Well a lot of you know that a few weeks back, three of us developers here at work were told that one of us would be being made redundant. So followed a very long week and a half of uncertainty and frantic job hunting. Luckily at the end of it I wasn’t selected. ( No, I did not bribe my MD! ). It did put a huge downer on the beginning of this month, even now it doesn’t feel like it used to. Silly really, but I’m sure things will get back to normal shortly. It also means that there is a lot more work to do as we are one man down. Oh the joys. Good luck to Mark, if you’re reading this, in finding a new job. Hopefully you’ll find something that both you and Artimus ( the Aardvark ) can enjoy.

I also want to say a big “Get Well Soon” to Mandy, who, as a lot of you know, is very ill at the moment. After spending around 10 days in Weston hospital she is now back at home and I heard that last night she is managing to walk without the crutches, although her legs is “still a funny colour”. So hurry up and get better Mandy and stop playing World of Warcraft all day or I’ll never catch you up!

I’ve finally bought a non mac laptop! ( I’ll give you some time to recover. ) After almost 6 years of only using a Mac or Linux at home, I’ve finally taken the plunged and bought a new Windows Vista laptop. It said laptop on the box, but the thing is soo big I wouldn’t be able to walk if it stayed on my lap for too long! It was fairly cheap at £399 from *show horror* PC World but overall I’m very pleased. A nice shiny new 17″ Toshiba. It’s now got Visual Studio installed, the main reason to move to Windows and it plays World of Warcraft a lot faster than my 3 year old iBook, the second reason.

Now you’ve probably saw that I mentioned World of Wardcraft twice in this post. That’s about 2 times more than the whole history of this blog. For years I’ve managed to ignore this game, knowing that if I did join I
would spend far too much time playing, and become one of those sad people that discuss their latest dungeon experience or elite boots down the pub! You know who you are! Well I tried it just under a month ago on my mac and straight away liked it. Now running it on my new laptop it’s even better and so after just under a month I’ve got to level 35 with my Night Elf Rogue.

So next time I’m down the pub with you lot and I start to mention WoW, then you have my permission to slap me and tell me shut up!

A competition to redesign the first new British coin series for 40 years was announced today. The winning design was created by a 26 year old lad from Bangor, Gwynedd. His design was chosen out of over 4000 entries.

All six designs from the 1p through to the 50p coins can be pieced together to form a complete image of the royal shield of arms which has virtually stayed unchanged since the reign of Queen Victoria. The £1 coin features the complete shield. The £2 coin has not been redesigned.

It was only announced today and already the debates have started. Some people loving them, some hating them. Myself, I quite like them*. It’s a new clean and fresh design in my opinion. Definitely not worth £5995 for a Platinum Edition Box Set   mind, but still nice. I’ll just save up £1.88, collect the coins and stick them to a piece of cardboard, but that’s my Scottish blood kicking in.

* For those of you about to slate me for liking them, get over the fear! Change is good. Well most change. We’ll not mention the London 2012 Olympic Games logo…

Link: Royal Mint New Designs

Another year, a chance for a new start, fresh, exciting. But it isn’t. It’s the same monotonous routine as last month, the month before that and before that. Every single day the same, every week, every month. Nothing changes.

I should be happy. I’ve got a good job, good friends, a roof over my head. I’ve got things to be happy for surely? I just don’t feel it right now.

There’s no light at the end of the tunnel, and when it sometimes feels so close and I can actually see a glimmer of light, a flicker of hope, it just moves further and further away.

There’s got to be something to look forward to in life, otherwise, why keep doing what we do, getting up each day, plugging away with life? What is the point?

I’m so tired right now. Best try and sleep.

Tomorrow is a new day after all…

Nobody would believe the shit that happens in my head, it’s haunted.
Now that I’ve come down from the drugs it seems like a sick play that I saw in a theater somewhere.
Thirty minutes ago, I could’ve killed someone.
Or better yet, myself.

The Heroin Diaries is an album written by Nikki Sixx ( the Mötley Crüe bassist ) and recorded by his band Sixx: A.M., which serves as the companion soundtrack to his autobiography, The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star.

Have a look at Nikki Sixx’s MySpace page to listen to some songs from the album.

Which got me thinking, what is some of the worst things out there that you could just stumble upon. So here are a few links, in no particular order as I really don’t want to spend time judging them!

Please note that these are definitely not safe for work and if you’ve not seen them before, well lets just say you’ll be scarred for life afterwards!

• Two Girls One Cup
• Goatse
• Lemon Party
• Tub Girl

If you’re still with me after those little delights then I really really really warn you not to look at this following link. I came stumbled across it earlier this evening when doing a little research for this post. [link]

I am so sorry. Life will never be the same.

:|

PS. If you have any that I’ve missed out, add a comment with the link and I’ll add it to the list!

The result is another 3-4 days without a phone.

So if you want to get hold of me then give me a call at home or drop me a mail to the usual address.

:)

It’s now been three days that I’ve been in almost continuous pain. The only time it doesn’t hurt is if I stay really still or sleep, but I can’t sleep cause it hurts. Arghh. I’ve not been this sick for a very long time. Worrying about losing my job as I’ve had two days off doesn’t help either. I’m sure not eating isn’t helping but it just makes the pain worse if I do.

Sadly non of my pills are working, not even the strong pain killers.

I’m sure I’ve caught some sort of stomach bug or food poisoning. It doesn’t just feel like my IBS is flaring up.

:(

Well time for two more painkillers and see if they’ve helped by the time I need to get up at 6…

Have a look and listen to these two videos if you have a spare few minutes…

If anyone out there can do better, then send me a copy or link to the video and I’ll put it up here. Oh and then you can get a job!

:)

On another note, what a shite game!

[UPDATED]
Looks like Steve McClarens been given the boot, as has Terry Venables. [ link ]

They wander how they lost so much,
Their lives forever changed,
Some seemed to have lost sanity,
Their cries forever ring..

They saw their friends and family die,
Their cries were never herd,
And even now their faces show,
For the cause they had was great

None thought twice to give their lives,
To preserve what they thought right,
So that their children and those to come,
Might see our freedom bright..

But now as time has traveled on,
Their works are not forgot,
The battles that they fought and won,
The battles that they lost..

We Look at all you gave to us,
A reminder of our past,
That all we have It cost a price,
You paid on our behalf…

You are not forgotten…

Mike Spears