Now Reading

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.



Started reading this following conclusion of the excellent Twitchhiker.

Struggling to get into it so far. Louise has just finished it and thought it was great. She is now reading the next book in the series.

I will plod on with it and hopefully will start getting into it. It is a big book though and given that I can only read about 20 minutes a night, it is going to take me a very long time to read this.

Rant of the day - Trip to the Bank

I went to the Bank at lunchtime today to pay in 2 cheques. I really should savour the experience of receiving money as opposed to it slipping through my fingers like water as it usually does! However, as usual the experience was teeth clenchingly and neck vein throbbingly infuriating.

There were 3 stations in the Bank where you could be served. Only 2 of them were manned (or womaned in this case). Why on a lunchtime are all 3 not in use? Where is the third person - on her lunch? Couldn't she go a bit later when things had quietened down a bit?

Anyway, I walk in and I am first in the queue. Two people are being served in front of me. A little old woman who clearly has all the time in the world, and a young Mother who doesn't seem to know where she is or what she is doing and also seems to have all the time in the world.

So not the best start. What makes it worse are the 2 dithering clowns serving them who seem to be encouraging all manner of slowness.

What are these people doing? All I want to do is pay in 2 cheques. Everyone in front of me seems to want to swap life stories or rummage in bags for something.

The minutes pass. I check my iPhone while I wait to try and hide my frustration. I do this a few more times. Still no one has budged. The little old woman is going on about the fact that she may not want to use her card when she is away next week. I am also starting to suspect that the young mother is actually a statue. Her baby looks as close to rage as I am.

Still the chit chat goes on and on and on. There are people behind me now. The bloke behind is standing too close to me. Don't you just hate that. I shuffle forward a few steps to reclaim my personal space. Thankfully he seems to get the message and keeps his distance.

Still no one moves. I start to wonder why places don't have a special fast lane for irritable IT Professionals with a limited amount of time to spare on their lunch break. I am starting to lose the will here!!!

Finally, the nightmare seems like it could be over. The little old woman seems close to making a move. Her business is concluded, but oh no - she lingers a bit longer to exchange final pointless pleasantries with the member of staff. Just wish her well for Gods sake and jog on woman!!!!!

At last, she goes! Now its my turn. Or is it. The member of staff stubbornly refuses to make eye contact with me so I dare not move off my line. Then the other bloomin woman behind the counter abandons the young Mother and comes over to her colleague to ask for some notes. I cannot begin to describe how long and unbearable this process is.

Finally she returns to her seat and the woman behind the counter beckons me over.

"Thanks for waiting" she says. These words feel so insincere to me and my response of "it's ok" was not really what I wanted to offer.

Anyway, my cheques are paid in, and she takes her own damn sweet time to do it for me in a final insult.

Phew, it's all over. Next, it's off to Asda! Could this lunchtime get any worse??

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Top Tip #5 - Brown Nappy of Death!!

Never pick up your baby when he has no trousers on, his nappy already looks pretty bulky, and he has a look of deep concentration on his face!

The resulting poo explosion onto your arm is an unpleasant side effect of such bad decision making!  Thank heavens for long sleeves!! :-)  

Mini Film Review - 24 Hour Party People

I thought I might start doing a little mini comment/review of some of my favourite films on this blog. I love films, and I have a lot of favourites from many a genre.

So here we go, and I an starting with the fantastic 24 Hour Party People staring Steve Coogan.

This film was released in 2002 and is the story of Tony Wilson, Factory Records and some of the bands on the Factory Label - most notably Joy Division (later to become New Order), and The Happy Mondays.

Coogan surprised me when I first saw the film. I thought he would be all wrong for the role of Tony Wilson but he was absolutely perfect as the Factory boss.

Other notable performances include Andy Serkis (of Gollum Fame) as music producer Martin Hannet, and the excellent Paddy Considine as Rob Gretton (manager of Joy Division).

The cinematography beautifully illustrates "dark ages Manchester" in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s and the soundtrack is absolutely superb. I could watch this film over and over again (and indeed have done so).

I love how a film can invoke memories of the time you first saw it. I actually saw this film in Cardiff whilst on a business trip with a colleague. I was doing a lot of travelling back then for work and I really enjoyed the experience. I hate travelling for work now. Weird eh!!

