At last, we have a new shower installed. After spending two weeks cleaning ourselves in the bathtub with a dodgy shower head while crouching, it will be a pleasant change to have a proper shower tomorrow morning. With the new shower and the area around it re-sealed, hopefully the leaks are all fixed...it's not going to be fun if they are still present after all that work and our time in the bathtub!
As for my backlog of pictures to rename, I cleared it yesterday. I still have Dad's pictures to rename and I took some more photographs today, but at least I no longer have to worry about more than 1,000 existing pictures on top of any I take while I'm Nottingham. Still, I should keep on top of it in the future to prevent it from becoming that backlogged again!
Thursday, 15 August 2013
Wednesday, 14 August 2013
"Flatline" - Mutya Keisha Siobhan
The band Mutya Keisha Siobhan recently released the lyric video for their debut single, "Flatline":
Interestingly enough, although this is the band's first single, it is not the first single from Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy, the band's members. The women are the founders of the band Sugababes, which they formed in 1998; however, Donaghy left the Sugababes a short time after their first studio album was released and was replaced by Heidi Range. Buena left the band in late 2005 and was replaced by Amelle Berrbah; in 2009, Buchanan was removed from the band and was replaced by Jade Ewen. Buchanan's removal marked the departure of all original members from the Sugababes.
Buena, Buchanan and Siobhan formed MKS last year and will release "Flatline" in September. I hope that the three women will stick with the band after their first album and that the history of the Sugababes won't be repeated under a new name. As for the the three current members of the Sugababes, their most recent album, Sweet 7, wasn't exactly well received and it's not known what the exact status of the band is; Ewen recently stated that they're "pretty much done" but she was contradicted by Berrabah. I hope they'll continue, although I am concerned that with the unpopularity of Buchanan's depature combined with the original members forming a new band, it might not be far from the end of the Sugababes, at least in their current form, anyway.
Interestingly enough, although this is the band's first single, it is not the first single from Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhan Donaghy, the band's members. The women are the founders of the band Sugababes, which they formed in 1998; however, Donaghy left the Sugababes a short time after their first studio album was released and was replaced by Heidi Range. Buena left the band in late 2005 and was replaced by Amelle Berrbah; in 2009, Buchanan was removed from the band and was replaced by Jade Ewen. Buchanan's removal marked the departure of all original members from the Sugababes.
Buena, Buchanan and Siobhan formed MKS last year and will release "Flatline" in September. I hope that the three women will stick with the band after their first album and that the history of the Sugababes won't be repeated under a new name. As for the the three current members of the Sugababes, their most recent album, Sweet 7, wasn't exactly well received and it's not known what the exact status of the band is; Ewen recently stated that they're "pretty much done" but she was contradicted by Berrabah. I hope they'll continue, although I am concerned that with the unpopularity of Buchanan's depature combined with the original members forming a new band, it might not be far from the end of the Sugababes, at least in their current form, anyway.
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
Current picture renaming
I'll be going to Nottingham for over two weeks, starting this Saturday. After my week there last year and the year before, I had over a thousand images to rename on each occasion; I completed the jobs soon after returning home rather than left them hanging.
My current problem this year, however, is that I already have over a thousand existing images that need renaming. To add to this, I'm not only renaming pictures that I've taken but also ones that Dad has taken with his new phone (it's easier for me to rename them than for him to do the task himself).
I've been behind on renaming pictures all of this year; it is slow and boring work but it needs to be done. Even a one-word file name is far more useful in describing an image's subject than a jumble of letters and numbers! I've already almost halved the backlog in the past few days; I'll be satisfied if I have three-quarters of it cleared by Saturday and completely relieved if I have it all done before I leave! I should not have left it this long.
My current problem this year, however, is that I already have over a thousand existing images that need renaming. To add to this, I'm not only renaming pictures that I've taken but also ones that Dad has taken with his new phone (it's easier for me to rename them than for him to do the task himself).
I've been behind on renaming pictures all of this year; it is slow and boring work but it needs to be done. Even a one-word file name is far more useful in describing an image's subject than a jumble of letters and numbers! I've already almost halved the backlog in the past few days; I'll be satisfied if I have three-quarters of it cleared by Saturday and completely relieved if I have it all done before I leave! I should not have left it this long.
Monday, 12 August 2013
The ginger cat returns
For the first time in six months, the local ginger cat returned and visited our yard:
It's the first time I've seen the cat since the heavy snow. It disappeared soon after and until now we thought that either it and its owners had moved away or that the cat had come to harm. I'm pleased to see that it's alive and well.
