John Braine++ Stuff, Wotsits, and Thingys

Flickr

2009-06-21T13:02:00.001+01:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

My pet plug

2009-06-21T13:00:00.001+01:00

My pet plug, originally uploaded by jbraine.

Dance wiv me

2009-05-21T15:49:00.002+01:00

You know when you're flicking through your camera and you see two shots that were taken in quick succession and it looks like a little animation and you sit there for a while making the people dance? No!? well I'm always at it. Thought I'd add some music to this one...

Le Cool

2009-05-21T09:04:00.005+01:00

It's been a while since I've had any interest in gig listings filling in my inbox. But I've just subscribed to a new email weekly listing called Le Cool that's not just music; comedy, family events, movies, arty stuff and any other cultural events. Check it out / subscribe at lecool.com/cities/dublin.

Disclaimer: Wouldn't post if I didn't like it but yes I do know one of the promoters. And he's one of the friendliest people I know. And that get's extra bonus points from me.

5 Great music videos featuring robots

2009-05-20T10:09:00.002+01:00

Bjork - All is full of love

Secta Chameleon - More than a feelin'

Flight of the Conchords - The humans are dead

Beck - Hell yes

Herbie Hancock - Rockit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK0Pi4wC8Hk

Coldcut - JDJ (70 minutes of madness)

2009-05-18T01:03:00.004+01:00

I was listening to the radio the other day and I heard this little sample that gave me a mad craving to hear Coldcut - JDJ "70 minutes of madness". Then I realised it was so frigging long since I listened to it, that the last time I heard it was on cassette. A tape that I once listened to over and over and over, a gazillion times. A tape that's now buried deep in the arctic somewhere - ie the attic. I mentioned this on Twitter off the cuff and had several kind offers to get me a copy. I'm listening to it now and it's still the best mix I've ever heard, hands down.

I've always been a big fan of a well worked mix. Off the cuff mixes obviously have their charm, but I was always a bigger fan of DJ's who put a huge amount of time into perfecting their mixes to admittedly obsessive levels, whether it's finding that perfect record or the perfect sample or the perfect scratch... or any other trick, I've always loved hearing that fantastically carved blend of sounds that compliment each other perfectly. Much more that a traditional album.

And 70 minutes of madness is a proper *mix*, not just one boring style from beginning to end. They took the JDJ (Journeys by DJ's) mantra and smacked the bitch up. It's on Amazon but if you've not yet heard it don't go and spoil it by listening to separate tracks. Most definitely the sum of the parts here dude.

Latifah! The feminine professor of Wits, Coldcuts on the mix. And it ticks us off when we see so much wrong World, what's goin on!?

The Shawshank Redemption

2009-05-16T00:12:00.002+01:00

I've been to far too few plays in my life. Something I'd love to remedy but time and money can be impeding factors. So I'm not exactly equipped to review plays. However, several things I learned tonight.

Watching a play at the very back of the Gaiety is like watching a play of people watching a play
Sitting behind a fat head can ruin a play
In no way is it a given that a play will be better than the film in the way a book is
Unless you can afford the good seats, plays are best experienced in small venues
Keeping your head at a 45 degree angle for two hours can be very sore

I truly wish I was better at enjoying things I really should enjoy rather than letting the little things spoil experiences much more than they should.

Few movies

2009-05-12T22:12:00.004+01:00

The Princess Bride regularly seems to pop up as a people's favourite. I've been hearing how good it is for so long that I was all prepared to be disappointed - but I still expected a bit more. Thought it might be a bit more like Big Fish... y'know just a teeny little bit more depth to it. But it's a bog standard fantasy kid's movie, nothing more. I guess it'd be different if you first watched it as a kid. But it didn't do much for me watching it for the first time all grown up and grumpy. In that vein, I think I'd prefer The Never Ending story, or Time Bandits. Actually give me Jason and the Argonauts any day. You can't beat claymotion monsters.

Harold and Maude is another one I've been meaning to watch for a while - and I loved it. You couldn't write about this film without using the phrase 'an unlikely friendship' and that it is, between a boy and a woman in her eighties - but on paper that still could be some flimsy whimsey exploring the relationships, barf. It's a real outsider movie, celebrating individuality, and that too is obvious - but there's never a dull moment, it's an eventful flick and very funny in places. Thumbs up from me.

