One and all. We phoned the folks in Norway, once again they are impatient buggers and have new years an hour earlier than us. The Kerplunk! and Junior Monopoly have gone down well apparently. Hootenanny is mighty fine but man Bobby Gillespie's showing looking his age in a raddled Iggy style. Meanwhile here fireworks explode annoyingly. My Existential squatters also seem to be suffering from the RSS blackout here. So once again happy new year, hope you have a good one.
Using the full Central Liverpool PCT helpdesk training. If it don't work, switch it off. Then switch it on again. Will this fix the site feed. I doubt it.
Now the blogs gone completely. Mind you it isn't alone. The Rapidly Diminishing Ken Clare has also gone walkabout. Preparing myself for the Jools Holland Hootenany. Always a delight and thing of wonder. Good to see Ray Davies honoured in the new year honours.
My feed seems to have died. As does my blog without a www in front. Most peculiar, hoping time is a healer.
Callum has taken to playing behind the living room curtains in an alcove it's perfect for him, he knows we're about but it affords him a hidey-hole where anything is possible in a parent free zone. Especially as we wouldn't dream of disturbing what seems to be a whole heap of imaginitive play involving the construction of some sort of airport. His Godfather Al'll be dead chuffed at this early interest in civil engineering. Our parental report is in with the LEA. What a relief that is! Foolish little me wandered into the Huyton Asda (used to be Dales when we lived over there) to get the ingredients for another trifle. It was packed, really you'd imagine the world is about to end, word that Huyton is a no-fly-zone is I think exagerated. However I do have a theory that the para-military outfits in Northern Ireland were a plot on the part of the education department to teach the alphabet, with the number of Orange lodges in Liverpool presumably the same theory applies over here. Dinner is sorted another no eat from Cal. Still I have the secret weapon of trifle up my sleeve for later... Blogger is still dead or at least according to status.blogger.com it's a DNS problem. That seems to be solved... Now to check my RSS feed which has had the odd prob...
Still need to work on this survey on the federated search options, it's getting to be a bit of a pain. Meanwhile the plotting goes on and we're off to Shenanigans for lunch with Steve. Then home via town and Knowsley LEA.......
It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey so an early wake up call. That and Hefner's 'We Love the City'. Back in work for what'll prove to be half a day, trade will not I suspect be brisk. So I'm off to fetch a coffee. My map from Wexford has arrived which is cool. The shop soiling appears to be a marginal coffee stain which is a bit of a relief.
Drafted the fresh parental report for the dratted Knowsley LEA, just need to print it now and drop it off with them tomorrow, well with Irene Williams. All done while watching the Welsh Great Escape which it must be said was fascinating. 70 German lags of the lam, why wasn't Steve McQueen in that one? Followed by the 'Land Girls'. Can't be bad. Feel knackered, heading off to bed, post another glass of port and some cheese and biscuits.
Get an enquiry via the Blackberry about retention of board papers from the Centre for Oncology at Clatterbridge. Clearly they ain't conversant with HSC(99)53 this doesn't exactly suprise me. Given the number of enquiries about circulars we've had from NHS Trusts I've long held that the Tooting Branch of the Mafia have the theory the best places to hide a stiff is in a hospital filing system, no bugger'll ever find it. So on my day off guess who I'm calling. Not that I'm whinging, it's always gratifying to be needed!
In a fit of madness I use a couple of EpGovernment services to apply for a new passport at the UK Passport Agency which isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds, yes I can fill in the form online, but they then print it out and send it to me so I can sign it and send them the dosh (42 quid it's a scandal, that's 4.20 a year for it's life span, now that divisions cheered me up about the cost... see Val the value of costing...) and photies. Kinda e then. Then flush with the experience and knowing the TV Licence is due I head to sort that at the TV Licencing Site which is done in it's entirity in five minutes and no wandering around in the cold.
Cal demanded pancakes for breakfast as we went to pick up Monst. feeling frankly knackered I said no, Monst said she'd make them. Result, happy Cal. Trouble was what Monst meant was that she intended me to make them she was just going to say yes to Callum. As a result she kinda got upset when I headed for a short kip on return home. Eventually half an hour later she's made the pancakes, they've eaten them and left me the mess to sort. On the plus side I feel less knackered and want a sausage sandwich. Cal wants some soausages to round off his brekkie, no probs, of course they come with the obligatory ketchup. Cal being the kind soul he is dragged me back the plate when hed finished and announced that he'd drawn a man on the plate in ketchup (Heinz if you want to get picky about it), not only this but it was me. This on top of yesterday's assertion that he didn't want me to be a chicken pie is a bit of a result. Unfortunately reflex action means I washed the plate before I could flog it to the Tate.
RefGrunt.com looks like it could turn into an interesting collaborative tool. Do I sign up or not is an interesting question that there is some internal debate about. Keep a watching brief on it and see what the conclusion is after a while. Alternatively known as I'm a lazy bastard and can't be arsed at the moment. It's this listless time of year, the new year ain't kicked in and Christmas works on a time lag. this is why I still don't know about the cottage in Wexford. Clearly the next working day on which I'll hear will be after new year. Another day of Cal sitting beckons. Yippee, I can hardly wait. As long as it don't involve watching 'Chicken Run' for the nth time again it'll be OK.
OK we lack the snow but the road outside our gaff is like an ice rink at the moment, how do I know? Next door just came home, swept round the corner and bounced off the kerb outside ours. No major damage done to anything other than pride! Gave me a shock though. Need to get the hoover out first thing. Can't now because it'll wake Cal, can't after we've picked up Monst because she'll need a few hours kip at the very least. Watching 'Western Front' which is good but a touch depressing. Manny Shinwell appearing now. Now Manny was a bit of a star.
Switch on 6 Music and there is Isolation from the festive Joy Division played just to cheer me up, which it must be said it does. Better to wash up to the sound of Ian Curtis than anything involving snow, Santa, Robins and/or Reindeer. Later I switch it on and on comes Jimi Hendrix. This is sound sounds and a delight. I love my DAB Radio, good music, crystal clear footie what more could I ask for. Disaster on the food front, the chicken failed to defrost so it's up to Ying Wah in Woolton and a quick takeaway later and the day is saved. Except I get back to find Cal fast akip. So it'll be a case of taking Monst to work and feeding Cal on return with yes you guessed it, sausages....
Flopping through the letter box today comes a letter from the LEA informing us that Cal's case is going to panel to see if he should receive a statutory assessment. As a result of the shite service and support we've received from the LEA in the past Mr. Suspicious here rings them up. To be fair Irene who's dealing with the case now is most helpful, puts up with me suggesting that there is an acute lack of strategic planning in the whole process and my rant at the state of NHS Speech and Language Therapy (on suggestion that community care involving Halewood Clinic a place Cal associates with negative things and never gives his best in as a result, resulted in the wonderful suggestion maybe he could go to a different clinic where there are no negative vibes... alternatively couldn't the LEA continue with provision at the Speech and Language Unit pending the result of the panel thus ensuring continuity of care etc.). She also tells me we have an end of week deadline to get in our amended Parental View Form, in which she helpfully suggests I let them know in writing how piss poor their strategic planning is. I go back to the envelope they've sent to find the form, no form, I re-read the letter only to find the School Attendance Improvement Officer is going to call us to make an appointment to give us the form. Yeah, right! They're really likely to do that in an appropriate time scale. More to the point, what the fuck is a School Attendance Improvement Officer to do with this, his attendance is not an issue. OK so maybe they haven't got the staff to send someone else but at least call them something else when you send them round, something cuddly and warm like 'Council Fuckwit Who Ain't Gonna Be a Bit of Use' springs to mind but don't make me feel like some sort of parent who is behind repeated truancy on the part of my kid. Here endeth another rant on Knowsley LEA.
'Four foot from his tail' oh, how as a kid Lonnie Donnegan would show me that my parents had a sense of humour beyond trad jazz. The states had rock'n'roll what did the UK respond with Skiffle. Why, post war austerity, you couldn't buy a bass for love nor money, unless you knew an 8 foot spiv who could hide one under his coat, instead you used a tea chest a broom handle and a bit of string. Oddly enough these were all the contents of a boy scouts pocket so you could just mug one of the buggers. At least that's the sociological explanation of Skiffle. Personally I think it's because we're just bloody stupid this side of the Atlantic. Why all the Skiffle rubbish? Principally because the unsung heroes of the day today are the bin men who've just emptied an overflowing bin and taken away more cardboard than we wanted to keep around the place. I can now start filling the bin again. All this on our normal bin day too. A rare event congrats to Knowsley MBC (not my fave people at the best of times but their bin men are stars). Meanwhile I listen to 'Dear Catastrophe Waitress' as Cal has another 'Chicken Run' run through. He's getting involved and flapping his arms and making chicken noises at the moment.....
Start a two day stint of full time Cal sitting as Monst is back at work. Trick is how to keep him quiet or how to find things to do away from the house so he can be as noisy as he likes and not wake up his mother. No plans for today as of yet. Once more we watch 'Chicken Run' a good film but not on a cycle of a daily basis. So while he watches I'll hide in the kitchen and start planning where I want to go in Ireland. Wexford Tourist Board to hit then. As a lover of Crannogs etc the Irish National Heritage Park is a must see. It's odd but I really don't do pre-history and ancient history but as the years go by the more I get fascinated by that whole area. I also plan on dragging the folks to the National 1798 Centre particularly as it's the only bit of Irish history I've ever made a formal study of, indeed it was the subject of my first ever history essay at UUC.
