Solving the email quota problem

Now, as I've mentionned before not everyone is disciplined with email and with the amount of email I get every day I blow-up my server quota every week. Until now, I had to delete every large attachment, save it on my disk drive and add something like <> to find it again (I have Copernic installed on my laptop, so I can just key in the file name, and then drag-and-drop it from Copernic into a message. This is a manual process and I've been looking for Outlook add-ons to automate it. I've searched a long time and found free ones that were also buggy and not satisfying.

The best one I've tried is from MAPILab and called Attachments Processor for Outlook. It does what it says on the box: it's quite simple to use and configure, just sits on your Tool menu and in the toolbar. There are a few nice options, like you can have renaming filters, you can do several rules to run automatically or manually, etc... For now, I've just created one to scan all sent items and detach them but you can run it on all outgoing items. I have yet to figure out the Archive feature though. There's even a function to reattach automatically files that were detached which I am very much found of. The complete feature list is impressive and since they're now at R4.2 I would think it's a pretty mature and bug free product. OK, it's not free but at $24 it's not expensive either if you can save a few hours trying to bring down your mail folder size when you're stuck in a remote country with only intermittent WiFi or slow PSTN access (it happenned to me during a trip in South Africa). Email deprivation syndrome is terrible...

The only snag is that I now have an attachment directory that duplicates with the files I had already stored on my HDA so I'll be looking at ways to deduplicate files on my disk drive although as space now seems so abundant it's a more long term priority (the main issue comes with backing up my HDA but then I've got a NAS).

Tags: internet, ordilogiques, richmondtransits.blog, tip

Petrol rip off?

I subscribed a while back to PetrolPrices.com to try minimise my petrol bill. It's a great service that tells you where petrol is cheaper. Except that the petrol industry seems to be very good at making sure prices are in line in a given neighboorhood.

As you can see below, there's a huge difference between prices in Reading and in Richmond but with those areas prices are very similar... Looks like a scam to me...

5 cheapest stations in Reading for Unleaded...
---------------------------------------------
Station : Shell/sainsburys Shinfield
Address : Shinfield Road, Reading, RG2 8HA
Brand : Shell
Distance: 2.22 miles
Price : 91.9p
Updated : 23-09-2007
---------------------------
Station : Asda Lower Earley, Price : 91.9p
---------------------------
Station : Shell Fairfield, Price : 91.9p
---------------------------
Station : Tesco Reading Extra, Price : 92.9p
---------------------------
Station : Morrisons Reading, Price : 92.9p


5 cheapest stations in Richmond Unleaded...
---------------------------------------------
Station : Shell Oak Lane, Price : 93.9p
---------------------------
Station : Studley Grange Service Station, Price : 94.5p
---------------------------
Station : Sainsburys Richmond, Price : 94.9p
---------------------------
Station : Brentford Filling Station, Price : 94.9p
---------------------------
Station : Chiswick Flyover Service Station, Price : 94.9p



Tags: automobile, cars, petrol, richmondtransits.blog, transportation

Update on the update on the North Sheen station footbridge

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Following onto our campaign for a second footbridge at North Sheen station, we chased up our MP, Susan Kramer, who in turn chased again Network Rail.

It has been slow progress, not for the lack of trying from Susan's office but because of inertia at Network Rail.

In the meantime, the same Network Rail is spending its money on radio ads to keep reminding us how much level crossings are. We'd rather see them actually removing level crossings or making them safer: according to them, "an average of one person a month is killed at level crossings", most likely on one of the 1,521 sited on public roads.


Read also:

• Richmond Transits: Another train tragedy in waiting at North Sheen?
• Richmond Transits: Level crossing tragedy in Barnes
• Richmond Transits: Update on the North Sheen station footbridge
• Richmond Transits: Preliminary plans for North Sheen footbridge rebuffed
• Richmond Transits: Campaing for suppressing level crossings
• Richmond Transits: Richmond and Twickenham Times: Commuters see red over level crossing
• Richmond Transits: Susan Kramer's progress on North Sheen Station footbridge
• Richmond Transits: Time to remind Susan Kramer about the North Sheen Station footbridge

Tags: North, Sheen, footbridge, richmondtransits.blog, level, crossing

Offices or homes?

This article from the Richmond and Twickenham Times states that the bourough lacks affordable housing.

