The week before this 1/2 term, the (formerly) great Scottish Institution I work for (no clues, but the first word begins with 'R' and ends with 'oyal', the second rhymes with 'wank' and the last is a small country entirely dependant on English funding just north of England) decided it was an easier option to sack a bunch of yokels from Norwich than (for example) Glasgow, Edinburgh or London.
I shouldn't moan though. Being a "fat cat banker" who's lost his profit share, bonus and now his job I assume I should be thankful that I can still hold a fork the right way up, or something.
Being a bit of an old lag at this type of stuff, I now find the most stressful part of the whole affair is worrying for the welfare of colleagues. I recognise the possibility of displacement behaviour here but nonetheless felt whacked out by Fri 13th having administered what was meant, and which I hope was received as, genuine pastoral care. Frankly, if my employer couldn't be bothered to follow through on its duty of care, then who else was going to ?
Anyway, enough of that... I decided that a week off would stop the noise in my head, allow me time to reflect and to concentrate on some of the mundane but essential facts of life like doing some good old Dad stuff. rime amongst this was the engineering triumph of building EH1's Star Wars 'V-Wing' Fighter.
Splitting ourselves into Engineering Workshop 1 and 2, I conducted assembly of the main components, starting with cockpit and main sub-frame, moving on to Port and Starboard Engines and finally Wing construction. These were passed to my co-engineer for post assembly unit testing, or "running around the room with a half completed model making funny noises" to give it its less formal, but more descriptive, title.
4 hours of intense assembly later, the above emerged, ready to engage in mortal combat with various Bionicles and Transformers etc... a veritable exo-human/robot/sci-fi mash-up!
One of my favourite pastimes is this...
I especially like really decadent sleeps after you've already had your stock 8 hours and cos there's nothing urgent that needs doing, one drops off for a quick doze. How relaxing...I also like dozing with a little noise in the background, for example, on a day off, waking at the normal time, but just turning down the radio to a murmur and sinking back under the duvet. Lovely.
This week I dozed to the chatter of CBeeBies in the back ground. I'd still be there now if it weren't for the shrill voice in my ear "DADDY DADDY STOP SNORING"
Also this week I finally twigged the joys of Twitter. I set up an account a couple of months back but couldn't see the point (see http://gable-end.blogspot.com/2009/01/what-am-i-doing.html) Let me tell you though- Facebook is SO yesterday. Twitter's where it's at baby. I'm hooked. Absolutely love it.
I believe it's the social networking equivalent of sherbet (or Crack Cocaine for the older folk). You just need a little hit initially, then there's the rush and then you've got to keep doing it, looking, just in case someone's updated whilst you temporarily averted your gaze, browsed elsewhere or got on with some work or something equally silly.
And you can download all these great Apps that desktop your Twitter so instead of having it on your desktop in a browser, you can have it in another UI on, you guessed it, your desktop !! I use Tweetdeck - it's black and nice. That won't stop me downloading some others though just to see in what marvellously similar ways the same information can be presented.
What we really need is a fully integrated mobile app of course, tied into the whole SMS/MMS capability and using GPS to geotag Tweets. Wonder who'll do that...
Big problem for Twitter though is how to "monetise" the service. Expect Tweet-Ad sometime soon; I predict Free Twitter, if you take the ads, or Premium Twitter for a small subscription fee, sans ads. In the meantime, revel in the apotheosis of social networking and spout forth the details of your life in chunks no longer than 140 characters. Oh and at all costs, avoid the No10 Tweets !
One of my favourite places to go, wherever one is in the World, is to the local Aquarium. I've been to Aquaria in most places I have visited. That's not many I'll admit, but still. Anyway, off to Sea Life in Great Yarmouth on the "Eastern Riviera" we went and jolly good it was too.Aside - For those of you unfamiliar, the land leading to Gt Yarmouth was reclaimed from the Sea. The long and linear "Acle Straight" spans this very flat landscape where the horizon is at the edge of vision and the skies enormous. To the right and left of the road are peppered many Windmill ruins, but just the odd one is still complete and proudly standing against the almost infinite skyscape. Here's one...
I think the fish must have expensive tastes as to get in cost £31 and that was with one child free and a 20% discount. Plus the £15 on Chicken Nuggets and some more in the Tat Shop.
Ahh, the Tat Shop. All so called "Visitor Attractions" have one. The classiest one I've been to was at the Eden Centre in Cornwall. A massive emporium of right-on, organic foodstuffs. Best was at Goonhilly, also in Cornwall.
I think I'll set one up at Gable End...
"After a short walk around the Garden, visitors will be directed through the 'Kitchen of the Past', including a rare 21st Century Gas Fired Aga now switched off in perpetuity as it bankrupted the occupants. Thence through the 'Corridor of Delights' (conservatory strewn with kid's toys) into the 'Dining Room of Death' (it's the wallpaper) and finally to the 'Lounge of Sound', where the owner will regale you with obscure Progressive Rock, from both this century and the last, at terrifying volumes. Leave via the hall, where you can purchase a pen and little snowman in one of those bubble things..."
Sorry, bit distracted... I leave you with some relaxing pictures of sea life. Take care. God Bless. Bxx
