Gene Eric's Web Log

2003-12-02T11:42:00.000Z

The end of Blogshares, just when I was doing well.

Dear BlogShares players,

I am sorry to announce that BlogShares will not be reopening after the current technical difficulties are resolved. Currently, the database server is dead and looks to be for the next few days.

The latest system crash has highlighted to me that deliverying a fun, useful service for the BlogShares community requires an active operator and developer. As most of you are no doubt aware I've been neither for the past couple of months. That has led to a decline of quality service, new features and ultimately income for the site and it looked likely that there wouldn't be enough to pay for next month's hosting.

It's been an interesting and very rewarding nine months bringing a bit of entertainment to bloggers (and blog lovers). I'd like to thank especially all those people who donated money or their valuable time, those who became premium subscribers, those who worked on cool toys which made use of the fledgling API and all those who could be found on the forums and IRC channel. You turned a silly fun idea of a mad monkey coder in London into something worthy of the attention by thousands of bloggers and the press.

A special mention goes to Greg, Jay, Erika, Joe, Aine, James, Ashes, Morgaine, Patrick and Rob.

My goal with the project was always to embrace the power law and to provide a new way of highlighting blogs with a little bit of fun. I've been pleasantly surprised of how well it did and stupefied it did it for so long. Now, however, it is time to move on to other things. I'm sure you'll be hearing from me in the not so distant future. You can also find me at my perpetual home: monkeyx.com.

All the best,

Seyed Razavi.

All things come and go. What thing do you miss most that has come and gone in your life? I rather miss the Secret chocolate bars.

2003-11-26T15:12:00.000Z

There are two recurring themes on this site, web rings and spam e-mails. The latter has been in short supply of late although I cannot nor should not be disparaging about the quality of this electronic letter to fall through my virtual letterbox.

MR. VON HEINZ
Firstmerit Bank
U.k

PRIVATE AND URGENT.

I am contacting you on a business transfer of a huge sum of money
from a deceased account. Though I know that a transaction of this
magnitude will make any one apprehensive and sceptical, but I am
assuring you that its been accurately planned and will be carried out
successfully with your full cooperation as long as you follow our
plans and instructions religiously. We decided to contact you due to
the urgency of this transaction.

PROPOSITION;
We discovered an abandoned sum of US$5,500,000.00 (five million five
hundred thousand united states dollars) in an account that belongs to
one of our foreign customers who died along with his entire family.
Since his death, none of his next-of-kin or relations has come
forward to lay claims for this money as the heir. We cannot release
the fund from his account unless someone applies for claim as the
next-of-kin to the deceased as indicated in our banking guidelines.
Upon this discovery, we now seek your permission
to have you stand as a next of kin to the deceased as all
documentations will be carefully worked out by us for the funds
(US$5,500,000.00) to be released in your favour as the beneficiary's
next of kin through my banks funds managers/clearing house overseas.
It may interest you to know that we have secured from
the probate an order of madamus to locate any of deceased
beneficiaries. Please acknowledge receipt of this message in
acceptance of our mutual business endeavour by furnishing me with the
following;
1. Beneficiary name and address
2. Direct Telephone and fax numbers
These requirements will enable us file letter of claim to the
appropriate departments for necessary approvals in your favour before
the transfer can be made. We shall be
compensating you with a million dollars on final conclusion of this
project, while the rest shall be for us. Your share stays while the
rest shall be for us for investment purposes.
If this proposal is acceptable by you, do not take undue advantage of
the trust we have bestowed in you, I await your urgent mail.

Regards,

Mr. Von Heinz.

Elizabeth could learn a lot from Mr Von Heinz.

2003-11-25T11:15:00.000Z

I may have been seemingly inactive the last two weeks, I have, however been ruminating a few thoughts. Still a fledgling 'think' last week, here is the big question.

Is Retail the new religion?

Explaining myself, so the train of thought is more apparent, in times of great stress increasing numbers of people are turning to Retail for a spot or therapy. Retailers themselves herald the changing seasons with their vibrant displays of wares. Sales and Marketing personal are omnipotent in their ability to influence all our shopping requirements and increasingly for items we weren't aware we were really in need of. Retail rules supreme at a time of religious festivals. How long before Christians use the slogan Retail has taken the Christ out of Christmas. Much like the Pagan community reminds the nation how oppressed by the Christians they once were and how they merely stole existing celebrations with songs such as Santa Claus is Pagan too!

Oh, Santa Claus is Pagan too, just like all the rest
And if you are a merry witch he'll bring you all the best
So get that star up on the roof, and bake those cookies, too
For Christmas-time is really Yule, and Santa's Pagan too!

He's got that Buddha belly and his top's the Holly King
You dressed him in that British coat, the cap's a Nordic thing
You took the horns right off his head and stuck them on his deer
But he still flies high like Jupiter with a belly-full of beer!

Oh, Santa Claus is Pagan too, just like all the rest
And if you are a merry witch he'll bring you all the best
So get that star up on the roof, and bake those cookies, too
For Christmas-time is really Yule, and Santa's Pagan too!

Now history says Christ was likely not a Capricorn
But if you want to share the Yule, we don't care when he's born
Come join the celebration of the Sun King's bright rebirth
And if you practice what you preach, we'll all have peace on Earth!

Oh, Santa Claus is Pagan too, just like all the rest
And if you are a merry witch he'll bring you all the best
So get that star up on the roof, and bake those cookies, too
For Christmas-time is really Yule, and Santa's Pagan too!

Now Santa's way more jolly than most Christians might require
And if he weren't so busy he'd be dancing 'round the fire
Yeah, you can call it Christmas 'cause you got us way out-gunned
But just you wait till Beltane then we'll see who's having fun!

Oh, Santa Claus is Pagan too, just like all the rest
And if you are a merry witch he'll bring you all the best
So get that star up on the roof, and bake those cookies, too
For Christmas-time is really Yule, and Santa's Pagan too!

© 1998 Larry Morris (Emerald Rose)

I do wonder when this song will be re-released as Santa Claus is Christian too!

