Friday, 14 September 2012
Meeting post
Now I don't mean to be cynical
But the advice I give to others in spoonfuls of positivity
whilst not quite clinical
To me there is not a wisp of recipricrocity
Charity does not begin on this home page
And I find myself in a sea of animosity
In an over worked under played kind of rage
Not I may add at the insitution
As I am the victim of my own excess
And the master of my own absolution
The creator of this fine mess
What I need is a personal revolution
For the record
Or a similar veneer
Create my own accord
Be self sincere
Slow down, back up relax
Learn to listen to my inner ear
Give my self some personal voice
Remove that sense of fail by fear
I really have to make the choice and not keep faking
That all is fine despite the stresses and turmoils
And understand that if it all about giving
There is nothing left for the taking
No perfect solutions just the spoils
Sunday, 2 September 2012
Blog a Job day
I haven't blogged for a long time; thinking about it, I blame the IPad and other frippery thathas distracted me from putting fingers to the computer keyboard. I had started with the idea that I would spend 30 minutes of my lunchtime writing about things that came to my mind.
I had set up the blog here after deciding that MySpace was not my space any longer after blogging there for over three years - I kept the blogs and looking back they document the highs, lows and middles of my life, the funny bits and the more serious side to me. I have kept in touch with the wonderful people I met via MySpace and added more along the way via FaceBook (which I despair of but keep a work front and a me warts and all under a exhumed name - dead to the world but with the wit not to stiffen.
The lunch time blogging idea didn't work; ostensibly because in the world of the over-worked (well maybe juggling act) me in the not for profit sector there is no such thing as a free lunch break. In fact that space between 12.30pm and 1.30pm is often taken up with trying to start or finish (usually both) stuff in between jamming a slice of toast or a banana in the old pie-hole and or depending on the kindness of colleagues to bring sustenance in the form of tea and whatever they happen to have that I may happen to eat. I call that happen-chance others might call it food for thoughtless..
Somedays I am good and have healthy delights such as dried fruit and hummus but left to my own devices, it tends to be something borrowed, something toasted and something that doesn't require me to al but momentarily lift my gaze from whatever is on the screen in front of me or miss the ping of the next email,. Speaking of those tantalising morsels of fear and loathing which I just have to open even though the little notification tells me who it is from and the subject line. I confess sometimes I leave them marked as unread as it is my only aide memoire that my inner goldfish has , the bold typeface helps my plan, do check act, act.
My concentration only wavers as I glance at my phone to ensure synchronised pinging, I have a new android phone and getting to grips with it involves the anxiety trail which comes from not trusting it to do what the old blackberry did. It is performing well and doesn't seem to suffer from the egg-bound egg-timer that plagued that bold little number I trusted to look after my diary and away from the desk emails.
Anyway, why am I back? Ego of course. Well something like that, one of my twitterati had a decko at my blog and liked it. Accordingly, I feel that I must muster my bluster and end this blog-jam.
