Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in Oddball's LiveJournal:

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Monday, November 16th, 2009
11:44 pm	MoVember Update Finished the Beard stage and now have a proper Mo. Please donate, have actually raised money, surprised.Money goes to Prostate Cancer and if you donate on the NZ one, also to depression. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
8:00 pm	MoVember Been a while since I posted here. I'm planning a travel blog in a while and prob not here. Growing a Moustache For Prostate cancer and depression(for the whole of November). It's called MOVEMBER. Donate in NZD(kiwi currency) here http://nz.movember.com/mospace/246428 Or in UK Pounds here http://uk.movember.com/mospace/246636 should add a photo soon (Comment on this)
Sunday, April 12th, 2009
1:09 pm	Wellington Of New Zealand I mostly keep my holiday entries private now and haven't blogged in a long time. Mostly because it takes forever to write my journal into this thing and it costs a fortune. Mostly I write it on some paper and have planned to buy a really cheap laptop for $300. Someone however pointed out I could buy a laptop or buy a skydive. Food for thought there. Speaking of food offically lent is over yesterday so i can eat Pizza again. Ta to the the_barlow for that idea, though its stopped me eating some takeaway in Wellington. Basically pizza is the best takeaway option in my area as all the decent ones are miles away on Cuba St. So sometimes I'll wanted takeaway and the alternatives were crap so I ate in because I couldn't have pizza. Anyway Wellington, the captial of New Zealand is a city bulit between a harbour and hills, has a severe problem with strong winds and is prob the best city in NZ if you like things concise space wise. Everything is basically a walk away. Houses bulit between trees, basically anywhere you can put them, the same with night spots and little holes of interest. During the day Cuba street half the street doors are open, by night the rest open up and shout noise at you that you never noticed them before. Its not the best place in the world. It can feel quite castrophic, especially if you have no money. I work the phones and sometimes the show venues for a Ticket company. Ticketek, people call me up and order tickets for things like Rugby, the opera, ballet, plays, Iron maiden, billy connelly, and for kids the Wiggles! Some Australia lot that even have thier own tomato sauce. Its a alright job, better than most backpackers get if they hate bar work, but the hours and the wages could be better. jobs are hard to get and wages poor. So I'm not as adventurous as in my first 3 mths here. I'm getting lost in what I should try and recall about New Zealand and Wellington, but basically its a beautiful place, isolated in parts and the small population shows. The towns and cities can be somewhat lacking sometimes and you miss certain things about the UK, which seems to have a more grander, wide ranged culture. But I think the people are nicer, the weather better, more of an outdoor atompshere and you can get Dominos for $7!(well i can). I live in a 8-bed hostel in a smallest and most cheapest I can find hotel. The Tv slash kitchen is pretty shit and you mingle with people as you find them. A thai invasion yesterday staving off the usual snotty German girls.Unsure whether to get a flat or do something, but money shadowing over me limiting the options. Go anywhere, see be anything, but not if you live like a King for a day. Occasional treats to the British sweet shop or complete junk food days an example. Like when I got a day off after 7 days work or when I got the job I'd do this. When I decide lent is over(its now over, but since I started late I have to decide when it really does finish) I'm going for pizza, straight to Hell! https://hellpizza.co.nz I like Wellington, I like New Zealand. I do feel they are a bit lacking in something though and I need to explore both more to find all it has to offer. The uk can be a bit negative, but is still an amazing place. You just can't get as wide or indepth culture here as home(or at least you have to look a lot harder), but you can definitly enjoy yourself, see great things and be happy here if you have the right things going on for you. Btw. There are lots of amazing events, shows bars and things in Wellington. Just incase i was putting to much of a negative spin on things. Its all gravy. Shout out to Caged Liberty. Hope the spring makes you feel good Mr Barlow. Educator of the nation Stuart - who might read this and is very tall. Enjoy the Snooker, the spoon is still safe Moriaty - The Watchman. As they say here Sweet as bro's! Eh Thats about prob all that read this shit ( Some Pics ) (Comment on this)
