Unexplained Error

Flat hunting in Oxford

2008-08-02T19:26:00.002+01:00

Spent a whole day looking at accommodation in Oxford last Wednesday for Ceri and Helen. Ceri starts his job as a trainee Clinical Photographer at the John Radcliffe on 1st September, so it was fairly urgent to find somewhere. Looked at some truely awful dumps, but we had found 2 possibles, when we went to see the last one on the list...perfect. They filled in the forms there and then, and heard yesterday that they have the flat. 5 mins walk away from the JR, buses every few mins into Oxford for Helen to get to the station to go to uni - but the price...omg, I knew it would be expensive, but... Glad its not me having to pay it!

Jobs

2008-08-02T19:23:00.001+01:00

I am still looking for a new job. Have done some consultancy work for another university during the summer term, which I enjoyed very much, and I hope they want me back next term. In the meantime, at least I have half a job...

Bath pigs

2008-08-02T19:17:00.003+01:00

Bath has been invaded by pigs! They are all over the place - up on the royal crescent, inside the Roman Baths, on top of the entrance to a cinema, over shops and this one - Bubbles - is outside the Thermae Spa. You can even get a map to enable you to see them all...

Haddon's

2008-08-02T19:10:00.010+01:00

Celebrating Ceri's success at his graduation from University of the Arts, London [Camberwell], at Central Westminster Hall, London on 14 July 2008

Afternoon Tea

2008-08-02T19:02:00.003+01:00

Before my French visitors returned to Paris, I decided to do 'Afternoon Tea' on the lawn. The weather co-operated, my friends came and we all sat on the lawn eating poached salmon and cucumber sandwiches, home made cakes, scones, strawberries and cream and drinking Pimms. Great fun. All my hard work baking and preparing it all was certainly worth it.

Graduation

2008-08-02T18:57:00.003+01:00

The day finally came - 14 July 2008. Ceri graduated from the University of the Arts London [Camberwell] with a BA[Hons] in Photography. A fantastic sunny day in central London. His grandad came, my dad's second wife came from Paris and his girlfriend came. Wonderful. I just wish my mum and dad had been there as well...

Will there ever be an Aids vaccine?

2008-04-24T20:36:00.002+01:00

Disturbing news that scientists are now doubting if a vaccine against Aids will ever be available. The latest trials ended in failure, and scientists are now wondering whether to move away from clinical trials to understanding the basic biology of the virus and its effects on the human immune system. I just hope that they don't give up totally, as so many people are infected, and need that hope that one day, there will be a vaccine, as well as new drugs to treat the current strains.

Is it time to give up the search for an Aids vaccine?
After 25 years and billions of pounds, leading scientists are now forced to ask this question

Albert Khan

2008-04-24T20:21:00.002+01:00

A book of the photographs commissioned by the French banker Albert Khan is coming out soon. I visited the Albert khan museum in Paris last summer and was totally blown away by the photos. I am certainly going to get the book - as the photos are just exquisite.

Albert Kahn’s early colour photographs

Financial crunch

2008-04-24T20:05:00.002+01:00

Shocking to hear that Credit Suisse have suffered even more losses than originally thought. Is part of the reasons behind the current financial crisis just sheer greed on the part of certain individuals who were happy enough to take millions of pounds in bonuses - now the banks are in trouble because of the behaviour of these 'rogue traders', why dont the banks ask for the bonuses back?

Credit Suisse posts £1bn loss

A bad hair day

2008-04-24T19:57:00.003+01:00

Yesterday, I spent all day talking to employers, trying to recruit them onto an online graduate recruitment fair. Following the telephone calls, I sent emails, complete with material to explain exactly how the online fair would operate. Today - I was working elsewhere, and on checking my emails, I found one from a colleague. Apparently, yesterday, I forgot to attach the attachments - and this HUGE national employer has rung back today - so my colleague had to send out the attachments. What a idiot I am. I just hope they are SO mega impressed with the idea, that they sign up! Definitely a bad hair day yesterday! Lets hope tomorrow, I am a bit more on the ball...

Chickens

2008-04-24T19:49:00.002+01:00

My friend has had some chickens delivered. She ordered TWO - and when they arrived, complete with a really posh plastic hen house with an integral shit tray, there were 2 others in the van who were having to go back to the farm, as the person who had ordered them had changed their mind, so now she has FOUR chickens! Now, at work, I am the one who always seems to have 'sucker' written in big letters on my forehead, but today, I think I handed over that mantle to Jackie. So, welcome to Henny, Penny, Pippa and Peg! I am sure I will be having weekly updates on the progress in house training, garden etiquette and where not to plop... I am looking forward to some fresh eggs as well!

Culture vulture

2008-04-09T17:39:00.004+01:00

Spent a few days in Paris over my Easter break from university. Went to exhibitions and museums. Bliss. So, what did I see?

'Vlaminck - l'instinct fauve' at the Luxembourg
'Patti Smith - Land 250' at Fondation Cartier
Montparnasse Museum
Postal Museum
Lovis Corinth' - at Orsay
Exhibition of work at Ateliers de Paris - Faubourg St Antoine
Gregor Schneider - Maison Rouge

oh, and I bought some original artwork from the exhibition at the Atelier!

Olympic torch relay

2008-04-09T17:29:00.002+01:00

Good to see that the free world is not rolling over under pressure from China. I am all for protest along the route of the torch - we have to be able to express our distaste and outrage at the treatment of Tibet. I certainly did not appreciate the sight of Chinese security persons on the streets of London last Sunday, and was pleased to hear the Australians will NOT be allowing these thugs on their streets - to 'protect' the torch. I hope the route through San Francisco is full of protestors. Not good to hear on the radio that the governor of the "Tibetan Autonomous Region" threatening "If someone dares to sabotage the torch relay in Tibet and its scaling of Mount Everest, we will seriously punish him and will not be soft-handed,". Please, please, please - can there be some protestors flown to the top of Mt Everest to thumb a collective nose at this silly, pompous man, as the torch goes past!

Demonstrators converge on San Francisco today ahead of torch relay

Zimbabwe elections

2008-04-09T17:09:00.002+01:00

It is about time that Robert Mugabe accepted that the people of Zimbabwe do not want him as their President any more! Before the elections, a friend asked me what I thought the result would be, and I said that whatever the result, Mugabe would not go. I think that so far, I gave been proved right. Hopefully though, the pressure starting to be put on him by other African nations, will make him realise what a fool he is making of himself. Zimbabweans want democracy, not a dictatorship - they have voted for change, they now deserve that change.

