Part 8 of my blog of reading Atlas Shrugged for the first time. You can find the first part here. Chapter 8: The John Galt Line Dagny has been thrown out of the Taggart Transcontinental offices, and runs the new John Galt Line company from a couple of pokey rooms behind the tower of her ...
"H.P. Lovecraft taught us that you shouldn't being worrying about the tiny tentacle extruding into our world, but the great big Elder God that it's attached to." – Cory Doctorow Yesterday I was at the Open Rights Group conference at City University. Julian Huppert, the new Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge proved to be a ...
Oh for goodness' sake! Christina Hendricks is a fine looking woman and it is great to see a curvy woman rather than a stick insect. But that was hardly the point of the article in the Sunday Times! However the follow-on newspaper articles in other publications seem to focus only on Ms Hendricks. The last thing we need is to move from one impossible idealised and unobtainable image of the super skinny kind to another impossible and unobtainable image of the curvy kind!
Welcome to Broxtowe Enews, brought to you by the Liberal Democrats and edited by David Watts, the leader of Broxtowe Borough Council. There aren't so many events to report this week as many activities are winding down for the summer. Broxtowe Borough Council will be running a series of events for children and families throughout August though so keep an eye out for these if they may be of interest. I'll post some more specific details next week. 1. Bogus Callers I've seen reports of people in Broxtowe receiving calls from someone claiming to be from the council telling people ...
I read with interest that Nick Clegg is going out on tour to try and restore public faith in the Liberal Democrats. I welcome this as one of the many concerned Liberal Democrats at grass-roots level who is concerned about ... Continue reading →
I don't know if Cameron and Obama got on as well as this - but here's an entertaining game between High Lawrie and Ellen Degeneres as they try to guess the meaning of English and American slang.....
The decision taken by the last Labour government to close maternity services at both the Infirmary and at Fairfield was called in for review by the new Coalition government. I am delighted to add my voice to the campaign to keep maternity services local. For my own residents in the Norden ward, the important thing ...
I had almost no expectations or knowledge of this book before I opened it; my only other Hemingway, read and much enjoyed a year ago, was The Old Man and the Sea so I was mildly braced for more tales of Atlantic fishery, rather than for the intense story of disillusioned young things in Paris in the mid-1920s, drinking too much, shagging each other, and heading off to Spain for the bullfights. I must say I loved it; though the book starts off by telling us about Robert Cohn, in fact it is much more about the narrator, Jake Barnes, ...
One of the highlights of the canal holidays we had when I was a little boy was Midland Counties Ice Cream. In Hertfordshire it was all Walls or Lyons Maid, but further north they had a different company with different lollies. This television commercial must come from about the same period. Ten bonus points to anyone who recognises the canalside location, because I can't.
It really took me ages to grind through this, and I'm not sure that it was worth it. Rather ambitiously I got hold of the Wordsworth edition which includes not only Part I and Part II of Faust, but also an earlier draft of Part I (the Urfaust) just in case you are sufficiently interested to know what the original version might have looked like. Part I is the more digestible version (and the Urfaust even more so). Heinrich Faust, a scholar who is trying to reconcile the life of the mind with the lusts of the flesh, signs a ...
This story has just appeared on the Guardian's website and will be on tomorrow's front page: A huge cache of secret US military files today provides a devastating portrait of the failing war in Afghanistan, revealing how coalition forces have killed hundreds of civilians in unreported incidents, Taliban attacks have soared and Nato commanders fear neighbouring Pakistan and Iran are fuelling the insurgency.There is a video on the Guardian website explaining the online tools the paper has created to help readers understand the files.
A celebration of the work of Christian Aid in the North East, a chance to say farewell to Bishop Tom Wright, hearing new Christian Aid Director Loretta Minghella, having a tour round Auckland Castle, listening to Jazz, and having a picnic in the castle grounds. That is a fair summary of the afternoon, but I want to pass on what Loretta Minghella had to say She said how pleased Christian Aid...
