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So if it is a time for new beginnings...

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Well since it is all change in September, new modules, son starting university etc...etc.

I have decided to stop the smoking... 51 years old, been smoking again for 10 years after having stopped for 11. Started when i was 14.

So 14-29.....smoker

       29-40... non smoker

       41-51.... smoker.

I bought one of those vape machines at christmas, and it has sat on my shelf for 9 months gathering dust... whilst i tried to gather will power.

Today the vape machine is out of the box, getting charged, oil soaking the wick and will be ready to go at 5pm.

Here goes again at knocking the fags on the head... before they knock me on the head...

At £ 8.50 a packet of fags... i smoke cheap fags, if you smoke a big brand name they are £ 10.00, so saving the money would be handy too...

Permalink 8 comments (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Sunday, 2 Sep 2018, 21:40)
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The book delievery..

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The books arrived... only two of them and no other materials..  so thats good DD209 must be a newer module where most of the material is on the module website, just like DD103 and DD211.

Only the exception was #bloodyA222 with its 6 books and 7 audio CD's. Oh t and the Access module YO32, that some 2 books and 2 CD's.

So pleased to be back to a modern module again.

I will have a glance through book 1 of DD209 in the morning.

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And so it begins again...

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Well, it all begins again tomorrow.

The DD209 books will be sent out tomorrow and the module website will open in 2 weeks tomorrow.

So off we go again, for me this will be year 4 of study out of 6 and my last level 2 module.

So as i sit here now i am 50% done and after this upcoming module it will be 66% done 

Starting to get a view of the home straight now.

So roll on DD209- Economics, lets get level 2 done. Getting level 2 complete means i will have completed diploma level. Happy days.

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BBC 4

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Does watching the programme ' the science of winning' count as preparation for DD209?

It was all about game theory and in particular evolutionary game theory.

It was an interesting watch, turns out i am one of the 66% of the population who have dove behavioural chatacterists, i am not a hawk. 

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31,000

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Gosh 31,000 came round quick...

Thank you everyone

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Best movie ever

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Just watched Groundhog day on Dave. There is a split in our house. Ella and I love the film. We think it is the best film ever, and watch it together whenever it is on. Ros, James and William think it is a good film, but can't understand why Ella and I love it so much and are happy to watch it again.

Do any of you share my and Ella's opinion, that Groundhog day is the best film ever made?

Permalink 6 comments (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Thursday, 30 Aug 2018, 08:48)
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Uni registration

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Son #1 just finished all his registration stuff for the university of portsmouth.

So he inducts on monday 17th of spetember, they even have a parents induction day of the sunday 16th.

So thats all sorted then. Just have to book an appointment with the accountants departed to pay the first year fee's.

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29,000

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Wow, 29,000 views.

The counter is fairly racing along now.

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to visit and hopefully read this blog.

It has been a funny few days.

The 12th of August would have been my dads birthday, and it is 18 months now since he died.

Son #1 turned 19 on the 15th of August, and got his A-level results on the 16th.

It turned out that when he went onto UCAS to be cleared, the university of Portsmouth had upped his unconditional anyway.

So i have had a week off from work, but am now emotionally exhausted and have to go back to work tomorrow 

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Clearing day

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Well that was a busy few hours.

Son #1 got his three A-levels and cleared for his international relations and Politics course at Portsmouth University.

So that's all sorted and he starts on the 17th of September.

What a relief for me and what an achievement for him.

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Getting marked

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Just got the email to say that how my upcoming module is being marked, is being changed.

Apparently it will now be a weighted average of everything lumped together, including the exam 

So no more OCAS and OES just a lumped together average.

Will have to take a closer look at this later on to see if it is a positive change.

Permalink 14 comments (latest comment by Pui Lee, Monday, 3 Jun 2019, 00:35)
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DD209 books

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According to my study planner, my text books for DD209- Economics will be arriving with me in 10 days.

How exciting, the cycle begins again 

I must see if there is a DD209-September start Facebook group i can join for a couple of months and then leave because i find the comments so frustrating.

So lets see - books, apathy quitting a facebook group and probably finding out the tutorials are 60 miles from where i live... yep i am ready to get this academic year under way...

Permalink 1 comment (latest comment by Simon Reed, Tuesday, 14 Aug 2018, 16:42)
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Views...

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Blimey, that went to 28,000 quickly.

Thank you everyone.

The counter is speeding up quite quickly now.

There must be some formula somewhere that predicts the growth in views... but i am a social science student.. so no maths for me.

