As I approach 30 years of age at the end of this year I thought some important resolutions were required this year, but can't really think of any that I can actually have an influence on.
1. Get Rich, well for me that's going to require a Lottery win or a very generous and as yet unknown relative or happy customer at work!
2. Start a family, however much I'd like this with current financial climates, house prices, public sector pay freezes and rising living cost we can barely afford to bring a new pair of shoes into the house let alone support a new life.
3. Improve my position at work, well I can start on this but with 2 exams in the way of my next step up and £55 worth of reading material required it's not exactly going to help point 1 or 2 in anyway is it!
With these in mind I have decided that New Years resolutions are all well and good but they are exactly that resolutions, they are not written in contracts, set in stone or often achievable. It took Scrooge being visited by 3 ghosts and being scared shittless to become a normal kind person.
Meaning for Mr average like you and I, who aren't likely to get a visit from haunting white faces, Goofy as Jacob Marley or a sickeningly cute Tiny Tim Frog, sticking to them is going to be tough.
© 1992 - Walt Disney Studios. All rights reserved
I'm not saying give up on your dreams but just live life to the full as you have it and , if possible, and without extended hardship or ridiculous cost, improve things, for the better.
Secondly having received several DVDs for Christmas I could hardly fail to notice the rise and rise of Apple and Ipod. Every DVD I received had a special digital copy, for loading onto your computer, MP3 or smart phone. They of course cant say Ipod and Iphone but that's exactly what they mean.
Anyone who is anyone probably got some kind of I-phone, I-pod touch, I-pad or some kind of I device (not glasses or a monocle I don't mean that) for Christmas, meaning of course that I-didn't. I'm not bitter about this, I already own a 1st Gen Nano (look at me all cool tech speak and stuff) yet it seems Apple are the kings of the entertainment world and my issues is How?
Technology clearly wins out over customer service and product quality.
Yeah their stuff is advanced and Apps and I-tunes appear to keep people functioning now but the Genius bar? Who's idea was that, clearly Ironically named because when you are in their shop, you want some help with something or have an issues/fault with one of their product, and you have to book an appointment to speak to an expert, with the appointment on a Wednesday lunchtime in 3 weeks?
That doesn't seem like Genius customer service to me. I don't expect to walk into Marks and Spencer's to discuss a refund and be told that I need to come back in 5 hours by someone in a generic blue t-shirt with a M&S logo on it who clearly doesn't know there arse from there elbow. And I would expect if the product was faulty and I'd only had it a little while for them to be able to come to some arrangement.
"Oh it's faulty, yeah its not our fault, we can repair it for £1,000,000 or you can buy a new one with 2% discount?
And also Sir, in 2 months once we return your broken product which has been slightly fixed, we'll bring out a New I-Phone-touch-Pad-pod-housecleaning-robot-foot-massager which will make your fixed product completely out of date"
Would you like me to book you a slot with one of our experts?
Finally, as it is a New Year and we have the Olympics, My 30th, an improving economy (coughs "bollocks") and according to the Mayans the end of the world to look forward to I'll wish you a Happy and Hopeful New Year.
Mouse, Door and Beer
