Back, sort of. The dire state of the internet connection here - combined with that vague end of the year fatalism - stop me wanting to say much. Only the dramatic slump in the hit-counter whilst I was away has led me back to the keyboard prematurely; it's every blogger's most shameful vice, a quick-fix ego-boost and a reinforcement of the incessant narcissism that presumably drives all this. New Year's Eve: a fine time for cyncism.

Particularly given the terrible events in recent days - or rather, particularly given the miserliness of rich Western governments compared to the scale of the disaster in Asia. Kotaji's highly-recommended blog picks out a few links that will do little to brighten your view of the Third Way and "making poverty history".