It's been an eventful week this week, for all the wrong reasons. First of all, we've been noticing that our satellite TV reception has been steadily degrading, to the point that sometimes we get 0% signal on the status screen. So I phoned up Viasat and apparently we're within warranty, so it's a call to the local people who installed the dish in the first place for them to come over and tweak it. Skitz tried to help me wobble the dish around to see if it was just an angle problem, but we couldn't get anything more out of it, so it's going to be a cable problem methinks.
After the fiasco of my router deciding to give up last week, we've found that there's something more sinister going on. My Xbox kept logging out of Xbox Live at random times, and freezing in the middle of a game, but I thought it was just a WiFi thing and I was going to tweak it this weekend. But when I was trying to get ready for my radio show on Wednesday, I discovered it was a lot worse than that. Every time I started the stream or even just loaded up the IRC chat window, after a while the modem dropped the DSL connection for a couple of minutes, then logged back in. A panicked call to Tele2 support five minutes into when my show was supposed to be broadcast confirmed the worst - the support guy was also sending data down the line and it was regularly disconnecting. He ticketed a support request for me and engineers should fix the problem "within 48 hours" (which is this evening). Fingers crossed that it's just a quick fix.
The Xbox freezing, on reflection, should have warned me. I thought it was just that the internet connection was going down, and the game coding didn't know how to handle it. But NO. Last night it froze again, I rebooted and got... yes... the Red Ring of Death. (This was when I was trying to play the new Bionic Commando game, by the way. The short time I got to play it, it's great!) Specifically, it's three red lights on the ring on the front panel - usually they show which joysticks are "logged in" to the console, but these turn red if there's some sort of problem. The 3 rings (top-right quadrant missing) means "hardware problem" and it also means you have to send your Xbox off for repair. So, that's another thing that I have to do over the weekend.
Three technology-based things going wrong in one week. Oh joy.
Friday, August 15, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Bionic Commando Rearmed out on Xbox 360 tomorrow!
One of my All-Time Favorite All-Time Games of All-Time™ has to be Bionic Commando. It was released in 1987 as an arcade game by CapCom, and released later that year on the Commodore 64 (along with other platforms). I loved playing the arcade version at my local amusement arcade, and I even went out and bought the Disk version for my '64 - pretty damned good conversion too!
Well, I've been waiting for the Redux versions for a little while. There's a whole new 3D version coming out on the NG Consoles (Xbox 360, PS3) soon; but, as a taster, there's Bionic Commando Rearmed, a re-imagining of the original arcade game. It's in faux-3D (i.e. slightly 3d ish but played as 2d) and it looks shit-hot... and it's available on the Xbox Arcade from tomorrow, Wednesday 13th August 2008! (I don't know about the PS3 version unfortunately, check your online thingy, whatever it's called, if you've got one of those.)
I for one will be using some of my Microsoft Points to unlock the full version of this baby. If you know which game I'm talking about, do it too! If you don't, download the Trial version anyway and see what REAL action games should be about (i.e. the 80s ;)).
Well, I've been waiting for the Redux versions for a little while. There's a whole new 3D version coming out on the NG Consoles (Xbox 360, PS3) soon; but, as a taster, there's Bionic Commando Rearmed, a re-imagining of the original arcade game. It's in faux-3D (i.e. slightly 3d ish but played as 2d) and it looks shit-hot... and it's available on the Xbox Arcade from tomorrow, Wednesday 13th August 2008! (I don't know about the PS3 version unfortunately, check your online thingy, whatever it's called, if you've got one of those.)
I for one will be using some of my Microsoft Points to unlock the full version of this baby. If you know which game I'm talking about, do it too! If you don't, download the Trial version anyway and see what REAL action games should be about (i.e. the 80s ;)).
Friday, August 08, 2008
When Technology Goes Wrong... and then Right
Kablooey!
That's the imagined sound that my Belkin ADSL router made on Tuesday, while the missus and I were at our respective jobs. In one way, I was glad though.
I had bought myself a Wireless Network Device add-on for my XBox 360 (the official one, not a third-party make). However, when I plugged it in, it showed a red light and that was about it. Last Monday, I decided to phone XBox Support and see if there's anything I was doing wrong. Unfortunately I wasn't - thanks to the helpful advice from the support guy, we found that it was my poor old Belkin, that I had had since 2003 when I was still in England. I shouldn't be surprised really, routers have grown a little since then.
So I was uhming and ahing as to what to do, when the Belkin made my mind up for me, by fizzling out rather unceremoniously in the middle of the day - something we found when Linda tried to wirelessly access teh interwebs through her laptop.
I reconnected the Speedtouch that actually came with my Tele2 internet account, and quickly realised that, although it doesn't have WiFi, it's actually a damned good little router. So I went to On/Off and bought a Netgear wireless access point, hooked that up and everything seems to be back to normal. The XBox's wireless device definitely liked it a lot more. I switched on, put the right password in, and we were connected almost immediately. Some of my online chums started sending messages almost immediately, along the lines of "bloody 'ell Boz, we thought you'd sold your box!", as I haven't been online since moving.
