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Stevo Music Man an avid listener of good sounds

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Stevo Music Man



Last Updated: 12/23/2009

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Saturday, December 19, 2009 

Current mood:bloody cold
Category: Life


What a day it was yesterday at 6am I was up, looked out and thought great no frozen car outside. Within an hour I attempted to drive to work in a fierce snow storm, only to get near my workplace and realise I'd forgotten my passes. I turned around and skidded back home and picked up the item. Returning this time alot slower and thus took alot longer.
Next whilst at work we decided to cancel our Xmas Christmas meal booked for lunchtime, as quite of few never made it to work. The local beefeater was very good about it and held our deposits for a new date in the new year.
I then saw the weather reports for London, where that night I was due to see the fabulous Phildel; worse weather that we had!
My usual 5 minute drive back home took over an hour, and that cup of PG Tips was so welcoming. My girlfriend was going to come to the show too, but she was stuck further north in ice bound Loughborough. She didn't even make it to my house. I decided to abandon my trip to the capital, which was so disheartening, as I had really been looking forward to the concert all week.
It's 5am outside my car is under a ice sheet, the roads look like ice rinks and I'm next to the radiator keeping myself warm, drinking another cup of tea.
Currently listening:
And Winter Came
By Enya
Release date: 2008-11-10
5:33 AM 
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Monday, December 14, 2009 

Current mood:eurofied
Category: Travel and Places


The coach was prompt picking up at  6am;  making the Euro Tunnel for 10.30am (Inc a stop). 30 minutes later we were in France, driving down the wrong side of the road towards Lille.

 

We were dropped off in the city centre, where there was a Christmas market and big wheel, and the streets lit up with Christmas lights. The smell of food and strong coffee mingled with sounds of lots of British children’s accents whilst walking around. The shops were impressive but expensive.

 

Three hours later the driver picked us up and dropped us at the hotel, a few miles outside the city. It was basic (on par with a Premier Inn) clean and tidy. Dinner was at 7.30pm, where we were served with a 3 course meal (pre-booked). Both nights we had a free bar (three hours) which included local beers, wine and Coke. Most people did have a merry evening before retiring to their rooms for the night or was that morning?



8.00am breakfast, continental type was served and then we boarded our coach driven by the ever happy driver for a 9.30am departure to Bruge. What a contrast to Lille, this city was packed full of people, a thriving market and squares full of delightful shops; many could have been sprung out of a Charles Dickens Christmas novel. This was complimented by the Ice rink, horse drawn carriages and canals full of boats teaming with fellow tourists. Even the bars and restaurants were packed but the wait was worth it. Everyone concluded this was worth the trip alone, people returning to the bus at 5pm with bags full of Belgian chocolates, drinks and tobacco products.



 The evening meal was the same timing; again free drinks were available, though most did tone down their intake after the night before. Next morning everyone was up for 8am breakie again, this time we’d be departing Lille for the last time. We headed for Citie De Europe shopping complex, and stayed for three hours. It was full shops trying to get your last Euro out of you.

 

It was right next to Euro Tunnel, and within an hour we were back on British soil driving around the rain sodden M25 heading for home. We arrived back on time; no sooner had the weekend started than it had ended back outside the Westgate. All in all everyone enjoyed the journey, making a lot of new friends from all over the county.

Currently listening:
Sensation White: Belgium 2009
By Various Artists
Release date: 2009-04-13
8:53 PM 
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Sunday, December 13, 2009 

Current mood:excited
Category: Music







Eels - End Times



Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM



Gary Numan - Pleasure Principle
 (30th Anniversary 3 CD Edition)



Morrissey - Swords (2 CD Edition)



Field Music - Measure




More Albums Again Soon


Currently listening:
Field Music (Measure)
By Field Music
Release date: 2010-02-15
10:37 PM 
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Monday, December 07, 2009 

