stuff

i have stuff to tell. including a picture of a real live dalek! Now added below!
Obviously, he has to evolve a bit and then travel back through time before they can trouble Dr Who circa 1963 (i think).

W910i faults/Vodafone

The Sony Ericsson 910i – why I hate it and why it is destroying the brand.

Make no mistake, the 910i is a pretty phone. The one I got is the Havana bronze. It’s meant to be a walkman in a phone.

The phone has a few problems.

First, the speaker is diabolically bad. Tinny and dreadful. Any sounds that I may have crafted from previous phones’ midi functions for the alarm tones sound terrible. Quite possibly the weakest most ineffectual of sound generating devices. I wonder at what point in development that they gave up and decided that the fly in a tin can reproduction was adequate.

Second, the speaker for the ear piece is equally awful. Volume is poor.

Third, the camera is shit. The selling point on this phone is the walkman and internet functions, and they no longer work.

Forth, the software.

I’m not the first to complain about this I know, first the msn application stopped working. Phone suggested that roaming restrictions were the likely problem and being away from the home network I called customer services. All apparently fine. Still no msn. Then the folder in which the msn application is stopped responding reporting “operation failed”. Next to go was the walkman function. The shortcut button on the top of the phone does nothing, and attempting to go in via the menu the phone just sits there, doing nothing.

Vodafone customer services have been completely incompetent. Starting with I should fix the problems myself then moving onto stating that they are not responsible for the poor quality of the equipment. Surely, if the equipment is performing badly because of the imposition of Vodafone branded software, then they are responsible for the fault.
The conversation ended with how proud Laura was to be a line manager for Vodafone after stating “well we are a business you know”.
I would complain more but what’s the point when they clearly don’t give a shit.
If you are thinking of getting this phone, don’t.
If you are considering signing with Vodafone, don’t.

Customer services – 2 weeks for it to be repaired
Phone is supplied by Vodafone
Phone was recommended by Vodafone
Surely some responsibility from Vodafone here…
Contract? Want out? Air time – you will be liable for the expense for remaining period of contract.

Coming home!!

This week has been a strange one. Going ok, but a mutant offspring of a week indeed. Last night we did some damage to a rather expensive and now deceased single malt from Glenmorangie. 57.2 % and rather nice it were too. Go there, buy one, relax of an evening.
Spent up till now listening to good old guitar rock. The joy that was the ‘80s. Thanks to my sister for playing Black Sabbath and Ozzy Ozbourne when I was at that impressionable age.
Found "You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll" on youtube. And whilst the “video” is no great achievement, the song is still in my heart wailing away.

Home to Scotland for Christmas tomorrow, which will be nice.
Merry Christmas to all.

Monday…

What to report? Not much. Quiet weekend largely spent marvelling at how bloody cold it has become.
I’ll be flying home on Friday for the Christmas thing. Which I hope will be moderately relaxing.

In the meantime I'm a bit whiny:

Interpol - Leif Erikson
ILYBICD (a) - Last Ride Together
Curve - Unreadable Communication
Moby - Everloving
MLWTTKK (b) - These Remains
Peter Murphy - Cuts You Up
The Sundays - Wild Horses
The Cure - Closedown
Sigur Rós - Svefn-g-englar
Project Pitchfork - Outside

Now uncurl from that foetal position and get off the floor.

(a) - I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness
(b) - My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult

keys... Bugger!

As I may or may not have mentioned, Snackie is in season, and I don’t mean like Armani. I’m talking five of the most unlikely canine suitors you could imagine. I will try and get pictures. Anyway, last night, they were outside barking their collective faces off, sadly there was no actual detachment, driving me further from sleep and more mental by the minute. I have reached such levels of psychosis that I have filled balloons with water to launch at the buggers. The one problem with this tactic is that it rains in Guimaraes, and I think they quickly learned that my weapon was fairly unthreatening. I think it was after the initial shock probably more of a help, as all that barking and shagging can really get you hot. I passed out about 6am. I awoke at my second alarm at 9.30 but seemed to lose time. when I was leaving one of the dogs, medium size, black curly hair (looks like a ‘fro) and very sharp looking teeth was in the foyer. It was not enthusiastic about letting me pass. Growling and showing off of said dentures played an important part in all of this. I backed off and got some weaponry. As said, water doesn’t work. Neither does an air powered scare away dogs alarm, which is a re-branded rape alarm with a picture of a dog with very sharp teeth, just in case you are in any doubt why you might need such a device. I resorted to a coat stand. Which worked well, except in the midst of my triumphant enthusiasm, I chased my toothy enemy out the door to the top of the steps, with the door closing behind me. Locking me out…
I am typing this now, so obviously I got in again, about 4 hours later. More later, I really have to get to the lab!
Some pics...

This is the nasty little swine who has sharp teeth and temper. Barks a lot usually between 7-12pm then 2-6am. Like to attack the others who are "on his patch"; shudder...


This one is just a general menace. Barks at the other dogs usually between 2-6am


This one is funny. He looks like a fox with about 5 vertebrae removed. Barks at the other dogs and shadows as appropriate.

Is it just a rhapsody? Nope.

Tonight was interesting. Had a departmental dinner which went well. What’s a good meal if the equipment isn’t challenged? Anyway, I wasn’t even to blame, even if that’s how it will seem forevermore.
As my best friend in the universe says, “make some code, break some code…” This new improved get on with it attitude works very well, only €10.99 from ebay!
I have a strong inclination for a playlist. This is brought to you courtesy of my terrible typing and the random function of my MP3 player, and despite its diversity, it’s sheer beauty. I guess if you populate your player with tracks you love, it’s hard to go to wrong, but even so, some of these might be tricky for the cross fade.

Homeward – VNV Nation
Ice Isolation – Dream Metaphor
Instead of an Angle – Project Pitchfork
Last Ride Together – I love you but I’ve Chosen Darkness
Leaving/letting Go – Audrey
Lost Weekend – Lloyd Cole & the Commotions
Mecklenburg – Audrey
Meine Liebe – Seelenkrank
Melting on Analogue Waves – VAC
MFPL – Neuroticfish
N2 Batteries New Batteries – Sigur Ros

Actually, I’ve just noticed something. That doesn’t look so random. More alphabetical by track name. Let me check these settings…

Nope, don’t mind at all. If I play an alphabetical set, you’ll know what I’m up to.

Finished the Kurt Vonnegut book “The Sirens of Titan” last night. Made me a bit weepy. Too many loose parallels there. Don’t want to be at the bus station, would rather be there on Titan.

That’s where I am for now, need some flame in here.

Twisted fire starter

At the beginning of this year, I moved into my apartment. Well, it has a wood burning stove thing, not really a stove, more of a solid fuel radiator. I ended up “recycling” waste wood. I could try to defend my environmental credentials for this behaviour, but the amount of smoke probably sets the argument back a little. I also felt a bit like I was living on the edge of socially acceptable behaviour, I wondered why I didn’t just cart all my possessions around in a shopping trolley and be done with it.

So, as it gets colder I have been more prepared. The fake wood logs, cheaper at Pingo Docé than at Continente, are ideal and I have been experimenting with charcoal. The problem with wood is that it burns so quickly, unless it’s hardwood. And it just seems wrong to be burning the owner’s oak table with the justification that it last twice as long as pine. So I find myself stacking bits of charcoal onto fragments of fake wood and it burns for hours! Nice background heating and pretty flames. Oh, look into the pretty flames…