Retribution

Posted: Fri 23 August, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Business, Change, Charm School, Cynicism, People, Work-related | 4 Comments »

In a small dose of retribution, coupled with a bloody huge dose of schadenfreude, today I’m working back at my ex-employers.  They’ve had some problems, and there’s no-one there who can fix them, so I’m going in to get it done.

Needless to say, having been told that they didn’t need my skills any more, this is all very funny.  It also massively illustrates to everyone else in the office what a complete bunch of twunts the company (or at least the people driving the company) truly are.

This has all made me very happy, and very amused.

Wasted Afternoon

Posted: Tue 20 August, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 1BEM, Agency Idiocy, Customer Services, Cynicism, People, Travel, Work-related | Leave a comment »

Despite having agreed to a contract, I had one interview that pre-dated that acceptance, and rather than piss people off by saying “I’ve taken a contract, so cancel the interview”, I’d decided to still go.  The agency in question have been a ‘mare, asking me no less than three times to confirm that I was going. (and no, they’re not aware of the now existing contract offer) On each occasion I’ve replied to the original interview confirmation, with the relevant agency recipients copied in.

I went to the interview today in the company’s Northampton office, got there in plenty of time, waited outside reading my book (Well, Kindle, but same thing) and went in on time. Only the person I was meant to be seeing wasn’t there. No worries, they said, we’re sure he’s on his way. We’ll call and check.

I waited quarter of an hour, and in that time got a call from the agency. I ignored it – no way am I taking calls while I’m waiting for an interview to start.  On this occasion, maybe I should’ve done.

Anyway, the person I’ve been dealing with in the office comes back in, and explains that actually I’m supposed to be meeting them in – um – Coventry. Even better, I’m not the first person this has happened to with this agency, I’m the second.  To do it once is a fuck-up. To do it twice is to be a fuckup.

Needless to say, once I got out of the office, I went ballistic at the agency, who really don’t quite know what to do with themselves about it. If it were someone else involved, I’d probably laugh. (And come tomorrow, probably I’ll laugh too)

In the meantime though, it’s been a totally wasted afternoon, and has necessitated a complete reorganisation of the interview – not just day and time, but also location. It’s now on Friday, late afternoon, near Heathrow. Yep, late in the day, just before a Bank Holiday weekend.  I suspect I may just be cancelling that one, once all the contract paperwork is through and completed…

Body-Image and Vanity

Posted: Thu 1 August, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 1BEM, Cynicism, Health, People, Television, Thoughts, Weight Loss | 1 Comment »

On Channel4 this week there was a really good documentary(ish) with Alex Brooker about male body image, called “My Perfect Body”

It’s interesting to see how the perception of men’s bodies has changed over the last few years, and particularly a lot of men’s self-perception of their bodies, and particularly the assertions that a man isn’t ‘successful’ if they’re overweight, don’t have a six-pack stomach, etc. etc.  In a lot of ways I think the programme was right, that a lot of men do ‘value’ themselves by way of their bodies, and that this is (at least to a degree) related to advertising/marketing, and those images of male perfection.

The other interesting side to it was about male vanity, and the surge in male grooming, ‘metrosexuality’, and even how male groups react to each others bodies; the basic answer being that men are (in many ways) bitchier to their friends than women are to their friends.

Personally, the whole vanity thing isn’t something I’ve ever been prone to. Yes, I currently want to lose some weight – but that’s more for health reasons and the like, rather than wanting to be thin/’successful’/’desireable’ and all that pap. Realistically, I’ll never be some 14-stone super-fitty, and honestly I don’t want to be.

I find it fascinating how the whole ‘group think’ perception seems to work, but I’m pretty immune to it. I wonder sometimes if that’s because I’ve never really had a whole group of male mates, and never been inculcated into that type of setup. I don’t know.

I’m not going to worry about it – part of my whole self-image/self-perception is probably more easily described as “This is me. Like it, don’t like it. Your choice”.  In general, I’ve always found that seems to be a fairly healthy self-image, and it certainly causes me a lot less stress than a lot of people in the documentary…

Reaping What’s Been Sown

Posted: Sun 14 July, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 1BEM, Charm School, Cynicism, Domestic, Driving, Parking, People | Leave a comment »

Tonight, I’m enjoying a dose of schadenfreude (“enjoying the misfortune of others”, if you didn’t know)

Yesterday morning, an idiot parked up in a big-ass Mercedes in the pub car park opposite where I live. And left their parking light on. I don’t know where they’re staying – the pub doesn’t have rooms, so really they’re just taking the piss anyway. So the parking light has stayed on while they’ve been staying wherever.

Now they’ve come back to the car – parked up for 36 hours in a commercial(ish) car park, parking light on – to discover that a) they have a parking ticket, and b) their battery is flat, the car won’t start, and they’ve had to call the AA. (I don’t know for sure, but I assume that the AA will charge as well, as it’s down to driver idiocy.) Of course, because their car is safe, off the road, and not in any feasible danger, it’s right at the bottom of the priority list.

All told, I’m finding it very hard to be sympathetic to their plight, and may in fact be chuckling quite a lot.

And yes – I know I’m going to reap something on this myself, so by the end of the week expect me to be saying something about a broken car.

Not What They Meant

Posted: Thu 11 July, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 1BEM, Cynicism, Media, Pedantry, People, Writing | Leave a comment »

Today in the EDP (well, on their website at least) there’s this headline

Murdered Wisbech pensioner’s niece makes emotional appeal six months after she was brutally stabbed to death and set on fire

Now, you know they mean “Niece makes emotional appeal six months after her pensioner aunt was brutally stabbed and set on fire“, but that’s not what it actually says.

So instead I’m going to be impressed at the moral strength of someone so distraught that she can make an appeal about a pensioner six months after being brutally stabbed and set on fire.

Yes, yes, I’m a bad person.

Independence Today

Posted: Thu 4 July, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 1BEM, Charm School, Cynicism, Thoughts | 2 Comments »

It’s July 4th, which means America is celebrating Independence Day.

Personally, I’ve never understood why the UK never celebrates Independence Day too, as “The day we got rid of that pestilential colony”.

Mind you, I’ve also always thought we should make more of the voyage of the Mayflower, and celebrate that initial migration of Puritans to their new land of hope and glory.

All in One – or Not

Posted: Sun 9 June, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: 1BEM, Advertising, Cynicism | 2 Comments »

Currently, Persil have some adverts running on TV about their new “All in One” washing capsules. (There’s no youtube version of it so far that I could find.)

Except, if you read the “terms and conditions” text (also known as “the bit where we need to be a bit more honest”)…

“Capsules do not contain fabric softener”

So – not really ‘All in One” at all then?

Lying fuckstick bastard advertisers.

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