A tool for telephone blackmailers?

Type in some text and have it converted to an audio file that you can save and use for your own nefarious purposes (choose from English, Spanish and Italian options) at vozMe

My first attempt at raking in top dollar below!

Good things should never end.....

.....but try telling Bex. Here's a contribution from her late employer!
Click on the website name (or maybe twice!) to find out how they're spending the money they've saved on her salary.

Ho, ho ho!.........

We've had loads of fun with this at work today (only during coffee breaks and over lunch of course!) Upload up to 4 headshots (easy editing tools inbuilt) and get ready to dance at ElfYourself

If you get into the head transplant mindset there's others you could amuse yourselves with

• Gizmoz
• ScroogeYourself
• My ABC Adventure (more for kids, but also hilarious for for the young-at-heart!)
• AGE-O-MATIC

How-to videos for science experiments

"Are you a fan of Instructables or SuTree? Looking for a place with just science-related items? SciVee is a site for video clips of science experiments and processes that might be just up your alley. The service originally opened up to the public in late August but today is unveiling a newer, updated look with some new features to help users find and interact with content."

(To my shame I can't remember where I copied and pasted this from.....when I work it out I'll post a credit)

Perhaps someone with more highly developed scientific tendencies than me would like to review, Chris?.....I just thought it looked like it might be interesting!

Sometimes you just can't beat an old-fashioned pencil.....

Conceptis - Few websites do free online/printable number/picture pizzles as well as Conceptis. Try your hand at weekly sudoku puzzles, or get fancy with kakuro, battleships, slitherlink, hashi, and half a dozen varieties of picture-forming puzzles. Some can be played online and all can be printed and solved with a good old fashioned pencil.

Found at Jay is Games, (er....I find a lot of stuff here!!)

Santas workshop

Lots of pop up card templates to print and make here

Harriet Martineau....late of Tynemouth

"Hey, I know that name" I bet you're thinking

That's because you've seen the English Heritage Blue Plaque on the southern side of Front Street, Tynemouth...well, maybe!
Harriet Martineau was an English authoress and temporary resident in the north......
"From 1839 to 1844 she was an invalid at Tynemouth, but recovered through mesmerism" ......but, hey......didn't we all!
There's lots more about the lady at Wikipedia here
You can download a pdf copy of one of her books "Feats on the Fiords" (with very nice art deco illustrations, one shown above) here at the Internet Archive

Confession.....I've never read anything by the woman....I just liked the pictures!

Download free mp3s

Now I'm not sure whether this is all legal and above board....but they say it is!

Try it here Search by artist or title.

Some sample searches and numbers of results

• christmas 1410
• beatles 743
• bob dylan 431
• rolling stones 170

and last but not least......OK, so MAYBE least!

• david essex 1 (sorry anne!)

Trip the light fantastic

An idea for all those discarded cocktail umbrellas you'll no doubt be accumulating over the festive period (but be liberal with the fire-retardant spray before you flip that switch!). On the other hand you could just buy one ready made from Bright Lights Little City , but be prepared to dig deep for the priveledge!

Pictures from an exhibition

The quality of the photos isn't brilliant (it doesn't do justice to the artwork on show), but I only had my phone with me.....hopefully though you get the picture! I asked about the reason behind the name of the studios, but that seems to be shrouded in mystery or a cloud of alcohol. But apparently the building itself has a chequered history (not related to mushrooms).....it once acted as an overflow for the city morgue and before that it was a toffee factory!

Game overload

Think I know what I'll be doing tonight!.....Lovely graphics and lots of point and clicky goodness on offer at Tipping Point

LATER.....Stuck? (OK, so I was!), there's a stage-by-stage walkthrough here

tis the season to be glittery.....

Add some tacky glitter to your Photos

Lots of games trial....it's the weekend, OK?

Apparently this gizmo updates every week.....not sure whether that's a threat or a promise (and the good news, possibly, being that it'll disappear off the front page in a couple of weeks!)

They all feature the sort of repetitive music that revisits you in your dreams....be warned!

Chat Noir

Play it here

Try to keep the cat from escaping the field by clicking on a spot. Dark green means 'no way out'...satisfyingly difficult in a gentle sort of way.

Name that booze......

77%LUSH Take the booze test by clicking on the image.....I dare you!

At your convenience.....

