jinnantonnixx

It's cheesier than a Camembert spillage in Cheddar, but it's a great trick.

As it happens, I found my old Sony Walkman WM-D6C (known as the Walkman Pro) in the attic. These were the knees of the bees back in the day. I'll see if it still works then bung it on ebay. Here it is, with the bootlegger's favourite - the ECM101 condensor mic. Retro, eh?

Even better, encode them to MP3. You can play back the MP3 (which will never degrade) for the real Spectrum, and many emulators will read the MP3 directly and load in an instant.

Don't forget to stock up on perishables. Bread and milk seem to be the favourites, as we all know that toast and milkshakes are the staple food during a snowstorm. I'm looking for pre-sliced apples, but not having much luck.

That's easy for you to say.

Nice graphcs, @nickbro I wonder if this means we're due for more channels? Film4 HD would be nice. I like Freesat, my unscientific A/B tests show that my picture is better than Freeview, possibly because my Humax box does a better job than the TV of upscaling SD channels. In any case, it does look better.

All season tyres. A two wheel drive with all season/winter tyres is better than a 4x4 with summer tyres. My dad had some from BlackCircles, delivered to his local tyre fitter who installed them for a couple of quid. He had Bridgestone A001; they weren't that much more expensive than his regular summer tyres.

Easily solved with 'buffs' One over the head (under the helmet), another around the neck (pulled up to nose level if very cold). I use this combination when it's cold and I arrive toasty.

Be careful on ice, guys. A colleague had a nasty spill on black ice this morning.

Nice article on cycling in The Psychologist http://www.thepsychologist.org.uk/archive/archive_home.cfm/volumeID_25-editionID_217-ArticleID_2136-getfile_getPDF/thepsychologist%5C0912walk.pdf

It's a great piece of software, but what a terrible name. The name is one of the reasons why it's not widely used in our county. We've tried using GimPhoto but the title branding is still Gimp. Pulp Fiction has much to answer for.

Popcorn at the ready for Wednesday, BBC1 9pm. BBC One - War on Britain's Roads This guy is in the programme, and has reservations on the title. He says: "There is no war on Britain's roads." The Mind of a Helmet Camera Cyclist: War on Britain's Roads? [Edit: removed a few lines as it's unfair to prejudge the progamme]

Robocopy has rudimentary throttling. Robocopy | SS64.com

Cheers! beer advent calendar

About the odds and how they're calculated. If you do play, let the computer pick a lucky dip. It won't improve your odds of winning of course, but it will mean that you are far less likely to have to share the jackpot as people are notoriously poor at picking 'random' numbers. Feature Column from the AMS

Here's a bit of fun if you play the lottery with a set of favourite numbers. Enter your numbers and find out what you would have won had you played the lottery from the start. The Lottery Frustrator / Alex Rea

Maybe I is, maybe I ain't...

I almost forgot - I hope all you London cyclists remember that 11 Dec is Drive To Work Day.

When I started this game, it was possible to know almost everything you needed to know. All about the networks, how the systems connected, and how to support the small range of applications. You could know everything. Now, you haven't got a chance. Many days are like treading water. Odds on though, if you need a solution someone here will know. Remember one point: Everyone is ignorant - only the subject varies.

The Subway uses the Tektro IO system which is a fairly reasonable cable system. Changing the pads takes under 30 seconds without tools - they're held in place by magnets. Adjustment is easy and they work reasonably well. The cable only operates one pad so be sure to adjust the opposing pad every so often to maintain a good braking operation. This is done with a hex key through the wheel spokes into the static pad holder.

The Nook Colour might be worth a look. B&N are supportive of the mods, and Cyanogen (Andoid) and Ubuntu, Debian and Lubuntu can run on it. https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ARM/TabletList

Do you need Windows on it? My Dad's Dell netbook runs Ubuntu 12.04 very well.

As for tyres, just get a set of Schwalbe Marathon Plus and don't worry. I've tried different bikes over the years. If I were you I'd choose a bike with 1. No suspension 2. Disk brakes (easier to adjust and maintain and won't wear out your rims, especially if you ride through dirt) 3. 26 inch wheels (I've tried 700c wheels, but your choice of tyres is smaller and rough ground will be a problem) 4. 26x1.9 or 26x2.1 tyres (a good choice for rough ground) Many may frown, but the Carerra Subway 2 is very good value and I think might be on offer now. The '2' has disk brakes.

Well, I ride on canal path (not particularly rough, but by no means smooth) with rigid forks. It's OK. What you should consider is that suspension forks either add to the cost of the bike, or detract from quality components elsewhere. Cheap forks can bob, sapping power. They will also wear out or not perform as well in years to come. I've got Marzocchi 66VF forks on my big Kona freeride bike, and these are bomb-proof, but the list price for the forks alone is £300. Remember, you've already got some suspension from your tyres. Believe it or not, on rough ground, slightly lower tyre pressure rolls better than firm tyres. See page 16: http://www.schwalbe.co.uk/_webedit/uploaded-files/All%20Files/Technical%20Info.pdf

One day, I will own one of these: Pashley Cycles - Guv'nor