The Quake and the media cycle

Forgot to say what I did notice with the quake is that for the print media it is tomorrows news. So their front pages were probably just finishing the print run when the big story of the day happened.

Another day where print media seems sadly helplessly behind the times. However, in their defence their analysis, editorial and commentary will be so much better than the digital versions.

Maybe it is time for newspapers to go weekly, I would be more inclined to buy one.

The day the earth shook and then I went back to sleep

Earthquake felt across much of UK (BBC)

For those of you unaware today there was a minor earthquake in the UK, for people from earth quakes zones it was a minor quake of only 5.2 on the richter scale. For the UK this is a big one, we only get one of these once every thirty years.

Of course the public and the media especially got all excited.

The quake happened just before 1 am and it woke me up. I am about 130 miles away from the epicentre of the quake. I could sense the room moving from side to side and stuff or the building rattling in the roof space.

The immediate thought was that it was an explosion like the Bunsfield oil one or an earthquake. I kind of decided it was a quake and then tried to remember what you did in a quake, stand under a doorway or get outside. This took about ten seconds to think about and then it stopped.

Electricity Still on.

All quiet, no immediate danger.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. I went back to sleep.

I am now off to fill in the British Geological Society Earthquake questionnaire on my experiences, contribute to the scientific understanding of Earthquakes in the UK.

Postal Code for earth

Should you be happening to be in Alpha Centuri posting home a postcard it may well be a mistake to post a letter to Earth.

After all there must be some hierarchy such as the name of the solar system and then the number of the planet away from the local star.

So it would be better to post your cards to 'Sol-3' (local name:Earth). After all that is how they seem to name planets in tv shows like star trek so why isn't earth known as Sol-3.

Ladders, Appraisals and funerals

Ladders

On my way to work this morning there was a ladder leant across the pavement against a wall. Rather than walk under the ladder I walked into the road and around it.

I would not class myself as superstitious although my previous paragraph would contradict me. I believe I'm just not someone that risks looking for trouble. There is enough to worry about in life than going looking for something extra. After all maybe the superstition about ladders is due to the number of things that drop on peoples heads as they go under the ladder.

As far as I can see best to minimise the risks and not take the chance.

Appraisals

Yes, its that time of year again when I write the work of fiction entitled "What I did at work this year". The annual appraisal is upon me again. The workplace is alive with works of fiction that could outsell some of the latest paperback novels.

Appraisals the system that was bought in to replace favouritism by bosses, so now the good writers among us can make up rubbish have it signed off by the same boss, but not there couldn't possibly be any favouritism, performance is all evidenced in the appraisal.

If you believe that, can I interest the emperor in a new pair of trousers. Cloth so fine you can barely see it (OK you cant mainly because it doesn't exist).

The reason I loathe the appraisal system is because linking it to performance pay they give everyone the dream that they could get a better pay rise than everyone else. In reality 90% of us get exactly the same pay rise but to compound it all you get the same grade as someone who barely turns up to work and everyone complains about. Whilst you beaver away getting the job done and enjoy moderate success.

Even worse about the appraisal at our organisation is that it has been refined to such management speak terms that no normal person can understand it but if you dare criticise the system you are an enemy of the organisation and clearly not a team player.

I call it the more cheese system, I turn up to work, complete my appraisal and press the button for more cheese. The system sees that I have pressed the button and rewards me with a small piece of cheese. Lucky me I am a fully trained organisational rat.

I have only two ways of subverting the system:

1) make the whole process hell for my manager, whine, moan, complain and drop in quotes about more cheese. This works quite well, although clearly I have to forfeit any chance of getting a superb grading in my appraisal although to be fair the chances of getting anyway was non existent.

2) After the appraisal has been signed off and the rating signed off there is a final comments box where I am allowed to put anything I want. (insert evil laugh here)

This year I am thinking a quote, maybe something by Ray Bradbury:

"There was always a minority afraid of something, and a great majority afraid of the dark, afraid of the future, afraid of the past, afraid of the present, afraid of themselves and shadows of themselves."

"If they give you ruled paper, write the other way."

Ray Bradbury quotes on wikiquote

I will chose between the two although the second quote from Fahrenheit 451 appeals to my sense of humour.

Funerals

The talk at work a while back was of funerals, the bit that stuck in my mind was about the choice of music. Its not something we like to think about but occasionally such talk leads us to wonder what we would like. These days pretty much anything goes from traditional hymns to rock ballads.

I would like a mixture of both. I would like to start with the hymn "For those in peril on the sea", I love the coast, never liked being on the sea, cant really swim much but its a good tune. Other hymns might include "Abide with me", "Guide me o though great redeemer" or if near Christmas I could quite go for an ironic sing along of "God rest ye merry gentleman".

If we are going modern I quite like rooftops by lost prophets preferably at architecture wobbling volume with massive bass bins.

"When our time is up,When our lives are done,
Will we say we've had our fun?

Will we make a mark,
This time.
Will we always say we tried. "
...
"All the love I've met,
I have no regrets,
If it all ends now,
I'm set."
...
"Standing on the rooftop,
Waiting till the bomb drops,
This is all we've got now,
Scream until your heart stops,
Never gonna regret,
Watching every sunset,
Listen to your heartbeat,
All the love that we've felt."
...

That would be a good sentiment to end on,

"When our time is up, When our lives are done, Will we say we've had our fun?"

University alumini - update your details form

Your current income level:

Under £25,000

£25,001 to £35,000

£35,001 to £50,000

£50,001 - £100,000

£100,001 - £200,000

£200,01 - £300,000

Over £300,000

Any statistician will tell you that creating categories must be meaningful, so that you get an even spread of items over each category. Which would suggest that a good proportion of ex-students earn more than £25,000.

These categories prove 2 things:

1. Going to university clearly leads to higher salaries.

2. I am not quite in the same league as many of my fellow graduates, ho hum.

Being Green and employment discrimination (CIPD)

This is not only interesting to HR people but everyone in the workplace. According to a CIPD news article in the 7 February 2008 People Management, the definition of what defines belief has been broadened.

"...the definition of belief to include any strongly held belief that affects an employee's lifestyle. This may include environmental concerns."

Thus if you felt strongly about green issues, perhaps campaigned in the workplace for recycling and then were discriminated against over a promotion because of that campaign you could claim discrimination under UK law.

The advice as always is to ensure that all decisions taken are justified. So continuing with the example you would need to justify why the company could not recycle and also prove that the promotion decision was made objectively.

The best way to make recruitment / promtion decisions is always to have a structured interview.

Snow Watch 2008

Well last week turned into a big non event, not unusual in the UK snow season. At one point the met office were predicting a 40% risk of severe disruption with up to 5 cm of snow in low lying areas. That quickly vanished and in the end not one snow flake was seen in Oxfordshire.

Anyway somebody asked why I do Snow Watch.

1. Its a scientific historical record of snow in Oxfordshire, for instance I know now in 2007 that the first snow fall of the year was on January 22nd.

2. I am still a child when it comes to snow, I used to live in the south west by the coast when I was a child. I saw an inch of snow twice in 18 years. In Oxfordshire where it pretty much snows every year I love every minute of it.

3. There is something magical about it, Walking while it is snowing, makes the world clean, dampens all the sounds including the traffic and you can make your own path in the snow and see where you have been. Tell me that isn't magical.

Admittedly if you have somewhere to go urgently or drive its a nightmare but sometimes you should stop and appreciate the beauty that is snow. It is a unique piece of nature and should be appreciated.