Pumpkin Attack!! Waste at least 45 seconds of your day....

He has come! I have beheld the wonders of his noodly appendage!

These are all so cool. Zombie bears and Gir - what more could you want?

"I loveded you piggy, I loveded youuuuu!"

Quite interesting guide to creating pop art from photos. Might have to give it a try at some point.

A quick visual gag that made me chuckle a bit. It's just the way you can see it sneaking around the door....

No, not a reference to me at work. Blogger was playing silly buggers yesterday and not letting me connect to my website. Hopefully back on track today?

Sign the pledge for freedom of speech on t'interwebnet

Waiter chases down four people that leave without paying.

"The bill was only $40," Aru said "but I work hard here every day. I take my job seriously."

And then some!

Emotions attached to my new computer

Relief (as the parcel finally turns up after two weeks).
Excitement (as I start unpacking stuff and sticking it all together).
Embarrassment (as I realize I should have read the instructions and have to take bits apart).
Pain (as I stab myself with a screwdriver).
Anticipation (as I turn it on for the first time).
Embarrassment (as nothing happens and I realize I should have read the instructions).
Joy (as it works for the first time).
Boredom (as I wait for the 58 Windows updates to install).
Pride (as I overclock it by 50% to 2.7GHz)

Ok, that last one is a bit nerdy and won't mean much to most of you but I'm proud that my shiny new computer is running as fast as one that would have cost £150 more.

I likes a good conspiracy theory me. A long watch.

The Homeland Security Collection - you may want to shield your eyes...

Something a bit more lighthearted now (which I only know about thanks to Miss C and her telly). Makes me want to grab my camera and run around with a daft look on my face whilst humming....

Another one for you creative types that like making that little extra effort around Halloween - spooky lego figures.

If it's more of a costume you are after, try this

Pelican eats pigeon in London park. I know at least two people that would cheer for the pelican....

For the more techy minded amongst you, I found this Toms Hardware aticle quite useful. Was already advising our students of some of this but it's given mea few more things to suggest.

For no other good reason than it's decidely weird.

Creator of Dilbert get's his voice back. Interesting read.

My good news for the day, my missing parcel finally turned up!! Two weeks it's been sat in the Archaelogy department apparently. Tossers.

Some of these really did make me chuckle - lots of cat pictures.

(I like the invisible sandwich one)

Has been a busy week it seems. Greenland is losing 100 billion tonnes of ice a year (least it's actually lower than people thought), the ozone hole is bigger, the global ecosystem is going to collapse and the UK waste the most energy in Eurpoe.

At least there might be some hope for the rainforests...

A new form of contraception maybe? What I want to know is who the hell thought "For this study of mobile phone usage I want to see how it affects... hmmm....*ponders for a moment* ... sperm!!"

Actually, maybe I'd rather not know what linked those two things in his mind.

Some great uses for everyday stuff here.

However, best gadget of the day (for men more than women I would think) is the Remembering Ring. 24 hours before some preset date (wifes birthday, anniversary, time to wash the bed sheets again) it starts to heat up giving you a constant nagging reminder that there is something you must do. Has a hefty $760 price tag but that might be worth it for the grief it will save you...

I'm not sure I've ever seen anything quite like this before. Legendary (?) world class eating champion Takeru Kobayashi vs a bear in a hotdog eating competition. And just check out the "still to come" bit at the end.

US bans vegemite. Australians shocked (apparently).

"Anything to delcare sir? Drugs. Explosives. Jar of vegemite?"

For those of you that like to be a little more inventive with your pumpkin carving at this time of year, why not try your hand at a Cylon.

I was going to get this album at some point but I'm totally sold after hearing this track and seeing the video for it. Gnarls Barkley - Gone Daddy Gone

Still can't decide if this is a fake or not. If not, the guy has some real serious issues. The interviewers reaction is good tho.

Totally not gay (or mentally disturbed) thanks to his mum.

Simplt but quite addictive - kill the zombies. I'm tempted to try prevention rather than cure and kill all the civilians first...

Is this the future of internet search engines? I suspect not. Although the fact that she sometimes looks like she's about to take her clothes off did get me thinking about how this sort of thing could work if directed at certain user groups. Such as the old person version.

"You put what you're looking for in this box deary. No, this one. Click with the mouse button. The other mouse button."

"I'll find that for you - you go make a nice cup of tea."

