busy weekend

I am still recovering from the weekend, not on a bad way it was a lovely weekend drove up to sussex for my parents golden wedding anniversary. 50 years of being married, some feat. we drove for just over 5 hours on saturday morning to get near their home around lunch time put up our accommodation (yes a family tent) at the foot of the sussex downs. then drove over to the hall and gardens where the celebrations were being held. people (family & friends) came from all over. as far away as south africa, the usa, italy and even actually next door to the hall where we had the meal. it was a fantastic day, and I felt humbled to be part of a family that for supports each other (for the most part) all the time, with only an occasional falling out! we drove back home to cornwall yesterday evening, through the sunshine and traffic of a west country summer weekend. today I have been so tired that I can hardly remember what day it is or what I have done though I have been at work all day. I will no doubt at sometime put some pictures of the event here to indulge my self even . but until then I am to get back in to things here, and hopefully get some rest.

glastonbury again

I can't believe that its glastonbury weekend again and I still have never been, one of those things I have always meant to do but never done. other festivals yes but probably the best and I have never managed to get it sorted (and its only a couple of hours up the road from me), perhaps next time if the rumours of this being that last one are wrong. I have been to the place more than a few times but at a different time of year from the festival. I have just watched editors on the bbc have to say I really enjoyed them. good coverage as well. I will wave as I drive by on my way up to sussex this weekend and hope that the weather gets better for all the festival goers. pictures courtesy of the bbc.

the things I do?

I sometimes worry how I get myself in to stuff, not for the first time I have been encouraged by others into doing something a little bit silly. today I volunteered to go in the stocks to raise money by having students throw sponges of cold water at me. well it wasn't too bad until the bucket of cold water was tipped over me, followed by another one, followed by another one. but it did a little to raise some money. I didn't realise so many people would enjoy seeing me getting soaked so much, oh well the fact that I am sitting down a few hours later feeling cold with a lump on my head (from a bucket that hit me as it was swung) is not that bad.  

web usability >> balloons again

a few years ago now (about seven) I was setting up the first website for an academic institution most of my time was spent on the initial design, but a huge amount thinking and testing was done on download speeds as at that time pretty much all of us used used dial up. around that time I first got interested in the work of the now web usability guru jakob neilson ' useit.com'. I read everything I could find about his way of thinking and largely designed style sheets by mr neilsons rules, didn't use flash or splash pages. I have to say lately things with my web work have got a bit well, lazy. with download speeds much better and broadband the norm it is so easy to get a bit over indulgent. it was good therefore that while chasing my indulgent orange balloon across the interent sky I landed on a site that was championing the cause of mr neilson which led me back to a couple of articles on the bbc about web users are getting more ruthless and selfish when they go online. here and here.
it has made me wonder what mr neilsons take on the (annoying to some) balloons all over the screen would be.

orange? balloon race?

well I have to sort of agree with davidthedesigner and his reasons for not being part of the balloon race, it is kind of intrusive. I am also an orange customer, have only ever been with orange. obviously the must have been something that made me choose them, apart form the fact they cover cornwall or at least the apart I live better than other mobile company I was a bit sucked in to the balloon race thing (easily influenced as I was always told at my junior school). it seems to have created a massive amount of web publicity, the fact people are writing about it on blogs all over the place can only make the people at orange very happy.
I have a rare chance of an evening out with carol tonight, so I will have a look again later, perhaps even burst my balloon! to be honest a trip ibiza is not motovation for me I just liked the idea. whether it was an original or not.

not new, but still good >>

in my day job I often see new things or new ways of doing things (sometimes radical) and I know that this flash film that I found via grumpy old teacher blog is not ground breaking new or even breaking any barriers but sometimes simple things only moving ways of thinking a little work well.
I always hope the students I teach could sometimes be motivated to change things (just a little) to make a big difference. any way if you have a moment have a look its here.

napkin notes

the napkin notebook is not a new idea but I do like it as a concept, so many ideas have been formulated in a coffee shop or a restaurant. I even worked out the basis of a design company that took 3 years to go wrong on the paper table cloth from an indian restaurant in frankfurt, germany. well the company didn't last but the ideas still are as valid as they were then. have a look here for more information on the napkin note book

more surfing stuff

picture courtesy bbc spotlight

I was interested in this story. I was it on local bbc tv this evening it seems that a run of northerly winds, though that is onshore for the beaches in question. I would have thought that off shore winds would have done this but I haven't looked in to the science, but I have seen it at the beach. what ever has caused the sand to blow away from the beaches into the sea, it is certainly making a bit of news. with even the idea that sand should be brought in from other beaches to make the popular surfing beaches sandy again. I have noticed over the years the shape of the beach changes and sometimes it looks good as far as sandy and the waves are less good, whereas sometimes rocky exposed areas create better waves, anyway all it would need would be a storm with a swell from the right direction to put all the sand back anyway. it is strange that the major concern apart that of potential injury to novice surfers is what it looks like. read/watch more