And here is how the rest of my day looked.
Now if only I could do the same with my shows and a top down image of the pub.
Robbie
3 hours ago
Monday, 25 January 2010
Work as art
This is what two hours of my working looks like via mouse movement. The large circles are where the mouse stayed still, the large circles are where the mouse did not move, the bigger the longer the wait was.
You can download mousepath here.
Just extract the file, run the program and leave the screen maximized and behind your other windows. R restarts the path and S saves a screen shot in the same folder the program is in.
Now I best get back to working
Robbie
Thursday, 14 January 2010
I love stereotyping as much as I love being stereotyped
I was sent this fantastic and amusing link to "Stereotyping people by their favourite indie bands" by the lovely @landrews2702
I've often been a little bit mean and picked on some of Lauren's choices in music (Sorry Lauren but Snow Patrol, really? Can't forgive you for still liking them) and she has finally got me back with quite a genius stereotyping list of some of my favourite bands.
I would also like to add at this point, the only time I was offended reading this article was being labelled "indie." How rude!
But check out the link yourself to see how others view your favourite bands (if they're on there) but here is a list of what I'm stereotyped as, my thoughts and some music from the bands (all links go to youtube. Thought I'd save you long page loading by not embedding so many songs);
The XX
Blog enthusiasts who thought wearing a keffiyeha was awesome.
What's a keffiyeh? Oh one of them, so that's what they're called....yep I have had a blog for many years (around 8) and I have owned two keffiyeh's.
The XX, well these are one of my favourite bands from 2009. Their album is awesome. Quite mellow, bassy with some electronic. I think this may be my favourite first tracks from a debut album I've heard in a long time http://j.mp/5PtxIY Although they do do real songs like http://j.mp/6HtM6h
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Girls who bought checkered sneakers in the 8th grade.
Hmmm. I'm not a girl. Not sure if I have owned checkered sneakers...but I wouldn't definitely say "I haven't."
I was surprised that I totally missed out on Yeah Yeah Yeahs album Blitz from last year. It wasn't until I was reading a few Top Albums of 2009 when I spotted it. And how stupid of me. Always loved the YYYs but really like they've mixed up the new album with some 'dancier' tunes, check out the fantastic Heads Will Roll as an example http://j.mp/66RhJo
Radiohead
Everyone.
Pretty sure Everyone doesn't like Radiohead. In fact I find it hard to find a person that does like them...perhaps I like them just a little too much. I mean there was that time I queued up for about 8 hours to see them do a live show about three years back (it was worth it). My all time favourite band that just gets better.
It's good to hear the band are heading back to make some songs. Here's a new one, where Thom gets a bit arsey with the ground. Take That Crowd! http://j.mp/5lf8N5
Bat for Lashes
Girls who wear leggings outside of ’80s-themed parties.
Again not a girl. But those girls are, for want of a better expression, well fit. And I like bright colours.
I still quite shocked that Two Suns was only released in 2009. It's been permanently on my phone and laptop playing this year it feels like I've owned it forever. Great album. Fantastic band (you'd know this if you've ever caught one of my many tweets about them). And Daniel, to me, feels like such a throw back to 80s pop/dance music. My favourite track from the album. http://j.mp/8EfvGv
Phoenix
People who don’t listen to enough music.
Not sure how to take this one? Think I might need this explaining to me.
Phoenix's Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix was my second favourite album of 2009. A great, happy, lovely, joyous album. I've tweeted many links to videos/tracks from them. My current favourite track is Fences. http://j.mp/7F0V9T
Justice
Bros who, at one point in their lives, have tried to grow a mustache.
Don't have a moustache. Do now sport a permanent stubble though (
) but would love to go for a My Name Is Earl moustache/stubble combo. Just need the balls to do it now.
) but would love to go for a My Name Is Earl moustache/stubble combo. Just need the balls to do it now.Justice are great dance band. The spiritual successor to Daft Punk (I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out Daft Punk = Justice)
† was Justice's first album and 3 years old now. You must of heard of these guys? Or at least heard one of there many awesome dance tracks. Too many good track's to chose from, so here is some video clippage I took myself when I went to see them on my birthday around 3 years ago. Awesome awesome live band. http://j.mp/8N4pz0
Ratatat
Boys who think Ocarina of Time is the greatest game ever made.
If you've ever played Ocarina of Time you will also think this is the greatest game ever made. It's a fact. Another fact is that I have, as a message alert for my phone, a sound bite from one of the characters in the game. Yep so this is pretty much spot on.
Ratatat are a excellent dance/chill out band. They do some really entertaining and bizarre videos, for example this trippy video ripping off of Paul Simon's You Can Call Me All. WTF! Still a good song, LP3 is a great album is was on my constantly in my playlist rotation when it came out and something I may stick on tomorrow as my first album when I official start my new job. http://j.mp/8TBeRM
So overall I'd say that's a pretty accurate representation of me. Apart from labelling me as indie! And also a few of my favourite bands, so you know a little more about me.
