Reduncancy (maybe) and retirement beckons

Some of my previous posts highlighted the stresses and strains of deciding to retire. Retiring is a significant life step, so it mustn't be taken lightly, but it can also be a liberating and positive decision.

Earlier today my company announced more redundancies, having only completed a round earlier this year. Redundancies suck, even if you're not directly affected. Productivity sinks as folk reevaluate things. Even if you're position is safe, it is natural that you ask searching questions about what you want in the future. Is this still the company you see yourself working for? How can I protect myself from any future redundancies?

The tech industry is going through a hard time of late. One look at LinkedIn and it tells you there are lots of folk being laid off. The good news is there are jobs out there, even if the competition for them is more challenging.

I'm waiting to see with bated breath if I'll be affected. I already know that others around me are. News like this is upsetting and sucks all energy from you. A state of inertia everywhere sees everyone stop doing real work and ask questions. People like certainty, and without it, you can't function effectively.

I'm in a lucky position. I'm at the tail end of my career. If the worst happens I won't be too bothered. That's not that I won't feel shocked. I want to retire on my terms, not someone else's, but it won't be the end of the world. 

Over the last year, I've thought about retirement and how I'd fill my days. Voluntary work is something I want to pursue, as is improving my golf, and learning Arabic. Whilst the general themes are beginning to be fleshed out, the detail has yet to be firmed up. It is this that is the most unsettling as I'd hoped to have this sorted before the fateful day when I turn off the laptop for the last time.

Whatever happens in the next few days, you can be sure I'll be OK. I'm thankful to have spent (to date) 47 years paying my taxes. I've had a whale of a time making many friends and even more fond memories. So if I'm made redundant I'll raise a glass to the past, and another to the future.

Thomas Edison: Thank you for your rechargeable battery

I'm sitting here on our sofa with my laptop on my knee. I've logged on to various websites using 2FA requiring authentication using my mobile phone. There's nothing unusual about this. In today's world, we rely on being to move around whilst using our electronic devices without the need for connecting leads to the mains socket.

This requires us to have a rechargeable battery and we've been using them for years, but how long exactly? 20 years? 50 maybe? You may be surprised to read that the rechargeable battery was invented over 120 years ago. What's more, it was seen as a precursor for electric vehicles.

Yes back in the 1890s one Thomas Edison, the one also responsible for electricity generation, sound recording, motion pictures, and more, found time in his extraordinary life to invent an alkaline battery to replace the unreliable lead acid battery used to date.

So as you go about your day hovering, drilling, or just tweeting, let's be thankful for one of the most visionary inventors of the Victorian era. His impact on our lives should not be underestimated.

My online security "Whoa" moment

I've worked in IT all my adult life and more than a few in the data security sphere. You'd think I know everything I'd need to know about IT security, but occasionally something makes me sit back and take notice. Our online world is something that requires a multitude of logins, passwords, and security questions, and making sure they are secure is a constant battle.

Passwords are your first line of defence, yet you'd be surprised how many people use the same password in multiple places. Some even use passwords like "password", "qwerty", or "123456"! All three of these are listed in the top 25 passwords revealed in various data breaches. Password strength is of paramount importance. The longer and more complex the better. So is additional security like two-factor authentication (2FL) offered by some sites.

Having a password manager helps. It means you only have to remember one login and password for the password manager itself, and it records the logins and passwords for the various accounts you use. It also helps generate secure passwords. Some even give an indication of how long it would take for someone to crack it.

The point of this post and what contributed to my "whoa" moment wasn't anything to do with passwords. It was to do with account recovery. You know those security questions you're asked to complete on some accounts. Things like:

• What was the name of your first school?
• In which city were you born?
• What is your mother's maiden name?
• What was the make of your first car?

When faced with this scenario, how did you answer? If like me you gave honest answers, join me in detention after school. Here's the thing, there is no reason why you should give honest answers. In fact, the site wouldn't know even if you were. So what are the reasons for disobeying your parents and being dishonest?

To answer this, let's go back to the strong passwords. Using what some consider strong passwords, could make it easier for criminals to gain information about you. Armed with this information you or others can be tricked into a scam. Plus if they know information about you and you use this as one of your passwords, that's your account compromised.

So what's the answer? Well obviously false information about yourself. One idea I've heard about is using a fictional character. If you answer the security questions using your imagination of what the character would answer, you've a unique set of answers. Remember they don't even have to be real objects. Let your imagination run wild.

Top tips for visiting Venice

Venice. The city of bridges, canals, and masks. The Queen of the Adriatic. It is a magical place and one of the most visited European locations. Whether you arrive by plane, train, road, or water, there's so much to see in just over 100 small islands. So if you're planning a trip to Venice, what do you need to know?

