Sonic Jump for iOS: A short review

Today's free gift on Apple's 12 day of Christmas app was the game "Sonic Jump". If you've ever heard of, or played, Doodle Jump then the prospect is very similar.

The aim of the game is to jump upwards from platform to platform, collecting coins and power ups along the way. Of course, you must avoid running into bad guys or they'll knock you off and you'll need to restart the level. Yes, unlike Doodle Jump, it is level based rather than one continuous run.

Whilst ascending each level, platforms get trickier to land on and the bad guys get more dangerous and frequent.

Whilst I love Doodle Jump, I'm not really feeling any love towards Sonic Jump. It's another nail in the coffin of the dying SEGA franchise and I can't see it impressing loyal fans of Sonic, or generating potential new followers. Still, for free I suppose you can't complain.

The gameplay is rather monotonous and each level, whilst increasing in difficulty, doesn't really bring anything else to the table. The character movement is very slow and, for some platforms, moves too slowly for you to reach the next one up.

All in all, whilst not bad for free I wouldn't be quick to download the app if and when it returns to the paid for version.

Tomb Raider: Survivor

Lara Croft: Born Survivor

The hugely anticipated, latest instalment of Tomb Raider is due out in early March. As you can see from the image above, taken directly from the tombraider.com website, Lara looks a lot different than in previous games.

Then again, the entire story is different. Square Enix, who now publish the franchise, have taken a different spin on the life of Lara Croft. No longer is she the hardened adventurer that you experienced in previous versions. In the new Lara Croft, she's a fresh adventurer, new to the field and rearing to get going. Unfortunately she gets herself into a right pickle and has to learn how to survive, and how to do it well.

The story on the official site explains how the game explores Lara's origins and how she must adapt in order to survive and become the veteran she is on previous titles. The developers, Crystal Dynamics, have really thought through this one and the trailer makes the game look incredibly enticing. I know this is the sole purpose of a trailer but I don't know, with this it's different and obvious that a lot of time has gone into it. I mean, we've been waiting since 2008 for another instalment. I genuinely thought they weren't going to reboot the series.

Many people have already jumped the gun and criticised Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix of creating an aura of sexist fantasy amongst male gamers. The most informative article I found that tackles this topic was from The Guardian. You can read the article here. In my opinion, Tomb Raider has always been targeted more towards the male gamer. Why else would they use an athletic, fearless and strong female lead who hardly wears any clothes and has larger than average assets?

A multiplayer mode has also been confirmed. I wonder how this will turn out, and what is planned for it. What types of game modes will see, weapons, maps. Building a multiplayer platform is just as important and requires the same attention to detail as the standard single player mode. It is being developed by none other than Eidos Montreal, the developers responsible for Deus Ex: Human Revolution, so I have my fingers crossed for something at least half decent. It also pleases me that the studio developing the multiplayer have a link to the franchises old publisher, Eidos Interactive.

Price wise, it marries up nicely to other high end games of this modern day. There are 3 separate packages for sale: Standard, Collectors and Survival. You can pre-order them now from Game UK for the following prices:

Standard: £39.99

Collectors: £74.99

Survival: £54.99

It is worth noting that, with the collectors and survival versions, you get some rather nice additions. The collectors additions comes with an 8" Lara Croft figurine - great for all those die hard fans who want good old Lara in their display cabinet. There's also a map, art book and a "survival tin" that the game rests in. In-game content wise, you get a weapons DLC pack (presumably for the multiplayer aspect but can't confirm) and a 10 track score (not entirely sure what this is).

The survival pack is very similar to the collectors, although there is no figurine  and the game packaging is different. You still get the map, art book and in-game content however.

Personally, I won't be pre-ordering a fancy copy. I'll go to the shops on release day and purchase a standard copy instead. I cannot justify the massive price hike, sorry.

Tomb Raider: Survivor is released in the UK on 5th March, 2013 and will initially be for Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC. I reckon it'll play better, or at least feel right, on the PS3 because the Playstation is Tomb Raider's roots - where it all began. I'm not sure if they'll release a Wii version, but there's no sniff of speculation about it so I can't see it becoming a possibility.

You can view the latest trailer below.

Apple strikes back

It appears that the Apple God(s) have smited me for my comments in yesterday's blog post.

This morning, when coming down the stairs to get ready for work I slipped. This sent my beloved iPad flying out of my hands, smashing against the corner of the bottom step and then landing helplessly on the bottom floor. I also did some damage to my knee but at that moment in time I was only really worried about what had become of my iPad.

After crawling down the stairs, I turned it over and saw no obvious damage. The screen looked OK, it was turning on and off OK and apps seemed to load just fine. As I was inspecting it further I noticed that it had been completely dented in along the volume side, ruining a corner and also wedging the volume button into the casing. Unfortunately for me, it's wedged in on the reduced-volume side which means I have no audio. Not at all. Everytime I try to turn the audio up via the slider on YouTube, the music app, etc, it immediately returns to silence. Also, as the button is wedged into the case, I'm unable to fiddle with the audio via those means either.

Pictures of the damage are below:

Caved in 

 Volume button wedged into casing



Damaged corner

It ran out of warranty only about 2 weeks ago. In fairness, this would be classed as accidental damage and wouldn't be covered by the warranty anyway so there's no point dwelling on this too much.

