Resolutions of 2009 (A reflection of the year)

So, last December I made the following new years resolutions: (taken from a deviantART journal entry)

- Take more photos. If I see a good target, shot it!
- Look into starting Karate again (it's been 7 long years since training stopped)
- Get (at least) 5km fit for Nov. 3rd
- Research more about what I do in my career. Better thy self.

Have I kept to them? Let's see.

Photography

I have been taking more photos, and some new work has gone up onto deviantART but not as much as I'd like. Now that I have a premium membership I hope that I'll be more productive with my photography. I may try the whole, take a picture of yourself everyday thing. Might force me to think more about it.

Karate

This one has just been flat out fail. I haven't started again. I suck.

Running

I probably could run 5km by Nov. 3rd, but I never tried. My training was going well(-ish) up until December. Kind of fell apart though. This has to be rectified, starting Jan. 2nd.

Career

Over the past year I have learnt to be more confident in myself and my abilities when it comes to my job. I'm still finding that sometimes holding myself back for too long before I force myself to "fake it 'til I make it". It's coming with time and experience, just got to keep it up.


What's in store for 2010? More of the same really, only a lot more of it. More photography, more training, more confidence in myself in my career. Nothing new, just consistent. I think it's easier to focus on things you are already doing than try to force new rules and regulations on yourself every new year.

I guess we shall see how I've done in 12 months.

Happy new year all.

M

Is it too geeky...?

What with a new decade just around the corner, I could help but think to myself:

Lots of binary dates coming up soon!

The level of geek surprised even me!

Binary dates (in my moment of maddened mind) are the following:

• Jan 1st 2010
• Jan 10th 2010
• Jan 11th 2010
• Oct 1st 2010
• Oct 10th 2010
• Oct 11th 2010
• Nov 1st 2010
• Nov 10th 2010
• Nov 11th 2010

These of course can be written as:

• 01/01/10 or 010110
• 10/01/10 or 100110
• 11/01/10 or 110110
• ...

These can also apply to 2011! Wow! 2 for the price as 1!

For the non-geeks among you that haven't got a clue what I'm on about but are in any way interested, check out the Binary Numeral System

For the rest of you... Here are a couple of ninja cats

Enjoy.

M

Xmas In The Name of... (The success story) #ratm4xmas

YYYYEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RATM RATM RATM!!!!!!! XMAS NO.1!!!!!! WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!

This was my first tweet as Joe McElderry song was announced as 2009 Xmas number 2.

After all the tweeting and retweeting and trying all I could to spread the word, the (initially) Facebook campaign to bring down the 'curse of the X Factor Xmas No.1' has been lifted. A great moment in music and the first time I've been excited over the charts since I was in my early teens!

I do feel that this tweet is oh so very true...

Would RATM be no1 without Twitter? I think not. Well done Twitter! - @Oscli

Twitter played a HUGE part in this campaign, and provided a much need voice (for both sides of the 'battle')

But what got to me was the people that were attacking the idea of getting RATM to number 1:

"Both artists are under the Sony label so they are getting the money either way"

NOT THE POINT!! I, like many if not most/all, didn't buy the RATM single to try and get at the record company! Where the money ends up didn't matter! (Except for the money that RATM are donating to Shelter)

"Joe deserves the No.1 / He's worked so hard"

What has he done to deserve a free pass to a No.1 single?! Won a glorified karaoke competition!! True music artists take years to establish themselves and even then have difficulty breaking into the business.

"The RATM song isn't even xmasy"

And 'The Climb' is?!

"The song says 'Fuck you, I won't do what you tell me' but that's exactly what they are doing"

Oh dear, oh dear! But then again, 'The Climb' includes the line 'Always going to be an uphill battle, Sometimes I'm gonna to have to lose' ... and look how that turned out.

"Yeah they can play their instruments, but they can't sing"

One of my favourites... no comment needed

This whole campaign wasn't aimed at Joe. It would've happened no matter who won. It was about people standing up and showing Simon Cowell and the X Factor that people will buy what they want and not just what is shoved down their throats by the media.

To quote Tom Morello:

Changing the charts or the world: together we can't be stopped

Merry Xmas all

M

Xmas In The Name of... #ratm4xmas

So, the race for Xmas #1 is on and our (as I first thought of) unlikely contender is actually picking up pace and keeping up with the predictable option (X-Factor winner #234).

