Nataly

And then brings you a beer??! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Oh John... You are so naïve... There are millions of women out there desperate for their man's schlong to grow an extra couple of inches... Even if it means slipping some pills in the unsuspecting man's beer!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I doubt it. All you've done is tell them there is a real person on the end of the email address. They like knowing that. Yup. I'd just make it as spam and let your email server block them. Meh... Did that a bunch of times but they keep changing their mailing address... It's not really that big of a deal, but having worked for a brand that is one of the marketing greats, I am simply baffled by Tesco's consistent ability to get things wrong... I find it surprising, given they have a HUGE market share (I think the largest), they have TONS of consummer data, and are very profitable. They have everything they need to become everyone's favourite brand and yet every time I hear the word "Tescos" I involuntarily cringe... I wonder... If people weren't so price-sensitive... Would Tesco's still be so successful?? Maybe... Maybe I'm the exception and everyone else thinks they're brilliant... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Think this will work?? Subject: UNSUBSCRIBE you stupid fuckers Dear Tescos, Thank you for the 5th message today about how I could lose 10 stone in 3 months... However, I do not want, nor do I need to diet. Compared to me, your spokesmodel is obese. If I lost 10 stone I would be too skinny to be an extra in a holocaust movie. People would point and stare and offer their sympathies for my evident imminent death from whatever horrible disease is ravaging my body. My friends would wonder where I vanished to if I turned sideways. No. I will NOT try to lose any weight. And NO, I do NOT want coupons for cake, lard, or ice-cream. Thank you also for re-directing all your useless mail to my new addresss in France and for neglecting to understand my request for your post to STOP coming to me... Are you aware there are no Tesco's in France??? Finally, thank you for the broken "unsubscribe" link you keep putting at the bottom of all your messages... I know it's broken because I filled it in about a dozen times but still get all your fucking messages. In short, stop sending me post. Stop sending me emails. Stop thinking you know what I want - in the 5 years I have been a member you have not once sent me anything useful, despite having comprehensive information about all my purchases. You know, truth be told, I only ever got the membership card so the annoying tellers would stop asking me "do you have a Tesco card" and start yammering on about all the supposed benefits. And I only ever shopped in your stores because you drove the prices down so low you put all the competition out of business, thereby giving me no alternative place to shop. But I gladly WOULD have shopped elsewhere had it been possible, if only for the sheer joy of tasting beef that came from a real cow. No... You do NOT understand me and my wants... And if I need something, I will go to the bloody grocery store all by myself (without prompting) and get what I need. Thanks and kind regards, Natalie Leveille Ps: please please PLEASE remove this email from your mailling lists. ETA-for all you non brits, note the exaggerated (tongue-firmly-in-cheek) tone of the message... 10 stone = 140 lbs... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Oh... Right... Oops!!! In that case, please allow me to retract my snarky comment!! Yes, attitude counts for a lot... Even here, I could let my irritation over daily issues with French Administrations get the better of me, but I find that on balance, people find it hard to emmerde you more than necessary when you are abnoxiously cheerful in the face of frustrating situations! For example, I got my phone nicked on the train to work the other day... It was on the way to Monaco, so at lunch time I nipped out to declare the robbery to the local police... Rather exceptionally, it was cold and pouring down with rain and when I got there the officer explained that Monaco (technically not in France) has no jurisdiction on the trains... So I walked into the supermarket on the way back to the office, cried a little (since it was raining and I looked like a wet rat no one noticed) and bought some chocolate... When I told the story to my colleagues during lunch (whilst we all enjoyed the chocolate I bought) I couldn't help but laugh at the situation as even I recognised the cartoonesque quality of my misadventure... Later that day, my boss slipped a blackberry next to me and said "no one is using it, so you might as well have it"

It happens, sometimes leading to genuine romance, sometimes just instructors using the pussy pass they believe was issued along with their rating. Studies have shown what we already know, which is that excitment easily leads to arousal... Google "ted talks" and "romantic love"... Interesting stuff, although intuitivelly pretty obvious... I went with "no"... In the cramped C-182, all I can recall is that my mom jumped first, followed by me, followed by my then-boyfriend (who was a seasoned jumper)... I have no recollection of who the 4th person was who merely said "3-2-1-GO!" And it wasn't a tandem, so that might partly explain it as well... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I don't know if he enjoyed it as much as I did... Hard to tell in those circumstances what is a phone, a briefcase, a walking cane or... someone enjoying a spot of squishing!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

