Enjoy the silence

The one big problem I have post move in is a severe lack of money. Over a year of working being paid a four day week yet while renovating a house have decimated my savings and eaten into all my accounts so now I am pretty much broke. On paper I have more than I started out with (including of course a lovely home) unfortunately I have hit a cashflow crisis.

I have been job hunting for the last few months and yesterday was offered two jobs yesterday unfortunately neither of them are really suitable. The first sound like an amazing job only slight problem after 6 months the job was moving to Telford. Not really commutable and not a place I have a desire to move to. The second job would be a bit of a gamble, and no extra money in the short term so little point in moving and losing my job security.

It had been a bit of an emotional day, my parents invited me round to eat with them, and test out their new oven. We had a nice dinner together, and I gave storm some attention, I really miss him.

I came back to my place, alone chatted to Kath online she helped cheer me up a bit pointing out all the good things I have achieved this year. Working on the house, changing things in my life, moving out.

Kath also gave me an itinerary for my Polish excursion.
Arrive around 9pm on 29th spend the evening watching a film and having a rest
30th A short tour around the city and in the evening we'll go out somewhere
31st New year's eve in company of my friends in [her friend] Carolines hometown
1st Get back and chill out
2nd Head for Gdansk so we could spend a day and a half in there hopefully

Killing in the name of

I have ben really busy of late, I've had so many things to write about but somehow have been to busy / tired / lazy to blog. Hopefully I can get back into the habit.

My parents came for a meal tonight. I prepared a chicken curry with vegetables. I thought that it would be really nice, and it was mostly unfortunately I was a bit rushed and cooked got it  bit wrong though the potatoes were a little overcooked.

Its pretty strange living alone after all these years there are great things the freedom is awesome. The last couple of weeks I had Kath staying with me. We had a wonderful time together, I was very sad to say goodbye to her to the Airport yesterday. Fortunately it wont be long until we see each other again as I am heading to Poland for the New Year.

Graduate premium

According to the BBC an average graduate will earn only £100,000 more than non graduates over their working lives. Given the cost of going to University leaves the average student £20,000 in debt it does beg the question are degrees really worth it?
For one reason or another I was a bit of an underachiever at University and my degree failed to open the doors I expected and I am still repaying the debt. Looking at how well some of my friends have got on without going to university I do wonder whether I would have done better to have gone directly into the workplace.

I am really grateful for all the lovely birthday messages, really nice to hear from people.

I had a great day mostly spent at my house frantically trying to get everything ready for the carpet fitters (due today). I managed to get spotlights installed on the Landing. Bought some replacement UPVC from the excellent (and Cheap) Scott Plas and cleared some of the crap out of the garage. So a pretty successful day all in all.

In the evening I went out for a meal and a few drinks with Phil, Caroline and Bruce. We went to the Kantipur in Stockport where I enjoyed the spicy ginger and a few pints of cobra. Then off into Cheadle for a nightcap.

I had a bit of a hangover this morning which was a pain as I had to head to the house at 6.30am in order to get a coat of paint on the spare room before work (and the carpet fitter).

Howl

It has been a while since I last written. I now have a huge amount of half written blogs I am not sure if they will ever be finished. The last few months have been a blur however the end of the house project is in sight, barring acts of god next weekend I will move in.

First off I wanted to thank a few people who have really helped me a lot in various ways without which the whole job would have taken a lot longer.

First and foremost my Dad. He has worked tirelessly and done an amazing job decorating and helping me with my house. I couldn't have done anywhere near as good a job without him; even though we have driven each other crazy at times.

Secondly Bruce, who has been a huge help with my wiring, and other jobs.

Nick has been a constant help. He helped me find the place originally, helped me deal with the estate agents, did a marvellous job on the floors and kitchen and other building jobs. He has done loads of work well above and beyond what he charged me for and has been great.

Danny came and helped me today doing a sterling effort laying the tiles in my bathroom, its really a top notch job which I am extremely pleased with.

In recent weeks Kath has been a constant support for me when I have been feeling down and worried about the way the project has been going she has helped me to put things into perspective and basically helped me get through it.

Finally a host of others came and helped out, including Jo, Holly, Andy Gilmore, Phil, and Martina. I really appreciate everyone's efforts I hope I can repay the favours someday..

The last few days have been typically hectic. Starting on Thursday I took a couple of days off as I needed to prepare and I knew Nick and Danny would be arriving Sunday. Before they came I needed to finish a number of jobs.

