Saturday, December 06, 2003

When trying to load the Beautyon.torrent, I receive the following error message:

Problem connecting to tracker - (urlopen error (61, 'Connection refused'))

It never resolves, either. I'm running the OS X version, but I also tried it on my work machine (running Windoze).

Any ideas? I've let it sit for quite awhile...
posted by Ken , 8:54 PM Þ 

posted by captain davros , 4:35 PM Þ 

dido is watery beige, doesn't have the dignity to to do us all a favour & lose all colour completely ... nearly-beige, a beige wanna-be ... a month-old piss stain that just won't wash out no matter how ferociously it's boiled .... beat it with a hammer ... not so that it loses consciousness, keep it just alert enough so that it's aware of the pain that it's suffering ... every now & then twist one of its fingers off ... yes, it is an it ... we will not justify it by labelling it with a sex definition ... barely a thing ... just thing enough so that its presence irritatingly registers but you can't quite make out where it is ... like those pesky eye motes that jump about when you try to look at them as they slither around the surface of your eyeball

beard
ho-ho-ho
posted by a hymn in g to nann , 1:52 PM Þ 

The shiny beast of thought
If you got ears
You gotta listen
Old woman sweat
Young girls glisten
The extract you thought
is the extract you got

Hop in a thought
Ex-extract
You hear me?

Hope disa-heart drops
Blue she right
Drop by drop
Light by bright
Night by light
There ain't no good
And there ain't no blame
Not hip
Ain't no aim
You make the fault
You cause the blame
Devil the same
Hop in a thought
Ex-extract
Shiny beast of thought
You hang up
Now you' caught
If you got ears
You gotta listen
Old woman sweat
Young girls glisten
There's more than what you thought
Hop in a thought
The shiny beast of thought

Stand there bubblin' like an oven coal in the sun
Back is achin'
Work is never done
She's swinging a sponge on the end of a string
Right on the brink
She spills the ink down the sink
She's not bad
She's just genetically mean
She's not bad
She's just genetically mean
Don't you wish you never met her?
Don't you wish you never met her?
Don't you wish you never met her?
Dirty Blue Gene

She's swinging a sponge on the end of a string
Don't you wish you never met her?
Don't you wish you never met her?
Don't you wish you never met her?
Don't you wish you never met her?
She's not bad
She's just genetically mean
(fuck)
Dirty Blue Gene
Dirty
Dirty
Dirty
Dirty Blue Gene
She's
Not
Bad
posted by Irdial , 1:28 PM Þ 

you are lavender
#E6E6FA

Your dominant hue is blue, making you a good friend who people love and trust. You're good in social situations and want to fit in. Just be careful not to compromise who you are to make them happy.

Your saturation level is very low - you have better things to do than jump headfirst into every little project. You make sure your actions are going to really accomplish something before you start because you hate wasting energy making everyone else think you're working.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.
the spacefem.com html color quiz


All I want is harmony like some out-moded sixties throwback.

Dido's music is beige.
posted by Alun , 1:24 PM Þ 

Oh my word, these guys are serious!
I think they are girls... Took this quiz....


and this one


Funny, cause I do have a boyfriend
posted by Alison , 12:48 PM Þ 
posted by meau meau , 12:34 PM Þ 

I think Claus & I have met, some years ago in a basement bar when Copenhagen was very snowy ... did we actually meet ? was it in the bar ? ... this was before blogdial, so again, doesn't really count, and embarrassingly, i have no idea what ces looks like ...

I have no idea what many of the blogdialers look like, but I can tell CES's face has a beautiful profile
For some reason (I really dont know why)
I imagine Anthoney having a full beard and long hair
Akin having a very deep laughter...
Alex having black hair
Captain D must have a kind velvet voice
Mary a wonderful smile (I know)
and so on...
It is very stimulating for my imaginaton to read and write on blogdial
posted by Alison , 11:49 AM Þ 

posted by a hymn in g to nann , 11:02 AM Þ 

I think Claus & I have met, some years ago in a basement bar when Copenhagen was very snowy ... did we actually meet ? was it in the bar ? ... this was before blogdial, so again, doesn't really count, and embarrassingly, i have no idea what ces looks like ...
posted by a hymn in g to nann , 10:58 AM Þ 

you are lightcyan
#E0FFFF

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well.

Your saturation level is very low - you have better things to do than jump headfirst into every little project. You make sure your actions are going to really accomplish something before you start because you hate wasting energy making everyone else think you're working.

Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.
the spacefem.com html color quiz
posted by a hymn in g to nann , 10:50 AM Þ 
posted by Alison , 10:25 AM Þ 

There is nothing more dangerous than a computer illiterate citizen...except for a computer literate member of parliament:



TWO articles just out on this.

The first:
The Telegraph

"The MPs suggested that loyalty cards could be used to identify
customers who bought excessive amounts of foods high in fat, sugar and
salt, and asked whether supermarkets could use this information to
promote healthier alternatives to these customers."

the second:
The Guardian

"David Hinchliffe, the MP who was instrumental in securing a ban on
tobacco advertising earlier this year, suggested supermarkets' loyalty
cards could be used to monitor eating habits."
posted by Irdial , 10:01 AM Þ 

Oh wow, where did you and Claus meet? I always thought you and Mikkel might have met because of the Danish connection. I should have guessed A and A have met, but I think we were thinking of people who had met because of Blogdial and not before.