Monday, 4 April 2011
Reflections in Cornflower Blue
Your beautiful cornflower blue eyes mum
What I would I give
To see them once more
Your wonderful selflessness mum
What I would give
For a crumb of your humility
Your incredible strength mum
What I would give
For its embrace right now
Your seeing the good in everyone one mum
What I would give
For than wisdom
Your dealing with hurt and pain mum
What I would give
To understand how
Your forgiveness mum
What I would give
To understand why
The chance to tell you mum
What I would give
For that joy
What I would I give
To see them once more
Your wonderful selflessness mum
What I would give
For a crumb of your humility
Your incredible strength mum
What I would give
For its embrace right now
Your seeing the good in everyone one mum
What I would give
For than wisdom
Your dealing with hurt and pain mum
What I would give
To understand how
Your forgiveness mum
What I would give
To understand why
The chance to tell you mum
What I would give
For that joy
Thursday, 30 December 2010
Whiter Shade of Pail
We sipped a litre of tango
Left buckets at the door
Minister Murphy was feeling kind of queasy
But the crowd yelled out for more
Their mood was getting darker
As the water didn’t spray
When we called out for another drink
The waiter he said nay
NIW CEO said there was perhaps a reason
And the quick thaw was plain to see
That he wandered through his playing cowards
But they would not let him flee
OFMDFM emerging
Who were reeling at his boast
And although our taps were open
They might have well been closed
And so it was that later
As NI Water told their tale
Their CEO was just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pail
Left buckets at the door
Minister Murphy was feeling kind of queasy
But the crowd yelled out for more
Their mood was getting darker
As the water didn’t spray
When we called out for another drink
The waiter he said nay
NIW CEO said there was perhaps a reason
And the quick thaw was plain to see
That he wandered through his playing cowards
But they would not let him flee
OFMDFM emerging
Who were reeling at his boast
And although our taps were open
They might have well been closed
And so it was that later
As NI Water told their tale
Their CEO was just ghostly
Turned a whiter shade of pail
Sunday, 28 November 2010
Tele-Phoney
I have been thinking about the impact of the mobile telephone on our lives. When they came out initially, they were beyond the pockets of most of us and only really the weapon of little choice of the very wealthy now they are jammed to the lug’ole or manipulated by the trigger thumbs of a person very close to you or indeed you.
I have decided for the sake of it to categorise the the diminishing grey cell phone junkies who populate every public place and are easily recognisable by their hen pecking the dust head movements as they glance down furtively to check text, text, check for missed calls or to just generally glance at the little screen to ensure that they haven’t missed that text or call by the signal strength dropping to one hazy notch. Ok phone tappers, this is your starter for six I am sure you can add some of your own to this wry look at the phone book :o)
1. The BLT (Belt loaded telephone) often accompanied by half mast trousers and brick-sized telephones wobbling on their hips like some out of shape Sheriff often accessorised by an equally bulky assemblage of keys on the other side. May be found wandering about DIY stores.
2. The DDT (Drug Dealing Twat) DDT is easily recognised by his plumage of white tracksuit and baseball cap shoved down so far on its head that it eyes are almost totally obscured. DDT will carry a minimum of 3 mobile phones one to receive calls, usually threats from his dealer, one to receive calls from his runners and one to ensure that his probation officer can reach him at all times to ensure he is staying out of trouble.
3.The NMB (New Model Barmy) NMB will only be seen with the latest model mobile and will flash it at all opportunities like car keys in a swingers party. NMB won’t bother using the phone much as his account has been frozen due to failure to pay its monthly contract NMB didn’t think about the cost of replacing its last model outside its existing contract.
4. The TP (Techno Prat) TP has no friends in it’s address book but gets off on demonstrating the key features of his telephone to it’s workmates or anyone else who will listen TP has fallen foul of the anti-stalking legislation and may relinquish his mobile telephone for the heady joys an ready boys resident in a HMP coin-operated facility in a town near you.
5. TT (The Twitcher) TT is noticable because it walks along carrying its mobile in the guise of a water diviner rocking it from side to side to ensure that all incoming messages know they are wanted and come in regularly. TT treats it’s moble like a clear blue pregnancy test and can predict each incoming text before it even misses a period (a message free period)
6. HW (Hoarse Whisperer) HW is evident by its overt covert usage of its mobile telephone to take calls incognoto HW tends to display its need for IPG (instant phone gratification) via frequent comfort breaks often attributed to bladder sensitivity
I have decided for the sake of it to categorise the the diminishing grey cell phone junkies who populate every public place and are easily recognisable by their hen pecking the dust head movements as they glance down furtively to check text, text, check for missed calls or to just generally glance at the little screen to ensure that they haven’t missed that text or call by the signal strength dropping to one hazy notch. Ok phone tappers, this is your starter for six I am sure you can add some of your own to this wry look at the phone book :o)
1. The BLT (Belt loaded telephone) often accompanied by half mast trousers and brick-sized telephones wobbling on their hips like some out of shape Sheriff often accessorised by an equally bulky assemblage of keys on the other side. May be found wandering about DIY stores.
