tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78165502024-03-07T16:01:56.879+00:00Bored NowThe Secretly Ironic Musings Of A Bored PersonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.comBlogger355125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-35074938277617196742012-09-23T17:50:00.002+01:002012-09-23T17:50:17.743+01:00Slam Jam<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8090595360845327" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s been about two years since I last wrote a proper blog. I dipped my toes back in the water with that music quiz post (which I suppose I should answer pretty soon) but I wanted to do something that was a bit more substantial. My problem is that I’m incredibly lazy and enjoy lounging at home too much to spend half an hour throwing some words together and seeing how they stick. Parsnip. (Those two didn’t stick that well to be honest.)</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Anyway I’m quite lucky in that I get reasonably well paid for a job that generally finishes before 5pm. My previous job was quite good but there were two days every month where I had to stay until at least 8 o’clock. And it wasn’t my fault, there was just so much work that came at one point that we had to stay to get it done. I didn’t enjoy this, if work gets in the way of your homelife then your work needs to do something to stop this happening.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Except they don’t because that would involve spending money to sort it out. And companies are tight.* But if I ever found myself working regularly for longer than my contracted hours I would start to see if there was anything I could do to prevent it from happening again. As a last resort I would even go to HR - not because it would be seen as dobbing people in - but more because HR are useless cretinous morons.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s one of the reasons why I wouldn’t want to become a videogame programmer**. Every so often there’s some sort of scandal about how a big videogame company is making everyone stay late to do crunch work on their latest game. Which apparently lasts about six months.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Could you imagine working until after 10pm every night to get a game finished? I definitely don’t think my body would be able to cope with it. I could see me lasting two weeks tops before I would start to hallucinate and mistakes would creep into my work.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">It would certainly be interesting to see how lack of sleep would affect the accuracy of programmers work. I’d reckon it’ll probably cause more bugs and errors than it was actually meant to solve.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The problem is that - similarly to the magazines and newspapers that offer unpaid jobs to anyone who’ll apply for them - it doesn’t matter if you don’t agree to do it. They’ll just get someone in who is prepared to do the work and wouldn’t complain. Annoying isn’t it? And if there are laws to stop overworking happening the company will either find a way around it, or they’ll just move to somewhere else where it can happen legally. But I know you didn’t come here for a lecture in communism.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">What’s the point of this blog? Not the blog as a whole - it’s fairly obvious that there’s no point to that other than some live kenickie mp3s that people wanted - but for this specific blog. I suppose it’s to say that the videogame industry needs to grow a conscience and grow up.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For too long they’ve gotten away with doing things just because everyone else is doing it***. Someone needs to take action and it needs to start with the Global Game Jams.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Eh? I hear you question in disbelief. Why are you going after the Global Game Jams Ben? They’ve done nothing but bring like minded coders together to produce fun little games that can then be expanded to produce even more fun larger games. The bonds formed in those small groups are something that cannot be explained by someone like you who has never been to anything like this.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Well that’s a fair point, I reply as I kneel to look you in the eyes and ruffle the cloth cap on your head, but it’s still promoting that the only way to program is to do it all in crunch mode on the minimum amount of sleep possible. This doesn’t sound right to me.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Pretty much every article I’ve ever read about a Game Jam always ends on people saying “Now I’m off to catch up on some sleep!”. The only differences are whether they end it on a winky face or LOL.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But essentially no-one wants to sleep ‘normal’ hours on a Game Jam. Because sleeping means you’ve given up on your idea for your game before everyone else. The norm has been set as not sleeping. Change it. Have a lie in. The game isn’t going anywhere and a break can do you good.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Of course I’m probably saying this because I like to be in bed by 10pm everyday. Not everyone else is as snoozy as me. So ignore me. After all Thatcher slept for only four hours a day so she’s definitely someone to look up to.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8090595360845327" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Let’s end on a happier note with a song that Simon Cowell helped happen:</span></b><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EFpAD36d48o" width="420"></iframe>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.8090595360845327" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">* In fact they made me redundant not too long after the late nights started getting annoying. I could have moved to Staines to keep my job, but no-one wants to do that do they?</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">** The other being that I have absolutely no programming skills to speak of. I can amend a VBA program and can write basic html, but if I can’t find the answer easily on google then I’m screwed.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">*** It’s the same thing with people speeding on the motorway. It’s seen as ok because everyone else is doing it. BUT IT’S NOT.</span></b>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-14457229803178166592012-08-01T13:38:00.000+01:002012-08-01T13:40:39.853+01:00QuizRight, in order for Karen from <a href="http://www.goodjobbrain.com/">Good Job Brain</a> to enjoy a music quiz I've created my own one. Let me know who is performing the song and what it is. There's also a connection between all six songs. Put your answers in the comments.<br />
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If you need a clue with the connection then it's<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span> (highlight to see tip) <span style="background-color: white; color: white;">mostly connected with the second tv show that the artist of the third song is associated with.</span><br />
