Sheeples, the Conspiracy Theorists at work

The world's second worst leader Mr Bozo Johnson has said we're going into another lockdown, probably for 4 weeks, just as Christmas is around the corner. This is disastrous news. Sparkling Eyes has started to become a conspiracy theorist, to tell the truth I can't blame her, it would be easy enough to fall into but I'm not a conspiracy theorist and have a thing about intensely disliking those who peddle such things. I keep my cool about it after all this is the woman of my life and love. So we disagree but have fun in our disagreements and am called a sheeple. Mind, I think those who follow those nuts are sheeples. I have no doubts in my mind the world is dumbing down big time, because it's easier for right wing media to manipulate dumb animals than those who question a lot. Hence conspiracy theories created by people who know something isn't right and the dumbed media is playing them. However, they have lost the plot in themselves as rather than try and filter through the science and the facts they look to other people who think the same, but are not experts and make up their own theories of the world. They piece together little bits of information and make it all link up but it's not right. Whilst the big time theorist suddenly whip up their own Patreon channels and gaining a following. They don't expect everyone to pay for news, but it's a numbers game. Get enough of them to follow you and a few will put their hand in their pocket to pay for some extra morsels of information. It's a glorified Ponzi scheme on how to make money.

I studied a science based degree, high in statistics, it also required the critical analysis of journal articles posted by the latest scientists. From critical study classes the acronym JORIPIEF was stamped into our consciousness. It stands for Justification, Operationalisation, Replicability, Internal Validity, Presentation, Interpretation, External Validity and Final Analysis. At the end of the Critical Theory course we did a 6 hour straight up exam, reading through a paper and then writing an summary essay on the paper's findings. I doubt if there was anyone who didn't love the course. It really tested your mind and ability to pull apart a pier reviewed article not seen before. This piece of education I still carry around with me today and have done for nearly 30 years. It is  useful and I'm sure has made me more science conscious than the ordinary Joe Blogs who just accepts things. I even wonder why the heating engineer doesn't use the Kaizen principle of asking the 5 whys. Hence their being called out every year to fix the boiler. It makes me hold little faith in heating engineers, but my degrees were not in plumbing and fixing heating otherwise it would of been sorted. I mean, could I really sell such information to supposed experts? With the question "Do you ask yourself why, five times when fixing the boiler?" Why did this part break? Found the answer first time then ask again repeatedly until running out of answering  and the boiler was permanently fixed. The same goes for this age of information or as the Trump likes to call it fake news information, funny how he seems to be the generator of the most fake news about in American politics.

It is a odd time to be living in Britain. It's like the world of the internet has also come to a new and different age of development. It is the one of conspiracy theories, fake news, brainwashing and sheeple of all kinds who have self radicalised into one theory or another. The country is at war with itself over BREXIT and it's like we can't turn to the left or the right to find out what is real. The enormous majority of the voting public have not an iota notion of the scientific method, are unable to think for themselves or believe they are actually thinking for themselves when they are not. All because they have been fed a theory from a conspiracy theorist who likely has an inkling of a mental illness but goes about the country with their smart phone filming episodes where they challenge authority figures or police. They may even get arrested and released, but this only makes their followers follow more and bleet like a sheeple at the great unravelling of a mystery. Which isn't really a mystery at all it's a crack pot, tin hat, flim flam, loopy lou quality nut job. When challenging the conspiracy theorists they can't take the challenge either, they are fixed in a mode of thought which is to protect their dedicated hours of viewing brain decaying crap. 

It was with sadness I heard the death of the great James Randi, a man who I would of loved to have met. A man who took on the world of flim flam and found many who were willing to make money out of the naive, the ones wanting answers but not willing to put the time in themselves to find truth by science. One thing is for sure if the world carries on this way the human population will deserve to commit self harm and die off.  Well, you gotta laugh, if you don't you'd cry. 

We are made of start dust billions of years old and to which we will all return.

Shrinking Socks

Princess J is now 7 years old, she's big and she tells me she is old. I'll not say otherwise because in this household she is a Princess and she is also the boss. I have to do everything she tells me to do and sometimes I might not like to do it, but I still do my best to follow her instructions. Until the moment Sparkling Eyes rescues me and says I should not be acting like a doggy. Instead I'll eat the left over ice cream lolly Princess J can no longer stomach, it's handed over to me with the words "do you want this?" Lovely I think as the chocolate cornetto is devoured. Now if only I can remember next time not to get an ice lolly for myself because I've now had one and a half and that waist line isn't getting any smaller. Without knowing it she's a little feeder.

One thing about Princess is she wears small socks. On account of only being 7 years old. They would be small of course and as she's a pretty energetic sort of girl, running jumping and generally playing with joy as often as possible so her socks get dirty. I know this. I've seen them, at the end of the day a beautiful light pair of pink socks becomes very dirty with the soles approaching a dark pink come black. What gets me though is the size of her socks, the small size and this in turn is starting to reflect in my own socks.

