Irish Webmasters

links for 2010-03-21

2010-03-21T20:01:00+00:00

Upgrading OpenX | OpenX

Instructions for upgrading openx to the latest version

(tags: openx sysadmin upgrade banners installation openads tools tutorial howtos)
Upgrading phpAdsNew | OpenX

Instructions for upgrading phpadsnew to openx

(tags: opensource php phpads openx)
What kind of bottle opener / cork screw do you use?

Quick poll to see what kind of corkscrews people use

(tags: corkscrew wine)
Screwpull corkscrews. Rabbit Corkscrew, Estate Wine Opener, Laguiole wine opener at Corkscrew.Com

Online shop selling corkscrews

(tags: wine)
vBulletin Community Forum - vB4: Skinning Your Forum in 10 Easy Steps

Guide to customising the look and feel of a vbulletin 4 forum

(tags: forum vbulletin skin vb4)

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-21

2010-03-21T18:57:00+00:00

Howdy, is @macTweeter, an official Apple account, or is there one? (asked by @dockane) – We are unofficial. There is an official iTunes a/c #

Faces I could never tire of kicking – 3

2010-03-21T14:15:23+00:00

It’s two for the price of one, this time around.

I don’t know what it is about these two, but I am completely pissed off with the sight of them. They seem to crop up everywhere, and in all the kinds of television programmes that I despise. The X-Factor! Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, or whateverthefuck it’s called! I think they even had their own Saturday night programme?

In particular it’s the one on the left. Ant? Dec? Who gives a fuck? I just want to give him the sledgehammer treatment.

Who the fuck are they? Are they the failed remnants of some long failed pop group? Are they someone’s sons? Are they related/lovers? Are they failed actors? Their entire talent seems to be based on their ‘cheeky, chirpy chappies’ reputation. I fucking hate ‘cheeky chirpy chappies’

Then they started cropping up in those advertisements for the Wii, which damned near put me off buying one myself. The whole basis of the advertisement nicely demonstrated what I hate about the pair – a family sitting at home when the two lads walk into the room. Immediately everyone cheers up and has a great laugh with the two lads making witty comments [at least I assume they did – I always had the sound muted].

Some may love them as ‘lovable rogues’.

I see them as a pain in the hole.

Hobnails, here I come…..

Upgrading Vbulletin 3.* to Vbulletin 4.*

2010-03-20T21:04:56+00:00

Vbulletin 4 was released a couple of months ago and comes with a number of new features. It also comes in two flavours:

Forum only
Forum + CMS

A number of the forums I run / manage / catherd are still running Vbulletin 3.* and I wasn't in too much of a hurry to upgrade until I was sure that Vbulletin 4 was stable (ie. they'd found the big nasty bugs). The other thing that I had to factor in was third party software, such as VBSeo.

Since both VBSeo and Vbulletin seemed to be "ok" I decided to try the upgrade today. In this instance I wasn't adding the CMS, so the upgrade was simply vbulletin 3.* to vbulletin 4.*
(If you want to see a site with the full CMS suite installed try this one)

Unfortunately the documentation provided by Vbulletin isn't exactly stellar, but you will find better details and tips if you look on their forums.

Key points:

make a backup. If it goes terribly wrong you can always revert back to what you had previously ie. something that actually worked
Disable ALL plugins.
DO NOT run "install.php" - you're doing an upgrade not an install. You simply need to run "upgrade.php"
Vbulletin 3.* templates are not compatible with Vbulletin 4.* - the code has changed a LOT, so you will need to do a vbulletin 4 version of your site's theme if you have one

If, like me, you forgot to disable the plugins before running the upgrade you can end up with what looks like a totally unusable and completely useless Vbulletin install.
There is, however, a way to save yourself.
Edit config.php and add the following line just below the opening php tag add the following line:

define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true);

That basically disables all the plugins and mods, so you can then go in to your Vbulletin control panel and disable them all.

Some of the more popular mods for Vbulletin 3 have been ported to Vbulletin 4, though I suspect it will take a few more months before the coders get round to providing versions of all the more popular mods.. In many ways it's a good thing, as this forced me to disable a lot of the modifications and addons that had made their way into the site over the last couple of years. Hopefully the functionality won't be too adversely affected!

links for 2010-03-20

2010-03-20T20:00:45+00:00

Wine Making Discussion Forums - WineMakingTalk.com

winemaking forums

(tags: forum wine boards winemaking homebrew)
vBulletin Community Forum - vBulletin 4.x Upgrade Instructions

Instructions for upgrading VB3 to VB4 - seems to be a bit scant on details

(tags: vbulletin howto upgrade)

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-20

2010-03-20T18:57:00+00:00

Apple Blog: iPad: It’s All About the Games http://bit.ly/buJzSl #
Digg: Apple is now accepting iPad app submissions http://bit.ly/d9YroS #
LifeHacker: MiddleClick Adds Easy Middle Clicking to MacBook Touchpads and Magic Mouse [Downloads] http://bit.ly/c9nJWv #

Smoke and mirrors

2010-03-20T13:38:42+00:00

So this is a ‘very historic day for Ireland’, is it?

Well fuck me.

This is a day that will be taught about in history lessons to future generations? This is a day that we will fondly reminisce over in future years?

To those of you abroad who are missing out on this momentous occasion, I feel sorry for you, for we in Ireland are the chosen ones. You must be devastated.

You see, we have been sent a letter by an 82 year old member of the Hitler Youth! Wow! We are truly honoured.

Old Joe Ratzinger himself has written to apologise for the mayhem and chaos that his followers have caused in the past. Apparently though it isn’t all their fault. No. We are to blame.

The cause of all the child abuse, rape, and general carnage was caused by our secularisation. I can understand where he is coming from here. If we had stuck with the good old days and if we still treated the clergy with the deference and adoration that they deserved, then none of this would have come to light. We would still be stepping off the pavement into the gutter to let a priest pass and we would never have dreamt of questioning their little hobbies that involved our sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. It never would have occurred to us to demand the resignation of the bishops and cardinals who ran one of the most efficient and organised paedophile rings that the world has ever seen.

I really feel honoured that he has written. As an outsider to his flock, I do feel a little left out, as the letter is not being read to me personally. That honour is strictly reserved for those few who, despite everything, still believe in Catholic Church Incorporated.

I am delighted to hear that Joe is sending over his minions to visit us all and to apologise in person.

I have it on good authority that they will be bringing with them many thousands of mirrors, because staring at our reflections seems to be the only way out of this mess.

Yes.

It truly is a very historic day for Ireland.

links for 2010-03-19

2010-03-19T20:00:46+00:00

Webbadressguiden från .SE

(tags: sweden swedish se registry domains)
Law Enforcement Push for Stricter Domain Name Rules - PCWorld

Law enforcement want stricter rules for domain registration. Problem is - if they get their way will it stifle innovation?

(tags: nominet icann law domains)

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-19

2010-03-19T18:57:00+00:00

Apple Now Accepting iPad Apps, Planning “Grand Opening” of iPad App Store http://bit.ly/bB7uTt #apple #
Five Fun Games: A $10 Million Treasure Hunt, A Gourmet On The Go Go, Haunting Hamlets and More http://bit.ly/dwETng #apple #
iPhone apps weekly digest: The day Mr Mediocre came to town and got smashed in the face by Gorillacam http://bit.ly/aboKtJ #apple #
Apple Blog: Amazon Brings Kindle Software to the Mac http://bit.ly/9GprgM #
What are you playing on your iPhone this weekend? Us: “Space Miner: Space Ore Bust” http://bit.ly/b90nPI #apple #
Daily Deals: $990 MacBook Pro 2.46GHz, 1.8GHz MacBook Air, 17″ MacBook Pro http://bit.ly/cURVjs #apple #
TV Becoming Next Competitive Arena for Apple and Google http://bit.ly/d1NEPa #apple #
Would-be iPad killer, the HP Slate, is just a Windows 7 netbook on the inside http://bit.ly/cL9XnW #apple #
Looks like Threadless have extended their $10 t-shirt sale. Some awesome tee's on there. http://bit.ly/Di9FU (I bought 10 yesterday!) #
Apple Blog: iGroups: Apple’s Welcome to the Social http://bit.ly/9GmlQa #
Security Expert: “Mac OS X Is Safer, But Less Secure” http://bit.ly/cQDP1J #apple #
27-inch iMac’s panel will be used for K59, Apple’s next Cinema Display http://bit.ly/9UjJL9 #apple #
UK Heritage Charity Opens Up, Releases iPhone App http://bit.ly/c9O17w #apple #
Square-Enix releases trailer for their next iPhone RPG, “Chaos Rings” http://bit.ly/9mW1fQ #apple #
Apple Swears Developers to Secrecy for Early iPad Access http://bit.ly/9BzrRy #apple #
Intel struggling to cope with Core i3/i5/i7 drought as MacBook refresh remains MIA http://bit.ly/cbuxcJ #apple #
Apple Blog: Race to Launch Day: The Story of an iPad Case Maker http://bit.ly/ahw88g #
Amazon releases Kindle for OS X beta http://bit.ly/b3EyU7 #apple #
Report: ‘Hundreds of Thousands’ of iPads Already Sold http://bit.ly/9TOV5H #apple #
Digg: iPhone 4G's 25 Most Wanted Features (Slideshow) http://bit.ly/d9A1kJ #
How To Get MobileMe For Free Using Google and Dropbox [How To] http://bit.ly/bG6iWJ #apple #
The iPad is Coming, But Where’s The Content? http://bit.ly/chPbT5 #apple #
Digg: HTC Disagrees with Apple's legal actions http://bit.ly/dfkcmB #
Digg: Apple’s Working on a New Social Location App Called iGroups http://bit.ly/d7HI11 #
Reminder: The $10 Threadless t-shirt sale bonanza ends today (Thursday). I <3 Threadless http://bit.ly/Di9FU #
MoviePeg, The Coolest British iPhone Stand You’ve Seen All Week http://bit.ly/bdHhmT #apple #
Apple Blog: Surprise! HTC Doesn’t Agree With Apple Regarding Suit http://bit.ly/bSSdmh #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-18 http://bit.ly/aMCiIY #

Vodafone Take Rip Off Ireland To New Heights (Or Lows)

2010-03-19T11:43:59+00:00

Vodafone Ireland are launching the iPhone in a few days time.

