Site Restructuro

'Manus II', the complete second edition, has now been published. With that, the standalone pages that featured some individual articles from that edition have now been verifiably decommissioned. I hope you find the new 'Manus Index / Table of Contents' page with clickable links directly to each individual piece of content a good way to quickly find your own personal favourites.

Life in EI I.T. - An Illustrated History

Many thanks to Paul Donlon for this collection of gems. A bit rough and ready at the moment, but worth putting out there now for all to enjoy as much as I did.

Why did Manus go off the air?

This is is probably the simplest explanation for those wondering why Manus Sinistra took a hiatus. The original editorial staff collectively followed a Shakespearan stage direction ('Exeunt') while this SVN was one of several that appeared in 1988 looking for fresh meat. And for some professionals to work with such meat, although those vacancies may have been unrelated.

The HR person who wrote the SVN likely flourished in the property boom describing hovels with ridiculous asking prices if the expression "attractive salary progression" is anything to go by. In fairness, I did progress from bread-line to subsistence by the end of probation, so I can't complain.

Thanks to Paul Donlon for this and some other treasures that will be appearing shortly.

Manus Sinistra I (XI - MCMXCIII) - The Complete First Edition

Right, added the final few elements to Manus I - it's now complete. Notable addition is the Organ Donor Card with what appears to be a hand drawn logo. Not sure if Brian did this or it was around from the original series.

Favourite Links

Okay, okay, the "Favourite Links" are very self-indulgent. But then I couldn't think of anybody else I'd rather indulge. Ecco homo, ergo elk.

I.T. Times & GRAMANAS

The Manus Sinistra Archive, while not quite the Library of Congress (let's call it a Library of the Incongruous) just keeps on giving. In what appeared to be a flagrant mooning of the flaccid rag mentioned in an apology in the same edition, and an apparent breach of copyright that could ruffle Big Bird's feathers, Manus Sinistra II (published II - MCMXCIV) lead with a daring backpage title and theme that could easily have been mistaken. Of course, upon closer inspection, even authoritarians with an overstated sense of personal power soon knew they would have to bide their time and wait for a better opportunity to bring these subversives to their knees.

It also featured the much loved GRAMANAS, anagrams of the names of actual people working in I.T. at the time or shortly before. Productivity was inversely proportional to the craic that was had developing these. I found myself chuckling like the addled old fool I will shortly become (two out of three ain't bad for now) as I rewrote my favourite, the brilliantly simple: "I RISK EATING".

Enjoy!

Manus Puzzle Page

Like any self respecting publication, Manus Sinistra of course contained a puzzle page to cater to the more educated elements of its readership.

But being Manus, it took it one step further and created new games, such as this cross-chess-word.

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As well as putting its own take on more familiar puzzle formats. As with many things Manus, things were not always as they first appear.

Do you find conventional newspaper puzzles are not enough for you as you struggle for identity as a middle-management wage slave? No problem. Try our award winning (sic.) board game 'RESTRUCTURO!'. You'll now be able to look out the window in the morning safe in the knowledge that you'll still have something to do in the afternoon.

Buzzphrase Generator

Published as it was before the advent of the internet, Manus Sinistra's version of the Buzzphrase Generator deserves its due. Of course it never would have been possible without the BIS/BeeCom structured methodology course that everyone went to around this time.

Apology

In the last issue of Manus Sinistra, we ran an article which referred to 'The I.T. Times' as a "flaccid rag". We would like to make it clear that this article should have been titled "Habeamus Manus" and not "Habaemus Manus". We apologise for this spelling mistake and regret any distress it may have caused.

Liam's Lament

Brian Drumm's unique poem, as delivered at the 1992 CLAP luncheon if I recall, has been posted.

Keeping the legend alive

Will attempt to transfer the small hard copies I have of three Manus Sinistra editions I have from the late '93 and early '94 era for posterity. Or at least for all the bums who worked in Imbus House at that time. I believe Brian Drumm was editor in chief in this incarnation of Manus. First edition of the new era is now available.