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News |
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MARCH 2010
The publicity leaflet for the Annual Open
Studios Exhibition put on by the BVA
is finally at the printers.
Please look at the final
version.
My little toy car, the Merc SLQ 600, is now 6 years old and had to pass the
dreaded MOT - flying colours of course.
I spent 4 weeks with some new hearing aids on trial. These ones shift frequency
down and were slightly better than my current aids. But at £6000 each
not good enough to invest all that dosh.
Just doing the final planning for my April in India - visiting the Baiga
and shooting tigers. It will be hot - about 40deg C plus
Having just had weeks of snow on and off it will be quite a change.
My local hospital asked for 3 more photos to hang.
I am still looking to buy an Ariel
Atom |
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FEBRUARY 2010
Spent a lot of time this month on preparing the publicity leaflet for the
Annual Open
Studios Exhibition put on by the BVA.
It is our 10th year and we will distribute 10,000 leaflets so they have to
be right !
I will foregoing my usual practice of showing some photos framed up for sale
and presenting an installation. I plan to fit a 1200mm lens to one of my digital
cameras and train it on a special 'wildlife attracting' set-up in the School
Grounds, more nearer the time.
I had a load of problems with web hoster Name.com. They failed to remind me
a domain was overdue and then shut the website down.
It cost me $139 USD to have it restored, which is daylight robbery. Their
position is that if they neglect to remind you about a $13 renewal, then they
can charge a $120 re-connect fee - thieving bastards.
I also had some problems with non techie user trying to upload vast pictures
on to a website - to the point that it was off air periodically. So I have
re-jigged my uploader so that it can't be teased so easily by learning a bit
more about trapping user errors.
I donated 3 exhibition images to be hung in my local hospital.
I am still looking to buy an Ariel
Atom |
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JANUARY 2010
So that is Xmas over with.
Or Winterval if you are living in Birmingham.
How is it that if I am an immigrant my religious beliefs are supported by
the law as well as custom and politically bloody correct custom.
Died in the wool Brit and I have to call MY religious festival by a different
name to avoid upsetting a visitor.
When I lived in the USA or France or Italy I had to live by their rules.
No wonder they queue up at Calais to come to our sinking island.
On a lighter note one grandchild has a toothbrush that plays music.
The Xmas pressies included a plastic Meccano a bit like lasagne, a robot piggy
bank that counted the money saved, StarWarsLego, a handheld terminal with
plug in programmes (that one is for a 4 yr old), an MP player and even a complete
plastic super market checkout with scanner and credit card reader.
Fortunately for me there was also a trike, a hula hoop, a skipping rope and
a few other 'proper' toys. At least I knew what they were for.
And on a personal note my audiologist has retired and the new bloke listens
to me.
He has lent me some aids costing mega bucks which frequency shift the incoming
sound. Last week I heard the indicator on my 5 year old Merc for the 1st time.
I can listen to the car radio but sadly I still need sub titles for the TV.
Back next week for an MOT but I don't think they will rescue my hearing well
enough to drop £6000 on them.
Finally, I built another art
related website for a local group. |
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DECEMBER 2009
an old friend who is disabled via polio once told me that life is 2 concentric
circles
the inner is what you have
the outer is what you want
the area between the circles is a constant, so as you get richer or whatever
you get closer but never arrive at the outer circle
he combated his disability by making his inner circle touch the outer one
at one point, not necessarily always the same for all of life
this means you actually get what you want by ignoring other options
AND
If it seems too good to be true - IT IS !!!
one of my customers got scammed by a company pretending to be Google and offering
to get her to the top of Google's search results
she spent £500 on some keyword stuffing, an XML sitemap and geo-tags
in addition the scammer wanted her FTP details so she could have their website
linked from her home page ! |
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NOVEMBER 2009
I won my battle with Chubb. They issued a credit note. Sadly no apology, explanation
or anything else.
One of my website customers was scammed by First Search Consultancy.
These nasty folk pretend to be part of Google and sell 'search engine optimisation'.
Actually all they do is add their website address to yours and a few vaguely
relevant keywords.
They request FTP data which means they can do what they like to the website.
All the irrelevant buzzwords are used during the sell and they just collect
your information and charge you £300 for it.