The UK's first SMS service for finding the nearest toilet launched in London today. Just text the word "toilet" and SatLav, run by the Westminster City Council, points you the nearest public toilet. From the Associated Press:

The system, which covers 40 public toilets, pinpoints the caller's position by measuring the strength of the phone signal. The texts cost about 25p, and most of Westminster's toilets are free.
The council said it hopes the service will stop people from urinating in alleyways, saying some 10,000 gallons of urine ends up in Westminster streets each year.

"Satlav".....don't you just love it?

Trying out Windows Live Writer

I'm trying out Windows Live Writer again to see whether there's been any improvements. Also to find out whether the plugins work with Blogger or only Windows products. On the left is an alternative way of displaying captioned pictures.....unfortunately there's no way of changing the colour of the background or the drop shadow....but hey, it costs nothing!

Then there's the option to add a map or an aerial photo with added notes (click on the image to find out the latest status of pantomime tickets!)

A couple of podcast sources.....

They say........

"You’ve found the world’s premier horror fiction podcast. Pseudopod brings you the best short horror in audio form, to take with you anywhere.
WARNING: This is a podcast of horror fiction. The stories presented here are intended to disturb you. They are likely to contain death, graphic violence, explicit sex (including sexual violence), hate crimes, blasphemy, or other themes and images that hook deep into your psyche. We do not provide ratings or content warnings for specific stories. We assume by your listening that you wish to be disturbed for your entertainment. If there are any themes that you cannot deal with in fiction, that are too strongly personal to you, please do not listen.
Pseudopod is for mature audiences only. Hardly any story on Pseudopod is suitable for children. We mean this very seriously."

I say...."good for the metro, haven't lost any sleep yet!

And for the scifi buffs there's their elder sister podcast Escapepod, currently up to episode 133, with everything available as downloadable mp3s or as a regular podcast if you're that organised....and I think this has to be my favourite! They don't do a 'mission statement', just good fiction.

Sarah's (sort of) selling exhibition.....

For Richard and Janet.....and anybody else for that matter!
Taking place at The Mushroom Works (that's the blue dot on the map) on Saturday 1st December, 10 til 4ish for the "What do you take me for, I've got a proper day-job" fraternity (early afternoon best) together with the possible unveiling of Hails' long-awaited, monkey-based animation (if pressed he might be persuaded to slip the DVD into the player!). Apparently the official opening (on Thursday) has been slightly scuppered because they have competition....the agent representing Banksy (graffiti giant) is in town arranging another high-profile event that clashes. Support your neighbourhood/family artists!!

Still on the food theme.....

Another recipe video site at FoodTube

Here's a "Cooking with the Hippy" taster. Chana......spicy chickpeas and potatoes with incidental olive oil application, laid-back rainstick action and lots of lurve for added value!!

Another new restaurant alert

suggested by Anne and John.....hopefully review to follow in the not too distant future!

Website

Menu

Fab contribution from Lizzie (Lines not Lowe!)

300th post!

Talking cats

And the translation.......

Try to buy the blue cup....

....or just wait a while after the page has loaded (works best with the sound turned on!)

http://producten.hema.nl/

No equivalent in English for....

Kummerspeck (Germany): "Grief bacon" - the weight that you gain by overeating when you’re worried about something.
Attaccabottoni (Italy): A "buttonholer" - someone who corners casual acquaintances or even complete strangers for the purpose of telling them their miserable life stories.
Modré Pondeli (Czech): "Blue Monday" - When you skip coming in to work to give yourself a three-day weekend.
Razbliuto (Russia): The feeling you have for a person you used to love, but don’t anymore.
Shitta (Iran): Leftover dinner that’s eaten for breakfast.
Tartle (Scotland): To momentarily forget the name of the person you’re talking to. The word helps reduce the social embarrassment of such situations: "I’m sorry, I tartled there for a moment."
Pana po’o (Hawaii): To scratch your head in an attempt to remember something you’ve forgotten.
Ngaobera (Easter Island): A sore throat caused by too much screaming.
Backpfeifengesicht (Germany): A face that’s just begging for somebody to put their fist in it.
Papierkrieg (Germany): "Paper war" - bureaucratic paperwork whose only purpose is to block you from getting the refund, insurance payment, or other benefit that you have coming.
Rujuk (Indonesia): To remarry your ex-wife.
Mokita (New Guinea): The truth that everyone knows, but no one will speak about.
Gorrero (Spain, Central America): Someone who never picks up the check.
Fucha (Poland): Using your employer’s time and resources for your own purposes.....much as I'm doing right now!

from Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Wonderful World of Odd.
This book focuses on the odd-side of life and features articles like the strangest TV shows never made, the creepiest insect on Earth, odd medical conditions, and many, many more.
Since 1988, the Bathroom Reader Institute had published a series of popular books containing irresistible bits of trivia and obscure yet fascinating facts. Check out their website here: Bathroom Reader Institute

Weekend timewaster

The Evolution of Dance

For Anne.....cat in a bath

One for Chris

1 hour long, magazine-style, science programmes (delivered in a satisfyingly 'quirky' fashion!) from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.... available as podcasts or as mp3 downloads from their large archive. You can download whole programmes or individual segments (3 or 4 subjects covered per show) Perfect biking fodder!!
Quirks and Quarks homepage

Oh no it isn't.......OH YES IT IS!!

This years Panto at the Priory Theatre Tynemouth.....anyone fancy it? If so, give me a ring with preferred dates and I'll book tickets. Current takers, me (natch!), S, H and D, Ma, Anne and John

Update....and Chris and Bex (Nick said "Er......probably not".....so boo, hiss to him!!)

Update 2...and Richard, Janet, Laura and Ben. Now all we have to do is settle on a date....I'm on the case!

Update 3....it occurs to me that we have a ratio of 3 under-10s to 10 (so-called) grownups, we may have to spread the 'smalls' around to look credible.....at a push, one child to 3 and a bit adults looks ALMOST normal! But be warned, party frocks, alice bands and clean ankle socks for the ladies/long shorts, scabby knees, clip-on dicky bow ties and a dollup of Brylcreme for the gents MAY have to be declared mandatory! PS.....Grandmas are exempt!!

If only I'd known.....

.....about 'Aspirine Usines du Rhone'.....
Instead I had to manage with a pot of cheap honey and some generic painkillers from the corner shop!

New additions on your right

A recipe/ingredients search (see following post) for those times when you're cullinarily challenged (so that'll be most days of the week for me!) and a 'free iTunes downloads' for anyone who has nagging gigabytes to burn (but have a sneaking suspicion that this one won't be there long, the selection available didn't ring any bells for me!)

UPDATE....iTunes search removed, decided it was a waste of space!

Sample 'Nosh' search

I typed in Couscous (because that's what I was planning on for tea) and this was the first in the list.....looks yummy (though I'll probably replace the saffron with a pinch of turmeric!)

Couscous Salad with Almonds, Raisins, Orange Zest and Saffroned Onions

This recipe serves:8

1 cup raisins
1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron threads with 2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup roasted almonds
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
grated zest of 1 orange
2 cups instant couscous
1 cup water
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
lemon juice to taste
chopped parsley

1. Put the raisins in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a simmer. Set aside to plump. In a small saucepan combine the crushed saffron filaments and water and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat to steep.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over moderate heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the saffron mixture and orange zest and simmer 3 minutes. Drain the onions and set aside.
3. Place the couscous in a medium sauce pan. In a separate pan, combine the water, 1 cup of the raisin soaking liquid, orange juice, spices and salt and bring to a boil. Pour this over the couscous and cover with foil. Let sit for 10 minutes then fluff with a fork.
4. Drain the raisins but reserve any liquids that remain in case you need more moisture for the couscous. Toss the raisins, onions, and almonds with the couscous. Adjust seasoning. You may want to add a bit of lemon juice to bring out the spices. Add salt to taste. Top with parsley.
Variation: Chopped, dried apricots may be added to the dish or can replace some of the raisins in the salad. They also need to be plumped in hot water.
To roast whole, slivered, chopped or sliced almonds: Spread in an ungreased baking pan. Place in a 350°F oven and bake 10 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant; stir once or twice to ensure even browning. Note that almonds will continue to roast slightly after removing from oven.

A bit of judicial weeding

I'm planning on removing some detritus from the 'far right'....and maybe adding some new ephemeral stuff. Anyone who wants me to leave (or re-instate) anything in particular give me a bell.

point and click

another weekend time waster. This ones from Salford University, play it here.

This one's for Ma......