2003-11-24T14:40:00.000Z

They think it's all over, it is now.

Written off from the outset as Clive Woodward's Dads Army (average age of 29) the victorius England team are flying home in Sweet Chariot, specially renamed by British Airways, bring back with them the Webb Ellis Cup. Certainly one in the eye for the Antipodean media and all their bad press leading up to the match. Proof also that someone over 21 is not a sporting write-off.

2003-11-11T20:40:00.000Z

George Bush is coming to the UK despite the threat of the masses bearing their bums. Globalise Resistance have downloadable stencils and stickers to make London as unwelcoming and inhospitable as possible to Mr Bush. As I cannot make London during the 19th - 21st November I shall watch with interest news reports to see if anyone bears their bum or carries a banner telling Bush he's not welcome.

Today being November 11th is Armistice Day. Not a day for glorifying war as some would have us believe, but a day to remember those who have given their lives in service. Men and women have died protecting our country, protecting what we believe in. Sadly, more recently lives have been laid down at the expense of war mongerers. Leave the Armed Forces you could say, but then who would protect this country , these people, this Britain should there ever be another World War? I observed the two minute silence, on my own, reflecting, even if the people digging up the road outside my house did not.

With this in mind today's Tuesday Think is simple, what do you think about during a two minute silence?

2003-11-04T10:42:00.000Z

I have just finished reading The Wicker Man which was thoroughly enjoyable. Rather unusually it was the book of the film, as opposed to the more common occurrence of the film of the book. However it felt more real, more sinister, and much more plausible than the film. Maybe that is just my impression, but I do tend to prefer the books. The greater detail imparted about Howie makes the ending more horrific, and unlike a film there is no cut scene and implied ending, the reader is taken inside the wicker man and is in the mind of Howie until his death.

Last week’s Tuesday Think was more of a success than I imagined with both Fluffy and Jazz answering the questions. With The Wicker Man in mind and the cliché that two things in life are certain, death and ~~shaky politics~~ taxes, I have some questions of a morbid nature.

1. Realising he is to be sacrificed in the wicker man Howie reacts initially with fear, then calms accepting his martyr’s death as the path his god had chosen for him. Facing your impeding doom would you rationalise so easily?
2. Inside the wicker man Howie saves some caged birds, recites psalms and prays until he falls unconscious. If you knew you were about die how would you spend your last moments?
3. Howie always imagined he would slip away in his sleep in his dotage. How do you imagine dying?
4. Would you want to make peace with anyone?
5. The ashes of the wicker man and its occupants was dug into the ground after the may day sacrifice to ensure the crops would thrive. The inhabitants of the Summerisle believing the sacrifices to be reborn in the crops. Howie believed himself to ascend to heaven having died a martyr. What would happen to you in your beliefs?

2003-10-30T11:38:00.000Z

More Spam mail today. This effort is sadly lacking in imagination, unlike previous efforts with their temptation of US Dollars.

Hi. how are you?. my name is Elizabeth. I have seen your profile on the
internet. If you would like to see my
pictures plesae send me an email to *censored because I am feeling generous today*,
bye

2003-10-28T11:13:00.000Z

Following in the lead of the Monday Mission and the Friday Five I have created the Tuesday Think. I have a particular person in mind whose thoughts are to be provoked but the questions are open to anyone who wishes to answer them.

1. Do you get swept along by a chain of circumstances or are you like the eye of a storm, calm surrounded by utter turmoil?
2. How in control of your life do you feel you are?
3. Are you at ease with the amount of control you exert in your life?
4. How could you change a given situation or break a seemingly never-ending cycle if that is what you need to in life?
5. Do you think you are ever likely to be in control of your destiny?

2003-10-27T14:31:00.000Z

I had not intended a break from writing here, circumstances have led to other matters taking priority so no fear Jazz.

This week, 29th October to 4th November is Sausage Appreciation Week. In the second half of 2001 a staggering 536 tonnes of sausages were purchased a week. Do we really need to appreciate the humble sausage if so much is consumed?

What sort of sausage person are you? Bangers, mash and onion gravy do it for you? I’m a toad-in-the-hole person myself. Nigel Slater could convince me with a gutsy autumn supper of black pudding with piping mustard mash. Nigel Slater and Nigella Lawson food erotica at its finest.

2003-10-17T10:24:00.000+01:00

Friday again.

1. Name five things in your refrigerator.

Milk, eggs, cheese, butter, and haggis.

2. Name five things in your freezer.

Peas, sweetcorn, hash browns, sausages and haggis.

3. Name five things under your kitchen sink.

Saucepans, frying pan, griddle pan, pyrex bowl, food mixer and no haggis.

4. Name five things around your computer.

Speakers, desk lamp, Dilbert, digital camera and the new yellow pages.

5. Name five things in your medicine cabinet.

Ibuprofen, paracetamol, scissors, plasters and throat lozenges.

2003-10-14T10:25:00.000+01:00

Evidently it is the turn of the Angolan now. Mr Briggy’s hospitality seems to have earned him a reputation that has spread from Nigeria. Is his house big enough for Mr Fortune Savimbi and his $22million?

From: Fortune Savimbi
01 Bp 2911 Abidjan 01,
Ivory coast, west Africa.

My Dear,

I know this message will come to you as a surprise,please do not worry for i
have confided in you. I am Fortune Savimbi the first son of the late general
Jonnas Banigo Savimbi of the republic of Angola, that was recently short dead
by some of his military officials on the 27th February 2002 in my country
Angola.

Presently, I am now in Abidjan, republic of ivore coast, west Africa as a
political asylum since the last day of my father, to be precise, my father and
I left Angola early last year to Abidjan and stays for months while running for his life when the present government of Angola started indiscriminate for his killing. it was at this juncture that my father made away with this huge amount of us$22million in one sealed trunk box to Abidjan with the help of his men, as a matter of fact, nobody knows.

Bear in mind that even the officers do not know what the content of the trunk
box is all about except me ,this box was deposited at the security company and
was registered as family valuables. now since this money was deposited by my
late father ,my father gave me the deposit certificate issued to him by the
security company to keep for security reasons, as I was the
only one aware of this deposit.

