Before I forget..."NOTES"

This is a message to myself for using as notes for the final write up for my presentation. I guess you could call it "the ultimate backup" (or that I keep loosing my notes that I have all around the apartment when things I want to add spring to mind)

• Software on PDA/PPC (CAD) used for creating draft copies of original and up to date test sketches of site visuals and themes?
• Added code for search site and search web. DIDN'T COPY EITHER. Actually sat down and pulled original source code apart and wrote the bits I needed minus certain pieces I won't mention and the removal of the extra .......
• Reasons as to why I redesigned the site.
• Why the colours and complete theme change and why that precise choice..(we know why don't we Mr.Never really quite content and Mr.Self Critical...I hate being two faces....personal joke with reference to my indecisiveness)
• How I managed to realign the tables after taking so long to find out why there was a space below my index heading graphic.
• Why I gave up and decided to go without the animated logo after taking so long to get it right.And reading the same flipping "how to control animations" chapter on page 230 Part 14 of the book How to use Dreamweaver MX & Fireworks writen by Lon Cloey published by QUE publishing/2004

• Testing browser compatability: Which gave way to many of my edits on the second layout.
• Why it took forever to realise just in time that Firefox IS NOT the best browser to use as a testing ground for website editing. Because of the problem with refresh rates and unreliability with the browser options.

line 97----------if book has been thrown at wall goto line 100 else goto line 98----------------

line 98----------if book winds you up then goto line 99----------------------------------------

line 99----------if chapter makes sense carry on reading else goto line 100 ---------------------

line 100---------------------------------end---------------------------------------------------

I maybe a lot of things but lazy ain't one of them

Pulled myself out of bed long enough to grab a coffee..more Beechams Flue Plus...medicated tissues (thank's to a friend who laughed at my red nose with a BANG OUT OF ORDER RUDE JOKE)...inhaler..throat pastles and lemon drink.. GOD I HATE FEELING LIKE THIS.

I have been writing out the rest of my notes that I've been compiling for the creation of of my class presentation. It's got to be around 10 to 15 minutes long and involves a setup using powerpoint slides. I quite like being infront of people sometimes in situations like this. Which is really crazy when I think how naff I can get when at the best of times I find it hard sometimes being around others in a social situation. It's a crazy world of that there's no mistaking.
Anyway...back on track...
The assignment in the form of a presentation has to be completed infront of the class I study with at college and in short will involve talking about the putting together of the individual online portfolio sites that we have all had to do recently.

I have got a good feeling about my work to date. It would be a great buzz to achieve higher than expected marks bearing in mind all life has been throwing at me of late..and not forgetting the enviroment I am left to work under at the best of time....motorbikes.....dogs barking non stop...plus a great deal of other annoyances that I'd better not go on about or else the thought of them will drive me nuts.

I end up studying now with my Sony cans on most of the time. It's easier when I want to get on with something, especially when there's work to be done.
Can't beat a little Barclay James Harvest, Rush,U2 or Coldplay wafting down my weiry bunged up eardrums...it blocks out everything and makes for a great psychological holiday when needed. ah yes....


I don't really want to keep writing as I am trying to add some specific sound files that I have had difficulty recording which I want to use in two of my slides. They are going to add a slight humorous feel to the few minutes I'm up there but not at all in a wasted way. It will if my plan works and comes together, emulate some of what I have been doing to change the look of my website.
Who knows maybe the world will end tomorrow...my point is...if I can't get the recording to sound write it won't be the be all and end all.
I have a feeling I am waffling on a bit. So bye bye.

....now.....where's the notes on fireworks that WERE on the pin board....but are NOT there anymore.
that ******* CAT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you

Stuck in bed..Feeling really horrid....Haven't felt this bad in quite a while......And to top it all off, I needed to use a ventolin inhaler in late last night so I guess my asthma is back for a while.

