Caught!

Caught!

Originally uploaded by Frogey

Caught Jake today resting his weary bones by snoozing on the clean washing just taken out of the drier. His expression was priceless!

My Chickens Come Home to Roost

Oh dear.

My friend James worryingly informs me that someone just arrived at his blog by using the search terms “Iain MacKinnon Antichrist”…

The chickens have apparently come home to roost.

MacBook Pro Case Redesigns?

As regular visitors to this page may be aware, I’ve just sunk a whack of cash on a new MacBook Pro to replace my ailing Powerbook G4. The new machine should make mincemeat of tasks that the PB toiled over as it limped on with a nearly-full hard drive and one dead RAM slot. I should notice HUGE performance improvements in just about every area with the MBP. I held on for a few months knowing an update was round the corner with the Penryn chips, but when they finally dropped on Tuesday, I almost didn’t jump for it because they didn’t have the case redesign I had expected. When I thought it through, though, I took the plunge.
It seems the Editor of MacWorld is in the same situation as I was, but as he mulled it over he hit on the notion that Apple have actually perfected the designs of its product lines, and thus, any changes to come will only be minor. Perfected?? I don’t think so, but to an extent, he has a point. I’m glad I bought one when I did.

The basic design of my new machine is virtually identical to that of the 4 year-old Powerbook it’s replacing. Why leave it as it is? Well, the simple fact is, even though it’s getting old, the design is still sleeker and nicer than pretty much any other machine out there. There have been a few refinements, and I dare say they could make some more, but it really is exceptionally beautiful.  And don’t forget, it’s just the external case! The real meat & potatoes are inside, and that part certainly HAS been changing.

So why chould they change the case? Well, I have a couple of minor gripes.

1) The paint-pitting issue on the wrist area. My Powerbook looks vile there now and it’s actually uncomfortable to use. There must be some sort of compound they can use to sort this out. Also, that front edge is pretty sharp…

2) The latch. The hook-latch system is horribly flawed. Surely the next revision will have the magnetic latch of the MacBook and the Air?

Neither of these is a deal-breaker for me. OK, I was also a little disappointed at the lack of a MacBook/Air-style  keyboard, but again, that’s nothing serious. It’s still the sexiest darn machine that’s out there right now.
So will they change the case? Will there be a major facelift when the Montevina architecture comes in this summer? I’d be surprised if they didn’t, quite honestly. At least a little. Maybe a lot.

I could have held on for another 6 months. I could have waited for a new design. I could have held off buying because something better was round the corner. The problem is that there’s ALWAYS something better round the corner and I need the machine NOW. And in two or three years time, my MacBook Pro will still be a great computer, just as my Powerbook has been.

And if Steve does release a new case design later this year?

Well, I’ll probably post my MBP up on eBay before you can blink and get the new machine like the blinkered, materialistic, hypocritical Apple fanboy that I am.

Night Time Tomfoolery

Night Time Tomfoolery

Originally uploaded by Frogey

Shot last night at 11.30 in the stables.

30 second exposure, an LED torch and a manic grin.

It’s Ordered!!!

MacBook Pro 15″

Part Number: Z0EZ

Apple Remote 065-7478250GB

Serial ATA @ 5400 rpm 065-7451

Country Kit 065-7241

MacBook Pro 15-inch Glossy Widescreen Display 065-7449

SuperDrive 8X (DVD+R DL/DVD+RW/CD-RW) 065-7453

2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM – 2×1GB 065-7443

2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 065-7441

Keyboard & Mac OS 065-7459

 

Oh yay, oh yay, oh yay!!! 4GB Ram kit also on way from Crucial! Oh yay, oh yay, oh yay!!!!!

 

Insert Caption Here

If you don’t get it, you weren’t there.

“Barack Obama Antichrist” posts getting super-scary…

This is rapidly moving from silly to scary.

This was originally going to be a reply to a previous blog comment, but it outgrew itself. I simply cannot believe some of the ideas and arguments being expressed by certain individuals. Things were bad before, but they suddenly got worse.

For those who have just dropped by, I’d better explain briefly. Over a year ago I expressed the opinion that I liked Barack Obama’s political and religious attitude. Some wingnut mentioned that they thought he was the Antichrist and to my horror, I noticed my blog stats climbing from people searching for “Barack Obama Antichrist”. I posted some tongue-in-cheek stuff mocking this a bit, but soon realised that a lot of people actually believed it. I got two comments today though that simply terrified me. I shall post the highlights here…

Pattie says, “He is and always will be a MUSLIM. … He goes to an all black church to cover up his being a muslim… No one but blacks will ever benefit from his presidency. He will make sure whites never have power again, trust me.”

This is so unbelieveably appalling that I’m not even going to try and argue with it. I’m just greatly saddened at the fact that such views could still be held in a so-called civilised country.