On this particular trip, my colleague and I saw 2 films in Cardiff. This being one, and the other being K-Pax staring Kevin Spacey (which was also very good). We made the mistake of paying for the films on the business credit card. The logic being that we were away for the company's benefit so we were entitled to a few perks. The MD did not see our point of view when we got back however! :-)

Great great film though and I highly recommend it to you!


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Rant of the day!

It really annoys me how many people don't seem to understand the National Speed Limit. Especially on single carriage-ways.

The worst sort of offender is the sort of idiot who plods along at 40 bloomin mph when it is perfectly obvious to anyone with a brain that you are allowed to go 60mph.

What is even more annoying about such fools is that they are usually the sort who will go about 45mph in a 30 zone.

So damn annoying!!

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Grown up Football Fan

So, yesterday Newcastle lost at home to Stoke - having lead 1-0 at half time.  First and foremost, I have to say that one of my pet hates in football is taking the lead, then losing.  I find it absolutely inexcusable.

However, as disappointing as the home defeats to Blackpool and Stoke were, I am pretty satisfied with the way this season has started, and it has made me realize that I have evolved as a football fan.

Time was, if we lost a game - I would go into a huff for the rest of the weekend and refuse to talk about or watch any more football until we put it right the next game.  I would probably also start to think that I wanted the manager sacked if things didn't get better pretty sharpish!

But I think that Newcastle spending a year in the Championship last season was a good wakeup call for myself, and probably many other Newcastle fans.  It has certainly reset my expectations for where the club can expect to go.  I am now just happy to be back in the Premier League again, and will look forward to the highs when they come, and also try to take the lows in a little less of a stroppy fashion!  Hopefully we can stay up, but if we don't - then it's not the end of the world either, as last season was one of the most enjoyable in a very long time.

I do also hope that if a dodgy series of results does happen, that the board don't panic and get rid of Chris Hughton, because I think he is a thoroughly decent bloke and has brought a bit of pride and team spirit back to the club.  Something that has been missing since probably Sir Bobby's days!

Man City away next week.  Who knows.  Newcastle are probably crazy enough to go and win that one. We'll have to wait and see!

Poorly

I have been suffering this weekend. I have the most irritating cold. Very very runny nose and can't stop sneezing.

These tissues are not going to last long.

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25 Facts

Here are some things you may or may not know about me!

1. I love chicken.
2. I love chocolate and can eat multiple bars at a time.
3. I love puddings.
4. I could eat a whole jug of custard by itself.
5. I hate cooking.
6. I am terrified of snakes.
7. I am almost as terrified of lifts as I am of snakes - especially the silver lifts that you can't see out of.
8. I hate driving long distances.
9. I love travelling by train.
10. I love Star Trek.
11. I love Star Wars.
12. I hated every minute of school yet strangely look back on it fondly now.
13. I once met Terry Waite.
14. My favourite colour is green.
15. I always wanted long hair, a bit like Tom Cruise had in MI2, but whenever I tried growing it, it always turned out more like Rod Hull.
16. I love 80s music.
17. When I was little, I wanted to be a bus driver.
18. The words I most dread as an IT Manager are "The systems running really slow today". Somebody is going to say that one time too many one day!!!!
19. I hate hearing the words "Ah, just the man", or "While you're here".
20. I can't believe that in this day and age, nobody has invented garden grass that doesn't need cutting.
21. I am hopeless at DIY. Thank God for my Father In Law!!
22. I don't do queues. If I can't get straight into the barbers or the petrol station then I won't bother and will just try again another day.
23. I love sleep. I wish I could do more of it.
24. The great Sir Bobby Robson once sat at the next table to me at Beamish Hall. It took all my willpower not to bother him but I thought he deserved his privacy. He smiled at my Son which was good enough for me.
25. I think Beamish open air museum is possibly my favourite place in the world.





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Fenwicks Window Moment

Last night, Newcastle beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.  Something that I can't recall ever happening but apparently the last time was 1986!  Before the game, I wouldn't be at all surprised if quite a few people had said they would show their a**e in Fenwicks window if Newcastle won.  It would have been a good bet for us to lose down there as it always seems to happen no matter how good or bad we play, the odds have always been against us.

Some would point out that it was Chelsea reserves, but they still had Anelka, Kalou and Terry in the team, and we rested many of our first choice players too!