Zambia calls for Zimbabwe solution

Dysfunctional families

2008-04-09T16:55:00.002+01:00

Reports that the mother of Shannon Matthews has been remanded on charges of child neglect and perverting the course of justice, just go to show dysfunctional some families are. After a 24 day hunt for the child, she was found in the flat of her step-father's uncle. Since then, further members of the family have been arrested, including her step father, his mother and sister. Other press reports tell of family members trying to get money from the Madeline McCann fund. What is happening to the other children who were living with Mrs Matthews? With seven children by five different fathers - it must be a social services nightmare to sort it all out. I know it is very harsh - but how are these children supposed to succeed in life, when their family life is as dysfunctional as this?

Shannon mother in court on neglect charge

Last "Graduate Futures" course

2008-03-01T16:57:00.003Z

Course 'BB' was held in Manchester, hosted by MMU, between 25-29 February. Seems a long time since the start of course 'A' in the summer of 2005. The university rented a small apartment for me near to MMU, and it was wonderful to be able to walk to and from the course. Makes me think that city living isn't so bad after all. I was close to Deansgate, and was able to walk up into the city centre, as well as having access to trams, trains, buses and free shuttles. It was hard on the last day, and I had to be very controlled and not think about being redundant at 4pm, and to focus on finishing the course on a high for the students.

So now, I have to find a job, as my 0.5, term time only contract isn't enough...funny being in the same boat as all the students that I have delivered to over the past 3 years!

But, as one door shuts, others DO open, and I have had interest from the Head of Careers at a neighbouring university, which I will follow up next week.

Bush Presidential Library

2008-02-22T19:58:00.003Z

It was announced today that the above would be housed by the Southern Methodist University in Texas - I don't suppose will be very big or exceptional - probably full of paired reading books, comics and spelling books...

SMU Will Host Bush Presidential Library

Biscotti

2008-02-19T19:55:00.003Z

Having given in and bought a set of measuring cups to be able to make these yummy biscotti, I baked some on Sunday. The box is rapidly emptying - and my husband swears he doesn't eat biscuits!! I sent some down to Ceri in London, and have saved some for P... they taste heavenly.

Close shave...

2008-02-19T19:49:00.004Z

Driving down my road this evening on the way home, a car reversed at speed out of its driveway in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, and the car stopped about 2 inches away from my front bumper. I parped the horn to show my displeasure, but no reaction. I then realised that the car had no brake lights, no lights at all, and on looking more closely, there was no driver. It had rolled off the drive under its own steam! When I went to tell the people in the house, they didn't seem that bothered at all that 2 tons of Volvo had nearly squashed my car, and was causing a total blockage of the road. It was only when I got home that it hit me that I had had a lucky escape. It makes me glad that our drive is flat - no chance of rolling off it into the path of the oncoming traffic!

Perhaps I am OK after all

2008-02-10T16:10:00.000Z

An article talking about why some women choose not to blast through the glass ceiling, made me think that perhaps, my decision not to just pursue a career, but to give time to my family, wasn't so bad after all. Even now, with the threat of redundancy looming at the end of Feb, I am feeling quite calm about it all - there IS more to life than work, and perhaps I do need time to rethink my priorities, work out what I want to do, and then in a bit do it.

Are girls wired not to win?

Tyres

2008-01-09T22:29:00.000Z

Had a puncture on the way home from work last night - limped to a layby and rang Mercedes to send somebody to come nad change the tyre for me. No answer - all the lines were busy, please hold. Trouble was that my mobile was discharging rapidly [I MUST get the battery sorted...], so I rang off and rang Steve instead, to get him to ring Mercedes from the home phone. He was off out walking the dogs, but he came to find me, and changed my wheel in 8 minutes! THe tyre was totally shredded, with steel poking through the rubber - not nice! Today, it was going in for a service to the garage, so I had to warn them that they tyre in the boot was being sorted - I am NOT going to pay Mercedes prices for 2 new tyres...-but they found other things wrong with the car and i had to have a new rear suspension and something on the roll bars on the front, so ended up paying over £400. Not a good time with my car recently. Lets hope this is the last I will have to pay out for a bit.

Travel light

2008-01-06T14:42:00.000Z

It looks as if I will be able to return to my previous policy of traveling with 2 items of hand luggage when flying to Paris soon, as some airports/airlines are easing the restrictions. It is a great feeling when you arrive at your destination and are able to vanish as fast as possible without having to wait [and pray that it DOES arrive] for your hold bag to plop out onto the conveyor.

Airports set to ease bags limit

On the twelfth day of Xmas...

2008-01-06T14:29:00.000Z

...the decorations have to come down! I hate taking the tree down and removing all the baubles. Wrapping them all up individually in tissue paper is a very sad occasion. This year I only had a small tree, so lots of the baubles are still in their tissue in the boxes. Next year, I am gonna have a BIG tree again...

Terracotta Warriors

2008-01-06T14:16:00.000Z

Was lucky to get a ticket on the day to see the terracotta warriors at the British Museum. It was a superb exhibition, and I was bowled over by them. Although I expected more of them, they were very impressive, and must have been very impressive in all their bright paint when they were first made. Now, I want to go to see the rest of them in situ in China... After I emerged from the exhibition, I was trying to write a postcard to a friend, but words totally failed me at the time. I would have liked to have been able to take photos in the exhibition, but the security people were like hawks, so I had to buy postcards afterwards! I think I will try to get tickets to go again...

Another year nearly over

2007-12-26T11:40:00.000Z

Boxing Day - Ceri has been collected by his girlfriend, and gone to Gloucestershire/Cardiff. Very quiet here at home without him. Steve is mending the gears on his mountain bike, as he is going biking with the triathlon club over the weekend, the dogs are asleep in the living room and I have vacuumed and polished the floors [again...], but don't want to do too much more housework, as I think I have done more than my fair share over the last few days. Hard to think that it is the end of another year, where does it go to? This year has flown by - it has had its ups and downs, but all in all it hasn't been a bad one. My knee is almost fully recovered - I didn't think it would take 12 months when I initially damaged it in January - and I hope to start some light jogging over short distances in the New Year, and hopefully manage to race again by the summer. While I am off work over this festive period I hope to get at least 3 applications for jobs completed - one is going to be just a go, as it is really at too high a grade - but hey, they can only say no! - but it is local, and means I won't have to live away during the week. Hopefully 2008 will bring a new fulltime, permanent job, and I won't be forced to cope with half a job plus half a temporary contract...

