Becky's ramblings
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beckyL's LiveJournal:
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| Saturday, June 13th, 2009 | | 1:08 pm |
On humour
Some of my friends list are fairly experienced in creating forms of humour and presenting them to some form of audience. You've all found things funny at some point. You may have had the experience of wince-inducing comedy, or been offended by particular jokes. I'm sure there are sensible essays out there on all the many forms of humour, but I haven't had the time or patience to google them and read them, so I'd rather solicit your opinions. Am I alone in noticing that more and more humour seems to be based on cruelty? Am I just becoming more sensitive to the fact? I've usually had problems watching movies like 'There's Something about Mary' 'American Pie', those sorts of things. I find I cringe, wince and am made uncomfortable by the humour in them, rather than laughing. In the past, I've tentatively put this down to an excess of empathy for the hapless characters preventing me enjoying their misfortunes, but that could be waffly rubbish. Have I only just noticed that most mainstream humour is an extension of laughing at someone else's misfortune? ETA: I'm well aware that this form of humour exists, and has existed at least since Aristophanes was writing comedy. What I'm wondering, in a woolly sort of way, is whether it's more prevalent recently? | | Saturday, May 30th, 2009 | | 10:31 am |
Cat update
She has a temerature of 41 degrees. Not a well cat. Anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, rest, fluids and I'll try and find some nice food for her. Pate or smoked salmon trimmings is usually a good cheap treat. Darrell should be in shortly. Current Mood: less anxious | | 9:52 am |
Things all together, at once
Splodge is ill, and is being taken to the vets by Darrell as I type. She's lethargic, has no strength in her back legs, and has spent the past couple of days curled up in her box not doing very much. My Saturday minion has phoned in at least temporariliy sick. We're running a fairly complex event today, which I'm expecting at least a dozen people for, and need Darrell to run it. It's not yet ten o'clock, but today feels ominous... Current Mood:  anxious | | Friday, May 15th, 2009 | | 11:56 am |
| | Saturday, May 9th, 2009 | | 11:13 am |
Whimper
I'm running what should be a major Magic tournament today. Apparently there are two other, more attractive, major Magic tournaments also running today. I have 7 players, so I have co-opted my Saturday minion to make up numbers. 8 people is a viable tournament, but Really Really Disappointing. Next week should be better. I hope. Current Mood:  disappointed | | Wednesday, April 29th, 2009 | | 3:04 pm |
| | Sunday, April 26th, 2009 | | 4:56 pm |
Not going home at six.
More likely 7.30 by the time everything finishes. Money = Good. Long Tournament days = Suck. | | 4:34 pm |
No Pompom cats
Today does not contain Pompom cats. I am in an 'out of sorts' mood, which is busy being uncharitable, irritable, and wondering if things will get better at 6pm when I can go home. I am peopled out, I think, from large tournaments both days and a late night last night. Unfortunately, I have to be in work tomorrow, and don't get time off until Tuesday. | | Saturday, April 25th, 2009 | | 8:02 pm |
From times long gone...
Today I rediscovered a lost skill from my childhood - that of making pompom animals. Today I made a brown hedgehog. Tomorrow might lead to pompom cats. Current Mood:  accomplished | | Friday, April 24th, 2009 | | 1:41 pm |
Sales tactics
Prompted by a call just now, I have some thoughts on selling thing, sales tactics, and repeat business. There is a type of cold call that not only won't get my business, but will cause me to take note of the company name, and try to prevent them getting business from anybody I know. It's the one where they start off with 'I spoke to you 3/6 months ago/last year and...' This is inevitably the start of a bullying sales pitch that tries to convince me that I've already agreed to something, and that this call is just confirming the details so I can be billed for it. Culprits are usually trying to sell me advertising space on a wallplanner "with a distribution of 2.5 million copies to local schools and businesses", in a magazine associated with a good cause such as 'Police' or 'Drugs Awareness', but today's was a Surveyor, wanting to get me to do a business rates appeal in the light of the new business rates coming in in April. Unfortunately, I didn't get the name of the company, so I can't warn the lot of you never to go near them. Is there a good business reason for this type of practice, or is it a feature of a target-driven low-ethics-type company with (I presume) high staff turnover? I have an elusive memory of someone telling me it was in fact illegal, but that might be made up out of whole cloth. Is the model that we use in the shop, that of selling a person a game which matches their stated needs, which they will hopefully enjoy and then come back and buy another one just not valid in advertising? I appreciate that we are a 'you come to us' business, so anyone who walks through the door can be assumed to have an interest in what we sell, rather than needing to 'go out and get' business. I have never tried to sell advertising and don't necessarily know the business model, but I'd imagine it's involves a lot more 'no I'm not interested' responses. | | Thursday, April 16th, 2009 | | 2:05 pm |
One for especially for Venta (but the rest of you can join in too...)
