Well done Southern Sudan/New Sudan and good luck for the future.
But now the world's newest country needs a new name and what an opportunity to avoid the same, lame old options.
SoSu would be quite modern, or NileRePublic which is suitably colonial in that it has capitals in strange places.
Of course, they could bring in image consultants, pay them millions of pounds and come up with something Latin-sounding like Centricum or Publicis (what do you mean it's been done?) with a snazzy logo that looks ever so similar to the one for Arriva or Accenture or half a dozen others. There's only nine knitting patterns after all. And if it's good enough for British Gas then why not?
They could go down the union route - you know, like Unite or Accord and call themselves Advance or Freedom. Or something snazzy and descriptive like Desertworld or Land of Sand.
Perhaps they should get a sponsor, like football grounds and be The Democratic Republic of the Nile sponsored by Axa or Eon.Africa.
Alternatively there is the ethnic-but-not-too-different approach in the way Calcutta is now Kolkata and call itself Suddan Soodjan. Or find some short native word like Juma that actually translates to something like Land Where A Million Stars Shine Upon Your Righteousness.
And then there is the PR/Marketing/Retail/Dotcom formula to think up two completely random words and put them together like Piano Bullfrog or Reticular Birdcage or whatever.
Personally, I think they should recognise the country's most famous advocate and go for The People's Republic of Clooney. It has a certain ring to it.
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If Howard Webb is the best referee in the world then I'm a Dutchman, or my dick's a bloater, as my old editor used to say.
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Talking of which. According to a test in the Daily Mail there are 12 ways for a woman to spot if her man is a cheat. Several of them - he is sex obsessed, someone in his family has had an affair, he doesn't like most of her friends or family - apply to pretty much every man in Britain.
Others - you lived together before getting wed, he has been married before - apply to most of us over the age of 40.
And some - he had a religious or private education, he spends all his time on social networking - apply to a fair smattering of us ex-Ilford Jewish Primary, Facebook-addicted would-be love rats too.
For me, most of the rest also apply - she earns more than me, we live in the country (ish) and if I didn't admit her IQ was higher than mine then I'd be in more trouble than if I was having an affair.
So that's 10 out of the 12 that apply to me. Thank goodness I don't have a twin or work long hours otherwise I'd have the full set. Even though I've never had an affair in 20 years of being married (to two women mind you), reading this has already made me feel guilty and shifty. They might as well have said other ways to tell include getting your eyes lasered when you're 47 and being a slightly overweight (but devilishly handsome) Spurs supporter obsessed by bridges and Bowie.
Thankfully my wife doesn't read the Daily Mail. Mind you she reads this blog. Oh, shit.
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I have a 'follower' from somewhere mysterious (possibly Denmark, possibly Slovenia). Thank you and welcome but just one thing...why? Mind you, a few more would be nice so that I know there is someone out there!
Vi ses...Solly
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