It was only two weeks ago I bought 7 pairs of socks, each pair has the day of the week on them. Being a rebel this is not something to take much notice of, whatever pair comes to hand is the ones which will be worn that day. Some of these new socks have now been washed and I'll occasionally reach in the draw and pull out a pair. Except now they have shrunk to such as size they could easily be worn by Princess J. If they shrink any further then she'll not be able to wear them but her somewhat smaller 3 year old brother could. After having a show I pick up my socks and then it is like a tug-of-war trying to pull them over the toes and onto my foot. Now this is a problem I've got with T-shirts on account of them shrinking simultaneously as my belly gets bigger so the large t-shirt is now replaced by an extra large t-shirt. The remaining t-shirts I put on but I must admit they are a bit of a close fit and this 8 month pregnancy look doesn't do me any favours. Luckily I'm married not to Sparkling and she'll not go running off with a younger model. She actually likes the older fat dude, probably on account she's a feeder as well. Perhaps I should not be such an eater and the belly will reduce a little. Returning back to the issue of socks, what can be done to solve this problem? 

Maybe it's the manufacturers, they could be using a cheaper cotton, one which shrinks. Maybe it is my feet, maybe on account of getting fatter my foot size is also swelling up. Now there is a little truth to this as my shoe size has increased a little. Yet again I believe it is related to the manufacture of shoes and trainers but this evidence is now coming at me thick and fast. Bigger t-shirts, bigger shoes heavier weight on the talking scales which scream out "ya fat bastard" but ever so politely. No, my socks really are shrinking and they really are small enough Princess J could put them on except they are not the colour she'd normally wear. She likes unicorns and princesses and doggies. She also likes her Pops but I'm sure there's no such thing as a Pops sock she could put on. Sparkling though she loves so much it hurts when she doesn't see her. Awwe.

So what is the answer to the ever decreasing socks?

 

A Team Meeting with a bunch of Rebels

It was only yesterday I'd called a Team Meeting. The gang were going to meet up using MS Teams and it was necessary to use the dodgy office Wifi with my laptop. On account of an employer who employs so called big shots who think they know something about IT when in fact they know nothing. Neither can they find funds to provide staff with business laptops but other departments they do. The Covid had reached parts of the organization other pandemics just can't. Effectively most office workers had become home workers but  they used their own computers. This is a little annoying, for all those staff who have been shunted out had not been supported by giving them the loan of real work place computers. Instead what they all got  software to run on their computers in order to securely access the office systems. Some staff have old computers only a few steps on from the abacus. Others soon complained they didn't have large enough monitors and got eye strain, they would have to buy their own large monitor to work. Perhaps feeling  abandoned by an employer who wanted them to work but couldn't be half arsed. Or maybe it was the distaste of an edict from up high saying they all had to re-connect. Permanent office workers were demanded to attend the office, show their bright happy sneering smiles. Their rebellious grouchy side and face down their managers. For most it meant using public transport and the possibility of getting the Covid. Pissed off is a good term to use.

I'd prepared some minutes from a management meeting and was using them as an outline. They had already been sent out but to me it was clear staff don't read emails, and especially can't be bothered with attachments. They are also prone to forgetting stuff and need to be reminded. I know this because it is a common thing as a manager to have staff ask you questions which they should already know the answer to, if they had read that minute, email or attended the team meeting they should of been at. So I read through the notes in front of me and then at some point the workers decided they would rebel.  It began with one person, it's funny how it takes this one person with a bit of gumption to give a speech others to follow suit. Whereas individually they might be a little reticent, together it was a different matter. They had formed a group, a crowd and had things to say. I watched the video feed as my usual angry voice woman let her opinion be known. It's always the same tract of discussion and same points she makes so she's got it off pat now. We don't get paid enough, management don't know what they are doing, we don't have enough staff, we are being taken advantage of, why are we not supported. So much money is wasted here. She was on a role and I've learnt not to interrupt when this happens. At least ten if not fifteen minutes she moaned. She also said managers didn't care and just enjoyed job grade dishing out work. I could of taken offence to this, but she's right it is our job to give out the work so why on earth make a self-evident statement? Probably because she didn't think we did much. However, other members of staff then joined in and swung a few left hooks with a sneaky upper cut. Slow girl who takes forty minutes to sit at her desk and get a cup of tea in normal circumstances asked "why didn't I get short listed for her previous job in department Z".  Because your too slow, lazy and it would be too much effort to sack you, I might of said. Another voice piped up, but with a tongue in cheek smile "nobody is here to support us, who is in our corner". At which I could of laughed, all staff get a pretty good pay for what they do and seem to think they are worth more. It must be austerity. Also if they feel they are not being treated they have every opportunity to say so, to complain and to get their unions involved. Oh dear what a good grump this lot were on.

