Wednesday, January 30, 2002

The new Onion has an interview with Screech. Yes, the Screech.

The man rules, full stop. And he even wrangles the bass!

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USIT have gone into liquidation.

I've been thinking about this a lot today. Money matters worry me. The more I add things up, the more I realise it's gonna cost me to go to Vancouver this summer for an expedition that may only last three or four weeks. The more I weigh things up, the more I think about pulling out. It's not like I'll never get there. Getting a good job here for the summer, having comfortable funds for my masters, will provide me with a base with which to go there for a short holiday sometime this year, I'm sure of that. It'll also free up a bigger budget for my trip to Toronto next month, so I can enjoy myself even more. I don't have to live and work in Canada to know if I'll like it or not. So what if the £200 deposit is non-refundable? The more I think about it, the more I feel I'd be throwing much more money away if I go.

And besides, knowing the state that USIT is in, I just plain don't feel like dealing with them.

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For some reason, Japanese culture has interested me for a long time. Maybe it was Jushin Liger...... anywho, as a result, it's no surprise that this page kept me rapt with attention (c/o 13 Labs).

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As far as I'm concerned, in this situation anyway, condemnation just isn't enough unless you have the action to back it up. It seems to me that the Commonwealth is gonna let Mugabe get away with a lot of bad shit before they do anything substantial.

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Tuesday, January 29, 2002

Boy am I glad today is almost over. My presentation was basically crap. I just wasn't prepared for it, although when the discussions started in the second half it was better for me, I'm better at replying to and asking questions rather than making grandiose statements (and unprepared statements at that) I guess.

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I'm at UCD right now, blogging from room G3 in the Daedalus building. How exciting! Today is gonna be bad... five hours straight is too much for my delicate constitution. Plus I have that presentation to get through.

Three O'Clock, why dost thou seem so far away?

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Monday, January 28, 2002

My essay is done, handed in, over, finito.

Alls I have to do now is get through my presentation tomorrow.

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Sunday, January 27, 2002

A question: Has anybody noticed that Andrew WK's 'She Is Beautiful' is basically a note-for-note copy of Andrew WK's 'Party Hard', but with marginally different lyrics?

A more pertinent question: Andrew WK..... why?

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The more I see articles like this, whether they tell the whole story or not, the more suspicious I get.

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So, it seems I was right to be suspicious after all: even Colin Powell, who hasn't got the cleanest track record in human rights, wants the US government to change its position regarding the detainees in Guantanamo Bay.

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I know it's the 28th in New Zealand now, so I'm a day late, but anyway, happy birthday Wendy.

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Saturday, January 26, 2002

I should be doing my essay, but I'm playing around with this instead.

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The nWo is back!

It's about time the WWF started doing something interesting. I'm rubbing my hands with glee!

There seems to be a lot of speculation as to who will be a part of the group (the names Nash, Hall, even Hogan are being bandied around; and 'Mr. Perfect' Curt Hennig, a former nWo member, returned at the Rumble), and also whether it will be just another invading force (like WCW was last year), or a stand-alone promotion, like WCW was supposed to be. One of the main problems with WCW's failure was that the WWF fanbase, for the most part, resented and detested the name and the brand. However, the nWo was always a cross-over hit: fans at WWF shows can still be spotted wearing the classic black-and-white nWo t-shirt today. Maybe it was because they were bad, they were the outlaws, the iconoclasts that the WWF fans would like to be.

I guess it's gonna make for some pretty good television.

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Friday Five:

1. What cologne or perfume do you wear?

Don't wear cologne. A good anti-perspirant (Sure, of course) is enough for me.

2. What cologne or perfume do you like best on the opposite sex?

Well I'm not up on the brands or anything so I'll generalise: I don't like anything that's too strong. Subtle fragrance gets my attention.

3. What one smell can you not stomach?

Rotten eggs. Cabbage. Poo. Need I go on?

4. What smell do you like that others might consider weird?

I can't really answer this..... I don't know what other people would consider weird.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?

Yet again, my Post-Kant essay, plus I have that tutorial presentation to prepare. Luckily I got about 99% (update: now 100%, after a bit of debugging) of my DTD done for my XML class.

Jesus do I sound boring.

