YesWheely

When I said PIE!!!

2016-08-21T14:34:00.000+01:00

... And did my bestest retard wave.
My then fiance wasn't impressed, her luggage was being carted around by an assistant guy at Heathrow. He was pretty confused because I was on my own. "No one is with you?" "No, they let us go outside on our own now." This was not the ostentatious public display of affection that my wife wanted but didn't want. For a few reasons. 1: I always try to make everything a joke. 2:I'm British.

Actually it's a deeper issue about self-esteem, confidence and being a wheelchair user. Well an unco-ordinated seemingly drunk wheelchair user. Anyway I'm at the top of my writing game. My best words are not yet written. So I'm going to wrap this introduction up with an unrelated photo and then write about politics. It's going to be the best blog.

So one thing that I am finding really entertaining is this guy called Donald Trump. His unedited speeches are pretty funny. It's been an infinite source of easy jokes for all the American late shows. But, underneath it all. It's the same thing.
The right versus the left. Well centre left.

Right & Left = Selfish & Selfless
It's all it is. Whichever country. The options are:
[] Selfish
[] Slightly less Selfish
[] Self Serving
[] Also Ran.

Less government = tax cuts
You get to keep your hard earned money.
Really only the wealthy benefit from tax cuts. Which you may think is fair but they are only wealthy because society has bestowed them riches or somewhere people have been cheated of their fair share or fate. All the cuts will of course effect the poorest and most vulnerable of a society first.
It is beyond me why people don't see this. Or they see this and just keep doing it because that's how it is. Q: Why are the poorly educated voting overwhelmingly Trump?

Anyway I just want to say that I'm sorry, I'm not sorry, that I'm writing blogs less often. The low engagement of this content is a great source of disappointment... I'll leave that open to interpretation.

I was going to write about artificial intelligence and make this post a prelude of an insightful dissertation on the true mystery of the universe: Life.

Jeremy Corbyn, he has some good ideas.

When I did art

2016-04-08T03:33:00.000+01:00

1997: Primary school
I'm eleven. We are writing poetry. I wrote this:

ok I've adjusted it - it wasn't spaced that way. It had less grammar. And I can only remember the first verse exactly. I'm positive there was at least a second verse about the fly. Why do I remember it 18 years later?

It should have five verses. The final verse being about death, decay and how cold, dark, and lifeless, the fly felt after I smashed it into the living room wall with a rolled up community newspaper.

When I wrote this, the first time - in school, I didn't understand it.

By the time I was eight I was convinced there was no God. I knew there couldn't be. Nothing made sense about the bible. Even metaphorically it doesn't work. Unless metaphor means: "Something else completely."

Speaking of theology. The first verse is about Intelligent Design.

Art is the exploration of, and subsequent recording of the subconscious in whatever medium chosen. Language, Drawing, Painting, Sculpting, Photography, Film making, VIDEO GAMES.

Art is still not properly valued, recognised, or understood in society.

When I know it has been too long

2015-12-02T22:28:00.000+00:00

So what is this about. I saw this and how people got upset but really it's just an il-conceived concept. Get over it!

The LEAST Racist person IN THE WORLD!!!
I am of course referring to future president (of the world!) Donald Trump. The best president that ever lived ever. He "will be so good at the military, your head will spin." He "will be the greatest jobs president god ever created." Obviously his "IQ is one of the highest"... I bet £50 with A that he will be the republican nomination.

Actual Blog Content

London

We went to the O2 and it was a really good venue. We stayed in a Hotel and travelled to and from the show by boat. It worked out well.

Southampton

We went to see Paul Foot. Not much happened. Except the taxis wouldn't take power chairs. Then I saw a bus. It passed where we were going. Sometimes bus drivers don't take two chairs even though there is enough space. But on the way there the driver was nice enough to allow it.

London

I was going to Liverpool for a surprise 30th and as it happened the day before Paul Foot was doing a secret show. Unfortunately A wasn't able to come so instead I took my friend.

Liverpool 1 & 2
Surprise Parties. No.
Babies. No.

Other news

Mostly I've been working...

When the future happens

2015-06-25T18:47:00.000+01:00

This month I've not had much time to write my bloggy-wog. I completed a few projects and started new ones. Work is infinite. It's interesting though in a weird way. Better (more autonomous) software improve work flows. More efficient work flows mean more work can be done (faster, by less skilled or even fewer workers). Obviously automation improves accuracy as there is much less space for human error. There has been a 5000% reduction in the identification of insulting board across the Cheshire area in the last 2 years. This has greatly improved the situation regarding hostile work environments as far fewer obscenities are hurled at inspectors from seemingly innocuous panels.

At times I've considered how this sort of thing can be used to replace governments with like a global autonomous system. The problem is, those with power want more power not less. They want to maintain all the unfairness in the world. They don't want to share. They want to be selfish. So no matter how amazing it would be. How it would free everyone from debt and unshackle us from this bizarre notion that money is wealth and wealth is happiness. It is improbable.

Meanwhile Earth enters extinction phase. I am unable to understand why things like that are actually happening and the capitalist governments refuse to do anything* about it. *except make the situation worse.

Next month I'm going to see Paul Foot again and my Dad is going to stay with us for a bit.
Then, after that, wife and I are going to see:
Clue: Jamaican fella selling bananas, no one wants any. N.D.

