Dorkomatic

Relentlessly combatting evil since 1981

2011-11-21T07:01:00.001-08:00

Today, I'm 30. Of course, my conventional age is 30 in hexadecimal. But now I can celebrate being 30 for another reason. It was 30-years ago that I first made a decision to follow Jesus. Despite the sometimes awful modern connotations of "Born-Again Christianity" - that is precisely what Jesus described to Nicodemus - the pharisee.

Nicodemus has been a kind of hero to me since that day 30 yeas ago when I read about him. Supposedly as part of the Jewish religious elite he ought to have known about God. But when faced with Jesus he knew that here was a man who *really* knew - someone who spoke with authority. And Nicodemus was curious enough, and intrigued enough to go and seek out this most remarkable carpenter one night, because he couldn't just ignore those questions nagging him. Despite what his fellow pharisees might have thought of this outrageous Jesus, Nicodemus had to find out for himself.

And Nicodemus was the reason I came to Jesus too.

(You can read about him in John's Gospel: chapter 3.)

Gadget Geek?

2011-10-17T14:00:00.000-07:00

I might be a Geek. But I'm not exactly a gadget freak. In fact, I'm not really so sure that the two are necessarily related anyway. I tend to think of gadget-freakery as being simply a symptom of common materialism.

Here's how my geekery works out...

I don't own an Ipod. If I did it would be some old 2nd or 3rd generation model running Rockbox or Ipodlinux. When I walk to work, I'd rather not have earbuds in my ears. I prefer to be more aware of my surroundings. I like to say "Hi!" to those few people I recognise on my commute. And of course, I like to think. Now, Ipods are remarkable things, but I need some silent spaces in my life so I haven't succumbed to that temptation yet. Ok. It would be great to have such a handy container for all my MP3 files, but I still don't NEED an Ipod.

Actually, some of my dislike of earbuds may be related to my dislike of sunglasses. I'll wear sunglasses when driving, but not when talking to people. I'd rather have eye-contact. (Actually I do like my sunglasses - merely because they're old 1960s things from the antique market. But I don't wear them much except when driving - which is also when I tend to listen to music most.)

Sat-Nav? It seems like an unneccessary expense. (Yay. Skinflint!) I'm sure they're very good at what they do. I'm sure they save some hassle and embarrassment. But I've always coped with either knowing where I'm going ahead of time -or using a god old fashioned map. Now a GPS unit could be fun - for Geocaching or some other 21st-Century geek sport; but Sat-Nav? When would I ever use it? Actually, I find being lost (as long as I don't have to be anywhere in a hurry) is actually fun - a learning experience.

Mobile. Yeah, I've got one. But I don't use it much. I'm clearly not of the right generation to have a mobile-phone centred social life. And even when I send SMS messages - I obstinately spell & punctuate things 'properly'. It'd be nice to have a more capable device; but as I mentioned; I'd rather not throw too much money at such a luxury.

I do understand the 'play value' of gadgets. And play-value is something I find of extreme interest. But gadgets? Nah... Beyond the minimal setup of a laptop.

But this brings me to a particular question. What *SINGLE* mobile computing device makes most sense? Actually, I do quit like the idea of having something to read internet pages on when I'm out and about. So what should I get? An e-book reader? (I like the e-ink displays and long battery life of such things.) Or an android phone? Or a bigger tablet device. I can't see me affording ALL of these things. So if anyone has any advice on the matter, let me know.

Also, I should mention Kevin Kelly, who has influenced my thinking on these things - or maybe he's codified what I already think. He's undoubtably a geek - having been one of the founders of Wired magazine and a consistent writer on the subject of technology - and yet he's very picky about how he integrates such technology into his life.

So. Geek? Yes! Gadget freak? No.

(Tools are different. I'm fascinated by tools. And instruments - I'm completely fascinated by those too.)

Cardiff - Capital Village of Wales?

2011-01-18T03:33:00.000-08:00

I grew up in a village. And while I did eventually "run-away to the big city" as a grown-up - village life has informed my view of life and my politics immensely. When I was growing up, I knew my neighbours, I knew the shopkeepers and somehow, everything worked better with community.

Of course, Cardiff is not a village exactly. But neither is it a BIG city. (It's comparable in population to: Bradford, Coventry or Leicester) But it does have some village-like qualities - it is possible to walk down Queen Street and bump into friends. And this is also possible in some of the wards and villages that comprise Cardiff's suburbs. I think it's true of Roath, Whitchurch, Cathays and Canton and more besides; but not all areas have the necessary infrastructure to support this village-like community.

Actually, community in the 21st Century is not necessarily a geographical phenomenon; but a matter of what we do with our lives and who we cross paths with. Community happens in the pub, the market and the art-centre. I've seen it in the church (yes, really.) It's found outside the school gates and at the sport-ground and in the park. As such, Cardiff has some excellent centres where community can crystalize. We're truly blessed to have such a variety of theatres, art-centres, outdoor and indoor markets where people can meet, eat, drink, trade, tell-stories or share in the drama of a sporting event or performance. These are the things that give Cardiff a sense of community.

