So I'm probably too old to play Mario. That doesn't stop me, I can discuss baddies with my six year old.
Having owned a 3DS and Super Marioland 3D for one day, I feel qualified to comment on it. I may possibly have spent rather a lot of that day playing it, of course.
The 3D aspect is a gimmick, quite cool but doesn't really add or detract anything to gameplay.
This is a standard Mario game with progression through worlds and levels, with a boss level at the end. The appearance is a lot like Mario Galaxy but playing is more Super Mario DS. One DS detail is that Mario can stow an additional power up item, but in this game he can switch back and forth between the item he is using and the one in the box.
So far Mario has mostly used his raccoon power up as he has a lot of levels that floating helps on. This also allows him to kill enemies with a swish of his tail. After a few failed attempts at a level, a box appears with a gold raccoon leaf in it, this makes Mario invincible and with all the raccoon powers. It does not make him invincible to falling off edges and I do that a lot, leading to the discovery of a goal flag, which takes you straight to the goal. I haven't tried that, seems a bit pointless.
As usual, Nintendo have included a homage to past Mario titles; one level has the classic stepped brick climb to the flag at the end, except here it is 3D and you can walk around it. Which is nifty.
The gameplay here is good, it is very much a 3D version of the old DS gam and fits well as the next title in the series.
Good points:
It's a Mario game.
Ability to save and swap power ups is a great feature.
Cheaty invincible raccoon thing means you can finish a level you're stuck on, but still collect medals and actually do the level.
It saves after every level.
The controls are pretty instinctive, except power jump.
Bad things:
I've finished world 2 after only a day. The levels are too short and not that hard.
The power jump is located on the left and right paddles. As these are easy to press by accident, Mario often plummets to his death halfway through a jump. Very, very annoying.
As to the 3DS, it's everything you'd expect. The 3D is quite cool, being able to take 3D photos is pretty exciting, although I haven't tried to take them off the 3DS yet. The included games are a bit rubbish, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with Streetpass automatically sharing stuff with anyone that also has a 3DS. I'm guessing that the average demographic of 3DS users differs somewhat from me, but I live in hope to receive a new Mii.
Yes, Mii. I love Miis. This can be created from a photo on the 3DS, so it's actually quite good.
I don't know how this compares to the DSi as I've never owned one, but it compares very well to the DS Lite. And of course if you want to play the new Mario titles, including Mariokart 7, which will be purchased very soon, then you need it. Yes, need.
Thursday, 12 January 2012
Wednesday, 11 January 2012
11 January 1865
Gosh I'm old.
But it is my birthday and I did receive a Nintendo 3DS with SuperMario Land 3D, so sadly I no longer have time to blog...
(this may be rectified tomorrow when my eyes have gone wonky).
But it is my birthday and I did receive a Nintendo 3DS with SuperMario Land 3D, so sadly I no longer have time to blog...
(this may be rectified tomorrow when my eyes have gone wonky).
Tuesday, 10 January 2012
Spiral
When the BBC discover something marvellous, why do they hide it on BBC4? Why does BBC1 show and heavily advertise total atrocities yet fail to draw attention to actual brilliance?
I am thinking in particular of Spiral, or to give it its French name, Engrenages. Which actually translates as Gears, not spiral, but I guess there's a translation related explanation.
This is superb tv. It is essentially a police drama, with gripping story lines and realistic, sympathetic characters.
The lead characters consist of the police crime team, the Prosecutor (which is a position we don't seem to have called Procurer), lawyers and one of the judges. With the exception of the impossibly handsome Prosecutor and one of the police nicknamed Tin Tin, all the characters are teetering on the brink of cocking up big time at all times. Their methods are unorthodox, their private lives are a mess and they are constantly in trouble.
Thanks to LoveFilm, we have been catching up on the existing series of Spiral. It's amazing. And it's in French, which naturally makes it better. With subtitles, thankfully, but the sort of subtitles that pretty much make you forget you're reading them, except to ponder such things as "I'm sorry" not being nearly as pleasant as "J'ai desole".
Series 3 commenced tonight in our house. Episode one, and all continues as before. Brilliantly.
Gregory Fitoussi, the Prosecutor. Possibly the fittest man in the world.
(I'm not broken! Hurrah!)
I am thinking in particular of Spiral, or to give it its French name, Engrenages. Which actually translates as Gears, not spiral, but I guess there's a translation related explanation.
This is superb tv. It is essentially a police drama, with gripping story lines and realistic, sympathetic characters.
The lead characters consist of the police crime team, the Prosecutor (which is a position we don't seem to have called Procurer), lawyers and one of the judges. With the exception of the impossibly handsome Prosecutor and one of the police nicknamed Tin Tin, all the characters are teetering on the brink of cocking up big time at all times. Their methods are unorthodox, their private lives are a mess and they are constantly in trouble.
Thanks to LoveFilm, we have been catching up on the existing series of Spiral. It's amazing. And it's in French, which naturally makes it better. With subtitles, thankfully, but the sort of subtitles that pretty much make you forget you're reading them, except to ponder such things as "I'm sorry" not being nearly as pleasant as "J'ai desole".
Series 3 commenced tonight in our house. Episode one, and all continues as before. Brilliantly.
Gregory Fitoussi, the Prosecutor. Possibly the fittest man in the world.
(I'm not broken! Hurrah!)
Monday, 9 January 2012
Birthweek
I've upgraded. One day seems hardly sufficient to contemplate the vast number of years I've been alive, so this year I'm having a week.
Yes, I am too old to care. Pfffffth to that.
Normally I strop and humph my way through the days surrounding my birthday in a fug of "nobody cares, boo, the last year has been a disaster" etc.
Not this year.
Last year I had a chronic neck injury and was abstinent from alcohol, and fun. So I did nothing for my birthday aside from a lunch, and felt very middle aged and rubbish.
This year I am celebrating nicely, with alcohol and good friends (as well as people I'm trying to be friends with who sadly seem to be resisting but I live in hope). While simply being another year older isn't all that, I do feel I need to celebrate my little girl arriving, my neck being cured, and my successful bid for an unsuitable gift.
Who's shallow and materialistic?
I did also have a relatively good shot at nearly dying so I do feel quite jubilant about still being alive.
Me me me me me me me me me me.
Wednesday is the actual anniversary of my birth. Just so you know. I'll be 852.
Yes, I am too old to care. Pfffffth to that.
Normally I strop and humph my way through the days surrounding my birthday in a fug of "nobody cares, boo, the last year has been a disaster" etc.
Not this year.
Last year I had a chronic neck injury and was abstinent from alcohol, and fun. So I did nothing for my birthday aside from a lunch, and felt very middle aged and rubbish.
This year I am celebrating nicely, with alcohol and good friends (as well as people I'm trying to be friends with who sadly seem to be resisting but I live in hope). While simply being another year older isn't all that, I do feel I need to celebrate my little girl arriving, my neck being cured, and my successful bid for an unsuitable gift.
Who's shallow and materialistic?
I did also have a relatively good shot at nearly dying so I do feel quite jubilant about still being alive.
Me me me me me me me me me me.
Wednesday is the actual anniversary of my birth. Just so you know. I'll be 852.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Beasties
One of the things I dislike most about summer is the constant stream of insects. I don't like insects at all, with the exception of bees who are clever and generally unannoying.
My pet hates are daddy long legs and moths. They get in the house and then when it's dark they run amok. Moths fly towards any light, which is particularly irksome when the only light is the nightlight you are reading by. Daddy long legs are a mystery of survival, they are ungainly and appear to have no purpose or aim in their pursuits.
Anyway. The joy of winter is the vanishing of these horrible creatures. I do not appreciate the mild weather making year round insect infestation.
I have bites on my leg. I guess insects that thrive on blood don't rely on warm weather, but I still feel wronged. Insect bites are a summer irritation, I don't expect them in January.
