Bramblethorn
Sleep-deprived
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Naoko's news, views and shoes thread
- Thread starter NaokoSmith
- Start date
beachbum1958
Indolent Adventurer
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The only thing living inside a Haggis is an unforgettable, and not in a good way, eating experience, followed by an excruciating bowel movement; you have been warned...
Handley_Page
Draco interdum Vincit
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I think it depends upon whoever made it.
The 'traditional' types can be a trifle upsetting, though.
Glasses of good whisky are vital to the enjoyment, I reckon.
Lori_the_Hoosier
Dhampyre
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I think it depends upon whoever made it.
The 'traditional' types can be a trifle upsetting, though.
Glasses of good whisky are vital to the enjoyment, I reckon.
Will managed to avoid the whole 'Burns Night Haggis Disembowelling' circus week before last by sending his nephew in his place and overriding his protests by telling him it was his duty, and would be until he dropped dead from old age, so shut up and get on with it. We of course were safely huddled 600 miles away in our home with James' delightful little daughter, Farren, my own little Sugarplum Fairy, to keep me entertained and in full 'Spoil' mode.
Will always refers to Jan 26th as the Burns Night Booze-Up and Family Cage-Fight, he hates trundling all the way up to Aberdeen in the depths of Winter just to recite a poem over a sausage, so he shoehorned and manhandled and emotionally blackmailed poor, sweet James into his own Highland regalia (which I always thought he looked wonderful in, although he didn't share my opinion; he thinks he looks like an extra on the set of 'Brigadoon') and pushed the poor boy through the door with orders to get on with it, don't f**k it up, and try and not get killed.
James got through the toast, the grace, and the infamous poem, sliced up the haggis with a sword, avoiding even a sniff of that horrible thing, then he and his lovely wife Maria hid under a table while the relatives drank more whiskey than the 6th Fleet on shore leave and decided to reenact Culloden, this time with the Highland mob nutting the lowland relatives into submission, before they all escaped to roam the streets of Aberdeen looking for pubs that didn't have big dogs to keep them out. I think a good time was had by all, even the ones with no teeth left by morning...
James is in two minds about doing it again next year after all the leathery old great-aunts complimented him in that backhanded way nasty, bitter old women have, suggesting snidely that next time he should maybe have talked a wee bit with his granda' before taking on the role. Will's only comment was that he was standing there with an edged weapon, why didn't he make use of it, it's not like anyone's going to miss those old shrikes; I wonder about my husband sometimes...
NaokoSmith
Honourable Slut
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Dahlinks, je suis désolée . Although I have to say the French deserved the win, particularly considering the rather partial refereeing decisions including that no-try that even the Scottish comentators and I thought was a try.
Oh well, one must keep going somehow *sobs*
Gorza! good to see you again, and great news about the new job. Sorry about the lack of sex with the natives, although I thought that usually inspired people to write about it, on the basis that if you're not getting it you should make some up?
electricblue, Michael, Bramblethorn and any other stray Australians
HP and beachbum
Lori *hugs* (*hushed whisper* you mean whisky! without the 'e' - in Aberdeen at least)
It has been a weekend nearly as chaotic as the France v Scotland game. I was scheduled to teach in England - with the English coming over to Cardiff in the afternoon for the rugby, so I made a plan to go down and see my cousin in Plymouth instead of coming back into Cardiff. But then I got a bad head cold (again!). The last time I did a long drive, I fell asleep at the wheel so I hesitate to go out on the road unless I am at peak fitness, and I reluctantly scratched the trip to my cousin.
As I set off to get the bus and train yesterday morning, it was snowing. It was still snowing when I changed trains in Bristol, but luckily my next train was leaving from the same platform I had arrived at - which has a cafe on it. They were selling bacon rolls for £1.25, if you bought a hot drink I shall write a plaintive note on my expenses claim to say I think the university owe me a breakfast (as well as lunch) in the circumstances.
