I got listening to this song and simply loved the lyrics.   It made me thing about the people we owe so much too.   If I can find a copy of the song I will post it.

On your maypole green
See the winding morris men
Angry Alfie, Bill and Ken
Waving hankies, sticks and books
All the earthen roofs

Standing at the crease
The batsman takes a look around
The boys are fielding on home ground
The steeple sharp against the blue
When I think of you

Sam and Andy
Jack and John
Charlie, Martin
Jamie, Ron
Harry, Stephen
Will and Don
Matthew, Michael

On and on

We will remember them
Remember them
Remember them

Time has slipped away
The Summer sky to Autumn yields
A haze of smoke across the fields
Let’s sup and fight another round
And walk the stublbed ground

When November brings
The poppies on Remembrance Day
When the vicar comes to say
May god bless them everyone
Lest we forget our sons

We will remember them
Remember them
Remember them

Hello!

Things have certainly been moving forward these last week.   Lots of goings on

First things first,  my visa was approved   .   Now I can travel to the US without too much trouble I imagine.  Flights are booked for 21st May.  Very close and very exciting.  I am currently writing a list of things I want to see while I am over in California.   Any suggestions ?

This Friday is going to be great,  my SO is back in the country!     We are going to have Chinese takeaway and then Ben and Jerry’s ice cream.   Quite healthy   Hehe.  After that we are going up to a pub for drinks with friends.  Its going to be a really good day.  Its also a bank holiday so no work on the Friday or Monday

Our quiz team is still pretty strong,  doing a good job of propping everyone else up.  Haha.   Last night wasn’t actually too bad come to think on it,  joint 6th.  Maybe we are getting better or the questions are getting easier… 

The Ubuntu Beginners Team is still in the election process,  so everything is pretty much same as usual.  I am beginning to wonder when the next meeting will be.  I hope things have calmed since the events of the previous week in the team channel.  It was nothing short of childish arguments and I for one felt ashamed that a group I am associated with would behave like that.

The Ubuntu Forums Beginners Team is coming along nicely too.  Just about sorted the behind the scenes stuff.  Of course the good thing is that the forum activities of the group has remained high,  despite the organisational aspects of setting up a new team.   With any luck all systems should be go by Wednesday next week at the latest (or at least that is what I would like to think)

The weather is still improving so I have been going out running again.  Had a nice 5 mile run last weekend and I am already getting ready to go again at some point next week.   I have also booked a badminton court for Saturday morning, which is going to be great fun

The week so far…

Monday: Toe really giving me grief.  Lots of pain and blood.  Lots of swearing too come to think on it.   Something to do with having the skin removed from the top of the toe will do that   Work wise it was pretty good.    Mainly working with some address lookup apis again.    I found it interesting which probably goes a long way to prove just how sad I am.  On the flip side I am fortunate that I like my job for the most part,  though like may be the wrong word.   Perhaps it should be find interesting.  Monday night I got a “little” drunk,  I can’t remember why though.  I remember popping onto IRC to say hi to people    I also remember chucking a blood soaked sock away, haha.

Tuesday: Not a bad day at all.  Just testing out some dynamic XML generation scripts.  A little boring,  but had to be done.  I found it rewarding to find the errors and then rectify them.   I also took part in a quiz at a pub too.  Our team came joint bottom last (again).  I think we just need to get a bit of luck.  Its not like we are seriously behind the top team.  Points difference was only 15.  Better next time I think is the right attitude to have.  Foot was still sore and not too much blood either.

Wednesday: A continuation of testing of the XML scripts.  I hope to have them live by tomorrow.  I also had fun fixing a little logic error in an online order system.  That took up most of the afternoon. Sorry to say I can’t really go into details.   I also had to track down a lost invoice (found) .  Just generally boring stuff.   Toe bled a bit today,  so thats not good.  Blaming wearing the wrong shoes.

The Week Ahead:

Looking to the next few days my big goals are:

1)  Get the XML stuff out of testing and into production mode

2)  Monitor the ordering process to see if my fix has worked

3)  Clear more space off the server,  possibly do more with the cloud.

4)  Do something to help my toe heal quicker (Maybe take shoes off  when not walking?)

5)  Go for a run on Saturday,  followed possibly by a swim.  Toe must be good to do either of those.

