Google humour – go take a swim!

Go to:
http://www.google.com/maps

click the “Get Directions” tab and type “New York” and “London”

click the “Get directions” button

Now Look at “Step 23″

Swim across the Atlantic Ocean 3,462 mi

PowerPoint philosophy

Using the ‘power‘ of humour US comedian, Don McMillian ‘points’ out some of the classic don’ts of PowerPoint presentations:

Life After Death by PowerPoint

Thanks to Stephen Abram for spotting this one.

Two minutes of fame for Wally

Back in my ‘Five Things‘ posting I mentioned that my nickname used to be Wally.

I used to be known by the nickname Wally.  This died away after the term started to be used to describe a bit of a fool.  The urban legend is that this first happened at Weeley Pop Festival in 1971 – which I was at, I remember the circumstances, but wasn’t the Wally in question.

The BBC TV programme Balderdash and Piffle in association with the OED recently put out an appeal for help in tracking the origin of words as they have entered the English language.  One of these words was Wally. So with my background I logged in to their site and gave a brief overview of what I remembered, then though nothing more of it.

That was until a couple of weeks ago when I got an email from a researcher on the programme to organise a time to have a phone conversation to talk about my memories.  To cut a long story short, yesterday I ended up on a train to London to record for an interview for the programme.

I met with the production team and the presenter, Victoria Coren, in the sunshine on the steps of the National Theatre on London’s South Bank.

Almost before I realized it I had related my tale to Victoria on camera and it was all over.  So not 15 minutes of fame – it will probably edit down to no more than two.

Apparently the series is to be aired in a couple of months.  They are going to let me know when.

A different and interesting, beautiful spring, day in London.  You never know what will happen when you login and enter your details to a site!

Now there’s a relief

Its just under two weeks since that surreal day when fifteen of my daughter’s crew-mates from HMS Cornwall were captured by Iranians.

It was relieved, not half as much as their shipmates undoubtedly were, to see them being released last night.

As I am writing this they should be landing back in Britain at London airport in to the maelstrom of press and media interest.  I only hope that that, and the debriefing efforts of the Navy, do not unnecessarily delay their return to the arms of their families.

It is only there that they can start on the road towards getting back to normal, I only hope that that road is not too long for them.