it's happening. i can feel it. it's ramping up.
the working day stays about the same
but 4pm becomes 10pm, sleep a while, whole thing starts again.
doing nothing very important only makes it worse.
just over a week ago i was embarking on new exercise.
now i'm sitting eating pies.
okay i only said that to rhyme, though i did just finish a fruit pie.
that was true, you knows i don't lie.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Light Bites for a Lingering Hangover
- The ministers that claimed greedily within the rules are the ones that should leave themselves due to lack of public confidence. The ones that claimed greedily against the rules should not leave, not be forced to resign - they should be fired.
- Weird to see the largely unreported news about Adam Curry's divorce. Unlike the usual bullshit celeb stories (and they're not celebs in the UK in any sense), it grabs my attention because i've listened to the guy through probably 1000+ podcasts.
- Severe lack of new podcast episodes this week in general, No Agenda being one. Also noticed that Steve Gillmor is doing another of his fuck the audience/new way of doing things (pick one) experiments and not releasing his shows after the live recording. Annoying as they had become really good recently using the TWIT setup. I'd watch live but my shitty BT ADSL can't cope with pretty much anything. I will leave the hell out of BT at the end of this contract!
- I need to put some stuff on the walls. I made this mistake at my last place and waited over a year before really doing any decorating. As soon as I did it felt a lot more like home. Wall space here is much more plentiful though, and half of what I had up before i'm sick of. Stuff that's meant to hang on walls is quite expensive unfortunately.
- My crosstrainer is faulty after 2-3 weeks. Not good. This means i'm now involved in yet another customer services scenario. Based on recent trends I could either predict it will definitely go badly or I could assume that I simply must be due a win and it will go well. Will see.
- New water coolers at work look like space ships. Old ones were fine.
- Docks are quiet, no ships coming in. Where there once was a riot, there's a whole lot of nothing.
- Weird to see the largely unreported news about Adam Curry's divorce. Unlike the usual bullshit celeb stories (and they're not celebs in the UK in any sense), it grabs my attention because i've listened to the guy through probably 1000+ podcasts.
- Severe lack of new podcast episodes this week in general, No Agenda being one. Also noticed that Steve Gillmor is doing another of his fuck the audience/new way of doing things (pick one) experiments and not releasing his shows after the live recording. Annoying as they had become really good recently using the TWIT setup. I'd watch live but my shitty BT ADSL can't cope with pretty much anything. I will leave the hell out of BT at the end of this contract!
- I need to put some stuff on the walls. I made this mistake at my last place and waited over a year before really doing any decorating. As soon as I did it felt a lot more like home. Wall space here is much more plentiful though, and half of what I had up before i'm sick of. Stuff that's meant to hang on walls is quite expensive unfortunately.
- My crosstrainer is faulty after 2-3 weeks. Not good. This means i'm now involved in yet another customer services scenario. Based on recent trends I could either predict it will definitely go badly or I could assume that I simply must be due a win and it will go well. Will see.
- New water coolers at work look like space ships. Old ones were fine.
- Docks are quiet, no ships coming in. Where there once was a riot, there's a whole lot of nothing.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
My LOST Predictions - Keep the theory simple and guess the outcome (yeah, right.. simple)
Trying to guess what specifically comes next is almost pointless. Better to just try to get inside the minds of the creators.
Two back to back episodes in this last season tell a story.
"Whatever Happened, Happened"
"Dead is Dead"
My theory is simply this. We were lead to believe that "Dead is Dead" didn't hold true for quite a while, and right at the last minute we find out that actually yes, dead indeed is dead. No resurrection. No magic.
This tells me that the concept of "Whatever Happened, Happened" is correct. Much as I liked Faraday, his plan didn't seem more than a shot in the dark. Miles was probably correct.
