My Website goes live

I have just released my website upon the world:

http://www.simplecalcs.talktalk.net/simplehome.htm

This is a combination of my web developmen pretensions and my current job role. Have a look, I hope you like it.

Diary of a career changer - part two

So its been a while.

I'm feeling much better about this whole thing after having discovered that there are Excel VBA jobs out there. This could be my way in to the IT world, the foot in the door so to speak. I can do that and I have also addressed the whole experience thing as well. I have 14 years of experience in manufacturing industry, solving problems, being an employee, dealing with people, satisfying customers and making things better - this is all good experience. I can use this with the skills I already have to start off in VBA development, then more to more serious programming after that. I feel a lot better about this now, I'll admit that this was worrying me but not any more.

You say justice, I say revenge.

I am really disturbed by the US government over this whole Bin Laden thing.

To go on the TV whooping for joy and talking about justice is a bit much if you ask me. Justice indicates a process, a trial, evidence, a jury, a verdict then a sentence. What happened in Pakistan the other night was an assassination, no more, no less. If they wanted too they could have took him alive and made him answer to his crimes. Yes he was a hateful man who committed terrible crimes but to just wipe him out like that seem to me to fly in the face of the human rights and democracy that the USA stands for. It brings them down to the level of the terrorists that they oppose. By murdering a murderer without recourse to a legal procedure are you not as bad?

After WWII there was a set of trials for war criminals accused of Genocide of attemoting to wipe out the Jewish people. That was driven by the USA at the time, perhaps Mr Obama could look to the pages of history rather than to his next election campaign before he acts next time. Whatever happened Bin Laden would be a focal point for his followers, the US government has now made him a martyr.

Power has responsibilty and those with the most power have the most responsibility.

Golf

It went well on Friday, I missed the wedding of the century and fired 125 balls down a driving range. Having never tried 'serious' golf before I am please to report at least 10 of the aforementioned balls seemed to be reasonable drives, I definatley want to go again and actually take the sport up. If only for the luminous yellp and black check trousers I saw in the shop. No I jest, but I really did enjoy it and want to start it up. I need a glow though as the blisters on my hands prove.

The timing is good and my wife and I are both stopping smoking - 3 days today! This could be replacement therapy!

Osama is dead...

According to the news this morning Osama Bin Laden is dead, killed by the US military. Is this a good thing? I'm uncertain because:

A) This is the US being judge, jury and executioner, should he not have been put on trial and made to answer to his crimes in a court of law?
B) The potential for fundamentalist backlash.
C) The world has now no longer got an almost mythical figure of hate to unite against.
D) Will there not simply be a dpeuty to take over?

I don't feel safer now I know he is dead but I don't think his death will necessarily put my life more at risk from terrorism. I believe that this will but the coalition forces more at risk and will possibly be the spur to another massive outrage. It is 10 years since 9/11 after all.

Yes, seriously, Golf

I've been playing Wii golf and I fancy trying it out for real. I'm off to the driving range on Thursday with my mate and brother in law, it should be great fun.This could be the start of a lifelong obsession, or another 5 minute wonder, still it will be nice to do something different for a change.

Any tips on my swing out there?

Easter Holidays

The weather has been superb over the last week. It is wonderful today as well, spent yesterday in a paddling pool. The weather has definitely definitely helped my frame of mind.

I'm thinking of taking up golf.

Isn't life grand?

Well, this is the second day of our marathon 11 day stint, both me and my wife are off work, yay! The weather is lovely, the patio door is open wide, washing in on the line and all is good with the world. The unnaturally pleasant spring wather here in the UK seems to have made everyone feel better and with the holidays that are going on there seems to be a really good atmosphere.

I'm good, I've been reading a lot more lately, both fiction and non fiction, mostly horror and computing thus ensuring my geek credentials are maintained. I am enjoying Stephen King a great deal, he draws you in and you forget that you are reading a tome of 600-700 pages and there are so many rich, well formed characters that you feel like you know a whole town, I know his charcaters better than my neighbours. My own forays into literary expression are slowly taking shape, snatched lunchtime writing and ideas jotted down. Maybe I'll post some writing here one day, open myself up to the web. Its weird when I was a kid and the internet was unheard of you wither had to be very lucky or persistant to make it in music or witing, now I can write this, press post and the whole world can see it instantly. Technology is a great leveller.

