havockblog

To quote from Simon Longstaff’s editorial piece in the September issue (I know - I’ve been slow to post it) of Living Ethics that this illustration accompanies:
“[..] it is essential that the Public Service give comprehensive advice – based on a competent and sincere attempt to discern the public interest. In my opinion, the advice should always be developed and tendered to ministers – whether requested or not.” (Read the full article here)
From which I took the words ‘discern’ and ‘public interest’ to be fairly challenging - in particular as in the above context, though it can on occasion be equally challenging to ensure that - when our opinion is asked or to be considered - we ourselves do not default to our own interests.

My dreams the night before last nearly ended with a half hour long repetition of the theme-tune of ‘Alf’, the 80’s television series. There was a short scene to follow though – a bike ride through a green, sun-kissed (though pleasingly shaded) countryside led me to a diesel-pump, next to which stood a man-sized owl of dark plumage with the chemical composition for diesel noted on his chest. His voice came to me, muffled from beyond his beak, “it is vitally important that you draw this and place this on your blog. I repeat, it is vitally important that you draw this and place this on your blog.”

Honest.

There were other mansized birds with the formulas for petrol et cetera milling around as well, but I can’t remember what birds they were, and it would feel disingenuous to guess, so I will leave them out.