If you normally write non-fiction, post a photo. If you normally post images, write fiction. If you normally write fiction, write a poem. If you normally write poetry, draw a picture.
Daily Prompt: Opposite Day
Mobile Madness!
Who’d have thought that choosing a mobile phone would be so difficult!
Two years ago I entered into my first contract in about 10 years. I wanted a new phone and my monthly spend on Pay and Go was going up and up, so taking everything into consideration a contract seemed like the best idea.
I got everything set up and my shiny new HTC Sensation was delivered the very next day. Being the good and obedient person that I am, I placed it on to charge and refrained from using it. When I did switch it on…..it didn’t work!
There were no signal bars. This in itself is not that unusual in my house as the coverage is sporadic to say the least, even though there is a mast with a half mile of the house. I took the phone upstairs and placed it into the cradle and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw it rise up to 3 bars. I picked it up to give it a little cuddle of joy and the bars disappeared. This went on for about a half hour or so, me picking up the phone and praying, it dying in my hands, only to revive when placed back into the cradle.
The next morning I phoned the company back, was told to return the phone and in less than 48 hours had a replacement. It wasn’t much better signal ways, but I was able to occasionally receive calls and text messages.
Skip forward about 12 months. I just happened to be online with my network provider and discovered they had a tariff for the same money I was paying, only it had better benefits. I phoned and inquired if it would be possible for me to be moved onto this instead of my current one and as a goodwill gesture they agreed. The next day I fell and met Alien leg.
After a couple of weeks I was really starting to lost the plot with not being able to make or receive phone calls or send and receive texts. I phoned my network provider and explained all this and one lady on the phone agreed that I did indeed have a limited signal and as a result I may be able to buy myself out of my current contract. I’d been researching phones and the Nokia Lumia 800 seemed to be the clear leader with regards to signal strength much due to it’s polycarbonate casing. The first lady put me through to another lady, who told me there was nothing wrong with my signal. Her solution, if I was having problems, was to turn off my 3g and just use 2g within the house. A debate ensued, which I lost and in the end I purchased a Pay as you Go Nokia Lumia 800 with the vain hope I might be able to get a signal.
It arrived. I charged it. It had signal. I lifted it up. It still had signal. I made a call. I sent a text. I was delighted.
Fast forward another 12 months and my contract is coming to an end. There are a lot of phones I would like, however most of the newer ones start at £32 a month, which is £10 more than I pay now and I just can’t justify it.
So here are my choices:
Nokia Lumia 820 – The phone will be free and I will be able to carry on with my existing tariff for £22 a month.
Nokia Lumia 920 – This is the one I would like. It’s a free phone, however the tariff comes in at a slightly higher £27 a month.
Samsung Galaxy S3 – Various prices, but I have seen comparisons for a free phone between £22 to £27 a month.
Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini – Been offered it as an upgrade. Free phone, £22 a month.
HTC One – Although the reviews are great and my top reviewer Lee from Geeky and Freaky can’t wait to get his hands on one, it’s a little out of my price range at £32 a month.
So those are the main contenders. My apologies to Apple and Blackberry that you do not figure in my list. Iphones have no signal here at all for some reason, and I hate paying for apps and my fingers are to clumsy for a Blackberry.
There are pro’s and con’s to the other 5. Obviously with the two Nokia’s still having polycarbonate casing, I am guessing they would have the better signal, but there is a definite lack of apps compared to Android. That said they also have built in XBox Live which I love, it makes messaging and keeping in touch with gaming community so much easier.
Google Play for Android is hard to beat, especially the range and quality of the free apps available. I’d be able to play my games again on the train and also blog, given that the Android WordPress app is much better than the Windows one.
So if you had a budget and the choice, which would be your pick? Or do you have any other suggestions?
Oz the Great and Powerful!
I can’t quite believe I am going to say this out loud, to an audience, but, I enjoyed Oz the Great and Powerful more than I did the Hobbit. There I said it, have you any idea how difficult that was for a Lord of the Rings Fan!!
