I got tagged to do this... so here it is. The idea is that you list 10, or so, things that are quirky or unusual or unknown about yourself. Then you tag some more people to do the same.

0. I'm a geek. OK, that's not particularly unusual, quirky or unknown, but I couldn't resist.




1. The last fiction book I read was Arthur C. Clark's "2061: Odyssey Three." I read it in Finland in the late 1980s and I haven't read it (or any other fiction book completely) since! I'm not sure if I am happy or sad that it never made it to the big screen, given the respective merits of 2010 and 2001.




2. My singing voice (when I had one) is preserved for posterity on a good, old fashioned, vinyl record (recording circa late 1970s.)




3. I am a licensed soccer Referee, and the Director of Referees for our local soccer league; however, I didn't really like soccer very much as a kid.  I preferred cricket and rugby.




4. I have written software that has been used by millions of people (and is still in use today, although not by quite as many people as it used to be.)




5. When I was 6, I came a little too close to dying from a ruptured appendix and peritonitis.




6. Used to fly all over Europe teaching and presenting computer stuff.




7. I sang for the Queen (when I had a singing voice.) (And I don't mean Helen Mirren.)




8. I was one of the creators, one of the producers and the executive producer of a TV show in Florida.




9. I have been awarded several patents by the USPTO.




10. I won many prizes at school, but the one that confused some of my teachers most was the Edna Demery Memorial Prize for History. For this it was customary for the recipient to select a book they would like to receive. So I selected a book containing physical and chemical constant tables. My science teachers were thrilled. My history teachers, no so much.
    
    
    
11. The company with the smallest number of employees I have worked for had 3, the largest peaked at over 300,000.

So now it's your turn. If you haven't done this yet, consider yourself tagged and do it immediately, if not before!

To everyone who came to my "Citizenship Party" and made it such a good time, and thanks to everyone who has congratulated both me and America!!!

Yes, I am now a citizen of the United States of America... as well as of the United Kingdom.
It feels somewhat strange and cool at the same time.

(I guess I need some more/new Icons!)

Happy New Year everyone!!! May 2008 bring all you wish for and more!

Thanksgiving dinner.

Not your usual cast of characters

Me.
My wonderful wife and super son.
My wonderful wife's brother.
My MIL.
My MIL's 93.9 year old father.
My wonderful wife's X (also happens to be my super son's grandfather!)
My wonderful wife's X's daughter and her boyfriend.
My wonderful wife's X's mother and brother.

A slightly strange gathering to be sure.

simplykimberly put on a fantastic spread. I know I'm going to miss something but she provided:

Excellently cooked turkey
Armadillos (fancy roast potatoes)
Mashed potatoes
Snap peas
Broccoli
Dinner rolls (home made, of course)
Bread (home made, of course)
Cranberry sauce (home made)
Cranberry jelly
Gravy
Caramelized Apple Pie
Vanilla Ice Cream (home made, of course)
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (home made, of course)

I'm sure there must have been more; it was all wonderful. In addition guests brought a few more things, including several more pies and some cakes. I think everyone ended up being stuffed.

The only thing that marred the experience was the loss of the Cowboys. Oh well.  It's only a game!

Despite the house full of weirdos eclectic set of characters a really good time was had by all. I have so much to be thankful for, not least of which is my entire family, including those who were not present, and especially my wonderful wife who makes me SO happy and thankful each and every day!

I have a few things that are making me really happy right now...

* I have the best friend/lover/companion/wife in the world

* My mother is staying with us, visiting from England

* My Brother is joining us, again from England, on Friday

* England won the Ashes!!!

* The Cowboys won their first game of the NFL season

I'm sure there are others, but these things are making me very happy!!!

I just lost a hard drive!

I played poker at the semi-regular game I attend down in Palo Alto and won $42! I had been on a loosing streak for the last several games so it is nice to be a winner again.

Not sure anyone on my friends list will get this, but here goes anyway:

I think that there is a very good chance STS-114 will be the last space shuttle mission.

And that is sad, and understandable at the same time.

How much gas would the U.S. save if drive-throughs were illegal?

When I was growing up in the UK, drive-throughs were something we only saw on movies. They were totally alien to us. OK, there was probably one SOMEWHERE, but I never saw one. Now with the "USisation" of the UK, they are more common, but nowhere near as much as they are in the US - where they are omnipotent!

Most gas/petrol powered vehicles have the worst MPG while idling (obviously!) Wasting gas, ejecting bad emissions into the air, and putting unnecessary wear on the engine - exactly what is happening when you sit in your car, in line, waiting for your burger/cleaning/Starbucks/groceries/drugs/whatever. If you had to turn the engine off, exit the vehicle and go get the stuff yourself, the savings would be small. But if EVERYONE had to do it the savings would be enormous.

It would never fly, of course. Drive-throughs are part of American culture. Sad, really, given the terminal oil crisis and the direct dependence of that very culture on oil. And of course there are those people who leave the engine running when they get out and go into some places anyway (gas stations/7-11s etc. are the most common for this kind of gas abuse!) When I see people doing that sometimes I think they deserve to have their vehicle stolen.

Anyway, drive-throughs are bad for US oil consumption, shouldn't they be illegal?

Happy birthday simplykimberly, my best friend, lover, partner and wife!!!

Have a wonderful day!!!

This evening, after much agonizing, we decided to move Twinky, one of our inside cats, to the outside. We'll have to see how he does out there. There were various reasons for doing so, but it was still a difficult decision and I'm continually second guessing myself about it, of course. I hope he'll be happy out there. That leaves us with four cats inside now.

But better than nothing!

Jenson!

Less than 7.5 hours to go to the start of the German Grand Prix!

Happy 175th birthday!!!

And here it is:



I know, it doesn't look that much different... and there's still some spaghetti back there. But overall it is better, I assure you!