Monthly archives: December 2002


Issues

Whenever I come home, I bring a magazine cover disk and temporarily install the software I need to edit pages for the website and compress the pictures of the day. This time, however, I seem to have brought a DVD of rubbish. Editors and compressors save to their own arbitrary file types which are no use whatsoever. There may be no pictures of the day until after Christmas, for which, my apologies.


Starfleet – but not the trekkie one

Something earlier this week made me think of Starfleet. This is probably where I start to step into Brian’s terrority, but anyway. There used to be a site that streamed the episodes, one a week about the size of small postage stamp. Can’t find that anymore, but fortunately some of the episodes are now available for download. After having a quick look around, there are a lot more sites again including others with episode downloads. I remember arguing with Brian about who played guitar and bass on the Brian May cover of the soundtrack. From what I read, Eddie Van Halen played bass and Brian May lead guitar. From listening to it again, I’m sure I can here both of their guitar styles on the guitar.


stuff I don't want

As I wander through life (and round the shops), I realise that there’s a great deal that I don’t want. For instance, the Spyder which looks like a Raleigh Chopper crossed with the car from the Jetsons. Take a look at the picture of the bottom of the Jetson photo page. Bears a remarkable resemeblance to something else that I have no need for.

On my travels, I keep coming across books of random knowledge, however for the review you’ll have to look here. But I’m sure nothing can compete with the Internet for sheer variety and pointlessness. But then again, sometimes you need a good excuse for that purchase or for not going out since you need to give your new purchase a good run-in. Or sometimes you can just get stuck with too many good(?) ideas.


Thank god for Stupidity

Although I realise that this is a serious web blog for the majority of persons trawling the web for pron or illegal MP3 downloads, I must say I am soooooo happy that the Senate Majority Leader. M Trent Lott, is gone. What a blessing! Even though my Norwegian roots forbid me from trumpeting doo-dah down the streets, man, it is so nice to see him go!!!!!!!!

Rest of the World = 1

USA = 9 squidgillion in tax cuts and counting

Fantastic!

In other news. Man figures out how to bore himself to death with web postings…..


More tech stuff

I’ve found something else I want. Actually, I suppose I’d want the interconnectivity to be digital, but the amplification to be valve based. Something just doesn’t seem right about that. With the digital connections, I could theoretically have something the size of mobile phone to handle all my audio needs, but then it would have to be half the size of a TV to handle the transformers and various heat-sinks for the valves. But what a sound it would make.


Off the self parts – uh?

Don’t know about you, but Brian’s idea of building a PC using near-living tissue sounds great as long as it’s not mine. Might be better to have a look round at some of the organisations involved in that type of research in the US. I remember the Foresight Institute being quite vocal a fews ago with Eric Drexler’s main work. Before that, at least in terms of public profile, there was the RAND corporation. Remember me mentioning military sci-if, Jerry Pournelle wrote a series called Janissaries as well; he was also part of RAND along with Larry Niven.

But my techno-lust still carries on. I want a decent car. Probably needs to be the Espace since it’s large enough to carry some good looking British guitars, guitar amps and groupies round in (I can hope!). I want an old building so I can put on band nights on.

Some people really should have never been allowed to live in the commercial world with those sorts of ideas. It’s obvious that many don’t live in the real world.


Bigger Toys

I was going to see Brian’s micro racers and raise him a remote controlled tank, then I thought why not go the whole hog. And remember ‘Part exchange is often welcome on interesting military vehicles’.

Alternatively, I could go looking for seized property such as race cars or even houses.

Deep down, though, what I’d really like to do is move back to Cumbria, settle somewhere nice in the Lake District


Unrestrained techno lust

Or a slight case of G.A.S.

Unlike Alan I do not have an irresistible urge to buy guitars and amps (the 2 amps, 3 guitars and 3 fx units I have are more than enough). However I do have a slight problem with high tech gadgets. So here’s my current techno lust wish list in order of increasing insanity:

I like the idea of remote contolled micro racers but I’ve received so much spam on the subject this month that I don’t think I’ll bother.

A USB Bluetooth dongle as I’m too lazy to connect my mobile phone to a computer using wires and IR is so last year.

Until I saw one I never knew I needed a remote contolled flying saucer but now I do.

In my opinion the Apple iPod is still the best MP3 player out there and now it will talk to Windows.

