Ok, so I have talked about them a lot, but I haven’t given you guys a proper update yet have I?!

So, here goes.

Miami 2008

What a place!  This is one of the best holidays I have had.  Americans aren’t as I expected, well at least those in Miami weren’t.. People were really good looking out there, everyone made an effort which was as expected.  I hadn’t expected that they’d be so friendly though at all!

The weather was amazing the whole time we were there!  We did have a thunderstorm nearly every day but it lasted about half an hour and then after that the weather was back to being amazing!  You can probably see in the pictures that there were strange cloud shapes scattered around but to be honest they didn’t block the sun at all!  One of the days we were there was 105°F (Which is approx 40°C)!

The clubs out there were also interesting..  Well, trying to get in them was anyway.  Firstly, as a tip for any ladies who has never been before - look pretty.  If you do that, you’re alright.  The doormen there have no shame and will turn away any ladies that ‘aren’t pretty enough’.  A tip for guys - take the ladies with you everywhere.  They will assume you are gay if you don’t have any ladies with you.  Once you make it inside, well the places there are really nice and classy and it really does make a difference when the doormen are picky with who they let in.

Clubs out there are generally expensive!  Also, I was there at a time when the British Pound was worth just over twice the US Dollar.  So you just imagine going when currency is against you

Of course, while in America we had to travel around a little too!  Well, we hired a convertible car which looked pretty cool.  We took it on the freeway and drove up to Orlando for a few days too.  In Orlando we stayed at the 5* Sheraton Vistana Resort.  It was amazing!  I can’t remember how many swimming pools there were but it looked fabulous!

Make sure you check out the video I have put together!  (Once it is all ready, I’ll put the link here)

*****

Prague 2008

Well, after an amazing time in the US, I decided to go to Prague..  A little more ‘local’ since it’s still in Europe..

What a disappointment! 

So.  I definitely do not see what the hype is about with Prague.  Everyone seems to go there just before they get married, I guess for the strip clubs, of which there are too many.  Not a place to go just for a general good time as there didn’t seem to be much else to do.  I think in a city, there should never be a struggle to find where all the shops and restaurants are.  Yet in Prague, things seemed to be sparse and spread out with no logic..  Lots of great architecture, so anyone with an interest in ancient buildings and sculptures should definitely check it out!  But, other than that…  I don’t get it..  People there were not half as friendly as in America either, which was a disappointment.

So, that is my view on Prague.  You can still check out the pictures and the video I put together for this holiday too.  (Soon, the link will appear here)

**

Where to next?

I have already booked my next adventure.  It will be Barcelona in December!  I have been there before, so this will be a refresher and also just a nice little getaway!  As you probably gather, I like to get away as often as I can!

Then, I am thinking to go to New York as I mentioned before, some time in January if I have any Christmas money left.  I will need to slot Switzerland at some point too since I have been invited to visit by a friend.  Yes, one of my friends is very priveleged to have got a job in Switzerland and to be working at a major worldwide fashion company too!  (Jealous!)

I have never been to Switzerland, so it would be definitely good to get there at some point!  I just hope I can manage it before the credit crunch takes it’s toll on me!

Orphan elephant ‘Themba’ and sheep ‘Albert’ seem to be getting on just fine!

The two were photographed together at Shamwari Game Reserve in South Africa.

Ryanair is in the news yet again for the wrong reasons!

I can’t count the number of times I have heard about Ryanair over the last few months, but I think it is getting silly now.  Crash landing, emergency landing, cabin pressure etc.  All issues you don’t want to hear about from an airline but Ryanair must be going for the reverse psychology approach?

Well, this time I guess it was no fault of their own because a ‘huge number of birds’ appeared in front of the aircraft as it was making it’s approach to an airport in Rome.

No one was hurt, but as you can probably see from the picture, the plane might have been.  It’s resting on the front wheele, one of it’s rear wheels and the left engine..

Now, I have a flight coming up with Ryanair later in the year and I hope that there is nothing like this when I fly!

It wasn’t so long ago I was raving about getting a new iPhone 3G, but now, all the hype is over the BlackBerry Storm.

I ordered this phone today and it should arrive some time this week whenever it is released.  It looks pretty cool, some resemblance to the iPhone, which isn’t a bad thing..  The good thing I hope, is that it won’t have the bugs and problems I have experienced with my iPhone.

My iPhone was at one point seen as my best ever phone but I would take that right back now!  The battery on my model is awful!  I have to charge it every single day at least twice as the battery goes from full to red within about 6 hours of standby!

