Giggling this morning over Georg's link to PC World's 13 Most Embarrassing Web Moments, and got caught up over at YouTube watching PC's number 4: the Star Wars Kid. The poor bugger got sprung ages ago making a video of himself being a Star Wars fighter, a scene I have to live with in all of Bumblebee's waking hours, except without the ungainliness (Bumblebee is small and skinny, and surprisingly adept with a lightsabre substitute). Of course, that got me watching some of the remixes of the STK, and I just wanted to share my favorite:
Gold.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Husky girls with fresh lipstick make better workers
The following is something my mother sent me from her regional museum. She doesn't know who issued the advice (perhaps the War Office?); she only knows that it was directed to the 'Supervisors of Women in the Workforce (Transport, Western Division), 1943'. I love what this says about men between the lines.
Employ young married women. They usually have more sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters. They're less likely to be flirtatious, and they need the work (or they wouldn't be doing it). They still have the pep and interest to work hard and deal efficiently with the public.
When you have to employ older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. Impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.
Experience indicates that "husky" girls, i.e., those a little on the heavy side, are more even-tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.
Retain a physician to give each woman a special physical examination covering female conditions. This protects against the possibilities of lawsuit and reveals any female weaknesses, which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.
Stress the importance of time, the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.
Give the female employee a schedule of duties so she'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions. Women make excellent workers with their jobs cut out for them, but they lack initiative.
Whenever possible, let employees change from one job to another during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.
Give each girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.
Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do. never ridicule a woman -- it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.
Be reasonably considerate using strong language around women. Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.
Get each size variety in uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed too much in keeping women happy.
Employ young married women. They usually have more sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters. They're less likely to be flirtatious, and they need the work (or they wouldn't be doing it). They still have the pep and interest to work hard and deal efficiently with the public.
When you have to employ older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. Impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.
Experience indicates that "husky" girls, i.e., those a little on the heavy side, are more even-tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.
Retain a physician to give each woman a special physical examination covering female conditions. This protects against the possibilities of lawsuit and reveals any female weaknesses, which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.
Stress the importance of time, the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.
Give the female employee a schedule of duties so she'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions. Women make excellent workers with their jobs cut out for them, but they lack initiative.
Whenever possible, let employees change from one job to another during the day. Women are inclined to be less nervous and happier with change.
Give each girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. You have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.
Be tactful when issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way men do. never ridicule a woman -- it breaks her spirit and cuts off her efficiency.
Be reasonably considerate using strong language around women. Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.
Get each size variety in uniforms so that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed too much in keeping women happy.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Another life milestone passed
I forgot to mention that today is my second wedding anniversary. Today my whole family breathes a sigh of relief, because my last marriage ended about 2 weeks before the second anniversary. As of now I am officially RESPECTABLE.
No party this year; we're not doing anything to mark the date apart from a gooey phone call first thing this morning because Best Beloved is in Newcastle for work. We had planned to go out for Yum Cha yesterday in complete confidence that we would still be in love today, but Bumblebee's dramatic hoiking episode kept us at home. We did exchange presents, things that we both love. Best Beloved bought us a Ron McBurnie etching (Tree Planting for a New Year), and I bitTorrented the latest (and maybe last) Royle Family special (The Queen of Sheba, 2006). He gave me a BIG kiss for that present.
This anniversary also means that Mr Pooter and Mr Padge are now officially two years old, since we bought them as a belated wedding present to cheer ourselves up after a particularly nasty miscarriage that meant we couldn't have a proper wedding night for two months (TFI?) and they were born around the same time we were wed. Makes sense to combine the two dates, and celebrate doubly.
Here they are, with a special mouse cake (look carefully in the centre of the cake and you'll see the mouse). They're such big cats now. People exclaim out loud when they see them, but that because they tend to have tiddly little cats like Mischa.
Mr Pooter (blue collar in my photos) came in the other night with big scars on his face from a fight, so he now looks like the evil genius he is (I can't take a photo yet because B has taken my camera to capture the nightlife of Newcastle).
Mr Padge (red collar) is still a big dumb friendly darling. He walked over to Zoe's house with us the other day and just sat in the back yard as we had a quick BBQ, then walked back with us. He's like a dog, really, except for the fact that as a dumb cat he's still smarter than most dogs.
I don't think any of us regret coming home with twice the cat we set out to get! They were probably our best wedding present. Hooray!
