Korg Kaossilator

I have just ordered one of these beauties. To think that one small box can come up with all this magic!

I will become the next Jean-Michel Jarre by the way!

Living With First-Person Shooter Disease

Poor people!

Hitler finds out Michael Jackson has died

Choir simulates a storm

Dear God, the talent is just phenomenal....

The song is Africa by ToTo

haha (and new blog layout)

Yes I've simplified the blog template - this is pure and simple.

Reason? Removes the stupid width limitation in this column, and widens the side column significantly :)

Hence, I can post comics like this (and bigger youtube vids etc etc)

Office 2010 The Movie - World Premiere Trailer!

OMG OMG OMG I can't wait!!!

Double Fine Cotton 100%

Apologies to any none-medics/none-healthcare workers that might read this and wonder what the hell it's all about.

I recently had to venture in to the deep, dark, murky waters of The Theatres. You don't really want to go to The Theatres unless A\ you're mad, B\ you're fully anaesthetised, or C\ you work there (which really is part of point A).

There is one small exception, and that's if you have to do something to someone that involves the help of an anaesthetist. That was my predicament that day.

As part of the rules and laws of The Theatres, anyone entering it's lands has to change in to the appropriate clothes. Well, you could call them clothes but really they're just blue pyjamas, with a paper like thing you put around your head.

Anyway, there I was in the changing room feeling out of place when I noticed a strange phenomenon: hanging all over the place were clothes from various surgeons who were in The Theatres at the time. Nothing unusual there, except for the fact that every single one of them was hung in such a way that you could clearly see the labels:

Extra-fine double Egyptian Cotton 100% said one label! Luxury D&G said the other! DKNY said the other one, Christian Dior was on the next one! George from ASDA was on mine.

And it suddenly dawned upon me - surgeons have a big image problem.

See, outside of The Theatres you'll only ever see a surgeon in one of two states:

A\ Fully dressed in expensive designer gear. The suite, the handkerchief, the shirt, and probably even the knickers.

B\ Wearing those silly blue pyjamas that you should only wear in The Theatres. Complete with headgear; and, in extreme cases, wearing the facemask as well, trendily slipped down to the neck. This enhances ones state of appeal (and probably penis size) considerably.

This last state is understandable - they all want everyone else to go "ooooooh!, there goes Mr Surgeon! Off to save more lives!" and for young pretty girls to get all hot and sweaty and faint as they pass by.

The first state always bemused me. Why would you be so poshly dressed, if half the time you're just gonna take it all off and slip into the pyjamas? The Theatres sure doesn't let you stay all suited and booted, so why bother?

And the changing room answered that question. In The Theatres, wearing your pyjamas doesn't mean anything - everyone is wearing them. In fact, everyone from the person who's job it is to make sure the floor is clean, to the professor who visits once a month from Mars. In other words, no one knows who's who.

BUT - hang your clothes up in the changing room in a special way, making sure the expensive designer label is clearly visible to all, and hey presto instant kudos! You'll be the talk of The Theatres, and you'll stand out from the crowd!

I'm sure people working in The Theatres can tell who's around just by the labels on show in the changing room. "Oh look, a Christian Dior shirt! Mr Fantasic Surgeon must be operating!". No, scratch that, I'm sure that's what the surgeons think is happening when someone sees their shirts.

Luckily, the physicians on the other hand don't seem to have this image problem. In a very unscientific and crude study I've been doing, I've yet to see one single medical registrar wearing anything other than a shirt and tie. It's probably akin to the desperate title changing that happens the moment someone becomes a MRCS (google it). The speed with which their badge is changed from "Dr" to "Mr" is phenomenal....

It's all about the image.

Next time you're walking down the corridor and you see someone in a fancy suite, do me a favour. Ask them if their a surgeon and you can bet your life savings that they are. Compliment their choice of clothes and they'd probably show you the inside label.

Oh, and if they're carrying a shoulder manbag, don't even bother asking!

