http://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/notebookhttp://www.ft.com/rss/comment/columnists/notebookFT.com - Columnists, Notebooken© Copyright The Financial Times Ltd 2008. "FT" and "Financial Times" are trademarks of the Financial Times. See http://www.ft.com/servicestools/help/terms#legal1 for the terms and conditions of reuse.support@ft.comWed, 23 Jul 2008 19:33 BSTThu, 24 Jul 2008 19:50:56 BSTNewspapers60http://news.ft.com/cms/d1f3ce1a-6bbe-11da-bb53-0000779e2340.gifhttp://www.ft.com/comment/columnists/notebook(PICS-1.1 "http://www.classify.org/safesurf/" L gen true for "http://www.ft.com/" r (SS~~000 1))http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/af579dd0-58e4-11dd-a093-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/af579dd0-58e4-11dd-a093-000077b07658.htmlThat Radovan Karadzic has been hiding out as some kind of homeopath has confirmed all prejudices about alternative medicine, writes Robert Shrimsley Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:33 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/65386b6a-581e-11dd-b02f-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/65386b6a-581e-11dd-b02f-000077b07658.htmlAs ministers, mandarins and mere MPs disappear for some much needed R&R, I offer a holiday brain-teaser: who really runs Whitehall? writes Sue Cameron Tue, 22 Jul 2008 19:57 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c7348e64-574e-11dd-916c-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c7348e64-574e-11dd-916c-000077b07658.htmlSomething odd happens when it is announced that Gordon Brown and his family are to take their holiday in a small, English coastal resort, says Brian Groom Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:17 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/72a030f8-5418-11dd-aa78-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/72a030f8-5418-11dd-aa78-000077b07658.htmlIt was a surprise to hear Tom Hampson of the Fabian Society wanted to ban the word 'chav'. It all seemed a bit old hat. Surely all the kids are using 'pikey' as a term of abuse these days, says Emma Jacobs Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:24 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ac70988e-5366-11dd-8dd2-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ac70988e-5366-11dd-8dd2-000077b07658.htmlThe systemic risk to the newspaper's entire intellectual framework means this notebook cannot be allowed to go down, writes Robert Shrimsley Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:51 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e05d1de2-529f-11dd-9ba7-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e05d1de2-529f-11dd-9ba7-000077b07658.htmlPaul Gray, who carried the can when Revenue and Customs lost discs containing half the nation's bank details, appears to have hit the pensions jackpot, writes Sue Cameron Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:11 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5b5d911a-51cf-11dd-a97c-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5b5d911a-51cf-11dd-a97c-000077b07658.htmlBrian Groom attempts to rise to the challenge of finding ten positive things to say about Glasgow's east end, which sets grotesque records for deprivationMon, 14 Jul 2008 19:17 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cc5f87a8-4e94-11dd-ba7c-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cc5f87a8-4e94-11dd-ba7c-000077b07658.htmlDespite elusive shoppers and complaints from shareholders, the retailer can depend on one loyal customer, writes Emma Jacobs Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:52 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3954680e-4ded-11dd-820e-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/3954680e-4ded-11dd-820e-000077b07658.htmlGordon Brown has said Britons must stop wasting food, but a moral lead is not enough. He needs to seize the initiative, writes Robert Shrimsley Wed, 9 Jul 2008 21:54 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8ccb264c-4d36-11dd-b527-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8ccb264c-4d36-11dd-b527-000077b07658.htmlThe rule now for top Whitehall officials seems to be that the shorter your contract, the bigger your bonus, writes Sue Cameron Tue, 8 Jul 2008 22:52 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eeb85c20-4c65-11dd-96bb-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eeb85c20-4c65-11dd-96bb-000077b07658.htmlBrian Groom sees spooky echoes of the 1970s as Gordon Brown joins the G8 summit talks in Tokyo on the oil crisis Mon, 7 Jul 2008 22:08 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1dc19d28-492e-11dd-9a5f-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/1dc19d28-492e-11dd-9a5f-000077b07658.htmlRetailers report that ties are flying off the racks as customers react to the looming threat of redundancy by smartening up their wardrobe, writes Emma Jacobs Thu, 3 Jul 2008 19:41 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2a5b4f6c-4865-11dd-a851-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2a5b4f6c-4865-11dd-a851-000077b07658.htmlTired of those grey streets? The exhaust fumes? The daily commute? Then the brand new eco-town, Middle Quinton, is the place for you, writes Robert Shrimsley Wed, 2 Jul 2008 19:38 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a0850244-479f-11dd-93ca-000077b07658.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a0850244-479f-11dd-93ca-000077b07658.htmlThe spirit of Sir Humphrey Appleby lives! He and his ilk are alive and well and peopling the pages of last week's report by Keiran Poynter on the lost discs fiasco at Revenue & Customs, writes Sue Cameron Tue, 1 Jul 2008 20:15 BSThttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b5f1e266-46c1-11dd-876a-0000779fd2ac.htmlhttp://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/b5f1e266-46c1-11dd-876a-0000779fd2ac.htmlIf he cares about the Union, Gordon Brown, British prime minister, should call an early referendum on independence in Scotland, writes Brian Groom Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:18 BST