Not big on small talk

I just need to get a couple of thoughts from my rambling mind and allow them to scurry around the page for a while – a bit of fresh air will do them good

Two halves don’t make a whole

Aristophanes (in Plato’s Symposium) describes ‘whole circular beings’ which were halved by the gods to make them weak, giving rise to humans of varying genders who each felt an endless yearning to be reunited with their other halves once again…but I digress

In reality my prolix cogitations pertain to the ‘half-n-half-er’, the ‘bifurcated workforce’ and the ‘modified FTE’ algorithm.

‘Twas not but a bats wink ago that our daily routine deferred to the regular hours of the 9-5 paradigm, a regular smoko and supper on the parados…those days have gone. The FTE (full time equivalent) employee now seeks greener pastures; to be released from the confines of a ’single job’ and break the shackles of the heartless overlord. The solution is clear and brilliant – as a concept, it rises like a phoenix from the ashes of despair, through the smog of malcontent and over the smoldering fires of kvetch -

• ‘Ditch’ the full time job (well, reduce to 0.5 FTE (half-time)) and 
• Get another 0.5 FTE position which is more stimulating and less intrusive

These disgruntled “half-n-half” nomads feel an initial burst of re-invigorated enthusiasm as they set to tackle the diverse challenges of two half time positions…unfortunatley Plato was wrong

0.5 + 0.5 = a lot more than 1.0

This unfortunate predicament is usually compounded by the consequential matter of augmented human interaction at a social and non-virtual level. This leads all too perfunctorily to the imbibition of ‘intoxicating’ conversational rhetoric – ’small talk’…

Now the ‘half-n-half-er’ conveys the millstones of ’social necessity’ as well as ‘escalating work responsibilities’. Those not proficient in loquacious banter on matters unimportant and uncontroversial; or physically unable to spatially recreate a 28-hour day will do well to watch and listen to the inimitable Ivor Cutler. An inspirational character whose take on life is able to revive even the most dejected – and take them to a place of near sanity. Please explore more of Ivor Cutlers body of work for more inspiration – as the great man once said 

It is up to you whether you read this…my advice is just to ignore it

 

There is always more Cutler around….