About ten days from now I should have a much-improved internet connection. For a number of years I’ve been on 1Mb broadband with UKOnline and have paid just under £10 per month.

As I live in Manchester city centre, far faster broadband has been available to me for some time. (more…)

Watching the G20 protests on TV it seemed that every other person had a camera. Yet only two video clips of the Ian Tomlinson incident have come to light so far. One was shot by a member of the public, the other by a broadcast news team and despite professional cameras being outnumbered by ‘activist’ cameras to the tune of hundreds to one.

A fluke? I suggest not. (more…)

We hear lots about stress in the workplace. When you’re effectively ‘trapped’ in a job and can’t escape the cause of the stress, it’s a terrible thing. But recently I’ve discovered that stress can creep up on you slowly and unexpectedly.

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Two days ago it was the fourth anniversary of the death of my mum.

Tonight, four emails within thirty minutes:

Tesco: ’spoil your Mum this Mother’s Day’

Kodak: ‘remember Mother’s Day’

Asda: ‘treat your Mum this Mother’s day’

Ancestry.co.uk: ‘don’t keep mum about our great family history gifts’

One or two is fine but by the fourth one I began feeling a bit annoyed. Is there some central place sending these out? Mother’s Day isn’t until 2nd March, so it seems a bit of a coincidence these all arriving at the same time. Not a pleasant effect.