From the newspaper clipping below (taken from today's Metro, p11), Rage Against The Machine's "Killing In The Name" has been such a popular choice among the non X Factor fans that it was actually top of the iTunes download chart yesterday and many other online retailers are reporting that it features highly on their download charts too.

This is all good news.

What with Amazon confirming that their 29p download of Killing In The Name DOES count towards the charts, the 740,000+ fans of the Facebook groups in support of the song and the number of celebrities (such as Bill Bailey and Lenny Henry) supporting it too... This could be the greatest Xmas in music in quite a while!

I've bought my first copy (of possibly many)... Have you?

M

People die in war?!

Why is it that when the media doesn't agree with a war, they are outraged when someone dies (well, when one of their countrymen dies anyway). I'm wondering if they'd make so much of it if they were behind the government and believe in 'the cause'.

The front pag of the Metro today holds the headline "AFGAN CONFLICT DEATHS HIT 100". Am I supposed to be shocked or surprised at this?! Whether people back the war effort or not, it is a war they are fighting. Those that join the armed forces know that they put their lives at risk and yet the media seems to find it a shock when they are causalties.

If we were all behind the government's war, would we happily accept this as an outcome of mass killing or would we still kick up a fuss?

M
(via Mobile blogage)

My 2000th Tweet

It's only been 71 days since my 100th tweet and I've already rolled around to my 2000th!

Addict much?

M

A violent reaction: part two

So it appears the following the recent black Friday, today is my grey Monday.

Is there anything that WON'T make me want to run the street red with the blood of passers-by?!

A trip to ASDA will answer that I guess.

I'm going out, I may be some time.

M
(via Mobile blogage)

A violent reaction

You ever have days in your life where you brain just refuses to be functional? For me, today was/is one of those days.

Worst of all is that I tend to internally have too much of a go at myself over it. So now I'm left feeling like I could hit a punch bag until I passed out either from lack of energy or blood loss. As I don't fancy wearing my knuckles down to the bone and I have things to do tonight that require effort, I'll have to settle with very loud metal pounding my ear drums.

Tomorrow must be a better day.

M
(via Mobile blogage)

Posting your DeviantART gallery to Twitter

I recently discovered someone awesome and have decided to share.

I use TwitterFeed to post new blog entries, such as this one, to my Twitter profile. This is much more efficient than having to manually go and do it myself. What TwitterFeed does is watch an RSS feed of my blog, and when it is updated, tells the (Twitter) world about it.

I wanted to do this for my deviantART gallery too. I saw that you can have an RSS feed of your DA journal, but I couldn't find anything for a deviants gallery. So I tried playing with the RSS url and guess what I did... Hacker extreme!! I managed to find the right url.

So, like with this blog, I simply added the RSS url to TwitterFeed and, like magic, all new additions to my DA gallery are now posted to my Twitter profile, with shortened link too.

Simple.

For those wishing to use this, the DA gallery RSS feed url is:

http://backend.deviantart.com/rss.xml?q=gallery%3A{YOUR USERNAME GOES HERE}

M

NOTE: For those following me and wonder why my TwitterFeed posts have #fb at the end, this is for my Facebook profile. I'm using an application called "Selective Twitter Status" that watches my Twitter updates and pulls out ones with #fb and sets it to my FB status.

All these goings on, TwitterFeed watching RSS, STS watching Twitter... I feel a bit like Big Brother.

New Deviations

2 days in a row now I've updated my deviantart profile with new photos. (Well, I say new, they are from earlier in the year and I've only just got round to uploading them.)

I've got more to come. Going to see about uploading one a day until they are all out.

I really should take more photos. I really enjoy it and get real satisfaction from getting a good shot. It all comes down to time, and not having enough of it.

M

"The Hand of Frog"

So, once again, the world of sport has proven to me that football is doing it wrong.

Last night's Ireland vs France game, that was a nail biter all the way, was turned into a circus thanks to Thierry Henry's left hand. It was a clear handball, inches from the goal. The Irish were protesting it before the ball hit the back of the net. Everyone saw it, and everyone knows what should've happen. Goal, disallowed. But instead, Ireland were robbed and will now not appear in the next world cup.

Shameful.

If this was rugby, such an incident would never have taken place. Two words: Video ref.

Rugby > Football

M

Note: Title not mine, taken from a radio caller last night.

