Christmas Shopping

Went out with a list of people to buy presents for. Came back with a bunch of presents (one for each). On time and in budget. Just like all my software projects.....

Then rewarded (?!) everyone with a trip to see "Love, Actually". Considering some of the press I was expecting worse. It was OK. Quite a lot of "lurve action" actually. Perhaps not a film to go and see with mum. Even though we did.

If the record shops are open near to you, nip out and buy a copy of "Three" by The Sugerbabes. Now. I don't want it particularly (already got one), but after you have listened to the tracks (especially track 10) a few times you'll thank me. Of course, I'm assuming that you have already bought "Everything Must Go" by Steely Dan, the best album of the new millennium. If not, you have two to buy.

 

Cheese Fixation

I think people around the place are beginning to worry about me. I' ve taken to walking down the corridor saying things like "But if the cheese hits the bread when it is going downwards......". This is all in aid of the Smartphone Games Programming with Cheese enterprise, which is progressing nicely. I've not written a computer game for, ooh around twenty years, and so I guess I am a bit rusty. Also, I'm not writing Lucidata Pascal for a SWTP 6809 system. (ahh, those memories). I've now got cheese and bat moving and bouncing, and even some tomatoes to hit. Next stop the Bonus Ham (tm).

 

Decorations

It has started round here now. In the Old Days (tm) Christmas Decorations consisted of a single artificial tree, three foot of tinsel and a set of 20 christmas lights, 17 of which were working. There were also around 15 glass ornaments (a number which decreased by one or so every year). These were lovingly kept in the loft all year in a box marked "Christmas Decorations" and unwrapped in the third week of December and deployed in the hall so that the neighbours could see through the glass front door that our house had genuine Christmas Spirit (tm).

Nowadays things are different. Around six weeks before the start of the Festive Season (tm) people can be seen carrying boxes of lights and reels of cable into their houses. Then we start seeing houses which are lit up, quite literally, like Christmas Trees. Apparently folks will come from miles around to witness the glory that is electric light if you stick it on the outside of the place that you live in in the shape of a reindeer. I've nothing against this particularly, but being of naturally idle disposition I'm not that keen on clambering up ladders around our little house with a roll of wire around my neck. I'm even less keen on paying the subsequent electricity bill. Fortunately I live in a properly restrained locale, where a few coloured lights in the window will be deemed sufficient unto the season, and so that is the plan at the moment.

I did have this radical idea where I would just put a single Christmas tree light outside the house in a prominent place. This would provide Christmas Cheer (tm) to passers by and also make an ironic statement on the overly commercial nature of the season. Unfortunately it is rather hard to do this as a single bulb, designed to take around 2 volts, is somewhat overwhelmed without its 119 friends to take their share of a 240 volt mains supply. I'd have to mess around with low voltage converters and the like. Satire is one thing, extra work is another and so I think I'll just settle for the lights in the window approach.

Social Comment

 

The Return of an Old Favourite

Things I Know: 003 of 800: It is very rare that people whose eyes light up are goodies. Ever since "The Hood" in Thunderbirds it has been the case that anyone who looks meaningfully at the camera whilst their eyes glow and the music swells up in a menacing way is not on the side of the angels. Should you every come across someone who exhibits this form of behaviour, my advice is to make an excuse and leave. Quickly. You don't even need to make the excuse if you don't want to.

Not a nice chap.

 

Dodgy Dockings

My Tablet PC docking station has been misbehaving recently. The idea is that on the way out of the office you spring your Tablet PC, go to the meeting and do lots of tablety things, and then come back and dock again. My jet setting existence means that I do this a lot, but lately when I re-dock the system doesn't pick up the DVD drive every time. Oh well. Any excuse to have the lid off the docking station:

Hmm. There do seem to be a lot of bits in there. I was hoping for a plug half out or something. I managed to reassemble the device (nobody will know I've been in there unless they read my Blog I suppose - but what are the chances of that...) and I think it is actually a software issue. Sometimes the auto detection of hardware gets confused if it sees more than one device present. I've found a sequence of connection which works every time, and so that's problem solved.

Spent most of the evening getting a piece of bread to follow my cheese around the screen of the Smartphone. Oh yes. Find out what this is all about here.

 

The Light Fantastic

What would we do without Monday mornings eh? Especially the deluxe, turbo charged, super rainy ones. Made it into work through the puddles and spent a day writing and marking. Then, out into the night to see the Cottingham Christmas Lights turned on. My mate Ian has been up a ladder plugging and wiring the last few Sundays to help get the whole lot lit up (makes a change from him getting lit up - ho ho) and the results, as always, were well worth it.

I think I'll come back when it is a bit less busy

 

Software and Soap on Sunday

Spent a big chunk of the day on the "program which cannot be named". We are now at the stage where the infrastructure is there and we can have fun adding the features. And it is looking really good. Perhaps we will have to name it soon.

Special for EastEnders fans (of which I am not one). Phil Mitchell being stitched up...