Browsing archives for February, 2010

Nuclear Elvis ain’t that far away, folks

Culture, Geekery 25 February 2010 | 0 Comments

Some folks need to watch more Superman IV. The BBC reports:

A single strand of hair from the late Elvis Presley is expected to fetch £600 at an auction in Gloucestershire.

The hair is mounted in the centre of a gold disc, which is inscribed with “The King’s Authentic Hair”. The item includes a certificate of authenticity.

If ever there was a warning signal:

It is being sold by a Gloucestershire music fan who bought the strand “on a whim” through a television auction.

Red Links 25/02/10

Red Links 25 February 2010 | 0 Comments

Living in Labyrinth.

Guidelines for those that run Facebook pages.

Bloggers look set to get access to the Westminister lobby, this idea would rock in the Dáil too!

How to make homemade Nutella.

As ref’d on Phil Udell’s Phantom show – Iain Archer – with Running With Dreams off Flood The Tank. I prefer Magnetic North esp Soleil so far, but it’s offlinetastic.

Windows Phone 7

Geekery 15 February 2010 | 0 Comments

This lunchtime, Microsoft showed off their new Windows Mobile 7 operating system at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Font and UI-wise, its DNA is firmly in Camp Zune. I’d love to play with one to see if I will jump from iPhone. Oh yes.. More details at Windows Phone 7 Series site.

(Disclosure: I work for Microsoft)

Review: A Serious Man

Culture 9 February 2010 | 0 Comments

Saw ‘A Serious Man’ over the weekend. I wish had Charles’ review juice and deft touch, but I really, really enjoyed it.

If you’re one that despises black comedy – avoid!

Lead actor Martin Stuhlbarg shines as put-upon country college professor, Larry Gopnik, whose life is slowly imploding in the Twin Cities,1967.

Faced with spiraling personal problems, Gopnik struggles towards righteousness fighting to find inspiration in 1960’s mid-America, where, typically – drugs, vanity, sex and gambling sustains his society. Gopnik also fails to find divine wisdom from Judaism. Each encounter like a great feat of Job interleaved with esoterism that the Coens can weave so well.

The cast were largely unknown to me, except for Richard Kind playing the cyst-draining, odd-ball brother Arthur. Stuhlbarg shines as Gopnik, a man on the edge, desperately flailing from one disaster to the next, unlearning every lesson he has learned.

The only black mark is the ending. In working the audience into the delicate balance of Gopnik’s nerves, the Coens pull the Donnie Darko trigger and get arsey. Viewers watch the coming storm and can only imagine what comes next.

‘A Serious Man’ certainly demands a second viewing. Nominated for Oscars for Best Film and Best Original Screenplay, if there’s a God, a wee golden man for writing should be Coen-bound.

Red Links 6/02/10

Red Links 6 February 2010 | 0 Comments

AppOmator – create an iPhone app without learning xcode.

Google Store Views – what’s next?

Cat hammock.

Big Bang.

Twitter Code Swarm a visualisation of Twitter’s growth by Ben Sandofsky via the new Twitter Engineering Blog.

Blog Awards 2010 – Get Your Noms In!

Blogging 5 February 2010 | 0 Comments

Just a few hours left to nominate your favourite blogs for this year’s Irish Blog Awards! Do take a few minutes to nominate your guilty reads.

“Empire State of Mind II” Alicia Keys

Culture 1 February 2010 | 0 Comments

Damn the MOR leanings of age