At least you know it’s the result of hard work …

Posted 19 Sep 2008

News, People | 7 Comments 

Good ol’ George W, really putting his back into creating some economic turmoil.

Either the folks at Yahoo! News have quite a sense of humor, or nobody actually reads the headlines before they are published. This particular title has since been updated on Yahoo! … God bless whoever invented screenshots! (Check out the large scale screenshot.)

We’d like to thank a reader from Chicago for pointing out this hilarious headline, and we’d like to thank the editors at Yahoo! News for not editing it before publication.

Glasses required?

Posted 17 Sep 2008

Events, News | 3 Comments 

It’s Wednesday, people, and we think it’s time for a guest comment. Today’s note comes from a reader in New York … and given all the bad news coming out of that city this week, we’re happy to spread some of the funnier stuff.

Last Wednesday, our reader was surfing the net (perhaps fearing the end of world) as he surfed up to post about the amazing work going on a CERN on Tom Feilden’s blog on the BBC Radio Today Programme website. He saw the first photo in that post and he was amused.

Our reader writes:

I saw the photo, and it just made me smile – and though one shouldn’t generalise, they all look exactly as one would envisage particle physicists to look. No doubt the eye-strain from the result of years spent in dark labs, and reading long hours. As a glasses wearer too, I can empathise, though sadly I lack the genius that no doubt they have. I just hope that they know what they are doing, recreating the big bang – even if on a micro-scale!

Our many thanks to our reader for sending in this in. And we’ll end by reminding all that we continue to welcome contributions via email.

Hotel Superhero

Posted 19 Aug 2008

Commuting, Daily Life, News, People, Places, Signs | 5 Comments 

Ok. So, after the last time I "saved the day" at a hotel I figured it was a one-off occurrence.  I really didn’t anticipate making a "career" out of it, but it seems that I am destined to be a hotel superhero.

When I saw this sign early this week I sprung in to action faster than I even knew I could move. I lifted the handset without even thinking twice about the personal cost to me.  As far as I was concerned, helping out the "operator" wasn’t even a choice; it was my duty.

Anyway, I figure that if I am going to be a superhero I might need:

(a) a name

(b) a slogan

(c) an outfit

(d) a sidekick

So if you have any ideas for any of those, please let me know. Hotel staff around the globe will thank you for it.

Note: Don’t worry about me needing a mild-mannered alter-ego. I already have a day job in IT.

Today’s forecast: A step towards accuracy

Posted 11 Jul 2008

Daily Life, News, People | 12 Comments 

Weather forecasting personnel have it good.  Day in and day out they can perform their job terribly, delivering totally inaccurate results, and they are never held accountable for their poor performance. I know it is a really hard job, and I certainly don’t think I could do any better, but I’d like to propose a new approach to valuing weather forecasters that might help to bring those truly exceptional forecasters to the mainstream; and those who are simply coasting by, happy about the lack of accountability, would have to either step up their game or seek alternate employment.

Weather forecasting personnel should be surrounded by the stat-hungry analysts that hound every major athlete and sporting event. Each forecaster will have their personal track-record meticulously maintained. Their yearly contracts will no longer be determined by how much their smile is appreciated by the news watching audience, but rather by their percentage of thunderstorms accurately predicted.

People who have the skills, talent and luck which it takes to be a superstar weather man / woman will rise to the top, be recruited by the big networks, have multi-year contracts, and deliver outstanding and accurate weather forecast. However, those with great smiles but who seem to make predictions using a roulette wheel, well, perhaps their better suited to work in a casino afterall.

Talent scouts would be sent out from all the major news sources and forecasters would be recruited from all the best meteorology universities. The “rookies” who are rising stars would be forgiven a few errors here and there, as long as they show potential. Over time, weather forecasters could begin to develop a brand for their specific skills; Steve’s a tornado guy; Pauline knows sunshine; Jane, she’s got hail’s home phone number.

Look who’s running for Parliament!

Posted 27 Jun 2008

Events, News, People, Places | Leave a Comment 

Living in a small village just to the east of Oxford, I fall into the district covered by the MP for Henley-on-Thames. The previous MP, Boris Johnson, recently succeeded in becoming the Mayor of London and so, yesterday, there was an election in my area to elect a new MP. (No, no, don’t worry. This isn’t becoming a political blog … I promise!)

Wishing to do my part in the democratic process, I went down to the village hall in the early evening. Outside the room where the voting was taking place was a copy of the ballot, so that voters could familiarise themselves with it and read the instructions on how to vote.

As I glanced down the ballot, I was bowled over by the third candidate on the list:

(Apologies for the poor quality photo. If you can’t read the text on the image, the third candidate in the list is Peter Thomas Bananaman, of 58 Reeds Avenue, Earley, Reading, RG5 5SR, standing for the Monster Raving Loony party.)

What?!? What the heck is that? I don’t recall getting any of their leaflets through the post. Well, I certainly didn’t know that the good people of the Monster Raving Loony party had put forward a candidate for the contest. That changes everything! I definitely need to re-consider how I was going to vote.

So how did I vote in the end? Not telling – it was a secret ballot!