OK, so why is it, just as I'm about to go away on holiday I start to feel ill.
It's not that it's a one off, but something that seems to happen far to regularly.
So now I'm sitting here, due to go away in a few hours and I feel like anything but that. In fact all I feel like doing is sleeping (which I'll do after I've finished this). I'm sure I'll enjoy the trip and have some wonderful memories, it just takes away the positive feelings that I feel I should be having about going somewhere for the first time.
Anyway, sleep ahead.
Blog about the visit as and when I can over there, if not then when I get back.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Maybe I'm Missing Something
OK, maybe it's just me, but I get the feeling that there's something missing from the information that we're being given about the missing 25 million child benefit records.
It's emerged today that one of the problems was that it was going to cost too much to provide the NAO with just the information from the database they wanted, so the whole lot was sent (and lost) instead.
Now, in my simple, Pooh Bear like brain, I'm thinking like this. Now as an ICT teacher, I've got loads of students who have to create databases (in MS Access for their and my sins). Now occasionally they will make a mistake and will need to import data from other database tables into their ones. It takes 'not a lot of time', though I will concede they are not dealing with 25m records. However, are we expect to believe that the database that the HMRC are using doesn't have this ability and is therefore inferior to MS Access (try not to laugh at this point). Alternatively how long would it have taken to make a copy of this database (they clearly had time to do this twice!) and delete the unnecessary fields in one go (seconds in MS Access regardless of how many records), so that they only had the ones that the NAO needed.
So, am I missing something, or is government so caught up in it's own methods to see the obvious.
Please, anyone, feel free to enlighten me!
It's emerged today that one of the problems was that it was going to cost too much to provide the NAO with just the information from the database they wanted, so the whole lot was sent (and lost) instead.
Now, in my simple, Pooh Bear like brain, I'm thinking like this. Now as an ICT teacher, I've got loads of students who have to create databases (in MS Access for their and my sins). Now occasionally they will make a mistake and will need to import data from other database tables into their ones. It takes 'not a lot of time', though I will concede they are not dealing with 25m records. However, are we expect to believe that the database that the HMRC are using doesn't have this ability and is therefore inferior to MS Access (try not to laugh at this point). Alternatively how long would it have taken to make a copy of this database (they clearly had time to do this twice!) and delete the unnecessary fields in one go (seconds in MS Access regardless of how many records), so that they only had the ones that the NAO needed.
So, am I missing something, or is government so caught up in it's own methods to see the obvious.
Please, anyone, feel free to enlighten me!
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Getting back on-track (or is that on-line?)
OK, it's been over 6 months, but I'm determined not to have a blog that never gets used as the vast majority seem not to once set up.
I'm heading to New York for the first time in a few days time, so I figure that it's as good an opportunity to start kick this thing off again and to recount my time there as a newbie.
I've been the the states twice before. Both trips with family and both to recognised tourist traps (Florida and Vegas). This time will be slightly different as I'm on my own. Should be a laugh and be nice to run to my own timetable. Have loads of things planned and will be taking the camera with me, so plan to have a load of photos as well.
The previous trips I've never felt like I've got to 'know' America. I don't know if I will this time, but at least, while NY is a tourist destination, it's also a working destination as well, in ways that are very different to the Disney belt of Florida and the extremeness of Vegas. There, everyone you meet is really a tourist, whereas I have a feeling (I could be wrong) that in NY there will be more 'real' people if you get my drift.
Right, I've got to go and get ready, but hopefully there will be a lot more appearing here in the near future.
I'm heading to New York for the first time in a few days time, so I figure that it's as good an opportunity to start kick this thing off again and to recount my time there as a newbie.
I've been the the states twice before. Both trips with family and both to recognised tourist traps (Florida and Vegas). This time will be slightly different as I'm on my own. Should be a laugh and be nice to run to my own timetable. Have loads of things planned and will be taking the camera with me, so plan to have a load of photos as well.
The previous trips I've never felt like I've got to 'know' America. I don't know if I will this time, but at least, while NY is a tourist destination, it's also a working destination as well, in ways that are very different to the Disney belt of Florida and the extremeness of Vegas. There, everyone you meet is really a tourist, whereas I have a feeling (I could be wrong) that in NY there will be more 'real' people if you get my drift.
Right, I've got to go and get ready, but hopefully there will be a lot more appearing here in the near future.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Long Time - No Blog!
