meblog

Taming Windows 7, Part 1: Reinstating the Classic Taskbar, with Quicklaunch.

2009-04-18T21:50:00.022+01:00

If the icons pinned to the task bar are not to your taste, don't worry, you can get back the old Windows 200/XP/Vista classic start menu, complete with quick-launch. Here's my step by step guide.

First, take a look at the finished result we will acheive. I've highlighted the quicklaunch area and a classic taskbar icon. This is what we will acheive.

Open your home folder (or in fact, any folder you like), and create a new folder called Quicklaunch. This will contain all the quicklaunch shortcuts.
Right click on the taskbar, and hover over toolbars, and select New Toolbar.
Browse to the place where you created you Quicklaunch folder, and select it. Then click Select Folder.
Right Click the taskbar again, but this time click Properties
Select Use Small Icons. Also, change the Taskbar Buttons selection to Combine When Taskbar is Full (or if you prefer, Never Combine). Click OK.
Once again, right click the taskbar, and this time deselect Lock the Taskbar. You should now be able to drag the quicklaunch area to the left part of the taskbar, left of the actual main taskbar area. Move to taste. Also, you can now drag the top of the taskbar down, so that it is the normal height. You can also right click on the Quicklaunch taskbar you created and change it to show icons only, and not show the title.
Next, right click on the applications pinned to the taskbar. Click Unpin this program from taskbar on each of them.
Next, Click the start menu, and find each program you would like to add to the Quicklaunch bar. Right-click-drag the icon to the start menu. Select the option to create a shortcut.

Finally, right click the task bar, and re-select Lock the taskbar. You should have a much saner, old-skool windows style.

Resetting "My Song Is Love Unknown" to "The Message"

2008-08-25T12:31:00.002+01:00

A few years ago Coldplay were inspired by the hymn My Song Is Love Unknown" and used it as the basis for their song "The Message" on the album X&Y.

I have long loved the hymn, its poetry and its message, as well as its tune and harmony. However, there are many who do not love organ based hymns and a choral 4 part harmony setting. I think therefore it may be time to use the resource of Coldplay's song, reintroducing the lyrics to once again tell the message of My Saviour's Love to Me.

The new structure is a little different, so it's not a perfect fit, but this is how I am so far thinking it might work:

Verse 1

My song is love unknown,
My Saviour’s love to me;
Love to the loveless shown,
That they might lovely be.

Verse 2

He came from His blest throne
Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none
The longed-for Christ would know,
The longed-for Christ would know:

Chorus 1

O who am I, that for my sake
My Lord should take frail flesh and die?
But O! my Friend, my Friend indeed,
Who at my need His life did spend,
at my need His life did spend.

Verse 3

Sometimes they strew His way,
And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day
Hosannas to their King,
Hosannas to their King:

Chorus 2

Then “Crucify!” is all their breath,
And for His death they thirst and cry.
A murderer they save,
The Prince of life they slay,
The Prince of life they slay.

Verse 4

Why, what hath my Lord done?
What makes this rage and spite?
He made the lame to run,
He gave the blind their sight,
He gave the blind their sight,

Chorus 3

Sweet injuries! Yet they at these
Themselves displease, and ’gainst Him rise.
Yet cheerful He to suffering goes,
That He His foes from thence might free.
His foes from thence might free.

Verse 5

Here might I stay and sing,
No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King!
Never was grief like Thine.
Never love and grief like Thine.

Chorus 4

This still needs a bit of work to make it fit, but I'd like to use the following parts of the hymn:

This is my Friend, in Whose sweet praise
I all my days could gladly spend.

What may I say? Heav’n was His home;

Spending Time

2008-06-06T22:57:00.002+01:00

It has recently been asked why I have spent some time with person X, when they don't put themselves out for me and never get birthday presents on time. This was contrasted with person Y who I could have spent time with instead who has apparently done more for me.

I think the quite simple explanation is that, I enjoy the company of X more than Y, despite what comparatively to each other they may have done for me. Should I spend more time on Y than I do? Probably, but this is tricky if that time will drag.

Perhaps the answer is to learn to enjoy time with Y more, or perhaps I should feel less guilty, or perhaps this is all just a red herring, distracting from me not spending enough time with Z.

