Thursday, July 10, 2008
The best birthday card ever
Thank you Ben! Jimmy Saville failed when I was 6 to get me in the TARDIS with Peter Davison. You have succeeded. There is a shell suit in the post.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
TARDIS for sale, one careful owner..
Well, now I've built a TARDIS, what comes next. I promise that there is no sawdust in the gearbox. I'll sell it in exchange for a house overlooking the sea in Scotland.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Letter to the Mayor
Dear Sir,
As a Londoner and a regular user of the transport facilities, one cannot miss the ‘communications’ from ‘Transport for London’. Clearly your communications team would not be doing their job if Londoners and visitors were missing the posters, leaflets and announcements.
I do, however, believe that there is a gap in your communications team for an Editor, who would make sure that communications are correct when presented to the public. Consider this poster as an example:
A big poster that is supposed to engage Londoners with the improvements taking place, and keep them informed of the changes to their network. This was clearly not checked – you cannot have ‘less delays’ – it does not make any grammatical or linguistic sense. It should, of course, be either ‘fewer delays’ or ‘lesser delays’ depending on what you are trying to say. Similarly just a bit further down, the poster says ‘a multi-billion pound upgrade’ – this tells us that the Jubilee Line is being made heavier, or that the coins used to pay for it are to be refurbished. Naturally, it should be ‘a multi-billion-pound upgrade’. My purpose in writing is not to lecture on language, but I would be happy to explain both of these further should you wish me to.
Another example might be on the Jubilee Line. The digital announcements regularly say: ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, there is currently a good service operating on the Jubilee Line this morning’. This is linguistically impossible because it is tautologous – it is like me saying: ‘I am right at this moment going to buy a car this morning’ – totally nonsensical.
My last collected example is that when I passed through Kings Cross Underground Station last week, an announcement said ‘The Victoria and Hammersmith and City Line is running with minor delays’. Again, this is nonsensical – there is no such line as the ‘Victoria and Hammersmith and City’.
As I have mentioned, I am a Londoner; I am also an Editor for a publishing house and I firmly believe that London should have a transport system that is world-leading. Regardless of how people might generally perceive the importance of English grammar and language, I do not think it is right for an organization that needs to command the respect of people across all spectra, to be slack and incorrect in its home language. It is fine when creating a trendy and catchy pun/play on words – but to me and to doubtless many others, the examples I give just look and sound messy and amateur.
Should it be of interest to you, I am looking for a change of direction in my own career. If the situation were mutually suitable, I would happily work for TfL as an Editor making sure all public communications were correct and professional. If you have someone doing this job already, it is clearly not being done satisfactorily. I suspect you do not have someone in the position ¬– maybe if you did, it would stop annoying letters like this one, and command you greater respect with powers that be.
With good wishes
Yours sincerely
Jonathan Lee.
As a Londoner and a regular user of the transport facilities, one cannot miss the ‘communications’ from ‘Transport for London’. Clearly your communications team would not be doing their job if Londoners and visitors were missing the posters, leaflets and announcements.
I do, however, believe that there is a gap in your communications team for an Editor, who would make sure that communications are correct when presented to the public. Consider this poster as an example:
A big poster that is supposed to engage Londoners with the improvements taking place, and keep them informed of the changes to their network. This was clearly not checked – you cannot have ‘less delays’ – it does not make any grammatical or linguistic sense. It should, of course, be either ‘fewer delays’ or ‘lesser delays’ depending on what you are trying to say. Similarly just a bit further down, the poster says ‘a multi-billion pound upgrade’ – this tells us that the Jubilee Line is being made heavier, or that the coins used to pay for it are to be refurbished. Naturally, it should be ‘a multi-billion-pound upgrade’. My purpose in writing is not to lecture on language, but I would be happy to explain both of these further should you wish me to.
Another example might be on the Jubilee Line. The digital announcements regularly say: ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, there is currently a good service operating on the Jubilee Line this morning’. This is linguistically impossible because it is tautologous – it is like me saying: ‘I am right at this moment going to buy a car this morning’ – totally nonsensical.
My last collected example is that when I passed through Kings Cross Underground Station last week, an announcement said ‘The Victoria and Hammersmith and City Line is running with minor delays’. Again, this is nonsensical – there is no such line as the ‘Victoria and Hammersmith and City’.