OK, so it's been absolutely ages since I've bogged recently.
Several reasons.
1) Been quite ill recently. Not the sort that keeps you off work, but enough to stop me doing a load of other stuff. Bloging, understandably, not at the top of the list of things that need to be done got pushed to the sideline.
2) Quite a lot of work stuff to do. Easter is always busy with school work coz the year 11 stuff has to be preped for being sent off to the examiners. That means getting it all marked etc. Having my work colleague off on maternity leave also means I've an extra group to do. (That's not a winge, just a fact).
3) The weather has been rather good over the hols. Given that we've had two weeks of lovely weather I've been determined not to spend the whole time indoors. I've done school work in the evening when the sun has gone down, but during the day I've been a right Alan Titchmarsh. Stuff I have done in the garden over 2 weeks (minus 2 weekends as I've spent them both away).
Sprayed both inside and outside of a new garden shed.
Constructed garden shed (on my own!)
Built a 'mini' greenhouse.
Cut the grass a couple of times.
Done some edging round the lawn.
Weeded the garden
Prepared a vegtable patch
Done a load of planting/replanting
Serious plant maintance
Planted a pair tree
Put up two hanging baskets
Painted two outside doors
Built a new garden gate
Sprayed said garden gate
Put up garden gate
Built a freestanding hammock
Started to 'create' some new lawn
So as you can see, I've been busy. Hence no blog.
Things might get back to normal shortly. Year 11 leave in 4 weeks time so that should give me some more free time as well.
Several reasons.
1) Been quite ill recently. Not the sort that keeps you off work, but enough to stop me doing a load of other stuff. Bloging, understandably, not at the top of the list of things that need to be done got pushed to the sideline.
2) Quite a lot of work stuff to do. Easter is always busy with school work coz the year 11 stuff has to be preped for being sent off to the examiners. That means getting it all marked etc. Having my work colleague off on maternity leave also means I've an extra group to do. (That's not a winge, just a fact).
3) The weather has been rather good over the hols. Given that we've had two weeks of lovely weather I've been determined not to spend the whole time indoors. I've done school work in the evening when the sun has gone down, but during the day I've been a right Alan Titchmarsh. Stuff I have done in the garden over 2 weeks (minus 2 weekends as I've spent them both away).
Sprayed both inside and outside of a new garden shed.
Constructed garden shed (on my own!)
Built a 'mini' greenhouse.
Cut the grass a couple of times.
Done some edging round the lawn.
Weeded the garden
Prepared a vegtable patch
Done a load of planting/replanting
Serious plant maintance
Planted a pair tree
Put up two hanging baskets
Painted two outside doors
Built a new garden gate
Sprayed said garden gate
Put up garden gate
Built a freestanding hammock
Started to 'create' some new lawn
So as you can see, I've been busy. Hence no blog.
Things might get back to normal shortly. Year 11 leave in 4 weeks time so that should give me some more free time as well.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Up for Sale
Mum's been selling the house for a while, nearly a year now, 3 people have agreed to buy it, but have pulled out for various reasons (some reasonable some not) having gone quite a way down the process.
However today (just coz I was talking about houses being for sale with a friend of mine who had her home valued) I looked for it on-line.
In many respects it didn't seem odd looking at it on-line for the first time. Looking back an hour later (have closed that window) and it feels slightly odd.
Am not sure whether it's odd coz its something I've known for 30 plus years being on the internet or whether it's coz I'm not sure some of the photo's do it justice.
When I sold my own place a couple of years ago it didn't seem so odd (possibly because I saw it for real every day). I'd spent nearly as much time in that place as I had at the family home, so I can't see it as being a time thing.
In many respects I will be sorry when it sells (no way I could ever afford it), but at the same time I know that these things happen, it's only property and there will be the stuff inside that will be passed onto my sister and myself, which are more of the emotional connections.
However today (just coz I was talking about houses being for sale with a friend of mine who had her home valued) I looked for it on-line.
In many respects it didn't seem odd looking at it on-line for the first time. Looking back an hour later (have closed that window) and it feels slightly odd.
Am not sure whether it's odd coz its something I've known for 30 plus years being on the internet or whether it's coz I'm not sure some of the photo's do it justice.
When I sold my own place a couple of years ago it didn't seem so odd (possibly because I saw it for real every day). I'd spent nearly as much time in that place as I had at the family home, so I can't see it as being a time thing.
