chesneycat

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7373940.stm

The UK has been left looking like an "unreliable" and "incompetent" partner for international science, according to a committee of MPs.

...

The study pins much of the blame on the head of the main funding body, and says "urgent changes must be made".

...

"We are at a loss to understand how Professor Mason could think that secretive reviews would have anything other than a divisive effect on the community and undermine confidence in any of his future decisions."

They also condemned "lamentable" communications, which had ultimately cost the STFC the "trust of the community".

"We conclude that STFC's communications are inadequate, particularly its internal communications," the report said.

"This raises serious questions about the role and performance of the chief executive, especially his ability to retain the confidence of the scientific community as well as to carry through the necessary changes."

Some suggest this is a thinly-veiled call for Professor Mason's resignation."

Abso-bloody-Word.

Some random snippets:

We have GEMINI membership again!  [Start placing your bets on where the hammer will fall next...]

Political Flag Art, stolen from Making Light - please check it out, as it's rather special.

Meme, stolen from Cav:

I go by that name in a few places on the internet.  I know there are others - the KwontomLoop and fanfic astrokaths are me, the one on the gardening forum or the border-collie fancier and others in several other places are not. I think the gardener might also be the Australian Damien Leith fan.  But I've just come across another, moving in much more similar circles to myself.

Here.

It's the type of post I might have written, in part.  But I certainly wouldn't go as far as to publicly call for the managerial decapitation of STFC's top brass, regardless of whether I agree with the sentiment or not.  To be honest, I haven't yet made up my mind on that score (though I feel very strongly that what's happening to STP in particular right now is appalling).

All the same, I'm rather freaked out by the existence of my doppelganger, and would like to state for the record that she is not me.

We've just lost all access to Gemini North.

Got observing time this semester?  Not any more.
£35M capital investment in good science?  Might as well have flushed it down the loo - at least we wouldn't get fined another £7M+ for doing that...

Kicked in the teeth by our own government and ridiculed by the international community? Well, what were you expecting?

As seen on The Register...

*sigh*

Apparently there's an open meeting in London tomorrow, but it's too far (and too pricey) for me to get there on short notice.

Can you resign on principle if you've already had your last paycheck?