Baking

2007-12-24T14:45:00.000Z

I had forgotten how much fun it was to spend an afternoon baking with somebody. We were making cakes to give as xmas presents - and it was the best afternoon and evening I have had for some time.

Nasty sore throat

2007-11-18T15:05:00.000Z

Why - when I am just about to teach a week long course, do I get a really horrible cold and sore throat? I hope that I don't loose my voice before tomorrow. Have gone out and bought lots of foul tasting stuff to help - but fingers crossed that I survive the week.

Giant pumpkins

2007-11-15T23:13:00.000Z

Elephants are big creatures - so they need larger than normal toys to play with. At 66kg though, this pumpkin is a giant!

Huge pumpkin is elephantine treat

Is there nowhere to avoid a mobile?

2007-11-14T17:46:00.000Z

China has put up a mobile telecommunications mast on Mt Everest. Can you imagine slogging up the mountainside only to hear somebody bellowing 'I'm going to be late - am up Mt Everest at the moment waiting for the weather to clear'. Is there anywhere in this crowded world where we can really be free from being disturbed by those annoying ring tones? I don't care if it means that the relay runners for the Olympics can keep in touch - why send them over Mt Everest anyway? - let's try and keep some wild spaces in the world. Take the mast down.

What is your university called?

2007-11-13T20:59:00.001Z

Big fuss being made about universities changing their names to attract better publicity, avoid confusion etc. Trouble is, it DOES matter. The latest one is Bath Spa, and Bath University is not very happy about it, as they feel it will confuse potential students. Damm right it does. The University of Central England in Birmingham, commonly known as UCE recently changed its name to Birmingham City University. The University of Birmingham was NOT impressed - but it does and will continue to cause confusion, especially for overseas students. Many of the students at my university are really shocked to find themselves studying in Stoke on Trent, as they assumed they would be at Stafford! Names are important, and the Privy Council should stop messing in this important area.

What's in a name? Our reputation, for a start

Where are the student loans?

2007-11-13T20:35:00.001Z

Reports today that many students still have not had their student loan payments. The students I have been dealing with have had all the emergency payments they can get, and are STILL waiting - one of them has 4 children under 6, and is a single parent - I dread to think of how she is going to feed them all once the payment she had on Monday is spent... I know the system is in transition, but really, until the LEAs finally hand over the assessment process to the about to be centralised student finance system, they should not be cutting back on staff and creating the backlog which is causing so much hardship to students.

'I can't make ends meet'

Where are the student loans?

2007-11-13T20:35:00.000Z

Online Careers Fair

2007-11-09T15:34:00.000Z

You never know, but somebody might read this blog and want to register on the National Online Careers Fair, which is being hosted by my university Careers & Employability Service between 12 Nov and 14 Dec. Follow the link - and have an online conversation with a graduate recruiter!

http://www.staffs.ac.uk/services/careers/careersweb/nationalfair2008/index.htm

Job hunting

2007-11-09T15:26:00.000Z

The pressure is on to find a new, full time, permanent post, as half of my job finishes at the end of November. Wonder how much I will be paid for redundancy? Probably not a lot, and they will probably mess up the calculations, adn pay it late. Just got to try and remain positive... it is hard, as everyone else is so excited that the contract has been agreed for the next tranche of Graduate Futures, but I only get 27.4 days work between Dec and end of March, which isn't much at all - and I get a break in service as well.

Happy birthday!

2007-11-05T18:26:00.000Z

Clare was 40 - and had some exquisite Jimmy Choo's for her big day -hence the cake! SO comfortable to wear - pity they were several sizes too large for me - but probably good news for Clare!

Extreme stress harms cognitive ability

2007-11-01T20:44:00.000Z

That was the conclusion reached by researchers who asked people in an aircraft, who were told they were about to crash, and could they just do this test... Hey - any student could have told them that! Other bizarre experiments included trying to see how LSD affected an elephant [it killed it!].

Elephant on acid, dog head grafts and a seesaw to revive the dead

2007-11-01T20:29:00.000Z

Just love this sign - my favourite one by far in the Times competition for funny signs from around the world. I know elephants are very intelligent animals, but I wasn't aware they could read yet...

Loosing out in the workplace...

2007-11-01T20:18:00.000Z

So, even after all these years of advances in equality, women are still dammed if they do, and dammed if they don't when it comes to being leaders. No wonder that the numbers of women going through that glass ceiling are still very small - corporate bias towards men rules. Changes need to be made - but I think it will be a long time before we have real, unbiased equality in the workplace - but in the meantime, I will keep encouraging my female students to go for it, not accept the status quo, and help shatter forever that glass ceiling.

The Feminine Critique

Leopard

2007-10-28T20:57:00.001Z

Today, eventually, after a real hassle getting a password out of somebody, I managed to install Leopard. However, I have too much to do with applying for jobs to play about with the new system at the moment - but I am sure I will manage to soon.

Making jam

2007-08-01T22:24:00.000+01:00

I had forgotten how much fun it was to make jam. Spent several hours sorting, washing, drying, cooking and boiling 4 kgs of yellow plums with P. I should have taken a photo of all the jars of jam - but perhaps I will take one of the ones I brought home and add it to the post later.

Silly names chosen by silly 'celebraties'

2007-07-27T20:13:00.000+01:00

Not that I care about what names have been 'chosen' by the latest 'celebrity' to produce a baby - but some of the names on a list produced by the Times did make me giggle. Frank Zappa must have been off with the fairies when he named his children! I do think that some of these so called celebrities, didn't really think about what happens in the playground when their child goes to school - Audio Science is gonna have a hard time....

http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article2130988.ece

Sleep on it

2007-07-27T19:49:00.000+01:00

So, it's true. If you have a problem, go to bed and sleep on it. The brain, working on autopilot will do a better job than your reasoning.

http://www.thes.co.uk/current_edition/story.aspx?story_id=2037687

Complementary medicine degrees slated

2007-07-27T19:31:00.000+01:00

There has been an overall increase in applications to university, with spectacular increases in applications for subjects such as complementary medicine [31.5%] - but some critics of the courses have come out strongly against them - "...cashing in on people's wishful thinking when there is no evidence that complementary medicine works. They might as well offer degrees in astrology." said a professor of pharmacology, "scandalously unacademic" according to another professor of complementary medicine research. I have mixed feelings. Personally, I think there is a call for complementary medicine, but the students I see from a neighbouring university who have taken their degree in alternative therapies, do find it hard to find employment, and even when they are self employed, many have to do other work as well to supplement their incomes. Perhaps it is just a case of the older, more research led universities looking down at the courses being offered to fill gaps in the market by the newer universities - but all universities need to fill their spaces - and by offering what the customer wants, the newer universities are reaping the financial rewards - and students are customers...

http://www.thes.co.uk/current_edition/story.aspx?story_id=2037637

Persistant rain

2007-07-27T19:22:00.000+01:00

I love how the Met Office understates the weather. It is forecasting 'more heavy and persistent rain' for England & Wales this weekend. Just where is all this rain coming from? I am fed up with it all now - I want the sun please.