We had the SLAY Radio Gathering last weekend, where listeners of SLAY Radio come to Gothenburg for a general get-together. This was the fourth year running (always on the first weekend in August) and it's just as enjoyable. Personally speaking, it's good for me to be able to put faces to some of the listeners that I transmit a show for. It's good for the listeners to meet each other, too, so that they know who they're chatting to on IRC. The Gatherings will be going on for as long as they're popular, so there's definitely one next year!
That's the imagined sound that my Belkin ADSL router made on Tuesday, while the missus and I were at our respective jobs. In one way, I was glad though.
I had bought myself a Wireless Network Device add-on for my XBox 360 (the official one, not a third-party make). However, when I plugged it in, it showed a red light and that was about it. Last Monday, I decided to phone XBox Support and see if there's anything I was doing wrong. Unfortunately I wasn't - thanks to the helpful advice from the support guy, we found that it was my poor old Belkin, that I had had since 2003 when I was still in England. I shouldn't be surprised really, routers have grown a little since then.
So I was uhming and ahing as to what to do, when the Belkin made my mind up for me, by fizzling out rather unceremoniously in the middle of the day - something we found when Linda tried to wirelessly access teh interwebs through her laptop.
I reconnected the Speedtouch that actually came with my Tele2 internet account, and quickly realised that, although it doesn't have WiFi, it's actually a damned good little router. So I went to On/Off and bought a Netgear wireless access point, hooked that up and everything seems to be back to normal. The XBox's wireless device definitely liked it a lot more. I switched on, put the right password in, and we were connected almost immediately. Some of my online chums started sending messages almost immediately, along the lines of "bloody 'ell Boz, we thought you'd sold your box!", as I haven't been online since moving.
We had the SLAY Radio Gathering last weekend, where listeners of SLAY Radio come to Gothenburg for a general get-together. This was the fourth year running (always on the first weekend in August) and it's just as enjoyable. Personally speaking, it's good for me to be able to put faces to some of the listeners that I transmit a show for. It's good for the listeners to meet each other, too, so that they know who they're chatting to on IRC. The Gatherings will be going on for as long as they're popular, so there's definitely one next year!
Friday, July 18, 2008
The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round
After one has been travelling on any form of transport for a while, one notices the "regulars" that enjoy(!) commuting. I am starting to notice this as I bounce around on the Number 25 bus to and from work every weekday. Because it's half-past silly in the morning -- and because we're Swedish -- most people keep to themselves, quiet as can be with a slightly distant look on their face. However, some people stand out more than others because of certain foibles or mannerisms they have.
Every now and then, I'll return to details any new characters I chance upon; however, there are three (or, technically, four) that I have noticed.
Mr. Blind-as-a-Bat. Even though he wears glasses, he takes them off and holds his Metro about 5 centimeters from his face, squinting like Mr. Magoo and taking ages to read any one article. He usually gets on at my stop but doesn't stand up until the bus has stopped - presumably because he can't see the number until it's right in front of him.
The Turk. This guy plays his music a little too loud, so you hear the high frequencies of ethnic Turkish music coming from his iPod. I have no idea what he looks like; I only know that he sits towards the back of the bus on the left-hand side. If one sits within 5 rows of him - which I have done on numerous occasions - one can hear that annoying tinny sound of someone who's listening just a little too loud. Not that I have anything against Turkish music per se, but it kind of loses something when you have to listen to it second-hand.
Miss Bullhorn and Miss Tired. These couple of giddy girls get on the bus before me, but I know when they are there (along with just about everyone else on the bus). Miss Bullhorn, obviously, talks at her friend in a loud voice, usually about telephone conversations she's had the night before. She has a bad case of the guztuhs (see below). "Hon säga till mej, 'blah blah blah', och så säga jag till henne, 'blah blah blah'..." is the usual thing you hear (with actual "blah"s in there); at the same time, her friend is saying "'A...[yawn]... 'a... [yawn]... 'a... [yawn]" ('a is Swedish for "yeah", it's a shortcut for ja), she's either bored out of her skull or she's been partying too hard the night before. My guess is the latter.
So, three examples of people on the Number 25 bus. Feel free to share your regulars in the comments below.
*guztuh is a word from the Midlands (especially Leicester). It's short for "goes to", which actually means "says to". Can also be just guz = goes = says. For instance, a Leicester person would say:
Every now and then, I'll return to details any new characters I chance upon; however, there are three (or, technically, four) that I have noticed.
Mr. Blind-as-a-Bat. Even though he wears glasses, he takes them off and holds his Metro about 5 centimeters from his face, squinting like Mr. Magoo and taking ages to read any one article. He usually gets on at my stop but doesn't stand up until the bus has stopped - presumably because he can't see the number until it's right in front of him.
