Google Wave...and much more besides

Ok... so I am about to start using the 'revolutionary' Google Wave... (courtesy of Sahra T - thanks!)

First thing's first - change my picture! Current Gmail pic is about 5 years old, and I have a pair of straws in my mouth a la 'woolly mammoth' style..!

...

So I've now changed my picture, and have no idea how to use this thing?! What is going on?! I think I have just sent a message with 'la la la' for content to two of my friends - are they even on Google Wave themselves?!

Apologies for this incoherent post. Let's move on.

Seems like a good place as any to do some blogging re: technology.

Technology has no doubt revolutionized the world we live in. The Internet is one crazy place, you can find whatever you want - and I mean WHATEVER you want - if you know where to look. Whatever Googling you might do, it in no way gives you all the web's results. Here I will refer the interested and avid reader to this article - http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/nov/26/dark-side-internet-freenet from G2 the other day (supplementary bit in The Guardian). Now, I feel I have no need to use 'Freenet' just yet - but with the controversial new Digital Economy Bill, I reckon it must only be a matter of time before we end up having to resort to anonymous web browsing. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing to hide in terms of my Internet use. Anyone who knows me will know the only websites I tend to go on are BBC News (and a few other news websites), Facebook, occasionally Twitter and Wiki, and Radio Times when measures are reaching desperation 'cos I have no TV guide to hand. I don't even have time to go on iPlayer or 4od at the moment (though, if I am back to part time work soon, I'm sure I'll get to catch up on the months worth of missed Home and Away and Neighbours). But one thing I am not happy about is the 'crackdown on filesharing'.

Inevitably, the only thing that this Bill will do is promote the evolution of filesharing in a different manner. And that is why I think it utterly pointless. Ok, so the music industry and (probably to a much lesser extent) the film industry are taking a bit of a battering, what with all of us crazy kids swapping music like marbles in the school playground. But, more than anything else, this is just a sign that these industries really must move with the times. I read recently that some old crooner - the name escapes me at the moment, but I assure you he and his band were big in the 70s - was rather complimentary about filesharing, in the sense that it promoted his music to an audience that may not otherwise have come across it, if it wasn't for it being freely available to download. Cut a long story short, the band were happy to have new, younger audiences at their gigs, and increasingly happy at merchandise sales courtesy of aforementioned filesharers. So, really, I think it's up to the music industry to work with the times and get over it.

I realise this post has no real structure, but I think I'm getting my point across.

And one final note - if you're just downloading music using your BitTorrent client, there's no real way your IP address can be tracked down. So you're only in danger if people are uploading from you. Of course, I realise this does pose a problem - if we all adjust our settings to being 'download only', who will provide the uploads?! That's where I leave it to the geeks :) - and many thanks to them too. One day, I might just join you. Just let me get my hands on this baby....

http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/store/pcw_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@0044197877.1259619290@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccfcadeimgemgfkcflgceggdhhmdgmi.0&page=Product&fm=null&sm=null&tm=null&sku=792744&category_oid=

(I hope the link works.)

Simon Cowell is a dick

In many ways, I feel ashamed to have been away from my blog for three weeks only to return now to write about the running joke that is The X Factor, but something has actually stirred deep within me.

For the last few years, even before the X Factor, I have always had respect for Simon Cowell in the way one might respect a deadly predator from the wild - think Black Widow spider or a Venus Flytrap - ruthless yet charming. As I recall, he first graced our screens in Pop Idol, alongside Nicki Chapman, Pete Waterman and Neil 'Dr' Fox [what the hell was he doing there?!]. The best part of the last decade has seen him shattering people's dreams and hopes on prime time television - thereby doing them and the rest of the viewing audience a favour - because, in one way or another, Simon pretty much always made the right call. Whenever Sharon Osbourne's heart melted at yet-another-sob-story-but-pathetic-singing-performance, Simon was there to boot the talentless out and allow us a glimpse of the ugly side of delusion - all those contestants wailing 'They don't know a good thing when they see it! ' 'I'm gonna be the next big thing, despite what the judges say!' yadda, yadda, yadda.

Tonight, however, Simon Cowell has well and truly painted himself as a dick.

For the past few weeks of the current X Factor series, viewers have had to endure the walking and talking (because they cannot sing) of John and Edward, Jedward if you will, possibly the most controversial acts chosen to progress to the live stages. Whilst I marvel at the British public's inane obsession of watching - and enjoying - such car-crash television, I guess somewhere along the line the twins have been entertaining. But Simon has, in all this time, been rather adamant that they do not deserve a place in the show, so you would think he would be only too happy to jump at the chance to have them kicked out of the competition, and leave his fellow judge Louis Walsh with no acts for the rest of the series. Alas, as tonight has proved, you would be thinking wrong.

