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11月5日 You know how you get talking to people at work and invariably [at some point] you get around to discussing mutual acquaintances? That happened to me today. Nothing bitchy. More observational. Along the 'he's a lazy git' or 'she knows fuck all about anything' or 'so-and-so has thrown yet another sickie'. OK maybe that is bitchy. But there is a point to it.
Sometimes I get the feeling that words like 'integrity', 'honesty' and 'industry' are notions that belong in the Victorian era. People know what they are but they don't count for much. They're not 'relevant'. The attitude is more everyone for themself, do just enough to get by and no more, what's the point - no one cares. Maybe I've overstated that a bit, but the view is not uncommon in my experience.
Here's another old fashioned notion - reputation. We all have it. We give it to other people. Be it based on what we know, what we assume and sometimes what we just make up [having an agenda is a wonderful thing], a reputation can be for good or for ill and it can stick with you for a very, very long time.
Here's a couple of examples, both experienced today and the spur to this blog.
1. Person A. I have only a casual knowledge of the person and know him mostly by reputation. On a social level he's a nice guy. Pleasant to talk to and probably wouldn't do you a bad turn.
2. Person B. Off and on, I have known him about 18 years of my working life. Again, a nice guy. A family man and probably a sound role model to his children.
However, his reputation is one of being a bad timekeeper. I haven't seen him for years. He's possibly had an excellent timekeeping record since the last time I saw him. Yet today he 'phoned in to say he was going to be late because he had run out of petrol. One of many excuses I have heard from him in the past. He was about a mile from the office and could I come round and help him out. So I did. I drove round, got him a petrol can full of assistance and he got into work a half hour late.
Now, he no doubt did run out of petrol but as I stood by him as he filled the tank from the can, I could not help but think it was all a ruse. He maybe left home a little later than he should have and with traffic and what not he was going to be late in. He knew he had to come up with an excuse, so 'he ran out of petrol' just short of the office. That was his situation - that was why he was late. That was his reputation - that was my imagined scenario to his plight. What can I say - I'm a cynic.
So what have I learned from this? Simple. Gain a good reputation or a least one you are worthy of and can live with. Because whether you like it or not, it will be with you a long time. No matter what you subsequently do, people take a lot of convincing before they accept that a leopard has changed it's spots.
10月17日
OK. Druid wins.
For services above and beyond the call of rationality, sleep and normal living.
For determined and selfless action in the face of adversely undermining his biological time clock.
For putting little sheep who jump over fences for the tireless out of business.
Derek'sWTF awards DR Druid the Medal of Honour
[someone check him out for drugs]
In my defence...I'm a wimp
For being Druid's wingman.
For rising to the challenge [but not quite making it].
For being cute against all the odds
 Derek'sWTF awards Lesley some other medal I found on the net
I hope you guys can see these pics! Druid and Lesley are owls...they never seem to retire at a civilised hour [and maybe even like eating dormice]. Being a late-nighter myself, I feel challenged to see who stays up the longest, but I'm above that sort of childish behaviour
 [It's 0305h just now] 10月1日
My credit card company has decided, eventually, to refund the cost of my holiday after I proved that the travel firm I paid the money to had gone bust. Yipeee!
 I'm now glad I booked that holiday to Greece in anticipation of a result.  I still feel like shit, so I'm staying away from work. Thanks to those of you who voiced an opinion on the matter
 9月29日 I'm better than I was yesterday, thankfully *croak* Still got that 'bring out your dead' look about me
 but I'm left - slightly - with a dilemma. I intend to take Friday off as a sick day as well, just to be sure. That would leave me with two working days left this week - Saturday and Sunday [yes, the weekend: the trials of shift work I'm afraid]. Now, I could extend my self-certified sickie over the weekend and after that I'd be on my winter break for another two weeks
 Or...if I think I'm fit [after an honest self-assessment of my capabilities] I could go back to work for those two days. No harm would be done either way since, as I've said previously, I'm not in the habit of being off ill so my sick record could handle it and also my work would survive without me. So, what to do...
Which do you think is the best course of action? 9月28日 Got sent home from work this morning. Seems they didn't appreciate me spreading whatever nasty little virus has infected me. They have a point I suppose. Who wants streaming eyes, barking cough and a tomato where my nose used to be.
I felt like I was back at school - 'Go home little boy and give this note to your mum'. I shouldn't grumble, after all missing work is a good thing, isn't it? Except I'm not in the habit of taking 'sickies'. I've got this other terrible condition - a strong work ethic. Incurable apparently. The downside is that instead of recovering in bed like I should have done, I end up going to work to spread the plague. Not fair on me or others, but there you go.
