vote... Now!

Right, to anyone who may read this blog (no many people do, but I know there are some!) I need your help.

I would like you to vote on what you think my next purchase should be. The choices are between an iPod classic and an Xbox 360. Now I can only get one or the other as I really need to get a new car too.

Below I have composed a table to show how I feel about the two to show how I feel about the two, but I can be convinced either way….

	Pros	Cons
Xbox 360	Halo 3, Forza 2 and Sega Rally	I get disinterested in games quickly
	Fairly cheap for a next gen console	Have heard it is unreliable
	Have I mentioned Halo 3?	Cheap, but more $ than the iPod
iPod	Looks better then current player	Already have MP3 player
	Plays secure media from iTunes	Have heard bad reviews
	Large capacity	dont want to become an iZombie

So vote away readers. All comments welcome!

lost in a sea of card and plastic...

Today has been a rather challenging one for me, and it’s all thanks to DELL for that. I have had to install 33 new computers, this in itself is a rather good prospect as it is a rather easy task that whiles away the hours making the weekend come faster.

The problem comes when that git of a computer retailer decodes that all of its business clients should have to share the documentation that’s home users get. 33 copies of how to connect a monitor really does take up some space but this is nothing compared to the amount of plastic that they use. The mice are wrapped in a plastic bag and then put in another plastic bag with separate instructions on how this equipment is to be used.

Sure this is good for the home user buying one PC, but when a company orders 90 of the things you would think they would realise that the recovery disks could be left out along with the instructions on how a mouse works!

my trainers hate me now...

the poor things, they looked so bitter spinning round in the washing machine. Thats right they got V'ed (covered in mud) but i can't say anything other than the sacrifice was well worth it!

The morning started shall we say err wet, but after waiting at the front of the queue for the gates to open (yes we did watch and laugh at the people who were at the back) it became apparent that the day would be a good en'.

The bands we saw were:

• Just Jack (the best of the first)


• The Proclaimers (well they did do 500miles)


• The Editors (Brilliant)


• The Fray (good and thought provoking)


• Jet (crowd pleasing)


• Pink (to get to the front for the patrol and the foos)


• Snow Patrol (AWESOME!!!)


• Foo Fighters (MORE AWESOME!!!!)

We were right at the front for the last two, and I mean the front about 10 rows back behind the giants. (near the vortex if you were there on Sunday!) both performances blew me away I have already booked tickets for next year!

Starting to regret the 13 hours of standing now though...

One last thing a big thanks to the giant Yorkshire pudding stand for the food, and trainers if you are reading this I am not sorry!

Elated, confused and really p*ssed off

Yes that’s right the day of reckoning has come…

My results have arrived by post and I have managed to get an upper second class degree with honours (of which I am more than slightly proud!). but by now you should know me as there is something lingering in the back of my mind, a voice that can’t help thinking why could they not post that on the boards along with the rest?

If you have read the post that precedes this you will know that when I checked at Uni I was told that I needed to see my tutor. I assumed this was for one of two reasons:

• I had failed


• It had something to do with the extenuating circumstances that I applied for

I was right it was to do with me accepting the 2:1, but why could they not put that on the board with ‘waiting for acceptance’ why was I worried sick all yesterday in fear that I had spent a year in hell only to not get a reward at the end.

So just to sum up thanks Staffs for yet again for screwing with my head, when there was no need!

I take it back, staffs uni can rot!

A few days ago I may have accidentally commented on the fact that I missed Staffordshire University. I would like to formally revoke that comment!

The reason for this sudden change of heart is due to one simple fact…

OUR RESULTS HAVE BEEN POSTED on site. I have driven all the way there only to find that all my other mates results have been posted but I have to see my tutor. He could not care less as he never replies to e-mails. I would have thought that due to the results going up on the Friday the important members of staff may come in on the Saturday, but now I have to hang on to find out why I have to see him I have never been more nervous in all my life!!!!

If anyone knows what this could be about please let me know.

And to all those that do have their results well done and congratulations (if you got what you wanted).

why is it that cars are made hard to clean? Part Two

As posted yesterday I have stayed true to my word and have cleaned the other parts of my car.

As planned I have cleaned:

• The exterior paint work


• The glass inside and out


• The bits of paint work that cant be seen from the outside and that nobody actually cares about

Now I know this seems like a typical day, because it was but this is a MY blog and I will continue to fill it with this cr*p!

