Have we found the universe that existed before the Big Bang?
  Maybe, maybe not. Either way, my head hurts.
  science physics astronomy

• Welcome to The Charles Close Society | The Charles Close Society
  You just get the feeling that 90% of the members of this society are male.
  Ordnance_Survey maps Charles_Close_Society cartography
• David Archer Maps | Ordnance Survey maps from mid-Wales
  Must…put…credit…card…away!
  Ordnance_Survey maps shop
• British Library: Ordnance Survey: small scale maps
  Classification guide for researchers.
  OS Ordnance_Survey maps

• GovernorNet
  Resource for school governors.
  school governor education

• BBC News – Sussex passenger train slides for two-and-a-half miles
  Good job this didn't happen on any of the sections of this line with single line operating. It could have been Cowden all over again. The leaf blowers are certainly out and about – I've seen and heard them – but "our" branch line uses different (diesel) stock, so I'm not sure they would slide in the same way.
  train accident leaves

• Sniffer ‘hero rats’ saving lives in war zones and labs < Pets | Expatica The Netherlands
  It takes two landmine clearance experts two days to clear a patch of 200 square metres. It takes two trained rats two hours to complete the same task.
  landmines rats

• Iain Dale’s Diary: Is There a Future for Books?
  Thoughtful article on the future of publishing. Is it as bleak as that? I hope not. I work in an industry where specialist monographs that probably only sell a few hundred copies at best have been the normal method to disseminate specialist information. Perhaps e-books might save them, but I rather suspect the publication of specialist information on specialist websites that can be easily and frequently updated are more likely to sound their death knell than the lack of bookshop distribution or low cover prices.
  books publishing opinion

• SUVARNAMUKHI BIO-TECH
  Huge Indian TC lab. This is the way that tissue culture is going – I know of very few European labs that still carry out production in Europe. Clean stock, protocol development and initiation in Europe, perhaps, but volume production is almost always carried out in low labour cost nations.
  TC tissue_culture plants horticulture India

• Becoming a governor
  Information on what school governors do.
  school governor East_Sussex education

• Home – Skylark
  This shop is rather small, but I could happily spend hours (and lots of money) in there. I've always felt that the range of stuff on offer is more or less aimed at someone like me – eclectic books and music, fun small gifts, slight nostalgia for the 80s and early 90s, an interest in things out-of-the-ordinary-but-not-too-far-out. Very highly recommended.
  Skylark shop Lewes

• Hello Kitty Maker Sniffy Over Miffy: Sanrio Ordered To Pull Cathy Character In Three Countries | Business | Sky News
  I've always felt that Hello Kitty was nothing but a blatant rip-off of Miffy/Nijntje, who is a rather older animal born in 1955. In fact, Hello Kitty is banned from this house on moral grounds. At last, Mercis bv, the company that licences Dick Bruna's creation, have got one over on Sanrio. But I suspect that Sanrio have better resources to throw at a legal battle, so, as usual, it will be a case of who blinks/runs out of cash first. But first blood to Mercis, a good thing IMHO.
  Miffy Hello_Kitty copyright IP law

• More on the images you saw! « Notion Ink
  Nearly a firm release date.
  Notion_Ink adam tablet hardware

• He’s back in Sussex – Hoogstraten is calling in his debts (From The Argus)
  hmmm.
  Sussex news

• The Bribery Act – Heads Up! - DMH Stallard  (Solicitors) – London, Gatwick, Brighton
  Handy guide to the new Bribery Act and what it means for people in business. Apparently, the test for whether an offer or promise is a bribe is “what a reasonable person in the UK would expect in relation to the performance of the type of function or activity concerned.” So, the law is sufficiently vague that the lawyers will profit most.
  law bribery

• BBC News – Dutch coffee shops fear coalition crackdown
  I'm always surprised by the widely-held perception that the Dutch are liberal. I would say that their culture is actually quite conservative (hardly any towns have Sunday shopping, for example). And whilst possession of a small quantity of cannabis is "tolerated" (note the word), trading is illegal. Many towns have either been shutting the brown coffee shops down or, like Maastricht, changed planning laws so that they must be sited on industrial estates on the edge of town. Personally, I'm all for shutting them down – it might make tourists look a little further in the Netherlands, beyond the soft drugs to the culture, cuisine and history.
  Netherlands drugs news

• BBC News – A question of time: changing the clocks
  Yet more evidence to change to CET/CEST. When will it happen? Do we have to get a petition going?
  CET time uk news

• BBC News – Putting clocks back damages our health, says expert
  More reasons to be on CET.
  time CET news

• Putting ice on injuries could slow healing – Telegraph
  About five days too late for my mother-in-law's badly bruised cheek.
  injury medicine science news

• YouTube – Cat vs Printer – The Translation
  Contains swearing.
  video youtube cats humour technology

• Seesmic
  Social network management. Has it really come to this?
  twitter social tools software

• Proloquo2Go: Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad
  Hmm. Not sure how mum would get on with an iPod, but this is what the nurse recommends. We can organise a trial for her, so it'll be a case of suck it and see.
  speech technology language software disability communication MND

• Belgium divisions deepen further | EurActiv
  EurActiv, as usual, gives a rather more detailed account.
  Belgium politics
• BBC News – Belgium fails to break political deadlock
  Again. I'm not sure that new elections would help. The Belgians that I've spoken to (admittedly, all Flemish) seem to think that the country will eventually break up. It will be interesting to see how the neighbours respond to that – the Dutch will almost certainly absorb Flanders, but the French are less than enthusiastic about taking on Wallonia, which, if it remained independent, would become the poorest member of the EU. Then there is the Brussels issue – I don't think it has been suggested, but it would almost make sense if it become an independent city-state, at least from a political point of view.
  Belgium politics

• Pieminister – home
  Really rather fine pies. Mmmmmm pie.
  pie food pieminister mmmmmm uk

• YouTube – The East Grinstead Song
  Respec' to the Felbridge massive.
  East_Grinstead video youtube humour

• The Birdcage
  Quite the best pub I've been in since, oh, ages. Any pub that serves good beer, has cake on the bar and features a cat called Maraud, must surely be a good pub.
  pub Norwich cat beer cake

• YouTube – Holy Fuck – "Red Lights" (Official Video)
  Cats meet music meet Two Lane Blacktop. What more could you ask for?
  cats music video holy_fuck

• Manufacturer of the Lightwriter® – Text To Speech Communication Aids | Toby Churchill
  Text-to-speech hardware. Looks good from initial looking. I'll need to speak to Mum's nurse about this.
  technology hardware MND speech synthesis text-to-speech

• ModelTalker Speech Synthesis System
  Speech synthesis software, for voice banking. Excellent for those (like my Mum) who are likely to lose the power of speech. As featured in recent BBC R4 Word of Mouth programme.
  speech synthesis software voice MND

• Web Hosting Timeline and Milestones for 34SP.com
  34SP.com is ten. When did I start with them? (checks archives – late 2003, it seems) Good to see a small company succeed.
  34SP hosting business website grayblog

• Home: Kas Magazine
  Dutch horticultural trade magazine.
  Netherlands horticulture magazine

• BBC – Ever Wondered About Food? – Macaroni Cheese
  The ultimate macaroni cheese recipe. Possibly not compatible with healthy living.
  macaroni cheese food recipe

• British Lung Foundation | Home | Pulmonary embolism
  Gordon Bennett! It's one thing after another in our family at the moment!
  pulmonary_embolism health lung medicine

• Holidayhome in Holland, Maastricht
  Apartment in the Wyck area of Maastricht – looks good and fantastic location.
  apartment accomodation Maastricht Netherlands

• Aqui Maastricht – Welcome
  Stunning holiday apartment in Maastricht.
  accommodation apartment Maastricht Netherlands
• winter – vvv maastricht
  Magisch Maastricht – we might try and go this year, although the Winterland website seems to be broken.
  Maastricht Netherlands Christmas

• BBC News – Solar bag could solve energy needs of mobile phone users
  Works best on sunny days. In Greece. Not likely to charge up much at all on a wet October morning in England.
  solar energy technology science computer

• Birlea Denver 5ft King Size White Bed
  Seems a very good price for this bed. Our existing one is broken. No jokes, thank you.
  furniture bed

• Hastings pier on fire | Flickr – Photo Sharing!
  "You Can Save Me", reads the banner. It's going to take quite something to save the pier now.
  Hastings pier fire news photographs

• BBC News – Rare bumblebees make comeback in Kent and Sussex
  Hurrah! This spring was a good one for bees too, with plenty of good flying days.
  bees nature conservation Sussex
• BBC News – Hastings Pier engulfed and destroyed by fire
  This is terrible. Hastings has been struggling to pull itself up over recent years – the improvements in the George Street area, the restoration of the West Hill Lift and now the redevelopment of the Stade. But all of these were at the eastern (old) end of town. The western end of the front, the area around the pier, is still shabby. The town had bought the pier and this week calls were put out for designs for restoring the pier to make it the centrepiece of regeneration of the western end of the front. I wonder if it will now be a sad burnt out shell, like Brighton's West Pier, with no chance of restoration, left to slowly rot into the sea.
  Hastings Sussex pier fire news

• BBC – Viewfinder: Street photography now
  I always feel slightly uncomfortable taking photos of strangers. But you do see some great things that are fleeting, momentary, yet somehow one feels that they should be preserved.
  photography opinion street

• Cost-saving perennial planting system offers help to hard-pressed council teams | Horticulture Week
  It would be good, in my view, for local authorities to use perennials for planting more widely. But I'm not holding my breath for sudden change.
  perennials plants amenity horticulture

• Pallas’s Cat – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  Meow.
  cats wild nature

• BBC News – Crowdsourcing: Turning customers into creative directors
  Interesting. I'm not sure that crowdsourcing can be applied in all areas of design and creation (you can't do it for most aspects of car design, for example, due to technical and legislative requirements), but it could certainly put pressure on a few job titles in the workplace. It isn't a panacea for those areas where it can be applied, either.
  business bbc crowdsourcing ecommerce marketing

• BBC News – News presenters warn over BBC strike plan
  What?? Cuts to Shaun the Sheep caused by strikers!! Outrage!!!
  Shaun_the_Sheep news BBC union politics

• The Color I want! « Notion Ink
  Want an Adam (well, yeh, duh!). Then vote now for your favourite colour. Hels chose bright blue, which seems particularly unpopular. I'm surprised at how conservative voters are in their choices.
  Notion_Ink Adam technology
• BBC News – BT to roll out fibre broadband across Cornwall
  We have FTTC here which I can gain access to as I'm on a business tariff. The cabinet is only 100 metres or so from our door, so we don't get too much loss over the copper cable. But others in our road are connected to the exchange itself, nearly two miles away, and report terrible connection speeds. You get what you pay for. And I'm not expecting FTTH any time soon here.
  broadband BT technology news

• BBC News – Belgium’s beer sellers see trouble brewing
  Beer – tick. Chocolate – tick. But no mention of that other great Belgian tradition – horse butchers.
  Belgium beer politics

• BBC News – HQ chosen for South Downs National Park
  A fine building. But, given the requirement for access by public transport, surely a town with a railway line would have been better? Petersfield? Lewes? Arundel?
  South_Downs park
• Kew News – One Fifth Of The World’s Plants Are At Risk Of Extinction
  This is excellent research and should be a useful tool to focus minds on conservation. What is most worrying is that we are literally missing species that are not properly understood (or even discovered) before they are already at or near extinction. Potentially they could be very valuable for medicines, fibres or even for ornamental horticulture. So more knowledge is bound to help and, hopefully, this research will help to encourage action.
  conservation plants Kew environment

• BBC – Newsbeat – ‘My details appeared on ‘porn’ list’
  Interesting. The girl in this article doesn't seem to be wearing any clothes. But seriously, recipients of these letters from ACS:Law are in an invidious position as it is impossible to prove a negative – which is why most will simply pay the £495 just to make them go away.
  news downloading filesharing law
• BBC News – Relate survey suggests mid-life crisis ‘begins in 30s’
  I'm not sure that any of this is surprising. With pressures from work, high expectations of children, increasing responsibilities to aging parents, it should not be surprising that people aged 35-45 are feeling under pressure. I'm not sure that those pressures are any different from those experienced by previous generations, although, in today's high-speed world, perhaps they are felt more keenly. In my view, just about every age in life has its pressures – for example, when you are four-and-a-half, the pressure is to finish your toast before you get dragged out the door to school.
  social_science news middle_age

• Plane that manoeuvres without flaps developed – Telegraph
  Of course, the Bleriot XI moves without flaps and has done so since 1908. It employs wing-warping, although the entire tailplane acts as an elevator. You can still see it flying at the Shuttleworth Collection, Old Warden.
  aircraft technology news

• Blogging like it’s 2000 // katy lindemann // seemingly unconnected
  You see, blogging isn't dead at all. I've resisted Twitter largely because I don't want to be limited to 140 characters, although it is not often that I write longer pieces these days. Strangely, my blog has mutated into a linklog, even without the change in platform. And now I see Darren making a plea for me to go over to The Other Side. Perhaps I should try to have a presence in both forms – I can't deny that I haven't been considering it for some weeks, maybe even a couple of months. But Katy's post makes me think even more that "real" blogging is alive and well, and might just be going back to the way it used to be when it were all fields around here.
  blogging history retro reminiscence future

