It sounds like you should change jobs. People who work full days (or more) should get enough money to live at a reasonable standard. It's what one expect of a civilized country.
I've virtually given up full time work. It really isn't worth the effort. I work enough to survive. It's awful to say, but I may get a fair bunce of an inheritance some day which may assist my finances. I decided many years ago my money wasn't going to stretch to houses and flash cars, so I spent it on foreign travel and a lush life. Some would say I wasted it, but IMO I learnt and experienced more than I ever would if I'd been prudent.
Good for you, chrisno1. Despite what Blofeld says, you do only live once. As a famous footballer once said - I spent all my money on boozing, gambling and women, at least I didn’t waste it! 😂
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
I admire this but I have many commitments so could never hope to do this. Today I will be working a 'short' shift from 1200 to 2000 to cover for some one who is off ill, then working 12 hours day shifts on Saturday and Sunday. I have some old injuries and I don't know if it is actually the case but I think all the long hours I am at work is making them hurt more than usual. Of course this could just be because I am starting to get old!
This kind of shift work can mess one about long term, esp night shift stuff, it can really mess up your body rhythms and make you put on weight. Of course it's a case of needs-must as the saying goes and also @Joshua the best way to get a job is to have a job, also as the saying goes. You are in a stronger position than being without work, of course, in applying for another job. But the case of working all day to get up the next day to do the same reminds me of George Orwell's brilliant book Down and Out in Paris in London - some of this is based on what it is to be a tramp or homeless person (the London part), but the Paris bit sees him workings as a flongeur I think it's called, in the kitchens longs sessions all day then getting up to do the same again so you have no time to reassess life priorities. It's a brilliant slice of 1930s life.
When I did an evening's bar work in my student days I got a tenner, went along to the local takeaway to get a well-deserved meal. That was the money pretty much gone. 'Easy come, easy go,' I said as I realised it, to the bloke behind the till. 'It doesn't come easy,' he replied, with a grin that was justified but just that bit annoying as I watched a few hours' work go up in smoke.
Do you know why China suddenly has a few athletes capable of beating ...... anyone in skiing? When the Norwegian Nobel comitee awarded the peace prize to a Chinese disident their authorities did not take it well. To them an indenpendent Nobel comitee was .....
Norway was put in "the icebox" with no political contact. Before Norwegian salmon dominated the Chinese market, but suddenly their authorities "discovered" our salmon was dangerous for your health and stopped importing it. After years in the ice box a deal was made between the two countries. We don't know the deatails, but it's belived Norway has promised not to critizise China in public. Not our finest hour, but aparently salmon export is very important. It's also belived the Norwegian government promised to teach some of China's atlethes to ski. About sixty of our best coaches and other experts have worked for the Chinese since. There's been cultural clashes. The Norwegian approach with trust, openess and inner motivation doesn't always work well with the Chinese way based on discipline, surveilance and fear. I very much doubt China can reach the top ten in a ski events this winter, but maybe in the top twenty?
I do twelve hour shifts and sometimes have one hour drive each way. This leaves me with not very much time at all to do anything but sleep. My search for another job has been long but I keep trying. It is simply the all the time I am spending working and commuting which is now beginning to tell. I must admit though that much of it is voluntary overtime, so my own 'fault'.
I was interested in the book you mentioned and found the audio version on you tube. I intend to listen to this at some point.
The Scandinavian countries have almost completely opened up society in terms of Covid-19 restrictions. A very high percentage of the populations are vaccinated, the three countries have over 70% fully vaccinated. Do you think there is link? 😄
Let's continue the popular series: Number24 presents Norwegian delicacies.
