Enough already

Okay, a while back Chris brought me a free fall parachute jump experience as a birthday present.

I didn’t ever want to bungee jump – I see no point.. sure it’s a rush, but you don’t do anything yourself… You jump, bungy stops you. With a free fall parachute jump you jump, you free fall, you pull the cord, you fly the chute. With bungee jumping you just jump… that thrills me as much as a roller coaster… too tame, too controlled. If you’re going to do something, do it properly.

It was one of those life affirming things… at 15 odd thousand feet you look down and it’s all down to you to step out of that doorway… and you do it… one of the most phenomenal experiences ever, and one I shall never forget.

I felt so alive – and yes, it was in controlled conditions, but things can (and did) go wrong.

Well, since I have been hit with this lung problem I am determined to not take the hit – I want to go and do something amazing. I want it to be something I could share later with Alex – I want it to be an experience and a lesson.

I’ve always been pretty good when situations get ropey. When people lose their heads in dire situations I tend to cement into a calmer person. Odd that – situations I would think I’d panic in and I actually become very focused.

So, I’m taking the step and will be booking on on a survival week. I’m looking at some course run by ex-SAS instructors. After all, the two Para’s who instructed my freefall learnt all they knew as a matter of life and death – and the same with the SAS guys. If anyone can put on a good course, it’ll be those that have had to survive in extreme conditions themselves.

These are good skills to learn, and something I can pass down to Alex.

I see 2 and 3 day courses available, but I want to go as long as I can in one go. No point in just messing about, so I’m going to go for a weeks survival – Instructor, a small tobacco tin box of essentials and me… something like that anyway.

Once I’ve done this course (hopefully mid 2010… maybe even do it as a fund raiser), there are other course available as you become more experienced. The one I am aiming for after the woodland survival week, is the Arctic Survival course. Yup… off to the Arctic to rough it…. build your own shelter, make fire, find food… no gas stoves or tents… proper survival.

It’s my way of kicking back at the set backs that my health has caused me… I get knocked down and I’ll fight back twice as hard.

I’m not one for holidays. Sure they are relaxing, but at the end of it, you’ve just been away, la de da… I’d rather go and do something – have an adventure… learn a skill and see things few other people have seen.

Who’s up for joining me? Next time it snows we’ll just point and laugh at the people who think it’s “really cold…..”

.

2010 – Snow Joke

Okay… boiler is dying. Downstairs radiators have given up the ghost.

Some dope cracked my Audi headlamp by wheel spinning in gritted snow.

I’ve been off work for the past week with a bad case of flu, topped off with a chest infection – I’ve been boiling, freezing, shaking, sweating, creaking… blah blah…. fed up of the whole thing, and now finding it very hard to breathe, A bit like having a weight on my chest and trying to breathe through a folded up towel… probably (I’ve not tried).

Then stroking our big black cat I find a lump between his shoulder blades… so a trip to the vet is due….

2010 is being a git.

Anyway, it wasn’t a totally bad start – We had snow, and Alex loved it.

Before I became ill I had a good week of snow fun with Alex. It was tainted by idiot chav types knocking the snowman’s head off – but I fixed it with a metal pole in the end. I had to use the pole because the snow had turned to ice crystals and wasn’t sticking together!

Eventually the chav idiots twisted the head around – but a bit more snow and warmer weather meant he could be rebuilt again…

Eventually the weather turned even warmer… and the snowman took his last gasp….

So… for a bit of fun, rather than focusing on the current bad hand 2010 has dealt us, here are some pictures of the snowman… as he morphed through attacks by chavs and weather…

BOB

Was beheaded.

BILL

Beheaded… then re-headed with a pole… then head twisted around

Mr. Iced T

Too tough for the Chavs…

Things got too warm though….

Don’t Bloody start on me 2010

Remember THIS? which came from THIS….

Yup…. good…

Guess what has just died…. two day before servicing….

Go on.

Guess….

The end of a decade…

Happy New Year…. New Decade EVERYONE!

This last one was like a shower with a mixer tap that just can’t make its mind up if it is hot or cold.

The worst of times, the best of times – all in the last ten years. I haven’t had a ten year stretch that has had such extremes.

Ryan – who was nearer a brother to me than a friend, died. – I got married.  – My Dad passed away.  – Alex was born.  – We lost house deal after house deal, money hand over fist, before we finally settled. – We gained 3 cats but lost one. -  I had to leave a job due to medical conditions (now cleared up).  – Met new friends, great friends -  Left another job after a works injury was shrugged off and left us on the edge of losing the house….and then landed in the great job I am in now. – I started shooting and got the highest awarded proficiency the NSRA give, won a few competitons… then had to quit shooting due to the works injury.  – I lost the last family member from my Dad’s family tree that had grown up with him and who had all the missing answers.  – Boilers failed leaving the house below freezing, water tanks ruptured flooding the loft!  – The family car was written off… Too much other stuff went down and up and up and down to mention – but it was a roller coaster.