Thank goodness for small mercies though in the shape of a little black mischievous kitten called "blue"




It makes everything a tiny bit easier to bear when you know you're not alone.Thats for sure.
Cat....I'm sorry for being a total grouch yesterday.
....But you MUST STOP pulling the Christmas tree decorations down..Especially from Sophia's little tree that Grandma and her spent quality time making it look really nice...And then YOU cat....You running around the apartment with tinsel wrapped around your bum intermittently pausing in your tracks and expecting....waiting for someone to take pitty on you and to feel sorry enough for you to remove it.....(do you REALLY think you've got me all worked out..??)

Anyway....I guess I can forgive you because you always jump up and purr at the right time when I'm feeling down....in need of a friend or like today "obviously needing you to wake me up at 6am because YOU WANTED FEEDING...and I hope it's hello and goodmorning that you're purring..


I remember watching Mr.Ben (BBC Childrens program created using stop frame animation with puppets...it was extremely popular) when I was off school as a young child and mum making me chicken soup as it was the only thing I could eat.I used to be quite ill as a kid. Not just common colds...but I used to get chest infections....asthma....headaches the size of Manhattan and a intermittent problem with my eyes that eventually saw me going into hospital having quite serious surgery.
I will never forget coming home from hospital after two weeks and seeing that the bare trees left behind that outlined the park entrance we lived beside had now been replaced by pink blosoms.Heck, I can even remember that fresh sweet smell as if it was yesterday. (I was about 12 years old) And then finding out that the two cats we had called "toots and tim" had had to go to new homes because the doctors had warned mum and dad that it would start my alergy off again and could cause more problems, I digress on the subject as its making me reminise too much.

I feel yuck

Got up this morning....struggled to get out of bed....felt sick...headache, + got on bus to college...started to feel very and I mean VERY sick. Got off bus in Ipswich....phoned a friend...got cold drink from McDonalds....took some tablets (beechams) waited half an hour...thanks beechams for the advertising lies....(suprise suprise...another untruthfull and bulked up advert from the tv that I fell for.....tablets cost me nearly five pounds too...)..had to get back home sharpish as didnt want to end up walking into class and being sick....so got back on bus.driver was a lunatic as seemed to think he was alone in a sports car driving down a personal stretch of road all to himself. got off bus..picked up Blue (daughter kitten who hates lack of attention)..went back to bed.
I am not one to put up with a bad cold but todays will go into the realms of "dont want to rememberness" as I still feel dreadfull now and its 21:25 in the evening. If I get a cold in my system and it gets into my breathing bits...I end up unable to do much. Have had bad lungs since a kid. Inhaler and inhaler although these days I dont have much of a problem with asthma thank god I slept for most of the afternoon in the hope my tum would give me a break.But it hasn't. Am going back to bed.

Bye

Final Stages....phew

This is going to be a really quick blog because I am physically exhausted and in need of a coffee....and a lie down.
I have been redesigning my web based portfolio site for near on to an eternity now. Obviously I've had lots of other things to do outside of using Dreamweaver and getting frustrated. It's been great fun uf that's the right word to use as I've been unable to stop once I've gotten going and even delved into the art of pop up windows. I tried and tried and tried...but alas I need a little more time spent on scripting. The basic principle I certainly understand and am becoming quite partial to the odd few line of java script dissection. But I found it pretty mind blowing simply trying to add a pop up link window script that I intended and tried to hide behind an image placeholder.
It's easy enough to get the basic script to work from simply adding it to the code page, but my problem that I admit I took far too long trying to solve, was adding the JavaScript to the actual pop up window itself. I checked it so many times I felt like I was going cross eyed. The online tutorials I read were straight forward enough, and I am sure I have the brains for it, but I will just have to put it down to experience and lack of information.
From the ground up I have rebuilt my site over the past few days.
I'd been asking as many people I could think of to sum up there views of it's appearance and over all layout. Taking into account the fact that I'm still just a beginner, I tend to still get a little over enthusiastic at the best of times. And so I managed to make a great deal of notes from what people have said.
I have a bedroom floor full of cold coffee cups, biscuit crumbs and rough sketches of how I wanted the site to look like.
I think I have managed well considering that many ideas I wanted so much to incorporate into the second version, I couldn't manage due to a lack of knowledge. Don't get me wrong as I am forever scouring the internet when I need that extra piece of information to work out a solution. And I'm no stranger to both asking for help or popping down to the library. But I've more or less found workarounds for most of what I wanted to do.