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Friday, January 25, 2002

Blogger Pro is here. Not too expensive, either. Pity I can't afford it anyway.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2002

It's nice to know that other people think like this, because sometimes I'm afraid to make mistakes, or rather show my fallibility, lest other people take advantage of it. Particularly here.

In other news, I don't think I'll be posting much over the next few days, what with me writing an essay on Kant's 'Transcendental Deduction', creating a DTD for my XML class, and reaquainting myself with the finer points of John Searle's 'Chinese Room' thought experiment for my tutorial presentation next week.

Oh and before I go: Declan, your letter is ready to post, but you wouldn't believe how hard it is to buy stamps these days!

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Tuesday, January 22, 2002

I was just about to link to something about the shameless publicity stunt that was the 'fight' at the Tyson/Lewis press conference just a short while ago, but then I'd just be playing into their hands, wouldn't I?

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Monday, January 21, 2002

The mere existence of this is conclusive proof that 90% of the world's population are idiots.

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On the hot topic of the detainees in Cuba: I've been mulling over this a lot since yesterday, taking in arguments from both corners, regretting to an extent my 'outburst' yesterday afternoon (it's not something I'd want to use as an argument in a debate, anyway), but one thing has stuck in my mind.

Why did the US govermnent release those particular photos of Camp X-Ray? I mean, they can't be that naive as to expect no reaction from the rest of the world, particularly their supposed British allies. I keep hearing the same excuse, sorry 'explanation', that the photos were taken just after their arrival at the camp and were not an accurate reflection of their current or continual condition (whatever that's supposed to mean). But that still begs the question, why those photos? It is a blatant attempt to bait the liberal media into some sort of moralistic mud-slinging match? And if so, why? Shouldn't they be trying to rally everyone behind their cause, rather than encourage the rest of the world to be suspicious of their motives? The clandestine activities surrounding the Camp X-Ray situation (the name alone is too creepy) aren't going to help.

I just checked the Fox News website (I won't link to it, 'cause I think they're scumbags), and their front page barely even mentions the camp conditions. There's one link that mentions Blair defends the camp (the BBC puts it more specifically; according to the official spokesman of the PM, as far as the captive Britons are concerned, there are no complaints about their treatment), and another that states simply that Rumsfeld says 'camp is just'. 'Just' can be an ambiguous word, Donald, and I'm not sure your idea of just would fit in with everyone else's.

I think it's a safe bet to remain firmly cyncial for the moment.

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Royal Rumble update:

Trish Stratus beat Jazz. The booking department do hot have a clue.

Tazz and Spike beat the Dudley Boys. I'm glad they didn't get demolished by the bookers, and I'm glad they let them keep the belts.

Regal beat Edge to win the IC Title. A bit pointless, really, but I already intimated that.

Flair beat McMahon. I haven't seen the photos yet. I'm not sure I want to. I hope Flair kept his shirt on.

Jericho beat the Rock, but it was a tainted victory which means it was simply a set-up for next month's pay-per-view. Not that I care anyway. I should be used to this kind of thing by now.

Triple H won the Rumble. Well it was either him or Stone Cold, wasn't it? Funny that the Undertaker was eliminated so early though, I assumed he would at least figure in the final four (one of which was Mr. Perfect! Now that's a surprise!).

While I'm on the subject of Triple H, what's up with that new Iron Cross style logo of his? Been hanging out with Lemmy a bit too much, I suspect.

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Sunday, January 20, 2002

I'm not sure what to make of tonight's Royal Rumble. On paper, it just doesn't really cut it for me, definitely not like last year's (classic Benoit/Jericho ladder match..... I'll ignore Drew Carey). Not that it really matters 'cause for the first time in years I won't be watching it. But anyway, while I'm blabbing on about it, here's my run-down of the scheduled matches.

Women's Title Match: Jazz Vs Trish Stratus

Jazz demolished Jackie on TV a few days ago to get the title shot, and Jackie can sorta wrestle. If Jazz isn't booked to annihilate Stratus tonight, it'll be a complete travesty. Jazz is the closest the WWF has had to a real female wrestler since Bull Nakano.

Tag Team Title Match: Dudley Boys Vs Tazz & Spike Dudley

I think it's cool that they're giving Tazz and Spike a push and letting them run with the ball, but I dunno about this match. I know there's motive (the good ol' sneak attack) but It doesn't exactly have 'classic' written all over it. If it was anything other than a straight-forward tag match it might be interesting. But it's not.

