The Subrosa Blog is now complete
Please be aware that this incarnation of the 'Subrosa Blog' has now ended - why not visit the new Stuart Homfray weblog?.
Of course, that's not to say that the Subrosa blog will never return... I may decide to reincarnate it as a sort of sideblog or something!
If you've arrived here via a search engine results page, you may also wish to consider entering the site via the main entrance, as Subrosa itself has now outlived it's usefulness...
posted by Stuart NOTE THAT THIS IS NOT POSTED VIA BLOGGER!
Wednesday, April 30, 2003
Designing CSS Web Pages
It's another of my 'note to self' postings...
A useful CSS resource, especially the 50 Headings section, which lists 50 ways of styling <h1>, <h2>, <h3> header tags, and the CSS Resource list (basic CSS info links, but also useful for those "who are absent-minded and forget where everything is located" - must keep it in mind when I eventually get around to my website redesign projectMust say thanks to Caroline at the fruity Prolific.org for that one!
posted by Stuart 10:51 PM
Sunday, April 27, 2003
Successful SEO [Almost!]
Seems that the Search Engine Optimistation that I carried out for agentBase and Scooterway has paid off, with good results from both Google and MSN for relevent keyword phrases WITHOUT spamming with hidden text/layers/etc.
Scooterway results at MSN :
- scooters walsall - #2
- scooters west midlands - #2
- malaguti scooters uk - #7
- aprilia scooters uk - #6
- go-peds uk - #14
Scooterway results at Google [UPDATE: unfortunately, these were excellent 2 days ago and now... I must have really pissed off Google - "Sorry Google!"] :
- scooters walsall - nothing up to results p15
- scooters west midlands - nothing up to results p15
- malaguti scooters uk - results p5
- aprilia scooters uk - results p10
- go-peds uk - results p11
agentBase results at MSN :
- sales agents uk - #2
- commission sales agents - #7 (#10 with agent instead of agents - misspelling commission as comission does better though!)
- sales agent opportunities - #3
...and at Google :
- sales agents uk - #1
- commission sales agents - #6 (#5 for agent instead of agents)
- sales agent opportunities - #4
posted by Stuart 6:55 PM
Saturday, April 26, 2003
Posting with w.bloggar
I'm going to try using this nifty little w.bloggar tool for a while - maybe it'll encourage me to make more posts (or possibly to waste more time...)
posted by Stuart 7:19 PM
Getting Personal...
In keeping with society's current 'obsession with the self' (with no small thanks to the Freuds - Sigmund and Anna - and Edward Bernays), I thought that might be interesting to try out an online Jung - Myers-Briggs typology test in order to see how it would evaluate my personality type - a dangerous move, I agree, but I felt that I would push on regardless!
Anyway, it turns out that I have an INTP profile (Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving) - apparently I am someone who is pensive and analytical, someone who "...may venture so deeply into thought as to seem detached, and often actually are oblivious to the world around them" (but don't let THAT put you off - there's much more here!)
According to Portrait of an Architect, INTPs are also referred to as the "architects" - which sounds OK, until the article later reveals that the character of Howard Roark in the Ayn Rand book "The Fountainhead" seems to fit this profile. Now I haven't read this work, but I HAVE read "Atlas Shrugged", and Ms Rand (and her loyal band of Objectivist followers) seem some of the most deluded, anti-social (and, therefore anti-socialist) characters that I have ever had the misfortune to come across (but then that might be me just looking at them logically and analytically!)
But I digress. The reason for this posting is the list of famous INTPs, including such luminaries as:
Now, obviously I'm not really surprised that some of these characters are INTPs (especially Socrates, Jung, Einstein, Moranis, and the Olsen twins), but I DO wonder how they got some of them to sit the test before it was even invented!
- Socrates
- Rene Descartes
- Blaise Pascal
- Sir Isaac Newton
- C. G. Jung
- Albert Einstein
- Henri Mancini
- Bob Newhart
- Rick Moranis
- Meryl Streep
- Brent Spiner
- Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen
- Tom and Fiona (Four Weddings and a Funeral)
posted by Stuart 3:32 PM
Thursday, April 24, 2003
Referral Info...