• Two drinks makes elderly unsteady on feet – Telegraph
  This explains a lot. Combine alcohol with serious illness, and you have a real problem.
  alcohol medicine
• Sellers Beware: New Breed of Aggressive Plaintiffs Hunt Expired Patent Numbers on Products and Product Literature; Demand Billions
  Hmm. Could make a few pennies on the side with this wheeze. Equally, I need to watch a few patents that I'm responsible for, although I'm a few years off expiry yet.
  USPTO patent expiry law US
• BBC News – Albion’s Falmer stadium museum plan gets go-ahead
  Hurrah!
  Brighton football museum news
• Mapping Stereotypes by alphadesigner
  Moldova – oh dear!
  maps europe humour
• London to Paris Flights via Brighton Shoreham Pontoise – Brighton City Airways
  Sounds promising.
  Brighton Paris airlines

• Join the ‘Protest the Pope’ March Against The State Visit of Pope Ratzinger | National Secular Society
  Unfortunately, I can't go to this, although I sympathise.
  secularism pope catholicism protest

• BBC News – How Richard Feynman went from stirring jelly to a Nobel Prize
  I'm currently reading The Secret Life of Birds by Colin Tudge. In it, he asks how anyone could possibly fail to be fascinated by nature – how anyone could not look at the world around them and just marvel and then want to understand why and how. The same motives drove Feynman and it is something that I identify with. There is so much for an enquiring mind – and those minds that are both enquiring and rigorous can be brilliant, like Feynman.
  physics science feynman

• Bestwestern.com, the World’s Largest Hotel Chain.
  Back to the annual hunt for a room in Essen in the last week of January. I was chatting with my parents' neighbour the other day. He had visited Essen in the past. Around 1943, at the controls of a Wellington bomber.
  hotel Essen Germany

• BBC – Paul Fletcher: The hopes and fears of football’s free agents
  Whilst life might be full of fast cars and faster women for the ovr-paid primadonnas of the Premiership, life is not quite such a bed of roses at the business end of football.
  sport football

• Interception & outbreak charts
  Fun information for plant health geeks. This is the plant health equivalent of ambulance chasing or using a police scanner.
  plant health interception outbreak FERA horticulture

• Nokia E52
  How interesting. Nokia will sell me an E52 with a new T-Mobile tariff. But T-Mobile refuse to offer it to me as an upgrade from my E51 on my existing tariff, or even with a tariff change. Considering that I was recently described by one of their customer service bods as "a premium, high-spending customer" (typical bill is £35 or more), I find their approach to customer retention to be pretty shoddy.
  Nokia E52 T-Mobile service shoddy

• Heritage Open Days
  It would be good to get to some of these – maybe the net sheds in Hastings or Bishop Otter College in Chichester.
  heritage history uk architecture art buildings events

• YouTube – Deckchair
  Another fine film from Sheepfilms.
  humour film youtube

• Nationalpark-Eifel guide
  how handy. pdf
  Germany Eifel park guide system:filetype:pdf system:media:document

• Wild Flower Shop – wild flowers, native plants
  Seeds and plugs of British native plants (and some naturalized species)
  garden plants seeds nature wildflowers

• BBC News – Bat and moth arms race revealed
  Hmm. The moths around here don't seem to be as bright as the ones in this study – all they do is bash themselves against light bulbs.
  moths nature evolution science bats

• BBC News – UK students urged to go Dutch amid place shortage
  Article concentrating on Maastricht University.
  Maastricht Netherlands education

• Square America – IBM Slides
  Definitely material for the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players.
  1975 IBM presentation design history advertising vintage business

• Notion Ink Adam: Pricing and more – SlashGear
  Adam news – part 2
  android tablet adam
• Notion Ink Adam: Behind the Scenes – SlashGear
  Adam news – part 1
  android tablet adam

• Wipeout recreated with an RC car and lots of cardboard – Video Games Reviews, Cheats | Geek.com
  Manna for the inner geek.
  game diy car hardware racing wipeout geek

• BBC News – A very delicate restoration
  Thought provoking article on the way that buildings have always been altered and updated – and suggesting that preserving buildings in aspic or trying to be "sympathetic" can be just as damaging as an inappropriate addition or alteration.
  architecture opinion

• Making Pickles and Pickle Products
  Just about the most comprehensive information anywhere on pickling gherkins/cornichons/cucumbers and peppers. (pdf)
  recipe usda pickles food system:filetype:pdf system:media:document

• MGA Home Page
  The Myasthenia Gravis Association.
  health charity disease

• Apple sued by users of ‘overheating’ iPad – Telegraph
  Another reason for me not to buy an iPad, as I'll be using it outdoors a lot.
  iPad rubbish Apple

• Leucanthemum maximum ‘Broadway Lights’
  Advice for forcing Leucanthemum
  Leucanthemum plants horticulture

• YouTube – Pixel Qi vs iPad
  This is why I'm waiting to buy a Notion Ink Adam. I need an iPad type device to replace soon-to-be three folders of product portfolio information which are both heavy and tend to get dog-eared. But, as I work with outdoor businesses, I need a screen that can be viewed outdoors. OK, I'll have to move to somewhere shady to see full colour (essential to view plant photos), but I'd have to move somewhere shady to see just about anything on iPad. Clearly Apple will need to offer Pixel Qi or something similar on future versions.
  outdoor tablet technology computer

• BBC News – Zephyr solar plane flies 7 days non-stop
  "The launch was absolutely beautiful; it was just so smooth," said Mr Saltmarsh. "We had five people lift it above their heads, start running and it just lifted away into the sky." Now, if this had been designed by Americans instead of Britons, then there would have been some incredibly complicated launch mechanism. As it is, five blokes pick it up and run along with it. Brilliant.
  technology aircraft Zephyr solar

• Op het zuiden
  Rather smart B&B suite in Alphen aan den Rijn.
  Alphen Netherlands accommodation

• Short Stay Apartments – Vacation Rentals & Holiday Flats for Rent – ShortStay-Apartment.com
  Does what it says on the tin, expanding into more cities.
  travel accommodation self-catering europe Netherlands Belgium London Paris Spain

• ‘t 28e Preuvenemint
  The world's biggest open air restaurant. And quite possibly the best food festival anywhere. And in Maastricht – which is, of course, lovely. And, this year, we might just make it there.
  Preuvenemint Maastricht Netherlands food restaurant festival

• Dr. Götze Land & Karte
  Seriously good German map shop.
  maps atlases Germany shop

• Boerderij Latrubesse vakantiehuis vankantiehuizen boerderij gites verhuur huren te huur Zuid-Frankrijk Aquitaine Pyrénées-Atlantiques Pau Biarritz Orthez boerderij latrubesse .
  Splendid apartment and studio in Den Haag and stunning farmhouse in the south of France.
  accommodation Den_Haag Pyrenees Netherlands France holiday

• Burg/Schloß Untermaubach Eifel und Region Aachen Kutscherhaus Burg Maubach Ferienhaus Unterkunft Urlaub
  Accommodation in Eifel. In a castle.
  castle Eifel Germany accommodation holiday

• YouTube – COTM – Dad Life
  Considering this comes from a Christian group, it's surprisingly good. Who knew? – they have a sense of humour.
  video youtube parenting humour

• Hatchbag – Bootliners – The Original Boot liner, Pet Mats, Odour Controller, boot liner, boot liners, car boot liners, bootliner
  This seems to be the mutt's nuts of boot liners. I've looked at a few cheap ones, but given the vast space in the back of the Tino once the seats are removed, a sensible liner that covers the whole space effectively seems the thing to have.
  car accessories Nissan Hatchbag

• Railtrack Ltd vs Railtrack plc
  Hilarious. NSFW (rude words).
  “Dear Sir,
  We have just had a whingeing letter in from your Solicitors, Rowlands.
  They complain that when they attempted to contact the telephone number on our letter to you of the 6th inst, “it appeared to be the speaking clock”.”
  silly humour

• VVV Gouda – Gouda, kaasstad
  Gouda tourist office official site.
  vvv holiday Gouda Netherlands accommodation

• Ballard’s Brewery welcomes you to online brewing this is the official website for Ballard’s Brewery
  Home of the finest beer in England.
  beer Ballards Sussex

• Stephen Fry – Weebl’s Stuff
  Silly song about Stephen Fry. Super-fly. Apparently.
  cartoon video weebl humour

• BBC – Ban on eel fishing in Sussex to save stock
  I remember going to the Whetstone Bridge over the Ryebank Rife as a child with my brother. The water had dried out during a particularly dry period of summer and the bottom of the stream bed was a mass of dead, rotting eels. Not a sight you’d see these days.
  Sussex nature conservation environment eels

• BBC News – UK time change ‘would save CO2 emissions’
  It would also put us in the same time zone as most of the European Union, which would be good for business, IMHO. It seems crazy that London is an hour ahead of Paris, which is at more or less the same longitude.
  news time longitude GMT UK
• Bed en Breakfast in Gouda – De Kamer Hiernaast
  What a lovely looking B&B! Shame it is only suitable for two. Must find excuse to leave Tom behind…
  accommodation Gouda Netherlands
• Idar-Oberstein | Tourist-Information der Schmuck- und Edelsteinstadt
  Drove through here on Friday evening on my way home from a meeting. The Chapel in the Rocks looks amazing and the castle on top of the hill has that “explore me” pulling power. Will try to return here and actually take a look around. Nice area, with steep valleys, lots of woods and terraces for viticulture.
  Idar-Oberstein Germany europe travel tourism holiday

• Urlaub in der Eifel: Unterkünfte, Hotels, Ferienwohnungen, Wandern, Radfahren, Veranstaltungen
  All in German. But worth a look for holiday ideas.
  (tags: Eifel Germany holiday travel)

• 'Save the Ligne Maginot' by Alexandre Guirkinger | Gallery | Wallpaper* Magazine
  I didn't realise that so much of the Maginot Line still exists. I'm constantly curious about WW2 and more recent concrete architecture – I think that more of it should be preserved before it is lost. Along with the Maginot Line, the Pill Boxes that scatter our region of the UK also deserve more preservation, IMHO.
  (tags: Maginot_Line Wallpaper art history photography)
• SArt_Is_5.jpg (JPEG Image, 900×290 pixels)
  Sequential Art is 5 years old. Goodness, how much of the last five years have I given to following this comic strip?
  (tags: humour comic SequentialArt)

• SME Week – European Commission
  Nice. Except this SME will be on holiday that week. Bums.
  (tags: EU Europe business enterprise SME)

• BBC News – Waterlily saved from extinction
  Good news on several levels – firstly, a plant saved from extinction is always good news; secondly, it provides a potentially interesting plant for horticulture (and plants that are popular in horticulture are always safe from extinction, even when their natural habitat is threatened); and thirdly, it provides an excellent media opportunity, which I'm pleased to see RBG taking full advantage of.
  (tags: plants environment conservation Kew)
• Dutch roads go underground (page 1) < News Focus | Expatica The Netherlands
  Interesting. Of course, building tunnels in the Netherlands, particularly cut-and-cover structures, must be simpler when you are digging in polder rather than hard rock (although, of course, there is the problem of the high water table).
  (tags: Netherlands roads tunnels environment)

• BBC News – Are council's nine recycling bins a load of rubbish?
  What's the big deal? We have sorted our waste into *fifteen* categories for ages (paper, card, glass, metals, plastics, compostables, tetrapaks, electricals [covers light bulbs, dead toys, dead appliances], monitors/TVs [don't get many of them], soil, rubble, batteries, fabrics/clothing, polythene films [carriers, shrink-wrap] and "non-recyclables" [this last still disappointingly large]). We then take it to the recycling centre ourselves, although we will finally get kerbside recycling of some of these (not all) later this year. Some stuff goes to charity or is FreeCycled/Freegled. To be serious about recycling the maximum amount that you can at a cost that the local authority (i.e. tax payers) can afford, it relies on the householder doing the donkey work. I think that, in time, there will be more consumer pressure on manufacturers and retailers to simplify packaging. That will help with reduction as well as recycling – it has started, but will take a while to really gather momentum.
  (tags: recycling waste refuse packaging)

• welcome to ecomodo
  Online clearing house for exchange and lending of, well, things and skills – covering something that FreeCycle/Freegle has always shied away from. Quite new, apparently, so not many signed up yet.
  (tags: community exchange environment social)
• Rehearsing 2 new live songs « Kraak & Smaak & Stuff
  Ooo ooo oo! I've heard Dynamite before (it was on the K&S March mix), but Get Loose has the makings of a simply awesome track and could go to the top of my list of favourite K&S tracks (along with, oh, most of their output). We're carefully watching their gig dates to see if they are going to play anywhere that we can get to.
  (tags: Kraak_en_Smaak music)

• Wholesale bulbs, buy bulk bulbs online now! – Gee Tee Bulb Co
  We're in the market for bulbs for the garden, particularly specie Tulipa and Crocus. I see an advance order being placed shortly. I may also even be distracted and purchase a few other bits and pieces.
  (tags: garden gardening bulbs plants shop)
• Extraordinary Measures : Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens : Northumberland : North East : Find a property by map : Properties : Days Out & Events : English Heritage
  This looks fun. We'll be in the area later this monh, so hopefully we'll get time to take a look.
  (tags: Northumberland art Belsay_Hall UK heritage exhibition)

