off topic and political, but important
| Lecturer UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Department of Ocular Biology and Therapeutics - University College London / Date of entry: 26/11/08 
|
| murkier and murkier Well, the picture becomes more and more murky. The new manager is Nurse Micromanager, apparently, a total control freak. The first dictum handed down is that all travelers will hand their timesheets to her and she will scrutinize and sign them.and word is that she wants the *exact* minute we clock in and out, not the rounding to the nearest quarter hour the companies want. Okay, well and good.but the first time my timesheet’s not in by 10 a.m. on Monday and I don’t get paid that week will be the last time I do it! I’ve already notified my recruiter and will send her the manager’s phone number so they can call her instead of me when the timesheet doesn’t get there. Next thing is that there are *compulsory* unit meetings this next week, all at times which are grossly inconvenient for me, either 6 or 10 a.m. I’m not going to be very amused at having to get up at what is MY middle of the night to drag my butt in for a meeting that promises to create more problems than it solves. Oh, and the schedule! Well, the schedule is still a mess. I had asked not to be scheduled 4 in a row with the fourth night being Christmas Eve, and even given her several possible alternatives, but she chose to ignore my request. I have signed up to be put on call, but somehow I doubt that will happen, even if, as in previous years, they close the unit. Not to mention I got taken out of my weekend rotation this coming week. And then there’s the fact that on a number of nights there are 4 nurses scheduled, which sounds to me like we’re being used as back-door float pool.kinda like the National Guard getting used as a back door draft. (You do NOT want to get me started on that!) Is it any wonder I’m seriously thinking of settling down in a permanent, non-bedside job? Color me fed up. |
off topic and political, but important
(if you can’t see the pic, click on the box to view) Activists send female underwear to Burmese embassies Martin Hodgson Activists exasperated at the failure of diplomacy to apply pressure on Burma’s military regime are resorting to a new means of protest against the regime’s recent crackdown: sending female underwear to Burmese embassies. Embassies in the UK, Thailand, Australia and Singapore have all been targeted by the “Panties for Peace” campaign, co-ordinated by an activist group based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The manoeuvre is a calculated insult to the junta and its leader, General Than Shwe. Superstitious junta members believe that any contact with female undergarments - clean or dirty - will sap them of their power, said Jackie Pollack, a member of the Lanna Action for Burma Committee. “Not only are they brutal, but they are also very superstitious. They believe that touching a woman’s pants or sarong will make them lose their strength,” Ms Pollack told Guardian Unlimited. So far, hundreds of pairs of pants have been posted, according to another campaigner, Liz Hilton. “One group sent 140 pairs to the Burmese embassy in Geneva,” she said. The campaign was a serious attempt to allow ordinary women to express their outrage at the regime’s response to democracy demonstrations led by Buddhist monks, Ms Pollack said. “Condemnation by the United Nations and governments around the world have had no impact on the Burmese regime. This is a way of trying to reach them where they will feel it,” she said. “The junta is famous for its abuse of women: it is well documented that they use rape as a weapon of war against ethnic minorities. This is a way for women around the world to express their outrage.” The Burmese government has claimed that 10 people were killed and nearly 2,100 arrested, but dissident groups estimate that dozens or even hundreds died during the recent crackdown and its aftermath. A message on the activists’ website reads: “This is your chance to use your Panty Power to take away the power from the SPDC. You can post, deliver or fling your panties at the closest Burmese Embassy any day from today. Send early, send often.” An official at the Burmese Embassy in London was unable to confirm if any garments had yet been delivered. OK, girls, ante up! Send these guys your panties! This is one of the more creative protests I’ve heard of. Here are some embassy addresses: “Not only are they brutal, but they are also very superstitious. They believe that touching a woman’s pants or sarong will make them lose their strength,” Ms Pollack told Guardian Unlimited. So far, hundreds of pairs of pants have been posted, according to another campaigner, Liz Hilton. “One group sent 140 pairs to the Burmese embassy in Geneva,” she said. The campaign was a serious attempt to allow ordinary women to express their outrage at the regime’s response to democracy demonstrations led by Buddhist monks, Ms Pollack said. “Condemnation by the United Nations and governments around the world have had no impact on the Burmese regime. This is a way of trying to reach them where they will feel it,” she said. “The junta is famous for its abuse of women: it is well documented that they use rape as a weapon of war against ethnic minorities. This is a way for women around the world to express their outrage.” The Burmese government has claimed that 10 people were killed and nearly 2,100 arrested, but dissident groups estimate that dozens or even hundreds died during the recent crackdown and its aftermath. A message on the activists’ website reads: “This is your chance to use your Panty Power to take away the power from the SPDC. You can post, deliver or fling your panties at the closest Burmese Embassy any day from today. Send early, send often.” An official at the Burmese Embassy in London was unable to confirm if any garments had yet been delivered. “Not only are they brutal, but they are also very superstitious. They believe that touching a woman’s pants or sarong will make them lose their strength,” Ms Pollack told Guardian Unlimited. So far, hundreds of pairs of pants have been posted, according to another campaigner, Liz Hilton. “One group sent 140 pairs to the Burmese embassy in Geneva,” she said. The campaign was a serious attempt to allow ordinary women to express their outrage at the regime’s response to democracy demonstrations led by Buddhist monks, Ms Pollack said. “Condemnation by the United Nations and governments around the world have had no impact on the Burmese regime. This is a way of trying to reach them where they will feel it,” she said. “The junta is famous for its abuse of women: it is well documented that they use rape as a weapon of war against ethnic minorities. This is a way for women around the world to express their outrage.” The Burmese government has claimed that 10 people were killed and nearly 2,100 arrested, but dissident groups estimate that dozens or even hundreds died during the recent crackdown and its aftermath. A message on the activists’ website reads: “This is your chance to use your Panty Power to take away the power from the SPDC. You can post, deliver or fling your panties at the closest Burmese Embassy any day from today. Send early, send often.” An official at the Burmese Embassy in London was unable to confirm if any garments had yet been delivered. OK, ladies, ante up! Send these guys your panties NOW! It’s the least you can do for our brothers and especially our sisters in Burma. Here are some addresses: United States of America: Permanent Mission of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations: United Kingdom: Canada: Someone have the addresses for the embassies in Australia and New Zealand? |