Just subscribed to ping.fm so that one update is reflected across all blogs etc. Anyone have any thoughts as to value - good? bad?

The Twitter Top 10

As with all lists, there has to be the musical "Top 10" - just for fun, where words are replaced in an attempt to make something a little humorous. I haven't spotted a Twitter Top 10 yet so thought I'd create my own. Most of the titles kinda show my age, but that's life! Well, not That's Life - that was a TV show (that also shows my age) hosted by Esther Rantzen, a consumer affairs show - but you know what I mean. If you have suggestions of your own, tweet me at www.twitter.com/andypoulton

OK, Play the Top of the Pops count down tune

10/ Shut up and let me Tweet.

9/ Just can't Tweet enough

8/ Don't Tweet me this way

7/ Tweet you all over

6/ I could be Tweeting

5/Tweets in the Night

4/ Another Tweet on the Wall

3/ Chirpy Chirpy Tweet Tweet

2/ Let's Tweet again

1/ Chiquitweeta

That's all folks.

10 Things that say your a Twitter Addict

In no particular order

1. When you're having a conversation on the "real world" and want someone to pay attention to your words, you preface your comments with @their name
   
   
2. When you want to talk one 2 one, you preface your conversation with "DM"
   
   
3. You run each comment that you say through your mind to ensure that it is 140 characters or less
   
   
4. When you mention a web address, you use the tinyurl.com version
   
   
5. www.twitter.com is your browser's home page
   
   
6. You don't talk about friends, you talk about followers
   
   
7. When you meet someone interesting you ask them to follow you with the promise that you'll follow them back
   
   
8. You think that Ashton Kutcher is the president of the USA and that Barrack Obama and Stephen Fry are CFO and CTO respectivly
   
   
9. You have palpitations if no one replies to your tweets
   
   
10. You hear them talking about tweeting on the radio and get all excited - only to feel let down when you realise they are talking about the lesser throated marsh warbler.

Send me your ideas - www.twitter.com/andypoulton

Are the food makers squeezing us during the crunch?

The last time we had a downturn, a number of food producers looked to maintain (or increase) their profitability. In a buoyant market this is normally achieved by increasing prices. With the focus on prices and the cost of living this would not be a particularly sensible option - attracting negative media attention along the lines of "profiting whilst others suffer"


A number of major producers took a more subtle route - keeping the price same (or even advertising a small decrease) whilst reducing the quantity supplied.

A decrease in size from 440 grams (15.4ozs) to 400 grams (14 ozs) a decrease in size of around 9%. This means that there is a large increase in the profitability per product sold and customers also have to buy more to match their consumption or reduce consumption to match supply. Either way, profits increase.


I think I may have spotted another example of this recently. For convenience, I purchase supermarket medium sliced bread. I can't make any objective comparisons because I don't have any old loaves floating around but I think the bread is being sliced for thicker slices. I've noticed this when toasting the bread. It fills up more of the slot and makes nicer toast. However, it may be just a bit too thick for sandwiches.

From a manufacturing perspective, thicker slices mean fewer slices per loaf which means that although there is not a unit increase in the profitability of the loaf - the loaf is the same overall size - by using the bread at our normal consumption rates we'll go through a loaf quicker and buy more - increased turnover for the retailer and more profit for baker and retailer.

I'll be paying more attention in my future visits to the supermarkets and see whether I can spot any other wheezes.

Big Brother is opening his arms

Oh boy - is this the end for freedom? Greater Manchester police are deploying mini Google Streetview cars, Smart Cars with CCTV masts on top.

The mast, which extends up to 12ft (3.6mtrs for the metrically minded) will be able to take footage of people doing things at junctions that they should not be - mobile phone usage being the prime aim but people eating at the wheel, lighting a cigarette, tuning the radio.....the list goes on, I wonder if chatting to a passenger is cause for a charge of driving with out due care and attention.

Yes, I know that all of these are distracting, my employer has decided that no mobile phones should be used when driving (even hands free) and I don't have a problem with that but putting out tiny cars with big masts strikes me as going a little to far.

Greater Manchester Police say that it will drive the number of accidents down. I wonder what the cost is, car + mast + camera + personnel (I wonder who will be driving, which of our "police" forces will have this responsibility).

I also wonder what the cost is - will the revenue in fines exceed the cost?

Time will tell but I wonder where this surveillance society will end.

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

Here's a recipe that I heard on the Chris Evans radio show yesterday. It's for Chocolate Mug Cake. 

It's a chocolate cake (no way...) that you make in a mug (gee, I'd never have guessed) that you cook in the microwave (aha something I didn't know)

Ingredients

•          4 tbs / 50gms self raising flour
•          4 tbs / 7gms caster sugar
•          2 tbs / 17gms cocoa powder
•          1 egg
•           3 tbs / 43 mls milk
•           3 tbs / 25 mls sunflower oil
•            3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
•             A small dash of vanilla extract or other flavouring (rum works well so I hear)
•            1 large coffee mug
•              Custard - optional for serving
  

Method

1.                    Add dry ingredients to the mug, and mix well. 

2.                    Add the egg and mix thoroughly 

3.                    Add the milk and oil - mix well (don't forget the corners / edges of the mug). 

4.                    Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again 

5.                    Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes (in a 1000 watt microwave). 

6.                    The cake will rise above the top of the mug, but don't worry it’s supposed to!  

7.                    Allow to cool a little, tip out onto a plate.

Eat and enjoy