h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The site for No2 son's site has one of their tracks on it, but that is a download. It was the easiest option. They have almost finished recording their demo cd they say it is just for fun, but I suspect that is just so that they appear about it and not desperately hoping they can make it to the top.

The gym was hard work, like wading through treacle, what's the doing? That usually affects me, although it shouldn't as my hormones are chemically enhanced.

MR, I hope you are going to post a photo of you wearing the dress? I have never worked out when a dress becomes a frock, in spite of my education. Although the really posh girls used frock most of the time and then gown at others.

Here is something to do over the long weekend:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/animals/pets/

I shall be testing Cassie, if she will stay in one place long enough. She has the attention span of a gnat, which may be insulting gnats!

Well I am happy with walking before we can run. I am doing this site in at least three phases, with more bells and whistles being added at each stage. That way we have something good to look at while we are getting the media files the way we want them.

Actually, I have had another thought about it too. Taking it one step at a time means we can build up some stats on who is visitng the site, (screen res, browser version etc), and make an estimate about their bandwidth, (it is a fairly safe bet that someone using 600x800 and NetScape 4 is more likely to be using a modem, and someone using 1280x1024 and Win XP is more likely to be using broadband.)

Talking of stats, I have just seen the Former Mr Ben's fairy web-prints trailing over the visitor stats for the Beth Cargill site.

B

Might be worth getting two sets of media files, one for high and one for low bandwidth, then the users can choose for themselves.

Good idea, Phil.

S is doing some workshops in August that she can get filmed, which gives us time to work out exactly how we are going to do it, and to do some dummy runs with creating movies of - oh, I don't know - ducks in the park, or something. She has some other workshops in a couple of weeks, but I want more time to work out what the fiddle-dee-dee we are doing!

B
(The former Mr B is phoning me tonight, it will be interesting to see whether or not he mentions Ms Cargill. I will bet folding money he doesn't. The question is - do I ask him what he thought of the site, or not?)

Ben - the vision of the deflated balloon seems to suit me today You are right - I think my resignation has something to do with it - a big adrenaline high as I built myself up to it followed by, well, nothing.

I am also bothered about my wedding plans. I thought we had found the perfect venue - in my heart I *have* found the perfect venue. Thought that was it - we reserved a date and I thought we'd be sending off the deposit. But the fiance is still looking and has found somewhere he prefers. My dad would prefer this one too. the preference is for practical reasons - J's choice is more central in the country (near oxford) and has a lot of cheap accomodation so would be easy for our guests. It does look good, but it is a hotel so that means we have to compromise on some of the things we wanted to do. Their wedding co-ordinator didn't inspire much confidence when I asked if they ever run two weddings at the same time and how use of the grounds etc is managed - she couldn't assure me that I wouldn't run into another bridal party .

My choice is just beautiful and will be solely ours for the day, but it is more out of the way (near Bath). I loved it the moment I saw it, it has more practical problems to do with accommodation for guests - expensive in the house but there is a very inexpensive place nearby. I tend to feel that practical problems for guest can be sorted out - I feel I should have what I want and everyone else can sort themselves out!

J has been late home every night this week (getting in after I've gone to bed) so even though I have been at home we haven't been able to talk about it. My In laws are with us for the long weekend so it may be difficult to talk then too. We'll sort it out eventually...

Think this is just a week where a lot, but strangely also nothing at all, have managed to happen at the same time. Have decided to sod my diet today and will be having a glass or two of this evening to prepare for his family...

Can you play the "we are lovebirds" card and arrange for you and your fiance to go for a walk in the woods for two hours over the weekend? Something that you can do together, with no distractions, no people around, and no agenda?

One of the things that I have found to be really important in relationships is to make absolutely sure that there is time which one can spend together, preferably just chilling out, and that the busier one is the more important it is to make sure it happens.

But you sound like there is a lot of noise at the moment, and the signal is getting drowned out.

Regarding venues, see what your fiancees problems are with the venue you have chosen, and get him to agree to reconsider it if you can sort ouf the specific problems. In terms of getting to places, Oxford may be more central, but Bath has good rail links, and is near both the M4 and the M5. It is also a much nicer town to spend a weekend in than Oxford, and is retail heaven. (Sigh). I would go for Bath ever time, but then I am a west-country gal.



B

Oh crikey, yes, Bath, no contest and I can see your dilemma, Kelli. Could you arrange a mini bus or something to ferry the guests who don't stay in the house? Thre are quite a few cheap places to stay in and around Bath. The AA and RAC websites are useful for finding B&Bs.

I do hope the two of you do get a chance to talk to each other over the weekend. If you explained to your guests, I'm sure they would understand, perhaps they could go off to the flicks or something.