Unfortunately, not all of Cardiff is equally well served. While the centre of Cardiff is the right place for many of these venues, the outlying suburbs have fewer local shops, fewer eateries and very little infrastructure to support any community. It's a sad fact that big supermarkets, for all their convenience, do NOT help create much in the way of local identity or community. Those 'dormitory' housing estates where people don't know their neighbours have to work far harder to get any local life of their own.

So, if you want to find some community, get out there and meet some people. Go to see some live music, join a club, or say hello to the folk walking their dogs in the park. Say "hi" to the person that always serves you in the post-office. Go to the market, help-out with charity work or take an evening-class. I know it's not easy for everyone; but there is community out there if you can find it. And what's more it's waiting for your contribution too.

As for my politics, I don't really think about left or right. I believe in community. I think many of our social problems can be ameliorated by community. It may not eradicate crime or poverty; but it is a big help. So come on in, join the fun. Don't stay at home watching the TV; be a part of our city

My Current Reading List

2010-08-27T02:06:00.000-07:00

I seem to have developed a fairly long reading list of late. And I thought I should write it down somewhere. And why not blog it while I'm at it...

"Quicksilver" - Neal Stephenson. An epic work of fiction and part of his "Baroque Cycle" trilogy. It's about scientists (or "Natural Philosophers" as they were then called) in the late 17th century. Currently reading.

"1001 Rules for my Unborn Son" - Walker Lamond. A much lighter work, based on the blog of the same name, offering fatherly advice to young men. I probably wouldn't agree with all the advice; but it would serve as a good starter for discussions I ought to have with the boys.

"We Need to Talk About Kelvin" - Marcus Chown. Popular science, nothing revolutionary; but from a quick flick-through in the bookshop, it's really well written.

"1000 Years of Annoying the French" - Stephen Clarke. An irreverent look at the turbulent history and rivalry between Britons and the French.

"This History of Israel" - John Bright. This is a standard classic textbook that's been reprinted over and over. I'll probably pick up a 2nd hand copy for next-to-nothing.

"Surely You're Joking Mr Feynmann" - Richard Feynmann. A famous work, which I realised I'd never read. Let's sort that out.

"13 Things that Dont't Make Sense" - Michael Brooks. A book I bought for my dad. About those bits of the universe that science hasn't got a comfortable grip on yet.

"And Another Thing" - Eoin Colfer. Being a continuation of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker "Trilogy". I don't know what to expect, except the unexpected of course.

As you can see, there's a fair bit of history and science in there. And even some fiction for a change. I guess this is probably 2-years worth of reading really - unless I manage to increase my 15-minutes before bed habit (supplemented by odd half-hours snatched at other times when I can.)

The Twitter Experiment

2010-08-21T14:45:00.000-07:00

It seems that nobody really *knows* what Twitter is for exactly. But, there is a strong tradition amongst geeks of looking at a thing and pondering "what can I use this for?" And in the spirit of that geeky tradition I decided upon an experiment using twitter as a vehicle for fiction. Now many people have tried writing #vss tweets (= Very short Story) - I've written a few myself. But I wondered whether it would be possible and indeed practical to write a short drama for several characters - using several different twitter accounts.

So, I've spent a little time thinking of a rudimentary story, and I've set up some accounts for the characters. But there are many questions which arise from the experiment already...

How many characters should I write for? At the moment I have 3 characters, but I may only really use 2.

Is it necessary or desirable to have a "Narrator" for those parts of the story which don't have a "voice"? To begin with I've opted not to use such a device.

How should the drama be "labelled" or grouped together? This is a more technical problem, and I initially tried to use a hashtag, so anyone could choose to tune-in to the drama using the hashtag. But surprisingly, it didn't seem to work very reliably. (And in my first few tweets I kept forgetting to append the hashtag too.) So now, I'm trying a List-based approach instead. I merely created a list to follow the characters and it seems to work very simply, although I'm surprised that the hashtag idea was so unreliable.

One of the other interesting aspects is the prospect of audience participation. It would be possible for anyone to reply to the characters and they could even influence the story. Who knows? We may find out soon.

The drama is not long or convoluted so it won't take long to run through the whole thing. I imagine I will probably write 10-or-so tweets per day for the story and it will probably finish within a week. While I have planned the story, it's not all planned in great detail, and it may be subject to some change.

Here's the link to the List: Twitter Play

Spillers Reopens!

2010-07-29T01:07:00.000-07:00

Today marks the reopening of Spillers in Cardiff, widely recognised as the oldest record shop in the world. And what an institution it is. I recently read a comment about how shabby the old shop was; and how the photocopied album covers didn't offer the greatest custemoer experience.

It's strange, how I'd never seen it that way. I recognise all of those criticisms; and yet somehow none of that ever mattered to me. Spillers has something that the other shops don't - it's part of that cultural heritage of old Cardiff. Along with the Market, the Vulcan, Hayes Island Cafe, Jacob's Market - it's not that pretty; but it has an old-world honesty that I much prefer to the showy generica of St.Davids shopping centre (which still has no music shops or bookshops at all - the best one can say for it is that's it's clean - and I understand even that has been brought into question.)

