columbosDog

Did I miss a meeting, when the definition of "Computer repairs and tuition" was changed to "Dealer in pirate software and risk-free porn"?

I think I've had one honest customer since I started this bloody gig, and he's in his eighties (incidentally, he's cool as fuck). It's not just the stupidity of asking someone trying to run a business "Here, mate, you couldn't get me a hooky version of Windows/Cubase/Photoshop for a few quid?", but the sheer mindless idiocy of people too thick to do their own piracy.

Meanwhile, though, thank god for Limewire, bad torrents and general public ignorance of Antivirii, Firewalls and spyware killers. They may be a pain in the hole for users the world over, but they're putting diesel in my van and food on my table.

Brilliant stuff, Sethos.

As alluded to in another thread, I'm in the throes of becoming my own boss and starting a business. Just in-yer-own-house IT repair/tuition work, like, but I think in the current climate, repair work is the thing to be in (because no-one is buying new computers, mend and make do is the option). So far, I must say, I'm absolutely loving it. Clients, by and large, have been lovely people. There's a sort of admiration for one man, a set of screwdrivers, a bunch of CD-R's and a bicycle getting up and trying to make his way I just did not expect. I was prepared for cynicism and general sneering. What I found was so genuine, so pleasant, I'm a little staggered. As ever, at times like this, you do find out who your real friends are, and I feel totally privileged to know such a decent bunch of people. When dudes will venture into a January evening in Belfast to stick flyers in letterboxes in all ends of town for the princely sum of a pint, just to do me a turn, I don't mind saying I get a wee bit choked up. Hopefully, in the next week or so, when the students come back to University, I'll make sufficient cash to take a few people out for a well earned feed and some real drinking.

I'm slightly worried that my pricing structure is going to lead to legal difficulties. I'm telling clients the truth, and the truth is I'm taking what the Computer chains (PC world and the like) charge, halving it, and adding a cup o'tea. Could they (the Chains) potentially get butthurt about this?

Right there with you, Jmac. My local shop is completely cleared of all things porky, and on a sunday morning, that's just plain fucking wrong.

I've applied for a job as a private eye. Yes. Really.

Tis Diageo at the top of it, so, yes, they do also make stuff I like.

The factory is pretty incredible, though. I was around it in a past life, and it's damnably impressive.

Got an interview tomorrow to become Maintenance/QC/supervisor at the Bailey's Factory. Yup. Now when someone hands you a bottle of this sickly pish, there's a possibility I was involved in it.

Cheers!

I'm hoping to get back to analysing stuff no-one really cares about as soon as possible. Short term temping is absolute bollocks. I think I've done all the crap jobs in the world the last couple of months. It'll be nice to wake up in the morning and go to the same damned place as I went the day before.

Had me interview this morning, and it was all rather good. Didn't tell any lies or nothin'.

Plus, they gave me a tour of the Lab, and one of my future co-workers-to-be-hopefully had Carcass' "Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious" on the stereo. This can only possibly be a good thing.

I hear back early next week.

I've been beard capable since I was about 15, but rarely grow one. I currently have a pair of sideburns even Noddy Holder might consider "a bit much".

Another bloody job interview on Friday. This one, amusingly, is with an employment agency C on behalf of company B, who are subcontracted by my old employer, Company A, to do the same work I (and others) used to do for them directly.

Despite there being "middlemen" in C and B between me and the ultimate source of the money, each taking a slice, the wages are *exactly* the same as when I worked directly for A. Given that I was told I was laid off for efficiency reasons, I'm sorely tempted to walk into former work and burn it to the fucking ground. Three months months of misery and temping for absolutely fuck all. Outsourcing? Stick it up yer hole.

The job hunt is no fun. I think I've applied for about 50 jobs in the last month, and no hope yet. Had an interview yesterday that will hopefully see me right, though.

Recently grabbed the first Series of "Breaking Bad". It's really rather good.

Hmm. Tread carefully. At the ass-end of the seventies, my Ma and Da called me Damien, and I've never been right.

Can't find a thing of him playing harmonica, but there are clips of one of his bands on Youtube,

He got all the talent in our family. the fucker.

My uncle has just been crowned the finest Harmonica player in Ireland. For no sensible reason, I'm immensely proud.

Isn't Moore's point that the adaptations of his work are frequently one-dimensional, "dumbed down" (God, I hate that phrase) takes on his work, which add nothing to the original, and display little in the way of new creative thought? By comparison, Moore's adaptations and liftings aren't even in the same ballpark. Sure, he's possibly included some fairly outré reworkings of much loved characters, but always to an artistic end, to challenge an audience, rather than to pander to, as Christian brilliantly puts it, a demeaning opinion of the masses.

I'm not going to second-guess him, but I would stake good money that if someone were to take his stories, or characters, and rework them to the kind of degree he has done with plots/characters in, say, LXG or Watchmen, he'd be considerably more impressed.

Two new additions to the clan in the form of little black mongrel pups on Saturday. Awesome wee doggets.

The dog decided to give birth halfway through the first half of the football, and was done by the start of the second half. Great day all round.

How long does it take for a fridge/freezer to reach it's appropriate temperature? I plugged my hew one in 2 days ago, and the freezer still isn't up to snuff.

Deepest sympathies to you and yours, dude.

What US cigarette is the nearest equivalent to dear old Irish/UK Benson and Hedges Gold?

Y'see, to be honest, I never bought the Amerigo Vespucci thing purely on account of the first name thing. No country, anywhere, ever has been named after it's discoverer or explorer's first name. That being said, it's be flippin' awesome if they were.

That my better half has just reappeared with 600 Benson isn't helping...

Confound it. It turns out I still love a cigarette when I'm drinking. This could be problematic.

I've cycled approx 20 miles every day for the last fortnight, and somehow seem to have accidentally quit smoking on account of it, as the very though of a fag is making my lungs want to go elsewhere, and has done for quite a while

At present, I am not sure if this is a positive development.

Cheers, Pooka. Although I look at that picture, all it does is make me miss my beard.