Big
n juicy
modern musings mediated
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Well, you may notice the new look which has been somewhat forced upon me by virtue of the fact that I am soon to be published in print. I've been a beaverin and a clickin for over six months and if none of the elastic bands snap you should be able to find my wee tome on sale in July. [ More details in the profile and nearer the time ] The publisher is about to start advance publicity for the book and so I was faced with the dilemma of having my mug exposed all over the shop first by them, thus blowing my anonymity in a wholly shocking and out of control manner - [Richard and Judy's website anyone?] - or taking matters into my own hands. Always preferring the manually manipulative option I decided that a timely redesign was the way to go. So I'm out and proud. Suddenly I feel naked, very naked - but one has to suffer for one's art no?
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 12:30 AM
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 12:30 AM
Friday, March 30, 2007
Bank Crisis: Your questions answered.
Q. How does the BACS system work?
A. Joan comes in on Tuesday and types all the stuff into the keypad.
Q. Why has my salary not been paid into my bank account?
A. Our computer got a bit tired during the week. It's Easter and it's been going for about thirty years, what do you expect? Plus Joan has got a cold - OK?
Q. What does 'BACS' stand for?
A. It is a playful anagram of SCAB which originally stood for 'SCam At Bank'. Over the years the meaning has gradually changed and now SCAB is popularly understood to stand for, 'Soaring Charges And Bollocks.
Q. When will I get my money?
A. On Monday.
Q. Why not Saturday or Sunday?
A. Saturday and Sunday are not banking days.
Q. What does that mean?
A. Joan has her hair done on Saturday and goes to see her grandchildren on Sunday.
Q. Can I get cash at the weekend?
A. Maybe. Maybe not, sucker.
Q. That's unacceptable.
A. Actually that's British Banking.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:47 PM
Q. How does the BACS system work?
A. Joan comes in on Tuesday and types all the stuff into the keypad.
Q. Why has my salary not been paid into my bank account?
A. Our computer got a bit tired during the week. It's Easter and it's been going for about thirty years, what do you expect? Plus Joan has got a cold - OK?
Q. What does 'BACS' stand for?
A. It is a playful anagram of SCAB which originally stood for 'SCam At Bank'. Over the years the meaning has gradually changed and now SCAB is popularly understood to stand for, 'Soaring Charges And Bollocks.
Q. When will I get my money?
A. On Monday.
Q. Why not Saturday or Sunday?
A. Saturday and Sunday are not banking days.
Q. What does that mean?
A. Joan has her hair done on Saturday and goes to see her grandchildren on Sunday.
Q. Can I get cash at the weekend?
A. Maybe. Maybe not, sucker.
Q. That's unacceptable.
A. Actually that's British Banking.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:47 PM
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Grrrrowlyerfyerdrarghhrr
Siralan is back. I hear he's been de-bagged. Looks like the Amstrad Electric Face Prod may not have been up to the job after all. I wonder if that's why Tim got Fyerd. That Margaret is a game old bird, what with her MySpace page n all.
Sick
Sicker than the average bear am I. Started with a a little frog in the throat. Presently a sodding great growling lizard in the gizzard with a nice redeyed waterfall feature a'la mucous on the side. Bleedin climate. Bleedin germs.
Cough - send drugs - cough.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:35 PM
Freedom reignsSiralan is back. I hear he's been de-bagged. Looks like the Amstrad Electric Face Prod may not have been up to the job after all. I wonder if that's why Tim got Fyerd. That Margaret is a game old bird, what with her MySpace page n all.
Sick
Sicker than the average bear am I. Started with a a little frog in the throat. Presently a sodding great growling lizard in the gizzard with a nice redeyed waterfall feature a'la mucous on the side. Bleedin climate. Bleedin germs.
Cough - send drugs - cough.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:35 PM
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Toyin Agbetu tells it like it is to Her Maj and the PM.
Apparently, the Queen 'looked interested'. It was probably the most interesting thing that's happened around her for a while. I think Mr Agbetu's protest is a healthy sign. It's still possible to shout the odds in the presence of the great and good - despite the high security CCTV anal probes installed in every 'public' building. How refreshing for TB to be told - "you should apologise". How refreshing to hear Her Maj be told, "you should be ashamed". What was that I was saying about freedom?
