As much as I resent the phrase, how about a little 'Blue Sky Thinking'. What wild and fantastic techniques have people seen being used or would we like to be using (cost and laws of physics no object, extra points awarded for use of pig latin)?

I have decided to hang up the trowel atfer years of going nowhere fast and grow up and get a real job! Unfortunatly I am worried that the new career i am interested in is possibly a little obscure and difficult to get into! I want to retrain as a stone mason and work in building restoration but have no idea where to start. Does anyone out there know if it is better to do an apprenticeship, degree, or shorter course and any good places to do these things? Any help would be much appreciated as am far to jaded to be any use in archaeology any more!

We are always being asked to give 100% and sometimes more, so, to make ourselves more efficient, we need to analyse what this actually means. So, what makes 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

Have you ever been to one of those meetings where someone wants you to give over 100%.

How about achieving 103%? What makes up 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help you answer these questions:

If the numbers of the alphabet are assigned a numerical value equal to their order in the alphabet such that A=1 and Z=26
Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

and

K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But,

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

And,

B-U-L-L-S-H-I-T
2+21+12+12+19+8+9+20 = 103%

AND, look how far ass kissing will take you (although, why you would want to kiss a donkey is beyond me).

A-S-S-K-I-S-S-I-N-G
1+19+19+11+9+19+19+9+14+7 = 118%

So, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that While Hard work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there,
it's the Bull**** and Ass kissing that will put you over the top.

Of course, since the ideal is to give 110% then the best route is:
IMITATION
9+13+9+20+1+20+9+15+14 = 110%

So, copy your boss and you should go far; dress like them, talk like them and have your hair done like them!!!!!

Further research has shown that LAZINESS (= 105%) works, while mere IDLENESS (= 88%) is not enough and being WORKSHY (= 111%) is a definite advantage.


Cheers,
Eggbasket
Gentleman Adventurer and Periphrastic Sesquipedalian

Preternatural eventuation is an amaranthine potentiality

It is my sad duty to report that I have just seen the destruction of several cakes without adequate recording. The cakes looked like rare examples of chocolate eclairs, chocolate cheesecake (a cake? made of cheese?), lemon cheesecake and strawberry tarts. I was able to maintain a limited watching brief on the destruction and thus have salvaged something from the wreckage. I shall be appending the results of this watching brief to the report on my anniversary cake, which [u]was </u>properly recorded.

Cheers,
Eggbasket
Gentleman Adventurer and Periphrastic Sesquipedalian

Preternatural eventuation is an amaranthine potentiality

Hi all, some advice please. I've been working part-time as a Site Director for a commercial unit and was recently offered a chance to carry out a watching brief 'on my own'. I put in a tender, the house holder / developer accepted and I was all set to go until the house holder mentioned that I was going to do the job to the local Archaeological Trust. They immediately caled a halt to the job and said I'd have to be 'investigated' because I wasn't on their approved contractors list. I've now lost the job to a unit who are on the list.

I suppose my question is, do I have to be on the trust's list in order to work on their patch? If this does turn out to be the case I have no problem with getting approval, but if this isn't right, I've lost a nice little job because of it.

Any thoughts appreciated

Good Day folks,
Im thinking of making the move from Field Archaeology to (dont get cross now!) consultansy. Ive been doing archaeology for 6 years now and have now got family responsibilities blah, blah.

Thing is Im not MIFA yet maybe a coupla more years and I will be there but at the mo Im AIFA.

Do you need to be MIFA to be one of these high flying consultants or indeed do you have to be in the IFA at all to practise as a consultant.

I have little time for the IFA as it seems to operate like John Cleese`s PFJ from the Life of Brian, lots of meetings but nothing ever happens. The move away from the feild is difficult one as I love that part of the job but responsibilities abound and I have to move on. Im up to speed on my PPG`s and cake buying responsibilities so I feel if im half way there and I feel with a goodly load of experience in the field at least i will now the onions and faces of the world of archaeology. Any comments gratefully recieved. [?]

I think I'd agree with the list, but there is considerable cross over between the branches: a number of units who advertise they can do fieldwork also act as consultants and specialists early in their careers may also do fieldwork.

As to the CPD, I am in favour of 'on the job' training certainly, but why can't university courses make allowances for sandwich years with units or consultancies etc. This is commonplace with other professions who archaeologists deal with (engineers, environmental consultants spring to mind), and would be relatively simple to implement. Certainly a number of university courses already require placements as part of the degree completion requirements, this would just be a more involved extention.

I've just logged on after an absence of some days.

Slightly depressing really - a new thread with a positive, forward-looking approach; it's been here 4 days, over 100 people have read it, and not one response.

Well, here's a start. One problem that concerns me is the widespread ignorance and misunderstanding between different branches of the profession, often reflected in the discussions on some BAJR-Baiting threads. Many archaeologists appear unaware of the existence of some other branches of the profession, or completely misunderstand what people in other branches do.

I think that the root of the problem is in the approach of the universities, most of whom devote little if any time to informing their students about the potential careers open to them or about the basis upon which commercial archaeology in the UK works.

However, there is a potential solution that is not dependent on reforming university courses. Responsible organisations that wish to be seen as good employers could offer more CPD courses to their own staff, and as part of that could invite members of other parts of the profession to give short talks about what they do, given either in the evenings after work or at lunchtime.

I would be happy to contribute to this kind of thing from the consultancy side.

By the way, when I talk about 'branches of the profession', what I have in mind are:
1. Field archaeologists;
2. Specialists (artefactual, environmental, etc);
3. Curators;
4. Consultants;
5. Academics.

Anyone got a different list? Have I forgotten anyone?

1man1desk

to let, fully furnished

Any 1 know where i can do any decent field work and not on you!!!!!
Only jokin!!
:face-stir:
:face-stir:

C.Stowers

Interesting subject. Is the proposal to apply IFA standards to all fieldwork completed abroad or just those projects completed by british univs?

If the former applies surely it wiffs alittle bit of imperialism! Europe/world wide standards should be responibility of an international organisation (as in football. Suggestions for names for this organisation please??? [?]

If the poll relates to british univs working abroad then yes absolutely!! Have been on several projects abroad which were no more than 'smash and grab', and run by 'respectable' univs.

Hope this posting conforms to the new AUP [?]