Your Blogging With Dr P... search result is below this annoucement.
In April 2008 Blogging With Dr P... moved to Blog Bypass.
If you're using the Blog Studio Search Facility to find a link to a previous blog, then I've been very generous, and NOT included an automatic re-direct which would take you there.
So, what this means is you have to use this link: Blog Bypass to find more Blogging With Dr P....
Thank you to Blog Studio for all the help over years! :)
(Feb 2010 Update): Haloscan is no more. Therefore the comments on this blog are no more. Sad, but true. I'm not paying $12 a year for the occasional comment with Echo. Apologies to all those who have commented. I have saved them and may well stick them somewhere else at some point.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
I'm The Leader, I'm The Leader...
No Christmas lights in Vietnam this year - they're only hanging glitter...... ;)
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Monday, November 28, 2005
Christmas Prezzie List What do I want for Xmas? Could someone start the list off for me please?.... :)
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Friday, November 25, 2005
George Best DiesGeorge Best, one of the most dazzling and entertaining players in soccer history whose playboy living and drinking escapades became a staple of tabloid gossip, died Friday after decades of alcohol abuse. He was 59.
Best, who starred in the 1960s and 1970s for Manchester United and Northern Ireland, had a liver transplant three years ago and had been hospitalized since Oct. 1 because of a reaction to medication to control his alcoholism.
He appeared close to death last month when doctors discovered internal bleeding. He was readmitted to intensive care a week ago with a lung infection and was put on life support. His condition deteriorated sharply Thursday.
"After a long and very valiant fight, Mr. George Best died this afternoon in the intensive care unit at Cromwell Hospital," the hospital said in a statement.
Prime Minister Tony Blair said Best was "probably the most naturally gifted footballer of his generation."
England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson added: "His ability was an inspiration to everyone who loves football."
The Premier League said there will be a minute's silence before each game this weekend. Manchester United players will wear black armbands.
Best was told never to drink again after his liver transplant, but he went back to his old ways and was regularly seen at pubs.
"Unfortunately there is no solution to alcohol, you can't make it go away," Best wrote in a recent update to his second autobiography "Blessed.""Drink is the only opponent I've been unable to beat."
Denis Law, a former Manchester United teammate, was at Best's bedside all night.
"From 1964 to 1969, he was the best player in the country," Law said. "It's sad as hell, but I don't think we saw the best of him. I think he went on the blink at a time when he could have got even better."
In his prime, Best was a version of Diego Maradona and David Beckham rolled into one. Like Maradona, he could dribble his way to magnificent goals. Like Beckham, his showbiz elan often overshadowed his ability.
Best humiliated defenders and frustrated coaches. He scored 180 goals in 465 appearances for United, helping the team win the 1968 European Cup. He also played in the North American Soccer League, scoring 54 goals in 139 games for the Los Angeles Aztecs, Fort Lauderdale Strikers and San Jose Earthquakes.
"Everyone has their own opinion about football and their favorite players," Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said. "But in terms of British players, you would find it difficult to think of anyone better."
Best was only 17 when he began thrilling fans at United. Slightly built but with amazing balance and devastating speed, Best would leave defenders tackling thin air.
Antonio Simoes, Best's coach at San Jose, recalled that during training Best would dribble past a handful of teammates and burst out laughing.
"It was all easy for him," the coach said. "But that irreverence was the essence of his talent. He played with joy. Soccer wasn't a job, it was entertainment."
Best made 37 international appearances for Northern Ireland. But the team had few other stars, and Best played in neither the World Cup nor the European Championship.
In a game in Portugal in 1966, Best scored twice in the first 12 minutes, and the shaggy-haired star with screaming fans became known as the fifth Beatle. He was voted European Player of the Year after his club's Champions Cup triumph in 1968.
"Pele called me the greatest footballer in the world," Best once said. "That is the ultimate salute to my life."
Best retired at 27 in 1972 to concentrate on business ventures, which included nightclubs and clothing boutiques. He came out of retirement three years later, considerably overweight.
Best slimmed down and went to the United States, where he played for the Aztecs of the now-defunct NASL. He later walked out on Fulham, a second-division English club, prompting a worldwide ban. That ruled out a move to Fort Lauderdale, although he later played for the team.
