If you're able to get to Leicester on 28th February, you might want to sign up for a study into audience reception of Doctor Who. Don't worry, this doesn't involve your brain being dissected for clues as to what makes us love the Time Lord. Although I doubt they'd tell us if it did. Apparently they want you to watch a couple of Tennant episodes of Doctor Who and then fill in a questionnaire and take part in a discussion afterwards. Can't be bad. They will even pay you £15 for the privilege. If you're interested, all the details are ...
I spent the afternoon at the University of Leicester attending The Past Beneath Your Feet. This was a public event held alongside the annual conference of The Society for Historical Archaeology. The programme featured three public lectures and a busy exhibition area with stalls run by local and national organisations and historical re-enactors. Francis Pryor, well known from the time team, gave the first lecture on 'The prehistory of the present' and took us through some of the discoveries made by Time Team. He has been a regular on the series for many years. He began by saying that his ...
It's Saturday evening, so here are twelve thought-provoking articles to stimulate your thinking juices culled from all those I've linked to this last week. You can follow me on Delicious here. What will make banks care about their customers? – Diana Coyle says don't increase banking regulation, instead open up the oligopolistic banking industry to true competition: 'more competitive banking systems are more stable - the banks tend to be smaller so the "too big to fail" problem is less acute, and smaller banks are simpler so regulators (and their boards) can monitor them more easily'. Leveson failed to learn ...
The lights are out on the passageway from Belmont Road to South Park Road – and at least some of them have been out for a while. After we reported it, the Council investigated it and found the problem isn't with the lamps themselves but the electricity feed. That's down to Electricity Northwest. The Council asked them to fix it a month ago, but it's still not been done, so we're chasing. Unfortunately, the Council can normally only ask – it doesn't have legal powers to enforce the work being done. Just down the road, a BT manhole cover has ...
I thought it would be worth an update on the work that's been achieved and planned in Stockport Town Centre. Some of this has come directly through the Town Team and Portas Pilot, others from elsewhere (mostly the Council). Market and Underbanks The Portas Pilot bid focussed on Stockport's historic market and Underbanks – a fantastic environment that's underperformed. Three events were funded in the run up to Christmas – two from Portas money and one direct from the Council. The events were very different to each other and all three brought people many people to the market area who ...
One does not simply leave the EU without endangering the economy
[IMG: Blogfather] To coincide with the relaunch of Iain Dale's Diary, one of the most successful UK political blogs of all time, Biteback have published a selection of Iain Dale's posts from the period 2004 to 2012 under the title The Blogfather. The majority of the posts come from Iain Dale's Diary in its original incarnation, which shut up shop at the end of 2010. A smaller selection of posts come from Dale's contributions at Dale&Co, the megablog he launched in July 2011 and contributed to until it was discontinued in December 2012. One point worth clarifying is that, while ...
Oh, there's a whole load to pick from here. Doomsday has to be in there. The pain of the Doctor and Rose's separation, each of them knowing that their lives would continue in alternate universes, was melodramatic clicheville, but, boy did it make me howl. In A good man goes to war, I never felt that Amy's trauma, at being kidnapped, incarcerated and then having her baby taken away from her was ever treated as anywhere near significant enough. And, ok, it all worked out and Rory and Amy got to spend time with their daughter who's at least a ...
Eric Idle advises us (in an article in the New Yorker) to embrace paranoia and the absence of evidence as 'alternative scholarship'. It is obvious that Shakespeare didn't write Shakespeare's plays, he says, but no other famous author wrote their own works either (apart from Henry James, "because nobody else could be that boring"): Mere lack of evidence, of course, is no reason to denounce a theory. Look at intelligent design. The fact that it is bollocks hasn't stopped a good many people from believing in it. Darwinism itself is only supported by tons of evidence, which is a clear ...
Sat 12th
18:10
Vince the Lib Dem Eurosceptic on the "extraordinarily historically important" European single market
[IMG: Vince Cable - Some rights reserved by Liberal Democrats] I'm grateful to PoliticsHome's Paul Waugh for reporting Vince Cable's words stressing the importance of the EU's single market at a time of deep austerity in the western world: "State aide cuts to the heart of the big debate which is rippling though our country at the moment which is about our future within the European Union. I have to say that this whole issue of raising again in a fundamental way British membership and the terms of membership is a massive disruption and deeply unhelpful in my job. I ...
Mark Serwotka has waded into the debate about closing down jails and replacing with so-called Titan super jails. The Public and Commercial Services Union do represent members working for the Ministry of Justice (but not the Prison officers) and at this time, it is a timely revisit of the debate on the point of prisons with the change from Kenneth Clarke to Chris Grayling as the Secretary of State for Justice. Chris Grayling is known to take a more hawkish approach to prisons and sentencing The debate should centre round whether prison works in terms of punishment and rehabilitation. We ...
