TF77

Saying "Yes" at the Royal Highland Show

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:21:00 +0000

Danny Wallace was on the Jonathan Ross show on Friday plugging his new book and the "Yes Man" movie with Jim Carey. It got me thinking that I should try his "Say Yes" philosophy from "Yes Man" again after having a trial run after I read the book.

So next day, I went with my lovely Wife to the Royal Highland Show near Edinburgh.
First thing as we walk in, she says "Do you want to go see what's in those shops"
I think 'Not likely'
Then I remember that I'm going to say yes more and decide to say yes all day to everything.

So, things I did that my first instinct was to say no to were:

* Went rounds loads of interesting craft shops/stalls (honest!)

* Spent ages watching equally bored horses in a blacksmith competition

* Ate a tonne and a half of free samples in the massive food hall
"Would you like to try our cheese/curry sauce/olive oil/pizza/whisky/liquer/bread sir?"
"Yes" *burp*

* Tried to volunteer to take part in the "Quack Commandos" display - couldn't get past people to get into the showground though but usually I wouldn't even think about it.

* Spent ages waiting in a queue to go on a cool Royal Marines speedboat simulator

* Spoke to a guy and his dog about "Hearing Dogs for the Deaf" and gave them my address for sending more details about their charity.

* Spent over £7 on a pick and mix as my Wife kept on asking
"Do you want some of these?" - yes
"Shall we try some of these?" - yes
"What about that one?" -yes
"I don't want anymore, do you?" - yes
"Surely you don't want anymore?" -yes
"Will you manage to eat all these Sweets?" -yes
"You don't normally have a sweet tooth, are you feeling ok?"- yes
"Do you not think we have enough now?" - YES!

* Ate a newly smoked Arbroath Smokie and it was tremendous!
Wife - "Ugh, Fish. I bet you're going to go an buy one now eh?"

The only thing I said no to all day was when a woman in the Volvo stand asked if I wanted a brochure - it was totally instinctive but I felt a bit bad.

I was sort of worried that I would end up buying a tractor, a cow or a shotgun (or all three!) but luckily that never happened. My wee experiment made a good day out even better and showed me how much I say "no" to things - I had to conciously fight my natural instincts.

Also, I noticed how many rhetorical questions my Wife asks me -
"You don't want to go over there again do you?" - yes
"But we've just been there! Do you really want to go there??" - yes

Other news since my last post, Gran is back to peak fitness, Rats have been verminated and I've been to the Dominican Republic and back - first time I've been in a true third world country (parts of Fife excepted) and a bit strange.

Train again...

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:14:00 +0000

My wee Granny is in the hospital with a chest infection but seems to be on the mend.
We were worried it was something worse but it looks like she is ok however at 86 you have to take everything seriously. Well, we do, she just seems to get on with it.
She's tougher than my brother and I put together.

So I'm on the train again but this time connecting my laptop via my phone. We're travelling over the Forth Bridge and I remember going to Edinburgh for a day trip when I was about 11 or so.

The train had a pay-phone in it and I took great delight in phoning my Gran from the train to tell her that I was actually going across the Forth Bridge while talking on the phone! *gasp*

Changed days indeed :-)

Wonder what will be available in 20 years or so? I'm thinking tech implants and "augmented" reality. Google/facebook on a chip under your skin in a cashless, numbered, tagged society.

Very handy for the powers that be to keep track of all of us sheeple.

Still, there'll always be something to mess it up - just about lost this post because of going through a tunnel!! thank goodness for copy and paste :-))

Rat-a-tat-tat : vermin everywhere

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:52:00 +0000

Had my mate Shuggie staying last weekend and so after a loooooooooooooooong night's drinking he gets up in the morning for a drink of juice.

Gazing out the kitchen window into the jumble of grass, bushes and shed that I laughingly call a garden he spots a squirrel.

Or so he thought.

It was a fucking mahooosive rat that sauntered under the fence when it realised it was spotted.

So, I tell the neighbour and who doesn't believe me until they speak to other neighbours who confim that "yes" they had also seen a rat and "yes" it was huge.

Having a few beers in the pub last night and the neighbour calls my mobile absolutely terrified - she'd put Rat Poison down in her garden and two rats were tucking in big style in a huge and disgusting manner. Her wee 6 year old daughter was providing a running commentary in the background and the poor wee mite thought her Mum had been eaten by rats when she popped out to put out the rubbish and got talking to Kathryn.