Ceri is in Cheltenham for the summer, and on Sunday, he and Helen had to evacuate down to Cardiff, as the water ran out. He was hoping to start work at the Tesco store opposite, but it is shut, as they have no running water either... Returning to Lichfield via the M5, it was shocking to see how much destruction the floods had wreaked over a wide area around Tewekesbury - but what was annoying, was the numbers of motorist who were stopping their cars on the hard shoulder and in some cases, getting out of their cars to take photos of the floodwaters! Are they stupid or what?

Blue taxi

2007-07-05T20:18:00.001+01:00

A wonderful weekend to collect a very special person from Bruxelles at the end of a successful Erasmus year. The blue taxi purred along, there were no hitches and I managed to be able to see a little out of the rear view mirror, after the quilt had been squashed down firmly! I even managed to find my way in and out of Bruxelles via the ringroad without any problems or wrong turns!

The end of an era...

2007-06-27T20:57:00.000+01:00

Today, was an emotional roller coaster, as my project that I have worked so hard on for the past two years said 'thank you' to all my colleagues who had helped out at various times. I thought last Friday, on the last day of the final course would be hard - but it was easy - probably because I had too much to think about, and today would be the easier one to cope with - but it wasn't. It was really hard. Who would have guessed that I, of all people, would be rendered totally speechless! We provided a nice lunch for them, and then made them do the famous [or should it be infamous?] 'toolkit challenge'. The world record was safe though [30 seconds], as the winner took 43 seconds to make up a toolkit from a flatpack, attach the handle and close it up correctly. Nobody took us up on our offer to stick the knife into one of us though while cutting the cake, and we heard all the jokes about having your cake and eating it as well!

No more Darcey

2007-06-08T20:47:00.000+01:00

Tonight sees the final performance of Darcey Bussell, who is retiring from dancing at the age of 38. She prefers to go while she is at her peak, rather than fade away - and in a way I agree with that, but it is a shame. I have only seen her dance once, in Elite Syncopations, and it was magical. British dance will miss her.

Darcey Bussell's dance to the top

Gallic style

2007-06-08T20:44:00.000+01:00

Like it! The south of France gets really hot - any shade is welcome in the middle of the day - and these hats are a funky way to cool off. Can't really see them taking off in Birmingham though - just not enough sun!

50,000 editions

2007-06-08T20:23:00.000+01:00

The Guardian prints the 50,000th edition on Monday, and to celebrate they showed 50 front pages to illustrate the paper's coverage of momentous events over the last 186 years. As an avid Guardian reader from a young age, the first one that I can remember reading [from the selection shown...] was the one about the funeral of Winston Churchill - but I do remember hearing about the Cuban missile crisis, [my dad was on a few hours call up for weeks on end, his kitbag packed and ready to pick up at the bottom of the stairs...], and President Kennedy being assassinated. The old copies of the paper were very messy, hands were black after reading, but they were fantastic for lighting the fire! But they did teach me to spell, as I was expected to be able to correctly spell the misspelt words by my mum!

50,000 issues of the Guardian

G8 on climate change

2007-06-07T23:40:00.000+01:00

The G8 summit has declared that global greenhouse gas emissions must stop rising, to be followed by substantial reductions in the emissions. They want to half global emissions by 2050. 2050!!! Are they mad? At this rate, there won't be a planet left to reduce emissions on by 2050. Bush has said he will 'consider' reducing emissions, but only if emerging economies do so as well. What a jerk that man is. He thinks the USA is the leader of the free world, but with him in charge, all it does is put it's head in the sand and pretend that it isn't happening. US citizens need to give up their gas guzzlers, and wake up to the reality that cheap oil isn't a right, and the US government has to do something to curb the industrialists who are only concerned with making a profit.

G8 agrees 'substantial' climate deal

Terminal exhaustion

2007-06-07T23:28:00.000+01:00

I have been teaching an ultra concentrated course this week, and I feel as if I am about to expire. The traveling has been awful, and the extra work involved has meant working most evenings as well. By the end of this afternoon I wasn't sure if I was coming or going - so I sent them all home a bit early. I now face the thought that I have to get up again in just over 5 hours time, and catch that 7.04 train again, and I just hope that nothing goes wrong on the final day, that all 38 of them turn up, and that the ones who have been preventing me from having a break all week, give me a chance to have SOME lunch - just for once! I can't remember what I have planned for this weekend - but at this rate, sleeping looks a good bet.

Roll on the end of June, when I finish my teaching commitments for this academic year...

Olympic logo

2007-06-04T20:26:00.000+01:00

What on earth is this? It doesn't do anything for me at all. A 'multimedia' brand apparently. I remain unconvinced...

London Olympics sport new logo

Branching out

2007-06-03T16:42:00.000+01:00

The project I work on is coming to an end. Funding MAY be available later in the year, but nothing is sure in this life , and I think it is time to be brave and branch out. Working for myself as a careers consultant/trainer has appealed for some time, and perhaps now is the time to take the plunge and test the water - as I would still have a half time post to fall back on - but if it DOES work, I can expand and eventually be totally self employed. So, I need a name for my company. Suggestions please...

Russia should be ashamed of itself

2007-05-29T17:02:00.000+01:00

Shocking to read about Peter Tatchell being beaten up by thugs in Moscow. Some societies are still very blinkered - but it is NO excuse for this sort of behavior. The police need to protect all of society, not just the bits they want to. Lets hope things improve, and that lots of people write and protest to the government about the lack of support for a lawful, legal protest.