Current mood:Xmasfied
Category: Life


Well we all went on a works Christmas trip to the capital on Saturday. It was very busy - even more so by the fact there was a demonstration march about 'Global Warming'.
We went first to Hyde Park and visited the 'WinterWonderland', run by Germans! But as you'd expect it was packed and well organised, with a circus, ice rink (both fully booked sadly), a fun fair (which my kids loved) and plenty of stalls selling goods, drink and various German food (which I enjoyed).
It was then a quick walk past Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square and then a tube to Camden Town, which my son wanted to explore straight away. The local Lloyds pub by the canal was our dinner point, time to recharge our batteries and sore feet.
Next stop back to Marble Arch via the tube again, and walked along a lit up Oxford Street. Every shop we went into was packed. Selfridges pulled the stops out, with Opera singers, can-can dancers and Christopher Biggins in drag. Though the highlight was again my daughter singing karaoke on a new gizmo, attracting a large audience!
Then no sooner had we arrived and it was back to the coach to take us back home.

Currently listening:
Winter Carols
By Blackmore's Night
Release date: 2009-11-09
7:42 PM 
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Sunday, November 29, 2009 

Current mood:Thoughtful
Category: Music







John Garrison - Departures



Cluster - Sowiesoso



Seal - Hits



Various Artists - 101 Indie Classics



Echo & The Bunnymen - Live At The Royal Albert Hall (Digipack)




More Albums Again Soon

Currently listening:
101 Indie Classics
By Various Artists
Release date: 2009-11-16
11:16 PM 
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Wednesday, November 25, 2009 

Current mood:relaxing with a cuppa
Category: Music


Yes seems the lawyers want their Xmas bonuses again and attacking people who are easy prey! This is a strange subject as I keep touching on this as many people within the industry have different opinions on this. I do download some stuff every now or then, but usually end up buying the CD, as I like the idea of ownership of something I can see. Infact this week I have bought over 10 albums.