Today I ate Cod's tongue. This is traditionally a speciality in northern Norway where my mother grew up. Traditionally cuting cod's tongues is a job for children aged 6 to 16 and it still is. There's even a special exception from the child labour laws to allow children to do this job and they make a lot of money doing this. 😋
It appears that the Oscars producers are cutting some of the awards which are usually presented live. Apparently last years show had the lowest viewing figures ever, and they think it’s because some of the lesser awards are boring the audience. What the diminishing audience are actually telling them is that they are bored to death of being lectured to by pseudo-intellectuals on the subject of politics, me too, and all the other claptrap, woke, “flavour-of-the-week” issues that they spout out ad nauseum in the hope of staying relevant. Get back to 5 possible candidates for each award, 30 second acceptance speeches with no agendas and emceed by the likes of Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy and Ricky Gervaise. More time for tributes (the “in memoriam” section should be longer and more detailed), tributes to films past - this year could have a 60 year anniversary piece of Bond films, for instance. The Oscars are about movies, not political and social causes.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Especially agree about the 5 nominations - having 10 nods for Best Picture completely diminishes winning the category. It is noticeable that in the twelve years since they introduced a maximum of 10 nominations the Best Picture for 2009 only exactly half of the winners have also won the Best Director award, which is an enormous shift compared to previous records, in the sixties, seventies and eighties it was almost unheard of (4 times in 30 years). This suggests the overall composition and drive of a film, which should be the preserve of the director, is being neglected in favour of script, acting and theme. I'm not suggesting those roles are not important - and occasionally I believe Oscar gets it right regardless (i.e. 2015 and Spotlight) - but if the best director is doing the best work, it follows the movie almost always should be the best film. Adding extra nominations allows voter's focus to shift away from the essentials of storytelling - to provide plausible characters and situations and present them in a flamboyant but accessible manner - and onto personal favouritisms.
The Academy changed the nomination system because there was anger Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight hadn't been nominated in 2008. But the reason it wasn't nominated was because not enough Academy voters warmed to the movie. If you only have five slots to fill sometimes very good movies get left out. By example:
1951 The African Queen, 1952 Singin in the Rain, 1959 North By Northwest 1959 Some Like It Hot 1960 Psycho 1963 Hud 1963 The Leopard 1968 2001 A Space Odyssey 1969 They Shoot Horses Don't They 1969 The Wild Bunch 1970 Woodstock 1974 Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More 1979 Manhattan 1989 Cinema Paradiso 1995 Toy Story 2003 City of God 2004 The Incredibles 2008 Frost / Nixon
The way to address this is two-fold. One is to diversify the voting membership and the Academy has taken steps towards this, but there are still huge numbers of people who work in the Hollywood movie industry who are not members and cannot vote. Secondly, the studios need to make and promote more intelligent movies instead of flogging endless pop corn comic book style blockbusters. It doesn't matter how good these franchise films are, their disposable nature and proliferation doesn't make them stand out.
Had there been ten nods in 2008 The Dark Knight still may not have received one. Even at their best, I've never considered a Bond, DC or Marvel film as one of the five best of a year. They don't have the necessary élan, originality or thematic conviction. Despite expanding the category to ten nominations these blockbusters still rarely make it onto the list [Black Panther], because everyone knows they are films built by numbers and don't reflect any artistic sentiment, which is what the Academy is meant to be about.
You know what? This is a s~~~ argument, but I'll post it anyway.
The political posturing goes back at least as far as Marlon Brando and Vanessa Redgrave, which is to say before my time, so I always thought that was part of the tradition. That and the obsession with what the celebrities are wearing this year.
I actually dont see the point of watching the Oscars expecting to learn what the best new films are that came out the last year, the choices are always so conventional and a decade behind the times. Pay attention to who wins the prizes at Cannes or Sundance or TIFF. Or better yet who doesnt win the prizes but gets all the buzz. Those are the interesting new films worth watching. Then a decade later the same director will make a boring film about butlers and get the Oscar for that.
I rarely bother about football, but I just saw a clip from a football game in northern Norway. This inspired me to post a few photos from football games in the far north. 🤣
Comments
It sounds like you should change jobs. People who work full days (or more) should get enough money to live at a reasonable standard. It's what one expect of a civilized country.
I've virtually given up full time work. It really isn't worth the effort. I work enough to survive. It's awful to say, but I may get a fair bunce of an inheritance some day which may assist my finances. I decided many years ago my money wasn't going to stretch to houses and flash cars, so I spent it on foreign travel and a lush life. Some would say I wasted it, but IMO I learnt and experienced more than I ever would if I'd been prudent.
Good for you, chrisno1. Despite what Blofeld says, you do only live once. As a famous footballer once said - I spent all my money on boozing, gambling and women, at least I didn’t waste it! 😂
I admire this but I have many commitments so could never hope to do this. Today I will be working a 'short' shift from 1200 to 2000 to cover for some one who is off ill, then working 12 hours day shifts on Saturday and Sunday. I have some old injuries and I don't know if it is actually the case but I think all the long hours I am at work is making them hurt more than usual. Of course this could just be because I am starting to get old!