However the "standard" iPhone plans won't offer all the features that they could do. If you want "tethering" you're expected to pay more.

Most smart phones have bluetooth, so if you're stuck somewhere with a dodgy internet connection you can use your phone as a modem. For some stupid reason the Apple iPhone does not have this feature enabled by default, so you have to get it turned on by carriers.

Vodafone Ireland want to charge an extra €10 / month for this!! (The cost varies depending on the plan type)

So even if you have a data plan already ie. you're already paying them for bandwidth, they want an extra €10 / month to turn on an option.

How can Vodafone justify this??

According to Vodafone Ireland's Twitter account:

"Tethering on an iphone works differently to that on other handsets, so this service isn't included in your package."

Wow! That's the best non-answer I've seen this week!

One of the other mobile operators came out with this clanger:

"iPhone tethering costs more as it uses a lot more data than traditional browsing on your iPhone itself"

Logic? Zero

Welcome to rip off Ireland!

Einstein and Saturday

2010-03-19T11:30:08+00:00

Einstein proposed the theory that time is relative.

According to his theory, time varies according to speed, and the closer you get to the speed of light, the slower time passes.

I would like to add a little codicil to his theory, and state that the older you get, the faster time passes.

I remember the hazy lazy days of my youth, where a day would seem endless. This was great, because by the time summer holidays came to an end, I had forgotten what school was like, as it was so long since I had been there. The other side of the coin was that school terms lasted for fucking years, or so it seemed.

Now that I have racked up a few years under my belt, things are different.

Days are flying past. It’s not exactly as though my days are packed with hectic activity which always seems to make time pass a little quicker. On the contrary, I life a slow life – a nice lie in, followed by a mooch around the Manor. Maybe I’ll wander off for a bit of hunting, of maybe I just won’t. You would imagine that I would be bored with nothing to fill my days, but the problem is that I don’t have the days to fill. The fucking things are flying past like carriages behind an express train.

It’s always Saturday in this place. At least, that’s the way it seems. It is always either Saturday, or it’s just been Saturday, or it’s just about to be Saturday. Saturdays are fucking haunting me. I wouldn’t mind, but it’s not particularly my favourite day of the week.

I could have sworn that yesterday was Saturday, but in fact it’s tomorrow. It’s back again. Where the hell are Monday, Tuesday and the others gone?

The months are playing tricks on me too. I could have sworn that this was the beginning of February, but apparently we are over half way through March. I noticed today that the Christmas decorations are still up in the village. That’s fine by my mind, because Christmas was last month. But in actual fact it was three months ago. Where in the name of all that’s holy did those three months go?

Maybe this is the answer to what happens to us after we die? Maybe time just passes at an infinite speed? I don’t know exactly what the effect of infinitely fast time would be? One instant it’s now and then it’s a million years in the future? Who knows?

But I bet it involves getting stuck in a Saturday somehow?

links for 2010-03-18

2010-03-18T20:00:43+00:00

Canon First in Line for Its Own Top-Level Domain, .canon | Epicenter | Wired.com

Wired article on Canon's plans to apply for .canon as part of the new TLDs

(tags: global gtld gtlds icann news tld canon brands)
L'Opera dei Pupi siciliani - Marionettistica fratelli Napoli

Siclian marionettes (puppet) theatre

(tags: sicily sicilia puppets)
James Cameron’s Avatar Officially Announced on Blu-ray | The Blu-Ray Blog

covers the upcoming bluray release of avatar

(tags: avatar,bluray)
Eire FM - Irish internet radio stations live

Fairly comprehensive links to all the main Irish radio stations that offer streams

(tags: radio ireland music irish online internet streaming media)

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-18

2010-03-18T18:57:00+00:00

Apple Devotes Entire Home Page To Jerome York Obituary http://bit.ly/9QGhOw #apple #
Testers wanted, Free Apple iPad, click here for details! http://bit.ly/dB0tzh (Ad) #
Hey guys, Threadless are having another great $10 one day t-shirt sale. Super duper… http://bit.ly/Di9FU #
Apple Blog: Tip: Cheap iPad Stand http://bit.ly/d4Liko #
Daily Deals: Apple Nike+, iPhone Juice Pack, MobileNavigator App http://bit.ly/agdfW1 #apple #
Report: 400K iPads May Be Pre-Sold By Friday http://bit.ly/9evKNg #apple #
Apple gives developers ability to schedule app sales http://bit.ly/aGfKK0 #apple #
Apple removes screen protectors and films from online store http://bit.ly/bGi8ro #apple #
Apple Blog: Apple: Our Screens Don’t Need No Protecting http://bit.ly/aXNPug #
Up Next: iGroups, Apple’s Social Location App http://bit.ly/9WenOn #apple #
Analyst: Next iPhone Means More Trouble for Palm http://bit.ly/dd2uzx #apple #
Report: Amazon Insisting Publishers Sign 3-Year Kindle Deals http://bit.ly/9Fafj4 #apple #
Pwnage Smackdown In Vancouver Next Week http://bit.ly/9C6hdr #apple #
Digg: Apple Banning Screen Protectors in Retail Stores? http://bit.ly/9M1DEX #
One iPhone, Two Different Numbers, Courtesy Of Toktumi’s Line2 App [Review] http://bit.ly/dfwJFM #apple #
Coming Soon: Steve Jobs, the Sitcom http://bit.ly/bg9gwr #apple #
Digg: How to know if your iPhone battery is on Death Row http://bit.ly/aHEG8R #
Musician Produces Entire Album On An iPhone http://bit.ly/cVXJVV #apple #
Apple Blog: New Sitcom Pilot to be Based Not-So-Loosely on Steve Jobs http://bit.ly/a30qoN #
Stunning Glimpse Into The Future Of Magazines http://bit.ly/ajkGTZ #apple #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-17 http://bit.ly/907kz1 #

Where is Google Earth?

2010-03-18T11:59:42+00:00

What the fuck is wrong with Google Earth?

You can go to the middle of the Sahara Desert and get incredibly detailed photographs of what? Fucking sand. That’s what. Who wants incredibly detailed photographs of sand, except maybe a crab? And I doubt they use Google Earth much.

Some years ago, when they brought in those damned Nanny Laws about smoking here, we started taking our holidays in Norn Iron. They were civilised up there, and allowed smoking in the pubs, and the Guinness was cheaper. We stayed in a lovely quiet little spot in a small village within crawling distance of two pubs. It was lovely.

As I said, it’s a very small village, but guess what? They not only have detailed photographs, but they have the whole fucking area covered with their Street View. I even found the house we used to stay in. It looks small, but it was lovely and cosy, with a big log fire, and Sandy was welcome too.

Move south of the border to Real Ireland, and what do you get? Sweet fuck all.

Google Earth seem to have stuck us at the bottom of the list. They do have a few areas covered all right. My own gaff is well photographed, but what the fuck use is that? I know what my place looks like, and they had a fucking liberty photographing it anyway without asking permission. I didn’t even get a chance to mow my lawns first.

Suppose I want to look at Ireland’s most popular ~~hunting~~ tourist spot though? This is what I get when I try to look at Killarney.

I need Google Earth. I need to plan my ~~hunting trips~~ holidays. I need detail, and all I get is a fucking smudge.

Surely Ireland isn’t that hard to find? For fuck’s sake we are a fairly large island just to the west of the Isle of Man. We are even big enough to have our own postage stamps.

Come on, Google Earth.

What the fuck is keeping you?

Eurid Now On YouTube

2010-03-18T09:30:46+00:00

Image via CrunchBase

Eurid now have a YouTube channel and so far they've got three videos on there, which isn't a bad start.

The number of domain registries and registrars setting themselves up on Youtube and Facebook is constantly increasing, though only a very small number of organisations seem to really do anything more than pay lip service to the concepts.

Will the same happen with Eurid?

Here's their video to promote the ICANN meeting in Brussels in June:

links for 2010-03-17

2010-03-17T20:00:52+00:00

Link Building Secrets by Maurizio Petrone

Maurizio Petrone, one of the world's top link building experts who had gotten together to provide a single source of never-before revealed link building tips, tricks and strategies.

