peteashtondotcom

This site is going to be pretty quiet for the next couple of weeks. So don’t worry - it’s premeditated. I’ll let you all know what’s up when the time is right.

In the meanwhile, since this is going to be at the top of the page for a bit, it’s last call for the @bugpowder.com email address. It’s now attracting 95% spam so it’s time for it to go. Please update your address books!

Maybe I’m naive, maybe I’m just unaware of the realities of global politics and warfare, but do we really need to develop mini-nukes? Apart from the moral aspect, is it really wise to irradiate a significant patch of land? And underground? Have these people heard of water tables?

A couple of friends and I were discussing the whole Iraq thing and, since there’s a general sense of resignation about the situation being way out of our hands, we slipped into the realm of stupid and came to the conclusion that the whole thing should be run on Warhammer table-top rules. Specifically, each side has so many points to spend on men and weapons and no more. So, if we calculate that Saddam has 10,000 points, the US / UK / anyone-receiving-US/UK-aid brigade can only spend 10,000 points. What this’ll probably mean is the latter get two cruise missiles and a pistol.

The next logical step is to then transplant the whole thing into a branch of Games Workshop where George and Saddam can set their armies of lead figures against each other, and if one of them starts acting like a pasty, chubby 13 year old, shouting it’s not fair that their beautifully painted elf got killed by a goblin, some hairy biker-type with a beer belly can lean over and tell them to fucking grow up and get on with the game.

Then we wouldn’t have to worry about sodding mini-nukes…

Greenpeace, the No War-blog - exactly what it says, though it’s only a couple of days old. Their normal blog, however, has been around for a number of months. Intriguing.

My mate Kath is in Barcelona at the moment and sent this though in an email:

The anti war demo here was pretty cool. There were 1.5 million people I think. I heard London had 2 million. I don´t know about Paris. They sort of continued into yesterday with a huge street parade of dancing dragons that had catherine wheels and rockets attached to them. There were sparks and explosions everywhere. The parade went thru the narrow streets of old city. There was so much smoke from the gun powder that you could hardly see the figures at times. It was actually quite scary… but fun.

MZDT’s collection of banners from the New York peace march. No photos, unfortunately, but a hell of a lot of slogans.

I noticed a couple of bloggers using Fotopic.Net for their photograph galleries and I can’t see too many catches with it. As my current webspace is getting filled up with photos rather quickly this is worth investigating.

Were I on broadband I’d check this animation out and see if it’s worth posting about. But I’m not, so I’m posting it to remind me to check it out next time I’m on broadband.

Here’s 21 home made banners I spotted on the march. This was an interesting phenomena, implying a lot of people wanted to make their own point and not use a generic banner.
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You go offline for four days and Google buys Blogger. The Metafilter kids try and figure out what it all means while LMG, as ever, has the links.

I get the feeling we’re about to go mainstream, only on our terms. Nice to have some good news!

These photos are much better than they look here - something went wrong with the photoshop processing but it’s too late to sort it now. I’ll try and fix it later, plus pick out some of my favourite banners. In the meanwhile, here’s thumbs for all 63 photos linking to larger versions.

Later: fixed them. All nice and higher-res now!

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What can I say about the demo that isn’t fucking obvious already? Lots of photos taken but I haven’t had a chance to edit them for uploading yet. Maybe later tonight. It was incredible though. I’d arranged to meet people at the NFT by Waterloo Station at 12.00 but it was so rammed there I either couldn’t find them or they couldn’t get there. By the time we joined the actual march at Blackfriars the march had stretched back over the river and all along the South Bank, and ahead of us it had reached Hyde Park already. One million, two million, whatever, it was incredible. Stunning stuff.

What interests me is how many people there were first time protestors, and how many of them have now gotten the bug. As politics in this country get less accountable and more fogged by propaganda it’s great to see “ordinary people” getting out there for something they believe in, and something that doesn’t involve their own wallet.

I’m typing this in the living room of a house rented by a couple of Australian blokes and my friend Kath, only Kath is in Spain for the month, which is why I’m here, borrowing her room while I’m between flats. So I’m a house guest of people I don’t actually know, one of whom only found out about me coming to stay a week after Kath went away. Needless to say everything is cool - they’re pretty laid back folks and stuff - but it’s still rather strange, especially after having had my own space.

