Brian's Accounts of London Life

No Longer In Use

2009-05-19T11:20:00.003+01:00

If you want to continue to hear what I've to say, then please visit Brian O'Farrell.co.uk

I no longer post here, and will close the site down fully in due course when I've finished taking content off it onto my own site.

I want to own my own content fully, not worry about what Google or Facebook or anybody else might do with it. So I will only post photos & comments sparingly to Facebook, I will no longer post photos on Picassa.

Chess

2009-03-04T17:24:00.001Z

I was asked what I was up to recently and this is my response.

not a lot. controlling how much I play these days. I log on and make moves in the games under 2 days, as well as team tournament & challenge games, sometimes some of the under 3 days.
This is giving me move time to think in each game. I am using database to study lines as well, and trying to stick to positive lines. Getting into quiet a few similar games and learning more intuitively what is the right move.
The rating is static at a low number for me, 1309, but that is more due to number of games being completed rather than quality of play (I hope). So I think I will see a big uplift in rating very soon, and contribution to team score and finally get back positive after my dismal time outs and form shift.

My stock white opening is now the English, and I'n still Sicilian for black against e4, and Nf6 against d4.

As you may have guessed that response was on a chess site hence the chess response. But I'm seriously enjoying my chess a lot more of late. Switched my white opening for the first time in well pratically ever.

Ryanair Communications Today

2009-02-27T11:10:00.005Z

Email sent to people flying within a week of departure on Ryanair. And sent today amongst 2 other emails to my girlfriend ahead of a flight back to Shannon next Friday. Currently only London Shannon option.

You are shortly booked to travel on a Ryanair flight.

Please note the following important information regarding cabin baggage:

• Strictly one item of cabin baggage is permitted per passenger (excluding infants) weighing up to 10kg with maximum dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm (your handbag, briefcase, laptop, shop purchases, camera etc. must be carried in your 1 permitted piece of cabin baggage).

Click here for further information
http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/faqs.php?sect=bag&quest=cabinbaggageallowance

• If you arrive at the boarding gate with more than one item of cabin baggage or if the item exceeds the maximum permitted dimensions or weight We reserve the right to cancel your reservation without refund and to deny you boarding

I always found it annoying that there were limits on hand luggage but duty free purchases were not. However, not including a ladies handbag in the allowance is downright wrong.

When this policy shift from Ryanair related to bags is taken in conjunction with their announcement that they are closing on airport check-in desks this is a dangerous concoction to screw the customer, and I for one will continue to avoid Ryanair like the plague. When I work out who to fly, I look at all the costs not just the ticket price, which usually means that Ryanair are not the cheapest, because I have train journey to make on the other side, as well as not being able to bring enough stuff without due to excessive baggage charges.

My real worry in all this, is that other airlines don't race Ryanair to the bottom, like Aer Lingus have at times, introducing hold luggage costs, and removing their complimentary food in-flight whilst they were competing with BA.

But for the meantime, I am proud to join the idiot blogger crew that is defined by Ryanair as anyone who disagrees with them.

And remember that this morning on BBC, O'Leary announced that they might start charging for the toilets on the planes. I would like to know his explanation for how this will reduce the airlines costs, rather than just be an ancillary revenue stream that annoys & alienates customers & potential customers alike.

Trimble Bashing Was Not Sexism

2009-02-27T07:24:00.001Z

This has been one of the stories of the week.

And I completely disagree with both the lady in point and the line taken last night on This Week (BBC1).

I tried to email This Week during the show, but their email address was not the show name @ bbc.co.uk, so it bounced. So I will post it here and talk on this one a little more.

Watching the show currently I feel you're drawing the wrong conclusion
about Ms Trimble. If you look at Paxo's comment, it is the perceived
attitude of contempt, superiority that Ms Trimble showed as well as
regular annoying hand & hair movements during answers that drove a lot
of the ire aimed her way.

Nice short to the point email, shame it wasn't there to be read whilst discussing the topic.
I've seen Ms Trimble cite in the papers that she believes the negative attention she has received is purely because she is female. So explain why my girlfriend and female flatmate have been hating her since Round 1 of the competition, whilst it was in later rounds and in particular the Semi Final that got my back up?

Well the clue is in my email, and in the question asked to Jeremy Paxman. That she is condescending, yes that is right, that was what Paxo had to rebuke that she was condescending. The "quite"'s & patronising sounding "well done"'s to her team mates are the basis of the vitriol aimed at this very intelligent woman.

Oh that and the annoying hand gestures she does whilst answering questions. Hand over throat whilst thinking, and hair flick for victory. A previously unseen look of dismay for wrong answers was only seen first in the final.

Also her team struggled in the final until the final minutes when Ms Trimble came through and rattled off question & question to produce the win, and throughout the final until the closing questions, there were no hand gestures, hair flicks, smirking or quite's. Then late on and with a comfortably lead establish, the flick was back and I was reminded how much I wanted Manchester to win.

So no sexism here, I've no problem with smart women, I have a problem with condescension.

So what are you thoughts on this one? Am I completely wide of the mark, or do you share my thinking?

BBC Big Read

2009-02-24T10:30:00.003Z

This is a follow up to the previous book meme.

The BBC conducted the Big Read in early 2003 to discover the nations favourite book, as well as promoting reading in conjunction with Education department (I think).

How it worked as the Top 21 was worked out after initial voting and then each got a half hour show with a "celebrity" endorsing the book and talking about it encouraging people to vote for it as best book.

When all were shown there was a public vote (not sure if the actual results were picked by someones kid in the Blue Peter studio) which resulted in a skewed result based on some blockbuster movie that was out at the time.

So I'm not sure what the list (my Uncle Tony has querying it amongst others) that is doing the rounds currently, which includes the Bible & no Prattchett or Dahl books which feature quite prominently in the final Top 100.

And interestingly I've 25 of the other list and 27 (found another just now, Uncle Tom) of this list which has 4 Potter books, and I've not read all the Prattchett ones on this list either, I own them, they are on my list to read. literally. I also own a few of the other titles on here that I've being meaning to read, like Catch 22. And I've only read some of these in the last year or two, like Brave New World & Nineteen Eighty Four.

100 Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie
99 The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
98 Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
97 Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
96 Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
95 Katherine, Anya Seton
94 The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
93 The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett (read)
92 The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
91 The Godfather, Mario Puzo (read)
90 On The Road, Jack Kerouac
89 Magician, Raymond E Feist
88 Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
87 Brave New World, Aldous Huxley (read)
86 Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
85 The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
84 Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
83 Holes, Louis Sachar
82 I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
81 The Twits, Roald Dahl (read)
80 Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
79 Bleak House, Charles Dickens
78 Ulysses, James Joyce
77 The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
76 The Secret History, Donna Tartt
75 Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
74 Matilda, Roald Dahl (read)
73 Night Watch, Terry Pratchett (own, plan to read)
72 The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
71 Perfume, Patrick Süskind
70 Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
69 Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett (own, plan to read)
68 Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (will buy, plan to read)
67 The Magus, John Fowles
66 The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
65 Mort, Terry Pratchett (read)
64 The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
63 A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens (read)
62 Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
61 Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
60 Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
59 Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
58 Black Beauty, Anna Sewell (read)
57 Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
56 The BFG, Roald Dahl (read)
55 A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
54 Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
53 The Stand, Stephen King
52 Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck (read)
51 The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
50 The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
49 Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian (read)
48 Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
47 A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens (read)
46 Animal Farm, George Orwell (read)
45 Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
44 The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
43 The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
42 Watership Down, Richard Adams (read)
41 Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
40 Emma, Jane Austen (read)
39 Dune, Frank Herbert
38 Persuasion, Jane Austen
37 A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
36 Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson (read)
35 Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl (read)
34 David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
33 The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
32 One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
31 The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
30 Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll (read)
29 The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
28 A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
27 Middlemarch, George Eliot
26 Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
25 The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien (read)
24 Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
23 Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
22 Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
21 Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
20 War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
19 Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
18 Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
17 Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
16 The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame (read)
15 The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
14 Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
13 Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
12 Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
11 Catch-22, Joseph Heller
10 Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
9 The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis (read)
8 Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell (read)
7 Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
6 To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee (read)
5 Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
4 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams (read)
3 His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman (read)
2 Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen (read)
1 The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien (read)

Books meme

2009-02-22T19:16:00.002Z

Apparently the BBC reckons most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here.
This list comes from the BBC's Great British Reads series a few years back, now the voting was definitely influenced from the major blockbuster movie of the time.

Impressive 25 of the top 100 I've read, surprised myself with that, and I own a few of the others with the intention of reading them this year. Brave New World was only read last year & Catch 22 was bought at the same time.

the x's beside the lines are the books I've read. the +'s my loves whilst *'s are those I plan on reading.

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen x
2 The Lord of the Rings x
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling [not a hope in hell]
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee x
6 The Bible x (most of it anyway)
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell x+
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman x
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens *
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller * [own it next book to be read]
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare *
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien x
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger *
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald *
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy * [also on the bookshelf]
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams X
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky * [to be purchased, on the list]
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck x
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll x
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame x
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis x
34 Emma - Jane Austen x
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis x
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini *
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden *
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwel x+
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown [not a hope in hell]
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding *
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan *
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel *
52 Dune - Frank Herbert *
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen x
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens x
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley X
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon x
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck x+
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville *
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens x
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker x+
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens x
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Alborn
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks *
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams x
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole *
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare x+
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl X
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Instructions:
1) Look at the list and put an 'x' after those you have read.
2) Add a '+' to the ones you LOVE.
3) Star '*' those you plan on reading.
4) Publish your list yourself and/or comment below

Travel Technology Show - Day 2

2009-02-11T16:21:00.000Z

Yesterday I posted about my first days tweeting about Travel Technology Show as well as my thoughts on the event, here is further thoughts including some notes on one event and some tweets on another.

11:25;
wandering around #traveltechshow now. Got CIMTIG Social Media event @12.

11:39;
just talked to Snap surveys, customisable software, will investigate further #traveltechshow.

11:55;
catching the end the Q&A with exhibitors, place for feedback from clients and endusers, interesting #traveltechshow.

12:03;
useful tech advances that have helped, multiple comp screens, rss reader & net conferencing software #traveltechshow

12:49;
CIMTIG event was good plenty of food for thought, I need to put a full plan in place. Got seminar at 2 as well #traveltechshow

13:03;
chatted to Steve Dunne afterwards, exchanged cards. Interesting chap will get in touch. Good talk good event #traveltechshow

14:47;
two way conversation seminar starting #traveltechshow.

14:55;
even with social, it is important to be analytical. #traveltechshow.

15:02;
funny presentation with interesting slides. Blogs are still the best social media outlet for travel companies. #traveltechshow.

15:06;
important to have internal guidelines about what staff can talk about and what they shouldn't talk about online #traveltechshow.

15:08;
now showing clip from Friday Night with Ross talking to @stephenfry about twitter #traveltechshow.

15:10;
speaker is not convinced twitter can work for travel companies as it not being used well currently #traveltechshow.

15:13;
moving onto "traditional" social networks now. Again mixed feelings about travel companies being on there. #traveltechshow.

15:15;
importance of rich media not just words to really engage with audiences #traveltechshow.

15:18;
the important thing is getting others talking about you, but you need to engage and encourage it. So true this. #traveltechshow.

15:20;
opened up to the floor for company that doesn't really use social. And travelsupermarket is the volunteer #traveltechshow.

15:24;
advice from floor was to integrate customer review model into travelsupermarket like tripadvisor #traveltechshow.

15:40;
interesting point by @neilmaclean try ending blog posts with "do you agree?" to encourage engagement #traveltechshow.

16:05;
good presentation by @neilmaclean and nice guy too had a chat afterwards #traveltechshow.

Notes from CIMTIG Social Media event

social networks are not a phase.
They not designed for marketing.
There are different norms and rules about how you interact. Users have suspicions about why companies are there.
Though travel have advantages as people like talking about travel.

Facebook has had a 150% increase in the year to june 08. The internet as a whole grew by 11% to 860m users.
Facebook's market share in Uk has grown from 16 to 45%

What is your plan for social media? What are the objectives? Sales shouldn't be primary aim it won't work. Trust building one to one communications over the long term with your users.
Resource the project correctly. Don't do it half baked, don't expect all responses to be positive and be able to deal with them.

How to do it properly.
Social networking is evolving rapidly.
Seeing the growth of vertical social networks, that are special interest sites. B2B networks are there too, linkedin. There are also "Behind the Firewall social network" ibm & deloitte. Then there is corporate networks.

Step 2
Make sure you know your own brand culture. And be prepared to play the hand being social.

Step 3
Are you prepared to work at it and to nurture your presence.
Are you prepared to allow your brand to get personal.

Step 3
So where is your audiences network?

Step 4
Adhere to the social moses & traditions of the social networking world.
Know the social media guidelines.

Study the site and learn what turf of content prospers on the site.

Make friends
Add unique value
Don't self promote
Make sure information is correct.
Be transparent
Be patient (its viral it takes time, at least 6 months)
Don't spam

Step 5
Insight, information or entertainment.
Make wiifm

The Future
Integration between the different networks.

Discover the real fans of the brand
Recruit brand advocates
...

Q&A
First one twitter. Same Q and answer as yesterday.

Not much happening in Q&A today, which is a shame, I'll go to Steve Dunne afterwards.

Other notes.
Lastminute are on twitter and have over 1000 followers. Weekend breaks and theatre deals.

Top tips on crib sheet.

Even with social it is important to be analytical and know your return on investment.

Blog is the most valuable piece of social media for travel companies.
If only because of the benefit to ranking.

Think of the tail. Google say 24% of searches they've never seen before.

--

Okay that is it for me for Travel Technology Show, enjoyed the event and hopefully made some useful contacts and I've plenty to think about about where to go now for this project for work.

Travel Technology Show

2009-02-10T14:00:00.001Z

I attended Travel Technology Show on Tuesday 10th & Wednesday 11th of February in Earls Court 2. Earls Court being just around the corner from West Kensington, very handy for attending. It will be interesting to see how the event compares with the Technology for Marketing & Advertising also on in Earls Court 2 at the end of the month, as this one is geared at Travel.

Whilst there I tweeted about the conference.

More on others tweeting about the event using the #traveltechshow including Travolution.

Tuesday 10th
09:54;
off to Travel Technology Show this morning. On at Earls Court 2 so 10 min walk away nice.

10:55;
Here's looking at you - how to optimise your search budget. Hopely interesting thankfully short.
[Yes I meant to say hopefully]

11:12;
bit of sucking eggs here. Quality score is king. Landing pages important. Click thru as important as bid #traveltechshow

[in response to 11:12 post on Facebook]
Graeme Lipschitz at 11:17; Yawn. Graeme taught you well then?
Brian O'Farrell at 13:16; taking all the credit are we Graeme? Also covered was account structure and working from the top down to build QS.
Graeme Lipschitz at 13:19; You mean the things I learnt almost 3 years ago?
Brian O'Farrell at 13:25; like I said plenty of sucking eggs. Hopefully the social stuff I'm attending tomorrow will be interesting

11:05;
first presentation, What's new in paid search. Search, Seo & Social #traveltechshow

11:17;
launch new campaign in low season in burst strategy to buy quality score. Not bad stuff, lowers total cost. #traveltechshow.

11:19;
try to generate dynamic unique landing pages for the revelant keyword. #traveltechshow.

11:27;
consider getting affiliates bidding on your brand to deny space to competitors #traveltechshow

11:29;
images & video are coming more into search images will have huge benefits, maybe #traveltechshow

11:34;
eyeball scans are showing changes in search behaviour away from classic F model #traveltechshow

11:39;
according to IDIC 70% of online content will be user generated. Purchase funnel is changing with social media #traveltechshow

11:43;
find the revelant networks, listen to what they're saying, plan how to be useful & engage with them #traveltechshow

11:46;
actively listening tech allows to sweep the web for conversations about your brand #traveltechshow

11:58;
I asked how useful is social media to travel ancillary products. Building reputation by getting users talking about you #traveltechshow.

11:48;
search for social media, there is a creative commons ebook by icrossing #traveltechshow.

11:50;
first question is about twitter and dell case study & ducati is used in answer #traveltechshow.

12:22;
just finished having a chat with the Latitude guys, will look to get them in for formal chat with bosses #traveltechshow

12:42;
CIM have a social media talk, catching the end of Q&A will sit down for the repeat tomorrow seems interesting #traveltechshow

13:09;
bumped into one of our affiliates after CIM event had a chat now off home to do some actual work. Had enough of #traveltechshow.
---
That was it for First Day. Will post more about Day Two which will be more Social Media focused for me.
---
19:28
1st day of #TravelTechShow was interesting enough. Bit of sucking eggs in search budget but useful contact, tomorrow got Social Media events.

Science only please

2009-01-28T07:05:00.000Z

In an article from the Guardian on the 27th of January, it became known that Creationists sent hate mail to Attenborough.

This is incredulous. This man has produced amazing documentaries and opened the wonder of the world to unknowing masses. It is not from the pulpits that length and depth of life on this planet has become known. Further it is through stringent scientific research that has led to our understanding of what life exists now and what doesn't exist any more and the link between these two.

And as Sir Attenborough points out, "They always mean beautiful things like hummingbirds. I always reply by saying that I think of a little child in east Africa with a worm burrowing through his eyeball. The worm cannot live in any other way, except by burrowing through eyeballs. I find that hard to reconcile with the notion of a divine and benevolent creator."

I would go further and say that much of the insects that exist currently didn't exist 100 years ago. God still creating these insects?

Scientific research proves Intelligent Design is not worthy of its name. But that is not to say that religion and science can't co-exist. I personally believe that all life in the universe stems from the Big Bang, and this event could have being triggered by God. That or some scientists near Geneva, but I'll stick with my original believe here.

So please keep only real science in science class, and only religion in religious education.

Singapore-style Noodles

2009-01-27T07:13:00.002Z

This is from Chinese Food Made Easy, we're going to cook this tonight, Video of this recipe from BBC.

We already have most of the condiment part of ingredients, just one or two things to pick up plus the meat & veg. Probably leave out them pesky spring onions.
We'll let you know how it works out, here is the copied ingredients & method, leaving in them silly spring onions. We might go with cooked prawns rather than uncooked, we'll see.

From Food

This didn't serve 2, but we both got lunch out of this and gave Leah a little bit too. It was really nice, but quite hot as there is quite a bit of chilli in here. But I brought it to work for lunch and enjoyed it again today.

Serves 2

Ingredients
2 tbsp groundnut oil
1 tbsp grated fresh root ginger
1 red chilli, de-seeded, finely chopped
5 fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp ground turmeric
100g/3½oz smoked bacon, finely chopped
1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced
1 handful julienned carrot strips
1 handful beansprouts
100g/3½oz cooked chicken breast, shredded
250g/9oz dried vermicelli rice noodles, pre-soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained
1 tsp crushed dried chillies
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp clear rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1 free-range egg, beaten
dash toasted sesame oil
2 spring onions, sliced lengthways

Method
1. Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then stir fry the ginger, chilli, mushrooms and turmeric for a few seconds.

2. Add the bacon and cook for 15-20 seconds, then add the red pepper, carrots, beansprouts and cooked chicken. Stir-fry for one minute.

3. Add the noodles to the wok and toss for 1-2 minutes, then season with the chillies, soy sauce, oyster sauce and vinegar. Stir well to combine.

4. Pour the beaten egg into the wok and stir gently for one minute, or until the egg is cooked through. Season with a dash of sesame oil, then pile the stir-fry onto a serving plate and garnish with the sliced spring onions.

From Food

Grown Up Weekend

2009-01-26T08:03:00.002Z

The weekend is over and I'm on the tube to work. But we had a great weekend.

Friday night we stayed in, watched Grey's Anatomy and drank some wine. Nice meal cooked by Rachel.

Saturday we polished off the wine whilst sitting around watching Juno & tennis. Before we headed down to Kent.

We were invited to dinner by a friend of mine and his wife. Alan & Lana Bell, I know Alan from boardgames, actually meeting him before either of us moved to London.

But I digress. Easy trip down despite engineering works on district line. We just caught the 17.32 out of Charing Cross and got down to them before 6.

Warmed up for evening with a few games of Apples to Apples, with crisps and wine. Whilst Alan cooked.

The meal itself was lovely. Thai green curry. Went down very well.
We then sat around around chatting, drinking more wine and played more Apples.
Before finishing the evening off with Monopoly and a last bottle of wine (silly game but I won).
We stayed over and made our way back to London in the morning with Lana who had to meet someone.
Very pleasant and enjoyable time.

Getting back into London, Rach and myself made our way back to Fulham, we watched the second half of a very turgid affair from the RDS where Leinster stumbled to a much needed win over Edinburgh.
At least lunch was decent and there wasn't too many Ozzies in the bar.

Back home then and we got through some chores and settled down to relax the day away. Watching first tennis and then Six Feet Under for the first time.
We watched 5 episodes and thanks to Alan for lending it to us and for the weekend.

Work soon, all begins again. Oh and I've just read a text that Murray lost, bad start to the week indeed.

Sichuan Orange Beef

2009-01-26T07:20:00.002Z

We were planning on going with Singapore-style noodles tonight, but we've defrosted two beef steaks instead, so tonight I will make Sichuan orange beef.

On Saturday I picked up our copy of Chinese Food Made Easy. Opened it out on Singapore-style noodles and really liked the idea of it, decided we'd do that first in the week. So then went searching for another recipe to use our beef steaks we'd frozen. And came across Sichuan orange beef, here is the video from the show of this recipe.

Below is the ingredients & method for cooking it, I'll let you know how we get along with this one. We need to pick up Shaoxing rice wine & shiitake mushrooms on the way home. The rest we already have, though we may have drunk the OJ this morning.

I'll left the recipe as she did it on the show, in the book you can serve with either salad leaves or rice. We will be going with rice.

From Food

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the beef
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp clear honey
4 tbsp orange juice
pinch ground white pepper
2 beef fillet steaks
1 tbsp groundnut oil
100g/3½oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

To serve
mixed salad leaves
1 orange, peeled and segmented
1 spring onion, finely sliced (optional)

Method
1. For the marinade, place the rice wine, soy sauce, honey, orange juice and ground white pepper into a large bowl and whisk well to combine. Add the beef steaks, cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate for 10-15 minutes in the fridge.

2. Heat a wok until smoking and add the groundnut oil, then add the steaks, reserving the marinade. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side for rare, 2-3 minutes for medium, or longer for well-done. Transfer the steaks onto two serving plates, cover with foil and leave to rest for five minutes.

3. Pour the reserved marinade into the wok and cook over a high heat for 30 seconds, or until the sauce is sticky.

4. Add the shiitake mushrooms to the wok and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the mushrooms are softened. Add a splash of water to help create some steam to cook the mushrooms.

5. To serve, remove the foil from the plates and spoon the mushrooms alongside the steaks. Garnish with the orange segments and spring onion, if using, and serve with mixed salad leaves.

From Food

Wiki or Brit

2009-01-25T16:38:00.001Z

Reading on Arstechnica during the weekend I came across this story that drove me nuts.

I hate the elitist attitude against Wikipedia from the established order. Academia's disdain for the internet and Wikipedia in particular.

Of course I understand that someone can't just go to Wikipedia and copy it straight into an academic paper for publishing or submission. But Wikipedia is a sourced website, that is vetted by (volunteer, unpaid) organisers on the site. Nothing stays on the site that is out of place, anyone can request a source for a statement in an article, and if it is not forthcoming then that statement is shown as unsourced and the reader needs to take it with a grain of salt. But then with any book you read especially something that you are using as reference you should understand what position or point of view the author has, and how much of what is being writing is sourced (check bibliography) or personal opinion or extrapolation of the author (again influenced by personal opinion). So elitists amongst you (though I doubt most of my readers are in that group) remember that anything you read has being written with from someone's point of view and may not accurately reflect the events it is talking about. But unless you use the bibliography as a jumping off point to research the matter further before writing your own piece or forming your own opinion on what you are reading or preparing.

So remember when you're on wiki, you can ask the author what was their source. And even still down the bottom of the page is all the sources, so if you're interested in the article you're reading read more and make your own opinion on it.

And for the love of God, at least have the intelligence to use the same sources down the bottom rather than writing Wikipedia on your article, that is just lazy shit. Oh and Briticanca costs money, Wikipedia is free and for you.

New Year, what Resolved?

2009-01-23T15:15:00.001Z

I did pretty well with Resolutions for 2008 so have I made any new plans for 2009?

I have.
Drop 4 inches
Learn Spanish
Travel More
Go Out More
Read More
Write CV (break in case of emergency)
Post More

So that is the list of primary objectives. Of course there are many sub objectives within each to get closer to the primary. So for example.

Lose 4 inches
This is not a weight loss objective but a specific apportioning of weight objective. I do not have a problem with how much I weigh just where it is. I have had to buy more and more size 36 trousers and this is too big for me. Actually literally it is, they fall down but 34's are too tight. Either way I want to make serious progress towards being at least a comfortable 34 if not able to get into 32's. This will make buying trousers easier too, as I'm a 30 leg, and for some reason short & fat aren't sold too much. So I've trousers that are slipping off me with legs too long not good for maintenance or look.

So what will I do to help achieve this aim. Well the plan is to go walking in the evening with Rachel at least twice a week for around an hour. Plus walk the parts of my commute that are walkable. That is the 10 minutes to Baron's Court at the beginning and end of the day (done already, though last year I would have often got a bus home from Hammersmith) and walk from Heathrow Terminal 5 to work rather than wait for the bus, this is 20 minutes walk and since the bus is every 20 minutes and the tube usually designed to miss it, it is actually practical.
To date, I have not really done this. A little the first week, but the weather has being cold and wet, these are poor excuses and I will cut it out, get a warm hat, wear my gloves and get on with it. We have also not started going walking in the evenings yet, it is still very dark and Rachel is quite tired with work, she is administrating her first set of big exams. So that is one for next month hopefully.

