Happily Imperfect‎‎ 2004

Oh good grief

Posted on December 17, 2004

Microsoft are entering the fight against spyware and that’s fine. That’s their right of course.

However why would I want to pay for this when Ad-Aware and Spy-Bot do such a great job* as it is? Who WOULD pay for this? Well that’s obvious. A lot of people will, and I’ll venture that most will be people who are still wary of their computer and not entirely sure how it all works. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not having a dig at the ‘technically challenged’, far from it. I’m wondering how (who?) is protecting their needs. Owning a computer CAN be a very expensive business.

* YMMV and yes it’s a pain having to run TWO applications but hey, they’re free! Add in ZoneAlarm (free) and AVG AntiVirus (free) and most standalone computers are happy as Larry. Of course ditching IE in favour of Firefox helps too.

Party on

Posted on December 17, 2004

And so, that timely reminder that the end of the year is fast approaching, rolls around. Yes, tonight is our company night out. A night of festive merriment with co-workers. A night of turkey and tinsel, dinner and dancing, food and flirting. Ohh and copious amounts of alcohol.

Well that’s what usually happens. This year, I fear, may be a tad different. Now, I say this every year but this year things are definitely different. For a start none of the high heidjuns are coming (directors), and instead of the usual 50 or so, we are down to 30. Factor in the cost of drinks in the Glasgow Hilton and I’m not entirely sure how this evening will be.

I’m sure we’ll all have a laugh, but I just don’t think it will be as good as the past two years have been. The obvious factor is the change of venue, the Hilton is notoriously overpriced, and the hotel of choice for the last two years, the Radisson, surpassed everyone’s expectations the first year we went then did it again the second year. Of course there are other considerations, the working atmosphere in the office is completely different these days, and then there is the whole “Christmas is on Saturday” thing.

You know what I mean, right?

No? Well, I’m convinced that having Christmas on a weekend is a bad thing. It just doesn’t seem right to have a full working week and then BAM it’s Christmas day. Or is it just me?

And whilst I’m on the topic, I’ve been wondering. Since when did Christmas become this horrible, stressful, draining event. It used to be fun. I distinctly remember having fun at Christmas in the past but in the last four or five years it’s all gone sour. Why so?

Yeah you can blame the added consumerism but I’m pretty sure we are all able to resist that, and yes it can be tedious when the shops start putting up decorations in November but… come on people. We are made of sterner stuff than this surely. I say this year we take back Christmas. ENJOY your day, relax and it might even be fun.

Of course I could say the same about the party tonight…

Stationary

Posted on December 16, 2004

Funnily enough I was gonna post about this very topic, having been suitably annoyed whilst walking from the train to the office this morning – although the ‘inspiration’ aspect of it is something else I want to discuss at some point.

My post was going to be along the lines of “how to walk”, with the advice centred on lifting your head and looking further than one pace in front of yourself so that you can anticipate people walking down the stairs and not have to suddenly veer to avoid a collision with an oncoming commuter (rushing down the stairs for the train) and crash into me. If I can do it, why can’t you you silly woman with the big pointy bag that I think has crushed a rib.

But it wouldn’t have been as good as Excuse me please so go and read that instead.

Hat tip: Adrian.

We come One

Posted on December 16, 2004

Arrived at venue at 7.10pm. Got beer. Mylo came on. Quite good. Got more beer. Faithless came on. Faithless can ROCK!

What a great gig. Met up with Scott (Louise’s boss), and had time for a beer before Mylo came on. If you’ve heard his album “Destroy Rock & Roll” then you aren’t missing much from his live show to be honest. Add in live guitar and bass and that’s pretty much it. Of course that doesn’t count for it being, probably, my album of the year nor for how good ANY music sounds when it’s played really really loud (trouser shakingly so). I should probably throw in a few exceptions to that last sentence as I’m not sure hurdy-gurdy music would be at it’s best being pumped through a 500W sound system but hey, each to their own.

We headed to the bar when Mylo announced his last track, thankfully that meant we only had to endure a five deep queue. Mind you, maybe endure isn’t the correct word as right behind me I had a rather curvy young lady literally rubbing herself up against me in, I presume, a pre-coital act. Either that or she was just trying to get past me in the queue.

Beers secured I managed to bump into my sister. A fleeting hello and she was off, no doubt to get into a good position. Scott and I fondly remembered the day when the moshpit was our domain. These days it’s all rather off-putting though, as Scott pointed out, you just KNOW your calves would be killing you the next day. Time waits for no man.

And then that magical moment. The lights go down. Everyone cheers as the excitment builds. The music starts. Maxi Jazz appears on stage… Reverence.

It’s all a bit of a blur after that. Insomnia, God is a DJ, Mass Destruction (punk stylee!) are weaved in amongst some of the slower tracks from the new album. Now, I’m not a great fan of the new album but the tracks used worked well to punctuate the faster moments allowing you a spot of respite before the next “hands in the air” moment. Next thing you know, We Come 1 is blasting out, fingers are raised in tribute and it’s all over.

Well, it’s all over if you need to get the train home – a couple of letters are being sent today as it’s bloody annoying to have the last train at 11pm when the gig finishes at approx. the same time. It’s even more annoying when they play two of my favourite tracks, Muhammad Ali and Salva Mea, for the encore (I could hear them as I queued to get my jacket from the cloakroom).

Anyway, suffice to say that if you get the chance, even if you only know a few of their tracks, I would recommend you go see this band live. They encapsulate, for me, what a good band is all about. They don’t just turn up, regurgitate their latest album and a few hits, they put on a show and what a show it was.

God is a DJ

Posted on December 15, 2004

Doors open at 7.30 says the ticket. So I’ll be there at 7.30 then. Prompt.

I always make sure I catch the support act, sometimes they’re crap, sometimes they’re great and sometimes you strike it lucky. Like tonight for instance. Faithless may be headlining but I’m almost as excited that Mylo is the support.

Alas no photos will be taken this evening as I think I’ve left my camera at my Gran’s house. Mind you if it’s not there then it’ll be an insurance job and a new camera for Christmas…. hmmmm now there’s a thought!

Lowry

Posted on December 15, 2004

For the record, and regardless of what you may have heard or read anywhere else, the music used in the current HP advert is a Status Quo track by the name of “Pictures of Matchstick Men”. It was released on the 5th January 1968 and was the first single to be issued by “Status Quo” (in fact as “The Status Quo”). The b-side “Gentleman Joe’s Sidewalk Café” was intended to be the a-side but the more psychedelic sounding “Matchstick Men” finally became the a-side choice. The song is written by Francis Rossi and was later included on the album “Picturesque Matchstickable Messages From The Status Quo”. It got to no.7 in the hit parade.

As you were, pop pickers.