Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Covered In Bees!

I've had this Eddie Izzard clip going around in my head for the last week-or-so now. Whether you like it or not, I'm sharing.

Figures

Where do they get these figures from?

I mean there's science... There's estimation... And pure guesswork, surely?

Quick scan at the news.

Currently 700,000 - or one person in every 88 in the UK - has dementia, incurring a yearly cost of £17bn.

A new report claims it will cost £76m to repair potholes on minor roads across Worcestershire.

The cost of the 2012 London Olympics could rise to nearly four times the figure set out in the city's bid for the Games, the BBC has learned. The Treasury and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) are discussing a price of £9bn - up from an initial figure of £2.35bn.

How much do all these reports cost?

Is it just me or is there an news report out each day saying something to the effect of...

"A new report out today says we're all going to die, everything is shit, things have failed, and frankly we're all buggered."

*sigh*

We may as well just sit down and die on our arses then.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Policy, procedure, and when to panic

Phew.

Had a performance review of-sorts this week by my tutor, and me being me I'd not exactly been looking forward to it. However, my quiet dread has proved somewhat misplaced once again as nope, it wasn't half as bad as I'd been expecting. Yes there are plenty of learning issues to take on board, but my tutor is now talking about when, rather than if I become fit for independent patrol - something I was convinced I was falling well short of once again.

See, though I continue to enjoy the job, it seems every time I think I begin to understand policy, procedure and when to panic, someone tells me to look at things slightly differently, consider another factor.

And so I stop.

Mouth a quiet

"Oh."

Scratch my head and try to figure it out all over again.

But today was a good day, and I think I might be finally getting the hang of this. Or, well, what a trainee constable is supposed to know at this stage anyway. I've got the rest of my career to continue learning.

Saturday, February 17, 2007

Beatboxing flute?

Only on Youtube... If your foot isn't tapping by the end of this then you've lost your rhythm dude.

Friday, February 16, 2007

Greetings from the night

Sorry if I've been out of the blogosphere of late.

Work remains busy as hell, if it's not busy with incidents, it's paperwork-a-rama.

Files. Updates. Portfolios. Tasking. Blaa.

Just returned from a late shift at stupid-o'clock and I'm not quite sleepy yet, so thought I better throw a quick few lines down seeing as it's been so long.

There have been some 'highlights' in the past few weeks however, which I shall endeavour to update you on in more depth when time allows, namely...
  • An incident where we attend a chap with mental health issues to remove him to a place of safety. On arrival he's kissing his mum & aunt goodbye, smiling. Then with no warning he turns and punches my tutor. Big scuffle ensues. He gets restrained, arrested and eventually removed to custody, and eventually a secure ward at a local hospital because his 'secure accommodation' refuse to take him back.
  • End of last week we find ourselves in a local village around 03:00 investigating reports of suspicious males hanging around parked cars. We turn a corner, see a male doing just that, observe him getting into his car parked alongside. We come up behind him, challenge with blue lights, and he makes off! Chase ensues with tutor doing constant updates on the radio, we head over the county border and by then the local force there take over with high-powered pursuit cars. We peel off and return to base and later get the report that four males were detained from that car.
Apart from that it's still been response callouts, routine stops, tickets and PNC checks. Getting the basics nailed down. As I say, I'll try and write more later, but just to let you know I'm ticking over nicely.

Surprisingly I still find myself in a relationship with an understanding, warm and generous lass. I haven't scared her off yet, so something must be going right.

Anyways, in the meanwhile, this should keep you amused if you're bored. I can't wait to see 'Hot Fuzz' on my days off next week it should be uniquely satisfying for me and my colleagues.

Now, to get some sleep perhaps...

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Four things

End of a busy late-shift.

Still buzzing and can't wind down.

Saw this on a blog I occasionaly peruse, and stole it for mine.

* * * *

Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Police Constable (present)
2. Bookseller
3. Countryside & Community Officer
4. Kitchen washer-upper & go-fer

Four movies I would watch over and over:
1. The Hunt For The Red October
2. The Abyss
3. Labyrinth
4. Contact

Four places I have lived:
1. East Yorkshire, UK
2. Gothenburg, Sweden
3. Victoria, Australia
4. Hertfordshire, UK

Four Shows I like:
1. Battlestar Galactica (redux)
2. Life On Mars
3. Lost
4. Harry Hill's TV Burp (The *only* good thing on ITV)

Four places I have been on holiday: (oodles, but last four...)
1. Berlin, Germany
2. Vienna, Austria
3. Prague, Czech Republic
4. Turkey

Four of my favorite foods are:
1. Pizza
2. Stir Fry
3. Yorkshire Pudding filled with sausage & veg
4. Filled Pasta

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. In a warm bed
2. Travelling. Somewhere.
3. At the end of a weeks' shifts
4. Other side't Humber, with good friends, in a pub I know well...

Sunday, February 04, 2007

I. Want. That. Car.

I just looked in the TV listings and they're featuring the Bugatti Veyron again tonight on 'Top Gear'.

*drool*

Now I'm no big petrol head, but I LOVE the show.

Ok, those who know me know that I'm rather environmental, all things considered, but sometimes I say, hell, throw carbon to the wind in the name of entertainment!

I'm applogise, Gaia, but in honour of this quite astounding car, here's the infamous 'Bugatti Veyron vs. Plane' race from that last series.

Great TV. Great humour. Stunning car.

(parts 2/3/4 are linked on youtube, the audio may not always synch, but stick with it!)

Friday, February 02, 2007

Glow

Haven't been able to get this song out of my head for weeks.

Usually I'd youtube it, but I can't find it on there.

Drat.

I know it's not much without the melody, but the poetry of it still strikes a chord in me considering recent events.

* * * * *

UNKLE - 'Glow'

Out of all contexts and scenery,
It shows laughter rings inside of me,
Aching paths don't cross so easily,
Break my back to see things differently.

So glow,
We've held off the cold,
Low and behold,
The seasons passing toll.

I find reasons and stop wondering,
The different ways in which we feel the same,
Give too much to what-if imagery,
Now the second time means more to me.

So glow,
We've held off the cold,
So glow,
We've held off the cold,
Low and behold,
Turns winter spring and fall.