Swan and surrounding area explodes as it always did, caused by the bomb, gets concreted over. How that becomes what we saw in season 2 i'm most interested in and really hope we get to see it. I said just under a year ago that I had faith we'd see explanations for things we'd seen years earlier, in particular the Swan, and we certainly got some of it this season, but I still want the rest, although it's pretty hard to imagine it's relevant to closing out the story so somehow I now doubt it. We still don't really know what the computer did and what the failsafe did. You do kind of wonder if in fact that failsafe was an installed and ready to go version of Faraday's plan. We never found out how Desmond, Locke, Charlie and Eko escaped unscathed from whatever happened to the Swan when the key was turned. Time flashes, perhaps only temporary, seems a possbility. Main problem with this theory would be why the Jughead core didn't destroy the magnetism in '77. Perhaps, final stretch, it didn't go off at all. Maybe what we saw was simply a time flash.
Lots of thinking regarding what happened next in '77 there, but realistically I can't help but imagine that they're done telling that story now. We seem to have reached the point at which the relative importance of characters like Ben and Widmore are shrinking significantly. They, along with Richard and Eloise are the only really significant characters in that timeline once the others disappear, and we've seen Ben and Widmore's pivotal moments already. Can't imagine sticking around in '77 to see how the Widmore/Ellie thing progresses.
One wish for season 6 would be that they devote a whole episode to loose ends. Flash all the fuck over the place and answer questions. Frame it as a Richard episode since he's been there for so long.
I guess the incidental explosion comes coupled with a time jump for everybody that flashed around when the wheel got stuck, back to 2007, even those nowhere near, such as the retired cabin dwellers Rose and Barnard. The worst part about that happening is it's pretty hard to find an excuse for Juliet to be alive, which sucks.
The other fans say the 8 months is painful. It's not so bad. There's time to wind down from the season, forget the show for a while then later in the year start a lead-in Marathon which is now over 100 episodes. There's an entire season of a guy we thought was John Locke actually being somebody else which will make for interesting second viewings. There's the chance to hear all about Radzinsky from Calvin, this time knowing just what an arsehole he really was. A chance to see Jacob's people building the runway that Frank will later try to land 316 on. It's loads of fun watching the jigsaw.
Every time I think about rewatching the earlier seasons of Lost I expect the incessant back stories of all the characters to wear thin, but actually they don't tend to. I may geek out over the SciFi elements of the show but I wouldn't be this enthused about it after five years if I didn't love the vast majority of these characters. The original flashbacks are mostly responsible for this.
This was originally a QUICK post that became a very long rambling one lacking structure. Shit, how many posts do I do this end game apology on? Fuck it if you don't like it you won't read it. But you did, didn't ya!
Two back to back episodes in this last season tell a story.
"Whatever Happened, Happened"
"Dead is Dead"
My theory is simply this. We were lead to believe that "Dead is Dead" didn't hold true for quite a while, and right at the last minute we find out that actually yes, dead indeed is dead. No resurrection. No magic.
This tells me that the concept of "Whatever Happened, Happened" is correct. Much as I liked Faraday, his plan didn't seem more than a shot in the dark. Miles was probably correct.
Swan and surrounding area explodes as it always did, caused by the bomb, gets concreted over. How that becomes what we saw in season 2 i'm most interested in and really hope we get to see it. I said just under a year ago that I had faith we'd see explanations for things we'd seen years earlier, in particular the Swan, and we certainly got some of it this season, but I still want the rest, although it's pretty hard to imagine it's relevant to closing out the story so somehow I now doubt it. We still don't really know what the computer did and what the failsafe did. You do kind of wonder if in fact that failsafe was an installed and ready to go version of Faraday's plan. We never found out how Desmond, Locke, Charlie and Eko escaped unscathed from whatever happened to the Swan when the key was turned. Time flashes, perhaps only temporary, seems a possbility. Main problem with this theory would be why the Jughead core didn't destroy the magnetism in '77. Perhaps, final stretch, it didn't go off at all. Maybe what we saw was simply a time flash.
Lots of thinking regarding what happened next in '77 there, but realistically I can't help but imagine that they're done telling that story now. We seem to have reached the point at which the relative importance of characters like Ben and Widmore are shrinking significantly. They, along with Richard and Eloise are the only really significant characters in that timeline once the others disappear, and we've seen Ben and Widmore's pivotal moments already. Can't imagine sticking around in '77 to see how the Widmore/Ellie thing progresses.
One wish for season 6 would be that they devote a whole episode to loose ends. Flash all the fuck over the place and answer questions. Frame it as a Richard episode since he's been there for so long.