I had a packed lunch I had bought the day before from my local deli cafe. I explained I needed a receipt for the quiche and salad, as I could claim them, so Woopert the cafe owner ran up a receipt that read 'packed lunch' and which included the total amount of my shopping, ie the university are going to pay for my ground almonds and Maldon sea salt as well!
There was only one student! although three had signed up. (One said she lived on a very rural road and was worried about the snow, and another had had a sudden bereavement.) I did the tutorial for the one student, of course, and then I was able to get away earlier than anticipated. It was OK coming back, I think I hit a good time to travel; the train wasn't too crowded. I made it back in time for the second half of Italy v Ireland and for the Wales v England match - that was a cracker!
I do think Wales ought not to have fielded Cuthbert, and of course that kick downfield at the end was a dreadful error in judgement. But mostly I think the scrum halves weren't on the ball (ho ho!). They don't get to the breakdown as quickly as some other scrum halves, and they don't quite have the awareness of the game. At the 55th minute there's a moment when Rhys Webb pauses for a split second before throwing the ball out of the ruck. He pauses because there is an English player in the way! Greig Laidlaw would have snapped the ball out and banged it into the offside English player and milked a penalty. Back at the game, Webb missed Alun Wyn Jones - who was ahead of the ball by that split second, and hit Taulupe Faletau, who was clearly expecting to go in to support Alun Wyn Jones, not receive the ball.
OK, I will go mournfully back to my washing up now. The Fella gave me a box of champagne truffles for my birthday (among other nice things, like a bottle of very good Barolo), but I haven't the heart now. I thought Vern Cotter was being unduly pessimistic when he still said he was counting on two wins this Six Nations after last weekend, but perhaps he knows a little bit more about it than I do.
. Although I have to say the French deserved the win, particularly considering the rather partial refereeing decisions including that no-try that even the Scottish comentators and I thought was a try. Oh well, one must keep going somehow *sobs*
Gorza! good to see you again
, and great news about the new job. Sorry about the lack of sex with the natives, although I thought that usually inspired people to write about it, on the basis that if you're not getting it you should make some up? electricblue, Michael, Bramblethorn and any other stray Australians
HP and beachbum
Lori *hugs* (*hushed whisper* you mean whisky! without the 'e' - in Aberdeen at least
)It has been a weekend nearly as chaotic as the France v Scotland game. I was scheduled to teach in England - with the English coming over to Cardiff in the afternoon for the rugby
, so I made a plan to go down and see my cousin in Plymouth instead of coming back into Cardiff. But then I got a bad head cold (again!). The last time I did a long drive, I fell asleep at the wheel so I hesitate to go out on the road unless I am at peak fitness, and I reluctantly scratched the trip to my cousin. As I set off to get the bus and train yesterday morning, it was snowing. It was still snowing when I changed trains in Bristol, but luckily my next train was leaving from the same platform I had arrived at - which has a cafe on it. They were selling bacon rolls for £1.25, if you bought a hot drink
I shall write a plaintive note on my expenses claim to say I think the university owe me a breakfast (as well as lunch) in the circumstances. I had a packed lunch I had bought the day before from my local deli cafe. I explained I needed a receipt for the quiche and salad, as I could claim them, so Woopert the cafe owner ran up a receipt that read 'packed lunch' and which included the total amount of my shopping, ie the university are going to pay for my ground almonds and Maldon sea salt as well!
There was only one student! although three had signed up. (One said she lived on a very rural road and was worried about the snow, and another had had a sudden bereavement.) I did the tutorial for the one student, of course, and then I was able to get away earlier than anticipated. It was OK coming back, I think I hit a good time to travel; the train wasn't too crowded. I made it back in time for the second half of Italy v Ireland and for the Wales v England match - that was a cracker!
