I got a letter the other day that something had come from Japan for me and was being hit for customs charges.
I don't know what it is until I go and pick it up from the Aldershot depot. Customs charges are a bit weird - generally they're actually not that hefty (£5-off in this case) but what often happens is the Royal Mail tacks on a "processing charge".
Now I have no idea what they actually mean by that. Are they just charging me for sending me the letter? Or does it mean they had to go to some place to pick the parcel up especially? Either way, their charge is in the order of £15. To me, that seems a little disproportionate with what the customs charges actually are.
Anyway, I'll find out what it actually is tomorrow when I pick it up.
I'm planning to kick-start a bit of e-baying action this weekend.
I got a bit fed up with it the last time I was doing it. Partly that was because it was due to necessity - I needed the cash (don't I always) - and so felt like an obligation, but also it's quite demoralising selling almost everything you own :(.
And that was the other reason I stopped - I'd actually almost run out of stuff to sell. Well, I say that. I haven't run out of stuff to sell at all. What I mean is that I'd run out of stuff that I'd used.
I've tonnes of stuff I know I'm going to sell, but I've not watched/read/played them yet. And it seems a little retarded to sell stuff that I've bought and have never actually got any enjoyment out of :/.
Still, I've a few things I've been through now, so I can get a few things on there.
The only other big plan of course is to sit my arse down in front of the TV and watch all the crap I've been recording (and Lost s4 too, probably). Maybe then I'll feel like I'm getting somewhere.
Friday, 24 October 2008
Thursday, 23 October 2008
Doldrums
I've been in a bit of a funk lately.
It's not particularly good timing - as previous posts have indicated I've already got lots on my 'to do' list, but I've been struggling a bit with getting on with stuff.
My dad suffers with depression and he's explained what that's like and it's not that bad, but it's a bit like a mild depression. It's like it's difficult to get started with things, like there doesn't seem to be any real point.
I mean, I do stuff like my hobbies because I enjoy it, right? And I know that, but it's just getting started on them becomes like a chore. It's like instead, sitting down and just staring at the walls is far more appealing than having to do anything.
I dunno - it's a bit difficult to explain, tbh.
The risky side of it is that I can go on binges. Now that isn't the normal booze binge or something you might think, for me it would be an over-eating binge, which I need like a hole in the head, or maybe a spending binge, which would just be a disaster.
So I'm trying desperately to push myself over the hump. I'll come out of it eventually anyway of course, but maybe I can distract myself until then or something.
Lost Season 4 turned up the other day, so maybe I should focus on actively watching that and see if accomplishing watching that (eh?) will give me kick up the backside.
It's not particularly good timing - as previous posts have indicated I've already got lots on my 'to do' list, but I've been struggling a bit with getting on with stuff.
My dad suffers with depression and he's explained what that's like and it's not that bad, but it's a bit like a mild depression. It's like it's difficult to get started with things, like there doesn't seem to be any real point.
I mean, I do stuff like my hobbies because I enjoy it, right? And I know that, but it's just getting started on them becomes like a chore. It's like instead, sitting down and just staring at the walls is far more appealing than having to do anything.
I dunno - it's a bit difficult to explain, tbh.
The risky side of it is that I can go on binges. Now that isn't the normal booze binge or something you might think, for me it would be an over-eating binge, which I need like a hole in the head, or maybe a spending binge, which would just be a disaster.
So I'm trying desperately to push myself over the hump. I'll come out of it eventually anyway of course, but maybe I can distract myself until then or something.
Lost Season 4 turned up the other day, so maybe I should focus on actively watching that and see if accomplishing watching that (eh?) will give me kick up the backside.
Wednesday, 22 October 2008
Hollywoodland
One thing I did get done last weekend was that I watched a rental DVD.
This one's been sat on my shelf for a good couple of weeks, which isn't good. I like to get them watched as early in the month as I can so that I guarantee I get the most value from them.
Anyway, the rental in question was Hollywoodland, which starred Ben Affleck. I believe, though I may well be wrong about this, but it was heralded as something of a "return to form" following the nightmare abortion that was "Gigli" and some other dodgy movies.
I have to say that Ben was good in it. Indeed, all of the performances were pretty good, although Bob Hoskin's accent seemed a bit wobbly early on to me.
However, I didn't really enjoy the film.
It reminded me a lot of the Black Dahlia. Now that isn't to say it was that bad, it's just it was set during a similar sort of period and was about Hollywood (Hollywoodland used to be the old name for Hollywood - the sign even used to have the 'land' bit, trivia fans).
Maybe it's just me, but there's something about these two "real crime" films that I didn't really like.