Intercontinental Title Match: William Regal Vs Edge

No. This will probably be crap. Their styles just don't blend well. Edge is too dynamic for regal, while Regal is too ground-based and stiff for Edge. Their rivalry doesn't really convince me anyway.

Street Fight: Vince McMahon Vs Ric Flair

I'm convinced they made this a street fight so that Flair won't have to take off his shirt. Ewww, bad mental picture........

World Title Match: The Rock Vs Chris Jericho

Haven't we seen this before? Oh sure, they'll probably put on a good show, but I don't really care.

The Royal Rumble

It's almost a given that either Triple H or Steve Austin is gonna win this (the Undertaker, in my estimation, is a dark horse who could steal it, but it's unlikely). As a result, there's no real magic to this year's Rumble match. They should have kept some of the field a secret - half the fun of past Rumbles was wondering who would be in it (the other half was when they'd come out).

But anyway, I'm going to WrestleMania so I don't really mind what happens tonight! SkyDome here I come!

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The whole situation - the contrivances of the US government's handling of Afghani prisoners in Cuba - smacks of Old Testament-style eye-for-an-eye retribution. Call me cynical, but there is no way I would ever believe any 'official' report pertaining to it.

I watched Newsnight on Friday, where the main story was the US allowing the Red Cross into the camp at Guantanamo Bay, but under the condition that the results of their investigation remain confidential. I mean, that's a Catch-22 situation for the Red Cross: whatever their recommendations, the military can just shrug them off and they won't be able to do diddly squat about it. And it's not like anyone will find out about it, 'cause it's all confidential! How convenient.

And just a short while ago I watched an interview on Sky News with a 'terrorism expert' named Larry Johnson, who was asked about the controversy surrounding the images of the camp that have been released. He first went on some wild tangent talking about things that weren't even relevant or pertaining to the inquiry (people being held up on hooks, etc, really embelleshing the Wizard of Id imagery). He was stopped in his tracks by the Sky anchor, whose name I seem to have forgotten, and asked specificaly about the masks, the gloves, the earmuffs, the blacked-out goggles. This question was totally dismissed by Johnson, who retorted quite venomously to the effect (for me) that us Europeans are nothing more than namby-pamby bleeding-heart liberals.

Sure, many of the prisoners in Cuba may well be highly dangerous (a defense of sorts for the apparent sensory deprivation techniques being used) but I'm sure that US soldiers were considered highly dangerous to the Viet Cong back in the '60's and '70's, or to the Japanese back in World War II.

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If this happened to Americans - any Americans, regardless of what they were doing - held captive in Afghanistan, nobody would stand for it. So how can they get away with it themselves?

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I thought I'd escape. I thought it would pass me by. My first winter without a throat (respiratory tract) infection.

And I thought I had it beat; December passed, and nothing. Maybe just a sniffle, but nothing serious. New Year's came and went, and I thought I was home free. Chalk one up in the record books.

But of course, it just wasn't meant to be. Fate wouldn't let me get away that easily....

Which leads to the present. I am quite ill. I feel like I have razor blades in my throat. I hope my GP has some nice antibiotics for me tomorrow morning. I'm going to have to skip college again to go. I don't want to skip any college this semester. I actually want to get a good degree, and I have an essay AND a presentation due next week.

Sometimes I hate myself.

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Saturday, January 19, 2002

But of course, I couldn't let the old place die out without a last breath. I salvaged a couple of links that a) are still working and b) are still as funny as I remember them.

So, without further ado, I present to you the Kama Sutra of Pooh (something that some people I know might appreciate..... or maybe not), and an old, yet interesting look into the minds of prospective philosophy students.

Completely different, I know, but what the hell.

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Whilst searching for my site in Google's directory, I came across this, my first foray into the world of blogging.

I have to say that I had completely forgotten about this for a while - most of 2001, to be exact. I just wasn't really as into the concept of blogging as I am now. I didn't really have much to say. And I was lazy as fuck.

But, of course, since last November, I've been doing this, and I love doing it, and I'll keep doing it for as long as circumstances allow me. Although there is one little snag - this blog isn't listed in Google's directory.

So I scratched my brain to rememeber my old login name and password, and after a few aborted attempts I eventually got access, left a little note (with a link to here, of course), and closed the site for good.

It may be nothing more than a ghost site now, but at least it leads to the afterlife.

