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As if the joy of the staff returning to school today wasn’t fun enough, ‘the beasts’ return tomorrow.

And since the majority of the teachers were unable to figure out how to change their passwords (they were all reset to avoid me having to deal with a stream of people forgetting their password, but ended up with me dealing with a stream of people not knowing how to change the password they were provided with…), I now have the added bonus of 800 kids with similar ‘issues’. Of course, they don’t get their passwords reset as it would take about a quater of a fraction of a millisecond before the ‘real’ nutcases realised how much fun they could have logging on and changing all their friends passwords – a prize for the first person to provide a list of 5 words all four-lettered that would head the top of a list of passwords they would change them too…

Still, I suppose since I managed to force one of the support technicians (without a great deal of threat of physical violence or blackmail…) to come in tomorrow and help I could just throw a sickey…

So, I try pretty much every pet store in the area, and all I want is little fluorescent tube for one of my aquariums. I’d swear there’s a global conspiracy to stockpile the 24″ tubes in some foreign country for a laugh as no-where has them.
Finally tracked them down to a little aquatics store near my parents, and the owner claimed his wife must have sold her body to get a supply of them – he knows he’s probably the only place in the north east that has these in stock and is loving it. So, I exchange a crisp Ã�£10 note for one, return home, connect it in and stand back waiting to see this new corner tank come alive with beautiful colours, except my speakers start crackling instead…

After 5-10 minutes of cursing and kicking, the tube doesn’t actually work. Nice one. Looks like a 60+ mile round trip to get a replacement. Better take the baseball bat too just to teach him a lesson – let’s see who’s got a smug smile on their face now…

Not wanting to mention names, but I’m getting well fed up with a major school’s ICT supplier at the moment. The start of the holidays, I applied a major update to their network software which seemed to go okay.
Only when I had a new server commissioned a week later did little problems start to appear. Bearing in mind I already had to rebuild each machine, I was told after my first set of problems I had to re-install it all again.
Not happy.
So far, I’ve managed 60 of them – the ones the teachers will use, which now have all the required software, printer, scanners, etc. re-installed. So at least the main workstations are done, and the ones in ICT suites should be fairly straight forward once I set them away (automated installs over the network).

So, another problem crops up, related to the first and I get back in touch. Three days later, and after trying all sorts of fixes and solutions I told them I’d already tried, what did they recommend I did? Re-install the software again.
2 hours for a full re-install per machine including all the software installation afterwards, and 220 machines to do. With the 60 individual workstations not in ICT suites requiring an additional hour per machine to re-install invididual bits of hardware and software? With school starting 2 weeks today? With only me actually in there to do anything? You do the maths.

My response? I’ve taken 3 days holiday and told them I’ll see them bright and early on Monday morning…

“Erm, I thought I should tell you I came into school cos I wanted to use the Internet connection here rather than paying for mine at home as it’s so expensive during the day so I could look at prices on those Dell laptop thingies I saw on the TV last night cos I think I should get one, but when I turned my computer on in my office it went bang. Do you think it’s broke? What price was the laptop on the advert anyway, you should know?”

“It could be broke, yeah.” I reply shaking my head, “I wouldn’t use it for a couple of minutes…”

I hang up before I get drawn into an argument over when it’s going to get fixed (or not, in this case) and why I don’t know the price of every single retail desktop and laptop available in all stores nationwide and online, and leave the phone off the hook… As if I haven’t got enough to do. My computer works fine anyway.

I’m waiting for her to try using one of the computers in the labs, which she’ll have to logon to. Except she doesn’t actually have login. But I know she’ll sit for 5 minutes trying. Come on security logs, give me some entertainment…

Time to go pull some network cables out so it looks like I’m really busy when she comes to find me…

Well, not quite, but I had right good clear out and about half my worldly possesions are on eBay if anyone wants to grab an authentic piece of fouldsy memorabilia! Haven’t quite gone so far as to put the electric guitar (would be worth something when I’m rock supa* for all those wanting to pencil an offer just in case) or the laptop (with your own version of fouldsy Linux 0.3 pre-installed for your pleasure and annoyance) up for auction, but stay tuned and you might catch a bargain!

Well, as the weather all day was pretty poor and the money had run out (that and the fact work called telling me to get my arse back to Newcastle and fix the computers I’d left on Friday lunch time in a less than fully-working state), we headed home mid-evening.

Overall, I’ve really enjoyed the last few days. I honestly hadn’t expected so much from the Fringe festival. I didn’t anticipate the number of street performers, musicians and artists dotted around all the streets. It really made it that much better. The other festivals going on also seamlessly seemed to integrate together and made it a wonderful overall experience.
I’d love to have stopped more, or even return this coming weekend or next, but I suppose that depends on how much beer money can be mustered together!

Wyoming student Matt Shepard was crucified for being gay, his family tormented in the name of God. His sexuality inflamed small-town prejudice, his murder still scars a nation. A hard-hitting true story that no community can ignore.

Something a bit more serious and sombre, though with some bits of comedy in from the performers. Taken from hundreds of interviews from people actually involved in this true story from a few years ago, it was very powerful. It’s worth going to see, just to open your mind up and get the different opinions of people and try to understand exactly what went on.

My word, last night, well, yesterday in it’s entirety, didn’t happen. It can’t have. Except I woke up around 6A.M, somehow having managed to squash myself into a sofa far to small for a man of my size, looked up as Cora walked through the door and simply commented “Oh fuck, that big yellow umbrella was real”.
Can’t really comment much more on that fact, for fear of ending up being questioned by the police. Was all harmless fun, honestly officer, and I’m sure it can be returned if necessary. Oh shit, shut up, you’re saying too much! Nothing like confessing your sins over the Internet, eh?!

Where comedy legends are born. The ultimate comedy competition. Previous winners include Peter Kay, Rhona Cameron, Phil Kay and Dylan Moran.

Well, it was the heats, but there were some good up and comedians in it. It went on much longer I expected, well gone 12.45A.M before we got around to leaving, though it didn’t seem too much really. The eventual winner (I forget the name of the young lady) is one to watch in the finals.

Nice venue too – quite big, but still felt quite close the stage. Not much I can say in terms of recommending going to see, as the acts (obviously…) change each night, and it’s more a case of going along to get a good variety of comics and possibly catch some of the stars of the future – just look at the list of winners!

“Award winning comics Marek Larwood (‘A blast of unadulterated comedy’ [url=http://www.chortle.co.uk)]www.chortle.co.uk)[/url] and Greg Davies (‘Engagingly manic’ Evening Standard) present an enchanted world of sketches, song and stupidity. A magical slice of life-giving comedy magic (contains no actual magic).”

Another set of freebies here, tempting us to join in the fun. To be honest, we were actually looking at buying tickets for this one, but as Marek (I think) offered us tickets in the bar, we tagged along for the ride!

By this point, 8 hours or so of straight drinking with no food or much of a break in between was beginning to take it’s toll, and I can simply remember laughing a lot! They were a great duo, with excellent help and timing from a ‘special’ helper (not wanting to spoil the fun)!