You may remember - how could you forget? - my coverage of the unsuccessful campaign to prevent the city council and De Montfort University demolishing Leicester's Bowstring Bridge. Today I had lunch in branch of Pizza Express in King Street, Leicester. And look at the painting they have on the wall. Across the road the City Council's offices, housed in two speculative blocks it bought in the 1970s, are in a bad way. As I looked out during my meal, I hoped they would shudder and collapse. going the same way as the bridge. It did not happen, but one ...
The Real Blog calls for a Big Society or Co-production Guarantee to enshrine the coalition's rhetoric. It would "back innovators against bureaucracies, and would back local against the centre. But it would also back local people against streamlined corporate power." If you like football then you may want to join the unofficial Lib Dem fantasy premier league, says Chris Wilson on Liberal Democrat Voice. Writing from Tallinn, Cicero's Songs draws a worrying comparison: "Estonia is a genuinely flexible market - and the UK is not. Estonia, with relatively low levels of total debt and extremely low levels of government debt- ...
Bit of a presumption David 'The Grassroots choice' How do you know. The vote wont be known until September 25th! The banner above is show on www.davidmiliband.net/
I bumped into our Borough Commander Chief Superintendant Martin Geenslade yesterday at the Freedom Parade. He told me that the lease had, at last, been signed on the police base for the Chessington Safer Neighbourhood teams. So the two police teams for Chessington North & Hook and for Chessington South will eventually be moving into the shop next to the Debra charity shop in Hook Parade. They were given planning permission for the work some time ago, so are hoping to be ready to move before the end of the year. It's been a long ride, but I'm pleased that ...
Sun 25th
20:51
Ed Balls MP - "I've never been a front runner in this campaign" and "I am behind" but in it to win
Ed Balls MP has chosen to decisively stamp out the stories of last night when it was reported he was considering quitting the Labour leadership race. Speculation about his leadership bid came last night after he failed to win the backing of the Unite union, which gave its endorsement to Ed Miliband. Despite admitting on his campaign blog that; "I've never been a front runner in this campaign, I did not have the early organisation of some other candidates and I am behind on formal CLP and union endorsements."Ed Balls is adamant he is carrying on to the bitter end. ...
The Consett North PACT (Partnerships And Community Together) meeting took place this week. There weren't many local residents there so I'll share the bits and pieces that came out of it: The local crime statistics for June are on this PDF file: police-consett-north-june-2010.pdf : You'll be pleased to know that arrests have been made is respect of all 6 cases of theft. The Official Durham Constabulary newsletter, "Out of the Blue", can be read here: out-of-the-blue-newsletter-july.pdf Consett Neighbourhood policing team can now be found on Facebook by searching for "Consett Neighbourhood" or clicking this link
I'm on the Advanced Command and Staff Course (Reserves) at the moment. A course at the Defence Academy for senior officers in the three military reserves; Territorial Army, Royal Navy Reserve, Royal Marines Reserve and the Royal Auxiliary Air Force. We're half way through at the moment and about to go into a weekend of ...
Jock Coats and Kevin Carson have been writing about what the free market means to them. If you are interested in free markets, the difference between capitalism and a free market as defined by a mutualist then their posts are worth a read. Jock Coats on a freed market Kevin Carson on the free market Jock Coats on the profit motive
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 179th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere ... Featuring the seven most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (18th – 24th July, 2010), together with a hand-picked quintet, normally courtesy of LibDig, you might otherwise have missed. Don't forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox – just click here – ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging. As ever, let's start with the most popular post, and work our way down: 1. Chris ...
A lot has been written about Nick Clegg's performance at Prime Minister's question time. What no one appears to have picked up, at least I haven't seen anyone comment on it, is the look on Alistair Darling's face during the question and answers regarding the country's finances. It is about nine minutes in. Generally, I avoid party political knock-about on this blog but Darling does look distinctly uncomfortable. And that surely is worth commenting on whatever side of the divide you sit?
There were some good things about the singles chart in the 1970s, and Steely Dan was one of them. We are used to hearing there immaculate, so-cool-it-hurts studio recordings. Here, playing live, they have a looser feel, like an American Traffic.