'It was the second worst beating of my life'

Meat on toast

2007-05-29T16:46:00.000+01:00

Healthy eating is good for you. We all like to think that we eat at least 5 portions of fruit and veg a day, and avoid "bad" foods. Yet, as a blog on the Guardian 'confessed" to, sometimes, we all revert to comfort eating, to food that we ate as poor impoverished students. The list of variations on beans and cheese in the comments is amazing, and some certainly rang a bell with me. One that didn't seem to be there though was one my husband introduced me to - and, I am ashamed to say, he still 'cooks' regularly, namely "Meat on toast". Here's how to 'cook' it!
Fling two slices of bread under the grill [these days, it is normally wholemeal, but back then he ate white, sliced!]
Open a tin of 'meat' - Spam, corned beef etc
Slice thickly
When bread has toasted on one side, remove, turn over and place slices of 'meat' on untoasted side
Worcester or brown sauce to taste
Shove back under grill until brown
Eat

Homage to crap food

NHS underspend

2007-05-29T16:39:00.000+01:00

I am really cross at the news today that the NHS has underspent by £500m. I have loads of student nurses and midwives who were unable to find a job at the end of their courses, because the NHS Trusts claimed they had no money. Nationally, there are thousands of newly graduated health care workers unable to find employment, due to Trust cutbacks. Will they now put the surplus into jobs for these new graduates? I hope so - otherwise the knock on effect will be that students won't apply for courses in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, midwifery etc, as they can't be sure of paid employment afterwards.

Unions furious at cuts as NHS surplus revealed

Territorial

2007-05-29T16:33:00.000+01:00

Just because European Eagle owls are breeding in the UK, it doesn't follow that they will be tame. Reports of a breeding pair in Lancashire attacking dog walkers are to be expected. Parent birds will defend their nest and chicks - so the temporary ban on walkers on the path near the nest is totally justified. Lets hope the owls manage to successfully rear chicks, and that they expand their territory, to give more of us a change to see these wonderful birds in the wild [and I promise that I will leave Ferret and Silk at home!]

Eagle owl attacks close Pennine path

What a hassle!

2007-05-26T18:08:00.000+01:00

I forgot my sign-in for google to get into this blog. Oops. I must write it down for next time!

Be brave

2007-05-14T21:20:00.000+01:00

The Czechs are having a few problems with the design for their new national library. The design has been described as "a nine storey green and purple blob", and has been nicknamed the 'Octopus'. A new library is always controversial - but why not push the boat out? Most libraries are not that exciting - architecturally speaking - just think of how boring the British Library is to look at, squashed into an awkward site between two main line stations! - so perhaps this an opportunity to push the boundaries that little bit further. Having worked in an upside down pyramid when a practicing librarian - I would enjoy going to work in a jelly mould, and it would certainly not give out the wrong impression that libraries are stuffy places to visit and study in. I look forward to visiting Prague in the future and seeing this alien rooted firmly next to the castle.

'Octopus' library stirs up Czechs

Goodbye Tony Blair

2007-05-10T19:29:00.000+01:00

After what must be the longest, worst kept farewell in history, Tony Blair returned to his constituency today to announce his resignation as leader of the Labour Party. So, after June 27, a new leader. I wonder who that might possibly be?! Whoever it is, will have a hard act to follow, as, whatever Blair's faults, and whatever people think of his actions, he was, and still is a charismatic character, and has done a lot to liven up the usual, stuffy image of what a prime minister should be, and has dragged Britain from being a marginal to a main player in the EU.

Blair to stand down on June 27

New look for the Guardian online

2007-05-10T19:24:00.000+01:00

It was a shock looking at the computer this morning - I thought I had broken it - but no, it was just the new front page of the Guardian online. Looking briefly at the comments, I was taken aback by the vehemence of some of them - they were NOT happy bunnies that the site had been re-designed. Get a life people! Its only a newspaper online. I like it, although I have to look for the links - but give me a few days and it will be as if its always been like it!

Guardian Unlimited: your emails and comments

Tumbleweeds

2007-05-10T19:17:00.000+01:00

Dale Chihuly makes wonderful stained glass. This piece is called 'Tumbleweeds', and is at the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh. I adore the vibrant colour and the way it spreads through the foliage.

24 hours in pictures

OMG - he did it AGAIN!

2007-05-07T22:08:00.000+01:00

Will somebody please get rid of this twit? He is supposed to be an educated man - how can he get the date of the bicentennial celebrations wrong? He is supposed to be in CHARGE of one of the most powerful nations on earth. I wouldn't trust him to button up his fly correctly. On the other hand, it was good to see that they had used a lower lectern for the Queen, as last time she was there, all you could see of her was her hat peeping over the podium - as they had forgotten to give her a box to stand on!

Bush in gaffe during Queen visit

Men in uniforms...

2007-05-05T19:07:00.000+01:00

Loved the story about the firemen who were mobbed by a group of women when they were called out to an incident. The women were expecting a 'full monty', but all they got was cold water!

Firemen mistaken for strip show

All a-twitter in Washington DC

2007-05-05T18:54:00.000+01:00

The queen is currently on a state visit to the USA, and the President is holding a white tie dinner for the occasion. Lets hope that this time he manages to avoid some of his previous gaffes, such as swigging his water from the bottle and eating with his mouth full!! Apparently, Mrs Bush is more concerned about her outfit, and to make sure it doesn't clash with what HM is wearing - perhaps she should concentrate on her husband, and check he doesn't wear his jeans or cowboy boots with his white tie. [Will that be one he puts on with elastic at the back, or do you think he will get somebody to tie it for him?!]

For Queen and First Lady, Bush Will Try White Tie

Only in Italy...

2007-05-05T18:49:00.000+01:00

The city of Palermo in Sicily, faced with a potential shortage of bus drivers recruited 110 new ones, of whom more than 100 did not even hold a licence. Having seen Italian driving standards for myself - I'm not totally suprised by this - but it does nothing to encourage belief in the impartiality of Sicilian politics!

Demolition

2007-05-05T18:44:00.000+01:00

The chimney in my kitchen is currently being taken out. Steve is attacking it with his bolster chisels and hammer, as it has to be taken out brick by brick to prevent the whole lot tumbling through the roof and ending up on the floor! Hard work - and the dust is going everywhere. To think that this is just the start of my extension - I am going to have to toughen up, and get used to mess [even more mess than the dogs!] over the next few months.

