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		<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//the-rant-feed.htm</link>
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		<copyright>A www.justinmeighan.com rant....</copyright>
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			<title>Specialized Sirrus Comp 2010 review</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//Specialized-Sirrus-Comp-2010-review.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><img style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;" src="http://www.justinmeighan.com/assets/images/specialized-sirrus-comp-2010.jpg" alt="Specialized Sirrus Comp 2010 " />

Having owned a Specialized Globe for over 2 years I decided to upgrade and get a new bike that was a bit lighter and more nimble around the streets Dublin. Having already owned a Globe (and been very impressed) I decided to go for another Specialized. I went for a Specialized Comp 2010, purchased in Cycleways.</p>

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<h2>Weight and Handling</h2>
<p>In comparison to my Globe 08, this bike weighs nothing! I can't tell you the actual weight as it's not the the <a href="http://www.specialized.com/ja/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?sid=10Sirrus">Specialized website</a>!! Although it has an aluminum frame, it has carbon forks which greatly reduce the weight. This bike handles far better than my Globe. Due to the big decrease in weight overtaking buses (and really long lines of stationary cars) at speed is that little bit safer and easier! The bike just feels really light and responsive in comparison to the Globe. </p>

<h2>Speed and Comfort</h2>

<p>As already mentioned, it is a fast bike. I'm overtaking and keeping up with the other road bikes that used to breeze by me with disgust :). Flat bars on this bike make for a comfortable short ride, however it must be noted that on long races my shoulders and back were very stiff due to the upright position on the Sirrus. The flat bars also mean a higher position, so you can see crazy pedestrians on an intercept course. Zertz plastic/rubber inserts help to dampen the vibrations from the front and back forks, again making for a more comfortable ride. Please note again that these are not super shock absorbers, on a longer run I had sore hands and a sore arse from vibrations off the rough road!!! This bike is as comfortable as my Globe which surprised me. I was told to expect a bumpier ride due to the thinner wheels, but this is not the case.</p>

<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Great bike. I'm very pleased with the Sirrus and have had no problems (and only 1 puncture) yet so far! I have been knocking out 120k a week and just completed the 180k Ring of Kerry on this bike, and it has given me no trouble at all. This bike is classed as a hybrid, but in fairness the Comp and Elite Sirrus have the same frames/forks as the entry level Specialized road racers. Apart from "slightly" thicker wheels this is effectively a racer, I would not recommend it for use on anything but paved roads and paths. It is not built for the trail. It's an ideal commuter bike, but for longer distances and racing you can get a better road racer for slightly more than I paid. If you want something that ticks both boxes (but really excels as a commuter bike) than this is your bike! </p>

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			<pubDate>Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:09:44 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//Specialized-Sirrus-Comp-2010-review.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
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			<title>Scan RADIUS Core i5 BUNDLE review</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//scan-radius-bundle.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><img width="277" height="241" alt="" src="http://www.justinmeighan.com/assets/images/radius.jpg" style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;" />I recently moved my custom from one UK supplier to another. Up until recently I had shopped with www.overclockers.co.uk, but due to <a href="http://www.overclockers.co.uk/">horrendous customer service</a> and a <a href="overclockers-uk-review-no-stock.htm" title="Overclockers steal money">generally bad experience</a>, I decided to turn to Scan (<a href="http://www.scan.co.uk">www.scan.co.uk</a>) for my computer parts!.</p>
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<p>I bought my last computer bundle from OC over 3 years ago, and until recently it had not failed me. My GFX card was the first to go, so I decided it was time to upgrade! I purchased an 3XS overclocked bundle from Scan. I went for the RADIUS Core i5 BUNDLE, Overclocked at a whopping 4.0 Ghz!! If you, like me, have a morbid fear of pushing the voltage up on expensive computer components....then this is the way to go! Let someone else do it for you!</p>
<h2>Packaging</h2>
<p>The Scan bundle was very well packed. I was weary about a mobo and heatsink coming pre-assembled, but due to the amount of bubble wrap the package would probably have survived a fall from Taipei 101. Inside the package are the boxes for the motherboard, heatsink, processor and RAM, aswell as the pre-assembled bundle. You get all the manuals you would get had you bought the components separately.<br /> <strong>Please Note: </strong> There was no documentation at all about the overclock, more on this below. </p>
<ul>
    <li>Intel Core i5 750 - Quad Core CPU</li>
    <li>4GB Corsair XMS3 DDR3 Memory</li>
    <li>Asus P7P55D LE Intel P55 Motherboard</li>
    <li>Akasa Freedom Tower CPU Cooler</li>
    <li>Full details <a href="javascript:void(0);/*1274084101661*/">here</a>.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Installation</h2>
<p>Installation was a breeze. Please note that the Alaska Freedom Tower is a huge heatsink (it needs to be to handle the overclock!). I have an Antec P180 case, and it only just fit in this case. There were no issues at all with the pre-built mobo/cpu/ram. I just dropped it into the case and connected it up. I opted to purchase a new P.S.U also, going for a Corsair 850watt PSU.</p>
<p>I powered the machine up and got to the BIOS. I was &quot;slightly&quot; annoyed when the system hung at the BIOS saying the overclock had failed! It was at this point that I realised...there was no documentation at all from Scan to turn to regarding the pre-configured settings. It would be nice to have a small printout detailing where to find the relevant settings in the BIOS.</p>
<p>After a quick search I found the AI Profile section in the BIOS that allows you to load a pre-configured setup. I loaded up the &quot;3XS Overclocked&quot; profile and the system booted into windows at 4ghz :). No idea why the overclocked failed, but I did notice that my second HDD was not seen in windows. It turned out I had damaged a cable but was able to get it recognised in the BIOS after another reboot. Again once a new piece of hardware was detected I needed to reset the overclocked profile. It would appear that any change to the BIOS required this?</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>All good!!<br />
Pre-build and overclock saved me time and hassle. My only issue would be the lack of a note explaining the Profiles and Overclock settings, but apart from this everything went well. So far so good, i'll give Scan an 8/10 for this. 1 point lost for delivery time (expected it sooner), 1 point lost for lack of a note or document relating to the overclock settings.</p>

