If you're reading this on a PC, you might notice that the phrase "50 Chinese women" gets an ad link. What could they possibly be linking to from that?

Don't get excited. It's just a fake mink stole made in China on Ebay. Wow. $55 for shipping. What a rip off.

So anyway, back to this email exchange about working next week. After I said, "No, that's okay. I'll take the week off." She said, "Sorry, does that mean you're not available any days next week or have I misunderstood?" So I said, "You can give the days to someone else." So she says, "Okay, I will. There are plenty willing to take them." So I said, "I'm not making an issue about it. I just don't feel like coming in next week."

Of course I could have made an issue about it. For instance, I could have pointed out that yes, there are plenty of unqualified, obnoxious young people who take notes on their laptop who are willing to do the job. But how many professionals are out there who can take a verbatim note of the proceedings using £5000 worth of their own equipment? Virtually none. When I leave (perhaps I've already left) they won't be able to replace me. There simply aren't unemployed steno people looking to do that job.

But anyway, I didn't make an issue about it. Because I don't care. I don't need the work, I don't want the work, you can keep the work.

They're not going to go out of business without me. Plenty of people have quit there. But they're not replacing them with professionals. They're replacing them with these unqualified, obnoxious young women taking worthless notes on a laptop. So the bar gets lowered for them as a company. Same thing happened with another company. All the professionals left and they ended up with just these disposable, unqualified young people. It resulted in poor work and they've lost this contract recently and are probably on the brink of collapse.

So sure, of course there's loads of people out there who can take notes on a laptop and be obnoxious in the staff room. But professionals who can take a verbatim record? Won't find many. I mean, ask around in your own circle of friends. Do you know anyone who can take a verbatim record? In the unlikely event that you do, are they currently looking for work? In London? Doing few if any transcripts? And would be grateful to be given two days' work a week?

Make a venn diagram of that. There won't be a single person who fits in all of those categories.

I worked seven days last month. Ideally, I work at least twice that. So a job which is already part-time is now half of that. They can go fist themselves with their two days a week offer.