Don't get worried - I'm not contemplating suicide or suffering from some starnge illness. In fact the opposite is true, I love life and am fit as a fiddle. Apart from 2 things! The first, I'm looking for a new job. The second - I am aged 59. Now anywhere else in the world 59 is still young(ish). Employers will look at this person and see someone with a wealth of experience and knowledge that can be brought into action to improve his or her organisation. Someone who may not be able to play football like a 25 year old but who can utilise his experience, knowlege and skills to the ultimate benifit of all.
OK - that's fine in the UK, Australia or the USA. Here in Israel - FORGET IT! Even the Ministry of Labour says that if you are over 50 and looking for a job, just come in once a month and not once a week like the "youngsters" of 40.
OK - I have 4 kids, 1.5 granchildren (should be 2 in about a month), white hair, a beard and a bit of a pot belly. I also like cooking and working in my garden. Is that a crime?
What I do have is 30 years experience in the Educational system. Primary teacher, High School teacher, lecturer in a Teacher Training Center, builder of Web Sites, translator, writer of educational and instructional materials in English and Hebrew. I coach Israeli kids in English language skills in preperation for exchange visits to the US and Gernmany, organise and co-ordinate e-learning projects, run seminars for teachers on Computer and Internet integration with the educational system, manage a computer sysytem with over 120 computers, 3 internet sites and even more. I AM WONDERFULL! I HAVE A VAST AMOUNT OF KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE IN MY BRAIN! But does it help? Nope - not a bit! Like the title says, in Israel, if you're over 50, you might as well be dead because, when it comes to getting a job - YOU ARE DEAD! Everything I know and have learnt belongs along with the Dodo and the Tasmanian Tiger - buried in history.
Why is this you may ask? I don't have the faintest idea! But then, if I was 25 maybe I would be able to see the reasoning behind this specific mindset. But I'm not 25 I'm 59! Still alive, still kicking and still with a lot to contribute. At the risk of sounding provocotive - I want to be used!
So, come on all you prospective employers - don't throw the CV away when you see the age. Read on, think about this person and his experience and how valuable it could be to your organisation and just give him a chance. You have nothing to loose and everything to gain. I promise!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Any one here know what a queue is?
Any one here know what a queue is? Not in this country at any rate!
Standing in the checkout line at the supermarket. Patiently waiting for my turn. Then, all of a sudden, from out of nowhere appears a person who has the nerve to approach me and say " I've only got 2 things, can I go in front of you?"
First off all, why do they always choose me? Do I look like an easy touch? Someone who wouldn't say boo to a ghost?
Secondly, what a cheek!!!!!!! So what if they've only got 2 things - I've only got 320 and I still wait patiently in line. Well not really patiently - inside I am cursing the person in front of me for being to slow, for asking to many queastions, for packing their things to slowly or just for breathing - but to look at me you wouldn't know it.
Why is their time more valuable than mine? What if I was a brain surgeon in a hurry to perform a life saving procedure on a young child? Maybe I have the secret to atomic fusion almost cracked and just popped out to get a jar of coffee to get the old ( figure of speech ) brain cells going at full blast? OK - I'm not, but you get my jist, and if you don't - I don't really care!
Why don't they offer to pay me? For 10 shekels I'll gladly give my place to them? For 20 who knows what I'll do?
Obviously, when approached by such individualls I politely refuse and explain to them that all of us are equall and that all deserve consideration. They nod and say, "You're right, I never thought of it that way." Oh Yeah? Come on - who do I think I'm kidding? I say, "Of course I don't mind" and they happily push in front, pay their money and go home to tell their kids about the idiot they met in the super.
One day I'm going to say no. That my 320 things are more important than their 2. That I am a person and have just as much right as the next person to hold up the queue with inane queastions and looking for my wallet. That I don't give a shit if they are in a rush - I GOT HERE FIRST!
Mind you, the day I finally do rebel, the person asking to push in will be a short fused, violent animal who will promptly beat the shit out of me. So, maybe I'll just carry on fuming to myself. It's safer that way and will always give me something to complain about.
Have a nice day! (Now thats a sentance to get annoyed about!)
Standing in the checkout line at the supermarket. Patiently waiting for my turn. Then, all of a sudden, from out of nowhere appears a person who has the nerve to approach me and say " I've only got 2 things, can I go in front of you?"
First off all, why do they always choose me? Do I look like an easy touch? Someone who wouldn't say boo to a ghost?
