Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Dodgy Fate

Do you believe in fate? What about co-incidence? Well I do and recent events hammered it home to me in eerie fashion.

You ever wake up and just can’t get a song out of your head? Bizarrely this is a song that isn’t current – it’s 11 years old and wasn’t even a single release. So I woke up with the urge to sing it. I padded to the bathroom still singing then down to the kitchen singing it more while making coffee. Even watching TV didn’t free my mind from the musical vice it was caught in.

Thus I headed back upstairs and booted my faithful PC up, letting iTunes load which, as usual was set to ‘shuffle’. Low and behold what’s the first song that plays? ‘Longlife’ by Dodgy, the very track that had been in my head all morning. How creepy is that?

But this isn’t where the tale ends. For the dark arts must have been smiling as I decided to do a web search for Dodgy. Their official site has long ago closed, for Dodgy disbanded following the 2001 album ‘Real Estate’ (which its self wasn’t the original line up). Last year I was overjoyed that Nigel Clark the ex-lead singer, released a solo album – which happily was brilliant and filled a gap in my little Dodgy hole. You see throughout my formative years Dodgy were, and still are, my favourite band. A few weeks go on here I published my ‘live list’ - a list of bands I’ve seen live, there were two notable omissions. My two favourite bands Dodgy & Queen. Neither of which I ever got to see.

Anyway, back to the story and I stumble across the official Dodgy Myspace page and there, glaring back at me, is some earth shattering news. A new album is coming out in October! But that wasn't the best part... It seems that Dodgy are reuniting – the original lineup back on tour for the first time in almost a decade. So, a little nugget of a song stuck in my head all morning lead to the discovery of some of the best news in ages – I will finally get to see my favourite band live! You have to admit it’s creepy… but there was one more revelation. The date and venue is exactly the same as the date and venue of when I went to see my current favourite band of the moment ‘The Feeling’ last year.

Some things really are just meant to be…

Thursday, August 23, 2007

An Utter Banker

“I will not tolerate Third World service!” said the man in the cheap grey suit quite loudly.

The line had been non-moving for the best part of 5-10 minutes. But it was a busy morning. There were a number of people getting holiday money and one woman sorting out problems with her credit card. Thankfully I’m quite patient and I could see that the line wasn’t moving because all the tellers were genuinely busy.

Still the man moaned. “It is, it really is Third World service” again speaking loudly to no one in particular. What an up tight self-centred prick. If it really was ‘third world’ then before visiting the bank to sort out whatever money issue he had he would probably have to walked 3 miles just for water.

If he was behind me I would have told him to shut up, sadly he was a good seven people back in the queue and I really didn’t want to make a scene.

I hate wankers like him. He only had to wait 10 minutes to be served. Once the middle-aged lady in front had got her euros the line moved rapidly again. If there was genuinely crap service then fair enough, moan away but all the staff were working quickly and efficiently and, to be honest, the bank is the one ‘shop’ where I wouldn’t want the staff to rush transactions.

Still the self important prick thought he would moan some more, he seemed blind to the fact that there were 20 other customers waiting quietly and patiently, oh no the whole bank had to revolve around him.

I love working in the customer service industry but hate it when customers fail to realise they’re the problem.. It’s a shame we can’t complain to our bosses about them like they do to us. A bit like yesterday really, though that's one story I can't really publish in the public domain…

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Going Underground

Wow, long time no Blog. I do apologise for the lack of posts lately. I’ve been mildly busy – a project at work with a deadline looming and a family wedding to attend. There were times I really wanted to blog – a few things I wanted to note but now, over a week later I’ve forgotten most of them. Over the next few days I will try and catch up…

As much as I enjoyed London there is one thing that Londoners just can’t do. It’s shameful really, England is renowned all over the world for its ability to form a good queue. Londoners should be ambassadors for this art – showing off our national skill to all the tourists. Disappointingly though they just can’t do it.

Example, polite transport boarding etiquette is to wait to allow the passengers alighting to get off, then you board in order of arrival at the dedicated waiting point.

Londerners don’t do this though… they wait for that stale blast of air signalling the arrival of the tube train at this point they start sneaking forward on the platform… the train arrives everyone tenses up and as soon the doors swish open they POUNCE… running and pushing for their lives. It’s like some demented race, “I must be first on the train as the tube god will reward me we a seat away from the loony.” Ah yes, the loony. There is always one on the tube. One that ignores the rule that you must never make eye contact and instead just stares at you.

Still Londoners only push, they’re not totally rude. Unlike one lovely fellow I came across last week….