I heard it said...
"The day there's a black US President will bethe day pigs flew"
And just 100 days into his Presidency...
SWINE FLUThursday, May 7, 2009
Prophetic...
"The day there's a black US President will bethe day pigs flew"
And just 100 days into his Presidency...
SWINE FLU
Monday, May 4, 2009
MUTE MONDAY: GUESS THE PLACE
I know I'm way late on this, but I blame confusing time zones and such. This is the;
Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, Australia.
(My home city)
The winners;
Buzz - Great job on getting it right.
Aunty - Excellent Tom Roberts pick up.
Groovy - Although not an MM participant, always amuses me.
This building has a wonderful history and stands out, not only for it's architecture, but as the site of Australia's first Parliament after Federation. As for the inclusion of Tom Roberts working on a painting in the building... this is what he produced;
Opening Of The First Parliament.
Thanks for playing... Bear.
Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne, Australia.
(My home city)
The winners;
Buzz - Great job on getting it right.
Aunty - Excellent Tom Roberts pick up.
Groovy - Although not an MM participant, always amuses me.
This building has a wonderful history and stands out, not only for it's architecture, but as the site of Australia's first Parliament after Federation. As for the inclusion of Tom Roberts working on a painting in the building... this is what he produced;
Opening Of The First Parliament.Thanks for playing... Bear.
Friday, May 1, 2009
You can count on it...
If I handed you a wad of money... no wait. If I held your
gaze with mine and slipped a banknote into your hand
saying "Here's 20, keep it." What do you think is the
first thing you'd do... even before thanking me?
You'd look at it.
Why? Because you'd want to confirm what just happened.
The question in your mind isn't that you think I'd cheat you
and only give you a 10 even though I said 20. It would just
be that you want to be dealing with the facts, that is, that you
were just given a 20 and now you need to be appropriately
grateful. After all, you don't want to waste twenty dollars
worth of gratitude on just ten bucks.
I remember when I was a first year apprentice at a machine
shop I was the one that did the 'lunch run'. I'd take the
lunch orders from the other blokes, and their money, and go
get the orders filled and hand out the change. On one occasion
the business owner asked me to get his lunch and as he finished
telling me what he wanted, he handed over some notes and small
change... "There's five bucks there."
On taking the money I did what I always did, I counted it in front
of him. He stood there as I counted it, and as I put it in my pocket I
glanced at him and I was surprised to see a rather incredulous look
on his face...
Boss: What... don't you trust me?
Me: I... it's... no, it's not that..
Boss: Hell, what a bloody insult!!
And off he stormed. I was 16 years old at the time and very
embarrassed by what just happened.
So if someone hands you a wad of cash, to bank, to spend or to
hide under the mattress, you count it... right? But not because
you don't trust them... but because you want both of you to be
working with the same knowledge, you both need to have the
same amount in mind. Especially if you come back with less change
than was expected.
Now I will add here that this rule of counting what is given doesn't
get strictly applied when one's life partner hands over money,
I mean it's your shared money and generally speaking it's not
the same as when you're boss gives you their money. Well that
depends on the dynamics of your relationship I guess, but you
know what I mean.
(Note to Butch: I've just noticed a whole bunch of irony in that
last paragraph... tehe.)
But here's what prompted this post...
My bank have just completed a refurbishment of the branch
that I use in the local shopping centre (mall, if you prefer), and
they have incorporated an 'open plan' styling to the layout of this
particular branch. I assume it will roll out to all branches
eventually. What's intrigued me is the fact that the Teller's counters
are island counters towards the back of the branch. Two stations
per counter and ne'er a wall in sight. Therefore anyone, if they've a
mind to, could just wander around behind the counter.
My first thought was security and how that's achieved without
a grill or cage like exclusion barrier, and that includes the fact
that there's nowhere for a pop-up screen... not that such a screen
would be of use on an island counter... so it all struck me as a rather
strange way to set up a bank branch.
Then, as I was being served, I saw how securing the cash was
achieved. There are two Tellers to a counter and between them
is a sturdy safe come money dispenser. The teller types in the
amount of cash and denominations required, on the terminal that
they are at, and the safe things makes a whirring noise then a
small panel in the top slides back and there's the money, as
ordered.
One affect is that, as a customer, one doesn't feel a great divide,
real or imagined, between one's self and the teller because of
the need to have security mechanisms between us. It kind of
implies an element of friendly trust.
TRUST... stay with me, we're getting there.
