Some of these reviews can also be found on Amazon.In August 2010 I read the following books: 1. The Burning Land, by Bernard Cornwell - Meh: 2/5 There's not much to distinguish this from the previous four volumes in this series. In fact, apart from the geographic location there's nothing to distinguish it. Bleh. 2. Flash Forward, by Robert J. Sawyer - Meh: 2/5 There's some interesting ideas here, and the makings of a great story - actually, of more than one great story - if only the author could settle on one of them. Unfortunately he doesn't, instead writing ...
I have contributed a little bit of interesting trivia about the Pakistan manager to The Corridor.
[IMG: Lib Dems GAIN Castle ward, Alnwick TC] Congratulations to Councillor Sara Walton, elected today for Castle ward on Alnwick Town Council, following the resignation of the Conservative councillor through ill health. The result: LD Sara Walton 329; Con 238; Lab 94 Turnout 24.4%. LD GAIN from Con. New councillor Sara Walton said, It's very humbling that so many people have put their trust in me. I'm determined to bring a fresh perspective to the Town Council and hope my experience as a solicitor and school governor will be put to good use. I enjoyed meeting people during the campaign ...
Earlier this week this week I went to Afghanistan and Pakistan to see for myself the problems and challenges that those countries face. The coalition government is committed to playing our part to helping ensure that the region has a peaceful and prosperous future. It was my second visit to our armed forces in Afghanistan, where I saw again the bravery and professionalism of our troops. Whilst the situation in the country is still difficult, I believe that we are beginning to turn the corner. As the Prime Minister has made clear, British combat troops will leave Afghanistan by 2015 ...
[IMG: Councillors at the pub] The City Council has received a planning application on behalf of Punch Taverns ( 10/0815/FUL) to demolish the Queen Edith Pub (the only pub in the Queen Ediths ward) on Wulfstan Way and replace it with eight 4-bedroomed houses. Contrary to some suggestions, the City Council does not own the pub or the land on which it stands, only the forecourt — although it does own the shops on Wulfstan Way and much of the housing. You can view the application here and make comments. If you would like to discuss the application and what ...
Michael Child laments the decline in blogging locally in a recent posting on his weblog, its true that blogging is not what it once used to be, I've been posting for 4 years, when I started it was fairly novel, in these parts and is possible still unique in the concentration of bloggers on the Isle of Thanet. Its clear there are far fewer postings and some of the best contributors are no longer posting, also he points out that blogs were a good source of news in the past,I agree with him that little fresh news is reported on ...
But more than that, I hate the reaction they bring out in me. For, having received a diatribe three times the length of something I originally tossed off as a bit of fluff to help someone out, which totally misses the point of my bit of fluff, and lays into me in quite a nasty manner, what is my first response? Is it "this man is a cock who can safely be ignored"? Is it "why, what an impressive straw man you have built there, sir, may I set fire to it?"? No. My first, instinctive, response is "He hasn't ...
Sorry for my comparative absence at the moment – I'm working long hours at work and usually too tired to think when I get home. Expect posts on The Aztecs (Doctor Who story), why I won't be using Ping, Tony Mass-Murdering Bastard Blair and the Beach Boys this weekend, and when I've bought my latest ...
The New York Times has reawakened the controversy over the hacking of celebrities' mobile phones by News of the World journalists. And there is more on the Guardian website, which quotes Adrian Sanders as saying: "For the sake of justice a judicial inquiry would, along the lines of the Hutton inquiry, put this to bed once and for all."
I was fascinated by the Tony Blair interview on Wednesday, and almost everything that could be said about it seems to me to have been said since. But two things struck me that have stuck with me for 24 hours, and seems to me to be worth saying here. One was his bizarre account of the Iraq escapade. He claimed that the problem which caused all the trouble was that 'outsiders' fed the conflict and disorder after the invasion, as if somehow that had been wholly unpredictable. This is a strange. Of course the outsiders would intervene, as he was ...
It's been a while since I posted any art to my blog. I do have plans in that department, with various artists lined up for my Virtual Gallery. In the meantime, though, here's a Picasso from his "Blue Period": Woman with Crossed Arms (1901) This is from the start of his Blue Period and was sold in November 2000 for $55. Having done a bit of an internet search, opinion seems to be divided as to whether this represented a demand for quality in a slow market or was hopelessly overvalued. Interestingly, the author of this latter piece suggests that ...
