"Well my pad is very messy, and there's whiskers on my chin..."
I love the singing dog on the new VW Polo advert.
(I'm sure my rabbit sings too, when I'm out of the house)
March 04, 2008
January 01, 2008
2008
This year, I resolve to give my health and happiness absolute priority over my work.
I will continue (as started late in 2007) to go for regular check-ups at dentist and optician, and to the doctor when I feel unwell. I will set a morning routine for myself: get up at the same time each day, allow time to enjoy a relaxing bath or shower, time to floss my teeth as well as brush them (dentist's orders), most importantly I will make time for breakfast (doctor's orders), and then I will leave for work in good time so I don't spend my half-hour commute to Brighton in a panic over the consequences of being late in. I will never skip breakfast (at worst I'll keep cereal bars, fruit, etc. in the house to take with me if I'm running late).
I will use my full lunch-time allowance each day, and try spend at least half of it away from work, stretching my legs and getting fresh air in my lungs, and clearing my mind of stressful thoughts. I will not spend my break complaining to Iestyn about problems at work! I will break for lunch as soon as I have an opportunity (aiming for between 12.00-1.00), rather than have a very late lunch or no break at all.
At work I'll schedule time for 'housekeeping' (tidying the clutter from my desk, backing up my work, etc.) as this will make me more efficient and clear-headed and will improve on my productivity in the long run. I must remind myself that putting client work before these tasks is counter-productive. I'll ensure I'm comfortable in my working environment, and if I pick up on RSI risks or anything else that concerns me I will deal with these problems as I go, as it will improve my happiness (for myself) and increase my productivity (for the company and its clients), so everybody benefits.
I'll continue to write a fresh 'To Do' list at the end of each work day, but this year I will put the list out of my mind until I get back to the studio the next day. I will make an effort to enjoy my weekday evenings, rather than mulling over problems or watching mindless TV. I will try to do things that make me feel my time was well spent; I already know from experince that expending a little energy on activities I enjoy leaves me feeling far more refreshed than doing nothing at all.
Phew. So there it is.
My resolution definitely isn't set in stone, and it's not an 'all or nothing' deal. There will be days where I need to bend the rules a little, and projects where I'm working overtime for the pleasure of it as much as for the client's benefit. I'd like my work to be a source of satisfaction again, and not be a burden like it has been lately. Ultimately, I want to restore the balance in my life. I'm not quite sure when I lost it, but late last year I finally acknowledged that I wasn't happy and realised what I needed to change. I'm surprised at how small and manageable these changes are, as I expected I'd have to do something far more significant.
Happy new year, everyone!
November 24, 2007
Evolution in HCI
Earlier today I was carrying the laptop through the house, tucked under my arm, and I thought to myself: I couldn't have imagined ten years ago that by today I would have not one but several computers in my own house, and they would be so compact and portable, and so much more powerful and more genuinely useful than what we had access to back then. It made me wonder briefly what technology we would come to take for granted in another ten years from now.
Then only moments later, a friend sent me a link to this video and it was like being hit with a vision of the future.
The way this works actually seems quite simple, and I think it probably would have been commercially available much sooner only we've had to patiently wait for advances in technology to make it more accessible and cheaper to manufacture, as tends to be the case with anything new in computing.
I understand the mobile phone industry is expected to move in this direction following Apple's success with the iPhone, but I see a future where all of our electronic entertainment, computers and communications devices will be controlled in a similar way.
We've become accustomed to using a mouse and/or keyboard to control our computers, and using an interface incorporating drop-down menus and folders which mimic a typical office filing system; even my TV with its Sky+ box has a multi-tier menu system and a remote control with 41 buttons, most of them single-use. There are many variations but they're all based on the same design.
We depend much more these days on being able to share data between different devices and access it no matter where we are. So it's natural that we should want to be able to juggle this data more rapidly, not just by utilising speedy broadband connections and lots of RAM, but with interfaces that can actually keep up to speed with our thought processes. Face it, that keyboard is just slowing you down (plus, you're getting RSI from using it all the time).