So it feels pretty good this morning I have to say.  A bad record at a bogey ground has finally been beaten!  A few years ago we did the same at Southhampton.  We hadn't won there since 1972 but eventually we beat them in what I think was Graeme Souness second game in charge in one of the few highlights of his awful time in charge of the club!

We have similar long bad records at Old Trafford and Anfield.  We already lost at Old Trafford this season so I don't think we are going to put that one right any time soon, but I quite fancy our chances at Liverpool next time we play there. Well done to Chris Hughton and the team!!

Sonic Sega All Stars and Wii Fit

George was playing on the Wii tonight. After he went to bed I continued playing and unlocked the final two levels.


I then did my daily test on the Wii Fit Board. I lost 1lb and then I had a few games of Headers before Louise got back from Slimming World. Current top score on Advanced level - 470!



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Todays Food!

Porridge with jam for mid-morning breakfast.  Pot Noodle for lunch, with packet of Wotsits (already eaten prior to taking the photo).  Just about to eat the banana as my mid-afternoon snack.  The frugal eating is going well.

Can't remember what we are having for tea tonight actually. We usually eat with the boys when I get in, but Louise goes to Slimming World on a Tuesday evening so we have our tea when she gets back around 8.00pm. 

If the boys go to sleep good as they have been, I will be on the Wii fit board whilst I await her return!

Top Tip #4 - Security

If you have a PC or a Laptop which connects to the internet, then you are vulnerable to a variety of threats ranging from viruses, spyware, and phishing scams.  There are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself however.

1) Always keep your PC up to date with  Microsoft Updates.

2) Install Anti Virus software on your PC and keep it up to date.  If you can't afford to pay for Anti Virus software then you can download a reasonable free package called AVG.  You should be able to find this using Google.

3) Beware of suspicious looking emails and attachments.  If you don't know who the email is from, then there is a good chance it is not genuine.  Junk/Spam Email filters are pretty good but not always 100% effective so some may slip through into your Inbox from time to time - if you are unsure, then delete it.  Also, never respond to requests for Personal Information such as Bank Details.  No Bank would actually ask you to confirm your identity in such a way.

4) Be careful what you click on when using the Internet.  Not everything that you see as the result of a Google search is necessarily safe.  Try to stick to well known, reputable websites wherever possible.

5) Back up your data regularly.  External Hard Drives and USB sticks are widely available now and reasonably priced.  They are easy to use and and great way to ensure that your data is protected should your PC be attacked by a Virus.

6) If you use a Wireless Router to access the Internet, make sure it is security enabled and password protected.  It is astonishing how many unsecured wireless networks there are out there and how easy they are to access.  If your Wireless Network is not secure, then all sorts of people could be accessing it and using your Internet Connection.

There are some really spiteful people out there who can do quite a bit of damage to your computer and your data.  By taking precautions such as those above, you can really minimize the risk of something like this happening to you.

Cars

Watching Cars, and George now playing Cars.






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Work on a Rainy Sunday

Well I had to pop into work early Sunday Morning as our Warehouse were having some problems.

Back home now and the weather is not looking so good for the day ahead.

Here is a shot of the gloomy weather taken from my Office at work a little earlier.

Hope it cheers up so we can pop to Beamish a bit later. In the meantime George and I are watching Disney Pixars Cars in the play room while Oliver and Louise are having a little nap.


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Top Tip #3 - Windows 7 User Account Control

Do you get annoyed when you want to install something in Windows 7, and it constantly pops up to ask you if you want to allow this?

This feauture is called User Account Control.  It was introduced in Windows Vista where it was a lot less flexible, as you could basically have it turned on or off.

In Windows 7 however you have a great deal more flexibility with User Account Control.  Go into Control Panel > User Accounts > Change User Account Control Settings.  This is what you will see;

You can drag the scroll bar up and down and choose between four settings.  Choose whichever you feel is most appropriate for you. 

 

Apple

I've never been a fan of Apple.  Purely because they make no effort to fit in or be compatible.  Whenever I have been asked by someone to take a look at their Macbook or iMac or whatever, my heart always immediately sinks as they are just so alien to me!  I mean, how can you trust a device that doesn't even have a right mouse click.

