What was/is your Job/Career?

hungryhalibut posted:

Back on topic.... Strangely I do sort of miss work sometimes but it’s not an option. But hey, I’m alive and pretty healthy,

AND I COUNT MYSELF HUGELY FORTUNATE TO BE FINANCIALLY SECURE.

I’m thinking about volunteering for Headway, which supports those suffering from brain injury. It may be a bit close to home, I’m not sure yet. 

Thats awesome, but do we all need to be reminded that YOU are fortunate to be so..?

I was only trying to be positive, and I find it really hard to monitor every word I write to ensure nobody misconstrues what I’m writing. I’m hardly saying I’m rolling in cash, simply that I don’t need to worry on that score. Lots of people say to me ‘aren’t you lucky to have got your pension’ to which I reply ‘well, if you wait in the road until someone runs you down maybe you can get yours’. Why do people need to be so bloody picky? Why do people try to have a go at each other at every opportunity? Why can’t they just keep quiet?

I suppose it’s my own stupid fault to share something other than advice about hifi. It’s just really sad that there are moany negative people out there, who seem to want to piss on everyone else. 

I thought Christmas was supposed to be a time for goodwill and kindness to others but it seems there's a bit of tetchiness in the Forum today. Surely life's too short to be picking holes with everything Members write in their posts?

It's Pre Moët Tension.

More like that it’s just being crass and insensitive. 

Sorry. Your all right. I Don't want to start any agro. I am really the most gentle bloke you could ever hope to meet in real life. Maybe we should all meet up. Hold hands and have a nice sing along.

Count me out Jonners. I only posted a silly joke and that was it, but enough people seemed keen to shove it back in my face with added snotty comments that I thought maybe I'd expand a bit. Maybe these are the people who stand in a pub and say out loud 'crap joke mate, sod off'. Charmed I wasn't. It works both ways...

I'm positive, happy, looking forward to tonight and the coming year. Hope most of you are too.

S/w development manager as you asked btw.

Being a naive teenager at the time, it took me a fair while to appreciate that making a living by bumming around the world caving and climbing was not going to be a viable option. My mum, desperate to get rid, noticed an advert for apprentice artificial limb makers at Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton, which was only a bike ride across Richmond Park from us, so failing anything else I reluctantly went for the interview, miraculously passed their entrance tests, and began a career that led me to qualify as a prosthetist (artificial limb specialist), which took me to various places on the planet, not all of them nice. Eventually, I teamed up with a colleague and we started our own independent clinical service company, which was pretty successful and we expanded to become an international organisation, the second-largest of its type in the world. 

When I started in the 1960s, artificial limbs were made of aluminium, so I completed a sheet metalwork course, a BOC welding course, and a general engineering course, none of which would be of any use in my profession these days but gave me some handy skills for repairing old cars. I got roped into lecturing medics and such, did various stints on umpteen committees, and only managed to keep sane by committing to retiring at 55, something I managed to do, although I did do a bit of time as an ad-hoc "consultant" (lend me your watch & I'll tell you the time). My better half is in the same business, funnily enough working for a company who were my main competitors, so I still keep up to date with stuff ("Yes darling, that's a really difficult situation. Anyway, off with the dogs for a bit now...")

Don’t worry, Chris. Some people here think they are holier than thou and that their shit do not smell. 

Happy new year to you and all non sinners!

“In my life

Why do I give valuable time

To people who don’t care if I live or die.”

Why indeed?

Old Lang shine was a Buddhist monk. Wasn't he ?  He's career was mostly sitting down meditating.

hungryhalibut posted:

Lots of people say to me ‘aren’t you lucky to have got your pension’ to which I reply ‘well, if you wait in the road until someone runs you down maybe you can get yours’.

If you took your pension early you probably had to accept an actuarial reduction for that pleasure, as I had to with early retirement following serious illness, which most people probably don't appreciate.

Not all shiny here either! My planned early retirement in 2019 is partly to spend time with my wife, who has had a serious health problem twice and, although recovered now, may have a further recurrence down the line which would probably not go well.

I'd like to enjoy retirement together with her rather than leave mine too long and regret it. A little 'seizing of the day' is in order.

