Monday, November 30, 2009

What Happens When You Sleep?

Paranormal Activity - 00219Image by Daniel Semper via Flickr

What happens when we sleep? I'm presuming that for the majority we recharge, characterised by total or partial unconsciousness.

Not for Katie, a student living with her partner Micah who claims that a presence has haunted her since she was a child! I'm referring to the Paranormal Activity movie which presents the story of a young couple "engaged to be engaged" who have a dangerous presence in their house.

Presented from the perspective of Micah's video camera, purchased to capture the paranormal activity. This means that without any ambiance, the ambiance in the cinema is the people that choose to be loud and provide spoilers! Damn them! Paranormal Activity is worth watching although I wasn't impressed with the finale, there is an alternative ending apparently which attracts my interest. That I'm sure will feature on the DVD/Blu-Ray release and I would suggest this as a purchase/rental for when you're alone..

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Sunday, November 29, 2009

Three A Magic Number?

Ke$haImage by stevegarfield via Flickr

When I woke up in the morning yesterday I wasn't really feeling like anyone famous! Fast forward 24 hours and I definitely have a Sean Combs demeanour!

I had brushed my teeth with Vodka and left for what became an eventful night! The agenda was to discuss pedicures on our toes and the boys blowing up our phones. Actually the conversation centered around tattoo's and the Hills. The later obviously being for the purpose of humour, but you knew that right?!?

There were unexplained photographs although I'm concerned that there wasn't a shoe perspective as isn't that the standard?! I managed to misplace another umbrella but it could have been worse especially had I travelled to Brighton and returned home with many unaccountable items. That scenario was reserved for anyone that travelled south for the weekend. Personally I felt that Newcastle should have been the feature but I wasn't in any position to make decisions as the curtain came down and I awaited the view from the afternoon..
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Saturday, November 28, 2009

One More Time

ArtImage by joedawson via Flickr

The morning started with a telephone call to inform me that the children wanted to attend their activities. I had arranged this prior to receiving the reminder! After a journey through the Enchanted Forest I received an update that they weren't feeling too well and had decided to stay home.

I sense a conspiracy!

With no alternative arrangement for the short term I travelled to the Gym. It's all about the Saturday morning workout! There's always the usual suspects from the week in attendance and it would appear I'm in this category as well. Received the expected telephone calls and also the unexpected which always becomes colourful!

Anyway, tonight I'm scheduled to participate in a 'girls night out' who knew?!

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Friday, November 27, 2009

East In The East

93 Feet EastImage by Caffeinehit via Flickr

Another week resigned to the archives, the buzz term in the office appears to be stakeholder management at the moment! I have heard this a few times recently and today I had to provide a presentation about all the excitement.

It was impressive and had Paul Daniels attended he would have liked it, not a lot but he would definitely have liked it! I decided that I would reward the achievement with a new haircut. Who doesn't want to look silky smooth, without referring to the Paul Mitchell handbook though I opted for Tony & Guy's!!

Arrived full of anticipation and although there was a delay to the schedule, the silky smooth look was magnificent and thankfully I wasn't too late for the rendezvous. The dinner arrangement wasn't disrupted because it was organised for later in the evening. Made impressions at several bars around Hoxton and Shoreditch before arriving at Pizza East which I thoroughly recommend because the food and service were excellent! After cocktails at Beach Blanket Babylon Shoreditch we headed for 93 Feet East which always provides a great night of entertainment! Weren't disappointed either as we really enjoyed the music and the dance moves on display were exceptional although I felt that my 'crab' received the most acclaim! The evening ended by trying to make people yawn but this didn't work too well!!!

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

You're Everywhere

Foursquare Vancouver GirlImage by 6S via Flickr

Location based services, utilizing the ability to make use of the geographical position of mobile devices, continue to gain momentum.

Now not only do I have to keep up appearances on Facebook, share what's happening on Twitter but I also have to check into places of interest, restaurants and bars! Everyone is going to know that I check into plenty of bars, is that a good thing?!