An interesting take on Politicians in this quote. We must ... never expect success, because every victory is provisional, merely one step, never the final one. Politics is a never-ending apprenticeship, requiring one to adapt oneself to the fact that other people are different. That is its reward, the discovery of the diversity of humanity." That quote is from 'An Intimate History of Humanity' by Theodore Zeldin. (page 134 in my edition) A book for summer reading for perplexed supporters of part of a coalition?
Did you know that it costs Cornwall Council more than £3600 and takes 11 people just to paint 40 feet of yellow line? That's the price that has been quoted to me to erase the parking spots outside the old Newport Post Office - and thereby ensure smooth flowing traffic on the main road through Launceston at rush hours. Whilst the parking spots were essential when the post office was still open, it has been shut for almost two years and local drivers know that just one car parking (quite legally) can bring all local traffic to a halt. So ...
David Davis was on the front page of the FT this Friday for being a little indiscreet at a restaurant. When he was running for Conservative party leader, I found myself at a table next to his in a Westminster dining establishment. He was with two other people and they were discussing his campaign. I sat on my own for a while as the person I was waiting for was late. Davis was quite open about which MPs might be supporting him and who he was trying to win over. I could hear almost everything he said but little of ...
Today I went along to the Kentish Town Community Centre Street Festival on Busby Place. What a great day! Highlights included some fantastic music and street performers on show, a selection of excellent food and drink, and a poetry competition for children run ... Continue reading →
I have already written a brief post on Herbert Spencer's The Man versus The State. That book is made up of four chapters and the published book with that title now has an additional six essays that cover government, society and freedom. Spencer's writings spans the 1840s to the 1890s. His chief concern is an interfering government and the unintended consequences that follow. He is without a doubt a classical liberal: he argues for a government that protects liberty but does nothing more. He fears that the Liberal party of the time is evolving into a New Toryism and that ...
Sun 25th
18:15
Mark Pack on election cost rules: "important that the rules are robust and that the rules are proper...
LDV Co-Editor Mark Pack – who has written here and here about the Channel 4 News reports of MPs allegedly stretching their election exenses – has been interviewed by the channel about the complex rules. You can watch one clip here: (Also available here). There's a transcript of the interview – and a further four (count 'em) videos – here. Mark's conclusion: Elections are a competitive process. In any constituency you'll have only one winner and all the other candidates will lose. So it's quite understandable and quite natural that people look to use the rules, as much as they ...
Yesterday saw me at Old Trafford to see Lancashire play the Unicorns in a 40 over match. The Unicorns are a side made up of cricketers not under contract to a county. They play in this competition along with Scotland and the Netherlands. I guess the idea is that it is a place where young cricketers can be seen alongside some older pros. Well Lancs won easily -by nine wickets. As to young cricketers taking the opportunity to impress two took the eye. Firstly the young Zimbabwean medium pace bowler Glen Querl who took the only wicket for the Unicorns ...
the baby took it all in as we went for a little pootle up on the mendips from webbington hotel. in the harness we looked out over the view of cheddar reservoir. then back over the bristol channel and back over the chew valley. axbridge had an interest little square with architecture mediaeval style. quick stop off in the pub garden for a lemonade. what a walking experience! baby on front. rucksack on the back. shoulders killed a bit but I felt revived from the walk up on the ridge. sky, views, rugged landscapes.
With the news this weekend that Richard Desmond has bought Channel Five, perhaps the time has come to expand Tabloid Watch to include TV as well as some of the iffier stories in UK newspapers. For those who haven't already discovered it, Tabloid Watch is a fantastic blog exposing stories in "tabloid" newspapers which are inaccurate ...
I very much enjoy reading Dave Hadfield's match reports (Rugby League for The Independent) but he has this obsession with Humberside whenever he reports on a game involving either of the City's two rugby league sides. So he writes in Saturday's paper: Wigan were still stinging from their defeat by Warrington a week earlier, ...
