Monitor stand

I mentioned I'd ordered a monitor stand in anticipation of rotating the screen to portrait. Alas, that will have to wait on a new graphic card and possibly computer, but the stand is still useful, adding height and other adjustment I didn't have, and turns out to be a very nice bit of kit. About half to a third the price of most of the other VESA stands I've seen, mostly because it's a stand rather than an articulated arm, but it's very solidly built, and adds height, tilt, and rotation adjustment I didn't previously have. You need a good work surface to get it assembled and fix it to the monitor, but apart from that it's pretty easy - about the only bit of stupidity I noticed is that the spring adjustment for monitor weight is a screw under the base, so getting it right could be a bit of trial and error. In the case of my 22" monitor it was right anyway, which made things easier.

It does take a 22" monitor and allow it to pivot, which was a bit of a concern, and all of the metal bits are very solid steel. If you need something like this I can definitely recommend it.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120620837699&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_2829wt_1056

The incompetance, it burns...

Thanks to gonzo21 for pointing out today's most entertaining news story.

You have to wonder about a company that goes out of its way to annoy large numbers of people with computer skills, but appears to have none of its own...

http://torrentfreak.com/acslaw-anti-piracy-law-firm-torn-apart-by-leaked-emails-100925/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11425789

Cast for Earth Girls Aren't Easy

Ages ago I posted the main cast of characters for this adventure with a list of modern actors / actresses I was using for their character sheets. Here's the revised list, with some nice copyright expired pictures of very dead movie stars to illustrate it. From left to right:

• Amanda Barton, heiress - Solving the mystery of her father's death / romantic interest.
• Andrea Walsh, secretary - The plucky assistant / romantic interest.
• Dick Reckard, mine foreman - Ruggedly handsome with a mysterious past (of course). I can only assume that's a toupee, it can't be his real hair...
• Doctor Grigori Hauser, Surgeon - Rum-sodden doctor, the best (and only) on Titan
  Mayor William Richards - Mayor of the Titan colony, and commander of its armed forces (all four of them)
• Belle Nova, “Hostess” - A scarlet woman, of course.

The last one may be familiar, but I hope the rest are reasonably obscure actors / actresses.