should I leave this box blank?

In my continuing existence as a crash-test dummy for customer service, I attempted to make use of my credit card provider's shiny new online activation system. It asks you for the CVV from the back of the card, plus two random letters from your mother's maiden name - or, I presume, some other thing related to your security question. Predictably - for me, anyway - it didn't work the first time I tried it. I tried again just now and it asked for the 12th and 13th letters of said name. The name in question isn't nearly that long. So, I resorted to phoning the callcentre to activate the card, in passing confirming that they do in fact have the correct name on record, and I've just now offered this as a bug through their online contact system. Really, how hard can it be to test something like this before you roll it out?

update: it turns out that they'd somehow entered the name into the system TWICE, and lost a letter along the way. Excellent.

credit where credit is due

Wow. My favourite publicans' representative group has declared a freeze on the price of drink for the next year, effective immediately. I'm sure there's a fast one being pulled here somewhere, because I am naturually cynical and suspicious of these clowns, but hey, nice move.

gift shopping, are you?

Oh look! A print of my all-time favourite A Softer World strip. Isn't that neat? (They also have pretty keen t-shirts, too.)

I swear I'm gonna have to try that "kiss" line on someone, if only to see what the reaction is. The only problem I forsee (aside from, possibly, it being the last conversation I have with that person) is that they discover I'm not being wittily original - for extra points, via this exact livejournal entry. Ah well, as jwz once said, "The universe tends towards maximum irony. Don't push it.". A very sound piece of advice which I have no intention of paying attention to.