As I have mentioned, I am a Londoner; I am also an Editor for a publishing house and I firmly believe that London should have a transport system that is world-leading. Regardless of how people might generally perceive the importance of English grammar and language, I do not think it is right for an organization that needs to command the respect of people across all spectra, to be slack and incorrect in its home language. It is fine when creating a trendy and catchy pun/play on words – but to me and to doubtless many others, the examples I give just look and sound messy and amateur.
Should it be of interest to you, I am looking for a change of direction in my own career. If the situation were mutually suitable, I would happily work for TfL as an Editor making sure all public communications were correct and professional. If you have someone doing this job already, it is clearly not being done satisfactorily. I suspect you do not have someone in the position ¬– maybe if you did, it would stop annoying letters like this one, and command you greater respect with powers that be.
With good wishes
Yours sincerely
Jonathan Lee.
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Good moods
It occurs to me that I should very probably be in a horrendous mood at the moment, if not that, almost certainly depressed. I'm not.
I wouldn't say I'm in a good mood – that would be overstating the fact, but I should be in a bad mood because:
1. I picked up food poisoning at the weekend and I am still not able to eat much let alone drink alcohol. It has also interrupted my half-marathon training, meaning I will have to nearly start again when I can actually run.
2. Orange, in their wisdom have managed to cut me off from their system and don't know how or why. They won't be able to fix it for a week. I can't phone or text and people cannot get hold of me.
3. I have no money. I have survived since Sunday on £30. I'm down to £20 and am not paid until 22nd.
4. I've been presented with a rather large tax bill for £1437. Even though last year I ticked the box saying I would like it taken through PAYE, Inland Revenue won't do it. So I need to find that money somewhere – perhaps I should offer them £2 from my remaining bank balance.
That's enough for the time being. As I say, surprising how I remain in a reasonable mood!
JL
I wouldn't say I'm in a good mood – that would be overstating the fact, but I should be in a bad mood because:
1. I picked up food poisoning at the weekend and I am still not able to eat much let alone drink alcohol. It has also interrupted my half-marathon training, meaning I will have to nearly start again when I can actually run.
2. Orange, in their wisdom have managed to cut me off from their system and don't know how or why. They won't be able to fix it for a week. I can't phone or text and people cannot get hold of me.
3. I have no money. I have survived since Sunday on £30. I'm down to £20 and am not paid until 22nd.
4. I've been presented with a rather large tax bill for £1437. Even though last year I ticked the box saying I would like it taken through PAYE, Inland Revenue won't do it. So I need to find that money somewhere – perhaps I should offer them £2 from my remaining bank balance.
That's enough for the time being. As I say, surprising how I remain in a reasonable mood!
JL
Monday, February 04, 2008
Idle surfings whilst at home ill...
Although some may see it as bad taste, I have found the very best excuse for being single possible - oh yes.
Click here for revelation
JL
Click here for revelation
JL
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Dear Sir, imagine my surprise
29th December 2007
Operations Director
First Capital Connect
Dear Sir or Madam,
First Capital Connect (ex-Thameslink) line – Sunday 23rd December 2007
It is unusual to find it necessary to take the step of writing in complaint about a train service – here in the United Kingdom, it is almost expected for there to be problems with them. In fact, my occasional use of the railway service offered by the First group has led me to expect problems: but I am sure you are aware of this.
I write specifically to complain about the service I received on the morning of Sunday 23rd December. By profession I am a musician, and on Sunday mornings I am contracted to play the organ for a large parish church with a fine music tradition. In order to get to the church on this particular Sunday, I needed to get from Highgate to Kilburn (where my car was parked) and drive on the M1 to the church. Here is the key point: I planned my journey beforehand to make sure it was possible – from National Rail Enquiries (both online and by phone) at several points during the day I made sure that there was a train from Kentish Town to West Hampstead at 0736. At several points there was. When I got up at 7am on 23rd December, I checked once more – there was very definitely a train at 0736 (note – I say ‘a train’ – this is important to remember as I use National Rail Enquiries regularly and I am aware of how it denotes busses.) I am also fully aware that First Capital Connect ‘cannot be held responsible for information given by National Rail Enquiries’, but conversely, you can be held responsible for the information given to National Rail Enquiries. I should, once again, point out that at 7am, the information was that a service would run between Kentish Town and West Hampstead (taking 4 minutes) at 0736.
