Not a great deal has happened, I am still off work and unable to drive. My last attempt was a failure as I could not turn around to see out of the back window when reversing and twisting to see what traffic was approaching me at a junction was fraught with distress. On the few occasions I have been able to bend down and pick something up I have had severe pains afterwards. So, I am still in self imposed house arrest and I am slowly going around the bend. Day time TV has finally become unbearable and I have read every book in the house, even Genghis is giving me a wide berth as I have become so grumpy.
With so little happening I have not had a lot to write about. However I have been keeping up with the news and the directors of RBS which has been bailed out by us the taxpayers have threatened to resign en masse if they are not allowed to give themselves almost 2 billion pounds in bonuses. What is it with bonuses? People get paid for doing a job. They should not be paid more just because they do it well. They should be doing it well and if they are not then they should be sacked. However the people in the world of finance are on a different planet from the rest of us. Having caused the biggest financial crisis in the last 50 years they still think they should be entitled to huge payments for what amounts to a spectacular failure and derivation of duty. Failure and incompetence seem to be the way forward.
Another area of incompetence that has been in the news is the fact that two of Her Majesties latest and best naval vessels are sailing around without any working missile system. These two ships pronounced as the best in the world for their fighting capabilities by the Royal Navy are armed with little more than a pop gun each. The radar systems that allow these ships to be so deadly are still on trials in the south of France and has been for almost three years. No one actually knows when it will be available for active service. Is it any wonder then that piracy in the waters off Somalia is so prolific when the navy does not have any ships capable of stopping pirates?
Yet more woeful incompetence by our wonderful government is the waste of billions of pounds on a centralised National Health Service computer system which does not work and further development is now being halted to save money. Up to 12 billion has already been spent on the damn thing and another 4 billion is needed to make it operational. If the waste of money was not so serious it would be funny. The systematic reward of failure and incompetence is alive and well in every walk of life from private industry to government waste on things that should work but do not. I have no doubt the people who are designing the radar system and the computer programmes for the NHS will be amply rewarded with end of contract bonuses when they eventually manage to get up and running.
On a much lighter note the draw for the world cup took place on Friday and England seem to have an easy group from which to navigate their way forward to the knock out stages. I am sure our best and brightest will become a beacon of hope and inspiration for us mere mortals who will be cheering on our boys. Maybe just maybe these lads will actually earn a bonus but I won’t hold my breath.