So I went out the other night with a few friends down to the not-so-local. It might not seem like a lot to some people but I appreciate going out even if it's just to the pub for a few drinks. Since my friend Mini was back in the land of Leeds for Easter (she goes to uni in Manchester) it was ideal for a bit of pub action. There were originally going to be 7 or 8 of us but unfortunately this went down to 3 due to a variety of reasons with the main one being that coursework needed doing. It was a nice warm evening ideal really so off I went to meet Mini at the prearranged meeting place nothing could go wrong right? As anyone who has been reading my rambling- slightly- incoherent- bilious- diatribe-like blog for any length of time will know things go wrong when I go out, it's seems as unavoidable as the sun rising each morning. This occasion was no different it would seem. Upon arriving in Leeds I'd walked maybe 10 metres from the bus stop where I got off and what happens? Out of nowhere a freak hailstorm appears and I spend the next 10 minutes or so being rather painfully assaulted by pieces of ice. Through half closed eyes I spy Mini waiting in an alcove waiting for the deluge to pass and the first thing she does is point an accusationary finger at me and say "You know this is your fault, something always goes wrong when you organize something" I would like to point out that all I was wearing was a t-shirt as it was a nice evening, I didn't bring my jacket or a hoodie.
Fun was had, drinks were quaffed and many a coin was put in the jukebox of doom as it is now known. Although I have to say I think the new barmaid is working in the wrong pub really as she had no idea who the Stone Roses were!?worse than that though she turned down the volume on the jukebox of doom right in the middle of Chimaira's "Worthless" which my friend Johnny was singing along to in a somewhat drunken manner. Surely this is a heinous act for someone working in a pub slap bang in the middle of the indigenous student population of Leeds.
The first of many uses of the search function on the jukebox of doom by Mini, most would result in her shouting "gay!" as there were no songs to be found.
Warning alcohol can severely affect your photography skills kids.
In other news I bumped into a friend I hadn't seen in a while when I was in Leeds the other day looking at all the overpriced cds in HMV and we had a bit of a deep conversation. He told me that he was currently balancing playing with his band and going to uni to do music. Which he said he was only doing "incase I have some tragic accident and lose my arm and can no longer play my guitar I'll be able to teach music". He pointed out the fact that I should do something I want to be doing with my time and not do a job I dislike more and more as time goes by (he has particular insight into this since he used to work there too). He suggested that maybe I should look into music journalism since I like music, I'm quite knowledgeable and have a brain. So I thought you know what? He's right so I'm trying to sort something out. Even if it's just something to do alongside my brain rotting day job. Ideally I'd want to do something for a website. If anyone has any advice, suggestions or comments they'd be appreciated. If anyone wants me to do something for them just for the experience then just send me a message 'cause I'm open to ideas.
So with this in mind I did some searching around on the net and found this:
British College of Journalism.
Which I thought would be ideal really since I could stave off the brain rotting effects of my job by actually using my brain for something at home. Then I started to see the cracks in the rather unprofessional looking website. So I informed them of my interest in their course and was sent their prospectus which is impressive on an aesthetic level but it doesn't actually state anywhere what qualification you gain from the course so I sent them an e-mail asking about it and this is a quote from their reply:
The Academy is approved with theInternational Accreditation & Recognition Council. IARC works with participating institutions across the world including the United States, the UK, Europe, Asia and Australasia. This approval brings recognition of the Academy having met criteria in the areas of administration, course content, course delivery and student assessment. The Course is also recognized throughout the industry as providing appropriate training for the field of professional freelance journalism. In fact, many of Australia's leading freelance journalists are contributors to the Course. We have not sought local accreditation for this Course as it is not appropriate to a short, distance learning course which is marketed world-wide. We have looked closely at VETAB accreditation but it doesn't mean a great deal to our many international students. Also this is essentially a creative course and, as such, we found some of the VETAB stipulations restrictive to our desired learning outcomes .
I maybe wrong but this just seems like a rather wordy way of saying no to my original question of whether you gain a recognised qualification. Since I'm not Gillian Mckeith I'm not really wanting to waste time on a diploma that isn't recognised just so I can try and blag it later on.
Speaking of Gillian Mckeith this made me laugh when I read it, it just goes to prove it never pays to pretend to know what you're on about when you're on the tv (far too much) and writing books too.