Er..Discovery Sheet 77 from Ireland's Ordnance Survey purchased for 2.50 with a slightly shop-soiled cover. The big question is what have people perusing the map done to it. Now if it had been something slightly more perverse I'd have been worried, but a map of Wexford.... I don't want to think. Cal's in bed, same rules as last night, if he steps over the threshold of the bedroom that's it, straight in his own bed and no more 'Jungle Book' to watch.
The shoe shopping went remarkably smoothly, Cal's feet have increased by 1 size, the choice of black shoes in his size was limited to two pairs, he picked the pair he wanted. Job done courtesy of what used to be George Henry Lee's but is now Lewis' or something like that. Either way it's instant Heelas for me. All part of that weird entity that is the John Lewis Parnership. Came away form the bookshop with Kevin Sampson's 'Clubland' (a signed copy no less), Lonely Planet's 'Ireland' (the Portrush entry is OK but a bit piss poor) and the OS Ireland's 'Complete Road Atlas of Ireland' in preparation in part for the trip to Wexford. All good stuff. In the meanwhile Monst came away with the new Patricia Cornwell and a Scottish travel guide as we oddly enough toy with the idea of a trip way up north in the summer. All of which makes the Rapidly Diminishing Ken Clare's discovery of Notes from a North Sea Island incredibly useful. Then home to homemade chicken soup (leftovers from yesterday shoved in a pot with the inevitable peral barley, a couple of onions, bit of pepper, couple of stock cubes, bit of water and a carrot) for Monst and myself and the regular sausages for Cal. Afternoon spent sleeping and stuff for Monst, Cal watching 'Chicken Run' again and me working out how the hell to get from Dublin Airport to this cottage in Murrintown (bit of local history here from the local school), providing it's available.
Cal is due a new pair of shooes. Great, not being Imelda Marcos shoe shopping is not my fave thing. Shoe shopping for Cal doubly so. Time ti get dressed and head into town. Still I can sugar the pill with a little book shopping and use of my Waterstones voucher.
Rang Monst at work to be told they'd sent her home because she shouldn't have been in tonight and it was too early for her to be back. I took this the wrong way and figured she'd had a torrid time first night back. Luckily this wasn't the case, the reality is we'd miscalulated the length of time the line from the quack gave her off. Anyway she had a chat with people, got the low down on what had been going down on the unit (they've moved while the floor is re-done in the ICU) and seems to be loads happier about going back tomorrow. As I type I'm trying to listen to The Thrills 'So Much for the City', it's pretty but in a saccherine way (I bought it as the second part of a two for 20 quid deal, suckered into it by the thought it'd be a reasonable experiment). So far on previous attempts to listen to it have only resulted in me getting two tracks in. So far I'm on track three. It's pleasant, don't get me wrong, but a touch too nice. I have similar problems with trying to listen to too much Teenage Fanclub a track or two is great an album at a sitting turns into musical wallpaper or drives me to distraction because it's too sweet. Thing is in both cases I know I'll persist and be a better person for it....
Notice the Halt Bar has a site. I have fond summer memories of the place as I visited Lobey Dosser. They supplied me with a wonderful pint of stout that cooled me down and did a stunning job. Sap that I am I'm watching 'The Great Escape' until 'The Office' at 9.50. I see that the Rapidly Diminishing Ken Clare was a touch dissapointed with Part 1. Got to say it did seem a little contrived and laboured. So far the best thing I've seen has been 'Life Beyond the Box' which revisited the life and times of Norman Stanley Fletcher. Doesn't seem to have been universally popular. Meanwhile I'm jingling all the way because I have a reindeer bell pinned to me. Callum dragged it back from Lapland and insisted I put the thing on tonight. Apparently Cal would be a 'white reindeer' not got a clue what that means, Monst too. Sounds dangerous to me because his cousin Katja likes to eat reindeer balls.
Suprisingly easy to remember the routine of getting Monst to work. What is hard to remember is timing. Vaguely remember we need to leave here around 7.30'ish at the latest, but maybe it's sooner. Hope tonight goes OK for Monst.
You're an Indie Pop Kid. You like songs about
relationships and the prettiness of nature.
You're sentimental, but not certainly not emo.
Oh, and if you aren't an English Major, you
should be.
You Know Yer Indie. Let's Sub-Categorize.
brought to you by Quizilla
Or maybe not....
What do I know about Wexford? It was busy in the Rising of the United Irishmen in 1798. Looks like there is plenty to see and do. Oh, and we're planning on being there in the new year for a week. Looking forward to it as well. Just need to see if the cottage we've tried to book comes through. Flights are book, car hire is booked. Not bad for a lazy Saturday afternoon.
Watching 'People's Century' on UK History which has to be one of those monumentally influential historical programmes along with the BBC's 'The Great War', Thames' 'The World at War' and 'Nazis: a Warning from History'. Spooky as they roll out a BUF member Sid Bailey. Excellent viewing, thank non-existent deities the rest of the house is asleep to allow me to get on with it.
Word that Oasis are behind the failure of Beagle II to play a Blur tune to the waiting audience of scientists is undoubtedly untrue. It has got me wondering about what sort of tunes you should employ to communicate with space craft. For some reason the notion of the 'Floral Dance' intrigues me. Other suggestions would of course be welcome. Cal has moved from 'Chicken Run' to 'Camberwick Green'. Windy Miller and Sergeant-Major Grout weave there gentle brand of magic. Inspired by Mickey Murphy I'm waiting on my bread proving. Which it just has so soon time to wack it into the oven. All this so we can hit some bread and cheese when Monst gets back from her we expedition to the travel agents of Woolton. This is taking some time considering she's been gone an hour already and there are only two travel agents in Woolton.
The Rapidly Diminishing Ken Clare has discoverd some squatters at http://loopylibrarian.blogspot.com/rss/index.rdf looks like I have existentialists about the place. That's cool, they make less mess than bats but aren't quite as furry and cute. Amongst my presents this year is a �20 Waterstone's voucher so now the big question is what to buy with it. I guess I should consult something like Gnod which I've just discovered as a tool for finding related authors I might like to try. It's spookily accurate with at least four or five faves in it's display for Chris Brookmyre.
Not Dylan but Steve McQueen as a further televisual Christmas tradition is committed by the BBC today, yes 'The Great Escape' is being shown on Beeb 2. More momentus on a family scale is the fact that Monst goes back to work tonight for the first time in a month (she was signed off with stress post the deaths of her Mum and Tom). She's a touch apprehensive but recognises she needs to get on with it. It'll do her some good I think, she needs to return to a little normality.... Bugger Cal's awake which means my peace and coffee and chill out to a bit of music is shattered. Oddly enough he's chosen 'Chicken Run' a Great Escape Lite.
Trad crimbo fayre on Beeb 1, yes once again we get 'The Wizard of Oz'. For Cal this is a first and he seems to be enjoying it. Is this an early liking for Judy Garland, should I be bothered if it is. Only if he insists on playing her stuff in my hearing. Unfortunately he is insisting I watch it too. Thing is I'm increasingly detecting signs of the use of copious quantities of mushrooms by the screenwriters and set designers. I'm kind of hoping Cal falls akip so I can change channels.
1. What was your biggest accomplishment this year? Finally getting Fade as a database up on the web. Much struggle to get is sorted, involving access issues with the data centre, getting our heads round things etc. Few tweaks still needed but it's good that it's there. 2. What was your biggest disappointment? Where do you start? The attitude of Knowlsey LEA to supporting Cal's speech and language needs. Stupid me thought they were there to help and that I paid council tax to ensure they could. Tom's death, out of the blue and still shocking. What else do you need....? 3. What do you hope the new year brings? No deaths in the family. An end to arguing with the LEA and Callum getting the level of support he needs. World peace would be nice too, along with an end to starvation and poverty. 4. Will you be making any New Year's resolutions? If yes, what will they be? Almost certainly not, every time I've tried I've ignored them so this year I think I'll ignore making them so I can ignore ignoring them. 5. What are your plans for New Year's Eve? A couple of bottles of real ale and a whole heap of sleep. Really don't make a big fuss of it because Monst usually works.
St. Stephen's day apparently. We wandered into town because Monst wanted to head into the sales. Not my idea of fun but I was lucky Liverpool seems to be mercifully sale free today. Most gaffs were shut so we got away with a wander round Woolies and a return via Speke and the ELC. Back home and we finish the goose soup and my second loaf from yesterday all to the sound of Arsenal beating Wolves. Traditionally if I was at my folks today we'd go down to the Sports Trust in Wallingford to a day of Hockey. Always popular with the family because it gives you a chance to get away from the confines od the house and immediate family. As a result I have fond memories of boxing days.
