Just what the world needs - another ranty blog

. . . are greatly exaggerated. I've just been horribly, horribly busy.

Have come to the conclusion that Red Bull is about as effective as Mogadon in keeping one bright and alert, and the only noticeable effect is giving one surgary-flavoured burps at periodic intervals.

Perhaps this is what keeps you awake? Enquiring minds wish to know.

Anyhow, the knee is doing very well, and although still very swollen is gradually looking more knee-shaped every day and I can now get about without looking like Hugh Laurie in House. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and wished me well - appreciate it, folks.

Have been keeping an eye on the news, and marvelling at Labour's committment to recycling. In a time where the planet needs to recycle its resources, and facing increasing reticence from the rich nations to do so, Labour have been leading the way:

Every crap minister and civil servant who has made a pig's ear of their post is being recycled back into a job. Some, like Prescott and Hewitt are proving a little more difficult to re-use as, understandably, they were no fucking use in the first place, but if the man at the centre of the . . . third? . . . fourth? . . . data loss at the Home Office can "resign" and still be given a cushy job until his retirement benefits kick in, well who knows. This is the season of the miraculous, after all.

Also,so-appalling-that-you-have-to-laugh-or-you'd-kill-someone was a little statistic I cam across on a TV programme: "Fixing the NHS". A high profile private sector manager had tried to implement changes in a troubled NHS hospital, and was returning some years later to see if there had been an improvement.

Yes there had, but for all the process improvements and skyrocketing morale in the hospital, they were been utterly shafted by clueless government policies and targets which made no sense for the hospital. Increasingly, Mr Manager was getting angrier at every example of governmental waste and inefficiency the hospital were struggling against.

The NHS IT system? Wasted enough money to employ 16,000 nurses. For ten years.

Sadly, like the missing data (should have tried Amazon . . . they seem OK about posting CDs, especially at busy times of the year), this hallmark of incompetence is going to get washed over by the amnesiac short-term memory of the public. The best we can hope for is they vote for the Tories instead next time.

Talk about Hobson's choice.