They Shall Not Grow Old

They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Last year I posted the full poem, please go and read.

Profamateur

I’m in the middle of a show put on by an amateur theatre group. And it’s got me wondering whether the word amateur is the right one to use.

My dictionary list various meanings for the amateur, including:

1 a person who engages in an activity, esp a sport, as a past time rather than professionally or for gain

3 a person unskilled in or having only a superficial knowledge of a subject or activity

And for professional it says:

2. engaging in an activity for gain or as a means of livelihood

3 extremely competent in a job

Now I can see a conflict here. Just because someone does an activity as a past time doesn’t mean they are extremely competent at it. Likewise, just because someone is paid to do something doesn’t make them competent at it.

We’ve just done our opening night of this run and mistakes were made by almost (if not all) of the teams involved: cast, band, stage, sound and lights. But we all carried on as if nothing had happened. The audience probably didn’t notice the mistakes because they were corrected quickly without a fuss. In fact at one point the lights were faded out just before a song had finished but I managed to recover the situation in time and none of the cast that I spoke to even noticed!To me, that means being competent at what we are doing, ie professional. But as we’re not paid, by definition,  we can’t be professional!

So should there be a different word for groups of people who partake in an activity for fun but are still competent at at? Profamateur perhaps?

My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose

Today is poet’s day: Pop Of Early Tomorrow’s Saturday!

So here’s one of my favourite Robert Burns poems:

My love is like a red red rose

That’s newly sprung in June:

My love is like a melodie

That’s sweetly play’d in tune.

 

So fair art thou, my bonnie lass,

So deep in love am I:

And I will love thee still, my dear,

Till a’ the seas gang dry.

 

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:

And I will love the still, my dear,

While the sands o’ life shall run

 

And fare thee weel, my only love.

And fare thee weel awhile!

And I will come again, my love,

Tho’ it were ten thousand mile

The strikes are off!!!

The good news of today is that the strikes which have hit Royal Mail over the past few weeks have been suspended! Yay!

The reasons behind the strikes are multifarious but in essence come down to the management trying to force through changes to the organisation which the Union and the staff in general disagree with.

The news sources kept reporting it that pay was involved. It wasn’t. Well no exactly, it’s only mention was that in future pay and benefits should in principle be linked to any efficiency savings made. So we wanted management to just consider us getting something out of all the changes, just consider it, but they’re weren’t willing to even do that.

We accept changes are needed. We accept that job numbers will be cut. What don’t accept is the way the changes were being brought in. After the previous strikes there was an agreement that all changes would be agreed at a local level. However at best all that has happened is “discussions” have  taken place, but the result of these discussions had been decided before they took place. And at worst, changes have been brought in by executive action: this is what is going to happen, like or lump it.

From the public’s point of view, Royal Mail is a public service. From the management’s, the government’s point of views it’s a business trying to make a profit. From the regulator’s point of view is an obstacle in the way of the competitors. These three views cannot be easily aligned. Something has to give, and it’s usually the public service element.

Today I worked 2.5hrs overtime just to clear all my workload. I could have said that I couldn’t do the overtime. But then the work wouldn’t have been delivered and it would still be there tomorrow. If we cannot do the work now,m how can we be expected to do it with less staff? And for the record, we are one of the offices that have access to the new all-singing-all-dancing sorting machines. Which don’t save us anywhere near as much time as we were told they would.

But at least for the moment, the strikes have been called to allow more detailed and meaningful talks to take place. It was interesting to hear on the news that Union would this time to negotiate with the management, whilst the management said they would push ahead with their plan of change. So they can’t even agree on what’s going to happen now. Doesn’t look to good does it? Let’s all cross our fingers and hope shall we?

 

[This post was delayed due to the fact that after getting home from work and eating, I fell asleep before having a chance to publish it!]

Everything Is Permitted

Ok so this may be a bit lame, but it’s late and I’m tired and I’ve got no inspiration for today’s post. So I’ve borrowed a meme that’s on a friends facebook page. Have fun reading it.

Ok, you gotta set your IPod to shuffle and write whatever song comes up underneath the heading…even if it sounds stupid!!

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY
The British Grenadiers
WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBES YOUR PERSONALITY?
4th of July, Ashbury Park (Sandy)
WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Grand March Aida
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE’S PURPOSE?
Learning To Fly
WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Going Down Town Tonight
WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
The Girls? The Leather? The Machismo?
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Good Girls Go To Heaven (Bad Girls Go Everywhere)
WHAT IS 2+2?
Exit
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
All non-starters really
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Original Sin
WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
One Tree Hill
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Wolf At Your Door
WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Night Is Falling
WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Crown Imperial
WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
It’s A Long Way To Tipperary
WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Amnesty Is Granted
WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
On The Run
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
You And Your Friend
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Night is Falling
WHAT’S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Sunday Morning Coming Down
HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Ever Glorious
WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
I’m Your Man
WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Freeway Flyer
WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Standard of St George
WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Please Forgive Me
WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
45 Seconds of Ecstasy
DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Calling Elvis
IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face
WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
The Rocks And The Water
WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Everything Is Permitted

What does that say about my taste in music then? The strange thing is, some of this could be true!

Oh, and thanks Heather!

Books

About a year ago I wrote a post about reading books where I listed all the books which I had started but not finished. Well I just want to update you happy reader on how I’m doing.

I’ve actually finished two of them: “The Transit of Venus” and “The Colour of Money”. I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t even picked any of the others up since last year.

