Dottiddydot

Overheard conversation

2008-07-09T13:10:00.003+01:00

I was getting ready for work this morning and overheard a snippet of conversation between my two sons.
Ross, age 6, said "...because God made everything!"
Ewan, age 4, replied "What else did he make?"
I had to smile. Not sure what prompted that little exchange as we're not especially religious.

42K - To drive a f*cking truck

2008-06-27T20:42:00.001+01:00

I was a little miffed at hearing of a recent paydeal. The Daily Mash sums it up quite nicely. The mash could very well be my new favouritest site on the web. Oh and have this too!
This post contains no Youtubeness.

Moving forward with idea showers

2008-06-17T15:35:00.002+01:00

For the last decade I've been ranting to people about how our vocabulary is going to pot. Business-speak has slowly been encroaching into everyday speech. The BBC are just waking up to it and have published a rather good list of the most annoying: 50 office-speak phrases you love to hate. I'd dedicate a blog to it if I was incentivised enough to do a positive feedback that puts us all on the same page! It goes without saying that I hear this sort of wibble from people around me on a daily basis.

Radioheadware

2008-06-15T22:40:00.003+01:00

A rather good video showing old bits of redundant hardware doing their best to play a reworking of Radioheads' "Nude". Takes a little while to get going but well worth it. I hope the student who made this gets top course marks for this.

Big Ideas (don't get any) from James Houston on Vimeo.
Apologies for adding yet another video to this blog!

Coast is Clear

2008-05-28T20:51:00.001+01:00

Curve were probably the best thing to come out of the early nineties...

Tron card craft

2008-03-28T14:55:00.000Z

Tron
by freres-hueon

Infected

2008-03-08T13:54:00.001Z

One of the best things to come out of the 80's... "The The"...

Why I despise 192.com

2008-03-03T09:35:00.002Z

A long time ago I registered with 192.com at the time it was an innovative way of getting free directory enquiries back when BT had a stranglehold on the phone service. I quickly abandoned 192 once it gave up its free stance and started charging. Fair enough, it has to raise money somehow. Anyway, I remained on their newsletter database having never got around to removing myself. The last few letters I've had have raised my hackles. It seems that their emphasis is now on the business marketeer industry and as such they are advertising their abilities to datamine the electoral role.
Now I know its getting harder to remain private in this modern world but when you've got companies that readily provide your personal info you begin to wonder where it will all stop.
Excuse me while I adjust the tinfoil.
Anyway, I long ago registered my details with the TPS and MPS, services which provide protection from overzealous direct marketing companies. This has stopped an awful lot of the sales calls and mail that I receive. However I hate the idea of companies (or individuals) being able to invisibly collect stats and data from my decision to register for the right to vote. I now mark my electoral role registration to remain off the commercial list - however before I got all paranoid I didn't mark my form as such.
So now I find that 192 are able to sell my data! The only way to stop this is to use the form on their Help and Support page. But now I'm wondering just how many other companies are able to sell on this info and how many cancellation requests I would have to send out to stop it. Gah, why do I feel like I'm trying to stick my finger in a leaky dyke?
I think I need to check out the governments information commission site but its not loading at the moment.

More music memories

2008-02-23T12:41:00.003Z

I know I keep banging on about Prince but he was a big part of my youth. Here's probably the best offshoot from his rather large family, Wendy and Lisa...

Hypnotic.

Fun five minutes

2008-02-08T15:02:00.000Z

I'm easily distracted and games like this easily hook me. Well worth a bash and the controls are few. Enjoy!

Top clubs consider overseas games

2008-02-07T13:56:00.000Z

The BBC has just posted this news item that the Premier league is considering extending the season by 10 extra games. These games would be played at a variety of overseas venues. How mental is that?
I originally read this as being ten extra games for each team but what it actually equates to is that teams play 39 matches a season instead of 38. The proposal is that the top teams avoid each other and a lottery is made of the remaining teams to see who plays who. What happens if the top team draws a match against the bottom team? How unfair would that be? Not just to the teams involved but to their rivals?

Ba dum tish Star Wars

2008-02-06T14:32:00.000Z

Saul Bass style re-imagining of the original Star Wars opening credits.

Total class

2008-02-04T14:20:00.000Z

I've been dusting off all my old prince related music after many years. What a joy it is to hear all those old classics. He also created a lot of tracks for other artists. Check out this sublime Martika track. Eminem needs slapping fort what he did to "Toy Soldiers".

The Battle of Pelennor Fields

2008-01-10T14:25:00.000Z

Someone has recreated The Battle of Pelennor Fields from "Lord of the Rings" using Gummy Bears and Liquorice Allsorts! Fantastic.

Laugh Out Loud

2007-12-14T10:09:00.000Z

These are good ads...

Win "Uh! Tears Baby"

2007-12-01T17:52:00.000Z

Somewhere in the depths of my mums house I have a vinyl copy of Win's "Uh! Tears Baby". Its the one album from my youth that I'm most desperate to find in MP3 form. I'll have to get someone with a USB turntable to rip it for me. But until then I'll have to make do with this, it was used in a McEwan's Lager ad BITD...