Secondly, what a cheek!!!!!!! So what if they've only got 2 things - I've only got 320 and I still wait patiently in line. Well not really patiently - inside I am cursing the person in front of me for being to slow, for asking to many queastions, for packing their things to slowly or just for breathing - but to look at me you wouldn't know it.
Why is their time more valuable than mine? What if I was a brain surgeon in a hurry to perform a life saving procedure on a young child? Maybe I have the secret to atomic fusion almost cracked and just popped out to get a jar of coffee to get the old ( figure of speech ) brain cells going at full blast? OK - I'm not, but you get my jist, and if you don't - I don't really care!
Why don't they offer to pay me? For 10 shekels I'll gladly give my place to them? For 20 who knows what I'll do?
Obviously, when approached by such individualls I politely refuse and explain to them that all of us are equall and that all deserve consideration. They nod and say, "You're right, I never thought of it that way." Oh Yeah? Come on - who do I think I'm kidding? I say, "Of course I don't mind" and they happily push in front, pay their money and go home to tell their kids about the idiot they met in the super.
One day I'm going to say no. That my 320 things are more important than their 2. That I am a person and have just as much right as the next person to hold up the queue with inane queastions and looking for my wallet. That I don't give a shit if they are in a rush - I GOT HERE FIRST!
Mind you, the day I finally do rebel, the person asking to push in will be a short fused, violent animal who will promptly beat the shit out of me. So, maybe I'll just carry on fuming to myself. It's safer that way and will always give me something to complain about.
Have a nice day! (Now thats a sentance to get annoyed about!)
Muzak
We've all been subjected to it - background music "soothing" our way through life. In the elevator, the store, even the streets. If you are lucky, maybe you can filter it out and pretend that it's not there. Usually I can. In fact, my family say that I have refined the art of "filtering" to a fine art. They contend that I can be at home, apparently listening to them rambling on, even nod and reply, all this whilst not even being aware that they are talking. Lucky me!
But, this week was just to much. In case you don't know, this week all we of the Jewish faith "celebrate" Purim which is a festival to commerate the saving of the Jews from destruction in Persia over 1000 years ago. Nice idea, good reason to celebrate. Celebrations usually mean dressing up and getting totally sloshed, pissed, non compos mentis, fall down drunk.
I have no problem with that even though I (obviously being a grumpy old man, hate dressing up and refuse to) and don't drink alcohol ( Not for any moral reason - It just tastes disgusting) However, what did get my goat this week was at work. Every break time (I work in a school) THEY insisted on playing over the intercom system loud, unpleasent music and making (shouting) slogans to get people to dress up. Apart from the fact that the sound quality would sound better coming out of my rear end (small, cheap, tinny speakers - not my rear end) the volume was deafening and impossible to escape from.
I tried all, in vain, to get them to at least turn it down, pleaded, begged, asked nicely, threatened THEM with castration and worse. I even tried to find the wires leading to the speaker to cut them. All to no avail!
THEY just don't seem to realise that not everybody enjoys the noise - and even if everybody else does - I DON'T and I am the only one who matters!
Next year beware, I'll super glue the microphone and replace their idiotic music with some classical stuff by the Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin or Yes. Or I could be really nasty and put on Abba!
But, this week was just to much. In case you don't know, this week all we of the Jewish faith "celebrate" Purim which is a festival to commerate the saving of the Jews from destruction in Persia over 1000 years ago. Nice idea, good reason to celebrate. Celebrations usually mean dressing up and getting totally sloshed, pissed, non compos mentis, fall down drunk.
I have no problem with that even though I (obviously being a grumpy old man, hate dressing up and refuse to) and don't drink alcohol ( Not for any moral reason - It just tastes disgusting) However, what did get my goat this week was at work. Every break time (I work in a school) THEY insisted on playing over the intercom system loud, unpleasent music and making (shouting) slogans to get people to dress up. Apart from the fact that the sound quality would sound better coming out of my rear end (small, cheap, tinny speakers - not my rear end) the volume was deafening and impossible to escape from.
I tried all, in vain, to get them to at least turn it down, pleaded, begged, asked nicely, threatened THEM with castration and worse. I even tried to find the wires leading to the speaker to cut them. All to no avail!
THEY just don't seem to realise that not everybody enjoys the noise - and even if everybody else does - I DON'T and I am the only one who matters!