That sort of thing. Sure there are many other potential versions - not a great leap from this really, is it? (NSFW)

I think my meeting went well. Who knows - might even find new opportunities arising in the near future with the changes that will be taking place around here. Oh, and I took her one of these as I thought it might get me in her good books.

In thirty minutes I have my first meeting with the new Director of IT - my new boss. Will be interesting as I've not seen enough of her really to judge her in any way (my own fault for being too lazy to go to the staff meetings). I'm very tempted to be honest with her - about looking for a new job, the probable death of my section, the fact that most people don't know what we do (cos we don't do a lot).

Should be enlightening (for whom, I'm not sure). And at least I shaved today....

That's it, I'm doomed to ever get my new computer working!!

After getting nowhere with the head porter yesterday who kept changing his mind about when he'd do something more than just keep his fingers crossed that my missing parcel turns up ("End of Monday. Did I say Monday, I meant Wednesday. Wednesday, nah, end of November etc..) I sent an email to the head of Estates.

Now in this job I hate people that go behind my back and straight to my boss when they don't get an answer they like. It implies that
a) They don't believe me or that I'm qualified to give an answer or
b) They think they are so important that rules don't apply to them.

The sad fact is b) is actually true a lot of the time and at the slightest bit of whinging to someone in a position of authority, they get their way.

So I thought I'd try it.

A whole DAY after sending the email, I get a reply. "Leave it with me, I'll need to find out what happened and then suggest a course of action to you." What the hell is he going to find out? I told him it was delivered and then went missing! If anyone knew what happened, who took it and where it went, I would have got the sodding thing back by now!

Doomed I tells ya!

Yet another video for you all - this one is quite interesting and addresses the issue of beauty. Not sure how Dove are going with their campaign but they do keep bringing out good stuff (plus I did quite fancy that woman with all the freckles they had a while ago...).

Some real physics, animated carnage and torture. With a soundtrack.

Gah, forgot to blog this a few days ago. It's subtle but I think Tim is trying to tell us something...

I did enjoy reading this.

(link via Poons)

Someone has far too much time on their hands. Although I am liking the sounds of the 'pert breasts'.....

Not sure what use I'd ever have for this but it is an interesting tutorial on how to hide files within jpegs.

I don't get any cold calling sales people but if I did, I wish I was inventive enough tp do this.

So what if I'd look daft, I want one!

306 Degree gaming helmet.

Maybe they'd let me wear it at work too?

Last night I felt totally rubbish. Shuffling around my flat with barely enough energy to move, trying to decide if I was hungry or not as I coughed up a lung every five minutes. Then I found this and it cheered me up.

Gah, and I just bought a new monitor too (not that I can use it with the rest of the computer parts still missing) - laser TV is coming.

The best 10 horror movie deaths. Well according to Maxim anyway...

If you don't play MMORPGs or WoW in particular, this South Park episode won't mean much to you. Made me chortle tho.

Enough of the heavy stuff - back to random goodness (plus I have developed a stonking cold overnight so probably couldn't do serious if I wanted to).

This has to be one of the most imaginative and interesting sites I've seen in a while - Pjotro - the man with the musical suit.

Am I the only one getting fed up with news stories that seem designed to cause religious tensions being forced in my face all the time? This week has been really bad. Two minor employer/employee conflicts (minor in terms of world importance - not for the people in question of course) that have become front page news stories.

We have the whole teacher suspended for wearing a veil thing. This story actually seems to have happened several weeks back (her tribunal was held in September) but has been dragged out just because of a certain statement by Jack Straw a week ago.

Then we have the woman that has left her job after BA asked her to conceal or remove her crucifix. You'll notice that that article actually links this story to the first one I mentioned for no particular reason. You can also see the feelings it stirs up by looking at some of the comments here. How many "But Muslims can wear veils..." comments has that caused.

For the record I'm fine with whatever religions people want to have and I like to look at things with an open mind. In the case of the teacher with the veil, the school is at fault in my mind. None of the children complained (so who reported it as a problem?) and she offered a compromised which was refused. In crucifix womans case, she is at fault. BA did not ask her to remove it, just conceal it to comply with their dress code - something they have said they would ask people to do for any religious symbol that can be concealed. She has given no good reason why it must be worn in the open and what harm it would do wearing it under her shirt. She simply seems to be crying "Religious descrimination" so she can ger her way.

