A Google account comes with a ton of FREE services....

Okay I am not going to lie. I am a complete 'Googleholic'. A massive fan. I may not be a fan of their recent tax paying policies in the UK but that's between them and the UK government. It is actually more of a government flaw because as far as I am aware Google have in no way broken the law but only exploited loopholes in our broken system. I think morally they crossed the line though.

Regardless this is not what this blog is about today.  What I am wanting to blog are some of the Google services I use on a daily basis.  Later I hope to do some in further depth tutorials regarding use of some of these services e.g Gmail and Drive etc.....

Firstly I would like to list the services available which I use a lot and I would also like to explain these are totally free. 100% without cost to you and provide amazing functionality and productivity if you can be bothered to utilize them. The list goes like this:

• Gmail 
• Drive 
• Google Plus
• Google Photos
• Google Search
• Calendar
• Maps
• Sites
• Keep
• Blogger
• Shopping
• YouTube

Going through the list now iI will quickly describe each:

Gmail

Web Based email. Log in from anywhere in the world and have the convenience of having your email and being able to send emails.

Drive

A Cloud Service for storing files which can be then downloaded and used anywhere on any computer. Also files can be shared with colleagues or friends if you desire. Strongly integrated now with document support. You can now scan in documents using the camera on your phone, edit documents in many formats, use spreadsheets and even create presentations. Google really have got the upper hand on any cloud service available on the current market.

Google Plus

Google's version of Facebook. a community driven sharing facility with many more benefits than its' competitors.  Follow people of interest, follow your friends, add them to your circles and keep updated with anything that interests you. Far more focused on information you want than the competitors shoving rubbish down your throat all day.  A really under appreciated service. Unfortunately Facebook wins with dedicated users but really Google Plus is far superior, people need a little patience to understand it that's all.

Google Photos

Photos is exactly what it says. A wonderful place which integrates with other Googles services like Drive and Google Plus. Photos will store all your photos which you can put into albums. If you have an Android phone you can select auto backup and every pic you take will be safely stored in Photos so if the unfortunate happens (phone stolen or dropped in the drink) then you will have not lost anything but the hardware.  

Google Photos also has a strong editing suite where you can enhance, rotate and colour adapt your pictures with great success.  Another strong package from Google without a doubt.

Google Search

Quite simply the best search engine on the market. It delivers accurate and topical search results in an instant and even helps finish looking for something before you have even typed it in. There really is no competitor.

Calendar

All my events go in my Calender and my Calender is shared with my wife. All events appear on both our phones and tablets. The Google Calendar service is so useful. Sharing Calendars is just one of the many features. Organize your days, even receive emails or alarms for upcoming events and build task list and coordinate events with others. Its a daily requirement for me and without it I would have missed my own birth!

Maps

More accurate than any other map program open to the public. It's definitely more superior than my Honda Sat Nav which on several occasions has tried to kill me! Google maps is more than just a map, it offers an entire in depth yellow/white pages of local businesses, perfect directions with multiple modes of transport, wonderfully detailed satellite views and a street view which is amazing.  I live on this app. It saves me more time and removes more anxiety than I can imagine. Have no idea how I lived for so long without the service.

Sites

Google lets you build your own website for free.  Handy if your a small business owner.  It's not the most in depth service and it does not provide lots of functionality but it will give you a web presence. Not only that they have some simple templates to help you get started.

Keep

The ultimate in note keeping. Think of it as digital post-it notes with a lot more functionality. Add voice messages , pictures, lists or just plain texts. I use this regularly on my phone and laptop. Its great for making quick info available everywhere. Any note I make appears on all my devices from phones to laptops. Super handy for making shopping lists. I go shopping and by the time I arrive at the store my wonderful wife at home has added everything we need on the list. I just go around with my phone and check each one off as I go. My  wife then knows where I have got to on the shopping list as the 'ticked off' items disappear from the list, she can also add anything she forgot if she catches me before I leave the store of course ;)

Blogger

Right now you are reading this on Blogger. Blogger is only useful to me as I run a blog. If you have an interest in running a blog, then Blogger is free, comes with pre in built templates and the new Blogger site can also let you customize your blog. Mine is customized to my liking. Hopefully you like it too.

Shopper

Google Shopper is found in the tabs after you have made a search. Or you can search directly for a product on the Shopper tab. This will return results of the product your searching for and the prices. Often I find products closer to me in stores than where I was originally looking to purchase the product from. Convenient and very easy to use as a price comparison between major stores. You can save yourself a small fortune just by using this service.

YouTube

We all have used YouTube at some point in our lives. It has probably been the largest revolution in technology and the internet in the last 15 years. YouTube has inspired young film-makers, crazy and funny videos, music, advertisers, viral videos and so much more. People are desperate to share and a lifetime could be wasted looking at YouTube videos.  Really an amazing service. Upload a video, watch thousands of videos and comment on other videos.  Subscribe to your favourite video posts.  I use YouTube everyday. I use it for everything from making me laugh to viewing a tutorial on programming or even diagnosing issues I have with my car...... Its an amazing service....think I said that!

I do use other services not mentioned above but these are my daily uses. All free and all come with a Google Account. An amazing company with a real touch for inspiring a technological future and I only wished that more companies developed their services like Google do for us.

Bash in Linux Bugz (SHELLSHOCK)

Bash Running in Linux

Okay so you may have heard, there has been found a critical bug in Bash. This bug has been living there for many years. So how serious is this threat? Well the top Linux Admins are calling it CRITICAL. 

"In a nutshell, the Shellshock Bash bug is easy to exploit and yet still have severe consequences".


