Kudos. Kudos. Kudos. Please - don’t ever use that word around me. I don’t want to see “kudos” in an email, report, or letter to me. I don’t want to hear the word kudos , (or kudo) spoken to me. And I particularly don’t want to hear such expressions as “Great kudos to him/her for her work” - especially from a person who you know really doesn’t give a toss about the person they are talking about it. I find the word Kudos used mainly on American blogs where the writers can’t articulate themselves with more proper English, like.

“Procrastinate” - there’s another word that really annoys me. Wikipedia says: “Procrastination is a type of behavior which is characterized by deferment of actions or tasks to a later time.” So, why don’t people say “John decided to do his essay later” instead of “Johnny’s a real procrastinator - you won’t see that essay for weeks”? I think “procrastinate” is another word used by people with a limited imagination for straight forward communication. (See American blogs again for “over-use” of procrastinate in the steady spiralling downward release of our North American relatives from the Queen’s English).

I couldn’t complete this attack on language without mentioning the grossly over used expression - “I have a lot of time for him/her” What? WHAT? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?? Are you a personal wrist watch/alarm clock maker for the person you are talking about? Do you, somehow, have the ability to create pockets/envelopes of “additional time” in some God like manner for the person you are talking about? Or are you trying to express your admiration about that person for something they have said/done etc? This completely inane statement drives me insane! Say what you mean - “I think that guy’s great because he…” etc - it’s not hard - it’s English! Save us from the Sound-Byte English Dictionary! Let’s just speak proper English again!

So, great kudos to you for working your way through this blog post. It’s true, I have procrastinated at some length over this issue, but I’ve got a lot of time for folks who’ve read the above……

Tags: english, kudos, procrastinate

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Wireless Networking? Pah! Kids stuff! Today I mastered wireless networking at my second attempt in about 5 years.

The first attempt involved me coming back from PCWorld one day with about half a dozen boxes, cables, plugs etc and spending several hours one Saturday trying to set it up between my desktop pc and the laptop. It never worked. In fact, it permanently left some software on my laptop that I couldn’t get rid off! The manufacturer’s name was something that rhymes with “elkin”. And I took it all back for a refund the next day.

Anyway, I got a wireless router from my very good friends at TalkTalk. (Yes, they are - my very good friends. All it takes is a fax to Charles Dunstone’s personal office fax machine with a list of complaints about various stuff in order to become good friends with TalkTalk ) And it only cost me £15. So off I popped to PCWorld at Lakeside and picked me up a couple of wireless USB adapters, (amazingly for £9.99 each!), and zoomed back home to set all the gubbins up.

Admittedly, it wasn’t easy at first. There was the usual “air turning blue” situation as yours truly came face-to-face with technology once again! However, after talking with my other good TalkTalk friends out in India….. I managed to resolve the whole wireless networking thing. It’s easy peasy! And the evidence is, is that the router is on the desk behind me - and the wireless adapter is on the desk next to me here. (No pictures - I’ve not dusted my Homer Simpson USB lamp for a while!).

Wireless networking? Done it. Bring on nuclear fusion, something I can get my teeth into!

Tags: Belkin, internet, wireless networking

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Dealey Plaza kill shot. Yes, Dallas, Texas, USA. I was there in August standing on the spot in the road where JFK got shot in his car back in November 1963:

Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas

But in a strange way, this photo brings my life in a full circle. Back in November 1963 I was six months old laying in my cot. My mum was doing the ironing whilst watching Kennedy’s motorcade roll around the corner into Dealey Plaza. When the President got shot my mum ran out to tell my dad - and left me in front of the TV watching one of the worst events in world TV history unfold before me. So, it was only fitting that I come to Dallas - to Dealey Plaza and take a few photos and make a few videos

Tags: dallas, Dealey Plaza, jfk, kill shot

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