How many more of this type of story can we expect? I went into town yesterday and I noticed every single woman that walked past in a veil because it had been pushed to the front of my mind by these stories. I'd never given veiled women a second glance before now. It disturbed me that my perception was being manipulated like that....

So why do you think this story never made it to the main news? Two people with rather twisted beliefs found with huge amounts of chemicals, a rocket launcher and a biological protection suit would normally have been a story splashed over all the front pages with the word TERRORISTS in every paragraph. Not this time it seems.

Ok, I know it's local press and maybe not the best source of information but I trust some of the big media companies about as much when it comes to reporting details. Oh, more details here if you want them. The police said

"He's not a terrorist and it's not a bomb factory.... He was arrested under the Explosives Act on suspicion of possessing chemical substances that aren't in themselves an offence to possess but if combined may be capable of making an explosion."

So it's not a bomb factory, they just arrested him because he might have the ability to make quite a lot of bombs - almost like a factory. Oh wait....

And why did the BBC not cover this. Well someone asked

....reporter from BBC Radio Lancashire investigated initial reports but the police "played it down"..... On investigation they discovered that reporting restrictions were in place which severely curtailed what could be said by the media...."

I'm going to try and forget the fact that my parcel is still missing and I'm facing making claims against the university and re-ordering of all my stuff by talking about more pleasant things.

When I was younger I really used to like the film Brewster's Millions. Loved the idea of having all that money and doing crazy things with it. Which brings me to my present position.

You may remember that way back many months ago I said that when I finally received the money left to me by my gran, I'd blow the lot. That money has now arrived and I fully intend to stick with my original promise - foolish as that may seem to some. The only thing is, I wasn't expecting it to be quite so much...

Don't get me wrong, it's not a fortune. For someone like me - no debts to pay off, a nice sum saved up over the years, no kids or wife - it isn't enough to really change much in my life. It is however enough to have some serious fun with! And fun is something I think I should do with it. I'm fairly sure my nan would have appreciated it.

So I've been giving it some thought the last few days - what exactly do you do with a nice tidy some of money? I'll point out that I still have my sensible side. Blowing the money does not mean I'm going to waste it. No solid gold watch or £200 designer shirts for me. I'll look for bargains where I can and spend (relatively) wisely - but spend it all I shall and not on dull things like a new set of pans or a wardrobe (my clothes are happy on the floor - honest).

First up, I'm taking Miss C for a meal next week. Somewhere nice. Expense will be placed second to having a great time and I fully intend to toast to my nans memory with a bottle or two of wine. New clothes are something I need (badly) and I'll set aside an allowance for those. Same for some new CDs and DVDs to bolster my collection, although I think eBay will be my first stop for those. A holiday is likely to be on the card - nothing too fancy but something memorable.

But I want to do some good as well so I've already decided that £200 is put aside for charity. Not sure which charities yet but I'm already thinking it would be nice for at least some to go to something that will last like a couple of acres of rainforest.

Taking all that into account I'll still have a way to go on my spending spree however. Not easy this blwoing cash thing - I'm starting to know how Brewster felt...

I actually thought someone was saying something sensible when I started to read this story. To cut film piracy, films should be made available at the same time as they are released at the cinema. Then I got half way through

"But they should pay a premium rate for having it earlier on and it should be encrypted in such a way that it can't be copied."

Supplying more expensive downloads full of DRM technology is really not going to encourage people not to buy the knocked off DVD from Dodgy Dave down at the market...

Really, they seem to have no clue - wind farm scheme funded by taking money from energy efficiency scheme.

Some classic Spidey action. He seems to have developed a new power too - talking in speech bubble.

Thank god things have moved ahead and special effects are so much better nowadays. Or maybe not.... (skip to the last 60 seconds for the best action)

Battle of the Album Covers.

One for Bunni this.

How to build your own ghostbusters outfit. Looks like a bit too much effort for me, but cool none the less.

A slightly more disgusting project for halloween, make your own dead rat with glowing yes....

I was going to do some catching up with posting today but the fact that my parcel seems to have totally vanished has left me somewhat unmotivated and depressed. And a little pissed off.

Seems I'm doomed to ever have my new computer up and running. Someone up there really doesn't like me....

Update I was originally going to finish the above post with "There better be a cheque for £5000 waiting for me when I get home..." but I wasn't sure the humour would carry. Low and behold however, there was a cheque waiting for me. Not for five grand but lets just say my day took a turn for the better. This is a post for another day though......