Either way, I might look into other activities to complement the aim. I will consider trying to jog again. Not easy to get going, but worth trying. And we are eating healthier. I have not eaten any crisps since coming back to London. And very little in the way of chocolate or other junk food. Had intended to give up the drink until Rachel's birthday but this has not happened, lasted the first week but then I was out with people and had a tipple.

Learn Spanish
We are making reasonable progress with this. We have a CD with book that we listen to and work through. But I've also listened to some podcasts that help as has Rachel. She has really thrown herself into this activity. And until this week I was letting the side down. But I have made a real effort this week and I think it is coming along nicely. Spurred on by the podcast, Spanish for Beginners I have gone and acquired grammar for weather, places, travel, fruit, veg & meat. I do not know all of these, but I am working on it, and already do quite well on the weather, I knew some of it before so that is easier.

I also learned the verb "to be" on Monday, "to go" on Tuesday and "to have" on Friday. These work well with the vocab I currently have, and I can ask what the weather is like to someone and respond about what it is like here. Or ask if someone is going to the office for example.

This is a work in progress, but we want to learn, and we have resources (CD, podcasts, Mike [e-friend from Argentina] & Maria [colleague]) that will help us. Thank you to Mike & Maria this week for their help with the verbs and uses of putting them together with my current vocab.

So going forward, I will look to add a verb a week, building on vocab & as always focusing on what is useful and usable as well as seeing differences between Spanish (Spain) & Spanish (Argentina) as well as differences between book language and real language.

Travel More
Yes this is still a resolution from last year, technically achieved through default last year. This year will be tougher. But we are off to a good start, we are going to Paris on the 15th of February. We are considering other trips later in the year, around the school holidays, and might spend a week in France, travel to the US or do a little travel around Central Europe. We will see, but we will definitely travel more this year.

Go Out More
This is simple. Go to the theatre, exhibition, comedy or gig at least once a month. Same as last year, but I am very serious about this year.

We went to Bill Bailey Tinselworm this week (Jan 24th) with Andy & Lee.
We also went to the British Museum, Babylon;Myth & Reality exhibition on Jan 15th. I will talk about these two in another blog post.
Next month we are looking at some deals on Lastminute for plays.

Read More
Easier said than done. I will stop picking up the free tabloids on the tube and actually read something that is well written and genuinely interesting. I two thirds through Andy McNabb's 2nd thriller on the e-Reader and have put it down to read Watchmen. This is something I wanted to read for a long time and bought in December, actually I finished Judge Dredd Volume 1 first and then picked up Watchmen on Monday. I am nearly half way through it and loving it, a little worried about how it will work as a film but excited still. When I finish this, I will get back to the McNabb book and then maybe read Guns Germs & Steel that I also have on there, or plough through the various books I came home from Dublin with from Christmas, including 4 Pratchett Discworld novels. But whatever I choose next, it will not be the Metro/London Paper, if I pick up a newspaper I will buy it and get some quality.

Post More
Again easier said than done. I am engaging so much on Twitter & Facebook and rarely seem to get around to posting anything on here. As I feel that I've covered what I want to say usually. But I've different things to say on here (as well as politics blog, which has seen a few posts this week) and will not be distracted by those other mediums.

As well as remembering that there are people who read this that do not use Facebook and very few people (I really know) use Twitter.

Write CV
Well this is just laziness and needs cutting out.

So that is the basics, we will see how I get along, lunch break over.

Tengo trabajo, hasta luego

Ryanair Routes, Fines, Fares & Lies

2009-01-23T11:42:00.007Z

Working in travel I get a lot of different travel related newsletters. And this one was very interesting. It started out very well talking about 8 new routes for Ryanair. New routes and increasing their hub at "Barcelona" was good news, especially for the company I work for.
The low cost carriers are vital for companies that rely on independent travellers. Mainly because the packaged deals will be packaged so no need for external auxiliary product. And secondly, as the airports these carriers use tend to not actually be final destination of traveller. Barcelona being a case in point, as I knew their definition of Barcelona was different from the rest of the world. When I travel to Barcelona I am looking to go to Barcelona not Gerona, so a car into town is useful.

Anyway, the second half of the post was the part that annoyed me and led to this post.
I will post it here.
Meanwhile, Ryanair says that they are to give passengers a fine if they breach the baggage rules. Passengers that try to carry on more than one bag onto the cabin of the plane will be given a fine of €30. The existing rules let passengers carry as much 10 kilograms of luggage on board, but budget airlines are claiming that travelers are abusing the privilege. Now they are only allowing a single carry-on bag, in which all laptops and handbags are contained.

This is latest effort to gouge customers from Ryanair. Other airlines have a lax policy on onboard baggage. Often at the very least not counting a ladies handbag as her only bag. Whilst a few (and some in the low cost field at that) have no firm rules on weight, as long as it will fit.

Now I can understand the factors Ryanair are considering here, their planes are carefully calibrated to fly with a particular weight to use a certain amount of fuel. Fewer bags on board, less time getting the passengers off the plane, with fewer bags in the hold, less time getting them off the plane to get the plane back in the air for extra flights a day.

McNamara explained the new rules, saying the current allowance is generous already. Because of the major rise in passengers who are abusing the privilege, he continued, Ryanair is charging passengers if they have more than one piece of baggage on board. Passengers have been and will be made aware of the new rule when they book their flight, McNamara added, and the rule is also printed on their boarding cards.

I will be interested to see how they will carry this latest policy out (more below). And what effect it will have on their PR, but I suspect they will continue to thrive because despite their constant additional charges they are still the cheapest on a lot of routes and there are routes that they have a monopoly on.

And remember this latest policy follows on from their decision to increase their "credit card fee" from £4 per seat to £5 per seat this year. I put credit card fee in inverted comma's as this fee is not a per transaction percentage as credit card fees tend to be, nor is it waived or lowered for British debit cards. It is a flat per seat fee, and as such should be moved to front of booking and be included in the flight cost.

Ryanair's claim that they "charged a handling fee by banks for every passenger included in a single credit card transaction" was ridiculed by that industry last year in The Times. From the article Sources said Ryanair would be charged no more than 2.5% of the transaction total to process the payment, and due to the bargaining power of the aviation giant it is likely to be less than 2%. “It is a fraction of the charge of what is actually levied by some retailers on the web,” said one.

But then again, it has nothing to do with the fees this year, as it came up in the media again at the start of this year, and the defence this time from McNamara was that the card charges were 'necessary to meet the cost of security and creating the company's website'.

So who knows what other charges they will come up with this year, and if ABTA will be able to enforce any regulations on them.

Cooking - A Stir Fry Beef Recipe

2009-01-08T07:05:00.002Z

Yesterday I wanted to cook something different and nice when I got home. So a little research online brought to me BBC recipes, which has a very good search feature for types of food.

I narrowed the choice down to 3 beef options and it was really between two. Lemon & Orange Beef and Honey Glazed Balsamic Steak. Both were for 1 and didn't contain onions, so double the portions and nothing to worry about removing, result.

So I went with this Stir Fry Beef Recipe. Which I converted to PDF and synced over to my eReader to ensure I got everything in the shop. But I decided that I would buy ingredients for both and cook which ever I didn't make on Friday. Thursday, would be Rachel's turn to cook.

Ingredients
For the sauce
150ml/¼ pint red wine
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
For the stir fry
1 tbsp olive oil
85g/3oz steak, sliced thinly
100g/3½oz green beans, trimmed
½ carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp clear honey
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sesame seeds

Method
1. For the sauce, heat the wine and vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer until the volume has reduced by half and the mixture has become sticky. Set aside to keep warm.
2. For the stir fry, heat the olive oil in a wok and fry the steak for 2-3 minutes, or until browned.
3. Add the green beans and carrot to the wok and stir fry for two minutes.
4. Add the soy sauce, honey and balsamic vinegar to the wok and stir fry for a further 1-2 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.
5. Stir in the sesame seeds.
6. To serve, pile the stir-fry onto a serving plate and drizzle over the red wine and balsamic vinegar sauce.

Doubling the ingredients resulted in extras that I will bring to work for lunch.

I didn't do a great job with the sauce, perhaps I should have added flour to help thicken it. But I definitely had it on too high a heat to begin it, so whilst it reduced that was mostly evaporation.

I also changed the veg ingredients a little. I bought stringed beans instead and added half as much as required and instead added half a head of broccoli instead.

I mixed the sauce mix to add in together and that worked quite well, though I did have to pour the honey in as it didn't want to get added from the glass.
Rachel wanted brown rice so that was the complimenting carb for the meal and that thankfully cooked well, though slightly ahead of the rest as I didn't have full access to the cooker as flatmate was in there first.

But all in all, it was really easy to prepare and cooked quickly and easily. But most important I enjoyed how it tasted.

Christmas Break

2009-01-04T01:20:00.004Z

In a few hours I will heading back to London, ending my fortnight holiday in Dublin over Christmas.

It has being great being home. It has being great getting a break from work and completely winding down and relaxing.

So this is my break in a lengthy post that will largely mean nothing to most of you. But this is my box and I'm standing on it to talk about my experiences. And I am really looking forward to getting back to London, not because I've not had a great time here but because I miss Rachel. And I've not seen her since early on the 24th.

So here's how my Christmas break went.

Went to mass Christmas Eve, and it was nice to see Alfie. Slightly distressing to see him ill, but I continue to pray that he has the strength to fight the cancer.
Christmas with the family was amazing. Mother was in great spirits, we had 8 for dinner. Brother (Peter), two sisters (Fiona & Claire), Aunt Viv, brother in law (Denis), niece (Kate) and of course Mam and myself. Big feed as expected and we had fun throughout the day. Presents were exchanged in the afternoon, and it was great seeing Kate opening her presents and genuinely enjoying them. Especially the princess stuff myself and Rachel bought her. We also gave her a teddy of Mike Wazowski. I have a photo of Kate putting Mike in buggy that Claire gave her. She was gorgeous dressed as a princess herself, Belle I understand. Very confident that my brother also appreciated his present as he had most of it read by the end of Stephens Day. We gave him graphic of Strontium Dogs from 2000AD. Everyone stayed throughout Christmas day and we played Wii sports in the evening into the wee hours. First time playing Wii and it was great fun, we played a lot of bowling and everyone had fun. Nearly was still around Stephens Day, bro headed out early to go and win a hill running race. Aunt headed off to watch horse racing. But everyone was back in the evening and we played some cards.

So Christmas was great, all family time, saw a lot of Kate and that is always lovely. And seeing her really enjoy our presents. She slept both nights with Mike. FTW. But I suppose, its not a competition, but still nice to see your gifts really appreciated by a 4 yr old.

Being home was also an opportunity to see friends. First night back, Rachel came up from Limerick to see me and we went out and met friends for a few pints. Ellen, Chewie, Gretchin and Oisin were there. After Stephens Day, as the family were starting to make tracks and remember where they live, my old school friend John Kealy came up for tea and a lengthy chat. It was great catching up with John, because he is the one person outside my family that I've known the longest. I love talking with John and hearing how his research is coming along. The man will cure something big. I met up with Ellen for coffee one afternoon, spent a couple of hours in town with her, brought some books courtesy of vouchers, before heading home to chill with Mother. The following day, Ellen and Peter had me around to their new place for dinner. Brian's first Carbonara courtesy of Peter, really nice meal thank you. Before joining up with Peter & Ellen, I met up with John Colgan, we went shopping in Carrickmines Park and Kildare Town retail outlet. Picked up nice shirt, as well as some make warm from North Face. Also got to meet John's girlfriend for the first time. I've heard so much about Astrid so it was nice to finally meet the lady that is making my friend so happy. For New Years it was great to meet up with a lot of people that I've not seen since pretty much college. The guys I met up with in the pub whilst first back, were all there (apart from my lovely Rachel), party hosted by Peter & Ellen in their new place. It meant a lot meeting up with George, first time seeing him since he moved back to Dublin from London this year. Also Ben who lives in the US whilst studying at Stanford, not a lot of opportunities to see people from out of Europe. There were countless others at the party, I believe the count attending was 27. Also met up with Angela for coffee in town as well for a few hours before heading to the rugby at the RDS. Not a great game but right result, met up with John Colgan again afterwards, collected by his delightful girlfriend and we headed over to the usual crew meeting in the old haunt, Uncle Toms Cabin. Never guess who was there.
Only person that I would have really liked to have met up that I missed was David Morrison.

Also done whilst back.
Fiona collected me with her husband and lovely daughter and we went down to godmother Aunt Lise and Fiona's godfather Uncle Tony. It was lovely seeing them and just talking for a few hours. They have visited China on holiday this year, as well as Russia for work (Uncle Tony lecturing), and they are currently on their way to India for work as well.
On the way back into Dublin, I was dropped off at the Square to bring Kate to the cinema. It was lovely taking her out. We went to Madagascar 2, its quite a good movie and Kate is a little angel. Letting me know that is okay, no need to be scared at this point and that point during the movie. And afterwards asking for Fruit Bag and OJ with her nuggets. Oh so cute. Oh so trained.
Also went to Wolfe Tones gig in Taylors Three Rock with Denis and his brothers and cousins. One of the Wolfe Tones is Denis' uncle. Really enjoyed the gig, first time I've ever seen the Wolfe Tones and heard most of their stuff. Its very patriotic stuff and rousing stuff.
As I mentioned above in the friends section, I was the Leinster Connaught game at the RDS. Not a stellar game, but always enjoyable being at live rugby and I was real close to the action. And the right team won, so a very enjoyable evening. Watched the away game up in Belfast on Stephens Day with my brother at his local with his friend John. Again a very enjoyable experience mainly because Leinster got the win over Ulster and are now looking decent again in the league. Got a text from Rachel over the break saying that we should go to more rugby this year, that was an extra little Christmas present that, so hopefully will get along to plenty of rugby this year either down at London Irish or Harlequins I would think.

2008 ended very well and 2009 has also started very well. Thank you Mam for a great break. Thanks to Fiona for all the time I got to spend with you guys especially your angel. And thanks to Ellen & Peter as well both for their New Years party as well as their patience in entertaining me over the break when I wasn't with family.

e-Reader, ebooks and essentials

2008-12-28T22:58:00.004Z

[written on Facebook 22nd Dec] My dear Rachel gave me the Sony eReader for Christmas this year. I was very happy with my present and I still am, it is a really cool piece of tech. And looks the biz too. It is easy to use and not a strain on the eyes. Plan to read a book on it tomorrow on my long journey home by car.

The process of buying books is fairly straight forward, though finding eBooks is currently not overly straight forward (availability), though I did find plenty on Waterstones, there wasn't a lot that I was interested in, or willing to buy at short searching time.

I suppose I am being harsh on the process of finding the ebooks as Waterstones website has a decent search function, with format of book as an option, though it frustrating to get results back sometimes that don't match that format. Looking at Lovefilm site and seeing a well thought out eStore in action it is frustrating to get a poor one. Search for films and tv shows by title, actor, director etc. But also view by genre, best seller recent release, normal stuff, Waterstones has similar. Now what is different is pick a film on Lovefilm and there is a link to add it your list as DVD or Bluray, or HD DVD, or download rent it, or download buy it or plain old buy it. If Waterstones had that that would be great. So the book with a link for paperback, hardback, audio and ebook. Simple efficient process would make everything easier. So struggling to find books I was interested in that were not too pricey and on ebook. Didn't want to spend too much on first book. Couple of quid was all I wanted to spend and that included reclaiming £3 in Waterstone card pts.

So I settled on the second book in Andy McNabb's thriller series about Nick Stone. After buying the book (£2.50 after pts), I discovered that I needed to install Adobe Digital Editions to open the file, actually to download it at all, as the file I was downloading was a transfer file not the book itself. Digital Editions is another library program for ebooks, and it is frustrating that I need another one, as I already have one for the reader itself, that is like iTunes in that it is the library and syncing program all in one. Why are Waterstones forcing me to use another program to open when Sony directed me to Waterstones to get books, why must I install another program that is duplicating the library interface of the eBook Library that is mandatory for me to get files onto my reader??

What is more is that whilst the Adobe product that Waterstones directs you at does look nice, it scans your portable device and I suspect is checking for "illegal" devices, not even the iPod/iTunes nexus of evil can do that. Okay but getting away from the right to own right to use argument for a second.

After some fiddling around, I worked out how to view the book and drag it over to the reader. It is now on the reader, or is it?? I check the eBook Library program and the book is not listed there. I sync the Reader anyway, unplug it and check, and yes the book is there, just not in my library.

I run a find request on the computer to see if the file is physically on my machine, and low and behold a new folder has being created, and an EPUB format file called Crisis Four is on my machine. Import it into the eBook Library and away we go, back to one program until the next time I buy a book on Waterstones.

I can't find eBooks on Amazon.co.uk, which amazes me as Amazon have a rival product to the eReader, the Kindle. I was expecting a format issue potentially or a DRM slug problem like Apple and everything else, but I just plain couldn't find any books in ebook format. Audio books yes, ebooks no. Will try Kindle search tomorrow.

Meanwhile, it is perfectly straight forward process to get PDF's into eBook Library and from there onto the reader. The Reader connects to your computer using a normal usb baby connection, that you probably have half a dozen of already because of cameras and some phones. I have the rules for GridIron on there and might actually read them, which would certainly help my play in that game. I have also got some Vampire Requiem source books I have in PDF and I've just done an internet search for Gun Germs & Steel in PDF and bingo search engine and I have the book and its now on the Reader too. (Book recommended by flat mate Nick, should be right up my street)

So two books to read, several source books and a set of rules I really should read. That is plenty to get me going.

Progress on Plans and Aims for 2k8

2008-12-14T21:15:00.000Z

This is a follow up article on my New Years Resolution post, Plans and Aims for 2k8 .

Okay so taking them in order.
I am still in the same job. The same factors that applied at the start of the year apply now. With added concern about viability in the open market given the economic environment. Moving to an agency would be difficult with marketing spend by most companies likely to be scaled back next year, also the agencies will not be getting a kick back from Google in the middle of next year. So agency revenues will be a lot lower next year. And if there are problems, the newer staff are more likely to be cut.
That said, there are many problems with my current job. Not lest the fact that I have not had a pay rise all year despite the inflation running at over 5% in official terms and closer to 10% in real terms.

Okay the course was the next thing mentioned on in the plans & aims. Well as Brian O'Farrell BSc ACIM stated on August 28th I completed the course and gained the qualification. This was a truly enjoyable and education course. It broadened my experience and awareness of marketing career possibilities and what was involved in marketing. We will see what the qualification does for my future. But I firmly ticked this one off the list of Resolutions.

Next on the list was intention to move. Well I didn't look early in the year, but I did move in the middle of the year when Rachel moved over from Ireland. I did move into the Hammersmith area. My main problem with the previous place is that it was isolated. Where we're living now is much more central and has a lot around it. 15 minutes walk to Fulham and 20 to Hammersmith, rather than 10 minutes to any shop.

Next on the list was cycling to work, getting a bike period. Well that hasn't happened. Maybe if I'm sticking around here I should look into it. Either way I have being thinking of getting a bike just to zip about. Especially with the more central location, hopping on the bike into a museum would be quite good. But only useful I suppose when I'm on my own rather than going out with Rachel. We will see if I add the bike to next year's resolution again. But I have to admit this is a failure as well.

Ahh the climbing wall. Can't believe I've not been up there yet. As it happens, one of my flatmates goes there at least once a week and often twice a week. This activity will certainly make a re-appearance on the list for next year and whilst it is a failure this year, I expect to get that one successful early next year. Though I suppose I would need to make it a regular activity in next year's resolution rather than just go once.

Next on the resolution list and the most important for me has definitely being considered a success. "I want to see Rachel more". Well Rachel moved over in June and we've being living together now 6 months. I definitely think I've achieved this resolution. I wake up beside her everyday and that gives me a perfect start to the day with a smile.

Then I outlined four areas I wanted to do. Here they are again.
I am going to organize a monthly theatre trip with George.
I will try to go to the Arsenal twice before the end of the season.
I will try to come back to Ireland more often than I did last year.
I will try and take more holidays this year than I did last year.

I am going to organize a monthly theatre trip with George.
Fail. 3 trips in the first half of the year, 2 with George. Then George moved back to Ireland. 2 trips plus a comedy trip & a gig in the second half of the year. I want to go out more to the theatre more often. I want to comedy more often and to occasional gigs. This is after all one of the main advantages of living in London. And I'm wasting it by not going out more. This counts as a fail.

I will try to go to the Arsenal twice before the end of the season.
Have not gone once. So this is a definite fail.

I will try to come back to Ireland more often than I did last year.
3 trips home for weddings. Easter with Rachel's family. Two trips home to Dublin with Rachel involved in her moving here and sending her car back to Ireland. And two trips home for rugby, 1 Ireland game and 1 Leinster game. So this is a definite success.

I will try and take more holidays this year than I did last year.
Only one real holiday taken. A couple of days in Barcelona with Rachel. Though long weekend over Easter with Rachel's family would count as well. But the rest of my work holiday days have being used on odd days here and there. Like those little trips back to Ireland. Or for my birthday, or long weekend because Rachel had the Friday off. So I suppose, this is a technical success as I didn't take holidays in 2007. But not a proper success.

Another area of resolution is food is covered in another post.

So what will be my plans for next year. Well you will have to tune back in aprés Christmas. But all in all, I think I did really well on this years resolutions.

Resolution Update Food

2008-12-10T17:35:00.002Z

Not included in the Post (for some reason, must have posted it somewhere else). It was my main goal (other than see more of Rachel) to expand my food range. I wanted to be able to eat something on the menu wherever I went. So considering the main types of restaurants. As I see it those were
Western fair (normal English, French & German places serve steak, burger etc)
Oriental (reasonable okay but wanted to tick more boxes than European dishes)
Italian (pasta or pizza really here)
Sub Continent (Curry)
Seafood
Tapas/Burrito/Fajita type places.
Vegetarian (not interested thank you very much)
I also wanted to add Chilli to my list of eaten foods this year.

As it happens, I only considered the first four. My aim was to add pasta or pizza, curry, chilli and some more conventional oriental options than just eating off the European menu in those places.

First New Food ticked off the box, was not even on the game plan. Seafood, whilst in Barcelona with Rachel. On the first night we went down to the port to a genuine sea food restaurant. I ate prawns & shrimp for the first time. Also during the weekend, I ate Calamari & Whitebait. So Seafood places, firmly ticked off the box.

Okay so Oriental. I have being to Thai (a lot), Singaporean & Vietnamese places this year. Eating various dishes there. This was ticked off very early in the year. Kow Pad Sapparot. But again and again during the year, especially after we moved to West Kenn. We have gone around the corner to our local Thai so many times. And I've eaten various different things on menu. I also love going to Wok in Box on Oxford St/Tottenham Court Road for cheap thrash decent oriental fare. What is more, we've cooked our own stir fries time and again using various different Chinese sauces. I really enjoy cooking stir fries and experimenting with different sauces and combinations. I bought Rachel, Chinese Food Made Easy book, and she made Mango Chicken dish from there when we had Alan & Lana over for dinner. We've done a couple of things from the book.

Later in the year. Rachel cooked a Chilli for me. And since then I've eaten lots, and we've increased the spiciness of the chilli we cook at home. And that I'm able to buy pre-packed Chilli options from shops. Actually my lunch today was a Chilli Con Carne from M&S.

The same week that Rachel made my first Chilli, she made my first Curry. It was a fairly mild curry, but it was my first. I loved it. And we have gone on to have plenty more, and like the chilli both increased the spiciness & been able to buy pre-packed curry from shops. I had a Chicken Korma from Waitrose for lunch one day last week.

Ticking off an Italian option was always going to be difficult. But incredibly surprisingly for me. Pasta is not a problem in itself, but I'm not big on the sauces. Like we cook stir fries with noodles a lot. And we've done some food over pasta. But a real pasta dish is something like Spag Bol, well this post covers my first Spag Bol. As it happens this was ticked off early in the year, that post was 15th of Feb. But I wasn't big on the Spag Bol. Rachel has made it once or twice and I enjoyed it. Not my ideal food but I could eat it in a pinch and not dislike it. Now two months ago, a bigger foodstuff was ticked off. We were down in Hammersmith thinking of going to the cinema but they didn't have anything on we liked, or Rachel was too tired to go or something. And we were wandering down towards the Weatherspoons to get food and instead went into the Pizza Hut. That was my first pizza, a Hawaiian of course. Interestingly enough, the next day whilst at Richard's playing 18West, he had pizza for us for lunch, so it was a good thing I'd ticked off that food the night before. And was able to eat lunch whilst at someone else's without being fussy. Since then I've eaten pizza a couple of times, including last Saturday again Hawaiian, hey its got Pineapple, that is a win combination. I love adding pineapple to stir fries. So Italian ticked off, Pasta & Pizza both eaten and enjoyed this year.

Interestingly enough, I had my first burrito or fajita (not sure which it was) last weekend as well. I had a fairly basic one compared to what Rachel or Leah ate.

So apart from Vegetarian places and more complex sandwiches I have made it possible that I can eat something on the menu of pretty much anywhere I might end up. This is an amazing change from last year. Rachel has helped and I thank her for it, but would people stop giving her all the credit for my expanded culinary range. This is something I've done, something I wanted to do. And something I'm incredibly proud of, I believe my Quality of Life is better for the change. There is a lot more to be done. A lot more expansion of my range. But don't expect onions any time soon or ever.

