Bah Flaf Burb

Firefox Crop Circle

2009-07-05T14:21:00.002+01:00

I installed Firefox 3.5 during the week. I noticed they made a really nice improvement on the logo. It's more detailed, sharper, and has a much brighter feel to it. So I googled it a bit, but then got distracted when i got to this vid.

Making the Firefox Logo

Went looking for it on gMaps. Here it is. This kind of community stuff is amazing, really shows the power the web has in bringing people together.

View Larger Map

Sunday lovely Sunday

2009-05-25T12:10:00.001+01:00

Blackie and Myself went for a cycle out to Dun Laoghaire and back yesterday. What a day for a cycle. Were you out there? Jesus, it was like somewhere off foreign. Anywho, it’s about 15km each way. Again a nice distance and not too physically demanding.

We were going to head to Killiney Hill and check out the view, but we got lazy after a latte and couldn’t be arsed. Next time for sure. Although I think next good day will be out to Portmarnock for a swim.

Dun Laoghaire port is nice. The place was jammed with people, and traffic was bumper to bumper which make tearing through on bikes even more enjoyable.

After that we headed to the Ivy Gardens for Africa Day, which was also full of people out to enjoy the culture and infrequent sunny Irish day.

Paddy Casey played, and myself and the missus left before Republic of Loose came on.

Once more I have been amazed at how Ireland can be a great place to be, when the conditions are right. Being away travelling last year has given me a renewed love for my own country. Click.

A cycle to Blackrock

2009-05-09T16:22:00.003+01:00

I cycled to Blackrock today to test out the distance, as we will be playing tag rugby for the next 2 months in the Blackrock. It took about 30 minutes, and is an nice easy cycle. I had the wind behind me on the way out, but the cycle back was slower. It's 10km each way, just the right distance for a cycle. Any shorter, and it's not worth getting kitted out.

Blackrock feels very open, has lots of parks, and the sea air is a nice break. Plus the view back at the city, howth and the powerstation is kew.

This little park and water feature are located here.

The Darsh.

Pomplamoose - Beat the Horse

2009-03-27T09:48:00.000Z

Why I don't read books

2009-02-28T11:38:00.002Z

I'm pretty sure myself and Bitzi discussed a plot not unlike this a few years ago. As a joke.

But if you do want to read what sounds like a complete load of shit, click here. Oh, and donna informs me that the murderer turns out to be the second coming of jesus, who can turn water into wine. COME ON!!

Feel good and useless at the same time

2009-02-28T11:34:00.001Z

Everything is Possible - Click here for more home videos

You've been tango'd

2009-02-23T20:59:00.003Z

Do you think if girls wear a fake tan in Northern Ireland, they are making a political statement?

Old Gil doesn't stand a chance

2009-02-23T19:21:00.003Z

I'm working in Derry for the next couple of weeks. I don't usually work outside of Dublin, but duty calls and all that. I feel like a travelling salesman. I'm staying in a shithole travelodge (room nothing like photos), I'm away from my comforts (i.e. Donna), and I'm tired from the drive up this morning (got up at 5.20am, poo) and working all day.

However, no matter where you are, its easy to make it feel like home. So I've bought 2 days of wifi from bitbuzz, and just got some dominos delivered. And there seems to be millions of channels on the telly.

Still, makes you appreciate your own home.

Heartbeats

2009-02-20T23:17:00.001Z

The original "Heartbeats" by The Knife. Love this video.

Heartbeats from The Knife on Vimeo.

Sexual Innuendo

2009-02-16T20:24:00.001Z

Informative as it is hilarious. Link.

While there are no hard and fast rules as to what constitutes sexual innuendo, there have been many mass-debates on the topic, and now the general principles at the root of the topic are firm and well-rounded.

Lolz indeed.

Become an Intrapreneur and say no

2009-02-11T19:28:00.004Z

Being a "rogue" in a company large, small or even one person in size can be a great way to get stuff done and ultimately work out to everyones advantage. I am always one for encouraging the rattling of cages. Questioning middle and upper management decisions can result in a better run organisation and sometimes respect from your peers and seniors.