PS3 games - New and revisited

My playstation dying a couple of weeks ago actually made me play an old game again and realise just how awesome it is (again) - Guitar Hero: Metallica. Started playing drums (on hard) and it's so much fun!

Also been playing Burnout: Paradise City and Star Wars The Force Unleashed. Both fun, Burnout more so. Good old driving fast and crashing hard!

M
(Mobile blogage)

The Dollhouse is empty

"Dollhouse" is closing its doors at Fox. The network has canceled Joss Whedon's cult fave, which in May beat the odds with a second-season pickup despite low ratings.

I am not a happy bunny!

M

Review - The Dirt by Mötley Crüe

If you are not already a big Mötley Crüe fan, you will be after reading this book!

Starting at the start (where most stories begin) with Nikki Sixx looking for like minded guys to start a band to book takes us on a journey from playing a local club then rushing back to work selling light bulbs to cancelling sold-out arena tours because the guys have had a fight (often physical) and refuse to be near each other.

Soon enough, Tommy Lee, Vince Neil and Mick Mars join Nikki to create the world first Glam Metal band - Mötley Crüe

Each chapter is written by either a member of the band or someone closely related to the Crüe machine. It make interesting reading when you hear about the same events from different perspectives.

It has rocketed the band up my list of favourite music artists, only backed up further by listening to a lot more of their material.

What have I taken away from this book?

• Silence is death.
• The only lesson in life to learn is that there are no lessons, only life.
• No one is crazier than Ozzy Osbourne!

Any rock 'n' roll fan will like this book. I challenge you not to!

Nikki Sixx's book The Heroin Diaries: A Year in the Life of a Shattered Rock Star will be one of the next I read, without a doubt.

M

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dirt

Gotta love a bit of Bondage

James Bond that is.

Finally watching my way through the complete Bond DVD box set I got a while ago. From Dr. No to Casino Royale (before Quantum of Solace was released). I've always loved James Bond film, Roger Moore being my Bond, but I am looking forward to watching Bond evolve through 45 years of film.

Now playing: Dr. No.

M

A geek's day of mourning

Today, my Playstation 3 died.

On the day I am kicked from one club (27) and I am thrown into the group of people that have suffered the YLoD (Yellow Light of Death).

All my data, game saves that I have been creating for the last 2 years are now stuck on the hard drive that I can only access with MY Playstation, which I cannot turn on. So basically, I'm throw back to square 1.

While I get to enjoy older games all over again, the more recent games that I worked hard to accomplish different things in are wiped clean. PSN trophies are stored online, which is something at least.

The moral of the story: BACKUP YOUR GAME SAVES.

You might not think you need to, just like I always thought, but you never know when you will never them the most.

M

My last day in the club

I have survive 364 days of The Club, and I have way through the 365th. That's right, tomorrow is my birthday and I become even older than I am right now! (I think that's how birthdays work)

I've got the whole week off work and I plan to use it. The mornings to watch films I haven't yet gotten a chance to watch and the afternoons to go out and take advantage of London. How much I stick to the 2nd part is up for debate.

I'm heading out soon to trade in some gaming items for... well... more gaming items. Hopefully it won't stop me from going out later on, but only time will tell.

I should enjoy my last day as a 27 year old. Free to do what I want, and right now, I want to go out and get some fresh air.

Chat at you later intrawebs.

M

Saturday of success

Had my alarm set for 8.15am so I'd have plenty of time to wake up, get up, get onto the computer and wait for 9am. Why? Bon Jovi tickets for June 2010 were going on presale and I had an O2 code. This make for a happy me. So, 9am comes, I click on the link, go to ticketmaster and add 2 tickets to my basket (best available for £65 each), (I know!). For this price you'd expect to get really good seats and you'd have a night to remember... You'd be wrong. Row U in the back section! Total price... £149! Rip off!! Now I know it's not Bon Jovi that set the ticket prices, but it still pisses me off and puts me of seeing them in the future.

Anyway, on with the rest of the day, ticktless.

Home alone on a Saturday, what to do. Obviously, play PS3. Batman: Arkham Asylum. With only 3 tropies left to get (all connected, so I get one, I'll get the other 2 as a bonus) I played my ass off. And, you guessed it, I got the 3 trophies, completing the entire game and all achievables. It's both awesome and sad when this happens. Great because it's the culmination off my hours "hard work", but sad because there isn't anything new to do. I guess it's time to go back to Guitar Hero. Not a bad thing.