Taking rests

Venice is a wonderful city full of interesting architecture, historical significance, and beautiful vistas. It is easy to get around, but like any city break it can be tiring on the feet. After a while the need to rest those weary feet, but beware. 

Venice is a very old city. It is not built for your modern tourist's needs. There are precious few places where you can sit down. The narrow streets do not allow room for benches. Plus in some of the popular locations like St.Mark's Square, it is explicitly forbidden to sit down. In fact there you're not allowed to eat or drink unless it is in one of the cafes. Sit down and you'll be politely asked to move on by one of the city's staff.

If you feel the need to rest, pop into a cafe and watch the world go by. Venice has an unfair reputation for being expensive. There are certainly places where you can easily spend a small fortune for an expresso and a piece of cake, but there are also loads of places with a more reasonably priced fayre. If in doubt, just watch where the locals hang out.

Venice is a very walkable city, but if walking all day isn't for you, get around on the water. Whether it is an expensive but compulsory gondola ride or one of the water taxis, travelling on the water is a great way to move around. Plus it gives you a chance to sit down and rest those weary feet.

The islands

With over 100 islands in the lagoon, Venice deserves more than just a flying visit. Most tourists stay in or near the centre. There's certainly a lot to see here, but it is a real shame not to visit some of the surrounding islands. Among the most popular with tourists are Morano, Burano, and Torcello. The most popular ferry for these leaves from the piers on Fundamente Nove, but you can also get there from other locations. Beware, ferries are the buses of Venice and can get very busy, especially in the peak tourist season.

Morano is famous for its glass factories. They're output is available everywhere in Venice, but it isn't cheap. Each factory has it's own style, from the more traditional to the more modern. To be honest, there isn't a lot to see on Morano apart from the glass factories, so if seeing it made isn't your thing maybe give it a miss. You can buy their glass anywhere in Venice after all.

Burano is a short ferry ride from Morano. If you only go to one island, go here. It is picturesque, quieter, and great to stroll around. Famous for its brightly coloured houses, it is a photographer's dream location. Just wander around before sitting down for something to eat and drink. Just be aware that outside of the high season, most of the restaurants and shops tend to shut around 5pm. Oh, and don't miss the last ferry home!

Torcello has a much more relaxed feel. There's some lovely walks through the fields, which is a great to escape the tourist crowds visiting the 7th century cathedral. This is the main sight on the island and is worth a short detour.

If travelling on a busy Vaporetto with standing room to another busy location isn't your thing, you can do a lot worse than visit one of the less visited islands. Lido is a great island for those who like a beach. It has a more relaxed feel and the beaches are only a 15 minute walk from the ferry terminal.

There are two beaches of note. A public one is free, but is located slightly further away and isn't bad. It has a small cafe and is reasonably neat and tidy. The private beach is much larger, and tickets for it can be bought at the entrance. There's a large bar and cafe serving food and drink, as well as seats on the beach. It also has changing facilities.

Getting around

It is worth buying a travel card to get around the city. They are available for 1, 2, 3, or 7 days and can be bought from the ferry ports, airport, as well as tobacconists throughout the city. If you buy from a tobacconist, they only accept cash though. The tickets can be used on pretty much everything, including the Vaporettos and even the airport bus.

Tickets must be validated before you travel or join one of the queues. There are machines at every ferry port. Don't be tempted not to validate them though. There are regular checks, and if caught with an unvalidated ticket you'll be fined. 

Eating

A real joy of any holiday is sampling the local cuisine. If you think of Italian cuisine, you probably think of pizza and pasta. Whilst it is true that they are classics, limiting yourself to these when in Italy is tantamount to heresy. That's not to say there aren't some of the best pizza and pasta dishes, just that there is so much else to savour. For a start, there's the seafood. Venice in particular has a wide variety of seafood on offer, so why not take the plunge.

Eating out in Venice need not be expensive. There's a wide variety of places to eat. There's everything from well-known international fast food brands to Michelin star restaurants, and local trattorias serving traditional food in between. If money is an issue, you can do a lot better than Burger King or McDonalds. There are any number of local restaurants selling pizza slices for a few Euros. They're damn good too. 

The local trattorias are a great option for an authentic Venetian meal. Some trade on the tourists a little too much, so don't feel shy about politely saying "No grazie Signore" if they push yet another bottle of wine on you.

