Archive for the All category
Firefox World Record
by Andy on June 18th, 2008
I just took part in Firefox’s world record attempt, and you can too!
All you have to do is download Firefox 3 before 7.16pm (UK) or 8.16pm (CET) and you too could be a part of the “Most Software Downloads in a 24 Hour Period” World Record! :P
I got a certificate and everything!
You can also keep track of the current download volume as well as browse the official World Record site.
Hours ‘Til Autumn
by Dan on June 11th, 2008
Ever heard of them? Me neither, probably because they are an unknown band from Eastleigh whose largest gig to date that I can find was at the Joiners. However, they won an Ocean FM competition to be the support act for Bon Jovi tonight at St Mary’s Stadium, so I’ll shortly be finding out what they sound like. Only info I can find on them is on bebo: Hours ‘Til Autumn.
Beer Festivals - UR DOIN IT RONG!
by Dan on June 9th, 2008
Now I have your attention with that totally unjustified outburst of LOLspeak, I need to clear something up. It was mentioned in a recent email that working at a beer festival “sounds a little sober”.
How very wrong you are…
You see, during the local Beer Festival, volunteers are allowed, nay, encouraged, to try the beer on offer. It’s all about being able to offer meaningful advice, you understand. Since not every volunteer will be able to make the pre-festival tasting, and since the average volunteer is really quite into the whole beer-drinking thing, drinking the offerings is de rigueur during breaks in serving. A few moments stolen away from your bar area is usually spent exploring the other bars, and flashing the staff badge in order to get another cup full and a friendly smile, maybe a request for your views on the taste and a recommendation for later. The only request is that you stay sober enough to serve the punters. Anyone else tried serving on a bar drunk? This wasn’t my first experience in that area - it was as easy as I recalled, and more fun than the sober alternative.
Oh, and that’s just during the open hours.
Once the doors close there are a couple of hours of proper drinking to be done. Once doors close on the final night there is invariably a quantity of beer remaining, and the organisers would rather not have move and dispose of this, so that’s another duty down to the volunteers.
Over the Friday and Saturday nights I worked, I’m ashamed to say I only tried 50 of the 94 on offer (that I remember). Most of those were on the first night. On the second night many beers had already finished, so I didn’t add too many to my tally, and ended up drinking the same ones over again. Nonetheless, I think it was a much better showing than the many years I’ve been a punter with a ticket.
Beer Festival Volunteers. Unpaid, but not sober.
My Beer of the Festival? Dark Star Summer Meltdown. Ginger flavoured and great.
Google Android
by Ben on May 29th, 2008
I was geekily surfing one of the many many many iphone blogs out there and came across an article about Google Android which appears to be Google’s own mobile OS. The link provided (http://androidcommunity.com/first-live-images-of-fullscreen-android-demo-20080528/) also shows some cool videos and pictures. I wasn’t overly impressed with pacman, but then I’ve never been a fan of the game (being rubbish at it doesn’t help), but I was impressed with the built in compass! It makes Google StreetView (yes its a 3G phone) images turn with you as you rotate! The demonstration of this, quite rightly, drew “Awwww!”s and applause from the demonstration crowd.
Can’t wait.
Tipping
by Andy on May 27th, 2008
No, not the fly variety, or any other form of refuse dumpage, but gratuities paid to waiting/kitchen staff at bars/restaurants.
I stumbled upon this blog today, where the protagonist -a relatively witty, dry humoured Waiter somewhere in the States- complains when a couple who are currently freaking about their tax return don’t tip enough. I’ve always known about tipping being a lot more frequent in the US, but the way this blogger describes it, along with the 220+ commentors, you would not only think that tipping is compulsory, but at least a certain percentage of your bill:
Holy Crap - that’s like barely even 8%. Bastards.
Now, I will happily leave a 5 - 10% tip after a meal if, and only if a number of criteria are met. The food has to be good, as well as the service. I begrudgingly tip a good waiter/waitress sometimes as their service has been outstanding, yet the food has been mediocre. It peeves me to know that the kitchen staff, who did not perform, will take a proportion of the tip. The speed at which the order is delivered, as well as the timings between courses. There is nothing I hate more than having to rush my starter, just because someone else has finished their’s and the waiting staff have brought out the main courses. Value for money comes into it also. I have no reason to tip a restaurant if I don’t feel I’ve had the best value for the money I’ve spent.
