Greetings from Prague

Mixed weather in Prague this week. Threatening rain all the time and chilly, similar to Ireland. According to the cab driver that brought me in from the Airport, the weather pattern had been very similar to Ireland. Must be a European thing. When I was here a few weeks back, the local pizzeria that I seem to be frequenting when I go foraging for food, had the outdoor section open and jammed with clients. Last night and tonight the outdoors section is closed and the doors are shut to keep out the draft! A bit of a change...

Anyhow, I am staying in the Andels Hotel in Prague, if you are interested. Very modern hotel, but well located and extremely functional in terms of design. I don't mind 'modern', but all too often it is an excuse for minimalist design cramped into a broom cupboard. I weigh 202kg or 16.5 stone and am 6'1.5". I don't do cramped too well.

Anyhow, been spending my time catching up on my podcasts. Had enjoyed Leo and Amber on Net@Nite so much that I subscribed to the Podcast on FeedDemon, so I had some back editions to catch up on. In the latest edition, they finally copped onto Stumblr!

Another interesting blog that BlogRvr 'fetched' for me, was LifeHacker. If you are technically minded and looking for ways and means to enhance your technical life, this is just the site for you!

You know what? I have few friends, and it has never bothered me, because I am not the gregarious type. I prefer a few good quality friends of like minded people, rather than be surrounded by people who are just acquaintances. Now don't get me wrong, I am not anti-social or a snob (I think?.... or am I perhaps?...hmm.. leave that question unresolved at present), it is just the way it is. And it has never bothered me. My wife has lots of friends from childhood and school still. Prime difference is she lives about 3 miles from where she grew up. I am about 6,000 miles away. Well, it has never bothered me until I started testing all these sites. And Virb, like other social nerdwork sites... oops sorry, NETwork sites, have all these 'Friends' bits and links. And mine stubbornly remains empty. *Sigh* I am the nerdy little kid in the corner of the playground eating his little sandwich. NOW it is starting to bother me. John has 4,301 friends, click here to view all his friends, it says. Why? Why do I want to look at his friends, unless I am one?!?! OK, now I am doing my sulky kid in the playground corner act, I know, I know. Maybe this has not been such a good idea. Next thing you know, I am going to start feeling LONELY because of all the friends I DON'T have! I feel better now, I see some people ahve viewed my profile. That would have scared them! Now I feel lots better. If I can't have friends, I'll just scare them!

Anyhow, enough ranting, lets ramble! Has your memory been failing recently, or are you just into self-improvement and you want to help exercise the grey cells? Head on over to MindTools. They will have just the right medicine!

OK, I've linked my Del.icio.us account to my blog, so if you're really really bored, feel free to check out the things that fascinate me (either they fascinate me or they're work related. You go figure which is which...). I'm really getting into this Web 2.0 thing, despite the friends thing that bugs me just a tiny little bit, not much really.

Some humour - someone that was interviewed by Amber and Leo - Doug from DoogToones. These are Flash based cartoons that Doug creates. Some are quite funny plus his selection of other sites with humour. That should lighten up your day!

OK, last one for tonight - lets end on some beauty again. Recommendation from StumbleUpon tonight is TimeCatcher. Magnificent photos from various places in the world. Stunning is all I can say. It reminds us that despite the poverty, war and misery that man has created on this earth, there is still so much beauty in the midst of it all. Enjoy.