Now, I've not seen them yet but I'm going to get tooled up for when I do. Traps, Poison and a catapult/air pistol are going to get purchased.

Gonna shoot me some varmits and get some hired guns also.

Oh and we've got mice in the office at work as well!
A wee cowerin timorous beastie, wi a panic in it's breestie ran around the floor of the office the other day just as I was leaving.

"What should we do?" enquired Martin
"Phone the helpdesk?" was my less than helpful suggestion before making a sharp exit for my train.

Supposedly the fact that we've seen them means they are ripped out their tits on poison but let's see.

Oh and our office is directly above a supermarket with it's own bakery......
nobody is getting anything from there anymore...

Now Showing - Live!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:39:00 +0000

Added yet a cool piece of software to my phone, it's called Flixwagon and it allows you to broadcast live video from your phone directly to t' internet.

There's others like qik (feature packed but very slow to transmit) and bambuser (not tried it yet)

Since I have big fat data package with t-mobile I don't have to worry about data charges but only battery life and the fact that, generally, there is nothing I do worth broadcasting live.

However, East Fife won a league title for the first time in 60 years and so I toddled along the match to film it and broadcast it on the web for any exiles that couldn't make it.

So thanks to my bro posting the link on the East Fife messageboard - it actually worked! some folks in Canada and Australia managed to share in the atmosphere as it happened. pretty fucking amazing if you ask me.

So you can see the videos here , the quality is pish but it's still a quantum leap forward - am looking to see fans eye views of lots of games over the next couple of years.

Funny thing is, the sites are full of people just taking random vidoes and laughing when they can see it directly on the browser in front of them.

modern technology - superb

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 12:03:00 +0000

on the train to london for a wee break and taking advantage of the free wi-fi.

Our antipidean Friends are making merry by skyeping back home for cheapness.

Some things never change though as we've ran out of booze by Durham - Doh!

10 things before 30

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 18:28:00 +0000

Winter is coming in fast and it's only a couple of months before I bid a fond farewell to the sunny uplands of my twenties and say a big hello to godawful dinner parties, vanishing hair, ballooning belly and the suburban ennui of my thirties.

So, I'm thinking I should do a cut down 8 week version of X things to do before I'm thirty.
Given the timescale I'll settle for about 10 things.

So, I have some things that I'm going to do BUT....if anyone actually reads this - please chip in with suggestions. Nominations close by the end of the week.

So far in no particular order suggestions include..

* Climb a big huge high wall in the Ratho climbing centre
* Create an excellent website
* Create an cool mobile site/app
* Volunteer for for a charity
* Climb Largo Law and take stock of my life
* Pick somewhere at random and go for a daytrip/the weekend
* Start mediation classes
* Swim at least 3 miles
* Run 5k in 25 minutes
* Play a nice piece of music really well on the piano or guitar - I'm sadly out of practice (and talent!)
* Say yes to everything for one random day or random spread of 3/5 days - like the Yes man book

Good day at work and a lunchtime safari

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 21:44:00 +0000

Much better workwise today - was good to power through some sticky stuff that's been hanging around. In the grand scheme of things it means nothing I guess but I do love it when a plan come together.

The maddest thing that happened today was at lunch, I got tapped for cash by a guy in a sandwich shop. aggressive begging like this is pretty much unheard of in Edinburgh so I was totally confused.

I was just checking that I had enough cash for my food when I hear "Hey man, hiv you goat 40p so's ah kin phone ma mum tae get picked up"

Turned around and there's this badly burned guy looking at me, I was like "What the fu....."but since I had a ton of shrapnel in my paw it was easier to pick out a 20p and give it to him than pretend I had no change.

So he turns away and then turns back, "Bit a need 40p man!"

"Baws" says I, "the phone's only 20p"

at this point the shop owner interupts and starts trying to move the guy out the shop
- rapidly going red and snarling through gritted teeth - "I don't care what you do outside, but don't disturb customers in my shop".

Then the beggar starts complaining that the guy called him a beggar (Irony!) and starts goading the shopkeeper to punch him.

Now, shop owner is beetroot, motionless and about to explode.
Beggar is saying "Cum oan hard man, punch me then. ah canny punch back cos mah airms are f******"
and I'm telling the frankly terrified girl behind the counter that "yes please, I would like some salad."

Finally, the standoff ends with a flourish and no blood spilt.

Beggar points a bony finger at the sandwich man - "You're a bad man you, I believe in Karma man, what goes around comes around" and shambles off.

