Broken Biscuits

I've been following the whole Alan Johnson/Professor Nutt story this weekend, and I'm of the opinion that it is an illustration of how politics has dumbed down.  Policy is, it seems to me, more driven by tabloid opinion and blatent vote chasing than being founded in reality. 

By trying to limit every single debate to good/bad, black/white, yes/no questions, there becomes no ground to be moderate or pragmatic, nor in fact is there space for an intelligent and reasoned debate.  In my view, its this move into binary politics that gives extreme parties like the BNP credibility - since they just appear to some to be on the particular side of the question that they agree with - and hence of no difference to the mainstream parties who also come down on that side of the fence.

Professor Nutt described the drug Ecstasy as being less dangerous than horse riding, and Alan Johnson, in a typical knee jerk fashion, riposted with some ridiculous nonsense about not many people in his constituency owning horses.  I'm sorry, but that still doesn't make the fact that more people are killed each year in horse riding accidents than by Ecstacy go away, no matter how much you would like it to. 

Whilst all deaths are regrettable, simply because someone is killed by drugs doesn't make their death any worse than someone who has been killed by another means.  The point Prof. Nutt was making was about comparable & relative risks, and that is the point of his argument.

When questioned about this on Radio 5 at the weekend, the reporter asked Professor Nutt how Leah Betts' parents would feel about this comparison, and quite rightly, Professor Nutt retorted (and I'm paraphrasing here) "how do you think the parents of those horse riders feel?'

What is the point - I've often been heard shouting at the radio (its my age ) - of appointing a bunch of highly intelligent academics to produce a report into drugs of abuse (or in fact early years education policy, social services, weapons of mass destruction, asylum seekers etc) - and then to rubbish the findings simply because it doesn't agree with your personal tabloid view of the world? 

As Robert Keith Leavitt (US Advertising Guru) once remarked "People don't ask for facts in making up their minds.  They would rather have one good, soul-satisfying emotion than a dozen facts."

I've entered the Derwentwater 10 on Sunday November 1st. 

I have to confess that I had mistakenly thought that this was a flattish course, with some pretty scenery, however it appears I have been somewhat mislead and it is rather more hilly, as evidenced by the height profile of the course kindly supplied by Barry (who I'm sure told me it was mostly flat in the first place!)

I've been running reasonably consistently over the last few weeks, and have now extended my 'normal' lunchtime run to be slightly over 7 miles.  Added to this, I've been whittling away at the time I take to complete the distance, so that now I'm clocking in at just over an hour.  I know this isn't particularly speedy in comparison to people like Paula Radcliffe, but I'm pleased about it, and in this case, that's the only yard-stick that counts .  Anyway, its her job - so she should be good at it

All in all I'm feeling much better prepared for this than than some of the runs I've done in the past, so am quite looking forward to it. Its only 10 miles, what's the worst that can happen?

So after tempting Fate so carelessly, you have every right to expect me to follow up with a post full of tales of pain, inclement and surprisingly unseasonable weather and multiple blisters in tender locations .  We'll see...

Its been a bit of a rollercoaster weekend, fortunately its been mostly ups and very few downs for me, although I won't say that applies to everyone in the family...

On Friday afternoon, Jane, Emily, Georgia and myself set off to Coventry, which was to be our staging post stop on route to Cambridge, where Emily was due to start her University life.  We stayed at Jamie and John's because:

a) it was on the way and convenient for us to get to Cambridge at 10am,
b) it was a chance for Em to see her grandparents for the first time in a while,
c) J&J have just had lots of home improvements done so we could indulge in some house envy and
d) it was Friday night, and that means wine and beer at J&J's house .

So on Saturday morning, we re-packed the car and set off down the M6/A14 in order to drop Em off. The journey was completely pain free (unlike the night before - 3 accidents on the M6 in 30 miles , but that's another story) and we got to Cambridge, and more by luck than judgement, managed to navigate all the way into the centre without any problems, or indeed a map .  

On production of our specially requested permit, the very friendly traffic warden opened the barrier and allowed us to drive onto the pedestrian zone and right up to Trinity College - the outside of which was being completely swarmed by tourists - even though the college was closed to vistors.  Fortunately one of the college porters was on hand to shoo people out the way and let us park.

After a couple of minutes of very efficient paperwork Em got her room key and we found our way up the 4 flights of stairs to her college room.  First impressions, apart from the breathlessness of course , were wonderful - each room has its occupants name painted above the door (how nice is that? ) and had there was enough room to be both comfortable and studious - two desks and enough chairs for 4 made sure of that...Not only that, but Em's room has a great location - it overlooks the main entrance gate at Trinity, and also has a view over the outside world as well - here's a view from one of the windows:

After helping Em to unpack, we had a quick wander round the college (very impressive) and then we bobbed out to Pizza Express for lunch.  After a fairly tearful goodbye (from the girls of the family - its not a bloke thing ) Jane, Georgia and I set off home. 

So far so good seems to be the news from Cambridge - as the numerous texts and couple of calls have revealed - the college is really friendly, and food/drinks also are readily available.  Em starts her lectures and tutorials today, so that might be a bit of a coming-down-to-earth-with-a-bump moment, but I'm sure she'll cope in her usual understated, super competent ways.

I'm sure Jane will stop randomly crying in a few days too.

So today's claim to fame is... I was at Oasis' last gig at the V Festival at Weston Park.

Usually things work the other way round and the Stafford leg of the V Festival is the one that gets the slightly soiled end of the stick (which is a two site affair like Reading/Leeds and all the focus/tv footage is usually on the southern leg of the event) - for example, a couple of years ago Peter Doherty was booked to play on the second night and got arrested whilst driving up from Chelmsford. Again. 

Although to be fair to Peter, he did actually make it this time around...

This year, Oasis played on Saturday in the midlands sunshine, then Liam gets laryngitis, which then morphs into a full blown case of end-of-tour-band-break-up fever - we never did believe the throat thingy anyway - and lo and behold, I get to see their last ever gig 

Ok, so I wasn't within touching distance of the Burnage Brothers, but I was there at the back, singing along with the rest of the crowd and avoiding the "warm rain" that seemed to accompany all the headline acts this year.

And so there you have it, and it will remain one of my claim to fame moments until Liam needs a new parka or Noel wants a bit more cash to buy the new City kit and they reform of course

I was forwarded an email last week from one of my colleagues in the US.  One of the articles I had written for a scientific journal had been noticed by a marketing officer at Salford University, which happens to be where I did my degree in Chemistry.  In my author profile it mentions the university, so I'm guessing that their daily Google Alert happened to pick up on my bit of stuff about food safety.

Anyway, they were so thrilled to be mentioned, that they wanted me to write a graduate profile for use in their marketing material.

Obviously I was happy to do this, as there's nothing like a bit of recognition along with a slightly fawning email to puff up one's ego enough to spend a few minutes composing some nice reminiscences around the course I studied, the location and general stuff about university life.

I did feel a tad fraudulent though, as the degree I studied is no longer offered at Salford, and I wasn't the most academically committed of students - although I certainly more than made up for that with my approach to the social side of university life .

Although maybe they want to illustrate that having 3 years of fun and ending up with a Desmond* isn't any kind of barrier to future success, of which I am living proof...

*To the uninitiated, a Desmond is a 2:2 - Desmond Tutu - geddit?