Thursday, February 26, 2009

Woot's Spork

The Wii Spork

Brought to you by the nice people over at Woot! who ran yet another competition, this one to show 'another product reconfigured or redesigned to cater to obsessive video gamers.'


Actually, most of the finalist's images were LOL worthy.

FYI - Woot! are the guys and gals that create 'The Daily Deal' and I've bought quite a few items from them too.


kthanxbai!

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Another astounding WTF moment

Wow – another day as a policeman and another astounding ‘WTF moment’ to remember for a long time. And this one didn’t even involve a criminal.

I get to the station for the 13.30 briefing before our 8 hour afternoon shift. We sit and chat in the Briefing Room before our Top Sergeant walks in and brings us to order. No Officer today, there is a meeting on the 2nd floor with the local area commander so all officers, and for some reason, all the chairs, will be gone for the rest of the day.

Easier for us. Let’s go get some criminals.

After the briefing (there are new threats of: stabbing, kidnapping, shooting, blowing up and generally not being nice to us Police Officers. And our stats are down – get more criminals) we all traipse down to the garage to get our different vehicles as the previous shift come in. 

Some people light up their cigarettes, I sip on my coffee, the latest rude jokes get told and then Top Sergeant asks me to chat with him. This is the unofficial of the unofficial here, in front of everyone, but our backs turned, in the station but in a dark corner, no notes to be taken, ‘a word in your shell-like’.

‘Sure Top, what do you want?’
‘Well’ he says ‘this is very serious’. I’m thinking that they found out that I’ve been wearing non-standard weatherproof gear. Or, like my wife, they think my driving is shit and they need to take away all privileges. No, its not one of them.

‘HS has complained to me that you sexually harassed her on the morning shift on Sunday. Or close to sexual harassment actually.’

Lights flash in my head. I feel slightly dizzy.

I want to say “What the hell are you talking about? This is absolute rubbish. Made up nonsense” but I have to be calm under stress so I only say ‘go on’.

‘HS said you asked her to your apartment for coffee’

‘Yes I did’

‘She said that during lunch you asked her if she wanted your pickled cucumber’

Again ‘yes I did’

‘She said you touched her thigh’

‘No. not really - Okay Top, lets go through this one at a time;

I asked her to my apartment for coffee, at 10 in the morning after we’d been standing outside in the rain for 4 hours and we’d already finished my thermos of coffee. Oh, did I forget to mention to you that I told HS that my 9 month pregnant wife would be in the 2 room apartment when we had a coffee? I told her twice!! (We’d already dropped off the rookie somewhere).

‘What about the pickle?’

‘Simple. HS and the rookie went to buy a snack. I thought it would be something different to what they bought. I don’t eat spicy pickles. I also don’t waste food. I asked her and the rookie if the pickles were spicy and they said no. I ate the first pickle and it burnt my lips. She was sitting next to me in the vehicle, eating one of her two pickles so I offered her mine. She said no so I offered it to the rookie. End. Of. Story.’

Admittedly, you try offering anyone a pickle without a little smile creasing across your face…

‘What about touching her thigh?’

‘Again, simple. As we had no computer in the car she was doing all the reports with pen and paper. I’m driving as smoothly as possible but we still have to get from incident to incident and there have been loads of roadwork in our area recently so I’m really concentrating. She loses her pen. I see it balanced precariously on her thigh and realize that by the time I tell her where it is and she fumbles for it it’ll be on the floor and we’ll have to pull over. So I pick it up and hand it to her.'

Very simple.

Top nods and walks away. I know if this goes 'official' he'll be up to his eyeballs in paperwork and he really does not need that.


So what the hell is she up to? For the first 4 hours of my shift I was pretty miffed but didn’t want it to show so put on a good face. At one point my partner went to interview a witness and I made a few personal phone calls to other officers who might know HS.

I didn’t want to appear biased so I asked the first one, YP, what he thought of HS generally. ‘She’s a bit unstable actually and no-one really takes what she says seriously’. Wow, what a weight off my shoulders. We chatted for a few more minutes, agreed to meet up on Saturday night, and I phoned another, trusted officer.

I posed the same ‘how do you rate HS generally’ question to ST. Even though he was in a pretty serious car crash last week he came straight back with ‘I just don’t trust her’.

I can now sleep tonight.

So what next? I tried to work out why she made up this nonsense and precluding any previous trauma she may have had I can only assume that she thought she’d look good to Top Sergeant if she came across as all politically correct and downtrodden, and that I as a volunteer would never answer back. Maybe just fade into the background even more than I do now.

What she didn’t realize is that I have been working with Top Sergeant since way before he even got a rank. We are definitely not ‘Best Buds’ but he is straight and honest and I respect that.

