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Explosive Designs, the web design and web development agency in York where I work, is in today’s edition of the York Press for it’s choice to abandon outsourcing web design and development processes to India.

The article can be found in the Business section of the local paper and also on the website, again in the Business section.

OK, so it’s been a little while since I last updated this site, but I’m hoping to try to get things posted on a more regular basis (I blame twitter and it’s convenience).

Quite a bit has happened since last time:
– I’ve got engaged to Liz
– been made redundant
– got a new job working for my old line manager
– upgraded my phone to a Blackberry 8900
To name but a few things.

Speaking of the Blackberry, Wordpress have just released an application (beta) that allows you to post to any Wordpress blog from your favourite Blackberry device (os 4.2+). I’m trying it out now in fact and it seems really good, so maybe it’ll help me update more regularly than once a quarter!

Happy New Year to you all and good luck in the coming months!

I can’t really say much about this video – it’s better if you see it for yourself.

Anyone who knows me know how much I like my media centre and how much I like looking at (and sometimes buying) overly priced AV toys.

But the real joy lies in the cabling – everyone knows that.

I had my attention drawn to this video clip from Disney that I think covers the excitment of home theater hook-up day!

I just found this great site for making little comics and knocked this gem out in 5mins – not great, but it kept me entertained for a few moments.

I am so angry at the moment.

Last Thursday we went down to a new furniture store at Clifton Moor called JYSK to have a look at their wares.

We found a wonderful 3-door wardrobe that was reduced down to £100 from £150 (or it might have been £180, there were a couple of labels on it). So after lengthly discussion with one of the sales guys we decided to buy it. We were told that there were some in stock and that we could get a Saturday delivery. So this clinched it and we went ahead and ordered it. We were told that it would be delivered between 2 and 8 on the Saturday.

Sure enough, Saturday rolled around and we waited in. And we waited. And we waited. 8pm came around and still no wardrobe delivery.

On Sunday, we went in to the store and asked where our wardrobe was and why it wasn’t delivered when promised. We were told that they were very sorry and a few other people didn’t receive their stuff either. We were told that they could re-arrange the delivery for after 6pm on Monday. When asked about free or reduced delivery, we were told that the manager wasn’t in at that moment so that they couldn’t authorise any discounts but they took our number and were told tht when the manager was in on Monday they would give us a call.

Monday turns up and no call. Liz (with her mother in tow) went to the store in the afternoon to find out what was going on with it. They eventually spoke to the deputy manager, or supervising manager who said that he wanted to keep us happy, so he gave us free delivery and that it would be delivered on the Tuesday after 6pm. Liz said thank you and left the store.

Tuesday happens now and we wait, and wait, and wait until we get a call from a van asking where we are. I tell the guy where we are and about 20 mins later they arrive. I go downstairs from the flat and aim to assist the delivery guys. I am then told that there is a delivery charge and that they won’t deliver without getting it first. This doesn’t exactly sit very well and I tried to explain that we were told we would have free delivery since it wasn’t on the promised date. I am then told that they can’t check that since the store was shut. Apparently he’d already let 3 people off tonight with delivery charges. So we say to take it back which we get told ‘Thanks for wasting my petrol!’. We then mention that we wouldn’t have had to rearrange for the delivery if they had delivered it on the Saturday as they were supposed to. At this point the delivery guys start to get more hostile and said he could only do what he was given to do – meaning our delivery might not have been on the truck, but then how would he have known it was a re-delivery.

They eventually leave whilst still mouthing abuse at us. About 10 minutes later they call us to say that they have checked and had the free delivery had been authorised – again, how could this be done if the store was shut as previously claimed? We the get told that he won’t deliver it tonight so when would be good. But they won’t deliver evenings or on Saturday but they could do mornings. I then tell them not to bother, to take it back to the store and we’ll get it from elsewhere.

That was the last exchange that was made between us.

I am still so angry, even though it was about an hour ago.

Now that it is all official, Liz and I are now homeowners.

Yes in the midst of the credit crunch, we decide that now is the time to get out of her parents house and back on our own.

Its not a house, but its a very nice flat in York that isn’t too far from the centre.

If I can I shall post some photos of the place, but that will be when I am on my computer and not a windows mobile device.

After reading Neil’s blog today, I realised that I too hadn’t posted anything in a while.

Unlike Neil, I actually have some news.

Lets start small, my car passed it’s MOT yesterday (except for a couple of bulbs) and it had it’s first service (under my ownership). I actually ended up with a courtesy car from the garage because when they ordered the parts for my Citroen Saxo for the service, the parts that actually arrived were for a Renault Clio. Not really what you want to hear just before you need to drive back from work – but this administration error can’t be helped I guess. So I was given a Rover 25 to play with for the night. A bigger engine (1.4 as opposed to my 1.1) makes all the difference. I could hear myself think at 70 on the drive back to Haxby.

Now though I have my car back and it wasn’t that expensive which is even nicer!

I am now permanently employed by the company. Since my line manager is leaving, that in essence leaves me as head of web development (delusions of grandeur much?) – and has warranted slightly more money which is nice, especially since Liz and I are storing money away for a deposit for a mortgage.

I’ve just installed the latest version of Windows Live Messenger and to my shock… nothing immediately new (except this desktop blog writer, WL Writer).

Apparently the WLM team have made some changes to the AV elements of the software so they work on the Mac client better.