Also went to see Star Trek last night and it's a jolly good space romp! My eyes quite often glaze over during actions sequences. I'm a bit sick of hearing people bigging up the latest action movie as if it transcends it's genre - only to find out it's the same old two dimensional shite with some cars blowing up*. Yes Ledger was good but there was an awful load of rubbish in Dark Night - I didn't watch it until the end - I just got completely bored with the action. So I'm very suspicious of highly recommended action movies lately. But Star Trek was just good fun, a bit tongue in cheek, and the action seemed more necessary and involved, and yeah it looks great, but that's a given. Yes it's disappointingly good.

*Paul Greengrass might be an exception.

Stills from that movie in Rome

2009-05-05T23:26:00.004+01:00

Here's some stills from that movie I was shooting in Rome last year.

Not really. Just messing around with this photoshop tutorial.

The Vodi

2009-04-30T23:47:00.010+01:00

I've read a couple of my namesake's novels over the years. But apparently "The Vodi" is an undiscovered masterpiece. In what context I don't know. I've no idea what that message board is about. Though it does appear right under my favourite book ever in a Guardian top ten. So that's that decided [...] and I just got a copy for 39p on the Amazonian book forest!

I'll report back soon - though I'm already in the middle of a ganzyload of books. I don't know how I started doing this, wouldn't have dreamt of it years ago. Starting a book before finishing another. I am currently reading: Which might seem like a bragging of sorts. But what I'm actually saying is that I've started all these books and haven't managed to finish any of them.

Photoshop workflow tip for web designers

2009-04-30T17:04:00.007+01:00

Here's something I've started using a while ago that's very handy; If you're a web designer and do a lot of your graphics in photoshop then like me, you'll probably use Save for the Web a hundred times more than you use Save.

The workflow for this has always been a bit clunky in Photoshop. There isn't a shortcut for it - and actions don't really cut it. Well there is a shortcut but try doing lots of Alt+Shift+Ctrl+S without breaking your arms. The simple solution is to swap around your shortcuts so you can just hit Ctrl+S to Save for Web.

Go to Edit > Keyboard Shortcuts > File, then scroll down to Save for Web and change it to Ctrl+S. Then you'll need to change Save to Alt+Shift+Ctrl+S. Now to save for the web you can just press Ctrl+S and then hit enter. Now and then you'll need to change file type or location but mostly you can just hit enter.

Another handy workflow tip using shortcuts is to get your Undos working like most programs. Open up the shortcuts again and change Step Backward to Ctrl+Z. And then change Undo/Redo to Alt+Ctrl+Z. Now you can undo like any other program, rather than that single undo. (You can change the number of undos by going to File > preferences > Performance > History & Cache).

Facemask for Swine flu

2009-04-27T15:39:00.001+01:00

facemask-for-swineflu, originally uploaded by jbraine.

Online payments site

2009-04-24T20:40:00.005+01:00

A friend has set up a new informational site about web payments. Everything you need to know about online payment systems. So if you want to start selling something on your site and you want to give your customers some good options, or if you just not too sure where to start, check it out.

Webpayments.ie is a free and independent resource to help guide you through the process of setting up online payments in Ireland. The site has been setup in response to the difficulty often experienced when choosing and integrating a web payments platform.

And there are some really good animations explaining how online payments work.

I've never heard The Smiths

2009-04-22T23:28:00.005+01:00

I know sometimes when a task is at hand, other activities take on a magnetic quality including the TV that you've been meaning to turn off - but Nigel Havers has been very entertaining on "I haven't seen Star Wars yet", a show where celebrities take on experiences not previously experienced.

I can't believe he hadn't seen The Simpsons before. He gave it 11 out of 10.
I can't believe he got a tattoo of a scorpion on his arm, in the name of a TV show
I can't believe he never heard of The Smiths and thought they were rubbish. Particularly ripping apart, This charming man
I can believe he never had Le Big Mac before

Clown

2009-04-21T09:41:00.002+01:00

"What's the point in asking me to draw a clown on your whiteboard if you're going to run out of the room screaming!?"

clown, originally uploaded by jbraine.

Favourite song ever

2009-04-19T02:36:00.004+01:00

The video is rubbish and I've heard the lyrics called into question - but this is my favourite song. And it stole the show at Karaoke earlier tonight!

Total protonic reversal

2009-04-14T14:56:00.003+01:00

"Aw shit I really should've gone before we left that kip" said Jay. "I'm gonna burst a pipe".