Bash is often used as the system shell in many distributions of Linux and Macs. IF an application calls a Bash command from the internet (Http) or through a common gateway interface (CGI) which will allow user to enter data, that system is open for attack. The vulnerability will affect thousands of applications across the board. Andy Ellis, the Chief Security Officer of Akamai Technologies, wrote: "This vulnerability may affect many applications that evaluate user input, and call other applications via a shell."

So have updates come out. In most cases your distribution should have updated bash packages for download. Certainly updates have happened at my end using Linux Mint and Fedora were quick to act too.  The most shocking part of all this news is that it seems all companies have responded treating this "critical" bug as something to be addressed immediately, except Apple have done nothing. No patch has been released for Mac users. Also Apple have not said anything about releasing a patch immediately.

Crikey? Well how the hell do I know if it affects me. Well if you have not updated your computer in the last week....then it affects you. To be sure though you can copy and paste this into your Bash terminal to see if the vulnerability exists....

Are your computers vulnerable?

Open a terminal window and enter the following command at the $ prompt:

1	env X="() { :;} ; echo ALERT" /bin/sh -c "echo ASSCOVERED"

If your answer returns this:

ASSCOVERED

Then your good to go. You have been patched in an update.

Kazam - The ultimate screen recorder for Linux

Kazam Screenshot taken of my laptop (Linux Mint)

A very quick review and tutorial for those interested in screen recording within Linux. Kazam is a great little program which runs in the background recording a video of your desktop and all that you are doing. This is a great way to do tutorials on software usage or live recordings of games being played which is known as "Screen Casting". Many of my blog posts will include a Screen Cast as it is a great tool to physically see whatever I am discussing removing much of ambiguities and misinterpretations.

Included is a YouTube video of Kazam recording my desktop and in the audio I shall give you a quick tutorial in how to use it and the programs features.  So how do you get it? Simplest way to download Kazam is through the Ubuntu repositories.

Open a terminal and type:

• sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install kazam;  sudo apt-get autoclean;

If you're not Ubuntu based you can get Kazam from https://launchpad.net/kazam here you can get a tar.gz copy to build from source.

So what are the features of Kazam?

• You are able to record the whole screen output, a specific application box, or even create a capture are by highlighting a section of your screen that you wish to be captured.
• Several different video formats to be output too. I mainly stick with the h.264 codec and record my files into mp4. "YouTube friendly".
• You can choose the frame rate of your capture so you can control the video smoothness or if you are on an older computer that it can keep up with the recording.

Other features also include CPU parameters to once again alleviate CPU burden. File output stowage location changes. Countdown timer on screen to give you time to prepare before screen casting begins. Small task bar icon so recording can be stopped, paused or continued easily.

There are other Linux screen caster's but Kazam fits the bill for my requirements. 

I also find it is a regularly maintained package and development is still in progress which gives me hope that this wonderful app will continue long into the future.

DOD LS 300W Dash Cam Review

DOD LS300W Car Dashboard Camera Full HD 1080p Advanced Super Night Vision 2.7 Inch LCD 140 Degree Lens G-sensor Motion Detection 

Dash cams? You may ask what is that. Well simply a camera which sits in your windscreen and records video footage of every journey you make.  In Russia  and other Eastern European countries the driving is so poor that these cameras are really the only chance of catching drivers who cause accidents.

Unfortunately driving in the UK is not improving. More cars on the road and less enforcement picking up on minor highway code breaches. Thus, we have become a nation of lazy drivers. I have been involved in an accident many years ago where if I had on of these cameras I would have not had to defend my claim that the other driver crashed into me. In fact that the other driver ran me off the road after crashing into me and my car was a write off. Due to the fact there were not any witnesses and it happened in a single lane county lane meant that the insurance companies settled it as a 50/50 fault claim. This obviously made my blood boil.

So I bought one and have fitted it. Here is my review.....

The camera performs well. I looked at many and checked out a fair few dash cam reviews on you tube before deciding that this was the one I would try.   I saw many for around £40 but after reading customer reviews on these products most complained most complained that the picture quality was too poor to see a number plate or did not perform at all at night and the camera had lines through the picture when in bright sunlight.  There were many other cameras which were higher on price too. £300 some? I was not willing to part with that much cash. So I did a compromise. £96.99 is what I paid. I purchased it from Amazon.co.uk.

The dash-cam arrived within a couple of days and I had it fitted in my car with all the wiring hidden within 2 hours. Could easily be done in an hour just a few cups of tea's and neighbours chit chat got in the way.  I bought a 16Gb micro SD Card and inserted it in the side. The manual for the camera was non-existent but thankfully it is so self explanatory no manual is really needed. The camera's menu system is very easy to understand.  The camera goes into a loop and just records continuously. If you want to lock a file which then can not be overwritten, this is possible.  I turned off the G impact sensor on mine and also disabled the light that is on it. Neither are really of any use to me.  The camera itself does have an internal battery but I run it of my cigarette 12 volt socket. The inbuilt battery does not last long anyway.  I also turned off the microphone as I don't need all my conversations between my wife and I recorded or worse my screaming daughters!

The image quality is brilliant for the money. The camera adjust to light instantly and does not distort like many of the other camera's I saw reviewed on YouTube. When driving in the night, the camera picks up the road extremely clearly just from your headlights. During the day in all weather the video is extremely clear. My overall review is this will be an invaluable tool if ever required by an insurance company. Personally, I think insurance companies should offer huge discounts to drivers that use a quality or approved dash cam when driving.  If we all had these... I feel people would drive with more attention and be more aware that if they are doing something stupid....there is no lying or distorting any truth to the insurance company or police.

