Blog and website for Ukes4Fun & Misspent Uke Ukulele Sessions
Many thanks to Jim Newman for adding information about the Hound Dog Ukulele Workshops to the spreadsheet:
It might be a bit of a quiet session but if you need a hair of the dog to cure your Xmas hangover – the Thursday session on 27th Dec at the Cumberland Arms is on :-)
Happy Xmas everyone,
Many thanks to Brian Conaty for suggesting setting up a Facebook Group for uke fans across the North East to get together and share info online:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/UkersNorthEast/
Once you join the Group you can also participate by email to:
UkersNorthEast@groups.facebook.com
UPDATE: 26 May 2014
Best wishes,
Lizzie
Many thanks to Jazzy Lemon for the video.
Great weekend away – many thanks to Dot and Christine for organising everything!
If you haven’t visited the “ukulele pub” at Cosmos yet, here are a couple of reviews to give you a taster:
Ukulele Gazette
Here’s a super forum to hang out in with like-minded people.
Ukulele Cosmos is a well-known forum with leaning to the UK but all nationalities are welcome. There’s also a good selection of interesting links to other ukulele related internet resources. Good site with lots of friendly people.
UkUke
Useful and friendly bulletin board run by UK ukist Alli Bee though it is popular with international contributors. It has many useful sections including recordings, technical, theory, luthier, banjo-ukes as well as general uke talk and even a section for just sounding off on any topic.
Update:
I have updated the previous post to make the advice about “internet security”, “safe browsing” and avoiding getting ambushed by malware more general.
Update: 11th Oct 2012
The general “internet safety” advice below still holds good, wherever you roam in cyberspace . . .
Alli B, who runs the Ukulele Cosmos forum, worked hard and got the hack-attack problem on the forum in 2012 sorted out very quickly.
Every one of us can take a few simple steps to protect our computers and personal information from hackers, wherever they lurk.
I am not a computer security expert. These are my personal suggestions for the order in which to investigate and take action to protect your computer and your personal information.
Good Luck!
Lizzie
Download page for Firefox English GB version
Firefox is recognised as one of the safest, if not the safest, browsers. You can make it even safer by installing specific “add-ons” aka “extensions”.
If you do not like Firefox, have a look at Seamonkey: many Firefox add-ons work with Seamonkey.
Other safer alternatives to Internet Explorer are Google Chrome and Safari. Firefox, Seamonkey, Google Chrome and Safari. All have Google Safe Browsing embedded already.
Information on: Google Safe Browsing
This is a collection of “basic security” Firefox Add-ons that I have put together.
Some of them help to make browsing the internet even safer. Some of them improve Firefox functionality and performance. Not all of them will work with Seamonkey – I will compile a similar collection for Seamonkey.
Note: One of the best ways to protect your self from being ambushed by malware downloads is to use the NoScript add-on. This is available for Firefox and Seamonkey. There are similar-sounding add-ons for other browsers but they will not protect you as comprehensively as NoScript.
Apple Support Forum – Viruses, Trojans and Malware
Mac computers do not get Mac viruses because no one has bothered to make any (there have been two reported maybe?)
However, Mac computers can get Windows viruses and Mac users might inadvertently pass them on to Windows users, eg. via emails.
Mac computers have been targetted by Trojan malware. If you want to know the difference between viruses and trojans, read the other articles in this set of links.
Sophos Mac Malware Study
Sophos says: “One in every five Mac computers is harbouring some kind of malware, a new study from the experts at Sophos has revealed. Sophos has revealed a disturbingly high level of malware on Mac computers – with both Windows and Mac threats being discovered.”
Sophos provides a free anti-virus app for Macs. There are others around that are as good or perhaps even better. Sophos is one that is generally highly recommended. If you don’t like it, try one of the others – do a search for “best free Mac anti-virus”.
Info from Google about online safety and malware.
More info from Google about signs of malware.
Info from Microsoft about malware.
Info from Microsoft about malware removal.
More info about a common type of malware.
More info about malware: trojan horses
More info about malware – very good guidance.
Info about the malware that hackers injected into the Ukulele Cosmos forum.
More info about the malware that hackers injected into the Ukulele Cosmos forum.
A site infected with malware will usually show up with a warning next to its name in Google Search Results. Some browsers (see below) will automatically redirect you to a very obvious “warning” page if Google has detected malware on the site.
If you do not use a browser with Google Diagnostic embedded (Firefox, Seamonkey, Safari, Google Chrome) you can use the form or bookmarklet on this page to check if it is safe to visit a site:
http://grapethinking.com/google-safe-browsing-diagnostic
Unless your computer is well protected with a fire-wall, anti-virus scanner, etc. it is safest not to visit a site if the diagnostic page says:
“Site is listed as suspicious – visiting this web site may harm your computer.”
