ASYLUM

* 48 Hours And Countink

Still no phone activation. Why? Because O2 can't organise their way out of a paper bag. And they want me to sign on to an 18 month contract? OK, they have a technical fault — but they have no backup plan? After all this time?

Note: The problem is not the iTunes store being too busy; it's a particular step of the activation process — I click "Continue", it says "please wait" for a couple of seconds (see screenshot on previous post) and then bumps me back to the same screen. No error messages. No you-need-to-fix-X. Just doesn't do a damn thing.

Apparently this is because of a communication problem between computers, which isn't surprising considering there's at least 4 seperate systems/organisations involved — mine, Apple's, O2's and the bank's. But by now they ought to have procedures in place to bypass all that and fill it in by hand if they have to.

On the bright side, at least as a result of all this, I have finally chosen a name for the new phone (assuming I don't return it to the shop, which I will if they don't make it work soon): "The Black Lodge"

A place of almost unimaginable power, chock full of dark forces and vicious secrets. No prayers dare enter this frightful maw [...] this hidden land of unmuffled screams and broken hearts [...] — Windom Earle

* Purgatory

20 hours after purchasing an iPhone, and my views on mopho networks are strongly confirmed.