Earlier this week this week I went to Afghanistan and Pakistan to see for myself the problems and challenges that those countries face. The coalition government is committed to playing our part to helping ensure that the region has a peaceful and prosperous future. It was my second visit to our armed forces in Afghanistan, where I saw again the bravery and professionalism of our troops. Whilst the situation in the country is still difficult, I believe that we are beginning to turn the corner. As the Prime Minister has made clear, British combat troops will leave Afghanistan by 2015 ...
The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) yesterday launched Not in My Cuppa - a national campaign to fight the growing pressure to intensify the UK's dairy industry. This campaign has been given urgency by Nocton Dairies' proposal for an intensive, industrial dairy operation in Lincolnshire that will house 8100 cows in 22 acres of indoor sheds stretching the length of seven football pitches. WSPA believes the company will resubmit their planning application in autumn. "We see the Nocton proposal as a watershed in British farming," says Suzi Morris, WSPA UK Director. "Should it be approved, it will ...
Last month I brought you some classic you tube videos from Basil Marceaux. Today, via Lib Dem voice, I bring you a truly cringe worthy 1 minute from Republican Governor Jan Brewer
Housing Advisory Group For my first Housing Advisory Group meeting we had one of its largest agendas, covering the Housing Revenue Account business plan and proposed reforms; consideration of the policy of recharging window replacement costs to leaseholders; a review of Sutton Housing Partnership tenancy conditions; and consideration of the new Sutton Housing Strategy. As ...
Got this because I was very much impressed by Bendis' work on Alias, and this seemed a good place to continue following his œuvre. In retrospect I'm not sure if it was such a good choice - it's part of the ongoing saga of the Daredevil, one of the many Marvel superheroes of whom I know pretty much nothing, so I was left a bit uncertain as to how much continuity the reader should be assumed to have absorbed. Taken on that basis, it's good but not blow-me-away excellent; the story is essentially about a child who has unwillingly become ...
At least Liberal England is according to the readers of A Very Public Sociologist. Given that the those readers are the sort of people who grew up reading Soviet coal production figures under the bedclothes with a torch, I rather wish I was higher in the list.
Mr William Hague Since my speech at the Spring Conference 2010 I have been compared to William Hague quite a few times. As a result, I have started to pay more attention to him and I've come to really like him. I was curious as to why he had no children. I am nosey about these things the way adults are nosey about what their friends are up to. I assumed that Hague and his wife were a high flying couple people who had no time for children. I'm sad to read that this is not the case and, in ...
Dear Fraser, Earlier this week this week I went to Afghanistan and Pakistan to see for myself the problems and challenges that those countries face. The coalition government is committed to playing our part to helping ensure that the region has a peaceful and prosperous future. It was my second visit to our armed forces in Afghanistan, where I saw again the bravery and professionalism of our troops. Whilst the situation in the country is still difficult, I believe that we are beginning to turn the corner. As the Prime Minister has made clear, British combat troops will leave Afghanistan ...
The blaze outside 97 Peddie Street earlier today, caused by a wheelie bin fire, has caused considerable damage to the front of the block - see right. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but it highlights the dangers of wheelie bins being left out on the street - a problem discussed at a meeting I attended earlier this year with the City Council's Waste Management Department and the Environmental Health & Trading Standards Department. The north end of Peddie Street was highlighted as one of the areas where bins are being left permanently on the street and ...
Yesterday I wrote about my sympathy for Ffion and William Hague amidst the media storm and the Hagues' later statement. As I said at the time of David Laws' outing earlier this year, I neither know nor care if Hague is gay or bisexual. If he had been unfaithful, then I would be sorry for Ffion, but I still ...
Partly due to the shock of the new coalition government, partly due to exhaustion after the elections, partly due to holidays and illness, I have not posted anything here for a few weeks now. But as the school holidays end, it's time to resume normal service. Topics coming up in the next week: school catchment areas, housing numbers, the forthcoming Lib Dem conference, and what I think of the coalition so far (and no, the answer's not "rubbish"!). Meanwhile, try following me on twitter: PrueBray. I only tweet once or twice a day, so you won't get overloaded.
Quite why THIS STORY has got so much coverage on the TV and radio today is a mystery to me given what is not being reported. I am as big a football fan as you will find, but this sort of rubbish denigrates real news.