Animal v Buddy Rich

2007-11-21T11:17:00.000Z

This sums up everything that is great about being a drummer!

Poker Christmas gift guide

2007-11-20T22:14:00.000Z

Its that time of year when you flex your wallet and clear away the cloud of moths that emerge. Its also a time when you say to yourself "What shall I get for my poker mad partner/friend/relative?". Well here's a quick round up of what I think you could get...

Well, if you've got to get something slightly more flamboyant than a pair of poker slippers and you're ready to splash out some serious cash, why not try this poker table. It's a proper ten person, padded edged and felted table perfect for fleecing the fish.

You could pick up a set of 11.5g chips to give that home game a better casino feel. Great for a four player game. However if you prefer your chips with the values on them, then you should check out these chipsets.

However if the poker player in your life is a total couch-potato then this TV Poker console is for you. For up to six players so your sofa is going to need to be quite big.

Should they be more the type to sit parked in front of the PC (or Mac) then this is the option for you. World Class Poker has a whole range of poker games to suit. World Series of Poker: Tournament Champions is for those who own a Playstation. It would be remiss for me to not plug WPT's own offering for the Xbox. Happy keyboard/console bashing!

For those looking for something that won't break the bank then you should take a look at a card shuffler. Great for nervous live players who hate to shuffle cards in front of their friends. No-one likes to fumble a deck in front of their friends.

Here's another reasonable offering. Chipsets usually come with a cheap plastic dealer button (if you're lucky). So if you want to give your home game a bit more finesse but without spending heaps then take a look at these Dealer and Blind buttons. Alternatively take a look at these card protectors, for stopping any over zealous dealers from mucking your aces.

Heading back to the sofa, all good poker players know you need to study to get an advantage over the rest of the table. Watching some Poker DVDs are a good way to get your head in the groove, just remember that they tend to show edited highlights. Many new players come unstuck by trying to emulate Gus Hansen by raising with rags.

The best way to learn though is probably the most unglamourous. Yes, you guessed it, get those training manuals out and get grafting. Perfect for the poker player who is constantly having to top up their bankroll. Learn something before you hit the felt. These are the books you must get: Harrington on Hold 'em, Doyle Brunson's Super System II, and Caro's Book of Poker Tells.

Here's a gift for the budding Marcel Luske in your life: cufflinks. Now you can really feel like you're in Casino Royale.

Finally, for the ultimate cheesetastic poker gift this Christmas, you need Poker Nights CD and DVD. The DVD is a "How to..." guide, whilst the CD has some stomping Poker themed musical delights. Such classics as "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers and "Big Spender" by Shirley Bassey could be yours. However anything that has James Brown, Kool and the Gang and Urge Overkill on it can't be bad, can it?

Well, that wraps up my poker gift guide. Happy hunting on the tables over Christmas!

Rant

2007-11-20T11:43:00.000Z

This is a great rant! Its not mine - I don't come from Texas. However it is a pet hate of mine where food producers sneakily downsize their products hoping you won't notice. They usually continue to charge the same price too. The rant I am refering to is of "Devoted Customer Upset Jimmy Dean Downsized Sausage 16oz To 12oz But Charges Same Price". Priceless - let it set the interweb alight! I'm not going to pass comment on the families size or of stereotypes of Texas dwellers, that just isn't relative, I just like his style. Now who wants a "Randy Taylor" t-shirt?

Nod your head

2007-10-26T11:33:00.000+01:00

Outstanding!

Star Wars Trumpet Girl

2007-10-23T14:29:00.000+01:00

Played in a very wrong key. Please note her amusing use of the trumpet as a laser gun in her "dance routine". Pffft!

Run, run, run

2007-10-19T14:02:00.000+01:00

Lifted from the Popbitch newsletter, this has to be one of the best blogs ever! This is what the internet was created for. Running from Camera is...

The rules are simple: I put the self-timer on 2 seconds, push the button and try to get as far from the camera as I can.

Feeling tired?

2007-10-19T12:44:00.000+01:00

Then you need to get some of this...

"I might send my friends in first"

2007-10-16T15:00:00.000+01:00

Ah, the power of the internet. I love that you can read about happenings all over the world and then caste judgement over them. The story that I'm linking to is a great escape from the jaws of a shark. Whilst I'm pleased to hear that the victim managed to evade a spiky end, I'm a bit ROFL about the way its been reported. For instance I love the fact that the people in the water had discussed previously what to do should they ever be shark attacked.

"We've talked about it a lot, " Glen said. "The policy is if it goes for you, then you go for it."

Did they happen to discuss this in a boardroom? Policy? Fek that. I hate the way business speak is invading every day speech. The bonus to this piece of journalistic delight is the final quote.

The Economics of Gold-Digging

2007-10-10T12:33:00.000+01:00

Freakonomics has an interesting post about trying to marry into money. If the lady looking for rich love interest is for real then you have to admire her honesty. Then you realise that she's a divorce waiting to happen and all her potential suitors probably can smell that a mile off. I think she might need to go back to the drawing board and get hitched to a plumber, after all they're all minting it these days ;)