"Yeah nuthin's open, no taxis, and no public jacks for miles" said Sean "No wonder this city smells of piss".

"Next lane?"

"Too right"

If that lane was two miles away, the lads would have held on, but it wasn't far at all and the closer they got, the more their bladders felt like a pufferfish after swallowing a bath.

They started to run but it was a funny kinda run. You know the one; more of a dance, knees knocking together, fists clenched and their foreheads sweating piss.

They made it to the top of the lane: "AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH". Like Lennon and McCartney, in perfect chorus. Then Johnner comes running up the Lane screaming at the top of his lungs. "N0000000000000000000000000".

"What the f....?"

"Noooooooooooooo,

S-T-O-P!!!!"

"D--O--N--T

C---R---O---S--S

S----T----R----E----A----M----S!!!!"

"Oh for fucks sake Johhner have you been watching Ghostbusters again? You made me piss all over me jeans ya big muppet"

"Eh, sorry"

---------------------------

If you liked that you might like "Your number's up mate" and "Corky"

Talk to the hand

2009-04-14T10:36:00.002+01:00

Talk to the hand, originally uploaded by jbraine.

Special

2009-04-11T01:02:00.006+01:00

There really is something special about The Specials. To me at least. There's no sound more nostalgic. Every time I hear them I'm brought right back there in a way no other music does. On the edge of my teens, exciting times, a wannabe rebel, walking the streets, a gaggle of you, trying to look tougher than you are, school nothing more than an inconvenience, somewhere else to fly your flag, your school bag a blank canvas for two tone insignia, your big black marker a prized possession to mark your territory anywhere you can. Your uniform; a challenge, make it your own, skinny the tie; turn the trousers up tight, shine the Docs; Rudeboy?

Nah, no Rudeboy; skinny little white boy with fears of the world - but you hear that music now and you're right back there, ready for it all. There's girl's to be fought over, lessons to be learned, teenage memories to be etched on your brain forever. Dance around the fire. Pass the flagon. Put you arms on my shoulders, and sing the song, a song that will bring you right back there twenty years later and still burn a fire in your belly.

Original video

Wash and go

2009-04-02T09:12:00.002+01:00

I've officially given up shampoo. It's a load of nonsense, the short n' curlies have been doing just fine with shower gel for all this time and they're in much better condition than my head. So that's it; sayonara shampoo.

I don't know why we need so many different cleaning products. Scam central. We should just have one big bottle of stuff for cleaning us and one big tub of chemicals for cleaning the house. Ok maybe something a bit milder for wood surfaces - but do we really need a different spray for the kitchen and the jacks!? Of course not it's a scam. Do you need one bottle of stuff for the sink and another for the shower? No you fucking don't! So I put it to you; unless you have long flowing golden locks, do you really need shampoo? I don't. I just wash, and go!

I know what you're thinking; I should join Beat.ie with this wealth of knowledge. Maybe if they ask nicely.

And another thing. D'you know cat litter isn't just grit? It contains compounds like Calcium bentonite specifically designed to soak up urine and then go hard.Yet one of the most popular brands, Thomas, doesn't seem to do this at all, it just seems like a bag of gravel to me! And that's the brand that's in every single shop. That's marketing for you. Get the really cheap stuff in the like of Lidl, it's the proper stuff.

No, no, no - not Space SHIP

2009-03-31T01:45:00.003+01:00

Space SHEEP!

Mmmm, Spacesheep spits Shiraz when squeezed. Mmmmm Space Sheep Shiraz.

Painting wow

2009-03-27T09:16:00.002Z

Sometimes a painting just makes me go WOW.

I love really messy splashy stuff with a touch of realism. More at The Black Rat Press .

Today's Irish Daily mail

2009-03-26T16:44:00.002Z

Cowangate

2009-03-26T10:05:00.005Z

So we had a thread on Creative Ireland to celebrate the whole Cowengate/Picturegate saga, which I've found to be a highly entertaining interlude to the usual CEFC (Cunting Economic Fucking Climate) stories... despite the sad fact that RTE got bent over Cowen's knee.

Anyway, Creative Ireland Photoshop threads are always pretty funny, and there were loads of crackers in the current one. Here's a few:

My desk

2009-03-24T15:17:00.002Z

As featured on desked today, that's me at some very important work yesterday.