I found a really cool poem (I think) on the blog of someone I follow, Spookannie. Check it out, there is a youtube video and links to other similarly animated poems (this poem is animated).
The poem was found in the pocket of a dead British soldier in World War I:
When I come to the end of the road
And the sun has set for me,
I want no tears in a gloom-filled room,
Why cry for a soul set free?
Miss me a little – But not for long
And not with your head bowed low,
Remember the love that we once shared,
Miss me – But let me go.
For this is a journey we all must take,
And each must go alone,
It’s all a part of the Master’s plan
A step on the road to home.
When you are lonely and sick of heart
Go to your friends that we know,
And bury your sorrows in doing good works,
Miss me – But let me go.
I don't know why, but I love this kind of thing (I mean specifically that it was found in a dead soldier's pocket, not the poem. But that's cool too.)
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The Secret
I almost immediately switch off when I hear people mention The Secret. For those of you that have bothered to read past the first sentence, let me elaborate: my main problem with The Secret is its title. Because it's not a secret. Not just in the sense that almost everyone has heard of The Secret, but that its contents are the same positive thinking mumbo jumbo that have been hippie-ing along for years.
Surely it's common knowledge that positive thinking and the like actually work? How many happy people do you know that continually wallow in their failure? I read a blog post recently by a fellow co-worker, about balance and the power that the word holds. It's a good concept, and it all means well and for someone who is down on their luck and not feeling very inspired and looking for a change, it would no doubt hold some value, but I just can't help but feel annoyed by this recent spate of motivational topics aimed at "enlightening" us.
Perhaps it's because I read books, or that I was brought up by a woman who believed in such things, or that I was plain lucky to come across such terms at a young age, but it still surprises me to find out how few people actually know about subjects like positive thinking and "following the bread crumbs", as my co-worker terms it.
I place such things in the same category as I do religion, in that I don't necessarily subscribe to the mainstream view of the Big JC and hold religious beliefs like some people do, but I understand that some people need something to hold on to and believe in, and Jesus represents that for them so they cling to it. It doesn't matter whether He was not the son of God (thanks for that one, Dan Brown) or not, and it also doesn't matter whether The Secret has been around for a billion years in some form or not, but some people's lives are greatly affected and made better by it, so it is a good thing.
I just think, that at some point, maybe in guidance class in school, we should list these things and make kids aware that such things exist. If these magical secrets do in fact make miracles for normal people, then everyone should be partaking in their dark and mysterious rituals.
Surely it's common knowledge that positive thinking and the like actually work? How many happy people do you know that continually wallow in their failure? I read a blog post recently by a fellow co-worker, about balance and the power that the word holds. It's a good concept, and it all means well and for someone who is down on their luck and not feeling very inspired and looking for a change, it would no doubt hold some value, but I just can't help but feel annoyed by this recent spate of motivational topics aimed at "enlightening" us.
Perhaps it's because I read books, or that I was brought up by a woman who believed in such things, or that I was plain lucky to come across such terms at a young age, but it still surprises me to find out how few people actually know about subjects like positive thinking and "following the bread crumbs", as my co-worker terms it.
I place such things in the same category as I do religion, in that I don't necessarily subscribe to the mainstream view of the Big JC and hold religious beliefs like some people do, but I understand that some people need something to hold on to and believe in, and Jesus represents that for them so they cling to it. It doesn't matter whether He was not the son of God (thanks for that one, Dan Brown) or not, and it also doesn't matter whether The Secret has been around for a billion years in some form or not, but some people's lives are greatly affected and made better by it, so it is a good thing.
I just think, that at some point, maybe in guidance class in school, we should list these things and make kids aware that such things exist. If these magical secrets do in fact make miracles for normal people, then everyone should be partaking in their dark and mysterious rituals.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Wesley's Yummy Lamb Curry
So, I'm a big curry fan. My gran did a lot of living in Durban, and while there she learnt how to make a decent curry. It was always pretty plain, a standard lamb off the bone kind of curry, and not too hot (to protect us young uns), but it was always oh-so-good. Her secret was to burn some of the curry powder - though I'm not too sure of the benefits.