We're encouraged to 'browse' our computers, which for me conjures an image of wandering around somewhat aimlessly, waiting to spot something potentially useful. I don't have time to browse, I already know what I want and I'd just like to retrieve it, make use of it, and move on.
I don't think this 'surface computing' is another passing trend, this will replace the use of a mouse and keyboard for everyone and will become the next stage in the evolution of human-computer interaction.
May 31, 2007
Sinagerism - a reason to wear your jacket open!
Simon has just launched an online store for his tshirts. For as long as I’ve known him, he has been putting his heart and soul into setting up the SINAGE Clothing brand, and the hard work really has paid off. It’s great to see these fantastic, original designs finally available to buy online.
Of course, if you're in Brighton, you could always take a first hand look at his shirts - Si’s often got the SINAGE stall set up for business down on the beach by the old West Pier at the weekend (as long as the sun is shining!), so if you’re down that way, keep an eye out for them, and make sure you stop by to say hello!
There are 6 designs currently available, in a variety of colour combinations and sizes - check out the store for the full range - I’ve spent the last month trying to choose between the Crest (on blue) and Bleeding Heart (gold on black) designs, and am still completely torn, so unless someone can help me make my mind up I’m going to have to start saving those 10p’s again so I can get both!
May 30, 2007
Rainy day
One day, in about 1997, I happened to have quite a few 10p coins in my possession and it occured to me that it would be useful to keep some to one side. At the age of 15 they were the perfect currency for bus fares, calls from phone boxes, and various other things. When I couldn't fit any more coins into the purse I originally consigned to keep them safe in one place, I cut a slot into the screwtop of an old 4.5L Glenfiddich bottle with my Swiss army knife, and just kept adding more coins.
With several of my friends earning their driving licences shortly after leaving school, and the rise in popularity of mobile phones (not to mention getting a job and having 'real' money always to hand), 10p coins no longer had any special value. But I'd still occasionally throw a couple of them into my jar, saving them for no real purpose other than a 'rainy day'.
10 years on, I guess my rainy day has arrived. I've been saving up a bit of spare cash over the last few months, trying to get enough money together for something really special that I've got my heart set on... I just need a tiny little bit more, and I can't bear to wait yet another month, so I've raided my jar!
I honestly thought I had a bit more in there, it doesn't seem a lot for 10 years of saving, but it's absolutely fine because £107 brings me up to almost the exact budget I'd set for my purchase.
I'm so excited!!
You'll have to wait until another day to see what I'm buying, though.
May 09, 2007
Blood
I donated blood today.
I wish I'd got round to writing about this after one of the previous times I donated (this would be the fifth time I've done it) - but better late than never. The timing isn't so bad actually, as I've just discovered a really good virtual tour on the National Blood Service website, which describes a typical session more accurately and in far more detail than I could have hoped to.
Go to blood.co.uk and click 'What happens' in the menu on the left; you'll see a link at the bottom of the page to launch the virtual tour.
The only thing in the tour which I have to disagree with is the guide claiming that she hardly felt a thing when the needle was inserted. I don't believe in lying to people about this sort of thing - it is a bit painful! I'd say it's about on par with accidentally banging your knee on a table leg. It might cause you to flinch and use a bit of obscene language, but within a short time that pain will subside to mere discomfort, and the sensation will probably disappear entirely within about a minute. There might be a brief moment of further discomfort as the needle is removed at the end.
All in all, the level of pain is tolerable when you weigh it up against how good you feel leaving the session: proud to know you're helping to save lives, and aiding important medical and scientific research.
The website includes details of your nearest session, so if you've thought about going before but never quite got round to it, please find time to go!! Drag a couple of friends along if you can, it's more fun that way, and more much-needed donations.
If you still have a tiny shred of doubt about doing it, just imagine if you or a close one needed an emergency life-saving blood tranfusion, and there wasn't enough donor blood available.
It's got to come from somewhere, right?