Walt of the Walts

Flitting between OWOB and the Yard yesterday I could not help but notice that Broadway was brought to a standstill by a rare piece of theatre.  Inclusive as ever, I felt it was only right and propper to bring some of these stalwart chaps and chapesses to your attention.  The carefully chorographed posture of the front row had more than a hint of the "gang show" about it. Although amongst the captivated onlookers, I for one was expecting a Busby Berkley number at any moment. 

So have you spotted the Walt yet?  Well I had to wonder about the Snowdrop on the front row.  I rather think he he has dressed to impress, hoping for a cameo role?  For me the star of the show was the rather trim young lady in blue in the back row, a touch of the principal boy about her, but  a star with a leading role none the less. (  I must try and catch her in the club sometime)

How touching that this crew elected to have their house photograph taken in front of Scotland Yard, is it supposed to indicate some kind of affininy, or is it an attempt at irony?  I'm sure if they really wanted to be like the Met they would have a betting syndicate, perhaps they all went on for Lunch at the Cinnamon Club on the company amex?

Perhaps there is some reciprocity here and the staff from the Yard or Belgravia nick all line up to have their group photo outside 76 Rochester Row ?

So where do the Int Corps have their photo:  outside Group 4, Aegis or perhaps south of the river at the Cotton Centre?  I hope you are all ready for 26th July?  Its going to be quite a day.

Chin chin.

PS:  Not long before the nearest Int Corps Unit has a pretty WRAF OC  ;-)

An interesting single-service take on Information Superiority

The ISops mega vent!!!

I don't want to be a whistleblower so I can't give too much detail as I can be easily identified and there would no doubt be reprisals from the COC. More than anything else I just need vent and air this dirty laundry.There have been lots of instances of where I have been forced to do unauthorised changes to the DII infrastructure, moving terminals re-patching. Each time I say “it needs to go through Atlas change management” but get told just to do it by the FofS due to the cost ATLAS charges. Other things that have rub me up the wrong way - Restricted "standalone" laptops being used to process work information being connected directly to the internet. Not having any form of AV or firewall (new in post, would never dream of having unprotected / patched laptops leave my IS store), coming back in riddled with viruses and trojans and illegal downloaded movies! But with no formal SYSOPS signed or carriage certifications issued. Those responsible can’t be traced, if I wasn’t told to ignore these violations by the COC. I don't even have the tools (no software, licences etc) to rectify these issues.Other things that are really frustrating me, on more than once on my dig outs of the stores, I have found secret hard drives laying about unaccounted for in unsecured locations and had to hand them in to the 102 owner. The COC don't seem concerned at all, which in itself is a big concern. Unapproved use of cordless phones and other obvious security violations. All mentioned but ignored by the COC. The use of illegal unlicensed software on standalone machines... I can go on... I could technically lose my Microsoft Certifications for not reporting and being complicit with these software violations.I just feel like there is no where to turn to address my concerns, but from talking to my peers, this is common through out the MOD and other signal units and its getting worse! after 14 years, I need to vent!Do I have the moral courage to speak up risking isolation and reprisal and a shit CR or do I tow the party line and smile my way to a good CR and let the unprofessional cycle continue? Either way - the Signals is in a very bad place right now and its getting worse! SignedSgt XXXXXX

They often say that you get the Politicians and the Journalists you deserve. The past few days have brought the opposing poles of the world of British journalism in to sharp focus.

The Leveson enquiry continues, but Charlotte Church's settlement at the High Court today continues to highlight the gross corruption of individuals inside both the media and parts of Government. This is indeed a cancer in our society.

Contrast these tawdry hacks then with another employee of the News International group, Marie Colvin

(C) Daily Telegraph

How could one ever start to imagine that someone capable of enduring such hardship and making the ultimate sacrifice in the name of truth, could have the same profession, even the same union as those scum from Wapping?

We are all far richer because of the contribution that Marie Colvin has made, we need more of her kind and a bit more of the editorial courage and governance that once used to be a hallmark of the Press of a true democratic society.

The move to the common floor-plate is still ahead of schedule, some services seem to be excelling at filling their billets, clearly we can all take some pride in the work undertaken thus far.

In more reflective mood the de-classification of the KH-9 seemed to have passed off without remark over here.
although there was a certain frisson over the preprandial Amontillado when news leaked out at last summer's Medmenham club meeting.

With KH-9 in mind, I was rather reminded of that awful moment during Op MIKADO when a nameless IA told "them" that RHAG was a Navaid at the end of the runway. I had to correct him as my vision of two of 47Sqns finest pilling in to the rotary hydraulic arrester gear as they touched down in Argentina was too much, for even a hardened blunty like me to bear.

One does not know if one should blame the IA in question or their instructor at Wytton?

Must dash, another turgid meeting at Feltham looms