The Runt

Down with Christmas

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:01:56 +0000

There are only two things I like about Christmas; iced mince pies and the fact that at some time, on some channel you will be able to watch ‘The Great Escape’ on TV. Aside from that, I find the whole event pretty tedious and stressful. From the moment in November when you start racking your brains trying to think of presents you can get your senile grandmother or your workaholic Dad to the post-Christmas dinner washing up session when it usually takes a year’s supply of cleaning chemicals to remove the bits of burnt turkey from the roasting tin, it’s all horrendous. ‘Tis the season to be jolly? ‘Tis the season to disappear off to somewhere warm and sunny and forget all about your family and friends, I say!

Which is why I have decided to do what I’ve always threatened and spend Christmas alone. I’ve had to tell a few white lies to my Mum so that she thinks I’ll be with friends (good job this blog is anonymous, eh?) and some people have taken a lot of convincing that I genuinely want to be by myself and that this isn’t all some attention-grabbing stunt, but the plan is slowly beginning to take shape. I’ve been thinking about what would constitute my perfect Christmas Day, and the basic rule seems to be that apart from the two things I mentioned earlier, there will be no obvious sign that it’s Christmas at all.

No tree, decorations, turkey and definitely no festive songs - ever since one hellish year when my Grandma put her “Xmas Hits” in repeat during a three-hour meal I’ve started to twitch uncontrollably whenever I hear the first few notes of White Christmas. At least that’s the plan. Maybe the festive spirit will get to me before December 25, but for now (as Scrooge would say) Christmas is cancelled!

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Being A Good Illustrator Is A Never Ending Task

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:52:19 +0000

I once read that war is 95% boredom and 5% insanity. Soldiers often have to walk over long distances only to discover that they are in the middle of a firefight at the very next second. In such a scenario, maintaining one’s attention and focus can become very difficult task. This is pretty much the case with the world of illustration as well. I work on many projects that are very standard and almost boring. Ever so often, I get a project which compels me to utilize my skills to the fullest. Such a project need not pay a lot but the challenge is so exciting that I find it impossible to give it up.

I manage to maintain focus and keep my skills intact by constantly pushing my boundaries. When I am drive on the road, I look around and ask myself how I would present the information around me through illustrations. How will I convert the glaring neon board promising cheapest laser eye surgery into an illustration? Will I keep it funny? Will I rely on the reader’s natural intelligence or make it simple?

In some cases, I manage to lay my hands on paper and pen and come up with minor illustrations on the spot. Of course, I would be paid for this task in an ideal world but I keep these bits and pieces of paper as reminders of my enthusiasm for the profession.

Some people find it very odd that I spend bulk of my time drawing stuff on odd pieces of paper. However, they fail to understand that it is not just a job I do but also a part of who I am. This is the reason why coming up with good illustrations is so difficult. If you are really immerse yourself in it, you will discover that the opportunities for making illustrations never really end.

Illustrations – Simplifying Information On The Web

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:52:15 +0000

Why are illustrations important? Well, illustrations happen to be the universal language on the internet. How many times have you visited a web page in a foreign language only to successfully navigated using illustrations? Well, just a simple sign that points towards a hyperlink may help you understand that the message being given here is - customer data management webpage - click here. This is the reason why illustrations are so popular amongst webmasters. It is a very simple and efficient method of conveying data.

Napoleon once said that it is important not to be misunderstood as compared to being understood. This is particularly true in case of webmasters. It is very easy for people to take offense at some real or imagined insult by the designer of the web page. In such a scenario, using illustrations can help overcome numerous potentially dangerous areas and issues.

Of course, the wonderful advantage of illustrations only means that good illustrators are in very high demand. It is obvious that an illustration which is expected to simplify the message being sent by the webmasters should be simple in itself. However, the process of making a good illustration is very complex. An expert illustrator will find it very difficult to explain how he or she comes up with the right ideas. It is intuitive and the individual often works on the basis of gut instinct.

Asking the expert to explain is no different than asking Michelangelo to explain why he decided to come up with the sculpture of Jesus Christ with Mother Mary. He may be in a position to tell you how he executed the project but he certainly will not been a position tell you why he decided to come up with this idea. Their same is true in case of illustrators as well.