I took some pictures of my basement cat today.  Thought I would share.  They can be found here    Pudding is his real name,  but basement cat seems more appropriate somehow

Hope you like

I haven’t really posted any textual content here for a few days.   It is time to break my silence

The Ubuntu Beginners Team is in the middle of an election.  I have decided to withdraw my council membership application.  The reasons are complicated,  but it is best for the team.   I am however intending to continue leading both the IRC and YNU focus groups.  That is if the team are happy with the way I have guided them.  Personally I feel YNU can be closed,  but that is a separate issue.

I have also joined a team that is separate from Ubuntu Beginners Team.  It is Ubuntu Forums Beginners Team.  Shockingly this team is focused on Ubuntu Forums support.  We are still finding our feet but we have begun contacting potential members.  It is very much exciting times.

Today I also installed several large updates on Lucid Lynx.  Nothing seems to be behaving any worse for them,  though perhaps it does feel a little less responsive.  Good news is that the battery icon now displays,  pity the information it is showing is completely wrong   Oh well,  hopefully that will be rectified soon with an update.  I was a little surprised to find that the Beta version has been delayed until tomorrow.    With any luck the beta will fix the performance issue and also the battery problems.

Work has been pretty busy too.  A bit of a mix of things have been done this week.  I did some fun work with APIs for address look-up systems,  DOM and even some mail merge stuff for this weeks mail outs.  I have learnt one of two bits, though the main thing I have learnt is mail merging to envelopes is a mistake.  It is quicker and easier to use labels.   Unless I am mistaken Open Office Writer can not mail merge to labels by default.  I do not know if a plugin exists.   A little more research required when I am not so pushed for time (I ended up  using Microsoft Word)

The weekend is looming.  I have a couple of plans,  the main one being going to another medieval market.  I don’t actually want anything,  but it is good to get out.  Looking forward to it.  I am not totally sure where it is,  but it can’t be that difficult to find.

The flower man sits down in the street

I went to Warwick Castle at the weekend. I took one or two pictures so thought I would share I also got playing with the mootools javascript library over the weekend. To that end I combined two of my interests: Coding and Pictures

My photographs can be found here. Enjoy

I have a secret to tell you.  Its Monday.  Don’t tell anyone!

So,  what have I been up to? Well…

1)  I have decided to up the amount of support I offer on Ubuntu Forums.  Generally lurking about more and posting whenever I can help someone.

2)  Playing around with Gambas still.   I even compiled an application,  though Paultag has somehow broken it because it won’t  install on his personal computer 

3)  Being brave I have gotten involved with alpha testing of Ubuntu Netbook Remix 10.04.  I have only had a couple of problems so far,  no real issues.  Biggest one seems to be the lack of battery level icon.    Hopefully nothing too difficult to fix

4)  For some reason I have decided to try and get on Ubuntu Beginners Team Council.   Hopefully I can take the team forward and restrore it to its former glory.  I think I have to try and repair the damage.   I shall try my best.

Rather brief summary of the events of recent days,  but pretty accurate.  Works been the same as usual really.  Busy,  technically challenging and headache causing.   For some reason I like working where I am   Guess I am lucky.

Sitting in today, watching traffic buzzing by, and faces nosing in
A victim of regret, it glitters and it fades away, like silver turning grey
Washed it all away, waiting for this dream to end, before it sucks me in

I’m climbing high, up above the streets and rows of neon lights
I’m holding out my hand but I’m alone
Wish I could show you
Wish you could see through my eyes
Tomorrow shines through
But I’m missing yesterday

Crashing on the ground, the silence seems to suffocate, and bury me again
Waiting for a taste, of happiness to lift me free, and carry me away

Lost another week, feeling like a leper in, a world of vanity
It’s killing me today, addiction pulls you down, you know
And she’s the drug I need

Wish I could show you
Wish you could see through my eyes
Tomorrow shines through
But I’m missing yesterday
Wish I could show you
Wish you could see through my eyes
Tomorrow shines through
But I’m missing yesterday.

Well,  it looks like Ubuntu has had a bit of a face lift.  Check out the new logo below

I am looking forward to seeing the new theme out on the desktop environment.   Very nice to finally see the back of brown   This is definitely a good move forward.  It looks cleaner,  less childlike and very professional.  Top job by the design people

More pictures of the new look can be found here. It includes new website look,  logos and themes.  Quite the overhaul