Minimal

Ye cannae change the laws of physics!

Everyone loves a good mad scientist story and BBC News delivers the goods. :)

Feeling foetal

If I ever have kids, I must remember to use Wings’ Mull of Kintyre as a lullaby when they get restless at night. Twenty-five years on from its release—and from my own infancy—it still triggers something deep inside me that makes me want to snuggle up into a ball. Quality stuff. :)

Glad I’m not a web developer

DLL Hell has got nothing on CSS. This weekend’s web work has been spent battling less with cross-browser compatability (is this becoming a thing of the past?) than with the basic use of stylesheets for positioning things. I’m beginning to wonder what was so bad about tables in the first place.

And what’s this all for? Just another subsite I’m beginning to regret. I hope to get it working with XML & XSL-T, so it could be a while before it’s anything more than a test-page. :/

Why, I oughta!

What are you lot trying to say, like? The first week of having a search facility on the site and look at my most popular searches:

1. poor
2. shit
3. crap

Actually, I’m going to take that as a compliment. If you have to search for shit, there can’t be too much of it on the site. :)

The finest drive in Britain

This time next year, I intend to be driving the Mini from Glenelg to Gruinard Bay through Wester Ross, Scotland. I will, of course, be stopping off at many a B&B and picturesque view on the way. Who wants to join me? :)

minimal.org?

I hate domain squatters. :( If you’ve had the site since 1999, isn’t it about time you did something with it, you muppet? Please tell me it’s not just going to sit like that for another 3 years...

More old content

I’ve finally got around to putting all of my old articles online (Jul ‘00 till May ‘01). I probably should’ve done it earlier, as I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed reading about my past karting exploits :)

Hmmmm... I feel another mini-site coming on...

Amazon meets Google

Like a fit lass in a Newcastle United shirt, Amazon Light gives you the best of both worlds (via SvN). Truly awesome, with only one thing missing—international sites.

Search me!

Hoorah! We once again have a search facility. All I’ve got to do now is figure out where to put it.

Tea, please!

I’m not saying Bad Company was crap, but I nearly got up to put the kettle on half-way through. Before remembering I was in a cinema, that is.

And another thing...

If you thought the concrete recreation of the Royal Arcade under Swan House was bad, wait till you see what they’re replacing it with. Jesus H. Christ. Sadly, if you want to find out, you’re going to have to visit the roundabout above which it’s built or go to the planning office, as the website is useless.

Glass testicle

I love a bit of modern architecture, but I often wonder whether Norman Foster (he can stick his title where the sun doesn’t shine) is overstretching himself and taking too many risks with technology. The Greater London Authority’s new home seems to be another example of this. It’s a striking construction that’s almost closer to art than architecture, although BBC News online and its readers document some of the building’s teething troubles. Don’t get me wrong—I’m all for trying new things, especially when they’re so bold—he just seems to try so many new things in each building that you end up with numerous problems instead of just one or two. Provided the occupants don’t mind, I suppose it’s all for the good.

Do I know you?

Isn’t it just so embarrassing when someone comes up to you, smiling, and says hello, treating you like an old friend... and you’ve absolutely no idea who the hell they are? That happened to me tonight on the way home. Admittedly, it was a little different to most such encounters, as we were both doing 60mph on a stretch of dual carriageway at the time.

I’d seen the Peugeot 206 coming from some distance back and rather than race it off a roundabout, I decided to let it pass. However, compared to its previous pace, it slowed considerably and drew alongside. “Get past, you bastard,” I muttered. A quick glance over to my right and there I saw... someone... waving, smiling and tooting his horn at me. I frowned back at him and looked ahead on the road once more, asking aloud “Do I know you?!?” He sped up again, apparently convinced he knew me but a little surprised by my reaction, and continued on his way. Will I ever find out who it was? I hope not, as I’ll have some serious explaining to do. :)

It’s all over

Following yesterday’s car purchase, the 7days7cars site has reached its conclusion. You can read about the decisions made in round 2, or you can just skip straight to the winner. Of course, if you’ve been paying any sort of attention to this site, you’ll already know who won. Even so, it’s a good read if you’re a petrol-head like me. :)

Wow factor

I can count the number of pieces of software that put a smile on my face on the fingers of a single hand: E-Quill (before its untimely death), VMware, and now Incredibuild.

This well-named utility uses distributed computing techniques similar to those employed by the SETI screensaver to massively speed up MSVC application builds on networked PCs. A long-overdue revolution that I wouldn’t be too surprised to see Microsoft swallow whole. :/

Whatever happened to...?

1. Tab Clear
2. Finley Quaye
3. Portable Network Graphics

At the flicks

Went to see Minority Report last night. I was impressed. Apparently, it was 2½ hours long, but I can’t say I noticed—and that’s always a good sign. :)

Perhaps the thing that impressed me most was how well the science fiction aspects had been translated to the screen for once. Ignoring the whole pre-cognition thing (which is obviously daft), almost everything in the film’s setting was fairly realistic and exceedingly well executed. Not once did I think about the special effects rather than the story they were helping to tell. On the acting side, Tom Cruise also turned in an accomplished performance that I never once questioned. Not only that, but there were plenty of beautifully understated comedy moments, too.

Overall, I’d give it 4 out of 5 – maybe even 4½.

Who the f*ck is Alice?

For an AI bot that’s won some pretty impressive prizes, Alice is a bit on the stupid side. After 20 minutes of tedious play, this was about as good as it got:

Dear, oh dear.

Come to daddy!

This time next year, I really will be minimal. :)

World of strange

Milla Jovovich reveals her love of Gregg’s pasties. Truly bizarre.

B.Here

Less than a week to go before the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts opens on Gateshead Quays. If you’re looking for something to do next weekend and can get to Newcastle easily enough, I’m sure the city’s going to be buzzing. The old Baltic flour mill, now converted into an ‘art factory’ is a bit of an icon on the quayside and, now restored, is a magnificent addition to the regeneration going on down there. I can’t wait to take a look around. :)

Oh, and if a man with baguettes tied around his head walks past you, don’t just ignore him. ;)

Get out!

Do me a favour and phone 09011 15 44 09, will you? Go on, it’ll only cost you about 25 pence. :)

Honister Pass

Note to self: when next travelling through the Lake District, remember to take the camera. Honister Pass was spectacular in driving rain. I’m not sure the hypothermic fell-walkers shared my enthusiasm, mind.