Broadband Botch-up...

Technophobe...dat's me.
For example, broadband. When you get it installed at home, a techo simply fronts up and installs it, doesn't he? But no, I was gonna do it myself: after all, how hard could it be?
So I signed up with NZ Telecom, and was sent a lil' blue box covered by what resembled children's doodles, proclaiming the contents to be Telecom's Broadband Single PC Self-Install Kit. Cool! (Actually not so cool...Telecom's marketing dept needs to know that not everyone thinks that sort of artwork looks good - it reminded me of mindless schoolboy scribblings.)
What Telecom didn't tell me was that, as revealed on the back of said lil' blue box, my computer would need Windows 2000, XP or Vista in order to run this Broadband thingee. Problem: I have a dinosaur of a HP PC which has Windows 95 as its operating system. It's such an ancient beast that its set-up material is all on floppy discs, its hard-drive doesn't have a CD, and the back protrudes so far out that it makes the Hunchback of Notre Dame look positively svelte!

The Gentle Language of Flowers

If you're a romantic at heart, you'll know that a bouquet of flowers speaks volumes. Every kind of emotion or sentiment can be expressed within a flower's delicate petals. While a nice floral bouquet conveys love and thoughtfulness, many types of flowers are traditionally associated with different meanings. Here're a few of our favourite flowers and their associations:

Almond blossom - hope

Red carnation - admiration

White carnation - pure love, innocence

Daffodil - unrequited love

Daisy - gentleness, loyalty

Hibiscus – beauty

Iris - friendship
White lily - majesty, purity; Pear blossom - health, hope; Orchid - beauty, refinement; Tulip - symbol of the perfect lover; Violet - modesty, simplicity
Rose - one of the most popular and well-known flowers, comes in a variety of hues and shades, each of which has a different significance. Make sure you're sending that special someone the right message with the right-coloured rose!
•red - the universal symbol of love, can also signify courage, beauty, and respect.
•white - these elegant flowers are a wonderful way to show someone you care. They're commonly associated with purity and innocence.
•light pink - can make a great gift for a friend. They're symbolic of fun and happiness.
•yellow - is an emblem of platonic love and friendship, symbolizing joy and promise of a new beginning.
Flowers have a unique language that's been used by people for hundreds of years to convey emotions without words. So whether you're celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or just want to help a loved one feel extra special, flowers are a truly wonderful way to express your feelings.

What's In A Name...?

Ever 'googled' your own name?
We're all curious over who-knows-what about us out there, right? Gee, someone with my name in Outer Mongolia is doing a research project on the brain patterns of newts!
Well, get this: apart from being a famous English playwright, athlete, CEO and musician, I've also appeared in the early days (Episode 88) of TV's Coronation Street!
In 1961 my namesake lived in the flat (No.15A Coronation Street) above the corner shop - now owned by Dev Alahan but, then, owned by Elsie Lappin (her claim to Coro fame was that she spoke the first-ever line in the series: "Now the next thing you've got to do is get a signwriter in. That thing above the door'll have to be changed.")
Other well-known characters to have lived in 15A include: Jerry Booth, Emily Nugent, Betty Turpin, Irma Barlow, Bet Lynch, Deirdre Langton and daughter Tracey, Alf and Audrey Roberts, Sally and Kevin Webster, Curly Watts, Ken Barlow, Nita Desai, Sunita Parekh, and so on...you really did need to know this, right?