(no subject)

While I'm in a computery mood, I would like to say that I am still very annoyed at Mandrake Linux! I tried to upgrade XMMS (an MP3 player) today, since the version I have chokes on mp3s that Winamp has played properly for years. So I download the relevant package, and it tells me I need a different library package to be replaced first. Ok, so I download the library package, clicking on the link to it which is on the page I just got the XMMS package from. This then has to uninstall a few things that relied on the original version. All well and good. Unfortunately when I come to install XMMS, it is incompatible with the library package I just downloaded because it needs a very specific version, older than the one I just installed. So now it is half-installed and nothing works. Aaaargh. It's all so horribly fragile. I would say to developers, STOP WITH THE EXCESSIVE MODULARITY. It's good for programming, but utterly crap for system configuration. So what if your program grows from 3MB to 4MB because you duplicated a library instead of expecting the user to chase around the internet to find the exact version of that library you require?

I hate computers. And if none of the above made much sense to you, don't worry, it doesn't make much sense to me either.

Moving on... Ben's UK Electionwatch 2005 coverage continues:
"More minorities contest election"
Alternatives to the current system (somewhat tongue-in-cheek)

Today I will be 'enjoying' the sun, before coming home to do some coursework and maybe even start on my PgD project, which is somewhat hampered by the university library having absolutely no decent books on the area I am covering. At least it saves me from having to write a bibliography or references page. Fuckers.

"The Clan Destined"

Ok, some of you (altarsofgrrness and bedlamborn among others) might be interested in this, summarised thusly:

"Due to unprofessional behavior & defamation of character by Martin Walkyier [ex-SKYCLAD] against Iscariah [ex-IMMORTAL], we, the undersigned members of THE CLAN DESTINED have, unanimously and without hesitation, decided to leave the band.
[...]
Iscariah (a.k.a. Stian Smorholm)
Kara Sultan
Tony Wildwood
Lee Cassidy
Emily Dolan Davies"

And then further down in the thread, a comment by James Murphy says this:

"i've been working with Martin over at Backstage studio in the UK on finishing up the Clan Destined recording on and off (between recording for the Within The Mind memorial) for a month now, and planned it for a month prior to that, and none of the characters listed [...] have been involved in any way, shape, or form that i'm aware of during any of that time, with the sole exception of Stian (not sure about Lee though), who apparently quit right before i arrived in the UK. [...] one thing is for sure, Martin was saddened deeply by Stian's departure, i witnessed him nearly in tears over it and Lee definitely has never informed Martin that he was leaving."

Intriguing. It also mentions "Alyson Rouse – TCD member / UK promotion" on there, who I assume is the Aly I know from round here. Small world.