The local council, according to a report yesterday (for which I can unfortunately find no WWW URI), is discouraging its staff from sending internal emails in favour of walking down the corridor and conducting a face-to-face conversation. Not only is this good exercise for people in a sedentary job, but it also fosters better working relationships and exchange of useful information across departmental boundaries.
It also reduces the amount of hard information available for Freedom of Information requests and court hearings, but perhaps I am unduly cynical. ;-)
Tuesday, 11 August 2009
What is the Burmese junta up to?
Sydney Morning Herald reports that amateur observers, using Google Earth, have spotted a machine shop in the Burmese jungle, not far from where, it was earlier reported, the ruling junta was carrying out nuclear experiments.
Experts say that there is nothing to suggest that this is a nuclear installation. However, it does seem likely that the plant has some purpose which the undemocratic Myanmar administration does not wish to publicise.
There are people in this country who want the West to invade Burma because of its human rights abuses (such as the latest imposition on Aung San Suu Kyi). I couldn't subscribe to that - it was what got us into Iraq, at bottom - but if the junta is concocting something which threatens Burma's neighbours, then it must be put a stop to.
Experts say that there is nothing to suggest that this is a nuclear installation. However, it does seem likely that the plant has some purpose which the undemocratic Myanmar administration does not wish to publicise.
There are people in this country who want the West to invade Burma because of its human rights abuses (such as the latest imposition on Aung San Suu Kyi). I couldn't subscribe to that - it was what got us into Iraq, at bottom - but if the junta is concocting something which threatens Burma's neighbours, then it must be put a stop to.
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Celebration time
At long last, Glamorgan have come good. The county always seems to do well at Colwyn Bay, and perhaps the management should consider staging more than one week's worth of cricket there. (The same goes for Swansea, of course.)
For most of Thursday afternoon, it looked like the old story was going to be retold. A good start by the top order was wasted as the nominal batsmen seemed merely content to match Leicestershire's first innings total, rather than pass it and go on to build a match-winning total. Fortunately, the old hand Robert Croft and the apprentice Adam Shantry read the situation aright and put on 197 for the ninth wicket. Croft and Harrison (who has in the past not batted too responsibly) added another 73 for the last wicket, giving plenty for the attack to bowl at. Croft on his own scored more than England managed over roughly the same period in Leeds.
Then Shantry and the spin attack of Cosker and Croft administered the final blows. Croft's ability is well-known, but Cosker must be the most underrated bowler in the county championship. Today he finished with the remarkable figures of three wickets for twelve runs, off twelve overs, eight of them maidens.
The full scorecard is at http://www.cricinfo.com/countycricket2009/engine/current/match/383026.html.
For most of Thursday afternoon, it looked like the old story was going to be retold. A good start by the top order was wasted as the nominal batsmen seemed merely content to match Leicestershire's first innings total, rather than pass it and go on to build a match-winning total. Fortunately, the old hand Robert Croft and the apprentice Adam Shantry read the situation aright and put on 197 for the ninth wicket. Croft and Harrison (who has in the past not batted too responsibly) added another 73 for the last wicket, giving plenty for the attack to bowl at. Croft on his own scored more than England managed over roughly the same period in Leeds.
Then Shantry and the spin attack of Cosker and Croft administered the final blows. Croft's ability is well-known, but Cosker must be the most underrated bowler in the county championship. Today he finished with the remarkable figures of three wickets for twelve runs, off twelve overs, eight of them maidens.
The full scorecard is at http://www.cricinfo.com/countycricket2009/engine/current/match/383026.html.
"We are not trying to turn Afghanistan into Switzerland."
The words of General Sir David Richards, who also said that Britain is in Afghanistan for the long haul. With respect, I suggest that Switzerland might be the best model for a future Afghanistan, because of similarities in physical geography and in the mixture of peoples, languages and religion. Monolithic central government has failed, as both the Russians and the Taliban found.
Where I would agree with the general is that the West should not attempt to impose a particular form of governance on the country.
Where I would agree with the general is that the West should not attempt to impose a particular form of governance on the country.
Friday, 7 August 2009
Flaming Sambuca sexual defence
There is a wince-making report in the Telegraph of a drunken British tourist getting his fishing-tackle out in a Cretan bar and a Greek woman who applied the ultimate deterrent when he wouldn't take no for an answer.
"the British reveller took down his trousers and started acting obscenely. He then 'forcefully fondled' the Greek woman, who has been dubbed the 'Cretan heroine' by local media.
"the British reveller took down his trousers and started acting obscenely. He then 'forcefully fondled' the Greek woman, who has been dubbed the 'Cretan heroine' by local media.
"After asking him to stop harassing her, she told police, she poured Sambuca, an aniseed liqueur, on him.
"This again allegedly failed to stop his advances, so she seized a lighter and set fire to the alcohol, local press reports said"Looking forward to digital Freeview
It's less than a week now before this part of the world loses analogue BBC-2 in favour of digital TV for terrestrial transmitters at Kilvey Hill and its repeaters. Kilvey is just in broadcasting penumbra this side of Skewen, but I receive a decent signal from the Briton Ferry repeater.
I confess geekily to looking forward to having BBC-Parliament available in my living-room, as well as Channel 4 News. Less worthy is the desire to see whether 5 still runs those cheesy day-time soaps like "Sunset Beach", which I used to revert to when I lived in Pontardawe and wanted to put my brain into neutral after some hard programming.
