2011 — 21 February: Monday
Oh, my aching legs!1 It's a dull start, but not yet raining, so I shall nip out to grab my next round of supplies before breakfast. Not before a cuppa, though.
I watched "Oyster Farmer" last night — it was every bit as delightful as I could have hoped. [Pause] Nicely uncrowded in the stupormarket at this dozy hour, so now let the (next) crockpot stuffing prep commence. It's 09:35 and the drizzle is moderately heavy.
Laugh or cry?
Here's exactly the sort of software nonsense story that serves only to bolster my already firm preference for the "cock up" theory of history rather than the "conspiracy" theory. Source and snippet:
French officials, upset that their planes were being grounded, commissioned a secret study concluding that the technology was a fabrication. Presented with the findings soon after the 2003 episode, Bush administration officials began to suspect that "we got played," a former counterterrorism official said.
The C.I.A. never did an assessment to determine how a ruse had turned into a full-blown international incident, officials said, nor was anyone held accountable. In fact, agency officials who oversaw the technology directorate — including Donald Kerr, who helped persuade George J. Tenet, then the director of central intelligence, that the software was credible — were promoted, former officials said. "Nobody was blamed," a former C.I.A. official said. "They acted like it never happened."
Recall the stages of any technology project. They always include punishment of the innocent and reward of the uninvolved.
Recall, too, Walt Kelly's Pogo... "we have met the enemy, and he is us". Here's a delicious "top of the flops" list. Interesting to note that the talented lads and lasses of one of the top miscreants will be (once again) running the UK census (a fatuous exercise that is predicted to cost £482,000,000) this year. How do I spell "Jedi"?
This looked interesting...
... and was one of those titles I found when I meandered down one of those long "people who bought this also bought..." chains.2 They are sometimes on target:
Besides, I've long been a sucker for alternate-reality and alternate-history tales. (More here.)
Mr Postie also dropped off the latest minor-league benison from Mr ERNIE but that will have to wait until after a spot of lunch. It's 13:13 and I seem to be starving. Again.
The weather is now (15:08) so dull, grey and grisly/drizzly that I curtailed my intended afternoon expotition after the bank and instead headed straight home. Fine music and a warm house trumps cold, wet, crowded motorways hereabouts every time. Besides, I have a radical economic theory: if I'm not in a shop I have a slightly lower chance of spending my pensioner's mite. (It's only a theory — and not a good one at that.)
In gentle pursuit of a related theory I've just shut down a standing order from the bank that was primarily Christa's and re-started it from the bank that was primarily mine. I shall once again toddle down into Eastleigh in a week or so to make sure the payments have switched over and are, as it were, hitting the correct target.3 This is the only painless way I can think of to acquire a new car in years to come. Watch this space.
My how Time flies
The next crockpot of hot nutritious goodness is subtly announcing its presence (and, indeed, its readiness). With perfect timing, the track that's just popped up on "shuffle" is "Miss Otis regrets (she's unable to lunch today)" in the version by The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl. It's 17:59 already. Amazing. [Pause] Taking a break to do the dishes at the end of the (extended) first episode of "Kings" it's been ridiculously enjoyable so far. Reminds me of the 1995 Richard Loncraine film (Richard III) but with added simplification. It's 20:18 and I'm going to dive back in.