When I built a computer

2015-05-17T00:04:00.001+01:00

Cola Related Failure

Recently I tried and failed to bring my 6 year old computer back to life. It was six years old but it was once a high performance machine so I was expecting a bit more than no life at all. I had to call it and resigned, saving the hard disk drives. So I hit Amazon and put together some components. I made a few revisements so that it ended up costing just under £500. Then Dan sourced even cheaper sellers who all dispatched stuff with varying levels of inefficiency.

This is what I got:

I'm still waiting for the solid state hard drive to be delivered. However, I decided to start putting the pieces together yesterday. I did record video so I might make a vlog of it in the future. I found it very frustrating though. I thought it'd all be easy like that time I thought I could still ride a bike.

Micro Electronics require some co-ordination to assemble and I lack that but I have much determination and a good amount of patience. So when something didn't go right I tried again and again and again and again. I eventually did get it all put together pretty well. It's the tidiest pc build I've done and it booted up first time.

I won't bore you with the technical details. This isn't the first computer I've put together. I've been playing with the insides of electronics since I was 10. I remember unscrewing the broken* VHS player in 1996 convinced I was going to use the PCBs to create an advanced robot. *it may not have been when I started unscrewing it.

It was difficult doing it from a wheelchair. Not impossible.

I'm going to see Mr Paul Foot telling his jokes tomorrow night. It should be fun :)

When you should vote

2015-05-08T21:50:00.001+01:00

OAPs probably shouldn't.

16 year olds probably should.

The greens didn't make much progress. Sigh.
I'm going to try to move to Brighton obviously that's what people have done. UKIP got quite a few second places which is a bit sad. Who the f votes tory? Don't they know any disabled/vulnerable/ill/poor people? The terrible, selfish, and ignorant fools.

Soon they'll be unemployed it's inevitable.

Anyway ~~funny~~ story. I was getting ready to go out and just fell forward smashing my face into the bathroom wall. Much blood escaped. Afterwards I went to vote. I arrive and say my address which obviously they mishear because my voice isn't clear. They think I said Lodge when I said Larch. They give me directions to another polling station. I get there after 10mins and they too mishear me. But when they can't find my name I realise they think I said Lodge. I straighten that out and they say where I need to go. Yes obviously I was at the right place first time.

After I've voted for the green candidates and got home my door shut. D'artagnan had sneaked out and when he realised he had no food outside he came back to whinge and scratch at the door. He had to wait a few minutes because I was transferring into my inside chair. Then he came running in.

When I did a review

2015-04-05T02:00:00.000+01:00

Before I get to KSP there has been some bullshit going on surrounding politics. Which sometimes I care about and sometimes I don't...

I think I need to stick to one topic and to post regularly. Maybe weekly, Like on Thursdays at 2am or something as arbitrary just so people know, Like at 11am on Friday rather than working they can be like "Hey I can read these observations about something a cripple wrote on the internets this morning because he posted them at 2am." Obviously I'll write the entries on the previous weekend. Oo new idea. So maybe I'll start to be less topical not that I am really but maybe more surreal. Does surreal comedy work on the internet?

Some say I tried that with Monkey News and the consensus of my coveted impressions graph was that it didn't work. However, to those sceptics I point to the following bullet points:

It wasn't an original idea (Though it was thought up in a head shaped like a fucking orange)
Monkey News isn't surreal it's just nonsense.

Alternatively I could write a (satirical) political blog from the perspective of someone who idolises Charlie Brooker, Jon Stewart, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and fictional characters like Eli from The Good Wife. (Played by Alan Cumming)

Or there are alway loads of things I could say about games. A lot of people write and read about computer games. They used to be a big part of my life. I started uni to start a career in the gaming industry. I don't play them much now. Infact I had to decide if I was going to write this or play a game I found the other week on my Saturday afternoon.

So this week I'm going to leave this blog like a confused teenage girls blog but instead of a random review of some beauty product I'm going to write my first thoughts about:

Kerbal Space Program

https://kerbalspaceprogram.com

I saw this game on steam and my interest was piqued. A game where you get to manage a fictional peoples space program. Kerbals are cute and comical and they add elements of joy to a game. Something big blockbusters (GTA aside) don't really do. I can see why this fundamental design decision was made and it really works. It gives much more room for just silly details that make the game fun rather than confining the game to realism. It's a shame the gaming industry focussed on the realism of a machine gun ravaging a newly created corpse. Great work on the detailed physics of excess blood guys!

Oh a contradiction in my first paragraph. What a surprise. To be fair I did enjoy the story mode in the last COD Modern Warfare I played (even morally incomprehensible parts were justified within the story) but the senseless murderfest of multiplayer. What is that? It's like comparing a well made 18 film with hardcore pornography. The kids of today are destined to become violent sociopaths.

So I got KSP. Started it up and it began loading 'Discombobulating combobulator' was the text on the screen! Oh my, bullfrogesque humour!

Bullfrog made games in the late 80s and 90s like Themepark, Dungeon Keeper, Theme Hospital, and more. They were often filled with dry sarcasm, wit and well British humour.