Strongly recommend one of these little cameras to anyone. Below is a small clip of a drive I did in the morning ;) Best watched in full HD 1080.

SPECS:

• 1.*140 degree wide angle lens *FULL HD 1080p *2.7" 16:9 Widescreen Display*Six-Element Sharp Lens - Crystal-Clear Image
• 2.*Advanced WDR Technology - Capture Light in Control*F1.6 Big Aperture - Super Low Light Performance*Appearance Patent
• 3.*Loop recording, Time and date Stamp*Motion detection recording function *G-sensor impact data protection *Stop voice recording function
• 4. *Support to 32GB Micro SD card*SOS file locking function *Start and record automatically function*Start and record automatically function
• 5.*Package included: *1 x DOD LS300W Car Dvr Recorder *1 x User manual *1 x Bracket *1 x Vehicle Power Charger *1 x USB Cable *1 x HDMI Cable
• Product Dimensions 11.4 x 4.8 x 3.7 cms 73 grams
• Boxed Product Weight 499 grams

Honda Civic 2009 personal review

The Honda Civic 2.2 EX CDTI  is a peculiar car. Not really the sort of car I thought I would ever own.  If you have read my other blog about my Audi A6 disaster then maybe you will understand why a dramatic change in car was required. The Honda Civic really is a dramatic change.

How come I ended up choosing, it was a choice, a Honda Civic? Straight away I can answer.... Reliability. Reliability goes a long way after what I just went through with the Audi money pit.  Honda have quietly sat on the top step of the podium for most reliable manufacturer of cars for 8 years. Who knew.... We all knew they were good but 8 years in a row as most reliable car is really something. 

Was it just the reliability I was after? Of course not. I love driving, I am one of the few who really takes pleasure in driving. I am also a new father and so practicality had to factor in the decision too. Honda are known for their practicality too. I know this as I lived in Japan for many years and practical was the name of their game. I then started to look at parts....as I know my luck....I could possibly buy the one and only Honda which defies their 8 year record. So I decided if that's the make of car I will buy it from the dealer directly...one year warranty on approved Honda's.

What about other cars that took my fancy. Yep, sure there was a few. I did not want anything from the VAG team so Golfs, Skoda, VW were out. That left me with Volvo V40 or v60. Neither appealed to me and supposedly they had their own issues with sensors. I looked at BMW 3 series estate's. Nice car but servicing and parts were astronomical. I looked also at Peugeot and Renault but really they were never on my want list.

I took a trip down to my local Honda dealership after looking at some car reviews online. I still was not sold and needed to see the car for myself. I really though it was gong to be too tight on space.  I made sure I took my stupidly over sized, all whistles and all bells, dancing pram. Biggest hindrance to any car.  I was approached so I asked if I could see the Honda Civic. At the time they had just received the new Honda Tourer. Got to say.... expensive but looks good. £30k though puts it in the high end. Anyway I only had about £9k after my last car experience.  Back to the point, I took the pram and looked at the car... no way was it going to fit in a Civic. I opened the boot and the pram slid in with room to spare. Plenty of room to spare. My A6 had a big boot. Not as big as this. The car was tiny though? How does that work? Not only that the guy said you don't have to put it in the boot you know.. I didn't know what he meant, I said I don't want to lie it on the back seats. Don't have to. He showed me how the car seats not only lie completely flush down if you want to extend the boot, but also how the seats can be moved up in the middle... basically removing the rear seat of the car leaving enough middle space you can put what you want anywhere. I was amazed. They really had thought about this car.  

The looks department was a little hard to deal with. Its definitely different to most cars on the road today. Innovative but not everybody's cup of tea. It is small, has not a refined or elegant look to it but has more of a technology futuristic appearance.  I was not a fan at first. The more I looked the more I liked. It grew on me.  By the time it came to parting with my cash I was pretty much over the aesthetics of the car.

The interior from a drivers perspective was everything I love in a car. Technology, lights and a dash looking like it should be in Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic program. This was the bit of the car I was desperate to see. I love all that stuff. The more buttons and switches the better. I hated the Volvo's and BMW's as they went the other way. Simple to the point you may as well be sitting behind an office desk. I can't stand that. I really liked the layout and how it wraps around the driver.

Really they knew what they were doing when they built this but i was a risk for them. I love it. The sat nav is wonderfully integrated into the dash and the radio, climate control, cd player, and information all right next to and facing the driver. The person who needs it. The sat nav is a little
outdated in its maps though and also isn't the best system I have used. Google's Maps is the best to date.  The voice control in the car either works or doesn't for your voice. I still find it a bit hit and miss. Their are a ton of commands to learn and any slight deviation from the exact command and it poops out straight away and start talking German or Spanish back at you. Concerning!  The phone blutooth system hooked up well with my Android phone although it didn't download my contacts like other I have used. Room for improvement but functional.

So what is the car like to drive. First impressions are that it is a very noisy experience compared to my Audi. You can hear the road grind under the tyres and the ride is rough. Bumps feel like they are going to take a toll on the frame of the car after a while. It is a false impression, generally the Honda Civic has a good wear and tear rapport.  So, the ride is rough and noisy. The engine is great. I bought a 2.2 diesel and it pulls like its on jet fuel.  The engine revs cleanly throughout and pulls for most of the band.  Even has a gear change indicator before you get too carried away and do some damage. On the other side of that indicator is a economy driving indicator to let you know when your driving most efficiently. These are gadgets I love. The gearbox is one of the best I have ever used. Its solid, precise and gear changes are with meaning and purpose. A solid experience and obviously a solid gearbox behind that feeling.  Driving the car really feels good. It grabs the road and has very definitive inputs on the wheel. It feels like a stupidly powerful go-kart but can be chucked into cruise mode at any time if you want to just get to your destination calmly. I have noticed on larger bumps that the front end of the car does do a little jump dance when cornering with speed. At first this is very disconcerting but soon you realise the car will not loose control at any point. It just nudges you occasionally to make you pay attention.

