Disquiet in the Country
I agreed with Alan last year, that we were heading into very uncertain times both financially and job security, with the patience of the nation on a precipice. Sit and listen in on any conversation around the dinner table and the subject will invariably be about how our country is being run. We are now all part of a nanny state and having the ability to take control of our own destiny without any form of control from the completely inept and greedy government is more difficult than ever.
I read in the paper today that, that complete oaf John Prescott is considering becoming a peer to satisfy his wife’s needs for prestige and the lifestyle she wishes to have. The big problem is this is our money that is allowing them to have such a lavish and comfortable life.
Of course I realise it is more than that, but when you look around as a nation we have so many problems with to many lack lustre politicians at the helm, who really do not have the ability to make the fair but difficult changes we need.
People are frustrated and angry and want to get back at those that have let us down so badly.
My one question is where are our choices for real change?
Please read Alan’s excellent article that updates his thoughts of last year ‘ The summer of discontent revisited‘ and let us know your own views.
Why middle managers need to ‘Wake up and smell the coffee’
The expression ‘being between a rock and a hard place’ may well become a common term used by front line and middle managers who have yet to feel the force of the ensuing storm heading their way. It cannot be ignored and to embrace it will not be easy. One thing is with little doubt, having the ability to recognise and respond will help keep them ahead of the curve.
To really get a feel for what is coming have a read of this article.
Does it pay to be incompetent?
It is a continual struggle in the public sector world to remove an ineffective, incompetent or lazy member of staff because of the inbuilt bureaucracy that protects them. It is experienced throughout the public sector and anyone who is working, or who has worked, in this sector knows this is a real problem. Alan’s article on this very subject should make us all want to rise up and strike a blow for the virtues of common sense.
At last No Keyboard….Review update
We’ve been using this for a month now – and it does what it says on the box. It is making life so much easier; like dictating this post. The installation was easy and the way it checks your documents for ‘your style of writing’ was a bit of a surprise. The performance is just what I expected, but here are a few tips to make your life easier:
· The position of your microphone is essential. Moving the microphone by just a couple of centimetres can change the accuracy dramatically – but the installation process emphasises this.
· Speaking sentences makes the dictation more accurate, as the software puts the words into context, whereas single words can come out incorrectly.
· Take the time to ‘teach’ Dragon words that it regularly gets wrong, it learns them on the first go.
· The more you use it the more accurate it becomes, as it builds up your profile.
· Don’t use it after a bottle or two of red wine. It seems to talk rubbish – or was that me?
A highly recommended bit of kit for anyone who spends a lot of time in front of their computer writing. From our comments on this, I’m really interested to know how Dave gets on with MacSpeech Dictate.
Post by Alan