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CNN Chairman Walter Isaacson sent a memo to his staff asking them to downplay Afghan civilian casualties, saying it was "perverse to focus too much on the casualties or hardship in Afghanistan" and demanding that when viewers see civilian suffering in Afghanistan, "it's in the context of a terrorist attack that caused enormous suffering in the United States." That is, take sides and bury bad news.

A very interesting article here by Andrew Stroehlein, c/o onfocus. Some might argue that it's never been the case, but it seems to me that the integrity of mainstream journalism in the United States doesn't exist anymore.

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Friday, January 18, 2002

Friday Five:

1. What do you have your browser start page set to?

A blank page. Minimalism, you see.

2. What are your favourite news sites?

I've been visiting the Guardian website a lot recently. I can't believe I only started reading it (the paper, that is, not the website) last September. To be honest, though, I usually get my news from the television, or the Evening Herald, then follow it up online if need be.

3. Favourite search engine?

Google (isn't it everyone's?). I've been using it since 1999. I sometimes use Dogpile too.

4. When did you first get online?

The end of 1998, athough I didn't really get into it for ages, until after I joined the Watt list and started the website.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?

Same as last week: working on my Post-Kant essay. Except this weekend I'll actually get some stuff down on paper. I also plan to feel better than I have been the last couple of days; that is, if you can plan such things.

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Thursday, January 17, 2002

I just followed a link on Mat's blog and it inadventently led me to this.

Well, I mean, the Tories have a vested interest so of course they would denounce it as Irish propaganda, but the fact of the matter is the British Army fucked up big time that day, whatever actually happened, and while arguments made by some Republicans that Bloody Sunday directly led to over 30 years (and counting) of unrest don't hold water - the situation was such that the Troubles would have happened anyway - there's no question that it was a catalyst, maybe the catalyst.

There was a piece about this in the Guardian earlier this week by Mark Lawson that tells it better than I could right now. Lawson also makes a particularly valid point about this film potentially being taken as gospel, which of course it shouldn't, but middle America doesn't really have a history of reading between the lines.

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Call me a hypochondriac if you will, but I am dying with a horrible cold right now. Had to take the day off college - there was no way I was going on six separate bus journeys feeling like this.

So, while I was rolling around my room in agony, fighting to breathe through my clogged nose and swollen throat - my sinuses determined to drive me insane - I came across this in the G2 section of today's Guardian. It took my mind off my own health for a while.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2002

Well duh.

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My connection is really slow tonight.... looks like I'm gonna call it a day.

I'm not really in the mood for blogging anywho; I taped Tim Roth's The War Zone last night and watched it this afternoon.... pretty harrowing stuff.

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No posting for me yesterday - I didn't get home till nearly 8pm and I was much too tired to think. Not that I have much to think about right now. I'm in the middle of writing a letter to Groves and, as per usual, I have nothing really to say. And nothing to do; Jimmy Eat World are playing tonight and I would go, just to hang at the back and hear them play, if I had €15 handy.

And my cold is getting bad. I'm just glad that I was able to get home early this afternoon, and that I'm off early tomorrow as well. Time to keep warm under the duvet and get some reading done.

I remembered today that there's another careers' seminar next Thursday night, on publishing, which might be pretty good. I will be there. Even though I'll have to wait around for three hours in that godforsaken place.

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Monday, January 14, 2002

My mum went to the hospital for an eye check-up today. Took her a while to find the eye clinic, the place isn't signposted very well, and you would think semiotics would be of the utmost consideration for a place like a hospital.

She'd been waiting at least 18 months for the appointment so she was kinda anxious to get it over with. After a couple of hours she got the all-clear, but not after they effectively paralyzed her eyes to dilate the pupils - it looks very strange, let me tell you, like Marilyn Manson-style contact lenses or something. And it was only after they did this that they asked her if she drove to get there (she didn't) because she would be legally blind and unable to drive for at least four hours until the drops wore off. A fat lot of good that would have done if she had to be somewhere and her only method of transport was her car, if she had one.

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When is a Prisoner of War not a Prisoner of War? When America says so.

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On a lighter note, Georgie chokes on a pretzel.

