// August 2008
Blinding Glimpses of the Obvious #4208
Yes folks, today’s “no shit, Sherlock” award goes to the researchers who have decided that good posture is a way to combat back pain.
Thanks guys. What next: the best way to avoid a hangover is not to drink excessively?
Posted on August 20, 2008 | Filed Under The World we Live In | 0 Comments
Anyone for Paris?
I’m thinking of maybe booking out a hotel in Paris for three weeks in August.
Maybe in about four years’ time.
Who fancies it?
Choice is Bad
I have, for many years, had a sneaking suspicion that choice is, in many respects, a bad thing.
It was an opinion I first came to when various opposition leaders (which if I recall were rattled through at a rate of knots at the time) kept promising more choice for parents and patients and so on. And I always found myself thinking: “well, that’s the last thing you should be giving people, matey”.
Basically, I have come to the conclusion that what people think they want is choice, but in reality what they actually want is someone to choose for them.
I was reminded of this last night when the flatmate and I were flicking through Freeview in an attempt to find something, anything, to watch. Disappointingly it finally dawned on us that the proliferation of digital channels has merely released broadcasters from the requirement of making whatever they broadcast worth watching – almost like the competition has made them give up and just not spend any money instead of raise their game.
So there we were, faced with a choice between the Olympics (for the love of Sonia, NO!), Tomb Raider: Cradle of Filth (or somesuch tripe) and Hellboy. At which we exchanged a glance, lowered our expectations and plumped for the latter.
Amazingly, considering the awfulness that could have ensued from a plot involving Nazis, Demons, the Occult, Nazi Occultists, Rasputin and John Hurt, it turned out to be very enjoyable indeed.
(And I must say that Rupert Evans can come over mine any time he likes.)
Posted on August 18, 2008 | Filed Under Film, TV, Theatre, The World we Live In | 0 Comments
Virgin Trains: Epic Fail
A few weeks ago the flatmate and I decided to journey up to Manchester to visit the lovely Helen and eat too much and drink too much and go out clubbing and so on. And much fun was had by all.
Except, I should point out, on the journey up.
The Friday was one of the days when power lines came down (as they are apparently wont to do) and at about half an hour prior to our journey to boot. As a result the 12:05 to Manchester was cancelled and we were told to hoof it to St Pancras and go to Manc via Sheffield instead – adding a couple of hours to the journey, incidentally.
Having seen the queue at St. Pancras (we weren’t getting on) we ambled back to Euston where the 1:05 it turns out hadn’t been cancelled since things were running again. Again the queue was shocking so we weren’t getting on, but we got our tickets validated, waited for the 2:05 to be announced and – due to a very impressive sprint if I do say so myself – managed to get into first class and settled down for the journey. Which got is into Manchester two hours later than we’d intended, but at least got us there.
So far so dull for you, dear reader, but what I’m leading up to is this: Chris and I both submitted claims for the journey, and both of us have had a response.
Mine was ?Ǭ£43 of vouchers and a grovelling apology.
Chris’ was a letter explaining the 12:05 hadn’t been cancelled at all, was only 34 minutes late and therefore he wasn’t owed a penny.
How’s that for service, eh?
Posted on August 12, 2008 | Filed Under The World we Live In | 0 Comments
Technical Terms
I am proud to report that, just two minutes ago, I learned a new technical term.
I was, of course, well aware that you could indulge in a spot of “percussive maintenance” if something didn’t work, but apparently it seems you can also try “powercycling” it.
Which apparently is geek-speak for “turning it off and on again”.
Posted on August 11, 2008 | Filed Under Battles with Technology | 0 Comments
Russell Howard
Oh I so would.
A World of Noise and Pain
There are fewer things more irritating at five thirty in the morning than the experience of being rudely awoken by the shrill insistent sound of a car alarm in the street outside.
Things that are more irritating include having the same car alarm being allowed by its owners to continue more or less constantly until about six forty-five.
But an even more irritating experience than that is having all of this go on and then having a nearby flock of wild parakeets take exception to the noise and begin competing with it.
So, given that I am in rather desperate need of beauty sleep at the moment anyway, I currently wish all people who have car alarms a big healthy dose of syphilis and eternal damnation.
You utter, utter bastards.
Posted on August 7, 2008 | Filed Under My So-Called Life, The World we Live In | 0 Comments
Attack of the Binmen
In our last flat we had the luxury of a large communal bin area where we could just dump rubbish on an ongoing basis and not really worry about when it got picked up. (And to be honest I never did really figure out when the council came – it seemed to be very much on an ad-hoc basis, but certainly it was commendably regular).
However, now we find ourselves adjusting to the routine of a weekly pickup again, having to make sure that the recycling is gathered up into the lurid orange bags provided for this purpose, and that the main refuse is dumped down in the whelie bins outside the house.
ANd every Monday morning as I leave for work I am invariably faced with the job of falling over the bin, muttering dark words and putting it back in its place after the collection has happened. Every week I’ve had the same gripe: why can’t the bin men just put it back where they found it?
Today though I left the house to find it in exactly the same place it was left. For a moment I assumed it hadn’t been emptied, but a quick check reassured me on this point and so with a shrug I stepped into the street to head off on my merry way.
Only to discover that everyone else’s bins were as out of place as normal. It was only ours that had been put back in its place.
This strikes me as very odd behaviour. I mean… it’s a very odd way of victimising someone isn’t it?
Posted on August 4, 2008 | Filed Under My So-Called Life | 1 Comment
Morose? What do you mean, morose?
- Sunshine
- Lollipops
- Whiskers on Kittens
Happy now, Northover?
Posted on August 4, 2008 | Filed Under My So-Called Life | 1 Comment