Archive for the 'Personal' Category

Don’t use Scan.co.uk

Published
by
Kieran
on Sunday, March 23 2008
in Personal
. 0 Comments

A quick rant:

I recently put together a HTPC (Home Theatre PC) and Scan came out the cheapest for most of the parts as well as stocking a few hard to find bits and bobs. Annoyingly they were very quick to take my money and then waited a full 24 hours before delivering the parts making them arrive a day late. Apparently this was due to unanticipated demand. Thing is, when I gave them the benefit of the doubt and ordered some more bits a week or two later, exactly the same thing happened, with exactly the same excuse- quick as a flash they take the money, then sit on it. Add to that they sent me the wrong processor (I ordered an E2220 and received an E2200).

So that’s one retailer I’ll be avoiding in future.

Rant over.

Update

Published
by
Kieran
on Monday, April 16 2007
in PC Gaming, Personal, TV and Xbox 360
. 1 Comment

It’s been a while since I last updated here, mainly because their hasn’t been much to say and because I’ve been enjoying the sunshine or being too tired in the evenings to do anything. A quick what I’ve been up to:

Oblivion

I stopped playing shortly after getting Jade Empire. I was getting to the point where I didn’t have the motivation to continue. I was thinking of creating a more evil character and looting houses, joining the Dark Brotherhood etc. but then I thought what’s the point? I could amass a fortune in ‘lewt’ but then two problems arise. As I mentioned previously, this isn’t an MMO so it’s not like I can show it off or use it competitively, and it isn’t Baldur’s Gate and there are not a million different swords or spells to buy. So back on the shelf it goes!

Jade Empire

I was really enjoying this game, but I got a point where I realised I was steaming through it and was nearing the last couple of chapters, so I decided to slow down. I did that so much I stopped playing! I’ll get back into it soon, but with a restart no doubt.

Command and Conquer

I can’t put my finger on it, but I’m not quite ‘getting’ the game. Completed the GDI campaign which ended a bit to quickly. I’m half way through the Nod campaign but don’t have the need to complete it. I’m sure I will eventually…

GTA: San Andreas

I had an urge to play this as I’ve never quite completed it. I thought I’d run through the ambulance missions to boost my health. Got to level ten and hit the mission key by accident, ending the mission. Extremely annoying, so I remapped the key to the other end of the keyboard. Tried it again, got to level 12, bounced off a lorry and handbrake-turned over the final patient. If the keyboard wasn’t wired it would have gone out the window :D. Back in the box it goes!

Defcon

There is a concept I’d like to coin as a ‘Wikipedia wander’. You go on Wikipedia for one article and end up clicking on one of the related links. This repeats itself for a few hours until you are reading up on a completely unrelated topic. I think I started on the history of Aesops Fables, and ended up on technical articles on the workings of atomic weapons! A bit sadistically, this lead me on to play Defcon for an afternoon. The game is very simple to play, but is horrible in its plain depiction of the deaths of hundreds of millions of people. Its only a tenner and worth a play.

Dark Angel

I’m about a third of the way through the first series, it really takes me back to when I was younger and watching through the first time on Sky. It has its quirks, lame acting and action here and there, annoying streek speak, but on the whole its an entertaining piece of TV. Amusingly it would seem that half the cast of Battlestar Galactica starred in it at some point. So far I’ve only seen Gaeta as ‘random Latino-looking Jam Pony messenger’ but looking at episode guides online I think I also spot Dee (as Joshua’s blind girlfriend), Crashdown (as a cultist) and Boomer/Athena (as an x? Manticore subject).

Real life!

So as you can see much of my free time has been half heartedly playing computer games and watching TV. I have actually been outside however! I’ve been to see a few mates for birthdays and meets etc. and have really been enjoying the beautifully sunny weather. Maybe this global warming malarkey isn’t so bad ;)

The last week: a ramble about commuting

Published
by
Kieran
on Monday, February 19 2007
in Personal
. 0 Comments

So its my last week at work. Usually I’m all sentimental about leaving jobs (embarrassingly so), but the way the company is treating me because I am going leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I’ve mentioned it to people before and I’m sure its the case for many enormous corporations: the people are great, the company is dire. Anyway enough of that!