With the grim prospect of another winter in Alberta before me, I've been cheering myself up by buying lots of cookery books so I can liven up our diet over the winter, which has inspired me to make a list of my favourite cookbooks: General The Dairy Book of Home CookeryIf you are a new cook, this is the one to get. I don't currently own a copy, but I'm intending to inherit my mum's, and meanwhile I can ring her up and get her to read out the recipes. Delia's Complete Cookery CourseI have mixed feelings about Delia. My ...
The next City Council meeting will be held at 2pm on Tuesday 7 September 2010 and the agenda has been published.Items on the agenda include:the report of the Leader of the Council on the State of the City;a Liberal Democrat motion welcoming the Coalition Government's decision to allow local councils to sell renewable energy to the grid and calling upon the Council to urgently develop a "Green
We've all done it... whether at a party chatting someone up, or in a job interview, or at a major presentation. That moment when your mind goes blank, and you realise you have absolutely nothing coherent to say, but everyone's still looking at you. Most of us at least have the comfort of knowing onyl a few have witnessed our mortification. Not so the politicians. The latest victim is the Republicans' Arizona Governor, Jan Brewer, who — when given one minute to shine in front of an expectant nation — realised she had absolutely nothing to say. And seeing her ...
Nick Clegg sent one of his regular e-mails to Liberal Democrat members today, talking about his recent visits to Afghanistan and Pakistan. He was clearly affected by the devastation he saw in the flood damaged area of Pakistan which has affected the lives of so many people. He wrote: Yesterday I was in Pakistan where I saw the almost unimaginable impact of the terrible floods. It is almost impossible to appreciate their scale — the affected area is approximately the same size as the UK.I was deeply moved as I witnessed the flooding from the air. It is sadly clear ...
I've just been tagged in this meme on Facebook. So thought I'd say my results here with a few notes. THE RULES: Don't take too long to think about it. Fifteen albums you've heard that will always stick with you. List the first fifteen you can recall in no more than fifteen minutes. Tag fifteen friends, including me, because I'm interested in seeing what albums my "music-fan-friends" choose. (To do this, go to your Notes tab on your profile page, paste the rules in a new note, cast your fifteen picks, and tag people in the note). 1. U2 - ...
Umbro, based at Cheadle Royal, has won the contract to supply football kits to all 23 English football teams up to and including the 2018 world cup (no, I had no idea there were 23 national teams either). As the Manchester Evening News reports Cheadle-based Umbro will manufacture the national side's strip until summer 2018, which will take in the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, and the 2018 competition, for which England is in contention as host. Umbro will also be a sponsor of Wembley Stadium, the FA Cup and the National Football Centre in Staffordshire. The deal, for ...
Inspired partly by Jack of Kent's effort to define what he means by liberalism, I thought I'd share with the world a handy philosophical device for checking whether the principles you ostensibly hold are the ones you actually hold. It relies upon the insight, derived from various philosophers of language, that the meaning attached to ...
Thursday: My fluffy diary has, it would seem, been voted 31st Worst Political Blog in Great Britain, and, as far as I can tell, that makes me WORST LIBERAL DEMOCRAT BLOGGER! It's a moment to be truly proud! To be RANKED more REVOLTING than such media movers as Mr Benedict "Tell-lie-o-graph" Brogan (48) and Mr Nick "Mate-of-Dave" Robinson (57); JUDGED more JAUNDICED than such Conservatory contrarians as Mr Daniel Hangman (63) and Mr John Deadwood (73); DEEMED more DREADFUL than such egregious egoists as Mr Chris Paul (93) and Mr Hopi Sen (99)... it's more than a fluffy toy deserves! ...
As I seem to be entirely devoid of anything interesting to say, why not bombard you with a blog meme? I saw this over at Jonathan Fields's blog and it got me thinking. I must say, I'm nowhere near being any sort of authority on writing—not that anyone can be an authority on an intrinsically internal art form—but this is an area of my writing in which I am interested and which I'd like to explore myself: my creative modus operandi. Clothes: I should be wearing some, yes. I've not yet found that I have a particular writing 'outfit' but ...
