Mat Bowles—Insert Humour Here

Oh my. Firefox goodness and web tricks

Old news to some, but to others, the wonders that is a decent internet browser (ie pretty much anything that isn’t made by Microsoft) is still lost on them. So, reading this morning, I come across this post linking to his company’s homepage. Now, I know that Microsoft’s default internet browser is crappy, but do you?

Here’s a good reason. Go to his homepage, and hover the mouse over the ’start’ button at the top right. Now, if you’re using IE, that’s just a link to his home. If you’re using, for example, firefox, then, using nothing more complicated than a Cascading Style Sheet (something that is simple enough for me to understand and read, even if I can’t (yet) code it), you get a full drop-down site map. How cool is that? In Internet Explorer or other crappy browser platforms, you don’t get any of the coolness.

So, if you’re still using IE, why not get a free copy of Firefox and give money to a good cause? (NB, disclaimer here, giving the money to a good cause involves using the Google version of Firefox, which some people, notably think is a bad plan) To get it, go here to ’s site, and follow the links. Google gives money for every time a person DLs Firefox and uses is once. That’s all you have to do, try it.

If you’d rather try a different browser but not trust Mr Google, then there’s a decent summary of them on Too Cool for IE. OK, it’s midday, there are twelve hours (and one second) left in 2005. I may do a proper ‘my life’ update before I leave to go out. May. Don’t hold your breath
Edit: added screenshot

December 31st, 2005 Posted by MatGB | Uncategorized | 12 comments

Getting to Know Me: ABC

By way of

A - Accent: Mixture of RP and estuary, with more Devonshire depending on the alcohol consumed
B - Breakfast Item: Normally nothing, sometimes an apple, but this morning toast followed by eggs and veggie sausages.
C - Chore you hate: Laundry
D - Dad’s Name: Raymond
E - Essential everyday item: Coffee
F - Flavour ice cream: Cookie Dough
G - Gold or Silver? Silver, gold is a bit bling…
H - Hometown: Paignton, Devon
I - Insomnia: Hmm, let’s see. Why am I up before 10am on a day off? Could it be because I haven’t slept?.
J - Job Title: Accommodation Manager.
K - Kids: Hopefully, eventually; any volunteers?
L - Living arrangements: One-bedroom flat full of junk.
M - Mother’s birthplace: South Pool, Devon
N - Number of significant others you’ve ever had: Define? Ok, relationships that lasted more than, um, 2 weeks? About ten I think. People slept with? I have no idea, my memory fails me.
O - Overnight hospital stays: Apart from the operation I had as a 6 yr old, none, but I was in for 2 weeks for that one.
P - Phobia: Bills, in fact, anything financial. Oh, and medical people, especially dentists.
Q - Queer? 90% straight
R - Religious Affiliation: Universal Church of the Interactive Network, with a little Pastafarianism thrown in.
S - Siblings: One younger sister, whose baby is due March
T - Time you wake up: Workday? 8ish. Day off? As late as possible if I can sleep at all.
U - Unnatural hair colors you’ve worn: None, which is weird really
V - Vegetable you refuse to eat: Sprouts
W - Worst habit: Nose picking, I managed to stop the nail biting as a teen.
X - X-rays you’ve had: Teeth
Y - Yummy: Chocolate, especially Green and Blacks Vanilla White and/or Maya Gold.
Z - Zodiac sign: Virgo

Yup, insomnia struck again this week; night before last I didn’t sleep at all, so after work yesterday I came home, checked a few things, made a few phone calls, then went to sleep. Woke up at 4am. I never wake up early, not getting to sleep is one thing, waking up early just doesn’t happen. So I’ve got a long day, parties this evening, a sleep on the sofa job, then I’m at work tomorrow. Great.

December 31st, 2005 Posted by MatGB | Uncategorized | 3 comments

Blog pimping

Having followed a random link from somewhere, I got to (http://www.inkycircus.com), which is just, well, very cool. Three female science journalists living in London and blogging about science and their start up. Random links to very cool science stories all over the place and other random amusements. Plus, they like Firefly. What’s not to love? A thing about office space and WiFi hotspots here:
http://www.inkycircus.com/jargon/2005/12/of_typepad_and_.html (? there’s a hotspot in Foyle’s bookshop cafe. Um, I think I may want to buy a laptop…

Oh yeah; after another night of insomnia, I now leave you all and head back tot he office, for my first half (plus) day of Xmas cover; it’s important I don’t tell anyone we’re closed. It just happens that everyone is on holiday for two weeks at the same time. Marketing people. Aren’t they great?

December 27th, 2005 Posted by MatGB | Uncategorized | 5 comments

See! I was right all along.

Christmas isn’t Christian.

These attitudes were carried to the New World by English Puritans, Quakers, Baptists and Scottish Presbyterians. In America, reprisals were as harsh here as back in Scotland. In Massachusetts a five-shilling penalty was imposed on anyone found feasting or shirking work on Christmas Day, and in 1621 the Governor of Plymouth Colony reprimanded some “lusty young men” whom he found on Christmas “pitching ye barr, and some playing at stoole-ball and such like sports”.

For the record, my annual attack of grouchyness at Xmas is prompted by people going OTT, enforced frivolity and people going on (and on, and on) about the baby Jesus.