2 t/s curry powder 2-4 green chillies, chopped 2 t/s garlic / ginger paste 1.5 t/s dhanis jeera spice 3 medium tomatoes, pureed 0.5kg lamb cubes Salt to taste Olive oil
After some growing up and conditioning my tongue to hotter spices and tastes, I decided I wanted to learn to cook my own curry. While eating dinner at a restaurant on Long Street (Maharaja, overpriced but excellent food) with some work colleagues, Wesley mentioned that he was learning to cook different curries and Indian meals from different parts of India. Naturally, I asked him for a standard lamb off the bone recipe. He obliged, and even threw in some spices for me (what a nice guy!), and so the recipe follows:
Ingredients:
Instructions:
- Add the chopped onions to a suitable sized pot that has been preheated with olive oil.
- Leave the onions to braise for a few minutes, then add the chillis.
- Let the onions and chillis fry for a couple of minutes until the chillis are golden in colour, then add all the spices in one go (dhanis jeera and curry powder).
- Stir thoroughly, expect drool inducing aroma.
- Let the spices braise for about 4 minutes, then add the meat and garlic / ginger paste. Add salt (I use about half a t/s) and stir.
- Cover the pot and allow to cook for 10-15 mins, stirring and making sure the curry is not burning.
- Add the pureed tomatoes, and cover again and allow to cook for 15-20 mins.
- The curry should now have a thick gravy, add water to thin if required.
- Salt to taste, and serve!
Hints:
- Use heat setting 3 on a 6 level plate.
- For more flavour, add dhanis (coriander) leaves to the pot about 10 mins prior to serving.
- Better with basmati rice.
- Garlic / ginger paste is available from most supermarkets.
The first time I cooked it, I couldn't find lamb, and so I used beef. There were no bones, and I followed the recipe pretty much exactly as it was laid out: I obviously used beef instead, though, and I had dried chillis instead of fresh ones. It was warm, and nice, if a little watery.
I then made it again, and made some of my own additions: I used a bit more of the spices than in the ingredients list, added some potatoes, and because I couldn't find lamb cubes, I used lamb chops cut into cubes, and threw the bones in as well.
The result was a nice and spicey curry, quite thick (thanks to the potatoes, methinks) and a little too hot for the girls, but delicious nontheless. If you're in need of a beginner's curry recipe and are not sure where to begin, then I definitely recommend Wesley's Yummy Lamb Curry.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Holiday!
So, I haven't blogged in ages. So much for my promise of 3 posts a week - I guess if you want to read what I have to say that badly, then send me an email and I'll do a post just for you. Anyways, I've been planning a holiday for some time, and I've finally organized, booked and paid for it. It feels great! Here's what I'm doing, and how I've planned it all:
The trip is a European Discovery through Contiki (see the itinery on the site) which is basically 12 days in Europe, by bus, in the middle of winter. It shall be awesome. While in Europe, I also want to spend some time in England, mainly to go watch a Liverpool game. I've also thrown in a trip to Stonehenge, just for good measure. My itinery is as follows:
I've booked the trip from STA Travel in South Africa (where I got a discount for paying in full), and the flights through Flight Centre also in SA. I'm going direct via Virgin. The Accomodation and Stonehenge tour is also via STA, so all that is left to do is sort out VISAs, transport between London and Liverpool, and book the Liverpool game! Oh, and save for spending money....
I'll put up some further info, with more details on how I did it all. Hopefully it will be of some help to some readers who want a similar holiday.
