“More harm was done in the 20th century by faceless bureaucrats than tyrant dictators.”

Apparently this is true. It is also apparently true that "London Region needs a secretary it can rely on to be discreet and to maintain the confidentiality of its internal communications".

Sometimes, I wonder how Mark manages to remain so equitable. My younger brother, Rupert, the family sociopath, would probably have run through the author of those words with his sword without a second thought. Having said that, he thinks that John Reid is a wet liberal, so perhaps his reaction can be regarded as unnecessarily brutal.

You'll doubtless be pleased to hear that, just as I promised last month, Ludwig and I have taken Mark in hand in an attempt to drag him out of the nineteenth century where he's been quite happy, in a rather chaotic, disorganised sort of way. It just isn't good enough for the fast-paced world that Mark has to deal with. We also think that he needs an image retune, so we're working on that too. Meanwhile, Jaime is working on broadening his philosophy - although I'm yet to be convinced that Machiavelli's "The Prince" is necessarily the best place to start - and Rupert is in charge of instilling a little assertiveness.

I've left Mikhaila, Rupert's wife, in charge of culture, and she'll be making sure that he's more of a lyric bureaucrat than he has been in the past. You'll know if it's working if he takes to humming fragments of chamber music (Schubert is a particularly good sign). The diet has helped, he's lost 1.4 kg already, and the end of the legal unpleasantries helps too.

So, all in all, 2007 is shaping up to be an interesting year in the life of Amaranth's very own faceless bureaucrat. Do let us know if you notice a difference or, if there is something you feel we could work on, don't hesitate to say so...