Archive for July, 2008
Still Alive…
Sorry, I’m still alive and kicking, just about. I took a rather stupid medical test the other day though that printed out a recepit which confirmed for me the fact that I’m going to die eventually. I’m comforted to know that but what the hell, moving on….
I would also like to mention briefly at this point that I did not eat almost at all last week due to a combination of lack of times and methood of payment. I did burn my money away on useless things, like, camcorders and loitering the ELR and things. I am now making a mental note to retain enough cash for food.
Also I CBA cascading posts to the side menu so keep scrolling down for things to read if you’re like BORED to death or something.
Much love to you all (read: none).
On location …
Yes folks it’s an extra special entry if you might say that since it’s a location blog video entry thing, with a cameo from Mr. Tom Arse, my brother. Click here to check that shit out
I’m afraid the video shows what we’ve been doing today, if it’s yet more something that (for some unknown reason) makes you cringe, cry and nearly vomit, then just don’t click, or even read this blog anymore.
Just as a small asside, I thought I might mention that I’ve had 5 subway’s this week, I’m very happy spiritually.
Some video ranting…
Well more a video and ranting really. The video is me and just me this time, I sware. I talk shop for once.
I also have a few opinions to write for the first time in a while, and what better place to start than my usual place for a good moan, the city of Manchester? More specifically, the stupid people who commute in the morning.
Now I used to commute to the outsirts of Manchester every day a lot, and although the bus was usually packed the traffic was alright. And I also go in to town a fair bit usually a bit later in the day for meetings, web design chattings, a coffee, whatever the deal may be. It has not been until recently however that I’ve had to commute, at 8am into the city centre, every day.
Let me be blunt about the issue. People who drive into the centre of Manchester to get to work are complete wankers, and that’s the end of it. You’ve got no idea what you’re doing because you’re so stuck up yourself you can’t sit in the sardine tin with the rest of us.
Granted you can’t all switch to Public transport instantly but I’ll move onto that in a minute.
I have to get off the bus at Salford Central station, a station named because it’s on the wrong side of the river even though it’s actually in Manchester city centre and only like, 300 yards from Manchester Victoria but that’s another rant altogether.
The reason is that the traffic blocks up completely. You have the road jammed with cars, people sat in their air-conditioned euro-boxes on their fucking own, with five spare seats each, while all the buses, struggling to battle their way to Shudehill or Piccadilly are empty. Empty. There are SO MANY empty seats traveling through the city of Manchester in rush hour that it’s no wonder the roads are congested, they’re being occupied by too much empty space.
The GMPTE, who run all transport in Manchester bar aircraft, want to introduce congestion charging so that it will cost £12 a day to enter Manchester in a car during peak times only. In return for this, and before it goes into effect, the city will get several new tram lines, brand new larger trams, brand new buses, brand new bus routes which are more organised, all bus servies moving to 10 minute frequencies, and new longer trains. The GMPTE are running an advert about this featuring Vikram from Coronation Street, who used to be related to Dev the shopkeeper. He was clearly a cheap Manchester face for them to use or something.
The city would become a fantastic suburban transport system. Frankly it’s already very good despite people like me bitching all the time, but with all these enhancements I think a £12 charge between the hours of 7-9am would be more than worth it.
These drivers who enter Manchester are already paying £5 a day to park, sometimes £23 a day depending on which area of the city, which is fucking rediculous. You can get a week travel ticket for the entire public transport system for £23, nevermind how much you save if you get a single bus operater week ticket which is cheaper. Plus you don’t pay fuel, or tax, or anything else at all.
I don’t expect a single one of these selfish idiots to change their minds on this one, though, they’re too busy clinging onto the hope fuel prices will go down, congestion will go away and magic roads will appear to make the world better again. Culture shock, it’s not happening.
We need to start using public transport more so we can make public transport better for everyone. If half of us moved from cars to buses after the system expands to cope, we’d all get into work twice as quickly, and can stay in bed twice as long. But I’m sure listening to Wogan on your own is much more important to some.
I hate sleeping…
No trains today, honest. And I apologise for the lack of updates, I’ve been busy as is outlined below.
I’m constantly having to get up at 6am these days. I’m working for most day, and at the moment on a project for (of all people, and I apologise now for revealing this); the Manchester City Council. Yep. I joined the dark side. I guess I’m a public servent or something. Part of the system. Whatever you want to call it.
Well, all exept one day of the week where I’m back in college doing an NVQ 2 in IT repair and maintainence, since my hardware needs a little brush up. I’m hoping to move away from spending all my time on software problems and move more into hardware related issues.
Thing is though that if I do my usual thing of getting up so late I barely make it to either of these things then I’m gonna certainly loose the placement and get binned off the NVQ quite quickly so I’m *forcing* myself up at 6am.
Problem with my body is it refuses to give up without a fight to the bitter end and tries to stay up at night. Only last night did I get to actual sleep before 12:00am because I was so shattered I nearly passed out anyway.
Sleep is stupid, life would rule if it wasn’t needed. Either that or times need to change in our culture. People naturally do not want to sleep until the wee hours and get up in the afternoon. It’s more natural to my body and also to a whole host of people I know.
Oh, and, putting some new (compressed) tracks up. 4mb’s of Metalingus, while audiatourally satisfying, is a bandwidth whore.
Oh, and one last thing. I apologise for the poor state of the Random Stuff section again. As always I never have time to update it and I imagine it’ll never truely be completed before I die, but I’ll continue on making the effort regardless. The story of my life really.