No party this year; we're not doing anything to mark the date apart from a gooey phone call first thing this morning because Best Beloved is in Newcastle for work. We had planned to go out for Yum Cha yesterday in complete confidence that we would still be in love today, but Bumblebee's dramatic hoiking episode kept us at home. We did exchange presents, things that we both love. Best Beloved bought us a Ron McBurnie etching (Tree Planting for a New Year), and I bitTorrented the latest (and maybe last) Royle Family special (The Queen of Sheba, 2006). He gave me a BIG kiss for that present.
This anniversary also means that Mr Pooter and Mr Padge are now officially two years old, since we bought them as a belated wedding present to cheer ourselves up after a particularly nasty miscarriage that meant we couldn't have a proper wedding night for two months (TFI?) and they were born around the same time we were wed. Makes sense to combine the two dates, and celebrate doubly.
Here they are, with a special mouse cake (look carefully in the centre of the cake and you'll see the mouse). They're such big cats now. People exclaim out loud when they see them, but that because they tend to have tiddly little cats like Mischa.
Mr Pooter (blue collar in my photos) came in the other night with big scars on his face from a fight, so he now looks like the evil genius he is (I can't take a photo yet because B has taken my camera to capture the nightlife of Newcastle).
Mr Padge (red collar) is still a big dumb friendly darling. He walked over to Zoe's house with us the other day and just sat in the back yard as we had a quick BBQ, then walked back with us. He's like a dog, really, except for the fact that as a dumb cat he's still smarter than most dogs.
I don't think any of us regret coming home with twice the cat we set out to get! They were probably our best wedding present. Hooray!
This Random Life
Ooh, I like this little meme at A Cunning Plan:
RANDOM MUSIC THINGY
1.Open your music library.
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the 'next' button.
6. Don't lie.
Opening credits: The Thing about Grief - Claire Bowditch
Waking up: It happens every time - Tim Buckley
First day of High School: Crazy Times - Gnarls Barkley vs Team 9
Falling in love: Uncertain Sins - Penny Flanagan
Fight song: Streets of Your Town - The Go-Betweens
Breaking up: A Fool for You - Ray Charles
Prom: Needed Time - Eric Bibb
Life: Le Moulin - Amelie Soundtrack
Mental breakdown: The One you love - Rufus Wainwright
Driving: Purple toupee - They Might Be Giants
Flashback: Champion Cellphone - Team 9 vs Beck vs Fatboy Slim vs Brandy
Getting back together: We will become silhouettes - The Postal Service
Wedding: That Way - The Go-Betweens
Birth of child: Heavy Soul - The Black Keys
Final battle: Leather - Tori Amos
End credits: Wildwood - Paul Weller + Portishead
Heh. That was an odd journey, especially since I've never been to a Prom. I love random, it was the best thing invented EVER. I have some albums I've never heard in the right order, ever.
BTW: Bumblebee is much better now, judging by the way he just scoffed his soup and jelly. I think he'll be back at school tomorrow!
RANDOM MUSIC THINGY
1.Open your music library.
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the 'next' button.
6. Don't lie.
Opening credits: The Thing about Grief - Claire Bowditch
Waking up: It happens every time - Tim Buckley
First day of High School: Crazy Times - Gnarls Barkley vs Team 9
Falling in love: Uncertain Sins - Penny Flanagan
Fight song: Streets of Your Town - The Go-Betweens
Breaking up: A Fool for You - Ray Charles
Prom: Needed Time - Eric Bibb
Life: Le Moulin - Amelie Soundtrack
Mental breakdown: The One you love - Rufus Wainwright
Driving: Purple toupee - They Might Be Giants
Flashback: Champion Cellphone - Team 9 vs Beck vs Fatboy Slim vs Brandy
Getting back together: We will become silhouettes - The Postal Service
Wedding: That Way - The Go-Betweens
Birth of child: Heavy Soul - The Black Keys
Final battle: Leather - Tori Amos
End credits: Wildwood - Paul Weller + Portishead
Heh. That was an odd journey, especially since I've never been to a Prom. I love random, it was the best thing invented EVER. I have some albums I've never heard in the right order, ever.
BTW: Bumblebee is much better now, judging by the way he just scoffed his soup and jelly. I think he'll be back at school tomorrow!