I do think Wales ought not to have fielded Cuthbert, and of course that kick downfield at the end was a dreadful error in judgement. But mostly I think the scrum halves weren't on the ball (ho ho!). They don't get to the breakdown as quickly as some other scrum halves, and they don't quite have the awareness of the game. At the 55th minute there's a moment when Rhys Webb pauses for a split second before throwing the ball out of the ruck. He pauses because there is an English player in the way! Greig Laidlaw would have snapped the ball out and banged it into the offside English player and milked a penalty. Back at the game, Webb missed Alun Wyn Jones - who was ahead of the ball by that split second, and hit Taulupe Faletau, who was clearly expecting to go in to support Alun Wyn Jones, not receive the ball.
OK, I will go mournfully back to my washing up now. The Fella gave me a box of champagne truffles for my birthday (among other nice things, like a bottle of very good Barolo), but I haven't the heart now. I thought Vern Cotter was being unduly pessimistic when he still said he was counting on two wins this Six Nations after last weekend, but perhaps he knows a little bit more about it than I do.
Hypoxia
doesn't watch television
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- 28,080
You have it easy. Not far from me, Oroville Dam (USA's tallest) could fail at any moment. Mandatory evacuations of 100,000 in cities 30 mi / 50 km downstream are happening NOW. Sacramento, capitol of the world's 6th largest economy, lies that same distance below the evac zone. Sac has been drowned before; it could happen again.
Historically, California's Central Valley was a series of large lakes much of the time. Early honky settlers found that Native American village sites tended to remain above water. The Valley's major cities are not located at such safe sites. Duh. More global warming, more atmospheric rivers, and we can kiss goodbye large cities, cheap wine, and almonds.
EDIT: An hour later, the mandatory evacuation is up to almost 200,000 folks.
Historically, California's Central Valley was a series of large lakes much of the time. Early honky settlers found that Native American village sites tended to remain above water. The Valley's major cities are not located at such safe sites. Duh. More global warming, more atmospheric rivers, and we can kiss goodbye large cities, cheap wine, and almonds.
EDIT: An hour later, the mandatory evacuation is up to almost 200,000 folks.
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Gorza
Literotica Guru
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Gorza! good to see you again
That's interesting! I find that personal experiences are fundamental to my writing. The weirdest is that I find myself thinking that I have to write about something during sex.
My electronic assistant, the Tinder app, is odd here. Lots of women put up pictures of their dogs. Sometimes it's her and her dog, but often it's a photo just of the dog. I like dogs, but I'm not into dating them! Luckily, the old-fashioned approach of going to a bar and being sociable still works in this hemisphere.
Handley_Page
Draco interdum Vincit
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- Aug 18, 2007
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- 78,287
So much for the following:-
"Meet 22,000 Gorgeous Women - Seeking Men for Love & Dating
Adlp.anastasiadate.com/
Get closer to beautiful women. Chat instantly & meet on webcam. Join free now!
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The dogs wouldn't be on the next Korean menu, would they ?
NaokoSmith
Honourable Slut
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- Jul 10, 2012
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- 9,973
Guys I have rushed quickly in here to share the latest management fiasco.
As you know, we have had to suffer an incredible amount of change to our ways of working, all of it extremely poorly co-ordinated and sometimes implemented with catastrophic ineptitude.
I have just had an email asking if any of us know of speakers for a series of seminars on change management. (To add to the insult, there is no email address provided to which we could all send lists of speakers able to tell people in no uncertain terms what a bunch of drongos they are.) The department concerned have decided to call this set of seminars 'The C Word'.
Seriously. I have not made this up. Just come from emailing the VC to ask his intervention (since no email for the actual department has been provided for us to write to).
As you know, we have had to suffer an incredible amount of change to our ways of working, all of it extremely poorly co-ordinated and sometimes implemented with catastrophic ineptitude.
I have just had an email asking if any of us know of speakers for a series of seminars on change management. (To add to the insult, there is no email address provided to which we could all send lists of speakers able to tell people in no uncertain terms what a bunch of drongos they are.) The department concerned have decided to call this set of seminars 'The C Word'.