Spot the cat -there is one in there

Nearly Easter

Well, what a week that was, busy to say the least. I did learn a few things so that was good but the monotony of work drags on and on. Organisations with matric structures simply do not work, too many people in charge and not enough people actually working. Still I only have four days next week then me and the missus are off for 11 days straight (thank you William and Kate) for only 3 holidays! I really think I need this time off, it feels like ages since we had a decent amount of time off together.

The self learning of VB is going OK with one or two mishaps, there is s great forum with helpful and friendly people here http://www.vbforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=21 

The more I learn about programming the more I want to do it, I just hope my maths is up to it.

Diary of a career changer - part one

So I hate my job - who doesn't?

That isn't strictly true. I don't hate it as such, the people are nice, I know what I'm doing and I get decent money. It is just dull, I have been doing it for 14 years and I get bored out of my mind. The only potential progression is people management and I am bad at that, tried it, failed, got burned, not doing that again.

I have decided to move into IT, more specifically database design and/or admin. I have some transferable skills but a hell of a lot to learn so I am learning it. Books at the moment but come the autumn I am starting an OU course which will, one day, lead to a computing degree. So that is the plan.

I get the learning bit, easy, I can do that but I will still not have much in the way of work related experience to this new direction and that is where I'm struggling. I'm not sure how I will get round that as a mid 30ish person with a mortgage in an entry level world. But my wife is behind me, supporting me (wonderful woman) and I feel that we can do this.

I guess that part of the dream hasn't been worked out yet but I'm sure we'll get there.

Paranormal Activity - scary film?

No it was shit. In no way was it scary at all, dull dull dull.

I ma enjoying the Star Wars Begins documentary on You Tube though - ace. Watch this!

The world is ending

Now, I'm not sure about the whole Mayan calendar ending in 2012 thing but I think we, as a human race are on the downward spiral. The western world has tried to ruin us with the banking crisis, cuts and world wide recession, the middles east is going through massive upheaval and the planet mostly NZ and Japan is trying to kill us too. Where does most of the world's wealth come from? Oil, and where does that come from? So the area that generates the most wealth and affects every person on the planet is in massive turmoil, prices are going up and what happens when the supply lines start to get cut? The world will start to grind to a halt. The cradle of technology, Japan, is also under attack by the planet, a warning maybe or just a geological phenomenon, I can't say. I think that before too much longer the unrest will spread, societies will collapse, starved of oil and we will regress, the next generation will live in caves, mark my words. It will take one rogue state to puh the button when faced with this upheaval and armegeddon will be let loose so I say enjoy it while we can. Max out those credit cards, if the world doesn't end at least you're stimulating the economy. Blowing up the bubble for the next finaical blow out.

Enjoy life - it'll soon be over.

Why I love Pokemon

I suppose it could be deemed slightly odd that I, a 35 year old, have become more that a little obsessed with Pokemon on the DS. The reason is, I think, that it appeals to the collector, the hoarder in me. You have to catch the Pokemon from the wild and the excitement of finding a new one is immense, battling it down until it's vulnerable and then catching it and raising it over the levels. It's great, it really is.

In the world of tabloid outrage at video game violence, which, I must admit I do indulge in also, it is nice to play a game where you don't actually kill anything. They just get knocked out and faint, then you heal them back up to full health. I'm not a parent but if I was I would find this kind of re-assuring.

Culturally as well I like the Japanese anime style of the cartoons, remember SMTV with Ant and Dec? That was where I got into it all, I liked the cartoons at first, and I'm into the Japanese horror films and anime generally although my collection is pretty much non-existant yet (still Film Four is good for this type of stuff).

All in all it's fun, escapism from real life, catching and battling with ickle monsters. Who'se life woulnd't be richer for that?

Day four of my week off

So this is day four of my week off and so far the week has gone well. Monday I painted the ceiling in the hall, stairs and landing area, Tuesday did a mammoth amount of glossing, god that was awful, so many door areas and the stair rails and bannisters. Wednesday I painted the walls in the aforementioned hall area. Thursday, being today is pivotal, the carpet men are here fitting the new carpet in the lounge and hall etc. It is looking good and whilst I cannot take any credit for the design, that is down to my wife, I can take satisfaction that my labours have realised that design.

The arrival of my new DS on Monday was great too, I am now catching and battling Pokemon at a rate of knots. The only downside to the week is that my wife has been at work. Nevermind, she'll be home soon.

First post!!

I have just closed my old Blog so I thought I'd start a new one.

This one is going to be more about me and what I like and do and stuff like that. I hope you enjoy reading it.