The gym followed the PS3 win. 10 minutes on the treadmill, 20 on the weights, 5 on the treadmill. Got through most of a Pendulum album (good music for the gym!). Not bad work out, now aching like a... really... achy thing.

Now home, showered, writing this (unexpectedly long) blog post, with an Oz on my lap (one of my two cats), watching Halloween (2007, Rob Zombie) and feeling hungry. Lunchtime.

M

PSN Portable ID

I am such a geek!

I found out about the "Official PlayStation website: My PlayStation®Network" and I had to set it up, me being a gaming/PS3 fan and all. So here it/I am:

This is not static either, this will change the more I play/achieve. Which is nice.

M

EDIT: After posting I've noticed that my layout doesn't allow it to be shown in full... Will investigate.

EDIT: Changed the layout of my blog to take full advantage of the width of the browser window. Temp change? We shall see.

Review - Cross Country (James Patterson)

James Patterson's 14th Alex Cross adventure takes him across the globe in search of a gang of killers that murdered an old college friend of his who was writing a book on the political corruption going on in Africa. Sounds like it going to be a good one... Or maybe not.

I've been trying to not think of the Alex Cross series as going downhill, as I have read many people believe, but this latest instalment (to my reading list) is showing to prove the theory.

While I can't really fault the book for being a page turner (a James Patterson speciality) it did seem that there were chapters for chapters sake. There was quite a pattern of 2/3 pages chapters, many of which lead right on from each other.

I'd love for this series to go back to the days of the first 7-10 books, but I'm not sure if it's going to happen.

We shall just have to see what Mr. P throws at us next in "I, Alex Cross"

M

New training PB... Sort of

10 minutes with an average speed of 9.3km. Less time at a faster pace. Hopefully can get to around 9.5-10kmph and then start increasing my time.

Also did about 15 minutes of weights. Think I'm starting to see slight changes in my body. Should document it with photos... We'll see.

M

Review - Batman: Arkham Asylum

So, the latest Playstation 3 game to take up too much of my time is Batman: Arkham Asylum. In a word, it is... Awesome!

To pick up and play this game is really very simple, kind of like all those years playing Street Fight II Turbo, button mash until you learn that you can do much more damage if you actually take care in what you are doing. It is very fluid moving, easy to learn the techniques and tricky to perfect them. After all, you don't want it being too easy to fight off 20 guys all hell bent on beating the crap out of you.

The story progresses through Joker's 'escape' into Arkham Asylum, with a little help from his friends, if you can call them that. It is up to Batman to restore order and bring down Joker. As you progress you will meet different characters, both good guys and bad, picking up characters bios as you go. These I found very interesting as I didn't know half of them! You can even listen in on patient interviews conducted within the asylum. The ramblings of Joker, The Riddler, Scarecrow, Killer Croc and more can prove a nice little break from the game.

If/when you complete the story mode, there are a number of challenges for you to complete. These are split into free fighting and predator (stealthy take-down style) modes. Both of which help hone your techniques to be used in the story mode. There are set levels of completion for each of the challenges and an online leader board to compare your efforts against.

The PSN offers some free downloadable content (which is always nice) for you to check out too. These are more challenges and the chance to play as Joker, which is well worth a go.

Throughout the game, both story and challenge, there are a number of trophies to be earned. These range from completing part of the story to performing a set number of moves in combination when fighting off Arkham crazies. Keep your eyes open for 2 in particular though, if you miss them during the story mode, you'll have to start all over again. But then again, that is not a bad thing with this game.

M

File sharing, my 2-clicks worth

Now, let me say this right from the start, I am a Lily Allen fan. Good now that we've got that out of the way, what is the little hypocrite going on about?!

She says that it's increasingly tough for new music acts to break into the scene with more and more file sharing... This coming from someone who made it by publishing her work on myspace... Ok then. As I see it, the easier people are allowed to pass around music, the more likely you music is going to be heard. If it were down to just radio play alone like it used to be, then I wonder where Ms Allen would be today.

When it comes to piracy, I agree that if people stop buying music, going to gigs/festivals, buying merchandise, going to the cinema, buying DVDs/Blu-rays &c, then the companies that create these enjoyable forms of media are going to be going out of business and there will be a lot less to choose from. But I really don't see this happening anytime soon.

I will continue to go to the cinema, buy films and music that I think is good enough for a purchase. I'm sure there are many that will, and many that won't. The only way to stop file sharing is to stop the internet. That is something that is just not going to happen.