And a nasty wee bit of me thought "what did you do in a previous life to end up like that then???"

Anyway, my first draft of this was pretty nasty so I've took some of that out as I try to give people the benefit of the doubt (i.e. I'm a sap).

However, professional victims really piss me off - that beggar will be going away thinking that I'm a bawbag for only giving him 20p when I had a muckle paw of shrapnel and that the sandwich man is a wanker for throwing him out his shop when he was *only* trying to ask a guy for money.

Takes all sorts I guess

Eeesh

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 20:38:00 +0000

What a day at work - morning stuffed by databases pointed elsewhere and afternoon and evening stuffed by gremlins in machines.

Sometimes it's like trying to do a rubix cube in your head - would be nice to work with real machines that you could bash with a spanner.

Computers can be a pain the the @rse a lot of the time.

I wonder how much of this stockmarket volatility is caused by misconfigured automated systems following the electronic herd. Mind you, human error is probably just as dangerous.

the £128,000,000 typing error...

London Olympics Log - really really bad

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 21:35:00 +0000

Looks like Mr Blobby dropped from a high building.
Ironically, the logo does represent how broke London will be paying the 5/10/20 billion pound bill for 2 weeks of drug addled lycra clad freaks strutting their stuff.

Woo Hoo

Boo Hoo Gordon Brown

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Wed, 30 May 2007 21:08:00 +0000

Gordon Brown is in the huff about the SNP winning the Scottish Election.

He seems to have a reign of terror over the other whitehall departments due to his control of budgets - What Gordon giveth (health), Gordon can take away (Everything else from everyone!).

I think there will be a huge financial squeeze on the Scottish Executive as Gordon the unelectable shows his displeasure.

New(ish) Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Wed, 30 May 2007 12:57:00 +0000

I got the Nokia N95 to replace my old SonyEricsson and I am well chuffed with it.

*5 mega pixel camera
* Takes "DVD" quality video (big drawback of the last phone)
* good storage (2Gb memory card)
* GPS built in
* Outputs the screen to TV
* Makes and receives phone calls ;-)

Basically it is a complete mobile entertainment center in a tiny box.
The killer app though is the connectivity.

I have 3gb of data a month to play with thanks to my new t-mobile contract.
I am never going to use that amount of data in a month but I try.
Basically, I can use the phone to access the web any time I want, for as long as I want.

Not just for webpages but, MSN or Yahoo messenger, Internet Radio etc etc

I even have my own Apache webserver running on the phone!

Check it out @ http://tf77.at.openlaboratory.net:8080/

If the server is switched on you should be able to:
1) ask me to take a picture with my phone (I'll do it if I see the message)
2) send me an instant message or text from your browser
3) Leave a message on the primitive mobile blog

I'm able to track IP addresses but if you do access the server - leave a message on the mobile blog.

Only drawback of the phone is that it eats it's battery if you have lots of stuff switched on.

10k Update

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Wed, 30 May 2007 12:41:00 +0000

My post back in Jan mentioned that I'd signed up for the Edinburgh 10k run but I was unable to do it as I picked up a nasty strain.

I tried to stretch my own credability but my motivation was fatally strained by the realisation that I F'ing hate jogging.
Seriously, I did some training runs and thought "Why am I doing something that I dislike so much". It was something to be endured rather than enjoyed.

Lets face it you never see a jogger smiling and the USP seems to be that "You feel great afterwards" - yeah, something to do with the fact you've stopped running like a loon.
How many people would drink if you got the hangover first and steamin' the next day? not many I think.

I'd already done the 10k previously so the motivation to prove I could do it had gone and left nothing as a replacement.

So I didn't do it but, in true American sit-com style, I did learn something.
Your own motivation has to be genuine as it is impossible to lie to yourself.
And Jogging sucks ass.

Oh, I did get an offer through the post a few weeks later that said I could get a picture of me crossing the finish line though. Almost took them up on the offer.

Breaking the seal

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Tue, 29 May 2007 18:00:00 +0000

The longer you don't blog, the more you think that it better be a good one.

This one isn't.

Instead, here's a picture of a Pizza that looks like Gordon the Gopher.

A bit

Kinda

Every journey begins with a single step

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 22:03:00 +0000

Fitness (fatness?) situation is shocking so have registered for the Great Edinburgh Run this year.

I did it two years ago but wasn't overly happy with my time so this year I hope to be a wee bit faster.