Saying that though, there is one problem that has bugged me for so long now. And that's the webcam page. At present I am using some free downloaded software that I managed to find relatively quickly when I first realized the other week that once one purchases a webcam there are other points to consider before it can be incorporated into your site and be linked up as a live feed.
I took the basic individual camera feed web's that is allocated to every user of the software, and decided after hearing from a reliable source that there is a way to edit out the unwanted bits such as any adverts, code, colouring or information. I managed to screw it completely up many many times during the time I've spent on it. I even got it to look just like part of my site. This was a feet in itself as I'd forgotten parts of the basic code needed and had to ring up a chum to get some advice. I did get the colours to match my site theme too. But try as I might every time I uploaded the new page having copied the code and stored it on the college server, something kept going wrong. It seems that everything I exited the software, Dreamweaver would tell me that the actual page I was working on (camera page provided by the freeware software company) would re-edit itself as if by magic and play havoc with my links. I tried so many times to correct this problem but alas in the end I was resigned to editing the actual off site page and linking to it from a "ahref" link.

And incase anyone wants to throw the obvious line of advice at me regarding making sure the ahref or other links are pointing to the correct source code, directory or file......DON'T

It works fine as it is, and at this precise moment in time I am going to leave it alone as one must I guess draw the line at the best of times when something doesn't want to work.
Perhaps I will find out how to create either a workaround or use the new software I have bought that automatically uploads to any specified server address. I have tried it already using an active x plugin and then a java plugin, but from what I can gather because of security issues with running live scripts, I have come to the decision that the college server won't allow it. Besides which I have since had this conclusion verified by one of the college tutors.

Oh well. I'm off now as I need a break.

Sat up till I dont remember last night sketching out some designs for my web based portfolio make over. Ive not really been happy with it if Im honest and knew I wouldnt be satisfied in its current condition. It was just a matter of finding the time to make some notes and work out some new theme ideas.
I decided on taking advice from the notes Id made whilst talking to others who had creatively and honestly looked at what Id done to date.
The original running theme Id used from the start wasnt something Id given much thought to. Time and other outside influences always make it difficult to keep going in one fell swoop. I decided on keeping the rough outlined basics for what I had done already. But change the site so that it was created from scratch but from a common home made template.
Gone went the mismatched main button links and the thrashy bright colours. Out the window went the raw look that each site page had.
And in the end I decided to use each of the index page main link buttons as a common theme that could be used sepertly for each page. I created a new template with an image placement and five x five table. Topped off with new a new colour theme with I decided gave things a more professional and serious looking slant. I hadnt used or even considered templates previously as Id simply wanted to get as much crammed onto the site as I could in the shortest possible time. I have obviously learnt now that quality not quantity works bets moist times.
I have to stop now as I have other priorities that must be taken care or.

Sat up till I dont remember last night sketching out some designs for my web based portfolio make over. Ive not really been happy with it if Im honest and knew I wouldnt be satisfied in its current condition. It was just a matter of finding the time to make some notes and work out some new theme ideas.
I decided on taking advice from the notes Id made whilst talking to others who had creatively and honestly looked at what Id done to date.
The original running theme Id used from the start wasnt something Id given much thought to. Time and other outside influences always make it difficult to keep going in one fell swoop. I decided on keeping the rough outlined basics for what I had done already. But change the site so that it was created from scratch but from a common home made template.
Gone went the mismatched main button links and the thrashy bright colours. Out the window went the raw look that each site page had.
And in the end I decided to use each of the index page main link buttons as a common theme that could be used sepertly for each page. I created a new template with an image placement and five x five table. Topped off with new a new colour theme with I decided gave things a more professional and serious looking slant. I hadnt used or even considered templates previously as Id simply wanted to get as much crammed onto the site as I could in the shortest possible time. I have obviously learnt now that quality not quantity works bets moist times.
I have to stop now as I have other priorities that must be taken care or.

The best dad I can be....