Book Read; Brave New World

2008-11-21T07:11:00.003Z

In 2006 I read my first proper Dystopian novel, Nineteen Eighty Four, by George Orwell. Some consider this the finest piece of the sub genre and without having read more Dystopian novels I can't argue with them. But I did really enjoy it.

Earlier this month I bought Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. It was written in 1931 and published in 1932. It is a very different Dystopian novel than Nineteen Eighty Four. The imagination of it is very vivid much more so than Nineteen Eighty Four. The concepts in the world of Brave New World are very intriguing and thought provoking, which are the prerequisites of all Dystopianstories.

Brave New World is one of the leading lights of the genre and one of its earliest books. There were two promient books in the genre before, The Sleeper Awakes by HG Wells & Yevgeny Zamyatin's novel We. Very famous in creating the idea of Utopian future was HG Well's Men Like Gods, but that was entirely Utopian, and Huxley was very much written an apposite book of this. What was written as an anti Victorian principle book as well as revulsion of American Society values that Huxley saw on his visits to the United States in the 1920's.

So in Brave New World, everybody belongs to everybody else, there is no romance and you can and should sleep around. It is frowned upon if you don't. Being alone is anti social. Everything is done for the greater good. The individual doesn't exist everything is done for the benefit of Society.

Now getting back to the book. Yes the concepts and the world itself are vividly described but the story itself is not driven along with a clear purpose. It is more a backdrop to world and the concepts. This is clearly seen at the start of the novel, where you have the Director of Hatcheries giving a tour to interns around the Hatcheries building. This is a tool to describe the Decantion process of how people are breed.

But it is fascinating and gripping read all the same and well worth reading. I intend to expand my collection to include more novels from this genre.

The main concept of the world of AF 632, that is after Ford. Is reproductive technology and sleep-learning that combine to change society for the greater good. To reach this pinnacle the first achievement was the elimination of disease. So that population control is both possible and planned. The world population is carefully managed and the roles people fill in the world order are controlled as well. So future needs in roles are known and the planned out in the Hatcheries Centres.
Nobody gives birth to anyone any more (the idea is offensive to the denizens of AF632), people are breed to a plan. With a caste system ruling society, this is carefully managed through the use of sleep teaching (Hypnopedia) morals into people. Repetition during sleep of the Caste Order so that nobody has any intention of stepping out of line. The idea would be sickening to themselves due to their conditioning. They are also conditioned to consume more. "Ending is better than Mending".

The caste system is used for different tasks, with huge differences in the intelligence and physical capabilities in the castes as they have being engineered and conditioned that way. All menial tasks are done by Deltas and Epsilons who are engineered from a single egg by splitting it up to 96 times. Those who work in foundrys are heat conditioned during the embryonic development phase. Whilst aeronautical engineers have their bottles spun around so they are used to being on the outside of a moving plane.

Politics; Election 08 on Look into This Week

2008-11-05T15:22:00.004Z

I posted on Look into This Week last night whilst watching the coverage of the election. I was watching the coverage on BBC (tv) & CNN (internet). I was also using a Google app, which pulled vote count information into a modified Google maps.

I was keeping a close eye on the senate election, especially in KY & MN. As well as early on NC, KS & GA. But those results were fairly straight forward, as was the election for the big office.

It is my belief that this election is more like Clinton in 92 or Carter in 76 than Reagan in 80. The gains in Congress were lost in 94 and the GoP controlled all of the Congress for 12 years, 6 of those under a popular Democrat President, who swept the 96 election. Carter in 76 took a decisive election and look to end an old way of doing politics, his party took control of Congress, took control of a lot of Governor's mansions. But 4 years later that all changed when the Republican Governor of California powered to the White House and the Grand Old Party took control of Senate and weakened Democrats in the House. 4 years later they did not surrender it like Carter but strengthened their hold. You will all have heard a lot of talk about biggest election in 40 years, but in 1984 Reagan almost won every state in the union, he only lost Minnesota (Mondale's home state). Actually as it happens Nixon also won 49 states in 1972. But unlike 12 years earlier Reagan did it fairly and he did it in a way that dramatically changed the political landscape. The Republicans controlled Senate through until 1992, but that was a blip and they were back in 94 and this time with a full Congress control with the House going Republican.

So are these Obama Independents like Clinton's & Carter's or are they like Reagan's Democrats that changed the political landscape for a generation.

My belief is the former because there has being no sweeping change in Congress, yes gains were made but not sweeping gains and that these gains will start to be lost in 2 years and fully lost in four years time where Obama will have a opposition White House for his second administration.

Light Reading

2008-10-30T22:23:00.000Z

I've been thinking a lot about "The Thirty Years' War" of late. And I've decided that I want to learn more about this conflict. So whilst I was up on High Street Kensington, we went into Waterstones. Now initially I did go searching for Enders Game, but it was not to be found, the very helpful lady thought it might have been stolen because she checked the overflow areas and we looked in other parts of the Science Fiction section. Denied access to this classic SF title (which was returned to my consciousness by a podcast, but more on that later) we headed into Starbucks for refreshment. But back we went into Waterstones and downstairs to the History Section. Very disappointed, yes there are lots of books down there, but damn why so much fascination with WW2? And is it so difficult to find something outside of WW2, WW1 & the Napoleonic Wars? Sure there was an entire section on Americas & Asia, and Europe. But the Europe section was half Cold War Russia & WW2 and the other half wasn't much other than Napoleon & English Kings.

There was one title that did include my conflict of interest. Well it is not really a conflict but a series of wars that are labelled together for their common events and peace settlement.

Defeated in the book store, I was tempted to pick up a more encompassing book about Dynastic European States. Might be worth a look, but I'm seeking something a bit more focused at the moment.

I've decided on "The Thirty Years War" by C.V. Wedgwood, (Donogh recommendation) interestingly enough I had come across it myself in my research on google (counts as todays Daily Google).

Now the only issue is that I have plenty of reading to be getting through. Even only looking at the military or historical side. There's "Europe 1715-1919". from a purely historical side, or plenty of military history titles including but not exclusive, "Civil War". by Caesar, "So Far from God". (Mexican War) nor have I finished "To the Halls of the Montezumas" (also Mexican War, though less military more cultural events) & a more general history book but encompassing several military campaigns, "From Sea to Shining Sea".

But I suppose there is no harm in adding a book to the shelf to get around to sometime. I did afterall recently purchase a book I read in college just from a completeness sake. As I have books on American Civil War & Mexican War I decided since I've also read about Anglo-American War of 1812 to 1815 I should add something about this conflict. So I searched out the book I read back in college, borrowed from the library. And there it was in the New & Used section on Amazon, and it cost me less than £4 including postage, and its a hardback. The book I'm talking about, and I'd recommend to anyone who wishes to learn a bit about the conflict is "The Lion and The Union" by Kate Caffrey.

As you may have noticed, I enjoy reading military history, and I'm not big on WW2 but you'd be wrong if you assumed I had a problem with either WW1 or Napeleonic Wars. Because one of my main interests of history is 18th & 19th military history, and I'd include WW1 firmly in this, as its events are firmly based in 19th century thinking and the early execution of the war was as well. I was sent a book a good few years back by an online friend, Paul, who met playing Diplomacy, the book was inscribed, "To a worthy opponent and valuable friend" and it meant a lot to me. The book is a brilliant telling of the events leading up the WW1 from all sides as well as the early actions of the war. "The Guns of August" won a Pulitzer but not for History for Non Fiction as she could not win History as she was born outside the US. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone with any interest in history or military conflicts. It is well written and easy to get into, something I can't say of all the books above.

As you may have noticed from some the titles, I've taken this interest in 19th century military history and focused it on the US conflicts. And in particular I took a large interest in the oft forgotten war, Mexican War 1846-1848. It is skipped over because it is marked down as a causal event to the American Civil War. I got it into my head last year and bought 4 books on it last year after talking to Donogh and doing plenty of internet research. Two military history accounts, one more from a cultural point of view, and how it affected America and Americans and another that was purely about Manifest Destiny, which was certainly a contributing factor in the war which did bring the United States the coast to coast dream they thrived for.

Getting away from military history, and onto a topic that was touched upon earlier. Discovering a book on a podcast. I recently started listening to Books You Should Read by SimplySyndicated. These podcasts tend to be quite short, under 10 minutes and often snappier. Quick intro on the book, and often without spoilers, though when they are, they are flagged up very well to turn off.

Their first book was "Enders Game", but I'd known about this book for years, so it wasn't a book that the podcast introduced me to, but rather one that it reminded me of.

It did however introduce me to two books that I have purchased from Amazon New & Used. The book I'm currently devouring is "Word Freak". This book was briefly described on the podcast and I temporarily came out of my adwords editor & spreadsheets to go online to find this book and bought it right away. I'm around 298 pages into this 372 page book. And I'm loving it. It is an interesting insight into a surreal world of "professional" scrabble players and some of the individuals unusual habits. As well as the origins of the game and the corporate owners of the copyright.

Another book I bought as a result of the podcast is a book I heard about back in college when we played a web game based on it. "Jennifer Government". I intend to read this next after "Word Freak" but I'll probably read "Civil War" instead or finish one of those Mexican War books.

Okay that shall do for now. I will get back to finishing uploading my shelf contents onto LibraryThing.

What to Do with Holidays

2008-10-29T17:39:00.000Z

So with the year coming to an end I had to work out how I would use up all my days.
I've 5 days to burn before the end of the year. Not including the days I've taking for Christmas. Which was 5 for Christmas Eve through to First Monday of January.
I came into this year with 5 days carried from last year on top of the 24 days granted by my company. 3 of those were taken up for my long Christmas back home.
But apart from one week taken off in February when I went away with Rachel to Barcelona for a few days, I've not really taken any prolonged time off work this year. Looking at my sheet of days off, the Days Required column mostly reads 1.
As I've taken days here and there and long weekends.
Two in March, one for rugby one for 5 day Easter Weekend in Limerick.
1 in May for Rachel's sister's wedding, as well as 2 days for Study Leave, 2 day leave for 4 day study leave.
2 in June, 1 for Wimbledon, another traditional day, that's two years in a row I've taken that. And will take it again next year. The other day was to keep Rachel company whilst she moved to London, by driving her car over. Then 2 in July, 1 whilst I kept Rachel company whilst she drove her car back to Limerick. The other related to moving into the new flat.

So that leaves those 5 days.
So first one is taken up extending Christmas to start on the 23rd of December. Again driving back to Dublin, this is becoming a habit, I should look into ferry miles ;)
This time driving with Oisin and two friends of his.

Leaving 4, well I am interested in Politics, so I'm naturally interested in the US elections. And well I'm going to stay up and watch the coverage, and thus I'm not pushed with getting up early the next day. So I'm taking the 5th of November off. I stayed up all night and through most of November 5th 4 years ago as well.

So that leaves 3, well I mentioned traditional days off earlier talking about Wimbledon, well this will be my 3rd Birthday in London, and I'm taking the day off work again, I did this for the last two as well. And this year it falls on a Friday, so LONG WEEKEND FOR ME.

Leaving 2. Well I was planning on taking Friday off this week as Rachel is off work this week, damn school holidays. Well yes, she gets school holidays, lucky her. So As you may have worked out from the math, this is going to be a short week for me, I'm going to take Thursday & Friday off to spend with Rachel in London.

Religious Fervour; Highlights rise in religious advertising - Marketing Analysis Features - Marketing Magazine

2008-10-29T15:03:00.000Z

So I'm sitting in work reading Marketing Magazine and this article caught my eye.

The headline in the paper version was Religious fervour, with the sub heading.
The debate surrounding religious marketing has been thrown into sharp relief by the proposal of an atheist-led riposte.

The online heading is "Richard Dawkins-backed ad campaign by atheists highlights rise in religious advertising"

The campaign is a result of the BHA taking some umbrage over a bus campaign run this summer by JesusSaid.org. So they aimed to raise £5500 to run counter ads, which Richard Dawkins said he would match. Due to a lot of coverage including main national newspapers and I even I believe on tv news channels, they raised £50k first day and have gone on to raise over £100k now.

The ad they plan (or may even have already launched) will be.
There's probably no God, now stop worrying and enjoy your life.

Interestingly enough, when it comes to Christian reaction to the BHA's activity, Paul Woolley, director of Christian think tank Theos, says he finds the ads' use of the word 'probably' surprising, when, according to him, the atheist belief is absolute. 'Richard Dawkins is far more fundamental and emphatic,' he adds.

Surprisingly, many Christian groups have welcomed the BHA campaign. Theos has even donated to it, because, Woolley says: 'It's a brilliant way to encourage people to think about God. This wasn't the BHA's aim, but it is what we're here to do.'.

Either way, it is all a bit of fun until someone loses an eye (for an eye?)

Morning Routine - First Podcasts

2008-10-29T07:35:00.004Z

I start my day off by turning on my laptop and opening up iTunes to start downloading my podcasts. This process started I can then go about everything else you need to do in the morning, and today I even ate breakfast.

The first podcast I listen to each day is by the Onion, as it perks you up with its humour. More on this over on Podcasts Worth Listening.

Usually following the Onion is the Daily Dilbert animated podcast. Again for the lol's. And when I enjoy something I listen to, I do genuinely laugh out loud, even on the tube or in work.

After that, the schedule either runs through my tech podcast mostly from CNET, The 404 & Buzz out Loud. Or I will go down the politics route, and listen to a couple of podcasts from CNN & CBS as well as the White House Press Briefing podcast.

This will bring me through to arriving at work, where I continue to listen to various podcasts through out the day whilst I work. I find it better than listening to music like some of my colleagues do during the day. Usually more informative than comedy, things like Economist, or those politics ones if I've not listened/watched them on the way into work. As well as big video podcasts I watch. Diggnation & Totally Rad Show.

All of this I wasn't doing before I caved and bought an iPod.

DAILY GOOGLE (SFW); snow flake

2008-10-29T07:26:00.001Z

So today I googled snow flake. There was a bit of snow in London and South East England yesterday. There may have been more elsewhere but North of the Gap doesn't count.

Well in London it was non existent to be honest. There was some falling flakes but it was already wet and had no chance of sticking aside from the light fall. But outside London it has heavier and was still on cars this morning.

Well first result on snow flake is a flash app where you can "create a snow flake". Its a fun little app, where you have virtual scissor that you click to start cutting and and click to stop and actually cut that path.

From Generic Stuff

Down the results is one rather interesting find, Snowflake, Az. Yes there is a town in the baking hot state of Arizona called Snowflake! Though in its defence it is apprently in the "Heart of the White Mountains". Which according to this site is a "Terrific Southwest vacation spot! Cabins,Lodging,dining,camping,fishing,hiking,mountain biking".

Whilst SnowFlake.com will make snow flakes for you.

DAILY GOOGLE (SFW); tiramisu

2008-10-28T07:52:00.000Z

I've not daily googled in a long time. This used to be something I would do in college, search a random word that someone would say in the computer lab and look through the results and see what is interesting on there.

well I'm thinking of getting back into the habit of posting these random searches.
Today's is tiramisu. This is because over on Steve's Birdwatching Blog today he mentioned a tiramisu pot, which he referencing as about the size of fat balls he was making for the birds.

This got me thinking what was tiramisu which wikipedia (1st result) tells me is a popular Italian dessert "made of savoiardi dipped in coffee and mascarpone cream". It goes on to say "The name Tiramisu is Italian and means "pull-me-up" (Tirami su), a reference to the effects of the sugar and espresso."

The rest of the results are mostly recipes on how to make tiramisu, with the first results being BBC food sites. The beeb has an excellent archive of cooking recipes, with nearly all aired cooking shows recipes archived. But the listed preparation time of Ready Steady Cook cook of "less than 30 mins" would not be good enough for that show.

The links also include some YouTube footage of Tiramisu (Not Rick Rolled)

And lastly on the first page of results are some famous British chefs, Delia and Gordon Ramsay.

Endangered languages - Economist

2008-10-28T07:42:00.000Z

This is an article about the risk of hundreds of languages dying out, and with them local history & heritage. Some 50% to 90% of current spoken languages could be gone by the end of the century.Now this may seem hypocritical of me to some, given my insistence that English is the most important international language, but I insist that it is, but that is for internationalism not for local diversity. And anyway, we must remember how English reached "its present global status without ruthless tactics. In years past, Americans, Canadians and Australians took native children away from their families to be raised at boarding schools where English rules. In all the Celtic fringes of the British Isles there are bitter memories of children being punished for speaking the wrong language."

read more | digg story

10 Years Later, Misunderstood DMCA is the Law That Saved the Web

2008-10-28T07:34:00.002Z

Article from Wired because today is the 10th anniversary of the signing of Digital Millennium Copyright Act in the US.

The DMCA has it's knockers but the provision of safe harbour has led to explosion of blogs, video sharing and social networking sites across the internet. The way people use the internet now would not have been possible before DMCA, and Google site it as a key factor in their success. Because safe harbour also extends to search engines being able to find and display results that previously could have been considered copyright infringement.

I personally have seen the downside of the request and takedown system, where Google are not proactive in monitoring their ads creative except for profanities and some chosen big corporation brand names thus forcing its customer clients to have to actively protect their brand.

Switzerland Creates Law Banning the Humiliation of Plants

2008-10-20T07:44:00.000+01:00

Recently, the Swiss Parliament asked a panel of philosophers, lawyers, geneticists and theologians to determine the meaning of dignity when it pertains to plants. As a result, Switzerland created a new amended law that protects the dignity of vegetation.

read more | digg story

Year 3

2008-10-14T08:25:00.002+01:00

So Year 3 began this Sunday just gone.

I moved to London on Thursday October 12th 2006, so Sunday just gone was the end of my 2nd year in London.

It snuck up on me last year but this time I was more ready for it. I think it must have been reflective a few weeks ago for our anniversary.

In the last year I've done a lot of things. And things are much better in my life.

Rachel has been the biggest change. And that's a great one.

A lot of effort has been put into getting on top of my finances. And things are better managed. This was the area with probably the best improvement over year 1. Where I completely failed to control my finances and ran up debt. But that is now more controlled and I have a plan to clear it that doesn't involve any of crazy plans you see on tv.

I also gave up gambling during Easter and have not placed a bet since.

I've moved home from Ealing to West Kensington. This has given huge improvement to Quality of Life. Ealing itself is great but South Ealing was too quiet too isolated for me. I was 10 minutes away from anything. Which was a drain.

I started and finished a Marketing Course giving me a professional qualification. I've talked at length about the course and how it affected me over the year. I'm glad I did it and I might go back and do the next level but not yet. I need a break and have my evenings back.
We're more likely to start a Spanish language course. We'll see if there is one we can start in January.

Games
I've not being playing as much boardgames this past year than I would like. I have been along to the group in Ealing a couple of times. Up to a group in Shepards Bush once or twice. In the summer I started going back to LondonOnBoard again in the city, haven't been the last few weeks as been really busy, and leaving work too late. But I might pop along on Wednesday again. Last Saturday I went out of London to play an 18xx with two guys from GridIron. Great time was ahead (apart from the maybe allergic reaction to the house cat). Last year I attended PsychoCon which was on in October, this year it was on in September and I didn't get the train up north for it.

I started playing an American Football management sim called GridIron3. This has been massively enjoyable. Its one game a week on a Saturday, 10 weeks regular season and full 4 weeks post season. First season my team won our division sweeping it 6-0 in divisional games. I've met a lot of new people through the game. We have pub meet ups to get together shoot the breeze and drink real ale. And attending the live draft down in Bristol was an amazing experience. There was around 40 coaches there and it was great to put faces to names.

I have decided to pull back from playing in 3 OLMEC leagues. I've played in SESL for almost 5 years now. I thank Steve for introducing me but it has been too much the last year playing in 3 and running one of them.
I might go back to just one.

I've fallen out with chess and fallen back in love with the game this year. I am now really enjoying my chess and I'm considering looking into a real world club to play. I currently only play on Gameknot

Culture & Tech
I've joined the British Museum, we went to Hadrian which was very impressive. And we're looking forward to Babylon. First I'm going to a discussion on Thursday night about Walls and their effect on society. I'll post more about that later in the week.

In year 2, I think I've been to the theatre 5 or 6 times. Most recently to Wicked musical with Rachel on our anniversary which was great experience and I was really glad Rachel had a good time. I also brought Rachel to Sound of Music (musical).

Also in the last year I went to Boing Boing (comedy) with Alan, God of Carnage (drama/comedy) in the Gielgud with George & Never so Good (drama) in the National with George and Rachel. God of Carnage starred Ralph Fiennes & Tamsin Greig. Never so Good starred Jeremy Irons and was the best theatre experience of the year for me.

In Year 1 i wasn't going to the cinema that much, despite paying for Cineworld. Well Year 2 i have definitely got my monies worth from the Unlimited Card, despite not going at all in September as we were going weekly for much of June through August, and we'll easily go twice a month going forward, which is what we need to do to more than break even on the cards. I bought Rachel an Unlimited as well.

I discovered Iplayer and I love this program. I use it weekly to watch a couple of shows on BBC. Recently I have been trending towards more TV watched online or DVDs over TV. As for DVDs, I cannot highly recommend Lovefilm enough as a source of DVD rental in the UK. In the last year I have rented a lot of TV shows. Rome Seasons 1&2, Black Books 1-3, 24 Seasons 1-3, Desperate Housewives 1&2, BSG 2-3, West Wing 1, Scrubs 1, CSI (Vegas) 1 & Oz 1. Okay BSG 2, Rome 1 & CSI were Year 1 not Year 2. Having watched one disk of Oz I then bought the season and we watched the rest of the season that night. I've just bought season 2 of it. I own Season 5 of 24 so I need to get there with rental. Grey's Anatomy Season 1 has just arrived so we'll watch that next. I've also used it to catch up on a few movies I've missed in the cinema.

Got a new phone. I am loving my N95. Most of this post was written from my N95 during my commute to work.

I also got an Ipod during this year. And this calendar year I have gotten into Podcasts in a big way. I am listening to a lot of different ones. Each morning I get up, turn on the laptop fire up Itunes, start downloading new casts and go shower and have breakfast, sync up and head to work, listening and watching my casts during the day.

Sport
I've been to Twickenham for the first time. Heinekin Cup semi where Irish lost to Toulouse, and then again for the Guinness Premiership season opener. I've not been to the Emirates this past year. We'll see if I make it this year I've not renewed my access membership yet. I went to Wimbledon again this year. This time I was accompanied by Rachel, Peter and Claire. So my girlfriend, brother and little sister. It was a great experience this year ging with people.

Finally, I have been back to Ireland 3 times to see Rachel, once for her sister's wedding, another 2 times for my cousin's wedding, as well as two times to accompany Rachel driving over in June when she moved over and then again in July when Rachel drove her car back to Limerick to leave it there. I doubt I will be back before Christmas, but it is possible I do have time off still this year.

Quick Update

2008-10-09T08:58:00.000+01:00

Okay so where to start.

I'm slightly reflective as I will be in London 2 years this Sunday. And its being brought to my attention I don't post on here too often.

I'm happy. Things are really good with me these days. Early in the year things were alright but not great. The commute was killing me, I was uninterested in work as a result. The night course whilst very good and in the end incredibly rewarding was sapping my energy. It was two nights a week took me close to 2hrs to get to and then the best part of an hour to get home from. As a result I wasn't going to boardgames each week, I wasn't going to the cinema often or the theatre at all. So I was in a rut going to work late getting home late and not doing much except the weekends Rachel was over.

Well the course finished up in May, exams in June ending it. And I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with myself.

What was certain was that Rachel was moving over, so I started looking for a flat share for us. And middle of June she moved over and we went and looked at 4 places in the general Hammersmith area. (ed. This is covered in another post) And we liked two of them and were offered both and went with the place we now live.

So the change was a move closer into town and it has made a huge change in my life. Because now when i'm in town its only half an hour home, so we go out more often. Also the move in increases our options for going to the cinema. So we go more often. (ed. Well not last month) there's 6 cineworlds within half an hour of us.

The other change has been noticed recently by a colleague and thats that I appear happier in work. The commute and doing the same gig is less of a drain now since there's more purpose to when I get home. With Rachel waiting for me, most days anyway, she does have training two nights a week, so i tend to stay later in the office those days or get home to watch 24 (ed. Rach hates Kiefer)

So things are great. I went to the cinema on Monday night whilst Rachel was down the gym. We went to Ed Byrne on Saturday night. (ed. He was brilliant, we had a great time) Last week was our anniversary, hence the soppy post, and I brought Rachel to Wicked. Its a great show and last time I went (2 years ago for my birthday) we were way back in the gods, this time we were row 3, left of centre.

So things are great thats what I wanted to say.

So I suppose a post wouldn't hurt

2008-10-09T08:50:00.002+01:00

I've not been very active in updating this blog. I'll make more of an effort going forward. Facebook hasn't helped as most of the readers of this are friends on the book, including my mother, actually all my immediate family and most of my cousins. But there are a few notable friends who are not and i do like trying to keep it up to date.

So this was posted from my n95 and i might do more of my updating on the go, or at least on the tube. I do have an hour plus commute.

A Happy Year

2008-10-01T07:35:00.000+01:00

I would like to thank Rachel.

Thank her for coming over to London last year.
Thank her for suggesting that we try and make it work between us.
Thank her for being her and making it easy for it to work.
Thank her for coming over to London regularly.
Thank her for being the person I fell in love with.
Thank her for loving me.
Thank her for the strength she showed in giving up her job and moving to London.
Thank her for moving in with me.
Thank her for making me happy.
Thank her for just being her
and
The last year has been great, and I am looking forward to the second year with Rachel.

Another Day Another Run - One in Front of the Other

2008-09-24T07:18:00.000+01:00

So as the bro says, "One foot in front of the other".

Well I got up this morning at around 6.40 (alarm switched to 6.30 due to not being asleep by midnight). And I poured a bowl of special K and a pint of water. Both were consumed before 7am whilst I watched the Beeb and talked with housemate Nick whilst he ironed his shirt.

