I left my phone at work, which meant I had to rely on Nicola’s radio alarm and Radio 4 to wake me up.

So I have something on my mind.

Is it regarding the defacement of a David Beckham portrait with the word "loosers" and whether the word is in reference to Rebecca Loos or just a very common spelling mistake.

Is it regarding the new knowledge of the risk of passive smoking? Whether this really is a new risk, or just something that’s been contributing to "normal" levels of health and life expectancy and simply wasn’t known about?

No it’s about the Archbishops of York and Canterbury, and their concerns about double standards in the Middle East. While I agree that stories like this harm our country’s previously good reputation, I disagree as to whether we should be able to subject ourselves to double standards.

Any state that sets itself up as an international policeman, that seeks on its own authority to enforce international law, or indeed simply claims to be free and democratic should have two sets of standards; these being the ones by which it judges others, and the one by which it lives itself. The standards by which we judge ourselves must be higher than those by which we expect others to behave.

That we live to these standards negates any argument that the behaviour of other nations or organizations against ourselves, themselves or others justifies lowering our standards of behaviour. Terrorists and despots may necessitate tough action, but we must remain fair and humane ourselves if we still wish to consider ourselves democratic and just societies.

I've seen it

Went out last night to see Harry Potter, while Nicola is away in Birmingham. I thought it was great, Curaon has taken the essence of the story and built a film around it, rather than simply chopping and splicing the novel as seemed to be done in the previous books.

I liked the reinterpretation of Hogwarts architechture and grounds, especially the bridge. Harry's friends are given more presence, or at least are name checked.

I did have a couple of problems with the film. Michael Gambon was a dissapointment as Dumbledore, he looked great but he seemed to be doing an impression of Richard Harris. Which would have been fine had Richard Harris played Dumbledore as himself. That said I never liked Harris's performance anyway, perhaps I have been spoiled by Stephen Fry's excellent readings on tape. Another quibble was that the structure of the scene introducing the Boggart had been changed from the book, but the follow-up dialgoue between Lupin and Harry hadn't been changed to reflect that.

It's baaack...

After a bit of a hold up, the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is finally returning to Radio 4. This series is loosly adapted from the novel "Life the Universe and everything" and from the trailer it sounds wonderful.

A moving experience

Today is my last day at my current place of work. No I haven't got a new job, we're moving offices further down the Aire valley. Some people seem to be getting quite excited about moving to the new building. The whole place is full of crates and not-quite-enough bubble wrap for all the equipment we have.

The move should be complete by Monday, although the building hasn't been finished for long so we are told to expect teething troubles. It will be costing me slightly more to travel to work each day by train as Steeton is in WYMetro zone 5.

We are told we can work til lunchtime, but backups were last made last night, and I'm sure people will move onto packing long before then.

Yesterday we spent at another of Nicola's second cousin's weddings, which was a nice do. They were married at Sulgrave Manor home to George Washington's ancestors, and the marriage was blessed at Dodford parish church, before a reception in a marquee next to the Village Hall.

On the way back we visited Claire, Phil and baby Alex in Loughbourgh, a flying visit as Nicola was out with the climbing team at Bramhope this afternoon. I planned on doing some gardening, but slept instead.

At the moment I'm watching TV, Nicola is out bowling with the climbing lot, and has suggested I go to the cinema to see Harry Potter as she does not want to see it at the cinema herself. However I don't want to go out on my own on a Saturday. I'll probably get to see it next week to decide between those who say it's good because it's scary and takes the central ideas, while cutting out the author, and those who says it throws out too much of the book and is no fun.

The weekend was spent on the Crew of Bramhope Scout Camp's 70th Anniversary event. 140 Cubs and Scouts turned up along with a handful of Explorers on crew and in associated units.

It's been 10 years since my first visit to Bramhope, yet there are still corners of the site I am unfamiliar with. I now know the field to the North of the site is called "Field 93", but am not clear as to why. I also now know where the assault course and climbing tower are; Nicola spent most of Saturday helping to supervise climbing, and gaining some experience in supervising and belaying on a climbing wall, with a view to becoming authorized.

My main activity on the Saturday was spent supervising the assault course, the times for cubs to complete and I had to re-jig the score sheet. Unfortunately I had not understood the scoring conventions for the event, but managed to fix things when we got the event "passports" back.

Sunday morning I stayed in bed til 8:45, perhaps I was already suffering from the pollen and outdoors. I wasn't involved too greatly in the morning activities, but helped where I could. In the afternoon I had to referee two 20-a-side football matches, not an easy task without a whistle- maybe I should buy myself one.

I ended up a little bit sunburnt having failed to apply any suncream during the day.

Today I am feeling a bit under the weather, my eyes are sore and my nose feels like I've been underwater. All that fresh air and outdoor living can't have been good for me!

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Bookcrossing

Went to a Bookcrossing meetup earlier this evening. It started with a couple of people but we eventually took up most of the upstairs at the Angel. Some of the people there had travelled in from places like Skipton and Silsden.

Only had three books to get rid of but picked up six, some of which will possibly head my mum's way before they head off out on their adventures again. Had an interesting time browsing books, but left after an hour as Nicola was at home waiting to have tea. An hour was enough for me, but the meet-up wasn't really that far out of my way, and anyway I'm not much in to bookcrossing yet.

Oh and if you're looking for me on Bookcrossing, I'm known as Biscit.

Weekending

Friday came, I got my car back of Nicola and headed back to camp. Was a stressful time as I'd been out of it all week, and things had happened that I'd been oblivious to, having been at work.

Tea was kebabs, with fried rice, cooked on a communal barbecue. Then James led a storming campfire, the fire itself built and maintained by A & B of Headingley Explorers.

The next day it was time to back up, which was stressful, particularly as D's idea of getting things organized was to leave borrowed kit till last, and mooch around till he cracked and started shouting.
I'm not sure how he's going to get himself a Nights Away permit, based on this week's evidence.

Then after clearing off back and putting the stores away Nicola and I went home and spent most of Saturday evening and Sunday morning doing very little. I don't feel too guilty as I'd mowed the lawn; Nicola knowing me well had cajoled me into doing something in the garden as I would feel dreadful if the weekend passed doing nothing at all.

Have to mention it.

The Lib Dems in the area of the Leicester South by-election now have a website.

Maybe I should explain. A fellow Lib Dem blogger has noted that a Google search on the afore mentioned future event gives out some horrid white supremacist bunch high on the list. So Claire asked for help in google bombing them down the list.

This is a game you can play if you're not a lib dem, other parties have pages you could link to, along with newspapers and online news sources.

Camp

Camp seems to be going well, it has its good and bad points and is not as I would run it, but we all have our own way of doing things. The patrols have to cook for themselves, but some organise themselves better than others.

On Sunday we got half way through the programme and the heavens opened. With not much to do the younger kids soon got bored and after things dried up they started playing with the axes, which then had to be confiscated.

On Monday we had a full day. The first half was spent at the National Coal Mining museum. I went on a tour of the mine with 17 kids including 4 of Headingley Explorer Scouts. Some of the kids were nervous of the dark, with others not resisting shining the lights in peoples faces. After lunch (cheese and ham on bread without margarine because I didn't specify to Eagles that I wanted it) we headed to Sheffield ski village for a three hour session. Some of the Scouts were wilting in the heat as the instructors insisted we keep our shirts on. Most managed to make it to the longer nursery slope, with just three of us left not quite getting the turns at the end.

In the evening it was scone based pizza for tea, with salad. Eagles were a shambles with their cooking and had not listened to half the instructions. But they managed to clear up well so redeemed themselves slightly for the points. And when the rounders game started I headed off home for work today.