Flannel

I wrote to my new MP. Angela Smith, MP for Hillsborough, and she replied. I raised my concerns about ID cards and she replied with the usual flannel about biometrics being proven technology (but not that they are proven not to work 10% of the time) and the government being confident of getting the system right first time (just like they haven’t managed to do with every other IT system so far). So far, so nu-labour aparachtik, and not really a huge surprise by any stretch of the imagination.

You know the worst thing though, the very worst thing about this letter? Not the flannel, not the smug complacency, not the party line drafted by some faceless spin doctor somewhere.

No.

I quote -

I along with other MP’s have raised this issue …

Apart from the missing commas and the pompously split infinitive, it’s the grocer’s apostrophe. Grrrrr. Will she voting in favour of ID card’s in the house of commons tonight?

On the road ... again

Twenty five degrees and the heat haze rising off the asphalt like a demon.

I left home a little after half past seven this morning and nearly three hours later I've traveled sixteen miles. Apparently it's an overturned lorry in the road works between Sheffield and Chesterfield and the motorway is now shut whilst men in reflective jackets look at it and scratch their heads. Oh joy. I've no idea quite how you manage to turn a lorry over on a fine day in a forty mile an hour limit zone, let alone pick it up again.

Still, it is sunny, I've got air con and Tom Waites singing of a town with no cheer, which is morbidly appropriate at least. I've stopped at the services for a cheese sandwich and an iced mocha, and it occurs to me that I was stuck like this a year ago, and indeed blogged about it much as I am doing now. Is this another pattern of my life, as immutable and inevitable as the seasons of the year? Am I doomed to relive the same traffic jams like some sort of motorway based groundhog day? Perhaps the devil is in the details now? Twenty eight degrees and Tom is singing of a soldier's things as I queue to leave the services. I hear war stories of people who joined the queue at half past six and reports of slow traffic stretching back to Leeds.

Nearly twelve o'clock now and I think this jam edges out last year's, with a combination of heat and a complete lack of movement. Some drivers are sitting on the grass sunbathing, brickies with shirts off and businessmen with rolled sleeves and a cautiously loosened tie.

Nothing for it, but to turn back at junction 30 and head for home and I get there in around twenty minutes compared to the five hours or so of the outbound journey. Barmy, utterly barmy,

ID Cards

Apparently the government are considering selling your ID card details to private firms to subsidise the cost of the scheme.

Anbody still think they are a good idea?

Uncle

Tony Bannister has recently unearthed a lost episode of the Uncle TV series shown on the BBC in the 1960s. The BBC are delighted to have 'Uncle' returned to them. “We threw it away because we thought it was a load of rubbish - now we understand that it is in fact a major piece of our cultural heritage".

Here’s hoping that more clips like this one get ‘unearthed’ … :-)

Lost Uncle 

Happy Hour Again

It’s Friday night, hot and muggy, and Big Brother is on in 15 minutes – this is what you need.

Frozen Strawberry Margaritas

• Half fill a blender jug with ice cubes
• Add 3 50 ml measures of tequila
• Add 1 measure of Strawberry Schnapps (or Triple Sec)
• Add 1 measure of Grenadine Syrup
• Blend until the ice is mostly crushed
• Add half a punnet of fresh strawberries
• Blend again until smooth
• Serve with straws, drink, fall over

Cheers!

Blog survey

Watashi (I)

watashi no koto anata wa mada gokai shite iru ka mo shirenai wa ne	I guess you still don't understand me
watashi no koto anata wa ima iya na onna datte omotteru n deshoo	Even now Do you think I am a terrible girl?
soo yo watashi wa detarame de kimagure de namaiki de wagamama de zeitaku de kidoriya de usotsuki de ayafuya de iikagen	That's right! Iam irresponsible, capricious, cheeky, selfish, extravagant, affected, a liar, uncertain, and irresponsible
da kedo watashi wa yurusarechau sore wa watashi ga kawaii kara	But I get away with it because I am cute
da kedo watashi wa aisareteru sore wa watashi ga kawaii kara	But I am loved because I am cute

- Pizzicato Five