The grumpy thread

[NorfolkNWeigh]

In 1985 I was 21 , fallen into an amazing job on £20k a year working for 2 fit milfs ( must have been 30) in a music industry PR company, all the free receptionists, champagne and coke you could eat.

Fast forward 33 years and a customer of mine was reminiscing about when he was a student in 1985.

Turns out he used to walk past my flat in Wimbledon to catch the bus to Uni , probably even had to walk around my brand new white company XR3i parked half on the pavement.

Anyway now we're both 54 he's retired with a 911 Turbo and TVR Tuscan in the garage , a Golf R on the drive and goes all over the World to Grand Prix, Rugby, Golf, Horse Racing etc etc . I'm the one getting up at 04.00am to take him to the airport in a feckin' Passat...

I did feel( and act) like Billy Big Bollocks whenever I met school mates who were students in 1985 though, flashing the company credit card for drinks etc.

To rub salt in, those were the days that not only was uni free, you got a grant! What an idiot.

 

The moral of this tale is, get all the education you can, it's never going to hurt your future prospects . And make the university help you, youre paying a lot of money and if they were aware of your circumstances and needs when you signed up they should be offering you support. You can bet your life they can get funding for any extra resources based on your needs from the EA.

[Captain Furious]

So far as progression is concerned, I have always been of the opinion that you have one chance and one chance only to negotiate your terms and your place in the hierarchy, and that's the day they offer you the job.  I have been there myself, waiting on promises of pay rises that never materialise and promotions that exist in title only.  It eventually grinds you down to the point you have no motivation, which in turns brings down your life outside work too.  It seems to be a familiar story, I've seen a few people on here going through similar scenarios and seen friends and colleagues go through it too.

 

Maybe its more prevalent in industries like IT (and services in general) because they're always seen as a cost to the business rather than a revenue generator.  So the bean counters are more reluctant to give them funding.  One of the reasons I have stayed where I am now is they are making huge investments in their staff and infrastructure and have learned through the bitter experience of outsourcing that internal investment is the way forwards.

 

I still know that barring minor inflationary rises and incremental band increases I'm not going any higher at this place though.  I'd be waiting for the IT director to retire, hoping the head of infrastructure gets offered and takes his job, and then that I get his.  Which even if it all played out is not gonna happen for at least 10-15 years.  So if I decide I need more out of life then I'll have to change jobs.  Just the way it is.

[John F]

Not yet. Nordkapp is on the list of places to go, but it doesn't look cheap.

 

I spent a few days in nearby Hammerfest back in 2000... it's not cheap (= massive understatement), it was pitch dark all day except for a bit of twilight between 11am and 12.30pm, and it was very cold. I had a great time.

 

You won't find polar bears in north Norway nowadays though, their range is further north.

[Dave_Q]

I think the uni thing has been covered really but here's my 2p.

 

Its mainly a ticket to starting slightly higher up the ladder. I actually work in an area related to my degree and I only use stuff I learnt there 2% of the time.

 

As it happens my precious experince in unrelated jobs and hands on shite fettling is of much more use than anything from uni. But I would never have got through the door for the interview without the bit of paper that says I attended uni for some years and wrote at least one big bit of coursework.

 

You can work your way up from the bottom in any industry but I imagine it's normally much harder.

[Dave_Q]

Actually thinking about it, that leads me on to a grump. 

 

Modern universities are shite at teaching anything in a way that will stick. 

 

As my course was modular, all you had to do for any module was learn the 3 or 4 things you needed to pass the exam, do the exam, then instantly forget them. 

 

Occasionally at work I do need to draw for a bit of engineering maths and find that there are many things that I have technically passed an exam on but cannot recall or use in practice without googling it. 

 

Bring back Finals.

[loserone]

Not having a degree hasn't held me back, but it took ten years to earn the money to pay back what I borrowed in 15 months, and nearly as long getting the confidence I lost dropping out.

 

This far in, you're well invested, and will be asked why you dropped out after so long in interviews for years. Stick it out, man. You're better than me

[PhilA]

Sad day. Just booked the vet this afternoon to have the dog put down.

 

Phil

[The Moog]

Actually thinking about it, that leads me on to a grump. 

 

Modern universities are shite at teaching anything in a way that will stick. 

 

As my course was modular, all you had to do for any module was learn the 3 or 4 things you needed to pass the exam, do the exam, then instantly forget them. 

 

Occasionally at work I do need to draw for a bit of engineering maths and find that there are many things that I have technically passed an exam on but cannot recall or use in practice without googling it. 

 

Bring back Finals.

 

Knowledge isnt the currency any more. Google can know more than most people so the shift is in getting students to a level of critical thinking. 

 

In the US they are adopting Skills for the 21st Century focusing on the 4 C's - Collaboration, Creativity and innovation, Critical thinking and communication.  Rightly so these are seen as the more important skills in the workplace and in society. 

 

(Anyway will stop there as not a grump and will have to Mod myself) 

[chadders]

I spent a few days in nearby Hammerfest back in 2000... it's not cheap (= massive understatement), it was pitch dark all day except for a bit of twilight between 11am and 12.30pm, and it was very cold. I had a great time.