Seriously. I have not made this up. Just come from emailing the VC to ask his intervention (since no email for the actual department has been provided for us to write to).
Gorza
Literotica Guru
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Guys I have rushed quickly in here to share the latest management fiasco.
As you know, we have had to suffer an incredible amount of change to our ways of working, all of it extremely poorly co-ordinated and sometimes implemented with catastrophic ineptitude.
I have just had an email asking if any of us know of speakers for a series of seminars on change management. (To add to the insult, there is no email address provided to which we could all send lists of speakers able to tell people in no uncertain terms what a bunch of drongos they are.) The department concerned have decided to call this set of seminars 'The C Word'.
Seriously. I have not made this up. Just come from emailing the VC to ask his intervention (since no email for the actual department has been provided for us to write to).
That email shows a total lack of leadership or any sense of strategy.
My favourite Oscar Wilde quote is "The only person who likes change is a wet baby".
oggbashan
Dying Truth seeker
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- Jul 3, 2002
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- 56,017
Guys I have rushed quickly in here to share the latest management fiasco.
As you know, we have had to suffer an incredible amount of change to our ways of working, all of it extremely poorly co-ordinated and sometimes implemented with catastrophic ineptitude.
I have just had an email asking if any of us know of speakers for a series of seminars on change management. (To add to the insult, there is no email address provided to which we could all send lists of speakers able to tell people in no uncertain terms what a bunch of drongos they are.) The department concerned have decided to call this set of seminars 'The C Word'.
Seriously. I have not made this up. Just come from emailing the VC to ask his intervention (since no email for the actual department has been provided for us to write to).
The missing C word is CONSULT.
Others might be:
Consider; Communicate; Cooperate; Cogitate; Cancel (the change)...
TxRad
Dirty Old Man
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Since you received the e-mail from someone, send the replies there. If there is no address listed, send the replies directly to the chancellor of the Uni and let him find out where they should go. I'm sure that would solve all further e-mail address problems from the top down so to speak.
ishtat
Literotica Guru
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Guys I have rushed quickly in here to share the latest management fiasco.
I have just had an email asking if any of us know of speakers for a series of seminars on change management. (To add to the insult, there is no email address provided to which we could all send lists of speakers able to tell people in no uncertain terms what a bunch of drongos they are.) The department concerned have decided to call this set of seminars 'The C Word'. .
I spent almost half my career as a contracted 'change manager'. The first thing to do here is to establish who suggested this series of seminars and push him/her off a cliff.
It's a talkfest designed to kick the problem down the road.If you establish a forum like that, it will inevitably turn into an ongoing shit fight. Widespread consultation is generally a waste of time because the consulted tend to be generous with their opinions, but totally uninterested themselves or unable to managing the problems - but boy can they give advice - heaps of it. Minimal consultation, one to one is useful however, for all sorts of reasons.
I did a Uni once and it was not an experience I would care to repeat. It took 3 times as long as it should have, and cost a fair bit but we made a lot of savings. Basically in stage one we eliminated 55% of central administration managers/staff, gave about half the ongoing savings to the schools/departments and told them they had a free hand except that anyone who went over budget would suffer. A few did - they suffered, but most did surprisingly well. A few proved surprisingly adept at raising funds when centralized management was taken away.
Tenure of long standing lazy senior academic staff was a bugger to fix. We had some luck by amalgamating/swapping some functions with another institution, physically moving some whole departments (Experience has taught me that if you move people's, 'oh so comfy ' place of work only a few miles a fair proportion will resign.)
I could go on all night giving further examples but would just say that the hardest thing of all to do is to change cultures. It is sometimes necessary to take out an entire department or set of related functionaries, because if you do not the remaining people will soon bring back the bad old ways. It is near impossible to change 'culture' ie. established practise.