2. The DDT (Drug Dealing Twat) DDT is easily recognised by his plumage of white tracksuit and baseball cap shoved down so far on its head that it eyes are almost totally obscured. DDT will carry a minimum of 3 mobile phones one to receive calls, usually threats from his dealer, one to receive calls from his runners and one to ensure that his probation officer can reach him at all times to ensure he is staying out of trouble.
3.The NMB (New Model Barmy) NMB will only be seen with the latest model mobile and will flash it at all opportunities like car keys in a swingers party. NMB won’t bother using the phone much as his account has been frozen due to failure to pay its monthly contract NMB didn’t think about the cost of replacing its last model outside its existing contract.
4. The TP (Techno Prat) TP has no friends in it’s address book but gets off on demonstrating the key features of his telephone to it’s workmates or anyone else who will listen TP has fallen foul of the anti-stalking legislation and may relinquish his mobile telephone for the heady joys an ready boys resident in a HMP coin-operated facility in a town near you.
5. TT (The Twitcher) TT is noticable because it walks along carrying its mobile in the guise of a water diviner rocking it from side to side to ensure that all incoming messages know they are wanted and come in regularly. TT treats it’s moble like a clear blue pregnancy test and can predict each incoming text before it even misses a period (a message free period)
6. HW (Hoarse Whisperer) HW is evident by its overt covert usage of its mobile telephone to take calls incognoto HW tends to display its need for IPG (instant phone gratification) via frequent comfort breaks often attributed to bladder sensitivity
Monday, 13 September 2010
Think before you hit "send"
This may be of some use.
This may be of some use
Communicating by email has wonderful advantages not least it is almost immediate, can be sent as both an internal document to colleagues and can be sent to a distribution list across the world at the push of a button.
Sending an email is easy - perhaps too easy; do we put enough thought into how we communicate and the implications of what we say in an email which perhaps we would not say in a formal letter?
Do we also commit to email knee jerk reactions and a tone that we later regret? Do we remember that what we say to one person in an email can be forwarded to 10/100/1000 others?
Many of our organisations will have email protocols but it is really easy to get lazy and the boundaries can get blurred.
There are some simple things we can do to prevent awkward situations or worse.
All work related communications require a degree of formality. It doesn't have to be as formal as Dear John
We can use Hello Jane followed by the message and finish with kind regards or regards. It is helpful to ensure that we have a signature with our contact details
For very formal communications it is always better to use a formal letter template as an attachment and with your electronic signature and the statement 'Sent Electronically' if you are following up with a hard copy by post say this.
For sensitive/confidential documents do not use the auto fill i.e. from a list that pops up as it is really easy to get the wrong person - better to use your address book function or type the receipent's address in manually than sending something that may be comercially or personally sensitive to the wrong person. Also remember when using distribution lists that these are group lists and do not singe out a person for your attention by telling everyone...
If you are responding or reacting to an issue/incident that you are concerned/annoyed about it is better to type up what you want to send in a word document, save it, take a break or do something else and then read it again - is the tone right or too strong/too emotional/too angry? once you hit the send button it is too late to retreive what in hindsight you would not have sent.
It is also important to archive emails that you may need later - for example an instruction you have given or a comment on a particular project. Your organisation may for example delete emails on your system after a certain length of time - if it's important then you need to look at how best to archive it. Emails might come back to haunt you but they can also provide proof of an action, you took, an instruction you gave etc.
This may be of some use
Communicating by email has wonderful advantages not least it is almost immediate, can be sent as both an internal document to colleagues and can be sent to a distribution list across the world at the push of a button.