I’ll probably get stick for being a tight arsed bastard about this, but don’t get me wrong, if I feel someone deserves a decent tip, then they’ll get it, but when it gets to the point that not paying a gratuity means you’re branded an “asshole” I think society is crossing the line.
Monaco GP 2008
by Dan on May 25th, 2008
That was an excellent race. It’s races like this that keep me watching F1, even if it did have to rain to make it interesting. Hamilton was untouchable, with McLaren taking full advantage of the opportunity afforded to him by the lucky coincidence of a small mistake just before a safety car.
Driver of the race was rightly awarded to the great performance from Adrian Sutil before a schoolboy error from none other than the reigning World Champion took him out of the race, and cheated him out of what would have been an amazing fourth place.
Still, it was an entirely enjoyable race to watch, possibly aided by the princely sum of £2 I had riding Lewis.
Rob’s Catch Up
by Wob on May 22nd, 2008
In February I had a call out of the blue from our rental agents. They told me that our landlord would be selling the house we live it. They decided not to give us our two months notice immediately, instead waiting for an offer on the house and then give us notice. That suited us. Slowly I began thinking about finding somewhere else to live - not too bad, then about having to actually physically move - not so much fun. My original plan was to live there for a couple more years, then think about buying somewhere. In the end we decided that the 20K we might spend on rent in the next couple of years was probably enough to absorb any potential savings we might make by leaving it a couple of years and buying when the housing market has fallen a little more. Rather than having to move twice in the next couple of years we decided to start looking for a house to buy.
… Boring house hunting paragraph …
Anyway we made an offer around month or two ago which was accepted. There are so many things that can go wrong with all the surveys, the mortgage offer and all that stuff to be sorted out that I’ve been holding out on posting this catch up. Since everything seems like it’s going well, I decided to share the news.
Yesterday we exchanged contracts and we’ll be moving in mid-July. I won’t have to pay someone else’s mortgage anymore, but instead I’ll have to fix my own boiler - It sounds like a reasonable compromise. Of course I’ll probably change my view when the washing machine and the fridge break in the same month!
The place is an ex-rental, so it’s all very neutral and in good condition with not a lot of work required on it. However no one’s been living there for a couple of months, so I guess the garden will take a while to sort out! The previous owner is emigrating, so he’s leaving all the kitchen goods normally provided in rental houses. That means we don’t have to buy anything! It’s a 2 bedroom mid-terrace in the same estate as we are now. So there will, as always, be space for people to visit:).
I’m really looking forward to the simple things like being able to put up spice rack and a picture without having to remember to pollyfiller the holes before we move out! Of course there are bigger things too, maybe an apple tree and a conservatory, but there’s no rush for all that. Unfortunately there has been some muttering about cat flaps and such nonsense. I can only assume that this is leading toward getting a cat.. Any compelling reasons not to do this are more than welcome;)
Well, I’ve said enough for now. I’ll leave you with this thought:
Strangely, I still feel more grown up when I think about the Tesco Clubcard in my wallet than I do about the house I’ve just bought!
Swim, Float, Swim…
by Andy on May 20th, 2008
I was stumbling earlier today and came across a video, which I watched, then followed a link, then another, and another, as you do. I was so taken in by this video that I’ve actually applied for an information pack to learn to be an instructor in my own time. It’s not that I want to instruct as a living, but I was so shocked at the video, that I think every parent should consider ISR’s swim, float, swim survival technique.
Some people may find the following video a bit upsetting, and I personally don’t believe they should have left the child floating around for so long. They prove their point, so why leave the little kid lying there upset.
Emulator Fun
by Dan on May 17th, 2008
A short post this one… Just to let you all know that all online games have been rendered pointless by the website below:
Oh yes, it is that good…
Was trying to find a few updates for my emulator collection, and came across this. It crashes sometimes, but is very useful for wasting a few hours, even if it’s just playing the first level of anything that catches your eye.
WoldWide telescope
by Ben on May 13th, 2008
So Microsoft have finally come up with somthing cool that’s not a copy of something Google have done!
http://www.worldwidetelescope.org
I’ve only just installed it, but I’m already enjoying the guided tours that you can download. Some of them even have an audio commentary (not that that went down too well in the office). I just hope that they don’t get diluted by the inevitable rubbish tours that millions of people feel they should create and inflict upon the rest of us (wishful thinking I suspect).
Check it out and have a play.