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<iframe width="100%" height="450" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="http://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F2300560&show_artwork=true"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-64154203627885526152011-07-12T20:46:00.001+01:002012-05-13T13:43:29.807+01:00Scumm VM for AndroidHello Sankles!<br/><br/>Hopefully this guide will help you install Day Of The Tentacle on your Android phone, it worked for my HTC Desire anyway. If it does work then I only want those V Feltz pictures as payment (you know the ones), or a jumpsuit and some brownies. I cannot guarantee that this will work on Infomax.<br/><br/>1. Make sure your phone can install software from unknown sources by going to Settings -> Applications and then ticking the unknown sources box<br/><br/>2. Using your phone, download the Scumm VM software from <a href="http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/scummvm/scummvm-1.3.0-android.apk?download">http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/scummvm/scummvm-1.3.0-android.apk?download</a>. Then install the software. I did this by clicking on the download in the notification bar when it had finished. I think you can disable the Unknown Sources thing at this point if you want, but I enjoy the risk.<br/><br/>3. On your PC/Mac download <a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/audio/dott.rar">Day Of The Tentacle here</a> and unzip. If you need software to unzip it then it is <a href="http://www.rarlab.com/">here for PC</a> and <a href="http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/17741/rar-expander">here for mac</a>. The password is your twitter id. Once you've downloaded it and got it working then I'll delete it.<br/><br/>4. On your phone make a folder called 'DOTT' or something so you'd remember it and move the files over to it.<br/><br/>5. Load the Scumm VM software on your phone. Select 'Add game'. Find the DOTT folder on your phone and select choose.<br/><br/>6. You should now be able to play the game with Start.<br/><br/>7. Enjoy!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-10422396998348684262010-02-20T01:05:00.001+00:002012-05-13T13:45:04.453+01:00Fifty, fifty, fiftyIt's a boring poll! Except I like this as I can bore you with why I like the top 50 bands on my <a href="http://www.last.fm/user/uppi17">last.fm</a> chart (I removed podcasts).<br/><br/>1. How did you get into 31?<br/>The Long Blondes – I reckon K Gillen mentioned them on his blog & then I bought their album when we went to see the Flaming Lips in Manchester<br/><br/>2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22?<br/>Quasi – All The Same. It was the first song on the album I bought, which I got just because Janet was the drummer<br/><br/>3. What's your favourite lyric by 41?<br/>Solex - Of course they just tried to remove / The apple from a bucket of / (Water without using their hands)<br/><br/>4. What is your favourite album by 49?<br/>Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Abattoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus as it has my wedding song on it<br/><br/>5. How many albums by 13 do you own?<br/>Regina Spektor - 2. Both of the accessible ones. <br/><br/>6. What is your favourite song by 50?<br/>Cake – Short Skirt/Loooooong Jacket. Way before it was used on Chuck<br/><br/>7. Is there a song by 4 that makes you sad?<br/>Pavement – Painted Soldiers. Thinking of them all getting sacked in the video<br/><br/>8. What is your least favourite song by 15?<br/>Ladyhawke – Back Of The Van<br/><br/>9. What is your favourite song by 5?<br/>Emmy The Great – History Of Britain. I'm a sucker for handclaps<br/><br/>10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy?<br/>Tilly and the Wall – Let Us Be Free. I remember it from the only gig where they sounded good (I've seen them three times)<br/><br/>11. What is your favourite album by 40?<br/>Sufjan Stevens – The Christmas Ones as I've hardly listened to the Michigan one<br/><br/>12. What is your favourite song by 10?<br/>Annie – What Do You Want (The Breakfast Song). Good chanting<br/><br/>13. What is a good memory you have involving 33)?<br/>Feist – 1234 when it was sung on Sesame Street<br/><br/>14. What is your favourite song by 37?<br/>Laura Veirs – Saltbreakers. The chanting is great (Look inside a space, look inside a space and you can tell)<br/><br/>15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy?<br/>The Olivia Tremor Control – Jumping Fences. Short and sweet, I always include this song in mixes I make for anyone.<br/><br/>16. How many times have you seen 24 live?<br/>Rilo Kiley - Three times. Once in Leeds supporting Bright Eyes (I HATE CONNOR!!!), then in London at the crappy Koko where stupid girls were screaming for them to play “The Frug” as it “would complete my life”. My brother, Freya & I all laughed at them. Then once in the Cockpit when they had brought out Under The Blacklight.<br/><br/>17. What is the first song you heard by 23?<br/>Northern State – A Thousand Words. Again, the first song off the album which I bought as a Beastie Boy was involved<br/><br/>18. What is your favourite album by 11?<br/>Los Campesinos! - Hold on Now Youngster. It has You! Me! Dancing!<br/><br/>19. Who is your favourite member of 1?<br/>The Donnas – Donna C is the one I fancy the most. Although Donna F has the best Michael Jackson jokes.<br/><br/>20. How many times have you seen 14 live?<br/>Deerhoof – Once supporting the Flaming Lips. And then I bought their album<br/><br/>21. Do you have any good memories involving 45?<br/>Guillemots – I thought Fyfe was funny on Buzzcocks once, but seeing them supporting REM was spoilt by too many drunks.<br/><br/>22. What is your favourite song by 16?<br/>Petra Haden – Apple Juice. I remember asking for this album one Christmas as I wanted anything Weezer related (and P Haden was in the Rentals). This was an unexpected album, but absolutely perfect<br/><br/>23. What is the first song you heard by 47?<br/>Camera Obscura. I haven't a clue. I know the first time I saw them was when they supported Lambchop at the Barbican<br/><br/>24. What is your favourite album by 3?<br/>Manic Street Preachers – The Holy Bible. Almost perfect.<br/><br/>25. What is your favourite song by 18?<br/>St. Vincent. Marry Me.<br/><br/>26. What is the first song you heard by 38?<br/>TV on the Radio. Again the first song off the album, so Halfway Home. I do buy some albums on the spur of the moment (providing I have heard of them).<br/><br/>27. What is your favourite lyric that 21 has sung?<br/>Robyn - “One Left, One Right / That's How I Organise Them / You Know I Fill My Cups / No Need To Supersize Them”. Although the whole of Konichiwa Bitches is lyrical genius.<br/><br/>28. What is your favourite song by 2?<br/>Flight Of The Conchords – The Tape Of Love. Sticky Sticky!<br/><br/>29. What is the first song you heard by 32?<br/>Auf der Maur – probably Followed The Waves. I bought it because I liked her in Hole & wanted to see what Melissa came up with.<br/><br/>30. What is your favourite song by 8?<br/>She & Him – This Is Not A Test. The 'Anyways' is a good hook.<br/><br/>31. How many times have you seen 17?<br/>Weezer – Once at Leeds Festival. I wish I'd seen them at the time of Pinkerton rather than during Maladroit.<br/><br/>32. Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy?<br/>Adam and Joe – COME ON MEATBAWLS!<br/><br/>33. What is your favourite album by 12?<br/>Scarlett Johannson – Anywhere I Lay My Head. The one she did with Pete Yorn has a song that Northern Uproar also did so I can't choose that.<br/><br/>34. What is the worst song by 29?<br/>Jenny Lewis – Godspeed. But it's not terrible, just my least favourite<br/><br/>35. What was the first song you heard by 34?