Wednesday, December 31st, 2008
7:38 pm	I'm in New Zealand Ooooooo $1 left on the internatty, I've not really blogged much about my holiday, well internet costs and uploading and private entries take priority. Surfice to say its good. Could be better, but its amazing to be here and good days come as welcome alternative to being at home were the bad days in NZ were the norm there. Its not long to go(about 4-5 hours), but happy new year. I'm off to get drunk. Queenstown baby, small but it trys hard. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, November 4th, 2008
3:00 pm	F1 So Lewis wins the title on the last corner. Amazing stuff and wish I'd been there to see it.Sad to see David Coultard go out on the first lap on his last race especially since his whole season and and his last 4-5 races being the same. Ending his career as he started it really though. He can be world champion as he used to say, but he never had the edge...Good on him though as he was a good driver. If he had got on better with the Mclaren bosses against Mika Hakkinen and pushed more against his teammate,then maybe.Good luck lewis, you smarmy git! (Comment on this)
Monday, October 20th, 2008
2:14 pm	New Zealand Currently In Auckland, New Zealand at the start of my lenghtly holiday and to be honest I've not done much. The hostel I'm in to be honest has great facilities and tons of people about the common areas, but the dorm is awful. I've been the only person in it for the last 3 days! To effect that I've been starved of company. I'll ask to move room or hostel tommorrow. I haven't before since I've been getting over the jet lag and time difference+plus travel eating rythm. Auckland seems nice enough, you wander about and get the sense its a beautiful city, but not quite as brilliant as you expected. Maybe needing a travel partner is effecting my judgement, but its more a case of wander and observe rather than take part because of it. It seems to have a few nooks and crannies that need explored and seems a good city,but prob not the best. I think I would enjoy living here for a short period. I think though that the things to see are outward from Auckland. I prefer best the mornings, when the pressures of finding something to do are less, the weather is easy, you are most refreshed and you search for somewhere nice to have breakfast 'n' coffee and observe what the city can offer up. Potential. I'm not a night person. off the cuff heres a something. My main pre-visiting memory of new zealand is an Amiga Computer game called the New Zealand Story. The Game is about a Kiwi chickling called Tiki who has to rescue his his Kiwi chickling friends who have been kiwi-napped by a leopard seal. The story had a really cute and refreshing touch and the gameplay was really good. Including the flying machines and bow and arrow. The plucky adorable Kiwi against the world (Comment on this)
Sunday, September 28th, 2008
7:36 pm	Gaudy Orange trousers from the Gap! Have left the building :( Rubbish trousers, but being orange(or colourful) they sometimes filled a mood or a moment, and when that happened they were brilliant! ( Post is better without this picture of some random with orange gear, but have to include for completeness ) (Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008
9:16 pm	Tour Finally finished(last week) and posted about it my university tour, which is a few photos and wandering about the uni before the new term. I'm not a student(though I still have a weeks gym membership with option to extend) now so I took them just for some memories of a great place to live and hang about in. No doubt I'll be back and since I play snooker there pretty soon tbh. Along the way on the photo tour I ... 1) Broke my camera and after looking into replacements realised that my 5200 was a brilliant camera. I'll especially miss that dial on the top that allowed me to switch modes quickly. 2) Found many old places that I had came across during uni and some new places to 3) Chatted with the QM porter and found out he lives on the roof of the QM. 4) Took a photo of an ex-flatmate without knowing that it was him. He was not amused, although was he ever. 5) Spotted a caged_liberty photograph of sweets on a poster on the outside of the library. I however liked the picture of the cat from Voltaire and Rousseau. 6) Nearly made it into the senate room, but its alright I'd been in it before. 7) Nearly sat down on the principles chair In the Bute Hall(the one he sits in when you graduate), but decided not to since I'd already sat on it while having lunch one time. 8) Discovered that they had finally replaced Max, the bearded dragon!!!!!! Fuck yeah. Max would sit in his tank outside the Zoology museum and well, not do much, but was stolen years ago. His replacements also do a great job of well, doing nothing. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3056256.stm apologies if some or old of that didn't make sense. I'm wanting to write this post quickly. Of Note is the excellent Hunterian Museum opposite the door to the Bute Hall. It has been closed for a few years and I never went in before then so it was a real surprising find. It has a small but really excellent collection of artifact and combine it with the Hunterian gallery across the road and the Zoology section in the Graham Kerr(where the bearded dragons are), then you get a great exhibition. Recommended and I'll be going again to take a proper look. PS: if anyone goes to the Zoology building can you find out the names of the new dragons? Just ask to see the dragons den. PS2: How do you get the photos to appear bigger in lj ? ( photos ) (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, September 8th, 2008
5:17 pm	Camera Today my camera died or rather I broke it.I owned a Nikon 5200 coolpix and it was one nice little camera. I decided today was the day I was going to do my Uni tour, which basically meant taking some photographs around my University. I was in the process of doing so when a wasp buzzed around my right hand which I was holding my camera with. Well, I instinctly(and having been surprised) reacted and violently waved my hand to move it away. The camera went into flight. Result one digital camera which now won't work because it has a lens malfunction. Bugger, I need a new camera (Comment on this)
Monday, August 11th, 2008
3:46 pm	Pretty good My surprise this weekend that a shift at work turned out to actually be entertaining. Four of us were plucked from sign in, then Matched half way across the stadium into an an office where we received our orders. "Heres a Celtic scarf, here's some concession tickets, keep your jackets on, you're celtic supporters and we want you to walk about outside the stadium for an hour and a half ,testing the security at the turnstiles". So there you have it, I returned to my mystery shopping days and basically the four of us walked about and went in and out the turnstiles testing security for an hour and a half in the fresh air. Brilliant! Though I did get a bit nervous incase the police at some of the turnstiles padded me down, I still had my waiters friend on me, cockscrew and knife included. On another front the war against AolSoftware after a period of bleakness took a turning point for the better. The 2nd of 2 changes they made has now come into force and while after the 1st I was forced to have their software permantly on to use the net, now I can connect with not a single file of AOL's gastly software running. Its like I've finally won the war, but untill theres a change in ISP I know that AolSoftware and the war will be back. (Comment on this)
Sunday, July 27th, 2008
4:57 pm	Will Smith. I fear you have peaked and now you head toward that super ego disease known as Tom Cruise. (Comment on this)
Monday, July 21st, 2008
9:29 am	Recently Of note recently 1) Went to T in the park to work as bar staff again. I'd forgotten how tiring the 12 hour shifts are, but I got bar 1 this year, which is the one in view of the main stage. Therefore I saw and heard every act that was on that stage. Also got away in time to see end of sets by Rage against the machine and R.E.M. The former having some political rant over them being misquoted and the war. Meet some nice people including a guy who's name is Jonathan Ross(not him) a namesake of myself and generally to many to mention. Prob the thing to remember is I found a £200 phone lying on the ground, picked it up and kept it all weekend thinking I'd gotten a snazzy new toy. However when I got home and had time to think I got guilty so using some details inside the phone I found the owners bebo. She was only 16! No way I waking a kids phone so was not keeping the phone now. I contacted the girls mum and posted the phone back to them. Def felt better afterwards. Funny thing is they had their picture in the sunday post and I found the phone near a group getting their photo so I must have found it just after she lost it. Anyway I received a call from the girl herself and her mother to say thank you. If they had been a 30 yr old dude it might have been a different story. 2)Prob my last shift at the S.E.C.C. Shame I really like working there. The Crac is usually alright and the people including the suoervisors are nice. The shifts could be long, but they were always different even in just a small way. The work was never to intense and there was always time to chat to your colleagues. I'll miss one girl in particular since she is fun and I thought she was great. She's off to dundee so Its a case of ships that pass in the night. (Comment on this)