But good luck and don't fight other peoples battles for them. It tends to make you a target, and when you need support they suddenly ain't there.
Handley_Page
Draco interdum Vincit
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Good Luck, Naoko.
R. Richard
Literotica Guru
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A reply for use by Naoko:
"Look what some idiot is sending, using your e-mail address."
"Look what some idiot is sending, using your e-mail address."
Bramblethorn
Sleep-deprived
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I got to use something like that recently! I sent something along the lines of "hey, you might want to change the password on your company account, looks like somebody is trying to hurt your business by posting stupid stuff from it!"
Bramblethorn
Sleep-deprived
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I'm not sure which possibility is worse: that they didn't realise what that would imply, or that they did and went ahead with it anyway.
stickygirl
All the witches
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It would be rude of me to post on my old thread without stopping by here, so here's some still-fresh red roses for y'all - you guys are all so fresh
https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/01/05/86/65/240_F_105866509_gqFQgVzxmC2Zrz1uWgfnvRzl1dXtpJ9L.jpg
Naoko
plus ca change huh? *hugs
xxx
https://t4.ftcdn.net/jpg/01/05/86/65/240_F_105866509_gqFQgVzxmC2Zrz1uWgfnvRzl1dXtpJ9L.jpg
Naoko
plus ca change huh? *hugs
xxx
Handley_Page
Draco interdum Vincit
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It would be rude of me to post on my old thread without stopping by here, so here's some still-fresh red roses for y'all - you guys are all so fresh
Naoko
plus ca change huh? *hugs
xxx
Good Evening, Jane
Handley_Page
Draco interdum Vincit
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Congratulations to Scotland over Wales in the Six Nations!
As long as England beat France. . . . .
CarlusMagnus
Literotica Guru
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- 1,184
Guys I have rushed quickly in here to share the latest management fiasco.
As you know, we have had to suffer an incredible amount of change to our ways of working, all of it extremely poorly co-ordinated and sometimes implemented with catastrophic ineptitude.
I have just had an email asking if any of us know of speakers for a series of seminars on change management. (To add to the insult, there is no email address provided to which we could all send lists of speakers able to tell people in no uncertain terms what a bunch of drongos they are.) The department concerned have decided to call this set of seminars 'The C Word'.
Seriously. I have not made this up. Just come from emailing the VC to ask his intervention (since no email for the actual department has been provided for us to write to).
This isn't a "management fiasco."
It's just another day in academia. (Trust me. I'm a 49-year veteran of that world.)
NaokoSmith
Honourable Slut
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Hullo all
Awww, Jane, thank you for the roses.
Can't believe Scotland beat Wales! I never thought they'd have the strength in depth. Feel quite hopeful about the Calcutta Cup match now! I am trying not to be too happy as I go round Wales in a Scotland top
Anyway - update on The C Word. Thank you so much all for your support in here. I mean, if a group of smut writers think that's bad, how bad can it be! (What would be the collective noun for a group of smut writers? Surely there must be a thread around here somewhere proposing some good names.)
The VC passed the hot potato to some strategic head of strategy. This Brain of Britain replied to me to say, "Oh no, he didn't mean ... what he thought I thought he meant. He meant 'The C Word' as in cancer."
I replied to say that was just as bad. However much I suffered in the recent changes to our teaching strategies, online tutorial timetabling system, electronic assignment downloading software, online tutorial software ... etc etc etc, I would never compare any of these to a debilitating and fatal medical condition. I said most of us have lost friends and/or family to cancer and this is not acceptable.
I posted on our tutor forums and got some others to email him too, and I believe there was a bit of activity on a central lecturers' forum, and he emailed back the other day to say he now recognised that this might have been a bit of an error in judgement and was going to change the name.