So 7am I was on the road and decided to do the same route. I got up to Baron's Court and turned back and was back to the first street, the one that leads down to the church and my side hit me. My breathing was already a little strained at this stage, not easy with a fairly blocked nose. So a quick breather, and I was back running, the side was hurting more and my breathing was strained so I decided to head straight home rather than add a street or two into the run. So total time on road was 11 minutes.

One foot in front of the other, is going to take some time.

Went for a Run - "Schoolboy Error"

2008-09-21T12:04:00.003+01:00

I am just back from a short run. And it hurt. It is the first time I've gone for a run in a year. So to not hydrate before hand was as my brother would say "schoolboy error".

Rachel bought me new trainers yesterday, New Balance, so I was determined to use them.
The whole idea to get active again was spurred by the book I devoured last week.
Ultramarathon Man; Confessions of an All Night Runner by Dean Karnazes. It is an inspirational book. That I read in like 2 maybe 3 days.

The plan was to go out the front door, turn right down Star Road and go for 7 to 10 minutes and run back. If I was feeling good maybe add a few more minutes on each direction.

Well I got up to Baron's Court after 5 or 6 minutes (10 minutes walk) and my side was hurting quite a bit. I stopped for a moment, to breath for a minute. So I then made my way back via the Church down Star Road near the Queens Club. So in total the run was 13 minutes, and my side hurt quite a bit.

But its a start, and I'll look to head out once or twice more this week.
The alarm is set to go off at 6.15 in case I'm interested in heading out. But well we'll see if I just turn off the alarm and get up normal for work.

Brian O'Farrell BSc ACIM

2008-08-28T14:07:00.003+01:00

That is now my full name, well Brian Martin O'Farrell BSc ACIM.
But only my bank and the Irish Government use Martin.
But that is also neither here nor there.

The point of this post, is that I have passed my exams I took in June.

The course I took was Professional Diploma in Marketing, Charter Institute of Marketing. By completing this course, I am upgraded from Affiliate Member of CIM (without letters) to Associate Member and ACIM letters. I am now able to do the Postgraduate qualification, not sure what the letters with that one are, but that enables me to advance along towards Chartered Marketeer status. If I choose to take that route. Either way, ACIM status boosts "Brand O'Farrell" in terms of marketing myself.

I am unlikely to continue doing the course right away, but I might come back to do it next year rather than straight into it for exams this December. I think a bit of a break would be good. Those exams and the course that went on before it swallowed my life over the last year that wasn't Rachel or the internet. I stopped going to board games and wasn't doing a lot during the week.

Well now that has changed, both because Rachel has moved over as well as moving closer into town. I have greater ability to go and do something in the evenings. I have started going back to boardgames during the week, and we sometimes go to the cinema during the week. We'll start going to gigs & the theatre more regularly as well.

Like tonight, we're trying to get tickets to "Under The Blue Sky" @ DUKE OF YORK'S THEATRE, or Pimm’s Summerfest comedy up in Holland Park, where Russell Howard & Lucy Porter are both performing tonight amongst others.

Okay so I'm pretty happy about that, I've to decide if I want to go to the CIM Graduation in Birmingham in November now and I look forward to receiving my Qualification Certificate in the next 12 weeks, as well as Professional member handbook, which the letter tells me will "provide all you need to know to start making the most of professional membership, providing all the support and resources you need to stay ahead in your career".

Stay ahead, hmm sounds good. I look forward to this enlightening read.

Oz is a really good show

2008-08-26T16:33:00.000+01:00

We rented the first disk of Oz through Lovefilm at the weekend.

It was a surprise when I received the DVD as it was only a low priority disk not high or even medium. Normally Lovefilm don't mess up orders but I'm happy about this mistake.

The DVD sat at home for a week or two not being watched as Rachel was reluctant to watch it and I didn't really know much about so we never made an effort to watch it and instead watched the Olympics.

But we did finally watch it Sunday night, and we watched all four episodes back to back, and we loved it. And we wanted to watch more.

Well when I went to change its priority on Lovefilm to make sure I got the rest of the series, well instead I saw that it only cost £17 on Lovefilm but I went onto Amazon and instead picking it up for £15. And whilst I was on there, I finished buying the books for my sisters to bring home to them this coming weekend.

So I thoroughly recommend Oz. It is a drama set in a prison. Its vivid, its powerful and the pacing and character development is brilliant.

Synopsis
The Oswald Maximum Security Correctional Facility has opened an experimental new ward, Emerald City, reserved for especially dangerous criminals. Inside the walls of this rehabilitation unit, is a world that's even more corrupt and dangerous than the mean streets the inmates left behind. Survival is dependent on two sets of rules; those laid down by the warden and those understood by the racially divided prisoners. Gritty and violent, OZ deftly handles sensitive issues concerning the American justice system.

Olympic Cycling Time Trial

2008-08-21T12:20:00.003+01:00

[Posted from N95] Just watched the last 30 minutes of the womens time trial. I saw the American Kristin Armstrong (no relation i'm sure but it is the same name as his ex wife) win. It was an impressive last couple of clicks from her to win by 24 seconds as she was over a minute down at the previous marker. The person who's time she was trying to beat was Emma Pooley of Great Britain, who ended up with the silver medal. The world champion finished outside the top 10. And the road winner finished 13th

Men's time trial to start next. I'll miss the closing stages of this event as i go to work. And i'll have to time what i miss in the middle as i get ready for work.

Update on August 21st
I've added the link to her wiki entry, and corrected her name's spelling. She is not a relation. It was a competition. The men's time trial was great stuff, with Fabian Cancellara powering to the win after picking up the Bronze in the road race.

DVD's just bought

2008-08-12T11:57:00.000+01:00

We popped into Zavvi on Oxford St on Friday night (8/8/2008) after going to the BM and eating some tasty cheap Chinese/Vietnamese food in Wok in a Box.

Zavvi have this 3 for £20 or 5 for £30 offer going. So after much debate (Rachel wanted Pirates 3, I wanted Die Hard 4, both were vetoed) we ended up picking 2 comedies, 2 movies we've heard are good and another little gem.

Run Fat Boy Run (Watched 9th Aug)
Knocked Up Watched 10th Aug)
Sherrybaby
We Own the Night
The Aviator

I've not seen "We Own the Night" nor "Sherrybaby" and Rachel's not seen "The Aviator". I love this movie. I thought the performances in the movie were amazing but it was the cinematography was outstanding. How the lighting was changed as the movie moved through the time periods to reflect the improvement in film technology.

While we were walking around looking at DVD's I whipped out my N95 to go onto Amazon to compare the prices of some DVD's in the store with online. And well I decided to hold off buying Juno in store to buy online next time I'm buying some books.

British Museum - We're members now

2008-08-11T12:04:00.001+01:00

On Friday (8th August) evening after work, I took Rachel up to the British Museum for an evening of culture. It was her first time in the BM (my 6th or so). The museum is open late on Thursday and Friday till 20.30, with the ground floor displays open. So we went into the left to Antiquity, looking at Egypt, Assyria & Greece. Rachel was disappointed at the amount on offer compared to the Louvre but I would suspect the scope and quality on offer in the BM is superior, and the Assyrian exhibits really impressed. We took some photos of the gate guardians. The Rosetta stone has got to impress it is history. But thankfully the Greek exhibits didn't fail to impress, and how could the Elgin Marbles not impress. London has around the same proportion of the sculptures from the Parthenon as Athens does.

We also bought tickets (£12) to the Hadrian Exhibit for Sunday afternoon.

It takes between an hour and two to view Hadrian, and I would suspect viewing on a Thursday or Friday evening would make a lower time achievable rather than a weekend crowd.

Getting the audio commentary is highly recommend (£3.50) which gives both the information found on many of the signs as well as further depth.

The exhibit goes through his life, family and early military career. Becoming emperor and first acts. Ceding three provinces, wiping the debt slate clear etc.
There is also a model of his vast villa. Of course there is extensive stuff on both the wall, including sections of it as well as his brutal crushing of the Jewish rebellion and the consequent expulsion of the Jews. Before moving into his love life and his male lover who he made a deity upon his death. His legacy upon the empire is also covered with his early adoption of an heir and getting his heir to adopt and assign an heir, creating a clear line of succession for 2 generations.
Finally his death is covered with the mausoleum he built in the centre of Rome and the funeral arrangements for his wife.

Hadrian was a great exhibit. We also learned at the end that we could offset the 24 pound spent against membership, and we both become members of the museum for 36 pounds (£45 for full membership plus £15 for additional named card minus £24 for exhibit tickets).

So we will definitely be back in November for Babylon and next year for Sumeria.

We're going to the Cinema ALOT

2008-07-30T16:52:00.000+01:00

So myself and Rachel have been going to the cinema a lot recently.

We have seen
Wanted, Dark Knight, Wall-E, Hancock & Incredible Hulk in the last month.
Rachel has also been to Narnia (Edit Twice she tells me) & I've been to Iron Man.

I'm sure there are other movies we've seen in the last 6 weeks. We seem to be going twice a week.

We're thinking about going tonight to either Journey to the Centre of the Earth or Batman again.
This weekend we will be going to X-Files and Batman will definitely get another viewing next week. Mummy is a possibility, HellBoy is almost certainly not going to happen. Where are the intellectual films these days by the way?

Man Stole Buses, Drove Their Routes, Returned Them at Night

2008-07-29T10:40:00.001+01:00

This sounds like a lot of fun, well at least for a day or two.

read more | digg story

Post on "Look into Last Week"

2008-07-28T15:56:00.006+01:00

I've come across an article online about the effect of Government fuel subsidies on world oil prices. I've put this up on my politics blog and talked a little about it there.

I've also posted another article today.

Looking on my IGoogle news tab I see that one of todays Headlines in the Irish Times is a story about the European Court allowing a case on Abortion by 3 Irish women.
This is potentially Europe's Roe vs Wade. I am not trying to be deliberately controversial touching the untouchable subject, especially as a man.
I'm not looking to stir a debate on the issue itself but the impact the court could have on Legislation in Europe.

So we now live in West Kensington.

2008-07-05T00:00:00.005+01:00

As mentioned below we now live in West Kenn.

We're about 4 minutes walk from West Kenn station which is district line, and another 4 or 5 to Baron's Court which is Pic. Going the other direction, its about 10 minutes to West Brompton, which is also district line but down to Wimbledon.

There are loads of buses around here.

So I've added 15 or 20 minutes to my commute and I'm now zone 2 so it will cost more, but I will use the 2-6 season tickets, so will probably end up even on what I paid before as I often came into zone 2 or zone 1 which will be all cheaper now.

The huge trade off for the lost half hour a day in commuting is more than balanced by the huge improvement in Quality of Life.

So when I get home at half 5 or 6, I can now do stuff in the evening, instead of just staying in and watching tv.

Previously my cineworld unlimited card was limited to Hammersmith and Shaftesbury Avenue from the logistics of getting there and home. Well now, Wandsworth is a short bus journey away. And the Wandsworth cinema is more like an Irish cinema is having like more than 4 screens. What is with all these small cinemeas?
Also accessible now are Chelsea and Fulham Road cineworld's. Lots more choice and all accessible easily from our new home in West Kenn.

Hammersmith is a great area, there's loads to do around here and it doesn't take long to get into the city.
I had a meeting at Google's offices in Victoria this morning at half 9, I left the flat after 9 and was on time. Its 5 stops away on the District.

Oh and Peter, when in the Tesco on the way, I paid £1.86 for Innocent instead of £1.22 for Tesco own brand. Now where is that Starbucks, because they're so much cooler than Coffee Republic.

Hey is this is blog, whats that for?

2008-07-04T22:40:00.009+01:00

Okay so despite promising myself to post more often then I didn't, well I'm going to start posting short and sharp posts again.

So why have I not being posting well I've just been really busy.

Well that is becuase the wonderful (O'Farrell sisters TM) Rachel has moved over to London. Yes thats right, Rach is here now. YIPPEE and all is still great, she's been here for a few weeks now.

So start of June, I had my exams, have I mentioned them, well forget them I have at least until August, there's no point thinking about it until the results come out.
Which is a bit shit (A BIT who you kidding fool?). I expect ahh forget it no point thinking about it.

Okay so Rachel's over and after a lovely week of just enjoying each other's company and not having to think about her leaving the next day on a flight. Definitely get used to this regular contact feeling. So we wasted two weeks not looking for places but then I organised 4 viewings for one evening (Two Wednesday's ago). All around Hammersmith.

First place, shit. It was off King's St around the corner from the Weatherspoon's. Kitchenette not a kitchen, tiny. Big room, comes with tv but no living room because the landlord's sister is staying there.
Thanks but no thanks.

Second place, was amazing. It was off Fulham Palace road close to the top of it. The people was lovely, we went in and they were watching the tennis and we had a big chat with them. the kitchen was huge, the oven was double! There were 2 bathrooms. The room itself was huge. Loved the place.

Third place, was nice. It was also off the Fulham Palace road but further down past Charing Cross hostipal. The place was in flux, it was 6 or 8 people who were mates that all took the place together and 4 of them were heading. There were two rooms. Both were big. Downstairs one had on suite. The upstairs one was on its own floor with a bathroom, so essentially own bathroom.

Fourth place was great. Its off North End Road, which is West Kensington. The people were so lovely. The room is really big. The flat is really really warm. Really good water pressure.

We told the last 3 we were interested, but it was the 2nd and the 4th we really wanted. And the 4th was a lot cheaper than the 2nd, like £200 a month cheaper.

Well the 4th place called us that evening and we said yeah. YIPPEE we've got a place to live.
The 2nd place called us the next morning, and myself and Rachel deliberated about it but we had told the first place we would move in. And it is a lovely place.

So last Wednesday, one week after we looked at the place we moved in.
Well first we had to pack. Jesus is packing a tiring job. Well not the packing but the carrying cases, bags and boxes down the stairs certainly is.

FUCK ME DO I HAVE A LOT OF STUFF.

For a start there are 26 board games (thank you Rachel for moving them on Thursday).
I decided to go simple on clothes, so 3 refuse sacks were filled with tshirts, shirts, jeans, underwear and bed clothes (plus another another one that was sent to the dry cleaners, didn't want to show up and do washing in the new place)
Now DVD's and Books, thank god for keeping shoe boxes. Well I used about 4 shoe boxes, 2 cardboard boxes and two deep plastic boxes as well.
Then assorted shit!

We have not really unpacked. My shirts are hung up. The board games are on top of the wardrobe. But the floor is covered in refuse sacks and those aforementioned boxes. We will get to it. Soon honest.

Okay so what else has happened this month. I went to Wimbledon again, first Tuesday again as well. SO last week. I love Wimbledon. Claire and Peter were over for 3 days, so they joined Rachel and me in going to Wimbledon. We were up at half 5 and met Peter and Claire at the tube at 6 to get down to SW19. Unfortunately the crowds were much bigger this year and arriving at around quarter to 7 meant only 1916 in the queue and no show court tickets. Oh well no harm, we still had a great day. I will go into more detail on the sports blog later (probably Sunday to be honest).

It was great seeing Claire and Peter again, even if I'd seen them the week before when I was back in Ireland to accompany Rachel on the drive over here. Saturday, relaxed at home after being collected from the airport by Fiona, Kate and Mother.
Lovely evening with family.

Sunday morning went to St Mary's church for mass with mother, priest was a bit too preachy for my liking. And afterwards we swung through Dunnes to pick up a gift for Alfie as it was fathers day. I decided to get him a shirt too and Dennis a tshirt. (if found return to pub). Sunday dinner was great, my brother arrived and said, okay I've been summoned to a dinner with the prodigal son so I am here. It was great. Mother cooked ham with loads of great veg and Peter (bro) and sister (Claire had left earlier that day to go to meet her boyfriends family in Donegal), Fiona as well as her husband Dennis and their daughter Kate (my awesome and adorable niece), also up for lunch was Viv (aunt, mother's sister) and my cousin Tracey (she's really lovely) as well as Alfie (mother's boyfriend, he is a great man). We sat around afterwards chatting, watched Peter on TV winning GaelForce 6 again this year (look it up, its a adventure race up and down Carrantohill) well this fact of being on TV has lost me the title of best uncle, Kate now says Peter is best. No fair, I've been on TV on the 9 O'Clock news during the sports, well I suppose that is after her bedtime and last year. Hmm, will get video camera and put myself articially on tv to take back my title.

Rachel arrived up in Ballyogan like literally just after everyone had left. My aunt Viv still hasn't met Rachel. We watched 60 minutes of Czech Republic Turkey game with Alfie and Mammy. We left to go to Uncle Toms at 60 minutes with the Czech's two up and surely through. So it was a great surprise to discover that they were beaten in normal time.

Down the pub, we got to meet and chat to Peter and Ellen, Peter and Gretchen, Neil and Louise, Enda and Ciaran (hehe they are not couple). It was great being in Uncle Tom's with the old gang drinking a good pint of Guinness. It was great catching up with everyone.

Next day, Rachel drove us to London from Dublin. Nice drive down, mostly motorway, we stopped in Warwickshire after 4 hours for an hour and then back onto the M42 to go to M40 to go to THE M25 to go to M4 to go to Ealing.

I've enjoyed getting the occasional lift to work from Rachel, but it is time to commute normally more, plus Rach is going to drive back to Limerick and get rid of the car. It is just too much hassle to get things changed for the car over here, but I'll let her go into details on her car.

So what else have I done this past month.
Finally been down to my Aunt Pat (Mother's sister), I've been over here nearly 2 years and I've not been down yet. My mother's been bugging me about it and I've been disappointed with myself for not doing it. She lives in Sidcup, 3 years ago I was over for 4 days to go to Wimbledon and museums and still managed to go and see her. It was a lovely day.
Last weekend, I met two of Rachel's friends. Laura lives over here so I'm sure we'll see her again. And Sara who was over for the weekend. Both were lovely.

Went to the theatre with George and Rachel to see "Never So Good" in the National.
This is a play that George and me have being wanting and trying to get to for months.
It is the life story of Harold McMillan played by Jeremy Irons. It is an amazing performance and stage production. The stage is huge and well used, the cast is a who's who of British acting, and visually they really do look like Chamberlain, Churchill, Eisenhower & Eden. It is a great theatre and I will defintitely be looking forward to getting back to the National. And George finally got to use his £70 worth of credit note.

Which is a good thing as he has abandoned me in London, maintaining the quantum physics of old friends in London. Rachel arrives, George leaves. Discover gamer friend lives here, lose contact with college friend.

Movies seen
Incredible Hulk, loved it

Books read
None, started reading 72 Virgins by Boris Johnston

Graphic Novels read (grahpic novels acquired whilst back in Ireland last month)
Authority Book 1, 2 & 3
The Ultimates Book 1

Podcasts listened to
Almost none, my wireless card drivers are fucked and I've not gotten around to sorting it, so online on Rachel's laptop.

Okay that will do for now. It is roasting and far too hot for a lap top to be on my lap and Rachel would like her lap top back, I'd like to eat my desert and concentrate more on Nick Cave on BBC 4.

Darwin 2.0 - The Evolving Theory Of Evolution

2008-06-27T10:41:00.001+01:00

Is Darwin due for an upgrade? There are growing calls among some evolutionary biologists for just such a revision, although they differ about what form this might take.

read more | digg story

Why I Still Use Windows Despite the Peer Pressure

2008-06-26T09:25:00.001+01:00

There are over a dozen people working at our fair Gizmodo, but as a Windows user, I'm in a definite minority. I still rock XP, and I'm pretty happy with that. Why haven't I switched to Macs? Plenty of reasons, not least of which being that I'm just too smart to switch to a Mac.That's right, I'm too smart for Macs.

read more | digg story

How much sleep do you really need?

2008-06-11T11:51:00.001+01:00

Interesting as I've blogged last month about sleep, and that week 3 of my podcasts talked about sleeping.

read more | digg story

Exams Emails and Blogs

2008-06-03T14:16:00.007+01:00

I sent out an email today advising that I am switching my main email address. If I missed you on this email, please email me and I will pass on the details. I will continue to get emails from the old garner email address but going forward intend to use this new email address that has a more professional look to it, being my name.

This email address will be the new email author on these blogs.

Part of the reason, is the need for a proper looking addy instead of a tag.
But the tag has become a problem. I received several Christmas cards addressed to Brian Garner and I'm frequently labelled as Brian Garner online. So this is another reason, and frankly I'm fed up explaining that there's no real reason behind the name, its a tag I used for gaming in uni.

So I've started the migration, needed a good excuse to not be studying, and wading through filters and labels and contacts was a good one. The new address has existed for over a year, so it has already got a bit of history in it. But whilst I was able to export and import the contacts list, I am not able to export and import label titles and filter settings, so new ones will be required, but this gives me an opportunity to reorganise and reclassify how I list stuff. I've also discovered that a small level of boolean functions is possible on the filters (and search function). But a few things are odd, like OR being case sensitive. Unfortunately, it can't take a group name in the from field, unless someone knows how this is possible?

Work in progress, much like the contacts list, I've only gotten through A's and people I regularly contact updating the entries, I've also started deleting entries that I've absolutely no idea who they are. As any email address that gmail comes across gets added these add up. I had over a 1000, but that included duplication and plenty of people I don't think I know, so around 150 have been purged but there's a lot more to do, but I'll leave that task until I've actually finished my exams.

Speaking of exams, first one was on Monday morning. I got up at 6am and started revision, going back over the notes I took last November before sitting this exam then. I concentrated on 4 broad topic areas, but only aspects of each. These were useful Part B areas and likely to come up. And they did, so I was happy. I didn't nail the questions, but I did manage my time better in this exam then previous exams. I started with a Part B question, instead of compulsory Part A (case study) question. And this allowed me to get 25% of the paper done in 35 minutes (of 3 hrs exam) and know that it was boxed off, giving me more freedom to tackle Part A 50% of the paper. The case study wasn't great, B2B context in a Research Paper is always annoying. But I think I did okay on it. My presentation and formatting of the answer were good, I had plenty of white space and paragraphs were not too long. I backed up my bullshit with theory and applied it to the case study context. So I am expecting to have passed this paper, I again didn't nail the Database question, but I certainly made a better fist of it then in December.

So Comms is tomorrow morning and Management on Thursday morning. I'm struggling to motivate myself to tackle the study, but I must stop procrastinating and get stuck in.
I am tempted to try and wing Comms (my weakest subject, but I came close to a pass on the mock) and concentrate on MMiP paper and ensure a flying pass there, leaving with at worst MRI again plus Comms in December, instead of half arsed Comms plus half arsed MMiP.

No no, I'll be good. time to bone up on my 4 C's of the MarComms tools and Relationship Management, Key A/C Management, Channel Conflict etc etc

Follow Up to D-Day Post

2008-05-31T13:46:00.002+01:00

Well my brother has asked for a follow up, so here it is.

If the main part of the D-Day post didn't interest you, none of this post will.
Firstly the GridIron information, then the SESL.

in GridIron, the NFL management Sim game, Irish Warriors won their season defining game against Glenbrook Kings. An impressive and dominating ground running game was too much for the Kings as Victor Costello and Mick Galway ran straight through the Kings Line. First 5 Irish possessions all ended in TouchDowns, whilst the first 3 King possessions ended in turnovers, as Irish dominated both sides of the ball. Kings blitzed too much and the new look formations and play selections worked really well for Irish. The Kings did get a consolation TD in the 4th quarter with Irish reserves on the pitch, game ended 44-7. Not all was rosey, as Victor picked up a D class injury that will see him out for at least 3 weeks.

This morning Irish made it 7-0 by beating another divisional rival, Tayside Tigers coached by Mark Boland who I know from SESL. This game started very explosively for Irish, with the D on fire and turning over Tigers 5 times in the first quarter, including Denis Hickie interception TD return. The Offence added another 3 in the first quarter to make the game over before the first change of ends. The game spluttered out to 43-7 win, again it was a 4th quarter TD given up, Irish have only conceded one TD on the starting defence. Victor recovered an injury level and is looking good to be back in time for the playoffs. Pass defence TightEnd Tomás Ó Sé also recovered an injury level and will be back in the Long situation team this week.
New starting Outside Linebacker, Maris, signed in the mid season window though is now on a D class injury and looking dodgy for the playoffs.

Next up for Irish is Avalanche, they are looking good for the playoffs as a wildcard and have a dangerous outside running game. Which I improved by trading them Rob Kearney. The weather is windy as well, which will not help my passing game. So it will likely mean back to running straight through teams.

SESL Update.
I got a text from Steve. But he wouldn't tell me the results, just told me to look at DUM game first, then INV and then FRA game. Why why why did I need to look at FRA game, their game was irrelevant unless I didn't win my game! And anyway FRA were safe. He won't tell me just told me to watch them in that order. So I couldn't until later on, I was out in the pub watching the Mighty Munster, and was joined by an old school friend, John Kealy who was over for the week. We then went and got some food before going back to my place to watch the EuroVision, yes I always watch the show, its great. So back home, grabbed the laptop and got stuck into the games.
First the penultimate game, dull dull draw against SRA, DUM hammered RR and were only 1 goal worse off now on GD and had scored more, so I would need more than a draw against RR now myself, but QoS were dragged in, as they had lost their game.

Here is the post I put up on the SESL Blog that day.
brackets are to explain details.

Okay MOT v DUM, 35% (of) MOT (skill level) grim this is going to be brutal, 11+% (chance of a shot every minute) DUM no goals no goals goal argg, okay lets see if MOT opens up, nope fair enough they've a playoff, DUM win, okay I can still go up with a win.

