Excellent Irish joke – and a few other idle thoughts

I have long run my life by one maxim. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst, clearly not familiar to the top brass at British Airways.

Those who have been amused, entertained, delayed or horrified by the great Heathrow cock-up – and I don’t mean Naomi Campbell who ismore of a tits-up, I guess – may like to know that this disaster did not occur despite careful preparation and planning.

A friend was telling me that he knows a lot of people in that area. It seems that 2,000 people were brought in for three days running to make sure everything worked. It didn’t. Not on the first day. Not on the second. Not on the third. So they went ahead anyhow. And how amazing: nothing worked.

Serves them right, stupid sods.

Years ago I judged some awards in Ireland, and of course picked up some great jokes –especially from Frank Carson, the great comedian; I have a photo of us together somewhere, if it hasn’t been nicked.

But currently there is no better Irish joke than Willy Walsh, boss of BA. He reminds me of something I was reflecting on the other day: the road to failure is paved with success. People who get to the top start to think they can do nothing wrong. Then one day, they discover how wrong they are.

To Dean Kennedy on Victorian politics, I can only say my knowledge of them is limited, but I did learn a lot about politics in Oz generally by marrying someone who’d been engaged to the Attorney General in the Whitlam government. Did I mention that before? I meant to. If not, remind me – it’s amusing.

I think, by the way, Dean, that having Labor governments in all the States may not prove a wonderful experiment. And will being able to speak Chinese and set up committees prove the perfect recipe for Kevin Rudd?

This lot will spend all the cash on politically correct crap, and the minerals will run out one day. Just like North Sea oil is doing here. All we have to show for it right now is alcoholic 12 year-olds, a mayor of London supported by Islamic terrorists and Gordon Brown, illiterate dishonest hags producing endless series of fatherless kids and a looming Olympic catastrophe.