My favorite little human being is poorly. She's a little under the weather with a cough.
Last night she had a terrible nights sleep and I stayed with her while she would nod off anf wake up every so often upset and needing attention. We've been to see the doctor who as always was and is fantastic.
Anyway....That was this morning and this is now (8:00pm) and..earlier this evening I successfully managed to get her to sleep with a TTTE story some warm milk, teddy bear hot water bottle and big hugs from dad....and....well....she's now fast asleep.

I hate it when she's feeling low which isnt really very often thank goodness as she's usually full of energy and on top of the world. I did get her to do some painting earlier this afternoon (could only find the BIG set of six toooooo bright paints) so I started to teach her that mixing colours together in the two dishes etc with a little patience and trial and error can create all sorts of.......MESS.....ha ha ha ha
I think she did learn a little although in the end it was a case of daddy used a brush and she decided that finger painting was more fun......oh before I forget..."SORRY PUSS PUSS FOR THE WHITE SPLODGE OF PAINT THAT LANDED ON YOUR NOSE"
Thank goodness we have an understanding cat who just sat there staring at me as if it was ALL my fault.
It came off without a problem and having given Blue (my daughter named her that) a bowl of watered down banana flavoured milk shake and two or three....4 or 5.....chicken slices she was one happy cat.

Anyway...thats about it for today. I had planned to do some work on a presentation this afternoon for my course at college but I will have to do that later or in the morning.
I wont go into it....but my final two points are....firstly I have met a lady today who rocks my world and thats even before I really know her. I hope she wont mind me saying that but one look in her eyes and I was hooked...
The second point about the day was that I won £20 on a scratch card. I am not a gambling person but once in a while I like to take a chance on the cheapy £1 match 3 to win cards.
And today I managed to win....FOR ONCE!!!!

Anyway.....catch you later.
Ta Ta

Life is good sometimes

Went for long walk last night to get some exercise. Boy I'm FAT. I hate it. I used to be SO slim..
I guess sometimes we are what we are. I ended up walking from my home the long (and I mean long) walk to the shops.

I don't use the word ironic too lightly, (and certainly not intensionally out of context like some people I could mention).......


but on this occasion is sums up the situation perfectly..."when I intend to loose some calories, moan and feel bad about being overweight....go for long walk and END UP WALKING BACK WITH A CHINESE TAKEAWAY and ALL THE TRIMMING...AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!"
I digress.

Watched Amagedon on dvd last night and fell asleep half way through. Its a good film and I needed to chill out a bit. I think the soundtrack rocks. Aerosmith especially the key lyric scriber Steve Tyler wrote "I dont want miss a thing" especially for the Film. I didnt know that prior to watching the extras. It fits the film perfectly.
Another film I watched last night was Mission to Mars, which is once again a brilliant film. Although it lacks some tasty realistic dialogue and could have done with a decent sound track. Cant have it all (always end up buying acouple of films on good days when everything is sweet in my world...from Cash Convertors as its cheaper and more sensible that renting unless of course its a new film and one I MUST see.

Before I forget..(how could I..?) I just want to say thank you to someone who looked at something from a differnt angle yesterday and allowed me (?) to view things in a totally diffent light. So THANK YOU
Csound is the world's most powerful software synthesizer and signal processor. It can do all the things listed above and infinitely more.(go to site link below...its well worth a visit and is a BIG help) Written in the programming language "C" in 1986 by Barry Vercoe, CSound is the grandchild of the first computer music programs, Music I-V, written by Max Matthews at Bell Laboratories starting in the 1950s. (You can hear a few CSound compositions by following the links in the left hand column.) IMAGE TAKEN FROM http://www.berklee.edu/news/2001/07/csound.html


OH SHOOT.....just seen the clock and its time to go or else I'll miss my bus.
By blog.....

Just Another Day....?