Oh, then I have not met with anyone, I know Claus from before Blogdial... And I have never met Mikkel, it would be fun to meet Mikkel

I dunno, maybe I am overemphasising/analysing this, but it was an excellent experience to discuss this hobby/habit, and these postings and associated topics with someone, because no one else in my daily life reads or posts here (I have tried to encourage others in the past, it's not something I keep secret). There was a lot of shared interest and the fact that I had never met Josh before, and that he and I came from different sides of the world only made it more groovy.

I envy you Cap. D and Josh, it could be great to meet.

The company I work for has a Danish office, so if I ever get the chance to visit there I'll try and look you Danes up!

I'll invite you on curry or heering with ryebread
posted by Alison , 8:43 AM Þ 
Friday, December 05, 2003
posted by Irdial , 8:05 PM Þ 

Open the torrent, and if it says "problem...." say ok and leave the window open. When its sorted, it will start torrenting. Press again to dismiss the window if needed.

I am not in charge of this btw!

The precise error returned is:
"Problem connecting to tracker - >unknown error (10061, 'Connection Refused')"
posted by Irdial , 7:44 PM Þ 

I'm having a problem connecting to any peers to download the Beautyon.
posted by Josh Carr , 6:54 PM Þ 

I am Aqua too, like Josh.
I should probably get bit torrent. Problem with barely being on the computer anymore, I don't get a lot of these newfangled things. Nuts!
posted by Barrie , 6:43 PM Þ 

Will everyone please copy this URL and mail it to three of your competent colleagues:

http://home.r107.co.uk/torrents/beautyon.torrent

And of course, "hit it" yourself.
posted by Irdial , 6:29 PM Þ 

okay, okay...

you are aqua
#00FFFF

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well.

Your saturation level is very high - you are all about getting things done. The world may think you work too hard but you have a lot to show for it, and it keeps you going. You shouldn't be afraid to lead people, because if you're doing it, it'll be done right.

Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.
the spacefem.com html color quiz
posted by Josh Carr , 6:16 PM Þ 

Oh my word, these guys are serious!

http://www.spacefem.com/colorquiz/list.php

Everyone has a blogdial color logo now....almonst. Yes, almonst.
posted by Irdial , 5:55 PM Þ 

I have met Claus - right?

Oh wow, where did you and Claus meet? I always thought you and Mikkel might have met because of the Danish connection. I should have guessed A and A have met, but I think we were thinking of people who had met because of Blogdial and not before.

I dunno, maybe I am overemphasising/analysing this, but it was an excellent experience to discuss this hobby/habit, and these postings and associated topics with someone, because no one else in my daily life reads or posts here (I have tried to encourage others in the past, it's not something I keep secret). There was a lot of shared interest and the fact that I had never met Josh before, and that he and I came from different sides of the world only made it more groovy.

The company I work for has a Danish office, so if I ever get the chance to visit there I'll try and look you Danes up!
posted by captain davros , 5:04 PM Þ 


In a couple of hours, this done gonna be mine.
posted by Mess Noone , 4:46 PM Þ 
posted by alex_tea , 3:58 PM Þ 

you are teal
#008080

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well.

Your saturation level is very high - you are all about getting things done. The world may think you work too hard but you have a lot to show for it, and it keeps you going. You shouldn't be afraid to lead people, because if you're doing it, it'll be done right.

Your outlook on life can be bright or dark, depending on the situation. You are flexible and see things objectively.
the spacefem.com html color quiz
posted by Ken , 3:25 PM Þ 

Me back. Zapped. Meeting Josh in NYC was great, and highly recommended, but we wondered if we were the only Blogdiallers who have ever met each other? Are we?

Anthoney and Akin must have meet - right?
I have met Claus - right?

you are darkviolet
#9400D3

Your dominant hues are blue and magenta. You're the one who goes to all the parties but doesn't quite fit in at every one... you know what you want, but are afraid of what the world might think of it. You're a little different and that's okay with them, and if you're smart it's okay with you too.

Your saturation level is very high - you are all about getting things done. The world may think you work too hard but you have a lot to show for it, and it keeps you going. You shouldn't be afraid to lead people, because if you're doing it, it'll be done right.

Your outlook on life is brighter than most people's. You like the idea of influencing things for the better and find hope in situations where others might give up. You're not exactly a bouncy sunshine but things in your world generally look up.
the spacefem.com html color quiz
posted by Alison , 2:42 PM Þ 

you are salmon
#FA8072

Your dominant hue is red... you are passionate, energetic, and unafraid of life's changes. You're all about getting out and trying something new, even if it means taking risks that other people would be afraid of. Hey, if they're afraid and you're not, more power to you, right?

Your saturation level is medium - You're not the most decisive go-getter, but you can get a job done when it's required of you. You probably don't think the world can change for you and don't want to spend too much effort trying to force it.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.
the spacefem.com html color quiz
posted by captain davros , 2:26 PM Þ 

you are olivedrab
#688E23

Your dominant hues are green and yellow. There's no doubt about the fact that you think with your head, but you don't want to be seen as boring and want people to know about your adventurous streak now and again.

Your saturation level is higher than average - You know what you want, but sometimes know not to tell everyone. You value accomplishments and know you can get the job done, so don't be afraid to run out and make things happen.

