Interesting Links for 18-11-2013

• Common misconceptions about publishing: "Why do you use Microsoft Word?"
  (tags: publishing technology writing )
• Denmark surpasses 100 percent wind power
  (tags: germany denmark windpower renewables )
• A Day In the Life of An Empowered Female Character
  (tags: feminism satire writing )
• Jon Hamm interview: 'Don Draper is dismal and despicable'
  (tags: madmen )
• Britain to be hit by entirely typical weather
  (tags: weather uk funny satire )
• What's behind the 'coldest winter for 100 years' headline?
  (tags: journalism weather uk )
• The keyboard phone seems to be dead, alas.
  (tags: keyboard phone viaLProven technology )
• Japan cancels plan to cut emissions by 25% citing end to nuclear power
  (tags: japan nuclearpower )
• How to moonwalk
  (tags: dancing )
• Long-term use of paracetamol during pregnancy has adverse developmental outcomes on three year-olds
  (tags: children drugs pregnancy )
• Long commutes cause obesity, neck pain, loneliness, divorce, stress, and insomnia.
  (tags: travel work )
• The level of benefits have no effect on whether the unemployed want a job
  (tags: benefits work )
• Bus fare app to cut out finding change in Edinburgh
  (tags: buses transport edinburgh phones )
• The Forgotten Giant Arrows that Guide you Across America
  (tags: navigation usa airplanes history viaSimonSmith )
• Playing games at age 5 has no effect on children's conduct at age 7.
  (tags: games children )
• Worldwide IPv6 takeup hits 2.5% for the first time ever.
  (tags: ipv6 internet )
• 17 Most Offensive Adverts That Would Be Banned Today
  (tags: advertising offensive society history )

The world has changed, again - and so I want a recommendation for a cheap Android remote control...

Researching Sonos multi-room music systems for my Dad. You can control them using an iPhone or an Android. And, in fact, it seems like that's now the _only_ way you can control them, as they've now discontinued their dedicated controllers.

My father has an iPhone, so that's fine. But my mum doesn't use a phone at all, but would obviously still want to be able to change the music. An iPod Touch is about £140, new. I figured there would be an Android equivalent that was a bit cheaper - but it seems like the MP3 player market has basically died - even the iPod is down 31% on last year, as everyone just uses their phones, I assume.

I'm beginning to suspect that he should just pick up a cheap Android phone for £70 and not stick a SIM in it...

Six things about me that you probably didn't know

Both marrog and nmg assigned me to give you six facts about me. As there _are_ only six interesting facts about me, they'll have to share:

1) I don't consider myself to have been fully self aware until around the age of 24.
2) I nearly broke my neck falling out of a window in a fake German village on Salisbury Plain.
3) When I met Julie I had a list of things I was looking for in a partner, one of which was "ex goth"
4) At one point I wanted to be a writer, but I realised that although I enjoyed creating scenes, there weren't really any stories I wanted to tell, and I preferred writing for fun (and that wore off after a while too!)
5) My favourite cake growing up was a chocolate and apple cake that my father made every year for each of our birthdays. Not being able to eat it (nowadays due to wheat _and_ sugar intolerances) is something I find both sad and frustrating. It was a bit like this, only without the nuts/cereal, and absolutely delicious.
6) I find beer tastes overwhelmingly of hops, and that most wine tastes overwhelmingly of sour vinegar. This is an endless source of frustration to me in bars, because combined with the sugar problems it leaves me with spirits mixed with either diet coke (if it's not too late) or slimline tonic (if I'm worried about sleeping).

According to The Rules, comment if you'd like me to assign you a number!