VideoJug: How To Deal With Ants

Not seen in Berlin!

Amazing stunts with rubber bands....

.....and plenty of time to practice before christmas! Click on the image for a readable version.

Link update

I had an email from Lizzie Lines (nee Oates) a couple of days ago with the new address for her blog.....their house has come on by leaps and bounds since that picture of her in her foundations! Aren't they doing well?? Check up on progress at http://ourvastu.blogspot.com

The spy who came in from the cold.....

Except this one decided to bring the cold back with her.....there's dedication! This is just a quick plug for the hotel in Berlin I stayed at last week.....a John and Anne request.

The MarkApart Hotel
Website
Reviews on TripAdvisor


The picture makes it look a bit better than the reality, but externals don't really matter in the long run. Internally, scrupulously clean, spacious bedrooms, bath as well as a shower, oodles of hot water, friendly, helpful staff, superb breakfasts....from full english to mind-blowing/stomach bursting continental served buffet style from 6.00am to noon (that's right, till noon!), quiet but centrally placed just off the Ku'dam for any of that designer label shopping you feel obliged to do, handy for U and S-Bahn.....and only 2 short stops or a 10 minute walk from the best department store in the world, Ka De We (check out their food hall on the 6th floor!). Only downsides, no tea-making facilities in rooms, so pack a portable kettle if you just can't live without.....there's a supermarket just round the corner for 'supplies'. And the water from the taps is never colder than lukewarm.....so buy bottled water. Possible downsides for the supremely picky.....no bar (though personally I think that should be counted as a plus!) and no restaurant (but as the surrounding streets are jam-packed with them, who cares?)

Post early for Halloween!!

Pdf so you can print and make your own in the boxfiles!

Wake up cat

The Illustrated London News

I found a great new source of vintage pictures today, here's a sample....

"The English ladies' swimming team at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912, winners of the 4 x 100m race, wearing surprisingly revealing swimming costumes. Women swimmers and divers were seen for the first time at the Games, though modesty was the order of the day. Knickers had to be worn beneath silk swimming suits and robes "or overcoacts" had to be worn right up until the moment the starter was ready to state "on your marks" which makes this picture all the more surprising. From left to right: Miss Bella Moore, Miss Jennie Fletcher, Madame Jarvis (trainer), Miss Annie Spiers and Miss Irene Steer."

Weekend timewaster

Remember those 'spot the differences" puzzles that used to be in every comic you ever got as a kid? Here's a rather elegant electronic version that's harder than you might think!

Boys will be boys

But hey, I'm sure they live valuable and fulfilling lives and have lots of other hobbies too.....air guitar, star trek conventions maybe?

Clockwise or anticlockwise?

Click on the image to view the animation.
If you think she's going clockwise, you're apparently right-brain dominant (imaginative, philosophical, touchy-feely, impetuous); if you see her going counter-clockwise, you're left-brain dominant (logical, practical, detail-oriented, safe).

HALTWHISTLE

News reaches us from our intrepid reporters of wild times in Haltwhistle where the Burn is closed due to vandalism. The photo below shows the damage and appeals for anyone with news of the culprits. A past Haltwhistle resident is quoted as saying "It did not used to happen in my day".

LOOK AROUND YOU......

OK, so it's a spoof of those dodgy schools broadcasts we all were subjected to....and an old one at that. Still funny though! I'm posting the 2 parts of the pilot below and links to the other 8 episodes. (Maybe Chris will find useful content for this terms science classes!)





Episode 1 Maths
Episode 2 Water
Episode 3 Germs
Episode 4 Ghosts
Episode 5 Sulphur
Episode 6 Music
Episode 7 Iron
Episode 8 Brain

Finnish Disco Dance class........

Dig out your flares and learn to dance like the Finns (reminds me of every wedding party I've ever been to!)

An alternative for Chris and Nick

Especially for those long winter nights when even the most stalwart members of the Caravan Club do nothing more energetic than rifle through their photograph albums!
PDF of the complete model added to the box files on the right.

This weekend's project......

New restaurant alert

I haven't been yet but I've heard good reports....and the menu looks great (and VERY reasonably priced, main courses range from £4.50 to £7 ish) For those of you who knew it, it's where almonds and Raisins used to be (near the now demolished Central Library/Princes Square area) Open from 11am to 9pm seven days a week.

