little bits of everything

Managing your manager I was talking to someone the other day about someone who had recently got a new manager. I asked him if he knew how to manage his manager, and he looked at me strangely. Everyone needs to know how to do this, it's the art of getting your manager to do what you want in order to get your job done. I think most managers need managing, my present one excepted ;-). It's a combination of psychology and business sense. I think I need to write a book on it. Let me know if you have any suggestions. Night shopping As we had run out of milk, I went to the local supermarket last night at 10 pm. The otherwise quiet streets echoed to the sounds of my two-stroke motor. I was surprised to see at least three families, husband, wife and young children, out for a shopping trip. Maybe it was a special treat for half-term, but not my idea of fun.

One of my best friends from school got in touch with me through Friends Reunited . If you went to school in the UK you must have a look at it.

I saw the latest Star Wars at the weekend. For some reason it matters to me what critics think of a film, even if I disagree with. The consensus seems to be that the plot and dialogue are pretty hopeless, but better than the first episode. I couldn't see anything wrong first episode, but then I'm pretty unsophisticated. This time I was much more conscious of how believable it was, and I can see what critics mean. However, still loved it. Just give me futuristic cities, spaceships, aliens, the more the better and I will be happy. The film critic in The Times put it number one on his top ten , so I feel better now. They've got an interview with Anakin too. I heard someone in a park on Sunday call their child Anakin. Is that a nickname or for real?

Really good spy programme on last night: Spooks . Smiley's People went away over my head when I was a kid, but this was a lot more fun. The script must have been tweaked after September 11 because they drop a couple of references to it. Lots of action, the Internet, mobile phones, very up-to-date. The new enemy is terrorism. This week it was extreme pro-lifers, safely avoiding any international political hot potatoes.

We had some students around our house last night. They must be half a generation behind us. Some of the things they were talking about are the things that our children do, some were the things that we do.

I watched the Edwardian Country House programme last night. It's a cracking series. As others have commented they really do seemed to have picked the right people for the right jobs on the whole. I don't know if it is deliberate policy but the scullery maids seem to have no clue as to what was involved. One of them said, "this job isn't all its cracked up to be". If I lived around that time I don't know what job I would have, there being no computers. I would probably end up being an accounts clerk or some other office worker. I certainly wouldn't want to be below stairs, too much like hard work. I would feel guilty being above stairs, being the idle rich. Though probably if I was born that way I wouldn't question it. A good cause to give a few clicks to.

Published posthumously: The Salmon of Doubt by Douglas Adams. Front Row reviewers said for fans only. I guess I'm a fan, so I'll try and get to read it.