OMG…GFC…WTF? When acronyms drive you nuts…

I’ve never been a fan of acronyms, although I know they have their uses.

Like saying ICB instead of Inner City Bypass. Or not having to write out the full name of a company every time you refer to them in an article. Or using PMP instead of ‘project management plan’, and HR instead of Human Resources, and compressing six word government department names…and… well, the list goes on.

Which brings me to the GFC. Now there’s an acronymn that’s sure to raise your anxiety levels. It’s also a sign that this financial crisis is very serious.

I’m old enough to have lived through some nasty financial dips, but you know they’re really bad when people start using acronyms – and delivering them in hushed tones, with pale, anxious faces.

And you try not to let it get to you… think positive, stay focused. Tell yourself we’ve become a bit soft, coddled by our affluence. That all over the world, people are displaced and made destitute by natural disasters, war, and human greed.

And for a moment, you count your blessings and you know that whatever life throws at you, you’ll handle it.

Then you turn on the radio to listen to some upbeat music… and some commentator starts prattling on about the GFC.

I just wish it was as easy to turn off the GFC as it is to turn off the radio.

 

elle x

Etiquette? Yes, please!

Yesterday, I was picking up a few things from the supermarket (which always ends up as a trolley-load, because once a week is enough for some things!). It’s a strange place, with big columns in the middle of aisles, so a bit of etiquette goes a long way as we all maneouvre our way around.

Did someone say ‘etiquette’? One lady had parked her trolley right next to the column, while she did a bit of brand comparison. She appeared oblivious to the pileup she was causing as she meditated upon the tins of tuna. And I was the first in line.

“Excuse me…” I said, softly, so I didn’t alarm her. No response.

“Excuse me…” Louder this time, but still politely (trolley rage is not my thing!). I mean, she could’ve been deaf, right?

This time she looked around, looked me up and down and said, “Yes?”

“Could you move your trolley so I can get past, please?”

Well, she reacted as if I’d asked her to donate a kidney. She huffed, muttered “sorr-eee”, and moved her trolley just enough so we could all squeeze past. Did I say trolley-rage isn’t my thing. I lied.

When did “excuse me” (delivered respectfully) become an offensive phrase? And what do you do in situations where you need to get passed, and someone won’t budge a single centimetre? If you push, you get snarled at. If you say “excuse me” you get the same response.

I read recently that etiquette schools are taking off in Brisbane. I’m sure it’s happening elsewhere – and not before time. Kids are being taught to use a knife and fork, and learn ‘table’ manners – among other things. You might wonder, like I do, why this doesn’t seem to fall under ‘parenting’ these days?

I’d like to add “excuse me” to the etiquette curriculum…along with:

•  language lessons in “please”, “thank you”,  “sorry” and “you’re welcome”
• Sending RSVPs when they’re asked for, by the date on the invitation (not the day/night of the event). Oh, and actually turning up or at least advising the host if something’s come up…
• Sending a brief, handwritten “thank you” note or even a quick email when someone mails you a gift (so at the very least, they know you’ve received it), and
• Being spatially aware, especially when walking (four abreast is not pathway-savvy behaviour) or walking on bikeways (and if you do, not getting upset when someone tells you to get off the bikeway – it is for your own safety after all!).

These are really all simple acts of respect for others that seem to have dropped off the radar.

Yes! Bring back etiquette training… and possibly extend it beyond ‘kids’, because they’re not the only ones who’ve forgotten (or never learnt) the simple art of manners.

Perhaps actually sitting at the dinner table to eat would be a good start. With the television off. 

Did I mention I’m in training myself – for being a grumpy old woman… fun.

elle x

 

*image source: freeimages.co.uk

Free books

I don’t know about the rest of you but I love books. I’ve recently downloaded a few and thought I’d pass them on. They are all in the science fiction/fantasy realm though, so if that’s not your interest then the rest of this post is not for you. 

Sean Williams The Crooked Letter is available. 

A Battlestar Galactica novel is available here

Cory Doctorow’s novel Little Brother can be found here. You can also read a bit about Creative Commons Licensing, which I know very little about but he does. 

Personally, I still like to own a copy of the little suckers. There’s just something about a book that some of us will never let go of. That said, free downloads are also a way to introduce yourself to writers you may not have taken a chance on in the bookstore. 

Enjoy,

Sash.

(and tell me if the links don’t work, because I’ve checked and they seem to be.)