Lightening bolt shoots out of womans arse. I really shouldn't laugh. No really. Well maybe just a little....

I'm back from a day of rest and relaxation. News in brief.

My computer parts have finally been delivered - yay!

My £350 of computer parts have gone missing somewhere between my department and the post room where they were delivered - boo!

I should receive a cheque from my Nans solicitors shortly (of course 'shortly' could mean 6 months for them) - yay!

My cousin (the executor) stated she hasn't seen my Nans will (either a blatant lie or a sure sign of total incompetence) - boo!

It rained on me and I got wet.

Been following this on and off for a while. It's quite interesting to see what difference a little effort makes. Effort is something this university seems a little poor at however.

As is usual every year, the main entrance to the university was full of people handing out flyers for free entry/£1 a pint/all you can eat nights for every venue in town. Within a couple of days, the pavement outside was strewn with literally thousands of discarded bits of glossy card. Not only did it look awful but it made me a tad cross from the environmental point of view too to see so much waste.

Did the university - knowing that this would be the outcome this year as it is every year - do anything? They tied a few old bins to the railings with string and wasted money putting up some fancy signs warning of a £50 fine for littering! It was a joke.

Would it really take so much effort to employ a person to go round collecting the discarded flyers for recycling - keeping the place looking tidy and giving the uni a nice 'green' image. Would it really have been so hard to save the money on fancy "No Littering" signs and instead put up a few proper bins for paper and drinks can recycling?

This could be a usefull tool. Not that I'd ever use it (9 years and never a day off sick so far - how sad am I).

Oooh, the Zoomquilt.

Take a look at this.

Not sure what it means? Nobody is, which is why all these folks are doing some truly deep digging. Quite interesting actually....

(link via The Presurfer)

Once I get my new computer, I'm downloading me number 4.

Enjoyed this post from the Doppleganger today. Bring on the bashing!

Also found this whilst looking throug clips.

Have the missing parts of my computer turned up yet? Have they my arse! And if they don't get dispatched today, I won't get them until Monday at the earliest. A whole weekend of playing with my shiny new toy lost. Forever!

*shakes fist at cruel world*

In other updates, my email about TV licences has so far been ignored. Guess they don't like people asking awkward questions.

Asda deserve a special mention for sorting out my contact lenses. I can't remember if I ever mentioned it but I switched from this lot a while ago (saving myself £180 a year in the process - do you know how much chocolate that can get me!) and placed a reorder for the next 6 months worth of lenses a couple of weeks back. It never arrived. Bloody Royal Mail. The nice ladies at Asda investigated for me and then sent some replacements via recorded delivery. Super!

You might have thought he would have learnt his lesson after inventing this but no, Sir Clive Sinclair is back with the A-bike.

Good idea? Seems ok to me.
Will it catch on? Finding that less likely.
Will you look like a tit riding one? Oh definitely.

If people really wanted a way to shorten the time to get from the tube to the office they could just as easily use one of these..

Britons don't understand tech acronyms. I'm in IT and I wouldn't have been able to tell them what VOD or PVR was - it's not common tech.

Today I feel like a kid that's waited and waited until it's Christmas day, only to be told that they have moved it to Box Day instead. Totally bored with the niggling problems that my computer is starting to get, I decided on Saturday to order my new computer then and there rather than re-install Windows only to have to do it again a few weeks down the line. It was all supposed to arrive today. Unfortunately part of the delivery has been delayed so I'm left with just a few computer components that I can't really play with.

Well okay, I did play with them. Took them out the boxes, waved them around, prodded, poked and went "Oooooh, shiny" but it's not quite the same as actually being able to use them.

Tomorrow tho, it will all be mine. Oh yes, all mine. And then I can set about blowing bits up like I did last time I tried putting my own computer together....

Maybe I shouldn't be looking at this at work - the PFL. Ooooh, Eiffel Power all the way for me. I mean... errr.. thats very degrading to women!

A little unbiased and totally researched article about the game I play. Or maybe not. Check the article comments for a much better idea of what really happened.

What do you get if you cross Babylon 5, Star Trek, a bunch of fans and some nifty home brewed CGI. See for yourself.

(sure I've linked that before but never mind)

Students. Everywhere! Damn them and their youth!

*cough*

Got to love the start of term. Least I have something to do for a change. As a result, bloggage may be light however.