Archive for July, 2010

Thanks to everyone who voted on my Nicer Python Display poll. I’ll start looking at updating all of the python script pages on my site to use the new, improved formatting.

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I’ve walked past this sign several times but the other day a thought popped into my head “How do you check the gender of a sunbed?”.  Enquiring minds need to know.

Pick any one of Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman or John Malkovich and you’d have my attention for RED.

Brian Cox or Ernest Borgnine would push this into my want to see list.

Helen Mirren flower arranging is a bit a bit Calendar Girls. Helen Mirren with a machine gun? Helen Mirren with a Machine Gun! Ok I’m buying this. Heading into not just the danger zone but Hot Fuzz territory.  I don’t care about the reviews.

Then they ice a rather fruit looking cake with Mary-Louise Parker who was both funny and smart in the West Wing.  Tasty.

Looks like REDs at least one must see film in October.

• Today's Question: If someone going on the bus to court loudly admits a crime to their solicitor is the conversation confidential? #
• @Mainframe So if I was in the US the idiot on the bus this morning would have a bus load of witnesses to a confession & need a new lawyer in reply to Mainframe #
• @SteveHills twunfollow.com is good too – daily emails and rss feeds. in reply to SteveHills #
• @Mainframe We don't have those here. Given he said no Judge or Jury would tell him what to do I think he's in for a disappointing day… in reply to Mainframe #
• @JamesWallis Check the sewers – if there are giant ones it could be a Them! London! in reply to JamesWallis #
• @KadrinaLage You don't like Ponies? Go Straight To Jail. Do Not Pass Go. Do Not Collect £200. in reply to KadrinaLage #
• @KadrinaLage I wasn't mocking your example, I was mocking you. If you'd said you didn't like puppies or kittens I'd have mocked more in reply to KadrinaLage #
• @GameCouch I'm introducing Hobbit Weekends: 1st Weekend, 2nd Weekend, Tuesdayses, Wed, Thr Nap and Long Weekend… in reply to GameCouch #
• @nerdlunch Yoda. Batman loses because he is having a fit of laughter at Yoda. Yoda trips him up and lands him on his backside. Fight over. in reply to nerdlunch #
• @WritingAgain As I understand it it just means lots more paperwork to fill out unfortunately in reply to WritingAgain #
• A spoof of last weeks meme to find out who you allegedly write like http://bit.ly/a5iVEU via @disquietmuse @blackwellbooks #
• @WritingAgain lol. I'm told those are fun except for the red tape. in reply to WritingAgain #
• @thedeadone Very cool in reply to thedeadone #
• Second pass at Rag article done. Will give it another look tomorrow before sending it in. #
• @greywulf A Jung approach Flash Gordon = Hero. Han Solo = The Outlaw. So Flash Gordon != Han Solo in reply to greywulf #
• @jearle I'd say http://flic.kr/p/8k5Ct5 – its slightly more dramatic and I prefer the proportions of the picture. in reply to jearle #
• @FACT_Liverpool I didn't notice anything over-zealous. Now I feel like I missed out in reply to FACT_Liverpool #
• Create 3D like a Superhero by @chippwalters is out now… http://bit.ly/arU7rF #
• @KimKnox You'll need more than an ark if it keeps going like it is now. in reply to KimKnox #
• @LeahPetersen 16 from 400 so I'll let you off just this once in reply to LeahPetersen #
• @sciamannata From memory of a Jewish friend carefully cleaning a lettuce I don't think they are. in reply to sciamannata #
• @sciamannata The memory is of talking about looking specifically for slugs and caterpillars but it was a long time ago so I could be wrong in reply to sciamannata #
• A few more fiddles on my site tonight. Too tired to add some new CSS & write a blog post about them. Time for bed said Zebedee. #
• @KimKnox So you'll be as productive as we mortal writers for six weeks then in reply to KimKnox #
• @jearle Used to go past the Raleigh factory on my way to & from school. Bit sad to go past the site now its gone. in reply to jearle #
• @NEONCON I like that definition but several of the types of games you mention can be played solo. Its more a large subset of hobby games. in reply to NEONCON #
• Today's Blog Post: Liverpool's Rotating Yates’s Wine Lodge – Putting the installation into art http://bit.ly/bb3nxQ #
• @simplychrista You're having soap for lunch? in reply to simplychrista #
• If you've got a problem & no one else can fix it & your website looks broken maybe you can try upgrading from IE6 #
• @thedeadone I think they'd argue it's humorous / tongue in cheek in reply to thedeadone #
• @thedeadone Not really. Especially if you accept that its a joke even if you don't think its funny. There is a lot worse in the world. in reply to thedeadone #
• Finished editing an article for Ragnarok… #
• @pookie_uk The ongoing hazards of writing for magazines that take their themes from Norse myth. lol. in reply to pookie_uk #
• @daneofwar Its just because your not part of MrTweet's in crowd. If you were one of the cool kids it would let you post right now in reply to daneofwar #
• Writing bug reports can be really hard. I want to use smileys to make them friendlier even when it would be unprofessional to do so. #
• Create your Self-Font with Pilot Handwriting (via @pulsepad @wavianarts @Transluscent_Eye) #
• Lunch time wander with camera mostly succesful but the Oriel Chambers is hidden behind scaffolding so I'll have to snap it another day. #
