Darren Straight's Blog » My Life

My Garden as of the 6th of July 2010

Darren Straight — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 22:54:49 +0000

I’ve been working pretty hard lately on my garden – I just wish there was some miracle way of stopping weeds and roots from growing back and also to slow time . But hey it’s a challenge right – a one man band doing all he can within reason while still having no transport to get rid of all the cuttings!

8th of September 2009 – Before winter came and took the garden back.

24th of April 2010 – The sun is coming out time to do that garden!

21st of June 2010 – No car anymore, so work has been hard but it’s getting there, shame the rain came and ruined all the work I had done – weirds grow back quick!

27th of June 2010 – Finally shifting that dirt.

6th of July 2010 – More dirt shifting and still no transport makes for a hard life in the garden. Summer holidays soon – will have to clear as much as I can before winters back!

Happy New Year 2010

Darren Straight — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 23:50:17 +0000

Just want to wish everyone a quick but thoughtful Happy New Year!

Thank you to all of you who visited my blog in 2009 – it means a lot to me, especially as I don’t get as much time as I used to on updating this blog.

However it’s 2010 and a new decade has arrived, so I shall be dedicating more time to this blog to bring it back up to track, already you can see that I have tweaked the theme a little to make it run faster. Start emailing me suggestions – I’m on the case….

Hogwarts Express Train Ride July 2009 London Paddington to Oxford

Darren Straight — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 21:25:36 +0000

Following up from both my previous posts (post 1 & post 2) about the Harry Potter Hogwarts Express Fan Trip Train Ride 2009, which gave you the chance to travel by steam train from Paddington to Oxford aboard the Hogwarts Express (GWR Hall Class 4-6-0 no 5972 Olton Hall) steam train on Saturday the 18th of July 2009.

I have now had the chance along with my girlfreind (see her post) to travel on this Hogwarts Express Journey, it was really enjoyable and worth going, the atmosphere around people was a great experience.

I have just finished uploading all the photos I took of my journey on the Hogwarts Express (5972 Olton Hall). My photos include both outside and inside photos of the main steam engine train and the carriages, along with some photos of Oxford and a few of London.

I shall soon be adding my Hogwarts Express Videos to this post too, which are definitely worth viewing, even if you didnt go!

Microsoft ends Windows Live Butterfly Program

Darren Straight — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:26:52 +0000

Well I guess all good things come to an end, or at least that’s what some people say.

But it looks like that one good thing has unfortunately come to an end, that of which I’m sad to see go as I was a part of it, that is that the rumors circulating earlier this week about the MSN/Windows Live Butterfly program closing have come true.

A Microsoft spokesman sent Mary Jo Foley the following response when she questioned Microsoft about the closing of the MSN/Windows Live Butterfly beta testing program.

“The Butterfly group has been involved in beta testing MSN and Windows Live products for a number of years. Rather than continue the program as something only focused on beta testing, we’re offering the group a variety of options to engage in the broader Windows Live community, including the opportunity to join the MVP (Most Valuable Professional) program and continued and future access to beta testing opportunities.”

For those of you that don’t know, The Windows Live Butterfly awards program (formerly the MSN Butterfly program) was a program whose members were given the benefit of new Microsoft software and services to test before the beta releases went public and they were in direct contact with the program managers for MSN and Windows Live products.

Microsoft had initiated the Windows Live Butterfly program in order to recognize the contributions made by those who have excelled at beta testing, showing themselves to go above and beyond what Microsoft looked for from beta testers. Prospective butterflies were selected by the Windows Live product team and were nominated for a term of one year, after which they could be renominated.

As a Windows Live Butterfly Program Member I’m sad to see this come to an end, it’s a real shame, I’ve met and made great friends with many people through the Butterfly Group both face to face and online, and the butterfly group has helped me in lots of ways, I will miss everyone on it including of course the employees at Microsoft that talked in the newsgroups, I just hope we can all stay in contact someway!

Maybe we could update the Windows Live Butterfly Map - http://www.butterflymap.com/ (Courtesy of John O’Brien a MVP from Soul Solutions and the co-founder of Via Windows Live) to all current Windows Live Butterflies along with contact details!

Some memories:

MSN/Windows Live Butterfly Plus Toy

First Ever MSN/Windows Live Butterfly Meet Up in London

Blog added to Top 50 Best Blog List

Darren Straight — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:49:17 +0000

Just Checked my stats and noticed incoming visits to my blog from http://www.bestbloglist.com/

Seems I’ve been added to the Top 50 Best Blog List, I’m not sure when the next best blog list update will be but for now I’m on it which is pretty good!

Here’s a list of all those blogs on it at currently:

Happy New Year 2009

Darren Straight — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:01:47 +0000

Hi everyone, from all my heart I wish you a Happy New Year 2009. I wish that the New Year will bring hapiness in your family and that all your dreams come true.

And as a treat for my blog readers, this new year I have updated my theme to a new WordPress Windows Vista Style Areo Glass Theme.