Easy - Words by Lionel Richie



Verse one

Know it sounds funnyBut I just can’t stand the pain
Girl I’m leaving you tomorrow
Seems to me girlYou know I’ve done all I can
You see I begged, stoleAnd I borrowed
Ooh,

CHORUS

that’s why I’m easy
I’m easy like sunday morning
That’s why I’m easy
I’m easy like sunday morning

Verse Two

Why in the world Would anyboddy put chains on me?
I’ve paid my dues to make it
Everbody wants me to be What they want me to be
I’m not happy when I try to fake it!
No! Ooh,

CHORUS

that’s why I’m easy
I’m easy like sunday morning
That’s why I’m easy
I’m easy like sunday morning

MIDDLE 8TH

I wanna be high, so high
I wanna be free to knowThe things I do are right
I wanna be free
Just me, babe!

CHORUS

That’s why I’m easy
I’m easy like sunday morning
That’s why I’m easy
I’m easy like sunday morning
Because I’m easy
Easy like sunday morning
Because I’m easy
Easy like sunday morning

Thanks for penning such a wonderful song Lionel

Hello World.....

What a sureal few days its been since I last added an entry. I am pretty tired right now as its been one long day of tryng to get so much done And tying up loose ends so to speak.
Some days I guess theres just not enough hours in the day. I have been setting up a new network around my apartment which was very boring but a much needed neccessity.Its taken time to get it as secure as I really wanted as I had problems with sucuring it with my usual WEP settings.I tried LEAPING but didnt makee much different.In the edd I tested and am now temporarily usuing a bounce brindge settup through xp.Its made a slight difference now Im at last pushing the promiced 2meg ADSL. Although around the place and outside now Im using the new Cable and Wireless Ultra G Im able to get wireless trans at full 102 and just plus or minus from anywhere around the place.Outside is the same speed although Ive yet to walk up the road so to speak.

I spent time clearing up my office come spare room this afternoon.The pinboard thats been left since purchased on the floor is now on the wall and will have assignment dates on it as Im pushing along fast now ever since I had a proverbial wakeup call not too long ago.
Plus the fact...now I am sure I have several very real work options oince I recieve my degree...well its sort of changed the way I
feel about things.

Have to go now as my little one wants a cuddle.
Bit of a boring blogg so sorryy about that. Cu

My wish for today is.....

I wish I could be the smartest personal in the world....

What a day...
I so wish I could understand the program I'm working with in my college course called Csound. I was doing really well. The potential for what this application can do is wonderful. I would give my right arm to be able to write code to the point that I could use it to write melodies. I came away from my class today with such a disheartened feeling. I'm a musical genious for gods sake, SO why can't I get my head around the code quicker. I felt really good last night...am I mean really good. As I'd been playing around with it on my laptop and had been scouring the boards for answers and trawling around the Csound home site.I played around with it till gone 130am this morning.
In class I managed to get through some of the work we were set out to complete. But I got lost half way and started to loose my confidence. I have had for many years a low self esteem that sometimes crops up from time to time. Today however I got myself into a panic which turned into a full blown panic attack. For those that have either yet to feel what thats like or who don't know....a panic attack (at least the ones I get) are like....your heart feels like it's racing over time...your face feels like it's getting hotter and hotter and theres an almost overwhelming feeling of desperation that can bring some to tears. A year ago I would have done the right thing which is what I was always told to do, and that it to leave the walls of the situation if it's a room and go out into fresh air or at least sit down with a coffee or tea. But I chose not to do that today. I've not had a panic attack like that for some time. Sometimes I get the start of one when around lots of people and do my best to fight it. But today I sat trying to hide away..keeping myself to myself and deep breathing. Boy did I feel horrible. I think today was hard to deal with anyway because I didn't sleep well last night and when tired I always seem to get a little stressed out anyway. I guess unless you actually suffer with panic attacks it's hard to empathise or perhaps even rationalise what they are actually about.

