Headphone Woes

Posted in Uncategorized on 28/11/2009 by KingOfAnkh

I have a pair of headphones which I use quite a lot, they are a pair of those 'in ear' types which are rather quite good, they only cost me £20 and they sound brilliant.  I usually use them to watch movies on my laptop late at night so I don't disturb my neighbours, so I'm usually in bed.

The upshot is that at the end of the viewing, I normally unplug them, roll them up in a tidy circle and because I'm lazy, I place them on the other pillow on my bed whilst I turn over and go to sleep.
Somehow during the night, an evil pixie comes into my bedroom and takes great delight in untwining the lead and places the earbuds underneath my arse! So when I wake up, I am sore as hell from sleeping on a lumpy piece of lumpy stuff! I must be a princess not a king, I can certainly feel this pea after I wake up!
I do have a pair of very expensive earphones that cover the whole ear that I bought nearly 20 years ago, they are much better but are slightly more uncomfortable to wear; I'm hesitant to wear them in bed in case I find them shoved up my sheriffs badge by this horrendous pixie that pays a visit each night! I swear to god that she steels my socks too! Not to mention hair follicles and braincells! The bitch even leaves lard around my belly and carves wrinkles on my face!
I know what the answer to my predicament is, don't fecking leave the 'phones on the pillow, but like most men I never listen to advice, so each night I fail to move the 14 inches required to leave them in the drawer where they should live.
I'm far more interested in buying a pixie killing crossbow or a small thermonuclear device that only harms mischievous entities. 
I don't have a problem moving the laptop a few feet, noooo, none at all! So why do I always forget to secure the headphones of discomfort? I think I'm a closet masochist. I love waking up in pain, There is nothing more I like to do than wake up in the morning and recover a length of wire and an earbud from my rectum!
Do any of you have similar problems? Am I truly alone in this?

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BBC Personality Test

Posted in Uncategorized on 24/11/2009 by KingOfAnkh

In my boredom today I took part in the BBC's test for the Child of Our Time experiment by Professor Robert Winston. Here are the results. Overall I think it's a pretty accurate and relatively concise result. It looks like I'm a well balanced individual that doesn't need to visit the padded cell any time soon.

You scored 4.1 out of 5 for Openness

You scored high on Openness.

This trait is sometimes known as ‘Openness to experience’. People with scores like yours tend to be imaginative and curious about a wide range of things, from appreciating different art forms to exploring new places, cultures and foods.

Generating lots of imaginative ideas probably comes very easily to you. However, it's likely that you are prone to daydreaming too.

Innovators, investigators and creators often score highly on this trait. It has also been suggested that Openness is related to a person's likelihood to hold unusual beliefs. Do you enjoy the odd conspiracy theory?

You scored 3.1 out of 5 for Conscientiousness

You scored medium on Conscientiousness.

Conscientiousness describes how dependable, organised and hard-working a person is likely to be. This may be the reason why, of all the personality traits, Conscientiousness is the most consistent indicator of job success. People with scores like yours are less likely to be workaholics, instead achieving a good work-life balance.

Conscientiousness often gives clues to the amount that a person plans. You probably enjoy planning aspects of your life and may indulge in occasional list-making, but you are unlikely to be averse to behaving spontaneously.

Some studies have shown the more Conscientious an individual is, the more disciplined they are likely to be about exercise and diet.

You scored 3.3 out of 5 for Extroversion

You scored medium on Extroversion.

Extroversion is characterised by positive emotions and the tendency to seek out pleasure-stimulating or risk-taking activities. People with scores like yours are likely to be comfortable meeting new people and will usually enjoy social occasions.

You are likely to have a generally positive outlook on life and may display a greater gift for leadership compared to those with low scores on this trait.

People with high Extroversion are more likely to lead risky lifestyles and take greater risks in pursuit of rewards. Health studies have shown they are more likely to smoke and less likely to get enough sleep than people who score less highly on this trait.

You scored 3.9 out of 5 for Agreeableness

You scored high on Agreeableness.

Agreeableness measures how sympathetic and considerate a person is likely to be. People with scores like yours are likely to find it very easy to get along with other people. You probably find that you are sensitive to the feelings of others and that people find it easy to warm to you.

