podcasts and mash-ups

If there are two terms I fucking hate it's them two. For crying out loud, a podcast is nothing more than a sound file, just a bloody mp3 or whatever. Why give it a stupid name (tied to an Apple device) just because someone devised a way of indexing them? Gah. It's just ham radio over the Internet! THIS IS NOTHING NEW, PEOPLE. Sigh. And as for mash-up, I just can't stand the word. Not entirely sure why, but I think it might have something to do with my employer using it all the bloody time, even in posters around the office ("mash-up or shut up"). It just really grates.

So the really unfortunate thing is that I actually like a fair few podcasts and mash-ups, and in particular Radio Clash - a podcast about music mash-ups, among other things. I don't agree with their dislike of the Arctic Monkeys' singer's voice, mind. Coverville's ace too, another podcast based on cover versions. I've subscribed to a couple of others too but I can't remember what they're called, ho hum. On top of podcasts, mind, I've also just discovered Resco Pocket Radio, which lets me listen to streaming radio stations over wifi on me PDA. If I can find somewhere that sells spare cradles so I don't run out of battery all the time on it then I'll be able to have all kinds of music going on anywhere in the flat, but most importantly be able to fall asleep/wake up to it, rather than my phone's alarm signal.

Not that my new phone will necessarily have a crappy alarm signal, mind. That's right, my new phone -- Orange finally pulled their finger out and made the k800i available on upgrade. On about my 7th attempt to get through to their customer services yesterday I succeeded and, all prepared for a bit of verbal to-and-fro, bit of bargaining, threat to leave and a PAC request, I was somewhat taken aback as the fella immediately told me I could upgrade for free, on a 12 month contract. That's, like, perfect, exactly what I thought I was going to have to demand, not just be given. So all good news, and it gets delivered to work between 0900 and 1700 today. As Loz said to me elsewhere: bonus!

Getting into work for 0900 sucks, mind you. Actually it doesn't objectively suck per se, but being asked to get in for 0900 yesterday for a conf call sucked when the number and passcode weren't sent out, the chairperson didn't turn up 'til 0920, and none of the other participants were anywhere to be found. They are in Sydney though, so they'd probably gone home. Trying again today, no worries about making it in on time though what with it being 0630 as I type this. Been awake since 0440 :-(

That bombing in Mumbai doesn't half suck. For my sins I normally find it pretty difficult to empathise too much when shit happens halfway across the world, but this time it feels pretty close to home because I was bloody there just a few months ago. I know people in that city, and I really hope none of them were among the victims. I'll find out today when I get into work.

Hmm. BBC Breakfast is different before 0700, they're not on the sofa yet. Wonder why not.

Edit @ 0721: oh, they're not on the sofa now either. Because the format changed weeks ago and I forgot despite watching it every morning. Duh.