After the ban was lifted, Best had a successful spell with San Jose. He then moved to the Scottish club Hibernian but was fired when he failed to show for two games because of drinking binges.
In 1984, he served two months in jail for drunken driving. In 2004, he was banned from driving for 20 months after another conviction. In 2000, Best collapsed from serious liver damage. He was hospitalized with pneumonia in 2001. Two months later, anti-alcohol pellets were implanted in his stomach.
Best could not be relied on to keep appointments either as a player, TV soccer analyst or after-dinner speaker. His private life was splashed across the British tabloids.
"I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars," he once said. "The rest I just squandered."
At times, he had a comic's perfect delivery.
"I used to go missing a lot," he said. "Miss Canada, Miss United Kingdom, Miss World."
In 1983, Best was hit over the head with a beer glass in a London pub hours after he appeared in bankruptcy court for failing to pay back taxes. Just before Christmas the following year, Best was jailed for three months for drunken driving, assaulting a policeman and jumping bail.
In 1990, Best appeared wildly drunk on a live TV show, uttering expletives and embarrassing the host. But, with his second wife, Alex Pursey, standing by, he contained his drinking enough to regularly appear on an afternoon soccer program as an analyst.
The drinking caught up with him again, and doctors told him even one more glass of wine could kill him. In the hospital for a month, Best promised his wife he wouldn't drink again. It was one more promise he couldn't keep.
In 2004, Alex Best was granted a divorce after nine years of marriage, citing her husband's adultery. Best had a son, Calum, from a four-year marriage to his first wife, Angie.
Best will be buried next to his mother, Ann, in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on Dec. 2, said his agent, Phil Hughes.
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Wednesday, November 23, 2005
The New Forest and Swollen FeetBack at the beginning of October I told you about my swollen feet - and how this has been going on since June. Well, the diuretics "ran out", as it were(!), just over a week ago. The good news is that I have stopped racing up the platform to the gents bogs in Fenchurch St station every morning... but the bad news is that my feet have started to swell again.
So, I went to the doctors this afternoon. He said he had a theory... "Oh good," I thought "All those years of medical training - and you have a theory" Anyway, his theory is that I have some sort of swelling of the veins - which would have been undetectable to the doppler test thingy I had a few weeks ago, but fits quite nicely into a totally unproveable theory. Cute eh?
I'm off to Boots to get a months worth of Ibuprofen. At least I won't be running to the loo every few mins.
......
Oh - the New Forest? Ah yes.....
I took the advice of someone this morning and drove from Bournemouth International Airport to Southampton along the "forest road". The road was closed halfway along - with no diversions. I just followed the car in front of me. This car soon veered off into a tiny village. So there I was - lost in/on the New Forest. If:
1. It were summer
2. I was on my holidays
3. It wasn't misty & musrky
4. I wasn't in a hurry to get to Soputhampton
5. I wasn't hungry
6. There weren't New Forest Ponies bloody everywhere!
This might have been a pleasant diversion this morning. But - oh no it wasn't. Needless to say I found myself pulling over to ask a local yocal the way to Southampton. I had, in fact, almost driven in a circle. So much for a shortcut through the forest - I'll stick to the bloody motorway next time!
Still - you've got to larf, right? :)
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Monday, November 21, 2005
Darn SarfI'm off darn the sarf coast again tomorrow for a couple of days by the seaside. Poole, Bournemouth & Southmpton to be precise. Got the hire car this afternoon - a nice Renualt Laguna with one of those electronic key card thingies.
Anyway, while I'm away - check your sock drawer - I've not just found mis-matched socks recently.... I've found totally new, (well old, actually), pairs of socks I never even knew existed!
I expect a report on my desk by 08:00 hrs :)
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Sunday, November 20, 2005
It Was A Great WakeIt's been a l..o..n..g 48hrs. we drove up to the North East of England for our uncle's funeral on Friday morning. We got there around 11am, (from a 06:45am start - which was pretty good going). After a quick wash and scrub up we went over to my cousin's house from where the funeral cortege began to the church. Thankfully, the chief undertaker, who had been walking in front of the hearse, jumped into it once we reached the main road - otherwise we might have had another calamity on our hands!
The church service was good, and the whole crematorium thing was as expected. My cousin is taking his ashes back to Ireland to be buried back in the home land. I think it's an excellent idea.