Arriving at Kentish Town station at roughly 0725, I noted from the platform indicator as well as the list of trains that the first train of the day had been cancelled and that the 0736 had been delayed until 0742. There were people still standing on the platform from the first cancelled train. It was fine because it showed the train on the platform indicator on the platform. Gradually the train was getting later and later, so at 0743 I pressed the information point and after about two minutes of ringing, someone answered. I enquired as to whether the FCC train would be running (actually, I enquired as to whether the Thameslink train would be running – the person at the other end seemed to find the change in company more important than the information I was after). I was casually informed, as if it were obvious, that there were no trains that morning and there were replacement busses to Mill Hill. Of course, I pointed out to the gentleman that there was no indication on the platform nor on the station that this was the case – likewise I pointed out that there had been no such information on National Rail Enquiries that day or in fact the day before and asked him to check again (presumably replacement busses are not able to be arranged Harry Potter-style at the flick of a wand). The other people standing on the platform underlined the lack of information just by being there. Anyhow, it was already passed 0745 and the train was still showing on the indicator as being due at 0745 and the other people were still on the platform. I rushed up to the station entrance – the member of staff knew nothing about replacement busses nor was there any clear place for them to go from. It strikes me as ludicrous that you, as a company, can get away with replacing trains with busses at late notice, not inform ANYBODY, and even more than that not provide a member of staff at stations to direct people. It is symptomatic of the bad service I receive 7 out of 10 times I use a line managed by First group – nobody will take responsibility for anything.
Clearly I was late for my work that morning as I had to then take the tube into London and out again. It did involve me driving dangerously along the M1 in thick fog to get there, but I was the lucky one; there were people on that platform due to take planes from Luton and they certainly did not look like the people who had purchased flexible tickets: I certainly hope that if their planes were not grounded by the fog, that they have claimed full compensation from you for their then invalid plane tickets.
In writing this letter, I do not expect any sort of compensation or any sort of response. I wrote to First group once before with reams of evidence of misinformation and being passed from pillar to post, and all I received was a one paragraph ‘round-robin’-type letter that is just like the one a long-lost relative sends to everyone at Christmas and often goes straight in the bin for being so impersonal. I am well aware that trains sometimes cannot run and must be replaced by busses – but how it cannot matter to you if your customers know or not is just ridiculous.
There is just disbelief in my mind that this situation can be allowed to happen and that there are clearly no processes in place to follow if there is a replacement bus service – even as much as automatically changing the platform indicators. Perhaps the people who are in charge never actually take the train because they can afford cars in London and are thus out-of-touch with what service consumers should get.
I sincerely hope that I do not have to experience this situation again.
Yours faithfully
Jonathan Lee
Operations Director
First Capital Connect
Dear Sir or Madam,
First Capital Connect (ex-Thameslink) line – Sunday 23rd December 2007
It is unusual to find it necessary to take the step of writing in complaint about a train service – here in the United Kingdom, it is almost expected for there to be problems with them. In fact, my occasional use of the railway service offered by the First group has led me to expect problems: but I am sure you are aware of this.
I write specifically to complain about the service I received on the morning of Sunday 23rd December. By profession I am a musician, and on Sunday mornings I am contracted to play the organ for a large parish church with a fine music tradition. In order to get to the church on this particular Sunday, I needed to get from Highgate to Kilburn (where my car was parked) and drive on the M1 to the church. Here is the key point: I planned my journey beforehand to make sure it was possible – from National Rail Enquiries (both online and by phone) at several points during the day I made sure that there was a train from Kentish Town to West Hampstead at 0736. At several points there was. When I got up at 7am on 23rd December, I checked once more – there was very definitely a train at 0736 (note – I say ‘a train’ – this is important to remember as I use National Rail Enquiries regularly and I am aware of how it denotes busses.) I am also fully aware that First Capital Connect ‘cannot be held responsible for information given by National Rail Enquiries’, but conversely, you can be held responsible for the information given to National Rail Enquiries. I should, once again, point out that at 7am, the information was that a service would run between Kentish Town and West Hampstead (taking 4 minutes) at 0736.