You seem to take me for some kind of pansy!!! I hardly think I should have much to complain about as I not only volunteered for the mission, but am selling my bike to raise the funds to go... In 2003 I volunteered to spend 6 months in Bosnia... It was hardly la-la-land but a great experience and I'm glad I went. you seen to have misinterpreted my post. but whatever. Oh, I don't think I did... I think you still want to believe I'm a whiney poopy-head instead of the fact that I had one very emotionally painful year... But oh well... Throughout my life I've been known for my drive and positive attitude, so I don't pay too much attention to what a few isolated people think based on the limited knowledge of me they had at the time. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

You seem to take me for some kind of pansy!!! I hardly think I should have much to complain about as I not only volunteered for the mission, but am selling my bike to raise the funds to go... In 2003 I volunteered to spend 6 months in Bosnia... It was hardly la-la-land but a great experience and I'm glad I went. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Oh, I dunno... 2 weeks in Canadia isn't so bad... Plus there is a strong chance my bf will get a visitor's visa for Sept/Oct and that wouldn't be so horrible either... Then off to Ghana in late Oct/early Nov... Going to West Africa has been a dream of mine for ages so I can live with the fact that I'm going and for a good cause... I don't loathe myself too much for using my technical skills to improve the plight of women in that part of the world... All in all, life basically sucks, but we should try to make the most of a bad situation... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

...and???

I swear, some of us are just unlucky... On Monday I found extra money in my bank account because my boss felt I earned too little and should therefore be reimbursed for my travels to and from work. On Tuesday (or Wednesday?) I found €25 and some change whilst emptying my pockets to do my laundry. On Friday (market day in Vintimiglia) the train to work was so full we were all crammed in there like in a tin of sardines... I was squished aganst a very handsome man... The more people got on the train, the more I was pressed against this man's muscular chest... Today I could find nothing better to do than to spend the entire day at the beach, which is 5 minutes' walk from where I live... It was really sunny... Some importunate youth even whistled at me, no doubt not realising I'm (almost) old enough to be his mother... And as if all this weren't bad enough, Monday is a holiday... Will someone PLEASE tell me why I moved to this god-forsaken place??! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I will have to practice saying "please", "thank you", "eh" and "double-double"!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Reckoned given the topic this would end up here but it's quite lighthearted for a change... A good friend of mine is also dating a muslim and we were exchanging notes last night... I told her my man is rather lax about his beliefs, although he is very strict about following Ramadan at the moment. She replied that her bf follows his religion only when it suits him and told me the following story... I laughed my ass off!! He came over to her place and before she could say anything started fondling her when he realised to his horror it was her time of the month... He said they could not have relations whilst she was on her period - the Koran stated this very specifically. He paused for a moment and then suggested they try the "back door"... Quite shocked, my friend said "what does your Koran say about anal sex, then?" To which he replied - get this - "well... It's not clear..." Love it!!! "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I can hardly contain my excitement because I'm about to spend 2 WEEKS in Canada!! Since 2004, I have gone back to my native land only twice... As any true-blooded Canuck will understand, the withdrawal from Timmy's each time was unbearable!! The NGO that is sending me to Ghana has pre-departure training... And as they are a Canadian organisation, this training is either in Toronto or Montreal (not confirmed which one yet). Personally, I would prefer Montreal because I could get my coffee/doughnut fix, quench my poutine cravings, AND test that crazy restaurant Remi keeps going on about - WOO HOO!!! Departure date ca. 28 aug... SO, SO, SO looking forward to it!!!

