Month: October 2004

OK, by now you’ve switched to Firefox. Right?

Good. Next up. RSS.

OK, I know I’ve been banging on about it for a while here, but I’ve never really gotten into properly. It was always just a little too hard, and too cumbersome for me to be bothered with it.

Until now. Until Sage came along (no, not the accounting software people I used to work for.. sorta) – I mean Sage the RSS Extension for Firefox. Here’s how it works, once installed of course.

You click the little Sage icon in the toolbar, and a little sidebar opens in the browser window. You ignore it for the moment, and surf to a site, let’s say this very site you are currently reading. Now, you think to yourself “Hmmm what a talented, intelligent and witty guy that Gordon McLean is… I want to read everything he writes from now on, but how will I know when he’s added something new?”. Of course! All you do is go to the little Sage sidebar, and click on the magnifying glass. Sage has a quick look at my site, and finds my ‘feeds’. You highlight the one you want to monitor and click Add Feed.

From now on, all you need to do is open the Sage sidebar and check the icon next to my site listing there. If there is a red star I’ve written something new! Simple. (Really Simple, in fact Really Simple Syndication… geddit).

FINALLY I’ve found the RSS Reader I’ve been waiting for, so easy to use and it’s RIGHT THERE in my browser if I want to check the site itself. If you’ve been wondering what all the fuss about this RSS stuff was about, this should prove it to you. No longer do you need to rely on blogrolling or manual checking of your favourite sites to see if they’ve updated. Let Sage do the hardwork for you. Remember, computers are supposed to make life easier.

I seen it I did. Right there on the gogglebox. At 7.42am. On Channel Four.

It was for Haze air fresheners (why do they call them that, they do anything but.. they fill your rooms with a cloying sickly sweet perfume that catches in the back of your throat).

Let me clarify it was for CHRISTMAS air fresheners. You too can have the scent of Christmas wafting delicately through your house. In October.

Nutmeg and clove anyone?

Right, which one of you was it? You! At the back! Stop twirling!

Come on, I won’t be mad. I know it’s “what you do” and everything so don’t be shy, just come forward so we can have a little chat about it…

Frances, I know you had fun in the Bahamas but will you PLEASE stop ruffling the papers on my desk. No Ivan, you can’t leave the room again, and no I don’t think Jeanne wants to “party” with you.

Now. Which one of you kept me awake last night? That incessant wind and driving rain was, granted, most impressive, but really, could you confine it to daylight hours so I CAN GET SOME FRICKIN’ SLEEP!!

(Today’s posting may be adversely affected by lack of sleep, OR you might not notice the difference).

Well I’ve just been chastised for not mentioning that Louise was away at a hen weekend. So there you go Susan, I’ve mentioned it.

Seemingly it was a debauched weekend of spa treatments, shopping, drinking, silver vibrators, and the like. Your typically hen weekend. I’m not sure what else to say about it other than that the main protagonists were named Cheap, Easy, Sleazy, Teasy and Tacky. They even had t-shirts with their names on (designed by moi).

Of course when I attend the groom’s stag night in a couple of weeks I’ll be posting NOTHING about it. Law of the stag and all that.

Don’t you just hate it when you think that today is tomorrow? No idea why, I’m putting it down to being off Friday and Monday.

Autumn has arrived. The trees are turning, the wind carries a chill, and the trains are busier than ever, packed with commuters and students all revelling in the sauna-like atmosphere (or not). These are the days I love the most, wrapped up against the northernly breeze, fresh faced and marvelling that the sun can still penetrate through, warming the face and hands in it’s fleeting appearances.

Pity I’m stuck in the office then.

Ain’t it funny. One minute your thinking like an adolescent teenager, Radiohead blaring from the stereo, the next you remind yourself that you are thirty and “should really know better” and you get off your arse and do something.

Namely, one major step closer to finishing the new fireplace.

Admittedly I still have to find someway of getting up for work tomorrow morning but that’s just the usual daily grind and I’ll just work on auto-pilot I think.

Anyway, take the title of this post and finish it off:

Life is a __________________ – what?

P.S. I’ve added the rest of the photos. What photos you say? These ones of course.