Random grumblings of the too awake...

It can be a wee bit disconcerting when your PC sends a thunderclap at you when you boot it up.

The problem is, see, that I generally leave the speakers turned off unless I am listening to music. I hate the odd little clunks, clicks, clacks and kerchungs that Microsquash programmers seem to feel are so helpful. Equally, most websites when they have music on them - and I am stretching the meaning of it beyond its literal definition - lean toward the chimp on a Bontempi school of orchestration. So all in all, silence is best.

The downside is that when I forget to turn the speakers off, I get a very loud thunderclap which invariably makes me jump out of my seat in shock. And since this happens so very rarely, I can't be bothered to root around Windows and turn all the noises off. Maybe I should.

For no reason I have decided to list the next 10 random tracks my jukebox has kicked out while I am typing:

• Utopia by Goldfrapp


• Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles


• Any Road by George Harrison


• I'll Try Anything by Dusty Springfield


• Losing Grip by Avril Lavigne


• Heyday BBC Session by Fairport Convention


• The Sacro-iliac by 10cc


• Snookeroo by Ringo Starr


• These Dreams by Robbie Williams


• Bleed by Catatonia

Truly, Shuffle is the greatest function you can have on an MP3 player after a play list itself.

Late breaking news suggests that the good citizens of North East England are about to throw out the idea of a Regional Assembly in the local referendum. Good news all round. Another expensive talking shop in an already over governed country is not needed. What do they think we are, France? Back in the day when I thought of myself as a woolly Liberal, before the onset of disillusionment with UK democracy (an oxymoron if ever there was one), I thought they would be a good idea.

Now I think they are a risible idea - in the form proposed by the Government, at any rate. But it looks as though good English sense has prevailed in the North East, and the entire idea will die. A bit of a blow for my boss, Johnny Prescott, but them's the breaks when the idea is fundamentally unsound. It does illustrate though, why the public should be more involved in decisions, and given the power to over rule politicians.

Sadly, the UK being what it is, the politicos will doubtless try it again in a different form. Keep trying until you get the answer you want and then never ask again. Bit like the EEC referendum of 1973 really. Vote for a free, Common Market and wake up in a nascent European Superstate. No need to ask the people about that. Well, not until they can be trusted to agree with a Government who know better.

Not saying that I'm a slow typist, but: it's official: the North East Assembly is dead. Hurrah. Good job, Geordie.

The total number of people voting against the plans was 696,519, while 197,310 voted in favour.

Official figures showed 47.8% of the region's 1.9 million voters took part in the all-postal ballot.

Enough. Time to do something even more trivial...

Random grumblings of the too awake...

It can be a wee bit disconcerting when your PC sends a thunderclap at you when you boot it up.

The problem is, see, that I generally leave the speakers turned off unless I am listening to music. I hate the odd little clunks, clicks, clacks and kerchungs that Microsquash programmers seem to feel are so helpful. Equally, most websites when they have music on them - and I am stretching the meaning of it beyond its literal definition - lean toward the chimp on a Bontempi school of orchestration. So all in all, silence is best.

The downside is that when I forget to turn the speakers off, I get a very loud thunderclap which invariably makes me jump out of my seat in shock. And since this happens so very rarely, I can't be bothered to root around Windows and turn all the noises off. Maybe I should.

For no reason I have decided to list the next 10 random tracks my jukebox has kicked out while I am typing:

• Utopia by Goldfrapp


• Magical Mystery Tour by The Beatles


• Any Road by George Harrison


• I'll Try Anything by Dusty Springfield


• Losing Grip by Avril Lavigne


• Heyday BBC Session by Fairport Convention


• The Sacro-iliac by 10cc


• Snookeroo by Ringo Starr


• These Dreams by Robbie Williams


• Bleed by Catatonia

Truly, Shuffle is the greatest function you can have on an MP3 player after a play list itself.

Late breaking news suggests that the good citizens of North East England are about to throw out the idea of a Regional Assembly in the local referendum. Good news all round. Another expensive talking shop in an already over governed country is not needed. What do they think we are, France? Back in the day when I thought of myself as a woolly Liberal, before the onset of disillusionment with UK democracy (an oxymoron if ever there was one), I thought they would be a good idea.

Now I think they are a risible idea - in the form proposed by the Government, at any rate. But it looks as though good English sense has prevailed in the North East, and the entire idea will die. A bit of a blow for my boss, Johnny Prescott, but them's the breaks when the idea is fundamentally unsound. It does illustrate though, why the public should be more involved in decisions, and given the power to over rule politicians.

