Category Archives: Ramblings

Apple Too Big For Its Boots

I saw this story on Vox, and as a non-Apple using person aka Not-A-FanBoi, I don’t pay too much attention beyond slaying “Power User” Mac’s with my PC and listening to their excuses. Namely that Apple Pro’s are not being updated, and boohoo Apple essentially cripple the machine so its barely upgradable and hobble the software so you can’t use other vendors hardware.

Apple Fanboi Anatomy

Apple Fanboi Anatomy

I always highlight Hackintosh too, which is essentially a Frankenstein Mac, Mac Software running on non-mac hardware. I mean lets face it, there is no mac-hardware its just IBM PC hardware which mac runs on anyway.  

In my eyes all these arguments are akin to moaning you don’t like McDonalds but still eating there 3 times a day, 7 days a week and still moaning about it.

Walking Money Talks Loudest

When it emerged a few years ago that a bunch of Restaurant Chains were taking various amounts of staff tips or indulging in bogus deals, I didn’t like that practice, so what did I do ? I sure as heck, didn’t start going 5 days a week to tell them I didn’t like it, while still paying them.

I sent an email to corporate HQ of the companies I previous frequented, with details of my last few visits. I continued to explain I would NEVER attend their venue, would actively discourage everyone I knew from attending their venue and would continue to do so until their policy changed. Effectively I kicked them in the proverbial, they either fix the issues or lose my money and money I have influence over. 

The article in Vox, highlights what I pointed out a month or two ago, that apple seem obsessed with making things thinner, lighter and more minimalist rather than capable of doing the job. 

Pro Spec for Power Users

I’m a power user, my laptop (I use the term laptop lightly), weighs in at about 5kg, its has 2x SSD, 1x m.2 SSD, 2 Graphics Cards, an i7 Extreme Processor, a 330w Power Brick and it is a brick, 32gb of ram, and sounds like a Harrier Jump Jet when it gets going. I don’t really care about how heavy it is, how bulky it is, or how it looks. 

What I care about is, from pressing the power button, to having Photoshop loaded, takes about 30 seconds and I’m ready to rock. I care about being able to plug a 32″ Output TV to my left, and a second 27″ monitor to my right while using Premier Pro to edit video. I care about it effectively rendering video in real time, about it cranking out Crysis on maximum settings with hi-res resource pack at 60fps+. Most of all I care about the fact that I can pull out the processor and upgrade it, I can pull out both the GPU’s and upgrade them, I can change out the m.2 and the SSDs, hell I can even move from Intel to Killer on the Wifi/BT or upgrade the ram. I can and have overclocked the processor/graphics and ram.

iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S2

iPhone 4 vs Samsung Galaxy S2

The machine is a Pro Powerhouse, can you do any of that on you’re outdated Mac Pro, hell could you do even half of that on your brand new Mac Pro ? 

While some of Apples things are cool, but planned obsolescence and control freak nature is such a downer and stops me ever buying them.

I firmly believe while you, yes you fan bois accept inferior, sub-standard, crippled  and outdated tech and proceed to hail them as the messiah, you will always be stuck with more Tosh than Mac.

The meme on the right, is one of many which compares contemporary phones with iPhones and the story is nearly always the same. The iPhone has an array of red doesn’t have, and the competing phone has green straight through. 

I owned the very first iPhone, you couldn’t even MMS, no bluetooth, if you faced the screen inwards towards your leg in your pocket, it would stop working until it cooled down, there were no apps, no flash for the camera, it were shite. I took it back to Carphone Warehouse who exchanged the phone over the screen not working before I figured out it were because I face the screen inwards for protection.

There is an article on Gizmodo which compares the original iPhone 1 (2007) to the iPhone 6S+ (2015) and its shocking devastating how little has actually changed, not to mention how feeble the specs are 1gb of Ram, Dual Core Processors, its almost embarrassing. 

Samantha Cameron Starting A Fashion Label

Samantha Cameron

Samantha Cameron

I don’t really want to get into political posts, but since my take it somewhat humorous I thought I’d go ahead. I read in the paper a few weeks ago that Samantha Cameron (Ex-Prime Minister David Camerons Wife) wants to run a fashion label / company.

I’m not big on fashion, and remember being as equally bewildered over the commentary of Kate Middleton’s dress sense as I was about the various times Samantha’s keen fashion sense were wrote about. All I remember is they were both praised for using high street and off the hook brands. A quick search shows lots of posts and articles about this, many of them appear to suggest she is behind her outfits and often the fact she has a degree in fine art and a history of working in fashion design is sited.

I read another story more recently, about how various “Camerons Cronies” were getting OBEs and the likes. These included her Barber, Spin Doctors and Nutritionist, but one name caught my attention. Isabel Spearman, various people have suggested she’s just a PA, and such but I were interested in what were listed as some of her jobs and astounded by her pay packet. 

