SparkSource

Suspected Foot and Mouth Cases Negative

2007-08-16T01:01:00.000Z

Two temporary control zones imposed in Kent and Surrey after foot-and-mouth scares have been lifted.

Tests on cattle at a farm in Romney Marsh, Kent, have conclusively shown the animals do not have foot-and-mouth.

Defra said initial tests on animals at Chessington World of Adventures in Surrey had also proved negative.

A south Wales meat plant was given the all-clear after a sheep that was giving cause for concern was assessed by vets, the Welsh Assembly said.

Christiano Ronaldo sent off

2007-08-16T00:57:00.000Z

Christiano Ronaldo was sent off this evening in Manchester Uniteds 1-1 draw with Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Ronaldo, appeared to headbutt the Portsmouth defender after a tussle in the penalty area. United took an early lead from a Paul Scholes drive from 20 yards in a 1st half which United dominated. Portsmouth equalised through Benjani on 53 minutes after a Matthew Taylor cross from the left hand side was headed home.

Most Searched Items on the Web

2007-08-16T00:54:00.000Z

NEW YORK -
Britney Spears didn't release an album of new material this year, but the new mom is still No. 1 on Yahoo's annual list of the most-searched for terms on the Internet.

Spears, who has topped the list for three of the last four years, lost out to "American Idol" in 2004.

Although the 24-year-old pop star released an album of remixes, "B in the Mix, The Remixes," in November, it was the birth of her son, Sean Preston Federline, on Sept. 14 that brought her the most attention, Yahoo said Thursday.

Following Spears were, in order, 50 Cent, the Cartoon Network,
Mariah Carey, Green Day,
Jessica Simpson,
Paris Hilton, Eminem, Ciara and
Lindsay Lohan.

The list of overall top searches, all of which were entertainment related, "shows us that people are fixated on the activities of pop culture icons," Yahoo "Buzz Index guru" Erik Gunther said in a statement.

Yahoo Inc. (Nasdaq:YHOO - news) has claimed that its search index spans more than 20 billion Web documents and images, though that figure is virtually impossible to verify because there is no official auditing system.

Of the top news searches, "tsunami" led all other stories, followed by "
Iraq" and "
Michael Jackson trial."

Need a Chair?

2006-08-17T10:57:00.000Z

My girlfriend is a teacher and has a terrible back problem and i have put this down to an uncomfy chair at work. A quick online search located me to www.bizchair.com. Here i found not only chairs but a variety of furniture for schools, its quality products for quality prices. You can even create your own chair! Every kind of chair you can think of is on this site at a great price, im off now to create my own unique private comfy chair! It just might help that bad back of mine too! From bookcases to quality desks, www.bizchair.com has everything you need for school.

2006-08-17T08:54:00.001Z

Sambwiches

2006-08-17T08:54:00.000Z

Can there be any better midnight snack than red leicester and Branston pickle on a french stick? You think so? Well, you've got one smart mouth, mister. This is my site, and I get to choose the menu.
Now get out!

Solar Lights

2006-08-17T08:53:00.000Z

Now this is a nice site. They sell solar powered outdoor lighting to save on electricity costs. I've got a few of the 2-tier Solar Lights in the back garden here at Taylor Towers, and they work pretty well. They cast off a stange blue glow in the dead of night that seems to confuse the local cats.
I'm all for confusing cats, especially if it doesn't add to my electricity bills.

Naked jogging or playstation

2006-08-17T08:51:00.001Z

Right, it's 5am and time for some down time. An episode of CSI, maybe, or a couple of hours on the Playstation? Choices, choices, so many choices. I might just run down the street naked. Hell, nobody else in this one horse town will be awake. Might as well :)
August 08, 2006 at 05:06 AM Permalink

Nightform Beds

2006-08-17T08:51:00.000Z

A friend of mine has a baby on the way, and he's been trying to get hold of one of these NightForm beds that are supposed to protect the baby's fragile skull from early flattening due to its sleeping position. Seems like a good idea. I've had a check and they only cost about $40, so I think I'll pick one up as a gift.
Anybody had any experience with these beds? I'm sure he'd like to hear any feedback you have.