As a 'people person' you will probably be very comfortable in situations that require teamwork.

You scored 2.4 out of 5 for Neuroticism

You scored medium on Neuroticism.

In the context of the Big Five personality traits, the term 'Neuroticism' relates to a person’s response to threatening or stressful situations. People with scores like yours are likely to be comparatively level-headed about perceived threats, but you may find yourself worrying when faced with uncertainty or unfamiliar situations.

Some scientists have suggested that Neuroticism was beneficial in evolutionary terms. Early man may have found it advantageous to live in a population where certain individuals had a high sensitivity to threats to the group's survival.

There is evidence to suggest that Neuroticism, when combined with high scores in personality traits such as Conscientiousness, can result in a powerful work ethic and a will to succeed.

Life satisfaction

2.4/7

The questions you answered about your life satisfaction have been used to reveal the degree to which you feel contentment in key areas of your life. Data from this part of the Big Personality Test will help scientists understand the relationship between personality and life satisfaction.

You scored low. Research has uncovered relationships between personality and life satisfaction. People with high Extroversion consistently score more highly than others on scales used to measure a person's level of wellbeing or happiness.

You scored medium on Extroversion. This neither supports nor contradicts research that shows that people with scores like yours tend to score medium on measures of wellbeing.

Extroversion relates to how much positive emotion a person experiences. This may help explain why they often score highly on measures of wellbeing.

Relationships

3.9/5

The questions you answered about your relationships have been used to generate a score that indicates how satisfied you are in your current or most recent relationship. Data from this part of the Big Personality Test will help scientists understand the connections between personality and relationship quality.

Research shows that there is an association between relationship satisfaction and the trait of Agreeableness.

You scored high on Agreeableness. This neither supports nor contradicts research that indicates an association between relationship satisfaction and the trait of Agreeableness; successful relationships are often based on concern for the feelings of others. It is important to remember, however, that many factors can influence satisfaction in a relationship, not least the similarity of the couple's values.

Agreeableness relates to a person’s ability to understand other people’s thoughts and feelings. It may be this greater awareness of the feelings of others is what leads them to experience generally higher relationship satisfaction.

Job satisfaction

1/5

The questions you answered about your job satisfaction have been used to generate a score that indicates how happy you are in your job. Data from this part of the Big Personality Test will help scientists understand the relationship between personality and job satisfaction. Good job satisfaction is seen as a key feature of a well-balanced life.

You scored low. Research indicates that a low Neuroticism score in a person's Big Five results is the best predictor of high job satisfaction.

You scored medium on Neuroticism. This neither supports nor contradicts research that shows that people with scores like yours tend to score medium on measures of job satisfaction.

The reasons behind the relationship between job satisfaction and Neuroticism are not clear. However, it is known that those scoring highly on Neuroticism generally report a less positive outlook on life. Accordingly, this could be reflected in their feelings towards work.

Health

60.6/100

The questions you answered about your health have been used to generate a score that indicates your general level of health and wellbeing. Data from this part of the Big Personality Test will help scientists understand the relationship between personality traits and physical and mental wellbeing.

Research has uncovered relationships between personality and health. In particular, Conscientiousness has consistently been shown as a positive predictor of good health.

You scored medium on Conscientiousness. Research shows that people with Conscientiousness scores broadly similar to yours are more likely to score highly on measures of health. It is important to remember, however, that there are many other factors that affect also your health, from your environment to your genes.

One reason that has been suggested for the relationship between Conscientiousness and health is that highly conscientious people can be disciplined and controlled in their daily habits, such as diet and exercise. Behaviour such as completing a course of medication prescribed by a doctor is thought to be an example of how a personality trait can contribute to a measurable outcome in our lives.

Life goals

Aesthetic

The questions you answered about your life goals have been used to reveal common themes in how you live your life and the things that are important to you. Data from this part of the Big Personality Test will help scientists understand the relationship between personality and life goals.

Your results showed that your goals are predominantly aesthetic; you value beauty and creativity. Research has uncovered relationships between personality and life goals. It suggests that people with high Openness scores tend to pursue aesthetic goals, while people with high Extroversion scores tend to pursue hedonistic goals.

You scored high on Openness. This seems to agree broadly with the known relationship between life goals and personality.