So I noticed a 'Training' menu I thought it'll just be wasd (basic movement controls), camera controls and the usual and went straight to career mode. Immediately the depth of the game was obvious. I meandered through and actually managed to find the assembly building.

I thought it was a pretty obvious UI. I started putting bits together to build my first ship. It helped that I could only choose one type of capsule, one fuel tank, and two engines - one solid fuel and one liquid fuel(from tank). Importantly I noticed the parachute. The comical tooltips were one of the little details of joy. So I went to the launchpad (yes you get to fly your creations!) I activated what I thought was the first stage, it turns out the 0 stage is the last - not the first. So my stages were backward. The parachute was activated but didn't deploy because I wasn't moving so I didn't realise the perilous situation the courageous but slightly dim witted Bob Kerman was heading for. I tried pressing space again and smoke starts to come from the middle of my rocket. The UI shows I'm burning rocket fuel Bobs lucky the rocket didn't explode because I hadn't put the thrust up. I pressed space a few more times. Finally we had a very brief lift off! The parachute caused all sorts of chaos with the ascent. Mainly that if was to choose a firework to describe it I'd pick a Catherine Wheel that then explodes and leaves no survivors apologies to Bob Kerman's family his demise was entirely in vein the result of my own gross incompetence.

I quit back to the main menu and clicked training. Wow is it detailed it's like the equivalent to a gcse course. How the fuck can I remember what a periapsis and apoapsis is and when to burn prograde or retro and that's just the orbiting bit! So I did the first two training then played a bit to reinforce this new found entirely useless knowledge I had learned. Turns out there is science to be done in this game and there are commercial missions to help with acquisition of funds and science and reputation.

So the learning curve is massive, it's not super dumbed down though obviously simplified somewhat and I love it for that. They've got the balance right. It's not mindless but there are no maths equations. It's very much a long term game that I'll find as fun in 5 years as I do now playing a couple nights a week.

Note there are space planes, bases, asteroids, other planets etc. I've only just embarked on leading my Kerbals to infinity. What KSP lacks in accessibility it more than makes up for in depth.

There is science to be done.

In memory of:

Bob Kerman - We all learn from mistakes.

Neil Kerman - MIA presumed still in a capsule orbiting the sun.

Jebedia Kerman - Bravely opened the hatch of his capsule and ventured outside. Only to let go of the fucking ladder and is now stuck in orbit.

Bill Kerman - In a stable orbit of Kermin(home planet) while trying to reach the Mun because the fuel ran out.

When everything is ok

2015-03-11T22:54:00.000+00:00

So we have finally applied for my wifes indefinite leave to remain. Last week. The most surprising things about this process have been:
The cost
It's not been cheap and the prices seem to double each year which brings me to:
The durations
Before you can apply for the ILR you now have to wait till you have lived in the UK (With appropriate visas) for 5 years. Luckily we could apply under the old rules (after the 2 year spousal visa)

It's not easy to be an immigrant (Unless within the EU) but why all the fuss? Why not let people live wherever they want?

We went to Southampton in February so my wifey could do the Life in the UK test. Which was a ridiculous test covering such important day to day knowledge like tudor infidelity, the importance of 4ft walls, the going rate for a dragon slaying during Arthurs fictitious rule, and the importance of the Welsh Assembly.

After she passed the test we went for dinner. We ate at pretty good Carribean place. Turtle Bay it was really good I'd recommend it.
conservativeLine breaks: con|ser¦va|tive

Pronunciation: /kənˈsəːvətɪv/

(Of a person, action, or motive) lacking consideration for other people; concerned chiefly with one’s own personal profit or pleasure:People vote conservative for selfish reasons

It's strange to me that anyone has right wing ideas. How can people justify it? "I earn £200k a week, and 50% tax is too much."

In other news I'm trying to finalise my ideas for a mobile game. I know for sure it wont be f2p (free to play). I loathe the constant nickle and diming (micro-transactions). Forcing gamers into endless real-world transactions is a literally gamebreaking mechanic.

It's not fun, it breaks immersion, and annihilates flow.

For an idea of some games I did try: eg 1 and eg 2.
Questions I'm hardly ever asked:
Will the next game be zombie based. Probably. I am going for mass market appeal.
Will it feature voice acting. Probably. But not my voices since I no longer have any vocal range.

The conclusion of this entry:
Sorry about not posting more regularly but I work too hard!

When I was on Oxford Street

2015-01-02T17:17:00.001+00:00

The UK recently shut down for a couple days then it sort of rolled and pressed the snooze button yesterday and now it's back operating at normal efficiency. Which in every meaningful and meaningless way of measuring is pretty in-efficient. The fuss about sales seems more subdued this year. That's just something I have noticed, it's not leading anywhere.

Before this period of meaningless meaning I found myself on Oxford Street. It needs sorting out.

Why isn't it pedestrianized? Why aren't all the tube stations accessible to wheelchairs? I was following my wife -who took point travelling towards Selfridges. However, I lost her when someone stepped between our two chairs. It's always fun travelling alone in a wheelchair. "Are you OK?","Are you lost?", "Are you waiting for someone?"

Artists Impression

London is possibly the most uncaring city if you are outside. Inside a building everything changes. It's probably something to do with points. Obviously there are exceptions like people not from London, or more accurately either foreigners or people from the disenchanted North.

