Just Saying...

So I notice today that they're building a whole ghost town in New Mexico to test technological advances and devices. The houses will have heating, water and associated appliances - but no inhabitants, and it's going to cost around $400million initially, but the bill is more realistically expected to be about $1billion.

I know it's not government funded and a private enterprise that is throwing money at it, but...meanwhile, in New Orleans, 7 years after Hurricane Katrina....

Just Saying...

Just Saying...

Read more...

Just Saying...

Sorry for the sudden absence for the last two days! Job hunting sometimes means dropping everything and having to concentrate on the 'real world'!

Having not been able to do anything for the last two days, I awoke this morning with the sunshine streaming in through the window. Great! I can get some bed linen washed and out on the line to dry. WRONG!

Thanks to some inconsiderate bastards clearing some land down the road, when I opened the back door, I was greeted by the smell of freshly burning wood and vegetation. To the left, a huge plume of dirty grey smoke was billowing up from behind some trees only to be blown in my direction by the very same breeze that was intended for my washing. If it wasn't for the sound of chainsaws, one could be forgiven for thinking that a volcanic eruption was taking place.

I would have taken my hat off to the workman (had it not been protecting me from the ash that was now falling from the sky), because if there was an Oscar for 'Most Dense Smoke Produced in a Residential Area', they'd have won it hands down!

Thanks to them, I've had to dry my bed linen in the tumble dryer - and don't even get me started on how the hell the pillowcases and base sheet always find their way into the duvet cover, and then the duvet cover manages to resemble a Gordian knot!

Just Saying...

Read more...

Just Saying...

So, out of about 20 houses in our row, about 5 of us have recycling refuse wheelie bins due to the fact that we have the space to accommodate them. Every 2 weeks, we put them out for collection, but last week they missed them. No problem I thought, I'll just ring the council. After the usual menu telling me to press whatever numbers for Council Tax, Housing Benefit, etc, I press 1 to put me through to reception. The conversation in bold is no word of a lie. The conversation in ordinary type is in 'real speak'

council: Good morning *council name*, how can I help you today?
council: Good morning *council name*, who do you want to complain to?
me: Good morning, refuse collection please.
me: Good morning, lack of refuse collection please.
council: thank-you sir, connecting you now.
council: you as well, hope you've got a coffee and a bingo card, there's some more numbers for you.

After an announcement regarding the new collection days (which sent me hurtling into the kitchen to check that I hadn't got the days wrong), I chose '3' and it rang... and rang... and rang... and

council: Good morning *council name*, how can I help you today?
council: Good morning *council name*, who do you want to complain to?
me: Good morning, I just spoke to you about refuse collection, it rang and then I got you again.
me: Forget the pleasantries, this is costing me money and your stupid automated system just sent me back to you.
council: Oh, sorry sir, let me try a different extension for you.
council: I bet they're ignoring it.

After an announcement regarding the new collection days (which I now knew didn't affect me), I chose '3' and it rang... and rang... and rang... and

council: Good morning *council name*, how can I help you today?
council: Good morning *council name*, who do you want to complain to?
me: Hi there, It's me again.
me: I'm getting pissed off now.
council: Oh sorry sir, I don't know what's happening here, I'll just put you on hold and try and get through internally.
council: Can't you see they must be busy, why can't you ring back later like other people.

A minutes worth of Tchaikovsky later...

