Translate and Blogsong

There are several ways I approach a new blog post. These range from the heavily researched post that takes several days to write to the quick pointless ramblings that I write as a think.

This is one of the latter types of blog posts. It was originally supposed to be a well researched piece on the new Blogsong initiative by Sony BMG in France but that subject got boring.

Instead I’ve decided to write yet another piece of web meta – a post where a blogger is talking about how he blogs on his blog, I’ll probably post a Tweet about the fact that I’m blogging about blogging as well.

Most of my blogs start with a random idea - either inspired from my own weird mind, an article somewhere else or a conversation with a friend. That then leads to a headline.

Half the time I’ll then go into a long, fast typing session and write the article straight for publish - the other half of the time I’ll write the headline and save it in Wordpress as a draft article - there is a flaw to this approach and it can be illustrated by the 10 draft articles in my draft list.

Sometimes, like this time I’ll go back and actually write the article - unfortunatly sometimes, again like this time - I’ve either forgotten what I was going to write about, lost interest in the subject or left it so long that it isn’t relevant anymore.

So usually I’ll then just delete the draft but this time I decided to share the pitfulls with writing a headline then saving it for later. If you’re going to do that at least include the first paragraph and a couple of links.

The Wordpress save as draft function is VERY useful and has helped me out many times when I’m struggling for an idea but it can also be a major pain for someone who likes to leave things for later.

What I would like, and might develop myself if I find the time is a sort of ‘ideas board’ for the wordpress admin pages. I want to be able to type a headline, include a link and post a keyword.

Thenm, say in a tag cloud underneath the right hand menu on the Write Post page have the ability to click on a keyword and it automatically populate the write post section with the headline and a link for more information.

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Twitter Updates for 2007-03-29

• Writing a blog post about who I’m not based on a Google search for my own name. Makes for a fun time killer. #
• I’ve just signed up to AdBright to carry ads on upyourego.com. Not sure it’s a good idea as I don’t like ads very much but I’ll try it. #

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Me in Pictures

Found a fab new social networking site that doesn’t have a huge amount of social networking but DOES provide the sharability factor that many of the more social sites lack.

A lot of social sites that have sprung up in the second wave of 2.0 seem to be all social and no substance. They let you communicate with other people but don’t provide anything above and beyond - a bit like beautiful games with stunning graphics but sod all game play.

This one is different. In fact it’s almost the complete opposite - lots of substance but very little social networking - it’s more like a funky share this site of old but with a little social element slapped on for good measure.

It’s called Imagini and it basically asks you to select a photo from a set for each of several catagories - that then paints a picture of your personality - it was suprisingly accurate for me (see below).

Try it out for yourself and send me a link to your Imagini profile. This could work even better if it were linked in to Flickr instead of being a standalone site. It could also do with slightly better social networking but then I guess - that’s what blogs are for

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Who I’m not

Once a year or so I like to Google my own name to see who I’m not. I look at the first 30 or so results (based on 10 results per page) to see how many of the results aren’t me.

So who am I not?

Well fortunatly the first result on a no quotes search for Ryan Morrison (searching The Web) is a link to my own blog - this very blog you’re reading right now but the second isn’t.

The second result takes you to a Bagpiper from Birmingham called Ryan Morrison. Apparently he is available for weddings, funerals and other services.

The third result is once again one of my own - this time going to my My Space profile. Of the ten results on the first page three go to results on sites I control and one is a quote from me on someone elses blog.

So we’ve worked out I’m not a bagpiper from Birmingham but who else am I not? Well I’m not an artist called Ryan Morrison posting fantasy art about something called Elfwood.

I’m also not an attorney for something called Quarles and Brady LLP. I don’t practice in teh areas of corporate finance, securities, regulations, mergers and acquisitions.

So on to page two. Another one from me at number two - this time a post on my own blog about the BBC iPlayer.

Other posts from me include my coverage of the Jersey Election in 2005, an RSS search engine linking to the upyourego rss feed and another blog I write for called 5tracks.

So again who am I not? I’m not at the Marshal University College of Science and my middle initial isn’t G.

So to the final page.

On this page there is a number of posts on Pledge Bank about my Pledge to give blood before the end of the year (in 2005) - I didn’t do it!

In fact all bar two of the results on page three are from the Pledge Bank pledge page. The other two aren’t me. The first result on page three goes to the Kingdom FM site where Ryan Morrison is (was?) a presenter.

The second is an athlete profile for a guy called Ryan Morrison at the Carroll College Anthletics department. That one REALLY isn’t me. I was going to do three pages but decided to go on to a fourth because of all the Pledge Bank posts on the previous page.

The first non pledgebank result is a website called SXC.hu.

So thats who I am but who am I not? I’m not an Elder in the LDS church featured in an article by David A Edwards.

I’m also not Music Director on an event called The Incredible Kilted Brigade and Ultra Hip Revue - described as Bellydance, Bagpipes and Drums.

So after four pages of Google results I can confirm that I’m not a bagpiping athletic mormon attorney with a side job in radio presentation.

I am a twenty something guitar playing broadcast journalist with no athletic ability.

This might make for a fun social networking mash-up site based on the Google API and maybe a few other social network sites - In fact a Google search for whoimnot has brought up a number of people doing the same thing as me.

I don’t have the time, will or ability but I’d love to sign up for a site that linked my name to everyone else that shared the same name with tags linking the things we do and don’t have in common. Could be fun.