Your outlook on life can be bright or dark, depending on the situation. You are flexible and see things objectively.
the spacefem.com html color quiz
posted by meau meau , 2:16 PM Þ 

MediaGuardian.co.uk | Broadcast | ITV reporter attacks military 'spin'

The only people who believe these lies are the ones who tell them. This 'fog of war' is beginning to cloud not only conflicts on foreign soil but our own home policies.
posted by alex_tea , 2:03 PM Þ 

That someone can even say the words.....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3292979.stm
posted by Irdial , 1:52 PM Þ 

you are turquoise
#40E0D0

Your dominant hues are green and blue. You're smart and you know it, and want to use your power to help people and relate to others. Even though you tend to battle with yourself, you solve other people's conflicts well.

Your saturation level is higher than average - You know what you want, but sometimes know not to tell everyone. You value accomplishments and know you can get the job done, so don't be afraid to run out and make things happen.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.
the spacefem.com html color quiz
posted by Claus Eggers , 1:47 PM Þ 

you are saddlebrown
#8B4513

Your dominant hues are red and yellow... most of what you do is motivated by your need to change things and have a good time, but you've been known to settle down and think out a situation, too. You tend to surprise people just when they're starting to feel like they've got you down.

Your saturation level is high - you get into life and have a strong personality. Everyone you meet will either love you or hate you - either way, your goal is to get them to change the world with you. You are very hard working and don't have much patience for people without your initiative.

Your outlook on life can be bright or dark, depending on the situation. You are flexible and see things objectively.
the spacefem.com html color quiz
posted by alex_tea , 1:26 PM Þ 

you are khaki
#F0E68C

Your dominant hues are red and green, so you're definately not afraid to get in and stir things up. You have no time for most people's concerns, you'd rather analyze with your head than be held back by some random "gut feeling".

Your saturation level is lower than average - You don't stress out over things and don't understand people who do. Finishing projects may sometimes be a challenge, but you schedule time as you see fit and the important things all happen in the end, even if not everyone sees your grand master plan.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.
the spacefem.com html color quiz
posted by Irdial , 1:21 PM Þ 

My bank card has a security feature which helps prevent fraudulent use of the card information.
It is an feature which if I am disappointed with I can go to another bank.
It is not an ID system to identify me, the holder of the card, rather I have a key which will enable the card to be used. I am in control of the use of the card and the bank has taken measures to protect the card and themselves.

Anyhow the implementation of the chip remains to be seen, I haven't had any opportunity to check the PIN system.

Under the Shengen Arrangement in the EU:

Measures adopted by Schengen group members

Among the main measures are:

the removal of checks at common borders, replacing them with external border checks;
a common definition of the rules for crossing external borders;
separation in air terminals and ports of people travelling within the Schengen area from those arriving from countries outwith the area;
harmonisation of the rules regarding conditions of entry and visas for short stays;
coordination between administrations on surveillance of borders (liaison officers, harmonisation of instructions and staff training);
the definition of the role of carriers in the fight against illegal immigration;
requirement for all non EU nationals moving from one country to another to lodge a declaration;
the drawing up of rules for asylum seekers ( Dublin Convention );
the introduction of rights of surveillance and not pursuit;
the strengthening of legal cooperation through a faster extradition system and faster distribution of information about the implementation of criminal judgments;
the creation of the Schengen Information System (SIS).




In March 1999 the United Kingdom asked to take part in some aspects of Schengen, namely police and legal cooperation in criminal matters, the fight against drugs and the Schengen Information System (SIS).

Again the UK government picks up only the invasive/punicious elements of an EU accord and wonders why much of the UK is sceptical about the benefits of anything to do with the EU. Fools.
posted by meau meau , 11:03 AM Þ 

We can assume a few things from this encounter:
1. The ID system is useful in some instances.

No. Your bank should know who you are. Secondly, If your ID has your picture on it, and its clearly you in the ID it cannot "expire" that is absurd. If you had been dealing with any other kind of person than a nice one, she could have denied you a service which you are paying for. I have had the experience of using an expired driving licence and being told by a complete ignoramus, "That ID is no good because its out of date". When stupid/uneducated/vindictive people can control you witn a piece of plastic, you are in grave danger .

If a bank wants to issue with ID, thats fine. You can always go to another bank. Compulsory Government issued ID however is another thing entirely. Your identitiy is just that; YOURS. The government, ANY GOVERNMENT does not have the right to sell your identiy to a company so that they can make money off of the issuing of cards.

It is your right to change your name when you like, use multiple names if you see fit, and control your own information. You have the right to control who stores information about you. If you do not want to give your address to someone, that is your right. If you do not want someone, ANYONE, to store a profile of you, sell it for marketing, use it to control access for services that you are PAYING for, that is your right.

I was able to prove my identity, and rightfully claim what was mine.

There are other ways this can be done. I NEVER have to show ID at the bank that I use.

2. The teller was incredibly nice and understanding. Humanity prevails!

No it DOES NOT. You were lucky this one time. You are not one of the institutionally disavantaged underclass that is NEVER "lucky" (it has nothing to do with luck of course, but everything with presentation, some of those elements of presentation we have no control over. In the UK for example accent is a powerful indicator of trustworthyness) in these situations. We cannot trust in humanity when we are dealing with our freedom. This is abundantly clear especially today, with the type of governments that are in place all over the west today.

3. I should not try to lift heavy objects or perform complex tasks within 24 hours of certain festivities.

hmmmmm!

