votes for idiocy in tech today :

workflow support at our place took workflow down so we couldn't do any work for 40 mins. this is something we're resigned to as they have a habit of breaking it. We scream, they try to look innocent.

HSBC : completely fucking fails.

I go to make my credit card payments for this month. When I hit pay, it logs me out. So I phone tech support to inform that they have a problem. Get passed onto tech support. Who asks me the usual 'which browser, which OS'.
Me : Firefox and Windows XP.
Them : Could you try IE?
Me : I refuse to use IE, it crashes my computer.
Them : Um.... okay, I think it's the settings and can you wipe your cookies and cache and de-click the pop-up blocker?
Me : I log onto this site every week from this computer, and it usually works. Why isn't it working now? It was fine last week with these exact settings.'
Them : mumblemumble can you just go in and play round with the options?
Me : FINE. (goes in, de-checks various settings and makes payment, then goes and re-checks them). Now go and fix your damn coding. Your inability to be compatible with a common browser is not my fault.

Vaguely depressed. Looked at the National Theatre's jobs page. It turns out that the role of box office assistant pays more than my current job. ...comforting. Went and applied for the admin assistant to the director's office at the NPG which pays more and requires less tech skills than this one. But you know where pays even less? Ambassador's Theatre Group. Who wanted a whole bunch of experience on top of that.

finances. yay.

sorting through barclaycard bills in an effort to figure out how much I'm owed in hotel bills and tickets. I know I'm missing some - there are only two for 2006, which can't be right, but think I have most.

Most of it I can figure out. Then I can go 'oi, you, were you room sharing with me on this date? And did you pay me back yet?'

the problem is a set of hotel bills in the '06-'07 period. Because I can't find that year's diary to figure out what convention it was. fingers crossed I have it recorded in lj.

The other problem? Theatre tickets. Because unlike hotel bills, these are taken off your card when you book them. which means I'm scratching my head and going 'er... group outing to the prince edward, booked feb '07. WTF was that?'

calling all canadians

Right, which of you lot know of a torrent site that deals with Canadian shows? We've got a couple of Uk-specific ones, and yes, the How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria thingy with added Barrowman is going to Canada, and dammit, I need my Barrowman-stalking fix, because I'm not going to the Hub (god knows why not) and Faenol clashes with Discworld.

I know all the sci-fi stuff that aired in Canada before the US was up straight away, but that's sci-fi. What about reality tv shows with a distinct musical bent?

Are they easy to find in the more obscure corners of mininova?