But a week on from that largely forgettable Tuesday afternoon, there was at last some cause for optimism.
Now at last some vendors are starting to develop the necessary skills.
Last month, the ministry of home affairs at last published some guidelines for third-sector projects.
Thailand's senate has at last withdrawn some of its objections to new bankruptcy, foreclosure and other economic-reform legislation.
The government is at last giving some thought to tightening South Africa's gun laws, which are among the world's laxest.
General Assembly, more government business, tennis, dinner with the family, a planning meeting with his aides and then, at last, some private time.
This dismal record is at last showing some signs of improvement.
Hoshyar Zebari, a senior member of Massoud Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party, which controls the north-western part of the self-rule area, believes that the Kurds have at last made some smart moves.
When at long last some of them were revived in the 1920s, they were severely cut down and many of the lead parts, written for the star castrati of Handel's day, were transposed an octave down for a tenor or a baritone, leaving them barely recognisable.
MEPs reporting for duty after the election might at long last excite some public interest in the parliament.
At last count, some 1, 100 bodies have been recovered in New Orleans.
This came just as new products were supposed to be revitalising the company and at long last demonstrating some benefit from the company's merger with Daimler-Benz back in 1998.
Arriving as one of several visiting participants, Keizo Obuchi, Japan's prime minister, at last filled in some of the details of his country's long-standing pledge to help the region's economies.
Just as the Roman Empire spread its influence across half the planet, and the artists and architects of the Renaissance showed the world what art could be, so at last, in some small way, the debt is being acknowledged and the favour returned.
He was most pleased that the region was at last able to find some consistency and string two cup wins together against such exalted opposition - following last week's 37-24 win over Gloucester.
Unfortunately, this idea was inserted in the June proposals only at the last minute, because some countries had been opposed to using such ratings at all.
The Marbella case shows that the law is at last being applied in some places.
There are at last, however, some signs of a revival as rail modernises and deregulates.
Japanese shoppers are at last being treated to some serious bargains.
Stevens retired from riding in 2005, but at some point last year, at age 49, he decided that watching races and talking about them was no longer enough.
FORBES: "Seabiscuit" Jockey Jumps From The Screen Back To The Saddle
Edinburgh at last began to apply some pressure of their own and, after Wallace was sent to the sin-bin for an infringement, Paterson kicked the resulting penalty to narrow the gap to three points.
The Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady at 0.5% at its last meeting and some analysts are now predicting that the next move could be a cut - a dramatic change of tone from just a few months ago.
At this time last year, some analysts were predicting a turnaround for Korean chipmakers within six to 12 months.
Egypt, at the urging of the country's tough-minded investment minister, is at last enforcing company laws, some of which have been mouldering on the books for 25 years.
With some pressure at last being exerted on Glasgow, Jenkins managed to pull the Welsh back within a score with his third penalty, but Howarth soon struck back to restore the 10-point gap.
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