So what is my conclusion? I am very happy to purchased the Honda. Everything I bought has fitted in it (including a gigantic 170 litre fish tank for my daughter). It is good on fuel considering it is a 2.2 turbo diesel. It is fun to drive although it is noisy and rough. Lots and lots of toys included with a great display layout. Practicality like I have not seen in any other car and most importantly, the biggest one for me, reliable. It's 8 years top of the charts reliability tops the show. It also scored extremely well in the Euro car crash test and thrashed all in its class. It is not refined or snobby, it is just a good solid all round car and it does its' job.

• Looks - 7/10
• Drive - 7/10
• Practicality - 9/10
• Economy - 8/10
• Comfort - 7/10
• Gadgets - 9/10
• Value - 9/10

Android Apps which I use daily and why?

My choice of apps on the Samsung Galaxy Note 2

In this I will show you screen shots directly off my phone (Samsung Galaxy Note 2) which will display which applications I have installed. I will explain why I chose the applications I have and maybe one or two could inspire you to use them too.....

Screen shot 1

• Adobe Reader - Why use anything else to view pdf files. Its an Adobe standard!
• Airdroid - Conveniently hook up to your phone through a wireless connection from your PC. Send and receive files between the two mediums and easily send texts from your laptop and so much more. This app is a must for me.
• Amazon - It is just a great way to compare prices and easy to shop from. Not always the best deal but their services are second to none.
• Android IRC for SlimRoms -  Non essential irc chat program for people who use SlimRoms. Me. Its on all my phones
• Blogger - Well I write a blog so this is the official app to do this from my phone. It is not great but it's something.
• Bluetooth File Transfer - Just in case I have to send something to an old old phone or my mom's IPhone.
• Browser - Do not use it. Use Chrome
• Calculator - Everyone uses one at some point
• Calendar - Synced with Google keeps me from missing nearly everything.
• Camera - Takes good snaps but I prefer Google Camera which is the next Icon
• Changelog Droid - See what updates happened and actually what changed with the app.
• Chrome - Definitely my browser of choice. Plenty of pro coders at Google only making it better too.
• Clinometer - Pretty much a bubble level tool which is very handy around the house.
• Clock - Time / World Time / Countdown Timer / Alarms
• Dev Tools - When I need in depth info about my phone for development purposes
• Device Manager - A tool to remotely wipe your phone, track your phone and call your phone if you have misplaced it or it was stolen.
• Docs - Google Docs are a fantastic creation. Carry your documents and make documents on the fly.
• DSP Manager - I don't really use this.
• eBay - Who doesnt like to bid. Always have used the official app even although alternatives are available. 
• Elite Companion - Is for the upcoming game Elite Dangerous. If you dont know what I am talking about read my Beta Test review here on my blog http://unleashedcode.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/elite-dangerous-not-ready-but-obviously.html
• Email - I no longer use any email apps other than gmail.

• ES File Explorer - Simply the most powerful and usable file explorer fro Android. 
• Facebook - The facebook app is the genuine app. I would like an alternative but unfortunately every alternative I have tried fell short. I used to use Klyph but it is no longer supported.
• Feedly - This is what I used ever since Greader went down the pan. Best news reader out there and with a great interface.
• Flib - A simple conversion program but is asthetically pleasing even if it is a little confusing
• Flixster - Great app to see what films are good and what films are flops.... Can save you 2 hours at a time ;)
• Gallery - The standard gallery app for local (phone based) photos.
• GMail- My only mail system. Dont bother with any others
• Google+ - Considerably a better platform and design to Facebook for social networking. Even although Facebook ha a greater audience.
• Gumtree - Basically free ads on your phone. See whats local and pick up a bargain.
• Hangouts - A brilliant app by google. I use this religiously and speak to people in all parts of th world on video chat for free on my phone and laptop
• IGN - Good to keep up to date with the latest in games. Not always the best for reviews though
• Keep - Google keep is my favourite of all apps at the moment. I have it on my laptop and on my phone. Any shopping list or quick note is added and I can see it on either platform.
• Maps - You cant knock Google... their maps are simply far superior to anyone elses. The information included in this one app is astonishing. Its incredible.
• Messaging - Send a text
• Messanger - Facebooks messenger service. Compulsory by Facebook and not many people are happy about it having to be a seperate app on their phone. I am one of them. Shocking!
• News and Weather - Goggle's news and weather app. Of some use sometimes.
• Nova Settings (Nova Launcher) - My Launcher screen and standard with SlimRoms. Really a very good experience all round.
• PayPal - Check my PayPal account and pay for things from the convenience of my phone.
• Photos - Google photos shows local phone based photos and pictures in your Drive and Google + albums. great app but could be improved.