This afternoon I put a spider out of the window. I don't dislikes spiders, they eat insects which makes them heroes in my book. But where there is a spider there must presumably be insects, and and so the clement weather must be allowing them to survive. Not on!!
As a fan of winter and disliker of hot weather, I put forward arguments as to why winter is superior. The lack of insects is a biggie, so to have that removed is unfair and such cheatery by the sun worshippers.
The final insult from the insect world, is the beasties setting up home in my children's head, presumably picked up at a trip to a soft play centre last week. Revenge is mine however, they are being annihilated as we speak and I'm a dab hand at insect disposal of all types, so the comb and I make short work of removing any visible beasties.
Hate insects. Vile and horrible (except bees).
My pet hates are daddy long legs and moths. They get in the house and then when it's dark they run amok. Moths fly towards any light, which is particularly irksome when the only light is the nightlight you are reading by. Daddy long legs are a mystery of survival, they are ungainly and appear to have no purpose or aim in their pursuits.
Anyway. The joy of winter is the vanishing of these horrible creatures. I do not appreciate the mild weather making year round insect infestation.
I have bites on my leg. I guess insects that thrive on blood don't rely on warm weather, but I still feel wronged. Insect bites are a summer irritation, I don't expect them in January.
This afternoon I put a spider out of the window. I don't dislikes spiders, they eat insects which makes them heroes in my book. But where there is a spider there must presumably be insects, and and so the clement weather must be allowing them to survive. Not on!!
As a fan of winter and disliker of hot weather, I put forward arguments as to why winter is superior. The lack of insects is a biggie, so to have that removed is unfair and such cheatery by the sun worshippers.
The final insult from the insect world, is the beasties setting up home in my children's head, presumably picked up at a trip to a soft play centre last week. Revenge is mine however, they are being annihilated as we speak and I'm a dab hand at insect disposal of all types, so the comb and I make short work of removing any visible beasties.
Hate insects. Vile and horrible (except bees).
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Meet the veggies
There won't be any meeting of any veggies, I am afraid the title is a bit misleading and a result of a rather unfathomable obsession with Mr Bloom of Mr Bloom's Nursery and a very catchy tune entitled, astonishingly, "Meet the Veggies".
I'd link if I could. Google will help you if you care, but know not who he be or what I'm on about.
Anyway. It's a new year, again, and despite my defence of my birthday month as not being one for detox and deprivation, I do feel I need to address my general slothfulness and weight gain.
My weight has never been what you'd call a source of joy to me. It caused me considerable less duress than usual in 2009 when I shed all the excess weight to become normal weighted. Not thin, just not overweight. This was nice. Complacency set in as it tends to and I gained about 10lb over the next year and a bit, so last January I decided to shift it.
I joined Weightwatchers online, mostly because they have an iPhone app and I am a sad git. But also because it was Weightwatchers that helped me shed the three stone.
The excessive amounts of Tramadol I was taking while I was dieting may have had some appetite suppressant effect. Who knows. I shall deny that as a possibility. I ate less, I lost wheens of weight. My secret was to have Saturday off if I'd lost weight that week so if I really needed a treat, I'd have it on Saturday. Something worked anyway so I thought I'd try again.
2011 started, Weightwatchers started, 4lb lost and then I discovered I was pregnant. Woohoo! Freedom to eat doughnuts! WW were very nice and refunded my membership too.
In both of my pregnancies I gloried in the ability to pretty much eat what I wanted/could manage. After both pregnancies I was slimmer than before due to not managing much. After both pregnancies I proceeded to gain weight rapidly due to continuing to eat what I wanted and could now manage in copious amounts. The hunger took over.
So here I am. I seem to be hovering at a intermediate size just now which is not quite the size of a house but not far off. Approximately the size of a chalet or so. Either my scales are broken or I'm staying the same weight. Which isn't a good weight but it's not getting worse. I was pleased to discover that it hadn't crept up after a few weeks of not-weighing-myself denial, then I ate Christmas fayre voraciously and then was very sick (unconnectedly) for a few days. Result? Same weight as before the voraciousness.
Put it this way, I've got approaching two of the three stones to shed again, although it is a little over one stone to be back in the normal range again. But I did have a baby so I'll cling to that for a while. I have till her first birthday to legitimately have a paunch.
My paunch, my rules.
You would be correct to note that there has been very little mention of veggies.
For a couple of years I was vegetarian. Sort of. I didn't forsake gelatine or similar and I didn't stay off, erm, black pudding very long. Or haggis. It's flesh I have issue with, ok?
This came about by simply going off meat and fish. I remain off fish to this day partly because of ethical reasons, and stayed off red meat until I was pregnant when I really fancied burgers. Chicken and non fleshy meat things came back after a year or so.
But, due to another unfathomable obsession with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the receipt of his veg cookbook for Chrismas, I'm thinking I'll go veggie again. It's easier to be diet friendly with vegetarian food, and it'll stop me eating snack scotch eggs.
Hugh did impress me by having a similar sort of argument to mine as to why we should eat less meat and fish (sustainability) and also because he likes to make the vegetable the star, rather than substituting with quorn or soya at every stage and having faux meat dishes.
Certain vegetables/pulses are fabulous. Cauliflower. Chick peas. Courgettes. Other ones that don't start with C. Hmm. Butternut squash. Broccoli. Edamame beans. Artichokes.
Definitely artichokes. They're hard to buy mostly. Grr.
Salad is also good. Iceberg lettuce is one of the greatest foods on earth so my salads always lack a little sophistication unless I have rocket in which case my salad resembles a pile of rocket.
And I am a big fan of mushrooms. Unsophisticated mushrooms though, I'm not that keen on ones that look like sea creatures. Mushroom risotto should be knighted for services to easy to cook and delumptious dinners.
Meat will be off the menu once I've eaten the stuff in the freezer and had a farewell Chicken and Cashew Nut. Sometime soon after my birthday. Maybe the first of February so I don't actively give anything up in January, just to make a point to nobody.
Meantime I'm going to experiment with a beetroot tart tatin and some fried polenta. And make a raspberry pavlova so that the raspberries purchased to be in a pavlova don't suffer the humiliation of being a healthy snack.
I shall also ponder at what point I stopped ogling attractive men and just moved onto "men".
I'd link if I could. Google will help you if you care, but know not who he be or what I'm on about.
Anyway. It's a new year, again, and despite my defence of my birthday month as not being one for detox and deprivation, I do feel I need to address my general slothfulness and weight gain.
My weight has never been what you'd call a source of joy to me. It caused me considerable less duress than usual in 2009 when I shed all the excess weight to become normal weighted. Not thin, just not overweight. This was nice. Complacency set in as it tends to and I gained about 10lb over the next year and a bit, so last January I decided to shift it.
I joined Weightwatchers online, mostly because they have an iPhone app and I am a sad git. But also because it was Weightwatchers that helped me shed the three stone.
The excessive amounts of Tramadol I was taking while I was dieting may have had some appetite suppressant effect. Who knows. I shall deny that as a possibility. I ate less, I lost wheens of weight. My secret was to have Saturday off if I'd lost weight that week so if I really needed a treat, I'd have it on Saturday. Something worked anyway so I thought I'd try again.
2011 started, Weightwatchers started, 4lb lost and then I discovered I was pregnant. Woohoo! Freedom to eat doughnuts! WW were very nice and refunded my membership too.
In both of my pregnancies I gloried in the ability to pretty much eat what I wanted/could manage. After both pregnancies I was slimmer than before due to not managing much. After both pregnancies I proceeded to gain weight rapidly due to continuing to eat what I wanted and could now manage in copious amounts. The hunger took over.
So here I am. I seem to be hovering at a intermediate size just now which is not quite the size of a house but not far off. Approximately the size of a chalet or so. Either my scales are broken or I'm staying the same weight. Which isn't a good weight but it's not getting worse. I was pleased to discover that it hadn't crept up after a few weeks of not-weighing-myself denial, then I ate Christmas fayre voraciously and then was very sick (unconnectedly) for a few days. Result? Same weight as before the voraciousness.