I've looked on the Apple website but I can't find anywhere how much this would even cost to repair. I have asked about and been informed that I would be charged half the cost of a new one to be given a replacement. I believe I am right in assuming that if this is the case, it would be a refurbished model.

My girlfriend's dad will take a look at it for me tonight. As it's out of warranty it won't hurt to pry it open and play around with the button from the inside - might just be able to pop it back out again and make it usuable. Sadly, the cosmetic damage will remain but it's a small price to pay if I can actually get the volume working properly again.

I'll keep you posted.

iPad 5 due in March?

First of all, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas. I most certainly did. I'm very happy with my new Kindle as well as the usual deodorants and shower sets that I got. 

Anyway, back to the topic on hand.

Rumour has it, and I would like to note that I have only today come across this, that Apple are going to launch the iPad 5 in March 2013. In all honesty, this wouldn't at all surprise me. Their product turnover is immense. Unfortunately for the owners of the latest iPad, or iPads if you count both the Mini and the 4, this means their beloved Apple product will be obsolete within only 6 months of it being released. As you can imagine, this has outraged many people but for others it is another step forward in the Apple Revolution.

The iPad Mini - The latest redesign of the popular iPad

I can see where the unhappy people are coming from. Personally, I would feel ripped off after spending my hard earned money on a product that, only a mere 6 months later, would be outdated by an updated version of the same product. You could even go as far as stating that the "new" product is exactly the same as the previous model just re-branded as "The New ...". Of course, this isn't entirely accurate because Apple do always improve their products slightly.

The other argument relating to such small release windows is the idea that Apple must already know and have possibly created the next feature they want in the newest model of their product. Why don't they just wait a little longer and add all the cool new features into one amazing product. This makes me think that they deliberately hold back on these features, just so they can release a newer model a few months down the line and sell it at the same price, making them huge profits in the process.

I know full well what people say - Apple are a business and they're out to make money. Whilst I agree with this, I do feel that a business needs integrity. I can't see this happening anytime soon, but I really do see Apple losing what integrity it has left if they continue this practice.

The iPad 4, dubbed "The Resolutionary new iPad" - Released at the same time as the iPad Mini

I myself have an iPad 2, purchased in December 2011. Since then, Apple have released 3 more iPads including the mini. This means that in just 12 months, they have released 3 newer versions of my product into the market. If you look at the tech specs of each iPad, the latest iPad 4 (pictured above) is not that much different to my iPad 2. Sure, it has retina display, a slightly faster processor and a HD screen, but is this worth the starting figure of £399. The exact same price that I paid for mine 12 months ago. I can't see the appeal to be quite honest.

The iPad Mini is very similar. They subtitle it "Every inch an iPad". Exactly right, it only has minor reduced specs compared to the 4 and the price is just over £100 less for the smallest GB model. In fairness, I don't have many gripes with the Mini. In certain situations, my iPad 2 is just too big whereas the Mini would be perfect with it's smaller dimensions and similar processing power. Still, starting at £269 it is still a fairly hefty sum to part with.

Concept design for the iPad 5 - the most common found on rumour sites and forums

You will see above an image I keep coming across when searching for more information about the suspected iPad 5. It looks a lot thinner and more trimmed down along the edges. I also see no evident home button so if Apple are thinking of a design along these lines, they're sure to have something up their sleeves to combat the lack of a home button. In fairness, if this design is even slightly accurate I would be the first to applaud Apple for adopting a revolutionary design and being the leader in bringing 3D technology to the tablet industry (the app icons look 3D and the screen slightly blurry, as you get with 3D films).

My only concern with 3D is that 9/10 you require glasses to get the full effect. I know Nintendo released the 3DS that required no glasses but I am not sure how well this fairs, having not played about with one myself. If any of you have one, or have played with one, I would be intrigued to learn if the 3D effect is even half decent.

What are your views on the iPad 5? Will it be well received, or should Apple seriously start to review their business plan on how quickly they release these things? Comments on a postcard... or below (that might be slightly easier).

Christmas 2012

Here we are, only 1 hour away from Christmas 2012. A time of year that some thought we would not see. As I type, the neighbours baby is bawling his eyes out which equals no sleep for them, oh the joys of parenthood - something I will soon discover.

All the presents, turkey and decorations aside, I feel that Christmas is a time of year that we should all appreciate and be thankful for. I am not a religious man but still hold the values of family and friendship. At this time of year, these two values are emphasised even more and I really think we should think of those who are less fortunate than us, even those without a family or a home this Christmas. If we open our hearts and realise just how lucky we actually are, maybe there won't be as much hatred in the world. Just my philosophy.

This is something I feel has been forgotten in the world, love. The entire world is driven by hatred and greed. It doesn't matter who you call God, nor does it matter if you don't believe in a God at all. We are all equals with as much right to live in peace as the next person. Why start pointless wars over a silly game of "you don't like it, I'll declare a war on you" or "I'm bigger than you so get ready for invasion". I really do not see a positive outcome.

I'm getting seriously off topic. I don't mean to put a damper on everyone's Christmas.

Guys, gals, peeps, ppl, whatever you call yourselves. Have a fantastic Christmas. I'll post when I can, or when something inspires me to post. Remember my technical posts coming in the new year. I am also thinking of exploring the option of reviewing products - we shall see!

Merry Christmas!