I had decided I was unhappy with the lighting in the hall and landing so I decided to replace them with halogen spotlights. In one of the DIY paradoxes it seems Haolgen spotlights require a 65mm hole, but the only holesaws available are 64mm. Sometimes 1mm doesn't make too big a difference, when cutting a hole for spots it does! So in practise I cut a nice neat 64mm hole then enlarge with a file.

I also realised I had made a slight mistake with the shaver socket in the bathroom, I had to rewire it on a spur fused at 3amps. It required more floorboards up, and some undoing of the plastering.

Friday I took a break from decorating to go get a new TV for my grandma. She hasnt found the digital switchover very easily the idea of have a digi box and a tv is a bit beyond her. Plus failing eyesight and little buttons on the digibox remote have led to constant trouble. So I took her to comet having found that they had a Panasonic on offer. Panasonic remote controls have nice big chunky buttons ideal for her. So she now has a 42inch LCD tv with built in Digibox. My dad and I lugged it back to her house.

Saturday we had booked in a LAN party so I spent Friday night getting servers ready with Bruce. We have turned an old PC into a fileserver using Freenas. It took all night to copy all the data off the old fileshare onto the new server but it meant in future the games would not be compromised by people moving data around.

Before the Lan I needed to do a few jobs at my house including getting the sensor for the hall lights working. I decided to switch them on via a movement sensor. Unfortunately the instructions were impossible for me to follow, Bruce however put his engineering training to good use and managed to get it wired in.

The LAN went really well, there were less people than last time and that meant I actually got to play a few games this time! Jo had a sale of a load of surplus PC equipment from Dawsons. I think it turned out well for everyone he got rid of the gear and we got some good bargains.

Today was a crazy day, I had Danny tiling the bathroom floor. Nick putting in new skirting board in the spare bedroom. While I tried to get a few bits and pieces done. Later Bruce arrived and we got the Ariel lead sorted out, he even somehow managed to poke some cables under the floor to neaten it up. I don'lt know how he managed it but I was very impressed!

So I am nearly ready, one room to decorate, some spotlights to put in on the landing. Carpets coming on Thursday, Blinds on Friday and move in / Party on Saturday, another hectic week ahead.

Funny how music can invoke strong memories. I was just taking a break and listening to music on Spotify. I saw the Depeche Mode singles collection 86-89.

Immediately I was transported back to my youth, going to the dodgy disco as the community centre with my neighbours and cousin, so long ago now. I had not thought about these moments for many years, I am not even in contact with my neighbours Jenny and Matt or my cousin anymore. People can have such a strong impact on us, and yet its all transitory, they come and go so better enjoy their presence in the now. I look back and somehow I don't feel that was the same person. I guess my impending birthday is making me reminisce about the past.

Shades of Grey

I spent the day trying to get some bit on my house done, I was feeling tired but went out to Salford to see Sandbox.

They were playing at the Kings Arms in Salford, and I think that is was their best show yet,
There set included
Million Marlbolo lights
Broken G-string
Mother knows best to end

I had a great time and I walked out with their new single.

This is it

I went to see the Michael Jackson film This is it with Ian, Nick Faye Charlotte and Faye's sister Leah. I caught up with them at the Cinema bar at Parrs Wood. As I saw them all sitting together I really missed Kath would have been nice to have her there.

The film started a little bit too cheesy for me. With the dancers introductions and I thought I was in for a typically rose tinted history. Fortunately the rest of the film was nothing like that at all. Rather we were treated to footage of the warm ups for all the songs, run thorough of art direction and Jackson and the various performers onstage.

To be fair later in the film you realise how closely and how hard these people worked with Jackson, the admiration felt real.

Mostly Jackson was walking through the actions and resting his voice but occasionally like on "Billy Jean" and "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"
The setups for the show look simply amazing he stage props and video productions were lavish. The video for Smooth Criminal looked awesome Jackson the smooth criminal being chased by Humphrey Bogart.
The update Thriller in 3D had some awesome effects, it would have been really something viewed in 3D.

Jackson came across as being obsessed in producing an incredible show, despite his age and any physical ailments he was able to dance and sing.
As I was walking out of the cinema I got this overriding feeling, a sense of missing out on something. A sense of loss which had such potential to be a great show, a sceptical was snatched away.

Afterwards Nick and Charlotte went for some food, Ian Faye and Leah had to wait for a lift (in hindsight I should have offered them one oops) so we went for a quick drink and a chat in Frankie and Bennies. I was telling them the fun I had trying to explain to Faye's dad how to get his cable connection working, on the phone without being able to see the screen :D

White Wedding

Yesterday was Martin and Charlotte's wedding. The Church service was held at Church of St Thomas Becket Church in Chapel-en-le-Frith

Kath and I got a lift down with Bruce and Nina. It was raining when we arrived and we were prepared for 60 mph winds as threatened on the Weather report. Fortunately somehow it was fine for the service. It was Kaths' first outing in public with me, and I was proud to be with her.

