(no subject)

What the hell is drinking chocolate made of?

Whatever the damn stuff is, it isn't soluble. Boil up the water, pour it in over your three or four spoons full of chocky powder and stir like a dervish. Allow to cool slightly and try to drink. The previously thick brown beverage is now a pale mud-coloured gunk thingy with the makings of a habitat for aquatic life at the bottom of the mug.

There is something of the village pond here, complete with ducking stool and scum-stagnant slither. But it's not chocolate. Admittedly if you give this confection another stir, it darkens up again and spreads the flavour back into the water, but it doesn't dissolve, it merely suspends and then only for the duration of the stir.

I fancy making some in a beer glass and timing how long it takes for the sediment to accumulate and the water to clear. I reckon the major separation would take about ten minutes, but the very light particles may take as many as two days to fully settle, though the whole mess would be transparent and muddy long before that.

Coffee dissolves, tea transfuses and malt drinks er... malt. But there is something of the iron filing about drinking chocolate.

It can't be right. It flies in the face of nature.

(no subject)

What the hell is drinking chocolate made of?

Whatever the damn stuff is, it isn't soluble. Boil up the water, pour it in over your three or four spoons full of chocky powder and stir like a dervish. Allow to cool slightly and try to drink. The previously thick brown beverage is now a pale mud-coloured gunk thingy with the makings of a habitat for aquatic life at the bottom of the mug.

There is something of the village pond here, complete with ducking stool and scum-stagnant slither. But it's not chocolate. Admittedly if you give this confection another stir, it darkens up again and spreads the flavour back into the water, but it doesn't dissolve, it merely suspends and then only for the duration of the stir.

I fancy making some in a beer glass and timing how long it takes for the sediment to accumulate and the water to clear. I reckon the major separation would take about ten minutes, but the very light particles may take as many as two days to fully settle, though the whole mess would be transparent and muddy long before that.

Coffee dissolves, tea transfuses and malt drinks er... malt. But there is something of the iron filing about drinking chocolate.

It can't be right. It flies in the face of nature.

Bless Blunkett and pass me my jackboots

It's a while since they made my blood boil, but they've done it.

Once again the ID card is being touted by HM Government as an important tool in the fight against terrorism. And to press their suit, the Government is touting a MORI telephone survey which apparently reveals that 80% of the British public are happy to carry such cards.

It seems that we will have to take their word for this since I can't find a copy of the poll results online; given the importance of the issue it would be comforting to see the full poll rather than rely on reported results. Having said that, I shouldn't like to be seen to impugn the integrity of MORI who are an experienced and well-respected organisation in this field. I understand that generally, telephone polls of 1,000 - as long as they are drawn on a good sample - are valid +/- 3 percentage points.

Nonetheless, it seems that there is no public enthusiasm in the Government's ability to introduce ID cards efficiently and smoothly. Similarly, fewer than one in five actually want to pay for the card. The Times carries the story too, noting that " the poll indicates that less than 25 per of people are either concerned or fairly concerned about the potential negative impact on personal freedom. Almost 50 per cent are not at all concerned about the impact on their own freedom."

Once again, the Government are trotting out the tired old line that ID Cards -particularly biometric ID Cards - will be an invaluable tool in the fight against terrorism and other organised crime. Once again they fail to explain how, though with any luck that will be covered in the draft ID Card Bill which the Times tells us is to be published next Monday (26 April). Presumably the argument will be along the lines that the Madrid bombers wouldn't have been effective if Spanish ID Cards contained biometric data.

Clearly there is some kind of double-think that is bordering on the psychotic, here. We are being invited to believe that ID Cards will reduce the threat of terror and organised crime, at the same time we are told that it will not be compulsory to have such cards on your person. You can keep it at home if you like. Excuse me if I don't see how this is going to work. Are criminals and terrorists going to carry their ID Cards with them, or is it more likely that they will just say that they left the card at home, and will be quite happy to appear at the police station later in the week, when it's more convenient.

Quite.

So in a short time, carrying them will become compulsory. They have to be, otherwise they are largely useless from a security perspective. And of course, even when carried, an ID Card is only useful if someone or something checks it. The very nature of the thing is intrusive and restrictive.

Still, it doesn't matter, does it? Not really. The Great British public is really quite docile. It hasn't screamed in rightful indignation in protest at the concept being considered by the Home Office which could see people jailed if they ignore warnings not to contact certain groups or individuals.

With the move to electronically tag terror suspects, the authorities should have the problem sewn up in no time.

Homely little world we're building for ourselves, isn't it?

Bless Blunkett and pass me my jackboots

It's a while since they made my blood boil, but they've done it.

