It's Friday and it's my day off, so time to chill. I work 36 hours in 3 days so I don't feel that having today to myself is such a bad thing, so my plans are, chill, relax, drink coffee, more chilling and maybe fix a watch or two.

My new found hobby of horology I find really relaxes me and also when I do manage to fix something gives me a great sense of achievement and that make me happy, I would gladly fix watches all day, but I have to pay the bills so not just yet. Today I have 2 watches to have a go at, 1 is a really nice 35 year old vintage Seiko that needs stripping down and rebuilding, the other is my sons 01 watch, needs a new battery and reprogramming.

Anyway yesterday was interesting, I have manage to get picked to write another new course on Vox Popping, and have to deliver it to my students next Thursday, so my weekend has now all but disappeared as I am working Saturday at another college delivering 'How to use an iPad for beginners'.  I do love my work but sometimes I really don't have time to enjoy it as I am constantly creating lesson plans, schemes of work, course material etc.

So I thought I would take a few minutes today to go political, something I don't really talk about much, I find there are 2 things that you should not discuss with friends and family as they cause more rifts and arguments than any other subjects and they are Religion and Politics, I shall talk about my religious beliefs at another time.

Should I stay or Should I go, theres a song there somewhere, just change the I for we, and of course I am talking about Europe, I can remember as a child my grandparents and parents being outraged at Ted Heath for taking us into then then Common Market, as they were all Labour supporters I understand why, they just followed the line of the Labour Party, I can still remember the comments like, 'We are an Island we don't need to join the rest of Europe', 'its the end of the world as we know it', well you get the picture, personally I think changing to decimal was worse. On 15 February 1971, known as Decimal Day, everything cost more at that point nothing was reduced in price, let me give you an example, under the old currency of pounds, shillings and pence, the pound was made up of 240 pence and now referred to as "old pence", with 12 pence in a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound. The loss of value of the currency meant that the "old" penny was of relatively slight value, while the farthing, which was worth one-quarter of an old penny, had been demonetised on 1 January 1961, don't get me started on my favourite coins the threepenny bit, Florin and the Half-Crown, the latter being Two and Six (2 shillings and 6 pence).

SO each new penny is worth 2.5 old pennies, stay we me folks, so my favourite lolly at the time was the enormous 6D, so 6 old pennies, I go to the shop with my new money and ask for a 6D, I am charged 3p, HANG ON, STOP THE BUS, my lolly has now become a 3p not a 6D costing me 7.5 old pennies, to me as a cunning child and economically sound when dealing with money this was in the territory of Dick Turpin, and to make things worse most of the old coinage was still in circulation adding more confusion to the elderly and the young alike.

​I have added a conversion chart below for your convenience.

Anyway, like I said, that as far as I was concerned was worse than joining The CM.
So onto the present and Stay or Exit, I think my personal views are best kept to myself​, however, back to college, my students are making  a programme for their studio project as part of their Assignments based on Question Time and the subject is.................... Yes The referendum and should we stay or exit, hence me having to deliver a course on Vox Popping.

So, I discuss and explain the multi camera techniques used in the show, the layout of the studio, lighting etc, then we talk about the subject, (at this point I would like to add that nearly all the students will be available to vote in June), so playing Devils advocate I ask for there views, I was horrified to find that nearly 90% had no real idea about what they would be voting for, the common answer was 'To stay in Europe'?, yes but what are your views and why will you vote yes or no? the answers, 'I don't know', 'My mum says that I should vote for' etc.

So I ask the question, how will the result effect immigration, knowing that most of the students are on student visa's? Only 2 out of 26 had a rough idea on the policies in the manifesto's.  at that point it became obvious that they would vote with their parents or mates, disregarding the consequences of their actions.  I have 4 weeks to get these guys to understand the debate that they are filming, how to ask the correct questions and how to shoot it all.  Now you know why I deserve my Fridays off, I think that a large percentage of the UK have no idea about what the referendum is really about and they will follow the same route as my students, voting with their parents and mates, god help us.

My next blog we be GOD, who is he, does he exist and where the hell is he when we need him.

Have a good weekend, ( I need to find a name for all my followers of this blog like the late Terry Wogan had for his followers, maybe Grumblelogs)?  Just a thought.

As the saying says it sure does, the past 2 days have flown by again, I know that being at work takes up a lot of your time, but that normally would drag, but because I enjoy my job so much it's like another hobby but I get paid.

