Apple have brought out a revised Powerbook.
I want one, but I can't justify one.
Makes me weep.
October 29, 2006
So what of Liverpool?
Pretty unremarkable really. The work is same-old/same-old. I hate nothing more than plebs trying to tell me that their business is different. Hear this, numbnuts: your business isn't any more special than you are. Organisations are like humans. We're superficially unique, but our DNA is > 99% indistinct. So, the work isn't very inspiring.
The commute isn't very inspiring either. It should take in the region of 4 hours to drive it, but out of 4 attempts, only 1 has actually worked. The other three have taken between 5 and 6 hours. That's a lot of time to spend in a car. I should take the train, but the one success of this whole experience has been the addition of a bass guitar to my luggage. I only really get to play if for about 30 minutes a night, but it's a god send.
The Holiday Inn is much nicer than the crap hole we were in the previous week. We've had a couple of nice meals too. Est Est Est down at the Albert Dock (where the old This Morning floating weather map used to be) was yummy. So much so, that we walked down there in the rain the next night to have a proper look around and found an incredible indian place which I heartily recommend.
Not much else to relate. On Thursday I was doing some work in a branch in the town centre. They opened earlier than usual and as a result the time lock on the safe refused to open. A bank without any money is an amusing place to spend a morning. At lunch I took a walk around and found the cavern - where the Beatles played a lot. Homage paid.
Same again this week, hopefully for the last time.
The commute isn't very inspiring either. It should take in the region of 4 hours to drive it, but out of 4 attempts, only 1 has actually worked. The other three have taken between 5 and 6 hours. That's a lot of time to spend in a car. I should take the train, but the one success of this whole experience has been the addition of a bass guitar to my luggage. I only really get to play if for about 30 minutes a night, but it's a god send.
The Holiday Inn is much nicer than the crap hole we were in the previous week. We've had a couple of nice meals too. Est Est Est down at the Albert Dock (where the old This Morning floating weather map used to be) was yummy. So much so, that we walked down there in the rain the next night to have a proper look around and found an incredible indian place which I heartily recommend.
Not much else to relate. On Thursday I was doing some work in a branch in the town centre. They opened earlier than usual and as a result the time lock on the safe refused to open. A bank without any money is an amusing place to spend a morning. At lunch I took a walk around and found the cavern - where the Beatles played a lot. Homage paid.
Same again this week, hopefully for the last time.
Organising a Brewery in a Piss up
Work adds its pressures throughout the week, so Friday night becomes a safety valve. Went out and got randomly trashed. Wetherspoons, of all places. Haven't been in one of those in years. Followed by a very random party in a very random flat. Passed out somewhere between the small hours and the big ones. Woken up at 0800 by Benny, flashing the light in my bedroom and shouting at me.
I had forgotten that I'd said I'd go and help Loopy and Ray build their new brewery. They're converting a huge barn into an industrial unit, basically. They started off with a shell - breeze blocks and no ceiling between them and the former chicken shed on the top floor. They've got their floor down and sealed. Basic electricity (i.e. a junction box). They've got the majority of the ceiling beams in. Yesterday, Benny was lining the cold store with big sheets of thermal insulating foam. When I started in the morning, I was still drunk. By the time I'd finished I was sober. I spent the day helping ray putting up an internal wall. I didn't know how this works, but basically, we attached two lines of 2 x 4 wood to the exterior wall using giant plugs and a mean looking drill. Fiddly work. Had to work round 4 square windows and a door. To the wood, you then attach sheets of plywood. The brewery area is easily 8 or 10 metres high and the wall we were working on is probably 40 metres long, so it was a big old job. We were cutting the plywood to size (to fit round the windows and doors) as we went along using a scary circular saw.
I know this is a boring recurring theme: but it was so rewarding to actually see the results of my work for once. And the work itself was great fun. We retired down the bowman for beers and war stories. Ray and Loopy are in a good place right now - I don't think I've ever seen them so 'together' as friends before. They were talking about time they spent building supermarkets and taking 6 month holidays in Fiji. Smashing chaps.