In the last three weeks we have heard Simon say that, when it comes to the bottom two contestants (those with the least number of public votes), his choice would be made on who's performance was the best as, after all, that is the point of a sing-off. Last week we saw the departure of Rachel who, by far and large, was (and remains) a much better singer and performer than Lloyd, the 16-year-old who could barely open his mouth in last week's showdown. Don't get me wrong, I understand how nerve-wrecking the sing-off can be, but it is obvious to most X Factor viewers who should've gone.

So that leaves us with this week, when Lucy and Jedward were in the final. And Mr Simon 'Dick' Cowell, as he is now so fondly renamed in my head, sent away (arguably) one of the best female singers of this competition - albeit indirectly - for Jedward to come and 'entertain' us once more.

The logic behind it? Well, it does make you wonder.

Presumably, the Jedward franchise is bringing in more votes and public interest than any of the other acts. And by keeping them in the competition, it ensures a stronger singer leaves meaning, ultimately, Simon's acts have a bigger shot at the win.

Finally, with all this constant 'going-to-the-public-vote-because-there-is-a-deadlock' drama, it does beg the question - what is the point of the judges' votes?! Seriously?! No unanimous decisions are ever reached, and if you're continually going to turn to us to make the final call, then why bother with the sing-off in the first place?!

So, all of the above has now left me with no respect for Simon who, in my head, resembles more a weasel or a leech than any other animal.

Let's boycott the X Factor, I saw. Though that'll never happen.

I am off now to contemplate and feel guilty for the fact that I have just blogged about the X Factor, instead of drawing upon the many other issues I could have raised, which have also been playing on my mind in the last few weeks, but will ultimately probably never make an airing on this blog because I am too lazy to actually sit down and formulate a proper argument about them.

Maybe next week I'll treat you to my opinion of FlashForward so far.

BNP & Banter

I am most disappointed that Croatia won't be in the next World Cup. Football tournaments are the few times every couple of years that I actually feel somewhat patriotic and get my checkered red-and-white t-shirt out with pride! I guess next year's hopes will all rest with whatever Croatian tennis player makes it to Wimbledon. Though, on the other hand, I can freely join in with the English supporters, and it seems the current team have a chance at making their mark in the finals.

On a quite unrelated topic, I am anticipating with great interest the upcoming Question Time, next Thursday I believe, with BNP leader Nick Griffin, Jack Straw (justice secretary), Chris Huhne from the Lib Dems, and Bonnie Greer and Baroness Warsi (the latter two of which I know nothing about). Whether or not the BNP actually deserve to even be given a platform on QT has created much heated debate and I have to admit, rather reluctantly may I add, that the only logical conclusion I have come to is that they should be allowed to air their views. It would be hypocritical of us as a nation and as a democracy to deny them this...privilege. It might be worthwhile to note, however, that Griffin has effectively been ordered to change the BNP constitution, which discriminated (until today) against potential members on the grounds of their race and/or religion.
[... ... hmm, yes I'm sure that will make the masses flock to the far right! ]

Well, if nothing else, hopefully Griffin's appearance on QT will highlight just how ridiculous his party policies are. I think we have to trust that the large majority of this country is open-minded. If I had the time or the political prowess I would launch an attack on BNP policies, but I will leave that to the experts - at least for the time being.

And finally....
I have been told that my blog paints a picture of arrogance. I quite like that idea, I feel it contrasts greatly with how I present myself in person. It's all the things I would say if I had a flair for verbal linguistics in the real world!

First post from BlackBerry!

Ok so as it turns out, apparently I can't get a blogger application for my BB in the UK. But not to worry as I am simply updating using my browser!

Since my last post I have also installed Google Maps app - will never again be lost! The novelty has worn off now though, I don't really tend to stray into unknown areas of London without first planning a route out anyway.

Currently, I am VERY annoyed with Royal Mail because I think they are taking the piss with this postal strike thing. We need our post, people! We also need our rail cards to get a discount for cross-country travel! All I want to do is get away to York for the weekend, but how can I justify forking out £70+ for a train ticket?! I guess you can't put a price on fun...

I have had a really bad week and as much as my optimism wins through most times, I am dreading whatever it is that fate has lined up for me tomorrow. So far this week I have:

- had fraudulent transaction carried out on my debit card

- been served dog-meat in a bun under the pretence of a vegeburger

- spent two hours in the rain killing time before meeting up with someone, only to have to wait another two hours (so that's four in total!) for them to show up

- thrown away my umbrella because it broke, the day before all the aforementioned rain

- lost more blood in the last 24 hours than during the length of any other period of my life [apologies for just sliding that in without any notice, but it's true!]