The trip is a European Discovery through Contiki (see the itinery on the site) which is basically 12 days in Europe, by bus, in the middle of winter. It shall be awesome. While in Europe, I also want to spend some time in England, mainly to go watch a Liverpool game. I've also thrown in a trip to Stonehenge, just for good measure. My itinery is as follows:
- Arrive in London on 26 December
- Contiki tour starts next day
- New Year's Eve in Venice!
- Arrive back from Contiki tour on 7 January
- Next day, off to see Stonehenge, Salisbury and Bath
- Off to Liverpool to watch the Spurs game, spend the night
- Back to London the next day
- Leave London the 11th of January
I've booked the trip from STA Travel in South Africa (where I got a discount for paying in full), and the flights through Flight Centre also in SA. I'm going direct via Virgin. The Accomodation and Stonehenge tour is also via STA, so all that is left to do is sort out VISAs, transport between London and Liverpool, and book the Liverpool game! Oh, and save for spending money....
I'll put up some further info, with more details on how I did it all. Hopefully it will be of some help to some readers who want a similar holiday.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The Sims 3
I will admit something some would find embarrassing – I play The Sims. I pre-ordered the collector’s edition of The Sims 3, and waited for it in fevered anticipation, howling in horror when its release was delayed and dancing in delight when its release was imminent. I am not ashamed of my status, as I still feel The Sims is the best gaming concept ever delivered, and quite simply, the numbers don’t lie. It’s the highest selling video game of all time. Enough said.
However, there are still a huge number of gamers who despise the game, and everything it represents, because they simply don’t see the point. An open-ended game with no bosses, score or missions, with a large part of every Sim day revolving around sleeping, does not leave much room for fun in the eyes of many hardcore gamers. The same gamers who find joy in repeatedly pointing and clicking their mouse on enemies that hugely outnumber them in first person shooters in the same rehashed concept since Wolfenstein came out.
I don’t argue with those guys, because they have no taste and no sophistication. The Sims series offers huge possibilities that millions enjoy, and I won’t promote its cause because it simply does not need promotion. I will note that there are different types of Sims players, each enjoying different things. Some players love making their “Simselves” and love living out lives for their Simselves that they could never do in real life. Some build massive, rambling, architecturally awesome houses. Some create multiple Sims and drop them in a house, delighting in the chaos as they wield destruction, chaos and madness with their mouse pointer. Others still make movie machinima with actors designed to fit the movie.
I am a humble mixture, though I don’t (always) delight in the chaos and I don’t make machinima. I enjoy designing houses, and making Sims. Prior to TS3, making Sims was only limited fun. Now, it is hugely satisfying, and the effects are notable. My review on the game follows, as promised.
The build up to the game was long. I knew it was coming, but deliberately held off doing too much reading up on it other than watching the first ad. The concept was something Simmers had been looking for since the first game’s release: freedom to move in an open world. The Sims 3 provided that freedom, along with some interesting changes, notably the create-a-pattern design abilities, and the personality trait AI system. I won’t go into too much detail (there is plenty out there on the web) but I’ll write up my findings and experiences.
The first thing I noticed after installing TS3 was the music. True to Sims games before, the familiar music is there upon loading (credits to reticulating splines, ever-present), but it has been updated and improved to give the feeling that you are descending into a computerized sitcom in a pleasant neighbourhood, rather than a silly game. In short, the music is more real and more awesome.
The next thing is the graphics. I’ve heard people complain that they aren’t that much of a step up, but they are. No questions. Everything is better. The Sims do tend to look alike at first, but the general feeling of “all my Sims look the same” is rubbish. The tools are available to make many different creations.
The personality traits works as promised, with each Sim being unique (and, as always, humorous in all its permutations) and reacting to situations differently, and having different interactions open to them. It’s a nice touch to see insane Sims talking to themselves, handy Sims idling by juggling a wrench, and evil Sims giggling mischievously to themselves. It brings their personalities home – they are “real” beings with definite wants, needs and feelings. An example, I had the joy of creating an absent minded and insane Sim. I sent him off to work, and when I happened to check on his progress at work for the day, found the warning that he was missing work. Centring my screen on him, I found that he had absent mindedly forgotten to go to work, and was instead talking to himself outside the theatre like a madman. Fascinating stuff.
