OneGuyFromBarlick

Good stuff from the great Dr Ben Goldacre on R4 yesterday tea time (Goldacre's book Bad Science, the website and Guardian column of the same, should be required reading for all). He was on about the use of randomised trials in public policy making. It doesn't take place often. The point was made tha...

Quite possibly one of the finest headlines of recent times, in the Worcester News:

'Man blames work stress for stealing condoms and an octopus'.

Richard Broughton

That presupposes that the threat of detection deters the criminal. Or if you like, the threat of detection deters me from criminality - that is, seeing a lap top in an open car, I would nick if it wasn't for the fact that I feared being caught. Not the case for me - my not taking the opportunity to ...

........popping off to see a bit of art tonight. An exhibition at the Holiday Inn here in Hoylake entitled 'Mothers'. An artist, event organiser and writer called Harry Pye commissioned 100 artists to produce a work focussing on their mothers about 10 years ago. Hoylake has managed to secure 50 of t...

Don't understand that post at all. Are you saying that the reason for the activity that led to a multi-million pound fine was an ineffectual FSA, and once the FSA was removed from the picture, the activity stopped (or was 'attenuated'), for presumed fear it would be uncovered by a more competent age...

The democrat in me recoils from the notion of an unelected, appointed second chamber just as it recoils from an unelected Head of State. But on the former, I am not supportive of the proposed changes, whilst on the latter I long for the removal of the monarchy as it is currently positioned. Let me e...

I don't want to be unecessarily contentious, but there is an important general point in the statement above noting councils are 'servants of the people'. This is true, but the important word is 'people' their. They are not I would argue, nor is any public servant, a 'servant of you' . 'You' are just...

Lady that runs this company Close Protection UK is an interesting character (love the name 'Close Protection' - could be straight out of the mind of an Andy McNab fantacist. All that stuff Gareth in The Office came out with). Allegedly, she has a suspended sentence for conspiracy to pervert the cour...

I have some sympathies with that view Stanley, as after all 3 years ago we up sticks and moved from London to Merseyside. This was certainly for my wife, a real wrench that takes some coming to terms with even though one will have carefully weighed up and considered prior to making the move. My wife...

One could make the argument that the greater disincentive, among many disincentives, to getting mobile and looking for another job is the extortionate cost of housing and in particular the encouragement to ownership rather than renting. Good luck to anyone who raises proposals to tackle this.... Ric...

It's seems the U-turns are being presented as evidence of listening. Fair enough. But shouldn't you do this before you make an announcement? Why? Because it saves time and effort and therefore cost. In addition, serial U-turns could be taken as evidence of a seriously malfunctioning political antenn...

Back from a week in Northern Ireland. An excellent break, a lovely place and we shall return. Lots of Guinness and marvellous seafood and shellfish - oysters 30p a pop to shuck yourself from the oysterman round the back We had a day in Belfast and we took a 'political tour' by taxi. I would recommen...

Good example here. The other week, some in the media noted that the MP John McConnel had come top of the ballot for Private Members Bills for the 2nd year running and the chances of this happening was several hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to one. Wrong. This would only be the case if it wa...

Nothing is 'safe'. Absolute safety does not exist, much as we might it want it to. Neither does zero risk, again much as we might want it to. The issue is one of trade-offs and appropriate language. That is, what is 'safe enough', and how do we communicate this? People can then make up their own min...

I think it's worth pointing out that the EU legislation is the Directive on conservation of natural habitats and of wild flora and fauna. All bats are protected species under this Directive, along with all whales, otters, some dolphins and so on. I guess that slipper orchid somewhere in Yorkshire fa...

Filling in a form. I have been called for Jury Service at Liverpool Crown Court in July. Hope I do something this time. I was called to the Old Bailey several years back, along with about a 100 others, and after turning up for 4 days, spending all day hanging around and not being called, I and about...

Ahhh, the trials and tribulations of risk-based decision-making. A fascinating area.

Richard Broughton

''......until he crossed over into territory where he saw secret documents routinely'' Yes, and that's what's puzzling. Unless you have the clearance to see Top Secret/Eyes Only-type documents, you don't get to see them at all (unless things have changed, and I do not think they have). This is a ser...

Asparagus. Bang in season now. Wirral is known for its asparagus and for 6 weeks or so of the year we gorge ourselves and then that's it until next time round.

Richard Broughton

Mentioned Developed Vetting (DV) above. This is a good snapshot of what it involves



Richard Broughton

I have been a butler to several cats in my time. Oscar, Quincy, Rufus, Stinker and Possum. All dead now. I've often wondered why they ever became domesticated because they seem to me to serve no purpose whatsoever. I'm sure the terrier-man would be a better form of vermin control. For some reason we...

''Coulson didn't work in any of the departments where any decisions about BSkyB were to be taken...'' True, but not the point. As the PM's press spokesman, he may be called on to comment etc on any issue that crops up in the lobby and elsewhere. This will range across departments. Hence the need fo...

If folk have a problem with gay marriage they should do what I did and marry someone of the opposite sex (to paraphrase Ben Summerskill).

Richard Broughton

I note in Edinburgh Pentland Hills, the Lib Dem candidate garnered fewer votes than Professor Pongoo, an independent dressed as a penguin. Reminds me of the death of the old SDP in the Bootle by-election some years back, where they garnered fewer than the Monster Raving Loony Party. The real insult ...

It's an interesting situation, and I think complicated. There have been staffing reductions in the BA, but whether this is the root cause of the current problems is open to question though certainly I would think it has had some effect. Other factors are present though, not least the numbers of peop...