Since my father was killed, I have decided to contact you for an expert advise
and assistance to move this money to your country for investment. I would
appreciate your effort to invest this money into a high profitable business
venture under your management and supervision. this transaction is 100% risk
free.

I will offer you 10% of the total sum as soon as the money is retrieve out from
the security company, and 5% of the Remaining sum has been set aside for any
expenses that may be incurred from both side, upon your arrival to this country
I will take you to the security company to enable you claim the consignment as
my late father's foreign partner without delay.

Note : The junior officials of my late father did not know about the content of
this consignment here however, your ability to maintain the confidential nature
of this transaction and off course your fidelity to me is very important.

Please mail me immediately you receive this mail, for urgent assistance for more
details and information. Your immediate response is highly appreciated while
thanking you in anticipation.

I am waiting for your advise.

Thanks and god bless.
Fortune Savimbi

Last week I failed, failed to subscribe to a web ring. This week I must endeavour to subscribe to two web rings to make up for this flaw. Consequently Gene Eric’s Web Log has been listed with blogchalk. Furthermore to being added to the EuroBlogs web ring the next obvious choice was Blogging Brits.

2003-10-13T11:08:00.000+01:00

No sooner am I into the swing with Monday Missions and Friday Fives when PromoGuy deletes his old database and takes out his blog too. Here I am deprived of my Monday Mission. Anyone out there care to provide me with a Monday Mission?

2003-10-10T11:47:00.000+01:00

Thecrazyjester beat me to it this week, but here it is anyway, The Friday Five.

1. Do you watch sports? If so, which ones?
Rugby, Bike racing and Hockey, Karate and Judo occasionally.

2. What/who are your favorite sports teams and/or favorite athletes?
Leicester Tigers, 17000 people cannot be wrong and thecrazyjester appears to be another of the number.

3. Are there any sports you hate?
I cannot abide football (soccer to my non English friends), it makes no sense and it’s played by overpaid overacting nancy boys.

4. Have you ever been to a sports event?

I’ve played in various Hockey and lacrosse matches at a competitive level, a first aider at bike races, and a spectator at rugby matches.

5. Do/did you play any sports (in school or other)? How long did you play?

I played Hockey for seven years (3 years competitively), and Lacrosse for 3 years. Later on I gained a yellow belt in Karate but had to retire on medical grounds.

2003-10-08T16:25:00.000+01:00

The Monday Mission 3.40 on a Wednesday.

1. If you were to go on a diet (not that you should, babe, you look marvelous), which of the "fad diets" sounds the most appealing to you?

The cabbage soup diet appeals to me on a base level. Seven days of non-stop cabbage soup eating. I would be able to power the whole house, if not street, on the methane produced. Seriously it would more likely be the wheat free diet as there are so many foods on the market for coeliacs now it wouldn’t be like being on a diet at all. Then again there is unlikely to be much weight loss as I do not recall crisps and chocolate having much wheat in them in the first place.

2. I only ask, because with the holidays coming up, there will be a lot more food in our house than usual. It tempts me. Maybe if I exercise I can loose some now, and eat then and have it all balance out. Do you get much exercise?

I try to go out walking at least 4 times a week. I did pay a monthly gym membership but at a time of cost cutting I froze the payments and have yet to start going again.

3. When I was walking the other night, I noticed a rent house was being cleaned out by the landlord. Apparently the owners just took the essentials and left a lot of junk in the house. The owner had stacked piles of junk on the lawn for the sanitation collectors. But I noticed several things in that mess that maybe I could use (like a gas powered hedge trimmer). I may still go back some dark evening. Have you ever raided someone's junk pile that was left out for the garbage truck? Or gone dumpster diving? What did you find?

As a teenager I was once found raiding a skip in the school grounds that was filled with books. To me it was a gross obscenity that these books, many of them in perfectly acceptable condition were being thrown in a skip to be burned. These were ordinary books, no banned copies, just surplus books from the English department that were no longer in any of the Literature syllabuses.

I’ve also been at my local council run tip recycling like the good citizen I am and appalled at a woman throwing perfectly decent baby safety equipment into a skip. I stopped her and acquired 2 stairgates that came into good use.

4. Also in that same dumpster was the most awful shade of bright green carpet you've ever seen. Seriously, you wouldn't believe it if I showed you (and I will try to get a photo). Do you have any memories of ugly carpeting in your home or someone else's?

My parents had a horrific worn shag pile brown carpet that moved with us from the bungalow to the semi. They have a waste not want not ethos. The carpet itself is quite characterless yet the memories associated with it are more disgusting. It was just the right shade of brown for accidents when house training a puppy to go unnoticed. Certainly a disconcerting feeling when you stand in something warm and you feel it ooze through your socks between your toes and realise it is puppy poop. At least the shocking green, orange and brown swirled carpet made any mishaps obvious even if it did leave your eye sight in a migraine inducing blur.

5. As summer draws to a close, it means fewer outside chores. One I won't miss at all is mowing the lawn! What summertime chores will you be glad to see go away for the winter months?

Tidying up all the hedge trimmings from the neighbour’s leylandii that carpet the garden after they’ve been trimming the hedge but fail to clear up, I will not miss that chore at all. On a TV programme about neighbours last night a woman was shot dead and her husband seriously injured by their neighbour because they kept throwing his hedge trimmings back over the hedge so I won’t be doing that again in future just in case.

6. Of course, it is hard to mention fall without at least touching on football. Do you have a(ny) favorite football team(s)? Do you and your family root for the same teams to win?

I come from a family of rugby supporters and we don’t all support the same teams but having said that we don’t all live in the same area or come from the same area. We do all support our local teams.

7. I will be heading to Anaheim next month to stay a few days for a convention. It would be great to meet up with some Bloggers, but I just don't know many out there. If you were to visit California, are there any Bloggers you'd like to meet up with? (And if you are in California, then who would you like to come see you!)