Next year beware, I'll super glue the microphone and replace their idiotic music with some classical stuff by the Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin or Yes. Or I could be really nasty and put on Abba!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
So what if the phone rings????????
This must have happened to many people - and not only in Israel. Mind you, here in the Land flowing with milk and honey - this vile habbit gets carried to extremes.
What am ranting about? People who get a phone call whilst talking to you and have the cheek to answer the phone. OK - if they answer just to say that they are busy and will phone back - fine! But most people not only answer but then go on to have a complete conversation. The fact that there is some one standing there waiting is of no significance. The fact that that someone is me is unforgivable!!
Maybe that person (ME) has other things to do other than to stand around waiting for you to finish your conversation - but what do you care?
The fact that it is extremly inpolite disrespectful and offensive to the other person (ME) - not important!
Of course, the other really annoying thing is my reaction. Like a true Englishman, I say nothing, sit there and fume silently. One day, one day, I'll just get up and say to the offending party that I don't care to be insulted and just go away!!!!!!
The worst is at the bank. To see someone at my bank means getting to the branch at 05.00 in the morning to be first in line when the doors open. Not that it help[s because you still have to waut 3 hours until you get to see someone. Then, just as you sit down and start to explain why you'r there - the phone rings and the bank official answers and proceeds to have a long conversation with the caller about stocks and shares, the state of hios account and how many kids he has. Banks make a HUGE amount of mopney from their customers, INCLUDING ME. Why they can't take some of their huge profits to employ someone to answer the telephone is beyond my comprehension!!!!!! If they really are hard up for cash, maybe just tell their employees to not answer the phone, maybe have specific times for phone callers only.
In any event - to all those who treat me with disrespect and answer their phone when I'm talking to them - Bugger off the lot of you!
What am ranting about? People who get a phone call whilst talking to you and have the cheek to answer the phone. OK - if they answer just to say that they are busy and will phone back - fine! But most people not only answer but then go on to have a complete conversation. The fact that there is some one standing there waiting is of no significance. The fact that that someone is me is unforgivable!!
Maybe that person (ME) has other things to do other than to stand around waiting for you to finish your conversation - but what do you care?
The fact that it is extremly inpolite disrespectful and offensive to the other person (ME) - not important!
Of course, the other really annoying thing is my reaction. Like a true Englishman, I say nothing, sit there and fume silently. One day, one day, I'll just get up and say to the offending party that I don't care to be insulted and just go away!!!!!!
The worst is at the bank. To see someone at my bank means getting to the branch at 05.00 in the morning to be first in line when the doors open. Not that it help[s because you still have to waut 3 hours until you get to see someone. Then, just as you sit down and start to explain why you'r there - the phone rings and the bank official answers and proceeds to have a long conversation with the caller about stocks and shares, the state of hios account and how many kids he has. Banks make a HUGE amount of mopney from their customers, INCLUDING ME. Why they can't take some of their huge profits to employ someone to answer the telephone is beyond my comprehension!!!!!! If they really are hard up for cash, maybe just tell their employees to not answer the phone, maybe have specific times for phone callers only.
In any event - to all those who treat me with disrespect and answer their phone when I'm talking to them - Bugger off the lot of you!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Students who insist on bugging me!!!!!!
Yes you Yarden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All I wan't to do is to be left alone to work on my computer at school. The in walks Yarden and starts inundating me with questions and pleas for help! Don't get me wrong, Yarden is OK (for an Israeli that is) but he can't take "no" for an answewr (Can you Yarden?) It dosen't matter how much I scream at him, rage and vent steam from various exit points in my body - he carries on until, at last, I am forced to give in just to get a little bit of quality time for little old me!
Don't worry Yarden - I'll delete this post in a couple of days - its just to get you annoyed!
That's an idea - maybe I'll start a blog about students that pester me........ Itzik, where are you???????
All I wan't to do is to be left alone to work on my computer at school. The in walks Yarden and starts inundating me with questions and pleas for help! Don't get me wrong, Yarden is OK (for an Israeli that is) but he can't take "no" for an answewr (Can you Yarden?) It dosen't matter how much I scream at him, rage and vent steam from various exit points in my body - he carries on until, at last, I am forced to give in just to get a little bit of quality time for little old me!
Don't worry Yarden - I'll delete this post in a couple of days - its just to get you annoyed!
That's an idea - maybe I'll start a blog about students that pester me........ Itzik, where are you???????