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Twitter Updates for 2007-03-28

• Getting the kids ready for school is a horrible experience. Getting myself ready and then walking my daughter up the nasty hill is worse. #
• If the net at work gets any slower it’s going to start going backwards. We’ll be seeing blink tags, music on page … wait thats My Space… #
• I want a WiFi Radio that can also download podcasts straight to the device so I can play them when I like. Thats what iPod HiFi should be. #
• Looking at: “Fun new social networking serve that profiles you in images.” (http://tinyurl.com/2qw8kc) #

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WiFi Radio

About two years ago I came back to Jersey from visiting my parents with my wife and children. Not a particularly remarkable event but it was the first time I mentioned WiFi radio to my wife.

While in England we had DAB and dozens of stations that can be instantly tuned, I loved it and so did my wife. We came back to FM and seven stations that crackle and can be untuned by waving your hand over the radio.

This was really annoying so we stopped listening to radio again - well apart from the odd show we both enjoy that isn’t available to download from the BBC or as a podcast from another station.

Then I discovered WiFi Radio - radios that connect to a home WiFi network and let you listen to any radio station streamed live anywhere in the world - and stream audio files from your computer.

My wife was pretty excited by the idea of being able to listen to any radio station from anywhere in the world - although we’ll probably only ever listen to British stations because British radio (BBC) is the best in the world.

She asked lots of questions about how it worked and then the dreaded one for any married geek after a new toy came out - how much does it cost. At the time they were around £200 and we ‘were’ just about managing with the FM radio.

Two years later and a WiFi radio is back on the shopping list and this time they’re below £100 and within the margin of what we’re prepared to spend on the device. Add to that the fact that radio has become a big part of my wifes life again and it looks like I’ll have the chance to open a shiny new box once again.

But you know what I’d like more than WiFi Radio? A device that will let me set the podcasts I want and have them automatically synced to the device so I can listen to them anywhere in the house whenever I feel like it.

Instant on podcasting from a device that isn’t a computer and isn’t connected to a computer - it could easily built into a WiFi Radio device - maybe that’s what the next generation iPod HiFi should be.

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Twitter Updates for 2007-03-27

• My youngest is meeting his nursery teacher today - she comes around to the house to get to know him in his own environment before he starts. #
• Looking forward to: “James May and Oz Clark in California.” (http://tinyurl.com/2jrryo) #
• Writing a blog post on the process of writing blog posts for my blog. I love the meta world we occupy. #
• Doctor Who edition of the Radio Times is out with the Earth in the background, the Doctor and Martha in front and some butt ugly alien. #

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PS3 and a flight

There are some real benefits to living in Jersey, there are some real downsides as well, but I’m talking about the benefits right now.

One of the biggest is the fact that there is no VAT in Jersey and until 2008 no sales tax of any kind. This means, for the most part, I can buy things in shops in the island for less than my brother can in England.

In fact I can buy things from sites like Amazon, Play or HMV at around 15% less than the marked price because the marked price usually includes VAT.

The downside is that a number of sites (Dabs.com) add up to £30 for delivery.

Playstation 3

The other day I noticed a big display of Playstation 3’s in the Woolworths window with a price panel in front showing it for £349.99. Being a geek I took a photo on my mobile for later use.

The later use came just now when I decided to see how much I could get it for online. Normally, due to the size of the island, the cost of operating and delivery charges buying stuff like this in Jersey is around £20 more expensive even after VAT is taken into account.

So I started with Amazon - I can buy the exact same PS3 bundle in Amazon for £424.99 including VAT or £363.38 without VAT - It is £13 cheaper in Jersey than on Amazon (even with delivery taken into account).

So I went to a few of the other big name sites that would sell a PS3. HMV, Play, Dabs and Woolies all had the same price as Amazon - £13 more expensive than Jersey even with VAT taken off.

However, it might be £13 cheaper for me to buy it in Jersey than online but it’s a WHOLE LOT CHEAPER for my brother in England to buy it in Jersey than online.

It would cost my brother £424.99 to buy a basic 60GB Playstation 3 online and have it delivered to his home in England or even buy one in a shop in England.

It would cost me £349.99 to buy a Playstation 3 in Jersey, in a shop and walk home with it (not that I’m going to I’ve still never played the PS2 plugged into my computer).

So a Playstation 3 is £75 less for someone in Jersey than it is for someone in England.

What could it get me

That £75 saving could buy me a couple of games, an iPod Shuffle, 7 DVDs or a return flight to Jersey - with change.

If you’re not able to be flexible you can comfortably get a flight to Jersey and back with someone like BA or FlyBe from a London airport for around £70 return.

If you CAN be flexible and don’t mind finding somewhere to crash for a night you could fly from Coventry to Jersey tommorow morning and returning on Wednesday for £32.99.

At £32.99 for a flight you would still have saved £42 on your Playstation 3 by flying to Jersey to buy one and then flying back the next day.

And just think of the other savings you could make on DVDs, games, CDs and other small electronic items while you’re in the island.

If you don’t fancy walking the streets of St Helier for a night then you could just stay in the Youth Hostel for £18.50 (if you’re over 18) although this will cut into your saving.

So the total cost of the PS3 if you flew to Jersey, stayed over for the night and then flew back would be PS3 + flight + hostel or:

349.99 + 32.99 + 18.50 = 401.48

However £401.48 is still £24 less than buying it in a shop or online in England - so you can get a flight to Jersey, stay in a youth hostel, get a flight back and still have money left over.

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Twitter Updates for 2007-03-26

• @doctorvee 2PM, 2PM, 2bloodyPbloodyM? That isn’t the fault of BST you lucky student git. I’m up at 7AM regardless - bloody kids! #
• Listening to Twit on my iPod while my wife watched the god awful Eastenders - thank god for new media. #
• It felt good to find myself not only in the mood but inspired to write in my blog today. I haven’t felt the need to write for a while. #
• God I hate grammar. I did a grammar course produced by the BBC for journalist staff this morning and it was so bloody confusing. #

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