saundersweb pics and video

In an effort to make our garden a little more ‘Stephanie Friendly’ we’ve decided to fill in our pond.

We have (I think) 5 Goldfish (about 3 inches in length) and 4 shubumkin’s (about 2 inches in length) that we’re looking to re-home. We need to get rid of the fish before next Monday (6th April) as I have a week off work to do the garden.

If you would like, or know anyone that would like these fish then please let me know. I will be willing to deliver them to you if needed, I just want to make sure they go to a good home.

At last, we have a full covering of snow. I woke up this morning and the snow was so thick that next doors van struggled to get off their drive.

This is a pic of it at about 11:00:

Snowing, Wahoo

The EU’s anti-trust agency could force Microsoft to include rival browsers in Windows, according to a regulatory filing submitted last week by the US software developer.

In a Form 10-Q document filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last Thursday, Microsoft spilled some details of the charges that were leveled the week before by the EU’s Competition Commission.

The EU said Microsoft of “shields” Internet Explorer (IE) from “head-to-head competition” by bundling its browser with Windows. The Commission has not, however, made its accusations, dubbed a “Statement of Objections,” public.

But Microsoft revealed some details of the charges.

“The Commission is considering ordering Microsoft and OEMs to obligate users to choose a particular browser when setting up a new PC,” said Microsoft in its quarterly filing with the SEC, referring to the computer makers who preinstall Windows. “Such a remedy might include a requirement that OEMs distribute multiple browsers on new Windows-based PCs.”

Microsoft also said that it may be required to disable “certain unspecified” parts of IE “if a user chooses a competing browser.”

The company did not spell out which other browsers the EU might make Microsoft and its hardware partners offer within Windows, but presumably Opera - from Opera Software ASA, which filed a complaint in December 2007 that prompted the Commission’s move - would be one.

IE’s biggest rival is Mozilla’s Firefox, which last month accounted for 21.3 percent of the browser market, according to data from web metrics company Net Applications.

Microsoft also said that the Commission will seek a “significant fine” based on Windows sales in the EU, perhaps from as far back as 1996, the date the anti-trust agency said the alleged violation started. Microsoft began bundling IE with Windows in 1995, with the release of its Windows 95 operating system.

The EU has imposed nearly $2.5 billion (approx £1.75 billion) in fines on Microsoft since it ruled in 2004 that the company had violated the law. The most recent fine, of $1.3 billion, was levied in February 2008 for business practices that the Commission said “continued to stifle competition” long after the ruling.

Competition Commission spokesman Jonathan Todd did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation on Microsoft’s account of the Statement of Objections.

Previously, Microsoft has said it is “committed to conducting our business in full compliance with European law,” and noted that it had until mid-March to respond to the charges.

Christmas this year was made up to be the bets ever for us. We had Stephanie who’s first Christmas it would be, and I had 2 weeks off with Jeni and Stephanie. Well, it turned into one of the most painful Chrisntas’ yet!

On Christmas Eve I went into work for the usual half day, just to say Merry Xmas to everyone. Jeni brought Stephnie in as well, so lots of people got to meet her. I was feeling a little groggy, but thought I’d be OK. When I finished work at about 12, we went to some friends to have a ‘picnic’ in their living room. This was fun and Stephanie and Lily really enjoyed it. Next we went to church for the crib service. When the service was over I felt awful. My throat was inflamed and I felt ill. We then went round to the in-laws for our usual Christmas Eve Sheperds Pie. Well, I only ate about 3 mouthfuls and was unable to eat any more. So we had an early night. Christmas morning I woke up feeling terible at about 13:00 and had to be sick (sorry for the graphic detail). When we woke up on Christmas morning to the sound of the alarm (at about 7.45), neither of us wanted to get up but felt we had to as I had my parents coming round for breakfast at 8.30….and I was determined to not let a cold get the better of Christmas! So, we got up and had breakfast and before we knew it was time to leave home for church. During the service I was feeling worse and really didn’t want to do anything. We went to Jen’s parents for lunch and I didn’t eat anything, and it took me all day to drink 1 glass of wine!

Boxing day we had my parents round and I felt a little better - still not great though. Then on the 27th I felt much better, but then I had to go and get the rabbit out down….not a very nice thing to have to do. On 28th Jen and Stephanie started feeing ill and I started feeling bad again aswell. We then didn’t really recover until 2nd Jan….so that was the whole 2 weeks I had off work wasted! Oh well, we still had fun anyway

Happy new year to all for 2009, let’s hope it’s a good one

Whilst you’re opening your Christmas presents this Christmas, make sure you spare a thought for those who are a little less fortunate than yourself.

