Dark Alex's Really Long Post Thread.

[316zombie]

understandable,considering how amazing our ash is!
thank you for sharing him, both of you!

[RCMerchant]

Why are you no longer Dark, Alex?

Yeah- I was wondering the same thing!
Now I know!

[Trevor]

For the last three or four years, I've wondered what I would have been like as a father.

Kids in general like me but I don't know how I would have been as a Dad.

[316zombie]

you'd be a great dad, trev. you're a very loving person.

[Alex]

I've came across a few people in my life who I thought would be terrible parents. Indeed, there was this one guy that I made all the women he knew promise me that they would never allow him to breed with them. Not been in touch with him for many years, but I am pretty sure he is still single.

Anyway Trevor, you don't strike me as that kind of person. I am pretty sure you'd be an excellent father.

[RCMerchant]

For the last three or four years, I've wondered what I would have been like as a father.

Kids in general like me but I don't know how I would have been as a Dad.

Chriminy! Your a big kid yourself! You'd be a great Dad.

[Alex]

So first thing this morning I get a call asking me to import an instruction onto our system so someone can carry it out. This is a bit unusual because, well if an instruction is applicable to our gear then we import it on release so I decided to ask some questions about who had told them to carry out this instruction, while at the same time checking the instruction out. As it turns out it according to all the information I had, the instruction for various reasons was not allowed on anything we have, so I called the section back and told them that they'd have to hang fire. They told me they'd been tasked by the highest level engineer on camp to carry out this instruction and I had to turn around to them and say "No, you can't."

Being fairly lowly in the grand rank scheme of things, I then had to go speak to various higher ranking ones to get back up for my decision. Anyway, presented all the available evidence and they all agreed I was in the right and they'd back me up.

Spent the rest of the day going back and forth making phone call, briefing seniors, getting emails forwarded to me and then forwarding them to other people.

Some time in the afternoon it became apparant the correct people actually had authorised this instruction. They had just neglected to tell us or anyone else who should have been told. So I called up the squadron, told them I'd allocated the task to the asset on the computer and they could go ahead and carry it out.

At which point they told me they didn't actually have a copy of the instruction. In fact no one had a copy of the instruction. I am then at this point wondering what the hell is going on. Why are they so desperate to get me to allocate a task they can't carry out. The task then gets officially released, at which point I should be able to access the document (its all to do with clearences and whatnot).  I go to get it but it isn't in the tech library, so I call up the guy whose job it is to release them (who I have been on the phone to like 6 times already this day) and he tells me that they aren't putting it on general release. Anyone wanting a copy has to email them directly asking for it. Could you not have mentioned this in the email I asked?

Anyway, I eventually got sent all the emails and messages that I should have had in advance. If anyone had bothered to mention it beforehand it would have saved a whole lot of work for a whole lot of people. My management have thanked me for raising the issue. Even though everything had been ok'd because we hadn't been told I was in the right to stop everything and ask questions. When I went to explain what had happened to my senior boss he kept interupting me to say yeah everything was sorted. One of the junior bosses actually ended up turning round to him and telling him politely to shut up and listen, but by that point I had lost where I had gotten to so I just said exactly that, turned around and walked out of his office.

Missing out a load of stuff that would explain the story better because, well I have to. It was nice of (almost) all of my bosses to back me up. The one that didn't, well although he is one of my higher up bosses he is actually less experienced than some of the people he is technically over (which is why one of them could tell him to shut up. Junior commisioned officers might outrank senior non-commissioned officers, but they tangle with them at their peril and I've seen more than one be put in their place hard). The same boss is the one that I think should have informed us of the exceptions being made on this job and therefore caused the whole delay. Hell, one of the guys who'd orders I'd countermanded told me we needed more people like that who would stop things if they didn't look right and ask questions.

Anyway, having some beers to relax and just needed a vent a bit, even if I can't explain it all properly.

