There are statistics, and then...

Further to yesterday's post, much has been made of the fact that Sebastian Vettel set a new record for pole positions of 15 this season, thus beating Nigel Mansell's previous record of 14, set back in 1992.  Well certainly 15 beats 14, but this overlooks the fact that when Mansell set his record there were only 16 races in a season, whereas this season there were 19.  So a truer comparison would be to compare where Vettel was in terms of pole positions after 16 races, and at that point he only had 12.  Indeed, on that basis he actually comes in 4th position, behind not only Mansell, but Senna and Prost as well, who each had 13 out of 16.

Formula One.

My usual look back at the season -
Vettel - well, what is there to say?  Back to back championships, and this one pretty well sewn up before the season was half over.  A fast driver in the fastest car.  Couldn't really go wrong, could he?
Button - probably his best season, in my opinion - yes, better even than when he won the championship.  The car was never really competitive and yet he was nearly always there or thereabouts.  Proved what a good driver (as opposed to a fast driver) he is.
Webber - Once again had to play second fiddle to Vettel, but was consistently in the first half-a-dozen.  Only  negative point is that, given he was driving essentially the same car as Vettel, why couldn't he do better?
Alonso - Won't go so far as to say that I'm warming to the bloke, but he too showed what a good driver can do in an underperforming car.

What the **** ?

I hope I didn't give the impression in last Wednesday's post that I think swearing at the police is acceptable.  My post was not about swearing per se but about the absurdity (as I see it) of that particular section of the Public Order Act 1986 which on the face of it puts the decision as to whether or not an offence has been committed in the hands of the "victim" rather than, as it should be, in the hands of the judge or jury.  The case in question simply affirmed that it is a matter for the court to decide.

A futile exercise.

Well it's been on my mind since I posted about it in June and I've come to a decision - if I were still a working Civil Servant I wouldn't be coming out on strike next Wednesday, and I'll tell you why - because I cannot see that it will achieve anything other than inconveniencing a lot of ordinary men and women trying to go about their everyday lives.  It's just an exercise of power for power's sake - in effect the unions are sticking two fingers up to the public and saying "We're doing this because we can and there's nothing you can do about it".  The Government are well aware that there is considerable bad feeling among public sector workers about changes to their pension schemes - the strike isn't going to tell them anything they don't already know, and if anything, it is likely to harden the Government's stance in the continuing negotiations.  It's only effect will be to cause disruption, and probably expense, to Joe Bloggs and his family, who are in no way responsible for the situation.

Hard decision.

Rob Andrew faces the classic dilemma of the head of an organisation (in this case the Rugby Football Union) when things have gone badly wrong - do you fall on your sword, or do you take the line that if you're going to be held responsible for the failure, then it's your responsibility to put matters right?  If I found myself in that position, and assuming I could look at the situation objectively, I think my approach would be - is there anybody who would be better than me at sorting things out?  If so, I go - if not, I stay.

Music Man

My other abiding memory of Amsterdam all those years ago (see yesterday's post) is that every eating place had live music.  One restaurant we went to was obviously a converted cinema.  We sat upstairs in the balcony, and on the stage was a full "big band" - some 25 strong.  Even the little cafés would have a small combo playing up the corner.  Those were the days.

The Lazy Cook

I think it's called "serendipity" when disparate ideas come together to produce a novel thought.  There was an article in last weekend's paper about open sandwiches (or "tartines" as the paper would have it) and then a few pages further on, an advertisement for holidays in Amsterdam.  And out of nowhere into my head popped the word Uitsmijter (pronounced sort of "outs-my-ter) which was our staple fare when a couple of the lads and I went to Amsterdam on a weekend pass from RAF Goch back in 1957 I think it must have been.  It's just a chunky slice of bread with a slice of cheese and a slice of ham on top and then a fried egg on top of that.  Simple but delicious. I just had to make myself one.

Score one for sagacity.