What really puzzles me then is why the council wants more offices in the vincinity when so many stand empty?

Read my other post on the area behind the fire station (Market road, Garden Road and Orchard Road) which is due to be re-developped. The concil wants to change the designation from light industries to heavy industries, including offices. A developper in the meantime wants to build houses.

As a related issue, area behind the fire station (Market road, Garden Road and Orchard Road) is due to be re-developped. The concil wants to change the designation from light industries to heavy industries which angers residents. If there is a shortage of affordable housing, why adding more offices when so many stan empty on Lower Richmond road?

Tags: Richmond, richmondtransits.blog, gardenroad

TSA security

For anyone having travelled to the US of A, this clip should bring back memories:



The daftness of the airport security regulations is at best annoying, if you add the gross incompetence of the so-called security staff it's actuall no laughing matter...

11/09/07 Update: even high-ranking officials are caught by the over-zealous-iditotic US aiport security: Cahill voices anger after customs detains his family over fruit [The Boston Globe]


Tags: humour, transportation, USA, richmondtransits.blog

Read today's Time

The Times has a great article on Richmond council barking against motorists:
Drivers under siege from the council that hates cars - Times Online

Personally, my issue is not that much that they're againsts car but rather that they don't provide any other solution. I could go on for ever, but it's like Red Ken charging people to go to London: a) it's not a new idea, it's even medieval, b) it's expensive to administer, c) a private company makes a lot of dosh, d) only rich can now enter London (not nurses or teachers) and f) there's no alternative as the trains and tubes are over-crowded and not reliable and the cycling network is just a joke.

If Richmond council provided secure bike parking in all train stations, enough places to lock your bike when you shop and a proper cycling network we could speak again about taxing car. But not before.

Tags: richmondtransits.blog, Richmond, transportation, automotive

Update on the North Sheen station footbridge

Last year, following my posts on the footbridge at North Sheen station, the office of Susan Kramer emailed me back the options considered by Network Rail.

As a reminder, the issue is that North Sheen has just a single footbridge and that pedestrians (and car) have to wait at the level crossing if they come from the Southern side of Manor road. Now, in any civilised country I've ever been to, a tunnel or a bridge would have been built to remove a level crossing in a dense urban fabric. Given the fact it is taking over 20 years to build a vital link such as Crossrail, I doubt this will happen in North Sheen so I've moved onto suggesting more pragmatic actions to remove the need for pedestrians to wait at the crossing. There is a serious safety implication, as there are no less than 5 schools within half a mile and kids just jump the barriers to cross.

You will find below those options, verbatim. My views are that the third option is interesting however it would make the access to the station even more concealed and difficult to find, however it would be easier to drop off passengers. We could even dream of a bike parking there to encourage carbon friendly commuting (would require CCTV surveillance to deter thieves).

Additionally and a more radical option would be a double bridge at the Eastern end of the platform. On the South side, this could link Sheen Court and/or Upper Richmond road respectively via the allotments and via Holy Trinity school (this would require to extend the pathway through the side of the school and along Sheen Court. Is is relevant here to note that Sheen court has 200 flats and Courtlands opposite is a similarly dense development, both currently have to walk a detour to go to the station -and be stuck at the crossing for up to 15 mn.

On the North side, this could link Manor grove, providing access to the neighbourhood around Bicester road, Somerton avenue and Lambert avenue -again a denser development.

This would give North Sheen three accesses and make quite a difference for local residents and encourage commuting by train. Then more than four trains per hour would be nice, but that's another story.

NETWORK RAIL PROPOSALS

North Sheen Station – Summary of Draft Options

Network Rail, following appeals by local residents and elected figures, is exploring possible options to address the widespread misuse of the level crossing at North Sheen Station.

The options are in discussion stage and Network Rail would like the views of local residents and elected figures before developing any option beyond this initial point. (NB: No specific costs/ funding sources have been identified.)

Option 1 – Extension of footbridge to connect with the old pathway and relocation of the signalling box blocking access to this pathway.

Pros:

• Add an extending arm to the footbridge relatively in-expensive

• Open up the old pathway to access the south of the level crossing

Cons:

• Relocation of the signalling equipment and reintegration with local signalling systems.

