Sack this person – now!
In case you hadn’t noticed, today a certain football tournament kicks off in South Africa. Thankfully this fact hasn’t escaped the attention of our Food Standards Agency (FSA). No, indeed not. Such was the concern about our wellbeing at the FSA that someone has generously spent tax payers’ money preparing a guide on how and what we should drink during the festivities. How kind. Never mind that Homo sapiens have managed feed and water themselves for around 200,000 years now, what we’ve always needed is a ten-year-old government body to help us through the trauma of mealtimes. A full copy of this egregiously patronising document is here, but the highlights include:
“If you’re throwing a party for friends and family to watch a game, there are lots of tasty and healthy options you can tuck into as you cheer your team on. Why not serve a vegetable curry with boiled rice or a tasty chilli with plenty of kidney beans?”
“When you’re engrossed in the game it’s easy to sip your way though more [drinks] than you realise. Remember that bottled beers come in different sizes, so you might be drinking more that you think.”
And my personal favourite:
“You might feel as if you are kicking every ball and covering every blade of grass along with the players, but that doesn’t count as being active! So why not use football fever as an excuse to get active yourself?”
What on earth is this all about?! Easy to lose count of how many drinks you’ve had… forgetting that bottles come in different sizes…! I would feel embarrassed using this tone with my four year old cousin, let alone preaching about the type of party food you should or shouldn’t serve in your own home. As for using football fever to get yourself active, nothing makes me want to remain ensconced in my arm-chair more than a jumped up public servant reminding me of my “duty” to keep myself fit and healthy. Whoever spent a morning writing this paternalistic nonsense, at our expense, needs sacking. Immediately.
June 11th, 2010 at 2:07 pm
A morning? I bet this took weeks to produce. I wounder if anyone will FoI the costs?
June 11th, 2010 at 6:41 pm
Hells bells – thought I’d send them a snotty email, but I got presented with a complete telephone book of departments. Did you know they have a whole person to do almost nothing but instant coffee. As for writing fatuous leflets I couldn’t find the perps.
Unbelievable.
June 11th, 2010 at 6:52 pm
I’m inclined to agree Ben. I’ve submitted a FoI request and am waiting to hear back from them. Unfortunately, I fear it may transpire to be “impractical” to disseminate the costs of this particular project from their general operating costs. Opacity has always been the pointless bureaucrat’s best friend.
June 11th, 2010 at 10:10 pm
It’s like a negative advert – they’re just asking to be cut back. Cut! With the biggest scissors to be found!
June 11th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
I’d second that. You just know though, don’t you, that the cost of getting rid is likely hideously expensive.
June 13th, 2010 at 8:08 am
well,he is a little fat
thank you for your share
June 14th, 2010 at 9:36 am
I’d like to know how many visits they get to this website (discounting links from here!) Irrespective of the absurd content, how many football fans think “ooh, I’ll have a quick butcher’s on the Food Standards Agency website before watching the game”?
December 6th, 2010 at 4:00 am
en personnel, je dois dire que votre poste est assez belle, vous pouvez apporter de nouvelles idées il fera de votre post plus mieux.