As a lot of 'blogs' are listing interesting search engine referrals, I thought that I'd share a couple of recent ones for my site / weblog
american heritage dictionary 1983 fascism - rather specific that one...
fascism houghton mifflin definition change - even more specific!
how corporate codes of conduct have changed post 911 - yes, I think I've quite clearly covered that one(!)
banana cdrom driver downloads - erm....
cowardly france first
humane ways for telling animals apartSo that's just a quick scan of the logs, and I'll try to pass on any interesting referrals in the future.
By the way, a big ciao to Italian readers (your country domain is next after UK visitors!) Also a shout out to all my US Military fans (down the list, but still significant!) - hey guys: "Anthrax, Taliban, Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, George Bush, White House, Aeroplane, Pentagon" (that might bring more of 'em!! ;-) And finally, respect to my Cocos (Keeling) Islands massive (well, not THAT massive - there's only one visitor - c'mon guys, you need to get up that table!!!! :)
This radio DJ lark's a piece of piss.....
posted by Stuart 2:36 PM
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Let's replace the World Trade Centre with...
CNN asked members of the public to suggest ideas for memorial to the World Trade Centre. When it turned out that the people submitting the ideas were absolutely bonkers, CNN decided that these people should be protected from public humiliation, and so they pulled the whole thing. This, from one contributer:
"Here's my idea: a large snow globe, so to speak, with a few of the iconic girders. On the anniversary, wind machines churn gray dust for two hours between 8:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m...."
posted by Stuart 12:27 PM
Tuesday, April 15, 2003
The Labour Party Database
One for the database programmers:
select * from government where conscience=true
0 rows returnedCouldn't have put it better myself!
posted by Stuart 12:55 AM
Monday, April 14, 2003
Explaining logo design - TMB*
A couple of explanations of how corporate identities are chosen [lifted from Silicon.com's rather droll Weekly Roundup mailing]
The 'rationale' behind 3's logo:
"The logo has a light titanium outside and a dynamic, playful, vibrant inside, animating through the whole spectrum of colour. The contrast between the outside and the inside articulates the spirit of 3: cool on the outside, hot on the inside, echoing the same spirit as the tough outer shell of the 3G handsets and the cauldron of dynamic information and entertainment inside."
Ri-i-i-i-i-i-i-ght...
Here's BT chief exec Ben Verwaayen's effort:
"BT's business and culture is changing so it is important that we have a brand identity that represents the multi-faceted nature of our business. The new logo does the job. It represents BT as being in tune with the multimedia age as well as communicating the company's international reach... We are not changing image for the sake of change. It is more fundamental than that."
And if you're wondering about the changing culture at BT, apparently, it has launched a new set of "corporate values", where it now wishes to be perceived as "...trustworthy, helpful, straightforward, inspiring and acting with a real passion for what it does."
Well, it's a brave move - we're not used to seeing companies making such radical changes in direction!
* TMB - Total Marketing Bollocks
posted by Stuart 1:29 PM
Saturday, April 05, 2003
The American Heritage Dictionary...
... the folks that supply definitions to Dictionary.com, and the Yahoo dictionary once provided an excellent definition of the word 'fascism':
fas-cism "A system of Government which exercises a dictatorship of the extreme right, typically through the merging of state and business leadership, together with belligerent nationalism."
The American Heritage Dictionary (Houghton, Mifflin Company, 1983)Compare that with today's definition, and it seems to have changed slightly for some reason, becoming less specific. It's not as if the 1983 definition would cause any misunderstandings or anything...
posted by Stuart 12:45 AM
Friday, April 04, 2003
[IRAQ] - A little bit of history: Sour Memories
If you're wondering WHY the Iraqi people are not welcoming the 'liberating' force with open arms, a look back at 1917 might provide a few suggestions. For example, who said:
"Our military operations have as their objective the defeat of the enemy... but our Armies have not come into your Cities and Lands as Conquerors, or as enemies, but as Liberators."
posted by Stuart 8:19 PM
[IRAQ] - Where are the weapons of mass destruction?
