Which feature do you miss most?

Saturday 31 October 2009

One-Shot (31/10/09)

Maintaining a blog of essentially quick missives when you're a massive pessimist is contrary to posterity.

Thursday 29 October 2009

One-Shot (29/10/09)

There is no reasonable explanation for Amazon to recommend Javari shoes and handbags to me in an e-mail. None at all.

Wednesday 28 October 2009

One-Shot (28/10/09)

NHL 10, based on the demo, is highly playable. It's slick, rich, and as gorgeous as you'd expect from the EA Sports stable. However, the control system is... less than accessible. Instead of an obvious, traditional, and highly practical "x is pass, o is tackle, square is shoot" type deal, the player is treated - no, subjected - to an interface that makes Resident Evil 5's online shenanigans look well designed. It's like someone's been fiddling around with the option screen, assigning commands to obtuse buttons. The potential ease of rectification, of course, is the most grating thing. File under: debacle.

Tuesday 27 October 2009

One-Shot (27/10/09)

In the wake of the Pixies' "Into The White", any band to use the word "quasar" in their lyrics (even the mighty Pavement on "Stereo") will sound like try-hards.

Monday 26 October 2009

One-Shot (26/10/09)

The wait is almost over; Sainthood, Tegan and Sara's new album, is almost upon us. During a discussion of this yesterday, I mentioned that I'm deliberately not listening to the album tracks available on the group's MySpace page (and presumably a myriad of other, suspect sources) in favour of holding off 'til release day. In doing so, I sensed that I was revealing myself to be amongst the smallest of small minorities - a young person with patience, scruples and taste. One day on, the lack of response to that assertion seems to confirm this.

Even though I highly suspect this post - like all others - will be met with an equally non-existent response, I'll throw this out there (hey, maybe someone will think about it or something?) Do you do the same thing, if/when faced with the wait for a sought-after album, film, book, whatever or do you indulge yourself, legally or otherwise? This isn't designed to be a guilt-trip. I'd genuinely like to know.

Sainthood is released tomorrow.

Sunday 25 October 2009

One-Shot (25/10/09)

Listening to Pavement reminds me of the time when MTV2 was M2 and still required viewing.

Saturday 24 October 2009

One-Shot (24/10/09)

Two things about this article (from, surprise surprise, CHUD) are great:

1.) The picture that inspired it. Seriously, Liam Neeson looks class.
2.) After years of quoting from only the most niche of Simpsons fans, "embiggen" may have finally entered the modern lexicon.

Friday 23 October 2009

One-Shot (23/10/09)

Sunday's clash between Liverpool and Manchester United is the stuff Sky Sports employees dream of*, especially considering the former's less than stellar form and the latter's still-open wounds from their last league clash. However, none of this changes the fact that the Premiership is still far from being even close to decided. It's October. October. You can throw all the stats you like at me, cynics, but it won't change a thing; neither United nor Liverpool are to be written off at this stage, regardless of how many defeats they may have incurred.

* as you can see from any number of links on Football 365's homepage, including this one.

Wednesday 21 October 2009

One-Shot (21/10/09)

I intended to make this One-Shot a general AFI-related musing, a memoir of the good times and tunes they've given me over the years, and a chance to vocalize the curious sensations their current wardrobe gives me. However, all of that changed when I saw the featured playlist near the bottom of this page. "Darling, I Want to Destro" - ? Perhaps, my reservations were unfounded after all? Goodbye, oh-so-somber veneer; hello, new G.I. Joe-related masterworks!

Tuesday 20 October 2009

One-Shot (20/10/09)

After almost a year of this blog, it just occurred to me how odd - and wrong - it is that our sub-banner reads "mind dumps for the masses" (my emphasis.) As much as I love it, that may need to be rejigged.

Monday 19 October 2009

One-Shot (19/10/09)

A man walks up to his place of employment. He finds the shutters almost closed, yet he needs to get inside. A strange man is standing near the doors on the other side. Fortunately, a familiar colleague is standing next to him. The man outside motions to the strange man to get his colleague's attention. The strange man grimaces, shrugs off the man's polite, clear request with a "can't help ya, mate" glance, before resuming his stupor.

