Year: 2000

Future now

Reading time: < 1 min

I ache. As usual I did too much in the gym on Wednesday, so my shoulders and arms are stiff and sore. The pain in my legs is nothing new and I’m used to it. We play football every Thursday (should I say soccer? Hell no!) and every Friday I’m stiff – is regular exercise not supposed to improve this? Mind you the game of netball on Tuesday should prove fun…

Looks like I’ll soon have SurfTime (Evenings and Weekends) setup – for those outside the UK, it is an unmetered service offered by BT and chosen ISPs. Unfortunately everytime an ISP launches an affordable 24/7 unmetered package the end up pulling it, or poorly implementing it because “some people abuse it, staying online for 16 hours at a time…”. I kinda thought that was the whole point… so I could have my PC online all the time and harness the power of the Internet. Have news delivered instantly, have my fridge order milk when I run out, etc etc. Or at the very least allow me to melt my retinas playing Half-Life! 😉

Startup

Reading time: < 1 min

I’ve always been able to make the separation between a business decision and a personal decision. I’m pretty good at stepping back and seeing the bigger picture. It’s one thing being passionate and ‘caring’ about your work, it’s another to close your mind and concentrate your focus wholly on it.

I’ve found myself more and more inclined to fall into a kind of loafish, lazy attitude recently. Topped off with manic bursts of productivity. I think now would be a good time to re-take the Belbin tests – see how I’ve changed. I much more prefer the ideas and implementation stage of projects, but then I don’t think that’s a new thing.

I need to start writing stuff down more, I’ve been toying with a section or site dedicated to my ‘professional’ head – there must be SomeTHiNG in there that would be of use to others… right? Right!!??

Ohhh, Happy Birthday Alan M. – and anyone else who shares a birthday with him… there must be somebody…

Theroux

Reading time: < 1 min

Louis Theroux, Monday nights, BBC2. Watch this man. This is the second series I have watched.

Last night the programme was looking at the Boers, there desire for their own state, and what the underlying thoughts were. Very interesting, and ultimately very depressing. There are still a lot of closed minds, and isolated figures in that country. If you ever catch any repeats of his last series make sure you catch the interview with the leader of the Klu Klux Klan.

As I am currently paying for the entire phone call when I use the Internet, I am using it as sparingly as possible. The adjustment (from the 24/7 unmetered access I had) has been brutal. I find myself starting up my PC at night. Doing some admin, mucking about with stuff I’ve been meaning to look at…. then shutting it down. I didn’t realise how much of my PC time was spent online – be it surfing, chatting, or Napstering!

Still I have been racing through the re-design, so once I get some form of affordable connection back (at end of October) I’ll put it up.

I’ve also been working on a site for the various bits and bobs I have collected that may be useful to people in a similar profession. Still to get a name I like, and at the moment it’s very early. I’m going to make an effort not to mention it again until it is done! Learning my lesson from the re-design of this site.

Screwed

Reading time: < 1 min

My ISP (LineOne) recently ended the payment scheme I was using. I had 24/7 access for £5 a month. They are now offering LineOne SurfTime (run of the back of the BT SurfTime package) for £9.99 a month for off-peak access only. Unfortunately my local exchange is not yet equipped to handle SurfTime so it isn’t available to me. Which means I am left to pay for any Internet calls as I make them – an expensive business. We rent our accomodation so can’t get cable in. In short I’m screwed.

BT have promised my exchange will be SurfTime compatible by the end of October. Until that time these will be the only updates you see on this site. Once I regain my Internet access, I will post the new design (which is 95% done), and upload a lot of stuff that has been waiting for a while…

So Great Britain is at the forefront of technology? I don’t flaming well think so!! BAH!!

Manager

Reading time: < 1 min

Strange week – kinda floated through it. Accomplished most of what I meant to. Most, not all – I’ve really gone off the boil as far as the design aspect of this site is concerned (hey who said I was never on!). Still working at it.

No Zeldman to ease me into the day, no k10k to consume at lunchtime, and too slow a connection for various CoolStop Flash picks. Strange week.

Still I do feel refreshed and ready to go back to work with some vigour. Promotion aside (I’m a Manager now!) it’s time to step up my game and really push things. I can see the trouble spots but they will be handled when they arise. Onward and upward… just another couple of mornings in bed first though..

Faith

Reading time: 2 mins

I was in a church, yesterday, for the first time in, oohhh…4 years? longer? I felt very hypocritical, but was glad I went – it reminded me why it leaves such a strange taste in my mouth.

Now, don’t get me wrong (again…), I have amazing respect for anyone who can devote themselves to a religion, mainly because I could never do it myself. I still don’t understand how anyone could let their minds and souls be controlled in such a fashion.

The thing that struck me most, and something I had never really noticed before now, was how the picture of the world at large was divided easily into black and white. Church of Scotland is by no means a strict branch of christianity, and is often seen as ‘less religious’ than Catholicism, but both branches share similar doctrines. “This is the way we do things, you must do them our way, any other way is wrong.” Whilst this is never fully stated, it is thinly veiled in the ritual that is a Sunday morning service.

On the plus side, there is a definite community appeal to attending church. It is like an extended family, but then again, I could say the same about my circle of friends – except that we have a more interesting time as we don’t all believe or do the same things.

The Church of Scotland complains that people are turning away from God, and after experiencing the service on Sunday, I can see why. The exclusivity of common knowledge, when you are the one who is excluded, is a very lonely feeling. You feel out of place, nervous, uncomfortable.

My lack of faith doesn’t disturb me, or frighten me, it is a comfort. I am happy in the knowledge that I am not blinkered, that I can look around and see things for myself. I may not always like what I see, but I will never condemn anyone for their beliefs, I hope you don’t condemn me for mine.