Watching some bizarre French cartoon about the Tour de France. All gallic and full of big hooters (er... wrote this and forgot some slang just don't translate, er that's noses over here). Kind of fun. 'Belleville Rendez-vous' is the title I've just discovered. More unusual is it's Monsts choice of viewing. Foods worked well, goose was good at lunch and it with the stock an extra carrott and a handful of pearl barley provided soup for tea tonight and tomorrow. Pan hang food Elsie'd be proud of. Everyone seems to have had a reasonable day, no stupid arguments. This is a miracle worth recording.
As I hide in the kitchen I get the eclectic sounds of Radio 6 which suits me fine at the moment. It has the advantage of drowning out the sounds of the go-peds that seem to be buzzing aroundd like a bunch of angry if effeminate wasps. It's all you need in your life a bunch of camp wasps. I'm in the middle of Kevin Sampson's 'Outlaws' which is an entertaining read but does the City of Liverpool no favours. In the living room Cal is playing with his playmobile plane and taking the pirates from upstairs on holiday. Where they off? Has to be the carribean don't it.
Cal hit the pressies about 7 mainly because Monst insisted he should. So running ahead I fetched the camcorder and filmed him opening presents. The half eaten carrot and empty bottle of Brakspears did the trick. Yes Cal is mow convinced Santa is a vegtarian dipso from South Oxfordshire. Meanwhile I've baked the bread, cooked breakfast, and started on the goose preparations. All the while giggling at the wonderful Bud Neill's very Glaswegian cartoons. Fave so far is the two wifies, curlers in hair, hanging there washing as one says 'If ye ask me, they'll never catch him. He'll tak' yin o' his Luftywaffy airyplanes and scram tae Thibet or Edinbury...'. Just love the surreal thought of Hitler, Saddam anyone fulfilling the bogeyman role being that desperate their only hope is to run away to Edinburgh!
The presents are downstairs heaped round the tree. Lucky old Cal! Sally if you wander in merry saturnalia, can't remember if I had a chance to wish you one. That goes for anyone else wandering in too. The carrot is having its revenge at the moment. Must remember in future to leave it to the reindeer.
Or how I mutilated the carrot left for the reindeer and supped the bottle of Brakspears Live Organic left for Santa. Oh, and shifted the presents downstairs and surrounded the tree with them. All this and I end up watching 'Shanghai Noon' a film that sins on two genre grounds. I usually avoid both westerns (or cowboys and inkybums as my maternal grandfather would describe them) and kung-fu movies. Still it's entertaining enough and by the time it's over Cal should be well akip and I can do my Santa stuff.
Just come across dandelionburdock and I'm bunging a link in here because it looks like I might enjoy it on a regular basis. Also being me I'll forget about it if I don't blog about. Sarah (have I spelt that right, can't be bothered looking for the CV) the student we have coming on placement has been in. She's a coffee drinker which is cool and seems very pleasant. Ripe for corrupting then.......
I dunno young people today it's disgusting, according to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph A brave teenager who underwent two kidney transplants was given a festive present he will never forget: a meeting with his idol, Tony Blair. What's wrong with young people today, surely they should be out tormenting grannies, kicking cans and generally being a nuisance. Idolising Tony Blair is not only sick but at least pick an unrespectable role model.......
Aaaargh! Job applications flood in (OK we've had two, both skipping the line that it's a New Deal job). This won't be a problem, we at least have a short list. We're planning on having half a working day today, why, because it's Christmas Eve and we're expecting the building to be shut and to be completely honest we can't be arsed. Apparently yesterday was dead, today will be dead and tomorrow will be dead. I'm a man on a mission, to find some P.F. Chisholm to keep me going over Christmas. The food is in, the goose is fat and Cal is well excited. Overslept this morning, that's twice on the trot. What's happening to me, am I reacting to deep midwinter by attempting to hibernate? All this and I anticipate the usual Christmas argument over clothes. Monst will want me to dress up (or at least attempt to look smart, it won't involve cross-dressing or being a pirate etc.) and I'll want to wear jeans and a ratty T-shirt as I run around in a hot kitchen like a demented fast thing on speed. As long as I don't scald the cat all will be well. I just want to be comfy, not tarted up on a day off.
Umm, just watched Monst's vids from Lapland. Thing is I can't help but think we're selling Cal a huge pup with the Santa bit. I'm glad that I wasn't in Lapland I don't think the sight of hundreds of adults lieing to their kids is a great thing. Why not just explain the christmas story, soltice, whatever your bag is, let the kid decide if they want to go down the pointy god route or whatever and just say people give each other presents to celebrate that. Er....on the other hand explaining to them some big geezer dressed in red is going to defy the central heating, break into your gaff and then be the most inefficient burgler in the history of mankind because he leaves thing instead of taking them away, may not be sucj a bad idea.
The giblets are in the veg stock so in a matter of hours it'll magically turn into goose stock. It's next transmogrification will be into gravy and goose soup. Feel knackered but we were despatched to fetch some lemonade and stuffing (yes I forgot the stuffing). Sad to report the great lemonade drought at Sainsbury's led me to the offy and a bottle of Broadside on which I am now gently supping. The folks had a good time in Lapland. Cal loved toboganing, snowball fighting, going on the huskie sled and the reindeer. Apparently things were a little disorganized but Cal never noticed.
In the goose queue listening to Joy Division on the radio. Deep joy at last someone else shares my crimbo spirit. Thinking of busking as the queue mmoves dead slow. My own fault for not coming down early morning. Sausage rolls have been round and good they were too. I'd busk and earn a bob or two to defray the cost of the goose but there's too much free range veg round here to risk it. Instead I'll blog quietly and look at the cheese when I get past the cake (which includes an alarmingly titled 'Topless Carrot Cake', ooh, er missus Mopp!). Tempted by the Cornish Yarg which is nettle covered but we've got way too much cheese in the house anyway.
I hate hanging around airports. To fill time and wake myself up I've introduced my tonsils to an espresso. That filled a few minutes. Still bored I entertained myself by playing the 'The Weakest Link' puggy. Having failed with that and been insulted by an insulated Anne Robinson the thought did occur to me what kind of massochist subjects themselves to a video game that insults them. Me clearly!
As the Delgados seranade me with 'The Great Eastern' I just run around like a loon tidying and sweating. On a brief coffee break at the moment hence the blog. Upstairs is comeing together and is a vacum clean away from complete. Downstairs just needs a quick straighten. Then off to fetch both the goose from Holly Tree Farm and the family from Mancy Airport. I then plan an afternoon in the kitchen and a general chill in the evening. Feel knackered,
A shite 44 as the result as I played along. Only I finished before they started. Not impressed at my own failings. Only two presents to be wrapped now and then it's into the tidying up. However first things first or at least Fursty Ferret. Even better I'm now on leave so not in tomorrow so the more I do today the less I have to do.
Collective drink and sausage sesh at the Ship and Mitre a kind of solstice bash and crimbo thing. Bit quiet but the beer was good as was the company. Much giggling in the afternoon. Also on the plus side finished the survey around the federated search. Stevie P. has sorted the script and is as ever a top man. Post work a dash home via Sainsbury's where I bump into Irene Garnier. It was really nice to see her and re-live my small town roots where bumping into people you know is normal.
No not Wladorf and Stattler but the ability to search special characters. This makes sense of the diacritics so at least thats one blessing. Why do I need to know, it's this blessed single search environment or federated search whatever term you prefer to describe it. I need to get a baseline of what the North West's health librarians consder to be crucial. Thing is it needs to be quick, web survey is the result. Stevie P. is sorting out Bignosed Birds Survey Script for Me bless him.
Yes the alarm clock went off at five. Yes I hit it. Yes I hit the snooze button by mistake. Yes I hit it again. Got up late, so that was a waste of effort. Jumped in the car got into work. Coffee is here, so am I can begin to relax. Meanwhile Tracy has a CD of Crimbo music to annoy me. It cost 45p with the Mirror, a wast of 45p, to annoy me just light blue touch paper and stand back. Still need to wrap the last bit of presents. Not a big problem but combine this with the tidying up I haven't done and it's going to be a close run thing.
About 50% wrapped, so that ain't bad. Going to bed and then I'll do some more in the morning. Sleep beckons.
Where is Kenneth Branagh when you need him? Can't find any scissors about the gaff at all. Kenneth Brannagh while being true to his talent in 'Dead Again' must have nicked 'em. Bugger and I need to get these presents wrapped still. So while watching the wonderful Ken Stott in whatever this daft thing about the Sally Army is I'll be wrapping into the night. Just found some. Patricia Finney has a site I eventually notice. Now I know she also writes as PF Chisholm I'll be chasing those books too. She writes a wonderful interpretation of the 16th Century.
First run through for 'Dear Catastrophe Waitress' I suspect it'll grow on me. The glam rock drums of the first track 'Step Into My Office, Baby' came as a bit of a shock. First listen strikes me there is a touch of Arthur Lee about the thing. Still that's no bad thing. If you want to check out the reviews try Metacritic's list and take yer pick. Actually the first time I've come across metacritic and I've got to say it is the home for the lazy bastard provided your tastes aren't too off-beat. It failed the 'Fortress Madonna' test I set it, but that's no suprise. Pity the poor bastard who wandered here looking for shit about Wallingford School Oxon, (it's the Oxon that does it) but pity the School more, they get a generally disgruntled git like me at second in a search using Freeserve. Must be the only positive thing I've done for them since scoring for the school cricket team (er.. dot balls and all that, damn that makes it sound worse, keeping the score you know what I mean). Still not started wrapping the presents, I'd better begin or otherwise my head'll be on the block when the folks get back.
