Okay, so I’m not a proper politician, just a bit of a jumped-up part-timer with enough brass-necked vanity to think people might sometimes want to read what’s in my head. But I do know this much: if you are troubled by racist thoughts, and you are running for political office - don’t speak them out loud, ffs. First, Senator George Allen (Rep., Virginia) was captured on film addressing a young
I lost a special friend months ago. Today I had the chane to make amends... but they didn't want to know. Now the corny bit- we used to sing a song in infants school. It's just like a magic penny, hold it tight and you don't have many, lend it, spend it, you have so many... Bit like friends really.
The man from the Telegraph has produced his piece about the Proms, and as you can tell from the photo, while everyone else was paying devoted attention to the conductor, I was saying I don’t need HIM. I’ll look at the FLOOR. I’M AN UNDISCOVERED SINGING GENIUS, DAMN YOU No Tags
BBC NEWS UK UK Politics Prescott denies calling Bush crap Its been a long time since I found myself agreeing with John Prescott and find myself dissapointed that John did not have the backbone to stand by his comments on the American President. Personally I felt that our Deputy Prime Ministers alleged comments summed up what a number of British people have been thinking for a long time, far better than anything our actual Prime Minister has had to say on the subject.
Not a geek? Proceed no further. I’ll write something of interest to you in a few days. Probably. I mean, I’ll definitely post something, but it’ll only “probably” be of interest. One of the BBC’s unsung Podcasts is the World Service Documentary Archive which has been a treasure trove of quality listening since launch. The latest edition goes [...]
Uploaded my latest local column to the website today - it's about the good news on policing in Highgate. You can sign up to get my columns by email by dropping a message to lynnecolumn-subscribe AT lists.libdems.org.uk
{Miami Vice} Been to the movies twice since my last review. David and I saw Miami Vice last week. I don't remember the original TV show, but this was a great film. The camera work in the final battle was really good with handycams being mixed in with normal cameras. The film might have been a bit long in the middle and one of the plot lines was so obvious that you could see it coming from the first few minutes, but still it was better than a lot of the other films out at the moment and I ...
As well as Lord Bonkers' Diary, Liberator 312 contains my review of David and Winston: How a friendship changed history by Robert Lloyd George.
Every year on this day it is the same old thing. More students are gaining A-Levels so that must mean exams are getting easier and no arguing. Don't you just hate that? At one end of the spectrum the Government is putting more money into the education system, policies are changing as often as I change my underwear. Some good as come from this and as a result I truly believe that teaching has
Lib Dem theme from YouTube New diary entry from Lord Bonkers. Somewhat surreal afternoon driving up the M1 in tipping rain with spray everywhere listening to Radio 4 programme talking about skin problems brought on by sunlight. Just as the motorway slowed to standstill, with rain slewing down on every front, the automatic wipers spurred into a [...]
The new Liberator arrived in the post today. So it is time to post Lord Bonkers' latest offering. (You can find an archive of the old boy's diaries on his own website.) Monday To Wimbledon to watch an afternoon’s lawn tennis. When I arrive I get the most terrible shock: the linesmen and umpires are all dressed like little Steel; every man jack of them sports a blue shirt with a white collar. I down a stiff Pimms to steady my nerve, but even so am obliged to make my excuses and leave before the final set. ...
Over 40 gardens were entered this year for the Kingston in Bloom competition. The entries included tiny front gardens full of containers, pub window boxes, children's plots, public spaces as well as some glorious back gardens. One of the prizes was won by a group of four neighbours who had worked together to produce a wealth of colour along the path that runs in front of...
Last month I reported that Norman Baker (Lib Dem MP for Lewes) has published a dossier on the discrepancies in the official account of the death of Dr David Kelly. There is now a blog devoted to the case. It is written by Rowena Thursby on behalf of the Kelly Investigation Group. Thanks to The UK Daily Pundit.