Once again the ID card is being touted by HM Government as an important tool in the fight against terrorism. And to press their suit, the Government is touting a MORI telephone survey which apparently reveals that 80% of the British public are happy to carry such cards.

It seems that we will have to take their word for this since I can't find a copy of the poll results online; given the importance of the issue it would be comforting to see the full poll rather than rely on reported results. Having said that, I shouldn't like to be seen to impugn the integrity of MORI who are an experienced and well-respected organisation in this field. I understand that generally, telephone polls of 1,000 - as long as they are drawn on a good sample - are valid +/- 3 percentage points.

Nonetheless, it seems that there is no public enthusiasm in the Government's ability to introduce ID cards efficiently and smoothly. Similarly, fewer than one in five actually want to pay for the card. The Times carries the story too, noting that " the poll indicates that less than 25 per of people are either concerned or fairly concerned about the potential negative impact on personal freedom. Almost 50 per cent are not at all concerned about the impact on their own freedom."

Once again, the Government are trotting out the tired old line that ID Cards -particularly biometric ID Cards - will be an invaluable tool in the fight against terrorism and other organised crime. Once again they fail to explain how, though with any luck that will be covered in the draft ID Card Bill which the Times tells us is to be published next Monday (26 April). Presumably the argument will be along the lines that the Madrid bombers wouldn't have been effective if Spanish ID Cards contained biometric data.

Clearly there is some kind of double-think that is bordering on the psychotic, here. We are being invited to believe that ID Cards will reduce the threat of terror and organised crime, at the same time we are told that it will not be compulsory to have such cards on your person. You can keep it at home if you like. Excuse me if I don't see how this is going to work. Are criminals and terrorists going to carry their ID Cards with them, or is it more likely that they will just say that they left the card at home, and will be quite happy to appear at the police station later in the week, when it's more convenient.

Quite.

So in a short time, carrying them will become compulsory. They have to be, otherwise they are largely useless from a security perspective. And of course, even when carried, an ID Card is only useful if someone or something checks it. The very nature of the thing is intrusive and restrictive.

Still, it doesn't matter, does it? Not really. The Great British public is really quite docile. It hasn't screamed in rightful indignation in protest at the concept being considered by the Home Office which could see people jailed if they ignore warnings not to contact certain groups or individuals.

With the move to electronically tag terror suspects, the authorities should have the problem sewn up in no time.

Homely little world we're building for ourselves, isn't it?

(no subject)

Oh Lordy.

For some reason I am absolutely knackered. I don't feel particularly stressed or anything, but I am having difficulty sleeping again. Only this time it's not the inability to get to sleep so much as the waking up at about 5 am and only dozing thereafter. So I think it will be an early night tonight.

I have thoughtfully taken tomorrow off, blowing the last day of my annual leave. Boo. Oh, but hang on, my new leave year starts on 1 May when it recharges to 30 days. Yay!

Tomorrow is kit collecting and then travelling to north London to meet up with DT sans LJ at which point we intrepid pair shall strike out blindly for Saffron Walden where the Von Twine and SquAmy game, La Commedia is to be played. This will be the first thing I've played in since the old Mac Games Levant 1. It will be nice to be on the player scum side of the event for once instead of writing the buggers. I must re-read the character sheet, other than the fact I'm playing a knackered old military veteran of 64 (- any comments about type casting or similar will meet with punitive reaction, so behave back there in the cheap seats), I can't actually remember what I'm supposed to be doing. I tell you, my memory is fading like an old silk flower in a sunny window.

Tired. Absolutely shattered. Bed now I think, and it's not even 11 o'clock. This is unheard of for yours truly...

(no subject)

Oh Lordy.

For some reason I am absolutely knackered. I don't feel particularly stressed or anything, but I am having difficulty sleeping again. Only this time it's not the inability to get to sleep so much as the waking up at about 5 am and only dozing thereafter. So I think it will be an early night tonight.

I have thoughtfully taken tomorrow off, blowing the last day of my annual leave. Boo. Oh, but hang on, my new leave year starts on 1 May when it recharges to 30 days. Yay!

Tomorrow is kit collecting and then travelling to north London to meet up with DT sans LJ at which point we intrepid pair shall strike out blindly for Saffron Walden where the Von Twine and SquAmy game, La Commedia is to be played. This will be the first thing I've played in since the old Mac Games Levant 1. It will be nice to be on the player scum side of the event for once instead of writing the buggers. I must re-read the character sheet, other than the fact I'm playing a knackered old military veteran of 64 (- any comments about type casting or similar will meet with punitive reaction, so behave back there in the cheap seats), I can't actually remember what I'm supposed to be doing. I tell you, my memory is fading like an old silk flower in a sunny window.

Tired. Absolutely shattered. Bed now I think, and it's not even 11 o'clock. This is unheard of for yours truly...