I had forgotten that I'd said I'd go and help Loopy and Ray build their new brewery. They're converting a huge barn into an industrial unit, basically. They started off with a shell - breeze blocks and no ceiling between them and the former chicken shed on the top floor. They've got their floor down and sealed. Basic electricity (i.e. a junction box). They've got the majority of the ceiling beams in. Yesterday, Benny was lining the cold store with big sheets of thermal insulating foam. When I started in the morning, I was still drunk. By the time I'd finished I was sober. I spent the day helping ray putting up an internal wall. I didn't know how this works, but basically, we attached two lines of 2 x 4 wood to the exterior wall using giant plugs and a mean looking drill. Fiddly work. Had to work round 4 square windows and a door. To the wood, you then attach sheets of plywood. The brewery area is easily 8 or 10 metres high and the wall we were working on is probably 40 metres long, so it was a big old job. We were cutting the plywood to size (to fit round the windows and doors) as we went along using a scary circular saw.
I know this is a boring recurring theme: but it was so rewarding to actually see the results of my work for once. And the work itself was great fun. We retired down the bowman for beers and war stories. Ray and Loopy are in a good place right now - I don't think I've ever seen them so 'together' as friends before. They were talking about time they spent building supermarkets and taking 6 month holidays in Fiji. Smashing chaps.
An Extra Hour
I looked up at the clock on my laptop this morning and thought it was an hour slow. Only now, at 1300 in new money, 1400 in old, have I realised the clocks have gone back. Al, Debbie, Benny and I are going bowling in an hour, so the hour that follows is a bonus from the boffins at Greenwich. How shall I spend it?
October 18, 2006
Public Function Work
If Time(Now()) = 0700 Call(Wakeup)
GetReadyForWork(SkipShave = True)
Goto Office
On Error Goto Canteen
Do While ProjectManager <> Happy
AskStupidQuestions()
MakePrettyGraphs(LotsOfNiceColours = True, GraphMeaning=Rnd())
If ClientStaff Is Missing then
WhineToOtherConsultants()
Escalate()
End If
Loop
LeaveOffice()
Eat()
If Evening.RubbishRestaurant = True and Evening.RestaurantSelectedBy = ProjectManager then OutputVolume = 0
On Error Goto Bar
WriteDayLog in file ++PubWithColleagues
End Function
GetReadyForWork(SkipShave = True)
Goto Office
On Error Goto Canteen
Do While ProjectManager <> Happy
AskStupidQuestions()
MakePrettyGraphs(LotsOfNiceColours = True, GraphMeaning=Rnd())
If ClientStaff Is Missing then
WhineToOtherConsultants()
Escalate()
End If
Loop
LeaveOffice()
Eat()
If Evening.RubbishRestaurant = True and Evening.RestaurantSelectedBy = ProjectManager then OutputVolume = 0
On Error Goto Bar
WriteDayLog in file ++PubWithColleagues
End Function
October 17, 2006
Nu Meedja Revolooshun, Baby
Benny, Kazoo Rob and I have been building a website for our friend Loopy. Loopy used to be chief brewer at the local brewery. They won loads of awards. For reasons too tedious and legally actionable to mention here, they parted company. Loopy and his friend Ray are now on the verge of setting up shop again. To say that they have huge buy in from the local community is a massive understatement. They needed a website. We offered our services.
The rough draft is up at www.azavedo.co.uk - check it out and let me know what you think. When I've done this kind of thing before, I've always been frustrated at how you launch the thing and then it just freezes - never gets updated and eventually dies. To this end, we've purposely made it user maintainable. The front page (after the splash) is basically a modified blogger page which automatically ftps to the server the site's hosted on, so Loopy can change it whenever he wants.
The thing I'm really chuffed with is the 'Beer Finder' - a page that shows the pubs where you can buy the beer the guys sell. This is built on javascript from mapbuilder.net who use the google maps API to pinch their good stuff. Mapbuilder's interface lets loopy add new pubs to the map really easily and the site is dead easy for website users to navigate. Brilliant technology - especially when you consider that the original idea was for a big imagemap / hotspot thing that would have been maintained in dreamweaver.