I kept heading somewhere but eventually I gave up and started to follow closely behind a street cleaner pushing a big flashing sucking water squirty thing that people moved out the way of.

Then I waited for about two hours for A. While I was waiting a guy with a skateboard began a discourse. About access and the common struggle we shared because he had a bit of wood with wheels on and I can't walk. Reading that back I sound petty and sarcastic. Our dialogue was nothing like that though. It's important so you understand the story that I tell you I was wearing a scarf in what I'd describe as a continental-european way. It wasn't loose it was sort of elaborately looped around and the ends passed through loops from underneath. It began with "Do you speak English?" That's why I mentioned the scarf. The scarf isn't featured anymore in this true tale. Then he talked about the skateboard catastrophe. He asked what I was doing I told him I was just waiting here for my wife then we were going to watch Paul Foot do a secret show.

He didn't know who he was so he pulled out a tablet and found some youtube videos. He enjoyed them and said bye.

The tickets cost twelve thousand and twelve points each. Which was quite worth it. Richard who worked there carried me up and down the stairs which was good of him. The show was a little longer than the 1.89 hours advertised and we almost missed the last train home but we made it. It was an excellent show despite being perched on the most uncomfortable chair I've ever had the discomfort of encountering. Often I was so absolutely entertained I forgot about the agony.

Happy next thirty-one billion, five hundred and thirty-five million, nine hundred and eighty four thousand, seven hundred and twenty six milliseconds.

When I got my revenge

2014-12-18T20:46:00.001+00:00

A while ago the postman delivered a package. What was unusual was his grin and the fact the parcel easily could have gone through the post box. There was no need for human interaction. Unnecessary people, all small talk, and people generally are annoying.

The package was for 'Steven Von Poopenstinker'.

Oh how he and my wife laughed.

What I did was: Did some cute graphics for a website promoting the no-nonsense corporate business software that von poopenstinker and Danielle have been developing.

Then joked about how we can use them like merchandise. Like the insurance company that gives customers a meerkat toy. I thought that would be funny so I found someone on Etsy to make some toys...

I sent them to the office addressed to Danielle enclosed was a note: "Von sends his regards."

I love their expressions. They are pretty cute really.

We need to manufacture them in the thousands for our marketing campaign. Consumer focussed Asbestos and Fire Safety services.

When I went to London Town Square last night

2014-12-17T20:10:00.001+00:00

It's been a while since the last post. I've mainly been working which is only an interesting topic to half of the regular readers of this blog.

Yesterday we took a train to London. Originally we were going to go to meet my brother at Oxford Street to see the Christmas decorations, shop window displays, and then join the Hanukkah celebrations at Trafalgar square. We ended up being a bit late so we just went to the square and then ate at Garfunkle's. Which was way touristy but really warm inside which was ideal for my frozen extremities as it is for the foreign workforce. Ahah sorry I went a bit UKIP there... We'll go back to worship the corporations next week.

I got given a donut and a Menorah. Donuts are definitely better than wafer thin bits of stale bread.
Judaism is definitely the religion with the best tasting food.

When the bus driver said no

2014-11-13T20:51:00.000+00:00

We were invited to a very close friend of mines wedding over the weekend. It was in Aylesbury. So the day before my wife and I travelled to High Wycombe -the nearest Premier Inn. (Who I must say are pretty good with wheelchair user guests especially in the one near the Empire in London (Shepherds Bush). -this wasn't a paid for advertisement) It was to be a weekend plagued with transport problems.

When we reached Waterloo things started to go wrong. The rail assistance guy was useless and felt he had to repeatedly say "You don't pay extra for rail assistance." Like that somehow made up for his inability to problem solve. I didn't bother to point out that in actuality rail assistance is subsidised by the cost of rail tickets. His idea of travel assistance was to lead us to Waterloo Tube Station where the guy at the entrance informed us that the destination or the surrounding stops had no step free access. He said "right then ok well make your own way." Or something. Luckily then someone from the underground came to offer more help. -eg took us to a bus stop and said wait for 489 or something.

This inconvenience wasn't much of a problem. The problem was I'd bought the tickets for the underground and when I booked the assistance I was told "If the underground is not accessible we'll arrange a taxi for you." Next time I travel to marylebone I won't buy underground tickets.

Artists impression.

So yeah we got to High Wycombe and the assistance was great there. They called a taxi for us and one of them waited with us. He was Ryan and he was really friendly and chatted with us while we waited. He paid for the taxi out of his own money which was pretty decent.

The next day I was travelling to the ceremony in Aylesbury. I was going alone and meeting up with my wife at the reception. Because of her pain condition. Bus 300 took ~58mins to reach Aylesbury and I could, or so I thought, board at Morrisons. So I left the hotel just after 10am. I was supposed to be early to meet my Dad and Sister in the pub opposite.

I'm at the stop and the bus pulls in the doors pop open. "I'm taking a buggy [pram] there's no space." I reply "But wheelchairs have preference." Because that's the law of the land. "No you don't." Snarks the bus driver. "Take the train." So I ask. "What's your full name and employer?" Then the doors shut and he drove off.

These aren't the actual words. But that's how it seemed.