Walking into Spillers was never a gaudy, glittery experience. My first impression was always one of heading into a musical cave - where some interesting song would be playing - never something obvious; instead it would be bluegrass or obscure spacy-pop or blues or motown. Often, you'd want to know what exactly it was that was playing - sometimes I was compelled to ask. And the dark, dingy interior was hung with posters for upcoming gigs, gigs for local bands. I'm sure Spillers has helped the local music scene considerably by being a focus for such local talent. And then there were t-shirts and tickets and other paraphanalia. All of which served to form a gritty tribute to music in Cardiff.

For me Spillers has never been just a shop. It's more like being allowed into a secret underground world, a musical speakeasy if you will.

I guess losing the photocopied album covers would be a good idea. But for my part, I hope the new premises will be a great success, and I wish them the best for the future.

The new shop is in Morgan Arcade, I think I'll pay them a visit today.

Specialization?

2010-07-16T06:57:00.000-07:00

Recently, (ok - it was May) I came across the suggestion that Geeks should specialize in something. So, the question arises: "Do we, as geeks, have a *duty* to specialize and gain expertise in a specific field of endeavor?" I'm not sure that I have specialized much. Nor am I sure that it is necessary. It may be a laudable aim; but not a *neccessary* one.

I'm sure that many of those great exploits in the field of geeky endeavor are a result of specialization. And that may be reason enough to do it. But I'm reminded of that quote "Specialisation is for insects" (Robert A Heinlein, yes I had to look it up; but I'm pleased it turned out to be someone like him that said it!) And it's an important point. We, as geeks not simply humans, are perfectly able to find ourselves enjoying the depth of detail in any field of study, and few subjects really bore us. So do we need to specialize at all? I'd be glad to read any comments you have on the matter.

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects."R.A.Heinlein

I suppose I don't feel like much of a specialist at all. But here's a quick list of those things that I might say I specialise in. (They're really NOT all skills or areas of knowledge, some of them are simply interests with no implied skill to boast of.) The fact that there are so many just makes me feel more like a generalist again:

Lego - where so many of us start.

Reading - it's such a basic skill. But so many people don't seem to read nearly enough; so I'm listing it, ok?

Remembering stuff. - I read, I remember. And yes, I'd love to be in your quiz team.

Drawing - I'm no artist; but I can draw reasonably well.

Computers - I can use one, big deal. I'm not that much of a Windows power-user though. And I'm not that good with hardware either. But I know databases. (Oracle specifically) And I enjoy shell programming on unix/linux machines.

Role-playing - the old fashioned D&D, pen, paper & dice kind.

History - I'm particularly fascinated by History. I might be paid to use computers; but I love history. Especially the history of the ancient world - Egypt, babylon, Assyria, Persia, Greece and especially Alexander the Great. But I'm also fascinated by Naval History from HMS Warrior (1860) onwards and the rise of the Victorian Navy through to the 20th Century. But I'll happily read about Medieval Europe or American History or the Napoleonic era or the history of maths, or the history of physics (or chemistry, or any other science)

Physics - I love reading books on physics - whether that's big-science such as cosmology, relativity, the weird world of quantum mechanics, or odd backwaters of specific research like the search for high-temperature superconductors.

Technology - in a similar vein, I like to read up on the latest developments in technology - often not so much the specifics of the latest gadgets; but more the possibilities of new technologies that are still 5-10 years away.

Geography - including the old-fashioned kind that involved knowing that Caracas is the capital of Venezuela.

Musical Instruments - I love musical instruments. I love the vast array of different sounds they make. I like them as artistic objects in themselves. I like spotting and recognising them. Musical Instruments are awesome! I can't play music much, although I "mess around" on Harmonicas, Melodeon and Melodica.

Music - of course. I'll elaborate elsewhere.

Mythology - I like knowing the old stories. There's something both contemporary and primitive about the old stories.

Astronomy - I grew up in the age of the space-race. As a kid I consumed books about the universe. I'm still enraptured by all of it.

Botany - ok "Gardening" if you prefer.

Volkswagens - Quirky rear-engined cult cars - such fascinating things. This might also count as one of my few 'practical skills'.

Literature - well, some of it. There really is SO much of it isn't there?

Yes, there are more I could add to the list. Many more.

Incidentally, the article suggesting we have a duty to specialize is at:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geek_Pride_Day (Responsibility #6)

Refusenik

2010-05-27T04:56:00.000-07:00

I don't do facebook. I am a "Facebook Refusenik". I've always thought there was something dodgy about it. So, these days, after a continued (continuing?) series of stories about bad Facebook security, I can feel pretty smug. I don't want to say I told you so (but...)

So, what's it like to be on the outside? Never having had a Facebook Account (and yes, I *have* been tempted) is a strange experience. Let me elucidate.