Around 15,000 suspected pirates may soon get legal letters accusing them of illegally sharing movies and games.
ACS:Law plans to send notes to the accused in the new year offering a chance to settle out of court for "several hundreds of pounds".
A lawyer who has defended people who have received similar letters described it as a "scattergun approach" that would catch "innocent people".
ACS:Law said it was "unaware" of anyone who had been wrongly sent a letter.
Andrew Crossley of the firm told BBC News it was acting to "eradicate" sharing of its client's products.
"We give them opportunity to enter into compromise right at the start to avoid having to deal with it [in court]," said Mr Crossley.
If it went to court and the lawyers were successful, he said, damages "would run into several thousands of pounds".
But consumer group Which? said that it had heard from around 150 consumers who had been "wrongly accused" in similar cases.
"A lot are accused of downloading pornography," Jaclyn Clarabut of Which? told BBC News. "People find it distressing or embarrassing and pay up."
Others, she said, "don't want the threat of court action" hanging over them or cannot afford to pay for a lawyer and settle the claim for the lower figure.
“ We estimate that commencing in the New Year we will be despatching circa 15,000 letters in relation to these two orders ”
Andrew Crossley
She said that based on previous experience, "a lot of people will be surprised" by the latest wave of letters.
Michael Coyle, lawyer at Southampton based firm Lawdit, described the scheme as "having very little to do with protecting the rights of the copyright holder".
Instead, he said, it was "more to do with making money from alleging copyright infringements on a massive scale".
He has represented several hundred clients who have received letters from ACS: Law and other firms. None of his clients has ever been forced by a court to pay a fine, he said, although some clients had decided to settle out of court.
"This scattergun approach to the file sharing litigation will inevitably result in a large number of innocent parties being issued with a claim for copyright infringement."
ACS: Law are "currently under investigation" by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), but a spokesperson said it could not divulge any more details about the nature of the complaints. The Law Society has also received complaints.
Mr Crossley said his firm had been targeted by an "internet campaign" and was cooperating with the inquiries.
"It doesn't of itself indicate that I have done anything wrong," he said. "I have no qualms or concerns about what I am doing."
Data harvest
ACS: Law recently obtained two High Court orders that require ISPs to hand over the names and addresses of the account holders for 30,000 IP addresses, a number which can identify a computer on the internet. It is currently preparing three more.
The orders were obtained on behalf of two German clients: DigiProtect and MediaCat.
Both firms are licensees of copyright work. They act on behalf of copyright holders, including various pornography studios, to pursue alleged copyright infringements.
They use software to monitor file sharing networks to harvest IP addresses which are then turned over to law firms to get account details.
"We state that they [the alleged file-sharers] have made available to others via peer-to-peer file-sharing networks various products that they have rights in," said Mr Crossley.
He said these included "games, films and music".
"We estimate that commencing in the New Year we will be despatching circa 15,000 letters in relation to these two orders," he said.
The letters would be used to tell the alleged "file-sharer" that they were thought to have infringed copyright.
It would also inform recipients that a claim may be made against them in court and would "invite" them "to enter into a compromise to avoid any litigation."
The amount would vary, he said, but was typically £300-500.
The money is split between the copyright holder, licensee, the firm monitoring IP addresses and ACS: Law, which operates on a no win, no fee basis.
'Spoof' address
Concerns have been raised about the technology used to identify IP addresses.
Which? has highlighted various examples of innocent people accused by firms such as DigiProtect .
"Many have never heard of peer-to-peer file sharing," said Ms Clarabut.
ILLEGAL FILE-SHARING
  • File-sharing is not illegal. It only becomes illegal when users are sharing content, such as music, that is protected by copyrights
  • The crackdown will be aimed at people who regularly use technologies, such as BitTorrent, and websites, such as The Pirate Bay, to find and download files
  • There are plenty of legitimate services which use file-sharing technology such as some on-demand TV services
    • "Some are accused of downloading video games but never played a game in their life."
    A study published in 2008 by Which? highlighted the case of Scottish couple Gill and Ken Murdoch, aged 54 and 66, who were accused of sharing a video game.
    At the time, Mrs Murdoch told Which?: "We do not have, and have never had, any computer game or sharing software."
    The letters were sent by another law firm, which no longer represents DigiProtect. Mr Crossley said the Murdochs had been identified because the ISP gave the lawyers the wrong information about the account.
    Mr Crossley admitted the account holder may not be the person sharing files illegally. As a result, he said, the letter, would also invite the recipient to name the person they thought was responsible.
    The growing popularity of wi-fi means many people share an internet connection. Recent studies have also shown that many people do not password protect their wi-fi connections, meaning they can be hijacked and used for nefarious means.
    In addition, technology exists that can hide or "spoof" an IP address.
    Mr Crossley said that "spoofing" did not apply for file sharing purposes.
    Expert analysis
    Mr Coyle said he also had reservations about the methods used to identify people and said they had never been challenged in court by experts.
    "The last thing they want is this software being examined in a court of Law - it would shoot the goose that lays the Golden Egg," he said.
    No court case has ever been fully decided from a letter sent by ACS: Law, he said.
    Although Mr Crossley admitted the software had never been analysed in court, he denied it had never been scrutinised.
    "Every application submitted to court is supported by an expert report," he said.
    The report was compiled by "an independent expert" and confirmed that the "data being collected is accurate".
    "That is the starting point for us," said Mr Crossley. "It is very important for us to be accurate. If it is not, everything that comes from that data must be flawed."
    Similar concerns are currently being outlined to the UK government which recently outlined how it plans to tackle illegal file-sharers.
    Currently listening:
    Sandinista!
    By The Clash
    Release date: 1999-10-04
    7:51 PM 
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    Monday, November 23, 2009 

    Current mood:Tired
    Category: Web, HTML, Tech
    Well I know I have touched on this subject before, but I do feel it's important to emphasis this. This is partly due to the fact I informed two of my neighbours I could get in on their wireless routers, which by the way have made secure for them. So if you click on search for networks from your control panel and you see someone's which says 'unsecure network', and you know the person, give them a nudge


    Web User said:
    Some four million Brits admit to hacking into a wireless network without the owner's permission, according to a survey.

