PeteGraham’s blog

Jemma went shopping today for last minute gifts while I was in bed recovering from a night shift.  She got home at midday - not very quietly - and that was me up for the day.  However the bitter pill was sweetened when she said she'd found a book that was written with me in mind.

Is it Just Me or is Everything Shit?: The Encyclopedia of Modern Life

Alan McArthur

Get this book.  Get it now.  It's brilliant.

* This shouldn't be read by or to anyone expecting a jolly fat bloke down their chimney this year with a large sack that he'd like to empty under your tree.  You have been warned.  This particular blog entry contains grumpiness and misery.

I've got to thinking during the run up to this allegedly festive season, which according to some of the local councils here near where I live began in October when the street decorations were put up in readiness.  Have you noticed the similarities between Santa and Satan?

Ok, I've probably lost half (if there were any to begin with!) of the people reading this because of their disgust in me, but hear me out.

Santa

Satan

Same letters - just muddled up a bit.  Plus we all know the Underlord is partial to a couple of different names.  Anyway, further proof:

• Both wear red
• Both seemingly enjoy misery - I'll explain this one: Have you ever tried shopping close to Christmas?  I defy ANY of you to pay a visit to the Trafford Centre in Manchester, UK, and find me ONE person in there in a good mood (aside from the managers of the stores who are raking in the cash).  Find me ONE pleasant person (who isn't being paid to be pleasant).  Find me ONE person who actually wants to be there.  I was unfortunate enough to be there the other day and I SWEAR half the people in there had glowing red eyes.  I was my usual jovial self - manbag over one shoulder, scarf on, large frame, speaking only to one person in the place who DARED stop me to ask if I wanted Sky.  He was informed that if he stopped me again while I am walking, I would perform open-air surgery on his testicles and hand them to him wrapped up in a Sky TV contract.

Come on - it can't just be me that thinks this??  I've not bothered googling it because all google results come back with are useless adverts regarding products I don't want (thanks, Phorm), plus any other search engine seems to use results poured through google first. 

• Both see you when you're sleeping - creepy, eh?
• Both know if you have been bad or good...
• Both get you to do their bidding, and reward you with gifts
• Neither of them are susceptible to burns - Satan lives in Hell, whereas Santa can easily scoot down your chimney and not feel the singe of hot coals when you leave the fire on
• No-one's ever seen them in the same place at the same time

Give it some thought, before you leave out some mince pies and brandy.

Devilsanta

Bah humbug!

I found this picture on Photobucket - it was in someone called "DrWalpurgis"'s bucket.  If said person should see this image and be muchly pissed off that I have 'borrowed' it to prove my point, then please let me know.

'k, these aren't affecting me over Christmas, but it's not half pissing me off that it's filling the news.

So far, all I have seen is stroppy people who are being paid 2 x the wage of cabin crew on a certain...pure...untouched...intact airline - you know who I mean, right?  The founder likes hot air balloons - moaning that they are facing pay freezes, possible pay cuts and cutbacks of 1 person per flight.

Fine, there's changes to your contract, but let me put it to you this way.  You STILL have a job.  It's difficult to find employment these days so be happy that you still have it.

I personally would be willing to offer up my services to this specific airline.  I'll take holidays at work, or even time unpaid for 2 weeks, if I could have these people's wages to do their job for the 12 days of strikes.  I'm pretty sure there would be others willing to give up their holidays for 2 weeks paid flights around the world.  Let me at it. 

Years ago, on previous picketlines people like me would've been called scabs.  Yeh, ok, call me a scab but at least I will have a nice tan for Christmas.

Anyone willing to walk out of a job on strike deserves to be brought up on misconduct charges (I know, unlikely what with union backing etc) and sacked.  I'm pretty sure there are people out there who would desperately love a job and be willing to go through the security checks and avail themselves over this 12 day period, if not permanently.

Logistically speaking, it'd be impossible to have the checks done in time which is a shame.  I'd have been right up for that sort of extra cash over Christmas.

So, Mr Walsh, if you're listening you can contact me via my blog.  I'm ready and waiting.  Christmas ruined for 1 million people?  I feel sorry for those family and friends going through this stressful time.

I was a regular donor at one point. 

My dad had an accident 17 or 18 years ago now, one which he will never fully recover from.  The damage to his leg and nervous system was too severe, and everything combined has led to various other illnesses and system failures within his body.  When the accident happened there was a large amount of blood loss - basically his leg was severed half way down his shin - blood which of course had to be replaced.  If it weren't for blood donors he would've been gone there and then.

Because of this, and the fact I was only 12 or 13 at the time, I couldn't give blood then so I waited until I had left school and tried to donate.  However for one reason or another I wasn't old enough - a fact which annoyed me no end as I went through the finger prick stage and everything; that's the worst bit! - and so I waited until I was legally able to give and returned.  For the first few years I was regular, then I moved house and finding a new place to donate slipped my mind, but I eventually did. 

Anyway, all this rambling is culminating in the fact I was turned away from a session in 2007; essentially my last session.  I had a low haemoglobin level, and my iron levels were shot.  I couldn't donate because they wouldn't let me.  They told me to give it a year which I did.  However I didn't go back because of things that were going on in my life.  I was going through a divorce and moving house, trying to pay for 2 properties (there are reasons, none of them pleasant) and all of this resulted in my counts still being low so I couldn't return.