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			<pubDate>Mon, 17 May 2010 08:42:29 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//scan-radius-bundle.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
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			<title>Overclockers UK stole my money, and never had a product to sell to begin with...</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//overclockers-uk-review-no-stock.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>
I recently tried to purchase a new graphics card from www.overclockers.co.uk (<strong>Overclockers UK</strong>).
They were all too quick to take my money, despite the card being out of stock. When I enquired as to when they would be getting stock, I was told that they did not know.<br />
"At this time we currently have no estimated time of arrival on this product, all I can suggest is for you to keep checking our website as all our products that are avalable are listed there."
</p>

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<p>I am well aware that <a href="overclockers-feedback-complaint.htm" title="Overclockers UK customer feedback and reviews">Overclockers have a poor reputation for customer service</a> and support. Given their low low prices I would see them as the Ryanair of the PC components business. Just like Ryanair, I swear each time I buy from them that I will never do it again...this time I believe they have gone too far!</p>

<p>I contacted Overclockers to buy a new GFX card as my old one was fried. I added a Gefore 275 to my cart, expecting the usual week or so for delivery to Ireland (Overclockers don't tend to use UPS). After a week I had no update on my order, so I checked the website only to find that they had alost no stock at all in the NVIDIA range. I contacted them via their <a href="https://www.overclockers.co.uk/webnote.php">really annoying Webnote system</a>, which is a glorifed name for a collection of html forms.</p>

<p>I was informed that there was no stock due to delays with NVIDA shipping chips. No problem, I moved to cancel the order and buy from someone who had stock.</p>

<h2>Overclockers charged my card: &euro;283.41, but only refunded me &euro;271.92</h2>

<p>Another webnote later revealed the discrepancy was due to the exchange rate. From the horses mouth:<br />
"We have refunded your order in full and arent responsible for the flucuating exchange rates" - Sam Melbourne<br />
- Overclockers are not responsible for the exchange rate, but quite obviously the customer is. The order never hapened, it could never have happened....YOU NEVER HAD STOCK!!!!</p>

<p>So having tried my best to be polite and get a refund, I have been told:<br />
"The order has been fully refunded sir and there is no further credit that we can offer on this payment."</p>

<p>I dont know if you can put a figure on the damage negative customer complaints can do, but these guys seem to revel in it. I would venture a guess tho that it is less than the &euro;11.49 that Overclockers stole from me, trying to sell me a product that they did not have...</p>

<h2><a href="https://www.overclockers.co.uk/">Worst customer service</a> I have ever seen, by miles and miles.</h2>

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			<pubDate>Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:19:39 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//overclockers-uk-review-no-stock.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
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			<title>Lemosho Diary, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//lemosho-kilimanjaro-diary.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>In 2009 a group of us set off to climb Kilimanjaro via the Lemosho (western approach) route. This will hopefully be a helpful day by day account of our 7 days hike to the top of Africa's highest mountain!!</p>

<h2>Day 1, 08th Feb 2009</h2>

<p>For 90% of trekkers your first day will most likely start very early, somewhere in Moshi. Moshi and Arusha are the two closest cities (large towns?) to Kilimanjaro. We set off from Moshi with our Guide and driver in a 4 X 4 jeep. The journey to the start of the Lemosho trail (at around 1800m) can be dumpy and slow in places.</p>

<a rel="lightbox" title="Our guide Richard and our driver pack up our Land Rover in Moshi" href="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_1_large.jpg" ><img src="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_1.jpg" alt="Packing up the Land Rover" /></a>

<a rel="lightbox" title="Our final destination, we hope!" href="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_2_large.jpg" >
<img src="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_2.jpg" alt="Our final destination, we hope!" style="margin-left:20px;" /></a>

<a rel="lightbox" title="The Monkeys attack" href="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_3_large.jpg" >
<img src="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_3.jpg" alt="The Monkeys attack" style="margin-left:20px;" />
</a>

<p>After about 2 hours on the road you will reach the park gate, a mere 10 minutes from the start of the Lemosho trail. At the gate you will be required to sign in. Your passport number is required here, but if you forget it like I did then you just make one up!!</p>

<p>The start of the Lemosho trail is in thick forest, almost rain forest. If your lucky you might see some Colubus or Blue Monkeys on the trail. We were luck enough to see both!! The first day on the Lemosho trail is a gentle 2-3 hour walk to Forest Camp (Mti Mkubwa or Big Tree Camp @ around 2620m). The camp site is hidden away amongst the trees. Again you will be required to sign in at this hut to keep a record of your accent of the mountain.</p>

<a rel="lightbox" title="Porters on the trail to Mti Mkubwa" href="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_4_large.jpg" ><img src="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_4.jpg" alt="Porters on the trail to Mti Mkubwa" /></a>

<a rel="lightbox" title="Nathan and Benny trudge on" href="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_5_large.jpg" >
<img src="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_5.jpg" alt="Nathan and Benny trudge on" style="margin-left:20px;" /></a>

<a rel="lightbox" title="Our mess tent, the ned of day one on Lemosho" href="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_6_large.jpg" >
<img src="assets/images/kili/lemosho_1_6.jpg" alt="Our mess tent, the ned of day one on Lemosh" style="margin-left:20px;" />
</a>

<p>We found this camp like many other quite busy. On most parts of the Lemosho trail we were being passed by groups of porters. The porters are responsible for carrying your heavier pack, and also ensuring your campsite is ready when you arrive. It really is 4 star camping with these guys around!</p>