The rough draft is up at www.azavedo.co.uk - check it out and let me know what you think. When I've done this kind of thing before, I've always been frustrated at how you launch the thing and then it just freezes - never gets updated and eventually dies. To this end, we've purposely made it user maintainable. The front page (after the splash) is basically a modified blogger page which automatically ftps to the server the site's hosted on, so Loopy can change it whenever he wants.
The thing I'm really chuffed with is the 'Beer Finder' - a page that shows the pubs where you can buy the beer the guys sell. This is built on javascript from mapbuilder.net who use the google maps API to pinch their good stuff. Mapbuilder's interface lets loopy add new pubs to the map really easily and the site is dead easy for website users to navigate. Brilliant technology - especially when you consider that the original idea was for a big imagemap / hotspot thing that would have been maintained in dreamweaver.
Bootle
Rocked up here yesterday, leaving home at the relatively sane hour of 8am and getting here at approx 12:30. The M6 was uber-fucked, 6 carriageways down to 2 because of a crash that they were still putting right as I crawled past it at 10mph.
Our client, a big player in the retail FS world, is based here in a very very big building that used to be a hospital. The corridors stretch on for 400 metres in every direction and areas smell strongly of disinfectant, despite the doctors moving out 30 years ago.
Work is currently at a fairly low intensity. I can handle that. But it's likely to step up a bit towards the end of the review. Ergo, part of me wants to move on to another project or move out entirely. Reviews are great, but they're sometimes inconclusive in respect of the effort they require. The larger part of me wants to see the job through. However, this is a commerical world and what I 'want' doesn't come into it.
The hotel is the sticking point, if there is one. We're shacked up in a Premier Travel Inn Lodge Courtyard Thing. And it's not a negative experience. It's clean. It might be, in a kind world, be called minimalist. However; it lacks some comforts. The TV is 2 inches square. The mattress feels like 50% foam. There's no phone, but there is wifi. There is complementary shower gel, but is it dispensed from something fixed to the wall. There is a bar, but it's in the Beefeater next door. If I'm still here next week, then things will change - mark my words.
In all, you know, it's not that bad. The work keeps you busy, the apres-work isn't too debauched. At this rate, it'll be friday before I know it and I'll be crawling down the M6. Outside of work, very little to report. My shares have now appreciated by 10% in 6 months. The website's getting good feedback. It's all good, baby.
Our client, a big player in the retail FS world, is based here in a very very big building that used to be a hospital. The corridors stretch on for 400 metres in every direction and areas smell strongly of disinfectant, despite the doctors moving out 30 years ago.
Work is currently at a fairly low intensity. I can handle that. But it's likely to step up a bit towards the end of the review. Ergo, part of me wants to move on to another project or move out entirely. Reviews are great, but they're sometimes inconclusive in respect of the effort they require. The larger part of me wants to see the job through. However, this is a commerical world and what I 'want' doesn't come into it.
The hotel is the sticking point, if there is one. We're shacked up in a Premier Travel Inn Lodge Courtyard Thing. And it's not a negative experience. It's clean. It might be, in a kind world, be called minimalist. However; it lacks some comforts. The TV is 2 inches square. The mattress feels like 50% foam. There's no phone, but there is wifi. There is complementary shower gel, but is it dispensed from something fixed to the wall. There is a bar, but it's in the Beefeater next door. If I'm still here next week, then things will change - mark my words.
In all, you know, it's not that bad. The work keeps you busy, the apres-work isn't too debauched. At this rate, it'll be friday before I know it and I'll be crawling down the M6. Outside of work, very little to report. My shares have now appreciated by 10% in 6 months. The website's getting good feedback. It's all good, baby.
October 16, 2006
Finger Plucking
Learning juicebox was a pig but I got there. Now my finger (which was crook from trying to catch a speeding cricket ball all by itself) is better we're moving on to a (pretty simple) Chili Peppers song that relies on finger plucking rather than plectrum stuff. It's a bit of a pain having to go back to first principles when we've achieved so much with using a plectrum. I've been learning some Coldplay stuff and some Radiohead stuff on the side. Particularly loving God Put A Smile Upon Your Face from A Rush of Blood to the Head. I've always loved the bassline to that. It was pretty easy to pick up and it's very rewarding to play.
