Snowman at the Pole

Pole Positions: the Polar regions and the future of the planet, by Daniel Snowman. He must have been aware he was writing it . . .

Rich the Banker

Doubly Rich

Rich Ricci is Co-Chief Executive of Barclays Capital and Co-Chief Executive of Corporate & Investment Banking.

Another lovable Banker, and doubly Rich indeed.

A Diamond in the money

The unacceptable face of banking

Bob Diamond was recently appointed Chief Executive of Barclays Bank. Formerly head of the bank's Capital Investment division, he was reckoned to have paid himself over £60 million for his contribution to bringing the world's financial system to its knees. Even Peter Mandelson thought he had gone too far.

Bankers. Don't we love 'em.

Hatching: a how-to guide

Raising a G-Rated Family in an X-Rated World

A Survival Guide from a Family of Nine

Brent and Phelecia Hatch

Greentree Publishing

- from parents who learned firsthand while raising their seven children to have values, morals and the ability to make the right choices.

What do you do with water, Spillet?

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Shop Talk (9 December 2003) discussing climate change, Dr Peter Spillet, Water industry Climate Change Research, along with his buddy Dr Christopher Spray, at the time Environment director, Northumbrian Water.

AROUND 40% of Thames Water's water goes missing every year, making it the worst leaker in the industry. The man charged with doing something about the ensuing shortages? Dr Peter Spillet...

Quote from City Spy in The Free Library, Nov 2004.

Picture from CBC News.

Spray the water boffin

Professor Chris J Spray MBE

Chair of Water Science and Policy, University of Dundee

Research interests in wetland ecosystem services.

One imagines that he gets people making jokes about his name all the time. "Not all the time," he says. "I tend to use it myself quite often, because it's a way of opening a talk and breaking the ice." Spray confirms that he appeared on Radio 4 last week with his Thames Water counterpart Peter Spillet.

Thanks again to The Guardian, 18 December 2003

General Panic in Yugoslavia

General Panic

General Zivota Panic rose steadily through the Yugoslav Army ranks in 1970s and 1980s. He was appointed Army Chief of Staff in May 1992. During the war with Croatia in 1991, he had been responsible for the three-month seige of Vukovar, and was eventually charged with war crimes by the Croatian courts in 2003.

Another Panic

In 1992 Milan Panic was Yugoslavia's newly-appointed prime minister. During a power struggle with  President Slobodan Milosevic, Prime Minister Panic (not related to his chief of staff) reportedly suggested to General Panic, his tennis partner, that the army should arrest Milosevic while he was having a late-night drink at the Prime Minister's home. 

End of Panic

It didn't happen, Milosevic staved off the threat to his position, and moved against the plotters. In 1993 General Panic was implicated in charges of corruption - his son had been selling over-priced toilet paper to the Army - and was dismissed. 

He did not stand trial on the war crimes charges, as he died at the end of 2003, a few months after they were laid.

Thanks to The Independent obituary, 6 December 2003.

Swindle the copper

Detective Superintendent of Strathclyde Police David Swindle is seated far right. The photo is from the Scottish Prisons Commission's Public Debate in Glasgow, May 2009.

NB: thanks again to The Guardian, 18 December 2003

Severe on behaviour, Severe on the causes of behaviour

How To Behave So Your Children Will, Too! - author, Dr Sal Severe.

Actually, despite her name, she's all for positive strategies: the book "does not focus on what children do wrong. It teaches parents what they can do differently."

NB: thanks again to The Guardian, 18 December 2003

Shovelin the fireplace

"I wouldn't believe my name is linked to my job, that I was destined to be a fireplace fitter from the day I was born," says Hugh Shovelin. So you haven't always been a fireplace fitter? "I have, actually," he says. "Twenty years in the business, straight from school." And you still don't believe there's anything to it? "There might be a theory in it somewhere. I don't know. It was only meant to be a temporary job."

NB: Thanks to The Guardian, 18 December 2003

Corn Maze in California

corn maze in Petaluma, California (Google Lat Long Blog)

So I suppose a tired old joke about maize would be Maize Corn?

NB: I know, I know, some of you may protest that this isn't an aptronym. You're entitled to your opinion. I think it's on the borderline . . .

Page has books

It's only fair, since books usually have pages.