How did that get that plug through that little hole?

Favourite words - English - Banjaxed

I used the word "banjaxed" in a recent post.
Love that word.
I was using it in the context of "broken down, ruined or completely useless". Examples would be "my phone is banjaxed" or "the economy is banjaxed".
But it has other usages including a person being completely exhausted. An example would be "I'm completely banjaxed after that".
The origins are unclear apparently but it is of Irish origin.
This is the first of what I am planning to be a short series of postings to feature my favourite words in various languages.

Office decoration

The office I am using today (on a client site) features the following decoration:

Yes: It's a dead fish in a glass case!

My smartphone

One of the great joys if having a smartphone is the range of things you can do on the train. This morning, for example,I am creating a blog post (this one!) And watching an episode of a TV show.
Sure beats staring out the window!

Samsung Galazy S II

After years of having Blackberry devices, I decided it was time to make a change (my latest Blackberry being largely banjaxed). So I needed a new "smartphone".

First question: Android or iPhone.

I plumped for the former on the grounds that it is slightly more "open" (I am a big fan of Apple as previous posts will attest but I am also a big fan of "open").

The next question was which Manufacturer and which Model.

I plumped for the Samsung Galaxy S II and thus far I am very happy with my decision. It is a super device. I don't know how I was able to live for so long without one! I will speak about my favourite apps in coming posts.

Great lines from movies (Steve Martin)

Speaking of great lines in movies (like Thor's line in Avengers Assemble), here is a list of some of my all-time favourite lines in movies (all of the delivered by the incomparable Steve Martin):

Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
When he wakes up in a bed with John Candy, and shortly after he asks "where's your other hand?", he has occasion to say: "Those aren't pillows!" youtube

Parenthood (1989)
After his daughter throws up on him, and his wife asks: "Gil, why are you standing there", he replies: "Waiting for her head to spin around". youtube

 And finally my favourite movie line of all time:

Roxanne (1987) 
Steve is talking to Roxanne and he thinks that she is about to tell him that he is the "someone I think I should get to know better". Then she drops the bombshell that she is talking about someone who "works for you". The following lines are then exchanged:
Roxanne: "You were really great the other night. It is the first time I have seen anyone be brave."
Steve: "I have been a lot braver since then."

So very true.

Avengers Assemble

As I write, Avengers Assemble is #1 in the IMDB box office ratings (by a country mile) and has entered the IMDB Top 250 at position 31 (right behind It's A Wonderful Life). That's a pretty good position for a comic book movie (the only comic book movie that's higher up the list is The Dark Knight).

But it is a really good movie. I saw it last weekend and I wouldn't say no to seeing it again.

Full marks to Joss Whedon for his writing/directing duties (I have been a fan of his for a long time).

And all of the superheroes get their own great moments (although The Hulk gets the best one).

My favourite is actually Captain America (which came as a surprise to me).

Anyway, great movie and I would thoroughly recommend it.

And it also has the best 3D I have ever seen.

And it has a few superb lines. My favourite is Thor's reply at the end of this exchange (I won't include his actual reply but it's a classic):

Thor: "Have a care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard. And he is my brother."
Natasha Romanoff: "He killed eighty people in two days."
Thor: -----

My rating: 8/10

Outstanding.

Fanfold paper

I mentioned the type of paper which was used in line printers back in the 70s and 80s. My friend Hazel Nutt still has a supply, believe it or not, and was kind enough to provide me with a sample.

I am including a photo below.

The paper is 14.5 inches wide and 11 inches high.

There are 22 sprocket holes down either side.

It could accommodate 64 lines of print. Every second line contained 6 narrow green lines, designed to help the eye to travel along the printout, which would presumably have contained columns of data (such as an "aged debtors report"). For some mysterious reason the line numbers were printed beside the green lines ("Johnson, can you explain the figures to me on page 12 line 17")

Angry Birds - the time sink

I mentioned in a previous blog about Steve Jobs asking the Mac developers to shave a few seconds off the boot-up time (he referred to it as "saving lives" apparently). The story was featured in The Triumph of the Nerds.

I found myself wondering recently if the opposite conversation took place among the developers of Angry Birds? Did they ask themselves how many lives they could waste?!

I can hear the conversation now: "What if we can get 12 million people to download it? And what if they each spend 2 hours playing it? That's 2,739 years! Or 34.5 lifetimes!"

And what is there were more like 1 billion downloads! And what if the time was much, much more than 2 hours!

Back in action

There has been a little hiatus in my blog postings recently. That has been because I have been studying for and taking exams.

But they're all over now so I will be back in action shortly.