October 15, 2006
Oh well, since you asked
Rise of Nations is coming to the boil nicely, thanks. Natasha and I are on our way to having played 60 games - and at an average of one hour per game, that's quite a bit of time. Rise of Nations is a real time strategy game where you have to manage resources, direct the construction of towns, build armies and wage war against your opponent. Natasha - and I'm sure she'd agree with me here - was initially rubbish at it. I'd leave her to her own devices for about half an hour, then I'd stamp on her and win the game. If I was feeling generous, I'd pull her wings off slowly.
Then we discovered a handicap feature. I think it goes all the way to 40, the handicap level. For a while we played on fifteen. The handicap system works by slowing down the rate at which you gather resources, which gives the other person a fighting chance. Soon, Natasha was whooping my sorry ass at level 15. Over the last few weeks we've gradually lowered it. Now we play at level 4 or with no handicap, depending on her mood. At 4, she's starting to beat me regularly. At 0, I'm still wearing the trousers but worrying cracks are starting to appear. I have had to resort to underhand tactics to be assured of victory.
The way our games usually work is 9 times out of 10 we leave each other alone until we've taken our respective nations through the stone age, gunpowder, enlightenment etc and have lots of nuclear missiles, bombers, tanks and men. Then a big war breaks out on a couple of fronts and it's every man for himself.
Today, instead of following this path I decided to try and have a surprise swipe at her earlier in the game. About ten minutes in, I launched a sneak attack on a new town she had built. She didn't have any defences ready - no army built, so it was a cinch. The problem is that you have to wait two minutes before you totally take the town over and can do things like build reinforcements and that kind of thing. It was looking pretty bad for a while - I think I was down to my last 3 guys - but I held her off long enough and took root. Because I had a base so close to the rest of her cities, the end result was predictable. This is the great thing about playing against other people. There's no way of knowing what they're going to do in advance.
Natasha isn't above sneaky tactics herself. Raids, spies, huge nuclear attacks - none of these things are beneath her. I reckon we're two weeks or less away from her beating me when we're on an even footing. Then, of course, we'll never hear the end of it. But I think I've got a couple of good tricks up my sleeve until then :)
Then we discovered a handicap feature. I think it goes all the way to 40, the handicap level. For a while we played on fifteen. The handicap system works by slowing down the rate at which you gather resources, which gives the other person a fighting chance. Soon, Natasha was whooping my sorry ass at level 15. Over the last few weeks we've gradually lowered it. Now we play at level 4 or with no handicap, depending on her mood. At 4, she's starting to beat me regularly. At 0, I'm still wearing the trousers but worrying cracks are starting to appear. I have had to resort to underhand tactics to be assured of victory.
The way our games usually work is 9 times out of 10 we leave each other alone until we've taken our respective nations through the stone age, gunpowder, enlightenment etc and have lots of nuclear missiles, bombers, tanks and men. Then a big war breaks out on a couple of fronts and it's every man for himself.
Today, instead of following this path I decided to try and have a surprise swipe at her earlier in the game. About ten minutes in, I launched a sneak attack on a new town she had built. She didn't have any defences ready - no army built, so it was a cinch. The problem is that you have to wait two minutes before you totally take the town over and can do things like build reinforcements and that kind of thing. It was looking pretty bad for a while - I think I was down to my last 3 guys - but I held her off long enough and took root. Because I had a base so close to the rest of her cities, the end result was predictable. This is the great thing about playing against other people. There's no way of knowing what they're going to do in advance.
