Monday, April 28, 2008

I love you Amazon!

OHHHHH YESSSSSSSSSSSSSS.


I've just found out that my copy of Grand Theft Auto 4 for the Playstation 3 has been dispatched today from Amazon (meaning I should receive it tomorrow - the day of release).


Reports are indicating that many shops and online stores have already sold their allocated stock as pre-orders and that unless you have pre-ordered, you will have to wait until the next delivery.


Thankyou Amazon. I'd best say goodbye to my social life (and my family!) - GTA 4 is going to be BIG!!

Friday, April 11, 2008

Pushy Phones4u

Its that time of year again when I get to change my mobile phone with a new one. As usual, Phones4u gave me a ring the other day and tried to convince me to go with a brand new Samsung G600 mobile phone (the same model as Michelle). Now, Ive been quite happy with my Nokia N80 for the past year and felt that an upgrade to the new Nokia N95 8Gb would be my best bet.

Well, the sales person whom I spoke to on the phone just kept telling me that the N95 is a crap phone and that if I would go with the Samsung model, I could also get £150 cash back - yes, a cheque for £150.

I gave in, and said OK, with the understanding that if I wasn't happy with it, I could return it within 7 days.

One day later, my new Samsung arrived. I opened the box, had a proper look and came to the conclusion that the phone just was not for me - it had none of the features that I've come to expect from a phone, so I rang up and explained to them that I wished to return the phone.

As you can imagine, the sales person attempted to try and change my mind by adding an extra £100 to the cashback offer - yes, £250 cash back. I tried to explain that the phone was not for me.

I was then passed to another 'senior' sales person, and once again they tried to convince me to go with the G600.

Phones4u, get it into your thick heads that I DO NOT WANT THE BLOODY G600. I know that you all have sales targets and that you have to sell a large number of a certain model to reach your targets, but instead of thinking of yourselves, how about thinking about what the person who is actually paying for the phone wants. I know what I'm talking about - just because you sit behind a desk in some office selling mobile phones all day, don't think that you know everything about phones - you don't. I wanted an N95 - I need a phone with the functionality of a smart phone running the Symbian operating system. If you can't get me one, then I will go elsewhere.

Anyway, after threatening to leave them, they finally gave in, and have offered me a good deal on a N95 8gb with cashback (even though when I first spoke to them they said they couldn't offer me any cashback on the phone). Hopefully I should receive the phone in the post in the next couple of days.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

All aboard (Part 2)

Not much to report. Michelle and I have been continuing our work on Kierans trainset. The track and ballast are now completely pinned down to the board, and I purchased 3 buffer stops for the end of the lines. I have also added a single line level crossing too. Michelle has built for me the latest building that will stand on the set - a signal box (see picture below)

I've now been constucting one of the tunnels. Using small wooden supports, I have placed some wire mesh to simulate the contours of a hill. Paper-mache will be added later. Once that has dried, we can then add the grass scatter-mats to cover the hill with realistic grass.