(tags: seo linkbuilding images image links optimization backlinks link howto tips hotlinking)
Vint Cerf discusses Challenges for the Internet with ISOC Advisory Council, 29

(tags: vintcerf isoc icann domains dns)

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-17

2010-03-17T18:57:00+00:00

Digg: Movies on Your iPhone? Apple Buys Several Projector-Related http://bit.ly/aBV8RV #
Daily Deals: iMacs, iMacs, and iPhones – Oh, My http://bit.ly/aCsBLg #apple #
Apple Blog: Australian Website Hints at New Macs, Higher Prices http://bit.ly/dbWkHM #
Bring Me the Cheesy Head of Steve Jobs [Arts and Crafts] http://bit.ly/bOjeyg #apple #
Should Apple Buy Palm? http://bit.ly/bWxzId #apple #
Apple Blog: iWork.com Beta Updated, Still No Editing http://bit.ly/a49BFq #
Apple Ads iPad Sharing for iWork.com http://bit.ly/cPzzAB #apple #
Apple Blog: DynDNS Wide Area Bonjour Support Goes Beta http://bit.ly/ci3A3S #
Commuter Delays? iPhone Tube Refund App Pays for Itself http://bit.ly/9lgUGx #apple #
Apple’s iMac is 25 Percent of Desktop Growth in 2010 http://bit.ly/apsNBF #apple #
WSJ, NPR to Create iPad Web Sites with Limited Flash http://bit.ly/d5DiZW #apple #
Online Publishers: iPad, E-Readers Will Have ‘Absolutely No’ Impact in 2010 http://bit.ly/9olEHY #apple #
Crash Landing Plane Kills iPod Jogger http://bit.ly/ct3Ktu #apple #
Tweeted Images In Realtime Now On The iPhone http://bit.ly/bYVPag #apple #
LifeHacker: Magic Mouse, Fixed Makes Your Magic Mouse More Ergonomic [Stuff We Like] http://bit.ly/cJtJhE #
Digg: Keyboard dock, other iPad accessories will be MIA on April 3 http://bit.ly/b8xriF #
KaleidoVid Makes An iPhone Kaleidoscope http://bit.ly/cC71Rr #apple #
To MacHeist Or Not To MacHeist, That Is The Question http://bit.ly/ayW7QU #apple #
Apple Blog: Wall Street Journal, NPR to Open iPad-Only Websites http://bit.ly/9zPYsG #
A Video Record Of Berkeley iPhone Photography Exhibition http://bit.ly/9dMSBr #apple #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-16 http://bit.ly/9QEarQ #

Ending it all

2010-03-17T12:12:56+00:00

An horrendous thing happened to me the other night, and I haven’t slept much since.

It has depressed me beyond your wildest imagination.

It started with a simple visit to the coffee shop. There were some tourists who pissed me off so I decided to send them to meet their ancestors. I nipped back to the car, and then it happened. I realised that I had left all my hunting equipment at home. I drove home as fast as I could but by the time I got back to the village the feckers had gone.

This has never happened to me before. My quarry has always ended in the quarry, and the vision of those bastards who got away will haunt me to my dying day.

I have decided it’s because I am getting old.

I knew this day would come eventually, and have already made the appropriate arrangements. I am already a member of Dignitas and have informed my solicitor that I am quite prepared to make my own choice about the date and manner of my exit from this life. The one thing I refuse to even contemplate is the vision of myself sitting in the corner of some Old Folk’s Home, dribbling, pissing and shitting myself and mumbling incoherently about the good old days. And if anyone says that is the way I am now, you can go fuck off.

My arrangement are quite comprehensive.

I already have my open ended one way tickets to Switzerland. I need two tickets, because I have to be accompanied, apparently. I have arranged a surprise trip for Herself here. She has always said she wanted to visit Switzerland. There is no point in her returning to Ireland as, in the old Celtic tradition, I shall be burning my house to the ground before I leave, so I will be booking Herself into Dignitas at the same time. Actually, rather than burning the house down, I shall be using Semtex and Nitro Glycerine as I intend to go with a bang. I had better warn the neighbours to start looking for alternative accommodation beforehand?

So there you have it.

I shall be winding this site up shortly and shall be taking my one way trip.

…..

But there again, I have just remembered that trip to the coffee shop was after forty eight hours without sleep……

Maybe on second thoughts, I’ll postpone Switzerland for a while.

I’m off out now.

Today is the biggest day in the sporting calendar.

Google Global Firefox Extension Version 2.2

2010-03-16T22:37:12+00:00

It’s been a while since our last Google Global update. We’ve been kicked into gear by the forceful upgrade of Firefox to 3.6 lately too. For those of you who have been holding off upgrading Firefox to the latest and greatest version so you could continue to use Google Global, the wait is over. Today we would like to announce the release of the latest version of Google Global.

The latest version comes with whole host of backend improvements, a lot of code re-writing, a much smaller memory footprint and a really snazzy new logo/icon that fits with our new free Internet marketing tools suite that will be released this year and finally an in-built auto update system so you wont have to worry about coming back to find updates, they will be automatically installed for your convenience.

So head on over to the new Google Global page which will detail the changes and let you download, install and get back to your search engine marketing.

As usual, the tool is free and while we appreciate bug reports, feature requests and general feedback, we can unfortunately not offer individual support to everyone.

Finally, if you have found this tool useful, please help us spread the word, tell your friends, tweet about it and if you really like it, we would love if you could blog about it. For those of you who have found the tool helpful and are kind enough to blog about Google Global, drop us a mail and we will add you to the beta test group where you can test future versions before they are released. These include:

A Google Chrome version
Support for Yahoo
Support for Bing
LBL support
AdTest Support

We release out tools for free and appreciate each and every one of you who use them every day. Thank you. Each and every one of you.

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-16

2010-03-16T18:57:00+00:00

What’s Next For the iPad? A Tabletop iPad, According to Xerox PARC Circa 1991 http://bit.ly/aUEnRl #apple #
Unlocking iPhone: You can rollback the firmware to 3.1.2 and unlock it using Ultrasn0w http://bit.ly/8UbZd (I haven't tried this though) #
What's the best app / way to unlock an iPhone 3GS 3.1.3? #
Daily Deals: iPhone, iPod Chargers, App Store Price Drops, 1TB Iomega HD http://bit.ly/ag3Zwd #apple #
Apple Blog: BlackBerry to Lose More Ground to iPhone, Android: Survey http://bit.ly/9WKR5L #
Apple Blog: Sponsor post: LogMeIn Pro2 for Mac Is Here http://bit.ly/cdRd8s #
Apple Wary of Long-term Deals Amid High Flash Memory Prices http://bit.ly/bLwPfX #apple #
Apple Blog: How-To: Create a Custom User Template in Snow Leopard http://bit.ly/dpzVro #
Report: iPad Pushes New Apps 185% Higher http://bit.ly/axykoX #apple #
iPhone App Arms Users With Silent Panic Button http://bit.ly/cXGStv #apple #
Analyst: Second Quarter Mac, iPod Sales Ahead of Estimates http://bit.ly/bOY5g5 #apple #
Steve Jobs Regains Permission to Raze Mansion http://bit.ly/aaX76P #apple #
100 Tips #3: Quit And Close, They’re Not The Same http://bit.ly/cHnFYR #apple #
Shipping delays hit iPad accessories http://bit.ly/dbHaJr #apple #
PayPal adds bump-to-pay to iPhone app http://bit.ly/d1fvXK #apple #
Apple keyboard clocks, cufflinks and jewelry http://bit.ly/9iLVcP #apple #
Pair Puts Apple Gear to Siberian Trek Test http://bit.ly/9uj1aS #apple #
KIL.A.TON: How Do I Blow Thee Up? Let Me Count The Ways [Review] http://bit.ly/d4ykni #apple #
LifeHacker: Install Boxee Beta on Apple TV the Easy Way [Updates] http://bit.ly/9Q5X3t #
The UK Refurb Store can be found here > http://bit.ly/biKDC6 Happy hunting! #
This is the address of the US Refurb Store for Macs http://bit.ly/7II7j2 – Save between 12% and 30% on Macs. #
I might buy a 15" MBP through the Apple refurb store and save up to 30%. Nice. #
So what do you think will replace your trusty macbook? (via @Huntting) – A Dell. I hear they rule…… Nah, I'll buy another MB. #
I think my Macbook is finding its last legs. 4 1/2 years is a great return on a machine that cost me under 1k. #
Apple Blog: How-To: Stop iTunes Web Links From Opening iTunes http://bit.ly/acwBqu #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-15 http://bit.ly/atxXia #

Religion and Faith

2010-03-16T15:54:41+00:00

I was raised a Catholic back in the ‘50s and ‘60s.

I went through the whole gamut – convent education up to primary level, and the the Brothers for the rest. As a result, I had the full works when it came to the brain washing game. I was taught that the Catholic Church had the only direct line to God, and that everyone else was doomed. I was taught that the Catholic Church was the only voice of truth, and that religious people were next to God himself.

Then I grew up.

I began to think for myself. I began to question an organisation that preached poverty, yet lived in sumptuous mansions and whose head lived in one of the most sumptuous palaces on the planet. Then the simple truth hit me. It was so simple that it was blindingly obvious – the Catholic Church has absolutely sweet fuck all to do with Christianity. It is merely a big business whose main objective in life is to dominate and hold power.

That is why I can now watch the likes of Sean Brady without feeling anything other than contempt.

This slimeball is slithering and sliming around denying any wrongdoing despite that fact that he aided and abetted one of Irelands worst rapists and paedophiles. The deluded cunt actually believes his own lies – that he is a man of God and can therefore do no wrong. I feel sorry for the people who believe in his lies. They are deluded too.

I don’t believe in religion. I don’t believe in a God who demands rituals and praying by rote. I don’t believe in a God who demands that we dress in certain ways, or chant meaningless words that have been memorised since childhood and have long since lost their meaning.