This same distrust of Apple also extended to Smartphones - that is until recently.  Louise got an iPhone.  I was always a Blackberry guy, and for a while I tried to convince myself that my Bold was better.  Then we got a couple of iPhones on trial at work, and to cut a long story short - I sold my soul to the devil and never looked back.  I briefly had the iPhone 3GS, and now I have the shiny and lovely iPhone 4.  It is incredible.

I now desperately want an iPad too.  Am I on a slippery slope here?  Will I want a Macbook as my next laptop?  God, I hope I never cross that far to the dark side! :-)

Jumpers

I think winter is here.  The last two days I have worn my jumpers to work.  Well, in actual fact I wore the same jumper two days in a row and hoped no one would notice!  Our washing pile is horrendous at the moment and I am trying not to add to it.  I have alot of these jumpers with pretend shirts built into them and I miss wearing them in the summer months so it is good to break them out again!  Also they are much easier to iron than shirts.

I don't know what happened to summer though.  I mean, it is flippin October in about a week.  It will be Christmas before you know it and the dark nights and mornings will be in full force.  No doubt there will be snow from December to March again too! Horrible!

Top Tip #2 - Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats

If you are still running Microsoft Office 2003 or earlier, you may have the problem that you are unable to open Office Documents sent to you as attachments which were created in newer versions of Ofiice such as 2007 or 2010. 

The file extensions for documents created in these newer versions now have an "x" on the end.  For example, an Excel file would now be spreadsheet.xlsx as opposed to spreadsheet.xls.

There is a solution available in the form of a free download from the Microsoft Website. You can find it here.  It is easy to install and should take less than a couple of minutes!

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?familyid=941b3470-3ae9-4aee-8f43-c6bb74cd1466&displaylang=en

Top Tip #1 - Defrag

If your PC or Laptop is running slowly, before you do anything else you should always run a Defrag.  You will be astonished just how much this can speed up your Computer.  In Windows XP you can find the Disk Defragmenter tool from Start > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools.

In Windows Vista, and Windows 7,  Defrag will automatically run according to a schedule.



Porridge and Pot Noodles

Yesterday, apart from my tea (which was a lovely beef casserole on jacket potato by Louise), I pretty much ate Porridge and a Pot Noodle!  The Porridge is my attempt at filling myself up cheaply during the day so I don't keep visiting the expensive snack machine.

It is also fairly heatlthy too I understand, and should help me to lose the few pounds I am trying to shed by using our new Wii Fit!

Louise and I were watching Masterchef Australia last night after the boys went to bed, and it always makes us hungry, so I made some more porridge, and she had some noodles!

There will be more porridge at work this morning.  Although I have now ran out of Pot Noodles so my Mam may be receiving a text shortly asking if I can pop round for lunch today! :-)

Currently Reading!

Twitchhiker by Paul Smith!  Paul is actually a friend who I haven't seen in a very long time.  We were both members of a Star Trek fan club (I can see Louise wincing) back in the early 90's! 

Anyhow, last year - Paul decided to travel the world relying purely on the kindness of strangers on Twitter.  This is the book of his epic journey.

I only have a few chapters to go.  It has taken me ages to read so far - purely because the only time I can read is in bed, and once in bed I can't keep my eyes open very long these days! :-)

It is a brilliant book though and I will miss it when I have finished it.  Once I am done, I am going to do a full review on Amazon!  Don't know what I will read next!

Slight Change of plan

OK, I think the overall theme of this Blog should not be limited to IT stuff, although I shall keep the name the same! 

I have decided it should be widened to include my daily thoughts and rants (I love a rant) on just about everything that pops into my head!

Stay Tuned!

Geek Moment

If you are running Windows 7, but need to install programs that may not be compatible, then you can download and install Windows XP Mode from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

Welcome!

Hello There, and welcome to my new Blog!  This is an experiment on my part - mainly to see if I am capable of keeping a Blog up to date!

The theme of the Blog is related to my job as an I.T. Professional.  I hope that what I post here will be interesting/useful to colleagues and fellow I.T. Professionals, and also amusing to friends and family who think that all I do is "Google things", and "tell people to reboot".

More posts will follow, and I also intend to upload some photos (which will probably only be interesting to me) - and to start things off, here is a picture of my office.  I have just had a mid morning breakfast of porridge and a coffee, and now it's back to completing the build of 2 new workstations to be installed in our Warehouse!