If the broadcast media start reporting what is being reported worldwide, that there are serious questions to be answered by Cameron's top political aide, former News of the World Editor Andy Coulson, it would place David Cameron in something of a predicament. As can be seen from the depth this story is being written about in the USA, this is no story without substance, yet the BBC, ITV and Sky seem scared to touch it. This does beg the question as to why this is being ignored by our broadcast media. The BBC may be rather scared of the response ...
This year's Total Politics Blog Lists are being published on a day by day basis at the moment and today saw the publication of the Top 30 councillors blogs. Last year I came in at number 29. This year I've risen to number 5! There's a new badge on the right of this post to reflect the new ranking. All I can say is wa-hey (and thanks very much to everyone who voted for me). Congratulations also to Porthleven Councillor Andy Wallis who has made it in at number 28.
The mystery over the long running diversion on the 210 bus route - with the stops on Beaumount Rise closed for several weeks - has been solved. It turns out that the awful road surface along Beaumont Rise is now so bad that Transport for London decided it was no longer safe for the 210's double-deckers to use the road. [IMG: Danger sign. Photo credit: johnharveytolson on Flickr] Islington Council is responsible for the road surface but has not yet repaired it. That should finally happen in the next few weeks, which will be welcome news and not just for ...
Or both? Today I was horrified to read in the Granuaid (http://tinyurl.com/376gqfd) that the coalition government were being condemned from Dennis McShane, former Labour Europe minister, for "opting out" of a EU wide directive on sex trafficking. Except for when you read the article properly, you will see the UK governments position is much more intelligent. The home office is quoted as saying "The government will review the UK's position once the directive has been agreed, and will continue to work constructively with European partners on matters of mutual interest. By not opting in now but reviewing our position when ...
Officials at Knowsley Council have blocked a question I submitted today to be asked at next week's council meeting regarding the costs of the Council attending next months Labour Party conference in Manchester. The full costs of Knowsley attending the conference - £32,950 - was recently revealed in a Freedom of Information request and my question sought to clarify how the Leader of the Council could justify spending this money in the current economic climate. While I had asked a question at the June meeting about Knowsley's plans for the party conferences the full extent of the costs for next ...
In an email sent this afternoon, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has written about his trip to Afghanistan and Pakistan. Earlier this week this week I went to Afghanistan and Pakistan to see for myself the problems and challenges that those countries face. The coalition government is committed to playing our part to helping ensure that the region has a peaceful and prosperous future. It was my second visit to our armed forces in Afghanistan, where I saw again the bravery and professionalism of our troops. Whilst the situation in the country is still difficult, I believe that we are ...
On Lap 16 of the Belgian Grand Prix my limited respect for Red Bull hot shot Sebastian Vettel took a further slide as a rookie's error took my favourite driver Jenson Button out of the race, and after Sebastian also failed to score points after he got going again, practically ruined both their chances of winning the World Championship. But we've been here before. Back in Turkey, he crashed into Mark Webber in a move I didn't even think he should have attempted (see previous blog), and going even further back he caused an avoidable collision in the 2009 season ...
More problems with the general election administration have come to light in Wolverhampton South West, with the news that one of the marked registers has gone missing. An investigation is already taking place into a mismatch between the number of ballot papers counted and the number issued, with more having been recorded as counted than were officially issued. The latest news has been reported by the Wolverhampton Express & Star: A register containing the names and addresses of hundreds of Wolverhampton voters has gone missing... It contains names and addresses of up to 500 voters along with a mark to ...
Liberal Democrat Health Minister Paul Burstow says the new NHS 111 service will benefit patients. The Coalition Government announced the intention to establish NHS 111 in the Health White Paper in July. The new service is being piloted in four areas before being rolled out in 2013. Commenting Liberal Democrat Health Minister, Paul Burstow said: "NHS 111 will build on NHS Direct but will go further providing a much more integrated service for the public. "Unlike NHS Direct NHS 111 will be free to call. Where NHS Direct can only signpost other services NHS 111 will be able to book ...
Here is tangible evidence that the debate has moved on. At this morning's cabinet meeting we were reviewing capital spending and there was a proposal for a data base for children. To me it sounded uncannily like Contact Point. Officers were quick to claim that wasn't the case. I have asked that there is clarification to a public meeting eg the cabinet member for Children Schools and families so that if necessary we can 'call in' the item and review it. What was interesting was the response of the Labour Leader (who was the cabinet member responsible at the time ...