This wasn't a case of 5 types of difficult people at work this was a case of a full team of 12 difficult employees at work, giving the boss a kick around like he's a football. One thing I must state here as well. My team is full of women, and I'm a male. I've been at the job as long as them and they've all had the opportunity of being a manager when those managerial posts have popped up. It's just that I went for the job and beat the other applicants at it. It doesn't make me better or worse, we have an equality conscious workplace and if any member of the team felt it wasn't equal there are copious procedures which they could use. In fact one very troublesome woman who was incompetent at her job and didn't like to be referred to occupational health had fabricated lies against me and has been gently pushed sideways to another team. She's had at least four other managers she's done this to, she'd lasted the longest on my team. About 8 years before getting moved on. I just had to get that off my chest because no matter how easy my staff think my job is there's a hell of a lot going on in the background they are not aware off because of confidentiality issues and would raise their eyebrows to say the least. Personally I try to let them get away with as much as possible because they are a conscientious bunch even though a rabble at times. The thing which can give me a personal gripe is, I've worked in the private sector, and they want blood sweat and tears out of you for every penny they pay. As an employee you have no real rights regardless of what the law says, private companies will always find a way of sacking staff if they are not toeing the line even when the line towed is taking advantageous of the employee. As far as private companies are concerned the employee should be happy they are in a job shut up and get on with it. This is the reality I experienced before going into the Public sector.

And another thing. Public sector managers are expected to do multiple jobs, they are not just there to manage staff they have their own workload, are often the go-to-decision-maker when a member of staff doesn't know what to do. They are the on-the-job-trainer because the actual trainer is usually someone who doesn't do the job and then is expected to teach staff who do and so is a complete waste of space. Middle managers are the ones who take the impact of senior managers making demands and then have to take the impact of employees who have a different view of the world. Give us the tools that work and we can perform the job. Higher managers don't engage one to one with staff, don't know what is happening on the ground and have lost touch, they then make decisions which affect other staff and wonder why the reaction is what it is. The middle manager is the one who does their best to keep everyone happy. The middle manager has to be a HR expert because HR don't really do HR stuffthey are glorified interpreters of procedures but have never actually managed a team of staff and then tell you to get on with it. They are often in my experience not very helpful and don't take on a responsible role. OK that's my gripes out of the way. No wonder I love my team when they stick the boot in and show how pissed off they are. Now if only a couple of them would become union reps and demand action from senior fat arse managers who enjoy the pay but don't do the work. Holly shite, do I sound like my own staff?

 

The getting lost dream

I've had this dream before, sometimes there's a cycle when a certain dream will pop up. This is one of them. Mostly I don't remember what I dream, however, not getting a decent night's sleep can cause them to remain in memory. This morning, the dream lingered on. To the extent it had to be googled just to find out what it meant, or what someone's interpretation of it meant. After all dreams are roundabout ways of providing messages. 

Somehow I was trying to find my way back. Back to a place I was familiar with, but I was walking in an unfamiliar place. Past buildings and roads. looking around wondering if i was going the right way. I thought a strategy, it was like being on holiday and not getting to appreciate the surroundings, then when you get lost it's because walking back on what should be the same route you took, isn't the same. The reason is easy, you walk in one direction, so coming back everything is viewed from a different directly. I was in the dream and at the same time coaching myself how not to get lost. I also thought it was important to try and remember landmarks, certain buildings as these would aid the return trip. However, just like my mind was playing with me the thought arose those same landmarks would also look different from a different angle and direction. It seemed as if there were no way out of this slow walking journey of sleep to wakefulness.

The dream by the way is an indicator of anxiety, and the acknowledgement of being in the wrong place in your life. As if you should be in another place, doing something else. I thought about this and considered it's because I should be spending my life with Sparkling Eyes and the wonderful family I have in Scotland. A crazy family I miss every single day I'm not there.

Being Married to Sparkling Eyes

I love being married to Sparkling Eyes and will shortly be having a belated honeymoon in Budapest. We have never been there and each evening I'll spend a little time researching Hungary, whether it's the politics, or culture or trying to learn a little bit of the language. But trying to fit into a couple of weeks the full language will not happen. I read Hungarian words, I watch YouTube videos but then the things float away out of my head like they were attached to helium balloons. Please come back and stay in this brain permanently, but they don't so yet again another set of words has to be read or listened to or written down in the hope they will stay a little longer. Sparkling Eyes makes fun of my attempts to learn languages before we go on holiday and says the only thing I said when we were in Spain was Si, and nothing else. Which is probably true. sitting and practising a language at home is not the same as being in the actual country and speaking it, or trying to speak it.

We will be heading off to Budapest on the 14th February, Valentines day. It is the first time in twenty plus years we have actually had this day together in each other's company. This is because Sparkling's birthday is in January and I before that I also spend December and Christmas with her. It's been a long distant relationship for a long time, which is going to change. Because Sparking and my beautiful real family is now in Scotland not in London. But London is where the job is amongst other responsibilities. As a surprise I have brought a card which says to my darling wife. She had expected a wife birthday card and was a little disappointed when she didn't get one. Damn if only my mind-reading was dialled up a bit more the vibes would of come through this thick head.

I tell Sparkling Eyes I love her as often as possible, it is like a treasure which must be given every day. In turn Sparkling is the same. It is a lovely warm feeling to have the most important person in my world say this. Am I so lucky or what? Perhaps this is a hallo effect, the thing that happens when first getting married, however, we have been partners for many years. It's no sudden thing, it has taken many years to get to this place. A place I so love being and being in love.