Why does everything come at once?
Why can’t people leave stuff how it was?
Why can’t people finish a bloody job?
Why do people leave stuff for days, weeks and months?
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.
Being sicks evidently makes me ratty :(
This is an apologetic catchup post due to my lack of bloggage recently, I could say that I’m really busy running a business and exam revision for University - but we all know that students don’t really do anything.
First of all, what a mint couple of episodes of Shameless. I love Mickey more than ever, and yes I agree you do look ‘propa fit’ in unifrom - and Paddy “You’ll always be a bitter cunt”.
Back to work - As students do best, I’ve been getting totally hammered, eating tons of junk food, retaking failed exams (due to the hammered part) and doing tons loads of assignments+revision+ procrastination. Thank god the years nearly coming to an end.
In other areas of spent some business profit on a shiny brand new spanking Sony Vaio. Yes folks - I didn’t buy a MacBook Pro. Why - because they don’t have a full HD 16:9 aspect ratio screen or BlueRay. I was also less than impressed with the spec of them - where has the wow factor gone Apple?!
Back to TV realm - and you’ve really gotta love Brothers & Sisters. It really is an amazing TV show. Nora is the best character for me, closely followed by Kitty, Kevin and Scotty. Although I’m not a huge fan of his character, you’ve also gotta love Rob Lowe - fit, clever and cute = perfect.
I find it interesting that in Brothers & Sisters there is such a diverse range of political differences - Republicans(conservatives) & Democrats(liberal/labour). What’s admirable is that Kitty & Robert (the conservatives) are nothing like our Conservative party. Unlike prize twit David Cameron (despite what he might want you to think), Kitty & Robert are for gay rights (gay marriage, gay adoption etc etc) and small businesses. Unforutnatley if the conservatives get in, we are at worst going to return to a society of prejudice where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer, best case scenerio we just won’t progress at all! Please please please vote Labour - Liberal Democrats will not get in (due to our voting system) and we need our nukes until everyone else agrees to get rid of theirs!
Thanks for your time. This has been another form of procrastination whilst I’m listening to the soundtrack of Hairspray attempting to revise whilst drinking lot’s of CocaCola and Milk Chocolate Digestives resulting in failure of test tomorrow and excessive weight gain. Life’s just brill :P
This weekend (as a late Christmas present) me, my brother and my mum went to see The Lion King in London. Not being a fan of crowds, big cities, trains and the underground I was a bit anxious as usual. Anyway it was actually a really great day and the show was really amazing, almost on a par with Wicked.
Apart from the show, one of the best parts of the day was walking around London (because we, I mean - I decided not to get the underground) - and actually I’ve never seen so much of London in one day before, it definitely beats going on the underground. You get to see and experience a lot more, and I don’t have the fear of being blow up by terrorists in my head :P
After traveling in first class (with a carriage almost to ourselves :D) on the way, we arrived at St Pancras station and then walked to Covent Garden, where we had a bite to eat. We then went to see the show (although we wouldn’t have been seeing it at all if we hadn’t checked the tickets, because we got the start time wrong!).
The show really was amazing - the stage effects, the costumes and the way the actors came into the audience. I had a bird flying and singing right next to me at the start of the second half. If you’ve not seen it and you like the film and theatre, it’s definitely worth going to see.
After the show we walked to Trafalgar Square as I’d never been before, and then down and along the embankment. We then went and had dinner in a really nice italian restaurant, where I had the best chocolate souffle pudding in my life so far (although I’m sure my auntie can do better). We then walked back through London to the station, totally shattered and ready to go sleep on the train home :D.
Your never too old for a Disney show.
I decided to be a bit creative in the kitchen this afternoon, and created this salad. It was actually really very nice.
2 bacon rashers
A handful of mixed salad, mixed with a tiny teaspoon of mayonnaise
One apple, cooked with the bacon rashers
A round of wholemeal toast, mixed in with bacon & apple
A dash of balsamic vinegar
YUM :D
You know that feeling/spaz attack you get when you fall in your sleep? Weird isn’t it.
I wish I had a nice hunky guy to grab now - sure I’d go right off to sleep in his arms.
Obivously still not learnt my lesson of drinking coke before bed - the caffine keeps you awake. Early + long day as well.
Life Is One BIG Balancing ACT…
Everyday (like lots of people) I balance student life with business life and then both of those are also balanced with whatever is left to make some sort of social life.
