Walking in a winter wonderland...

So the snow's here...



More pics as I take them - if any listeners have any they'd like to see posted here, send them to me at simon.molloy@gmail.com

Snow's a-comin...

All the news and weather websites are going on about the snow tomorrow. I've asked permission to work from home because I dont really fancy travelling in it, and seeing as I can do my job from here, its not that much of a problem. Im looking forward to waking up and seeing how it will look in the morning.
So what have I done for my day off today? Well, knackered my driver for one! I went to the driving range for about an hour today. Got my ball token, got my bucket of balls, and warmed up with my seven iron. After a few swings, thought to myself "Right, lets get the big stick out". Set myself up (with the new stance I got from my golf lesson - it really works as well... more on that later). Swung back, through the ball... *CLANG!* "What the F***?!" The mat you play off in the bay was set too far back, so as I followed through my club had smashed into the metal supports over my head. A real "You've Been Framed" moment. Thats my driver knackered. There is now a big dent in it. :-(

Luckily I have on order a new driver anyway... it should be turning up sometime early next week.
As for the new stance - the pro I had the lesson with only really changed the width of my feet, the distance I stand from the ball and the shape of my back but my God what a difference. Whereas before two or three drives out of ten would end up going pretty straight and on the fairway (which of course means seven or eight of them would have me cursing and paying a visit into the deep rough) with my new stance six or seven of them end up where I want them to go. This still isn't perfect, obviously, but with time and practice with this new stance my consitency should really improve.
Enjoy the snow tomorrow listeners, maybe I'll post some pics of what I see in the morning (if I can be @rsed!)

Day off tomorrow...

Every now and then, its nice to have a day to oneself. During the week, I work, so have to be up and out of the house by 6.45.
At the weekends, what with various things like football, housework etc. its very rare to be able to lie in and not have to do anything. Tomorrow, (hopefully) it'll be one of those days. However, I do have a plan to play golf tomorrow... but as I dont have to book a tee time, AND I will be playing alone Im not 100% certain I'll be going.
Techie bit now: A friend of mine asked me to help him find an RSS reader / ticker. He has an RSS data source, and would like to be able to have it displayed on a ticker on his site. Do you think I could find any freeware for that? Could I heck. I dont know why they are all shareware (average price $29) but its not the sort of thing I was after. Are there any techies out there who know of something I could use?
Update: I've found some code so Im having a go... will post the code here if I get it working.

Found it - quicker than I thought to!

Can't think of one

Im not in a good mood today. Im feeling very low.
Work is becoming a struggle with too much work and, in my mind, not enough support / guidance from my superiors. I have horrible technical documentation to do, plus projects and production support. Its a feeling of too much stuff and not enough time. And a surprise it may be but I am a very conscientious person as far as my work is concerned, so its hard for me to say "No" to something, or just think "Sod it that can wait" because I feel like I have to deliver the highest possible standard of work in the quickest possible time. This can be seen as a weakness when it starts to affect my mental state because Im so worried about delivering all that I need to - but switching that part of my character off is very hard indeed.
This explains the lack of a post yesterday - I just couldn't bring myself to power up my laptop, knowing I'd be back into it today.
Its hard to choose a soundtrack for today because my mood dictates what I want to hear - but also, what I hear can affect my mood so the choice of album and artist is difficult... at time of writing, I am listening to "Some Loud Thunder" by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
Oh - and if any listeners out there want a new mobile phone, I have a second hand but very good condition Motorola V3i Razr with all the bits and pieces. Offers accepted.
Peace.

A Scanner Darkly

What a gorgeous day today.
I watched a very interesting film last night - A Scanner Darkly. Its based on a book of the same name by the famous Sci-Fi writer Phillip K. Dick. The thing thats interesting about the film, apart from the plot about drug addiction, paranoia and betrayal is the way its shot. Its a combination of live action over laid with animation - so the actors (Keanu Reeves, Robert Downey Jnr. Winona Ryder and Woody Harrelson) all look as they should but with an animated overlay... hard to describe but very cool looking.
Today is a good day, as there is lots of sport on - football at lunchtime, then Rugby (Six Nations start today) then football from 3.00 (Come On City) then Rugby from 4.00 (Come On England) then MORE football at 5.00! An excellent excuse to sit in front of the TV all day drinking beer... not good for my waistline, but very good for the soul.
Im looking forward to next week also, I have two new golf clubs ordered and on their way, plus three new books about Zombies - World War Z, Zombie Survival Guide, and Day By Day Armaggedon. Have a good Saturday listeners - maybe more waffling tomorrow.

TFI Friday

I've gone a bit download mental this morning - I bought "Wincing The Night Away" by The Shins, "Myths Of The Near Future" by The Klaxons and I thought I'd try "Make This Your Own" by The Cooper Temple Clause. I've been really looking forward to the Shins new album, so that put a smile on my face this morning (I'll post an update on here with how good / bad it is). The Klaxons is one of those albums that you've heard about so I thought I'd give it a go, and the same goes for The Cooper Temple Clause one.
Q Magazine also came out yesterday - this is the only magazine I buy religiously. Being a massive music fan its a compulsory purchase for me. Anyway, its half past seven in the morning, so I know this is an early post, and I'll probably end up updating it some more later, but have a good Friday y'all...
Update: The album is good. Its not an instant impact album, but I've listened to it once through and I like it. I think its gonna be a grower, much like the other album I've got of theirs "Chutes Too Narrow".
Completely off subject, found this excellent thread on Football365 - ZOMBIES! And I thought I was the only person who thought things like this...
Update Part II: A friend just sent me this site: Personalised Radio and it is SO cool.

Why does being in a rush make me rude?

OK, two in a row isn't good for my blood pressure but I have need to RANT again...
Why is it, just because someone doesn't understand that you are in a rush to get somewhere they think you are rude? It can happen anywhere... on the road, walking behind someone along the street, but quite often it happens to me in shops. Particularly supermarkets. You're stood in the checkout lane for baskets only (because you only have a couple of things... you're in a rush, see?) , thinking "Please hurry up, I need to get out of here and back to work / home by x o'clock / back to the garden to bury the body" but low and behold the worlds dummest checkout numpty has just sat down to start her shift. Does she login to her till and start immediately scanning items at breakneck speed, so ensuring swift and efficient service? Does she b*ll*cks... first she farts about getting her seat the right height, then has a quick catch up with Doris who's just vacated said till, asking about her hysterectomy and how her husband George is doing since his little 'embarrassment". Then, just because someone (*cough cough*) makes a comment along the lines of "Oh, dont worry, I'M not in any rush" she looks at you as though you've just pi$$ed on her birthday cake. Finally she's ready to start work and begins the arduous task of picking up items of shopping and holding them above a scanner. I mean COME ON! How hard can that be? Toddlers could do it - Im betting Blind Bill the Man with No Eyes could do it wearing a shagging blindfold. But this blob of makeup and hairspray? Why does it take her THREE GOES to get it right? But the problem is, because of her lack of basic motor skills YOU are the one who will end up in trouble back at work because you weren't back in time, or in trouble at home because you missed dinner or in trouble with the Police because the body has been discovered. So I'M the bad guy for wanting good and efficient service from someone who's only task in her job is to scan my shopping, take my hard earned money, and shut the f*ck up? I tell you all listeners, these are the sorts of people who should be first up against the wall when the revolution comes. I make a plea to you all - do not suffer fools gladly. These people will end up breeding and then where will we be?
Peace out all.