Nostalgia: Working in the 1970s & 1980s

In 1977, I was learning to write programs using a teletype (a big step from punched cards); I was good at Basic, reasonable at COBOL, not so great at Fortran. I loved working in the I.T. department (tho' it wasn't called that in those days); my colleagues were far better programmers than I was but I was very good at specifying requirements for specific needs of management so I moved into Management Information Systems. This involved specifying the program interface and training staff in using it. Good as it was, a similar opportunity arose in another division of the company which offered much more money plus a company car.

It was around 1982. I got the job, sold my lovely old TR7 (bright yellow) and was supplied with a brand new Ford Sierra (a car that had only just been launched!) 

It was a great job; I had to procure (or specify) software for a number of small business applications (e.g. estate agents) so that the sales people could entice these buyers with our multi-user desktop compter system. I had to prepare marketing materials, write instruction manuals and train the clients (hence the company car).

So - what happened next? IBM took the world a step backwards by launching their single user Personal Computer. The first time the acronym 'PC' was used in this context. And the company I worked for decided to relocate. 

Although I'd only been there a year and the company provided me with a car, a daily commute further south and across the Thames was too far to contemplate. They offered assistance for me to move house but I liked where I lived and didn't want to move 60 miles south-east. As luck would have it, I didn't need to.

I was approached by an ex-colleague who had heard of a new position opening up which he thought I'd be ideal for. Having said I was interested, I was invited for interview by my potential new employers. Of course I said yes but would be going on holiday in a week so could we meet before then? 'No problem' I was told. 'We'll send you the airplane tickets and book you into a hotel for a couple of nights, if that's OK'... 

While I was to be based locally, it turns out that the co-owners wanted to meet me and to show me their working environment before I came on board. So I flew to LAX, stayed overnight at an airport hotel then caught a flight to Las Vegas to meet everyone at a trade show (COMDEX), stayed overnight in Vegas, flew back to LAX then to LHR. I just had time to get home and pack for my holiday, as we were leaving the next day!

Yes, of course I got the job. It was possibly the best job I've ever had. Responsible for product support (mainly COBOL) to existing clients/resellers and marketing to build on the client-base throughout Europe, I loved it! Oh yes, my company car was a VW Scirocco (eventually replaced by a Toyota MR2).

I pretty much had autonomy in Europe and visited the company's selected dealers in France, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Spain... plus a couple of trips each year to Head Office in Los Angeles. Wow, I know I was lucky and enjoyed every minute of it. Business increased sufficiently to expand the team so I employed a better programmer for product support (whew!) and a marketing assistant. I also recommended an experienced salesman (an ex-colleague) to sign up larger accounts.

Sadly, good times don't last forever. When the major co-owner died, the company was sold and incorporated by another one, which hadn't a clue how to run the business. Luckily, I was head-hunted by a rival company - but that's another story.

Star Trek & Picard

I've been simultaneously re-watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and watching Picard for the first time. Still many series to go with Next Gen but, before I begin watching Picard S2, I decided to review S1. 

The first episode was a bit of a struggle as the story was being established but, as the series progressed and the characters were introduced, it became very good. 

Bruce Maddox was featured in Picard and, by coincidence, he popped up in the episode of Next Gen that I was watching. Without giving too much away, there were some 'old friends' from the USS Enterprise popping up in the series, too. 

Picard 'died' in s1 but, obviously, there was no panic over this storyline if watching it now because s2 is already available and s3 has just been wrapped. That, incidentally, will be the final series. 

The new characters bonded throughout series one and now I'm looking forward to the next adventures of Jean-Luc with Chris Rios on his ship, La Sirena, with Elnor, Soji, Raffi, Seven of Nine, and Agnes. 

Meanwhile, lots of re-watching to do for the Next Generation. Then maybe Deep Space 9 and maybe Enterprise. I've never seen Discovery or Voyager - would anyone like to recommend them to me?

UPDATE

I've now watched S2 and it was darker, with Chris Rios bringing a little light relief. It ended OK-ish though. Now waiting for S3...

Review - Ready Player One - The Book

First of all, it's hard to believe that this is the author's first novel. Secondly - how will Ernest Cline follow that! Almost ten years later, we're still waiting to find out.

For anyone who is not a 'gamer', I'd recommend reading the book before trying the film. I was given this excellent advice because the book explains references to games in the story-line in a way that the film doesn't, because it's focusing on the action. Special effects are a substitute for imagination, I guess. I was totally absorbed in the book - and I'm one of those weird freaks who has never, ever played a video game and I have no intention of doing so.

The story is futuristic, set a couple of decades hence, but the over-riding theme is inspired by the 1980s. There are many references to that era to keep the interest of people born before then. Not just gamers and not just Americans - the story includes British and Japanese culture from around that decade. Rock and pop music, fantasy-world book authors, such as Terry Pratchett, plus many, many film references, including Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which made me smile - yes I remember the '80s.

The film, directed by Steven Spielberg, was released in 2018. I've not seen it yet but I have discussed it with a couple of people who have watched the film but not read the book... READ THE BOOK! If there is a downside, it's that the font size used in the book is minuscule. It's all small print that required me to use a combination of reading glasses and bright sunlight or, in the evenings, I tried a daylight torch and a magnifying glass - neither of which were ideal. And I don't have enough hands to use both and hold the book open and turn the pages.

It's a well-written book but the genre isn't for everyone. I loved it and I'm looking forward to watching the film in the near future.

---

p.s. I read Good Omens quite some time ago and recently watched the series on TV. And now I'm going to re-read the book...

