Bits and Bobs 18: The Middle Way

nickachu · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 17:22

Oh and I also spent 2 years at Mcdonalds while doing A-levels.

kalmar · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 17:24

2 years?! You must have been regional Vice President by that point!

nickachu · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 17:26

I was basically a manager by that stage.

But I never bothered doing any of the tests or owt to become manager as I knew I'd be leaving as soon as I went to uni.

Dimrill · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 17:29

We need more special sauce! Put that mayonnaise in the sun!

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

nickachu wrote:

I worked at a zoo for 2 summers selling burgers and coffee and the final summer I did research at the uni after getting a bursary to do it.
Apart from that there's sod all. But that aint sales

You were selling stuff, that means you can turn it on it's head & have it as an extremely positive thing (like what Kern did).

Most companies are looking for someone who can show a bit of initiative & in sales you're an asset if you can turn a negative experience into a positive one. Some of my biggest sales/bonuses when I worked briefly for 'major telecommunications company' were from complaint calls.

The only thing really holding you back is yourself, think positive & good things will come (or something, it's worked for me so far)

Squirt · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6515

Mrs Squirt does some recruitment, and it's definitely all about finding the good bits from whatever experience you've had and bigging that up. She had a really good application from someone who had no actual job experience, but had spent the last few years looking after a chronically ill relative. They had sold themselves on all the skills that required - forward planning, having to work to very strict time constraints because of medication needs, to dealing with government agencies and so on. It's all about the skills you used, rather than the job title or environment.

nickachu · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 17:45

Wullie wrote:

nickachu wrote:

I worked at a zoo for 2 summers selling burgers and coffee and the final summer I did research at the uni after getting a bursary to do it.
Apart from that there's sod all. But that aint sales

You were selling stuff, that means you can turn it on it's head & have it as an extremely positive thing (like what Kern did).

Most companies are looking for someone who can show a bit of initiative & in sales you're an asset if you can turn a negative experience into a positive one. Some of my biggest sales/bonuses when I worked briefly for 'major telecommunications company' were from complaint calls.

The only thing really holding you back is yourself, think positive & good things will come (or something, it's worked for me so far)

Can I get you to fix my CV then wullie?

ie bullshitting all over it

Doctor Glyndwr · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 32619

nickachu wrote:

Can I get you to fix my CV then wullie?

If you can't bullshit your way into a sales job, you're not qualified for sales. Simples.

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

nickachu wrote:

Can I get you to fix my CV then wullie?

ie bullshitting all over it

I can run over it with you, yeah. I can't write it though because; a) I'm lazy, b) it's all about you, & c) it would sound like me which will be odd in an interview. I'll see if I can dig a few of my old ones out to give you a better idea of what we're talking about & you'll see how my CV changes as I gain experience/apply for increasingly bizarre jobs :DD

EDIT: Doc G has a point too.

nickachu · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 18:05

I think I'd be able to bullshit enough in person but they'd be skimming over hundreds of CVs and getting noticed without any real experience is the problem

Mimi · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 25594

My sister started at McDonald's when she was 16. I had just finished uni when I went to meet her from work one day and her (*mumble*hole) of a boss came over and said about me:

"Is this your little sister?" (turning to Rachel) "would she like something to eat whilst she waits?" (back to me) "Are you going to come and work here too, when you are older?"

I never knew if he was just trying to take the pee for some reason (though he had never met me and had no reason to) or was just stupid.

Anyway, whilst I was at uni I used to do a summer job at Regents Park open air theatre. basically, I turned up at 11:00 for the kids matinee performance, handed out free yoghurt and milkshake samples for 10 minutes in the interval, then left, with £60 in my hand every day after 10 solid minutes of light graft. I also got a free ticket for the zoo every day, which I used every day.

It was the best job ever.

nickachu · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 18:11

That sounds like a better version of what I did at the zoo.
I got to drive a little van around to various kiosks at the start of the day and then sit in the kiosk for about 2 hours before anyone showed up as the one I worked at was at the bottom of the park.
Serve lunch for about and hour, hour and a half then just the occasional customer. I could sit and read books or watch the tigers. It was pretty easy. And I got to drive a little van around on dirt tracks. and I got to stroke black rhino and red pandas. It was a good job.

MaliA · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 18:14

Fuck it, I'm applying for that.

Zio · **Joined:** 31st Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 6093

MaliA wrote:

Fuck it, I'm applying for that.

The zoo job? You'll be in competition with me then! Sounds miles better than this 'fixing printers' shit.

MaliA · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 18:27

Zio wrote:

MaliA wrote:

Fuck it, I'm applying for that.

The zoo job? You'll be in competition with me then! Sounds miles better than this 'fixing printers' shit.

Your working at a zoo would deffo solve the Panda problem.

Nik · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 1982

Mr Russell wrote:

I just got tickets to go and see They Might Be Giants in June.

In the UK!

They're playing the Southbank Centre in London on the 26th for those that also want to experience this once in a decade event.

Ooh, and so have I now - thanks for that! (Coincidentally it's the day before the Macca gig I bought tickets for this morning - that'll be a fun weekend.)