I've had occasion before to comment on Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986 which essentially makes it an offence to use language which someone else finds insulting - and the inference is that it's a matter for them as to whether they do or not.  Well a recent case has somewhat redressed the balance.  A young man repeatedly swore at the police while they were searching him for drugs and, finding none, they arrested him under the provisions of the said section.  In a decision of startling common sense, the Court of Appeal upheld the young man's assertion that the police must be so used to being sworn at that they could not realistically claim to be offended by it. So hopefully the test in the future will not depend simply on a bald assertion by the person concerned that they were offended, but will be subject to an examination as to whether it was realistic and reasonable that they should have felt that way.

Well said!

Thank the Lord for Prince Philip for saying what a lot of us are thinking - and have been for some time.  Wind turbines are not only an eyesore, they are also, to borrow his phrase, "absolutely useless".  Someone, somewhere is making a fortune out of conning us all into believing that these monstrosities are the answer to all our prayers, whereas they are about as inefficient a method of creating electricity as it is possible to imagine. They depend on an unreliable source of energy (if the wind doesn't blow, they don't work, and if the wind blows too hard, they don't work) and they cost the taxpayer a small fortune in subsidies.  Unfortunately they are the darlings of the "green lobby" who the politicians seem hell-bent on appeasing, so we're probably stuck with them.

R.I.P.

Dolly - Basil D'Oliveira - who played for Worcestershire and England and who, unwittingly perhaps, was significantly instrumental in the fall of apartheid in South Africa.
And on a different sporting tack, did you watch the Rugby League match between England and Australia on Saturday?  Twenty-six men knocking seven bells out of each other for eighty minutes and then embracing with obvious respect and affection at the final whistle.  That's the way to do it - see last Friday's post.

Natalie Wood

I remember at the time, there were mutterings that there was something suspicious about her death - her body was found floating in the water some way away from the boat on which she, her husband Robert Wagner and her co-star at the time Christopher Walken had been partying.  She was somewhat the worse for drink and the coroner decided she had fallen into the water, probably while trying to get into a dingy tied up alongside, and ruled it as accidental death.  The captain of the boat wrote a book about the incident a couple of years ago - nearly 30 years after the event - making various allegations and it appears that the "additional information" which has led the LA County Sheriff's Office to re-examine the case has come from him.  Rather spookily reminiscent of the death of Marilyn Monroe, the question is not so much about whether the death itself was accidental, but more about whether sufficient - or indeed any - attempts were made to save her. I will always remember her as Maria in "West Side Story" - a lovely lady.

We shall not be moved??

So the Pauline Prats have ripped up the eviction notices and insist they will stay put.  Of course they will - as has been said before, this is not about protest, this is about publicity, and they would like nothing more than to be dragged away kicking and screaming with the cameras looking on.  The scandal is that it has taken so long for the authorities to screw up the courage to take action against them, and the Church it would seem are still unwilling to do so.  "What would Jesus do?" is the constant refrain of the "activists" - well, my recollection is that the Man was always careful to preach obedience to the law.  Remember the "Render unto Caesar..." speech?

Misunderstood?

Seems a bit strange to be coming to the defence of Sepp Blatter, for whom I generally have little sympathy but I think he is being pilloried somewhat unfairly for his latest remarks.  It may be a language thing, but what I think he was seeking to put over is that, in any sporting contest, things may be done and said in the heat of battle as it were which should be treated as just that - things done and said in the heat of battle - and at the final whistle we should all shake hands and get on with our lives.  We seem to have reached a situation where soon players will need to think about taking a lawyer or a PR advisor onto the pitch with them, and I'm with Mr Blatter in thinking that this is not how sport should operate.

Book Post

(see post 18/11/06)


Hugh Laurie - The Gun Seller - 6 
John Connolly - The Whisperers - 7 
Harlan Coben - Miracle Cure - 7 
Janet Evanovich - Two for the Dough - 7 
Thomas Greanias - The Atlantis Revelation - 6.5
David Baldacci - Hell's Corner - 8 
Scott Mariani - The Fulcanelli Manuscript - 7.5
James Patterson - Cross Fire - 7 
Jack Higgins - Thunder Point - 7.5 
Eoin Colfer - Artemis Fowl - 9

Who?

