Mentalechoes » Quick Spiel http://www.mentalechoes.org Personal rant space of a guy no longer using an alias Tue, 03 Jan 2012 17:37:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ And you thought GWB was stupid, check out that Palin woman http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/10/and-you-thought-gwb-was-stupid-check-out-that-palin-woman/ http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/10/and-you-thought-gwb-was-stupid-check-out-that-palin-woman/#comments Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:15:47 +0000 Andy http://www.mentalechoes.org/?p=250 I’m not a political commentator by any stretch of any imagination, and my blog wouldn’t contain more than a single handful of current affairs posts in its entirety, but having spent the last couple of days watching the US presidential debates on youtube.com, and watching clips of Sarah Palin, I just feel compelled to say [...]]]> I’m not a political commentator by any stretch of any imagination, and my blog wouldn’t contain more than a single handful of current affairs posts in its entirety, but having spent the last couple of days watching the US presidential debates on youtube.com, and watching clips of Sarah Palin, I just feel compelled to say something.

Sarah Palin is stupid! I don’t just mean a bit slow, I mean the woman is a fucking idiot! She is an illiterate parrot who has no known political skill outside of being a pretty face. Heaven help the US if she ever gets the top job in the country. Matt Damon pretty much sums up my position, after my last couple of days looking at news reports about her. Now if you think I am being overly harsh, this next clip from a respected CNN political current affairs show presents Sarah Palin with her own mouth. If it reminds of you that utterly stupid beauty contestant Miss South Carolina, that’s probably because they share the same brain.

It does make you wonder though, why the country that has such institutions as Caltech, MIT, Harvard and Yale, puts in its most important and prominent political positions the dumbest and least competant people genetics can produce. I honestly don’t know but it does give some credence to the old saying that we oft quote in the software world.

Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning. -Rich Cook

Looks like this law is universal.

Andy!

]]> http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/10/and-you-thought-gwb-was-stupid-check-out-that-palin-woman/feed/ 0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Feeling particularly creative right now! http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/09/feeling-particularly-creative-right-now/ http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/09/feeling-particularly-creative-right-now/#comments Sat, 06 Sep 2008 12:17:15 +0000 Andy http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/09/feeling-particularly-creative-right-now/ I’m feeling particularly creative today! I’ve got all these ideas running around my head for a new movie review addition to my website, new concepts for this big blog of mine, and a feeling to resurrect my other writers blog which I put in the freezer many months (try 20) ago. Also I’ve got this [...]]]> I’m feeling particularly creative today! I’ve got all these ideas running around my head for a new movie review addition to my website, new concepts for this big blog of mine, and a feeling to resurrect my other writers blog which I put in the freezer many months (try 20) ago. Also I’ve got this urge to get my arse back into gym so I can blog more about that too, as I have a fitness blog I haven’t written anything in for 2 months.

Being such a ball of energy, I’ve spent half the morning doing some work and while waiting for stuff to happen, I’ve been updating my RSS subscriptions; reading loads about new CMS’s and blog publishing by professionals; finding out how the best movie review sites look; and finally toying with the idea of taking my website a big step forward by making it into a "portal"!

Ohhhhh… I hear you say, what the fuck does mean?! Well average Joe reader, really I have nice stuff on my website, but because of it’s extremely piss poor layout, you really can’t find anything interesting. I mean there is stuff there, but it’s so fucking boring, you’d mostly leave before 15 seconds is up. Actually I know that for a fact because I have google analytics and most people don’t even make that. I have put this down to me being ahead of my time when I don’t want to deal with the reality.

So yes, time to get cracking really! No point wasting good motivation when it hits. Got to get out there and use it to the fullest!

Now where’s the TV remote? I might just take a break from all that typing.