In many respects I will be sorry when it sells (no way I could ever afford it), but at the same time I know that these things happen, it's only property and there will be the stuff inside that will be passed onto my sister and myself, which are more of the emotional connections.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Life's Surprises
OK, this news item is a few days old now, but I'm gonna post on it as there can't me many out there who will have had this experience.
So, I'm in the local supermarket and I look at the newspapers and think 'I know that face on the front of the Daily Mail. Now I will admit to not normally being someone who will instantly trust the Mail, but thought I'd investigate further. So home I go to the internet.
Now a few years ago there were a few of us from church who decided to go salsa dancing and to have lessons. We ended up at a local club called Club New York. (Now closed and re-named The Church, which is what it was originally, and was its earlier club name!)
Anyway, the main instructor for the beginners group was this guy.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=424260&in_page_id=1770
So, turns out I know a spy! (I'm waiting for the MPs to call ).
To be honest he wasn't the nicest of people, a tad sleazy (offered to sleep with someone I was seeing at the time), but I don't think that any of us had him labeled as a spy.
So, that's my Christmas surprise. What's yours?
Chris
So, I'm in the local supermarket and I look at the newspapers and think 'I know that face on the front of the Daily Mail. Now I will admit to not normally being someone who will instantly trust the Mail, but thought I'd investigate further. So home I go to the internet.
Now a few years ago there were a few of us from church who decided to go salsa dancing and to have lessons. We ended up at a local club called Club New York. (Now closed and re-named The Church, which is what it was originally, and was its earlier club name!)
Anyway, the main instructor for the beginners group was this guy.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=424260&in_page_id=1770
So, turns out I know a spy! (I'm waiting for the MPs to call ).
To be honest he wasn't the nicest of people, a tad sleazy (offered to sleep with someone I was seeing at the time), but I don't think that any of us had him labeled as a spy.
So, that's my Christmas surprise. What's yours?
Chris
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Madness
OK, so it's been a while since I've been to a gig, but hey, I was no way near the oldest.
So, I've got a few Madness albums at home and when it was mentioned at the tennis club I thought, why not. Of course I didn't remember that it was the penultimate day of term and how tired I'd be (let alone the usual chance of being a bit ill).
So I went to the gig. Oddly enough, after the gig I felt a lot better. Can't really explain why. Probably a bit of adrenalin helping to get over the tiredness, but I genuinely felt better afterwards as well. Now is that just the relaxing or is there something else about a gig that helps. As I said, not a huge fan, but enjoy their music well enough to go to a gig. So we’re not looking at the euphoria of seeing your fav band perform, but obviously something else instead.
The gig itself was good. The usual mix of classic songs and stuff from their new album. Knew about 2/3rds of the songs so that made me relatively happy.
What was a nice touch was that they had clearly had someone do some local stuff for the show. The big projection screen had local images on a few occasions (notably ‘Our House’) but also had pictures of those who had dress up in fancy dress for the night as they came in. They also had their kids (at least I assume it was their kids) dancing on stage to the last song.
Overall, an enjoyable evening, would have nice not to have been so knackered before hand, but would recommend it to anyone who is considering going to see them.
So, I've got a few Madness albums at home and when it was mentioned at the tennis club I thought, why not. Of course I didn't remember that it was the penultimate day of term and how tired I'd be (let alone the usual chance of being a bit ill).
So I went to the gig. Oddly enough, after the gig I felt a lot better. Can't really explain why. Probably a bit of adrenalin helping to get over the tiredness, but I genuinely felt better afterwards as well. Now is that just the relaxing or is there something else about a gig that helps. As I said, not a huge fan, but enjoy their music well enough to go to a gig. So we’re not looking at the euphoria of seeing your fav band perform, but obviously something else instead.
The gig itself was good. The usual mix of classic songs and stuff from their new album. Knew about 2/3rds of the songs so that made me relatively happy.
What was a nice touch was that they had clearly had someone do some local stuff for the show. The big projection screen had local images on a few occasions (notably ‘Our House’) but also had pictures of those who had dress up in fancy dress for the night as they came in. They also had their kids (at least I assume it was their kids) dancing on stage to the last song.
Overall, an enjoyable evening, would have nice not to have been so knackered before hand, but would recommend it to anyone who is considering going to see them.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
