Raw fish

How's it hanging with the BBC's digital Duracell Bunny, James Purnell ? After composing the searing strategy question of this (and any) year, "Where Next ?", you'd think he'd rest on his laurels til 2014.

Not a bit of it. Yesterday, on behalf of the BBC, he signed Memoranda of Understanding with the Europeana Foundation, the Open Data Institute, the Open Knowledge Foundation and the Mozilla Foundation. The idea is to share technical standards, models, and ("where feasible") data with organisations who want to work with the BBC. Techies at the BBC are also musing whether or not Jim was behind the most recent rapprochement between Auntie and Lord Birt, onlie begetter of online at the BBC (after a trip to California and some sushi).

But has James forsaken the world of astroturf park football for the ethereal delights of mackerel nigiri and digitised cultural assets ?  I only ask because his (former ?) team Demon Eyes (shirt sponsors LabourList) has had an indifferent start to the season - and James was usually a stalwart of the defence. They've lost 8-0 to Northern Alliance, and 7-2 to the Press Association. More recently, there've been score draws against A-Wave-O and National. Perhaps he's coaching.