Arcoarena

Well if the Queen can have one why can’t I?

My holiday starts today (from 12:30) so I’m going to go off and relax and eat far too much for my own good.

My Christmas is shaping up as follows. Christmas and Boxing day in Portsmouth followed by a (very probably crowded) train journey up to Preston to visit my Grandma and up to Cumbria afterwards to spend the rest of the time with my family. I’m back to Portsmouth in time for New Years then back to work on the 4th.

It’s going to be a little odd in several ways. Firstly: no coursework – yay! Secondly less time – doh! and it’s going to be slightly strange not spending Christmas in the same way I have done for the previous 22 years.

Anyhow. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Certain organisations appear to struggle with the difference between a block of flats (i.e. the building) and an individual flat within that building. I’m flat 5 of around 20 but the building number in 2. This causes no end of problems in the first place. Two cases in point.

Scottish Power (what the hell is it with me a incompetent electricity companies) was sending mail to “The Occupier, 2 Surrey Street” – yeah, which one of around 30 people could that be then. As it happens it wasn’t me but it took several phone calls to find that out and several more to start sorting out the “missing information” from my details that they didn’t feel like telling me about.

Secondly Royal Mail. Registered post. Unless you live in a house where nobody else has an address even remotely like yours don’t bother. They just delivered a parcel of Presents from Andrea’s parents and just handed it over the the person in Flat 8 – without even telling us! Andrea had to go round to the Post office, spend an hour for them to show her the signature (Their line was “but it’s been delivered, we’ve got a signature” – not either of ours though). Eventually she finds out it was flat 8 -they think. Flat 8 didn’t have it so she had to go round all the other flats trying to retrieve it. We’ve got it back but it was opened (as was one of the presents inside). Not what you’d call an effective service.

Sorry – I’m ranting again. And so close to Christmas. Have a good Christmas for everyone I haven’t said it to already.

It struck me recently how a small gagdet-freak-addon to mobiles has changed music concerts.

A few years ago people used to go to music concerts and watch, listen and enjoy. Now they watch, listen and spend most of the time trying to get a half decent picture with the crappy camera built into their phone. Next time you go to a concert watch, you’ll see camera phones everywhere held aloft in peoples hands like a poor replacement for a lighter during the slow numbers.

It’s odd that such a desparate attempt to sell more phones has had such an effect on the way people act at an event. Seriously, look next time. It was plain to see on the Radio 1/Top of the Pops Christmas Party at Shepards Bush Empire, and the Cake concert I saw there.

This time of the mental kind. I benefited from another’s misfortune recently. Joesph was too busy to attend a training course so I got to go. Two days in Oxford with a bloke telling us how he fixed huge companies problems with a paper clip (seriously, oh and a ’scope too). The course was of High Frequency measurement and Troubleshooting, with some EMC and ESD (electro static) stuff too. The man was a guy called Doug Smith. It was all very interesting and I learnt not to trust any measurements ever made, even at low frequencies by todays standards. His website is very good for those of you that way inclined. And I have a certificate to show that I’ve been to the University of Oxford.

Well, on the subject of spelling, Aralion need a few lessons. Whilst they are a Korean company it isn’t much excuse for your website to be spelt wrongly.

“Support” appears as “serpport” and “Suppport” (in a banner). It doesn’t really instill confidence in their manuals/documentation does it?

I have been vaguely attempting to go for a few runs (only 3 mile so far) but this has tailed of a little of late as it got cold and dark and it seemed much nicer to stay at home and be warm and cosy.

This lack of progress is no longer (as much) of a concern to me now as I have not been sucessful at gaining a place in the London Marathon. Phew! I was getting quite concerned about my lack of running. I might try again next year if I’ve managed to keep my running up and can do a reasonably distance.

I might try and go out tonight to restart my small amount of progress. Now there isn’t any pressure.