Bit concerned about the news that there is to be a blockbuster Doctor Who film. Putting the Doctor on the big screen has of course been tried before, and therein lies my concern.  Peter Cushing made a good Doctor, and the plots stayed true to the original TV series, whereas Paul McGann was an equally good Doctor, but the plot suffered badly from being "Hollywood-ised" and I fear that this is what is likely to happen to the coming film which inevitably will depend on American money and will therefore look to the American market.  Doctor Who is quintessentially British and if you do away with that Britishness, what you have got is no longer Doctor Who.

What a good idea!

With all the fuss about recycling and dire warnings about the amount of plastic going into landfill, why haven't we heard more about "paper" bottles.  I have put paper in inverted commas, because they're not really made just out of paper - the idea is that the outer shell is paper - well more like cardboard really - and then there's a very thin layer of plastic inside to stop the liquid coming in contact with the paper/card.  The idea has been around for a couple of years or so now both here and in the US and by all accounts has been very successful, so like I say, why isn't it getting the same sort of promotional treatment that energy-saving light bulbs have been given?

Ha ha

A woman took her dog to the vet. She said, "I think my dog is dead". The vet laid the dog on the table and reached down and took a cat out of a box. The cat walked all over the dog and the dog didn't move. "Yes, your dog is dead," says the vet. 
"How much do I owe you?" the lady asks. 
"£230," says the vet. 
"£230 !!?" the lady exclaims

"Yes" says the vet "£30 for the visit and £200 for the cat scan."

Toot toot!

How nice to know that Hornby are still in business and doing well, apparently.  Like most of my generation, I had a Hornby train set as a kid and it gave me hours of fun.  And although their stuff is now manufactured in China, the company is still British.  Very heart-warming.

Crisis - what crisis?

So what exactly is the crisis over the channel?  We keep hearing that it's a "euro crisis" but as far as I can see the euro remains a stable currency and if it was in crisis the exchange rate would be going through the roof whereas it's stayed reasonably consistent against both the pound and the dollar.  So is there any significance in the fact that those countries in big debt difficulty all use the euro?  Is the problem really the EU itself rather than its currency?

We will remember them

Here dead we lie because we did not choose
To live and shame the land from which we sprung.
Life, to be sure, is nothing much to lose;
But young men think it is, and we were young.

 A.E.Housman 

Papaver rhoeas.

Despite a last-minute fudge, there is still annoyance, or even anger in some circles, at FIFA's decision not to allow England to display remembrance poppies on their shirts for the forthcoming friendly match against Spain. You can (or at least I can) see FIFA's point - if we allow this, we will be besieged by other organisations saying "Me too, me too".  It's worth remembering that the poppy tradition is essentially just a British and Commonwealth one - the rest of the world don't observe it, and indeed some of them don't understand it (remember all the fuss in China this time last year?).  What is difficult to understand is how the poppy offends against FIFA's rule that "shirts should not carry political, religious or commercial messages". Apparently they categorise the poppy as "political", though as political means relating to (state) policy, I can't see how they justify that.  And as FIFA's rule appears to apply only to shirts, does that mean you can put what you like on shorts, or socks?

Would have expected better?

You would think that charities would act charitably, wouldn't you?  Well, it appears not so.  A Birmingham man was the main beneficiary in the will of his long-time partner.  She specified what she was leaving him, with any balance to go to two charities.  In the event, there was no balance, but shortly before she died she made a payment to him of a fairly substantial amount.  Given the history of their relationship there seems little doubt that she intended this as a gift, but the charities claimed it was a loan and therefore should be treated as part of her estate.  They took the matter to court and won, with the result that the man now faces legal costs which will wipe out the inheritance she left him.  Whatever the legal position (which rather surprisingly considering today's attitudes depends heavily on the fact that they were not married) the actions of these charities have left the man destitute.  Not very charitable, I would suggest.

