... the IT man in LibraryLand
With no Tales-worthy happenings at last evening's Lit-fest opening night I shall instead regale you with the happenings of today.
I was awake at the early hour of 8am to partake in a breakfast with Redneck Ben. Our venue of choice was in the local cafe precinct and we were served up a quite filling and delicious repast.
Our main topic of conversation - as we did wander somewhat, as one is want to do - was gaming and specifically our usage of the Fudge system to building systems that suit our own game running style and the particular groups of players we run games for. He did impart some advice for me that was eerily similar to both, advice that The Viking Hat GM has frequently espoused, and action that The Bastard frequently takes in the games he runs.
I expect much crying from my players when I deploy such strategies.
Breakfast was followed by The Afternoon of IT Support as I had to visit the family home to fix the internet connection yet again. Although this time Freeloading Mum and Handy Dad are away overseas. You would think that there would be no IT support required but, alas, the house-sitting friend has been having regular problems and leaving frantic telephone messages for me - my personal favourite being "the phone isn't working properly".
Sigh. An IT man's work is seldom done.
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Being Corporately Challenged
No I'm not talking about some sort of office-bound knife fight for dominance - those usually happen later in the year.
Avid readers of The Tales will be aware that I have been messing about with pedometer usage for more than a year now.
All that training will bear fruit now that one is involved in the Global Corporate Challenge. For the next 16 weeks I shall be diligently noting my steps, entering them into the website and taking a virtual walk across the world with my team. When I say my team it is with a tinge of disbelief as, unfortunately, Beeby has manipulated his way into becoming the leader of our little group of pacers. Sigh. I shall soldier on though.
Of interest, after using the new pedometer one receives as a participant in the event, is that said pedometers appear to be set to extra sensitive as I was easily able to cruise past the 10,000 step limit on my practice day yesterday. I guess the 16 weeks of the GCC will provide me with enough empirical data to confirm or deny this theory
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Avid readers of The Tales will be aware that I have been messing about with pedometer usage for more than a year now.
All that training will bear fruit now that one is involved in the Global Corporate Challenge. For the next 16 weeks I shall be diligently noting my steps, entering them into the website and taking a virtual walk across the world with my team. When I say my team it is with a tinge of disbelief as, unfortunately, Beeby has manipulated his way into becoming the leader of our little group of pacers. Sigh. I shall soldier on though.
Of interest, after using the new pedometer one receives as a participant in the event, is that said pedometers appear to be set to extra sensitive as I was easily able to cruise past the 10,000 step limit on my practice day yesterday. I guess the 16 weeks of the GCC will provide me with enough empirical data to confirm or deny this theory
.
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
This is the second book in the same world and was recommended to me by Vengeful Vic. I have joyfully consumed it over the past month.
It picks up some of the characters from The Curse of Challion a few years later. I found it to once again be interesting characters in an intriguing situation. The stories are mostly low on magic and supernatural elements but the world seems to breath with a down to earth reality. One wonders if one is perhaps identifying with middle-aged protagonists over deference to your more standard young farm boy with a destiny.
There is however a darker, more disturbing side to my reading experience - other than the whole middle-aged thing - as many elements of the plot and setting bear some quite startling similarities to current happenings in my own game setting being regularly played on Thursday nights.
I am starting to believe that I may have come to the notice of the same plagiarising forces that have been copying The Bastard's bountiful gaming ideas for many a year. I shall have to search my flat and brain for idea stealing bugs forthwith.
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It picks up some of the characters from The Curse of Challion a few years later. I found it to once again be interesting characters in an intriguing situation. The stories are mostly low on magic and supernatural elements but the world seems to breath with a down to earth reality. One wonders if one is perhaps identifying with middle-aged protagonists over deference to your more standard young farm boy with a destiny.
There is however a darker, more disturbing side to my reading experience - other than the whole middle-aged thing - as many elements of the plot and setting bear some quite startling similarities to current happenings in my own game setting being regularly played on Thursday nights.
I am starting to believe that I may have come to the notice of the same plagiarising forces that have been copying The Bastard's bountiful gaming ideas for many a year. I shall have to search my flat and brain for idea stealing bugs forthwith.
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Leadership Training
I spent Friday last at a day of leadership training.
Of all the library inner cabal I was only joined by Big J - although the Russian Menace was present at first but used the ol' sick child excuse to skip away fairly early on in the proceedings.
I found the morning tea to be quite sumptuous with a huge variety of pastries and cake-lets, and further varieties still being brought forth even as we were being ushered back to our seats for the second round of activities.
The lunch however, was quite a let down, particularly after the prelude that the morning's parade of sweets had been.
Great platters of sandwiches were on the buffet table but on close perusal turned out to contain identical varieties - or rather lack of varieties, that is one per platter. There were also some party pies on a smaller platter and possibly some rice ball kind of things but one was far to slow to leap upon the repast to be the beneficiary of those.
