It’s not been a good one. It started off well enough with a video conference with our agents in which I got my way. Then half-way through I discovered a missed call and voicemail on my mobile and left the room to listen. It was the garage with the results of my pre-MOT service. It wasn’t good.
I know nothing about these things but apparently (if this makes sense) the brake cylinder had ruptured causing brake fluid to leak out everywhere, covering and destroying the brake shoe. I’m not sure how long it’d been in that state, but if I cast my mind back to when I think I heard it go bang, I believe it was some time before Christmas. So for at least two months I’ve been driving around with faulty brakes. Oh dear.
Well, the service, MOT, the brakes and a couple of other things have set me back £422.50. And that was with a discount! Thank goodness for overdrafts!
The second annoying part of the day was when BBC Look East ventured into the office to interview my manager. Because he’s such an insufferable arse he decided he wanted the interview done at his desk, which is directly opposite mine. Well, I don’t expect to go in to work and then have my face plastered all over the news. So I stood up, told the office that I hadn’t “signed up for this shit” and then walked out early. If anyone argues with my decision I think it’ll have to become a union matter. The BBC didn’t ask – they just set up the camera with me slap-bang in the middle of the shot. I’ve got a good mind to complain to my union anyway. In my day-to-day job I have to put up with quite a bit of shit from people – I don’t want them seeing me on the TV and remembering my face.
I just hope the weekend turns out to be better than today has, although I doubt that very much.
I don’t normally post about technology, but the BBC have finally released Mac and Linux versions of iPlayer. And this isn’t really a post about technology anyway. This is a post about how the BBC seem to have concentrated a little to much on one thing at the expense of another.
The BBC iPlayer is a work of art. It’s genius. It works so much better than any of the other channels have managed. It works on Mac too because they’ve used Flash and not burdened us all with a Microsoft invention. And now that they’ve made it possible to download shows on Mac and Linux it’s just got even better. They’ve spent a great deal of time and effort on the thing to make sure it’s at the top of its class.
Trouble is they haven’t really spent any money on the shows. So we have day’s worth of programming available to download at the touch of a button (and all for free too). But it’s all crap. Fair enough, there’s the odd show I like to see. I’m partial to a bit of Top Gear, Have I Got News for You and Never Mind the Buzzcocks (before Bill Bailey left and it degenerated into awfulness). I also hear people enjoy Heroes, although I could never get into it myself. But the rest of it? We pay for this rubbish?
I don’t really have anything else to say on the matter, and I’m not really that bothered to be honest. I was just flicking through their line-up to see if there was anything I wanted to download, and nothing appeared. Never mind.
I wonder if I have anything!
BBC NEWS | England | Derbyshire | Post delivered ‘five years late’.
Carsington Water, originally uploaded by amjohnno.
I went for a trip out to Carsington Water because the BBC told me it would be a lovely sunny day. They lied. Five minutes after getting the camera out it started pouring down with rain. I headed into the cafe for a coffee and a scone, but alas it got worse as I ate. So I headed home after just six pretty average photos.
Five of those pictures you’ll now find in the Gallery. I’ve made some amendments to them to try and improve them, but one didn’t make the final cut. So pop over now and check out the few I managed to get.
I planned on taking the camera out on a little trip on Monday, but looking at the weather forecast on the BBC this doesn’t seem like the best of days to be heading out. Perhaps Tuesday might be a better option.
What an extremely exciting post this was. I’m glad I wrote it!