• PlayStore - Goggle play store for downloading apps, music, books and more
• PlayStation - This is the official PlayStation app which links to your PS4 and you can view your accounts and messages
• reddit - I occasionally use reddit as it is a good source for finding articles or pictures of the unusual
• Sheets - Google Sheets is the spreadsheet of choice on a mobile. Completely compatible with most formats and saves to your Drive. Handy, handy tool.
• Sky+ - This is so I can see what's on TV. Also lets me remotely record programs that I do not want to miss. You need a Sky Plus account to use this app.
• TapaTalk - One of the best apps if you regularly read forums. Forums can be slightly hard to read on small screens and this app eliminated that problem. Great app.
• Torch - Saved me a few trips in the night. Highly reccomended.
• Tumblr - A really good blog/photo site. You can search for almost anything on Tumblr and get many hits back with content. I use this app a lot.
• Wifi Analyser - This is one of my most helpful tools. Making sure I am not on the same channel as others and making sure my wifi remains problem free around the house.
• YouTube - We all know and love YouTube....except for the adverts! Still we all use it daily.

* Please note you may have noticed that some apps were not included but are on the screenshot. This is because I didn't feel those apps needed any explanation as they are standard on almost every Android phone.
** Please also note since the writing of this I lost my patience with the Facebook app with its decision to force you to download another messenger app which is extremely invasive on your screen. Although it is not perfect it is the best I can find  for now is FriendCaster. It is the closest we will get to the all out app in in many ways better. Just misses a couple of features like editing after a post has been published.

Ubuntu: Change your screen brightness on startup

SCREEN BRIGHTNESS SCRIPT

When we start up our Linux machines we sometimes come across situations where our screen brightness is forgotten when shut down.  In this very short tutorial I will show you a way to adjust the brightness to your liking on every start up by utilising the rc.local script in the /etc/ folder.

Follow these instructions step by step.


Requirements:

1. A text editor (leafpad, gedit, jed, or something similar)* I will assume from here on in that you installed leafpad.
2. A compatible video card for adjusting brightness.

Instructions:

1. open the rc.local file by doing this. Open a terminal and type sudo leafpad /etc/rc.local
2. copy and paste text below into the rc.local file
3. please not the line which says echo 35 > ....... This is basically echoing the output to the hardware to say I want 35% screen brightness. Please note that some cards may work on a 0-9 scale for brightness although most cards seem to be on a percent base like mine.

#!/bin/sh -e

# rc.local

# This script is executed at the end of each multiuser runlevel.

# Make sure that the script will "exit 0" on success or any other

# value on error.

# In order to enable or disable this script just change the execution

# bits.

# By default this script does nothing.

#-------------------This changes the screen brightness on startup---------------------

echo 35 > /sys/class/backlight/acpi_video0/brightness

exit 0

* To install a simple editor open you terminal and type this -

 sudo apt-get update; sudo apt-get install leafpad (type password when promtpted and follow on screen instructions)

Recovering from a C6-C7 neck fusion..... FrankenPhil

Anterior Decompression and Fusion of C6 C7 vertabrae

I am writing this blog from the comfort of my parents house while I recover from a "Anterior Decompression and Fusion of my C6 and C7 vertebrae" (in my neck).  The operation took about 5 hours and I was under general anaesthetic for about 6 and a half hours.

So how come I needed this? Well, an exuberant youth when I used to race motorcycles. I had many accidents while racing and took it as part and parcel of the job in hand. We all crashed, we were all pushing and finding the limits of the machinery we had at the time. Sometimes you got hurt and sometimes you walked away with nothing but your pride dented. Unfortunately for me I remember this accident as it left me with many injuries. I crashed at Cadwell Park in a Supersport 400 National Championship meeting.  It was at "hall bends" where there is no run off and I ended up in the tyre wall face first with my race bike in tow at around 70mph.  Not a pretty site you can imagine. The list of injuries not including my neck and back were broken femur, damaged ligaments, internal bleeding, severe concussion, broken toes and fingers and a broke collarbone.

Well over the years my neck was hurting more and more. I had a job as a commercial diver so lifting tanks and working with heavy chains and propellers and scrubbing boats and fighting tides were all very strenuous on my neck and shoulders.  About 7 years ago my neck seized. I had prolapsed a disc which had crushed my nerve which fed the left side of my body. I spent 6 months in some of the worst agony I had every been in. The pain can only best be described as a continuous electric shock on a nerve in your teeth but down the entire left arm. The pain never let up, never went away with pills and caused me to very quickly loose my mind and go into despair. I have broken may bones in my body and had some pretty painful accidents in my time but nothing compared to this. I saw a surgeon but by the time I saw him he decided the bulge in my disc was slowly reducing. Armed with this knowledge he decided not to operate.

3 years after the same thing happened again while working the hull of a ship in Southampton docks. Again this was another 6 months off work in lots of pain but it was not as painful as the first time. I also knew better how to manage the issue. I was left with continuous pins and needles in my left hand.

Then about a year ago my neck always ached a bit...but I noticed pins and needles becoming stronger and stronger, then also a loss of strength followed, next I started to loose dexterity. I'm left handed and writing became difficult, as well as playing the guitar...it was like I no longer had the coordination. I felt week. I saw the surgeon for a third time after some more MRI scans and he decided I needed to really speak to a spinal surgeon.

So I met with the spinal surgeon who agreed I could benefit from the surgery. It was until they agreed to operate I began to think about what they were actually going to do to my neck to try and fix the issue.  I started to look into it and not sure I like what I saw.  At the same time I was aware that things were deteriorating in my left arm and so something had to happen soon.

I read a lot about people who had this operation and the after effects and also had been told before hand that it was a very painful operation and recovery. Well this blog will hopefully let other people in my situation know what to expect and what it is actually like.

I will blog it as it happens here... just keep scrolling down for updates.....

Day One (Operation Day)

I went in in the morning after not eating since 8pm the night before. I had to be there for 7am. I was the first to go into theatre as usually your on the high priority list. I signed all the paperwork answered all the questions correctly and had spoken to the anaesthetist.

