Do you know what I consider to be one of the most bum-clenching-nose-bleeding-ear-popping-brain-exploding annoying things in the world?! A terminally slow computer (the clue was in the title).
Yeah I realise that this is not a new phenomenon and that I should count my blessings – computers are far more advanced now-a-days.
I remember – vaguely – computers running on Windows 95 with about as much RAM as a packet of cheese and onion crisps, but I can’t help it – I actually think that the fact most computers are so advanced these days actually makes the blood boil even more.
We now have VERY high standards when it comes to our computers and their abilities.
What’s even worse, is a computer that will play ball for the majority of the day, let you slip and slide effortlessly from one program to the next, then out of nowhere – when you try to do something as easy as open a new tab in Firefox – it has a complete meltdown and throws up all over your brand new puppy’s pair of socks…
… OK I may have fallen into the realms of fantasy at stages during this rant post, but the point remains – slow computers are the most infuriating things to ever grace this technologically wonderful age.
I feel slightly better now. I’ll just open a new tab and check my emails… SON OF A B$#£*!!
Tags:
How much time do you reckon the average British worker spends commuting to and from work?
Well, according to new research from Regus, it is approximately an hour every day.
For a proverbial handful of lucky commuters this is often an enjoyable time. It gives them a chance to read a book, watch a TV programme on some fancy technological gizmo, or even catch up with friends and fellow commuters.
However, for many this isn’t the case. There are those who have stressful journeys, full of dangerous traffic, cramped buses/trains and – perhaps most annoying – the non-stop natter of loud-mouthed idiots who seem the feel the need to vocalise every detail of the “private life” in a confined space in the company of 10-30 strangers.
For commuters who have to put up with irksome – that’s right I said irksome – travel arrangements, it means that by the time that they arrive at work their nerves are fraught and their minds stressed out. Not an ideal way to start the working day.
I started trying to think of what you could do with the 5 hours a week that John “Joe Bloggs” Smith spends travelling to and from work.
Literally the possibilities are endless and ultimately a lot more fun. So I have to ask, why do we put ourselves though it?
With technology the way that it is today (you know – super awesome and what-not), surely there are strong arguments for people to alter their working hours, allowing them to work from home for a certain amount of time each week.
Of course there are jobs where this is not an option – anyone in the services or those working in shops and restaurants for example – but for the average office worker who just needs a computer and access to their company’s network, wouldn’t they be far much more productive if they didn’t have to put up with the wasted hours spent behind the wheel, or stuck in a bus/train?
There are – of course – far more distractions in your home, so it would take a certain amount of mental fortitude and the development of a good working routine. But if people could adapt to this “new” way of working, what would stop more and more workers swapping their hour-long commute to a thirty second one?
Not everyone will agree with this and I’m certain there must be evidence out there that proves in some cases working from home is a bad idea, but I like the idea and don’t really see much negative – as long as the worker(s) was able to take responsibility for their actions and was capable of committing to actually working from home. Where would the harm be?
I hope my boss sees this!
I learnt last night that I am most definitely not a designer – not even close.
I took it upon myself to design a lovely new banner/logo for willwrite4food.co.uk.
It was a simple idea. Get a photo of myself sat against a wall that makes it look as though I am begging…. put this into an image editor (such as G.I.M.P) draw over it – making it look simple and sketchy – only colour in my ginger beard and then draw a sign that reads “Will Write 4 Food”.
Simple idea. Simple process.
So, I begin the task, two hours later I’m done. Guess what I didn’t do? Go on, guess…
I didn’t check what dimensions I needed.
The banner/logo I created was too square and too big. Trying to squash it didn’t work, so I had to quickly edit it.
What you see above is the hacked product of my stupidity.
Here is what I wanted it to look like (shrunken):
I’ll just stick to words from now on. Leave the imagery mastery to others.
It is official – I can say without fear of contradiction that I am knee deep in the bog of writer’s block (in my own personal life – I hasten to add).
It’s an odd thing – in the past when I would talk with “others” about writer’s block, I was very much of the school that it didn’t exist and even if it did then it was simple to combat: write write write.
Now, as I stare at my unfinished short stories, my erratic, ghastly attempts at novels and a series of blank pages that stretch out through the laptop monitor and smother my brain, I have found that my fingers hover over the keyboard – frozen in time.
In my professional life – when I have my copywriting hat on (a purple fez, thanks for asking) – there is no issue. I am paid to write, therefore I write. It’s not always easy – I don’t want to mislead you – but it gets done.
What’s that you say Mr Colleague? You need a couple of articles on MOTs and Car Servicing and they need to be in the region of one thousand words each? No problem.
When it comes to continuing any kind of project off my own back however, then the white mist of “my mind’s gone black” descends and stops the word flow. Dead in its track.
If I were vulgar I might say that I am creatively constipated and I need a creative laxative.
But I’m not, so I won’t.
Hey, at least I got a blog post out of it right?
Always look on the bright side of life and all that.
Tags:
Now you’re not to know this, but I’m not the kind of fella to go raving about technology – especially not phones.
However, having said that I feel it is my obligation as a youngish youthish person of the newish generation to point out how fantastic the HTC Desire is (yes, just the normal one – no HD version for me).
Anyway, why – you may ask – have you suddenly felt the compulsion to share your awe of this humble, yet mighty impressive piece of technological wonder?
Well it is simple. You can take all the fancy pants android marketplace apps – as impressive as they are – and throw them out the window if I’m completely honest, because for me, what makes this phone truly great is the “wi-fi hotspot”.
Basically it is just turning your phone into a portable router. Simple and effective (as long as you have a 3G network).
The reason I am so enamoured with this feature is that it allowed me to do some freelance writing over the Easter weekend whilst I was in deepest darkest Wales, cut off from the tinternet (don’t you hate that expression? I do).
Conclusion – the HTC Desire’s ability to turn into a portable router helped me to earn a few bob and I am eternally grateful to the wee device.
Tags:
