Blown it

Not the Daily Mail.

The BBC.

Driver fined 'for blowing his nose'

I am sorry, the world has indeed gone mad.

But more seriously, we now have laws of either such vagueness or framed deliberately to be catch-alls that basically one can be busted for anything, anytime.... because someone feels like it. Remember, the AG seems to have flipped between illegal to legal in a heartbeat ... on going to war.

And we now have retroactive laws being flung about with more heft on matters of money than on terrorism.

The law... is an ass. And many, too many, involved in it, are a**holes. Which means one, fatal, inevitable result: we will cease to respect them, and hence the law.

And it will not matter if, as I suspect, this idiocy is quietly dropped and all involved slink away to grumble before trying it on again. The damage has been done. All for £60 (rising with each challenge on validity, a totally disproportionate piece of official extortion that does not apply in the other direction).

Hope they think it worth it. I'm sure, for some reason, like what seems our entire civil self-service, there will have been bonusses involved.

Hot Air. Cool Reception.

It's amazing. Until today I had thought the Government Warm Front scheme was a great thing, and have advocated it on many occasions.

But until I watched the BBC Breakfast News today I was totally unaware that they had been deemed 'unfit for purpose' a heck of a long time ago, as result of many complaints (still ongoing) and it seems that zippy has really been done since.

Why, of why, when on the rare occasion the market rate talents put together a half way decent initiative, the hordes of penpushers that swarm in behind promptly gobble up most of the money on admin. yet still produce an entity that is 'unacceptable'.

I am sorry. This is why I crank eyebrows at much that is bandied in the loose name of 'climate change', especially when it seems to involve siphoning off vast amounts MORE money from folk to redistribute, when patently this shambles have no idea, not competence... and no accountability.

Yet, until today, even with my perhaps deeper interest in such topics than many, thanks to a culture of spin over substance, and comms over delivery, I was unaware of its failings.

I still think it worthy, and necessary, but only if done well, and honestly, and in a timely manner.

It is to be hoped this farce is not repeated with the boiler scrappage scheme, where already what is great theory is showing signs of abuse (not got to the delivery from authority side yet) such that those likely not best positioned to challenge claims are being advised to 'check around'.

Addendum:

Just saw the latest GOAT minister being interviewed on this. Explains, if not excuses, much.

The mendacious or the mediocre really are the new breed.