A pinch and a punch

It had to be said, OK?

Things at work are closer to 'normal' now. Boss is back, Senior Copy Controller is back, worthless gobby so-called Senior Designer is back. Joy in abundance.

Against all the odds, in spite of precious little work being done in advance last week (and I'm particularly upset about an Estate Agent template which should have taken about an hour to rework, but is still not complete because the - normally very keen - designer I passed it to decided not to focus on it until the client's designer sends us high-res artwork to play with), we're not doing too badly. In fact, my deadline tomorrow is looking like a piece of cake and Friday's, far from being a disaster in the making, looks quite healthy.

Of course, it hasn't been without its dramas. I learned today that the aforementioned 'normally very keen' designer took last week's Boss-free Zone opportunity to complain to our Publishing Director about money. Cue one seriously disinterested Publishing Director. There's also the small matter of the long wait I had for any of the monkeys to decide on their training, and the fact that most of it seemed to be to help them outside work, rather than at work. Also, the other Production Manager (yes, let's just emphasise that: I'm a Production Manager now, and I'm talking about the other one) feels that having one of our largest magazines editorialise three ways is too much work for him. I'd agree... but not for the same reason. He asked Boss to share some of his pain, and she politely declined. Then there was the point where Boss found herself suddenly conducting a job interview because Commercial Manager North fancied a barmaid and wanted to give her a job in Publishing. The twat.

There's more, but frankly, who gives a monkey's?

I've registered for this year's BotCon, but as a non-attendee... About a month after the convention, I'll receive the boxed set of Thundercracker (repaint), Dirge (repaint), Thrust (remold), Bugbite (repaint) and Dreadwind (hopefully a remold of Classics Jetfire, rather than just a repaint). Shame I can't get my arse in gear to go to the convention, and thereby gain access to the cool hinted-at attendee-only extras like Springer (repaint of Cybertron Defence Hot Shot/Exigeyser), Huffer (repaint of Cybertron Armorhide) and Elita-1 (remold of Cybertron Thunderblast/Chromia), but travelling on my own just seems dull... and daunting. There, I said it, OK? Still, Rhode Island looks like it could be a lot of fun...

It occurs to me that I've not mentioned the new Nine Inch Nails album, Year Zero. Now I've got it, I have to admit I'm not entirely convinced. It's good stuff... It showcases Trent Reznor's skill in composing and arranging this kind of music just as well as any of his previous output. Honestly, it only falls down in the way that all Concept Albums fall down: Taken individually, out of the context of The Concept, none of the songs are really that good. There's such a huge emphasis on the politics that, unless you (a) agree with 'The Message' or (b) are easily indoctrinated by political rhetoric in song form, there's probably very little appeal. That said, it does have moments of astounding beauty and, while 'The Message' is really nothing new, it's interesting that it found a new voice in Nine Inch Nails which, on the whole, has been Trent Reznor's navel-gazing project since its inception.

In other news, I popped uptown with my old mate Paul this last weekend, and came back home with (take a deep breath) THS-02b Hybrid Style Convoy Black Version, Revoltech Megatron, and Takara's Reissue Hound ("a popular boy today" according to the girl in the shop). Hound, as a model, is seriously cute. I picked up eHobby's Junkion Mercenary Detritus because I thought I'd missed out on Hound, so it's nice to have the original (with chromed parts and weapons) for comparason. Revoltech Megatron joined him because I already have Revoltech Convoy and, if I have one, I've gotta have the other. Almost got the Patlabor Griffon, but managed to restrain myself that far. Of course, it probably doesn't count as restraint because I snagged THS-o2b ("the last one..." wailed the girl in the shop, almost plaintively)... Yes, it's just a black repaint of the same THS-02 that I got ages ago, and it's not even a Nemesis version... but it still manages to look pretty darned cool. Some photos have been taken... More will follow.

And then I really must sort out my website.

I'm not quite sure what to make of Orbital Manga yet. It's a nice shop - certainly a classier-looking establishment than the old comics dungeon on Tottenham Court Road - and has some good stock... But am I alone in being extremely irritated when shop staff spend more time yapping with people who are clearly only there to chat with the staff rather that to buy anything, instead of... y'know... running the bloody shop and assisting potential customers?

I'm definitely feeling that my annual 'spring crazies' are over. I'm sure I need not explain this any more than by saying "hormones". I woke up yesterday and just felt different... Not exactly calmer or clearer of head, but something akin to both. In some ways, it's always a relief when I get to this part of my annual cycle, but it always seems to leave me temporarily worried that something's gone terribly wrong.