Then Robin says, “barack h obama is related to osama bin ladin ya know. obama is the anti-christ. how can americans vote for a muslim after the 911 inncodent? this is a christian nation and obama wants to take that away from america, obama said this is no more a christian nation . then what nation is it? everything that is happening tells all in the king james version holy bible in revelations.obama is the anti-christ, he was born to do just what he was trained to do all his life, take over the most powerfull nation and make it vulnerable and weak for the biggest war of all time. i will note vote for a muslim due to disrespect to america and the families that lost loved ones in the 911 twin towers and flight 193 and pentagon. its a terrible shame that america is going to be in prison to the anti-christ obama. i hope there is going to be a christian assassinater. obama is the son of hell , the devil.”

Where do I start? Robin, if you check your “King James version Holy Bible” you may discover that the book is called ‘Revelation’, not in fact ‘Revelations’. If your reading of the book of Revelation is as accurate as your reading of its title, then I think we can safely discount pretty much everything else you just said.

I have no idea if Obama said America was no longer a Christian nation, but anyone who does say it is right. It ISN’T. And nor is the UK. Both countries may have a moral and legal system that was originally founded on christian principles, but in no meaningful way could either nation be viewed as Christian. In any case, what is a ‘Christian nation’ anyway? Short of everyone in the USA being converted, it never has been and never will be a Christian nation. Nations aren’t christian; individual people are.

As for THIS – “i hope there is going to be a christian assassinater.” Good grief, people! What on EARTH are you saying?? You want the man DEAD??? This is beyond a joke. What could possibly stir up such hatred in a person?

I am shocked. I am deeply concerned. And above all I am saddened that  anyone, regardless of colour or creed, could possibly express such worrying thoughts, bigotry and prejudice. You want proof that America isn’t a christian nation? There it is, right there.

Movie Hell

It occurred to me last night that if it turned out that my faith was misguided and I actually turned up in hell when I died, the first thing they would do would be take me to a little room and force me to watch Steve Martin movies on a constant loop.

More Obama Antichrist Ranting: This is Getting RIDICULOUS.

People, people…. I am getting seriously worried about some of you. Since my tongue-in-cheek “Is Barack Obama the Antichrist” post and my brazenly facetious numerology post, traffic to Mackle has been getting busier, up until a crazy explosion with the beginning of the primaries when my visits increased thirty-fold. As a Scot, I entered this whole field with the curious interest of an outside observer. What I’ve actually observed has been nothing short of terrifying.

The whole end-times/prophetic/eschatological guesswork obsession which is rife on Christian TV has obviously infiltrated the popular consciousness in a big way.

I include here a selection of my favourite soundbites from the comments on my assorted Obama blogs, complete with typos…

“I strive to be ever so careful when discussing such issues and placing names. Still, when I see this guy, something sits “wierd” with me. (It could be the eccentric name) “

“I have just spent the last 30 minutes reading posts about Barack being the antichrist… I thought the idea must be crazy, but my curiousity got the best of me and I did a quick Google search.”

“I never saw his face but only GEARD his words, and his voice and his tone and REALIZED that WTF this man is the antichrist. I never even knew Obama or who he was prior to that “

“barack obama is a wierdo!! he resembles the anti christ! is there any way we can determine if he is or not?”

“It just so happens that Obama is the anti-christ. I believe so and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with any logic I have employed or any racist attitudes that I may have. Fact is, this man is the antichrist. It was weird how it was revealed to me …”

“…and here it is a year before elections and people already are set on him for president. Has that ever happen to a president before? NO…

“isn’t it said that the antichrist will die and then come back? well, isn’t his middle name hussein???”

“I don’t trust him one bit. I don’t for a second buy that he’s now “Christian.””

“Tonight the answer was right there in front of me. When he took the stage to give his Iowa Caucus Victory Speech he seemed cold and distant. “

“I had never heard of him before these elections, he has never really accomplished anything that I have been informed of, and to be perfectly honest, he has empty eyes, very empty eyes. I refuse to believe this man is a christian, I am a christian, that man is not.”

Oh, it goes on and on…

Look, folks. You may not like him. You may have racist attitudes you struggle with. You may have listened to too many end-times date-callers and watched too much TBN. You may think he’s creepy. You may think his policies are bad. You may think his haircut is bad. He may just give you the heebie-jeebies (as my wife feels!) but you can’t go around saying he’s not a christian and even more bizarrely claiming that he’s the Antichrist based on a combination of your Heebie-Jeebie feeling, your TBN habit and his Surname.

As a Christian, can I plead with the Christians on here to get on with loving God, living as salt and light, spreading the gospel and loving each other instead of getting hung up in eschatological craziness. Nobody knows who the Antichrist is – it hasn’t been revealed yet. In fact, who said it was a single person at all?? It could be a whole system, just as Babylon is a personified system. The point is that we have the victory in Christ, these things MUST happen (whoever they will involve and whenever they will occur) and calling dates, times, names and such just makes you look like idiots if you’re wrong, just as everyone who claimed to know who it was over the last 2000 years look like idiots now that it is apparent that they were talking nonsense.

Enough with the wild claims, people, and concentrate on living the life God called you to.

To quote Skank Bangerton (!!!!), the most profane commenter on my blog so far, and who added his nugget while I was composing this post…

“Barack Obama may be the Antichrist. I doubt it.”