Natasha isn't above sneaky tactics herself. Raids, spies, huge nuclear attacks - none of these things are beneath her. I reckon we're two weeks or less away from her beating me when we're on an even footing. Then, of course, we'll never hear the end of it. But I think I've got a couple of good tricks up my sleeve until then :)
Here comes the fear
I haven't worked a full week in a long time. Two months, in fact. And between then and now, it's been odd days here and there. Maybe 5 in total. I've been very relaxed. I've had a good time. I've enjoyed myself. I've spent a lot of time playing bass and am getting better at it. I've spent a lot of time down the gym. I've spent a lot of time playing Rise of Nations against Natasha. Remind me to tell you about a FABULOUS sneak attack I launched earlier today. You could hear the swearing from across the atlantic. Fabbo.
So I haven't worked in a long time. And I haven't worked away ('away' meaning, in this instance, the requirement to stay in hotels) for even longer. It was May, I think. And tomorrow I'm off to start a job in Liverpool - Bootle, to be more precise. To quote macleod - take the money and run. It may only be a week. It may be 3 weeks. It may be longer. Billing is better than sitting around doing nothing. Ergo, I agreed to do it. And now I have the raging fear.
I'm not sure when this started. The last time I felt like this I was working in Basingstoke and my life was falling to bits. I was dragging myself through each day, one hour at a time. I know it sounds melodramatic, but that's how it was. The time before that, I was working in Cork and felt awful for having to spend the week away from my girlfriend at the time. I used to lie in bed on a Sunday evening feeling sick at the thought of going away. Ridiculous, I know, but that's the way it was. Should have quit my job then. Shoulda Woulda Coulda. Whorrever.
So why am I feeling this way now? Well, I think I can trace it back to a phone call where I found out that I wasn't going to be working in leicester as I had first thought, but Liverpool. Leicester is basically half as far away. This makes no material difference. I also liked Leicester the last time I was there. The phone call also came from an unfamiliar source - someone who has joined the company since I last worked with them. So perhaps it's the unfamiliarity. Perhaps it's the 4 hour long drive. Perhaps it's stepping into the unknown. Perhaps it's because I'm feeling a bit rusty...but I'm a bit scared - butterflies, that kind of thing. I'd much prefer to slack around winchester playing pool, badminton, rise of nations and bass, cooking wicked food, having the occasional drink. Sadly, that's not sustainable. So it's off to JohnPaulGeorgeRingo land with me.
:(
So I haven't worked in a long time. And I haven't worked away ('away' meaning, in this instance, the requirement to stay in hotels) for even longer. It was May, I think. And tomorrow I'm off to start a job in Liverpool - Bootle, to be more precise. To quote macleod - take the money and run. It may only be a week. It may be 3 weeks. It may be longer. Billing is better than sitting around doing nothing. Ergo, I agreed to do it. And now I have the raging fear.
I'm not sure when this started. The last time I felt like this I was working in Basingstoke and my life was falling to bits. I was dragging myself through each day, one hour at a time. I know it sounds melodramatic, but that's how it was. The time before that, I was working in Cork and felt awful for having to spend the week away from my girlfriend at the time. I used to lie in bed on a Sunday evening feeling sick at the thought of going away. Ridiculous, I know, but that's the way it was. Should have quit my job then. Shoulda Woulda Coulda. Whorrever.
So why am I feeling this way now? Well, I think I can trace it back to a phone call where I found out that I wasn't going to be working in leicester as I had first thought, but Liverpool. Leicester is basically half as far away. This makes no material difference. I also liked Leicester the last time I was there. The phone call also came from an unfamiliar source - someone who has joined the company since I last worked with them. So perhaps it's the unfamiliarity. Perhaps it's the 4 hour long drive. Perhaps it's stepping into the unknown. Perhaps it's because I'm feeling a bit rusty...but I'm a bit scared - butterflies, that kind of thing. I'd much prefer to slack around winchester playing pool, badminton, rise of nations and bass, cooking wicked food, having the occasional drink. Sadly, that's not sustainable. So it's off to JohnPaulGeorgeRingo land with me.
:(
October 10, 2006
Millwall Vs. Iran
This was related as a true story: Millwall Football Club played a friendly game against Iran fairly recently. The fans - normally noted for the sharpness of their knives rather than the edge of their wit - excelled themselves. First came the cries of "You're Shiite and You Know You Are". Then, a female member of Iran's admin team was walking around the side of the pitch in a burkha. Up went a cry of "Get your face out for the lads". Brilliant.
