- I also wanted to call this blog Just Some Thoughts, as that's really what this blog is. But I decided to stick with this one. Just wanted to let you know that. Hah -

First off, not gunna apologise for not posting much recently. Everyone has moments like it and everyone always apologises on their return. Apologies are for the weak: But also, the truth is that the majority of you probably wouldn't have realised had I not said this. So yeah, here we go:

Okay, it didn't happen in Malta, but is a product of the amazing time I had there:

I realised how boring my life is at the moment.

I never used to find my job boring - you could even say I enjoyed it - but after coming back from 2 weeks in almost-paradise (I say 'almost' due to my newly obtained phobia of jelly fish: Malta is the first place I've been where I've known them to be around), I'm spending far too much time wanting work to be over. As it happens, I'm leaving in just over a month to start university. So luckily it's not really a big issue.

If I wasn't leaving, I know I would have been promoted by now - literally been told that - so I don't think it would be as dull as I'm currently finding it. But I wasn't even supposed to have a gap year, so I definitely wouldn't change my uni plans now. (I even turned down a £23k gap year job at Sussex Uni last year because I didn't originally want to take a one, but then things changed and I was forced delay uni... but by the time I knew, it was too late to take that job! :( Talk about being gutted.)

I've decided that I need to be successful in later life. Don't know how, I just have to be! I know it's lame, but when you sit in BA's first class and watch all the losers walk past you through to economy, you never want to fly economy again. Just one of the reasons I need to be successful, haha.

Despite this, I've also decided I'll never stick out a dull job (for too long) just for the money. Having money is undoubtably fantastic, but there has to be better ways of earning it than spending 8 hours a day, everday, somewhere you don't want to be. I genuinely believe that if you strive for success hard enough, it will come - at least for myself, anyway.

I never used to understand why my dad quit his very well paid job 12 years ago to start his own business (and end up struggling for a fair few years). Now I guess I do.


Writing this in the garden at the moment; such wonderful weather. Would love to be back in Malta, but at least I returned to a bit of sunshine. Had the day off work too today, due to hospital appointment, so I'm thankful for that too ^_^.

Just re-read all this blog so far and had a little think: to be honest, I'm probably being over dramatic. My jobs not all that bad, I think I'm just missing being on holiday too much!

I was also thinking how it would be nice to get away from England and go live elsewhere for a while. But unfortunately it's not that simple. England is dull due to it being where work/learning/dull things are based. Moving to a different country, one is forced to bring those things along and so I doubt it would be long before getting away from that country for a while would become tempting! I guess I could go back to the success thing: I would so love to be able to go on holiday loads of times a year, and then retire early to one big-ass holiday at the end of it all!

This will be useful for a few people, so am making it available to download here.

The template is in Photoshop format (.PSD) and is for partner channels with 875px by 150px banners:

http://dougdoug.co.uk.googlepages.com/NewTemplateLayout.psd

The width is 1600px, sufficient for most monitors (22" widescreens are normally of this resolution)
I don't suggest using the full length of the template as it will produce a large jpg file that may take a while to load. Make your design and then crop the length to whatever is necessary.

.....

Also, if you prefer to have your design all in the background, then set this transparent gif as your banner:

http://dougdoug.co.uk.googlepages.com/TransparentBanner.gif

This method might make it trickier to setup different clickable areas of the banner, but it means you have more freedom in your banner & background flowing together/overlapping each other - like this:


To setup the image map when your banner is actually in the background:
Screen shot your new youtube page, paste it into my template PSD & align it with the other layers in there. You can then use the 'Actual Banner Area' layer to cut out the area of your background that will be clickable, then use that cut out image to upload to an Image Map creator website, like this one: http://www.image-maps.com

Hope that helps.. and makes sense!

Free download of the song that featured in my latest video:

Outkast - Hey Ya Cover

Just found this. They don't seem to have published it very well cause no one seemed to know about it! I imagine they will in time, but until then, i'm reposting it here so more people know ^_^

Play/Download the song that featured in my latest video here:

Up All Night (Insomnia) - Take That Parody

One.
Was on the train back from Brighton after having had my haircut. Two women - who were strangers to each other - get on at Preston Park. One with a bicycle (Woman B), one with a pram (Woman P). Woman B secures her bike and sits down.
A moment later, Woman P blurts out, "Want a wet one?!"
Wayoooooo!

Wait, what?
All sorts of (sexual) confusion ran through my head as to what on earth Woman P might have meant.
Within a few seconds, to my disappointment, it became apparent that Woman B had got dirty oil on her hands from the bike chain and kind Lady P happened to have some baby wipes - or 'Wet ones' - on her person.
:(


Two.
Was now back from Brighton and in the leisure centre for a swim/chill-out sesh.
Sitting in the sauna with a fat bloke next to me, remaining silent because I can never be bothered to strike up conversation with randoms in this situation.

A woman opens the door and immediately proclaims, "Oh, no, oh err sorry. Sorry."

In my amazing comedic timing, I quickly remark on the situation.
"Hah, don't think she liked the look of you mate!"
Comic genius, eyy?

No. The bloke sighs and mumbles sincerely, "Yeah, I seem to have that effect on women.."

Ohshi. I suddenly realised that my comment might have been appropriate, maybe even funny, if said amongst friends. But it quickly dawned on me that this guy could quite easily kill me, and probably would have if he'd had a couple of pints down him.

Oooops.
I got outta there as quickly as I could!


Three.
Actually, I know I had another gooden, but I've forgotten it and only have 10 mins of my lunch break left. But let me just enlighten you on this one:

You know those people that like to drive slow, yeah? Some of them even have a sticker in the back stating something along the lines of, 'BACK OFF. I'm sticking to the speed limit'. That's fine, I got no beef wiv 'em.

However, too often I find THEY ARE LYING.

I wouldn't care if you stuck to the speed limit. I DO CARE THAT YOU INSIST ON GOING 20mph IN A 30 ZONE! TUT. People like you cause accidents and unnecessary lateness.

I'm so lazy. I have so much time in which I could be being productive, but never can be bothered.

I have a fair few video/song/blog ideas that I like when I come up with, but then sit on them for a few days and end up thinking about them too much to the point that I bore myself with them, give up and move on to the next idea. And so the cycle repeats.

I went through my music folder yesterday and there so were so many songs that I'd made/almost completed but never got round to making videos for.


Dailybooth is annoying. I knew it would become popular, hence why I grabbed the username 'doug' so quickly, but it's lame and self-obsessive.


I couldn't think of a title so I went with the first thing that came into my mind. o_O


I have a few projects going on at the moment:

>One remains in my brain for now. It could be quite cool if I ever get round to starting - it will take a while to get going, but could turn out alright.

>Another is with Mazi.tv. Created by Maz, it is a weekly tech show based on reviewing UK and European start ups. I filmed Episodes 5-7, with Sophie presenting, last week. Ep5 has been edited and should be going up tonight.

>The final is supersecretz. Well, not really, but its in early stages at the moment.

I have my '3 Month Work Appraisal' now, where we discuss how i'm getting on. Joy.


Oh yeah, slumdog was alreet. Definitely over-hyped. It was good, but not amazing.


Toodles