11January2007
Posted by Dexter M under: flickr; lazy; graphic; genius; goopymart.
teh internets-omfg
Originally uploaded by goopymart.
This is the first real lazy blog entry I’ve done this year. I was going to compose a rant about the idiotic Congestion Charging “debate” that’s going on the the East Midlands at the moment - that may come tomorrow, when I’ve thought it through a bit more.
For now I’d like to sing the praises of the graphical design genius that is GoopyMart. Sadly their website only teases, but their Flickr photostream bulges with wonderfuly crafted Goopiness. I even invested in a T-Shirt from their shop on CafePress.com not too long ago, and will probably do the same very soon.
Goop it up fuzzballs!
10January2007
Posted by Dexter M under: Uncategorized.
Of course, this is strictly an opinion, but you know it makes sense!
This is largely my response to the awful “news” put out on the Yahoo! new site that : a) David Tenant is likely to quit at the end of the next series, and b) Jason Statham (he of Transporter and Lock Stock… fame) might be taking over.
Bill Bailey is clearly the best choice - the West Country codemic genius has the witt, the quirks and the down-right strangeness to pull the role off.
Failing that I reckon Richard E Grant would also make a good Doctor - after all, he did do the animated stuff on the BBC website a couple of years back. Or how about (dare I say it) a lady Doctor? Jessica Stevenson?
9January2007
Posted by Dexter M under: Uncategorized.
I was a teenager in the eighties, and The Smiths provided me with an idea salve for my teenage angst. It seemed like a turning point - musically and politically when they split in the autumn of 1987 - the same year I started at Cardiff University (or UWIST as it was then).
The handful of albums full of poignant, witty, funny, sad, pretentious and utterly on-the-button pop songs can still move me even now. However, after an initially promising start with Viva Hate, Morrissey as a solo artist has always been a bit hit and miss for me - whilst I love Vauxhall and I, I’ve never been as bowled over by much since his first solo effort.
Now the Smiths generation has reached their mid-to-late 30s, and have a bit more buying power than in their student days, the former Smiths vocalist has seen something of a revival over the last few years. Cybercontroler Daz and Foxytallchick went to see him at his recent Nottingham gig and have written enthusiastically about it.
So, when today, the BBC revealed that he has been approached to write and perform an entry for Royume Uni in the Eurovision Song Contest, many people were a bit bemused. Perhaps they forget what a truly great pop artist he can be - hell he even worked with Sandi Shaw early on in The Smiths carrier. Of course, he’d still have t go through the qualification process like all the other hopefuls, but who knows? What the hell eh - if a pantomime heavy metal band and an Israeli transsexual can win it, why not the former daffodil waving, hearing aid wearing veggie evangelist himself.
While we’re at it why not field some of our other great pop artists like Neil Hannon (aka The Divine Comedy) or Saint Etienne (that would confuse the French!)
8January2007
Posted by Dexter M under: Uncategorized.
For a while, I’ve been meaning to get “IBM 1401, A User’s Manual” by Johann Johannsson. Today, I finally went into Reveal Records and picked it up.
It’s a kind of tribute to the IBM 1401 mainframe computer - apparently the first computer in Iceland. The story goes that when this incredibly bulky, expensive and cantankerous collection of hardware came to the island in the early 60s, Johnannsson’s father worked with it and discoverd a way of actually getting it to produce a strange and delicate music. Recordings of this, various ambient sounds from the machine and spoken word from an instructional recording have been woven together with powerful string arrangements and electronics to create something that lies easily against the likes of Max Richter, Arvo Pärt and Sigur Rós.
Released on 4AD towards the end of last year, I heard the opening track - “IBM 1401 : Processing Unit” on a late night drive back home listening to the superb Late Junction program on Radio 3, and was just mesmerised. Sure, it’s an acquired taste (see video below, complete with slightly overdone performance art/dance interpretation), but also, once in your head, is totally captivating.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvPKxRMciRs]
7January2007
Posted by Dexter M under: Uncategorized.
Since the weather looked briefly OK this morning, we decided to go for a walk from Carsington Water up to Longcliffe (on the High Peak Trail) via Brassington. Unfortunately, the weather did not stay good, and we got soaked. It was still a good walk though, and a route I’d like to take again on a clearer day.