A good way of telling that Christmas approaches is the seasonal specials, today an international scrapheap at the confusing time of 5.15. Why confusing? It's 20 minutes earlier than usual, mind you I'm not cooking a roast so it is a freaky day anyway. Now this is my kind of special, mayhem and chaos beckons....... Meanwhile I start producing the vegetable stock that will be the basis of the goose stock that will provide the goose gravy for Christmas day. Confused, you aren't the only one. Suffice it to say the biggest pot I have is bubbling away full of a variety of veg that would terrify Monst if she could see it. However by the time she see's it there won't be a bit of veg in sight!
Into town I went. I went, I parked, I shopped, I left for Speke. Boots supplied the perfume, Virgin the copy of Shrek (Cal shredded the video the other day) then home via Borders in Speke. Now I just face the horror of wrapping all of the presents in the house. It's a task Monst hates and usually leaves to me on Christmas eve. A couple of times I've phoned her at work at about 2 a.m. on Christmas Day complaining at the number of presents still to wrap. Then to Sainsbury's for the basis of the Christmas food shop (veg to buy Tuesday) and job done. What a relief. Grab a bite of food and off we go.
The cricket goes from bad to worse. Leaving me with only one option, get out the bath, manufacture a sausage and bacon sandwich, using the pork and apple sausages I bought yesterday, make a coffee and get the washing going. Next thing is to plan the last minute Christmas shop for Monst. She wants some Coco perfume by Chanel, that and a few other bits she's bought for. Need also to break the back of the food shop so it's only fruit and veg to go on Tuesday. Result that rare thing a shopping list is being written.
With Monst and Cal searching out Santa in Lapland I get to play with my present from the pair of them. As a result I can listen to crystal clear radio which is cool and well worth while. Downside is that you can listen to Test Match Special on Five Live Sports Extra and find out that England are 83 for 5 and not playing well. Even worse it's against Sri Lanka so I can expect a call from Kaushall taking the piss. Thing is he'll have a point, how can you defend the inept? I also end up in the traditional Tottenham conundrum following the 1-1 draw with Bolton yesterday. It resulted in the happy accident of the alphabet keeping us top of the league but today the Mancs play at Shite Hart Lane against Tottenham and can leapfrog us. What do you do hope the Spurs beat Man U to protect the dodgy position at the top of the league, send neutral vibes and pray for a miracle draw to do the same thing, or hope that Spurs lose on principle. Finally got back to sleep and now off for a long hot bath. It's the upside of the folks being away you can just chill out in the bath. Cup of coffee sat handy to slurp as you read away an hour or so. Yes you come out all wrinkly but its a price worth paying for the relaxing effects of the whole thing.
Could have sworn I switched the poxy clock off but no there it goes again. If it's not careful I'll hurl it at something.
Aaaaargh! Yesterday we set the alarm clock (admitedly it wasn't a strawberry one) to wake us up at this sort of time. It was a good idea and it worked. Idiot boy here forgot to reset it. Poxy father time.......
Constantly getting very irritated by the Jensen Button ads. BBCi can I use it according to the Beeb yes. According to trial and error, no. This pisses me off because it means that the nearest I can get is teletext which requires me to drop out of the digital reception and then go back to it. Maybe it isn't working yet for anyone and I'm whinging alone. Rang the number they're advertising with young Jensen too, it gave no information. Aaaarg! The Beeb need to get their act together.
Doh! Missed the Guardian Blog Awards when they came out. Good to see Phil Gyford's Pepys Diary there. The Analogue Human Clock is also kinda fun. Beer is fine, and the cat's being very sweet and attentive. You can make up your own Mrs. Slocum's pussy jokes. Don't know what I'd do without Katie about the place.
While noodling around checking out John Lilburne (a long time Leveller hero of the Civil War) I came across the very wonderful British Civil Wars & Commonwealth Website it even has stuff about long term faves the Ranters. How can you not love a sect that works on the basis that 'Free love, drinking, smoking and swearing were regarded as viable routes to spiritual liberation.'. It also led me to British History Online the pilot digital library of British historical sources for historians of Britain located worldwide seeking access to, and cross-searching of, an interconnected range of historical sources. For full use a free registration is required. OK so without Monst and Cal about the place I admit it I'm bored. I should be tidying upstairs but can't be arsed. May be time for an over long hot bath, bottle of beer etc.
OK so the Odessa File is a really sad book to want to read, but it's one of those comfort books, you know you've read it so many times, you don't have to pay too much attention and I find some of Frederick Forsythe's stylisms incredibly funny. Do I want to know what brand of fags a character smokes? Does it add to the realism of the piece? Er.... no but it is kind of funny. Product placement by novel. The Rapidly Diminishing Ken Clare has done it again with a link to the funny Human Clock another amusing site. I'm trying to get excited about 'Library and Information Update 3(1)' but can't it's all bloody public libraries again. It did turn up Linux Lass which might interest the NHS's IT Tsar Richard Grainger in his bid to get Bill Gates off everyones back. Meanwhile it also turned up this which also amused me. So at least the bag of shite did something funny.... (it does have a couple of serious articles I might pay some attention too later too but don't let anyone know that I can be that serious about stuff).
The day kicks off at 2.00 a.m. Cal didn't want to get up but he wasn't alone in that. Monst was reasonably grumpy, I was knackered and Cal just slept through the whole getting dressed experience. Trip to Manchester Airport fine as expected bugger all on the road. Bizarre thought that we were on the way to the venue of SOE parachute training during the war, bit of a change to new venue for trips to see Santa. Left it at 4.30 and came home to crash for a couple of hours. Finally woke up again feeling like shite. A situation not improved by a visit to Warrington. On the plus side I went to visit the Warrington Book Loft. Came out with too many books but did locate a copy of the Odessa File which seemed to have gone mysteriously from all the charity shops I'd been in for the last 7 or so months since I last wanted to read it and couldn't find it. No doubt it's appearing as if by magic everywhere else now. Quick bit of food shop, particularly for some bizarre custard from Marks and Spencer involving loads of vanilla. Back home in time to listen to Arsenal - Bolton on fivelive. Post the excitement of all of that and I shove the Third Series of the League of Gentleman into the DVD. You could also visit Virtual Vasey. I'd forgotten how clever and funny the third series was. An excellent addition to the DVD collection.
Another trip to the venue with the coffee straight from the gnat. All this and a sausage sandwich. Feast of a lunch. Sadly it still ain't Highbury but Vauxhall Road. Picked up the tabloid version of the Independent, don't know if I really like the format. It has the advantage of being far more manageable in the hand but somehow there is the sdatisfaction of wrestling with a Broadsheet. Maybe I'm getting stupid in my old age. Feel fairly knackered and got to face this early morning trip tomorrow. All this and I've been told I must clean upstairs and wrap the presents. Deep joy! Oh well need to get my head round that. Suspect my plan of a return home and collapse in a heap in bed is out of the question. Just come across CheatHouse kind of alarmed by it somehow. All because we have abook just come in from the wonderfully named Richard Daft. Very difficult not to laugh when you have a Dick Daft book about the place.
1. List your five favorite beverages. Coffee - Day time love of my life, it keeps me going when all else fails. Beer - Post hangover less in love with it than normal. A tricky animal, treat it with respect and a fine time with no consequences can be had. Key thing for all you wine drinkers out there, beer is a far more complex drink that your grape juice. Go away and learn to love it. Tea (that'll suprise the Fade crew) A well timed and reasonably strong cup of char can really hit the spot. Even better if you use loose leaf tea it gives you something to read at the end of the mug. 2. List your five favorite websites. Er... top five eh! Like records this probably runs to a fair few. What I be mostly using at the moment is: Bariatric -whats that then (Rapidly Diminishing Ken Clare's Blog) entertaining, informative and this is all his fault. Ella Guru - because I'm getting a bit obsessional with '3 Songs From Liverpool', it's been a constant play since I bought it and it ain't long enough damn you. Album now please. It's simple, pretty and very lovely. Not much information though..... Quickos Daily News - the little puppet cheers me up when times are shite, he's just so damn perky. Even better you can now see him from North Lanarkshire libraries apparently...... Info4local.gov.uk - shhhh! Keep this one to yourself, it's a grey literature collectors wet dream...... Department of Health - less of a favourit but a really regular haunt. I spend a fair proportion of my life on this site, full of grey lit but mainly because it can be a 'mare to navigate and our end users still haven't got the hang of it..... 3. List your five favorite snack foods. Sausages - er... nothing remotely dodgy about a banger and in a house with a pretty constant call for the things what else can you do. Unfortunately I like them with fillings involving meat and flavour, the usual sausage in our house involves pig products. Stilton, Pastrami and Chilli Mayo Sandwiches - a very occaisional lunchtime indulgance that usually indicates I'm pissed off. Pizza involving Pepperoni - it's simple, wack it in an oven and eat..... Chocolate - if all else fails resort to a basic food group. Plain for preference but when in need anything'll do just as long as it doesn't involve turkish delight. Crisps - a simple way to sample the non-tastes of the world..... 4. List your five favorite board and/or card games. Diplomacy - an excuse to wreck your head, games of this go on too long and require a load of thought but can be immensly satisfying. Monopoly - how to let your inner-capitalist run riot..... Snap - Cal's begining to get the hang of this..... Snakes and Ladders - Cal's sussed this one too! Ludo - the final game in the Cal triumverate, er.. it's nice sharing a game with someone who gets excited by it. 5. List your five favorite computer and/or game system games. Settlers IV - the challenge of building and defending your settlement and the cute little people wandering about doing their thang.... 3D Pinball - er... if I'm bored it's always there Axis and Allies - for those moments when recreating pre- first world war Balkan conflicts is not an option, just re-run World War II Solitaire - always a good excuse to go away form the computer and do something more interesting instead a fifth, I rarely play the things, can't you tell...... All this from the Friday Five.
