Just pulled some ancient, fuzzy photos from my toy phone including one that captures a wonderful notice in a toilet in an unnamed, anonymous, large corporation looking for significant financial savings in Q4. In 2009, we spent £75,000 unblocking toilets at HQ. Items found included: plastic cups oranges sandwiches newspapers magazines underwear There were around 250 incidents like this. I never purchased an orange from that canteen ever again.
Last night, Sky News played audio footage of Raoul Moat’s last moments. This included detailed analysis of the sounds by an expert of the three ‘gunshots’ and some idle chit-chat about whether someone was screaming ‘Aaarrgh - my arm’ (Moat) or ‘Get the firearm’ (police officers). No matter what Moat was or what he had done, that was simply a step too far and unacceptable in my opinion. This broadcast was not in the public interest and breached the standards of normal, common decency....
A tragic story is unfolding in the North of England with a gunman on the run after killing one person and seriously injuring two more (his ex-girlfriend and a traffic policeman) following his release from prison last Friday. Obviously, the police are doing everything to apprehend Raoul Moat safely without any further loss of life. However, as Moat claims he has ‘lost everything’ and is determined to ‘wage war on the police’, it’s not clear this episode will reach a peaceful conclusion....
[ Working title: Torture on a shoestring ] A couple of weeks ago on a normal, routine Tuesday morning, I did what I do every morning; showered, prepared for work and cleaned my ears out with a cotton wool bud. As I went to leave the bathroom, I swung my arms up and around to put my dressing gown back on for the short trip down the upstairs landing. [ This requirement to be modestly covered up follows an unfortunate incident in April 2009 when my teenage daughter had a sleepover with three friends staying over....
Accidentally. For the last two weeks, I have been savouring the joys of commuting into the City on South West Trains and the London underground network. Like most large, densely populated cities, Transport for London has introduced a Smart Card system, known as Oyster, which allows ticketless travel on trains, tubes and buses. Most modern cities in the developed world have similar smart card technology resulting in a faster, more efficient transport system with cheaper fares for passengers and reduced staffing costs at railway stations....
Hi Norman. You and I haven’t spoken before so please excuse the intrusion. However Sandstone Search & Selection are a specialist recruitment consultancy, focused on the Enterprise Software and Consulting markets. I’m keen to find out if you’re open minded about your career please let me know. Rupert Smithers-Jones Hi Rupert. Yes - I am pretty open minded about my career and would consider anything apart from pole dancing. Norman....
Short answer - She was in a meeting. I sent a polite email asking why my MP Susan Kramer failed to vote last night on the third reading of the Digital Economy Bill. Dear Mrs Kramer Many thanks for taking the time to send me a long and detailed letter is response to my email inquiry about your stance on the Digital Economy Bill. You’re right - it’s a very complex issue and may yet be subject to refinements before it finally becomes law....
One attraction of my glamorous life as an IT consultant travelling all over Europe is the opportunity to conduct illicit affairs with beautiful lap dancers from Prague (who are definitely not transvestites). For the last three years, I have been secretly engaged in such a liaison with a beautiful young lady called Iris. Unfortunately, due to Iris’ work commitments, our meetings are limited to brief, breathless, stolen trysts in the arrivals and departure halls at the various terminals at London Heathrow....
Idea for a new TV series - ‘When Ethernet cables go bad’ - A fascinating 60 minute documentary into the wide range of issues people have with wireless networks. The program would also include some ‘C’ list celebrities and a phone/text in competition to win something. I have had a wireless network in my house for at least four years. Perusing the annals of this blog reveals that while I have experienced various, sporadic issues over this period, by and large, the wireless network has been pretty reliable with three PC’s, a laptop and an iTouch device using it without problems....
Working title: the dangers of Facebook, online dating, stranger danger and gross stupidity. The (now defunct) Chameleons remain one of my favourite bands but were responsible for the most embarrassing night of my life. After the band reformed, I went to their London gigs and occasionally frequented the (now defunct) Wishville forums for discussion about the band, concert reviews, banter about football, discovering new bands - all the usual stuff we did before Twitter and Last....