‘tards

Out of interest, why is it that when I’m sat at work, typing away, and with headphones in, do people still insist on standing behind or beside me and talking? Are the headphones not a clue that I can’t hear what you’re saying?

OK, some people would say I shouldn’t be listening to music through headphones while in work – and they’d have a point. But all the same, they’re pretty visible, but it’s not rocket science to get the attention first, wait for me to turn off music, or pull out a headphone, and then talk, is it?

The Matrix : Revolutions

So, only a couple of weeks after Reloaded went to IMAX, and then onto DVD, out comes the final part. The general let-down reaction to Reloaded seems to have had a knock-on effect on Revolutions, with seats still available in the screen/showing we went to see. Of course, being released into the wild on a Wednesday is possibly not the best move – but I’m not complaining, it was quite a birthday pressie for me. *Grin*

So – is it better than Reloaded? In a word, yes. Reloaded was burdened with a lot of the problems associated with being the middle part of a trilogy – it needed to track and link from first film to last, and as such was always going to be half a film in many ways. Revolutions is an easier film in that context, because it’s drawing the story to a close.

However, I think in some ways Revolutions doesn’t know what to make of itself either. Yes, it’s a finale, but there are so many threads to be tied, it can still come out feeling confused. Information overload – once you’ve seen the film, your brain still needs extra time to assimilate it. I’ve a feeling I’ll enjoy it more when I see it again – now that the basic framework is in place, there’s a lot more detail to be added in, I think. In all, I enjoyed it – it’s difficult to write a great deal without stuffing at least some of the plot details, so I won’t – and will almost certainly see it again. I wonder how well the trilogy will hang together if viewed in one session?

Oh, and one final point – I’ve found the ideal vehicle in which to do the christmas shopping this year…

Day One

And yes, the next year of existence appears to have started in a fashion that I only hope it can’t maintain all year. This morning’s post brought a letter from the Halifax building society bank bunch of financial fuckbags, telling me that my application for a new bank account had been successful.

Um, what? I haven’t applied for an account since starting up with my own bunch of fiscal incompetents, and definitely wouldn’t go for one with Halifux – if only as a reaction to the adverts with Howard The Twat – anyway. So what the chuff is this about?

Turns out it’s an application that’s been made from my old address. Oh goody. How lucky am I that I’ve got Mail Redirection to make sure stuff comes to me. So, I ring Halifux to tell them that the application is fraudulent. (And not even in the correct first name).

I’ve never dealt with people who were so amazingly uncaring, inefficient, and really couldn’t give a shit. I hope they all get their ID’s nicked, and thousands of pounds of debt rained upon them. It’s what they deserve. They’ve blocked the application (the bank account was ready to open, just needed some ID to be produced) and will send me out some paperwork about how to keep an eye on accounts so I can be sure it doesn’t happen again. I’ve requested a complete copy of the application, and written details of their investigation into this, but I’m about as confident either of those will happen as I am of Michael Howard becoming the next Prime Minister of the UK.

Time to write a shitty letter, methinks…

Plans

No, I haven’t got much planned for today/tonight. I’m going off to see Matrix:Revolutions – I know, geeky or what? – at Manchester Printworks. Other than that, some drinks will be had, and food may also be had. All very random. Which suits me just fine.

Birthday

32 Years ago, at exactly 3.05am.

Still Crazy After All These Years
©Paul Simon

I met my old lover
On the street last night
She seemed so glad to see me
I just smiled
And we talked about some old times
And we drank ourselves some beers
Still crazy afler all these years
Still crazy after all these years

I’m not the kind of man
Who tends to socialize
I seem to lean on
Old familiar ways
And I aint no fool for love songs
That whisper in my ears
Still crazy after all these years
Still crazy after all these years

Four in the morning
Crapped out
Yawning
Longing my life away
I’ll never worry
Why should l?
Its all gonna fade

Now I sit by my window
And I watch the cars
I fear I’ll do some damage
One fine day
But I would not be convicted
By a jury of my peers
Still crazy
Still crazy
Still crazy after all these years

Plenty more years still to go – and I still love this track.

Bloody Fucking Decorations

Look, it’s the first week of November. That’s not the time to be putting up all the bloody things for Christmas!

NT-Hell

via Meg, comes a stunning letter of complaint to NTL. While not particularly sweary, it sums things up wonderfully. I bet it gets no response at all…