Friday Lunchtime revisited

I am trying to concentrate on assembling my all-singing, all-dancing, everything-you-wanted-to-know-about the Annual HRA Subsidy Determination Round but-were-afraid-to-ask Magnum Hopeless* and failing miserably.

I finished writing it about six weeks ago and put it round for comment. What did I get for my efforts? Nothing, nowt, nada, zilch. It is most dispiriting.

Anyway, it's one of my objectives for the year, so I ought to get it assembled and printed (read photocopied) properly for distribution. But the writing was the interesting bit - insofar as these things are interesting - and applying the final pen'orth o' tar that you're not supposed to skimp on for fear of spoiling the ship is just tedious in the extreme.

Still, it's Friday. It's cooler and the day is half over. The weekend beckons.

This does not allow for the fact it's actually Friday 13th which means that things can still go calamitously wrong, of course. But then I'm not superstitious.

Touch wood.


* Magnum Hopeless ^{c and tm} littleonions 2004

Friday Lunchtime revisited

I am trying to concentrate on assembling my all-singing, all-dancing, everything-you-wanted-to-know-about the Annual HRA Subsidy Determination Round but-were-afraid-to-ask Magnum Hopeless* and failing miserably.

I finished writing it about six weeks ago and put it round for comment. What did I get for my efforts? Nothing, nowt, nada, zilch. It is most dispiriting.

Anyway, it's one of my objectives for the year, so I ought to get it assembled and printed (read photocopied) properly for distribution. But the writing was the interesting bit - insofar as these things are interesting - and applying the final pen'orth o' tar that you're not supposed to skimp on for fear of spoiling the ship is just tedious in the extreme.

Still, it's Friday. It's cooler and the day is half over. The weekend beckons.

This does not allow for the fact it's actually Friday 13th which means that things can still go calamitously wrong, of course. But then I'm not superstitious.

Touch wood.


* Magnum Hopeless ^{c and tm} littleonions 2004

Broadband Costs

I have spent some time over the past couple of years bemoaning ntl's inability to provide broadband where I live, just 2 miles from the centre of London. The only option for me would be to have BT install a line and pay them huge installation charges and I pretty much discounted that as an option straightaway since, to be honest, I'm not sure how long I'll continue to live here.

That is not to say that I am planning an immediate move - I have to say that since the work climate improved, my God-given lethargy has reasserted itself and I am in no hurry to do anything about living in London, though a move back to the West Midlands remains an eventual aim. Nope, at the risk of digressing (as if I would) it is entirely down to the practicalities of things. My landlady, Mrs. Z is not getting any younger and despite being a quite sprightly 86 year old, she is well, 86.

Anyway, back to the broadband.

I return from the office this evening to find that ntl are offering to install broadband free for a 60 day trial period, and £24.99 a month thereafter for 600k access, or £17.99 for 150k. I'm reasonably sure 150k is not worth the effort, but equally I'm not sure that 600k is worth the price (after the free bit is over, of course!). And so, my internet chums particularly those of you in the UK and with broadband, is £24.99 a month a reasonable charge for 600k broadband, or is it a bit steep?

Broadband Costs

I have spent some time over the past couple of years bemoaning ntl's inability to provide broadband where I live, just 2 miles from the centre of London. The only option for me would be to have BT install a line and pay them huge installation charges and I pretty much discounted that as an option straightaway since, to be honest, I'm not sure how long I'll continue to live here.

That is not to say that I am planning an immediate move - I have to say that since the work climate improved, my God-given lethargy has reasserted itself and I am in no hurry to do anything about living in London, though a move back to the West Midlands remains an eventual aim. Nope, at the risk of digressing (as if I would) it is entirely down to the practicalities of things. My landlady, Mrs. Z is not getting any younger and despite being a quite sprightly 86 year old, she is well, 86.

Anyway, back to the broadband.

I return from the office this evening to find that ntl are offering to install broadband free for a 60 day trial period, and £24.99 a month thereafter for 600k access, or £17.99 for 150k. I'm reasonably sure 150k is not worth the effort, but equally I'm not sure that 600k is worth the price (after the free bit is over, of course!). And so, my internet chums particularly those of you in the UK and with broadband, is £24.99 a month a reasonable charge for 600k broadband, or is it a bit steep?