Could you justify using Facebook to your boss?
The dividing line between work and play has shrunk in today's workplace and activities once regarded as time-wasting can now be seen as good for business.
So the TUC has urged employers to face up to the realities of the Facebook Age and allow staff to use social networking sites as part of their working day.
A number of major employers block access to such sites, fearing it will be a drain on productivity. But others, such as Tesco, allow it if employees can make a case for using it for their work.
It is all in the explaining, so we invited the BBC Magazine Monitor Appreciation group to come up with ingenious excuses on their Facebook discussion board. Here are 10 of the best (in no particular order)
1. Robin, Glasgow (formerly Edinburgh)"... but Mr Cameron, you pay me to update your profile, so you can appear to be down with the kids!"
2. Rhys Wynne, Wales"By browsing Facebook I'm not having a cigarette break, therefore saving thousands of pounds on the company's medical insurance.
3. Rob Holehouse, Sheffield"I'm researching the competition. Because aren't all businesses, in their own little way, about reaching out to people?"
4. Aine, London"This is Facebook?? But I searched for www.howtoincreasedepartmentproductivity.com!"
5. Sarah Harrison, ItalyAvon rep: "I thought it was my client list."
6. Janey McDowell "I am developing shared knowledge and understanding with our customers and potential customers by using a platform which our company/organisation is not fully exploiting..."
7. Ian Dickerson, London"I'm fulfilling my networking personal objective."
8. Sally Tanner, London"IT asked me to - I'm testing the firewalls."
9. Kathryn Close, Bristol"I'm researching consumer opinions of our brands."
10. Pix Mueller"I'm vetting potential new recruits to the company."
10 excuses for using Facebook at work
I'm not dead, just floating
Got a message from an old friend today, a song reccomendation, it was a lovely piece of music and "right up my street" that old friend was always on the money and always would have been.
What if I say I'm not like the others?
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?
You're the pretender
What if I say I will never surrender?
Brilliant quote of the day comes from Susan: "well i call it dancing - others might call it a strange octopus creature on speed"
Child Wisdom....
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?
You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. -- Alan, age 10
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. -- Kristen, age 10
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?
Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. -- Camille, age 10
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. -- Derrick, age 8
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids. -- Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough. -- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date. -- Martin, age 10
WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns. -- Craig, age 9
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich. -- Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. - - Curt, age 7
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. -- Howard, age 8
IS I T BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them. -- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there? -- Kelvin, age 8
And the #1 Favorite is... HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. -- Ricky, age 10
And now for something....
BRISBANE, Australia -- An Australian woman was killed by a pet camel given to her as a 60th birthday present after the animal apparently tried to have sex, police said yesterday.
The woman, whose name was not released, was killed Saturday at her family's sheep and cattle ranch near Mitchell, 600 km west of the Queensland state capital Brisbane, said state police Det. Sr. Const. Craig Gregory.
The 10-month-old male camel - weighing about 150 kg - knocked the woman to the ground, lay on top of her, then exhibited what police suspect was mating behaviour, Gregory said.
"I'd say it's probably been playing, or it may be even a sexual sort of thing," Gregory said, adding the camel almost suffocated the family's pet goat by straddling it on several occasions.
Camel expert Chris Hill said he had no doubt the camel's behaviour was sexual.
The fate of the camel was not known.
The woman was given the camel in March as a birthday present from her husband and daughter. "She had a love of exotic pets," Gregory said
Missing
I step off the train I'm walking down your street again and past your door But you don't live there any more It's years since you've been there But now you've disappeared somewhere like outer space You've found some better place And I miss you - like the deserts miss the rain And I miss you - like the deserts miss the rain Could you be dead?
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I knew where the rails were, once... I'm near them but not on them.
But not off them... Sherlock?
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V-Festival was great....
Lost my camera, rocked out, danced in the rain...
I Don't like sharing...
AND - i'm greedy.
I realised this tonight when I was pouring someone a drink in the safe confines of my kitchen...
I will offer a drink to someone and then go into the kitchen, get the cups out, get the drink out and if there is ONLY enough for a glass each with a bit left over, I will pour them, swiftly knock the top off one of the glasses and refill it and THEN take the glasses out to present one to the other person... now, WRONG I hear you all wail... BUT... how many of you grew up with three ravenous brothers! huh!... it was a DOG EAT DOG world... mum only bought Juice on fridays and if you wanted some, you needed to play rough!
3:12am... Time for tea! (well - strong coffee)
Telegraph makes me laugh (at 1:37am!)
She went on: "I wondered whether they were trying to shock new troops."
....Well they did a bl**dy good job of it!!
"The Puma appeared to have hit the ground very hard" - Ah, sherlock!.. 8tonnes, 9.8m / ps
- I have to meet this Jill woman, she seems like some sort of military expert! ...what, was she just the closest person to the helicopter crash and a journo "went nuts on her"...
A tragedy, and they get a muppet in to report on it!...So Stupid, So me....
....So, a few months ago I thought it would be funny to take some photos of some props we had at work. (A handgun and stuff) and to my amazement, today, the MET Police call me up for a chat! (Since sold camera - Ixus 45, replaced by 65) seems the buyer saw pictures that I stupidly left on it and sent it to the police... Quality!... well, hmmm, daft...
If I dont come home tonight, you know where i'll be :)
stop | hammer time
Well, this weeks DPS assignment was "TIME" I bent the rules a little with a tiny bit of that "special" simon creativity and came up with this!...
stop hammer time
100 to 400 in seconds flat.... (at f4.5)
Well, 4.5 to 5.6!
The lens truly is a beasty, heavy and solid, but a great piece of glass!!... Nath and I have hired the thing for the weekend and are headed to the London Zoo tomorrow morning to see if we can shoot some animals (the nice way!)
We ventured out to the Silverstone raceway on thursday night with Thomas for POWER NIGHTS - it was a good evening of racing (formula fords etc) and my first go with the 100-400 too. Then, a helicopter (RAF) flew over the other side of the raceway and this is what 400mm at f7.1 made of it... 
All in all a great lens, though, I find myself being a bit of a paparazzi at the minute... hmmm :) oh well!
Finally...
It's time, really, to find a new job.
I have worked at / for mentorn for five years and I think that it may be time to move on (Lawyers - I think, i'm not sure)
BUT - what will I do?... What do I want to be when I grow up? i'm not sure I have ever actually answered that question seriously... I love using my camera, I like trying to muck about with building websites and stuff.. I HATE COMPUTERS! but love the access to information that they give me.
So basically, I need an out - I could be a GREAT photographers assistant, i'd get you coffee and sort through your shots at the speed of light (not missing detail, of course!)
SOMEBODY, ANYBODY.... help