5 man BC (5 man midfield ball control, tactic bonus against 2 man midfields like mine) from RR, cheeky, 6% shot chance against my 11% not too bad, hey why they getting the first shot, whats with my defenders getting shots, booking argg you're supposed to be loose (loose referee is supposed to less card happy), oh my god oh my god straight RED to a winger!
69.25 OFF lost to rum swigger. (ref was named after Robin Dewar my fellow rum drinker, the sending off of my winger knocked almost a third out of my offence)
And now Rovers (RR) were ahead on shot chance, surely my team would revert to N and pull in that 7 OTF (team bonus, lost when playing early cross like my team does) I wish I could have traded away

What the *u** was that (fuck, can't swear on olmec sites, no such rules here) how are Raith ahead, how on earth is that happening?
And are my forwards going to get any of this trickle of shots I'm generating.
No and no (shots were scarce for my team and we lost the game 1-0, I felt like Caley were relegated)

Okay so onto the FRA game, oh they're playing QoS (I now realise why the FRA game)
I could finish ahead of them if they lose

van den Bergh scores - I exclaim in joy (literally, in front of John and his two friends)
Finnigan scores- I groan in pain
Finnigan SENT OFF - I exclaim in joy
Dobbie scores- I groan in pain
van den Bergh scores - I exclaim in joy
van den Bergh scores - I exclaim in joy
Kone scores - I exclaim in joy

Oh my god we're not relegated, we're promoted.

Can't believe it we felt down and buried, terrible luck in the first half of the season, shot allocation terrible and shot ratio's in games not mathematical (should have said proportional to mathematically prediction models).
Second Half of the season, we pushed on and looked strong, then with 3 games to go, ref's decided that OLMEC really really didn't want us up.
RED CARD to WINGER
Suspend top FW
Suspend SD
RED CARD to WINGER

But van den Bergh didn't read the memo and powered CALEY into the big time and for that the mayor is going to organise the freedom of the town for him, and I'm sure that will extend to the lady folk.

So delight, I went into the kitchen and called Steve. I was ecstatic at getting Caley back up, especially when it had looked hopeless earlier in the season. Steve won the division and fair play to him, but Caley are up in the big time and I don't expect to see them relegated. Now we won't be competing for the title either, but mid table mediocrity would be nice.

So that is that, Inverness promoted in 4th spot. Irish 7-0 and looking strong.
Now to concentrate on SFLSL, Dublin County struggling 4 pts off promotion, unable to get shots in games despite being way ahead in area stats, hmm sounds familar. Maybe things will even up when Flatnz new season starts back up next month and the Alcoholics kick off the campaign.

Starting a new game of Diplomacy this month as well.

D Day

2008-05-23T10:46:00.004+01:00

Okay so this Saturday is D Day for me.

This is a long post that gets very detailed about an aspect of my life that almost none of you will be interested in. The first part you should read, the rest I will understand if you don't want to.

And no it has nothing to do with my Rachel, exams, work or sport in the real sense.
Yes things with Rachel are going really well, we've seen each other for the last 3 weekends but we won't now for a little while. Though, Rachel update is another blog and I've to get permission first.

Work goes, not overly thrilled about work at the moment. But I'm off work now until the 6th of June on Study Leave. SO the exams you say, yes well last Saturday I had a study revision session up in Birkbeck College, that was for Marketing Management in Practice, and this Saturday I've got Marketing Research and Intelligence, and on Sunday I've got Marketing Communications, yes thats right Saturday and Sunday of the bank holiday weekend. Well these things must be done. The revision sessions go over the entire sylabus again in one day, focusing on the areas that are more likely to be tested.
They were great last year, especially for Planning which I was a bit lost in beforehand. And the one last weekend was good, but I'm pretty okay with Management unit, I am looking forward to this weekend's units as I failed MRI last time and I'm feeling lost in Comms. So we will see how they go. I've about 10 days till my first exam, but they are also not D Day Saturday.

Sport you say, oh yes Brian does love his sport and get so fret up about it. Yes there is a big match on Saturday and I hope that Munster win and stuff Toulouse while their at it. Should be a great game, I'll find a pub around Tottenham Court road that will show the game after class and watch it. Finding such a pub may be difficult. But I will find it and I will watch the game.
But no that is also not important to me.

No this Saturday is important for me in the same context that this blog exists, online.

--

This Saturday is the final weekend of the Scottish Email Soccer League regular season. I manage Inverness Caledonian Thistle (Caley or INV). I took over them last season after I jumped ship from relegated Partick Thistle (PT or Jags) who I managed for 4 seasons. I started managing PT in December 2004. I was managing Leinster in a now defunct league, and my friend Steve Turner suggested me for a vacancy in SESL. Back then the league was email, it has now switched to an entirely online interface. My first task with PT was to keep them in the second division, there was a relegation playoff. I duly kept them in the division, next up was the cup campaign and I got the Jags to the quarters.

The following season, I lead PT to the Division 2 title and kept them in the top flight for 2 seasons, before in season 18 saw them relegated after I was AWOL for the first 10 matches of the season, it was huge hole to climb and I did well to have a chance of a playoff instead of automatic relegation on the last day of the season. But down they went and I decided to fall on my sword.

The commissioner offered me Caley and I took them, they were an old side but one that should do okay. The season went terribly and Caley couldn't score and were relegated, again a late charge almost saw Caley stay up but it was not to be.

So frantic off season trading last November and December, which I began before the team went down to change the nature of the team completely. I switched them from a longball/normal team into a pure early cross team. Signing 3 wingers in the off season, to compliment the 3 big forwards I had.

This season has not been easy, and I was languishing in 7th place with 14 matches to go. 18 pts had been lost by a single goal, as OLMEC (software behind game) punished my team time and again.
The season though was looking up, struggling for consistency before mid season break, which is followed by the group stage of the cup. We waltzed through the group stage and carried that form into the second half of the season. We had an easy draw in the cup and always held something back there and unfortunately held short at the round of 16. But in the league we were firing and climbing the table. Picking up 27 of 30 pts that has seen Caley climb to 4th in the table ahead of Dumbarton (DUM). Top 4 are automatically promoted, 5th and 6th play 12th and 11th from Div 1 in a one off playoff for promotion/relegation.

DUM are 5th now 4 points behind (it was 1 last w/end). So I need 2 pts from the last weekend to get back to the big time. Unfortunately in my last match against my old team Partick, the ref Iain Barnes (off Christmas card list) was trigger happy and sent off 1 of my wingers and booked my big striker, both players are suspended for last 2 games, as is another starting defender.

So I'm struggling to field a strong side in my first game against Stranaer, who have fallen down the table and from promotion likelihood to relegation possibles, it will be tricky game.

Meanwhile, DUM play all but relegated Raith Rovers, who have their starting keeper suspended and a starting defender injured, 3 easy pts for DUM, whilst I'll be lucky for 1 pt. That would leave me 2 pts ahead going into the last game with maybe 2 or 3 goals better difference.

--

So last games then, DUM play Motherwell (MOT), the team in 6th position who have just lost the SESL Cup Final and ran their team into the ground doing so, before this match they play the only team that can overtake them in the table but not if they get a draw. And given that right after the league game are the playoffs (well next Wednesday) I can't see MOT putting out a terribly strong side against DUM. So a draw in my last game will probably not be enough. So who is my last game, whew thankfully I play RR as well.

He will have a stronger team out against me, but even without big Rory McAllister I feel we should be too strong. So its back in the big time.

So whilst Munster are playing Toulouse, I will be thinking how did Caley do.

Undoubtedly Steve will text me and tell me. Oh in case you're interested (you probably are if you're got this far) Steve manages Deveronvale, who have won Division 2.
He beat me 4 times this season in SESL, he'd not beaten me before there. So this past year,
he's beaten me 4 times in SESL,
Twice in the league, and Twice in the CECIL Cup.
3 times in SFLSL (another league)
2 last season to my 1, including a Cup Semi Final defeat
Just once over in Flatnz (another league)
But that was the semi final of the Bowl, so more important than my 2 conference wins.

--

Also this Saturday in online gaming.

This year I joined GirdIron3, a NFL management simulation.
I can't link it as you won't be able to see anything, it is all behind passwords.
This league actually costs me money to join.

A new league was starting with 32 new coaches to run alongside and separate from the already established GFL. We are playing in GFL Atlantic.

So I got to name and brand my team. I choose Irish Warriors.
The team is named entirely on Irish people, there are a few from history and myth (Cu Chulainn & Brian Boru) most rugby players. But there are football players in there, including Gaelic players (Tomás Ó Sé, Alan Brogan) and my kicking unit is golfers, kicker is Darren Clark, punter is McGinley.

The teams quarterback, and face of the franchise, is Brian O'Driscoll.

I've gone with some consistency in positions, so the offensive guards (Corrigan, Poppiwell, Hayes) are props, the defensive linesman are mostly second row or flankers. line backers are mostly footballers, midfielders at that, Houghton & Townsend.
The rugby wingers & fullbacks play in two positions, wide receivers and corners. Whilst my running backs are number 8's. Costello, Galway and Heaslip.

The team was built to run the ball on the ground well, and pump it deep as well.
And set up to defend against that as well. Inspired by the Chicago Bears side of the 1980's.

I got a great start to the season, and Irish stand at 5-0, leading the CFC South (Coastal Football Confernce) from Glenbrook Kings on 3-2.

They are my next match, and this is D Day in my teams season, win it and we as good as we believe and can go into the playoffs confident. Lose it and well we're not that good and Glenbrook become a challenge for the division.

We've to play them again in week 9. the win all but wraps up the division, so its then about securing a top 2 finish to get a first week bye in the playoffs. We will not win the conference or finish the season unbeaten, as week 10 we play Al Amarja Islanders, who are coached by a GridIron 2 veteran, his team are the team to beat. They are set up like mine but with older and higher level players.

But this weekend is what matters, winning the division first season would be great. And as much as I would have asked for. To be unbeaten after 5 weeks (won both pre-season games as well) is brilliant. There are 4 unbeaten teams left.

What is great is that the GFL automated bookmakers keep making Irish underdogs because we give up a lot of yards in games, but they are not taking into consideration the fact that Tony O'Reilly puts over 200 yards a game on returning kicks and punts. The boy (man will have to retire within 2 seasons) is a beast and scored his first TD last week with a 50 yard punt return. 3 punt returns have been scored in 5 weeks of play, and in 7 season of GFL only 2 players have scored both a punt return and kick return TD, so that is the challenge now for O'Reilly. But waiting in the wings is equally talented Luke Fitzgerald.

I am really psyched about the game this weekend, I've made signings to improve my run wide defence, and improve my offensive line as O'Driscoll has been sacked way too often (23 times in 5 games).
I've also read the rule a bit more and learnt that I should be dropping him into the shotgun on my long set of plays (reduces sack chance, increases deep passing), and that I've not been using the optimal run plays for my team (whoops but the rules are 193 pages long and I'm supposed to be studying).

So hopefully all this will come together to produce a 6-0 start to the season, and another "upset win" for the Irish.

Either way I've enjoyed the first season and I'm looking forward to the live draft event in Bristol in September.

Okay I'm going to go study.

IronMan - I loved it

2008-05-21T14:53:00.004+01:00

I went to the cinema last night, I was going to go straight home but I got a free daily travelcard from someone at Heathrow. So I decided to take the advantage of not having the pay the return fares on going to the cinema. I would have liked to have gone into Trocadero but for some reason the movie selection there is shit. Only one movie I'd be interested in, and only half interested in, Smart People. I've read some bad reviews of it, so I'm inclined to wait and lovefilm it.

So Hammersmith it was, and I had to kill an hour before the movie kicked off, so I picked up an Evening Standard and flipped through it listening to Movies you Should See podcast. They were discussing a movie I'd had even heard of, Wages of War, a 1954 movie which has an IMDB rating of 8.4, and is ranked 104 on IMDB.

Anywho, on down to the cinema and into the theatre. The quality of the cinema is very bad. The arm rests and chairs are threadbare in places and the top light here the entrance never went off.

But none of that took away from the sheer joy I got from watching the movie. Downey is great in the role, he is an engaging and charismatic actor that draws you in. The look and feel of the movie was just great and it is good to see Marvel taking the reins of their movie adaptations, and more so making them in line with the Ultimate titles rather than Amazing/Astonishing of the 70's. Darker, edgy, gritty and just more real and modern.

The post credits was cool, but the credits were way way way too long. But introducing Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. and wanting to set up Avengers is great for foreshadowing future movies. I know that Downey is listed as a credit in the new (Marvel controlled) Hulk movie. Its a shame that XMen and Spiderman still seem to be under control of big studios not Marvel, given the new direction that IronMan took.

I will go and watch IronMan again, and I will buy it. Its the best comic book movie I've seen in years and will be until I get to watch Dark Knight Returns

Sleep Follow up

2008-05-20T17:13:00.005+01:00

Oh an update to the sleep post, the guys on Definite Word Podcast talked about sleeping as well, it was funny because I listened to it the same day but later.

They mentioned that snooze was evil and discussed various different alarm clocks, my favourite was a mat that you had to stand on to turn if off.

It required your body weight to turn off, which means that the only way to turn it off was to get up. Clever, but as in the past I have gotten out of bed got my phone and snoozed it and brought it back to bed, not certain to solve my problem without attitude change.

This morning I got up after one snooze at what I thought was 06.33, the problem is that I took my battery out of my phone last night to reset everything as my internet connection wasn't working on it. Well I never changed the clock back last night, so it was more like 7.45 when I got up, and I was wondering why the clock on the computer was wrong, so I changed it, but I was really puzzled by the clock in the shop saying it was 9.15, then it dawned on me what I'd done. So instead of getting to work for like half 8 and leaving at half 4, I'm got in at 10.15 and well its 17.20 and I'm still here and will be for close to an hour more.

Gadettes just talked about an alarm clock that spits out 3 puzzle pieces and you have to put them back in to turn if off.

Coffee Not for Infants, thats NOT

2008-05-20T12:16:00.008+01:00

I've just noticed on my Bodrum as the handle is facing me on the desk and its right beside the left monitor so heavily in my peripheral vision. A little square box with a line through it.

The picture is a squat person with a darkened crotch area. Upon investigation, that represents a baby in a nappy. And the picture is telling me that coffee or this product is not for des enfants, the writing on that side of the glass is in French.

oh wait part of this is in English,
children and (handle gap)
fluids should (handle gap)
kept apart.

because
hot fluids mus (handle gap)
handled with (handle gap)

Hmm coffee. The cause of my "average height" but so so tasty.

Sleeping & Naps

2008-05-14T15:31:00.003+01:00

Listening to CNet 404 podcast, episode 93, so its from a couple of weeks ago.
Well on this show they have Michael Breus on the show, he's the author of Beauty Sleep and thesleepdoctor.com.

There are a couple of interesting things from it. But the one that I loved was the nap-a-latte, you drink a luke warm cup of coffee and go for a power nap, 15 or 20 minutes, and as it is time to get up after the 15 or 20 minutes the caffeine kicks and you're good to go for hours.
I like that concept.

The other stuff he talked about,

On the sleeping thing, the guy said that sleep needs to be done in blocks of 90 minutes. So this is probably why I can do 6 hours no problems and struggle with 7 hours or 8. The power nap needs to be no more than 25 minutes, so that you don't enter a heavy sleep, just get your type 1 and type 2 sleep.

I might check out his book, as he feels that the snooze button is the worst invention in the world, and as people who know me will have heard me claim that as well.
The snooze button causes you get extra shit sleep that tires you out instead of energizing you. And I totally understand that, as I'm a terrible snoozer, hitting the button 6 times usually for 54 minutes extra. This is not good and I feel really tired after that. I will try to take control of the alarm and get up. Its funny because the week that I didn't have my phone and therefore no alarm, I went to bed and said to myself you have to be up in 5 and half hours, and shit I got up in 5 and half hours, it was unreal.

So that is my plan.

The podcast is good in general, normal they talk about gaming, films and tech stuff.

Como Estas, Ipod & Podcast

2008-04-22T16:16:00.006+01:00

Its annoying that ipod/itunes sorts podcasts in reserve order, newest first. I wish it was oldest first so I could just press play and sit back.

I'm listening to Coffee Break Spanish now. 15 minute shows, but the first one cut out after a minute, odd.

So episode 2 is all about hello and other greetings for different times of the day.
Looking forward to this sequence of podcasts. Because I've decided that I want to learn Spanish. As I reckon that is by far the most useful language after English in the world. English is definitely the most spoken language in the world. More people have English as a language, yes yes there are more people in China than in the English first speaking world. But loads of them speak some English, most of Europe speaks English (though quite a lot won't admit it) and then Africa as well.

But South America, well Spanish is the dominant language down there. And it is useful in the US as well. Not to mention Spain itself. And as I would love to travel in South America, I reckon it would be good to speak de lingua. Definitely skip Columbia and Venezuela, but most of the rest of it big time. Maybe even start in Mexico and work way down the contingent (skipping around Columbia and Venezuela of course). Before finishing up in Argentina where I would love to meet my friend Mike Hernandez, who I know from SESL (now also Flatnz & SFLSL).

Fuck sake episode 2 cut off suddenly as well. What does Asta Pronto mean? He was about to tell us. See you soon? Comment with your ideas.
fuck I missed other stuff at the end of the podcast apart from just the greetings, they did my name is, me animo (sp?)

Okay moving on, I've been meaning to post for quite a while now. But I've just not got around to it. So I will either come up with a sequence of posts, both on here and on the sports and politics blogs to catch up, or I might just ignore it and move on from here.

As I posted on Facebook last Thursday, things are looking up, I now have a working Ipod again. So many podcasts to catch up. 3.2 days.
I'm fully up to date with Economist, America Votes, Martin Wolf FT.com, Diggnation (though only recent stuff not all the way back). I've listened to a bit of my other ones, not too much though I've a lot to catch up, a few Movies You Should See, Make it So but well I've a huge back log on those. But I will get through them all, of yes I will. Very happy with Diggnation. I've now finally set up a Digg a/c. I'm Sisyphean on there. And my first digged story was New Weapon 'Ennui Gas' Induces Listlessness, Dissatisfaction.

Wow thats cheeky they will be charging for the top up guide, top up podcast from episode 4. I might go looking for another Free podcast to learn Spanish. They are charging a £1 for the download cheeky shits.

Soy de Irelande, asta pronto

Travolution - No Frills Video

2008-03-28T17:20:00.002Z

When no-frills airlines run out of ancillary products to sell

This was on the Travolution blog, and it is very funny. Boss spotted it today and asked me to play it in the office.

Me and my bricks

2008-03-19T22:06:00.003Z

I am having a shit tech week

My phone bricked last saturday and my Ipod stopped working this morning.

Okay so my phone suddenly stopped working on Saturday. I was online testing what I could do further. I went onto SESL, one of my email soccer games, and tried to go into the blog and see if I could post from my phone or at least read the blog posts. Page too large, and normally it just cuts out and you have click back. But noooo, this time I got the phone equivalent of the blue screen, the none screen of death. And shit man it literally did nothing. Back button, nothing. C button nothing, power button nothing, take the battery out, nothing. Take the sim and battery out nothing, fuck, leave the sim out for an hour, nothing, plung it all in over night, nothing. Of course 3 don't answer tech calls on a Sunday night. So I call on Monday and arrange for the phone to be exchanged. They drop out a replacement and take my new brick.
What time would you like, 12 to 6? Sure, but I'm not able to do it today from exactly 12 I won't be in the office till 1. Okay I'll see what day we can get you. Wednesday.
Wednesday, great, 8 to 12 or 12 to 6, well I fancy the latter as it doesn't involve me up at the crack of dawn with a phone to wake me up.

Tuesday I woke myself up, I set an online alarm but of course my internets went overnight, they kept going on Monday night. Every 20 mintues I had to go downstairs and flick the switch. Fucking BT. (See Shit tech week, broadband not really working either).

But I literally woke myself up, I said to myself going to bed at half 11 (wow same day I woke up, and going to sleep that is scary stuff) get up in 7 hours and fuck I did. I had to be in the office before 9 on Tuesday. And I managed it, go me. And it was a great commute, watched CNN vodcast all the way there on my fully functional no problems awesome black Ipod 80g Classic.

So Tuesday night, internets still cutting out all the time, fucking annoying.
I tell myself get up in 8 hours this time and I fucking pull it off again this is scary shit. Of course I'd remembered on Tuesday night that I had to go into the city for a meeting the following morning. But I knew my boss would forget (he forgot I took Monday as a half day to spend with Rachel after telling him on Friday) so I call him and remind him that we have a meeting with Kelkoo at 10am, he says he going to be late (of course he is, I called him on his office phone, only number i know for him and I'm calling from my home phone, remember no mobile, keep up).

Anyway, before i head off, I click disconnect Ipod, and the screen comes up. Ok to Disconnect, but it stops and doesn't go away. I spend 15 minutes playing with it, trying to get it resolve. ITunes no longer sees or recognises the Ipod. And this is how I set off. I arrive at the meeting okay ,and its a great meeting.
But I need to haul ass back to the office, its 11.40 leaving yahoo/kelkoo offices.

And i missed the handover to exchange it for a new one today by like 15 minutes.
the receptionists never told me that they had come so I sat there waiting for them till 4 or 5 and then called 3mobile and they said oh he was there at half 12. he is not in the area anymore so you'll have to do it tomorrow

But I've a new development on the Ipod front, it switched to extremely low power, charge. I plugged it into computer and itunes said can't recognise Ipod Garner, restore settings.
well i did restore the fucking settings about 20 times and no change.
but weird thing, my settings weren't restored and my shit was still on the pod, so I try to listen to a podcast, no fucking joy, won't play. mutter mutter.
what about music, okay playing a few tunes.
i'll listen to some metal on the way into regent street to talk to the apple people.

so I get to the store and the lady looks at me all funny and said, have you reset it, and i explained that I tried restoring it in itunes, and she was like, no no no, reseting, here, holds down the two buttons.
Excellent, well music works, (but it did when I walked into the store) try the podcast, yeah that works. Cool thank you and off I go (after debating for a few minutes with the lady how shit the US mobile network is, why Iphone uses Edge and not 3g and how I am still leaning towards the N95 over the Iphone)
SO listening to my podcasts i browse the store and the fucking ITouch is fucking amazing I watch some YouTube on it and it was cool.
leave the store happy as larry (do you read this larry?).
Wait it cut out before it was finished, what the fuck, open it back up, try to fast forward, not working. go to music, try to fast forward, yeah that works. open another podcast try to fast forward no, open one that I know is on the machine longer than this morning, try to fast forward yip that works. hmmm.
its playing, maybe it is just the sync didn't work. Lets go home.

Get home. 1 1/2 episodes of Make it So latter.

Plug IPod into laptop.

Unable to read, what the fuck what the fuck! you're doing it again. restore.
disconnect push the fucking buttons, restore again and again, still not working.

Funnily enough, all the stuff is still on the Ipod, a sure sign that the restore didn't work. As Restore should reset to factor settings, IE no music, no podcasts no photos.

So tomorrow, I will wait patiently for phone exchange, to have a working mobile.
And I will call Apple support and talk to them, failing that I will revisit the Apple store. I am thinking the n95 is looking really good right now and I wish my old IRiver wasn't a radio playing semi brick anymore.

Battle of the Bands

2008-03-02T23:46:00.001Z

I'm up in Kentish Town for a battle of bands that Breege has asked me along to. These guys aren't the band she's here to support but i think they're pretty good. Good and solid look. The guys on before where 18 and pretty punk, more happy to be there than what they were doing. Okay this lot just lost kudos points she took out a tamborine. Nah still good, Aroma Rage i think i'll check them out on myspace.

Cambodian Coffee

2008-02-26T15:39:00.002Z

I am sitting in work drinking this wonderful coffee from Cambodia that my friend David brought back on his travels in the Orient.

It is a wonderful elegant smooth bold coffee.

It has invigorated me as I was become downbeat in work as the day drags to conclusion, as I am frustrated to be in the office rather than working at home today. As I've talked with my boss about working from home on Tuesdays to help with my course. Saving around 3 hours from commuting to allow me to read up on course work, whilst still allowing me to give at least 7 and half hours to reports and work activities.

I will preserve and seek to work from home more often going forward, starting next week.

In Gatwick

2008-02-19T12:37:00.001Z

We're waiting in the departures lounge. Flight is slightly delayed due to earlier fog. We got here with plenty of time after giving ourselves loads of time to avoid hassle. Special k and super sweet fruit tea for breakfast. MacD's lunch less healthy but fuck it WE'RE ON HOLIDAY.

Stupid but interesting Meme

2008-02-15T19:30:00.005Z

The Meme taken from Donogh

1. Go to Random Wiki
The first article title on the page is the name of your band.

2. Go to Random Quotes
The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album.

3. Go to Interesting Flickr
The third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.

4. Create your album cover and post it.

Wiki Entry & Photo.
Quote;
Talent is nothing but a prolonged period of attention and shortened period of mental assimilation.
Konstantin Stanislavsky (1863 - 1938)

New Food Update - Spag Bol

2008-02-15T10:53:00.002Z

I made myself Spagetti Bolognaise last night for the first time. I have eaten it in my early childhood, by eaten it I mean forced to eat it. So I may have psychological issues with the dish but anywho.

I bought pasta (twirl small bits) from the co-op last night and some Dolmo light bolognaise sauce. And I approached the whole thing with an open mind. I got home I put water on the boil and started cooking the mince, with the water boiled I added the pasta, and then took the mince off the heat for a few minutes before putting it back on to add the sauce. This is where I knew there were going to be problems. I hadn't realised just how much tomato was in the jar, not to mention clearly visible onions.
As anyone reading this will likely know me and onions not friends. I'm learning the word for onion in several languages so I can explicitly ask for it not to be included in my food.

I intended and did cook enough for lunch today.

