Not so long ago, in an office far, far away...

OK.

That's it. I've had enough. For 41 years I've been pushed around by the increasingly erratic foibles of the administration and its mindless excesses. Which administration? I had the privilege to be subjected to "the treatment" in several countries. Italy, France, Sweden, the US, Thailand. You pick one. I always put up with it all, normally with a laugh or with a bemused smirk of disbelief, putting it all behind by ending the day with a good movie.

However, for the last 3 years, my wife has had to endure "the treatment" to such a degree that I can no longer sit around and observe in silence. She had followed me from Thailand, where we both worked, to France in 2004, in the hope of a better life, only to be pushed around once too many.

So, while in normal life I am in turns a musicologist, a classical pianist, a rock keyboardist, producer and songwriter, an English teacher and a teacher trainer, on this blog I am going to wear the pirate flag and do something about the madness I have been witnessing for the last several years. The pen is indeed mightier than the sword, a fact I have discovered at my expense. But I can push back with the same. A pen for a pen? Indeed. The only weapon I have against the excesses of bureaucrats is to describe what I saw and witnessed. My goal is not to discredit anyone in particular, so there will be no names of individuals or companies here, apart from public services who are at the service of the citizens (in theory at least). I will only describe events and absurdities as I saw them. I will NEVER write about hearsay, only what I personally observed. Since the administration has riled me beyond the hinges of my normal behavior, the articles will in turn be sarcastic, cynical, comical, tragic, but always with an eye for accuracy, self-irony and fairness. In the (rare) cases where someone has been fair and done their job correctly, I will not hesitate to report this as well. Unfortunately, we have entered the age when stamps rule the earth. Beware the all-powerful pencil pusher that holds the rest of your life hanging at the tip of his little stamp...

I hope you will enjoy this blog for its entertainment value, but if even only one person will benefit from the lessons I had to endure, then I think this effort will not have been in vain.

Have fun and don't hesitate to contact me with your questions and comments!