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A 20 year old postman, Daniel McColgan, was shot dead on Saturday morning by Protestant paramilitaries (namely, the UDA, a worthless gaggle of cowards if there ever was one) simply because he was Catholic. In response, the Communication Workers Union called for a suspension of all postal services in the North as a mark of respect, and hopefully to persuade the politicians to stop faffing about and actually get some work done.

It happens all the time, it has been happening for years, I almost felt completely apathetic to the situation since it's never going to end - well, not in my lifetime - as long as blindly self-righteous attitudes prevail. But this one got to me, I don't know why.

Maybe it was after reading this in today's Guardian, a quote from the South Belfast UDA commander (an anonymous coward, obviously, who confirmed that the postman's death was simply a warning to republicans) following talk of further threats against Catholic postal workers and teachers:

"The UDA is not backing threats against teachers," he said. "This is in no way a return to war. It's about the frustration loyalists are feeling."

Er, excuse me? Frustration? What fucking frustration? I, as someone brought up a Catholic but not religious, have never felt the need to go out and shoot a Protestant. I couldn't understand how anyone would, and I would certainly never endorse it. But you, Mr. Coward, you would effectlively endorse the shooting (and murder) of a Catholic, out of frustration? More like a blatant attempt to scare the Catholic republican community into total submission.

Ladies and gentlemen, as long as fuckheads like this exist (and there are thousands of them, on both sides), the world will never be a safe place.

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I wasn't the only one with Geocities problems yesterday.

Everything's fine now though. I even ironed out a stylesheet bug (had the attribute in the wrong tag, doh!) so my site looks smashing, even if I do say so myself.

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Sunday, January 13, 2002

I hate Immanuel Kant.

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Well, it seems that Blogger will soon be launching a premium service. I know if I could, I'd pay for it ($30 isn't too much to ask for a whole year), but I can't. Oh well.

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And another thing: my site is really, unbelieveably slow today. It's nothing to do with me - I've kept my file sizes down to a minimum, 20kb at the most. If I've had any visitors, they would have turned away before the pages finished loading. I am not happy.

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What's the fucking problem with Geocities? I've found it nearly impossible to publish anything to the FTP server without some sort of aggro. God, how I wish I could afford a proper host server and domain name.

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And from the same site, the Amazing Movie Maker. A sample:

A talking parrot and a cyborg from the future break out of jail together and run from the feds.

Now THAT is a pitch!

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I should have logged off by now, but I couldn't help finding this (c/o Absolute Blog). The cogs are turning as I blog....

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I'm just going to hope that nobody has linked to anything in my archives, because I'm going to change the directory to make things run a tad more smootly.

My site is a bit slow anyway. That's a combination of me being on a shitty dial-up connection, and the site being hosted somewhere in California.

I really must stop fiddling about with the layout. It's fine, Mac, leave it!

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Sometimes I hate the internet.

I'm gonna log off for the afternoon, I'm too frustrated, but before I do, I thought I'd make Sunday my impromptu Internet art exhibit day. This week's exhibit will be M.C. Escher. Don't blame me if it's crap, I'm going out of my way for you people!

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I've made some stylesheet changes to the site. I've also republished my archives in monthly, rather than weekly, format. It'll make things easier for me.

Or it would, if I could update the damn files. Geocities won't let me access the FTP server, says my password or username is invalid. But I haven't changed anything, so it must be their fault. The bastards.

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Saturday, January 12, 2002

I can't remember how I found this site, but it has to be one of the funniest fuckin' things I've ever seen. And I mean FUH-KNEE!

A sample:

Q: I heard that ninjas are always cruel or mean. What's their problem?
A: Whoever told you that is a total liar. Just like other mammals, ninjas can be mean OR totally awesome.

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I want one of these!

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Two days ago I asked 'Do they give Oscars for weblogs?'. Well, it seems that they do.

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Sky aren't getting another red cent out of me.

I suppose one could say that we've had a bit of a cushy number over here, getting every WWF pay-per-view on Sky since 1991 without having to pay an extortionate amount. But the fact remains that Sky Sports is a premium service that we pay quite a lot for, so it's not like we've been getting them for free (except for the ones that Channel 4 showed, but their contract has expired so that's over), and from now on Sky will no longer broadcast pay-per-views on Sky Sports. Instead, we'll have to shell out €22 to see it on Sky Box Office, at 1am. Not only is €22 too expensive for a transmission that isn't even guaranteed (Sky have a history of live transmission breaks at the most inopportune moments), but for an event that's on in the middle of the night it's just too far over the line. Sure, one might say, the Yanks pay the same, but at least they get the live show at a sensible hour. I can wait a couple of months and buy the video for around the same price, guaranteed that I'll get the whole thing, and I can watch it whenever I want. Whether it's live or not doesn't matter, since we're talking about a sport where the results are largely predetermined anyway.