<h2><a href="shira-camp-2.htm" title="Lemosho Kilimanjaro Diary, Day 2">VIEW DAY 2 ->></a></h2>
<br />
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			<pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2009 15:31:42 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//lemosho-kilimanjaro-diary.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
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			<title>Cycling in Dublin City, buses, taxis, danger, and the ballet of death</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//cycling-in-dublin-city.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[So over a year ago I decided to join the rank of file of cyclists braving the roads of Dublin City. Like any mode of transport there are dangers.....this post highlights some of those dangers...<br /><br />So in one year I have:<br />
<ul>
    <li>Almost been crushed by a bus (on several occasions)</li>
    <li>Had a car door opened on me twice, once ending up rolling onto the path and crashing into some startled pedestrians</li>
    <li>Crashing down on the Malahide Road after hitting a patch of ice</li>
    <li>Crashed into a pedestrian who walked out in front of me at Connolly Street train station. That hurt real bad.</li>
</ul>
So it's fair to say I have come much closer to being maimed than I probably would have if I used the Dart or took a bus.....but then I am subject to delays and the &quot;cattle car&quot; DART effect in the evenings!<br /><br />For the record cyclists are no angels!!! I have seen probably more <strong>STUPID </strong>cyclists that I have motorists. I once saw a lady cycle through a red light on Dorset Street with 2 cars skidding to miss her. The funny thing is she continued up the road and broke every light she came to.....I guess some people are born stupid. I would imagine cyclists breaking red lights is probably the biggest complaint motorists and pedestrians have about cyclists? <br /><br />So to draw up some &quot;Dangers and Annoyances&quot; that might help you out:<br /><br /><strong>Motorists</strong><br />There are more cars on the roads than anything else. It's no suprise that they top the dangers and annoyances list. I am a hypocrite of course, for a whole year I sat in my car....rage slowly building inside me as I watched cyclists whiz past me. I fought and jockeyed with my fellow motorists to gain an extra 2 feet closer to home. I toyed with the idea that driving into work was wayyyyy better than the bus, as at least it's my own space and i'm in control. But alas this simply is not true. Driving into Dublin City does one thing, takes years and years off your life. I can get home from town in half an hour on my bike. There is one other way to get home quicker....but i'm fairly sure that type of technology has not been invented yet. <br /><br />So motorists top the list. I have seen motorists knock cyclists, and then look completely suprised when an angry cyclist bangs on their roof. The short of it....the majority of motorists simply don't see cyclists. The protection bubble a car creates isolates most motorists from the plight of their 2 wheeled overlords. Are you angry, then start cycling. You will be able to:<br /><br />1. Spend less time commuting<br />2. Spend less money commuting<br />3. Loose weight and be healthier<br />4. Get to fly past 500 stationary cars on the Malahide Road with a big huge grin on your face<br />5. Dodge death on a daily basis<br /><br />It's win win no?<br /><br /><strong>Bus Drivers</strong><br />I have found that the majority of bus drivers are quite aware and courteous towards cyclists. Given the fact that cyclists and bus drivers exist in the same space, it's not surprising that bus drivers would top my list of dangers and annoyances. Put simply, buses are large....and cyclists are small!!! When buses overtake cyclists they have a tendency to cut back into lane quite quickly. On more than one occasion I have been forced to stop for fear of being crushed. I have had bus drivers drive behind me beeping the length of the Fairview Road as I had dared entered the bus lane.....only problem was the cycle lane was closed due to road works. There is nothing more terrifying than a bus 2 feet from your back wheel driving behind you!!!<br /><strong>EDIT</strong>: I am 1 year more bitter....and now believe bus drivers are in league with satan, many of them hate cyclists...and from what I have seen go out of their way to put their lives at risk. (the cyclists)<br /><br /><strong>Weather</strong><br />Ice....rain.....pain. I recently cut myself up good on the Malahide Road. I skidded on ice...ending up with my head underneath a stationary taxi outside the UCI in Coolock. This is the first time this ever happened....and it was no fun at all. Not much you can do if its icey. The roads are usually gritted but as I found out (after emailing the Road Maintenance, Roads &amp; Traffic Department) they can sometimes get overlooked due to the fact certain graded weather conditions must exist before the gritters head out. There is a grading from 1-5 depending on the weather....I guess I just missed out :(<br /><br /><strong>Taxi Men</strong><br />No surprise that taxi men/women show up 3rd. Firstly I will point out that taxi men are <strong>FAR MORE AWARE</strong> of cyclists than other motorists. This is due in part to the fact that they live in the same space as buses and cyclists! That said I think that many taxi men see cyclists as &quot;obstacles&quot; as they race around taking full advantage of the cycle lanes/bus lanes. While not as bad as being cut off by a bus, I have been forced onto the path on numerous occasions by taxi men.<br /><br /><strong>Pedestrians</strong><br />People walk out in front of you all the time. They look at you.....look at you again....look at you again....wait....wait....then stand out in front of you. This zombie effect is usually localised to certain areas where &quot;they&quot; gather.....so for the most part can be avoided injury free :)<br /><br /><strong>Garda</strong><br />Strange to list the Garda here, but on two occasions they have almost caused me to crack my head open. On one occasion while travelling down the Malahide Road a Garda pulled a car in (for a traffic offence) directly in front of me. I slammed on the breaks resulting in my break cable coming loose and me having to ditch. This was an extremely dangerous move by the Garda. He either forced me to swerve into the traffic out of my cycle lane....thus putting me in the firing line....or forcing me to skid to a stop and possibly crashing into the back of a car that is in the cycle lane?! On another occasion a motorcycle Garda pulled a car into the bus lane, the driver then opened the door in front of me. Again I would ask can the driver not be directed to stop in a safer spot?
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:57:39 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//cycling-in-dublin-city.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
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			<title>Eric 'Crap'ton kind of plays Malahide Castle, and made my ears 'Aiken' promotions</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//eric-clapton-malahide-castle-complaint.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>I'm a brave man...this is an <strong>Eirc Clapton complaint</strong>.....of sorts!</p>

