Month: October 2002

Weight-loss news: 13st 2lb. Just one pound lost this week, probably as a result of eating far too much food. Still, it is progress.

Dymo.

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I’m shattered. Today has been all too much to take in. I really should have started acting on it all this evening, but I’m still taking it in. Although, actually, I have started acting, in that I have initiated some of the fact-finding that I need to do.
Even more distressing is that one of the bulbs in my new light fitting in the kitchen has ceased functioning – and it’s only how many weeks old??

After Newslog comes Angus Roxburgh’s Eurodiary – intelligent and well considered, but not as witty and sharply entertaining as Nick Robinson’s writings.
Nick says in his farewell message that he hopes that Newslog will continue. I wonder who would be an appropriate author – Andrew Marr? John Pienaar?

Sorry for the prolonged and excessive silence today. This can be entirely attributed to my participation in a six-and-a-half hour long meeting. However, this meeting was a good thing, although, for reasons of business confidentiality, I can not discuss it here. Let’s just say that the future is bright, or at least promises to be, if all things work out well. Lots of “if”s and “but”s yet, but I’m optimistic.
There are other things afoot too. Which may also prove to be good. Can’t tell you about them either.

Anti-content. I’m so proud of my website some days.

Go look at kittens instead.

Cold and frosty this morning, with a bright low sun. A proper autumn morning.

This article seems to suggest that Estelle Morris was forced to resign because of failures that were not of her own making. I disagree.
Whilst the events that led to the situation with A levels and other issues with which she has struggled since taking up her post may have been set in train by her predecessors in that office, it must surely be the responsibility of the secretary of state of any government department to direct his or her staff to anticipate problems before they arise, and take preventative and remedial action to stop those problems developing into crises. In this respect, Estelle Morris has clearly failed, and it is right that she has resigned – she clearly was not in control of her department, as problems seem to mount up and ambush her without warning, with her appearing to be totally unprepared to handle them.
There is no doubt that she was enthusiastic and passionate about her work. Unfortunately, she simply does not have the skills and competences to carry it out effectively.
And if the problems were the making of her predecessor…. how come Mr Blunkett can get away with it?

Blimey. Two instances of governmental incompetence in one day. And that’s only the ones I’ve mentioned here.
Next: opposition incompetence. When the last Tory government was struggling with so many cock-ups, the Labour opposition was quite reasonably pouncing on everything that came its way and making use of it to discredit the incumbents. Why on earth is the current opposition not doing the same?

radio grayblog listeners can rejoice at the news that I have added six new tracks this evening, and even updated the playlist. You lucky people! And you’ll be even more excited to know that I have another two or three tracks up my sleeve too, and should add them in the next few days. I bet you can hardly wait!
Those of you who have been paying attention will know that this brings the total number of tracks to 103 with a total duration just a few seconds short of eight hours.

I don’t put enough food links on this site. I should put more, else my credentials as a foodie will be scuppered.
So here is one for you: the New York Times report on the Southern Foodways Alliance Barbeque Convention which tackled such thorny issues as how to make a kosher sauce and the threat to “handcrafted” barbeque from “bastard” meat in barbeque sauce sold by supermarkets.