If you want to be at the top of Google - talk to Google and decide to pay
if you wish. DO NOT pay some scammer who has a smooth talking salesperson
to pretend they can help you.
If you like pretty lampshades check out my website customer Lotus
who just added a stock room.
On a sad note I have been scammed again by 2CO acting in cahoots with Hairy
Glove.
These people took several annual subscriptions off my credit card after I
had cancelled my accounts. They make it VERY difficult to be free of their
evil clutches. They are very civil while they steal your money - beware.
On a lighter note I have pictures displayed this month at the Borderland
Visual Arts exhibition the Small
Works Show |
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OCTOBER 2009
We had a nice break in New Zealand staying with family. Having been many times,
it was a matter of doing what we know best.
A morning wine tasting at Johner's
Shopping in Greytown's
antique stores
Cheap stay at Hikers
Haven
Returned home to the inevitable pile of boring mail.
One item from a large corporate with whom I have been fighting for over 9
months to get an invoice credited - finally the MD of Chubb has assigned a
trouble shooter.
Also this month I know a man who has a 2 seater Mercedes which is his second
love. The car sports 'keyless go' - this means the door handles are a bit
special, but to lock the car you just touch a small square button on the handle.
After 5 years the nearside one is iffy, so into Mercedes for a handle.
The handle has to be painted to colour.
The paint is Chromaflair at £750+VAT a litre, minimum order 2 litres.
So this little button is going to be over £2000! |
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SEPTEMBER 2009
My first proper holiday for years - went to New Zealand for my sis in law's
70th birthday. Stayed 2 weeks. We spent 4 days in Hong Kong en route to savour
the changes since the UK bailed out.
HK was bloody hot but it is still a fascinating city.
I recommend the budget hotel guide best option as the YMCA Salisbury Road
- less per night than 4 double gins at the Peninsula.
Food very good value for money, rooms clean and functional - spend your money
on chinese food and avoid all the designer restaurants.
The truth is the chinese are not good at other peoples food, the designer
restaurant pizza was like a Prezzo and dins for two was £150.
In contrast a lovely multi dish meal at a local hostelry was £60 for
two and we had everything you could want. a cafe full of chinese and super
food.
We took a £2, half hour ferry to Lamma Island, which has 2 villages,
no roads. One fishing village has a dozen eating places.
Large fresh lobsters chosen from a big tank, lots of chinese beer and cheaper
than dinner at 35 Willow St.
Absolutely amazing value and the very best fare.
art
We found that the Hong Kong Museum of Art had a calligraphy exhibition of
work going back to 400BC - just stunning and fascinating.
In addition they have a pottery collection of Chinese work going back through
Ming and Tang to pre Christian times.
The works include classical porcelain and lots of VERY beautiful stuff from
the best workers. The art is well presented with dialogues in English in a
modern built for purpose building . If you are a potter it is an absolute
must. If you an artist you will not be disappointed with a day spent here.
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AUGUST 2009
I set up a new website this month for another great artist Diana
Baur
The website stats showed the only visitor was from bing
I had to Google bing to find out that it is a new search engine from those idiot
windoze people
Interestingly they spidered the new home page but one could not find it in the
search
I then tried to get a map of my own postcode - after 10 minutes it still had
not found it |
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JULY 2009
The big deal this month is the Cardiff Big Shoot 2009
Hundreds of us Net-Model
members turn up for a photo fest. It will be good to see some old faces and
make some new acquaintances.
I am taking the SLQ as a prop!
Had a really lovely lunch at a new (to me) restaurant. If you are in Shropshire
try the Herbert
Arms.
Finally I built 2 new websites this month, please take a look at the eminent
eye man called Graham
Kyle
And a new base for 6 artists in Shropshire, the Sandford
Gallery |
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JUNE 2009
This month is all about
BVA Open Studios.
I exhibited 12 images at Oswestry School where several hundred people visited
the 4 artists displaying work. All in all we had some 30 people selling their
work in studios around Oswestry. |
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MAY 2009
All the excitement this month is our new social network website
love 2 race.com
I have written the site for a group of racing enthusiasts who think it is a
very nice way for the fans and teams to interact. Membership is free. |
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APRIL 2009
I am very busy setting up a home studio with some
of the old BAKERY equipment. Lots of people will miss the old studio for all
kinds of different reasons.