I believe in faith. I have my own faith which is personal. It doesn’t have any organisation behind it, because I don’t believe I should be taught how or what to believe in.

If I were a follower of Richard Dawkins [which I’m not] I would use the argument that the Catholic Church is the greatest proof that God does not exist, for if God existed, would he tolerate such a corrupt, deluded, power crazy mob using His name to further their ends?

Brady is a pathetic immoral nonentity who should be treated with the contempt that he deserves, along with all the rest of the mob who covered up the evils that the Catholic Church bestowed upon our nation, and most other nations on earth. I couldn’t give a shit whether he resigns or not. He is no more relevant to me than any other manager in any other big money making corporation on this planet.

Fuck him.

Rare Propaganda Posters Up For Auction

2010-03-16T15:00:27+00:00

I saw yesterday on the BBC web site that a collection of 150 propaganda posters are up for auction. They were taken to the auctioneers by a relative of a worker who saved them from being thrown out by a print firm. Auctioneer Roy Butler said "They are all in mint condition and are a very [...] Related posts:

Patrick's Day Domain Madness

2010-03-15T22:34:08+00:00

Any excuse for a special offer is a good excuse in my mind, so this week being the week that it is ie. St Patrick's Day is Wednesday, we've launched yet another silly domain offer.

And again we've got a silly graphic to promote it (see above) ..

Full details over on the company blog (hint - you'll save money on domain names - in case the post title wasn't obvious enough!)

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-15

2010-03-15T18:57:00+00:00

Apple Blog: Google/Apple Feud Gets More Impassioned, Personal http://bit.ly/afF1WG #
Apple Blog: Analyst Estimate: 150,000 iPads Pre-Ordered Already http://bit.ly/9RakiC #
Apple Blog: The Next Apple TV? Drawing Inspiration From the iPad http://bit.ly/9P656k #
Early Apple Employees Auction Killer Collectibles http://bit.ly/dnKADD #apple #
Apple Estimated to Have Sold 152K iPad Over Weekend http://bit.ly/cFGrHb #apple #
Video: There’s Sexy Technology, Then There’s This… http://bit.ly/9RZlSC #apple #
WSJ: Microsoft workers have to hide their iPhones from management http://bit.ly/cIfB2U #apple #
iPhone Personal Theater, Download Version Now $12 http://bit.ly/cYDCmh #apple #
MSI Wind netbook hackintoshed into a poor man’s iPad http://bit.ly/c0VlPS #apple #
id software’s John Carmack promises “Rage” on the iPad http://bit.ly/d2VmjI #apple #
iPad 3G sign-up keeps it simple (stupid) http://bit.ly/cYgkob #apple #
Monday Giveaway: Entertainment iPhone App Bundles http://bit.ly/bhUuvk #apple #
Bottom-Feeding Jeweler Unveils Despicable Diamond iPad for $20,000 http://bit.ly/aMRY29 #apple #
Apple Blog: Was the iPad Launch a Success? http://bit.ly/9gRHr1 #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-14 http://bit.ly/d5RxUR #

Thoughts on spring

2010-03-15T12:30:19+00:00

My whole world collapsed over the weekend.

It was absolutely devastating, but these thing happen, and you just have to roll with them.

I have a favourite armchair. I have had it for years, and it is extremely comfy. It has nicely moulded itself to my contours and over the years, we have exchanged molecules so that I am part chair and it is part me.

I was sitting there minding my own business, when there as a bang, and I descended.

Yes. I went down in the world. The fucking chair had broken.

I spent a day in my lower position, pondering my lower perspective of the world and I felt rather nervous. If one whatever-it-was can break, then so can the others. Was it just a matter of time before I ended on the floor?

In the end, I upended the chair and cut the bottom off to take a look inside. There was quite a lot in there. There was a lot of dust and fluff, a dead mouse, two slices of pizza [I don’t know how they got there as I do not like pizza], several paper clips, €3.27 in small change and a broken spring. Yup – the steel spring had snapped.

I haven’t the vaguest idea where you can buy those springs, so I decided that rather than drive myself demented trying to buy a new one, that I would repair the old one. That is not quite as easy as you may think, as I don’t happen to have a welding torch, and anyway that just would have burned my chair to a crisp.

Any man worth his salt will tell you that one of the most vital things to have around the house is a Vice Grip and a few old wire coat hangers.

I set to work.

I’m quite proud of my efforts.

My binding tried to thwart me by slipping off, so I had to add some bits to stop any sideways movement, but as feats of engineering go, I think it’s up there with the Forth Bridge and the Hoover Dam?

I’m sitting back in my chair now. I have gone back up in the world.

Spring may not have arrived yet, but it is fixed.

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-14

2010-03-14T18:57:00+00:00

Apple Blog: iPad Battery Replacement Program http://bit.ly/as8adq #
Apple Blog: Video How-To: Printer Sharing on a Mac http://bit.ly/a5MzwH #
Digg: OS X Virtual Showdown: Parallels 5 vs VirtualBox 3 http://bit.ly/dgJIbt #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-13 http://bit.ly/cPzPla #

Anyone for a free holiday?

2010-03-14T14:35:32+00:00

I have nothing against Paddy’s Day itself. It’s one day of the year when I don’t have to think up a reason to have a few pints.

They have lost the run of themselves again though, in typical Irish fashion.

No longer content with a few blokes wandering down O’Connell Street following a couple of geezers wheezing on some bagpipes, we now have to have a fucking festival.

Again, I have nothing against festivals, and am quite prepared to watch a few very scantily clad women develop frostbite for my delectation, but let’s not lose the run of ourselves? All these damned American ‘pipe bands’ and Rio de Janeiro type floats are just going too far. There is nothing Paddy’s Day about them?

The Paddy’s Day Festival kicked off with a grand fireworks display down in Limerick. I suppose that had to find some way of disposing of all the explosives they had found down there, and it makes a change from murdering each other, but has no one notice the incongruity of the title? Paddy’s Day festival? Paddy’s Day isn’t until Wednesday, for fuck’s sake, and they start it on a Saturday?

Once again, I have nothing whatsoever against people enjoying themselves, and if that were the extent of it, then let people get pissed and beat each other up in the streets – that’s part of modern society – but what really pisses me off are the crowd who haul in on the back of all this frivolity.

The main criminals are our Glorious Government. This is their annual holiday at the taxpayers’ expense. They see this as a glorious excuse to jet off the the far flung corners of the earth on the pretext of drumming up trade. Has one single job ever been created by these jaunts? Are foreign companies so fucking gullible that they will set up in Ireland because some fucking minister bought them a pint on Paddy’s Day. Fuck off!!

I notice that these ‘trade missions’ are very nicely located. Auckland? Sydney? New York? Tokyo? Very nice, at this time of year. Most are heading off for a week or so, but of course Harney has to have 15 fucking days in New Zealand with her husband. And these little jollies are all paid for by the taxpayer, who was recently told that there is no money left, and that we all have to pay extra to solve the financial crisis.

A small thing that irritates me about this time of year is the insistence of barmen at scribing a shamrock on the head of a pint of Guinness. What the fuck is that all about? Do they think we are all fucking tourists who are going to melt at the Irishness of it all? They’ll be giving away fluffy leprechauns and floppy green hats next. It is fucking embarrassing. Wankers.

At this time of year, our local barman Pullit always draws a neat penis on the heads of the pints he pulls.

Now, he has the right idea.

If Penguin Covered Cartoons

2010-03-14T13:00:31+00:00

When I was growing up I remember lots of old Penguin paper back books being around our house. They were mostly my Dad’s books but I used to like looking at the covers. I had no idea that the covers were designed by someone, all I knew was that some were appealing and some [...] Related posts:

Do you know what is great about Lost?

2010-03-14T12:55:30+00:00

Do you know what’s great about Lost?

Just when you expect something to happen; it doesn’t. And instead there is a reflective slow motion scene of rejoice on a beach. I think they have done it once or ten times before but it’s still a great scene.

You know the ones…

Jack, the fat guy, the Korean guy, and some other person whose name I don’t care to remember, walk around a bush and someone in the main beach front community is doing dishes or is hanging out some clothes on the washing line, and they see the boys returning from a mission (or something).

And it’s just magic.

Pure magic.

I mean, what are the chances that the polar bears wouldn’t have found them and ate them? But they’re alive. Alive and well (except for a slight rash type thing and a tear on the same shirt that they have been wearing for the past 4 years).

The relief on the Korean bird’s face is something to behold. You can tell that after all these years, after all the other dozen or so times that the same 3 guys returned from the same mission, and passed the same bush in slow motion, after all the dishes she has cleaned, and clothes she has hung, that she still cares soo soo much for these people.

And that is what makes Lost so great. Fuck the smoke monster. Fuck Jacob. Fuck time travel. Fuck parallel universes.

Give me slow motion. Give me ambient and reflective music. Give me rejoice. And make it last. Make is last for 10 minutes in each episode. In each season. Give me season 6,7,8 and don’t stop. Don’t ever stop making this great great show.

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-13

2010-03-13T18:57:00+00:00

Firefox folk, checkout SiteLauncher. It's a QuickSilver like launcher for websites. Sweet plugin http://spn.tw/5vMv #ad #
thanks a lot @macTweeter for making such a shitty battery (via @maliahurwitz) – No problem. I put a lot of personal time into making it shit #
iPhone App Magnets To Appify Your Fridge http://bit.ly/amRgsy #apple #
Tech Site Recommends 7-Year-Old IE5 Download http://bit.ly/8XOvzg #apple #
Which iPad To Buy? Get the 32GB iPad With Wi-Fi + 3G. Here’s Why. http://bit.ly/9w8iHx #apple #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-12 http://bit.ly/cu7byN #

Apologising

2010-03-13T14:36:19+00:00

When people cock up, why can’t they admit it?