<br/>Ween – Freedom of '76. I heard it on MTV2, when anyone could have an hour mix and have it on the telly. I put this in my mix, which actually got shown, but I couldn't record it. MTV2 should go back to this.<br/><br/>36. What is your favourite album by 42?<br/>Sparks – Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins. I know their other albums are better, but I love “...My Way” and that overrules my head<br/><br/>37. How many times have you seen 39 live?<br/>Dressy Bessy – Never. I don't think many Elephant Six bands tour the UK<br/><br/>38. What is your favourite song by 36?<br/>The Lovely Eggs – AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA Tyrannosaurus Rex For Christmas <br/><br/>39. What is the first song you heard by 28?<br/>Basia Bulat – In The Night. It came up on emusic & sounded good. Shame it's her best song by far.<br/><br/>40. What is your favourite album by 35?<br/>Stephen Malkmus – Stephen Malkmus. Perfect Pop.<br/><br/>41. How did you get into 48?<br/>Be Your Own Pet. I was in HMV in Harrogate & saw the CD. Jemima had sports socks on<br/><br/>42. Have you ever seen 7 live?<br/>The Pipettes. Once at the Cockpit. Now they're a weird electro-two piece I doubt I'll see them again.<br/><br/>43. What song do you love by 43?<br/>Sleater-Kinney - Leave You Behind. Total departure from their usual stuff & is more affecting for it<br/><br/>44. How many times have you seen 20)?<br/>Kenickie – twice. Both at Reading Festival. Wish I saw them more (and also saw theaudience at the last Reading Festival I was at)<br/><br/>45. Who’s responsible for getting you into 25?<br/><br/><br/>46. Is 30 one of your favorite artists?<br/>CSS – not really. I like the first album, but I'm not crazy for them<br/><br/>47. Favorite song by 9?<br/>Metric – Monster Hospital. BOOM SHIKA BOOM SHIKA BOOM BOOM BOOM<br/><br/>48. Would you like to see 46 live?<br/>Amanda Palmer – Not sure as I'm a little scared of her & Freya doesn't like her that much.<br/><br/>49. Favorite member of 26?<br/>The New Pornographers – Neko Case. As she has red hair<br/><br/>50. What’s the most played song on your computer by 27?<br/>Those Dancing Days – Hitten. I think.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-19791446385374102962009-12-02T07:52:00.001+00:002012-05-13T13:45:18.120+01:00Ninety-nine days to goDo you remember <a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/?tag=nablopomo">NaBloPoMo</a> when I blogged increasingly shorter posts every day for a month? Or <a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/?tag=blog365">blog365</a> where I was meant to blog every day for a year, but gave up partway through March? Well <a href="http://www.hundreddays.net/">Hundred Days</a> is similar to that, except I don't have to do any writing.<br/><br/>What Hundred Days is <a href="http://twitter.com/josielong">Josie Long</a> trying to improve her comedic & personal skills by vowing to write one proper joke and meet a new person every day for the next hundred days. And as usual it's a lot easier to maintain the vow if you make a public declaration of it, so the guilt of other people can keep you on track.<br/><br/>Josie, being kind, or wanting to spread the pressure onto other people, decided to allow others to make similar vows. These can all be read on the Hundred Days website (or on <a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=-RT%20%23100days">twitter</a>). And if you squint (or look alphabetically for my name) you'll see that I've vowed to write a topical haiku a day and to do a page of my Japanese book.<br/><br/>I'm pretty sure that this should be achievable for me as it takes about five minutes to read one page of my Japanese book* and haikus are pretty easy to pull together.<br/><br/>As long as you remember how many syllables are in a haiku that is. I foolishly put my <a href="http://twitter.com/uppi17/status/6241260084">first one</a> on Twitter and about four minutes after posting it realised I'd put one extra syllable in the middle part. If you're interested here is the correct haiku for Tuesday 1st December:<br/><br/>B. C. F. testing<br/>data not ready today<br/>so I leave early<br/><br/>And here's the one for Wednesday 2nd December (aka Day 2):<br/><br/>Died before saving<br/>Mario and Luigi<br/>train journey wasted<br/><br/>The Japanese stuff I've learnt is how to say hello and goodbye so sayonara & bis bald**!<br/><br/>* Although it's easy now as I'm at the beginning which I know off by heart. I'm more worried when it gets to the later stages and I'm doing buildings and stuff.<br/><br/>** Oh wait, that's GermanAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-67539015640443189562009-12-01T18:43:00.001+00:002012-05-13T13:45:18.121+01:00Thoughts on Thought Bubble 2009I've done some rather geeky stuff in the past. There was the time I went to see <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppi17/1413571249/">Amber Benson in Leeds</a>, the year straight after I left uni where I spent all my money on Buffy figurines and last month when I went to <a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/?p=2578">Nottingham to see some people from a podcast play chiptune music</a>.<br/><br/>I'm not sure if going to the <a href="http://www.thoughtbubblefestival.com/">Thought Bubble</a> Sequential Art/Comics Festival is geekier than any of these, but it comes pretty close.<br/><br/>This was the third year of it taking place and as usual it was being held in Leeds. Unfortunately for Freya & I Leeds was rather rainy that day, so we were rather damp when we showed up.<br/><br/>Going from what <a href="http://gillen.cream.org/wordpress_html/?p=1749">C-Monster</a> had written before I was expecting a pretty spacious hall full with comicky goodness. In reality it was smaller than I imagined (although conversely Freya thought it was a lot bigger) but the goodness was still there.<br/><br/>It's a bit of a cop-out but there really was something for everyone with the cosplayers grouping around the princess, numerous stalls selling indie comics to people after something new and massive queues for the big names in comics who I had never heard of*.<br/><br/>The main thing I came for was to annoy <a href="http://twitter.com/kierongillen/">C-Monster</a> which I did successfully by first making him think I liked him by mentioning J Nash and Kenickie***. But then I turned on him by askin him why he didn't write Sleater-Kinney with a hyphen. So he threatened to punch me which was exactly the response I wanted! Hurrah!<br/><br/>We also spoke to <a href="http://twitter.com/mckelvie">Jamie McKelvie</a>, and Freya told him - when C-Monster's back was turned - that she not-so-secretly preferred Suburban Glamour to <a href="http://twitter.com/phonogramcomic">Phonogram</a>. Jamie also claimed that he was not that well off, which went against the Tescos Finest croissants that he had just bought. Aha! Foiled again McKelvie!<br/><br/><a href="http://twitter.com/marcellerby">Marc Ellerby</a> was sat near C-Monster and he's one of Freya's favourite comic book people, so I pushed her to the front of his table and made her talk to him. As expected he was super-nice and spoke to Freya for a long time (although that could be because she had brought (an bought) a lot of stuff to be signed). Marc's girlfriend <a href="http://twitter.com/thatswedishgirl">Swedish Anna</a> was there as well and she was super-nice as well.