10.45
Today is the 20th. Wedding Anniversary of Brother Peter and Wife Jo. Hooray!
Rising and taking care of the WilyFred, whose enthusiasm for the breakfasting trough is undimished.
A call from the Minx c. 08.10, landed safely in London. Yippee!
Morning reading…
… Beyond postnormal times: The future of creativity and the creativity of the future by Dr. Alfonso Montuori…
Now, onto OMG! – it’s UMG. The latest development in this sad example of a large company, making a series of mistakes which it initially denied, then grudgingly fiddled with and acknowledged some culpability, followed by more denials, obfuscations, threats, bullying and an Outside Lawyer Man sent in to settle with us for a fraction of what is properly due. An Outside Lawyer man because the issue is not worthy of UMG staff’s time, let alone the time of Power Possessor Numero Uno.
Nevertheless, the three principals of two small companies, Panegyric and DGM, are themselves dealing with the repercussions of deliberate slipperynesses at considerable cost to our creative and business endeavours. Guestbook posters who ask – why don’t you do XYZ and undertake these wonderful wheezes to delight your loyal and engaged customers? – now have one clear answer as to how several worthwhile projects are not projecting, with or without a K: we are being diddled and dissed by the largest music group in the world.
When we act badly, we hurt other people. When we know we have acted badly, and persist with the course of action generated by our bad behavior, other people get more than hurt: their sense of decency is offended, their confidence in social and professional norms undermined. Where the larger business culture accepts bad practice as standard practice, such as in the music industry (within my direct experience), and financial services (some within and mostly without my personal experience), the larger society becomes unsustainable, in the longer term. In the medium term, there is increasing breakdown. In the short term, there are resorts to conventional forms of redress, both formal and informal.
I suppose we could say – We’re sorry O UMG! We’re too small to defend ourselves against your global power! – and bend over. That will not happen.
12.08 Comments on a significant letter to Mr. UMG Outside Lawyer Man are sent off.
18.55 The Minx arrived home at 12.15, dribbling from her flight from NYC and drive home. Yippee!
Look out WillyFred! This moulting creature is getting help to put on his home-grown winter coat I…
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Shopping on the High Street for tasty lunch things…
… and collecting a gleaming, hand-valeted motor vehicle. My car is usually so disgusting and dirty, covered in pigeon droppings, beech leaves and nuts, Toyah is embarrassed that people who know us might see her riding in it. Or might just see it and associate it with her. Now, visiting Humans will be reflected in the panels of its glowing bodywork.
A little chiropody and out to the Piddle to take food for visiting Toyah bandmembers.
Back for a gardening meeting, loading the Minx’s car and e-flurrying.
19.23 A little supper. The Minx has just about landed, after launderising, officing and re-packing since she came through the back door. Now, to an early gentle.
20.55 Early gentling is not easily the case: a business e-mail has returned the Minx to her office, to repair the cluelessness of a person nominally responsible for several The Humans’ functions.
"Any fool can play something difficult."
