Archive - Friday 7th January 2005
I have added my review of this book by Rohan Candappa to the collection on Lord Bonkers' website. It can be found at the bottom of that page and first appeared in the 17 December 2004 issue of Liberal Democrat News.
A bit random this post, but does anybody know why the West Wing is only scheduled for 50 minutes on Channel 4 and E4? Now checking the episodes I have, they last 42 minutes without the ad breaks. This is the same length as ER, 24 and Desperate Housewives, yet they have an hour.
I am pleased to see that the backlash against religious bullies is developing. Will Howells encourages us to e-mail the BBC with messages to counter the orchestrated protests against the screening of Jerry Springer - The Opera. Do follow his example and send a message today. Meanwhile, Ryan Cullen offers some useful advice for the bigots who seem to be having difficulty with their TV remote control. Personally, I dislike musicals and had no intention of watching Jerry Springer - The Opera, but now I think I just might.
The Government set themselves a target to have all their services "online by 2005". I have asked them if that meant the start of 2005, i.e. the date is already passed, or if it is to be the end of the year, i.e. really for 2006. They declined ...
Have you come across my blog because I'm campaigning against those who are campaigning against Jerry Springer the Opera being screened on BBC2? Do you disagree with me? If so, I think I need to teach you the wonders of the TV and the Remote Control. When a programme is on that you don't like, you pick up the Remote Control with either hand, and using your fingers, you can press a button,
It occurred to me the other day that most of the photographs I put on this blog are of Cardiff Bay. Cardiff is a splendid City but it is not a patch on Swansea, which after all has a real bay not an enclosed river inlet masquerading as one. This view is looking out from the Members' Room in County Hall towards Mumbles. The large tower is the clock tower of the Guildhall, whilst the University can just be made out in the distance behind the tallest tree.
The Fifth Annual Weblog Awards are open for nominations. There are all sorts of catergories, from Best Meme and Best Tagline of a Weblog to Best Entertainment Weblog and Weblog of the Year. The more people who put nominations forward, the more representative the nominees will be. You don't have to nominate in every category and you can nominate up to three candidates (four for Weblog of the Year)
So Tony Blair has again ruled our taking part in a televised election debate with the other party leaders. I can't say I blame him - its not as though he could expect an easy ride. But this Government says it wants to reinvigorate our democracy and engage people in politics. It has made postal voting easier, inviting people to vote on a Saturday and even put polling stations into supermarkets -
Another busy day yesterday. Had a morning in work and then went off to Cheddar in the afternoon to spend a couple of hours with a printer discussing election leaflets etc. In addtion to worrying about Woodspring's campaign plans, I am also involved in supporting the work of Lib Dem held and target seats in the region - which is actually very interesting as I do get a much wider sense of the
The views of Nick Bourne on a grand coalition reported here yesterday appear to be assuming a life of their own. Plaid Cymru's Deputy Leader, Rhodri Glyn Thomas, this morning was in one of those 'rule nothing in, rule nothing out' moods: "Until now my views about the idea of a grand coalition have been quite negative, although I think Nick's views deserve very serious consideration." His former boss, Dafydd Wigley, used the luxury of speaking from the sidelines to be even more forthright: "There comes a point when those of us who believe Labour is running Wales
No, it is not me who is asking but his Assembly group. It seems that the Plaid Cymru Leader has shot off to Pakistan on a working trip but has forgotten to tell his own AMs. I am not quite sure why they should know but clearly it is important to them to keep track of their leader in case he is up to anything behind their backs. The Western Mail this morning reports an 'unhappy' Rhodri Glyn Thomas, their Deputy Leader, as saying "I gather he is in Pakistan, but I haven't spoken to him since before
My e-mail to the Beeb. You can contact them at info@bbc.co.uk. Dear BBC, I am concerned at the large number of complaints you appear to have received in advance of Saturday’s scheduled screening of “Jerry Springer – the Opera”. This show has been performed to thousands of theatregoers in two years in the West End. It has won critical plaudits and continues to draw in audiences. I was
I am not sure who is advising Tony Blair but whoever suggested that he move his regular briefing so that it clashed with a speech being made by Gordon Brown deserves to be sacked. Over the last seven years the Government have tried hard (and I have to say with a huge amount of success) to manipulate the news agenda and have rigidly ensured that clashes such a the above do not occur. The press are
There seems to be a certain amount of speculation about our PMs unusual reluctance to stride the world stage over the last week. Some are suggesting that he has had heart surgery and some are suggesting that the PM has had plastic surgery. All I can say is that if today's pictures of him are anything to go by then he certainly isn't looking any younger or fresher faced. He didn't look that well
My immediate reaction was "what is the world coming to?" - sounding worryingly like my mother and I can't help thinking that the kid wouldn't have been jailed if the judge felt that he had any other option. Then it struck me that in all the news coverage I took in there was scant mention of parents. Surely they have some reponsibility in all of this? One of the things that I have realised
Davic Dickinson "Cheated Tsunami Death" If I was feeling particularly tasteless I'd rewrite one of the paragraphs into; "Bargain Hunt host David was relaxing on holiday with his wife Lorne in a Malaysian beauty spot when a 15ft wave engulfed them. Lorne was forced to cling on to David who, as one of the last remaining British Redwoods, was able to float as a series of waves crashed on to the