Sorry about the partial obstruction on the picture; it's either dirt on the window or sunlight.
Sorry about the partial obstruction on the picture; it's either dirt on the window or sunlight.
Sunday, 11 August 2013
Northampton
After living in Northamptonshire for over two years, I visited Northampton itself today; however, my visit to Northampton this afternoon wasn't specifically to see the place: I was meeting up with a friend.
To begin with, my friend and I walked around the town centre for half an hour; I enjoy looking at the centres of various towns and cities, as skylines fascinate me. As such, I had requested seeing Northampton's centre and we went there before doing anything else that we had planned; I liked seeing the architecture, the various places to shop, the old market area; and the large pedestrianised street, named Abington Street. There is a bizarre-looking statue on Abington Street called the Discovery Sculpture, which commemorates Northampton-born scientist Francis Crick; there is a picture of it here.
After my friend had finished showing me the town centre, she drove us to Salcey Forest, a former medieval hunting forest located to the south of Northampton. My friend had recommended Salcey Forest; the forest appealed to me for both its footpaths and for this:
A view of Northampton from the peak of the forest's tree top walk/canopy walkway. I love observation points and viewing Northampton from afar was certainly a treat.
We then travelled to the village of Stoke Bruerne, going through another village, Blisworth, on the way; however, we were unable to stop off at either village because the canal boat festival was being held today (both villages are on the Grand Union Canal, as with Foxton Locks). The festival overwhelmed the two villages with people and all available parking spaces were occupied; while we didn't get to visit either place, we still chatted happily together and I got to see more of the Northamptonshire countryside. We returned to Northampton to get some lunch and then my friend took me back home.
We had a wonderful afternoon, which was improved with the gradually ameliorating weather over the course of the day. I got to visit Northampton (which I'd certainly like to visit again, both for my friends living there and just to see the place again), see more of Northamptonshire, had a pleasant lunch and, best of all, spent time with a friend! I was amazed at how fast the time appeared to disappear.
To begin with, my friend and I walked around the town centre for half an hour; I enjoy looking at the centres of various towns and cities, as skylines fascinate me. As such, I had requested seeing Northampton's centre and we went there before doing anything else that we had planned; I liked seeing the architecture, the various places to shop, the old market area; and the large pedestrianised street, named Abington Street. There is a bizarre-looking statue on Abington Street called the Discovery Sculpture, which commemorates Northampton-born scientist Francis Crick; there is a picture of it here.
After my friend had finished showing me the town centre, she drove us to Salcey Forest, a former medieval hunting forest located to the south of Northampton. My friend had recommended Salcey Forest; the forest appealed to me for both its footpaths and for this:
We then travelled to the village of Stoke Bruerne, going through another village, Blisworth, on the way; however, we were unable to stop off at either village because the canal boat festival was being held today (both villages are on the Grand Union Canal, as with Foxton Locks). The festival overwhelmed the two villages with people and all available parking spaces were occupied; while we didn't get to visit either place, we still chatted happily together and I got to see more of the Northamptonshire countryside. We returned to Northampton to get some lunch and then my friend took me back home.
We had a wonderful afternoon, which was improved with the gradually ameliorating weather over the course of the day. I got to visit Northampton (which I'd certainly like to visit again, both for my friends living there and just to see the place again), see more of Northamptonshire, had a pleasant lunch and, best of all, spent time with a friend! I was amazed at how fast the time appeared to disappear.
Saturday, 10 August 2013
Car wash (2)
Back in early 2012, I posted a couple of pictures from a drive-thru car wash; here are three more from when Dad and I went to the car wash this morning:
I'm not sure if I like #2 or #3 more: I love the shiny, silvery water pattern of #2 but I also love how #3 almost looks like blue fire. Which of the three do you like the most?
These images were all taken with my phone.
These images were all taken with my phone.
Friday, 9 August 2013
Needless horn hooting
A few days ago, I was out on one of my walks; there were a couple of other people present who were also walking and the traffic was fairly light. Then, a car drove past and the driver hooted, which startled me as the car had hooted while it was passing and there wasn't another car around at the time; however, the driver was not hooting at another motorist: they were hooting at a pedestrian whom they apparently knew (the fellow pedestrian was on the opposite side of the road to me).