Sunday, November 26, 2006
A brief fling with the New Romantics
You know, Bumblebee has a long history of becoming sick just when I need a little liberty. And so it was with me and the New Romantics party last night. About 5pm he started wailing about his tummy, and by 6pm he was upchucking like nobody's business. He was supposed to be coming with us and sleeping in a back room of the host's house, but chucky kids aren't nice hostess presents, so I had to think of Plan B. The obvious Plan B was to stay at home with him, SOB!
Luckily my parents were in town for some ex-Army reunion brunchy thing and I managed to talk Colonel Duck into babysitting for an hour in the evening so that I could at least make an appearance and conduct the trivia quiz I'd been asked to write. Bless his khaki heart, he's a good granddad, although quite surprised to walk into a house where his daughter had regressed to her teen years, his son-in-law looked like Adam Ant, and his grandson was screaming in the bedroom, writhing and groaning into an icecream container.
Unfortunately in all the excitement and stress, photos were not taken! And of course, there's always the disappointment of arriving at a costume party to discover that only half the guests had bothered to dress up. The hosts looked fantastic, as did a handful of other people, so there were enough of us not to look dumb; I do, however, greatly envy gatherings of people like the For Battlers, to whom costumes are not a minor and juvenile inconvenience, but a way of life. So, I whizzed in, chatted, joked, conducted some trivia, then whizzed home again to tend my ailing son.
I did manage to take some detail shots after I got home. Colonel Duck had left, best Beloved was still Anting away at the party, and Bumblebee was comatose and building up to his next 3 hours of screaming, so I clicked a few snaps before snatching some precious moments of rest in the face of a night-shift of home nursing. So, from the bottom up:
Sorry about the fuzzy. I was very tired. I found some faux-snakeskin stretchy pants in my costume bag and teamed them with black boots and a crisp white shirt and wide belt. Unfortunately I don't have a frilly white shirt so I borrowed one of BB's office shirts, which was nice and billowy enough, but was marred slightly by having a pocket at the front. I don't think anyone cared, really.
Another thing in my costume bag was a black sequined bustier with quite pointy bra cups a-la Madonna. I wore it under the shirt. It was quite tight (it always has been, I got it secondhand) so I had to breath shallowly all evening, but the discomfort was worth it.
In one ear I gussied up an earring made from a couple of old charms from my youth: a silver fan (it opens and closes like a real fan) and a silver thong. Noice Aussie touch, don't you think? I wore the shirt collar up and a black satin ribbon around my throat.
On the other ear I wore a feather earring I whipped up yesterday afternoon, the feathers being the only costume purchase I made for the party. The lovely Ellis Hutch was also at the party, and she exclaimed wistfully when she saw me that she'd had a pink feather earring in her teen years that she wasn't able to wear because she hadn't been allowed to get her ears pierced. Me too, Ellis, me too. Bloody Colonel Duck used to say that only loose women had pierced ears, and then when I worked up the courage to sneak out and get them pierced, he didn't turn a feather. Just started bringing me back earrings from his business trips. I should have done it years before. Sigh.
I'd gelled my hair into geometric shapes, and I had a lot of makeup on, including masses of blush, but by the time I took the photos it had gone pretty blurry from the heat and sweat, and if I showed you a photo of the 'after' look I'd have to then kill you. Instead, I share with you the quiz I painstakingly put together with the help of Wikipedia. It went down well; you could guess the age groups of the partygoers by their answers!
* * * * * * * * *
NEW ROMANTICS TRIVIA QUESTIONS
1. Name Duran Duran’s first hit.
2. What does OMD stand for?
3. Who was the lead singer of Ultravox?
4. What was Spandau Ballet named after?
5. Where was 'home' for Paul Young?
6. Which of these bands are still together?
a. Depeche Mode
b. Duran Duran
c. Tears for Fears
7. Name TWO Adam & the Ants hits.
8. Complete the following band names:
a. Simple ______
b. Men Without _______
c. Talk ________
d. Scritti ______
e. Haircut _________
9. Who was the lead singer of Culture Club?
10. How many people were in the Thompson Twins?
11. An Australian band influenced by the New Romantics was The Flowers. What did they change their name to?
12. In the video of Sweet Dreams (are Made of This) by The Eurythmics, what colour was Annie Lennox's hair?
13. What was the name of the New Romantic band fronted by Ricky Gervais?
14. Recite the first line of 'Don’t You Want Me' by The Human League.
15. Was the band Japan from Japan?
16. What was Dead or Alive's big hit?
17. Which of the following is NOT a band name from the 1980s:
a. Tik and Tok
b. B-movie
c. Black Sox
d. Strange Advance
e. Heaven 17
18. Two members of Visage left to form another famous New Romantic band. What was it?
19. Which of the following is an Australian New Romantic band:
a. Pseudo Echo
b. Kajagoogoo
c. A Flock of Seagulls
20. WHO AM I?
While the New Romantic movement was based mainly in Britain, I was influenced by it and carried the torch for many years in the USA.