Firstly, I am left-out. There's lots of stuff I don't get to see. That's obvious and expected and I can cope with that... There are various photos and games and jokes which have passed me by. Fine. My time is busy enough without Facebook. After all, I'm on various other social-networks: Twitter, Flickr and Last.FM are my favourites. I'm also on MySpace, LinkedIn and even Odadeo (a network for Dads) but I don't use those much.

But there are other aspects of being on the outside. I am occasionally beyond the reach of some companies advertising. Sometimes, a gig, or flash-mob or festival or some event I'd *like* to go to escapes my notice because I'm on the outside. I might see an interesting link, and attempt to follow it, merely to be presented with a Facebook logon. Damn.

But the darkest aspect of all this is the suspicion I have that Facebook *does* know about me. There probably are photos of me on Facebook. I've probably been identified and tagged. I believe I even have fans on Facebook! (I guess that's cool, yes!?) And yet all this is entirely beyond my control. Of course, I could take (some) control of this, or at least be more aware of some of this data if I signed-up. But only by submitting more data to them.

I think that's sneaky. Which is why I refuse.

Stealth Christianity

2010-05-07T03:59:00.001-07:00

On occasion, I'm asked about my beliefs: "Are you an atheist?" And I suppose I should state for the record that I'm not.

Actually, I am compelled (by historical evidence) to take the strange and remarkable life and teachings of a certain historical preacher of ancient Galilee seriously.

This is of course a troublesome and difficult discovery. It puts me (in many people's minds) in the same pigeon-hole as a whole variety of nut-jobs, humourless homophobes, scientific nay-sayers and most recently even those that have protected child-abusers. Ouch.

So firstly let me say that when other people are offended by such bigotry, I am offended too. And possibly more so; since I *ought* to be able to call some of these people my brothers and sisters. But no. I can't possibly defend them, except to say that they have failed egregiously.

Yet other people will point out that science has now, more or less, removed our need for such superstition and replaced it with reason. And I have to agree that they have a point. But actually, I don't see that science has done very much at all to disprove the existence of God, it merely explains the mechanics of the universe. It's true that we don't need to see demons behind every tree and rock; but to be honest, I never did.

Also, a good number of my friends are atheists. And I can understand that too. I used to be one. And some atheists would find that a very strange statement, since they understandably equate atheism with rationality and religion with superstition. More specifically, many people will complain that science specifically disproves the creation story from Genesis. And that I must therefore be stupid, blind, ignorant or stubborn. Well, actually, I'm not that much of a creationist. I don't read Genesis 1 in quite that way. In fact I'd send creationist and scientist alike to go read Job:38:4 where God says "Where were you when I laid the Earth's foundation?" After all, no matter how loudly any of us shout about how complete our knowledge of the universe is, I don't know anyone who was actually there when it was put together. It's a great leveller.

To those who might complain that I'm being half-hearted in my faith, I'd simply say that I don't think Genesis 1 is supposed to be read like that. In fact maybe you should go back and read what it does say (and notice what it doesn't say) and then maybe you'll join me in wondering how or why plants were made before the sun & moon. It's far more poetic than scientific - and should be read as such. Maybe (just maybe) God created plants before he created the sun and moon; but I doubt it. Maybe one day I'll understand what that means and why; but I don't imagine that the detail is going to affect how I live my life too much.

So, is Christianity irrational? Actually I believe it's based on historical evidence. Albeit historical evidence for very extraordinary events. It's not like science. It is supposed to be about real-life, and yet it's supposed to be extraordinary too. The events described in the Bible are NOT everyday events. (And you can't do experiments on them either.)

Anyway. I don't push my beliefs on other people. I'd be happy to talk about it; but I know many folk find such subjects uncomfortable, so I tend to adopt a kind of "Stealth Christianity". It's not because I think it needs to be stealthy, but simply because my reasons take a bit of explaining.

Family introductions

2010-05-04T16:36:00.000-07:00

I have a pretty amazing family. And it's about time you heard about them, simply because it's not really possible to explain anything about myself without referring to them in some way.

Firstly, my local, immediate, nuclear family...

My wife Annette is a remarkable and strong woman, - she's a bit older than me and full of wisdom and practical common sense. She's not too geeky, but she is intelligent (even if she doesn't think she is.) When I first met her, she was a single mother - who managed to bring up 4 (count them: Ben, Jason, Adam & Jodie) - yes four children and somehow still managed to do all sorts of other things too. I'm sure I really don't credit her enough, but she is immensely supportive and for some reason really believes in me.

So, when we got married, I found myself with four step-children (aged 10-15 at the time) and since then we've had two more sons: Josh and Will. Over the past few years all of the older ones have left home so we're (a bit) more like a normal-sized household.

So, next I'll mention the older four in (a tiny bit) more detail.

Ben - (who, as I write this is living with us again for a short while) is a bit of a geek like me, and into gaming, gadgetry, computers, android-phones and can turn his hand to all-sorts of things.

Jason - who is married to the lovely Jo and lives in Newport. They have 2 sons themselves and most recently a daughter. Jason is an electrician.