Since it's starting to flow I thought I'd share some rather amusing news regarding corporate shenanigans at my delightful place of work. Over the last week or so lots of signs have popped up around the place with following slogan proudly emblazoned on them:
Same price as Tesco
Now it may be that I'm just a little cynical but I don't really understand how saying your merchandise is the same price as somewhere else is supposed to be a credible marketing strategem? Even more bemusing than that is the plain fact that everything that doesn't have one of those signs on it is not the same price as Tesco so in effect what they're actually saying is:
Same price as Tesco but all that other stuff over there is actually more expensive so actually why don't you just go to Tesco and save a few quid, every little helps
Another big thing that's taking off at work is the new "Feed you family for a fiver" campaign. This is apparently to help "low income" families have good family meals which is a commendable cause I think you'll agree. However where the problem lies is that half of the recipes for the meals in question actually require "things from your cupboard" that is to say things that you need to make them but they aren't included in the list of ingredients you need to buy because if they were then it would be over 5. When you work where I do you see this sort of stuff all the time.
Another source of bemusement is the "wheel of health" which is present on all the own brand foods in the store. It's supposed to show the amount of fat, sugar etc. in products. Which is again a good idea, I'm by no means a health freak but I do check what I buy usually. The problem with this is the percentage amounts stated on the packaging are never for the whole item a few examples are:
A cake which says it contains x calories per slice even though the cake isnt sliced (how do they work that out?).
Ready meals which say "half this ready meal contains" who eats half a ready meal?
A cynical person may construe that this is an attempt to confuse people into thinking food is healthier than it actually is but I'd never imply that.
In other work related news me and the new girl seem to get on a little too well despite us having pretty much nothing in common when it comes to music, films or anything else really. She told me the other day that the reason she didnt attend our little gathering was she doesnt trust herself to be with me outside of work! Which is a first I have to say. I seem to be the go- to guy for relationship traumas and advice from what I can gather. Alongside being the sounding board for all her relationship woes Im dealing with my friend Ds problems too. He was explaining how him and Mrs were having sex all the time but he wasnt enjoying it. I suggested that maybe they were acting under the impression that it was what the other wanted without actually finding out whether this was the case. Theyve been together for a while and are a great couple so it surprised me a bit when he came up to me and just said Have you got a minute with this serious look on his face. Maybe should start calling myself Dr Phil or something.
A friend sent me these the other day and it bemused me a little one is a piece of art by the rather excellent I may say Royo and the other is some fake porn pic he found somehow.
Fun was had, drinks were quaffed and many a coin was put in the jukebox of doom as it is now known. Although I have to say I think the new barmaid is working in the wrong pub really as she had no idea who the Stone Roses were!?worse than that though she turned down the volume on the jukebox of doom right in the middle of Chimaira's "Worthless" which my friend Johnny was singing along to in a somewhat drunken manner. Surely this is a heinous act for someone working in a pub slap bang in the middle of the indigenous student population of Leeds.
The first of many uses of the search function on the jukebox of doom by Mini, most would result in her shouting "gay!" as there were no songs to be found.
Warning alcohol can severely affect your photography skills kids.
In other news I bumped into a friend I hadn't seen in a while when I was in Leeds the other day looking at all the overpriced cds in HMV and we had a bit of a deep conversation. He told me that he was currently balancing playing with his band and going to uni to do music. Which he said he was only doing "incase I have some tragic accident and lose my arm and can no longer play my guitar I'll be able to teach music". He pointed out the fact that I should do something I want to be doing with my time and not do a job I dislike more and more as time goes by (he has particular insight into this since he used to work there too). He suggested that maybe I should look into music journalism since I like music, I'm quite knowledgeable and have a brain. So I thought you know what? He's right so I'm trying to sort something out. Even if it's just something to do alongside my brain rotting day job. Ideally I'd want to do something for a website. If anyone has any advice, suggestions or comments they'd be appreciated. If anyone wants me to do something for them just for the experience then just send me a message 'cause I'm open to ideas.
So with this in mind I did some searching around on the net and found this:
British College of Journalism.
