12/31/09 04:30 - 31ºF - ID#50697

Happy New Year!!!!!

It's nearly signing off time here in Doha, and as I won't get the opportunity before I want to wish you all a happy new year!

I can't believe it's been exactly 1 year since I met most of you at PMT's party - and a fantastic year it has been too. I feel honoured to have been accepted in to the (e:strip) group, even if it's by association only!

Sorry we can't be there this time round, but I'm sure there will be opportunities in the future.

Here's hoping 2010 brings health and happiness to you and yours.

See you next year!

Permalink: Happy_New_Year_.html
Words: 102
Location: Doha, NY

12/25/09 10:50 - 35ºF - ID#50652

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry Christmas to all (e:strip)pers, wherever you are. Hope your day is full of fun and laughter, and you get lots of fun presents.

Love,

Rory and Timika.

Permalink: MERRY_CHRISTMAS_.html
Words: 29
Location: Doha, NY

Category: work

10/21/09 08:24 - 54ºF - ID#50068

Stress!

I'm coming to the rapid conclusion that taking any time off from work is pointless.

The amount of stress you end up in before going - to ensure everything is in a condition to hand over, and when you get back - catching up on all those emails, pretty much nulls any de-stressing you got while on leave.

I have 30 mins before I leave the office to take 2 1/2 weeks off (which will be wonderful and full of memories that will stay with me forever); and I have about 4 hours worth of work to do in that time.

GAAAAHH!!!!!!

Permalink: Stress_.html
Words: 98
Location: Doha, NY

Category: sappy

09/09/09 05:29 - 63ºF - ID#49728

Awwww.....

Permalink: Awwww_.html
Words: 8
Location: Doha, NY

Category: birthday wishes

09/06/09 08:43 - 57ºF - ID#49705

Happy Birthday Ladycroft!

Yes, it's (e:ladycroft)'s birthday today!

Happy Birthday Beautiful!

(That's supposed to be a present by the way...)

Permalink: Happy_Birthday_Ladycroft_.html
Words: 19
Location: Doha, NY

Category: work

07/24/09 07:10 - 70ºF - ID#49370

Work at 1:30am

Cutting over some core systems from one datacentre to another, so I'm here at 1:30 so I can run two scripts, wait 2 hours, run the same two scripts again and then go home.

Why can't they give me remote access for this sort of thing?

Still, gives me time to catch up on some work I didn't do during the week.

Permalink: Work_at_1_30am.html
Words: 60
Location: Doha, NY

07/07/09 04:36 - 64ºF - ID#49217

Shakespeare in the Park

Hey all,

(e:ladycroft), (e:theecarey) and myself are heading down to Shakespeare in the Park this evening. It's 'The Tempest' at the moment I believe, and kick-off is at 7pm. We'll be aiming to get there 6-6:30, so if anyone is heading down or would like to join us, feel free.

Laters, folks.

Rory.

Permalink: Shakespeare_in_the_Park.html
Words: 55
Location: Doha, NY

07/01/09 01:25 - 62ºF - ID#49132

1 year quit.

365 days, 8 hours, 24 minutes and 7 seconds smoke free.

7307 cigarettes not smoked.

QAR2,190.00 and 1 month, 25 days, 19 hours of your life saved.

I think I deserve to be proud of that achievement.

Permalink: 1_year_quit_.html
Words: 29
Location: Doha, NY

Category: disturbing

04/29/09 06:05 - 40ºF - ID#48532

Sweet lord....

Here are two articles that make me despair for humanity sometimes:

There is so much wrong with the story above I don't know where to begin. Who the fark feeds Maccy D's to a 6 month old?!?

And then this one (you may have heard this on the news in the US - it was on ABC according to the article):

Not actually that surprising, knowing what life is like in this part of the world, but still disturbing nonetheless. Especially the last sentance:

'The UAE said the police investigated the events, and found that "all rules, policies and procedures were followed correctly by the Police Department", according to a letter seen by Human Rights Watch.'

metalpeter writes at 07:55:09 04/29/09 - Comment #48029: I only read the first article. Yes at first it does sound crazy. Yes she does sound like a bad mother. But there are a few things you have to think about.
1) She looks like all that weight might make moving kinda tough
2) She was expecting to Have some Help but dad ran away. Why isn't anyone blaming the dead beat dad here
3) I doubt she was expecting to have 3 kids
4) Having a kid let alone 3 is a lot of work. I bet she is used to a sedentary life style her self where she didn't do much.
5) This mother has bad Habits, it is easy for us to say she needs to change those habits, but people are creatures of habits and they are hard to change. The thing she said about big is beauitful tells me that she was brought up the same way she is doing with her kids.
6) If you are lazy you are Lazy and I don't think that can ever be changed

I think what is going on is horrid but, everyone raises their kids differently. That being said it sounds like the people who visit her need to help push her more in the right direction.

tinypliny writes at 10:49:59 04/29/09 - Comment #48012: We, as a human race, are slowly slipping in our education, cultural, personal and societal etiquette. We are headed for a future with a heavily impoverished "selflessness" scale.

This is what is wrong with the story. The mom was probably the kid who ate out of garbage cans and junk yards when she was a kid. The clichÃ© of history repeating itself is true, because we lack the nerve to better our lot 9/10 times.

james writes at 09:53:35 04/29/09 - Comment #48009: I understand your frustration Ms.Croft. But take away benefits from a leach like that woman and you take benefits away from those three children. The solution, I think, is to hire someone to administer an electric shock every time she does something stupid.

Feed your kids Mc's? BZZZ!
Can't do the dishes? ZZZRAP!
Have unprotected sex with someone you have only known for four weeks? SHZZSHZZZZAP ZAP ZAP!

jason writes at 09:10:17 04/29/09 - Comment #48008: Unbelievable, (e:Rory). I saw that. I regularly read the Daily Mail and the Guardian. I don't understand a culture that shits on Jamie Oliver for working to give kids healthier food. Boggles the mind. I admire the hell out of the way he took initiative.

ladycroft writes at 09:08:27 04/29/09 - Comment #48007: "Now back home in Coventry and living on benefits, she says she is too busy to prepare proper meals for her triplets or do much in the way of housework." Clearly. I mean when you're working that hard collecting benefits there really is just no time for the necessary is there? PUKE. Yet we continue to give people like that benefits to continue sitting on their assess spending their money on cigarettes and alcohol rather than fresh food for their kids. It's sick.

As for the other one...just disgusting. I know I'm trying to do something 'good' over here but it feels more and more futile with this hypocritcal mentality.

james writes at 09:06:26 04/29/09 - Comment #48006: Isn't that what the print the Daily Mail for?

drew writes at 06:54:17 04/29/09 - Comment #48002: "Anyway, they don't always have junk food - sometimes I cook a microwave meal for them."

Amazing.