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After six days without a functioning computer and having to enjoy a few home comforts as I stayed at my parents’ house in order to get work done on my Dad’s PC, I finally have my own back again.

Thankfully we have lots of spare parts from all the computers and upgrades my Dad and I have gone through over the years. After trying his graphics card followed by hard drive, we deduced that the problem was with the motherboard. With a couple of spares lying around we went for my old one. This board uses a different type of CPU but one was found. Hooked it all up and now I’m back online - a little less processing power than before, but hopefully not for long.

The fund has already started for my MACbook!

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mysterious farting shoes

Monday 19th November

Over the last few days my new shoes have started making a squelching/farting sound when I walk. Specifically, on the heel of my right shoe. My right foot is definitely bigger than the left and this is noticeable in such perfect fitting converse. But this squelching is irritating, almost to the point of embarrassing. It actually sounds like I farted if it happens in a room full of people which, depending on the company, isn’t always a good thing.

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Why is it that when my bank calls me they insist that I attempt my ‘password’ at least twice. I don’t generally forget passwords, the sort that I type, but those crap ones that have to be spoken over the phone I always forget. I put it down to the fact that it will always be completely different from any of my typical passwords for the obvious reason that it will be spoken and anyone may hear it. For this reason I try to make it something I will remember, though it definitely doesn’t help that it would only be every 6 months or so that I need to use it…

They called yesterday.
“Could you give the first and last letters of your password please” said the voice.
No, sorry, I never remember it.”
“I’m sorry I’m going to have to ask you to attempt it.”

I haven’t a clue. Can’t you ask me something else”
“I have to get an answer from you”.
Yeah, could you call back later?
You said now was convenient”
It’s not anymore.”

Banks can be a pain in the ass. I could tell them everything else they needed to know about me, hell I could tell them the last time I got laid if they asked (great quote from a friend who was in a similar situation recently).

Since then she has called me four times. I have ignored the call.

I was going to quit smoking yesterday but I got pissed off in work so it didn’t happen. Today, however, I haven’t had a cigarette. I want one, oh how I do want one…

A lot has been going through my head lately, mainly about how the hell I can get out of my current job. I’m getting scared. I’m 22. I’m getting old. These dreams that I have to travel the world and get to know another country, city, as well as my own may just become a pipe dream…

Friends come and go, I’ve noticed it happen lately. Its just nice to have people to be yourself around and to talk to.

I have to do it now, before I end up with a house, mortgage, car, kids and all that other crap that destroys lives.

I feel like I’m trapped in a cycle: get up, generally very tired, rush to get to work on time, have a shitty day in work, work on photographs/browse the web, go to gig, get back later than I should. It doesn’t end, and I don’t know what to do. My one year anniversary of being in my current job is coming up next month. I will decide by then what I will do.

I have begun to clear up my room and all the crap I have accumulated in the last 12 months. I definitely won’t miss this room, though I do hope my next room won’t be any worse.

Clothes currently get dumped on the floor

I won’t miss this beautiful crack

Gotta sort this lot out

hmm curvy

lots of soap; essential

I’m outta toothpaste

As long as I get the internet I’ll be fine

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glasgowbury 2007

Tuesday 24th July

Girls give me spots. Fact! Over the weekend a grew two new spots on my chin. I think it happened a few weeks ago too… to a slightly lesser degree. I didn’t have a spot on my left arm either which, if its actually a a spot rather than a pink mark that fades them pressed, is spot number 5. So nothing major, but spots all the same. Worse than the spots, is my lack of judging the right moment for, just about anything. But lets not go into that.

Almost worse than all that is the simple rule; never cry infront of a girl - holy shit why did I think Garden State would be a good idea. Thankfully my rubbing my eyes was taken as me being tired. It was 3am so that was believable. Maybe Good Will Hunting isn’t such a good choice for a future similar situation, I think it’ll be 8mm, Fight Club, Natural Born Killers, or Crash from now on.

I think the reason I wasn’t so tired when I got up on Saturday morning was that I was genuinely excited about going to Glasgowbury. The Bus left at 10:30am - I managed 30mins sleep on the hour or so journey. Arriving at about 12noon I pretended to help some friends set up their tents by placing some pegs in the ground. Once the tents were up we chilled out inside with a beer; missing the few couple of bands.

