Gone Camping

Well dear readers, this weblog is going to be a bit quiet for the next couple of weeks. I'm unplugging from the global collective (!) and going camping with my sister and her family in Maryland. Yes, it's back to nature. We've never done this as a family before so it will be quite an experience (gulp). Emailing blog entries seems to work so I might try that if I get a chance but otherwise you can look forward to a travelogue mid August.

Speaking of readers, I'm pleased to say that unique visitors tripled this month from 400 to over 1270. This was mostly due to my essay on "Writing Code Is Stupid" being discovered and linked from John Lam's site and a few others. Lots of people read it. For some reason, readers from Australia (460) far outnumber any other country (G'day mates!). The next country is Canada at 206 unique readers (eh!) and then the country ranking gets strange with Italy, Hungary and the Netherlands coming next. It's a bit daunting to discover a global readership but very cool at the same time. Well, I'm off to finish packing and, no, I'm not taking a laptop. You all come back now!

Horsing Around #10

Still working at direction control. Got to whip, kick, change weight, look and pull the reins all at the right time.

BBC: Pentagon axes online terror bets

Fantastic. A plan by the Pentagon to use the power of markets for cheap and efficient intelligence. Buy a futures contract on the odds of an assasination? Could have given the bookies a real run for their business. Amazing that someone didn't think through the moral issues of betting on violence and atrocities! Check out PAM.

Life Begins At 40?

Yesterday was my birthday and I turned 40. First, a big thank you for the emails, phone calls, well wishes, cards and gifts and to those who helped me celebrate the occasion. The honest truth though is that turning forty sucks. When you're twenty, you know you're young and life is fine. And when you turn thirty, it's a bit of shock and you wonder where all the time has gone but you can still convince yourself you're young and keep going. But when you hit forty, you know you're not young and even though the mind is willing, the body tends to remind you that time has moved on and it protests. Pain shows up in funny places. You can hear it begging for more pampering.

Older people will laugh and say life begins at forty but I don't think so. First, tell me what the first forty years were if life is just beginning now? No, they were quite good really. At least it was good after you're past those teenage years. I think that "life begins at 40" is perpetuated by folks who have kids in their early twenties and enjoy the liberation of their lifestyle at forty when they leave home. But I've got another fifteen odd years to go before that particular liberation! I really don't want to think that life begins at 55. No. Finally, you just have to do the math to figure out that at 40 there are very good odds that you're halfway to kicking the big golden bucket. So life started a long time ago and turning forty sucks. Time for a second childhood then.

Three Month Anniversary

So it's been three months since I quit Microsoft. People ask me "how's it going?" and the best explanation I have is to ask whether they remember being a kid before you started taking a summer job? For me that was about age fourteen. You would have the whole summer off and not an obligation in the world to worry about. The summer just went on and on and on and you lived it day by day. Right now, it feels kind of like that. Okay, there's more obligations but there's also more means. Certainly been able to keep pretty busy over the last three months. Plenty of half-finished projects with more projects waiting to be started. Not enough time really!

WOMAD

We spent Friday afternoon at the World of Music And Dance (WOMAD) Festival in Reading. Good festival. Felt like a mini Glastonbury. Very much the alternative free-spirit vegan tree-hugging activist kind of crowd. I like that kind of atmosphere and don't see it much here in the UK; at least, not as much as Vancouver. It exists but you have to either really look for it or move down to the South West. We spent most our time wandering around the festival looking into the tents, stalls and yurts since it's difficult for the kids to see the stages. Lots of drumming and world music as you would expect. Even ran into some salsa classes going on. Lots of good food. Better than chicken nuggets and hot dogs. Will have to make it back next year.

Horsing Around #9

R* is now off school so she came and watched us today. Of course she would love to learn to ride too. Had a  really good session trotting around the arena working on improving direction control. Might move on the cantering soon.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Jenny and I took R* to see Jesus Christ Superstar at a local theatre put on by a local theatre company. It was their debut night and overall I thought the Slough Musical Theatre Company did a fine job. This is a theatre company that any amateur can join if they bring enthusiasm. The pit orchestra and choir was excellent. My main criticism is they need to sort out the audio for some of the performers a bit better. They're performing at the Farrer Theatre at Eton College up to this Sunday.

R* seemed to enjoy it. We've been playing the CD so she would recognise the music and I've been explaining the plot. We've talked about religion and Jesus before and this seemed a good way to talk about it again - another interpretation. Also hoping taking her to more plays will interest her in taking up drama.

Horsing Around #8

Still working on that rising trot with Cypress. Cypress however decided to go in a canter. Whoa, that was different! Near panic. Felt like sitting on a rocking horse. Anyway, we're still making progress with the horse riding.

Happy Times: film by Zhang Yimou

Just watched Happy Times by Zhang Yimou. Chinese film in Mandarin with English subtitles billed as a bittersweet comedy. I'd recommend it but as with almost all Chinese films I find there's more bittersweet than comedy. Poignant. Zhang Yimou also did "Judou" and "Raise the Red Lantern" starring Gong Li. Both are fantastic although my favourite would be "Judou" as I can still remember how beautiful the photography was.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Finally finished the latest book in the Harry Potter series! Overall, I think the stories have been getting better and better as the series progresses. Thoroughly enjoyed it although now it's an interminable wait until the next one. That's what I hate about a series - waiting for the next one. By the time the next one comes out, I'll have to reread this one again. Meanwhile, R*, has been on a marathon listening session. She finished all 18 CD's of the audio version of the "Goblet of Fire" as fast as she could. She was pretty mesmerised for a few days.

Battery Shopping

Just did a bit of shopping to replace a camera battery. The price differences are just stunning. On the high street it sells for £39 while I found it for as low as £23 on the website of Cell Pack Solutions. If you need batteries check them out. Free shipping in the UK.

Art In Action

We spent the afternoon at Art In Action at Waterperry Gardens near Oxford. It's a large four day Arts Festival with over 300 artists and demonstrators showing their art. You can participate too trying out all kinds of things. I was very impressed with how well organised it was right down to small details. Excellent parking. Golf carts running between the parking and the entrance. Clear maps and lots of sign posts. Nothing too crowded. Excellent catering. Even water bowls for dogs. The organisers have it sussed. Jenny loves these kinds of events and was in her own. She finds it very inspiring. The artists are also very approachable and will talk about their work. Lots of beautiful work. Lots of expensive work! Not all was strictly visual arts either. There were musicians, singers and instrument makers too. Didn't come home with any new art pieces but we couldn't leave without some art supplies and the kids have some interesting cardboard cutout automata by Peter Markey to assemble.

eFestivals

Here's a useful website covering music festivals in the UK. Still looking for more local ones to attend. Off to WOMAD next week.