One Hundred and Forty Characters

I've been a member of Twitter for a long time. More than a year (that's almost a decade in internet years). It's only in the past month that it's become a more central point in my life. I mean, unlike most crazes, the internet has a habit of keeping the influential ones around. YouTube, Facebook, LOLcats (though less pervasive these days), they've all become an internet staple, years after inception. Luckily, some have died out as quickly as they were born, but that's probably a good thing. To see a video about this, click this link. Actually, don't.

But now I'm pretty active on Twitter. I'm following a decent number of people so that I'm not bored, and enough people are following me. So if you read this and you aren't on Twitter (and following me), then stop being such a techno-prude and get with the new. Ish.

My Flickr Account expired, which was pretty sad. I tried to upgrade, but PayPal just tried to take money from my old debit card and everything failed, and I can't upgrade again until those payments expired. That's just an apology for anyone who has tried to download the Original size of my pictures and found themselves unable.

I have set up a music page, with most of the stuff I have recorded over the last few years. Here is one of my favourites, and the image from XKCD that inspired it.

I'm about to go and pick up some food for a dinner party tomorrow, and before that I'm getting the tools to switch my CD Player (in my BMW) with the one from the Mercedes. That way I can keep my MP3 CDs and the dude buying my car (later today) saves £30.

Then I'm finally off to see Watchmen. It's taken nearly a week to see it, but the wait is over. I read the comic over Christmas (like so many others) for the sole purpose of hating the film. Now I can feel indignant with Nic and Cattrina.

I'll let you know how it goes. My sister loved it.

Back with a Brand New Invention

So I spent a month redesigning my blog. It wouldn't be worthwhile if I didn't now keep it up to date.

Well, I last made a major change to my blog back in 2006, which I was in California. And then I just copied the bash.org layout. A year or so later I added a random colour interface, which I liked, but the random colour interface is back with some serious additions.

The random colour generator is now based on HSL values, rather than RGB. On top of this, it links in to my Flickr feed via PHP/XML, and fetches photos that complement the background colour. The photo page (a new addition) also displays my 15 most recent photos (with a fun portrait resizing algorithm).

Although I don't like it, I used a little javascript to hide the unnecessary sidebar elements. It was too cluttered without it. I also used javascript for the Twitter widget. And I hope to expand my links list. Email me if you want your blog there.

While I designed it primarily for webkit browsers (Chrome/Safari), it looks best with the new Firefox (3.1). That has better shadow support and all links look fantastic with it. That's because Firefox has better CSS3 support, and I've used it extensively.

As of today, my car is sold. It is with a heavy heart that I let it go, it's been the most faithful and reliable vehicle I have driven, and pretty darn quick on top of that.



It was sold on ebay for £400, which I think is a steal, but I had to sell it, because it was out of insurance and tax, and I didn't want to pay for another year of either. But I have many, many good memories of driving that car, and it won't be forgotten.

I'm back from Hawai'i. I don't really want to be, but I am. It is paradise out there, and I wouldn't have minded staying another two months, but there are ends to everything and my holiday there is now over. It is an incredibly beautiful place, and winter made it very liveable (despite the occasional shower).



Living in the land of the LOST was a major highlight in my life, even though I didn't meet any (major) characters. I did, however, get quite hurt. I detailed most of my injuries a couple of posts ago, but now I have illustrated them.

The injuries to my hands:



The injuries to my legs:



I am mostly healed now, but I haven't had to use so many plasters (band-aids) since I was under ten. I felt like such a kid.

Innocent Smoothies are fantastic, but are rather expensive. I still drink them from time to time, and when I do, I enjoy the humourous notes on the side of the bottle. On the ingredients list on one particular drink, it listed, '1 Apple, 1.5 Bananas, 1 Small Church (not really)' or something along those lines. Since then, I have had a desire to consume a small church.

Lisa had a party (which Alyssa was sadly too ill to attend), where we made things out of crackers and sweets. You can guess what I made.



When I publish this post (and republish the blog), I will fix any errors and dead links that may have been, and it should be mostly operational. I hope this design lasts long enough to be enjoyed by all. I'll be adding more as time goes on.

Despite what I said at the beginning, it's good to be back. Things are starting again.

Secret Messages

One of the things I like most about the beginning of the year is a new season on Lost. I'm a big fan. I've seen all the episodes at least twice (or so- a couple in the fourth season I've only seen once). I have visited every accessible filming location in Oahu. I read about it to an excess. I edit Lostpedia, and I was once told by a professor that I should teach a degree in Lost. I even wrote a song about it.

I was thrilled when I read about the hidden Dharma logo in Half Life 2: Episode 2, and sought it out immediately. But watching the Colbert Report today was the first time I noticed a reference without some prodding.

During the segment 'Cheating Death' on the 27th of January episode, a fake cheque on-screen was written out to Jeremy Bentham. This could be a coincidence, as Jeremy Bentham is a philosopher, but closer examination reveals that the serial number is 4815, and the date is the 22nd of September 2004- the date of the crash.



I'm thrilled Colbert (or at least one of his writers) is a Lost fan. I'm going to watch a little closer.

Speaking of which, I'm happy with how the new season is going. I wasn't sure after the first two episodes, but tonight's one made me really feel like I was back on the Island. Which, technically, I am. I'm looking forward to more.

Waikiki, Why?

