Bigbro's foray into the scary world of blogging
...is really hard. Particularly when it's law and unlike engineering, for every rule there's at least one exception. I am not having fun here :-( That is all. I promise to be (marginally) less grumpy once exams are over.
posted at: 18:11 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
Thanks to my boss for pointing out First Life, the refreshing high resolution, low latency alternative to Second Life.
Go on - try it out. Seamless reloading and rendering of backgrounds while moving from place to place, fully fledged tactile feedback interface and awesome refresh rates - compatible with all hardware ;-)
posted at: 10:17 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
Tonight we see the election of the first BNP (British National Party) MEP (Member of the European Parliament) - this is a big step for a party who purport outwardly to not be racist, but who only allow "indigenous Britons' to become members.
Nothing could top Nick's quotation on not being a racist party though, particularly his mention of Bradford:
"When you look at Bradford it's not immigration any more, it's colonisation." -- Nick Griffin, BNP Party leader, UK.
...that really good French Pain-au-chocolat becomes lessgood when it's two days old - however, judicious use of a microwave can convert it back into perfectly passable, delicious breakfasty goodness.
Also, I've observed that meringue tastes nicer when its pink and shaped into a little pig face.
posted at: 13:09 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
...if I post it (on my blog) they will come...
posted at: 10:41 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
I'm beginning to question the assertion that salted peanuts, chocolate spread sandwiches and tea constitute a balanced diet. Despite the fact that they cover adequate portions from the vital nut, caffeine and lard food groups, the suspicion remains that there's more to it. Perhaps if I supplement it with a bacon and creme-cheese bagel...
posted at: 23:50 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
...they are the way forward...
posted at: 15:00 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
Operation Freeflow isn't. If I were bitter and/or cynical I would laugh... bitterly.
posted at: 08:57 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
...was a girl stating, "I've never had to WD-40 my leatherman."
I wonder if the OED are aware the WD-40 is now a verb.
Update: I was wrong! The last comment was shortly followed up with, "I had no kettle so I had to boil penguins."
I don't feel I have the words to explain what prompted that...
posted at: 22:29 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
I'm a little worried - it's 11:30pm at night, I'm still working, I'm watching a documentary on 'Helvetica' - yes, the font - and I'm starting to agree with their compelling arguments that it's the best font. I might need help...
posted at: 23:32 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
...to go into a seething rage when Clippy appears with yet another inane and obstructive message prior to Excel crashing and losing the file you've been working on.
I did accidentally find a replica comedy clippy though, which made me slightly less irked. I'm tempted to port it to Linux, for great lol...
posted at: 12:54 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
< diamond> davisc: yes. the old testament was superceeded by the net testament
It's Friday evening in the capital city, so once again the trains are broken, running late, cancelled or missing in action. For once, the station announcers in Pearse seem to have decided that it's best to announce something to the rapidly angering mob - so at least we're enlightened enough to realise we should take the Maynooth train and change at Connolly to head north. My plans for hitting the cinema for an 8pm showing are rapidly receding into the distance...
Over 20 minutes behind schedule, we pull out of Pearse and into Tara, where there is a genuine angry mob being held at bay by an addled youth with a walkie-talkie. His tactic appears to be to answer all questions with a negative, thus minimising his commitment to delivering any useful information. Eventually someone asks the right question and he has to reluctantly agree that perhaps taking our train and changing at Connolly is an appropriate course of action. No, it will not take anyone to Howth.
But trains being screwed up is normal for Dublin - particularly for a Friday evening. Why do I even bother blogging about it? Because of Irish people - that's why. On reaching Connolly, the announcer, in an illuminating bout of competence notified those of us heading north that we should migrate to platform four. Ahead of me were a lovely old couple: peaceful in the throngs of people rushing to get to platform four before the train left, or possibly to try and get seats on the overcrowded carriages that pass for public transport in Ireland's capital, I don't know. I slowed my pace to watch as the man walked ahead with one hand behind his back, so the lady could walk behind him, clasping his hand firmly and follow along. I slowed my pace slightly to keep anyone from rushing behind and bumping into them. At the bottom of the ramp in Connolly, between platforms 6/7/8 and 4, the crowd naturally splits in two, around a large pillar. I laughed as the couple broke into a mini-dash, taking the far less crowded right hand side and headed up to the platform with the rest of us.
Perhaps it's that it's Friday evening... Perhaps it's that I've received some good news today... Perhaps it's that I rather spoiled myself and had both a Crunchie (it is Friday!) and a white Magnum ice-cream earlier... Perhaps it's the nice weather we're enjoying... maybe it's a combination of all these things - but mostly it's that in the face of unrelentingly incompetent, annoying, frustrating, noisy, uncomfortable, overcrowded and expensive public 'transport', Irish people can find something to make the best of the situation. I've always thought that young love was wasted on the young, but it made me laugh out loud in Connolly station to see an older generation firmly claiming it for themselves.
Oh yeah, btw, Dear politicians, please can we have some decent public transport in Dublin. Love 'n' hugs, Me.
posted at: 19:54 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
...while reading a letter in the Irish Indpendent, complaining about just how poor the quality the outrageously expensive 'Full Irish Breakfast' cost in Dublin Airport:
"This letter reminds me of you... it's well written but moaning about stuff."
...I'M OBZERVIN U, OBZERVIN MAH BLOG!!!
( restecp! )
posted at: 12:24 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
"ATM temporarily in service."-- for the ATM in Balbriggan that's out of service pretty much every time I pass it.
"You plugged in a USB device that I don't have a driver for - but it's okay... I've decided not to crash, blue-screen and lose all your work."-- for Windows XP and Nokia phones - may their inability to work together consistently stop irritating me.
Today, without so much as looking at a pinball table, I learned that the Zen of pinball is "all about the threes."
Thanks to Kevin '13 billion' Lyda for the insight ;-)
posted at: 16:43 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
...rocks!
posted at: 16:25 | path: /observations | permanent link to this entry
"To light, read base." -- as seen on a Bord na Mona firelog