Well, at least not in Norway... http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/07/24/texas.shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t2 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/grand-rapids-shooting-michigan_n_892715.html http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/08/gunman-reportedly-called-his-mother-from-scene-of-conn-shooting-spree/1 http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2011-01-08-gifford-shooting_N.htm http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/02/us-colorado-shootings-idUSTRE7217GV20110302 The reason all those made the news is precisely because those events are NOT common. If mass killings were a daily occurance by regular, ordinary people, they would cease to be "news-worthy"... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Aside from the fact that Norway is such a low-crime country, the reason anything like this comes as such a shock is that there is a huge difference between radical thought and radical action... I think most people can relate to having un-PC ideas, but most people wouldn't act on those ideas... At least not by going on a massive shooting spree. I feel for the people of Norway - it is a national tragedy. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Not surprising but still sad I remember when her Back to Black album came out... I was in my car driving home from work - her music really spoke to me. Only 27... Shame... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Clever girl!! I volunteer a couple of times per month at the "Mairie" (local government)... You wouldn't *believe* the leads I get there

Nothing wrong with casting the net wide, but my point was that targeted research will generate better quality leads... You *can* chit-chat and network at a bunch of different places to try to get a "feel" for what is out there... That's not the same as sending 10 identical CV's to 10 wildly different jobs at the same company - they just can't take you seriously if you do the latter... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

I skim-read all the posts, so apologies if any of this is repetitive... My advice, FWIW... Having changed careers/industries/countries a few times now I have learned a few things... You are looking for a Recruitment Consultant, not a Headhunter. It may be a small semantics issue, but it's an important distinction: RECRUITMENT CONSULTANT -Someone who matches candidates (job-seeker) and roles and/or clients (companies hiring). HEADHUNTER -Someone who actively pulls specialist/expert personnel out of their jobs and into another position. These are "high-level" recruiters - they know their (narrow) market and limit themselves to very exclusive/selective placements (usually at Director level and above). So if you are wanting a career change, a headhunter is not what you are looking for - it would be like going to a fancy French restaurant and trying to order a Big Mac... Any recruitment consultant that calls themselves a headhunter and recruits at low-level is just kidding themselves (and you)... The burger-flipper at MacDonald's is NOT a Master Chef!! WORK ON YOUR "STORY" AS WELL AS YOUR CV What people said about figuring out what you want to do is right... You need to do that *before* you send out a bunch of CV's and burn bridges... You'll look like a flake if you apply haphazardly to *anything* and everything... Come up with a good reason *why* you want a career change and move into "x". It needs to be plausible and credible. If it isn't, you will come across as desperate/unreliable and that is never good. Desperation leads people to think you are either useless, or you are having some kind of breakdown or you can't get along with your colleagues, et cetera... Basically, it's bad. TRANSFERABLE SKILLS Once you figure out what you want to do, carry out some research to really understand the industry/roles, et cetera. Then spend time matching the desirable skills/aptitudes/studies you need for the new industry and the skills/experience you already have... In other words, make it clear on your CV and during a discussion how your experience relates to the new field. Use the terminology of the new/target industry (not the jargon of your current field). If you walk and talk the part, recruiters/companies can imagine you doing the job... Don't underestimate the importance of this. If you look too much like a square peg and companies want a round peg, you're shit out of luck... Remember, your experience and know-how is VALUABLE... You just need to relate it in a way that the target industry can understand. For example, on my French CV, I didn't say I'm an ACMA - they don't know what the hell those letters mean... I told them I'm an "expert comptable" (Chartered Accountant). There is a lot more. But the best thing you can do is figure out WHY you want to change (or at least come up with a believable BS explanation)... Then figure out what you *do* want to do. The rest becomes easier once you know those 2 things. Finally, TRY LOOKING IN LONDON. It's still a relatively buoyant market. They are prepared to take risks for the right candidate and career changes are perfectly acceptable/achievable (provided you present yourself in a credible way). "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

Wow. I got goosebumps just *watching* that - can only imagine what it must feel like actually doing it... "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss

If there were no such thing as stupid users, there would be no need for IT people!! ETA: I've always had a great relationship with the IT dudes (and dudettes!) - they are absolute lifesavers

Thanks Lisa!

+1 Also don't really appreciate someone telling me I should do something, and then telling me I'm a poo-poo-head for not doing it. I voted, but the tone of the request is/was irritating. Just sayin'. "There is no problem so bad you can't make it worse." - Chris Hadfield « Sors le martinet et flagelle toi indigne contrôleuse de gestion. » - my boss