Things I wouldn’t change for the world – and things I would do anything to change…

Hot. Cold. Hot. Cold. Hot. Cold.

Things have settled down – One day at a time.

Here’s hoping the plumbing is sorted for the next ten years – it would be good to have a bit of middle ground for once.

Fairytale of New York

Okay, X-Factor was knocked to the number 2 UK chart position for the Christmas number 1 single… beaten by a social networking pushed project – Rage Against The Machine took the number 1 spot as people stood up to the Cowell lead X-Factor machine.

The thing is it needed to be done – but no-one will argue that RATM’s song isn’t exactly “Christmassy”….

As such, just before Christmas I decided to push for a Christmas number 1 that is Christmassy…. and what could be better than “Fairytale of New York”….

FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK XMAS No.1 2010 and @FairytaleNY2010

Fairytale of New York has never been number 1 in the UK, yet is often voted as the best Christmas song out – so I figured it was about time we got it to number 1…

Added to this, it is the 10th anniversary of the sad and tragic death of Kirtsy MacColl, when she was hit by a speed boat in dive restricted waters whilst on holiday. This tragedy has never been properly resolved – and after 9 years of fighting for justice the case has finally run out of anywhere to go as the authorities have closed the door on it.

The day people will need to buy Fairytale of New York to make it count for a Christmas chart release is the day after the 10th anniversary of this untimely passing of Kirsty – so getting Fairytale of New York to number 1 will be a tribute, a return to a Christmassy song for Christmas, and another kick in the teeth to those that set up TV shows to force a manufactured number one.

Fairytale of New York is not a manufactured number one – Sure we will be pushing to get it there, but for over a decade it has been in the Christmas charts and it is a well loved song. It hasn’t just been made up to grab money for Simon Cowell…

This project is still in the initial stages, but much like RATM, we will be making sure Fairytale of New York does good. As such there will be a charity donation system set up. This will all be sorted as the project progresses.

I have contacted various people within The Pogues camp, and also to Kirsty MacColl’s mother. I would like them to be involved as this would be very important to the project.

There is a Facebook page set up : FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK XMAS No.1 2010

I won’t be able to do this on my own, so FTONY isn’t an “I” thing… it is a “WE” project – and I am currently being ably assisted by Phil Karn (met thanks to Twitter). There may be more people called in to help – and we’ll be grateful for any help!

I have started this group early as I want to build up the numbers of followers throughout the year. For most of the year the group will be a little quiet – just general chat and news – I don’t want people to burn out too soon!

As the time to buy draws near come November/December 2010 I shall then kick the group into action with group emails to ramp up the drive to get that number one spot.

You can also follow via Twitter with @FairytaleNY2010

If you want to get involved, you can email me at fairytale@sometimespace.com

Please spread the word!

Let’s get a Christmas song to Christmas number one – a song that has not been there before… and we can all remember Kirsty MacColl at the same time!

Thank you!

X-Factor Versus Rage Against the Machine

Okay, too much has been said about this already, but Simon Cowell really foot and mouthed it – and it sums it all up.

He complained that the push to get Rage Against the Machine (RATM) to number one for Christmas was both silly and cynical. He did not like the idea of this manufactured push to number one – hinting it was unfair….

With this in mind, please think about this….

Cowell puts on X-Factor to build up the buzz and hype around some wannabe pop stars.(These singers may have talent, but it really doesn’t matter, as all Cowell is doing is using them to his own cause).

He plans the show so that it ends just before Christmas.

The show hype is planned to hit fever pitch just in time for a Christmas release…. That’s a bit unfair…

All that built up hype from the TV show is then focused on the X-Factor winner (It doesn’t matter who wins…). It is unfair on all the other bands and singers that don’t have Cowell’s budget and the X-Factor backing.

On top of this, Cowell chooses a song from a current singer who already has a huge fan base… not just a huge fan base, but a huge fan base that crosses over into the X-Factor viewer fan base.

Yes… the X-Factor Christmas release already has fans BEFORE its release… before the singer is even chosen.

Cowell even said the song was chosen to boost the winners chance of a Christmas number 1!!!

So Cowell, shut the Hell up with your calls of  “unfair”  – You put everything into getting that number one spot – you do it for the money and you don’t care who your singer is, because you know the public will buy it anyway after all the planning you put into it.

It isn’t about the music, it’s about raping the British public for their money. It has so much planning, the singer doesn’t come into it.

So, who will win?