Small But Massive stage

Once we got to the stages I took a second to look around. I was impressed. It was going to be a good day. I got stuck in.

Coda

General Fiasco

The Jane Bradfords

Superfreakz

The Black Tokens

Paul Casey

Cat Malojian

Oppenheimer

Swannee River

In Case of Fire

The Beat Poets

And So I Watch You From Afar

Mojo Fury

Delorentos

The Delawares

Henry McCullough

Fighting With Wire

It was a truly awesome day, filled with great music, great bands and great people. Earlier in the day I had been toying with the idea of camping out for the night; lots of tents, though I didn’t have a sleeping bag. As I got very tired, developed quite a headache and the temperature dropped to ‘baltic’ degrees I was grateful for the bus back to Belfast.

This is a great Festival and is only going to get bigger and better! Glasgowbury ‘08 is sounding great already. I have a feeling I may have to camp for that one, but I will be prepared!

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trackback spam

Thursday 19th April

I’ve been getting a lot of trackback spam lately. I suppose it could be worse, but it’s only started happening quite recently. I really wasn’t sure what it was at first. I know now that it’s spam. Though it just seems like people are making blogs and filling them with other peoples posts. No advertising penile enlargements, Viagra and general hardcore acts. Just snippets of posts with a link to the post to read the rest.

I found a list of tools for helping to combat this evil. Would anyone recommend any?

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fifteen days is up

Saturday 24th February

Where is my camera?

OK, I’m not actually expecting a camera at this point, I am expecting the results of the inspection of my very-obviously-broken camera. They said it could take up to fifteen days. Today is the fifteenth day and nothing.

They better have a damn good explanation. I have it all planned out: they say “yes your camera is broken, we will now give you your vouchers for its value”, then I don’t say thank you ‘cos I don’t like them much, yet they seem to be the cheapest online camera retailer. I will then proceed to buy myself a new camera, lens and flashgun.

Looks like I won’t have it for the IBAs this year. Or maybe it will arrive the morning I’m due to leave for Dublin like last year… though I’m just not so hopeful this time around.

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thanks for the reminder

Friday 16th February

This evening I got a ‘nice’ reminder from my house ‘mate’ in the form a text message:

Can I remind u that its ur turn to clean the house this week ie before sunday.

I don’t appreciate these reminders much…

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annoyances?

Thursday 25th January

I just noticed that my last 4 entries have fit nicely into the ‘annoyances’ category. This is not supposed to be a blog of me complaining about all things small and only significant to me. No no no. For the next week I will only post happy thoughts :)

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find me a headset

Tuesday 23rd January

I do not like using my mobile phone to make calls, not when I get free txts at least. In fact, let me rephrase that - I do like making calls rather than sending txts, the reason I don’t most of the time is often due to the high cost of mobile calls.

I have heard of a great invention by the name of voice-over IP. Apparently through software applications, such as Skype, can make cheap to free calls anywhere in the world.

I have heard some people referring to it as ‘VOIP’, pronouncing it phonetically, but I think that just sounds silly.

Unfortunately it also needs some hardware in the form of a microphone, or a headset, which seems to be the more popular, and more practical method. However, I have a problem with these headsets. Each one I have tried I haven’t liked for one reason or another. Generally the problem is related to the sound not being great for the person on the other end, or it is uncomfortable.

I did once spend €10 crediting my account only to have most of it taken from me as it wasnt used within six months. My problem right now is that I do not have access to a landline telephone - except in work and when I go to the parents house on a Sunday. Neither of these, however, can be abused.

Conclusion: Get a headset!

Granted I don’t spend a considerable amount topping up my phone each month, helped by the fact that my txts are free, but I like talking to friends and want to have the ability to do so, without paying a lot of money.

Not being sure where to start, I’d love to hear what headset you use and what you think of it compared with others.

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Why is it that Telephone and PC/calculator keypads have to be different?

Does no one else get pissed off at keying phone numbers wrong?

[update]
It turns out no one knows - but there are theories.

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