Posted 12 Jan 2010 — by Alex
Category Me
No sooner have I set myself a suitable goal for running then I get a cold, nothing too much but enough to move me from running to not running in a matter of moments. Completely filled up to the eyeballs and working my way through tissues like the fragile economy needs and expects it.
It’ll only last a few days but there isn’t much more annoying than a cold. A minor one and I wouldn’t think twice about going out and running actually helping the cold but a heavy one like this leaves you really, well, rubbish. Chances are as well you go out, run some of it off and come back worse, so this one involves rest and cups of tea.
Posted 11 Jan 2010 — by Alex
Category Sport
Each new year generally starts with a resolution or two. I’m not one to buck trends so have never really done any. presumably that means that i fall into the category of not being able to keep to mine. So far this year I have vowed to add in a little bit more than just radio onto this blog. Back in 2004 I entered the London Marathon and managed to complete a degree of training and stagger round in 4:30 ish. That was the result of a challenge from a brother in law. So this year I am going to recreate the uncomfortable feeling of plodding round a stupidly long run for no real gain. Armed with the bravado of knowing that the Endinburgh marathon is in may and thats months away I’m going to predict a better time that the London affair. I’m going for under 3:30.
Training starts properly on the 25th January and is going to comprise of 3 running sessions and 2 cross training sessions. The 3 running will be a speed session, tempo and long run whilst the cross training is likely to be bike based with a long ride out on the weekend to help the fred whitton riders and another session, probably revolving round commuting. Until then its increasing fitness for 4 weeks in order to be able to train!
The resolutions then is to keep reasonably good notes on this blog that remind me of progress against the plan….we’ll see how it goes.
Just how good is technology. Posting to your blog by blackberry seems just normal now. Glad to see it works well
After a month or so living with Ubuntu Net Book Remix, it was time to move to Karmic Koala. Whilst normally I’d jump at the opportunity to get the latest and greatest I didn’t actually feel the need to update on the release date.
So far I have been really impressed with Net Book Remix. It seems to fit the screen very well, only a few functions didn’t seem to work well. Connecting an external monitor is one of them. I don’t use it often but when I did need it it wasn’t there. Other than that minor niggle (I’m sure there’ll be a way of getting around it but I haven’t had the time to work it out or visit the forums !!) it works brilliantly.
I still use windows on my net top (Acer Revo) and had the opportunity to upgrade to Windows 7 for a small fee and whilst it is a vast improvement over the Vista that it came with I’m starting question what strikes the OS’s apart. So far I have worked on the basis that….
- Both work – Fundamental really but worth pointing out
- Windows is a more polished product
- Ubuntu suits those who may want to tinker
- Ubuntu updates slowly in a continuous improvement / kaizen methodology whilst Microsoft produces innovation type updates – smaller steps versus bigger leaps (sometimes the leaps are in a wobbly direction)
- Software for Microsoft OS’s is great. Ubuntu is good but not quite as good for specialist software (Ham Radio Deluxe springs to mind). Yes, there are alternatives available and no doubt one day they will exceed the Microsoft versions but Microsoft just pips it.
Here’s a question, why can’t the OS’s work with everything? HRD on Ubuntu would probably seal it for me as Office runs under wine.
Fundamentally both the OS’s work for me, just in different applications. My netbook will carry on running Ubuntu. It is running Open Office and Evolution as well as XBMC and a few others like Fldigi on a small screen and it works well. The net top runs Windows 7 for MS Office and HRD, MCE and others. Crucially they both run Dropbox, Picasa and Firefox
I’m still waiting for the cloud to deliver what it promised and then I wonder if I’ll need an OS at all. Especially if it means long battery life and energy efficiency.
Posted 18 Nov 2009 — by Alex
Category Me
Just as I am finishing off my masters for this year the ionosphere seems to be picking up a bit. My station is still a little flaky and falls over readily the results that are making it through to the website seem to be pretty good.
Generally the paths between my qth and the US are in the early afternoon and are fairly consistent. Unfortunately at this time of year the normally breezy conditions become windy and it’s when the antenna usually comes down. This year as I’ve spent the last 3 months with my head in the books the antenna hasn’t even made it outside. I’ll be reclaiming my Friday afternoons as well so this afternoon I’ll be setting myself and the station back to work.