For some strange reason I'm listening to Chumbawamba's 'English Rebel Songs 1381-1914' back here grabbing a coffee and blogging away. Hangover is done over which is as well because tomorrow is the day that Monst and Cal go to Lapland to Levi (another view if you want it, and a final one if you must). Thing is it's only just tomorrow when they need to be at Mancy Airport around 3 a.m. which means a wake up time for me tonight of 2 a.m. Then I have the fun of coming home and working out if it's worth just stayiong up or going to bed. It must be said the folky album on is not really lively enough for me at the mo only 3 songs to go, so what next? Makin' Time they'll do.
It ain't pretty but has a certain grim satisfaction about it, as I grind out a post hangover blues post. Not a good day for a hangover as I spend the morning at a SHA informatics group in Warrington. Quite a high powered gig in a Fuhrer Bunker of a room at the Village Hotel. Jim Hughes kept me fed with coffee and Andy did his thing. Need to write a paper on e-filing by the 16th Jan. Also think I've gained a bit of a gig writing a bit of the PHAR which could be kind of fun. PM and the lovely Sally feeds me coffee. I footle about chasing up the moment in time Health Visitors joined the health service (74 reform, 73 Act). Then back home to a crimbo dinner with Helen and Lonen over. Still feel rough but getting better all the time. Feel shattered though.
Quick bit of knowledge management with Monst on the way to Alder Hey and I know now which is the quickest and cheapest bus to town. Even better I'm sat on the thing. In the spacce of 5 minutes it's cut 20 minutes off my journey time. Downside I'm on the school run so the thing is stopping everywhere to pick up kids. If I was in the car mind I'd be stuck in school traffic anyway. Meanwhile 'Rotten: No Irish, No Blacks, No Dogs' is my bis time reading.
I have to run the Monst and Cal to Alder Hey this morning, then come back and hop a bus. Aaaargh, what a pain I'm gonna be very late in. Need to nurn 15 copies of the Glossary for Big Bob too. Then this afternoon first meeting of my consultation group. Naturally we're doing it my style and heading for the Ship and Mitre (hence the need for the bus). I want a creative venue to discuss this.
Picture this, me on a mission to get Cal from Northern Primary (up in Speke, in the Norf) to Beechenhurst (in the Sarf) to dance the Nutcracker Suite or whatever it is they do in Ballet, with little leeway and a child who'd just bumped into a phony Santa (well they all are if you don't believe in them but you catch my meaning). In the middle of this is an abortive attempt to get hold of 9 Scrap Books for librarians to get in touch with their inner designer. Then having deposted the little darling I needed to fetch Monst so she could pick up Cal. Is it any wonder that my hair is grey. Add to this the beginings of a notion of my calandar list (if you want to know it you'll have to ask) and it was a hectic end to the day. Back on the Belle and Sebastian and been busy trying to justify pedal steel to Ian by mail (not very convincingly it must be said but the beast makes some of the most freaky sounds I can think of.....).
While trying to locate the Warrington Village Hotel (I've a meeting there Thursday) I came across the Curry Guide maybe kind of useful if you like a decent curry.
Camden Public Libraries have got into the Calandar girls thing which no doubt will appease the desire for naked librarian's everywhere. �Lots of men have been looking at them, but not all have bought a copy, which is weird,� added Ms Bowman. Something about public libraries and buying books springs to mind at this quote but that would be too cruel. We've had a message round reminding it isn't the NHS Libraries because they couldn't muster 12 people in Camden. Personally I think it's because it's just too bloody cold to be taking yer clothes off this time of year. Still should we be short of a bob or two..... no doubt we can get people to pay to keep us fully clothed. For LIHNN readers suggestions for your top twelve LIHNN Pin Ups would of course be welcome and amuse me.... (LIHNN is Library Health Network Northwest our local network).
The Times launched this post with this pithy and pointed cartoon by Peter Brookes. It brought forth much bitter laughter from me in the library. Steve Bell take's a different approach to the Iraq thing but lavatorial humour is always in favour here. But Matin Rowson celebrates Christmas for Blair and Bush. Not certain about this from the Times 'It seems that the Edwardians first introduced standards for minimum distances between main house windows. They were built 22m apart so that a gentleman�s wife�s nipple would not be visible from next door, says Planning.' What were next door doing abseiling or using a periscope?
Henry rejects Real rumours thank goodness Titi shows a bit of loyalty. Even DD don't seem to want to take the dosh. Can't sleep so really just here noodling, waiting on a reasonable time to go to work. Gonna make a coffee and relax with a book I think.
Following the Rapidly Diminishing Ken Clare's lead the Friday Five on a Monday Night.... 1. Do you enjoy the cold weather and snow for the holidays? No not at all. Cold weather is not welcomed ever by me what I like is the hint of warmth on the breeze but not actual hot weather. That said a wind that is marginally warmer than the weather has been on a winters day is as good as a summer day and I love the liquid light of a sunny winter day. Snow it's wet cold and pretty horrid if yellow or brown. 2. What is your ideal holiday celebration? How, where, with whom would you celebrate to make things perfect? No celebration at all. Life as normal. Perfection is a state I'll never achieve it's not in gooner logic, everything can always be better than the state you are currently in. Maybe I'm just a malcontent but if I ever reach a state of perfection I'll be terrified. If you insist on people I'd really like to see again round a table Gert my maternal Grandmother, Margaret and Tom, the immediate family, my paternal Grandfather because I don't remember him and it'd be nice to share a pint or two. Plenty of beer of a real ale nature, good chat and reasonable food so I guess Elsie my Dad's Mum better be on hand to help with the cooking. Venue, probably somewhere in Wallingford for preference. Just good craic that's all I need to have a good time. 3. Do you do have any holiday traditions? Beyond alcohol? A bottle of champagne for Christmas breakfast. A walk on Christmas day and Boxing Day. At least one avoidable and stupid argument. Avoiding the Queen's speech. Usual stuff I guess. 4. Do you do anything to help the needy? Quick donation to the homeless but nothing practical and yes I feel guilty about it. 5. What one gift would you like for yourself? World peace (it'd stop me be terrified that some geezer is going to try and call me up. On the outbreak of the first Gulf War all you could hear in the shared house I was living in was the radio's on as war hit, then a knock came at the door and all you could here was 'If they've come to call me up they can fuck off' from at least two of the rooms - turned out it was Tony from across the road to tell us war had broken out). I've lived through three conflicts the UK has been involved in (not counting Northern Ireland) and every one of them has been avoidable and unneccasary.
Obviously in a mood to listen to Jock Indie as I hit the BMX Bandits and kick of a blog for this federated search consultation group to play with. I'd suggest we used Aditus but I need the freedom to be able to write something and get it published at this moment in time. Long term whatever we come out with should transfer there but it ain't up to that yet. The Fursty Ferret is looking tempting right about now. I can't cope with these winter nights. My head is telling me right now it's around 22:00 but the clock says I'm running two hours too fast. OK not a problem, just readjust the body clock a bit with some beer......
Mic calls a.m. to tell me Cairs is now live in Salford a week before he's due to leave. Need to sort some Cairs training out with them and sort out what we're doing. Need to talk the ILLs gig through with Tracy can't remember how we decided to cope with it but I do remember we had some sort of solution. A day of two halves today. Very much lope at the hive. A.M. big blog biz. Start writing my postcards, Bebington and West Wirral, Birkenhead and Wallasy and Central Cheshire PCTs get hit first. It must be said I'm going to demonstrate a clear Cheshire and Merseyside, PCT bias in the way I send these. Acutes bore me and the outer reaches of Lancs and Cumbria are blank spaces on the map merked 'Here Be Dragons'. Count out the postcards for the lovely Lucy. Need to remember to post them to her! Binley's sorts the names of the people to send 'em to. I wish I had more confidence in the accuracy of the thing than I do. Still what can you do other than use the best data available to you. Then second half of the day a quick stand at an induction. A quick impromptu library orientation session, yep I'll talk about what I do at the drop of the hat. Then more people fed on library chocolate. NeLH monitor clips seem to go down well as a freebie. Mind you it might be the demonstration of their usefullness with a packet of chcolate buttons that does it. Here's a question what have you got clipped in your monitor clip today? Bumped into Steve Graham which was kind of nice. Swapped condolances. He was telling me that the bastards at Healthwise made Carol redundant just after her Mum died (just before Christmas, nice pressie lads). Hope she finds a better set of employers soon. 'If You're Feeling Sinister' come and join me in a listen to the delightful Belle and Sebastian. Mind you according to the review I must be a 'buck-toothed girls with stringy hair ' because I've never played lacrosse in my life! Can't believed I lived so long without this sort of set of sounds in my life.
