Corrosive Shame

Pleasure...

2009-12-18T14:54:55Z

... is not getting up early, spending £70 on travel, in order to resit a couple of crappy aptitude tests you did for the same organisation a couple of years ago - but they can't find evidence of the results.

Who am I?

2009-12-12T23:42:09Z

Don't Panic! This is not another emo-introverted post. I've put that behind me for a bit at least.

I was looking at my LJ interests list and wondered how much it actually reflects me as a person. Of course it was never meant to be scientfic and equally was always designed to be public - both of which together destroy any real value.

However it did prompt me to look at the authors I like, the music I listen to and the movies I watch. What better way to work this out than looking at my online data trail. Play.com has just reminded me of all the DVDs I've bought in the last few years and Amazon has ten years of my online shopping there for me to see.

What I did notice were some wonderful trends and reminders of gifts - the odd book or two carefully chosen and posted to a 'special person' or bought for a birthday. It's like a little capitalist blog celebration.

Now, if I'd I'd written down all the films I've enjoyed at the cinema this year. Hmmm. A lot of them are, unfortunately, recorded in someone elses blog I can no longer read. Note to self - keep your own data in future if you think it might be interesting.

Exams & Coffee

2009-06-25T15:55:30Z

I have finished my exams. I am currently eating too many bananas and drinking too much coffee.

I know that I am drinking too much coffee because of two things I did in my exam this morning.

The first was to say 'Economists who believe in the accuracy of models should give up now and teach high school physics or write Science Fiction. For one of the few examples of models working read Isaac Asimov's Foundation books."

The second was to explain strange attractors in complex market systems using a line drawing of two houses separated by a hill with a car on it.

Either it'll be marked by a man with a sense of humour. Or not.

Now 4 days off before London.

Mmm. Sleep. Better than Seabound or Malcolm Gladwell.

Anyone still reading this shit?

Oh, and having lost my N95 I am now debating between an iPhone and an E75. The N97 has been written off as too much. If only O2's tethering plan wasn't absolutely dreadful the decision would be easy. My current dumbphone has no numbers or email and it hurts.

If you'd like me to have your phone number or help with my address book please fill in :

View Poll: Contact Details

My name is Simon and I used to be a blogger.

2009-03-09T14:25:47Z

My name is Simon and I used to be a blogger.

I’m sure everyone has half-finished projects – and the internet does a great job of reminding me of this. There are long-neglected websites, blogs and journals that come close to haunting me and reminding me of my own inadequacies.

But all is not lost. There’s so much going on to be happy, or even excited about in my life right now. I’ve a lot of other people to thank for it and I can hope that with massive change coming up that they will all be there, continuing to be wonderful.

Nothing is as liberating as quitting your job. I wasn’t unhappy in Nottingham particularly – but the promise and picture I’d created in my head wasn’t delivering. It would have been so easy to concentrate on the positives – like the colleagues and the addictive national stage. Ultimately I had a choice to accept it and play the game better, or do something rash, impulsive, expensive and arguably risky. Not like me at all – but perhaps how I want to be?

Numbers are flashing before my eyes. I blink and I’ve missed another week. Not to mention the digits inexorably decreasing in my bank account. But heh – can’t be buried with it – and it’s not worth a lot sitting in the bank.

One thing I’ve not seen a lot of this year is snow. Normally at this time I’d be full of the joys of winter. Not this year. Whilst all around me are careering down mountains I’ve been working harder than I have in years. I don’t particularly expect or deserve sympathy on this. But believe me when I say I’ve done more work in a single term than I did in the entire three years of my undergraduate. Mind you, that wouldn’t have been difficult.

Essay writing has been interesting. Last night my head was afire with ideas after working all weekend. Of course the coffee may have helped! Maybe I should join the massed ranks of underpaid academics. At least one of my lecturers agrees if an unambiguous question on my interest in a PhD is to be believed. Of course she went quiet when I mentioned funding.

The main thing I am missing at the moment is my camera. They are both hidden away in bags – for fear that the unblinking eye will stare and guilt at me. I’ve not spent the time on it. I’ve not dealt with my backlog. I’ve not updated my website. I spent my last planned weekend away taking photos wrestling with EBSCO and JSTOR. Not quite the same level of photographic indulgence. I have plans of course, though my confidence in my ability to deliver has been slightly dented.

Odyssey looks more likely. Working on it is both a joy and a pain. It is fascinating to be in the company, however virtual, with such a range of people. Sometimes I feel the majority of the weight of the project is on my shoulders. And there’s probably a reason for that. It is a wonderful opportunity though – and I think of the prize.

Change is coming. Flush from the success of the last impulsive decision I risk being in freefall. Sod moving my cheese – it seems to have dropped out of a high-flying aircraft and has reached terminal velocity. It looks like I’ll be in London over the summer. Beyond that? I don’t know. I need a job. I’m hungry for opportunity and that might mean the big smoke. There are a number of seductive elements to the place but Birmingham isn’t without its charms.