The reception was at the local hall, they had a black and white theme.We spent a lot of the evening chatting to Holly. Joe was providing the music. I drank a lot of Guinness, and generally enjoyed myself. Kind of missed out on the buffet, Charlotte brother cleared out the cakes before I got a look in.

Metropolis

"There can be no understanding between the hands and the brain unless the heart acts as mediator"

I just watched Metropolis for the first time. I must say I found it awesome, released in 1927 as a silent film it is a product of a different era. However the effect have a certain charm, and the cinematography and use of the art deco is really wonderful.

The film concentrates on a deeply divided society living in the fictional Metrolpolis. While the workers toiling in 10 hour shirt, in the depths of the city, labouring to control the machines, above ground the thinkers / planners enjoy the lap of luxury. Until the intervention of Maria brings some of the children from down below to the paradise gardens at the top. The son of the leader Freder of the city is disturbed and ventures to see the heart of the city. Thus begins a chain of events where he ends up seeing Maria deliver a revolutionary speech about the tower of babel and how a Mediator will come to bring the 'head' and the 'hands', "THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN THE HEAD AND HANDS MUST BE THE HEART!"

I couldn't help but think of the modern day parallels, I was thinking of 1984, Blade Runner, and the Radiohead song Palo Alto, only more dystopian.

I sat watching the film with some honey toast and a hot tody in an attempt to try and drive away my cough before Martin and Charollottes wedding on Saturday.

Windows 7

My copy of Windows 7 arrived this morning, I managed to get an advances copy for £40 which I think is pretty good value for a full Licence.

At The Zoo

Kath arrived yesterday [Thursday]. We were pretty tired so we just rented a film (Red Cliff) and relaxed.
Friday we wanted to do something we ended up going to go to Chester Zoo. I haven't been since I was a really young kid so it was a bit of an adventure. I somehow got collared into paying an extra "donation" on the way in. Once inside we saw the elephant pen, then toured round the whole Zoo. Favorites included the Bat house, a dark dank place full of bats. I also loved the bears, especially the firefox and the Aquarium were all great.

There are some photos on my flikr feed here

Gomorrah

I had a really trying day today, one that I cant really talk about to the internet. By the time I got home this evening I was really tried and stressed I went for a walk with storm and got extremely wet. I decided the best way to relax was with a film and a few beers. Ironically the cheapest was Becks the people who annoyed me by getting spotify to push a playlist on me. However it was the cheapest premium lager in Tesco Cheadle so hey ho.
I rented a film called Gomorrah about the Italian mob. Its a bit a of a strange film following several disconnected stories, its well acted and scary portrayal of the mob linking into every aspect of society. Its quiet a shocking film in a documentary style, some stunning backdrops and clever cinematography, but from the opening you certainly get the feeling life is cheap.

Spotify Pushes Ad Sponsored Playlist

I opened spotify this morning to find I had a new playlist,  to Ladyhawke - music inspired art. Now I understand spotify is ad supported but and while I have nothign against the ads between the songs I do find this rather annoying. I do create my own playlists, I don't really appriciate having some ad sponsored list forced upon me.

Adaptive Predictive Dialler

For anyone who has spent time trying to get their stored procedure working with an Adaptive Predictive dialler and seen the error "IDispatch error #3105 80040e21 ODBC driver does not support the requested protocol", check the execute permissions on the stored procedure. By default database users on SQL 2005 do not have execute permissions.

Execute permissions are added either using GRANT or via the management console, drill into the database, expand programability, then expand stored procedures, right click your procedure select properties. Choose permissions, add type the name of hte database user then check the grant column for permission execute.

Magnet

Full disclosure this is the third time I have tried to write this it appears the new blogger editor doesn't like me very much. I feel a bit like Ellen Feiss

Saturday was Martin's stag do. It kicked off with a BBQ at Martins house. Endo brought the food Simon did the cooking. There were burgers, sausages, chicken and some wonderful pork chops which Endo had marinated, a total meat feast not a spot of salad in sight :)

Martin showed off his home improvements, the house has changed a lot since I last saw it, there is plaster on the walls and the garage is pretty funky, complete with painted red floor a buggy lift!

We stood and chatted, there was Charlottes brother Loz, Simon, Endo, Steve Mellor, Adam, Jim, Phil, Martin O, Bruce, Myself and of course Martin in attendance.

