andrewwilde's Journal

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Subject:	What the UK sporting news should have carried:
Time:	8:11 pm.
Mood:	pleased.

Well, we're back from New Zealand.

It was quite successful - in the New Zealand match GB beat NZ on their home turf, on one of the world's most difficult ranges. That in itself is something to shout about, to be proud as hell of, but setting a new World Record in doing so? (Not just breaking it, but truly shattering it!) You'd have thought the news might pick up on it (well, the NZ press did, but not back here...)

Then, in the individual championships, it was a Brit who gained top honours. Again, the NZ press and media were all over it:

This was from the main sporting news channel in NZ. Not bad!

And the final team match? Again, another nice piece:

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Time:	9:02 pm.
Mood:	amused.

Oh, how Schrodinger's Pussy!

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Time:	9:25 pm.
Mood:	curious.

Found a SIM card on the pavement today, half-buried in the snow. It's PAYG, O2, and has £7.57 credit and no contact details on it. I've got the number (put it in an unlocked phone, and called home before doing 1471).

Any ideas what best to do with it? (Either original and fun, or sensible - O2 customer services don't seem to want to know...)

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Time:

6:20 pm.

19/11 4(6)var.
Blimey - no wind?!? Freashening Northerlies through the day, though.

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Time:

10:46 pm.

16/10 28(54)SE

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Time:

7:48 pm.

20/10 19(52)NW

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Subject:	The first in a daily series of cryptic posts...
Time:	8:33 pm.
Mood:	creative.

For my info, and kept short for f-pages:

18/12: 35(61)NW

Guess if you like!

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Time:	6:31 pm.
Mood:	blah.

Got an offer through the post today - one of many. But this was post-worthy!

*Spend £150 and get a box of Roses FREE!!!*

Um...
Maybe not...
Why do they even bother to send shite like that?

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Subject:	Internet Banking
Time:	9:08 am.
Mood:	impressed.

Wow! That's quite impressive!

Just set up a new payment on internet banking, and tried to put some money across. And rather than just making the payment, as it's always done in the past, it brought up a new screen and asked me which number it should call me on. I clicked the home number and OK, and within seconds got a call - automated, but asking me to input the number on the screen.

That's done in seconds, doesn't require special card readers (to remember where you put it, having to take with you everywhere, Nationwide please take note) and is pretty secure: It's the telephone number on record, so even if someone got into my internet account, they couldn't make a payment to a newly set up account transfer... I like...

(And if you're interested, it's Lloyds TSB).

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Time:

6:54 pm.

Heh. Been a bit busy of late - and a commute into london last night (and making work by 9am this morning) has left me a little ... knackered. Still, worth it - Fishworks is definitely on my list of places to revisit.

So it's been nice just to browse the web a little, searching out a few things for others (council meeting actions on Sunday) and for myself:
http://www.virgingalactic.com/
That is so cool!

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Subject:	Sophie Lancaster
Time:	9:26 am.

Released yesterday, and worth a thought:

All credit to her parents: such a positive approach.

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Subject:	Health & Safety, PC Bollox...
Time:	7:21 pm.
Mood:	amused.

A couple of lads got drunk, in pirate costumes, and set sail in a dinghy to conquer the Isle of Wight.

And, once the Great British Public reported them as being in difficulties, the lifeboat towed them back to shore. (It doesn't seem they were in difficulties, TBH, and where would they have access to a dinghy if they didn't own one?)
Once ashore, the good old boys in blue were waiting and arrested them... (And not for nicking the boat, so it's safe to assume they owned it).

So, they'll never work with children, then. And all in all a good use of public resources to keep us safe. I'm sure...

Really, honestly, what kind of a world do we live in?

In other news, things are starting to look up - a cautious note of optimism there... Less so at home, but TBH work is pretty fair. Almost enjoyable (it always has been, it's just the crap at home that's been dragging me down). And with only 12 brochure e-mails to deal with tonight, I'll get a chance to eat properly, and clean & tidy up a bit for this weekend. I'm so lucky, to have someone who will put up with my foibles, and look after me... (Even if only on the phone in the evenings...)

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Time:	6:45 am.
Mood:	impressed.

Eff Me!.

