Michael Jackson's acquittal

This man's life has gone from one high to another with great lows in between. He was so cute as a kid, and very talented. A great singer. Now he has been acquitted, and good luck to the jurors who acquitted him. I thought they'd not reach a verdict, but with all my information filtered through the news media, I believe that the picture we all got of what was going on at the trial was not accurate.

As for Jackson himself, where will he go? He has massive debts that can only be settled by selling Neverland (I'll bet that whoever buys it turns it into a freak show, with tours of Jackson's bedroom happening every hour on the hour...), selling the rights to music that he has bought, and generally trying to restart his career. In this time of rap, what will he do? How will he make any money?

Personally, he has now had two second chances. This is his opportunity to do whatever he likes, but be mindful that this kind of trial may happen again. He should consider the public relations angle of being so chummy with adolescent and pre-adolescent boys. If I were him, I'd ensure that all my bedmates (chaste or not) were well above the age of consent and could prove it in court.

I wish him all the best in his future life.

India is a go

I got an email when we returned from Dublin saying that BCS has approved me as a tutor for the ISEB Foundation Course in Software Testing. This means that India is on. I need to (1) go to Uxbridge today to confer with my boss, (2) go to the Indian High Commission tomorrow to try to get a visa, and (3) go to Gatwick tomorrow 11 am for travel inoculations and malaria pills. Then work on Thursday at Searchspace, and try to rest Friday. Monday Searchspace again, and Tuesday I'm off to Bangalore. I feel like Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour, with a bit of Deming and Beizer rolled in. (Deming is the "quality" guru beloved of the Japanese and Beizer is one of the gurus of the modern software testing industry). Later, after the course in Bangalore (25 people) I will travel to Pune, for another course with 25 people. Then, to Mumbai and home on July 1.

I hope it goes well. If it does, I may be invited to conduct courses here in the UK, as well as more courses in India. At least then I'll not need inoculations. However, it looks like I might be on malaria pills semi-permanently.

I'm off/on the road/to Bangalore.....nope, doesn't scan, and doesn't sing well either.

"Heigh-ho, heigh-ho/to Bangalore I go."

That's better.