Saturday 29th September 2007
Song: Oasis - She's Electric
So my little part of the internet was temporarily offline, but we appear to be back now. Yay.
So I got brave and did book the Mercedes thing. I did make a bit of a fool out of myself by going there to book it and not actually knowing what car I wanted to drive, and then not being able to get hold of Anthony to find out. But it's all done now... So it's on the 21st October at 10am. All are welcome to come and watch me spin around a bit in an expensive car.
Sunday 23rd September 2007
I've been reunited with my love for Ally McBeal. A few weeks ago when back home I took some of the DVDs, but found no enthusiasm to watch them. However when I eventually sat down and watched my favourite episode, it all came back to me. It's such a wonderful programme!
So I'm trying to convince myself to do a driving experience day thing at the Mercedes-Benz World in Brooklands. Anthony did it a few weeks back, and it looked a lot of fun. Then about a week later I watched a DVD that he got of his driving, seeing from the drivers point of view, and hearing the stuff the instructor guy was saying. It seemed like a lot of fun. I'm a little apprehensive of something though. I think it's a combination of parting with £150 for only one hour of fun (albeit, a lot of fun), and the driving a rather fast car that I'm not really used to. The one Anthony had (if I remember correctly) was a little under £100,000 with a 5.5L V8. Now I'm used to driving a little £2,500 1.6 Ford Focus. A fine carriage though it is... It's a few leagues away from that Mercedes. However, I guess that's the point of it really... A chance to drive a fabulous car that I'll never get a chance to own. I think I might give them a call tomorrow and ask about what options the are. I'm not too bothered about doing the skidpan thing (sliding the car around in a circle), but the rest looked like fun!
Wednesday 12th September 2007
I have now messed up my sleeping pattern more than ever before in my life, I think. I managed to sleep a decent night last night, but was still tired earlier. By about 9:30pm I did that wonderful thing of just laying down for a bit, convincing myself I won't fall asleep. Of course I did... Now normally when this happens in the evening I'm asleep for about 30 minutes and wake up feeling shit. However, not this time... I woke up (feeling shit, of course) and look at the clock. It says 2:55, now the clock by my bed is a 12 hour clock, and my bedroom light is still on so I'm quite confused, and in my dazed state I think it's the afternoon. I then pull back my curtain... Shit, it's 3am.
Oddly, James appears to be asleep already and there's no one on MSN to talk to.... so I feel a bit bored now, but don't really want to go to bed. Maybe I'll stay up until Daniel gets up (5:30am), he likes that.
Friday 7th September 2007
Song: David Ford - Go To Hell
I would like to publicly apologise for a mistake I made before... I did not have the flu. I had a minor case of the common cold. This small error of verbiage seems to have caused great upset.
I spent some time on the phone to a Microsoft call center the other day. Back when at uni, a lot of Microsoft software was made freely available to us via something calling itself a "Microsoft Academic Alliance". I think it's basically a way to allow Microsoft to make sure all students begin their career using MS products. Was fine by me though, as it meant I had access to a free and legal copy of Windows XP, Vista, Visual Studio, and lots more all worth hundreds of pounds. Winner. So I had this legal copy of XP which I recently installed as I had done many times before with the same serial. To my great surprise though, on this occasion, it failed to "validate". So for the first time I got to experience the thrill of trying to sort out a licence problem with Microsoft. Fun, it certainly was not. Basically when it errors, the program gives you a choice of two phone numbers to ring for support. An 0800 one, and an 0870. Neither are free, as we don't have a landline here, so ringing from my mobile, I go for the 0800 one. It answers with an automated thing, not a person. I get asked to enter an impossibly long number into my phone, which is on my screen after the validation failing. So I did. After entering it, I got asked some questions (still automated). I was asked if this copy of Windows was bought from a retailer, or preinstalled with my computer. Neither of these are appropriate, but I wasn't takling to a person so I couldn't explain this, so I selected the option of bought, not installed. Then I was asked if it was installed on one or more than one. Now I can't really be sure as this was just made available to hundreds of students. I can't remember for sure, but I think I said it was just on one, and then they in one way or another denied me access to this copy of Windows, and then cut me off. So I then reluctantly phoned the more expensive number, hoping this might get me a person. No... I got the exact same one as the 0800 number, leaving me wondering why on Earth they give you the choice of a free one or an expensive one. Anyway, I decided this time to not answer their stupid questions hoping to get a person, so I didn't answer, and then it just repeated the question and I was annoyed and hung up. After rambling on at Daniel about it, I tried the 0800 one once more, and accidentally typed the insanely long number in. Then it got interesting...