The sea is a cruel mistress. I'm thinking of breaking up with her.

My holiday in Hawai'i has meant that I have been minorly injured more times than I have been in the last seven or so years. Small cuts, insect bites, scrapes, strains and bruises... and with the exception of the bites, they have all been a result of the sea.

Swimming in the sea was the first time I had gone swimming since my school days. Alyssa and I went to Waimanalo, and we had a relaxing swim there. A stray rock in the sand gave my foot a bruise/scrape that didn't hurt too much, but was somewhat painful to walk on for a few days.

Then Waimea Bay, a seemingly innocent beach with a shore-break that can hurl an unsuspecting, grown man into the sand hard enough to make his back hurt for a week. Not that I didn't enjoy the beach there, but the waves can take you by surprise. And if you're trying to body-surf, your timing had better be excellent. Also, the Jamba Juice Gift Card that Alyssa's parents gave my for Christmas was swallowed by the sand, never to be seen again.

Going body-boarding at Waimanalo again was fun until a Portuguese Man-o-War found my leg (it didn't hurt nearly as much as the last time I was stung, in Durban, when I was about seven, and I knew them as bluebottles).

I decided to try my hand at surfing at Waikiki, which is a beautiful, if somewhat touristy place. After just an hour and a half of trying, and a few waves caught successfully, I was exhausted by the effort. It is physically demanding, but extremely worthwhile.

Worthwhile enough for me to go again a week or so later, with Alyssa. Having lived most of her life in Hawai'i, I was surprised that Alyssa hadn't surfed before, especially because she took to it so naturally. She caught some excellent waves, while I wasn't as lucky as I had been the previous trip, and in my search for good surf, I discovered the best waves were directly over rocks, and a fall there cut my hands up reasonably well. I expect I will keep at least one scar from that.

Surfing yesterday (the first time I had traveled to the beach alone), with a borrowed board, was great fun. The waves were uneven at best, but a few good ones sent my riding the waves. The board wasn't waxed, which kept me slipping off. Since the waves were few and very far between, a lot of the surfers just sat on their boards chatting for a while, and I met a kind Southern Californian gentleman, who gave me a bar of "Shark Bait" surf-wax, and hopefully my next trip to the beach will be more productive. That's not to say I didn't have my toes relatively cut up by the end of that trip.

I extended my holiday in Hawai'i by a few weeks, as I simply wasn't ready to go home yet. And I'm still not. I haven't surfed enough yet.

The Year in Review

While most of the world is already well into their first day of this new year, I'm barely 2 hours through 2009. Here in Hawai'i we are among the last to ring in the year, but we did so in style and grace. And while I used the 2007 review to remind myself of what I accomplished and what happened then, I am sure I will use this one in the future, and I'm only slightly dismayed I waited until the year had passed to actually commence writing it.

The Worst of 2008
in no particular order

Losing Family

I tended to be pretty lucky with elderly relatives until this year. I lost two grandfathers and an aunt in a matter of months. Today, January 1st, is the first birthday my aunt Anne is missing. I feel terribly for her, and for my father, who has lost so much of his family in too short a time.

The Pound Losing its Strength

The financial crisis has hit many people in many ways. For me, it's made America expensive, which shouldn't be the case at all. It also stopped me from getting a perfect job. Rumours are the dollar will plummet shortly into January. I'll be changing money immediately.

Apple iPhone 3G

Come on.

Losing Cocoa as a Friend

Circumstance on both sides pushed us apart, and while we saw each other every so often, it wasn't as good as it was. But it's part of life. People grow together and apart like breathing.

Not Having Any Way Out

Job market, motivation, commitments, debts... I needed a way out of a rut in 2008, and too many things were keeping me in it.

Not Blogging as Much

Look at the archives. I mean, that's just lazy.

The Best of 2008
in no particular order

Making Life Changing Friends

I say, 'no particular order', but this -and related content- was clearly the highlight of my year. Friends like Lisa and Rachel, who affected me very profoundly and made me feel really great about being me. On top of them, I rediscovered so many friends, and saw them more and realised how great they were.

Portal Prelude and TFV Map Pack

Portal was expanded, for free, twice, making the fantastic game even more so.

Falling in Love

Finding a girl who is so suited to me, despite being the ultimate long distance relationship, made me feel thoroughly loved, and I love her. Alyssa and I are inseparable, and it's comforting to think of her at any point, always supporting me and always being there. It's a real blessing to know that kind of devotion, and to be able to return it. Long distance relationships are hard, but I knew that going in, and we've done well.

Photography

I've wanted to buy myself a decent digital camera for a while. I've never owned a point-and-shoot because I've feared putting money into something that doesn't expand and could have limits. I've wanted a digital SLR, and finally, in February, I got one as a late Christmas present. Since then, I've taught myself as much as I could, and I don't feel like I've done too badly. I've been paid very well for some of my work and I have some high quality equipment. It's a joy I share with several friends, especially Alyssa.

South Africa in Winter, Winter in Hawai'i

I've had a couple of thrilling holidays this year. A few weeks in Africa with my father, more weeks in Hawai'i with Alyssa. A feature of both was that during the holidays I ate well and gained weight, but it's a passable pay-off for fond memories.

Getting Cocoa Back

Despite losing touch, recent activities meant that we became good friends again, and after a little while, it seemed like nothing had happened.

Having a Plan

I think I know what I'm going to do now.