Scrappage Scheme

Okay, I know it's an old scheme, but I'm going to comment on it anyway!
I really don't get the Governments new scrappage scheme. Sure, they pay £2,000 towards the cost of your new car, for your old one, but why?!

Firstly, the people who, in this financial climate, can afford a new car don't tend to own one that is more than 10 years old. It seems pointless if most of the target market don't qualify for the money off.
What if, someone who is in the market for a new car, finds an old one for about £500, then has it scrapped for the £2,000? Well, the government got sneaky, and said that the previous owners, had to own the doomed car for more than 1 year. What's the likely-hood that the owners of a car more than 10 years old would have owned it for more than a year?

Secondly, the cars being scrapped must have tax, and an MOT. So, these cars being crushed are fine? Why would you scrap a car that's in good condition, and has a few years left? It actually has a negative effect on the economy, as the price of used cars is going up!

The idea of the scheme was to encourage people to buy new cars, which means more money for the people, who already have money...And to save the environment...Which is as much bullshit as the idea of 'Global Warming' itself...
The entire process of creating a car creates more pollution than running a used car for the rest of it's life cycle.

Another reason I hate the scheme is more of a sentimental one. If you owned an old Porsche 944, or Fiat Coupe, and you've been trying to sell it for a long time, when someone offers you £2,000 for it, you'd take their hands off. But would you feel comfortable knowing your classic car was destined to be crushed into a small cube. Then shredded into fist-sized chunks? I can't see how someone could do that to a modern-classic. Really..

So the new scheme is just bollocks? Yeah!

Le Saboteur

I've been pretty much hooked on my new game, The Saboteur for a few weels now. My parents barely see me any more, I'm pretty sure they think I might have died...In all fairness, the game is actually, really, really good. But, a little things do bother me about it. Not enough to ruin the game-play though.
Because the developers ran into financial trouble whilst creating the game, it comes to an overly abrupt end. No real conclusions to anything. It all seems a little cold towards the end. Now, this isn't a big problem, unless you were hoping the game lasted a little longer, (which I was) but as things go, I suppose we'll just have to live with it. The ending is still quite climactic, but a cliff hanger ending? In a game?

Secondly, trains. They're literally invincible. After throwing all you have, including a few old-timey RPG's, at them they're still perfectly fine! Why Pandemic?! Or more, how, can a train stay in perfect condition even when faced with a large explosion? It's all rather odd...There are a few other little things, but none of the problems in this game are bad enough to warrant me to think of it in any less of a good way!

6 months of Nokia

Today, I've had my Nokia 5800 XpressMusic for 6 whole months. I've never had any real problems with it either. A few small little annoyances, but that's just about it.
The camera is good, but it seems to be a lot worse in dark situations, though in most situations it seems to think that it is adequately dark enough to need the flash. Other than that, it serves me just great!
Hopefully well enough to serve me for the next year and a half...Though, I will need to get a new stylus for my phone...I lost mine!

Lights...Camera...Action!

I'm in a proper "Film" mood. I really want to immerse myself in a good, long film, that'll let me forget about everything for a few hours. Problem is, I don't own a film that can do that to me, well, I don't own many anyway.
I've seen a few really good films lately, but by far the best, recent film I've seen was L.A. Confidential. It was really good. Watching Die Hard 4.0 let me forget myself a fair bit too...
Bruce Willis is a good actor though. He can play a pretty good 'tough guy' role, without going overboard...Usually.
Robert De Niro is also a really good actor. He always seems to play the 'Italian American Gangster' though. He fits the role well though, just his style I suppose. He was good in Ronin.

I have been quite immersed in something lately. It was that game I bought, The Saboteur. I've played through it twice since I bought it, which was about 2 weeks ago! Feels unreal really. I mean, that's one play through a week, and I'm on my third time around! Yes, I know. I'm sad.

Ubuntu!

I've now gotten rid of Microsoft Windows on my Laptop. I got Ubuntu 9.04 instead... It's a pretty good system. Works reasonably well, usually. I just need to perfect it really. Can't imagine that'd take long though. So, this time next week, and I'll be sorted! (Probably)

A new Blog?

