Being a U2 fan I was surprised to hear the voice of Johnny Cash on the 1993 album Zooropa. I had only heard the odd track of his on the radio up till then. Things like 'Boy Named Sue' and songs from the San Quentin or Folsom Prison records. But it was not until he was nearly dead that I started to buy his music and I started with the American Recordings. I have the first 4 and await number 5. The recent movie about him 'Walk the Line' I thought was great.

Rick Rubin I believe is responsible for the revival of Johnny Cash's career in the last decade of his life and we should all thank him for that, Cash's voice singing 'Hurt' or 'Personal Jesus' is just amazing.

This weekend I bought the new Neil Diamond album '12 Songs'. Again a Rick Rubin production. I am not sure if Diamond was in need of a career boost but I think he will get one from this album. I bought because I had heard Neil Diamond in my youth as one of my siblings owned one of his albums but also because I suspected that the Rubin methods would produce a clear and strong vocal sound. Like Cash Diamond has a distinct voice and this recording more then does it justice.

Today I read on the BBC site about the imminent arrival of ubiqitious wireless Internet access and what this will mean for business. In particular they believe that the 19th Century attitiude that all production must take place in a central location is waning.

As I have been a home worker for nearly 2 years I have to say it's true. Broadband internet access and this availailty of application like Citrix, develpment in web technology such as XML have led to methods that allow people to access centrally held data remotely.

The article ends on a less positive note giving the warning the people may not be able to escape the office due thing like 'Push Email'. Yes it can be difficult to remember to turn off the PC and you can find yourself doing more hours as a home worker then you did in an office. So we come to the HR phrase of the decade 'Work-life Balance'.
Yes it is the responsibility of the individual to turn off the work equipment and leave the space assigned to work. It is also the responsibility of managers to epxect and insist that this happens. They should not attempt to contact a person on holiday before the arrival of the mobile phone you couldn't.

So here are some tips if you are being asked to be a home worker:

1 Get a seperate Land Line so if you need to you and turn off the ringer and let the answer phone take the calls.

2 If they want your mobile number get them to supply one so that you can turn it off when your not working .

3 If possible have a seperate PC for work but at least have a different email software for your work and person email.

4 Don't start work till 9Am. Take a lunch break away from your desk. Finish on time most things can wait till the moring.

5 If you have to work extra hours tell your boss he won't know otherwise.

6 Turn off all the work equipment at the end of your work day.

7 Lastly try and meet up with colleagues , in worktime, at least once a month to maintain the links.

Back in Barcleona

Here I am half way through week 2 in Barcelona. I did go home for the weekend.Last week, on the whole was uneventfull. Myself and a colleague spent 2 nights in the town centre looking for the best Creme de Catalan (a desert not unlikeCreme Brule), but the only excitment was on Tuesday a 'Lady of the Night' patted me on the behind and offered to come home with me. Needless to say I ran away.

I would like to see more of the city but my hotel is almost a 20 minute drive from the centre of town and by the time I leave the customers office and change at the hotel it is already dark. So Barcelona is now added to the list of places to visit for at least a weekend. Someday I will formalise this list, start visiting these places and start tick them off.

Well it's nearly lunchtime and unlike yesterday I hope we will go back to the restaurant that gives you a menu when you sit down not 40 minutes later and where we can be back in the office within in the hour allowed not 50 minutes late.