So I went to take the train. It wasn't a direct train and it only came every hour. So I was late. I arrived as they left! Oh and I was cold and wet because as soon as the bus driver refused to let me on it started to rain. Which was completely the bus company's fault!

Ok so why should the pram move? Because it's f...ing possible. You fold up the pram and hold the baby on your lap.

"But my pram doesn't fold." Well f...ing don't get on the bus till you have one that does, or relinquish the space voluntarily.

But what if the bus already had a wheelchair user on, you would still be upset?

"There are around 1.2 million wheelchair users in the UK, roughly 2 per cent of UK population"

NHS purchasing and supply agency 2000

"Less than 8 per cent of disabled people use wheelchairs."

Papworth Trust disability facts and figures 2010

(<8% of ~20% so < 2%)

It's not really likely. It has happened a couple times but it doesn't cause you to think about the chances the next bus is taking a pram and the lacking disability training. Which is why I went to take the train. I'd have waited for the next bus if that was the case.

So yeah people are selfish I just read a statistic that 38% of people believe disabled people are a burden on society. Interestingly roughly 38% of people are out of work. I'm not saying they are the same people but I am saying that when I'm out and need help with a door or something it's usually the smartly dressed professionals who offer help not the tracksuit and legging clad stereotypical benefit claimants.

28% believe there is ill feeling around perceived extra support. I've been there needing personal care and help taking a shower. Extra support is no picnic. I think genuinely disabled people if they had a choice would choose not to need support.

27% believe disabled people are treated differently because there is a lack of knowledge around disability. I'm not sure what that even means. People should be treated differently. Like rail assistance don't need to follow everyone around laying a ramp over the gap. There should be better education in schools for sure. 65% of people admit avoiding disabled people because they don't realise we are all people! That statistic is pretty depressing.

The bold% are from BT - 'Ready, Willing and Disabled Event 2011

Society isn't that good to wheelchair users. We have our ramps and people to lay ramps but most people think that's enough. Life is often significantly shorter, accomplishments significantly harder to achieve, often quality of life is substantially lower, and independence is discussed with people who are either under qualified or grossly incompetent. Or if you do find you have a social worker who understands and represents your best interests... They lose their job -thanks Austerity cuts!

When will the nightmare end

2014-11-02T22:17:00.000+00:00

Friday began with a trip to the Golden Arches to get a couple McMuffins. Which I brought home and we ate. I fell asleep with my head on the table. At lunchtime Sarah from the newspaper came around to take some photographs. http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/spooktacular-flat-is-transformed-into-a-halloween-haven-1-6392102 There was also a story here:
http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2014-10-31/terminally-ill-couple-decorate-whole-house-for-halloween/

In the evening we went out for a meal and to watch a movie. To celebrate Halloween and our 2nd wedding anniversary. Originally we were going to leave at around 5-6. However, there was someone who came trick or treating so we decided to wait until later to leave.

We headed out. It could just be this area but 3-4 times on the way to where we were going we got some unnecessary attention. Pointing, laughing, and stuff.

It continued throughout the night. A was really upset by one encounter on the way from the restaurant to the cinema. (A short distance, some may say a stones throw away.) There was a group of people, Revellers even, one of them jumped in front of her - so she stopped. "Oh my god, isn't she just disgusting, look at her she makes me sick..." he was part of a group of about a dozen and no one thought to stop what was happening.

We went to see Horns which was an interesting film. It begins well and it hooks you. It has a good few comical moments. If you're a Daniel Radcliffe fan I'd say to check it out. It is a little sad but any emotional response is soon squashed when the film pushes too far into the fantastical. It's essentially a tragic tale. Gratuitous tits, superfluous comedy, even a scene of homosexuality, drug abuse, and debauchery. A classical bit of drama. This isn't much of a review really.

The plan was to open presents when we got in. The cats had a different plan. Somehow they had (again) clambered up the velvet covering our sideboard which had (again) caused everything on top to now not be. (Again!) This broke a spooky snowglobe A had found in TK Max. So there was glass, water, and bits all over the floor...

When you shouldn't vote

2014-10-25T00:06:00.000+01:00

Thinking back to the scottish referendum... The voter turnout was pretty impressive. I thought surely that the UK was breaking up. For general elections (those popularity contests were identical puppets compete to allegedly represent peoples voices in a far away mystical tower of whiteness) the turnout is probably 65% which is infuriating. Are 65% of 18+ convinced by this illusion of choice? For the yes, no question 84.5% of Scottish people over 16 wasted their time voting.

Novel way of counting

I'm not saying it has always been a waste of time nor am I belittling the efforts of people who have campaigned about voter rights. I am saying today the political system is completely corrupt and not upto date. Why can't there be systems for immediate referendum and a more direct form of democracy. Like they have in Sweden but online. Then weird counting methods that look suspicious wouldn't happen.

Also Russell Brand did a book. It's pretty good. You can download it free* here: http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Biographies-Memoirs/Revolution-Audiobook/B00OKQJYG6
*as part of a free 30 day trial which is £7.99/month usually.

Oh and in other news, hoverboards soon.

When we ate vegan

2014-10-22T01:58:00.000+01:00

In summer just passed while we were in London we met up with my brother and his girlfriend. We ate at 222 Veggie Vegan which seemed much less busy than it ought to be. Probably because we got their real early.