I’m not in California, so I’ve not had to decide between Arnold Schwarznegger and the other guys, I’m not even in America. I’m also relatively new to the blogging scene so I’m not sure about meeting other Bloggers but Briggy over at the Simple Horn would certainly be on the “to meet” list but I’d enjoy meeting anyone on the list on the right. I’m not a fussy person.

2003-10-07T10:07:00.000+01:00

The cynical nature of the beast means that a recent email in my inbox was met with a certain degree of scorn.

Barrister Kenneth C. Ibiam & Associates.

Email:kennsolicitors@tiscali.co.uk
kennsolicitors@xsmail.com

Dear Friend,

I am Barrister Kenneth Chike Ibiam (Esq) a solicitor.I
was the Personal Attorney to LATE ENGINEER HENRY
WILLIAMS an oil merchant/contractor with CHEVRON
PETROLEUM COMPANY here in Nigeria. On the 21st of
April 1999, my client, his wife and their only
daughter were involved in a automobile accident and
unfortunately they lost their lives.

Before my Client died, He had a huge fund deposit
valued at US$9,000,000,00 Dollars in a Citi Trust Bank
Ltd. here in Nigeria. As his personal Attorney, I am
in possesion of all legal documents which shows the
entire transaction between him and this security
company in relation to this fund deposit.
Consiquently, the security company mandated me to look
out for any of his extended family relatives to stand
in as the next of kin/beneficiary of this fund
deposit.

Since then I have made several enquiries to your
Embassy to locate any of my clients extended family
relatives, but to no avail. After many unsuccessful
attempts, I decided to trace his relatives over the
Internet, but this attempt was equally unsuccessful.

Unfortunately, today 25-8-2003, the Citi Trust Bank
Ltd. gave me an ultimatum of Ten working days to
provide the next of Kin or have this fund confiscated.
This is why I have contacted you to render assistance
in repartrating the money and properties left behind
by my client, before they will be confiscated or
declared unserviceable by this security company.

Since I have been unsuccesful in locating the
relatives for over two years, and coincidentally, you
are from the same country, I seek your consent to
present you as the next of kin/beneficiary of late
ENGINEER HENRY WILLIAMS fund deposit with this
security company, for our mutual benefit.

For your assistance, you will be adequately
compensated with 40% of the total sum. 55% will be for
me, and 5% will be set aside to offset all incidential
expences that might be incured in the cause of this
transaction. eg phone call, payment of tax if so
required by your government etc. This transaction is
100% risk free as I have all necessary legal documents
to back up all our claims. I guarantee you that the
entire transaction will be executed under a legitimate
arrangement that will protect you from any breach of
the law,as all documents/affidavit that will be
required by Citi Trust Bank Ltd. before the release of
the fund will be procurred legally from the federal
high court of justice.

All I require from you is honesty and cooperation.
Please realise that the confidentiality of this
arrangement must be maintained from now, and even
after the successful complition of this transaction,to
enable us see this deal through.

If you will assist me, Please call me on my personal
phone 234-803-3430391 or contact me via any of my email box above for
details.

Thanks and God bless.

Best regards,

Barrister Kenneth C. Ibiam (Esq).

Reply if you want I don't mind offering the opportunity of $360,000,000 however anyone reading the email carefully will see that the date of fund confiscation was exceeded over a month ago.

2003-10-03T11:10:00.000+01:00

A blogging indulgence, the friday five.

1. What vehicle do you drive?
A 1.6 Peugot 405.

2. How long have you had it?
Approximately 3 years.

3. What is the coolest feature on your vehicle?
All the windows are electric and it has a distinctive shape to the offside rear door. It goes from A to B, mostly.

4. What is the most annoying thing about your vehicle?
That it doesn’t always go from A to B.

5. If money were no object, what vehicle would you be driving right now?
Either a bullnose Scania

or this Peterbilt.

2003-10-01T16:39:00.000+01:00

Input, output and equilibrium. Equilibrium is usually a good thing, no gain no loss but difficult to achieve. Input and output are the two sides of the balance. A greater input than output is not a good thing if it is in a calorific context for the dieter. A greater output than input is equally as bad if you are trying to make the numbers balance in the bank book.

If only money was as easy to gain as weght.

2003-09-29T11:35:00.000+01:00

It has soon become a running theme of adding Gene Eric’s Web Log to a different web ring each week. Last week this site was approved for inclusion within the In My Opinion web ring. This week an application has been made to Euro Blogs.

How long this can continue I have no idea, either the number of web rings will be exhausted or applications will be refused. I am fascinated to see how many can be joined before I lose interest or the site starts being refused.

2003-09-26T13:48:00.000+01:00

China has banned unsavoury television commercials at meal times, so no longer will they have to tuck into their evening meal and be faced by a barrage of athletes foot creams, haemorrhoid creams or feminine hygiene products. It is about time the UK followed suit.

2003-09-26T13:31:00.000+01:00

Iraq was for sale on Ebay.

2003-09-25T14:53:00.000+01:00

The readership quickly massed and now it appears to have peaked. Was it the suddenly inconsistent posting? Have I overloaded the interest with keep banging on about one topic? Or did the novelty just wear off.

A meme might help. A meme is "an item of pop culture propogated via word of mouth. Usually used in reference to the latest cool website that is propogated by e-mail" according to the Urban Dictionary.

The Potion Maker
social misfitium is a cloudy, lumpy amber solid distilled from the root of a narcissus bush.
gene-ericium is a cloudy, lumpy brown solid obtained from the flesh of a doppelganger.
Mixing social misfitium with gene-ericium causes a violent chemical reaction, producing a milky black potion which gives the user protection from thieves.
Yet another fun meme brought to you by rfreebern

The Potion Maker
Fembatium is a cloudy, porous grey solid distilled from the bile of a golem.
gene-ericium is a cloudy, lumpy brown solid obtained from the flesh of a doppelganger.
Mixing Fembatium with gene-ericium causes a violent chemical reaction, producing a milky red potion which gives the user protection from fire.
Yet another fun meme brought to you by rfreebern

The Potion Maker
gene-ericium is a cloudy, lumpy brown solid obtained from the flesh of a doppelganger.
Mix with gene-eric! Username:
Yet another fun meme brought to you by rfreebern

Thanks to Social Misfit and Fembat Fembat for the idea.