Upon realising the number I had entered was invalid, I got forwarded to a person! I was so pleased... Well, for a few seconds, until she started talking. She asked me if it was installed on my computer or if I bought it separately. I sigh... I tried to explain to her that it was neither, and that it came from the Microsoft Academic Alliance. So she then asked the next question as before, is it on one or more than one. So I say I can't honestly be sure as it was just made available to many students. She then, not understanding (or just not listening to) what I'm saying, said she advises I find out how many it's installed on and then phone back, they're open 24/7. So I quickly go, "no no no", before she had a chance to hang up. I again explain how I obtained this copy of Windows. She then again didn't really listen and said I need to find out how many it's installed on. So I'm now sounding quite agitated, and am becoming aware that this not free phone call is going on a bit. I say, in an exasperated tone, "Are you familiar with the Microsoft Academic Alliance?". There was then a long silence, and eventually, "yes". I didn't believe her for a second, so I explained how it works, putting emphasis on the serial number thing being the same for all the universities students, and that I have no Earthly idea how many are out there. What did she reply with? "Well I suggest you find out how many it's installed on and then call us back. We're open 24/7...". So again I quickly add, "No no no..."
So I somehow managed to then move her on, saying it is installed on several computers. So she asked if it is a site licence. At this point I made a silly mistake... I told the truth. "I don't know... see it came from university and it wasn't ever stated, just that we're allowed to use it for personal and educational use." The reply? "Well I suggest you find out if it's a site licence and then call us back, we're open 24/7". Ugh... So it went on:
"No no no... Suppose it was a site licence, what would then be the next step?"
"Is it a site licence sir?"
"I'm not sure... But suppose it was, what's the next step?"
"Are you saying what's the next step if it was a site licence, or that it is a site licence?"
"I uh...ok yes, it's a site licence"
"Please hold sir"
...
"Right I have the code for you here...."
And then she proceeded to give me the code needed to validate my copy of Windows XP Professional. So I thanked her, and hung up with an odd mix of satisfaction that a) I finally got the bloody thing working, and b) I didn't let her hang up on my despite her repeated attempts. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole ordeal... I'm quite annoyed with that particular member of staff as she clearly didn't listen to what I said, tried to get me off the phone three or four times, and didn't have a clue about the academic alliance thing. This has pretty much confirmed my feelings about Microsoft's anti-piracy measures though. How much longer can they go on treating legitimate customers like criminals, whilst the pirates still have cracked copies anyway. I actually said to Daniel and James in one of the interludes between phone calls that if I couldn't get it working on this next call, I'm just going to install a cracked copy. Slightly annoying... But that was what it felt like it had come to.
So everyone, take note. I know I'm no Windows fanboy, but I'll admit Windows isn't a bad OS and definitely has it's place in the world, but Microsoft's anti-piracy measures have got ridiculously invasive and don't really work very well. Let us not forget the Ubuntu Linux installation which passed their validation test. There's a new Mac OS coming out in a few months and Ubuntu seems pretty usable for most people's computing needs. It's time to start considering alternatives!
Saturday 1st September 2007
So I got my bumper fixed earlier in the week. It looks rather special now, I'm quite impressed. I didn't realise plastic could be played with quite so much. It's so lovely and smooth, you can't tell there was ever a huge scratch in it. Lookie here.
So Brian was the winner of Big Brother. I wanted it to be the twins (they seem so wonderful), but I feel Brian is a worthy winner all the same.
I've had the flu these last few days, it's not very much fun. I got on to the case quite quickly, with vitamin C, zinc, Ibruprofen, and Halls Soothers. Mostly better now, but as I always get when I get the flu, I've got a lingering cough which is getting increasingly frustrating.
I thought I had several things to write about, but clearly I don't. Maybe I'll just go to bed.