The man outside reiterates his request, this time more forcefully. To the delight of the excluded man and, indeed, common sense, his colleague turns, and sees him. He is, finally, granted entrance. Shortly thereafter, the rude man gives the inconvenienced man and all of his colleagues a lecture on appropriate behaviour when dealing with dodgy types. In particular, the rude man emphasizes the benefits of a polite, friendly demeanour.

Humanity weeps.

Sunday 18 October 2009

One-Shot (18/10/09)

Remember this? One thing that leaps out at me - and not for the first time - is the inexplicable allure of copying and pasting news for a facsimile site of your own, devoid of any context or original opinion. That and the amount of people doing it seemingly.

Friday 16 October 2009

One-Shot (16/10/09)

Unlike so many people, I have a conscience. As such, I give two squirts about things such as morality and general decency. This is true of real-life and online. To that end, I thought I'd point out something regarding the latter that's caught my attention. It's not often I link to something found on Blogger*, given that it's filled with mostly irrelevant, twee gubbins**. This, however, appears to be an exception. I've not listened to the podcast yet and I may comment on it in a later One-Shot. In the mean-time, why not give it a listen? The better to leave a comment and get in the game we like to call Low Standards for High Fives. Y'know, 'cos there's more to the Internet than just unfunny and appalling spelling and grammar.

* Or anything not found on CHUD.com.
** Sorry, Blogger. I'm attacking the subjects, not the system.

Thursday 15 October 2009

One-Shot (15/10/09)

If you've been somehow eavesdropping on a recent brace of conversations I've had with Christophe, you'll understand this. If you've not, you should still be able to appreciate the beauty on show.

Wednesday 14 October 2009

One-Shot (14/10/09)

As has been mentioned before, Low Standards is an accommodating team. We don't care what you do in your spare time (as long as it's not bomb-building or some such guff, obviously.) We like to think of ourselves as an enlightened group. However, I personally have a massive problem with a term like "trisexual." I'm not saying I have a problem with the behaviour and/or lifestyle choices associated with it - or anyone who does like it and choose to live their life that way. I'm saying I have a massive problem the word itself. That word needs to die. Permanently.

Monday 12 October 2009

One-Shot (12/10/09)

As we say 'round here, hauld onnn! To refer to England's current football squad as a "Golden Generation" is an insult to the term. The nucleus of France's 98 World Cup and 00 European Championship winning sides? Yes. England's "win a match, we're formidable"/"lose a match, we're worried" current crop? Nah, mate. Anyone asking what a Northern Irishman knows about golden generations in a less than friendly tone can feel free to swivel; you don't need to taste the bullet to know it ain't tasty.

Thursday 8 October 2009

One-Shot (08/10/09)

Interesting. Firstly, I can't see it happening. This comes up every so often and leads to nothing but reiterations of the same auld cynicism. Secondly, Celtic Chief Executive Peter Lawwell seems to consider his club less a football team than a piece of art. He also couldn't resist making a jibe at Rangers' expense, the implication being that Celtic have greater appeal and "brand recognition" than the 'Gers on a global scale. Perhaps, Mr. Lawwell should note which Old Firm side are:

a.) Champions of Scotland.
b.) In the Champions League.

Tuesday 6 October 2009

One-Shot (06/10/09)

FIFA 10 plays almost identically to FIFA 09. Naysayers, hold your naying. While it's hardly strange for two football games (especially, two successive titles in the same series) to be similar, the Pro Evolution Soccer titles of the early 00's on the PlayStation 2 were markedly different from their predecessors, building on the already impressive game template, tweaking old problems, and adding great new features. What any good game sequel should do, essentially. In this case, I just don't see that.

Monday 5 October 2009

One-Shot (05/10/09)

Get well soon, Frankie Boyle. How someone hasn't gave you your own sitcom is beyond me. Incidentally, even the presence of Dara O'Briain can't make me tune into Mock The Week now.

Sunday 4 October 2009

One-Shot (04/10/09)

I am part of a small band of independent thinkers on this planet who:

a.) Do not watch The X-Factor.
b.) Prefer Dannii Minogue to Cheryl Cole.

Friday 2 October 2009

One-Shot (02/10/09)

Sam Worthington just does nothing for me. No harm to the guy, but he's not got any real presence or "oomph" factor. Like a real-life Vincent Chase.

Thursday 1 October 2009

One-Shot (01/10/09)

Unlikely movie sequel I want to see: The Wind That Shakes The Barley 2: Gale Force.