Apple Reseller to open in Maidstone

Stormfront are opening a store at Maidstone's Fremlin Walk in December.

As an Apple Authorised Premium Reseller, you will be able to try out the latest Mac kit and get some advice from people who know what they are talking about.

So, no reason to go to Bluewater any more.

Stormfront seems a rather unfortunate choice of name for a business, as it is shared by a white supremacist internet forum.

Inflation busting fare increases (again)

On Friday, Southeastern announced its annual rail fare increases, to start on 5 January 2009:

From January next year Southeastern's regulated fares (e.g. season tickets, standard returns) will increase by an average of eight per cent.

This is based on the Retail Price Index (RPI) + three per cent formula set out in our franchise agreement with the Department for Transport (DfT), awarded in April 2006.

It is an average increase, so some fares will rise by less, others by more.

My annual season ticket is one of those that is 'more', at 9.9%.

It would seem that all Southeastern passengers are paying for the high-speed domestic rail link which will start running in December 2009, even if they won't be using it or gaining any benefit from it.

From BBC Kent:

A rail company which is increasing regulated fares by an average of 8% next year - 2% more than the national average - is promising value for money.

Southeastern said the rise was in line with government policy for passengers to pay more and taxpayers to pay less.

The firm was given a different fare calculation because of high-speed services to be launched next year.

From the Evening Standard:

AN MP today warned of riots by rail passengers after fares were increased by more than twice the rate of inflation.

For anyone who has a 'question' for Southeastern's managers, they will be at Cannon Street station on 4 December, from 8am.

An appeal

At this time of year, spare a thought for those helpless souls who cannot stop playing a certain massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG).

They will often blame anyone but themselves, including fellow players and even rock stars:

You should have been there

The wife and I went to see Dara O'Briain at Tunbridge Wells on Monday evening. It was the last date of his 103 date tour.

A very funny man indeed, although we were quite pleased that we weren't in front row, as he 'interacted' with several people there. He explained how he sees his audience as a mentor in a recent interview in The Guardian.

If you are wondering why I gave this post a title of 'You should have been there', then well, you should have been there. Then you would know. Or, you could watch the DVD.

Best vegetarian restaurants in London

LondonLite had a feature of vegetarian restaurants in London this week. Saf in particular, sounds very interesting, offering vegan and biological dishes (where food is cooked below 48 degrees C).

I haven't been to any of the restaurants featured, but I have tried Carnavale and The Place Below in the past. Root Master is next my list though, it's a vegan restaurant on an old London Route Master bus (geddit?), near Brick Lane.

Get walking!

walkit.com is a really useful and easy to use site, which will give you walking directions for many large UK cities. Working in London, I have found it useful many times, especially when meeting up with old friends for a drink at some back street boozer or another.

Not only does it tell you the distance, but it will also estimate walking time for fast, medium and slow, and estimated calorie burn and CO2 avoided. There is also an option to get a route that will 'avoid high levels of air pollution'.

Sorry Nic, they don't have Ceredigion on walkit.com yet, although I did notice that Google Maps will provide walking directions as well as driving directions now.

Christmas gift for the discerning Sabbath fan

On Metal Hammer there is news that Black Sabbath Converse Trainers will be on sale in time for Christmas. In the States.

The three different designed trainers are expected to be on shelves in time for Christmas in the States, though no details have been announced for a UK release.