i turn my back for 10 months, and...

Bad news. Yeah, everyone knows that Bush got re-elected but, according to Tinni, her employer has been knocked back for their funding application. I'm really, really biased, but DSTC was a great place to do research. Don't believe me though. Another Jim, Jim Coplien, said a couple of years back that:

“I hold the DSTC to be one of the most effective software research organisations in the world…”

That sucks and, like the elections (also American but particularly Australian), it suggests to me that the people making the decision must have been woefully uninformed or monumentally stupid to make such a choice. Whatever you think of the proposal specifics (and, although I didn't see the full proposal, only the first summary one, I had some criticisms), one look at who's involved screams, or should scream: "Give these people money and they will do world-class research".

Of course, funding bodies, like voters, aren't always that interested in details like excellence (or lack thereof) in doing what you're required and paid to do. Or maybe it's me. Again. For the third time in a month. Dammit.