The main reason behind this is the fact that they hired you in the first place. You were hired for your unique skills at a technical level and interpersonal level. Each person in an organisation is usually better than every other person in at least 1 specific skill. The decisions on this technology or niche should come on advisement from this person. But may not be the case where you work.

At times it can be worth being an Intrapreneur to just get something changed or done where too many meetings and management decisions will delay the work or stop it in its track altogether. You'll need a passion for what you believe in, and that has to be evident to convince your peers the advantages of your actions.

I have found myself questioning or saying "no" to my seniors at times. The reason being that I know more about the results of the request than the person asking. People respect no, and they people notice of no. If you question something, you can make it better.

Get yourself out of the "Yes man" rut and start saying no. Always ask why, and say no to yourself and to others.*

*Results may vary. Side affects include anal leakage.

We don't get snow much

2009-02-10T21:37:00.003Z

We went to the Liffey Valley on Sunday, and were presented with this. So there was a load of snow saturday night, so when all these people arrived, they had to guess where the spaces were.

Snow melts = Hilarious and every one looked like douches.

There were some even funnier ones when we came back out and the carpark had emptied some more. Looked like drunk parking.

The Business of Blogging

2009-02-10T20:02:00.004Z

Bit of a pipe dream really. Money can be made from Blogging, some make a lot of money. But most don't.

On that day more than 500,000 people hit my site—by far the biggest day I'd ever had—and through Google's AdSense program I earned about a hundred bucks.

That's not very inspiring. I seriously figured more people clicked on ads. I don't click on ads, in fact I've managed to stick them in my blind spot on most sites I visit, so I guess I can't assume everyone else does.

It would be great to be able to make money directly from blogging, but realistically, the only main value that can come from a blog is to be able to sell yourself as a writer/designer/developer or someone competent in your professional field. When it boils down to it, this value should be worth more to you than ad revenue. Building relationship with your readers, and converting them into paying clients should be the goal of a professional blogger. In fact a personal (?) bloggers goal should be to build relationships too.

One month I made €4.36 in google ads, and I was stoked. Still haven't reached the €100 mark after almost 5 years writing BahFlafBurb, so have yet to actually get money (Major party when that cheque comes!!). I guess I'll just have to put up with the enjoyment of having an outlet and some reliable readers and commenters.

My tip? Like other networking platforms, focus on quality content that sells you as a person/professional.

2 Videos came out and 1 made it out at the end of the week.

2009-02-08T23:05:00.002Z

The "I'm lost while driving, and just need to turn around, but theres a car following too closely so I can't just pull in" theory

2009-02-06T23:04:00.002Z

I told this theory to Blackie last Friday night on the way to a party.

1. You're driving along (usually) a thin rural road

2. You miss your turn into a housing estate or house or whatever.

3. You decide you need to do a really shitty turnabout that takes ages and would piss off anyone who driving behind you, in fact if you tried it they might think you're just pulling in and try pass you out, but its too thin a road. So they're frustrated sitting while you try and turn while waving and awkwardly smiling.

4. But you're Irish, so you don't want to piss them off, and just keep driving.

5. You take a random left. They're still behind you.

6. You take a random right turn. They're still behind you. Fuck sake!

7. Eventually you take a turn they THEY DON'T. Woot! But now...

8. You've taken so many random turns you can't remember the way back, and you're stuck in a world of random rights. FOREVER.

Number 8 is a tiny teeny bit not in any way real, but it scared the shit out of you didn't it. Yeah, thought so. Dick.

Oh yeah, and after I told Blackie about it, we experienced it first hand, about 10 minutes later, because we didn't really know where the party was. Hilarious!

Software is not about code

2009-02-06T23:00:00.001Z

Note: This post has been in draft since October 2006. But my views have changed very little, which is nice. My grammar has changed though, so I've made a few adjustments to reflect that.

There are many programmers/software developers out there who take a requirements spec, design what the spec says, and deliver the product which is what the client wants, right?

