30 June, 2008

My 2008 Resolutions

So this blog has been up and running for over three years now.. and originally I only used it for my travels round the world in my thirtieth year. I haven't really kept it up to date for ages, but now that its moved over to wordpress I hope I can ...

So why am I writing in July about Resolutions? Well I am just looking through my previous years resolutions. Thirtieth / 2006 / 2007 There seems to be a familiar pattern.

I only do four each year, and all of them mention:

  • No More Smoking!

  • Get Fit & Stay Fit

  • Manage my cash & life better

  • Keep a life journal


So what do I want to do right now?

  1. Give up smoking - I try and I fail. I think its been about six times I have given up now, and every time it lasts about three months. However, I have declared my flat to be a non smoking flat. (Once the new kitchen is all fitted, and the front room has been painted)

  2. Get Fit & Stay Fit - Again, I find this difficult. Its all about routine. Its all about sticking to a plan. When my kitchen is fitted, me and Becky want to do a routine of ONLY shopping for the week on a Monday night. Stick to the meal plan, and stick to a shopping list. Its not just going out running, but having a change of lifestyle.

  3. Manage my cash & life better - Something I can actually do! Do you want to know how to do this? Have two accounts - one for your bills and one for spending.

  4. Keep a life Journal - I love technology, but what I want is a private online blog linked to my laptop. Has anyone got any recommendations for journalling software?


I don't want to add any more to this list.. four is more than enough.

No more HP2133.. its going to be the Asus Eee PC 901!

Back in April when I heard that HP were going to release a new laptop.. called the HP2133 .. I put it straight to the top of my wish list. After all, I need my OWN laptop (I don't like using works to do my personal stuff) and It looks beautiful, with what looks like a full aluminium case and also a full size keyboard. Its only available to buy from Research Machines in the UK right now, and its priced from £385

Not a problem I thought.. after all the spec is either Linux (SUSE 10.3) or Windows (vista or XP) with a large 120Gb HDD, and either a 3cell or 6cell battery. The problem?? I have read that it gets hot... damn hot! If its meant to be a nice portable laptop then it needs to be running cool.. after all it will be sitting on my lap half the time..

So I needed to review the other models out there. Using both Wikipedia, and my favourite review website - Trusted Reviews - I have checked out these reviews:

Coming soon is also the Dell E and the Acer Inspire One .. but neither of these brands have ever ticked the box with me!



So it looks to me that my next purchase is going to be a Asus Eee PC 901, probably the linux edition. Its running with the new intel Atom processor, which makes it run quieter and cooler, and also dramatically improves the battery life (approx 4.5 hrs). It also has draft-N wireless built in. Some previous features that are quite clever are the Multi-touch pad, and the custom Linux Xandros OS.

With a guideprice of £319 and available from the 1st July 2008, it looks the perfect netbook.

Just want to finish with the verdict that Trusted Review gave:
"Brimming with features and with a new CPU and better battery, the Eee PC 901 personifies exactly the spirit in which the original was created. It may be a bit more expensive than the original and lack a more comfortable keyboard, but for a balance of features, size, usability and value, the 901 has once again set the standard. For the moment, at least, the (new) original is still the best"

29 May, 2008

Sicily 2008 - three days in Trapani


Lavanzo Harbour After spending three days in a B&B in Catania, me and Becks were fortunate to ask Angela (who managed the Catania City Centre B&B) to find us a nice B&B in Trapani. We had thought long and hard where we wanted to stay, and after dismissing Palermo, it was between Selinunte and Trapani. We discovered getting to Selinunte would prove difficult… So we stayed 200m away from Trapani Train Station at a B&B called Cortille di Venere It was well priced at only €48 per night, and was ideally situated in the old town of Trapani.



Trapani is a great base for the non-touristy east side of Sicily. There could be lots to do on this side of the island, but we didnt find it! We just spent three days chill-axing.. three days of slowly wandering round, having a few beers and lots more coffees, and smoking lots and lots of cigarettes.. I had finished the two books I had bought with me (Flashmans Lady, and Flashman and the Mountain of Light - Great Books!) and we were walking at snails pace round the town!! It was sooo quiet!

Anyway the next day we wanted to go to Selinunte, but my alarm was set for weekdays only and we didn’t get up till 11:30.  Instead we caught the hydrofoil across to Levanzo.. one of the beautiful Aegardian Islands. Only 450 people there, and its the epitome of peace and quiet.. When we got back to Trapani, we went out for a beer and some food. (but forgot to get some food..)