A few days ago I got a SMS message from the NBS telling me there was a session in Eccles on Wednesday 16th December and asking would I please try and attend.  I kicked my own ass and attended the session yesterday, had to almost re-enroll as I am now classed as a new/returning donor and eventually got to the finger-prick stage.  That done, blood tested (it sank like a stone - a good sign!) and before I knew it I was back on those wonderful stretcher/table things with my arm over the edge and my vital fluid leaking from my veins into a new design (looks and feels cheap, and the technicians taking the blood apparently don't like them too much) baggy.  I have a good bleed rate and I was done before I knew it.

I feel better for giving it.  Felt a bit woozy yesterday afterwards as it's been so long since my last session but still the fact remains I am back in the saddle again. 

I blame the unhappiness of my marriage on the fact I was turned away from my 2007 session.  I wasn't eating or drinking like I should be, nor was I looking after myself properly.  I'm happily divorced, engaged to a lovely new girl - the mother of my son - for those who don't already know, and it seems like I am finally getting things together.

Now all that remains is to leave this crappy country and settle somewhere I know we will all be happier.

Long time no see - Missed you lot :)

I certainly am. I'm currently sitting in the Manchester City (that was painful to write) stadium in a suite where a seminar on leaving this sinking rock is about to get started. Hopefully someone will see me here and say "wow! aren't you PeteGraham from Vox, eXpansys and many other places? we need you! here's some tickets and you start next month". Chances are slim but hey ho, I can hope. And if all else fails, my welcome pack has a tinny in it. Superb.

Gday! Meat pies, kangaroos and Holden cars :D

Thinking Australia?

Ok, this is a shameless punt, it's a blog entry detailing a new phone that I've had the fortune / misfortune to play with tonight.

I've had dinner tonight with a CEO of a very well known company in the mobile and wireless industry.  Not only did he bring his lovely wife, and 2 of his charming kids with him (no, they really are lovely kids and his wife is fantastic!) but he also brought a device which had been delivered to him this very morning.

GSM networks know it as the Motorola Milestone, other networks have it down as the Moto Droid.  Either way, it's a new phone on the market with a full slide out keyboard and MASSIVE capacitive touchscreen.  The resolution seemed fantastic, and the device was as quick as hell.

It's based on a Texas Instruments OMAP processor which until tonight I didn't rate too highly.  I like the look of the Qualcomm Snapdragon considering it's graphics links.  However this was a rapid device, a pleasure to use and a solid 'in the hand' feel.  It's no brick, thinner than my Xperia X1, but it's still a weighty beast which I like.

For those of you who are tied to Apple and their iPhart, it's not my bag but I can see the appeal.  The Droid is set to be a great phone in the market for those who aren't prepared to swallow Jobs' load and get an ipharce.  It's a great device.  App store on Android is brilliant and this particular handset integrates perfectly as you would expect.  I also had the pleasure of using Google Skymaps which in itself is a wonder to behold. 

The fortune / misfortune comment?  Fortune : Pre release device, and well worth considering.  Misfortune : I want one.

It's happened.  I never thought it would but it's happened.  Pizza Hut has been surpassed.

I've recently been pointed toward a new Italian takeaway - it would be unfair to tar them with the pizzeria brush as they do so much more - and oh my word, their food is amazing.

I like pizzas which have a thin-ish base.  The ones from here are like a pancake.  Barely enough to support the weight of the generous toppings they provide.  I also like goats cheese as a topping on pizza, and yet again this place ticks that specific box.

If you go in and order, your food is ready in minutes even when there are people queueing out the door - and believe me this is a regular occurrance.  They have several lines, and sometimes they just can't answer them because they're that busy.  None of that matters though, when you collect your order and the smell hits you.  Wow.

For my VOX neighbours that are not of this country, I apologise - it's unfair of me to tantalise your taste imagination with no hope of sampling those wares without a hell of a drive.  For my VOX neighbours who aren't anywhere near Manchester, I also apologise - the journey may not be as far but I can almost guarantee the pizza would be cold by the time you got it home.

Anyone reading this who is near Manchester/Leigh I suggest you try this place.

Apologies for the poor quality, I was unable to zoom in on the image as it wasn't taken properly - spur of the moment on my phone.

I couldn't believe this when I saw it.  Not only is this GMP's (Greater Manchester Police) finest sitting in their vehicle on the car park of Krispy Kreme - a well known doughnut franchise - but the vehicle itself is a 4 wheel drive offroader, which was sparkling clean and has probably only ever seen a gravel driveway, much the same as every other tosser over here with a fat ugly 4wd land/range rover used only for the school run to protect little Tarquin. 

The carpark itself is basically next door to Manchester Trafford Asda, opposite the Trafford Centre.  It's appoximately 9am and already it's coffee and doughnut time.  I wondered where my hard earned tax was going...

Manchester's finest

Hi all,

I know it's been a while but things are a bit difficult workwise currently which is no fun.

Today sees me and my work colleague sharing a Ford Fiesta for a trip down to Romford (Barking and Havering NHS trust for those interested) where we have been tasked with much computer fun which loosely translates to being thrown headfirst into a completely unmanaged and disorganised task, with our hands tied behind us with red tape.

If you look on my post about Google Latitude (something about my current location) you'll see my progress through the morning rush hour traffic. Super!

I'll be stopping on the M6 toll road for a coffee and to swap into the driving seat for the remainder of the journey.

I've truly missed all my vox neighbours and I hope to be back Voxing soon properly. Keep well :)

Yeah, I know, another post about babies.  Woo.

But seriously, he rocks!  Check him out ;)

DSC00526