Monday, July 7th, 2008
11:49 pm	Songs that have Woo Hoo's are usually alright The 88, How Good It Can Be. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
9:19 pm	Stone So I made my Film with ten minutes to spare and guess what after seeing several scenes were I wasn't in the film there I was behind the actors, in the shot. It was obviously me and it was a reasonable focus, side to half face shot of me. I'm in the film! But kudos to the girl who played the waitress as she had herself in several shots from close ups to full length shots, in clear focus. I've told her she should see it straight away. We had a good laugh filming it with everyone else so I chuffed that she made it into the film so brilliantly and more than any of us did. Crazy cleavage girl made it into two different scenes and I also saw some others I knew. It also has tons of scenes within Glasgow University campus. Mainly in the quadrangles which made the experience even more special. A bit weird though as you see them walking in one part of the campus and because you know it get confusing when the next shot shows them miles away. Awesome The film itself was excellent and it was a roller coaster of scottish pride from start to finish. Though it did get a bit cheesy from time to time. In the way that gives everyone the bolks when those American films have shots of the stars and stripes. The showing was full but I got a front row seat and got a great view when the director(Wallace from the untouchables!) said a few words and the cast(no Carlyle) appeared also. The actress from the film who I thought wasn't that nice during filming(in appearance)looked very glamorous in her white paper style flock. The lads all wore smart suit as well so it felt very much an occasion. After the film everyone applauded. It would be great to be an actor. I kept looking at all the scenes I wasn't in and feeling envious Yes I'll recap a bit as it is just amazing. 4 things that made this film a very warm in the gut feel good experience. 1) It's about Scotland, feeling pride about Scotland. 2) I'm in it 3) It's half set in Glasgow University and the surrounding areas which I love to bits. 4) My friend the waitress and others also made it into the film and in grande style. That's cool in the gang. All In all a good night as I meet up with some edinburgh friends and went round some random bars. When the film it released in a few months I recommend you go see it (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, June 23rd, 2008
11:08 am	Destiny Tonight I go to see the film Stone of destiny. The Stone of Scone was supposedly used as the pillow stone by Jacob in the Bible and the stone over which Scottish Kings were crowned and it's still used in modern cornations. I'm pretty excited because 1)It's one of those braveheart type pride of scotland films. 2)It's about some Scottish students that steal a sacred Scot relic from Westminster which was plundered when some English King invaded once. 3)See! its one of those oppressed plucky Scottish lads sticking it up the English films. It reminds me to get my kilt and see you jimmy hat bought. 4)and oh yeah. I'm IN it!!!!!! Maybe, might be, I was an extra you see. It was an awesome experience. So last year inbetween playing classic PC games like civilization II and studying art I went to a secret location and went into character. Was I an adventurer, a king, No I was a londoner! Since I had recently been to London I felt this was perfect. Roll Film. Not only was I breathing in the real life atmosphere of a movie set but 1) I got to wear really nerdy 50's gear! We all got our hair butchered as well. The guy playing the barman went from long locks of hair to short back and sides. Even the hair gel was authentic palmade. 2)Since my scene was set in a pub at christmas we got to celebrate with fake jollyness fake laughs and fake beer. 3) I Meet some nice people including the girl who played the waitress. We would practice our fake acting inbetween takes and she got a speaking part! Go her. There was Davie(They is always a Dave) and Patrick to keep the banter going and another blonde girl with crazy 50's cleavage. She obviously was loving it and later pulled the barman. Himself also being good crac. 4)You learn that all the background people can't act. The laughable things like mine talking and body gestures are so hiraouslly funny, but the camera is out of focus so none of it gets picked up. We all ham it up totally and they encouraged us since it was Christmas! 