Adam - who lives in Birmingham with Bexx. He runs a music promotion business he started last year.

Jodie (my only step-daughter) - who lives in Cardiff and works on a voluntary basis for a local charity. She is very arty and creative. She's also a great organiser and loves spending time with children.

Next Josh & Will...

Josh is our resident rock-god. He's only small for a 14 year-old, but since he picked up a guitar 3 years ago he has scarcely put it down again. He loves a variety of musical forms (notably Prog-rock, Punk, Metal, Folk etc...) Other than that he's very much like me - he has a geeky nature and a great sense of humour. Josh and I have a special bond - so we always understand each other.

If I love Josh for being just like me, I love William because he's different. William is a great artist - he draws every day. He's also immensely empathic - with a talent for picking up on other people's feelings. He is more mature and sociable and sensitive than almost anyone I know.

Incidentally, both Josh and Will were home-educated until high-school age. Annette stayed at home to teach them and hasn't gone back to work since. So the next episode of our great adventure in family-life is to do some fostering. So far we've only done a little respite-fostering; but this week we're due to have a 2-year old come to live with us for a year or so...

Of course, I also have other family... back home in Hampshire - my Father and his wife Jeanie (my Mum died when I was 30) - my brother Tim and his wife and 2 children. And many more friends and relations of more distant sorts scattered across the globe. I should say that there are quite a few people that we count as "family" - simply because Annette's hospitable nature means that some friends become "attached" to our household on an ongoing basis. Some have even lived with us for a while - that's what it's like here. We are family - we do community - it's an important expression of who we are.

I might add, that for a geek, all of this has been a learning process. It hasn't come naturally - I'm really a bit of an introvert and I like my own company and my own space. But I do really get a kick out of all this busy-ness around me.

Anyway, I hope this is useful background to understanding what I do with the rest of my time.

Nos Da!

Reliable Transport (part 2)

2009-10-31T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation of my previous post about motoring, where I wrote about my thoughts on reliability.

If you can stomach the idea, I'd even recommend driving a classic car. I'd recommend a classic VW - they're certainly simple and distinctive, and they have a simply HUGE community, easily larger than that of any other car. Parts are very readily available. But they're also rather over-priced these days - at least in the UK.
Looking around, there are plenty of old Minis (which are certainly fun to drive) and a few old Austin A30s and A35s, and some Morris Minors.There are a surprising number of old Triumphs around and some Ford Cortinas and Capris. There are also a good number of Mercedes and the odd Volvo or Saab. And there are also some 1980s cars too - they may not seem quite so 'classic' - but an 80's Mk1 Golk or Audi might make quite a good cheap and practical classic of the future.

Now you'll realise that a classic is different. Different to drive, different to use. It would probably be less fuel efficient than it's modern equivalent. It'll have lower performance, less safety features, less options and toys. But it can still make sense. An old car has at least already paid it's dues in terms of construction costs, whereas a new one has a huge resource cost just to build it in the first place. And if you don't drive too many miles an old car can come with a clear conscience and it can even be surprisingly cheap to run. (Check out classic insurance, it's surprisingly cheap. Also, some such cars even increase in value rather than depreciate.)

You'll need to consider maintenance of course, and availability of parts. Is there a local specialist garage that can help with such things? Are you going to be doing some work yourself? And if so, have you got somewhere to do such work? But none of these things should put you off the idea - really you ought to be able to find something which will work for you.

So now, I have a 1990 VW Caravelle - powered by a primitive golf-diesel engine. It is absolutely NOT a refined 'drivers' vehicle! But it is immensely practical and spacious, and it has 'community' - a whole bunch of ) And an 1993 Mercedes, which was both cheap (£1200) and over-engineered in the way cars sometimes used to be. (But these days cars are always designed for a market and built down to a price.)
I'd love to own an older bus again, like my old 1970 VW bus. And I'd happily swap my Merc for the previous shape (the W123) - and maybe sometime I shall.

I might also add that I'm quite a fan of walking. I try to walk to work a few times a week. And in theory, I'm keen on the idea of cycling; but personally I get a bit nervous around traffic when I'm on a bike.

Reliable Transport (part 1)

2009-10-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

A few people I know have had car problems recently. (Possibly *most* of the readership of this blog actually.) And it gives me cause to think about why I drive what I drive... I drive older cars. If a car is not at least 12 years old, I wouldn't consider driving it...

"But Howard", people say, "all I want is a car that's reliable. One that gets me from A to B." - and there's the rub... Perhaps reliability shouldn't be measured in terms of how infrequently something goes wrong. But in how simple/cheap it is to fix when it does go wrong.

My first car was a VW Beetle. From 1967. And I learnt a lot from that car. I had adventures. I learnt the pain and anguish of rust & corrosion. I learnt how NOT to adjust the valve-train. I learnt how to do an engine swap after the original dropped a valve. (Lot's of expensive noises!) And I learnt all sorts of other interesting lessons.
But mostly I learnt the value of learning how things worked. And what was fixable and what was beyond my capability. And I learnt the value of simplicity.