Now as for my opinion of it, well meh.

It had onion and loads of tomato in the sauce so I was kinda pushing food around the plate getting at mince and I was also struggling with the pasta. I didn't actually know when the pasta was done cooking, but I decided to approach it with the same principle as everything else, stick a fork in it, yeah soft, must be cooked.

SO not a huge success like I was hoping, I really enjoyed the food I had at Bobs a few weeks back, maybe I need to put more thought into the sauce and maybe make it myself, I already make my own Sweet and Sour sauce for stir fries or ribs. This will allow me to remove onions from the mix completely and concentrate and adapting to tomatoes on their own.

I will of course eat my lunch today and I will continue to approach this dish with an open mind.

work new food Tesco politics boardgames soccer boardgames work politics boardgames rugby boardgames new food superbowl

2008-02-07T13:36:00.004Z

That is essentially my last two weeks up to this one, with this one being work politics cinema.

Work
I am being more productive at work of late, getting regular weekly reports out on the Monday of the week. The bosses are happy with the output and the performance.
I have agreed that I am able to come in latter, around 10.00, which is good, as in the past I have been leaving around 18.00 anyway, so now I am doing less unpaid overtime and don't have to worry about leaving too late this morning, worrying about tube delays etc. But also about feeling tired or feeling guilty about staying up till 2am watching tv. Okay so this is good thing, and I don't have to come in at 10, I could come in at 8 and leave around 4 like a lot of the guys in the office.

Tesco
I made my first online grocery shop during the past fortnight as well. I spent £49 including the £4 on delivery fees. It was a painless exercise and allowed me to get minerals that I would normally not buy as they are too heavy. I mainly was buying frozen meat to stock up. I also bought some vegetables and predictably had to throw them out this week as they had gone off. I will continue to use the online service to buy bulkier food and frozen food, and buy veg from local shops or Asian food stores to reduce waste.

Politics
I have been following the US Presidential Primary election very closely, and this week is no different, I know this is a post about the previous two weeks, but politics is something that is very fluid and old news is old hat. Well this week had Super Tuesday or Super Duper Tuesday (or Super DUBER Tuesday in misspelled Brian land), I agreed with my boss to come in late so that I could stay up and follow the coverage. I stayed up till 4am till Ca polls closed and most of the major states had been declared. Basically I was waiting for Missouri to be called as that was the key swing state in both parties. For more on my thoughts on the politics side.

Boardgames
I have started going back to Boardgames in the city, with the London on Board group from Meetup. They have been meeting in the Knights Templar in Chancellory Lane, and whilst I missed it this week (staying in the office late after late start due to Super Tuesday) I did go the previous two weeks.
Two weeks back, I played a game of TransAm to warm up, with 2 very new members and a few others. We then played a game of Antike, me and 3 experienced boardgamers, Alan and Adam amongst them. Adam won, bitter.

The following week (or last week) I first played a game of settlers, where I pulled of f a handy 4 pt victory. That game was followed by an introduction to Brass, I showed 3 people through the canal age of the game to introduce them to the mechanics of the game. It seemed to go down well, it is a meaty game but I think one of the best of recent years.

In between these two sessions I played boardgames down in Alan's in Greenwich. I arrived straight from Arsenal (see next section). I met him at the Co-Op to collect supplies and we then went to the Threshers to collect the real supplies. 3 bottles of rose and 6 tins of john smiths. We then went up to his house and chatted with his housemate whilst waiting for George to arrive.
When Mr O'Keeffe did arrive, we chatted some more before sitting down to Metro.
Which George had purchased recently. It is a wonderful game, playing well with any of its number of players including 2. I won this game quite comprehensively.
Next on the menu was Empires of the Ancient World (AKA Spear Block Elephant). This is a good game, though slightly flawed in some of its mechanics. I think the Diplomat cards are too powerful. But thankfully the other two didn't use them to full effect and my powerful army was supreme. I was spending over 20 pts a turn in upkeep, as I had 3 independent forces, a naval force, a land army and a siege army. Despite the upkeep I was still putting over 20 pts over the other two and over the 4 turns won with almost 50% of the total score.

After that game we chatted and played some Chrononauts. It is a fun filler game, and my hot streak was unblemished with 3 wins out of 3. That took us up to around 3am and George called a taxi home.

I stayed on the couch, and the next day Alan and me played Hannibal: Rome vs Carthage. This is a great game. It is a 2 player wargame. But it is not purely a military game, with political dominance of regions being the objective. The combat system is very clever. This is Alan's favourite game and it was my first time playing it. I made a bold gambit against Africa in the first year which was set back by a powerful card play from Alan. In the first year, Alan managed to get Hannibal over the Alps and into Italy. From there I was in trouble with only weak consuls available to me Hannibal marched up and down Italy laying waste to my political base. Scipio Africanus eventually arrives about 6 years into the game and helped me stem the tide, driving Hannibal back into northern Italy. Then after having been willing to call the game for Alan I had a massive stroke of luck, one of Cartages generals was lost at sea with the army in Cartage, this left Cartage open, I risked everything with a headlong charge against it launching Scipio Africanus in a naval assault on the city. Laying siege to it. I then prevented Hannibal from responding on Rome with a "Bad Weather" card stopping his movement still inside Alpine Italy. 3 turns latter Cartage had fallen and I had won an automatic victory. It took most of the day to play (about 8 hours) but I believe we could do it in half the time next time when I won't need to be referencing rules or have the rules explained.
A thoroughly enjoyable weekend indeed.

Last Sunday, I played Twilight Imperium 3 at London Boardgames Club in Ealing Common.
6 player game, we got through 5 turns before we called it. We had set the target end time as around half 7. We had one new player so time was lost in game explanation. But we did make reasonable progress through the game and it was very interesting. We played with some of the expansion races, and the race technologies from Shattered Empire. We also suggested simulated early turns. I played very aggressively and attacked my neighbour to my right and was almost successful in taking him out. But had to pull off him when my neighbour to my left made a sortie against me. I responded with a peace settlement on my original target, drove the sortie out. And then in the last turn of the game destroyed one of his War Suns and its fleet in another system, and then using my Race Tech, Salvage, I was able to rebuild his War Sun as my own. But it was not enough as he used some cards to instigate revolt on two of my planets making them neutral and he scored the objective 3 VP for having more influence than his two neighbours combined putting him on 7 to mine and another players 4.
Very enjoyable game, we are likely to get another 2 games in this year. Though I suspect we will play 4 player next time, or play 6 player with the extra ring of systems for more space.

New Food

Two weeks ago I had a meeting at Google, they took me to lunch afterwards at Mango Tree. A Thai restaurant. This year I am determined to experiment more with what I eat, and so instead of just declaring that I can't eat anything on the menu I ate one of the dishes and loved it.
I ate a dish called Kow Pad Saparot. Chicken, prawn and pineapple fried rice served in a pineapple boat. I think that is the first time I've eaten prawns. And I liked them. The rice was also very different and I really liked it.

Last Sunday, lunch was laid on for us by the host of the boardgames. It was mince in a bolognese sauce. Please bare in mind that I don't eat SpagBol, but I didn't turn my nose up at the meal but instead stuck my fork into it and ate it. The meal also included things I have previously not eaten, sweet corn or never eaten before, kidney beans. I really enjoyed the meal. And I am now confident that I will be able to achieve my plan to be able to eat an Italian dish this year, SpagBol being the favourite now over Pizza. I am already able to eat stuff at Oriental restaurants, so the other culinary area that I wish to be able to handle is Sub-Continent, and for that I need to be able to eat a curry.

Soccer
As mentioned earlier, before going to Alan's for boardgames I was at the Arsenal.
I bought a ticket to the FA Cup 4th Round match against Newcastle. It was a great day out, with Arsenal emerging 3 goal winners, all the goals were at the other end but the view in the Emirates is amazing and it was not a problem seeing the action at the other end of the pitch.

Rugby & Superbowl
For my thoughts on the rugby and the Superbowl, my Musings on Sport is the best place to go.
Needless to say, I watched the rugby on the Saturday, and the Superbowl on Sunday night, having agreed with my boss to come in late on Monday morning.

Cinema
Whilst not on the list of things I did the past fortnight, I shall add cinema, as I went last night to watch "No Country for Old Men". I really enjoyed this movie, but I would say that I think it was very good movie rather than a very enjoyable movie but it is an enjoyable movie.

In the same way that I would say that "Charlie Wilson's War" is the opposite, it was very enjoyable movie rather than a very good movie. But it is an good movie.

And Finally
It is now Lent, and I was disappointed to have not been able to go to mass yesterday. And I regretted that I forgot about the Black Fast, as I ate chicken yesterday.

I have decided to give something up for Lent.
I am giving up Gambling. I have withdrawn all my funds from online betting accounts and online poker accounts. I am withdrawn more money from combined online betting than I have deposited. But I am determined to give something up and I feel this is a good thing to do.

The Week that was.

2008-01-17T10:11:00.000Z

Just filling out my re-enrolment form now for my course. Classes will be Monday and Tuesday this year, which is much better than Monday and Wednesday which took up the entire week.
I will look to work from home on Tuesdays, get an hour or two study and revision done instead of commuting, make and eat lunch and go to class. Then every second Wednesday I'll have board games.
Will look into rock climbing then the Thursday and maybe the other Wednesday as well, with cinema trips alternating.

In the last week, I've been boardgaming 3 times now. Twice in the city with the On Boarders, they're in a Weatherspoons on Chancery Lane, so beer is pretty cheap. And on Sunday I went to a boardgames club in Ealing, which is in a guys house in Ealing Common. That is a very good group as they are into serious games. I played and won Pericles. This is a very good game, with really clever mechanics, and it just happens to be designed by my favourite game designer, Martin Wallace.
On Tuesday night with the On Boarders, I played TransAm first with a few people including a virgin boardgamer. Then I sent a group off to play another simple game, whilst I sat down for Antike with Alan (big shout out to my recently married friend) and Adam, and an American lad David from the group. Adam won the game with the tech strat, I took a different approach in this game and went expansion and then temple, but Adam was just too far ahead, I was not going to stop him and I was comfortable in second. The Wednesday before I played just the one game, Citadels, but I suppose it is also about the conversation and the people. George was there that night.

Apart from boardgaming, I've just been working on a wiki project for the online soccer games I play. I've enjoyed working on this project, and we've made great progress in the last week getting the rules into the wiki format. I also picked up on Friday night, Zelda A Link to the Past again on a Snes rom and cracked into that and blasted my way to the 4th Castle, but I struggled to beat the boss, put it down Saturday evening.
I also went to the cinema on Friday, went to Charlie Wilson's War in Hammersmith with George. Really enjoyed the movie, Giving it 4 stars above. Afterwards, we popped into a Weatherspoons in Hammersmith, and were amazed at how cheap the prices were. Pint and a double brandy with tonic and change from a fiver. I had a double Jack and coke for £2.85 after the pint. Pisses me off at how they can be this price and every where else is over a £1 more per drink!

Rachel is over this Saturday, so really looking forward to that. Nothing planned just hang out with her. She's coming again in February for a week. Then we're flying to Barca a few days latter, I've class on Monday night, so fly out Tuesday and back Friday afternoon. Should be great to spend a week together.

Warning Politics - Michigan Results

2008-01-16T13:12:00.002Z

So I picked up the bet on McCain to lose Michigan, risking £4.05 at 1.6, I picked up £6.73 less 34p commission.

I reckoned that Romney would win the state, but decided to go with the safer bet of betting against McCain as that put Huckabee in play for me.

I now need to sit down and have a closer look at the GOP vote in SC and the Democrats in NV. But I think I will skip betting on the Democrats unless it is betting against Hilary in some states, but even then I think the odds are not going to be great for the risk. So instead I will stay focused on the Republican contest, where there are still 3 viable candidates plus 3 hangers-on.

SC is Huckabee's to lose surely but in Michigan he suffered a huge blow in his core base, evangelical voters. Born-again and evangelical voters constituted almost 40% of Michigan's total vote, Romney won them by five points over Huckabee, 34 to 29.
This is a body blow to his campaign, because if evangelical voters will vote for a Mormon then Huckabee's campaign could run out of steam and Romney could power his way to the nomination with his strong organisation and deep cash reserves for both his ads and attack ads on his opponents. This will be key in the Super Tuesday campaign as over 20 states go to the polls, this will be a clear reflection on the candidates ability to run a national campaign for the General Election in November.

And in winning Michigan, advantage goes to Romney, as this is the first big state where the airwaves are more important than door to door campaigning. Of course, he was helped by being from the state and his father being a popular 3 time Governor. More than four in 10 Republican voters said that Mitt Romney's ties to the state were important, and those voters chose Romney over McCain by a solid 41-point margin.

Romney is also going after Nevada's delegates on Saturday rather than South Carolina's, where all the other candidates apart from Guilini are campaigning. And the fact of the matter is that NV offers more delegates than SC, and it has 5 times the Mormon population.

BBC article on last night. CNN article on last night.
And more on the analysis of the effects on the race from CNN.

Warning Politics

2008-01-11T09:51:00.001Z

Okay so this post is about the US Primaries.

I've being following them very closely this year, I was keeping an eye on them last year but with the New Year bringing the Primaries front and centre on the radar for anyone who follows politics.

Talking to two college friends who are interested in politics on the 2nd we discussed the Primaries. I was asked my opinion and I felt that Obama would win the Democratic nomination because I felt that they would do what they did 4 years ago and shift towards someone they feel is electable. And given that anywhere from a third to half of the registered voters have stated that they would not vote for Hillary this seemed a decent pick. Add to that, his obvious charm and easy manner. He isn't a slimy politician but comes across as genuine and more importantly here, to Americans he offers hope that they can believe in a better style of politics and not have to always be involved in mud baths.

Add in last nights big endorsement. John Kerry is still influential in the Democratic party. Yes he lost to Bush and he was a piss weak candidate, his endorsement for Obama is big in getting the nomination. Yes it might come back to haunt in a general election, but the Republicans will have lots of hate ads to run anyway.

He did win in Iowa, and he won big. Since then Edwards has been positioning himself as running mate material to him. Edwards stood up for Obama in the debate after he was attacked by Hillary. The win in Iowa was followed by an inspirational speech that would have played very well in living rooms around America.

He ran very close to Hillary in New Hampshire this week, 37% to 39% and heads to Nevada now with strong momentum surely. I'm staying out of the action on Nevada, the gambling state is a crabs game as far as I can see.

But I am putting my oar in on Michigan on the 15th. I have laid Hillary at 1.1 on betfair. So I've risked £1 to pikc up £10 of some punters money. I think this is a very good bet, yes Hillary got back in the race in NH and she has strong Democrat central support as well as Union and Female support. But Michigan is a Mid-Western state and all the stories out of the Mid-West say that Hillary is not liked there. To really ram home this point, the Mid-West have one of their own to vote her instead in Obama.

So I'm thinking that if the Democrats don't decide the election on the crab tables in Vegas then Obama will go to Florida having won a big state to go with little Iowa and might have a chance of upsetting Hillary in the deeply conservative Florida (and large Hispanic population doesn't help Obama either). She of course will stay in the race till Super Tuesday, where New York and California are in play and I'm thinking that she will have won Florida as well by then so then it will matter how close Obama came in Florida as to whether he can topple the Clintons around the country.

Edit
Shit I forgot that Michigan was punished for bringing its poll up early and will get no delegates.

Obama and Edwards are not candidates in Michigan as a result but Hillary still is. So Obama and Edwards have a small campaign asking people to vote Uncommitted.

Plans and Aims for 2k8

2008-01-03T13:17:00.000Z

Oh yes of course. Plans for the year. Well.
I am not terribly happy in my job but I will stick it out for the moment. I have a course to complete and that takes priority at the moment. I really enjoyed the first two units of the course and the second two sound interesting. Marketing Communications and Marketing Management in Practice.
I will be looking for a new place to live in late January, early February as well.
Where I am living is grand. It is quite, it is not massively over priced, I have a big bedroom, it has a tv, it has internet, it has a kitchen I can use. My housemates are quiet and don't get in the way. Well that is kind of the problem. They are quiet and I don't interact with them too much. Also the area is too quiet and isolated. I've over a 10 minute walk to a shop for a start. So my intention is to move to Hammersmith. It is a more central location. Closer to the course, closer to everything apart from work. This would add about 5 kilos to my cycle commute which is my other big plan for this year. I am going to go ahead and make work buy me that bike they promised me. The brother has told me a brand to look at which are good for city cycling and we've already discussed pacing myself at first with cycling every other day initially. Living in Hammersmith will also be better for people to come and visit me. It might be only one stop shorter, but its Zone 2 and that matters to people out East apparently. It is also near a climbing wall. The only one in West London. I have being planning on getting back into climbing for a long time but haven't this year I will do it. Between that and cycling 30 kilos a day I think I will be fit long before Easter. My diet is already reasonably good.

What else for the new year, well of course I want to see Rachel more. Things are going well. We are together 3 months now, which is longer than the two previous times put together. Things are going really well. But last weekend was the longest we spent together since we got back together at 4 days. She is coming over later in this month and I'm taking her away next month for her birthday. We will both be making a serious effort to meet up this year.

I will miss some class but c'est la vie. You don't cover that much in the first few classes normally. It is all in the last fortnight with the book isn't it?

Speaking of course, I will find out at the end of February how I did in the first two units. That will define what I will be doing for the rest of the year. If I have done well, it could well define what I will be doing for the next 3 years.

Apart from the above,
I am going to organize a monthly theatre trip with George.
I will try to go to the Arsenal twice before the end of the season.
I will try to come back to Ireland more often than I did last year.
I will try and take more holidays this year than I did last year.

But most importantly I want to get in control of my finances.

New Year and End of Year

2008-01-03T12:55:00.000Z

Okay so I ushered in the new year in my Mothers place with some friends.
It was a small affair but good fun. I will try to host again next year and might even put people on notice much earlier in the year so that we can lock some plans in place and encourage more people along.
Poor Aidan was essentially with couples and he largely didn't know the people evolved I over estimated how sober he was during poker and it has been a year, so understand that he didn't really know the guys at my little get together. But we all got on well, just sat around chatting, drinking and listening to digital radio. Even though Aidan was in couple land we were not coupley.

The weekend gone was great, Rachel came up on the Saturday evening, I was meeting up with John Colgan in Dundrum and we swung over to the Brook hoping that the Leinster Store would be open, alas it was not so we went into Rockets for a coffee and Rachel joined us. We sat and chatted for about an hour and then John headed into town, and Rahcel and me went back to my mothers. Dropped her stuff off had a cup of Barrys with real milk before going into town to meet up with John again as well as Neil and Louise. Very pleasant evening.

Sunday, myself and Rachel hung around the house before meeting up with my old school friend John Kealy and his girlfriend Tara. John is the non family member that I know the longest and I'm still in touch with. We know each other about 12 years now.
It was great meeting up with him again. It was great meeting up with both of them again and finding out exactly how their progression through academia is going.
Tara is a hoot and it was great that Rachel and them got on well.
Unfortunately it was a short stay, as they had family dinner plans. Which was okay because I was fitting them in before poker.

Rach and myself were going over to Chewie's and Gretchin's for poker. There were supposed to be one or two others but alas they were "tired" and so it was just the 4 of us. We had very pleasant evening, chatting and playing, enhanced by my winning both games and leaving with an extra €60. The second game I was heads up with Rach and I really enjoyed that. I reckoned 5 hands, she lasted 7. Sorry dear.

On New Years eve we lounged around the house and watched tele with my little sister.
I think Jimmy Carr is funny, and I really enjoyed the Big Fat Quiz of the Year on Channel 4, which Claire had recorded on Sky+. A most excellent invention.

Which takes us up to New Years eve, sitting around chatting with a small group of friends enjoying oneself. Thank you to Peter (Blackadder), Ellen, Peter (Chewie) and Gretchin and most of all (not including my girlfriend of course) to Aidan for venturing into the den of couples. Next year I hope to have more people and not just couples. Maybe my sister will co-host and bring some of her friends.

Back in Dublin agus Updates

2007-12-26T21:28:00.001Z

I arrived back into Dublin on Thursday 20th, finished work at 14.00 straight into the airport. Already checked in, online, so quickly through security and straight to Weatherspoons. A few pints of Magners later ( <- Rach & Fiona please note spelling) and onto the gate, nicely timed to be able to get straight onto the plane. Oisin decided that the little bottles of Jack were just the ticket and ordered 4 for us.

My little sister was waiting at the airport, after being driven there by my wonderful cousin Tracey. Swiftly home due to the very surprising lack of traffic on the M50, odd that, remember that road being maniac all the time. Did notice a slight change on the Ballyogan Road though, half of it was gone because they are (very slowly) building the Luas extension. So in 2 (or 5 without brown envelopes) years time my mother will have a Luas stop 3 minutes from her door.

Okay so back home, very happy to be here. Rachel came up on Friday evening and stayed till Sunday afternoon. It was great seeing her again, its been about 6 weeks. My sisters have declared that I've to keep this one as they really like her.

Friday evening I got to meet up with the old group down in Uncle Toms. Great catching up with them, finding out what is happening with them. They are mostly doing well, but that is their stories and not my right to republish online, so I wont.

Sunday I lounged around at home most of the day with Rach, lovely. Before meeting up with Peter, Neil, John Colgan and David Morrison in Bruxelles. Oisin and his friend happened to be meeting up that night in there as well so joined us. Neil's girlfriend Louise also came in which was great, because Neil and Louise are not big internet people so I've not really heard from them since last May. It was nice to know the guys had missed me. If only for the fact that they've not played a game of poker since I was last home. So exit pub to get a game of poker in. It took fucking ages to get to Oisin's mate house to play the poker. Louise even joined us but headed home after the first game. Oisin won the first game, I won game two, Neil won the next game I think, what I definitely know is that I won the final game, Peter knocked out all the other players and then I creamed him in heads up. So I came away up €60, not too shabby.

That brings us up to Christmas Eve, and since I didn't get to bed till 7am, there was no way I was moving anywhere early. Which unfortunately meant that I missed a lunch arrangement with John. Unfortunate but it has to be done. I lounged at home that day.

Christmas Day was great, helped set up the dinner, well didn't get in the way whilst my sister and Aunt Viv set it up and my mother cooked stuff. We didn't open any presents until my sister, her husband and the wonderful little princess arrived.
She was adorable, I will try and acquire photos from my brother and mother and put it on picassa. She was dressed at first in a princess dress but she was wearing it over a little Santa outfit. Adorable isn't the word. Fiona (old sister, Kate's mother) made people open presents in turn. Kate would turn to her and ask, who's turn next mammay, can I open one?
Dinner was plentiful and gorgeous. Top spread. Later on we sat around chatted and played Jenga. All good fun. Everyone stayed in my mothers place so great fun all day and with some good movies on late, lots of fun.

Today chilled at home for a bit before going to the rugby with the bro. We went over to his place to collect his housemate to bring along to the game. Great day out. We won the game but it wasn't the best of games. We'd good crack, went back to his place afterwards with chipper and chilled there for a bit. I'm home now watching Teachers.
A present from Tracey, the entire 4 series of Teachers, very happy with that.

Okay, this has been long enough, and pretty boring probably.

Oh and Feile is in great form.

Laptop Charger update

2007-12-11T11:40:00.001Z

Okay so with great glee I received a parcel in work yesterday, and yes it was the fabled device for giving power to laptops. I had heard of them, but had forgotten what they were. So with great joy I went home last night from work (early by my recent no home internet standards at 18:10) and after a brief stop at the shops to get wine and veg for dinner, I was home by 19:20 and straight to my room to grab my expensive and heavy paperweight that I had heard contained magical powers of video and internet, I was unsure about it, and what with my magic make power device coming from HK I was apprehensive about it all working.

Well the good news, the charger was legit and it worked.

The bad news is that it is my laptop, if not the battery alone that has the problem.

The charger was a little loose in sticking in, which was the problem with the old charger which led to it breaking as I kept jostling it around. This time it stays in much better, but time will tell. I will bring my laptop to be looked at by a local computer fixing store.

Now the depths of my problems have become apparent. The laptop battery isn't charging! The laptop is on AC power only, with the battery not gaining in storage.
This is not a complete disaster as at least the laptop turns on, and I was able to go online at home last night. I have also started some torrents running as well.
I've downloaded a program that converts avi files to Ipod friendly video formats so that I can watch some of my shows on the tube, but unfortunately I'm having trouble importing my BSG into ITunes.

Mutter Mutter, one problem solved another arises. But at least this is a minor inconvenience and I've actually got a laptop at home now that works, albeit like a clumsy underpowered desktop.

Life update and the weekend that was looking good

2007-11-19T15:27:00.000Z

How was my weekend?

Well it was alright until last night at 21.00, then it was painful.
I was on my own in an empty bar watching the rugby, it was not good, I may post about it on Musings.

Friday night I went to Elizabeth:Golden Age.
It is enjoyable, but not great, as I can't forgive the hugely inaccurate historical perspective that the movie took. They have one of the most powerful female characters in history, and in a bid for an oscar add lots of weakness, doubt and love interests.
I am still glad I went to see it, I'd nothing else to do on Friday night, and it didn't cost me anything, and I've not been to Cineworld this month till then, so I needed to go. But after the first one, I was disappointed with this one. Oh well, maybe I will be less infatuated with Cate Blanchett now.

Saturday I had revision day for one of my two units, Marketing Planning. That went really well, we covered stuff in much great detail and clarity than in the classes, we were also shown far too much new stuff. Afterwards, our lecturer finally showed up with the results to our mocks, some of the class had it out with him for his style of teaching and for the lateness of receiving the results. We did get the mock results, and I was top dawg in the class.
Aprés class went for a few beers with some of the girls from the class (well one of them drank, the rest drank diet coke and i drank double JD) stayed there for 2 hours, chatting about loads of non-course stuff which was great. I then called Alan to come into town for a few drinks. We met up in Charing Cross and had a good few ales. I got well and truly hammered.