The food was excellent and eating vibrant food full of exciting flavours was really refreshing. It's definitely one of the best places I've eaten.

It was a shame we didn't have the time to enjoy a three course meal. We had to get to the Empire immediately after we ate. I was quite disappointed I didn't get to try any of the deserts.

If you're ever around West Kensington, London head to 222 North End Road!

When I rotoscoped

2014-10-19T14:24:00.001+01:00

I've noticed that my most popular post was the one about sit-skiing but rather unannounced I had added a short animation featuring some rotoscoping I had done. So I don't know what's more interesting: the thought of me being dragged up a nylon slope face first or the animation.

Today I took off the animation and I'm going to write this entire feature that you have already started reading.

Rotoscoping

Firstly I'll show the animation then I'll explain the creative choices I made, the equipment I used, the sleepless nights, the technique, and some...

It boils. Boiling is a stylistic treatment. It simply means the lines jump around. It may seem like it's a rougher, quicker, and easier way of doing it. But it's not really because every line you want to boil needs to be re-drawn on every frame. To animate without boiling means you only need to draw the new bit.
Frames. To me frames are like something that doesn't need explaining. It's like oneness. A frame is an image. Motion pictures, tv, animation, games, etc all rely on the same premise. It's how the eye works. Further reading.
Line Drawing. This stylistic choice was made for two reasons 1. So I could meet deadlines. 2. Because drawing all the details would have made the animation quite cluttered.
Equipment. I was at uni at the time so I borrowed a camera and tripod to record the motion. Then I had a pen tablet attached to a pc which I did the drawing on. I used professionalI(student license) software back then but if I did it now I would use: Pencil (http://www.pencil-animation.org), avidemux (http://www.avidemux.org)
Planning. First you have to have storyboards or something so you can direct the motion capture part of the process. For me I like storyboards. I abhor stickman storyboards but I guess they do the same thing.
Filming. The first thing you'll do, well after the other first thing above, is to film the scenes to capture the motion. It doesn't matter if you shout cues while recording to micromanage people because you aren't even recording sound. You're the only one with the times, the storyboard, and the vision.
Drawing. Ok so all that now needs to be done is the time consuming and labor intensive task of drawing the frames. I hardly slept for 4 days fuelled by quadruple espressos and red bull.
Simply you take the video file, over each frame you draw the motion and then you remove the video from the view. I added a different background on a new layer that progressively drew afterwards. (That's right it wasn't filmed on location.)

I've started to write down another set of sequences for a rotoscoping idea I have as it is basically motion capture in 2D.

When I made changes

2014-10-19T00:15:00.000+01:00

So I refreshed my blog look a little. New me looking logos and typefaces. A few days later I fixed up a Halloween look which will stay for a while. Since Halloween is a big thing for us.

Hopefully my electric wheelchair will arrive soon! I'm also hopeful about finding a new place to live. I really need to have a workspace with space to get a proper computer set up. My laptop just isn't powerful enough.

Oh yeah, I got a house design finished quite a while ago. However, I think I have some better ideas anyway I think I need to prioritise being rich first. I'm sure the new business will do that! Especially my secret division (which I'll tell you about soon). Anyway lets look at the house:

top left: Ground Floor, top right: 2nd Floor (roof)
bottom left to right: Basement, 1st Floor, Overview

Since making this image I have added double doors and a balcony to the main bedroom on the first floor. I realised otherwise it'd be pretty difficult to get furniture up there. The spiral staircase would probably be in marble wrapped around the central elevator.

I wish I was an architect the trouble is I'm enjoying my crucial work in the Asbestos/Environmental industry! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.Well anyway I need to be making games. That's what I want to do.

When idiots say things

2014-10-16T22:58:00.000+01:00

The UK Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, declared Lord Freud's comments, revealed yesterday, about "disabled" people as "deeply distressing" and "offensive". The Welfare Reform Minister suggested that "disabled" people might not be worth the minimum wage.

Those being critical of Lord Freud are being unfair they've sort of labeled the very notion as disgusting when it does have merit. It's the type of idea that needs exploring.

I'm by no measure a conservative nor am I a liberal. My political ideology is closer to the sort of bubbles Russell Brand chats about on The Trews...

Click for enlightenment

Labour leader, what's-his-face, also attacked the conservatives for thinking outside the box.

I don't speak for all "disabled" people. However, I've experienced how difficult it is to find employment as a someone who uses a wheelchair. I also recognise that being unemployed does make you feel sort of useless, there is time you can do other things but at the end of the day, week, month, year, you've made no contribution to society. Often it's not because it's desirable but because "disabled" people appear unemployable.

I don't know why there is such fuss about this idea. It's not the best way of doing it and taken out of context (of the discussion) it can come across as devaluing "disabled" people and being a little insulting. However, the premise I agree with. Maybe they could offer tax breaks to companies that employ x% of "disabled" people. Which would do the same thing.

EG: Incentivise employers to employ "disabled" people and reduce the welfare bills.
Paying less (Reducing minimum wage) and topping up incomes with welfare will do the same thing. Though as we now know that sort of move will just create headlines.

That was probably the plan.