<br/><br/>As well as the stalls there were some talks going on in the curtained area. The first one we saw there was about films and comics. It was interesting, mostly due to <a href="http://twitter.com/Paul_Cornell">Paul Cornell</a> who made lots of quips and added humour to what could have been a dry talk. One bad thing was that they didn't actually talk about <a href="http://www.scottpilgrimthemovie.com/">Scott Pilgrim</a> which could have been intriguing, instead they preferred to complain about everyone talking about superhero films, ironically by only talking about superhero films.<br/><br/>The other talk was chaired by C-Monster and was about comics and games. This was made slightly weirder by the fact that C-Monster obviously recognised us from earlier and kept looking over in our direction. I can only presume he wanted me to make a <a href="http://orsomething.co.uk/">J Nash</a> style interjection by standing up and going "Oh look - it's the Goodyear blimp! No, erk, oh! (dies)". In which case he was sorely mistaken****. <br/><br/>I was going to stand up and ask if they were upset that games had a mainstream appeal that comics were currently lacking, and if so, would they be prepared to work on a Wii Fit comic. However I decided not to as everyone else was asking serious questions and I just wanted to do a weak joke about Wii Fit.<br/><br/>This panel was a bit more humorous as there was a Yorkshireman who took the piss out of almost everything anyone said. All convention panels need a Yorkshireman.<br/><br/>The other thing this panel had was that all five people on the panel wore glasses and had a bald/shaved head. Which made this look like a Buzzcocks-style identity parade for INSERT NAME HERE.<br/><br/>By this point Freya and I were getting tired so we missed out on the after party, where I understand McKelvie and C-Monster did various drunk things. As I was in bed by nine-ish, it was probably for the best that I didn't attend.<br/><br/>We'll certainly come again to next year's Thought Bubble though, particularly if that Cosplayer who was an X-woman wearing tight green spandex and a strawberry-blonde wig attends again*****.<br/><br/><br/>* Or more accurately who I had heard of but I didn't have a clue who they were. For example, I knew Andy Diggle had worked with 2000AD but I couldn't for the life of me tell you any comics he's done**<br/><br/>** Except after Thought Bubble I can tell you he wrote The Losers, on which Jock was the artist.<br/><br/>*** Indeed I had a massive spike in visitors when C-Monster linked to my Kenickie@Reading post. Which I then ruined by not blogging for another nine months.<br/><br/>**** As that was a very poor J Nash impression<br/><br/>***** Actually the best cosplayer was the girl dressed as Luke from Professor Layton. I walked past her four times before I realised who she was******, mostly because it was pretty obvious who were the cosplayers were as they were dressed in luminous colours and had tails, whereas Luke was charmingly understated.<br/><br/>****** When I realised I said "Professor, I've sorved it!"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-26348259370911838112009-11-28T17:57:00.001+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.623+01:00The two best songs of the decadeI'm not sure if they are the best songs of the decade, but they're the first two I could think of where I could write around a hundred words each for.<br/><br/>So <a href="http://twitter.com/sweepingnation">Simon</a>, the ace music blogger at <a href="http://sweepingthenation.blogspot.com/">Sweeping The Nation</a>, was after some people to write about the best songs of the decade. As the take up on the offer was rather low that meant I could swoop in with my meagre offerings and get published on something other than my own blog.<br/><br/>Everyone else seemed to be writing about the song itself, whereas I went for a mini-biography of a pop star and rabbiting on about my watabe wedding. Both posts included poor jokes.<br/><br/>If you're interested in this then please go to:<br/><a href="http://sweepingthenation.blogspot.com/2009/11/noughties-by-nature-57-spiller-feat.html">Spiller featuring Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)</a><br/><a href="http://sweepingthenation.blogspot.com/2009/11/noughties-by-nature-103-nick-cave-and.html">Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds - Breathless</a><br/><br/>(Two blogs in three days? I must be doing something wrong*)<br/><br/>* Oh yeah, I <em>am</em> being made redundant** which does mean I have a bit more spare time nowadays<br/><br/>** And being made redundant <em>must</em> mean I'm doing something wrongAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-54295971636994423202009-11-25T07:51:00.001+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.629+01:00One Late Night LeftI've never been to a game festival before. Well, I remember my Dad taking me & my brother to a computer fair in Harrogate where we each had to spend one pound to get in, spent ten minutes to have a look around, realised everything was crap and left.<br/><br/><a href="http://twitter.com/gamecity">Not'num Game City</a> is different. It's free.<br/><br/>And alright, it does hold your attention for more than ten minutes. And there are some people you'd actually want to talk to.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppi17/4064554773/" title="Live! & Derek's head! by uppi17, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3502/4064554773_6d187d6c4d.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Live! & Derek's head!" /></a><br/><br/>I turned up on the Friday after loads of events had already taken place. The major discussion point was that some Japanese game designer was designing a playground for Not'num. I joked that Jonathan King was designing a similar playground for the kids of Derby, but no-one really laughed at it. Shame.<br/><br/>But, after checking on my Grandma in Clifton, I showed up in Market Square to go see <a href="http://twitter.com/onelifeleft">One Life Left</a> live. Which was almost immediately delayed as <a href="http://twitter.com/scanters">Ann Scantlebury</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/byronicman">Simon Byron</a>'s train was delayed. I thought I saw <a href="http://twitter.com/SteIsHere">Stels</a> but didn't want to bother him.<br/><br/>Luckily by this point <a href="http://twitter.com/katie_fraser">Down Home Kitty</a> showed up so I wasn't on my own anymore and before too long <a href="http://twitter.com/DerekFME">Derek</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/dbot74">Dbot</a> arrived. The first place we looked at was the EA van, but we quickly left it as it was full of the kids who would usually be crowding round the game-nngh-pods at HMV.<br/><br/>The next place we avoided was the Crysis Live event. Partially because there was a massive queue. I also thought that because it was Crysis - but in real life - there would be too strict a person requirement to go on it*.<br/><br/>So the indie tent was the only alternative left. And of course being student indie games they were either games with a message and therefore absolutely no gameplay, or based on an existing game but done slightly worse. Kudos to the young tykes who were trying to hack one demo PC into showing dodgy YouTube videos. I doffed my cap to them and moved on.<br/><br/>The other main showing in the indie tent were the multi-multi-player games happening on the big screen. These involved about sixteen people playing altered versions of Bit Trip Beat, Jetstrike, Pirates! and reverse Base Jumpers. It all seemed great fun, if you were one of the three people who knew the controls and didn't die straight away. However, if you've got a big screen, sixteen PStwo joypads and multiple multi-taps then I highly recommend it (I agree - A Zelda Four Swords on the Gamecube owner).