2003-09-24T12:08:00.000+01:00

As a child I was bullied by an abusive parent and a couple of school bullies. However one day I ceased rolling over and playing the victim out of the home. Within the home it was much more difficult, that bullying episode was ended by leaving home at a young age.

The problem was I didn’t stop at ceasing to be a victim; the worm turned and became a bully. Reading the details of a serial bully I recognise traits of those who bullied me and in turn those traits within me. I didn’t identify with the types of serial bully: Attention-Seeker, Wannabe, Guru, and Sociopath; although I did with the generic traits of a serial bully. How ironic, the Gene Eric Bully. By recognising what I had become and embracing the issues that created the situation I was able to change for the better.

Worryingly the Bully Online website has a page devoted to the cyber bully. In an environment that is controlled by the individual, where you go, what email you can receive, who you give your contact details to, that you can switch off and walk away from it seems quite alarming that the bully pursues in this so-called sterile environment. Confirmation of the evolution of the internet into an extension of the offline community.

So, in this modern world where is the line between online and offline drawn? At the modem, or in the mind of the person using the internet. Maybe the line is no longer there and it was deleted to the recycle bin a long time ago.

2003-09-23T17:06:00.000+01:00

Time for a new web ring, I have applied to In My Opinion. All previous web ring applications have been approved. Now I have to wait and see if this one is.

The intention is to continue with the bullying theme and explain why it is a matter close to my heart, but not today.

2003-09-19T11:42:00.000+01:00

Continuing the anti-bullying campaign I felt it would be interesting to look at the types of serial bullies before looking at what drives people to become a bully. The common objective of a serial bully is power, control, domination and subjugation. What varies is the means by which these are pursued, i.e. the way in which violence is expressed.

Introduction to the serial bully

Embittered by an abusive upbringing, seething with resentment, irritated by others' failure to fulfil his or her superior sense of entitlement, and fuelled by anger resulting from rejection, the serial bully displays an obsessive, compulsive and self-gratifying urge to displace their uncontrolled aggression onto others whilst exhibiting an apparent lack of insight into their behaviour and its effect on people around them. Jealousy and envy motivate the bully to identify a competent and popular individual who is then controlled and subjugated through projection of the bully's own inadequacy and incompetence. When the target asserts their right not to be bullied, a paranoid fear of exposure compels the bully to perceive that person as a threat and hence neutralise and dispose of them as quickly as possible. Once a person has been eliminated there's an interval of between 2 days and 2 weeks before the bully chooses another target and the cycle starts again.

