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September 2010

Monthly Archive

Ratebird status

Posted by Sam on 13 Sep 2010 | Tagged as: Mozilla

Ratebird 0.51 is out; just a minor, and slightly dirty, update before I rewrite most of the core code.  It’s overdue a rewrite, as the extension is getting harder and harder to maintain without any kind of OO love.  After that, I’ll take a little time to port the RYMEnhancer section to Firefox (and potentially Chrome), before moving on to address the multiple matches issue.

Brewing update

Posted by Sam on 05 Sep 2010 | Tagged as: Food & Drink

  • Dandelion and Apricot Wine – ended up more Apricoty than a very Apricoty thing.  I only have one bottle out of 6 left.  It was pretty good for a first attempt at wine-making.
  • Mulberry Mead – just keeps getting better and better.  The Mulberry flavour has come out a lot, almost competing with the heather now.  Wonderfully drinkable considering how dry it is.
  • Sorb, Orange & Ginger Wine – bitter yet sweet, and hard to drink…a sipper.  Still balanced and pretty yum, despite the malty aftertaste dropping off a bit.  Smells like Pink Grapefruit.  Could do with a bit more roundedness, hopefully another 4-6 months aging should do it.
  • Elderberry and Mulberry Wine – FINALLY bordering on drinkable, although still tastes like a young red wine.  This one may need another year before it’s good; I wonder if this is because it was made from 100% juice?
  • Rowan and Spiced Plum Wine – The overly sweet pre-mulled christmas delight is still overly sweet, and still tastes like a mulled wine should.  I think the plum might be coming out a bit more, which is nice.  Should be really good when it starts to get properly cold – assuming we don’t have a horrible mild and wet winter like most years these days.
  • Rosehip, Blood Orange & Hibiscus Wine – I took forever to get this one going, for one reason and another.  It’s fully fermented now and somehow really rather drinkable; I thought this was meant to take 2 years?  Anyway it can wait at least a year; my patience scares me sometimes :)
  • Elderflower and Rhubarb Wine – Again, just finished and strangely drinkable.  Very weird, although this one should only be 6-8 months before it’s properly tasty.
  • Dandelion, Green Raisin & Ginger Wine – On the way to fermentation, I just need to get some bottles to free up a demijon and more sugar.

You can’t beat a quick (silly) list.

Posted by Sam on 01 Sep 2010 | Tagged as: Internets, Music

Don’t take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you’ve heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag some friends, including me, because I’m interested in seeing what albums my friends choose.

  • Marilyn Manson – Antichrist Superstar
  • Radiohead – OK Computer
  • Portishead – Dummy
  • Massive Attack – Mezzanine
  • Anathema – Judgement
  • Nine Inch Nails – The Downward Spiral
  • Strapping Young Lad – City
  • A Perfect Circle – 13th Step
  • Tool – Lateralus
  • ISIS – Panopticon
  • The Angelic Process – Weighing Souls with Sand
  • Deathspell Omega – Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice
  • Drudkh – Blood In Our Wells
  • Troum & All Sides – Shutûn
  • Steve Roach – Mystic Chords & Sacred Spaces

Obviously, there is a new version of Ratebird out, to celebrate 1000 downloads.  There’s some trimming, and some new stuff.  Next time, there will be some more new stuff.  And some more trimming.  Here’s to the next 1000, and subsequent taking over of the world…