Damn you Lloydy! I’d noticed the 8 Random Things meme doing the rounds, hoping to avoid it after my previous encounter with memes. Then I notice you getting involved in my Google Reader with that bloody link to my site at the bottom of your post.

Before anything, here are the rules:

The Rules

• You have to post these rules before giving you the facts.
• Players state eight random facts/habits about themselves.
• At the end of the blog post, you tag eight people and list their names. (Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.)
• People who are tagged need to write about their eight things on their own blog and also post these rules.

Well, who am I to wreck the fun - here goes…

1. I’ve never been to Ibiza. Ever! Even though I bang on about dance music like there’s no tomorrow, hosting a monthly podcast about the stuff, moreso than the majority of industry bigwigs, I have never been lucky enough to visit the White Isle. If any promoters or venues out in the Balaerics fancy inviting me out there next Summer for a few gigs, get in contact.
2. I don’t actually own a working computer. Another shocker! Considering I’m a self-confessed nerd, working at arguably the world’s leading Web company, I am still without my own piece of kit. This is mainly down to the fact most my PCs have died a death and I’ve relied on work laptops & Mac’s to get me by. Maybe I’ll treat myself for Christmas - who knows.
3. I’ve had work featured in three computer magazines. Back in 2003, Computer Arts featured the multi-award winning educational piece, Hitting the Target and in 2006, .net and Practical Web Design both featured World Cup KickOff in tutorials about Microformats.
4. I’m a sponge for local dialects. It doesn’t matter where I live, I pick up the accent and local lingo almost immediately and strangers often think I am a local. People still mistake me for a Brummie but I am a proud Derby boy, even if my accent doesn’t sound like it.
5. I actually cut Oscar’s umbilical cord. I am a wimp when it comes to anything blood or gore. When the midwife asked if I wanted to cut Oscar’s umbilical cord after birth, I was quick to say “no” without hesitation. But when it came to the crunch, I changed my mind, grabbed the scissors and continued the tradition. It’s a very emotional moment - I highly recommend it to any fathers-to-be!
6. The first vinyl record I ever bought was Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You“. It was a struggle thinking back to when I was introduced to dance music on vinyl but I grabbed a copy of the classic when it was originally released before I even had any decks. Needles to say, I hijacked my dad’s 33/45 record player in the lounge with the volume nearly maxed out back then.
7. I’ve got a tattoo of a monkey on my arm. Well, sort of. It’s actually the Chinese symbol for the year of the monkey, the year I was born. I got it done during my university years as a mad stunt - thankfully, I don’t regret it. I don’t think its chavvy and its something that will always be a part of me.
8. I don’t have any artistic qualifications. Considering I’ve been involved in computer design for over fifteen years, I never opted for any art or design oriented courses. I’ve always focussed on the media and business side of qualifications instead.

Well there you have it - eight random things (or more accurately, confessions) about Simon Jobling. Hopefully these things won’t be held against me and seen more as a bit of insight into my world and what makes me… me!

Time for some tagging now - which unfortunate people who I class as friends (and actually blog) will have to continue this chain mail? In alphabetical order…

1. Kate Bolin - I’m sure you’ve got some things to tell!
2. Owen Gregory - we need some personal information on that blog of yours.
3. Nick Harris - it’s been a bit quiet from up North lately.
4. Andreas Lagerkvist - what better way to exchange links than finding out all your Swedish heritage?
5. Stuart Maynard-Keep - come on then Wolves boy, enlighten us.
6. Ross Riley - again, its been a bit quiet from your part of the Web. And your site is called Sorry Lies, how appropriate.
7. Andy Thelwell - I’ll probably know half your random facts anyway but it would still be fun for the other four readers of your site.
8. Ben Ward - you can stop moaning about your mobile and write something a bit more fun for once.

Have fun guys!

• xFruits - Compose your information system
  A very cool tool which mashes up RSS feeds into numerous other formats including mobile, PDF and email.
• How to charge your clients for email marketing - Campaign Monitor Blog
  A useful guide to billing your clients for email marketing campaigns, including how to breakdown costs and some example figures to work against.
• A design pattern for image and figure alignment at FactoryCity
  A neat idea for losing those “semanticly neutral” image align classes from K2 and replacing it with a more meaningful “figure” class.
• Carlsberg » AdverBox Advertising and Marketing Blog
  Carlsberg don’t do advertising, but if they did it would probably be the best advertising in the World.
• » Ariel Lightsadgoodness - advertising and design blog
  Brighter than white or brighter than light? Ariel’s guerilla campaign of changing yellow lights to white lights to prove their point. Only really works at night though.
• Twitter Tube Tracker
  Tom Morris has put together a neat little script that updates individual Twitter accounts with the latest problems from each London Tube station. Very handy if you commute around London!
• Now Playing - BitTorrent
  At long last, the power of BitTorrent has been recognised and has been made legal with backing from some of the largest media distributors in the industry. Reasonable prices should make this a winner!

(via del.icio.us)

• SEOmoz | 15 CSS Properties You Probably Never Use (but perhaps should)
  I’m a bit reluctant to implement some of the examples in this article but it does shed some light on properties that do have full browser support (such as the clip property).
• mezzoblue § Icon Design: Sizing
  Dave Shea explains why rescaling vectors to multiple sizes for icons just doesn’t work as you’d imagine and how to address it. Interesting read and well written.
• Shutdown Day
  It’s a great experiment - to go without Internet for a whole day! I’m game although it is bound to be hard for a full-time Web nerd like myself.
• Crew 12 / Hyper Island - available for internship Aug 07 to Mar 08
  Although I’ve completely ignored the Flash version, this website for a group of students is nicely designed and well organised which also boasts a DVD version of the website for 15Euro.

(via del.icio.us)

• Rock Werchter 2007
  It might be done in Flash but you can’t deny the funkiness of this “website” design. Relatively easy to use and some nice reflective/shadow effects - have a look for yourself.
• Crazy hours becoming the new standard - Forbes.com - MSNBC.com
  Apparently, we’re getting close to a 70-hour working week becoming standard. I know I do more than the required hours in my office job (not including personal endeavours).

(via del.icio.us)