I am famous for my fashion style, which goes hand in hand with my innovative music.
My work in the 1980s crossed the borders between music and film, and I made two films which were more like extended video clips than movies.
My backing bands have had a variety of name changes, as in fact have I.
Some say my best music was made in the early to mid-1980s, and that by the mid 1990s I had lost my way, especially when I changed my name to a symbol that nobody could pronounce.
UPDATE: The answers are now in the comments for this post!
* * * * * * * * *
As I write, I have had less than five hours sleep thanks to Bumblebee, who evacuated every repository of fluid throughout the night with much drama and flair. He then settled down to sleep at about 4 am, and woke up at 10am perky and cheery. Unlike me. I'll be in bed before the sun tonight...
Luckily my parents were in town for some ex-Army reunion brunchy thing and I managed to talk Colonel Duck into babysitting for an hour in the evening so that I could at least make an appearance and conduct the trivia quiz I'd been asked to write. Bless his khaki heart, he's a good granddad, although quite surprised to walk into a house where his daughter had regressed to her teen years, his son-in-law looked like Adam Ant, and his grandson was screaming in the bedroom, writhing and groaning into an icecream container.
Unfortunately in all the excitement and stress, photos were not taken! And of course, there's always the disappointment of arriving at a costume party to discover that only half the guests had bothered to dress up. The hosts looked fantastic, as did a handful of other people, so there were enough of us not to look dumb; I do, however, greatly envy gatherings of people like the For Battlers, to whom costumes are not a minor and juvenile inconvenience, but a way of life. So, I whizzed in, chatted, joked, conducted some trivia, then whizzed home again to tend my ailing son.
I did manage to take some detail shots after I got home. Colonel Duck had left, best Beloved was still Anting away at the party, and Bumblebee was comatose and building up to his next 3 hours of screaming, so I clicked a few snaps before snatching some precious moments of rest in the face of a night-shift of home nursing. So, from the bottom up:
Sorry about the fuzzy. I was very tired. I found some faux-snakeskin stretchy pants in my costume bag and teamed them with black boots and a crisp white shirt and wide belt. Unfortunately I don't have a frilly white shirt so I borrowed one of BB's office shirts, which was nice and billowy enough, but was marred slightly by having a pocket at the front. I don't think anyone cared, really.
Another thing in my costume bag was a black sequined bustier with quite pointy bra cups a-la Madonna. I wore it under the shirt. It was quite tight (it always has been, I got it secondhand) so I had to breath shallowly all evening, but the discomfort was worth it.
In one ear I gussied up an earring made from a couple of old charms from my youth: a silver fan (it opens and closes like a real fan) and a silver thong. Noice Aussie touch, don't you think? I wore the shirt collar up and a black satin ribbon around my throat.
On the other ear I wore a feather earring I whipped up yesterday afternoon, the feathers being the only costume purchase I made for the party. The lovely Ellis Hutch was also at the party, and she exclaimed wistfully when she saw me that she'd had a pink feather earring in her teen years that she wasn't able to wear because she hadn't been allowed to get her ears pierced. Me too, Ellis, me too. Bloody Colonel Duck used to say that only loose women had pierced ears, and then when I worked up the courage to sneak out and get them pierced, he didn't turn a feather. Just started bringing me back earrings from his business trips. I should have done it years before. Sigh.
I'd gelled my hair into geometric shapes, and I had a lot of makeup on, including masses of blush, but by the time I took the photos it had gone pretty blurry from the heat and sweat, and if I showed you a photo of the 'after' look I'd have to then kill you. Instead, I share with you the quiz I painstakingly put together with the help of Wikipedia. It went down well; you could guess the age groups of the partygoers by their answers!