Perhaps the most important point here is that I had no expectations of Oz, whereas with the Hobbit anything less than the regality of The Lord of the Rings was never going to be good enough.
I’m glad this was not a musical as I’m not a fan, and whilst I love the original Wizard of Oz I tend to channel hop just a little when some of the songs come on, with the exception of “If I only had the nerve,” because I’m afraid there’s no denyin, in school I played the dandy lion and can therefore remember all the words.
The film starts in black and white, the same as the original Wizard of Oz. I was at one point worried the sizing on my Xbox was a little askew, as I had just a box in the middle of the screen, however when you realise the Wizard is in Oz, the screen starts to expand and at the same time fill with glorious Technicolor. I can imagine it must have been amazing for those who were able to view it in 3D.
There is no doubt Oz is visually stunning, with it’s combination of breathtaking scenery and vibrant colours.
The story, while perhaps a little predictable still has enough twists to keep you interested and ties in perfectly as a prequel.
The characters are likable and in some cases adorable, my favourite by far being the little China Girl, who had me reaching for the tissues at her introduction. It’s just one of those films that makes you go “Awww” time and time again, unless of course you’re a bloke and like Shady you go “Aww foofy fecking doofy” in a sarcastic tone instead. I blame the hormones, stuff like that gets to me!
- The adorable little China Girl!
My only criticism would be that I personally felt in some places it was a little second rate, whether it be the acting or a few of the special effects. It made me think back to Tinman, the series made in 2007 for TV, which for a big budget movie from Disney should not have been the case.
That said nothing should detract from how good this movie actually is. It will certainly be one I will purchase for my collection, along with a little China Girl if she ever comes down in price!
Turn down the heat!
I’ve been saying it for days! I am built for comfort, not heat!
I think I must have a wonky thermostat.
Other people in the first rays of sunshine are running full pelt to the beach, discarding clothing as they go. Me, well I’m walking extra steps to try and reach a little bit of shade. Sure I look ridiculous crouching under the dog waste bin, but hey, I’ll take what I can get.
I can however take comfort in the fact that I will never get lost in a crowd. My shiny red face can been seen for miles around. It seems it also has solar panel like abilities, as I continue to glow long after the sun has set and the crowds have all gone home.
Don’t get me wrong, I do like the sun, I just prefer it when it is accompanied by a little breeze to aid the cooling process for those, like me, who are, thermostatically challenged, i.e. too fecking hot!
Identity Crisis!
I’m having a bit of a blog identity crisis. I can see in my mind both Lee and Paul rolling their eyes and shaking their heads as they read this, because this is what I do best!
When I first stated this blog, The Geeky G4mer seemed like a good name. I am a little bit of a geek and also a little bit of a gamer, but I excel at neither. It was also my gamer tag, so it tied the whole thing together.
So whats the problem? The honest answer is, there probably isn’t one, however my mind is a whiring dirvish that will just not let up. I don’t want to be defined as a hardcore gamer, because I will not be able to offer, exciting, informative reviews of new games. I will however sometimes occasionally offer, slightly inadequate but hopefully amusing accounts of the games I play.
As well as games I want to write about life in general and the normal day to day run of the mill things that I find funny.
I like making people smile, but it’s hard to transfer the witty one liners and quips from my head to the page without invoking the dreaded “You obviously had to be there.”
So does the name of my blog define me as being just a gamer and therefore put off others, who in a different situation, might actually read my posts.
By the same token, does it also put off the other gamers, who have amazing blogs and actually know what they are talking about. Do they look at my posts and go WTF and skip on by in utter disgust.
So now do you see my problem, that is probably not really a problem.
So my question for you all is, to name change or not? and if your answer is yes do you have any suggestions?
The Joys of Modern Travel – Part 7 – Karma
Karma is a law in Hinduism which maintains that every act done, no matter how insignificant, will eventually return to the doer with equal impact
Ticket day today….so what would you like first, the good news, or the bad news!