Features include:

Striking Glass-style design
- Drop Shadows
- Transparency
- Taskbar-style pages list
- Glowing Options Orb
Seven user selectable sub-themes
- Void, Life, Earth, Wind, Water, Fire and Lightweight
- Cookie saves user’s preference for 30 days
- Default Theme is admin selectable
Easy Navigation
- “Taskbar Preview” style menus when you hover over page buttons – makes finding pages a snap!
Cross Browser Functionality
- IE6, IE7, FF2/3, Safari 1-3, Chrome
- NOTE: IE6 Functionality is just that, functional. It doesn’t look pretty and at least one issue causes the screen to want to “scroll forever”, however it is visible and usable. These issues may be corrected in a future release.
Widget Ready
- Think: Sidebar “Gadgets”
- Themed Widgets: Each widget is graphically themed in an attractive way.
Convenient Options Menu
- Meta functions neatly tucked away. Makes sure your content is front and center.
- New Post and New Page buttons right on the Options menu – saves time!
Customizable user picture
- Uses the “Custom Image Header” feature of WordPress to allow the blog owner to change the user picture to his/her heart’s content.
Gravatar-enabled.
- Subscribers see themselves on the Options Menu and in posts.
Minutiae
- Graphic work was done in Paint Shop Pro 8. I know it’s crufty and old, but Adobe software just costs too damn much.
- It looks best if you have the Segoe UI font installed, but works with number of other default Windows, Mac and Linux fonts, so it should look okay in any situation.

I hope you enjoy my blogs new windows vista areo glass look and agree that the theme I have selected is well suited for this blog!

Wow nearly 4 months away from blogging!

Darren Straight — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 22:59:00 +0000

Hey everyone,

It’s been quite a while since I last posted or updated anything on this site. My apologies to those of you who frequently visit my site hoping for some updates, so much has gone on in my life within the last 4 months that I have had hardly any spare time to keep this blog updated.

Some of the things which I have done include:

Spending quality time with my Family and Beautiful Girlfriend Emily who I have been going out with for exactly 6 months now.
Deciding whether or not to move in with my Girlfriend so we can see whether or not we would be able to live or not under the same roof together.
Helping my Girlfriend out at college on her Progression to University Course.
Visiting London on Several occasions that of which included staying at The Baglioni, a Luxury Hotel next to Kensington Gardens in London.
Going Camping at Abbey Wood and Biking around Kent.
Going to Reading Festival 2008 Great Fun!
Going to The Madonna Sticky and Sweet UK Tour 2008 Concert.
Searching and going to Job interviews within the IT Industry.
And finally going to my Grandmas Funeral Yesterday.

So yeah it’s been one hell of a road and this little list doesn’t even scratch the tip of the iceberg, so much more has gone on, both good and bad!

I’m not sure when I will be able to update my blog again but I hoping it will be soon.

Take care everyone.
Darren

Avril Lavigne The Best Damn Tour 2008 London

Darren Straight — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:25:11 +0000

Avril Lavignes The Best Damn Tour is coming to The O2 Arena this coming Wednesday the 4th of June. So looking forward to going along with all the other music festivals, concerts and gigs I shall be going to this year. It’s all good fun!

With all this talk of music lately on my blog anyone would be thinking I’m turning my back on technology, computers and all the geeky stuff in general! I can safetly say I’m not and am still keeping up to date in what’s happening in the weird and wonderful technology world!

Madonna The Sticky & Sweet Tour 2008 London

Darren Straight — Wed, 28 May 2008 00:10:43 +0000

This September the 11th, Madonna will be performing live on stage at Wembley Stadium as part of her Madonna the Sticky & Sweet Tour 2008. I bought tickets for myself and my girlfriend to see her from the Golden Circle Standing Area, so hopefully it will be a good one. I’m just wondering is anyone else going to either the London one or another? Or wishing they could go but can’t?

Ticket site: http://www.livenationinternational.com/madonna

Upcoming.org: Madonna The Sticky & Sweet Tour 2008 London

88 Days untill Reading and Leeds Festival 2008

Darren Straight — Sun, 25 May 2008 13:26:23 +0000

There’s 88 Days to go until Reading and Leeds Music Festival 2008, so let’s take a quick look at the lineup so far! Can’t wait to go!

Main Stage

Reading Friday	Reading Saturday	Reading Sunday
Leeds Saturday	Leeds Sunday	Leeds Friday
Rage Against the Machine Queens of the Stone Age The Fratellis The Enemy Biffy Clyro Serj Tankian Dizzee Rascal Taking Back Sunday Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly Anti-Flag	The Killers Bloc Party The Raconteurs Editors We Are Scientists Dirty Pretty Things The Subways British Sea Power The Automatic	Metallica Tenacious D Slipknot Feeder Avenged Sevenfold Dropkick Murphys Plain White T’s Alexisonfire Mindless Self Indulgence

Radio 1/NME Stage

Reading Friday	Reading Saturday	Reading Sunday
Leeds Saturday	Leeds Sunday	Leeds Friday
Babyshambles The Wombats Vampire Weekend MGMT Jack Penate One Night Only The Duke Spirit Be Your Own Pet Blood Red Shoes Make Model Pete and the Pirates	Manic Street Preachers Bullet for My Valentine Justice Foals Seasick Steve The Ting Tings The Mystery Jets Santogold Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong Kids in Glass Houses Bombay Bicycle Club	The Cribs The Last Shadow Puppets Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band Pendulum The Music Hadouken! Lightspeed Champion Cajun Dance Party Adam Green Yeasayer The Metros

The Dance Arena

Reading Sunday

Leeds Friday

Radio 1 Lock-Up Stage

Reading Friday	Reading Saturday
Leeds Saturday	Leeds Sunday
Less Than Jake Pennywise Goldfinger Tiger Army The Unseen H2O Frank Turner The Briggs The Loved Ones Blackhole Hexes	Gallows Alkaline Trio Thrice Flogging Molly MXPX Cancer Bats Set Your Goals King Blues Fucked Up The Gaslight Anthem Hifi Handgrenades Random Hand