Tr1gger

I’ve not blogged in a week or so, wasn’t much to talk about. I’ve also had a week off, well 12 days, just to relax and soak up some of the sun the UK has been having. Some really nice weather, not that I care much for the sun, it was nice to be able to open all the doors/windows in the apartment.

Late last week I went and got a tattoo, chest this time. Damn it was weird getting inked after so long. Nothing much to say, its a piece I’ve wanted for a very long time. Its given me some ideas on what I want to get next. I got some additions to some other pieces whilst I was in the shop. Got some Kanji (which is always nice and simple) to add to my Japanese arm.

Computer games… played a tonne in the last week or so. Re-playing Eve Online.Terminator Salvation. its ok, but something I’m glad I got for free. Wolverine, a lot of fun but not a keeper. Dark Age of Camelot, just for fun with my brother and spare time. Call of Duty 4, nice to shoot some friends in 2-3 times a week. Played a new Asian MMO, Aion, not sure its really for me. I love the graphics but the gameplay feel kind of the same of what has already been done before. Played and completed Damnation, was ok but the graphics was kind of off for me. The cut scenes are nice. Love the SteamPunk theme, but the voiceover is kind of rubbish and the overall ‘roam anywhere’ isn’t working. The demo I tried a few months back was nice, so whatever they changed in the meantime has ruined the game. Its very very linear.

Some games, more E3 than anything, I’m looking forward to…

• Champions Online, super heroes rock!
• Left4Dead 2… oh my god awesome! More zombie madness.
• Splinter Cell, looks great, as always
• Star Wars Knights of the Republic Online… the trailer blew me away, this is on my radar for sure.

Other than that the shift work is going ok, I still want to leave so nothing new there. Someone left this week, good for him. The company has changed since he started so many years ago, but its not a nice place to work when you get no support. The guys landed what seems like a dream job in China, some storys to be had there I’m sure!

Last day off tomorrow, so going to make the most of it.

So, with work a little quiet now I was looking at if I did trually want to stay in IT, would could I do to improve the look of my CV and got to re-writing it. Whilst its ok its not brilliant. I’ve no real qualifications past my NVQs and I think this puts people off interviewing me. I’ve thought about doing a degree but the courses and there material is very boring, I did make a start on an OU but found what I was being taught would not give me any better standing in the real world of IT. I’ve contemplated doing a MCSE or an MCP, its more suited to my needs and is better for Production Support which I prefer over Development. i’m going to wait for a few more loans to pay off before I do anything though. I don’t want to be getting into more debt and change my mind.

Other things this past week include checking out a cruise, I’ve always wanted to do one of these and if I did it would always be something mammoth. I want to do either a Nile Cruise or something across East Asia (maybe China or Japan). I’m still undecided as the Asian ones are a tad expensive (worth it though) and the Egypt ones never cover the ones I want, I would not mind seeing Cairo and then the Pyramids later. Still something (another!) to add to the list and sort something out.

Tattoo’ing, I know its got quiet and the plans i had have been sharply hampened by the credit crisis as I don’t want to come out of a decent paying job too soon. I’ve plans to self train for some time next month and then head on into the shop to start the real learning. I’ve got some cash set aside to buy a training kit from a decent Ink sellar so I hope I can get that a week Monday (25th). I’ll try and take pictures of stuff I get and update the blog with the progress.

This week, I’ve mostly been doing… nothing. Well thats not strictly true. I’ve been sorting money and mobile phones out. Including my iPhone. I like the phone but the battery life is worryingly annoying and almost constantly needs charging 24×7. I like the features the phone offers but I would gladly sacrafice a few for better battery time. Maybe its just me?

