Merry Christmas!

Well, Christmas has now been and gone and I hope you've been having a swell time. I enjoy the time away from work, though attention turns to what the next big challenge will be in career development - is it time for a change of direction, or expansion into web design or IT-related fields? Hmm...

Anyway, still pretty chilly in these parts (which I think is great by the way), and the pavements are like an ice-rink - are we entering a mini ice-age? Wonder what that would mean for us... might do some research into that and report back later.

Meantime, keep the spirits up!

Office Parties

It's well into December and despite the belt-tightening, no doubt many of us are still planning on attending an office party to celebrate Christmas.

These annual social gatherings tend to be booze-fuelled, food-filled and tread a delicate balance on the thin line of what constitutes proper office behaviour with the risk of dangerous liaisons, misguided pranks, improper comments and generally poor business conduct all round.

So, why do we bother? Why do companies agree to sponsor these hot-pots of liquor, lust and loopy shenanigans? In the name of team-bonding? To show their employees how generous they are, or, to save on some tax that would be incurred if they simply gave their employees a small financial boost to their pay-packet? Your guess is as good as mine.

Oh, and by the way - I've got two office parties to attend this Christmas. Am I looking forward to them? Yes. And no. Mostly no though. Aside from the, hopefully, good food and the company of a handful of friends, I really struggle to see the attraction in these pretentious environments where we skip around the fact that we are all a bit uneasy with the whole situation by getting plastered and making fools of ourselves.

Tax Shock Britain!

VAT (Value Added Tax) is rising from 17.5% to 20% from 4th January 2011 in the UK. VAT is the tax you pay on goods and services; the rise brings the UK more into line with the rest of Europe (Germans for example pay 19%, the French 19.6%); though 'essential' things like food, children's clothing and newspapers remain VAT free.

So things are going to be more expensive to buy; businesses will find it harder to sell things; and we'll have less money in our pockets with increasing taxes in general for which to purchase things in the first place. Seems quite gloomy, doesn't it?

Maybe we should look to Hong Kong for inspiration to get us out of this mess? That's what was proposed in the recent Channel Four documentary Britain's Trillion Pound Horror Story by film-maker Martin Durkin. He estimated that the UK owes £4.8trillion pounds - £4,800,000,000!!! The film argued, controversially, that our tax policy is inherently flawed and that in fact if we taxed ourselves less we'd not only be better off, but stronger economically. I found it a convincing argument and am now keen to read that wise Scotsman, Adam Smith and his groundbreaking publication from 1776 - "The Wealth of Nations".

I guess that such a seismic shift in our current economic policy isn't going to happen though - don't think our politicians have the kahoonies to do so!

MacBook Air

The new MacBook Air is the thinnest and lightest ever - less than 3/4 inch at its thickest and weighing less than 2 pounds. Stunning, portable design :)



Very impressive. And yes, I do want one!

Television Scheduling

Pow! What a night in store this evening on terrestrial TV:

19:00 Channel Four News - The highest quality prime-time news on the box in my humble opinion.

Then, at 20:00... wallop! Out with the big 'uns!

BBC Two: Masterchef: The Professionals - fine food, fine viewing.
ITV: Wild Britain with Ray Mears - a brand new series with the greatest outdoors expert in the world.
Channel Four: The Real Vikings: A Time Team Special - Tony Robinson uncovering the Viking way of life.
Five: The Gadget Show - the best thing on Five is one of the best things on the box!

Hold on! It's coming up to 21:00:

BBC One: Spooks - Fast paced espionage in this drama series of the finest caliber.
BBC Two: Horizon: What Happened Before the Big Bang - Exploring our knowledge of the earliest moments in time.
ITV: Whitechapel - A hot new thriller series.

Now, why oh, why, oh why is the rest of the week so 'dry' by way of quality and attraction? And why do all the best programmes of the week have to be on at the same time? I'm so frustrated! Why can't the schedulers work-out that the best way to maximise their audience share is to spread the love throughout the week more effectively?

Ch-ch-changes!

Crunch! Things are changing in the UK as we try to pay off our national debt. Today the Chancellor, George Osborne, announced reform to child benefit, so that those paying top rate tax will not receive child benefit from 2013. That means if one parent in the family earns more than £44,000 a year - they won't receive the benefit. Sounds pretty fair to me as surely those who are less well-off shouldn't be subsidising the cost of raising a family for the wealthier.

And earlier in the year, during his emergency budget, Osborne announced, amongst other things there'd be an increase in VAT - up from 17.5% to 20% from 4th January 2011.

The stark fact is our nation's deficit is £149billion!!! That calls for real belt and braces action.