Allies of Gordon Brown have criticized Tony Blair's memoirs as unfair and one sided. Get real guys! They are his memoirs and his slant on things! Their publication comes in the week that Chris Mullins latest set of diaries are serialized on Radio 4. Mullin's diaries are really interesting and very well written. He wrote "A very British Coup" in the 1980's so can turn a phrase and has an eye for a plot. Prime Minister,Churchill excepted, rarely make good diarists. Churchills "My Early Years" is a rip roaring read I would recommend to anyone and has an account of ...
I went to the the first meeting of this group took today. The group looks at where Mid Sussex is going after the collapse of the Thornfield project to regenerate the town centres. MSDC officers confirmed that all we have left after the Thornfield experience is the master plans / Special Planning Documentss. There is some interest from developers in picking up part of the plans, but it's early days. The best part of the meeting was a presentation from a director of Solum Regeneration. This is a partnership between Kier Construction and Network Rail. They focus on developments on ...
The stream of speculation, inference and behind-the-hand sniggering about William Hague's personal life shows no sign of abating any time soon. His Special Adviser, Chris Myers, has bowed to the pressure and resigned, and certain sections of the press seem intent on keeping the 'news' cycle rumbling for as long as is humanly possible. To ...
The debate on whether to replace First Past the Post with AV for elections to the House of Commons certainly seems to be warming up. Both sides are seeking increasing media coverage, bloggers from both sides are debating on the internet, and public interest seems to be growing on the issue. Yet there seems to me one thing missing - an appreciation of the role of the House of Lords, and how it might be reformed. The reason for this is quite important - the House of Commons does not exist in a vacuum. The AS-level course I teach on ...
The headline on today's Guardian letters page says, 'Tony Blair was't Labour's messiah'. Was he a very naughty boy, then? I was also surprised to see the self=description of the author. He signed himself as 'Frank Jackson, Political education officer, Harlow Labour Party'. A local party with someone dedicated to political education? It sounds like something out of ...
Whilst Ros and I were, strictly, on holiday, we were able to find time for a little Party business whilst in Canada. A meeting had been arranged with Liberal Party of Canada President, Alfred Apps, and Senator Al Eggleton, the former Mayor of Toronto, over lunch, and I was intrigued to see what would happen. The lunch (dim sum) was extremely good, and our hosts were keen to find out how things were going following the creation of the Coalition. The politics is a matter of public record, of course, so conversation focused on the nuts and bolts of party ...
Harry Potter star, actor Daniel Radcliffe, was one of the Lib Dems' star supporters in the lead-up to the election — and it seems he's sticking by Nick Clegg and the party in government, according to the Voice's favourite online political read, ShowbizSpy.com: "I'm a very big fan... I don't agree with everything he says, but of all the party leaders, he was the one I voted for," Daniel said. "I thought he was a great speaker and very charismatic and very statesmanlike. "I'm glad that he is still in a prominent position in British politics because I think he ...
Total Politics has started releasing its lists of Top Blogs. Yesterday it was the turn of the Top 50 Scottish Blogs. I am very grateful to everyone who voted for me because I've risen 3 places to number 4. Tom Harris retains the top spot he's had ever since he started blogging. I like reading him because once you get past the partisan Lib Dem hating exterior, there's a funny Doctor Who fan in there and the blog is nothing if not entertaining. Anna, however, still bruised after her brush with him has set me the challenge of replacing him ...
As so many other Liberal Democrats that I know have tried Vote Match, I thought I should. It's the questionnaire that shows how closely you match the views of the various Labour leadership contenders. Also, like many Lib Dems I came out as closest to Diane Abbott. The full figures were: Diane Abbott – 71% ...
So says the New York Times in its detailed report on what the News of the World got up to with phone hacking during Andy Coulson's time as editor: A dozen former reporters said in interviews that hacking was pervasive at News of the World. "Everyone knew," one longtime reporter said. "The office cat knew." One former editor said Coulson talked freely with colleagues about the dark arts, including hacking. "I've been to dozens if not hundreds of meetings with Andy" when the subject came up, said the former editor, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The editor added that ...
I've been quoted twice, in successive days, by the Financial Times – a career highlight I can't allow to pass un-self-hyped. Yesterday, the FT covered the publication this week on Lib Dem Voice of the results of our members' survey, which was completed by almost 600 Lib Dem members. Under the surprisingly accurate/straight headline, Lib Dem members give poll boost to Clegg — you can tell this was the FT: any other paper would have searched its damnedest to pick out a negative slant — both Mark Pack and myself are quoted: Nick Clegg and his fellow senior Liberal Democrats ...