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 10:33 PM
SmileApparently, the Queen 'looked interested'. It was probably the most interesting thing that's happened around her for a while. I think Mr Agbetu's protest is a healthy sign. It's still possible to shout the odds in the presence of the great and good - despite the high security CCTV anal probes installed in every 'public' building. How refreshing for TB to be told - "you should apologise". How refreshing to hear Her Maj be told, "you should be ashamed". What was that I was saying about freedom?
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 10:33 PM
Monday, March 26, 2007
It's 11pm BST (ie 10pm GMT). I've been awake since 6am BST (ie 5am GMT) thanks to some considerate building contractors across the road who obviously couldn't sleep. I'm feeling like a zombie but where am I going to find one at this time of night?
Seriously though, I think this is the worst case of clocks-go-back lag I've ever experienced. I've realised in recent years that I get really rather ratty when I'm like this. Inconsiderate drivers, attitudinally challenged shop assistants and unsolicited knockers on doors all get the full nuclear treatment when I'm like this. Grrrr. Talking of which Ian Paisley has to have one of the loudest, most annoying voices in the history of the world. Imagine living with that voice for 50 years. I wonder if his wife is hearing impaired? He's also got quite scary teeth. Is an 80 year old First Minister a good thing for Northern Ireland? I think not. Still progress is progress...
It was a gloriously warm afternoon. Bright and sunny. I ended up stuck inside in front of a computer - as you do. Still, a few days off are approaching. Now shall I
a. Do The Garden?
b. Do The Decorating?
c. Do the Business?
So many choices.
On the subject of banking. I've had an account with Smile for a while and I've noticed a major deterioration in their standards of service of late. I found out earlier that they are short staffed in their call centre by about twenty bods. This is a big problem because Smile is basically a call centre. Now I wonder why they are short staffed? Low pay? Low morale? Crap coffee in the canteen? Shortage of well toned pole dancers in the atrium? OK I need to get out more.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:10 PM
FreedomSeriously though, I think this is the worst case of clocks-go-back lag I've ever experienced. I've realised in recent years that I get really rather ratty when I'm like this. Inconsiderate drivers, attitudinally challenged shop assistants and unsolicited knockers on doors all get the full nuclear treatment when I'm like this. Grrrr. Talking of which Ian Paisley has to have one of the loudest, most annoying voices in the history of the world. Imagine living with that voice for 50 years. I wonder if his wife is hearing impaired? He's also got quite scary teeth. Is an 80 year old First Minister a good thing for Northern Ireland? I think not. Still progress is progress...
It was a gloriously warm afternoon. Bright and sunny. I ended up stuck inside in front of a computer - as you do. Still, a few days off are approaching. Now shall I
a. Do The Garden?
b. Do The Decorating?
c. Do the Business?
So many choices.
On the subject of banking. I've had an account with Smile for a while and I've noticed a major deterioration in their standards of service of late. I found out earlier that they are short staffed in their call centre by about twenty bods. This is a big problem because Smile is basically a call centre. Now I wonder why they are short staffed? Low pay? Low morale? Crap coffee in the canteen? Shortage of well toned pole dancers in the atrium? OK I need to get out more.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 11:10 PM
Sunday, March 25, 2007
I've been watching The Trap for the past three weeks. The three films have given a sweeping critical overview of social and political theory during my lifetime. I've really welcomed the mental scaffold that film maker, Adam Curtis, has given. So many hunches and half understood concepts have fallen into place during my watching. I've been glued. My question below, "are you free?" has it's roots in this. My understanding of freedom is necessarily influenced by the environment in which I've grown. My own answer to the question, after watching this stuff is, 'probably not'. 'The Trap' should be compulsory viewing for all electors in 'democratic' states. It's not often something you see on telly changes your world view. This did and the ideas, I believe, will remain with me for a long time.
Overview and episode summaries here.
Vitrolite
..is the shiny glass-like cladding which gave so many art-deco buildings their hollywood glamour. It's no longer made and this site belongs to a man who repairs such buildings. I found it fascinating.
Old times
Dress like a 1940s manual worker - you know you want to.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 10:46 PM
Overview and episode summaries here.Vitrolite
..is the shiny glass-like cladding which gave so many art-deco buildings their hollywood glamour. It's no longer made and this site belongs to a man who repairs such buildings. I found it fascinating.
Old times
Dress like a 1940s manual worker - you know you want to.
freshly squeezed for you by drD at 10:46 PM
Tuesday, March 20, 2007