Tuesday 27 March 2012

Android phones don't like water

Because I'm a crazy or a little bit stupid, maybe a bit of both, I ended up proving why dropping your HTC Wildfire S into the sink is not a good idea.

What with my track record with phones and water, which was started with the drowning of my Blackberry whilst on holiday last year, when I capsized my kayak. (I guess two phones in two years is hardly a president, but it doesn't look good on the insurance claim now does it ?).

Just when you think things can't get any worse....

Thursday 22 March 2012

Lateral Thinking

This was the video I was waiting to upload. Oh its so confusing.

Many are stronger

I'm reading 'The Happy Depressive' by Alastair Campbell on my Kindle at the moment (I'd started reading 'A Tale of Two Cities' but gave up). I have to say, that although Mr Campbell and I aren't exactly on the same page politically, something that I know will cut him to the core, I am really enjoying the book. 

I am finding it enlightening to read someone who works (or worked) in such a high pressured, high paced environment talk openly about his depression, and how he has learned to deal with it.

I had a similar reaction to a TV program that the wonderful Stephen Fry did a few years ago,  'The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive'.

I don't know that I would be quick to use the labelling, of depressive. (Sounds rather, er.. depressing doesn't it ?), but I have certainly been through a rather stressful time from the last month of 2011 onwards. I am much better now, there are some things that are no longer hanging over me. I had a very terrible time of it around Christmas and New Year, and things came to a head toward the middle of February.

I've felt that the big 'start of a new year' thing that I was so looking forward to, thinking that 2011 had been pretty much of a crap year, never really happened for me. From feeling that my life was on hold, and my future utterly in the hands of others, I am now left feeling directionless and uninspired in relation to my professional future.

What I've been through has really made me take stock, again, about what sort of person I am, and what sort of things I am cut out to do or be. There is no point trying to fit a square peg into a round hole now is there ?

As my feelings and understanding of myself and the environment around me evolves, things may change, but right now, I feeling rather let down by those that make a virtue of telling me that they have my best interests at heart, and that they are looking after me. They're not. They haven't, and they continue to provide fresh reasons to distrust them.

Like everything, any relationship has its time. It starts, it blossoms, and it grows, and in time, it fades away and withers. There's no point trying to get a dead plant to grow, no amount of watering and soft talking is going to produce green shoots.

People are funny things aren't they?  I only meant to write a line or two, while I waited for another video to upload. Instead I've managed to poor out a page of heartfelt (although rather vague), comma and parentheses  laden text. Semicolon close bracket.

Monday 19 March 2012

can i blog from my kinle ?

This entry serves as a small experiment into just useful is the kindle at making light text entries into my blog (or for using in any other text based medium for that matter)

I am so far surprised at how well it is handlimg it. My kindle is the one that has a keyboard but does not have 3G. i wouldnt describe the typimg experience as pleasant, but neither would I describe it as unpleasant.

No one is pretending the kindle is a tablet computer (o do hurry up and get the fire released in the UK. Please Amazon) But if you remove the obsession with touchscreens colour images and millioons of apps you will never knowingly need nor use the Kindle has all you require.

who am I kidding.

Friday 16 March 2012

Being lazy by creating work...

This is the video I made the other night, when I really wanted to go to bed, but had to argue with myself about all the chores that I needed to complete first. Arguments aside, I had also added the talk of editing video to the list of things needed doing. Sometimes I don't even get this 'being lazy' lark right.

Did I feel good after achieving all that ? Sure I did. Well, I think I did, but the moment my head hit the pillow I was asleep.

For her part, Twilight sits and watches me clean out the cat litter tray, and then, before even the dust has settled on the newly cleaned and filled tray, does her business. Is this a marking territory thing, or is it that when they see me cleaning it out, they suddenly have the urge to pee ? You know, like when you're at work and someone tells you the toilet is out of order as it's just being cleaned or something. It's guaranteed to make you realise that you need to void your bladder in the near future.

Wednesday 14 March 2012

Dance kitty, dance !

I really don't make the cats perform for their treats, but I was not going to bother with a video tonight, until of course they started doing this...

An (un)interesting technical note, was that as I was filming (and uploading) this film from my phone I needed a way to get the phone to stand on the kitchen counter whilst unwrapped the treats. Invention being required by necessity, I pressed into service a nearby apple device.

Apple device ? Wait, iphone, ipod, imac ? No. I mean the device I sued to prop up the phone and take the footage was leaning it against an apple (the type you eat dumb-ass). I couldn't take pictures of this fact... because, well, I normally take pictures with my phone.

Monday 12 March 2012

cuts, cuts, cuts.

Not a title you want to mispronounce or mistype.

This one wasn't so much of a close shave, as well a light trimming of the mass of unruly hair that had grown on my head. Sadly, not able to completely hide the expanding patches that are devoid of hair.

As ever, my activity is scrutinised by the cats.

Sunday 11 March 2012

Of the weaknesses we are built...

Outside vlogging ? Serious stuff. I'm sorry I look like a bag of shit in this, but it's partly the fault of the camera and the lighting on my phone, and partly the fault that I do actually look that awful.