Last month going to my first live gig in what seems likes far too long I decided to do a new monthly feature. I thought I'd do a new feature at the end of each month let you share the song of my month. It may be the song that means something to me, the one I couldn't stop singing (out loud or in my head), the one I kept presses play and repeat on various formats, the one that sums up my month, its moods, its events etc. Therefore I was going to post this one before a minor ...
Just a brief note to say that I've been informed of a Take Back Parliament (the organisation campaigning for a Yes vote in the referendum on the voting system next year) meeting for Essex that's happening next Tuesday. It's at 7.30pm in the Charles Peters Lounge of Chelmsford YMCA. I'll be going along with at ...
Those nice people at Vote Match have developed a nice Labour leadership edition to help Labour Party members decide who to vote for in the ongoing contest. Andy Burnham isn't included because he didn't get his information to them in time. Clearly I don't have a vote in this contest, and nor would I want one, but I tried it anyway. Vote Match has been pretty accurate for me - it picks up my liberal, peace loving hippy tendencies and always tells me to vote Liberal Democrat. For Labour leader, it suggested my closest match, with 78%, was Diane Abbott. ...
The Chairman of the Universal Peace Federation, Moon Hyung-Jin, has been in London this week, on his first ever visit to the UK, promoting the idea of an Inter-Religious Council at the United Nations. The idea was first mooted 10 years ago by his father, Moon Sun-Myung, head of the Unification Church — a body ...
After many false starts the goal posts will be fitted in Rosewarn Park next Tuesday 7th September. The pitch was marked out just recently.After the installation there will be football match so the young people can use the pitch to celebrate their acheivement in raising the money for this project. Well done to the young boys who raised the money for this helped by Nich Gardham from...
Thu 2nd
11:57
The Independent View: Confronting conspiracy theories is a classic case of civic society trumping ce...
Conspiracy theories, an increasingly popular dinnertime conversation, are often otherwise dismissed and ignored. At most they are regarded as the amusing yet ultimately harmless hobby of a fringe, irrelevant few. They are neither of these things. They are a powerful social phenomenon. In many contexts they demolish trust between government and communities. In some, they are dangerous. On Sunday, Demos released a report, The Power of Unreason. In it, we looked at the role that conspiracy theories play in radical and extremist groups. Analysing over 50 such groups, we found conspiracy theories to have a strong functional value that play ...
Stay and Play in Rosewarn Field organised by First Steps Family and Children's Services for all children aged 0 to 5 in the area on 3rd September (tomorrow) from 12 noon to 2pm.
Its been almost a week since i moved into the new place and already it feels like home in a way that my old house didn't. The removal men were two of the maddest machines I have ever come across ... Continue reading →
The link is to the BBC story which includes the text:The UK should have addressed its public deficit back in 2005, former Prime Minister Tony Blair has told the BBC.Speaking to Andrew Marr, Mr Blair said: "We should probably have taken a tougher fiscal position than we did."He said that this was also about the time when disagreement between himself and Gordon Brown "started to spill over into
Cornwall Council officers have promised to co-ordinate their road cleaning works better in future after residents complained to me that the Council was clearing road gullies only to sweep rubbish straight back into them. The particular problem arose in Dutson Road where residents found that their drains and gullies were being cleared but that the street sweepers would come along two days later. I've talked to the Council and the two departments concerned have promised to co-ordinate better in future so that the gulley and drain clearing takes place just after street sweeping rather than just before.
The application of the solution focused approach has been wide and it is always interesting to see how it is implemented in practice and the results. Some of the techniques and methods are very simple to implement and so have been taken up enthusiastically by those working with people. I have already looked at a ...
I've been talking to residents in Town Mills about problems with cars speeding round the tight bends from Under Lane. Drivers who don't know the area often are not aware that they are entering the built-up area of the town and the corners are much tighter than they might expect. As a result, we get cars traveling too fast and sometimes out of control as they go round the bends. I'm delighted that Cornwall Council has agreed to put some new road markings down to warn drivers that they are approaching a built-up area with tight corners and telling them ...
