Mid-Bench

Posted: Tue 17 April, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: Charm School, Cynicism | Leave a comment »

When I’m working, at lunchtime I tend to go out, get a sandwich from somewhere, then find somewhere to sit and eat it. I like being outside – even in Winter – unless the conditions are just ridiculous. For instance, there’s obviously no point sitting outside when there’s a thunderstorm.
Particularly when it’s sunny though, I find there’s something that really pisses me off. If I’d thought about it, I’d have added it to Month Of The Bastard. (and I probably will do for the next one – because oh yes, there’ll be another one without a doubt) It involves the benches in the local park. Well, wherever I go for lunch – currently it’s Parker’s Piece in Cambridge, but the same appears to apply wherever.
Now I don’t mind people sitting on the benches, and I don’t mind sharing my bench with other people. Amazingly, I’m kind of reasonable like that. But the huge majority of people don’t want that, r don’t think about it – and they plonk themselves right in the middle of the bench/seat. I don’t know if it’s a conscious decision, to be honest, but when you have eight benches, each with one person plonked in the middle and trying to dominate the entire thing, well, it pisses me off.
Me? I sit at one end of the bench. Then anyone else who comes along can also site at the other end, or if it’s a couple, they can sit together. Doesn’t bother me, I don’t mind – they’re public property after all (well, council property, but you know what I mean) so who cares?
But with Mr (and it’s usually a bloke) Middle-Sitter, they’re trying to dominate, to make sure that people don’t sit on the same bench as them. It’s as though the bench is- at least temporarily- theirs, and no-one else can encroach upon it. Of course, to me that’s like a red rag to a bull, so I tend to sit in one of the spare sections. Even if there’s an empty bench just along the way. (Not that any of the Mr Middles ever mentions that) It’s funny as hell.

Stupidity 2 : Email

Posted: Mon 16 April, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: Cynicism, Weirdness, Work-related | 1 Comment »

It’s going to be one of those days where silliness runs rife…

I’ve just received this (at 10.20) by email…

Due to the continuing issues with the mail server we will be rebooting the server at 10:00 this morning. The service should be available again by 10:30. Again, we apologise for any inconvenience.

So, sending out an email to tell people that the email server is down…

Stupidity 1 : Border Crossings

Posted: Mon 16 April, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: Customer Services, Cynicism, Travel | Leave a comment »

via Cryptogram, I came across Tom Kyte’s story of a border crossing – it sounds like it should be from a script of “Some Mothers Do Have Them”.

Brilliant. Funny. And just slightly scary…

Unable to Buy

Posted: Fri 13 April, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: Cynicism, News, Thoughts | Leave a comment »

All the major UK media carried a story yesterday about how public workers can’t afford to buy houses. I’m sorry, but I’m actually quite unsympathetic about this.

You see, the public workers that are mentioned in the story are teachers, nurses, police, and firefighters. And with the exception of the teachers, all the others are a self-inflicted problem. Well, not self-inflicted per se, but most certainly it’s a problem that’s come about through the decisions of the employers of these public workers about 20-25 years ago.

Before the 1980s, hospitals, police forces, and fire brigades all had subsidised accommodation for their staff/members (whichever you want to call them). In some areas, the police and nurses in particular had whole housing estates of subsidised housing. The same is true of the MoD, and soldiers having subsidised housing although even that is now coming to an end.

In the 80s and 90s, though, the various authorities (regional police forces, health authorities etc.) decided to sell off those housing areas, and make some money. OK, a load of money. So that’s what they did – bang, all the subsidised housing getting sold, giant profits being made on the sales, and not a thought to what would happen in the future.

And that’s what resulted in the current situation. If the subsidised housing were still available, the affordability of it for those key workers in the public services wouldn’t be an issue.

Just another case of short-sighted (and greedy) actions for a quick profit, and no thought to the future…

Workload Chaos

Posted: Fri 13 April, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: Cynicism, Getting Organised, Own Business, Work-related | 1 Comment »

At the start of March, I was doing OK. I had my normal full-time work, one client site that needed the final bits done to it now that the proof-of-concept had worked, and one ‘own project’ site that was coming together nicely. In addition, I was busy quoting for work, and sounding out a couple of potential clients – not in a stupid way, though, as I was fully expecting one to come in quite quickly, and the other to take a bit of time before it all got off the ground. It was at least semi-organised, and semi-planned.
Six weeks later, I think that it’s just possible I’m on the edge of a precipice above shit creek. As well as normal full-time work, which is ongoing, I’ve now got not one but two client sites that need working on. Like, right now. Both could (if not downright should) be full-time jobs in their own right, but they’re both part-time.
And that would be (just about) OK if it weren’t for the additional fact that there’s still that other client site that still needs the final bits doing (and a name to be decided upon). Oh, and another one from the same client that stands to be a useful little project, where I’ve got the domain name(s) sorted, and currently not much else.
And then there’s all the house stuff as well. Oops.
In the name of sanity, I’m not going to work on any ‘own project’ sites for a couple of months while I get everything else dealt with. (Well, I say that, but I bet it changes…)
Thankfully, at least one of the two client sites that needs working on is going to take a week or so in order to get everything set up satisfactorily in the first place. That might just give me the time I need to look at that longer-term-outstanding site, and get it sorted/finalised. That’s if I’m lucky.
I know, this is always the way it ends up happening, particularly with IT, websites, and, well, just being self-employed. That doesn’t make it any easier then things suddenly jump from ‘ambling along, doing fine’ to ‘holy crap, loads to do’ though, no matter how many times it’s happened before, or even with the knowledge that it’ll be absolutely sure to happen again. Best laid plans, and all that.

Boo-Hoo

Posted: Fri 13 April, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: Cynicism, News | 1 Comment »

Awww, poor baby.

We get a lot of coughing wherever we go, even when we go abroad to Spain. Generally it’s good humoured, and if it gets intimidating we just walk away.

“But there’s a very small minority in the local community who are really vitriolic and make our lives hell.”

Now without even trying, I know that most UK readers will have a pretty good idea who might be griping here.

And yes, some of the (alleged) incidents are quite unpleasant, but basically the guy lives in a Jeffery Archer-esque life where you can’t believe at least half of what he says anyway, so *shrug*

It’s what?

Posted: Thu 12 April, 2007 | Author: | Filed under: Cynicism, Weirdness | Leave a comment »

This one may be just me not paying attention, but has anyone else seen the new advert for Citroën cars ?

I only listen to the advert, rather than watch it, but every time it makes me look up.

Basically, they blither on about cars, prices etc., and then I hear

The shit Citroën C1

I think they mean chic, but maybe the pronunciation leaves something to be desired…

← Older Entries
Newer Entries →