The article below is another that I've dredged out of my drafts, since I probably avoided posting at the time due to some or other situation at work (and I now have other work).
I haven't bothered to fix the tense.
I'm in a bad mood, and rather than focus too much on why, I'm talking to one of my colleagues about things that have put me in a bad mood in the past. A while back, under a different manager, the office had what was described as a 'no blame culture'. I didn't believe in it.
I haven't bothered to fix the tense.
I'm in a bad mood, and rather than focus too much on why, I'm talking to one of my colleagues about things that have put me in a bad mood in the past. A while back, under a different manager, the office had what was described as a 'no blame culture'. I didn't believe in it.
A while ago there was an O2 (or is it O2; can't say I'd really paid attention) advert on, advertising some manner of 'friends and family' type scheme. It annoyed me at the time, enough to write the following post which has sat in my drafts ever since. Although it's not a shining example of information-age journalism, it's also no worse than most of the other junk I post, so I thought I'd let it out.
It may help if you realise that I was a systems manager in a telecoms company at the time.
It begins with the line:
Yes, well done, there are 90 billion eleven-digit numbers, and indeed ten billion more. (I'm assuming they mean short-form billions, i.e. 109).
It may help if you realise that I was a systems manager in a telecoms company at the time.
It begins with the line:
There are 90 billion eleven-digit numbers
Yes, well done, there are 90 billion eleven-digit numbers, and indeed ten billion more. (I'm assuming they mean short-form billions, i.e. 109).
World of Warcraft has a system of Achievements, logging remarkable in-game activity and allowing you to show it off. These range from the mundane (getting levels) to the obscure (owning dozens of different mounts), the easy (complete a few quests) to the difficult (finish the main huge end-game raid without anyone in the raid being killed by any of the bosses).
How much do you dislike being a 'resource'?
I kind of get the feeling that the only people happy using the word to refer to staff members are HR staff, and that's probably because the Human Resources department seems to be a perch where it's easy to consider that everyone else is a resource, forgetting that you are too.
I've mixed feelings about use of 'asset' in the same context. Compared to resource it does at least suggest some value; as an 'asset' you go in the same category (mental or otherwise) as the things that count toward the company on its balance sheet*. In particular it makes sense to use it in arguments about the bottom line, as Broken Toys has done so well recently.
I have a job title**; it's fine to label me with that.
*Don't hate me if balance sheet is the wrong term; it's been a long time since I've done any bookkeeping.
**Yes, I realise that I haven't told you what it is. It might be that I'm not going to; I have my reasons.
I kind of get the feeling that the only people happy using the word to refer to staff members are HR staff, and that's probably because the Human Resources department seems to be a perch where it's easy to consider that everyone else is a resource, forgetting that you are too.
I've mixed feelings about use of 'asset' in the same context. Compared to resource it does at least suggest some value; as an 'asset' you go in the same category (mental or otherwise) as the things that count toward the company on its balance sheet*. In particular it makes sense to use it in arguments about the bottom line, as Broken Toys has done so well recently.
I have a job title**; it's fine to label me with that.
*Don't hate me if balance sheet is the wrong term; it's been a long time since I've done any bookkeeping.
**Yes, I realise that I haven't told you what it is. It might be that I'm not going to; I have my reasons.
As a huge fan of Devil's Advocate, I watched The Devil Wears Prada hoping for a similar twist (the twist that I felt Devil's Advocate had revealed in the trailer, although my Dad was disappointed as what he'd hoped would be a cutting legal drama descended into psychological modern fantasy).
I know normally I put spoilers below the fold, but I feel I owe it to people who, like me, have a more than passing interest in literary representations of the Devil to warn them about the film.
It's pretty good though, once you've come to terms with it...
I know normally I put spoilers below the fold, but I feel I owe it to people who, like me, have a more than passing interest in literary representations of the Devil to warn them about the film.
It's pretty good though, once you've come to terms with it...
...because I'm at work, and most of this lunch has already been spent catching up on a few blogs.
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