Posts by Robyn Gallagher
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Seems like Russell had Global warming amnesia which blots out all the really cold occurences.
"Global warming" is a convenient label, but not all climate change caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere results in warmer weather.
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Ah, the phenom of over-used phrases in the news. Try Googling "bus plunge" for a giggle...
I did, which led me to this amusing and informative article over at Slate, The Rise and fall of the "bus plunge" story.
And that in turn led me to a website dedicated to chronicling actual bus plunges, complete with a "bus plunge of the month" feature.
As a result of this, I will now make all future pilgrimages on donkey-back.
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NEVER take a Receptionist job at a Massage Parlour/Escort Service.
Or "The receptionist job's gone, love, but we have another job you might be interested in, and it pays more. Here, have a seat and Krystelle will give you a tour..."
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There were four of us working on the call centre of the ISP's accounts department. We were understaffed at the worst of times, and this was one of those times.
That afternoon, I was at my scheduled lunchbreak (12.00 to 12.30, and you'd better be back at your desk by 12.30 so the next person can take their lunch break, girl), Donna was away sick with the flu, Selwyn was away from his desk processing a payment for a customer he'd just been speaking with, leaving only Trent manning the phones.
A customer had been trying to get through, but when faced with a lengthy wait time on hold, had hung up, phoned back and tricked a receptionist into putting him through to one of the directors. He then spent several minutes yelling at Jim, the director, telling him how useless his company was and how he didn't want to put up with that kind of terrible service.
Jim's response to this was to storm into the accounts area, yell at Selwyn and Trent, and inform our manager Louise that Trent, Selwyn, Donna and I were to all get written warnings for not taking calls. Louise managed to talk him out of giving the written warning to Donna, saying it was a little unfair to discipline someone for not answering calls when she was away sick. But I still got one for being away on my fiercely scheduled lunch break.
A couple of weeks later, Louise took me aside and said Jim had later told her that I probably shouldn't have got the written warning because I was quite a good worker. But, like, I still had it.
Selwyn, Trent, Donna, Louise and I had all left that company within a year.
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Happy birthday, and happy 20th computer anniversary, Russell!
I was trying to remember when I got my first computer, a Vic 20. It was a Christmas, possible 1983.
In the preceding weeks, my dad had waited until my brother and I were asleep, brought out the computer, and taught himself BASIC so he could make a "Merry Christmas" message appear on screen. I remember my brother was really excited, but I was all "Pft! A stupid computer thing..."
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The question is, is television giving us a shortened attention span (MTV generation, etc), or has the technology of television just caught up with the speed of human thought?
On a Screen Wipe episode earlier this year, Charlie Brooker looked at how the advent of digital editing technology in the late '90s changed the sort of telly that was made:
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Besides, that instrumental 'Flowers on the Wall' theme song rules. :)
In the '90s I had a conversation on whether this ruined "Reservoir Dogs" for New Zealanders or made "A Dog's Show" cool. No satisfactory conclusion was reached.
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Anyway, who doesn't want to see A Dog's Show again?
My memory of this programme is it was tediously dull and my parents always picked it over whatever was on the other channel. I watch some sheepdog trials at the Easter Show a few years ago and I was momentary entertained before I left and got a battered sausage.
Also, my Friends In England can testify that The Adventure of English is a really good documentary series. It unveils the rich history of our loveable bastard tongue. Also, Melvyn Bragg is choice.
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I can't believe people would prefer discussing politics over Facebook. What has the interwebs come to?
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A mouse. You're obviously too sleep deprived to think straight. Have another look in 18 years and it ought to be obvious.