Anything But AI

Xmas day is something we all look forward too but things can get a bit dull when you run out of things to say to those family members you only see occasionally. This year I’ve found the perfect solution to keep things festive… a fireplace video. Uscenes creates fireplace videos for use on any TV or computer screen. There are others that do them but I like the quality of Uscenes’ videos. Also they provide 3 formats rather than just one so everyone should have a device at least one will work on. The fireplace videos all come in a pack which includes a 20 minute MP4 video, a Windows screensaver and an Apple screensaver. The MP4′s can be played through a media player or burned to disc. I have actually been doing both; I use Plex to play them through my Roku at home and then I burn them to DVD when visiting friends. On Xmas day I will hopefully be making things more bearable at my parents house this year by playing a fireplace video on their DVD player and letting it repeat all day. ...

As a first time parent I have recently been considering baby swimming lessons. It is quite a daunting thing because of safety issues. I did a bit of Googling and Youtubing and that soon put my mind at ease. It seems that babies love swimming and they are naturally comfortable in water. I asked around but no friends had any recommendations for lessons so I checked the local baths. I found the right lesson provider by searching Google. I just typed in swimming lessons for children Stretford . You would just replace the Stetford part with your town or city. Anyway I settled on a friendly provider, who has been great. We have been to 3 lessons so far and it had been quite an experience. Young Jessie has loved every minute of it, after a bit of a shock for the first minute or two. So if you are on the fence about taking your child to lessons, don’t worry. Just find a popular local service and they will put your mind at ease. I know Jessie will be getting a good head start and at the s...

I have always been the anxious type like my mother who seemed to worry constantly about the smallest things. It must be something that is passed on through the genes as I have often struggled too. From fear of social situations, to almost getting panic attacks when driving over a high bridge, there have always been situations that have got me stressed out. Over the years I have applied various techniques to keep things under wraps… Firstly I use logic whenever I feel that nervous feeling approaching. It is so simple and so very effective. You just need to rationalise thoughts. Thinking logically has helped me in other areas of life too like using more common sense at work. Anxiety causes thoughts to become less clear, so just taking a moment to step back and think things through really helps. Obviously in real “pressure cooker” situations there isn’t time to take a moments leave, but in generally just trying to think more logically has really helped. Second of all is facing your fe...

I have always been the anxious type like my mother who seemed to worry constantly about the smallest things. It must be something that is passed on through the genes as I have often struggled too. From fear of social situations, to almost getting panic attacks when driving over a high bridge, there have always been situations that have got me stressed out. Over the years I have applied various techniques to keep things under wraps… Firstly I use logic whenever I feel that nervous feeling approaching. It is so simple and so very effective. You just need to rationalise thoughts. Thinking logically has helped me in other areas of life too like using more common sense at work. Anxiety causes thoughts to become less clear, so just taking a moment to step back and think things through really helps. Obviously in real “pressure cooker” situations there isn’t time to take a moments leave, but in generally just trying to think more logically has really helped. Second of all is facing your fe...

Recently I’ve been thinking about emigrating. The weather and poor economy have made me wonder if the grass really is greener abroad. So I did a little research online and found these options: 1. Hong Kong This is a great place to live because it has a very high standard of living and plenty of international companies are based in Hong Kong. If you work for a global company then this is one of the places best to request a transfer to. Hong Kong is next to China and close by to many other Asian countries. So it is good for business and travel. Financially I’ve heard things can get tight if you don’t have a good income. House prices can be very high but there are cheaper residential areas on the outskirts such as Discovery Bay and South Lantau. Both of these are on Lantau Island which is closer to the airport and Disneyland in case you have kids. An expat friend who has been there for 5 years loves the place. He lives in the main expat area where property prices are highest. But he...