Everyone's a critic

Don't people get you down sometimes? Pehaps I should just give up on this whole social interaction thing as a waste of time anyway.

No? I suppose that's not really a good solution come to think of it.
Life's not that bad really, I just get frustrated with people at work who continually badmouth each other (and anyone else they feel like) behind each others backs. Can they not say anything positive?

I'm sure this goes on in pretty much every workplace and social group. There is something truly nasty in people that seeks to make them feel better by comparing to someone else's weaknesses, be they real or imagined, and we all suffer from it (some people more than others, eh?).

I know that I am not a paragon of virtue in this area; I realise the shameful twofacedness of using my blog to complain about my staff complaining about each other. And that's why I need to change things. In the absence of being able to control what other people say, I might try watching what I say - try to compliment people who aren't about rather than disparage them.

I don't want to get too preachy (too late, I know), but Jesus said "love your enemies, do good to those who curse you, pray for those who ill treat you". Ouch. That's hard teaching. It's difficult enough to love, pray for and do good to your friends, let alone those who hate you. He should have said something easier to swallow like "be nice to those who are nice to you" or "be true to yourself". Or maybe he knew what he was talking about.

Musical snobbery

Music is good. Musical taste is good. I don't just mean my musical taste, which may shock some of you.

I'm making a real effort to acknowledge that my taste in music is not the be all and end all. The same people who would listen to Usher or Keane, might turn their noses up if I put on something by Aphex Twin or Susumu Yokota. And they are entitled to their opinion.

The reason for this rambling and slightly bewildered thread is largely because of a conversation I had with a friend earlier; someone who's musical taste I broadly disagree with.

We mostly stuck to common ground of artists who we both were not fond of, but what stuck me was the derision he levelled at music outside his boundries and more particularly the people who didn't share his dislike. I smugly congratulated myself that I'm not so entrenched in my opinions, but the truth is that actually I am. I am a dull musical snob.

Quite often the most popular music just doesn't appeal to me. I usually prefer something with a bit of raw edge and an unconventional beat. A lot of the artists I like are not well known. This is fine, but it tends to breed a kind of left field elitism in me, such that if a band becomes popular I can no longer be seen to like them (or at very least people have to know I liked them before they were famous). I'm definately the type to jump off the bandwagon. Well what does it matter if like to listen to a bit of Bruce Springsteen when I get home from work, or if I enjoy hearing The Kooks playing on the radio.

I'm not saying that all music is good; I cannot agree with a lot of the lyrics I hear. But music is good, creativeness is good, differences in musical taste are good. I just need a lot of reminding about that.

I bet that God has a wider taste in music than anyone gives him credit for (actually I don't bet that, because gambling is wrong kids. I just couldn't think of a better turn of phrase). Anyhow, the point I was going to make is that he invented the concept of music anyway, so he must love to hear people being creative and using whatever gifts he's given them.

If you've read right to the end of this post and thought "That was all stating the obvious", then apologies for wasting your time. But after all, that's what a blog is for isn't it?

The tricksy little thieves

Someone nicked my car on thursday night. They took it from right outside the house.
Apparently the police have found it and recovered it to a garage, but it'll still be at least a week before I get it back (that's if it is in a drivable condition).

Ah well, back on the trains again.

No. 1083498

Ladies and Gents. I'm pleased to annouce that I am now a fully paid up member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. I've passed the exam, paid the fee, got the membership number and been let loose on the public.
It's quite scary to think that I've spent 1/4 of my life training to be a pharmacist, and I still don't feel ready for it.

Things I should have said

My, oh my. Nearly two months since I last posted anything on here.

For one reason or another I haven't got round to it recently, mostly due to laziness. So for my 3 dedicated readers, here's a short summary of the things I nearly posted about:

- Why Formula 1 is great
- Gay clergy in the Church of England
- Christiano Ronaldo/Zinedine Zidane/Alan Shearer
- Pharmacy registration exam
- Why numbers are great
- Why Formula 1 is rubbish
- Euphemisms for rectal functions
- My new car

Some of these may be revisited at a future date. Others you'll just have to guess what I was going to say.

Hope this keeps you well and truly in the picture.

Newsround

Ah, the web log. Home of my self-involved, mis-spelt and generally ineloquent thoughts.

Self promotion was not supposed to be the main aim of this blog, but I thought it might be a useful way of sharing some of my news if anyone is interested.

Firstly; I have passed my driving test. Hallelujah.
- 90-odd driving lessons
- 6 years
- 3 driving instructors
- 2 practical tests
- 2 theory tests
- 1 glorious driving licence.

Secondly, and equally as scary to the general public; I have accepted a job as manager of a pharmacy in Coventry (see previous post for the inner turmoil involved). This job will start toward the end of July - pretty much immediately upon my qualification as a pharmacist (providing I pass the exam).

This is all very exciting, but I am needless to say a little nervous about a) being a pharmacist, b) being a manager and c) driving to Coventry every day.

My thoughts on becoming middle class have softened a bit since the last post but I want to be careful that my job doesn't take over my life.

Sent to Coventry

I am afraid. I fear that one day soon I may turn into everything I have mocked and despised.

If you see me reading a copy of the Daily Telegraph on a busy train, joining a Gym or perhaps singing along to Simply Red you will know I have become... middle class.

OK I know it's not exactly a fate worse than death, but it is entirely possible that in the next couple of months I will become a Pharmacy Manager and more importantly an intercity commuter. Do I really want to be one of those slick-haired, suited, angry young men stuck in traffic on the M6.

Seriously, I have a big decision to make about my job in the next couple of weeks, so if anyone who reads this is in a praying mood (if indeed anyone reads it at all) please pray that I choose wisely.

Whatever I choose I guess I'm headed inexorably toward middle classdom. It's not that bad I suppose, I must learn not to be so prissy and self-righteous.

Another post that doesn't quite make sense. It's the whole thinking and typing thing again.

Lowe out!

Well the football season is over. (OK there's still the last week of the Premiership to go, as well as leagues one and two, the fa cup, uefa cup and champions league finals and the play-offs, but they hardly count do they?). The important thing is that at the end of a truly ugly season Saints have achieved a heart-warming 12th place in the Championship. Unlike most Saints fans I didn't expect an easy season in a lower league and it was always on the cards that Harry 'melted-face' Redknapp would scuttle off halfway through the season, but a second successive relegation battle was a bit of a downer.

Nevertheless we are now safe, and we have a manager who actually wants us to win. A play-off challenge next season is entirely possible, especially with players like Baird, Fuller and Surman hitting form and hopefully a few more young players challenging for a first team place.

If you've read this far and are wondering about the title, there is a touch of sarcasm about it. I seem to one of a tiny minority of Saints supporters who doesn't think that hounding painting Rupert Lowe as the antichrist and hounding him out of the club is going to solve all our problems. I don't deny that he has made some poor decisions (not backing Paul Sturrock and then hiring Steve Wigley and Harry 'I-love-pompey' Redknapp) but he now seems prepared to back George Burley, who is a much better manager than we have any right to expect, and I think his leaving now would leave the club in a much more unstable position long-term.

Anyhow, that's out of my system for the time being. I promise not to mention football on here again until next season (or maybe the world cup might merit a small post).