Robin'osophy

Twitter (yes, I'm a bit late)

2009-12-16T04:39:00.016Z

Was Cameron right? Do "too many twits make a twat"?

When I first heard of this apparent radio faux-pas I was shocked that the media types appeared to think that Dave was doing something original (or witty) by making the leap from "twit" to "twat". However, I was more than shocked (lets say disturbed) by the fact that I completely agreed with him - clearly it was time to join the local Unionist (Conservative) club and give up my pinkish, bohemian, liberal ways.

I thought Twitter was just going to be a flash in the proverbial internet pan, something that would have the same kind of user retention levels as free online ~~rape~~ dating sites and would be dropped just as quickly by all respectable nerds.

It gives me great pleasure to say that I was wrong, and therefore, so was Cameron.

...and I now have a twitter account. It's rather good actually.

Six Months Later

2009-09-02T18:03:00.002+01:00

My blog has become one of what I expect to be millions of false starts. Lets try again.

For the last week and a bit I've been volunteering with a local charity. My skills are in IT/Computing so its been a mis-mash of building quick databases of contacts and funds, workstation maintenance, countless runs of software updates and having a fiddle on their (sightly shoddy) server. Next up, a web-advertising banner.

Judging from my experiences, its obvious that many charities might need a whole lot of help with their computer systems. The computers they do have are often gifts and thus, a mess of different specifications, often with different operating systems and very old. The average machine had a 1.5Ghz proc. (single-core) with 256MB RAM, sometimes these are trying to run Vista because thats what they've been given. More importantly, they all have ball mice that never fucking work properly.

So if you're a geek, nerd, techie, or, fuck it, even a cos-player. Go and give them a hand eh?

Irael in Gaza

2009-01-07T03:13:00.003Z

Despite falling out with the Guardian recently, I have to say this is by far the best article I've read on the current Israeli campaign so far.

"How Israel brought Gaza to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe"

Also, Robert Fisk is at it again.

01/01

2009-01-01T19:39:00.003Z

Being told, when mildly pished, that a few people are actually reading your blog is not a comfortable experiance.

I'll tone it down, Yohannes.

A Militant Christmas

2008-12-26T15:59:00.002Z

As those close to me doubtless know, the grand ideas of secularism and, more generally, rational and sceptical thought have become very influential to the latest phase of my politicisation.

A result, or perhaps a symptom of this has been a slightly awkward feeling when going through the previously unquestioned rituals of decorating trees and exchanging gifts during Christmas. I have no qualms with indulging in these pleasant, cultural traditions as I get both a holiday and a chance to see family and friends I might not otherwise see, but there is certainly a tangible irony to the whole affair. The most obvious problem Christmas raises for me, and perhaps for many non-believers, is the fact that we still rely on this annual religious holiday to prompt us to return home to those we apparently love most.

However, regimented lifestyles and, less specifically, patterns, do have a strong appeal. Religious holidays fit nicely into our schedules, around periods of (arguably) voluntary subjugation by employers and any other breaks we can afford to take. A yearning for patterns and order is doubtless one of the sources of the powerful allure that "comprehensive" worldviews have, whether they take the form of political ideologies or a religious doctrine. A dangerous accident in the evolution of the mind, perhaps.

Enjoy your winter festivals, yo.

Stop being destructive, you darned homos.

2008-12-23T17:50:00.000Z

"Pope Benedict claims that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behaviour is as important as saving the rainforest from destruction."- Independent.co.uk

"Listen to the language of creation" (intolerance) and understand that veering away from traditional gender roles is the "destruction of God's work". - Pope

The world doesn't need militant atheists to point out how ridiculous religious institutions and their figureheads are. Really.

A Start

2008-12-22T14:43:00.000Z

Shit. I'm presuming to have something worth saying and, evidently, attempting to share it. I hope anybody idle enough to be reading this (sorry) will excuse the sheer vulgarity of it, perhaps taking comfort in the fact that I am hardly unique in feeling the need to vent my spleen all over a miniscule portion of the interwebs. Actually that may make it seem worse.

Motivation?

Attempting to write about specific ideas/events/happenings has proved to be quite theraputic for me, as I have mentioned to friends, almost every time I attempt to write a stiff letter (in the great British tradition) I come to terms with whatever origionally angered me and lose all motivation to write. However, it is time for a new leaf to be proverbially turned. I hope that I can capture the wonderfully self-affirming moments of righteous indignation, fury and frustration in blog form before they pass. The fact that my thoughts might be viewable by others will surely moderate my arguments by forcing me to do real research and strive to be as fair as possible so I don't look silly.

Blog result: +1 honesty, +2 pretension. We're all winners. By we, I just mean me, of course.

Tally-ho.