Tuesday 23 February 2010

Recording to remember

The other week I was thinking that I often forget stuff. Some things are quite trivial like not remembering to watch a television program (I haven’t got sky+ unfortunately). And others are a bit more serious, like forgetting to meet someone I’d planned to at 6, only to realise after watching an episode of the Simpsons and then dashing out.

This also stretches to learning. When having my Spanish lessons my teacher would reel off some rules of when to use the preterite version of a verb instead of the imperfect. At the time the justification all make sense and I am even able to give her examples of when to use the imperfect and when to use the preterite. Yet, within a space of a month when talking about the past in Spanish I found myself thinking, ‘what version should I use?’ and then spending a few moments to remember which the appropriate version is. I wish I could just remember off by heart.

So as a result I began to write everything down. I bought a diary to make sure I didn’t forget to watch things and a note book to write things in. It started off well but soon I would forget to write and instead go back to cluttering up my mind with crap like ‘must remember that Predator is on channel 4 on Sunday’. Although I scribbled down key rules in a notebook during my Spanish lessons it was always incoherent and just randomly sat on a page. So in the end I just got really annoyed and admitted loads of things slip my mind.

That was until I thought about something my ol’ pal Ricky Rickatson wrote on his blog. In fact it was his last entry. He had got himself a Dictaphone to record ideas on. I often thought if he literally said, ‘note to self...’ like Alan Partridge does whilst driving his Rover. So I decided I’d get myself one. Not to say, ‘note to self, remember to watch Slumdog next week’, but to record certain things like my lessons. That way I could listen to it on the way to work or when chilling out. Ok, listening to my voice would be something I’d cringe at but I’d get over it.

I have to say capturing things in the moment and then having time to reflect and think about them is really good, providing you have the time. For example, you record something that contains important info such as some Spanish grammar rules. You then try and remember them but if things seem a bit hazy you turn on the Phillips mp3 personal recorder, locate the recording and play it back. I find myself rewinding and fast-forwarding until my brain has finally absorbed it. The only drawback is that it does take up time listening to a recording when you could be doing something else, perhaps more constructively.

Ok, so I haven’t solved how to remember to watch television programmes, particularly 80’s movies such as Predator, where Schwarzenegger would say such classic lines as, ‘If it bleeds, we can kill it’, but I can just about cope with that.

Tuesday 16 February 2010

Pod in a coma

I’m pretty annoyed that my ipod is perishing before my eyes, well ears. My 5th generation video edition, the one where if you watch a video the battery drains in a couple of hours, is falling apart.

The problem is that sound does not come out of the left earphone. Originally I thought it was the earphones that had broken. I seem to break a set every few months or so, due mainly to tugging at them quite hard from my pocket when trying to get them out; only to find a big ball of tangled wires. Unfortunately, after buying a new pair of Sony headphones there was still no sound coming through the ear piece. I tired the earphones on my netbook and they worked fine. So I was stuck and annoyed because I only get to listen to things in a half-assed manner.
After some Googling I discovered that I have damaged the ear jack which seems simple enough to deal with. I’ll just buy a new one. That bit isn’t hard, the complex part is taking out the old one and installing a new one. Check out this video on how to do it.

Ok, I know you didn’t, so I’ll summarise. You need to know your stuff. I don’t. My options are to follow the instructions but unwittingly screw up my pod or get a new one. A new one would put my estate into disrepute, plus I don’t like just ditching things that aren’t fully broken. Yeah, the ipod touch would be nice and I could download apps ‘n stuff which would result me in being a more productive and efficient human being. But, although I admit I haven’t got a clue what I’m doing, I shall attempt to repair the pod using a screwdriver, a new earjack and a sprinkle of good fortune. I think I’ll also need a monocle (purely for image purposes, only) and a white jacket (Coldbrain, can I borrow yours if you still have one?)

I’m almost certain that I will break my ipod but at the same time I wish to undertake this technological procedure, just so I won’t feel so bad when I go onto Amazon and buy the new ipod touch, and because secretly I have a reason to act like Moss from the IT Crowd, if only for a few minutes...