Andy

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]]> http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/09/feeling-particularly-creative-right-now/feed/ 0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Days growing shorter; change of seasons upon us soon. http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/days-growing-shorter-change-of-seasons-upon-us-soon/ http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/days-growing-shorter-change-of-seasons-upon-us-soon/#comments Mon, 11 Aug 2008 23:07:38 +0000 Andy http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/days-growing-shorter-change-of-seasons-upon-us-soon/ i noticed tonight for the first time that the nights are getting longer, as the sun sets earlier in the evening. It didn’t seem that long ago that we Europeans were getting sunlight until 11pm, with a few brief hours of darkness before first light at 4.30am. Now though, slowly you can feel the change [...]]]> i noticed tonight for the first time that the nights are getting longer, as the sun sets earlier in the evening. It didn’t seem that long ago that we Europeans were getting sunlight until 11pm, with a few brief hours of darkness before first light at 4.30am. Now though, slowly you can feel the change in the sunlight hours as the evenings draw to an end just that much quicker, and the night covers us with a steadily increasing length of blanket. There will be change of season upon us soon enough.

I’ve always been someone that has liked the changes of season. Truth be told, autumn is my favourite. I love the soft rustle of golden brown leaves as they fall from the trees onto your head as your ride you bike through the pathways of old Amsterdam. There is something old worldly that captures my imagination.

But no talk of autumn now, that time will come soon enough. For now, let’s enjoy the next month of summer and give it a good send off with a few drinks in hand! :)

Andy.

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]]> http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/days-growing-shorter-change-of-seasons-upon-us-soon/feed/ 0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Image http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/image/ http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/image/#comments Sun, 10 Aug 2008 22:32:29 +0000 Andy http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/image/ It never ceases to amaze me how our own self image, and the external image the world sees, can be so at odds. Friday last week I was out at a tree hugging day for work when during one of the group sessions someone called me an “alpha male”, and said I should go first [...]]]> It never ceases to amaze me how our own self image, and the external image the world sees, can be so at odds. Friday last week I was out at a tree hugging day for work when during one of the group sessions someone called me an “alpha male”, and said I should go first at the kind of dangerous Segway activity. I was pretty surprised to be called an alpha male, because I’ve never thought of myself as an alpha male ever before in my life. I’ve known some alpha males, and I’m pretty sure I don’t classify as one when I compare myself to them as benchmarks. The image I’ve always had of myself is something far away from being an alpha male, and I think that comes out in the way I act. So I wonder what it was that this person saw that made him think, I was an alpha male? I often wonder now, just what it is, that the rest of the world sees when they see me, and how different it must be to what I see in the mirror every morning.

Andy.

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]]> http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/image/feed/ 0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Quit smoking through forgetfulness http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/quit-smoking-through-forgetfulness/ http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/quit-smoking-through-forgetfulness/#comments Thu, 07 Aug 2008 16:21:17 +0000 Andy http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/quit-smoking-through-forgetfulness/ I was a hardcore smoker for about 5 years, from 31 to 36. Generally in the order of about a pack a day of Marlboro lights, and two packs a day on weekends when the socialising would hit high gear. It was sometime during 37 when I thought I’d better give it up while my [...]]]> I was a hardcore smoker for about 5 years, from 31 to 36. Generally in the order of about a pack a day of Marlboro lights, and two packs a day on weekends when the socialising would hit high gear. It was sometime during 37 when I thought I’d better give it up while my lungs were still in my chest and not in a science exhibit labelled “THESE ARE A SMOKERS LUNGS… WE’RE NOT KIDDING”.

So I made a few attempts to quit, unsuccessfully. I always ended up going back to the smoking team after brief hiatuses when I thought that I could smoke just a couple and it would be fine. And from there, it wouldn’t be long before I was up to a half a pack a day again.

Then over the course of the next year from 37 to 38, I had such a busy job, I could only really get outside to smoke maybe twice in a day. I just couldn’t spare anymore time and so I naturally got down to about 3 a day, which I kept up with for about a year.

Now, at 39, I find myself actually not smoking anymore because I have days where I just forget to go out and smoke. I’m in that enviable position where I don’t get nicotine cravings. If I do smoke the odd cigarette, it’s because I feel like being social and enjoying one with the group. But now I can smoke one, and then forget about it again.