Going to bed now. Any chance there's a buxom nurse in a tight uniform free to give me some TLC? *sniff*
Guys, are you like me, do you find it a little difficult to be honest with your emotions? I don't mean with the girls in our lives but with each other - man to man. Don't get me wrong. I'm not talking about being girly or gay or of being some kind of big jessie.
We all have an idea about ourselves in our peer group. We protray the image of who we think we are. It's manly to be in a job that entails labour - like a lumberjack, or uses technology [that the girls don't 'get'] or perhaps sports that involve competition and prowess. The ancient Greeks were great exponents of this sort of ideal and it shows in their art and philosophy which we still embrace today. I am in a job that to all intents and purposes involves a great deal of machismo [although for political reasons 'the bosses' would probably not want that to be too obvious to the public my occupation serves].
However, just like my lumberjack example [I hope there are enough Monty Python fans reading this to get the joke], there's more to being a 'bloke' than chopping down trees or being butch [like his dear mama].
Occasionally, when you know someone really well it's better to be open about what they mean to you. Maybe you've been to school with them and grown up together and shared a chunk of your life with them in a social setting. Maybe you've shared a unique experience that only you two know or appreciate. Whatever the scenario, what's wrong with a guy giving another guy a sincere hug. An exchange of sentiment that means more than a handshake. Nothing sexual. No mixing of bodily fluids. A hug. Pure and simple.
I don't want to bang on about it. I'm not some closet queen. I don't agree with the feminist 'let's all look at our genitals' thinking or the mens' associations who think it's 'manly' to go camping naked because it was what our forefathers did fuck knows when. Both orientations are decidedly odd in my opinion and are worthy of investigation by the Thought Police.
All I'm saying is...if the situation warrants it. If the sentiment exists. If you feel it would convey more than normal practice. Hug someone.
[As an aside, I have been known to shed a tear when watching a 'weepy', help with the dishes AND fight like fuck, according to my situation].
9月25日 Since Lesley [FabooooLassie] is about to go and 'I am Batman' has gone completely, I have decided to take screenshots of all my linkage pals and give them 'frontage' in my photo album. I'll add to the 'takes' as my list grows.
If you haven't visited any of the spaces mentioned, then please do. Not one of them will disappoint. I AM SORRY TO LEARN THAT LESLEY AKA FABOOOOLASSIE IS LEAVING SPACES. I DON'T KNOW THE REASON BUT IT WILL BE A LOSS TO THE SPACES COMMUNITY. WHEN YOU CONSIDER THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY THOUSANDS OF SPACES MADE UP OF ALL SORTS OF INTERESTS AND TASTES, THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WERE COMPELLED TO VISIT OFTEN AND CONTRIBUTE TO HER EFFORTS IS A SIGN THAT SHE WAS DOING A VERY GOOD THING.
I WISH HER LUCK AND HOPE SHE WILL RETURN FROM TIME TO TIME.
CHECK OUT HER SPACE FROM MY HALL OF FAME LIST WHILE THERE IS STILL TIME. 9月20日 Would you believe it! I usually make a point of checking out a few spaces to see what's going on. I generally struggle to read the ones created by some teens that are all animations and text-speak, but I try anyway.
I've just wasted 10 minutes on a space attempting to decipher what someone was saying in txt spk only to realise that the girl was writing in Portugese or something similar <sigh> I give up  9月18日 Is it just me? Today, and not for the first time, I have come across a guy who plans on going out of his way to fall out with his girlfriend so he can use the excuse to go to the pub and watch sports/get drunk/go clubbing. The old 'I'm-in-a-strop-with-you-so-I-can-do-what-I-like' tactic.
I don't claim to be the most honest guy in the world [who is], but surely it's possible to be open about what you want to do without manufacturing 'scenes'. Is it not just as likely that you could tell her exactly what you are going to do then have a real fallout over it. More honest, same result.
In my experience women always complain that their menfolk are never open enough about their feelings. So as a bonus, if one be needed, you can point out that you were simply following through on that point. Thus leaving you with the moral highground.
Oh btw. It's about time these same guys got some balls. 9月16日 You hear a lot about the risks people are exposed to on the internet and why it is necessary to protect yourself - no giving away personal information, guarding bank details, never accepting claims by third parties at face value, that sort of thing. Phishing scams, where an e-mail purporting to be from your bank and asking for confirmation of login informtion via a link to the 'bank's website' is one such tactic. The website is a front for the scammer who steals your security information then raids your account. I knew it went on but it was not until I read an article recently in a computer magazine that I realised just how common it is. Security firm Postini has reported that on a global scale phishing e-mail attempts numbered 19.2 million...for JULY! I know it is on a global scale, but just the same I was bowled over by that statistic.