Sending an email is easy - perhaps too easy; do we put enough thought into how we communicate and the implications of what we say in an email which perhaps we would not say in a formal letter?
Do we also commit to email knee jerk reactions and a tone that we later regret? Do we remember that what we say to one person in an email can be forwarded to 10/100/1000 others?
Many of our organisations will have email protocols but it is really easy to get lazy and the boundaries can get blurred.
There are some simple things we can do to prevent awkward situations or worse.
All work related communications require a degree of formality. It doesn't have to be as formal as Dear John
We can use Hello Jane followed by the message and finish with kind regards or regards. It is helpful to ensure that we have a signature with our contact details
For very formal communications it is always better to use a formal letter template as an attachment and with your electronic signature and the statement 'Sent Electronically' if you are following up with a hard copy by post say this.
For sensitive/confidential documents do not use the auto fill i.e. from a list that pops up as it is really easy to get the wrong person - better to use your address book function or type the receipent's address in manually than sending something that may be comercially or personally sensitive to the wrong person. Also remember when using distribution lists that these are group lists and do not singe out a person for your attention by telling everyone...
If you are responding or reacting to an issue/incident that you are concerned/annoyed about it is better to type up what you want to send in a word document, save it, take a break or do something else and then read it again - is the tone right or too strong/too emotional/too angry? once you hit the send button it is too late to retreive what in hindsight you would not have sent.
It is also important to archive emails that you may need later - for example an instruction you have given or a comment on a particular project. Your organisation may for example delete emails on your system after a certain length of time - if it's important then you need to look at how best to archive it. Emails might come back to haunt you but they can also provide proof of an action, you took, an instruction you gave etc.
Sunday, 5 September 2010
Heartbeat Hotel
My colleague and I were in Liverpool for an interim meeting with some of our European partners prior to the meeting at the end of this month that we have with the full group in Copenhagen.
I haven't spent time in Liverpool for quite a few years and the changes for the better are evident by the improvements to the city centre and the general vibrancy of the place. We arrived around 5pm after the short 35 minute flight from Belfast and had a lovely dinner in Bella Italia before wandering around the city centre priort to hitting the hay.
Friday was busy we had a very productive co-ordinators meeting in Toxteth Town Hall which is now a multi purpose building in community ownership. Many people will remember the Toxteth riots which happened in 1981 as a result of the tension between the police and the local community - the police had then a propensity for stopping and searching young black men and one such stopping and searching and brutality towards one young man ignited a spark... To be honest coming from where I come from riots were and are the norm and with two young children and a baby on the way I didn't take much notice at the time.
When we were going through Liverpool's China Town to the Town Hall our colleagues Joshua and Margaret described in detail how this deprived area had worked to restore community cohesion and pride. The refurbishment of the Town Hall had been primarly the work of one woman who had been long term unemployed and dependent on welfare benefits for many years - she had suddenly thought that something needed to happen and through her efforts it was now a vibrant community hub.
Dinner was in Bistro Jacques, veggie friendly and not breaking the bank. We had good fun and it was so nice to see the humour travelling across 7 nationalities and goodness knows how many cultures. Some of our colleagues headed for the delights of Matthews Street and the pubs and music venues, and the remainder headed back to the hotel - The Holiday Inn right opposite Lime Street Rail Station. The hotel looked a bit dreary on the outside but inside it was lovely and the staff were efficient, helpful and friendly. We had a night cap in the almost empty hotel bar and a bit of additional chat and banter before heading to bed.
I found it hard to get off to sleep and watched the news about the earthquake in New Zealand before finally settling around 2.30am - there was a bit of revelry passing my room but nothing more than people enjoying themselves on the way to bed after a good night out.
I was wakened at 4.57am (I looked at the LCD on the TV) "Hello this is Michael from Reception, sorry to disturb you... we have had reports of an accident outside your room... could you please check..."