Which brings me onto Love. Not a word I know how to use particularly well. But I’m learning. To say I’ve been reminded what it’s about is an understatement – both giving and receiving.

I think that’s enough for now. See you in another year.

kneeshooter @ 2008-12-27T16:14:00

2008-12-27T16:37:00Z

Still alive. Enjoying Switzerland. Home in a couple of weeks. Too busy even to read LJ. Hope everyone is well.

Love me x

kneeshooter @ 2008-11-17T15:46:00

2008-11-17T15:48:19Z

See, I'm getting back into the habit...

Friday was good fun but had tiny numbers of people turn up. In the end they closed around 12:30 by which point there were only 5 paying punters in the club.

Saturday had more people but crap music.

Can't win eh!

I am not here

2008-11-06T20:29:11Z

However, to celebrate being 'older-than-I-care-to-count' I will be at Cyberpolis on Friday 14th then will probably crash someone else's party on Saturday to end up at 'New-Eddies'.

Be lovely to see many people for some of it.

Jobs

2008-07-07T17:51:24Z

Woo! I have quit. No more commuting to Nottingham*

Instead I shall be exploring "How to spend £30k I don't have on my career". Wish me luck.

* After mid-September anyway.

Weekend Pics

2008-05-26T18:33:05Z

Another day, another drive up the M42/A42/M1. I sometimes worry I am in a rut.

Not Dead Yet

2008-05-18T22:40:51Z

Things happening. Been places. Less busy now. Here are some photos from Leipzig. Not a lot. But you'll like them.

9 weeks... and Infest 2007

2008-02-11T08:11:08Z

Apparently it's 9 weeks since I posted. Ooops. If only I was having a real life that was keeping me from lurking...

Anyway, here are some pictures from last August. Shamefully I've not finished the WGT ones from last June - but my plan is to get there before I go there again this year (which might be with, might be without a camera!).

So, enjoy. There are quite a few here but you can all be impressed by the new navigation on my site if you do go through and look at the individual band pages.


VNV Nation	Soman	Painbastard

Rupesh Cartel	E.S.A.	Apoptygma Berzerk

13th Monkey	Dope Stars Inc.	Caustic

Faderhead	Synnack	Portion Control

Greyhound	The Gothsicles

I am on a train

2007-11-28T11:50:48Z

This excites me. Not because I'm on GNER (which I don't do a lot) but because it has Free WiFi. And even better than that, it seems to be working.

To be honest I've had enough of trains already though. The first of the day was the 0610 to London; this is the 1100 from London and I'll get to Hartlepool about 1530 this afternoon after seeing parts of the country I only ever heard about as rumours. Then tomorrow I sped about 4 hours getting back to Nottingham.

This is, I fear, the highlight of my day.

Especially for quondam

2007-11-25T17:57:25Z

This time next week it will have begun. All I have is 16 working days between now and the end of January.

Woo!

Cycling is good for you

2007-11-20T14:37:46Z

Another entry? I must be home-early-from-work-for-governors-meeting.

After going for a run the other week my knees were giving me trouble so I took a week off from exercise. Last night, after I promised to return berrega's spare key, I went out for a short cycle. A slight wrong turn on the way home turned it from about 10 miles to about 13, but this was good fun - until the point I had a RTA.

It wasn't much of an RTA - but some dumb woman decided to push her bicycle across a pedestrian crossing as I was shooting down it at about 25mph (with lights and paying attention having just successfully overtaken a skip). I screamed, she pulled back, I clipped her bike with my pedals. Much swearing later I have a bruise on my inner thigh from my saddle but am otherwise unharmed; and the other party skulked off after assuring me she was ok.

I'm just glad I managed to escape the pedals rather than fall over in the middle of the street with the bicycle attached.

Bloody cyclists.

Another entry? I am spoiling you...

2007-11-19T10:06:01Z

Just two more sets of photos to pimp, but in the meantime I'm going to take advantage of the fact that I'm not in work to do a bit of an update.

Firstly thanks to all for kind birthday messages. I feel very much of the age where a birthday becomes less of an event, so that people sent best wishes and came out last night to watch me fall asleep in my curry was appreciated. I get the impression from now until about 65 it's the wilderness years of increasing bitterness about lost youth and other opportunities.

The weekend itself was spent in a muddy field. Sometimes this is just shorthand for "LRP" but in this case it's true. Though "cold muddy field" would be more accurate. The advantage of modern/sci-fi LRP is that wearing layer upon layer of technical ski thermal is not only permissible, but advised. At least (with a nod to a Labyrinthe experience) the "cold moon" was represented by a "cold campsite" and very little imagination was required.