Long gap

2007-05-05T18:43:00.000+01:00

Since I last blogged. Lots of reasons, but I will try to blog more often from now on.

What an Oppurtunity!

2007-05-05T18:40:00.000+01:00

I go past this 'For Sale" board every day on my way to work, and it annoys me every time. Ironic that it is the education department that is selling this old school!

Would you let this person into your country?

2007-02-24T17:36:00.000Z

I lost my passport returning to the UK just after my birthday trip - somehow I managed to loose it between immigration and getting into the car - so I need a new one. It expired anyway in June, so am trying to get the Passport Office to issue me with a replacement/renewal. Complex. The form doesn't like anything to be out of the ordinary, so am half expecting to have to send in loads of documentation, or worst case scenario - be dragged up to Liverpool to see them. I have just been to have my photos countersigned ['cos its a 'lost' passport, not just a renewal...], and my friend has been very rude about them. He threatened to put " I have know this old bat for nearly 40 years - and her hair isn't really that colour at all" on the back... Just wait until he wants me to countersign his photos next year... They are dreadful photos though - but I have yet to see a decent passport photo - so I will just scowl at immigration officers as I go through to make myself look like my photo!

So, lets hope I get a new passport soon, as just the thought of NOT being able to leave the country if I wanted or needed to is not a pleasant one.

London Eye has a red nosepod

2007-02-12T21:23:00.000Z

Went to London on Sunday 11th Feb to celebrate Ceri's birthday. I FINALLY went on the London Eye. The weather was good, and you could see for miles. Unfortunately, we didn't 'fly' in the Red Nose Pod, but it was only a few pods behind us. Took loads of photos, and spent a happy time trying to identify landmarks.

Let's move to...Lichfield

2007-02-12T21:12:00.000Z

The Guardian asked for comments on Lichfield in preparation for an article in the Weekend magazine. Seeing as I was currently not at work, I sat down and wrote a few positive and negative comments about the town in which I live, and have lived for a long time. This is what I sent:

"Positive things about living here:

Good train links for commuting into B'ham
Good access onto motorway network via M6Toll
Not too many big shops - the little individual shops are still here and full
of interesting things [Dam St, Market St, Tamworth St]
Cathedral - a real gem that most people ignore when they live here
Lichfield Festival
Good secondary [King Edward VI] and primary schools [St Joseph's RC, St
Michael's CE]
Lots of places to eat out [The Olive Tree, Qmin, Ask] and loads of pubs
Local community hospital including maternity, physio, minor injuries[24hrs]
and renal dialysis
Nice little university campus which means local people don't have to travel
to study - but the range of courses could be widened...

Negative things about living here:

Too many ticky tacky boxes being thrown up on the outskirts - and more
threatened
The 'new' shopping centre is going to be awful if the plans are anything to
go by
No cinema - a trip to Tamworth, Burton or into B'ham needed
No Sainsbury's - the choice of supermarkets is dire, and all small...
Price of property for first time buyers - its high"

This is what they printed:

From the streets of Lichfield

Caroline Haddon "Not too many big shops: the little individual shops are still here - try Dam Street, Market Street, Tamworth Street - and full of interesting things. There's a nice little university campus, so local people don't have to travel to study. But there are too many ticky-tacky boxes going up on the outskirts, and the 'new' shopping centre is going to be awful. There's no cinema, and the choice of supermarkets is dire."

If you read the whole article though you can pick out some of my points which they used but didn't credit to me. But it was great to see my name in print, and a pleasant shock to realise that they actually use the information sent in to compile the article...

Let's move to...... Lichfield, Staffordshire

The snow has finally arrived!

2007-02-08T10:05:00.000Z

The snow was predicted, but I didn't believe it would fall, as there is some sort of force field surrounding Lichfield and whatever weather is forecast never actually arrives here. But this morning I woke up to find I had an all white car. I know I hadn't bought a new one yesterday - so I had to accept that it was covered in snow, real, cold, wet snow. It's still snowing, so am going to light the fire and spend the day feeding logs into it, while watching the snow swirl past the window...

Knitted boobies

2007-02-07T16:50:00.000Z

A hospital in Liverpool are knitting 'breasts' to help them show new mothers how to feed and express milk for their babies, especially those who are premature and in special care. What an excellent idea. Commercially available models are expensive, and these knitted ones come in a variety of colours, and are cheap to make! What a novel and innovative way to solve a problem, and the more mothers that can be shown how to breast feed the better, as it is SO much better for the babies.

The Blue Rigi

2007-01-22T19:47:00.000Z

Tate Britain has to raise £4.95million to prevent the Blue Rigi leaving the country. Painted as one of a series by JMWTurner, the light in this water colour is fantastic - he really is an outstanding painter of light - the Tate want to acquire this masterpiece. So, you can help. Buy a brush stroke or two, and help the Tate save the Rigi for the enjoyment of everyone in Britain. You can choose which 'brush stroke' you want to 'buy' by clicking on the link below

Time is running out!

An interesting race for the White House

2007-01-21T18:06:00.000Z

I mentioned earlier that Hillary had announced her intention to run for the 2008 election - but it is going to be harder than she thinks, as she will be competing for the same votes as Barack Obama [women, blacks], and for the monetary donations. Lets hope that we either get the first black or the first women president, and that the people of the USA get rid of that dire idiot they currently have.

Clinton Enters ’08 Field, Fueling Race for Money

Feeling cold? Put a jumper on!

2007-01-21T18:00:00.000Z

Global warming, carbon footprints, planting trees to offset the CO2 used when you fly - all very good, but simple things will also help us all reduce the impact we have on the planet. Yes, it is winter, but do we really need to be able to walk around in the office or at home wearing a thin tshirt? No - so instead of turning up the heating, we should be turning it DOWN a few degrees, and wearing a jumper instead. It will be better for the environment, and also better for us, as it is unhealthy to be in a hothouse all the time [and yes, the heating here at home is set to 18C, and I AM wearing a big thick wooly jumper...].

Carbon plans that make you cut down

Ruth Kelly is wrong

2007-01-21T17:51:00.000Z

Under the Equality Act, discrimination is not allowed on the basis of sexual orientation. Ruth Kelly is reported to want to allow Catholic adoption agencies to be able to turn away same-sex couples who want to adopt. I am pleased to read that the Lord chancellor has very firmly said that there will be no opt out for religious bodies - these children need families who love and care for them - it makes no difference if they are same-sex or not. It is as bad as the B&B people who wanted to be able to ban same sex couples from their B&B because they thought it was sinful. When will these religious people realise that gay people are not monsters, it is not catching and they are normal members of society like everyone else. So, although things ARE getting better, there is still a way to go before equality is a reality.

