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Wiping free space in Linux

Most people know that if you delete a file, regardless of operating system, the file is not really deleted, its space on the hard drive is merely assigned “free” for future use. This can lead to the devious or determined, scouring drives for deleted information.

On Windows and Macs there are shredding utilities one can [...]

Death List 2009 – Susan Atkins

Susan Atkins is not a name, I suspect, familiar to most of you. She was a member of the “Manson family” and sentenced to death for her part in the murders they committed in 1969. Her sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. When she was found to be terminally ill with brain cancer, she applied [...]

Assume the position

Psoriasis is a pain. Literally an itch you cannot scratch – or shouldn’t.

Mine has got to the stage that I’m about to undergo a treatment of four month’s worth of phototherapy with UV-B light. This will involve going to the hospital twice a week and entering a circular chamber, the walls of which are [...]

Speedy return

Sad news on the Speedmaster front. I have to return the watch to Manchester for a warranty repair.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of things amiss, one minor and one major. Carefully look at this photograph, which I took about two hours after purchasing it, and see if you can spot the minor issue.

[...]

Terror

This photograph by Charles C. Ebbets, of construction workers taking their lunch on the General Electric Building in New York’s Rockefeller Center in 1932, is viscerally terrifying. I’m scared even looking at it. Their nonchalance is petrifying.

Click to zoom.

The “what if” quotient on this is massive. What if…

A sudden just [...]

Speedy love

Well, I’ve been wearing my Omega Speedmaster Professional (model 3570.50) for over a week now, and it does compare well to my Rolex Submariner, in many ways. I’m lucky to be able to choose which of these great watches to put on each morning.

The Speedmaster is slightly more comfortable on the wrist. This is [...]

Death List 2009 – Patrick Swayze

Patrick has made it a double digit death list this year. As a reminder, here he is one of his most popular films, Ghost!

Welsh Sign Quiz

Here’s a quick snap of a sign in Welsh, which I took in Welshpool – there will be a prize for the most inventive “translation.” If anyone does get it, they are either a) Welsh b) familiar with the workings of internet translation sites c) the owner of an English – Welsh dictionary.

Answers [...]