Rightbiz.co.uk

2006-08-17T08:50:00.000Z

Found a great site just launched - it's about businesses for sale in UK. It's very similar to RightMoves but only about business based in UK. You can find commercial property for sale by agents and owners.

Buy me a mustang

2006-08-17T08:49:00.000Z

As I may have mentioned earlier, I'm in the market for a new car. Now, obviously I can't afford anything too expensive, but I've been drooling all over these two websites the past couple of days. The first one's all about modded Mustang models - they just look heartbreakingly good. If I ever manage to get a little money together one of those will be right up at the top of the shopping list.
The other site's all about new sports cars and luxury models. Careful, though - some of the cars on the site look so good they might just make you take the money from your kid's college fund. You've been warned.

Cool Gun Safe

2006-08-17T08:48:00.001Z

Y'know, according to the FBI more than 341,000 firearms get stolen from private citizens every year. You have to wonder where people are keeping their guns that they can be so easily stolen.
Personally, if I were to keep a gun in my house I'd keep it locked away when I wasn't using it. I figure if I kept it in a safe next to my bed I'd probably have enough to get it open if some nogoodnik broke in.
Here's a site selling some good gun safes. Hell, even if you don't have a gun you can always keep snacks in it. I don't know about you, but in my house donuts have to be kept under lock and key if you don't want them stolen.

Terror Alert

2006-08-17T08:48:00.000Z

Y'know how the terror level in the UK has been raised to critical? I was thinking last night about how passengers on UK flights were being told that they could only take essential hand luggage in clear plastic bags. Fair enough, but what if you had to take haemorrhoid cream with you?
Imagine the embarrasment of walking through the airport with your little bag of Preparation H on display for all to see. Nasty.

Shed Ender

2006-08-17T08:46:00.000Z

Here's a nice little product to make the summer easier for pet owners - Shed Ender
There's a video on their website that makes it look ridiculously easy to get rid of shedding hair. I have problems every year with my annoyingly long-haired cat, so if this thing works like it does in the video it seems like a great buy.

New York Marathon

2006-08-17T08:44:00.000Z

My older brother will be running the New York marathon this year with a friend, Jamie. As soon as he has a Justgiving website set up I'll be posting it here and hounding you all to make a donation. Just so you know :)
In the meantime, he's organised a charity BBQ for the last weekend of the month. He'll be renting a bouncy castle for the day and selling beer by the can. I think that day alone might raise enough money to cover his intended charity donation. Looks like there'll be a hundred or so guests each paying about $20 entry, and then the take from the drinks table. Should be enough for at least a few grand. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Useful SEO Glossary, Guys

2006-08-17T08:42:00.000Z

When I first started doing a little work in the freelance web content writing business, I have to admit I had little idea of what all the terms meant. I had a fair idea of the meaning of simple terms like 'keyword density', 'pagerank' and so on, but apart from that I just made it up as I went along.
For people in the same situation (or anyone wanting to get into web development), a company called Apogee Search have developed an extremely useful SEO Glossary to help explain all the terms involved in search engine optimization. I'd recommend that you bookmark the page so you can refer to it when you're struggling.
While the glossary would be most useful for novices, it also contains definitions for some of the terms that even seasoned web developers are unfamiliar with. Two thumbs up, Apogee.

Ouch

2006-08-17T08:40:00.001Z

I've just finished a project for a client that should have taken about 3 hours and actually took 3 days. It's often difficult to work with demanding clients. I have a reputation as someone who delivers high quality work, so I'm often forced to accede to any demands the client makes, however unreasonable, to protect that reputation.
As this client was particularly demending the last three days have netted me a grand total of around $90 - about $3.75 an hour. The only way I can convince myself that it wasn't half a week wasted is in the fact that the client should spread the word that I've been extremely accommodating.
The question, then, is where should we draw the line? There must be a point at which reputation building becomes untenable from a financial point of view. After all, I can't pay my bills with plaudits.

Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!

2006-08-17T08:40:00.000Z

I just got an email regarding a contract I stupidly applied for on Craigslist when I was a little worse for drink.
So, I now have to do a project that will pay the equivalent of 1 day's pay but will take 2. 4,000 words on the finer points of real estate valuations. Damn me and my stupid drunken lack of common sense!
Will this week never end? I desperately need a few days off, or I'm gonna go up the wall.

School furniture supplier

2006-08-17T08:39:00.000Z

Back when I was a wee lad in high school the place was an absolute hole. Broken desks were the norm, and the average plastic chair had lost control of one of its legs so they plunged dangerously when you sat down.
What they could have done with doing is visiting BizChair.com occasionally. I've just taken a look at the school furniture section of their site and it's full of stuff I would have been happy to sit through history class for.
The company markets themselves as having the widest range of school furniture available on the Internet. Looking at their site I don't doubt it: desks, chairs, cafeteria furniture, whiteboards... the list goes on and on. If I was on a school board somewhere I'd be thinking about putting in an order to save the kids from the same trash I had to put up with. Really, it's a miracle I turned out so well :)

Nighty night night

2006-08-17T08:37:00.001Z

Well, kids, it's time for Sortapundit to go to bed. I've been keeping myself awake with a strict regimen of caffeine and cigarettes, but there's only so much a man can drink and smoke before he has to collapse onto the mattress. I'll see you all later. Have a great weekend, whatever you have planned.
And don't take any wooden nickels.

Buying online, the best way to shop

2006-08-17T08:37:00.000Z

Why do we prefer to buy things online? Well, it's obvious, really. Personally, I hate shopping. Apart from my daily jib to the shops to stock up on caffeine and snacks, I never shop. I can't stand jostling through the crowds and waiting in line. Bah.
I hate shopping by phone, as well. Placing orders on the phone is hell on earth. It takes too long, and you're trusting your order to a minimum wage idiot who probably isn't paying attention.
Shopping online, then, is the ideal solution. You don't have to deal with idiotic sales assistants, you can browse thousands of products, and it only takes a minute. The guys at As Seen On TV run a good sales site. You can buy those things you see advertised on late night TV (such as the Shed Ender and Table Mate, of which I've posted below) without having to go through any hassle. On top of that they tend to be cheaper and selivered faster when you buy online. Is there any downside at all?

A Break?

2006-08-17T08:36:00.000Z

I seem to have found myself with about 10 hours' worth of CSI, 5 episodes of Top Gear, 2 episodes of Lost and three films on my Sky Plus box. I'm considering a two day TV marathon. I've been looking for an excuse to take a break from work for a while - 70 hour weeks can only be kept up so long, after all - and I think this may be it.
Hmmmm....

Mind Comet

2006-08-17T08:34:00.001Z

There's nothing that inspires less confidence than landing on the website of a marketing consulatancy or Interactive Agency and finding it bland and disappointing. MindComet have neatly side-stepped that problem by building an excellent site.
As soon as you land on the front page a video testimonial begins to play - sure, those with a less than speedy Internet connection may find this slightly annoying, but the video plays smoothly even on my clunky old box so I can't see it being a problem for too many people.
You get the impression from the MindComet site that these guys are very slick, very smart. I'd have no qualms about hiring them if I needed marketing solutions.
Best of all? I like the quote attributed to the founder and CEO, Ted Murphy: 'If one more person calls me Doogie Howser I am going to blow a gasket.' It's a risky move to show that you have a sense of humor on a professional site, but in this case it simply serves to inspire confidence in them.
Two thumbs up, MindComet.