The Turk. This guy plays his music a little too loud, so you hear the high frequencies of ethnic Turkish music coming from his iPod. I have no idea what he looks like; I only know that he sits towards the back of the bus on the left-hand side. If one sits within 5 rows of him - which I have done on numerous occasions - one can hear that annoying tinny sound of someone who's listening just a little too loud. Not that I have anything against Turkish music per se, but it kind of loses something when you have to listen to it second-hand.
Miss Bullhorn and Miss Tired. These couple of giddy girls get on the bus before me, but I know when they are there (along with just about everyone else on the bus). Miss Bullhorn, obviously, talks at her friend in a loud voice, usually about telephone conversations she's had the night before. She has a bad case of the guztuhs (see below). "Hon säga till mej, 'blah blah blah', och så säga jag till henne, 'blah blah blah'..." is the usual thing you hear (with actual "blah"s in there); at the same time, her friend is saying "'A...
So, three examples of people on the Number 25 bus. Feel free to share your regulars in the comments below.
*guztuh is a word from the Midlands (especially Leicester). It's short for "goes to", which actually means "says to". Can also be just guz = goes = says. For instance, a Leicester person would say:
"She guztuh me, she guz 'Eh up Shaz, are ya gooin down pub tonight?" And I guztuh 'er, I guz 'Nah, I ain't got no moneh'."Even if it should be in the past tense, it's still used in the present.
"She asked me, 'Pardon me Sharon, are you frequenting the public house tonight?' And I replied to her, 'No, I seem to have a lack of funds.'
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Back to Work
Linda and I have just enjoyed four weeks' vacation from work. It's not unusual for Swedes to take this many weeks off, unlike the UK where most people would take a maximum of two weeks off, maybe three, in one go. Anyway, most of the time we were fixing the new house up; finishing off painting, going to the Swedish Place of Worship (IKEA) for more furniture and so on. We also enjoyed visitors coming over for a barbecue, and we went to Wonderful, Wonderful Copenhagen for a short stay. It's a beautiful city actually, well worth a visit. If you are a Facebook friend of Linda's, then you can view some photos here that she took. Otherwise, click here to see my copy on a web album.
We decided to take the time off now to avoid conflicts with work calendars. There is a phenomenon every year where the Svenssons take a long (four-ish week) vacation toward the end of July, and effectively Sverige AB (Sweden Ltd.) closes down. Lots of small shops, restaurants, cafés and indeed, sections of the government itself, go on hiatus for the vacation duration. Läppstiftet, the skyscraper in which I work, is like a ghost building; hardly anyone is around and the café and restaurant on the ground floor is closed for business.
There is a similar thing in England where most Brits go on holiday at the end of July, but it just seems so much more noticeable over here.
Also, this summer season is when lots of roadworks are performed. A great idea in principle, but I think Sweden has forgotten the hoards of tourists they get! Sweden is a lovely country to visit, but because of the Jante Law (of which I will comment on in another blog entry one day), your typical Swede won't admit to it. So, they close roads off and suspend some tram and bus services, leaving Mr and Mrs Tourist scratching their heads, wondering where the tram is (according to their tourist map) and wondering what the strange Swedish sign says on the platform.
Yes folks, Sweden can be a quirky place. Wouldn't change it for the world though.
We decided to take the time off now to avoid conflicts with work calendars. There is a phenomenon every year where the Svenssons take a long (four-ish week) vacation toward the end of July, and effectively Sverige AB (Sweden Ltd.) closes down. Lots of small shops, restaurants, cafés and indeed, sections of the government itself, go on hiatus for the vacation duration. Läppstiftet, the skyscraper in which I work, is like a ghost building; hardly anyone is around and the café and restaurant on the ground floor is closed for business.
There is a similar thing in England where most Brits go on holiday at the end of July, but it just seems so much more noticeable over here.
Also, this summer season is when lots of roadworks are performed. A great idea in principle, but I think Sweden has forgotten the hoards of tourists they get! Sweden is a lovely country to visit, but because of the Jante Law (of which I will comment on in another blog entry one day), your typical Swede won't admit to it. So, they close roads off and suspend some tram and bus services, leaving Mr and Mrs Tourist scratching their heads, wondering where the tram is (according to their tourist map) and wondering what the strange Swedish sign says on the platform.
Yes folks, Sweden can be a quirky place. Wouldn't change it for the world though.
Newsflash: Concentric Circles Eminating from Glowing Red Dot
Just read this startling news from The Onion's video network:
Breaking News: Series Of Concentric Circles Emanating From Glowing Red Dot
Breaking News: Series Of Concentric Circles Emanating From Glowing Red Dot
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Waste-to-Hip Ratio Extreme!
There I was, surfing teh interwebs as one does, and I found this peach on Flickr.
It took me several minutes to return to planet Earth.
It took me several minutes to return to planet Earth.
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