New Year's Resolutions

In an effort to get this blog rebooted I figured I'd jot down a few things about the past 12 months and how I might do them differently in 2013, or actually do them at all, or stop doing them entirely. So, in no particular order...

Soundcheck

Testing... 1, 2...

Looks like Google has given Blogger a bit of a makeover and integrated it properly with Google +

Might post here now instead of Tumblr. See how it works out... Almost forgot I'd set this up (last post was 2007 -gulp!)

Laters...

Top 10 Games from E3 2007

No I wasn't there, but as usual, watched all the footage made available to me - mostly via Xbox Live Marketplace - last night. I watched the entire Microsoft conference in 9 400mb HD parts, not to mention countless stand-alone HD trailers and since I'm still feeling quite blown away the next morning I thought I'd scour Youtube for the bits that really impressed me - across both Xbox 360 and PC platforms - and stick them all into this here blog post, for easy browsing purposes:

Well, sort of...

So yeah. The day I posted that last entry, I caved in a bought a pack of 10 on the way home.

Since then I've been more or less OK with the 'no smoking suring the day' idea, but it gets to about 6 or 7 and I feel those pangs of addiction in my chest and I really need one.

And non-smoking down the pub is sadly non-existant. Bring on the winter I say, then it'll be more difficult for all of us.

Indeed, it seems as if the psychological aspect is gonna be easier to crack than the physical dependency. For example: whilst playing Computer Games, any downtime in the action or custscene exposition would be punctuated by my sparking up... something. The same with movies. I am feeling the need to do this diminishing...

Anyway... better go cos all this is making me want one AGAIN! I just need to shut it out of mind completely...

I Quit.

They say it's a good idea to keep a diary when you decide to quit smoking and so that's what I'm gonna do here. Cos I'm thinking since I haven't had one in over 2 days and counting, I might as well give it a try...

Why? Well, obviously there's that wee issue of a national smoking ban to contend with, but my main reasons are:

1. I've been feeling like shit since Xmas. Weird little aches and pains in my torso, occaisional numbness in my arms and hands. Doc said it was nothing serious - I just need to live a slightly healthier lifestyle. So I've been doing weights and eating the subsidised food in the Canteen here (cos it's a lot healthier than anything I can manage myself). The Doc said I really need to stop smoking, cos otherwise I'll be going down the same road as my father (quadruple heart bypass etc).

2. Fags are shit. They really are. And I'm not saying this as a reformed smoker in the slightest. I really could murder one. But why? It's not because I 'need' one. It's the evil Nic-o-teen telling me I need one. I actually went to a 'quit smoking' seminar at work back in March where I discovered it truly is a wholly negative habit. You want a Cigarette to satiate the fix your addiction craves. Destroy the addiction - Neutralise the craving.

3. Fags do nothing. They don't get you drunk, or stoned. I am not paying money for a drug that does nothing except relieve the fix that it creates itself.

4. That smoking ban. I can no longer smoke in pubs. I concede defeat. This is the whole reason I started smoking in the first place.

5. The Money. Nuff said. It's a total waste of cash.

6. Boredom - Aside from all this, I'm utterly sick of using the art of smoking as the grease around the wheels, the third leg to stand on and the missing link in conversation. I'm so busy at work nowadays that I'll often skip my afternoon drag. It only takes a little more willpower to cut it out completely.

So there ya go.

Apparently, the first 72 hours are the hardest. And I've done about 52 so far. The next hurdle will be getting to the 3 week mark, and then my physical addiction will be neutralised.

Anyway... I was thinking this would help and now I'm gasping for one. Touch wood I can go the rest of the day.... DOH!

Glastonbury: The Day 1 Aftermath

So there I was, minding my own business and having a pint in the VIP Bar, when a bunch of freaks turn up. I snaps away (since I'm in full on tourist mode this weekend) and that's when I realise that the dinosaur is actually Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys. As this blog more eloquently describes...

Greetings from Glastonbury

Ahoy there!

It's officially Day 1 now and so far I have discovered the following facts about Glastonbury.

1. It's massive. You could write a guidebook about this place. I couldn't say the same thing about any other festival I've ever been to.

2. It's a festival unto itself. When I was standing around near the Stone Circle last night I could completely understand why this thing is more about the event than the bands that comprise it.

3. It's the muddiest place in the world. ever. Slightest bit of rainfall and it turns into the bog of eternal stench.

4. Unlike other festivals, the food here is actually pretty damn good. It's not all burgers and hotdogs. You only have to go around by the Pyramid Stage and you'll find a whole 'food world' of places to eat. So far I've eaten a burger and bacon butty though, but the choice IS there... :)

5. Wigwams are cool. We went to Healing Fields last night and this family were to happy to let us bunch of geeks/journalists in. They had an ickle fire in the middle and everything. I felt like Charlie Sheen in Hot Shots 2!

6. This is the best festival I've ever been to. And I haven't even seen a band yet.

More elaboration and pics will follow, but for now that's all I have time for before I get chucked off this PC (which lives in a bus and doubles up as a useful shelter from the torrential rain) by someone with a more legitimate NME.COM reason for using it.

By the way, we interviewed 'The View' earlier, so we've modified our Glastonbury page accordingly.

Oh, and our bus is parked next to Pete Doherty's. And we have a webcam pointed straight at it!