And to finish off, a nice and amusing visual aid. Enjoy.

M

So many thing, so little time (right now)

Right first thing, training. Did a solid 13 minutes of the treadmill last night, average speed 8.9km/h, distance 1.92km. This is good. It had been 5 days since I last went to the gym, I don't want to be leaving it so long between sessions.

I finished American Psycho today, good book. Will go on my in-mind book shelf next to The Diceman. Great book, if you can handle the random ramblings of a guy who take note of what everyone around him is wearing while thinking about his last victim that he has massacred. Random, extreme violence that isn't for everyone, but I enjoyed it. (See previous blog about dark side of personalities, A Line Through Cross)

My next book is going to be Cross County. Getting back to Alex Cross and his dragon slaying. Yay!

Still got to review Guitar Hero 5 and now Batman: Arkham Asylum (my new obsession), and comment on the whole music file sharing thing that might be going on, not really sure. Then again, if it's not in the media, swine flu doesn't exist/isn't a threat anymore either.

But for now, it's back to the trenches with me. Ta ta for now.

M

Autumn is here

I LOVE Autumn. It is my favourite time of year (and not because it includes my birthday)(*cough*November 3rd*cough*).

I've been meaning to blog for a while now about a few things: the Lily Allen/music file sharing debate; a review of Guitar Hero 5; and a few more, none of which I'm going to do now.

I'm just making this entry to ensure that I have to blog about them later on. Kick my own ass activated.

I've pulled a muscle in my back, assuming it was during a session at the gym recently, my first injury, not including the blisters on my feet from running.

Other than that, all is well.

A journey to Essex this weekend, birthday celebrations to be had, Chinese food to be eaten. Good times.

M

My 1000th Tweet

Greetings all,

If all goes to plan (which I'm 100% confident it will), Twitterfeed will post this blog entry to my Twitter page as my 1000th tweet.

1000!! Where has the time gone!

I do enjoy twitter, chatting to random people, following interesting/pointless links, hearing the latest news (MJ dying was discovered through Twitter)... It has been very useful and enjoyable.

I think I'll keep it.

M

A note to Londoners on double decker buses

THERE'S MORE ROOM UPSTAIRS!!!

Yesterday I got on the bus on the way home, as I do, and it was jam packed with people. I was the last one on and nearly got caught in the doors. This is nothing new, buses can get packed and people have to perform world class balancing acts while grabbing hold of the most solid prop as possible to keep themselves from leaning on everyone else and creating a big heap on the floor.

This I can handle. What I don't appreciate is when the lower deck is completely packed, you get to the first stop, some people get off, creating space to move, you head to the upper deck, and what do you find? About 15 empty seats!!

Needless to say I took full advantage of this, grabbed a seat and watched the rest of the world go by.

The weekday commute, gotta love it.

M

A line through Cross

So this evening's commute sees the completion of yet another Alex Cross novel "Cross". I can just absorb these books! It helps that I care about the characters and want to know what happens to them all.

New book tomorrow, and since it's right her on the shelf, it has to be the next Alex Cross book, "Double Cross", which I'm sure I'll get through just as quickly as the last one.

I must get on and buy "American Psycho". I love the film and hear that the book is even better, if you like that sort of thing. Which I do.

I like reading about psycho killers. They are so very different from me but I understand that everyone (no exceptions) has a dark side to their personality, and I like being inside the mind of one of James Patterson's (or any other writer's) many creature creations. I like these characters. They have power that I will never give myself.

Everyone should be able to embrace their inner psycho. It's just a matter of control after that. For most who embrace, control comes easily and naturally. For those that don't have that control, well, that's what prisons and psychiatric hospitals are for, as they just end up ruining it for the rest of us.

M

Let's Go Crazy wake up call

This morning on the train I was falling fast asleep, which is fine as long as your stop isn't coming up in the next 60 seconds, which my one was. I found a remedy for this: Prince - Let's Go Crazy.

This is my favourite Prince song, which recently was covered and released by my favourite band of all time, Incubus, on their Monuments and Melodies greatest hits album.

First came the Incubus version (since I was listening to M&M) and it is the last track on the album and couldn't have come at a better time. When it had finished I immediately put on Purple Rain (album) on which Let's Go Crazy is the first track. Giving me a double helping of musical wake up juice.