<p>Myself and a few chums recently went to see Eric Clapton play Malahide Castle, organized by Aiken Promotions (AKA: Aiken 'license to print money' Promotions). </p>

<p>Well from the get go this concert had bad omens. It had rained all day and there looked like no let up for the crowd. We were not surprised when the gig started about 20 minutes early, as the rain was coming down hard when the band finally came out.</p>

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<p>The gig itself started well, with Clapton wowing the masses with his effortless control of the guitar. The crowd were just getting warmed up when he began to bang out "Lalya", this is when things for Eirc, and Aiken Promotions, took a nose dive (from which they never recovered). About half way through the song the sound/power in the entire venue failed. It was obvious to us that the band were unawares as their monitors appeared to be fine. So as Eric hammered away....95% of the crowd stood in the rain going: "This is shite", "This is crap", "This is a shite gig"...etc...etc...</p>

<p>After a few uneasy minutes the sound came back on! Saints be praised. It was not long however before it failed again....and again. It appears that the Eric Clapton stage crew, and Aiken Promotions, were completely unaware that water and electricity do not mix. Granted it was a rainy day...but Jesus Christ what about Glastonbury!!!!! Wet mud falls from the skies and covers every amp and wire in sight...and they do not loose power. Typical Ireland.</p>

<p>Now I'm guessing here that someone had the decency to tell Eirc that the sound had went out twice...so when I saw him and his band bow before us I did not even bother to start shouting Encore!, it was a forgone conclusion that he would be back out....because that would make sense and help alleviate the pain we had already endured. Eric........Eric????? ERIC! They walked off, and so too did 99% of the crowd!!!! In classic Irish "we don't complain" fashion the crowd headed for the hills at speed. We simply could not believe that after what had happened the crowd would just walk out without a single BOOOO or angry word??!!?? Just imagine this happened at Glastonbury, they would need several riot teams to keep the throngs of fans at bay.</p>

<p>We <strong>COULD NOT</strong> however leave without a word or two ;). We made our way up the front (not very hard as everyone scurried away) to shout: "This is shite", "This is crap", "This is a shite gig"...etc...etc...at the band and anyone else who would listen. To our amazement it seemed the only other disgruntled fans were 3 middle aged women, disappointed that their had been no encore, and that the gig had ended so abruptly.</p>

<p>Amoung the officials we did mange to get talking to "Nice Guy Aiken" who agreed that it had been a disgraceful gig, but obviously gave us the sound advice to send an email to complain etc, which I partially heeded ;). Drunks screaming at roadies is hardly going to bring down the government (although in this country it probably would), so we left what has been for me the worst gig I have ever attended. Thank you Eirc Clapton for coming to Dublin and playing a crap gig, your not welcome back!!!</p>

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			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:02:23 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//eric-clapton-malahide-castle-complaint.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
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			<title>Morag and The City of the Dead walking tour in Edinburgh</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//edinburgh-walking-tour-rant.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>Having recently returned from Edinburgh...I decided to pen this post for people who were unfortunate enough to go on The City of the Dead walking tour in Edinburgh, or who are wondering about taking the tour when they visit Edinburgh</p>
<p><strong>Firstly</strong>, we really enjoyed our trip. The people (most of them) were very friendly. But this post is not about our trip....its about Morag (all run in terror&nbsp;from her mighty roar!!!!)</p>
&lt;  <!-- ditsplit -->
<p><strong>&lt; INSERT SMART ARSE BLOG POST HERE &gt;</strong></p>
<p>Don't mind if I do. Things went bad early on in our tour. We had some drunken muppet who kept making silly noises and looked like he was out of his mind (and probably was) on drugs. The tour started on the Royal Mile, smack bang in the middle of the old town. Our guide introduced herself as Morag. She certainly looked the part clad from head to toe in black, cocooned in a 3 quarter length PVC jacket with Klingonesque boots! <strong>&lt; INSERT STAR TREK JOKE HERE &gt;</strong></p>
<p>I guess our first problem with Morag was her use of the &quot;INSERT X JOKE HERE&quot;. She frequently made obscure references to parts of Torch Wood and Monthy Python as tour advanced. Her humor was only ratified by one lad at the top of the tour who roared with laughter (obviously her brother). Not a serious crime you might say.....well the clincher for our group anyway was when she compared the Irish to the Americans (offending half the tour in doing so). She explained how the Irish were usually drunk at the back of the tour giggling like school girls, and the Americans were busy asking silly questions. Well Morag you now know that I was busy at the back of your tour making mental notes of how I would present your horrible tale to the world ;) With the malevolence of all your Edinburgh Poltergeists I now spurt out that story!</p>
<p>The second faux pas on your part was your disgraceful reference to being a lesbian. When one of our group took a picture of the castle at night (which was far to your right mind you), you said &quot;No flashing please, unless you are an 18 to 25 year old female&quot;. 2 things happened at that moment; <strong>1.</strong> you horrified most of the tour who uncomfortably laughed <strong>2.</strong> You created this web page.</p>
<h2>The final nail in the coffin</h2>
<p>Abused and angry, we left the City of the Dead walking tour. In classic Irish fashion we did not complain in person....we stored up our anger and then talked about it, hammering down the finer points of what would make up this post. Feeling cheated we decided to go on another walking tour!!! This time we went with <a href="http://www.auldreekietours.com/" title="Auld Reekie Tours in Edinburgh">Auld Reekie Tours</a> We were happy to find a much nicer guide who went out of her way not to offend us, and did not make stupid Torchwood jokes....and who was not called Morag. In passing our guide asked had we done any other tours? We told her we had............She then asked us who our guide was. We told her. She then explained how that person had once worked for Auld Reekie Tours, but had been sacked. It all became clear.</p>
<h2>Conclusion</h2>
<p>Don't go on the City of the Dead walking tour as one of the guides called &ldquo;Morag&rdquo; is a &quot;Garbage Bag&quot;. Go on the Auld Reekie Tours as the tour guide we had was great!</p>
[!Jot? &amp;moderated=`1` &amp;captcha=`1` &amp;subscribe=`1` &amp;badwords=`cunt, viagra, cialis, sexy men, xxx pics, Acomplia, cialis` &amp;bw=`2` &amp;pagination=`10` &amp;postdelay =`120` !]]]></description>
			<pubDate>Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:31:36 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//edinburgh-walking-tour-rant.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
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			<title>Dublin Bus Drivers, breaking the traffic lights at O' Connell Bridge</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//dublin-bus-complaint.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>I don't know if I'm alone in this observation, but do Dublin Bus Drivers frequently break the traffic lights at O' Connell Bridge?!? I was walking across last week with a group of people when a bus came through the lights that had been red for a second or two, and had to swerve to the right side of the road to miss us!! To say the manoeuvre was reckless is an absolute under statement....he/she could have taken out 10 people!!!</p>