Detailed profile of the serial bully

The serial bully also:
• is selfish and acts out of self-interest, self-aggrandisement and self-preservation at all times; everything can be traced back to the self - even the seemingly innocuous "How are you today?" translates to "Is there any comeback on me as to how you're feeling today?"
• is insensitive, often callously indifferent to the needs of others, and especially when others are experiencing difficulty (vulnerability is a major stimulant to the serial bully)
• is incapable of reciprocity, ie unable and unwilling to reciprocate any positive gesture
• sees anyone attempting to be conciliatory as a sucker to be exploited
• uses criticism, humiliation, etc in the guise of addressing shortfalls in performance - in reality, these are for control and subjugation, not for performance enhancement
• appears to be intelligent but often performs poorly in academic or professional roles, despite appearances; the intelligence is focused exclusively on deviousness, cunning, scheming, manipulation, evasiveness, deceptiveness, quick-wittedness, craftiness, self-centredness, etc
• may be passive aggressive, blowing hot and cold, superficially cooperative but motivated by retribution, stubborn, uncoachable, use their intelligence to excuse and justify their behaviour, and they detest anyone more competent than themselves - which is most people
• is unable to maintain confidentiality, often breaching it with misrepresentation, distortion and fabrication
• distorts, twists, concocts and fabricates criticisms and allegations, and abuses the disciplinary procedures - again, for control and subjugation, not for performance enhancement
• uses gossip, back-stabbing or spreads rumours to undermine, discredit and isolate
• is untrustworthy and unable to trust others - this partly explains the compulsion for excessive monitoring
• is drawn to positions of power and abuses that power
• is autocratic and dictatorial, often using phrases like "you shouldn't..." or "you ought to..."
• may appear superficially competent and professional at their job, but behind the facade is inadequate, inept, poor at their job, often incompetent; survives only by plagiarising other people's work, and being carried by those they bully
• wraps himself or herself in a flag or tradition and usurps others' objectives, thereby nurturing compliance, reverence, deference, endorsement and obeisance; however, such veneration and allegiance is divisive, being a corruption for personal power which exhibits itself through the establishment of a clique, coterie, cabal, faction, or gang
• is a divisive and disruptive influence, their departments are dysfunctional and inefficient, and their behaviour prevents staff from performing their duties
• is unusually susceptible to minor slights or perceived slights and bears grudges which may be acted on years later when the transgressor can be denied promotion or downsized in the bully's "reorganisation"
• gains gratification from provoking people into emotional or irrational responses but is quick to claim provocation by others when challenged
• has a short-term focus and often cannot think or plan ahead more than 24 hours
• appears to have a short, selective memory and often cannot or will not remember what they said, did, or committed to more than 24 hours ago - but is always able to remember your faults, often from years ago
• the serial bully seems to live in a bubble of the present and when challenged will spontaneously make things up; the bully genuinely seems to believe the fabrication; from a psychiatric viewpoint this could be called confabulation; from a moral viewpoint, it's called lying
• is often like a child who has never grown up
• exhibits immature behaviour and poor manners
• has poor communication skills, poor interpersonal skills, poor social skills
• often misses social cues
• has poor language skills, and uses almost exclusively negative language with few or no positive words; is often limited to parroting fad phrases and regurgitating the latest management jargon
• has poorly-defined moral and ethical boundaries
• acts out of gratification and self-interest only, often using and hiding behind the employer
• extrovert bullies tend to be shouters and screamers, are highly visible, and bully from the front
• extrovert bullies can be charismatic and seem to be able to bewitch people into following and supporting them
• introvert bullies - the most dangerous types - tend to sit in the background and recruit others to do the bullying for them - when dealing with this type of bullying, identify the arch-bully in the background and focus single-mindedly on that person - the others will melt away
• is a killjoy, a wet blanket, is unreceptive and finds fault with or pours scorn on other people's ideas and suggestions, but may regurgitate them later claiming to be the originator
• often has a hatred of a sector of society, eg ethnic minorities, disabled people, etc
• often has a hatred of certain professional groups, eg psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, counsellors, therapists
• is unimaginative and lacks the skills of creativity and innovation
• rarely has any ideas of his or her own; tends to regurgitate what others (especially superiors) say rather than use own thinking
• is a plagiarist, steals other people's work - and the credit for it
• has a writing style that is disjointed, lacks flow and consistency, tends to make contradictory statements, and has the feel of a young teenager trying to write like a grown-up (apologies to teenagers)
• often uses false praise or praise which is inappropriate to the circumstances; this is partly to make the bully feel good, partly for the benefit of witnesses, partly poor judgement, partly immaturity, and partly for control and subjugation to throw their target off guard
• is unable and unwilling to value others and their contributions and achievements; is often scornful
• shows discrepancy in valuing tasks, deliberately devaluing the work and achievements of others; when the bully does a certain job, it's onerous, difficult and the bully needs lots of recognition; when their target does the same job it's trivial, of little or no value, not worth mentioning
• is ungrateful and rarely (if ever) says "thank you" or "well done" (except, perhaps, if impressionable witnesses are present)
• is frequently sarcastic, especially in contexts where sarcasm is inappropriate and unprofessional
• is unable to assess the importance of events and tasks, often making an unnecessary fuss over trivia whilst ignoring important or urgent things
• exhibits duplicity and hypocrisy, eg says one thing one day and denies it the next
• often has an overwhelming (and unhealthy) need to feel recognised and wanted
• is fastidious, often has an unhealthy obsession with cleanliness or orderliness
• is insincere and false
• has never learnt the skills of and has little concept of empathy; may use charm and mimicry to compensate
• attempts at empathy are superficial, amateur, often inappropriate or inappropriately high, and based on mimicry rather than genuine concern - and are for the purpose of making the bully look and feel good, especially in front of witnesses
• when required to show empathy, eg someone is in distress or needs help, responds either with impatience and aggression (if no-one else is present), or with a fulsome and effusive attempt at empathy (if witnesses are present)
• is unwilling to apologise for mistakes, except occasionally when witnesses are present, then the apology is fulsome, artificial, and inappropriate - but sufficiently convincing for peers and superiors
• is quick to blame others
• is uncharacteristically fulsome and effusive, especially in front of witnesses - but hollow and insincere
• is devious and manipulative (especially female bullies)
• is spiteful and vengeful (ditto)
• uses aggression almost exclusively but claims to be assertive (assertiveness is about recognising and respecting the rights of oneself and others)
• has unpredictable mood swings, blows hot and cold, often suddenly and without warning
• is inconsistent in their judgement, often overruling, ignoring or denying what they said previously
• is inflexible and unable to evaluate options and alternatives
• is unforgiving and often seizes on and exploits others' mistakes or perceived mistakes
• is financially irresponsible and often has a bad credit rating
• has a cavalier attitude to Health and Safety
• is quick to anger and often has an unpredictable temper
• can be unpredictably and disarmingly pleasant, especially when you are unmasking them in front others - this plays on people's sympathies and is a use of guilt for manipulation and control
• is often humourless and emotionally flat; attempts at humour are often shallow and superficial
• is insecure and sees others as a threat; the threat seems to comprise a fear of exposure of inadequacy, and often borders on paranoia; the individual may have a paranoid personality
• is uncommunicative and uncooperative, and is evasive when asked for information (eg by subordinates)
• for communication, often relies excessively or exclusively on memos, emails, yellow stickies, or third parties and other strategies for avoiding face-to-face contact
• has no listening skills, ignores and overrules you; it can be like talking to a brick wall
• displays inappropriate and hostile body language
• makes inappropriate eye contact, either too little (or none at all) or too much (staring)
• often reported as having an evil stare, sometimes with eyes that appear black rather than coloured
• is unable to sustain a mature adult conversation (you may only realise this in retrospect)
• sees people as objects (in the same way that child sex abusers and rapists see their targets as objects for their gratification)
• often displays interpersonal behaviour that is ill-advised, especially with a sexual overtone, eg invasion of intimate zone, gestures or comments which include inappropriate sexual references or innuendo, being inappropriately intimate with clients, being too friendly too soon, etc
• is incapable of intimacy
• lacks a conscience and shows no remorse
• displays excessive and rigid adherence to procedures, rules, regulations etc, usually as a cover for lack of creativity; their work is largely bureaucratic in nature and obedience of orders from above is a priority
• finds ritual important and comforting, and frequently indulges in ritual and ritualistic activity
• often forms or joins lots of committees to look busy and important but never achieves anything of significance or value
• when called upon to exercise judgement, relies on and insists on rigid adherence to procedures and rules (this is an abdication of responsibility and an admission of inability to manage)
• gains gratification from bullying people by imposing rules, regulations, laws etc and insisting on adherence thereto, regardless of their relevance or efficacy
• often exhibits a psychopathic personality, the main features of which are:
• an unwillingness to conform to the rules of society: thinks that rules, regulations, procedures and the law do not apply to them - but insists that others adhere rigidly
• an inability to tolerate minor frustrations
• a tendency to act impulsively, recklessly and randomly
• an inability to form stable relationships (the bully's private life is usually a mess)
• an inability or unwillingness to learn from past experience, however unpleasant - this "learning blindness" is a key feature of the serial bully and differentiates the serial bully from the unwitting bully; this inability to learn seems to be concentrated in the area of interpersonal, social, communication and behavioural skills; closer inspection suggests that the bully does learn from experience, but only how be more secretive and how to be more skilled at evading accountability
Other adjectives to describe the serial bully include cunning, conniving, scheming, calculating, cruel, sadistic, ruthless, treacherous, premeditated, exploitative, parasitic, pernicious, malevolent, obnoxious, opportunist, unconcerned, etc.
The lack of interpersonal, social, and empathic skills are reminiscent of autism; the serial bully relies almost entirely on rules, procedures, aggression, denial and mimicry to hide their lack of people skills. Psychopaths and sociopaths are often excellent actors and mimics.
Most people with this profile are incompetent at their job and the bullying is intended to hide this incompetence. However, a few recent cases suggest that some serial bullies (especially the quiet ones):
• are good at carrying out rule-based or procedurally-oriented jobs which require no free thinking or imagination; these people fall down when required to step outside this role, eg dealing with people
• (especially males) excel in one area of work (usually scientific in nature) and may be regarded as the leading authority in their field but are lacking in almost every other respect, especially in interpersonal skills (this is reminiscent of savant syndrome); they also tend to be physically aggressive and may have a reputation for sexual harassment

