Get On, Clip In, Fall Off

Miscellaneous fiddle-faddle

My brain is still addled from moving over the weekend and every time I try to think my head hurts. So still no hard-hitting, principled reportage of the type that my loyal readership (both of them - hi Mum, hi Dad) expects, as does anyone who arrives here by mistake when they're looking for Uffish Thoughts, which is a proper blog.

Moving house is interesting in that it means that I have to go into shops which I wouldn't usually frequent. I cleverly managed to have no teatowels when I arrived at the new place, so when I got to work this morning and found the building closed (the fire system wouldn't let the magnetically-locked fire exits open) I took this opportunity to wander down to John Lewis on Oxford St to get some teatowels and few other bits and pieces of tedious domesticity.

I'd forgotten what an intensely civilised place to shop Lewis's is - the staff are polite and don't hassle you when you're just nosing around, they don't have to wear nametags (which I approve of heartily) and they know what they're talking about. The place is even run along vaguely socialist lines - employees aren't employees, they're partners, and a proportion of the profits are distributed among everyone who works there at the end of the year. To ensure that the company remains a partnership, the Chairman has to swear an oath upon appointment that they will never allow the company to be demutualised and floated on the stock market. Civilised shopping and a strong philosophy of responsible business - what more could you ask for? Moreover, do they have any interesting IT vacancies?

At the other end of the responsible business spectrum, I believe that this 419 scam mail which I received deserves the title of "least convincing scam attempt of the year". Lesson One for 419 scammers - when spamming anyone with at least a vague knowledge of geography, make sure that you claim to be from a country that actually exists.

RE: Business Proposal/Partnership Investment.
Dear Friend, 

I received encouraging information about you.I am delighted
 with such a useful information.I am interested in the partnership 
investment program with your corporation.First permit me to 
introduce myself as Mayor Sonogo Doko of the Western Sahara State 
in the Democratic Republic of Sahara (A tiny Island in the Desert).
Being the chief executive and the Mayor of my State.I awarded the 
contract of IRRIGATION to Portuguese Firm worth several millions of 
dollars.

In the execution of that project the Portuguese Firm discovered large 
amount of gold in one of the contract site. I collaborated with the 
Portuguese Firm on a mutual agreement on the proceed of which I 
have received my share of $15.000,000=(fiftheen million dollars).

As the Mayor of the Tiny Island,I cannot introduce or circulate this 
funds into the Sahara banking system considering my provisional 
duty and the considering the fact that I earn less than $2,000US 
dollars monthly coupled with the Bureau of conduct guidelines and 
regulations for Public Civil Servants.

(etc..)