H and I go out for a meal every Wednesday evening, it gives us an oasis midweek to talk. I know there are times when he moves Heaven and Hell to be home on time, so if he has to cancel I know he really can't avoid it. It also makes up for the rest of the week when he is home late and/or working until past midnight on his laptop. He looks forward to it as much as I do and it is lovely just talking about anything. We can still surprise each other on views or interests we weren't aware the other had.

Kelli, that is tricky. A wedding is the bride's day - not the guests. Besides, it doesn't sound like the Bath site would make it impossible for your guests anyway, so that is where you should have it.

I have to get my graphics ready for my career day presentation next week. And the computer with all of the graphics programs is in the warehouse in a box. Along with the color printer. It would probably be easier to bring the software home and install it here.

I'm going to have a series of focus groups in June so I need to start thinking about presentations for them, too. I don't mind working at home, but I'm on salary and don't get paid for extra hours.

*fills her travel mug with tea and grabs a cinnamon bun on the way to the post office*

[MTG]

G'day All

And apologies in advance because I am in a right old GRUMP! Don't know if it's hormones, planets or just low blood sugar - but I am itching for a scrap. The altercation I just had with some b****-in-a-big-car in the M&S car-park didn't help - btw, I won but it was a pyhrric victory because I spent the next half hour in the shop feeling guilty and avoiding her.

Next on my agenda now is to find the barsteward who's been nicking my toothpaste samples at work AND the eejit who's lost/nicked my special intrument - which was difficult to get, being made to order for me. I may well take a leaf out of Ben's book and rearrange someone's nether regions so they'll be sporting a new orifice at the south end of their alimentary tract!

Rant over - it's safe to come out again.

*Cautiously removes his hardhat and steps out from behind the sofa*

Thanks for the much appreciated

I am sure we will sort things out as soon as we get the chance to have a good chat about it, this has just been a funny week. Those are good suggestions for getting his folks out of the way!

Both places have their merits, I like J's choice, I just prefer mine One of our tasks at the weekend is to go back to the one near oxford to see if they can allay some of my concerns about organisation there, we've already been back to Orcharleigh to calm J's fears that the function room is too small for our number of guests (it wasn't we saw it set up for a similar number). Orchardleigh doesn't have a wedding co-ordinator so everything is arranged by us - more work for us but greater control so we can have everything exactly how we please (maybe I'm just being a control freak about it - my first Bridezilla moment ).

His reasons for his choice aren't because he doesn't like Orcharleigh, but that he is practical and can see that the Oxford one is closer for his extended family (they are driving down from Yorkshire), and it is easier all round if everyone is staying in the same place. Plus Oxford is his old stamping ground from his uni days. I'm less practical and love the romance of the Bath location - plus we met and fell in love in Bath so it is a special place for us. I think we can get around any problems but we shall see - maybe I'll agree with him after we have been back there.

Ok, enough wedding blather *wishes she had a useful contribution about Ben's website*

Hypatia - funny, working from home should make it easier to do everything in your standard hours, not cause you to have to put in extra ones!

Sorry for the simulpost there Teuchter!

Here *proffers *

I am slightly worried about the rep I am getting here. A reputation for posting the posts that cause the page to be blocked, a rep for being the expert on bad language, and now a rep for anger-inspired anatomical reconstruction.

Having something stolen which was made especially for you really is *not ok*, Teuchter.

In the words of Paula Cole, "and my anger / is my best friend".

By the way, have a look at http://www.visualthesaurus.com, type a word in the top left box, and sit mesmerised in wonderment.

B

the word barsteward sounds downright filthy to me.

i think i'll use it often

Thanks Kelli. *sips calmly*

Hope you reach a consensus with your venue dilemma *refills Kellis's cup with more tea*

The earlier posts about making time to be with each other ring very true. Mr T and I have been so busy developing our respective careers and worrying about children etc that we found ourselves rapidly approaching crisis point. I'm happy to say that the train is back on the rails after some hard talking and a bit more effort being made on both sides.

Did anyone see the 'Fairy Godfathers' thing on Channel 4 last night?

Ben - you know we all and admire you! And I 'was' particularly amused by your recent post about ripping someone a new ar*eh*le - even if I can't really imagine you inflicting physical violence on anyone.

Ben's link appared to have sprouted a spurious comma, it should have been http://www.visualthesaurus.com

Ben, the software for producing the media files is usually pretty easy to use. You just prepare your video/audio in whatever format, then pop it into the Real/Quicktime/Microsoft tool to process it into the steaming format of your choice. You'll get the most compatibility with Real, followed by Quicktime. I've seen people produce video in Microsoft format that just won't play on a non-windows machine, no way, no how, no matter what you do to tweak the player software, so if you do use that make sure you keep an eye out for not using whatever settings create that condition. With streaming, you usually end up with two files, the audio/video file itself and then a "reference" file - you embed the reference file on the web page rather than the audio/video, and that tells the plug-in to look for the audio in the stream.

And I vote for Bath. I've never been to either place, but Bath sounds nice and has figured in Jane Austen novels.