I've got roughly 18 weeks to get from 0 to 6.2 miles.

I used Hal Higdon's Novice 10k plan before and it worked fine so here's hoping I can repeat my progress of 2 years ago.

Going to try first run of 2 miles tomorrow morning @ 6:45am
Ambulance is booked for 7:15 ;-)

Phone Shopping....

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 13:36:00 +0000

Just had my latest phonebill through from O2 and it wasn't pretty.
The reason is that I've got used to using Opera Mini on my phone but the data charges are a total joke.

Given that I can drop the contract and get a sparkly new phone anyway, I think it's time to say bye bye.

So I phone up to get my PAC number to enable me to keep my number and before they give me the number they want a letter containing:
1) Name
2) Signature
3) Hideously complicated ID number
4) Statement I want to cancel
5) My address
6) My account number
7) Blood of first-born child

Sent via registered post

So while I'm organising that (the blood bit is pretty difficult), I had a look to see what my options are:

Network requirements:
At least 200 incl mins a month
Not fussy about texts or MMS
Big ass data package

Phone Requirements:
"Smartphone" (i.e. able to run "external" software like NES Emulator/Weather etc etc)
Good camera with autofocus & half decent video recording
Not a brick

Three (http://www.three.co.uk/xseries/index.omp)
Now the standout contender is "Three" with their add on of unlimited internet access for an extra £5 per month. So it's about £40 per month for an 18 month contract but... you get 8 months half price line rental.
and by unlimited, they mean unlimited. Uploading photos direct to Flickr, listening to Radio over the web, Skype, Messenger etc it's all included.

However, I had a Three phone before. It was rubbish and the customer service is appalling.
Reviews suggest that the phone available (Nokia N73) is good but the software on it is really buggy. They are also making people redundant in Glasgow and only using their notoriously bad Indian contact center.

So it seems like great product but I don't like the sound of an 18 month contract for a flaky phone on a network with appaling customer service.

T-mobile (http://www.t-mobile.co.uk/Dispatcher?menuid=pp_webnwalk_fwnw)
They do a web and walk package that is nearly as good value as Three but it doesn't allow you to use your phone for instant messaging, internet radio/video downloads.

Again the range of smartphones seems to be quite limited with the N73 looking the least bricklike phone available.

I would go for this one but I'd quite like to have option of "full" internet access as three seem to have.

Other Networks
Are nowhere as far as data is concerned, most of them don't even mention it in their stores.
O2 offered me 10mb of data for £10 - yeah, cheers....

I'll wait a few weeks and see if
1) Three fix their phone software
2) T-mobile loosen restrictions
3) Other networks change their prices

Ideally, I would be able to get the Nokia N95....

Mental

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 22:44:00 +0000

I made a comment about being bursting for a wii, but it seems some American radio station had a water drinking competition to win one. One of the contestants died....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6261509.stm

Hooses and that

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 13:36:00 +0000

Interest Rates up again to 5.25%.
That's still historically a low level compared to average and they're supposedly going up to 5.5% soon enough.

All dull and dry but will this be the trigger for a return to sanity in house prices?
I think sentiment started to shift in Q3 last year but nothing happens without a trigger.
Maybe the next uptick will cause a stampede to the estate agents?

Would houseprices dropping be a bad thing? like everything, the answer is yes and no I think.
Yes:
Priced out First Time Buyers could afford to buy
The rungs of the "ladder" would get closer together for people looking to move up

No:
A drop won't happen without bad news elsewhere in the economy
People who've over extended could feel the pain

It's tulipmania to think that a house is worth 10%, 20% 30% more than the previous year for no underlying reason. The whole bubble has been driven by easy credit, speculation (Buy to Let), and the selling off, without replacement, of council houses.

My own view is prices will steady and decline nominally at least for a while (3-5 years).
But it's hard to think of a bubble that didn't POP explosively....

Bravo to the Mad Swede!

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 22:52:00 +0000

Stumbled across this superb story: http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1963944,00.html

Gawn yirsel ya pure mad mental viking ye!

Hope he writes a book (in English!) about his adventures.

Wii-eally Expensive

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 13:38:00 +0000

The new Nintendo Wii is out and despite the daft name it looks very very smart.
Even though I've not owned a console since my Sega Megadrive, I think I'll pick one up in January or February.