TMBG were my second ever gig, in 1990 when they were still a two-piece.

metalangel · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 18:38

Because of Cardiff Council's cunting stupid closure of St Mary Street to non-civic vehicles (buses, taxis, and deliveries only), the Google Streetview car couldn't get down there to photograph all the nice architecture. Well fucking done, bureaucrats.

MaliA · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 18:46

LOL Google fail.

Scarysheep3000 · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 19:18

kalmar wrote:

Correct.

Someone pointed out that they have a newish record called "electric car". It's.. a bit odd. Really good video though, I think it's on youtube, worth a look.

Birdhouse in Your Soul was the first record I ever bought, too. £1.49 from Boots on 7" vinyl IIRC... got it signed by the Johns a few years later, when they played an ill-fated set at Cheshire Oaks that I believe Mark X of this parish was also present at.

And thanks to Mr Russell I too will be seeing them in June, albeit at the matinee kids' show, then back to Manchester on the train for the Hold Steady gig that evening. Two of my favourite bands in one day. Splendid!

Plissken · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 19:24

You are all a bunch of bastards, you know that? You really are.

You really are.

I just bought a 360 Elite.

I hope you are proud of yourselves.

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Plissken wrote:

I just bought a 360 Elite.

I hope you are proud of yourselves.

The 360 is so 2009. These days it's all about the ColecoVision.

[edit] You now need a gamer tag thing to show how many sad gamer points you have.

Wullie · **Joined:** 27th Jun, 2008 **Posts:** 6183

Plissken wrote:

I hope you are proud of yourselves.

*drinks celebratory glass of wine & eats croissant*

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12243

Yay Plissken!

sdg · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 19:46

Plissken wrote:

You are all a bunch of bastards, you know that? You really are.

You really are.

I just bought a 360 Elite.

I hope you are proud of yourselves.

*nudges Kovacs*
:smug:

Grim... · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 20:08

Plissken wrote:

You are all a bunch of bastards, you know that? You really are.

You really are.

I just bought a 360 Elite.
What's you name on Live, buddy?

I hope you are proud of yourselves.

KovacsC · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 20:12

superdupergill wrote:

*nudges Kovacs*
:smug:

I know, i know...

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 20:49

Doctor Glyndwr wrote:

nickachu wrote:

Can I get you to fix my CV then wullie?

If you can't bullshit your way into a sales job, you're not qualified for sales. Simples.

Nik · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 1982

Scarysheep3000 wrote:

Birdhouse in Your Soul was the first record I ever bought, too.

I feel old... Although Flood was one of the first CDs I had.

Quote:

And thanks to Mr Russell I too will be seeing them in June, albeit at the matinee kids' show

Ah, that's the one I'm going to because I hadn't noticed there were two shows.

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12243

Where did you book your tickets through? I went to the southbank centre site, and could only find a listing for the evening showing, never mind the afternoon one, or the Glasgow one the next day that ApplePie mentioned.

Nik · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 1982

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/m ... ants-52452

Mr Russell · **Joined:** 6th Apr, 2008 **Posts:** 12243

Nik wrote:

http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/music/gigs-contemporary/tickets/they-might-be-giants-52452

How silly of them to have two listings separate to each other. This is the evening one then: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/m ... ants-52455

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

Today I met my Recruitment pimp for the first time (Move to London was managed, on her part, entirely by phone/email).

Spent a good hour talking shit, laughing and joking. I'm not exactly sure what we concluded about my career though.

metalangel · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 21:32

TWO earfuls from the same fucking signaller now. Fuck this.

Nik · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 1982

MetalAngel wrote:

TWO earfuls from the same fucking signaller now.

sdg · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 21:46

Natural World on BBC2 right now about elephants in Central Africa's forests is excellent. The program is focussing on one woman who is working to help protect the elephants. She seems quite lovely. (in a 'check out the job she is doing and her passion for it' kind of way, not in a sexy kind of way!)
She is basically doing everything she can to protect the elephants from hunters.

ApplePieOfDestiny · **Joined:** 17th Dec, 2008 **Posts:** 8293

superdupergill wrote:

Natural World on BBC2 right now about elephants in Central Africa's forests is excellent. The program is focussing on one woman who is working to help protect the elephants. She seems quite lovely. (in a 'check out the job she is doing and her passion for it' kind of way, not in a sexy kind of way!)
She is basically doing everything she can to protect the elephants from hunters.

I won't believe she is doing everything possible until she takes a bullet.

GovernmentYard · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 5318

JohnCoffey wrote:

Horses for courses with that. I was given it when I got home and within three days I was suicidal and had to stop taking it. However a friend of mine swears by it. Personally I take Sertraline, which is a yank drug. However, it must be expensive because my doc will happily hand it over but all of the shrinks I have seen want to take it away even though I have told them it's the only thing that will aid my depression.

I've even been told that I wasn't taking enough of it by a shrink but my doc got mega annoyed and said "how can they tell you what works for you?" which was excellent.

