What is this?! Why aren’t you just FIXING VISTA?!

I should just quit this site and replace it with a direct link to Videogum. Every day, it’s more gold from those guys, and I can only do justice to the following by relaying what they have to say on the matter.

“In 2009, even the lamest cultural contributions have some kind of underlying self-awareness. Like, even the people who work for Bill O’Reilly, or the SkyMall catalog, are aware that what they work on sucks. But a job’s a job and they probably find a way to have fun with it (especially at the SkyMall catalog.) So that’s why this REAL commercial for Microsoft’s new Songsmith software (you sing at it and it creates horrible musak to accompany you) is completely insane. Not only is it apparently earnest and not a parody, self- or otherwise, it seems like it comes from a bizarro parallel universe where irony was never discovered. It’s like Microsoft found some kind of home-schooling Christian commune in the woods and hired them to make their commercial.”

(Update: I just realised! It’s ‘Trapped In The Closet’ by white people! They even mention a closet!)

(Update 2:  Jim says “… the father in the ad is actually one of the developers, Dan Morris.  I’ll bet the guy in the coffee shop is another developer.So the reason the whole ad feels ‘off’ is probably because they made it themselves.”)

Tell it to the hair!

I’m going to stop using the little speech bubble thing so I can use more pics like this one. But to be clear, this is my regular Friday open thread. Remember to be delightful, and maybe go easy on the questions until I get my breath back. Otherwise, knock thyselves out!

He’s in for one wild ride, baby!

Wait’ll that kid gets a load of all the great games available for the Wii! Like the one where you excercise! Or the one where you take out the bins!

(via the indispensible Videogum)

Attention, followers!

I just got a bezillion new ‘followers’ for my Twitter feed , which is nice. You’re all very welcome, and it’s great to see so many people using the service. Of course, Twitter doesn’t work quite the way it’s supposed to in the UK, which leads me to ask a question.

How much are you being charged for sending and receiving texts? That much, huh? Well, I guess it must cost the phone companies something to provide the service, which is why you’re paying that amount you somehow just mentioned to me. Apparently, it costs UK companies even more, which is why Twitter are unable to provide their full service in this country. Apparently, phone companies in the UK couldn’t possibly bring down their text costs so that Twitter can work here the way it works everywhere else in the world.

Well, guess how much each text message costs these companies, here and everywhere else? Nothing. That’s right! Nnnnnnnnothing! That’s some markup! It’s lucky we’re not in any kind of financial crisis at the moment and can afford to just give money away to rich people!

(Update: Jonathan Ryland, who played the Builder from Hell in this latest series of ‘The IT Crowd’ (and the Ship Captain in ‘Dark Knight’, fact fans!)  informs me that Chris Gent, ex chief executive of Vodafone, once described text costs as “the closest thing to pure profit ever invented.”)

Let’s have some hibbity hop!

(via Videogum)

Deeply unimpressive magical nerds

My new favourite phrase: “How about meeting me around eleven o clock for a drink or so?” A drink or so? And look out for the same guy’s snappy comeback to the girl’s ‘weirdo’ comment. I wish I could come up with zingers like that in social situations.

(thanks…whoever sent me this!)

Ask your arse off

I promised I’d turn one of these comment threads into a Q&A, so let’s dance! Ask me what you want about ‘The IT Crowd’ and I’ll do my best to brighten the corners. Don’t expect immediate responses, as I really must get on with my life, and please don’t be offended if I don’t get around to answering everything. I’ll do my best, though.