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:
Sunday, 15 July 2007
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...
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...
Thursday, 5 July 2007
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!
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!
Saturday, 23 June 2007
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...
Friday, 22 June 2007
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!
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!
Monday, 28 May 2007
New York - In Pictures
Phew. Just finished uploading all of my photos to google (if you click in the right spot below it should kick off from the start).
I'm in process of captioning them up, so bear with me.
JC has loads of cool ones of his own (especially of the nightlife we experienced), which I'll link to all of them once he's stuck them all online, but in the meantime, he's stuck some of his 'artier' shots up on his mySpace (You'll need to login before you can see them though).
I'm in process of captioning them up, so bear with me.
JC has loads of cool ones of his own (especially of the nightlife we experienced), which I'll link to all of them once he's stuck them all online, but in the meantime, he's stuck some of his 'artier' shots up on his mySpace (You'll need to login before you can see them though).
Sunday, 27 May 2007
New York - Day 7.5 (or Home Sweet Raining Home)
That's all Folks!
We spent our last day (or rather, afternoon) doing some last minute shopping round 34th Street, the deaprtment store hell that is Macys and Times Square. Couldn't get that 'Hiro' shot Stan asked us to get cos they were building on the only spot I can imagine they might have filmed it.
Got myself an NYPD T Shirt and a load of US Sweeties for work with my last remaining dollars. Got accosted by more rappers who insisted that press-ganging us into buying their hip hop was at least better than trying to sell us drugs, before trying to sell us drugs.
Once we were done shopping we used our remaining steam to high-tail it back to the hotel, away from the heat and sweat of the sidewalks...
...and then a yellow cab, airplane, tube, train & mini-cab later, I arrive back home, at approximately midday. I've skimmed over some of the highlights with Landlord/Housemate, Matt, but it's merely the tip of the iceberg until I can finish unpacking myself and getting my head around the change of location.
I literally emptied all my bags on to my bed as a means to find the motivation to sort through it all so that I might have a bed to sleep in once it's all done. And it IS pretty much all done now. Damn my organisisation skills :) I even have my photos uploading to picassa as I type. I am THAT organised. Doh.
Anyway, I'm feeling quite disgusted with myself for allowing myself to spend so much money on all of this, but there's no use crying over spilt milk now. It was absolutely worth every single penny. I just can't really allow myself anywhere near a pub for the month of June... :)
So yeah... Am uploading photos now so will add them into all my blog posts where relevant. I may also elaborate on things here and there if they come to me. After all, I've mainly done this blog for myself, so that I might remember the whole thing a bit better by, say... the time I return from my next trip.
I quite fancy Egypt actually...
We spent our last day (or rather, afternoon) doing some last minute shopping round 34th Street, the deaprtment store hell that is Macys and Times Square. Couldn't get that 'Hiro' shot Stan asked us to get cos they were building on the only spot I can imagine they might have filmed it.
Got myself an NYPD T Shirt and a load of US Sweeties for work with my last remaining dollars. Got accosted by more rappers who insisted that press-ganging us into buying their hip hop was at least better than trying to sell us drugs, before trying to sell us drugs.
Once we were done shopping we used our remaining steam to high-tail it back to the hotel, away from the heat and sweat of the sidewalks...
...and then a yellow cab, airplane, tube, train & mini-cab later, I arrive back home, at approximately midday. I've skimmed over some of the highlights with Landlord/Housemate, Matt, but it's merely the tip of the iceberg until I can finish unpacking myself and getting my head around the change of location.
I literally emptied all my bags on to my bed as a means to find the motivation to sort through it all so that I might have a bed to sleep in once it's all done. And it IS pretty much all done now. Damn my organisisation skills :) I even have my photos uploading to picassa as I type. I am THAT organised. Doh.
Anyway, I'm feeling quite disgusted with myself for allowing myself to spend so much money on all of this, but there's no use crying over spilt milk now. It was absolutely worth every single penny. I just can't really allow myself anywhere near a pub for the month of June... :)
So yeah... Am uploading photos now so will add them into all my blog posts where relevant. I may also elaborate on things here and there if they come to me. After all, I've mainly done this blog for myself, so that I might remember the whole thing a bit better by, say... the time I return from my next trip.
I quite fancy Egypt actually...
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