But the most annoying thing is that Sky can easily afford to broadcast these events without charging €22 a go. They've been doing so for the last ten years! Their annual profits are usually in the millions, and they haven't lost money in years, but they still want more.

You broke the proverbial camel's back. You're not getting any from me you're not, Mr. Murdoch. Not any more.

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Truer words have never been spoken.

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Friday, January 11, 2002

Commenting is down for the time being.

But that's kinda stating the obvious, really.

I'm gonna go watch wrestling now, or something.

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np: Alice In Chains 'Facelift'

How can a twelve-year-old album still sound fresh and new? And be better - much better, different-level-entirely better - than the contemporary crap it has inspired? Yes, I'm pointing at you, Creed. And you, Staind.

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It's my first Friday Five. Here goes...

1. What was your first job?

I had a paper round once a week from the autumn of 1992 through till just a few years ago (I can't remember now exactly when I finished). My first 'proper' job was at the Coolock UCI in the summer of 1999, when Episode One opened. I did good work, but they didn't seem to recognise it till I told them I was leaving that Christmas. I left, then went back for a month the following summer (I was broke) before I got the job at HMV.

2. How old were you when you had your first kiss?

Geez this is a bit childish, isn't it? But I suppose I must answer; I haven't had a kiss yet that is worth remembering.

3. What was your first car? What happened to it?

I don't have a car, I don't have a licence and I can't drive. But if I did have a car I'd probably still have it since cars are too expensive to simply dispose of after a few years. That's the same reason I'm still using this crappy computer.

4. What was your first concert?

I think it was Watercress at the Mean Fiddler in August 1998. I didn't go for the music, it was someone's birthday. I was never a big gig-goer until I went to college, so I missed lots of really good stuff, like Fugazi in the summer of '99 (still kicking myself over that one).

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend?

I have an essay on post-Kantian German philosophy to work on. Not very exciting, I know.

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This is old, but it'd damn good (thanks to 'George Clinton' for the link).

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The Saccharine Trust website is finally online - after all that teasing when I tried to access the URL listed on their new album.

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The first episode of the new series of Buffy was on tonight. I enjoyed it. I'm not the world's biggest fan, but I can appreciate it, much like I can appreciate Star Trek. You don't have to be a total fanboy* to understand these things.

*Just in case any militant feminists may be reading, this term is not intended to be gender-specific

(Phew! That's my arse covered).

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Thursday, January 10, 2002

I got home today earlier than expected - I was gonna go to a careers' seminar but found out who was giving it so I passed - and turned on the TV.

What was the first thing I saw?

Totalitarianism comes to Zimbabwe. I mean, it's not like things were rosy there anyway - even if it was somewhat exaggerated and distorted by the media - but this is really too much.

But that's not all:

Holy Cross school dispute reignites tensions and brings nationalist and loyalist mobs on to the streets

Anything I'd have to say about this has already been said, a million times over. I'm only 100 miles from there, and yet it's a totally different world. It's a totally different century.

What a way to start the evening, eh?

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Mat has a permalink to my blog! I feel like I've won an Oscar..... do they give Oscars for weblogs?

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Wednesday, January 09, 2002

This is an interesting concept. I may try it out myself at the weekend. I'd do it now, but I'm just about to log off and actually do some work (shock horror!).

Oh hey Groves, if you happen to be reading this, I'll mail you tomorrow or Friday. Haven't been texting you since I ran out of phone credit. Oops.

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This is a classic!

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This is an interesting link I came across whilst wandering around the web this evening.

Right about now I presume Wendy is on a plane from Heathrow to Auckland. That must be at least a twenty hour flight. Ouch! I got an e-mail from her yesterday; she got the Christmas card I sent her, and she liked it (and I guess what I said in it too) which is good to know. I hope she has fun on her month's holiday home - she will be celebrating her 21st after all!

Mat is doing a blog-swap. Could this be the start of a new trend? Should be interesting to see how it works out.

