Steelso V6.0

Leaving GRP was a lot harder than I thought. I worked with a great team and we had the chance to produce great work. Things just kind of came together for me and I missed working in a 100% digital environment. And I felt that I wasn’t serving my team brilliantly given the full range of responsibilities I have. Sorry, had.

I was pretty cool, kept it together in our final work in progress meeting. Was cool through the nice speech and the gift giving (more on that later). Oh no, I lost it, I mean lost it, at my leaving do. Cried like a baby. Like a baby girl with colic. Interestingly people interpreted this a couple of ways:

• That I didn’t want to leave GRP.
  Wrong. Delighted to leave GRP, most definitely the best thing for me and for them that I left.
  
  
• That I made the wrong choice to go to Equator
  Nope. When I decided to leave I made a list of companies that fitted the bill on what I wanted for a new challenge and a new employer. Equator didn’t just fit the bill, they surpassed it. And they’re right next to PC World, a gym and a McDonalds! I mean, come on. Equator wasn’t the only opportunity I had but it was certainly the most appealing. Cannot wait to start on Monday.
• I’m gutted at the end of biscuitmedia
  Not so much. biscuit ended really a year ago at my request. I was pretty much over it. It came to the end of its natural life and, in some regards, I was quite glad that it did. I learned so much running biscuit mostly that I’m not great at running a business by myself. Had a great time though, met some great people and did some work I’m really proud of.

So why was I crying like a baby? Well the alcohol didn’t help. Buy mostly I am going to miss the people. I feel my biggest strength is in collaboration and I loved knocking ideas  around, sorting out problems, having heated debates with developers as we both wanted the very, very best for our client. I’m going to miss the day to day interaction with a great team. I think I said that a lot through the tears and the pint of Babycham I was drinking.

Thank you GRP.

Steelso :: Nov.22.2007 :: GRP :: 5 Comments »

I’m leaving GRP, my current employer. I’ve been here in a couple of guises over the past two years and while I’m sad that I am leaving I am also looking forward to the new challenge. More on that later…

I am going to miss my team, a great bunch of talented guys who are passionate, curious and hilarious. I will miss my colleagues who supported myself and my team. Still we’re planning a good night(s) out for celebrating my leaving. It’s been a tough call but it is the right one.

Sniff

steelso :: Nov.06.2007 :: GRP :: No Comments »

Yes, it’s that time of year again. This time the theme was ‘Back to Basics’ and we all went up north and stayed in wigwams. Except Marc and I who stayed in a yurt. Above Marc and Al are excited about “nature at it’s finest” and I was lucky to catch Marc finding the simple joys in a stream. We played silly sports, made fires and had great barbecue. More pictures on Flickr.

An evening of excess followed. Not quite sure what the shame will be like this morning. I imagine it’ll be quite high. We’ll wait and see…

steelso :: Oct.01.2007 :: GRP :: 1 Comment »

Sports day here at GRP. I wasn’t around for long but I did capture the hero that is Marc Love assaulting the bouncy assault course. Fearless!

steelso :: Jun.25.2007 :: GRP, Video :: 4 Comments »

Work is crazy at the moment. All good. The Glasgow International Jazz Festival website should be live today and we also launched a website for Falkirk as a tourist venue a few weeks ago.

We’re also pitching for a number of clients which is taking up a chunk of my time and the team are putting to bed a number of websites that will be launched in the next couple of weeks. All good!

steelso :: May.16.2007 :: Clients, GRP, new clients :: 1 Comment »

Over Easter, Sam and I went off to Stockholm for a wee trip. I’ve been before for a stag weekend a couple of years ago. We had a great time and Sam started to learn more about my fondness for taking pictures of stupid things. Like shop window dummies. And hat shops. Hotel was great and the weather was fantastic. But sweet jebus, it was expensive for beer. I mean really! Oddly we never noticed this two years ago.

Still it is truly a great place and we had a ball. I am forbidden to mention Sam’s fan club though. Forbidden!

Bought Guitar Hero. For the kids. Really.

Off to see the guys from work after I do this. They are having a chat about work flow, processes, etc and given that I maybe an obstacle and also that I can’t keep my mouth shut in those kind of chats I’ve decided to let them do their thing then I’ll get my kicking after I have something to eat.

There is no way, no how, that we’re off to a strip club.

steelso :: Apr.12.2007 :: GRP, People, Pictures, Trips, Xbox 360 :: 3 Comments »

Well we won the pitch for Knockhill Racing Circuit which is great, I’m looking forward to getting into that and we’ve put the BeBooks website up for some awards so we’ll hold our breath, etc, etc. etc.

I’ve been down south visiting the nice people at Abacus (had a lovely chicken pate roll, magic) today and using the power of the International Web I’m posting today on a train using Wi-fi or as the French say, wee-fee. I prefer wee-fee. Lovely french.

I like train stations. I like airports too. I like places where people meet and leave either their lives, their fears, their dreams. I got some nice pics of York station and Knaresborough. I like it when you can see the emotion on people’s faces when the get off the plane and meet or. I also played with my Macro and that was cool, got some nature pics stuff. I liked playing. I have to get my flickr condom machine art group together. It annoys people I go out with. I go to the toilet and take pictures of condom machines. It amazes me.