Arriving at Kentish Town station at roughly 0725, I noted from the platform indicator as well as the list of trains that the first train of the day had been cancelled and that the 0736 had been delayed until 0742. There were people still standing on the platform from the first cancelled train. It was fine because it showed the train on the platform indicator on the platform. Gradually the train was getting later and later, so at 0743 I pressed the information point and after about two minutes of ringing, someone answered. I enquired as to whether the FCC train would be running (actually, I enquired as to whether the Thameslink train would be running – the person at the other end seemed to find the change in company more important than the information I was after). I was casually informed, as if it were obvious, that there were no trains that morning and there were replacement busses to Mill Hill. Of course, I pointed out to the gentleman that there was no indication on the platform nor on the station that this was the case – likewise I pointed out that there had been no such information on National Rail Enquiries that day or in fact the day before and asked him to check again (presumably replacement busses are not able to be arranged Harry Potter-style at the flick of a wand). The other people standing on the platform underlined the lack of information just by being there. Anyhow, it was already passed 0745 and the train was still showing on the indicator as being due at 0745 and the other people were still on the platform. I rushed up to the station entrance – the member of staff knew nothing about replacement busses nor was there any clear place for them to go from. It strikes me as ludicrous that you, as a company, can get away with replacing trains with busses at late notice, not inform ANYBODY, and even more than that not provide a member of staff at stations to direct people. It is symptomatic of the bad service I receive 7 out of 10 times I use a line managed by First group – nobody will take responsibility for anything.
Clearly I was late for my work that morning as I had to then take the tube into London and out again. It did involve me driving dangerously along the M1 in thick fog to get there, but I was the lucky one; there were people on that platform due to take planes from Luton and they certainly did not look like the people who had purchased flexible tickets: I certainly hope that if their planes were not grounded by the fog, that they have claimed full compensation from you for their then invalid plane tickets.
In writing this letter, I do not expect any sort of compensation or any sort of response. I wrote to First group once before with reams of evidence of misinformation and being passed from pillar to post, and all I received was a one paragraph ‘round-robin’-type letter that is just like the one a long-lost relative sends to everyone at Christmas and often goes straight in the bin for being so impersonal. I am well aware that trains sometimes cannot run and must be replaced by busses – but how it cannot matter to you if your customers know or not is just ridiculous.
There is just disbelief in my mind that this situation can be allowed to happen and that there are clearly no processes in place to follow if there is a replacement bus service – even as much as automatically changing the platform indicators. Perhaps the people who are in charge never actually take the train because they can afford cars in London and are thus out-of-touch with what service consumers should get.
I sincerely hope that I do not have to experience this situation again.
Yours faithfully
Jonathan Lee
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Lend me a sheckel
I am very fortunate to have a great number of talented friends – some are excellent musicians, a few are wordsmiths of great ability, several just have minds that leave my brain choking, some lay their eggs in several baskets (and that’s me talking about metaphorical eggs of talent), but all of them have amazing capacity for love and friendship that leave me in awe of brilliant they are as whole people. Sometimes others don’t understand my view, often I don’t share my insight because you cannot force friendships.
One of life’s pleasures that I think we all overlook far too frequently, is the observance and awe of someone else’s skills. I find it amazing that I can know someone for ten years and still find out skills. As I did yesterday. My friend John flew me across from London Luton to Bucharest in Romania. Yes, that’s right, FLEW ME. Fully able to operate this inconceivable notion that 20,000 tonnes of metal and £30,000 of fuel, not to mention hundreds of passengers and bags, can be made airborne! Of course I knew he flew planes, but seeing it action is amazing – and makes me, as a friend, full of pride for this miracle of knowledge and learning. It was the same when I first discovered Rel’s mind and literary analysis, first saw Gavin’s music training skills, first read one of Ben’s poems and saw his drawing, first saw one of James’ shows. Isn’t it fantastic how life persists as a moving gallery of individuality – pictures at a moving exhibition.
Naturally, I told John how in awe I was at his abilities to fly a plane – to know what all those switches do. (A cockpit is the daily fix for a gadget lover.) At that point, John pointed out, that the same could be said when he first heard me performing music. It is true – that to me is just normal and not impressive at all – I don’t really believe I’m that unusual, but then for John, transferring this huge bird from one part of the world to another is merely normal.
