Had a bit of a re-think on the PC front. I've found out I owe more than I thought on my Visa card, so I'm not going to spend as much on a new PC. I'm also going to sell my trusty Tosh laptop. I've had it a couple of years, but I reckon I can still get �300-400 for it on ebay. So that will go quite a long way towards the new one. Speaking of ebay, started doing some auctions this morning - I'd forgotten how long it takes. Sheesh. Anyway, I'll finish them off this week. (Think of the money, think of the money)

Ordered my new PC just now from Multivision. They're cheap and their PCs look pretty high spec, too. (See this review). In the end I went for the Vision Elite with an Athalon XP 2200+ processor and 512Mb RAM. It came in at just under a grand. With the money I should make on the laptop, that's not a bad price to pay for a new machine. Must just order a NIC for it, and I'll be away. And if I change my mind, they do a 14-day money back guarantee.

We just finished watching Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut which the TiVo recorded for us. It was one of those films where you watch it, waiting for the climax that never comes. It just sort of ends when you aren't expecting it. Some people would argue that films aren't always about neat endings and life isn't like that anyway, but damn it - I watch a film to be entertained. I expect to be entertained and I feel ripped-off when I invest my time in something that doesn't have a satisfactory (to me) ending. Other films I can think of that fall into the same category: The Game - The Royal Tanenbaums - Cube.
I did have a few more, but in fairness they were bad films, not just films with bad endings. I'm not saying that a film sucks if I don't agree that's how it should have ended, I just don't like films that feel like they ended because they ran out of money / lost interest. Maybe I'm just not into 'serious' films?

I found an amazing biography on the web last night. If everyone lived their life like this guy, the world would be a very different place to live. Inspiring.

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I've just come back from work. Well, I say work, it was actually just auditing a load of servers, switches etc in our datacentre. Not too bad. The worst bit was the journey there - it's 7 miles and it took.....35 minutes by car. The traffic was terrible, all snarled up because of a footy match and general shopping mayhem. What is it about our society that means people must go shopping every weekend? Why can't they go during the week? Why don't they order over the Internet (like me!). And most of all, a question that will baffle sociologists for centuries to come - why do old people wait until the busiest times before they go shopping? They can go any time they like!

Found out on Thursday that my relocation expenses have finally been authorised. They had to go right up to the Head of UK Operations for sign-off because it was over �1000. So that's why it has taken a month to sort out... But still, should have the money any day now, just deciding which PC I should spend it on. Just found Ultim8pc.co.uk which seems to have quite a few smart 'bare bones' systems. Still weighing up whether I should build my own. I could get exactly what I want performance-wise, but will I save any money? And can I resist a Netbox?

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When this crashes, it really crashes.

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Thought for the day:

The liver is

evil

and must be

punished

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Seen a cool site - the 2003 Beetle Rally. What a fantastic idea for next year's holiday?! Especially as Candi (my other half) is from South Africa. The route takes you from Durban to D'Kar in Botswana, is over 4,100km and should take 9-14 days. You have to carry all your own spares etc and fix your own car if you break down (er... anyone want to come along and act as a mechanic?).

I'd love to do it, it would be a real adventure, and it's not that expensive. You can buy admission for about �600 - including a rally-prepared Beetle!

I also saw this cool ikkle PC. Pretty high spec too, you just need to add a few things to make it go (like a processor, memory, disk...). With the limited space I have in the new place it seems ideal (esp. as I am looking to buy a new PC any day now). Seems like the only small issue is expandability. I'll look into it a bit more and do my homework. I don't want to be stuck with a cool-looking lemon. I can't believe this has been out for so long without me hearing about it. Seems like Micro Direct may be the only UK distributor. There are more links in my bookmarks if you are interested.

Found out today that the only radio show worth listening to - Coldcut Solid Steel is being axed. The last show is on Monday night. I've sent a letter to the controller of BBC London in disgust. It's being replaced with another talk radio show, like there aren't enough of them already. You know the type of thing, Maude from Golders Green ringing in to complain about the youth of today. Anyway, it will be the end of an era, they've been on the BBC for over 2 years now and I've been with them every step of the way *sniff*. My money says they will be on another radio station within six months.

I ordered a new CD today (first one in a while) : DJ Yoda - How To Cut And Paste. Did a bit of price checking and to my surprise Tesco came out cheapest. They also say they can get any CD on UK release. I think I may be using them more often whenever CD Wow don't have something at �8.99.