Shame

The recent tragic death of Michael Jackson has sparked a range of reactions around the world. Loyal fans believe the music has died, others believe that Michael was dead 15 years ago, turning in to a ghost all these years.

What almost everyone agrees on however, is the talent that the world has lost.

While I'm no Loyal fan (I only own his Number Ones album), I did grow up listening to his music, and I greatly admired him as a performer. As the world is taken over by Jackson-mania (funny how no one would admit being a fan when he was alive. Death is always kinder to artists), it's difficult to go anywhere without hearing or seeing his music.

I was sad when it all happened. Thanks to this interconnected world, news can spread within seconds. Tragedies can unfold infront of millions of eyes (remember September 2001?), and news as big as Jackson's collapse probably reached the media before it reached his family.

It was posted on a twitter feed I follow on what was a quiet Thursday night. Staying up till 4 am watching BBC news live, I heard the confirmation of death and even saw his body wrapped in white, being taken over to the cold slab at the Coroner's Office. It was very saddening to witness, whether the body was that of Michael Jackson, or of anybody, the new digital age can poke in to the most personal and undignified of moments, and we like to watch with morbid fascination.

As the world started finding out about his death, people were posting their reactions all over the web. Facebook was flooded with statuses mouring the man, and the usual comments about paedophilia, bankruptcy, plastic surgery, etc etc came in and were not that unexpected. After all, the allegations surrounding him were never really shaken off.

But it's the other backlash that caught me off guard. The backlash from almost anyone Iraqi on my friends list. Comments were posted about how "100s are dying in Iraq, why are you bothered about this one person" or "don't forget our beloved country" or "people in Iraq are dying in a worse way every day". Accusations that presume that any Iraqi sad that Michael Jackson has died has automatically betrayed his or her country. An accusation that is hugely unfair.

I can't really remember the day when I haven't thought about the tragedy that is Iraq. Be it either in the back of my mind, or when I get asked where I'm from by patients at work, or, worse still, when I'm listening to music and a song comes on that a dead (killed) friend liked. Something that almost always makes me tearful.

Or perhaps when I email my dad, or text him. I'm instantly reminded of what happened to us last year. If I don't email or text him, I get pangs of dread that I haven't heard from him and something might have happened.

So yes, I do remember Iraq. I remember the tragedies and they sadden me. I've lost close, close friends who have died unfairly young, and our family has been a victim of horrible crime there. That doesn't mean I can't be sad that an artist has died. It doesn't mean that I can't show that support, or talk about it publically.

Being Iraqi is already a tough job. Before 2003 people would look at you like you're a neo-nazi, after 2003 you automatically get pseudo-sympathy from people you've known for minutes, telling you about how sad the situation is there. While I proudly tell people where I'm from if asked, I always brace myself not to wince when the inevitable "oh, we're so sorry about what's going on there" comes along. I know it is, and I don't want to be reminded of what it REALLY means to be affected by it.

We're all used to this now, those of us living outside of Iraq. What we're not used to though is these accusations by our fellow Iraqis. It seems that as the country is in a tragedy, it's taboo to be concerned about something else. Any public show of sympathy towards anything else other than Iraq is deemed a misjustice.

It's funny though, because all these people are outside of Iraq. All of them are in another country, having left their alleged beloved Iraq. And all of them are counting the days until they get another passport. I remember when you were all back in Iraq, and how you just couldn't wait to leave. You weren't that passionate back then, and you're not that passionate now. At least I have the decency not to fake it.

Yes I'm sad Michael Jackson has died, and I'm not ashamed to show it. I am ashamed about this fake Iraqi royalty, and I'm ashamed to know anyone who does it.

Shame.

Michael Jackson RIP

In what has to be the saddest news of recent memory, Michael Jackson has been confirmed dead today from what appears to be a fatal heart attack. He was only 50.

Controversial or not, the man's amazing contribution to music and popular culture is immeasurable. His impact was huge.

We were lucky to have lived in an age where we witnessed such talent and contribution.

Rest in Peace Michael - never forgotten.

So how do you pronounce GIF?