Put it this way, I've got approaching two of the three stones to shed again, although it is a little over one stone to be back in the normal range again. But I did have a baby so I'll cling to that for a while. I have till her first birthday to legitimately have a paunch.
My paunch, my rules.
You would be correct to note that there has been very little mention of veggies.
For a couple of years I was vegetarian. Sort of. I didn't forsake gelatine or similar and I didn't stay off, erm, black pudding very long. Or haggis. It's flesh I have issue with, ok?
This came about by simply going off meat and fish. I remain off fish to this day partly because of ethical reasons, and stayed off red meat until I was pregnant when I really fancied burgers. Chicken and non fleshy meat things came back after a year or so.
But, due to another unfathomable obsession with Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and the receipt of his veg cookbook for Chrismas, I'm thinking I'll go veggie again. It's easier to be diet friendly with vegetarian food, and it'll stop me eating snack scotch eggs.
Hugh did impress me by having a similar sort of argument to mine as to why we should eat less meat and fish (sustainability) and also because he likes to make the vegetable the star, rather than substituting with quorn or soya at every stage and having faux meat dishes.
Certain vegetables/pulses are fabulous. Cauliflower. Chick peas. Courgettes. Other ones that don't start with C. Hmm. Butternut squash. Broccoli. Edamame beans. Artichokes.
Definitely artichokes. They're hard to buy mostly. Grr.
Salad is also good. Iceberg lettuce is one of the greatest foods on earth so my salads always lack a little sophistication unless I have rocket in which case my salad resembles a pile of rocket.
And I am a big fan of mushrooms. Unsophisticated mushrooms though, I'm not that keen on ones that look like sea creatures. Mushroom risotto should be knighted for services to easy to cook and delumptious dinners.
Meat will be off the menu once I've eaten the stuff in the freezer and had a farewell Chicken and Cashew Nut. Sometime soon after my birthday. Maybe the first of February so I don't actively give anything up in January, just to make a point to nobody.
Meantime I'm going to experiment with a beetroot tart tatin and some fried polenta. And make a raspberry pavlova so that the raspberries purchased to be in a pavlova don't suffer the humiliation of being a healthy snack.
I shall also ponder at what point I stopped ogling attractive men and just moved onto "men".
Friday, 6 January 2012
Epiphany
So that's Christmas well and truly over again. Boo. I like Christmas. I dutifully removed all the decorations yesterday as one is meant to, and checked carefully around the house for the one I had missed, for there is always one. Sure enough, when leaving the house today there was the sort-of-wreath on the front door. Because I checked the whole of the INSIDE of the house, of course, not the outside. Missed the deadline again. Like every year.
Today is Epiphany. The day the wise men arrived in Bethlehem to pay respect to the baby Jesus. The last day of the celebration of Jesus' birth, before we start winding up to celebrate his demise.
Incidentally, I do accept the story of Jesus as a historical figure, but I do think of it as being more Life of Brian than King James' Bible. Still, it doesn't do any harm to think about the "true meaning of Christmas" and try to come up with an answer for the children that isn't "gifts" or "it's all a load of lies".
There has been a poster up for a few weeks opposite a set of traffic lights I pass through for most places I go. So I've studied it a lot. It says something along the lines of:
"God loved us so much that he sent us his only son so that those who believe could have eternal life".
I have issues with this.
Couldn't God, all powerful creator, simply:
1) mysteriously impregnate any virgin/woman (why did it have to be a virgin? Surely God would know if she was pregnant to another?) to have more sons?
2) just say "right, you have eternal life"?
Obviously you have to believe in God in the first place to believe there is an afterlife, so saying you don't get in unless you believe is pointless. I don't get in a tizzy about not being able to go to places that I don't think exist, so why should anyone else?
And I don't really get why having his son amongst us being persecuted and then executed helps the cause. It doesn't give the impression that being a fan of God is a good thing.
I don't understand it at all.
I don't mean any offence by the above, I'm just asking the questions that come to me. Which I believe is offensive, but that's another matter.
Today is Epiphany. The day the wise men arrived in Bethlehem to pay respect to the baby Jesus. The last day of the celebration of Jesus' birth, before we start winding up to celebrate his demise.
Incidentally, I do accept the story of Jesus as a historical figure, but I do think of it as being more Life of Brian than King James' Bible. Still, it doesn't do any harm to think about the "true meaning of Christmas" and try to come up with an answer for the children that isn't "gifts" or "it's all a load of lies".
There has been a poster up for a few weeks opposite a set of traffic lights I pass through for most places I go. So I've studied it a lot. It says something along the lines of:
"God loved us so much that he sent us his only son so that those who believe could have eternal life".
I have issues with this.
Couldn't God, all powerful creator, simply:
1) mysteriously impregnate any virgin/woman (why did it have to be a virgin? Surely God would know if she was pregnant to another?) to have more sons?
2) just say "right, you have eternal life"?
Obviously you have to believe in God in the first place to believe there is an afterlife, so saying you don't get in unless you believe is pointless. I don't get in a tizzy about not being able to go to places that I don't think exist, so why should anyone else?
And I don't really get why having his son amongst us being persecuted and then executed helps the cause. It doesn't give the impression that being a fan of God is a good thing.
I don't understand it at all.
I don't mean any offence by the above, I'm just asking the questions that come to me. Which I believe is offensive, but that's another matter.
Thursday, 5 January 2012
FLYing without sanity
In October 2010, I read an article that told me about FLYlady. An incentive to declutter and clean, according to her doctrines.
Which mostly boils down to do a little, achieve a lot. FLYing come from the acronym FLY, which means to Finally Love Yourself. Love yourself, stop being a perfectionist, look after your appearance and your home, and feel that you are blessing your home and your family with every little chunk of housework that you do. Get organised, never clean again. Swish away every day and never see dirt again.
You start with a clean sink. Then you have to keep it clean, which tends to mean the area around the sink gets clean too. Each day you also get sent that days "flight plan", which focuses on a room each week and gives a specific task for that day.
Marvellous. I signed up, it's all free, and had a shiny sink and pretty clean kitchen for a while. I lapsed, as is the way, and have never really got back. But I get the emails every day. All seven million of them. Have done since October 2010.
Now you see, FLYlady is certifiably insane. Aside from the blessing thing and God blowing breezes of difficulty to help you on the path to sanctity, she is also bonkers. And very very American. I don't mean that offensively, but she constantly pushes her products which can only be shipped to the US, and she seems to think all FLYbabies (for that is what we become) have a certain not-very-British lifestyle. She also uses American-ish language.
I do not possess the following which FLYlady seems to assume I do:
A basement
Spare rooms for sleeping/playing/doing mad things in
A tumble drier
Periodically she suggests you clear things to the basement or into another bedroom that you don't use. Righto.
Laundry in FLYworld consists of wash, dry, put away. No ironing. Ever. I'm not sure what she does with shirts.
To be a successful FLYbaby you must arise each morning and dress fully, with hair and make up done, before any of the rest of your family are up. And it is imperative that you put on shoes, lace up shoes at that, or you won't feel motivated to clean and clear. Ok.
FLYlady is big on her control journal. Here you write down your daily tasks and all your important data so that you know what you're doing, and so does anyone else that has to step in. A family calendar is essential for organisation.
Um. I have an iPhone and Google. Thanks but I'm sorted.
I also have two apps on my phone - Home Routine and Errands. Errands alerts me periodically to remind me that I meant to clean the kitchen floor or similar. And I dismiss them, so they alert me again. And again ad infinitum.
The emails arrive in endless trickles of madness. A daily flight plan, and then many sales emails, testimonials from sometime ever, and motivational tips on just about everything. Get fit! Wear better clothes! Woah. I just want to get tidy.