* * * * * * * * *
NEW ROMANTICS TRIVIA QUESTIONS
1. Name Duran Duran’s first hit.
2. What does OMD stand for?
3. Who was the lead singer of Ultravox?
4. What was Spandau Ballet named after?
5. Where was 'home' for Paul Young?
6. Which of these bands are still together?
a. Depeche Mode
b. Duran Duran
c. Tears for Fears
7. Name TWO Adam & the Ants hits.
8. Complete the following band names:
a. Simple ______
b. Men Without _______
c. Talk ________
d. Scritti ______
e. Haircut _________
9. Who was the lead singer of Culture Club?
10. How many people were in the Thompson Twins?
11. An Australian band influenced by the New Romantics was The Flowers. What did they change their name to?
12. In the video of Sweet Dreams (are Made of This) by The Eurythmics, what colour was Annie Lennox's hair?
13. What was the name of the New Romantic band fronted by Ricky Gervais?
14. Recite the first line of 'Don’t You Want Me' by The Human League.
15. Was the band Japan from Japan?
16. What was Dead or Alive's big hit?
17. Which of the following is NOT a band name from the 1980s:
a. Tik and Tok
b. B-movie
c. Black Sox
d. Strange Advance
e. Heaven 17
18. Two members of Visage left to form another famous New Romantic band. What was it?
19. Which of the following is an Australian New Romantic band:
a. Pseudo Echo
b. Kajagoogoo
c. A Flock of Seagulls
20. WHO AM I?
While the New Romantic movement was based mainly in Britain, I was influenced by it and carried the torch for many years in the USA.
I am famous for my fashion style, which goes hand in hand with my innovative music.
My work in the 1980s crossed the borders between music and film, and I made two films which were more like extended video clips than movies.
My backing bands have had a variety of name changes, as in fact have I.
Some say my best music was made in the early to mid-1980s, and that by the mid 1990s I had lost my way, especially when I changed my name to a symbol that nobody could pronounce.
UPDATE: The answers are now in the comments for this post!
* * * * * * * * *
As I write, I have had less than five hours sleep thanks to Bumblebee, who evacuated every repository of fluid throughout the night with much drama and flair. He then settled down to sleep at about 4 am, and woke up at 10am perky and cheery. Unlike me. I'll be in bed before the sun tonight...
Friday, November 24, 2006
new millenium new romantics
I'm going to an 80s New Romantic party on Saturday night. When I told Zoe about this, her first lightning response was 'have you got your feather earring?'.
I was in the thick of the New Romantic trend, in my early teens, glued to Countdown to see the latest fashion trends from the UK and trying them all out at school discos. Without going to my vinyl collection (that's this afternoon's pleasure -- I'm delaying it), I can remember:
-- gelling the hair back at the sides, and up at the top.
-- eyeliner. lots of eyeliner.
-- white powder on the face.
-- ruffled white shirts.
-- costume jewellery in the shape of gilt picture frames filled with stained-glass-window-like plastic*
-- feather earrings.
-- kilts.
-- ribbons, preferably black, tied around the throat.
-- shoestring ties around the neck of the aforementioned white shirt, with the collar up and proud.
-- Boots.
OK, so thats the list dredged from the dark vapid recesses of my mind. Anyone got anything else?
* I still had a brooch like this up until recently until a friend noticed Bumblebee wearing it and successfully offered him money for it. This is the same friend having the party this weekend. (I have high hopes of an alcohol-fueled recovery of it, heh.)
I was in the thick of the New Romantic trend, in my early teens, glued to Countdown to see the latest fashion trends from the UK and trying them all out at school discos. Without going to my vinyl collection (that's this afternoon's pleasure -- I'm delaying it), I can remember:
-- gelling the hair back at the sides, and up at the top.
-- eyeliner. lots of eyeliner.
-- white powder on the face.
-- ruffled white shirts.
-- costume jewellery in the shape of gilt picture frames filled with stained-glass-window-like plastic*
-- feather earrings.
-- kilts.
-- ribbons, preferably black, tied around the throat.
-- shoestring ties around the neck of the aforementioned white shirt, with the collar up and proud.
-- Boots.
OK, so thats the list dredged from the dark vapid recesses of my mind. Anyone got anything else?
* I still had a brooch like this up until recently until a friend noticed Bumblebee wearing it and successfully offered him money for it. This is the same friend having the party this weekend. (I have high hopes of an alcohol-fueled recovery of it, heh.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)