The other message coming out loud and clear form the study day on Friday was Trusts need to work together. In delivering an integrated library service, local services need to integrate. Interesting chat with Gill Swash the AHP bid may be a flyer as a co-ordinated bid, even better it may be used to force the more backward of our acute colleagues into a situation where they share their resources.
Aaaargh! A stand at Mossley Hill for the induction programme and no food in the library. A case of a quick nip into Asda on the way I think. The Soft Boys work their brand of magic as I attempt to bring forth some degree of wakefullness. All that and a judicious use of coffee should see me in some sort of state to face the day.
Sent off to find out about the snow situation in Levi the place Monst and Cal are off to find Santa. Cal's been to Aaron's today and been down the pub (alright for some - The English Rose where apparently there is a ball pool etc. He had a good time, fell down the stairs but is home and wants to do it all again. Meanwhile Monst went into town and the foolish girl was suprised it was mobbed. As for me trips to Morrisons and Sainsbury's (for the bits that idiot boy forgot in Morrison's) proved busy too. Still for the record I'm sat here with some Fursty Ferret cooking the lamb for tonights dinner and getting ready to re-watch the Scrapheap Megachallenge. Other than that a desultory attempt on my part to tidy upstairs while listening to normality being restored as Arsenal beat Blackburn 1-0 and returned to their rightful place on top of the league. A huge relief because I need to ring Cairs for some advice and Graham's a Chelsea fan....
Rugby league a game dying on its feet? Different person at the barbers, she refused to cut Cal's hair. Offered me the chance of a haircut but didn't understand why I wasn't interested if she wasn't going to cut Cal's. So totally pissed off we went to Hair Express of Widnes. The folks were nice, they were calm, we had to wait a few minutes but Cal behaved really well and got loads of hair lopped as a result. He then made me have my hair cut. Job done we had Cal's mate from the speech and language unit round. A nip to Brother Bear and a couple of hours playing together, all good in Cal's book.
Another day over in Widnes at the Rugby League themed barbers because Cal needs a haircut. Yesterday the Speech and Language Unit's play. Then Monst wants Cal to see Aaron someone from the Speech and Language Unit who lives locally to play. Cool by me, he needs to buld some relationships up there if he's going to be up there more frequently. Bizarre discussion about Mick Jagger wearing trainers to be knighted on News 24. Who cares?
In a move not designed to be popular I've insisted we watch the John Cale session on BBC 4. Thing is the man is a legend, a fact not appreciated by Monst to whom the Velvet Underground is a tube station after a visit from Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen.
How big a pile of crap is this, in order to get Callum statemented and into the Speech and Language Unit full time we need to submit reports that are purely negative about Callum. Apparently anything positive in a report and the panel won't consider statementing because he can't that bad if there is anything positive about him. Clearly an objective process then. The more I deal with the LEA the more they irritate me.
Probably if you're at one of these Brewster's gaffs with a plastic play area. Just heard the heart warming sentance 'My Daddy'sdown there' missed the 'and hates the oversized rug that is Brewster Bear'. Still Cal's enjoying it and running off steam so what do I care!
The bizarrely named Mr. Ponce sends me some spam about spam guard, freaky. PM at the study day and a softly spoken hypnotist tells us all about stress and it's management. It was OK but he had a voice that made me instantly think of 'Chorlton and the Wheelies' for some reason. Consequently during the mass hypnotism sesh I chilled remarkably but failed to get hypnotised. I also found it difficult not to laugh at Leo trying not to laugh. Still quite enjoyable to have a sneaky relax. Pick up a box of grey lit from Graham Titley (kindly taken by Tracy to prevent me getting lughole GBH from Monst), quick coffee and it's away. Wherever we go grey lit seems to come our way.
Apologies to anyone reading the post below will insert links and explain when I get a chance.
Health Informatics ill understood despite definition. Check out Making Information Count for definition. Why interested in inf? Result of EBP, knowledge management, IfH, Human resources Dev, reg framework, Bristol Enq., Choice and patient experience white paper. Skills, Competencies, CPD (continuing professional development) Nhs, CILIP, isNTO, UKChip. Cilip to consult on changes to qualifications. Health Executive Advisory Group Task and finish group under Judy Palmer, what could cilip do for health librarians. isNTO lifelong learning, NVQs, want to be a Skills Sector Council. Owns national occupational standards. Skills for health doing occupational mapping of health informatics staff. Working on occupational standards to do with KM. Being field tested. Links to Agenda for Change. UK Chip - voluntary register to get recognition. NHSU - is SHA virtual campus and reg co-ord. Dev local learning resource centres. Keen on inf literacy. Faculty of Health Informatics key to librarians. Needs to engage library schools. Will follow e-learning model, small planning group, stakeholder conference. NKS - need to integrate library services to develop national library service. No nat strat at moment. To many cooks at moment. HSG(97)47 still live. NKS - to look at place for libraries. Elsewhere. - Glaxo virtual libs no physical sources. Need to justify space. BL and Amazon - bib data BL on Amazon web. White paper - patient inf chapter. Worth a read. Need to clarify funding, have national standards, market, publicise success, work with JISC, re:source etc. Need tangible statistics.
Christmas Study Day today at the GMB College over in sunny Manchester. Where we will listen to the great and the good and participate in a bit of stress busting and generally catch up with people etc. Trevor Morris and Veronica Fraser are on the setlist I remember. Shan has some stress busting thing involving touching people around you...... I'm gonna be a lonely soul.... Meanwhile I need to extract some stuff from the laptop (including the glossary for you to play with Ken) and do some work round the news and all this to the sound of 'Can of Bees'.
'Leisure' by Kevin Sampson, former manger of the Farm (don't hold it against him) and author of 'Awaydays' and 'Powder' is a cracking little read, bought read and finished in a day so it can't be bad. Similar in tone to John King's 'Headhunters' but without the footie and with less violence. All this and I'm taking my time with Patricia Finney's 'Gloriana's Torch' which is truly excellent but quite dense and therefore a slower read.
Nice set of review criteria for the Single Search Environment culled from 'A comparative review of common user interface software products for libraries' from the National Library of New Zealand. A top document with lots we can use and learn from.
Current Athens subscription numbers Central Liverpool PCT 180 North Liverpool PCT 30 South Liverpool PCT 62 SHA 15 WDC 17 So we need to do some work up North and at the SHA and WDC.
According to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph 10 Years ago 'Hodded robbers held three terrified store workers at gun point in a raid on a Kwik Save. But the two raiders carrying a sawn-off shot gun, a hand gun and a crow bar fled when they realised the safe at the store in Blackburn could not be opened'. Only in Blackburn could a bunch of armed robbers carry hods...... Local papers, how I hate the things......
Start of the day is delivering leaflets about Fade for a Mentorship course that Zoe Richards is holding today at the Whiston Village Hotel. That done it's on to the M62 down Edge Lane and into work. Ella Guru soothe the savage beast inside as I get ready to burn 15 CD's for Big Bob Steele containing the ABC of Informatics we developed with Ken (made sure Big Bob knew about your involvement in it Ken). He wants to give them to the Chief Executives of the PCTs as a crimbo pressie. What more could you want, you stop playing with Newton's Balls and you get this.......
Sent a copy of the postcard to the folks, it had to be done, they don't understand what it is I do for a living anyway so this'll confuse 'em further. CHI stuff is at all three PCTs and I feel all the better for getting it off. Nice to chat with Jo Clarke as ever and a new experience chatting with Michelle Cowell. Seems to be coming together and apparently as far as Central go we're one of the first to submit (only because I can't come up with a good excuse to put it off any longer).
The postcard is here, Sally picked them up and they look excellent. We'll get a rack and start flogging the things at 4 for a quid..... Really pleased with them it's a genuine real postcard and looks like it. Written my first one and gonna post it later. Demco and the poxy shelving invoice has raised its ugly head yet again. For those not familiar with the tale of woe here a brief summary is: Library gets extended, Demco put shelving in, Demco invoice us, we pay invoice, Demco invoice us again, somehow we pay invoice again, we reclaim money from Demco, Demco pay us the money from the second invoice, Finance lose the money, Finance agree it's their problem, Finance now deny it's their problem, Finance still don't know where they've put the money. Maybe I should go over to Rathbone and help them look with a sawn off shotgun. In addition to this other financial issues I thought were sorted aren't so brief chat with Eileen and we're back on track. What a relief as I'm saying to CHI this is all sorted, which it is it's just finance don't know that yet.
A Basil Rathbone morning, expected to see Archie the Ripper, second cousin of Jim the Ripper, brother of Jack the Ripper wandering about gladstone bag in hand doing his thing. Instead I just saw fog, sodium lights burning orange and sets of car lights red and white about me. On parking the car I emerged to be seranaded by a foghorn on the Mersey. So here I am in work, listening to 'Tigermilk' again, typing this thing again before I start the day job. Coffee is with me, what more do I need?