No exemption from gay rights laws

Hillary joins the race for the White House

2007-01-20T16:44:00.000Z

Good news that Hillary Clinton has finally announced she is gong to run for the 2008 presidential election. It is about time a woman was in charge there...

Hillary Clinton joins 2008 race

Walling her out...

2007-01-20T16:40:00.000Z

One New York couple have been arguing over WHO should live in the marital home for over 2 years [they own 2 houses]. The husband has finally cracked and built a wall partitioning the house. Only in the States!

NY couple build wall through home

Eco-clean

2007-01-19T09:58:00.000Z

I am not the most house proud of people - if my house is not gleaming - it doesn't really bother me, I still welcome people while moving the newspapers off the couch for them to sit down... So, reading an article about not using chemicals in your house made me go and look at what I DO use [when I get round to do the cleaning...]. A mixed bag was the result. I do already use eco washing up, laundry and kitchen surface cleaners - but there was still floor wax, bleach, window cleaner, floor cleaner and I am ashamed to say oven cleaner. I also use throw away cloths in the main - although I do wash my yellow dusters every now and again - which is obviously not the done thing! Luckily, I don't have to worry about the carpets, as I don't have any - but the sheer thought of brushing carpets clean made me feel quite panicky, as with two hairy muck magnets aka Ferret and Silk, it would be an impossible task. So, I have thrown away all the 'bad' chemicals and will try to be more environmentally friendly when buying products in future - but I can't see the house being a total product free place, as I don't enjoy cleaning enough to be mixing my own pastes or spending even more time on it!

The green cleaning guide

Stormy weather

2007-01-18T20:54:00.000Z

Lots of wind today - and sadly, people have been killed in the storms, both in the UK and in Europe. Even though I am not back at work yet, whilst talking to my colleagues, they told me that the tiles on the roof of one the main university buildings at Stafford were being blown off and clattering down onto the surrounding walkways and carparks - so the campus has been shut until Monday, to give roofers a chance to replace the tiles. A fallen tree on the local Cross City line caused havoc for commuters as well. New St station was shut, and the line may reopen later this evening. Other lines have also been affected - at present there are NO trains running between Bham and London due to overhead power lines being down, and some train companies are just not running trains at all.

Unbelievable

2007-01-18T20:45:00.000Z

I really did think that a pre-requisite for driving was being able to see. Obviously, in Spain, it is different...

Blind speeder is cleared by judge

Raising the school leaving age

2007-01-12T20:20:00.000Z

The government want all young people to stay in education until they are 18. This is going to be a hard task. Not everybody WANTS to be in education until they are 16, and I am not sure that this one will go through to affect the year group starting secondary school in 2008 - as it took an awfully long time to persuade people that it should go up to 16! The government say that no young person should be in work without adequate training. Ummm. Perhaps employers should take note of that one. Too many employers already avoid training staff, they won't change their spots in time for 2013!!

School leaving age may be raised to 18

Torn meniscus

2007-01-12T20:08:00.000Z

After 10 days of pain and still on crutches, a sports injury specialist has told me that I have torn the meniscus in my knee, and may have a slight tear in one of the collateral ligaments as well [but I can't remember from my biology lessons which was the medial and which was the lateral - but its the one on the inside...]. Its been strapped up - which has helped a lot already, and I have to go to be sized up for a made to measure knee brace next week. In the meantime, the good old NHS has told me to go back to A&E at a district hospital, so they can assess my knee, and then refer me IF they think it necessary to the soft tissue clinic. In the meantime, just don't walk on it. So perhaps between the sports injury specialist [who does triathlon with Steve] being proactive and the NHS faffing about and making me wait ages before they decide about anything, it might get better... I just hope it mends without the need for surgery, as just the thought of someone poking around inside my knee makes me feel quite sick.
In the meantime, I am stuck at home with just my crutches for company.

Houses should be innovative

2007-01-11T20:26:00.000Z

I thought this was a great way to utilise a building plot. We need to be more creative in our designs for urban living. We shouldn't all live in little boxes.

Built with wild abandon

2007

2007-01-11T20:12:00.000Z

Long time since last post. Its been a busy, eventful time. Christmas was quiet and uneventful, but it was good to be on our own and not bite each others heads off. Saw P for a few hours as he came back for the holidays, and before he went skiing/back to uni. He looked good, and it hit me how much I have missed seeing him last term. But hopefully, I will get to see him for a few days in the semester break and take him to Paris with me. New Year was spent in Paris with Ceri and Helen. Drove the car over using Eurotunnel, and managed to park under the tower ok. Paris was good, but a bit wet and grey until New Years Day when the sun came out. Took some great photos from the top of Tour Montparnasse - seeing as you could see for miles and the sun was out! The morning we left, I fell down 3 stairs in the apartment and hurt my knee. I then drove for nearly 9 hours to get home, and ended up in casualty as I couldn't walk or straighten my leg. X-Rays the following day revealed no break or tears, but am STILL on crutches and getting very fed up with being stuck at home. Not a good start to the year.

Bruxelles

2006-12-10T22:33:00.000Z

Cancelled. WHY?

I hurt my back and was in no fit state to travel. I was so upset, as I had been looking forward to the trip all term. In the meantime, I had a letter asking me to come for interview. I would have paid the £300 to come home early, but as it turned out, I couldn't even get to the airport to go, let alone fly. So, I missed my few days holiday to recover from the stress of a busy term, and I didn't get to see the person I have missed dreadfully all term. Hopefully, Bruxelles will still be there in January [sales will be on...], and by the end of the week I will know when I can go [as I will have heard if my job interviews were successful or not], and as long as it is not exam time - as I could not jepordise his exams - I WILL go and visit. Better late than never...

