Sunday, January 27, 2008
I’ve got the 3 Skypephone…
I’ve recently acquired a 3 Skypephone. I shall refrain from reviewing it until Friday, when my account gets credited and my number is transferred to the new network. In the meantime, suffice to say: it’s good.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Thursdays are spammy
What is it with Thursdays and spam? First I get that bizarre underwear advert, before finding that someone sounding like a government minister going by the name of ‘ClaraWilly’ is spamming Backfeed with fake voluntary work info. Hmm… spotting a pattern here?
Spam, spam, spam, spam…
This has to be the most bizarre spam message to have got past the filters in a long time. I now feel guilty for not sending it to Akismet death, but I found it very amusing.
In answer to all the fuss caused by Jeremy Paxman’s comments to M&S’s Stuart Rose concerning his gusset anxiety around the lack of support and quality of their underwear and the job that they do for him, I would like to make the point that you generally get what you pay for in this world. This has always been the case and remains one of lifes golden rules. If you pay peanuts then… etc.
I, as joint owner of Sunspel, would challenge anyone to trial a pair of our underwear and not agree that they have recieved the most comfortable underwear you can get. We have been making underwear in Long Eaton, Derbyshire for the last 150 years and therefore know a thing or two about it. We have made it for all sorts including Johnny Depp, Liam Gallagher, Anthony Hopkins, Daniel Craig as James Bond, Levis 501’s Nick Kamen, even Cyril Smith and Prince Charles.
It is not a simple thing to get right, however years of experience gives our designers a unique, almost boffin-like insight into the essentials of fit and fabric quality. Sunspel’s unique fabrics have been created for softness, lightness and strength - all 100% long staple Egyptian cotton.
To back up this claim if you follow the link http://www.sunspel.com and use the voucher code paxo-challenge, we will offer you a 50% discount on any of the underwear or t-shirts we sell, including all those made for Casino Royale - try it out and see for yourself what Paxo is missing.
No, I shan’t be purchasing underwear from you. I have just sent off this E-mail:
Dear Sirs,
Earlier today I received a comment on my Web site, in particular on a humourous post about Jeremy Paxman’s complaints to M&S about the quality of their underwear. It was posted by a person purporting to be one of your co-owners.
Whilst I have retained this comment, simply because I find it hilariously out of context, please note that such comments are considered as ’spam’. This is unsolicited advertising on the Internet, and persisting in this matter may cause you to (a) be blocked by Akismet (a global spam filter service) from posting a comment on almost any weblog, ever, and/or (b) be ridiculed in public on people’s blogs, like my own.
I have decided not to pursue the former action, however, I consider it appropriate to showcase this spam on my web site. I collect weird spam, and my readers seem to enjoy it. You are welcome to read it yourself at http://crashedpips.co.uk. If you require any technical details to identify the spammer, then please do not hesitate to contact me via my E-mail address.
Thank you very much for your co-operation in this matter.
Yours faithfully,
Jonathan Rothwell (Mr.)
I await a response eagerly.
Thanks to wicho on Flickr, for the image, entitled Spam. It is licensed under cc-by-nc-sa.
Yet more search terms insanity
The ability of search engines such as Google to be able to link to this blog using such bizarre terms as ‘SECURITY FOR EX-PRIME MINISTERS’ never ceases to amaze me. In any case, the questions I must ask are “Maggie? Is that you?” or “Osama? Is that you?”
An attempt at a philosophical post
I don’t often write about what I believe is right and wrong on this website: I generally only infer it. However, I feel compelled to write about what I believe is a gross and repulsive misuse of religion - by a church.
Westboro Baptist Church are a famously and openly homophobic, racist and (apparently) fascist church group based in Kansas, USA. Of course, only in America would such a thing still be allowed, and even then it’s still a legal grey area.
Louis Theroux, a British broadcaster, ran a documentary on them last year on BBC Two called The Most Hated Family in America. It provoked quite a heated discussion on the Radio Times letters page, as some thought that giving this group more exposure may have caused someone - even if it was just one person - to go and join this mad, insane organisation. There is a link to the interview with BBC News about the programme further down the page.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Windows 7
So, according to Microsoft, Windows 7 (codename Vienna) is to be released in 2009.
Fat chance. I’m expecting something more along the lines of 2090, not 2009. But, however, we live in hope that MS will produce a good OS this time round.
As Windows Vista has demonstrated, the structure that holds Windows up at the moment is creaking under the strain of all the new features being added. So, in this (hopfully) short space I’ll try to explain some of the mistakes Microsoft have made with Windows Vista, and explain what I think Windows 7 will need to make it a great OS. (more…)
Monday, January 21, 2008
Paxman’s Underwear
To Jeremy Paxman on the subject of M&S underwear - if you’re that bothered, why bother wearing it in the first place?
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Turing Test passed?
This website sort-of wins this week’s Weird Website of the Week award, although to be fair it is because of the AI it provides. And actually, it is one of the most impressive AI systems I’ve ever used.
a-i.com offers three chatbots to waste your time with: Alan (named after Alan Turing), HAL, and the MyBot, which allows you to create a private personality. A bit like using a virtual server on a web-hosting service. All three are free to talk to and use, and I am particularly impressed. Alan holds his (its?) own in a conversation, as does the MyBot. A new HAL is very difficult to get to usable conversation, but talking to pre-developed HALs is quite good.
I do like the MyBot. It allows you to create a bot you can talk to over the Internet, or via Windows Live Messenger. Being on a Mac, I chose the remotely-hosted web option. I’ve published a transcript of the conversation below.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Yahoo fancies Geraint…
I find this amusing, if somewhat disturbing. This is what appears on Yahoo’s search assistant feature when you search for ITN reporter Geraint Vincent.
I think some people must be getting far too excited in the middle of News at Ten. Nevertheless, I would commend the suggestion that for one evening he reads the news naked - not to watch the bulletin (it’ll be ITV’s usual carp) but to watch Richard Littlejohn’s reaction afterwards. I’d quite like to see his head transform into a beetroot.
P.S. To those who want an answer to the question: no, he is not married. Yes, he does have a girlfriend. No, he is not gay. And yes, you must be incredibly lonely to be seeking marriage to a newsreader.