Plus, as part of the whole thing, I said that if they liked, I would come and motivate them by speaking at their seminar series - although as I am employed by them on some two-bit fixed term contract, they would have to pay me a professional fee to do this. I have had a long and positive conversation with someone who is organising the event, and she is going to think about setting up the series properly in the way I said it should be done. And I might go and talk to them if I can be bothered
Awww, Jane, thank you for the roses.
Can't believe Scotland beat Wales! I never thought they'd have the strength in depth. Feel quite hopeful about the Calcutta Cup match now! I am trying not to be too happy as I go round Wales in a Scotland top
Anyway - update on The C Word. Thank you so much all for your support in here. I mean, if a group of smut writers think that's bad, how bad can it be! (What would be the collective noun for a group of smut writers? Surely there must be a thread around here somewhere proposing some good names.)
The VC passed the hot potato to some strategic head of strategy. This Brain of Britain replied to me to say, "Oh no, he didn't mean ... what he thought I thought he meant. He meant 'The C Word' as in cancer."
I replied to say that was just as bad. However much I suffered in the recent changes to our teaching strategies, online tutorial timetabling system, electronic assignment downloading software, online tutorial software ... etc etc etc, I would never compare any of these to a debilitating and fatal medical condition. I said most of us have lost friends and/or family to cancer and this is not acceptable.
I posted on our tutor forums and got some others to email him too, and I believe there was a bit of activity on a central lecturers' forum, and he emailed back the other day to say he now recognised that this might have been a bit of an error in judgement and was going to change the name.
Plus, as part of the whole thing, I said that if they liked, I would come and motivate them by speaking at their seminar series - although as I am employed by them on some two-bit fixed term contract, they would have to pay me a professional fee to do this. I have had a long and positive conversation with someone who is organising the event, and she is going to think about setting up the series properly in the way I said it should be done. And I might go and talk to them if I can be bothered
A slight digression, but I think it's generally agreed that Brits and Yanks are equally fascinated by each others use of English. I found this on YouTube and it tickled me and I hope you find it amusing and educational
Naoko - I would beware invites to speak.. Greeks, gifts, Ides of March and that sort of thing.
Since no one else has mentioned it Happy Pancake day. Cover yourselves in ash and look guilty for the next forty days until Easter Egg day
Naoko - I would beware invites to speak.. Greeks, gifts, Ides of March and that sort of thing.
Since no one else has mentioned it Happy Pancake day. Cover yourselves in ash and look guilty for the next forty days until Easter Egg day
Last edited:
Handley_Page
Draco interdum Vincit
- Joined
- Aug 18, 2007
- Posts
- 78,287
Hullo all
Anyway - update on The C Word. Thank you so much all for your support in here. I mean, if a group of smut writers think that's bad, how bad can it be! (What would be the collective noun for a group of smut writers? Surely there must be a thread around here somewhere proposing some good names.)
The VC passed the hot potato to some strategic head of strategy. This Brain of Britain replied to me to say, "Oh no, he didn't mean ... what he thought I thought he meant. He meant 'The C Word' as in cancer."
I replied to say that was just as bad. However much I suffered in the recent changes to our teaching strategies, online tutorial timetabling system, electronic assignment downloading software, online tutorial software ... etc etc etc, I would never compare any of these to a debilitating and fatal medical condition. I said most of us have lost friends and/or family to cancer and this is not acceptable.
I posted on our tutor forums and got some others to email him too, and I believe there was a bit of activity on a central lecturers' forum, and he emailed back the other day to say he now recognised that this might have been a bit of an error in judgement and was going to change the name.
Plus, as part of the whole thing, I said that if they liked, I would come and motivate them by speaking at their seminar series - although as I am employed by them on some two-bit fixed term contract, they would have to pay me a professional fee to do this. I have had a long and positive conversation with someone who is organising the event, and she is going to think about setting up the series properly in the way I said it should be done. And I might go and talk to them if I can be bothered
Oh Naoko,
You are a real star.
I presume a "professional fee" has several zeros before the full stop ?
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