When routines are broken

One of the military’s greatest strengths is probably also one of major weaknesses.

It seems to depend on training and routine to get operating procedures burned into their personnel’s minds.

There’s little point in having the latest weaponry if those using it have to dither and refer to instructions before they can deploy it.

Imagine flying a supersonic warplane at about 1,000 mph and travelling 3,000 feet in the 2 seconds it takes to find a button or switch.

But, that can be a problem if ‘The Plan’ does not include every scenario.

We used to employ lab staff from various ‘establishments’ near Glasgow, and while they were great when working on items they’d seen, when they were handed items not encountered before, their faces went blank and their eyes glazed over – then their hands came out, and they waited expectantly for a procedure to placed there.

Wasn’t going to happen.

I’ll avoid details to ensure identification is not possible, but perhaps illustrate the problem by drawing an analogy with washing vehicles, and say their response was akin to having staff who normally washed cars come and ask for instructions on how to wash a van or lorry.

I was reminded of this as I neared the shops recently – maskless!

Shopping Mask Cat

Since I last mentioned this stupid mistake, I’d managed to add ‘Mask’ (actually face covering since I refuse to pay some profiteer for masks), I’d altered my routine to avoid forgetting this accessory, and it had become automatic.

But, find something that alters that routine and introduces a different step at some point, and like the military, your automated routine will probably fail.

In this case I had been forced to use a pocket for some extra goodies last time out, and there was still something in it.

Removing that from the pocket as I got ready meant my mental checklist thought that the ‘Mask’ box had been ticked, so when I did a superficial review as I stepped over the threshold, there was no alert generated.

I was over two thirds of the way there when I thought about what was in my pockets again, and a little alarm bell started to ring – and that was when I realised I had been tricked by that ‘alternate’ action substituting for the intended one.

Still, at least I didn’t carry on all the way to the door before discovering this mistake.

Mask Fine Cat

How people lucky enough NOT to have the Trump gene (or similar mental illnesses) behave

Also knows simply as being responsible, or sane, or not selfish, or not stupid, or not dumb, or…

Some nice comments too.

(Need to know American politics  ;-) ).

Fox News headline : Not only Biden, but now German chancellor Merkel is showing signs of dementia /s

And.

In the US the opposition would be torn between laughing at her for caring about the mask and claiming she had Alzheimers for forgetting it

Although unrelated to this specific event, it did make me think of some recent abuse I’ve noted online.

I know a chap who spends a lot of time outside, while moving through Toronto.

Although his activity keeps him away from pedestrians for the major part of the time he is out, he will occasionally don a mask if he’s out when it can be busy, which would be during the working day. On weekends/Sundays, early mornings or evenings, the streets there are largely deserted, and he usually won’t wear it, as it’s not needed if there’s nobody around.

However, it’s become notable that whenever he does wear it nowadays, comments after his videos WILL contain derogatory remarks about him reinforcing the ‘Covid Myth’, and how he either has ‘No brain of his own’, or has ‘Mindlessly accepted mass brainwashing’.

Were it remotely funny, the last commenter began with something like ‘Don’t take this personally…’, before delivering the derogatory anti-mask rhetoric against him for appearing in public with a mask ‘Like some kind of idiot’.

I just wish Darwin would kick in with a vengeance, and remove those types from the gene pool.

It’s bad enough that they put themselves at risk (and have to be treated, so denying a place to someone who was infected through no fault of their own), but they act as spreaders, endangering everyone else.

How – many – damned – times?

What I want to know is, Why don’t the memory cells start working until I’m exactly halfway between the shops and home?

Shopping Mask Cat

Guess the road to eggs, bread, milk is paved with wine, beer, chocolate.