 

You won't find polar bears in north Norway nowadays though, their range is further north.

 

Yeah - my son was in Svalbard so he was 'lucky' to see them,

[chadders]

Sad day. Just booked the vet this afternoon to have the dog put down.

 

Phil

 

It's heartbreaking but we tried to deal with it in that their suffering would come to an end, in our cases riddled with cancer (twice) and lost use of their back legs.

I made a trolley for the last one but he was a proud dog and hated been wheeled around  - it put off the final day but, on reflection, we should have done it sooner rather than prolong the agony.

[PhilA]

It's heartbreaking but we tried to deal with it in that their suffering would come to an end, in our cases riddled with cancer (twice) and lost use of their back legs.

I made a trolley for the last one but he was a proud dog and hated been wheeled around  - it put off the final day but, on reflection, we should have done it sooner rather than prolong the agony.

Yeah, she's gone downhill in the last couple days and she's started to tremble so the time had come. The spirit is willing but the body has given up.

[chadders]

I'm gutted for you - do you have any kids as they are hit hard especially if they've grown up with them?

[PhilA]

Yeah. Wife's had the dog longer than she's had me around, the kids have had the dog around their entire lives. It's not gonna be easy but it's an undeniable part of life, is death.

 

But, having said that, the dog has led a long and happy life. 16 years ain't bad.

 

It's rather like turning up to find Unipart don't make the part you need any more

[wuvvum]

In 1985 I was 21 , fallen into an amazing job on £20k a year working for 2 fit milfs ( must have been 30) in a music industry PR company, all the free receptionists you could eat.

Historical sexual harassment claim incoming in 3... 2... 1...

[wuvvum]

16 years is a good run for a dog.  My brother's black lab is now 16 and still daft as a brush, but he isn't going to go on forever - my brother lives on his own so will be gutted when the dog goes.

[xtriple]

So sorry Phil

[Guest Hooli]

Sad day. Just booked the vet this afternoon to have the dog put down.

 

Phil

 

Sorry to hear that.

[Craig the Princess]

Sorry Phil, that's really sad.

Thoughts are with you.

[mrbenn]

Very sad. Sorry to hear that, Phil.

[Cavcraft]

Sympathies, Phil, very sad time.

[purplebargeken]

Sorry to hear this Phil, it's a miserable thing but we have to do it sometimes. Love the furries.

[PhilA]

Thanks for all the kind words. Trying to keep cheerful. Currently reassembling an old Budweiser Clydesdales lamp that was dropped.

 

 

 

It didn't run, then one of the stoner waitresses at the restaurant dropped it and didn't tell anybody... So now I've gotta reassemble it as well as make it turn again.

 

Phil

[DeeJay]

Sad day. Just booked the vet this afternoon to have the dog put down.

 

Phil

Sorry to hear that.

We had ours put down in September (him in my avatar).

House was so empty afterwards, we now have another 2 dogs. 

[DodgeRover]

Ghostly was your uni dilemma in this thread? Speak to your tutor, see what they suggest, if possible can you do a years placement in industry? That really seemed to help those on my course who did it.

[SiC]

Sad day. Just booked the vet this afternoon to have the dog put down.

 

Phil

Sorry to hear this Phil

 

My parents put down one of our dogs that I known from childhood a couple of years ago. I stayed with her when she had the injection. Sad times.

[fordperv]

Sad news Phil, sorry to hear it, it's always heart breaking when furry friends are no longer there, they burrow into a special place in your heart.

[richardmorris]

Small Eggs!!

I always buy mixed size eggs at the supermarket and to be fair you get a good mixed  size range

Bit today I think they came from Pigmy Hens

Potatoes are getting smaller too!

I buy trays of small ( 30eggs) at the ascot farmers market for £3.50. According to the farmer, smaller eggs come from younger hens.

[busmansholiday]

Sad to hear about your dog Phil, been there two many times in the past.

 

Wife always said the Rainbow Bridge poem helped her.

[Zelandeth]

This bloody cold can sod off. Have got over most of the actual symptoms now but am still trying to get over the associated lethargy and endless gunk coming out of my head.

 

Tiny grump in the grand scheme of things, but it's dragging me down this week. The fact I've barely had the chance to sit down all week so far hasn't helped, could really do with five damn minutes to catch my breath.

 

Really sorry to hear about your dog, Phil. The brevity of their existence is really the biggest curse of having pets.

[Floatylight]

What a day, started off ok with breakfast at a hotel in Lowestoft, went to a site visit and noticed a shitter style garage next door, C4GP daily 200m over service interval, two birds one stone, agreed pick up 2pm after site visit, 2pm back at garage car on ramp, bloke says sorry, bit behind, have a seat for 10mins, became clear they'd not even started and left just after 3pm, then drive through 200m through god awful weather to Southampton to find employers hotel reservations co has not made us a booking despite having email confirmation and not picking up emergency phone, tried 10times, goes to answerphone, had to pay out of own pocket.. Well pissed off, only upside picked up an eBay purchase of a full set of Vredestein Winter tyres for £70 en route.

 

Sorry for the rant, now having a beer in the bar to chill...

 

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