Unintelligent Design

Because I want a copy of this particular quote where I can find it. And also for the_g_man. :)

'The whole Goth thing for me is a state of mind. An admittance that you're not the same as the people who work in Barclays Bank and you'll never really subscribe to the idea that you'll do a day job and come home to watch Big Brother.'
Lee Chaos, Wasp Factory Records

Does that sound like an Edward Gorey book title to you? The tale itself is actually a bit closer to Dilbert...

It's not my fault. Well, ok, it is my fault, but wasn't actually intentional. A not-too-awful week at work ended up with me being unexpectedly hauled into a meeting with some of the "Great and Powerful". And while we don't actually have a shirt-and-tie dress code these days (just as well, as I was wearing T-shirt and jeans), I was looking a bit unshaven at the time (it'd been a long week...) - which got some odd looks and comments.

Being scruffy and unshaven can be considered grounds for a formal 'presentation and appearance' snottigram from the HR catberts. And I can really do without one of them right now.

However, having a beard is fine. And even HR have to acknowledge that nobody can suddenly acquire a beard without some scruffy transitional stubble. So I'm officially growing a beard.

I don't actually intend to keep it, of course. I just need to leave it for a while, so that I can credibly say "this looks silly - beards don't really suit me, do they?" and lose it again. Well, unless it astonishes me by looking halfway decent.

I love my job. No, really...