Post your random thoughts.

Like Pac-Man? I liked Amsoft soundtracks; they were always ripped-off movie themes.

Winnie the Pooh is being banned from Polish playgrounds because he's half-naked, apparently.

I support this move. Its obvious that the Poles are literally oppressing proud noble Britons by stealing their proud heritage. It's about time that the Polish stop literally culturally appropriating from British people of colour, see.

That colour being yellow, presumably?

Pacman? Eh, no.

More like this.

edited 22nd Nov '14 8:34:40 AM by LiorVal

@ Jonesy. Of course. Proud yellow British bears are being oppressed by the Poles.

That ranks pretty highly on my list of sentences I did not expect to read today.

I remembered something the medieval historians like to say. They say that in a manner of speaking, all knights were men-at-arms, but not all men-at-arms were knights. Why was that?

Well they could be barbarians too.

edited 22nd Nov '14 8:59:04 AM by Naspah

Well, a man-at-arms is, in its most literal sense, simply 'a professional armed man'.

Because knights were sort of full-time dudes, whereas non-knight MAA were also other things as a day job. Or that's how I interpret it.

,,&Oh yeah, you're right. I didn't think of that. Thanks. :)

I probably just emailed myself straight into boiling hot water.

Eh?

I just sent the head of my organisation (and every other member of staff) the following:

Sir,

Might I draw your attention to remarks made by one Keith Oliver in a newspaper article recently?

Here is the link:

http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/Minister-promises-fresh-look-coastguard-station/story-24592144-detail/story.html?email-tobe-verified=true

In case the link doesn't work, the relevent text reads thus:

"Keith Oliver, the MCA’s head of maritime operations, responded to campaigners’ criticisms of understaffing and the use of inexperienced recruits by saying that ‘there are no inexperienced officers at the Fareham centre’ and understaffing is not an issue because ‘a higher calibre of staff had now been recruited to replace those who have left the service".

I'm sure you will agree with me that not only does this show a startling lack of respect for the watchkeepers who are actually the most vital members of this organisation, but also a staggering lack of skill at dealing with the press and an alarmingly poor grasp of reality if he genuinely believes that newly-recruited MO Os can honestly be described as 'experienced' staff.

How can we, the people who do all the actual work, be expected to have any faith in or respect for a man who clearly has none for us? Surely he missed the lecture at Sandhurst about respect and loyalty having to flow both up and down the chain of command? Indeed, he seems even to have forgotten the establishment's motto: 'Serve To Lead', and is apparently unaware that his one and only purpose in this organisation is to make sure that we are able to perform our duties to the best of our abilities; I fail to see how that is accomplished by his taking such low, despicable digs at the character and abilities of our erstwhile colleagues and telling such barefaced lies to the public about the level of experience present at Fareham. To be frank, he is poison for morale and his remarks will hardly slow the agency's haemorrhaging of good, experienced people around the coast.

I have copied this to every watchkeeper, as it is only fair that they know in what low regard they are held by the agency's senior management- I dare say if any are still undecided about leaving, this may make up their minds- and also so that everyone will know why, should I suffer any retaliation, as I fully expect I shall.

I shall leave this matter in your hands and await further developments with great interest, if little faith.

Regards,

Don't mind me. Crying over The Last Goodbye. You know, that song they are putting at the end of the last Hobbit movie that's sung by Billy Boyd.

I have never been so overwhelmed with feels in my life.

Wow. What do you think will happen?

So far I've had supportive emails from other stations...but honestly, I really have no idea. It won't be good, though.

But if they do nothing, will you quit?

I can't, not with two kids and no new job lined up. I am looking, though.

When is Sproglet #2 due?

edited 22nd Nov '14 12:14:34 PM by Tools

March. I'm looking forward to it, but I really need to find us a bigger home.

Always a problem. My parents had to convert the office in our house into a bedroom when they realised that I was going to pop out.

edited 22nd Nov '14 12:14:01 PM by Tools

We only have three rooms- not counting the bog- and they aren't big ones. Sproglets will need 1 each in time.

Omg, you're going to get another sproggy?

That's so coooool!

What, you've missed this, Hopey?

Yeah, that's not fun having to deal with. I shared bedroom with one of my sisters during my teenage years, wasn't great.