• Guy News : Cable’s Flip-Flop Smackdown – Guy Fawkes' blog
  About bloomin' time. I like the way that Darling and Osborne just stand back and let Cable dig himself deeper and deeper and deeper and…
  (tags: politics LiberalDemocrats news)

• HOT CHIP
  Best act on last week's Jools, IMHO. Something like a cross between TV On The Radio and Depeche Mode.
  (tags: music bands band hotchip)

• atraveo – my holiday home. The large holiday home market on the internet. – atraveo – my holiday home
  Seriously comprehensive holiday home search engine. Mind you, what is it about Germas and their holiday homes – they all seem to be uniformly rubbish.
  (tags: holiday accommodation Europe Germany Netherlands France Spain portal)

• Express Pendrives
  I like the business card style USB drives that these guys do. Local company too.
  (tags: promotion advertising USB cards)
• Beaujean Vakantiewoningen: vakantiehuis groepsaccommodatie Limburg en Voerstreek
  Self catering accommodation in the Luik-Maastricht-Vaals-Aken area, mainly character properties.
  (tags: Netherlands Germany Belgium self-catering accommodation Zuid_Limburg)
• VAKANTIE IN ZUID LIMBURG: WELKOM OP DE HONTEMERHOF
  Converted farmhouse self-catering accommodation in Zuid Limburg, not too far from Maastricht. Would mean getting in the car to get to a restaurant or anything, which might be a pain in the bum.
  (tags: accommodation Netherlands self-catering Zuid_Limburg)
• Leighton House Museum
  This looks like a different place to visit – H loves things that are Arabic in style, so we might give this a look. via DG.
  (tags: London house museum Leighton Kensington architecture)

• The IPKat – IP news, views and mews: Plectranthus ornatus withers in Luxembourg
  This rather strengthens the CPVO's hand or at least should give it greater confidence. I know both the plaintiff and his lawyer quite well, but must admit I always thought that they were on sticky ground.
  (tags: PVR CPVO law news plants horticulture IP)
• Van Noort forced to stop growing geranium type after DNA testing | Ornamentals Production | Horticulture Week
  Hmm. Well, my comments on this article say it all.
  (tags: PVR plants CPVO horticulture news law)

• High Court: Moderate user comments and you're liable • The Register
  Oh, bleedin' 'eck. The law really needs to catch up with reality. via LMG.
  (tags: law uk blogging internet libel comments moderation)
• WaveSecure, the leading mobile security service for Android, BlackBerry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile | Home
  Hmm. Might be useful for the E51. Currently my data backs up automatically to my laptop, which then gets backed up weekly to an external hard drive.
  (tags: security mobile phone software travel tracking backup symbian)

• Top cardinal, Tarcisio Bertone, blames paedophile crisis on homosexuals -Times Online
  Read this all the way to the end, including the last sentence. Then draw your own conclusions.
  (tags: news Roman Catholic Church Vatican)

• About My Vote, produced by The Electoral Commission
  Make sure you will be able to vote on May 6th.
  (tags: uk election voting register vote)
• EurActiv
  Good source of EU news, particularly issues related to the Union itself.
  (tags: eu europe news politics portal)

• Notion Ink
  The Adam looks like the leading contender for pick of the bunch from the first flush of tablet computers, not least because of that screen. Of course, give it another six months…
  (tags: tablet android hardware computer mobile gadget linux)
• WePad – Designed in Germany | WePad
  I'm beginning to look out for iPad alternatives. I'm an Applephobe, so I'm looking at devices from other suppliers with 12+ hour battery life, ease of use, good screen size and resolution (I plan to mainly use it as a product catalogue to show to customers at exhibitions) as well as robust construction (it could get thumped about a bit). I'm not yet sure which OS will be best, so I'm open to Android, Linux or Windows.
  (tags: mobile hardware internet technology computer wepad tablet android)

• Marco Pierre White's comforting classic recipes: Pea and ham soup | Mail Online
  I like this version as it doesn't call for extra bacon (or, heaven help us, pancetta) and so strikes me as being closer to the real deal of traditional cookery.
  (tags: ham peas soup recipe food)
• Pea and ham soup recipe | Recipes – Times Online
  This is remarkably similar (aside from the pancetta) to the recipe given by Jane Grigson in her classic English Food. I'm more inclined to follow the latter.
  (tags: food recipe peas ham soup)

• Snake oil? Scientific evidence for health supplements | Information Is Beautiful
  Rather nice infographic showing the relative merit and poluarity of dietary supplements. Just as interesting for those below the "worth it line" as those above it.
  (tags: health science food reference medicine disease google design data)

• OBJEKT International
  Splendid design magazine covering art, architecture, antiques, gardens, interiors and design. Not sure I'd pay the subscription price, though, which is waaay more than the cover price.
  (tags: magazine design photography art architecture gardens)
• Hama Aha Ripple C2 15.4" Laptop Messenger Bag – LaptopStuff.co.uk – Laptop Products
  Smart laptop bag, would suit a lady.
  (tags: design bags)
• Kailo Chic Handbags, Jewelry, and Accessories
  Smart laptop bags for ladies.
  (tags: bags design)

• BBC News – Edwardian cliffside railway reopens in Hastings
  Hurrah! I feel a trip to Hastings coming on.
  (tags: Hastings East_Sussex funicular railway)
• BBC News – Sussex tunnel's £2.5m overhaul completed
  Completed? Really? When the lining of the roof is, oh, 20% done? I suspect that the money has run out.
  (tags: Lewes East_Sussex Cuilfail_Tunnel A26 road)
• Proposed cut to corporate tax on income from patents won't cover Plant Variety Rights | Ornamentals Production | Horticulture Week
  Mutter, grumble. The actual magazine article features my face in full "issuing call for more lobbying" mode. Look at yourself in the mirror and try to pull that expression – it isn't easy.
  (tags: Corporation_Tax Patent_Box tax law UK PVR IP)

• Interactive floor plan: House Ulve, Finland – Architecture – Wallpaper.com – International Design Interiors Fashion Travel
  A teal house. Hels would like a teal house. Maybe not in Finland though. Somewhere warmer, probably.
  (tags: teal house architecture Wallpaper Finland)

• BBC News – Google not guilty in Vuitton row
  An interesting verdict from the ECJ. I'm not sure that it actually weakens trademarks as I rather felt that the LVMH position would excessively stifle the use of trademarks – more or less preventing trademark owners from effectively exploiting their own marks. But it will be interesting to see how things turn out over the next few months, as I'm sure the IP lawyers (and I know a few) will be going over this with a fine toothed comb.
  (tags: trademark Google law ECJ)

• BBC News – Flying hovercraft takes to the skies
  Can I have a go?
  (tags: ekranoplan WIG hovercraft aircraft engineering technology)

• Football clubs to be compensated for losing young players | EurActiv
  Now this is good news and a sensible judgment. Smaller clubs (and you will know who I have in mind (3-0 home win last night – hurrah!) frequently invest in training local talent because they can't afford to buy top class players, but then see their best young players taken by larger clubs (although this can be a useful source of income). This judgment will protect the smaller clubs' interests whilst still allowing free movement of talent. I wonder if this judgment will extend to other sports too?
  (tags: football law EU ECJ)

• BBC – Earth News – Giant meat-eating plants prefer to eat tree shrew poo
  What a great headline! And isn't nature great?
  (tags: plants nature science poo)

• Pet Insurance 'Should Include Dental Care'
  Yes, it should. Tesco Insurance, I'm looking at you.
  (tags: news insurance cats)
• Coquet Cottages – Experience Northumberland in Style Home
  Luxury accommodation in Northumbria.
  (tags: Northumberland accommodation holiday travel)
• Burnfoot Holiday Cottages, Northumberland – luxury self catering cottage holidays
  Holiday cottages in Northumberland. Would probably need a fair bit of driving, though.
  (tags: northumbria holiday accommodation travel)
• Book our Coastal Cottages by the sea | Coastal Retreats
  Accommodation in Northumberland. Prestige.
  (tags: northumberland holiday travel accommodation)

• The Sarah Matheson Trust :: home page
  Offers advice and help for sufferers, carers, families and medical professionals living or working with MSA (Multiple System Atrophy).
  (tags: MSA charity disease medicine Sarah_Matheson_Trust Multiple_System_Atrophy)
• Jazz Horse – Weebl's Stuff
  Jazz version of Amazing Horse. Probably NSFW.
  (tags: animation music flash Weebl)

• Agencia Estatal de Meteorología – AEMET. Gobierno de España
  Spanish equivalent of the Met Office. I couldn't get the English version of the site to work, but the Spanish version is simple enough for a non-linguist to navigate. Gives a more plausible forecast than Weather Underground which currently forecasts temperature fluctuations of 17 degrees Celsius within 24 hours for Cordoba.
  (tags: weather Spain meteorology Europe)

• Funtime Faces balloons
  More modelling balloons than you could shake a stick at.
  (tags: balloons shop)

• Leysieffer – Home
  German chocolatiers. They make chocolate with Juniper berries – I recently picked some up in Dusseldorf. It is the closest thing to gin-flavoured chocolate you can imagine and is really rather good.
  (tags: Leysieffer chocolate juniper food confectionery Germany shop)

• EUROPA site – Validation
  Check the validity of any European VAT number. Very handy.
  (tags: VAT eu business tools europe tax)

• Clunk Click – the Hardcore Public Information Remix
  With Jimmy Saville, Rolf Harris and William Wollard. What more could you ask for?
  (tags: music video humour safety mashup)

• The Horticultural Trades Association – HTA National Plant Show – 29 & 30 Jun 2010
  On my shopping list of events to attend in 2010. Still haven't decided what the impact will be on GLEE yet (one hopes, the final nail in the coffin – GLEE has been feeble for too long).
  (tags: horticulture exhibition HTA)
• IFTF 2010 – International Floriculture Trade Fair 2010, Vijfhuizen, The Netherlands
  The second of two major new horticulture events in Europe this year. As it coincides with the FloraHolland Market (and is only 15km away), I may well attend.
  (tags: IFTF horticulture exhibtion Netherlands)

• Monkey Radio: Grooving. Sexy. Beats.
  Now in 192kbps stereo. Wonderful.
  (tags: music radio streaming audio mp3 internet media online)
• PatFT » Page 1 of 1
  Official USPTO patent search covering issued patents and applications – much more comprehensive than the Google version.
  (tags: USPTO patent search reference law business US)
• Aluminium Running boards for Freelander
  Could make it easier to get the APs in and out.
  (tags: Freelander Land_Rover accessories)
• Antislip Boot Liner for Land Rover Freelander 97 06 D
  Looking for accessories for Hels's new toy.
  (tags: Freelander Land_Rover accessories)

• b3ta.com board – Homeopathy
  Excellent deconstruction of the (totally flawed) reasoning behind homeopathy.
  (tags: b3ta homeopathy humour debunk myth)

• YouTube to MP3 Converter – Video2mp3
  You wouldn't use this to convert music videos to mp3s, would you? Tsk. Naughty.
  (tags: youtube mp3 converter online free convert audio music tools video)

• How To Cut MP3 As Mobile Phone Ringtone
  … or for that matter, how to cut MP3s generally in Windows Movie Maker. How handy.
  (tags: mp3 music windows advice software)

• Welkom bij Bed and Breakfast Saint Pierre Maastricht – Zuid Limburg
  Perfectly good B&B that we stayed in a couple of years ago. We keep thinking of having a long weekend in Maastricht, but finances rather preclude that at the moment and for the foreseeable.
  (tags: Saint_Pierre Maastricht Netherlands accommodation travel)

• YouTube – The Now Show – Dr Seuss at Copenhagen
  Marcus Brigstocke on the Copenhagen farce in a Dr Seuss style. Utterly brilliant, one of the funniest radio sketches I've heard for years and superbly observed.
  (tags: Marcus_Brigstocke BBC Now_Show comedy radio commentary)

• LG 26LU5000 Televisions TV/Audio/Video
  Slightly more expensive than most, but well-equipped and high specification. Energy saving features too. A post-Christmas, pre-VAT increase present to ourselves.
  (tags: television technology LG)

• VideoLAN, Free streaming and multimedia solutions for all OS!
  Seriously full featured, open source and free player for audio and video. I particularly like the ability to speed up and slow down playback of MP3s, which only has me laughing like a loon (I’m easily pleased). Memories of Peel playing thirty three and a thirds at forty five come flooding back. I might get used to this and seriously stick up two fingers at iTunes and WinAmp.
  (tags: audio video player software free opensource windows tools music media streaming freeware)

• Thomas the Tank Engine attacked for 'conservative political ideology' – Telegraph
  Okaaaaay. I'm surprised that the report doesn't highlight the lack of engines from the minorities. I don't recall seeing Winston, the emancipated slave engine who escaped the Jamaican sugar plantations. Nor Chu Chu, the Chinese engine forced to work in the very dangerous coal mines.
  (tags: social_science Thomas children television)

• EUROPA – Press Releases – Patents: EU achieves political breakthrough on an enhanced patent system
  "A number of issues remain to be resolved". Oh dear.
  (tags: news EU patent law IP)

• OpenGeoscience | Free data | British Geological Survey (BGS)
  Free online geological maps of the UK.
  (tags: UK maps science free geology)
• BBC News – Railway signal box gets new home
  I visited this signalbox on a school trip about 30 years ago. More latterly, I sheltered behind it on windy days. Sad to see it go, but it was in a pretty bad way in any case.
  (tags: Barnham Sussex rail history architecture heritage)

