Friday, 19th May, 2006

If It Ain't Broke

humour design marlboro

Why do people feel the need to tinker with things that are already OK? Why is it that elegant, simple, clean designs are always pushed aside for bells-and-whistles and flashiness?

I mean, it was perfect as it was. Simplicity personified — you knew where you were. You didn't have to faff about trying to find things.

I'm not a great fan of change — I like consistency in my life. You know, I spend time and money getting used to one thing ... and then they bloody change everything.

*pah*

Well, I don't like it. I want it to go back to the way that it was. Nothing anyone can say or do will persuade me that this "new" design is better than the old one...

Me in a petrol station last night trying to buy fags:

"Um, twenty Marlboro Reds please"

"Er, um, I can't see them"

"They're next to the Marlboro Lights"

"What? These things?"

"Aye"

...

Sorta loving the new Flickr BTW I had a moment of confusion when I first saw it, and initially I felt all queasy. This was mainly due to M's iBook though — I often find that most people leave the "Font smoothing style:" set to "Medium — best for Flat Panel" on their laptops, which (IMHO) results in overly-bold text.

Especially when you have light text on a dark background.

I always change it to "Standard — best for CRT" even on LCD screens. It makes it more crisp and sharp I find (YMMV)

I'm afraid though, that I have to add my voice to the calls for there not to be two columns on the first page — I find it breaks the conceptuality of what I felt Flickr was all about. With two columns on the first page, it's no longer a stream — and that (for me) was one of the most important things about Flickr.

But never mind, I'll probably get used to it. If it has any effect on me at all, it'll probably be something like persuading me not to get involved in those 'disparate conversations', and concentrate more on here.

(God I need more coffee. I got home last night at about half ten, after spending the whole day up until about half eight in constant demand. My brain is slightly fried, so I'm not being very eloquent right now)

(Sorry)

Real-Time Ops

april link

Just thought I'd mention that April is currently in Belgium (and not Amsterdam, which is what I got into my head for some reason) with Emma, who's having a boob job.

She's currently posting pictures onto her photostream, and it's really interesting catching these little snippets of a significant moment in someone else's life — especially as they're kinda happening in Real Time.

Yet not Real Time — a sort of strange, hospitalised space, bleached by her Razr and sent from an alternate universe.

Great. I've turned into Pseuds' Corner

Frigo

photo comicsans

"So guys, we need a logotype that shows that as a company we're a bunch of WACKY individuals who wear kipper ties to the boardroom, and who — despite it not being a requirement in our job descriptions to be so here — are totaly MAD (because it helps)"

"Comic Sans then boss?"

"Perfectomundo!"

Proxi Preview

link

Ooh A powerful little Automator-type App — I find FolderActions to be a bit cumbersome/processor-intensive sometimes. This looks like it's got a lot of potential

Forestry Commissions

photo secondlife

That was so weird.

I spent most of the afternoon in Second Life today. Partly because it's fun (), and partly because I feel the need to get more active in there. GOing down to that MeetUp with K in London a few weeks ago, really sparked my interest again — as has the (independent) exploration of a few of my colleagues.

The picture above, is of me standing inside a friend's skybox. He'd used (he said) QuickTime VR images as textures on the walls, so if you stood in the centre, it was as if you were actually in that forest.

There's an odd World Within World thing going on in my head when I look at it — it's really strange to see Kisa in that kind of environment. Normally she's running around dodging prims, but here, she's kinda encroaching into my space.

If you get my drift.

ANyway, Kei took me up to her studio while she took some product shots, and it was immensely fascinating — not because, necessarily, of what she was doing, rather watching her engage with the world in a very specific way.

And it was whilst watching her, that I realised what I was really lacking in SL — a true actual purpose. And I realised that if I could engage with it in the same way that I engage with this world, then it would all start to make a lot more sense.