council: Hello? Sir?
council: Are you still waiting?
me: Yes.
me: I'm still paying for the call, so I'm going to make sure I get a result for my money.
council: I've tried to get through and it keeps sending me back to myself
council: It's on divert.
me: Is there anyone else who might be able to...
me: Is there anyone else who might be able to...
council: Oh, I've just realised...
council: Oh, I forgot that I was told not to put calls through because...
council: It's Fish Day
council: It's Fish Day
me: Sorry?
me: WTF?
council: It's Thursday so it's Fish Day. They have fish & chips delivered and divert the lines to reception during the lunchbreak
council: Everyone knows that Thursday is Fish Day.
me: Oh, right.
me: Well that explains every fucking thing doesn't it!
council: They'll be back at 2pm.
council: They have a long lunch.
me: Can I leave my number or a message, so that they can contact me later?
me: I'll take the initiative and teach you some customer service.
council: Sorry sir, it's best if you talk to them direct after lunch.
council: They only just trust me to work the switchboard, I have a habit of losing post-it notes.
me: Can you put me through to the Members' Secretary instead then?
me: I'm going to complain to my councillor about this.
council: I don't think she deals with refuse.
council: I don't think she deals with refuse.
me: No, but my councillor will
me: You aren't going to stop me making a complaint.
council: Let me have one last try and see if I can get through on one of the interview room lines
council: You really aren't going to let this drop are you? Did you never have a Fish lunch?
me: Thank-you I appreciate it.
me: What the fuck is a refuse department doing with 'interview' rooms?
council: Hello sir, I understand you're having problems with your refuse collection?
council: Make this quick, my fish and chips are getting cold.

I'm sure I did more carbon damage with that one phone call than my single wheelie bin of recycling helped offset!

Just Saying...

Read more...

Just Saying

Here in the UK, one of the contestants on the 'The Voice' is complaining that she lost her Battle Round because of her age. Her coach, Will.i.am, said that the other contestant (who is 17) had more scope to develop.

Having been on audition panels myself, I can say with authority that Will.i.am is 100% right in his decision. In these circumstances you rarely go for the best singer because vocally, they aren't going to get much better. You go for the singer that hasn't picked up any bad habits and still has a raw quality that can be molded.

Anyway, this whiney 27 year old was a backing singer for 'Strictly Come Dancing' (Dancing with the Stars in the USA), and by coincidence I happen to know the main female vocal singer on SCD, and there's a reason why she's the main vocal singer - she has a better voice, better presentation, and better professionalism than to behave like a petulant child because she lost a competition! Just saying...

Just Saying

Read more...

Just Saying...

Just Saying...

Read more...

Just Saying...

So here in the UK, the government has announced it's intention to make it law that all puppies must be micro-chipped so that the owners of strays or dangerous dogs involved in attacks can be traced.

Most dogs become strays because their owners can't afford to look after them, so they'll certainly not be able to afford to chip them or pay any resultant fines. As for dangerous dogs, well, the kind of people that own dangerous dogs don't pay much attention to the law as it is, so do the government think it'll really make a difference? Just saying...

Just Saying...

Read more...

Living in Ecstasy

Just some music videos while I prepare my next posts. There's a guy on YouTube who puts together some very well produced videos featuring clips from gay themed films - or films/TV programmes with a homoerotic feel to them. He has about 4 different accounts at the moment due to people complaining about him using copyrighted material. I could understand it if he was uploading full films etc, BUT, the guy is actually promoting these films - some of which I'd never heard of and so wouldn't have bought had it not been for him!

I know that copyright and piracy is an issue withing the entertainment industry (hell, I was responsible for issuing nearly 50 DMCA takedown notices two weeks ago) but it's time that some of these companies realised the difference between promotion of, and theft of, material. Just saying...

Anyway, here's the first video - a compilation of numerous films and programmes.

Living in Ecstasy

Read more...

Just Saying...

So India has just tested a new ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. As it's economy has boomed, so has it's spending on it's military might.

Meanwhile more than 1million children under 5 die each year in India - 600,000 of them from preventable or manageable diseases.

Clearly, another country whose government has it's priorities right...

Just Saying...

Read more...

Just Saying...

I don't like getting political, but every now and then something just pisses me off so much that I have to vent!

Finally after years of court appeals they've arrested an Islamic extremist in preparation for his extradition. This guy preaches hate and is classed a danger to the security of the UK. It's cost the UK £5million a year to keep him under surveillance, and his family get thousands a month in state benefits. Described as Bin Laden's 'right hand man in Europe' this guy has abused the European Human Rights in order to escape being tried for numerous terrorist offences in 8 countries.

Meanwhile, the UK has quite happily bowed to the extradition to the USA of a British university student within months of it being requested. His crime? He set up a website that hosted links to music and films that he didn't own the copyright to.

It's re-assuring to know that the justice system and the government have their priorities straight.....

Just Saying...

Read more...