Archives for Jan 2006
23rd January, 2006
Loss of Pictures
For some reason all pictures have vanished from posts. This is being dealt with. Grrrrr...!
Edit 9:48am
I've just had one of those conversations with a call centre worker that drives you up the wall. I have a lot of sympathy for call centre workers. Honestly. More than most. I know they're badly trained, poorly managed, and under-motivated. They're doing a soul destroying job for the money - and of course the money is pitiful too. I understand. I do.
But
I can't
excuse everything they do. Especially when they start actually getting
shirty with you. What the fuck? I found myself saying things
like, "Your tone
right now is completely unacceptable, and if you continue I will be writing
a letter of complaint about your
attitude." Oh God help me.
Anyway, they've cocked up, she wouldn't admit it in so many words, but they will be putting it right. In their own sweet time. And then images will return. Ho hum.
Edit 12:15pm
As you can see, we have pics back. I thought I'd post one in celebration. Yay.
19th January, 2006
The Butterfly Effect
A
while ago I was blathering on about caterpillars
being optimistic and the like. You see, I was waxing all poetical and things
because I was feeling all schmuschy and happy.
What I didn't go into at the
time was the details. I shrouded the whole thing in a dramatic hush. Now, though,
all will be
revealed.
Where to start? Well, around about the Y2K year I was a mature student at Bradford College studying for an HND in Software Engineering. From the name of the course, I know you bright readers can surmise that the course was about writing software, and that's true. But, to write software you have to understand the hardware. Otherwise, you could write a program that's supposed to, say, be a stock tracking system for a video outlet, but that actually butters cats with a fishing rod.
Granted I'd been a geek kid, and as a teenager I'd taught myself to program and learned about hardware, you know, just for fun, so you'd think that I'd be ahead of the game. The thing is, there'd been about a ten year gap when (for reasons other posts may cover) I'd fallen behind a little in the computer world. But it was ok, because all I missed was the proliferation of the IBM based PC, the invention of the Internet, and the development of Microsoft Windows. Haha. Yeah, nothing much.
14th January, 2006
They Come In Threes. And Also Fives.
I have five children, but it's not often that I have them all together at the same time. Most times I have them in shifts, as they all have pretty hectic social lives. Including Baby E.
Today was the exception, with all of them here in da house in full force. Our tiny house, that struggles to keep bound at the seams while the five of us prize ourselves into every inch of its cramped inner space, suddenly had to accomodate not only Tamara and Cherie extra, but also Derry's friend Tom. Sure, I had to bolster some outside walls with hastily improvised buttresses, but bless it all, somehow she made it through.
12th January, 2006
With the Lights Out, He's Less Dangerous
Callum is a feral child at heart, this much we know. It's just that he's the sort of feral child who likes the comforts of home. You know, warmth, shelter, regular meals, running water, Playstations, DVDs and all that kind of thing. Otherwise, totally feral.
Put him in the woods, see, and all sorts of things happen to him. He becomes the C Monster, and he'll scare the crap out of anything. Sometimes, he can bring the horrors to the home.
11th January, 2006
Someone Has Got My Number
So, today someone arrived here at this blog after searching
Google for a "picture of a fat guy in boxer shorts."
I'm glad I was able to serve.
It's been a while since the last Elf Shorts episode. I know the Angry Chimp has them, but what's he playing at, I wonder?
Reminds me of Ben Hur this picture. I forgot to take my watch off. Tch.
10th January, 2006
The Optimism of the Caterpillar
Take caterpillars. I mean, there's an ugly duckling story right there. I wonder if they know, all the time, that their future is bright? Caterpillars don't get all depressed about their situation, do they? They just carry on chewing up leaves, the smug little grubs. If they don't know what's coming while they're munching away there like tiny squelchy pigs, then they're surely the ultimate lesson in optimism of all time.
7th January, 2006
The Post of Christmas Past
Usually
on Christmas Eve I spend the evening watching Sarah and my
friend Alan frantically
wrapping presents while I guzzle away red wine and Stella Artois. Not this time,
though. All the
wrapping was done, and we all drank Stella Artois. No I don't
wrap, and there's good reason for that. Specifically all the wine and
Stella
I've drunk.
3rd January, 2006
Announcing the Upcoming Worldwide Blog Comeback Tour
Yes, it's true, the Owl has hit the comeback trail. It's been a long time coming, and some might even doubt that it can happen. So much ground to cover, so much time to make up, but if anyone can slide back in to the flux as if he'd never been away at all, it's Owl. I said flux.
27th January, 2006
Three Step
Have you heard Paul Anka's "Rock Swings"? What I love about that album... is everything. It's a 60's singer singing a (say) 40's swing band style for today's songs. It's beautifully done, and if you haven't heard it, you're missing something truly special. Seriously, it makes a musical joke so well that that it makes a profound statement and beautiful music funny. It's too exquisite.
Go read the rest >>