Like I said, a few colleagues have (independently) been getting involved with SL. We've been talking about getting together and trying to initiate some in-world teaching and getting some students involved with things.

I think it could be really interesting to see what happens

WWdN: In Exile: lately it occurs to me

link

Two of my friends collide, in the form of a Wil Wheaton avatar

Meatballs For All!

eurovision recipe

This popped into my .INBOX earlier:

Good Afternoon

In celebration of all that is wrong europop/rock and dirge and the institution which is the Eurovision, you are cordially invited to a night of song and fine foods tommorrow night at our house

If you accept the challenge a draw will take place at 4:30 this afternoon of all countries participating. You will be expected to provide a edible contribution from the country drawn against your name. If there are enough countries you will recieve a 2nd country to cook from.

Followed (at 4.50pm) by:

The draw took place at 16:41 and we can confirm the following:

[...]

Siobhan
Norway [wehay!!!!]
Sweden

[...]

No swapping permitted. Please remember we have veggies, vegans and puddingists present.

Euro Comm 2006

Now, I'm not entirely sure why I got a "[wehay!!!!]", but I'm rather pleased.

I am, as I might have mentioned in the past, known locally as The Trannie Who's Quite Good At Making Burgers™, and, following a swift email to my Swedish colleague, have discovered that in Scandanvia they eat (a) Norwegian Meat Cakes, and (b) Swedish Meatballs.

Fuck the vegetarians I'm going to buy me some minced beef and pork...

Rubbish Pun

quip funny

Not that I'm a fan of football or anything, it's just that I was walking past a discarded copy of The Guardian sports section and I saw the words "Henry poised to stay at Arsenal".

Those Tudors eh? Can't keep their hands of their bloody guns.

(rimshot. cymbal)

Health

random health

Struck by a poignant moment in Green Wing (no, really) (Transvestite alert: Man in tutu. Take offense), I suddenly started considering my own physical wellbeing.

I dunno, I've kinda been caning it recently. One or two people have made little comments along the lines of "you're drinking too much Siobhan", and they have a point.

Which is why I've been trying to cut down recently. Up until about a week or so ago, I've been drinking about two bottles of wine a night — which is Not Good™, even I can see that.

This week, I haven't drunk more than one. And on Tuesday I only drank a half.

Tonight is no exception. I'm sat here with the last couple of glasses, ready to supplement my "getting rat arsed enough to sleep" bottle with a mug of Horlicks.

No, really.

It's not, I hasten to add, some kind of Problem™. I'm not the kind of person who thinks about booze during the day, and I don't sit at home or at the office waiting until a certain time so that I can crack open a bottle.

I drink wine because I like the stuff. And I drink it to sleep.

Nicotine is a completely different thing for me though. I need that. Unfortunately, I seem to need about 40 a day at the moment.

...

In other news, I have a cold. It's summer and I have a cold. I've got a right hacking cough, and...

Oh. Yeah. 40 a day. Sorry, should have spotted that one.

The Symphonic Sound Of The Smashing Of Wingmirrors

car wingmirror police

Or, The Joy Of Living Where I Do.

So I'm sat here, casually tapping away on my laptop, recanting personal details about the state of my health, when outside I hear a heated discussion between a beau and his sweetheart:

"Don't you fooking hit me ya cunt"

"Fook you ye stupid bitch"

*smash smash smash smash*

I (you're reluctant heroine), pulls on a jumper and jeans (I was nekkid), and sticks my head out the door to see my neighbour running up the street in his flip-flops, on the phone to the police, chasing after said couple, while me and his girlfriend inspect the damage to the cars outside.

Four wingmirrors, and counting.

Gotta hand it to Lancaster Police — they were here within seconds, and got the little shit. They've apparently had loads of calls, and are now around the corner interviewing someone else who's lost a wingmirror.

Then they're coming back to take a statement.

Coming back here.

Two rather attractive policemen in uniform are coming back to my house to take a "statement"

Shit, I should wash my hair...