A couple of weeks before this letter was sprung on the staff, the front page of the Financial Times was on Perky's desk in the front office.
I read an article which attempted to comfort incompetents all over the UK by suggesting that any invention produced by an employee automatically belonged to the company under British 'Law'.
It was for this reason that I signed.
I thought I might as well keep my job since defiance would not set me free from this enormous evil to any extent.
So I did. I signed.(How often does this happen in Britain?)
The rest of the employees signed.
But while they 'lost' all the production techniques, I also 'lost' another invention, a soluble stent(frame structure) for biological valves.
It would simplify implant,then dissolve to leave a superbly efficient implant. The best of both worlds.
Pinky tried to keep this one for himself.
A couple of weeks later, the other employees left to work with another company, still owed thousands of pounds but unable to support this intolerable situation any more.
I find much of life in this country to be beyond reasonable tolerance, so it was no biggy for me to stay.
Besides, a salary payment was made and things were(as always) 'looking up'.
No sign of Jock, for some reason.
All was 'explained' later on, however.
Thursday, June 30, 2005
Wednesday, June 29, 2005
Guts, Loyalty, Heroism
As the year 2003 progressed, we were all sworn to secrecy.
I could not even tell my close relatives. This went on and on, as the serial incompetent in charge of arranging the patents was not inclined to hurry.
Full of boyish enthusiasm(he is such a good salesman),he stated that for a patent to be solid we would have to demonstrate the technology. This was in October 2003.
In April 2004 I journeyed West to Manchester and performed the experiments with one of our staffers and an excellent Engineering Professor.
We thought on the spot, solved difficulties, and with help on the right sort of condoms for the electronics from another Professor in the South-West, we triumphed.
I felt on top of the world.
The boss had been promising 'riches and fame'.
When I gave him radiantly clear graphical hardcopy showing that my principles were fully vindicated, he disappeared with it.
His usual effusive compliments(the flipped flip-side to his chronic insults) were somewhat muted.
There were meetings in the board room.
We had nothing to do with it.
I realise now that if Pinky wanted to present himself as the fount of knowledge,this was how he would do it.
Oddly enough, the 'riches' turned into the statement that 1% equity would be granted.
Then a half %.
Then a curious silence.
Meanwhile the perennial spectator sport of the 'Business Plan' continued unabated.
Pinky and Perky only had one thing on their minds,the Business Plan.
Every time they finished,they had to do a new one.
And they dragged their feet every time as though going to their execution.
Meanwhile, we hadn't been paid since January 2004.
We proved principle, moved mountains, on faith.
I could not even tell my close relatives. This went on and on, as the serial incompetent in charge of arranging the patents was not inclined to hurry.
Full of boyish enthusiasm(he is such a good salesman),he stated that for a patent to be solid we would have to demonstrate the technology. This was in October 2003.
In April 2004 I journeyed West to Manchester and performed the experiments with one of our staffers and an excellent Engineering Professor.
We thought on the spot, solved difficulties, and with help on the right sort of condoms for the electronics from another Professor in the South-West, we triumphed.
I felt on top of the world.
The boss had been promising 'riches and fame'.
When I gave him radiantly clear graphical hardcopy showing that my principles were fully vindicated, he disappeared with it.
His usual effusive compliments(the flipped flip-side to his chronic insults) were somewhat muted.
There were meetings in the board room.
We had nothing to do with it.
I realise now that if Pinky wanted to present himself as the fount of knowledge,this was how he would do it.
Oddly enough, the 'riches' turned into the statement that 1% equity would be granted.
Then a half %.
Then a curious silence.
Meanwhile the perennial spectator sport of the 'Business Plan' continued unabated.
Pinky and Perky only had one thing on their minds,the Business Plan.
Every time they finished,they had to do a new one.
And they dragged their feet every time as though going to their execution.
Meanwhile, we hadn't been paid since January 2004.
We proved principle, moved mountains, on faith.
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Prelude(Hate something,change something)
In the Summer of 2002, my boss, whom I shall term the King ,told me to apply for jobs.
I didn't really want to,but I did show a little curiosity about a Canadian Heart Valve maker in BC.
They were owned by an American company in Texas.
I started a conversation with an underling in Texas,just to build an informal relationship with the company.
