Like a certain CEO, I once described myself as “cut my arm off and I’ll bleed a rainbow, thats how much of an Apple man I am”, this was quite ironic when it came from Steve of course because not long after he was chucked out of Apple and the rest is history. I however am still an Apple man, without a break in the procedings like our friendly CEO. I actively avoid any item of tech from Redmond. It makes me feel kinda dirty when I touch it, in a bad way, if you know what I mean.

For some time now I have wanted a PDA/phone. I toyed with the idea of a Palm Trio, but the bandits that run the UK mobile telephone businesses refuse to see Palm as good for their business. They instead look to Symbian, Microsoft and RIM for their phone operating systems. I have had a Nokia 6600 for some time and a 7650 before that. The Symbian on these phones is really only one step up from Nokia’s own Phone OS and although quite reliable, its pretty boring and the screens are tiny.
RIM blackberry is quite new to the UK populus, and there doesn’t seem to be that much software. Its an email device as far as I can tell, that also does phone calls.

It is with much regret then I have to inform the world that this Saturday, in a moment of great weakness, I purchased an upgrade to my trusty 6600 phone and replaced it with an O2 XDAIIi PocketPC PDA.
The hadrware is great, Bluetooth, WiFi, Triband GSM/GPRS, SD/IO slot, 1.3MP camera – the list goes on. On upgrade it was £175. Thats £20 cheaper than the alternative Ericsson 910 – bizzare. The software is another matter however because it is the latest and greatest version of Windows Mobile. The updates have already started and I am just downloading the latest ROM. I must also remember not to let the battery expire as when it does all my data will follow suit.

If Apple would get their finger out of their asses and produce something like this (in an Apple way) with an Apple OS on it I would buy one for £500, but alas no, they really are not interested and are getting Moto to put iTunes on one of their propriotory handsets instead. This is aparently due Monday. Should I have waited – probably but as I hold very little hopes for the device (hey I already have an iPod), I’m not going to lose any sleep about it.
With the whole convergence thing happening, Apple are going to lose ground to MS here, I think.

Anyway, so I am learning pocket Windows, and to add insult to injury I just had to purchase Missing Sync too, which I now find out doesn’t work with Tiger! New compatable version due “real soon now”. Makes you want to weep doesn’t it.

I don’t feel so bad about the problems with Sync to Mac however, because I have just been reminded how crap the PC is, it is also playing up now – so it could be worse, my laptop could be windows as well.
Yeah, right – when Vista freezes over!
TTFN

Getting older sucks. getting older when you are unfit doubly sucks.
Ok, I am over weight and I should loose weight. I of couse knew this before my BUPA healthcheck but having the point rammed home (no they didn’t do that test) makes you think.
I have of course been “planning” to do something about the other person I am carrying with me all the time for a while and what with Kyusho, Joining the gym and now the purchase of a Bicycle, a little exercise might tip the balance of food in and energy out that has kept me as the fatty I have remained for the last few years.
Dispite the best intentions of the guy in Halfords I have purchased a Carrera Subway 8, a city bike with the destinction of using Shimano’s Nexus 8 gears that are built into the back hub and roller drum brakes.
Doing some research on the net, I found that although different, they are quite reliable and should last for years without too much maintenance (I hope).

When I have some pictures I’ll post them.

I purchased the bike through a goverment/company scheme that allows me to not pay tax on the bike – which is nice. The release form however took a suspiciosly long time to arrive. Curiously the form was posted from Halfords on the last day of their £100 of accessories free offer (funny that). I suspect a letter is going to be sent to Halfords about that on Monday!

With the recent events here in London and the 60th anniversary of the end of war in Europe has reminded me just how good the majority of us in the UK have got it. We live in relative peace and are mostly treated with respect and justice.

Things on 7/7 could have been so much worse. Imagine the damage to London if the attacks had been tinged with chemical, biological or radioactive elements. A dirty bomb in the number 30 bus would not have effected just the 13 poor soals the died in the attack but would have made most of the west end a no-go area.

Yes the criminals that perpetrated the atrocity should be strung up for what they did. Prison is far too good for them. The casualty count pales into insignificance however when compared to the deaths in Iraq since the US and UK invaded, where almost every day, suicide bombers explode themselves killing civilians, police and soldiers alike.

There are times however you have to sit back and think about what happened and be thankful that the London bombers were not that good at their job.

My father sent me a link from the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/A2661996) to a poem about a guy in the war, I have included it below.

Death In Oosterbeek
By Bob Scrivener
People in story: Lt. Edmund Scrivener, other unknown
Location of story: Arnhem, Holland
Unit name: Border Regiment 1st Airborne Division
Background to story: Army

My father, Edmund F. Scrivener (1916–2003) served with 1st Battalion, The Border Regiment, Air Landing Brigade, at Arnhem. He wouldn’t talk much about his nine days in hell, but he did once say to me, ‘Why is it a man’s scream sounds so much more blood-curdling than a woman’s?’

He wrote this poem about an incident near the end of the battle.

Death In Oosterbeek
At the dawning he came to me again,
That gentle smile, and blood upon his cheek
Reminding me, for his end had come
In the dappled woods of Oosterbeek. 
A passing shower of German mortar bombs
Had driven me beneath a fallen tree, 
And when, at last I rose, prepared to go, 
I saw him turn his head and look at me. 
The wonder and compassion in his eyes, 
The friendship of the smile upon his face, 
Mocked the blood that trickled from his lips, 
And made me curse aloud the human race. 
He knew they could not hurt him any more, 
No longer would he feel the pains and fears, 
Forgiveness shone from that young soldier’s face, 
The mem’ry brings a flood of angry tears.
I wish these tears would wash away the thought
That e’en in death we humiliate them so; 
I saw him later at the First Aid Post, 
A label tied to his bare and lifeless toe. 
I often wonder who that young lad was, 
Who gave his life to cross the bloody Rhine; 
And if no loved ones have him in their thoughts, 
Come haunt me lad, and live again in mine.