When I got powered up

2014-09-22T19:39:00.002+01:00

So there has been some progress on the power chair front. The other week I went to try out the Alber Emotion, Twion and E-Fix options to see how they worked. I liked how the Emotion and Twions felt but it did take me a lot of concentration to move in a straight line. If you have good coordination they are probably good options but for me I could only move a little faster than I can without them. It's a lot easier to move about though I couldn't use all the power available since I couldn't control it.

Twions (click for site)

emotion (click for site)

For me the e-fix it's a good option. I'm not sure if it's suitable for my chair. If it is I'll get that. If it isn't I'll try to make something similar to it!

My wife got a Power Chair (the first one above) which was only possible because of the donations. So thanks again to people who donated.

... I found a website wheelchairdriver.com and having spent a while looking at powerchairs available on the market I came to the same conclusion. So I'm going to try to build two BM3 chairs somehow, someday.

Just look why I'm impressed BM3

So... If I had free time I know what I'd be doing with it (apart from this blog).

When we tried uber

2014-08-05T18:43:00.002+01:00

Last week we took a short city break in London. My wife's birthday is coming up and she adores Dwight Yoakam who had a date in the o2 Empire.

There has been a lot of fuss about uber the alternative to black cabs hailed via smartphone.

It's a much better system than just paying a meter. The driver has the shortest route. Both parties see the GPS of each other and payment is fuss free and setup via the app. Plus there are discount codes: 87ZIQ will give you (and me) a £10 credit.

I wanted to avoid the fuss of having to take apart our chairs so we were using the hackney carriages. Until one frustrating ride back from the Empire to the hotel... After the cabby pressed some buttons which made the fare jump up my wife asked him why. As he held up a sheet with the charges and pointed to the '2 Passengers with Luggage' he said "I'm not trying to rip you off. I try to help you kind." Wheelchairs and luggage are exactly the same thing, obviously. Then we arrived at the hotel. I'd checked the uber app for an idea of the fair while we waited at the Empire and it was £6-£8. The meter read £18.50! For a journey a little over 1 mile.

He didn't stop the meter and say ok that's £18.50 which was ridiculous anyway. He left it running while he put the wheels on my wifes chair (very slowly) so he checks the meter before I pay and it's on £21.80. Obviously I argue about that. If he's charging us for luggage he can't charge us for the time to put the luggage together. So then he say's ok call it £20. Call it £20! Bleedin' call it bleedin' £20. Ok then. But I'm not giving you a tip.

The next day I thought well I may aswell just try uber to see if they can take wheelchairs. The driver came and we got our chairs and luggage in and off we went. The car was pretty nice, the driver was awesome and it was a good trip. The estimated fare was £16-£18. I had £10 credit so according to my email receipt it cost just £6!!! The cab that we took when we arrived cost £24.

When I had a sandwhich

2014-06-08T20:17:00.002+01:00

I've been neglecting this blog a bit lately. I'll work on not doing that.
My energy levels are finally getting back to 'pre thyroid destruction' levels. Thanks to the synthesized thyroxine. I'll be going for a followup on Wednesday so the real hard figures will be disclosed to me.

Policy U-turn
I have started to cut eggs out of my diet. Until I can find a source that ethically collects them. I've realised how meaningless the 'free range' label is.

Diet Ponderings
I didn't eat much dairy directly anyway. Except cheese, dairy milk chocolate, and ice cream. Dairy free ice cream tastes better anyway. So does chocolate. I'm sure there is a cheese alternative that's good too.

I had these and they are pretty good. They taste almost too convincingly like bacon. The good thing is they don't contain the annoying stringy fat that gets stuck in your teeth that actual bacon does.

Is there any point in being vegan?
Well yes because I get all the health benefits of eating food that isn't full of hormones, carcinogens, antibiotics, et al. However, until more people are vegan than aren't nothing is going to change. Even if that happened meat and dairy production will still continue and will be subsidised by the people avoiding it.

More soon.

Oh I read that dairy has a bigger link to cancer than smoking does. Someone needs to lobby for plain packaging and age restrictions.
http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/12/7/597.full

When someone was at the door

2014-04-26T18:08:00.000+01:00

This guy trolls the world on instagram, apparently, because his parents are rich. Click the image to see more ludicrous wastes of money. I'm disappointed he doesn't wipe his ass on $100 bills. I'd like to think he tried it but found they just smeared shit all around his stupidly rich anus.

Jokes on him; really what he needs is some servants
to do that. Or a sort of plumbed in flushing device.

Anyway the actual post today is going to be about couriers and their inability to do their job which to be frank is fucking easy. Frank swears like fucking a lot so lets stop shitting fuck faces and be less Frank now you fucking douche nozzle (pictured above). Couriering is such an easy job it is often a mechanic used in video games of various genres.

Except when they deliver to my abode. Rather than use the intercom they gain access silently somehow. They covertly sneak around the hall. Then they lightly brush the door like it's fashioned from clitorisses. Clitorii, maybe. Immediately they start writing the "Oops sorry we missed you card." They pop that through the letter box, slamming the flap down. Boot the door and then run away before the sound reverberates on my eardrum. I need a door bell. Not just a doorbell though a NSA approved http://www.skybell.com!

It happens all the time because my wife and I do order quite a lot of stuff online.