However I have read several books in the past few months:

• Failure is not an Option by Gene Kranz.
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
• Lima 3 by Harry Ferguson
• A Beginner’s Guide to Stage Lighting by Peter Coleman

And I’m now making the effort to read and finish one book at a time. Eventually I’ll work my way through the list of part-read books, but not straight away.

My current book, which I have just started is The Castle by Franz Kafka. I think this is the third time I’ve started it, and this time I’m determined to finish it!

[I know this post is going to be dated for November 4 and not November 4, but as I’m still up, I reckon it counts!]

Filler

This is a cheat!

It’s almost midnight, and as yet I have completely failed to get any inspiration for today’s blog post. So as a last ditch attempt not to fall at the first hurdle, I’m writing this little filler. Trouble is, I’m not going to be able to do it again am I?

Hopefully tomorrow I’ll have better luck. I’ll definitely have more time (really?) so who knows.

I think I’ll read over some of my old posts and see if there’s anything I can follow up on or update you (there is someone reading this isn’t there?).

But for now, I think I’ve written all I can. So I’ll see you all tomorrow

November – blog post month (again)

It’s November again. Where has the year gone? Last November I managed to post a blog entry everyday. And failed miserably to continue the trend afterwards. So let’s see how we do this year. Again, I’ want to post an entry every day for the month and I want to see if I can continue in to December.

Like last year, I have no specific theme or plan to what what I’m going to blog about. I’ll not to make it too boring, but if I do then I’m sorry, come back the next day and see if it’s any better.

October was a really bad month for me personally, and I suspect that the beginning of November is going to be tough as well. Without wanting to get to depressing to start with, several people I knew passed away during the last few weeks, and I have the prospect of three funerals coming up in the next couple of weeks. I’ll do my best from get you all depressed though.

This week however sees the performance of Patcham Barnstormers’ latest production: A Night At The Movies. It’s a series of sketches and songs from various movies from the days of silent movies right through the fairly modern times. As usual I’ll be hiding away in the little room in the loft playing with the lights. I’ve had the normal run of problems that I seem to have at every show – not enough lamps, not enough power, not enough gels, not enough…. blah blah blah! But I’ll do my best. Eventually I’d like us to move out of the “it’ll do” situation and get us in to “wow!”  But I suspect it’ll be a long hard slog.

Well that will do for now. See you all tomorrow (hopefully!)

Reflections on NaBloPoMo

So this is it. I’ve made it to the end of the month and I’ve succeeded in making a post everyday. Yes I know some were drivel and at least one was just a “filler” for the day. But I don’t care, I managed to write something everyday, and that I’m pleased with.

I hope you have enjoyed reading (some of) the posts. I have had some comments left on the blog, and some of you have made comments in person just so I know you read it.

The big question now is will I continue? To be honest I don’t know. I will continue for the blog, but whether it will be daily or not is something I’m undecided about. As I’ve mentioned before (somewhere) I have plenty of ideas for posts during the day. But by the time I get to sit down in front of the keyboard, things are different. All inspiration just disappears, like a puff of smoke. I’ve always had a love/hate relationship with writing; I’ve always wanted to write, but usually find that two sentences in, I get bored. So this has actually been a challenge, and hard work.

I would like to continue posting each day, but without the pressure/excuse of NaBloPoMo I don’t know if I will. I’ll try though – promise.

Finally, there will be some changes to the blog in the next few months. At the moment I have two blogs, and I’m posting identical posts to both of them. One is hosted on Microsoft’s Live Spaces and the other is hosted by WordPress. I don’t really want to keep both of them going with the same content, so I will be moving over to the wordpress one permanently. What I’ll do with the live spaces one, again, I don’t know at the moment – it would be a shame to just abandon it.

Also at some point in the future, I would like to host the blog myself, giving me more control over it. But that’s still a fair way off, and more details will be posted when I know what’s happening.

So there we go, my final post for nablopomo is done. All I have to do now is hit the “publish” button I have succeeded! Yippee! Go me!

RAYNET

A couple of days ago I mentioned that I was a member of RAYNET. I realise that some of you may not of heard of this organisation, and so I would like to give you an insight into who we are and what we do.

RAYNET is a group of radio amateurs in the UK who are provide emergency communication services for certain agencies during an emergency. In the UK, radio amateurs are not permitted to pass third party messages except in an emergency. RAYNET evolved after the devastating east coast floods of 1953. During these floods, radio amateurs broke the terms of their licence and became heavily involved in message passing for the emergency services. Following this, the licence was changed to allow these messages, and RAYNET was formed to co-ordinate radio amateurs’ efforts.

Originally it was called RAEN (Radio Amateurs’ Emergency Network) until it was pointed out that these letters were actually the call sign of a Russian ship! So the name was change to RAYNET.

So what do we do. Our primary purpose is to supply emergency radio communications to agencies such as the Police, Fire Service, NHS Trusts, Voluntary Aid Societies (Red Cross, St John Ambulance etc) and local councils. However we also assist with training exercises for these organisations. And we also hold our own internal training exercises. We assist with things such as floods, air shows, plane crashes and general communication equipment failures. We also assist with more routine events such as marathons, horse rides and long distance hikes.

We are all volunteers, and do not receive and do not get paid for providing these services. Sometimes the organisations we have been working with make donations to the local RAYNET groups, and this can be used to either reimburse expenses or purchase equipment for use by the members. Generally, all equipment used is provided at the members expense.

So that’s a brief introduction to RAYNET.