Cy0571

Home improvement isn’t something that I’m particularly good at! My wife can attest to this fact, along with the various holes and half finished jobs dotted around the house. The problem isn’t so much that I can’t do it but more that I find it difficult to keep up the motivation to finish the job – I know I’m not the only person who has this problem.

The latest task that I had was to try and fix the shower. It’s been running hot and cold so I decided to take a look at it. I can’t work out what’s going on with it though so I think I’ll just get someone in to have a look at it. I’m fairly sure it is something to do with the pump not working correctly but unless I can be 100% certain I don’t think it’s a good idea to start messing around with the plumbing!

Another task that I have is to try and stop the pipes freezing in the winter months. Last winter it became so cold that the pipes start to freeze and I was very worried that they were going to burst. Luckily it didn’t happen but I swore to make sure that I’d install some trace heating from a company called MJA – they provide high quality components for warming pipes. I was recommended them by a friend.

There are a lot of other things still on my to do list that probably will never happen! Some people find it helpful to have a to do list so they can remember what needs to be done. I just find that I put stuff on the list then end up forgetting the list altogether!

On a side note, I’m going to be installing a wall mount for our new large screen TV soon. I can’t wait to have the TV up on the wall – it’ll save a lot of space when we get rid of the cabinet that we have in the lounge now – but

Has anyone else been disappointed with the recent releases on the Apple App store? When the iPhone was first released, there was a huge amount of innovation on the app market. Today, it seems like the development of new apps has stalled a bit, with a lot of “safe” apps being released that don’t really add anything new. I still find the occasional game to enjoy, but nothing groundbreaking.

The obvious exception is Angry Birds, which I’ve had a lot of fun playing. There are a huge number of levels – I’m not even half way through yet – and they are always challenging and interesting. Sadly, most games on the app store seem to be rushed out in order to make some quick money.

I’ve also heard that Angry Birds is going to be released for free on Android soon, with adverts of course, so could the Android store start to catch up? I have an Android phone now as well as an iPod Touch, so I’m covered either way, but it will be interesting to see whether Android will start getting more big name releases.

One of my favourite iPhone apps at the moment is Flick Cricket. Obviously, this is only a game for people who enjoy cricket, but even if you’re just a general sports fan then you may get some enjoyment from it. The general idea is that you play a game of cricket by flicking to both hit and bowl the ball. The strength and length of the flick will affect how far the ball will go.

Batting is the main part of the game, and is easy to do once you get the hang of it. After you’ve seen the field settings, the action zooms into the pitch before the ball is bowled. As the ball comes down the pitch – with varying speed depending on the type of bowling – you have to flick the touchscreen in the direction you want to hit. If you hit to slow the ball won’t go very far, but if you try to hit too hard then you may miss it altogether.

Bowling is also easy in Stick Cricket. You start by selecting a type of bowler – the three available are pace, swing and spin – and then you select a delivery type. For example, as a spinner you can choose for the ball to spin right, left or go straight on. You then flick the ball in the direction you want it to go, with the strength of the flick affecting the pace. You can also place each and every fielder, or you can just allow the computer to setup the basic field positioning for you. Bowling is very straightforward and can be a lot of fun, although the computer is quite easy to confuse once you’ve played for a while.

There are some problems with the game though. Firstly, there are some bugs which can be frustrating. For example, in the newest version sometimes if you don’t hit the ball properly another will be bowled immediately, leading to a wicket almost every time. the computer is also too easy to beat after a while, so a multi player version is definitely needed if you’re going to play this for any length of time. On the whole, it’s a good game that has a lot to offer, and will keep you addicted for hours.

Primark doesn’t have a particularly good reputation, but there’s no denying that it’s cheap. I try not to shop there if I can avoid it – mainly because I don’t think the clothes will last very long. It’s better to spend a few more pounds on something that will last a while. I don’t buy designer clothes though, even if I had the money it’s not something that I’m interested in.

Primark Good Points

The main advantage to shopping at Primark is that you know the clothes aren’t going to be found for cheaper anyone else. If you need some new socks, or if you want some cheap clothes to wear around the house then it’s perfect. The selection of clothes is also quite good, with both men’s and women’s section, a child’s section and even a section for suits (you can buy a whole suit for £40 – not that I recommend doing so). Primark is also convenient – there are usually a large number of people serving at the tills, and they are quick and efficient. As long as you don’t go on a Saturday afternoon, the store won’t be THAT busy either.

Primark Bad Points

Whenever I’ve bought something from Primark it’s shrunk horribly after a single wash. Usually, the clothes lose their shape almost immediately. For wearing around the house this isn’t a problem, but if you want to buy clothes that look good it can be a nightmare. The selection also isn’t that great, and I would guess that most of the clothes aren’t what you’d call “fashionable”.

If you go on a busy day, Primark can be a nightmare. There will be hundreds of people battling through the narrowly spaced aisles, trying desperately to find clothing that suits them/comes in their size. I hate shopping for clothes at the best of times, so I avoid Primark like the plague when it’s like this!

There are also issues with Primark and fair trade. There are all sorts of rumours about where the clothing comes from, although I have to admit that I haven’t read about this too closely. If you want to make sure that the workers who make the clothes are treated fairly though, then it’s a good idea to read about the company’s history.

When you say the word Ukulele to people they generally think about guitars and come up with the idea that the Ukulele is a miniature guitar. It is similar to a guitar but it isn’t just a smaller version.  For a start the Ukulele has 4 strings and a standard acoustic guitar has 6 strings.

Why learn the Ukulele?

You should only start to learn an instrument if you are going to enjoy it. And the Ukulele is fun! The Ukulele is also really easy to learn and there is a massive wealth of material available for it. If you type ‘ukulele tabs’ into google millions of pages offering tabs – which are a form of notation for ukulele and guitar – for all the songs in the charts today.

4 chord songs

Many songs that are in the charts today are made up of four chords only, this makes them incredibly easy to learn on the ukulele. This video of the band Axis of Awesome shows just how many songs are made up of just the four chords.

It is really easy to find 4 chord song tutorials on YouTube, many people make them! This is a particularly good one as it shows you four songs you can sing with the same set of four chords.

Convenient

Personally I find the Ukulele very useful as a song writing tool, especially if you aren’t anywhere near a piano. All you need to know is a handful of chords and away you go! The Ukulele is also useful to take with you when you are on the go, its a good, fun tool to use when you go camping for campfire sing songs. I quite often use mine just for messing around and learning new songs. The Ukulele is also great for anyone who hasn’t learnt an instrument before, because the Ukulele only has 4 strings there isn’t much stretch when it comes to hand positions and chords are easy to swap between.