I wonder if anybody reads this. I mean, I know I get visitors but do any of them stick around? I don't get any comments (Chicken Bone excluded, since he lives about a mile away from me). Am I that boring? Or is it just that people are turned off by the fact that my site is hosted on Geocities? Or it doesn't have a snazzy, arty name? I admit that I tend to discriminate in this manner when I go looking for blogs to read....

If I blog in a forest, and there's nobody around to hear me, do I make a sound?

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Tuesday, January 08, 2002

Had a bit of trouble with my index file - I deleted it from the server by accident - but everything's cool now.

I'm gonna go back to watching When We Were Kings now. Goodnight.

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I'm tired. I have tender spots on my left arm, near my shoulder, and at the back of my head. Lots of lectures today - no more easy Tuesdays. And I have a presentation for my philosophy tutorial in three weeks. But I also some happy times today: got an A in my electronic resources assignment, and got a very good mark (Dr. Wusteman couldn't find my assignment, but she said it was a very good mark) in my electronic publishing assignment. I also spoke to Dr. Cornelius about my doing an MA (and I do want to do an MA, not an MLIS or an MLitt) and he seemed helpful. I'll talk to Dr. Komito tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'm gonna do some reading and rest a while tonight. Another early start tomorrow.

But before I do, I just found this - very well put, I must say. Being a philosopher (supposedly) I appreciate these things.

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Monday, January 07, 2002

Mat's got a link to the Google Zeitgeist for 2001.

How come I never find out about these things before anyone else? Oh yeah, because I live in Ireland, and I'm busy at college all day, and we don't have broadband so I'm on a dial-up.

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Yes! Thanks to the latest issue of .net magazine I have finally erased the skeletal remnants of that annoying virus my computer contracted some time ago (thanks to my use of Outlook Express). I haven't had the virus since the day I got it - I located and erased the files with McAfee at the time - but maybe my computer will run a bit better now.

In other news, Enterprise just started on Sky so I'm gonna sit back and watch it.

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And Declan's going tomorrow....... I'm gonna miss the little bastid ;o)

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Just got back a while ago from Mulholland Drive at the IFC. I enjoyed it, which surprised me, it being a David Lynch and all. But as we were on our way home, Dave seemed to crack it (the plot, that is) and now we understand. We think. Does it matter?

And right now South Park just finished. It was a good one, a satire on organised Christianity. Cartman became a preacher. It's funnier than it seems from my telling of it. I used to really like South Park when it started. Then it seemes like everyone in the country was watching it and I thought it was shite. But now that everyone seems to have forgotten about it (drawn in by the hype, realised just how crude it really is) I started watching it again recently, and it's actually quite good now.

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Sunday, January 06, 2002

Now this is what I call a rant! And I agree wholeheartedly.

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I've got some work to do today. I have to get in touch with somebody important in DepLIS regarding applications for the HDip in information studies next year. Lasy day for tendering applications is the 1st of February, which I only found out today by chance. They haven't really been publicising it amongst us third years, you know. I don't even know if I'm eligible. I still don't know how much it'll cost me, I'm just presuming I can afford it. Arrrrgh my head is a mess!

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Saturday, January 05, 2002

Is there something wrong with my brain? I just read back a few days' worth of postings, and it seems as if I've repeated myself a bit.

I need to get out more.

If only I didn't have so much to study.

Then again, I enjoy what I do at college.

Ah, screw it. I'm hungry. I'm gonna make myself a sandwich.

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And hey, since I'm talking about the euro, here's another link for ya! (I'm guessing you'd need Flash for this one)

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I really should have mentioned something about this, seeing as it's a signifigant occurance, but I'm just a tad non-plussed about the euro. Sure, we've got funky new banknotes and coins, and everything seems more expensive than before (even though it also seems that we're making more money), but it doesn't feel like that much of a deal to me. It's just money after all, does it really matter what it's called or what it looks like?

In fact, the only problem I have with it is that some of the coins are quite small compared to what we had before (the one cent coin is like an old French centime piece, not a sturdy, robust coin like the penny), and the five cent coin is copper when it should be silver, or gold, or whatever, but not copper.

And another thing is the dual pricing mechanism that will remain in place for another four weeks. I keep noticing the punt price first. If only the euro price was displayed, I wouldn't be so confused. It'd help me adjust to the value of things more smoothly.