Not a lot of people know that.

Although the thwarting of the Gunpowder Plot is celebrated by bonfires and fireworks on November 5th, Guy Fawkes was actually discovered and arrested late on the evening of the 4th.  The 5th was the date of the State Opening of Parliament when the explosion was supposed to happen.

Unison.

According to the General Secretary of the above union, the recent ballot resulted in a "decisive" vote in favour of a strike.  Around 75% voted for taking strike action on a 30% turnout.  Do the maths - that's less than a quarter of the membership.  How decisive can you get?  I refer back to my post of 7th June.

The Lazy Cook

Well yesterday was Bonfire Night and also on a cookery programme on TV in the morning was a rerun of Keith Floyd (of beloved memory) making groaty pudding which apparently is a traditional Black Country dish.  So?? Well, I'm from the Black Country and I have never heard of groaty pudding, but the fact that it was Bonfire Night reminded me of another traditional dish from round here - grey peas and bacon (grey pays 'n bercun). Grey peas are also known as pigeon peas and you get them from pet shops or health food shops.  You soak them overnight and put them in a saucepan with some chopped onion, pearl barley and bacon which has been cut into small pieces and browned off in the frying pan.  Add some stock to cover and simmer for about four hours.  Although the peas are brown, the liquid from them is grey - hence the name.  Delish!

Sensationalism?

Papers full of headlines like "Fathers denied right to see children" following the publication of a report into family justice.  So what's the story?  The report was generally expected to say that, following divorce, the child or children of the marriage should have the legal right to a "meaningful relationship with both parents", but in the event, the report does not include that recommendation.  So what about that headline?  Firstly, you can hardly be said to be"denied" a right which you've never had, and secondly, as regards custody and access matters, the report simply leaves things as they are.  Fathers - or for that matter any other family members - are no better or worse off than they were before.  The welfare of the child remains paramount, as it was and should be.

O Leerie, I’ll go round at night and light the lamps with you.

Did you know that there are still some 1600 gas lights in London?  And probably more scattered around the country.  So the lamplighter still exists does he?  I wonder if he still goes round tapping on people's bedroom windows with his pole to wake them up in the mornings as he's on his rounds to turn them off?

A little OTT I fear.

A convenience store in Essex has come under fire for refusing to sell a bottle of whisky to a 92-year-old lady because she couldn't produce satisfactory ID to prove she was over 18.  The shop says that it is a condition of their licence that they must see photo ID before selling alcohol.  So what is the situation?  The Home Office does indeed require any premises selling alcohol to have an "age verification policy" but the important point here - which the shop seem to have overlooked - is that this only kicks in where the would-be purchaser "appears to be under the age of 18".  Of course no shop is obliged to sell anything to anyone, and can specify what requirements they like - most supermarkets require those apparently under 25 wishing to buy alcohol to prove their age for instance.  So the shop was within its rights not to sell her the whisky, but not for the reason they gave.  And this does raise the question of where this leaves those fancying buying a drink who do not have photo ID - not everybody has a passport or drives a car.

Succession.

Primogeniture is in the news as a result of an apparent agreement between the various "realms" of the British monarchy to change the rules to allow the first-born child of the monarch to succeed to the throne, irrespective of gender.  Strictly speaking, primogeniture itself simply means first-born, but custom going back to the time of the Normans - and indeed beyond - held that males took precedence over females, and so that concept became part of the common law.  I don't think there can be much argument that it has no place in modern society and is long overdue for reform.  I am far more concerned about the proposal that the restriction on the monarch marrying a Roman Catholic should also be abolished - not because I have anything against Roman Catholics (some of my best friends etc....), but because, as I mentioned in a previous post, it would raise the possibility of a future Catholic monarch being head of the Church of England which would be a constitutional nonsense.

R.I.P.

Jimmy Saville - flamboyant showman who did a tremendous amount of good and charitable work behind the scenes.  Well done mate - you will be missed.