I have interacted with location based services for a while and I still think we're yet to see the killer app introduced. I feel that Foursquare and Gowalla are close to realising the potential, but would like to see services pushing towards a standard! I rate the ability to publish to the Facebook newsfeed, to-do lists, history/stats, the ability to upload photos and I would also like the ability to interact with friends and their activity.

With Facebook Connect, the option to publish to the newsfeed encourages friends to participate. I have noticed several of my friends now using Gowalla since I began publishing my activity and I'm sure this will continue to increase in popularity. The to-do lists on Foursquare are a great method of discovery, I have spoken to friends about this and they're intrigued so it's definitely an attractive feature.

Being able to provide historical data and statistics obviously has advantages, location based services potentially could offer coupons and promotions and it's all about the freebies!

Providing the ability to upload photos, allows us to add our identity to the location. Whether it's to capture the moment or to just upload something random, it's personalised! Finally interaction is primarily why I contribute to social networks so providing multiple layers for communication enhances the usability and likelihood that the service will become widely adopted!

What features would you like to see introduced?

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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Should Microsoft Be Scared?

Chrome OS and SkydriveImage by niallkennedy via Flickr

The Google Chrome OS has generated significant interest across the Internet and anticipation continues to build with the open source Chromium OS available! From what I have read, Chrome OS appears to be an evolution of the Chrome browser. The operating system has been designed to provide web applications with the full functionality of desktop applications.

Every application will be a web application with data backed up to the cloud. What's impressive is that should anything happen to the hardware we will be able to log into the cloud to retrieve the cached data!

The Chrome OS strategy comes down to services, servers, security but what interests me most is the Chrome version of the iTunes app store. Apple have shown what can be achieved and no doubt Google will experience similar success and profit providing third party applications through the operating system. I have predicted that next year will be strong for Google with Android but Chrome OS also has the potential to be a game-changer. I'm intrigued and will follow developments with anticipation. What are your views?!

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Monday, November 23, 2009

Because They Sparkle

Bella and Edward, New Moon kissImage by GeekMom Heather via Flickr

New Moon, the Twilight sequel, eclipsed the record for a single-day opening at the North American box office, and has also achieved one of the biggest weekends ever in terms of overall ticket sales.

New Moon continues the dangerous romance between high school student Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) and 108-year old vampire Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson). Making being pale desirable, intense intimate moments with the couple barely able to kiss without consequence and with the accident prone Bella there's never a dull moment in the Cullen residence.

The story starts with Bella concerned about her age, at 18-years old she's definitely pushing retirement. I'm not going to reveal too much but after she's nearly eaten at her birthday party at the Cullen house, Bella is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, who decides that being with him isn't the best lifestyle choice. After falling apart, her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties evaluated.

Film analysts and the blogosphere have been particularly critical about the underlying message from the movie. A professor of gender studies even views New Moon as an anti-feminist film that reinforces gender stereotypes to a "scary" extent. I enjoyed the following perspective from Skepchick which highlights the areas in a great context -
The messages behind Twilight? Be weak, let your man protect you. Be careful, don’t get him angry. If he hurts you, it’s your fault. Abuse is part of life. Accept it. If he really loves you, he’ll try not to hurt you but don’t be surprised if he does. You probably deserve it. You are nobody without your man, so don’t bother trying. (Skepchick)
Overall I really enjoyed the movie, which has a decent soundtrack as well. This may be a film full of gender stereotypes—testosterone-driven male aggression, females who pine away over lost loves, boys who fix motorcycles and the girls who watch them but it's werewolves against vampires and it's fun! New Moon has actually made me want to read the other books in the series. I want to learn more about the wolfpack, hunt the woods in tight-fitting denim shorts and get ripped from eating giant muffins!

Werewolves appear to be a popular choice at the box office recently; XMen Origins presented the Wolverine story and the trailer for The Wolfman looked impressive. I'm full of anticipation for Eclipse and if anymore villains are introduced we may see the Mystery Machine and Scooby-Doo make an appearance! Let me know your views in the comments..

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

They Are Listening..

Role Playing  TechnologyImage by Daniele Muscetta via Flickr

Role-playing refers to the changing of one's behavior to assume a role, either unconsciously to fill a social role, or consciously to act out an adopted role. I portray an element of both roles but I'm going to focus on the later in this blog post! I have wrote about social interaction many times, how I view them as being subjective and that "The View from the Afternoon" prevails for the majority who participate in the nightlife.