Sunday I just relaxed at home, chilling watching tv and dvds, catching up on some season 2 Desperate Housewives. Before going out to the pub to watch the ill faithed rugby match.

In other news, I've not being posting much online recently for a few reasons.
I still have not resolved my laptop charger, so I've no home internet connection, this severely limits my internets. But also I have not been sure what to post about, the 4 things happening were course, work, sport and a new relationship that we were keeping quiet. But last week we came out to some friends, and changed our "status" on social networking sites.

I know Rachel from college, and most of the people you read this will have met her in college. For everyone else, she is a lovely sweet girl. We did go out in college, but it didn't work out for one reason or another, but we are giving it a go now again, and I am happy and hopeful that we can make it work, despite the fact that we live in different countries, but Ireland and England are not exactly light years apart.
She was over with me two weekends ago, and we'd a great time. Unfortunately I won't see her now until just before Christmas.

Okay that is all for now, I had best get back to work, there is only so long I can take as a lunch break.

All menus and no help makes Jack a very pissed boy

2007-10-23T17:05:00.000+01:00

fecking dell suck balls

I ordered a replacement charger online two weeks ago. I didn't have any of the serial numbers with me so it turned out it was the wrong one, so I phoned up and gave my original laptop order and asked the dell man to send me the charger that was the same one that was on my original laptop order.

16:15
Today a package from Dell arrived. It was just a kettle lead. So onto the phone I go, and guess what after navigating through the phone menu and the really bad hold music, I am told that Customer Care close at 4pm, they only work 9 to 4. Doesn't sound like Customer Care to me I say.

Fucking useless bastards. I now have two Dell packages on my desk and no power in my laptop.

Okay I'm not complaining about getting the wrong charger in the first place. I'm complaining about being sent a kettle lead when I phoned up to fix the problem.

How is your day going?

1 Year in London

2007-10-11T22:46:00.002+01:00

I am in London 1 year tomorrow (12th October 09.30 GMT).

Wow to think that is has been that long already. It doesn't feel like a long time to be honest. But it has been a very eye opening experience.

Moving here was the first time I lived away from home. So that was a huge step for me.
I didn't just move out to college or Raneleigh like most people, I emigrated. So I couldn't exactly bring the clothes home at the weekend for washing.

I had to learn to budget better and I've always got that right. Things have been tough here financially. London is not a cheap city. Transport is pricey but its a great service, rent is a lot of money too. And bills have a way of adding up. Since moving out the flat things have gotten better financially but I have to learn to cut my cloth better and have better control over impulses.

I have adapted to cooking for myself pretty well. I was pretty good at cooking in the flat but since moving out of there there is a distinct decline in Chinese and Chipper purchases with dinner being cooked regularly. I usually cook a double meal in the evening to bring a full dinner to work the next day for lunch. Recently I've been eating the lunch but only cooking another lunch in the evening rather than an evening meal as well. Just not hungry.

Whatelse have I done this past year.
I have joined and stopped going to a gym. I went for about 6 weeks very regularly.
About 4 times a week. No less than 3 times. But as work load grew and Oisin got a car meaning that I was getting lifts to and from work I stopped going to gym.
I wasn't going at lunch because I wasn't taking lunch and I couldn't go after work as I was getting a lift home.
I've been meaning to rejoin a gym, not the gym beside work but one near me. That I can go to in the evening and at weekends. Which the one by work is not suitable for.
I still haven't sorted the bike with work yet either. I need to buy it and then expense it. I will get around to it. Soon, I just want to talk to the bro about type of bike and equipment first.

I have tried to go the theatre more often but that has not happened. George was very uncommittable about doing a regular thing as he didn't want to be tied down in case he was moving. I have been to Wicked, Boeing Boeing, Spamalot, Vegemite and Treats in the last year. Only 5 plays or musicals. Wow surely I've seen more than that.
I have also been to two major sporting events in London in the past year.
Tour de France and Wimbledon. I have been to the Emirates stadium to watch Arsenal twice. I went to Reading to watch London Irish 3 times and up to High Wycombe to watch Leinster play Wasps as well.

I have started a dvd rental account, which I love. Lovefilm, totally recommended.

I have thought about and failed to take up a sport. I intended to join cricket or tag rugby this year. Because of my glasses rugby is difficult for me to take up. I still fail to handle contacts so I can't really do that sport. Perhaps I won't be able to do cricket either, but I should have gone to Ealing Cricket Club and found out. I wanted to take up the sport not for fitness but for social networking.
My social network over here is very small. And that is something that I will seriously need to address in year 2. Because I have been lonely here. I spend a lot of time in the house and online. It is hard to meet people without knowing people.

I have started a course last month. That will greatly improve my job prospects.
The last year I have gained a lot of experience in my job. It has been very challenging, very enjoyable and rewarding. I have learned a lot not just in my tasks but about people, management and how things work and how people do things.

I have started reading a lot more since moving here. As you will see on the left hand side of the screen.

I have probably started drinking a lot more as well. But a lot less since moving out of the flat. But now I have taken to drinking new drinks as well. With rum and rosé staples of my evening sipping rather than cans of beer before.

I am giving a lot of thought to the food I eat and when I eat it. I have even started eating some vegetables that I didn't eat before moving here. Brocolli is the latest addition. Still not mad on it, but its not being spat out or pushed off the plate like say onions. I will continue to try new things, foodwise and will hopefully by the end of year 2 be able to eat curries. Afterall I do live in London.

So on the whole, it has been a positive move. It has been challenging, eye opening. But I've grown up a lot, experienced new things, learnt a lot about people and the world, and I can honestly say that I am happy that I made this move.

Off to Psycho tomorrow

2007-10-11T21:42:00.000+01:00

I have taken Friday off work as I'm making my north to Leeds tomorrow, because as the headline suggests I'm going to PsychoCon, it is a board games convention that is its 4th year.
I attended the first one in Scarborough 4 years ago now and had a great time.
It was great putting faces to names and email addresses. You see Psychocon was born out a play by email boardgames website. http://www.Psychozine.co.uk, which has since folded unfortunately. It started out as a diplomacy website and expanded to cover a wide variety of boardgames. It was through this site that I got into the email soccer games I play. (Although most of them have moved entirely online and out of email).

I visited the sites founder, Mike, in Italy 3 years ago, just after he moved there.
I am really looking forward to meeting up with him again, and Steve and Tash Turner.
Steve I play with in each of the aforementioned soccer games, so I am in constant contact with him, so it will be great to meet up with him and his daughter, Tash again.

I'm not sure who else from 3 years ago will be there, I went the 2nd PsychoCon in Harrogate but missed the 3rd one last year in Leeds. But I'm back and keen to retake my Formula Dé title and mayhaps the Diplomacy as well.
Alan who I know now in London I first met at the PsychoCon as well which is great, we regularly meet up down in London as we both live here.

Sorcha from Dublin is coming over again this year with her boyfriend. This will be her second Psycho after she attended number 2. I managed to bring over a few Irish that year, as well as Donogh who was a regular on the Zine. Even though he was a Dublin gamer, I didn't really know him outside of the Zine and then through the con. He unfortunately is not able to make it over this year as married life bites in work/life balance. Shame really.

Yes I am looking forward to the weekend. I will post about it over the weekend.
The games I am bringing with me are
Powergrid, Caylus, Talisman 4th Ed, Dutch Revolution, Reef Encounter & Indonesia

I admit defeat

2007-10-11T12:47:00.000+01:00

I have given in and purchased an Ipod.
I have long avoided this purchase, because I have opposed joining in with the norm or expected, following the hype.
I still will not be touching a Mac, and I still think Mac owners are pretentious.

But the reasons for my defection was my Iriver.
It was shit. I changed the firmware on it so that it was a universal storage device instead of the default setting. Now I didn't fuck this process up before you suggest I did. I was talked through it by Peter (Blackadder) and followed the forums on it closely. But I was never able to get the database recognised so that I could use the music function. To play mp3's I had to use Browse. This was mildly frustrating but not crippling. One of the reasons I had the IRiver was that it could play the radio with it. But recently that is all I could use it for. With none of the mp3 files being recognised. And as the radio doesn't work underground that is extremely frustrating.
I can only use it for half my commute to work. I can't use it in work because the radio reception is shit in the building. Which isn't a problem whilst I'm working as I have a computer but on lunch I have nothing. Well not anymore.

I have ditched the shit battery life non music playing IRiver and have joined the Ipod Generation.

I have purchased a Black 80g Ipod Classic.

I have also put an engraving on it. A Quote from High Fidelity.
"What came first, the music or the misery."

So now I have to see how much of my music will work with it, most of it should as it is legal from CD's. But I suspect that my movies will fall down. Which is a shame as I would like to catch up on BSG on the tube.

Now where is this ITunes malarky.

Reading Update

2007-09-28T16:46:00.000+01:00

I've finally finished Foundation and Earth.
Which is the last chronological book that Isaac Asimov wrote, but not the last book in the robots, empire, foundation universe. That was Prelude to Foundation, which is book 9 of this universe. I have started that today and I hope that I can get through this one more quickly. I am hoping that it is less like Foundations Edge and Foundation and Earth, and more like this earlier books, that were more future history than fiction novels. I know it is all fiction, but Edge and Earth really felt like fiction, whereas the Foundation Trilogy didn't. I know it was all fantastical but the feel of it just drew you in and you forgot about the science fiction aspect of it. Whilst at the same time loving the way the Foundation used to science to further its goals. The religion of atomics was priceless.

I am not saying I didn't enjoy Edge and Earth, I just didn't love them like I love the Foundation Trilogy. I am going to read Prelude now, and so far it is closer to the older books.

Next up after this is a break from Asimov and fiction entirely. I will be reading up on the US Mexican War of 1846-48. I have bought 4 books on this conflict and I'm really looking to tackling this area. It will hopefully give me additional insight to the American Civil War as well.
After these books I will then either tackle some late Republic Rome or get through some Andy McNabb novels I've come into.

Trials and Tribulations

2007-09-16T08:53:00.000+01:00

I have posted at Musings my initial frustration to the Ireland game last night.

Not going over old ground but...
I don't understand people who don't understand sport. But they should at least understand that I care a great deal about it. Any of the people reading this will know that it really really does matter to me.
So for one of my housemates to come in from the cinema last night and ask me how I was, "Shit", "Why?", pointing at the tv "That", "Why don't you stop watching?"
I ignored that comment and proceeded to stare in desperation at Ireland's dream going up in smoke.

Last night in chatting with people I stated this,
"I am all depressed now and haven't got enough drink in the house to get drunk.
i also live with people who don't care about sport. english lad is out, but the chinese guys don't care or understand it.
and one of them is sitting beside and he's taken the button and is watching shit and bouncing around."

Things picked up a bit later, I got the button back after an hour to watch Match of the Day. And first up was The Arsenal. Who were away to arch rivals and much hated London club, Spurs. True fact, Londoners, who like sport and who don't support Spurs dislike/hate them. It was even in a song remake by Lucious off Capital.

Anyway beating Spurs is always fun and coming from behind to win 3-1, and move us to the top of the table. And Alan Hansen was made say it again, "You cant win anything with Kids".

Now sport aside because honestly I know there is more to life than vicarious living Peter.

This week the boss was out of the office for most of the week at court, he has 2 weeks juror duty, he is back in court next week. He had a fraud case and he was foreman. Great fun indeed I would think.
QuestionAm I automatically exempt from juror duty here as a johnny foreigner?
Or do the English see me as no different than the Scots, since they let me vote?
Could I be called for jury duty back in Ireland? I suppose I could as I officially still live there as well.

My course is going pretty well so far, really enjoying it. One of the lecturers has a very laid back relaxed style allowing lots of interaction with the class. And whilst it is great, I wonder how it will work when we get into more serious topics.
The other lecturer is sometimes hard to understand with his accent, he is African and lives in Bristol. He gets the bus up for the classes and the bus back. That is crazy.
But all the same I am really enjoying the classes. I will try to interact more with some of the classmates this week, get some email addresses so that I have contact details of people in the class for note exchanges or study groups.

I am currently aiming to leave work around 16.30 on school nights to get down to Imperial in time for class. On Monday's I am managing to pull off no later than 16.45 and catching buses and tubes and ended up 30 minutes early. So I had a chat with one of the girls in the class whilst I caught my breath. Excellent working of time.
So how is it that I always over run on Wednesday's when I've less work than on Monday's. This week, I had a meeting Wednesday afternoon with Google at our offices, and for some reason apres meeting, I got roped into sitting in on the conference call with our consultants. And I ended up 20 odd minutes late for class.

I have asked if I can work from home on Wednesdays or at least every second Wednesday. My direct boss has agreed, but I suspect the MD will veto.
If he doesn't it will make things easier for me. Next Wednesday I will definitely be working from home, as I have a dentist appointment in the morning, I will go home work from there and then go to class. The MD won't notice as he will be in court for a start, but he shouldn't care anyway. It wont be the first time I've worked for home in this job, and I've gotten all my tasks done and my usual additional reporting as well. So I hope it won't be a problem. It is only 1 day a week, or once a fortnight.

If he relents, then I will also use this as an opportunity to start playing board games again. I will schedule the Wednesday at home for the Tuesday's the games are run. I have not gone since early July I think. The location is so far east, it is Liverpool St. I takes me 2 hours to get there minimum from work. And coming straight from work means if I didn't have a big lunch I'm hungry and the place we're at doesn't have any substantial food menu and it has over priced drinks.

I don't know why I didn't prepare a big lunch for the days I was going to boardgames like I do on the days I've class now. But now with class on Monday's and Wednesday's I can't do boardgames on the alternate Tuesday any more. I don't get home from the games until around midnight, and if I'm in work the next day I need to be there for 08.30 so that I can leave at 16.30 to make class. That doesn't leave a lot of time to cook lunch for Wednesday or sleep.
However,
Not having to get up until 8.45 for a 9 start certainly makes getting home at midnight easier. Also cooking food for the next day is less an issue if I'm at home that day. I could work straight through without 2 hours of commuting to Heathrow.

It would be great to get back playing games regularly, even if the standard of games in that group is often sub par. The group usually play silly games, but the group is growing in size and there are elements of it that know what a real game is. I brought some of these to the group and they are still around playing.

Yes work life balance is important. Especially as sport life balance is so out of kilter.

Master Cheif Saws you should drink this

2007-09-15T12:45:00.001+01:00

Okay so Halo 3 "Limited Edition Mountain Dew Game Fuel" is out in the US, and they are apparently marketing the fuck out of it. Now I think the marketing is mainly in gaming and online circles currently. But here is two web comics which both are taking the piss out of this product.
Penny Arcade, Ctrl-Alt-Del

DVD Rental Plans

2007-09-09T10:34:00.001+01:00

Anyway also last night I watched Stargate on the box, always an enjoyable trip back in time that flick. And as a result I have now moved SG1 season 1 up my dvd rental list. So with Scanner Darkly and Elizabeth on the way back and Apocalypto on the way I have some interesting titles on the way and choices.

This week I watched the first 4 episodes of CSI, you know see where it all started.
I'm amazed that it really took off because the first few episodes didn't really set it apart from other crime shows on the tv. It has really sharpened up since and has a great cast in each of the shows, but most of them are unknowns. In each there is the lead that you know and one of the girls. That is not to say I didn't like it, I did and the gritty look suits Vegas just like the sun, the tans and the bikinis suits Miami. GO H.

So joining CSI season 1 disk 2 in the post on Tuesday will be BSG season 3 disk 1.
I am really looking forward to this one coming through the letter box and I might actually move everything else to medium priority so that I can get through the entire season in a week, like I did with season 2.

After I get through CSI and BSG it is back onto movie catch up.
I have not seen Adaptation, Girl with the Pearl Earring, The Last King of Scotland and The Transporter. So each of them are currently set to high priority as well and could be shipped instead of BSG or CSI but that would piss me off, not as much as earlier in the year because I do really want to see each of these movies. I've not seen any of them and I really should have. Pearl Earring came out when I was completely infatuated with Scarlett Johansson so not sure how I missed that one.
The Transporter was all the rage when I was in college and I have no idea how I missed it. And well no excuses for missing Last King, everyone was talking about that one and well my bad.

After I've got through them it will be a mix of tv shows and movies that I've missed.
Rome season 2 will be top of the next batch, with Reality Bites top of the next batch of movies I've not seen list. Contending with these is the choice between catching up on Desperate Housewives or M.A.S.H 4077 season 1 for old times sake.
Though I suspect that after yesterday that SG1 has a higher chance of making the jump from medium to high priority instead of MASH. Also there on medium is Outer Limits season 1, Six Feet Under (which I have never seen, so will likely lead group 3) and all of Scrubs because it is just so funny and some funny to break the serious is what its all about.

My thoughts on Elizabeth

2007-09-09T10:09:00.000+01:00

Okay I watched Elizabeth last night. And I was very impressed with it.
Cate Blanchett is stunning in the film, her style and look is very suitable to the role , I was impressed with her performance in The Aviator but she was an add on in that movie rather than the star which she is in this film and she was more than capable of holding the movie up. She goes get excellent help from the male support in the film, which is littered with talent.
Wow I've just gone and looked on IMDB for the film to look at the list of actors again and I am shocked that the film is from 98. How has she not gone on to greater stuff?
Okay yes she was Galadriel, and Veronica Guerin but that film was only huge in Ireland.
Looking at her IMDB page I am reminded that she was in a few movies that I like but for the life of me I can't remember her in Life Aquatic but then again there was some many people in that one. She has also been in Babel, Notes on a Scandal, Little Fish and The Talented Mr Ripley, the last one I do remember her role but then I've seen it recently and really liked that movie.
I also note on her page that another Elizabeth movie is coming out, Elizabeth:The Golden Age. And she is in pre-production on Indiana Jones 4!

Strikes, Courses, Spreadsheets and waiting for Rugby

2007-09-07T19:58:00.000+01:00

That fairly accurately encompasses my week. I am sitting down with the last of my rosé, I'll move onto the captain morgans soon. But much more importantly I'm eagerly waiting for the start of the RWC. Oh its going to be great. For more on my thoughts on the rugby check out Musings on Sport.
Okay I know I do try to keep all sport stuff over on the othe blog, but fuck me those anthems were brilliant and the Argies were really passionate and really look up for this one. Why won't betfair work.

The strike by RMT workers was pointless this week and achieved nothing but pissed off commuters. It was a vanity strike for the head of the union, who didn't want to be seen to be weak after they had previously backed down on strike actions. On Tuesday evening they called an end to the strike receiving the exact same assurances they received before the strike started that was enough to prevent the other unions from striking.
The strike was to gain assurances that maintenance workers of Metronet. Now I think it is important to note that Metronet went bankrupt due to huge penalty fees levied against it by TFL for over running maintenance work in breach of its franchise. Now this is not a case of a company going bust due to bad management and the poor worker deserving extra care and help. No these are the workers that are responsible for the company they were working for going under, so why should they be kept on by the company that takes over the franchise. Well lets see if they will strike again next Monday. fuckers. RMT; Return (of) Margaret Thatcher.

I started my course last Monday. It is a Professional Diploma in Marketing. It is organised by the London School of Marketing. The course will give me a piece of paper in the field that I'm working in, and very importantly it is a piece of paper that is supported and accredited to Chartered Institute of Marketing. After completing the course, which takes 1 year. I will be able to do the next level of qualification up which upon completing I will be able to apply to become a Chartered Marketeer.
The course is two nights a week, Monday and Wednesday nights in Imperial College, South Kensington. I've had two classes so far, but I'm really enjoying it so far. There is about 25 people in the class and the mix is 21 female. It will take some time to get back or more to the point into the habit of taking good notes during the classes. But the classes are really interactive which is a cool change from a lot of college courses I sat in on.

And finally my week has been heavily dominated with work, it was the first week of the month so lots of reporting this week, it took me a long time to get around to all the reports as I've so many and monthly's and adhoc reports on performances has taken its toll. But it is a rewarding and challenging job and I am still enjoying it.
It is just nice to have something to do on some the evenings during the week.

Last leg of my journey though West London

2007-09-03T23:01:00.001+01:00

This is the E3. And this is the bus stop in Acton high street. Normally i don't photograph it i wait with bags of groceries from the Morrisions. But tonight this is thankfully the last leg of my journey home.

And thus they struck

2007-09-03T21:47:00.001+01:00

The tube workers of metronet are striking. They're afraid for their jobs as their company is bankrupt. Well boo fucking hoo. Its bankrupt because you fucking couldn't complete rail works on time and the company was fined. This happened alot so it was fined alot. Now though they strike because they want to have an insurance that the company that will take over will not lay boy of off. Red Ken can't promise that so stop dialing around. My real gripe is my tube line, Piccadilly isn't run by Metronet so why as it got me from work to my course can't get me home now? Thats fucking ridiculous. So how the Fuck am i getting home. Okay i've worked out my route with my a to z and the bus map at the bus stop. Thank god for the a to z. This route is on buses in London. Did you rot the plural in that sentence? I could be waiting on this bus over an hour and it will take over an hour to get me most of the way home. So i grabbed subway as i've not eaten. And i missed the bus. Bound to happen should have seen it coming. Oh well best sit down and enjoy my hearty italian and wait on the next 70 to Acton. Oh the course was pretty good more on that when i'm not regretting the lack of a fleece on a cloudless evening.

GenConUK; Camiralla

2007-09-01T20:30:00.001+01:00

Tonight i'm playing the cam. This is a shot from the start of the night. The person in the middle is the Prince of Reading and tonight someone is going to try and dethrone him.

GenConUK Battle Re-Enactors demonstrate D&D Encumberance

2007-09-01T16:31:00.001+01:00

Look at the size of his back pack. This is a demo of what a dungeon trawl would like lugging full plate. Check the next picture for other difficulties.

These guys were battle re-enactors from Wales (Glamorgan), the groups name is Milwr Morgannwg.

Here is the collection of armour they have collected and use.

Here is the collection of weapons they have collected and use.
One of the group was explaining and demonstrating to me the size and weight of certain swords and their unsuitability in a dungeon situation.

They were also doing archery drills, they had 120lb bows but they were not the ones used here.

GenConUK; Talisman 4th Ed

2007-09-01T11:52:00.001+01:00

Here's picture of the Talisman 4th Ed demo game i'm playing. The game mostly uses 2nd Ed rules smoothed out. Still a great game and if anything a better game with the adjustments to the rules. I unfortunately have failed with the enchantress TWICE and become a toad.

And here is me after the game. I have pre-ordered the 4th Edition, so will receive it two weeks before normal release.

GenConUK

2007-09-01T09:59:00.001+01:00

These tents are outside the main building. I believe people are living medieval style in them. I saw people with frying pans. I'll take more photos around the event, including the clone troopers and whatever WotC have for 4th ed D&D.

Organizing and reviewing

2007-08-18T14:31:00.000+01:00

I'm on a mad organizing binge, sorting out my wish lists on amazon into topic areas.

Okay so the reason for this is I'm currently doing some research on books to read on Late Republic Rome. So I'm adding a few to my wish list on Amazon, but upon looking into my wish list I see loads and loads of various stuff. Totally unorganized no use no use at all.

For example, nearly every John Cusack movie was on the list. Because I am a huge fan of his, and one evening I went searching through amazon for his flicks and added them to the wish list so that I could come back to them if I wanted. So I've now moved all of these to a private wish list.

I have recently become very interested in American history. I have always had an interest in history, and in college I read up a little bit on 1812 Anglo American conflict, mainly because so little is known on this conflict, especially on this side of the pond. With the mis-conception that it was America versus Canada. And that the Canadians burnt Washington. The British Redcoats that captured and burnt several public buildings in Washington including the building now known as the White House, were veterans of the Napoleonic Wars, especially the Peninsular War.
Anyway, so last year I read some books on the American Civil War, and after I finish reading the Foundation Saga, I will be moving onto The Mexican War. I have bought 4 books on this conflict, which I feel I need to read to understand the build up and the decisions of several of the leaders of the ACW. Thank you to Donogh for advice on what to read on this conflict.

So when I'm finished with those 4 books, I will need another topic area. I have been thinking about going back to 1812 and reading more on that. Or moving back to Europe, reading more about the post Napoleon pre Bismark Europe.

But after watching the HBO/BBC series on Rome, I have decided that Late Republic Rome will be the area of my next interest.
So after seeking advice from Peter Moynihan and George who both studied history in UCD, I have now have a few books to start with. Rome is of course a huge topic area, but I am currently only interested in the Republic. So nothing past Octavian defeating Marc Anthony and becoming Augustus.

What is more, George suggested an excellent idea. After I am a fair bit into my reading, I should then go to Rome. So go to the city I am reading about whilst I'm reading about it. He did something similar, he went to Rome just after his finals, which included a module on Late Republic Rome, he got a first in this and never read Civil War by Julius Caesar! That is definitely on my reading list, first hand account by the man at the centre of it.

Anyway back to the wish lists. My other lists are.
General Movies, a very varied list.
General TV Shows, currently mainly 24 and West Wing.
General Books, currently empty, a place holder if you will.
World War 1, tv shows only currently, I will add books. I own The Guns of August.

One of the main uses of these lists for my relatives at Christmas. My big sister, who recently returned 29, who as much as I love her, keeps buying my tv shows that I am either not interested in or kinda interested in. I would much rather if she grabbed me something I do want. Actually I do her an injustice because last year in addition to "the office" (guess which camp this dvd left behind in dublin falls into) did also give me some lovely ground coffee from the Caribbean. It was beautiful stuff.