I think a major part is to do with the fact they never really gave you a proper answer. Clearly, Black Dahlia had a theory as to who it was, but it was just so bizarre and stupid and made so little sense it just felt rubbish. Hollywoodland didn't really even have one of those - the detective chasing the story never really came to a definite definitive conclusion other than a sort of vague suggestion that it probably was suicide in the end.
The only saving grace for Hollywoodland is that it was clearly intended that way - the detective rediscovers what's important through investigating the murder, type story.
The other thing about them that turns me off is they feel like they're really self-indulgent naval-gazing exercises.
It's like the directors are more interested in the Hollywood of the 40's and 50's than the stories themselves. I think the intention of both is sort of to go "Here's the seedy underbelly of Hollywood."
But there are two things with that. First, we all kinda know it was seedy already, but then second there's a feeling that they don't really mean it. Or at least, maybe they do, but they're also going "Woah, cool, it's old Hollywood - great, huh?"
This one's been sat on my shelf for a good couple of weeks, which isn't good. I like to get them watched as early in the month as I can so that I guarantee I get the most value from them.
Anyway, the rental in question was Hollywoodland, which starred Ben Affleck. I believe, though I may well be wrong about this, but it was heralded as something of a "return to form" following the nightmare abortion that was "Gigli" and some other dodgy movies.
I have to say that Ben was good in it. Indeed, all of the performances were pretty good, although Bob Hoskin's accent seemed a bit wobbly early on to me.
However, I didn't really enjoy the film.
It reminded me a lot of the Black Dahlia. Now that isn't to say it was that bad, it's just it was set during a similar sort of period and was about Hollywood (Hollywoodland used to be the old name for Hollywood - the sign even used to have the 'land' bit, trivia fans).
Maybe it's just me, but there's something about these two "real crime" films that I didn't really like.
I think a major part is to do with the fact they never really gave you a proper answer. Clearly, Black Dahlia had a theory as to who it was, but it was just so bizarre and stupid and made so little sense it just felt rubbish. Hollywoodland didn't really even have one of those - the detective chasing the story never really came to a definite definitive conclusion other than a sort of vague suggestion that it probably was suicide in the end.
The only saving grace for Hollywoodland is that it was clearly intended that way - the detective rediscovers what's important through investigating the murder, type story.
The other thing about them that turns me off is they feel like they're really self-indulgent naval-gazing exercises.
It's like the directors are more interested in the Hollywood of the 40's and 50's than the stories themselves. I think the intention of both is sort of to go "Here's the seedy underbelly of Hollywood."
But there are two things with that. First, we all kinda know it was seedy already, but then second there's a feeling that they don't really mean it. Or at least, maybe they do, but they're also going "Woah, cool, it's old Hollywood - great, huh?"
Tuesday, 21 October 2008
The Saga
Coming soon to a multiplex near you...
I don't think I've mentioned this on here before, but I've been having a hell of a time with my new Egg Credit Card. Basically, they've been making a total hash of setting up the standing order that takes money out of my account.
Egg is one of those entirely online outfits - apart from the card and the t's and c's that came with it they've never sent me anything via post. Now if you have a credit card you'll know that they generally operate by sending you a statement in the post which has all your transactions and stuff and tells you what the minimum payment is, etc, etc.
Now egg does do statements, but you access them online and that's it. But what they also do is set up a direct debit with your bank account and then they'll take out either the minimum or a fixed amount, or whatever.
The reason I got the card, by the way, was because of my financial difficulties a while back - I transferred a balance to them in order to take advantage of an interest free period.
However, when I first set up the account there seems to have been some problem with my account numbers - I happened to phone them about something else and the numbers they mentioned were totally different to what they should have been. Now, I'm perfectly willing to hold my hand up and say that might have been my fault. I don't really see how, as the numbers were totally random, but okay, maybe it was me.
So, we re-did the details and they had another go.
Then the saga really started - when the next month came round I got this nasty e-mail from them saying the direct debit had failed. I went and checked various things and, while the money hadn't come out, according to the listings they had set up the DD. It's just somehow they'd failed to do it properly, I guess.
So I phoned them up again and we went through it all again, giving them exactly the same info. Then I did a manual cash transfer again to cover the late payment.
And guess what?
Same thing next month.
Nasty e-mail. I phone them up yet again. Go through all the exact same details yet again. I manually transfer money yet again.
Finally, it looks like (*fingers crossed*) it's worked.
This catalogue of balls up is hardly a glowing reference and as soon as the interest free period is over I'm seriously considering transferring the balance out.
I don't think I've mentioned this on here before, but I've been having a hell of a time with my new Egg Credit Card. Basically, they've been making a total hash of setting up the standing order that takes money out of my account.
