…yeah, I know it’s much too big. Deal with it.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Done And Done
Started, and finished, my Christmas shopping today. Apart from my mum's present, which was delivered a few days ago, and for once is not perfume. It was nice of her to drop a few subtle hints about DAB radios. Subtle as a sledgehammer.
Anyways, I'm off work until January 11th. Did I mention that? January 11th. The 11th of January. That's three weeks.
Posted with LifeCast
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Rage Against The X Factor
I’ve downloaded my copy* of the Rage Against The Machine single, on the grounds that 29p is a very, very small price to pay in order to annoy Simon Cowell.
If the plan works, that is….
* 2 copies, actually.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
5 Years
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Request
To God, or whoever is in charge these days.
I think two funerals within six weeks is more than enough, particularly when both are for members of the same family. Any chance we could rein it in a little?
Friday, December 04, 2009
Stinkin’ up the Library
Aw, it’s not funny. The poor guy.
The poor, poor, smelly, smelly guy.
Seriously though, there’s no excuse for poor personal hygiene. Personally, I take a shower once a fortnight*, whether I need it or not.
*OK, month. Same difference.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Mr Personality
So, uh, I took Professor Winston’s Big Personality Test today, for fun and kicks.
This probably isn’t good…
Then again, I’m not sure how far I’m willing to trust the judgment of some bloke who goes around looking like Groucho Marx*.
*Unless, of course, he actually is Groucho Marx.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
The C Word
As much as I think that Sting is – by and large – a bit of a twat, I’m finding it hard to disagree with anything he says here.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
(Si Si) Je Suis Un Rock Star
I should probably get out a bit more.
For more Rock Band fun, there's also Cartman & Co. with the South Park version of Poker Face.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Greetings From Dublin
I think this is the fanciest hotel I have ever stayed in. Guess which part of the hotel I am in now? That's right - the bar.
Posted with LifeCast
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Dublin (II)
Off to Dublin tomorrow, which somewhat unfortunately means getting out of bed at, gulp, 4:45am. In the morning. Or more technically, the middle of the night.
Despite that, and the inevitable airport malarkey, I’m looking forward to it. It’ll be nice to get out of the office for a day and a bit, if nothing else.
Come to think of it, this’ll be the first time I’ve flown anywhere since just before the car accident. Coincidentally, that was another trip to Dublin.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
A New Image
So, uh, what do we think of the new Doctor Who logo? Not too sure myself. I can’t decide whether the Tardis-shaped DW is clever, or just crap.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Lunchy Munchy
There's nothing like a good healthy lunch. And that *was* nothing like a good healthy lunch. Pie, chips and beans. And possibly beer.
Posted with LifeCast
Monday, September 14, 2009
Read All About It
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Save Me From The Movies
Yes, I know I’ve already posted part of this, but dammit, it’s worth another spin. Someday Duke Special will be as famous as he should be. Even if I have to scream his name into everyone’s face. And don’t think I wouldn’t.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
Move
After months of planning (apparently), we finally move offices tomorrow. We’re not moving far – only two blocks along and one block up from the current office (or bottom right to top left on the map). It’s far enough that I’m going to have start getting an earlier train in the morning, which is mildly annoying.
Still though, it’s a nice shiny new (or newly refurbished) office and probably better in every way the current place. Every way apart from location, of course.
On the plus side, we get a half-day tomorrow while our stuff gets moved.
On the minus side, the stalkers now know where to find me. Oops.
Ooh, almost forgot. We got our access passes for the new building today. They don’t have our photos on yet, so that’s something to look forward to. I do so enjoy being photographed. I am also looking forward to wandering about with a pass attached to a lanyard* hanging round my neck, and not looking in any way like a complete tool.
* Don’t you think lanyard is a rather grand-sounding word for what is basically a bit of string round your neck?
Monday, August 31, 2009
Another One Bites The Dust
I’m going to do you a big favour* here. Don’t say I’m not good to you.
Next time you find yourself competing in a Break-an-iPod contest**, here’s what to do.
- Connect your iPod to your PC, and leave to charge.
- Forget that your iPod is connected to your PC for a considerable length of time. 17 hours ought to do it.
- All of a sudden remember about your iPod.
- Go back to your iPod, and find it red-hot and with a large black blot obscuring the top right corner of the screen.
- And you’re done.
*That’s “favour”. The U key is the one between Y and I, America.
**I admit it’s unlikely, but you never know, do you?
Drink!
