This site got mentioned here. Anyone know how?

I’ve only just realised something. When the OH blew up our old computer just before Christmas, he took with it my Christmas Card list. On said list, were the addresses we had for our nearest and dearest across the globe (well, the Gene Puddle, UK and the odd person in Ireland). I must have a hard copy (somewhere) but it’s a bloody nightmare. I think I’ve emailed it to work at some point, but won’t be back in the office to check until Wednesday. It’s one of those things you don’t look for until you are about to send a birthday card to someone (which is already a week late) and you go looking for an address. Bugger, bugger, bugger (which is much milder than the IM version My Dear Friend just got!).

I would normally have serious words when the OH gets in (Monday now being his night to battle trolls, or whatever you do playing D&D - smoking fags and drinking tea in his case). However, his car got done over AGAIN outside the house this weekend (CD player nicked and lock busted), so I might be on unpredictable ground. Just some quiet words, me thinks.

Just because I’ve been writing this on a post-it note for my mate Dave the Floor Layer. Some upcoming Morrissey dates to whet the whistle:

Radio 2 - Live from SxSW tonight from 1700 to 1900. Note to self: When you win the lottery, there are worse places to be in March than at SxSW. Line up is just jaw-dropping!

Observer - Article this Sunday (19th March 2006)

Top of the Pops - 19th March, 7pm BBC2 (rumoured appearance, although it could be the video which was exclusively aired on Channel 4 a couple of weeks ago to much excitement in my part of the Gene Puddle)

Jonathan Ross - 23rd March, usually about 10.30 (but check), BBC1. Interview and music. Sharing the green room with Sir David Attenborough and Pink. Can’t even begin to imagine the conversation!!

Will put other bits up as and when they appear. 15th May can’t come soon enough!!

Written 1745, Wednesday 15th March 2006 (on a train from London)

It has been impossible to miss the headlines in the media today about the hospitalisation of six men who had been taking part in a clinical trial and had experienced a severe adverse reaction to the formulation being used. Indeed, I was aware of it whilst still semi-conscious this morning, when I heard a colleague being interviewed on one of the national radio stations (fairly surreal experience that I have somehow got used to over the last couple of years). Mind you, this was nothing to seeing him in the flesh on the news last night! The camera does add pounds!!

However, it’s not my current job that has given me an interest and view regarding participation in clinical trials, although I still retain some interest in them. In my last post, the Unit ran thanks to pharmaceutical industry sponsored clinical trials. And not just the Research Unit – the Health Service Department was under-pinned by the work we were undertaking, by using research nurses and doctors, but particularly laboratory staff to supplement the under-staffed clinics. This was sometimes to the detriment of the staff. Staff who were expected to stay late, work longer and were less well regarded (and in some instances remunerated) than their NHS colleagues. It made me angry, then, when I heard about the evils of the pharmaceutical industry and the way it was impacting on NHS resources. Those working in the Service were amongst the worse. Especially the doctors, who were anti-industry until it came to needing an educational grant, some research for their CV or even a couple of pens! But, I’m going off tangent now..

Whilst in my last job, the OH, when times were tough, often became a volunteer on clinical trials. Working, as I did in diabetes, he was often jabbed with different lengths of needle and the absorption rate monitored. He didn’t mind it at all and along with a long line of students also after making a couple of extra bucks (whether by taking part in police line-ups, squirting off into a pot, etc), became a regular in the Unit. At the time, working shifts, it meant he’d be paid several hundred pounds for lying on a bed watching Richard and Judy. He also felt that he was helping with the science and being the geek that he is, was always very interested in the open parts of the findings and grilling the nurses (although, I’m sure this was more flirtatious than academic!). However, perhaps most importantly we both always felt completely secure in the knowledge that should anything happen, he would be in the best hands.

I’m sure the doctors at the clinical trials unit in question currently have done everything possible to ensure the safety of their patients as well. Hopefully what has happened is a case of error, that can be corrected and never happen again. I fear two things coming out of this incident, however. First, it could lead to even tougher controls on the already over-regulated clinical trials teams around the UK. Whilst the need for controls is well understood throughout the industry, there will come a point where undertaking research in the UK will just become too difficult. I was in a meeting today where we were discussing the fact that 10 of the top 50 selling drugs worldwide were developed in the UK. I wonder if we’ll be able to say the same in a couple of year’s time, especially with the rise of Eastern European research institutions, willing to do the same research and trialling for a fraction of the cost.

My second fear is that this is in fact a deliberate act, either by someone trying to undermine clinical research in the UK or who has got themselves into a position where they can injure people because they are ill themselves. We see regularly demonstrations against 1st phase testing on animals throughout the country it would be a massive blow if this has now been warped in some way to include attacks on all clinical research, even if these devastating effects weren’t envisaged.

As a country, Wales is lagging behind in the race to attract industry to undertake research, bringing with it millions of pounds of inward investment (something that is desperately needed). We have a stable population of around 3 million, many faced with on-going chronic disease, who would not only see the advantage of any new drugs, but also be ideal research groups to take part in their testing. Whilst the Welsh Assembly is on the verge of trying to increase Wales’ role in this global market, I hope we aren’t going to see a backlash against clinical research that makes this impossible.

