Load o’ Ballog

Song of the day: Rock the Casbah

Performer: The Clash

Composer: Joe Strummer and Topper Headon

Year: 1982

Album: Combat Rock

You can see the original video by The Clash by clicking here. But I thought you might like to see this cover by Algerian singer Rachid Taha.

Why I Like It: It stonks as much now as it did twenty-six years ago.

Trivia: It would appear that Joe Strummer wrote the lyrics after he read a news report of Iranians who were flogged for owning Disco albums.

Cover for The Messiah Contract

I have just knocked together a cover for The Messiah Contract. What do you think?

Taking a Privilege all the way to the bank

Most of you will not be aware that I worked for a time running a recruitment programme for an IT company. Fuck it – it was EDS. It’s not like I don’t say it in my CV.

Anyway, I was thrown into that with no experience. The person who was supposed to do it was not available and my manager thought I had the skills to make it work. It turned out he was right. The fact that I had no experience as a recruiter gave me the excuse to throw the existing process in the bin and come up with my own. My process reduced the amount of time project managers spent caught up in recruiting, reduced the number of interviews and yet increased the number of hires. The recruitment agencies also loved it, because although I made them work harder for each candidate, the higher hit-rate meant they were earning more commission.

I also ensured the candidates’ experience of the process was a good one. I kept them informed at all times, making sure they knew where to go, how to get there, who would be interviewing them, what format the interview would have and guaranteeing they got feedback within forty-eight hours. In other words, I showed them some damned respect.

I mention all this so you can get the idea that I know a thing or two about the recruiting process.

So the other day, I was having a chat with a friend (let’s call her Alison) about her company because a mutual friend (let’s call him Gerry) is applying for a job there.

Gerry was surprised by the arrogance of the interviewers. Alison explained that it is a prestigious company and it is considered a privilege to work there. She went on to say that it is a very good company to work for, but because of the “Privilege” it tended to pay below market average.

I am still rubbing my jaw because of the gobsmackery inherent in that statement.

Initially, I saw the plus side. If you are young, you might be willing to forgo monetary compensation because of the positive effect a couple of years’ experience working for a prestigious company might have on your CV.

But Gerry is in his mid thirties, has fifteen years experience in his field and is considered an expert.

I have advised Gerry that there are several responses to a company that says it pays less because it is a privilege to work there:

• What’s the rate of exchange between the Privilege and the Euro?
• Do universities accept the Privilege as a sort of scholarship?
• How much interest will my bank give me on any deposited Privileges?
• Can I use Privileges to amortise my mortgage?
• Do Privileges work like food stamps?
• How many pairs of childrens shoes can I buy with a Privilege?
• What are you? Medecins Sans Fucking Frontières*?

Continue reading Taking a Privilege all the way to the bank…

Cat update #3

Zoe is settling in just fine, although Tia is still not too impressed.

Oh, for God’s sake!

“Panini” already is plural, people!

World Oral Boomerang Catching Champions

I thought you might like to see some of my cartoons. I started with an illustration from my Freaky Fairy Tales below. Here is another one. I drew this one in 1993.

Truly magnificent!

I know what I want for Christmas!

Slapathon 2005

A couple of people have asked me to post this here.

Song of the day: The Logical Song

Performer: Supertramp

Composer: Roger Hodgson

Year: 1979

Album: Breakfast in America

Why I Like It: I was sixteen when this song came out and I loved the sentiment. Of course, I misunderstood it. I took it to mean that people shouldn’t be sent to work in offices. Now I take it to mean that we shouldn’t let the responsibility of adulthood crush the spontaneity of childhood. Too often we let the adults we become kill the children we once were.

Trivia: In the early 1990s I cooked a curry for Supertramp bassist Dougie Thomson. He said I was a “master”. At least, that’s what it sounded like.