Christmas eve eve

So, as I am sure you are all aware, today is 23rd December AKA Christmas eve eve. I have just got home from work and I'm all set for Christmas. I popped out this morning before my shift started and got the last of my shopping. I must admit, I don't know why I leave things til this late. Everywhere is full to the rafters of similar last minute shoppers all rushing to get theirs done.

Accurate representation of last minute Christmas shopping

The picture above is just a stock photo I pulled from Google, plus it was probably taken during warmer months because there isn't a coat in sight (the weather also looks moderately OK). Regardless, it's an accurate representation of last minute Christmas shopping - exactly what I was faced with this morning, just before work.

I may have already mentioned that I work on the technical support desk for a major ISP. I also have a computing A-level, plus a COMPTIA A+ and MCTS certification. I'm currently studying, part-time, towards a BSc in Software Development and Networking so you might start to see a few "techy" posts appearing on the blog. I like to help people out as best I can, which is why I love technical support so much. I also know that people get very frustrated about their broadband and phone line being down so I'm definitely going to get a few articles out about how to check for basics, and what things you should be checking before reporting a fault with your ISP.

Broadband - Connecting you to the world in seconds

You see, the internet is a wonderful thing. The smallest of problems though can have massive consequences. That 5 minute video that you were watching could take a lifetime to buffer. I know just how much people HATE buffering. Stay tuned for some detailed articles about helping yourself with your broadband. I'm planning a rollout in the new year.

You'll probably hear from me tomorrow before I sign off for Christmas completely. Until then, stay safe and enjoy the time off (if you've finished for Christmas, that is)

Last minute shopping

With Christmas only a couple of days away, I think it's time for me to finalise my shopping and get wrapping. This is the thing, I'm always last minute. I always have been.

I don't necessarily do it on purpose. I do just think, "oh, It's two weeks away, I have plenty of time left" - so I put it to the back of my mind. I then look at the date and think "oh my gosh, 2 days to go and I STILL haven't bought anything". Granted, I do have cards sorted. Well, for my girlfriend at least. In fairness, if I didn't have Sam I would right up the creek without a paddle at the moment. Luckily, she bought everyone's presents before I even had chance to forget what day it was. Needless to say, I now owe her half of the costs but that's not a problem at all! Sharing is caring after all.

My New Year's resolution this year is definitely going to be "GET ORGANISED". I seriously lack organisation and this isn't a good thing. I have big things planned for 2013, it's the time when my son is introduced into the world. If I'm not organised by then I'll have no hope for me ever getting organised. I should take a leaf out of Sam's book, always fully prepared well in advance and when the time comes, perfect precision. D'oh.

(Christmas is in 2 days! How prepared are you?)

I have definitely forgotten the meaning of Christmas over the last couple of years. I haven't enjoyed it nearly as much as I used to, or should. It's a time that is always spent with the people I love and hold dear so it should be the happiest and most special of times in my life. I'm hoping that this year I re-kindle my love for Christmas. Sure, it's been commercialised up to the rafters but that doesn't matter. I don't care how many presents I got, or how much money my neighbours spent on their children. At the end of the day, it's quite possibly the only time I get to see all of my family in the same place at the same time.

Here's to a fantastic Christmas!

Oh, and before I forget - have a fantastic New Year as well.

Still here?!

As suspected, the world did not end and we're all still here. This didn't stop thousands upon thousands of people gathering at 'safe spots' - designated zones that would apparantly be saved from the apocalypse. Of course, this makes no sense at all. If the world is going to end, why would one (or a few) particular areas be saved?

(Bugarach, France. One of the 'safe spots')



All of this aside, life has continued as normal, bookies are counting their newfound profits and doomsdayers have gone back to the shadows to lick their wounds once more. I wonder how long it will take them to conjure up the next supposed end of the world.

In other, more normal news, Gangnam Style has become the first video in YouTube history to reach 1b views. I checked just now and the figure is sitting around the 991m mark, so maybe the views are taking their time catching up with themselves? Another explanation is The Indepedent is just publishing the story early, so they make sure they're the first scoop! Link here

(Psy - Hit 'Gangnam Style' reaches 1b views according to The Independent)

Let me know, if you want, how many views you can see when you look at the video?

End of the world? Pt II

So the time is vast approaching. The time that doomsdayers predict the end of humanity. Oh, and the entire world of course.

Yes, I am sure you've all heard enough of the speculation but, to be frank, if it is my last few hours on the Earth then I would like to say my piece. In all honesty, I really do think it's all nonsense. Another scaremongering attempt, possible to profit from the situation. I mean, c'mon, bookies are actually offering odds. The worst part is, people are actually betting! Yes, I'm being serious.

Who in their right mind would bet on something like that. Sure, the odds are crazy good and makes you a potential millionaire if you win but you'd be dead and have no way of claiming it, because the world would have ended. If the world doesn't end, which it is most likely not to, then you lose your money. It's a lose-lose scenario for the better so why bother...

There are a lot of conspiracies regarding the end of the world. Far too many for me to go into detail on, but there is a wiki page that explains what it is all about and lists a few of the most popular theories, link here.

For me, I am going to treat the day just like any other. I'm not afraid of it because I know that it will not happen. There is no scientific proof of any apocalyptic event heading our way. I know that it is very possible that such events could happen without warning but surely there would be something measurable that the boffs would notice. Some say that the major powers do know something, but chose to cover it up to avoid widespread panic.

