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Automatically generated diary of the boom

?- go( [boom] ).

<actors>
envt
stage
mark_steel
mr_bruce

<weather>
[bad,gales]

<intro>
IT'S BOOMING BRITAIN!

<day 1>
E:state=boom causes B:out=promotion
B:out=promotion entails MS:in=promotion
MS:in=promotion entails MS:job=promotion
MS:job=promotion entails MS:money=high
focus [in]
stage!
  suggest S:mood=glowing (intro_mood)
  suggest a/in/econ_setting/ (intro_setting)
  MS:econ_setting=explanation(boom)
  focus [in,econ_setting]
  suggest i/emot/ (emote)
  MS:money=high causes MS:emot=joy(money_high)
  focus [in,econ_setting,emot]
-

Mr Bruce called me into his office earlier today. 
"It's good news", he said. "From Monday, we'd like
you to join Quality Control. We'll be giving
you a pretty decent rise, and we think you'll
find the job a good deal more interesting. The work
will be challenging, but we have every confidence
that you'll manage it". [in]

The economy was bubbling like 
yeasty dough. New jobs were being 
created at a rate of knots, 
office buildings sprouting like dandelions, 
cafes hiring staff by the hour to feed the hungry hordes. 
Hungry hordes who were gulping down Bruce's Better
Bakes by the bellyful. "We're desperate to attract more
staff", he said, "but it takes time to find and
train them, and there's so much competition. We'll
soon have it sorted out, but we hope you won't
mind the odd busy day in the meantime." [econ_setting]

Wonderful! [emot]


<day 2>
stage! 
  suggest i/act/ (do_something)
  MS:job \= unemp causes MS:act=visit_work
  focus [act]
  suggest b/act/see_traffic/ (illustrate_traffic)
  E:state=boom causes MS:see_traffic=high
  focus [see_traffic,act]
-

Cycling to work, I notice how busy the roads had become. As, making my way down
the lane at the end of our road, juggernauts forced me
into gaps in the hedge, my ears picked up the reverberations
of yet more juggernauts thundering down to the estate
several roads away. [see_traffic]

I cycle to work. [act]


<day 3>
MS:job=promotion causes MS:stress=med 
stage!
  suggest i/see_econ/ (illustrate_boom_wage_demands)
  E:state=boom causes MS:see_econ=bwd_strike 
  focus [see_econ]
-

There's a strike at the Sandy Lane depot - profits 
are rising, and they want their share. Delivery drivers who were turned away by
the pickets swear they saw the leader standing on a table
and yelling "Not a single biscuit shall leave Sandy Lane". 
So we were left to pick up the crumbs, as it were. [see_econ]


<day 4>
stage!
  suggest i/emot/ (illustrate_stress)
  MS:job=promotion causes MS:stress=high
  MS:stress=high causes MS:emot=stress(work)
  focus [emot]
-

Delivery men stuck in traffic jams. Strikes. The people who
provide us with freshly shelled eggs (safety regulations dictate
you can't shell your own eggs) has a run on supplies and has
had to cancel - men may work faster but the hens will not. 
Late nights. Cramming down a cold Pat's Perfect Pasty for lunch
as I inspect the rotary moulds. It's not worth it. [emot]


<day 5>
stage!
  suggest MS:act=step_down (resolve_tension_and_close)
  focus [act]
  i/emot/ 
  MS:act=step_down causes MS:emot=relief(stress(work))
  focus [act,emot]
close
-

I have asked for my old post back. The pay isn't so
good, but at least I'll see my son before he's asleep each night. I look
at the new QC supervisor and think "Do you never ever ever,
as you fill in your hundredth Eccles Cake Inspection Docket of the day,
when you wish it were only half-past five but know it's
half-past nine, consider grabbing that filing cabinet,
setting fire to the thing, and lobbing it straight through
the window?". I know I did. [act]

It is such a relief to be in touch with my family once more. [emot]


END

30 March 2003.

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