So. Her premise is that you can do anything for 15 minutes. Each of the daily tasks should take less than 15 minutes, and to declutter you do 15 minutes at a time. She advocates a timer for the 15 minutes so you know when to stop/change. She has a strategy for crisis cleaning to get out of CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) which involves timing 15 minutes in one room, then moving to another room and doing another 15 mins. And so on. Makes sense, does work. You don't finish a room, when the 15 minutes are up you move on. You'll be back and really, 15 minutes is no time. Before you know it you've done each room twice and the house looks like other people's houses look when they need gutted. Which is progress for me.
But doing hair and makeup before breakfast? Wearing lace up shoes ever? Writing everything down in a non electronic format? She's lost me.
Which mostly boils down to do a little, achieve a lot. FLYing come from the acronym FLY, which means to Finally Love Yourself. Love yourself, stop being a perfectionist, look after your appearance and your home, and feel that you are blessing your home and your family with every little chunk of housework that you do. Get organised, never clean again. Swish away every day and never see dirt again.
You start with a clean sink. Then you have to keep it clean, which tends to mean the area around the sink gets clean too. Each day you also get sent that days "flight plan", which focuses on a room each week and gives a specific task for that day.
Marvellous. I signed up, it's all free, and had a shiny sink and pretty clean kitchen for a while. I lapsed, as is the way, and have never really got back. But I get the emails every day. All seven million of them. Have done since October 2010.
Now you see, FLYlady is certifiably insane. Aside from the blessing thing and God blowing breezes of difficulty to help you on the path to sanctity, she is also bonkers. And very very American. I don't mean that offensively, but she constantly pushes her products which can only be shipped to the US, and she seems to think all FLYbabies (for that is what we become) have a certain not-very-British lifestyle. She also uses American-ish language.
I do not possess the following which FLYlady seems to assume I do:
A basement
Spare rooms for sleeping/playing/doing mad things in
A tumble drier
Periodically she suggests you clear things to the basement or into another bedroom that you don't use. Righto.
Laundry in FLYworld consists of wash, dry, put away. No ironing. Ever. I'm not sure what she does with shirts.
To be a successful FLYbaby you must arise each morning and dress fully, with hair and make up done, before any of the rest of your family are up. And it is imperative that you put on shoes, lace up shoes at that, or you won't feel motivated to clean and clear. Ok.
FLYlady is big on her control journal. Here you write down your daily tasks and all your important data so that you know what you're doing, and so does anyone else that has to step in. A family calendar is essential for organisation.
Um. I have an iPhone and Google. Thanks but I'm sorted.
I also have two apps on my phone - Home Routine and Errands. Errands alerts me periodically to remind me that I meant to clean the kitchen floor or similar. And I dismiss them, so they alert me again. And again ad infinitum.
The emails arrive in endless trickles of madness. A daily flight plan, and then many sales emails, testimonials from sometime ever, and motivational tips on just about everything. Get fit! Wear better clothes! Woah. I just want to get tidy.
So. Her premise is that you can do anything for 15 minutes. Each of the daily tasks should take less than 15 minutes, and to declutter you do 15 minutes at a time. She advocates a timer for the 15 minutes so you know when to stop/change. She has a strategy for crisis cleaning to get out of CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) which involves timing 15 minutes in one room, then moving to another room and doing another 15 mins. And so on. Makes sense, does work. You don't finish a room, when the 15 minutes are up you move on. You'll be back and really, 15 minutes is no time. Before you know it you've done each room twice and the house looks like other people's houses look when they need gutted. Which is progress for me.
But doing hair and makeup before breakfast? Wearing lace up shoes ever? Writing everything down in a non electronic format? She's lost me.
Wednesday, 4 January 2012
How not to get money
I'm feeling extremely ripped off. I have been selling items on eBay, firstly I sold some maternity items which were very cheap but got them a new home, out of mine and made me a tiny profit.
Then I sold some of my 1980s toys. First up were some Sindy dolls which generated a LOT of interest. I managed to get a small but countable amount of money for these. Grand.
Then I encountered the joy that is PayPal. They take a proportion of the sold fee, but the money paid is held by them until receipt is confirmed by the buyer. According to a patronising response from PayPal to a rant from me, this "protects me" if the buyer raised a dispute, I would have money in my account to refund them.
I do feel immensely protected. Should an unscrupulous buyer rip me off, PayPal would cheerfully reimburse them from my money. Excellent!
This is because I am a new seller apparently and will continue to happen until I have been a seller for 90 days.
How is receipt confirmed? Not, as claimed by PayPal, by sending it recorded delivery. The only way to get the money is by the buyer leaving positive feedback. So if they don't bother or aren't satisfied, I don't get my money until PayPal feels like it, which can be 21 days or more.
That protection again. I'd hate my money to be all unprotected in my bank account where I could spend it and other unsafe things. Shudder. Thank you PayPal.
They also take a full week to credit funds to my bank account. I am told that it is NOT a week, it is 5 working days, not including weekends, which would be clearly idiotic to think of as constituting a week. Transfer on Monday, credited the following Monday. Not a week.
This is to the verified bank account that all payments go into. Complicated. But PayPal remind me it is not a wire transfer and that is why it can't be faster. Right you are.
I have had two people unsatisfied. One who bought a Sindy doll and complained it didn't have a stand. The description stated that the stand wasn't included, but her English isn't good. Or she's over fussy or just horrid. Another was surprised that the 30 year old Ken doll she paid £2 for was a bit worn. As stated.
Today I have the best. I sold two items belonging to my Gabrielle Designs Paddington Bear. Good money raised. The pyjamas and dressing gown were received and acknowledged and all was fine. For the suitcase, I received a message requesting that I post it immediately as it was a christmas present for a niece. I did, full of christmas spirit and all (posting the pyjama package at the same time).
Nothing. Nada. No acknowledgement yet I discovered this morning that they did in fact receive it. They are selling it, for more than twice what they paid me
No response so far to a polite request for feedback, or a question as to why they are selling their nieces Christmas present. I guess a user with nearly 2000 transactions and username of paddybearfan isn't likely to be making a one off purchase for a niece.
So I shall *patiently* wait for PayPal to make up their mind and see what denials can be made by my buyer.
Then I sold some of my 1980s toys. First up were some Sindy dolls which generated a LOT of interest. I managed to get a small but countable amount of money for these. Grand.
Then I encountered the joy that is PayPal. They take a proportion of the sold fee, but the money paid is held by them until receipt is confirmed by the buyer. According to a patronising response from PayPal to a rant from me, this "protects me" if the buyer raised a dispute, I would have money in my account to refund them.
I do feel immensely protected. Should an unscrupulous buyer rip me off, PayPal would cheerfully reimburse them from my money. Excellent!
This is because I am a new seller apparently and will continue to happen until I have been a seller for 90 days.
How is receipt confirmed? Not, as claimed by PayPal, by sending it recorded delivery. The only way to get the money is by the buyer leaving positive feedback. So if they don't bother or aren't satisfied, I don't get my money until PayPal feels like it, which can be 21 days or more.
That protection again. I'd hate my money to be all unprotected in my bank account where I could spend it and other unsafe things. Shudder. Thank you PayPal.
They also take a full week to credit funds to my bank account. I am told that it is NOT a week, it is 5 working days, not including weekends, which would be clearly idiotic to think of as constituting a week. Transfer on Monday, credited the following Monday. Not a week.
This is to the verified bank account that all payments go into. Complicated. But PayPal remind me it is not a wire transfer and that is why it can't be faster. Right you are.
I have had two people unsatisfied. One who bought a Sindy doll and complained it didn't have a stand. The description stated that the stand wasn't included, but her English isn't good. Or she's over fussy or just horrid. Another was surprised that the 30 year old Ken doll she paid £2 for was a bit worn. As stated.
