On Blogging

So it's that time of year again, I'm stuck in the Sth. Ken library with nothing better to do that to play around with my old blog again.
I often wonder if I should post to this thing more often, but then I figure that the people who I would be communicating to already talk to me over IM or phone pretty much every day anyway.
Blogging is a great way for remote people you maybe can't speak to face to face, or over the phone.People you don't even know. Fans of your work say, or people researching something you write about.
I, however, don't have much to write that I figure people would want to read regularly. I don't have a specialist subject worthy of blogging, and people are fairly aware of my comings and goings via Facebook or Google Talk.
Back in school, and prior to the 'MySpace' revolution, it was on personal websites and forums that extra-curricular activities were discussed and photos were published. It was then that my blogging frequency was at it's zenith. I now use Facebook/Flickr for my photos, and any events are organized over Facebook and/or IM.
Besides, I have vastly reduced my involvement with the internet on a technical basis and am more a layman when it comes to my use of it. I Google, Email and Facebook like the common people now. Sure, I'm always interested in new technology, I'm not an old man yet. Though I'm also not one to live in the 'Beta Land' of new software as much as I was. I don't need Firefox Extensions to be a happy computer user, I don't need to know the latest programming language in order to navigate the internet (as I once thought I did).
For example, I own a Macintosh notebook, I know it has loads of geekiness under the hood, but I'm now only bothered about it's good looks and ease of use for the basics of computing.

The bleeding edge of technology is a good distance ahead of me now. I'm more knowledgeable than most, but I don't think myself to be an expert at anything anymore. And you know what? I like it back here.

Nobody Cares

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6138486.stm

God is dead, the sooner people realise this, the sooner we can all get on with the problems he left us with.


P.S. Yes I'm still alive.

Google Talk

I'm fed up with MSN/Microsoft/Windows/Whatever Messenger and am moving over to Google Talk (thus Jabber) permanantly for IM. I also want to use email more to keep my desktop less cluttered with windows.

It may not last, but I did the same 'cold turkey' apporach to switching from Safari to Camino and that made my life a whole lot easier.

Stuff

So I'm in Liverpool still, feeling rotten this morning. So while I have no energy to leave my bedroom I figure I'd post something on my somewhat stagnant blog.
The last few weekends have been fun, I've been around the country a fair bit, mostly the south-east with the Great British Beer Festival in Earls Court early August, and Broxbourne the other weekend for Thom's moving-out party. Last weekend I was in Ireland again. As I mentioned before, they were house hunting and have now found, signed for and received the keys of their new house in Aughagower, Co.Mayo. So my dad and I drove over there to sort a few things out with the house. See what needs fixing/installing/buying and so on.
Whilst over there I spent a fair amount of time with the extended family. I watched the Mayo-Dublin All-Ireland Gaelic Football Semi-Final on the Sunday at my second-cousin's house. Possibly the best GAA Football match of recent times. I may tune in to the Mayo-Kerry final later this month if I remember. Up Mayo!

On the Mac front, a login problem meant I had to reinstall windows again on the Macbook. I'll be so glad when I finish work and I can start to use OSX on it more.
Also, I've been taking advantage of the TVMini and FilmFour more these last few days. I recorded the Godfather Part 2 the other day, and yesterday Apocolypse Now. Then using EyeTV's editor I quickly removed the ad-breaks before using the 1-Click 'Toast' button I can burn it to a DVD to watch later, no re-encoding required! *
I'm also going to keep an eye on CrossOver for Mac. A Wine-based platform for running Windows GUI apps on the Mac natively. So far I've tried a couple of apps on the beta version, to different outcomes. Google's Picasa 2 runs fine, whilst iTunes won't install and Google Talk can't connect to the internet. I've heard good things about running Microsoft Office on it though. Plus, if Half-Life 2 runs on CrossOver as well as they say it does, I may have to invest in the full version.

Nowt much else to say besides that I'll be back in London permanently from the 30th of September, moving into a new flat in Hammersmith. My 21st birthday is coming up soon after that, which I really must organise something for.
Until then I still have to decide how long I'm keeping the job here in Liverpool for. I may work until the 29th or I may decide to give myself a week off to coincide with pay-day.


* It spent 2 minutes 'multiplexing' before burning, nowhere near the usual encoding time taken for DVD burning.

Intel Mac (Windows) Apps

I've been using Windows XP on the MacBook (via Boot Camp) for a few days now and have already (re)discovered a couple of key applications that are essential.

MacDrive 6
I gave myself 7GB of drive space for Windows XP. This is fine for the OS and a few core apps, but what if I need access to the Mac HFS+ partition? Step up MacDrive 6. With MacDrive installed, your Mac partitions show up in My Computer as normal drives that can be read from and written to quite naturally.
Update: Also works on USB/Firewire External HDs formatted in HFS+. This is how I first came across the app a few years ago.

