Toilets

Toilets
Originally uploaded by LoopZilla.

I take it all back. My local boozer smells of toilets. Men's toilets. Bring back smoke?

A sober tale

Corner Shop
Originally uploaded by LoopZilla.

This is a former pub, or a former off licence. Or could it be both? A wonderful place to marvel at times past, at the slow pace of life.

A tale of two off licences

Open All Hours
Originally uploaded by LoopZilla.

A tale of two off licences. My local off licence, with the affection name "Open All Hours" has now closed. They were never much for actual staying open advertised hours. In fact, at 40 minutes before the evening closing time, they had pulled the shutters down. One Sunday afternoon, I ran into one of the staff who had decided not to show for work, saying that he couldn't be arsed.... and he was checking to see if anybody had opened up instead.

When challenged, staff report that they had to go home to eat. Fair enough. I was on my way home from work, I had not eaten, and I wished to pick up a few beers for the evening.

The other off licence was the branch of Oddbins at Canary Wharf (on the ground level of the DLR station concourse). Strange place Oddbins. I always get the feeling that I am not of the correct class to enter and buy some beer. Much like the first off licence, you get the feeling that you are doing them a big favour, so you had be good.

So, they have both gone. Call me old school, but I like service, a smile, conversation, a cheery goodbye, and stick to the advertised opening hours, and don't expect me to genuflect.

Outputs

I don't blog a great deal: that much is obvious! But I like to invite people to groups, so I either create the groups, or invite people to existing groups.

This week, three people have told me to stop sending them invites to groups, that is on Facebook, FLICKR or both.

I guess I don't understand the online community yet.

What was once a constant is now a parameter.

Variable Speed Limit - STARTS
Originally uploaded by LoopZilla.

Can you believe this?

Where is your locale

My friend Andrew Black asked a question which has been on my mind for years, on the back burner.

He asked me about locality: how do you localize services such as

http://www.twitter.com/

http://upcoming.yahoo.com/

etc etc?

My answer is multicast groups, but multicast has problems of its own:-)

FLICKR does this quite well, with tags and groups, methinks... but that is with a lot of work.

By locale, I don't mean just geographic locality. Social networks have notions of who is in your neighbourhood, who likes what you like.... don't they?

And best wishes for Beltane.

Gordo

Warning! Armed Robbery

Warning! Armed Robbery
Originally uploaded by LoopZilla.

Warning! Armed Robbery

Gang Operating Here

Five Black Teenagers

16 - 19 - Average Height

One wears a white base-ball cap

They carry knives and knuckle dusters. They are stealing phones, bicycles and money

Warning! Armed Robbery

Gang Operating Here