The people at Samaritans purse are working effortlesly this Christmas to ensure children in war torn and un-wealthy countries around the world are not forgotten. So please try and give a little this Christmas for those poor children who may not have anywhere as much as we do. I know that the credit crunch and economic crisis globally is affecting everybody, but we could be so much worse off.

Remember, every little helps and these people really do need every penny we can give to them.

Just look at this boy’s face and see what a difference something as simple as a shoe box with some simple gifts in can really make:

If you would like to donate then just click here
Thanks

Since when has it been acceptable for a police car to drive past multiple motorists who have a mix of: Fog Lights on when it’s not foggy, Light’s not working (mainly headlights) and generally just driving like tits?
On my way home last night I was staggered when I was following a police car who was speeding in a 30 zone, then went up to about 75 over scrapps hill (which as people from Oakley know is very dangerous, and has a 60 limit), then he went into Newfound (which has just had it’s speed limits changed, but that’s another story) and carried on at about 60 (even though the limit WAS 40). When he was going over scrapps hill he drove past 3/4 cars with their front fogs on (one of which was a land rover and nearly blinded me). He then drove past 2 people who only had one main light working…..and what did he do? Nothing! No wonder you get these prats driving around with their Fog lights blazing, blinding all other road users but without a worry in the world - when are the police going to actually start doing something about it? IT’S ILLEGAL!
SO when I drove into Newfound I glanced up at the sign post (as I now know normally do for some strange reason) and all the speed limits had changed. I know that the residents of Newfound have been campaigning for a while to get the limit changed from 40 to 30, but that was very sudden and without warning. The road used to be: 30 in Basingstoke, 60 over Scrapps hill and then 40 when you get into Newfound, and that carried on down past the Beach Arms. They’ve suddently changed it now to be: 30 in Basingstoke, 60 over Scrapps hill, but before you get into Newfound now you have to change down to 40, then after 100 yards down to 30 - where I’m assuming it stays all the way down past the beach arms.
Whilst I’m a great believer in sticking to the speed limit, and I truly believe that anyone who speeds deserves any fine they get, I also think that people should be warned of a speed limit change. I must just be more vigilant than the average Joe, I saw the sign change - but if you had been travelling over that road every day for over 20 years, why would you have a need to look at the sign posts? It’s always been 40, and people would assume it always will be 40. It’s not helped by the useful residents of Newfound who insisted on sticking a 40 mph speed limit sign on their wheelie bins - so on wheelie bin day your eyes are drawn to these bins that have 40 mph on them, and are distracted fom the real signs on the side of the road.
Anyway, that’s just one of my road gripes - there’s plenty more where that came from - more to come

So, after football being cancelled last night due to a flooded sports hall I woke up this morning feeling awful. It’s amazing how everyone you speak to about having a cold says “oh have you got that cold that’s going around?” What is ‘that cold that’s going around’? If i’ve got it again then it’s the thrid time in a year that I’ve caught it. I looked in the drware for some cold medicine and EVERYTHING was out of date. Why do drugs company’s make cold medicine in such hugh ammounts, then only give it a lifespan of about 6 months. I think it’s just clever marketing. They make you buy in ‘bulk’ knowing that you’ll never be able to finish it all and throw it away anyway. SO Jeni went down the shop for me to buy some more medicine and it comes in clever packs that tell you how many tablets to take, and when. From the picture it’s a bit difficult to see, but you can just about make out where it says Morning, 2 Tablets!:

day/night nurse blister pack

Stephanie went for her final jabs today and all (so far) seems to have gone fairly well. She screamed when they injected her leg, but after about 2 minutes of crying she appeared to have forgotten what she started crying for. She’s not reacted badly thus far far, so fingers crossed that’ll continue.

My name is Tim Saunders and I am a Storage Architect working for Capgemini. I have been working in the Storage industry for about 5 years now and I have designed/installed and supported over 20 mid and enterprise class storage solutions. Most of the equipment that I install is EMC based (NSx range Celerra and CX range CLARiiON) using Brocade Connectrix SAN Switches (from DS4100B up to DS48000K)

I am currently contracted out to a leading pharmaceutical company in Basingstoke which has a heavy EMC environment which I installed and am now responsible for supporting.

In my personal time I enjoy playing football, which I currently play about 4 times a week. I play for a local Sunday League team in Basingstoke called AFC Aldermaston Apprentices. You can see how we’re doing here

I am married to Jeni, and have been since 28th June 2003. She is my rock! We recently had our first baby, Stephanie who was born on 1st June 2008. She is the most amazing thing to ever happen to either Jeni or myself. We have an album for Stephanie here

Tim, Jeni and Stephanie