    Four million Brits hack wireless networks

    Nine per cent of people questioned in a survey admitted to using someone else's Wi-Fi network without authorisation.

    The research, by price-comparison site, estimates that four million people in the UK have hijacked another person's wireless network – known as 'piggybacking' – in the last 12 months.

    The report highlights the need to secure your wireless network properly, the company said.

    "It's bad enough your neighbours can use your internet connection freely, but this becomes far more threatening if someone uses your connection for criminal or improper activity," said James Parker, broadband manger.

    How to secure your wireless network

    "This could be accessing your internet connection to download obscene material, gathering personal information to defraud you or even stealing your identity," he continued.

    The risk of someone using your wireless network to download copyrighted content is particularly pertinent right now because the government is intent on pushing through     legislation that could see people accused of piracy cut off from the web
    Currently listening:
    Up to Now - The Best Of (Deluxe Edition)
    By Snow Patrol
    Release date: 2009-11-09
    10:38 AM 
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    Thursday, November 19, 2009 

    Current mood:Disgruntled
    Category: Sports


    Well how do these Countries get away with it, first they decide to seed the European play off matches - due to too many so called Big Countries, FIFA changed the rules. Now France have got away with blatant cheating by handling the ball not once but twice for their goal. It's not to say they wouldn't have got through anyway, but the fact is they didn't play fair. Which brings me nicely to the head of UEFA, Mr Platini, a Frenchman, who keeps spouting off about fair play - so lets see if he has the bulls to back the Irish, I doubt it. The game should be re-played, or Henry given a 3 match ban (not friendlies), who admitted he did it.
    A leading French newspaper even did a poll with the French public siding with the fact they shouldn't have qualified for South Africa.
    Use technology or those extra assistants - get it right - else it says CHEATS WIN!!
    Currently listening:
    Fair Play
    By Ost
    7:22 PM 
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    Sunday, November 15, 2009 

    Current mood:relaxing with a cuppa
    Category: Music







    Stereophonics - Keep Calm And Carry On



    Tom Waits - Glitter And Doom



    NOW 74



    Norah Jones - The Fall



    Enya - Very Best Of




    More Albums Again Soon


    Currently listening:
    Get Out & Walk
    By Farmer's Boys
    Release date: 2009-06-15
    9:33 PM 
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    Wednesday, November 11, 2009 

    Current mood:Footy Mad
    Is this the future of sport or films - maybe so - I have watched some dodgy foreign channels pumping out English footy and the quality was a bit naff (rubbish to my US friends). But if they get the streaming right and your modem can take it, it could take off - what do you think?

    Web User said:

    The FA Cup match between Oldham Athletic and Leeds United set a UK record for a free-to-view competitive football match on the internet.


    FA Cup Oldham v Leeds

    The FA is toasting the success of its new FATV web portal after the first FA Cup match to be screened live on the internet attracted thousands of fans.
    A first-round clash between Oldham Athletic and Leeds United, streamed live on TheFA.com, gathered 176,000 plays on Saturday evening.
    According to the FA, this is a UK record for a free-to-view competitive football match on the internet and is also believed to be among the top five live web sporting events in UK history.
    Leeds United beat Oldham Athletic 2-0 in the match and the Yorkshire side now face Kettering Town in a second-round clash that will be shown live online at ITV.com.
    Ian Watmore, the FA's chief executive, said: "We have been absolutely thrilled with the viewer reaction and user numbers for both the games we have streamed live to date."
    "This has proved that there is a growing online audience eager to see live football for free on the internet that is in addition to and complementary to the live games featured with our broadcast partner, ITV."
    The next FA Cup tie to be broadcast exclusively live for free on the internet will be Norwich City's second-round trip to either Carlisle United or Morecambe on Saturday 28 November.
    England's 2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifier against Portugal will also be shown live and online for free this weekend.
    Currently listening:
    A Product Of.../Set
    By Thompson Twins
    Release date: 2008-10-20
    8:34 PM 
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