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Just saw a post on the marketing Pilgrim for Google’s Magazine search facility where they aim to provide search results from magazine archives. This got me thinking of a couple of questions which I’ll list just in case Matt Cutts is stuck for something to do with 20% free time at Google!

How long before this covers current magazines and newspapers? Each scanned and tagged by article and image. It would certainly make searching for editorial, brand mentions and column inches a fair bit easier. You could create custom publications with articles only relevant to the sections you choose to read. Perhaps even an opportunity for additional ad revenue through making adverts interactive! I say get scanning Google!

The other question is when do they plan to scan the back catalogue of Isle of Man Portfolio and Manx Tails?

It’s not official yet but plenty of sites are reporting Mr K Sloan from the isle of Man’s 3.5kg potato record is about to be smashed by a Lebanese record potato weighing over 11kg!

The Isle of Man’s largest potato was bought by Green’s restaurant over 10 years ago when it was crowned world record spud. BBC website rumours it may come out on display soon!!!

Sad day but unofficial as yet. It looks nothing like a potato to be honest and I think this alone is enough to discount its entry. How the Isle of Man didn’t make more of this world record entry?? What other world records lurk around the Isle of Man?

@OwenC has just posted up the top 5 Manx Tweeters and I made the cut! Going to have to put things of more value in my tweets from now on!!

Our New Christmas Tree

We’ve just put up our tree and stuck up our Christmas Stockings!! Wooo hooo, time for Christmas.

Off to the Climb

Got up early yesterday and went for a climb down the Chasms. Couldn’t believe how nice the morning was and always a treat to see the sun rise. Took a few photographs when we got to the car park above Cregneash but then the camera went dead!! Typical.

Never mind, it was a superb morning anyway and was pretty warm in the shelter of the rocks with sun directly in. Can’t beat the Isle of Man in the sunshine!

Just got back from lunch at Elliott’s Bistro in Douglas. First time I’ve been there but very impressed. The lunch menu is really nice and focuses on homemade foods. I can certainly recommend the Gammon Egg and Chips. Gammon had just been cooked and tasted superb. Don had a Chilli and Rice which was really fresh tasting and a wicked little kick to it too.

The Quay is really starting to pick up now with Elliott’s, Velvet Lobster, Deli at 35 and Milan. Looking forward to the Summer when we can sit outside and listen to the yacht masts clinking in the sunshine.

Prices were reasonable too for the lunch menu, look a bit more expensive for the evening menu but then if the food is all home made and as good as the lunch menu then probably worth every penny.

Technorati Tags: Isle of Man, Food, Cafe, Restaurant

Stuck some photos up today from our day climbing the sugarloaf.

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This has to be my favourate area in the Isle of Man. I could lose days around this stretch of coast, and probably did as a kid plenty of times. A good place to get away from it all and soak up nature at its best.

Standing on top of Snaefell, Isle of Man

Figuring the Isle of Man is the center of the universe and Snaefell’s our highest point it was a pretty nice day on top of the world today. It was a touch on the nippy side which helped open up the lungs on the way up and there was still some snow lying around at the top. Couldn’t quite see all 7 kingdoms today, Wales and Ireland weren’t playing ball. Scotland, Lake District, Isle of Man, Heaven and the Sea all looking good though.

Really should get out on the hills more often. Been talking about getting up there on a clear night for some time so perhaps that will be my next summit. Stuck a few pictures up on the old Isle of Man Flickr section from the day. They never really do justice to the day (especially when you just point a press!).

Great to see Ford running a Flickr competition for their ‘This is now’ campaign. Flickr rocks, I really should use it more.

Diary of an Amateur Photographer: A Mystery by Graham Rawle arrived on my doorstep yesterday. I bought it on a whim after reading the reviews on Amazon and hearing of one of his other books. I’ve never seen a book like it. It’s been put together to have the appearance of a scrap book or journal with newspaper and magazine cut outs, type-written pages and the look of scraps of paper.

For a bit of inspiration it’s a wicked little book. Might even venture to getting another Rawle book when I’m finished this one.