Anyway, after getting rid of most of the dirt from the car I proceeded to dry it with the Flash ™ car cleaning system. this I found had ran out of whatever makes it dry the car and so I had to pray it would work OK. It did. This can’t help making me think that we are getting ripped off. Manufacturers are telling us to buy stuff we don’t need and when we don’t need it.

I thought today I should enquire about the date that I can expect the results of by degree, now I really want to know just how bad I have done. I have e-mailed one of the staff and had no reply, typical! After much trawling of the Staffs site I found an address that I felt may prove useful, one e-mail later I found out that although the graduation ceremony is on the 17th July, we don’t get the results until the first week of July. They, unlike me must have great faith in the postal service because if the tickets get lost I am screwed (this is in no way a dig at the postal service, I understand that a large operation like this may have problems with lost post, especially if it comes from Staffs Uni which rarely send it to the correct address!).

This is not my main bug bear however, this is reserved for the fact that my mate got his results from Birmingham Uni today even though he finished two weeks after me, it begs the question what the hell are Staffordshire University doing with the results?

I am off to watch TV and then sleep!

Au revoir

why is it that cars are made hard to clean? Part One

That's right folks I have been cleaning my automobile ready for the long drive to the Lake District. This is a very unusual thing for me as those who both know me and have travelled in my car are only too aware that I rarely wash my car. The reason for this became apparent today, after the realisation that the car was so filthy that project clean would need to be rolled out over two days. The project was to be split as follows:

Day One: Interior
This would involve the polishing of all the leather and the plastic dash. This i found would be the hardest and most tedious part.

I started with the idea that i would work in a stair cleaning fashion i.e. from top to bottom, but this did not really work out. when the leather had been cleaned and it was time to start on the plastics, this i thought would be easy. How wrong i was... My doors have the most stupid pull handles ever thought out by man, they are just cavernous recesses in the door meaning the amount of fluff, hair and unimaginable s collect there. Opening the tray under the drinks holder revealed a puddle of 'Dark Water' and had to be mopped out, where this has sprung from is anybody's guess. Then it was time to vacuum. I took all of the mats out and then proceeded to clean them, this went fine as did the the rest of the accessible seats and carpet, but then it came to the bits between the seats and the centre console. Manufacturers of vacuum cleaners take note that I would pay big money for a cleaner that is capable of getting into these small gaps (a longer hose and thinner crevice tool would do!). So tomorrow heralds the day where I clean the outside, inside windows and engine bay.

I feel this will not be fun!

so long.

i never thought i would say this but... i miss staffs!

Yes that's right folks, for the last two years I could not wait to leave that University. It seemed such a cruel place, it was un-organised, most of the lecturers gave the impression that they wanted to be there as much as I did!

Now I have left however something has changed, everyday this feeling gets that little bit stronger to the point where I am writing this. Sitting in bed thinking about it now I cant help saying to myself I wish I was back there for one reason, yes the work was tough and the university just plain unhelpful but I miss the social aspect that it provided. Everyday I was forced to get out of my warm bed and drive for one whole hour to this place, but when I got there i would be greeted by people I liked to spend my time with an talk to (even if they, and I suspect a lot of them did, hate the moment that I walked into that final year project room.

I remember the most hated module of all 'Mathematics and Software Applications', this was the worst nightmare of anyone that I had spoken to yet I strangely enjoyed that hour on a Friday afternoon, we could spend one hour playing with the application known as 'MAPLE' (usually changing the colours of the 3D plains!) this to any normal person would be the equivalent of Vogon poetry (or a rusty nail through one's scrotum) yet I enjoyed it for the one reason that I could have a laugh with my friends!

I really do miss the laughs, and moans that we all shared during the random Subway trips, the meetings in the FYP room (to me the hub of the university) and MSN while trying to complete the many vaguely explained assignments. It is for this reason and this reason alone that I miss going to staffs everyday, to be perfectly honest if I could do it all again I think I would.

Well I hope the camping trip next week will help cure me of these ridiculous thoughts, although I can't help thinking that it may make them worse, but at least then I can attempt to find a job although:

1. Who is going to want to employ me? I know i wouldn't
2. It means I have got to make new friends!

BTW, If any of the old 'Subway' group fancy a sandwich and chat just say the word and I will be there or if any one would like to shed some light on the date on which we can expect the arrival of our results please do not hesitate to contact me!

Over and out.