He went to his boss.
His boss went to my boss.
My boss went to me.
Two hours of abuse in his office. He used words like 'pathetic' and 'resignation' and 'show me your private,personal e-mail log'. He also made veiled references to my 'reference'.
Somehow I survived,even offering my resignation and refusing to disclose my log.
He backed down,with the usual insults about my work being 'unnecessary'and me being 'unemployable'.
So now I couldn't move.I was totally at his mercy,which is what he wanted.So I decided to watch him and stay until the company folded or was taken over.At least I'd get a few more salary cheques towards Canada.
He and his wife were the Pinky and Perky of the company(old children's TV-plastic pigs).Pinky was the bad cop.Perky was the good cop.
The good cop gave me interesting assignments. Which I gobbled up so as to strengthen my CV and position.
Then in 2003,Jock,an outsider, brought in to add respectability to the company(we workers didn't realise that the King was a renowned Louse), had an idea.
As usual,the drunk rang me when I was going to bed, and said:
"Jock has had this idea about putting a chip on a valve. What do you think?"
Now,I'd been thinking about cybernetic implant power sources since 1998.
So,immediately I said,
"Use a Piezo-electric sensor,because it doesn't consume any power. With that you can take local,internal blood-pressures,monitor position and get heart sounds from inside the heart."
"Thank you Veruca, you've really come up with the goods!"
He nearly wet himself.
I had a design briefing on his desk the following morning.
Now, I thought, now things will change. Everything will be alright.
I didn't really want to,but I did show a little curiosity about a Canadian Heart Valve maker in BC.
They were owned by an American company in Texas.
I started a conversation with an underling in Texas,just to build an informal relationship with the company.
He went to his boss.
His boss went to my boss.
My boss went to me.
Two hours of abuse in his office. He used words like 'pathetic' and 'resignation' and 'show me your private,personal e-mail log'. He also made veiled references to my 'reference'.
Somehow I survived,even offering my resignation and refusing to disclose my log.
He backed down,with the usual insults about my work being 'unnecessary'and me being 'unemployable'.
So now I couldn't move.I was totally at his mercy,which is what he wanted.So I decided to watch him and stay until the company folded or was taken over.At least I'd get a few more salary cheques towards Canada.
He and his wife were the Pinky and Perky of the company(old children's TV-plastic pigs).Pinky was the bad cop.Perky was the good cop.
The good cop gave me interesting assignments. Which I gobbled up so as to strengthen my CV and position.
Then in 2003,Jock,an outsider, brought in to add respectability to the company(we workers didn't realise that the King was a renowned Louse), had an idea.
As usual,the drunk rang me when I was going to bed, and said:
"Jock has had this idea about putting a chip on a valve. What do you think?"
Now,I'd been thinking about cybernetic implant power sources since 1998.
So,immediately I said,
"Use a Piezo-electric sensor,because it doesn't consume any power. With that you can take local,internal blood-pressures,monitor position and get heart sounds from inside the heart."
"Thank you Veruca, you've really come up with the goods!"
He nearly wet himself.
I had a design briefing on his desk the following morning.
Now, I thought, now things will change. Everything will be alright.
Monday, June 27, 2005
Welcome
Hello people.
This little blog is for commentary on a situation being experienced by an ex-employee of an alleged company somewhere in England.
Before you all say 'Boring,boring', let me explain.
An invention is at stake, one that could earn hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
And 'they' tried to offer the inventor ten pounds and the chance to keep his job.
Then they sacked him anyway.
Over the next few weeks I will detail the mendacity and attempted bullying of the ignorant little fascists who have stolen the 'sacred conch-shell'(Lord of the Flies).
Thankyou,and welcome!
This little blog is for commentary on a situation being experienced by an ex-employee of an alleged company somewhere in England.
Before you all say 'Boring,boring', let me explain.
An invention is at stake, one that could earn hundreds of millions of dollars a year.
And 'they' tried to offer the inventor ten pounds and the chance to keep his job.
Then they sacked him anyway.
Over the next few weeks I will detail the mendacity and attempted bullying of the ignorant little fascists who have stolen the 'sacred conch-shell'(Lord of the Flies).
Thankyou,and welcome!
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