I think it’s good to be able to tolerate a cigarette every now and then. After all, it’s an important social skill, and necessary when mixing with a drinking crowd. But if nothing else, I think I’ve conclusively proven that it is possible to quit smoking by forgetfulness. Sure, it might take 3 years, and results may vary depending on what type of job you have. However I think it would make a good alternative to traditional treatments such as patches, and doubling your food intake.

Andy.

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]]> http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/08/quit-smoking-through-forgetfulness/feed/ 1 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Technibond jewellery; it’s just a fancy name for imitation junk http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/technibond-jewellery-its-just-a-fancy-name-for-imitation-junk/ http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/technibond-jewellery-its-just-a-fancy-name-for-imitation-junk/#comments Tue, 29 Jul 2008 21:54:39 +0000 Andy http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/technibond-jewellery-its-just-a-fancy-name-for-imitation-junk/ After another 48 hours of having to watch a shopping channel at work, of which 24 hours was a marathon promotion of Technibond jewelery, I’ve come to realise something; you can call junk any name you like, but at the end of the day, it’s still bloody junk! No matter how much you try to [...]]]> After another 48 hours of having to watch a shopping channel at work, of which 24 hours was a marathon promotion of Technibond jewelery, I’ve come to realise something; you can call junk any name you like, but at the end of the day, it’s still bloody junk! No matter how much you try to dress it up, or give it fancy names, or get presenters with face lifts so tight their heads double up as snare drums, to say fabulous things about it – junk is still junk!

The only thing amazing about Technibond, is that people buy it!

Andy!

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]]> http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/technibond-jewellery-its-just-a-fancy-name-for-imitation-junk/feed/ 0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Maybe I am too distracted http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/maybe-i-am-too-distracted/ http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/maybe-i-am-too-distracted/#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:53:40 +0000 Andy http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/maybe-i-am-too-distracted/ My boss said to me yesterday, don’t get involved with that work activity, I need you to stay on these other things, and you are way too easily distracted.

At the time I took some offense at that. But now I’m starting to think she might be right. My head is much like a whirlpool; [...]]]> My boss said to me yesterday, don’t get involved with that work activity, I need you to stay on these other things, and you are way too easily distracted.

At the time I took some offense at that. But now I’m starting to think she might be right. My head is much like a whirlpool; things to do now; things to do later; stuff that has to be done at some point, all start at the edge of my mind. Then as the day goes on it gets sucked closer to the vortex which is me running around physically doing stuff. I don’t really plan anything, but instead as something gets sucked into the vortex of activity, I just do it. I try to prioritise stuff, but that just means I speed up or slow down its trajectory into the vortex of activity. Anything that drops in ahead of other things, gets done as soon as it gets sucked into the vortex. In the end, I’m running around doing ten things at once, but a lot of stuff gets missed.

So yes, I can see how someone would call me ‘easily distracted’. I wonder if this is what they call ADHD? Or maybe I’m just really shit at organisation.

Andy.

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]]> http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/maybe-i-am-too-distracted/feed/ 0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ My life, the living embodiment of irony http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/my-life-the-living-embodiment-of-irony/ http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/my-life-the-living-embodiment-of-irony/#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:11:19 +0000 Andy http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/my-life-the-living-embodiment-of-irony/ I realised today that my life is one big living irony.

* I want to lose weight and see my abs; I exercise, and yet eat chocolate and packet chips every day in eyebrow raising quantities.

* I love my job, but every morning when the alarm goes off I try to find excuses not [...]]]> I realised today that my life is one big living irony.

* I want to lose weight and see my abs; I exercise, and yet eat chocolate and packet chips every day in eyebrow raising quantities.

* I love my job, but every morning when the alarm goes off I try to find excuses not to go.

* I worry about being socially accepted, but I never return anyones phone calls.

* I am really quite a sensitive individual, however I have enough tattoos that other people look at me and think I am an uncaring macho bastard prick who spits on people for laughs.

* I love writing, but I always find excuses why not to write blog posts.

I could go on and on, but I think I’ve made my point.

Time to go to gym and get some exercise. If I can change one thing at a time, perhaps I can at least change the reduce the irony in life to a smaller font.