First of all - more about Adam later - don't kill me!

Now - how do you pronounce GIF?

I'm sure you do what a lot of us do - pronounce it like GIFt. With a hard G. Makes sense really, it is afterall gift minus a T.

Problem is, it's pronounced JIF. Which sucks.

Other problem is, here's why it's pronounced JIF. Sucks again.

Let's hope no one tells me next that jpeg isn't pronounced jay-peg. The world will never be the same.

Guess who's here....

Konami Code

Anyone remember The Konami Code?

It was a cheat in most 8 bit Konami games (I think Contra started it). You pressed "up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start" and you got 30 lives (in Contra) or whatever.

Coolest thing is, these days some web devs have included the code hidden in to their pages, and using it will trigger an easter egg of some sort.

To use, go to any page you like, and try your luck. You just have to press "enter" instead of "start", and you're done...

I'll give you a few pointers - try it on gamespot.com, it'll take you to the contra cheats page (clever!), and try it on facebook (won't tell you what happens there).

So, go ahead and try it anywhere you like, you never know what'll happen!

Milo Project

OK, I'm late news I know.

But e3 has just been and gone, and while Nintendo announced two new marios and a new metroid (omg!), Microsoft had a very, very clever trick up their sleeves: Project Natal.

Rather than trying to describe it (and failing), I'd rather leave you to watch this video of developer extraordinaire, Peter Molyneaux (him of Bulldog and Lionhead fame) demoing their latest "game" - The Milo Project.

Prepare to be amazed.

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Video Games | Lionhead Milo Project | E3 09: Milo Tech Demo

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Have I mentioned this before?

Today, at work I needed to quickly edit some photos (don't ask) so I remembered the awesomeness that is pixlr.

Ever heard of cloud computing? it's the next big thing see. Just like virtual reality, lens-flare, motion blur, et al, it's the buzzword today. Because fast internet is affordable and available now, cloud computing is possible.

What it means is that a big, mean, powerful server somewhere does the computing for you, and all your humble PC needs to do is just access the internet and that server. Think of it as remote access to a desktop on a powerful PC. The speed of the net will make the interface very much real-time and lag-free.

Cloud gaming is bigging up too. Imagine not having to upgrade or buy a new console at all, all you need is your internet access. The game video/audio is streamed to you, and your inputs are relayed up to the cloud.

Anyway, pixlr use cloud computing to a very useful effect - photo editing. They have two free, amazing products - EXPRESS, which does basic, basic tasks all within your browser window, and the fantastic EDITOR, which I'll leave you to discover.

Amazing. Now imagine this all taking off big time. It's scary.

tinternet is back

tinternet is back.

4 more days till due date.

so I'll probably be "not back" soon.

Shalom

(A)Live in the Arena

The Jarre concert yesterday was in Wembley Arena. Not to be confused with the big Wembley Stadium, the Arena is a live music venue that's next door to it's big brother.

We were going to go to London the night before, and stay in a hotel there. Instead, we decided to drive up on the day and park at the Arena itself. Parking was prebooked and everything.

Here's one word - never, ever drive to Wembley Arena. Ever. Never Ever.

Why? Because driving in that part of London is MADNESS. The lanes shift about so quickly that you have to have a 6th sense to be able to predict where to be in time, not helped by the fact that everyone speeds and everyone else knows where they're going, hence making it damn near impossible to swap lanes in time.

Worse still, I had a background driver with me (Kelly), who would jump and thrash and pretend to press brakes every time she thought someone was gonna hit us.

Here's another word - never, ever drive a background driver to Wembley Arena. Ever. Never Ever.

SO - we got there at around 17:00. Gig at 20:00. Wandered over to the local Mc Donalds and almost had three courses there to spend time. Filtered in to the Arena foyer at 18:30 and, remembering the madness after last year's concert, I sensibly bought the merchandise I want earlier on. Sat down in our bit-too-small seats at 19:00 or so and waited.