Which I thought would be ideal really since I could stave off the brain rotting effects of my job by actually using my brain for something at home. Then I started to see the cracks in the rather unprofessional looking website. So I informed them of my interest in their course and was sent their prospectus which is impressive on an aesthetic level but it doesn't actually state anywhere what qualification you gain from the course so I sent them an e-mail asking about it and this is a quote from their reply:
The Academy is approved with theInternational Accreditation & Recognition Council. IARC works with participating institutions across the world including the United States, the UK, Europe, Asia and Australasia. This approval brings recognition of the Academy having met criteria in the areas of administration, course content, course delivery and student assessment. The Course is also recognized throughout the industry as providing appropriate training for the field of professional freelance journalism. In fact, many of Australia's leading freelance journalists are contributors to the Course. We have not sought local accreditation for this Course as it is not appropriate to a short, distance learning course which is marketed world-wide. We have looked closely at VETAB accreditation but it doesn't mean a great deal to our many international students. Also this is essentially a creative course and, as such, we found some of the VETAB stipulations restrictive to our desired learning outcomes .
I maybe wrong but this just seems like a rather wordy way of saying no to my original question of whether you gain a recognised qualification. Since I'm not Gillian Mckeith I'm not really wanting to waste time on a diploma that isn't recognised just so I can try and blag it later on.
Speaking of Gillian Mckeith this made me laugh when I read it, it just goes to prove it never pays to pretend to know what you're on about when you're on the tv (far too much) and writing books too.
Since it's starting to flow I thought I'd share some rather amusing news regarding corporate shenanigans at my delightful place of work. Over the last week or so lots of signs have popped up around the place with following slogan proudly emblazoned on them:
Same price as Tesco
Now it may be that I'm just a little cynical but I don't really understand how saying your merchandise is the same price as somewhere else is supposed to be a credible marketing strategem? Even more bemusing than that is the plain fact that everything that doesn't have one of those signs on it is not the same price as Tesco so in effect what they're actually saying is:
Same price as Tesco but all that other stuff over there is actually more expensive so actually why don't you just go to Tesco and save a few quid, every little helps
Another big thing that's taking off at work is the new "Feed you family for a fiver" campaign. This is apparently to help "low income" families have good family meals which is a commendable cause I think you'll agree. However where the problem lies is that half of the recipes for the meals in question actually require "things from your cupboard" that is to say things that you need to make them but they aren't included in the list of ingredients you need to buy because if they were then it would be over 5. When you work where I do you see this sort of stuff all the time.
Another source of bemusement is the "wheel of health" which is present on all the own brand foods in the store. It's supposed to show the amount of fat, sugar etc. in products. Which is again a good idea, I'm by no means a health freak but I do check what I buy usually. The problem with this is the percentage amounts stated on the packaging are never for the whole item a few examples are:
A cake which says it contains x calories per slice even though the cake isnt sliced (how do they work that out?).
Ready meals which say "half this ready meal contains" who eats half a ready meal?
A cynical person may construe that this is an attempt to confuse people into thinking food is healthier than it actually is but I'd never imply that.
In other work related news me and the new girl seem to get on a little too well despite us having pretty much nothing in common when it comes to music, films or anything else really. She told me the other day that the reason she didnt attend our little gathering was she doesnt trust herself to be with me outside of work! Which is a first I have to say. I seem to be the go- to guy for relationship traumas and advice from what I can gather. Alongside being the sounding board for all her relationship woes Im dealing with my friend Ds problems too. He was explaining how him and Mrs were having sex all the time but he wasnt enjoying it. I suggested that maybe they were acting under the impression that it was what the other wanted without actually finding out whether this was the case. Theyve been together for a while and are a great couple so it surprised me a bit when he came up to me and just said Have you got a minute with this serious look on his face. Maybe should start calling myself Dr Phil or something.
A friend sent me these the other day and it bemused me a little one is a piece of art by the rather excellent I may say Royo and the other is some fake porn pic he found somehow.
sounds like you have my kind of luck
You already write great reviews.
Heck, it doesn't even have to be music, you write really well period.
We have a Nutrition Facts label that's mandatory on all food here. But you have to watch the serving size. One example is a can of iced tea. The can is 500-and-something mL, but apparently I'm supposed to only drink 200 mL at a time. I just can't imagine that I'm the only one buying this product and actually consuming the entire thing at once.
This girl at work - she's given you an opening to ask her out.
Don't worry that you have different tastes in music, movies and such.