MrBen

I'm thick.

Aha. My apologies. I get it now. As a cost efficient add on to whatever laptop you already have for web browsing in the garden, kitchen etc. And I guess I don't do that. When I'm in the garden I like to do anything but look at the screen thats fried my brain for 5 days. And Apple screens reflect horribly in day light. The kitchen though , yes, as getting sick of the gfs greasy paws on my macbook as she makes another dish off the BBC Good Food website. Give me time...I'll come round to it in the end.

And there it is, for I am that freak. It occasionally saves me 30 mins on the day I'd otherwise spend listening to commuter snoring, talking about their house purchase falling through or watching someone read the Metro. Well that was my excuse when I bumped into Moos the other day complaining of thumb cramp.... And a contract Blackberry is a twenty quid emailing machine no? I guess I just don't have the same usage profile as that which Apple are aiming this at. On planes I'll read or watch a film on the in built E/S. Trains - as above unless its to Edinburgh where East Coast let me plug my Macbook in. So *Bob* just curious as to where / when you'd use it?

Scientist man say big new shiny thing good for *Bob* who want watch telly and email at same time. On trains. *Bob* buy big shiny thing. MrBen need things shiny thing cannot do. He not watch telly on trains. So he no buy. He think giant i-phone is "Emperors new clothes". But *Bob* look more cool than MrBen. This not hard. Meanwhile Scientist man make lots money and hatch plans for other new shiny things to make it all better.

*Bob* Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > iPad, and iPad pricing is not yet available. Still > a good month of umming and ahhing to go. > > Whether it has a camera, weighs more or less than > an iPhone, does more or less the an iPhone, > compares favourably or not to a Macbook is neither > here nor there. 99% of its usage will taken-up by > emailing and surfing the web whilst watching tv - > a scenario where iPhones and Laptops fall short - > and one where the iPad will excel. Which can all be done with a macbook? Usually on my lap whilst watching a film on my television set anyway. Unless we're talking about TV on the move - on trains for example? Its a giant iphone witha decent UI for mainly portable entertainment purposes. It's hardly some paradigm shift surely?

Its banned in the olympics now apparently - all very sporting now. A great shame as memories of Calgary 88 come to mind. But those stick skills are awesome Brendan no?

Think of it as a giant, heavy i-phone. Doesn't look such a "must have" does it? My 13.3" macbook beats any windows PC I've had and does all that the ipad does and more. It all feels a bit like selling sand to Saudi Arabia. And then watching them buy it in droves. I do love my macbook though. And as *Bob* has noted its like having an old volvo estate. They last for $%^$%^$^ ever.

Yes it is Brendan. But for something a little more professional in the womens ice hockey.... check this out After being dragged out of bed at 4am last night to watch the Canada vs USA game (HUGE match) I'm now duty bound to support the Candadian mens team tonight against Germany (12.30am). If they lose expect national mourning. So yes - I'm loving the winter olymics.

Had mine done a few years back by a saffer surgeon at Optical Express on Shaftesbury Avenue after researching pretty thoroughly. Its not so much about the place as the surgeon. Google under their name and look for genuine recommendations (there are a number of review forums - avoiding those which are bascially ads). It was great - done without going under in about 30 mins, blurry for two days then absolute clarity..... followed by a much better looking girlfriend a few weeks after. Result!

All of the above is true..... but whilst a great CV should get you a face to face, it will not in itself, get you the job. We recruit people for our team through word of mouth and network but on occasion will directly recruit on sites like Jobserve, Jobsite etc. For those recruitment drives we'll get up to 500 applications and a decent, well presented, clear CV with the right skill set will usually get you into the top 10 or so for review. But you've obviously got to then back that up at interview by turning up on time, ensuring you are well presented, look like you want it and are honest, likable (smile!) and articulate. I find it sad (and a tad frustrating) when we see a great CV only to then meet candidate that can't put on a clean shirt, polish their shoes or who cannot express themselves well - or worse they know it all and spend an hour talking at Spud-like speed (Trainspotting) telling us how to run our business. We want people who can listen too and who are not afraid to ask us a challenging question. You need to dress for the job - we might like our guys to be well turned out in a smart suit and shirt (they'll be on City client sites most days) but that's clearly not going to work if you're headed for a construction job or one in teaching where a more relaxed smart look may be more appropriate. The other great unspoken is ageism. Nobody admits it but I see it all the time and rather than give in to it, there are strategies aimed at allaying those prejudices in interview situations that work. Our team ranges from 31 to 57 in age and they are all there because they share the key attributes we need. Sure, all of the above is common sense but it still amazes me how many people miss some of these basic points and its even more important in the current job market. If you've been out of work for a while it can knock the confidence so above all believe in yourself - be positive and look energised - this can be hard if you've spent 6 months at home getting knockbacks or not even scoring an interview. Just a few thoughts there........ Declan - I'd be really happy to review your CV / discuss if you like and have PM'd you....best of luck.

???? Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > MrBen Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > In Egypt on the Red Sea diving. 25c blue sky > and > > sun. > > > > Yes, appreciate that makes me a tosser. > > > > Ah well, time for another dip in the pool..... > > > > Keep me posted. > > "We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of > the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I > remember saying something like 'I feel a bit > lightheaded; maybe you should drive . . .' And > suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us > and the sky was full of what looked like huge > bats, all swooping and screeching and diving > around the car, which was going about a hundred > miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And > a voice was screaming, 'Holy Jesus! What are these > goddamn animals?'" The Vegas trip is end of May. But to answer that (and in order): a blue spotted sting ray, a bright green frog fish, shoals of long thin cornetfish and a 2m long manta ray. Like Hunter, it blew my mind. But back to the subject of Snow watch....will Peter Snow be dusted off for the next election with a newly enhanced swingometer?

In Egypt on the Red Sea diving. 25c blue sky and sun. Yes, appreciate that makes me a tosser. Ah well, time for another dip in the pool..... Keep me posted.

Always found some signatures kind of annoying to be honest. Especially those that kind of ram beliefs down your throat.... it's like getting a knock on the door from Jehovah's witnesses.

And then I realised.... it was the Scissor Sisters on Stage 2.

For proper business use the new slick, Blackberry Bold 9700 leads the way at this time in my humble opinion. Until they sort the battery life and security I'm not switching. Also don't love virtual keyboards but thats just me. I'm 1 in a 100 with this view.

His 2000 Glastonbury show was the best live gig I have ever been to - pure and simple. I thank my lucky stars to have been there to witness it. I love the early stuff granted but I've a fetish for Let's Dance as I was 5 when that was on the radio. Then later I learned about Stevie Ray Vaughan and realised that he played on most of those tracks which is special. I'm still hunting down any extended versions of the title track which have Stevie at full strength. It would be a shame if he ever did Coachella - I can't see it. It's also the most shit festival I have ever been to with it's crowded nazi style beer enclosure pen for "consumption of liquor" and a typical over the top US style of stewarding. Crap line ups too unless you love the Crash Test Dummies and De La Soul. The best bit was in Palm Springs at an aftershow party... in a bar with a pool , girls in bikinis, and JD on tap - all with a view of the sun setting over the desert..... Anyway - I'd love to see him do something again and would chew my right arm off to see it.

Ah truth be told I wasn't too choosy. They even had a fully automatic thing that fired 21 paint balls a second. I took the "he who has the most bullets wins approach" only to end up sixty quid down and with fewest shots on target. A top weekend though - and I think the stag survived....I think......

Strippers? What kind of stag do you think this is? These people read the Guardian you know.

Ouch.

LIVE FROM BOURNEMOUTH... We re now on the first ever forum wedding stag, the sun is shining , we re drinking neat vodka and off paintballing in the New Forest. Last time I got peppered trying to use brain over braun. Anyone got any cunning tactics that actually work?

Personally I quite like the idea of lots of barefoot women walking round Tescos. But then thats the kind of sick mind I have!

Roll Deep (Wolf) - where did you get that home movie from?!

SCSB79 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > what do you do MrBen? I run a chain of curry houses on Lordship Lane from a head office in the square mile. All with different names but the foods exactly the same = nice economy of scale = winner.

When I jacked in my last ever day job in July 2007 to start a business I remember sitting in the Drum writing my business plan, over draft maxed and relying on a special Peroni credit system I worked out with Coops..... Then when the queues started outside Northern Rock and I wondered if it was perhaps the worst single moment in history to do such a dumb thing. But with hindsight the recession has been good for start ups - you can start slowly with lower overheads (like our 3 year office lease in EC2 at 60% below re-recession rates), less competition and the chance to target a product at a customer who's now more cost aware without it disrupting a legacy cost ridden business model. We've also been darn lucky. The recession has been a great time to start the right kind of business and we've actually benefited from it. My simple view on the wider economy is that we've been massively cushioned by artificially low interest rates and policy dictated by an upcoming election. Bottom line is that at some point we begin to pay it all back - and that simply hasn't started yet. It has to come from increased taxation and reduced public spending. And I'm keen to know what a Tory government would do for small business - e.g. increasing capital gains tax to the main higher rate of 40% will kill any entrepreneurial green shoots unless there are concessions for business owners. We're not out the woods yet by any means really are we?

...to fellow Scottish and non Scottish forumites. Tonight, may the spirit of the great man be with you all. "Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care, And dish them out their bill o' fare, Auld Scotland wants nae skinkin ware That jaups in luggies; But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer, Gie her a haggis!"