The show itself was fantastic. The lighting and lasers and smoke that Jarre is so famous for was miniturised into an indoor version, bathing the whole arena with beautiful vistas of colour and sound. There were no graphics nor big projections, but they still managed to recreate the iconic Equinoxe faces using some clever LED trickery.

Jarre is also proud of a French-developed sound system that he is prototyping. It's developed so that you don't see a single speaker, everything comes from behind the stage, all hidden away with some material that is opaque to light but lets sound through. It also distributes the sound evenly, no matter where you are in relation to the speakers you'll hear the same.

The logic behind this makes sense - what he wanted to create is a show, not a concert. A show of light and sound, and speakers would only get in the way. Big towering things that can obscure the vision of anybody at an angle.

It's a great concept and it should start being used more frequently by other artists.

The music was a greatest hits affair. But more of a private one. The crowd-pleasing Rendez-Vous IV was absent for example, a track he's played live almost always. The track list was more like Jarre flicking through his family pictures and picking the ones he likes. You could see him visibly enjoying playing his tunes, improvising here, making mistakes there.

His beloved laser-harp had been tweaked to look FANTASTIC indoors, and he showed it off twice, the iconic Rendez-Vous II being one of them.

The intro was as spine tingling as I thought - the main riff of Industrial Revolution Part II starts, and a cone of laser is on the stage - a hand breaks the cone and slowly moves to reveal the silhouette of Jarre carrying his famous keyboard. Amazing.

He played tracks from almost all his albums, Oxygene got the most has he encored Oxygene IV, a track that started it all for him and happened to be conceived in a London flat, so he's extra-fond of the fact he's playing it in the city it was born.

Finally, best of all, he played Equinoxe 5, a track he last played live in Houston 1986. Even better, it's a track anyone who grew up in Iraq will recognise INSTANTLY. Just press play on the player below :)

Overall, another magical evening spent in the hands of the God Father of Electronica. I was grinning from ear to ear throughout!

Tomorrow!

Tomorrow! Tomorrow!!!

The BIG day when we get to see Jarre live again! 3rd time for me, 2nd for Kelly. First for Adam :D He's a big fan already, dancing away inside his mum when I play any Jarre stuff.

I am SO looking forward to this! I never dreamt of seeing Jarre once, let alone three times!!

This is an arena tour, indoors only. Not the usual Jarre city affair, but saying that the man has some tricks up his sleeve still. Biggest of all is that the sound system is engineered to be TOTALLY INVISIBLE. No speakers seen whatsoever.

It's meant to be that you're watching a show, not just listening to music, and big speakers take away from the image he wants to create.

I'll be sure to tweet from there (@alialsawaf if you wanted to follow) and also post a blog review after. I'll also make sure to buy at least two of everything on sale in the merchandise stall there!

Best thing is, I know what the intro is - it's the goose-bump-inducing awesomeness that is Industrial Revolution - Part 2. FANTASTIC!

moving house

We are moving homes.

Turning in to the boring old middle-aged fart that I am, not only am I married, am expecting a baby, but also now we bought a house in a quiet little close, in a quiet little village, in the quiet English country side. My God, soon there will be a dog and it'll be official - we're grown up and "parents". SHIT.

So, the last few days/next few days are all about moving out, buying new furniture for the new house, fixing the 101 little things the old owners left etc etc. And setting up the geek (read: grasp-to-feeling-younger) room :D

Net should have been transitioned smoothly, but as always things go wrong so not sure when the new house will be online. I do know the old flat is going offline soon, so adios till then!

Speak to you soon from Elmswell!

Duke Nukem Forever REAL footage.

Shame it took 3D Realms to shut down for some more info about the ill-fated, much joked about, Duke Nukem Forever.

I remember seeing footage of it in 1997, and yet it still never finished. 12 years later.

So, one of the 3D Realms team has put together a NSFW video of some of the done gameplay elements. It was all looking like great fun, and I hope that someone, somewhere picks up the team and actually manages to get the game done.

Leaked Beyond Good and Evil 2 footage

If this really is Beyond Good and Evil 2, I'm a very very happy man!