• Closure of the railway line

• Timescale of the work likely to be lengthy

• All enhancements (i.e. new infrastructure on the railway) need to be DDA compliant.

Note: So, why did they remove the bridge in the first place then?

Option 2 - Install a completely new footbridge on the west side of the level crossing

Pros:

• Provision of crossing point for those south of the level crossing.

• Could be used by all pedestrians on Manor Road.

Cons:

• Possible interference with the sight-lines of train drivers approaching the crossing

• All enhancements (i.e. new infrastructure on the railway) need to be DDA compliant.

• The western side of the crossing has residential buildings.

Option 3 – Extension of the footbridge to the old path, connection of the old path with a new route through the allotments.

Pros

• Extension of the footbridge and reinstating the old path relatively in-expensive

• No need to move critical signalling equipment

Cons

• Purchase of land from the allotments

• New path next to residential properties (lights etc)

• All enhancements (i.e. new infrastructure on the railway) need to be DDA compliant.

Tags: north, sheen, footbridge, richmondtransits.blog

It's Friday, let's laugh away!

Babies -isn't that the best thing in a lifetime?



Tags: humour, richmondtransits.blog

Garden road redevelopment

It is quite fascinating how a council such as Richmond can behave. Residents between Chalkers Corners and Manor Circus have recently been addressed a letter by a developper suggesting the area close to Garden Road will be redevelopped for industrial use and possibly waster processing.
I must add that the tone of the letter was deliberately alarming.

This area behind Richmond fire station is currently home to a dairy plant, some warehouses and a removals company.

The letter was good though because it drew residents to a meeting which otherwise would have gone un-noticed. Sneaky politics?

After the brouhaha, the council sent us a letter saying the redeveloppment won't be for heavy waste management....

Here are my questions to them, what do you think?

Dear Sirs,

Having received your letter dated 17/8/07, about the redevelopment of the are between Market road and Orchard road. I hereby would like to share my comments:

1. Type of business
You imply the new development will be business or light industries. There are already un-occupied office premises on Lower Richmond road so it seems the area is not short of office space.
What is the rationale of Richmond Council to encourage light-industries as opposed to housing?

2. Parking
The area is already quite stretched in terms of parking space, in particular we are concerned by the office block at the corner between Clifford avenue and Lower Richmond road not having provision for parking spaces. Will the council add the provision of decent parking space for this redevelopment?

3. Green spaces
The local development plan mentions the area has not enough green open spaces. We would like to have your comments on how this redevelopment is going to address this.

4. Safety
As opposed to housing which is occupied 24/7, light industrial premises are vacant at nights and week-ends.
Is the council going to provision extra police forces to make sure that this redevelopment is going to stay safe?


Regards,

LW>

Tags: Richmond, richmondtransits.blog, gardenroad

No will for carbon friendly transportation strategy

While binge flying relentlessly puts pressure to expand airports thanks to the fact aviation fuel is not taxed, the government has just released details of its rail strategy: Rail fares to soar as government slashes funding - Times Online

Or rather the lack of:
"Ministers intend to shift the burden of paying for the railway much more heavily to passengers, who paid 50 per cent of the cost this year but will pay 75 per cent by 2014. "

This is appalling and hypocritical.

On one hand, the government is encouraging motorists stealth tax pretexting carbon emission and on the other it simply does not invest enough in non-polluting public transport. Trains are over-crowded and little improvement is to come. It took over 10 years to get the Eurostar connected with a proper high-speed line to London -with a great result: over 60% market share against airlines on the London-Paris route. This represents many many planes not buzzing in Richmond skies....

Commuters are often criticised for preferring their cars. This is in fact a perfectly rational choice. For instance, a Richmond resident working in Thames Valley Park in Reading, like many thousands of other employees, can travel by car of train. From North Sheen it takes about one hour and half although TVP is right between the Reading line and the Thames. This is because the station that was planned when TVP was developped has never been completed and one has to take a shuttle from Reading station.
So it's adding 30 mn each way, which is £8 if you have to pay childcare, plus £11 in rail faires, versus less than £10 by car and one hour.

Why can't we have continental-grade infrastructures? Why indeed...

PS: read also Mike Rutherford's column on Autoexpress: More rail inefficiency and more rate increases – and more investment from the Government

Tags: richmondtransits.blog, transportation, automobile, environment, UK, politics

If ever you can find eels....