It is thought that the sensitivity to art of people with high Openness underlies their tendency to pursue aesthetic life goals. Similarly, people with high Extroversion tend to be highly motivated by rewards. This is thought to explain their preference for hedonisitic life goals.

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Tazering a 10 Year Old

Posted in Uncategorized on 19/11/2009 by KingOfAnkh

Yup, you read that right.

Only in America would you find a mother that would ring the police to 'subdue' her own 10 year old child who was being 'unruly'. Again, only in America would you find a police officer willing to shoot that child with a Tazer.
The mayor of the town in Arkansas said it better than anyone, "If you can't pick the kid up and take her to your car, handcuff her, then I don't think you need to be an officer."
I'm not a father, but I am the uncle to numerous nephews and nieces, I have been called upon to chastise a child and no matter how unruly a child can be, they would never warrant such a response. Even during my years running pubs in an area surrounded by schools for needy teenagers, never have I needed to resort to physical violence, let alone torture.
What was this guy thinking? What was her mother thinking?  Firstly to call the police for what was only a tantrum was a little over the top. Then the police officer wanting to arrest her for a tantrum was even more over the top, tazering the child was even more over the top again! Surely it says a lot about the parenting skills of this woman and the common sense of the police officer. I can only hope that the child is taken into care or custody given to her father and that the attending officer fired and charged with assault on a minor.

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Nude It iPhone App

Posted in Uncategorized on 19/11/2009 by KingOfAnkh

Yup, there's an App for that!

I'd have sooo much fun with that, such a shame it's not real.

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Chortle

Posted in Uncategorized on 15/11/2009 by KingOfAnkh

This morning I awoke from a dream and I was actually giggling to myself and I couldn't stop for a few minutes. I don't know what I was laughing at but it was very funny.  I wish I could wake up each morning like this.

It's a great feeling waking up and being so happy, only a year ago I was despondent, stuck in a dead end job that was physically killing me and psychologically draining. Now, although I still haven't found employment, I feel much happier within myself and from this mornings episode I feel rejuvenated and ready to take on the world.

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Saving Space

Posted in Uncategorized on 12/11/2009 by KingOfAnkh

If you are like me, you don't like your computer saving hidden files all over your hard drive. and if you're a Mac user and you use Safari, I reckon all of you will be surprised to learn that gigabytes of hard drive space is being used up without you even realising it.

You see, Safari has this neat feature called Top Sites, it's basically your homepage which shows you all the most common sites you visit, it's pretty to look at but essentially all it is is a list of bookmarks that you most likely already have. If you use this feature then fair play, I find it totally useless. However you should realise that your computer is storing all of these websites as a Jpeg and a PNG file onto your hard drive, depending on the site these pictures can be between 200k to 1Mb each. If you surf the web on a regular basis like I do, this folder will bloat into gigabytes within a week.
Where the hell is this folder I hear you scream!!! Well, it's not that hard to find.  Library > Caches > com.apple.Safari > Webpage Previews. You will see that this folder will be full of thousands of items, all of which are redundant picture files of sites you once visited. A great place to snoop to find out what your mate has been wanking off to as clearing the history doesn't clear this file, you have to do it manually, but for some reason Apple don't mention this to you.  If you like the Top Sites feature by all means use it, just remember to clean out this folder from time to time. If you don't like it, disable it and clean out this folder.
End of story you would think, nope! Even with the feature disabled Safari still saves these useless pics. So how do you stop it? Easiest way is to Get Info by highlighting the folder by pressing Cmd-I and simply check the locked button, this stops Safari from saving any images and your hard drive will be thankful.  I personally saved over two gig when I cleared this folder. Now with this little tip I'll never have to remember to clean out that silly folder again.

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11/11

Posted in Uncategorized on 10/11/2009 by KingOfAnkh

There are some of us who still remember the sacrifices made by those who gave their today for us to have our tomorrows.

We remember the millions killed before that fateful date, not the couple of thousand killed on 9/11, which has brought us closer to World War then ever. Vengeance never begets a winner.
Remember them…

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Gift

Posted in Uncategorized on 03/11/2009 by KingOfAnkh

On Saturday a courier tried to drop off a package for me but I was out for the count because I'd been up until 4:30am the previous night at Alton Towers. I had no idea who it was from or what it could be. I asked my family and they said they didn't send anything, not that I expected them to, as a family we don't do that type of thing. 