<br/><br/><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppi17/4065321306/" title="Dancing! Live! by uppi17, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2600/4065321306_c0aa7033f1.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Dancing! Live!" /></a><br/><br/>Before the fun and games had to finish and One Life Left were to do their live show. As usual with these things there was somehing to make it literally unbroadcastable. In this case it was the annoyingly uncatchy tunes from the big screen and having to play music from a broken DVD player. Despite all this it was rather jolly with special guests like <a href="http://twitter.com/raina1up">Raina Karaoke Lee</a>! Jonathan Lego Smith! Syphus Blockbusters Syphus! <a href="http://twitter.com/martinhollis">Martin Barber Hollis</a>! and Student Unpaid Helper!<br/><br/>There was also a Gameboy chiptune masterclass with Sabrepulse and Syphus, which actually required some musical knowledge and therefore of absolutely no use to me.<br/><br/>And then it was One Night Left. As official bootleg videographer I recorded Derek's performance which as usual involved a performance worthy Vegas showman at the top of their game. The Paper PlaNES remix going down particularly well.<br/><br/>Craig 'the Rage' McClelland then dropped his poetry on those assembled and, as can be from Mr. McClelland, there was a mixture of shock and amusment from the crowd. He was there selling <a href="http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/891193">his book</a>, which I got signed to Nick Griffin.<br/><br/>Next were the main headliners. I felt <a href="http://syphus.untergrund.net/">Syphus</a> just shaded it above <a href="http://twitter.com/sabrepulse">Sabrepulse</a> as his tunes were more Amiga based and hit my nostalgia gland more compared to Sabrepulse's Darkcore Rave (I think that's what it sounded like to me). Also Syphus had a keytar.<br/><br/>By this point I was flagging and when team OLL hit the decks I was mostly sitting down. Although I did get to talk to Martin Hollis, Jonathan Smith, <a href="http://twitter.com/MituK">Mitu Komplexsurnametospell</a>, Charlie Miller and Craig McClelland. I also think I was the only person sad enough to have their photo taken with the award:<br/><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppi17/4064559901/" title="The new Ste? by uppi17, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2662/4064559901_aeeaee950b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="The new Ste?" /></a><br/><br/>So it was a good night. And apparently Saturday was a good day too with the supergroup of Derek, Charlie and <a href="http://twitter.com/Mazriphiroth">Mazrim</a> hitting the Lego Rock Band stage to the delight of Raina. But I was having tea with my Grandma** which was a lot more fun if I'm totally honest. Sorry everyone.<br/><br/>I highly recommend Game City and if I'm not in a job where I need to work that week*** I'll try to go for much longer.<br/><br/><br/>* Which would probably be needing to be at least 6ft 4, to have the same memory as a Cambridge graduate and Games For Windows Live.<br/><br/>** Except I did go to a comic book shop which had damaged Jake and Jessie Gemini figures, thus keeping one of Wrestlecrap Radio's running jokes running on.<br/><br/>*** Although in a job where I can afford to book a hotel for four nightsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-55315650878902188202009-11-18T07:32:00.001+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.631+01:00Swinging LondonHighly illegal, which is why it'll only be up for a week, but here is the Hazy Osterwald Jet Set's Swinging London.<br/><br/>[audio:http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/audio/06-hazy_osterwald_jet_set-swinging_london.mp3]Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-57623846137532022282009-04-19T15:47:00.001+01:002012-05-13T13:47:29.635+01:00The infamous Ben HalupI think I'm a reasonably funny person. Certainly, in the office environment I can come out with a few witty comments that people smile at*. I consider myself to be someone who can say things to cheer people up, not to depress them.<br/><br/>So when PC Gamer asked on twitter for questions for their latest podcast I had a good think. Do I ask a question about PC Gaming (which I wouldn't have much opinion on as I can hardly play Half-Life 2 on my ageing Dell) or do I go for the amusing question?<br/><br/>I had noticed that the Artist Formerly Known As C-Monster and J Walker had already tweeted in amusing questions so I thought one from me would also be appreciated**. The only problem was what to ask about?<br/><br/>I remembered that on the last podcast they were making references to the fact (it is an undeniable fact) that Ross Atherton, gentlemanly editor, kept prostitutes in his cellar. This was the joke I could use! And inspired by Richard Herrin I sent in the following question, which was used:<br/><br/>[audio:http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/audio/J_Fritzl_PC_Gamer.mp3]<br/><br/>Oh. Looks like Ross didn't appreciate being linked with a murderer, rapist and incestor. I now appreciate the lot of a stand-up comedian when their jokes fall totally flat. However this was offset by the giggling of 12 year-old Deputy Editor Tim Edwards who found it most amusing.<br/><br/>Would I do a similar joke again? Possibly as I found it very amusing, but I would probably aim it more at myself than anyone else to avoid offending them. Even though Ross deserved it for his depraved attitude towards women.<br/><br/>If you want to download the full podcast it can be found <a href="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=211989&site=pcg">here</a>.<br/><br/>* I was quite pleased when someone said "We don't have a fear and blame culture here" and I immediately said "And whose fault is that?"<br/><br/>** Especially as I was keeping One Life Left's mailbox full at the end of their last seasonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-52752610859614475872009-04-07T18:58:00.001+01:002012-05-13T13:47:29.627+01:00A list of film directors influenced by computer games<ul><br/> <li>Sam Rammi</li><br/> <li>Uwe BO-L-L</li><br/> <li>Alfred Hitch-Chicken</li><br/> <li>Michael Disk Drive Bay</li><br/> <li>Joss Wii-don#</li><br/> <li>JJ and Jeff Abrams</li><br/> <li>George Lucasgames (clever wording I know, cheers)</li><br/> <li>Francis Ford Virtua Coppola</li><br/> <li>David Kane & Lynch</li><br/> <li>David Cronenburgertime</li><br/> <li>The Chronicles of Ridley Scott</li><br/> <li>Tim BurtOni</li><br/> <li>Christopher 7th Guest</li><br/> <li>Wes Super Mario Landerson</li><br/> <li>Snes Craven (Freya's one is the best)</li><br/></ul>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-92170516669669350532009-03-30T19:45:00.001+01:002012-05-13T13:47:29.642+01:00Caught ShortSometimes I wonder if my wife really loves me. Oh sure she says it everyday & gives me a kiss as I leave far too early in the morning for work, but it's those little things (as Alisha's Attic once sung) that make me doubt her intentions are pure.<br/><br/>Take yesterday (when I should've written this blog). It was a sunny day, and Freya told me that it was rather warm and as I get <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7931945.stm">headaches when it's hot</a> I was advised to wear shorts and a t-shirt.