"Michael" had a Northern Irish accent... was polite and professional and me in my state of half asleepedness didn't register the very oddness of the hotel ringing a guest about something like an accident report. I got up went to the door and opened it slightly - there was nothing on the landing and I closed the door ... when it hit me in the guts just what I had done.
I went back to the phone and said, "I have looked out there is nothing there" "Michael then said, you sound very shaken, are you on your own, would you like someone to come and talk to you?" By this stage the penny was starting to drop with me and I realised the danger I had put myself in. I said, "yes well I am at bit alarmed at being wakened at 5am by the telephone" "Michael" then said "what is your room number?" that nailed it for me... my reply was "You should know my room number " he said "512" to which I said, "No" and the line went dead. I was in 518 3 rooms out. The enormity of what could have happened to me hit.
I phoned reception and of course there was no "Michael" and I reported what had occurred and was reassured that security would patrol the floors etc. I didn't sleep and felt sick with anxiety.
I phoned SO at 8am and explained what had happened and he told me to go down to reception ask for the duty manager and to register a formal complaint and to ask for the police to be informed. He also told me to ask the hotel to get their telephone logs and to identify which rooms had made calls in that time zone... a big hotel group billing every second should be able to mine their data logs. I did this and the duty manager was very helpful and apppropriately concerned. They will get back to me tomorrow.
I am so sick to my stomach and reckon I had a lucky escape as undoubetedly "Michael" may have had another "Michael" with him. I can't help wondering if there was robbery, assault, sexual assault or all 3 on the cards - I doubt he wanted to discuss the weather. I am also thinking if there have been other women not so lucky in other hotels in other cities when called by "Michael from reception"
I am nobody's fool, I like to think I understand personal safety and risk, I only had a glass of wine all evening and I keep on asking myself WTF I got sucked in by such a confidence trick?
Was it my awoken with a start state in unfamiliar surroundings?
Was it my lulled into a comfort zone by his Northern Irish accent?
Was it my natural desire to help on being told report of an accident?
Or a combination of all three. I thank my stars that I caught on at the second stage and didn't give my room number out - thinking back he didn't use my Name Mrs Russam...
It transpired that other rooms had received calls which should have made me feel better that his/their approach was random but somehow it didn't. Also, the chain on the door didn't work though I doubt I would have used it.
The hotel have stated that all calls between rooms after midnight will now go through reception so hopefully no poor sod will have to face what I did.
I have always encouraged my colleagues to follow the guidelines set by the Suzie Lamplaugh trust and to consider their personal safety when working alone or with new clients even down to room layout and report whereabouts and never visiting a client at home etc - we even have personal alarms. I shall be taking mine next time I travel.
Friends and colleagues this is a stark reminder that our personal safety can be compromised at any time even if we think we are cool about not taking risks. Tell your friends and colleagues or families who may be travelling about my experience and not to get complacent about things - people that want to rob us or hurt us never are.
I haven't spent time in Liverpool for quite a few years and the changes for the better are evident by the improvements to the city centre and the general vibrancy of the place. We arrived around 5pm after the short 35 minute flight from Belfast and had a lovely dinner in Bella Italia before wandering around the city centre priort to hitting the hay.
Friday was busy we had a very productive co-ordinators meeting in Toxteth Town Hall which is now a multi purpose building in community ownership. Many people will remember the Toxteth riots which happened in 1981 as a result of the tension between the police and the local community - the police had then a propensity for stopping and searching young black men and one such stopping and searching and brutality towards one young man ignited a spark... To be honest coming from where I come from riots were and are the norm and with two young children and a baby on the way I didn't take much notice at the time.
When we were going through Liverpool's China Town to the Town Hall our colleagues Joshua and Margaret described in detail how this deprived area had worked to restore community cohesion and pride. The refurbishment of the Town Hall had been primarly the work of one woman who had been long term unemployed and dependent on welfare benefits for many years - she had suddenly thought that something needed to happen and through her efforts it was now a vibrant community hub.