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<p>It seems to me that the pedestrians crossing the bridge here get a raw deal around rush hour. Busses tend to pile into the yellow box (completely blocking it) and completely blocking the pedestrian walkway. This frequently happens on a daily basis and forces pedestrians to walk out into oncoming traffic to get around the buses that are backed up. Its a broken leg or snapped spine waiting to happen, Or one of them high budget tragic car ads we are subjected to "NEVER, EVER park your bus in a yellow Box..."</p>

<p>The above (and much worse) frequently happens under the nose of the traffic Garda frequently on duty there. I don't expect them to shout down bus drivers, but a statement to Dublin Bus about how dangerous the situation has become would seem like a good idea!!! The last thing I would want is to be knocked down by a bus....that is running late....on my way to a DART which is packed to capacity. </p>

</!-->]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:55:00 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//dublin-bus-complaint.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>The Ben Nevis Shuffle ;)</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//ben-nevis-shuffle.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>Firstly I would like to thank all the people at <a href="http://www.ukoutdoorpursuits.co.uk/" title="UK outdoor Adventure Company">UK Outdoor Pursuits</a>. They had to organise an impossible amount of people, taking them from their front door to the top of Ben Nevis and back! Special thanks goes to the representatives  of the various charities (<a href="http://www.mariekeating.com/" title="Marie Keating Foundation">Marie Keating Foundation</a> - <a href="http://www.cooperationireland.org/?q=contactus" title="Conatact Co-Operation Ireland">Co-Operation Ireland</a> - <a href="http://www.ulstercancer.org/" title="Ulster Cancer Foundation">Ulster Cancer Foundation</a>) who made this an excellent weekend to remember!!!</p>

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<p>We set off at an ungodly hour and began our assent of "The Ben". As we got higher the weather began to get very misty and a light drizzle began to fall. If I had to voice some concerns about the trek it would be the pace it was taken at. We spent a very long time simply standing on the trail. During this time we got cold and wet. We would then move for another short burst before waiting on the back of the group to catch up. This was very annoying for people who are well used to finding their own pace and moving up a mountain. I wonder could the group have been taken up in 3, fast, normal and slow, to prevent the long waits and bottle necks?</p>

<h2><a href="ben-nevis-challenge.htm" title="The Ben Nevis Challenge 2007 Photos">See the photos here!</a></h2>

<p>With such a large group there was some complaining from other groups of walkers who were forced off the trail due to our large concentrated volume. That said I don't think they were too upset having to push through the crowds! As we approached the top it started to rain quite heavily. I was a little disappointed by the low cloud cover but fully expected it, as I had read that there is only a 1 in 6 chance of the summit being clear on a Ben Nevis accent!!! It was also quite mild at the top...not the North Face of Everest temperatures we were warned about ;)</p>

<p>The decent was a little crazy, due to the fact that we were now allowed to decent at our own pace. Some of the people who had been at the top of the group set off at a furious pace down the mountain, which in cases was most definitely dangerous. It rained the whole way down....but at the end we were greeted by cheering Scots and a shot of whiskey (It was all worth it!). I must say again that the charities made a HUGE effort to make our trip better, and they did a thoroughly excellent job.</p>

</!-->]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sat, 13 Oct 2007 12:49:32 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//ben-nevis-shuffle.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>Why Broadworks Communications are crap......</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//broadworks-communications-ireland-complaint.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>I did'nt think it possible to end up with only one possible TV provider living a stones throw from Dublin City........but it has happened.</p>

<p>Broadworks Communications are an Irish based TV provider with a <a href="http://www.broadworks.ie/" title="Broadworks (some times) Communications">sub-standard service</a>. From what I can see they are basically a reseller of Sky's services, tagging on a few other services for good measure. In terms of the service, it is poor to say the least. Channels frequently suffer from heavy visual distortion....like they are being beamed down to us from Mars. The general reception is poor and the picture quality is never sharp.</p>

<p>Broadworks is delivered to your television via old TV cable, no sign of decoding boxes etc....just plain old clunky cable. It is a frequent occurrence to turn on a channel an see nothing but the sky menu, with a message saying this channel is currently unavailable!!!!! Seeing this is obvious proof that Broadworks are receiving a sky signal and hacking it up into resalable packages and piping it out to our development.</p>

<p>In terms of professionalism my major gripe would be their letter heads. We have received letters and bills that look like they were printed on an old printing press. The logo looks like word art! One would almost think this was a company set up by property developers.....who then give exclusive contracts to provide TV coverage per development........hmmmmm.</p>

<p>To rub salt into the wounds NTL and SKY are not allowed onto the development. Basically Sky have their hands tied as we are unable to erect Sky dishes outside our apartments, and NTL have been refused permission by our NAZI builders to lay cable to provide a service, as they own the common ground still???</p>

<p>So with a gun to our heads we watch fuzzy TV, with a handful of stations. Is this fair.....no. Is this legal....apparently.....will this change (who knows)</p>