Either way, if the world is going to end, it's going to end. It's not something that can be stopped so there's no point in worrying about it. I don't see the point in worrying about something that you can't control.

If you seriously believe the world is going to end, and want to say your prayers, goodbyes and whatever else, then follow this link. It's a countdown to the time that the doomsdayers think the world will end. Note it down, 11:11am. Obviously, the world cannot end at 11:11 for everyone due to timezones so if you're not in the UK/use GMT, then just use Google or another search engine to find the relevant time in your zone - if you want to go to this much effort that is.

19th December 2012

Today has been a slightly lazy day for me. Second of my days off this week so I've made the most of my time by catching up on some lost sleep.

Got out of bed at about 10am, cleaned the fish tank and then fed the cats. We don't have much in for breakfast at the moment so it was jam on toast this morning with a nice milky coffee. The plus side is I get paid tomorrow so I can re-stock on goodies which is nice. I hate the fridges and cupboards being empty so it will be a great feeling seeing those completely full again.

At 2pm, me and Sam had an appointment with the midwife. 25 weeks into the pregnancy now. I forgot to mention that we found out the sex a good 5 weeks ago, we're having a son. He's grown so fast already, and his heart beat is nice and strong which is always reassuring to know. The one thing we're really struggling with is a name for him. We've batted a few names around, checked the baby books and countless websites - we're still 100% stuck. I know we'll reach a decision before he's due though.

After we found out that everything was going fine with the pregnancy, we nipped into town for a  something to eat. It wasn't anything fancy, just a quick McDonalds to offset the hunger. Once satisfied, we made our way home.

Like I said earlier, all in all a pretty lazy day. I just thought I'd slip a post about my life in here at some point. I've covered a lot of news lately and thought it'd be nice to alter the path for just one day. Tomorrow it'll be back to the news.

Thanks for listening!

Instagram listening or backtracking?

Before carrying on any further, take a quick read of Kevin Systrom's recent blog post about the Instagram "sell your photos without permission" fiasco:

http://blog.instagram.com/post/38252135408/thank-you-and-were-listening

What do you think. Genuine confusion or tail-between-the-legs backtrack? I'm struggling with this one but I'm swinging towards the backtrack. Facebook do this all the time. They announce a new policy that will actively affect user privacy then backtrack when said user complains. Seeing as Facebook now own Instagram I would not be surprised if this is a similar tactic.

I'll play it safe and look out for anymore updates.

Does make you think though, doesn't it.

iPhone 5

First things first, this is not a review of the new iPhone. I don't think I have any right to review a product that I don't actually own myself. My girlfriend purchased the iPhone 5 today and so I thought I'd give my brief opinion of the device. I might string some kind of review together once I've had a play with it, or if I ever pick one up for myself.

Personally, I own the iPhone 4 (yeah, retro these days). In fairness, the 4 is still fairly popular and still has a little way to go before meeting it's grave. I love my phone and I'm not quite ready to part with it just yet. It does all I need it to. I don't need a fancy new A6 chip, 8MP camera or 7" screen. The apps I use operate fine with the phone I have.

Visually, the iPhone 5 is stunning. It's a lot thinner, weighs a hell of a lot less and the screen resolution is to die for. Take a look at this beauty:

(Picture from 9to5mac)

I mean, tell me you don't look at that and think, "yeah, it is a good looking piece of kit". Even the Samsung fans should be able to appreciate that the iPhone looks amazing. Likewise, I think the new line of Samsung products (Note II, SIII) are good looking in their own ways.

My contract is up for renewal in May so I'm stuck with my 4 until then. "Stuck" is a harsh word to use though, I do really love my 4 and I'm still in two minds about getting the 5. Currently, I can't justify the £529 price tag - there isn't a massive difference from the 4 (well, not that I would really notice) so, for now, the 4 stays.

Whilst in the Apple store, I did notice that there is an incredibly short supply of accessories at the moment. Bar the Apple made products like the 30-pin adapters and such, it appears that third party manufacturers haven't yet gone full steam ahead into producing the amount of accessories that the 4/4S has at it's disposal. Maybe this is because the 5 is still relatively new, but I would have thought a larger choice of cases, screen protectors, etc would be available by now.

Regardless, my girlfriend seems happy with her new purchase. Just needs to wait for the silly new nano-sim to activate and it'll be all systems go.

If you've got some time, why not leave a comment with your opinion on the iPhone 5. I don't want it getting completely out of hand though, no Samsung vs Apple rivalries please!

Instagram want your soul

So it turns out that Instagram, the online photo sharing website, has updates its Terms and Condition which will allow them exclusive rights to any photo you upload with the intention to sell them to whoever they like. The worrying part about this is they can do it without your consent, and without you even knowing who your photos are being sold to.

The new terms come into effect on January 16th 2013. Any accounts still active by this date will be tied in with the new terms and they cannot opt out. I strongly advise that if you do not want the company to have free reign over your photos, delete it before the 16th January. The new terms state that any account deleted after the 16th could still have it's photos shared, so this is why you must delete it prior to this date if you are not happy with the new terms.

Facebook purchased Instagram in April for a staggering £616m ($1bn). It wouldn't surprise me if the idea for selling the photos to advertisers comes in light of the earlier dip in Facebooks share prices. They have struggled in recent months to keep investors and advertisers happy, especially when the value of the company when floated on the market didn't even scratch the surface on what they initially estimated.