Because I can't get this out of my head or off a pretty constant playlist I've got to share it..... Expectations Monday morning wake up knowing that you've got to go to school Tell your mum what to expect, she says it's right out of the blue Do you went to work in debenham's, because that's what they expect Start in lingerie, and Doris is your supervisor And the head said that you always were a queer one from the start For careers you say you went to be remembered for your art Your obsessions get you known throughout the school for being strange Making life-size models of the velvet underground in clay In the queue for lunch they take the piss, you've got no appetite And the rumour is you never go with boys and you are tight So they jab you with a fork, you drop the tray and go berserk While your cleaning up the mess the teacher's looking up your skirt You've been used, you're confused Write a song, i'll sing along Are you calm? settle down Soon you will know that you are sane You're on top of the world again Monday morning wake up knowing that you've got to go to school Mum said she had little choice when she was young, so why should you? Do you went to work in c&a, 'cause that's what they expect Move to ladieswear and take a feel off Joe the storeman Tell Veronica the secrets of the boy you never kissed She's got everything to gain 'cause she's a fat girl with a lisp She sticks up for you when you get aggravation from the snobs 'cause you can't afford a blazer and you're always wearing clogs At the interval you lock yourself away inside a room Heed of english gets you, asks you, "what the hell do you think you're doing?" "do you think you're better then the other kids? well get outside." You've got permission, but you've got to make the bastard think he's right
Amendment to duplicate post below, as Blog This! wigs out. No wonder I seldom use it....
Go download from the Blacksmoke Organisation, e.p. includes the impolite but quite wonderful 'Fuck the Fucking Fuckers', not written specifically about Knowsley LEA but at the moment I could quite cheerfully dedicate it to them. Yes I know dance music on top of the confessions of Sophie Ellis-Bextor....... All they ask in return is a picture of you with the EP in your mit, now how to arrange that.......
Go have a look at Prada Death Camp a fine piece of design indeed by Tom Sachs, gonna put it in my design scrapbook if only to wind up the local library folks......
Interesting demo from Sentient Learning today of their E-Reading list software DISCOVER. May make the whole information cache gig a simpler thing to achieve. Equally interesting was the way it could provide the individual with some space as a repository for stuff dragged back using a federated search tool. Much of the presentation was way to dedicated to the academic market but it was the first time they'd spoken to anyone from the NHS and I don't think they'd realised how unstructured CPD is in the the health service. Spent much of the time trying to understand NHS structure from Val and myself. Are we ever going to come up with a structure that is understandable to anyone from a relatively human background. Independent contractors just blows people apart, they can't get into their heads we still live with the 48 buy off of medics. Suggested they chat to Colin at HCLU and NHSU. Mail exchange with Bob Steele (who Adam tells me is the top download at the North Mersey LIS Portal at least his pic is not him, can't imagine Bob fitting down a pipe...), wishes to use our Informatics Glossary for Chief Execs who want the whole gig translating for them. Suits me, can only serve to raise our profile. All this and the postcards should be ready tomorrow. Gonna have to post one as soon as I open the things, it's childish I know but the temptation is too much...... Sat listening to 'Tigermilk' again but how can you resist something with lines like, 'You've been used, you're confused Write a song, I'll sing along Are you calm? Settle down Soon you will know you are sane You're on top of the world again'. By the way if you have a spare minute send positive vibes to the Rapidly Diminishing Ken Clare, sounds like he needs them.
Callum's starring role as Shepherd No. 2 today. Cool gig down at Beechenhurst today. Not that I saw most of it because I was filming it for blackmail purposes at a later date. The big production numbers were 'Rat-a-tat-tat' some sort of christmas'd up 'Morning Has Broken' (a careless thing to do with a morning at the best of times). Not quite Busby Berkeley more Berkeley James Harvest. Highlight for me though was the recorder group's rendition of Roy Wood's 'I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day'. Rocking recorders or what, I was waiting for 'Belsen Was a Gas' but it never came. Ballet for Cal post this and we've set up the continuation post-Beechenhurst. Nice people run the school, it all helps. See Arsene's interested in Alan Smith, took delight in winding up John (father of Stephanie) about the Leeds situation.
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Start the day with Makin' Time having decided I need something to liven me up. Just found Tomlinson's Allied Health Professional's Core Collection which means I can seriously cost the collection required to effectively meet the needs of AHP's. More work, but it needs doing we all do a piss poor job of serving them. Notice the official Belle and Sebastaian page, can't believe that 'Tigermilk' was recorded in three days it's just such a classy album. Oh, well enough of this time for coffee and a bit of serious work.
A suitable Wychwood brew for this time of year. Rich, dark with hints of cinnamon and fruit. Very satisfying and very nice. After slagging the folks for turning into old people I buy myself a pair of slippers. What's that all about? Keeping my poxy feet warm and the floors clean. Cal's gig as a shepherd is due pm Tuesday. He has the costume, he has the sheep, what more do you need? Interesting chat with Val about phonics am today. Need to investigate more.
Need to remember to get cat food, not for the Katie cat but for Marie's two. Danny is back in hospital at Alder Hey with pneumonia and she and Terry are stopping at the Ronald McDonald house, which apparently is great. About time McDead thing did something useful. Least we can do in the circumstances.
Good sesh in Chester, not that it achieved much but good free and frank exchange of information. Looks like the gig in Halton and Warrington will be slightly more complex to set up than we thought initially. Out of it comes the notion of a bid for Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) to ensure equitible access to health libraries, at the moment they can come in but dedicated resources for them are few and far between.
A reminder to myself to sort this and find out who's dealing with it in the north. Also check out microform providers.
Many thanks to Librariani for the link. Once more I'm frustrated because of the usual English arrogance which leaves me with the language ability of a dead halibut. The arabic is nice to look at though and I'm sure very pithy and to the point. Tried translating it with a free tool that then wanted to charge me (don't ewxpect a link from me buster....) and then with a free tool I broke. Oh well the idea was there as was the intention.
In yesterday's downtime the following posts: Rooster Booster Home at last having survived the shopping trip from hell. We returned to the car via Lewis aka George Henry Lee, also known to me as the Reading shopping excperience because it's like being in Heelas', another part of the John Lewis Partnership. Then back into Ellis Brigham where Monst buys some snow beats for herself, a fleece balaclava and ordered a snow suit for Cal. I shove in an order for a DAB radio for christmas and then home to cook the chicken. Feel knackered. Forgot to mention earlier that my folks are turning into old people. They wanted to go out on the way home. The old fella spied 'Cadbury World' but the old drear suggested Morrison's in Banbury. That's twice this year a supermarket's been considered a trip out, last time was the biggest Asda in the UK in Swindon. Next thing they'll be going for rides in the car to keep the thing exercised..... Downtime Blogger seems to be down so don't know if this and the last post will get through. Dinner is cooked and eaten, Cal is fast akip and Monst is watching a dodgy crimbo movie. Need to wash up, iron a shirt for the morning and generally get my shit together. Still no word from the folks. Worries me because as they get older you've got to worry about them. Parents, they're worse than kids. Callum I at least have some control over, well as long as there aren't any pigeons about that he's going to chase. Parents you have no control over whatsoever. They were't exactly exciting but at least it finishes of Sunday, albeit on Monday.... and who knows they may turn up from Outer Mongolia yet. Me, early and frosty start, followed by a brief exchange with Val re: trip to Chester for Co-ordinators meeting today. Another fun Monday beckons as I wake up to the taste of coffee and sounds of REM's 'Document'. If you're into collecting their stuff you could always try the REM Collectors Guide.
Yep, back in Marks and Spencers having picked up a hat with eye holes for Cal to use when he's out with a sawn off shotgun, a pair of mittens for naughty kittens and boots to stomp in the snow. Is this fun? Is it heck as like, I need a coffee and not to be standing in front of the stockings, people'll think I'm some sort of perv. However they do prompt the questions, shine leg, do you have to use polish? Only one? Why?
Home from Stafford having met the folks for breakfast. Having flashed headlights at each other over the car park gifts were exchanged. Good to see them but they send me on guilt trips left right and centre because it's ages since I've been home. Don't know if it's a concious effort but I could live without it at the moment because it makes me realise how emotionally drained I am at the moment. Anyway breakfast and chat done (they are right by the way I could do with a trip home if only to recharge myself) we head our seperate ways and I return to Halewood to drag the Cal and Monst to town. The saga of the boots for going to Lapland is due to be repeated, aaaargh! Meanwhile Cal wants to listen to Paul Roland (Ian if you read this take note he likes the cover on 'Burnt Orchids') while I want to listen 'Expectations' the second track on Belle and Sebastian's 'Tigermilk', we compromise and listen to Side One of 'Burnt Orchids' which is nice and then 'Tigermilk' as Monst gets dressed. Cal pogo's to the Belle and Seb which must be a first.....
Coffee, book (the Independent ain't out yet) and wrapped presents. The puggies are twinkling but idle and the day looks set to be a sunny wintery day. Dawn an over rated experience it must be said was actually quite pretty, with the skeletons of trees silhoueted against a pale blue sky with whispy pink clouds. Red sky in the morning, you're up too early. I've just seen Santa go by in a mini skirt. Odd, mind you she shouldn't have worn the beard with the outfit.
