Look, no gloves

This morning no rain for the first time this week. Windy, yes, but blue sky and bright sunshine. I cycled to work without gloves for the first time this year, which means that it is officially spring in Edinburgh.

Ubuntu to you, my friend

I know you want to get rid of Microsoft products. Any sane person would. "But how can I?" I hear you say, "Windows is shitty, breaks down all the time and is infected with viruses and spyware. But it's all I KNOW!"
The expensive option is of course to buy a Mac, but it's not everyone's cup of tea. And some people think you're gay if you have a Mac, and that's not good in some communities (but great in others).
The cheap version is to install Linux. It's actually free. Gratis. Zero clams. Unfortunately you have to be a nerd/computer wiz to even get your damn Linux PC on the Internet. Or it used to be that way.
Ubuntu Linux brings an easy, working Linux installation to your computer. They will even send you a CD with it for free. Hell, they'll send you 10 so you have some to give to your friends. And there's is a working Linux installation on the CD you can boot from to have a look how it works. The thing runs on Intel-compatible PCs and on Apple's PowerPC (G4 and G5) and comes with around 1,000 pieces of software.
If you ARE gay, this guy will even install it for you and teach you how to use it.

A gifted child

Matthias has been nominated by his teacher for a place in The City of Edinburgh Council's summer programme for gifted/talented pupils. And he has been selected to take part in the programme's philosophy group. This means he will spend a week in August learning and discussing with other pupils from Edinburgh schools. Needless to say, the letter from the council is adressed to his mother only, as if his father, yours truly, didn't exist. Now there's a topic for debate.
We have been trying to explain to Matthias for a while now what philosophy is, and being a regular viewer of The Simpsons he had few problems understanding it, though he is of course not sure what the programme might actually contain. Neither are we, but it sounds interesting.
Sofie joined her school's newly formed debating society yesterday and fell ill yesterday evening. I do not hope there is any connection.

Millie down

Yesterday afternoon a van hit Millie, who is our friends P&P's small dog. The accident happened at Bridge Road during the rush hour. The dog is in a bad condition at the local vet at the moment, with a broken pelvis and internal bleedings.
P drove past the accident just minutes after it happended and tried to comfort the dog, who instictly bit him and several other helpers, as it was in pain and shock.
I spent the rest of the evening with P at Edinburgh's A&E, where he was dismissed after an x-ray and a tetanus injection, with a bandaged hand and a box of pills.
The van driver drove away after hitting the dog and left others to deal with it.

Earthship Edinburgh?

Mrs Rasmussen and I have been researching sustainable buildings and such, and for a long time we thought we would like to build a straw-bale house of some sort. Until we discovered the concept of Earthships, as invented by American architect Mike Reynolds some 30 years ago. Today we went to have a look at the first UK Earthship, built next to Kinghorn Loch on Fife, close to Edinburgh.
Things are now clear: we are going to build one ourselves.
An Earthship is a self-sustainable house built from earth and waste materials like tyres and cans and glass. It is completely independent of sewage systems and is not connected to mains electricity. In very short, it is a building of the future.
So, we need volunteers to help building some time in the near future, maybe as soon as summer 2006. We just need to find a plot of land first.
Earthship Fife

Back in force

Back from Prague, back to work, school and house hunting. Mrs Rasmussen an I are looking for very cheap houses, close to Edinburgh, with a huge garden and no nuclear power stations in the vicinity. That's about as possible as finding true love or eternal happiness, but we won't give up. Nope. Nada. Oh, I forgot, it's got to be in the hills, with no neighbors, but walking distance to public transport and shops. We are looking at places with scary names like Livingston, Bathgate and Fauldhouse.
Before I forget, if you are ever going to Prague and want a nice place to stay, we can wholeheartedly recommend http://apartment.wz.cz/prague/

Happy birthday sweet sixteen

Sofie is 16 years old today, and we have been celebrating here in Prague. Yesterday we dined at an Italian restaurant, and this morning we gave Miss Fischer-Rasmussen her presents in bed. We're still waiting for the shops to open to get some breakfast, since Prague shops close 12pm on Saturdays and does not open until 14pm Sundays.

Tomorrow, we are heading home to Edinburgh after a great two weeks in Bohemia.

16 years? Wow.