Interesting question, don't you think?
US officials admit they are facing intense pressure to prove the Anglo-American claims [of the presence of WMD]. John Wolf, the assistant secretary of state for nonproliferation, said Powell was desperate to find a “smoking gun.” Wolf added: “Very clearly, we need to find this stuff or people are going to be asking questions.”Absolutely, otherwise we might start thinking that there was some other reason for going in...
posted by Stuart 7:58 PM
Thursday, April 03, 2003
OK, so far I've managed to keep my mouth shut regarding this Iraq conflict...
If we assume that this 'War on Saddam', an attack that was originally supposed to be a search for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and has been turned into a humanitarian operation by Bush/Blair (in order to make it a little more palatable for the electorate!), is, in fact, immoral and downright illegal (and that, I think, is a reasonably safe, sensible conclusion to come to), then the following links may prove to be of some interest.
If, of course, you take the view that we should simply "...shut up and just get behind our brave troops...", (irrespective of whether they are breaking international law) then it may also be worth you while having a look at some of the things the 'traitors' are saying. Remeber, though, that before you feel TOO much sympathy for the UK/US armed forces:
- They are NOT conscripts - they have joined the armed forces VOLUNTARILY, and knew (or at least SHOULD have known) that they may well be involved in some form of 'enemy disabling' (or killing) exercise
- They are invading SOMEBODY ELSE'S COUNTRY - as much as many Iraqi people might hate Saddam, they also hate foreign powers coming into their country and stomping around, launching attacks on their towns and cities (I'm sure the Americans or the British would be most grateful if another power came in to their territory - even if it was claimed that it was to rescue them from a tyrant)
...but that's another argument!
Anyway, it's Day 15, and here's the useful stuff:
ARTICLES:
- Rebuilding America's Defenses (HTML version) (PDF version) - Strategy, Forces and Resources For a New Century
Quote from the site's opening page:The Project for the New American Century is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to a few fundamental propositions: that American leadership is good both for America and for the world; that such leadership requires military strength, diplomatic energy and commitment to moral principle; and that too few political leaders today are making the case for global leadership- William Kristol, Chairman
Perhaps Billy ought to stick to making fluffy, lightweight comedies, instead of embarking on this Nazi-style crap
Source: Project For The New American Century Sept 2000- The Saddam in Rumsfeld's Closet - Donny Rumsfeld's 1983 visit to Saddam Hussein
Source: Common Dreams News Center Fri Aug 02, 2002- The National Security Strategy of the United States of America
Source: The US Government Sept 2002- Likely Humanitarian Scenarios Consequent on Invasion of Iraq - a "strictly confidential" UN document, examining the humanitarian consequences of a war in Iraq. It was written to assist with UN contingency planning for safeguarding the wellbeing of a population most of whom the document acknowledges are "highly dependent" upon a Government ration for their basic needs.
Source: Campaign Against Sanctions On Iraq Dec 10, 2002- What a nice man! A quote from John Browne, CEO of BP:
We have let it be known that the thing we would like to make sure, if Iraq changes regime, is that there should be a level playing field for the selection of oil companies to go in there if they’re needed to do the work there(Yes, I KNOW that it's not an article, but a quote - hey, so sue me! :o).
