Wow! Sean & Co sure have been busy. Check out the new look on the metblog network! Behind the scenes we’re also now using WordPress instead of Movable Type, which I personally find nicer and easier to use. So what do you think about the new design?

Since I’m already in a club on Facebook that officially despises people that barge in front of fast walkers on a pavement in the street, just to walk slow, I thought I’d get my revenge on people who do this in a SWIMMING POOL.

In a certain Birmingham City Centre Gym with a red company colour that shall not be named, I, the fastest longest swimmer at the gym, am constantly interrupted by guys with egos that fills the gap where their brain should be. They wait until I get to the edge, just before I tumble turn, before they are off, breast stroking their little hearts out – for one length. Others, wildly thrash about either in front of me or in the lane next to me.

You all know who you are, so if you feel like you need to prove yourself, at least use me to do that when you’re fast and fit enough! God!

For those who aren’t technically inclined, nantech is basically a form of bio technology, with a few centuries of time added on. Technology that operates in harmony with people’s bodies, and in some cases pheromones. I REALLY ADVISE that people grab their hands on a book called “Queen City Jazz”. I was blessed enough to find a copy in a second hand bookstore in backstreet Nisswa, Minnesota.

It’s a twisted conception of how civilisation could turn out if (or when) this technology takes over. A civilisation that starts off as Utopia, but under a microscope is actually a dystopia. A giant Hotel California, which falls under the natural laws. Normally that’s a bad thing, but you can already see this happing in Birmingham. It’s like everyone falls out fo the world of the living dead every time the sun shines!

This happened a few months ago, but I promised I would make him a tribute.

It was the rainy season (we don’t have winters and summers anymore). I was waiting on the bench while my friend Dina lit up (a cigarette, not herself). The cold went through me, and my coat didn’t help. It was dark and gloomy, and everywhere I looked, the faces of people just wanting to go home, not wanting to be bothered by the predators lurking around on the sides of New Street.

The Big Issue guy, who was given a hot beverage, threw it towards the bin after he finished. It didn’t quite land in the bin, but before it hit the ground, in came the hero. It was all in his eyes, headstrong but compassionate (he was also hot). In an instant he spotted the litter, picked it up before it touched the ground, put it in the bin and carried on.

He expected no recognition, he received no thanks and he confronted nobody. He carried on. I was completely inspired. I was completely taken aback and couldn’t believe what I saw. There really are good people in the world. Can more people learn to be like that man?

Hello Everyone! I’m new to this new fangled moveable type technology, but it’s so amazing! It really is!

Well Gareth, I’m honored to be part of something that is so big, and still has potential. I’ve travelled to many places on the earth, wherever the FCO tells me not to go I love it more. I’ve lived in DUDLEY, where I grew up, but found the greatness that is birmingham starting 2003. I’ve moved to Birmingham, started off living in the City centre, which was great, but missed the colour green so I now live in Quinton.

Throughout my brummie life I’ve experienced all the extremes and everything in between, so, watch this space!
(more…)

phew… apologies for the lack of updates around here. I’ve just bought my first house, up in Erdington and currently in the throes of moving stuff in and getting it organised. But hopefully it won’t just be up to me to keep this place active, as I’d like to introduce the Birmingham metblog’s latest blogger: Jeevan Singh. Jeevan has lived in Birmingham for a couple of years now and tells me he’s done quite a bit of travelling in his time, so I’m sure he’ll have an interesting take on what’s going on in and around Birmingham.

Welcome, Jeevan!

Just another quick service announcement: San Jose has just joined the Metblog network. That’s four five metblogs in California alone!

And now back to our regular broadcast….

*silence*

Head on over and say g’day to the newest addtion to the Metblog group: Auckland!

Yes, there is still someone here!

A few weeks ago I received a letter from Sky announcing their latest offer for FREE broadband (as I’m already a Sky TV subscriber). At the time I was currently with NewNet, and although the service I’d received from them was flawless I decided I’d rather be a cheapskate and save £18 a month. What a mistake that was. I ordered Sky broadband at the start of September with the promise that it would be active by the 15th of that month. Come the 15th and my NewNet connection is still active and working. Around the 17th my NewNet connection went off, but nothing replaced it. A couple of days later I called Sky Broadband’s “Customer Support” who told me, in broken English, that my order was still awaiting provisioning. Then, a couple of days later, my phone line went dead completely!! I then called BT who could confirm that there was a fault with the line (duh! No dial tone is a pretty good sign that there’s a fault) but they couldn’t repair it until the end of the following week. Fast forward to now: the phone line has been repaired (as of last Friday), so I called Sky again to find out what’s going on and was told that my old order was still “pending cancellation” as, due to the fault with the line, my original order had to be re-placed, however they can’t place the new order until the old order’s status has changed from “pending” to “cancelled”! GAHHHHHHHHHH! Anyway… so that’s the reason for the silence around here. Yes, I can post entries from work, however I don’t feel comfortable doing so. it would be nice if we had some more bloggers around here… *hint hint*!

In summary: if you’re tempted by the latest offers for low-priced broadband from Sky, SAVE YOUR MONEY! Maybe the service will be good when / if it ever goes active, but until then my opinion of the whole deal remains low.