Earlier this month, Facebook stated that they would eventually "monetise Instagram". Is this it?

To me, it is a very draconian way of doing things. It goes completely against everything that Instagram was created for - a free haven for users to actively share their photos to the rest of the world. If you look at rival services, such as Flickr, who offer everything the new Instagram won't, it's hard to see how they will survive.

On the other side of the argument though, some people do state that this is the price of social media. It is a tool to interact with other people so why should we be bothered if the site is sharing our photos. To counter this, I don't think people are bothered if a site shares our photos, as long as we know where they are going, what they will be used for and what safeguards are in place to protect our privacy. Instagram have completely gone against this by not even telling you who is buying or what your photos are being used for.

As far as I can see, neither Facebook or Instagram have commented on this - even though it has caused a massive public backlash.

I'll update the blog if they make any comment.

Pi Life

Okay, so today I went to see The Life of Pi. It's due out on 20th December but I managed to secure some free tickets from showfilmfirst.com. To be perfectly honest I wasn't expecting much. I haven't read the book, nor am I in anyway a religious man but it was free so why not?

The film itself is visually stunning. I am not usually a fan on 3D films. To me, they are a complete waste of money and make your eyes go funny. Unfortunately for me this film was in 3D - luckily the glasses were free! In reality, I am really glad it was in 3D. The tricks it plays on you, the picture coming right out of the screen at you, it was all made extremely well. The 3D effects really make some of the crucial scenes so if it comes out with a choice I would highly recommend choosing the 3D version. You won't regret it.

I'm not one for spoilers so I won't go into too much detail, but basically it's about an Indian boy who becomes stranded at sea with a Bengal tiger and has to discover how to survive. Over the course of the film, you will see Pi struggle with his faith and how he must push himself to the absolute limit in order to continue fighting. It's a brilliant piece of cinema.

What I find most refreshing is Ang Lee (director) chose a completely unknown actor to play the lead role.  Suraj Sharma plays the part of Pi with outstanding professionalism and really shows that he deserves to be there. I genuinely hope he makes the big screen in future. This is exactly what I love, directors noticing young, fresh talent and showing it to the world.

Overall, The Life of Pi is an amazing display and something that should be watched. You can view the trailer for the film below. Feel free to discuss the film or the book below (please keep any conversations clean or comments will be removed).

North Korea Launches Rocket

So, North Korea today decided to launch the rocket that, previously, the UN and practically the whole of Europe condemned. 

Their first launch attempt failed miserably and no doubt embarrassed Kim Jong-Un. I can imagine a similar scene to the below from the film Der Untergang (which you should see if you haven't already done so). Oh, I almost forgot, you'll need to replace Hitler with Jong-Un.

Okay, so maybe Jong-Un doesn't think the war is lost or that he can no longer lead but you get the idea.

Today's launch happened at around 00:40 GMT and apparently followed it's designated path perfectly, dropping used boosters near Japan (which they weren't too impressed with I might add). The USA has since confirmed that something 'new' has appeared in space - maybe these secrecy mad Koreans actually did what they said they were doing.

I have always thought that their public shows of military might have been nothing more than such. I relate it to the Soviet Union during The Cold War. They publicly broadcast videos showing them with hundreds upon hundreds of tanks and aircraft. In reality the vehicles were simply circling around the block off camera and starting from the beginning again. This created the rather powerful propaganda mechanic of scaring the west into believing the Soviets had masses of military presence.

You can read more on this story by visiting the BBC News website. There are other reports out there, I just find the BBC less biased compared to the likes of the Daily Mail and The Sun. You can find the link for the story here.

Panic over

Ah, the guys over at Facebook HQ work quickly don't they. All is well again in the camp and order has been restored.

'tis a shame really, I was really looking forward to the massive media blow out coverage of the downfall of Facebook. Being the media they would have rocketed it well out of proportion - the joys of journalism I suppose.

Regardless, all you avid Facebookers have your mecca back. Go enjoy it.

End of the world?

Oh noes! It appears Facebook has been... eradicated?

Is this the start of the apocalypse people? Be prepared...


More later.

UK Weather

For all of you who don't know, I live in the UK. Our weather can be completely unpredictable and, as of late, has been on the extremely cold side.

It's not the cold in general that I have a problem with, it's all the side effects that occur as a result. Things like more people in cars because they're "too cold" to get a bus - resulting in increased amounts of traffic. This not only wastes my hard earned fuel but it send me nuts. I'm all for people using their cars but come on! if you usually get the bus because it's more cost effective for you, don't clog up my road space with your car when your privates get a little frosty!

On top of this we have the hugely inadequate road system. I pay over £100 a year to this useless government in road tax. What do I get for the privilege?  absolutely nothing, that's what. I swear, if I was given £1 for every pot hole that I'm faced with on a daily basis then i'd be a millionaire, wouldn't have to work and wouldn't need to drive myself thus saving myself all the hassle.

The rest of Europe laugh at us during winter. There Germany is, with a well structured transport infrastructure and here's the UK. The place where a little white fluff grinds the country to a halt. You would have thought we'd have learnt by now. Global warming is not going to go away overnight and our winters have become a lot harsher. We have snowy and icy conditions every year yet nothing is done. My car is always stocked with the necessary in the event of a breakdown in these conditions but there are many people who aren't so prepared - our own government for one. I was stuck in an approximately 5 mile traffic jam the other day, all because a car had skidded in the ice and blocked the entire road. Now maybe this is just me, but if that road had been correctly gritted I wouldn't have been ranting and raving in my car for well over an hour...