As is usual for an event of this type the fruit platters had plenty of variety and leftovers.
As to the training itself I found it refreshingly grounded in real science and evidence and look forward to the advance course - Tyrant Training - as that is the level I believe one requires to be able to have any control of goings on in LibraryLand.
.
Of all the library inner cabal I was only joined by Big J - although the Russian Menace was present at first but used the ol' sick child excuse to skip away fairly early on in the proceedings.
I found the morning tea to be quite sumptuous with a huge variety of pastries and cake-lets, and further varieties still being brought forth even as we were being ushered back to our seats for the second round of activities.
The lunch however, was quite a let down, particularly after the prelude that the morning's parade of sweets had been.
Great platters of sandwiches were on the buffet table but on close perusal turned out to contain identical varieties - or rather lack of varieties, that is one per platter. There were also some party pies on a smaller platter and possibly some rice ball kind of things but one was far to slow to leap upon the repast to be the beneficiary of those.
As is usual for an event of this type the fruit platters had plenty of variety and leftovers.
As to the training itself I found it refreshingly grounded in real science and evidence and look forward to the advance course - Tyrant Training - as that is the level I believe one requires to be able to have any control of goings on in LibraryLand.
.
An Outing for Iron Man 2
In his usual manner BestFriendSincePrep called me up at the last minute - whilst I was mid-commute - to propose an outing to see the titular film.
As my communication channel was dropping out repeatedly for tunnel related reasons he drove to our usual cinema and then, once I was home, called me to enforce the outing.
Having to go there early I was also forced to go to dinner with him at one of the nearby establishments. He was up to his usual embarrassing tactics: combining and rearranging menu options; correcting wait staff pronunciation; sprinting to finish his meal leaving me stranded still consuming mine as the wait staff came to clear the table.
I did manage to survive to see the movie which was quite good for what it was - the action was interesting for the most part, the characters developed somewhat and the effects were well done.
Bonus Caution
Should you ever change the internet provider of someone close to you, such as Freeloading Mum, you should always remember to change their email server to the new provider before the old account expires lest their email suddenly stop working only a day before their big overseas trip.
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As my communication channel was dropping out repeatedly for tunnel related reasons he drove to our usual cinema and then, once I was home, called me to enforce the outing.
Having to go there early I was also forced to go to dinner with him at one of the nearby establishments. He was up to his usual embarrassing tactics: combining and rearranging menu options; correcting wait staff pronunciation; sprinting to finish his meal leaving me stranded still consuming mine as the wait staff came to clear the table.
I did manage to survive to see the movie which was quite good for what it was - the action was interesting for the most part, the characters developed somewhat and the effects were well done.
Bonus Caution
Should you ever change the internet provider of someone close to you, such as Freeloading Mum, you should always remember to change their email server to the new provider before the old account expires lest their email suddenly stop working only a day before their big overseas trip.
.
The High Cost of Phone Use
Here's a Caution for you all, about accepting the use of a company phone.
A couple of years ago they removed the $20 a month of free personal calls from all organisation phones. At the time we also had to begin using the online call identification system to nominate which communications were business and which were personal.
Somehow it fell into diss-use and one was no longer receiving the regular requests to log in and identify everything before fronting up and paying.
Recently we have been requested to start using the upgraded online call accounting system after a break of many, many months. We were requested to complete the backdated calls and then told to remember to complete it each month all on our own.
I have now paid up my previous nine months of personal call usage and am outraged that my free calls have been denied me requiring me to pay the $37.70 completely out of my own pocket.
I'm so upset that I may not pay for next months $4.20 of personal calls!
.
A couple of years ago they removed the $20 a month of free personal calls from all organisation phones. At the time we also had to begin using the online call identification system to nominate which communications were business and which were personal.
Somehow it fell into diss-use and one was no longer receiving the regular requests to log in and identify everything before fronting up and paying.
Recently we have been requested to start using the upgraded online call accounting system after a break of many, many months. We were requested to complete the backdated calls and then told to remember to complete it each month all on our own.
I have now paid up my previous nine months of personal call usage and am outraged that my free calls have been denied me requiring me to pay the $37.70 completely out of my own pocket.
I'm so upset that I may not pay for next months $4.20 of personal calls!
.
Highlights of the Missing Weeks
Well time has been scooting past at great pace and suddenly I find myself several weeks beyond my last blog post.
I'm going to skim over the vast array of events that befell me in that hectic time and merely pause to point out the highlights.