Trouble with the rozzers apparently. I'm tempted to post things but believe it or not I do try to filter what I say. I guess I have a bit of Jeremy Clarkson in me. Not that bit. That came out wrong. Why is it so hard....

New paragraph. Let's be Vegan but not "Vegan".
What does that mean? Well it would be a little silly to have "animal companions", as vegans call them, yet not eat animals or their products. I mean hypocritical not silly. Live stock is bred for food and pets are bred for companionship. It's essentially the same thing.

Also I plan to eat eggs. I don't understand how gorging oneself on the byproduct of a chickens menstrual cycle is exploitative. They've finished with it. Unless there is a Lavish (Cock) to fertilize them.
Dairy has some ethical issues. Technically its not wrong but the mistreatment, exploitation, and cruelty isn't ethical. It's a bit weird though. So mass market dairy products are off my shopping list.

Why be not quite a vegan? Because it's not like I've decided not to eat animals in order to say "Hey, I'm vegan." I'm not a vegan. I don't need a label.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/rachelysanders/amazing-vegan-ice-cream-recipes - yum.
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/breakfastrecipe1/r/veganpancakes.htm - that recipe will need tweaking to include eggs.

My mom and mike visited us earlier this week. If you follow my twits feed you will have seen some of the awesome stuff Mike built for our cats.

@tehste

He also built us mesh things for our windows. Which allows us to sleep without worrying that Sadie will fall out of the window.

When I switched IDE

2014-04-21T21:53:00.002+01:00

Integrated Development Environment
I thought I'd try Android Studio, even if it's a preview version, rather than using eclipse to create android apps. I like it.

American pancakes and maple syrup are also essential to the IDE. As is the carcinogenic beverage.

Enough about that though.

Interesting fact: DartaGnan (hard G) loves maple syrup. Strange boy.

He loves to sleep on a wheelchair. I'm not sure why. The others prefer the sofa, their beds, the rug, our bed, on their tree, or on the cardboard sofa we got them.

I'll write more soon. I'll leave you with some original artwork:

it became this icon:

When I waited

2014-03-18T10:07:00.001+00:00

I've spent a lot of time waiting. For things to get better, for things to get worse, and for things. It's often wasted time. Time wasted isn't actually wasted. Or so the intellectual would argue.

They may bring indefinable metrics like enjoyment into it. Yeah I'm enjoying waiting around for 2 hours before my scheduled appointment, which obviously won't be on time, for the transport. It gives me time to write this. At least time to start this.

Bananafuckingrama that's the theme this year. A radioactive bull shit infused catastrophe. I'm not talking about MH370 again, am I? A scapegoat for the delivery of a large nuclear device to detonate over the USA. Not to bring destruction but so the EMP knocks out the power grid. To bring chaos.

No that's too convoluted NaSA could easily blaim the sun for that. It's funny how Russia 'illegally' annexed Crimea much to the irritation of international boobs. Chafing jokes aside. There were no sexed up dossiers. No suicides. Just a coincidental hijacking.

I'm making light of world affairs.
I must add a disclaimer. All views expressed are actually Daniel Mills' and not no one elses.

Scapegoated.

When people have agendas

2014-03-16T01:46:00.000+00:00

Right so I have been super busy recently because of my professional and personal life. The time I have available in a day to spend awake is hampered at the moment too... Yes my thyroid results came back. I had to wait to see the GP to see the actual results since obviously the patient has no business even attempting to understand what is happening with their health. Obliterated to smithereens most likely. My thyroid is MIA. So hormones must be ingested daily. Unfortunately my GP was a little cautious prescribing me with hormones so it's going to be a slow path to normalization.

The good news is my heart rate is now always slow. There are tons of negative things though, as this rather beautiful visual aid demonstrates.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothyroidism

I've noticed that it's been harder to get into the zone - where thinking outside the box is a meaningless bit of smalltalk (German for small talk). The zone is where ones head must be to be able to program. It's a magic place. I've developed a technique - well adapted the technique all men use to avoid listening. To respond yes and yeah to everything. It lets me avoid having to leave the state where I am in the zone at full flow to enter the real world to consider the question. Yes the brain is a super fast computer but that switch takes a while and reaching flow again takes forever. There are some negatives to answering yes to everything but a lot less than swallowing a radioactive iodine pill...

The Zone is known as Flow

Distractions are bad especially when I'm finding I am easy to be distracted. So productivity is suffering. Somehow I'm still functioning and getting stuff done which is all that matters. Though it takes a toll and so on days like today I sleep way too much.

This video is amazing. I watch it often. I guess it's akin to reading a silly book of extraordinary examples of blatant witchcraft. But without then accusing many, many people of witchcraft during centuries of persecution...

Why is there religion? Why is there professional sport? Why is the distribution of wealth and resources so unfair? What sort of society punishes, stigmatises, and increases hardship on the most vulnerable? Why does flight MH370 matter so much? Why all the secrecy? The media has been misleading people. Why? Is it linked to 9/11? The trident. What does it mean? What's happening with Ukraine, Russia and Crimea. Why did China abstain?

How big are the biggest 'problems'? How insignificant we are. Really.

Further Reading: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)

Oh here is a contradiction. If you're in the UK please consider signing this.
motion-of-no-confidence-in-the-way-in-which-iain-duncan-smith-has-managed-the-department-for-work-and-pensions