I think everyone should keep lists like this, because I have absolutely no clue what to get my sister. I still have not got her anything for her second 29th birthday, a very important birthday indeed. That remains me, must ring the mother tomorrow as it is her birthday.

Okay moving on.
Two trips to the cinema this week.
Bourne Ultimatum and Rush Hour 3.
Bourne is pure class, although the hand held camera action is difficult to follow occasionally but really adds to the experience and feeling that you following the chase at it unfolds. This movie seriously impresses, and whilst I would love to see more and more of this, as it is far better than Bond, I do sincerely hope that no more Bourne movies are made, that way it ends with 3 great movies instead of having a bad movie in its collection, ala Alien 4 and 3 to a lesser extent. Whilst I enjoyed T3, it was not a great movie, it was way below the standard of the first 2.

Anyway I drift again. Rush Hour 3 is definitely passable as a movie, it didn't cost me anything apart from tube fare to watch it as I am Cineworld monthly user. It is not complete tosh but it is not good either. It is funny but so are much of the silly teen movies.

On the rental front, I have now completed the HBO/BBC Rome series. I have absolutely loved this show. The dvd is great as most of the episodes have commentaries but also you are able to watch the episodes with "All Roads Lead to Rome" addition, with this on, there are little informative pieces that come up on the screen to explain different aspects of Roman life or personalties that are currently being depicted on screen. It is great stuff.

I have also watched Underworld Evolution, this flick is not as good and polished as the first movie. It is more background myth and I know it is a fantasy movie, so I shouldn't use the phrase unbelievable, but it just find that the movie moves in a really weird direction from the first movie. Great concept about the origin and evolution of vampires and werewolves but the first flick was way cool for the pvc, the fighting, the pvc and the sound track. This flick has the pvc, some of the fighting is cool but there isn't enough of it and the sound track is a lot weaker.
I surprisingly for the above do recommend this movie if you enjoyed the first one.

Next up in the machine is Season 3 of Black Books.

Films update

2007-08-04T20:23:00.000+01:00

Okay I am sitting down in my front room waiting for the sun to rotate around the garden so that I can sit out in it and read my book and try and get some colour.

In the mean time I am watching the commentary on Underworld.
I have had this movie sitting by the machine for about 2 weeks now from the Lovefilm.
But I have not wanted to watch it during the day, because its a Vampire movie. So last night I was in alone, and so I finally put it on. And for a change I actually watched it without also being online or reading a book. I really enjoyed this movie and I immediately went and put the sequel to HIGH priority on my list.
I strongly recommend this flick, it is Vampire/Werewolf movie that is based in science not myth. None of the pseudo-Christian elements of the myth. Some of the concepts in it are cool and it is really well shot, great visuals and yes full body latex suits help, I am not going to lie to you.

Okay what else have I watched recently.
I sat down yesterday and re-watched Vanilla Sky. This movie confused me at first viewing, but I wasn't able to pay enough attention to it. I watched it this time and I was able to read my book and go online during it and still follow it.
It is a very very cool movie. I watched the commentary afterwards too and that was very cool experience because they explained some of the stuff in the movie without giving the movie away, Cameroon Crowe even talks about how there are multiple ways of viewing the movie and to his knowledge there are 4.

Okay going back further into the week.
On Friday night I went to The Simpsons with George we went to Leicester Square to watch it, and hmm quite surprised to find out that only one of the 4 cinemas is showing it. VUE was the only cinema on Leicester Square showing it!
Okay so we go in and we're watching it and there is this annoying noise half way through, so we go and find out what it is about, and low and behold it is the fire alarm. So we have to evacuate the building. So that was pretty fucking annoying, but we got free tickets for it. Okay so back into the movie and hmmm well its not shit but its not... well good either. It is funny, but well so are stupid teen movies you know. But they are shit movies, and yes I've probably seen more than my share of them well they didn't cost me anything. Unlike the Simpsons which set me back £13.

Okay back more days, on Thursday night I watched Hot Fuzz, and it is brilliant, it is so fucking funny. I liked Shaun of the Dead and loved Spaced but this is peerless.
Priceless comedy, the inclusion of British actors into minor and major roles was brilliant. I have not watched the commentary on this yet, I've lent the movie to Stevily. We have both being waiting a long time for this movie from Lovefilm, so I just went and bought it. But I've watched all the doc's on the dvd. Great movie great DVD.

Hmm that is all for the moment. I might go to the cinema later and watch, oh I don't know. Not too pushed about watching Simpsons again, might watch Transformers again, definitely not watching Harry Potter, but maybe Evan Almighty, but I've heard bad things about it from critics. Their problem is that it is set up as a sequel to Bruce Almighty

The face is numb, the sun is out.

2007-08-03T14:46:00.000+01:00

Okay so I'm just back from my second trip to the mortgage broker.
My face is still very numb, no pain though. However the (cute) receptionist gave me some pain killers and told me to take them because when the numb wore off I would be in pain. That is not heartening.

Today went quite well, well apart from arriving 40 minutes late. But he won't shut up about how much better I was this week, how I was a different patient. Well at least he spent less time asking me questions which I can't answer because my mouth is full of your gear.

I felt a little patronized by the nurse patting my shoulder and saying you're doing a great job Brian. Okay very patronized.
It turns out he didn't finish cleaning the canals last week, so there was more poking around and drilling. I was very surprised to discover that the tiny drill hurt the fucking most. I spent much of it with my eyes closed and grabbing the arm rests.
When I did open my eyes there was a needle on its way in, further reason to keep my eyes closed. Then he filled me up with the concrete stuff and bing bang,oh wait more?
When it was all done he then points out a little problem with the tooth beside it, I knew he was up to something, so another filling sure why not my face is already numb.
Mutlipack discount??

Okay so my serious pain should be a thing of the past. That is great.
I don't have to worry about a huge hole in one of my teeth. That is great.
I have spent the morning and now the afternoon at home working. That is great.

I think I might sit out in the sun and work on my reports now. That is great.
Yes the sun, the GREAT BRITISH SUMMER has finally arrived, blue sky and strange yellow ball in the sky, I think it has something to do with the need for 2 showers a day.

Okay best get back into the working.

Munich on the anti funs

2007-07-31T15:10:00.001+01:00

So last Thursday I had root canal treatment. Two different drills, a blower thing and a sucker thing. Oh and a spike, thats what it felt like. He just jabbed it straight down the hole and FUCK ME that hurt, oh its supposed to hurt it is okay he says.

Anyway so he gave me anti biotics, and my first question was can I still drink because I'm going to Munich this weekend. Oh and can I fly.

Yes and Yes were the answers, but in moderation.

Okay moderation so 20 drinks a day instead of 50 right? No I didn't tell him that.

[edit;addition]We the London office were been flown over to Munich to attend the Pan-European Summer BBQ party in Munich.

So anyway up early on Friday for the flight, got to the airport in plenty of time.
Had a pint in the airport (8am), coffee on the plane and some Civ 4.
We get in and there is much confusion about what train ticket to get, too many cooks talking. But we work it out and hop on the S-Bahn.
We make it into the office around 2 or 3 local time and go and join our work groups.
Well my corresponding person in the Munich office was heading off in 45 minutes and we've met before and already know what each is doing. So instead I chatted with the SEO girls.

We left the office around 6, swung back to the hotel to check in, quick shower and off to Auginstine beer garden. Holy shit, the place holds more than a 1000 people.
Great fun there, drinking big beers eating loads of the petzels and half a chicken.
Apres beer garden, the UK group hit the city centre to go to the Irish/Aussie bar.
Straight onto the Jaegar red bulls in there. Early night, 2am, grabbed a taxi asking him to bring us to vodka first and then the hotel and he did brilliant.

Saturday, not too bad in the morning, shower to clear the senses and off to get breakfast/brunch, bread and beer for me. We then wandered into the city centre, we were thinking about going shopping so we wandered down the shopping streets but we didn't get anything. We kept wandering down through the middle of the city and found ourselves in Haufbrauhaus, two more work people were already there.
We were annoyed when we went there before Christmas, we weren't served so we left.
This time it was much better. We sat out in the garden and there was a great atmosphere. It did take a while to get served but the beer was great, giant petzels again, and a traditional bavarian band were playing.
From the HB we went straight to BBQ, well I went straight there the other guys messed up the train and got off at the wrong stop. Hehe.
The BBQ was great fun, good crowd from the Munich office, free food and beer, what was there not to like. The company there was great fun, I had a great time chatting to different people from that office as well as people from my own office.
The MD showed up and gave a speech which centred around the multinational nature of the office. There was over 30 nationalities at the party!
We stayed at the BBQ till around 12, hopped on the S-Bahn then to the clubbing district and hit a Latin club. Didn't get home till around 6. Brilliant night.

Sunday however was not so good. I was in rag order, woke up around half 12 for a 1 check out.I also was feeling bad about a text message I sent Steve, shouldn't have done it, out of line, much amends to be done on that front. The air was cleared early on the Sunday, but I still feel bad. We wandered out of the hotel looking for somewhere to get food. We did manage to find one, wasn't easy but we did.
I didn't eat much and I didn't drink much of my JD. But after we left that place to meet up with an old colleague (she's now in the Munich office, but she was in the Dublin office for a while), the bar we stopped at was crazy. It would not have been out of place in Alabama. Did much better drinking the jack in that place though.
Steve was in great form entertaining us all, pretty sure he was still drunk, the jack didn't help that front of course.
We had to make tracks soon though as it was a 7 flight and it was 4 when we left the bar. Got there with plenty of time, last beer in the airport free on BA, as I was flying back Business class. Business class is nice, bigger seat, actual meal, plenty of free drink. That said there was not much lack of beer for the boys back in economy.
Absolutely exhausted when I got back to Ealing at 10, didn't even make any food, well there wasn't any to make, but I didn't couldn't call a take away phone was too too far away. I just had a glass of rose and watched 51st State.

Getting up Monday was really really tough, and it was a long day in the office.
So tired yesterday. I have to go shopping for food today because I just couldn't bring myself to go and do it last night, just sat in and watched Black Books over some rose with one of the housemates.

So not sure if the anti biotics are working, I probably drank too much over the weekend to help them. But I'm taking them properly now. 3 a day, it was more like 2 at the weekend as I never remembered the midnight one. The tooth doesn't hurt at the moment, there is a temp filling in there at the mo. I've to go back on Friday to finish off the treatment.

Excruting Pain and Confussing Movies

2007-07-26T16:37:00.000+01:00

I am feeling better now than I was yesterday but then my mouth is still a little bit numb.
After years of doing nothing with my tooth, lower left wisdom tooth, that was cracked years ago at a Metallica concert in the RDS, today I have finally done something.
I went to a dentist over here back in May as it was incredibly painful, and for only the second time this decade (century or millennia sounded cornier) I took pain killers.
I took quite a bit of them, and decided that neurofen plus liquid capsules were the business. Anyway the dentist looked inside my mouth and decided that my tooth was dying and that is why it was hurting. He said I could and should save it with root canal treatment. Well as I'm sure you're aware that shit is expensive. And yes this guy was not NHS Dentist, those guys don't really exist.

Okay so I ignored it, took more neurofen and JD and the pain went away and I stopped taking the meds.

But then on Tuesday night whilst enjoying a lovely bottle of chilled Rosé whilst watching Rome season 1, I got some pain, so I went upstairs and dug out what was left of the aforementioned neurofen. The pain didn't go away on Wednesday in work, it got worse and worse and I was struggling to concentrate. The paracetamol I was taking didn't do anything, I should have bought ibuprofen instead. Hmm a bit drowsy I was after 6 in 4 hours. I did try a cocodamol, but it did nothing either for me.
So I called the dentist and booked to come in that evening. Picked up ibuprofen on the way. Hit 3 of them whilst I waited for the dentist. He looked inside my mouth and said yeah no real change, it is probably infected now. He asked me what I want to do, and I agreed on the root canal and he booked me to come in this morning and prescribed me anti-biotics.
So I went home and god was it hurting, I tried to watch tele but couldn't concentrate with the pain, I decided to try and go to bed but obvisously I couldn't get to sleep so I got back up after less than an hour of trying to sleep and I called my mother back in Ireland for advice, she was a tad worried about all the pills I'd had that day and ordered me to eat something immediately. I did, I left a little better but man was I still hurting, I went to bed around 11 and I don't think I fell asleep before 1. I slept through to around 9 this morning and my mouth was not as bad as the night before, when the pain had spread all around my face and into my ear.

So this morning I went to the dentist, he injected me, put a mouth guard on me to keep my mouth open and went to town on me with a serious of drills that FUCKING HURT, but he tells me he has cleared the decay and put a dressing over the canals that will kill the nerve, and I now have a temporary filling in my mouth.
£200 pounds, and the same again next week, fucking hell this shit ain't cheap, it was £35 for the anti-biotics and look around the mouth on Wednesday.

So I have asked him and he said I can still drink this weekend in Munich, just be careful and try to only eat food on the right side of my mouth.
The numbness is subsiding, I have not taken any pills today just the anti-biotics I hope the pain will not return today.

Thus endth my post, oh confussing, confusing movies I have just watched Vanilla Sky, and I think it is a really good movie but I'm not sure, I will not be popping this one straight back int hte post, I will have to watch it again when I'm more coherent

Net Privacy

2007-07-21T09:42:00.002+01:00

I am reading this article over on Wired about the search engine cookie policies.

According to the company (Ask), when AskEraser is enabled, Ask.com will not retain any of the data it typically stores during a search. As it is now, the site stores the search query, IP address and incoming URL, as well as cookie-based information.

This is in response to what (many feel) that Google's recent change does nothing.
Here is an article on Wired about it.
In an attempt to appease privacy advocates critical of the search giant’s data retention policies, Google announced a near meaningless change to its cookie policy yesterday. Starting later this year Google’s search cookies will expire after two years rather than the current policy which stores cookies until 2038.

The problem with this 2 year expiry is that it only expires if you don't visit the site within the 2 years, otherwise it resets the 2 years every time you visit.
There is no need to store all the information about people's searches and where they are visiting. What does need to be stored is that I want my results in english, but wait I'm on Google.co.uk surely it should be english!

If you feel I am being unfair please check out Google's post on one of their blogs.

And if you're in the mood for complete conspiratorial shit, then this site is for you, Google Watch.

Follow up to some Comments

2007-07-18T13:23:00.001+01:00

From Literature and Cinema post.

My brother wrote
good stuff young fella, I presume you forgot to write about all the lovely exercise you also did :)

lovely lovely exercise....

and I see you lent your friend Rachel by books (only kidding)
I did reply in the comments to this, but I of course ignored the first half of his question, which concerned exercise. Because of course I have not done any in the last two weeks. I have however discovered that there are quite a few gyms reasonably near where I live and this weekend I will go and enquire into membership costs and opening hours. Actually, I think I'll this week some evening instead as that will satisfy the second query nicely.

From My Weekends and my Election choice post.

David M asked.
Did you have to live in the area for a certain amount of time before being given that right? Also, are Irish Cineworld passes not supposed to be valid in the UK?

My answer
Length of residency was not an issue. The guy from the council came
around and asked if we would like to be registered to vote. I gave a
puzzled look and said are you sure we are eligible as we were born in
Ireland.
He said you are, and showed me the list of countries that could
register. It looked like all the commonwealth plus Ireland.

Cineworld passes are valid in all Cineworld cinemas except the West
End theatres.
However they do a pass that includes the West End theatres for an
extra few pounds a month. So yes my pass from Ireland works over here,
and when I get it changed it will work back in Ireland even though it
will be an English card.

On the same post, Sorcha asked
I dunno about England (never got sick there) but I know in Scotland that seeing a nurse or a GP is easy and free. Which is a HUGE difference to here, imo.
I did not reply to her, I merely enquired why there was a deleted comment by her.
But I will reply now. The NHS is supposed to work in theory like what you outline.
You feel ill, you go to your doctor, it doesn't cost you anything. The problem is that you have to register with a doctor, and there can be waiting lists, not too bad for doctors but heinously long for dentists. So in effect you must go private for dentists. My problem is that we pay quite a big more over here than in Ireland, so deserve a better health system. In Ireland we pay peanuts and get peanuts, there is no point camparing the Irish health system with France, because they pay a lot more for their system.

That is all for now. Except to mention that the power went out in the Heathrow area yesterday morning and we had no power in the office until 12.15. The boss drove down to Mick D's in his TT and bought us breakfast and coffees, and then he decided that we should all[edit] sit down and ask him questions about the business.

Literature and Cinema

2007-07-15T12:12:00.000+01:00

So this week I have finally taken advantage of my Cineworld membership.
Well I used to take a lot of use of it back in Ireland, but since moving to London I've been paying for it each month but not using it at all.

Well as part of my plan to control my work-life balance better I've decided to go to the cinema more often. I am using it as an excuse to leave work early (by early I mean on time). So on Monday evening I met up with Susannah, we went to Cafe Rouge in Chiswick and chatted. After that I hopped on the tube and went to Hammersmith to watch Die Hard 4.0, I've already posted about this, so I'll move on.
On Tuesday I was planning on going to the cinema again, but I didn't get back to w5 quick enough to catch the 18.30 show up in W14. So I went home, started making dinner and the Tories knocked around. That is also covered in the previous post, so I'll move on.
On Wednesday I left work before 17.00 (with boss's permission) to meet Adam at Acton Town station to return his boardgame, Antike. We chatted for a bit, and then I decided, hmmm, I could catch a half 6 showing, so I did.
I saw Shrek the Third @ 18.30, and afterwards I went downstairs and got a ticket to Oceans 13.

Shrek the Third was funny, but not great. It has the problem of competing against its prior peers. Which were true cinema comedy gold. But it is a funny film. I loved the scenes in the school.
Oceans 13, was brilliant. I actually liked 12, which suffered greatly from following 11. So 13 is freer as it is following the disappointing 12. But 13 has great pace and flow, it has some pure genius moments in the movie. I thoroughly recommend the movie.

Out of the cinema, I've also been watching some dvds that have been sitting by the player for a few weeks from LoveFilm.
Mystic River and The Aviator.
Mystic River, was great I think. Great cast anyway, but I am just not sure about the movie. I think I should have watched it again before returning it.
The Aviator, I did really enjoy, (and I watched the commentary on it as well.
It is after all my favourite extra). I really recommend this movie to anyone who hasn't seen it. Which I assume is almost no-one. These movies coupled with some of my recent rentals (apart from Battlestar) are me catching up on the last few years cinema greats. Monster is next on that list.

This week I have been reading Foundation and the Empire. I bought all the Foundation books from Amazon this week. So Scott is on hold again. It is no fault of that book, I was thoroughly enjoying it, but I left it work and needed something to read so I grabbed my old copy of Foundation.

The Foundation series were written by Isaac Asimov. It is in my opinion the best science fiction literature ever written. It is true science fiction, as it concerns the use of science in a fictional future of our galaxy. Also it was written in the pre-computer world, in the early days of atomic power. So it puts Atomic energy up on a pedestal. The way it is used in the first book was pure genius, creating a religion centred around science, and atomic science in particular.

What is more that even if you are really into science fiction, you should read these books, or at least the Foundation. After reading it you will likely want to read the rest. It is such a wonderfully well written book. It is short and easy flowing, so it is easy to read quickly. The book is taken from 4 short stories that Asimov wrote for newspapers I think. They were put together for this book, with the other two short stories making up the second book, Foundation and the Empire. Second Foundation and subsequent books were written latter on.

Anyway, I'm going to get back to watching the commentary of Mallrats.

My weekend and my election choice

2007-07-10T20:07:00.001+01:00

Okay so I've already said that I went in and watched the Tour de France, but what else did I do this weekend.

Well I left the book I was reading, Scott of the Antarctic, in work. So I couldn't exactly read that over the weekend, especially on way into Green Park and Hyde Park to watch la Tour. So I picked up an old book of mine, Asimov's Foundation. But I dropped it on the tube and it fell apart. :'(
I've lost two pages, but I still read it, as I've read it before, and stayed up Monday evening to finish it again. And I've today ordered all of the Foundation books from Amazon and they will arrive tomorrow at noon.
I love this series of books, it is probably my favourite book, ever.

Speaking of favourites, Die Hard is one of my favourite movies ever. And it was such a successful movie that it has been mimicked such as Die Hard on a Mountain, Die Hard on a Train, Die Hard on a Warship, Die Hard in an Airport. Most of mimickeries were Seagal movies, but I have only bothered to name two and most were not good movies, though the in the airport one was, but then that was actually a Die Hard, only Harder. But anyway, yes, I've been to see Die Hard 4.0, or Live Free or Die Hard, as it is called in the US. And it is fucking brilliant, oh my god is it entertaining.
I absolutely loved it.
I thoroughly recommend this movie, as it is just pure fun. It is not going to win any awards, unless they are like the MTV awards for most fun you can legally have in a cinema.

I went to the cinema last night in Hammersmith, and thankfully my UGC or should I say Cineworld as it is labelled card worked and I got in for free. (Yes yes I know I've already paid).

I went after meeting up with an old uni friend, Susannah, who is living and studying over here. It was nice to meet up and chat, and hopefully we will again soon. And perhaps, and hopefully I will let her talk more.

And finally the last part of my headline explained. I am a registered voter in the Ealing and Southall constituency. And there is a by-election at the end of the month. So the Tory was round knocking on doors seeking our votes. One of his helpers, an outsider, not of the constituency, knocked on my door, and wanted to know how I would be voting. I told her I had not made my mind up as I don't know much about the candidates. Well I asked a few simple questions of her, bin collections and community policing. A number of councils in England have moved to fortnightly bin collections, and I wanted to know if he was willing to pledge that the Tory led Ealing council with him as sitting MP as well would not support such a measure here. The other was would more support and funding be coming to the community policing. She didn't really have answers for me because she didn't want to lie to me, so she said the candidate was around the corner so would knock around.
So I immediately called the learned George for some suggestions of questions for the candidate.
And they were Immigration Policy, Crime, Health and Taxes.
The health system over here is not much better than in Ireland, which means that it is poor. But the difference is that we pay more for it over here in National Insurance Contribution. Londoners are heavily taxed, and subsidise the rest of England, and England subsidises Scotland (oh leading into the Mid-Lothian question!).
Prisons and Crime are great issues to nail a politician on as there is no right answer. The prisons are over crowded here, so build more? Well how are you going to pay for that? And England and Wales, already have the highest proportion of their population incarcerated in Western Europe. And tagging doesn't work either, so don't even start on that "hoodie" lover.
Immigration is deeply flawed in this country but I'll let George cover that.

So anyway, he didn't knock around, so can I really now vote for him?
Well I don't really like the look of the Labour candidate, and oh my god, can I really vote Lib Dem? Especially in this first past the post one seat constituencies, which means that you only have two choices of who to vote for. I'll explain.
Party A is larger. Party B are next, and Party C are small or insignificant.
If I don't vote for Party B, then my vote is effectively going to Party A. As a vote for C might as well be for A, as it is a vote that A are not getting and it won't transfer.

So I have much to consider before polling day.

Tour de France 2007

2007-07-10T12:38:00.000+01:00

I have moved all the photos I took during Saturday's Prologue of the Tour de France.
To read more about my day out, go to my Musings on Sport blog.

Suffice to say I had a great day out.

Brian's Accounts of London Life

No Longer In Use

Chess

Ryanair Communications Today

Trimble Bashing Was Not Sexism

BBC Big Read

Books meme

Travel Technology Show - Day 2

Travel Technology Show

Science only please

Singapore-style Noodles

Grown Up Weekend

Sichuan Orange Beef

Wiki or Brit

New Year, what Resolved?

Ryanair Routes, Fines, Fares & Lies

Cooking - A Stir Fry Beef Recipe

Christmas Break

e-Reader, ebooks and essentials

Progress on Plans and Aims for 2k8

Resolution Update Food

Book Read; Brave New World

Politics; Election 08 on Look into This Week

Light Reading

What to Do with Holidays

Religious Fervour; Highlights rise in religious advertising - Marketing Analysis Features - Marketing Magazine

Morning Routine - First Podcasts

DAILY GOOGLE (SFW); snow flake

DAILY GOOGLE (SFW); tiramisu

Endangered languages - Economist

10 Years Later, Misunderstood DMCA is the Law That Saved the Web

Switzerland Creates Law Banning the Humiliation of Plants

Year 3

Quick Update

So I suppose a post wouldn't hurt

A Happy Year

Another Day Another Run - One in Front of the Other

Went for a Run - "Schoolboy Error"

Brian O'Farrell BSc ACIM

Oz is a really good show

Olympic Cycling Time Trial

DVD's just bought

British Museum - We're members now

We're going to the Cinema ALOT

Man Stole Buses, Drove Their Routes, Returned Them at Night

Post on "Look into Last Week"

So we now live in West Kensington.

Hey is this is blog, whats that for?

Darwin 2.0 - The Evolving Theory Of Evolution

Why I Still Use Windows Despite the Peer Pressure

How much sleep do you *really* need?

Exams Emails and Blogs

Follow Up to D-Day Post

D Day

IronMan - I loved it

Sleep Follow up

Coffee Not for Infants, thats NOT

Sleeping & Naps

Como Estas, Ipod & Podcast

Travolution - No Frills Video

Me and my bricks

Battle of the Bands

Cambodian Coffee

In Gatwick

Stupid but interesting Meme

New Food Update - Spag Bol

work new food Tesco politics boardgames soccer boardgames work politics boardgames rugby boardgames new food superbowl

The Week that was.

Warning Politics - Michigan Results

Warning Politics

Plans and Aims for 2k8

New Year and End of Year

Back in Dublin agus Updates

Laptop Charger update

Life update and the weekend that was looking good

All menus and no help makes Jack a very pissed boy

1 Year in London

Off to Psycho tomorrow

I admit defeat

Reading Update

How much sleep do you really need?