2012 — 9 May: Wednesday
I expect my reader1 won't be too shocked to learn that it's been raining. Again. But then, nor do I expect too much shock at the revelation that The Librarian III: the curse of the Judas chalice is every bit as doubleplusungood as I (sort of) expected. Just one of the tribulations of being a completeist. Still, the video quality is glorious.
Later today...
.. I shall accompany a chum, who's tentatively embarking on the search for his next TV. Our first hunting ground will be John Lewis in West Quay.
It's still a bit early for breakfast, Mrs Landingham, but a cuppa would be grand.
I was barely...
... aware of "The Stone Roses", but I heard Ian Brown's "Unfinished Monkey Business" playing in Richer Sounds while I was busy dissipating the results of selling my IBM shares (don't ask) in the summer of 1998. And, after skimming the latest issue of "The Word" yesterday, I've just topped up my collection by downloading the two most recent albums. I get there in the end...
Speaking of which, I discovered an unused screen cleaning cloth in with my plasma screen's user handbook.2 To my surprise, it worked very well, dry, where in the past three years I've tried a variety of window, glass, and spectacle cleaning sprays without much success. I suspect it's one of those micro-fibre miracle fabrics. Live and learn, that's me.
This is too good to miss. (Link.)
Had it rained less...
... it would have been more fun. Still, I found the model I think he should get, though convincing him is clearly going to be a long-running task. And, since I suspect this is already an end-of-line model (as it appears to have been replaced by a 3D-capable variant), time is of the essence. This, after having a pair of customised omelettes for our lunch. I had no idea eggs came ready-beaten and packed in drinks cartons these days. Amazing.
I've never (ever)...
... paid for Payment Protection Insurance, but I've just fielded two automated cold phone calls in the last 15 minutes each asserting that "there's a good chance I can claim..." some form of compensation. Well, I didn't actually listen beyond the verb "claim". I already know, from my close reading of "Private Eye", that the UK is a stinking, corruption-riddled morass of financial greed and incompetence. I suppose this merely confirms it. Institutionalised automated compensation for earlier mis-selling. Whatever next? A light self-regulatory touch, no doubt, suggested after further years of shambolic dithering and obfuscating by the spivs who seem to run this country.
Thank goodness the Ian Brown albums are fine.
Grrr. When I took the third call, I listened long enough to hear the "Press '9' to unsubscribe" at which point an American voice said "Thank you for your time. You will not be contacted again." Now, if only they'd started the call that way.
Just watched the final episode of Season #4 of "Castle". Good stuff! :-)
Tomorrow, I'm...
... off into the wilder depths of Hampshire (pretty near the Surrey border, I suspect) to see my ol' ex-ICL chum Ian, whom I've known since mid-1974 — just after I met Christa, in fact. (This is not the ol' ex-ICL chum Ian who lives in NZ.)
I wonder if, this time, I'll finally manage to find the correct route home. My batting average in the last four years has not been encouraging as I always seem to hit a stretch of one-way that doesn't allow me to turn right on to it to get back to Alton. Very aggravating.