The next thing I noticed was the added details. Little things, like how a Sim will kick at a cheap fridge’s broken door, or repeatedly try to flush a crappy toilet’s broken chain (yes, pun intended). The attention to details is magnificent, with many features quicker and easier. Over time, one tends to forget these little things, but I can guarantee that they will be instantly noticed upon returning to inferior Sims 2 games.
The create-a-pattern feature is ingenious. At first, I found the possibility of redesigning my entire house a little overwhelming (side note: houses can be bought furnished, which saves a lot of buying for those who don’t enjoy it as much). But once I had used the design features a couple of times, and realized how easy it is to get exactly what you want for absolutely everything, I was hooked. I have recoloured every object in my house, made multiple designs for random items of furniture, and for different styles of clothing and hair. It’s a fantastically fun feature to use, and people will enjoy it immensely.
The upgraded skills implementation has meant that rather than painting to increase a creativity skill that will allow you to play piano well, you have a painting skill, and a guitar skill (no pianos) and a writing skill. The skills work the same for others. Additionally, each skill (and career, by extension) will require you to send your Sim into the world to find items, either books, seeds, rocks or creatures, or to learn recipes, baits for fish, or even just to meet people (alive and dead).
The routing of Sims is a bit patchy, Sims still can’t handle a Sim in their way, and stand for several minutes or hours waiting until the way is clear, but while it is frustrating it doesn’t take too much away from the game as a whole. In general, the game will keep avid Simmers happy and enthralled; it will give more design power to less technical players, and will be a happy medium for those who had limited interest in the game. It is a huge step forward for the series, and I am loving it completely. I think it’s safe to say that Will Wright having left Maxis is not a detriment to the franchise in anyway. Well done to their teams, and thanks to them, if anyone is looking for me, they can find me here, playing The Sims 3.
However, there are still a huge number of gamers who despise the game, and everything it represents, because they simply don’t see the point. An open-ended game with no bosses, score or missions, with a large part of every Sim day revolving around sleeping, does not leave much room for fun in the eyes of many hardcore gamers. The same gamers who find joy in repeatedly pointing and clicking their mouse on enemies that hugely outnumber them in first person shooters in the same rehashed concept since Wolfenstein came out.
I don’t argue with those guys, because they have no taste and no sophistication. The Sims series offers huge possibilities that millions enjoy, and I won’t promote its cause because it simply does not need promotion. I will note that there are different types of Sims players, each enjoying different things. Some players love making their “Simselves” and love living out lives for their Simselves that they could never do in real life. Some build massive, rambling, architecturally awesome houses. Some create multiple Sims and drop them in a house, delighting in the chaos as they wield destruction, chaos and madness with their mouse pointer. Others still make movie machinima with actors designed to fit the movie.
I am a humble mixture, though I don’t (always) delight in the chaos and I don’t make machinima. I enjoy designing houses, and making Sims. Prior to TS3, making Sims was only limited fun. Now, it is hugely satisfying, and the effects are notable. My review on the game follows, as promised.
The build up to the game was long. I knew it was coming, but deliberately held off doing too much reading up on it other than watching the first ad. The concept was something Simmers had been looking for since the first game’s release: freedom to move in an open world. The Sims 3 provided that freedom, along with some interesting changes, notably the create-a-pattern design abilities, and the personality trait AI system. I won’t go into too much detail (there is plenty out there on the web) but I’ll write up my findings and experiences.
The first thing I noticed after installing TS3 was the music. True to Sims games before, the familiar music is there upon loading (credits to reticulating splines, ever-present), but it has been updated and improved to give the feeling that you are descending into a computerized sitcom in a pleasant neighbourhood, rather than a silly game. In short, the music is more real and more awesome.