(PS Lets see how this formatting sticks when going from gmail to Posterous. I hope it all stays in place or it will take me another hour to fix it all.)
Robbie
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
In a pickle, where maybe you can help?
I'm in a complete pickle. Maybe I'm looking for advice, perhaps I just want to say this 'out loud' to see if it helps? If you can contribute any thoughts to this then please do.
So the reason I moved back to Runcorn was I wanted to be around old friends and family. My job allows me to work from anywhere in the World, well mostly anywhere, so I could of picked anywhere in the UK when returning. But I wanted to be back in Runcorn.
And here I am.
Things are going okay for me here. I wasn't expecting huge amounts of friends to come out of the wood work but I was hoping to see a few more people then I have.
I've seen most of the friends that I think I want to get in touch with. All not as much as I want but that's understandable given the circumstances that we've just past Christmas and New Years so everyone is skint.
The thing is, is that what I have seen from friends the same topic keeps popping up; "Partners." Everyone I know is in a relationship. Some with kids, some having just purchased a house, some have even very recently just left the country themselves. Hope it wasn't to do with my return.
So after a few weeks when all is back to normal how much should I expect to see from them? The occasional night out? A weekend here or there? I was kind of hoping to go back to my old ways of phoning a friend and being out straight away. I really like human contact and go insane if I don't have some sort of conversation for more then a few hours.
The problem is, not sure if I have mentioned this, but a friend who I met in Spain, who moved back to UK before me has asked me to go work for him in his pub in March.
He has said that the job would be helping to run the pub under him, while he does some different work. Which is brilliant. This is the kind of work that I could never get. Only because I don't have any experience doing this, but I know this guy is very patient and likes to employ friends, people he knows would fit that work and could handle it.
I'd be able to carry on my current work and I'd be surrounded by real people all the time. People are ace. All of you are fantastic.
The pub itself is a old fashioned pub with wood burning fires, in a small village but has great and fun customers. The kind were regular fancy dress parties are held, gigs by local bands, there's even a music festival on annually in the beer garden. It even gets as random and spontaneous as a posting on the pubs facebook page yesterday simply saying "who is up for building a 15 foot snowman tomorrow?"
This is the kind of thing that I would love to surround myself with.
The only thing standing in the way is that it's over a hundred miles away. If it was around the corner then I would of jumped at the chance. But this distance would mean me moving again.
The pub has rooms in it for me to rent. It has wifi so I can do my other job, so homing would not be an issue. But it would mean moving away from all the reasons why I wanted to be in Runcorn. But could be a once in a lifetime chance to do something totally different. There's plenty of trains heading back this way and I also have plans to pass my driving test asap so getting to Runcorn would never take longer then 2 hours maybe.
And I know the guy is serious about me doing this as he has been in touch again a few hours ago, asking if he could persuade me to come sooner. Hence, that's why I am here now.
I'm not sure how the pros and cons are working with this? Having spent five years away from family and friends I am liking being back. But how long will it last if friends have other commitments? And how often will a job like this come along where I'll be getting paid to entertain and talk to people and seeing lots of faces?
I've told my friend to give me until the weekend to give him an answer.
Think you can help me out before then?
(And dad if you are reading this, then we need to have a talk. Will be around Thursday but will most likely call you before you read this anyways)
Robbie
Snow video
My first, freestyle, attempt at making a video blog of all the snow. Nothing much exciting happens and I'm pretty sure all focus will be on the bird.
Robbie
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
#uksnow
Some photos from what forever will be known as Awesome Snow Day 2010.
<Photo 1> My attempt at my first snowman in years. I had no stones for his parts so had to use fridge magnets. Good work!
<Photo 2> View of the car park. All that snow waiting to be stood in.
<Photo 3> Snow flakes falling
<Photo 4> Not one of mine. But a giant compared to mine.
<Photo 5> Ducks. Lots of lost ducks. Trying to swim but no luck
Hope you're having fun on Snow Day.
Robbie
Happy New Year
So its a New Year and a new start for me.
The major problem about returning back home after 5 years at this time of year is that everyone's now slint and staying in so its been a quiet few days.
With a New Year passing it also means its time to bring out New Years Resolutions. Mine are more like Return to UK Resolutions.
I say mine, there's just one.
I need to learn to drive.
Seems very do-able. Apart from the cost of lessons having doubled since I last did lessons.
Hopefully though, unlike 90% of Resolutions, I'll stick to mine until its complete.
Although it seems like I may want to wait a few weeks before I strat due to weather.
So have you made (or even already broken) any New Years Resolutions?
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