This is what I was in for: They were going to take out the old damaged disc. Remove "spurs" off the top and bottom of the vertebrate's they are working on and wish to fuse. They built a titanium cage which was filled with donor bone and my bone from the spurs they took of my vertebrae. Then they put some clamps in opened up my spine and slotted in my cage. This is then held in place by a metal plate with four screws in the neck.  Just so you know... all of this is done through the front of your neck...not the rear. So expect not to have much of a voice when you wake up.

So I awoke from all of that. The video above isn't exactly what I had done but pretty close. I had an internal titanium cage inserts in mine.  When I came round I was in my own hospital room. I was a little uncomfortable but nothing crazy. I had morphine in my drip and it wasn't long before I lady with a cart of pills came round to drug me up more.  About 3 hours after I was realising that swallowing was difficult and my soar throat was leaving me unable to speak. They did explain to me that all my vocal box and oesophagus had been moved out of the way during surgery.  The actual neck scar didn't hurt at all but my neck was very sore but totally manageable with the drugs administered. I slept a few hours that night but generally was awake but comfortable.

Day Two (Released from hospital)

Yep you read it right. I was happy, they were happy and I had already got out of bed and walked. No neck brace needed. Just stood up, no pain no difficulty in doing so. I was given antibiotics in heavy doses due to the fact it was spinal surgery. I had a hiccup which really hurt but it obviously moved something as I soon got my voice back.  I was happy to eat my meals and drink fluids.  These were all conditions of my release.  Eat, pee, walk and talk, pooping would have been a tick in all boxes but I hadn't. I had the drain in my neck removed. That was an uncomfortable feeling but not painful.  My parents collected me in the evening from hospital and we drove home. The drive home was a little uncomfortable and I had to stop every sort of 20 mins to get out and walk. That night I managed about 3 hours of sleep and I had to sleep upright.

Day Three (Home comforts)

So living back with my parents huh.... well the main reason for this is so they can look after my 16 month old terror who has already punched my directly in my neck.  Keep the beast away from me I yelled but really inside I wish I could just pick her up and hug her. This is kind of the problem. I feel good enough to lift her...but no lifting for minimum of 6-8 weeks. Doctors orders.

So what's my day like? Pretty good considering. I'm tired more than anything. The neck has a lot of movement already and I don't feel very restricted. I fell that generally I am good in one position for about 20 mins before I need to change again. The physio at the hospital told me to keep moving. Not to tense up. Relax as much as one can and keep your neck free.  I'm walking about a lot in the house. But not for long. Pretty dizzy with the tramadol and cocodomal tablets I'm on. High as a kite should I say.

I swallow water poorly today and started chocking. The coughing was extremely painful. It felt like someone was taking a sledge hammer to my neck from behind. So far the most painful out of all of this experience.

The day past quickly and I managed a little sleep in the afternoon in a chair. (That coughed tired me out). Slept again in an upright position at night but stayed awake mostly playing on my PlayStation 4.

Day 6 (Bit more pain today)

I slept last night and woke up in an awkward position. I couldn't really get myself up and I had seized up. My pins and needles in my hand were really kicking off again and I struggled to get upright. All day I have hurt because of this one awkward sleep. I don't even want to go to sleep tonight because of this.  They did say good days and bad days and for 10 days a lot of extreme pain. The extreme pain is not the case though.

Day 10 (Out to see a friend)

Okay, the last few days have not been great. Ever since I slept awkwardly my pins and needles in my arm and hand have been pretty bad.  I'm tired. Today was great though as I finally went out to see a friend of mine. It was great to get outside and stand and chat in a friends garden while all our children played.

Neck pain is really no longer an issue. I still take my pills as I feel pretty stiff and my shoulder is hurting a lot.  I could come off them I think and maybe will do in the next couple of days. Plus the pills cause severe constipation from which I am suffering right now.

My stitches which are dis-solvable are slowly going. My neck looks fine considering.  I'm more than happy with the result of the neck wound. No infection and has caused no pain. I still have it covered with plasters they gave me in hospital. They gave me 6 of these waterproof plasters so I can have a shower. You will feel great directly after a shower. The warm water just releases so much tension in your neck and back plus it feels so good to be clean.

Day 12 (Not sure how I feel)

Well it is still early days. Last night I slept for a full 8 hours. I woke up a little stiff and uncomfortable. I really took a long time coming round and getting my bearings.  My pins and needles in my hand were thumping away but generally I felt that my muscle aches and pains were a lot lighter than previous days. I can now fully turn my head left and right and look completely up and down. I don't feel any range of movement has been compromised really. On extreme down looking I can feel the plate pulling on the lower vertebrae and it's not painful just feels weird.  Did not really bother with pain killers today either.  Did in the morning but my next lot was at 9 at night. Off to bed now feeling that I am mending within but not sure if these pins and needles are a good sign now. We will see!

Day  18 (Improved a lot)

Stitches dissolved bar one. Neck healed nicely.

Well it has been 18 days since I went in for the chop. I am now sleeping all through the night. I still
occasionally take some pain relief before I go to bed to help with the sleep and maybe once or twice during the day if it is a bad day. Still get those good day bad day things.  Generally though I feel I have all the movement back in my head and neck. I can fully look up and look down, right and left. I am not too uncomfortable although I feel a little seized up in my shoulder blades.  I am a lot more mobile and can pick stuff up of the floor now.