Before I descend into a really vain attack on my skin tone....

Having not vlogged for a while, I decided to let the moment strike me, and did so whilst I was sat outside enjoying the fresh evening air, and looking up at the stars. Partly prompted by a telephone conversation I had with my Mother about a family member, and about my thoughts about the world around me, and the experiences suffered by some people I have known, including my closest and dearest friend.

He tasks me, he tasks me.....

Facebook continue with their attempts to lure me back into their clutches...



facebook

Hi Simon,
You haven't been back to Facebook recently.You have received notifications while you were gone.
Thanks,
The Facebook Team


.. and I have to confess to a moment of weakness that was entirely brought about by the need to get the e-voucher code for Pizza hut on Saturday night than anything.. this required me to momentarily log into facebook in order to get the code. Honest. That was the reason. True. So, after recovering the code I needed to get reduced price pizza for myself and Chloe, I did wobble, and look at the friend request. 


Should I pay a penance (again a religious word I've stolen) for this 'sin' ? I haven't wavered at all on the watching live TV front, to the point that the retuning of TV digital TV receivers in my area went completely un-noticed by me, and thus two days worth of recorded programmes instead were screens of 'you need to retune your BT-Vision Box'. 


It does come to something when even my parents (well, my Mother) seem slightly frustrated that I am not using facebook at the moment. Although I am too old to use the typical teenage reaction that anything my parents think is a good idea, I must absolutely hate (and vice versa). 


Who was the 'friend' request from ? I have no idea who the person was, but he looked cute, so I accepted. Me, shallow ? God no. 

Tuesday 6 March 2012

Tell me why I don't like Mondays...

This is why you should pay attention to where you leave your keys, and where you place your hands, when ironing...

Monday 5 March 2012

Stupid cat...

What can I say ? Sorry ? This is the longest (to date) video I've done. Sorry it goes on a bit, hopefully you won't find it all boring.. maybe just skip the boring bits...


Really selling this aren't I ?

Sunday 4 March 2012

Here's one I made earlier...



Last week, I wrote a review for Venturer Magazine (the in club magazine for Beacon). Although I mentioned it on a previous blog entry, now that the magazine has been published, I have pasted the content in its entirety :-

**********

Having enjoyed reviewing the pilot episode of The Ninth Man this month brings the 2nd offering to my attention. Like so many pilots when they get commissioned there's a change at the top. Instead of Joshua Ive continuing his role as Robert Jameson, his shoes are ably filled by James Farmer. 

James has the benefit of looking a bit more 'weathered' than Joshua, and although he plays the role slightly differently, it is a really good fit. Not exactly an easy thing to carry off. At a moment of potential disaster for the fledgling series Jordan doesn't just settle for the next person available, he recasts with absolutely the right man.

Despite the change in lead, the production values and extensive use of location, continue unabated. As does the cornerstone performance of Alec Harkness in his role as Kenny Cooper. This particular story is also penned by Alec, a script with twists, turns and as many new questions as it provides answers.

Chris Wilkes' narration as Jameson's parole officer brings us up to speed with what's happing. We are very quickly into the action, with not so much as a second to pause for breath. There's no waste in this story, although some lines are more golden than others. Emma Giles' line of 'Bouncing around from arsehole to arsehole ?' did give me a chuckle.

Sarah Miatt does very well as the broody, pissed off and altogether angry Michelle Harris.
As the intrigue and tension cranks up, Jordon himself makes an appearance as 'Henchman' with an economical, but effective use of a certain garage we all know and love.

There were only a few times I picked up on anything technical, with the guest appearance from Mr B OOM in The Fight Club, (a location only marred by the determination to remain fully clothed of all the muscly fighting types), and the sunlight causing some lens flare as well as catching on the actors are but minor irritations.

A kidnapping that doesn't leave you expecting a 'mmmmwwwhahahah' must have been one of those moments Steve's now ex neighbours are going to miss.

With such a good ending to episode one, I do think we missed out not having a closeup of the ransom note. Farmer's lines are lost against Sarah's building rage, and Initially I had reservations about a cheese knife being used well as an instrument to instil fear. Sarah, however takes a situation that could otherwise have descended into farce and delivers menace, such is the quality of the acting.

One of the locations we are treated to in this story is a lovely Vegan cafe (they do a yummy vegan stew), where we meet Reet (played by my good self), and Chris Lovin (Ben Johnson). I have to say that this is one of the few occasions where I am not cringing as I watch my own performance, and although I do come dangerously close to looking right at the camera I swear all those times I look down whilst talking to Kenny are not to look at my script.

All in all, this second helping of a bit of Ninth Man pie goes down rather nicely. There's menace where there should be menace, humour where it's wanted, and with nothing to spoil it in the way of set, technical failings or performances from the actors this rather ambitious storyline is unravelling before our eyes. It doesn't drag at all, there aren't any bits that wouldn't have been missed had they been cut. It moves along at a decent pace, and is more than just easy to watch. It's enjoyable. I'm eager to catch the next instalment.

Apart from wanting more, the only other thing I feel deprived of is the cake Bek (Sam Sayner) was touting, where's mine ?