Gavin Patterson's gravy train keeps on rolling as former BT boss tossed two more sinecures

Former BT chief exec Gavin Patterson is a busy boy. On top of his position as part-time chair of Salesforce, the mullet-sporting, '80s businessman throwback will also be gracing two more companies. Gavin Patterson It was announced today that Patterson (pictured) will be joining Solon Management Consulting as an advisor and …

[Bronek Kozicki]

He should also join TSB

The bank that couldn't will benefit from a smooth operator at the till. Or at least, it might be amusing.

[Dave314159ggggdffsdds]

Wtf is this? Antisemitism, even though he isn't Jewish?

'Sinecure' is defamatory, not that the Rag has enough clout to matter these days.

[RayG]

I'll admit to finding your claim surprising, since the term has its origin as a description of a certain kind of church office. And defamatory? It's a traditional term for a non-job and carries a hint of disapproval, but that's not really defamation.

[Dave314159ggggdffsdds]

Origins are irrelevant. The modern (and in fact historic, for centuries) meaning is receiving money for nothing, due to corruption.

When presented as in the article, the conspiracy theory is only missing the word 'Jew' to be straight out of the pages of the Dearborn Gazette. The idea the 'elite' are getting money for nothing is a big part of a conspiracy theory that has underpinned antisemitism for over a thousand years, and writing codewords doesn't change that.

[Jim Mitchell]

Please explain your reasoning behind your statement that "'Sinecure' is defamatory".

[Anonymous Coward]

No it isn't. Not defamatory at all.

I don't know if the Reg journalist did due diligence on the term before using it, but sinecure to describe an advisory or chair role is actually quite correct.

First, it relates to catholic Christianity, not Judaism.

Second, it just means "without a parish" from the Latin sine without and cure, a word meaning responsibility but, in the context of sinecure, meaning "a parish". Thus being a canon of a cathedral was usually a sinecure because, although cathedral clergy advised the Dean and had various admin jobs, they didn't have a parish to attend to. Some clergy, of course, had parishes which they then let out to a vicar or curate on a salary while they enjoyed the tithes.

The glass is for the subed for using exactly the correct word.

[Dave314159ggggdffsdds]

Re: No it isn't. Not defamatory at all.

Sure, and being islamophobic requires you to be scared of Muslim people...

Reality is, a sinecure has meant money for nothing for hundreds of years. Your absurd overliteralism is completely to be expected from racists making excuses for racism.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: No it isn't. Not defamatory at all.

Hundreds of years?

I really do not understand how you go from someone having a knowledge of ecclesiastical organisation and terminology to accusations of racism, unless there is something very wrong in your head. Instead of flinging out words like "absurd", perhaps you could reveal to us your train of thought, preferably with examples?

Actually I've just seen another of your posts. I am not a psychiatrist and this is not intended as any kind of diagnosis, but you appear to be bonkers.

[Pascal Monett]

A train of thought ? Don't flatter him. Thinking is clearly not his strong point.

[ThatOne]

Re: No it isn't. Not defamatory at all.

> Reality is, a sinecure has meant money for nothing for hundreds of years.

And?... Your point is?

A term meaning "money for nothing" definitely doesn't strike me as a sure-fire evidence of overflowing antisemitism. Oh, do you remember that well-known Dire Straits antisemitic anthem (they even added "girls for free")?...

IMHO your trigger is set to so sensitive you're bound to shoot yourself in the foot regularly.

[John Smith 19]

Re: No it isn't. Not defamatory at all.

Do not feed.

[Imhotep]

Let me guess: You had no idea what the word meant, googled it, came to your ridiculous conclusion, and are now descending to even more ridiculous arguments to support that conclusion rather than just admit you were wrong.

For all my life time (almost 70 years) the common meaning of "sinecure" has been a comfortable position that pays well for doing little or nothing.

[Dave314159ggggdffsdds]

Thanks, it's good to see someone else same turn up and say the same things I did.

[NeilPost]

What like BT C.E.O.

[Flak]

Try another latin term: mea culpa

a simple 'mea culpa' rather than continuing to dig that hole might be advisable :-)

[simonlb]

Re: Try another latin term: mea culpa

Yeah, I don't think you get prizes for the most downvotes in the comment section for a single thread. Not yet anyway.

[Anonymous Coward]

There have been a lot of *ism claims in the press of late

"I am this group not that one" is common to all except possibly for society's rejects i.e. billy/willamina no mates who are so desperate that they will accept any friendship at all.

IMHO those screaming loudest about *ism are deluded hyprocrites and/or using it for personal advantage/political gain, this since there are still many groups in each society that are acceptable to openly hate even promote hate of.

In the UK for instance it is okay to hate immigrants, fatties, smokers, those on benefit and whomever else is currently on the approved hate list, so for my part until everyone is accepted until they individually do something unacceptable then I will continue to see claims of *ism as being both a society norm and an attempt to futher divide what little unity remains.

I have heard many claims from people that they are not *istic and yet in each occasion I found that they do still hate other groups they just pretent so well that they will not recognise it until someone in authority points it out to them and even then they will claim that it is okay because *.

So since IMHO everyone is *istic then will I accept my place is society and condone hating upon hypocrites and those that think CAPS is shouting, two popular groups that like every other *ism misunderstand that everything is grey rather than black and white.

Summary: no groups contains only villians especially when YOUR (emphasis rather than shouting) hated group contains people who did not chose to join but instead had it thrust upon them.

I thank you

[Pascal Monett]

Isn't it good to be at the top ?

Chairman here, advisor there, life is good isn't it ?

To think that I can only be a lowly programmer all day long. I clearly wasn't born with the right connections.

[Imhotep]

Anti-Gravity IS possible!

It's called "failing upward". Once you reach a certain level, it's the only direction you can fail.

[Bronek Kozicki]

Re: Isn't it good to be at the top ?

Nah, at least your life is more interesting.

[John Smith 19]

Fat cats don't like to be without their cream for long.

No surprise there.