She also may not have realized that I know half of the police officers in the Station. I used to know more but they all quit or moved. A quiet word in the right ears will definitely cause trouble for her. But I’m not going to do that. Instead I am going to write an unofficial letter to Top Sergeant answering her complaints. This letter is not to be shown to anyone until she tries to label another officer in a sexual harassment case. And then she’ll be proven to be a liar.

I’m guessing that this is a rather unique time, when the evidence is admitted before the crime takes place!!




Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Inane grin, ear to ear.

Formula 1 is coming back to our screens and so I thought I'd share with you the BBC intro for the new season.

Seriously, it had my heart racing and a stupid ear to ear grin!




(UPDATED) F1 BBC 2009 intro: inspiration?




And a comparison from 1979 below.




Formula One Intro - 1979, BBC Coverage, Murray Walker

I would if I could, but I can't!

My apologies.

Sadly Google aka Blogger have decided that if I 'Follow' a blog then it automatically reappears in Google Reader. I already use Google Reader daily (if not hourly!) to read all of the 250+ blogs I follow. Their interference now means that all of my files, folders and divisions get confused.

In short - I'm taking down the 85 blogs I had under 'Blogs I'm Following' on the Jumblerant site so that I can use Google Reader without interference from Big Brother.

I wouldn't be so annoyed except I have spent the last 30 minutes trying to find a button to press or line of HTML to insert to get rid of this nonsense - BUT THEY DON"T ALLOW IT!!

So again, my apologies to other Bloggers out there who now have 1 less 'Follower' on their site. I would if I could, but I can't!

kthanxbai!

5 Ways People Are Trying to Save the World (That Don't Work)

Are those hippies just getting you down? That recycling bag too annoying to schlep all the way to the recycling center? Organic vegetables cutting into your beer money?
 
Well EE over at Backboards and Band-Aids has found an interesting article:


True or false? I'd love to hear your thoughts...


kthanxbai!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Thursday, February 19, 2009

When the going gets tough

It appears that the unionized scumbags at the Employment Bureau in Israel are now on strike. This means that newly unemployed, current workers looking for work and benefits and even employers looking for new workers have to wait. I guess that the Workers' Union really know when to turn the screws, but not garner public sympathy.

As job losses increase, employment bureaus close

I still can't believe that the scumbags went on strike just after Israel reported an unprecedented high in new unemployed workers - 19,719 in January.

kthanxbai!


Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Libraries put Bible on top shelf

And you thought that the British government couldn't pander any more to the Muslim minority?

Libraries told to put Bible on top shelf to avoid offending Muslims | Mail Online

Pull the other one, it's got bells on.

kthanxbai!


Oops - I did it again

It looks like there was another major fraud going on recently. A mini-Madoff if you will. He only embezzled / defrauded / outright stole $8 billion so it took the SEC a while to catch the guy.

The Wall Street Journal has on it's front page - SEC Accuses Texas Financier of 'Massive' $8 Billion Fraud

I guess the normal news outlets (not 'outputs' as I wrote yesterday - DOH!) have more important news to report at this hour:

CNN - Facebook returns to its old Terms of Service
Fox - I don't know why I added this one but I did anyway...
BBC - still harking on about car makers - at least they're not bashing Israel right now
New York Times - also still harking on about car makers, but with different numbers to BBC
USA Today - new security measures at airports. Very uninteresting article - and I'm involved in airport security!




Tuesday, February 17, 2009

The Futility of Operation Cast Lead

I found Professor Cohen's perspective to be very interesting indeed.

Now that the dust of combat has begun to settle, it is time to consider what Israel might have gained – and lost – by launching Operation Cast Lead. To that end, this paper addresses four dimensions of the Israeli action: strategic, operational, societal and diplomatic.


It is good reading and really made me think about how I felt about Op Cast Lead.

'The Futility of Operation Cast Lead' by Stuart A Cohen, Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, Bar Ilan University


kthanxbai!

I'm a religious bigot

Over at Corn, Beans, Spent Brass an Empty Page and a Deadline Frank pretty much sums up my thoughts on this murder.

As sad as any murder is, this one seems to have been on the books for a while.

I guess it just goes to show that, for the time being, there should not or can not, be a bridge between certain religions.

From a quick Google search it looks like this story has gone around the Blogosphere much faster than the regular news outputs. I imagine that a beheading just isn't grizzly enough for them these days.

Google News report, Islamic TV founder charged with beheading wife

The Buffalo News, Prominent Orchard Park man charged with beheading his wife


UPDATE: Having mentioned that the Blogosphere is faster than regular news outputs - CNN came back with: Founder of Islamic TV station accused of beheading wife as their lead story on CNN AM quicknews.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Flight 1549 crash cause confirmed

The Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Laboratory has identified DNA matter found in both CFM56-5B/P engines of US Airways Flight 1549 as belonging to the Canada Goose (Branta Canadensis), which generally weigh 5.8 to 8.7 lb.—larger than the bird ingestion standard for the engine.