<br/><br/>Except it turned out it was also very windy so I got chilly about two minutes into our trip into town. This meant we then had to try to walk in the sun and out of the shade so that I would complain as little as possible.<br/><br/>Of course now I'm writing this blog I think it's pretty obvious that that tactic failed. I reckon she does love me really, but is bad at taking wind chill into account. I guess I should have put that in my wedding vows. I'll remember this next time I get married.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-16123812710586740272009-03-22T17:11:00.001+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.619+01:00Commuter LoveI've tried to keep my stories of my fellow commuters at a minimum, but something that happened the other day made me realise at how rude some people could be.<br/><br/>When I first started commuting last July there were a few people that I recognised every few journeys. There was the girl with pixie hair, the guy with the indie feather cut and a few people I recognised from my old job who had also taken up jobs in the industrial hotbed of Leeds. But by about September these people had disappeared to be replaced by incidental behind men that I couldn't pick out of a police line up if I tried.<br/><br/>I have no idea where the previous people went. Was I just getting different trains to them? Quite likely as I realised if I got the 17.28 train it would take longer to get back to York, but I would have the advantage of a guaranteed seat and wouldn't have to go over the bridge to leave York station. Or did they get annoyed with seeing me on the train & decided to change their schedule to avoid seeing me? Either suggestion sounds likely.<br/><br/>However, in the past few weeks I've started seeing some faces again and again. There's the woman with the fold up bike and subtle nose piercing, the guy who wears running gear to the station, gets changed in the train toilets and then changes his contact lenses on the train floor (rather grim), the woman with really blonde hair who if you squint looks like <a href="http://www.breagrant.com/">Brea Grant</a> and the girl with really flattened hair.<br/><br/>And then there's the guy who seems to think he's in a race with me to get to the train in the morning. I don't know why but he thinks he has to cross the road before the actual crossing part & is almost speed walking. I think you would class him as an alpha male, which would also mean you would class him as a tit.<br/><br/>Particularly as when he strode past me whilst hugging the edge of the pavement despite there being the whole rest of the pavement to walk down. But, who's this coming in the other direction? It's another a.m/t who is also hugging the edge of the pavement! One of them is going to have to move to the side, or perhaps both will, laugh, say sorry to each other (even though there's nothing to apologise for) and then carry on to their workplace laughing at the slightly amusing thing that just happened.<br/><br/>Or they could both be consumed with their own self importance, assume that the other person will move out of the way, then walk into each other then turn round to call each other an 'arsehole' or an 'idiot'. Yes, that could be a likely outcome.<br/><br/>I'm only ashamed that I was so in shock at the event of both a.m/ts getting so angry at each other (in order to prevent themselves realising that their lives have become so petty to get angry at someone walking into them) that I didn't laugh out loud. Ah well, I'm sure it will happen again at some point.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-56506527498689201652009-03-15T15:33:00.000+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.632+01:00Sofa's EdgeAccording to <a href="http://www.chuchurocketeer.net/?p=624">Karen Chu</a>, British Gas have been inspired by Little Big Planet for their latest set of adverts. Unfortunately this wasn't mentioned as an inspiration by the advertising in the away day that we recently held (as part of my role in a well known British based Gas company). That doesn't necessarily mean it wasn't an inspiration, just that advertising man didn't want to incriminate himself.<br/><br/>In his defence, the British Gas doesn't totally steal from LBP. Whilst parts of it evoke the feel of the game, it doesn't look exactly like it. It also doesn't have an annoyingly floaty jump.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.csl-furniture.co.uk/">CSL sofas</a> don't really have the 'inspired by' defence. It's entirely stolen from the first level of Mirror's Edge that made everyone fall in love with it (and then fall out with it because the combat was not intuitive).<br/><br/><object width="480" height="295" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/rctBYVnQIkU&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rctBYVnQIkU&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /></object><br/><br/>The problem is I don't see how a distopian future on the roofs of high rise buildings makes you think 'Sofas'. If anyone can answer this for me I would be most appreciative.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-24403046109264820792009-03-07T19:16:00.000+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.622+01:00Street lifeI was in Nottingham today going to see my Grandma, and to waste some time I went to Lee Rosy's to see if the <a href="http://twitter.com/DerekFME/status/1275465297">FME</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/down_home_kitty/status/1273035083">DHK</a> approved waitress was as hott as I was led to believe.<br/><br/>Unfortunately as I got there before 10am, it was shut and I felt it would have been rude to stare through the window so just glanced in and saw a dark-haired girl. I had no idea if she was hott, but the place <em>did</em> look very nice.<br/><br/>And all the time I was walking around I knew I was in Nottingham. Which sounds silly, but everyone else says all high streets are the same due to homogenised shops and health 'n' safety* causing anything original to be removed.<br/><br/>But even if Selectadisc closed**, and the <a href="http://twitpic.com/1wed9">Brian Clough statue</a> was removed I'd know exactly where I was. And if I was dumped in York, Mansfield, Manchester, Swinging London or Scarborough I would know immediately where I was. And then run towards the Police Station to inform them I had been kidnapped.<br/><br/>Because the high street is more than the shops that it contains. It's the buildings that they're in, with the clocks that have been outside them for ages. It's the little hill you have to go up before seeing that Lee Rosy's is shut. It's the little alleyways and snickets you know you can cut through before you get to Cube hairdressers. It's that they're not all set in blocks like in America (or at least, what I think of America - please inform me if I'm wrong former colonialists!). It's the trams in Manchester going towards Altringham.<br/><br/>Although the fact that they all seem to have big wheels is very silly.<br/><br/>* The a and n were removed in case a kid fell and bumped their head on them<br/><br/>** Which it is. I bought my Olivia Tremor Control album there, along with the cool see through Sleater-Kinney single (I think it was You're No Rock And Roll Fun). Bye bye Selectadisc, you were a girl record storeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-66638226424162236112009-03-01T18:48:00.000+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.636+01:00Witness the fitnessAs befits someone who recently got married I have let myself go a bit. Whereas I was previously a slim, weak man with a bit of a pot belly I am now a slim, weak man with a bit of a pot belly and a beard. This obviously makes a huge difference to my lifestyle, which consists of sitting around playing videogames and eating chicken goujons with reggae reggae sauce.