All entries for Wednesday 19 April 2006

What about the fish?!

I wish all fish smelt like this one; definitely has an expensive, european smell to it.

: 19 Apr 2006 19:08 |  Tags: Minimo |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Another 'scary' horror film

Seriously I have had enough of "creepy little boy/girl" horror films. They just aren't scary and are cliched.

For me this film was The Crucible meets The Exorcist, set in early American settler times with a Devil-possession theme. It gets its scares from textbook camera moments like sending the eye into the distance then flashing something in the foreground. The plot is disconnected and you won't care of the characters.
The ending caught me off guard, it does a very short summary at the end that I didn't fully understand so if you see it, pay more attention at the end. Or save yourself around a fiver, and do anything else.

: 19 Apr 2006 14:48 |  Tags: Cinema Movie Review |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

New music

I really appreciate a person who can sing well. I liked Alanis Morisette for this reason, plus her songs were quite heartfelt to her and that came across. This album is the same, with "The Flowers" and "Us" being the two highlights in an eccentric "anti-folk" album that's bursting of quirky smile-inducing songs. If you go to the cinema, you might recognise the latter on the Sky Sports skate-boarding advert.

If you do "buy" this album, go and "buy" her album 'Begin to Hope' too; or you'll miss out on

"Hey remember that month
when I only ate
boxes of Tangerines?

(so cheap and juicy)
Tangerines!"

: 19 Apr 2006 14:39 |  Tags: Music Review |  Comments (4) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Moving back in

Third term means no leactures but a looming dissertation and nasty exams. Obviously, one starts as one intends to go on. Rolled in last night, and settled back in. There is a certain pecking order to unpacking:

• Got to get the computer in there first, I might be missing some important spam! You can click these to get BIG versions (!!)
  


• Then comes the TV; everyone knows the only remedy to spam is Bargain Hunt
  


• Then all the other crap in the car. It will probably remain there until the end of June, maybe moving around slightly as it gets tossed about when I'm rummaging
  

Should probably clean up and fix things too…

: 19 Apr 2006 14:18 |  Tags: Doing |  Comments (6) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Infuriating technology!

As a Comp Sci (aka X-Comp aka XxXtreme cool guys) I know when certain things can and can't be done with technology. The two technology problems that really piss me off:

• Why can't I have a way of taking a picture on my phone and sharing it easily? Currently I have to bluetooth sync with my Windows laptop, VNC in to it from my main Linux laptop, upload the file to my webserver, and then link it before it becomes available! If my phone ran Linux I could easily write a script. Grr. And the 'shareware' (crippleware) FTP client for smartphone is worse than useless.
• Why does Windows XP do a better job than Linux at using a VPN? I've got a VPN server set up in Linux on my server, and I can use it just fine from Windows – but using the same software on my Linux laptop – openswan – I just can't get it to do anything. It sets up a connection then looks blankly back at me. All I want is a PSK client!!! No bastard certificates…

ARGH! Infuriating

: 19 Apr 2006 13:56 |  Tags: Rant Tech |  Comments (1) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Eh? What? Blogs?!

I don't want to open my book on Modern Compiler Design. So I'm reastarting my blog instead. That should offer a valuable source of procrastination. Once, this place was the launching pad for my hard-hitting political beliefs; now a place to relegate that bit of your life you'd rather spend alseep but you just can't.

It should also allow me to have a way for my friends to see what I'm upto, should they care. Beware, my life is very boring. Expect pictures of leaking gearboxes, broken furniture, and general grumblings.

: 19 Apr 2006 13:43 |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem