Podcasting Tonight!

Tonight, if all goes well, my friend D and I will be recording our first podcast. It might also be our last podcast if we are terrible. If we are terrible, then I’ll still be doing a podcast on my own. Maybe I’ll even podcast some of my fiction onto the airwaves. Not sure about that. I’m overly protective of the stuff I write. I hope to be published some day.

The ‘cast will need to be edited and the sound worked over a bit. Thank goodness it falls to D to do that audio stuff. I think he’ll be using an Adobe product or something. As long as it sounds good enough, I’ll be happy. Then, it’ll be up to me to secure a podcast hosting site and upload the file to the site. I guess I’ll handle the blog blurb to let people know what it’s all about.

Let me make this clear before hand: this is a podcast with tongue firmly in cheek, but the opinions are generally those of it’s casters, if you take a bit of the hyperbolic language and dial back the vehemence. I’ll post a link here to the site when it’s ready to be heard.

New Phone!

After many years of having no phone, I broke down and got a phone on contract. To say it so simply is such an understatement. I agonised over this phone choice for days. I must say that I was only going to pay £10 a month for a contract and that limited my choice of phone. I’ve lived without for a long time, so I knew that I didn’t want to pay a lot for a phone and the limited amount of minutes/texts.

For each phone that was free on the ten quid contract, I went to multiple review sites and read owner opinions as well. At the outset I wanted GPS, because I like to be able to access maps wherever I am. I can get lost anywhere. That ruled out a lot of the phones. So much so that I, at one point, ruled GPS out. Wifi and 3G were another couple of things that I wanted, but were optional. As NE constantly remind me; this was a phone that I wanted to be able to call on reliably and one that wouldn’t break after a couple of months.

Eventually I settled on the Sony Ericsson W705. It was a good phone with most of the features I wanted. It’s only drawback was that it was pink. That might be a big drawback for anyone else and as they obviously had a big backlog of them, it was an insurmountable hurdle for many people. It was also a music phone. Not what I needed as I’d just bought a Sony mp3 player before Xmas, but not unwelcome. I was on the verge of ordering this simple slider phone when…

I saw the refurbished phones! There was a Nokia 5800 ExpressMusic sitting there with its glorious 3.2″ touchscreen and every feature I wanted and many more that I hadn’t dared hope about. 3G, Wi-fi, and GPS for starters. It does music, browses the Web, does my podcasts via wi-fi and has a bleh camera. On Saturday, I took a picture of G, and sent it to NE via text message! I’ve never done that before and it was good.

And now to the bad news… it’s not hugely bad news. I can expand the memory on my 5800 to 16 gb. That kind of makes my barely a few months old mp3 player a bit redundant. Maybe G would like an MP3 player!

Not Ill!

After nearly a week and a half of hacking coughs, running nose, and splitting headaches, I am well again. I’ll be hitting the gym on Monday and getting some work done in the evenings. Maybe even take some driving lessons!

Whilst NE and G were away last weekend, I tidied the house between being exhausted on the couch from residual sickness. I also watched several movies during that time. I haven’t watched so many movies in a while. The best of the movies was Inglorious Basterds, which was quite good, especially the parts without the Basterds themselves in them. They were a bit too cartoonish for me. Moderately good was Brick. I enjoyed myself with that one. I watched Equilibrium for the second time as well and I liked it less the second time around. Plot was a bit buffoonish. Sean Bean dying was the highlight. He always dies well. Watched Harry Potter and The Half-blood Prince as well, but, although it was mildly entertaining, it was one of the least compelling of the series.

Fit as a fiddle now and ready to go into town with G on Saturday. A new set of Magic The Gathering cards comes out! We’re both well excited about it. We’ll sit in the Coop café and play with our new cards for some hours. I’m hoping our itsy bitsy card shop will have them! I’ll be gutted if they don’t!

The Past Few Days

These past few days have been a blur. I am sick, have been sick and even took a day off work, which I never do. 3 days in six years! On Tuesday when I coughed it was like razor blades in my lungs. Of course, my lungs were damaged in my youth by a bout of bronchitis. Colds/flu always go to my lungs eventually, seeking the weakest point.

Haven’t really felt like posting on here of late. Got the microphone for our podcast project, but with my voice in its current shape we moved the project to next week some time. And I don’t feel well either! I was too sick to watch the movie we’ll be skewering and I need to, to take notes on what I didn’t like; a very important feature of the new ‘cast.

NE and G are off to Bradford this weekend and that leaves me at home to rest up, recover from this illness. I’m hoping to have kicked its butt by Saturday morning so I can do a full house tidy/clean. If the cold hasn’t gone, then it’ll be full tidy and partial clean, which should be enough to get on with. It won’t be all drudgery this weekend, though. I plan to take in some movies that NE doesn’t want to see. Maybe even revisit my favourite film; Excalibur, the John Boorman film from 1981. I can quote it, nearly word for word!

Currently Reading:

Bad Science by Ben Goldacre – Getting on my nerves a bit now; that’s why it’s taking me so long. He not only hits a subject like a runaway car, he backs up and runs it over to make sure it’s dead.

The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss – Started this as a coping mechanism for that book up there! IT is uber-standard fantasy. Innkeeper with a dark past for goodness sake! Well written enough to read and not quit, though. I’ll settle for that… for now.

A Day Out

G and I had planned on having a day out on Saturday for most of the week. When it came to Saturday morning, though, he was more than happy to play the Wii and let his parents sleep in until nearly 9, which was brilliant, but also meant a bit shorter day than we had planned before we’d even got out.

I made everyone breakfast, consisting of  fried eggs on homemade granary bread. Delicious and filling. After breakfast finished, I made us some food for the day as we don’t like to spend much on food when we’re in town. Black and green olives in a container, a peanut butter and black currant jam sandwich, two hard boiled eggs each, a pear, an apple, and an orange. I knew we would buy some food, but the idea was to limit it.

Once in town we had to pick up a package from the post office that we missed during the week. That drew complaints from G, but we quickly resolved our differences. I resolved his difference if truth be told. We went right up the hill for the most important mission of the day… To buy some packs of Magic Cards which is a collectible card game not unlike Pokemon. However, unlike Pokemon it is actually fun to play! G and I play loads of Magic on the weekends and sometimes before and after I got to work. They’re helping him to read and to do addition and subtraction. Brilliant game.

We picked out the cards and I gave G the money to pay for them, which he did and he was quite proud about it. He knew that we weren’t opening the cards until after we went to the Museum, which he was for as it built up the anticipation. We got a few sodas from the Pound shop to save a bit of cash. He was well impressed that he was getting two as he rarely has any. So, a 7-up and a Vimto for him. He had the Vimto right away, which he did not like much I can tell you.

We ate some of the store of food we had, the olives, the eggs, and washed it down with the drinks. We went through the local Museum for an hour or so, looking at the various artifacts of antiquity and discussing their uses and the cultures that made them. and then sat in the cafe where I had a coffee and he had his 7-up; we also shared a brownie and a flapjack. Then, the big moment as he opened the new packs of cards. G separated them into two piles; one with cards we’d already seen and the other was cards we hadn’t. He knows whether he’s seen a card before by sight.

We played a few games of Magic and went through the little museum shop to see if there was anything new. We’ve been to this museum loads and know most of the things in it by heart. In the little museum theater, they had a Wii set up so that kids could play with it. G was able to play four player Tennis with a group of kids, who had never played a Wii before. By the time they had got used to the controls, their Dad arrived and they were ushered out by their mum.

We went round the museum again and G and I both had a go at making mosaics. They were brilliant! After that there wasn’t time for more Magic at the Coop café as I’d hoped as the daylight was running out. So, it was pick up a few things from the shop and head home. A great day out for a couple of pals.

Weight Loss!

I haven’t said anything in the spot, but this week I’ve been staying to an eating regimen. It’s not a complicated one or anything. I don’t actually count calories. I have a feel for calories anyway and as long as I stay under 1800 for the day and exercise 3 days a week, then I will lose weight. It’s been the will to lose weight, which has been the issue in the past.

I would like to say that a switch flipped in my head early last week and I was able to handle hunger and to handle boredom without eating. While the final decision was my own, I owe a lot to NE, who has been my example this last week. She started exercising on the elliptical and doing yoga and not eating between meals. She was such an inspiration that I just got dragged along in her wake!

As of today I’ve lost four pounds and I’ve gone to the gym twice this week. Double the amount last week. Next week I hope to go to the gym 3 times and maybe mix in some swimming and weights. I’d do a whole lunchtime of swimming, but I couldn’t really stand it. It’s too boring as I don’t have a water-proof mp3 player or anything. Shame, though because I love swimming. Maybe I’ll take the boy a couple of times a week like I’d been intending. He loves swimming and he could use the practice.

Books I’ve read this year:

3. Anathem by Neal Stephenson – Very immersive world and I loved all of the themes of physics, meta-physics, and philosophy that he works in. Great book, but his verbosity started to get tedious at points. It was 932 pages long. Could have used an editor with guts!

Currently Reading: Bad Science by Ben Goldberg

Podcast

A couple of friends and I are working on a Podcast that will run every couple of weeks and will be about movies/films. It will be aimed at a more mature audience in that there will be swearing/naughty words in it. We hope to have our first show recorded by February 3rd, but who knows what will happen between now and then. The final product should then be released to the public by the following weekend, depending on how long it takes D to edit it together and put some music under it.

Film is something that I’ve always been very passionate about and, if you know me, very critical of as a medium. I think that kind of provides a clue to what the attitude of the show will be. There will be no free rides on our Podcast and I can’t imagine anyone would want to come on for a celebrity interview.

Watch this space for a link to where to download the Podcast!