The game itself had a slow start for us, but Saturday picked up and there were lots of bits and pieces to play around with to keep us busy (or not). My fear of dancing kept me (literally) in the cold for brief periods but at least my reputation survived. Do spare a thought for poor bacony though who had to drink two bottles of port on her own, then was literally rained out of bed by a hole in the tent. One new crew member recruited and if the MIA ever do return it's going to be very cosy onboard.

After the game were brief moments of "Oh, I recognise your shape - you normally wear a big pointy mask" and "You made me a cake - and I have only just realised". Unfortunately these were in the car on the way home so I must try and be more observant in the future to avoid appearing rude. Thankfully being in an observant mood by this point meant that I was able to survive the driving snow and rain.

Sheffield tonight is off, which saves me some driving - so more chance to attempt to absorb my OU course by staring at the covers. I must take some more photographs (concluded over curry) but at least it's nearly time for skiing. At which point I'll disappear from LJ again but suspect few of you will notice!!!

Oh yes, photos under the cut from (other) LRP.

EOS - Encounter at Archway

Click for larger, as usual, but no-one ever does.

Full set at http://www.disturbing.org.uk/portfolio/portfolio-eos0710.php.

Maelstrom XV - Harvest Time

Click for larger, as usual, but no-one ever does.

Full set at http://www.disturbing.org.uk/images/lrp/pd/harvesttime/index.htm.

LotR

2007-11-09T11:11:14Z

I'm in London with work next Wednesday night and am considering going to see LotR the musical. Anyone fancy joining me?

Another useless post

2007-11-07T19:35:53Z

See - I'm back in the habit.

Yesterday I had an email from Country Music Television about this show where they'd like to use my pictures of Dee Snider.

Ooh, I thought - fame at last. Then they offer me $25 for "all rights". Even assuming that they mean "all rights relating to this use in the programme rather than "all rights on the images" this is pathetic. So, I say no. Bless her cotton socks the woman I'm talking to realises the offer is derisory but apparently that's what people will work for in Hollywood.

Fame will have to wait.

Heroes

2007-11-06T18:45:18Z

One minute I'm watching Heroes, the next - it's Watchmen.

Hmm.

[GPP] Nearly there...

2007-11-02T07:57:24Z

[GPP] Part, the next...

2007-11-01T07:14:34Z

Angelspit, Corporation, Sheffield, 7th October 2007

Full Set - Angelspit, Sheffield, October 2007

Full Set - Ayria, Sheffield, October 2007

Full Set - Ego Likeness, Sheffield, October 2007

Crash Repeat, Rooty Fruity, Birmingham, 5th October 2007

Full Set - Crash Repeat, Birmingham, October 2007

Nine Inch Nails, Academy, Birmingham, 28th August 2007

Full Set - Nine Inch Nails, Birmingham, August 2007

Le weekend

2007-10-29T06:48:15Z

Was mainly spent catching up. I've had a busy time and I've a busy time ahead of me. At least, with the exception of Infest and WGT (just small bodies of work then!) I'm up to date with photos and will be leaking them via LJ over the next week or so.

Beyond that, I think I'm back on LJ. Hello old friend. You've missed a lot. If not births and deaths there has been a marriage.

Assemblage 23, Electrowerkz, London, 19th August 2007

Full Set - Assemblage 23, London, August 2007

Full Set - Revoltution By Night, London, August 2007

Battle of the Bands, Robin 2, Bilston, 20th August 2007

Full Set - Sons of Spartacus, Bilston, August 2007

Full Set - Crash Repeat, Bilston, August 2007

Full Set - Pharaoh, Bilston, August 2007

[GPP] Nitzer Ebb, Sheffield

2007-08-05T21:53:53Z

Full Set - Nitzer Ebb, Sheffield, August 2007

Full Set - KIK, Sheffield, August 2007

Full Set - Cybercide, Sheffield, August 2007

Reasons to be cheerful #872

2007-08-02T17:45:30Z

Being away from LJ and indeed the internet, combined with the pressure of actually doing a real job for a change has a number of consequences. Today's is that my utter inability to respond promptly to the press paperwork means I might not get to Infest this year. Ooops.

So I join the ranks of the great unwashed waiting, rather hoping for either a football team and a half of cancellations or to somehow find a ticket.

Rude words have been said at myself :-/

Love/money/prints/kind words/sarcasm offered in exchange.

[GPP] Maelstrom XIV - Declaration

2007-07-27T16:48:56Z

Full set at http://www.disturbing.org.uk/images/lrp/pd/declaration/index.htm.

Click for larger, as usual, but no-one ever does.

[GPP] Grendel

2007-07-15T19:55:59Z

Hello. Not much time for news, but some time for photos. Inspired by the competition I've pulled my finger out and at least done my Photos of Grendel from WGT 2007 and their gig at the Corporation in Sheffield in June.

My quest is to do my WGT photos before Infest, then my Infest photos before WGW and so on... Fast, I am not at the moment.

Anyway, enjoy...

Full Set - Grendel, Leipzig, May 2007

Full Set - Grendel, Sheffield, May 2007