The menus have got progressively slower even with Apple updates!  Even after I deleted everything and started again!  Ridiculous!  So, I have come to the decision to pay off my contract and get a new one with a ‘better’ phone.

Only time will tell.  Anyone own a BlackBerry or an iPhone?  Experienced any problems with it?

Look at this idiot playing games with a train going at 50mph.  People like this probably deserve to get run over.  The person clearly knows there is a danger, thats why he dodges out of the way a split second before the train gets there.  But what an idiot he is!

If you live in the UK and you are not in a cocoon then you will have heard all about the “scandal” of TV presenters Russell Brand, Jonathan Ross and actor Andrew Sachs.

After reading my friend’s blog, I felt irritated by the silly ’serial complainers’ of the UK.  These people that have NOTHING better to do than complain about everything slightly controversial.

I would like to see some statistics on these people, to get a better idea of their age, where they live and their lifestyles.  I would expect that they have no life, no social skills, hate conversation and people, moan about everything, look miserable as a result of their rants, never have a happy day, do not keep in touch with family, refuse to turn the heating on as they’re in the middle of a complaint with the gas company, don’t agree with driving…  AND, never leave the house apart to mail complaints and to go to supermarkets whilst complaining about the store.

Basically, I can’t stand people that like to complain about absolutely everything for absolutely no real reason.

Ok.  Personal attacks aside, the transcript of the show I’ll copy from The Telegraph at the very end of this post so you can decide for yourselves..  Considering as well that this was a radio transcript.

If a radio station is listened to by a person who likes Jonathan Ross, then they are listening to it just because they know it will be controversial.  Not necessarily because he will offend someone, but just because he says what he likes, to whoever he wants to and they are generally cool with it because they know him and that’s why they go on the show.  To be quizzed, probed and joked about.

So, this is the reason why there were so few complaints when the show originally aired.  The few complaints that there were, probably came from people that tuned in by accident!  Those are the people who will change to Discovery Channel by accident and see a lion eating an antelope, then write a complaint forcing the channel to apologise for showing what goes on in the real world!  Miserable people!

My view is, if it wasn’t intended for you to see it then don’t complain if you accidentally do!  Or if someone else who has seen / heard it already wasn’t offended, DON’T get offended on their behalf!  Leave it as it is!

What do you think?

From The Telegraph:

Russell Brand (RB): “This is Andrew Sachs’s answerphone. Right Jonathan, well this is unconventional..

Jonathan Ross (JR): “Don’t worry I’ll blurt something out”

RB: “Don’t blurt something out, not on the answerphone Jonathan.

Andrew Sachs’s answerphone: “Sorry I can’t answer at the moment, but please call again or leave a message. Speak after the tone, thank you.”

RB: “Hello Andrew Sachs this is Russell Brand. I am a great appreciator of your work over the decades. You’re meant to be on my show now mate, I don’t know why you’re not answering the phone, it’s a bit difficult - I’m here with Jonathan Ross.”

JR: “Hello Andrew…”

RB: “That’s Jonathan Ross speaking now. Anyway, we understand.. anyway.. we can still do the interview to his answerphone…”

(The two presenters exchange banter)

JR: “He f***** your granddaughter!” (laughter)… I’m sorry I apologise. Andrew I apologise… I got excited, what can I say. it just came out.”

RB: “Andrew Sachs, I did not do nothing with Georgina - oh no I’ve revealed I know her name! Oh no it’s a disaster.

“Abort, abort. Please watch that show. I am out of The Bill, starring Andrew Sachs, I’m out of The Bill… Put the phone down, put the phone down, code red code red. I’m sorry Mr Fawlty I’m sorry, they’re a waste of space…”

JR: “… How could I carry that round in my head like a big brain blister all day? I had to pop it and let the pressure out…

“Like it’s really bothered us though, he’s the poor man sitting at home sobbing over his answer machine…

“If he’s like most people of a certain age he’s probably got a picture of his grandchildren when they’re young right by the phone.

“So while he’s listening to the messages he’s looking at a picture of her about nine on a swing.”

RB: “She was on a swing when I met her. Oh no!”

JR: “And probably enjoyed her.”

RB: “Let’s ring back Andrew Sachs… What if he answers this time? Oh no Jonathan please. I’ll do anything.”

(Andrew Sachs’s answerphone message comes on for a second time.)

RB: Andrew this is Russell Brand. I’m so sorry about the last message. It was part of the radio show. It was a mistake.”

