I dunno but is The Register just a little bit racist here?

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I'm not a techie and can't really comment on the causes and background to the RBS meltdown but I do think that The Register might just be a little racist with its bold capital laying of the blame thus:

Staff who oversee batch scheduling for RBS are based in India

Maybe they are (although RBS haven't said one way or another) but the implications of this statement are that outsourcing IT work to India - where wages are lower - is a dangerous and risky matter. And that none of the blame falls on British-based IT management.


The Register would have a point if there had never been a major IT disaster overseen by more expensive British workers!


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"The Great Pudding Disaster" (and how panettone saved the day)!

Preparations for Christmas day’s grand feast are underway – the large bird is subdued, poked, stuffed and titivated ready for a few hours roasting. The giblets, enhanced by onions, herbs and red wine are bubbling away on their journey towards a fine gravy. And various family members are delegated vital tasks – prepping sprouts, peeling spuds, laying the table. Time to put the pudding on to steam.

The pudding has lived – for an unknown time - in a dark corner of the cellars so a trip to this netherworld is needed to bring it back to the surface. Down into the underhouse I go and, after a few moments scrabbling at the back of the keeping cellar, the pudding is located. Back up to the kitchen ready to unwrap the pudding and put it into the steamer. The foil is removed and….

…disaster!!

The fine pudding has turned from being a mature, preserved Christmas delicacy into a mycologist’s study piece featuring more colours and varieties of mould that you can imagine. It’s 11.30 on Christmas morning and we have no pudding. NO PUDDING!!!

A moments utter panic is followed by a conflab with Kathryn and she zooms off emerging a few seconds later with a large panettone from under the tree…

“…we can make bread and butter pudding with this,” explains my wife; “I’ve read that it’s very nice.”

Brilliant, brilliant…panettone bread and butter pudding!! And what a dish it was so I decided to share what we did with you all:

You’ll need:

A panettone
Butter
Plum jam
4 eggs
Pint of milk
3 oz sugar

Slice and butter the panettone, butter a 9in x 14in (or thereabouts) dish and line with a layer of buttered panettone. You’ll need to cut the panettone into smaller slices so the whole base of the dish is covered. Once the layer is complete spread with the plum jam and then cover with a second layer of buttered panettone.

Mix the remainder of the ingredients (eggs, milk and sugar) together and pour over the top of the butters panettone layers. The liquid should be visible above the bread – if not add a little more milk.

Put in a moderate over (180C) and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. After about half an hour you can sprinkle some more sugar on the top of the pudding to give it a nice crisp brown finish.

Served with thick, double cream it made a really lovely alternative to the good old Christmas pudding.

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