I need the new Nvidia GeForceFX graphics card. After seeing the Doom 3 demo I declared ‘We’re gonna need a bigger video card

I’ve received the letter asking for my ITV digital box back (or 40 quid). They can have the box. I want a DTV box with hard disk recording.

The prices for 3G mobile phones have been revealed. Pricey but a handheld video phone seems pretty cool.

Finally some extreme overclocking. It seems you can build a 4.1 GHz Pentium 4 PC using off the shelf parts.


Making a list…..

Funny how I post so much less on a day when I’m not at work………

In the spirit of the season, and Alan’s last post, I’m declaring it time for techno lust posts for the next week. Personally, I think the picture of the day would benefit from a nice simple digital camera, nothing too fancy. I was thinking of pinpointing all my photos, so I could map them.

I don’t have that big a garden, but I’d like to populate it with cool and groovy animals (whilst Daz just wants an Armadillo)

My PC, no matter that I’ve only had it a few months, is beginning to feel a little slow. Actually, make that very slow.

And this is just the beginning, don’t get me started on all the ThinkGeek stuff I want.


Jack Frost

Edinburgh is coated with a deep white frost this morning and it feels marvelous! All the way to the office humming christmas carols and thinking about baking some cookies tonight. The office is nearly empty as all have bade farewell until January and the jovial spirit if those remaining makes it fun to be at work.

“My God, John O, you must have gone mad, far to happy for this time of year”, you say? No not really. After four years of living down south and the Northwest, this is the first time I feel as though its Christmas. People are far more festive in Scotland and to some degree it is infectous. I even have a cold, afresh with runny nose and sinus that makes my head feel like exploding. What else says cold weather and warm hot toddies, possibly some mulled wine sitting in front of an open fire?

It will all be over to quickly, and those New Year resolutions will be meaningless by Monday, 6th January, 2003, but for most people this holiday isn’t even about religion anymore. It is an opportunity to stop with busy lives and enjoy some downtime. Getting out of bed late for the next two weeks and not having to rush about will be the best thing ever. I have decided that me and Christmas Holidays are super-dooper-bestest friends. Oh and I forgot to mention, unlike you uncivlised people elsewhere, 2nd January is also a holiday! Take that London!


Addicted to raaawk!

I want more stuff, no make that need more stuff. Well actually, I could do without it, but then life wouldn’t be the same. The dilemma that faces every guitarist experiencing Gear Acquisition Syndrome. There’s even a self-test for those unsure of whether they’ve captured the “disease”. So from my point of view, I want/need (the two are fully interchangeable, but need occurs more often) a new amp head and a new guitar. I don’t have to think hard for reasons, in that I don’t have to justify the purchases to myself. I looking for a particular sound, that justifies all.

So the amps, down to two at the moment, Engl Powerball (or something else from their line-up) or Hughes and Kettner Triamp. You will understand that although the Engl stuff I’ve heard sounds very good, it has to compete with the fact that you can see the H&K’s valves being lit up nicely. OK, from the point of view of a guitar purist, then looks don’t matter, but bands are as much about stage presence, image and act as they are the music that the band is there to play. Having something as cool as backlit valves, just gives you instant respect (until you hit the strings on the guitar – then it’s another ball game entirely). Reminds of the time that Trace Elliot started putting neon tubes on the front of their amps, I’d never seen bass players dribble so much before.

As for a new guitar, currently the JJ Guitars Retro is top of the list, but there are a few others to try close behind.

Fancy seeing the current band, then we’re playing at the Grey Horse, Reddish, Stockport tomorrow (on Friday 20th December). Want to see a better band, then look at Stockport SU tonight.

Back to writing, I remember looking for some useful information on creative thinking. I found the odd one or so, then found an index of the stuff. Much more useful, however do I use them? No, not in the slightest. Think I need something more about motivation instead. From what I’ve seen though, it’s mainly a question of people trying to sell you self-help packs, often thinly disguised pyramid selling.


Off key?

You know when it’s time to give up singing when your computer can sing better than you can.

Since Ian and me both write, I thought it worth pointing out a collection of dodgy science facts in the Hall of Infamy and some fantasy cliches. Just so we know what to steer clear of.

Did you try the “which science fiction author are you?” Need more info on the author, then start with the list of scifi authors. Need more info, then there’s the only decent sci fi encyclopaedia.

There’s a Manchester-based scifi group, didn’t know that before.