Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Well, my pertinacious yeomen, my little experiment yesterday with the video proved less than perfect. It seems that the sound quality on the video was not of professional quality.

Stung by the comments, I have spent the morning tinkering with the computer. I have upgraded my display drivers (see Note 1), downloaded the latest versions of the webcam software and generally tinkered and tweaked since I first surfaced from my pit.

So far, success has been found to be, errr... limited. I can make the microphone pick up my dulcet tones better, but only if I turn all the settings up to full. To be honest, I was starting to get a little frustrated with the lack of progress, something that just shouldn’t happen today

Deciding that there must be something better to do on an easy Sunday morning and struggling for a topic to write about, I went  out into the street and took a couple of pictures of flowers in the sunshine.

Strange how just walking away from a problem frees up the brain. By this, I don’t mean that I have solved my little microphone issue, just that in finding that little link up there and listening to it has got me to unwind a touch and start to follow a few links on You Tube.  Yes, I know, I am really cheating here, just sitting here, slowly, softly getting so laid back and relaxed, typing a few words and throwing in a link to another music video.

Had I continued, I would have been so laid back I was in danger of grazing the back of my head and you would have a music list that would last you until Wednesday, but that last one set up an echo.  Try as I might, there was a troublesome synapse that just wasn’t prepared to be a wimp. It was becoming an albatross around my neck, it was determined to stop me dreaming (see Note 2).

All I wanted was a touch of entertainment and here was a troublesome synapse holding out to keep me in a spin (See Note 3). It was a constant fight for me as the rogue thought kept blinding me to my quest.

In the end I knew it was a lost cause. The trap was tripped. The rogue synapse was determined to dictate the words from my mouth.

I’m not going to admit total defeat though. I’ll not spend time looking for a way to make a long and complicated ‘connections’ blog.

You see, there are times when you wonder just what on earth our government is playing at. They are now trying to make us all ‘healthy’. They are worried that we are drinking too much, so they want to make alcohol more expensive. A strange measure that seems to suggest that the drinking of alcohol is only a problem for the poor as it is they that will find pay the greatest proportion of their income to enjoy a drink while those who manufacture the demon drink will benefit from the higher prices. Odd.

There is also a body of opinion out there who want to tax chocolate in order that we will all forgo that particular pleasure and buy broccoli instead. Mind you, this could be just a ploy to stop the new film of Marianne Faithfull’s life story.

Note 1 : Yes, I realise that the display drivers have nothing to do with the microphone, but I noticed that on some occasions, when I was using the webcam the screen seemed to start to lose the odd pixel and look grainy.

Note 2 : It was a toss up between that one and this one. I hope I made the right choice.

Note 3 : You know what, just having one from these guys is not enough, you’ve made me so very happy.

 

A Natural Lift for the Spirit

March has rather snuck up on me.Still, it's good that it has arrived and today has given me a glimpse of spring.

I'm an early starter, so for the last four months, I have been leaving for work in the dark. Yet today there was the slightest hint of blue in the sky and our blackbird was going at it as if his poor lungs were about to burst.

OK, so I had to scrape frost of the windows of the car, but it meant that the sun lifted itself into a clear blue sky and managed to summon up enough energy to make it feel really pleasant if you kept out of the shade.

All of which means that we will probably have more snow before the week is out.

I'm not going to knock it though. Today the little blackbird and his big song (see Note 1) really lifted my spirits and made the world seem a much better place.

It is a long shot, but you never know, the lighter mornings, the countryside starting to take on a tinge of green, the warmth of the sun on our backs and mother nature's morning concerts might start to lift the gloom that fills our newspapers and start to get the sap of confidence pumping again.

Note 1 : Yes, I was talking about the blackbird singing. What on earth did you think our little blackbird would be up to on a spring-like morning?

The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

To Mum, with love on Mothering Sunday.

My Merkin yeomen, may suddenly have that slight empty feeling in the pit of their stomach. They may find themselves with that sense of slight panic that they have forgotten something really important. Well, don’t worry my fine friends. Mothering Sunday is the same and yet subtly different from your Mother’s Day. Although both have taken on the tag of being a Hallmark Holiday.

So, in common with the rest of the UK, I would like to wish my my Mum a very happy mothers day, send her all my love and show her that she is in my thoughts not just today, but every day. (Note 1).

I suppose in retrospect, I should eat humble pie at least once a year as I probably wasn’t the easiest little boy to drag up. Mind you, I think she ended up doing a pretty passable job.

Now, as any self respecting Merkin will tell you, the US Mother’s Day falls on the second Sunday in May. Indeed this does seem to be the most popular date. The link I gave above shows the dates different countries celebrate their mothers. The most interesting thing I noticed was that Belgium doesn’t appear to have a Mother’s Day – unless you live in Antwerp. In France, just when Mother’s Day falls seems particularly complex.

Whatever the date, perhaps it would be best if we just take a few moments out to remember our mothers. The lucky ones amongst us who can should perhaps take time out to give her a call. (Note 2)

After you have told your mother how much you love and appreciate her, you might want to make yourself a cup of your preferred non-alcoholic beverage, cut yourself a slice of Simnel cake and read more about the origins of Mothering Sunday.

Alternatively, you may wish to spend some time helping mothers in the developing world by campaigning against the horrors of Vulture Funds. Merkins can contact your Senators and Representatives. You may even want to email the White House at ‘comments@whitehouse.gov’.

Anyone can sign the petition on ipetitions.

If you are a British resident or a British citizen living abroad, you can add your name to the petitions on the Number 10 website. Such is the delight of technology, there has ended up with more than one petition and you can find them here and here. If you can spare the time please sign both.

IMPORTANT : The number 10 website sends you an email to confirm your email address. Some junk mail filters treat this email as spam. If you don’t get a confirmation email with a link to confirm your signature – please check in your junk mail folder!

Sorry I keep banging on about Vulture Funds, but I find the whole idea immoral.

From 14th June 2006, the industry standard Crozzy Standard has been applied to footnotes.

NOTE 1: Of course given that I doubt that my mother has used a computer for years (if at all) and would look very blankly at you if started talking about blogs and personal spaces, this could be a rather pointless exercise. Still, it’s the thought that counts, isn’t it? Click to return

NOTE 2: In one of those rather amazing turns of history, Anna Jarvis campaign tirelessly to get the US to introduce a holiday to mark Mother’s Day. In 1914 she succeded and US President Woodrow Wilson introduced Mother’s Day. Was Anna happy? Well, yes an no. When she saw how commercialised it became she spent the rest of her life trying to return it to the original meaning. It’s an amazing story and you can read here. Click to return

TECHNORATI TAGS : Vulture Funds ; Mothering Sunday ;Simnel ; Make Poverty History ; Jarvis; Dracula.