The chosen charity will get cash (a good thing)

Cowell will win, after all, the public brought into his crap, brought the single and after the prize money, expenses etc are split, he’s no worse off as the public financed it all with the record sales….

BUT ULTIMATELY RATM will win….

Even if they didn’t get number one, even if they only got into the top ten they will have won…. they will have got the message across that we, the thinking public, don’t want your forced X-Factor song EVERY BLOODY YEAR. That’s a win, even if the X-Factor had come in at Number 1.

If you really like Joe, then how can you let Cowell and his publicity machine use him – whore him out – as a puppet – just to line THEIR pockets…?

If you Love Joe… Buy RATM!

Puppet Boy

UPDATE – WELL DONE RATM!!!! Number One!

The UK’s Xmas Number 1 is Rage Against The Machine selling 502,672 copies. X Factor Joe is Number 2 having sold 450,838.

Joe – Keep up the music – but do it in your own time.

The RATM campaign was run by  @Jon_Magic & @Moogyboobles – Well done!

From Guns to the X-Factor to Augmented Reality

Flickr reorganised my photo’s & broke picture links….

So… let’s try again – and this time with an update & more pictures!

I was on the lookout for some captioned t-shirts recently and just couldn’t find what I wanted. In the end I found a place that allows you to design your own… and sell them if you want.

Well, I purchased the one I wanted (after designing it…) – and once it arrived I was impressed by the print quality and the actual quality of the t-shirt. I then went back to the store and looked into how to sell my designs, after all, why not?

Since then I have added several designs – including a mug and notebook case to go with all the shirts…

If you like any of them, go to http://sometimespace.spreadshirt.co.uk/ and have a shop around… if you can’t find what you want, I might be able to sort something out for you (if you don’t want to do it yourself!).

I started out with some shooting orientated ones and then added a few more various others…These are a few of the designs…

SOMETIMESPACE – THE SHOP

Click the shop link above to buy any of the items below! These designs are on shirts, bags, mugs, bumper stickers…. Go for it! Alex needs new shoes!

Reduced Range Target Practice USM

Back in January 2008, before my back injury, new job and a lot of other stuff (read the blog and catch up…) I was training and competing a great deal with my target rifle.

I will say that I am by no means up there with the people who devote their lives to the sport – I just can’t afford that… so if you read this and think that I’m any good, then take it from me, I am a long way off of those in the top competitions – I take my hat off to those people – I wish I could spare that time and money, but I can’t.

Health reasons stopped me for a while, and now I’m getting back to it… and to get some extra wind in my sails I am posting this report I wrote for www.snipercentral.com whilst I was a much, much more active member. Now I am getting back into it all, I will be active there again – Great bunch of people with some very fine skills. Top place for newbies and oldbies alike!

Anyway, this may read a bit odd as it is out of context and out of it’s original web space, but to fill in a bit before I carry on….

“Recoil” is a guy who shoots well… and at the time had told people that they needed to concentrate on getting to grips with their rifles without all the extra bits such as scopes and bipods to help the shot. He suggested using reduced range US Marine training targets. These are silhouettes that symbolise a target at, say 800yds, but are scaled so that you only place them 25 yds away…. so it saves space and is ideal for training. The idea is to shot with non telescopic sights and just use a sling. Most of the guys that carried out this task used AR15’s that are autoloaders… I used a .22 target rifle that needed to be reloaded after each shot… which isa handicap compared to their rifles… especially during a timed run!

I did my practice targets and had my fun, but didn’t want to post my results on their forum initially, as I was much more serious and focused than the most of type of people who were trying the exercise. I didn’t want to put people off, as I was coming at these targets from a totally different background and with a skill set better suited for the task.

I am always happy to help share what I know, and more than happy to pick up new lessons and skills myself, and after much poking and requests from other Sniper Central members I published a report.

Just looking over it again after almost 2 years (Jeeeez!) has made me want to get right back into serious competition again. I miss the focus – and my back is as good as it is going to get, so it’s time to get training!

When I last shot I had just qualified as a Mastershot with a score of 396/400 – which gave an average of 99/100. I hope to be back there within the year….

Here is the report and the comments that followed it….HERE, but for Sometimespace…..

…and to get me going, and to share a little about my activities in another web group…. here is that report…

———————————————-

Newbies stay away!!!!

A fair few of you have asked for a report from me…..I’ve not wanted to do one before because what I do is not like what you mostly do. It can’t be compared – even though it is still lead tossing, it is a different school of lead tossing.

Right, I need to make it clear that I am not bragging – I am not showing off, and I am not saying that I am better than anyone else.

I do this. It is my thing. I don’t have to be able to run with a bergen, I don’t need to kill to survive and/or protect.