And the PM, David Cameron claims that an overhaul to the welfare system is very much on the cards. He's hoping that no-one will be in a position where it pays more to be at home than at work.

There's also changes to the workplace as well, that to be honest seem a bit ill-thought-through. It seems like everyone's got a claim to be a victim under 'The Equality Act 2010',  and businesses could be hit hard as a result according to Duncan Bannatyne. 

The end of the Internet

Facebook is down. Again. Seems DNS failure is to blame. For some users, that's the second time this week Facebook has been inaccessible. :(

It's the latest in problems to beset the online world - earlier in the week Twitter (briefly) succumbed to worms that sent some link-clickers to slightly dodgy sites. Fortunately, most weren't affected and the hole was quickly patched.

And it seems foul play has also hit Iran. According to a report on the BBC News website, the Stuxnet worm has been infecting real-world Iranian infrastructure - from power stations to water plants.

So, is there a connection? Can the conspiracy theorists find a link? Or, are these instances all totally unrelated?

The Internet might not be grounding to a halt, yet... but is there real potential for that to happen? And who is to blame?

I'm glad I'm the one who gets to ask the questions and not answer them :-)

Meantime, can anyone remember how you actually talk to people, face to face?

Will our communication networks be frazzled by a solar flare?

Yes, is the answer. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but when it comes in our direction it'll have the potential to fry our communications network putting it out of action for weeks, if not months. And not just the ipods, computers, and telephones around your house - it is likely to severely disrupt emergency services, banking systems, vital medical equipment and air traffic control. Being so dependent on electronics you can't help but feel we're pretty exposed.

Last month, NASA filmed a coronal mass ejection (travelling at over 1000km per second - it took about 2 days to reach Earth!), which adds to the evidence that the Sun is finally 'wakening-up' after a period of inactivity. Solar cycles last approximately 11 years and we're expecting to come out of a minimum period of activity to a solar max sometime in 2013.



To add to that, we're long overdue a 'once-in-a-lifetime' solar storm.

Happy thoughts!

Stephen Fry and the Intelligence² Debate

Stumbled across this video on DailyMotion, with Stephen Fry delivering an articulate and passionate argument on the responsibility of the leader of the Catholic Church in the paedophile priests scandal.


The Intelligence² Debate - Stephen Fry (Unedited)
Uploaded by Xrunner17. - Check out other Film & TV videos.

Visit the Intelligence² website

Awesome iPhone Apps

Apps for the iPhone are plentiful. Some are fabulous; most are funny though lack a bit in longevity of usefulness. How quickly we bore of fart and paper throwing chuckles and seek something a bit more productive - and thankfully Apple are on the same page and have announced they'll lay bare their guidelines.

But, there's still over a quarter of a million apps out there! Let me cut through the chuff to get to the cream of the crop of apps to own. Oh, and the cool thing is, that because I'm such a scrounger, all the following iPhone apps are free to download :-)

News & Weather
BBC News
Sky Sports News
Met Office Weather

Education
TED Mobile

Utilities
eBAY Mobile
RedLaser

Games
FarmVille by Zynga

Social
Twitter
Facebook
Bump

Yeah, this is a bit of a work in progress.

Halloween Video Game Costume

Halloween is a little over a month away, but it's time for me to start thinking about a costume for a party I've been invited to.

There's a theme - characters from video games.

That should give me lot's of options, don't you think? Well, I haven't decided what to dress as yet but I'm gathering ideas.

To help cut down on the numbers (admittedly, not by much), I've decided that any for consideration must have first made an appearance in a video game and not in a film, on TV, or a popular comic strip. Here's my list of video game characters that could go down a storm at Halloween:

Super Mario

Super Mario
Luigi
Princess Peach
Bowser
Toad
Yoshi
Wario
Big Boo
Donkey Kong
Diddy Kong
Sonic the Hedgehog
Pac-Man
Zelda
Link
Ryu
Chun-Li
Guile
Lara Croft
Duke Nukem
Rayman
Frogger
Kirby
Gordon Freeman

Lemming

Cloud Strife
Solid Snake
Master Chief
Spyro the Dragon
The Prince of Persia
Lemming

Actually, at the moment I'm quite taken by the idea of being a Lemming...

Booked for Success

Reading how others have become successful might give you the inspiration and insider knowledge you need to hit those wealthy heights as well.

So here are some books that could be worth their weight in gold for aspiring tycoons:

Duncan Bannatyne has a knack for knocking out the odd book or too, and by all accounts gives value for money.



Bannatyne's publications include: "Anyone Can Do it: My Story", "Wake Up And Change Your Life", and "How To Be Smart With Your Time: Expert Advice From The Star Of Dragons' Den".