Software is for people, the people who use it. Not the people who wrote the spec. It is vital to understand the original business need rather than the software need. In most cases a non technical committee wrote this spec, and from that you can be sure that it is bloated, likely with after thoughts. It doesn't take much time to ask for more, but it takes more time to create it and even more time than that to avoid it when using it.

Spend time with the user. Don't ask them what they want, but observe and try to understand what they need. If you spend time with the customer/end user of the software, you will quickly realise that the core business need is much simpler than the spec your recieved.

I work as an software consultant in an IT Outsourcing company, based in Dublin. Software development is not one of the companies core markets, but we do have a need for small systems to help with our business processes.

When I recieve a spec, I read it once, then head to the person who needs the application. I spend time with them, watching their work, and what they do daily. I ask them their expectations for the system, and tell them my ideas. I know this is not ideal when a spec is from an external client, but if it can be built into the requirements building process, this can work to the advantage of all parties involved, ultimately to the end users satisfaction.

Who is twitter for?

2009-02-06T22:05:00.004Z

I have been using twitter. Who hasn't. But I don't think I've been using it as much as other people.

I'm asking who is twitter for, rather than what is it for. I know whats it's for, but I'm finding it difficult to see where the value is. If I am looking for a Taxi and 1 taxi comes along, then I am satisfied. If 20 taxis come along, I was still only looking for 1 so, the other 19 are wasted on me.

I read twitter at most once a day, and I would like to see 1 page of updates from a people I find interesting on the web. Instead I get to see half of a conversation with someone I don't know and 15 updates from 1 person about how they got on the bus, off the bus, in the door, kettle is on, that was a lovely cup of tea, etc.

I don't even think I would be able to update as much as some if I tried, because I work for a living, and spend time doing things for people who pay me. Is twitter about networking or is it just another excuse to cry out for attention. It's bad enough that your changing your Facebook profile photo twice a day, and hating on original youtube clips. Who are you people? Live an offline life please.

Quality, not quantity. Please.

Blacknight Hosting

2009-02-06T21:16:00.002Z

I signed up to Blacknight hosting last month. I've been moving my personal sites across from Register365 with the view of moving some client sites soon. It's been a great experience so far.

I get replies from support, not just replies, but replies that seem to be from an intelligent person whos primary goal is to help me resolve the problem I contacted them about. Its a strange feeling, something I'm not completely used to yet.

The control panel is fantastic. Really well structured, easy to use, very responsive and the range of applications (wordpress, cms, commerce, etc) available to install on my sites is also handy, which have regular version updates and a specific area for pushing updates to existing applications.

I moved to Blacknight because I was frustrated with the support, quality of service and uptime (or lack there of). Luke has been counting the amounts of times all our sites were unavailable and the number is around 5 times since november 2008, each averaging 3 hours. Not acceptable.

I even was getting support from some of the guys in blacknight before moving who gave me a discount code through twitter after I hinted on moving to them from R365. Talk about finger on the pulse. They're impressing me so far.

If you're in the market (or not in my case), and you want to support a great Irish company, get on it.

Can I eat hambugers?

2008-12-08T15:18:00.001Z

Brian: this pork sausage crisis is awful

Brian McCartan: Having a 'mare

Tomas: yes. i think i might die.

Brian: but do you know what the wurst thing about it is?

Tomas: :)

maybe we'll watch what we eat, and stop eating like pigs the whole time...

Brian: hahah

Tomas: the government have made a sHAMbles of it tho.

Sent at 2:58 PM on Monday

Brian: yesssssss :-D

Tomas: i see what you did there

Sent at 3:02 PM on Monday

Need for a change of 'tude

2008-12-04T16:53:00.003Z

I am tired. Really tired. All the time.

For about 2 months, I've been up and down (it's ups and downs). Work is going well, I'm learning a lot and doing a lot. I think that's the problem. I've never produced as much stuff in work as I have in the last 4 months. A lot of it is good quality too.

But my personal life is taking a hit. I used to be able to go to work, and come home ready for whatever the evening brings. Now, I barely have the energy to change clothes, and get onto the couch.