After the barbeque Simon and Endo had arranged go karting. We went to a go karting track up in Buxton, on the same industrial estate as the Health and Safety Institute. It was running 45 minutes late, so we loitered played with the dogs. We had been booked in for two sessions, but as there were so many of us we ad to split into two groups. Each session lasted something like 20 laps although we got more like 25 which for £20 was an absolute bargain.

Bruce, Phil, Steve Mellor Martin O and myself were in the second group. Young Martin took everything really seriously bringing his own protective gear. He was the fastest on the track during both sessions. During the first session I was fighting hard to get past Bruce, when I spun slightly only to have Phil drive straight into the side of my kart actually writing it off!

After each session we were handed a slip of paper which recorded the cars time, number of lap's fastest lap and various other details which you could argue over. I had to change cars so needless to say I finished last in the first session. Unsurprisingly petrol head Adam was the fastest in the first session. Thanks to the delay and having a job in London Phil's brother Jim had to leave straight after his first session. During the second session I managed to be a lot faster though unable to keep up with Martin O I managed to come second.

After the go karting the plan was to go back get changed and go out for a curry in Poynton. Unfortunately Martin realised at this point that his wallet and keys were in Jim's car. Fortunately Jim had driven home and taken a train to London so we were able to stop by his house and get his girlfriend Jules to let us retrieve his possessions. Thanks to the delays at the track then having to get Martins wallet, not to mention the road closure everything was running a bit late. Fortunately a phone call to the restaurant confirmed it was fine to be an hour late.

The meal was at the Deeba, Phil Bruce and I arrived first and the manager ushered us to a rather large table upstairs, totally alone. In fact needed have worried as the Deeba wasn't busy at all. The curry was pretty tasty, we joked and drank Simon tormented Loz. Thanks to Martin's discount card it was pretty cheap too coming in at £16 + tip each.

After the meal we decamped to the Farmers Arms, Martin had booked part of the pub and as we arrived, despite the fact we were running late, part of the pub was indeed sectioned off for a party. So we waltzed upstairs found a table and started drinking. After a few minutes a rather drunk young lad started mouthing off about how it was his party. We later found out that he had also booked this part of the pub for his going away party. He is a solider about to fly out to Afghanistan. He actually calmed down later and we were chatting, I think he thought we were a bunch of soft lads. He was especially disgusted that Martin was having his stag part a month in advance of his wedding.

The rest of the evening vanished in a haze of alcohol I remember ogling some of the girls at the soldiers' party and drinking a lot. I think I also knocked over Bruce's Vodka, oops. He didn't rush off to buy another though!
Adam and Endo were trying to convince everyone to decamp to Manchester to go and join in the Fresher's week party, but I think Martin wanted to stay close to home.

We ended up walking back to Martins, during which I remember a drunken Loz jumping on me causing me to lose the button holding my trousers together; I really need to get on a diet!

Undisclosed Desires

I had the Friday as day off to do some work on the house; as it is Martins stag do tomorrow the weekend might be something of a write off.

I spent the morning trying to remove the old paint from the stair rail, its particularly difficult because the surface area is small and there are several layers of paint to remove. The base coat is this horrilbe green stuff which melts and smears when burned even the chemical remover doesn't take it off easily.

On the plus side I have managed to choose some wallpaper for the hall stairs and landing. I am planning a feature wall on the longest drop (on the stairs) witht he rest white anagylpta. This will help cover the terrible state of the walls and as there is very little natural light the reflect the light better.

Zero Punctuation - Sims 3

Starálfur

I just returned my digi box because I got tired pressing yellow to get rid of the message asking me to retune. Thanks to the digital switchover. The switchover in the Granada take place in two stages. The first on 04th November 2009 at which point BBC2 goes all digital, the second full switchover takes place on 2nd December 2009, at which point you will need to have a set top box, digital tv, sky digital or NTL connection to receive a television service in the Granada region. So plenty of time before I need to retune the box but unfortunately the BBC seem to have added an irritating popup reminded requiring me to press the yellow button to make it disappear. I rather reminded me of the most hated Microsoft update which prompted every 15 minute until you relented and restarted the computer.

The switchover means more channel space being freed up, indeed there are a new bunch of channels already, including a Russian News channel Russia Today. I looked them up on wikipeadia basically it is funded by the Russia State media company, I guess their attempt at the BBC world service.

While I was googling Russia Today I found that the Japanese state broadcaster NHK has an English language channel, and website complete with some free Japanese tutorials awesome!

Ironic

Like something from Final Destination after escaping from a lift a devout Catholic man is crushed to death by a church alter.