Finally, an update....

Obviously I've been conspicuous by my literary absence for the past month and a half. Three main reasons:

1. Animal Pharm still lacks an editor, which has an unavoidable impact on my working day;

2. I have been blessed (if that's the word I'm looking for) with a tranche of new titles to look after as well as the Animal Pharm portfolio: a collection of academic/scientific journals. This is an area of publishing that's entirely new to me; undeniably interesting but it's taking a little while to get up to speed with the idiosyncratic way things are currently done in this particular field;

3. I am researching the feasibility of several new products to add to the portfolio.

Some of the new products lie within the animal health field, but not all. So, again, a bit of a learning curve happening here.

While I'm tapping away, I think I'd like to add my random musing for the morning.

Lord Browne, formerly of BP.

I found it deeply sad that in the 21st century anyone should feel the need to conceal their sexuality from the media for the sake of career or business success. But perhaps it's easy for those under 45 to say that.

When John Browne began his working life at BP, homosexuality had only just been decriminalised and still carried considerable stigma. Thankfully, in most working environments, that's no longer the case - but old fears die even harder than old habits.

On the other hand, I found it quite inspiring that among colleagues, politicians and business contacts his orientation was apparently well known and, until now, never hampered his success as a business leader.

Concealing the manner of his meeting with an erstwhile partner, in a legal context, was wrong and an error of judgement. Resigning for that seems fair enough and is to be applauded rather than regretted.

But the fact that Lord Browne felt the need to conceal it in the first place is something for which we should all feel a measure of regret.