When on a trip to Venice, I travelled on an expired passport. The italian immigration officer, basically said "naughty naughty" and let me into Italy. He could have easily held me at the airport and sent me back to where I flew from, but he was reasonable. I was lucky that time. If compulsory ID cards are rolled out in the UK, we will have to put up with this "I was lucky/unlucky" chatter forevermore. This is unnaceptable. My ability to do what I need to do every day should not be controlled by the good will of an ignorant pig behind a till who is having either a good day or a bad day. ID cards are unnecessary, evil and present only problems and not solutions. The west was built without ID cards. Rome was built without ID cards.

We do not need them. At all.
posted by Irdial , 10:39 AM Þ 

The true cost of music?
posted by meau meau , 10:16 AM Þ 

However, I was listening to a radio documentary on racism in Montreal, and it is common practise for the police to stop young Afro-Canadians and ask for their ID. A community group is actually handing out flyers to the kids that teaches them how to handle the situation without getting angry (which would be hard to do). So what happens if they don't have ID? Or they do get angry? Society wants to believe these things don't happen, but they do.
posted by mary13 , 6:41 AM Þ 

For the record: I went to the bank last week to do an important banking task that could only be done in person. I search for my bank card, which is surprisingly not in my purse (flash back to previously drunken evening, paying an obscene amount for wine and snacks, tottering to the cab, the rest, furry details). I am convinced my card is lost. Panic. The bank teller assures me that she can replace my card, toute de suite. I present my ID. She takes my ID and declares it "no longer valid". Panic again. I take back the card, and indeed, it has expired. I look around wildly, mindful that my appointment with my stylist is in 20 minutes, my flight leaves in 4 hours, and I have no time to rush home and sort the details. Amazingly, the teller offers to issue me a new bank card, even though my ID card has expired. One simple check into my file, and she is convinced it is me. Many warm smiles, transactions and thank you's later, I am out the door with every task complete.

We can assume a few things from this encounter:
1. The ID system is useful in some instances. I was able to prove my identity, and rightfully claim what was mine.
2. The teller was incredibly nice and understanding. Humanity prevails!
3. I should not try to lift heavy objects or perform complex tasks within 24 hours of certain festivities.
posted by mary13 , 5:57 AM Þ 
Thursday, December 04, 2003

Me back. Zapped. Meeting Josh in NYC was great, and highly recommended, but we wondered if we were the only Blogdiallers who have ever met each other? Are we?

The photo will come soon, but these things take time 'cause it was done on a film cam. Irony was I had bought a beautiful Sony DSC-U30 only days before leaving for the states, but I was so laden down with gear and had no computer out there to organise the files on so I didn't take it.

I also got one of these when I was out there for $24. $24. It isn't working properly right now (interface is shafted but thankfully it can be controlled by my Zire) so I think I might have knack'd it on the way home, but I need to investigate that more closely. Importantly though the prints are excellent - tiny fun basically. And it was $24.
posted by captain davros , 10:40 PM Þ 
posted by Ken , 8:41 PM Þ 

So you can type in a PIN code when you pay instead of signing reciepts.
In Canada we have "debit cards" which are basically bank cards. They don't have any name or identity information on them, just a number that is associated with your bank account. When you make a purchase you swipe, enter your pin, and the amount of cash is debited from your account. I rather like it because it is not an ID card and can be easily replaced at any time, and contains no "smart" chip.
My father got a call from an agency connected to the bank yesterday about an identity theft protection service. Apparently you would pay a company 15 bux a month to take care of your identity and make sure it is not stolen. Like... that isn't even a well conceived scam. Who in their right mind would ever put their identity into the hands of someone else voluntarily?
posted by Barrie , 8:02 PM Þ 

All these tracks have been made made available by the bands or record labels themselves, they don't involve Kazaa or anonymous postings to alt.binaries.sounds or anything like that. The idea is that if you like the track, you'll buy some of their records, which seems pretty sound to me. [...]

Finally.

For literally decades, we used to tape John Peel shows and trade them. It was only much later that Strange Fruit Records started releasing the huge archive of awesome Peel Sessions, most of the time, years after the music was recorded. A pointless waste of good music, which everyone could get a hold of thanks to Eddie Wolfram, countless vinyl bootlegs and the like.

Only now, when it doesnt matter anymore, can you get what you want, instantly. There are still some laggards who dont understand the new rules of the game, pretending that they can stop people from copying music, believing that by not allowing downloads and free transfers that somehow people will buy more records. You know who these people are. I know who these people are.

One thing is for sure; if everything starts to change suddenly, and there is an explosion of real, mass scale, mouth watering, hair straightening creativity, in other words, it starts to matter again, everyone everywhere who wants it will be able to get it, on a scale previously unimaginable....as unimaginable as something like that explosion occuring in this age. Anything is possible. Like death, I want to see it coming, and not be run over by it. Bowled over by it is fine of course.

Disclaimer. There are slivers of light in this tenebrae time that has smothered everything. The priceless Ladytron for example (DONT EVEN GO THERE A_T)....you know who they are. But today, waiting for the gems is like eating only once a month and expecting to grow fat. This is a time of starvation. Famine...and disease.

The cure to this disease?

Burn them all in HELL!
posted by Irdial , 7:10 PM Þ 
posted by Irdial , 6:31 PM Þ 

mp3 downloads of songs played by John Peel (this one from metafilter)
posted by Ken , 6:22 PM Þ 

Let them sing it for you (props to memepool for the link)
posted by Ken , 6:19 PM Þ 

with Irdial?

we licenced it to them.
posted by Irdial , 5:51 PM Þ 

Trials to prepare for compulsory ID cards

Alan Travis, home affairs editor
Thursday December 4, 2003

The Home Office admitted yesterday that its six-month trial of new hi-tech passports would "lay the foundations for a compulsory identity card scheme".