Anyway - so onto the wake afterwards! It was, well, quite fun - as the best wakes should be. My bro Joe missed the free bar, and the first round cost him 12(!) - Guiness naturally ;) Then a significant amount of money was placed behind the bar - which is when I got the next round - Guiness again!
So the afternnon went on - and there were songs sung at our table from both my aunt and my mum. It was really nice. And, of course, there was free whiskey! for those all important toasts.
It was a very good wake. My uncle would have been proud of it :)
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Saturday, November 12, 2005
Google AdsenseRemember how I was telling you about my Google Adsense Top Paying Keywords website? Well, in case you didn't fully understand the whole concspts of the Google Adsense programme, I'd thought I'd help you with a few video links:
1. Getting Started With Google Adsense - this takes you through how to access your account, customising Google Adsense to your website, generating the adcode, activating the ads on your website, understanding how Adsense for search works, understanding additional features about Google Adsense, and then some FAQ's.
2. Helping With Google Adsense Code - taking you through how to locate the ad code in your Google Adsense account, copy and pasting your adcode, determining where to paste the adcode, and implementing the adcode using two different types of WYSIWYG editors. There's also a trouble shooting and FAQ part of the video as well.
3. Google Adsense and Optimization. This video is great and will show you about experimenting with Adsense, picking the right ad implementation, and using key Google Adsense features. The second part of the video show case studies of real live websites where Google Adsense has worked.
4. Google Adsense Payment. For some strange reason, the folks at the Google Adsense programme thought it was necessary to produce a video about hwo you get paid by them. It is informative, and worth a read.
And if you need further explanations of things, go take the Google Adsense Tour - and then go and Sign Up For Google Adsense.
If you watch the four videos listed above, and go take The Google Adsense Tour, you will have a very good basic grounding in Google Adsense. I cannot stress enough that with a few months of hard work & trial and error - you will reap the rewards of having a nice little extra income coming into the home.
So, what are you waiting for? Get outta here and earn some money! :)
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Friday, November 11, 2005
Pointy Thumbs RevisitedRemember this: Pointy Thumbs ... The Shape Of Things To Come? Well now it's become a reality:
"Blackberry Users Learning Painful Lesson
By ALICIA CHANG
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Chris Claypool was addicted to his BlackBerry wireless handheld. Like many users, he never thought twice about pecking away at lightning speed, replying to a wave of e-mails from clients around the globe. Last year, the 37-year-old agricultural sales director from Post Falls, Idaho, noticed a throbbing sensation in this thumbs whenever he typed.
He switched to tapping with his index finger, then his middle digit and finally his pinky. But his thumbs pained him to the point where he can't even press the buttons on his TV remote control.
After months of aching, Claypool took a break. Now he only uses his BlackBerry to send short messages - typing with the tip of a pencil eraser whenever his thumbs get sore.
``It affects business because I can't whack away on my BlackBerry like I used to,'' he said. ``It's just too painful.''
Repetitive motion injuries, which have long afflicted desktop and laptop computer users, are invading the mobile handheld world.
There's even an informal name for the malady - ``BlackBerry Thumb'' - a catch-all phrase that describes a repetitive stress injury of the thumb as a result of overusing small gadget keypads.
Business executives and tech-savvy consumers are increasingly using BlackBerries, Treos, Sidekicks and other devices with miniature keyboards designed for thumb-tapping to stay connected while on the go.
And that has some ergonomic and hand experts worried about injuries from overexertion.
``If you're trying to type 'War and Peace' with your thumbs, then you're going to have a problem,'' warned Alan Hedge, director of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Laboratory at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
No national statistics exist on how many people suffer from this type of thumb ailment, but some doctors say they are seeing an upswing in related cases, said Dr. Stuart Hirsch, an orthopedist at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, N.J.
``It's mostly the road warrior who prefers to answer e-mails on a thumb keyboard,'' said Hirsch. ``If all you did was just answer with a simple yes and no, it would not be a dilemma.''
For as long as video gamers have been blasting aliens, so-called ``Gamer's Thumb'' has been a sore spot for them, as well. With tens of millions of portable video game machines on the market, lots of young hands risk digit abuse.