Monday 8 February 2010

105 miles

I got into the car and started the engine. Turning the corner I switched on the radio to hear this. I listened for a few moments and realised exposing my ears to anymore would result in me thinking about Neighbours all night. I drive through the residential area at 28 mph and the electronic box attached to the lamp post produces a smiley face. I press the tuner button and it tunes into this song.


I don’t mind it, it doesn’t repulse my ears to the point my ear drums turn inside out. Although, it’s not really me and so I sniff and press the tuner button again. There’s static for a few moments as I pull up to the traffic lights. My index finger pushes the button once more and finally it picks up one of those commercial radio stations currently playing an advert about wall tiles being on discount. I hate those adverts so turn down the volume and concentrate driving through the rain.

The boy racers are out tonight and they swarm me like lions circling a wounded antelope. It’s only a matter of time before one of them tries to cut me up or honks their horn so that I look at them only to be greeted by the middle finger. I remember that there’s a CD in the player that I had forgotten about so quickly turn back up the volume and press the button. It’s one of my mix CDs which makes me grin as I approach another set of lights. The racer to my left revs his engine in an act of machismo and an indication he wishes to rut with me like stags fighting for domination. The first song that plays on my CD is this and the tune reminds me of a few years back when I used to duel with my nemesis. The lights turn green and the boy racer speeds off as I remember to turn left and do so.

I think about my nemesis for a moment and grin to myself. The song changes to this one but nothing really pops into my head as I drive past a Tesco garage and glance at the petrol meter. Everything is good, just like Mr Jones.

The national speed limit sign means I can finally spread my wings and glide across the country road. There’s not a car in sight when this track starts to kick in. For some reason I begin to think about the 19th century when women wore corsets and the men wore those funny white wigs that judges wear. It’s a bit surreal but I reach the motorway and join on. INXS comes on as I stare ahead and notice that there are more silver cars than any other tonight. A couple of BMWs and Audis speed past me and I turn into the left hand lane to let a Ford Focus go past.

The CD begins skipping (it’s an old disc) disrupting Hutchence et al and finally deciding to settle down to this tune. I overtake something that resembles one of those cattle wagons and notice the sign for the services. My eyes briefly gaze at the petrol sign where quite a lot of juice has been drunk but I conclude that I’ll be alright. Another Chem Bros. track comes on and my ears perk up. I had forgotten they did this and now my index fingers are tapping the steering wheel and I’m shaking my head. I recall the video being one of my favourites because of the jelly fish and how they glowed with the beat. I thought that was really cool.

The travel news interrupts everything but I’m not in the mood so turn down the volume and carry on thinking about the glowing jelly fish. The silence also provides my mind to ask me a few random questions, like, ‘why haven’t I bothered to watch Season 3 of Heroes yet?’ or ‘If an early election is called will this mean it’s more likely that there will be a hung parliament?’ and of course, ‘I wonder how cold it is in Scotland right now?’ I purse my lips and decide that it’s just general information I’d collated through the day but feel obliged to answer them to myself. ‘You liked Heroes, more so than you liked Lost because more things happened. However, you got annoyed that Sylar didn’t die so haven’t been that bothered since. Hmm, I think there is more of a greater chance of their being a hung parliament if an election is called early. Yes, it must be bloody freezing in Scotland, right now.’

I notice my junction to turn off on isn’t too far now and decide to give the radio another chance. This time I find this song and settle with it. I haven’t heard it in a while and as it comes to an end I’ve turned off at J14 and am now slowing up to a roundabout. The light appears on the petrol meter so I decide to drive to the garage.

The next song on this radio station reminds me of something that gets played in Topman, over and over, again and again so I start pressing the tuner button. I see the garage and turn in whilst still trying to find something decent. The garage is surprisingly busy for around this time of the night. I find a bay that is free and quickly nip in. My hand begins to turn the ignition off when the tuner finds another radio station that begins playing this. My fingers let go of the key and I get myself comfortable again. I mean, this song is amazing and I haven’t heard it in years. I love it.

Someone beeps me from behind and I remember I should be getting petrol. Fuck it, it was worth staying in the car to listen to that song. I turn off the engine, fill up and drive home in silence.