THAT'S NEARLY AN ARMFUL!

"Permission to feel smug?" "Permission granted".

This week I received a bronze badge for making my 10th blood donation. It may not be as many as some people I know but I feel self-satisfied that I've done my bit. I would never preach to anyone else about how important it is...but it is.



I'm lucky because the Bloodmobile comes to my work regularly but even if it didn't I would make the effort. Go on, you know you want to.

HAD YOUR OATS?

Before Christmas I purchased a box of Oatso Simple so I could have breakfast at work and not use up valuable sleeping time with trivialities like eating.

A couple of weeks ago I pulled out one of the packets of oats from my desk drawer, only to find that there was barely a third of the amount that should have been in it. As is my want, I e-mailed off a missive and awaited a response. After some e-mail piff paff wherein I confirmed that "no, I don't still have the box with the funny codes on it", I finally got a response today. Quaker sent me 2 £2 vouchers, which was very kind of them and more than I what I actually asked for - all I wanted was to exchange packets. Well done Quaker. It's a pity the same can't be said for the BBC

Talking of complaint/correction e-mails, of which I send a lot, I finally got a reply from the BBC about an observation (more half observation, half complaint) I made about one of their news items on Reporting Scotland in December. During the programme, which I endure more than enjoy, there was an item on the tramworks in Edinburgh. I couldn't believe my eyes when a graphic showing the centre of Edinburgh had "Princess Street" annotated on it, instead of "Princes Street". I couldn't believe it. I went into a rant (to no-one in particular) about how they wouldn't make that mistake with Glasgow and immediately got on the phone to BBC Scotland. It was engaged. For ages. In the end I sent off a "strongly-worded missive" (a phrase I use and a lot and enjoy using) and awaited their response. And waited, and waited. Today, some 33 days later I get a "blah blah blah" bog-standard type response.

Firstly, am I the only one who noticed the error? Secondly, am I the only person who made a complaint about it and thirdly, why did I have to wait so long for a response? (Check these other recent BBC complaints for the speed that they are dealt with compared with mine). I'd make another complaint but I probably wouldn't get a reply until June, although which year is debatable. (You'll recall from a blog entry last August that I had a similar problem when it took me about 6 weeks to get feedback from an interview I'd had).

I put the interview I did with Duglas and Rachel at Celtic Connections on to You Tube and then the Jocknroll blog and there has been a lot of positive response about it. Someone even asked about using a bit of for a film on the BMX Bandits but I haven't decided if I will. I've also just finished uploading Attic Lights doing "Five Weeks Behind" at the same gig to You Tube and it'll be on Jocknroll in a few minutes.