Isabel were responsible for handling Mrs Camerons diary, appointments, correspondence and one article suggested dialing her phone and wiping after toilet. Many stories were a little sexist, and playing up the toff angle, even more talked about the fantastic pay, roughly £300 PER DAY!!.

Amongst the list of things on her job list were managing Samantha’s wardrobe, purchasing her clothes, arranging discounts with clothing suppliers and planning her outfits. It also listed attending fittings with various suppliers to enable accurate purchasing and fitting. 

Given Isabel Spearman wa responsible for Samantha Camerons reported excellent dress sense, NOT the woman herself, yet now she seems to believe she can run a fashion company. 

The Tory’s Secret Range

What tickled me some what is this fashion range, will include a Lingerie collection, and I have an idea or two for Samantha to include.

I’m thinking there should be some of the sort of underwear which is kinda tight fitting, not much substance, kinda thin, digs in, really rides up and gets right up, deep into you’re arse crack, and generally uncomfortable. You know the type you constantly need dig out to stop it getting too at home in your bum. 

She should call it the “The David Range” or perhaps The “Tory’s Secret” range 😛 

Photo By Lawrence Jackson, White House Photographer – Public Domain.

Shoulder Surgery and Driving Test

Austin Powers 3 Point Turn

Austin Powers 3 Point Turn copyright of Warner Brothers.

January is turning in to somewhat of a monstrous month on the whole, and February is shaping up to be chock full of pain and misery. The first 3 weeks of 2017 have been monstrous, and the next month is shaping up to be equally horrific.

Welcome to 2017, its not exactly year I had in mind… in any way, shape or form. 

Shoulder Surgery

My Pre-Op and Surgery have clashed not once but twice with my driving, and now the surgery classes badly with some work related issues; same day to be exact. The surgery clashed with my Driving Test, and the hospitals waiting list manager were shall we say unsympathetic and unwilling to change the date. This may end up being a moot point as I’m getting ill, I have a sore throat, and shivers. I seem to be coming down with a cold or flu and less than 2 weeks til the surgery. Again the waiting list people don’t seem concerned even though all the NHS Documentation paints a very grim picture. 

Aside form that, there does seem to be a little discrepancy, the lady who also weren’t very sympathetic told me I were having slightly different surgery to what the surgeon / consultant told me. They did confirm the two biggies which are Subacromial Decompression and AC Joint Excision. I assume once they open it up they will do whatever else is needed which were debridement and clean up stuff. I’m still praying my Rotator Cuff and Glenohumeral something are in good condition and don’t require any intervention.

Driving Lessons and Test

I finally got around to sorting driving lessons, literally after 1 lesson I got the notice for surgery and it all clashes, so I’m not going to have time to fit it all in and get to 100% test standard. Since then 1 lesson were cancelled due to snow, and 2 needed to be cut a little short due to traffic. Better to bank the time than sit in traffic.

I’m struggling with two things, one of them is alluding me and its not getting easier, the other is procedure. Bizarrely the things most people struggle with (3 point, parallel and bay parking) I have nearly nailed. 3 point I have never once hit the curb.

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLKR9tCiwvA[/embedyt]

Even when I had to go all Austin Powers (Spy who shagged me) and do a 10 point point in a narrow road. Seriously, The instructor actually compared the amount of turns to the above clip, and still didn’t hit the curb. Other more simple stuff but potentially more important isn’t coming easy. I need more time on the actual road, a longer gap between lessons to practice.

I think the added pressure from the surgery and other stuff has just left me not in the best mindset. I left it too late I fear to actually sort enough lessons or perhaps not enough time to practice due to the lemon car I purchased.

The Future

The pisser is I’m not sure I will have recovered in time for Body Power 2017, which I think will the first one I will have missed since it started 🙁 This year its in the middle of May (19th-21st) at the NEC in Birmingham. A little bit sucky as I already things in place and moved work around so I can do the show again. Every year I end up getting a different bit of work and missing at least 1 day, this year I’ve planned it all bang on and now surgery is just a few months before the show.

On a side note, this post has left me really wanting to watch Austin Powers, I think I need to check if I its on Amazon Movies or order the boxset. 

Austin Powers video and still capture used for commentary and comedy purposes, I do not own copyright to either of them. I am using them under the fair use clause to parody an event which happened. If you are the rights owner (New Line / Warner Bros) and wish me to remove them, please use the contact form.

Happy New Year for 2017

WARNING: WALL OF TEXT

Well its a new year, as per usual I have no real resolutions nor plans to create any. The lifestyle changes I made last year which could be considered resolutions. They just happen to start with a new year, or a new month in the case of reducing my sugar intake (July-ish)) and increasing my cardiorespiratory fitness (April-ish). 