Sometimes it gets confusing - worlds collide and things get lost mid-air. Just this morning I totally blanked my new housemate for next year and good friend - I was lost in mid-air trapped in my own little bubble rushing around.
This post marks a new era of RetroNerd where I intend not to always post things that make sense to one particular area or group of people. I’m scrapping the balancing act - and living life merged. So my uni time is my business time, my business time is my uni time, my personal time is my business time and my business time is my personal time.
Basically I give up trying maintain a different image of myself for every (very different part of my life) and I’m going to start living life merged. So if you call me expect to hear music in the background. If you party with me, expect me to be working as well. If you study with me, expect me to be doing anything but studying :P.
So eventually this little blog will actually have some representation of my real life - not just one aspect of how I would choose to present myself. The cuffs are off. Lets go.
(Oh and the design is a work in progress people. In case anyones wondering yes it is custom and it’s (going to be) a 80’s mash up influenced by fantasy, neon lights (neon rainbow / ministry of sounds 80’s) and good old saved by the bell.)
I’m stuck in a hell holeish world of an eternal cold and misery lol. It peaked at the end of October after a fantastic night at Alton Towers Scarefest (I love Alton Towers and everything that it stands for) – I woke up and realised that I actually couldn’t open my mouth very much. So I thought oh – it’s ok – it’ll go away. 3 days later I could no longer open my mouth enough to speak or even swallow my own spit – in fact if I had it my way I wouldn’t of swallowed at all because it was just total agony. Anyway hoping for some antibiotics and to go home, I went to the doctors. Unfortunately they said I needed to go hospital. So I spent 3 days in hospital on a IV drip with multiple antibiotics, painkillers and nutrition running through me. I spent my time with a bunch of old men and an infuriating bed-side computer/tv thing which I felt like smashing several times. Not the highest point in my life. Anyway coming to 2 months on – I still have the damn after effects.
Well I have an excuse for not updating my blog this time. Again I’ve gone through massive changes – it’s September again and I’m back in Lincoln (in a new Flat with the wonderful Lizz Brady – see I do mention you!), this time on a Web Technology integrated masters course, which is perfect because I’m in 2 days a week, and the rest is for my business I launched WebFloat.co.uk and I’m really pleased with it, it’s something original and yet, very very simple.
I’ve also had to deal with the threat of legal action from my ex-employer Easy Internet. Anyway the long and short of it is I have been accused of stealing all their clients in some elaborate conspiracy theory. Anyway after repeat attempts to defend myself against legal action and threats to cease trading- I think, just maybe, they have realised that the only threat from me is in their heads.
Right then – Gays. Stop ganging up on Dannii, it wasn’t and isn’t a big deal. It annoys me, it really does. If she’d of said to the little lad (which they did) “all the girls will be crying rivers for you” – was that shock horror, no! Why not say it – it wasn’t malicious, and he said himself he’s not ashamed, so it’s no biggy. Simon Cow showed his true colours again though.
Moody post is over – hope it was both enlightening and entertaining, and even a bit disturbing. I shan’t grammar or spell check it – consider it organic.
