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  • Walter's Blog.
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • About Walter
    • 1980 Joining Up - Grafton Street >
      • Arrival and First Impressions
      • First Week
      • Training
      • Passing Out
    • Yaumati Cowboy >
      • Getting on the Streets
      • Jumpers, pill poppers and the indoor BBQ
      • Tempo of the City
      • Into a Minefield.
    • Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon? >
      • Baptism By Fire
      • Kai Tak with Mrs Thatcher.
      • Home; The Boy Returns
  • 1984 - 1986
    • PTU Instructor & Getting Hitched
    • Having a go: SDU
    • Starting a Chernobyl family
    • EOD - Don't touch anything
    • Semen Stains and the rules
  • 1987 to 1992 - Should I Stay or Go?
    • Blue Lights, Sirens & Grenades
    • Drugs, Broken Kids & A Plane Crash
    • 600 Happy Meals Please!
    • Hong Kong's Best Insurance
    • Riding the Iron Horse
  • Crime in Hong Kong
    • Falling Crime Rates - Why?
    • Triads
    • The Saga That Rocked Hong Kong's Legal Fraternity
  • History of Hong Kong Policing
    • History 1841 to 1941
    • History 1945 to 1967
    • Anatomy of the 50 cent Riot - 1966
    • The Fall of a Commissioner.
    • History 1967 to 1980
    • Three Wise Men from the West
    • The Blue Berets.
    • The African Korps and other tribes.
    • Getting About - Transport.
    • A Pub in every station
    • Bullshit Bingo & Meetings
    • Godber - The one who nearly got away.
    • Uncle Ho
  • Top 20 Films
    • 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
    • The Godfather.
    • Blade Runner
    • Kes
    • Star Wars
    • Aliens
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    • The Life of Brian
    • Dr Strangelove.
    • Infernal Affairs
    • Bridge on the River Kwai.
    • This Is Spinal Tap.
    • Chung King Express
    • An Officer and a Gentleman
    • PTU
    • Contact
    • Saving Private Ryan
    • Family Guy Star Wars
    • Zulu
    • Hard Day's Night
  • The Long Read
    • The Big Game
    • The Hidden Leader
    • How The Walls Come Down
    • War in Ukraine - the narrative and other stuff.
    • New World Order - Something is going on!
    • British Policing - What's to be done?
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Reflections on recent events, plus the occasional fact free rant unfiltered by rational argument. 

"If you want to read a blog to get a sense of what is going on in Hong Kong these days or a blog that would tell you what life was like living in colonial Hong Kong, this blog, WALTER'S BLOG, fits the bill."  Hong Kong Blog Review
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30/4/2021 1 Comment

KISS

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"Why or why do officials find it necessary to invent intentionally complex solutions to problems?"
This week saw the death of one of my heroes, Micheal Collins. With a steady hand, the valiant Collins piloted the Command Module as his two colleagues went to the Moon's surface to make history. On the dark side of the Moon, he swung out of human contact in his tin can. 
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Often cited as having had the loneliest job, he was nonchalant about that assertion, making the critical distinction between alone and lonely.

Collins wrote about his experiences in 'Carrying the Fire'. He feared the most dangerous part of the mission was the take-off from the Moon. That depended on a single-engine functioning flawlessly, whereas a redundancy of options covered possible failures at other critical moments. Around Collins's neck was hung several actions cards detailing steps he had to take in each of 18 eventualities. Simple, step by step instructions meant he had few decisions to make. 

Our high-paid civil servants who could do with some NASA logic and remember the acronym KISS. NASA took 'Keep it simple, stupid' or 'Keep it short and simple' from the US Navy. It anchored their thinking; always go for simple, easy to comprehend and implementable solutions. 
Why or why do officials find it necessary to invent intentionally complex solutions to problems?

My head hurt attempting to understand the new Covid restrictions. The changes sought to achieve a relaxation of the regime but only brought frustration and bafflement. 

To help you comprehend the complexities, the above picture is an extract. There are nine pages of this convoluted mess. 

By all accounts most businesses have opted to ignore these provisions, retaining the simple, implementable, four-person rule. Few will go for the hassle of enforcing these tangled protocols. Because, of course, the consequence of an honest mistake or oversight means a fine or worse. And the government wonders why its popularity falters.  

Here's a suggestion. Allow dining and drinks venues to open with eight people who can prove they've had a vaccination. Other than that, retain the current rules but extend opening hours.

Remember; keep it short and simple. That's what got us to the Moon and back. 
1 Comment
Gloria Bing
3/5/2021 04:18:24 pm

I am reminded of two quotes -

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler." - Albert Einstein (or maybe not)

"Officers: making simple shit complicated since 1664" - The Royal Marines

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    Walter De Havilland was one of the last of the colonial coppers. He served 35 years in the Royal Hong Kong Police and Hong Kong Police Force. He's long retired. 

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