• BBC News – EU moves towards common patent system
  About bloomin' time! Mind you, it will take the member states another age to agree the details. This is a more complex issue than PVR, but the Community PVR system has now been active and in place for nearly 15 years, so patent has a long way to catch up.
  (tags: IP patent Europe law news)
• Home@Trüffel-Da-Diego
  One of the best restaurants in Essen.
  (tags: Essen Germany food restaurant Italian)

• SCRI pledges commitment to plant breeding and criticises UK's lack of plant breeding training facilities | Horticulture Week
  This is absolutely right. The Dutch have excellent training courses at Wageningen, but there is no equivalent here. At least one of the good colleges here must start some serious courses on breeding – otherwise, we will not compete with our overseas competitors (particularly the Chinese).
  (tags: news plants breeding horticulture agriculture)

• used to be somebody
  Gaby Hinsliff's blog on leaving the fast lane and become a mum-at-home – well, a bit more than that. Recommended reading, not just for mums at home. Rather close to home, too.
  (tags: blog journalism work employment Gaby_Hinsliff)

• Home | Mediane Packaging
  Pot sleeves and flower sleeves for horticulture.
  (tags: plastics printing horticulture)
• BBC – Mark Mardell's America: Getting to grips with Thanksgiving Day
  I'm hungry.
  (tags: Mardell America food Thanksgiving)

• BBC News – The Netherlands leads battle against rising sea levels
  Profile of improvement works to Dutch sea defences.
  (tags: Netherlands environment sea_defences)
• Boots: 'we sell homeopathic remedies because they sell, not because they work' – Telegraph
  A fine admission. Will they now label the products as "not proven to do anything for you"?
  (tags: debunk homeopathy medicine Boots marketing retail UK)

• Ryobi Spares
  Crappy website without online ordering, but certainly the best place to get Ryobi spares (such as a replacement chain oil filler cap – crappy, flimsy thing has finally snapped – replacement is princely sum of ten pence, plus VAT and delivery). EDIT: take care as the key to some of the exploded parts diagrams is incorrect.
  (tags: powertools spares parts Ryobi)

• Census of Marine Life Image Gallery
  Simply amazing images from the Census of Marine Life. I particularly like the Christmas Tree Worm.
  (tags: photography science nature environment)

• Duvel – Brands: Maredsous
  Quite possibly some of the finest (Belgian) beer we've tasted.
  (tags: beer Maredsous Duvel Belgium drink)

• Delphic
  Official website.
  (tags: music uk delphic)
• BLACK JOE LEWIS | OFFICIAL SITE
  Excellent on Jools. Real classic blues and R&B.
  (tags: music blues)
• delphic. on MySpace Music – Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos
  Excellent on Jools this week.
  (tags: music uk bands Delphic)

• virus 2- the popular virus Flash game is back
  The original game that Drench is clearly based upon.
  (tags: flash game puzzle free)
• BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Call for demolition of Polish palace
  I've stayed in a hotel (Soviet era) next to this building. It certainly is massive and I can understand why they might wish to demolish it. And yet, I hope that they don't. It is a part of European history, even if not a particularly glorious part, and it would be a shame to rob future generations of it.
  (tags: Warsaw Poland architecture politics)
• It was the Sun wot done it. Or was it? | Stuart Clark – Times Online
  The influence of the Sun on our climate.
  (tags: climate environment space science)

• Netherlands to levy 'green' road tax by the kilometre < Community News | Expatica The Netherlands
  With a charge for "foreign vehicles". Hmm.
  (tags: tax travel roads Netherlands Europe environment)
• BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Cordoba, the city with many faiths
  Our next short break destination.
  (tags: Cordoba Spain Europe history politics FOOC)
• Art By Logovend.com. Logo Design, Print Design, eBay Templates, Web Design, Stationery Design, Portraiture & Other Artwork
  I rather like this stuff.
  (tags: art logo design digital)

• BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Changing times in Russia
  Russia might reduce number of time zones. Of course, if Britain went over to CET…
  (tags: time news Russia Europe politics)

• BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | B | Brighton | Brighton appoint Poyet as manager
  Hmm. We'll see. I hope they give him a good scrub first, since he has spent time at Spurs. Ick.
  (tags: football Brighton news)

• EU Bookshop
  The official place to purchase/download EU publications. The EU and its offices (including the CPVO) are moving to paperless (and free-of-charge) publication of most documents.
  (tags: eu europe books publications reference)

• Baarle Nassau and Baarle Hertog
  Everything you ever wanted to know about the barmy Belgian enclaves within the Netherlands at Baarle.
  (tags: maps geography netherlands belgium europe politics history)

• Strange Maps
  Excellent website about strange and unusual aspects of cartography, both current and historical.
  (tags: maps cartography geography politics history travel design)
• Wild Beasts – Live, Hoxton Hall – 6th August 2009
  Just about the best thing on Jools last week, although Ellie Goulding was good. Diana Krall murdered a couple of songs (and what's with the botox overdose?) and the Stereophonics were both bored and boring. This lot are clearly quite influenced by the likes of Grizzly Bear/Department of Eagles, but are generally more cheerful.
  (tags: Wild_Beasts music)

• Cat Face 17 – Weebl's Stuff
  Cat Face has wise advice for Guy Fawkes Night.
  (tags: cat_face cartoon flash humour)

• BBC NEWS | World | 'Twin Towers' warship to enter NY
  Swords and ploughshares, anyone? Surely, transforming from "something really twisted and ugly" into a machine designed to bring death and destruction is, in itself, twisted and ugly. Discuss.
  (tags: news 9/11 military)
• Faxtastic – Fax-to-Email, Email-to-Fax, Fax-to-mail, Mail-to-fax, Mail2Fax, Fax2Mail, UK Fax Mail Integration
  I'm tempted by fax-to-email services. I still have to use fax technology from time to time, but am getting fed up with the large fax machine sitting in the middle of our kitchen.
  (tags: fax faxtoemail email business work)

• BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | B | Brighton | Slade sacked as Brighton manager
  Not too much of a surprise, considering.
  (tags: football Brighton news)
• Evacuation Game
  Not in the least addictive.
  (tags: flash game puzzle space)

• Latitude Festival 2009 :: Home
  I'm considering going to this in 2010. I shall go in full Radio 4 regalia, I think.
  (tags: music festival uk suffolk bands latitude)
• Experimental & Electronica Podcast | Global Soundtracks
  Seriously good new music, with podcast presented by Tom Ravenscroft.
  (tags: music Tom_Ravenscroft)

• Miike Snow on MySpace Music – Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos
  Best thing on last week's Jools (excluding Smokey Robinson, of course).
  (tags: Miike_Snow music Sweden)
• The Redoubt Fortress & Military Museum – Eastbourne's Hidden Treasure
  We visited this yesterday, although we only walked around the parade ground and the gun platform (which you can access free of charge). Honestly, Eastbourne should make more fuss about this building – it's utterly splendid and the external appearance gives no clue to what is inside.
  (tags: Eastbourne East_Sussex history fort Redoubt)

• BBC NEWS | Magazine | The map that changed the world
  Article on the Waldseemuller map.
  (tags: history cartography maps america)
• How to Remove Vomit (and other foul odors) Out of Your Carpet and Furniture
  I've used the baking soda and white (distilled malt) vinegar tricks before, with some success. My car took a direct hit from Small Boy With Norovirus and, although I've used lots of commercial products, the odour is lingering, rather unpleasantly.
  (tags: cleaning vomit advice)

• Norovirus – Introduction
  Winter vomiting disease. Winter poo like there is no tomorrow disease. Winter feel like utter crap disease. Winter how can three people manage to do all this in the bathroom simultaneously disease. Contagious for 48 hours, apparently.
  (tags: norovirus health NHS)

• Speechbreaker
  Too silly for words.
  (tags: politics video humour flash satire)
• BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Son continues pumpkin tradition
  I didn't know that Ralph (Mr Upton to you) had died, although I did know that he hadn't the best of health. I'd met him a couple of times when purchasing pumpkins and squashes from his door (and also knew his son Andy when he was postmaster in my parent's village). I wonder what the long term future for the pumpkin patch is?
  (tags: pumpkin Slindon food)
• Dollar hegemony for another century Telegraph Blogs
  Ambrose Evans-Pritchard (not known for being left wing) suggests that rumours of the Dollar's death may be premature.
  (tags: currency US news finance economy)

• DL-302 Trademarks
  WIPO advanced course on trademarks, industrial designs and geographical indications. I actually quite enjoy this stuff.
  (tags: course education WIPO IP trademark)
• Guide to the International Registration of Marks: Part B – Chapter 2
  WIPO trademark geekery.
  (tags: IP TM trademark WIPO advice)
• Certificate of Transfer for WIPO Trademark
  IP technical stuff. Nothing to see here, move along.
  (tags: IP TM trademark WIPO forms)

• How to remove a word from Word's main Spelling Dictionary
  How handy. I have to type a lot of non-English words in English language documents (mostly proper nouns) some of which are rather close to English words – but not exact matches. Using this tip, I can make sure that they are highlighted for manual checking if I get them slightly wrong.
  (tags: Word Microsoft dictionary tools)
• BBC NEWS | Business | UK postal strike 'self-defeating'
  It's a rare event for me to agree with Peter Mandelson. But on this issue, he is right. So far this week, I've received five emails from companies telling me not to worry about deliveries from them – they have switched to courier companies to avoid the strike. For my own part, I'm encouraging my contacts to send documents by email instead of by post. The postal workers don't want to work harder than they do now – at this rate, they won't have any work at all.
  (tags: Royal_Mail news strike business politics)
• BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | In pictures: Kazakhstan's wild apple forests
  Hopefully, if the conservation organisations can use the wild apples as flagship species, then efforts can be made to preserve tracts of the mountainous terrain that are also rich in other species.
  (tags: apples Kazakhstan nature conservation environment)

• BBC NEWS | UK | Inventor urges patent law change
  This should probably also be true with PVR too.
  (tags: IP law patent business Trevor_Baylis)

• BBC NEWS | UK | Flying with the 'Dambusters'
  Film shot from the forward gunners position and from behind the pilot of the BBMF Lancaster doing a flypast for last year's 65th anniversary of the raids on the Ruhr dams. Note the use of mark 1 map (no GPS), the cramped conditions and the sheer noise. Brilliant.
  (tags: Avro Lancaster WW2 aircraft history news video)

• Independent: has science found the cause of ME?
  Early days, but hopeful.
  (tags: CFS ME health science virus)
• CITES Appendices I, II and III
  Complete list of species included in the CITES appendices.
  (tags: CITES conservation environment law nature)

• BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Russia plots return to Venus
  Hurrah! New Russian missions to Venus.
  (tags: Russia Venera Venus science space technology)

• The xx: "It started as a joke." | Dummy » Features
  Interview with The xx.
  (tags: interview music xx)
• The xx on MySpace Music – Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos
  Utterly fantastic on last week's Jools (even though they were in the shadow of the awesome Gladys Knight – chalk and cheese, though)- like a cross between early Cure, the Delgados, Lullabies-era Cocteaus and a whole bunch of other good shoe-gazing, new wave, electro stuff, but somehow with added soul. Their cover of Womack and Womack's Teardrops (long one of my favourite songs) is just stupendous.
  (tags: bands music shoegaze xx)

• BBC NEWS | Technology | New rules to end ‘blogger payola’
  I suppose I should state that all commercial products and services endorsed or mentioned here are presented here without any payment, knowledge or authorisation from the organisations concerned. But then, who would pay to be here?
  (tags: advertising blog blogging law regulation)
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 Review – PhotographyBLOG
  Covet. Covet. Covet.
  (tags: camera digital Panasonic review)
• The demise of the dollar – Business News, Business – The Independent
  Interesting. If this is true and comes to pass, then, firstly, sell your dollars. Secondly, buy euro. And, probably, abandon Sterling. I’ve long held that it makes little sense for the UK to retain Sterling and sit outside the euro. If the dollar collapses (which it surely would if the Arab states and China sold off their massive reserves), then the pound would be fatally weakened.
  (tags: China EU Sterling business currency economy euro finance money news oil politics)

• Down for everyone or just me?
  Looks like eatsussex.co.uk is down. Useful tool. (Edit: Eat Sussex has gone bust, it seems. Shame).
  (tags: internet test tools website)

• Recruitment Agencies in Lewes, East Sussex UK
  List of recruitment agencies based in and around Lewes.
  (tags: Lewes agency employment jobs recruitment)

• Drop – Flash game
  Simple puzzle game.
  (tags: flash game puzzle)

• Cult Pens Zebra F-301 Compact
  Dilbert would be proud. via Gordon.
  (tags: pens geek stationery)

• Bank of England|Education|Inflation|Inflation Calculator
  Want to know what a thousand quid in 1894 might be worth today in real terms? This site will answer you (slightly odd) quest for knowledge.
  (tags: money finance inflation tools)

• Antiquitopia: The Ever Evolving Jesus Fish
  Amusing. Possibly NSFW. via b3ta.
  (tags: Christianity fish humour religion symbols)
• Free UK PAYE Income Tax Calculator 2009. Updated for 2009 / 2010 tax year..
  Handy ready reckoner for calculating net pay. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but it looks good enough.
  (tags: UK business money tax work)