The new workspace is for pack shot work and art-work copying.
Meanwhile I am also trying to bring all the websites up to date so that all
the links are correct for the changes in my life. |
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MARCH 2009
Well it is all over, I finished at the BAKERY
two weeks ahead of schedule having sold over 90% of the equipment for reasonable
money in these financially stricken times.
I took a 10 day holiday in Central India and finally
got some peace.
Sadly my laptop caught a nasty little virus so I had to give up communicating
over the last few days of my trip. |
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FEBRUARY 2009
This month I am shutting down the BAKERY.
This involves a pile of stock being sold off.
I am already planning a couple of holidays, India for one. I have not been
out of the BAKERY in 7 years - I need a break !! |
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JANUARY 2009
The Dragon is a whole lot better. She is on
pills for ever but quite chipper and in good spirits.
It is about seven years since I moved my studio from home to the BAKERY at
Wrexham. The building was a mess and I spent over £100,000 repairing
the place with a new roof, new windows throughout and a complete heating system.
I fitted a wiring system, CCTV and lots of photographic specialities like
the first cove.
Over Christmas I decided that the conflict of
interest between going to the hospital or going in to the BAKERY to manage
it for a very busy day was untenable.
So I am closing the BAKERY for business on Mar 27th. The last shoot will be
Jan 29th. During Jan and Feb I am selling off all the photo gear and furniture
etc.
I will take a small amount of kit home for artwork copying and making images
for websites.
My spare time will be spent programming websites for people. |
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DECEMBER 2008
The only thing on my mind this month is that
the Dragon has been very sick with a flu/heart combination problem. When the
elderly go down - I mean just collapse on the floor - it is very frightening.
I couldn't hear the 999 service questions, I don't do first aid and I panicked.
I think she is getting better, she has been out of hospital several days
and starting to argue again - so that is a good sign - I guess.
I have to record my dis-satisfaction as a tax paying shareholder in all the
big banks. Almost without exception and contrary to political will, they are
re-claiming debt from soft targets where the collateral is way in excess of
the loans in question.
The silent majority HAVE to get stood up and counted so that this is made
to stop, otherwise we will be so deep in recession they will have to introduce
rationing. |
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NOVEMBER 2008
The lovely Angelique
has gone to pastures new. She has found a slot in Cardiff (a big city not Rhosymedre)
on the Western Daily Mail.
Not sure how she will find this fast moving environment after the BAKERY
but I wish her well.
Although we are all victims of the credit crunch I think the BAKERY bookings
are up.
I am looking for a glass ear trumpet to purchase. Doesn't have to be a Roman
one just in fair condiition.
Finally I am building a new website for Oswestry based rock group internecine |
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OCTOBER 2008
I am joined this month by a new work experience
person. From the SW of France, Angelique is a professional photographer participating
in ECTARC's
post grad opportunity which lasts 3 months.
So far we have established an embryo website
and Angelique is busy making new images in my studio.
The economic situation seems to be for ever worse in spite of our government
printing money.
I have just completed another website
for an Artist lady who is offering her lovely Rochat printer for use , together
with a B&B opportunity.
Finally check out our local
B&B - I just face lifted that site too.
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SEPTEMBER 2008
The bad news - the bloody corkscrew is broken
!! (see below)
The GOOD news
I looked for NAS boxes with a simple 1Tb drive and found my old favourite Buffalo.
I looked for stock and lowest price and found IT247.com
They had more units than I needed and were definitely bottom dollar.
Raised an order on the 'net and paid by credit card.
20 minutes later a man called - your goods are shipped !
I asked why the call and he said we always let you know and usually ship within
the hour.
AMAZING !
I went back to the site to look for something else and found that they carry
HUGE stocks of fast moving items:
eg £300 display stock 5000 yes 5000 !!!!
Now I know they are just a really big outfit and yet maintain the personal touch. |
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AUGUST 2008
CREDIT CRUNCH
Normally the studio dies at this time of year but we are getting some bookings
which is good for the bank.
I have 2 orders for new websites, one a sculptor and the other for an art
printing press service.