2003-09-18T16:25:00.000+01:00

On the first of September I wrote a little about bullies. I have more to say on the matter. Statistics show half the UK population is bullied.

Where are people bullied?
• at work by their manager or co-workers or subordinates, or by their clients (bullying, workplace bullying, mobbing, work abuse, harassment, discrimination)
• at home by their partner or parents or siblings or children (bullying, assault, domestic violence, abuse, verbal abuse)
• at school (bullying, harassment, assault)
• in the care of others, such as in hospital, convalescent homes, care homes, residential homes (bullying, harassment, assault)
• in the armed forces (bullying, harassment, discrimination, assault)
• by those in authority (harassment, abuse of power)
• by neighbours and landlords (bullying, harassment)
• by strangers (harassment, stalking, assault, sexual assault, rape, grievous bodily harm, murder)

How do you know if you're being bullied?
Bullying differs from harassment and assault in that the latter can result from a single incident or small number of incidents - which everybody recognises as harassment or assault - whereas bullying tends to be an accumulation of many small incidents over a long period of time. Each incident tends to be trivial, and on its own and out of context does not constitute an offence or grounds for disciplinary or grievance action. So, ...

What is bullying?
• constant nit-picking, fault-finding and criticism of a trivial nature - the triviality, regularity and frequency betray bullying; often there is a grain of truth (but only a grain) in the criticism to fool you into believing the criticism has validity, which it does not; often, the criticism is based on distortion, misrepresentation or fabrication
• simultaneous with the criticism, a constant refusal to acknowledge you and your contributions and achievements or to recognise your existence and value
• constant attempts to undermine you and your position, status, worth, value and potential
• where you are in a group (eg at work), being singled out and treated differently; for instance, everyone else can get away with murder but the moment you put a foot wrong - however trivial - action is taken against you
• being isolated and separated from colleagues, excluded from what's going on, marginalized, overruled, ignored, sidelined, frozen out, sent to Coventry
• being belittled, demeaned and patronised, especially in front of others
• being humiliated, shouted at and threatened, often in front of others
• being overloaded with work, or having all your work taken away and replaced with either menial tasks (filing, photocopying, minute taking) or with no work at all
• finding that your work - and the credit for it - is stolen and plagiarised
• having your responsibility increased but your authority taken away
• having annual leave, sickness leave, and - especially - compassionate leave refused
• being denied training necessary for you to fulfil your duties
• having unrealistic goals set, which change as you approach them
• ditto deadlines which are changed at short notice - or no notice - and without you being informed until it's too late
• finding that everything you say and do is twisted, distorted and misrepresented
• being subjected to disciplinary procedures with verbal or written warnings imposed for trivial or fabricated reasons and without proper investigation
• being coerced into leaving through no fault of your own, constructive dismissal, early or ill-health retirement, etc

How do I recognise a bully?
Most bullying is traceable to one person, male or female - bullying is not a gender issue. Bullies are often clever people (especially female bullies) but you can be clever too.
Who does this describe in your life?
• Jekyll & Hyde nature - vicious and vindictive in private, but innocent and charming in front of witnesses; no-one can (or wants to) believe this individual has a vindictive nature - only the current target sees both sides
• is a convincing, compulsive liar and when called to account, will make up anything spontaneously to fit their needs at that moment
• uses lots of charm and is always plausible and convincing when peers, superiors or others are present; the motive of the charm is deception and its purpose is to compensate for lack of empathy
• relies on mimicry to convince others that they are a "normal" human being but their words, writing and deeds are hollow, superficial and glib
• displays a great deal of certitude and self-assuredness to mask their insecurity
• excels at deception
• exhibits unusual inappropriate attitudes to sexual matters or sexual behaviour; underneath the charming exterior there are often suspicions or intimations of sexual harassment, sex discrimination or sexual abuse (sometimes racial prejudice as well)
• exhibits much controlling behaviour and is a control freak
• displays a compulsive need to criticise whilst simultaneously refusing to acknowledge, value and praise others
• when called upon to share or address the needs and concerns of others, responds with impatience, irritability and aggression
• often has an overwhelming, unhealthy and narcissistic need to portray themselves as a wonderful, kind, caring and compassionate person, in contrast to their behaviour and treatment of others; the bully is oblivious to the discrepancy between how they like to be seen (and believe they are seen), and how they are actually seen
• has an overbearing belief in their qualities of leadership but cannot distinguish between leadership (maturity, decisiveness, assertiveness, trust and integrity) and bullying (immaturity, impulsiveness, aggression, distrust and deceitfulness)
• when called to account, immediately and aggressively denies everything, then counter-attacks with distorted or fabricated criticisms and allegations; if this is insufficient, quickly feigns victimhood, often by bursting into tears (the purpose is to avoid answering the question and thus evade accountability by manipulating others through the use of guilt)
• is also ... aggressive, devious, manipulative, spiteful, vengeful, doesn't listen, can't sustain mature adult conversation, lacks a conscience, shows no remorse, is drawn to power, emotionally cold and flat, humourless, joyless, ungrateful, dysfunctional, disruptive, divisive, rigid and inflexible, selfish, insincere, insecure, immature and deeply inadequate, especially in interpersonal skills
It is estimated that one person in thirty has this behaviour profile. They are described as having a disordered personality: an aggressive but intelligent individual who expresses their violence psychologically (constant criticism etc) rather than physically (assault).