Of course, other dragons have brought out books too. Peter Jones - "Tycoon"; Theo Paphetus - "Enter The Dragon"; "The Real Deal: My Story From Brick Lane To 'Dragons' Den'" from James Caan; and Deborah Meadens' "Common Sense Rules 'What You Really Need To Know About Business."



Getting away from 'the Den', and personal finance author Robert T. Kiyosaki has an extensive range of books on generating wealth starting with "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". He followed that up with "Rich Dad, Poor Dad 2: Cash Flow Quadrant - Rich Dad's Guide To Financial Freedom"; "Rich Dad's Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money"; "Rich Dad's Increase Your Financial IQ: It's Time to Get Smarter with Your Money"; and others.



And to round off, how about a book that should stand anyone in good stead. Dale Carnegie's timeless insight in "How to Win Friends and Influence People".

Money Money Money

Money! Where does it all go? Sometimes I feel like I'm just a hapless vehicle for its movement from one financial company to another. It's only halfway through September and already the cupboards are running empty and the coffers are gathering dust after being wiped clean by repayments on credit cards, loans, taxes and the house.

It's quite stressful really. Although earning slightly below the national average, what I do bring in is mostly quickly zapped up the moment it touches down into my bank account each month.

One looks around to see where it might all have been spent down the years, but I am always slightly puzzled by where it could have gone. Interest repayments probably! Sure, I've had some good times - a few trips here and there; the odd DVD or book; perhaps even a night out once in a blue moon! But, darn! I just can't see why I'm still feeling poorer than I ever have - even more so than when I was a student - despite earning more than I ever have; it just doesn't make sense.

A (substantial) lottery win would be most welcome at this stage, though of course the odds are stacked against that happening. What to do, what to do!

Malcolm Gladwell

I'm a fan of the author Malcolm Gladwell, who has written best-sellers including "The Tipping Point", "Blink" and "Outliers".

His insight into what brings success, social change, and happiness is intriguing and often elegantly seems to hit the nail on the head; and generally makes us think a little differently on everyday situations, or processes; although he often gets some stick for the lack of rigor in his approach and the use of anecdotal evidence that runs counter to the scientific method he attempts to lend to his work.

Here's a video from a few years ago when he spoke at TED, that also highlights his excellence in communication, even on as seemingly mundane a topic as spaghetti sauce.

Passionate Politics

Now here's something you don't see everyday; a passionate politician! Launching his aggressive campaign to be Stark County, Ohio Republican Executive Council Treasurer, is the sensational and exceptionally well-educated Phil Davison. Our Phil, a self-confessed master communicator has some side-splitting quotes and commitments delivered from the heart with real vigour and conviction. There's even a (mis)quote from Albert Einstein that tickled my scientific muscles.

Phil's a comin'! He's a swingin', will he be a winnin'? Would he get your vote?

Winning with the Internet

Okay, not sure I should be telling you this (reducing my own chances and all that), but I felt compelled to share with you some of my favourite UK online competition sites where you stand a chance of winning cash, or, prizes ranging from TVs to PCs, holidays to cars.

Best of all, these should be sites where entry into these fantastic competitions is free! That's right, free! No credit card details need be exchanged; no livers need be sold; or shirts ripped from your back.

First up is Bananalotto. It's a 100% free to enter lottery, giving you the chance to win up to £100,000 every day alongside other prizes too. It's dead simple to enter too and will easily fit into your daily Internet routine.

Then, wowsers! It's perhaps the best UK competitions portal - Loquax. Those guys do a terrific job of maintaining links to competitions from just about every corner of the net - from all the big high-street retailers to the smallest specialist online-only outlets. You can literally spend hours, if not days, each week trawling through the range of competitions on offer; or, exchanging winning tips with the active and supportive forum  at Loquax.

Last, but not least you should check out UK Competitions. It's another competition portal listing loads of free-to-enter giveaways.

So, what have you got to lose other than precious time... why not try winning with the Internet! Someone has to!

Cycling Kickstart

I've been getting on my bike again this week; using pedal-power to get to and from work each day; it's been a bit exhausting!

You see, I've not used my cycling muscles for a good few months. Why? Oh, the usual excuses - poor weather; the roads are a bit dangerous during rush hour; I'll get fit in other ways and then start cycling again (my achilles tendon has been playing up for about a year)...

I guess it's like most physical exercise. Staying motivated and getting out and just doing it is the key. And although I must admit I'm shattered and my knees tremble as I get off at the end of the journey, there is that rush of adrenalin and the overwhelming feeling that it's doing some good.

