New year hopes: Hundred dollar laptop

I was going to write a soliloquy about hope this morning - but i couldn't muster up the words. However, there is no more beautiful and hopeful project around at the moment than the hundred dollar laptop.

It is an intoxicating mix of dreams, hard nosed commerce and world weary practicality. AFAIK its going to be running red hat linux, but i'd love to know more about the config, and how easy producing content for it would be.

Anyway, I highly recommend the stream of Nicholas Negroponte outlining it at the emerging technologies conference here.

Christmas card that never was

How come I only think of this on Christmas eve

Correction - Bob Martins chocolate drops

I must correct a previous assertation that it was a packet of bob martins canine choc drops that caused an acquaintance to get a hard-on for a week.

Apparently they had an active worming ingredient too. And it was only three days.

Sorry for any pain, disappointment or inconvienience caused.

Victoria Hotel, Beeston

Found these from a pub review site. Its so true it hurts.

"The Vic is a bog-standard English pub. There's no competition venue-wise in Beeston, so The Vic rates itself pretty highly and is the only pub in the suburb/town with middle-class pretensions. As a result The Vic is actually so far up its own backside that it's in danger of morphing into an infinite self-referential bum-loop."

"Granted, the Victoria offers a smorgasboard of fine ales, but I find it hard to swallow anything there due to the suffocating level of smugness that permeates through the pub. Ask for a pint of Carling and you might as well have defecated on the bar by the looks you'll receive from the bar staff, trying vainly to mask their contempt. And you can't move for pretentious middle-class snobs pontificating over the malty nose of a pint of "Bishop's merkin" (insert your own hilarious name), while eating a pack of crisps that costs almost a pound!.

The clientele are such fascists too. Heaven forbid you use a mobile phone in their exalted establishment, or attempt conversation when some God-awful folk band has taken over the whole pub, but you're welcomed with open arms if your army of tawdry and rancid dogs are in tow, slobbering on fellow drinkers with gay abandon."

Talent or beauty?

Ronald and Frank - not a documentary on an over 60's same sex couple, but the two most acclaimed footballers in the world.



The question is would you want to be second and handsome or first and look like the spitting image doll of a horse? The answer may lie in the picture. Young Frank doesn't look too chipper about it - and Mister Ed is pleased as punch.

Update: I just did a google image search on "spitting image horse". Good lord. Oh the humanity! Safe search is now back on. Nothing to see here kids.