Not to mention all the countless other little niggles that have been pushing me further and further to the edge in the last few days.

So many parts of my life need sorting out but it's hard now that I'm at work 5 days a week!

On the other hand, I got head hunted for an investment bank. Apparently, it's in my best interest to go to a networking dinner with them. We'll see.

Mobile blogging

So I've just tried to set up my BlackBerry device to blog from my phone. I have been unsuccessful - the option seems only to be available in the US :(

If anyone comes across an app or other useful info, please let me know. In the meantime, I will spend my journey times today (going present shopping, going brithday celebrating) trying to set this up. Probably unsuccessfully.

This Month's Top 10

Every once in a while I get a little bit too obsessed with something or other, be it a song, TV show, gadget, website... the list goes on. Here is my Top 10 Things this month -

1. Gilmore Girls
This is the sort of telly that is great for any time of the day or night, with a cuppa and a biccie, or a coffee and a smoke, or a sandwich and an OJ... goes well with anything, really. The characters are so well-formed and articulate that it is a pleasure to watch. Having ploughed through the whole of Season 1 in less than 72 hours is my personal accomplishment this month. I have even re-watched a few, when my sister was catching up with me. Now am (im)patiently waiting to borrow the second season - which I will hopefully get tomorrow - so it'll be another 72-hour lockdown (...or lockup?!)...

2. My BlackBerry
O.M.G. I'm turning into one of those. Those people who are never seen idly sat on a bus or train, always frantically tapping their fingers on the keypad, accessing (in my case) copious amounts of BBC News, returning 'pokes' on Facebook as instantaneously as I receive them, and generally embracing the technological age. This makes me a little sad, but at the same time, I do genuinely enjoy having access to whatever takes my fancy at the touch of a button! Only this morning I was scrolling through Rudyard Kipling's poetry; (here's a favourite: Cupid's Arrows)

3. University Challenge
Watched religiously, every week. Personal top score: 11 thus far this series. Sadly, York suffered a humiliating defeat tonight by St George's of London. It was painful.

4. Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
One of the feel-god hits of the summer, this still brings a smile to my lips. I just love the melody and the guitars, and have even found this brilliant acapella version: Del. It's not great audio quality, but I especially like when the beat-boxing kicks in. Sweet!

5. The Gatehouse
Ah, my local, how well you have served me in these last few weeks! If I ever have to suggest anywhere to meet up, it seems to always be at The Gatehouse lately. There's even a theatre upstairs, I will be checking out Twelfth Night when it comes along.

6. Babies
Ok, so this one might be a little weird, but I'm somewhat alarmed by my sudden (very) broody nature. Every time I see a baby, I just think, 'awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!'
I put this down to having spent such a large amount of time with my baby cousin this summer, who is just the sweetest thing to have ever graced this world.

7. Milka Chocolate
At this time in my life, my perfect job would be Chocolate Tester for Milka. I love them all. The biscuit-ey ones, the yogurt-ey ones, the nutty ones... I stay away from raisin-ey ones to be fair, I can only eat raisins plain.

8. Twitter
I'm sort of in two minds whether or not to admit to this pretty compulsive behaviour of mine...I update my Twitter probably a bit too regularly, given that so few people actually reply to my 'tweets', but I find the self-indulgence very satisfying! Is that wrong?! ...probably not.

9. My Hair
As in, trying to see how long I can go without washing it. It's not really anything disgusting, I just want to see if it's true that the less you wash it, the less greasy it is. So I'm sort of going for the 'wash every 3-4 days' thing, but it's difficult 'cos sometimes when I step in the shower I just forget... Anyway. Maybe too much personal information...

10. Kettle Chips
Just can't get enough. Every time there's an offer - and sometimes when there isn't - I buy a couple of bags. Recently tried the Honey BBQ flavour, and Thai Red Curry, but nothing so far compares to Sea Salt & Cracked Black Pepper. Mmmm....


Hmm, in retrospect, maybe 'obsession' is too strong a term to use for all of these, but the above have pretty much shaped my life in the last month. I think I need to get out more.

Drugs 'n' Alcohol...

...a topic dear to many people's hearts!