• BBC – Gavin Hewitt's Europe: The capital of Europe?
  Gavin Hewitt finally steps into Mark Mardell's shoes and takes on the BBC Europe editor's blog. Mardell's blog was excellent and insightful – he also "gets" blogging and understands that the strength comes from interaction with readers/commenters. Hewitt is a journalist of some repute although I'm not sure that he has the same easy jovial manner as his predecessor, something that I think served him well.
  (tags: BBC europe Gavin_Hewitt blog news)

• BBC NEWS | Technology | Classic video game Elite turns 25
  No, I didn't spend half my teenage years playing this game. Not at all.
  (tags: elite game history news video)
• MoonLander3D Apollo 11 40th Anniversary Edition
  3D version of your classic lunar lander game, complete with lovely retro vector graphics. Bug hard.
  (tags: flash free game space)

• FineCiders.com – Home
  Purveyors of fine cider, particularly fine Breton cider.
  (tags: Brittany France cider drink mailorder)

• Hostal Lineros 38 Córdoba | Welcome in English – Official website
  Moorish style inn in central Cordoba.
  (tags: Cordoba Spain accommodation holiday hotel travel)
• Hammams de Al Andalus – Baños Árabes – Medina Califal
  Hammam in central Cordoba.
  (tags: Cordoba Spain hammam holiday)

• Restrooms – Weebl's Stuff
  Those Kanyes! Always a pain when having a poo!
  (tags: animation flash humour toilets weebl)

• OM Records | New PUTS album
  New People Under The Stairs album out on October 13th. Strictly only for those who like their hiphop to be old skool.
  (tags: Om PUTS People_Under_The_Stairs hiphop music)
• BBC NEWS | UK | Obituary: Keith Floyd
  A huge influence on so many people, myself included. Subconciously, I think I've modelled my cooking style on his (particular the wine-whilst-cooking idea, especially when entertaining). I feel the need for a dinner party to mark his passing.
  (tags: Keith_Floyd cooking food obituary television)

• BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Agriculture pioneer Borlaug dies
  For anyone that thinks that plant breeding and development is not important, then consider the work of this man.
  (tags: Borlaug breeding news plants)
• BBC NEWS | Programmes | From Our Own Correspondent | Israel mourns the dying Dead Sea
  Anyone who doesn't think that there will soon be wars fought over water (rather than oil) needs to read this.
  (tags: BBC FOOC Israel Jordan news water)

• Mairead – Alnwick
  Holiday accommodation in Alnwick, Northumberland.
  (tags: Alnwick England Northumberland UK accommodation holiday)

• St Philip Howard Catholic High School golden jubilee celebrations
  I was there for the 25th anniversary celebrations, as a pupil. We didn't have name badges then.
  (tags: Barnham St_Philip_Howard Sussex school)

• Kraak en Smaak in Middelburg – Draver – VKBlog – de Volkskrant
  Photos from Friday's live gig by Kraak en Smaak in the Abdijplein in Middelburg as part of the Nazomerfestival. Hels, Tom and I are so unspeakably cool that we travelled all the way there for this gig (ok, actually we were nearby on holiday) and it was utterly, utterly brilliant, quite the best live performance I've seen, ever. Period. It would be easy for a dance outfit to descend into techno-wizadry and not really give a good stage performance, but that wasn't the case here. Rose and Sebastiaan are not only excellent vocalists but have stage presence too, and the music for the K&S trio (plus added drums) was stunning, featuring tracks from both Boogie Angst and Plastic People plus an excellent cover of Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" (1977? really? blimey). I was pogoing around like a loon – it's hard to dance in any other fashion when you have a three-and-a-half year old on your shoulders (who was also pogoing and VERY into the music). Grins all round.
  (tags: Kraak_en_Smaak Middelburg Nazomerfestival Netherlands Zeeland concert music photographs)

• Data Execution Prevention Internet Explorer
  I've had major PC problems for the last, oh, fortnight. I've re-installed Vista, which has been a bloody nightmare. So far, I've had more problems in two weeks with my PC that in the last six years put together. Anyway, this is the latest problem – DEP errors in IE8. This site lists solutions.
  (tags: DEP IE8 Vista windows error)

• Zeeland Nazomerfestival 2009
  Arts festival in Middelburg. And look who is playing there on Friday 4 September…
  (tags: Kraak_en_Smaak Middelburg Netherlands Zeeland art festival music)

• Akkerdaas Tweewielers Domburg
  Bicycle hire in Domburg, including hire of tandems and kiddie cars.
  (tags: Domburg Netherlands Zeeland bicycle hire holiday)
• Human Shrub bids to save Blue Peter garden – East Anglian Daily Times
  Not the first exploit of the Human Shrub, apparently, although judging by his/her outfit, it is more a case of gorilla gardening than guerilla gardening.
  (tags: Human_Shrub news Blue_Peter garden BBC)

• OV-chipcard – Home
  Oyster-type travel card system gradually being rolled out across the entire Netherlands (and not just in the capital like Oyster is here). This will replace the familiar strippenkaart that you might have used on Amsterdam's public transport. There is a disposable "tourist" version that you can pick up in the same places that strippenkaarts are/were sold (they are both available at the moment).
  (tags: ov-chipkaart travel transport Netherlands bus train tram)
• Dan Rhodes
  Official and slightly bonkers (in a good way) Dan Rhodes website. Worth a diversion.
  (tags: Dan_Rhodes literature books fiction humour)

• Camp Quest UK – The first childrens summer camp for science, philosophy, critical thinking and atheist / secular free thought! CQUK » History
  Brilliant. Utterly, utterly brilliant. Where do I sign Tom up?
  (tags: atheism camp Richard_Dawkins_Foundation)

• European Plant Intellectual Property
  Potentially useful book for work – goes a bit further than just PVR and includes market perspective. Of course, whether I'd learn much new…
  (tags: PVR IP law book reference europe EU)

• CoffeeCup Secure Order Form | CoffeeCup Software
  Traditionally, I've used HomeSite to edit web pages. But my coding skillz are not what they once were – I'm both rusty and out-of-date. So I'm considering going over to a robust WYSIWYG editor that would also allow me to tinker with the actual code when I'm feeling brave/foolish. This looks like it might be a good solution and it isn't too expensive. Anyone out there got experience with it?
  (tags: software WYSIWYG editor website design CoffeeCup)

• Wax Factor || Second Hand Collectors CD & Record Shop
  Don't mess about with the website (although it is excellent). It is much more fun to go down to the store, have a coffee and then spend an hour or so (and possibly lots of pounds) rummaging through the vinyl, CDs and books (and not just music books, but good quality books on all sorts of interesting subjects, particularly music, art, design, fashion, history…)
  (tags: music secondhand rare vintage collecting collectable Brighton Sussex shop online)

• Remembering Apollo 11
  Excellent photo documentary of the first manned landing on the Moon, 40 years ago this week. via LMG.
  (tags: science history astronomy photography space images Apollo_11 moon NASA)
• BBC NEWS | World | Asia-Pacific | Turkmenistan to create desert sea
  It looks like Turkmenistan still holds the title as the most bonkers nation on Earth.
  (tags: Turkmenistan environment lake politics water)

• Hanafuda Flash
  Flash version of the Japanese card game, Hanafuda. It's worth reading the rules first if you've never played before (like me) and then playing a few times to get the hang of it. Really quite relaxing.
  (tags: hanafuda cards game flash free)

• Bill Gates Seeks Patent on Hurricane Prevention | IPWatchdog.com | Patent Copyright Trademark
  Cold water kills hurricanes, apparently. So, all you need is to get cold water to the surface across the western Atlantic and the Caribbean during hurricane season and you'd have no hurricanes. Of course, you'd probably cause mayhem to the global weather system, but at least there would be no hurricanes.
  (tags: patent hurricane Bill_Gates silly)
• 34SP.com Blog » Blog Archive » Free Design Resources
  Good list of web design resources, useful for those of us who (sometimes, when time, energy and willpower permit) maintain our own sites.
  (tags: design website resources fonts images graphics)

• BBC NEWS | England | Kent | Attempts made to save local eels
  I remember, many years ago, walking across the fields from my parents' old house towards Felpham with my brother. We got to the Ryebank Rife (here: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/138607), which was (unusually) dry. The stench was amazing and the dry floor of the stream was a carpet of dead eels, left high and dry. I've never seen so many eels, literally thousands, and I doubt I'll ever see that many again.
  (tags: eels Sussex conservation environment Ryebank_Rife)

• BBC NEWS | World | Africa | Zimbabwe court clears UK tycoon
  Nicholas van Hoogstraten cleared by court in Zimbabwe. Apparently, because the police didn't have a warrant to search for illegal pornography (which they didn't expect to find during a search which was to identify evidence related to alleged illegal financial transactions), he can't be guity of a crime. Hmm. Have I missed something here? Coincidentally, Mr van Hoogstraten is a good mate of a certian Robert Mugabe.
  (tags: Nicholas_van_Hoogstraten Zimbabwe law news)

• BBC – Earth News – Huge declines in woodland birds
  Nightingale numbers fallen by 95% over 30 years. But there's one in the tree outside my door, singing its lungs out.
  (tags: nature science news environment birds nightingale)

• BBC NEWS | Magazine | Giving up my iPod for a Walkman
  Teenager exchanges his iPod for a Walkman. "It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape. That was not the only naive mistake that I made; I mistook the metal/normal switch on the Walkman for a genre-specific equaliser, but later I discovered that it was in fact used to switch between two different types of cassette."
  (tags: technology BBC)

• BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Get a Wiggle on
  Of course, they were much better when Greg wore the yellow shirt…
  (tags: entertainment Wiggles children)

• Duckworth-Lewis > Home
  No need for a huge calculator when you have this website – just a huge laptop, wifi and a power supply. Also, D/L explained.
  (tags: Duckworth-Lewis cricket sport tools)
• Windows Clipboard Software/Freeware and Clipboard Viewer – if you ever use CTRL-C, you need ClipMagic!
  Excellent ClipBoard manager. I'm wondering how I managed without it for all this time.
  (tags: free software utility windows clipboard)

• Graphical elements for 2009 elections
  Official graphics for the EU elections.
  (tags: EU europe election graphics)
• June 2009 elections at the European Parliament
  European elections – official homepage.
  (tags: Europe EU election politics)
• Belgium to vote in crucial regional polls (page 1) < European News | Expatica The Netherlands
  Looks like it is about to kick off all over again in Belgium, politically and constitutionally speaking.
  (tags: Belgium news politics election)

• Panic Breakout – Flash Game
  Not addictive. Not in the least. No, really.
  (tags: flash game free breakout)

• America: Empire of Liberty
  Book to go with David Reynolds' excellent Radio 4 series. Combines some current affairs with history, so whether this book will stand the test of time is questionable. However, it looks to be the best popular history of the US currently available.
  (tags: history books radio America US)
• BBC – Today – Cloud Appreciation Society suggests new class of cloud
  Asperatus, don't you know.
  (tags: clouds meteorology)

• BBC NEWS | England | African butterflies swarm to UK
  Lots around our way – they seem particularly keen on Centranthus.
  (tags: butterfly nature news)

• Picturedrome Bognor
  Official site featuring good history page.
  (tags: Bognor_Regis Picturedrome cinema heritage)
• BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Thousands join bid to save cinema
  Being from the Bognor area, I have many memories of the Picturedrome, including watching the Back to the Future trilogy in the wrong order (it was very confusing) and being pelted with sweets by some girls sitting half a dozen rows further back. I also remember the mechanical lantern in the tower being illuminated, certianly in the early 70s when we used to pass the cinema on the way home from visiting my grandmother on each and every Friday night.
  (tags: Bognor_Regis Picturedrome cinema heritage history buildings architecture news)
• Baby Baboon – Weebl's Stuff
  You will be humming this all day. Promise. "Lunar baboon with a spoon and a bassoon."
  (tags: flash cartoon silly humour baboon)

• Golden Silvers on MySpace Music – Free Streaming MP3s, Pictures & Music Videos
  Possibly the best act on this week's Jools (aside from Regina Spektor, who is amazing), although it seems that they are a better studio act than live – but it was ever thus for anyone with synths.
  (tags: music The_Golden_Silvers synth)

• Brighton secure £93m investment | Football League – Times Online
  Blimey. No cash worries round our way, then.
  (tags: Brighton football money)

• Play LunarLander Game
  Flash version of the classic coinop/console/VIC-20 game. Via LMG.
  (tags: game flash online)

• Little Boots
  Really rather talented singer songwriter. It's like the 80s, all over again and in a good way.
  (tags: Little_Boots music)
• LisaHannigan.ie
  Lisa Hannigan – Irish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Really rather good, we think.
  (tags: Lisa_Hannigan music Ireland)

• BBC NEWS | England | Gallery's £4m drive to cut fees
  Well done to the trustees of Pallant House for getting this media coverage – but what a shame they didn't think to put a donations page on their website at the same time. I'd give a fiver, without hesitation.
  (tags: Pallant_House news gallery Chichester)

• Sennheiser UK – PC 151
  Rather good headphone/microphone set for the price (around £45).
  (tags: Sennheiser headphones computer music)
• All Reviews all the time at TestFreaks UK
  Review aggregator. Nice – will become as indispensible as Kelkoo/Froogle.
  (tags: review aggregator)
• BBC – Later with Jools Holland – Homepage – get latest show information and watch exclusive performances filmed for the web.
  Official Jools Later/Later Live page. Handy for further information.
  (tags: BBC Jools_Holland music television)
• Grizzly Bear | Home
  Brooklyn-based indie rock band, playing something that I would classify as neither indie nor rock – something like a cross between an upbeat James Yorkston and the Athletes infused with some early 70s prog rock. No really. Very good indeed and the highlight of tonight's Jools Live (aside from Booker T, natch).
  (tags: music Warp Grizzly_Bear)

• Gardman Solar Path markers with style at Barnitts
  but solar. ugh.
  (tags: lighting)
• Lighting Direct – Mini Stick 20 Light Kit
  bit small though
  (tags: lighting)

• Sex on Queen's lawn at Windsor Castle – Telegraph
  The Telegraph does outrage like no other newspaper: "They even ignored the Please Keep Off The Grass signs!".
  (tags: news Telegraph sex Windsor)
• BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Elections split Dutch-Belgian community
  I think I might declare UDI. But not for the living room, just to be confusing. And maybe not the broom cupboard.
  (tags: Belgium Netherlands europe Baarle_Nassau Baarle_Hertog border history politics)

• Drowning in plastic: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is twice the size of France – Telegraph
  I agree that the best way to get people to change is not to moan at them. But how? Very good article indeed.
  (tags: business environment nature water oceans plastic pollution)
• The Global Economic and Financial Impact of an Avian Flu Pandemic and the Role of the IMF
  And, if you think the economy isn't screwed up enough already, just consider the impact that a flu pandemic might have. Here is a paper published by the IMF around the time of the avian flu scare in 2006.
  (tags: IMF flu swine_flu avian_flu economy pandemic health)
• BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Mexico flu 'a potential pandemic'
  Sounds like SARS or H5N1 all over again. Complacency discouraged.
  (tags: swine_flu Mexico news disease pandemic WHO health)

• Hato – Feed the pigeons.
  Feed the pigeons. That's it.
  (tags: game pigeons)
• Addressing the Chair – Evan Davis
  On why design is about more than function.
  (tags: design furniture chairs Evan_Davis)
• Alpha Mummy – Times Online – WBLG: A weekend away from the kids – with the kids
  Grown-up time sounds rather nice. We're off to Barcelona for a taste of it.
  (tags: Caitlin_Moran parenting humour)

• Obamamania, lost in translation | Expatica The Netherlands
  Mmmmm, Obama fingers! Yum.
  (tags: food advertising Obama Germany marketing)
• Gush Hour: England's commuter-belt oil boom – This Britain, UK – The Independent
  Drilling for oil in the south-east. If they want to put a well in my back garden (and will pay me accordingly), then that's fine by me.
  (tags: oil news Sussex environment farming)

• Tributes pour in for former Bank of England Governor – Telegraph
  Eddie George – who seemed to say a few wise things but was on the wrong side of the desk at 11 Downing Street in order to really make a difference.
  (tags: obituary Eddie_George politics economy news)
• A 'Copper Standard' for the world's currency system? – Telegraph
  Opinion piece highlighting China's move to buy massive stocks of industrial metals. They're not daft, you know.
  (tags: news economy China metal finance money)

• Road Traffic Signs and Regulations in the Netherlands
  The Dutch Highway Code, in English (PDF). Not so very different from our own, but be sure to give way to military convoys, should you see any.
  (tags: Netherlands driving law)

• OM Records | Music : Mushroom Jazz Vol. 6
  Covet. Shame the exchange rate is not quite as good as it used to be for buying CDs from the US.
  (tags: music Om Mark_Farina)

• OM Records | Music : Om Lounge (15 Year Anniversary Edition)
  Covet.
  (tags: music Om lounge)

• K-2 Creative Solutions
  Local printers that come highly recommended and might be a solution to my exhibition display requirements.
  (tags: printing exhibition display graphics)

• Offsite Digital – Banner Stands
  I'm thinking of having something like this made for my business. I've looked at those fuzzy felt display screens and they are quite expensive and not as professional as I'd like. This might be a good solution.
  (tags: display business promotion advertising printing)

• BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Council defends £8,000 plant plan
  I'm entirely familiar with this roundabout – the Phormiums that were there before were completely inappropriate (and remember – I've been in the trade for 20 years) and, frankly, looked awful. The new planting is much better.
  (tags: news East_Sussex Uckfield plants roads)

• Renfe Cercanías
  Local trains in Spanish cities. Dead handy if you want to get to the suburbs of Barcelona, for example.
  (tags: Spain train travel transport Barcelona)

• BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Netherlands learns to go with the flow
  Not sure that it is right to highlight Maastricht in this article. Although it is in the valley of the Maas, it is in a similar position to a town ike Lewes in England – the surrounding land is really quite high (the area is often referred to as the Dutch Alps). The real trouble is for Westland, Zuid Holland, Noord Holland and the polders around the IJsselmeer and Markermeer.
  (tags: Netherlands environment flooding climate)

• BBC NEWS | UK | How crime has lost out to showbiz
  Interested article. It's also true to say that regional papers (and some nationals – the Indy, for example) now have much smaller journalistic staff numbers than they had twenty years ago. Technology makes up for some of that, but ultimately, the decline in the quality of content must be a result of that reduction of headcount.
  (tags: journalism opinion newspapers news UK culture)
• Aero® Products International, Inc.
  Inflatable bed for kids that packs down to a duffelbag.
  (tags: bed travel children)

• Welcome at van Haver tot Gracht
  Apartment in central Utrecht for B and B or self-catering.
  (tags: Utrecht Netherlands accommodation holiday)

• Kasteel de Haar
  The largest and most spectacular castle in the Netherlands. But, closed for most of this year for restoration. AND you can only go round as part of a guided tour. AND the only have one English language tour per week. AND under fives are not permitted to take the tour. Rubbish. But we'd still like to look inside.
  (tags: castle Kasteel_de_Haar Utrecht Netherlands tourism)

• Havaa Apartments Utrecht, accommodation & hotel rooms for rent in hotels
  Apartments for holiday rental in Utrecht.
  (tags: Utrecht Netherlands accommodation holiday)
• UtrechtYourWay – Utrecht
  Utrecht VVV. That's the Dutch tourist information office to you.
  (tags: VVV Utrecht Netherlands holiday)

• BBC SPORT | Football | My Club | B | Brighton | Slade appointed new Brighton boss
  Well, he can (probably) only be an improvement on the last manager. Brighton should never have got rid of Dean Wilkins.
  (tags: Brighton football news sport)

• BBC Sport | In Depth | Tic Tac Guide
  Become a master bookie! Learn tic-tac!
  (tags: tic-tac horseracing bookmakers)
• USDA – APHIS – Plant Import Information
  General information for importing plants to the US.
  (tags: USDA APHIS plant_health advice law plants)
• USDA APHIS list of prohibited genera
  Plant genera prohibited from import into the US.
  (tags: APHIS USDA plant_health law)

• BBC NEWS | Wales | North West Wales | New ground for sit-down gardener
  Hmm. No excuses, then. I'd better get on with the allotment.
  (tags: gardening disability news)

• Domburg Tourist Information
  Small seaside resort in Zeeland. Lots of accommodation here.
  (tags: Zeeland Netherands accommodation tourism VVV)
• Welkom op dé officiële toeristische site over Zeeland! > VVV Zeeland
  Zeeland – apparently the sunniest part of the Netherlands. I'm not sure that is a tough contest.
  (tags: Netherlands Zeeland tourism VVV)

• Lodewijk31, gastvrij overnachten in hartje Groningen
  Rather nice looking self-catering apartment, but looks a little expensive with the current EUR/GBP exchange rate.
  (tags: Groningen Netherlands accommodation self_catering)

• diamond geezer – I'm friends with Stephen Fry I am
  DG on Twitter. Very very good.
  (tags: social diamondgeezer Twitter celebrity)

• BBC NEWS | UK | 'Most unfortunate names' revealed
  Many many years ago, I had a mate caled Dave Kurten. Naturally, when we went to a party and met a girl called Annette, hilarity ensued.
  Unfortunately, they didn't get it together.
  (tags: names news humour)

• BBC NEWS | Magazine | How do you explain a missing hand to a child?
  Tom doesn't seem too bothered by this presenter's disability, although I've caught myself staring at her arm. But our main concern is that she and her new co-presenter (Alex) are a bit drippy and just not as good as Chris and Pui. Mind you, Pui always struck us as a bit grumpy without too much empathy for kids.
  (tags: television children CBeebies disability)

• European Health Insurance Card
  Did you know that the EHIC (the fancy plastic replacement for the old E-111) expires after a short period of time? No? Perhaps you ought to check the date on that card in your wallet (or the bottom of the drawer with the passports – wherever you keep it). You might, as I did, get an unpleasant surprise. In any case, you can renew your own card, that of your partner/spouse and those of any dependent children using one easy form at this website.
  (tags: EHIC EU health UK)

• Plants for People
  Marketing puff, err, sorry, serious scientific research about the benefits of plants in the office. (Actually, there really are benefits, not just in terms of air quality).
  (tags: plants air office business environment health horticulture marketing)
• Workspace: Three Plants that Give You Better Indoor Air
  via Gordon. Colour me sceptical. Research has shown that *any* plant will improve air quality in an office and the most recent research has suggested that Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily to you) is the most effective of all. Mind you, I think the research was funded by the Spathiphyllum Growers Association. In general, the benefits extend beyond air quality – a green space is generally a pleasant space. My advice: go for palms and the like because the are generally easy to look after, withstand neglect/abuse and don't mind the low light conditions that often exist in an office.
  (tags: plants air office business environment health horticulture)

• Indoor Connectable LED String Lights with White Cable
  Possibly just the thing for our conservatory roof to replace the existing, malfunctioning and energy-inefficient conventional fairy lights (all 160 bulbs of them!).
  (tags: LED lights)

• bloggingportal.eu | home
  A portal for European political blogs.
  (tags: EU politics blogging portal news europe)

• VAT in the Community – Taxation and Customs Union – European Union
  Everything you needed to know about VAT in the EU in one handy place.
  (tags: VAT EU business tax)

• HM Revenue & Customs – VAT rates, codes and tools
  Includes conversion rates for invoices issued in currencies other than Sterling.
  (tags: HMRC VAT tax exchange)
• Creation of a Tony Hart Gallery at the National Gallery London Petition
  Sign up!
  (tags: petition Tony_Hart gallery art)
• BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Steam railway linked to network
  This is good, although it doesn't really help commuters. Re-opening the Uckfield-Lewes line – now that would be good.
  (tags: train heritage history rail Sussex Bluebell)
• BBC NEWS | Health | Alternative therapy 'crackdown'
  Surely, isn't any crackdown that doesn't investigate efficacy of treatment meaningless? When will somebody really take on these charlatans?
  (tags: homeopathy debunk myth regulation news UK)

• Swedish cows make lousy earthquake detectors: study – The Local
  I'm rendered speechless.
  Moo.
  (tags: moo earthquake cow Sweden)

• PetPorte® Microchip Cat Flaps – Keeps 100% of Other Cats Out!™
  Amazing! In TWO exciting colours! Brown AND White!!!!!! This site is great – just check out the hyperbole.
  (tags: catflap hyperbole)

• Samurize.com
  Free desktop utility for Windows that potential might solve my squinting at WinAmp problem. Thanks Gordon.
  (tags: free software tools utility windows desktop)

• BBC NEWS | England | Kent | Eurostar resumes Brussels service
  About time. Could be useful for work/holiday.
  (tags: news Eurostar transport train Ashford Brussels)
• Winamp screensaver
  Screensaver shows current track title and artist, time remaining, etc. Winamp only.
  (tags: winamp music screensaver plugins utility software)

• Embarrassment wiping out morris dancing
  Not that I'm planning to take this up, you understand, but it is noticeable that the dancers that visit our village every year and dance in the middle of the road are always the same aging faces. They barely have enough dancers as it is – a couple of illnesses/deaths could mean the end of the group.
  (tags: England tradition dance morris)

• BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | The 'first true scientist'
  Jim al-Khalili has a gift for explaining complex ideas in an entertaining, lucid and understandable way. I'll be watching this programme.
  (tags: science BBC history astronomy physics Islam Iraq television)

• Lost Accounts
  How handy. I have a long lost bank account that I want to track down. It should have, oooh, about a fiver in it.
  (tags: banks money finance accounts)

• Sky outdoor lights by Luceplan
  I like these lights a lot. The metal halide version appeals a lot to me, although the £450 price tag is less appealing.
  (tags: lighting outdoor light)

• Mussel myth an open and shut case (Great Moments in Science)
  Worth reading. The best advice I had was to only ever buy live mussels (we get them more-or-less straight off the boat) and to tap them when you clean them. Live, fresh mussels will close when tapped. Anything that doesn't move is dead and therefore suspect (though, I suppose, still quite edible if fresh).
  (tags: mussels seafood food science cooking myth)

• Natural Decongestants and Expectorants
  Steam works – that we know from past experience. But tonight is the first time I've tried raw onion as a decongestant – it's amazing! I could breathe easily after only two mouthfuls.
  (tags: remedies onion decongestant)