Anyway, ranting aside here are the main items we should all be carrying in this horrid winter weather:

• De-icer (some, even myself, dispute the necessity of this item. Usually a good old ice scraper does the trick and you don't get left with any gooey residue on your windows)
• The legendary ice scraper (if you don't have one, buy one! If all else fails, use your credit card. The plus side of this is you won't be able to increase your debts!)
• Spare tyre and the appropriate changing kit (I would recommend a full size, those mini tyres are a waste of time and most new cars don't even have the luxury of one)
• Food (obviously nothing that requires refrigeration, although the icy conditions may well be just as good as a fridge..)
• Water (I've been told off for keeping the plastic bottled water in my car because the ice could make the bottle explode when it freezes. I've never had a problem though. If you are worried about this, just put some water in one of those flasks and seal it tight)
• Blanket (If you're stranded for a while you will definitely need one of these to escape the chill - especially when you haven't got the luxury of the heaters)

The above list is what I would deem absolutely necessary for all journeys during winter. As I'm a massive paranoid weirdo I carry way more than I need but it keeps my mind at rest and I suppose it may all come in handy one day. 

Important: I am not a professional when it comes to this area. Use my list lightly. If you want any further advise, seek professional assistance. Companies like the AA will provide the key info for free.

To finish things off, I'll give you a forecast for the next couple of days. Just to put you in high spirits..

Monday:

A frosty start to the day, then mostly fine and dry with a good deal of sunshine in most areas. Chance of the odd wintry shower in the east. Chilly. Maximum Temperature 5 °C.

Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:

Staying largely dry and bright with some sunny spells. Despite this, it will stay cold with widespread overnight frosts and freezing fog patches that may be slow to clear.

(all data from the MET Office website and for the North West of England only. Forecasts for your local area are available from the website at www.metoffice.gov.uk)

Until next time, keep trucking.

US Election 2012

So, as we all should now know, Barack Obama was re-elected as US President for another 4 years. Many celebrated the news but some were less than enthusiastic about the result.

My opinion? If the majority of American people wanted Obama to remain president then so be it, they have the right to vote and they made their decision. They obviously believe he is the right man for the job and for solving some of America's worries. On the other hand though, maybe he got the majority vote purely because he was the better man. Whether or not people think he is up to the job, he is obviously a much better person than Romney and therefore got the majority vote.

Over here on the other side of the Atlantic, elections and the voting process differ vastly. For starters we always have three main parties running for election rather than the standard Democrats or Republicans over in the states. I've also noticed that the Americans vote using these digital voting booths which record each vote. I suspect this makes the whole vote counting process much quicker and accurate. Over here, we use the standard paper and pencil. We mark a little box next to our chosen candidate and pop it into a safe like chest. These chests then get emptied and the votes counted by hand. As you can imagine, this can be slightly inaccurate and a recount is always required. For a country as small as ours compared to the states, this process works fine and isn't too time consuming.

We also do not vote for who we want to become Prime Minister. We vote for who we want to be our local MP, or member of parliament. This MP obviously belongs to a party. When an MP is elected by it's local people, they gain a "seat" in parliament for their party. All of these seats are added up and as soon as a particular party gets the majority of seats they obtain power. The leader of this party then becomes Prime Minister. The next highest number of seats means the corresponding party are the "Backbenchers".

Unfortunately, what happened here in our last election was that neither the Conservatives or Labour gained the majority vote. We then had what's called a hung parliament. The next largest seat holder after these two parties was the Liberal Democrats. This meant that the Conservatives or Labour had to convince the Liberal Democrats to work with them in a coalition government. Once this happens, the relevant party would add the Liberal Democrats seats to theirs, meaning they would then have the majority needed to take power. The party with the most seats out of the two within a coalition would award their leader with the PM position, whereas the second party in the coalition would award their leader with Deputy PM.

We ended up with a Con-Dem coalition, making David Cameron our PM and Nick Clegg the Deputy PM. I won't go into my opinion on this because I'll be here all day and the post was supposed to be about the US elections.

When I first looked at how much money the parties in America spend on the election process I was really shocked. I mean, $3B just to get elected to power? Don't you have enough debt to sort out than adding your election bill to it! I see why they spend so much though, most of it goes on advertising in "swing states" - the states that are always undecided and make all the difference when it comes to voting.

The US takes election a lot more seriously than us. Live debates I think are a brilliant way to allow the voting population to hear what each candidate has to say about key topics. We have live debates in the UK but they're not nearly in the same league as the ones over in the US.

So, Obama has been granted another 4 years to try and sort out the problems with the US. I think the most important points are unemployment and the economy. If he can sort those two issues out then I think his reign may go on for another term after this. We'll see how he performs. Good luck Barack, you have a huge task on your plate.

Unexpected

I've just been on the M.E.N website, searching through archived news reports (don't ask why, because I have no idea) and I came across an article that really shocked me. It was detailing how someone that I used to go to school with, and sort of knew, had been jailed for 2 years for possession and supply of Class A drug, MDMA. 