<h2><a href="http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cablemonopoly/index.html" title="Petition Against Irish Cable TV Monopoly" style="text-decoration:underline;" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> TO SIGN A PETITION against Irish cable TV companies!!!</h2>

]]></description>
			<pubDate>Fri, 07 Sep 2007 10:25:17 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//broadworks-communications-ireland-complaint.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>Why america will one day rule the world.....</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//miss-teen-america-south-carolina.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>God help us...</p>
<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lj3iNxZ8Dww"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lj3iNxZ8Dww" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

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<p>Over <strong>9 million views</strong>!!!!!!!!!!. This girl is in danger of beating the Star Wars kid in terms of views and cult status!!!! "Everywhere like such as"......."all your bases are belong to us now" :)</p>

<p>I hope someday the wisdom of this girl saves "U.S Americans" from the faith that awaits them in "the Iraq". Now where's my map ;)</p>

</!-->]]></description>
			<pubDate>Fri, 31 Aug 2007 12:13:16 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//miss-teen-america-south-carolina.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>Goodwins guitar shop in dublin</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//goodwins-guitar-shop-dublin.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><strong><a href="http://www.goodwinsmusic.ie" title-"Goodwins Music Shop Dublin">Goodwins of Capel Street</a></strong> have been selling musical instruments for years. I have several friends who recently bought guitars by opening an Argos catalogue. Having picked out a guitar, and waited in a queue with people who are mostly buying flat pack furniture and toasters, they rushed home to strum their new guitar only to find the action was terrible and the thing sounded horrendous. </p>

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<p>Goodwins <a href="http://www.goodwinsmusic.ie" title-"Goodwins Guitar Shop Dublin">guitar shop in Dublin</a> has an excellent range of guitars, and unlike Argos you are able to see, touch and even play these guitars before you buy them!!!! </p>

<p>I have no vested interest in Goodwins ;), I simply like ranting about Argos!</p>

</!-->]]></description>
			<pubDate>Fri, 24 Aug 2007 10:39:31 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//goodwins-guitar-shop-dublin.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<ul>
<li><strong>IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL</strong></li>
<li><strong>IRQL_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL</strong></li>
<li><strong>BAD_POOL_CALLER</strong></li>
</ul>

<p>3 error messages, days of pain. Just recently i've been trying to set up a computer for a friend of mine. The problem was XP just would not go onto it! At various points during the XP setup I would get the blue screen of death, or setup would report that the drive could not be formatted.</p>

<!-- ditsplit -->

<p>My first thought was the hard drive. I wrote zero's to it and used the WD diagnostic tools but the drive passed. I was just about to give up when I found a possible solution on google. It appears the errors are (nine times out of ten) related to hardware problems or over heating.</p>

<p>I first recorded the CPU temp around the time of the blue screen, however there was no elevation which lead me to the RAM. I replace the Corsair RAM supplied with my own RAM. Problem solved. <strong>Dodgy Corsair RAM!!!</strong></p>

</!-->]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jul 2007 20:33:08 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>BFG 8800 GTS, Asus P5N32-E PLUS and a very loud ringing noise</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//BFG-8800-GTS-P5N32-loud-rinigng.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>I've build about 5-6 computers in my days, and luckily all went well. Just recently I was helping a friend build a machine and we managed to get a loud almost siren sound from the motherboard after we installed the components!</p>

<!-- ditsplit -->

<p>In an attempt to diagnose what was wrong we started working backwards, pulling out the RAM etc. The noise finally stopped when we removed the video card. The consensus was that we had a faulty video card. This however would be ruled out the following day when I installed the card in my machine and all was well.</p>

<p>We did note however that when the power connector was not plugged in the ringing started again. So basically the problem was cased by the modular design of the PSU (An Enermax Liberty 620w). I have a simialr PSU and noticed that when plugging in the cables a large amount of force was needed to get them to click home.</p>

<p><strong>So the moral of the story is that ASUS boards beep when you have an SLI card seated but no power connected, and that Enermax modular PSU have dodgy cables!!!</strong>
</p>

</!-->]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sun, 15 Jul 2007 19:20:01 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//BFG-8800-GTS-P5N32-loud-rinigng.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>So your walking to Mt Everest?</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//nepal-base-camp-trek.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>The do's and dont's of the Nepal base camp trek. A blow by blow account of a trip well worth making if your thinking about going!</p>

<!-- ditsplit -->

<div style="float:right; margin-left:20px;">
<a href="http://www.justinmeighan.com/trekking-nepal.htm?page=0&amp;scope=1&amp;sortby=user_order&amp;dir=asc&amp;pic=66" title="Click to view pictures of Lukla" target="_blank"><img src="/assets/images/nepal_lukla_flight.jpg" alt="A view from my seat at the mountains as we approached Lukla Airstrip." border="0" /></a><p><i>Lukla Flight, Lukla airport.</i></p></div>

<p><strong>6th September 2003 (day 1): </strong> Flew into Lukla Biggles style. The flight was eventful with bags of rice down the centre of the plane and some excellent views of the surrounding mountains. Most people move on from Lukla on their first day, however I would be spending more time that I had planned in Lukla on my return journey.</p>

<p>Lukla Airport is nothing more than a tiny airstrip, that is frequently used as a football field between flight. The clouds have a tendancy to sweep in....putting a swift end to all inbound and outbound flights.</p>

<p>For my first day we had a gentle 2 and a half hour hike to the Kalapather Lodge in Phakding (a small sherpa village on the trail to <a href="http://www.justinmeighan.com/trekking-nepal.htm?page=0&amp;scope=1&amp;sortby=user_order&amp;dir=asc&amp;pic=74" target="_blank">Namche Bazzar</a>). </p>

<hr />

<div style="float:left; margin-right:20px;">
<a href="http://www.justinmeighan.com/trekking-nepal.htm?page=0&amp;scope=1&amp;sortby=user_order&amp;dir=asc&amp;pic=71" title="Click to view pictures of Namche" target="_blank"><img src="/assets/images/nepal_namche_trek.jpg" alt="A view of Tamserku and a friendly Yak." border="0" /></a><p><i>Tamserku, Namche welcome party!</i></p></div>