I sling my rifle, look through a dioptre sight (just a 3.7mm hole in a glass ring) and just shoot at small black spots with a “tack driver” that will always be able to out perform me.

I practice. A lot.

I joined SC to help gain some skills to help me. Skills that the “usual” target shooter probably wouldn’t be able to give me.

I shoot at targets that are much smaller than the reduced range practice pictures that Recoil put up. My usual 25yd target card (I shoot up to 100yds with the .22)  is made up of ten individual diagrams that mean I have to move around the card – 1 shot in each diagram. This means upsetting my position very slightly for each shot.

Those black dots I shoot at….I have to hit inside the very middle ring every time to win….without touching the line at all. That’s a lot of dry firing, relaxation techniques, focusing, listening to others….and practice. Currently I have a 98.2 average – by no means the best. That middle ring counts as 10 points – and a 10 spot card can give you 100 points. Simple stuff.

When I shot Recoils reduced range targets I was just out for fun. As I did not have to move around the paper I could just punch away. Because of the results I even got my Club President to sign as a witness.

Why did I say “Newbies stay away?” – A bit of a joke – but I always wanted to play guitar. After hearing Jimi Hendrix I realised I’d never be that good – so never started to learn. If you’re a newbie, then just practice…I’ve only had 3 years trigger time – but I’m in engineering and was taught my whole life to “LISTEN and DO AS I AM TAUGHT”.

I was also told that you never stop learning – so never stop listening.

I’m only as good as the people who help me – and that means each shot I fire has a little bit of all of you in it. For that I thank you.

RIGHT…..Those darn reduced range targets…..

20 shots from a single loader bolt gun. 2 minutes (well….just shy of 2 minutes). That included removing the jam caused by my fat fingers ramming a case (my very first jam!!!!)

Keeping on one target without moving made this an easy task for me. My eye stayed behind the sights and my ammo was exactly where it had to be to just reach, pick, load, pull…It has taken 3 years to get my position this far….and I’m still not happy with it…

That fubar round….Don’t panic, dump it, reload, keep shooting.

Man….20 shots…. most of those just went through and hit the back wall….and my ammo isn’t cheap (for a .22!!!)

A bit more relaxing. Once the first shot goes in, the rest follow – once more thanks to me just having to hold one position (unlike the movement I am usually used to). These diagrams took 10 minutes total to shoot….and yes….that is 10 shots in each.

I put these in a range report because I didn’t want to post them in Recoils “reduced Range” thread. I’m a hard practising focused competition shooter – and I didn’t want these pictures to put anyone else off of having a go.

To be honest with you – I’m a bit embarrassed about even posting them here – It just feels like I’m bragging (Recoil will say grow a spine now!!!!)

Twitter is a DJ

A few Twitter users will have noticed some users are posting tweets from something called Blip.fm.

Quite simply, it’s a free web page that allows users to post songs and videos to various social media sites – such as Facebook and Twitter.

It’s really pretty good – I didn’t really get into at first – but after giving it a fair try I’m getting into it now!

You can just tune in to favourite DJ’s (or rather people who also use Blip.fm). Other users select songs and their playlist builds up, and you can just select to listen to it.

To be more involved you can start to create your own playlists. This allows other people to then go to your list to listen to your chosen and growing selection of songs.

It’s quite simple – and a top way of finding long time forgotten songs, and discovering new ones you wouldn’t have otherwise thought about.

I particularly like searching through the “Mash Up” selections – song mixes such as Lady Gaga vs. Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas.

For iPhone users there is currently an app called “Boombox Pro” which allows use of Blip.fm via the iPhone. It is a bit temperamental, but there are fixes for it. I have found that it failed totally after my first tries, but by resetting my application key in my Blip.fm settings/password section, Boombox started working again. It’s not faultless yet, as some of the playlist doesn’t update – but the search and Blip function works fine.

Hopefully, Blip.fm will bring out their own app soon… or Boombox will pull their finger out and sort out their bugs.

UPDATE: Received an email from Boombox designers today – They are working on fixes along with Blip.Fm. As that is the case I would recommend Boombox to anyone, simply because the app is a great idea, it almost works and the people working on it offer quick customer support. Good customer support is a must for me.

Anyway, I just thought I’d share a little bit more of what is out there on the web for those who hadn’t heard of it yet!

Awesome Space Shuttle footage

Not often I post something for the pure Hell of it… BUT….This is the best footage I have ever seen of a Shuttle launch. Views from various cameras…. first one, then starting again from another…etc…. fascinating!

NASA STS-127 Endevour Launch – Solid Rocket Booster Cameras – As talked about on SPEEDWAY SQUAD and highlighted by Toren Atkinson.