Darren Straight’s Blog

Here’s an accomplishment for myself to remember, this Tuesday gone it was such lovely weather, that I decided to get my shorts on and do something I’ve always thought about doing. I decided to walk, jog and run from Sittingbourne to Chatham, an approximate total distance of 10 miles.

It was quite wearing as I hadn’t prepared myself for it, but I believe it was well worth doing. It’s just one of them stretches of roads you drive up and down on day after day but without actually getting out of the car you never actually notice certain things along the side of the road.

Walking, jogging and running from Sittingbourne to Chatham was an experience I won’t forget and I have the bonus of next time I go down that route in car to say I’ve walked this!

Unfortunately I don’t have the time to do this on a regular basis however I will definitely do it again sometime time or maybe see if I can go a bit further and even try and do the Sittingbourne to Cambridge walk, an approximate total distance of 26 miles. Perfect if I want to compete in the London Marathon!

2296 different keyphrases were used to find my site in April 2008, here are the top 10 with the amount of times they were used plus their overall usage percentage.

2092 different keyphrases were used to find my site in March 2008, here are the top 10 with the amount of times they were used plus their overall usage percentage.

Don’t worry people, I’m still here!

I know I haven’t wrote a blog post since last month, 6th of April 2008, when I wrote about how I witnessed a car crash on the M2, but I’ve been seriously busy with so much stuff, some bad some good and some excellent:

• Getting myself a Girlfriend!
• Sorting out Car Insurance Claims
• Sorting out Car Repairs and MOT
• Working hard at work
• Enjoying my weeks holiday off work
• Walking/jogging/running 10 miles from Sittingbourne to Chatham
• And loads more…

Let’s see if I can get this blog back on track with some new and exciting blog posts!

Yesterday I was driving down the M2 London bound. When just after the Medway Services I saw a car (about 2 cars in front of me) come swerving off the motorway and smashing straight through a boundary fence hitting a tree. I was one of the first to stop straight away alongside the motorway and rushed off to the accident too see if I could be of any assistance.

The car was very badly damaged, the passenger was conscious and got out ok, but was bleeding from the head. He then said there was someone else, the driver, so we started searching for him, eventually he was found over the other side of some barbed wire fence, if the passenger hadn’t been conscious or got out and fainted or something we would have never have known that there was someone else in the car at that time.

The driver was unconscious but had a pulse. Luckily there were a number of us who were first aid trained including a nurse. Emergency services were called and within a short space of time 2 ambulances arrived, 2 fire engines and the police as well as a fly pass by a police helicopter.

The police blocked both side of traffic to stop both people coming down the motorway stretch we were parked on the side and also to stop I believe possible onlookers on the opposite side.

We were then told an Air Ambulance was on the way and told to go back to our cars.

Unfortunately today I found out that the Driver was not so lucky after all, he had suffered serious injuries including skull fractures and had died!

More info here: http://www.kent-online.co.uk/news/default.asp?article_id=39804

The UK Launch of Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 is now underway at the International Convention Centre (ICC) in Birmingham.

I Loved the Drumers that started just before Jonathan Pereras (General Manager of Application Platform Marketing for Microsoft) Keynote started, adds more excitement to the event.

In the keynote we are expected to see some demos from Julius Davies, Mark Quirk and Keith Burns.

Update 12:00: As expected in the keynote we saw some interesting demos demostrating Windows Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. Affter this I decided to stay in Hall 1 for the Core Infrastructure Improvements in Windows Server 2008 presentation with Matt Mcspirit and Jane Lewis. I’m now sitting down in Hall 3 by the Xbox Gaming Area having lunch. The ICC is pretty big, lots of halls and areas to visit, so thinking of checking out the place.

But for those of you not here, if you havent already may I suggest you check out the Microsoft Virtual Launch page:

http://www.microsoft.com/virtualevents/uk/vle.aspx

This week I’m on Holiday with an exciting week ahead of me.

Yesterday I started working on my new blog theme.

Today I visited Thorpe Park with my new Merlin Annual Pass. While right now I’m staying at the Arc Apartments within the Arcadian Centre in Birmingham which I must say are great value for money considering their location in the heart of Birmingham.

Tomorrow I will be at the UK Launch of Windows Server 2008, SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008 at the International Convention Centre here in Birmingham then after that I will be heading home for a bowling event with work.

And this weekend I will be travelling to Alton Towers for two days of fun with mates from work!

So yeah a great week ahead of me. If anyones going to the launch tomorrow - see you there!

On the 19th of March 2008 both IT Professionals and Developers alike will be flocking to the ICC (The International Convention Centre) in Birmingham for the UK launch of Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008.

But the question is have you registerd to attend for this exciting hereos happen {here} event? And if so which session tracks are you going to, IT Professional or Developers? And if not, then why not, as it’s too late now to register, all places are full!

Don’t worry though you’re in luck, can still register for the Virtual Launch Experience (VLE) Wave of Windows Server 2008, Visual Studio 2008 and SQL Server 2008.

Check it out here, it shall be just as interesting too see how the launch goes online.

For those of you going to the hereos happen {here} event in Birmingham, let me know, as I myself shall be attending the IT Professional tracks.

Just found a cool video (better quality here) of inside British Airways Heathrow Terminal 5 Building, the reporter is Ginny McGrath, and she shows us inside the terminal lounges and also interviews some of the people behind it like Christopher Pearson, one of the Artists behind Terminal 5’s 3D glass panels and moving animated wallpaper artwork.

I really am quite excited about visiting Terminal 5 on the 7th of MArch, it shall be interesting to see what it’s like!

Classic family card game Snap is making a comeback with an exciting twist today as comedy duo Dick and Dom unveil, BigSnapSearch.com, which gives you the chance to win fantastic prizes every time you search online.

Ditching their usual ‘Bogeys’ catchphrase, comedy duo Dick and Dom want to hear people across the UK yelling ‘Snap’ as they use BigSnapSearch.com for their everyday search queries, where if a pair of matching cards flash up online, you will instantly win an amazing prize.

Dick and Dom, who are fronting the campaign, comment: “Forget poker and blackjack, Snap is where it’s at! We both used to play the game as kids and now we’re calling for its return with the launch of BigSnapSearch.com. Big Snap is fantastic! By simply carrying out your everyday searches you could end up paintballing with your friends or even jetting off to the Caribbean!”

BigSnapSearch.com runs for eight weeks with prizes given away every hour, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, ranging from Virgin experience days, to Virgin vouchers, through to a star prize for two to Richard Branson’s very own exclusive Caribbean hideaway, Necker Island.

So whether you’re searching for local cinema times, the latest news, or the answer to a mind-boggling question, BigSnapSearch.com will have the answer you want and you could also bag yourself a great prize!

Cynthia Crossley, UK Search director, comments: “BigSnapSearch.com is a great free prize draw where you can find relevant and timely information powered by Live Search and win prizes along the way. Spread the word and get all your friends to search via BigSnapSearch.com and you could bag the prize of a lifetime!”

For your chance to win fantastic prizes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, log onto www.BigSnapSearch.com and start searching! SNAP!