On Facebook I mentioned that there was a package and everyone I suspected would or could send something denied all involvement, until my friend Lorna admitted it was her. She'd sent me a 'little something' for my birthday and that I shouldn't get overly excited, after all, it wasn't a blow up sheep or anything like that.
I have known Lorna since I moved to Gloucestershire, must be around 11-12 ears now. It's no secret that I have had a huge crush on her since I met her. It's been a lot of fun teasing her about it but alas this must now come to an end as she's getting married to a top bloke.
For some reason I never expected a gift from her, I don't know why, she's always been very generous and helpful, I suppose it's just my expectations for birthdays, I never get anything other than cards, perhaps a tenner here or there to buy a drink.  So on Monday I arranged for a re-delivery of the parcel and it arrived today. The 'little something' turned up in a box as large as a chair!
Inside the box was a huge helium balloon with Happy Birthday scrawled all over it, it still floated as well, not bad for a balloon that had been in a box for five days, and also a mysterious wooden box.
It wasn't ticking so I was safe enough, so I courageously slid the cover off to reveal a magnum of vintage wine!
To be precise, a couple of bottles of Campo Viejo Gran Reserva 2002. What I know will be a tasty Rioja once I decide to sample them.
For those of you with an interest, here's what the Wines from Rioja, London have to say about them.
Gran Reserva
Gran Reservas are identified by a teal blue on the back of the bottle. These wines are made in the best years, using only the finest red grapes (whites and roses are rare). They must spend 5 years in the winery of which at least 2 years are spent in oak casks and three in bottle. These are the classic and often the most traditional Rioja wines and rank amongst the finest in the world.
I'm slightly taken aback to be honest, this isn't a 'little something' it's a 'bloody big something'!!! Apart for the cost, which I'm sure was rather high, the thought behind it means more to me than its monetary value.
The note says "Hope this makes your day a little happier", I'd say this makes my whole month happier, it's truly an amazing gift!
However, I should have known who sent it and what it was from a few weeks ago. Lorna firstly asked me for my address, which I assumed would be for the invite to her evening party when she gets married. A few days later a message arrived asking about which wines I thought were nice, again I thought this was for her wedding. I do feel like a fool for not putting two and two together, I really should never trust her again! lol
All I can say is thank you from the bottom of my heart Lorn for this very special gift, it really has made my day.
I'm glad it didn't arrive on my birthday though, I might have taken it upon myself to drink them! 😀

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Drugs? No Drugs?

Posted in Uncategorized on 03/11/2009 by KingOfAnkh

There's been a little spat in the media over the sacking of Professor David Nutt, the chief advisor to the government on drugs. Professor Nutt advised that cannabis, LSD and ecstasy be downgraded to a Class C drug due to the limited harmful effects when compared to alcohol and tobacco.