Whilst I'll try to keep up my usual output, I must warn you my mother-in-law-if-marriage-was-legal is down to visit and thus I'm slightly distracted. But in the meantime: The Lesbian and Gay Foundation is meeting with Lynne Featherstone on Tuesday 27th July regarding marriage equality. I urge you to give them you're opinions here. Hypnotic has a rather awesome post on Kentish politics: Red Kent and Kent Blues.
I recently read Shane Greer's book "So you want to be a politician" (published by Biteback). It claims to be a must-read for any first time political candidate and attempts to cover everything that somebody in that position would need to know. From personal presentation and speech writing through to fundraising, online campaigning and handling the media. It has contributions from various people involved with politics The first thing I would say is that I found it very useful. The advice generally seems to be of a good quality and the contributors (people such as Shane himself, Sarah MacKinlay, Tom ...
From the Council: Children at Orrishmere Primary School in Cheadle Hulme won first prize in the Stockport Young Entrepreneurs competition for the second year running. The children ran a company called 'The Money Tree' which gave out micro loans of £2 and challenged pupils to make as much money as they could. Children gave half of their profits and the £2 loan back to the school. The profits amounted to over £1,000! They received their trophy from Ruth Badger runner-up in the BBC TV series The Apprentice. Ms Badger is treating the winners to a business lunch at one of ...
A film forthcoming
Is this the greatest, and cheakiest, penalty ever?
Going around Gatley and Cheadle this morning, I spotted a few of the green comms boxes with graffiti daubed on them in white paint. I've reported ones on Peckforton Close, Clifton Drive and Springfield Road, which should (on past peformance) be cleaned pretty quickly. If you spot any more, please report them. Just email streetscene@stockport.gov.uk with the location of the graffiti, or let Pam or myself know.
Gordon Brown finally popped his head above the parapet yesterday, giving an interview from Africa where he relaunched himself back into public life. The interview was revealing to say the least though I can't say it made me very happy ... Continue reading →
As the Syrian Government introduces a ban on the niqab in universities, the debate on Islamic veils has moved beyond Europe and into a wider discussion about personal freedom and national identity. A niqab ban in a Middle Eastern country will give weight to those British critics who claim that their objections are grounded in values, not race, and the UK's Muslim community will face scrutiny once more. The opinion formed by armchair pundits is that the niqab is not acceptable to our British values, but is it a threat to them? The government of Syria saw veils as a ...
Ed Balls has made a number of public statements today (released in various media outlets) stating that he has no intention of dropping out of the Labour leadership race. He has told anyone that will listen that he still believes ... Continue reading →
I dislike the Telegraph at the best of times but something that they did in their article on proposed NHS cuts today, really got up my nose. Note content with detailing 'proposals' for health cuts within the NHS, they blatantly ... Continue reading →
John Pilger: 3 Sept 2009 ...The hysteria over the release of the so-called Lockerbie bomber reveals much about the political and media class on both sides of the Atlantic, especially Britain. From Gordon Brown's "repulsion" to Barack Obama's "outrage", the theatre of lies and hypocrisy is dutifully attended by those who call themselves journalists. "But what if Megrahi lives longer than three months?" whined a BBC reporter to the Scottish First Minister, Alex Salmond. "What will you say to your constituents, then?" Horror of horrors that a dying man should live longer than prescribed before he "pays" for his "heinous ...
I sent the the letter to Chris Huhne who is the Energy and Climate Change Secretary as I am concerned about a number of issue related to the switch off of the anologe signal for radio broadcasts. Dear Mr Huhne, DAB Radio Energy, cost and Climate Change I was and am very pleased that you are the coalitions Energy and Climate Change Secretary and I was very impressed when I met you at the Southern Conference in Eastleigh and you spoke to me about the BNP and I was very pleased with your support for Professor David Nutt. But now ...