The various scenes, structured like acts from a film, materialise through the duration of the night. I want to see all of the things that we've already seen! Wouldn't have it any other way though right?! In Act One the protagonist meets all of the characters in the play (and consumes 500ml of Vodka). As we stagger progress into Act Two, the complication introduced now has to become much more dangerous and difficult. Why?! Honestly I'm only dancing, there wasn't another motive! The structured multiple choice presentation, the result being that at the end of Act Two the protagonist should be almost destroyed! FACT!! Act Three is simply the resolution of the problem but the oblique scene was always going to make an appearance. It starts in a different place than we expect it to, but ends up telling the same story point. You can pour your heart out around 3 o clock, when the 2 for 1's undone the writers block.

I've been patiently waiting for a bus to arrive, the anticipation wasn't enough though so instead the oblique scene dictated the resolution. What started as a defensive joke, progressed onto satellites that monitored our thoughts, heroin addiction, Ke$ha, smoking, hurdles, climbing trees, witches, repairing tights with leaves, high-vis jackets, The Beatles and finally attempting to participate in a video game! Tonight there was a ruckus yeah, regardless of what's gone before...
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Friday, November 20, 2009

There's No Place Like Chrome

chrome os downloadImage by nDevilTV via Flickr

In July Google announced that they were working on Google Chrome OS, an open source operating system for people who spend most of their time on the web. I admit that primarily I'm connected to the Internet and interacting with various blogs, services and social networks so I'm intrigued to learn more about the potential and what will be made available through the operating system.

Today to to engage with partners, the open source community and developers they have open-sourced the project as Chromium OS. Ballmer just laughs off this operating system being developed by Google, there are those that view the project as vaporware but I'm sure that Google will have the final word. Below are the details from today's announcement -
First, it's all about the web. All apps are web apps. The entire experience takes place within the browser and there are no conventional desktop applications. This means users do not have to deal with installing, managing and updating programs.

Second, because all apps live within the browser, there are significant benefits to security. Unlike traditional operating systems, Chrome OS doesn't trust the applications you run. Each app is contained within a security sandbox making it harder for malware and viruses to infect your computer. Furthermore, Chrome OS barely trusts itself. Every time you restart your computer the operating system verifies the integrity of its code. If your system has been compromised, it is designed to fix itself with a reboot. While no computer can be made completely secure, we're going to make life much harder (and less profitable) for the bad guys...

Most of all, we are obsessed with speed. We are taking out every unnecessary process, optimizing many operations and running everything possible in parallel. This means you can go from turning on the computer to surfing the web in a few seconds. Our obsession with speed goes all the way down to the metal. We are specifying reference hardware components to create the fastest experience for Google Chrome OS.

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Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Pole Position

SPA FRANCORCHAMPS, BELGIUM - AUGUST 30:  Lewis...Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I'm really excited about next season's Formula 1 already, Jenson Button has joined Lewis Hamilton at McLaren for an all-English line-up and Ferrari have signed Fernando Alonso. I'm fascinated to see how the two McLaren drivers perform together. Button may be the world champion, but he has not yet proved to be in the same league as Hamilton and Alonso. Both drivers will certainly be involved in the Championship, Jenson Button although the reigning world champion, I don't think he will emulate his achievements from this season. The rivalry between Hamilton and Alonso is well documented, I'm sure there will be renewed interest in this once the season starts.

The disappointment though is that Kimi Raikonnen, the 2007 world champion, will not be racing in F1 next year having failed to reach an agreement with McLaren. Raikonnen is an incredible driver and I would rate him alongside Hamilton and Alonso. Raikkonen was determined to be paid what he and his management team felt reflected that he was a former world champion but unfortunately an agreement wasn't reached. Although Raikonnen won't be competing there are several drivers that will be in contention. Sebastian Vettel has emerged as a potential champion for the future and will this be his season?! Let me know what you think in the comments!!