Unfortunately I still do have pins and needles in my hand. It is always there but sometimes it is a lot stronger than other times. I cant pin point as to what makes it worse or not. Sometimes just a weird movement can cause it to go throbbing mental.  Sometimes though I do feel that my pins and needles are a little less than when I originally went in with.  The problem with nerves and nerve damage is that it takes so long to heal so it becomes hard to know what is irreparably damaged or if it is in the process of being repaired. The fact that my pins and needles fluctuate leaves me to believe that they are still trapped a little but definitely repairing slowly. I hope so anyway.  No other news. I really feel much much better from the operation itself though. I could easily work in  an office by now if that was my job. Still cant lift though. Not for another month until I see my surgeon. Thats it for now.... Another update will not come for a while ;)

My Audi A6 disaster story.

I purchased a while ago an Audi A6 2.0 TDI 2008 model. The car was beautiful. Full leather interior, satellite navigation, all the whistles and bells. The car had 64000 miles on the clock and I had never driven such a quiet and comfortable car before.  Sounds wonderful doesn't it? Unfortunately I will tell you a story which will make you cry... Certainly did that to me anyway.

I polished the car regularly, drove at every opportunity and spent more than I could afford to own the car so my family wouldn't have to think about another vehicle for many years to come. Within 8 months the car was gone and in those eight months I had spent a fortune just trying to keep it on the road. Let me explain:

I was driving the car around my home town of Portsmouth when I started hear a clonking sort light mechanical sound coming from the engine bay. What was that I thought to myself as I knew anything clonking of metallic in nature was not a good sound. Its seemed to be when I depressed the clutch but it wasn't that obvious for me to be sure. I continued for a month until the noise really started to worry me. The car had a full Audi service history so I knew it was not a replaced dodgy part...this was something failing. I started looking online for possible causes. This is something normally I wouldn't recommend as everyone has got your car written off before you begin. Paranoid nation out there... Or is it?

Anyway, the common consensus was that it could be an oil pump failure. A design fault that Audi refuses to recognise. This started to worry me greatly as people were talking about complete engine failures and blown turbos. Expensive stuff. I found my nearest Audi specialist and took the car to him. He listened to the car closely and decided that it would be rare for an oil pump to go and checked my dual mass flywheel. Sure enough that's what it was. I booked the car in and had a new dual mass flywheel and clutch fitted. Big job by the way on the A6. £1200 it cost. The chief mechanic showed me the failed dual mass flywheel and why it was clonking. Springs were broken and it was flapping forward and backward in its housing.

Okay that hurt the wallet...but now the car is finally sorted and Audi are bullet proof so I was lead to believe are they not? Not as I soon found out. My driveshaft bolts snapped only 2000 miles later. I was very lucky not to right off the gearbox casings as the driveshaft wedged itself up into the box. Anyway, a long wait for the AA and towed back to my Audi specialist. He repaired this in a matter of hours and kindly left me a small affordable bill for new bolts.

So I had some pleasurable months of driving when another sound started coming from the front left of the engine. This was just after spending £550 on tyres for the car. I was broke and couldn't deal with the expenses of this money pit. The noise was a churning rattle when the car was idle. I listened for days at this noise and knew what it was. It was the oil pump. The thing that Audi claim never happens but the forums say always  happens. This had to be rectified. Okay this is going to hurt a little but won't be as bad as a blown engine. So I took the car back to my Audi specialist garage and they confirmed it was coming from the oil pump.

I gave the green light to the mechanics to replace the oil pump. Audi, with their amazing technical skill had built a very heavily oil dependant engine but put a little hex drive in the oil pump which spins and drives the cogs to pump oil around the engine. We are talking about  a £4 hex bolt. This hex bolt sits unevenly off center in Audi's poorly designed oil pump and soon rounds off and no longer spins. Oil doesn't get distributed and pop goes your turbo and throws all its inside's in your engine. So replace this bolt as soon as possible then..not that simple. The whole unit needs replacing due to the hex bolt seating is also worn due to the rattling and excess play. The oil pumps don't come apart either. These cost £1500. Oh yes. And to fit them a further £2000 as the engine has to come out. New belly pan fitted. New drive cogs and oil pump. Audi say they have never heard of this happening but the forums are full of this very issue. People hit 80k and this happens. REGULARLY!

Okay..so I bit the bullet...the car is now 6 months old to me and has broken my wallet and my enthusiasm for driving. I drive and listen like a hawk for what's going to happen next. Soon enough weird electrical things start to happen. Nothing serious...  Things like the radio turning itself on or off or display screen on the HUD fading out. So I look at new huds or a LCD fix as it was bothering me. Okay £250 a company fixed the LCD and once again said "common problem on these Audi's".... Paid the money and had a working g LCD again. I could live with the radio weirdness.

In between then I had to replace my front discs and pads at £600. Okay I can't complain as this is wear and tear of any motor vehicle today. Expensive being Audi though and it is a heavy car. Best buy the genuine parts.

So even more broke my wife and I couldn't afford a holiday but needed to get away. We decided to to Cornwall to visit some very dear friends with our 1 year old. We drove down in comfort but not really feeling that comfortable as we did not know what would happen next with the "money pit". When we were down we went to the beach. Down some very tight one way roads when all of a sudden the car shuts down. It won't start either. It was like at ran out of fuel. Nope the tank was full. Finally the car started and we drove back to our friends gingerly. Before we left Cornwall the car had one more episode like it. Just didn't completely cut out but nearly spluttered to death but then coughed back into action.