This kind of shift work can mess one about long term, esp night shift stuff, it can really mess up your body rhythms and make you put on weight. Of course it's a case of needs-must as the saying goes and also @Joshua the best way to get a job is to have a job, also as the saying goes. You are in a stronger position than being without work, of course, in applying for another job. But the case of working all day to get up the next day to do the same reminds me of George Orwell's brilliant book Down and Out in Paris in London - some of this is based on what it is to be a tramp or homeless person (the London part), but the Paris bit sees him workings as a flongeur I think it's called, in the kitchens longs sessions all day then getting up to do the same again so you have no time to reassess life priorities. It's a brilliant slice of 1930s life.
When I did an evening's bar work in my student days I got a tenner, went along to the local takeaway to get a well-deserved meal. That was the money pretty much gone. 'Easy come, easy go,' I said as I realised it, to the bloke behind the till. 'It doesn't come easy,' he replied, with a grin that was justified but just that bit annoying as I watched a few hours' work go up in smoke.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Oh, Twitter's down btw.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Do you know why China suddenly has a few athletes capable of beating ...... anyone in skiing? When the Norwegian Nobel comitee awarded the peace prize to a Chinese disident their authorities did not take it well. To them an indenpendent Nobel comitee was .....
Norway was put in "the icebox" with no political contact. Before Norwegian salmon dominated the Chinese market, but suddenly their authorities "discovered" our salmon was dangerous for your health and stopped importing it. After years in the ice box a deal was made between the two countries. We don't know the deatails, but it's belived Norway has promised not to critizise China in public. Not our finest hour, but aparently salmon export is very important. It's also belived the Norwegian government promised to teach some of China's atlethes to ski. About sixty of our best coaches and other experts have worked for the Chinese since. There's been cultural clashes. The Norwegian approach with trust, openess and inner motivation doesn't always work well with the Chinese way based on discipline, surveilance and fear. I very much doubt China can reach the top ten in a ski events this winter, but maybe in the top twenty?
Let's focus on the more beautiful aspects of winter. No wonder this is an award-winning photograph:
I do twelve hour shifts and sometimes have one hour drive each way. This leaves me with not very much time at all to do anything but sleep. My search for another job has been long but I keep trying. It is simply the all the time I am spending working and commuting which is now beginning to tell. I must admit though that much of it is voluntary overtime, so my own 'fault'.
I was interested in the book you mentioned and found the audio version on you tube. I intend to listen to this at some point.
Hi @Joshua - of all the classics, this one is a real easy read. Some 'classics' (matter of opinion, of course) are a real grind. This isn't.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I just heard the news about Elon Musk's new spaceship called Starship. It's rather large ...
Here's a recent photo of Musk planning his Starship:
The Scandinavian countries have almost completely opened up society in terms of Covid-19 restrictions. A very high percentage of the populations are vaccinated, the three countries have over 70% fully vaccinated. Do you think there is link? 😄
Putin and his Foreign Minister demonstrates the correct social distance between people during meals.
"Can you pass the salt?"
"What?"
"I said: 'Can you pass the salt'?"
"What?"
I think the below photo illustrates what trailblazers Bruce Wayne and Vicky Vale were back in 1989!
Of cource we should all organize our dining rooms like Putin and Batman now.
It reminds me of Karl Stromberg's table in The Spy Who Loved Me! I just hope it doesn't come with the added extra under the table! 😲
Isn't it nice of a president to showcase social distancing like that! I hope Putin continues being this responsible! 😀
How can you compare Putin to Stromberg, SM?
I know. I can't think what ever gave me that ludicrous idea! 😉
Yes, it was a silly idea.
😁😁😁
I’m reading news that a major storm is hitting the UK I hope everyone there keeps safe.
Here, it isn't as bad as the one from a couple of days ago but the news suggests the south is much worse.
And more is expected.
'Weren't you a GIF when I attached you?'
'Maybe.'
'I tend to remember little things like that, whether an attachment is a picture of a GIF.'
Roger Moore 1927-2017
@Napoleon Plural embed a gif like its a youtube video
Let's continue the popular series: Number24 presents Norwegian delicacies.