It angers me when some drivers hoot their horns for anything other than warning fellow motorists. It is disruptive to other drivers when somebody hoots for no immediately obvious reason and it's disruptive to pedestrians when somebody startles them with an unnecessary hooting. It's also annoying to hear drivers hoot horns in our neighbourhood; there is almost no need whatsoever to hoot a horn here and yet I hear one almost every day: the drivers not only hoot at certain pedestrians...they also hoot to signal that they're leaving a friend/relative's house...and they're hooting to the person they're leaving!
Drivers who hoot merely to acknowledge people they know need to stop, most importantly for safety reasons but also because it's just plain annoying. Unless you have reason to hoot at another driver, or, in rare cases, have to hoot to give immediate warning to a pedestrian, there is no need to hoot.
Well, that's my mini-rant over. Do you have any thoughts on this subject? As usual, I'm happy to hear them.
It angers me when some drivers hoot their horns for anything other than warning fellow motorists. It is disruptive to other drivers when somebody hoots for no immediately obvious reason and it's disruptive to pedestrians when somebody startles them with an unnecessary hooting. It's also annoying to hear drivers hoot horns in our neighbourhood; there is almost no need whatsoever to hoot a horn here and yet I hear one almost every day: the drivers not only hoot at certain pedestrians...they also hoot to signal that they're leaving a friend/relative's house...and they're hooting to the person they're leaving!
Drivers who hoot merely to acknowledge people they know need to stop, most importantly for safety reasons but also because it's just plain annoying. Unless you have reason to hoot at another driver, or, in rare cases, have to hoot to give immediate warning to a pedestrian, there is no need to hoot.
Well, that's my mini-rant over. Do you have any thoughts on this subject? As usual, I'm happy to hear them.
Thursday, 8 August 2013
Jackdaw and pigeon
A jackdaw and a pigeon, together on one roof:
To begin with, the jackdaw and the pigeon ignored each other: The pigeon was cleaning itself while the jackdaw was pecking food off the gutter and the moss. Then, for no obvious reason, the jackdaw ceased ignoring the pigeon and began to intimidate its fellow bird; the pigeon moved away slightly and the jackdaw returned to its meal. The pigeon left a couple of minutes later and the jackdaw followed suit afterwards.
Most likely it was a territorial dispute, with the jackdaw perceiving the pigeon to be in "its" territory, even though the pigeon was a good distance away and wasn't even bothering the jackdaw.
Most likely it was a territorial dispute, with the jackdaw perceiving the pigeon to be in "its" territory, even though the pigeon was a good distance away and wasn't even bothering the jackdaw.
Wednesday, 7 August 2013
"True Love" - Pink featuring Lily Allen
This song is popular here in the United Kingdom at the moment; it's "True Love" by Pink featuring Lily Allen:
One aspect of modern music in the United Kingdom is the resilience of Pink: I hear one of her songs almost every day at the moment and her music always seems to be a hit. I had somewhat expected her to be an artist we'd only occasionally hear on British radio but no, she's popular over here and her music seems to last forever! Even some of Pink's older singles are played on a near-weekly basis.
It's also a pleasure to hear a new music featuring Lily Allen. Now she is someone I've rarely heard since being back...and she's a British musician! Her absence from the music scene can be attributed to her desire to be with her family; while I deeply respect that, it's great to hear her again.
One aspect of modern music in the United Kingdom is the resilience of Pink: I hear one of her songs almost every day at the moment and her music always seems to be a hit. I had somewhat expected her to be an artist we'd only occasionally hear on British radio but no, she's popular over here and her music seems to last forever! Even some of Pink's older singles are played on a near-weekly basis.
It's also a pleasure to hear a new music featuring Lily Allen. Now she is someone I've rarely heard since being back...and she's a British musician! Her absence from the music scene can be attributed to her desire to be with her family; while I deeply respect that, it's great to hear her again.
Tuesday, 6 August 2013
The baseball from the park
Well over a decade ago, I found this baseball at a park in Patterson, California:
It's ironic that I've kept it because I do not know the rules of baseball, nor has baseball ever been an interest of mine. It's more for sentimental reasons that I keep it; after all, baseball is massively popular in the United States, so why not hang on to a piece of that sport?
The baseball has not been used in any game since I've owned it. There is no structural reason why it couldn't be used again, however: It's old and has some minor signs of wear but it's sturdy and intact. It's even somehow managed to retain the smell of "newness". Still, I would prefer for it not to be used again, as I don't want to risk causing any major damage to it.
The baseball has not been used in any game since I've owned it. There is no structural reason why it couldn't be used again, however: It's old and has some minor signs of wear but it's sturdy and intact. It's even somehow managed to retain the smell of "newness". Still, I would prefer for it not to be used again, as I don't want to risk causing any major damage to it.