I think I may start a new blog. I was told to try Tumblr. Apparently it's meant to be good, but I'm not sure. I could try it, and use it as more of an 'updates' blog for a while, and keep this more meaningful. But, who knows. In the end, Only time will tell. I could even use this blog as the 'Lists Blog'...Or use the other blog as the 'Lists Blog'...
I could try it for a few weeks. Maybe after tomorrow, when I get my Ubuntu installed.

Bye Bye Windows

Earlier my computer came up with the 'Your Pre-Release trial version of Windows 7 will expire in 7 days" warning. I'm not really surprised. I've had it since about May, or June time. Quite a while. When it expires, I'll have to go back to Linux.
I'm quite looking forward to it actually. I can't wait to be able to use my laptop, without Mozilla Firefox crashing, or the laptop just failing epically. I've had nearly 100 BSoD's because of this OS.

So, not long, and then Linux will be back. Part of me will miss Windows 7 though.

Bullseye!

To start off: An apology. Sorry I've not blogged much recently! It occurred to me earlier that I hadn't written a blog in about a week! So here's a big one ;)

Now then. I had a really, really good weekend with Megan again, but it was very, let's just say, weird.
To start off the weirdness, my EMA hadn't gone into my bank account, kind of annoying really. I did have enough money to go to Nottingham, where I met up with Megan again though. Whilst there, it did feel reminicant of the very first time I met her, seeing as Nottingham Train Station was where we had first met.
Then, we got on the train bound for Leicester. This is where things got REALLY weird. Our conducter cracked a few jokes at our expense to start off with. "I've never seen Brothers and Sisters so close!" was one, then, for nearly no reason at all, he did a 'magic' card trick on us. We were both thinking "What the hell? Go away, this is awkward mate!"
Then, in Leicester, I went to what is possibly the most 'posh' up-market cinema ever. 'Cinema Du-Lux' it was called. A bit, well a lot OTT, but otherwise nice.

We had gone to see Wolfman, it was average, but not great. American Werewolf in London was still better.

After that, we went back to hers.

Sifting through magazines we found a series of..."Alluring" phone-sex hotlines, some of which were hilarious. "A dirty Granny needs a good hard seeing to!" said one, horrifingly. Made me wonder why the hell people would pay to hear some old woman get off, or at least talk about it. Breasts dangling down by their knees, cobwebbed over in all the wrong places, gross. Very, very gross.

After, being vaugely horrified, and crying in laughter, it was time to go home. Big shame. But my day hadn't finished getting weirder. On the Leicester station platform a random man came upto me, and gave me a survey to fill in and hand back to him. I had to wonder why he picked me for the survey, and not another one of the 100+ people at the station. I filled it in nonetheless.

When I pulled into Woodhouse, I was greeted with 2 things. A.) Snow, quite alot of it. Odd, seeing as in Syston it'd all melted. And B.) 4 fire-engines, putting out a fire only about 100 metres up the road. What an odd sight I thought. Not the normal type of thing to be greeted with at home. Not even sure what was on fire, to be quite honest.

When I finally got home, mum and dad had made a very, very odd purchase. Any ideas? No. Well, they'd randomly gone out, and bought a dart-board. Riiiiight.
What a strange weekend! Had a great time though :)

The Sabotuer

On Friday, I went to Gamestation, and bought a brand new game. The Saboteur. It's really, really good.
I've got the Xbox 360 version, and it cost a whopping £35.00, alot for someone who barely has any money. Worth every penny though.
It's set in Nazi Occupied Paris, in 1939. You play an ex-race car driver/mechanic named Sean. You basically just play the game through his own eyes, helping people who wish to rid the city of Nazi's, or at least get rid of their own problems regarding the Krauts.
The replay value though is immense. The city is huge, and in all likely hood you'll never be able to rid the city entirely of all the Sniper-posts, officers, tanks, etc. Though you can try!

Also, the graphics, whilst done in a 'cartoonish' style are also very good. Very detailed. One of the best games I've played in a good long time.

Valentines day

Valentines day has now been and gone. It was my first with Megan. It was an amazing day, I gave her a little necklace, made from White Gold. It also had a little diamond inside. It was meant to be about £116, though because of the sales, it was £61. I also got her a copy of her favourite film, Chicken Run.
She got me a Titanium Ring. It's really nice, as well as a scrap-book, much like the one I made, and a big-card.
A pretty good day all-in-all!

Movies!