Still, off to work. Wish my commute was like that, though!

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Subject:	Phone Ooopsies!
Time:	4:25 pm.
Mood:	lucky.

Not been too successful a week with phones...

Last night, I made a call to Hannah. Several hours later, I managed to fall asleep without replacing the handset (it was late, a hellishly busy week, I'd had a little too much wine, etc etc). Ooops! So - will I get charged for the whole call, or just 'til she hung up on the other end?

And to add insult to injury, I also called her on Wednesday night after getting back to Bath from a work curry / night out. At about midnight - hardly the best time to make a drunken call, but seems I've been forgiven (hehehe!)

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Subject:	On Kids, and Woody...
Time:	9:17 pm.
Mood:	contemplative.

On the train, today, I saw first-hand why I think population control should be allowed: A young girl, maybe 15 or 16, with a baby in a pram (sporty model, with aerodynamic structural members, the works: you know the kind of thing...). Okay, that's harsh, but bear with me:

Her parents (I presume) were on the platform, waving her off (not literally - more like broad Brissle accents hollerin' down the train). They had to tell her where to sit, where to put the pram, etc etc.

Suffice to say, it was only after 4 people had tried (with difficulty) to get past the pram wedged in the isle that her dad figured it might be an idea to hold said tot and fold up the pram. Then the train pulled away.

Young girl was getting irate, as was the rest of the carriage, with the constant movement of people past the wedged pram - it completely blocked the isle, 2 rows in from the end. She had to keep on getting up, moving the too-wide-for-the-isle pram down 2 seats, letting the person past, and pulling it back (past the empty luggage space). Of course, the tot was (as per her dad's advice) in her arms, not in the pram... Which made the task no easier... Swearing doesn't even begin to do justice to her language.

And when we got to the station, where she (and I) were getting off, she just jammed the damned thing (at least, that's how she treated her young'un) into the pram, wrapped (smothered) it in blankets, and sealed off the outburst of crying with the waterproof cover.

Good motherhood is, I believe, now on the curriculum...

In other news, there's a small shrine building on the foot-bridge behind Bath railway station. If any of you have ever been that way, there's a homeless guy there, almost all the time, who makes the effort and is a pretty friendly chap. And dresses in costume, greets passers by cheerily and politely (in a Santa outfit for December, an easter egg outfit near easter, other costumes throughout the year, etc etc) you get the picture. From the flowers and pictures, and this article, it's a real tear-jerker to say he is no more. A sad passing - I will try to take some images of the scene that are appropriate to the man - though that will be difficult...

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Time:	6:04 pm.
Mood:	confused.

An interesting read

I'm there's a whole bunch going on in the background, which isn't being said, but still. Interesting...

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Subject:	Psychology...
Time:	8:37 pm.
Mood:	confused.

It's strange, isn't it?

Somehow, it's perfectly acceptable to spend £10 or £15 or in petrol or train fares to go visit someone. Yet when a single phone call costs that much, it's like *how much!!!*

Hmmm. Maybe I need a new mobile tarriff...

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Time:	7:42 am.
Mood:	hungry.

How on Earth do you make up your mind?

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Time:	3:30 pm.
Mood:	confused.

Okaaaay...

Very odd phone call: I'd just called my new contact at one of the agencies that had someone leave. Haven't spoken to the new bod yet: they've been busy, on the phone, out of the office, or whatever, and haven't returned calls (3 times). But I'd spoken to their team leader twice, who was helpful again this time. Wasn't getting my hopes up though.

Then, not more than 5 minutes after, I get a call from the person who'd left. They now have a new phone number, and are back working there again! And not a whisper of it from the previous people I'd spoken to...

Wierd!

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Subject:	Micro$oft. Bah!
Time:	8:41 am.
Mood:	d'oh!.

Bah!

Installed Vista Service Pack 2 last night - on the advice of the pop-up box.

Turns out, there's a few things you should know. Some are made clear in the process (1 & 2), some aren't (3). From the M$ website:
1. The installation process might take an hour or more... blah
2. During the installation, your computer will restart several times. Therefore, save your work, and exit all open programs... blah
3. After you install SP2, a sound device or some other hardware device may no longer work...

Thanks M$, appreciated...

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