Today I have the best. I sold two items belonging to my Gabrielle Designs Paddington Bear. Good money raised. The pyjamas and dressing gown were received and acknowledged and all was fine. For the suitcase, I received a message requesting that I post it immediately as it was a christmas present for a niece. I did, full of christmas spirit and all (posting the pyjama package at the same time).
Nothing. Nada. No acknowledgement yet I discovered this morning that they did in fact receive it. They are selling it, for more than twice what they paid me
No response so far to a polite request for feedback, or a question as to why they are selling their nieces Christmas present. I guess a user with nearly 2000 transactions and username of paddybearfan isn't likely to be making a one off purchase for a niece.
So I shall *patiently* wait for PayPal to make up their mind and see what denials can be made by my buyer.
Tuesday, 3 January 2012
Blowin' in the Wind
'twas a little blowy out today.
95mph at the Forth Road Bridge, resulting in closure of said bridge. Normally not particularly a tragedy - if annoying on principle - people getting stuck this side of the bridge is fine for those of us stuck at home, it was bad today on account of it being my twins' sixth birthday and their grandparents selfishly living on the other side of the bridge.
Incidentally the principle in question regarding the Forth Bridge is due to the non closure of the bridge for 40 years, then last winter during the endless snow they had to close it. Precedent set, it's been closed to all vehicles on at least two occasions this year for wind speeds not unheard of before. I don't believe they would have shut it fully had they not got that first time hurdle out of the way.
I shudder to think what mayhem will unfold should any snow appear this winter. We're primed for last year, because weather is predictable and repetitive in that manner. Major panic and immediate shutdown will undoubtably occur as the total snowfall reaches 4mm. Just. In. Case. Virtually every shop in my town sells snow shovels and the likes. "Be prepared" they tell us, while urging us to fit snow chains to our tyres. No, sorry, we can't repair any roads because we spent the budget on salt.
The last gusty panic mongering winds were nicknamed Hurricane Bawbag, the humour of which escapes me other than the initial mirth at foreigners talking about Bawbag. But the ensuing jokes circulating afterwards just eluded my sense of humour. This did appear to be just me, everyone else got it.
So today, "return of hurricane Bawbag" comments were rife. Today was much worse as well, the damage is quite horrifying and people I know* came seriously close to injury. But the return? No. Hurricanes don't work like that. They move on a letter. The next letter after B is C.
If ONLY there was an amusing word that started with C.
* yes, it's worse if I know them.
95mph at the Forth Road Bridge, resulting in closure of said bridge. Normally not particularly a tragedy - if annoying on principle - people getting stuck this side of the bridge is fine for those of us stuck at home, it was bad today on account of it being my twins' sixth birthday and their grandparents selfishly living on the other side of the bridge.
Incidentally the principle in question regarding the Forth Bridge is due to the non closure of the bridge for 40 years, then last winter during the endless snow they had to close it. Precedent set, it's been closed to all vehicles on at least two occasions this year for wind speeds not unheard of before. I don't believe they would have shut it fully had they not got that first time hurdle out of the way.
I shudder to think what mayhem will unfold should any snow appear this winter. We're primed for last year, because weather is predictable and repetitive in that manner. Major panic and immediate shutdown will undoubtably occur as the total snowfall reaches 4mm. Just. In. Case. Virtually every shop in my town sells snow shovels and the likes. "Be prepared" they tell us, while urging us to fit snow chains to our tyres. No, sorry, we can't repair any roads because we spent the budget on salt.
The last gusty panic mongering winds were nicknamed Hurricane Bawbag, the humour of which escapes me other than the initial mirth at foreigners talking about Bawbag. But the ensuing jokes circulating afterwards just eluded my sense of humour. This did appear to be just me, everyone else got it.
So today, "return of hurricane Bawbag" comments were rife. Today was much worse as well, the damage is quite horrifying and people I know* came seriously close to injury. But the return? No. Hurricanes don't work like that. They move on a letter. The next letter after B is C.
If ONLY there was an amusing word that started with C.
* yes, it's worse if I know them.
Monday, 2 January 2012
12 days of iTunes
I am not loving iTunes. I don't usually love iTunes much on account of it being the guffest piece of software ever to exist, but the non-love is expanding.
Each Christmas they do their "12 days of Christmas" giveaway; every day for 12 days, starting boxing day, they give away a free something. Lovely, but it is highly possible that it is not done out of altruism. No, really.
I have a 16Gb iPhone 4. This is plenty for my normal use, for the number of photos and songs etc I choose to carry. I don't have any videos. That's me, personally, not getting any. I bought a tv episode once, watched it, deleted it. I am very wary of iCloud so I have that backing up my photos only. Distrust distrust.
And so I see that iTunes are offering me a free episode or seven of a tv show or nine. In HD! Brilliant! 1.5Gb a pop. The songs that they give away all come with videos and look, I seem to have run out of space. Hmm. How can I overcome this? What could I do to give myself more room? Maybe a new product? An iPad maybe, or a nice big iPod? Maybe a Mac too?
To accommodate all the things I don't want. That iTunes give me and dupe me into downloading them by making them free for one day only - but what if I wanted it later? I would surely die if I hadn't got it for free! On one day they gave me a song I'd actually already bought at great personal angst (I don't often buy new stuff). On another day they gave me sonic racing which is marvellous (and very mario kart-y). I like that. Ssshh. I dutifully downloaded the Top Gear episodes I won't watch. I have now deleted these. I resisted today's, it was a song I dislike. Sense reigned briefly.
I have had it pointed out to me by Grumpypants that I could download to my computer. I shall not be doing this on account of the following:
My computer is a piece of junk and probably has less free space than my phone.
My computer is a piece of junk and I only use it under duress. Indeed, I will use my kindle to access Internet sites that insist of loading the mobile version on the phone. The Kindle is better than the computer, not least because it can't run iTunes.
If I did want to move anything to my phone, I would have to connect the phone to the computer, and I don't do that for fear of the Bad Things that happen when the phone syncs with iTunes. And a reluctance to spend 16 hours doing the sync.
So. Thanks for Sonic Racing. I won't be buying any Apple products to run it on. Unless I come into some money. In which case I probably would buy a lot of Apple products. Which renders this...
Each Christmas they do their "12 days of Christmas" giveaway; every day for 12 days, starting boxing day, they give away a free something. Lovely, but it is highly possible that it is not done out of altruism. No, really.
I have a 16Gb iPhone 4. This is plenty for my normal use, for the number of photos and songs etc I choose to carry. I don't have any videos. That's me, personally, not getting any. I bought a tv episode once, watched it, deleted it. I am very wary of iCloud so I have that backing up my photos only. Distrust distrust.
And so I see that iTunes are offering me a free episode or seven of a tv show or nine. In HD! Brilliant! 1.5Gb a pop. The songs that they give away all come with videos and look, I seem to have run out of space. Hmm. How can I overcome this? What could I do to give myself more room? Maybe a new product? An iPad maybe, or a nice big iPod? Maybe a Mac too?
To accommodate all the things I don't want. That iTunes give me and dupe me into downloading them by making them free for one day only - but what if I wanted it later? I would surely die if I hadn't got it for free! On one day they gave me a song I'd actually already bought at great personal angst (I don't often buy new stuff). On another day they gave me sonic racing which is marvellous (and very mario kart-y). I like that. Ssshh. I dutifully downloaded the Top Gear episodes I won't watch. I have now deleted these. I resisted today's, it was a song I dislike. Sense reigned briefly.
I have had it pointed out to me by Grumpypants that I could download to my computer. I shall not be doing this on account of the following:
My computer is a piece of junk and probably has less free space than my phone.
My computer is a piece of junk and I only use it under duress. Indeed, I will use my kindle to access Internet sites that insist of loading the mobile version on the phone. The Kindle is better than the computer, not least because it can't run iTunes.