I'm currently sat here watching Die Hard 4.0. It's a good film, if a tad bit, unrealistic.
There are a few things I've never understood about these movies where 'national security' is threatened though.
Firstly, the bad guys are always middle aged men, who are rich and have a shit load of money. But, what would they gain by being a terrorist? If lowering the stock market is what they need, well, after they've 'stolen' all the money they'll have trouble using it. It'd be devalued.

Secondly, they usually always create an inordinate amount of carnage. I mean, really? What would be the point of using a truck or series of large explosives to demolish a building? By filling out the correct forms and hacking the correct computers they could probably do it with an actual demolition team...And using a truck to take out anything smaller than a Chevrolet Suburban? You could get the same effect from using a large van...

And thirdly, they always use expensive Audi's, and BMW's as their tail cars. But why? If anything happens to them you'll be spending thousands to repair it...When you can pick up an old escort for £500, or an old Taurus in America for only $800...

Hell, an old Caprice will only put you back a few hundred dollars. It just doesn't make sense...

Some people...

My sister does cooking at GCSE, and today after making a cake for her coursework (That was A* standard), some little 12 year old douche pushed her over and made her ruin her cake, and graze all her leg! Little fucker.

The same kid also lives only 4 or so houses up the road, and often bullies my brother and sister...As well as throwing things at the house.

I'm really tempted to hurt him. He's such a little shit. Him and his retarded sister. Unfortunately I can't, because of his stupid age, and the fact it's illegal. Shame the law isn't "an eye for an eye" anymore. Really is...

College. Part XIII?

Today I had my college interview, for my Public Services.
I got a place there. An 'unconditional' offer which means I've got a place, and don't need to worry about my GCSE grades, seeing as I've already got them.
The course looks quite good. Go places, like Army Barracks, and RAF bases, etc...

It seems a little strange about how things have changed, career wise these last few months.
It was only about 4 or 5 months ago that I was at the RAF careers office, and now I'm going to college next year. I suppose we'll just have to see what the next step is...

mobile blog!

right then! This is the very first blog i've written, on my phone! Fun times!

Time flies when you're having fun

It only seems like yesterday I blogged on this thing. Truth is, I've been having a lot of fun in the mean time.

On Saturday, I got slightly, well, very drunk at a party. Highlight of the night would probably be not being able to see, but still getting the make and model of every car right! Well, not highlight. Just something I'm proud of...

And, so, apart from that, I've spent most of my time with Megan. I do miss her after though. In all honesty, I can't wait till next month, until I can see her again. That will be great! But until then, I've just got to wait...Not long though. Hey I can stay over next valentines day! Hurrah!

Seventeen....And a half!

Not long ago it occured to me, I am, today, 17 and a half. Dead on. 6 months since, and til my birthday!
That means in 1 week, it will be mine and Megan's 6 month anniversary!

In other news, I went on Fallout 3 for the first time in ages today. I enjoyed it. I'd not played the game for over a month, quite a while really, yet it's still an amazing game, one of the best I've ever played. More than enough to keep me hooked. I would invest in getting a new game soon, but unfortunately I can't afford it as of yet.

Though tomorrow, I should get my EMA bonus. I really hope I do. I don't want to be waiting around for it like a douche. That wouldn't be good, at all!

I need a new TV

I noticed a while back my TV was getting a little fuzzy. That's not good! Not good at all! I therefore need a new TV, like, badly!
I might go and see if I can pick up a cheap second hand one at some point. I know I can't afford a new one, for sure. Walking past a second-hand shop earlier I saw a cheap one, it was only £20, not sure if it was any good though. Have to find out at some point...

Also, earlier I saw Katy today, for the first time in what was over 6 months. It was quite a good day out, and I saw what I should get for Megan's Valentines day present. Though, I suppose I can't really say what it was on here ;)

It occured to me the other day, Tomorrow I'm exactly 17 and a half.
Odd to think about, but oh well.

Cinema

Lately I've really wanted to go to the cinema. I'm not sure why, or what to see, but I've just had a massive craving to go. The last film I saw there though was 2012, which was alright, but was also incredibly unrealistic, to be honest.
Though, there are loads of new films that might be fun to watch. I've heard great reviews of Avatar, and Daybreakers.

Problem is though, I can't afford the cinema. I can't waste money on films and such. I've got to save money, for seeing Megan, getting her a present, etc etc. I'll just have to see what happens soon!