Bruce

Southweststokie posted:

hungryhalibut posted:

Lots of people say to me ‘aren’t you lucky to have got your pension’ to which I reply ‘well, if you wait in the road until someone runs you down maybe you can get yours’.

If you took your pension early you probably had to accept an actuarial reduction for that pleasure, as I had to with early retirement following serious illness, which most people probably don't appreciate.

It depends on the scheme and the severity of the medical condition. 

Bruce Woodhouse posted:

Not all shiny here either! My planned early retirement in 2019 is partly to spend time with my wife, who has had a serious health problem twice and, although recovered now, may have a further recurrence down the line which would probably not go well.

I'd like to enjoy retirement together with her rather than leave mine too long and regret it. A little 'seizing of the day' is in order.

Bruce

Definitely well done Bruce. I regret I didn't do that when I had the chance... ah well...

enjoy/ken

TOBYJUG posted:

Sorry. Your all right. I Don't want to start any agro. I am really the most gentle bloke you could ever hope to meet in real life. Maybe we should all meet up. Hold hands and have a nice sing along.

Thanks TOBYJUG that made laugh!  What song would we ing?

Bruce Woodhouse posted:

Not all shiny here either! My planned early retirement in 2019 is partly to spend time with my wife, who has had a serious health problem twice and, although recovered now, may have a further recurrence down the line which would probably not go well.

I'd like to enjoy retirement together with her rather than leave mine too long and regret it. A little 'seizing of the day' is in order.

Bruce

The right decision Bruce. One cannot turn the clock back in hindsight. Enjoy retirement with your wife and long may it last for both of you.

Bob the Builder posted:

TOBYJUG posted:

Sorry. Your all right. I Don't want to start any agro. I am really the most gentle bloke you could ever hope to meet in real life. Maybe we should all meet up. Hold hands and have a nice sing along.

Thanks TOBYJUG that made laugh!  What song would we ing?

May I in the context of the posts before suggest Respect and Think by Aretha?

I’m also a trained Yoga teacher in addition to Civil Engineer and advocate for the Down syndrome community.

Everyone take a deep inhalation through the nose, exhale and relax. 6 times each. Then enjoy life.

hungryhalibut posted:

Alley Cat posted:

ChrisR_EPL posted:

Concord pilot, astronaut, porn star.

Simultaneously ? 

Total dick was missed from the list. 

 I'm afraid in the context of this thread alone that comment baffles me HH.

Admittedly a jokey comment, but I have to assume your comment is not based on that post alone, but still it seems a bit excessive.

I think HH has made a New Years resolution to be more positive.....or was that last year?

If I enjoyed my work I might be inclined to say what it is, but afraid not.

What a strange turn this thread has taken. 

I dislike when members take pops at other members for no  apparent reason other than jealousy. (And I have to admit many a “mea culpa” here for this myself previously). 

I never read the brain teasers thread as I know I don’t have that sort of brain. 

This thread seemed free of smugness so I entered into the spirit of it after waiting on the sidelines to see how it developed. 

I have found the ignore function is handy on this forum and for members that irritate me with most of their posts I simply press the ignore switch. There is only one of my current 3 ignore members posting in this thread and having viewed their comments my decision has not been invalidated. 

Anyway being from Ireland I know all about begrudgery and having supped the cup I know how toxic its contents can be. 

Happy new year folks, may we all find 2019 is kinder to us than 2018. 

.sjb

This month I am a cover boy. Normally a work in the bicycle industry.

 

ChrisR_EPL posted:

Returned earlier from 2 x NYE parties, and then had the absolute pleasure of boy #2 playing Wish You Were Here note for note after I stuck it on on the Muso soon after we got back. Hifi? Fill your boots with talk of sound stages and bass response etc. I’ll stick with the youth in the corner doing it how it should be done thanks.

Nice family moment indeed I can appreciate that. Why it has to be used to denigrate someone else’s interests, I don’t get. 

I’ve just finished listening to a “Thinking Allowed” podcast on identity. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0001r8v

covering goths, football fans and the transience of identity. It is surely better to concentrate on the things that we can share, rather than take swipes at others.

.sjb