They say......

" Gospoda is the first Polish restaurant in Newcastle Upon Tyne and in the whole North-East region.Gospoda, which is located in the very centre of the city, is a place with warm atmosphere, delicious, home made food and Polish alcohol. The chef intends to meet the demands of people with even the most sophisticated taste. Everyone will be satisfied with the menu composed by the our chef. With more than ten different sets of dinner courses on the menu (the number will be increasing), it is possible to order meals for breakfast and home made cakes in GOSPODA. For those clients who are not familiar with Polish cuisine, short descriptions and pictures of our dishes have been prepared. A very nice service, good Polish music and reasonable prices of meals and alcohol, are also an unquestionable advantage of Gospoda."

And speaking of honing language skills....

There's a new FREE online 'learn another language' website just launched called Mango that looks worthy of a try. All the usual suspects (French, German, Spanish etc) and a few less obvious (Greek, Mandarin, Japanese) Each course has 100 lessons comprising maybe 70 or so pages each. You'll need your speakers turned on!

New cookery video website

Not many videos yet, but it's new. Also a lot of them are in French, so useful for honing your language skills too. Link to Cookshow



Chocolate cake
(by Chloé France)
Difficulty : Easy Recipe for : 10 persons
Preparation : 15 to 30 min
Ingredients :
* 200g of dark chocolate
* 180g of butter
* 200g of sugar (you can put less)
* 6 eggs
* 60g of breadcrumbs
Execution :
Melt chocolate and butter together at low fire. Add the 6 egg yolk and mix it togeteherAdd the 60g of breadcrumbs Then add the sugar Whip up the egg white and add it to the rest of the melangeMix it all and pour it in a baking mould. Now, put it in the oven at 200° for 20 minutes. I put some icing sugar on top of it. It's perfect as a birthday cake.Bon appetit !

Cat casserole

Here's one Ma found.........

No really!!....She read about this in the "Chronic" tonight and rang me to tell me about it. Apparently it's a home-grown affair, an ex Wallsend fireman has done the deed. Check it out here
PS....I'm not sure where they've sourced their graphics, but that's sure as hell not a sight you see on the Metro on a regular basis!!

Amazing artwork.....

Watch the video here
"Dutch artist Theo Jansen has been working for 16 years to create sculptures that move on their own in eerily lifelike ways. Each generation of his "Strandbeests" is subject to the forces of evolution, with successful forms moving forward into new designs. Jansen's vision and long-term commitment to his wooden menagerie is as fascinating to observe as the beasts themselves.
His newest creatures walk without assistance on the beaches of Holland, powered by wind, captured by gossamer wings that flap and pump air into old lemonade bottles that in turn power the creatures' many plastic spindly legs. The walking sculptures look alive as they move, each leg articulating in such a way that the body is steady and level. They even incorporate primitive logic gates that are used to reverse the machine’s direction if it senses dangerous water or loose sand where it might get stuck."

There's a BIT more room at Tynemouth Market.

http://view.break.com/368159 - Watch more free videos

Re last post.....this one's definitely for Richard and Janet!

Can't you just see it in their front room? All it needs is some orange shag pile, a bit of wood panelling and a couple of op-art upholstered bunk beds and they're fixed....not forgetting the hole in the ceiling of course!

Makeover time?

There's the whiff of wet paint at work......got me thinking it was time to break out the paintbrushes at home.......and maybe the sunglasses!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

The War of the Worlds

Think I may have already touched on my favourite ever radio drama - "The War of the Worlds" - Orson Welles - early example of the great american public buying into the theory of weapons of mass destruction etc etc.
Repost of the audio feed below....
(hey, I'm going to listen to it again even if you don't!)

powered by ODEO
and today I found a comic book version.....with nice pictures!
Check it out here

Happy Birthday Richard!!

Click on the image to view the book at Google books

An Impartial History of the Town and County of Newcastle Upon Tyne and Its ... By John Baillie: ""

Big Builder 2007

Some of the bairns from Northumbria.......

Never feel bad when you flick through a fashion mag again...

Just blame it on a spotty geek in a back office with the latest version of Photoshop!

Last.fm

Personalise your own music station. Visit Last.fm and tell it what sort of music you want to listen to (either by genre or using the starting point of your chosen singer/band)....it's easy peasy!