I’ve been thinking about what I would like to achieve in 2017, and decided that again no resolutions but more some lifestyle changes and objectives. I debated posting or rather sharing them here since its such a cliché to blog about them, and I’m not sure this blog is the place either.

1, Driving

Top of my list is finally sorting a driving license out. For someone who has owned multiple cars, many number plates and actually understands how a combustion engine works, I don’t actually drive. I’m hoping the fact I passed the theory test with a near perfect score of 49/50 on the Multiple Choice and 67/75 on the hazard perception, that it will be easy to learn the practical part. I have never had a single lesson and managed that. 

I’m so confident that I’ve already booked a practical test for less than a month away, and I still haven’t had a single driving lesson. I really should book some lessons, 2017 will be the year I pass. 

Confidence much.

2, Fun

I’ve been that busy sorting everything else out, I appear to have lost track of actually having fun in every sense of the term. I’m not quite sure how I shall interpret this, but I’m going to try work on it. 

I may actually try the whole date thing, so I have someone to Netflix and chill with. The only Netlix and chill I do, it more AmazonTV and chilled Wild Turkey and Ice Cubes. Amazon and Chill…ed Beverage as I call it.

I need to think of more fun things, not sure I remember how to do that. 

3, Health

Early on in the year I expect I’ll be having potentially major shoulder surgery will will knock out a large part of my health plans for the year. Mostly strength wise, certainly upper body work will be wiped out for many many months. During the rehabilitation I’ll be going back to basics, and hopefully correcting my bad form and enhancing my lifts. Over the years I’ve picked up bad habits “just get it up”, rather than maintain solid form. 

This also gives me an opportunity while working on my recovery and rehab unable to lift much, so I’ll be working on increasing my cardiorespiratory health. I’m going to work on hitting the 100km cycle ride this year (2017) as a target. Maybe aim for 100 miles next year, who knows. Keep the small achievable steps for now. Based on my current efforts that’s about 3 and 1/2 hours of riding with some short breaks added. 

4, Photography

I plan on making time in 2017 to actually do photo-shoots that I want to shoot. Its been a long time since I shot something I actually wanted. Around 5 yrs ago, I approached a friend of mine Beckie Armitt about doing a very dark and twisted Harley Quinn photoshoot. This is long before any dreams of suicide squad existed, had to be 2010 maybe 2011 and certainly before Halloween 2016 became Harleyween. It however got side tracked and things went another way, I recently mention it to her and she said “You should have explained more about what a Harley Quinn was” heh. I have loads of similar plans which could be unique. 

I’d also like to get back to shooting some stock images along side, in the fitness, health, and similar niches. I use about 200 pieces of stock a year, about half is free stock the rest paid for. I should be shooting my own again. 

5, Websites

I not too long ago (March) I consolidated all my blogging here into one blog. It still doesn’t feel right posting some things here, that goes for both private stuff and professional stuff. Some times code based posts feel wrong here, other times personal blogs feel out of place, as do rants and such so I’m curating and censoring myself, which can be sucky. I’m going to work on this. 

I am also changing my operating method, currently I have a few dozen website, I plan to cut this down to 2-3 bigger sites.

Bigger sites will take more work for less return in the short term but the long term potential and return is massively improved. 

The Summery

I don’t know what else to say here, were going to post a year summery but so much has been censored and removed from my blogging it will would look out of place. I also didnt’ get a complete year or blogging. I will post a summery next year, and see how my 5 points above pan out. 

A few days ago someone told me I need to message more when they don’t reply as they read messages when they are unable to reply then forget when they are free heheh, so I’m going to try to message people more without feeling stalker-ish or pushy. I figure this should be here too. 

P.S. I left this post without a picture or any pictures as I don’t really want any reading it 😛 

Russia Does The Hunger Games… For Real

Game2: Winter

Game2: Winter

Who doesn’t love a little Live Action Role Play or seeing hotties in CosPlay (Costume Play) Outfits but Russia in true Russian style going whole hog.

A Russian TV Network has launched or planning to launch a real-life version of the Hunger Games. Contestants or rather Tributes will have to live, umm Survive for nine months in Siberia from 1st July 2017 all the way through to 1st April 2017. Siberia isn’t a fun place in winter, with temperatures which routinely drop as low as -40c (-40f) yeah so low the numbers are equal in both Celsius and Fahrenheit. 

The Game Zone will be 900 hectares in size, with 2000 cameras, its not clear if there will be drones or other mobile cameras. 

Want To Participate?

There will be 20 Males and Female tributes taking part in the “Game2: Winter”, and pay 10 million roubles (£130,000) entrance fee.  

You’ll need to over 18 yrs old, and “Sane”, how on earth they will define sane I don’t know. I’m guessing it will be how one of my mates defines good dating material; 4 legs bad, 2 legs good to go. You’ll get some basic training from some seriously bad motorscooters. Spetznas Operatives, these are the Russian military version of the SAS or Navy Seals only clearly not all there in the head. 

