COMPETITION

June 15, 2010 By iamjamesward in WORDS Tags: competition, passwords 7 Comments

Once a month, my password for my network log-in at work expires and I have to change it. It’s always a bit of a struggle to think of something new each time. Some people at work use the same basic word each time and simply change the number on the end. That seems like a cop-out. Where’s the challenge?

On Monday 21st June 2010, my password will expire. I am giving YOU the chance to pick my new password.

HOW TO ENTER
Simply send an email containing your suggested password to me here with NEW PASSWORD FOR JAMES WARD in the subject line.

Passwords need to be between 8 and 16 characters and must contain both numbers and letters.

The closing date for entries is Friday 18th June. Entries must be received by 12noon.

After all the entries have been received, there will be a vote on my blog (if I can remember how to set up a poll) and a winner will be picked.

THE PRIZE
For one month, following the expiry of my current password, I will type in YOUR PASSWORD CHOICE every time I log in at work. Imagine the thrill of knowing that I typed in a password YOU suggested! It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.

Good luck!

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. The prize will consist of one password to be used by James Ward at his place of work for a period of one month.

2. Competition entrants must ensure their password suggestion is their own work and does not breach UK copyright law.

3. Copyright in any competition entries remains with the entrant. They agree a one-off, non-exclusive licence in the winning password.

4. After the closing date, a list of all the entries will be posted on http://iamjamesward.wordpress.com.

5. After the list has been posted, members of the public will vote on their favourite entry. The vote will close at 11pm on Sunday 20th June 2010.

6. The winning password will be used from Monday 21st June 2010 and will be announced that same day.

7. Employees of James Ward are not eligible to enter this competition.

8. Your personal information will not be passed on to any third party.

9. James Ward may email you with news of other competitions or offers.

10. Entrants are limited to no more than twenty-five password suggestions.

11. The prize may not be used in conjunction with any other promotion mounted by James Ward or any third party.

12. Entrance into the competition deems acceptance of all Terms & Conditions.

BONVING

June 14, 2010 By iamjamesward in VIDEOS Tags: bonving Leave a comment

NEW YORK TRIP

June 8, 2010 By iamjamesward in WORDS Tags: new york 4 Comments

A month or so ago, I won a trip to New York.

Someone on Twitter had alerted me to this competition and suggested I should enter. The competition was looking for a blogger to go to New York and write about the trip. All you had to do was write one hundred words about what sort of stuff you would write about. I basically wrote that if I went to New York, I’d probably focus on things and spot things which most of other people either might not notice, or if they did notice, they wouldn’t bother writing about them. I think that’s probably true.

I didn’t give it much thought to be honest, but I was quite excited when I got shortlisted. The next stage was a vote on Twitter. Apparently here I took an early lead, but about a day or so in, I thought the competition had been lost and pretty much gave up all hope. However, it seems my early lead was enough to keep me ahead and I won. Hurrah.

Then, Eyjafjallajokull erupted and all flights out of the UK were halted. This included the flight I was supposed to be on. In many ways, this was actually a blessing. There was a very short period of time between winning the competition and when the original trip was planned, and I was also in the process of moving house and all sorts of other things.

And now the trip has been rescheduled. A limo is picking me up from my house on the morning of June 29th and I come back a couple of days later on the 2nd of July. I’m quite excited.

OPENING OF UK BONVING SEASON (via The Official UK Bonving Blog)

June 7, 2010 By iamjamesward in WORDS Tags: bonving Leave a comment

The UK Bonving Season will launch on June 12th from 1pm in Regents Park. The exact meeting place is "the bit to the right of Gloucester Gate". Look for a group of people standing around awkwardly, not sure what they are supposed to be doing. Here is a map: Please bring food and booze and friends and that sort of thing. It's like a picnic but one where people throw shoes at each other. A brief reminder of the rules can be seen in this video: [Read More]

via The Official UK Bonving Blog

TIME TRAVEL

June 7, 2010 By iamjamesward in WORDS Leave a comment

I didn’t sleep well last night.

I was feeling restless, uncomfortable. Not physically, but psychologically. I was upset.

I tried to imagine I was somewhere else, in a room I used to sleep in. I tried to imagine there was someone lying next to me, that I wasn’t alone. I reshaped the room I was in. I tried to force the window to shift to a different wall. To move the door. To put the wardrobe against a different wall.

Outside I could hear the noise from the street. It was coming from the wrong place. I got up and closed the window. This helped. I imagined the window being bricked in, a wardrobe placed infront of it. A new window built into the facing wall. I closed my eyes tighter. The door moved to a different position. The bed changed, the flooring changed, the colour of the walls changed. I was in a different room.

I was so successful at transforming the room I was in that when I woke up a short while later, I was completely disorientated. It took me a couple of seconds before I realised where I was. I was devastated and couldn’t get back to sleep.

I didn’t sleep well last night.

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