azz:
Blimey, I didn't realise BB still existed...
I have a number of their electronics and computing books in my collection -- in particular, I learnt C from their book on it originally, and I still use the "Computer Hobbyists Handbook" for connector pinouts.
It's nice to see that R. A. Penfold is now writing books with titles like "Easy PC Case Modding".
David:
I've always know them as Those Simple Looking Books With Brightly Abstract Covers
Are they any good inside?
azz:
The few I've got are great.
None of them still seem to be in print, though...
I'll note that the books I've got date from the late 80s, so it's possible (and looking at the titles now, quite likely) that they've dumbed their style down a bit.
David: I won't rush out and buy some then :)
azz:
Hrm. "The Apple iPod was developed first, closely followed by MP3 players, and recently Microsoft has developed a competitive music file format called WMA which will strongly challenge the others for versatility and quality."
Well, that's rubbish.
David:
I had a Diamond Rio when I worked at Scott-Wilson ... in 1999.
I think that predates the iPod a /little/
azz: Quite.
David:
And now I'm shuddering at the memory of the parallel cable one used to put music on to its 16MB of memory
I could fit half an hour of really rather low quality music on that thing!
azz: After all, even the original iPod used an off-the-shelf MP3 decoder chip -- it certainly wasn't developed for it!
azz:
Interview with Joss Whedon on his various projects, Serenity included.
"Probably not the language I would have chosen, because you can say something that's paragraphs long in like two syllables, so I kept having to write longer and longer curses, just so people could hear the Chinese."
"The whole thing with the mutant toys, as we referred to them, forming the skateboard thing to bring them out, that came after Mattel rejected my Barbie-as-Sarah-Connor rescue scene." (about Toy Story)
David:
Looks like a game of Paranoia will be happening at the BBQ
So we might need some stuff to introduce people to the concept - it isn't much like most RPGs
The Wikipedia Article
Beginners Guide to Life as a Troubleshooter
azz: Of course, I haven't played most RPGs, so hopefully I should be OK.
azz:
Interesting BBC News article on modern prefab houses.
I'm unconvinced about the merits of curved walls, though -- they just make it really awkward to get furniture to fit, and end up wasting space.
David: Well - you could buy round furniture ... but that would be expensive as its uncommon ... which would defeat the object.
David: Currently almost entirely devoid of features
... and you have to get me to create accounts manually
Isn't it great? ;)