Other than that, it's grand. It's not like I was attached to the punt. In fact, all my punt currency is gone now. And we've only had the euro since Tuesday.

It is interesting to see other, fellow Europeans' reactions though. The Euro is something completely different for most of them, especially the Italians (who seem to be absent from this piece, go figure).

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I just watched Rush Hour 2. I know, it goes against all of my principles...... but dammit, it made me happy!

And besides, Zhang Ziyi is hot.

In other news, I've spent the rest of my day learning XML, chatting with Griet, and arranging with John to go see Mulholland Drive tomorrow night.

Next up: learn some more about XML, rock out, maybe a bit of air guitar, and watch SmackDown!. It's all good.

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Friday, January 04, 2002

Nothing to say. My brain hurts. Need food. Wrestling's on later. And a Cronenberg movie. Cool.

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Thursday, January 03, 2002

I started playing SimCity 3000 today, and I couldn't stop. I last played it about a year ago, maybe more, but I still had my old city left, and it was in good condition, so I continued from where I left off. After a few hours that went by in minutes, I had advanced almost 30 more years (it's now 2192 in the city of Simpleton, population 245,000 approx.) and attained a huge budget surplus. I am the man!

Besides my mayoral duties, I actually went into town this morning, wasted an hour trapsing around the bookshops looking for XML for Dummies (the only fucking Dummies guide that was nowhere to be found). But I did get the Unwound CD that came in for me last week. I was glad I ordered the Kill Rock Stars import instead of buying the Matador version - it comes in a smart digipack compared to the scratched up jewel case that Matador chose for their packaging. But whatever, it's very very good indeed, and I haven't even listened to disc 2 yet!

I'm getting used to this euro thing, but it would be easier if there weren't any old pound prices on stuff, that just confuses me. When you go abroad, they don't have things priced in the currency of where you came from. It should be the same here. Well, it will be in about four weeks, but I want it now.

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Wednesday, January 02, 2002

Predictions for 2002 from NextDraft - subscribing to this wasn't a waste of bandwidth after all.

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Before I do anything else..... Happy birthday Griet! Love you loads! *smooch*

I was gonna go into town this morning to buy some books (like I need any), but there was a power cut all over Raheny and Coolock, so my stereo didn't turn on at 8:30am like it was supposed to, so I didn't feel like going when I eventually woke up (which was only half an hour later, but still...). I'm going tomorrow. I am. I mean it. Honest.

The power cut couldn't have been for too long. I was up till 3am watching Suspiria, and then a documentary on Dario Argento. I'm not too sure about Suspiria, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I saw it in a cinema. Movies like that kinda lose their effect on the small screen.

Anyway, instead of going into town, I went up the village to get my monthly bus ticket (got ripped off a bit, 'cause the till computer at the newsagents wasn't properly updated and I compounded the problem by paying in pounds instead of euros) and I rented Josie and the Pussycats on DVD, which was good, I have to admit. Although the hypocritical product placement joke they had running through the whole thing got really tired after five minutes. But the girls were hot. They could put on a few pounds, especially that Rachel Leigh Cook one (I seriously doubt she weighs 118lbs), but that's just nitpicking really, isn't it?

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Tuesday, January 01, 2002

I am officially finished with Outlook Express, as of this afternoon. I just can't handle it's crapness anymore, and so I'm going back to using Eudora. However, I have run into a bit of a problem: when I used Eudora to log into my main e-mail account, it decided to download almost four months worth of e-mail that was still on the server. That's about 4,000 individual messages. Which is a pain in the ass, obviously. There's probably some fancy technical way of getting around it, but I can't be arsed, so I'm just hoping it doesn't take eons to download the lot. Then, when I do, I'm switching to digest for all of my mailing lists. That might help things run a bit more smoothly.

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Oh yeah, and I got my Origin and Pig Destroyer CDs back from John, he also gave me a Skinny Puppy compilation to check out. Listened to some of the songs at Groves' place, they weren't bad at all. Quite pleased I am.

np: Arab On Radar 'Yahweh Or The Highway'

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Well, that was swell!

Saw some excellent fireworks, had some heated conversations (Groves wasn't too happy - sorry man, really), and shared some terrible jokes - all in all a good night, possibly rendered better by the fact that I didn't drink and am therefore stone cold sober. So why am I posting at 5:30am when I should be in my warm bed counting sheep?

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random linkage:

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