The pilot scheme, which starts next month, will involve 10,000 volunteers receiving personalised smartcards containing biometric information - initially a digital image of their faces based on a passport photograph.

The trial will assess the cost of and reactions to the scheme, and will be run by the Passport Service and Mori, the pollsters. The contractor, Schlumberger Sema, will announce the first of four sites where it will be launched next month. [...]


So, buried in the Guardian is this bad news. And we also are told the people to whom the British Public, that great asset of untagged flesh are being sold to: Schlumberger Sema. The British are being sold to the lowest bidder. The sucessful bidder will recieve a proportion of the fee that every citizen will have to pay to be issued a compulsory ID card. This captive population, who by law have to pay this money and carry this card, represents a huge flock of sheep to be fleeced.

This is indecent, immoral and a waste of time and money that will not achieve the ends that it is being "designed" for, will create a new class of crime and....you know the story.

Apalling.


The Guardian
posted by Irdial , 5:41 PM Þ 
posted by Claus Eggers , 5:02 PM Þ 

Among the Touch Ringtones there is a track by The Conet Project V2.

Is this anything to do with Irdial?
posted by alex_tea , 4:29 PM Þ 

"In the mid 1960s, I was riding a two stroke, Yamaha motorcycle up a long mountain slope in the Carolinas, stuck behind a diesel engine truck. Both of our throttles were very open, overcoming the force of gravity. Soon, the revolutions of our respective engines came to a nearly harmonic coincidence, but not quite.

The strong physical presence of the beats resulting from the two engines running at slightly different frequencies put me in such a trance that I nearly rode off the side of the mountain."

+++

I always look forward to the December Experimental Intermedia concerts. $4.99 admission, incredible loft space, never too crowded (unless someone like Jim O'Rourke is playing) and great line ups. And Niblock's winter solsctice parties are a treat to behold. What a drone.
posted by Josh Carr , 3:42 PM Þ 

Torture. I am being force fed Ladytron. I just don't get it. So insipid and uninspired. Original electro pop was so much better and you can get contemporary electro with a lot more substance than this.

Anyway, it's all subjective I guess.
posted by alex_tea , 2:21 PM Þ 

posted by Mess Noone , 2:16 PM Þ 

I got a new bank card today. It has an EMV chip. So you can type in a PIN code when you pay instead of signing reciepts.

'It will help eliminate identity fraud' I'm not convinced by the card-not-present security aspect. But it sure doesn't need biometric information to do this and it is the card issuer who is taking steps to reduce fraud and following a thought out strategy. And the features are specific to their task.
posted by meau meau , 1:55 PM Þ 

This story just does it, my naive-post-muslim-brain just cant handle it... Made me feel like fainting, when I read about Armin Meiwes in the train this morning
Armin Meiwes - the german cannibal


And a better article in german
posted by Alison , 12:30 PM Þ 
posted by meau meau , 12:26 PM Þ 

Hmm, my eating of steak tartare is probably above average - or is when I can find a good supply of organic steak, shopping for organic meat is quite disheartening at the moment.

I shall have to watch out for traffic a bit more carefully.
posted by meau meau , 10:34 AM Þ 

avantegarde
You're Avante Garde Indie. You listen to abstract
music like free-jazz and Krautrock. You drink
too much coffee and you scare the fuck out of
the rest of us. We're afraid to call you
pretentious because we know that we all just
don't get it. There are few of you out there,
and most of you will probably die soon.


You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla
posted by Mess Noone , 9:07 AM Þ 

Apparently I'm post-punk. Probably the whole morose thing.
Snare drums need reverb. Lots and lots of reverb.
That's totally true, makes them sound like tremors or convulsions or something.
Just finished an open book final exam without the book (forgot it at home). If I do well (and I think I will), I will laugh at everyone who used their book. Muahaha!

The new Napster makes me feel so conflicted.

On the one hand, hey, it's Napster! Remember him? He was our friend who went away! On the other hand, he's not really back. He's returned from some kind of lobotomy, with a row of ugly red stitches on his forehead like tracks to the ultimate nothing. What was once the scene of a great battle, a sort of consumer Alamo, is now a cute little shop which sells trinkets meant to evoke that conflict. Conceptually, it's problematic. You can fish some cool metaphors out of it, though.
From Penny Arcade
posted by Barrie , 6:57 AM Þ 
posted by Claus Eggers , 3:17 AM Þ 

Hive mind.

Read the bit about toxoplasma...

"but now the parasite's changing their [the scientists'] minds."

See! They can control us, they are controlling the Scientists!

Also it says the 80% of French people are infected. I watched my girlfriend's Dad eat some raw beef in France last time I was there... I wonder if she is infected.
posted by alex_tea , 1:55 AM Þ 

Put on my raving shoes and I boarded the plane,
Touch down in a city where the sky looks blue,
In the middle of the pouring rain.

Everybody was happy,
Ecstasy shining down on me,
Yeah got a first class ticket,
Feel as good as a boy can be.

I'm raving I'm raving,
I'm raving till the sweat just pours down off me,
I'm raving I'm raving,
but do I really feel the way I feel?