People seem to be paying big big prices to get one before christmas though.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Nintendo-Wii-Super-Bundle-All-Brand-New_W0QQitemZ140062739014QQihZ004QQcategoryZ62054QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Snowball

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 12:04:00 +0000

It's that time of year again.
Yes, it's time to throw virtual snowballs at virtual weedgie tenements.

http://www.chunkideas.com/snowball/

Make sure your speakers are on and you're not near anyone who is offended by bad language.

"Fuckin Heeyaw!"

End of the road

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 10:12:00 +0000

95,000 miles and my car is at the end of it's journey. My miracle mechanic couldn't get it through another MOT and so it's going to the scrappies today.

Considering it's just a machine I'm pretty gutted to be honest, dunno why but I guess most people have an affinity with their cars that they don't have with any other machine.

Lets face it, it's a 12 year old Ford Escort, battered & rusting with a drivers window that doesn't work.

But it's been dependable, reliable and was bought for a song. I've had it for almost 4 years, driven it the equivalent of a lap and a half of the globe and if you average out the purchase cost it's only cost me 3p per mile.

It's so tragically uncool that it has came out the other side and is cool.

So it has one day of it's MOT left, the scrappie shuts in 2 1/2 hours so I'm off for a last drive.
I'll drop it off and then have to WALK back up the road.
In the rain.
Bah.

But I'm not going to get another motor just yet. We'll see if my Wife and I can manage out in the sticks with one car.

Should prove interesting...

Cheap Wine & Champers

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 17:48:00 +0000

Threshers have an offer that gets you 40% off wine and champagne.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6198828.stm

Coupon is here : www.tf77.com/wine.pdf

Cheers!

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 20 Oct 2006 13:14:00 +0000

Long time since I blogged but what a busy wee time it's been.

I got married on the 16th of September and what a great day that was.

Then had two fantastic weeks in the Maldives for honeymoon.

Work has been crazy busy (as it always is when you come back after time off) but motoring along nicely.

Scotland beat the World Cup finalists - and I was there.

Derrick Brown has been humilated and removed of all semblance of power at East Fife.

All in all, no too bad neebur.

Protesting - alone in a crowd

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Sat, 26 Aug 2006 20:39:00 +0000

Mark Thomas used to have a very funny show that highlighted the underbelly of the establishment. I especially loved an episode where he hired a hot-air balloon to fly over a top -secret US Spy base in the UK that "doesn't exist". He found out the airspace wasn't restricted and the security people were raging that there was nothing they could do about it.

Anyway, he's popped up with a funny idea for a protest over the ridiculous laws against free speech within 1km of the houses of parliament.

Basically, mass protests are not allowed but protests involving a single person cannot be turned down as long as you fill in a form 6 days in advance.

So, to highlight the stupidy of the law, there will be a few hundred people each protesting for individual protests.
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/apathy/story/0,,1857016,00.html

Fringe

noreply@blogger.com (Tom) — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 08:22:00 +0000

So the Festival is nearly finished and this year I managed to actually see more than usual.

"The Two Sopranos": ****
Fantastic lunchtime concert held in St Mary's Cathederal, I'm not an "opera" person at all but this was excellent. It's amazing how a powerful pair of voices can fill such a huge area.
They lose a star though because when buying a CD afterwards the manager type woman was pretty rude.

"That Canadian Guy": ****
Nice show, Nice guy. He looked and spoke a bit like Cliff from Cheers and it was an hour of pretty gentle but good comedy. Best bits were his observations on Edinburgh during the festival and his mickey-taking of Americans but he loses marks for pinching Bill Hicks old joke about knowing Saddam had WMD because the US had checked the receipt.

"Ed Byrne": ****
Slick and funny. Professional and polished. Not much more to add to be honest. It was a good show but, since he is a "big name" it didn't have that latent sense of desperation that most of the other comedians' have. Had the future mother-in-law in kinks even when talking about what a scottish presbyterian porn flick would be like.

"Pete Cain": ***1/2
Starts off dark and a bit slow paced but it is good for the second half.
His show (well the first half anyway) is about ways to make the world better. His solution is basically kill everyone but.... he seems too nice a guy to make this particular material compelling.
The second half is more about how he stood up to petty authority in various ways and is really good.

Things I wanted to see but didn't?
I wanted to see "Black Watch" but it was sold out.
As were Paul Merton and his improv chums.
I also wanted to see a stage version of Top Gun but that was banned on grounds of taste by my beloved.

Finally, I tried to get tickets for the Clerks II premiere but was too slow initially and outbid on ebay all the time - over £60 for a ticket to a talk with Kevin Smith?