Anyway, I’ve been using the iPod part of the phone (mp3 player) which would explain the reason for the battery life being eaten up so quickly. Its hard not to listen to music given the chance. Music is always a boost for me, I think I would go insane if I didn’t listen to music for at least some part of the day. I’m not going to say music has shaped my life (although it feels like it some of the time) but it certainly helps with certain situations. If I feel down, I listen to something more uplifting and if I feel like I need a mental boost to aid my gaming the Rock and Metal gets switched on… very loud. I’ve not got the greatest sound system round the house now, as apposed to the monster machine I left at my parents, but it is something I’ve recently been toying with. I’m not sure it is something either my neighbours or housemate would be happy with but I really want to get something for the summer. I’m stuck with getting something either connecting to the TV/PS3 or to get something for the PC. I listen to a lot of my music on my computer but at the same time I want something better for the TV and watching movies via the PS3. I also know, from the past, that you cannot spend a few pounds and get something with a half decent sound. This means £££’s which I’m still trying to save. Do I spend it and then regret it after? Not sure. I’m saving but for what? I get tax’d on my savings anyway so I might as well spend it rather than it being stuck in a bank somewhere.

Damn these ideas!

Currently listening to - Fatboy Slim - The Greatest Hits - Why Try Harder

The office, it being a bank-holiday Monday is quiet and so with it being just me in the building… I can crank the sound up on the sound system to max.

Just recently all the games I’ve played haven’t been Fantasy, most have been Sci-Fi based or WW2/Modern Warfare type deals.

Whilst I used to really get involved for Roleplaying Fantasy games, I just cannot get into them anymore. There are so many, each one does almost the exact same as the last. The last MMO was Warhammer and I suppose the last single player game was Prince of Persia. Both lovely looking games, starts well… but the moment it draws you in there isn’t much more content left. For Warhammer, getting to max level wasn’t tough and once you do get max level, there isn’t much else to do. The raids are very boring and the PVP on offer is laggy and worse, against pre-made groups. For PoP, it started well but every fight was the same and the graphics all blend in to one later on.

The next game for me, MMO, is Champions Online and probably Offline is AVP3/Aliens: Colonial Marines. I know I know, more Hero games. But I have a good feeling about Champions. The thing for me is, both games are multiplayer (of course the MMO is) but they have a really good atmosphere and setting, who wouldn’t want to be a Hero?!

Time to get some sleep, end of the shifts but it is really tooooo sunny to sleep right away.

Thought it was worth a short post (or 2) about the iPhone.

I’ve had it for almost a week now and can see where all the hype and raving has been coming from. Its got a LOT of features, most of which I’ve used a fair amount since day one. I’ll list the top ones I have and write something more substantial. I’m currently using the phone to type and with my chubby fingers its a problem for long posts… hit L… L…. no not P damnit! Thats the type of problem I have having.

So far the phone is doing well, albeit some issues with syncing the phone, not sure if its the phone or the cable. I’ll try another cable and see. Could well be Windows Vista 64bit on my home machine.

The other good thing is the battery life. Its not as great as I would like it but between applications and SMS stuff the phone is holding up well. Perhaps I’m used to the older phone generations whereby charging was like 1-2 weeks, not 1-2 days.

Right, thats enough. Sleep time. I’ll try post something more on the night shift (between working)

No posts for a while, I kept meaning to but nothing really has been going on. I’ve sat here, either at work or at home, and kept meaning to post but with nothing much to say. What makes this week different? Er, news? Well yes, I’ve a few things going on right now, learning more and more Tattoo ’stuff’ and hopefully in a weeks time I can get a starter kit (thats if I can find the right kit!).

Other stuff is that work is going swimmingly, nothing much is happening and the games we had been going to Publish have since been pushed back, so the buzzing rush is once again set to a gentle hum of people just getting along doing there work.

I also got myself a new phone, because my old one was ridiculously bad now. It rarely picked up the calls I did want (no signal? ) and the calls it did pick up became grainy and a real problem. Witht hat said I picked up a new contract for a more reliable one and a phone that can do a few more things than just take calls.

I haz iPhone!

Yes, its very ‘going with the flow’ of everyone right now but its a wonderful peace of technology. I must admit the first thing I did was download a lot of un-neccessary toys and gadgets for it and then proceed to drain the battery playing them all. But today, with lots of spare time, I went through and got rid of the not so desirable ones… firstly the x-ray machine type gimmick… which was just awful, thank god it was free to try.

Anyway, thats all… apart from the usual TV and movie viewings. I’ll get updating this site again soon!