It really made me realise that you never truly know someone. I mean, I wouldn't say he was the ideal student, like anyone he would have his moments and "act up", haven't we all done this? I would never have thought this would happen though. It's a scary reality, can you trust anyone anymore, do you really know someone as well as you think? All of these questions have now been thrown into my mind and I can't stop thinking things through over and over again. 

In reality, I shouldn't let such a story affect me so much. I mean, I hardly knew the guy, but I went to school with him, even had lengthy conversations with him every now and again and seeing his mugshot in a news article explaining his crimes was, quite frankly, extremely shocking.

Oh well, life is life and stuff happens all the time that we would least expect to. My circle of friends may be rather small, but it is full of people I care for dearly and would trust with my life. I like that about my circle. Although there isn't may of us, I can always count on them for anything that may crop up.

Anyway, it's time for my daily dose of YouTube before heading to sleep. On the agenda tomorrow is getting my tyre repaired/replaced. It has a slow puncture and the car is now gulping my fuel. I hope that once the tyre is sorted my fuel consumption will reduce somewhat.

Here's hoping...

Another day at the office

This mornings routine:

• Wake up, groan at the time and fall back to sleep
• Alarm goes off, groan once more at the time and fall back to sleep
• Alarm goes off again. Pull self out of bed and shuffle to the bathroom
• Wash face, brush teeth and sort hair (or attempt to)
• Shuffle back into the bedroom and get dressed
• *Walk* down the stairs to the kitchen, a vast improvement on the shuffle
• Eat breakfast
• Pack bag for the day with lunch, snacks and drinks. Also important to pack tea supplies
• Put on coat
• Get in the car, start the engine, switch on Real XS and drive to work

The above is my daily routine, not just this mornings as the title may have suggested. You didn't need to read it, I merely added it for effect. To break the ice! (remember my first post?)

Happy Days

Work was a very happy place to be today. Full of joys and jubilation.  The contact centre has turned 1 and everyone was in high spirits. There was free cake and snacks, as well as a raffle for some goodies! It's strange to think that it only feels like yesterday that the ribbon was cut on the new site and we all poured in for the first time. It just goes to show how quickly time flies!

Head Shave

One of my colleagues took part in a sponsored head shave today. I won't post the pictures for his privacy as I haven't asked permission but it was an event enjoyed by all spectators. He did have quite long hair so it was a stark contrast to the norm. Surprisingly, the new do suits him quite well - he also raised just under £200 so a big well done!

Scary Moment

This evening my cat escaped the house and went on a little adventure. I wouldn't mind, but for the fact she is completely deaf. We keep her in because of this and so she isn't seasoned to the outdoors. As you can imagine, I was petrified that she was going to get run over or lost. 

She gave us the run around for at least an hours before eventually just waltzing in, as if nothing had happened and we were just being silly! The cheek of her!

Anyway, I'm glad she's safe and sound, tucked up in bed with me as I type. She has her flaws but I wouldn't be without her. She's like a best friend to me and I don't care how silly that sounds. Owners get a real strong bond with their animals and in some way I feel connected to her. Here's a picture of her in all of her beauty.

Her name is Belle, in case you were wondering.

Alas, we're at the end once again

Once more, that's another day over and the key moments condensed into a manageable post for reading. Tomorrow is going to be good, it's the last day of the week, I'm on an early shift and I have the whole weekend to look forward to. Although I am doing some overtime on Sunday for a little extra moolah.

Ciao for now.

All Hallow's Eve

Alas, tonight is All Hallow's Eve. The time when all children congregate on your street and furiously knock on your door, one after another, trick or treating their way to a late night vomit.

I have to admit thought, some costumes were actually really decent and some of the children were adorable. My best of the night though was this little girl, probably only around 4 years old, with her mum and dad. She was dressed as a witch and said the usual "Trick or Treat" when I answered the door. I thought I'd play a little game with her and bring out some of the fun involved. I said to her, "we're all closing up now, but if you say the very magical word I might just be able to conjure some up for you". Bless her, the first word out of her mouth was "please". Manners, I like this one.

"Not quite, but please is always nice. It's a really special magical spell and only the most powerful witches can cast it. Are you a powerful witch?", "Yeahhhh, I'm the powerfullest witch ever!" was her reply. Adorable. "Okay, it's two words, and it's a really powerful spell so I'll need your help with it. I'll give you the first and you say the next. OK?", "OK". "Abra...", "KADABRAAAA!" she shouted, jumping up and down. I couldn't resist any longer so held out the tub and let her choose. She only picked the one! More manners, I like this a lot, you don't see much of it in the youth these days. I urged her to take more because she was my last customer of the evening. With that she took a handful, smiled, said a big thank you and went off on her way. 

She made my night!

It made me think that there is still hope for humanity. As long as we have the polite, caring ones in society it can rebuild itself and carry on if all else fails.

That's me for the night, Peer of the Year gets announced at work tomorrow and top prize is a Nexus 7 tablet so I'm gunning for the top. Let the battle commence!

Charity

So, I wanted to make this post all about charity work. It's fresh in my mind because I have taken part in a mass charity event at work today. My workplace supports The Rainbow Trust (http://www.rainbowtrust.org.uk/) which is a fantastic charity that helps young people with disabilities. Earlier in the year we met with a representative from Rainbow and discussed what we wanted to do over 12 months and set a realistic target of £6,500 to be raised.

