Thick Is Thick
   UK government's continuing assault on teachers latest twist is a complaint that kids who arrive at secondary shcools as under-achievers are still under achieving when they leave. That is hardly a surprise, after all thick is thick.

Nightingale Speaks
   ITV evening news subtitles- "...with Mary incoming mail." Same news bulletin- "Netbook Rail..."

Pocket Money
   A controversial new high speed rail link is to go ahead, UK government has announced, at a cost of 32 billion UK pounds, they claim. Experience shows 32 billion will just be pocket money compared to the real final cost. Watch this space in 2026 when its due to open.

Double Century
   The UK government cabinet, the real decision making body, is meeting 200 days before the olympics in the olympic park. Okay, nice thought, but what do you think they are discussing? Scottish independence! What sort of signal is that?

No Surprise - EM
   Will it, won't it? Latest (Jan 2012) pundit predictions about the euro currency bloc say it won't, survive intact that is. It so happened I found some old drachma in a wallet I used to take abroad, maybe I'll get to use them.

Catching Up - 2011, 2^nd half - What I Missed commenting upon during my extended break last year, by Neil Gee
   A lot has happened since I took time off recently, so picking up where NuGgets left off will need careful selection. Sorry if I miss out your favourite bits. The departure of Burlesque himself in Italy caused the greatest satisfaction here. Cheers. The casting out of UK from mainstream Europe, whilst probably inevitable under the tories, was unfortunate... we suspect mainly for Europe; time will tell. The antics of Sarky and Merely in the build up looked almost comical from here, we were glad to be seeing it from a detached standpoint with little to lose.
   'The Arab Spring' upped and downed, the most significant bit being mad Gadaffi's demise. Elsewhere things dragged-on rather: military minds don't like change when if it means less influence for them.
   Lesser matters that caused fingers to be pointed or titters to be emitted include 21,000 complaints about a Clarkson joke on shooting strikers; oh lighten up! (Everyone knows he's an URTICL- ultra-right tongue in cheek loudmouth- but he gets away with it by being funny.) Another thing that raised eyebrows was the ongoing saga of The Large Hard-on Collider at DERN, er sorry CERN- getting mixed up with my own book Infinity Junction. First there were a succession of rumours that this mythical Bows Higgson had been seen, when he hadn't. Oh yes he had, oh no he hadn't, he's behind you, later that was maybe. (There's exciting for you.) Then intriguing news that neutrinos had been clocked going faster than light. What that means depends largely on whether it's true or not- who knows, don't think CERN does either.
   PFI- At last serious concerns that private 'investment' in public projects like hospitals is bad value started to be aired by senior politicians; it seems obvious to normal people that any money put in by private business is expected to come out again many-fold. Of course keen Keynesian till-keeper Osborne and dumb, dogmatic disease secretary Lansley won't hear bad of it and plow ahead with yet more money wasting projects to keep their rich old school pals in dosh.
   Fall-out from the News Of The World scandal continues months after it's gone. Murdoch failed in his bid to dominate satellite broadcasting (hooray) and now the whole of the press are in the dock at an enquiry into standards and practices, a very good case to prove self-regulation doesn't work. There'll be plenty more to come from this.
   As predicted for some time, feed-in tariffs for home generated electricity have been found unaffordable and halved; expect them to all but go over the next few years. I'm glad I persuaded my sister photo-voltaic installation was a waste of money in most of England. I predict that many expensive installations will be dismantled in a few years time when maintenance is needed.
   2012 AD should see a fully functioning NuGgets column after last year's disruption. It should be good watching the panic as the Olympics approach, especially as buffoon mayor BoJo is up for re-election soon before it. And of course there's still the euro-collapse/saving/fudge/slow death to pick apart and/or gloat over.

Reading this from a search engine? See blogjob for previous NuGgets comments. Already at this years NuGgets? See Blogjob, for last year's poking fun and pointing fingers NuGgets.