Got here yesterday at about 4.00pm and promptly fell asleep on the sofa. Woke up and hour later and moved to the bedroom, where I fell asleep again. Was woken up briefly by one of said housemates but didn’t really stir until 3.00am and even then dozed until the alarm went off at nine. Boy, I must have been knackered. All in all, though, a very successful move. Well done me!

A week or so back there was a wee 60 second firework display outside Tate Modern on the Thames. I went there with my camera…
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I was going to email this to my dad who’s having problems getting broadband in his village after experiencing the joys of DSL when he was in the States, but it’s easier to post it here than try to email from Anna’s computer, and it’s worth spreading around…

Frustrated at the slow roll-out of broadband access, people all over the UK are clubbing together to do it for themselves in the hope of building a free network for all.

“One night in the pub he sketched out a plan of how it might be possible, using wireless internet equipment from a company he recently helped set up called LocustWorld. “I showed it to the landlord, who is also a local businessman, and he put me in touch with Bill [Noyce]. Amazingly, he was thinking along exactly the same lines.”

Mr Jukes and Mr Noyce invested £1,500 of their own money and bought five MeshBoxes from LocustWorld. They installed them at strategic high points around town, bolting on antennas to rooftops to boost the signal. One, of course, is strategically pointed at the pub.

Kingsbridge cannot get standard residential broadband access because the local BT exchange hasn’t been upgraded yet. So the network will bring access that would be impossible to provide otherwise.

via boingboing

While it may not come as much surprise, I’ve decided to come out against the forthcoming, seemingly inevitable war on Iraq. I’ve been thinking and talking about it a lot over the last few weeks and I can’t really see a real justification for it. So it’ll be off to the demo next Saturday for me then, and this time I will do more than just document it like last time. I’d love to write a long justification for my decision but alas it’s too late and I’m not in a fit state, but I’d urge you to try and make the demo if you can. I’ll be meeting some friends before hand in a pub so if you’re going and want to meet up get in touch.

Still at the old flat. Everything is now out save a couple of bags and 90% of the flat is clean. This has been one of my least stressful moves to date I think. Tomorrow I finish off the cleaning (got a day off work) and hand over the keys. Anna’s also here and I’m using her computer and the last of the broadband until my body collapses in a heap of exhaustion. Then it’s onwards….

The Raed gives a useful tour of Baghdad as if it were just another city, which of course it is. As ever, an essential companion to our wonderful western media.

So the keys for the van had to be back before 10.00am this morning. Anna knocks on my door: “Pete, it’s ten to ten.” Fuck! I jump out of bed, pull on my clothes and get ready to dash out of the door when I look at the clock. It’s ten to nine. At least I’m up.

Yesterday went well. Very well, in fact. It would seem that James and myself have become professionals at this moving lark, which is not at all surprising having helped each other countless times over the last half-decade. We packed the van in record time without discussing how we should stack everything in there and nothing moved on the journey. We took our time but got it done in good time. And bonus to Brett for lifting stuff and drinking beer. Hope you feel fine today. All in all a successful day. Let’s hope part three of the move is as smooth.

Part two happens today as the final bits of stuff are moved to my temporary abode in Whitechapel. Matt’s due in an hour or so with his car, by which time I will not be ready, especially if I’m on the computer like I am now so I really ought to knock this on the head. Suffice to say I won’t be online for a bit, and then it’ll be on metred dialup.

First up, here’s photos with linkage. And so, thoughts that have buzed through my mind after such a momentous event…

People who don’t already know me read my blog. While not a surprise, it’s the first time I’ve come face to face with a readership I wasn’t already aware of. A rather strange feeling.

Mo Morgan is not as miserable as he appears to be online.

A significant proportion of the UK blogging community, especially those who mess with code and stuff, are in their early 20s.

Meg talks very quickly and this isn’t a problem.

“A-list” is so passe. It’s “Old School” these days. As in bloggers approaching their third birthday who remember when all the “recently updated blogs” on Blogger occurred in the same minute for the first time in April 2000. (ticks on both of these for me!)

Very similar in many ways to comics pub meets. Some scary hardcore looking people, some really geeky looking people, some extremely normal looking people, some perfectly abnormal looking people. And Tom.

Anna really does know everyone and even if she doesn’t, talks to them in a way that makes them think that they know her, slightly confusing them but in a good way.

Stuart holds a grudge when you forget his name within 10 seconds, but still buys you a drink.

Mike is just like his blog, so much so that you immediately feel like you’ve met him many times before even though you’ve never met before and actually only read his blog a few times and not for a while now. Or maybe he’s just a nice, open, friendly guy.

