Saturday, September 20, 2014

Pass the spliff Alumni man!

I get another annoying communication from the Leeds University Alumni Office.  Seems they want to know where I work as 'Leeds students would love to know what you're up to'.  They want to know my 'position' and my 'industry'.  If they get the info it seems that 'when the next generation of students are looking at universities, they can see just where a Leeds education might lead them'.  Blimey! 

I feel I'm not really what they're looking for...They do have a question on their card that reads "Tell us more about you role" (my italics, their spelling).  Perhaps not from the English department then?

I won't be bothering telling them that I don't have the lucrative middle-class profession they clearly think their ex-students have and their next generation craves - but I do rather like the fact that the Alumni office is based in the Stoner Building - far out man!

Having said all that Leeds Poly is changing (or has changed) it's name again so at least the University of Leeds isn't going down that particular road - Leeds Met is now called the University of Buckets or something.  Leeds Metropolitan University clearly wasn't a good enough name.  Now I have no idea but what are the chances they got a new Vice Chancellor and had a reorganisation combined with the name change?  Maybe the business studies or psychology departments are doing a study in the effects of pointless activity undertaken by institutions from which they never learn? 

A postscript - I Googled Leeds Metropolitan University or 'the Buckets' as I really hope they're now known.  They're 'opening minds' and 'opening doors' apparently.  Our back door is a bit stiff if they could send somebody round? - Or perhaps they're just really polite...

Swinging back again (see what I did there!?) Leeds University's website has a link on its home page to a free online business course 'delivered in partnership with Marks and Spencer'.  Ah well, the student led revoltion may not be happening just yet...

Damn you Mister Motivator!

Oops, I forgot to post this and it's getting a bit old now...

Darn it, feeling slightly cheated. I checked out the list of celebs appearing in 'Tumble' the  BBC One Saturday night 'entertainment' show - AND I'VE HEARD OF ONE OF THEM! An improvement on the 2 (or sometimes even 3) I usually get for these things but disappointing nonetheless. Damn you Mister Motivator!  For the most of you that won't have heard of him he was something to do with jumping about on daytime TV back in the 80s or 90s...
 
I await the day when 100% of celebrity contestants are people no-one has heard of.  And I'm still waiting for the 10 blade razor...

Friday, September 12, 2014

Spambots

Just wanted to say I'm sick of spam comments on this blog - you won't see them much because they're generally on really old posts.  But it does mean I can't tell who reads this blog because of the spambots from France and the USA. 

I wonder if life would carry on if I abandoned the internet completely and sent blog posts via letter...

That's enough MSN

I got an advert in my Hotmail inbox today.  Here’s what it says…

“Introducing the entirely new MSN – bringing you the content you love – from the sources you trust – with a new modern design.  We’ve also added personalisation features to help you customize to make it your own.”

Here are my objections:

‘Entirely new’ – sorry, but I don’t’ believe you.  And I’m not really interested in ‘new’ for its own sake anyway.

‘Bringing you the content you love’ – you have no idea what ‘content’ I love.  I don’t like the word ‘content’ disconnected from any meaning either.  Do you mean news or adverts or what?  I don’t ‘love’ any of it, so please don’t pretend you know stuff about me.

‘From the sources you trust’ – OK Microsoft, remind me exactly what those sources are if you wouldn’t mind…

‘New modern design’ – please see point one above.

‘Personalisation features’ – design your own damn webby site adverty stuff, I haven’t got time to change stuff, I’m just not interested enough in MSN.

That’s enough MSN