The next thing is the graphics. I’ve heard people complain that they aren’t that much of a step up, but they are. No questions. Everything is better. The Sims do tend to look alike at first, but the general feeling of “all my Sims look the same” is rubbish. The tools are available to make many different creations.
The personality traits works as promised, with each Sim being unique (and, as always, humorous in all its permutations) and reacting to situations differently, and having different interactions open to them. It’s a nice touch to see insane Sims talking to themselves, handy Sims idling by juggling a wrench, and evil Sims giggling mischievously to themselves. It brings their personalities home – they are “real” beings with definite wants, needs and feelings. An example, I had the joy of creating an absent minded and insane Sim. I sent him off to work, and when I happened to check on his progress at work for the day, found the warning that he was missing work. Centring my screen on him, I found that he had absent mindedly forgotten to go to work, and was instead talking to himself outside the theatre like a madman. Fascinating stuff.
The next thing I noticed was the added details. Little things, like how a Sim will kick at a cheap fridge’s broken door, or repeatedly try to flush a crappy toilet’s broken chain (yes, pun intended). The attention to details is magnificent, with many features quicker and easier. Over time, one tends to forget these little things, but I can guarantee that they will be instantly noticed upon returning to inferior Sims 2 games.
The create-a-pattern feature is ingenious. At first, I found the possibility of redesigning my entire house a little overwhelming (side note: houses can be bought furnished, which saves a lot of buying for those who don’t enjoy it as much). But once I had used the design features a couple of times, and realized how easy it is to get exactly what you want for absolutely everything, I was hooked. I have recoloured every object in my house, made multiple designs for random items of furniture, and for different styles of clothing and hair. It’s a fantastically fun feature to use, and people will enjoy it immensely.
The upgraded skills implementation has meant that rather than painting to increase a creativity skill that will allow you to play piano well, you have a painting skill, and a guitar skill (no pianos) and a writing skill. The skills work the same for others. Additionally, each skill (and career, by extension) will require you to send your Sim into the world to find items, either books, seeds, rocks or creatures, or to learn recipes, baits for fish, or even just to meet people (alive and dead).
The routing of Sims is a bit patchy, Sims still can’t handle a Sim in their way, and stand for several minutes or hours waiting until the way is clear, but while it is frustrating it doesn’t take too much away from the game as a whole. In general, the game will keep avid Simmers happy and enthralled; it will give more design power to less technical players, and will be a happy medium for those who had limited interest in the game. It is a huge step forward for the series, and I am loving it completely. I think it’s safe to say that Will Wright having left Maxis is not a detriment to the franchise in anyway. Well done to their teams, and thanks to them, if anyone is looking for me, they can find me here, playing The Sims 3.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Star Trek
I saw the preview for Star Trek while waiting for a Clive Owen movie to start, The International. The International was a pile of steaming dog turd, but the preview for Star Trek hinted at something far more exciting and watchable. I never mentioned my suspicions to anyone, for fear of being poked with a stick while onlookers mumbled the dirty "Trekkie" word in my direction. I let the thoughts of interest slide, and ignored any urges to investigate further.
Then, I saw that the movie was out in South Africa. I could go watch it. I told my girlfriend, and told her sister, and said "let's go see what's showing", knowing fully well that I would use my manly beard to influence their decision, and that we would go watch Star Trek. I watched it. My suspicions were confirmed in 126 minutes of sheer awesomeness - Star Trek is the greatest movie of all time, ever. There, I said it. I'm not ashamed.
You disagree? Have you watched it? If yes, and you still disagree, then shut up and go read someone else's blog (right after clicking a money making advert link, that is). If not, then reserve judgement until you have seen it, and until it has blown your mind hole. If you are one of those "Trekkies" and your complaints are about the inaccuracies surrounding the film, then I give you two statements:
Firstly, I'll start by saying that the recent launch and success of the STS-125 Shuttle Atlantis repair mission played a huge part in my interest in the film - not in my interest to actually go and watch the film, but in the reignition of my interest in space in general. Twitter played a large role in that too, so you could say that twitter made me love Star Trek - a terrible crime if there ever was one! But back to point - the updates from Mike Massimino and NASA got my interest back and I did plenty of reading up on space, and planets, and the shuttle and Hubble and theory around faster-than-light-travel and all things included therein.