JR: “It was just a joke. If there is any truth in that, I don’t know. It was just a joke.”

RB: “It was just a joke that we done. I didn’t ask him to say it though…”

JR: “It might be true, but we didn’t want to break it to you in such a harsh way.”

RB: “Ok, look the truth is, Andrew I’m ringing you to ask if I can marry, that’s right marry your granddaughter, Georgina the granddaughter.”

JR: “And I’d like to be a page boy.”

RB: He wants to be a page boy. We’re going to have a Fawlty Towers-themed wedding.”

JR: “No, no, you’ve spoiled it…”

RB: “No I’m sorry I’ll do anything. I wore a condom. Put the phone down. Oh, what’s going to happen?…”

JR: “You’ll never become king rat in the Variety Club now Russell Brand.”

RB: “Oh no that’s over for me. I’m never going to be king rat in the Variety Club. Jonathan I think we’ve made the situation worse.”

JR: “Who’d have thought two people like us could possibly have made the situation worse.”

RB: “How could we with all our skills, our social skills, our talents our experiences.”

JR: “Our intentions were pure.”

RB: “You know the only way we can make this better don’t you?”

JR: “Let’s phone him again. Let’s leave a nice message.”

RB: “Listen, we’ve got to make it better. We’ll phone Andrew Sachs back. We’ve got to stop upsetting Manuel. This time Jonathan I’m convinced we can make it better.”

JR: “What should we not mention, the war?”

RB: “Don’t mention the war, don’t mention his granddaughter. Don’t say: ‘You only ever played Manuel’… Don’t mention The Bill in a negative way. Yes! We’ll just sing to him. I’ll make up something as I go along.”

JR: “I’ll be Bing Crosby to your David Bowie.”

RB: “I’ve always seen our relationship as a Christmas-themed hit.”

(The answerphone message plays again).

JR: (as the message plays): “She was bent over the couch…”

RB (singing): “I’d like to apologise for these terrible attacks - Andrew Sachs.

“I’d like to show contrition to the max, Andrew Sachs.

“I’d like to create world peace, between the yellow, whites and blacks Andrew Sachs, Andrew Sachs.

“I said some things I didn’t of oughta, like I had sex with your granddaughter.

“But it was consensual and she wasn’t menstrual it was consensual lovely sex.

“It’s full of respect. I sent her a text. I’ve asked her to marry me…

“Oh Andrew Sachs, will you marry Jonathan, it sounds like he wants to now.”

JR: “This has made it worse, I feel it’s made it worse, you’ve trivialised the whole terrible incident. It started fine and then you went on about nonsense.”

RB: “You said you wanted to marry him…”

JR: “I wasn’t really listening to you, I was concentrating on my back harmonies… There’s only one way we could possibly make this better.”

(Brand laughs)

RB: “What can we do?”

JR: “Let’s use up the rest of his tape, this time with a heartfelt and sincere apology… Pretend you’re Gordon Brown and make a beautiful speech rescuing the country from the credit crunch and rescue him from the inner turmoil you’ve caused by saying that you jumped on a relative.”

RB: “Yes, you’re right Jonathan, you’re right. Only by doing the exact thing that we’ve done three times already can we make the situation better.”

JR: “If you learn one thing from history, it’s do not repeat your mistakes.”

RB: “Don’t repeat them.”

JR: “So let’s do it right this time.”

RB: “Thank God Jonathan.”

JR: “Maybe this time… I want to do the song this time.”

RB: “You’re not doing the lyrics. You’ll balls it up. And can’t do backing it’s not in my nature.”

JR: “But you talked about his granddaughter’s menstruation.”

RB: “Look we’ve got a golden opportunity here, to make Andrew Sachs happy.”

JR: “… we should go in a little bit more relaxed this time.”

RB: “Right yeah that’s true, let’s not look at this as the last time we’re going to call Andrew Sachs.”

(Ross laughs)

JR: “… The wonder of technology is such that we can keep doing this for hours.”

RB: “And even after the show’s finished Jonathan we can find out where Andrew Sachs lives, kick his front door in and scream apologies into his bottom… We can just keep on troubling Andrew Sachs… let’s do it, right, ok.

“You pretend you’re Andrew Sachs’s answerphone.”

JR: “Hello, Manuel is not in right now. Leave your message after the tone.”

RB (as the phone rings again): “Alright Andrew Sachs’s answerphone, I’m ever so sorry for what I said about Andrew Sachs.”