If I did want to move anything to my phone, I would have to connect the phone to the computer, and I don't do that for fear of the Bad Things that happen when the phone syncs with iTunes. And a reluctance to spend 16 hours doing the sync.
So. Thanks for Sonic Racing. I won't be buying any Apple products to run it on. Unless I come into some money. In which case I probably would buy a lot of Apple products. Which renders this...
Sunday, 1 January 2012
First day of the year
So, it's January 1st.
I'm resurrecting this. We'll see how it goes, a lot depends on Blogpress and how it works - which is an iTunes issue according to the nice developers.
New Year. A non event, as it has been for considerably more years than I've not actively done nothing on purpose. And the 4th year in a row my boys failed to wake for midnight. I got the "why didn't you wake us?" this morning. Because one of you wouldn't wake for love nor money and the other stated categorically that "you were NOT getting up" with a full duvet over head flounce onto the pillow.
I got antsy last night about not saying happy new year till it was the new year. Y'know, like you say "have a good Christmas" until it is actually Christmas Day. Or I do. Maybe you're not that pedantic. You should be.
I sent one "hope it's good" with good intentions, then had a funny turn and sent another after midnight. And I got snippy about group texts and sent individual ones making sure to personalise them, and sent one to the wrong person. So that was stupid. Group texts again next year. I've forgotten some people anyway, I'm sure.
2011 for me consisted of:
Having a baby.
And that's all. Getting pregnant in January meant I seriously did little else. I now have a gorgeous giggling 4 month old girlie and really struggle to think of anything else I truly wish for. The pregnancy cured my neck pain so life for now is relatively normal (if a bit full of children).
But it is new year and a time for making promises I probably won't keep, so my plans for 2012 are this:
* Finish my dissertation and finally get the MSc I've been doing since 2007.
* Lose the baby belly.
* Move to a house that's big enough for 5 of us.
There's other things like being über organised and a super friend and the likes, but I'll stick with the necessary and see if other habits form that I can look back on.
A meh start to a year of blogging. Which probably won't be anything like daily. We'll see. Rants may be forthcoming...
Happy new year!
I'm resurrecting this. We'll see how it goes, a lot depends on Blogpress and how it works - which is an iTunes issue according to the nice developers.
New Year. A non event, as it has been for considerably more years than I've not actively done nothing on purpose. And the 4th year in a row my boys failed to wake for midnight. I got the "why didn't you wake us?" this morning. Because one of you wouldn't wake for love nor money and the other stated categorically that "you were NOT getting up" with a full duvet over head flounce onto the pillow.
I got antsy last night about not saying happy new year till it was the new year. Y'know, like you say "have a good Christmas" until it is actually Christmas Day. Or I do. Maybe you're not that pedantic. You should be.
I sent one "hope it's good" with good intentions, then had a funny turn and sent another after midnight. And I got snippy about group texts and sent individual ones making sure to personalise them, and sent one to the wrong person. So that was stupid. Group texts again next year. I've forgotten some people anyway, I'm sure.
2011 for me consisted of:
Having a baby.
And that's all. Getting pregnant in January meant I seriously did little else. I now have a gorgeous giggling 4 month old girlie and really struggle to think of anything else I truly wish for. The pregnancy cured my neck pain so life for now is relatively normal (if a bit full of children).
But it is new year and a time for making promises I probably won't keep, so my plans for 2012 are this:
* Finish my dissertation and finally get the MSc I've been doing since 2007.
* Lose the baby belly.
* Move to a house that's big enough for 5 of us.
There's other things like being über organised and a super friend and the likes, but I'll stick with the necessary and see if other habits form that I can look back on.
A meh start to a year of blogging. Which probably won't be anything like daily. We'll see. Rants may be forthcoming...
Happy new year!
Sunday, 11 September 2011
What I have been doing
I done made this perfect tiny person:
My daughter. Born 02.09.2011, one month early due to her incubator (me) being a bit broken.
My daughter. Born 02.09.2011, one month early due to her incubator (me) being a bit broken.
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Me, for the next few months
My upcoming preoccupation is revealed here:
And for most it will be, as warned, entirely uninteresting. It's one of those ones for me, you know, and potentially for other people in the same icky boat.
I shall return as me one day.
Be good.
And for most it will be, as warned, entirely uninteresting. It's one of those ones for me, you know, and potentially for other people in the same icky boat.
I shall return as me one day.
Be good.
Thursday, 3 February 2011
New distraction
Oh neglected blog of mine, I am sorry.
I fear the neglect will be worse as I have moved onto another. For now it is a secret, but all will be revealed in time.
Extremely boringly for most, but hey. It's my blog and I'll bore people stupid on it if I want to.
I fear the neglect will be worse as I have moved onto another. For now it is a secret, but all will be revealed in time.
Extremely boringly for most, but hey. It's my blog and I'll bore people stupid on it if I want to.
Saturday, 2 October 2010
And the news that isn't is...
So.
I love my job. It's ace. I've been there a month, the rot will set in soon I'm sure. For now: happy chapette. Free time is now zilch, as I've gone all domesticated and joined a cleaning cult.
Explanations may be forthcoming. They may also not be.
Boys are all settled in at school and being ever so grown up. And astonishingly clever. Well, not THAT astonishing, being mine and all, but impressive all the same.
New most needed: a Kindle.
Yes, I have the Kindle app. I like. It's not so kind on the eyes. Yes, an iPad would probably be better. They cost a LOT more and are less handbag friendly. Oh, and the Kindle isn't made by Apple and so it may still work after a year. Grrrr. Ongoing 3G trauma. The general solution appears to be: upgrade to an iPhone 4.
I quite like the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini. It would do my head in due to its lack of iPhoneness within about an hour, I think, but a concerted perusal of phones yielded but one contender for anything beyond "meh": the X10 Mini. Not Pro, which is less Mini and loses the appeal. Keyboard Schmeyboard. If it gets Froyo, and I am such an Apple deserter for even knowing what that is.
I think my 3G operating issues are punishment for siding with the Androids. iOS 4.01 was unusable. 4.1 was hunky dory for a bit. Now: a bit (big bit) SLOWWWWW. But usuable, if sigh inducing. Number of sighs is directly proportional to desire for an N8. Oops. I know.
So. Therein lies all anyone would need to know about the Kindle.
I do like books. Lots and lots and lots: they have words in them. I like to go back to them as and when I feel like it. I have 1000s of them, and that's after serious culling (to charity, I will not bin a book, not even a Michael Moore). They take up a lot of room and have the following failings:
They're not that easy to hold.
If you want a book asap, you have to get a giant format (hardback or pointlessly big paperback). If you want to take such book anywhere while reading it, you need a small suitcase to carry it in.
They go yellow.
They take up a lot of room.
They cost more in print format than in ebook format.
Yes. That is correct.
All hail Amazon. Which we have been doing since ever they started but really, huzzah! The Kindle is (probably) a marvel.
Other reasons to love Amazon: Universal Wish Lists. Marvellously fantastic for deluded moments. You Never Know.
And, more realistically, useful for spouses who have "no idea".
This is (almost) the best time of year. Digging out warm clothes, dark evenings, the anticipation of Halloween and "goodness ME the shops have got Christmas in very early this year. Of course, I've started buying already..." and a stupendously grand TV schedule. Autumn TV rocks. I love it all, that fizzing almost about to think about being winter time of year. Brilliant.
I am particularly jubilant as I wore my down filled jacket today. I heart that.
Voici. Every thought I've had since last time I thought. All for you to enjoy.
A bientot. It is time for the sleeping.
I love my job. It's ace. I've been there a month, the rot will set in soon I'm sure. For now: happy chapette. Free time is now zilch, as I've gone all domesticated and joined a cleaning cult.
Explanations may be forthcoming. They may also not be.
