All computers dead...

Our ibook has broken again, same problem as last time. PC has also given up the ghost, so the house is computerless, apart from PDA. As I'm off to Norway on Weds, this may be the last entry for a few weeks.

ON the plus side, have had a brilliant weekend with James, Vikki, Tim and Chris. We have played 4 rounds of golf, seen a few shows, drank loads of beer, and Tim ate ANOTHER deep fried mars bar, completely by choice.

Rach makes it onto BBCi...!

... while still working in Sheffield she did initial designs of the casino next to Bramall Lane , reported here.



Fame at last!

Rooney...

This BBC page is itching for some biting satire... with Chris and Tim up at the weekend, it may just happen, and we could have our own section on chavscum before you can say "alreeeeeeet".

ipod mini...

Phil now has one of these babies, which is marvellous, he is very happy, Rachel wants one too!

The one downside was Apple's uselessness at getting the thing to him. They aren't the best in terms of stocks, worrying news for those of us waiting with bated wallets for the all-new G5 imac, which apparently Apple can't get enough processors for. ho-hum.

Norway

I'm off to the cottage in Norway next week (99p flight on Ryanair from Glasgow!!), and in preparation I thought I'd see whether Hummerbakken has made it onto the web. It has, 56 times, including some of my photos of course, which were no.1 in the search thanks to the ever efficient blogger software. Good job I never put any dodgy photos up, ey?!

Most sites were in Norwegian and don't have any images, but I did find some nice pictures here. The fifth down shows just where we park our boat.

Apple ichat...

Stig, Rach and I experienced video conferencing for the first time yesterday, using Apple ichat AV.

Stig couldn't see us as we don't have a camera yet - buying this tomorrow - but we could see him, the audio was perfect, and it worked extremely well. As I'm going to be almost totally working from home from September 8th, I'm very keen to experiment with this more so I don't withdraw from human contact entirely.

I wonder if this could this be a fun means of communication between Scotland and Scunthorpe? That's if there aren't already enough new things beginning with 'i' in the Hollingworth household this week...

Kitty update...

Jimmy's foster father, Chris, posted some lovely photos of him a few weeks ago.

Norway: Scream update...

While the razor-sharp Norwegian police track down the masked thieves, the authorities are considering a temporary replacement...

News in from Norway...

The Scream by Edvard Munch has been stolen from the Munch Museum in Norway. Those thieving pikeys get everywhere...

I'm off to Hummerbakken to see Mum on Sept 1st, hurrah!

Something I have experienced...

According to C-NET, an unpatched PC will last 20 minutes on the web before it is infected. I learned this the hard way last year.

It's all getting a bit predicatable...

... winning all these cricket matches. That's another series won then, getting the highest ever Old Trafford 4th innings total to boot. With South African Proteas coming unstuck against Sri Lanka, England remain no.2 team in the rankings, with a very exciting year ahead - winter tour to South Africa, then the Aussies are over next Summer...

Further 'Ned' info...

... survival tips from along the A8.

Football...

Ahhh, football is back! It's been AGES since the European Cup, so thank goodness the domestic season has started. Match of the Day is back on BBC1 (how ITV must have laughed when the screen went blank during the first match), players are transferring left, right and centre (adios lil' Mikey), and Sheffield Wednesday have won two out of three games - both wins away from home, and today's a veritable 2-4 goalfest! Could this be the beginning of the return to greatness? Suffice to say, I am really missing Hillsborough... the pint before the game and at half time, the delicious Balti Pie for the second half and the head-holding in despair.

I'm going to start watching Hibs from next Tuesday's cup game against Aloa, as I'm told they are Edinburgh's answer to the Owls... civilised, upmarket, gentlemen from the right part of the city (near where we live of course), unlike Hearts who are apparently the Blades of the city - scumbag 'neds', one and all. What is a ned? I've had two explanations: 1 - non-educated delinquant; 2 - naer-do-well. And we all know what this means, don't we.

The festival is brilliant, we've seen 5 shows so far (Rach is out watching a 6th at the moment), and I will be writing all about it very soon.

Christian Slater...

... there are those who say the man has sunk into the depths of D-list celeb status. He's been in many a great film... Heathers (the source of idolisation by my schoolfriend Pete M), Pump up the Volume, True Romance, ummmm, Robin Hood, ummmm, Star Trek 6 (cameo) Hard Rain, ummm, Interview with the vampire, ummm, ummm... and now we have the trailer for this load of pig swill.

But hold on! He is in Edinburgh as we speak!! He's taking on the Jack Nicholson role in a Fringe showing of 'one flew over the cuckoo's nest'... the natural mantle for him to take on? Well no, Slater fans, he's got chicken pox, so has pulled out of the show for the time being, and is instead ALLEGEDLY (according to my new workmate) hanging out in bars in Leith, on his own, talking to young girls. Ah well.

Doctor Who update...

The Daleks are back! With legs!

Something for Stig...

iTunes Music Store to arrive in Denmark this October. Mate, buy yourself an ipod in preparation.

Staithes

Great week off! Very relaxing, lots of afternoon naps, chats, food, walks, a steam train ride, cricket and frisbee on the beach, a rubber duck race, Balvenie Doublewood, etc etc. A selection of photos are up now and can be viewed here.

Thanks Jim and Sue for organising it all, and to Stuart, Eleanor & Alex (crepe chefs extraordinaires), my little sister and sparring partner Grace, Jane 'I love Radio 2' Evans, Alastair and Sue (brill camper van!) for the top quality company. Looking forward to next year.

Wedding / Do you see what they did there...?

The plans to get married in Norway next April have very sadly come unstuck for logistical reasons. New arrangements are in the making for a late May / early June date in the UK, most likely Scunthorpe. While researching, Rach came across the excellently named site, hair comes the bride.

Geddit? Hair comes the bride...? dum dum de duuum...?

Rach thinks this site is crap. I personally think the name makes up for any shortcomings in the content.

Guardian game blog...

...here