Porridge: healthy, filling, tasty

Ingredients:

• 1 spoonful raisins
• 2 scoops porridge oats
• 2 walnut halves, chopped
• 2 pecan halves, chopped
• 2 brazil nuts, chopped
• 4 almonds, chopped
• cup of water
• sprinkling of cinnamon

Method:

• place raisins, oats, nuts, and water in bowl, quick stir
• microwave on full power for 2 minutes
• sprinkle cinnamon on top, stir in

Notes:

• if too wet, microwave for another 15-30 seconds
• if too dry, quickly stir in 2 or two spoonfuls of water
  (or milk if you must)

Disappointment - a short story

As business owners, we both work long hours in stressful jobs so a long weekend away with friends - also business owners in stressful jobs - was a lovely break. My overwhelming reaction on our return home was... Disappointment.

It was (almost) entirely my own fault - relaxing over the weekend must have softened my brain. We had left our teenage son, who was home from uni on a gap year, to fend for himself and we looked forward to seeing him. We had texted ahead and arrived home after a 7-hour drive via shopping at the supermarket, ready to make dinner.

We carried in our suitcases and shopping bags with no assistance from our loving son, who remained seated on the sofa, ignoring us. I wasn't disappointed just yet - this is normal behaviour that we are somehow resigned to. A dinner plate was by his side and we assumed that he had already eaten as we put away the shopping and prepared to cook just for ourselves rather than the family dinner that we had planned.

Meanwhile, my eyes had taken in the crumbs next to the sofa, the two dozen DVD/PS4 cases spread on the floor and a spilled pile of clean washing that I asked him to take up to his room before the weekend. Before I could hug my darling son, I expressed my disappointment and walked into the kitchen where I was met with a floor covered with all manner of foodstuffs - raisins, flour, toast crumbs, onion and garlic skin, dry spaghetti, carrot peelings (yes, I should have been pleased that he had eaten vegetables...)

I swept the floor whilst grumbling sarcastically in a low voice because I didn't want to walk in and immediately start an argument. I cleared the sink and filled the dishwasher. My husband cleaned the worktops and we cooked a quick meal. Setting the table, I was greeted by food spillage from a previous meal (or meals) glued to the place mat and table surface.

As we sat down to eat, our son informed us that he hadn't eaten - the plate was from his previous meal. Feeling guilty at the misunderstanding, I signaled to him to remove his headphones so that I could ask him if he'd like pizza (his favourite) which we'd brought home as a treat. Before I could ask, he announced that he would not be talking to me because I was mean to him.

No pizza, then.

Great homecoming/reunion, not! It wasn't until this morning that I looked in the shower room to find five wet bath towels (yes, yes, I should be pleased that he showered!!!)...

DVD Film Review: I Love You, Man.

I Love You, Man (2009)

A John Hamburg Film

Starring Paul Rudd & Jason Segal
Co-starring Rashida Jones 

Mike from Friends meets Marshall from HIMYM

Paul Rudd's character is an Estate Agent who proposes to his girlfriend and the wedding planning begins...

The groom-to-be has no male friends and is not close to his much older brother. He overhears the bride-to-be discussing his lack of friends with her friends and he sets out on a quest to find a best man.

After some desperate attempts to 'man-date', he is hosting an Open House to sell Lou (The Hulk) Ferrigno's property and starts chatting to Jason Segal's character about the food. They get along well and, despite Paul Rudd's character trying too hard to be cool, they become good friends but the friendship begins to affect the engagement.

There was a point where we were not quite sure if Jason Segal's character was trustworthy, as he asks for money for an investment but it was a valid, although unusual and interesting, investment.

The girlfriend, played by Rashida Jones, was charming throughout and everything works out well with the wedding going ahead at the end of the film. And we hope they all lived happily ever after.

Beebopalula

Reviews of Recent Films, Summer 2014

Films viewed: A Long Way Down, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Postman Pat, The Amazing Spider-man 2, Captain America: the Winter Soldier.

1. A Long Way Down

Based on the book by Nick Hornby. Starring Pierce Brosnan (007), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Imogen Poots, Toni Collette.

I enjoyed A Long Way Down - despite the story being about suicide attempts which, in real life, are not funny. Four people determined to jump off a roof in London on New Year's Eve are surprised to find that they are not alone. The characters are sympathetic and the dialogue was often amusing. I just wish that I could remember some of the amusing quotes... sorry, you'll have to watch it yourselves.

2. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Cast includes Ralph Fiennes, Jude Law, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Harvey Keitel (but not Johnny Depp).

Wes Anderson's quirky film is an interesting recount of the hotel's ownership over 50-ish years and how the current and previous owners came to own it. A gentle, amusing comedy-drama; well acted, well made.

3. Postman Pat: The Movie

You will recognise the voices of David Tennant, Stephen Mangan, Jim Broadbent, Ronan Keating and perhaps Rupert Grint. Quite a few plot holes but the under-7s will probably overlook them. Look out for the guest appearance by a Dalek.

I think I may have become slightly de-geeked, reaching saturation point for superhero films, but here goes...

4. The Amazing Spider-man 2

I really like Andrew Garfield as Spiderman and this is a great film.
Familiar storyline of Peter Parker losing the girl and having to battle with his best friend. If you've not overdosed on Spidey films during the past decade, you should enjoy this one.

5. Captain America: the Winter Soldier

Starring Chris Evans, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Robert Redford.
High-level shenanigans in the USA as SHIELD is infiltrated by Hydra and can no longer be trusted. The mysterious Winter Soldier emerges to battle with Captain America. Good, exciting storyline but how will they rebuild the city, yet again, in time for the next film - and where's the money coming from? Still, not as much devastation and destruction as in the Superman vs Zod battle.

BP2