Thu 2nd
11:03
An Englishman, An Irishman, A Scotsman, An American, A Brizilian and A Ukrainian go to watch Footbal...
One of the experiences that I was really looking forward to was going to watch a football game in the Ukraine. Having seen several games at different grounds around England I was really hoping to find out the similarities and difference between the culture. Would they have more vocal home support (let's be honest it can't be too hard), would I get to see a flare go off, would the Ultra's try and
The lovely phrase "spray on evidence" was coined in the late 1990s in frustration at the attitude towards evidence shown by many in the Labour government. Though officially the government was determinedly set on a course of evidence-based policy, many of those involved in policy making felt that evidence was being applied as a bit of glitter to justify policies rather than really shaping them. Spray on history now seems to be the order of the day in much political punditry with the futures of the coalition, Liberal Democrats and Labour often talked about with several nods towards the past. ...
Not sure why , but the latest crop of headlines gave me a very extreme attack of the giggles: Firstly, a dullard school student who electrocuted himself by connecting his nipples to mains electricity is trying to sue the teacher at the school where this took place, because he should have warned him that this was dangerous. Frankly the idea that this guy could still contribute to the gene pool is a fairly scary prospect. The second story, sadly shows that the gene pool does indeed remain contaminated by spectacular stupidity: a father seeking to drive a spider from behind ...
I am more than a little underwhelmed about the fuss surrounding the identification of the Stig. I'm quite cross that the BBC seem to have wasted some of the licence fee pursuing this through the courts, but I can't really see the fundamental problem. Now I admit that I don't watch either Top Gear or Dr. ...
Somalia is one of the most benighted places on the planet. Staggeringly violent, desperately poor, it regularly comes last in any ranking of the nations of the Earth. Since the collapse of the Somali state, nearly twenty years ago, the country has become a extremely dangerous anarchy. The capital Mogadishu, once known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean, now stands in ruins. Somalia is the number one example of a failed state. It has no government. In the face of this breakdown, it is worth considering that the state of Somalia, created in 1960, rests on two historic foundations: ...
According to the BBC the Electoral Commission will give its verdict later today on the proposed question for the referendum on whether the Welsh Assembly will be able to pass laws in the 20 areas of policy it is allowed to administer. The Commission has spent the past 10 weeks trying out the question with members of the public. It will reveal if it believes the wording is suitable, or if it needs rewriting. Only when the question has been formally agreed can legal moves begin to call the referendum vote. The BBC say that it is understood that the ...
Next week, on 8 September, there ends the consultation period for a remarkable set of proposals from the Coalition Government entitled 'Rebalancing the Licensing Act'. Drink and the British are a potent and not altogether attractive combination. Drink and politics have been even less attractive. In my own city of St Albans it was routine for the Whigs and the Tories to fight each other in the streets, fired up with generous amounts of election day alcohol (the city later lost its right to have an MP at all because of electoral corruption). The Liberals famously lost the 1874 General ...
I am staggered to read a piece on This is Cornwall about the cost of the election of the new Police Chief. It is said that this process will cost around £1.9 million in Devon and Cornwall - more than the total cost of the current Police Authority and equivalent to what it costs to put 50 Police Constables on our streets. The Conservative plans are for the elections to take place in 2012 - at a time when the only other elections in Devon or Cornwall are for councillors in Plymouth and Exeter. That means that the total cost ...
And hooray, I now own a copy: [IMG: The Art of Faking Exhibition Poultry by George Scott] The book, which I discovered courtesy of my growing niche book collection, is appositely dedicated to "All poultry judges and exhibitors in the interests of the poultry fancy". The admiring quotes at the front of the book also tell us that its author is, at least according to The Poultry World, "the most arresting and provocative writer on poultry". He also wrote a preface to The Ceylon Poultry Club Year Book, 1934. Quite the expert it would seem. He was also a man ...
The publication of Tony Blair's memoirs and the quite disgraceful pursuit of stories about William Hague's private life have somehow managed to push a far more important story off the front pages. From what I can see only the New York Times and The Guardian are reporting on allegations that the prime minister's media adviser, Andy Coulson, freely discussed the use of unlawful news-gathering techniques while editor of the News of the World and "actively encouraged" a named reporter to engage in the illegal interception of voicemail messages. Coulson has always insisted that he had no knowledge of illegal activity ...