<br/><br/>I think my body works fine from the waist down as I walk to work (excluding the 25 minute train I catch in between walking to and from the stations) and don't get out of breath. Sometimes I do get a little sweaty, but that's mostly due to me wearing a big coat in anticipation of cold weather & the Sun deciding to boil me slightly.<br/><br/>No, it's always been my arms & belly that require the most work. My belly seems to attract all the spare weight I have, but my arms get thinner and thinner in comparison.<br/><br/>So I got the Wii Fit board out of storage and decided to give it a go. After being gently chided for not going on it for over 100 days I started playing the put-the-balls-in-the-holes game as a warm up.<br/><br/>Then I did some squat thrusts which weren't too bad, so I decided to do some jacknifes to work on my belly. Easy peasy. At least for the first few jacks, then for some weird reason my lardy belly thought that it didn't like doing this & it started to hurt. Lots. The worst thing was that the gym trainer lady was late for the session due to sleeping in too late and seemed to be taking it out on me. "Keep at it. I may be hungover, but seeing you in pain is making me feel lots better."<br/><br/>I hate that woman. She never cuts you any slack. Much like a trainer in a real gym.<br/><br/>I decided to finish with a press up session. Now I really hate the Wii Fit press ups. Not only do they make you do it really slowly, but they also make you move onto one arm in an attempt to prolong the agony. So I gave up.<br/><br/>The woman gave me some grief, but I didn't really care as I could see her do the press ups and noticed that her top was really scary. You could see her cleavage, but it was perfectly covered by her top. Not like it was a lycra top, but more like it was painted over like those women they occasionally have in Sports Illustrated issues.<br/><br/>The gym lady scares me. I would choose the man, but he is also scarier and I worry about what I will see when I do the squat thrusts.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-51758438135013599242009-02-28T19:44:00.000+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.626+01:00Shake baby shakeI need a car. Actually scratch that, I need a method of transportation that's cheap and doesn't require two weeks of planning before I can use it. Which essentially means a car.<br/><br/>It doesn't matter that I haven't been behind a wheel since I passed my test* in 2002, a car would be really useful. It would mean that I wouldn't have to get a first class ticket to travel down at 7am to see my Grandma** as there were no cheaper tickets that would get me there before 12.<br/><br/>We could also go and visit Freya's relatives who live too far away for us to decide to see at a short notice and therefore hardly see as much as she would like. The last time we saw her Father & Step-Mother was at our wedding and nine months*** is too long to have not seen your parents.<br/><br/>I'd quite look forward to being able to drive around Yorkshire and see places that don't have a train station near them. I hear there's some rather nice village pubs nearby and as I'm (sob) nearly 30 I reckon I should be going towards that direction.<br/><br/>Also going by car would remove the most hateful thing about getting public transport. Which is the public. They are such whining, childish hatemongerers . Honestly, while I've not been blogging I've been storing up anecdotes about the idiotic things my fellow commuters have done. And the really annoying thing is I'm sure I've done exactly the same thing to them.<br/><br/>* Other than when I revved my Mum's car so that my Dad's car got jump started.<br/><br/>** Although I'm actually interested in seeing how good first class is.<br/><br/>*** Erk. I've been married for nine months. We've already lasted longer than Peaches Geldof. In your face!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-89594516520844555102009-01-15T22:52:00.000+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.640+01:00Putting second in perspectiveRight, I realise I haven't really blogged on here. And I haven't filled in the 'about' sections that I appear to have.<br/><br/>But humour me for a moment. I'm trying to work out if what I've written makes sense.<br/><br/>Momopeche twittered '<span class="entry-content" style="display: inline;"><a href="https://twitter.com/momopeche/status/1120515261">crap, i have to write my SXSW bio and have no idea to write it in first person or third</a></span>'. My reply was '<span class="entry-content" style="display: inline;"><a href="https://twitter.com/uppi17/status/1120583134">He always prefers to write in the second person</a>'.</span><br/><br/><span class="entry-content" style="display: block;">Does this make sense from any viewpoint? I'm really unsure if it does or not.<br/></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-67786702745776584842008-11-13T22:53:00.000+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.638+01:00This is a testIt appears to be working. Expect more fun tomorrow!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-22465564583510423822008-10-26T17:05:00.000+00:002012-05-13T13:47:29.621+01:00Tilly and the Wall haikuSlow Club:<br/><br/><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppi17/2974343543/" title="Slow Club by uppi17, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3287/2974343543_7bec9b634f.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Slow Club" /></a><br/><br/>You thought you were bad<br/>in fact you were rather good<br/>but crap whistlers<br/><br/>Tilly and the wall:<br/><br/><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppi17/2974348509/" title="Neely, Kianna & Jamie by uppi17, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3270/2974348509_7094a84976.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Neely, Kianna & Jamie" /></a><br/><br/>One of you can't sing<br/>can't play bass but can tap dance<br/>you'll go a long wayAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-87283634194414769142008-10-15T20:49:00.000+01:002012-05-13T13:47:29.639+01:00Kenickie - 10 years gone<a href="http://freespace.virgin.net/trigger.happy/"><img src="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/blogs/kenickie.jpg" alt="Pic from Planet Kenickie" /></a><br/><br/>I realise it's been ten years, but I still miss them. Kenickie are my favourite band ever. They just sang with feeling. And a mackem accent.<br/><br/>I've liked bands before and since, but I've never felt the same joy when I hear any other band. Plus they sounded like they were having fun too.<br/><br/>They split just as I started Uni at Loughborough and I could've seen them on their final tour at Rock City, but I never found anyone to go with. It's something I regret to this day. Although perhaps seeing them in their dying throes will have soured my memory of them.<br/><br/>I even liked how their first unofficial mailing list was one sent out by someone (Lee?) who bcc'd everyone in so you got a load of messages in one go.