You have probably noticed some subtle changes to the blog lately, most notable is that I’ve added RSS feeds and feed icon for the comments and forum, but again I’ve also made big changes to the backend. My administration panel has been moved from a separate page until to the blog itself, but the opinions only become visible when I log in using a user name and password.

I’ve decided it time for a change of philosophy in the development of this blog, until very recently everything on the site (aside from the the forum) was hand coded by myself.  This philosophy was fun and a great way to learn php/mysql. However I don’t have really have time to code everything myself anymore and the fashion nowadays is ‘mashing’ apps from other sites (or something such like, I’m not down with the web2.0 kids yet) using RSS Feeds

So I’ve grabbed rss2array from rssmix which is an RSS Feed parser which converts an RSS XML feed into an php multidimensional array, which I can then play with in PHP. I’m still having to use my brain, as I’ve not touched ensional arrays in quiet a while, but it saves me a programming nightmare.

The first thing I’ve done using this philosophy is to replace the old Gallery, which I abandoned ages ago as it was a pain to update. I’ve since used Flikr, photobucket and Picasa for my images, however recently I’m managed to arrange them in some sort of order. Flikr I use for my Transformers pics, Picasa is used for my main photo storage (holidays and nights out, etc) and Photobucket is used for everything else but mostly for storing blog and forum images. So now if you click the gallery button on this blog you will see a list of my photo albums on Google’s Picasa.

However this is only the first of many possible uses of this the technique. I’m thinking of adding the status feed from facebook, you know that one that’s starts “Glen is..” to this blog, but I could go on to pull my information from many different websites, for example I could pull details from last.fm for my favourite music, 43things for my latest goals, allconsuming.net for my latest books read and WAYN for my travel information.

So keep an eye on this blog, I may actually keep updating it with this stuff.

I have a little confesion to make, I do not know how to tie a tie. I have always been interested in finding out, but not that interested. That was until I came across this video on Digg.

Now I am not saying this lights my candle or anything kinky like that, but is it funny how something becomes more interesting when there is a pretty girl involved.

Link: SexyTie.com

I suppose the big news is we have finally bought a car. I am not found of cars, they are such complex things, I especially hate buying cars because I have still got that bit of male programming which clearly states blokes should know all about cars, be able to fix them when they break down, and increase the engine power 150% by fitting a tacky air funnel on the bonnet, but of course I do not have a clue about cars. However because I've got that ridiculous male programming I can't allow the car salesmen to know I don't know anything about cars, which usual leads me to being afraid of asking the car salesman any questions in case they might seem stupid to him, e.g. So does this car have engine then? How clean is it?

However, over the last two weeks me and the wife have managed to steadily overcome this obvious handicap and at the weekend we bought a car, we wanted something cheap to run, insure and tax. So we got the this funny named Japanese thing as it fit the criteria and it's an five door, 02 reg, with a spacious interior, relatively low millage and a full service history.

It's no chick magnet, but that wasn't really what we where going for. I can a fancy two door sports car when I've become and Internet millionare.

To my great pride I did manage to get fifty quid knocked of the price because it only had a couple of months tax left on it. We will pick it up soon as it completes it MOT.

Link: Forum discussion

I have been aware of a problem with the comment system for a while, comments were not being added if the contain certain characters (like quotes). Now I have added the tiny_mce module which should solve all these issues, give it a go and tell me if you have any problems!

Hopefully you've noticed that the ObscureInternet front page hasn't been updated for ages while we've been working on version 2.0 of the site.

Well this week we've got new updates for you, five of them in fact, and plenty more in the upcoming weeks.

Link: ObscureInternet.com

In a very rare move Allister Brimble has a couple of new c64 remixes available on remix.kwed.org

They are a rather spot on remix of one of my favourite Hubbard tracks Arcade Classics and an awesomely orchestrally epic Green Beret. Conor is rather taken with Arcade Classics, I'm loving them both, therefore I insist you go have a listen.

Link: remix.kwed.org

My Transformers movie review has provoked a tremendous response (if two comments counts as a tremendous response).

One of the comments was from a turkey called Chuck Larry who has seemed to have got all worked up over my review.

im sorry dude but your a fuckin idiot. Transformers is a very entertaining movie and if michael bay did such a bad job, lets see you do better. the movie is great entertainment and is one of the best movies ever. so keep your bullshit comments to yourself if your just going to cut peoples work up you lowlife.

I’m sure you’ll agree such a well written comment deserves a response, and I’m going to give it one, on the front page no-less (Tell your friends Chuck)

im sorry dude but your a fuckin idiot.

Where to start with this one? It’s far too easy to pick faults with this, but I’m sure the irony will be lost on you Chuck.

Transformers is a very entertaining movie and if michael bay did such a bad job, lets see you do better.

I happy you found Transformers entertaining, (I’m also happy you used one capital letter in your entire message) however  I did not, I like my movies to contain more than one dimensional characters punctuating confusing and  poorly shot action sequences.

Also I would love to take the opportunity to make a better Transformers movie (First steps, Story by Simon Furman, Character design my Don Figueroa) but are you sure you are in a position to grant this opportunity?

the movie is great entertainment and is one of the best movies ever.

This sentence speak volumes, rather than being one of the best movies ever Transformers is the biggest missed opportunity ever, it has made a large amount of money but it could have made a lot more because you have got a film with huge appeal it’s about giant reboots fighting, based on the biggest selling toy line of all time which is recognised by both children and their parents, and instead of getting a film that could build a huge movie franchise (as big as Star Wars) you get by the numbers disaster/action movie. Can you not imagine what a good Transformers film could have been like? One with a decent story, feeling, character development, Transformers with lines, coherent action scenes? You think with more than twenty years of material (some of it hugely superior to the movie) out there to base a movie on, they could have got it a lot better.

so keep your bullshit comments to yourself if your just going to cut peoples work up you lowlife.

Again I think the irony of this comment is lost on you, so I’ll break it down for you. You’ve left me a bullshit comment criticising me, but then you’ve told me not to do the same to other people.

However Chuck, I welcome your comments and would love to hear from you again soon.