They were playing oldskool 'ardcore anthems on the radio this morning. Best way to wake up. Then I saw that post about ecstasy and also there was some weird Cher thing on TV tonight.

I can't get the bloody thing out of my head.
posted by alex_tea , 1:45 AM Þ 
Wednesday, December 03, 2003

Captain Davros and I hung out last night. Quite a charming chap. Perhaps when he returns to blogdialia he will post the visual evidence.

###

"Punk rock is a word used by dilettantes and heartless manipulators ... what sounds to you like a load of trashy noise is actually the brilliant music of a genius: Myself."
posted by Josh Carr , 8:02 PM Þ 

To be this good takes Ages or...

Saga MegaDrive.
Chronic Arthritis the Hedgehog
posted by alex_tea , 7:50 PM Þ 
posted by Irdial , 7:11 PM Þ 

truepunk
You're a True Punk. You know that punk isn't all
about studded jackets and mohawks. If you're
political, you're actually informed. Most of
the stuff you love is from before the 80s,
though you know bands like Fugazi kept the
spirit going.


You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla
posted by mary13 , 5:58 PM Þ 

Who was it who was asking for an RSS reader? This:

http://ranchero.com/netnewswire/

Is for you.
posted by Irdial , 5:50 PM Þ 

postpunk
You're a Post-Punk. You know 70s punk was cool, but
it was mostly just a stepping stone for the
greater intellectualism of what would come
after. The 80s were amazing. You quite possibly
have huge hair, and may wear lots of black.
Snare drums need reverb. Lots and lots of
reverb.


You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla

"This is the crisis I knew had to come"

!!!!!!!!!
posted by Irdial , 4:58 PM Þ 

riotgrrl
You're a Riot Grrl. You love the rockin' sound of
loud women, and rightfully so. You're probably
an activist of some sort. And yes, you're
right, not all Riot Grrls are lesbians. Just
most.


You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla
posted by meau meau , 4:29 PM Þ 

"There is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain..."
posted by alex_tea , 4:19 PM Þ 

From the ice-age to the dole-age
there is but one concern
I have just discovered

Some girls are bigger than others
some girls are bigger than others
some girls mothers are bigger than other girls mothers

As Antony said to Cleopatra
as he opened a crate of ale
oh I say

Some girls are bigger than others
some girls are bigger than others
some girls mothers are bigger than other girls mothers
posted by Alison , 4:17 PM Þ 

Really!?!?
avantegarde
You're Avante Garde Indie. You listen to abstract
music like free-jazz and Krautrock. You drink
too much coffee and you scare the fuck out of
the rest of us. We're afraid to call you
pretentious because we know that we all just
don't get it. There are few of you out there,
and most of you will probably die soon.


You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla
posted by Alison , 4:10 PM Þ 

avantegarde
You're Avante Garde Indie. You listen to abstract
music like free-jazz and Krautrock. You drink
too much coffee and you scare the fuck out of
the rest of us. We're afraid to call you
pretentious because we know that we all just
don't get it. There are few of you out there,
and most of you will probably die soon.


You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla
posted by Claus Eggers , 3:51 PM Þ 

Just spent a week without internet due to our router deciding that no matter what configuration we put in to it wouldn't work. Then for some reason, it decides to start working again..... Mind you, I did get quite a bit done while it was off.

Thanks for all the css links.....more reading to do.

avantegarde
You're Avante Garde Indie. You listen to abstract
music like free-jazz and Krautrock. You drink
too much coffee and you scare the fuck out of
the rest of us. We're afraid to call you
pretentious because we know that we all just
don't get it. There are few of you out there,
and most of you will probably die soon.


You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla
posted by chriszanf , 3:10 PM Þ 

avantegarde
You're Avante Garde Indie. You listen to abstract
music like free-jazz and Krautrock. You drink
too much coffee and you scare the fuck out of
the rest of us. We're afraid to call you
pretentious because we know that we all just
don't get it. There are few of you out there,
and most of you will probably die soon.


You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla
posted by alex_tea , 2:32 PM Þ 

This is interesting too....

I blogged that earlier; its an astonishing piece. CSS changes everything, and that article has a bigger eureka factor than any other that I have read dealing with understanding CSS. They get a gold star!
posted by Irdial , 2:03 PM Þ 

This is interesting too....

Retooling Slashdot with Web Standards: A List Apart

I really like ALA. But my <spans> are giving me gip, or at least IE is. Plus there's no copy of IE 5 here on a PC. Anyone want to give me VNC access to a windoze box?!!??! :P
posted by alex_tea , 12:41 PM Þ 

A list of sites with table-less layout, for Josh or whoever it was (maybe Mess?) that was asking recently.
posted by alex_tea , 12:36 PM Þ 



I think tB has been watching/starring in too many cartoons
posted by meau meau , 12:22 PM Þ 
posted by meau meau , 11:41 AM Þ 
posted by meau meau , 11:13 AM Þ 

There used to be an app called "Tardis" for windoze 3.1 back in the dark ages...its icon was a blue police box...
posted by Irdial , 10:40 AM Þ 

How do you synchronise your computer clock to the latest time?

Easy. System Preferences > Date & Time > Set time automatically (Choose your server. I use time.euro.apple.com)

This has been possible on Mac OS since 9 at least, probably 8.6, maybe even earlier, although versions earlier than 8.6 had shady TCP/IP support so maybe not.
posted by alex_tea , 10:32 AM Þ 

Diversity plus freedom of choice creates inequality, and the greater the diversity, the more extreme the inequality. [...]