You tube

2006-08-17T08:34:00.000Z

Now this is cool. A woman took a picture of herself every day for three years, and then put it all together - play it with the sound on. I'd like to see her continue this so in years to come we can look back and watch her age properly.

Mortgage Advice

2006-08-17T08:33:00.000Z

A couple of weeks ago I had to write 25,000 words about the Californian mortgage market. Since I don't live in Cali and don't have a mortgage I was a little stuck for material, so I took a look around the Internet and found a few sites to help me out. One of those sites was Personalhomeloanmortgages.com. The site offers advice on mortgages, updates on the mortgage market, trackers of the financial markets on which variable mortgage interest rates are based, and a mortgage calculator to help tot up the total cost of your mortgage and amortization schedule.
Long story short, the site was a big help. if you're looking for mortgage advice I can highly recommend it.

Those Crazy Inventors

2006-08-17T08:32:00.001Z

Imagine the countless thousands of great ideas people have every day that end up consigned to the mental dustbin. Many people at some point in their life will stumble upon an idea for a new product - or a revolutionary rejigging of an existing product - and soon forget about it. We simply don't have the resources or knowhow to implement it. Those edible socks may, tragically, never see the light of day.
Davison Inventegration is a company that takes your great idea and runs with it. You tell them your idea and they shape it, mold it and prepare it for presentation to the people who have the capital to turn it into reality - effectively, they're a niche marketing company for inventors.
Personally, I think this is one of the most interesting companies I've ever come across on the Internet. if you've had an idea bubbling away at the back of your mind, I'd advise you to take a look at the site to see if they could help you turn it into a real product. Who knows: your idea could become the next Dyson.

Yipee

2006-08-17T08:32:00.000Z

Cool. No sooner had I posted my bitch about the lack of well-paid work did I get an email offering some.
Chalk that one up to premature cynicism, I guess.

Tracking Software

2006-08-17T08:31:00.000Z

There used to be a time when I had to work 9 to 5 in a nasty office. I pity you guys who still have to do that, but I'm well out of it with no looking back. Because I hated the job so much I used to just sit there abd surf the Internet whenever the boss wasn't standing over my shoulder. They weren't too tech savvy back then, so the only way they could tell if people were on the Internet was by standing behind the screen.
Of course, they claimed to have tracking software installed. They said they kept tabs on everyone's web use, but we knew it wasn't true. If they actually had trackers working then I would have lost my job years ago. They surely wouldn't keep paying me for the - what? - two hours of hard work I did every day, would they?
One day they actually decided to invest in tracking software. We call that day Black Monday. On that daya bunch of us were dragged into the boss' office and bawled out for an hour. One of us was logged as spending 5 hours on a webmaster's forum. He was given a written warning and left within a week. Fortunately I'd only apent an hour or so on the net that day, so I was let off with a slap on the wrist.
From then on we were kept on a tight leash. A lot of sites were blocked and we were forced to knuckle down and actually do some work. Productivity shot up, of course, without the distraction of the Internet.
Now, of course, I look back and realise it was a good idea. Tracking software will obviously give the boss a clear idea of who isn't doing their job. If I ran my own office (well, I do, but if I had any employees) I'd be a mug not to install tracking software. Anyway, there's a company named SpecterSoft - who describe themselves as worldwide leaders in the field - selling tracking software. If you run an office and want to keep tabs on what the underlings are doing all day I'd advise that you take a look.

Sweet Relief

2006-08-17T08:28:00.001Z

I've just passed a very enjoyable work-night munching on breadsticks while writing 2,500 about the history of Hollywood. From the early development of technology to the evolution of chick flicks, it's been fun all night.
OK, it may not sound like your idea of a good night, but it is to me. Most of my contracts come from people who want densely technical articles about mortgages and the ins and outs of gambling. To get the chance to actually write about something I'm interested in - and to get paid rather handsomely in doing so - is a nice relief from the usual grind.
With a little luck the client will like what he sees and give me a few similar jobs to pen. Keep your fingers crossed for me, guys and gals.