5) Its really cramped so if your starting position is say, close to the director, you get to look over his shoulder and see what he's looking at in the camera. This is how I know that crazy cleavage girl is most likely in the film with a good background shot of herself. A Storyboard - reset positions! Some Glasgow University(Go Glasgow!) students are annoyed so they get out the union and and decide to have an adventure in the real world. On a wave of patriotism they decide to cloak themselves in stealth Satires and steal back the Stone of Scone from Westminster. Thats right Its a story about stealing back a stone, yes a lump of rock! They stole it on Christmas day! Merry Christmas Scotland your scone comes home Theres a Hobbit in it! Billy Boyd And Robert Carlyle! I's directed by Charles Martin Smith. Yes thats right Wallace from the Untouchables! Seal of approval right there! On yeah, remember I'm in it too. My role will most likely be backgrounds, shadows and blurs, but I'll take that. Theres one scene I'm looking out for... I have to walk across close to the camera. It will be a blur or a wish of smoke, but hopefully it will be a huge talking point. Just like this was... Its likened as the next Braveheart, another Scotland can feel good movie. So thats another one my things I'm always wanted to do done. Some I'll never do, like getting to level 3 of Project X on the Amiga, man that game was hard, but I can always say I was the shadow(even if I mean an actual shadow) in some movie. PS: this was an attempt to do a the_moriarty style post. a tribute. I did my best. I might come back later and edit it to try and improve it, but right now I have to get to Edinburgh. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Sunday, June 15th, 2008
11:50 pm	Randoms So I was thinking about going to the Glasgow school of art to see their degree show and suddendly remembered this person I met last year while working at T in the Fringe. It was really strange that I could remember her, a numb surprise really. The details of herself slowly coming out my memory bit by bit. Her name was Jamie, she wore big sunglasses and from what I remember had a sort of bedhead(I guess)and thin appearance going. I chatted to her enough to learn she was from the Edinburgh school of art and did tapestries(I think) and thats all I remember so my memory isn't that great. Chatting to people I do remember helped take my mind off the stomach bug I had at the time, which wasn't doing much for my mood. It was really a 3 day jont from hell. working, not eating and not getting much sleep while ill. Fab. Come to think of it all kinds of things about those 3 days are coming back, I could blog loads, but thats not what I wanted to say. If I actually wrote about my day to day I'd have to improve my writing style, be more creative and improve my grammar. I did learn however, that if you vomit a 99p cone a while after eating it it comes out bright blue! One of the many randoms you meet and forget. (Comment on this)
Monday, June 2nd, 2008
10:42 pm	Newsflash Kirsty Young newsreader.Wow. Awesome accent and sultry. How has it taken so long for me to realise this and why the hell am I so upbeat/surprised enough to post it here? Sod it, just ride the wave of minor celeb addulation. It will pass and anyway some people fancy Carol Vodermann. Mind you... Current Mood: rejuvenated Current Music: ACDC - Highway to Hell (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Thursday, May 29th, 2008
12:47 pm	Random Cumbria Pics Nothing seemed to gel when writing this post with regard to a holiday to Cumbria so I just added some pictures I like. A Refreshing Lakeside Drink ( Pics ) (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
4:19 pm	Six degrees The thing that always surprises me about Bebo, myspace and Facebook is that you see who knows who. How the hell does that person know that person! Complete stranger 1 now knows complete stranger 2.Visible networking in action, those people you network become food for others to network into. Watching a matrix like graph with nodes being linked as slowly everyone knows everyone. (Comment on this)
Saturday, May 24th, 2008
3:31 pm	Indiana Jones Since the plot is supposed to be secret, I'll briefly rant behind the vale of a cut. Only read if you you're not going to see the film or don't care. In short its truely awful and while "The Last crusade" was a fitting and heartfelt end to a character, this is an insult. Its not funny either, where were the jokes? ( Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull ) Don't waste your money. (2 Comments |Comment on this)