<br/><br/>The best bit is I have no idea where I started to like Kenickie from. It might have been <a href="http://www.kierongillen.com/">C-Monster</a>, who mentioned it in his e-mail about AP. Or <a href="http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/ap2/">J Nash</a> when I asked him about music he liked. Or maybe it was when I got a promo leaflet through the post.<br/><br/>So thanks for everything Johnny X (anything to do with <a href="http://www.whoisjohnny-x.com/">http://www.whoisjohnny-x.com/</a> ), Emmy-Kate Montrose (writer of the Best Kenickie Song ever), Lauren Laverne (who should just stick to radio rather than sorting out Twiggy's frocks) and Marie du Santiago (the one I fancied, sorry Marie).<br/><br/>I did actually see Kenickie live twice, both times were at Reading Festival. Rather surprisingly BFBS played part of their <del datetime="00">1996</del>EDIT: 1997** set on their radio station. I managed to record it onto tape. Now I have converted it into mp3s* for everyone to enjoy. If anyone knows of any reason why these shouldn't be on here, let me know.<br/><br/>Cheers.<br/><ul><br/> <li><a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/Kenickie/Kenickie - Live At Reading 1996.rar">The whole gig as a .rar file</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/Kenickie/01_kenickie at reading - intro.mp3">01 - Dodgy BFBS Intro</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/Kenickie/02_kenickie at reading - how i was made.mp3">02 - How I Was Made</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/Kenickie/03_kenickie at reading - i never complain.mp3">03 - I Never Complain</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/Kenickie/04_kenickie at reading - millionaire sweeper.mp3">04 - Millionaire Sweeper</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/Kenickie/05_kenickie at reading - i would fix you.mp3">05 - I Would Fix You</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/Kenickie/06_kenickie at reading - classy.mp3">06 - Classy</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/Kenickie/07_kenickie at reading - people we want.mp3">07 - People We Want</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/Kenickie/08_kenickie at reading - pvc.mp3">08 - PVC</a></li><br/> <li><a href="http://www.yellowreggae.co.uk/Kenickie/09_kenickie at reading - in your car.mp3">09 - In Your Car</a></li><br/></ul><br/>* Via Minidisc, then audacity.<br/>** I knew I went to Reading 1998 as this was before I went to Uni, but I could have sworn I missed the one before that. However, I am wrong. Simon, the person Simon was speaking to, and the First Matt were right. Everyone must now change the ID3 tags in the MP3s accordingly.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-55102823726338483032008-10-14T20:09:00.000+01:002012-05-13T13:47:29.630+01:00Haiku Gig Review<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppi17/2941575593/" title="Rose keyboard by uppi17, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3218/2941575593_5e6826d9e2.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Rose keyboard" /></a><br/><br/>Rose from The Pipettes<br/>She wanted to dance/hand jive<br/>Was stuck by keyboard<br/><br/><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppi17/2942443230/" title="Film School by uppi17, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3288/2942443230_67355ec107.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Film School" /></a><br/><br/>Film School were loud<br/>And also repetitive<br/>They were also loud<br/><br/><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppi17/2941594281/" title="BSP by uppi17, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/2941594281_688116639c.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="BSP" /></a><br/><br/>British Sea Power<br/>Very good foliage but<br/>Need Turtle PowerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-57150122302963369752008-10-07T17:31:00.001+01:002012-05-13T13:47:29.634+01:00Communication PrblomsNice to see the Guardian pays attention to its own words...<br/><br/><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/oct/07/little.britain">http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2008/oct/07/little.britain</a><br/><blockquote>Don't hold your breath for a British series called The Mentalist.</blockquote><br/><br/><a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2008/oct/03/channelfive.television">http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2008/oct/03/channelfive.television</a><br/><blockquote>Channel Five's new US import The Mentalist</blockquote>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-67610397533993862522008-09-28T18:07:00.001+01:002012-05-13T13:48:26.890+01:00Not 'ArfThe other I've noticed as I've got older is that my belly button fluff has stopped being dark, and is now white cotton. I have no logical reason for this, other than my belly button is racist. I apologise for it's actions.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7816550.post-91952430203624618552008-09-27T16:16:00.001+01:002012-05-13T13:48:26.895+01:00Premature Awake-ationI'm ill. As usual it's just a really bad cold/sore throat that has made me spend this weekend not doing a lot and falling asleep during the day. Now, I hate falling asleep during the day as I just feel it's a total waste of the day. Although considering I usually spend the weekend on the PC or the Wii, it's not <em>that</em> much more of a waste. Still, I consider falling asleep during the day to be very much an old man's game and always shy away from it.<br/><br/><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/uppi17/512450789/" title="Ben in bed by uppi17, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/218/512450789_3c816f929e_m.jpg" width="240" height="180" alt="Ben in bed" /></a><br/><br/>This didn't used to matter as I would always spend the weekends waking up at around 11am. But recently I've been waking up around the same times I do to go to work, which is 6.15am. And my body can't take it.<br/><br/>I have a few reasons for this. One is that our bedroom curtains are feeble, and let the light in at the earliest opportunity. I spent eight years living in Germany where they use heavy duty blinds and you wouldn't have a clue what time it was when you woke up. So you went back to sleep.<br/><br/>Also, next door have a really screamy kid. We have thin walls. This combination results in an alarm that is worse than the Meatballs alarm ringtone I made. And unfortunately, Sophie doesn't have a snooze button.<br/><br/>The other thing is, by noticing, this I've realised I'm getting old. I'm at ease with it though as sleeping appears to be the only problem I have with it.<br/><br/>Hair in my nose? When you graze your nostril and feel an unusually long hair, it feels great to pull it out. Plus it's stopped me from picking my nose so much as this is more fun.<br/><br/>Going bald? Yeah I could do without touching places where my hair was and finding nothing there, but it happens. Plus I'm starting to get Mr. Fantastic style grey side bit, which I reckon look alright.<br/><br/>A large belly? That seems to have stopped since I quit booze. Walking to the train station also helps.<br/><br/>But waking up before seven on a weekend? That's just <em>wrong</em>. Going to sleep when you could be watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwEV0FvKk0M">Hole in the Wall</a>? What a waste of time!<br/><br/>P.S. I realise this blog has made little to no sense. But I point you to my first sentence. I'm ill. Do you people not have any compassion?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18289453192146482592noreply@blogger.com0