Boys are all settled in at school and being ever so grown up. And astonishingly clever. Well, not THAT astonishing, being mine and all, but impressive all the same.
New most needed: a Kindle.
Yes, I have the Kindle app. I like. It's not so kind on the eyes. Yes, an iPad would probably be better. They cost a LOT more and are less handbag friendly. Oh, and the Kindle isn't made by Apple and so it may still work after a year. Grrrr. Ongoing 3G trauma. The general solution appears to be: upgrade to an iPhone 4.
I quite like the Sony Ericsson X10 Mini. It would do my head in due to its lack of iPhoneness within about an hour, I think, but a concerted perusal of phones yielded but one contender for anything beyond "meh": the X10 Mini. Not Pro, which is less Mini and loses the appeal. Keyboard Schmeyboard. If it gets Froyo, and I am such an Apple deserter for even knowing what that is.
I think my 3G operating issues are punishment for siding with the Androids. iOS 4.01 was unusable. 4.1 was hunky dory for a bit. Now: a bit (big bit) SLOWWWWW. But usuable, if sigh inducing. Number of sighs is directly proportional to desire for an N8. Oops. I know.
So. Therein lies all anyone would need to know about the Kindle.
I do like books. Lots and lots and lots: they have words in them. I like to go back to them as and when I feel like it. I have 1000s of them, and that's after serious culling (to charity, I will not bin a book, not even a Michael Moore). They take up a lot of room and have the following failings:
They're not that easy to hold.
If you want a book asap, you have to get a giant format (hardback or pointlessly big paperback). If you want to take such book anywhere while reading it, you need a small suitcase to carry it in.
They go yellow.
They take up a lot of room.
They cost more in print format than in ebook format.
Yes. That is correct.
All hail Amazon. Which we have been doing since ever they started but really, huzzah! The Kindle is (probably) a marvel.
Other reasons to love Amazon: Universal Wish Lists. Marvellously fantastic for deluded moments. You Never Know.
And, more realistically, useful for spouses who have "no idea".
This is (almost) the best time of year. Digging out warm clothes, dark evenings, the anticipation of Halloween and "goodness ME the shops have got Christmas in very early this year. Of course, I've started buying already..." and a stupendously grand TV schedule. Autumn TV rocks. I love it all, that fizzing almost about to think about being winter time of year. Brilliant.
I am particularly jubilant as I wore my down filled jacket today. I heart that.
Voici. Every thought I've had since last time I thought. All for you to enjoy.
A bientot. It is time for the sleeping.
Monday, 16 August 2010
Since I've been gone...
Ah yes. Blogging every day has slipped a teeny tiny microtad. July happened, indeed it did, as has much of August.
Since my last bloggage, I have done the following (which I shall ponder upon wordily at a later time):
1) watched a lot of Big Brother. Yes, I know.
2) ate the most sublime meal I have ever had the privilege of tasting.
3) did the unthinkable and proved myself employable after all.
4) went to Legoland.
5) got further confused by politics.
6) read some books, and formed many opinions about writer types.
7) hated people some more. One reason: being a victim.
For now, some sleep.
Since my last bloggage, I have done the following (which I shall ponder upon wordily at a later time):
1) watched a lot of Big Brother. Yes, I know.
2) ate the most sublime meal I have ever had the privilege of tasting.
3) did the unthinkable and proved myself employable after all.
4) went to Legoland.
5) got further confused by politics.
6) read some books, and formed many opinions about writer types.
7) hated people some more. One reason: being a victim.
For now, some sleep.
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Time thieves
It may come as a surprise but I don't rate summer much. I prefer winter. Autumn rocks.
One of the things I hate most about impending summer is the loss of an hour when the clocks go forward to BST, or GMT +1 as I think of it, the +1 being stolen.
There is talk of NOT GIVING IT BACK. The clocks would stay forward in October, keeping my hour forever, and then go forward again in March. Preposterous! To put us in line with Europe. Presumably they'll be robbing Portugal too, or do we not mind about that?
Supposedly it is better to be light in the evening, so commuters can get home in daylight. It'll be fine to be dark until 9.30 in the morning though, people are tireder in the evening and more likely to crash.
I beg to differ. I am awake in the evening, this is barely true of any morning. I have long hoped for the abolishment of BST, it being an outdated practice since the advent of electrical light. But this is Not On.
GMT here means it gets light around 8.30 and dark around 4.00 in mid December. Those times correspond with school times. Children travel to and from school in daylight. If it gets light at 9.30, they will travel in the dark in the morning for a couple of months a year. Not exactly ideal.
I have heard further rumour of a different time zone in Scotland. I most sincerely hope that means we get our hour back. If I can't trust in the UK government, can I trust in the Scottish one? I don't care much if we share a time zone with England, I do actually care if my children get to school safely.
Seems Mr Cameron is keener for independence for Scotland than most of Scotland is. Way to annoy the Scots, again.
I read an argument for the new time saying that the rising sun is dangerous for drivers. Well, don't drive your kids to school! Simple. Solves soooooo many problems. The other argument being that we are being dinosaurs. Yes! Abolish BST!! BST + 2 is just wrong.
I just want my hour, Charlie.
One of the things I hate most about impending summer is the loss of an hour when the clocks go forward to BST, or GMT +1 as I think of it, the +1 being stolen.
There is talk of NOT GIVING IT BACK. The clocks would stay forward in October, keeping my hour forever, and then go forward again in March. Preposterous! To put us in line with Europe. Presumably they'll be robbing Portugal too, or do we not mind about that?
Supposedly it is better to be light in the evening, so commuters can get home in daylight. It'll be fine to be dark until 9.30 in the morning though, people are tireder in the evening and more likely to crash.
I beg to differ. I am awake in the evening, this is barely true of any morning. I have long hoped for the abolishment of BST, it being an outdated practice since the advent of electrical light. But this is Not On.
GMT here means it gets light around 8.30 and dark around 4.00 in mid December. Those times correspond with school times. Children travel to and from school in daylight. If it gets light at 9.30, they will travel in the dark in the morning for a couple of months a year. Not exactly ideal.
I have heard further rumour of a different time zone in Scotland. I most sincerely hope that means we get our hour back. If I can't trust in the UK government, can I trust in the Scottish one? I don't care much if we share a time zone with England, I do actually care if my children get to school safely.
Seems Mr Cameron is keener for independence for Scotland than most of Scotland is. Way to annoy the Scots, again.
I read an argument for the new time saying that the rising sun is dangerous for drivers. Well, don't drive your kids to school! Simple. Solves soooooo many problems. The other argument being that we are being dinosaurs. Yes! Abolish BST!! BST + 2 is just wrong.
I just want my hour, Charlie.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
England the Brave
We're racist apparently.
So said the people who complained to Fife Police, resulting in HMV Kirkcaldy being subject to the police removing their "Anyone But England" merchandise.
Ok! Way to incite hatred.
We don't want England to win. We don't. Not because we are racist, because they would be insufferable bores if they won. We don't hate them. We don't have a line in racist slurs. We don't attack the English, we have a light hearted banter about long standing rivalries.
Why don't we support the Home Nations? We do, the others, just not England. Why? Mostly because they are infinitely better than the rest of us. Scotland has never qualified for the second round, other than the time we did by some technicality and said no. We haven't been at the last three World Cups. And it's a bit galling to see the expectations laid upon England and a complete inability to enjoy the fact that their team are THERE. The unshakeable belief that England should win everything and any failure to do so is the fault of some fall guy, or down to cheatery and being robbed. Be like the Dutch, enjoy the experience and go for it. They've never won, they're not bitter. The bitterness of the English support rankles. Where's your Tartan Army equivalent?
The English football fans have, I'm afraid, created a bad impression historically. Very few other nations have the same record of violence and discord overseas.
Necessary disclaimer: Scottish opinion of the Old Firm, and support thereof, is somewhere largely below that of the English support. They are indefensible.