So, This week so far has gone a little like this, Monday a.m, college teaching the little darlings about media in particular Photography, great fun, however this group are not your normal students, these kids are the rejects from other colleges so an assortment of problems, but great fun none the less.  In two weeks time I am taking them with 2 other tutors on a trip to a town centre with the hope of shooting homeless people (part of the criteria for the BTEC award), so they are really excited, then I overheard the conversations, 'we could go into TK and do some shopping', 'lets go to costa for a coffee' 'I need a new skirt for a party, there are some great shops there', STOP, I have to bring to there attention that this is not a jolly or a school trip, there are going there to shoot photographs for their assignments, smiles now melt into disappointing looks, followed by comments like, 'I ain't shooting some homeless person he may attack me', 'I really need to by a skirt' I want to go to the shopping mall', ' I will ask Michael, he will let me go to Costa', at this point I get their attention by slapping a piece of wood on a desk, I then point out that anyone caught shopping, coffee drinking, in fact going anywhere other than where I point them to go, they will be severely dealt with when we get back.  This produces moans and groans and comments like, 'Well I ain't going then'', 'I gonna go shopping anyway'.  Such a lovely bunch of kids, but great fun.  I really need to find that old cattle prod I have somewhere.

So, onto yesterday, Level 3, year 1, Film and TV students, these guys are the opposite to the Level 2 media students, most are bright and keen, however there are a couple in the 2 groups that I had yesterday that are really mouthy smart arses.
Yesterdays subject was, Understanding the principles of Video Technology, Part 1, Television Standards, so this is a real techi unit, I talk about PAL,SECAM, NTSC, TSC, Aspect Ratios, Component and Composite Video, I also cover the cabling etc, so far they have been having a great time shooting videos, making a small Documentary etc, but now it's time to do the had stuff, a lot of research on their part and producing a PowerPoint Presentation in a weeks time.

£ slides in and they are looking at me like I am talking some foreign language, so I ask what's up? they all come back with the same answer, why do we need to know this stuff? I explain that if they check the course details that they should have read when signing up, that it explains all the modules the course requires, moans, so I continue, as I finish each slide I ask for any questions, nothing? SO i continue to the end, I ask again 'Any Questions' then the reply from smart arse No 1, ' Well I know most of this stuff because I have a Play Station', 'Good' I say' "Yeah" he replies, "No problem, I will have this finished before the weekend", Thats good I say as there are another 3 Lectures following this one starting next week with Broadcast Systems, their faces are a picture especially SM No1, I tell the class, any problems or further questions speak to SM No1 and then dismiss them and go to my next class.

I know that this module is quite hard, it's really a techi's thing so they will struggle and my email inbox will be full by Friday with a million questions, I don't mind but I hate a Smart Arse, maybe he will learn from todays experience that you are never smart enough to bull shit a bull shiter.

I am leaving now for the college, Level 3, Year 2, Film & TV students, today I will show them 'Question Time' and discuss the layout and production techniques, for the last 4 weeks I have been teaching them about Multi-Camera Techniques, after Easter they have to go to the studio and create something similar for their assignment.

Then My evening will be covered by my Adult Learning clas of Level 2 Photography, 9pm I finish, Home by 10pm, then hopefully I can fix my sons watch before I finally get some rest.

​Today is going to be a long one.

Where the hell did Sunday go, I know it was yesterday but I cant remember much about it apart from fixing the radiator in the bathroom, repairing a vintage watch, and putting some finishing touches to my PowerPoint presentation for my students, So thats where it went I was busy, 'No rest for the wicked' as they say, god I must be really evil, I never bloody stop.  Sunday missing rant over.

SO where did my files go?  I spent most of last week (half term) writing a new section for my Film & TV course called Video Technology, quite a lengthy affair to say the least as it needs to follow the BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma criteria.
Part 1 being Television Standards, Part 2 Broadcast Systems, with Parts 3 & 4 to follow.  I always save my files to a 32Gb USB drive, then copy them to My HDD on my iMac and then onto an external 3Tb drive, that way I have a couple of back ups and don't normally worry, however, today I go to college with the intension of printing of my slides, I open my USB drive, open the Broadcast PowerPoint and nothing but the first slide, OOOOMMMMFFFFGGGG, I didn't panic as I know that I have the file backed up, or do I, if it's not on my USB drive and I copy everything over from that then that means I have the same on my 2 backups.

