Myspace

Well, not content with having an online presence through this blog, I've finally succumbed to having one on Myspace as well. If you've never come across this übersite, it's a place where you can create an entry for yourself and then state who your friends and acquaintances are in a virtual way, like.

Sounds useless, and I guess it is, largely, but it's useful if you're a band and you want to let people know what you're doing or when you're playing, and also useful for sharing pictures and getting in touch with friends of friends who you wouldn't necessarily have an email address for (through an extended network).

So, if you're so inclined, and don't feel like devoting the time required for a full-on blog, why not sign up for this.

If you're a bit wary like my mate Ian, you'll probably want to know that all of Myspace has recently been bought out by the evil Rupert Murdoch.... You have been warned.

Something worth fighting against

I've been angry about software patents for some time now, since I heard about VideoLan Client being threatened with removal due to supposedly transgressing software patents. VLC is an incredibly useful little application that plays a lot of media types that Quicktime, for instance, can't open. I suggest you read a little bit about why software patents are basically a completely spurious way of getting rich based on someone else's work, and these patents ultimately stifle innovation in small IT companies.

So, today I read about this idiot Mr Keung and his patent. What the guy has done there is to try and patent the idea of putting in a password to access something remotely that you've paid for. This nonsense has got to stop.

If you're so inclined, write to your MEP. I haven't done it yet, but I'm pretty sure I will at some point, because this is something of gravity for anyone who makes regular use of computers.

While I'm thinking of democracy, I think I'll also put up a link to www.faxyourmp.com, an awesome service that allows you to contact your MP directly in a speedy way, for free. Pretty cool, I'd say.

Meter In the Red

I've been really quite highly-strung for the past week or two, since I found out that I had a pretty crazy amount of work to do before I could leave London to go home to Cardiff for a week (and a short family holiday to be had in that time, hopefully). I've also been battling what I suspect is a bit of tonsilitis, just because I actually have to be here in order to get through the workload. I've been resigned to losing this weekend for some while now - I guess the measure of it will be to see when I can actually get home to Cardiff.

I'm sure my next post will be more positive, and with less of a lag!

Pavel

Regular blog readers will notice that a mysterious person call Pav occasionally posts a comment on my blog. Well, as of today, I know Mr Pavel Jiracek's web address, so those of you with a decent grasp of German can read Pav's site. Pavel is a mate of mine from University, who we saw in Oxford the weekend before last.

Leicester Square, Tonight

Leicester Square, Tonight
Originally uploaded by ambroseneville.

Tonight my band is playing undoubtedly the biggest venue we've played to-date.

I'm actually not as nervous as I have been in the past, before a big gig, but I really do hope it goes well!

Cheers in advance to anyone who's coming to see us, and to everyone else who can't be there who's wished us well.

You're so needy

You're so needy
Originally uploaded by ambroseneville.

Pedantic, I know, but I found the wording of this form at Turning Point drugs charity to be quite funny. Okay, you might need mental health, but why would you possibly need a learning disability?!