Darren Straight's Blog http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog Windows Live Butterfly Heaven! Thu, 15 May 2008 19:08:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 en My 10 mile Jog from Sittingbourne to Chatham http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/my-10-mile-jog-from-sittingbourne-to-chatham/ http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/my-10-mile-jog-from-sittingbourne-to-chatham/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 19:08:10 +0000 Darren Straight http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/?p=1479 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!

]]> http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/my-10-mile-jog-from-sittingbourne-to-chatham/feed/ Top 10 Search Keyphrases for April 2008 http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/top-10-search-keyphrases-for-april-2008/ http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/top-10-search-keyphrases-for-april-2008/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 18:13:25 +0000 Darren Straight http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/?p=1478 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.

 
2296 different keyphrases Search Percent
vtunnel 1949 22.4 %
vtunnel myspace 407 4.6 %
sites like vtunnel 351 4 %
windows 239 2.7 %
vtunnel website 206 2.3 %
jurassic park 4 160 1.8 %
microsoft 132 1.5 %
darren 113 1.3 %
xda orbit 2 review 80 0.9 %
v tunnel 78 0.8 %
Other phrases 4976 57.2 %
]]> http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/top-10-search-keyphrases-for-april-2008/feed/ Top 10 Search Keyphrases for March 2008 http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/top-10-search-keyphrases-for-march-2008/ http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/top-10-search-keyphrases-for-march-2008/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 18:05:18 +0000 Darren Straight http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/?p=1477 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.

2092 different keyphrases Search Percent
vtunnel 2365 25.8 %
v tunnel 319 3.4 %
vtunnel myspace 237 2.5 %
o2 xda orbit 2 review 217 2.3 %
windows 215 2.3 %
sites like vtunnel 192 2 %
xda orbit 2 review 192 2 %
jurassic park 4 133 1.4 %
vtunnel website 129 1.4 %
microsoft 115 1.2 %
Other phrases 5042 55 %
]]> http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/top-10-search-keyphrases-for-march-2008/feed/ Wow long time no blog, that’s not like me! http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/wow-long-time-no-blog-thats-not-like-me/ http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/wow-long-time-no-blog-thats-not-like-me/#comments Thu, 15 May 2008 17:53:28 +0000 Darren Straight http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/?p=1476 Don’t worry people, I’m still here! :D

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! :D

]]> http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/05/15/wow-long-time-no-blog-thats-not-like-me/feed/ Witnessed a car crash on the M2 yesterday! http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/04/06/witnessed-a-car-crash-on-the-m2-yesterday/ http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/04/06/witnessed-a-car-crash-on-the-m2-yesterday/#comments Sun, 06 Apr 2008 22:47:08 +0000 Darren Straight http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/?p=1475 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

]]> http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/04/06/witnessed-a-car-crash-on-the-m2-yesterday/feed/ Reading and Leeds Music Festival 2008 Official Lineup Announced! http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/31/reading-and-leeds-music-festival-2008-official-lineup-announced/ http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/31/reading-and-leeds-music-festival-2008-official-lineup-announced/#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:54:31 +0000 Darren Straight http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/?p=1474 Finally it’s that time of year again when the Reading and Leeds Music Festival 2008 Official Lineup has been Announced (or at least it’s supposed to have been by now) along with the sale of Reading and Leeds ticket. But what’s your thought’s? Are you going? Are you trying to refresh the offical website or ticket sites but failing to get anywhere? (happend last year) Have you managed to order your tickets yet? (I got mine in pre-sale) Or are you still on the phone line waiting? (yet reading my blog at the same time haha)

Let me know what you’re doing! :)

I’ll be keep this post updated as soon as the site starts loading! :P

Update: here’s the lineup for Reading and Leeds Festival 2008, thanks to NME!

Reading: Friday August 22, Leeds: Saturday August 23

Main Stage
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

NME/Radio 1 Stage
Babyshambles
The Wombats
Vampire Weekend
MGMT

Reading: Saturday August 23, Leeds: Sunday August 24

Main Stage
The Killers
Bloc Party
The Raconteurs
Editors
We Are Scientists
Dirty Pretty Things
The Subways

NME/Radio 1 Stage
Manic Street Preachers
Bullet For My Valentine
Justice
Foals

Reading: Sunday August 24, Leeds: Friday August 23

Main Stage
Metallica
Tenacious D
Slipknot
Feeder
Avenged Sevenfold
Dropkick Murphys

NME/Radio 1 Stage
The Cribs
Conor Oberst
Pendulum

]]> http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/31/reading-and-leeds-music-festival-2008-official-lineup-announced/feed/ Reading and Leeds Festival 2008 Lineup to be announced within the hour! http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/31/reading-and-leeds-festival-2008-lineup-to-be-announced-within-the-hour/ http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/31/reading-and-leeds-festival-2008-lineup-to-be-announced-within-the-hour/#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:57:20 +0000 Darren Straight http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/?p=1473 Yep it’s that soon already…. keep watching http://www.readingfestival.com/ and http://www.leedsfestival.com/

]]> http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/31/reading-and-leeds-festival-2008-lineup-to-be-announced-within-the-hour/feed/ The Killers Headline at Reading and Leeds Festival 2008 http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/31/the-killers-headline-at-reading-and-leeds-festival-2008/ http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/31/the-killers-headline-at-reading-and-leeds-festival-2008/#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:34:23 +0000 Darren Straight http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/?p=1472 The Killers have just been announced as headliners for Reading & Leeds Festivals this Summer 2008.

Playing in Leeds on Sunday the 24th, and Reading on Saturday the 23rd, Brandon Flowers and the band will be performing much-loved hits and newer tracks from their latest album Sawdust.

Stay tuned for more news about the festival line-up…..

Tickets go on sale today at 6:45pm, so not long to go now, already got mine in pre-sale! :D

]]> http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/31/the-killers-headline-at-reading-and-leeds-festival-2008/feed/ Windows Server, SQL Server and Visual Studio 2008 UK Launch Underway http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/19/windows-server-sql-server-and-visual-studio-2008-uk-launch-underway/ http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/19/windows-server-sql-server-and-visual-studio-2008-uk-launch-underway/#comments Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:00:22 +0000 Darren Straight http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/19/windows-server-sql-server-and-visual-studio-2008-uk-launch-underway/ 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

]]> http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/19/windows-server-sql-server-and-visual-studio-2008-uk-launch-underway/feed/ Windows Server, SQL Server and Visual Studio 2008 UK Launch Tomorrow http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/18/windows-server-sql-server-and-visual-studio-2008-uk-launch-tomorrow/ http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/18/windows-server-sql-server-and-visual-studio-2008-uk-launch-tomorrow/#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:01:12 +0000 Darren Straight http://www.darrenstraight.com/blog/2008/03/18/windows-server-sql-server-and-visual-studio-2008-uk-launch-tomorrow/ 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! :)

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