James's Weblog

Heatwave Recipe: Iced Coffee

Wed, 26/07/2017 - 10:50 -- James Oakley
Iced Coffee

In hot weather, sometimes an iced coffee can be just the thing. Here's my recipe (makes about a pint / 550ml).

Needless to say, as with all things coffee, GIGO. Garbage in, garbage out. That's to say: Start with good quality coffee beans. I'd recommend something medium-light roasted. If you roasted yourself, dump no later than the very beginnings of second crack. If you've bought the beans roasted, go for freshly roasted ones without oils showing.

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Facebook: Page or Group

Wed, 19/07/2017 - 10:56 -- James Oakley
Facebook - Page or Group
Image Credit: Facebook

A friend recently asked on Facebook about whether to use a Facebook Page or a Facebook Group for his newest project — or indeed whether to run both.

For what it's worth, here was my advice (now elaborated upon):

General Rule of Thumb: Choose

My general rule of thumb (which may be flawed) is that groups and pages have different pros and cons.

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Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device - Try the Task Manager

Wed, 12/07/2017 - 10:34 -- James Oakley
USB Drive

Almost every Windows user is familiar with the problem. You have an external hard drive, or a pen drive, attached to your computer. You know the correct way to eject the device: Don't just yank out the lead, because it could corrupt data if the computer was in mid-write at the time. Instead, use the "Safely Remove Hardware and Eject Media" tool in the notification area of the taskbar.

But then comes the problem:

Problem Ejecting USB Mass Storage Device

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"#LoveIsLove" is a Tiny Love

Mon, 26/06/2017 - 12:39 -- James Oakley
#LoveIsLove on billboard outside Tottenham Court Road
Transport for London

Do you remember the "Love Is" cartoons. Occasionally I show them at the start of a wedding sermon. They were a light-hearted slogan to suggest what love looks like in practice, accompanied by a picture of an innocent-looking boy and girl which wittily goes with the caption. Mostly, it was extremely soppy romantic love. You could accuse them of being shallow, lacking meaning and depth — but they were only ever meant to be a bit of fun.

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Proud to support #Pride?

Mon, 26/06/2017 - 11:20 -- James Oakley
Tottenham Court Road station, with the Underground roundall recoloured
Transport for London

The annual so-called "Pride Festival" runs from Saturday 24th June until Saturday 8th July this year.

Lots of businesses, public and private, have chosen to show their support. They're proud to support Pride.

The trouble is, "Pride" is not something that is supported by all of the British public. Yet, in giving these businesses their custom, members of the public are giving their support (including financial support) to the Pride movement.

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Vanity Fair

Fri, 23/06/2017 - 16:24 -- James Oakley
The Pilgrims enter Vanity Fair

John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress is one of the bestselling books ever written, never out of print since 1678. By way of brief background: It is written as though the narrator dreamt the story, and is an extended allegory of the Christian’s journey through life. The protagonist is called Christian (and all the other people and places have names that betray their character).

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Clergy Tax Returns: Tired of waiting for your P11D?

Thu, 22/06/2017 - 13:19 -- James Oakley
Form P11D

Here's a simple tip, which may help some clergy looking to complete their tax returns.

Disclaimer: I am not an accountant, so this is not professional advice, merely a tip from a fellow traveller. Needless to say, you are responsible for the figures you put on your own annual returns.

A perennial frustration

There's a cycle that repeats each year.

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