Since this meeting, 3 of our staff members successfully completed the Three Peaks Challenge. We've done the Manchester 10k and people have had sponsored head shaves/leg waxes, etc. Today was another fund raising day. It is the site's 1 year anniversary so we decided to commemorate the event by raising as much as we could towards our total.


Myself and two others donned the suits of Zippy, George and Bungle from the children's TV show, Rainbow. I spent around 2 hours in this suit in total, running round collecting money from people, having pictures taken and generally having a good laugh. It is extremely hot inside these suits by the way. Someone should create a weight loss program that specifically consists of wearing these suits all day - the amount of weight you'd drop through sweat is unthinkable! 

Anyway, the day went down a storm. We've not actually had chance to total up the donations just yet but I am immensely proud of my workmates and their generosity!

Government and charity
In my opinion, the Government don't do enough to support charities. In fact, they hardly do anything at all bar make it easier for people to locate the genuine from the fake. There must be some spare cash they can donate each year to charities. This shouldn't be out of the public pot either, it should come from the corporation taxes and the sponsorship they get from private organisations.

It doesn't even have to be much, after all it is the thought that counts.

So it begins

I thought I'd start with a brief introduction about me, my career, hobbies, etc. This should swiftly and harmlessly bypass the dreaded "ice-breakers", you know those silly conversations that new employers make their new recruits engage in. I find ice-breakers truly uncomfortable. I am much happier being left to my own devices and making allies/foes on my own. Thanks for the attempted assistance, however.

About Me

Name: Nathan Cashman

Age (at time of writing): 20

Job Role: Second Line Technical Fault Analyst

Drive: Yes. A Citroen C3 (don't dare make jokes, I've heard all of them before)

Relationship: Yes. Baby numero uno en route.

My Job

I work for a well know telecommunications provider, delivering second line support for all technically related issues. These issues range from a simple log in problem with an email address, to a faulty cable within a telephone exchange. No two days are exactly the same and this is what I love most about my job. I interact with many different people each day, whether I'm speaking to them over the phone or replying to their emails.

Sometimes the going gets tough, like everything. I just look past the hard times, seek out ways to improve the situation and just get going. I do genuinely adore my job and I wouldn't change it for the world. I have only been there just over a year but I have never felt so happy to walk through those office doors each morning (immensely sad, I know).

Relationship

I've been with my girlfriend for almost 2 years now and I love every aspect of her. Her body, her mind and spirit. She always does good in everything she participates in and it's great to be with her. We don't live together unfortunately, which can sometimes be a real pain. The worst part is being together non-stop for a week and then spending the next few nights apart.

When I found out I was going to be a father, I was utterly shocked. I didn't know what I was going to do and I was genuinely worried about the whole thing. I guess that's normal but I sure as hell didn't think so at the time. Sam (my girlfriend, if you hadn't guessed when I used the name) had missed her time of the month and this was the first sign of something occurring. She was almost never late. We bought a test, which conveniently had two in the pack, and both came back positive - I was going to be a father.

To be perfectly honest, I was secretly loving the idea but dominating that suppressed feeling were mixed emotions of worry, guilt and anxiety. My main worry was finances. We couldn't even afford our own home, how on earth were we going to afford an extra mouth to feed. The guilt was down to my age. For some stupid reason I felt that I had let my parents down by entering parenthood so early in my life. The anxiety was the not knowing. I hate not knowing things and this was totally out of my comfort zone.

Me and Sam talked it over to great lengths and at one stage both of our minds seemed set on a termination. Looking back, I am so glad that we did not travel this path. After finally deciding to keep the baby and give a real go of it, we spoke to the Doctor and got ourselves booked in at the hospital to see our Midwife. I'm going to fast forward a few weeks now as I am already rambling. When I attended Sam's dating scan I didn't really know what to expect. All these emotions were starting to boil again. However, the first time I laid eyes on my unborn baby, moving about within the womb I was awestruck. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

Anyway, Sam is the best part of 19 weeks now and on the 9th November we will be going to the 20 week scan. This will be the most nerve racking part of the pregnancy thus far - it is the time they check for physical abnormalities with the baby. We have already been told it is a low risk pregnancy, and all of Sam's vital readings are perfect so I don't really have any major worries. A slight worry will always be there and again I have attributed this as being "normal". Who knows what the future holds, I only hope there will be something of it left for my child to grow up comfortably and successfully. I will do everything in my power to make sure that happens.

Hobbies

In my spare time, I partake in a lot of reading. My favourite genre being fantasy. Witches, ghouls and things that go bump in the night, but all from totally imaginary worlds. I have to say, without a doubt, my favourite of these has to be The Spooks series. If you haven't heard of these then I implore you to give them a go. It's one of those stories that draws you in and keeps you there until you have read every little word and sentence. I will often stay up well into the early hours without realising, thinking to myself "I can't stop here, one more chapter". It feels like that one more chapter never materialises!

I also have a keen interest in programming and gaming, my platform of choice being my Xbox 360. Part of me sometimes feels like I'm not a real man. I hold no interest in sport, bottom of my list being football. To me, they are just a bunch of super-sized babies being paid rediculous sums of money to kick a round piece of fabric/leather/plastic, whatever it is, around some grass for 90 minutes. /Rant

Alas, the end

If you have read this far, congratulations, it looks like we will get on quite well! I thank you for taking the time to acknowledge this and delve into the life of Nath. I appreciate your time, and until I next ramble, take care.

-Nath