There was no one at the station again, so I had my usual two options, jump off at a manned station, purchase ticket, jump back on and away we go or jump off at a manned station, take my time, have a cup of coffee, kick back and relax and wait for the next one. I opted for the former, after all I did have to get to work.
After my previous encounters with the guards at the station and on the train where they had apologised for not waiting, I felt assured that today there would be no repeat performance. I spoke to them on the way through and said I need to go and get my ticket and they nodded as there was a gentleman in front of me in a similar position. He went first and paid for his and as I stepped forward to the counter I heard the all to familiar noise of the doors closing and the train departing from the station. “Ah feck” says I, rolling my eyes and thinking not again.
So I was a little miffed to say the least but it’s not like I could run up the track screaming and waving my fists now is it, so best to concentrate on the task at hand.
“Is there any truth in the rumour we get an extra day on our tickets because of the strike last month?” I asked. Being miffed had made me a little braver than normal. “No, no truth in that rumour but if you give me a second or two I will tell you what you can get” was the reply and he proceeded to stab the shoite clean out of his wee calculator. “You get a £3.80 discount” he said looking a little ashamed. “Fair enough, I’m happy enough with that” I replied and watched the relief wash over his face. Anything is better than nothing.
So with my ticket bought, 30 minutes to kill and at a loss for something to do I did indeed purchase a cup of coffee and wandered out to the platform to kick back and relax.
Whilst sipping my coffee and enjoying the sunshine I happened to notice that the train I had vacated not 15 minutes previously was sitting further up the line at the next station, which is not more than 3 minutes away from where I was. At this point I actually did consider running up the track, arms a flailing screaming WAIT!!!! at the top of my voice, but a sharp twinge from Alien Leg brought me sharply back to reality.
After another 5 minutes or so I began to realise something was wrong and that’s when the notion of karma hit me. The conductor didn’t wait so his train had broken down, was it really so bad that I had a little inward chuckle! After another 5 minutes it disappeared off into the distance, albeit at a very slow pace.
My next train pulled in and we started on our journey. Two stops along we picked up all the passengers from my original train.
It turns out there were 3 faults on the train when it left the first station. They called a mechanic to travel on board the train and proceeded with the journey, sadly not making it past the 7th station. Would it not just have been better to send out another train in the first place ffs.
No offence but your announcements of NIR apologises for the delay and inconvenience it may cause, is, as my mate would say a bit like shouting toilet after you’ve shit yourself!
Alien Leg – Part 6 – The Last Stand
Dear Alien Leg,
Happy birthday! You are one year old today!
This is going to be the last post I write about you, I’ve decided that you are what you are and I am just going to have to live with it. Things could have been a whole lot worse.
We’ve had a rough year you and I.
I found that being with you through your recovery left me feeling a little depressed, I’m still trying to shake it. It’s hard to go from being fit and healthy to bolloxed in the space of 30 seconds. Harder still to be housebound for 6 months when you’re used to working two jobs.
I’m reminded of your existence every day. I’m always in some degree of pain or discomfort, always wary and now even your twin has started acting up because she is fed up taking all the strain. To think she was always the problematic one when we were younger, you not so. Now look at you ffs!
Your cousins, the Hip sisters are not so happy either. They say you two are not pulling your weight and passing a lot of the work to them. I’m just praying you all figure it out, so that someday soon we can all work together as a team.
We met some interesting people on our journey though didn’t we. We’ll not forget the help they gave us because we couldn’t have managed without them.
Looking back 9 – 10 months, I didn’t think I would be able to do what I am now. I know there are still a lot of things we can’t do and there are some things we’ll never be able to do again, but that’s just the way it is and I’m trying to find a way to accept that. It’s proving a little harder than I thought though.
Usually in letters there is a bit about how you wouldn’t change anything etc, but I can’t say that, because if I could go back 12 months and never have met you in the first place, of course I would. No offence intended of course!
Even though they have said you might never get better, I still think, and hope there is room for improvement. They say though that we are certain to get a visit from Uncle Arthritis and that Cousin Cartilage might have us in hospital again in the years to come. We’ll just have to cross all those bridges when we come to them.
