This morning in London

We have a theoretical clear desk policy at work. I generally ignore it, and about every six months to a year, I get a note from security telling me that I have contravened the policy, but there have been no security breaches. (One of then perks of my grade is to summarily declassify papers marked confidential and below, hence no security breach!).

I have been known in the past to hide papers under the accumulated security inspection notes.

Anyway, it now seems that the Director of Housing has taken a personal interest in the division's observance of the clear desk policy. This has resulted in an email suggesting¹ that we all tidy up. This, of course, results in two observations:

• When a Grade 3 Senior Civil Servant emails around, telling everyone to tidy up, you tidy up; and
• What the f*** is the Department paying you in excess of £60,000 a year for, if you have time to email people about clear desk policy?

I suggested that I could just dump the stuff on my desk under my desk, as no-one ever looks under there, but I guess that I'll just end up shoving stuff in the bin - or File 13 as it's known around here.

In other news, I am bored, and have decided to spend the rest of today where I left off yesterday: Schpeaking like Mardin Yol (Martin Jol), the Dotch manadcher of Toddenham Hodschpurs votball clob. It'sh quide hardt to do widout goink Afrikaans half-way trough.


¹In this context, 'suggest' has a more imperative definition than the standard dictionary version.

This morning in London

We have a theoretical clear desk policy at work. I generally ignore it, and about every six months to a year, I get a note from security telling me that I have contravened the policy, but there have been no security breaches. (One of then perks of my grade is to summarily declassify papers marked confidential and below, hence no security breach!).

I have been known in the past to hide papers under the accumulated security inspection notes.

Anyway, it now seems that the Director of Housing has taken a personal interest in the division's observance of the clear desk policy. This has resulted in an email suggesting¹ that we all tidy up. This, of course, results in two observations:

• When a Grade 3 Senior Civil Servant emails around, telling everyone to tidy up, you tidy up; and
• What the f*** is the Department paying you in excess of £60,000 a year for, if you have time to email people about clear desk policy?

I suggested that I could just dump the stuff on my desk under my desk, as no-one ever looks under there, but I guess that I'll just end up shoving stuff in the bin - or File 13 as it's known around here.

In other news, I am bored, and have decided to spend the rest of today where I left off yesterday: Schpeaking like Mardin Yol (Martin Jol), the Dotch manadcher of Toddenham Hodschpurs votball clob. It'sh quide hardt to do widout goink Afrikaans half-way trough.


¹In this context, 'suggest' has a more imperative definition than the standard dictionary version.

(no subject)

Every now and again something happens, or you see something that cheers you up immensely simply because it is proof that the world does have a sense of humour after all. One such event transpired at lunchtime.

In the reception area here at Two-Jag Towers, there is a large flat-screen monitor, which shows details of all the meetings being held in the building, including time, location and contact point.

Not so the mysterious ESP meeting. That had a starting time only.

(no subject)

Every now and again something happens, or you see something that cheers you up immensely simply because it is proof that the world does have a sense of humour after all. One such event transpired at lunchtime.

In the reception area here at Two-Jag Towers, there is a large flat-screen monitor, which shows details of all the meetings being held in the building, including time, location and contact point.

Not so the mysterious ESP meeting. That had a starting time only.

Digital Frolics

I have just spent a biblical period of time setting up an ancient ON-Digital box for freeview TV, kindly donated by wallabok. I have now got an extra number of channels, plus digital radio over the telly, but not a single ITV channel, or Channel 4 and its offshoots, like E4. All the crap, like Bid Up TV and QVC is available.

How unexpected..[/sarcasm]

I expected it to take a while to coax life out of the box as it hasn't been used since ON-Digital went bust three years or so ago. Nonetheless, it still works, even if I had to persuade it to give me some of the channels. A quick look at Freeview's website tells me that I am lucky to be getting the channels I have. The London Borough of Barnet, it seems, is cognate with deepest Bodmin or darkest Wales when it comes to Freeview terrestrial digital channels. ITV and several of the others just don't reach this far into the void. Channel 5 and all of the BBC channels, on the other hand...

Of course, I get Sky News and Sky Sports News, now. The latter is very welcome. There is something hypnotic about their Sky Sports Saturday, which covers the footie on a Saturday afternoon. I just wish I could get Sky One, Paramount and Living TV, but I'd have to buy a dish fopr that, and I believe that I have already contravened the lease at this place by sticking three nails into the wall to hang up some pictures (The poster help up with blu tak does so as well, it appears. Fancy that). Given this intelligence, I am loath to pay Sky to hammer out great lumps of mortar on the outside of the building, just to install a satellite dish.

Oh well, never mind, eh?

Pity the BBC‘s digital channels aren’t much good…

Digital Frolics

I have just spent a biblical period of time setting up an ancient ON-Digital box for freeview TV, kindly donated by wallabok. I have now got an extra number of channels, plus digital radio over the telly, but not a single ITV channel, or Channel 4 and its offshoots, like E4. All the crap, like Bid Up TV and QVC is available.

How unexpected..[/sarcasm]

I expected it to take a while to coax life out of the box as it hasn't been used since ON-Digital went bust three years or so ago. Nonetheless, it still works, even if I had to persuade it to give me some of the channels. A quick look at Freeview's website tells me that I am lucky to be getting the channels I have. The London Borough of Barnet, it seems, is cognate with deepest Bodmin or darkest Wales when it comes to Freeview terrestrial digital channels. ITV and several of the others just don't reach this far into the void. Channel 5 and all of the BBC channels, on the other hand...

Of course, I get Sky News and Sky Sports News, now. The latter is very welcome. There is something hypnotic about their Sky Sports Saturday, which covers the footie on a Saturday afternoon. I just wish I could get Sky One, Paramount and Living TV, but I'd have to buy a dish fopr that, and I believe that I have already contravened the lease at this place by sticking three nails into the wall to hang up some pictures (The poster help up with blu tak does so as well, it appears. Fancy that). Given this intelligence, I am loath to pay Sky to hammer out great lumps of mortar on the outside of the building, just to install a satellite dish.

Oh well, never mind, eh?

Pity the BBC‘s digital channels aren’t much good…