Sadly, the UK being what it is, the politicos will doubtless try it again in a different form. Keep trying until you get the answer you want and then never ask again. Bit like the EEC referendum of 1973 really. Vote for a free, Common Market and wake up in a nascent European Superstate. No need to ask the people about that. Well, not until they can be trusted to agree with a Government who know better.

Not saying that I'm a slow typist, but: it's official: the North East Assembly is dead. Hurrah. Good job, Geordie.

The total number of people voting against the plans was 696,519, while 197,310 voted in favour.

Official figures showed 47.8% of the region's 1.9 million voters took part in the all-postal ballot.

Enough. Time to do something even more trivial...

(no subject)

It's very quiet in the office today.

We are waiting on a Ministerial decision so we can go ahead with the annual determination exercise, and despite emphasising the urgency of it we have heard nothing. Not surprising really I suppose. Given the defeat of the Assembly vote last night, I expect all our Ministers are sitting in a dark room somewhere trying to work out where to go next.

There are lots of empty seats around, too.

The union has called a strike for today in protest against all the job cuts proposed recently by the Chancellor. They have very little impact upon this department, but the union likes to show a bit of solidarity. The trouble is, and the unions never get this, every civil servant on strike is a net gain to the Treasury. So a one day strike penalises no one but the striker who loses money and has to catch up on the work anyway. Unless the strikers are in the Inland Revenue or HM Custom and Excise, departments that bring money in to the Government, no one takes the blindest notice.

And guess what? They get paid far better than the rest of us, and their jobs are not under threat.

There are better ways of organising things: Core hour working for one. Come to work core hours only, do your job and go home. Withdraw all good will and flexibility and let the system seize up solid. You get paid for it, too.

I must say though, that the pickets outside are very civilised. Urge you to join the union and wish you a nice day. Where are the braziers, the chanting mobs and ripped up paving slabs? Where are the water cannon and mounted police? Where are the TV cameras?

I was thinking about getting a donkey jacket and painting the word 'scab' across the shoulders. But no-one would notice.

(no subject)

It's very quiet in the office today.

We are waiting on a Ministerial decision so we can go ahead with the annual determination exercise, and despite emphasising the urgency of it we have heard nothing. Not surprising really I suppose. Given the defeat of the Assembly vote last night, I expect all our Ministers are sitting in a dark room somewhere trying to work out where to go next.

There are lots of empty seats around, too.

The union has called a strike for today in protest against all the job cuts proposed recently by the Chancellor. They have very little impact upon this department, but the union likes to show a bit of solidarity. The trouble is, and the unions never get this, every civil servant on strike is a net gain to the Treasury. So a one day strike penalises no one but the striker who loses money and has to catch up on the work anyway. Unless the strikers are in the Inland Revenue or HM Custom and Excise, departments that bring money in to the Government, no one takes the blindest notice.

And guess what? They get paid far better than the rest of us, and their jobs are not under threat.

There are better ways of organising things: Core hour working for one. Come to work core hours only, do your job and go home. Withdraw all good will and flexibility and let the system seize up solid. You get paid for it, too.

I must say though, that the pickets outside are very civilised. Urge you to join the union and wish you a nice day. Where are the braziers, the chanting mobs and ripped up paving slabs? Where are the water cannon and mounted police? Where are the TV cameras?

I was thinking about getting a donkey jacket and painting the word 'scab' across the shoulders. But no-one would notice.

Tra-la-la...

Clearly I am going mad.

Whether it is sun spot activity, the orbital mind control lasers, over use of a mobile phone or encroaching senility, or a random combination of the lot, I don't know.

But after yesterday's never ending brush with the theme tune from the Likely Lads today my brain has looped the theme to Mork and Mindy.

Tomorrow it will no doubt be the tune from the Magic Roundabout or Jackanory and I shall be a drooling heap on the floor.

Tra-la-la...

Clearly I am going mad.

Whether it is sun spot activity, the orbital mind control lasers, over use of a mobile phone or encroaching senility, or a random combination of the lot, I don't know.

But after yesterday's never ending brush with the theme tune from the Likely Lads today my brain has looped the theme to Mork and Mindy.

Tomorrow it will no doubt be the tune from the Magic Roundabout or Jackanory and I shall be a drooling heap on the floor.