My Technorati Profile is online. The current blog currently resides here whilst Articles and Tiscali Archives have also been moved over to the blogging system.

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http://benscomputer.no-ip.org/blog/index.php

There will most likely be no further updates to this page, however on both my profile, and hopefully below is an inline RSS Reader that will display my latest blogs for you.

View my blog either way you lie, or you could even suscribe to the RSS feed.

Cheers
Ben

Sorry to do this again, but my blog has moved again!


It can be found at http://benscomputer.no-ip.org/blog/index.php


I have had a few problems with Mysoace so am hosting my own blog again!


I will try to get around to getting myspace to use my RSS feed, but I cannot promise anything!

It really has been a day of realization. I have had two moments of complete understanding today.

As readers of my website already know I am very against the new Smoking Laws that the government is bringing in. However one of the complaints I often here is that smokers are rude when you ask them not to smoke, will smoke anywhere they want and generally aren't very understanding of other peoples dislike of tobacco. I was never like this (I hope), generally if there is anyone around I will ask them, or if someone asks me to put it out I either will, or will go elsewhere until I have finished. (Or had)

Today I asked a customer who was on my shop floor if he could leave the cigarette outside next time he came in. I asked very politely and also explained that later in the year he could get an on the spot fine just for smoking it here.
The reply I got was "No, I fucking won't leave it outside, you sell cigarettes in this shop so i can fucking smoke them in here". Very rude! He went on like this a bit, and I lost my temper a little and explained not so politely that we sell beer, and that cannot be consumed on the premises. I also VERY politely explained that if that was his attitude then he just would not get served anymore. The guy buys 4 lottery tickets a week, and is possibly someone who was caught shoplifting in another branch. Losing his custom will be no great hardship, lottery commission is only 5% so we are talking about 20p a week.


On the other hand, we are later than the other shops in town, and the only shop open on bank holidays, so should he run out of his precious Superking Blues then he is going to find himself very stuck, I won't be serving him.


The realisation that I got from that incident was just the fact that people do get issues from smokers, although it is generally old people like him. Most younger people would have apologised and tried to remember to do so, he decided to throw a tantrum and tell me that he fought in the war for brats like me. terribly unfair not being able to come in and pollute my air!

Although it was obviously tobacco related (I doubt he would have kicked off as much if I had asked him not to wear a hat) I think that people like that do not need tobacco to be rude and inconsiderate. Smoking is an obvious irritation for non-smokers, but there are many other things that people like that can and probably will do.


The second moment of realization today was when I was travelling home, about 150 yards in front of me there was almost a fairly severe accident. A car started skidding about as the driver braked to avoid hitting the car that had decided to try and come out of the acceleration lane. If he had not managed to slow the car in time, or had the other driver not seen him careering towards her, the resulting accident would have blocked both lanes of the A14. Because of the speed we were doing (albeit below the speed limit) had that accident happened, my bike and I would have become part of a very nasty pileup. The stopping distance I had left would have been enough for me to stop - just - but the stopping distance the car behind me had left was not nearly sufficient to prevent him from ploughing into the bag of me, and then probably dragging me into the mess.

It reinforced for me what I was saying several days ago about irresponsible drivers, despite the fact that I maintained a good stopping distance, and was driving below the speed limt, it is me that would most likelyu have been killed. All because the idiot behind me couldn't keep a two second gap

I think tonight is a drinking night!

Well I managed to get that piece of metal out of my exhaust yesterday. The change in sound was dramatic to say the least, the tones from that exhaust were enough to make my knees quiver!

Of course it is far from legal to have an exhaust that loud, no matter how sexy the sound, so I rode out to the bike shop today and picked up the baffle insert that I needed. It doesn't sound quite so good now that I have fitted it, but still sounds better than when it had that disc of metal in there.

Happy Easter to all out there, I have had one easter egg this year and it was me that bought it! As usual I will probably hit the post easter sales


We went up to Bury yesterday for some food and drink, if you are in Bury then it is well worth going to La Tasca on Abbeygate street, food is relatively cheap but tastes expensive. The restaurant has a spanish theme (surprise surprise!), and the decor is incredible.

Found the issue on my bike, I have spent days trying to work out how to get the removable baffles out, no-one I have spoken to has had any idea when I have described the end can. So yesterday morning I took it up to the bike shop, the response was that someone has bodged it and welded a piece in. I am now going to have to try and get this piece out so that I can put a baffle insert in there.