I left home at a stupid time, I'm two hours early and I've just wrapped the presents. On the plus side I'll buy the paper and get to read it in something approximating peace. What can you say about a service station other than it's dull. All this and later I need to drag Monst into town. Aaaaargh!
Monst has booked a 3 nights and 4 day trip to Levitunturi to go and visit Santa, or at least some geezer pretending to be the red suited burgler who has yet to learn to tke the stuff not leave it. Meanwhile I've been scrubbing the kitchen. Good stuff. All this and mentally preparing myself for the exotic trip to Stafford tomorrow. A 1-1 draw today at Leicester, 2 dropped points.
Monst is revisiting the idea frantically of taking Cal to Lapland using the Santa trips from Canterbury. As long as they don't drag me along that's cool. If they go he'll know what the hell is going on this time. Last time he went he was way too little. My idea of a bad gig though, smow, ice and cold, then you get these geezers pretending to be elves and a big bloke pretending to be Santa exhibiting the sort of manic laughter that in other places would probably result in him being sectioned. Ooops, christmas spirit hits again. Early start to the business of the day as I take in Monst's sick note. See Maggie and there is genuine concern on the part of the unit. Nice to see< i end up doing my cynical nice concern I'll convey the message routine. Nip home via PC World because Monst in manic tidy mode managed to get some cabling up into the loft. Then Davies travel for the brochures. Monst on her way up to see them post tea and toast.
How fine is an old friend of an album you seldom play because the vinyl is too much hassle when you obtain it on CD? Loving my reaquaintance with old friends like Sandra, Leppo, the Pigworker and Fatman's Son. There is a charm to 'Can of Bees' that is all its own that over the years I've loved and cherished and dipped into, each time reminding me of the first listen and each time revealing a new layer. Er... Wanky music wittering over for a bit.
Cal and I can do no right tonight. Safer to keep a low profile as Monst's in a foul mood.
Steve discovers the Sophie Ellis-Bextor today. One question on his lips, why? Good question, deserves an answer but no good excuse is forthcoming. Post work go for a pint with Steve, Mark and Laurence at the New Brunswick. Why? Dr. Clarke is barred from Shenanigins for throwing his pint over someone. Good to see Laurence, good chat, good company and iffy Guinness. Means I'm late home but as I'm in the doghouse anyway might as well be hung for a goat instead of a sheep. Linda popped in to say hello. Mark is in a new job, the masonic hall having offered him an unacceptable contract. It's going to tribunal, hope he stings them for a huge amount. Mind you as it's the masons the tribunal'll probably be full of the funny handshaking bastards. Need to head to Faz to drop off Monst's line.
The copy from Jenny of 'A Can of Bees' and horrified everyone with a quick listen to 'The Pigworker'. Marketing meeting was interesting. Much vigorous debate around the proposed Cheshire and Mersey folder with Marie. Much louder and more animated than anyone could have expected. However very much in the right sort of spirit, I kind of enjoyed it.
Friday, patch marketing meeting at CTC. Already in trouble at home, melted a plastic bag onto the iron and an argument with Monst about a trip to Brum beyond the trip I'm making on Sunday to exchange presents at Stafford Services. Be good to see Mo, haven't seen her in ages. Smokers in the library are busy objecting to the Lancet editorial.
Felt my NeLH stuff was too speedy. Trouble was everyone else was running over so I dashed through. Useful meeting Sandra, chased a little grey literature, met the Deputy Chief Information Officer of the Strategic Health Authority who is nearly the acting Chief Information Officer. He seems OK. Arranged for a Fade button on Aditus. Tried a live blog from it but the Blackberry was down. Still seems OK now. Tracy doing a top job on the recruitment. Central have now signed a new deal contract. Everything steams ahead.
Feedback on impact of National programme: Impact on patients Choice, empowerment, holistic, less errors. Increased flexibility, reduce inefficiencies, develops audit trail. How do you support patients clinical choice? Control of access. Quicker access to appointment (perception of). Prevention of repetition. Will choice be real. Impact on Clinicians Improve access and information sharing if appropriate. Needs lots of education for GPs so referrals appropriate. Implications for triage? Waiting lists evened out. Big training issues. Enhances safety Better treatment planning. Access to legible information. Shared information. Concerns on system sensitivity to specialist practice. Concern of lack of use of local care pathways. Referral criteria need development. Improve communication. Learning opportunities. Technology should work for clinicians not against them. May reduce consultation time but bookings less flexible. Changing Practice Promote evidence based practice. Big change in admin. Need resources to support patient. Implications for workforce planning. Standardise note taking. No alter capacity. PACS would be good. Lose power over workload. More training. Increases accountabiklity.
So far a bit high level for the audience. Kind of useful for me though. Key thing is people are watching. Me I'm blogging.
Blogging the day live, this is a bit of an experiment. Intro - Sandra Day informatioin for Health is about right information in the right place at the right time. Ken Rider - Deputy CIO Left NHS because of the state of IT in the NHS, back after 8 years because of its state. NPfIT - national programme for IT. 13m consultations et al big numbers of transactions to cope with. NHS ambitious IT programme. 2.3 bn to be invested IT. Point is to support modernisation and support direct patient care. Key areas integrated care records service, e-booking, e-transfer of prescriptions, infrastructure. ICRS shares records. Using standards. Uses spine. Foundation for whole system. Improves clinical support. Gives stats too. E-booking promotes partnership, choice reduces did not attends. ETP electronic transfer of prescriptions allows prescribers to transfer scrips to pharmacies. More convenient to patients, more efficient admin and reduces errors so increases patient safety. Also cheaper than paper because currently things keyed in 3 times. Greater security built in. Key element of electronic health record. Infrastructure two key projects: E-mail directory - centrally managed, web based mail, single mail address for NHS employees, shared online calendar throughout NHS and mobile access. N3 - new national network: re-procurement of services increasing bandwidth. Procurement (NPfIT) largest single IT procurement in the world. Needs to meet business needs, must deliver value for money. Based on OJEU ad, developing Output Bases Spec. Evaluates response and negotiates contract. Implementation relies on: Local Service Providers LSP's Provide IT systems and services in five geographic clusters. Ensures national applications can be delivered locally. Ensure implementation of National Standards. National Application Service Providers NASPs Deliver the national applications like the spine, national e-booking service, picture archiving and comms systems and e-transfer of prescriptions. National Infrastructure Service Provider NISP. Deliver new range of broadband connections. Key message is need for integration of systems.
No news there but imagine my delight at the Google Deskbar which means I can search without having to open a browser. Even better Google define e.g. Define: Elephant may save me the bother of getting off my backside and opening a dictionary or even searching for an online dictionary and then searching for the term I want defining.
If only they knew how awful at cricket I truly am..... but I'm off to describe NeLH to a bunch of Allied Health Professionals today in lovely Warrington for Sandra Alderson of National Health Informatics Development which'll be fun. Taking the boards on the basis of have chocolate, will travel. Need to set them up now, but first an intermission for coffee.
I regularly get pissed off with things but I seldom get the adrenaline rush of really losing my rag. I did today with the representative of Knowsley LEA. We hit the meeting with them and they kindly provided coffee. It's about the only thing they provide. The speech and language unit have decided Cal needs to be there 4 days a week and having received advice from Beechenhurst we've agreed. We then came to the question of what we do after the twenty weeks of his placement are up. Now the Unit would like to implement the transition to 4 days a week post Christmas (makes sense to us) which leaves 6 weeks of placement. To continue beyond this Cal needs to be statemented. This process could take up to 16 weeks. Even a mathematical dunce like me can work out there's an 11 week gap. So I asked them what happens during that gap. Cal loses his place at the Unit and goes back to Beechenhurst, speech and language support is a weekly sesh at Halewood clinic and the panel meet to decide if Cal should be statemented. What also pissed me off was the suggestion that they have so much more evidence. Last time they had a school report from Beechenhurst, speech and language reports from the NHS and Hilary and the report from the educational psychologist. This time the school report will be from the Unit and from Tracey their speech therapist. I don't see that as additional evidence, I just see it as evidence invented here. So I upset them by suggesting that was the case. I also suggested the gap was them abdicating their duty of care to Cal. This also didn't go down well but given that their unit say he has a need, they say he has a need to deny him access to the service he needs is clearly an abdication of their duty of care and they can pretend otherwise but it plainly is. On top of this is no definite offer of a statement. We may need to appeal again, a process that can take up to six months. Why do we have to fight for Cal's right to the educational support he needs? The system sucks.
Noticed that Ella Guru have a date in Glasgow at King Tut's on the 7th of January according to their label Banana Recordings. This then leads me to plot evilly that I need to take up a van to sort various things in Bellshill. I need to sort out a dupe driving licence to sort the van. I have a meeting am on the 7th. If I get my shit together I could get driving licence, rent van, be in Glasgow at the right time and see the band in a venue I've always fancied visiting. Sleep in Bellshill, get the stuff on the 8th, get back and be home in time to go to Manchester for the Single Search Environment demo on the 9th. Even better Steve is looking at his diary to see if he can make it because he's always fancied a gig at King Tut's which if it comes off means I have an extra pair of hands to help me shift stuff! Result! If I can get it past Monst!