• Blackmoor Fruit Nursery, The Uks Leading Speacialist Mail Order Fruit Nursery, 25% sale on some items
  Purveyors of all kinds of fruit trees, bushes and plants.
  (tags: nursery fruit plants gardening)

• BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Hospital trusts merger goes ahead
  I'm not convinced by this. My father had to go to hospital last week. For the last 70-odd years, he would have been treated at St Richards. As it was, he was transferred to the half-built Queen Alexandra at Cosham, another 30 minutes away.
  (tags: Chichester hospital NHS England Worthing news)

• It's grim, really grim, down in the rural south – This Britain, UK – The Independent
  Rural poverty in southern England is rapdily increasing. I don't think that this will be a shock to anyone living in Sussex or Kent. What to do about it? Well, a start would be to release more land for housing so that supply increases and prices fall (after the recovery, which will surely come).
  (tags: politics poverty Sussex England rural)

• BBC NEWS | England | Essex | Cosmetics boss funds protesters
  I like Lush products and I am a customer. But I didn't know anything about this. Silly man.
  (tags: Lush Plane_Stupid protest news)

• BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Obituary: Oliver Postgate
  I wonder how many children had their sense of the surreal moulded by a bunch of pink knitted creatures, poking their heads out of craters covered by galvanised dustbin lids?
  (tags: Postgate Smallfilms Clangers cartoon television animation)

• BBC NEWS | The Reporters | Mark Easton's UK
  Apart from the fact the Phytophthora is not a fungus at all, this is a useful awareness-raising article. I'm dealing with Sudden Oak Death on a more-or-less daily basis in terms of its impact on plant health restrictions.
  (tags: plant_health Phytophthora disease news environment UK)
• Welcome to Eat Sussex Magazine/ Celebrating local, seasonal, sustainable food in the South East
  Splendid bi-monthly free magazine about local food and drink.
  (tags: Sussex food drink magazine)
• Wild Man Wild Food – Fergus Drennan the Forager
  Living off wild and foraged food (they aren't the same thing). Fergus writes a column in Eat Sussex magazine and has inspired me to have a go at eating Japanese knotweed next spring (it tastes like rhubarb, apparently).
  (tags: food wild foraging cooking drink)
• Team Laser Explosion 5 – Weebl's Stuff
  Feature length. Well, almost. NSFW.
  (tags: weebl humour cartoon flash)

• 10 useful RSS hacks for WordPress
  Both grayblog and my work website need some attention. God knows when I'll get round to it though. These tips could prove useful though. via Gordon.
  (tags: RSS wp wordpress code blog advice)

• BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Ant invader knocks on UK's door
  Hmm. This could have implications for horticulture.
  (tags: alien ant plant_health horticulture Europe)

• Schrader vs CPVO at the EU CFI
  Not light reading, but interesting to me.
  (tags: EU CPVO PVR law case CFI)

• METALIX Tower Defense – Free Online Game from Shockwave
  Excellent and quite hard Tower Defence game.
  (tags: game free flash tower_defence)

• BBC NEWS | Business | Villages suffer as pubs disappear
  I echo the sentiments of the owner of Peach Pubs. PubNextDoor looks likely to close, but I can't help but blame the landlord – he's hopeless.
  (tags: news pubs economy)

• Shaun the Sheep™ 4×4 – Free Online Game from Shockwave
  Completely bonkers game.
  (tags: game flash Land_Rover Shaun_the_Sheep)

• Somalia – Weebl's Stuff
  Yo ho ho and a rottle of bum. Sequel to Kenya, obviously.
  (tags: humour cartoon flash weebl Somalia)
• Hotel Saint Malo, Hôtel Le Croiseur 2 étoiles : reservation hôtel Cité corsaire St-Malo
  Hotel in the intra muros in Saint Malo.
  (tags: hotel accommodation Saint_Malo intra_muros France travel)

• Don't blame George Osborne, the falling pound is Gordon Brown's fault – Telegraph
  Wise words from Boris Johnson. No, really.
  (tags: commentary politics UK Boris)

• Dandy Booksellers
  Online shop for all kinds of government and official publications (including EU publications).
  (tags: books publications shop official government EU)

• TÜV NORD MOBILITÄT – Low emission zone
  Planning to drive to Germany? You will need an emissions sticker in order to drive into many city centres. They cost EUR 12.50.
  (tags: driving cars roads Germany environment regulation law)

• Highways Agency – Changes to the charges at Dartford Crossing
  The toll for crossing the dartford Crossing is increasing by 50% (if you use it during the day – it is being scrapped for crossing between 10pm and 6am). However, if you sign up for a Dart Tag and use it at least once a year, you'll get the old rate of £1 for a car. Well worth it.
  (tags: Dartford_Crossing toll roads travel)
• Panasonic: Lumix G
  I feel a purchase coming on. All I have to do is justify it.
  (tags: Panasonic digital camera photography)
• Panasonic DMC-G1 Hands-on Preview: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review
  Where do I sign up?
  (tags: camera Panasonic photography digital review advice)

• IAM Magazine – IAM Blog – The IP challenges facing Barack Obama
  I wonder if changes at the top of the USPTO might help my industry with the ridiculous 102b situation (sorry, Plant Patent law geekery!). We shall have to wait, but I suspect it will depend on the new head of the office and their attitude to overseas patent owners.
  (tags: patent law US Obama USPTO)
• http://www.labrasserieduchantduloup.fr.st/
  Brewery near Rouen with chambres d'hote. Mmmmm – beer and accommodation in the same building. This sounds like a good combination.
  (tags: accommodation France Rouen beer)
• Rooms of hosts Castle of the Perreux Mount – Saint Martin du Vivier – Normandy – 76 – Seine Maritimes – Rouen
  Chambres d'hote in a chateau near Rouen.
  (tags: accommodation France Rouen chateau)

• Green Central – Times Online – WBLG: Secrets of worm grunting support Darwin's instincts after 127 years
  How to get your worm – mimic a mole.
  (tags: nature worms moles science)

• Monkey Journey To The West – The Album and The Opera
  Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's latest project. Liked the track on Jools.
  (tags: music Albarn Hewlett monkey)
• BBC NEWS | World | Europe | EU green light for Croatia
  Looks like Croatia joins up in 2011. Time to amend all my contracts. Again.
  (tags: EU Croatia accession)

• Great Vegetable Seeds from The Real Seed Catalogue
  Slightly tree-hugging, but I like the hand-made approach. I think we will split our order between two or three companies this year and see how we get on.
  (tags: vegetables seeds food shop gardening allotment)

• PHYSICS INVADER (nekogames)
  Space Invaders. With bells. And whistles.
  (tags: game flash free)

• The Future Mapping Company world wall maps and reference maps
  Hmm. Map lust. I rather like the Robinson projection versions. It's a shame that they don't do a Europe map at the moment.
  (tags: maps cartography)

• Bloc Party : Home
  ah, time to come out of the closet – I'm a secret Bloc Party fan. Excellent on Jools Holland tonight, I may be forced to procure the new album.
  (tags: music Bloc_Party)
• http://www.myspace.com/thecocknbullkid
  Excellent on the Jools Holland show. Likely to be on the shopping list very soon.
  (tags: music thecocknbullkid)

• BBC NEWS | England | London | 'No God' slogans for city's buses
  Brilliant! I'd like to put a poster like this on my house, but as it is not a place of worship, I'm not exempt from the Control of Advertisement regulations.
  (tags: religion bus London advertisments atheism)
• Cartoonist Matt makes his mark with a gentle touch – Telegraph
  Twenty years of Matt. Genius.
  (tags: Matt cartoons satire news Telegraph humour)
• Al Jazeera English – GENERAL – Islam in America
  Rageh Omaar (zoiks!) on the place and history of Islam in America. Revealing.
  (tags: religion America US Islam history politics Rageh Omaar)

• Solar System Mysteries | Universe Today
  Makes you think. I particularly enjoy hearing about the Pioneer (and Voyager) missions – they have been around for much the same time as me.
  (tags: science astronomy space)

• Finding funding for your business | Business Link
  Includes several sources other than the one I am currently exploring.
  (tags: grants loans government business funding)
• Rally – Weebl's Stuff
  Bob proves to Weebl that Hopey McChange-Pants is the better candidate.
  (tags: weebl pie politics satire cartoon)

• BBC NEWS | World | Europe | War of words in divided Belgium
  Hmm. I'm not sure about this article – it concentrates rather too much on the francophones resident in Flanders and not the reverse scenario. Seems to portray the Flemish as a bunch of xenophobes, which isn't my experience.
  (tags: Belgium Flanders Wallonia politics language culture)

• G-AIYR on fire on Flickr – Photo Sharing!
  A Dragon Rapide in flames. Glad that I didn't find this photo before we took a flight on one a couple of weeks ago.
  (tags: Dragon_Rapide fire aircraft)

• BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Wallonia battles wasteland image
  Second in BBC's current Belgium series.
  (tags: Wallonia Belgium)

• Metcheck.com – UK Weather Forecasts – Live Data – Long Range Weather Forecasts
  Tells you which model they are using and gives high level of detail. Like it. Seems to have current conditions for Ruralville about right.
  (tags: weather tools meteorology forecast UK)
• Satire – Weebl's Stuff
  Weebl and Bob's take on the US presidential election.
  (tags: politics humour cartoon weebl)

• BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Falmer opening put back for year
  Not surprising.
  (tags: Brighton football stadium news)
• Trojan Horse SHeur.CLZE on WINAMP solution – Tech Support Guy Forums
  AVG picks out a legitimate file in Winamp as a trojan. Here's how to fix the problem.
  (tags: winamp AVG trojan)
• TV ON THE RADIO
  Likely to be added to the shopping list.
  (tags: music 4AD)

• Doorstep Selling – Guidance for Business – BERR
  Effective today, this applies to me when I'm working with clients who are private individuals rather than businesses.
  (tags: business regulation law contracts)

• BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Rich Flanders seeks more autonomy
  First in a series of articles. It seems to play down the likelihood of a Flemish/Walloon split, but the few people I've spoken to about this (all Flemish) might not agree.
  (tags: Belgium politics Flanders Wallonia)

• National Center for Home Food Preservation | How Do I? Jam and Jelly
  I've passed the sheet test. Hurrah!
  (tags: jam jelly advice food)
• Jam Making – Making Jam and Jelly at Home – Ingredients, Fruit and Pectin
  How handy. I'm rather hoping that the addition of the juice of half a lemon will make my not-particularly-promising crab apple jelly set.
  (tags: food jam jelly pectin advice fruit)

• BBC NEWS | Magazine | Riding the Caspian Sea Monster
  James May rides an ekranoplan. I live in (the probably forlorn) hope that ekranoplan technology might one day go mainstream – it would be a seriously cool way to cross the Channel.
  (tags: ekranoplan technology television)

• BBC NEWS | Health | Under-fives trampoline ban call
  One child at a time. Use a safety net. No child under 5. Hmm; try telling that to Tom when he sees a trampoline. I think we may have to be more firm in saying "no".
  (tags: trampolines children health news)
• News WWF fear consumers will shun green energy – News from The Netherlands – Expatica
  Interesting. Makes you wonder if those "green energy" deals really are green. Waitrose are making a big thing out of using only green energy in their stores at the moment – I wonder if the claim stands up.
  (tags: environment energy EU)

• Secure Form Mailer Plugin For WordPress · Dagon Design
  This looks good. I like the way it will run on a page rather than in a post.
  (tags: wordpress forms blog tools plugins wp)
• BBC NEWS | The Reporters | Robert Peston
  Robert Peston pulls Gordon Brown to pieces. Worth reading, just to see how far the man has fallen.
  (tags: UK politics Robert_Peston BBC commentary)
• News Cars in EU to be fitted with daytime lights – News from The Netherlands – Expatica
  I find myself driving with sidelights on almost all the time now. Seems sensible, even if it does damage the environment just a little more than driving without them.
  (tags: EU law car)
• BBC SPORT | Football | League Cup | Brighton 2-2 Man City (5-3 pens)
  Brighton beat the world's wealthiest football club at the Withdean. Fantastic.
  (tags: football Brighton)
• cforms II » delicious:days
  I might replace Phorm with this. I wonder if I can run this plugin in a page, rather than a post. I guess it also means it is time to upgrade WP (and probably install the WP auto-upgrader).
  (tags: wordpress software tools forms plugins blog)
• The Official CAPTCHA Site
  looks like I need to add this to my work website. I use Phorm to power a feedback form there, but suddenly I'm getting gazillions of nasty spam messages. Phorm is doing a good job of keeping out malicious file uploads, but not the spam.
  (tags: captcha security spam internet tools software)

• How to be a polyglot – Expatica
  Good advice on how to learn a language as an adult, something I keep threatening to tackle (but when? when??).
  (tags: language education advice)
• BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Urging vintners to put a cork in it
  No mention of the Iberian lynx in this article, but I've long made a point of only buying wines with cork closures. Not all stores show what type of closure is used – Waitrose are strong on this point.
  (tags: cork conservation Portugal news wine)

• Bernwode Plants-Traditional British Apple Trees
  Growers and purveyors of apple plants grafted on a variety of rootstocks, including M27, which is the first choice for growing in a container (although that's always going to be inferior to open-ground cultivation).
  (tags: apples plants nursery)
• BBC SPORT | Cricket | Counties | Goodwin fires Sussex to title win
  Hurrah! Sounds like a great match to have watched. And I reckon Goodwin should be the next captain.
  (tags: Sussex cricket)