My first bit of opinionated ranting -
You might have heard in the news recently that there's been a proposed alcohol advertising ban in the UK. It would include the axing of 'Happy Hours', 2-4-1 deals, special offers, TV advertising, the list goes on. During one of their reports, ITV news interviewed the mother of a 23-year-old who was in hospital with liver failure. The mother thought the ban was a great idea, suggesting that without such promotions, her son wouldn't have been hospitalized in the first place. However, the news report also mentioned that her son had started drinking at the age of 11, during the time when his parents were going through (what I imagine must've been a pretty messy) divorce.

My point is, no young person, let alone a child, should be drinking at that young age, and certainly not to the extent that, a decade later, they're suffering from serious liver damage with only a small chance of recovery. Furthermore, that 11-year-old was hardly able to take advantage of the aforementioned special offers. And I will refrain from ranting about the responsibilities parents have to take care of the welfare of their children, but suffice it to say that something must've gone very wrong somewhere along the line if one's child is hitting the bottle even before the 'terrible teens' have hit.

The problem in this country isn't going to be solved by a blanket ban on alcohol advertising. Our cultural acceptance of binge drinking, which for most 14-year-olds is akin to a rite of passage, is what adds fuel to the fire. Until we change our very attitude towards alcohol, not much will change.

My other rant, also to do with advertising, is the drug-driving advert we're all subjected to during prime time television:

Think! Road Safety Advert

Firstly, no one's eyes become the size of saucers, no matter what they're taking! Secondly, given that it's one's pupils that dillate under the influence of alcohol, the police will be hard-pressed to notice such things unless they stop the car. And finally, it seems a little illogical to me to impose the same penalties for drink-driving as for drug-driving, given that the latter substance(s) are illegal! Aside from that, different drugs have different effects on the body - some make you more alert, others act as a sedative. Far be it for me to suggest that taking one substance over another might improve your concentration on the road, as with all things it's apparent that we only ever get one side of the story. Check out this site for more on the subject:

How Drugs Affect Driving

On a final note, I am by no means advocating drink- or drug-driving, but rather giving some food for thought. Should the penalties be the same? Caffeine is a stimulant drivers often take when on the road, but no one writes of the dangers of 'crashing out' (excuse the pun) after a few too many coffees, though it is widely reported that caffeine withdrawal can cause effects such as anxiety, nausea, headaches, and an inability to concentrate.

Free Stuff

In case anyone wants to make any extra money through answering survey questions, I highly recommend:

It's Your View

and, to a lesser extent,

Song People

The former sends you a cheque for £50 every time you reach 50 points (I am on 19 after 8 months or so, but I have not taken full advantage of the surveys sent to me), and the latter has various rewards, e.g. Amazon vouchers, free CDs, ...

Also, every once in a while

Free Stuff

has some cool free samples, cinema ticket offers, and general competitions (which I don't suggest you enter as it seems you just get spammed, and I don't trust most of those sites anyway).

Also,

The Graduate Panel

(and similarly

The Student Panel )

pays for your survey time in Amazon vouchers.

As Tesco says, every little helps.

Leeds Festival 2009 Review

If I had to sum up Leeds Festival in one word, it would be - messy. In both a metaphorical and literal way. Demographically, the punters seem to be between the ages of 16-25, and most of those are sixth formers. The main aim of the average festival goer here is to get as wasted as possible, as quickly as possible, for as long as possible. No one really seems to understand the concept of a bin bag, and even the incentive of a beer token for every bag of recycled cans handed in didn't capture many imaginations. A few people did make between £20-£30 for the beer/cider paper cups collected (10p each), but I got the impression they were working in some or other capacity at the festival anyway ( - e.g. stewarding, bar work, etc). The other surprising thing was the sheer number of tents left abandoned at the end of the festival. If I hadn't have known any better, I would've thought two thirds of the campers were still asleep at 1pm on Monday afternoon. There was definitely a post-apocalyptic air about the place.

Due to the timing of my shifts, I only managed to watch The Prodigy on the first two days of the festival. I found them unnecessarily rude to the crowd, and didn't particularly enjoy their set, though that could have been because of the fear of being drenched in what I can only hope was beer in flying paper cups; I am compelled, however, to think it was bodily fluid. The less said about that the better.

I was very fortunate to have the whole of Sunday off, and there were many good bands to be seen. Somewhat regrettably, my musical education did not really extend much further than to be able to say I had heard of all the bands before - apart from Madina Lake - but I hadn't really listened to their music. Nevertheless, this is my opinion on their efforts:

Sonic Boom Six - very enjoyable, very upbeat, great vocals. A good kick start to the day on the main stage, they did very well to engage with a very hungover crowd.

Madina Lake - flattery gets you everywhere, guys! Musically a nice, tight set, they were continually expressing their gratefulness at being there.

