(no subject)

There's a feature on John Sulston in the Grauniad today. Seems fairly accurate in tone, from what I've heard from people who've worked with him : "No more humble or decent man can ever have won the prize."

There's also an editorial that's worth a look : In owning rice strains or copyrighting treatments used for centuries, big business has furthered its own aims over the globe's citizens. Sir John, whose voice will carry further thanks to the Nobel prize, still needs to speak up.

FWIW, today's going better than yesterday. One in, and one of the problem projects has been looked at elsewhere and it's been agreed that it's also basically ready. I've also finished a film by taking some pictures of the carp in the lake, and worked out roughyl what the problem with the Rollei is - now all I need to do is find a camera shop that'll be prepared to touch the thing.

Meanwhile, in non-Nobel-related news . . .

This article in (inevitably) today's Guardian alleges that the claims made by Li'l Shrub in his recent speech about Iraq's aims and acquisitions are disputed by US technical and intelligence experts - those who aren't leaned on to keep quiet, anyway:

"Basically, cooked information is working its way into high-level pronouncements and there's a lot of unhappiness about it in intelligence, especially among analysts at the CIA," said Vincent Cannistraro, the CIA's former head of counter-intelligence.

According to a letter from Carol Naughton of CND, the US Congressional Budget Office has produced a report estimating the cost of the potential war. This assumes a British contribution of "two-thirds of a heavy armoured division, two-thirds of an air wing and 21 ships."

So that's us told. Should the balloon go up, I may hold a sweep on our actual contribution - should I find anyone willing to bet that it'll be significantly different.

On the upside, The Prez did assure the world that nothing was "imminent or unavoidable", which is always nice to hear. Where there's a war involved, anyway. Imminent and unavoidable icecream and jelly would be different.

Apparently there are lesbians in corsets on the television.

That's nice for them.