Graduate Futures - Unwrapped

2006-12-10T22:19:00.000Z

The project I have been working on for the past 2 years is coming to a close [although we have found some money for a 6 month extension, and are looking for even more money for further development], so we had a 'Showcase' event to disseminate good practice to other universities last week [5 Dec]. It went well, and lots of people were very impressed with what we had done, with some universities wanting us to go and talk in more detail to them... The event was opened by the VC, who said some very complimentary things about the project, and then she and I pulled the gold ribbon to 'unwrap' the red box centre stage in the TV studio. As the sides of the box fell away, my red toolbox which I use for teaching was displayed - as the star of the project [we give students a toolkit of employability...]. Great fun. When sitting on the sofa waiting to answer questions, the screen started to descend, hiding the team from the audience - so although it was a bit annoying, the audience thought it funny. How I managed to bounce around the studio in the afternoon to do my 2 workshops I will never know - but painkillers certainly help you cope. The relief on all the team's faces afterwards was a sight to see, but it was worth all the hard work. The DVD was worth it as well - even though my first sight of the finished product was with everyone else at the event. Just waiting to see the out-takes at the staff meeting next week...

Interview time

2006-12-10T22:13:00.000Z

Its a big week this week. Two interviews. One tomorrow [Monday] at Nottingham and one on Thursday at Oxford. And before you ask, no it is not Nottingham Trent or Oxford Brookes - it is Nottingham and Oxford. I should have been preparing for the past few days, but my brain has gone to mush 'cos of the painkillers I have been on, so I just hope I do OK. If it is meant to be, I will get one, and if it is'nt I won't. At least I got interviews... and I hope I can manage to walk into the interview without it being too apparent that my back has gone and it hurts to even sit down. Oh well, fingers crossed.

World Aids Day

2006-12-01T23:00:00.000Z

Aids is a feminist issue. The comment by Bianca Jagger today says it all , so I am just putting the link here, so please go and read the article.

Aids: a feminist issue
We need to expose how poverty, low status and poor access to health care make women especially vulnerable to HIV infection.

Jacking it all in

2006-11-22T19:58:00.000Z

Its getting beyond a joke at work, so I feel like giving up and just handing in my notice...

On-call

2006-11-18T11:35:00.000Z

I hate on-call weeks. My husband still participates in the on-call rota at his work, - even though he IS the boss, and could justifiably get out of it - and I get a week of bad sleep, and have to field these weird calls about broken macerators, stuck lifts, no steam, fire alarms etc. He has a mobile, but sometimes it doesn't pick up the calls, and like just now, I have to ring the gym and leave strange messages, such as 'ring xxx at xx hospital, East7A are having problems with electrics'. What the receptionist thinks of the messages I'm not sure, but I sure get some funny looks when I go in... So, its Saturday morning, he's been on call for 32 hours, and he's had 8 calls already - I hope it calms down, otherwise I am not going to get much sleep this week, and that means a grumpy me, which is not good for my students.

When is a baby's life viable?

2006-11-12T17:40:00.000Z

The current debate going on in the UK about when is a baby viable, and how hard should medical staff try to 'save' a very premature baby is heart wrenching. Nobody wants their baby to die, but do people realise how hard it is to look after a severely disabled child, who then becomes a severely disabled adult? Advances in medical techniques mean that babies can be 'saved' at even earlier gestation, but should they? People should be told that the chances of their very premature baby living without disability is very small - and that most premature babies will have SOME form of disability. They should also realise that most very early babies DO die, and not expect miracles from the hospital staff. On the other hand, it is not right that if you do have a premature baby, that you might have to go hundreds of miles away to get the neonatal intensive care cot needed to give your baby the chance to survive. Staffing levels at neonatal intensive care units need to be addressed, and properly funded. If the needs for these cots is rising - due to advances in medicine and an increase in multiple births - as a nation we should be investing in our future and providing them, but we still need to be realistic about the quality of life that some of the survivors of very early birth will have. Advances in medicine will continue, but a line needs to be drawn, and soon.

Some sick babies must be allowed to die, says Church

Fight for life

Good day at the rugby

2006-11-11T22:12:00.000Z

Last week, we drew with Australia, but today, we took the Pacific Islands to the cleaners, winning 38-20. The last part of the match Wales had the Islanders all over their 22, but still couldn't get that final try they deserved. But an impressive performance, especially from Ceri Sweeney, and the rising star James Hook.

Remembrance Day

2006-11-11T21:59:00.000Z

It was good to see people stopping in the street and pulling over in their cars to spend two minutes reflecting on how much we owe the people who gave their lives in the two word wars, and all the conflicts since. I was teaching a course this week - one of the students was Iranian, and on Thursday he asked what was the significance of the red poppy he had seen me wearing all week - it was strange to have to explain this simple thing, but it also reinforced my belief that we SHOULD still say 'thank you' every year at 11am on the 11the day of the 11th month.

What do you buy your husband for Xmas when he won't give you a clue?

2006-11-11T21:51:00.000Z

I spotted this in the current issue of Health Services Journal - at least he can use it in the office!!!

NHS Map

Treating every student equally

2006-11-08T19:35:00.000Z

It Is hard to deal with hidden disabilities when students don't disclose them. As a careers adviser , I deal with the whole spectrum of students, but some are easier to deal with than others. My university is very positive about disability, and we have a large proportion of students that have declared a disability, but the ones that are the most difficult to deal with are the ones with below average social skills, who have not declared a disability. As we host the faculty of Computing on the campus I work at, we joke about the 'nerds and geeks', and the fact that many of them really do seem to be attached by an umbilical cord to their computers, but I now wonder how many of them are perhaps undiagnosed Aspergers Syndrome - as we certainly struggle to get through to them the importance of interpersonal skills, teamworking and self management when they are applying for placements and employment. So this article in the New York Times was really interesting - and I will certainly be more aware when I am teaching employability skills, that perhaps some of my socially inept students are perhaps struggling with an undisclosed disability, and perhaps be able to adapt the teaching to suit.

Students on the Spectrum

I like big beds!

2006-11-06T17:17:00.000Z

I spent last night in a hotel, as I had an extremely early start to the next course I was teaching. It was very luxurious, and the bed was HUGE!!! It was wider than I am tall by several inches, and very high. I sat in the middle of it last night, surrounded by loads of pillows, and couldn't reach the edge to put my glasses on the bedside table!! I must have looked like some sort of gnome sitting there. When it's time to have a new bed at home, I think I may push for one of those big ones, just to have more room to spread out in when I sleep, even when I share.

Freedom to use other suppliers

2006-10-26T00:54:00.000+01:00

A young Norwegian hacker claims to have circumvented Apple's Fairplay management system to enable iPods to be able to download and play music from other online retailers. I am sure Apple are not happy, but as a nano and shuffle owner, it WOULD be nice to be able to buy from other places.

Hacker 'frees' iPod to play tracks not bought from iTunes