Another affect of the new bank layout and, in particular, the way the
cash is handled, is the fact that the teller no longer counts the
cash in front of you. They take it from the cash safe draw where
it has been mechanically counted and hand it to you with a smile.
On my first visit after my branch was refurbished, the teller informed
me that they no longer counted out the cash. When I asked why, she
explained that the cash counting machine was accurate and they didn't
need to count it a second time and thereby not delaying the customer
and those waiting in line for service.
So I wonder just how much time it actually saves.
The old way was that the teller would count out the cash with you, the
customer, looking on. The new way, well the way it goes with me at
least, is that I, the customer, counts out the cash with the teller
looking on. I don't leave the counter without counting the money.
Because if I was to discover a shortfall on the way out of the bank,
what do you think my chances would be of the bank believing that I
didn't slip some into my pocket and I am now trying to get more
money by dishonest means.
And I can guarantee that I don't count cash as fast as a teller that
spends a greater part of the day doing just that.
Therefore no time saved.
I don't have a problem with the layout of the branch, it looks rather
good actually. What bugs me about all this is the fact that I am
charged a fee to have a human to human transaction. But, what
is the other human doing that an ATM doesn't do?
Except give me an ingenuous smile.
gaze with mine and slipped a banknote into your hand
saying "Here's 20, keep it." What do you think is the
first thing you'd do... even before thanking me?
You'd look at it.
Why? Because you'd want to confirm what just happened.
The question in your mind isn't that you think I'd cheat you
and only give you a 10 even though I said 20. It would just
be that you want to be dealing with the facts, that is, that you
were just given a 20 and now you need to be appropriately
grateful. After all, you don't want to waste twenty dollars
worth of gratitude on just ten bucks.
I remember when I was a first year apprentice at a machine
shop I was the one that did the 'lunch run'. I'd take the
lunch orders from the other blokes, and their money, and go
get the orders filled and hand out the change. On one occasion
the business owner asked me to get his lunch and as he finished
telling me what he wanted, he handed over some notes and small
change... "There's five bucks there."
On taking the money I did what I always did, I counted it in front
of him. He stood there as I counted it, and as I put it in my pocket I
glanced at him and I was surprised to see a rather incredulous look
on his face...
Boss: What... don't you trust me?
Me: I... it's... no, it's not that..
Boss: Hell, what a bloody insult!!
And off he stormed. I was 16 years old at the time and very
embarrassed by what just happened.
So if someone hands you a wad of cash, to bank, to spend or to
hide under the mattress, you count it... right? But not because
you don't trust them... but because you want both of you to be
working with the same knowledge, you both need to have the
same amount in mind. Especially if you come back with less change
than was expected.
Now I will add here that this rule of counting what is given doesn't
get strictly applied when one's life partner hands over money,
I mean it's your shared money and generally speaking it's not
the same as when you're boss gives you their money. Well that
depends on the dynamics of your relationship I guess, but you
know what I mean.
(Note to Butch: I've just noticed a whole bunch of irony in that
last paragraph... tehe.)
But here's what prompted this post...
My bank have just completed a refurbishment of the branch
that I use in the local shopping centre (mall, if you prefer), and
they have incorporated an 'open plan' styling to the layout of this
particular branch. I assume it will roll out to all branches
eventually. What's intrigued me is the fact that the Teller's counters
are island counters towards the back of the branch. Two stations
per counter and ne'er a wall in sight. Therefore anyone, if they've a
mind to, could just wander around behind the counter.
My first thought was security and how that's achieved without
a grill or cage like exclusion barrier, and that includes the fact
that there's nowhere for a pop-up screen... not that such a screen
would be of use on an island counter... so it all struck me as a rather
strange way to set up a bank branch.
Then, as I was being served, I saw how securing the cash was
achieved. There are two Tellers to a counter and between them
is a sturdy safe come money dispenser. The teller types in the
amount of cash and denominations required, on the terminal that
they are at, and the safe things makes a whirring noise then a
small panel in the top slides back and there's the money, as
ordered.
One affect is that, as a customer, one doesn't feel a great divide,
real or imagined, between one's self and the teller because of
the need to have security mechanisms between us. It kind of
implies an element of friendly trust.
TRUST... stay with me, we're getting there.
Another affect of the new bank layout and, in particular, the way the
cash is handled, is the fact that the teller no longer counts the
cash in front of you. They take it from the cash safe draw where
it has been mechanically counted and hand it to you with a smile.