Professor David Nutt graduated in 1972 and is a neuropsychopharmologist specialising in the research of drugs which affect the brain, he's the leading professor at the University of Bristol and he also holds a chair at Imperial College London. Amongst other things he's also the president of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology. So one would expect that this guy knows his onions.
So in the wake of a paper that the government asked and paid for which advised that certain drugs be downgraded, the Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, fired him and went against his recommendations because he knew better than an eminently qualified professor.
Let me tell you a bit about Alan Johnson. He passed his '11 Plus' exam and his best achievement on record from his schooling is that he attended school, no qualifications to speak of. He left school to stack shelves and later became a postman. As far as I can see it, he's only in his position of power because of his union connections and by his own admission his Marxist leanings.
But this isn't the first time this has happened, back in May 2008 Jaqui Smith, the then Home Secretary went against her advisers about drug policy. This is the same Jaqui Smith who by her own admission smoked cannabis during university. At least she has an education, albeit a reasonably poor one as she initially went into teaching, and we all know that those who can't, teach! We also know that she's as corrupt as they come, allowing he husband to claim pornography on public expenses and paid her sister over £100.000 in public money for a house she didn't live in. This is also the woman who has slowly been responsible for eroding our civil liberties since 2006 in the name of protecting the public.
Now our illustrious unelected leader, Gordon Brown, has jumped on the bandwagon, as he does a week or two later, it takes him that long to make a decision. He's backing Alan Johnson saying that he was right in firing a man who knows more than he does on a subject because it's not Professor Nutt's place to comment on political policy.  Well hang on a moment, didn't you ask him to write a paper and give his opinion on the subject of grading illegal drugs?
Professor Nutt only answered media questions after he'd been sacked, in response to Alan Johnson's vicious attack upon his reputation and credibility, and we all know how esteemed Professor Nutt is regarded by his peers, holding several professorships over the planet as he does.
Do we need to be ruled by these bunch of corrupt and idiotic Ministers who do not take advice from their own inquiries and only have their self interest at heart? I don't think so. We need out civil liberties back, we need the right to put justice before idiocy, but above all we need to be governed by a leader we elected.
Just so you know, I have been known to smoke a spliff now and again if offered, but overall I don't take drugs in any shape or form, I even forgo painkillers until the pain is so acute a hospital is required. I agree that the drugs I have mentioned in my post do cause some disruption in society, but not as much as alcohol does and it seems silly to me that we're not reaping the 17.5% VAT on these drugs if we made them legal. Legalising these drugs would mean that the criminals interested in importing them into the UK would lose interest as they would be freely available to whoever wants them by legal means, I suspect they would be cheaper too.  There will not be a rush to try these drugs by our youngsters, in all likelihood most of them already know a shady dealer and have tried most drugs by the time they are 18 anyway. If you are that way inclined to abuse any substance, whether it be alcohol, cannabis or chocolate, you are going to do so if it's legal or not, and lets face it there are a lot of fat people in the UK so perhaps we should re-classify chocolate and chips as a Class B.

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Halloween 2009

Posted in Uncategorized on 03/11/2009 by KingOfAnkh

Another birthday has come and gone, I'm now 35, as someone pointed out, potentially halfway through my life.

So what did we all do on Halloween. Well, first of all SmilingGrump and I went to Cheltenham, mainly to look for Halloween costumes. I was pretty much sorted as I'd already bought my contact lenses a month ago and I had some make-up left over from a few years ago. All I needed was some fake blood and some different colour eye make-up. Lee however didn't have a clue what he wanted to go as, so we popped into the fancy dress shop and found that although they had some great wares, they were horrendously expensive. I suppose it was to be expected, buying stuff on the actual day and that places like that make all of their money on that day. Anyhow, after walking up and down Cheltenham for a couple of hours we managed to get away with finding what we needed and I also bought a copy of the entire series of 'Black Books'. That was my birthday present to myself.
As you can see from the photo, Lee went as Beast from X-men, however everyone thought he was a demented Smurf. I don't really know what I was, sort of zombie come dead thing, but everyone was impressed by our efforts. The funny thing was that nobody recognised me at all. I could stand next to people who I have known for years and they would stare at me four or five times before the penny dropped. Who would have thought that taking off my glasses would have such an impact!
Although it's hard to see in the photos, to achieve the overall effect I took a shaver to my head and took clumps of hair out for creepy effect. The upshot of this is that I had to shave my head the day after so I'm now as bald as a coot! At least I had total commitment to my costume.
As the evening wore on and more drink was consumed, we all got rather loud and had a lot of fun. The band was pretty good and Lee, the bastard, asked them to drag me up to the performing area and got the whole pub to sing me happy birthday! Quite embarrassing I tell you. Another round of power cuts meant that the music stopped early, story of my life that weekend, bloody power cuts everywhere, but it didn't spoil my evening.
The rest of the evening is pretty hazy, the free drink started to flow and I hate to waste anything. Luckily for me Old Rocky was kind enough to drive me home, I doubt I would have been able to walk all the way on my own. I'd hasten to add that Rocky is a doddering old bloke who's nearly 70 and his driving skills leave a lot to be desired. The mile home was scarier than any ride in Alton Towers!
Also I met a lovely lady who makes jewelry, I showed her my design for a ring and asked if she would be able to make it for me. She said it was no problem, just depended on how much I wanted to spend and she'd make it accordingly. So once I have a job I'll make a beeline for her door and get that sorted out as well. Amazing who you meet down your local.

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