And one important thing needs to be stated. After Tom introduced me as Anna’s boyfriend it really need to be pointed out to the general weblogging community and related spheres of community activity that Anna and myself are not a couple.

We’re both single and, within reason, available. So, um, that’s that sorted out then. Hmm. Yes.

Why did I post this again?

Yes…

Try as I might, it’s never easy, is it. So far everything is going to plan, but there’s all these damn hiccups all over the place and a severe lack of time. Thankfully 95% of the stuff is packed up to be shifted tomorrow and the other 5% is going on Sunday, so that’s all sorted, but there’s these niggles with the letting agency for the new place (we move in on March 1st so they’re not desperately bad) and I’m doing all this with Grandma’s funeral coming up on Thursday. That in itself is not a problem, but it’s a factor, especially as I’ve been asked to say a few words. I’m happy to do it and it’s not a problem, but it does mean the event is more at the front of my mind than I’d like at this moment in time. Still, nothing I can’t get through.

Added to all this is the minor annoyance at missing two social events tonight (temps leaving at work and a SubGenius piss-up) and barely making it to the BlogMeet for an hour or so later. Then on Saturday some friends are in London and I suspect I won’t have the time to meet up with them. Bah.

It’ll all be over by March 2nd. It’ll all be over by March 2nd. It’ll all be over by March 2nd…

which is nice…

Late, in the parking lot of the Restaurant At The End Of The Universe…

Dr Richard Brown, who led the NPL team, said the substance was 25 times blacker than conventional black paint. "It’s the blackest surface commercially available," he told BBC News Online. "It’s a very interesting surface to look at because it’s so black."

More than ever, judging by the newspapers I’ve been reading this week, you should be checking out the Raed blog

I hope you understand my view, we simply don’t trust the motives of your government. And if that government is going to war with Iraq we are not naïve to think that they are doing it because they want to spread love and freedom. I am not even sure peace and freedom are going to be among the side effects of that war.

Over on MeFi there’s a discussion about smoking being banned in pubs and bars that has gotten my goat. So much so I’m posting it again on this blog. Bah to the lot of them. “Whose pub? Our pub!”

at The Green Man, opposite Great Portland St. tube, this Friday at 7.00pm onwards. I’ll be there around 9.00ish (leaving drinks at work). More details here

Smoking extinguished in Irish pubs: “The Irish Government is expecting a massive backlash from its plans to ban smoking in all pubs and restaurants.”

If this starts happening in this country, I’m gonna go all Charlton Heston.

Woke up this morning feeling pretty fine, actually. I found out about Grandma dying yesterday at about 3.00pm and work said I could go home, which I wasn’t intending to do, but I looked at myself in the mirror and figured it was the right thing to do. So I went home in a bit of a daze and opened my post. In an official looking brown envelope was a change of address card for Grandma that my Uncle had finally gotten around to sending out at the weekend. I have to admit I laughed out loud, harder than I have for a long time. It was priceless.

After that relief I didn’t feel like doing much so I watched a movie and waited for people to get home. People = good thing I figured. Once Anna was home and the movie finished we decamped to the pub for a couple of drinks. I rambled on about Grandma and my family for the first pint and then we talked about other stuff for the second pint. Then home, and a long-ish phone call to Mum who’s with my Aunt sorting out stuff to check she’s okay and for her to check I’m okay, then food, then bed. I thought it was just light-headedness plus beer, but I felt better about it all.

Like I said, today I’ve felt fine. Yes, I’m sad and contemplative about her dying but at the same time it was as perfect as could be. No trauma, no pain, a really good party for her a month ago. She was ready to go and off she went. Beautiful, really. I’m happy for her.

And for that I’m really grateful.

Anyway, she wouldn’t want me to go on about it, especially in public. Well, not too much. The funeral is next week, Tuesday or Wednesday, and I’m sure it’ll be a moment of tearful celebration.

And then it’s official. My sister, my cousins and I are now the middle generation.

Gulp.

My Grandma died last night in her sleep aged 90. She went quietly and in no pain. Just went to sleep and didn’t wake up. Just like her, really - never one to want any fuss. While her body was old, her mind was still agile, and while I dearly wish her life hadn’t ended, I can’t think of a better way for her to go.

I know I’m biased, but hell, what a woman she was. Those of us who were related to her, or knew her well, have a hell of a lot to live up to now.