Well, all seems well post-SP3 installation. There were a couple of hiccups - Windows Live Messenger now complains (error 2771) when it is started up that there is a component missing, and installation fails. This has been observed by others who have installed Service Pack 3, but it looks as though a simple re-installation (assuming you already have the latest setup downloaded) should fix it.
Secondly, though not SP3 related, I noticed that Windows Update had a new audio driver for my motherboard. I installed it and rebooted, this has resulted in the Intel Audio Studio app from failing to load, complaining that “Sonic Focus drivers must be loaded for this application to work”. However, I still have sound coming out of my speakers, and the only use the Intel app was put to were graphic equalizer-related. Think I’ll just leave this be for now…
So, we arrived yesterday just after 11am, local time, having left Britain the morning before. We managed to squeeze in a 30 minute trip to Amsterdam on the way back, and the trip went well this time, without any silly bureaucrats trying to slow us down, unlike on the way out. I’ll try to post a little more in the coming days/weeks, I just wanted to confirm that all posts are now ‘live’ again
We should be back in Kazakhstan by Monday, though we are actually leaving Cardiff Airport tomorrow.
This is the last of the pre-written posts - anything you see after this has been written ‘live’
Hopefully my cousin has had a wonderful wedding today, and my best wishes to her and the groom.
This is taken from a TV show (Japan? Korea?) where I’m guessing you were supposed to guess who would win in a downhill race - motor bike or man.
To even things out a little, the man has wheels attached to many parts of his limbs, and appears to be well versed in this sport already.
In case that made no sense, watch the video
I have seen these for sale before, as well as MP3s of the isolated sound of the horn, but this video shows what happens when you put said train horns in a car, and drive round scaring people.
Personally, I would love one if I ever drive over here in Kazakhstan, just to make sure other drivers were aware of my presence, but I’m not too sure how well the police would react. In any case, it seems like a better idea than the one an old boss implemented - he managed to import an American police siren, installed it in his Volvo, and used to tear down the fast lane on motorways, using it when people wouldn’t let him pass!
I still can’t work out if this video was released as a joke, or even as an anti-Microsoft jibe. I just can’t see how someone would record this with good intentions, and then let it go public…
Funny in any case…
If so, you may find cracked’s article on ‘The Awful Truth Behind 5 Items Probably On Your Grocery List‘ informative.
Some of the products are reasonably well know for their potential human rights issues, such as Coca Cola as well as Chiquita and Dole bananas, but I’d not heard about the issues Iams pet foods were actively involved in, nor about Nestle Nesquik (though obviously Nestle’s record in Africa with baby milk already has them high on many people’s boycott list).
Anyway, have a read through, and see what our wonderful multi-national conglomerates have been up to this last past 1/2 century
Not having heard of Hughesnet before, when I came across the company, I decided to do a little research. In a nutshell, they are a satellite comms ISP. If you live, or work, where ADSL, cable or other ‘normal’ broadband services are not yet available, you are probably currently restricted to dial up services, which are painfully slow.
Two-way Satellite Internet services use a modem and dish to provide a high speed connection to the internet. In the past, satellite connections were often only one way, which meant you still needed to create a dial up connection, to actually send any data. This was inconvenient (tying up a phone line from voice calls), cumbersome (two connections needed to be made each time), expensive (paying twice over for one connection!) and slow, as all uploads were done via the phone line, limiting you to around 51.2 Kbits per second (unless you actually live IN your phone exchange ).
Luckily, Hughes Net offer a range of packages that all involve two way comms, with pretty reasonable prices. If I lived over in America, and had a clear view of the southern sky, I’d be applying today! Though having said that, there do appear to be more than 800,000 users not based in America, so I’d better check which direction we can place a dish on our roof safely Anyway, the FAQ section is fairly comprehensive over there, so check it out now.