We parked up at the smaller car park on the edge of Carsington Water that’s nearest to Carsington village. Then walked through the picturesque village of Carsington up a plodgy muddy path onto Carsington Pasture. On the way we met a local bloke who told us of the (literally) thousands of partialy hidden dis-used lead-mine shafts up on the Pasture and how idiot Off-Roaders had used the area, and re-opened a number of them. As a result people had lost dogs and other animals down them. Thankfully the off-roaders and their 4×4s have been banished for now, so we had a peaceful, if increasely walk up over the pasture to Brassington.
In Brassington, we stopped at the cosey (and pretty busy) Miner’s Arms for a “light” lunch - a quality beef baguette with actual hand cut a very tasty chips! Stuffed once again!
From there we slogged across to the High Peak Trail - realtively free of mud, almost entirely deserted, but pretty exposed in places. Very atmospheric though - passing various quarrying sites and works in varying states of repair. Then evtually back over Carsington Pasture down into the village of Carsington again.
Not a massive distance, but enough for today’s grim weather.
7January2007
Posted by Dexter M under: Uncategorized.
I may have mentioned by interest in the “Non-League” - as much for the associated beer pies as anything else. So today when Cybercontroler Daz joined me and Matt to go and see Belper Town beat Colwyn Bay, it was something of a lift.
Not to mention couple or so beers and the excellent pie and peas at half time.
After a run of real bad luck (and poor performances), Belper Town FC (aka The Nailers), have finally treated us to a great game of football today. Winning 1-0 against a seemingly better disciplined and organised Colwyn Bay. Sure, they looked a bit scrappy in places and didn’t really have many good shots, they made the most of a free kick score a beauty. After that they just seemed to get better as their confidence grew - with the likes of Paulo Pilieri up front playing some great attacking football.
Matt had a good chance to shout a lot, and me and Daz drunk a few, an we saw a good game for £6 - what more could you ask for?
5January2007
Posted by Dexter M under: blogging; food; second life; conferences; lactose; belper.
Had an average day at work today - mainly finishing off an estimating task for a potentially big big site.
Ho Hum
Slightly dissapoint to find that Lactose has called a day on his blogging activities - it seems that he feels Second Life is the main thing now. I’ve delved, but not had the time or inclination to jump fully into it yet - although I intrigued by his enterprising scheme of build a TARDIS in SL. Also he announced plans to have a virtual birthday party too - even asked me to DJ - so who knows I may take him up on it.
Also found/re-discovered the WebDD conference - something to do with a geezer I met at d.Construct (named Phil Winstanley) and subsequently the most excelent Ruby On Rails day run by GeekUp in Manchester. It’s got the likes of Scott Guthrie and Glen Jones (of Madgex - the people behind the excellent backnetwork at d.Construct) as speakers. It’s free, but it’s in Reading on Saturday 5th Feb - potentially a logistical challenge, but probably worth it.
So, after work, we had a bit of a swim and then caught the train back up to Belper to meet friends Keith and Karina for a belly busting, and very fine, eat all you can Chinese meal at the River Gardens Cantonese restaurant.
I am now hapilly stuffed.
4January2007
Posted by Dexter M under: Uncategorized.
A bored moment - an old pc running Fedora - Xeyes - a rubber stress mouse.
3January2007
Posted by Dexter M under: Uncategorized.
Had a leisurely day catching up with things at home today - buying food and looking at wood burning stoves in Belper. So far the Morsø Squirrel is the favourite.
Then back at home, finally managed to get Apache, PHP and Joomla! installed on my PC - hurrah! More fun to come on this as I work out how to design templates forr Joomla!
And, at last I’ve found a use for the bag of cranberries I’ve had in the freezer for nearly a year - an improvised Wild Venison and Cranberry casserole - should be “interesting”.
Back to work tomorrow - bah!
2January2007
Posted by Dexter M under: Uncategorized.
After a morning at Zurich Zoo we set off for the airport and flew back into London City - landing precariously on a thin area of land in the London docklands. Then via the DLR, Tube, Midland Mainline and my Folks house in Leicester, we are now back at home in Ambergate.
Twiglet (the cat) is please to be home and we are tired, but more relaxed than we were a few days ago - thanks to Duncan, Rowan, Frances and Alexander for a nice few days!