My next point regarding the movie is a standard thought I've had for the last few films I've watched (particularly new Hollywood movies) - the movies assume I am stupid and need absolutely everything explained to me, for fear I won't grasp the mind-numbing plot and won't spend my well earned cash on the brand. Well, Star Trek does a good job of avoiding the mistake of filling in every possible detail of certain themes - it skips large chunks of our protagonist's life without missing anything; we are well aware of what makes up his character by the time the story begins in earnest.
Our main protagonist was well cast (James T. Kirk, for those of you who have been living in a cave for the last 40 years), I felt - the girls will certainly love him, and he has that Hollywood "cowboy" manner that is common in movies like Top Gun; an easily likeable, but also troubled, character. The rest of the cast is also well done, easily recognisable for the fans, and fresh and updated so that the popular youth who have never watched Star Trek will be interested. Spock is a fantastic portrayal as well, so hats off to the casting crew for picking him.
The storyline itself is pretty cool, it's not dull and is not too obvious, and it gets away from any need to stick to Star Trek guidelines by throwing in some time travel and alternate universe theories - always a good bet. There are the typical cliches that one needs in order to keep with the Star Trek franchise, and I'm happy to say they're well done and not boring or unrealistic. The amount of times the young Jim Kirk gets the crap beaten out of him combined with the number of times he finds himself clinging to a cliff or ledge by his fingertips is a typical Hollywood move, but it makes for an entertaining, action packed watch in any case.
The visuals are awesome, and the sound is great too - in a surround sound cinema the loud sounds of space travel and fist fights set the mood for a great watch - I found myself on the edge of my seat, jaw hanging, utterly absorbed in the action for large parts of the film. The awe of space and space travel, new planets and things like Space Tethers and free-fall space diving made for a totally believable, absorbing, action packed, nail biting movie. There have been few movies that have kept me so engrossed that I barely touch my popcorn-smartie mix, and Star Trek was one of them.
It may not have the level of character development and thought provoking plot twists that critics need, but any seven year old boy watching this will be running around on flying motorbikes, dodging the event horizon of black holes made by red matter, and greeting their friends with the "live long and prosper" sign for much time to come. I felt like a seven year old kid watching Star Trek, and I insist that you won't find a more entertaining movie anywhere for a long time.
Watch this movie - resistance is futile.
Then, I saw that the movie was out in South Africa. I could go watch it. I told my girlfriend, and told her sister, and said "let's go see what's showing", knowing fully well that I would use my manly beard to influence their decision, and that we would go watch Star Trek. I watched it. My suspicions were confirmed in 126 minutes of sheer awesomeness - Star Trek is the greatest movie of all time, ever. There, I said it. I'm not ashamed.
You disagree? Have you watched it? If yes, and you still disagree, then shut up and go read someone else's blog (right after clicking a money making advert link, that is). If not, then reserve judgement until you have seen it, and until it has blown your mind hole. If you are one of those "Trekkies" and your complaints are about the inaccuracies surrounding the film, then I give you two statements:
- It is the year 2009. Things change (and get better). Deal with it.
- Shut up and go read a fellow Trekkie's blog.
Firstly, I'll start by saying that the recent launch and success of the STS-125 Shuttle Atlantis repair mission played a huge part in my interest in the film - not in my interest to actually go and watch the film, but in the reignition of my interest in space in general. Twitter played a large role in that too, so you could say that twitter made me love Star Trek - a terrible crime if there ever was one! But back to point - the updates from Mike Massimino and NASA got my interest back and I did plenty of reading up on space, and planets, and the shuttle and Hubble and theory around faster-than-light-travel and all things included therein.
