Breaking news – blue sky spotted over west Wales

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Guthlac
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I’m on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

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Supertanker in the bay

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Guthlac

St Brides Bay is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Even on grey day it still has a chsrm and power all of uts own. However, it is just around the corner fron one of Eutopes largest oil refinery centres and so is used as a parking lot for oil supertankers as they wait to deliver their cargo. Clearly, thisn’t covered by the strict planning laws around here – Exon Valdiz anyone.

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I’m on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

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Rain Rain and more Rain

Posted on June 7, 2010 by Guthlac

As I write this the rain is besting against the window. What can I say it’s raining im Wales. It was raoning earlier on whem we went to the National Botanical Gardens of Wales. It didn’t really matter that much and we both had a good time. Within the grounds there is large green house – something that had appeared on Dr Who on more than one occation. This was interesting for two unconnected reasoms. First it had a thriving bird population, mainly house sparrows who had decided that cliff deep inside the dome was a perfect place to establish a nesting colony. The second reason was that both Mandy and myself ce to realise we are not that interested in hot house plants. This means much talked about trip to the Eden Project is no longer being considered. So the rain is falling and we are stuck inside – hope it is dry tomorrow – fat chance.

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I’m on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

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Sea mist and suffers at Newgale

Posted on June 6, 2010 by Guthlac

I’m out on the beach at Newgale and phone signel is better than back at the house! Another wonderful sunset at Newgale – there are few suffers braving the waves – full wet suits are required. The sea mist keeps coming in and out and in the far distance a lone photographer stands hundled over his tripod. We are quite mad we photographers!

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I’m on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

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I just don’t understand phone coverage

Posted on June 6, 2010 by Guthlac

From our bedroom I can see the phone mast – it’s about half a km away and the phone coverage is crap. I can sit by the beach with no line sight and further away and the coverage is excellent. Why? Still does mean that you have a womderful view whilst blogging – although you do get some strange looks and really unfunny comments.

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I’m on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

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An evening by the sea

Posted on June 5, 2010 by Guthlac

I have no idea if this ever get posted as the signal is really poor in west Wales. The breeze is cool the light enchanting and the relentlessly washes up the beach. It is neither warm nor cold and overhead a raven flies by. Oh I do like to be besides the seaside, besides the sea. There is something very deep about the way the sea seems to run with the natural rythms of you soul. Something poets have tried yo capture for as long as man has existed. It just seeps into your being.

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I’m on line at: www.flickr.com/photos/guthlac http://simonmarchini.blogspot.com www.simonmarchini.co.uk I hope you enjoy

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iPad – oh dear….perhaps I shouldn’t have believed all the hype

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Guthlac

Well I have finally got my hands on one of the blighter’s and the first impressions aren’t great.   When you use the iPad you quickly realise that this is just an iTouch on steroids (more of this latter).   The screen is clear and bright and it does display web pages well – however you soon come across the Flash problem which sort of destroys the whole effect.  Is it ‘the best web experience – ever’?  Well no.  It is just like using any other computing equipment.  I didn’t play any games on the thing but this isn’t I’m interested in.  In short whilst it has a bigger screen it really isn’t anything great or a huge leap forward.

Now for the steroids – you will have to be on them to old the thing for any length of time – I certainly wouldn’t like to try and read a book with the thing as it is really quiet heavy.   According to the Apple website it is only .68kg (1.5 pounds) – well the one I held didn’t feel like that.  Perhaps I am comparing this to my iPhone .135 kg (4.8oz) and it would be far to say this is unfair.  Well yes it is if the machine wasn’t just a larger version.  In short it doesn’t do as much as my iPhone apart from the bigger screen.  Somehow it just didn’t feel right in my hand.

So will I buy one?   At the moment I really am not sure – I have to say I was disappointed with the experience and you have to ask if it is worth ??429.  The iPhone just meets my needs much better.  I have stated before that I think the best policy is to wait for next generation and this may well be the best way forward and now have handled the iPad this may well be the way I will go.  Before I handled the iPad I probably would have bought one in the next few weeks – now I am back to possible and this is disappointing.