So for now, I'm sticking with it, even as autumn looms large on the horizon. :-)

Wednesday Night Internal Soundtrack

Wednesday evening and I find myself zoning in and out of alertness as I browse the Internet, potter around, and generally consider life's ups and downs.

Accompanying me, in "mmm's", "do-do's" and "uhh's" are the tracks that have shaped some of the more thoughtful and reflective moments of my life... let me share a few of the tracks going round in my head with you:

Simon & Garfunkel, "America";
Sigur Rós, "Mílanó";
Death Cab For Cutie, "Grapevine Fires";
Chris Knight, "Something Changed";
Counting Crows, "Miami".

I highly recommend you go listen to those tunes sometime.

Therapeutic couch session over :)

Google Instant - I want it now!

Today, Google launched its latest search engine enhancement, 'Google Instant'.

Searchers now get results shown as they type in the famous search box. Apparently, it can return the results you want fast enough to save you anywhere between 2 to 5 seconds! Pretty awesome :)

It's so good, they even made a video boasting about it...



I'm impressed! And on my first few attempts returned the results I wanted, super fast - though it doesn't seem to have picked up my blog, 'Dierks' Life' yet! 

For more on Google Instant, visit http://www.google.com/instant

Knowledge is scary, but exhilarating!

Sometimes the more we learn, the more there is to fear.

Whilst our knowledge of asteroids has increased markedly since 1980, I can't help but feel both excited and mildly anxious by the insight into our solar system.

Still, it makes you feel alive, doesn't it?!

Flip

Over the weekend I picked up a new drinking game to add to my repertoire of party starters.

It might have a more common name, but for the purposes of ease and cause I have no real idea what its inventor called it, I'm going to call it "Flip".

To play "Flip", you need:

1 x table (preferably round)
2 x teams of 4 people
Enough plastic pint glasses for everyone
Enough beer for everyone

Once you've got all that sorted, line the teams up around the table. Each team nominates 1 person to start on the adjudicator's whistle. The first person has to down their pint as fast as they can. Then, in an acrobatic feat that seems impossible, they have to place the bottom of their plastic glass on the edge of the table and 'Flip' it with the tips of their fingers, such that the rim at the open end of the glass lands perfectly on the table-side.

In the very likely event that it doesn't quite happen first time round; given the immense pressure and jostling for position around the table; keep repeating the 'Flip' until they finally land their empty pint glass the right way up!

This gives the second person in line in the team the signal to knock back their pint and repeat the procedure. This continues until everyone in the team has successfully drunk and flipped their glasses.

The losing team... well, they can be given some sort of suitable forfeit which I'm sure you'll be able to think of on your own :)

Clouds

Serendipity is a great thing to possess. When I'm out and about I love making sure that I take in as much of the World as I possibly can. That means scanning the sky too - and not just at night - during the day you can see spectacular things above your head. Clouds. They come in all sorts of constantly changing shapes and sizes; occupying all levels of our atmosphere; and reveal so much about our weather.

Here's a snap of some cool clouds I took a while back.

I love clouds! Loads of other people do too. Many of them float around at the Cloud Appreciation Society website. Why not join them? You'll never have another day of ignoring the sky!

The Girl

Yesterday, I got the chance to go see "The Girl Who Played with Fire" at the cinema, the second film of the "Millennium" trilogy based on the books by the late, Stieg Larsson.

I must admit, I haven't read the books (am I the only one?), however I'm totally captivated with the films and am in the process of securing the books from a friend. Back in July, I watched the first film - "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo". Awesome!

Lisbeth Salander ('the girl') is mysterious, fierce, and unrelenting in her campaign to right wrongs inflicted on herself and others. The films have been tense, and not afraid of packing real punch - real credit goes to the actors who play Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) and journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist); plus, director of the films Niels Arden Oplev.

Made by Swedish production company, Yellow Bird, the films are also set to be remade by Hollywood starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig - though I'm not sure there's any need for such a remake?! Bizarre waste of money when the originals are so good!

The final installment, "The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets' Nest" is due for release in the UK on 26 November 2010. I, for one, can't wait!

Hello world!

I'm Dierks. Dierks Sholokhov. I'm just setting out on my blogging journey, so bear with me as I gather my thoughts to share with the world.

I'm not working today, you see, so I've grasped the chance to set up this blog which will allow me to jot down my thoughts on this, that and the other thing. Oh, you want details? Well, I guess you deserve that much. OK, well I'm interested in money... who isn't!? But, I'm not that shallow. I'm passionate about science, technology, gadgets, people, travel, the great outdoors, wildlife and the odd book or film too. Not necessarily in that order :)

I guess that's probably enough to start with. I'll ramp up the updates once I get going properly... who knows I might even play around with the template design and stuff.