Dinner was in Bistro Jacques, veggie friendly and not breaking the bank. We had good fun and it was so nice to see the humour travelling across 7 nationalities and goodness knows how many cultures. Some of our colleagues headed for the delights of Matthews Street and the pubs and music venues, and the remainder headed back to the hotel - The Holiday Inn right opposite Lime Street Rail Station. The hotel looked a bit dreary on the outside but inside it was lovely and the staff were efficient, helpful and friendly. We had a night cap in the almost empty hotel bar and a bit of additional chat and banter before heading to bed.
I found it hard to get off to sleep and watched the news about the earthquake in New Zealand before finally settling around 2.30am - there was a bit of revelry passing my room but nothing more than people enjoying themselves on the way to bed after a good night out.
I was wakened at 4.57am (I looked at the LCD on the TV) "Hello this is Michael from Reception, sorry to disturb you... we have had reports of an accident outside your room... could you please check..."
"Michael" had a Northern Irish accent... was polite and professional and me in my state of half asleepedness didn't register the very oddness of the hotel ringing a guest about something like an accident report. I got up went to the door and opened it slightly - there was nothing on the landing and I closed the door ... when it hit me in the guts just what I had done.
I went back to the phone and said, "I have looked out there is nothing there" "Michael then said, you sound very shaken, are you on your own, would you like someone to come and talk to you?" By this stage the penny was starting to drop with me and I realised the danger I had put myself in. I said, "yes well I am at bit alarmed at being wakened at 5am by the telephone" "Michael" then said "what is your room number?" that nailed it for me... my reply was "You should know my room number " he said "512" to which I said, "No" and the line went dead. I was in 518 3 rooms out. The enormity of what could have happened to me hit.
I phoned reception and of course there was no "Michael" and I reported what had occurred and was reassured that security would patrol the floors etc. I didn't sleep and felt sick with anxiety.
I phoned SO at 8am and explained what had happened and he told me to go down to reception ask for the duty manager and to register a formal complaint and to ask for the police to be informed. He also told me to ask the hotel to get their telephone logs and to identify which rooms had made calls in that time zone... a big hotel group billing every second should be able to mine their data logs. I did this and the duty manager was very helpful and apppropriately concerned. They will get back to me tomorrow.
I am so sick to my stomach and reckon I had a lucky escape as undoubetedly "Michael" may have had another "Michael" with him. I can't help wondering if there was robbery, assault, sexual assault or all 3 on the cards - I doubt he wanted to discuss the weather. I am also thinking if there have been other women not so lucky in other hotels in other cities when called by "Michael from reception"
I am nobody's fool, I like to think I understand personal safety and risk, I only had a glass of wine all evening and I keep on asking myself WTF I got sucked in by such a confidence trick?
Was it my awoken with a start state in unfamiliar surroundings?
Was it my lulled into a comfort zone by his Northern Irish accent?
Was it my natural desire to help on being told report of an accident?
Or a combination of all three. I thank my stars that I caught on at the second stage and didn't give my room number out - thinking back he didn't use my Name Mrs Russam...
It transpired that other rooms had received calls which should have made me feel better that his/their approach was random but somehow it didn't. Also, the chain on the door didn't work though I doubt I would have used it.
The hotel have stated that all calls between rooms after midnight will now go through reception so hopefully no poor sod will have to face what I did.
I have always encouraged my colleagues to follow the guidelines set by the Suzie Lamplaugh trust and to consider their personal safety when working alone or with new clients even down to room layout and report whereabouts and never visiting a client at home etc - we even have personal alarms. I shall be taking mine next time I travel.
Friends and colleagues this is a stark reminder that our personal safety can be compromised at any time even if we think we are cool about not taking risks. Tell your friends and colleagues or families who may be travelling about my experience and not to get complacent about things - people that want to rob us or hurt us never are.
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