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Back And To The Left

Finding NemoImage via Wikipedia



"I can't. I have a bad fin"
A combination of the Office, Gym, iPhone and Laptop have presented symptoms associated with repetitive strain injury (RSI). I'm experiencing several of the complaints that are typical in patients that might receive a diagnosis of RSI.

I decided to research into the condition, as expected the AppStore provided an App for that so I have created calendar notifications to prompt when I should have a break. Thankfully both Carpal tunnel syndrome and repetitive stress disorders are preventable. The best possible scenario is never to develop symptoms, to work intelligently and to respect your body's needs. I uncovered many exercises that are essential to the maintenance and condition of the body. They are definitely innovative and introducing them to the office was an experience. Largely because the majority of the exercises are borderline rehearsals for a dance routine. If everything goes well I should recover and be available for performances in Theatre land soon..

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Monday, November 16, 2009

Scratched Records..

Twitter.com/BarackObamaImage by DavidAll06 via Flickr

Barack Obama he's a popular figure on the Internet, social media in particular, and also the 44th and current President of the United States. He was speaking to a group of Chinese students at a town hall in Shanghai when asked by a student "Do you know about the great firewall and should we be able to use Twitter?"

Considering that Obama has over 2.6 million followers and that the Internet, he should be well positioned to respond!

His reply was "I have never used Twitter but I'm an advocate of technology and not restricting Internet access." I have this image of scratched records everywhere! The Internet is now tainted!! Of course, the more important story (as TechCrunch/ReadWriteWeb write) here is his stance on Chinese Internet censorship.

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Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Third Place

VodkaImage by thepartycow via Flickr

A strike is a term used in bowling to indicate that all of the pins have been knocked down with the first ball of a frame. Two consecutive strikes are referred to as a "double". Three strikes bowled consecutively are known as a "turkey" and that's exactly how I'm feeling today!

The third consecutive night has taken it's toll but what an experience. Prior to the amendment there was an element of negativity, travelling to the same venues had made us routine but then came the invitation. The destination was the brand new concept bar/club 24 located in Carnaby. It is regarded as the most high-tech venue in the whole of London, and is the first fully interactive bar in the world. 24 is equipped with the latest state-of-the-art lighting and bar technology to create a breathtaking backdrop for your night out.

The amount of Belvedere Vodka consumed was absurd, I remember the Vodka content in my glass at one point was almost neat! It was the first time I had been introduced to this group and they knew how to enjoy the nightlife. When I eventually left I managed to travel quite a distance before I realised that I was the other side of London Bridge. Purchased some food and then I was on a bus.. then after being awoken I decided to flee for some reason. Left the umbrella behind so like Friday I fashioned protection from the weather conditions with my jacket! It was an interesting journey but eventually I made it home and now I'm in the recovery position..
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Friday, November 13, 2009

Just Prance!

World Gone GagaImage by joedawson via Flickr

I've had more than intended, people start to rush, start to rush babe. How does he twist the dance? Can't find my drink, man?! or keys and there is a possibility that I lost my phone.

Apparently I need to buy shoes before I'm ready for the weekend, according to Calvin Harris anyway and I didn't intend to participate in the proceedings but I'm easily persuaded! The preparations were against the clock due to 'overtime' but I managed to rendezvous with friends in a timely manner. We exchanged pleasantries and the topic quickly moved to events that transpired in Newcastle which appear to have raised the stakes considerably! We were to travel on South Eastern Rail, destination Greenwich and were in good form although I wasn't prepared for the chance encounter with the Tin Man. What would Dorothy have said about the reluctance to reciprocate a high five?!

Due to the weather conditions, I improvised to prevent a disturbance in the force! Probably not the most defining aspect of the evening but the overcoat preserved the appearance?! It's not about the downpour but it's definitely not about attempting to convince strangers into purchasing the coat at a discounted rate! Anyway the introduction, Lady Gaga definitely caught everyone’s attention at the VMA’s with her eccentric wardrobe choices. I'm going to focus on how she accessorised her white sequenced dress with a wreath wrapped around her face because that was exactly the look I was attempting to reproduce. It couldn't have been better scripted because with the fur overcoat wrapped around my head, this eskimo attempted to enter the North Pole which confused even the watchmen! Where here for Santa!! Hyperlinked to confirm that this wasn't a dream or an over-exaggeration! My night finished early compared to friends but the bugle sounded in the distance and I knew that it was time to retire. Has anyone seen the overcoat?!
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Thursday, November 12, 2009

Hospital, I've Got A Thing For You..