An observation on healing

2008-05-25T08:13:00.003+01:00

While the Charismatics are off to Lakeland, Florida to get "the anointing", the Catholics are still making their pilgrimage to Lourdes, France. In the gospels, the healing was all Centred around Jesus in Israel, and people still go there.

In contrast, at pentecost, "All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit", and when Peter spoke he quoted the scripture "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.". Although the apostles started their work in Jerusalem, they were eventually scattered, and then God's work was done everywhere!

So, if we are filled with the spirit, wherever we are, surely God can work through us, giving whatever gift is required for his work, be that powerful preaching, boldness to stay firm and proclaim "Jesus is lord!" under persecution or even miraculous signs and healings. Why go "there" (Lakeland, Lourdes, Jerusalem) if God has work for us "here" (or perhaps even somewhere else).

Earthquake

2008-02-27T00:59:00.002Z

Was that an earthquake I just felt that shook the house just now? Anyone else feel it? How often are we meant to get these things in Leamington?

Answers on a postcard, or alternatively a blog comment (or if you really want to be awkward, a facebook comment).

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T09:19:00.000Z

to all those who read my blog or facebook - Especially those who I have not managed to wish a Merry Christmas in some other way.

From Martin

Isaiah 7

2007-09-18T20:36:00.001+01:00

Your views please...

Strictly Come Dancing

2007-09-18T08:51:00.001+01:00

There is a new series coming soon, and I am expecting great things from rap superstar John Barnes.

PS. for those that don't know who John Barnes is, take a look below

Cross-fertilisation of Jazz

2007-09-10T22:32:00.000+01:00

There is in music a great place to cross-fertilise ideas, play in each other's bands, work on collaborative projects. I've seen this in various genres, but none more-so than jazz. Back in the sixties, Herbie Hancock working on albums for himself, Miles Davis and others. And in more recent times, Charlie Hunter and Stanton Moore performing on each other's albums and also forming another "band" for their collaborations. Outside the professional field friends may collaborate in one off projects.

Ok, that's as far as my random thought got. Perhaps someone might tell me why jazz can have this culture, or perhaps you feel I've been unfair to other genres. Let me know what you think.

Deaf?

2007-07-22T02:15:00.000+01:00

Well, I will be if I go to Saint Bar, Leamington, too often. I spent a large amount of time ensuring my ears were covered, as it was definitely too loud! A few weeks ago I also found that Rio's Club (also in Leamington) was too loud.

I think something should be done, else we will all be deaf as adults. This is definitely a more major cause of deafness than listening too loudly on earphone. Earphones are tame compared to many bars.

3 hot tips

2007-07-02T23:20:00.000+01:00

Stevie Wonder: Talking Book
Beth Orton: Comfort of Strangers
Iain Archer: Magnetic North

These albums are perfect little nuggets of sound, essential to your collection. If you don't have them already, go buy.

Which Scrubs Character are you?

2007-05-20T17:55:00.000+01:00

You are...Rowdy
A.K.A. "The Dead Dog"

Even though you seem to be living a good life, you're actually dead. People think you're cool, but it's probably only because when they're bored, they can set you on top of the TV and see who can throw a hat on you first.

Take the test.

Audio Terrorism

2007-05-08T13:48:00.000+01:00

Nipped to Warwick Gates Co-Op to get lunch today. On approaching the shop I was greeted by a screech of terror. No-one was hurt, no this instead apparently a teenage deterrent. Well to me, it is pure audio terrorism, and something I hope does not appear outside other shops. I just hope it hasn't done any lasting damage to my ears!

Café Create

2007-04-26T08:18:00.000+01:00

Told most people, but in case I haven't and you happen to read this, Café Create is on this Saturday, 7:30pm in St. Paul's Church Lounge.

Some fine entertainment (amongst other items, U-Heros will once again provide some fine comedy battle rap) and a great fair-trade café. Entry free, any donations for the wine appreciated.

Happy Easter

2007-04-08T01:21:00.001+01:00

My Celebrity Look-alikes

2007-03-05T08:43:00.000Z

Click on the image below to visit the website where you can make your own

Art & Politics

2007-03-05T00:23:00.001Z

There was an interesting South Bank Show tonight, talking with Mark Wallinger about his work. Not content to just paint pretty pictures, there are many political and religious commentaries in his recent work, tackling issues of free speech, blind faith and many more.