• @ehlanakovas Mine too but with this you can put your best glyphs down. I'm wondering if it can be tricked into making other thing into fonts in reply to ehlanakovas #
• @nerdlunch Did the brochure say Sun, Sand and Stargate? I can see that selling. Apart from the System Lord guides. in reply to nerdlunch #
• @lumpleygames Diplomacy would be nothing without the social side. in reply to lumpleygames #
• @nerdlunch Probably safer than the QuantumLeap travel bureau as their only customer Sam never returned home in reply to nerdlunch #
• Buskers, a Barbra Streisand cover singer and now a drum troop – working in the city centre is so much more distracting than out Edge Lane #
• @lumpleygames The lack of any random element in the mechanical side of the game allows the social side to shine. in reply to lumpleygames #
• @LesterSmith Congratulations in reply to LesterSmith #
• @Level30yinzer If you want the gothic / scary version the 2nd ed Ravenloft The Nightmare Lands might be helpful in reply to Level30yinzer #
• @greywulf Penny Lane in Liverpool has been painted on the wall for just the same reason for years now. in reply to greywulf #
• I've got polls working on my blog tonight. Adding the poll 60s config 60s fiddling with CSS 3600s… #
• I've improved the display of my python scripts for Vue. If you're a user I'd like your opinion of how the new look http://bit.ly/9tEgYX #
• @GargoylePhan To misquote the old BBC show Why Don't You: Why Don't You Just Switch Off Twitter and Go and Do Something Less Boring Instead? in reply to GargoylePhan #
• @MoonWolf95 Thanks for the comment. I've put some longer code snippets up. What do you think? http://bit.ly/9tEgYX in reply to MoonWolf95 #
• @cha0tic lol. I think your A-frame tent beats my humble poll any day of the week. in reply to cha0tic #
• @darkdwarf The crusty jugglers I can cope with. Its the living statues I can't deal with. in reply to darkdwarf #
• I've been playing CMS Bingo this week. Joomla ✔ Umbraco ✔ WordPress ✔ Immediacy ✔ In House System ✔ One more and I get a complete line #
• My head may explode by the end of today due to a massive influx of information… #
• Bingo! A complete line on my CMS bingo card with today's training. My head hasn't exploded. Yet. I'll defuse it over the weekend. Gently. #
• @travellindaze Thanks for the #ff in reply to travellindaze #
• @Chris68005 Thanks for the #ff in reply to Chris68005 #
• @simplychrista Thanks for the #ff in reply to simplychrista #
• @MoonWolf95 Thanks for looking again. Glad you like it – the consensus is 100% for the new way so far. in reply to MoonWolf95 #
• @GDR2404 Thanks for following back in reply to GDR2404 #
• There was a time that on a Friday I could do a days lectures, crew a gig till 4AM & write an RPG scenario while the gig was on… #
• … today I did a 6 hour course and all I feel like doing is going to bed at 9PM #
• @madbrewlabs Do you mean the python script stuff or something else? (sorry barely in the land of the awake) in reply to madbrewlabs #
• @madbrewlabs lol. No definitely a render. And all those views are a bit OTT. I just liked the aesthetic. It looks really uncomfortable too. #
• @ehlanakovas Entropy is slowly but surely overtaking us. in reply to ehlanakovas #
• @buffybot85 It shouldn't do – excellent cast, well structured stories and excellent production values. Its rather good too in reply to buffybot85 #
• 9 hours sleep and I almost feel human. #
• @Danacea Have fun in reply to Danacea #
• I had a cunning plan. Unfortunately Baldrick also had a cunning plans that stop mine working. #
• @KimKnox Entertainment Inertia in reply to KimKnox #
• Finally I get to see Wallander – I've been waiting for it a) to start at the beginning again b) for me to notice it started before ep 3 lol #
• @Danacea Will there be a comic? TescoMan with the power of the Delivery Slot & his sidekick SimilarItemSubstitution guy? in reply to Danacea #
• @DanDiplo Doh! There ought to be a rating system for that. Somehow I got the impression Wallander was more serial than series. #
• And so it begins… (another week nothing portentous or otherwise specifically important) #
• @pookie_uk I taped it and ought to turn off the computer and watch it. What are the odds of that happening in reply to pookie_uk #
• @sciamannata Hamburger in a Can? Whole chicken in a Can? Celery? Why?? in reply to sciamannata #
• @sciamannata Saddly: Burger http://bit.ly/9WKvRS Chicken http://bit.ly/bi0d3S in reply to sciamannata #
• Enjoyed Wallander. New Sherlock Holmes later. For now time to do an hour on my #WiP #RPG #
• Chores Done. Back into the #WiP before dinner time. #
• Hmm. Replaced a simple but none standard game mechanic with a more complex but standard one… #RPG #WiP #
• There is a lot to be said for good, clear documentation preferably written for humans. Or at least some docs written in a human tongue. #
• So #sherlock is a bit of a geek #
• @daneofwar One of the usual mistakes is to try and cram too many ideas rather than running with one or two good ones in reply to daneofwar #
• Is this going to be Mycroft Holmes? #
• @gjfaux Moriarty just seems too obvious in reply to gjfaux #
• Yes! I was right. Sorry if I get to be a bit smug for the next five minutes #
• @pookie_uk Enjoyed it but too many things were heavily foreshadowed – Holmes should be smarter than the audience #sherlock in reply to pookie_uk #