Metronomy-19Image by Ralf Heid via Flickr

So the time had indeed come! There were 20 pairs of tickets to see Metronomy and Roots Manuva at the Mercury Prize Sessions at The Hospital Club in Covent Garden available for tonight's performance.

I managed to secure tickets to attend and was really impressed with the performances. The event was hosted as part of this month's Barclaycard Mercury Prize Session with The Hospital Club. The Hospital wasn't what I expected, Grey Goose Vodka reception, Lobby area and the basement provided a state of the art music and TV studio. Seriously though Artois 4% wasn't for the acquired taste! It was complimentary though so can't complain!!

I'm familiar with Metronomy, or Joseph Mount as he’s otherwise known, I have attempted to attend several performances but reasons have prevented! Roots Manuva although they haven't featured heavily on my playlist I know some of the tracks that were played. What I enjoyed most about both performances was the energy and enjoyment displayed! Afterwards, the heavens opened and had to take shelter before eventually finishing the evening at Walkabout!! Memorable occasion and I definitely want to return to the Hospital Club to experience more soon..

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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Retweet Retreat

Chinese WhispersImage by Diamond Geyser via Flickr

Wondering who this is? I'm now part of a beta group! There has been plenty of reorganisation taking place at Twitter recently and I must have done something right as I have the new retweet feature available. People who don't have this feature enabled will see the tweets prefaced with the standard "RT". Like Ronseal "It does exactly what it says on the tin" and provides an easy method of sharing with your followers.

I wrote previously that I understand the principle, displaying the original tweet in the timeline; provides the source, original (unedited) tweet and our @username as the retweet.
I also stated that I would like to see threaded conversation introduced as I want to be a part of a global discussion not an empty echo chamber. Evan Williams has an informative blog post that explains the whole concept. Personally I would like to see the new format incorporate threaded notes so that conversation can take place! This works but it could be better and for those that aren't interested you can still continue to retweet exactly the same way as before..

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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Mending Trending Topics

Twitter Bird With Music NotesImage by Salon de Maria via Flickr

Once upon a time a popular startup provided the ability to find out what's hot online through trending topics which was a great feature. I wrote previously that as Twitter has pushed through into the mainstream the top trending topics has lost a lot of it's value and credibility. This is because users have learnt how to game the system and so have spammers!

Twitter has a significant amount of pocket money so it's great that they are addressing this issue. Acknowledging that Trends began as a useful way to find out what’s going on but has grown less interesting due to the noisiness of the conversation. Twitter spokesperson Jenna Sampson announced the following through a blog post:
So, today we're starting to experiment with improvements to trends that will help you find more relevant tweets. Specifically, we're working to show higher quality results for trend queries by returning tweets that are more useful. The improvement won't be very noticeable at first, but this is a small step toward unearthing more value in search and getting you more relevant results.
The trending topics were a starting destination for my Internet activity once but they're not what they used to be. Hopefully this will lead to better results and with details emerging around trends for cities, the feature should become infinitely more valuable!

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Monday, November 09, 2009

iDon't Believe We're There Yet

Giant Google Android statue with puppy and cupcakeImage by ToastyKen via Flickr

The Motorola StarTAC was the first mobile phone that I purchased and handsets have evolved considerably since then. Most recognised for the RAZR, Motorola have now launched the DROID and according to sources perhaps created its most attractive and intriguing piece of technology yet.

Whenever a new smart phone is launched, comparisons with the iPhone are inevitable, of course. There have been many handsets dubbed "iPhone killers" but the tag doesn't convince anyone. The marketing campaign for the DROID was impressive, the whole iDont concept caught my attention but I don't think the handset will be a contender to Apple's stranglehold on the industry. Instead I feel that this phone may catapult Android into the mainstream, with the continued development of the operating system and the release of Android 2.0 the momentum is building. 2010 should be interesting, watch this space..

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Sunday, November 08, 2009

What Goes Up..