From the start of September, the licensing laws are changing in these here parts. In an attempt to combat binge drinking, there will be a crackdown on ‘irresponsible’ drinks promotions.
That means you can’t have traditional Happy Hours any more. Any temporary reduction in the price of alcohol will now have to last a minimum of 72 hours. So instead of a Happy Hour, it’ll be Happy 72 Hours.
Er, how’s that going to help?
True (ish)
From my own personal experience, there’s some truth in this – although it varies dramatically from hospital to hospital…
Monday, August 24, 2009
Separated at birth
I’m glad this video exists, if only to prove that Duke Special and Tim Minchin have been seen together in the same room, and that they really are two people. And not one.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Swine Flu
Well, no, it’s probably not, but it has kept me off work for the past couple of days, and on the plus side has given me a chance to catch up on some really important stuff. Like watching loads of Tom Baker-era episodes of Doctor Who, and watching the final few episodes of Reaper and Pushing Daisies – both of which have been, somewhat annoyingly, cancelled. Swines.*
*Or should that just be ‘swine’?
Sunday, August 16, 2009
We Are Klang
It’s been a long time since anything made me cry with laughter. This is what tipped me over the edge.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
An awful lot of running
I think this is the best thing I’ve seen on YouTube. For some reason it made me realise how much I’m going to miss David Tennant when he hangs up the keys to the Tardis. He’s my favourite doctor since Tom Baker.
Anyway, this is great.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Job
After months of deliberation, the company has told everyone what their new, revised, and brought-into-line-with-company-standards job titles will be. Mine is Software Developer, which is exactly what it was before. Well worth the wait, then.
Talking of job titles, apparently the nice people at Subway are Sandwich Artists. Some of them fancy themselves as Picasso, if the state of my lunch is anything to go by.
In which case, I should probably be a Software Artist.
Posted with LifeCast
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Tutti Frutti
Enough of that.
My big news is that my DVD of Tutti Frutti is due to arrive on Monday. 22 years after its original showing on TV, they've finally got around to putting it out on DVD. As far as I can recall, it was shown once and never repeated, which is quite galling when you see the shit that the BBC is happy to repeat again and again and again (ad infinitum/nauseam).
I (not entirely legally) downloaded Tutti Frutti last year, but it was a massively dodgy copy of a VHS tape that someone recorded off the TV. I can't wait to see it again.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
No-o-o-o-o-o-o
Back to work tomorrow after two weeks off. Can’t wait to see how much shit has hit the fan while I’ve been away.
Actually, I can wait.
It’s YouTube, you tube
I’m not sure how it slipped under my radar that one of my favourite male singers and one of my favourite female singers had performed a duet. But obviously, they did.
I’ve loved her voice since the first time I heard it, 20-odd years ago, but I’ve never seen her look quite so, uh, well, hot as she does here.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Max (again)
I tried to get him to pose nicely for the camera, but he wasn't having any of it.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
E Street Band
The sound quality was great too, a noticeable improvement over last year's show in Manchester. Oh yeah, and the seats at Hampden are way more comfortable than those at Old Trafford - not that I spent much time in mine. It also helped that it didn't rain the whole time - just part of the time.
As for the music, the set lasted almost three hours, with songs spanning the last 36 years of Bruce's career (you can see the setlist here), not to mention the opening Flower of Scotland. They played all the songs I was hoping to hear (and more), including Outlaw Pete - which may be as corny as a massive bucket of corn, but still makes for a great live track. There was also the now customary request slot, the sign requesting Incident On 57th Street was large enough for Bruce to hide behind (as he proved).
And one young girl now has a story she can probably dine out on for years to come...
All in all, a great night. I just hope they don't leave it another 28 years before coming back to Scotland.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Thursday, July 09, 2009
How did it come to this?
My 'favourite' part of this is "Samantha Jones admitted setting a trap for Shakilus, but said she thought he was only going to be beaten up".
Oh well, that's alright then.
Living in the 80's
I'm not sure what it says about me that I had every answer written down before any of my teammates had a chance to put forward their suggestions.
Nothing good, probably.
Monday, July 06, 2009
O'Really?
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0706/breaking41.htm
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
Jacko
Thursday, June 18, 2009
iPhone
I fucking love it.