[IMG: Councillor camp photo] My session this morning at Councillor Camp (well done to the team organising it – excellent job!) was about how councillors can prod their councils into getting digital. It was in the form of 10 questions to ask and as I've now had several requests for the slides, here they are for your delectation. I think they should be fairly self-explanatory, especially if you were there this morning. The comment thread is there for you however if I am wrong on that... Does your local council get digital? 10 questions to ask by Mark Pack
The Police front counter in Crosspoint House in Wallington is one of the 65 proposed for closure under the London Mayor's MPS Estates Strategy. With this counter shut Sutton will be left with only the main counter at Sutton Police station, and a front counter in Worcester Park. The Wallington police teams only recently moved ...
[IMG: Wrexham Council logo] As today's excellent Councillor Camp demonstrated, there is lots of great digital work being done by local councillors and local councils. But as this story tweeted around today also illustrates, there is still a long way to go in some places: A Welsh council banned reporters from live tweeting at a meeting this morning. The ban by Wrexham County Borough Council was highlighted on Twitter by Daily Post editor Alison Gow, who told followers she was "angry and baffled" by the decision. You can read the full story about Wrexham Council here.
[IMG: Reddit logo] Online comment threads don't exactly have the best of reputations for high quality debate. Add to the mix a thread being not just about contemporary politics but also about the Liberal Democrats, coalition and tuition fees to boot and it's not hard to find plenty of such threads which do indeed make you wonder how humanity has survived for so many centuries. Then add to the mix the forum being Reddit, home to all sorts of controversies about unsavoury content, and your expectations might be quite low. Mine certainly were (despite also having found absolutely gems on ...
For the last few years, I've been trying to opt out of having any postal mail sent to me. Wherever a company offers online billing - I sign up in a flash. My insurance company are now bored of me saying "rather than posting the policy - can you email it to me instead?" I've opted-out of receiving unaddressed mail and I've signed up to stop junk mail. Mostly, I'm pleased to say, it has worked. The only things dropping through my letterbox are small packages from Amazon, the occasional random takeaway leaflet, and letters from organisations too stuck in ...
Good Afternoon, welcome to another tour of some of the blogs that have caught my eye this week. As always, they are in no particular order: First up, Mark Valladares argues against seeking to anchor policy in the "centre ground". I agree. Next, something entirely different; one disgruntled man's feelings towards a trip to see Les Misérables. My own review of the film can be found here. Caron Lindsay regularly features in these pages - mainly because she is a) so prolific and b) so often right. In this piece she makes a strong liberal case against the capping of ...
Browsing job adverts. THIS one made me stop in my tracks. "... qualification and/or experience of Scripting languages are desirable but not essential. Your role will be to long closely alongside the newly appointed Product Development Director and will play the lead role in all aspects of... " Well, I wouldn't feel comfortable at longing at a male. If she's female I could long at her, if she's attractive enough. But that sort of thing is frequently frowned upon in a working environment. Well, I long for a new job. Maybe that qualifies me?
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... Vested interests will fight to block necessary spending cuts | City A.M. .@AllisterHeath: "over half the popultn recvs more from the state in cash or kind than pay in direct and indirect tax" http://buff.ly/UYUFcY Left-looking liberals: why Grimond alone won't save the Lib-Dems > Juncture :: IPPR Here's the response to @RichardVReeves > Left-looking liberals: why Grimond alone won't save the Lib-Dems http://buff.ly/UUVh3f Beyond realignment: Jo Grimond and the legacy of civic liberalism > Juncture :: IPPR V interesting @RichardvReeves post > Jo Grimond and the legacy of civic liberalism http://buff.ly/UUumo5 After ...
I suppose my son's long-suffering with diarrhea helped this article to shine out at me while browsing latest science articles. Apparently, "One of the most promising (if not revolting) treatments that has been tested in recent years is called fecal bacteriotherapy or 'stool transplant', which involves taking donor poop from a healthy patient and inserting it into the gut of an infected one as a form of probiotics, seeking to replace the protective flora. " I kid you not. So, that sounds pretty disgusting. Now, researchers have created fake feces, aptly named RePOOPulate. Article: By the way, my son's ...
(a list of the questions and links to all the answers can be found on this entry) Funniest EpisodeUnintentionally funny: The Krotons - combines the traditional "OMG those monsters are rubbish" funny with some really hilarious cod science. Intentionally funny: City of Death - chock full of witty lines and amusing historical revisionism. Honourable mention: The Kingmaker - more historical revisionism, with a hilariously deadpan Richard III. I have chosen to consider this audio play to be actual historical fact in my headcanon.Scariest Episode Track one of the Big Finish audio play Davros. The rest of the play could quite ...