Our Glorious Government categorically refuse to admit that they fucked up our economy with their tax breaks for builders, and their turning a blind eye to the bank’s activities. Oh no. It was the downturn in the global economy that caused our crash and they are all squeaky clean.

Our wonderful rail crowd refuse to admit that they fucked up an inspection of a railway bridge on the main Dublin to Belfast line [which subsequently collapsed]. Oh no. It was fucking Global Warming!!!!

Our Catholic Church cannot understand why we are annoyed with them for covering up their decades of child abuse, buggery and rape. It’s the fault of the media, or the work of the devil himself. It’s nothing to do with them though. Squeaky clean.

Every daily fiasco in this banana republic is blamed on someone else. They spend more time trying to find who to blame than they do trying to find the root cause of the problem.

Why?

What is so fucking difficult about admitting you were wrong?

I got a comment on a piece I scribbled last week. I thought it was spam because of the name of the user – The South of France Guide, and I sent a rather rude reply. It transpired that they were a genuine commenter, and they wrote to me and said they were not best pleased. I can’t say I blame them. I wrote back and apologised, and I hope they accept that apology, though I can’t blame them if they don’t.

I hold my hand up and admit I made a mistake. I was dog tired on the day, and that is a bad time to make hasty decisions. I fucked up.

Or there again….

it could have been Global Warming?

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-12

2010-03-12T17:57:00+00:00

Five Fun Games: A Roadtrip Across America, Relics With Mystical Powers, Freedom with Words and More http://bit.ly/9YTvZ4 #apple #
Daily Deals: 3.06GHz 22″ iMac $1,399, $1,193 MacBook,$189 iPod Classic http://bit.ly/aI14kc #apple #
Consumer Reports finds Apple’s tech support best in class http://bit.ly/bQ3a7P
#apple #
Barnes & Noble to try to compete with iBooks on Apple’s own platform http://bit.ly/bcQUcb
#apple #
Is Apple Selling 20K iPads an Hour? http://bit.ly/9JT5HD
#apple #
iPad Buying Guide: Haiku Edition http://bit.ly/cgtBAy
#apple #
Apple Blog: New iPad Details Emerge as Pre-Ordering Commences http://bit.ly/dhKHdn #
Court: Apple Doesn’t Own the Letter ‘i’ http://bit.ly/aPQzie
#apple #
Apple Blog: Which iPad I’m Ordering and Why http://bit.ly/9LrCQe #
Apple Blog: iPad Now Available for Pre-order http://bit.ly/aAnEzP #
iPad Order Confirmation Promises “Exciting” In-Store Event http://bit.ly/cEKXyS
#apple #
Report: Apple, Nokia Courtroom Battle to Wait until 2012 http://bit.ly/91ybr2
#apple #
Reader Poll: Will You Pre-Order an iPad? http://bit.ly/alVYA0
#apple #
Apple Store Back — Pre-Order Your iPad Now http://bit.ly/cEEvJ4
#apple #
Apple Store Down: Pre-iPad Sales Prep or Something Else? http://bit.ly/a9pYg2
#apple #
Digg: DING! Round 2: Foursquare & Gowalla both update iPhone Apps http://bit.ly/aJHpDb #
Vers 1.5R Clock Radio Dock, Smooth-Sounding Vixen In A Black Dress [Review] http://bit.ly/abmvfs
#apple #
iPad Pre-Orders Start 5.30AM PST on Friday, Says Apple PR http://bit.ly/9nNWcD
#apple #
Watch “Welcome To MacIntosh” Right Here, Right Now http://bit.ly/cnKFye
#apple #
Amen brother, amen! @macTweeter got to be getting one of those MBPs when they are out! (via @Limeskull) #
Screaming Fast New MacBook Pros and Mac Pro Desktops Next Week? http://bit.ly/cVAs68
#apple #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-11 http://bit.ly/9wKeIj #

Faces I could never tire of kicking – 2

2010-03-12T12:58:24+00:00

I suppose it was inevitable that this one would come up.

Normally I would include people in this hall of fame because of an irrational desire just to have a good kicking.

This week’s candidate is more than that. I have a rational desire to smack her one with the back of a shovel, but she still fits the bill, because she’s an ugly cow.

From the irrational point of view, I just hate her sulky scowl. She rarely smiles, and has one of those voices that drones on on a monotone that is a guaranteed cure for insomnia, if it weren’t for the fact that she talks such bullshit. This is a face that definitely requires a drastic piece of reshaping, preferably by non-surgical methods.

On the rational side, she is a fucking menace to the public.

Once again, there is another scandal in the health service. One of the nation’s major hospitals has admitted that 57,000 x-rays were never reviewed by a consultant. This has resulted in at least one death. On top of that, they never bothered even opening 3,500 letters of referral from GPs. This is a mess that is just another in a long litany of cock-ups, foul-ups and disasters in our health service, which all started when our Minister for ~~Obesity~~ Health decided to ‘reform’ the health service. All she has succeeded in doing is to dismantle a system that worked reasonably well, and replace it with a bureaucratic nightmare that doesn’t function at all, but costs the state a staggering fortune per year.

The worst part about it is that she refuses to see what a monumental bollix she has made of the system. She just keeps digging us deeper and deeper into this appalling mess.

And where is she now during this latest revelation about the x-rays?

She is swanning around New fucking Zealand with her husband at our expense. We are paying for her to have a nice little holiday on the pretext of ‘an official visit’ for Paddy’s Day which isn’t until next week. God give me fucking strength.

This cow is a menace to society.

She is a corpuscle on the face of mankind.

Pass me my hob-nails.

ICANN Board - Vertical Integration

2010-03-12T08:09:04+00:00

The board has put forward a motion to decide vertical integration once and for all. There will no cross-ownership allowed.

The board's decision is very interesting.

They are, to quote Dennis Jennings, setting a baseline, but will bow to any policy decision that comes from the GNSO.

There is now a GNSO PDP (Policy Development Process) to discuss vertical integration.

ICANN Board Meets in Nairobi - EOI Is Dead

2010-03-12T08:02:26+00:00

This morning the ICANN board is meeting in Nairobi

On the menu this morning are a number of topics, but only a couple of them are attracting any serious attention. One of them, EOI (Expressions of Interest), was hoped, by some, to be a way to move the new TLD project forward.

The board looks set to completely reject the EOI concept this morning.

At present board members are giving their thoughts on why they are doing this (or not doing it .. )

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-11

2010-03-11T17:57:00+00:00

Apple Blog: Rumor Has It: iPhone 4.0 Bringing Multitasking http://bit.ly/cmlZi8 #
100 Tips #2: Understanding The Menu Bar http://bit.ly/cg8iev
#apple #
Apple Blog: Write for TheAppleBlog http://bit.ly/bj440L #
Daily Deals: Mac Pro Xeon, App Store Price Drops, Sharp AQUOS 65″ TV http://bit.ly/9UewwZ
#apple #
Apple Blog: Street Fighter IV Arrives on the iPhone http://bit.ly/cBUDmU #
Apple Blog: Sponsor post: Calling All Macs! http://bit.ly/940CXc #
Future Gas Powered Games, DICE titles will be available on OS X http://bit.ly/d8npAl
#apple #
Apple Blog: Revisiting Fluid http://bit.ly/deXGTO #
Birdfeed becomes Brizzly, goes free on the App Store http://bit.ly/cDBdTX
#apple #
Google announces iPad-friendly Google Reader Play http://bit.ly/9XUzed
#apple #
iPhone OS 3.2 Beta 4 SDK contains references to new triple tap gesture http://bit.ly/b2N6KL
#apple #
Steve Jobs #136 on Forbes’ World Billionaire List http://bit.ly/bHeNJd
#apple #
How To Be First In Line To Pre-Order The iPad http://bit.ly/bu0O6Q
#apple #
Director Eschews Film, Shoots Music Video Entirely With iPhones http://bit.ly/9YCUSk
#apple #
I won that eBay auction. €380 for a 3GS 16GB iPhone isn't bad! #
2 minutes to go and I'm bid leader for an iPhone… will I win? Probably not :/ #
Apple Blog: App Store SEO: The Impact of iTunes Web Preview http://bit.ly/bkKaPc #
Stick Some Legendary Drum Pads In Your Pocket [Review] http://bit.ly/csqn17
#apple #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-10 http://bit.ly/dDlBcF #

Can you pee standing up?

2010-03-11T11:00:49+00:00

The other day was International Women’s Day.

I let it pass, as I let a lot of things pass [like No Smoking Day in the UK] because, well, I didn’t have much to say about it. I just ignored it.

Yesterday I read a post by Sabrina Dent in which she comments on being mentioned as a “Top Female Web Designer” and takes umbrage, as well she might.

I do not understand the compulsion to gather us together and stick us in a special little ghetto. I don’t want to be praised for my gender; I want to be respected for my work on its own merits.

Now this did get me thinking, coming on top of Women’s Day as it nearly did.

What the fuck is this thing about segregating women? I just don’t get it.

Women are different from men. We know that. They have soft bumpy bits, and they lack dangly bits, and they can’t park a car if their life depended on it, but apart from that they aren’t much different. I grant you they can have babies where men can’t, but they’re welcome to that little trick.