7 Months Ago vs Edit: Today
Well first of all I’ve failed miserably with regards to keeping my blog up to date – but I will put in more effort on that front! Anyway I’m on holiday in France and it’s raining so after hacking in and updating WP I thought it was time for a new post! A lot has happened since my last post back in March, so I thought I’d kick start my new effort by doing a quick round up… *Edit: And I’m starting that new effort again lol
After over five years of service, I left my job as SEO Team Leader & Web Designer at Easy Internet in Leicester. I’d been part time for nearly two years and to be honest, it was becoming an unnecessary waste of my time. I decided I’d reached the top of the hill, and I’d prefer to jump off rather than tumble down slowly. All the best to them for the future. *Edit: They since tried to sue my ass for the below - but that’s all now sorted (I think…)
I launched Specific Gravity – www.specificgravity.co.uk – I’m steadily building up a client base and plan to launch a more detailed/comprehensive site in September. I’m also due to launch WebFloat (webfloat.co.uk) in the next few weeks. I’m also looking to launch the new version GAYY.co.uk in the coming months (this has been on hold for about a year). SG and WF will also be taking a more prominent role on my personal sites – aiming for a more personal and transparent image for potential customers/visitors to my business sites. Edit: I did this :D And I’ve also launched other sub brands www.supernovanames.com and www.getgravity.co.uk with more to come soon
I’ve shut down my 7ft reef aquarium, I’ve now sold all of the stock to good homes and I’m in process of selling of the equipment and then the tank. Sad to see it go but what with being a student, running (and funding) a business plus spending most of my time away from home, I really don’t have the time or the spare income to justify it. I set up my Dad with a very small 15″ nano cube tank tho to keep him occupied. I plan to make ReefKeep.in a gallery/tribute sort of thing – mainly for me really, but I’m sure others in the reef keeping community will enjoy it as well – anyway that’ll be on the back-burner perhaps late this year or early next. *Edit: I’ve still not done this. But we have got two little clown fish in the nano cube - and they survived a 5 day marathon on a current treadmill - they are called fish n chips (thanks Lizz)
Other news on my personal site front, SJSNET.co.uk got a makeover – well I’ve decided RetroNerd.org is to replace SJSNET.co.uk by the end of the year, I want to move away from this old identity which really now has no hold over any of my projects. Expect some more enhancements to RetroNerd before this move takes place. EugenetheDragon.info is to be re-designed and updated and I’m planning some retirements for other domains. *EDIT: I’ve since given it another makeover - and eugene etc still has no makeover.
Back to the “real” world. I’m going back to Lincoln University in September to start an Mcomp in Web Technology, providing I pass a maths exam – glad I made the decision to nip the Graphic Design degree in the bud, although I love graphic design, I think my time is better spent elsewhere and this new degree will reinforce my work experience in the web industry. Looking forward to being a fresher for the second time around – this time with just a little bit of restraint. *EDIT: I’m now at uni just finished my semester A - but I’ve changed course, now doing Computer Science. Also have the perfect house for next year with Amy and Lizz
and how could I forget! I managed to get hold of tickets for the Michael Jackson This Is It concert at London o2. Since then Michael Jackson has died – I’m so gutted that we never got to see him live in concert, but even more gutted that we’ll never have the opportunity to hear anything from him again. RIP Michael Jackson. *Edit: But I did see and hear new things from him again. I got my souvenir ticket and went to see This Is It. Total and utter legend.
Some updates to previous posts…
Since my Not To Twitter post back in February, I’ve now joined (reluctantly, but on good advice) Twitter – but you’ll find I’ve not yet become an active user (I don’t think active is a good word for me) I best get to it before they remove my account! http://twitter.com/specificgravity Edit: In fact I now have two twitter accounts, a personal one and a business one. @retronerdorg and @specificgravity
Also on the TV front Hero’s Fugivitives has finished, along with the third season of Brothers & Sisters and Skins. All brilliant, even – dare I say – Robin Hood, though it is what it is. I’m now on the 3rd season of Ugly Betty (love it!), Big Brother (charlie to win of course) and looking forward to watching 5 hours worth of Torchwood when I get home next week. *Edit: I’m now on season 4 of brothers and sisters, season 2 of being human and season 7 of shameless starts Next Thursday. Get In.
On the Apple front I upgraded to the 16gb iPhone 3G as my 18 month o2 contract came to end – which was really stupid because the iPhone 3GS was released a few weeks after – always the case, you can never have the latest model. I’m still running Safari 4 beta – it’s getting better and the initial bugs I reported are now resolved – woo. *Edit: It broke, and I got a brand new one free from Apple.
What with all of these big changes and decisions to make I’ve managed to put on a few stone in weight, which I’m now on an effort to lose again as quickly as humanly possible. Anyway I’m getting back on track again now, still lot’s going on over the next few months – so hopefully posting again soon with something more useful/interesting. Edit: I have failed to lose much weight - although probably lost a little if not put any on.
Well this has been a very interesting look - for me anyway - of what I have achieved and not achieved in the last 7 months and how things have changed.
At 4pm tomorrow afternoon I have to hand in a 3000 word essay on how social computing is influences and changes modern living and communication, and whether or not it can be likened to a modern day ‘opiate of the masses’. Well I am currently half way through my essay, but my friend has just introduced me to tumblr. So I have now immediatley created an account, moved my retronerd.org blog and am now distracted with importing old posts, setting up the iphone app, integrating with twitter and giving it a nice custom design.
If I don’t ever make any money in my life or finish my degree I blame social computing! In summary social media is making us lazy bums. End of essay.