We have mixed results with our various work experience people. At least one
is showing signs of becoming a proper photographer which is rather pleasant.
Teaching bright kids is no effort.
I have decided that I am becoming a 'grumpy old man' as so many things I see
on the news/TV/posters irritate me. How is it that we all have to be politically
correct, but so many people expect me to treat them differently to how they
treat me?
What happened to manners and common courtesy ? |
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JULY 2008
DISASTER
This month has seen the date being set for our now famous Small
Picture and other Works show to be the last week in November.
My disaster was to overwrite a customer's database, 10000 plus lines of invoices
all with the same serial number, content, date and value !!
Fortunately the customer kept a paper record - so we have managed to punch
back in most of what was lost.
Yes we make backups every night to a variety of disks. The particular disk
had a blown fuse and no way of telling us so.
Another valuable lesson learned - gong to make customers keep a backup too
especially on Content Managed sites - which is most of them. |
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JUNE 2008
SHOP.COM AND POPCORN.CO.UK - conspirators
This month is all about the joys of internet shopping - a mixed bag.
Two years back we bought a natty corkscrew in NZ. It finally bit the dust
but we decided it was the best one yet.
So on May the 18th, I trawled the net to find a local supplier. I was rewarded
by a site called shop.com. The order was processed by popcorn.co.uk whose
relationship with shop.com is not clear.
I ordered the corkscrew for £45 and waited until 3rd June for delivery
which seemed a long time.
Having unwrapped the parcel, the unit delivered was a £8.99 common screw.
I emailed the supplier and asked for the correct unit to be shipped quoting
all the relevant detail.
I was sent a mail which gave me a link to an RMA form and a set of rules which
contravene local laws.
The supplier requires me to return the incorrect and unwanted, unordered goods.
This is not required by UK law.
Further the supplier refuses to ship the correct goods until receiving the
wrong ones back.
I am now faced with kissing £45 goodbye or giving in to some sinister
outfit who are blackmailing me into doing their trade their way.
PLEASE buy from someone else.
UPDATE
The screw finally arrived on June 20th, over a month after the order
The postage refund cheque a day later
The RMA routine is a triple handshake - something only a company wanting to
keep one at bay would do - and the form is one of the worst I have ever been
asked to fill out
They keep asking for the same data over and over when they have it on the
original order - unbelievable. |
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MAY 2008
My overdue grandchild finally graced us with her presence on 23rd April
She is to be Sorrel Jay
Babe and parents are doing well if not all getting sleep |
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APRIL 2008
I have completed two new websites this month www.Models1Wrexham.co.uk
for my lovely photographer customer Ron www.hetherington.info
a family photo sharing site
The Dragon's cousin has also started a family tree at Geni
Finally my overdue grandchild should arrive any minute |
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MARCH 2008
My lovely assistant Malin goes back to Sweden this month after 3 months of
being first class
AND she is throwing a leaving party to which I am invited
To help me demonstrate what I can do with websites I have re-built www.cefn-mawr.com
as a tool for selling my skills
I have finished another website - if you are trying to sell your house go
towww.WorkHomes4Sale.co.uk |
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FEBUARY 2008
I did a 2 hr 250 slide lecture at NEWI
for the local National
Trust
You can see the slides and a short pre-talk demo at LiveAtWork.co.uk
We also shot a new sculpture by Jas Davdson which is now on show in Milan
I built a new demo
website for talking customers through web features when planning to build
a site for them
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JANUARY 2008
The BAKERY
studio is getting busier again after the holiday
We are in the planning stages for Open Studios in June
The Swedish work experience photographer is now settled in and working hard
most days
I got my 2 latest trumpets delivered from the USA
Grand daughter Rowan was christened this month |
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DECEMBER 2007
We had the book launch and now my tome
'I'll come and get you ...' is FOR SALE
Buy it here - Leaven
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NOVEMBER 2007
I have just finished my latest book, which is launched
this month.
'I'll come and get you' is a set of photographs and captions from a few weeks
spent with a hill tribe in India.
Published by Leaven
Publications the book supports the work of our charitable website.
I will be exhibiting a folio of photographs at the Small
Picture Show organised by the BVA. |