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.