I’ve left you a present on the dressing table. Cod liver oil capsules with a hint of Glucosamine. I know they aren’t very pleasant, but they are meant to help, so lets give it a shot.
I’ll try and remember to get in touch in about 6 months time to see how things are going. In the meantime I hope you continue to improve and try and have a word with your twin and tell her to give me a fecking break.
Be good and stop giving me so much pain if you can, I’d appreciate it!
Much Love
Juls x
(Image by: Stuart Caie – Click picture for more info)
Ode to Candy Crush
Candy Crush is doing my head in,
This is the worst it’s ever been,
The baffling combinations,
Are turning me 50 shades of green.
No matter how I use the sweets,
Be it stripe or be it wrap,
The bombs they come a tumbling
And turn my hopes and dreams to crap.
It’s messing with my blood pressure
In fact its messing with my life,
Absailing down Niagra Falls
Wouldn’t give me this much strife.
But I’ve now found the solution,
It will ease the mess I’m in,
Toffette has been abandoned
And my Nexus 7’s in the bin!!
Can you not read!!
Closed means closed, shut, not open, go away!!
I’ve put a sign on the door. In big letters it says “Closed for Lunch”. It’s in bold. It’s placed at a central position on the door at eye level. In fact it’s pretty damn obvious! Since placing it there I have had to answer the door 4 times! Is there some part of closed that these people are not understanding!!
I’m aware that makes me sound unhelpful but let me explain the whole situation before you make any rash judgements in relation to my good (honest I am) character!
I work in a closed office, heaven knows why, some bright spark needs a slap for that idea. There is no access to anyone other than the handful of us who work here. Anyone else wishing to gain access to the office has to knock and wait until someone presses a button to open the door. Here in lies the problem.
The office is a fair size, it holds 9 of us on days when it is full. The button is located a couple of steps from the door and I sit in the corner (usually wearing a dunce cap) furthest from them both.
(Back again, guess what, yep, had to answer the fecking door!!)
When everyone decides to go out for lunch I am usually the only one left, not because everyone hates me and they don’t want me to go, but because I am working funny hours due to Alien Leg.
I place the sign on the door because while I quite like eating my lunch hot it also saves me having to continually get up and down to answer the door, which believe it or not makes Alien Leg really sore.
I’ve been trying to teach myself to use the stairs. Man that’s hard when your leg has more crunch than a packet of Tayto Cheese n Onion. It’s not going terribly well and because of that I’m in more pain that I have been for a while.
Hauling myself out of my chair every 5 mins really puts an extra strain on it that I don’t need. When others are here at least the burden is shared between us all.
Right rant over! I’ve run out of steam, both physically and mentally and I have to go back to work, lunch time is well and truly over….well the whole 15 minutes I got of it!!!
Making room!
I have a cupboard in my room which contains two shelves of basically nothing.
Old padded envelopes, empty CD cases, packing tape, labels and other things that need to be put onto Ebay.
A few years back I decided I needed to de clutter, basically I was passing my prized possessions on to someone who would now have more use for them. You have to be ruthless, because sometimes you want to hold onto things for the memories they hold for you.
Last night I sold two live albums I had for the band the Eels. I didn’t want to let them go, but I need the money for other things and realistically it had been a while since I listened to them, so I figured it was time to give someone else a chance.
Ebaying has got expensive. While I was happy with what the CD’s sold for, by the time I paid my fees, lost the commission Paypal take and paid postage I lost about £7 from the final price. That said it is still more than I would have got had I used one of the online retailers.
I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion I am a minimalist. I dislike clutter. I want to be in a position where everything is in it’s place and there is a place for everything. Which means more Ebay’ing I guess. But all of that is time consuming and with Alien leg still under par, irksome, as the nearest post office to my work is about a mile away down a long hill.
It’ll be a long haul, but it will be worth it. I just need to be careful I don’t use the money to buy more clutter to fill my emptying shelves.
The Indecisive Eejit 