Egg is one of those entirely online outfits - apart from the card and the t's and c's that came with it they've never sent me anything via post. Now if you have a credit card you'll know that they generally operate by sending you a statement in the post which has all your transactions and stuff and tells you what the minimum payment is, etc, etc.
Now egg does do statements, but you access them online and that's it. But what they also do is set up a direct debit with your bank account and then they'll take out either the minimum or a fixed amount, or whatever.
The reason I got the card, by the way, was because of my financial difficulties a while back - I transferred a balance to them in order to take advantage of an interest free period.
However, when I first set up the account there seems to have been some problem with my account numbers - I happened to phone them about something else and the numbers they mentioned were totally different to what they should have been. Now, I'm perfectly willing to hold my hand up and say that might have been my fault. I don't really see how, as the numbers were totally random, but okay, maybe it was me.
So, we re-did the details and they had another go.
Then the saga really started - when the next month came round I got this nasty e-mail from them saying the direct debit had failed. I went and checked various things and, while the money hadn't come out, according to the listings they had set up the DD. It's just somehow they'd failed to do it properly, I guess.
So I phoned them up again and we went through it all again, giving them exactly the same info. Then I did a manual cash transfer again to cover the late payment.
And guess what?
Same thing next month.
Nasty e-mail. I phone them up yet again. Go through all the exact same details yet again. I manually transfer money yet again.
Finally, it looks like (*fingers crossed*) it's worked.
This catalogue of balls up is hardly a glowing reference and as soon as the interest free period is over I'm seriously considering transferring the balance out.
Monday, 20 October 2008
chilly
So this weekend I got my haircut.
I went for the shorter version, with the sides trimmed with trimmers, rather than a scissor cut all over, so it's pretty short (I normally get the trimmer haircut during summer). As such I can't work out whether it was proper cold this w/end or if it was just the sudden lack of hair.
I know I had the heating on all day Saturday, although it was only on at "1 bar" - which is half power - and then Sunday I only put it on in the evening. So it could well have been just chilly but with me feeling it more because of the lack of hair.
I also did a mega-shop on Saturday.
It was so big I used one of those proper full-size trolleys. Being single I never use those - but this time I had all sorts of big packs, like six-packs of pop and water and big value boxes of stuff. As I said, I was trying to get ahead of myself with Chrimbalo fast approaching. I've got loads of pasts and rice and stuff in the freezer now, so hopefully it should be more a job of making sure supplies don't get too low before then.
Then it was back to the gaff for cleaning duties. I thoroughly clean my bedsit every two-weeks. I think that's enough for a single person, but it does take me all day, especially with all the sundries like ironing and changing my towels and bins and stuff.
Anyway, the point is that I did that and all was going swimmingly - I was really cracking on and was going to have loads of time to do stuff, but I fell into a bit of a trap. Unfortunately, it took ages for the kitchen and bathroom floors to dry (it being cold) and I was totally stuck waiting while they did... so I thought I'd have a quick go on Civ3... and it kinda poxed up the whole rest of the weekend, so instead of doing more useful stuff, like scanning or walling or making new updates for my webstes, I basically just plaed Civ3. I didn't even really clear the backlog of TV I've got.
Bugger :(.
I went for the shorter version, with the sides trimmed with trimmers, rather than a scissor cut all over, so it's pretty short (I normally get the trimmer haircut during summer). As such I can't work out whether it was proper cold this w/end or if it was just the sudden lack of hair.
I know I had the heating on all day Saturday, although it was only on at "1 bar" - which is half power - and then Sunday I only put it on in the evening. So it could well have been just chilly but with me feeling it more because of the lack of hair.
I also did a mega-shop on Saturday.
It was so big I used one of those proper full-size trolleys. Being single I never use those - but this time I had all sorts of big packs, like six-packs of pop and water and big value boxes of stuff. As I said, I was trying to get ahead of myself with Chrimbalo fast approaching. I've got loads of pasts and rice and stuff in the freezer now, so hopefully it should be more a job of making sure supplies don't get too low before then.
Then it was back to the gaff for cleaning duties. I thoroughly clean my bedsit every two-weeks. I think that's enough for a single person, but it does take me all day, especially with all the sundries like ironing and changing my towels and bins and stuff.
Anyway, the point is that I did that and all was going swimmingly - I was really cracking on and was going to have loads of time to do stuff, but I fell into a bit of a trap. Unfortunately, it took ages for the kitchen and bathroom floors to dry (it being cold) and I was totally stuck waiting while they did... so I thought I'd have a quick go on Civ3... and it kinda poxed up the whole rest of the weekend, so instead of doing more useful stuff, like scanning or walling or making new updates for my webstes, I basically just plaed Civ3. I didn't even really clear the backlog of TV I've got.
Bugger :(.
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