It's taken me 9 years now to find a 'system' that's about as good as it is going to get. I no longer take what they give me because I know how I feel inside and out of all the pills I have popped the ones I have now are about as good as it gets. Thankfully I can take them together, too. The only thing I have had to sacrifice are givey up smokey pills as apparently if I took them I would need to be sectioned and my super duper opiate painkillers. But I can live with pain tbh for even a couple of day's worth of a normal brain.

Unfortunately I made the mistake of telling a British shrink that I was diagnosed bipolar by an American. Which has set off almost a competition to prove the yanks wrong. Thus, I have been sent to a ADHD specialist who is refusing to see my depression and only wants to focus on treating my mania, which he mistakes for ADHD.

I'm pretty open to suggestions. To me it doesn't matter what I am labelled as long as I get the right drugs. But being diagnosed and treated for ADHD has had me close to suicide now on many occasion and each time I have ended up at my local docs crying on my hands and knees begging for a subscription of Sertraline to pull me out of a funk. So tbh? I think I will take the yank opinion on what's wrong with me (aswell as accepting that I have heavy autistic tendencies) because it seems to be about right. And the drugs for Bipolar seem to be about right.

Chap, have you made use of the CPA here?

http://www.mentalhealthleeds.info/infob ... proach.php

Short version - all people with a stake in your mental health have to get a representative into a meeting and agree a set of rules and common communication about your treatment. You can head this group up if you are able, or appoint a representative. You probably can't make anyone do anything they aren't willing to do, but you can improve the debate and the exchange of information and that can only be healthy, literally and figuratively.

Voices like yours are necessary on the front lines of mental health rights in the UK. For public services, even those involved directly with MH it's a bloody minefield and understanding of the issues affecting those with poor mental health is tough to come by. There's a lot of good will for change though and there are many whose job it is now to ensure people get not just heard but involved in the running of things. A smart cookie like you could do some use if you looked into local options for involvement - and you'd instantly have access to tons of further support through good networking. Also it's an environment where no-one bats an eyelid at conditions people have got, so it's like being on the internet, only fleshier.

sdg · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 21:52

ApplePieOfDestiny wrote:

superdupergill wrote:

Natural World on BBC2 right now about elephants in Central Africa's forests is excellent. The program is focussing on one woman who is working to help protect the elephants. She seems quite lovely. (in a 'check out the job she is doing and her passion for it' kind of way, not in a sexy kind of way!)
She is basically doing everything she can to protect the elephants from hunters.

I won't believe she is doing everything possible until she takes a bullet.

She totally took a bullet for one. Honest. Prove me wrong.

Plissken · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 22:01

Quote:

What's you name on Live, buddy?

SnakePlisskenUK

kalmar · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 22:07

I too would like a 1.5" tall baby elephant

JohnCoffey · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 22:11

kalmar wrote:

I too would like a 1.5" tall baby elephant

Doo doo doodle da doo doo doo pig and elephant DNA just won't splice !

Dimrill · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 22:14

How would you separate the 1.5" baby elephant from the herd? You'd have to kill its Mother and possibly 10 or so other elephants to be able to get it. Kalmar, you sicken me with your 1.5" baby elephant poaching.

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Dimrill wrote:

How would you separate the 1.5" baby elephant from the herd?

You hire Don Estelle

kalmar · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 22:51

*sob*

Mimi · **Joined:** 27th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 25594

kalmar wrote:

I too would like a 1.5" tall baby elephant

I have one of those. He just walked over and sat down on the palm of my hand. He is very warm, like a small cupcake not long from the oven, and surprisingly heavy, like one of those Chinese zen spheres.

kalmar · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 23:04

I saw one in the Darwin exhibition in Manchester museum and aquarium. A whole herd in fact ranging from 1.5" up to approx 7", in order of size. It's great they could clone them up from the DNa like that

Zardoz · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 23:11

kalmar wrote:

I too would like a 1.5" tall baby elephant

*drops on knees pulls out jeans pockets and opens zip*

Zardoz · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 23:13

Hold on, you want inches not feet. I'll ask Gaywood.

Curiosity · **Posted:** Thu Mar 04, 2010 23:30

superdupergill wrote:

ApplePieOfDestiny wrote:

superdupergill wrote:

Natural World on BBC2 right now about elephants in Central Africa's forests is excellent. The program is focussing on one woman who is working to help protect the elephants. She seems quite lovely. (in a 'check out the job she is doing and her passion for it' kind of way, not in a sexy kind of way!)
She is basically doing everything she can to protect the elephants from hunters.

I won't believe she is doing everything possible until she takes a bullet.

She totally took a bullet for one. Honest. Prove me wrong.

It clearly wasn't fired by Riles then...

chinnyhill10 · **Joined:** 30th Mar, 2008 **Posts:** 15695

Some bunch of dicks have put in a copyright claim on the soundtrack of one of my videos on Google.

A video that is using correctly licensed stock music......

Have put in a dispute. Hopefully it's just a case of some bot mistaking the music for something owned by a sinister megaglobal corporation.

Be Excellent To Each Other

Bits and Bobs 18: The Middle Way
MORNING, JC!

Who is online

Be Excellent To Each Other

Bits and Bobs 18: The Middle Way MORNING, JC!

Who is online

Bits and Bobs 18: The Middle Way
MORNING, JC!