I rather jumped the gun by buying a DTV receiver cum recorder through Radio Times' readers offers when it was announced, a year or so ago, that Kilvey Hill would be transmitting a digital signal alongside the analogue. Unfortunately, it soon transpired that, for technical reasons, digital could not be transmitted at full power while analogue was in operation, so I had only tantalising glimpses of what digital could do. Now I understand that the signal standard has changed subtly so that some of the early digital receivers do not work. Fortunately, I also have a more recent dual-standard portable.
The Burry Port pilot scheme went so well, that I am confident that the transmitter company and BBC will manage the changeover smoothly. However, even established digital providers can get it wrong. The Sydney Morning Herald reports a cock-up by Channel Nine down under:
I confess geekily to looking forward to having BBC-Parliament available in my living-room, as well as Channel 4 News. Less worthy is the desire to see whether 5 still runs those cheesy day-time soaps like "Sunset Beach", which I used to revert to when I lived in Pontardawe and wanted to put my brain into neutral after some hard programming.
I rather jumped the gun by buying a DTV receiver cum recorder through Radio Times' readers offers when it was announced, a year or so ago, that Kilvey Hill would be transmitting a digital signal alongside the analogue. Unfortunately, it soon transpired that, for technical reasons, digital could not be transmitted at full power while analogue was in operation, so I had only tantalising glimpses of what digital could do. Now I understand that the signal standard has changed subtly so that some of the early digital receivers do not work. Fortunately, I also have a more recent dual-standard portable.
The Burry Port pilot scheme went so well, that I am confident that the transmitter company and BBC will manage the changeover smoothly. However, even established digital providers can get it wrong. The Sydney Morning Herald reports a cock-up by Channel Nine down under:
"Channel Nine went dark for digital television viewers across the country this week after the network switched on its new digital channel, Go!
"The new entertainment channel, which will air shows including Weeds and Curb Your Enthusiasm, is scheduled to launch officially on Sunday, but Nine switched it on on Wednesday.
"Viewers with digital TV tuners found the standard and high-definition versions of Nine went blank as soon as they picked up the new Go! channel."
Tuesday, 4 August 2009
Retouching, air-brushing and Bollywood posters
Liberal Vision has a lengthy critique of Jo Swinson's move to ban manipulation of advertising images and cinema publicity shots to enhance the attributes of female stars. This has also intrigued the press, if yesterday's Independent was anything to go by. (Note that we are all careful not to describe the process as "photoshopping", because PhotoShop is a registered trade name.)
Before computer manipulation, there was the literal airbrush, which was in turn an improvement on the retoucher's pencil. That this could give deceptive results in the hands of a master is shown by the famous photograph of Lenin haranguing a meeting with Trotsky by his side. After Stalin seized power, Trotsky mysteriously vanished from official versions of the photograph.
Making movie stars look better than they are is also not new. There are the marvellously overblown Asian and Middle Eastern posters advertising their dubbed or subtitled versions of Hollywood movies, or, in the case of India, local product. Men, as well as women, could suffer from a sense of inferiority if we took these depictions seriously.
Before computer manipulation, there was the literal airbrush, which was in turn an improvement on the retoucher's pencil. That this could give deceptive results in the hands of a master is shown by the famous photograph of Lenin haranguing a meeting with Trotsky by his side. After Stalin seized power, Trotsky mysteriously vanished from official versions of the photograph.
Making movie stars look better than they are is also not new. There are the marvellously overblown Asian and Middle Eastern posters advertising their dubbed or subtitled versions of Hollywood movies, or, in the case of India, local product. Men, as well as women, could suffer from a sense of inferiority if we took these depictions seriously.
Saturday, 1 August 2009
Congratulations to Chester-le-Street
Durham's modern cricket stadium has been awarded a Test against Australia in 2013. Having won its spurs with Zimbabwe in 2003, Chester-le-Street should have been on the roster of major test grounds long ago. Unfortunately for Durham, the EWCB decided to change the system to a commercial bidding process - one which Glamorgan won fair and square in respect of the 2009 Ashes opener, I should emphasise. One could also say that it was overdue compensation for losing the bank holiday fixtures against the tourists when the county championship was reorganised.
As a member for forty years on and off, I am proud of the way Glamorgan won over the media in its handling of that test match, when so many things could have gone wrong. The fact that Sophia Gardens (as I still think of it) is within striking distance of Cardiff's many watering-holes may have had something to do with it; it certainly commended itself to the Australians in the crowd.
I am now looking forward to the Sri Lanka test in 2011, when the weather will, I hope, be better than the last time the Sri Lankans played in Cardiff. Sangakkara brightened the sole, dismal, day then with a century. I hope he is still around in two years time to entertain us - though, please, not at the extortionate prices we had to pay for the Ashes test.
As a member for forty years on and off, I am proud of the way Glamorgan won over the media in its handling of that test match, when so many things could have gone wrong. The fact that Sophia Gardens (as I still think of it) is within striking distance of Cardiff's many watering-holes may have had something to do with it; it certainly commended itself to the Australians in the crowd.
I am now looking forward to the Sri Lanka test in 2011, when the weather will, I hope, be better than the last time the Sri Lankans played in Cardiff. Sangakkara brightened the sole, dismal, day then with a century. I hope he is still around in two years time to entertain us - though, please, not at the extortionate prices we had to pay for the Ashes test.
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