On IT Tinkerers and Other Bits.

I find the workings of the software giants a little mystifying sometimes. Take my Hotmail account for example. The process of putting an email into a folder used to take three clicks. They’ve changed the system and now it takes six. Could someone suggest how that amounts to an improvement? And you have to work out the new method yourself because they don’t bother to tell you.  And both they and Google have started confusing the inbox with the spam box – putting stuff that has been previously marked as spam into the inbox, and consigning transparently genuine emails to the spam folder.

What I don’t understand is why, with all the vast wealth at their disposal, the software giants can’t employ people with common sense instead of – one is led to assume – a bunch of whizz kids with fancy IT degrees who like to mess with perfectly functional systems while being blissfully unaware of the fact that their mindless meddling is driving the users up the bloody wall.

*  *  *

Meanwhile, back in the real world, I spoke to Millie the pigeon today. She was up by the town hall feeding enthusiastically on bits of lunch detritus left behind by sloppy eaters. She ignored me as usual – didn’t even look at me. I did notice, however, that several passers by were looking at me, so I moved on to get a new strap fitted to my watch.

*  *  *

And this evening I noted with a mild ripple of sadness that the evening sunshine is visibly and palpably weakening now. Summer is nearly over up here on the north western edge of Europe. Did I mention that I’m strictly a summer person? Thought so.

*  *  *

I was going to buy a new pair of jeans from Tesco today for £15, but didn’t have to. I went into one of the charity shops and found the same thing – same brand, same colour, same fit, right size, everything – for £3. And they look unworn. It’s the Lady Fu, you know. I’ve mentioned the Lady Fu before. She’s the alabaster, or maybe marble, figurine which I rescued from a charity shop and brought home. Whenever she comes out with me I always get bargains and young women smile at me. It’s how I know she’s there.

* *  *

But I wish I didn’t feel so depressed and dysfunctional every morning when I wake up.

I suspect that my brain

Is being squeezed by the strain

Of a whole lot of losing

And too little of gain

*  *  *

I’m going to watch the next episode of the murder mystery Broadchurch now. My money is on the vicar.