I never forget the pride that occurs when I see a friend in action, propagating his or her talent, and it just heightens the love and bond I feel for them. It was the subject of muse this evening as I went for a walk around Bucharest in search of a beer and an explore of the nightlife. Crossing the roads around Pieta Unirii I spotted the complex logic of the road system. It struck me as faintly absurd how a nation that appears to have nearly as chaotic driving as Italy (oh yes – I know that’s bad!) is also able to navigate a complex road system efficiently. Yes, I’m aware that that is incorrect politically, but that is a rant entry one day. Certainly, we all assume chaos as being a disordered and maybe random thing. But chaos, I suppose is merely a concept that is attributed by the bystander – there is nothing to stop chaos being just a heightened logic – what appears chaotic may in fact be higher logic. Then there is the problem that the word ‘higher’ will need deciphering. Higher in this case is irrelevant I suppose. It is just another form of logic.
The same is true of talents – what may appear chaotic or higher is simply just another form. Just like the road system in Bucharest is designed for Romanian drivers (who are a bit like Italian drivers), and the road system in London is designed for British drivers (or their drivers!); a plane cockpit is designed for a pilot – not an organist.
It often makes me angry in life that the growing breed of ‘business administrators’ own (or rather try to own) the talents of these people. Yes, you are right, administering a business has a talent, but its skill is but common sense and the ability to theorize. Chief Executives of companies are paid to make creative and brilliant people work to their orders and consequently the whole force of humanity runs out of momentum and sensibility. Instead of being able to see and harness brilliance and the way it works, they push it so it runs dry – in order to make money.
Anyway, this started about talents and my brilliant friends who I love very much. Keep surprising me – you are all the heartbeat of life.
JL
One of life’s pleasures that I think we all overlook far too frequently, is the observance and awe of someone else’s skills. I find it amazing that I can know someone for ten years and still find out skills. As I did yesterday. My friend John flew me across from London Luton to Bucharest in Romania. Yes, that’s right, FLEW ME. Fully able to operate this inconceivable notion that 20,000 tonnes of metal and £30,000 of fuel, not to mention hundreds of passengers and bags, can be made airborne! Of course I knew he flew planes, but seeing it action is amazing – and makes me, as a friend, full of pride for this miracle of knowledge and learning. It was the same when I first discovered Rel’s mind and literary analysis, first saw Gavin’s music training skills, first read one of Ben’s poems and saw his drawing, first saw one of James’ shows. Isn’t it fantastic how life persists as a moving gallery of individuality – pictures at a moving exhibition.
Naturally, I told John how in awe I was at his abilities to fly a plane – to know what all those switches do. (A cockpit is the daily fix for a gadget lover.) At that point, John pointed out, that the same could be said when he first heard me performing music. It is true – that to me is just normal and not impressive at all – I don’t really believe I’m that unusual, but then for John, transferring this huge bird from one part of the world to another is merely normal.
I never forget the pride that occurs when I see a friend in action, propagating his or her talent, and it just heightens the love and bond I feel for them. It was the subject of muse this evening as I went for a walk around Bucharest in search of a beer and an explore of the nightlife. Crossing the roads around Pieta Unirii I spotted the complex logic of the road system. It struck me as faintly absurd how a nation that appears to have nearly as chaotic driving as Italy (oh yes – I know that’s bad!) is also able to navigate a complex road system efficiently. Yes, I’m aware that that is incorrect politically, but that is a rant entry one day. Certainly, we all assume chaos as being a disordered and maybe random thing. But chaos, I suppose is merely a concept that is attributed by the bystander – there is nothing to stop chaos being just a heightened logic – what appears chaotic may in fact be higher logic. Then there is the problem that the word ‘higher’ will need deciphering. Higher in this case is irrelevant I suppose. It is just another form of logic.
The same is true of talents – what may appear chaotic or higher is simply just another form. Just like the road system in Bucharest is designed for Romanian drivers (who are a bit like Italian drivers), and the road system in London is designed for British drivers (or their drivers!); a plane cockpit is designed for a pilot – not an organist.
It often makes me angry in life that the growing breed of ‘business administrators’ own (or rather try to own) the talents of these people. Yes, you are right, administering a business has a talent, but its skill is but common sense and the ability to theorize. Chief Executives of companies are paid to make creative and brilliant people work to their orders and consequently the whole force of humanity runs out of momentum and sensibility. Instead of being able to see and harness brilliance and the way it works, they push it so it runs dry – in order to make money.
Anyway, this started about talents and my brilliant friends who I love very much. Keep surprising me – you are all the heartbeat of life.
JL
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