Bus journeys SUCK

Just got into college.Boring bus ride from home as I got carried away with dreamweaver and didnt leave myself enough time to copy over any video or music from PC to PPC. I hate it when that happens. Im not a fan of buses as theyre so awful. People on the whole are usually nice enough. But then u always get the odd smelly one with nasty body oddor or then theres the idiot on the phone with the default Nokia. Its ALWAYS a Nokia. Talking so damn loud trying to either act over the top cool...show off generally not realising how much everyone else wants them to get off at the next stop or at least for their battery to die. Then theres the two people as a default pain on evry bus journey whom insist on talking about something so trivial and so loud that they become an instant laugh a minute.These types are funny as its only them who seem unaware or are too stupid to realise that everyone is laughing at them.
Changing the subject for a minute...isnt it getting colder in the morningsd now.I dont mind the cold but I guess like everyone else I enjoy the summer months more.
I guess Id better go soon as its nearly 9am and lessons will start soon. I just hope that the morning till 1pm goes really quick as I HATE Monday mornings and as well as that..I have a load of things that I have to sort out that are at the forefront of my mind.

Bye bye for now Blogg

WhatEVER

Well...
I have been trying to get my script to work for allowing my webcam to be hard linked directly from home to my site but alas to no avail. Spent a loooonggg time Sunday going through tutorials etc both online and in books. Locally the code worked so I am wondering if activex and J can't be used and uploaded to the server with actual video streams. Oh well looks like I will have to try and find another way. I had thought I cold use flash and create a new instance of a media controller etc but I have to admint that without a bit more reading this stumps the heck out of me. I just could't get anything to work.
So I have reset my cam links to the original ww.com webcam EASYYYYYY LIFEEEE pages. This is really for when on the fly one wants nothing more than have a live local camera uploaded to a single webpage. Its not very pretty or customizable but it DOES work and is free. So I must not grumble. That IS when the flippin server allows me to connect. Have checked setting over and over and over. Even my PDA ftp wont work...grrrrrr I cant remember when something has annoyed me so damn much because of such a stupid problem.




Besides all the hastles..on a happily positive and somewhat "HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO MYSELF sort of "HAVE A PREZZIE FROM ME TO ME" kind of way..I've just spent a little money I'd been saving for the past 2months as well as adding some cash from my emergency fun..I've swapped my WIFI setup for the latest and greatest 108mbps 11g Cable and Wireless modem router. ...Boy is it fast....

It'a juat a pitty BT B.S'ed about the fact that my service was now 2Mbps as that would have been nice for normal use. But anyway even though its 100 (I've tested it and its actually wired at 154Mbps) It still means its fast enough for caming family and friends when I want to chat and is fast enough all round for what I nead...(WHO AM I KIDDING...I WANT 2MBPS AS I WAS PROMICED...!!!!)
It took a little setting up and is once again down to the usual ip address/web based interface controller for settup. I know it's still a local setup but it's not as friendly and as well thought out as the Linksys router settup window. But one thing I did find a joy was how quick it accepted the new settings. The only point I HATE is that if you need to change anything you need to reconnected via hard wire as trying to access the setup ip was not possible via a wireless point. This is a real shame as Linksys was always available and even allowed me to use my PDA cell phone to do the business. And that was without any waiting time too. But the new C&W box starts to load and then stops. The only thing I can think of is that it needs a static IP address fromt the host machine to allow accessing. Failing that I have no idea. Although I also found out that I am unable to hook up to the college server to upload new dreamweaver work if I use my wireless setup. So maybe it is a case of static IP.
I digress.

Yesterday, I have to say I got so fed up with the neighbours. I don't know who it is in this place but someone yesterday had music so loud I had to put myself in a state of total calm else I may have gone along and followed the thoughts in my head which could have caused problems all round. I wanted soooo much to put my studio monitor speaks face down on the floor..link the laptop and loop some string samples through. This may sound ODD as some people I know who arent a million miles away from my thoughts these days and female would have jumped up and down on the floor or better still gone round and told whoever it was to TURN IT DOWN....


Well lets just say that my next step would have been to have turned the mixer on max, whacked the reverb and boost on full and gone out for the day. But..I guess I am just to much of a decent chap. Either that or just plain stupid.



If only a new neighbour could move in
and perhaps look a little like this

What else have I been up too....(mmMmm).....thinks....

Ah yes !...I have been looking into one of the assignments for my course and even managed to more or less do the majority of the ground work already. This is amaizing and is a sure sign that I am pretty much getting back to the person I was a couple of years ago when all that mattered was reaching my goals in life.