Dear all, This morning's Today programme on Radio 4 has just said that the Foreign Secretary being in a room with another man was a 'lapse of judgement' for a straight politician. Therefore and henceforth I shall have to make some adjustments to the way I live to avoid making a similar 'lapse' seeing as I am an openly gay politician this will affect my female friends and acquaintances. To Caron, you had better not get ill again. I know during your recent illness I spent many hours coming to see you and sometimes turning up while you were still ...
It was not just Birmingham that Telly Savalas failed to visit: there was Portsmouth too. I like his "this city has a fine sense of history" over the shot of a car park.
On the 5th August I blogged about the leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Councillor Kay Cutts snubbing Ian Campbell who was to be presented with a youth citizenship award for his work promoting gay rights and fighting bullying and anti homophobia in schools. You can read the original post HERE. As I wrote at the time Ian is the youngest Mayor in the UK, aged just 23. You will see from the original post that Councillor Cutts spokesperson claimed that she didn't have her photo taken with Ian Campbell because he was a Labour activist, nothing to do with him ...
It's been an 'interesting' day for the blogosphere, following the resignation of William Hague's Special Advisor, Christopher Myers, linked to a series of allegations. Naturally, I'm not the first to comment on this. At Liberal Democrat Voice, Stephen Tall and Iain Roberts have already made valuable contributions to debate. Elsewhere, Iain Dale has, somewhat handwringingly, claimed that today has been a bleak day for the political blogosphere. Perhaps I have a perspective that differs from others. After all, Paul Staines has been pretty vile towards my wife in the past... Let's start with the allegations. The best way to proceed ...
Lib Dem Voice has polled our members-only forum to discover what Lib Dem members think of a variety of key issues, and what you make of the Lib Dems' and Government's performance to date. Almost 600 party members have responded, and we've been publishing the full results of our survey over the past few days. Today, in the final part of our survey, we focus on the performances of the leading lights of the Liberal Democrats - those of our MPs in the cabinet, those occupying ministerial positions, and other leading Lib Dems: How would you rate the performances of ...
Thu 2nd
06:45
Whoniversaries 2 September: Eileen Way, Roy Castle, Tomb of the Cybermen #1, The Ribos Operation #1
i) births and deaths 2nd September 1911: birth of Eileen Way who played the Old Mother in An Unearthly Child (1963), the old woman in the woods in Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD (1966) and Karela in The Creature from the Pit (1979). 2nd September 1994: death, two days after his 60th birthday, of Roy Castle, who played Ian in Doctor Who and the Daleks (1965), the first of the Peter Cushing films. ii) broadcast anniversaries 2nd September 1967: broadcast of the first episode of Tomb of the Cybermen, starting Season 5. The Doctor, Jamie, and new companion Victoria ...
The BBC brings us the news (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11138535) that the North West health observatory reports that problem drinking is more prevalent in the North of England than the South. The North East and North West have a much higher prevalence of health problems often linked to alcohol consumption. Now I'm not going to say that alcohol is good for your health. Far from it. But I really object to the way journalists immediately portray it as a North South divide and then immediately conclude that problems of higher alcohol consumption will be dealt with by minimum pricing. Funnily enough looking at ...
August has been my busiest month so far on YouTube. I started August with my videos having been viewed 1,222,886 times. I started September with 1,273,124 viewings. So, for the first time ever, my videos have been viewed 50,000 times or more in a single month. If anyone has nothing better to do, they can visit my channel at www.youtube.com/jonathanwallace.Meanwhile, my blog about trying to become
Craig Murray writes on his blog about attempts to smear the man behind Wikileaks, but finishes his article with a comment about how he himself has tried to clear his name of accusations and smears put across by the Foreign Office. To quote Craig Yet, even to this day, the FCO has refused to acknowledge in public that I was in fact cleared of all charges. This is even true of the new government. A letter I wrote for my MP to pass to William Hague, complaining that the FCO was obscuring the fact that I was cleared on all ...
I saw on the news last night that there is a report on the harm caused by alcohol and there is a much greater problem in the north of England. In particular Blackpool was highlighted as having a significant problem. The misuse of alcohol may be a factor in losing employment, medical conditions and higher levels of crime. It seems that if all alcohol-related deaths were prevented, men would be living on average nearly two years more. Perhaps we should be looking at preventing misuse. I say perhaps, because you have to compare this with another programme shown yesterday evening ...
