Is it just me, or is everything just ...

I’m having one of those days.

It started off OK, and then it just went downhill.

So I was going to blog about various market opportunities and ideas in banking and then thought: sod it, time for a whinge.

The whinge is because I’ve suddenly turned from being a young angry rebel without a cause into a grumpy old man.

Yes, I admit it, a lot of stuff makes me grumpy these days.

Here’s just a few:

Going to the shops to checkout the videos, books and records

I said to a friend over the weekend that I enjoyed going to the shopping centre to just waste time checking out the latest videos, books and records.  They laughed and I realised my mistake pretty rapidly.  Of course, I don’t need to go out to check them out, just download.  It’s not the same though.

PC updates and crashes caused by Microsoft

There's nothing like greeting the day with a smile and a hot coffee to hit the PC button and get that message “installing 14 updates” ... 

Getting the card

Similarly, there's nothing like coming home after a hard day to find the Post Office or Fedex card on the doormat saying that we tried to deliver something, you were out, so come over and pick it up yourself.  Of course, I’m out.  It was 11:30 in the morning and, like most human beings, I work.  Go figure.

Going to the bank to pay in a cheque

The only time anyone goes to a bank branch today is to pay in a cheque, but why are people sending cheques in 2012?  Send me e-money, close all those branches and be kinder to trees. 

Not getting my 1p  change

Why do shops advertise stuff as £9:99 or £12:99?  Fez’ up and admit it’s £10 and £13 and, if you won’t, then give me my 1p change.  The number of shops I go to that take my cash and then keep the 1p.  It’s just taking the P!  Insist on the change.

Which password

It used to be easy doing passwords but websites are now forcing you to add one number, one upper case character, at least four lowercase and some punctuation mark.  How am I supposed to remember which one had the upper and lower case and which need numbers and which don’t?  I now try out all of them and get blocked on the third attempt, so I reset and start all over again.  Just sign on with Facebook!!!

I’ve got a whole load more btw, including:

• People who cycle down pavements;
• People who push me out of the way as I get off the tube, ‘cos they’re too impatient to wait five seconds whilst I get off;
• People who just stop to read signs or walk like zombies without realising there’s a hoard of people behind them and they’re blocking our way ;
• Walking into a shop and waiting at the counter whilst the sales staff finish chatting with each other or on the phone to their mom whilst waiting for service;
• Mothers pushing their children’s pushchairs into your shins in the supermarket;
• Children running wild in public places without any parental control (in fact, most parents seem to encourage their children’s wanton behaviour);
• That things I found scary as a kid, particularly vampires, are now just caricature cartoon characters for fun;
• The fact that there’s sex everywhere in teen music and movies, and particularly in underage areas like Habbo Hotel;
• The increasingly unnecessary and ineffective security checks at airports (maybe linked to last item);
• Waiting for the iPhone to load email, maps or apps, only to discover it’s autojoined some wifi hotspot which needs a signon
• Friends who don’t accept your friendship on Facebook, or strangers who ask for it;
• Buying Living Social or Groupon vouchers and not using them before they expire;
• Leaving umbrellas, glasses, mobile phones and other stuff on the tube;
• Mobile carriers charging £1.50 or more per minute for calls when travelling, when they are free on Skype;

and more, but think that’s quite enough for one day.

If you want more of that, just go buy the book.

Instead, here are few things to cheer you up that Siri says (if you don’t have an iPhone, Siri is it’s built-in voice recognition system:

And finally, the greatest Big Bang episode of recent times:

Back to normal tomorrow.

 

 

Comments

[Dan Mullineux]

Time to move to the country?

[Chris Skinner]

Time to move to another country you mean Dan lol

[Dan Mullineux]

Yeh, good call.

I like the look of New Zealand, could at least get a retail bank account wot like they should be - from Kiwibank

[Dave Hopton]

Chris, if you use a Mac I'd highly recommend 1Password to solve your password dilemma. It securely stores all your login details and has a browser plugin so you don't have to remember them.

However, given your comment on Windows Updates this might be no use...

[Bal Basra]

Honestly today its just you :)!

My day started on a very positive note, drive to the office was easy, parking was ample, office atmosphere was very light, no undue targets, finished my day smoothly came back in time had a healthy dinner with family.. SO I guess it is just you today.. :)!

Nevr mind, have faith, tomorrow will be a better day!

[Nigel Walsh]

Oh dear. I feel like a Michael Douglas and falling down moment coming.

Perhaps you are not relaxing enough - like all of our bankers according to HBR - http://blogs.hbr.org/schwartz/2012/06/share-this-with-your-ceo.html - an interesting survey

Unlike me - having just returned from four days at the delightful eurodisney, privileged to be their guest - however like most large banks may need a bailout to recover from it. A magic place where they have made customer service vanish entirely and give Jamie Oliver's turkey Twisslers a stunning run for their money in a country that knows a thing or two about food. Something fried sir, with sugar - Thats €100 please!

Here's to a better day!

[Dinah Tobias]

Chris - this post just cracked me up and rather worryingly I identify on almost every point! That said, I'm off to hear the Dalai Lama speak today so I'll send some zen vibes your way and hopefully these annoying people/situations will vanish from your consciousness! Would love to catch up soon.

[breffni mcguire]

Chris, lol, but you could be in the U.S. where we know we're entitled -- riding bikes on sidewalks, sure; but since we drive everywhere, we have folks who prefer to be in 2 lanes at once, cross from the far left to make a right turn (at 65mph), and who believe that using turn signals is a sign of weakness. Thanks for a great post!

[jodi]

It's wonderful to hear a good ole fashioned British whine.