My faith in the car was finished. I spoke to my specialist again and he confirmed that I may have injector problems. I looked up on the forums about injectors for Audi. Hahhhhh.... Another common fault for such a reliable bullet proof car. £1000 each. Okay I couldn't take it anymore. I have a one year old, a wife that needs the car but doesn't drive and I needed reliable transport too. This Audi was a joke. It had to go. I couldn't live with the fear and heartache this peace of junk was causing.

I sold the car and felt a weight leave with it. I lost a lot of money. Grew many grey hairs and never had such a horrible experience in all my years motoring. Audi as a garage were unhelpful and continuously pretended that they have super reliable cars and all of these KNOWN faults have never been heard by them. I will never recover from my experiences with them even although in 2009 they totally rebuilt their 2.0 engines and made them common rail and totally redesigned their oil pumps. Interesting that they felt the need to make such vast changes to such a reliable engine.

Anyway thus was my story. My sad story of how I bought an Audi to protect our future car requirements and save money in the long run and ended up being crippled by the decision. Anyone owning a 2005-2008 Audi I strongly suggest you bin it...before it bins you !

Below the parts only bill for an oil pump.........

Hana & being a full time daddy!

Best Day Ever

So my beautiful daughter was born on the 5th of May 2013 in Portsmouth Hospital.  To be honest I was very nervous about this little one arriving in our lives.  I did not feel I was ready to be a father...I definitely did not believe I was in a financial position to have one.  Also knowing that I had recently had surgery to my femur and that I would be at home as the full time dad I was extremely apprehensive if I was even responsible enough.

So people always told me you will be a great dad. Never believed it. Nice compliments but just chit chat.  I looked at all my friends and none of them whom were male were a full time dad. All worked and all said how pleased they were to be working.... sounded like a lot of work having a kid if work was their safe haven?

Anyways... she arrived at a whopping 3.8kg and made my darling wife make sounds which only a demon could decrypt. I got to cut the umbilical chord and due to the fact mommy was in a bit of a mess.... say no more.... I managed to get hold of her straight away. I was the first to bond. Something strange happened. I cannot explain, describe or even entertain why but I fell in love instantly. It was like a switch. I have never experienced that. All my concerns went as if they never existed.  Over the next few paragraphs I am going to explain how things went over the next six months....

For the first month I felt completely and utterly bewildered by this little person next to me in bed. Her cot was pushed up against our bed and I held her hand every night as we fell asleep.  Everyone said how exhausting it is. I totally disagree. Plenty of sleep and when she woke in the middle of the night I was keen to get up and serve her. No begrudging my sleep. Feeding her every four hours. My wife and I decided that we would mix breast feeding and formula. Mom struggled in the beginning with the breast feeding. Nothing to do with production...but the pain. I didnt really understand what she was complaining about until I saw one day Hana pull her mouth of moms boob and all the skin came of her nipple. It looked raw. I then sympathied.  Thats pain soon passed. for any lady reading this without knowledge...stick at it. Its painful but stick at it...2 weeks is all it takes and then you will experience no pain what so ever. Its also like a switch. My wife Laura has always said breaking that pain barrier was the most rewarding thing she has done. Hana was then fed exactly as we had planned. I took every night shift as long as mummy took the morning shifts. I hate mornings. Love the middle of the nights.

Hana started growing fast. By month 2 we had found some sort of rythym and a little structure but definitely mum was a lot more tense about things than I. I took a rather casual approach as I felt Hana would feed of our emotion. Mum found Hana crying and still to this day finds Hana crying to be unbearable. It affects her deeply. I always took control when these situations appeared as the result would otherwise be Laura and Hana very stressed out. Everything just made sense to me. I ended up feeling like I really could do this staying at home thing. It was very empowering and gave me purpose which I never really felt before.

By month 3 and 4 Hana was strong. Most of our worries or concerns about if we were doing right or wrong were gone. Although we were amased with ammount of opinions we heard from others "who knew best".  Laura and I said we were going to do things which fitted our lifestyle. We did NOT take much if any notice of what was in all these f....ing books. We had the books.... and referenced them if we ever got really stuck without an answer.... Mainly for food when Hana started to sprout teeth but that came later.  Generally by month four we were happy. Mum returned to work and I stayed at home as a full time father. Things were very good indeed. Somedays were harder than others, there is no denying, but generally it was because I little bundle was finding her capabilities and had started to crawl a little bit a roll.  The house needed pchild proofing that was for sure.

By month six Hana was using a walker. Things had changed a  lot. Hana was advancing ahead of schedule and we were very proud indeed.  I was taking her down to the beach most days and letting her walk with her walker freely along the seafront. Attacked by millions of woman when they see a six-seven month baby walking at the beach with daddy.  Cant complain about that! We were slightly worried about the distances she was walking and also the fact her feet pointed inwards (pigeon feet) while she walked. We spoke to our local doctor who said not to worry and right enough her feet straightened out bit by bit. With regards to the distance, as long as we wernt pushing her or forcing her to walk then she can walk as far as she liked. She was happy walking for about 2km then she would just sit and not continue. A long way for those little legs.

Anyway, to round this off before its too long winded.... Im a very happy stay at home dad. I went from scared silly to totally comfortable and confident being a proud parent.Is it hard work? No... not at all. Probably the only parent to say so but it's true. I worked harder on many things with far less reward. The difference is that every little bit of work with your child is rewarded so richly that you don't even know it was work. Sure, I get tired some days.... but each day tends to be a good one.

I will update my blog with many other incidents, worries, fun and general progress on my blog so check back soon.  If anyone wishes to speak with me or concerned or hae a question please email me. If it is regarding something which I do not know I will not even try to answer... and my best advice is do what you think is best. Do as you wish to do and dont listen to anyone else. You will naturally do the best for your child.