Games for such devices generally include some type of printed warning about injury risks from prolonged playing.
Earlier this year, the American Society of Hand Therapists issued a consumer alert, warning users of small electronic gadgets that heavy thumb use could lead to painful swelling of the sheath around the tendons in the thumb.
The group recommended taking frequent breaks during e-mailing and resting one's arms on a pillow for support.
A booklet that ships with the Nintendo DS handheld system advises a 10 to 15 minute break for each hour of play, and a break of at least several hours if gamers experience wrist or hand soreness.
``People tend to use just one finger over and over again and it's that repetitive use with one digit that could lead to problems,'' said Stacey Doyon, vice president of the American Society of Hand Therapists and a registered occupational therapist in Portland, Maine.
The BlackBerry, which debuted in 1999, employs a full QWERTY keypad for thumb typing to automatically send and receive e-mail. About 2.5 million people currently use Blackberries, more than double from a year ago.
An executive for Research In Motion Ltd., which makes the BlackBerry, said the company considers ergonomic factors when designing its keyboards.
``Of course, any product can be overused ... so people should listen to their own bodies and adjust their routine if necessary. But I would caution against confusing rare examples of overuse with the typical experience,'' Mark Guibert, vice president of marketing, wrote in an e-mail.
Musculoskeletal disorders, which include repetitive strain injuries, accounted for a third of all workplace injuries and illnesses reported in 2003 - the latest data available, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Specialists say the thumb - considered by many as an island because it is set apart from the other fingers - is among the least dexterous digit and is not meant to be rigorously worked out.
For people who insist on typing more than a sentence with their thumbs, external keyboards that connect to the gadgets may be a less painful alternative, said Dr. Jennifer Weiss, assistant professor of orthopedics at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
Treatment for BlackBerry thumb may include wearing a splint and applying ice to the affected area. If the pain persists, doctors may opt to inject the thumb area with a cortisone shot. Surgery may be required as a last resort.
John Orminski, a 44-year-old information technology manager from Pontiac, Mich., went to a doctor in the spring after feeling a strain in his right thumb.
On any given day, Orminski uses his thumb repeatedly to punch clients' telephone numbers, scroll through his address book and update his calendar on his BlackBerry.
Orminski already suffers from golfer's elbow - a form of tendinitis - from playing the sport. But unlike his elbow pain, which occurs in spurts, Orminski's thumb woes tend to flare up more often.
He recently started physical therapy for this thumb - receiving electrical stimulation and massage to relax the muscles.
``It can get sore and tender, but I'm learning to live with it.'' "
Now who would have believed it, eh? ;)
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Wednesday, November 09, 2005
The Fragility Of LifeOne of my uncle's died this morning. He was my mother's eldest brother.
Earlier this week a former colleague, a really nice guy, died on Monday. He was about the same age as me. He ate fruit, went to the gym - stayed healthy.
If you haven't seen your parents, or beloved aunt or uncle, recently - go see them now. Get in the car. Or give them a call. Don't use this internet rubbish - no emails please. If you are going to write to them - write a letter with pen and ink - and include photos of you and the family etc.
If you've not been out for a drink with some old friends for a while - do it now. Arrange it. Get off the bloody internet and talk to them in person, or on the phone.
Life is too short.
I did see my uncle, about a month ago, for the first time in many years. He was as he always was - just great. He'll be sadly missed.
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Sunday, November 06, 2005
Remote ViewingDo you remember my Remote Viewing Experience from a couple of years ago? Well I was reminded about it again last night as I watched Minority Report. I'd actually seeen Minority Report just after it came out - but it was on a plane hurtling across the Atlantic Ocean at 38,000ft - staring into a 5" LCD screen on the back on somebody's "bouncy" headrest. Not an idle cinema going experience you'll agree.
Anyway, there was little Tommy Cruise bouncing around in leather outfits etc with the occasional ball rolling around in his fist.... HMMM - all sounds like a bit of a soft porn movie when you review it like that, don't it? :). But in the end - the good guys won.
The point of all of this is - I can still Remote View. Anyone can. You can. Check out the Academy of Remote Viewing Through Space And Time's training course. It's a set of six tapes which help to get you into the right state of mind for Remote Viewing. Go back and read my Remote Viewing Experience from a couple of years ago - and then give it go.