Sunday was my 33rd birthday, and I did find out the day before that everything was going to be closed, so with our hangover we went to the beach for the day.It rose to 35°C during the day, and we had to go and relax in the shade for the rest of the day.. I also discovered Brioche with icecream.. basically an icecream in a bun! tasty… That night we went out for a lovely meal at a new restaurant that had only just opened.

Our last day, and again we wanted to go to Selinunte..  and again we were thwarted. The bus only runs at 6:55 and 12:35 and takes three hours.. it was not meant to be. Instead we slowly wandered Trapani, drinking lots of espresso, and taking lots of pictures…

Tips ‘n’ tricks



  1. Guidebooks.. dont forget them!If you do bring one, get a decent one - Lonely Planet or Rough Guide

  2. Its possible to go on holiday with just one cabin bag (article to follow) — just plan it carefully!

  3. Be prepared for days of nothing… just sit back and put your feet up with an espresso

28 May, 2008

Sicily 2008 - Three days in Catania


Greek Theatre in Taormina Me and Becks finally managed to get away for our first ever holiday together and we chose Sicily.

We chose to fly with RyanAir from London Stanstead, and as our flight was leaving at 06:05 we had to get the train the night before. Arriving near midnight, we settled down to relax in one of the cafes. I was soon asleep! Anyway, we finally boarded and were soon arriving to a beautiful, if slightly windy day at Palermo Airport.

Once we had got the bus to the capital city, and boarded a €23 train, we soon found ourselves wandering through the city streets of Sicilys second city, Catania. We were looking for our B&B, and Angela had given us some great directions so it wasn’t long before we found Catania City Centre B&B. We were given a very comprehensive review of the city and local tourist sights, and promptly booked a trip to Mount Etan the following day.

Mount Etna can be quite stunning.. unfortunately we went on a day with a bit of drizzle! However, we still saw some underground lava created tunnels, and one of the crators at 2000m .. no running lava though. Apparently, its worth going during the night if that is what you are after. Once we got back to Catania, we wandered round and discovered the Castle and also some beautiful side streets. We went out to a lovely fish restaurant that night as well, where we were ‘treated’ to witnessing the Sicilian version of illegal parking.. simply burn the car !! (oh and Manchester United beat Chelsea in the Champions league - it was down to penaltys) The next day, with a small hangover, we decided to get the train over to Taormina.

Views in TaorminaTaormina is Sicilys tourist town. As many Sicilians wanted to tell us, “You won’t see the true Sicily in Taormina” .. maybe, buts it a wonderful place with an ancient Greek Theatre, and it has great views! Anyway, we arrived at the train station and decided to go walk along the beach to find the way up to Taormina, as its situated on a hill… it wasnt until we had walked about 4km that we realised we had gone the wrong way, and at this point we got the bus to the town!!

It seemed to be full of a lot more tourists than usual, and we put this down to a cruise liner we saw in the bay earlier. One of the main sights we wanted to see was the Greek Theatre. It was only €6 for entry, and it was worthwhile. The history and the views are stunning. We wandered round for an hour or so, and I took a lot of pictures - see my flickr page - but soon we decided we had to explore the rest of the town. We headed down the Corso, grabbed overpriced beers and pizza and espressos, and before you knew it we were absolutely knackered and headed to go and get our bus home, which was slightly more expensive than the train there.

On Friday we decided to move on, and after putting the world to rights with Angela at Breakfast, we walked on down to the Train Station only to miss our train! Instead we got the bus, which was much quicker and we soon arrived in Palermo to catch our onwards bus to Trapani..

Tips ‘n’ Tricks?


  1. Take some money before you go, only about one in five Sicilian cash machines let me draw money from abroad.

  2. Learn some basic italian.. not many Sicilians speak English. “Parle Inglese?” … no

  3. Learn to love espresso… oh my god! its great… and keeps you energised!

  4. Take a decent guidebook.. Lonely Planet and Rough Guides both have there updated 2008 versions coming out two weeks after we got back from our own holiday!

30 April, 2008

Home Server and the new HP2133


HP Home Server (thanks ArsTechnica)Who has a home server? I have been contemplating this for sometime now, as the desktop machine I have is never used. I play my music collection through it, but I am sure I could do something better. Also I am fed up with the desktop constantly crashing, as its too hot inside the cupboard its in.

So has anyone ever done this yet? I have an evaluation copy of Windows Home Server, and will probably install it soon.. but I keep reading about Ubuntu or even SUSE. Its free.. its got a great community.. why not? well, I don’t know linux enough to understand the syntax commands. I believe I could use linux as a desktop replacement though.

