Tag Archives: Personal

BBC Homepage Beta Using jQuery

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The BBC Beta Homepage is using jQuery, but unfortunately it’s ugly.

I should qualify that – I think it’s a good move to make the homepage more personalisable, but does it have to look so Web2.0?
Big text was a fad a year ago, but it’s too informal for an internationally recognised and respected news source, and it makes it look so childish – I dread to think what the new CBBC sites would look like!

I realise this is only a beta, and may well change considerably, but without a bit of a shrink I won’t be likely to use it as a homepage tab.

Recursive Moved Itself

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The highly observant amongst you may have noticed that I have moved this blog to my personal domain, jezmckean.com.
You should have been brought to this domain automatically, and I hope to fix the multitude of links online, but need the automatic move for those I can’t fix.
I’ve done this because I’m working to separate my freelance business, jazzle.co.uk, from my personal stuff.

Eventually, the blog subdomain at jazzle will be replaced with a work related one.

Baby Clothes & Gifts

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Some online companies have fantastic customer service and deserve to be mentioned.

The latest of these I’ve dealt with is LouLouBee, who I contacted after discovering they are one of just two UK companies who sell Wry Baby products. (The other was very slow to respond and only stocked one item anyway.)

LouLouBee were so friendly when I contacted them, asking for a particular product, and then again when I realised I’d made a mistake when ordering. I was even given some discount codes (which I gave to a work colleague) after I thanked them for being so helpful.

Rename Terrorism

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If only terrorism were renamed to ‘mild trepidation-ism‘ it wouldn’t be so effective.

Fortunately, I live in the UK, England specifically, where our stiff-upper-lip-ed-ness prevents us from being too affected by terrorist attacks.
It’s only when services are damaged that the country is really slowed.

Clearly there are some who unfortunately bear the brunt, often physically, in these attacks. Life for them, and their family and friends, may well be permanently changed.
But we have to put things in perspective: many many more people are killed by smoking than by terrorists in the UK; many more people are injured in simple DIY accidents than by terrorists. So why be so scared of it?

Being terrified by such a slim statistic is no way to live a life.

Calling it ‘Terrorism’ only serves to make it more powerful.

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Why I might leave my bank: The NatWest Card Reader

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nwcardreader.jpgI have received in the post a Card Reader from NatWest.

They have designed this device to beef up the security around the (excellent btw) online banking.

The flaw? The fact that we will eventually have to take the damn thing everywhere you go. And the card of course.

The whole point of online banking is, afaiac, the fact that you can use it anywhere. Now we will only be able to use it IF we have the card reader with us, IF we have the card with us, and IF it actually works. And IF the battery isn’t dead.

I regularly use NWOLB at home and at work, so what do they suggest? “You could use someone else’s.” Well that’s just stupid.

Further issues:

  • I have two accounts with NatWest, both of which are accessible with the same login credentials. However, only one of those accounts has a card new enough to use this card reader. When will I therefore be forced to start using the card reader? I don’t know, but I expect that they will send me a new card (meaning my saved card details at various sites will have to be updated) and probably another card reader.
  • nwcardreaderpackaging.jpgThe amount of plastic, cardboard and paper used to send the card reader is shameful. From the outside in: Plastic postage bag, cardboard box, plastic tray, cardboard box (again), bubble-wrap, plastic bag.
  • It is my joint account which is ready for the card reader, but the other holder (the gf) wasn’t informed, and certainly wasn’t provided with a reader. She has also used NWOLB from work, so that’s four places we already use the service, i.e. three places we now won’t be able unless we carry this thing with us. Which we obviously can’t both do.

I am happy to pay the few extra pennies it would take to cover the fraud that this device might prevent.
I am happy to take the risk that it is my account that is compromised if they just abandon this daft device.

I am genuinely considering moving to another bank if this reader turns out to be compulsory.

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Scientology Is A Cult

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I just wanted to use the word ‘cult‘ it since it enrages them so.

Religions generally preach peace, forgiveness, etc., yet it appears Scientology is all about brain-washing, coercion, and the elimination of anyone who even considers any contrary beliefs.

How anyone can defend such behaviour is beyond me.

I am glad to learn that its requests to be recognised as a religion here in the UK have been rejected, but am concerned that it could still happen.

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Run away from Dogma

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Lifehack: 10 MORE ways to create a breakthrough in your life.

Run away from any kind of dogma. Dogma is the product of a closed mind. It’s an idea with a threat attached. If you suffer from dogma, get it out of your life. Let it go. Kick it out. Try thinking the opposite. Treat it like a crazy joke. Do anything you can to get rid of it. It’s the greatest source of barriers to breakthrough.

I was surprised (and happy) to see an American openly recommending avoiding religion, even if he did include it as part of a greater collection. I then read that the author, Adrian Savage, is in fact an Englishman.

He’s right though – traditions often stand in the way of innovation, and what’s more traditional than religion?

Brits Reputation

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Whilst in Andorra snowboarding* for a week, I found that it was my fellow Brits who were the most annoying.

It was a Brit who decided to leave his board in the middle of the learners’ hill. After my gf’s polite request that it was moved to the side, and my subsequent equally polite request likewise, it was he who decided to try and intimidate and patronise me.

It was a British (skier**) who was convinced that I hadn’t looked uphill before standing up, and wouldn’t believe me when explained otherwise, and, despite acknowledging it, didn’t see the relevance of the fact that she had plenty of room.

It was the Brits in the restaurants who were obnoxious.

Why is it that Brits Abroad are such wankers?

*- I am a web developer after all.
**- that’s another topic…

Neglect

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I’ve been neglecting this blog.

The main reason is maybe because I’ve lost a lot of my time freedom by going and getting a real have to commute to the office and work regular hours job.
But it could also be because I’ve not had much to talk about.
Which in turn could be because I’ve got the new job.
Which suits my blog’s name quite well.

NFHell Update

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I’ve been told that actual bailiffs will be coming, escorted by the police, at the end of next month.
While this isn’t within the “few weeks time” they said recently, it is a date.

I am not currently expecting her to be there that day – she’s been through all this before, and doesn’t have any interest in the property anyway. I also think recent events (which I won’t detail here) may have sobered her up, in more ways than one.
She seems to be at peace with the situation.

I on the other hand am not going to be able to relax until I see a new door on that house. Even after that I won’t be happy until we actually move – she has had such venom, and has made considerable threats, and cannot be considered in any way stable.

Then again, I shouldn’t let her affect my life any more than it has already…