Alexisonfire - boring. Quite forgettable, I don't seem to recall thinking much at all during their performance.

New Found Glory - similar to Madina Lake, but in retrospect they haven't made too big an impression on me.

Funeral For A Friend - didn't pay a great deal of attention to them, I spent most of their set trekking to and from the loo, and trying to find people in the crowd.

Deftones - definitely way too depressing for me, and I couldn't understand why the singer was screaming so much?! Perhaps because he looked like he was gonna die on stage.

Fall Out Boy - genuinely impressing performance, a good few singalongs, wholeheartedly recommended.

Placebo - amazing. They kept me interested and listening throughout, despite me knowing only one song (Every Me and Every You). I was somewhat bemused by the blond girl they had on stage, who first played the electric violin for a bit, and then proceeded to sit at a huge piano and every once in a while play five notes, but they inspired me to download their music, which can only be a good thing.

Jamie T - is a chav with a guitar. I don't get the hype at all, the tent was packed and so many people were singing along but he was, at best, average and, at worst, bad. Particularly disappointing was when he played an (acoustic I think) bass for one of his songs...I use the term 'play' very loosely, he was essentially playing one open string over and over again.

Faith No More - certainly converted me! (I've been wanting to use that pun for what feels like forever!) They put in an incredible performance. Mike Patton, the lead singer, injected such enthusiasm and energy into the set, you couldn't help but 'rock' along. I especially enjoyed the EastEnders tribute (very well received). It felt like this was exactly what we'd been waiting for all weekend, and I couldn't think of a better way for my festival to end.

Other than the music, there isn't really a huge range of things to do at Leeds. There were a few fairground rides and a Guitar Hero tent, but the main arena shuts sometime between 12am-3am and most people then must just make their way to the campsites. It has a certain corporate feel to it, and though I had a good weekend, I can't say that I'll be rushing back any time soon - unless it is to see my friends or a few bands that I really really like. However, now that Leeds Festival is out of the way, I don't really feel like I have anything left to look forward to. My summer is well and truly over.

Films and such

I have been half-heartedly applying for a few jobs lately, and have decided I am not in the right place in life to be tied down to a 9-to-5 kinda thing. Hence, at the moment I'm working a few times a week helping to recycle mobile phones. Mainly involves standing around a shopping centre and handing out business cards, and processing the phones that people bring in to be recycled (they get money on a card to spend at Brent Cross). I am not sure if my faith in humanity is growing or diminishing as a result of this - sometimes people are genuinely interested in what we do, and glad to finally have found a resting place for their old and decrepit mobile phones. But other times they can be downright rude, acknowledging my existence only in so far as to remind me that I am, in fact, nothing more than an inconvenient thorn in their side. In any case, I can definitely feel myself growing a tougher outer layer! I do, for the most part, enjoy it though, my shifts aren't too long and it is close to home.

So, other than that, I have been watching films. So here is my round up of the last few weeks' entertainment -

The Wicker Man: Weird, but entertaining. Make sure to watch the Scottish original. Funny 'sex' dance. Plot really keeps the intrigue going, and I loved the hare masks (though they were terrifying).

X-Men trilogy: Worthwhile for the story, but helps if you don't keep comparing it to the cartoons/comics (as I did). In any case, it doesn't match up to those. And obviously I am annoyed Storm does not have a major role in the films (though she's more prominent in the third one).

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: AMAZING. Best film I have seen in a long time. Just watch it. So many themes covered.

300: Only good for the special effects. But SFX do not make a film! Ridiculous 'baddie' in the form of a camp Persian with an unearthly deep voice.

He's Just Not That Into You: This is just not that good a film. In fact, it's awful. Its only 'saving grace' is Jennifer Aniston's character. The rest of the women are depicted as neurotic, slutty, or just plain pathetic. The guys are not very likable either.

Premonition: One of Sandra Bullock's less-known films, and I'm not surprised. Runs a bit like Memento, in that the order jumps around a bit. There are a couple of obvious plot-hole failures, but it's vaguely interesting 'cos you've no idea what's going on for the first half. Don't rent it, but it's watchable enough if it happens to be on the telly at some point.

Coco avant Chanel: Audrey Tautou puts in a spectacular performance, but the film lacks any real substance. It's got some charm to it though, perhaps that is just a natural consequence of it being French.

The Proposal: Liked the pairing of Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds. Some chucklesome scenes, but really is just-another-chick-flick. Hated the pretty cringe-worthy ending.

So those are my 60-second previews. Fairly accurate methinks!