Last Man Standing in Siberia

Last Man Standing

You’ll be allowed up to 100kg of luggage, which includes all the equipment you’re allowed to take. Tent, Knives, Rope, Clothing, everything, must be included in this 100kg. 

You’ll be issued with a satellite phone and capacity to charge said phone, there will be a “Get Me Out Of Here” beacon which you can use when you wanna get out of dodge, or rather Novosibirsk,  Siberia.

Oh yeah… You need to sign a release which says you accept anything can happen, including being maimed, beaten, raped or no longer needing oxygen, ending up brown bread, a bit of right said fred, kinda dead or anything else really.

The organiser and entrepreneur Yevgeny Pyatkovsky is quoted as saying “We will refuse any claim of participants even if they were to be killed or raped. We will have nothing to do with this. This will be spelled out in a document to be signed by the participant before the start of the show”.  

You are also reminded that you are still subject to the rule of law and can be arrested at any time for crimes. The organisers say “You must understand, that the police will come and take you away. We are on the territory of Russia, and obey the laws of the Russian Federation”.

On the upside, you’re not allowed guns or projectile weapons, but knives and melee weapons like baseball bats, machetes and knives are all good. 

Participants are allowed to work in teams, and there can be more than 1 winner.  If you win alone or with someone, the prize fund is 100,000,000 Roubles (£1,300,000) to the solo winner or split between the winners. 

The Hunger Games

Jennifer "Katniss" Lawrence Hunger Games Archer

Jennifer “Katniss” Lawrence Hunger Games Archer

Much like The Hunger Games viewers and sponsors are able to send gifts, resources and tools/food to their favourite participants.

Its not clear if the “Game Makers” will interfere much like in Hunger Games, but given the other similarities I can see there being some surprises and twists. 

On the subject of the Hunger Games, before the whole Fappening event I wasn’t much of a fan of J-Law. However the way she handled the whole nudes becoming public thing, opened my mind. If ever there were a role-model way of handling this and her reason for doing it in the first place, this is it.

If you missed the whole thing, it appears iCloud (and others) were hacked on a astronomical scale, 1,000s of people including 100s of celebrities had photos and videos stolen. All if the images appeared to be taken on their mobile phones, and many of the people appeared to have iPhones, 2+2=?.

Jennifer Lawrence did an interview for Vanity Fair she said had been tempted to write a statement about the fappening, and her exact words were “I started to write an apology, but I don’t have anything to say I’m sorry for. I was in a loving, healthy, great relationship for four years. It was long distance, and either your boyfriend is going to look at porn or he’s going to look at you.”. You gotta respect that, and since then I started to actively watch her films. 

Snow Survivor picture by Unsplash.

Clarksons The Grand Tour Knocks Game of Thrones Off The Piracy Throne

The Grand Tour

The Grand Tour

A while ago it were all over the papers that Game of Thrones were destroying piracy records around the planet, almost like some kind of parady of a greed wedding smashing records.

Today its been revealed a mere 4 episodes into the first season that The Grand Tour has Duped The Iron Islands, The Mother of Dragons, The Lannisters and everyone else, not to The Iron Throne, but to The Piracy Throne.

The Amazon Original “hit” complete with a £160,00,000 budget has been slammed by critics and reporters as tired and more of the same but a bigger budget. The statistics show with 18,000,000 illegal downloads, over the first 3 episodes, which covers a total of 15% of the illegal entire downloads (tracked) in that period, or about £3,000,000 of membership fee’s for Amazon down the pan.

I suspect Amazon will go out of their way to try and convert these pirates with some killer sign up offers. We recently saw them offer a discounted prime membership, now would be a fantastic time to offer existing members the chance to extend and perhaps invite friends and family for a discount.  

I’ve been unable to find official Amazon figures for downloads and watches or however they track them, but Amazon have stated its broken all premier records globally for any other Amazon show. Looks like Clarkson is earning his £10,000,000 pay for the show and proving its a winner.

Top Gear vs The Grand Tour

Top Gear with Chris Evans and Co, premier drew in a little shy of 6,400,000 viewers, then by the 3rd episode, it were down to 2,400,00 and averaged about 2,300,000 for the remaining episodes. 

The Grand Tour with Clarkson, we only have Piracy Figures not actual paying viewings. Premier Episode 7,900,000, 3rd Episode 4,600,000, if the numbers continue to tumble it maybe a similar story. However these are pirate / illegal viewers. Amazon Prime members get free access as part of their prime membership, so my guess is the paying numbers will drop a little but not much as many will series watch like I did as my own time. 

On a side note, what the crocodile hat is that on Hammonds face, as the owner of a beard, I’m offended. 

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