"Freedom is not free, free men are not equal and equal men are not free."

Uh oh.

http://www.shirky.com/writings/powerlaw_weblog.html
posted by Irdial , 10:17 AM Þ 

Drone Zone from the iTunes radio list.....
posted by Irdial , 10:13 AM Þ 

posted by meau meau , 10:09 AM Þ 

posted by Irdial , 10:01 AM Þ 
posted by Mess Noone , 9:08 AM Þ 
Tuesday, December 02, 2003
posted by Ken , 10:21 PM Þ 

Internet access will also be used by train crews

and yet ... --> !!
posted by a hymn in g to nann , 7:24 PM Þ 

List of places to go:

Comfort food:
Nathans
Carvel
White Castle
IHOP
Dairy Queen

Must see:
Little Italy
Chinatown

Must do:
Circle Line
Empire State Building
Rdio City at Rockefeller Center
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
Washington Square

Eat more:
Juniors on Flatbush Avenue
Sylvias in Harlem

Drink some:
Brookly Brown

Go look but dont buy:
Bleeker Bobs in the Village (a most awesome record shop)
Other music (out of curiosity)
posted by Irdial , 6:57 PM Þ 

Yes, finally I am blogging from the US. Dav in NYC, in the Apple store near Prince Street. And the plan to meet Josh C is in place and looking good.

Back in Blighty Thursday morning. Over and out.

CD
posted by captain davros , 5:14 PM Þ 
posted by alex_tea , 5:05 PM Þ 

yodelling

That ALONE is reason for all of europe to become like Switzerland.

And Im not joking.
posted by Irdial , 3:26 PM Þ 

fabricated to mimic real DNA!
posted by meau meau , 2:56 PM Þ 
posted by Alison , 2:38 PM Þ 
posted by Claus Eggers , 1:09 PM Þ 

Macuser

Rail passengers travelling between London, the North East and Scotland can now get wireless Internet access throughout their journeys.

GNER, which operates trains on the lines running from Kings Cross, through York and Leeds, to Newcastle and Edinburgh has launched the scheme today on one high-speed train and will gauge customer reaction before deciding whether to provide access across its entire fleet.

The company is using technology from Swedish firm Icomera that comprises antennae mounted on the train roof which are linked to an onboard server and through to a standard wireless network. It is the first such system in the UK.

For the time being the service will be free, and GNER added no decision has yet been made on whether it will charge in future.

Internet access will also be used by train crews to improve communications and provide up-to-the minute information
posted by meau meau , 12:36 PM Þ 

yodelling & fondue
posted by meau meau , 11:15 AM Þ 

a large switzerland

Total banking secrecy, Alpensport, beautiful women, and coocooclocks?

Returnez a votre lit, homme Francaise!
posted by Irdial , 11:00 AM Þ 

A solar array 200x200 miles could supply the world's current electricity requirements if placed in Saudi Arabia - hence India too.
posted by meau meau , 10:33 AM Þ 

fsv is pretty neat, it would be good if it could launch items too, and zoom controls

-

Today progamme - A clever French man was talking c08:40 about how in the future Europe will be like a large switzerland with China and India being the balancing powers to the US. Europe will likely be attached to the US for economic/security reasons but the US will not pay any attention to it.

Why he didn't think Europe should look to India, etc as a partner rather than the US I don't know.
posted by meau meau , 10:14 AM Þ 

Everyone is dumping commercial/freeware PGP for GPG because its open free and easy to integrate into whatever app you want. No one is going to suddenly change licences or more importantly APIs on you, so you can plan long term and have some certainly.

Its a pity however, that once again the usability of this and other open source tools is so totally below par. This OSX version is perfect in the usability area; once again, commercial software does it right. Everyone knows that usability is extremely important, yet its not beign addressed at all, or is beign totally ignored.

Every OSS developer should take a year off to polish thier apps for complete OSX level usability before they spand more time on features.
posted by Irdial , 9:57 AM Þ 

PGP for osX is quite good but version 6.5 for classic/8.x had far better fetaures/application integration, sigh.
-
I get between 7 & 8 hours sleep every night
posted by meau meau , 9:42 AM Þ 

I have been using PGP for OS X for quite some time now (probably almost a year?). I find the interface so lickety smooth and effortless and flawless that GPG better be offering a really good blowjob to get me to switch back.
Aside from that little comment, I have nothing to say. I have two portfolios and one large project due and one final exam on the date of December 10th. I am going insane.
posted by Barrie , 4:45 AM Þ 

Just as I suspected, PGPKeys OSX does just what it is meant to do, and it does it perfectly.
posted by Irdial , 3:16 AM Þ 

Personally I use GPG; the keyring management tools for GPG that I have been able to find are total crap however, so I am testing PGP OSX to see if PGPKeys is useful.
posted by Irdial , 2:38 AM Þ 

Why use PGP over GPG? Apart from better GUI (I'm getting along fine with the GPG tools I have). What benefits does it have? It's still free, although not GPL free, and it has IDEA encryption.