Source: The Observer Jan 19, 2003- Britains assistance with Iraq's chemical warfare arsenal
Source: The Guardian Thur Mar 06, 2003- 30 Years of US UN Vetoes - just in case people decide to berate France (amongst others) for threatening to veto a UN Security Council vote, let us remember some of the vetoes by the US (you may notice that they are possibly just a tad biased in favour of one or two countries and ideals)
Source: DuPage Peace Through Justice Coalition Tue Mar 11, 2003- The Clare Short On/Off Resignation - Going, no, Staying
Source: The Guardian Mon Mar 10, 2003, and Tue Mar 18, 2003- The Robin Cook Resignation - quotes:
What has come to trouble me most over past weeks is the suspicion that if the hanging chads in Florida had gone the other way, and Al Gore had been elected, we would not now be about to commit British troopsWhy is it now so urgent that we should take military action to disarm a military capacity that has been there for 20
years and which we helped to create?It is false to argue that only those that support war support our troops. It is entirely legitimate to support our troops whilst seeking an alternative to the conflict
Source: BBC News Tue Mar 18, 2003- BBC Breaks the Law to Back Blair
Source: IndyMedia Tue Mar 18, 2003- MPs voting against the Government, FOR the rebel amendment stating that there was no moral case for war against Iraq
Source: Various Wed Mar 19, 2003- THIS will definately bring the Arab nations around - the US rounding up all Muslim and Arab asylum seekers
Source: The Independent Wed Mar 19, 2003- An Iraqi Guide to becoming the 51st State
Source: The Guardian Wed Mar 19, 2003- And Here's What You COULD'VE Done... - a report detailing examination available nonmilitary means for achieving U.S. security objectives in Iraq
Source: Fourth Freedom Forum- The 'Coalition of the Willing'- 30 countries that support war in Iraq
Source: The Washington Post Wed Mar 19, 2003- Anti-war Reporting Banned in UK Regional Papers - Quote:
When British troops come under fire, however, as now seems probable, I ask you to ensure that nothing appears in the columns if your newspapers which attacks the decision to conduct the war in which those men are involvedSir Ray Tindle
Source: PR Watch Fri Mar 21, 2003- Made in the USA (Part II) - more on the connection between the U.S., American corporations and Iraq’s weapons programs
Source: Los Angeles Weekly Fri Mar 21 - Thu Mar 27, 2003- Ideological Unilateralism - The Garbo Doctrine
Source: The Guardian Wed Mar 26, 2003- An interesting side issue - Israelis fear Blair's influence over Bush
Source: The Guardian Fri Mar 28, 2003- The Line Blurs - Why are Iraqis, even some who hate Saddam Hussein, fighting to protect his repressive and despised regime?
Source: MotherJones.com Fri Mar 28, 2003- British Commanders Question War Strategy
Source: The Washington Post Sat Mar 29, 2003 via BradyNet's Non-Emerging Markets Forum- War News: Go Beyond The Usual Suspects - all those who look at this probably already know this, but for those who may not: ALWAYS CHECK YOUR INFORMATION SOURCES - remember that ALL news reports are more or less SUBJECTIVE, and will ALWAYS require further research!
Source: SiliconValley Sat Mar 29, 2003- Tony Blair's Gravest Political Mistake - can he recover from allying himself (and in turn the UK public!) with America's hard Right
Source: The Observer Sun Mar 30, 2003- Insightful viewpoint from ex-Cabinet Minister Robin Cook: Let's send Rumsfeld and his hawks to war instead
Source: Sunday Mirror Sun Mar 30, 2003- Enough is Enough - Three British soldiers sent home after protesting at civilian deaths, AND When soldiers will not fight
Sources: The Guardian and BBC News Mon Mar 31, 2003- Halliburton and the Cheney Connection
Source: Common Dreams News Center Mon Mar 31, 2003- Consistant Messaging - An Army of Propaganda - it's no coincidence that Americans, and others around the world, are echoing the exact same phrases and news bites at the same times with near-military precision
Source: Alternet Mon Mar 31, 2003- 'You didn't fire a warning shot soon enough!' - also includes the following on manufacturer's "cage codes":
A metal fragment found at the scene by British journalist Robert Fisk carried various markings, including "MFR 96214 09". This, our reader pointed out in an email, is a manufacturer's identification number known as a "cage code".Cage codes can be looked up on the internet (http://www.gidm.dlis.dla.mil), and keying in the number 96214 traces the fragment back to a plant in McKinney, Texas, owned by the Raytheon Company.Source: The Guardian Tue Apr 01, 2003- Ooh look at us, we're playing with the Big Boys now - doesn't this remind you of the little kids at school who used to hang around with bullies?!?.
