The thing about the D80 is the metering. I’ve been getting increasingly frustrated by its tendency to overexpose. If it did so consistently it wouldn’t really matter as I could just dial in 1/2 or 2/3 of a stop by default, but it isn’t consistent so while most pics are fine around 5-10% are washed out.

Exactly why I was so glad to see the back of my D80 – was a pain to have to bracket every f***ing shot just to be sure of getting a decent exposure.

D300 is a big improvement – noise, image quality, big screen and bright viewfinder, more solid build. No regrets.

I have this one, that I use to post occasional photos for friends and family, and the odd rant about life in Holland:
http://www.autresdirections.co.uk/pblog

The only bad thing about the iPhone is the way you can’t store SMS conversations (beyond a certain point), or download them to your computer.

Other than that, it’s just an essential part of existence – sad to think that there are people in the world who are unlucky enough not to own one.

Really rather just have a shower and go home.

A nice cup of tea and a slice of fruit loaf :-)

Sweating into your swimming shorts? Yuck :-(

Cracking knockers. Bit weird in the nose and mouth department though.

Good argument for digital.

An “unhandled exception” simply means (I think) that an error occurred in the programme for which the programmer did not provide a way for the programme to end in a clean way, so it just crashes. It’s just a general error message.

Not much help :-(

I like Ian M Banks, fair enough if you dont, but it certsinly isnt cap, its very well written.

My opinion. Yours is different. So what?

Doris Lessing – boring boring boring
Ayn Rand – pathetic political fantasy for immature teenagers

I quite enjoyed Captain Corelli as a summer read – up till the end when he goes off on an anti-Communist rant.

Just cause it ain’t you taste doesn’t make it crap

You can say that about any of the books that have been mentioned here. This thread is not about anything else but individual taste (well, apart from Da Vinci Code, obviously – that is pure shite).

Can I be first to say The Da Vinci Code?

The first but not the last. Utter shite.

Also anything by Terry Pratchett, Iain M Banks and other space fantasy cr@p.

Who lives the highest?

I live in Holland so I’m willing to bet it’s not me.

“you’re so vain’ by carlee simon – warren beety (sp?), or maybe mick jagger

Her husband, James Taylor, weren’t it?

Same here in Holland – must be some Google stupidity

juan you have to admit the French policies for pensions and job security are nuts though, and completely unworkable.

Yeah – everyone keeps saying that, and the French system just keeps working, one way or another, delivering the best health care and best standard of living in Europe.

Why, exactly?

Same reason people saddle themselves with third-rate mp3 players, I suppose – so they can pretend that they are not “media-led Apple fans”. Losers.

most cafe’s were at least EUR4.50 for a coffee, you could easily pay more. Espresso was about EUR2-3.

Aaah – there ya go – French people don’t drink milky coffee, so that costs a lot. Likewise they don’t drink big glasses of beer. Soft drinks are expensive – Coke costs even more than beer.

How much would a long weekend in London cost??

800 quid?? Good grief – where did you drink your coffee? How much of that was for flights? booking.com has loads of decent places for 120EUR for 2 nights

Everything mega expensive

Not really. Just recreating the UK in Paris can be expensive. Lunches – take away sandwiches in a park (5EUR). Dinner – set menu plus house wine (15-20 EUR). On a budget, 2-star hotels (50EUR) are usually fine in Paris (infinitely better than in London). Walking round looking at amazing stuff – free.

As above (and previously recommended), Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, and more particularly, the sequel Girl Who Played With Fire.

But now I’m reading Wetlands, and I’d have thought it was pretty much essential reading for STW, dealing, as it does, with intimate and sordid details of bodily functions.

If you come from most countries to the UK your licence is only valid for a limited time. I had to re-sit the exam to convert my US licence to a UK one (failed first time :-). But you can swap one EU licence for another without testing – except in Holland. In Holland they had to be taken to court to force them to allow you to swap, and even now you can’t swap on a “like for like” basis.

Sweden – spent a year there and loved it. The food was not great, and was mega-expensive, but was better than I expected (and a lot better than Norway or, or course, Holland). But the best thing was the Swedes – really nice, friendly, helpful, patient when I tortured their beautiful language. Also, fantastic unspoiled scenery.

I’d go back tomorrow, if I had the choice.

Maybe – but then you have to buy all new pans. We had one and it was a royal pain in the arse – kept deciding not to turn on for some reason. Back to gas – not so fancy but good for actually, you know, like … cooking!!

I though Holland was picturesque with nice, friendly people…

A lot of tourists have the same idea. But you never drive, or deal with the man in the tax office, do you?

Oh … another thing that I hate – the abysmal service in restaurants. A lot of expats have just given up on the idea of eating out. When we go to a restaurant we never have dessert and coffee – it just takes too long. We have ice cream in the fridge at home.

Well, in Holland the list is pretty long …

The landscape, or lack of it
The weather – like living on a N Sea trawler
The food
The poor selection of food in the shops
The limited opening times of the shops with the poor selection of bad food
The selfish pig-headed self-righteous natives
The endless bureaucracy

Those are the main headings that spring to mind. When I visit my sister in the UK it is such a culture shock to walk around Tesco, to encounter people that smile at you, to see a hill – feels like Heaven!!

He (or she) replaces the sign with one saying : ‘BEWARE : Dogs which worry sheep may be shot ‘

Sure you don’t mean “Dogs that worry sheep”?

Seems reasonable to me. IMO all dogs should be shot. Dealing with the ones worrying sheep is a small step in the right direction.

For DSLR performance at a smaller size (bit not smaller price) the new Panasonic G1 has a lot going for it.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0901/09011901panasonicg1review.asp

I’d take the ginger one thanks

Please do – please take her far away from where I can see her ugly face.

No we don’t get Ch 4, and I never watch BB, CBB, or otherwise.

But I would have voted for her.

We have rented a few places via http://www.susanparadise.co.uk/ and always been very pleased with the outcome.

MPFreaker is another one http://www.lairware.com/mpfreaker/

I use a Nokia E61i, better than the E61 as its a bit slimmer, metal case and has a camera. Works really great, has all I really need for Uni.

On what planet do you need a 200 quid phone for Uni? Sorry if that seems like a personal criticism …. maybe it just shows I’m out of touch …

peteimpreza – I had “silent” turned on. Doooh!

peteimpreza – is bubblewrap supposed to make a popping noise? cos it don’t :-(

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3 years in The Hague – most boring place on Earth; before that Paris – most beautiful city on Earth

I got married in the US. Needed a blood test to prove I didn’t have syphilis, a trip to get a form, and half an hour at the JP’s office before a lecture. Job done.

Then it started to go down hill :-(

I hate people taking suit carriers on as hand luggage, and then squishing my stuff to make room. I get my carry-on down to regulation size (suit included) why can’t you??