Thursday

Picked up the car first thing in the morning, expensively repaired and MOT'd. They couldn't do anything about the starting problem but when we looked under the bonnet just before leaving there was a visibly loose nut on the starter motor. They tightened it up but it did leave me wondering just how much effort they'd put into that bit of the question. Tempted to take the car elsewhere next time it needs work (recommendations welcome).

Started out on what I'd expected was going to be a nasty and complicated bit of my project at work but for most of the day it went quite smoothly. Hit a bit of a speedbump towards the end of the day but I have a couple of possibly-relevant things left to try before I get really puzzled. I already know what my next project will be, and its start date corresponds with the deadline for this one.

It's too hot. Having trouble keeping up with lj at the moment. Dithering over whether I want to go to the pub or not. Feeling cautiously optimistic about penguin repairs.

A referendum on the EU constitution?

Apparently Peter Hain thinks not. As such, The Economist remarks:

Given that the government has called 34 referendums (mostly about mayors) since 1997, it seems odd to draw the line at the biggest constitutional issue to have come before the country for decades.

Referendums are like security reviews (or is it the other way around?); if they don't fail occasionally they you don't know that they're doing their job.

(no subject)

I wonder if this will find anything interesting