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Isreal and the Palestinians
OK, this is Israel and at some stage, you have to get political. For me that stage is now.
We've all see the news coverage of the latest violence between Israel and the Palestinian "Hamas" government in the South of Israel and the Gaza strip. World TV coverage shows horrifying pictures of dead and mamed women and children in Gaza. Heart rending scenes of fear, pain and suffering. Along with these pictures are shown scenes of Israeli fighter planes, tanks and soldiers, waging war on the civilian poulation whilst trying to kill some poorly armed "feedom fighters".
Obviously, If I lived in the UK or any other country, thses scenes would appall me and I would violently denounce the inhuman acts of the Israeli military and government. But I live here, in Israel and know what really goes on.
Let me go back a year and a half. The Hizballah in Southern Lebanon, invaded the northern part of Israel and captured 2 soldiers. Israel mounted a counter raid to try and recapture these 2 men. Hizballah retaliated by indiscriminately firing over 3000 rockets at Israeli cizilan targets - villages, towns and cities. Many of these rockets where fired from within Lebanesse villages and even the back yards of family homes - a cynical and deleberate attempt to utilse civillians as cover for their indiscrimate attacks. The end result was massive bombing by the Israeli Airforce of military targets in Lebanon - military targets used by the Hizballah. Whenever there was to be a strike against an area where there was a risk if civillian casulties - leaflets where dropped urging the civillians to leave. I didn't notice the Hizballah doing the same with the Israeli settelments they bombarded. And by the way - till this day the Hizballah refuse to divulge any information as to the fate of the 2 Israeli soldiers.
Today, In Gaza, the Hamas uses much the same strategy. Firing rockets indiscriminately on Israeli settlements from within densly inhabited Gaza suburbs. Their reasoning is that Israel will not destroy all points of launch for fear of civillian casulties and if they do - the photo oportunity of women and children being rushed to hospital will be invaluable. In this last escalation, the Hamas has even put groups of children on the roofs of arms manufacturing facilities to prevent the Israeli forces from destroying them. Who abducted an Israeli soldier - Gilad Shavit - almost 2 years ago and apart from on letter has refused any contact with him - even by the Red Cross?
So who is inhumane? Who cynically and cold heartidly uses inocent people as cannon fodder to further their polital aims. Who sends suicide bombers. some just teenagers, to blow themselves up, not at military instillations but in crowded shopping centers? Who, when Israel cuts back on the amount of electricity it supplies to Gaza cuts the power to hospitals even though there is more than enough self produced power to supply essential services?
This is a terrible ongoing tragady! For more than 60 years a bloody war has raged between the Palestinians and Israel. Both sides use useless rhetoric and fail to sit down together and solve the problem once and for all.
Israel is here to stay. The Palestinians are here to stay. On both sides there are those who still think that viloence will win out and that the enemy will "dissapear" But it just isn't true. History shows that a people with its backs to the wall will resist and make unbelievable sacrifices to win their freedom or to secure peace. We can't make the Palestinians go away or accept our solution by means of force. The Palestinians wont make Israel dissapear or capitulate even if they sent 100 suicide bombers a day and throw 100 of rockets at civillian targets. Bothe peoples have their backs against the wall, both have everything anf nothing to loose. The sooner the leaders on both sides realise this and sit down to talk and solve the problem, the better for everybody!
We've all see the news coverage of the latest violence between Israel and the Palestinian "Hamas" government in the South of Israel and the Gaza strip. World TV coverage shows horrifying pictures of dead and mamed women and children in Gaza. Heart rending scenes of fear, pain and suffering. Along with these pictures are shown scenes of Israeli fighter planes, tanks and soldiers, waging war on the civilian poulation whilst trying to kill some poorly armed "feedom fighters".
Obviously, If I lived in the UK or any other country, thses scenes would appall me and I would violently denounce the inhuman acts of the Israeli military and government. But I live here, in Israel and know what really goes on.
Let me go back a year and a half. The Hizballah in Southern Lebanon, invaded the northern part of Israel and captured 2 soldiers. Israel mounted a counter raid to try and recapture these 2 men. Hizballah retaliated by indiscriminately firing over 3000 rockets at Israeli cizilan targets - villages, towns and cities. Many of these rockets where fired from within Lebanesse villages and even the back yards of family homes - a cynical and deleberate attempt to utilse civillians as cover for their indiscrimate attacks. The end result was massive bombing by the Israeli Airforce of military targets in Lebanon - military targets used by the Hizballah. Whenever there was to be a strike against an area where there was a risk if civillian casulties - leaflets where dropped urging the civillians to leave. I didn't notice the Hizballah doing the same with the Israeli settelments they bombarded. And by the way - till this day the Hizballah refuse to divulge any information as to the fate of the 2 Israeli soldiers.