Source: DefenseLINK News Tue Apr 01, 2003- NBC and National Geographic vs Peter Arnett - Peter Arnett is not THAT well-known over here in the UK (at least, not to ME!) but the story of the journalist's contract termination is interesting it what to portrays to the rest of the world regarding US 'big-name' media?!?.
Source: Los Angeles Times Tue Apr 01, 2003- The War's not going as well as it might...
Source: Harper's Magazine Weekly Review Tue Apr 01, 2003- Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War
Source: UN High Commissioner for Human Rights- The British show the way to win Iraqi hearts and minds - the differences between the UK and US troops
Source: The Daily Telegraph Wed Apr 02, 2003- The lessons that Washington has still to learn - America does not understand Saddam's government, which is not a typical military regime in which the army holds power
Source: The Independent Wed Apr 02, 2003LINKS
- War In Iraq Project - independant, unbiased coverage of the Iraq conflict from contributors living in different regions of the world including Russia, the United States, Israel, the European Union, and Iraq
- The "Shock and Awe" Photo Gallery - more shock than awe...
- BBC Reporters Log
- GlobalSecurity.org - "...aims to shift American conventional military forces towards new capabilities aligned with the post-Cold War security environment, and to reduce the worldwide incidence of deadly conflict" - yes, it's about weapons and defence, but it has some useful technical info
- Crimes of War - promoting understanding of international humanitarian law among journalists, policymakers, and the general public
- 911 Dossier (or, why some of the Arab world may be a little pissed off with the US/UK!)
- MediaLens - "correcting for the distorted vision of the corporate media"
- Al Jazeera Television (English)
- IndyMedia UK
- Electronic Iraq
- Dealing with the dilemma of Labour Party membership and wanting to avoid war
- Stop The War
- The Labour Party and Trade Union movement against the war in Iraq
- Yellow Times - alternative, unconventional news and views
- Center For Cooperative Research - background info on the War on Terrorism, corporation profiles, and other global issues
- The Iraq Body Count Project - a project to establish an independent and comprehensive public database of civilian deaths in Iraq resulting directly from military actions by the USA and its allies in 2003
- The Memory Hole - a place for material that is in danger of being lost, is hard to find, or is not widely known, such as Government files, Corporate memos, Court documents (incl. lawsuits and transcripts), Police reports and eyewitness statements, Congressional testimony, Reports (governmental and non-governmental), Maps, patents, Web pages, Photographs, video, sound recordings, News articles, Books (and portions of books)
- Newsmax.com - make sure that when you visit you don't question any opinions otherwise you may be accused of supporting France (or 'cowardly France', as a rather 'redneck-style' piece of spam that I was sent stated...) These silly little folks tend to get awfully upset don't they!?!?
- InterSchminter Communications - it's now time for you to start thinking folks... (surveys show that 8 out of 10 cool cats prefer it!)
- Parallel YOUniversity - a little 'crazy'-looking, but has some fascinating info
SATIRE
- Haven't We Been Here Before? The Vietnam II Preflight Check
- Let’s Talk Seriously and Honestly
Source: Bill Davidson post Parallel YOUniversity Thu Mar 27, 2003AND FINALLY... SOME RELEVANT QUOTES FROM HISTORY
Tolstoy, on mindless patriotism
Patriotism in its simplest, clearest, and most indubitable signification is nothing else but a means of obtaining for the rulers their ambitions and covetous desires, and for the ruled the abdication of human dignity, reason, and conscience, and a slavish enthralment to those in power. And as such it is recommended wherever it is preached. Patriotism is slaveryWritings On Civil Disobedience and Non-Violence, New Society, 1987, p.103The people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.... All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any countryHermann Goering
posted by Stuart 12:25 AM
