24Randomthoughts.com

How To Be A Surgeon, No Training Required

Jamie — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:37:15 +0000

Last night under the guise of espradio I attended a Social Media Surgery run by Nick Booth, aka Podnosh at the studio. I was down there to interview for a feature that I run on ESPRadio called conversation with people that I find interesting (I will agree that the name needs some work but its getting there), which will broadcast in this Thursday show. Not missing an opportunity I asked to help out with a lady named Jean and what she could with Posterous and Facebook to make communication with tenants and members across the housing association that she looks after. Being familiar with email and an understand of facebook I walked through how you could link the two together so that you could write a single announcement send it once and have it everyone.

Once we had gone through the possibilities she could see how much time and effort these could save her and was so pleased to have this tool to make communication so much more effective. If there is anyone out there who's interested in helping out (and I won't lie you get a really good feeling helping someone else and seeing the spark of possibilities in their eyes) you don't need any formal training just know who to use social media and are prepared to help

Posted via email from jamiegarner’s posterous

Could This Be The Best Product Name Ever?

Jamie — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:17:53 +0000

Comments below please

Posted via email from jamiegarner’s posterous

Hilton Stansted

Jamie — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:08:39 +0000

So currently, I'm working on Faux marble table, eating an over priced club sandwich after a £10 for wi-fi access, in the Stansted Hilton.

I can't work out I just expected more from a brand Hilton, free internet access would be one £11 for a club sandwich is when it starts taking the piss. As I look around this hotel California, it all just feels a little soulless. Soulless and over priced which is even worse.

Its made think, if I was designing a hotel what would want it, how would I liked it to work. Free wi-fi access has to be the first thing that needs to be available hotel wide. If such excellent places as Urban Coffee Co can do it, why must companies like Hilton charge crazy prices for it? Free on demand films in the rooms. Co working areas with printers. Food or at least a 24hour food place within the hotel or at least that's not overpriced.

Can I be the only one who thinks that this?

Posted via email from jamiegarner’s posterous

The Jekyll & Hyde

Jamie — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 08:28:58 +0000

On Friday night there was a tweetup at The Jekyll & Hyde bar in Birmingham, a fantastic little place off Steelhouse lane. It has been a while since I'd seen everyone and decided that I could do with a night out so I headed on over. I had a brilliant time catching up with Nat, Julia, Nick, Michael, Danny, Neil, Alex, Alan et al and meeting lots of new people (Jay in particular).

What was so great about they Jekyll and Hyde is that its also a gin parlour and a cocktail bar, they do some amazing drinks including a Negroni and the drink of choice of the night, summer in glass called an Armistice both Gin based cocktails. Consumed by hunger (or thirst) for more gin based cocktails Neil then went to the bar and produced a teapot cocktail of Hendricks gin (see photo below), jam and other things that I don't remember. After this I don't really remember much but all I know is that I had a damned good time and would like to say hi and thanks to everyone for making it such a great night.

Quote of the night by myself: "I'm having a great time but I can't feel my face!"

Photos from the superb KCanard flickr stream

Posted via email from jamiegarner’s posterous

Aero and Windows 7 Tip

Jamie — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 13:46:17 +0000

A quick tip regarding aero and Windows7, if for some unknown reason Aero stops working and when you try and fix it, the message displayed talks about Mirror Drivers you may start pulling out your hair.

Let me explain Mirror Drivers, are display drivers installed when you usually install some sort of remote access software (like logmein in my case), these mirror drivers are what help you see things remotely. In the process of installing these drivers (which is done automatically) it can disable aero. If this is the case you just uninstall the driver and it restart your machine.

You can remove the drives by going to System/Device Manage from the control panel and expanding Display Drivers adapters.

Posted via email from jamiegarner’s posterous

Another fine ESP Radio Show 11/02/10

Jamie — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 10:00:58 +0000

Thursday saw another fine ESP Radio show, covering the Oscars, Razzies, Ebook, Mass Effect 2, and much much more. Always you find the show notes on our blog and use this direct link to listen again or the awesome Rhubarb Radio box below (if you’re reading this on my blog).

Thanks and enjoy the show

So, its been a while

Jamie — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 09:08:10 +0000

Blimey, its been a while.

I suppose biggest thing that has happened is that the NHS hav extended my contract (WOOT!). It was set to expire at the end of March but after asking they have extended by another 3 months till June which is great to have a constant pay cheque coming through for a few more months. Its taken a while but its turned out that I'm an ASP.Net developer for the NHS. Using VB.Net I'm building an internal web app which process Termination, Change of Circumstances and New Starters for people at the NHS. After initally tests we have gone (in some cases) from a 6 week leadtime to 6 days, which is a huge cost saving. Developing in ASP doesn't come easy but I'm learning an awful lot and gaining loads of experience which is all good for the CV.

I bought a new laptop the other Acer 4Gb Dual-Core piece of kit which I am using for development. Its running Windows 7 and while its weird trying to get used to Windows again, on the whole Windows 7 is good, I do however have two major gripes. The first is that ISO's aren't suported as standard, why? There is no good reason for this considering how cheapr storage is and also how people download software, come Microsoft bring into this century. The other fact is that I upgrade the laptop to Windows 7 Professional 64Bit, this came with a lovely surprise of not detecting the NAS(MyBookWorld), turns out its an issue to do with the NAS and Windows! This resulted in me having to reformat and reinstall everything to the factory default so the NAS could be detected, WTF!

Katie and I discovered also discovered a Roller Disco which happens every month at the Tower Ballrooms in Edgbaston, we went across to see what it was lie. 500 people turned up, there were queues out the door and sadly they ran out of skates But we did get to watch people getting drunk and fall over, looks like the next one time I will have to bring out my roller blades that bought in uni.

I think that wraps it up in 3 paragraphs

Posted via email from jamiegarner’s posterous

A Night At The Bostin Pie Factory

Jamie — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 12:16:17 +0000

So last night (Saturday 30th Jan 2010) I went to Mad O’Roukes Bostin Pie Factory, with Gez (my father in law) and Rosie (my sister in law). Katie and Ange were off having a girls night with Katie’s auntie Sara celebrating her birthday. I’d never been to the pie factory but had driven past it loads of time and had always wondered what it was like. I had heard of such stories of saw dust on the floor and desperate Dan cow pies, I was quite dubious about what to expect when I went in. I have to stay that it lived up to everything I though it would be, in a good way though. The food was exceptional and as you can tell from the photos big (I had the sharing plater and the Desperate Dan cow pie. If thats not you boat you can get a mixed grill on a shovel!), as soon as I came home after drinking a flagon of red wine (if anyone ever offers you a flagon of red wine just say no, it’ll never end well) I had pie on the brain! So if you are in the mood for a great slice of Black Country (I know bad pun) go to Mad O’Roukes it was brilliant. They even have saw dust on the floor.

Posted via email from jamiegarner’s posterous

ESPRadio 28/01/10

Jamie — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:33:59 +0000

Another fine ESPRadio show use the listen again button below or follow the direct link. For full show notes check the website.

This show we talk about the iPad, a Lost special report, MAG and Mass Effect 2. Oh and some excellent tunes

A Brand New ESPRadio

Jamie — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 16:36:17 +0000

Its a new year and that means a new ESP Radio Show. Talking about this years (well at least the next few months worth of) up coming games, film, tv and technology. To listen again use the link below (there is a small pause of 30 seconds about 10 mins into the listen again, where the file got corrupted so fast forward or wait for the music to come back its about a minute or so).

Use the Direct link if you can’t see the player below.