<p><strong>7th September 2003: </strong> We started early to make the trip to Namche Bazzar. This is a tough days walking. Our walk involved crossing (and re-crossing) the <a href="http://www.justinmeighan.com/trekking-nepal.htm?page=0&amp;scope=1&amp;sortby=user_order&amp;dir=asc&amp;pic=69" target="_blank" title="Picture of Dudh Koshi River in Nepal">Dudh Koshi River</a> in several places as we made our way to the foot of a large plateaux. Atop the plateaux sits the Sherpa village of Namche Bazzar, the last sizable village on the trail to Mt. Everest Base Camp. Got some excellent views of <a href="http://www.justinmeighan.com/trekking-nepal.htm?page=0&amp;scope=1&amp;sortby=user_order&amp;dir=asc&amp;pic=71" target="_blank">Thamserku</a> on the way up, a taste of what was to come.</p>

</hr></!-->]]></description>
			<pubDate>Sun, 20 May 2007 13:03:49 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//nepal-base-camp-trek.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>Overclockers.co.uk only posting positive feedback on their site</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//overclockers-feedback-complaint.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>I like <a target="_blank" href="http://www.overclockers.co.uk" title="Link to Over Clockers site">www.overclockers.co.uk</a>. Their prices are better than any Irish site or store I have found. Their delivery is average and their return policy is good.......BUT in the area of customer feedback on their website....they are not winning my vote!</p>

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<p>I recently went to the new and improved overclockers site, and clicked through on an ad for Windows Vista. I was suprised to see nothing but "EXCELLENT" feedback, given that the web community in genral tend to bash Microsoft even when they do an excellent job. So I decided to lend my two cents and write a small (and in my opinion) a more fair appraisal of Windows Vista. I spoke of two people I know who had very different experiences with Vista, one good and one bad. I presented the facts and posted up the feedback. As I expected the comments needed to be moderated.....but alas have not appeared!!!!</p>

<p>I contacted www.overclockers.co.uk about this issue and got the following back:</p>

<p><i>Thank you for your webnote.<br />
We will publish comments as long as they are not slanderous and relevant to the product.<br />
For example: <a href="http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-133-BE&tool=3" title="Link to overclockers comment">http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-133-BE&tool=3</a><br />
Regards,<br />
Thomas Lamb
</i></p>

<p>Thank you for that Thomas....WHERE IS MY COMMENT!!!. No sign of it yet.....must have got "lost in the system". I can only conclude that Over clockers filter their comments and remove negative ones....which is an absolute disgrace. Or I may be wrong...and maybe the comment is going live shortly?</p>

<h2>The Plot Thickens!!!!!!</h2>

<p>So I mailed www.overclcokers.co.uk again and confronted them about my missing comments...and this is what they said: (Just snippets but direct quotes)</p>


<p><i>In the second you state on the first line you do not own this product - hence you are in no position to post a review<br /> - also the comments made are largely nothing to do with Vista itself.</i></p>







<p>
<img src="http://www.justinmeighan.com/assets/images/oc1.jpg" alt="Image of customer feedback" style="float:left; margin-right:15px;" />

<strong>Errmmmmmm....sorry.</strong> I think we have problem here. You do not need to have bought a product to post feedback (as this screen shot shows). I have not bought an OS in my life, but i've plenty of experience with them having been in IT for years!!! Your own site has a <strong>Reviews</strong> section for feedback. Nothing about buying the product.</p>

<p>This rant is changing.....im going to have to call it a five star rant.....as I see nothing but 5 stars on the OC site ;)</p>

<p>So the moral of the story is: Don't complain about anything to OC, because they will not listen.</p>

<p><i>You shouldn't install over the top of a previous install - whether it's 95, 98, me, 2k or XP that is liable to cause problems - Vista is no different.
Nvidia have sucky drivers for Vista, ATI have great drivers - does this make Vista good or bad or is it irrelevant?</i><br /> - 
Thank you for the advice Dave. Why is there an option to over-install if its a bad idea? Should this not be called the Upgrade (bad idea) option. Im just being silly now. I was only giving two different stories of Vista, its your problem if you will not post feedback that is not in line with your 5 star rating!</p>

<p>It appears im not alone......<a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=overclockers+complaints" title="Overclocker.co.uk Complaints">Over Clockers Complaints.</a></p>

</!-->]]></description>
			<pubDate>Wed, 09 May 2007 10:41:07 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//overclockers-feedback-complaint.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>AmphibianKing, runners dublin, jogging shoes, shoe technician ireland</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//amphibianking-jogging-shoes.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>This weekend I took a trip out to bray to Amphibian King, a shop specializing in selling running shoes and equipment.</p>

<p>At a glance it's a strange shop to walk into, as the entire side of the shop is taken up by a running track with a camera and computer at one end. The staff are very friendly and invested about 40 minutes in total ensuring we had the correct runners for the level of jogging we did.</p>

<!-- ditsplit -->

<p>The first stage of the selection process was to stand on a board which game an imprint of the bottom of your foot. From this the staff were able to gauge the arch of your foot etc. The next stag was to run barefoot down the running track. Your running style was then examined in slow motion to reveal any leaning to one side etc.</p>

<p>From this initial video the staff selects several runners offering support for your running style. You then run down the track in each pair and review the video from each. From these and based on how comfortable you find the runners you make a selection.</p>

<p>I must say I was very impressed and found the staff very helpful indeed. The last time I bought runners I simply grabbed a pair out of Foot Locker (as I would imagine 98% of other casual joggers out there did). I would advise anyone who jogs regularly to take a trip out to Bray and get runners that are correct for you.</p>

<p>Check it out here. <a href="http://www.amphibianking.ie/" title="Link to Amphibian King website" >Amphibian King</a></p>

