Are there any tools out there that can be used to analyse SVN check-ins? I thinking it would be interesting to run a series to checks to be able to understand metrics such as how many characters of code per day does each developer on a project commit; what percentage of committed content is comment, [...]

I’ve been using a Scosche Power Converter in the car for just over a month now. It converts the power output provided by from an older “auxiliary input” that connects an iPod to the stereo, into a power source that’s compatible with the iPhone 3G. Apple, in their wisdom, decided the old mechanism was too [...]

Sometimes you forget the root password for your MySQL instance (because you don’t write it down, that would be silly). When this happens it’s useful to be able to disable the authentication and authorization engine. On Debian Linux I recommend a small script. /etc/init.d/mysql stop /etc/init.d/mysql start –skip-grant-tables It can also be useful to have [...]

It was time for a re-jig. Normal content will return shortly. has returned, albeit with a slightly modified look. Shout if you’re missing anything, anyone. There’s still bits and bobs to do, specifically: switch wp-super-cache back on (it’s tending to give me white-screen-of-death) [DONE] integrate the bb-press and wordpress logins clean up the theme crossover [...]

Is it wrong to gain commercial profit through somebody else’s law breaking? Perhaps its morally wrong, but its not necessarily unlawful: so every day, when the corner shop near us profits indirectly as its customers ignore parking laws, where does their responsibility end?

In March, the US federal reserve made a 29 billion dollar investment bailing out the collapsing Bear-Stearns bank. Last month the behemoth mortgage lenders Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac were underwritten to the tune of 200 billion dollars. Yesterday the seven hundred billion dollar bail-out bill on federal intervention in financial markets was rejected by [...]

Idea: a season ticket that can be used by any nominated person, but only one person per day. Perfect for: families returning to work after a baby, where parents share the stay-at-home duties and commute on alternate days, never using the ticket at the same time.

If you’re considering a move to a new country, learning from the experiences of those who’ve done it already can do wonders for cutting through red tape and easing the transition from newbie to seasoned knowledgeable resident. My cousins Ros and Rich moved to Gran Canaria several years back, and they’ve just launched a website [...]

Please help! A comment just arrived on the “contact us” page, and it’s a work of art. I can’t decide if it’s a flame, or something intentionally funny. The irony is beautiful.

In the UK, the BBC has a radio channel that is predisposed to airing important current affairs featuring argumentative interviews with politicians insistent on not answering any questions and instead peddling their own distorted interpretation of reality – it’s called “Radio 4″.

I succumbed to peer pressure today and bought a Wii. It’s still in it’s box and it smells very new. The release of both Mariokart and Wii Fit was what tipped the scale. Wii numbers and mingling will no doubt follow.

The new BBC News website is a bit too tall. The Beeb have introduced an additional banner at the top of the page which is of very little use (other than cementing the BBC Brand across its sites) so I wrote a little greasemonkey script to remove both the banner and a few other bits [...]

If you would like an @boakes.com email address, leave a comment here. If there’s enough interest I’ll look into setting something up.

One of our favourite TV Chefs (and surrogate conscience for Tesco) Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has just announced a Summer Food Fair at River Cottage HQ, this summer, naturally. Now, normally the idea of a fair, replete with wicker cutlery and forced vegetables is not my idea of heaven, but factor in the fact that there will [...]

When, by chance, we saw The Velvet Hearts at The Edge a couple of months ago, we were left with the overriding impression that this was a band who had taken a step beyond the norm and were producing something really rather special. We saw them a second time at the sunny Portsmouth Bandstand, and [...]

This is one of those “maybe it exists but I can’t find it” ideas. Something that I’d find very useful would be media player plugin that could use the ID tag from mp3′s (etc) to nip off to the WWW and find the relevant guitar tab so playing along is thus a very easy process. [...]

After my viva last Tuesday we ended up at the edge of the wedge and what was already a very good day got even better thanks to some very talented musicians and a comfy stool at the bar.

In Britain, the process of finishing a PhD involves the submission of a written thesis, followed by an oral examination called a viva voce (the literal Latin translation is “live voice”). The “viva”, as it’s commonly known, is an in-depth discussion into all aspects of the thesis which typically lasts between 90 and 180 minutes. [...]

We recently spent a couple of nights in Dublin without hearing the beat of a single Bodhrán or even a hint of live music coming from any bar. So last Friday night we were spoiled, with no fewer than two concurrent Bodhráns (and a guest washboard player), mandolin, guitar, accordion and bass thrown into the [...]

This is a true story. Two staff in a small convenience store are chatting as the queue I’m in slowly moves forward towards their dual tills: Shopkeeper 1: These plastic bags get thinner and thinner! Shopkeeper 2: Yeah.