Now Sabrina is a top class web designer, but why should she be celebrated just because she can’t park a car? Why should there be a special day set aside for women just because they lack dangly bits and can’t read a fucking map? Why should women have their own days and groups just because they can’t pee standing up? I’m baffled.

There is no International Men’s Day, and that doesn’t bother me. I don’t know what I would do with it anyway. Would I have to walk around all day with no trousers on to show my pride in being a man? International Women’s Day doesn’t seem to do much for women either. It’s just a load of [lack of] bollox, if you ask me – which you didn’t. They waffle about it and it gets a mention in the papers [at the bottom left hand corner of page 16] but that is about the limit of it. I don’t know why they bother with it at all. It’s just an irritation. It’s not as if women walked around all day with no clothes on to show their pride in being a woman?

Now there’s a thought…….

Rolf Harris Demonstrates A Photoshopesque Image Editing Programme 1984

2010-03-11T03:00:31+00:00

Here’s a video of Rolf Harris “demonstrating” an image editing program on Good Morning Britain in 1984. I’m not sure what the program is, I don’t think it is actually Photoshop, but the computer looks a bit like a Commodore 64. Rolf doesn’t seem 100% sure of what he’s doing. I like how’s he using [...] Related posts:

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-10

2010-03-10T17:57:00+00:00

Daily Deals: $749 MacBook, 22″ iMac, 2.26GHz MacBook http://bit.ly/bEXNSo
#apple #
Tablet Wars: HP, ARM Attack iPad with New Videos, Warnings http://bit.ly/9MI9Pp
#apple #
Publisher Fights Apple over nip-slip iPhone app http://bit.ly/9zQDPo #apple #
Apple Blog: Analyst: iPhone to Overtake BlackBerry in 2011 http://bit.ly/d1Gpzs #
Apple Blog: You Look Ridiculous: The Other Augmented Reality Issue http://bit.ly/cPnbl5 #
Verizon: iPad Will Help Sell More MiFi Devices http://bit.ly/d0dGLw #apple #
iTunes LP is a failure, but Apple never really cared about it anyway http://bit.ly/947iKi #apple #
“Tweet Defense” uses your Twitter statistics to kill zombies http://bit.ly/9ZXTXY #apple #
eBooks now outnumber games on the App Store http://bit.ly/9Xh9s0 #apple #
Capcom’s “Street Fighter IV” now available on the App Store http://bit.ly/9C2Fxm #apple #
Former Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz describes Steve Jobs showdown http://bit.ly/aWV5UX #apple #
The Simplest Simple Desktops http://bit.ly/af5xMI #apple #
100 Tips #1: Understanding What’s What On The Default Mac Desktop http://bit.ly/axsjsq #apple #
Apple Breaks Multiple App Store Account Updates – ‘You can not update this software since you have not owned… http://bit.ly/di5xNy #apple #
100 Tips Meta: You Guys Rock http://bit.ly/axtzK7 #apple #
VoiceCentral Returns to iPhone as Full-Featured Web App http://bit.ly/bqr9wT #apple #
Free-Form Awesome Note Brims Over With Style, Falls Short On Function [Review] http://bit.ly/cPWjDu #apple #
Digg: Apple's Long History of Lousy First Reviews http://bit.ly/acPQ7g #
Introducing Cult of Mac’s 100 Top Tips And Tricks For Windows Switchers http://bit.ly/cZPbvN #apple #
Remotely Take Control Of A Computer With An iPhone For Free http://bit.ly/dx70zQ #apple #
Apple Blog: Why Apple Should Buy Adobe http://bit.ly/bDN1WV #
Apple Blog: First Look: FileMaker Pro 11 http://bit.ly/dAxhiB #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-09 http://bit.ly/9csqwx #

Vows are made to be broken

2010-03-10T13:54:33+00:00

I had to go down to the village yesterday.

As I have said here before, I was somewhat erring on the tired side, so I thought that while I was there I would have a mug of strong coffee.

It was very pleasant outside the coffee shop. The sun was shining, the birds were singing and the ice was nearly melting on the footpaths. There was a feeling of Spring in the air.

As I was leaving, I found my way blocked by two elderly women. I know I am getting on in years, but these two were old. One stood firmly in my way and glowered at me.

“Are you Low Cal?” she asked in that terrible accent that sends shivers down my spine. Forget your swallows or your cuckoos – the Americans have arrived!

“They call me Polly Unsaturated” says I as pleasantly as possible while wondering what the fuck she was on about.

“Do you live around here, Polly?” she asked without missing a beat, and in a voice that started dogs barking a quarter of a mile away.

Ah! She was asking if I was local. Fucking Americans.

“I do,” I replied.

“Is this it?” she asked sweeping her hand around to indicate the village. “Are there no more shops than this?”

It was the way she said that last bit that did it. I can take a lot, and had even silently vowed to be nicer to tourists this year, but what the fuck did she expect in a country village? A fucking Walmart on every corner and the gaps filled in with drive through McDonalds?

“That’s all there is,” I said in a take it or leave it kind of way. “It’s just a country village, and that’s the way we like it.”

“I know it’s just a country village!” she barked in unison with the dogs in the distance. “I just expected a bit more.”

Well, fuck her. I bet she comes from Hicksville, Arizona too. She was really pissing me off at this stage.

“Is there any WahDur around here?” she said as if accusing me of murdering someone.

“Water?” I said. I was about to suggest she ask for a glass of the stuff when she ordered her coffee, but realised she meant more than that. “There’s a river under the bridge over there,” I said helpfully.

“I mean real WahDur” she snarled. Fuck me but she was a prime example of womanhood at its worst.

“Go a few miles that way and you’ll come to the sea?”

“Would that be the Addalantic?” she asked suspiciously.

“No. The Irish Sea. It’s smaller but just as wet. If you sail across it you’ll come to Wales.”

“What would I want to go to Wales for? We’ve just come from there.”

I sighed.

“Would you like some real shopping?” I asked. “Somewhere you can buy real, authentic Aran sweaters, and CDs of Riverdance?”

“That would be good,” she muttered, but I could see she was hooked.

I gave her the directions, and left her to turn her coffee sour. Not a fucking word of thanks, or a farewell, or even a ’have a nice day’.

Later they drove past me, following the directions I had given. I waved to them, but they ignored me.

I hope they enjoyed their drive. It’s a beautiful road with incredible scenery. There are no shops or tourist attractions ruining the distant vistas, just endless miles of bogland.

No American has ever come back alive from The Bogs.

I felt good. Summer really is coming.

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-09

2010-03-09T17:57:00+00:00

Apple Blog: Analyst: Apple “Disrupting” iPhone Competitors With Legal Threats http://bit.ly/cI9k7T #
Daily Deals: $1,573 MacBook Pro, App Store Price Drops, Lockngo HD Security http://bit.ly/dmfVxD #apple #
Gallery: Fabulous Pics Of The Apple Tablet That Never Was http://bit.ly/cGuUrq #apple #
Steve Ballmer Praises the App Store? http://bit.ly/dC7eLC #apple #
Apple Blog: Not Every iPhone Apple App to Get the iPad Treatment http://bit.ly/a9eBsz #
Apple Blog: My iPad Wishlist: 10 App Requests http://bit.ly/csuhj7 #
Ubuntu Smartens Up, Takes Some Cues From Mac OS X http://bit.ly/c4MmcL #apple #
Mugger Turns Down iPod http://bit.ly/9vNtCX #apple #
CaseMate’s Hug is another wireless charging solution for the iPhone http://bit.ly/cY5H4q #apple #
Digg: Apple axes iPhone apps that simply reproduce http://bit.ly/d7NOua #
Panic Are Watching You Watching Them http://bit.ly/aLbqsX #apple #
Canon Answers Nikon With Its Own Instant Rebate Sale http://bit.ly/akIUoT #apple #
Apple Blog: Microsoft Courier Shaping Up as a Truly Novel iPad Competitor http://bit.ly/dwhzl6 #
Apple Blog: Apple at the Oscars http://bit.ly/a37hka #
Digg: Apple's iPhone Addictive? http://bit.ly/cQ7jhV #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-08 http://bit.ly/dgzjcI #

Looking for Morpheus

2010-03-09T13:04:21+00:00

I didn’t get much sleep on Sunday night.

I don’t know what the cause was. It was just one of those things. For hours, I lay in bed and stared at the darkness, but the brain just refused to sleep.

Eventually, I did nod off, and was woken by the dog a couple of hours later. Once again, I was wide awake, so I decided to cut my losses and get up.

Yesterday was a shit day. I like my sleep, and when I don’t get it, I’m like Mary Harney without the HRT. All day, I wandered around in a bit of a haze, kicking the guinea pigs [they make quite good footballs, incidentally] and generally breaking things.

My one consolation was that I knew I would have a grand sleep last night, because I was knackered. I didn’t get to bed too early because a certain dimwit had fucked up his site, and he came clamouring to me, late in the evening to fix it. I told him to fuck off, but he said he’d pay me in pints at the Blog Awards. That was enough for me, so I set about fixing it.

I quit after a couple of hours, and went to bed.

Do you think I could sleep? Like fuck, I could.

I lay there for five hours or so staring at my old friend the darkness. I tossed and turned but Morpheus had fucked off on his holidays. No sleep. Not a single fucking wink.

I got up as dawn broke, as I was sick of the tossing and turning. I went back to Dimwit’s site and eventually fixed his problem. Three hours in total, it took me.