As I said above, I am not a computer security expert. If you have better suggestions than I have made above, please post them as comments below.
The Ukulele Cosmos Forum is a great, friendly place to visit. All best wishes to Alli and may the hackers rot in hell!
Great session yesterday at The Cumberland Arms with Aussie visitors Richard Gibson, of Scorpex Ukesongs and the very posh-sounding – but clearly wild and wonderful – Adelaide Ukulele Appreciation Society, and the lovely Wendy.
We presented Richard with a copy of our Songbook, so he can learn some Geordie songs and take them back doon-under. Luckily for them, the sun is shining on them today in the North East as they explore roots in the area.
There were some photos, as well as drink, taken at the session so I will post them on the Ukes4Fun blog as soon as I get my hands on them. In the meantime, here is one I nicked from the AUAS website:
Best wishes to Richard and Wendy from us all as they continue on their travels: http://www.scorpexuke.com/uktrip.html
A great pleasure too to see Marie Little again at the session, wowing us with her fabulous singing, beautiful Baritone Uke and wicked sense of humour.
Fiona was on holiday and missed all the fun. Many thanks to our stalwart reserve bass-player, Karl Barlow, for keeping us in time – and for “Teenager In Love” and “Yakkity Yak!”. Lucy Falkenau, one of Karl’s partners in crime from The Attic Band, led some fab new songs for us with her big ole’ banjo.
We were also delighted to offer a very warm welcome to members of the Tune Army Uke Club, who joined with us in greeting Richard and Wendy and raising the roof at the Cumberland last night!
Lizzie X
ps. Lovely to see Ritchie again too! Bring your flippin’ uke next time, you daft ‘apporth!
Thanks to Brian for “Act Naturally”, Denis for all the Geordie Toons, Andy for the Ukemeister’s version of “Over The Rainbow” and Andy and Jazzy for checking my two simplified versions.
Jazzy would love more of us to be able to play along when she sings her heart out doing “Over the Rainbow” so I am hoping everyone will be able to manage one of the three versions. They should fit together sound-wise and I have marked “optional” chords in all three. This should give us “improvers” a chance to build up skills with practice and gradually clamber our way over that rainbow!
You can download Songbook 7 plus all the others, the updated alphabetical Songbook index and “fancy covers” for Songbooks 1 to 6 on the Ukes4Fun Songsheets Page
Now better get my skates on or I will be late for the Tune Army gig!
Lizzie X
Due to Gibside being waterlogged, the Rowlands Gill & Highfield Community Festival has been moved to Rowlands Gill Methodist Church – and there is not enough space on stage at the new venue for everyone who has signed up to play.
Dot and Fiona have contacted everyone who they need on stage in order to get through the set list and are very sorry that they cannot include everyone tomorrow.
If anyone else wants to come along to watch the various events, they would be very welcome at the new venue:
Rowlands Gill Methodist Church
Strathmore Road
NE39 1HX
Strathmore Road Methodist Church is located at the junction between Station Road (the A694) and Strathmore Road (the B6315) in Rowlands Gill, Tyne and Wear (NE39 1HX). Rowlands Gill is about 8 miles from the City Centre of Newcastle.
Limited parking nearby so you might have a bit of a walk!
Map and directions: Rowlands Gill, Strathmore Road Methodist Church
Thursday 7th June – The Cumberland Arms – 6:00 til . . . ?
Misspent Uke and mates are playing during the day with Lucy Falkenau (banjo) and Karl Barlow (bass) from The Attic Band at a charity gig Karl has organised at the Sleekburn Woodfuel Centre.
They expect to make it back to The Cumberland Arms, tired but happy, in time for a 6:00 start. However, they also expect to peg-out about half time – so the rest of you will have to make it up as you go along after that :-)
(I won’t be at either Sleekburn or The Cumberland Arms as I have got a nasty bug and will be coughing and spluttering my way back to bed in a minute, dammit!)
Sunday 10th June – NO session at The Biscuit Factory:
Misspent Uke and friends are also playing at the Jubilee Garden Party at St Gabriel’s Church, Heaton on Saturday 6th June, so would like the day off on Sunday – so no Sunday session at The Biscuit Factory this week.
Ah! Memories . . . three lovely Ukettes – Niccola, Sara and Heather – snapped by Allen after performing “Mr Sandman” at the October 2011 Misspent Uke and Friends gig at St Gabriel’s Church.
Ukes4Fun 