MAN MACHINE… IBM’s Watson finally hits Jeopardy! [but thinks Toronto is in the US…]

Posted on February 15, 2011 by wheatln2

Isn’t technology wonderful!

IBM Aptiva + Windows 3.1 = happy me

Our very first home computer, an IBM Aptiva G60, was bought by my parents sometime in late 1994. It ran Windows 3.1 and was a perfect machine for word-processing and tetris. Anything heavier though and it would just get very stressed and a little blue in the face. An upgrade allowed for the dawn of the internet age in or around 1998.

For its day the machine was great and I’ve always had a special place in my heart for the IBM brand simply because it was their logo that I would press each evening for a few post-homework games of Bip-Bop, Mario or Solitaire before watching Crimeline or going to bed. Yes I was that kind of child.

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How are WE not hypnotised?

Posted on February 10, 2011 by wheatln2

Just try and tell me pro-wrestling is never so contrived that it becomes hilarious…

That’s the Most Illegal Thing I’ve Seen in the History of Wrestling!

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Super 8 [me: excited]

Posted on February 8, 2011 by wheatln2

“Do not speak of this… if you do, they will find you…”

Wah! So a pretty super little TV spot debuted during the Super Bowl for JJ Abrams super-secret new feature, Super 8.

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February 2nd 2010. A sad day.

Posted on February 3, 2011 by wheatln2

A little bit of me gone.

It’s not often that you get two big surprises in a day. Unfortunately yesterday brought a double dose of something sad.

First of all, Twitter informs me, in very simple terms…

"The White Stripes have called it a day"

And then a few hours later in work I cheekily go on to the BBC Sport’s mobile site on my phone to get some Premier League score updates and am met with more tragic news… Continue reading →

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Bye bye Incandescent. Bye bye CFL. Buy LED.

Posted on February 3, 2011 by wheatln2

Thanks Mr. Edison, we’ll take it from here!

I currently work part-time in a hardware store. It’s educational, tedious, fun and repetative, usually at the same time. Makes me feel like I’m in a BBC sitcom a lot of time, some sort of strange hybrid of Dinner Ladies and Open All Hours.

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One to watch: Portlandia [TV]

Posted on January 27, 2011 by wheatln2

Portland… It’s where young people go to retire!

When I found out that Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen were getting their own sketch show I was 3 stages beyond über-hyped on the excitoscale. And then I got that horrible sickly feeling when you realise that there’s a chance something like “Portlandia” might not live up to high expectations… Continue reading →

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The Walkmen | Live @ Phoenix, Toronto, Oct 9th 2010

Posted on October 11, 2010 by wheatln2

When I used to go out I would know everyone that I saw,
Now I go out alone if I go out at all…

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Google Street View hits Ireland. I posture.

Posted on September 30, 2010 by wheatln2

Strike a pose…

Crazy Google Street View camera speeds up the road so I grab my dear mother and tell her to smile for the internet. If we could have signed an anti-faceblur waiver we would have.

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Villagers | Live @ The Drake Underground, Toronto, Sept 27th 2010 [w/ Lost in the Trees]

Posted on September 29, 2010 by wheatln2

On a sunlit stage…

Villagers played here in Toronto on Monday night in the lovely Drake Hotel‘s basement venue for the paltry sum of $10 (€8). I only realised before the show that I hadn’t been to a proper paid gig in almost 4 months, since before I went to South Africa and Canada. Pretty crazy, but truth be told I’ve enjoyed the break. In 2007 and 2008 it seemed I was either playing or attending a gig 3 or 4 nights a week. Things started to change last year when primary gig-going buddy Colin (aka Mr. Jets) went to Japan and money started getting tighter. It seemed I’d managed to kick the habit. But I think that’s all behind me now after Monday’s gig. Looks like I’m back on the wagon…

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TIFF thoughts & 123 movie reviews

Posted on September 28, 2010 by wheatln2

Cinema ah ah.

So the 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival finished up last weekend and while most people with more pressing deadlines will have posted their reviews, recaps and summaries, I figure the casual nature of my blog affords me a little more time to get my thoughts down…

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Sunburnt Jets. Comin-at-cha…

Posted on September 15, 2010 by wheatln2

Give the man a hand.

My very good friend and former band-mate Colin Boylan, now magicly dubbed “Sunburnt Jets”, makes his live debut this Friday at the currently controversy-laden Crawdaddy. The gig is as opening act for Kill Krinkle Club‘s “Abandon” album launch. Can’t wait to hear this one, their live show was always well weird but ridiculously engaging what with the horse heads and all that.

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Gimme bouts…

Posted on September 8, 2010 by wheatln2

Give the band a hand.

So Bouts are playing Twisted Pepper as part of Hard Working Class Heroes on Saturday October 9th at 9.10pm. Baring a disaster or a miracle it will be their live debut. Continue reading →

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My TIFF 2010 movie schedule!

Posted on September 5, 2010 by wheatln2



300 films in 11 days. Sickened to only be able to make six of them…

So I’ve finally got all my Toronto Film Festival tickets sorted. The whole thing involved a typically Canadian process where I had to call into the festival box office on King Street three times over the course of a week. First time was to collect my booklet and form. Second time was to drop off this all-important form with some little ticks for my picks. Third time was after a rather strange lottery system to actually collect the physical tickets. You’d kind of feel like telling them to move the whole system online, but hey I’m not going to be the only dissenting voice, and it was nice to go somewhere and feel a bit of “buzz” before the whole thing kicks off.

I got all my first choices and so will fit in 6 movies during the festival. Not quite up there with the 13 I saw in the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival in 2009 but still a good haul, plus most of these will be first or second showings anywhere in the world. Which is nice. Anyway, behold:

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Ch-ch-changes…

Posted on August 25, 2010 by wheatln2

God, I wonder how many people have used that Bowie song to celebrate a new look…

Anyway, doing a big re-design here to de-world cup and Canadianise this blog. The reason being pretty obvious in that I’m not in South Africa anymore and of course am living in Toronto. Lots of great things to write about too, so stay tuned.

For the moment, here’s a video. Life is an uphill battle after-all.

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