These days I don't do so much car maintenance. Partly due to lack of facilities. Partly due to lack of time. And maybe I'm just not that good at those kind of skills anyway. But I still appreciate knowing how things work. And I don't tend to trust things which are too 'electronicky' or 'comes as a sealed unit mate' and needs experts or special tools or whatever.

I'm drawn to the "Makers Manifesto" idea. I'd like to live in a world where motor manufacturers were just a bit more altruistic, hacker friendly and less 'controlling' and money-grasping. There was a time when cars (and other things) were engineered with maintenance in mind (even user-maintenance!) Some cars were even designed to a specification rather than a market : VW Beetles, Citroen 2CVs, Land-Rovers certainly fit into that category.

So, what car to own... In the absence of a truly open-source car, I believe it might be best to seek out 'cars with community'. If there's a bunch of enthusiasts who can help you understand your car, warn you of pitfalls, give you advice - then all that might add up to a more reliable, enjoyable, richer experience of motoring. You might even make a few friends along the way. (And you didn't really need that built-in bluetooth/sat-nav/electrickery anyway did you?)

2009-07-25T06:15:00.000-07:00

LOGIC GAIT:

How do you spot a geek?

Well, obviously there are all sorts of little cues and clues... But some of them are more than slightly odd, and I wonder where some of these traits come from.

For example. Yesterday, I saw a girl who was 'walking in a geeky manner'. (This is quite unusual, most girls don't walk like that.) It's true. And I know that I do it too. Maybe you do. I don't know how common this trait might be, but I have frequently wondered about it. I habitually tend to walk fast enough that some people struggle (slightly) to keep up. I don't mean that walking fast is an exclusively geeky ability, far from it; but I get the impression it's more common among geeks than in the general population. But I've never seen this idea discussed before and I could be wrong I suppose.

I'd like to point out that it's not a competitive thing. (Most geeks are probably not that competitive.) And on occasion, I've met people who think it IS competitive - which is rather irritating and off-putting.

I walk fast because I have a certain *focus* and a sense of purpose centred on my intended destination. (I don't walk fast if I have no sense of where I'm going or where I should be; although that's actually quite unusual.) Furthermore, it may be that I walk faster because in my formative years I spent less time walking with friends than many people and would often find myself walking on my own. This combination of solitude and purpose is possibly common among geeky types and could easily give rise to "walking in a geeky manner".

And along with this strange long, lunging gait (despite not being very tall) - as a geek, I do have that strange ability to 'spot other geeks'. Sometimes it's a nuance of dress-code, or a pattern of speech, or even an awkwardness in some social situations. But sometimes, it's just how someone walks...

But I wonder what other 'secondary' geeky traits there are of this kind?

Oh, yes. Puns. That'd be one for sure. Apologies to those who thought this was a post about electronic logic-gates. It's NOT.

My Favourite

2009-07-16T10:06:00.000-07:00

I know I'm a geek.
How do I know?
I have come to an ever-increasingly-solid understanding of the fact. I'm dead certain.

Yesterday, at work, I revealed another facet of my geekiness. I have a favourite isotope! (This isn't a necessary qualification for geekhood; but I think it seals the deal beyond any reasonable doubt.) So, which one? Carbon 14? Nope! Don't give me any of that Carbon 14 nonsense! Deuterium (Hydrogen 2)? Nope. Not Tritium either (Hydrogen 3). And it's not Uranium 235 or 238. No, no, no. It's Strontium 90.

Why? Hmmm. That's a more difficult question. But here are some supporting reasons...

It's a radio-isotope. (Did you think I'd want a stable one? - It emits Beta radiation)
It has a reasonable half-life of around 28 years. Not too long, not too short.
It's a product of nuclear fission of Uranium - which is kind of funky.
Chemically, it's a Group II element - similar in behaviour to Calcium.
And it sounds good, to say out loud. (It would make a half-decent expletive - in some circles, I'm sure!)

And how did they react at work? Strangely, they were impressed. (Not much, but a tiny bit impressed.) I think they must be getting to know me now...

Contrary

2009-06-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

I have a strange aversion to some mainstream bits of popular culture. I find it hard to explain exactly why.

But you may notice:

I don't acknowledge the existence of that 1960's band whose name has something to do with Entomology. You know the one. I believe they were immensely popular way back in the day. In my own particular revisionist version of history they simply don't exist. Never did. Don't mention them to me. You'll just get a blank quizzical look.

I don't wear jeans. Well, not blue denim ones anyway. Black? Ok. Grey? Possibly. I even had a pair of blue-ish jeans once (but not made of denim)
I do have a blue-denim jacket too. But not an actual every-day pair of blue denim jeans.
I haven't worn such things since I was about 12 and I see no reason to change.*
I don't mind other people wearing them. But it's just_not_me. Ok.

Similarly, I tend to avoid products from Ford, Microsoft, Nestle, Sony & Tesco. **

Why?

It could be that I'm just a contrary b*strd.