The Richmond and Twickenham times relates the story of a rare local British dish, the Richmond Eel Pie.
Interesting tale, dating back to King Henry VIII: apparently Eel Pie Island is named after that dish. The ait was also famous for music in the sixities -I wish I was there!

Coming back to the Eel pie, it's apparently not that difficult to cook, the main issue is to find eels (and also to skin and bone them). Here's the recipe on The Great British Kitchen.

Tags: richmondtransit.blog, foodings, recipe, fish, Richmond

Free marketing advice for Dualit

I was looking to buy a Dualit toaster earlier this week. Seems simple enough, once you have made up your mind on the number of slots, right?

On their website (which is not well referenced by Google: advice #1, spend some time on Google Sitemaps) they list the four slots at £152.95 in colours and £177.13 in polished steel. As this is a tad steep, I checked on eBay and found a good range of of new specimens under £130 and used under £50. Unfortunately they have only the hideous glacier blue and none of the eBay shops carries the metallic blue.

Not being selfish, I remembered by better half wanted a new kettle. So I wrote to Dualit to know whether they also did kettles in either Lavender or Metallic hues. Nope. So, you'll find advice #2 below: why on Earth don't they make it easy to buy two of their products in matching colours?

And you'll see advice #3: team up with other iconic brands, because frankly Marmite isn't going to cut it...

Finally, here's advice #4: the Dualit web site doesn't work well with Firefox: that's advice #2, ensure wide browser compatibility. Maybe hire specialist consultants or use open source software.


Hi,

Take this as a suggestion for improvement then: it's always nice to be able to match coloured items in one's kitchen.

Another suggestion: why don't you team up with Kitchen Aid to sell a set in metallic blue of your products and their famous mixer? You could announce it on July the 4th?

Or do the toaster in the same coulours as the Francis Francis X1 -it is equally iconic and a yellow dualit would look really nice besides mine.
http://www.coffeegeek.com/proreviews/firstlook/francisfrancisx1

Seems to me a better commercial idea than corkscrews....

Regards,


Ludovic.

Dualit Enquiry Response wrote:

Dear Ludovic,

Thank you for your email enquiry. Unfortunately, we do not manufacture a Kettle is Metallic or Lavender Blue. However, we do have the Jug Kettle available in Glacier Blue.

Best Regards

Dualit Limited
County Oak Way
Crawley
West Sussex
RH11 7ST
info@dualit.com
Tel: +(44) (0) 1293 652500
Fax: +(44) (0) 1293 652555
This email and any attachments are confidential. They may contain privileged information and are intended for the named addressee(s) only. They must not be distributed without our consent. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify us immediately and do not disclose, distribute, or retain this email or any part of it. Unless expressly stated, opinions in this email are those of the individual sender and not of Dualit Ltd. We believe but do not warrant that this e-mail and any attachments are virus free. You must therefore take full responsibility for virus checking. Dualit Ltd reserve the right to monitor all email communications through their networks.

---

From: Ludovic
Sent: 12 June 2007 13:37
To: Dualit Enquiry Response
Subject: Matching kettle for blue toaster

Hi,

Do you make kettles in metallic blue or lavender blue to match your toasters?

Regards,

Ludovic

Tags: marketing, richmondtransits.blog, foodings

And the winner is...

The winnner of the UGLIEST LOGO of the year is the Olympic quango, that same one we have to pay taxes for since they deliberately under estimated the cost of the games:

2012 Olympics logo debuts to whalesong | The Register

PubsCafs -Good or bad?

A pub chain has announced a tiee-up with a coffee-chain:
BBC NEWS | Business | Coffee Republic expands into pubs

This little island is changing fast: less than 10 years ago few could spell basalmic or name another grape varietal than chardonnay. Like it or loathe it, we can now get some proper coffee in pubs!

The times where caffè translated into English meant Nescafe are long gone -and for a foodie it's a good thing. Unfortunately it also seems to go along with the decline in popularity of real ales, even though we now see talented local brewers, some like Meantime even sold by Sainsbury's as their own label. Richmond has some local supply of its own thanks to Twickenham Fine Ales (but I am not sure if you can get it in a pub near you?). Tony ought to know this...


Tags: richmondtransits.blog, foodings, pubs

YouCreativity!

