usual bollocks

May 18, 2018

Bullying ? No just joking ….. who’s laughing?!

So bullying is in the news again. Hate to say it (again) but bullying is endemic in our society and is often portrayed as a positive in the media, enjoying celebrity chefs that berate their staff. Programmes such as the Apprentice and Dragons Den encourage people to be dismissive and contestants use phrases like ‘my feet kick butt’ or ‘ I don’t care I just get the job done!’ and similar jingoistic nonsense. Even Mastermind is more interrogation than quiz.

As a freelancer I have had to put up with humorous remarks being made about me in a disadvantaged position where responding could damage my business prospects. Being named and blamed in front of 700 staff for minor technical problem which no one could’ve foreseen and that happened over a year earlier – yes it was done as a joke, of course ……. yeah.

How often is bullying excused as ‘teasing’ or just a joke? Too bloody often.

Out of work dealers….

May 12, 2018May 11, 2018

Thoughts on ‘Choice’

Politicians, particularly on the right, are constantly talking about the necessity of choice – ‘Consumers want choice!’ but what does that mean in reality?
In the first 20 years of my life, the number TV channels increased from 1 to 2 to 3. Freeview now offers me several hundred channels which my TV guide shows 13 channels 6 of which are showing at least 3 episodes of the same programme and two of which are showing 8 episodes of the same series. Another channel is showing a feature film we watched on a different channel last week – so where is the choice? I realise that the current plethora of TV channels and Internet sources has swallowed 100 years film production in no time at all but again I ask where is this choice?

I also recently heard some ‘food snob’ deprecating the large number of people who eat the same lunch at work every day. What is wrong with that ? Stress is often linked to decisions and the number we have to make every day. Now if you are a food writer making an avocado and blueberry dip to go with your freshly baked sourdough sandwich with quinoa and seed salad washed down with a strawberry and Persimon smoothie, this is not just your lunch but also forms a part of your work but please if I need a quick lunch whilst working on a complex task allow me the freedom to eat a £3 deal cheese and onion sandwich with a packet of crisps and a bottle of water even if it is for the fourth or 15th day in a row!