personal archive
OGC Logo - yet another government cock up
Feb
16
2010
Shortly after the UK government announced £27 billion lost in failed IT projects another minor embarrassment was revealed, this time for the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), whose website proudly states: “Helping Government deliver best value from its spending.”
The logo cost £14,000 to create, and was intended to signify the bold ambition of the OGC of “improving value for money by driving up standards and capability in procurement.”
You can imagine how many meetings, hefty documents, PowerPoint presentations and endless focus groups had to be held to rack up £14,000 in fees while this logo was deliberated - and yet for all this contemplation they missed the glaringly obvious.
According to insiders, the graphic was already proudly etched on mousemats and pens before it was unveiled for employees, who spotted the clanger within seconds.
Just tilt your head to the left.
A spokesman for OGC said: “It is true that it caused a few titters among some staff when viewed on its side, but on consideration we concluded that the effect was generic to the particular combination of the letters OGC - and it is not inappropriate to an organisation that’s looking to have a firm grip on Government spend.”
A firm grip indeed.
Tags: logo design, ogc logo
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Remembrance Sunday - Bramhope
Nov
08
2009
WHO ARE THESE MEN ?
Who are these men who march so proud,
Who quietly weep, eyes closed, head bowed?
These are the men who once were boys,
Who missed out on youth and all its joys.
Who are these men with aged faces,
Who silently count the empty spaces?
These are the men who gave their all,
Who fought for their country for freedom for all.
Who are these men with sorrowful look
Who can still remember the lives that were took?
These are the men who saw young men die,
The price of peace is always high.
Who are these men who in the midst of pain,
Whispered comfort to those they would not see again?
These are the men whose hands held tomorrow,
Who brought back our future with blood tears and sorrow.
Who are these men who promise to keep
Alive in their hearts the ones God holds asleep?
These are the men to whom I promise again:
‘Veterans’, my friends - I will remember them!
Poem by Jodie Johnson (aged 11)
Tags: jodie johnson, remembrance sunday, who are these men
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Credit Crunch - Fall of the Evil Empire
Aug
31
2009
Ideas can come from anywhere.
They make you stop, they make you think, and sometimes they make you smile.
Photo by Balakov
Tiananmen Square anniversary internet shutdown
Jun
05
2009
Many ruling powers across the globe feel threatened by the freedom of speech provided by the internet.
Every Government, TV news channel, newspaper, magazine, radio station - has their own agenda and since time immemorial the history books, works of art, plays and architecture were commissioned by the victors / rulers to reinforce their view on the world.
The internet is different, yes you can read stories about the latest sighting of Elvis, but amongst all the tons of chaff there are grains of truth written by people with no agenda, other than to tell their story.
In the West, the powers-that-be have struggled to control the internet. The latest move in the UK allows the Government to read all your emails and chat room messages. Even your local council can read your messages on facebook. Why? To combat the threat of terrorism.
China has a more direct approach. They simply shut down whatever makes uncomfortable reading.
It’s the Tiananmen Square massacre anniversary, and so their population doesn’t get to hear about what happened 20 years ago, Twitter, Flickr, Hotmail and other social networking sites have been shut down.
Internet monitors have also shut down message boards on more than 6,000 websites affiliated with colleges and universities, according to the Hong Kong-based Information Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.
Kate Adie, from the BBC, recently went back to China and showed students the famous photo of the man standing in front of the tank – and no one recognized it.
The internet may not be perfect. It may full of porn and junk, but it is a democracy that crosses all borders and continents, where stories can be published by anyone, and read by anyone, and that must be worth protecting.
Sources: The Guardian
Tags: tiananmen square anniversary
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Sunday 6am
Mar
15
2009
Had an overnight stay in Sandsend, a few miles north of Whitby.
The Porthole is a joy. A self contained apartment where you can lie on the bed and view the sea between your feet.
This was the view from the balcony at 6am:
Near the horizon you can see a fishing boat leaving port, and the abbey ruins made famous by the novel: Count Dracula.
Tags: sandsend, the porthole, whitby
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Max Headroom: on politicians
Oct
19
2008
I used to wake up to the Today Programme on Radio 4. It’s important to be informed, isn’t it?
John Humphies is great, but even he can rarely pin down a slippery politician. What a way to start the day.
Then there would be the daily papers, the evening news … the trouble is that most stories are primarily generated to create heat, rather than shed light. The result is that you’re constantly annoyed by how the world is running and the people running it.
So now I listen to music: my days are more peaceful, I feel happier. Not being informed about the latest blunders, catastophes and scandals in no way inhibits my life. It’s taken a while, but now I am in complete agreement with Max Headroom, the 1988 cult TV character:
“You can always tell when politicians are lying: their lips move.”
Tags: max headroom, politics
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