Absolutely great stop-motion clip unearthed on YouTube! (link from BoingBoing):



Tags: humour, richmondtransit.blog

How to send large files through the internet?

Internet is great. You can exchange with folks elsewhere in Europe... or in Guatemala.

The only snag is that receiving mp3 or joke mails quickly fills in your inbox.

I came across this very useful web site today: SendThisFile.com allows to send files without size limit!

Tags: richmondtransit.blog, internet, trick

Transported logic

The government is talking about expanding Heathrow -if the airport meets its pollution targets. To achieve this, they've started leaking the idea of creating a congestion charge around the airport... to remove some ground transportation CO2 (powered by taxed petrol/diesel).

The alternative of taxing aviation fuel (kerosene) and invest in new high-speed rail has not been investigated by the Edington report: the ex-BA boss who was asked to work on the "future of transportation", which he did by totally ignoring indirect costs such as environment, health, etc...

For instance, it is claimed that delaying the airport expansion could cost £5bn. The flight path to Heathrow alone is impacting over 1 million Londoners. Who has factored in those costs in the equation?

Tags: transportation airlines Heathrow politics richmondtransits.blog

mBlogging

I am "mblogging" (blogging on the move) in the Eurostar back from Paris today. And I can't help that thinking that it's a very civilised way of travelling, yet light on "indirect costs".

• The journey is 2h55 or something like this, my outbound train was on time and the return is predicted to arrive 15 mn late. If I was to fly they would not even apologise for 15 mn -actually, given the terrible weather today and yesterday (check those tornado images), I would expect flights to be rather 1h late.
• Door to door, Richmond to Colombes, I guesstimated that taking the train makes my journey about 30 mn longer. That's if planes are on time. But I can work, sleep, eat or read for about 3 hours -uninterrupted. So it's much more productive than having to check-in, queue for security, having your deodorant taken away (they don't seem to make 100ml sprays), walk, lounge, lurk, walk, wait, second secutiry check, wait, walk, fly, walk, wait, show your passport, get your luggage back and then travel from CDG to Paris...
• Costwise, it's probably similar if you book you air ticket in advance but for an extra TEN POUNDS you can travel Eurostar Business Premier. Which means you're comfortably installed in wide reclinable seats and today the menus was as follows: selection of French wines (inc. some Champagne), selection of a cold morteau sausage with potato salad or some hake and prawn pie, with a tartlet to finish. It's almost a shame my French colleagues kindly bought me lunch :-) Plus you have power for your laptop... BTW, the difference in price was easily recouped by not having to buy breakfast on the outbound and saving on taxi fares to/from the airport as you "land" in the middle of the town. Oh, and free magasines and airline-style departure lounges.

So, it's not a coincidence that the Eurostar took over 70% share on journeys between London and Paris. And I guess that's quite a few planes that won't be buzzing over Richmond and sending CO2, CO, NO2, etc, into the Ozone Layer. Shame those yellow trains are moving away from Waterloo.

Which brings me to my favourite topic: all that was possible thanks to public investment in transport infrastructure. From the French governement and as long as 25 years ago when they initiated the TGV. Oh, and that tunnel. Rod Eddington's report is thus very disappointing: why do we still have to fly to Edinburgh or even Manchester then?

This week's Economist lead was on gridlock campaing and the article was supporting road charging. Excuse me but pricing poor people out of the roads is not the solution. We should think about using transport real-estate more effectively (I am one in favour of bus lanes, non-share cycling paths) and easing journeys with "intermodal hubs" (like the Hammersmith bus-tube station, but much better designed please).

Tags: travel richmondtransits.blog transportation eurostar trains

Excessive excuse!

Today, we learn that the WATERLOO & CITY LINE is "Suspended due to excessive dust on platforms". Must be the daftest excuse we've heard for a long time...

The Drain has just been shut for 6 months for a complete refurbishment but broke down the next day after service had resummed...

Excessive incompetence?

Tags: tube richmondtransits.blog transportation TfL London

Free WiFi in Leicester square

Apparently there's now free Wifi in Leicester Square. I maybe paranoid but it looks like a good way to get your laptop nicked while moblogging? I'll stick with Starbucks...



Tags: starbucks London Wifi richmondtransits.blog Leiceseter square