October 07, 2006
October 04, 2006
Go on. Fascinate me:
On Alannis Morisette's "You Oughta Know", the bass is played by Flea (who is better known as the bassist with the Red Hot Chili Peppers). Quite why this random fact has startled me so much is another discussion. But seriously. If you have this song stashed away in itunes, play it. It'll all make sense.
There was always something about that song, and now I know what it was. Hurrah!
There was always something about that song, and now I know what it was. Hurrah!
Tenacious D
I've enjoyed these guys for a long time now. Went to see them in Brixton a couple of years back and with two acoustic guitars they ruled the place for hours. They have a movie out. Definitely going to see it.
Funny Web Ad
Funny Web Ad
October 03, 2006
Arghhh
I'm trying to learn the bassline to Juicebox by The Strokes but my fingers aren't fucking doing what they're supposed to. Bastards.
Oh look, it's 1 in the morning. I'm making steak and kidney pie. Today I found a new farm shop - up the road in stockbridge, where I bought - yep, you've guessed it, some chuck steak and some beef kidneys. And some ludicrously expensive salt, but the less said about that the better in case I start to regret it. I've chopped, cored, cubed and browned the meaty thing. They've been simmered in some red wine / stocky goodness and now they're in the fridge. The pastry is made and rolled and is also in the fridge. Tomorrow I just need to do the assembly stuff for dinner, mash some potatoes and hey presto. I ventured into the cookshop today but kept my disorder in check and restricted myself to purchasing a rolling pin and a vegetable masher thing. I was looking for a potato ricer, but this'll do. Apparently you're supposed to use it to puree baby food. Whatever!
I was going to buy a pie dish too, but couldn't find one. Or rather, couldn't find one for < £80 which is just daft. If I get really bored tomorrow I might make a pastry cow face to put on top of the pie. Or maybe a humourous cock and balls, as seen in grafitti on a bus shelter near you. Hey! It's chef's privelage.
Loads of other things done today. Really straightened a lot out. Car's off for an MOT tomorrow / today. Sorted my insurance out November onwards too - it's gone down by over £400 which is a bit of a result. Must try and find a job. Will start looking tomorrow.
Night!
Oh look, it's 1 in the morning. I'm making steak and kidney pie. Today I found a new farm shop - up the road in stockbridge, where I bought - yep, you've guessed it, some chuck steak and some beef kidneys. And some ludicrously expensive salt, but the less said about that the better in case I start to regret it. I've chopped, cored, cubed and browned the meaty thing. They've been simmered in some red wine / stocky goodness and now they're in the fridge. The pastry is made and rolled and is also in the fridge. Tomorrow I just need to do the assembly stuff for dinner, mash some potatoes and hey presto. I ventured into the cookshop today but kept my disorder in check and restricted myself to purchasing a rolling pin and a vegetable masher thing. I was looking for a potato ricer, but this'll do. Apparently you're supposed to use it to puree baby food. Whatever!
I was going to buy a pie dish too, but couldn't find one. Or rather, couldn't find one for < £80 which is just daft. If I get really bored tomorrow I might make a pastry cow face to put on top of the pie. Or maybe a humourous cock and balls, as seen in grafitti on a bus shelter near you. Hey! It's chef's privelage.
Loads of other things done today. Really straightened a lot out. Car's off for an MOT tomorrow / today. Sorted my insurance out November onwards too - it's gone down by over £400 which is a bit of a result. Must try and find a job. Will start looking tomorrow.
Night!
October 02, 2006
Worth a punt
Dad and I discussed politics quite a lot when I was up there. He suggested that having a bet on 'Anyone but Gordon' for the labour leadership wasn't such a bad idea. He who wields the knife rarely inherits the crown and all that business. So I had a look into it - only a couple of sites were offering odds. Then I had a look at betfair. Betfair is like a market site - you don't place a bet with them, you place a bet against another user. It's all matched up pretty seamlessly. So I put a bet on against brown. If he wins, I lose £10. If he loses, I win £30. Nice.
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