I’ve wanted to improve the display of the code for my Vue python scripts here for quite awhile but I was never entirely happy with the code highlighters I’d tried. I’ve installed and fiddled with a new one tonight and I think I like it but since its really for you (well at least if your here to look at my Vue python scripts) I thought I’d run a little poll to see what you think.

The new style can be seen on Terrain Matcher while the old style can be seen on EcoRotate.

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The poll will run for a week and at the end of the week if the vote is in favour of the new style I’ll update the other python script pages to match.

Yates' Wine Lodge Building

Richard Wilson art installation has turned the derelict (and architecturally boring) Yates’ Wine Lodge Building into an eye catching piece of artwork on a quiet road in Liverpool.  The oval section of the building rotates and while on line videos can give you a feel for it the scale of it is far more impressive in person.  Originally set to run from 2007 to the end of 2008 its still going.

• How is it commentators talking about Google, Apple and other tech companies manage to make 2+2=6.0221418E23 ? #
• @daneofwar Morning from a dull, grey Liverpool. in reply to daneofwar #
• @cimota Spam accounts would be even more of a problem… in reply to cimota #
• @cimota Ok. My suspicion is that the dynamic would be very different – The unfollow button would be very popular. in reply to cimota #
• RT @mersipan: New blog post! The adventures of Tiny Cthulhu (courtesy of @ruthbeingruth) http://bit.ly/c5NyjG #
• @KimKnox Hope its less scary than my black eyed beans that decided to sprout while being soaked at the weekend. in reply to KimKnox #
• @KimKnox Ah an actual DNA experiment not something described as one. I had visions of a dinner that went very wrong lol in reply to KimKnox #
• @KimKnox You can get Them! on DVD from HMV at the moment if you want to put them off that idea in reply to KimKnox #
• The only good thing about the delay on the bus today was the wicked idea for some writing I had. I just really don't need another project… #
• @TheRealGelfie Both probably in reply to TheRealGelfie #
• Reading Michael Palin Diaries Halfway To Hollywood earlier I was left wondering what Monty Python's Top Gun would have been like #
• @symatt Made it? I'd say more likely Lost it in reply to symatt #
• @symatt A friend who used to run popular games using her own system with just a Farthing, pencil & paper. The Farthing was optional. in reply to symatt #
• @symatt The risk with a rules heavy system is that some players will turn whole sessions into arguments about minutia. in reply to symatt #
• @symatt Yeh it does look interesting. in reply to symatt #
• @TheRealGelfie I keep thinking they'd be wearing cardboard wings and using catapults but have the real sound effects for jets and missiles. in reply to TheRealGelfie #
• @symatt I wish I had time. I'm struggling to find time for my own alpha playtests at the moment & finish a draft to go out for beta in reply to symatt #
• @symatt When she really thought she needed to add some randomness to the story. Dice or any other randomizer could be substituted. in reply to symatt #
• @symatt I've a system, a setting and a provisional agreement for (small press) publication. I just need to finish the edit and testing. in reply to symatt #
• @symatt I can understand that I like dice and a bit more structure as a safety net. in reply to symatt #
• Its grey outside but I need a walk… #
• @symatt Its a fun exercise. The biggest problem is knowing when to stop and leave holes for other people to fill themselves. in reply to symatt #
• @symatt I hope to be able to tell more soon. Like 2015 or 2032 or sometime when I've finished a draft in reply to symatt #
• @symatt The writing will all be mine, I suspect all the art will be too. Fortunately I've editors I can call on to fix my idiocy. in reply to symatt #
• @symatt Mine was originally an idea for an article no one liked in 2004. Then last year suddenly everyone loved – I was just too early in reply to symatt #
• @symatt Doing it yourself gives you control & with epub the £10K risk of getting a game on sale is gone. Playtesting is a lot of work in reply to symatt #
• I really wish Serif Software could get that I buy one thing from them and I don't want to be called about anything else #fail #
• @Danacea I watched it again a few months back and its still excellent. Enjoy #
• @ghostwoods A Valkyrie article & a Dirk Dangerous stories gave different answers. I try to write with different voices so thats good right? in reply to ghostwoods #
• @ghostwoods So we got the same two authors lol in reply to ghostwoods #
• @gjfaux I had to track back to your earlier tweet – I was wondering if you were playing scrabble with your cat in reply to gjfaux #
• The ≈ 4yr old girl on the bus very insistent that The wheels on the bus go round and round…The man on the bus says tit-tits please #
• @gjfaux You'll know its all over when the first word the cat plays is quartzy for 82 points in reply to gjfaux #
• By and large I don't follow celebrities but I'll add @steven_moffat to the short list via @grekwood @Heresy_Andy @benjamin_cook #
• Last Night's Blog Post: Monty Python’s Top Gun http://bit.ly/979Z1u What film would you reimagine as a Python production? #
• @BlackpuddleRock Funny I was just about to ask if it had been humming the Great Escape before it made a break for freedom on a motorbike… in reply to BlackpuddleRock #