Whilst I hope the men involved in this incident well, I will also be keeping my fingers crossed that clinical research can continue unabated and the researchers aren’t demonised to badly in the press. The new inhaled insulin for diabetes, oncology drugs keeping people alive and new statins that seem able to reverse chronic heart disease, amongst many others, are on the horizon and will make the lives of millions more tolerable and will ensure the survival of thousands of others. Is this not worth the risk?

The electricity in work today has been up and down like a whore’s draws (as the OH would say). Not only is this annoying from the work perspective (I’ve been losing small amounts of work and the network connection is more fragile than normal), but also because I’d planned to write over lunch about the fabulous weekend I’ve just enjoyed. As it was, the electricity had gone down again and I was forced to eat my lunch-time flapjack by the light coming in through the windows with my legs crossed and no coffee (both the kitchen and toilets - being in the core of the building - are windowless and therefore darker than night).

So, briefly, had a lovely weekend staying at a local resort hotel (which houses the Wales team whilst they are training and in the build up to matches) with the mad science teacher from Leicester, enjoying a free bar, lots of scrummy free food and tickets to the Wales v Ireland match. Considering we had so much, it only cost us £20 each - and most of that was on tips. I do love my job! Needless to say we saw Gav and Char, but neither was as approachable as some of the less well known (celebrity wise - although as famous for doing what they are paid for!) players, who were happy to play up to the cameras, despite being on their way out on the Saturday night. I also got to meet Phil Bennet who gave the after-brunch talk, which was a smattering of bad language in amongst a lot of the inside gossip from his time with Llanelli, Wales and the Lions.

I was quite glad to get home at the end of it all just to get back to some sort of normality. It wouldn’t take very long to get completely sucked into the freebie mentality. It’s great for a weekend, but I made sure I sent a letter of thanks, just as my mother taught me all those years ago! Manic over the next few weeks. Big London Project delivers on the 6th April, so posting may be sparse.

Two in two days. Another example of someone who needs a brain transplant! The fact that this woman took both hands off the steering wheel is beyond me! The fact it was to apply eye make up just makes it more amazing (and not in a good way).

However, I see this quite regularly and was surprised that it caused quite the uproar it did on BBC News 24 this lunchtime. I see women adding make-up, men shaving, people on the phone, people eating (toast, sandwiches and crisps (really frightening when they tip their heads back to ease those last few crumbs down their throats!)) and the odd person with a newspaper on their lap during my commute. Obviously not everyday, but relatively frequently (especially in relation to the food and phone).

Using the phone and eating, in particular, are things I won’t do whilst driving. I actually put my handbag in the boot so that I can’t hear my phone and my only food stuff in the car are mints for when I’m stuck in traffic (and I mean stuck, not moving anywhere, handbrake on!). I used to try and smoke, but that was before William and the new car, and even then I was singularly unsuccessful. I may be a woman, I may be able to multi-task my arse off, but not when I’m driving!

I’m fairly proud to be Welsh. Seriously, although I think the language could be allowed to die out (instead of having millions each year pumped into it, just to make sure that the media elite have a “mother tongue”), most things Welsh do leave a smile on my face.

Then you get the idiots. Perhaps its not just in Wales that they exist. I’m sure Chelmsford, Cork and Carnoustie also have their share. However, the Welsh idiots just seem to come out to play more often. Take today, for example, the Welsh BBC News website is given prominence to the fact that Welsh councils are moving towards a fortnightly collection of landfill rubbish, with weekly recycling collections from the doorstep (which is an advance in many places (including the capital), where doorstep recycling is crap. Anyway, back to subject, as part of a report being shown on Welsh TV this evening, we are introduced to

Mother-of-five Mandy Price, who fills over 20 bin bags a week and does not recycle any rubbish, said she could not cope with the restriction.

Seriously, 6 people in the house and twenty bin bags a week. What the hell is she filling them with? I know there are only three of us, but we never put out more than two bin bags (except Christmas, when we put out three), but then again we do recycle as much as is feasible (having been upgraded to plastic, cardboard, glass, cans, paper all being taken from the doorstep mid-way through last year). However, Mandy’s attitude is slightly different. As she says..

“It’s a pain really… I don’t see why they just don’t come once a week,” adding: “You just put it in the bins, and you don’t really think where it goes at all.”

I do have a few friends that don’t recycle, but I don’t think any are as stupid as this. I also don’t understand the kids. Most of the ones I know are learing about the importance of recycling in school and tend to bring that home with them. I wonder what her kids are learning?

The sooner we adopt a system which is recycling first and landfill second, the better.

Back in 2002 I wrote about a couple of pieces of research which I couldn’t understand getting funding.

Now in 2006, the same questions have come to mind (if you’ll excuse the pun)!

With thanks - and congratulations on his recent engagement - to Dunk!