Andy.

]]> http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/07/my-life-the-living-embodiment-of-irony/feed/ 1 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Ah, the soothing sounds of my nieghbour going off at me! http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/06/ah-the-soothing-sounds-of-my-nieghbour-going-off-at-me/ http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/06/ah-the-soothing-sounds-of-my-nieghbour-going-off-at-me/#comments Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:48:28 +0000 Andy http://www.mentalechoes.org/?p=225 9.15am, friday. I work from home on friday. I’ve had been working for 45 minutes, in a pair of tracksuit pants and a sleeveless shirt, with some lilting psytrance tunes on winamp playing to get me in the mood to do something productive. Then there’s a knock at the front door. Hmmm… who the fuck [...]]]> 9.15am, friday. I work from home on friday. I’ve had been working for 45 minutes, in a pair of tracksuit pants and a sleeveless shirt, with some lilting psytrance tunes on winamp playing to get me in the mood to do something productive. Then there’s a knock at the front door. Hmmm… who the fuck could that be at this ungodly hour? I open it up and it’s my neighbour from upstairs.

“Do you have any water”?

“Well… I… err…”.

“Because the neighbours downstairs turned it off and they didn’t inform any of us not even a not to say the water was going to be turned off or for how long and then she was so rude to me she went… blah blah blah… water had to be turned off because of the plumber and nobody knew we were all connected… blah blah…”.

I was wondering when she was going to take a breath. Or slow down. But she didn’t look like she was going to do either.

“Some people are just so rude”! She said as she shot a look of pure venom down the staircase at the offending individual.

And with that she headed back up to her own apartment. I was left to ponder what it was all about.

Ten minutes later as I was sitting in front of my computer working once more, I started wondering if it had happened at all, or if I had just had an acid flashback and imagined the whole thing.

Are you sure The Matrix is just a movie?

Andy.

]]> http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/06/ah-the-soothing-sounds-of-my-nieghbour-going-off-at-me/feed/ 0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Best love story ever made; The Matrix http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/06/best-love-story-ever-made-the-matrix/ http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/06/best-love-story-ever-made-the-matrix/#comments Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:29:10 +0000 Andy http://www.mentalechoes.org/2008/06/best-love-story-ever-made-the-matrix/ Today after I came home from swimming, instead of being able to sit down to my weekly back to back two hour episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit – my one shamelessly American drama series that I watch slavishly as often as I can – I realised I don’t have television. Oh, I [...]]]> Today after I came home from swimming, instead of being able to sit down to my weekly back to back two hour episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit – my one shamelessly American drama series that I watch slavishly as often as I can – I realised I don’t have television. Oh, I have A television, a big 1080p 42 inch Samsung model, but it’s got no cable plugged into the back of it apart from the xbox media center, and the high end Oppo DVD that upscales dvds to 1080p resolution (shamelessly big plug for my entertainment center there). Yesterday I unplugged my cable television box to mail back to the cable television supplier, in exchange for a new box that will do HDTV. Luckily The Netherlands being completely shit at customer service, I will probably without television for at least the next month. But once again, thanks to the internet, I’ve found a site that does streaming movies through shoutcast; desync.com.

I made dinner and tuned into The Matrix as it was just starting. It’s been ages since I’ve seen that film, and you know what, 10 years (nearly) after it was made, it is still the best love story of all time. No, seriously, it really is. If you think I’m joking, sit down and watch it. The way Trinity brings Neo back to life with a kiss after he was shot dead, jezuz… that brought tears to my eyes nearly. And the way they tear that building apart together when trying to rescue Morpheus was just beautiful. Obviously they don’t lack for common activities they enjoy which gives them something to talk about at the end of the working day. Normally I hate love stories, but The Matrix I can watch again and again and again, and it never grows old. Lord knows, when I grow up I want to be just like Neo! The ultimate man; lover, computer programmer extraordinaire, hacker elite, and looks cool as fuck wearing leather and guns. If The Matrix was real, I could!

Ohhh… but you know, maybe it is!

Andy.

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