Herts Highways have announced that they intend to resurface Catherine Street and Folly Lane. The works will take up to three weeks from 8 August. Residents will have noticed that the surface, especially nearer St Peter's Street is in a bad way. We have been lobbying for this to be attended to and so are delighted that works seem soon to start. Full details: [IMG: infobulletincathfolly-page-1.png] [IMG: infobulletincathfolly.png]
There's no prize at stake - just the opportunity to prove you're wittier than any other LDV reader ... (Credit: UK in Indonesia, hat-tip Andrea Gill). Here's Jeremy Browne, Taunton Deane Lib Dem MP and Minister of State at the Foreign Office, marking the launch of the Indonesian Embassy's new hybrid car "Prius" at the Ambassador's residence. What do you think Jeremy or the Ambassador might have been saying or thinking? The winner of our most recent caption competition, the "Mark Pack points at pothole" edition - according to The Voice's judging panel of one - was this one by ...
What happens when you leave reactolite glasses behind a patterned curtain? Ozzy has a picture.
Some figures are out at how quick local councils and other government funded bodies are at paying its bills. This information has come from the Forum of Private Business. I'm glad to say that all the efforts of Lib Dem Cllr Tim McNally when he was the cllr in charge of resources has been shown to have succeeded. Southwark Council pay 63% of bills within 10 days and 85% within 30 days. Lambeth Council 60% and 83% respectively and Lewisham 32% and 85%. On average Southwark pays is invoices in 20 days, Lewisham 26 days and Lambeth 28 days. A ...
I was sorry to read that Theatre Peckham has decided not to pursue its strategic move to the currently vacant Livesey Museum. They stated that this move would have taken £5M to complete - compared to a new theatre I'd guess that's a fraction of a new build cost. My hunch is that the real reason if fear of alienating the new Labour administration by completing a move started under the Lib Dem administration. Theatre Peckham receives some Southwark Council funding. Raising £5M wouldn't be easy but you'd think that was ideal territory for the National Lottery. Sad to see ...
Have just seen a really surreal Adam Boulton interview with John Lydon #fb # Getting ready for an interview! #fb # This morning's interview must have gone well. Have just been invited to a second interview tomorrow! #fb # Congratulations Murali – legend! #fb # Listening to a complete #EdBallsup on the Guardian Daily podcast! #fb # Powered by Twitter Tools
Yesterday's "Courier" highlighted the intention on the part of the Arqiva, the owners and operators of television transmitters, to re-site the Campberdown transmitter in the adjacent Lochee Ward, as it currently sits on one of the Menzieshill multi-storeys being demolished. The article highlights that the relocated transmitter will carry a much-reduced number of digital TV channels compared to the main Angus transmitter at Tealing. This is in common with all relay transmitter - only the main transmitters will carry all Freeview channels. In the past, I have highlighted the drawbacks of the reduced "Freeview Lite" service planned for the Tay ...
Do you like football? Are you a Liberal Democrat? Do you want the opportunity to win a small prize? Well in that case why not join the unofficial Lib Dem fantasy premier league? Here's an opportunity to put together a team with some of your favourite players in, and compete against other Lib Dem football fans. To set up a team go to http://fantasy.premierleague.com (http://m.fantasy.premierleague.com from a smart-phone) and follow the instructions to register. Choose your team name and design your club's strip, then pick your squad for the season. Once that's done, you can choose to join a private ...
Sun 25th
13:08
The Management of Sex Offenders Leaves People At Risk - time to do something different?
I think it would be hard to find someone who was reviled more than by paedophiles, which leave many with opposing ideas of how we should manage the risk. So far, the government's Sex Offender Treatment Programme has been heralded as the key therapeutic intervention in the prevention of repeat offending, The SOTP is a ...
The mosaic outside the Rep in Tay Square is needing repair - and this has been reported to me by residents and my good friend and party colleague Depute Provost Willie Wilson of Perth and Kinross, who noticed the need for repair during a visit to Dundee! The mosaic was last repaired, following my request, in 2006. I contacted the Director of City Development about the latest concerns and have been given the following and positive feedback : "Fraser I can confirm that as part of the Public Realm Improvements recently completed in South Tay Street it is planned to ...