JR: “Just say: ‘Sorry’.”

RB (laughing): “I’ll kill you!”

JR: “Don’t say you’ll wear him as a hat, just say: ‘Sorry’.”

RB: “Sorry, right.”

Saw V is the latest edition to the Saw series of movies wasn’t quite what I had thought..  It was mainly filled with flashbacks from the previous films and didn’t really offer many new gruesome death scenes…

There were some scenes that had me cringing though so I won’t say there was nothing worth seeing in this film!  I have so far made it my mission to see all of the films in this ’series’.  But, I am not sure how much longer they can keep it up..  They have managed so far to release one per year since 2004 so we’ll see.  Same time next year anyone?

Oh dear, look what I found on YouTube!

Just in case this has been taken off by the time you get round to seeing this post, this is a crazy Japanese game-show where a man goes around with a fake ‘item’ in his pants that looks very much like something it shouldn’t!

He then goes to places with this ‘item’ poking his shorts out and knocking things over!  The videos show him in public places such as a gym and a restaurant trying different things to ‘get rid’ of it!  He gets annoyed with it and starts beating it, hitting it I mean!

I think the aim of the game-show is to get points by making the unsuspecting people laugh at him when they notice what he is doing.  It is pretty funny in a wacky kind of way

Is there anything crazy that isn’t already in a Japanese gameshow?!

So funny!

Especially if you haven’t already!

Well, I am one to talk..  I live in England and I haven’t been to London very much at all!  I think apart from going to the airport, I have been there two or three times ever!  Well, that just isn’t good enough..

Now that I have a new car, (did I forget to tell you that before?  Well, it’s a brand spanking new VW Polo ) I want to make the most of it and get out of Nottingham a little more often!

There is nothing wrong with Nottingham, but lets face it, there is not a great deal here in comparison to London!

So, I have made the decision to go there in a couple weeks and go shopping!  Of course whilst there, I’ll have to go on the London Eye, which I am yet to go on!  I will be the same as a tourist from overseas with my camera and a never ending cheesy smile on my face!  I won’t have one of those little bags though, you know, a bum bag (UK) or fanny pack (US) those bags..  naaah, I like to think I am a little cooler than that

I shall (hopefully) get my own tourist pictures of London on here soon along with the Miami, and Prague pictures I also promised a while ago (sorry!)..

Ok, so I have got an iPhone so technically I shouldn’t be looking at other phones just yet (It has only been about 3 months)..  But, I think I want a BlackBerry!

Reasons why?

Well, the BlackBerry just seems to be a little more professional than the iPhone.  Also the iPhone likes to have limits on things you can do with it.  For example, it can’t send or receive picture messages, or even accepting files through Bluetooth is impossible at present as well.  I do like the fact that there are so many applications available for the phone through the iTunes store, but they really forgot the bare necessities with this phone.

But the main reason I want a new one is because I have resorted to the drastic measure of using a second sim card with more minutes and messages as well as my existing contract so I can speak for longer without the HUGE bill.  Since changing to the iPhone, my phone bills have been consistently high.  Not just becuase of the line rental, but because of the ridiculous minutes and messages allowance

My second phone is going to be my old retired Sony Ericsson P1i.  It’s a good phone, but I like any excuse to get a newer more up to date one.  I like them fast and feature packed - but I need the basics too like file sharing etc, so who knows maybe this BlackBerry might just replace my iPhone!

Do I?  Or don’t I?  That is the question..

I have seen so many tattoo designs in so many places it just makes me think - should I or should I not get a tattoo?!

What do you think?  Before you answer, lets actually consider what a tattoo is..

A tattoo is a permanent marking made by inserting ink into the layers of skin to change the pigment for decorative or other reasons. Tattoos on humans are a type of decorative body modification, while tattoos on animals are most commonly used for identification or branding.

(From Wikipedia)

So..  That seems pretty simple.  Apart from the permanent part!  That would be the only reason I wouldn’t just go right ahead and get one now!

At first I heard there were a few types of tattoos..  So I thought there was:

1. Permanent
2. Semi permanent (which fade after a few months or years) and;
3. Fake, wash on wash off style tattoos.

Until I looked it up on the Internet and found out that number 2 was a complete myth!  Darn!  So its all or nothing.  Tattoo for life, or not at all..  Hmm..

Decisions decisions..

Well, lets just say I will definitely NOT be getting anything that looks like this one!!

Just a random quick post here..  Has anyone seen this kettle?  I am getting one this week for sure to replace the beat-down, gritty limescale excuse of a kettle I currently use.

