The internet has become a great place for like-minded people to discuss whatever they are into, no matter how obscure the topic. I've used various forums to discuss A/V equipment, Linux and other subjects. Depending on how into that topic or if I need advice I may visit the forums infrequently or several times a day. My current obsession is improving my guitar playing.

On Friday I got a message from my dad to ask if I was interested in seeing Eric Clapton at the Albert Hall the following night. His neighbour has a box and there was a seat going spare. I've been listening to Eric's music for many years and admire him as a guitarist, but was not really in the 'Clapton is God' camp. Still, I couldn't pass up this opportunity to see one of the greats in this iconic venue that I had not visited before.

For a change I listened to some of my old LPs today. I have a turntable running through an old DJ mixer (for the pre-amp) into the second input of my PC speakers. This won't get the most from the vinyl, but still sounded good. I don't have a 'proper' hi-fi set-up, much as I'd like to. These 3 feature some of my favourite guitarists Finyl Vinyl, but not the Ronnie James Dio bits. Love Ritchie Blackmore. I feel the need to get Difficult to Cure Eat 'em and Smile. Featuring Steve Vai Houses of the Holy. Jimmy Page is probably still my number one.

Scrobbled my 25,000th track today listening to Hüsker Dü

Although we have the first film on DVD I have yet to watch it all, but I've seen enough to say that this is more of the same, but with a slightly larger canvas as the action moves from New York to the Smithsonian museum complex in Washington DC. It's fun stuff with action most of the way. Not much in the way of slushy relationship stuff. Good performances from most of the cast, especially Frank Azaria as the nasty Egyptian. Ben Stiller doesn't do much for me. Lots of neat lines with a few aimed at the parents. Next thing we're likely to see could be Harry Potter

Assorted

Flames and lots of smoke from a fire at the industrial estate near us in Wembley

Shared by steevc I just do identi.ca and Twitter using Gwibber or Twhirl

I’ve only been micro-blogging for about a month now, and already, it’s gotten complicated.

Diagram of my micro-blogging world

Shared by steevc Wish I had that at work, and at home

Remember Stack Overflow Valued Associate #00002? Me neither. Until I saw these photographs of his developer lair, that is:

Never let it be said that I don’t practice what I preach — or rather, that I don’t encourage my teammates to build themselves a proper developer lair!

Seen here:

Shared by steevc Using a modem that's older than me! I used acoustic couplers back in the late 70s. Didn't come in wooden boxes

In a nod to Kevin Kelly’s Immortal Technologies hypothesis that no technology actually ever goes extinct, we have this tidbit.  Slash Dot reports that a hacker named Phreakmonkey got his hands on a circa 1964 Livermore Data Systems “Model A” Acoustic Coupler Modem and managed to actually surf the web on it… albeit very slowly. Thanks to Ben Keating for sending the pointer.