My next point regarding the movie is a standard thought I've had for the last few films I've watched (particularly new Hollywood movies) - the movies assume I am stupid and need absolutely everything explained to me, for fear I won't grasp the mind-numbing plot and won't spend my well earned cash on the brand. Well, Star Trek does a good job of avoiding the mistake of filling in every possible detail of certain themes - it skips large chunks of our protagonist's life without missing anything; we are well aware of what makes up his character by the time the story begins in earnest.
Our main protagonist was well cast (James T. Kirk, for those of you who have been living in a cave for the last 40 years), I felt - the girls will certainly love him, and he has that Hollywood "cowboy" manner that is common in movies like Top Gun; an easily likeable, but also troubled, character. The rest of the cast is also well done, easily recognisable for the fans, and fresh and updated so that the popular youth who have never watched Star Trek will be interested. Spock is a fantastic portrayal as well, so hats off to the casting crew for picking him.
The storyline itself is pretty cool, it's not dull and is not too obvious, and it gets away from any need to stick to Star Trek guidelines by throwing in some time travel and alternate universe theories - always a good bet. There are the typical cliches that one needs in order to keep with the Star Trek franchise, and I'm happy to say they're well done and not boring or unrealistic. The amount of times the young Jim Kirk gets the crap beaten out of him combined with the number of times he finds himself clinging to a cliff or ledge by his fingertips is a typical Hollywood move, but it makes for an entertaining, action packed watch in any case.
The visuals are awesome, and the sound is great too - in a surround sound cinema the loud sounds of space travel and fist fights set the mood for a great watch - I found myself on the edge of my seat, jaw hanging, utterly absorbed in the action for large parts of the film. The awe of space and space travel, new planets and things like Space Tethers and free-fall space diving made for a totally believable, absorbing, action packed, nail biting movie. There have been few movies that have kept me so engrossed that I barely touch my popcorn-smartie mix, and Star Trek was one of them.
It may not have the level of character development and thought provoking plot twists that critics need, but any seven year old boy watching this will be running around on flying motorbikes, dodging the event horizon of black holes made by red matter, and greeting their friends with the "live long and prosper" sign for much time to come. I felt like a seven year old kid watching Star Trek, and I insist that you won't find a more entertaining movie anywhere for a long time.
Watch this movie - resistance is futile.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Twitter Space
The recent meteoric rise of Twitter has influenced my life greatly in the last few weeks, for several reasons. One of them is the sheer addictiveness of the whole thing - it's easy, write a quick status update (my favourite part of Facebook anyway), click send, and watch a few friends update their statuses too. Add replies, hashtags, followers and Twitpic, and you have a whole community of people who are both completely normal, and a bit techno-geeky.
Another reason is the interesting combination of people who use it, with many celebrities and porn stars joining the fad, along with major news agencies and political campaignists, and your run of the mill average Joe Blogger. The topics are interesting, and there is the usual gathering of smut and crude spam crap that naturally follows all internet societies, but it is for the most part entertaining, enlightening and interesting enough to get me through boring meetings.
Then, on cue, enter a world first (well, a universe first, if you like) as astronaut Mike Massimino becomes the first person to tweet from space. Fellow tweeters (in his field) are NASA and soon to be in space astronaut Mark Polansky. There are others, but these are the ones I follow (if you're suddenly itching to hear what I have to tweet about, I can be found here). Tweeting about astronaut training, the days leading up to the launch of Atlantis on STS-125 on the last ever repair mission to the Hubble telescope, and then tweeting about the spacewalks and missions in space, and now their return, these tweeple have kept me glued to my computer screen.