* I think that once, I had to borrow a pair of jeans in order to do some hefty, dirty work. But that doesn't count does it?
** Some of these are for real rational reasons & some irrational.

Zombies - the Game

2009-04-11T15:48:00.000-07:00

It's Easter - when we celebrate resurrection from the dead. So here's something I wrote a few years ago for h2g2.

We've often played this game, since the boys were small...

Imagine a number of people slowly staggering around, chasing a mass of screaming victims. Perhaps they're playing Zombies? A very silly game but potentially very good fun. The game is in fact a variation on a simple game of 'tag' - suitable for any large number of people, either indoors or outdoors.

What is Zombie?

The idea is that one person starts off as a zombie, who has to 'infect' the other players, simply by touching them. Of course, zombies have a slow lumbering gait, so they should be easy to escape from; but they keep coming. The typical zombie should have their arms stretched out in front of them slightly, together with a glazed expression and a stiff-legged walk. Just to make sure that people know what's going on, they might even murmur 'Zombieee' in a deadpan manner. And once they touch someone, that person becomes a zombie too, adding to the confusion and mayhem (as you are turned into a zombie, you might even emit a blood-curdling scream, just for effect).

Variations

Even this simple version is good fun; but once you know the rules there are a number of interesting variations on this theme.

Firstly, 'spontaneous zombie'. There is no absolute need to 'announce' the fact that you are going to play Zombies. If you have a large enough crowd of friends, (all of whom know how to play) then at any moment someone could decide to start a game of Zombies. Imagine the hilarious confusion, when one person suddenly turning 'zombie' transforms the local pub, or your relaxing family picnic into a scene of chaos. (Picture, if you will, a group of complete strangers staggering around a shopping complex.)

Also, you might try to stop the zombie(s). You might allow one person to be a 'cleric' or 'anti-zombie' who is able to cure zombies, or you might think of other ways of stopping the zombie (water pistols or pillows perhaps?).

Of course the game doesn't really have a 'winner' in the conventional sense; although it does have a 'competitive' element. It's just fun to play!

Share and enjoy!

But Man Loved Darkness Rather Than Light

2009-03-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid (shortly after the last ice-age) we used to have power-cuts. They were frequent enough for us to have an splendid looking oil-lamp, with a mantle, which would be brought out whenever we were suddenly plunged into darkness. And of course, we'd use candles or torches if we needed to go to the bathroom. I remember these power-cuts as being pretty good fun.

So, now I'm all grown up (allegedly) we have instituted "Power Cut Nights". We don't have them that often, and mostly in the Winter. We turn off the telly. We turn out the lights. We light candles and have a real fire - which is another thing I grew up with. And it feels good to do home-made family entertainment.

Sometimes we play games. Or just talk perhaps? We toast marshmallows over the candles, or teacakes over the fire. And I'm no musician, but I might try squeezing a tune or two from my Melodeon. (The boys are far better at music than me these days... so they really have something to contribute now.) And sometimes we could tell stories - either reading aloud from a book or maybe extemporised.

Anyway. This weekend is, apparently "Earth Hour", during which we are encouraged to turn off the lights for 1 hour from 8:30pm on Saturday 28th March. And I'd encourage you to do a powercut night too. Of course there's a serious point to all this, as described at EarthHour.org; but please, don't forget to have fun.

Folksonomies

2009-03-26T10:52:00.000-07:00

So What is this Folksonomy Thing?

Ok, so onto the Geeky subjects. For the last couple of years, I've become quite a fan of folksonomies. And yes, it is quite a cumbersome mouthful of syllables. (It's a portmanteau word derived from 'folk' and 'taxonomy' - meaning a system of categorising things by what people really call them.)

It's the idea behind 'tagging' as used on Flickr and Del.icio.us (and yes, I like the old spelling of del.icio.us) And ok, you can call it tagging if you want, but I like using long words just so long as I know what they mean.

So, a spade is a spade right? Yeah. You might call it a shovel, I guess. But you're probably out on your own if you want to call it a manual excavation device. The point is, it makes things easier to find, especially if you combine a couple of tags together.

Of course, such tagging systems do have some weaknesses: firstly of course, it demands that ordinary human beings put in the data. But people don't all share the same global terminology, let alone the same language. Even differences in spelling can cause some minor problems. But overall, the idea works pretty well... It makes it possible to find pictures on Flickr of (say) rusty red tractors - or whatever it is you're looking for.

So I've used Flickr, and then I got used to a similar system on Del.icio.us for social bookmarking (in which you can also see how many other people have tagged a particular page, and even what tags they used.) - with the added advantage that you can get to the same set of bookmarks whether you're at home or in the office, or wherever.

But then, I got to thinking that it'd be pretty cool to be able to tag music too. And I even found a site that lets you add tags to music: Last.fm It's quite likely you've seen it, maybe you use it too. And it does work. I really like the site. I like the recommendations. I also like the streaming - although I don't use that much. I like the social-networking side of it. I *really* like the way you can 'scrobble' all the music you play and it will build charts of what you like.

BUT...