The future movements of Scotland's own socialist mini-celebrity continue to keep politicos on their toes. The Herald and The Times both think he'll pack in the SSP and set up his own fanclub (again..). MacNumpty argues that, if Tommy is jumping ship, it can only be because he reckons the game is up as regards his much vaunted popularity with the SSP rank & file. Which makes sense, as does his
Bloomberg are reporting [my emphasis]: UN officials were ... concerned to hear that French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie planned to announce that France intended to send just 200 sappers and a dozen officers to UNIFIL, Le Monde daily said today, citing unidentified UN officials and diplomats. The UN asked France not to make the announcement, fearing its affect on other potential contributors to the force, Le Monde said. The current 1,990-member UNIFIL, which already includes some 200 French soldiers, is under the command of French Major General Alain Pellegrini. Another 3,500 peacekeepers are being sought for the force; the ...
Tonight’s Avengers on BBC4 (7.10, or an earlier than usual 11 o’clock tomorrow night) is particularly splendid. In a final proof that the ‘secret agent’ bit less important to our ‘agent’ heroes than just having fun, watch Steed trying to pull apart Emma’s cover story in front of the villain just because he enjoys the verbal fencing, then marvel at possibly the greatest duel ever seen on television – in wine-tasting. It also scores highly on ‘Ooh, it’s him’, with not just Peter Bowles but the vicar from To the Manor Born together for the first time. Don’t miss it. ...
I have just been reading the National Audit Office report on Reducing the reliance on landfill in England. It´s the usual page-turner (hmmm...) and hardly cheeful reading. The UK puts much more into landfill than any other Member State except for Greece. This is not great news for the environment. what is more it means the UK faces the prosepct of EU fines of up to €260 million per annum. If I were faced with this negotiation I think I would argue that the ban of feeding swill to pigs, results in a different situation from that expected when the ...
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" Ben Franklin . After traveling to Warsaw and back this week, I can honestly say that the security procedures that have been enacted are pointless and farcial. In the name of safeguarding our security, travelers are now subject to the kind of intrusion that no free person should have to undergo. We are constantly told that "the terrorists must not change our way of life!". Apparently, they already have. Since we know that we can never be 100% safe ...
This week we have welcomed into our midst a fine example of British history, sadly not Mr Cameron, but a racing pigeon named Dave*. I'm presuming he's a racing pigeon because he has lots of brightly coloured bling and, well, looks like a pigeon. Yesterday the bird feeder came crashing down off the window, presumably because Dave, being not that used to fending for himself, thought he was a Sparrow but then reaslised he was actually quite heavy. This resulted in seed being deposited all over the back yard, which he proceeded to ...
Following recent police activity in High Wycombe, the police & partner agencies are holding open meetings between 7.00pm and 9.00pm at the following locations:- Tuesday 22nd August 2006 The Pastures Free Methodist Church 207 The Pastures Downley Wednesday 23rd August 2006 Totteridge Social Club Totteridge Drive Totteridge Thursday 24th August 2006 Micklefield Community Association Centre Approach Micklefield The purpose of the meetings is to give local people an [...] 
I gift the world this; the best comment I’ve read in a blog thread for some moons. “I knew a Cornish nationalist once. He spent most of his time sitting in the bath drinking Blackcurrant Hooch and reciting the Nicene Creed. I am not sure if he was in any sense representative, I merely throw it in for debate.” It is from Chase me ladies, I’m in the Cavalry, which is probably the best blog ever, and which made me spit drink onto my keyboard at work.
An interesting article in today's Guardian reports that Labour are seeking to tackle their deficit by reducing and controlling party spending across the board on campaigning activities and getting the state to pay for security whenever the Prime Minister attends party events. At present the bill for this is picked up by the Labour Party. I had not realised that the two major political parties receive a special grant to cover the cost of security at their annual autumn party conferences. According to the paper, last year the Home Office paid £3.69m and £1.4m for the Labour and Tory party ...
The newspapers are reporting both possible Al-Qaida links and that the police need more time to investigate Craig Murray is suspicious.
I think I posted this last year, but been as the time has come again... Well done to everybody picking up their results today. The increase in A grades is exemplery of the excellent standards shown by our teachers around the country, despite the fact they have, over the last four years, faced a much more strenuous and tedious system with the modular A/AS Levels. The argument will come where people will say they're getting easier, but I suggest they sit down and try and do a Pure 2 Maths paper, or an LT6 unseen literature examination. The ...