[Alex]

How the hell does someone who raped a woman, get visitation rights to the resultant child? In what bizarre alternate universe does that make any kind of sense?

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

[Alex]

So with this weekend being father's day in the UK I've decided to torment my lookalike boss (when people notice we look alike we just reply "Yeah, he is my father/son."

Anyway, I am taking him a fathers day card and a box of chocolates (only a small, cheap one though. Heroes, for those who know what they are).

Also thinking about sending my various bosses an email thanking them for their support yesterday with my decision. One of them will pointedly be left off that list though.

Some parts of the UK have had 3 months of rainfall this week. Looks lovely out the window at the moment. Guess this won't be one of those summers where the south has hosepipes bans and a lack of water. Funny thing that when Scotland has an excess of water there is no infrastructure to export any to England. Indeed a few years ago when they were having a drought we shipped a load of it over to Spain (they converted a fleet of fishing vessels to carry the water), but it is easier for us to send it there than to a neighbouring country. Mind you, the last drought England had, Wales was talking about shipping water to England and their devolved parliament said "Sell it to them like it was oil." Think in the end it didn't happen as they don't have the infrastructure either, but with climate change depending which way that goes it may be something they will need in the future.

[Svengoolie 3]

How the hell does someone who raped a woman, get visitation rights to the resultant child? In what bizarre alternate universe does that make any kind of sense?

I don't want to live on this planet anymore.

This happens in conservative states in america.   I'm serious.

[Alex]

As (I think it was anyway) Dicken wrote "the law is an ass".

[Trevor]

you'd be a great dad, trev. you're a very loving person.

Hugs 

Strange that kids - the most perceptive of all humans - like me and are not threatened by me and most adults find me scary: the ones that don't know me well, that is.

[Trevor]

Anyway Trevor, you don't strike me as that kind of person. I am pretty sure you'd be an excellent father.

Thanks. 

My father was a former juvenile delinquent who later became a soldier and then a policeman oddly enough: his wish for me was to get an education and a job to keep.

I think I've made him proud. 

[316zombie]

curtis deals with that too, trev. he's the gentlest man who ever lived, but he doesn't LOOK it, you know?
  alex, i know how you feel, but remember, there are many of us who are fighting laws like that. sometimes we win, too.

[Alex]

Its just past 1 am here and I am alone.

Been listening to some of my favourite songs. At least those I have looked up on youtube and liked some videos for. Picked out less than 100 and I find that I need around 1,000 before I think there are enough songs to not hear the same ones on repeat.

Damn but I love these times when the world is all quiet. I could go out for a walk (and as long as I don't head in the direction of the local bars), and wander around for a few hours without seeing or meeting anyone. Although it is dark outside the sky still has streaks of light running through it. Were I to take my wanderings to the beach and away from the lights of the town then doubtless I'd see the northern lights.

Ever made love on a beach beneath them? It's quite something and I'd recommend it. Just be careful though about what time you try that, people are out walking dogs at all hours. I suggest the early evening works best. Most people are having their main meal, settling kids down to bed and whatnot. Tends to be much emptier at 18:00 or 19:00 than it is a 04:00.

The field of candidates for the new prime minister is rapidly narrowing. From the (I think anyway) 13 last week, they are down to 6. Looks like the final election will come down to Boris Johnson and one of the others, with Jeremy Hunt looking like getting the second spot. Was funny when a female presenter on the BBC mispronounced his name. Hunt rhymes with... She seemed mortified when she realised what she'd said, but maybe she was just a good actress.

Bumped into Bally on the way home from work. He was somewhat surprised that Dinky had let me stand everyone down early, but I think the guy is mostly ok. Still, giving him the card and chocolates didn't hurt either. The camp was pretty empty this afternoon though, so it seemed to make sense to me. If you can't do any work then go home rather than just sitting around.

Going to head to bed, not because I am tired but I do have to get up tomorrow morning. I am screening a kids movie (I think it is called The Missing Link, but I'll need to check that).