On the same vein, Microsoft reported almost 750 web pages were found to have malicious code embedded in them with the objective of stealing this same security information.
So, I guess the need for vigilance is always present. Be careful out there folks.
For more information visit www.getsafeonline.org.uk
9月15日 I will apologise in advance for what will seem like [OK, it is] a sexist comment. And at the risk of going to feminist Hell, I would like to state for the record that, in general, women do not make good drivers.
Based on anecdotal evidence and empirical study [in other words, personal experience and talking to people
 ], I have come to this conclusion that will tickle the toes of chauvanists [I honestly don't include myself here] and rankle to the bone all females [feminist or not].Of course, a lot depends on your definition of 'good'. For me, it means a person with roadcraft. Someone who does not merely drive from 'A' to 'B' but who can read the road. This includes the obvious [and necessary!] ability to observe where traffic is, where it seems to be going and, importantly, where it actually is going - not always the same thing. It involves therefore a degree of anticipation and interpretation about what other drivers are doing and how that relates to where you are and where you want to go.
In my experience [and I have been driving for *cough*cough* a long time], women are careful drivers, pedestrian even, and therefore they are safe drivers. Insurance companies love them for their low risk, low policy demanding ways. But this does not make them good drivers.
Anyone can be safe on the road with the qualitites mentioned - and of course, road safety is the most important thing about driving. But that is not the point I am making here. It takes spacial skills, imagination, a certain amount of assertiveness [but never aggression] and above all, confidence, to be a good driver. In general, men have these qualities and accordingly, make good drivers.
I am not trying to alienate myself from half the population or attempting to make myself the brunt of irate comments, I just want to open a little debate and ask...what do you think?
9月14日 OK, what gives? I can't make up a list. I've gone to 'lists' and the option to create one is greyed out. I've gone to 'modules' and the option to add a list is not there. Please god, say it isn't so! I need to make a list <mumble><mumble> list <mumble> need to <mumble> li... <breaks into hysterical weeping> .........  At last! After working a night shift  of 75 hours [including 12 hours of overtime] I am now days off.  Now if I can just remember what to do with this computer thingy...9月7日 96.2% of body weight comes from "organic elements" present in many different forms. DNA, RNA proteins, lipids and sugars are all composed of primarily O, C, H and N. Also, Water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2)as well as other small molecules involve these elements. Oxygen (65.0%) Carbon (18.5%) Hydogen (9.5%) Nitrogen (3.2%) 3.9% of body weight comes from elements present in the form of salts. Don't be fooled by their minute quantities, they are very important for the maintenance of homeostasis (meaning "well balanced organism"). Calcium is a major component of bones and teeth. Iron is necessary for oxygen transport by red blood cells. Sulfur is present in most proteins and potassium keeps your heart beating smoothly and regularly. Calcium (1.5%) Phosphorus (1.0%) Potassium (0.4%) Sulfur (0.3%) Sodium (0.2% Chlorine (0.2%) Magnesium (0.1%) Iodine (0.1%) Iron (0.1%) The trace elements compose less than 0.5% of total body weight but then again, they are essential for homeostasis. Some of these elements are cofactors of critical enzymes in the body (meaning that without them, enzyme cannot work at all and that even low concentrations of them can make the enzyme work very well.) Chromium (trace) Cobalt (trace) Copper (trace) Fluorine (trace) Manganese (trace) Molybdenum (trace) Selenium (trace) Tin (trace) Vanadium (trace) Zinc (trace) No, not a chemistry lesson. These are the compounds that make up the human body. We are greater than the sum of our individual parts. I just wish sometimes people behaved as if they knew that. 9月6日 Ironic, isn't it. The USA is the richest nation on earth with all the human, technical and military resources that go with that. It can send men to the moon and put in place the massive operation that is the rebuilding of Iraq. But it can't organise aid for a disaster on its own doorstep.
Yet what is even more illuminating is just how thin a veil civilization is at such times. It may be a stable, democratic country but shortly after law and order broke down in that southern state, looting, rape and murder followed. If the news footage is anything to go by, you could easliy convince yourself that you were watching events taking place in one of the war torn regions of Africa.
Would such things happen in the UK in a similar situation? I would like to think not. But then, who really knows... |
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