Today I ate Cod's tongue. This is traditionally a speciality in northern Norway where my mother grew up. Traditionally cuting cod's tongues is a job for children aged 6 to 16 and it still is. There's even a special exception from the child labour laws to allow children to do this job and they make a lot of money doing this. 😋
It appears that the Oscars producers are cutting some of the awards which are usually presented live. Apparently last years show had the lowest viewing figures ever, and they think it’s because some of the lesser awards are boring the audience. What the diminishing audience are actually telling them is that they are bored to death of being lectured to by pseudo-intellectuals on the subject of politics, me too, and all the other claptrap, woke, “flavour-of-the-week” issues that they spout out ad nauseum in the hope of staying relevant. Get back to 5 possible candidates for each award, 30 second acceptance speeches with no agendas and emceed by the likes of Billy Crystal, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy and Ricky Gervaise. More time for tributes (the “in memoriam” section should be longer and more detailed), tributes to films past - this year could have a 60 year anniversary piece of Bond films, for instance. The Oscars are about movies, not political and social causes.
Hear ! Hear !
Especially agree about the 5 nominations - having 10 nods for Best Picture completely diminishes winning the category. It is noticeable that in the twelve years since they introduced a maximum of 10 nominations the Best Picture for 2009 only exactly half of the winners have also won the Best Director award, which is an enormous shift compared to previous records, in the sixties, seventies and eighties it was almost unheard of (4 times in 30 years). This suggests the overall composition and drive of a film, which should be the preserve of the director, is being neglected in favour of script, acting and theme. I'm not suggesting those roles are not important - and occasionally I believe Oscar gets it right regardless (i.e. 2015 and Spotlight) - but if the best director is doing the best work, it follows the movie almost always should be the best film. Adding extra nominations allows voter's focus to shift away from the essentials of storytelling - to provide plausible characters and situations and present them in a flamboyant but accessible manner - and onto personal favouritisms.
The Academy changed the nomination system because there was anger Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight hadn't been nominated in 2008. But the reason it wasn't nominated was because not enough Academy voters warmed to the movie. If you only have five slots to fill sometimes very good movies get left out. By example:
1951 The African Queen, 1952 Singin in the Rain, 1959 North By Northwest 1959 Some Like It Hot 1960 Psycho 1963 Hud 1963 The Leopard 1968 2001 A Space Odyssey 1969 They Shoot Horses Don't They 1969 The Wild Bunch 1970 Woodstock 1974 Alice Doesn't Live Here Any More 1979 Manhattan 1989 Cinema Paradiso 1995 Toy Story 2003 City of God 2004 The Incredibles 2008 Frost / Nixon
The way to address this is two-fold. One is to diversify the voting membership and the Academy has taken steps towards this, but there are still huge numbers of people who work in the Hollywood movie industry who are not members and cannot vote. Secondly, the studios need to make and promote more intelligent movies instead of flogging endless pop corn comic book style blockbusters. It doesn't matter how good these franchise films are, their disposable nature and proliferation doesn't make them stand out.
Had there been ten nods in 2008 The Dark Knight still may not have received one. Even at their best, I've never considered a Bond, DC or Marvel film as one of the five best of a year. They don't have the necessary élan, originality or thematic conviction. Despite expanding the category to ten nominations these blockbusters still rarely make it onto the list [Black Panther], because everyone knows they are films built by numbers and don't reflect any artistic sentiment, which is what the Academy is meant to be about.
You know what? This is a s~~~ argument, but I'll post it anyway.
The political posturing goes back at least as far as Marlon Brando and Vanessa Redgrave, which is to say before my time, so I always thought that was part of the tradition. That and the obsession with what the celebrities are wearing this year.
I actually dont see the point of watching the Oscars expecting to learn what the best new films are that came out the last year, the choices are always so conventional and a decade behind the times. Pay attention to who wins the prizes at Cannes or Sundance or TIFF. Or better yet who doesnt win the prizes but gets all the buzz. Those are the interesting new films worth watching. Then a decade later the same director will make a boring film about butlers and get the Oscar for that.
I rarely bother about football, but I just saw a clip from a football game in northern Norway. This inspired me to post a few photos from football games in the far north. 🤣