One final thing.  There would appear to be a good supply of the machines around.   I could have walked out with one this afternoon so whilst the sales have been good perhaps they have been hyped just a little – an Apple product being hyped who’d have thought? 

Simon Marchini LRPS

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Not every adult is a paedophile, a terrorist or a mass murderer | Simon Jenkins

Posted on June 4, 2010 by Guthlac
As usual Simon Jenkins is pithy and right on the button.  Risk is part of our lives and we shouldn’t let it ruin our lives.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jun/03/politics-fear-security-lobby-money

Sent via the Guardian’s iPhone application.

Get it Here

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Pembrokeshire, grumpiness and the iPad – what a strange combination.

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Guthlac

I’m off to Pembrokeshire next week so the wheels are in full motion at the moment – by that I mean my wife is being her usual efficient self and I am keeping out of the way.  I have learnt over the years that when it comes to packing I am not in the same league and the best contribution I can make is to carry the cases.

So this has left me with some free time to ponder the meaning of life, the universe and everything and I have come up with a startling conclusion.  The Tesco iPhone app is really great.   Now bare with me on this.   One of the problems you always have when you are away is where to do your shopping.   Of course you could shop locally but they don’t normally stock your favourite brand of balsamic vinegar or the coffee is just not free trade.  So you have to find the local supermarket to ensure that you appetites are catered for.  This is where the Tesco app comes in.

We are staying about five miles away from a large Tesco.  One of the greatest frustrations when shopping at a store you are not familiar is is to find the aforementioned vinegar amongst the aisles.  This is where the Tesco app comes in.   You simply type in the brand and bingo it shows you exactly where the item is in the new store.  Brilliant.

So what has this got to do with grumpiness and the iPad?   Well they are all connected if you are to believe string theory or perhaps I have just misunderstand that.  Anyway, Grumpiness.   It is half term and as usual the newspaper delivery is not on time.   I always marvel at the shoddy newspaper delivery that the Americans appear to put up with – surely that cannot be so?   here in blighty we expect the newspaper to be delivered to the door or post box not thrown onto the front lawn or whatever is the truth.  What is more I expect it to be delivered by time I get up so that I can take in the world affairs over my breakfast.  Not this week.

Newspaper delivery is the domain of the school kid – usually about 13 or 14 and male.   Normally they will be up for school so delivering the papers is no problem.  However, come school holidays they revert to type and don’t appear from their pits until 8 or later – about the time I am tucking into my cornflakes – no newspaper.   So I have to troll to the corner shop and pick up my own paper.   Such are the indignities I have to suffer.

But hope is at hand.  I wish I could say this was my idea but it wasn’t as I picked it up from a recent Media Guardian podcast.   I could read my Times and Sunday Times on the iPad and the money I save could go a long way to pay for the iPad.  Great the paper there when I want it.   Of course the iPad would be paid for even quicker if I didn’t take a subscription at all and just use the newsreader services.  I could even pretend it was more environmentally sound, think of the trees I would save – all though this is a spurious argument but makes you feel better.

So perhaps string theory is correct after all.  We are all connected by some strange force that permeates through us connecting and binding everything in the universe – or was that Star Wars?  Anyway, I have been experimenting with not reading the paper but reading the news on my iPhone and I am amazed to find out I don’t appear to need the newspaper after all.  May the force be with you.  Just remember how much like Darth Vader Steve Jobs is.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

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Getting all impressionist

Posted on June 2, 2010 by Guthlac
Tree_in_the_breeze_-_enderby

Perhaps it knocking around with painters – well sort of – but I seem to be getting all impressionist.   I have been messing about in the garden and making photographs of the trees and plants.  One of the things I have been trying to do is create something that is not just a typology of each.  So what to do?   Well the first thing is experiment.   I have tried to throw out the rules and this is the first result.   The only thing I have done to this is correct the colour – honest.  I have not applied one filter to this.   All I did was stand under Acer in the garden and slow the shutter speed down, the wind did the rest.

This has some some mileage.  However, as all my reference books are still in storage as we are painting the shelves I don’t really know how new this is – I suspect not very new but I like it – and in the end that is all that matters.
 

Simon Marchini LRPS

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