I'm Running Out of Places to Hide the Bodies

I feel macho. I have callouses on my hands. I bought a big electric screwdriver to help with this problem.

Well, I hung 4 cabinets on the wall in the kitchen this weekend. That means we're still 2 short of the final count, but there is no longer a need to keep things in the living room in boxes. We filled them up last night. I have an unwarranted fear of them falling off the wall. I assume this fear is normal. The wall fixings are fine. But the brackets supplied with the cabinets are secured using only 4 screws per unit. Seems like it should be more really. I still have to hang the last 2 cabinets and fit the cooker hood before I can move to phase two.



My boss is away this week. This is good because it means the weekly meeting is cancelled. When I started this job I really though that I wouldn't be busy enough. Indeed, there have been a few periods in which I have literally been looking for work to occupy myself. Now however, I am satisfyingly busy. Perhaps too busy, but rather that than under employed.

Today's amusing news story focuses on a gentleman called David Pratt, who was caught by street wardens in Peterborough a wearing a teeshirt bearing an "offensive" slogan. Mr Pratt was warned that he could face an £80 fine if seen wearing the shirt again. The slogan on the shirt was, "Don't piss me off! I'm running out of places to hide the bodies". I'm slightly confused. I don't know if it's the word "piss", or the fact that the slogan infers that the wearer is a serial killer, that could cause offence. I also find it slightly odd that the BBC deems it necessary to blur out the word "piss" in the photo of the shirt on the news website, but reports exactly what the slogan said in the text of the report without censoring it. Over and above all this, I want to know what the hell "street wardens" are. And if they've nothing better to do than read teeshirt slogans, I'd like to know if public money is funding them.

First Great Western, officially the worst performing rail company in the country, possibly the world, with only 75% of trains even running on time, has astounded, well just about everyone really, by trying to sue the government consumer watchdog that complained about them. London Travelwatch recently contacted the government, asking them to consider revoking FGW's franchise. Those of us forced to suffer daily at the hands of FGW and and who recognise the full scale of their inadequacy, were all cheering London Travelwatch on, hoping that the franchise would indeed change hands. In fact, I'm still hoping that.

It seems however that FGW took exception to some of the "facts" London Travelwatch took to the government. They are still claiming that some of them are wrong, though I haven't been able to find out what they are specifically concerned about. However, they have apparently been in talks with London Travelwatch and no longer intend to sue. It's interesting to note that London Travelwatch have not withdrawn any of their claims however.

What really gets me about FGW is the fact that they made an almighty balls-up in December when they cut 20% of services. Everyone told them it would be a disaster and it was. FGW even admitted it was a disaster, after the event, and said they would rectify the situation. They have not rectified the situation of course, which is evident by the fact that customer satisfaction has been on a downward spiral ever since. But the board of directors is exactly the same now as it was when the disaster occurred. Who's head rolled? This is a problem with people not taking responsibility.