They just sit there and they are the last thing you ever think about replacing, but when was the last time you looked inside your kettle?  Ugh, I looked inside mine today and was shocked, yes shocked that I actually drink the water that comes out of it.  Talk about in need of a replacement!

Anyway, just thought I’d keep you updated.  I shall be getting the super quick 3 second boil kettle in the picture

In other news, I Just returned from Prague this week.  It’s not the place I was expecting but I shall give you some more info in my holiday update post I am in process of finishing up.  Including some long awaited photos too!

I have just booked my flights to Barcelona this December!  Yes, it will not be the hottest time to go there, but it is another trip, another adventure outside this ye olde England!

Considering another trip early next year too.  New york anyone?  I am thinking January for this one as I already have plans for Spring Break!

Ciao for now

Many iPod owners will be upset at the latest news that the folks at Apple have decided they will pull iTunes music download site altogether if plans to increase royalty payments to record companies goes through!

[NMPA] plans to increase online music royalty payments from 9 cents to 15 cents a track (5p to 8p) - a 66 per cent rise.

The US’s Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) is meeting to decide whether to agree to the request for the rise from the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), which is the largest US music publishing trade association.

Ok, so who will this actually affect?  I know iPod and iTunes are the biggest things in music since the Walkman but back in those days copyright music was all recorded from the radio to cassette.  These days music copyright starts with one original copy and explodes into millions of copies through file sharing.

Who is responsible?  Well, it wouldn’t be very professional to be naming names of who downloads and who buys all their music but it is safe to say the music companies have a problem.

The talk that iPods will become useless without iTunes music store it pretty bad news yes if they disable iTunes.  But do they need to close iTunes (the music organising program) altogether just because they are no longer making as much money as they used to from the iTunes Store section of the site?  Because that would be pretty much disastrous and I’m sure any smart person at Apple would see there are other ways to make money without selling music!

In case you didn’t guess..  Yes, I am going to attend some ninjutsu classes.  I went with my friend today but I didn’t join in this time..  I watched first, but I think I could manage it so I am going to do a proper session later in the week!

I noticed everyone had black clothes on and it made me realise I don’t actually have any suitable ninja style clothing so I shall need to make some small purchases before I go next..

Ahh, I still have in the back of my mind Muy Thai, but damn living in Nottingham means nothing is easily accessible!  Everything is in bigger ‘better’ cities like Birmingham or London!

Anyone else know of any good martial arts I could try??  The ones I don’t really want to go into would be Karate and Judo but anything else seems alright!

Ok, so I don’t normally go on this site but I did today and there is a whole damn lot of stuff to be seen there!  For example, Kane’s new track Love Lockdown which you can hopefully see by clicking that link if it’s not been shifted!  I first heard about this after my friend heard it at the MTV Video Music Awards.  Then I stumbled across it again on another blog and decided I’d listen to the whole thing.  I am impressed that he seems to have changed his style at least for this track and given the masses something fresh to listen to.

What does it remind you of?  It does sound familiar to something I can’t quite put my finger on but that’s not to take anything away from it because it’s a funky track and deserves a purchase!

Also, I never knew he paid so much attention to fashion as well!  I have a friend who knows a lot about the fashion industry and regularly post with new styles straight from the catwalk!  But I hadn’t expected Kanye to be doing the same as much as he does!

I also found this cool little short video on his site!  It is a little strange, but it was still an interesting little viewing.

Ark is a short movie directed by Grzegorz Jonkajtys.

An unknown virus has destroyed almost the entire human population.

Oblivious to the true nature of the disease, the only remaining survivors escape to the sea. In great ships, they set off in search of uninhabited land. So begins the exodus, led by one man…

Maybe I should get into the fashion loop as well!  I tend to impulse buy things rather than carefully selecting things to make a complete wardrobe.  But hey, that’s not to say I have no clue when it comes to fashion .

I’d like to think I have an alright taste when it comes to buying clothes and shoes.  Maybe some help on accessories could be taken on board, since I rarely wear anything other than a watch.  What else is there really for us guys to wear?  I don’t particularly like huge chains so I have no idea..  A nice belt?  Anyway, styles I currently like and have liked for some time would be Diesel, Ted Baker, All Saints, G-Star and one of my current faves Jack & Jones.

That list is not an exclusive list because I am always willing to venture away from my normal styles and try something new.  What would you happen to have in your wardrobe?  Anything new and exciting, or embarrassing to share?