So much has gone on this past few weeks its been tough to even remember the half of it. So here goes…

• Birthday, hit that lovely 25. Never thought I’d last this long…
• Few work nights out, nice to catch up with people who I didn’t see over Christmas/New Years.
• Work handed out redundancy letters, meaning everyone was running round like a headless chicken.
• Further catchup with a few people I went to school with.
• Nan has sold house, so lots of stuff to move.
• Business started taking off for web hosting/Voice Comm’s again.

I’m sure I’ve missed some things out but thats all I can remember right now. Yes, hit 25. Went out for meal with family… and again the same week with friends for a Chinese + beer. Was a good time had by all.

On the redundancy letters, not much to say other than my current role appears to be safe, but that I’ve applied for another position meaning I could get more money/management experience should things go my way. I’ve been pretty relaxed about the whole thing and not bothered which way it goes, I’ve got a job and know I’m secure for at least another year.

Catching up with school friends was nice, was good to see and speak to people I’ve not seen since I left. Its strange how things have turned out and how different people are from there time at school. The loud ones are now quiet, married and have kids whilst the quiet ones have gone on to be stark raving bonkers (in places) and done some amazing things with there lives. Crazy.

Not my news but effected me a lot, my Nan has become increasing more ill and so she has had to sell her house (4 bed!) for a small 1 bed single floor bungalow. Its a lovely little place and the sale also means it can free some cash up for her to have some fun with it… as she says, no use saving it when you don’t use it.

My hosting business is starting to take off again, nothing massive but a few quid in the bank to allow expansion and some other ideas to flow freely. Not sure what are where to spend it, as saving it with the current economy seems pointless, but as any ideas pop into my head I’ll post here.

So, what with that and the itch to go get more tattoo work done… it has been a busy old time.

Oh, and I bought a Netbook (read: Small Laptop) for ease of internet access, just need to sort my mobile broadband access out.

Long may this busy time continue!

So much has happenend I’ve barely had time to take it all in and even less time to post about it.

Everything is up in the air at the moment. I’ll post more when I have time, but I’ve not forgotten about this blog or to post something… I should have time tonight so I’ll post more then.

Until then, have a good day!

New years resolutions, I’ve made many of them but never really followed any up to completion. I’m sure thats the story for many of us. This year i want to try and do better.

Having said that I’ve made somewhat of a list:

• Get fit, need to get some gym equipment
• Want to get in to martial arts
• Want to pass my Direct Access bike test, given that my CBT runs out soon.
• Change jobs
• Find a Mrs Trigger

Now, i look at the list above and see I’ve not set myself anything easy. I’m fully aware that I probably won’t achieve 50% of the above, but I’m willing to give things a try and see how i get on. I know that before i can expect to be any good at Martial Arts I need to be a bit (well, a lot) fitter than I am currently. I gave up bike riding because being so big meant that the riding was causing me to feel uncomfortable. By getting fitter I hope to get better at this. The Changing Jobs idea has been something that i have been toying with for a very long time and I do desperately want to get out of IT. If the Credit Crunch hadn’t have hit the area so hard I’d have made the change last year. Whilst many can say that I work for a Games Company and should be happy, the truth is that the section I work in only Publish games, so I only see a small part of the industry. I’m sure if I even walked up the hall and applied for some sort of Community Liason type job I’d have a better understanding and feeling for the work the company does. As it stands, the section I’m in just deals with MMO games, of which we just watch Servers all day. Yes there is expansion and the odd occasion whereby we do other tasks, but they are few and far between (and mostly unseen by higher-ups.) Still, mustn’t grumble, I have a job and I do enjoy some of the work we get… mostly the free games.

Not to be taken totally aside, but I’ve put down “Find a Mrs Trigger” - I’m still unsure about this, because I’ve got so much i want to do I don’t feel I’d have time to even date let alone make anything of it. If it happens, it happens… happy to see where things go.

New Years Resolutions… anyone else got any and if so what?

Off to work again, 1 day left then 4 off.

Happy New Year everyone!

I hope everyone is out and drinking, I’ll be with the family to welcome in the new year.

Wishing everyone a happy new year, may 2009 be even better than 2008!

Trigger