Botany BayImage by joedawson via Flickr

There can be many changes in a year, circumstance, situation, knowledge are examples but the age increase is most significant. Purely based on expectation and what's required! Recently I had a conversation with my daughter about getting older, being inquisitive she wanted my perspective.

I informed her that although I was approaching 30 that I still felt like a child inside. That even though I continue to mature, underneath the surface I'm a confused boy. This made her upset, I'm so not good at providing advice!!

Today was my daughters birthday and I was lucky to have the children this weekend to be there when they woke. I love them both so much and being there to experience her anticipation and excitement was a reward! The proceedings were divided between the two families which has become the norm. When she had returned from spending time with her mother we all travelled to participate in bowling for the afternoon. The rivalry was great and I nearly managed to win but victory was snatched from my grasp. Overall a fantastic afternoon and the Chelsea victory was an added bonus. My daughter has an entire new wardrobe which means even less room available..
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Saturday, November 07, 2009

Life in 3D

Anachrome optical diopter glasses.
Yesterday represented the primary reason why the consumption of alcohol on a school night is a serious faux pas. For context purposes, imagine I entered the office with an eccentric hair style re: hi-top/mullet, acid-washed jeans, hyper-colour socks and plain brown aviator jacket! Therefore, alcohol intoxication represents the demise of any well groomed demeanour and presentation. The consensus that if I were to wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person is a myth! I am Jack's inebriation...

After I had blurred the lines of acceptability for the duration, I reached the conclusion that recuperation wasn't on the agenda. Instead another night of excess moderation and damage limitation interaction with friends! This weekend represents my daughters birthday and with a heightened sense of enthusiasm I embarked with the objective to raise awareness in different perspectives! Basically whilst departing for the evening I had noticed there were 3D glasses that required attention. Needless to say that the whole scenario, didn't exactly materialise how intended but I found the introduction of the glasses mildly amusing! Admittedly the proceedings could have been viewed differently through another perspective as there were circumstances that were both innovative and dubious. The consumption of an entire bottle of white Zinfandel, the Twilight scene and the encore; thou shalt not talk to weirdos strangers.. NOM

Today presented the prelude, /birthday weekend has commenced and the aim was to acquire an entire wardrobe. The comparison to fashion consultant Gok Wan was acknowledged, analysed and misinterpreted! The reference bestowed was courtesy of the children's aunt who assisted and won't be involved in future (banter). In all fairness she was an ideal companion because her occupation provides experience within the fashion industry. After the runway and purchase of the winter collection, we decided to eat at T.G.I. Friday's. My daughter choose the restaurant because every time someone has a birthday, the entire restaurant crew present a cake and sing the traditional birthday song. It was a great moment when they presented her with the cake whilst everyone sang because she beamed with happiness!!
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Friday, November 06, 2009

Follow The Bear

Brizzly explains Twitter trendsImage by docpop via Flickr
Recently Brizzly, the web app which launched earlier in the summer, has introduced features that have caught my attention. The interface already provided the ability to see pictures in the stream, and easily retweet anything with the click of a button.

Facebook was then introduced and to an extent I prefer how the status updates, wall posts, likes and comments are displayed through the interface. Providing the ability to alternate easily between both Twitter and Facebook is an intuitive and simple process.

Brizzly already provided the ability to create Groups but with Twitter Lists now available to everyone the web app now has support for the Internets new sliced bread! Lists are imported into Brizzly and displayed and also any Group created will be converted into a List, WIN! TechCrunch have further details on the functionality and I have invitations available for anyone who wants to be involved! Leave a message in the comments or alternatively send me a tweet!

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Thursday, November 05, 2009

The Modern Times

V for Vendetta
'Remember, Remember, The Fifth of November...' To be fair I was disappointed with Guy Fawkes night as there wasn't much to remember, being midweek there didn't seem the usual hype and anticipation! Possibly because Halloween emerged as the calendar event that everyone participated in recently. 

