Internet Explorer Security Flaws

In the last two days, another two flaws have been discovered with Microsoft's Internet Explorer. Just another reminder that you might want to try another browser like Firefox for example.

http://secunia.com/advisories/19762
.http://isc.sans.org/diary.php?n&storyid=1296

Not only is Firefox a more efficient browser, it has additional features not included in Internet Explorer

BlogExplosion Competition - Question Three

This is the third and final question of the competition I am running for BlogExplosion members. There are 110 free BlogExplosion credits up for grabs.

You will need the answers to questions one and two, and make sure you read the competition rules before you submit your answers.

I will announce the winner(s) in my first post of May and will credit their BlogExplosion accounts.

Click here to read question three.

Finally Flying

I finally was able to make it down to Suffolk for the first time this year to see Pilots of the Suffolk Coastal Floaters hang gliding club do some flying.

Unfortunately I was not able to perticipate myself, as I had not done a chest release conversion, did not have my own hang glider, and the conditions were not good for a novice pilot anyway. I was able to keep myself busy by taking some video footage, and chatting to the pilots. My turn will come soon, so there is no need to be in a hurry.

A full report with video footage will be posted in my hang gliding blog.

Enter the Meatrix

Have you entered the Meatrix?

BlogExplosion Competition - Question Two

Here is question two of the competition I'm running for BlogExplosion members. Question one can be found here.



There are 110 BlogExplosion credits up for grabs, so why not join in the fun, and if you are not a BlogExplosion member, you can join BlogExplosion today, and see an increase in your blog traffic. If you want to take part, make sure you read the competition rules.

Now to the competition question.

My first major hang glider flight was from Lijar mountain in Spain, but what was the name of the place I visited before the flight, and from how high did I fly a hang glider that day?

A Bicycle Adventure

Someone asked in a comment on my hang gliding blog if a had ever embarked on any previous adventures, well here is a story of an adventure that happened over 15 years ago.

I was studying Electronic Engineering in the Federal Polytechnic Bida, about 300 kms from my home in Kaduna, Nigeria. For sometime I had always wanted a multi-speed racing bike, and during my holidays, I would go to the supermarkets in Kaduna, looking at the bikes on sale, and dreaming that one day I would buy one for myself, so I started saving some of the money my dad usually gave me when I went back to the Polytechnic. I finally had enough money, so during a half-term break I went back to Kaduna, spent the week at home as usual, with a plan that I would buy the bike on the day I was to return to the Polythecnic, and ride it 300 kms back! The only preparation I had made was having the money for the bike, and travelling light with one bag which I would put on my back when riding.

On the scheduled day of my return, my dad gave me some money for the rest of the term, dropped me off at the bus station where I was to get a car for the 300 km journey and drove off. As soon as he was gone, I picked up my bag, took a bus back into town and went to the supermarket where I proceeded to buy a 5 speed touring cycle. I took the cycle to a local bicycle repairer who checked the bike over, made sure the tyres had the correct pressure and oiled the chain, I narrowly missed my dad in his car as I left, he didn't see me, but I saw him, and he wasn't expecting me to be in town, so did not pay particular attention to the guy wheeling a bicycle on the sidewalk! I was ready for my journey, but was so ill prepared, I hadn't even thought about taking anything to eat or even drink, and I was setting off to ride in 33 degree temperatures in northern Nigeria.

I made my way out of town, and by the time I had ridden about 10 kms I was thirsty and needed a drink, so stopped at a village for water. I spoke Hausa which is a common language in northern Nigeria, so I could communicate with the people, I told them where I was going, and for some reason they thought I was in the Army. Once I was re-hydrated, I got back on the road. Having left Kaduna at around 2-3 pm, and with no previous training, the heat and fatigue got to me, so I finished off the day at about 50 kms from where I started around 6 pm. I was tired, and it was starting to get dark, so I pulled up at a hamlet, asked for some water, and if I could spend the night with them. One of the men kindly offered me his bed, and I was given food and water, and before long I was fast asleep.

I woke up the following morning around 6 am, and took off, wanting to make the best progress before the sun was high in the sky, and it wasn't until about 10 am that I had breakfast which was a loaf of bread and a bottle of coca cola. I also got some water and some biscuits so I could stay hydrated and have something to eat for energy. That day I rode a total of 150 kms, before stopping at another hamlet, this time I had to sleep outside on a mat, but I was given food.

The third day, I woke up early again, and with only 100 kms to my destination, I knew this would be my last day on the road, so I put in some extra effort, and made even more progress than the previous day, arriving at my destination in the early afternoon. I had made it, 300 kms from Kaduna to Bida on a bicycle, with no previous experience or training. My colleagues in the Polythecnic were amazed at what I had done, though I paid for it just one week later, when I suffered from a bout of malaria brought on by exposure to mosquitoes and the battering of my system during the journey.