I guess the incidental explosion comes coupled with a time jump for everybody that flashed around when the wheel got stuck, back to 2007, even those nowhere near, such as the retired cabin dwellers Rose and Barnard. The worst part about that happening is it's pretty hard to find an excuse for Juliet to be alive, which sucks.
The other fans say the 8 months is painful. It's not so bad. There's time to wind down from the season, forget the show for a while then later in the year start a lead-in Marathon which is now over 100 episodes. There's an entire season of a guy we thought was John Locke actually being somebody else which will make for interesting second viewings. There's the chance to hear all about Radzinsky from Calvin, this time knowing just what an arsehole he really was. A chance to see Jacob's people building the runway that Frank will later try to land 316 on. It's loads of fun watching the jigsaw.
Every time I think about rewatching the earlier seasons of Lost I expect the incessant back stories of all the characters to wear thin, but actually they don't tend to. I may geek out over the SciFi elements of the show but I wouldn't be this enthused about it after five years if I didn't love the vast majority of these characters. The original flashbacks are mostly responsible for this.
This was originally a QUICK post that became a very long rambling one lacking structure. Shit, how many posts do I do this end game apology on? Fuck it if you don't like it you won't read it. But you did, didn't ya!
Saturday, May 09, 2009
QUICK: End of the World Music
End of the World Music is my name for something that no doubt others have their own phrase for. I'm talking about a piece of music that when played in the right place at the right time evokes extreme emotion. Not joy or sadness, more heightened sense. Something that momentarily makes you feel like you understand the world!
The music and it's lyrics don't need to relate in any way to this theme. For me it's more about the instrumental music behind whatever might be being sang. It's also not always a song, but a moment in a song.
The climb down to the piano two thirds of the way through November Rain just after what I think is the second chorus is a great example. It's not easy to put into words, but it does work. I can't imagine a life without music.
If you had to choose being either deaf or blind, which would it be? I honestly don't know.
The music and it's lyrics don't need to relate in any way to this theme. For me it's more about the instrumental music behind whatever might be being sang. It's also not always a song, but a moment in a song.
The climb down to the piano two thirds of the way through November Rain just after what I think is the second chorus is a great example. It's not easy to put into words, but it does work. I can't imagine a life without music.
If you had to choose being either deaf or blind, which would it be? I honestly don't know.
Friday, May 08, 2009
QUICK: More.
Could there be more?
I'll never be able to accept a definite no.
The number of strange co-incidences that manifest themselves seem so very against the odds.
Then there's the gut feelings. The ones that allows us to realise something big has happened to someone else before we actually know it.
Science is awesome, but i'd rather not give it credit for absolutely everything.
I don't like any religious interpretation of God, but I like the idea of something.
What, I have no idea.
I'll never be able to accept a definite no.
The number of strange co-incidences that manifest themselves seem so very against the odds.
Then there's the gut feelings. The ones that allows us to realise something big has happened to someone else before we actually know it.
Science is awesome, but i'd rather not give it credit for absolutely everything.
I don't like any religious interpretation of God, but I like the idea of something.
What, I have no idea.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
QUICK: So VERY FUCKING CLOSE Sweatband Fitness
Almost a good customer service experience. Almost the first in a really long time. After every utility fucking up during my move I actually believed I might be having a good... not just good, but feel good customer service experience with an online fitness equipment store called Sweatband Fitness. Everything they have said and done has been perfect. Unfortunately they must take full responsibility from the moment I engage them until the moment I have the goods and even beyond, and so they have now failed me dismally.
Unfortunately, companies such as Sweatband Fitness make bad courier decisions like TNT which apparently can't find my address. My address is a house on a public street in Leicester. There is simply no sound explanation for failing to find it. Why no call? They don't give their drivers phones. No explanation as to why; they just don't. Probably a moronic nod to the safety brigade.
So, if anybody from Sweatband is reading this: My order has exited the free next day delivery phase and entered the pick up from local depot 8pm at the earliest phase. I've had an unproductive day working from home that my employer would have every reason to dock me for half of. I have no idea whether the item will fit in my car when I go to get it. What can you do about it? Not much now. Even if you personally deliver the thing tomorrow I won't be home to receive it.