New Annuity Rules in the UK

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:33:03 +0000

The government is already warming up to the changing of the rules governing annuities. An annuity is a kind of special policy that enables pensioners to have a guaranteed pension.

The old rule

Normally, anyone reaching the age of 75 is expected to buy annuity, especially if they have personal or company money purchase pension.

The rule presently allows pensioners to convert any kind of built up capital they have in any personal pension policy to a regular pension that will give them income throughout their lives. The pensioners are expected to convert their pension pot into income at the specified age. The system was like cleaning with water all you life and then at a certain age you must change to using cleaning chemicals.

Reason for the change

Several factors are responsible for the change in the rule. One of the factors is the pressure meted out to the government by investors. The investors said that the deadline mandates the pensioners to purchase annuity even when the rate is poor.

Changes

Owners of a minimum of £20,000 annual lifetime pension income will have the ability to ‘drawdown'on their funds. The level of these withdrawals will not be limited.

Anyone whose annual pension income is less than £20,000 there will be a cap equivalent to 100% of the annuity fund value.

There will no longer be a requirement to purchase and annuity by the age of 75. Thus individuals can delay the purchase indefinitely.

The rules that governed the payment of a lump sum after the age of 75 is being removed include the tax-free lump sum payment when the individual retires.

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New Annuity Rules in the UK

admin — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 17:33:13 +0000

The government is already warming up to the changing of the rules governing annuities. An annuity is a kind of special policy that enables pensioners to have a guaranteed pension.

The old rule

Normally, anyone reaching the age of 75 is expected to buy annuity, especially if they have personal or company money purchase pension.

Reason for the change

Changes

Owners of a minimum of £20,000 annual lifetime pension income will have the ability to ‘drawdown'on their funds. The level of these withdrawals will not be limited.

Anyone whose annual pension income is less than £20,000 there will be a cap equivalent to 100% of the annuity fund value.

There will no longer be a requirement to purchase and annuity by the age of 75. Thus individuals can delay the purchase indefinitely.

The rules that governed the payment of a lump sum after the age of 75 is being removed include the tax-free lump sum payment when the individual retires.

Causes Of Vertigo in Dogs

admin — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 05:33:04 +0000

Recently I was told that my dear dog Rufus has Vertigo and I did not know hat that as. So here goes as I share what I know with you.

Vertigo is a feeling of dizziness. A person may feel that he is moving when actually there is no movement at all, like when looking up at banner stands. It is very rare in dogs, so when detected should be taken seriously and acted upon quickly. Usually it is seen in older dogs.

Like in humans, vertigo in dogs is characterized by loss of balance, and difficulty in standing. Sometimes it might be due to something as minor as an over tight collar that has cut the air supply. But if it persists, and the dog is completely unable to stand and has abnormal movements of the eyes, it should be taken to the vet immediately.

The causes for vertigo vary. Just like in humans, sometimes it might be due to an infection in the inner ear. Over exposure to hazardous chemicals is known to have triggered vertigo. Liver problems, indigestion and malnutrition also are reasons for it. Sometimes vertigo happens when there are neurological problems like the growth of a tumor. Vertigo can also result from stress and overexertion. Whatever the cause is, you need the help of a vet to determine the situation.

The best way to prevent vertigo in dogs is to keep them in good health. Make sure its food is nutritious and that it gets adequate rest.

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Minimise your interview nerves

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 15:04:11 +0000

Some people are cool, calm and collected when going for a job interview. Others are a mess for no real reason: they have the right experience, they’re good at what they do, and it makes absolutely zero sense! So, then, if you’re in the latter group then you need to get some serious techniques down to calm those nerves. If you don’t you’re asking for trouble.

Technique one: positive thinking. On a piece of paper, list all your positive attributes and the things you do well. Don’t focus too much on the things you’re not so good at. Then review it and hopefully you’ll be filled with a new found confidence.

Technique two: you may be extra nervous wondering about what kind of questions they are going to ask you, right? So write some down and practice answering them. Do this in the mirror, if possible. Get used to the idea of you sitting there actually speaking and it’ll be easier when you have to actually do it.

Technique three: this may sound ludicrous, but practice walking into a room to meet a stranger. Practice the greeting and the sitting down. Also include the whole getting-your-CV-and-stuff-out thing, as this is the bit that tends to make people especially nervous. You don’t want to go and drop it all on the floor now, do you?