</!-->]]></description>
			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:50:18 +0100</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//amphibianking-jogging-shoes.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>Why Broadband is made difficult: Eircom.net and BT Ireland</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//esat-bt-eircom-complaints.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p><strong>REAL NAMES TO FOLLOW SHORTLY ;)</strong></p>

<p><strong>Firstly:</strong> The facts! </p>

<ul>
<li>Eircom were contacted to fix a broken phone line. The line was completely dead.</li>
<li>Eircom fixed the phone line by installing a new line.</li>
<li>Eircom failed to ask us if we had broadband, they also neglected to turn DSL back on for our new line.</li>
</ul>

<!-- ditsplit -->

<p>Due to the actions taken by Eircom they effectively cut off our broadband connection. To resolve this issue we first called Esat BT (our broadband provider). After several <strong>HOURS</strong> on hold we got talking to a technician who advised that we fill out a new line connection form. From talking to Esat BT support I am drawing the following conclusion:</p>

<p>
<strong>Esat BT technicians are not interested in resolving your issue. They are interested in getting you off the phone as quickly as possible as this is the metric by which they are rated. (Number of calls VS time)</strong>
</p>

<p>Obviously there is a serious conflict of interest when trying to juggle providing decent customer care and getting through 20 calls in a shift. The end result is a horrific experience for most customers, and resolution for the small few who are lucky enough to get someone who cares.</p>

<p><strong>On to Eircom:</strong> We called Eircom to explain that it was in fact them who had caused the whole problem by cutting off the DSL (without asking). We had the misfortune of speaking to Lorraine (the worlds worst customer service representative). Lorraine was thoroughly useless, abusive, and belligerent. It was clearly explained that Eircom were to blame for the whole problem, however Lorraine explained over and over that in order to resolve this we would need to contact Esat BT, who would in turn contact Eircom. Procedure obviously could not be broken, god forbid. Lorraine was the quintessential call centre drone, firing out the buzz phrases of "Its a wholesale issue"....and "bare with me". You should not be working in customer service, as you are ignorant and rude.</p>

<p>After 15 minutes of Lorraine's drivel the purpose of our call switched from getting our problem resolved to making a formal complaint about Lorraine's attitude. We got put through to Lorraine's manager x. It soon became clear as I watched my sisters face in horror as x launched into another defensive attack, stating the problem was not eircom's and we needed to call BT (They call this schooming x). The conversation, and any faith we had in Eircom ended when x hung up on us, having lost her temper at the end of a biblical hissie fit.</p>

<p><strong>Thank you Eircom, you just joined the elite of customer service scum bags</strong></p>

<p><strong>So where to now:</strong> So both companies had fobbed us off. We were left with no other choice than to go back to ring Esat BT and pled with them to help. Luckily for us after a <strong>50 minute wait</strong> we got talking to a technician called Paul who ordered a line check for DSL. I will say that Paul promised to call me back with the results....and never did. That said the problem with the DSL looks to be resolved as the DSL light is back on!</p>

<p><strong>Enter The Peace Maker</strong>: It jmust be mentioned that "nice guy eircom" did call us back to apologise for the horrendous treatment we receved at the hands of Lorrane and x. However man above, you did not apologie for cutting the DSL and causing the problem in the frist place.</p>

<p><strong>In retrospect:</strong> What should have happened is this:</p>

<ol>
<li>We call Esat be and report DSL down.</li>
<li>Esat do a line check. > Problem is resolved</li>
</ol>


<p>Instead the staff of both companies created a nightmare for us.....and the above is our story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</p>

</!-->]]></description>
			<pubDate>Fri, 12 Jan 2007 10:15:19 +0000</pubDate>
			<guid>http://www.justinmeighan.com//esat-bt-eircom-complaints.htm</guid>
			<author>Built-in Administration account &lt;Your email goes here&gt;</author>
			</item>
		<item>
			<title>Trekking in Kashmir</title>
			<link>http://www.justinmeighan.com//kashmir-lake-trekking.htm</link>
			<description><![CDATA[<p>On the 17th of December our India trip took a bootleg turn. We met a pushy sales man named Haroon in Delhi who managed to convince us that going to Kashmir to stay on a house boat on Lake Nigeen would be a good idea.....he was absolutely right!!!</p>

<p>To see the pictures of our trip to Kashmir please <a title="Lake pictures of Kashmir" href="backpack-india.htm">click here.</a></p>

<!-- ditsplit -->

<p>Upon arriving at our house boat we were presently surprised by the much cooler climate of Kashmir (given its elevation) and the amazing scenery. I think when we all left for India we did not believe we would be trekking in the Indian Himalaya, not a million miles from the Pakistani border! Had we not come to Kashmir then this would never have happened.</p>
<p>From our house boat we set out on a 4 day trek up into the Himalayas. We drove by jeep to the foothills before taking to our heels to climb up Mt Harnuck (not sure of the name ;). I would say that anyone wishing to trek in India should first get themselves to Srinagar or the lakes. From here it will not be difficult to find a guide and porters to take you trekking. Most of the staff on the houseboat can put you in touch with the right person if you have not already met them.</p>

<p>The trekking we did was of average difficulty. Please note we had a donkey called &ldquo;Nilly&rdquo; who took our bags&hellip;so we were walking light! On our first day we walked to a camp spot at the top of a huge plateaux. We shared this plateaux with the <a href="http://www.justinmeighan.com/backpack-india.htm?page=1&amp;scope=1&amp;sortby=user_order&amp;dir=asc&amp;pic=41" target="_blank" title="Trekking in Kashmir, native gypsies">native Gypsies</a> who were incredibly friendly to use. They even invited us to their home where the women of the village sang for us. It is still one of the best memories of the whole year away for me. </p>

<p>From here we went up to a lake high up on the mountain before descending back into the Gypsy village below.</p>

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			<pubDate>Tue, 12 Dec 2006 13:18:12 +0000</pubDate>
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