Now, I can accept that 99% of English footie fans are far, far removed from those that cause discord abroad. But there's a difference in attitude between that of the English and that of, erm, everyone else.
Example A: World Cup 2002. I explained to my colleague why I would be supporting Belgium, because they had qualified from our qualifying group and so theoretically would be in Scotland's place. He was baffled, he couldn't comprehend why this didn't make me hate Belgium and wish them the worst run possible for "stealing" our place.
Example B: In 1465, when Raith Rovers last played well, they were put out of the UEFA cup by Bayern Munich. The Raith Rovers support thus wanted them to win. Each team that they beat by a lower margin than they had beaten the Rovers was equivalent to Rovers beating them by the difference. By Bayern Munich winning the cup, it would have technically made Rovers the runners up. An English flatmate could not comprehend why Bayern Munich were not Most Hated, they would have wanted them to be defeated 18-0 in the next round, and in all matches for ever more.
On more general Scottish/English rivalries:
It's not generally PC to call people by names, however accurate, that are used as an offensive term. You know the obvious ones, you wouldn't use them. Historically, we were the Scotch. Why aren't we any more? Because a certain country landlocked to us used it as a derogatory term, and so we became Scottish. Except, sometimes, it slips in. And rarely
from genuine ignorance. It annoys, always, as does the equally humorous "jock".
See, there are a few facts. We accept them. As a nation, we do drink more, we do eat more fat, we do achieve less as a country. We are much less affluent, and there is a constant exodus of the great and the good to England.
But we have a better health service, a better education system, a better legal system and we are fiercely proud of what we do well. And we don't really like being teased about being Scottish, because it's not something we're ashamed of. It's not ok, actually, to say "what??! You're not drinking??? But you're Scottish?" Yes, I am. Listen to all my vowels. Ha.
Don't. Call. Me. Jock. And actually, I'm quite generous but will be utterly offended if you come into my house and turn down my food.
Andy Murray is British when he's doing well, Scottish when he loses. Always true. Donald Dewer's death was an incidental report in England. In exchange, we have a wonky map that ends at Newcastle. We can be insular. Heh.
We have an (unofficial) anthem. It glories the fights we won against England and has a veiled threat that we will have victory once more. We happily sing that at the English, who don't have their own anthem, the sods. Not that we resent them using the British one, it's rubbish! Other nations have rousing passionate anthems, the English/British have funereal dirge. Adopt Land of Hope and Glory and be done with it.
Yeah. Love them. But really, it's banter. We don't discriminate against the English, as they don't against us. We don't incite violence or nastiness. Jock is never used to hurt, nor is Sassenach. It's all a chip on our collective shoulders and harmless banter based on years of battles. Most people don't want independence because we're not daft. Yet.
But please. We will never support the national team. Those that do, don't care about football.
So said the people who complained to Fife Police, resulting in HMV Kirkcaldy being subject to the police removing their "Anyone But England" merchandise.
Ok! Way to incite hatred.
We don't want England to win. We don't. Not because we are racist, because they would be insufferable bores if they won. We don't hate them. We don't have a line in racist slurs. We don't attack the English, we have a light hearted banter about long standing rivalries.
Why don't we support the Home Nations? We do, the others, just not England. Why? Mostly because they are infinitely better than the rest of us. Scotland has never qualified for the second round, other than the time we did by some technicality and said no. We haven't been at the last three World Cups. And it's a bit galling to see the expectations laid upon England and a complete inability to enjoy the fact that their team are THERE. The unshakeable belief that England should win everything and any failure to do so is the fault of some fall guy, or down to cheatery and being robbed. Be like the Dutch, enjoy the experience and go for it. They've never won, they're not bitter. The bitterness of the English support rankles. Where's your Tartan Army equivalent?
The English football fans have, I'm afraid, created a bad impression historically. Very few other nations have the same record of violence and discord overseas.
Necessary disclaimer: Scottish opinion of the Old Firm, and support thereof, is somewhere largely below that of the English support. They are indefensible.
Now, I can accept that 99% of English footie fans are far, far removed from those that cause discord abroad. But there's a difference in attitude between that of the English and that of, erm, everyone else.
Example A: World Cup 2002. I explained to my colleague why I would be supporting Belgium, because they had qualified from our qualifying group and so theoretically would be in Scotland's place. He was baffled, he couldn't comprehend why this didn't make me hate Belgium and wish them the worst run possible for "stealing" our place.
Example B: In 1465, when Raith Rovers last played well, they were put out of the UEFA cup by Bayern Munich. The Raith Rovers support thus wanted them to win. Each team that they beat by a lower margin than they had beaten the Rovers was equivalent to Rovers beating them by the difference. By Bayern Munich winning the cup, it would have technically made Rovers the runners up. An English flatmate could not comprehend why Bayern Munich were not Most Hated, they would have wanted them to be defeated 18-0 in the next round, and in all matches for ever more.
On more general Scottish/English rivalries:
It's not generally PC to call people by names, however accurate, that are used as an offensive term. You know the obvious ones, you wouldn't use them. Historically, we were the Scotch. Why aren't we any more? Because a certain country landlocked to us used it as a derogatory term, and so we became Scottish. Except, sometimes, it slips in. And rarely
from genuine ignorance. It annoys, always, as does the equally humorous "jock".
See, there are a few facts. We accept them. As a nation, we do drink more, we do eat more fat, we do achieve less as a country. We are much less affluent, and there is a constant exodus of the great and the good to England.
But we have a better health service, a better education system, a better legal system and we are fiercely proud of what we do well. And we don't really like being teased about being Scottish, because it's not something we're ashamed of. It's not ok, actually, to say "what??! You're not drinking??? But you're Scottish?" Yes, I am. Listen to all my vowels. Ha.
Don't. Call. Me. Jock. And actually, I'm quite generous but will be utterly offended if you come into my house and turn down my food.
Andy Murray is British when he's doing well, Scottish when he loses. Always true. Donald Dewer's death was an incidental report in England. In exchange, we have a wonky map that ends at Newcastle. We can be insular. Heh.
We have an (unofficial) anthem. It glories the fights we won against England and has a veiled threat that we will have victory once more. We happily sing that at the English, who don't have their own anthem, the sods. Not that we resent them using the British one, it's rubbish! Other nations have rousing passionate anthems, the English/British have funereal dirge. Adopt Land of Hope and Glory and be done with it.
Yeah. Love them. But really, it's banter. We don't discriminate against the English, as they don't against us. We don't incite violence or nastiness. Jock is never used to hurt, nor is Sassenach. It's all a chip on our collective shoulders and harmless banter based on years of battles. Most people don't want independence because we're not daft. Yet.
But please. We will never support the national team. Those that do, don't care about football.
Thursday, 17 June 2010
X
Meh.
I'm in a mood.
Why?
Because I'm self obsessed. Obviously, or I wouldn't have a blog dedicated to nothing except things I done thunked.
So. A little quiet. And a little bit ginormously insecure about complete lack of interesting topics/anecdotes/observations.
Had some crisps today. Mmm. Oh, you discovered the cure for AIDS? That reminds me of a cup of tea I drank on Friday. Do let's talk some more about the tea and we'll forget to go back to the AIDS thing.
What? You're going? Oh.
Last day of work: 27/10/05
I think it's having an effect.
There'll be more. There always is.
I'm in a mood.
Why?
Because I'm self obsessed. Obviously, or I wouldn't have a blog dedicated to nothing except things I done thunked.
So. A little quiet. And a little bit ginormously insecure about complete lack of interesting topics/anecdotes/observations.
Had some crisps today. Mmm. Oh, you discovered the cure for AIDS? That reminds me of a cup of tea I drank on Friday. Do let's talk some more about the tea and we'll forget to go back to the AIDS thing.
What? You're going? Oh.
Last day of work: 27/10/05
I think it's having an effect.
There'll be more. There always is.
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