It's at times like this that I am reminded of the power of music and

why I just simply couldn't live without it.

M

2km goal, done.

Just been to the gym. Warm up walk for 500m then jogged for 2km! New PB for me. A my head let me know it, was a bit dizzy all the way home.

Onwards and upwards!

M

Mary Mary and many more

This morning on the train to work I finished the latest in my journey's with Alex Cross, a character created by James Patterson that I do care a lot about.

Started on 3 days ago it made me realise how quickly I absorb books, (especially compared to this time 5 years ago!) and how I don't want to forget them. So from now on I will try to log all books I read here.

While I'm at it, I might as well try and list the ones I have read (that I can remember). This should be fun.

Right, let's see now...

• Stephen King
• The Shinning
• Cell
• The Dark Tower series - 1 - The Gunslinger
• The Dark Tower series - 2 - The Drawing of the Three
• The Dark Tower series - 3 - The Waste Lands
• The Dark Tower series - 4 - Wizard and Glass
• The Dark Tower series - 5 - Wolves of the Calla
• The Dark Tower series - 6 - Song of Susannah
• The Dark Tower series - 7 - The Dark Tower
• The Stand

• J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard

• Ben Elton
• Dead Famous
• Popcorn
• Blast from the Past
• Past Mortem
• Chart Throb
• Blind Faith

• James Patterson
• (Alex Cross) - Along Came A Spider
• (Alex Cross) - Kiss The Girls
• (Alex Cross) - Jack & Jill
• (Alex Cross) - Cat and Mouse
• (Alex Cross) - Pop Goes the Weasel
• (Alex Cross) - Roses are Red
• (Alex Cross) - Violets are Blue
• (Alex Cross) - Four Blind Mice
• (Alex Cross) - The Big Bad Wolf
• (Alex Cross) - London Bridges
• (Alex Cross) - Mary, Mary

• George Orwell
• 1984

• James St James
• Disco Bloodbath

• Luke Rhinehart
• The Dice Man

There are bound to be more that I suddenly remember or get reminded of, and I might add them in at a later date. In the meantime, I'll be getting on with my next book... but what shall it be? The next Alex Cross? American Psycho? Back to the Dark Tower? Decisions, decisions...

M

A new format

My blog titles. As organised as I am, I'm too lazy to keep it up (especially now I've figured out how labels work properly).

It take far too much effort for me to look up the last post I made on a certain topic of mine (MISC, BOOKS, TRAINING) and up the digits after it.

It ends today due to sheer laziness! (and I think titles do look better with out them)

M

MISC#003 The smells of summer

While walking to work this morning I guy was cutting the greenery by the road releasing that nostalgia inducing smell of freshly cut grass. The smell of summer.

It made me feel slightly sad though because I haven't smelt it more this year. It's September 1st and, that I can think of, I've only smelt it twice this year.

That's the price you pay for living in a concrete jungle I guess.

M

BOOKS#001 The story so far...

I never read all that much before meeting Claire (my girlfriend http://paran0ir.blogspot.com), but she's opened up a world to me that I will never shut out.

I was one of these people that would prefer the film version of things, too impatient too read the "boring long winded" version. Oh how young and stupid I was. Now, you wouldn't catch me on my way to work without a book in front of me.

The commute is where I get 99% of my reading done. In fact, I'm not sure what I'd do if I worked close to home!

Since I started reading books I have opened my mind to many different lives and experiences, such as:

• Roland's journey towards the Dark Tower (Stephen King - The Dark Tower series)
• Harry's adventures at Hogwarts (J K Rowling - Harry Potter series)
• Alex Cross fighting crime (James Patterson - Alex Cross novels)
• Dr. Luke Rhinehart's dice therapy (George Cockcroft under the pen name Luke Rhinehart - The Dice Man)
  

...and a few more odds and ends here and there.

I never thought I would be one of these people that would read the same book more than once. I never saw the point. The Dark Tower series however, deserve the attention of all.

As Stephen King writes:

Life was such a wheel that no man could stand upon it for long. And it always, at the end, came round to the same place again.

This quote is from "The Stand", the latest book I have added to my "Books I have read" list (and a damn important one in there too). Anybody who has read the Dark Tower series can probably understand the significance of this quote and why it made me smile so much when I read it.

And that's the point. Whether it's because I notice cross overs in Stephen King novels (in particular with The Dark Tower), or it's something a character says while having sex in a Ben Elton book, I get pleasure from reading.