As I type this I am a little happier as both the backups have the complete presentations, so where the fuck did the slides go on my USB Drive? so I just backed up the back up onto the USB drive but I now think there maybe an issue with the USB as a couple of weeks ago I gave it to a another tutor to look at a file and he said it was not there? and he was correct so I just made the assumption that I had not copied it over, however, that may not be the case, it could be that the USB drive is failing, it's only a few months old so it will be returned and I expect to have it replaced.

This afternoon I intend to chill out to my music and repair another watch, watch some TV, drink some Wild Turkey and eat Stilton & Grapes, the last 3 items are on the list of don't let Den eat or drink these, but thats only the Doctors opinion, so Off to find my iPhone, and start the music.

 So, I'm sitting at the dinning table fixing a watch late last night when I hear a dripping noise?  Walk around the room to try and find the source which leads me out of the door to the hallway and a swollen paper covering on the ceiling with water dripping, I get a bucket, place under the drip and stab the paper with my trusty pocket knife and whoosh, about 2 litres of water rushes out from the slit in the paper 'BUGGER'.

I rush upstairs to investigate, first thought leaking pipe under the floor in the bathroom, now the bathroom floor is covered with a very expensive Italian slate so the last thing I want to do is rip that up, then as I am standing looking around looking for other possible places I notice that my left foot is getting warm and wet, I look down ad see a small spray of water coming from a joint on the radiator, so i quickly tweak the connector and it gushes water over the floor, so I screw the nut down and the leak stops, I tighten it finger tight (It's a collet pressure joint) and lock down the flow to the rad.

So today I will be getting out my Bob the builder plumbing kit and replacing the joint as it does look a little worse for wear.

And at some point I will now have to hang new paper on the ceiling in the hallway down stairs, it never rains it pours as they say, so considering the situation here today, I am remarkably calm, I have not kicked the cat, or have I blamed the world for my misfortune, however, it's only 11am and the day is young, I have not started the fix yet, but I am sure at some point I will start swearing and cussing the radiator.  But first, I have a watch to continue fixing then I will tackle the plumbing.  If you are a door to door salesman thinking of approaching me today with your special offer of solar roofing tiles, be my guest, but don't expect to leave in one piece.

​I shall report back later.

Well here it is, by public demand I present my blog.

Someone suggested that I create a blog as they find me amusing at times but mostly infuriating. I have a webpage Click Here with some of my more interesting thoughts and moaning, so may well combine the 2 at some point.

Anyway, it's been a hard life for the last 10 years due to my health, to many things wrong with me to enter here however, its all down to worn out bones (due to my 40 years of Martial Arts) and neurological issues that started 3 years ago and they still cant find out why, they did find a very large tumour on my frontal lobe above my leading to a lobotomy, but apparently that had nothing to do with my problems.

So at the moment no more fighting (Martial Arts), due to my neck problems no more astronomy at the this time but I will get back to it as soon as I can look up. A new hobby has emerged Horology, as I sleep very little if at all, so need something to keep my mind busy,  It started a couple of months ago with my Seiko watch running a little fast, I was quoted £165.00 to have it adjusted as it needed to go back to the manufacturer, BULLSHIT, thank you very much H. Samuel, I did what any genius would do and searched the internet for an answer, Bingo, a video on how to adjust the movement, took me a couple of weeks to get it right but it now keeps perfect time, I enjoyed messing about with the watch so much I purchased a faulty watch from ebay, stripped it down cleaned and oiled it, and it works, turned out to be a very nice watch.

So here I am today, it's half term at the college so no teaching (Film & TV and Photography) and waiting for a delivery on a part for one of the broken watches I am working on.  It's 11:15 and still no post, it's been really late the last few weeks, I remember when your mail dropped through your letterbox before you left for work, 7am, poor little postmen can't get up early anymore? more like they are too bloody lazy, come Royal Mail get your finger out and deliver my mail before I leave for work, I feel a letter coming on, I wonder if it will get lost in the post?

Plan for today, try to rebuild a watch I broke down last night 3am, pop into the town centre for some 3in1 oil, if it still exists? Then cook my belly of Pork for my tea, do love my pork, see more about that on my website.

Will continue with this blog later tonight when my day is done.

Thanks for reading, todays been a good day so far, so no rants yet, however the day is young.

​Den