Monday, 5 August 2013
Walter Mondale's 50 state distinction
From 1977 to 1981, Walter Mondale served as the Vice President of the United States under President Jimmy Carter. In the 1980 United States presidential election, Carter and Mondale were defeated in a landslide, losing 44 of the 50 states; four years later, when Mondale ran for president against incumbent Ronald Reagan, Mondale lost 49 of the 50 states, barely carrying his home state of Minnesota while sweeping Washington D.C.
In 2002, Mondale ran for a Senate seat in Minnesota when the incumbent, Paul Wellstone, died; the seat that Wellstone occupied was the same one that Mondale held prior to becoming Carter's vice president. On election day, Norm Coleman narrowly defeated Mondale, achieving what Reagan had failed to do 22 years previous.
So, what's the 50 state distinction? Mondale's defeat in 2002 made him the first — and so far only — nominee of a major party to lose a statewide election in all 50 states. I doubt that it's a record that anyone would be proud of, but it's a small and notable piece of United States election trivia, nonetheless.
In 2002, Mondale ran for a Senate seat in Minnesota when the incumbent, Paul Wellstone, died; the seat that Wellstone occupied was the same one that Mondale held prior to becoming Carter's vice president. On election day, Norm Coleman narrowly defeated Mondale, achieving what Reagan had failed to do 22 years previous.
So, what's the 50 state distinction? Mondale's defeat in 2002 made him the first — and so far only — nominee of a major party to lose a statewide election in all 50 states. I doubt that it's a record that anyone would be proud of, but it's a small and notable piece of United States election trivia, nonetheless.
Sunday, 4 August 2013
The hungry pigeon
I photographed this pigeon in our back yard this morning:
It was pecking the grass for insects and caught a few of them. I think that this pigeon, which is much larger than it appears in these pictures, is the one that often roams our back yard, thinking that it owns the whole area!
Saturday, 3 August 2013
The shower
The one shower we have in our house has developed a leak, which has caused water to seep into both my bedroom and a hallway closet. The leak is gradual, but if it's ignored it will expand and potentially compromise the integrity of a large part of the upstairs; however, we have people in to fix it, but at the moment we are showering in the bathtub in my brother's and my bathroom.
How are we doing that, seeing as there's only one shower in the house? Well, Dad fitted a shower head attached to a long hose to the tap in the bathtub. Unfortunately, there is no curtain and there is nothing in the bathroom that would allow us to put one up; as a result, we have no choice but to crouch or kneel in the tub when we shower or else we will soak the bathroom.
Showering is uncomfortable at the moment but it won't be that way for long; once the main shower has been replaced and the leak fixed previous showering habits will resume.
How are we doing that, seeing as there's only one shower in the house? Well, Dad fitted a shower head attached to a long hose to the tap in the bathtub. Unfortunately, there is no curtain and there is nothing in the bathroom that would allow us to put one up; as a result, we have no choice but to crouch or kneel in the tub when we shower or else we will soak the bathroom.
Showering is uncomfortable at the moment but it won't be that way for long; once the main shower has been replaced and the leak fixed previous showering habits will resume.
Friday, 2 August 2013
The ever-changing weather
This was the scene in our backyard a few days ago:
Wet, with raindrops all over the door; a day later, it was sunny again. Yesterday, it was one of our hottest days of the year yet; it then rained last night and it's been windy all throughout today. Quite a nice mixture of weather we've been having! As hot as it has been recently (minus the rainy days), I'm hoping that the warm weather will hold for the rest of the month.
Thursday, 1 August 2013
The toad again
Here is another picture of the toad (taken on the same night):
When my brother and I saw the toad, neither of us wanted to catch it. We were correct not to pick it up: we think that this toad is a common toad, which is a poisonous species. Do you see those large lumps behind the toad's eyes? Those are the parotoid glands, which secrete the toad's poisons. The common toad has enough poison in its parotoid glands and skin to kill an adult human.
As friendly as the toad looked, it was wise not to touch it! While the frogs we get here and in Southern Oregon are slimy, at least they're not poisonous; the Wikipedia article about the common toad has an informative section about the effects of the species' poison.
As friendly as the toad looked, it was wise not to touch it! While the frogs we get here and in Southern Oregon are slimy, at least they're not poisonous; the Wikipedia article about the common toad has an informative section about the effects of the species' poison.
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