I did some sums.

I think I am worth around €100 per hour as a consultant. Three hours? Three hundred smackers. Converted to pints, that comes out at somewhere around eighty pints that Dimwit owes me.

Now, I should sleep after that…………

Oracle Ireland Spamming Everyone. How NOT To Use Email Marketing

2010-03-09T10:31:15+00:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; } .flickr-yourcomment { } .flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; } .flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }

Oracle Spam, originally uploaded by blacknight.

While I doubt this is Oracle's normal policy, they really do need to teach their staff how to market properly.

Using email to help promote sales is a good idea, but the way that this is being done is incredibly bad and damages email marketing in general.

So far today I have received 5 separate copies of an Oracle "offer" on my work domain. I also received multiple emails a couple of weeks ago in my personal email.

It is incredibly annoying.

Why?

Because I never signed up for ANY of these emails and now I'm being asked to unsubscribe, which in some cases is going to be nigh on impossible as the emails in question do not send - they are only setup to receive only.

So how can I get off Oracle's spam list?

I can't reply to the emails, as they seem to be coming from some automated system.

And judging by the email addresses that are being targetted it's pretty obvious that the email addresses were scraped off websites.

Launch Of Ooh Nice! An Illustration Blog

2010-03-09T07:00:37+00:00

Last year I set up a new illustration blog called ooh nice, originally as a sort of illustration scrap book for me. Since January I’ve been looking after it in earnest and posting illustration, drawing and animation links on a daily basis. If you would like to see your own illustration or sketchbook included on the [...] Related posts:

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-08

2010-03-08T17:57:00+00:00

Daily Deals: $139 iPod touch, App Store Freebies, Text Soap 6 http://bit.ly/b5ofkJ #apple #
Is Apple Preparing to Yank ‘Cook-Cutter’ Apps from AppStore? http://bit.ly/bKtz6a #apple #
Apple Blog: Mac Developer Program Invites iPhone SDK Halo Effect http://bit.ly/9Hr1T3 #
Digg: Steve Jobs has a Flash enabled iPad! [photo] http://bit.ly/aXEoqc #
Apple Blog: Social CRM on the Cheap http://bit.ly/cLZY7k #
“Portal 2″, Steam, other Valve games officially coming to the Mac http://bit.ly/bR3bZY #apple #
The Slow Motion Secrets of the iPad Oscar spot http://bit.ly/9vHlim #apple #
Blockbuster Mac Sales Expexted to Carry into 2010 http://bit.ly/9AN5XJ #apple #
Vers announces $80 wooden iPad case http://bit.ly/byp3tW #apple #
27% of e-reader owners wish they had an iPad instead http://bit.ly/c5VUit #apple #
Jobs says iPad won’t allow iPhone tethering http://bit.ly/cGK9HF #apple #
Apple Shows First iPad Ad During Oscars http://bit.ly/cXYkSO #apple #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-07 http://bit.ly/dbwnVC #

Nominet To Release 1 and 2 Character Domain Names

2010-03-08T17:41:38+00:00

Nominet, the registry operator that manages *.uk, is planning on releasing both single and two character domain names.

In common with a lot of other ccTLD registry operators, Nominet had blocked single and two character domain names from being registered. However they are now planning on releasing them to the public in a phased plan.

The exact details of "how" the domains will become available have not been decided, which is why the registry is now conducting a consultation period with the public.

The current proposal is not drastically different to the kind of methodology used by several of the gTLD registry operators to handle similar scenarios, although there are a few extra twists. To start with Nominet is speaking of the entire project in terms of "cost recovery", whereas other registries have used this kind of release as a revenue generator. The other thing which is quite interesting is how they plan to differentiate based on the second level ie. org.uk domains, according to their proposal, should be given to charities and not for profits, while co.uk should go to business users. While this is very logical it's still interesting to note that they've "gone back to basics" in some respects.

You can view full details of what Nominet are planning on their site and share your thoughts.

It will be interesting to see how the Nominet registrars and the public react to this news.

Going for a Wii

2010-03-08T11:14:07+00:00

I am going to the Irish Blog Awards for several reasons.

First and foremost, I think I deserve some [hah! some?] pints with my old friends that I met in the previous couple of sessions.

Another reason is that there are a lot of you women who attended last year, who would like a second crack at The Ultimate Sensual Experience. It’s true what they say about the oldest fiddle making the sweetest music, as I’m sure you will agree? However, on my doctor’s advice, I’m afraid I have to limit myself to no more that eight women this year, so it will be on a first ~~cum~~ come first served basis, as it were.

Also I have booked a place further west for the next few nights, so Galway is merely an overnight stop on the way to better things.

The one reason I am not going is to pick up an award, as I very much doubt that that will happen. It didn’t happen last year [ya miserable fuckers!] so I’m not holding my breath for this year.

There is one thing that does concern me about the Awards thing though, and that is Herself.

You see, she isn’t fit.

I have noticed this lately. It takes her twice as long now to plant a field of potatoes as it used to. I also notice that when I let her carry my bags, she tends to drop them a lot. It was time I did something about it.

I went and bought a Wii.

I have never bought a games console before, and the very name of the Wii makes me want to vomit, but in times of crisis I have to put my principles to one side. I really need her to be fit in case she has to carry me anywhere.

I set it up, and she insisted that I try it first, so I did. I am, apparently a perfect specimen of manhood, but then you all know this anyway. My balance is perfect and my Body Mass Index is bang in the middle of the ‘Ideal’ range. I did a few exercises and notched up quite a good score.

Then it was her turn.

She stepped up onto the little pad thingy, and the Wii screamed. She fell off with the fright and landed on the coffee table, which of course smashed. She then tried standing on one leg. That went well…. for about half a second. She slowly keeled over, like one of those brick chimneys being demolished, and ended in a heap in the dog’s bed. She cried; I sighed.

I think there is a lot of work to be done before the end of the month.

Logorama – The Oscar Winning Animated Short – A Feast For The Eyes Of Logo Designers!

2010-03-08T10:00:42+00:00

Congratulations to the team who created Logorama, for winning the best animated short film. Directed by Nicolas Schmerkin (Autor de Minuit). The film is clever and funny and takes place in a world entirely populated by logos. I love this movie for many reasons, two of them being a) I’m a [...] Related posts:

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-07

2010-03-07T17:57:00+00:00

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-06 http://bit.ly/asTJh8 #

Half a million

2010-03-07T14:14:55+00:00

Half a million.

That is one huge fucking number.

500,000.

Half a million miles will get you to the Moon and back.

Half a million hours ago, I hadn’t even started in Junior Infants.

Half a million days ago, Ireland was still ruled by the Celts.

Half a million Euro would nearly pay a minister’s salary for a whole year.

Half a million words is two thirds the total output from Shakespeare, or two thirds of the entire bible.

That is a lot of fucking words.

It is the number of words I have written since I started this lark.

I must be mad.

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-06

2010-03-06T17:57:00+00:00

Apple Blog: Android Rising, Sony Poised to Join the Smartphone Fight http://bit.ly/caicSZ #
Apple Blog: Lingering iPad Question: Who Gets to Sell It? http://bit.ly/91BBBb #
Five Fun Games: A Tour of the President’s House, A Crime of Fashion Murder, Real-Time Island Living and More http://bit.ly/aRmQ9H #apple #
iPhone Weekly Digest: Very Angry Birds, Vector Running, Eno Musical Doodling, And More http://bit.ly/9ZEGao #apple #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-05 http://bit.ly/cEmgWl #
Wrapster Earbud Holder: the New Pocket Protector? http://bit.ly/bbxgM3 #apple #

Caring for the elderly

2010-03-06T13:45:13+00:00

I must say I am more than a little disappointed.

For reasons beyond my sphere of influence, I was a little tied up yesterday. I would have been more tied up but Herself always was fucking useless at tying knots.

I had things to do; people to meet and, when you boil it down to the essentials, a life to lead. In other words, I didn’t have the time or the inclination to scribble on this site.

Now, I knew I was in safe hands. I knew you would drop by and having found no new material would while away your hours finding those gems that you had missed in the past. I refuse to believe that you have read everything that I have ever written [even I haven’t done that] , so I can guarantee there are hidden treasures that you have missed.

I finally got around to switching on my laptop last night, and what did I find?

I found that you bastards hadn’t bothered your arses dropping by at all.

OK, there were one or two who had enough of a soul to visit, but the rest of you are just fickle, fly-by-night fair-weather users. Have you not heard all those advertisements asking you to check on your elderly neighbours? For all you know, I could have been dying here of hypothermia and starvation, but do you care? Not a fucking jot.

You see, I am now officially an Old Age Pensioner. I must be treated with respect and reverence. I must be treated with care and most of all, you need to make sure that I am OK.

Yes, I am disappointed, and more than a little hurt. I thought you cared, but you are more interested in your fucking iPods and your fucking Facebook than you are in my welfare.

I have a good mind to start charging entry into this site. By God, but when you have paid your €1,000 per year to visit, you’ll want to get your money’s worth and will drop by whether I have written or not.

I was so disheartened last night that I had to console myself by leaving sarcastic comments on Twitter about Ireland’s entry for the Eurovision which was being voted for on the Late Late Show.

The entries were like you lot.

Pathetic.