• @very_true_thing Ow. I hope none of those are glued to the layer below (especially the bottom one). in reply to very_true_thing #
• @thedeadone Wish it would get on and start raining here in Liverpool – it just keeps spitting #
• I Write Like http://bit.ly/aYfo4d coverage pushed James Joyce into trending topics. But now, like Keyser Söze, poof. He's gone. #
• @thedeadone I tried two of my pieces: one got George Orwell the other Nabokov. Apparently it doesn't even get the actual writers right lol in reply to thedeadone #
• @thedeadone Looks that way. Hope they didn't spend a lot of time and thought on creating the algorithms in reply to thedeadone #
• @GeekyClean Not because of the current fuss. Just bored of WoW. Not playing so no point in paying. in reply to GeekyClean #
• There are dark clouds on the horizon and a chill in the air. Not metaphors. Big. Dark. Grey. Clouds. Sudden Chill. #
• On a plus the busker who only knows 2 Beatles, 1 Dylan and 1 Oasis track has been driven away by the torrential downpour. #
• @KadrinaLage Big stones or small ones? We managed a 10 minute torrential downpour. in reply to KadrinaLage #
• So cool its approaching absolute zero RT @Danacea: From @boingboing (where else?) Mr Potato Head goes Steampunk… http://bit.ly/dbBmrD #
• @NeilCFord Saw them do that for Doctor Who shoot. A really clever way of avoiding having to lay track for lots of shots. in reply to NeilCFord #
• @Danacea I suspect steampunk will breakout when someone get Steampunk+Vampire right. If Van Helsing had been better it might have done it in reply to Danacea #
• How is it one little fiddle on a website quickly turns into 2.5 hours of CSS, PHP, HTML and graphics editing? #
• @SteveHills I am preparing to deploy The Birdy Song as a counterstrike if you persist in deploying Manilow lyrics in Cuba. in reply to SteveHills #
• In a horrible case of being too efficient I've done my work for today several weeks ago without the aid of a TARDIS #
• Almost as cool as the Steampunk Mr Potato Head RT @3DWorldMag: Iron Baby gets real! http://bit.ly/bHJvmr #
• @ghostfinder Did they ask if they could help you first? Repeatedly? Makes me walk past Game's shops instead of going in. in reply to ghostfinder #
• @KimKnox Your not changing tense mid sentence and multiple times in each paragraph are you because we know what madness lies there in reply to KimKnox #
• Yesterday's Blog Post: Wellington’s Column http://bit.ly/c3BYJE #
• @SarahDarkmagic I had a group miss for 6 weeks every clue that the magic box they were carrying was the artifact they were looking for. in reply to SarahDarkmagic #
• @daneofwar I use both. You might want to consider self hosted WordPress. Personally I think it beats either hosted solution. in reply to daneofwar #
• @daneofwar Recently? I'm not saying its for everyone but comparing Blogger to WP with its arm tied behind its back is a bit unfair. in reply to daneofwar #
• @daneofwar Before they added the one click update feature then. I completely understand the appeal of hassle free hosted services. in reply to daneofwar #
• Anyone know a rain dance? The bad 5 song busker is back near our office this afternoon. He's scared off the seagulls with an Oasis track… #
• @realsimjoy I can see the appeal of that. I'm thinking of training the seagulls to attack on sight in reply to realsimjoy #
• @SarahDarkmagic IRL they found it funny. In character less so since it was why two Ravenloft Darklords had minions hunting them in reply to SarahDarkmagic #
• @SarahDarkmagic That one could have been tough. Make up a ritual for the key & say they have 24 hours to escape and get the key back? in reply to SarahDarkmagic #
• @richard_iorio Congratulations in reply to richard_iorio #
• @symatt How are you defining failure? QL ran for 5 seasons which isn't bad going… in reply to symatt #
• @symatt While I think it can have an impact I wouldn't say it was the main factor… in reply to symatt #
• @symatt For example I now like Firefly but I first saw a couple of episodes at random and I thought it was awful. in reply to symatt #
• @ruperthowe Marketing: many hardbacks are to get reviews, awards & HB best seller lists before profitable paperback release later. in reply to ruperthowe #
• @NeilCFord Hopefully he'll see my (potted) reply based on what I've been told on a writing course by someone in the trade for 40+ years. in reply to NeilCFord #
• @TheAngryDM How about realising the spaceship your on will run into the sun because of the mistake? in reply to TheAngryDM #
• Responding to formal invitations feels so like a minefield… #
• @symatt I think it needed a bit more time to really get going but post Buffy and Angel there was a lot more pressure for an instant hit… in reply to symatt #
• @johnmcc Ah the X-large, delux, giant size church candle then in reply to johnmcc #
• What food can I deep fry for maximum press coverage? How about a Christmas pudding http://bit.ly/cGLk3k via @johnlambshead #
• There are candle bots on twitter. Suppose that's slightly less archaic than blacksmith bots… #
• @johnmcc lol. Hope not for your sake. I know lighthouse keepers used to eat the candles but I don't think they're a delicacy in reply to johnmcc #
• Back from a really good weekend away. Shattered. Forgot memory stick with #WiPs on: wrote a Rag article from scratch on train instead #
• @GirliePirate Hi – bit of a random follow – thought @GirliePirate was a cool id in reply to GirliePirate #