Lots of handwringing going on today about the state of science education and in particular how to encourage more young people to keep studying the subjects to A level and beyond. Emma Brockes in today's Guardian says at one point that "Science lessons have always been thought of as boring, but what seems to have changed is adolescent tolerance of it." I'm not so sure - at least as a viewer of the most recent Channel 4 "That'll Teach 'em" series where they took a class of current GCSE students back in time by thirty or forty years ...
Okay, so it's that time of year and the arguments are going on about whether A levels have got easier or harder since I/we/whoever did them. However, in the discussion about whether to change the system, it doesn't matter whether they are easier or harder, they are simply not, it would appear, "fit for purpose" to use a favourite government phrase. Not "fit for purpose" in the sense that it is getting extremely difficult to differentiate between those with high grades and those with really high grades. It shouldn't matter whether those high grades are being achieved because people ...
Today is A-Level result day, congratulations to everyone who sat them - I hope you got the grades you wanted or needed. University beckons for some, sadly so does student debt.
Ben Sargent hits the nail on the head: (Click to enlarge) See Also: The Price of FreedomFear
Yesterday we took a look at the Conservative "statement of principles" Built to Last. It set in train some thoughts about the title. After all, many things are built to last - but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are any use in the modern world. Look at all those medieval castles, for example. Great in their time, and still around today. But hardly Fit For Purpose. Indeed, Albert Speer invented the theory of ruin value - the idea that buildings should be desgined to provide aesthetically-pleasing ruins should the building collapse, that would ...
The FT from Michael Lind announcing the utter and final defeat of libertarianism. The central thesis is that everyone else has accepted the Welfare State - only the libertarians have rejected it. And yet their proposals to end it by * introducing personal health care accounts * replacing state schools with voucher systems * swapping state pensions for private savings plans * abolishing the minimum wage and * allowing unlimited immigration have all been debated and rejected. Lind argues that the conventional options of socialism have also disappeared, in much the same way as described ...
The City Centre & Harbour Community Council meets tonight at 7pm in the Central Library (Wellgate). As always, I have prepared a Tay Bridges Ward City Centre update - the new edition covers various issues including :RefuseRecyclingFestive Season 2006Tay Hotel BuildingYou can download a copy by clicking on the headline above.
The Independent leads on a curious lack of diplomacy by the Deputy Prime Minister in which he is alleged to have summed up the Bush Administration with a single word. How Tony will react to having the U.S. President and his close friend described as 'crap', we can only guess at. But thank goodness we have a politician in office who calls a spade a spade, despite all his many other faults. Perhaps this one indiscretion will redeem John Prescott in the eyes of the British public and the Parliamentary Labour Party. Chances are it will not be enough. Nevertheless, ...
As I've mentioned before, Labour dominated South Lanarkshire Council are determined to sell-off parts of Calderglen Country Park in East Kilbride for private housing development. Last week's protest meeting has led to further very welcome press coverage in the Evening Times. 2500 objections won't be enough, but it's a very good start. SLC are making it as hard as possible to submit objections, so
Kingston upon Thames, as a borough, has only 150,000 inhabitants, yet it receives 500,000 visitors each week. During the summer around 70,000 head to Chessington World of Adventures, but the majority of visitors are drawn to the great shopping and nightlife in the centre of Kingston. This puts real pressure on the Kingston Police because their resources are allocated on the basis of...
What a busy day for Prescott fans First it is reported that he thinks President Bush's foreign policy is "crap" I agree with him on this although it appears that he omitted to mention that our foreign policy as the 51st state is almost identical. Oh well open mouth, insert foot business as usual from John Prescott. In the same article it is reported that "he called the US President a cowboy with his Stetson on". Oh well I guess it takes one to know one. It was only a few weeks ago that he was fantasising about ...
Thursday I have accidentally received the following NOTE from Conservatory Headquarters: "What ho, Binky! First thought for the change policy thingy, just needs a few changes, would you mind, old bean? Change any of the lingo that would frighten the hoi polloi. Keep on changing, Dave "Our Party seeks to quash freedom, keep opportunity to ourselves and avoid responsibility. Because we don't trust people, we help government grow stronger; by taking away your autonomy, we help ourselves grow stronger. We believe that there is no such a thing as society, but we are the same ... | < | August 2006 | > | ||||
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