Jobsworths, and their tiny-minded sense of totally misplaced self-importance that can only come from a dead-end and unimportant job that nevertheless places the pea-brained slab of meat in a position of power over a tiny portion of the general public. Tonight, in particular, the security guy outside Sainsbury’s Local on my way home. He’s stood inside the store, watching me walk up the entrance ramp with my bike and something inside his brain goes “ping”. Time for Mr Jobsworth Idiot to spring into action and enforce his tiny sliver of authority on another unsuspecting member of the public!

“You can’t chain your bike up there, mate.”
“I’m sorry?”
“Your bike. You can’t chain it up just there.”
“Uh. Why not?”

– and here I’ve made a mistake, because I’ve given him an excuse to use the line; he’s practised this and it’s got big words and everything. This makes the Jobsworth feel big and clever.

“Because it is an in-peddy-mint to public access to the store.”
“So… how come there’s another bike chained up here?”
“That’s a staff bike. They’re allowed.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Why are staff bikes not an impediment to public access to the store?”
“Because they’re allowed.”
“You do realise that’s totally retarded, right? So where can I leave my bike?”
“Down there.” – he points at the bottom of the ramp
“The bottom of the ramp.”
“Yes. Down there.”
“The same ramp that if I leave my bike at the top of is blocking access?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. That’s really, really stupid.”

And then the goddamned shop didn’t even have the batteries I was after anyway, which made me even more cross.

My bad vibes must’ve been giving off something rotten, too, because no less than three streetlights turned off as I cycled underneath them on the way home.

No no no no no no no NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NONO.

Excuse me, I’m just off to slam my nuts in a drawer to dull the pain.

*sob* – it’s all so true.

So, I’m a brainless sheep, emotionally manipulated and culturally shamed into believing that there’s something romantically significant about the day an arbitrary catholic saint was martyred.

Alternatively, I’ve been extremely busy at work, and my relationship with my girlfriend was suffering as a result, and the chance to take an evening off to cook a properly fancy meal and spend some actual time together was one not to be missed.

So, frankly I don’t care if you think I’m buying into some consumerist manipulative fraudery; we both had a fantastic time, and the food was extremely good (even if I do say so myself) and we got to spend some actual real time together rather than just collapsing in front of the TV.

Bunny puts it very well.

Romance might not be dead, but it’s definitely on its last legs.

Geeks! There’s no need to be afraid of girls!.

If you’ve never read Flatland: A romance of many dimensions, you should. It’s excellent.

Not got a partner for valentines day? Maybe one of these will help.

And if you’re a girl without a guy? Well, do as the Japanese do and treat yourself.

Heart shaped soap – but maybe not what you’re expecting…

Rinkworks (of Book-a-minute and Movie-a-minute fame) have a handy guide to being romantic for any of you struggling for ideas.

And, finally, if all this soft lighting and candles and champagne is getting to you, there’s always the fantastic Me-ish VD Card Selection.

Enjoy!

Mew deserved a much better audience than they got. They were, as ever, fanastic – not content with stringing together an hour and a half of note-perfect renditions of their gorgeous, sweeping, glittering music in an almost unbroken set (in a manner not dissimilar to their latest album, in fact), they were backed with incredible (and often disturbing and downright odd) visuals for the entire set, perfectly synchronised to the music. It was the kind of music you really just wanted to stand there and absorb in an ethereal sort of way.

What a shame, then, that the audience were a complete bunch of tossers, at least 50% of whom appeared to have got lost on the way to a Ministry of Sound clubnight, and who seemed more interested in shouting to their mates about how they were “really dead pumped up and ‘avin’ it!” and taking photos of each other with their phones. Now, either Topper, Lori and myself are getting really old, or people have forgotten, en masse, that the main reason for going to a gig is to see, listen to and experience a band. I kind of almost think Mew might even be better playing a seated gig in a theatre-style venue – or maybe even an arena and given a Pink Floyd style staging budget. Anyway. It’s a shame that a bunch of morons can spoil what was otherwise an outstanding gig.

Bradford on saturday was a good laugh, even if the venue we played was pretty crappy (a decent size but a stupid, stupid shape) and the stage was far too small. But we had a lot of fun, the few people who turned up seemed to like us and some money got raised for WorldVision in Uganda which, I guess, is the main thing. Also, I have a newfound respect for touring bands; the day was over twelve hours from beginning to end and we were all utterly knackered by the end of it – the idea of going on and doing the same thing the following day, and the day after that, and that day after that… is just frightening, really.

I’ve just taken delivery of Boku no Watashi no Katamari Damacy for the PSP and Psychonauts for the XBox, so I may be away for a while.

I come home from a gig by the beautiful, majestic, awesome Mew, and turn on the TV, and out blasts the awesome, beautiful, powerful “Great Gig In The Sky” by Pink Floyd. Wonderful.

UK Resistance used one of the things I sent them for their main page. See if you can guess which thing it was. (Hint: it’s not the retro gaming thing). I now get to use this logo on my websiteblogthing:

Go me!

Two lights came on, one light turned off. All at the exact moment I cycled underneath them.

Multiple-point touchscreens. Watch the video. This technology needs to be mainstream, like, right now. If we’re not all interacting with computers like this and resizing our photos by pulling the corners apart and stuff within five years, there’s just no hope for technology.