Right at this moment its not even 6am but I've been awake since 4am and have been unable to sleep right through. Lets just say that I am having to add extra pages to my Journal book these days as I write so much.

10 minutes early...

Well...I got in early today. Pretty cool going actaully as I bumped into an old friend who several years ago during my first ever years study on my first media course, taught me about the basics of writng HTML using a simple notepad. The guy was a lot younger than me and helped me loads at understanding several of the basics and ended up giving me the inspiration to put together a simple site that I managed to compile completely with (I kid you not) with a Sharp hand held computer HC2000 or something similar.
Anyway....he's just told me that he is off to University real soon as he got six (*6) distinction marks across the board for his studies so is obviously heading in the right direction to a good career.
I just hope that all this studying over the top that I've been doing and all the extra book reading I am presently doing will give me the options that I want.....I intend to become a Journalist somewhere along the line. Hopefully because of my Musical background and similar I can get into music journalism. I want to work from home to begin with and be in a position to be able to look after my daughter. Now that would be really worth working towards.

Failing that, then perhaps a freelance music critic...
A nice house in the counrty and the 4 x 4 Renegade jeep that I have always longed for would be great. Oh yes and a couple of Alsation dogs.

Todays wish...simply that some people realise that when you live in flats, others can here your music too..especially when IT'S loud.! ! ! ! ! !...

Good morning Diary..
It's pretty early as per usual. 543am actually. I've been awake for a little while working on a piece of music that I wrote last year and am still trying to find the lyrics for. I bought some headphones the other week and have found them invaluable...I can obviously play piano without waking anyone up. Things change when you not only have a child but become the childs main focus and keeper. If I was to play during normal hours my daughter would want to sit on my lap and play keyboards too. When she's older I'll start teaching her properly but at the moment she has a habbit of messing around with the PB/Mod controller and has been known to reset the board completely. Yes it's fun to watch her learn as she goes..seeing through trial and error what does what...BUT NOT WHEN YOU'VE GOT A 28 TRACK FINISHED SEQUENCE READY TO DATA DUMP TO PC AND ALL IS SUDDENLY LOST....LOL :-) (big smiles)

Anyway....I have no worries about the speed at which she'll pick it all up as she can use the studio mixer better than I first thought. I only get to use the laptop in here on the odd occation as Sophie preferes to watch her DVD on it instead of the tv in the front room. I guess it must be because she is able to interact with it. She's really clued up and perhaps too well. I have shown her how to use the aux input if she wants to add digrev...and pan and main and channel volumes. Okay so she doesn't always turn it to the right levels. But she still amazes me being that she'll be three in January.

I am going to digress now as my stupid intensional alarm wav sound with the R2D2 revolving whistle has just reminded me of why I sitting infront of this thing in the first place....write my notes for todays lesson. AHHHHHHHHHHHH I'd almost left myself without any time to do it.

Catch you later ta ta
Oh yeah....the picture is "Clock Explosion by Salvador Dali" I put it there as it's my fav and because it's better than no picture at all...and it brightens up the blog.....he he he

Todays wish is that I get the chance to put a band together and play at Digbys bar...??

Dear Blog...

My lovely 3yr old daughter awoke at 315am this morning. I'd be up a bit before that to work on my website which is coming along gradually. Sophie just wanted cuddles....then toast.....then asked me to put tom and jerry on the laptop....then.....
Anyway....by the time I put the toast in the toaster and had pushed play on the B.S.Player all I heard was snoring...LOL
I'd been really quiet in the office/my bedroom so it was another one of those bad dreams shes been having I think.

Come nine oclock this morning and we were both awake watching tv. I'd managed to sort her breakfast....and get her ready for my parents who had promised to take her to Colchester zoo today. They left at about 915am which meant I had a good day to myself which I had no intension of wasting watching DVD or playing in the studio. So I spent most of this morning working the java code for loading the webcam directly through my wifi and stream it to the server...(something like that.)
The point is, is that I want to leave the camera running without it becoming a problem for bandwidth or for that matter a security risk for my setup. I think I've nearly sorted it thanks to getting the channels sorted and the port protocols for my Linksys which didn't like having my backdoor open for a while whilst I set it up.
I have a bad feeling that it'll give me more than the odd headache before I actually feel happy with it and the cam settings. Fingers Crossed.