Driving Plans

Next in our plans for a mobile family is to pass my Practical Driving Test. I took some lessons toward the end of last year, but a few events got in the way. One tragic and the other Christmas.

I’d never driven a manual transmission vehicle before I started and my expectations were such that I kind of dreaded it. I didn’t think I could get a handle on the skills and maybe I had a mental block against it as well. I see it as old technology, really. I’m a big believer in a vehicle that gets me from A to B with as little hassle or interference on the part of said vehicle. I don’t see extra lever and peddle presses as any sort of “fun”. Nor, really do I see the process of driving as “fun” in any way beyond the fact that it gets me to where I’m going. So, I want my driving experience uncluttered by anachronistic controls, if possible.

However, it isn’t possible for a few reasons. One, if I needed to drive someone else’s car in an emergency, then chances are that they will have a manual. Two, if my vehicle were in the shop, how likely would it be that they could get me an automatic as a loaner car. Thirdly, and most importantly, we want to buy a used vehicle and as the vast majority of vehicles are manual, it widens our choice of vehicles to purchase.

We hope to have a car to take trips in before my birthday. I think we’ll go to Blackpool as our inaugural trip. See the rides and the other coast.

Passed My Driving Test!

Late Friday night I hadn’t practised the Hazard Perception part of the Theory test and as I was going through it and complaining about the eccentricities of the system, doubt began to creep into my mind and the mind of NE as well. I didn’t understand when to click and why as the instructions for this interactive DVD were rubbish and that led to confusion and a tinge of panic. In the end, it was the font of all wisdom knowledge that came to my rescue. Enter The Internet! I found a site which gave advice about the whole process and the official rules. They even had sample tests. I only took a couple of them because they took an AGE to load, but they were good. I was able to go back in and pass the ones on the official DVD after that. Crisis averted!

The plan on test day was to get into town an hour early and get a nice, relaxing coffee before I went to the testing site. The bus was a half hour late and as it was the middle of the day, it stopped at every stop to add to our burgeoning crop of sardine-citizens. By the time I got into town and had a bit of something to eat from the bakery, it was 10 minutes until the test. I loitered for 3 minutes and then went upstairs as it was freezing outside. Upon my arrival, the Tester-in-Chief explained that I should have been there 15 minutes early. This isn’t explained on the official instructions, but I had arrived with two minutes to spare as regards the official cutoff limit.

I had to stow everything I owned, barring my actual clothing, in a locker and make my way to the testing area. 30 minutes later I came out and was handed my letter with the congratulations on it.

One test down and one more big one to go!

What I got For Xmas

It’s been 3 weeks since Christmas and I can’t believe that I haven’t old y’all what I got for Christmas! In the grandest tradition of being a kid, we all share with each other what l00t we got!

First off, before Christmas I bought myself a new MP3 player. This was self-indulgent a bit, but I “needed” one. My old one only has 8gb of space and I had over 8gb of music! Thus, I needed one. It was that or get rid of music, which I didn’t want to do. The amount of music that I have will only go up and up. Especially since I joined up with The Sixty One. Great new music site. After an exhaustive look at MP3 players and with a certain budget in mind, I settled on the Sony NWZ-E445B, which has 16gb and was only £60 at the time. I’d have preferred 32gb, but that would have meant £180! Not paying that for an mp3 player. This one has been fabulous. Does everything I want, which is play music/podcasts and the radio with very good sound. Great Christmas gift to myself.

The DVD section: I got the complete Sherlock Holmes TV boxset. This is the Jeremy Brett version and is to my mind the superlative performance. It is a shame that he died before he could finish off the canon. I got a few guilty pleasures as well: Sneakers, a brilliant little film with a great cast, Hackers, lots of energy and style with a cool turn by Angelina Jolie, and Wanted, which is a film so ridiculous that it becomes a brilliant comedy. Obey the LOOM! Hero is a brilliantly lush Chinese film that oozes style with some brilliant acting turns to boot.

Book section: How We’d Talk If The English Had Won in 1066 is one that really caught my eye because I’d read The Adventure of English, and how English has developed fascinates me. From G, I got the latest Jim Butcher, Dresden Files, book. It’s book 11 and I haven’t ever read book 1, but that just means that I have to read them all as NE told me he was insistent when he was picking it out. I’ve wanted to read The Name of  the Wind for a while and now I have the chance; fairly standard fantasy, but there’s room for it if it’s well-written.

T-shirts section: I got a Ghostbusters 2, Chinese Coca-cola, Metallica, and Who Watches the Watchmen t-shirts. Wonderful to have some new ones to wear.

Video Games section: G got a Wii from GP and Grandma this year. So, NE and I bought guns and shooting games for the Wii to play while the little guy was off in dreamland. The games? Dead Space: Extraction and House of the Dead: Overkill.

Misc section: Cool, retro-style Thermos to keep my coffee warm when we are at the park. Various Time Squad Doctor Who figures.

I’m missing out things, but I can’t remember right now. It might come to me and that’ll be something for another blog post! Yay!