I didn’t intend to make site changes today. An unexpected interaction between a plug-in and an update of WordPress set me off trying to find a fix. I also spotted another tiny problem with one of my own plug-ins so I fixed that and then checking in IE noticed that MS Word html had crept into a post and was breaking the site in IE.

Then I’d been thinking about making some modifications to the navigation: moving the blogrolls to a page to free up some space (analytics showed they were not sending a lot of traffic to anyone anyway). Then I tweaked the feeds block to add twitter and switched to some new icons. I also added a plug-in for related blog posts (I’m not sure if the configuration is perfect yet I’ll have to tweak it as time goes by) and fiddled with the styling of posts a bit. That led me to switching my font stack to one that hopefully covers even more visitors available fonts. That had a knock on effect on some of the layout sizing so I tweaked that and a few of the colours too while I was there. So what was supposed to be a little fix and a tweak has eaten nearly three hours but I’m happy with the changes and hopefully visitors will like them too.

Wellington's Column

Wellington’s Column or the Waterloo Memorial on the corner of William Brown Street and Lime Street in Liverpool.  Taken on a sunnier day than my previous photograph Wellington’s Head.

My apologies for this is a very silly post…

I’m reading Michael Palin’s Halfway To Hollywood: Diaries 1980 to 1988 and he mentions a dinner meeting with Don Simpson.  I couldn’t help but see a mental image of Top Gun if it had been a product of the Monty Python team…

First the budget would have been a lot smaller and so the production values and special effects would have been somewhat cut back. They wouldn’t have been able to afford real aircraft. They’d have been running round with cardboard wings on their arms. However, in a step up from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, they would have had real sound effects – just they might not all be from the right kind of aircraft or even from the right period. That would be OK though because the film would struggle to place itself in time as continuity is driven to insanity with scenes of WWI fighter aces; Biggles; sequences ripped out of Sink the Bismark and Reach for the Sky; sequences of jet fighters from a 1980 Simpson / Bay production; and at one point Snoopy flying his kennel.

But what about casting?

Yet the idea that scares me more than any other… “Take My Breath Away” performed by The Rutles.

Is there a film that you’d reimagine as a Python production?