5 years ago, this would not ever have happened.

Claire, thank you.


M

MISC#002 Playing with blog gadgets

As you can see over to the left I have been adding gadgets to this blog. My growing DeviantArt gallery, my ever rambling twitter statuses, and many more to play with...

The fun you can have!

M

TRAINING#015 800m's all round

Went to the gym earlier and went 800 metre crzay! Once on the tread mill, then on the exercise bike and then back on the tread mill (with weights in between), it was a good session.

M

TRAINING#014 My first check point

Went to the gym yesterday and hit my first check point (1.5km) on my way to my first mile stone (5km). To some this might not be much, and when I had finished I still had energy in me, but in the spirit of taking things easy and not dying of an asthma attack, I think things are going well, if a little slow.

Next check point is 3km, which, by my very rough calculations, I should be hitting by mid-September.

Target acquired.

M

TRAINING#013 A review of the last 287 days

So, bringing all my previous blogs about training for the 2011 NYC Marathon has got me thinking. I am so fucking lazy!

Seriously, I should be doing more than this.

Now that I'm running distances rather than times, I have made up a plan for goal achievement that I'm going to try and stick to:

Distance Goal	Date to be achieved
5km	03/11/09
10km	03/05/10
20km	03/11/10
40km	03/11/11

Distances between goals will slowly increase, but still not wanting to push myself too hard too fast.

Last target I hit was 1.4km on 10/08/09 ... This must continue.

We'll see where I am Nov 3rd. I want to be doing better, just got to get up off my lazy ass!

M

MISC#001 - So, It begins

Right, I'm here. Let's get on with it.

Do not be fooled. THIS is my first blog entry.

I've currently got a blog on myspace about my marathon training that I'll be moving over here at some point, which is nice.

All other things will follow in a natural progression of time and effort. Although, this should probably be effortless, but again, that'll come. I hope.

You may notice the title of my blogs start very programmic like, this is my way.

Have yet to decide what indeed to blog about exactly. Will probably end up being a mix of random stuff that no one person will be interested in, but a few might find bits and pieces here and there. I'm mainly doing this for myself, to store the mind of now.

I don't know how successful this will be for me, but I can try.

M

TRAINING#012 Redefined... Version 2.0

Been a while away from the gym. I am ashamed. But went earlier today and was good. 1km ran comfortably. Bit of arms and legs after good stretch, then another 500m run.

Decided to focus on distance rather than time when running. Since I'll be running 40km not 10 hours (I hope) I thought it made a bit more sense to do it this way.

The training must continue.

M

TRAINING#011 The gym redefined

Ok, so my second gym session went well. I've set myself a regular routine:

- 5 minutes jogging @ 7.5kmph / 1% incline
- 3x 10 leg extensions @ 10kg (each leg)
- 3x 10 bicep curls @ 5kg
- 3x 10 leg curls @ 10kg (each leg)
- 3x 10 chest presses @ 10kg
- 50 pull downs @ 15kg
- 5 minutes jogging @ 7.5kmph / 1% incline

Need to do legs then arms then back to legs, etc. But it's to be refined as I go.

Oviously I'll increase my time/weights as I go, but going to keep building it slowly. Injures I do not want!

M

TRAINING#010 The gym

So, the gym going has begin and it has begin well. Induction on Thursday, first session Saturday afternoon, went again on Tuesday evening. I think it's going to be a regular thing, but only time will tell.

So far I've found that I can do 5 minutes at 7.5kmph on an incline of 1% on the tredmill.

This is very good.

Will help me learn to pace myself. Also started weight training. Starting small and working my way up, don't want any injures.

Here's how it goes so far:

- 3x 10 leg extensions on each leg @ 7.5kg
- 3x 10 leg curls on each leg @ 12.5kg
- 30x chest extensions @ 12.5kg
- 50x lateral pull downs @ 12.5kg

Not 100% sure on those names and weights, will have to start taking note each time I go to track my progress.

But so far, so good.

M

TRAINING#009 Thought I had forgotten, hadn't I?!

Ok, so talking to myself isn't the best start to things, but isn't that what ALL bloggers do?!

This past weekend saw the moving into a new flat. We have access to a gym. This is good news. Also the fact that the weather is improving all the time, so likely hood of training is doubled, at least!

We shall see what happens. Goal still remains. Nov 6th 2011 NYC Marathon.

GO!

M