Doctor Who and the Miracle of Mr Prada
One of the earliest occurrences of this lost time was my beginning the latest season of the good Doctor's show. It was not without mishap though as my usually reliable sources all failed to mention to me that it was going to begin on real TV. However amongst all my disappointment at Legion2 and Miss Amanda it was Mr Prada who came to the rescue and enlightened me to the convenience that is the ABC's legitimate online viewing platform. I was quickly able to catch up and be ready for the weekly broadcast.
Prelude to a Conference
Whilst dealing with the wonderfulness that is the public transport systems ability to interfere with my precisely timed travel arrangements I bumped into a long time friend of the legion - G O We Luv You. We had a quick ten minute information dump before parting ways - he home with his significant other and myself home to bounce back city-ward for the pre-conference dinner.
I was late of course.
And then proceeded to ask the head of our the hosting company where he fit into the picture.
Luckily I dodged the bottomless wine-glass effect and made only a good impression on behalf of my organisation - which is good because Supervisor Grand Chief K was in attendance as well.
Conference Proper
A day of fun and frivolity was had with myself and Ms Magpie enduring such things as Constitution creation and IEEE standards information sessions.
The lunch was good, and plentiful though. We did get to play with new toys in the afternoon, ask the hard questions of our suppliers, and go home early, so it all worked out okay in the end.
Game Days
An afternoon and evening of gaming got off to an unexpected start when ElfBoy mixed up his dates and arrived mid-morning.
Much 1920's fun was had on several occasions as we partook further in the Fantomas gaming experience.
The Thursday night game enjoyed the return of DragonMim (and the early bedtime of Vengeful Vic - zing!).
Further ancient battles were fought with Badger.
Strategy Day
A day of strategy planning was had by the upper echelons of the library. My planning consisted of the best strategy to get to lunch early.
A Huge Footy Day
And finally myself, The Great Sandro, ElfBoy and Legion2 all attended the great Collingwood Carlton game yesterday. As it was supposed to be a sell out we had to attend extra early which turned the afternoon out into virtually a whole day affair. Still when ones team wins so emphatically such a large time investment hardly seems to matter.
The most significant thing that happened during the game was my near knockout of Legion2 as my arms shot out in celebration of one particularly excellent goal. Had he leant forward one more centimetre in excitement then it would have been much more than his hat that would have gone flying.
There you go. The skimming is all done and it should be a doddle for me to keep you up to date with whatever strange happenings arise in the future as they happen.
.
I'm going to skim over the vast array of events that befell me in that hectic time and merely pause to point out the highlights.
Doctor Who and the Miracle of Mr Prada
One of the earliest occurrences of this lost time was my beginning the latest season of the good Doctor's show. It was not without mishap though as my usually reliable sources all failed to mention to me that it was going to begin on real TV. However amongst all my disappointment at Legion2 and Miss Amanda it was Mr Prada who came to the rescue and enlightened me to the convenience that is the ABC's legitimate online viewing platform. I was quickly able to catch up and be ready for the weekly broadcast.
Prelude to a Conference
Whilst dealing with the wonderfulness that is the public transport systems ability to interfere with my precisely timed travel arrangements I bumped into a long time friend of the legion - G O We Luv You. We had a quick ten minute information dump before parting ways - he home with his significant other and myself home to bounce back city-ward for the pre-conference dinner.
I was late of course.
And then proceeded to ask the head of our the hosting company where he fit into the picture.
Luckily I dodged the bottomless wine-glass effect and made only a good impression on behalf of my organisation - which is good because Supervisor Grand Chief K was in attendance as well.
Conference Proper
A day of fun and frivolity was had with myself and Ms Magpie enduring such things as Constitution creation and IEEE standards information sessions.
The lunch was good, and plentiful though. We did get to play with new toys in the afternoon, ask the hard questions of our suppliers, and go home early, so it all worked out okay in the end.
Game Days
An afternoon and evening of gaming got off to an unexpected start when ElfBoy mixed up his dates and arrived mid-morning.
Much 1920's fun was had on several occasions as we partook further in the Fantomas gaming experience.
The Thursday night game enjoyed the return of DragonMim (and the early bedtime of Vengeful Vic - zing!).
Further ancient battles were fought with Badger.
Strategy Day
A day of strategy planning was had by the upper echelons of the library. My planning consisted of the best strategy to get to lunch early.
A Huge Footy Day
And finally myself, The Great Sandro, ElfBoy and Legion2 all attended the great Collingwood Carlton game yesterday. As it was supposed to be a sell out we had to attend extra early which turned the afternoon out into virtually a whole day affair. Still when ones team wins so emphatically such a large time investment hardly seems to matter.
The most significant thing that happened during the game was my near knockout of Legion2 as my arms shot out in celebration of one particularly excellent goal. Had he leant forward one more centimetre in excitement then it would have been much more than his hat that would have gone flying.
There you go. The skimming is all done and it should be a doddle for me to keep you up to date with whatever strange happenings arise in the future as they happen.
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