When are these companies going to realise that these deliveries to people working day jobs are one shot deals to be carefully arranged? Once they go wrong, it's damage thereafter, for the recipient, for the sender, and for the cocksucking couriers who without question are the worst player in this production.
The anger this crap instils in me and others like me is huge. Do companies like Sweatband and now any other company that openly admits to using TNT care that I simply won't be a repeat customer? You'd think so, but where's the evidence?
To summarise: TNT - stay away at all costs from now on. Sweatband - misguided. Avoid unless they change courier.
To quote Stan Smith, what's so hard about doing it flawlessly first time?
EDIT: So, how did it all end? I drove to TNT at just after 8pm. The two guys that helped me at that time couldn't have done anything better, but on asking for a better explanation of the earlier problems I learnt that the reason they couldn't find my street was because they loaded my package on to the wrong truck, a truck not serving my area at all. In other words, an even bigger screw up.
The cross trainer package was impossibly heavy and if not for the help of my willing neighbour I simply wouldn't have got it up my two staircases. I'm pretty certain that had the thing been delivered, the delivery guy would have happily carried it up the stairs with me. No question, I lost hours yesterday, but i'm past it now. I might write a note to Sweatband if I get a chance, see if I can convince them to drop TNT. What I said earlier still stands regarding repeat custom.
The cross trainer is great incidentally. This might actually be the one piece of equipment that improves my general fitness level. It's readings also inform me that whilst i'm not very fit, i'm not anything like as unfit as the machine measures. It didn't occur to me that my arms would get such a work out, but I think I feel more there than in my legs. Most of it I feel in my arse cheeks, which I suppose makes sense. The only negative is a knocking sound on the right side with each revolution when my foot is in a certain position, but I expect i'll figure out how to fix that once I figure out where it comes from.
Unfortunately, companies such as Sweatband Fitness make bad courier decisions like TNT which apparently can't find my address. My address is a house on a public street in Leicester. There is simply no sound explanation for failing to find it. Why no call? They don't give their drivers phones. No explanation as to why; they just don't. Probably a moronic nod to the safety brigade.
So, if anybody from Sweatband is reading this: My order has exited the free next day delivery phase and entered the pick up from local depot 8pm at the earliest phase. I've had an unproductive day working from home that my employer would have every reason to dock me for half of. I have no idea whether the item will fit in my car when I go to get it. What can you do about it? Not much now. Even if you personally deliver the thing tomorrow I won't be home to receive it.
When are these companies going to realise that these deliveries to people working day jobs are one shot deals to be carefully arranged? Once they go wrong, it's damage thereafter, for the recipient, for the sender, and for the cocksucking couriers who without question are the worst player in this production.
The anger this crap instils in me and others like me is huge. Do companies like Sweatband and now any other company that openly admits to using TNT care that I simply won't be a repeat customer? You'd think so, but where's the evidence?
To summarise: TNT - stay away at all costs from now on. Sweatband - misguided. Avoid unless they change courier.
To quote Stan Smith, what's so hard about doing it flawlessly first time?
EDIT: So, how did it all end? I drove to TNT at just after 8pm. The two guys that helped me at that time couldn't have done anything better, but on asking for a better explanation of the earlier problems I learnt that the reason they couldn't find my street was because they loaded my package on to the wrong truck, a truck not serving my area at all. In other words, an even bigger screw up.
The cross trainer package was impossibly heavy and if not for the help of my willing neighbour I simply wouldn't have got it up my two staircases. I'm pretty certain that had the thing been delivered, the delivery guy would have happily carried it up the stairs with me. No question, I lost hours yesterday, but i'm past it now. I might write a note to Sweatband if I get a chance, see if I can convince them to drop TNT. What I said earlier still stands regarding repeat custom.
The cross trainer is great incidentally. This might actually be the one piece of equipment that improves my general fitness level. It's readings also inform me that whilst i'm not very fit, i'm not anything like as unfit as the machine measures. It didn't occur to me that my arms would get such a work out, but I think I feel more there than in my legs. Most of it I feel in my arse cheeks, which I suppose makes sense. The only negative is a knocking sound on the right side with each revolution when my foot is in a certain position, but I expect i'll figure out how to fix that once I figure out where it comes from.