What does bullying do to my health?
Bullying causes injury to health and makes you ill. How many of these symptoms do you have?
• constant high levels of stress and anxiety
• frequent illness such as viral infections especially flu and glandular fever, colds, coughs, chest, ear, nose and throat infections (stress plays havoc with your immune system)
• aches and pains in the joints and muscles with no obvious cause; also back pain with no obvious cause and which won't go away or respond to treatment
• headaches and migraines
• tiredness, exhaustion, constant fatigue
• sleeplessness, nightmares, waking early, waking up more tired than when you went to bed
• flashbacks and replays, obsessiveness, can't get the bullying out of your mind
• irritable bowel syndrome
• skin problems such as eczema, psoriasis, athlete's foot, ulcers, shingles, urticaria
• poor concentration, can't concentrate on anything for long
• bad or intermittently-functioning memory, forgetfulness, especially with trivial day-to-day things
• sweating, trembling, shaking, palpitations, panic attacks
• tearfulness, bursting into tears regularly and over trivial things
• uncharacteristic irritability and angry outbursts
• hypervigilance (feels like but is not paranoia), being constantly on edge
• hypersensitivity, fragility, isolation, withdrawal
• reactive depression, a feeling of woebegoneness, lethargy, hopelessness, anger, futility and more
• shattered self-confidence, low self-worth, low self-esteem, loss of self-love, etc

This information was taken from Bully OnLine.

2003-09-17T14:58:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I have so much to say, I just don't know how to say it.

2003-09-13T08:47:00.000+01:00

How characteristic. I get an audience and I get stage fright.

2003-09-09T13:40:00.000+01:00

Despite refraining from forming pre-conceived ideas sometimes the odd misconception happens upon me. Seeing behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo 156 a thirty-something mother it was with disappointment that I heard her open her mouth and struggle to utter a comprehensible sentence constructed of no more than 3 recognisable words. The rest of her speech was littered with expletives that would make my grandmother blush. Her hair straw like in appearance and over bleached capped off a figure clothed in ill-fitting high street designer labels, gold sovereign rings clutching a crumpled packet of Benson & Hedges waiting to collect her ill-mannered and equally incomprehensible child from school. The child eagerly tries to tell his mother about his day, albeit his speech also littered with expletives, she dismisses his attempts at conversation with the contempt I would show an insect buzzing around my ears. Money maketh not the man, nor indeed the woman in this case.

Still, the Alfa 156 is a beautiful car.

On an entirely different theme I have applied to join yet another web ring, Obscure Logs. My blogshares portfolio is looking impressive; I haven’t yet linked all the blogs I currently have shares in. Something to do in the near future, and perhaps merit it’s own category in the sidebar.

2003-09-08T15:12:00.000+01:00

In this modern world where communication has become impersonal how do people form relationships? By relationships I am referring to associations and interactions on all levels, be it business or personal right down to the intimate personal relationships. When you can’t see the whites of someone’s eyes, read their body language, or hear the tone and inflection in their voice how do you know that they are an honourable person with principles and respectful intentions.

Maybe I’m just a little too cynical but there is nothing quite like human to human interaction.

2003-09-07T19:23:00.000+01:00

Finally achieving something I’ve been longing to do for some time is exceptionally satisfying.

To say the least I am sporting a smug grin.

2003-09-06T08:36:00.000+01:00

And the rain came back the very next day.

2003-09-05T15:28:00.000+01:00

George W. Bush has already cancelled one visit to this country because he felt more than a little unwelcome. The man is terribly secretive about state visits, but Laura Bush recently let slip that a visit to the UK is being planned sometime in autumn. Our aim is to give the man the bum's rush before he even arrives and/or show him exactly what we think of him in the finest British tradition.

Manic over at Bloggerheads has started a campaign to Bare Your Bum at Bush.

I'm making my political statement, are you?

2003-09-04T10:42:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I bought shares in Bill Stevenson Dot Org and overnight they’ve done rather well, they’ve gone from being worth $0.20 each to $16.98. If only I’d bought more than 200 shares. Now I need to find someone else to invest in the trouble is I fear I’m being picky as I’m only choosing blogs I actually want to read as well.

2003-09-03T12:18:00.000+01:00

I’m feeling rather pleased with myself today. By doing a small something I’m starting to create something I’m rather pleased with. Finally the comments system seems to be working and I am listed on blogshares.

Excuses me whilst I tilt my chair a little to celebrate.

2003-09-02T08:13:00.000+01:00

Another Gene Eric thought for today’s post.

If I do something small everyday in year’s time I will have achieved something of significance.

2003-09-01T13:57:00.000+01:00

The Gene Eric thought for today is about big people and little people.

When you think you are a big person it’s easy to oppress the little person simply because they roll over and play the victim so well. It doesn’t make you a big person to do it; it just makes you a bully. To persecute someone that you have befriended previously makes you even more of a coward as you use what you have learned to make them suffer. Does it give you satisfaction to see their torment? Wouldn’t it be more satisfying in the long run to slowly toil on a strong person and break them? That is if you feel the need to shatter anyone at all?

A good and strong person, a true leader, should not need to prove themselves by the number of people they have quashed as that is not the sign of a leader but a sign of tyrant and coward hiding behind the façade of self importance.

2003-08-31T17:16:00.000+01:00

This afternoon I found a webring that will be just perfect for me to join, Mundane and Trivial. I just hope the ring owner sees fit to add my promisingly trivial weblog in its infancy.

2003-08-30T09:29:00.000+01:00

Today the sun rose and I have arisen, yet today is different as I have made a brave step into the world of the blogger.

I apologise now if i get exciting.