simonb.com: blog > articles from May, 2005

Very cool video demo by Will Wright (The Sims) of his new game called Spore. Discussion of generative animation. (Registration required)

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Bar Rouge, The Bund, Shanghai

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Last night the termites that have been living in our door frame graduated to flying bugs, mated and died. There was millions of them. An inch deep on the floor. They got everywhere - in books, in keyboards, under adhesive tape. Took us four hours to clean up.

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You would think that when sticking your company name onto your company building you would ask someone to check the English. Think again. Also note the stange Nava/Napa Valley duality. Spooky.

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Is this the dumbest dialog box in the world? Its been with us for so long and apparently is still in the Tiger.

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Heard on Shanghai TV News at Ten. “Qualifying toilets will be downsized.” In a story about saving water.

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The trials of washing machine repair.

So we’ve got an Electrolux washing machine. Works fine for a year and a day. Until, like every other piece of consumer electronics, as soon as the warranty expires the equipment does too. “E20” says the display. “Drainage error” says the manual. So we call Electrolux - explain we’ve got the drainage error. Two blokes arrive. No tools. No spare parts. Can’t do anything. Go away. Next day. Same thing. Different blokes. By this time the wife is simmering. In the evening another bloke appears cap in hand - he doesn…

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