I later went on to ride the same bike another 300 kms or so from Bida to Ilorin, and then a final 150 kms from Ilorin to Ibadan.

I thoroughly enjoyed riding my bicycle in those days, but I haven't ridden since I moved from Ibadan to Lagos in 1987 and subsequently from Lagos to the UK.

Maybe I might get back into cycling this year, maybe!

Happy Easter

I'm in holiday mode now, so see you all after Easter, hope you all have a nice weekend and holiday for those of you that get Easter holidays.

Baby Talk

I wonder if any of you experienced parents or linguists could tell me what my 20 month old son is saying about his ice cream. As you can see he really make an effort to express himself by first clearing his throat! He's also a man of few words, just like his dad.

For you technical people, the clip was made using my Sony Ericsson K750i mobile phone, hence the heavy compression.

BlogExplosion Competition - Question One

Here is question one of the competition I am running for BlogExplosion members.

For full details see my original BlogExplosion Competition post. If you are not a BlogExplosion member, or want to know how BlogExplosion can drive more traffic to your blog, then visit the BlogExplosion website today.

Question One: What is the name of the school I attended in the 70's?

Fancy some rice?

I love rice, my favorite being a Nigerian delicacy called Jollof rice, my 4 year old cousin calls it orange rice.

Here in the UK, the favorite takeaway dish is Curry Rice.

This video however gives a new meaning to it!

BlogExplosion Competition

I am running a competition till the end of the month for BlogExplosion members, and will be giving away 110 BlogExplosion credits to the winners.

BlogExplosion is a site that can help increase the traffic to your blog. If you are not a member already, have a blog and want more traffic driven to your blog, you can join now, and be in with a chance of winning some bonus credits by taking part in my BlogExplosion competition.

Rules:
This competition is being run by me, and the prize is 100 BlogExplosion credits to the winner, and BlogExplosion 10 credits to the runner up.

The competition is open to all BlogExplosion members.
The competition runs till the end of April 2006, and the winner will be announced here in May 2006.
My decision is final as to who the winner is, and no communication will be entered into regarding the result.
Spelling mistakes in answers will count against you, so make sure you check the spellings of your answers, they must be the same as appears on the original post.

The Competition:
Over the next couple of days (weeks), I will ask 3 questions, the answers which can be either found in this blog or my hang gliding blog. The first person to post a comment in the article carrying the 3rd question with the correct answers to the 3 questions will win 100 BlogExplosion credits, and the 2nd person with the correct answers gets 10 BlogExplosion credits. Please supply your BlogExplosion username with the answers, so I can credit your account if you win.

Failure to include your BlogExplosion username with the answers will invalidate that entry, and you will need to post another comment with the correct answers and username to qualify.

The purpose of the competition is to get more people reading my blog, and draw attention to my hang gliding adventure, so the questions might be hidden within a post, I will however give a hint to where the answer to the question is.

Look out for Question 1 soon.

BlogExplosion

Free International Calls to Nigeria from your UK mobile phone

Okay I have caught your attention, so let me explain a few things:

1. This is not a scam or anything illegal.
2. It is not available on all UK mobile phone networks.
3. It is not really free, you will use your cross network minutes to cover the cost of the call.
4. You can use this for other countries, but not all countries will be cost effective.

Now the details:

Those of you in the UK know there are various mobile phone packages that give you various amounts of cross network minutes to use on a monthly basis for a fixed fee.
Well there are a few companies that will allow you to make international calls by calling a 07 number which many network operators classify as a mobile phone number.

I currently use Your Call, but there are others out there.

As I said earlier, not all networks allow this, T Mobile and 3 will charge you for calling these numbers, but Virgin which I use don't, and I think the others don't either, but you will have to check that by trying the number first for a short call and see if it is deducted from your inclusive minutes or not.

This will be good for calling places like Nigeria or other expensive places, but unless you really have one of those packages that gives you 900 minutes or more , or you regularly don't use up your inclusive minutes, then it is not cost effective for calling places like the USA (there are landline numbers that offer the USA calls at 1p per minute, I currently call the US free on Talk Talk).

Try it out, and see, I hope this information helps someone.

Labour Government is milking me dry!

First it was my council tax, yesterday it was my car tax! The labour government is milking me dry, and very soon I might not have any money left to spend on my self!

I had received my car tax renewal form about 2 weeks ago, and it would cost £91 for 6 months, imagine my surprise when I got to the post office counter and the man serving me tells me it is now £104! An increase of £13 and that is for 6 months road tax!

Remind me not to vote for the labour government in the next election!