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I changed the template to one a bit closer to my personality - classy, yet simple!

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Really can't decide whether I like the blogger template I've chosen or not. The cycling colours are a bit distracting.

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Captain's blog - supplemental I've just changed a couple of settings, hopefully the time zone won't be screwed anymore and how do I get rid of the "my funny motto" bit? I'm sure I'll work it out. Aaaanyway - still getting on learning about the TiVo (and it's learning about me). I am sure we'll reach some sort of peaceful co-existence, but for the moment it keep surprising (or disappointing) me by recording lots of kid's TV. Maybe it's because I like Futurama and the Simpsons and I have told it as much. Also having the other half's preferences in there as well can't be helping - we like waaay different stuff. Me - comedy like Frasier, Spaced, documentaries on cars, planes etc. Her - Montel Williams, Trisha, Maury Povich blah blah. Aside from that, the TiVo is really proving its worth - how did I survive for so long without one? I just don't watch live TV anymore (or adverts!) - there's always something worth watching on the hard disk. Can't help but think it won't be long before I upgrade with bigger disk(s). Watch this space.

Had a bit of a weird one today. When we moved, we told the electricity supplier and asked them to supply us at the new address too. So we rang them with a final meter reading, they sent me a letter saying they had had trouble collecting the bill via direct debit, but not to worry as the account was �48 in credit. So I rang them today to sort that out (carry the 48 quid over to the new address) and the woman said "ah, there's quite a large amount outstanding on that account"

So I said, "Really? How much?"

"Are you sitting down?" she said, "Two thousand six hundred and forty eight pounds and sixty one pence."

"....."

Anyone would think I had been running a smelting plant or something in the old flat. What she thinks happened is we gave them the wrong reading - quite possible, I mean I'm no expert at reading leccy meters. So they are going to estimate it and send us another bill. Let's hope it's not quite so mad next time.

Tomorrow I am expecting two more TiVos to be delivered (don't ask) and a Panasonic DECT phone. The phone was a bit of a result, I ordered one for 80 quid off the net and a guy rang me to say Panasonic were discontinuing it and they couldn't get hold of any more. But because I had already placed my order he said he would let me have the next model up for the same price. I checked it out on Amazon and it's a much better spec, worth about 40 quid more. Woohoo! If I don't like it I can stick it on ebay and make my money back I suppose.

I don't want to pour all my news into this on the first day, so I'll keep some back.

Signing off....

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OK - so here it is, my first 'proper' post to a blog. Never done this before (I've never even kept a diary) but I have heard it can have a positive affect on your life if you do it right - kind of allowing you to look back and see what you did wrong I guess. But luckily I'm not intending anyone else to read this except me, so if it sux royally, then it shouldn't matter too much?

So....where to begin? I am currently living in my new (rented) house, about 15 mins walk from work. I never realised what a Bad Thing travelling to work was, but since it takes me hardly any time I am feeling much better about everything. I think it must be the extra stress involved when you use public transport; fighting for your own space, trying desperately to ignore other people by reading, listening to music etc, positioning yourself on the train so you can escape before you get snarled up with everyone else trying to get off at your stop. I find it very tiring, and that's without the actual travel. So going from 1h45+ each day to 15 mins (5 if I bike it) is sooooo much better.

Work, well work still suck-diddly-ucks, but I guess that's the nature of the beast. I would like to think that one day I am brave enough to quit my 9-5 and do something a bit more.....a bit more.....oh, I dunno. Something with a bit more meaning. Something that will keep me busy, but not stress me out. Something that will keep me solvent, but not make me a slave to money. Something that I am good at, but with a lot of variety. I guess I have impossible goals. Is that a good thing? Will it keep driving me, or will I get dispondent and end up doing the same old shit because I know at the end of the day, it's just too difficult to find anything else suitable? I suppose I need to save up a load of cash, then at least I have a safety net while I decide what it is I really want to do. Maybe write a book? (better see how this goes first!)

Had a really stressful day today, got stitched up again by my boss, so now I have to work on Saturday. Great. Also had impossible deadlines (no!), malfunctioning software (surely not!) and unreasonable users to deal with (who would have thought!). So - just like any other day really...

I don't want to go into one about work, so I'm going to stop now and maybe post some more later.

Time to put the laptop down and make some food.

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Just created this blogger account in about 2 minutes. Can't write anything now as I am at work.

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