My new job is a lot closer to home and I’ll be taking my newly bought car which means no more commuting on the First Great Western commuter lines into London. Personally I don’t think the company is entitled to the words First or Great but calling the commuter line ‘Western’ would be a mite confusing (yes I know where the original name comes from nitpickers)! Like most people I hate commuting. The worst bit is that unless you are a super-bubbly person it turns you (for the hour commute at least) into a selfish suit and its hard not to come over all angry at the smallest thing. I did for a while but I’ve reined myself in. Now I have learned some tips to survive the commute on the train and the tube so I’m not the angry suit in the corner tutting that the train is delayed by thirty seconds:

  • Know where you are going: take a map with you and plan ahead so you don’t have to stop in the wave of passengers leaving the station.
  • Don’t walk right behind people with luggage, especially the wheeled kind. They stop at the drop of a hat and if you’re walking quite fast you may end up on the deck. I learned that one the hard way.
  • When walking on the Underground, act as if you were in a car. Look behind you before changing lanes, don’t stop all of a sudden and don’t cut people up. That way you can avoid other people - especially those like me who are brain-dead first thing in the morning - rear-ending you and your coffee.
  • Don’t enter a platform and loiter by the door. The suits will get annoyed and barge you and that part of the train is likely to me the most crowded. Move to the ends which are often close to empty.
  • If you are likely to be in a rush on your normal route, learn where on the train to stand so that when the train pulls in to your stop you end up close to the exit, other platform etc.

Actually thinking about it the only tip that is really necessary is for everyone to calm down and be nice to each other. Ask yourself if you really need to sit down on the train and blank the poor pregnant lady who looks like she’s about to collapse, don’t barge people out of the way and then stand stuck in a train door because you’re too impatient to way 2 minutes for the next one and do warn the poor tourist who is about to get on the wrong train and end up in the middle of nowhere.

Hmm that’s probably my impression of London really: impatient and rude. It has a great night-life, there are a million and one things to see and do but on the whole it really gets you down. In some ways I’ll miss it however I’m looking forward to replacing the grey concrete skyline for one with trees.

Busy busy

Published
by
Kieran
on Friday, February 9 2007
in PC Gaming, Personal and Xbox 360
. 1 Comment

I’ve been so busy of late, I don’t think I’ve turned on the 360 for at least a week.

I don’t like talking about work on here, but its been causing me stress. I recently quit my current job for a new one that’s closer to home and has more career opportunities. Problem was I have a 12 week notice period (I kid you not) and I was pleading to be let go sooner or I might have ended up with no job at all. Despite some pointless dragging of heels they’re letting me go in a couple of weeks. On the upside this means I can finally get (as I need it) a car, the downside is I’ve spent every evening either fretting about my notice (now solved) or car hunting. So I’m knackered. Very knackered. Another weekend of car hunting to go and hopefully I’ll have everything in place by the middle of the month so I can actually play Crackdown and possibly Supreme Commander if it will run on my PC.

That reminds me, the fan on my PC’s northbridge started emitting a whine. Its happened before and giving it a jiggle has done the trick, but not this time. I went to unscrew it but one of the screws was threaded. As I was tired and irritable I literally tore the thing out of the heatsink, bending half of the blades and ripping the screw out. After bending the blades back again, replacing the duff screw and putting a bit of oil on the bearings I put it back in and now its silent. How I get away with being so abusive to my PC I’ll never know, but the beast has served me well for quite a while now.

Back to work tomorrow

Published
by
Kieran
on Tuesday, January 2 2007
in Personal
. 0 Comments

As it's the last day of my holiday, and probably the last holiday for a few months I’ll be spending the time productively.

*Switches on 360*