More on that later…

On the train home someone had scratched WHORE into the back of the train seat. It also had a number that you could call. I suppose if you wanted a whore. I doubt that the person knew that their number was going up on the train. Oddly it looked as if it was put there by girls. I don’t know why I found that odd. But I did.

Sam is cool.

steelso :: Feb.27.2007 :: GRP, Pictures, Pitches Won, Thoughts, new clients :: 14 Comments »

Due to some sadness with my ex’s family the week is now all over the place. I’m here to support her and as such the knock-on means I can’t get to Manchester for the gig on Thursday. While it’s “one of those things” I was really looking forward to it and a bit gutted I can’t go. But it’s one of those things. No one to blame, just one of those things. Which for me is a bit tough as I like to account (i.e. “blame”) for things when they don’t go to plan, even if I’m the cause, but this is just one of those things. Deep breath. It’s cool.

Weekend was quiet, on Friday Gareth and I had a chat on how the Internet had fundmentally shaped the whole gig experience and why theatre would have trouble replicating that. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Dave and Kirsty popped in and we went to a “Celebration of Political Song”. Actually I went for more beer and I really was annoyingly annoyingly sneery when I got there. That didn’t go down well. It was good to see Mr Sneddon though. So after winning a fiver on the puggy, Kirsty was kind enough to give me a lift up the road and I broke the no-indian-food-when-dwunk rule and had a chicken tikka chasni.

Kids at the weekend but we all had the cold and we spent the weekend blaming each other and feeling miserable. D thought it hilarious chopping down my trees in AC:WW. I was raging. J spent the time pretending to be a cat so he could rest on my lap and be pampered. He can’t purr but he can meow. Sweet baby jesus, he can meow. Esp for treats, juice and petting.

We held a family vote and decided that I (and in turn us) should get a Wii. Well, D and I are excited about it, J just kept saying “Wee” and pretending to, well, wee. He thinks it’s funny that you have to buy a Wii. He noted that he could give us Wee anytime he wanted. We’ll see who’s laughing when it comes to Wii Sports boxing! Sean and Sally are invited up so D can show them the Wii. More laughing from J.

Been writing some comments for a couple of publications up here. Not sure if they’ll see the light of day so I’ll post them here if thwey don’t. Not because they are magical just because I want them to go somewhere.

Four people at work will have a Xbox 360 all connected to the international net in the next week. We’ll be like a Clan and everything! I started making a dance for us. Stewart (not I) is not convinced, in fact he looked a little afraid. Jamie has a purple cable of joy. Old man Marc is still holding out, he’s saving for a big Costco box of Horlicks. Old man Marc, you daft OAP.

Toothpaste can help rid DVD’s of unseemly scratches.

Meeting the lovely GFO tomorrow then a trip to the Edinburgh city for some lunch and a chat with the nice people at koncept. Tony and I will be as witty and hilarious as the last time we went to the Edinburgh city.

I talked to Conlon today too. Like Thor on the phone. Loving his work.

Take care, hope life with you all is well.

S
x

steelso :: Jan.22.2007 :: Animal Crossing, Clients, Everyday Stuff, GRP, Kids, Nintendo, Thoughts, Wii, Xbox 360 :: 5 Comments »

It’s not all news and porn on the Internet, hell no. A whole lot of websites are there to make your life just that wee bit easier.

Take Lifehacker. Loads of tips everyday from geeky to obvious. Want to put a webcam into a bird feeder? Done! Did you know that drinking water can help a bad back? Result!

Social websites, like yer MySpace, yer Bebo, yer Facebook, have inspired loads of people to go online, create their own ‘look’ and connect with other people. Now a UK startup allows those same features through the power of the MOBILE PHONE! It’s called Buddyping and basically it can track roughly where you are by picking up a magic signal from your mobile and then connecting you with people with similar interests in that area! Freaky! You can see where I am right now here! I have no idea if it’s useful but it’s pretty cool. Expect to see lots more technology like this in the future.

Finally I think it’s cool to get in touch with your inner artist. Even then the unlimited power of the Internet can help. Take a look at Mr Picassohead, (here’s one I made of history’s greatest monsters!), make your own streetz artz or throw some paint around a canvas. Please feel free to send your work into the gallery but I’m afraid we can’t return any of your paintings.

steelso :: Jan.19.2007 :: Cool, Creative, GRP :: 2 Comments »

Another thing in 2007 is about being more creative, something that I kick start myself on every New Year. Creativity takes many forms of course which is why it’s so much fun.

Today I was lucky to be involved in an internal pitch meeting for a client that we’re presenting to soon. I loved it, we looked over a whole load of really thoughtful, interesting and, of course, creative ideas. It was great being involved in that process. It’s a process that I’ve been involved since my theatre days, that collaborative discussion to find the best solution for a client’s needs. I adore it and I always find it very exciting. Your comments in the Welcome to Scotland post have been really helpful in the process too so I thank you for that. I love my work.

Creativity again. This time in other people and experimenting. I’ve found the BuddyPing site and I’ll be interested in how it works and how it plays. You can see where I am below:

It seems cool, I’ll play and report. Send me a message if you’re bored.

Today I am mostly listening to The Hold Steady. I am hoping to see them with some people next month. In Glasgow even. In the fecking Cathouse. Such is the cost of experiencing new things.

It’s all good!
S
x

steelso :: Jan.11.2007 :: Cool, Creative, GRP, Gigs :: 2 Comments »