I worked with Dreamweaver on the off site links earlier within my index page. I intend to host my block on my own server at home if I can sort it out somehow. I don't want to have to use any external links if I can help it. Obviously the links page which speaks for itself will have to be left as it is.

I'm pretty excited as I received news today .... that one of my friends whom I hung out with last summer has spoken with a mutual friend and is wanting to launch some kind of regular recording work with me. This is doubly great as not only does she play guitar AND is a wicked singer but it may hopefully lead to putting a new band project together that I've been giving serious thought to.
A few years ago I used to write for a band who used to record at a studio called LimeLite which was in Battersea London. It's a real shame it closed as the Engineer and Producer/Owner was a great guy who tried to help me launch my own music career back in the early nineties. Rick sylvan if your reading this (unlikely...?) get in touch.
I learned a great deal about music production etc and would love to get back into writing. I intend to put up some of my new material at some point when there's time. I have to get my college work up to date first but it'll be great to get some stuff put up online and allow friends etc to hear what I'm really about. I digress on this subject as I am starting to reminisce a little too much of the past.

My studio at home...



Anyway...I better go and get this site looking a bit better as my head graphic is a little iffy to say the least. Does anyone know the script to allow for mouse trails. I want to add a little something special to the site.
Before I go....I must say a quick hello to a certain someone who came up and sat with me the other day.I was sitting there and a really nice voice simply said "Nick" I won't say where or anything. She knows who she is. I just wanted to say hi and to tell you that you really made my day as it wasn't going too well. Oh...and sorry I couldnt come out with you guys for the night out. I will next time you can count on it.

Bye bye for now

If only....

Well...it's just coming up to 8:00am on Wednesday 9th of November and I've been wide awake since 5:15am. I can honestly say here and now that I have not worked so hard in all my life.
What I mean by that is that I have been creating my web based portfolio that I fell a little behind on. It's quite good fun and quite interesting actually which I hear myself saying and am quite suprised. Macromedia sucked a few weeks ago and I could have thrown my laptop and PDA at the wall at the best of times.
I guess there's a great deal of my background and growing up years that have stayed with me in a negative way which leads to my sometimes being both a little hard on myself, and sometimes feeling like giving up before going anywhere.
But recently having put the hard work and time/effort into things. I have found out what a buzz learning to use certain software can have of your sense of wellbeing. It's great to know that once the webcam is actually off the ground and set up 100% as I want it. I'll be able to not only allow peep to see me...(yuck) but also that the family I have around the globe from Africa...USA...Paris and so on will all be able to keep intouch. I am looking forward to using video chat with my brother Tony who lives with his family outside Paris. He's a legal eagle and is in charge of looking after the welfare of children whom are deemed as wards of court. I guess you could say he's a sort of social worker but with rather a lot more power of authority.
Anyway.....Better go now as things to do....

Besides which, Sophie my daughter comes home today and I wont get much time to do much then.


To end this blog and because I love it so much...heres a picture of my favorite item that I would'nt want to be without.

If I were ever to be shipwrecked or be involved in a "LOST" scenario then I guess you could say that THIS is what I would bring with me


Oh...the picture at the top.....(yes I could have edited it and moved it to a more respectable spot) is the first actual portable computer I treated myself to when I was writing music for a living. It served me well and connected to a my first portable Cannon printer...it did all I needed it too. Even when I was staying on the Sea Land platform out at sea 7 miles due east from Harwich. I was under music guidance and management from a friend who ran the security on it. I still have some stamps from when I met the owner Sir Roy Bates OBE. I was supposed to write a song for sealands national anthem but never managed to finish it. I will be posting some photocopies of the passport and stamps when I get time. Some people will know the significance of what I am talking about but some will need to research it a bit. Anywy.....bye bye for now