April Retrospective

Top of the April posts was "Harbour Dues", a guest posting on Rob Duhamel's suggestion to turn the Old Harbour into a communal swimming pool:
 
"We do need fresh ideas - and some States members seem bereft of any new ideas at all. I'm still trying to think of any ideas, propositions, or questions asked by Deputy Susie Pinel of St Clement, or for that matter, if she has ever spoken in any debate. St Clement seems to have a tradition of electing "trappist" deputies - her predecessor, Ann Dupre was also taciturn, and I knew a Deputy in the 1970s who never spoke once during his entire time in the States, although he was a very nice chap. "
 
"But ideas need testing as well, and preferably by the individual proposing them. If they survive critical scrutiny, then they are worth while. If this has not been done, don't release it to the public."
 
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/04/harbour-dues.html 
 
"Dear Fellow Resident" looked at a letter sent out regarding meeting called by John Young about development in St Brelade's bay, and was resolutely against any extra curtailment over and above current planning policy. The mood of the meeting that I attended was very much in favour of improved protection for the bay, and the anonymous writer - described as "bad form" for not signing his letter by Deputy Tadier - did not come forward to restated their views. But they may have led to a backlash of 75 people or so who did attend!
 
"What else is notable about this letter? It is anonymous. It has been put through the letterbox of residents living in St Brelade's Bay, but the writer clearly wishes not to be known. One has to ask why. Is it because they are planning a development of the kind that residents might well oppose, and don't wish to be identified? Is it because they are already the subject of criticism for a new development within the Bay? Either way, it seems very cowardly to take pot-shots at Deputy Young, and not reveal who you are."
 
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/04/dear-fellow-resident.html
 
"Saturday Limericks" from March was still in the top ratings. For those who missed them, here are links to all the limerick related posts, after one example of the genre:
 
There once was an MP called Tony Benn
Who preferred not a sword but a pen
There were Diaries that he wrote
And he often did vote
Until he scribbled the final Amen
 
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/03/saturday-limericks.html
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/03/more-saturday-limericks.html
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/04/there-was-once-states-member-called.html

http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/04/limericks-from-correspondents.html
 
 
"The Jersey Goons How" was a marvellous guest post looking at a reimagining of the "Goon Show" with States members as characters from the Radio show:
 
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-jersey-goons-how_24.html
 
"Election for Chief Minister: Some Comments"
 
This was a 2011 posting about elections for Chief Minister at a time when they were elected by behind the scenes "horse trading", and before former Deputy Trevor Pitman had made the old secret ballot into an open one, which allowed the public to see who voted for whom. Fortunately, this proposition was passed, and the bad old days of secret backroom deals could not be hidden from the public gaze in the final vote.
 
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2011/08/election-for-chief-minister-some.html
 
"Presidential Politics"
 
This was a very critical posting about two proposals, one on the powers of the Chief Minister, and one on differential pay.
 
"The reality is that the current single-level salary is not commensurate with levels of remuneration for similar senior posts available in the private or not-for-profit sectors" says Philip Ozouf.
 
When I read that, I think of the "Yes Prime Minister" episode "A Real Partnership":
 
Hacker: Where's the one-page summary for the Cabinet?
Sir Humphrey: The Janet and John bit? Here it is. It's more or less the same as last time. Comparable jobs in industry.
Hacker: On whose salary are the comparisons based?
Sir Humphrey: The directors of BP and IBM, naturally.
Hacker: You don't think that might be challenged as untypical and above average?
Sir Humphrey: No. Of course, we don't mention them by name. Just ''typical industrial firms''.
 
Or indeed, in Philip Ozouf's phrase "similar senior posts available in the private sector"!
 
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/04/presidential-politics.html
 
Growing up with the Doctor - Part 7
 
An autobiographical look at my own life, and the time of the Seventh Doctor Who, Sylvestor McCoy.
 
DOCTOR: There are worlds out there where the sky is burning, where the sea's asleep, and the rivers dream. People made of smoke, and cities made of song. Somewhere there's danger, somewhere there's injustice, and somewhere else the tea's getting cold.
 
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/04/growing-up-with-doctor-part-7.html
 
The Bald Truth: A Global Brand
 
Still holding its own, a look at "The Bald Truth" on Blogs and Twitter - all the other "Bald Truths" apart from Trevor Pitman that exist in the world.
 
The Bald Truth, @thebaldtruth
 
"I talk about things that matter (i.e., politics and Pittsburgh sports). Pittsburgh, PA"
 
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-bald-truth-global-brand.html
 
Alfred Tennyson, 1809-92: Part IV: Conclusion
 
Tony Keogh's excellent look at Tennyson. I've put all the other links below too:
 
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/03/alfred-tennyson-1809-92-part-i.html
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/03/alfred-tennyson-1809-92-part-ii-early.html
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/04/alfred-tennyson-1809-92-part-iii.html
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/04/alfred-tennyson-1809-92-part-iv.html
 
 
Guernsey Holiday
 
A narrative poem about a recent trip to Guernsey.
 
http://tonymusings.blogspot.com/2014/04/guernsey-holiday.html