The 'removable baffle' the previous owner was talking about, is the race baffle inside, for all intents and purposes I currently have a straight through can. No wonder it's too fucking loud for the M.O.T!!!


I'm in a very musicy mood today, that will probably change when I get to work later, but for now at least it's the way it goes.


Tiscali have until the 11th to rely to CISAS, that is Wednesday so I should be hearing something soon.


I checked my 1571 the other day, and there is actually a voicemail on there from someone purporting to be from Tiscali's High Level complaints department, she said she ahd received my CISAS filing and would like to speak to me. Unfortunately I have no way of phoning her as the phone number was garbled somewhat. To be honest, I would rather CISAS dealt with the issue anyway, I would not want to jeopardise the case by talking to Tiscali, and if Tiscali find a way of settling then they haven't really learnt anything. That company needs to be sanctioned, like it or not.

It's amazing how much is available on the net in terms of negative feedback about Tiscali, I really wish I had asked around before I started using them.


I will not be making that mistake again, Tiscali claim to have already removed all details from my account, so if I receive any further contact from them, I will be questioning why my details are still on their system (after CISAS is finished of course).


Interestingly CISAS's decision is not binding on me (though it is on Tiscali) so if I were to decide not to accept CISAS's decision I could. In this case that is not something I am likely to do, that is only really going to be applicable if you wished to take them to court, if I had to I would, but I doubt it is severe enough for that.


I should look at cooking something to eat before work, perhaps a stirfry. I can never be bothered to cook though, thats the problem.

I HAVENT HAD A CIGARETTE IN A WEEK!!!!!!!! which given that I have been in smokey clubs and bars, and been offered a cigarette by people who are just too used to me smoking, is pretty good. Parts of this week have been really stressful but I still haven't wanted one, I almost wanted one last night, but didn't in the end.
I think the secret to the success this time round is the Nicotine gum and the really stressful first day of giving up. Last Sunday was a highly stressful day, but despite it being the first day of me giving up, I motored through. I think that has made me realise I can do it. The nicotine gum has helped as well, I bought the extra strong fruit flavoured nicotinell, my first piece burnt the back of my throat so badly that I thought I was going to puke. I have told myself if I want nicotine then I am welcome to chew the gum. It's good because it emans my body is free of nicotine, so I haven't just edged my addiction onto some other (more expensive) source.


We will see how it goes, but I think I can really do it this time, I don't want to smoke anymore. I can't afford it, and I know the damage it does me, it's time I stopped, and so far I seem to have done so.


I really should stop yammering on now, this is proving to be quite a long blog.


Before I shut my trap I would like to mention something though, I travel at least 60 miles a day. I am becoming increasingly pissed off with the twats that drive on our roads today. Overtaking someone does not make you cool, and overtaking just before cutting in and turning off makes you a cunt. Doing that will save you thirty seconds, but could cost a life. If you are going to drive like that, don't be surprised when you lose your license (or your life). I have absolutely no sympathy for anyone who drives like that and loses their license (and to some extent their life). You know the risks and yet you still do it, the chances are it is not your life you will take, but someone else's. Driving like that does not make you cool or hard, it makes you a sad pathetic cunt.

Should you feel the need to try and edge me out of my lane by squeezing up the side of (or heaven forbid try it whilst I am overtaking someone else) don't expect me to feel remorseful when I put my steel toecapped boot into the side of your car. If your side mirror gets smashed, just remember that the way you were driving could well have led to my spinal column getting smashed.

If you drive like too much of a cunt, I will quite happily take your ignition keys to the nearest police station, I am past the point of tooting horns at the kind of wanker who thinks they own the road.

Now you may be asking yourself if you are one of these people? There is a simple test. When in the outside lane of a dual carriageway, if the person in front of you is going slower than you would like to go, but has room to pull over do you

a) flash your lights to tell him/her to move
b) Sit and wait behind him
c)Change lanes and undertake him


If you answered anything but b then you are what I would deem a danger to everyone, and your license should be taken away from you. I honestly couldn't give a toss if someone wants to fit neon lights and oversized rims to their car (though I think they look shit) it's how they drive that I care about.

Of course I don't get too much hassle should there be a disagreement, I'm on a big bike, and my leathers make me look huge, unfortunately that doesn't stop people driving like cunts around me.