Input Remapper
Using Windows XP with one mouse button and half the keyboard keys mapped incorrectly is a pain in the arse. With this simple system tray app it is possibly to add new features to the 'FN' key that allow right-click and re-enables the function buttons like brightess, volume, Numlock and so on...

Thats it for now, due to the fact that this is all you need to get your Intel Mac running windows more naturally. I'm now trying to get used to using Acrobat for PDF, Firefox for web browsing and MSN Messenger (eugh). Thankfully I'm only using Windows for work and specific apps like AutoCad when back at college. Nothing compares to OS X for day-to-day computing.

MacBook

macbook.jpg on Flickr

Yesterday, after a fortnight of waiting, my new MacBook arrived. Wait a minute, I hear you say, don't you already have a 12" PowerBook G4? Well yes I do, though not for long. You see, I figured I should get on the Intel bandwagon at some point before I end up being relagated to a PowerPC limbo. So, as the PowerBook is two years old now, I figure if I sell it now I'll get as much cash for it as I ever will. So I did some maths, worked out the best value configuration and went about ordering my 13" White MacBook. Since I didn't want to spend a huge amount on it above the cash from the PowerBook, I went for the 1.83Ghz model but upped the RAM to 1GB. This, with AppleCare and the HE discount came to £756 off the Apple Online Store. Not bad considering I have been promised £250 for my old PowerBook G4. Anyway, moving on...
When I got home from work on Thursday there was a box waiting for me in the hallway. I decided however, to have some restraint and spend some time with Baz who'd just got back from the Vet's after minor operation on his paw. (Yes, you can say 'awww')
Still, I could only restrain myself so long, and before I knew it the glossy new MacBook was sitting on the table in front of me. I plugged in the MagSafe powercord...or rather I got it so far and then it plugged itself in, magnet magic. After a few minutes of setup time I was staring at a beautifully bright glossy screen sitting behind rows of odd looking keyboard keys (note the flat keys with weird looking gaps between). At this point I should also note it automatically configured itself to connect to my home network and searched the internet for OS updates. Crazy.
I didn't even last an hour before downloading and installing Boot Camp. I tried manually triple booting with Ubuntu Linux as well as Windows XP, but I ended up having to use the factory restore CDs on the MacBook within 24 hours of owning the damn thing because I messed up the partitions. I'm tempted to add the following to my list of core 'life principles':
If you want something done properly, always read the fucking manual first.

Anyway, in short. The MacBook is simply gorgeous. It looks great, it feels great, it works great. Far superior in build quality than the iBook was and it certainly feels nicer than the PowerBook G4 to use (though I havn't tried a MacBook Pro yet). As far as value for money goes I'm thinking this is simply the best Mac ever made.
Though I would say, if you want to put Windows on it, do so via Boot Camp, trying to install too many operating systems isn't big or clever, it could end up with you digging out the restore discs.

Thus my current system is:

macbook.jpg on Flickr

Update

Since the question was asked, I'll answer briefly.

My exams were pretty shocking this year. I passed them, just. Better get my act together next year and try for a decent grade. I'm probably on a 2.2 at the moment though I'll know for sure once my mark breakdown comes in.
As for work placement, yeah I'm already sitting at the desk I'll be at for the next 13 weeks. Same place as last year, a small Structural/Environmental Engineering firm in Liverpool.
I'm hoping to do more stuff this summer, as in social stuff. Get some people from college to come to Liverpool or for me to go visiting others around the country.


P.S. Could people not leave comments as 'Anonymous', If you are asking me a direct question I'd like to know who's asking so I know what kind of details to go into! Ta.

While my guitar...

A video of a my favourite song as sung by the man himself.

So yeah, I've not been updating much, I'll get around to it.

Macbook

Hot diggety damn. Why don't I have any bloody money?

Ireland and beyond...

Got back from Ireland on Friday morning, it was a supprisingly good holiday actually, I was expecting to be sitting around the hotel, wandering the streets and trailing behind my parents as they went house-hunting over there. More or less as soon as I arrived we had a phonecall from my mum's cousin to say that their daughter (my second-cousin) had been planning a night out in Westport for me to come along to. This showed a new side to Westport that I've not seen before, a nightlife that doesn't involve two pubs full of creepy old men. Instead there are a host of new vibrant bars, clubs and pubs filled with younger generations. Sure there were still the odd creepy people there, but they didn't bother us too much. I discovered Bulmers Cider (sold as Magners over here) as a good refreshing drink, depite me not liking 'ordinary' ciders.
I didn't take many photos, but there is an 'Éire 2006' set on Flickr you may want to browse.

Tomorrow I'm off to Somerset with a University field trip. It's probably going to suck since it's a Geology field trip. I just know I'll be following our slightly-alcoholic lecturer around the Mendips looking at rocks. Nevermind, I'm sure we'll make our own fun.