Red letter day
Monday December the 8th was to have been a red letter day for all 60 Assembly Members. At least I imagine there may be one or two AMs who, sitting at their desks in Cardiff Bay, had put a note in their diary - in red ink - simply saying "Expenses published today".
A breakdown of how much AMs have been spending and on what was due to be published on Monday but not any more. Just as we start debating what to expect, who's heard what, we're told it's more likely the figures will be released during the following week now ... in other words, during recess.
One former AM is convinced that someone in Cardiff Bay is - or ought to be - getting "twitchy".
If so, they'll have to twitch a little longer and make sure they're out and about and unavailable in the constituency when the red letter day does arrive.
In the meantime make Sir Roger Jones' day.
The man chairing the independent panel reviewing AMs' expenses and allowances is on tonight's Dragon's Eye and is keen to hear from you. He wants you to have your say. He must have thought this issue, above all others, would get the ink flowing. So far, how many have replied, online at least? None.
By the way the photograph is of Cardiff Bay - with the Senedd on the extreme right (what a line) - at 3am this morning. It comes courtesy of a colleague who works some daft hours writing bulletin stories and who is, if you ask me, clearly wasted in radio.
I'm Betsan Powys, BBC Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~19~RS~)
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3am. this morning!!!!!!!
Ah well, they say "the sun always shines on the righteous"
But at 3am....on 4th. December !!!!!!!!
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The picture is amazing !!
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I agree LBG.
Looks almost surreal. Especially the old Pierhead building, which I always think looks like a Welsh dragon resting on it's haunches, staring out to sea.
Got a feeling we'll be seeing quite a lot of that photo.
And I know damn well, as soon as I've posted, I'll be having another look at it !
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That's a remarkable picutre, but it certainly could not have been taken at 3am yesterday. It would have been pitch black.
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Guessing from the sunrise in Newport (where the sun always shines, of course), it looks more like between 7.00 and 8.00 am on Thursday, and towards the second half of that time. Early, but not that early, Betsan - your mate's a good photographer, but a poor time-keeper!
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...and the 'properties' box shows the file was created on 12 May 2008, not 4 December 2008! Curioser and curioser - perhaps the photographer needs his time-sheets checking!
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As the taker of said photograph, I'd like to put the record straight!
The photo was taken at about 7.30am - the 3am reference (which was contained in my email to colleagues at the BBC) was the time I had to get out of bed for my trip to Cardiff Bay (sorry for the confusion Betsan - I should have been more explicit in my email).
Anyway, I'm pleased the picture has been published and that people seem to like it!
If anybody is interested in the technical details, it's a HDR (high dynamic range) digital image which blends three different frames, allowing both shadow AND highlight detail to be properly exposed.
The results can either be very unbelievable, or very beautiful, depending on the scene and the photographer.
I leave it to the viewer to decide which category my humble effort belongs in!
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In response to MadWelsh's second comment... that IS a weird one.
I checked back to the original file on my computer and the date shows December 04, but you're right, the image on the BBC page does show May 12 in its properties. I have no idea why that should have happened.
My camera's data (called Exif data for what it's worth) shows the correct date (December 04) but the wrong time (15:26) - the time is easily explained because I have not reset my camera to UK time since my last trip to Asia.
Anyway, I am uploading all the pictures I took in Cardiff Bay on December 04 here: http://www.pbase.com/midie/cardiffbay
Feel free to have a browse!
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re: 2, 3
I agree LBG.
Looks almost surreal. Especially the old Pierhead building, which I always think looks like a Welsh dragon resting on it's haunches, staring out to sea.
Got a feeling we'll be seeing quite a lot of that photo.
And I know damn well, as soon as I've posted, I'll be having another look at it !
One of the few times I agree with you, it is breath-taking picture! And the clouds!
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About time for this Scot to visit Cardiff - I hope the Welsh Tourist Board are going to pay the photographer!
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10 comments about the photograph - none about the delayed expenses. Who says the Welsh don't take an interest in politics?
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Message 11...
As you have noted that so far there has been no mention of the matter of the delayed expenses, I have a quite serious question for Sir Roger Jones....
How come the AM's need a review of their remuneration?
Anyone else in work, (can the AM's be deemed to be actually 'working'?) must put in a week or a month at least until they get their pay, and show a return of some sort to earn that pay.
This lot of wasters in the Bay actually spend their total time scheming and plotting just how they will disburse the funding we the taxpayers provide.
I don't know about them having a pay review, unless they are found to be in need of PAYING US.
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Betsan
Nice picture in your reportage!
~Dennis Junior~
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Betsan:
Why would this person write 'scripts' for radio bulletins...Take a legal pad; and write short-hand notes....
~Dennis Junior~
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