Alternatively, I found these photos on-line of possible suspects:


Hudson River landing

Thanks to today's 'black box' technology we can actually see a reenactment of the landing;

http://www.passur.com/flash/Hudson_River_Landing_Simulation.html

O fall the data available I was amazed at the timings. The speed with which a decision had to be made, confirmed to be viable and then put into effect is amazing.

kthanxbai!

What I wanted for V day


Above is what I wanted for valentine's day - I only got a mug though....

Not even a cool mug

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Bishop: 'There was not one Jew killed in the gas chambers'

I was sent a link this morning (hola Ian H.!) to an article about the reinstate Holocaust denying bishop in the Jerusalem Post .

Normally I wouldn't trust the spelling in the JPost, let alone their articles but this one seems to be witty, to the point and interesting.

Dear Bishop Williamson

kthanxbai!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

These internet stars are viral

We Didn't Start The Viral · Snapped Shot

Over at Snapped Shot they're showing a bit of internet nostalgia. The lyrics, and links to the relevant YouTube clips are over there too.

Enjoy!!


The Internet Stars Are Viral

Monday, February 9, 2009

New email scam for US citizens


ReadWriteWeb reports on a new email scam that offers an easy way for US citizens to receive their stimulus payment - but when you open the attachment, instead of a PDF form you will probably be downloading a virus.

So 'bad boy' to the nasty scammers but a 'huzzah' for at least keeping up to date!

Watch out, there are even more thieves about....

Stimulus Package Stimulates New Creative Scam - ReadWriteWeb

It's just unbelievable

A hat tip to Drawn Cutlass for his take on the Holocaust denying British bishop pardoned by the Pope...


A Roman Catholic bishop who is at the center of controversy for denying the Holocaust wants to examine the historical evidence.

He must be taking his cue from St. Thomas the Apostle.

Funny
how Bishop Williamson is willing to believe such things as the
Resurrection, Virgin Birth, Immaculate Conception and miracles but
isn't willing to believe in the Holocaust.



Medic Three has a new addition

Congrats to Medic Three on the birth of his first son, Asher. Why not go over there and say nice things to the new parents?

Medic Three: Baby Asher

kthanxbai!!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Marketing blurb

it is my humble opinion that Seth Godin is a Marketing genius.

In one of his blogs today he really gets to the crux of the problem that all of us 'Marketing People' face on a very frequent basis.

 Seth's Blog: Which comes first, the product or the marketing?

When I started my Marketing degree back in the '90s it was explained to us that Marketing is what happens from before the product is made until AFTER IT IS SOLD.

Just remember that when you next confuse Marketing and advertising!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

UN - untrustworhty, unethical and under investigation

I guess the UN isn't as trustworthy, upstanding and helpful as they think.

BBC NEWS | Special Reports | Peacekeepers 'abusing children'

UN SEXUAL ABUSE SCANDALS
2003 - Nepalese troops accused of sexual abuse while serving in DR Congo. Six are later jailed
2004 - Two UN peacekeepers repatriated after being accused of abuse in Burundi
2005 - UN troops accused of rape and sexual abuse in Sudan
2006 - UN personnel accused of rape and exploitation on missions in Haiti and Liberia
2007 - UN launches probe into sexual abuse claims in Ivory Coast

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Our mistake, sorry for any inconvenience

So here we go. Finally.

In a total and utter surprise UNWRA admitted that the much publicized missiles that hit the UNWRA school in Gaza, well they didn't. They hit outside.

This incorrectly reported (my, aren't I diplomatic today) incident inflamed the anti-semitic parades and riots throughout the world.

Whats that I hear you say? Yes, I too didn't see it on CNN, read it in The Times or hear it on BBC World.

So here is the text for you, and the original document link below it;

Clarification: While correctly reported on 6 January that Israeli
shells landed outside an UNRWA school in Jabalia, resulting in an
initial estimate of 30 fatalities, the Situation Report of 7 January
referred to 'the shelling of the UNRWA school in Jabalia.' The
Humanitarian Coordinator would like to clarify that the shelling, and
all of the fatalities, took place outside rather than inside the
school. According to UNRWA, the number of fatalities is over 40, many
of them among the 1,368 people who had taken refuge in the school.


ReliefWeb » Document » OPT: Field Update on Gaza from the Humanitarian Coordinator 30 Jan - 02 Feb 2009 as of 17:00

Monday, February 2, 2009

Experts know double naff-all

Not everyone got burnt in our current recession / depression. The UK's host of The Apprentice, Sir Alan Sugar, explains how he avoided losing money this time round.


SIR ALAN SUGAR: The so-called experts know double naff-all | Mail Online

So what do you think? Is his hindsight is 20/20 or is he talking the truth?
Either way he is a Chigwell boy*, Spurs* fan and all round 'geezer'*.



* Please feel free to look up these phrases from London, England