Organised to meet friends in Brick Lane this evening but the occasion didn't materialise which was a disappointment as I really enjoy the restaurants located in the area. Instead decided to travel to Leicester Square and enjoy some cocktails and the culture of the WestEnd. It was enjoyable and encouraging, shame it was a school night! Tonight represents the annual celebration on the evening of 5 November. Marking the downfall of the Gunpowder Plot of 5 November 1605, in which a number of Catholic conspirators, including Guy Fawkes, attempted to destroy the Houses of Parliament. Traditionally firework displays and the building of bonfires occupy proceedings although this practise has definitely declined in modern times. Where were the fireworks?

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Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Internet Not Linked To Social Isolation

Nasa Control Center?Image by lululemon athletica via Flickr

A new study confirms that Internet and mobile phones are not linked to social isolation. Online activities such as social networking, email, blogging etc can even lead to larger, more diverse networks! The enhanced functionality of smart phones that provide a rich online experience has furthered participation in a variety of internet activities.

The only aspect to limit my interaction through these online activities is the battery life. The report states that many internet technologies are used as much for local contact as they are for distant communication. I was impressed when I was contacted by an online friend who had happened across an album from the weekend featuring an appearance from yours truly. Introduced through online gaming several years ago, we're still yet to meet but through Facebook we communicate regularly and it was surreal being notified that he had found some photos of me with his friends! The world definitely feels like a smaller place but Newcastle is still a long drive away...



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Tuesday, November 03, 2009

My Life Isn't Average..

Reflections in a bubbleImage by istargazer via Flickr

After the weekend, returning to work was always going to be a difficult task. It was inevitable that I would oversleep, especially considering that I had permanent marker on my body but as a bonus I also experienced a nosebleed! MLIA

I take pride in personal hygiene but standing on the tube this morning with the words 'Don't make me get oldskool' written down my forearm wasn't the best look I had achieved! A recurrence of the nosebleed was also greeted by a unanimous reaction but I just smiled and waved to acknowledge that I knew it was a faux pas! My vision was slightly impaired and I actually wished that the proverbial wings from energy drink consumption would occupy this frail frame. Mainly so that I could quickly retreat from the tube towards the exit and hide under my desk!! Work was actually a blur and I'm confused about what I achieved but I'm in a bubble at the moment and even laughter sounds different..
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Monday, November 02, 2009

You Wouldn't Start Your Night Like This..

Carnage NewcastleImage by joedawson via Flickr

Now it's well known that what goes on tour, stays on tour but I feel that because situations have blurred the lines, we're going to talk about Newcastle for a while! Through conversation we were able to reconstruct the events from the previous night and plenty occurred. After a brief tour and a simulation that appeared to promote drink driving we were ready for the evening ahead!

The preparations were naturally more involved than yesterday as we moved to another room to increase our overall presence. The Carnage theme was Doctors and Nurses, long socks and scrubs were the order of the day! Stethoscopes, bandages and rubber gloves were the main accessories to complete the appearance! I managed to severely burn my forearm to represent but I now have reservations that this was too much. Not that it was intentional but the iron decided to attack in a ruthless and devastating manner!

Drinking games are always a bold statement especially when you introduce playing cards. I feel that my influence on this activity was minimal and I wasn't involved to the extent that I made the death card infamous! Details from here are vague as I merged with the alcohol anticipation and became one with the event. The photos that have since surfaced contain images of signature forgery and impersonation! If that's how someone feels they should behave then I'm prepared to reserve judgement but only this time. I remember a scene that at the time made so much sense but now I'm concerned for public safety. I'm referring to the pole dancing incident! It doesn't matter about confidence because it was seriously dangerous! Eventually progressed through the bars and entered the club, I was impressed at the amount of students in attendance but with everyone wearing the t-shirts it was a challenge to stay together! Afterwards we headed in the direction of the hotel because our friend had retired early for some unusual reason (fetish) but we were soon back at the house. I remember feeling well involved with the family and then I was alone..

The proverbial wings that are allocated following the consumption of energy drinks wasn't convenient because I needed to recharge. Instead a song written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney which is the opening track on the The Beatles' debut album, Please Please Me became the soundtrack to the remainder of the night! An unproductive morning progressed to our eventual departure and after several farewell attempts our adventure was complete and we made our journey home! Newcastle you were a great host and we will return to experience more in the future..
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