JIMMY BOOM SEMTEX/NICK ARMBRISTER

Saturday, 8 August 2026

Riga no reply

Riga No Reply

Riga got an email from Pedro

He’d gotten into difficulties in Dassault

She read the email three times to understand

As usual she never replied it was her way

His supervisor didn’t like him and reported him

This happened four times! What bullshit

Pedro explained each of the reasons

It was all bullshit yet he’d been nailed on it

The reasons and why didn’t matter

Riga knew her ex was a survivor like her

He loved planes and making them

There were other technician jobs

Lockheed Martin was hiring skilled techs

For their F-35 and unmanned drones

Pedro said he was taking six months out

He would hike Africa, Taiwan and Russia

Interesting remote risky places

Riga almost wished she was with him

Six months was a long time

And she had her IT business to run

She dismissed saying she would go

Best let him find his own way

He was the same as Riga there

Riga went back to writing new code

For a dead line job that’d pay well

She would buy a new bike

And tour the US for two weeks

Riga no reply

Riga No Reply

Riga got an email from Pedro

He’d gotten into difficulties in Dassault

She read the email three times to understand

As usual she never replied it was her way

His supervisor didn’t like him and reported him

This happened four times! What bullshit

Pedro explained each of the reasons

It was all bullshit yet he’d been nailed on it

The reasons and why didn’t matter

Riga knew her ex was a survivor like her

He loved planes and making them

There were other technician jobs

Lockheed Martin was hiring skilled techs

For their F-35 and unmanned drones

Pedro said he was taking six months out

He would hike Africa, Taiwan and Russia

Interesting remote risky places

Riga almost wished she was with him

Six months was a long time

And she had her IT business to run

She dismissed saying she would go

Best let him find his own way

He was the same as Riga there

Riga went back to writing new code

For a dead line job that’d pay well

She would buy a new bike

And tour the US for two weeks

Thursday, 6 August 2026

This is my review of the call centre company where I work. A mid-sized call centre occupying several floors in a modern tower block. I work on a soulless boring metrics heavy account with an emotionless robot-like team leader. He gives out NTEs like giving dog biscuits to a dog. I’m not doing tricks. Instead I’m getting QA 0 Auto Fail mark downs from the bastards in the QA dept on Floor 19. Everybody fucking hates them! We get 8 or 10 call evals a month we need to pass. Most companies only have 5. It doesn’t matter if you get maximum CSATs in a month. Get 1 or 2 QA 0s and you get no bonus that month. This happened to me a couple of times. Top CSAT scorer yet I got 2x QA 0s in June and 1x QQ 0 in July. 3x QA 0s and 3x NTEs. I got nothing in the unfair metrics heavy system. MY TL gives out a single NTE to every QA 0. I call the NTEs love letters. There is a 4-month cleansing period. If I get another QA 0/NTE I will be on Level 3 warning. I’m on Level 2 now. And a further NTE will mean Level 4 and fired from the company. I will go to a rival BPO then and apply at 3 a week. I have 9 years’ experience and feel I do good in my calls yet loath the QA side of the job. I was off work a week with bad gout. Will my robot TL give me an NTE for being out? Here’s the scripts, med cert and back to work form. Give me an NTE? I’ll do a DOLE case! Another complaint in my job is the low basic pay of only 17k a month. 24k in all. It’s not all bad. I have some good friends there and met a flirt. What will the next few weeks bring? I’ll see and be ready…

***

bike choices

Bike Choices

They pester me to buy a bicycle. They all own one. Some of them are quite nifty with good features. I do like them and would get one. The reason I don't get one is due to my situ. I live by the main road. This is busy 24/7. From mopeds to cars to ten wheel trucks. Me on my bike wouldn't fair too well with any of these. Even the smallest moped is faster than me. Rather than risk an early death I either walk or take the bus. It's safer on my limbs and conscience. Take my friend Archie. He had one of those carbon fiber racing bikes with no brakes. That thing cost a grand! His funeral cost five times that. All because he couldn't stop in time to avoid the milk float that pulled into the road. He was going too fast to avoid it. I miss my friend but question his sanity and lust for speed. He was a racer and had several trophies. The road is different than the track. Death is death however you go. A milk float doing 12 miles per hour cannot avoid a racing bicycle doing forty five. I saw his body. He looked calm. Even if half his chest was crushed. This is why I won't get a bike. Call me old or slow or sensible. My choice is right for me. Archie paid the price for his quest of speed. I salute him for dying for his cause but this is real life. And life to me matters. Does it to you? What bike will you buy? Please be careful.

Wednesday, 29 July 2026

Riga oops

Riga Oops

Riga took the chance when she could. At least in this reality. To get to know new guys. This involved ones met randomly on the bus or on the street. Some became trusted friends or lovers. Riga met one on a flight to Paris once. She was on a business trip. That was done and three days were added just to date the guy. Opportunities only came by once. Some you made happen like the trip. Others were random. Like meeting Tim in the street in Madrid. He was Dutch. Riga took him to an alternative rock bar and art gallery. Later they made love. Life was too short. When not fixing IT systems Riga was building computers. She had little time for other events. This is why she focused. If she went out to drop off a computer she kept her eyes open. Not just for robbers bit for catches. The single guy on the train strong into space. What was he thinking? Once Riga asked and was rewarded with a boyfriend. They were together three months. He was from Peru and flew back..Riga would visit one day. Riga's critical thinking skills were good on the fly. She was able to adapt and command situs. And was flattered when guys insisted the contact. This happened a few times. She was careful trusting her instincts and skills. Riga carried a small lady's pistol in her pocket. It would do the job. She practiced with it. Riga would never need it. The small gal could handle herself. This included getting what she wanted or needed. Wants and needs were different she she matched both excellently. If she needed a fit young guy to sooth her she went to the pool or gym. It was easy. Her need was to be satisfied. Not the want of a six month relationship. Both were different. Apples and oranges. Riga always knew what tondo. She was Riga.

Riga oops

Riga Oops