Well not too much in the way of maths, heading into an economics module is September, so there might be maths.

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Adverts

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Went to the cinema yesterday... to see The Meg..

Silly film but you can't go wrong with a bit of Jason Statham.

But that not the point... which is, they had an advert for the OU before the trailers, plus seeing adverts on the TV quite alot.

Perhaps it is my age creeping up on me, but i don't seem to remember seeing quite so many adverts to study with the OU before?

I wonder if it does drive admission numbers... or is it just a reflection of the fact that the recently ousted vice-C used to work in television and media before he fucked up, sorry, joined the OU.

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Views

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Blimey 27,000 thousand views.

Thank you everyone.

The counter fairly races along now...

I might hit 30,000 by the time i start my next module in September.

In other news it is Friday tomorrow... and then i am off from work for a week. It is a big week for son #1.

Wednesday is his 19th birthday, Thursday is his A'level results and Friday is upgrading his offer to unconditional with Portsmouth Uni, or if he misses an A'level grade..  then a day spent in UCAS clearing.   

Plus Sunday would have been my dads 74th birthday, which will mark 18 months of the anniversary of his death.

So it might well be an emotional week, next week.

If it is not too hot i am doing more work on my deck on the monday.. so with any luck i might get to sit down for a couple of hours on the Tuesday... with any luck..

 

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Wednesday

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Lunch time on a Wednesday.. half the working week done... and i am off next week. Nice

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What a test match

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Edited by Michael Gumbrell, Saturday, 4 Aug 2018, 19:06

What a first test match against India. A win by 30 runs. Very exciting... however a full test match should take place over 15 sessions over 5 days... this one finished in 10 sessions... not even a full forth day played.

Come on chaps... the ball in the test match is red... the test is over 5 days, please respect that and leave the white ball stuff to the ODI's.

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Blimey, 26000

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26,000 views.

Thank you everyone, i am made up by that.

You are very kind for listening to my ramblings...

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Getting bored in the evening

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I bought some economics books to read in the evening.. but i am getting bored now.

What with it still being July i have so long to wait until the study planner opens up and i can get year 4 underway.

I think though, trying to do a September and February start would be to much for me.... especially as the February start would be a level 3 module.

So i am stuck with the part time pathway and the long summer wait to get going again.  

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Still raining.

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It is pretty solid rain today and most of last night.

My garden is saved.

Now hopefully is a weeks time, all that straw yellow grass in parks and verges all over the country will be able to green up again.

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Rain....

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It's raining!!!!!!!

Will it be enough to save my garden.

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Views versus temprature

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The counter is about to hit 25,000 views...

25,000 which is also the current temperature in Fahrenheit.

Cannot wait for the storms tomorrow night, my garden cannot wait for that rain.

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My poor garden

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It is now 6 weeks since a single drop of rain fell on my garden.

The nice happy people on BBC weather tell me it is not going to rain this week either.

My poor garden is being burnt to a crisp.

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Doing the facebook thing

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I don't know, i have the facebook thing.. but i don't seem to enjoy it.

It just seems full of arguments and aggravation. 

The is so little humour or wisdom in any of the posts. 

No i don't wish to sign your petition..

No i don't think we should ban Trump from entering the country...after all that's playing into his phobia.

No i do not wish to attend the boutique fair this Saturday

No i do not need to share a picture of someone with a dead lion that they hunted.. after all i can express contempt for those people without sharing pictures of them with the animals they kill.

I am probably best served by my current policy of going on facebook once in a two week period and hardly ever posting on there.

Facebook seems to be becoming a race to the bottom of the barrel... especially any page that starts with the title,

Spotted....

So many of the pages, groups and comments seem to have become little franchises of hatefulness.

Like so many things in life.. the internet was a good idea, that got filled with people and people's unkindness.

It's sad really.

Permalink 2 comments (latest comment by Michael Gumbrell, Tuesday, 24 Jul 2018, 13:09)
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Wow 24,000

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24,000 views. How fantastic.

Thank you everyone.

It might be a sign, but 24 was the age i was the last time England went out of a world cup at the semi final stage.. 

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Uniforms

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William finally got his air cadet uniform ready for the final parade of this term, which was tonight.

Bless him he looked very smart.

He also passed his duke of Edinburgh award as well. So more patches to go on his fatigue uniform.

Can't believe it is the last day of this academic year tomorrow, a half day at that. Summer holidays are here. 

Except for those of us who have to work for a living..  which is me.

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