There are those in the Liberal Democrats who are optimistic by nature. They believe that if you work hard and do the right things, no seat is unwinnable, no cause impossible. There are those, rather more battered by time and defeat, who are more pessimistic, who have seen a false dawn or two. I suppose that I fall somewhere in the middle. For most of my political life, I've lived in places where Liberal Democracy has not exactly flourished, in Brent North and Dulwich & West Norwood. Ironically, both constituencies fall within London boroughs where, on the whole, we have ...
If there is one thing that the constant and unremitting attack on the Liberal Democrats role in the coalition government has done, it is to distract attention in the mainstream media and elsewhere from the rather mediocre leadership debate going on in the Labour Party and their reluctance to face up to their own mistakes and flaws in government. This article in this morning's Independent on Sunday sums up nicely the toxic legacy that Labour has not yet shaken off. It is of course possible to excuse the fact that leadership contender, Ed Balls once accepted hospitality from notorious former ...
In a thundering attack this morning, the Mail on Sunday lays into Harriet Harman, acting leader of of the Labour party for...erm... doing nothing wrong at all. Ms Harman, it appears, accepted money legally and properly given by a Labour Party supporter and then, as is one of the jobs of an MP, assisted the same person with a problem. The whole affair, which the Mail on Sunday would really like you to think is some sort of sordid scandal, is summed up in the first few paragaphs of their story: Harriet Harman was last night facing damaging claims that ...
Yesterday during quali, Sarah, Kayleigh and I were talking about putting this year's drivers in order of how much we liked them based on not much more than our gut instincts towards them. Sarah and Kayleigh published their lists separately and now here is mine. The two places about which there could be no doubt were first and last and that held true for the others, too with all of us having a common last place. My original list posted on Twitter didn't include Sakon Yamamoto but I guess he can't be blamed for all the musical cars at Hispania ...
Torbay (Unitary Authority), St Mary's with Summercombe LD Andrew Baldrey 801 (52.7%;+16.4) Con 365 (24.0%;-23.9) Lab 195 (12.8%;+12.8) UKIP 159 (10.5%;+10.5) [BNP 0 (0.0%;-15.8)] Majority 436 Turnout 26.2% LD gain from Con Percentage change is since May 2007 This is within the constituency of Liberal Democrat MP Adrian Sanders. The Conservative group leader's excuse for losing a Torbay Council seat to the Lib Dems on a 20% swing: it was the fault of the coalition Government rather than local politics!
Brace yourself for the outrage (it's already off to a flier in the 'comments' section of the Daily Mail's online content). Philip Hollobone, the Tory MP for Kettering, has been warned that he may fall foul of the Equality Act as a result of his claim that he will refuse to meet constituents who wear ...
Eeeww 13%, bit of a let down - good job there's no election this sunday! So we're being obscured by the Tories who are getting credit for policies which include a fair chunk of our manifesto and which wouldn't be there if the Tories had 44% in the election. And we're getting the blame for allowing unpopular spending cuts by left-minded voters who have presumably forgiven Labour - who never mentioned cuts; and all Labour has to do is exist. The deficit isn't seemingly standing on the street corner annoying anyone and there is a general air of unreality and ...
Blogging has been light for the past couple of weeks, I've found myself scrambling to catch up with work and dissertation research since going on holiday. As always, you take a few days off and as soon as you return you're ... Continue reading →
We have never really been able to call the UK a true democracy. We have an unelected second chamber, made up of Lords Spiritual (Bishops), Lords Temporal (those granted hereditary peerages and selected by unelected party leaders) and Lords Surprising (Messrs Sugar and Prescott). The electorate in this country is allowed to vote for a change in government, so far, only at times that suit the government of the day and we have no codified constitution that outlines, irrevocably, a list of rights and freedoms. The most obvious and fundamental issue with our democracy, however, is obviously the extent to ...