Yes I went for pints last night, and they rocked (the pints) and it was a good night overall, but today my head is fucked, I can't focus, but I can't relax either.

Some advice would be nice...

(this post was a waste...pointless drivel, expect more like this)

The new nano, and the future.

2008-09-23T09:28:00.003+01:00

I like to know things about gadgets, although saying that, I very rarely dip into the communion money to get something shiny and noisy (ok, bar the €70 mouse I got last week). But I decided to get the iPod nano. I forgot to actually read up on anything it does before purchasing, because I trust apple at this stage.

After ordering, I watched the video on apple, and the thing looked freakin' cool. You can shake it and it skips to a random song in your library. If you shake it like a polaroid picture, it will skip to a song by Outkast!

As I was saying I like to know things about Gadgets. Well, this "Genius" thing has really thrown me. Actually, it amazes me. This single invention is, in my opinion, the next step towards globally shared interests and "Cloud computing" (I guess...).

From what I can tell, apple takes a goo at your library and then compares it to everyone elses, giving you back your shared interests, so it can figure out what albums are alike and songs are usually owned by a number of people. It's kind of like the amazon, "If you like this ... you'll probably like these because other people also bought ...", except it so much more sublte and actually has produced really good playlists for me over the last few days.

The best thing about "Genius", is that it trasfers to my Nano, so I can create playlists on the fly. Just think, your in the car, you put on a song you like, hit Genius and boom (to quote mr. jobs) you've got 25 great songs you're in the mood for.

Mossy will be in croker on sunday.

2008-09-05T22:28:00.000+01:00

Will you?

Eircom - You are my death bitch!

2008-08-07T09:53:00.003+01:00

Some of you may be aware of my history with eircom, and the wonderful services they provide. If you are not from Ireland, you may not be aware that everytime you need to connect to a DSL or phone service, you must (MUST) connect with eircom first, and then move services. Eircom have 100% control of all telecommunication switches in Ireland, and because of this, they feel they can treat their customers like shit.

I have just returned from travelling and have acquired an nice apartment in dublin city. I like the internet, so I've decided to get broadband from eircom. When I moved in, there was a phone, and eircom broadband router in the apartment, so I knew that it was going to be a straight forward process, and there would be no need to connect the line, so no upfront costs. Boy was I wrong.

I called eircom, and told the lady my address. After spelling it out (metropolitan is a tough word to understand), she informed me that there is no line on their accounts at that address and apartment number. I said, "I find that very unlikely, as there is a phone and broadband router in the apartment.". She said, "I may not have been active in the last eight months, you will have to pay €110, and wait 2 weeks for a technician to call out to connect". "If you want, you can try plugging in a phone, and if you get a dialtone, call 199000 to find out your number".

This left me peeved. But, it's not like I have experienced a smooth conversation ever with this company.

Last night I got a phone from conor, and plugged it in. DIALTONE. Dialed 199000, and boom, a phone number was called back to me.

Lesson: Never trust eircom. If I was a normal punter, I would have been duped and paid €110 to eircom for doing absolutely nothing.

Don't worry, this isn't over yet. I'll keep you posted.

Stephen Morrissey, Where are you?

2008-08-05T13:01:00.003+01:00

I am a bit of a coffee addict. Who isn't in this day and age. And yes, after travelling the world and tasting good and bad, and really bad coffee, I have found myself to be a coffee snob too. So on hearing that an Irish man won the World Barista Championship, I have to find out where he works.

My plea goes out to you, my loyal readers. Where does Stephen Morrissey work? I want to taste this coffee that is the best in the world.

UPDATE: I should have done some googling before posting this. Stephen has a blog, and an personal website. He has a lot of entries, but I can't see any coffee shops mentioned. He has his email address on his site (Stephen Morrissey - World Barista Champion 2008). Should I just email him?

Cunninghams Tribute. Kind of.

2008-06-28T10:01:00.001+01:00

Looking forward to a dooleys when I get home. But this will have to do.