Now, my atheism is well established, and my assertion that atheism is a faith, it cannot be proven thus should be treated and given equal privledges to religion is also something most know about me; I respect those of faith much more than I respect those who “don’t know” or “haven’t thought about it”. But, please. Christians? It’s not your festival. It was hijacked from a combination of different festivals by Pope Julius I, it combines Yule, Solstice, Mithras and a few other things. Jesus was most likely born (if we acknowledge he existed, which I’m prepared to but other historians more knowledgeable than me say otherwise) in March apparently. This isn’t a Christian festival, in fact, true Christians shouldn’t celeebrate it, so say the Church of Scotland.

So I, as an atheist who’s quite happy to get stuck in with secular festivals based on the calender of seasons, can quite happily eat drink and be merry. So can anyone else. But can we put the nativity stuff away? I’ll let you keep Easter, just accept that it’s also Eostre, and I’ll be eating ~~lots~~ more than the usual (excessive) amounts of chocolate.

December 27th, 2005 Posted by MatGB | Uncategorized | one comment

Googling Baby Jesus

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=baby+jesus

Go on, do it.

December 27th, 2005 Posted by MatGB | Uncategorized | 10 comments

Present of the decade methinks

OK, last year, my parents, being the nice people they are, gave my an expensive DAB car stereo with CD player. y’know, the car I spend about half an hour a day in. I love listening to the radio, but mostly I listen to Radio 4, which I can get anywhere in the country on the old analogue thing installed by the manufacturers.

This year, we agreed not much money on presents. My parents weren’t going to get each other stuff (right, like anyone believed that), and everyone knows I’m a bit skint (the family don’t know how badly, but still).

So, I open my parcel yesterday afternoon. Some shoe polish (yup, from my dad, and even I’ll admit it’s a good idea), a self inflating lightweight pillow (now in the boot with the sleeping bag and blanket, very useful I think), Louis de Bernieres Birds Without Wings (which I’d never buy for myself but I think I’ll like, I think that’s what you call a ’safe’ book buy; it’s good, but it’s not what I buy myself, they know half my debt is caused by the bibliophilia). And then, well, a Phillips DA100 portable! It’s a third the price of last years gift (not much money they said, right…) and it’s GREAT.

Why? Well, BBC Radio 7 of course. It’s like Radio 4, but without the dull bits. Last night, I plugged it into some spare PC speakers and listened to Ladies of Letters make mincemeat which was brilliant. Today? Well, it’s been Narnia day. Prince Caspian is about to finish, and I slept through Magician’s Nephew, and dosed off for Horse and his Boy. So, of the four they’ve broadcast, I missed the two crap ones. Here’s hoping for a quick CD release, go listen again, it’s great (oh, tLtW&tW is here).

Thanks M&D. Oh yeah, it’s small enough to fit in a trouser or jacket pocket and is completely rechargeable but takes AAs as well. Happy happy joy joy.

December 27th, 2005 Posted by MatGB | Uncategorized | 3 comments

Oh wow, how behind am I?

OK, so I’ve been reading a lot recently. I’ve also been reading ’s (the main writer of Websnark) journal. Both are about webcomics. Y’know, those things I’ve always loved reading? I alos read , the author of my absolute favourite webcomic, Something Positive. There’s a big end of year story arc going on. Cool, says I, the blogging world is quiet, everyone’s doing family stuff except for and let’s face it, no parliament means not so much news. Plus, well, it’s Xmas, I’m trying to contain my normal vitriol.

So, I go to my bookmarks, and go to the last Something Positive comic I read (I always bookmark the one before the index, I tend to read a week or so in a bunch, letting the dial-up dl one while I read the one before). I’ll read from there, and catch up. Shouldn’t take long should it? October. Early October. I’ve barely been reading any webcomics since October, with the exception of Flem, which I’m also behind on. I dread to think how many Megatokyos or Devil’s Panties I need to catch up on. Ah well.

If anyone needs me, I’m loading and reading multiple tabs of a webcomic about a depressive, habitually single 30-something gamer with a vicious sense of humour and lots of smart female friends who aren’t interested in him. Hmmm…

Oh yeah, it’s nearly that time of night. Bah Humbug to the lot of you

December 25th, 2005 Posted by MatGB | Uncategorized | 10 comments

News Years Resolutions and ID

By way of and , we have Aziraphale and Crowley’s Ney Years Resolutions. And yes, I’m trying to figure out why they’re talking about Good Omens as if it’s new. If you’re not sure who I’m tlking about, shame on you, go read the book. Now damnit!

Oh yeah, and after the Dover school board decision in the states, In the Senate, Rick Santorum (R-PA), who had earlier praised the Dover School Board for “teaching the controversy,” was so moved by the Jones decision that he severed his ties to the Thomas Moore Law Center, which had defended the Board. Santorum remains a git, but if he’s actually dissassociating himself from the ID nuts then he’s only a Rightist git rather than a stupid Rightist git. Oh, he may still be stupid, but, well, let’s be charitable, right?

December 24th, 2005 Posted by MatGB | Uncategorized | 3 comments

Shut up and eat your squid.

On the first day of Cephalopodmas,
Cthulhu gave to me
Histioteuthis heteropsis.

On the second day of Cephalopodmas…

Oh yeah; happy celebration of the axial tilt. From now on, the days start getting longer, and people have been celebrating this for a long time. Personally, I’m in favour of calling it yuletide, but then, I’m pretty sure there’s a bit of viking in me. Along with a lot of bits of other european tribes.

December 23rd, 2005 Posted by MatGB | Uncategorized | 4 comments