Monday, May 04, 2009
Bank Holiday Bank Schmoliday (A Good Weekend)
Awesome weekend. It started Thursday night although work on Friday happened as normal, with a friend's gig and continued into Friday with a BBQ. Saturday was the day of rest and Sunday was a friend's wedding.
And yet now it's practically over i'm a little subdued. When will I enjoy myself this much next? It's a horrible way to live and think and I wish I could avoid it but I guess I'll feel how I feel.
The wedding tangles nicely with the fact that I found out two other friends were now engaged (not to each other, both dudes) in the space of about 72 hours. There's not much chance that that isn't part of the mood.
No matter how much I try to convince myself I don't want a part of all this normalcy I can't really back it up. People need people, and to shy away from a fairly standard life seems to lead down a path of solitude. The idea that friends come before relationships is a crock. It's a feel-good ideal that never pans out in reality. The more I watch my friends continue down this path the less I see them. The two in question have been absolute case studies on this and this was even before they were engaged (again, not to each other). That said, I could make far more effort myself. I tend to wait to be invited rather than do inviting. Similar to my not having ever friend requested anybody on Facebook, just accepted others. And wouldn't you just know this ties perfectly into the fact that I rarely approach women. Fear of rejection and embarassment all around. Awesome.
What else is bothering me? I wonder if I might be diabetic. I certainly pee a lot, but then recently i've been drinking huge amounts of water in the interests of better health. I've considered it before but stopped thinking about it, then I got into a discussion about it with a friend at the wedding who told me she was just under the threshold. It's the first time i've ever experienced anybody seemingly healthy and fit, okay, not having it, but close. Definitely fitter than I am. Can't say that I particularly exhibit the other symptoms, but it seems worth getting checked out. I think it's probably just a tennis ball sized bladder in honesty. If I have somehow hit on type 2 i'll be irritated as I know plenty of people with far worse diets than myself. Day to day mine is, I think, pretty good.
This started out positive. Really enjoyed the weekend. Must try to have weekends like this more. I guess I have two more weddings to attend in the not too distant future so that's good! Self analysis done, I can now go back to enjoying the remainder of the weekend. First though, I need a piss.
And yet now it's practically over i'm a little subdued. When will I enjoy myself this much next? It's a horrible way to live and think and I wish I could avoid it but I guess I'll feel how I feel.
The wedding tangles nicely with the fact that I found out two other friends were now engaged (not to each other, both dudes) in the space of about 72 hours. There's not much chance that that isn't part of the mood.
No matter how much I try to convince myself I don't want a part of all this normalcy I can't really back it up. People need people, and to shy away from a fairly standard life seems to lead down a path of solitude. The idea that friends come before relationships is a crock. It's a feel-good ideal that never pans out in reality. The more I watch my friends continue down this path the less I see them. The two in question have been absolute case studies on this and this was even before they were engaged (again, not to each other). That said, I could make far more effort myself. I tend to wait to be invited rather than do inviting. Similar to my not having ever friend requested anybody on Facebook, just accepted others. And wouldn't you just know this ties perfectly into the fact that I rarely approach women. Fear of rejection and embarassment all around. Awesome.
What else is bothering me? I wonder if I might be diabetic. I certainly pee a lot, but then recently i've been drinking huge amounts of water in the interests of better health. I've considered it before but stopped thinking about it, then I got into a discussion about it with a friend at the wedding who told me she was just under the threshold. It's the first time i've ever experienced anybody seemingly healthy and fit, okay, not having it, but close. Definitely fitter than I am. Can't say that I particularly exhibit the other symptoms, but it seems worth getting checked out. I think it's probably just a tennis ball sized bladder in honesty. If I have somehow hit on type 2 i'll be irritated as I know plenty of people with far worse diets than myself. Day to day mine is, I think, pretty good.
This started out positive. Really enjoyed the weekend. Must try to have weekends like this more. I guess I have two more weddings to attend in the not too distant future so that's good! Self analysis done, I can now go back to enjoying the remainder of the weekend. First though, I need a piss.
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