Technique four: think of abstract questions they might throw at you and provide answers to them. The more abstract the better. If they are questions about homeware or dolphins then all the better! This will set you up for taking on literally any scenario: great for the low confidence.

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(Not) loving the beautiful game

admin — Sat, 28 May 2011 19:03:24 +0000

The roar of the crowd. The building tension as the goal is about to happen…the screaming and the chanting as the end of the match, the end of a season, is about to be decided. The whole world on tenter-hooks…

Me? I couldn’t give a monkeys. And I am not on tenter-hooks, I can tell you that much, my friend. I just don’t get what all the fuss is about with this football thing. I wish I did, but I don’t, and there’s not much I can do about that now, is there?

Well, perhaps I am wrong. The other day, while my dork of a friend fixed my Antivirus , we got talking about whether or not I could LEARN to love football. I disagreed, but took up the challenge of watching an entire football match anyway. That may not sound like a big deal to you, but trust me, for myself it is a serious undertaking indeed. It’s a huuuuuuge deal!

So how did it go? Actually, thanks for asking, and it didn’t go too bad! There was one moment when I’m sure – at least, I think I’m sure – that I started to feel something like passion for the ’beautiful game’. Alright, I wasn’t getting hot and bothered and pumping with testosterone, but it was a start. A good start. I’d say I am open to the idea of football now where I wasn’t before, so in many ways it was some kind of a success.

We’ll see how I go from here, then…

Child abuse

admin — Tue, 17 May 2011 12:03:04 +0000

Child abuse can happen to a child of any age, sex, race, religion, and socioeconomic background. There are many who fall as a victim to child abuse and neglect. These days many parents, do not know how to cope up with stress and may experience difficulty in caring for their children. There are many factors that contribute to child abuse and neglect. The other day I was standing with one of my friend next to a horse insurance office. My heart wept watching the treatment a three year old girl received from her father who was soaked in whisky. Some of the major types of child abuse are Physical abuse, Emotional abuse and Sexual abuse.

Physical abuse: Any physical injury caused to a child is called physical injury such as burning, hitting, punching, shaking, kicking, beating, or otherwise harming a child.

Emotional abuse: Emotional abuse in other words known as verbal abuse or mental abuse and psychological maltreatment. Any act by the parents or others that causes a child serious behavioral, cognitive, emotional, or mental disorders. Some times when parents give extreme punishments by threatening or terrorizing a child, the child becomes a victim of this abuse.

Sexual abuse: This is an abuse caused by any inappropriate sexual behavior with a child. It includes fondling a child’s genitals, making the child fondle the adult’s genitals, intercourse, incest, rape, exhibitionism and sexual exploitation. This affects a child’s physical, mental, and emotional development.

There are many consequences of child abuse such as it encourages your child to lie, resent, and retaliate instead of loving, trusting and listening. It will lower your child’s self esteem and it effects child’s psychological development. Child abuse is always caused by someone who is intimate to you and your family. So be aware of your close circle and protect your child as much as you can from being abused.

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The Ultimate Advantage

admin — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 12:33:14 +0000

Whether you work at an Internet security company or you fix hoovers for a living, it doesn’t matter, we all need a break from time to time. But that’s when things get a bit more tricky: while one party will find one break in the morning perfectly adequate, another will need three or four just to satisfy their nicotine based habit.

Which is really frustrating if you’re not a smoker. For 2 main reasons.

1) You can never know how it is to be a smoker, which means it just seems really unfair. Which of course it is and…

2) This unfairness is hard to counteract. How do you take breaks when you’re not a smoker? If you tell you’re boss that you need to go and stand about looking up pointlessly at the sky he or she is hardly likely to say “sure, go right ahead, and why not make it a regular thing?”

The biggest obstacle in the way of changing things in favour of non-smokers is of course the fact that we now live in a society where smoking is outlawed in many places. This means that some people feel sorry for the smokers, and when that happens the sympathy turns to being a bit more lenient, which is a big issue. One that’s hard to overcome indeed…

Who knows what the future holds for the war between smokers and non-smokers. Only time will tell which side will gain the ultimate advantage. I for one hope it goes to the non-smokers!

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