I have always been fascinated by space, but following their tweets (also where I learned of the existence of www.nasa.gov/ntv) brought the whole experience right home. The images from NASA have been awesome, as have their regular updates on the missions, and I found myself wondering what it would be like to be an astronaut and if I could actually be one - thoughts I'm sure most boys have at some point - and it is possible (though difficult for South Africans, especially deaf ones like me) and more easily accessible than most would realise.
It has been a thoroughly revitalising experience for me, to see technology and a fast growing fad be used to get public interest growing in projects that people might otherwise not see or hear about. I would probably not have watched the launch of Atlantis live on NASA TV if it weren't for Twitter, and by extension neither would the girls in my house. It's awesome that things like these are made easy to find, and while it makes the world a smaller place, it gives us knowledge we'd otherwise have trouble finding, and that makes it more awesome.
The other interesting twitter experience I've had is following the account of Liverpool TV. The journalists regularly tweet about stories or promotions on the website, or generally interesting facts of life in and around Liverpool Football Club and the goings on. With tweets about training, interviews, youth and reserve team matches, team reports, press box lunches and generally the laughs surrounding the club and it's employees, they're a must follow for me. I know more about the club and players now than ever before, and my natural thirst for LFC knowledge is sated by the advent of a cool idea, Twitter.
It certainly has changed my life, even if it has just given me somewhere to post useless updates and read up on interesting bits of inside info. I never considered myself to be completely conversant with all bits of technology and it's uses, or to be a techno-geeky dude, but if these circles are what I'm confined to when I use Twitter, then I'm cool with that. I tweet. Do you?
Another reason is the interesting combination of people who use it, with many celebrities and porn stars joining the fad, along with major news agencies and political campaignists, and your run of the mill average Joe Blogger. The topics are interesting, and there is the usual gathering of smut and crude spam crap that naturally follows all internet societies, but it is for the most part entertaining, enlightening and interesting enough to get me through boring meetings.
Then, on cue, enter a world first (well, a universe first, if you like) as astronaut Mike Massimino becomes the first person to tweet from space. Fellow tweeters (in his field) are NASA and soon to be in space astronaut Mark Polansky. There are others, but these are the ones I follow (if you're suddenly itching to hear what I have to tweet about, I can be found here). Tweeting about astronaut training, the days leading up to the launch of Atlantis on STS-125 on the last ever repair mission to the Hubble telescope, and then tweeting about the spacewalks and missions in space, and now their return, these tweeple have kept me glued to my computer screen.
I have always been fascinated by space, but following their tweets (also where I learned of the existence of www.nasa.gov/ntv) brought the whole experience right home. The images from NASA have been awesome, as have their regular updates on the missions, and I found myself wondering what it would be like to be an astronaut and if I could actually be one - thoughts I'm sure most boys have at some point - and it is possible (though difficult for South Africans, especially deaf ones like me) and more easily accessible than most would realise.
It has been a thoroughly revitalising experience for me, to see technology and a fast growing fad be used to get public interest growing in projects that people might otherwise not see or hear about. I would probably not have watched the launch of Atlantis live on NASA TV if it weren't for Twitter, and by extension neither would the girls in my house. It's awesome that things like these are made easy to find, and while it makes the world a smaller place, it gives us knowledge we'd otherwise have trouble finding, and that makes it more awesome.
The other interesting twitter experience I've had is following the account of Liverpool TV. The journalists regularly tweet about stories or promotions on the website, or generally interesting facts of life in and around Liverpool Football Club and the goings on. With tweets about training, interviews, youth and reserve team matches, team reports, press box lunches and generally the laughs surrounding the club and it's employees, they're a must follow for me. I know more about the club and players now than ever before, and my natural thirst for LFC knowledge is sated by the advent of a cool idea, Twitter.
It certainly has changed my life, even if it has just given me somewhere to post useless updates and read up on interesting bits of inside info. I never considered myself to be completely conversant with all bits of technology and it's uses, or to be a techno-geeky dude, but if these circles are what I'm confined to when I use Twitter, then I'm cool with that. I tweet. Do you?
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