The Cumbrian News and Star reports on rising star Tory MP Rory Stewart's fulsome apology following some bizarrely gauche comments about his constiutuency to a journalist, including the remark: "Some areas around here are pretty primitive, people holding up their trousers with bits of twine and that sort of thing." His local paper says that the Tory MP's put-downs: ... have been branded as arrogant and crass and the 37-year-old has since admitted he was 'extremely foolish'. He said his remarks were merely meant to illustrate how some areas of the county were living in real poverty. I have some, ...
The Sunday Times carried an article today by Marie Woolf on how the Liberal Democrat Body Confidence campaign which was founded by myself and Jo Swinson will be carried forward in government. In the coalition agreement - there is a reference to 'responsible advertising and the commercialisation and sexualisation of children'. So it fits partly with that - but partly too - with the public health part of the agreement. There is a growing army of programs, articles, etc because there is a growing awareness of the detriment caused. We always hear about eating disorders - but whilst there is ...
Earlier this week the Express and Star printed the election expense returns for seats in their circulation area.
Here we go again. Luke Bozier, a Labour blogger yesterday wrote a blogpost where he questioned the standard of websites provided by a company called Tangent PLC to The Labour Party. They apparently provide the "WebCreator" platform upon which lots of Labour sites are based. He singled out Gordon Brown's site particularly suggesting its design did not befit a former Prime Minister and included this information in a tweet. You can read his full comments on the blogpost linked to above. You know what's coming next. Yes, the legal chill kicked in. In an update to the post, Luke informs ...
Today as in every year since 1975 the Tour de France is heading for 8 circuits of the Champs-Élysées. Most of the prizes have been decided. On the Col Du Tourmalet on Thursday the Polka Dot Jersey for the King of the Mountains was finally planted firmly on shoulders of Anthony Charteau (BBox). The challenge from fellow Frenchman and the old man of the Tour Christophe Moreau (Caisse d'Espange) failed to close the remaining gap. Yesterday it was as you were for Yellow and White (Young Rider) as last year. Alberto Contador (Astana) was 31" ahead of Andy Schleck (Saxobank) ...
Welsh Education Minister, Leighton Andrews encountered a first reality check yesterday in his attempt to reduce the number of higher education institutions in Wales through mergers so as to create bigger, world-class universities. Not for the first time the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (Uwic) rebuffed a possible merger with the University of Glamorgan. According to the BBC although the University of Glamorgan told the Minister that they want to create an academic institution which would be "of a size and scale to compete with its cross-border neighbours", staff at Uwic have been told that the university intends to remain ...
broadcast anniversaries 25 July 1964: broadcast of 'Kidnap', the fifth episode of the story we now call The Sensorites. The Doctor, Ian and Susan start to get to the bottom of the mysterious poisonings, but the internal political machinations of the Sensorites are reaching a conclusion as well... 25 July 1985: broadcast of first and second episodes of Slipback on radio. The Doctor has a hangover and Eric Saward thinks he is Douglas Adams. Episode two ends with Peri falling down a ventilation shaft, poor girl.
Having a free day at the end of my week's work in Sri Lanka, I took a local bus from Colombo down to Galle: three-and-a-half hours, 107 rupees (60 UK pence), stopping whenever anyone wanted to get on. I had an aisle seat, but can only recommend this mode of travel to anyone who enjoys (or ...
Consider me hot and excited. Hot, because New York has a "feels like temperature of 100" today, as the local news channel puts it. Excited, because I am actually writing this on an iPad in the hip, hop and happening Apple store in Broadway, New York. A nice young man from Apple (presumably) has just spent ten minutes enthusing with me about this exciting product, while noise and activity abound in this large computer nerd heaven space which is, importantly, air conditioned.
In Morecambe and Lancaster there is not much point in breaking the speed limit. If there is a gap in the traffic in front of you then there will be more congestion just around the corner. Even if you wanted to break the speed limit then you would be caught by the car driver who is not speeding. Aesop could have based his tortoise and the hare story on Morecambe traffic. I drove through Preston on Friday and yesterday and here things are different. I noticed that cars were accelerating faster than I am used to. I noticed cars routinely ...
