The Mundane Life of Mr Waverley: March 2009

Monday, March 30, 2009

Bankwest sheds 250 jobs in WA

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=32&ContentID=133000

Bankwest sheds 250 jobs in WA

30th March 2009, 7:15 WST

WA's biggest bank will cut 400 jobs from its workforce due to the economic downturn.

Bankwest confirmed this morning that about 250 roles in WA and 150 on the east coast would be made redundant this year.

The decision comes after four years of rapid expansion that has seen Perth-based Bankwest increase its workforce from 3340 to 5100.

Bankwest managing director Jon Sutton said when he assumed the role of managing director late last year he believed there would be no job losses in 2009.

But a rapidly deteriorating economy meant Bankwest had to make adjustments if it was to remain an efficient and viable business.

"The deteriorating national and Western Australian economies and a high cost base mean Bankwest has no choice but to cut costs to remain competitive,” he said this morning.

"As an independent entity with its own banking licence and board of directors, Bankwest remains committed to being the leading bank for West Australians and to building our business by providing attractive and competitive products for our customers.

"Lowering our costs will strengthen our ability to continue delivering some of the most competitive home loans, deposit rates and credit cards in Australia for the benefit of almost one million customers."

Mr Sutton said Bankwest would continue to be run as an independent bank headquartered in Perth.

He said no retail customer facing roles will be lost under the workforce decision and no stores will be closed.

"I regret the impact on Bankwest staff but those affected will receive severance payments and outplacement support to assist them to find other employment,” Mr Sutton said.

"Decisions of this sort are never easy and are only taken after full investigations of all options available."

Bankwest is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Post Date: 30 Mar 09

Friday, March 27, 2009

Pop singer England Dan dies of cancer at 61

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29895228/

Seals, John Ford Coley topped charts with hits such as ‘Nights Are Forever’

updated 11:36 a.m. ET March 26, 2009

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Dan Seals, who was England Dan in the pop duo England Dan and John Ford Coley and later had a successful country career, has died of complications from cancer. He was 61.

Longtime manager Tony Gottlieb said Seals, diagnosed with lymphoma two years ago, died Wednesday night at his daughter’s home in Nashville.

With England Dan and John Ford Coley, Seals had hits including “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” and “Nights Are Forever,” both in 1976. His country hits in the ’80s and ’90s included “Bop,” “You Still Move Me,” “Love on Arrival,” and a duet with Marie Osmond, “Meet Me in Montana.”

“I’ve loved to play and sing from the moment I knew what it was,” he told The Associated Press in 1992.

Seals, who is survived by his wife and four children, was in hospice care when he died.

“He was very positive,” said Gottlieb, Seals’ manager for about 30 years. “He participated in several clinical trials to assist with research on this type of lymphoma.”

Gottlieb said a major misconception about Seals is that he was a pop singer who came to country music. In reality, he said, Seals grew up singing country music and crossed into pop.

“He was raised in a very rural part of West Texas. His father was an amateur country singer, and he used to play with his dad. They were Hank Williams, Grand Ole Opry people. He was much more of a country singer than a pop singer.”

Seals’ older brother, Jimmy, was the Seals in Seals & Crofts, who recorded the hits “Summer Breeze” and “Diamond Girl” in the 1970s.

Until Dan Seals got sick, the brothers were working as a duo, Seals & Seals. They performed some shows and were recording an album but never finished it. The songs they did complete, about eight in all, will be released.

“In the last two years he only did like three shows,” Gottlieb said. “He just didn’t have the energy.”

Seals, whose father was a pipefitter, was born in McCamey, Texas, and grew up in Iraan, Texas, and Dallas.

His well-crafted songs tended to be insightful and graphic with lofty themes. In 1989, his music video for the song “Rage On” addressed a topic rare in country music: an interracial relationship. It showed angry youths smashing the windows of the car of a young man dating a girl of a different race. One boy hurled a beer bottle at the girl’s father. The song itself was about small town values.

“When we record songs, we take chances,” Seals said at the time. “We feel we are on the cutting edge of what we can do.”

I loved the song “I’d Really Love to See You Tonight” and had blogged about it. Thanks for the music, Dan, and may you rest in peace.

Photo credit: here and here.

Post Date: 30 Mar 09

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Board games, anyone?

Strange dream last night/this morning.

Bumped into an ex-CEO who appeared to be extremely friendly (unlike in real-life). He was so friendly that when he asked if I wanted to play board games at his place, I said YES!

We walked through a crowd that recognised their boss. Very soon, we reached his place and proceeded to play the board game (can't remember what game) on the floor.

He then had 3 friends come over - 1 guy and 2 girls. And the girls were in bikini tops, if I remembered correctly. The bikini tops must have meant nothing to me cos I only remember their image when they first entered the house, and no more after that. I even farted near one of the girls when I was reaching across the game board to move my token.

And then I woke up.

Told you the dream was weird ...

Post Date: 19 Mar 09

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Our first intrauterine insemination

Had our very first IUI procedure done today. Gynae wanted the procedure done at 1pm, so we submitted the sperm sample for washing around 10.45am.

We went for lunch and went back to pick up the washed sample around 12.50pm. Gynae came around 1.10pm, and by then, the nurse had already led Wifey to a back room to get her "ready". Sadly, I wasn't allowed in.

Wifey said it was quite fast and painless, and she was instructed to rest there for an hour.

Photo credit here.

Post Date: 19 Mar 09