Leeds castle is a great place to wander round on holiday. As well as all the standard gardens, beautiful stately home, culture and history bits, it had one or two things that really made me smile. You can go on Segway tours round the grounds. They have a white peacock. They have a Duckery, inhabited by all sorts of waterfowl, including both Ducks and Black Swans. And it's got a Dog Collar museum! including one engraved brass affair stating "Do not stop me, let me jog, for I am PUGGET the Marquis of Granby's Dog!" There was also falconry, an aviary, sausage-inna-bun, and pleasant weather. Holiday for me is an overdue thing which is turning out to be very pleasant. I had forgotten how nice it is to be completely away from work. Thus far, it has mostly involved relaxing, good food, reading, and possibly scary amounts of Pokemon Pearl on the DS. Being away from people he needs to be polite to seems to be being good for D too. | | Thursday, March 26th, 2009 | | 11:12 am |
| | Saturday, February 28th, 2009 | | 12:27 pm |
Today is passing to the refrain of "Don't sit on my tables!" Numpty quotient is not as high as predicted, but not zero. | | Friday, February 13th, 2009 | | 6:30 pm |
I need some music recommendations
I'm enjoying listening to Leftfield's Leftism, and Madonna's Ray of Light album. I would like to listen to more of this style of music. Educate my ignorance, and give me recommendations as to what else I should be looking for please? Context - These are providing very good stuff to listen to whilst I'm doing masses of data entry related to accounts, VAT and other nasty nummber things. | | Friday, January 30th, 2009 | | 10:33 am |
VAT and other delights
Today is going to be spent doing a VAT audit of the business records. Somewhere along the line, the VAT man thinks I've made an error, so I'm going looking for it. [insert witty/despairing quote about 'I may be some time' or 'Send search parties' if you feel it is required] Current Mood: procrastinating | | Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 | | 9:59 am |
LOTS of people!
We ran a Pro level tournament event for Magic at the shop on Saturday. We had an attendence of 90 people. This was Really Quite Good TM. Various people complimented us on the venue and the running of the event. Unfortunately, the final didn't finish til 23.45, and I had to be in work the next day. At some point, I need to get my sleeping patterns settled down. I'm happy enough with asleep at 00.30 awake at 08.30, but I need to get the 'body wants to be asleep at 00.30' bit more trained in. It generally works that I wake up a bit more at 23.00 and am not sleepy again until 01.00 to 01.30. This leads to ongoing tiredness. With the lifestyle I lead, expecting me to go to bed before midnight is not viable, but suggestions for training my body clock otherwise welcomed. Current Mood:  tired | | Thursday, December 25th, 2008 | | 6:06 pm |
| | Thursday, December 4th, 2008 | | 11:33 am |
Radio Berkshire really does like me...
Because this evening, they want to phone me for my Traffic Island Disc (think Desert Island Discs, but only one track, and your favourite driving track). So at about 6.40 pm, I'll be suggesting "Good Vibrations" as my favourite driving track. God knows what they're going to want me to do next. | | Saturday, November 1st, 2008 | | 4:36 pm |
Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday Ailbhe, and Ailbhe's Mum! Shame about the rain, but I hop you are enjoying yourselves. | | Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 | | 9:50 am |
Trepidation - good word, that
Summed up my feeling this morning quite well before first solo drive of the car. First solo drive a success. It's so much easier to drive when you know where you're going, and don't have to listen out for someone else telling you which roads to take, and what gear you should be in. I even managed the whole parking thing without any significant problems. Opinions sought - Pass Plus lessons, or not? Pros - supposedly a good idea, according to the DSA. Cons - Expensive, and I'm flat broke. Unlikely to reduce my insurance costs any further, given it only cost £14.50 to add me to the insurance when we renewed. Current Mood: accomplished |
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