Sebastien Kruger Caricature iPhone App

2010-03-06T12:00:32+00:00

If you’re working in the field or are a fan of caricature, you might be interested in the Sebastien Kruger workshop app. The App has 33 pages showing the work flow used to create a large Michael Jackson painting. According to the blurb on the the Artist Sketchbook pages; From September 21-25, 2009 26 artists from [...] Related posts:

Go Faster: Graphic Design On Sports Cars

2010-03-06T07:00:29+00:00

If you’re into sports cars AND graphics, you might be interested in a new hardback book about both of those things called “Go Faster: The Graphic Design of Racing Cars” by Sven Voelker. The book discusses how numbers, stripes, logos and colours are not just thrown onto the car “willy, nilly” (official design term, ahem) by [...] Related posts:

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-05

2010-03-05T17:57:00+00:00

iBreviary Prayer App Now Gratis in iTunes http://bit.ly/9cGAHF #apple #
Improve Your Laptop’s Sound With Clip-On Speakers from Logitech http://bit.ly/9OlV5c #apple #
Analyst: Apple to Sell 35M iPhones in 2011 With or Without Verizon http://bit.ly/dq5QHn #apple #
Apple Blog: Save the Date: Apple’s iPad Launching April 3 http://bit.ly/9IdSWX #
Gadget Pioneer’s Solo 2nd Act Features Apple Accessories http://bit.ly/c4MQEK #apple #
MacHeist’s nanoBundle 2 offers seven great OS X apps for $20 http://bit.ly/cJtZ5U #apple #
Never Miss an iPhone Game Bargain with AppSpy Tracking http://bit.ly/crZwJQ #apple #
iPad’s Mar. Shipment Date Slips Into April Amid Talk of Delays http://bit.ly/aNBrpr #apple #
“I’m On A Horse:” If Old Spice did ads for Apple http://bit.ly/aGyIFK #apple #
Success of iPad Could Hike Pricing for Solid State Drives http://bit.ly/a92sjF #apple #
Apple Blog: Apple “Genius Squad” in the Works? http://bit.ly/9QWByD #
Apple announces iPad release date: April 3rd, pre-orders March 12th http://bit.ly/cvuzhy #apple #
Apple files four new patents for future Mac cooling technologies http://bit.ly/9JyyHq #apple #
Dim UK Tabloids Report Ghost App Prank http://bit.ly/aKRnQX #apple #
Say Hello To ePad http://bit.ly/cQyvBR #apple #
Three Guys To Make iPhone Game in 24 Hours – Live! http://bit.ly/aijdvW #apple #
Apple Blog: Penguin Plans to Make Books Shinier with iPad http://bit.ly/a2cFSV #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-04 http://bit.ly/cfXGjN #

.org Revamp Website

2010-03-05T14:01:53+00:00

PIR, the registry operator for .org, has relaunched their website.

The new site is currently "beta", though that seems like an odd way to label a public-facing site that has been live for years ..

The area that interests me, of course, is the registrar list .. And I'm not overly impressed with the way it displays..

Mac News Digest for 2010-03-04

2010-03-04T17:57:00+00:00

“Mission Impossible” Thieves Steal 20 Apple Computers http://bit.ly/akm69Y #apple #
Apple Blog: Steam and Valve Games Headed to the Mac http://bit.ly/d4SCsH #
Apple Wins Forbes’ “Most Admired Company” Third Year Running http://bit.ly/bslClq #apple #
Android Marketshare Grows While iPhone Market Shrinks http://bit.ly/bwuaD4 #apple #
$20 Turns an iPhone Into a Personal Theater http://bit.ly/bjBCbg #apple #
Penguin shows how the iPad will revolutionize book publishing http://bit.ly/ceLvG5 #apple #
Judge Suspends Apple, Nokia Lawsuits Pending Trade Investigations http://bit.ly/dopfgt #apple #
The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs: a one-man play at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre http://bit.ly/aNC5jU #apple #
iPad Suppliers Deny Any Production Delays http://bit.ly/cMafN8 #apple #
Apple Blog: How-To: Use Time Machine Over a Network http://bit.ly/9yvouW #
Capcom releases “Street Fighter IV” for iPhone OS trailer http://bit.ly/dpgYAT #apple #
Valve teases Mac games releases http://bit.ly/bJOd0v #apple #
How iTunes Is Becoming Apple’s Own Internet Explorer 6 (A Crappy, Bloated Mess) http://bit.ly/boeeFb #apple #
WTF!: World’s Most Advanced Music AI Runs On Ancient Power Mac 7500 http://bit.ly/9ahatU #apple #
Apple Is Purging The App Store of Wi-Fi Stumblers? http://bit.ly/a7E41A #apple #
Pic of the Day: Lost iPod Sparks Bidding War http://bit.ly/dBucBv #apple #
Turn Your MacBook Packaging Into A MacBook Stand http://bit.ly/96Gray #apple #
Apple Blog: Virgin America Kills Flash as a Result of Apple/Adobe Conflict http://bit.ly/aSBvOE #
Mac News Digest for 2010-03-03 http://bit.ly/aAyjyF #

ICANN Nairobi Kicks Off This Weekend - So What Is Cooking? .xxx , new TLDs and more

2010-03-04T14:03:27+00:00

The ICANN meeting in Nairobi starts officially next Monday. However, as is normally the case, by the time Monday rolls around people will already have been working since Saturday morning (if not earlier).

All ICANN meetings seem to be surrounded by some bit of controversy and excitement, but the Nairobi meeting is possibly more dramatic than many others. The last attempt to hold a meeting in Nairobi failed, with ICANN opting to hold the meeting near LA's airport, LAX, instead. This time round there was quite a bit of controversy and tension surrounding the meeting's location.

The end result of the tension, security worries and everything else is that quite a large number of people who would normally attend the meeting will be staying at home.

Others will be travelling to Reston, VA, where Neustar has organised a US offsite location. Though with the time difference between VA and Nairobi anyone in attendance will end up working through the night!

So what's on the agenda?

New TLDs - this time round the focus will be on "EOI" - the concept of "expressions of interest" that was mooted at the last meeting in Seoul.

DNS SEC will be on the agenda again, but getting excited about it is far from easy - sorry!

IPv4 depletion will probably get a look in, but it's still a "hard sell". Until ISPs "buy in" and start deploying v6 on their public networks it's going to be nigh on impossible to make any tangible or meaningful movement in this area.

IDN ccTLDs. You can expect updates from the various countries that have applied using the "fast track". There might be more applications from other countries, as the meeting will have attracted its usual media circus.

But the real "hot potato" for ICANN is going to be .xxx

Following on from the recent decision which found that ICANN had "dropped the ball", the ICANN board will be voting on the Friday of the public meeting.

In reality you can expect to see board members being canvassed / briefed / harassed by interested parties pretty much all week. How will they vote?

Will the US government try to intervene?

If ICANN do move ahead with .xxx, will that have any impact on new TLDs?

If ICANN's board doesn't move ahead with .xxx this time round there is little or no chance that Stuart Lawley and ICM Registry are going to throw in the towel.

To start with they've no reason to. They have just won a legal battle that shows that ICANN was in the wrong. Sure, it may not be "binding", but any decision that so much as casts a doubt on ICANN's processes and procedures is a "win" for ICM - and rightly so.

So how would ICANN fare if ICM were to pursue this through to the next level?

ICANN stakeholders probably don't want to see their money being poured down a legal drain .. I know I don't ..

World Book Day

2010-03-04T12:53:35+00:00

I see today is World Book Day.

This doesn’t surprise me because every fucking day is World Somefuckingthing Day, so I suppose books must get an elbow in at some stage.

I received my first cheque from the publishers a couple of weeks ago for my Magnum Opus. Quite an occasion? I brought it to my bank to lodge it, and there were the usual embarrassing scenes where the manager came out with the champagne and cigars [whereupon we had to go outside to smoke ‘em in the rain, which wasn’t exactly the ambience he was trying to create?]. He started plying me with leaflets telling me all about their fantastic investment schemes, and I told him to fuck himself, that the money was already spoken for to pay the balance on that island in the South Pacific. Did he honestly think I was going to hand my money over to a fucking bank to mind?

Anyhow, I digress.

Apparently, World Book Day is a day for encouraging people to read, and there is an emphasis on reading sessions in libraries. I have already contacted as many libraries as I can find and have received promises from them that my book will be on the reading list for the children’s sessions. It’s wonderful what a simple threat of arson will achieve? I didn’t particularly like resorting to threats, but I consider it my mission in life to broaden people’s minds, and where better to start than with the young?

I see those fucking publishers have dropped the price of The Book a tad, which means the next cheque will be a bit smaller. Bastards.

If you want to get your orders in for Mother’s Day [assuming you really hate your mother?] then you had better hurry – Amazon in the US have only five left, and there are just two left in the UK.

I see there is a new review on the US site. It’s long and rambling, but reasonably flattering. They end up with the paragraph:

Head rambles is a delightful read which makes you stop and laugh at the small things that make Irish life unique. The random order of stories and topics makes the book feel how it was meant to; like a witty, grumpy old man venting his frustrations about everyday life to the world.
You can almost see him sitting at the laptop with a cup of tea and his pipe. Highly recommended.

I wouldn’t object to this apart from the second last sentence – “You can almost see him sitting at the laptop with a cup of tea and his pipe”. What the fuck do they mean by that? “You can almost see him”?

Are they implying that it’s all a figleaf of my mind?

Do they think I am making it all up?

Fucking nerve!

SIDN Relaunch

2010-03-04T12:41:17+00:00

SIDN, the registry operator for .nl (Netherlands) have launched their new site.

The new look site gives the registry a complete visual facelift.

You can find it here.