OGC - branded a bunch of  *******

This (from Comment Central) is too good to be true, but it is!

The UK Office of Government Commerce is:

Responsible for improving value for money by driving up standards and capability in procurement

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Currency idiocy

I rather like Dave Hill's stuff. But this video blog at CiF has to be one of the most stupid things I've ever seen: Er, no. We like a strong pound against a weak dollar if we want to import things from the US. And that's it. Anti-American? Makes us feel superior? Only if you're an idiot. The exchange rate is a price. That's all. That's why it's called a rate of exchange.

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Australian Chamber Orchestra

We were lucky enought to hear the wonderful Australian Chamber Orchestra in Melbourne last year, on our honeymoon. On Monday they performed at the Wigmore Hall, playing Handel, Bach and Haydn, as well as a new piece by Roger Smalley.

They are truly a marvellous group of players - worth dropping everything for. Add to the mix Mark Padmore, by a country mile the greatest Bach singer in the world - and, I would argue, the best tenor bar none at the moment, whose Lieder singing is exquisite and whose baroque performances are truly magical - and you have a concert which had to be heard.

The review in today's Guardian is spot on:

A visit from the Australian Chamber Orchestra always raises questions. Does violinist Richard Tognetti, its leader for 19 years, have a slowly mouldering portrait in the attic? Can ugly players even audition? More pertinently, let's

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Hillary is right

Deary me, there's been some drivel written about Hillary Clinton's remarks about Iran. Here's what she said:

Mrs Clinton, who on Monday released a television commercial using images of Osama bin Laden that ended with the question “Who do you think has what it takes?” made her comments about Iran during an interview with ABC.

“I want the Iranians to know that if I’m the president, we will attack Iran,” she said after being asked what she would do if Iran launched a nuclear attack on Israel. “In the next ten years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them.”

Is this really the type of president Americans want? One who so demonises Iran that she's prepared to go to war at the first

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Pluck your twangers

Never let it be said that this site doesn't offer elevated commentary...

The Rainbow 'clip' below reminded me of this. For anyone of a certain age, it's simply the best:

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