On my first visit after my branch was refurbished, the teller informed
me that they no longer counted out the cash. When I asked why, she
explained that the cash counting machine was accurate and they didn't
need to count it a second time and thereby not delaying the customer
and those waiting in line for service.
So I wonder just how much time it actually saves.
The old way was that the teller would count out the cash with you, the
customer, looking on. The new way, well the way it goes with me at
least, is that I, the customer, counts out the cash with the teller
looking on. I don't leave the counter without counting the money.
Because if I was to discover a shortfall on the way out of the bank,
what do you think my chances would be of the bank believing that I
didn't slip some into my pocket and I am now trying to get more
money by dishonest means.
And I can guarantee that I don't count cash as fast as a teller that
spends a greater part of the day doing just that.
Therefore no time saved.
I don't have a problem with the layout of the branch, it looks rather
good actually. What bugs me about all this is the fact that I am
charged a fee to have a human to human transaction. But, what
is the other human doing that an ATM doesn't do?
Except give me an ingenuous smile.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The Pontiac G8
Firstly...
Pick the Pontiac G8 from these two 'Sports Trucks'
The top pic is the Australian designed and built Pontiac G8.The bottom one is the local Australian car that the G8 is
based on.
General Motors Inc. has announced the plan to phase out
the Pontiac brand. That means the end of the road for the
popular high performance Pontiac G8 range.
That decision puts pressure on Aussie jobs, although General
Motor's Holden (Aus) have stated that it will not cause job
losses in Aus, one still needs to be very concerned.
At least the Aussie icon lives on in other export markets
around the world... but for how long I wonder?
Beggars want butter...
On a recent interstate trip I had need to do a little food shopping
in a local shopping centre. The centre had a supermarket surrounded
by smaller shops, of which one was a bakery.
After finishing in the supermarket I decided to go across
the car park to the bakery and I was barely out of the door
when I was approached by a guy;
Beggar: Excuse me mate... I'm not after money...
Me: (Well at that stage I didn't say anything to this rather tall,
toothless and shabbily dressed beggar).
Beggar: ...nah I just wonder if you would buy me some bread please.
Me: (after glancing back over my shoulder at the vast variety of
bread... white, heavily fruited and grained varieties and many
variations of the theme.) Okay, why not?... Come in with me and tell
which one you want.
Me: (Well at that stage I didn't say anything to this rather tall,
toothless and shabbily dressed beggar).
Beggar: ...nah I just wonder if you would buy me some bread please.
Me: (after glancing back over my shoulder at the vast variety of
bread... white, heavily fruited and grained varieties and many
variations of the theme.) Okay, why not?... Come in with me and tell
which one you want.
As we walked in I could see that the young shop assistant had heard
the exchange and was looking at the beggar, waiting for him to
indicate which of the wide selection of nutritious blocks of
sustenance that he would choose...
the exchange and was looking at the beggar, waiting for him to
indicate which of the wide selection of nutritious blocks of
sustenance that he would choose...
Beggar: (Pointing at the glass fronted display case) Hot Cross Bun please.
Me: Oh... a Hot Cross Bun? Is one enough, what about two? (and I
turned to the assistant...) Two Hot Cross Buns, please.
Beggar: I love Hot Cross Buns... don't s'pose you got any butter?
Do you have any butter here? I love butter on me Hot Cross Buns.
Me: Oh... a Hot Cross Bun? Is one enough, what about two? (and I
turned to the assistant...) Two Hot Cross Buns, please.
Beggar: I love Hot Cross Buns... don't s'pose you got any butter?
Do you have any butter here? I love butter on me Hot Cross Buns.
I looked at the assistant and she shook her head and saying that they
didn't have butter and proceeded to place two buns in a paper bag.
As she placed them on the counter I offered her the money but she
said not to worry about it, they're on the house.
didn't have butter and proceeded to place two buns in a paper bag.
As she placed them on the counter I offered her the money but she
said not to worry about it, they're on the house.
As I walked off towards my hotel I glanced back and saw that the
guy was already well into the first bun as he walked away.
I thought it was a very generous gesture of Bakers Delight, to give
this poor beggar a couple of rolls... not that two rolls will amount to
much, when it comes to their profit for the day. However I think that
their generosity will likely be tested when this beggar fronts up at the
shop every day wanting another handout... and in future I bet
he brings his own butter.
I must say though, I'm with the beggar when it comes to butter and buns.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
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