Archive for February, 2009

Irish Blog awards 2009

// February 24th, 2009 // 7 Comments » // blogging

Just a quick one on the blog awards while I get a chance. What a cracking night. There was something in the air as soon as we arrived. Great atmosphere and good spirits all around. Really was a cracker. The production of the whole night was top notch.

Great to see some people win that who I always root for; k8 and Annie; both highly entertaining writers.

And congrats to Tommy for winning best newcomer (which I got last year), I hand you my tiara Tommy.

And congrats too to Justin Mason; best technology blogger, who I occasionaly sip ales with and was supposed to collect the award for – but I got stage fright and sent the missus up!

And the morning after, as I held my throbbing head, I had to deal with the mocking and dissaproving looks from these two:

Doctors can now feel what you feel!

// February 18th, 2009 // 1 Comment » // waffle

You know all those whacky predictions you make as a kid? I can clearly remember three.

1. Life-like 3D first person games

There was one game I used to always play in the arcades; Kung-fu, a two dimensional platform game, where you made your way along some kind of stage kicking and punching 17 identical brothers before you got to kill the big boss. Great fun. And the one where you were a tank, which seemed mad-futuristic even though it was some green lines on a black background. I always had this crazy idea that someday, computer games would almost be like cartoons where you controlled the main character. Except even more realistic than that. And you could go wherever you wanted, not just left and right on some kind of stage. I can clearly remember saying that to a mate in an arcade one day and he thought I was completely deluded. Well how’d you like them apples!?

2. Watching / Recording other people’s dreams

When I was into sci-fi novels, I had one idea for a novel, not a fully-fledged story, just an interesting occupation for the main character; a world famous dream artist, filling huge arenas with people who would come to watch his dreams live. But then one day his dreams get hacked and everyone sees him on the big screen dreaming about a murder that happened that day. But it wasn’t really him. Or was it!? Aaaannnnyway. I always thought it would be a fascinating advancement, and again here we are; this is now possible. Almost. kind of; read all about it on Pink Tentacle.
(This isn’t exactly breaking news though. This post has been in a draft for two months!)

3. Doctors feeling what you feel

Then there was the one about going to your futuristic doctor. You stick a wire on your head and the other end on is and he shouts "Christ, that’s fucking sore! Here take three of these twice a day and don’t go to the toilet for two days" and you can be on your way.

Well I’m still waiting for that one. Some day though. You mark my word.

UI design disaster

// February 12th, 2009 // 6 Comments » // design, rant

The worst piece of user interface design that I struggle with on a daily basis; the NTL remote.

It has nine number buttons, so you should be able to press one of them to see one of the first 9 channels, no argument. But no - you have to hit 1-0-1 to get to the first channel.

Why do the numbers on the decoder have to start with 101!? Why can't they start with 1? And if they have to start with 101 why doesn't the remote start with 101!? Surely this is the most basic of common sense?

And why can't I just hold the plus and minus buttons to go up and down? Why do have to press them 50 fucking times to go through 50 fucking channels of shit?

Piece of shit.

Piece of RSI-enducing shit.


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onmouseOut="mouseOut()" />

Three weeks to eternal damnation

// February 10th, 2009 // 11 Comments » // atheism

I got the email below today. I wouldn’t give this the time of day and I couldn’t be arsed retorting but for the last line; too funny not to share. It’s the fine details that separate the common garden nutjob from the full blown total nutjob. I have exactly three weeks to decide.

from Concerned friend <RebirthofaNation@yahoo.com>
to John Braine
date Tue, Feb 10, 2009 at 4:29 PM
subject Contact From Your Website
You think you can insult Jesus and live to tell about it? He died for you, would do anything for you, is tryig to reach you and pull you from the emptiness, the sadness that is in your heart, yet you keep turning from Him and mocking him. He wants you to fall upon your knees and invite him into your heart before it is to late. You have exactly 3 weeks to decide. After that, you\’re fate is sealed and hell is real.