Nicola was working all day Saturday, which meant I had to busy myself with jobs: paying in subs, collecting uniform shirts etc. In the afternoon there was a gift day at Church which I’d sort of heard the Explorers were supposed to help with. In the end I saw no-one else of a Scouting connection. Still it was interesting getting to climb the bell tower and see inside the belfry.

After work Nicola and I headed over to Manchester to see my parents. Emily had come to stay too, as Anna and Darren were off out for the evening Emily was very much Auntie Nicola’s little girl, which was awkquard as Nicola had things to do.

On Sunday we had another church-y day with a SAGGA friend’s daughter’s baptism. St Alban’s Broadheath is a small church meaning the baptismal party really swelled the congregation.

While Claire Short’s comments on bugging on the Today programme have wide reaching implications, the debate in blogland seems to be over Ann Winterton’s joke. While most correspondents agree she should have been sacked, and that she is a foul minded racist, there is disagreement as to whether the joke itself (about two sharks in the Irish Sea popping up to Morecambe Bay for a Chinese) is racist or merely very sick and insensitive.

Background matters

Yesterday was my annual review, due to one thing and another I was not as well prepared as usual. But they seem reasonably happy with me, so I’m hoping for a decent rise if not a promotion to the next grade.

Nicola is away at here parents old house, and currently has the entire contents of her room out ready to be put in appropriate boxes. She returns tomorrow.

We’re going away at the end of March, and after waying up they options have gone for the cargo ferry to Dunkirk, staying at the Formule 1 in Zebrugge on our first and last nights. This will be a new country for me and a return to childhood holiday locations for Nicola. Tony (Nicola’s dad) has provided me with a couple of guide books to plan our time in Austria, so I have some extra reading to do.

Best wishes to all readers.

Two things spring out for comment today.

The first is the creeping tide of racism. The media seems to be making racism, hate and discrimination OK again, with any objections being described as anti free speech, or “PC”.

Michael Howard put out a self-contradictory message yesterday, condemning the BNP as a stain on Britain’s character, before going on to spout the kind of myths and hyperbole about asylum seekers that tell people it’s OK to be racist and vote BNP.

And his cronies at Cathartical Bleed Worm call the Lib Dems “Januslike”? Sheesh.

The second is the Scout Association who are currently looking to get rid of all but 3 of the 17 or so sites centrally owned. The sites may be sold to the Scout Counties who currently manage them, or closed and sold for housing.

The Scout and Guide movement is an undervalued resource in our society and because of this our numbers are declining, especially at the adult volunteer level. Even if the HQ sites are closed rather than passed on to local Scouting, there will still be a number of Scout sites availaible, and it will not limit the opportunities for traditional “Green field” camping.

The problem is everyone has their own favourite site, and many are understandably very upset at the thought of theirs being unavailable for use in the future. So naturally HQ’s moves are seen as insensitive to the wishes of the Association as a whole. And perhaps they are. However I feel consolidation of resources is probably what is needed at the current moment in time.

What ever became of

Tim “and bring back hanging” Metcalfe, http://www.conservatives.com doesn’t seem to think this PPC exists.

I begin to understand why people get confused with Banking.

Money. It’s not rocket science. Even ISAs which are said to be too complicated are well within the mental grasp of a person of normal intelect.

It’s pay day, so naturally I contact telephone banking to check everything’s gone in OK. Only instead of getting a computer I get a real person pestering me about my soon to mature TESSA. Marvelous. I want a real person to speak to, i get passed to the automated service, and when I just want a quick balance from the computers, the operators cut in. This person persuaded me to have someone call me back later about my reivnestment options. There are only two reinvestment options, why does it need so much discussion? So anyway I say yes, and this afternoon someone rings me from the branch to arrange a time for a management to talk to me. I’m bright, I know what the options are, and what I want to happen, I don’t need some financial “expert” patronising me.

But it’s not that easy. I can see why some people dislike banking now.

Just got back from the district Explorer Scout hostelling weekend. All my explorers who participated enjoyed it. Keeping just a dozen 14-18 year olds occupied for a weekend in the country was exhausting- where do they get their energy.

Spamity Spam, wonderful Spam.

It’s fantastic how all those new laws on spam have made… no difference whatsoever.

What astounds me is the logic that someone disitnerested enough to block messages containing the word “Viagra” should want to purchase some from a cold caller who can’t spell…

Service to the community?

It’s why I do a lot of what I do. What makes me want to is a mystery. However.

As readers who skipped across to my now defunct plog may know people were trying to persuade me to stand for a seat on Leeds City Council. Not a particularly winnable seat, but one where we stand a chance if we put the work in, next year.

Unfortunately this came in the run up to my problems in November and I was persuaded by family that certain elements of society give elected officials a bad time, and even if I was the best councillor ever (I flatter myself I could do the job better than my current Labour representatives) I would have my life made difficult.

This has been brought home by the hounding one young person has been given for one ill-judged comment on a private Young Lib Dems mailing list. She has since apologised for any misunderstanding, but remains a target. I’m not going to give the website, who you could call Calibrated Camel Wroth, any publicity by naming it, but they would be down for my loonies of the day. But thye won’t for the fact it would only encourage them.

It’s not just politics, but people are out to take pot-shots at Scout leaders too. There is a suspicion of anyone who wants to do something for others.