It can tell me where in the world I am, show me that location on a map, tell me where to find the nearest bar, pharmacy, cinema or restaurant. It can tell me if my train is going to be on time (although, to be fair, they could leave that permanently set to 'NO'). I can watch TV shows and movies on it, or listen to the radio or any number of podcasts or audiobooks. I can check the weather forecast for my local area (although, to be fair, they could leave that permanently set to 'RAIN'). I can post blog entries from it, and show my location at the time of doing so*. I can listen to music or ambient noise, check the news headlines, play games, chat with people on Yahoo, MSN and ICQ**. I can even connect to my computer at work to do... uh... more work... if I wanted to. Brace yourself now. I can even use it to make phone calls.
In fact, the only gripe I've had with it was the lack of a facility to forward text messages*** - something which even the most bog-standard phone can do. Fortunately with the new version 3.0 software release, they've fixed. Hurrah.
The only fly in the ointment here is the arrival of the new iPhone3Gs. Just for once I'd like to buy a gadget with a written**** guarantee that there won't be a better one for at least six months.
* Although I'm still questioning the wisdom of this.
** Anyone still use ICQ?
*** OK, that and the piss-poor battery life.
**** In blood, preferably
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Three Years
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Four Seasons In One Day
Dear Weather,
Just a suggestion for you to mull over. Perhaps you could pick one thing for the day, and then stick with it?
Yours insincerely
Al (big)
Posted with LifeCast
Friday, May 15, 2009
iPhone Test
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Best Episode Ever
Apparently, yes. And what a Star Trek movie. I don't even know where to start. It rocked.
I have to mention Simon Pegg's Scotty, who got some of the best lines. "Get tae f.... shut up". Bones, though, got to say, "Are you outta your Vulcan mind?".
And not one, but two Spocks*. Young Spock (Zachary "Sylar" Quinto) and Old Spock (Leonard "Spock" Nimoy).
So, when's the sequel?
*OK, actually three if you count the child Spock
Monday, May 04, 2009
Swine Flu
Easily. Because there isn't going to be a swine flu pandemic. Next question?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Working from home (ish)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Book by cover
My initial thought was, how brilliant to see the smugness wiped instantly from the faces of Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan. And it was nice how the judges all heaped praised upon Susan after she finished singing.
The problem I have is this. The judges, and (from the look of it) the audience* all had to pick their jaws up off the floor when Susan started to sing. As if it was somehow inconceivable for someone who's not a classic beauty (I'm trying to be diplomatic here) to have a beautiful voice.
So what initially sounded like compliments came off sounding quite insulting.
* Look at the girl in the audience just after Susan says "I'm trying to be a professional singer".
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Nervy
But tomorrow (today) I actually have to show up - in person - and do more or less the same thing. Now that I've typed that out, it doesn't sound like such a big deal. But it means that if something fucks up I have to look people in the eye whilst trying to concoct my excuses. It also means having to wear a suit. And a tie. And trying not to scream out a volley of extremely rude words any time something goes a little bit wrong. And wearing a tie. And a suit. And wearing a tie. And trying not to say fuck in front of clients. And wearing a tie.
I think it's the tie thing that's bothering me the most. It's just not natural, a bit of cloth around ones neck cutting off the blood supply to ones eyeballs. I've never been comfortable wearing a tie. Or a suit, for that matter. The suit might fit, but it just doesn't fit. I think what I'm trying to say is this - anytime I dress up (and I do consider it 'dressing up') in a suit and tie, I feel a fraud. It's not me. I have no business wearing this sort of stuff. That's what "professional" people wear. You see these people strutting around the place, looking all confident in their suits - almost as if they were born in them, and it's the most natural thing in the world. But it's just not me.
A suit does not suit me. Or I don't suit a suit. It's one of the two. Or both.
This has been a wee bit ramble-y. Sorry about that. We won the pub quiz tonight, scoring 89 points out of a possible 100. That means we've won 5 times out of 12 so far this year. Scoring 963 points over 12 weeks, giving us a weekly average of 80.25. Which is impressive. But not quite impressive enough to take my mind off of having to wear a tie tomorrow (today).
Bedtime.
Don't drink out-of-date beer.
No, really. Don't.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Worst After
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Best Before
Sunday, March 29, 2009
About A Boy (named Stuart)
But last night I had a rather strange dream, about a boy named Stuart. Stuart was a boy from my class in primary school, but only joined my class towards the end of our primary school days. Maybe when we were about 11. I haven't seen Stuart since we were 12 or maybe 13. Which is quite a long time ago now.