I think I'm alone in my use of tagging. Everyone else seems to tag music simply as 'Rock', 'Seen Live', 'Happy' and other similar stuff. Which is why I've had to start a personal crusade to tag everything I listen to "properly". (Well, what qualifies as 'properly' for me.) So, as well as genre, I tend to tag music by decade, musical-instruments used (one of the most important things to my way of thinking), perhaps time-signature or even country of origin or language.

After all, how else can I find that Hungarian Bluegrass Elvis-cover featuring Hurdy-Gurdy, Banjo and Tambourine?

The remaining problem, even with my solitary crusade, is that if I should try searching for music using such tags - all I find is stuff that I've tagged myself!

My crusade is possibly as nerdy as musical trainspotting.
But Im not downhearted. It's a labour of love.

Meeting Joe Strimmer

2009-03-21T02:44:00.000-07:00

From the title, you might imagine that I lied about the name-dropping celebrity-chasing assertion I made in my last post. I certainly hope my blog doesn't turn into an exercise in shallowness of that kind. Nonetheless, the events of this week need to be addressed; specifically the Punks Not Dad gig at the Claude Hotel in Cardiff on Thursday.

When I first ran away from home at the tender age of 25, and moved to Cardiff, I quickly discovered what a fabulous live music scene there was in the city. I became fascinated by such fabulous bands as The Howling Sleepers, The Dostoyevskys, Railroad Bill, The Blue Horses, The Six-Sided Men - all based in Cardiff and mostly sadly defunct now. Many of these bands played at Cardiff's "Meltdown" - an organisation run by enthusiasts of live music and still going after over 20 years (albeit now monthly rather than weekly.) I went as often as I could - actually, I still do...

So, this Thursday, I found myself watching some old friends playing stupidly brilliant punk. Punks Not Dad sing wonderfully anarchic songs about sheds and lawnmowers and flat-packed furniture. The music is genuine punk: noisy, with brash chords and rough but humourous lyrics. They've successfully made the gap between teenage-angst and the anxieties of a 40-something seem like no gap at all. I'm sure some people wouldn't 'get it', the roughness might put some people off - but hey, it's punk! It's supposed to be this way! And yet, for some of us, perhaps their target audience - it really is nostalgic too, with a healthy dose of humour thrown in. If the music means anything to you at all, I'd recommend going to see them.

Of course, I managed to catch up with 'Joe Strimmer' too, I guess I've known him for 18 years or so now, and 'Sid Life Crisis' too for that matter. (I'd normally call them Chris and Dan, but hey...) And it seems there's been quite a bit of interest in their new venture recently, so I'd just like to wish them all the success they deserve.

On another, stranger, more random note, I also met another guy: Mark Ryan, who used to play with Adam and the Ants, way back. He was convinced that I ought to try doing some comedy, and you know, maybe I shall...

Meeting Stan Lee

2009-03-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to meet someone famous? (No, this isn't supposed to be some name-dropping celebrity-chasing blog-post.) I've scarcely met anyone of note. Or maybe I have, and completely failed to notice. In fact, that's reasonably likely; since I'm not very aware of fame or fortune; it's one of the many facets of my own bizarre naivete. Indeed, most of the people I think of as famous or noteworthy are:

1) Dead,
b) Famous for inventing or discovering something - NOT appearing on telly.

But there was this one time...

We had just been watching Spiderman 3 (I think) at the cinema in Cardiff. The film had just ended and we were walking out of the auditorium into the lobby area. It was reasonably late, and there weren't too many people around except for an old guy mopping the shiny floor. So he looks up at us and winks, saying "Great fim, huh?" as though he was personally proud of it. We agreed, of course and moments later it struck us... "Was that Stan Lee?" we asked each other. Of course, it couldn't be. Why would he be mopping a floor in Cardiff? But it DID look like him. And it was a situation just like the little cameos he has in all those superhero films.

Of course, it's not nearly as funny as seeing Dylan Moran in a second hand bookshop; but it was spooky. And what's more, we'll never really know; but we all remember it just the same way.

Episode 0 - Making Stuff Up!

2009-02-13T04:56:00.000-08:00

An adventure in N+1 episodes.

And so it begins...

A blog.

I intend to explore a variety of geeky subjects - in a not-too-serious manner.

Firstly, let's make some stuff up. I enjoy making stuff up. If someone asks me a question, especially a mundane question, I tend to think for a moment "should I answer truthfully, or would it be more fun to make something up?" That's not to say that I'm *dishonest* exactly; on the contrary - I have a very honest nature and I'm not at all good at lying. But it's all tempered with a bit of playfulness.

Of course, there's also that "Ha-Ha-Only-Serious" (HHOS) trait, common to many geeks and hackers. The borderlands between serious and silly are not well defined; and sometimes it's easier to joke about something I feel strongly about. I suspect that I'll be covering a good number of subjects from pure fantasy to serious opinion - sometimes you might even be able to tell which is which. If you stick around, maybe you'll see what I mean...

By all means subscribe to the RSS-feed, and maybe leave a comment. That'd be lovely.