Today, In Gaza, the Hamas uses much the same strategy. Firing rockets indiscriminately on Israeli settlements from within densly inhabited Gaza suburbs. Their reasoning is that Israel will not destroy all points of launch for fear of civillian casulties and if they do - the photo oportunity of women and children being rushed to hospital will be invaluable. In this last escalation, the Hamas has even put groups of children on the roofs of arms manufacturing facilities to prevent the Israeli forces from destroying them. Who abducted an Israeli soldier - Gilad Shavit - almost 2 years ago and apart from on letter has refused any contact with him - even by the Red Cross?
So who is inhumane? Who cynically and cold heartidly uses inocent people as cannon fodder to further their polital aims. Who sends suicide bombers. some just teenagers, to blow themselves up, not at military instillations but in crowded shopping centers? Who, when Israel cuts back on the amount of electricity it supplies to Gaza cuts the power to hospitals even though there is more than enough self produced power to supply essential services?
This is a terrible ongoing tragady! For more than 60 years a bloody war has raged between the Palestinians and Israel. Both sides use useless rhetoric and fail to sit down together and solve the problem once and for all.
Israel is here to stay. The Palestinians are here to stay. On both sides there are those who still think that viloence will win out and that the enemy will "dissapear" But it just isn't true. History shows that a people with its backs to the wall will resist and make unbelievable sacrifices to win their freedom or to secure peace. We can't make the Palestinians go away or accept our solution by means of force. The Palestinians wont make Israel dissapear or capitulate even if they sent 100 suicide bombers a day and throw 100 of rockets at civillian targets. Bothe peoples have their backs against the wall, both have everything anf nothing to loose. The sooner the leaders on both sides realise this and sit down to talk and solve the problem, the better for everybody!
It's that mobile again
I know - I've already raged once about the mobile phone. But ther's more. This time it's those dammed recorded voice or text messages that are sent out by the thousands to get me to buy something, to announce a great new offer, to tell me what I have "won" or what my local politition is doing for me - apart from wasting my money on messages that is.
Not a day goes by without there being at least 2-4 voice or text messages sent to my mobile by some organisation or person who I have never heard of, never been in contact with and don't want to know them. I have no idea where they got my number - it wasn't from me, and I have no idea who gave them permission to bombard me with time wasting usless pleas and/or information.
The really annoying thing is that there in no one I can shout at, to vent my justifiable rage about having my privacy invaded and my time wasted - not to mention the increased risk of brain tumors from the extra usage of the mobile. When the phone beeps and announces that I have a new message, I always look to see what it is. I have to, I live in an area of political and military instability - there are often text messages warning of security problems or concerns that can effect me and my family. So, the phone beeps, I open and look, realise that it just more junk mail and close the device. Later, I have to waste more time, go into the bowels of the mobile to erase the unwanted garbage. All this takes time, my time, valuable time which could be better spent scratching under my armpits or working in the garden.
So' please, don't send me automated text or voice mail on my mobile - I JUST MIGHT GET VIOLENT!!!!!
Not a day goes by without there being at least 2-4 voice or text messages sent to my mobile by some organisation or person who I have never heard of, never been in contact with and don't want to know them. I have no idea where they got my number - it wasn't from me, and I have no idea who gave them permission to bombard me with time wasting usless pleas and/or information.
The really annoying thing is that there in no one I can shout at, to vent my justifiable rage about having my privacy invaded and my time wasted - not to mention the increased risk of brain tumors from the extra usage of the mobile. When the phone beeps and announces that I have a new message, I always look to see what it is. I have to, I live in an area of political and military instability - there are often text messages warning of security problems or concerns that can effect me and my family. So, the phone beeps, I open and look, realise that it just more junk mail and close the device. Later, I have to waste more time, go into the bowels of the mobile to erase the unwanted garbage. All this takes time, my time, valuable time which could be better spent scratching under my armpits or working in the garden.
So' please, don't send me automated text or voice mail on my mobile - I JUST MIGHT GET VIOLENT!!!!!
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