In the dream, Stuart showed up in the Ardneil - the bar where I spend my Friday and Saturday nights. This evening, after several beers in the Ardneil, I went to... uh... take a piss. The fellow at the adjacent urinal says "Hi Alastair*". It takes me a moment to realise, but, yes it's Stuart. I'm flattered that he recognised me, and it's always grand to see an old classmate. But the whole thing is just a little bit strange. One night I was dreaming about a fellow who I haven't seen in over 30 years appearing in the pub I frequent, and the next night.... there he was.
* For 'tis my name
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
It's Not OK
This could be considered to be jumping the gun a tad, given that she isn't actually dead yet.*
* Correct at time of writing
Monday, March 16, 2009
Top O' The Mornin'
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Friday, March 06, 2009
Bruce
Monday, March 02, 2009
Working from home
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
iBlog
Monday, February 23, 2009
Sunday, February 22, 2009
The Most Brilliant Invention In The World Ever*
*After the iPod.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Welcome to Rip-off Britain (Episode 4392)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Hospital
This also means that I won't be attending the hospital for check-ups any more, which is good news. I wasn't entirely thrilled at having to take an entire (unpaid) day off work for a 10-minute appointment (plus a 3.5 hour round-trip and a 1.5 hour wait in the hospital). I don't mind taking the time off work; it's the 'unpaid' part that bothers me. Frickin' company policies. But that's another story...
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Oh No!
*OK, early-twenties-hood, if you're going to nitpick.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
DNA Test
You are an Analyst
Your attention to detail, confidence, sense of order, and focus on functionality combine to make you an ANALYST.
You are very curious about how things work, delving into the mechanics behind things.
Along those lines, how well something works is usually more important to you than what it looks like.
You find beauty and wonder mainly in concrete, functional, earthly things.
You are very aware of your own abilities, and you believe that you will find the best way of doing things.
Accordingly, problems do not intimidate you, as you believe in yourself.
You trust yourself to find solutions within the boundaries of your knowledge.
You don't spend a lot of time imagining how things could be different—you're well-grounded in the here-and-now.
It is important for you to follow a routine, and you prefer the familiar to the unknown.
Your independent streak allows you to make decisions efficiently and to trust your instincts
You prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute.
You are Reserved
You are RESERVED – you aren't someone who always needs to have others around, and you find you can handle most situations on your own.
You can be very happy spending time alone, and enjoy your own thoughts and ideas.
You find it difficult to understand why some people get so emotional and tell everyone else their problems.
You believe that if you want to get something done, it is best to do it yourself.
In your experience, other people are not always completely dependable, so you generally rely on yourself and only a few close others.
Despite your independence, you are not a closed-minded person who makes hasty judgments about others. You know that it isn't always easy to walk in other people's shoes.
At times other people's feelings are puzzling to you, and you wish that people were more rational.
Your vision of the world is complex – your values are not set in stone. Instead, you are able to change your beliefs as you learn new information.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Wankshop, Part 2
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Wankshop
Monday, January 19, 2009
Saturday, January 03, 2009
A Look Back
Tony Christie - Made In Sheffield
He could have taken the easy route and made more cheesy Amarillo-style pop. Instead, with the help of the likes of Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley, he made a beautifully crafted, dignified album and surprised the heck out of all of us. My personal choice would be Born To Cry, but Danger Is A Woman In Love would make a great Bond theme.
Henry Priestman - The Chronicles of Modern Life
The guy from The Christians made a classic Grumpy-Old-Man album. Have a listen to Don't You Love Me No More? and Grey's The New Blonde.
Guns N' Roses - Chinese Democracy
Seventeen frickin' years we waited for this. Was it worth the wait? Well, yeah. Almost. It dragged on a bit towards the end, but parts of it were flat-out brilliant. Catcher In The Rye, even without Brian May's guitar parts, stood out for me.
Glasvegas - Glasvegas
I really wanted to hate this. They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover - equally you shouldn't judge a band by their awful name. OK, the name still annoys me (and most of Glasgow, I'd imagine), but this is a debut album more exciting than anything since Oasis.
Wall-of-sound production, songs about absentee fathers and social workers, loads of swearing and Scottish accents that make the Proclaimers sound like Prince Charles. Nice.
Duffy - Rockferry
A good old-fashioned slice of classic-sounding soul, and apparently the UK's top-selling album of the year. Try Warwick Avenue and Mercy.
Elvis Costello and the Imposters - Momofuku
Declan's best for years (named after the inventor of instant noodles, apparently). Sadly there's not much to be found in the way of evidence on YouTube, but here's a live performance of American Gangster Time.