Of particular interest was his recreation of Brian Haw's Parliament Square protest, "State Britain". It is good to see art that strikes out and makes a point: an art that serves its people, not through entertainment, but by amplifying the voice of its people.

Warning - The Last Kiss...

2007-02-16T23:17:00.000Z

may make you shout at the TV (or maybe a bit tearful).

Café Create

2007-01-14T09:13:00.000Z

Next Event: 26/01/07

www.cafecreate.org

Download Flyer

5 Things

2007-01-07T13:55:00.000Z

Well, here goes. I've been tagged (3 times now, by Jon, rich and joe) so it is finally time to reveal to all 5 things you probably didn't know about me. Once I've done that, I get to tag 5 more people to do the same thing, and so the chain continues.

The 5 Things

Some of these might be interesting, but others may appeal to only select readers, and others may just be plain boring - you have been warned.

When I was 2, I got run over, in an attempt to join kids playing with a football across the road. I have not liked the game since! I still have a little bald patch hidden away as a reminder.
I started fiddling with HTML some time between 1996 and 1998, and had my first web page you could actually look at from the internet proper in my Warwick Uni days. Back in those days, I was into frames as the way to do websites, there was no point to any of the pages, and it all looked pretty awful.
I was apparently dreadful at maths in primary school, but turned out to be one of the better maths students at school by GCSEs. I didn't go on to study maths at uni, but did at least do a subject that used plenty of it.
In middle school I won a competition for best dressed clown during comic relief. My reward was to be the subject of my fellow students' clown portraits in art class.
When I was still a soprano, I was one of only 2 selected from my school to be in the massed choir for Songs of Praise Carols at Warwick Castle. There was a camera pointing at me at one stage, but they cut out many of the carols from the show, so in the end I didn't appear on the TV.

The 5 People

who are probably in order of recent blog activity, rather than any special order for this list. In an act of last minute rebelion, I'm adding a sixth person, who I just remembered has a blog.

Tom di Giovanni, who seems to have many interesting things to say.
Gary Evans, who hasn't made a post for far too long.
Steve Bowman, who's blog is almost empty so far.
Peter Hall, who also hasn't surfaced for quite a long time.
Rob Lockyer, who definitely reads this and many other blogs, yet still fails to leave any comments.
Adam Dobbs, who's Live Space title, Hilbert, may be of interest to the mathematically inclined.

Money Saving

2007-01-06T17:02:00.000Z

Today I have save £7.49 by buying CDs and DVDs in shops rather than via the internet.

Mighty Music Mashup

2006-12-30T21:38:00.000Z

Found another great customisable internet radio service: Pandora. Check out My Profile.

To add an extra dimenshion there is a Pandora FM mashup that feeds tracks listened to on this site into your last.fm profile.

I'm happy to say that they don't restrict the buying links to iTunes (of which I am not a fan), but also links to amazon (call me old fashioned, but I like my music on CD or Vinyl).

Advent

2006-12-20T00:16:00.000Z

Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you, declares the Lord. Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.

Taken from Zechariah 2:10-11 (New International Version)

Library Thing

2006-12-04T20:14:00.000Z

Check out the Library Thing Website. It lets you catalogue all your books, and see recommendations for books you would like, or un-recommendations for books you won't like.

I'm just putting together my own catalogue on the site now.

Discipline

2006-12-03T00:37:00.000Z

I few weeks ago, we were encouraged to get into reading our bibles more. This is a huge challenge to me, as my discipline for this is generally awful, and my bible reading can at times be sporadic. So, over the next couple of years, to try and keep a bit more discipline, I'm going to be joining a few people at church in following a bible reading plan which covers the whole bible in 1 or 2 years (I'm going for the two year option - a couple of chapters a day is about the right amount of reading for me I think).

The plan we're following is by McCheyne, and can be found here. To follow in 1 year you read all four columns, and to follow in 2 years you do the first two columns one year, and the 3rd and 4th columns in the 2nd year.

Anyway, I hope that this will help me be more disciplined, especially with encouragement from others. I'll probably put the odd post on how I'm getting on with it up here. If I don't, give me a nudge to make sure I've not given up.