What I want to do is get a Shuttle KPC and create a headless machine, like HomeServerHacks .. I would love to be able to salvage as much of my current machine as possible,  especially the HDDs..

If anyone has done anything like this in the past.. let me know! HP 2133 (thanks ubergizmo)

Also, waiting to get my hands on the HP2133 -  The new ultraportable laptop for about £400  - its very similar to the EEE PC that has also been getting rave reviews. If I get something this small, then its going to be a linux desktop.. free software and everything stored in the Cloud!

30 March, 2008

t’InterWebs

So I am starting a new blog.. t’InterWebs

Currently hosted over at blogger.com It’s going to be all about the t’InterWebs (aka The World Wide Web) and how it can help you out.. it’s going to have a little reporting, some facts, some how to’s and some tips and tricks. I want to help people set themselves up online and how to go about promoting the best brand in the world … YOU!

I’m still going to keep this site up and running, but this is going to be personal only. Anyway go and check it out, and let me know what you think!

29 March, 2008

Sicily, Italy for a week in May ‘08

So its payday, and so that I guarantee going on holiday I decided to book me and Beckys flights today..  We had already both taken the week off and had talked about going somewhere nice and hot, but also a little historical.

I had read in a magazine (which I can’t find anymore..) that Sicily was a great place to go backpacking. So I decided to do a little research. Flights with Easyjet to Palermo or Catania ?? Not when we want to go, so you have to look with the other lowcost airline .. RyanAir.

Yes, I already know its going to be a Nightmare Flight and I have heard far too many stories about them. Sometimes though I am a sucker for punishment, and also the flights were dirt cheap! £15 there and £30 return, for a total of £170 (including taxes). Now I don’t know if you knew this, but RyanAir have started charging if you want to put bags in the hold. So we are both going to have a week away with a bag each that is no bigger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm, and weighing no more than 10kg.. going to be our little challenge! I am using OneBag for some hints and tips!
So has anyone been to Sicily before? Any recommendations? Will keep you updated with our plans…

26 March, 2008

Now its nearly April 08!

So my last blog post was 60 days ago, and anyone that used to subscribe to this blog has now long disappeared. After all according to www.google.com/reader I have 1 subscriber… that’s right ONE!

OK. Its my fault. This blog was used as my travel blog. I found that I didn’t have anything to add when I got back. I work for [INSERT LARGEST IT VENDOR IN WORLD HERE]] in the Networking department, and I am now one of the Technical Consultants. I just do not want to blog about my day job. This is a personal blog.

I have also found that if anyone I know wants to keep in contact with me, they have my phone number. My email address. Or I know them on Facebook. There are still a few of my friends that are technological Luddites, and I am never going to get them to Facebook, let alone leave comments here!

Added a new comments feature Disqus and also linked that to my FriendFeed

Anyway, I want to start getting things added here. So watch out!

25 March, 2007

blog improvements

NOTICE: UPDATING PREVIOUS BLOG ENTRIES.. May result in reposting! Sorry...

What is it about bloggers and the constant need to improve the blog; content, layout, style, plugins and all other aspects?

Anyway, these improvements are something I am doing for final improvements as I may close this blog down soon (in its current format anyway)
I feel I am paying for hosting, when its not important. The blog may go over to vox where I can have public and private posts. I find that I am not writing as much as I have done in the past.. I am no longer travelling, but just getting on with life.

I am going to move the rest over to Google. How? Well, as I am using Google Apps for your domain, I have a feeling in a few months then I will be able to host everything I want online with them. Photos / links / blog / homepage.. they already look after pretty much everything else for me (Mail / calandar / reader and of course search) Its only Flickr and de.icio.us that I also use.

25 January, 2007

january blues

What is it about January, that makes me come down with sty's in my eye? That someone punctures my tyre? And knocks the mirror off my car? That my job just seems to increase in workload everyday with no chance of slacking? That my landlord STILL has not fixed the main light in my room? That my cat wakes me up every morning at 4 wanting attention, but because I am tired and I just want to sleep, she then scratches me? and then I can't get up to do my run?

I hate whingers.. my brother told me that I am "glass half empty type of guy", in other words pessimistic... One thing I remember from the army, was that they used to say that the soldiers aren't happy unless they were moaning! I liked that.. I think there is nothing wrong with moaning, but as long as you get things done, promptly and properly, then you can do it!

Anyway, Januarys nearly over now.. so roll on February!