Marco Polo Airport

Arriving at Venice's main airport is a joy. Once out you've options for reaching the city. There's an airport bus costing approximately 11 Euros and taking 20 minutes, that drops you off in Piazzale Roma. If you can afford it, the best way to experience Venice is to do what the locals do, use the water. A return ticket on one of the water taxis is an excellent introduction to Venetian life and costs about 35 Euros. If you really want to live the high life, there's always one of the highly polished private water taxis, but bring your credit card!

When the time comes to leave Venice, there are things you need to know. Before security, there are really only a limited selection of food and drink outlets. If you want a proper meal, go through and you'll find a selection of more hearty fayre on the upper level.

My top tip is to ensure you have a bag ready for any duty-free you buy. An admirable but expensive stance at the airport is not to give out plastic bags. They do a roaring trade on reusable bags, but at 3.50 Euros a pop, these don't come cheap. They will give you a paper bag if you ask, but these are not really fit for purpose for those large wine bottles.

An anglicised Irishman's view of King Charles III's coronation

I'm not anti-monarchy, but I am the product of an Irish family. My forefathers saw the British royal family as representing an occupying power. Despite having spent almost all of my life in England, I'm not British. I was born in Ireland, still have an Irish passport, and will die an Irishman.

Despite my heritage, my view of the UK royal family is mixed. I don't pay a huge amount of attention to them, because they don't really affect my day-to-day life. I've nothing against them personally, but I wish they were a bit more personable and relevant to today's society. The UK royal family are an anomaly. Something moulded out of thousands of years of tradition and patronage.

That's all fine, but it is not a representation of my life or those around me. Their world is one of privilege. From the moment they are born, their destiny is determined. Whether they like it or not, their journey through life is set. I feel for them, as they must occasionally just want to say, "No. I want to have a normal life thank you very much."

I remember Ian Hislop the Editor of Private Eye, saying of Prince William, that his "job" until he became King was to be as boring as possible." Something he said he was pretty good at. At least Prince William won't have to be boring for as long as his Dad. A conversation between King Charles and someone queuing to pay their respects in the long queue to pass by his Mother's coffin went...

Q: Have you been waiting long?

A: Not as long as you your Majesty.

I'll be doing my best not to watch the coronation. I say "my best" because it has been wall to wall media coverage this last week. Even the disastrous election results suffered by the Tory's yesterday are hardly being mentioned. I hope that changes once normality resumes. So the TV will remain switched off until the news later when I may watch the edited highlights. That's about as much as I can stand.

I've thought long and hard about why I'm so ambivalent about such events, and have come to the following conclusions:

• I'm not a massive fan of Charles. This has nothing to do with Diana. It's just that I find him to be a bit of a relic from the past. He's tried hard to show his interests, but having a father like his, and having the dress sense of an Edwardian gentleman do him no favours. Even the way he speaks makes me cringe. Who in their right mind would want to be his PR guru?
  
  
• My background is certainly a factor. My family were of a Republican bent, and some fought the British in the early part of the 20th century. Others were part of the early Irish government and Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. Others fought alongside their British compatriates against Hitler, and some paid a heavy price. This certainly gives me a nuanced and more balanced view of the British establishment.
  
  
• As someone with a balanced view of most things, I ask if there is a need for such events. There is no legal necessity for the coronation. It is just tradition and pure theatre. I do wonder if the money our Monarchy and Government have plundered on these few days could have been better spent.
  
  
• The mainstream media's sycophantic coverage is the worst of the lot. In these days of 24 hour rolling news broadcasts, the role of the TV anchor is to project manage the filling of time. The reporter's job is to find any angle no matter how tenuous, and ask the most ridiculous and boring questions. It must be a tough gig. The screengrab accompanying this post illustrates everything that's wrong with the media's coverage of such events.
  
  
• Finally, and by no means least, I just don't have time to be glued to a TV screen for hours on end. Life goes on whether there's a coronation or not. I've got stuff to do that I see as more important.

So that's why I'm here writing this, rather than watching a privileged old man get a crown, made of jewels mostly plundered from some part of this country's colonial empire, look very uncomfortable as it is placed on his head. I won't be won't be swearing allegiance to the King as part of the ceremony. It's a misguided addition to the proceedings.

I wish King Charles all the best for his reign. I hope he manages to navigate his ceremonial duties whilst achieving a degree of modernisation. I applaud his work with different faith groups. The UK is a very different and diverse nation compared to the one his Mother inherited in 1952.

Being King, or heir to the throne, is not a job I'd ever want. Give me my life any day. Would I go as far as becoming a republic? No. I think the Monarchy has a place in UK society, just not as it currently exists. A more slimmed-down and approachable version would be my preference.