Let me know how you get on.
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Friday, November 04, 2005
Happy Blogday To Me!Yes, it was on Nov 4th 2002 that I made my first real blog on the internet. It went like this:
"I'd like to thank all the 172 visitors so far....ha....it'll get better I promise you.
I just need.....er.......time and some bits and pieces to finish things off around here.
In the meantime, please feel free to sign the old 'guestbook' with any comments - nice or otherwise. Thanks."
Dramatic stuff, eh? :)
Back in 2003 I had a few job worries on this day:
"Free! Free! Free!
Nope. Not really. But for all those people looking for free stuff on the internet - hello :). It's very rare that you actually find free stuff. If you want my advice - search under Google:Groups - it's far more lucrative to click on some of the links in their messages to websites containing all kinds of free stuff. Remember to have a good virus checker if you're going to download stuff - there's some nasty little buggers out there as well just waiting to mess with you PC.
So - how was your day munchkins? Mine started off as usual - phone ringing, long conversations, note writing, me nodding, (why do we always nod when we're on the phone?), and me finally putting the phone down saying - "Bloody marvellous! What a great start to the day!" - this is sarcasm by the way - even more difficult to see in print than it is to understand from us Brits :)
After that, I had a cappucino from the salubrious Kenco Coffee Machine - hmmmmm, yum yum. Not. Bits of powder along the rim of the paper cup reminded me of the last time I'd bought one,(20p!), and how I must be in a state of shock still from my phone call.
I'm not saying it was devastating or anything. But I just had my job direction changed down a path that I would rather it not have go. In fact, it was in direct contradiction to conversations I'd had with my boss several months ago. Okay, things have changed in my dept, people have left, been made redundant, processes undergoing change etc. But for all that - it feels to me like I got the shitty end of the stick in this particular dept. shuffle. It may well be temporary - 12 months or so - but that's a long time doing something you'd rather not do. Oh yes, the benefits of it were spelt out to me, but that really doesn't matter when I don't want to do it in the first place.
However, I have started to formulate battle tactics already. We have a meeting when I come back from France, (again! Lille, Paris & Bordeaux this time), to discuss the new dept structure and the way ahead, next step forward etc etc. Don't get me wrong - I'll do a bloody good job of what I'm being asked to do, it's just that I'm capable of being able to do a lot more than this, and it seems like a bit of a retrograde step for me. I shan't go into details, suffice to say that I'll have a really exciting year ahead - sarcasm again :)
I'm sure there's people who've had shittier days than this today. You might have had one yourself. I mean, my comments aren't working at the moment either - so leave a message in the guestbook if they're not.
No, I'm not feeling sorry for myself, I have a happy enough life as it is :) - but a few cakes & choccy bars wouldn't go amiss - thank you :)
Tuesday, November 04, 2003 "
Now last year was a different kettle of fish altogether!:
The Boys From The Belgian Border Are Back
And here they are, LIVE from PC City, Leers! :
Just as happy as they were back in February:
And as animated as they were back in Nov 03:
More from France later :)
Friday, November 05, 2004
And today. Well, I've seen a lot of people's weblogs come and go over the last few years, which is a shame. There are some very nice people with interesting rich lives who have "shared themselves" with the net - and it's been jolly nice knowing them whilst they were here. To all those who know me and are still hanging around ..... - haven't you got anything better to do?! :)
Anyway, Happy Blogday to me!
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Wednesday, November 02, 2005
I'll F***ing Swear If I Want To! And the reason I say that is this: when I stub my toe, bang my arm, hit my head, i.e. do some sort of personal injury to myself, either through my own stupidity, or because some thing has just entered more than my personal space - I will respond in the way I know best. I'll swear.
Now, the swearing serves no purpose whatsoever - except to verbalise and valididate the fact that I may be in some minor pain. (Of course, you girls will argue that the aches and pains that a man says he has are usually nothing at all. Hence the creation of such expressions as Man Flu etc etc). BUT! This is my pain - and I want to shout about it. Akin to It's My Party And I'll Cry If I Want To..... I think? Anyway...
So there! So If you here me swearing out loud after I've hot myself - please don't tell me to "Be Quiet" or ask such stupid quastions as "Why do you swear like that?" - it's because I bloody well want to! - thank you :)
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