That is all I am going to say on that matter, though before I go I would like to raise one last point

AND FOR FUCKS SAKE STOP TAILGATING, YOU WILL KILL SOMEONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today has been a shit day, I had a bottle of champagne explode in my face, and I got attacked by a drunk. nothing serious in that he couldn't really stand up by himself anyway. Still its one of those days that has just left me feeling down. I haven't felt like this in a long time, and it's not a good sign.


I am dying for a cigarette as well.........


Time to hit the spirits collection I think

I have included a page on this on the main site but I felt I had not really said enough.


I feel almost ashamed to be British knowing that we have a Government who bends over and pulls down it's trousers whenever the US is around. No offence to any Citizens of the US but there is nothing more your country loves than to give our Government a good ass fucking, and sadly we currently have a government that loves it!


We saw the unfairness that has occurred already within the case, Yank prosecuters telling McKinnon that if he fights the extradition he will not be given the opportunity to repatriate. What it is is bullshit, our government has a duty of care towards McKinnon, he is still a British citizen, and no matter what bollocks the Military Justice system wants to spout, this is not going to change.


In fact it appears that the US now view McKinnon as a Cyber-Terrorist. Well i am sorry USA but even a war on terrorism does not excuse abuse of human rights. Whilst I agree that the well known holdign facility on Cuba, probably does house some very dangerous men, everyone has a right to a fair trial.


For too long the US has tried to police the world, it's time the US Government realised that it just can't do it. All they do is piss people off. I am far from a supporter of anyone who committs terrorism of any sort, but I am far from surprised that the US is being targeted by it.
It follows a simple pattern, piss someone off enough and they will retaliate. The British did it with the Irish (who I might add the US was selling arms to) and the US have done it to the rest of the world (and ironically probably sell weapons to some of those places to).


I agree terrorism has to be stopped, but the simple fact is that invading people's countries and trying to change their culture is just going to piss people off. Who in their right mind thinks anyone in the Middle East actually wants a fucking Macdonalds built?
The whole world can see what fast food has done to the Americans, it's too late for a great many countries, it's actually taken off. But in some countries Fast Food is an alien concept, and most are unlikely to want it.

The same goes for every other part of US culture, I don't want 4 fucking starbucks in my town, and I certainly don't want the US Government thinking it can just snatch any British Citizen away from their home. Given the shit going on in the US Justice system at the moment, it would be far wiser just to let McKinnon be tried in the UK. He should certainly be serving his sentence in the UK.


Personally I believe that the whole concept of extradition is pretty fucked anyway. What gives any country the right to ask another to arrest someone, and then fly them over for trial? In this case I can't help feel that someone's nuts were hammered for the lax security on the network. Shit rolls downhill and McKinnon is the fall guy.


Not that any of this is going to make much difference, the right people in both Governments are too stupid as fuck to see the truth that is right in front of their eyes.

Anyway I suppose I should stop writing now, I know my luck I'll get done for inciting something or other. As far as I am concerned until things get sorted out, both governments can Fuck Off!

Well I failed my M.O.T, apparantly my exhaust is too loud, my rear tyre is too worn and my stearing bearing needs a touch of grease. Work wise nothing too major there, Price wise the tyres are already looking to be quite expensive. We are looking in the region of £100 to replace a single rear tyre, and that is if I take the rear wheel off myself!

Tyres are bloody expensive!

As far as the exhaust goes I am just hoping that a bit of work on the baffles will sort that problem, fingers crossed

As some are no doubt already aware, EMI have anounced that they will be selling their portfolio on Apples iTunes store DRM Free, Apple have also anoinced that by the end of this year, they intend to sell half of their catalogue DRM free.

For the consumer this is a massive victory, it means when you purchase a track from iTunes you will be free to listen to it on any audio device.

For the media companies, this is also a victory, though they may not recgonise it yet. Currently most Online Music stores utilise DRM, however there are a great many people against it. This means that when the DRM free songs become available to buy, sales of those should boost in support of the move. Similarly this is a win for Apple as they are offering something that has been demanded by groups such as Defectivebydesign.

DRM was dead in the water before it was even released, every 'improvement' to the sysyem simply leads to the customer paying more for something they have less control over. It is timesomeone put a stop to it, and Steve Jobs seems to have taken the vital first step.


I have my bikes MOT today, hopefully it will go well, but I know my luck!