kimmings

Railscasts - totally addicted!

11-04-2008

I've been methodically going through Ryan Bates' Podcasts on Ruby on Rails - aptly named 'Railscasts'... Insightful and a life saver for anyone trying to get to grips with something as alien as Ruby On Rails. I like the fact that they're short but extreemly useful. Check out his website and if you can, donate some cash!

Chris Colgate

10-04-2008

Chris Colgate has updated his website - check it out.

Politicians pay and expenses - a complete sham!

08-04-2008

There has been a lot of talk in the news recently about the pay and expenses of our civil servants, and how, in my opinion, they abuse their status and our trust for thier own gain... I heard on Radio 1 on the way home last week that Blair claimed for a great many things during his time as PM, but one thing, among many, that stuck out like a sore thumb was his TV license, something that everyone in the uk must pay if they want to own a TV. Now, i didn't realise it was part of his job description to watch TV!

The 'basic' (basic!) pay for an MP is 60k - that's over twice the average annual income... then they're given an extra allowance of 23k for a second home! According to the BBC they then claim, from what i can gathe, for everything else, including taxi's to go shopping, new kitchens, paying their children money for a job that doesn't exist. the smallest amount (on top of the other, basic pay and home allowance) was a further 44.5k - that's well over 120k a year! While their constituents, the people that pay thier wages struggle to pay basic bills and keep a roof over their heads. I'm not able to claim back living expenses - so why should our civil servants? I have no problem with MP's cliaming legitimate and necessary expenses, but it's fairly obvious that these twats are taking advantage of their position. Surely an MP's wage should reflect the average income, then maybe we would get candidates that actually care about the issues, rather than getting their home refurbished at the tax payers expense.

Netlingo

04-04-2008

I think I need to swot up on my net lingo... sure some of these are made up! 

Beeston Castle

03-04-2008

We went to Beeston Castle for a break from the cabin fever we experience each weekend, especially during the wet, cold, windy months on Sunday. It was a glorious day and some fresh air and somewhere for the kids to run around and explore was a must.

It was a great day all in all... Both bailey and Bella never got bored exploring on the walk up to the castle and running around the structure itself. Bailey even made a friend at the top and made plans to see each other next time... (how we still aren't sure)! It was a very enjoyable afternoon, the structure itself took my breath away and the views from the top were amazing - though we had trouble getting our bearings - and well worth the entrance fee.

View my Flickr set here.