I guess maybe it's stronger, but it's under jurisdiction of the US gov. isn't it? I mean, it's made in the US, it has had export problems in the past... Surely they could create backdoors in there... Could they?
posted by alex_tea , 2:07 AM Þ 
Monday, December 01, 2003

posted by Irdial , 11:59 PM Þ 

Elective vanity collagen implant failure is equivalent to lower leg amputation following accidental police motorbike/pedestrian crossing carnage. Oh yes.
posted by Alun , 5:32 PM Þ 

My son went to Iraq and all I got was this folded flag.
posted by alex_tea , 5:15 PM Þ 

Ambush vs Anschluss


1 son; value, 1 flag (chinese made).

1 son; value, $1.50
posted by Alun , 4:43 PM Þ 
posted by meau meau , 1:31 PM Þ 

What does your desk say about you?

You're a balancer

Your work space shows that you can be conscientious without being rigid
You're good at getting things sorted out and taken care of - a trait that serves you well personally and professionally
People know they can count on you to get the job, offer realistic advice and a willing hand

How does this affect my workspace?

Since you keep your space neater than not, odds are you've got plenty of room to spread out your work - a tendency that, interestingly, bodes well for your career.
According to Feng Shui, leaving free space allows room for promotions and other opportunities to enter your business life.

What areas for improvement are there at my desk?

Your work space suggests you're relaxed yet tasteful, professional but not intimidating. However, your laid-back attitude to boundaries in your life could have adverse effects.
While the fresh flowers or candy bowl [It was fruit & no flowers] on your desk encourages people to gravitate to your friendly work space, you may sometimes find you're paying more attention to other people's needs than your own. Don't be afraid to gently but firmly tell others when you need to get down to work.

How can feng shui help my work life?

At home, your boundaries may blur if your office is in the bedroom. "The energy created by a computer or fax machine could disturb the relaxing energy needed in a bedroom," according to Kirsten Lagatree, author of Checklists for Life: 104 Lists to Help You Get Organized, Save Time, and Unclutter Your Life. To mitigate the effects, she suggests:
Partitioning the area with a room divider
Covering your computer with a cloth at night.

By using your natural even-keeled impulses and keeping your own needs firmly in mind, you can keep your world in balance.
posted by meau meau , 12:34 PM Þ 

Duh Alun, they don't mean "Ambush" they mean "Anschluss".
posted by Irdial , 12:03 PM Þ 

posted by Irdial , 12:00 PM Þ 

Ambush!
My idea of an ambush was one where the ambushers inflicted serious damage/losses on the ambushees, due to surprise, location and so on.
This 'ambush' was carried out by the same people who have been downing helicopters with ease, and disappearing without trace. The same people whose tactics have involved laying bombs to blow up vehicles, and being very difficult to catch. They don't have a history of taking on convoys with small arms.
The ambushers lost 46-0 to the ambushees. That has to be a new world war record.
Spin spin whisky and gin, I suffer for my art bartender.

Half of what I say is meaningless.
posted by Alun , 10:20 AM Þ 

XLI
posted by Irdial , 9:33 AM Þ 

A212 in 3D via FSV

expanded tree collapsed folders

mariopaint

anthony manning
posted by alex_tea , 3:18 AM Þ 


I am 45% British, just like
Catherine Zeta Jones
A true English rose, but you know where the money is.

Take the Brit Quiz at
darrenlondon.tripod.com/britquiz1.htm

Quiz written by Daz

posted by Alison , 12:04 AM Þ 
Sunday, November 30, 2003


I am 95% British, just like
HRH Prince Charles
Though you'll never be king you certainly know where your castle is.

Take the Brit Quiz at
darrenlondon.tripod.com/britquiz1.htm

Quiz written by Daz
posted by Claus Eggers , 9:21 PM Þ 


I am 87.5% British, just like
Mr Bean
Shy to the point of ridicule, you've probably never been out of the UK.

Take the Brit Quiz at
darrenlondon.tripod.com/britquiz1.htm

Quiz written by Daz
posted by Irdial , 8:20 PM Þ 


I am 92.5% British, just like
HRH Prince Charles
Though you'll never be king you certainly know where your castle is.

Take the Brit Quiz at
darrenlondon.tripod.com/britquiz1.htm

Quiz written by Daz
posted by alex_tea , 7:19 PM Þ 

posted by meau meau , 7:09 PM Þ 

posted by meau meau , 7:07 PM Þ 
posted by alex_tea , 1:46 PM Þ 
posted by Irdial , 11:50 AM Þ 

Plan to form new Mussolini party

The granddaughter of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini says she is setting up a new party, after leaving the right-wing National Alliance.

Alessandra Mussolini quit the party - a partner in the government - after comments made this week by National Alliance leader Gianfranco Fini.

During a trip to Israel, Mr Fini called Mussolini's rule "disgraceful".

Ms Mussolini on Thursday said the party had become "incompatible with, and prejudicial to, my family name". [...]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3250334.stm
http://www.alessandramussolini.it/
posted by Irdial , 10:28 AM Þ 
posted by Irdial , 12:20 AM Þ 
Home
 
People
 
Services
 
Articles
 
News
 
About


Subscribe to “Irdial-List” Our Mailing List.
The Blarchives are here.
The Blogs on irdial.com are powered by WordPress.
Here is the Blogdial Atom XML feed.
Here is the Blogdial Feedburner XML feed.
Open Content 1995-2005 Irdialani Limited. All Rights Relinquished where applicable.
Links: STAND FIPR PI PF NUFORC M2M SB FTT FFF RMS A-SCROB ONGAKU Blogroll BLOGDIAL WOE CHEZ MANNING