• Forget Sarah Palin. Three cheers for British weediness
  Caitlin Moran on why it is a good thing that our politicians are not like Sarah Palin. Brilliant stuff (and please don't take it as seriously as some of the commenters!).
  (tags: news commentary Sarah_Palin Caitlin_Moran Times politics)
• Haflinger
  German-made shoes. They make slippers that Hels really likes. I've just had an unsubtle comment about Christmas gifts.
  (tags: shoes Germany Haflinger)

• BBC NEWS | England | 'Worst fishing season' in decades
  Worst season for years, perhaps, but we have had some excellent fish from our local fishing fleet. More and more, we are trying to buy local fish when we can. The quality is certainly very high.
  (tags: news fish Sussex)
• BBC NEWS | Technology | 'Tough choices' for UK broadband
  Hmm. "Tough choices" for UK broadband probably can be translated as "if you're outside of the cities, you're stuffed", as usual.
  (tags: news broadband internet UK)

• WARP RECORDS | WARP NEWS
  And a BoC EP I missed too! This is what happens when you become a parent…
  (tags: Boards_of_Canada Warp music)
• WARP RECORDS | WARP-OS
  Oh dear, a whole Broadcast album that I missed. Now, where's that credit card?
  (tags: music Broadcast European_Library Warp)
• RA: Various Artists – Space Oddities: A Compilation of Rare European Library Grooves – Album Review
  I've discovered a whole genre of music that I already like and actually possess some examples of: European Library. Who thinks these names up?
  (tags: music European_Library)

• Self catering holiday villas in Spain – apartments in Spain
  Self catering houses and apartments in Spain. Most budgets catered for.
  (tags: accommodation holiday travel Spain)
• Casas rurales Turismo Rural Hoteles con Encanto Turismo activo Restaurantes Ofertas España
  Agri-toruism in Spain.
  (tags: accommodation Spain travel holiday casas-rurales)
• Paradores Spain – Spanish Paradors – Parador hotels
  Really rather smart places to stay in Spain.
  (tags: Spain accommodation hotel travel holiday parador)

• BBC SPORT | Football | Football's free transfer rat race
  The life of the players who haven't made it yet, made it a few years ago and are passed it and those who will never make it – all of whom are looking for a job at the end of the season. Amazingly, one in six players will find themselves looking for a new team at the end of this season. A world apart from the Premiership namby-pamby primadonnas.
  (tags: football commentary news transfers)
• BBC SPORT | Paul Fletcher blog
  Excellent article on what the transfer window means for clubs in the three &quot;proper&quot; football divisions. Life isn't easy.
  (tags: football news transfers commentary)
• Boris Johnson interview
  The Marketer interviews Boris Johnson. Interesting to read what he says were the most successful tactics from his election campaign. Also, he says that &quot;It’s better to do fewer things well than a whole load of things half-arsed.&quot; Wise words, indeed.
  (tags: Boris politics marketing interview)

• Oddly Enough » Blog Archive » Fräulein, would you hold these mugs? | Blogs | Reuters.co.uk
  Official Oktoberfest jugs. Arf.
  (tags: breasts beer Germany)
• BBC SPORT | Cricket | Counties | Sussex | Injury forces Mushtaq to retire
  Oh no! Not entirely surprising, but a sad end to a great career, nonetheless.
  (tags: Sussex cricket sport news Mushtaq)

• BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Proton set for return to flight
  Just looking at the photos shows what separates Soviet (and now Russian) space technology from NASA's and ESA's equivalents – no frills. Less bells and whistles means less to go wrong, although that doesn't make them infallible.
  (tags: Proton space rocket news)
• BBC NEWS | World | Europe | Spain sweats amid 'water wars'
  This could be an issue that directly impacts my business, particularly as I'm currently exploring a joint venture with a business based in Barcelona.
  (tags: water environment Spain Barcelona politics)

• Heart Attack
  British Heart Foundation video on heart attacks. Watch it – it's two minutes that might save your life.
  (tags: health heart video advice)

• BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Inflatable faeces raises a stink
  A rare opportunity to see the words faeces, turd and shit all in the same BBC News item.
  (tags: news art Switzerland)
• Shanghai Voodoo: Fraud
  Hmm. Well, it seems it is a fraud, or at least a deception, as I suspected. Might just claim the .asia and .cn forms of my domain now, just for safe keeping.
  (tags: domain internet spam)
• Be careful about scam from Shanghai IDC – Page 1
  I've just received one of these emails. Now what should I do? I already own .com, .co.uk, .eu, .nl and .be flavours of my work domain, as well as some variant spellings for .co.uk
  (tags: spam domain internet China)

• News Dutch scientists discover new plant hormone – News from The Netherlands – Expatica
  With increasing pressure to limit or even end the use of growth regulators on ornamental crops, this sort of thing could become very important. And, as a hormone therapy rather than genetic modification, it should be possible to use in controlled conditions without too much legal restriction.
  (tags: science plants hormone Netherlands)

• Property in the Netherlands – Expatica
  The market in NL is flat, but not in decline yet. Rather like the south-east of England, ultimately simple rules of supply and demand will stop house prices falling far.
  (tags: property news Netherlands prices)

• Culturally correct CVs – Expatica
  How to write a CV that works when applying for work in another country.
  (tags: CV work employment expat advice)
• Cuil
  A new search engine. I just entered the following search terms: “graybo”; “grayblog”; “plants for europe”; “nemesia amelie” – all turned up “no search results found”. Nil points to Cuil.
  (tags: internet online search tools work useless)
• Mortgage rates fall at last - Mortgages | UK mortgage | Compare mortgages | Mortgage guide – MSN Money UK
  See, it’s not all doom and gloom.
  (tags: news mortgages banks)
• BBC NEWS | Business | English home prices ‘set to rise’
  Quick! Rush out NOW and buy property!
  (tags: news property prices)
• Historic Exchange Rates
  Handy calculator for foreign exchange rates between most major currencies for any day going back to 1990.
  (tags: currency exchange rates money convert)

• Arundel Gallery Trail
  This year, for the first time in, oh, eons, we’re actually going to get our tubby butts down to Arundel for the Trail. Yay!
  (tags: art Arundel gallery exhibition)

• polyhouses.com
  Polythene covered tunnel structures for the trade. Might need one of these.
  (tags: horticulture polytunnels)

• South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) – Rural Issues – Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE)
  Apparently, these chaps have £27m to spend. Need to investigate.
  (tags: SEEDA grants EU)

• Seasick Steve
  We need more blues in our music collection and this seems a good place to start.
  (tags: music blues)
• Realistic Internet Simulator AKA Kill The Popups by Rob Manuel [B3TA : WE LOVE THE WEB]
  Fantastic, particularly the music.
  (tags: flash game humour internet silly free)

• BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Cern lab goes ‘colder than space’
  1.9 K. Pretty cold. And remember – the world will not end when they switch this thing on.
  (tags: news science CERN physics)

• woodstock buildings
  When I’m rich (and hopefully not famous), I might upgrade my office to one of these buildings. I particularly like the shelters with the oak branches forming the supports – I can visualize an office with a veranda built this way.
  (tags: buildings wood architecture environment eco-friendly)
• A Dutch inconvenience – Expatica
  Article on public toilets in the Netherlands. Non-Dutch people tend to expect a correlation between paying a fee and cleanliness, but no such correlation exists in my experience.
  (tags: Netherlands toilets)

• BBC NEWS | England | Sussex | Ducks think rubber bands are food
  Red Post Office rubber bands look like fat juicy worms. So pick them up!
  (tags: news post ducks nature)

• BBC NEWS | The Reporters | Robert Peston – Unfair Banking
  Shout it loud – these bank accounts are not free. My father has had a bee in his bonnet for years about the disparity between the interest he earns on his credit balance compared to the earnings the bank makes on his money.
  (tags: news banks money charges)

• Pallant House Gallery – Modern Art in the South
  Splendidly-extended gallery with amazing collection and great visiting exhibitions. And a good café too.
  (tags: art Chichester gallery Pallant)
• Re-Build the Skylon!
  Yes! Do it! Do it now!
  (tags: Skylon architecture London UK)

• The Escapist : Video Galleries : Zero Punctuation : Webcomics
  Zero Punctuation on webcomics. If ever you read webcomics, particularly gaming webcomics, then watch this.
  (tags: humour webcomics video)
• BBC NEWS | Obituary: Sir Charles Wheeler
  I’ve long felt that few journalists could speak with as much authority as Wheeler – certainly he puts John Simspon in the shade.
  (tags: news journalism Wheeler BBC)

• BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Fire in the sky: Tunguska at 100
  100 years since the Tunguska impact. If something occured today over Westminster, everything inside the M25 would be wiped out. Which would certainly deal with the eyesore that is Croydon.
  (tags: news Tunguska impact nature science asteroids astronomy)
• Scientists: Nothing to fear from atom-smasher – News from The Netherlands – Expatica
  Large Hadron Collider won’t cause a black hole that swallows up the Earth. Which is a relief.
  (tags: science CERN LHC news)

• The Video Nasty Project: The Project
  Watching every single Video Nasty so you don’t have to. I remember the fuss about video nasties in the 80s – Mary Whitehouse and the Daily Mail in full flow. Link goes to explanatory page.
  (tags: video nasty banned Whitehouse BBFC)

• The Old Lawnmower Club – Vintage and Antique Mowers
  A nicer bunch of lunatics/enthusiasts, you’re unlikely to meet. It has to be said that they are just as interested in beer as they are in mowers, if not more so.
  (tags: lawnmowers mowers collecting club vintage antique)

• diamond geezer – De La Warr Pavilion
  DG visits Bexhill. H and I keep saying that we must go and have a look around the Pavilion (we were last there when the restoration was still in full swing).
  (tags: Bexhill De_La_Warr_Pavilion art architecture)

• Daily Telegraph – first beaver dam in England for centuries
  Yes, but – they are German beavers and they’ve built a dam! I can hear the roar of Lancaster bombers already. Call for Barnes Wallis!
  (tags: beavers dam nature news England)

• BBC NEWS | UK | Salad production on mass scale
  Impressive by UK standards – but for anyone who (like me) spends a lot of time in glasshouses around Maasdijk and Naaldwijk in the Netherlands, it’s not really that unusual.
  (tags: horticulture glasshouse news)

• http://www.simply-google.com/
  Simply Google – all of Google in one place, which either shows how wonderfully powerful and helpful Google is or how, like BBC Online, it has just got to be too big to be good for the Intahnets. via Gordon.
  (tags: Google tools online search internet software)
• BBC NEWS | Business | Music firm ‘goblins’ in copyright war
  I’ve got a whole heap of promo-only CDs, mainly with only one, two or three tracks on them and largely by obscure artists (although there are a couple of Björk ones in there too). I wonder if they are about to rocket in value?
  (tags: news law music copyright)

• Province to province: Limburg – Expatica
  We really need to explore some of the other bits of Limburg. We’ve driven through Valkenburg and have planned a stay there, but we haven’t made it to Thorn yet.
  (tags: Netherlands tourism holiday Limburg)

Hmm. Looks like the del.icio.us publishing thingy is borked again, after successfully publishing one link only. So it’s time to look for an alternative solution.

Thankfully, I see that Gordon has linked to this one. However, it requires WP2.5, so it looks like I must finally get around to that upgrade that I’ve been putting off for, well, forever. It would be helpful if I actually read anything – this plugin posts things to del.icio.us from your WP blog, not the other way around. Look, I was still in a meeting at 12.20am this morning (yes, you read that correctly), so I’m not firing on all cylinders this morning, ok?

• Official Monster Raving Loony Party – Homepage
  Far too many speed bumps are creeping into our residential streets. It is proposed to remove them all and replace them with eliptical, egg shaped wheels on every car. This would be like taking the bumps with you.
  (tags: politics UK loony)

• Removing Sick Smell from Carpet
  Handy hints here that we are currently putting into practice, having had a vomiting two-year old in the house for most of the weekend. Normality seems to have been restored, but the smell lingers.
  (tags: cleaning vomit smell odour carpet)
• U.S. gasoline prices hit record $3.79/gallon: survey | U.S. | Reuters
  Poor lambs. USD4.00 per US gallon equates to 54 pence per litre. Current local prices are in the order of GBP1.11 to 1.14 per litre.
  (tags: news petrol prices)

• Norfolk Line ferries
  This is partly to test my del.icio.us blog publishing thingy and partly to let the world know that I endorse this company’s fine cross-Channel ferry service.
  (tags: transport ferry Dover Dunkerque)

Anyone else having problems with the del.icio.us blog posting tool (the one built in to del.icio.us)? It hasn’t posted for a week, which means you’ve missed out on three or four exciting links. I’ve rebooted it, so hopefully it might work now.

• fring – Make free mobile calls, IM with Skype, MSN Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk™, SIP & Twitter, AIM® & Yahoo!™
  A Skype client that works on Symbian phones (like my E51) – very useful, as Skype have said that they see “no demand” for a Symbian version of their software (grr).
  (tags: Nokia phone software tools mobile skype voip free)

• Our Local Correspondents: Up and Then Down: Reporting & Essays: The New Yorker
  Excellent (and very long) article on elevators, sorry, LIFTS. I’m not sure that the door-close button is truly a dummy – experimentation is called for.
  (tags: elevators lifts architecture)