Er... I'm a lightweight, I'm fired!

... well it wasn't quite like that, and to be honest I think I managed to cling on to my role at the CPS for longer than they had intended. But a person had been hired permanently to do my role (probably at less cost to them than my wage plus agency fees), so no need for me. I was very pleased to receive a card, lots of chocolate and some Star Wars biscuits as a leaving present. If only that happened after every temping assignment - all I got from Sunterra was a plastic orange pen. But given all the allegations maybe it's wise not to be too closely associated with receiving gifts from that particular organisation.

It was three and a half months of fun, stress and trying not to make too many bumbling mistakes... the problem with that kind of role is that the English criminal justice system creaks along so slowly that mistakes don't come become apparant straight away but only three or four weeks down the line. In the form of a fuming prosecution lawyer. But I enjoyed the atmosphere in the office, thinking up a 'word of the day' and learning about how crime lurks around every corner, even in a bright, happy place like Lancaster. And I don't think I'll ever be venturing north of the Lune again, now I know what goes on there ;-)

The agency were meant to be sorting something out, but surprise, surprise they haven't as yet - so I may well be paying another visit to my friends at Jobcentre Plus and having the luxury of time to write more frequent blog entries!

You're a lightweight, you're fired!

I can't believe that I haven't found time to pass comment on The Apprentice untill now, when the series is reaching its exciting zenith.

I was sad that Sir Alan fired one of my fave candidates, Nargis, in week two, but otherwise 3 of the final four contestants are exactly as I had predicted after watching the first episode. No-one will believe me on this.

Still, since it is pre-filmed, I don't think I could have made any money at the bookies anywayz. Nevertheless, I predict that following the interview round next week, Michelle and Paul will be fired. Michelle seems very quietly competent but I don't think glamourous people sit comfortably in Sir Alan's imagination. Similarly, Paul is a nice guy but sociable, ex-rugby playing, possibly ex-public school people don't really fit well into Sir Alan's corporate culture either. What Sir Alan clearly likes best is vigilant, brutish sales people so the final face-off is obviously going to be between Ruth and Ansell. Now, Ansell apart, it is interesting that the other three remaining candidates are the youngest of all those who started. However, I still think that Ansell will end up as the eventual winner as he has played the game really well. He always keeps a low profile, never says anything controversial, plays the peacemaker in any arguments and has done well in the sales tasks. Furthermore it seems that he used to play for Millwall FC and grew up in edgy South London. Hence good corporate fit for the rough n' ready Amstrad culture that has been criticised by Sir Richard Branson. Branson is clearly the more successful businessman, but his own Apprentice-style TV show was pathetic.

Just wait and see how I will be proved correct - I am becoming an experienced expert in recruitment psychology and just wish I could put some of this knowledge to practical use in the real world!

Democracy in action

It all started with a chance meeting between Lenka and some suits from the Council on the Canal. Plans were afoot to put gravel on the Lancaster cycle path. We thought that cycling on gravel would be worse than cycling on tarmac, and so I set up a simple online petition. At the time of writing, there are 73 signatures (one guy signed twice, but I can't complain).

I also thought that I would write to the local newspapers. I like reading the letters pages on local newspapers, so set out to make my letter suitably pompous, as befits such letters pages. I wrote to the Lancaster Guardian (the broadsheet), which completely ignored me. I also wrote to the Lancaster & Morecambe Citizen, which not only printed my letter, but also printed Lenka's letter directly beneath it. I appreciated that, as it gives readers the impression that two people were sufficiently motivated to independently contact the press in the same week. Alternatively, a more adept reader might suspect a stage-managed stunt, but it's too late now.

Anyway, this week there are two more letters in the Citizen (maybe or maybe not from the same residence...). Clearly we have touched a nerve and have unearthed a burning issue to rank alongside the Palestinian Question (which, strangely, is another very popular topic in the Lancaster & Morecambe Citizen). As Lenka's out of town and I hate to leave a debate hanging in the air I will have to make a reply of some sort. A problem is that I was really hoping that someone from the Council would also write in this week, as Officials are much easier to attack. I'm also really busy (writing this counts as therapy). Still, I've never abandoned a cause yet and I'm interested to see where this will end...