1st Day…
I've been suffering a lot with a lot of health issues recently, (any regular readers will have yawned and already clicked onwards to read something about cats that talk but if you're hanging in there and are reading on... ) and these problems have been exacerbated by the copious amounts of antibiotics that were prescribed to combat said health issues. This past week I've been a pile of itching flesh that has been slowly boiling in it's skin... I've had the occasional spurt of energy but that only lasts long enough for me to walk from the stink pit that used to be my bed, to the bathroom that has has become a hose off area. And here I was thinking that antibiotics were supposed to be a good thing, turns out that the little bit of paper inside the box that says, 'May cause the following side effects: slight itching...' should actually read, 'WILL cause the cause the following side effects: SEVERE itching...'
During this wonderful time of perpetual digit wriggling, I've been bombarded with emails and letters from rude half-wits that work for a company called Q-Park, strong arming money out of me for a parking ticket that I received whilst my car was parked in my rented parking space. I've had letters and emails from my landlord asking why I haven't been to choose my new décor for my up and coming apartment refurbishment (I've been ill, I told them this but they seem to only write mail, not read it). And then today, when I opened my email for the first time since Friday and held my breath as I waded through the piles of junk asking me if my manhood was big enough or if I wanted vicodin for a discount, (both of which cost money I don't have, so I had to delete them... shame...) just in case I had another crappy demand when something strange happened... I got some good news! Yes, good news!
NHK, the Japanese TV station, has offered me a 6 month contract to do a bit of writing for them... I'll be mainly writing feedback and reviews, which is pretty much what I do over at LoLyfe.com without the added bonus of getting paid. So this is not just good news, it's great news - no, it's freaking awesome news because it's news that means when that when I'm asked what I do for a living and I respond with my usual, "I'm a writer", I don't have to feel weird about it any more!! I have an actual contract that states in it that I write for a company! For money!! Not a lot of money, granted, but it's still money!!!
I've been doing an itchy celebratory dance in the flat all morning ...
Belly Up Time for Setanta GB
Gutted about this. Although there isn't that much information available, the Setanta website officially announced that Setanta GB has closed its doors, although it is still operating in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia and Africa.
These channels were a great supplier of Premier League and International football fixtures for me as my satellite dish isn't big enough to pick up the BBC, ITV, and C4 signals.
I suppose it was on the cards but when it was announced recently that there was a possible bail out in process and the fact that Setanta has been advertising that it would be showing even more Premier League games next season - well, I thought it would be safe. Not so.
Luckily, ESPN America (NASN of old) isn't part of the Setanta Group any more, so my regular fix of baseball and college football isn't affected. Not only that but it's a part of the Sky News & Events package, which means I get it for free now. However, what I have noticed is that after midnight when Setanta Sports 1 and 2 switched to ESPN Extra, well, that's gone. It doesn't seem to be the case for Setanta Ireland but I doubt whether that will last.