You know when you go for a meal and you get a sachet of sauce. Right. And you tear open the sachet, and squeeze the sauce out. Right. Well, don't you always end up licking your fingers to get the excess off? It's long been a problem for fast food outlets, and their customers. But now some smart idea has resolved that problem. Watch video.
[IMG: Menzies Campbell] Former Lib Dem leader Ming Campbell has called on David Cameron to put the national interest ahead of his party's interest as he prepares for his major speech on Europe: Those who argue for disengagement in whole or even part have a duty to tell us what the consequences would be. So far they have failed to do so. We need to be rational, not emotional. The issue must be about the essential nature of the relationship, not about squashing the ambitions of Ukip. The EU offers the best deal for Britain.The days of unlimited European patience ...
Kent County Council are finalising proposals to remove ober 3,000 streetlights across Kent, including over 200 in Shepway. Kent justifies this decision (and they claim it is a decision, not a consultation) on the basis that it saves energy and money. They add that when the County Council budget was consulted on, many people backed the view that unnecessary streetlights, such as those on Thanet Way, should be removed. Of course they did. Unnecessary lights SHOULD be removed. Who could argue that point? But NECESSARY and useful lights should not. And Kent's proposals plan to get rid of many such ...
[IMG: six] Sorry, let's try that one again... It's Saturday. It's 12 noon (ish). Here's a fistful of lists that sum up the LDV week: 6 most-read stories on LDV this week ++ Government wins vote on Benefits Uprating Bill; 6 Lib Dem MPs rebel (83) by Stephen Tall So, about that Lib Dem wipeout in 2015 then... (84) by Stephen Tall LibLink... Nick Clegg: Labour need to tell us what they would cut (90) by The Voice Opinion: Child benefit changes - get over it (67) by Paul Walter "Where we work, we win" - will that Lib Dem ...
It is indeed a dark day for the Empire. Recently some 35,000 signatories signed a petition to lobby the US government to begin construction of a Deathstar in orbit. Such a project would arguably create hundreds of thousands of jobs and have epic National defence implications. The Whitehouse has predictably declined. Their response, laden with Star Wars clichés does have some good points too. The overall cost to building a Deathstar is fairly astronomical. OK, so you don't have to build a fully functioning hyperdrive (after all if we had hyperdrive technology we would have access to the Galaxy!!!) which ...
Dear Editor, I was delighted to read the reports over the weekend of just how well our footballers played in Middlesborough. They passed and battled, and by all accounts were fantastic ambassadors for Hastings. So a big thank you to them - they are a credit to the club and the town. May I also ...
Tomorrow is the closing date for Liberal Voice of the Year. For those unfamiliar with the award... "we launch our search for the Liberal Voice of the Year to find the individual or group which has had the biggest impact on liberalism in the past 12 months. This is the sixth annual award, and as is our tradition, we're looking beyond the ranks of the Lib Dems to find the greatest liberal who's not a member of our party" If you haven't voted yet, could I ask you to click on this link and vote for Malala Yousafzai: a school ...
Just seen this tweet from the New Statesman's George Eaton, quoting Ed Miliband this morning: This must make uncomfortable reading for the Labour spokesman on Work and Pensions, Liam Byrne, who has spent some time doing just that, as has been ably pointed out by Sunny Hundal at Liberal Conspiracy. Here's a few choice examples.... So Ed M? Are you going to condemn the language of your own Work and Pensions Spokesman?
This has to rate as one of the better responses to a petition: Official White House Response to Secure resources and funding, and begin construction of a Death Star by 2016 - 34,435 Signatures This Isn't the Petition Response You're Looking For The Administration shares your desire for job creation and a strong national defense, but a Death Star isn't on the horizon. Here are a few reasons: •The construction of the Death Star has been estimated to cost more than $850,000,000,000,000,000. We're working hard to reduce the deficit, not expand it. •The Administration does not support blowing up planets. ...
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the longest running science fiction show in the world I am taking a weekly look at some of my favourite Dr Who episodes focussing on one Doctor a month. This month it's the first Doctors turn. The TARDIS lands on a seemingly lifeless planet, but after exploring a petrified wood the find a metallic city. Ian and Barbara want to leave but the Dr (who is still a bit of an arse at this stage) secretly removes a component from the TARDIS so that they are forced to investigate.... Without giving away too many ...
When the former Yugoslavia broke up in the early 1990s, the immediate concern of the new states created was to secure their boundaries and to establish the apparatus of a national government. But most also dreamed of the day when they could complete the transition from Communist province to full member state of the European ...
The Liberal Democrats' Federal Executive (FE) has set up a working group to consider abolishing the party's spring conference. It is not clear who will chair this working group; even the Federal Conference Committee's officers have not yet been informed. In any event, this will not affect this year's spring conference. It is not the first time such a change has been mooted. The reasons this time are said to be financial but there may also be political motives, since the past two spring conferences have been embarrassing for the leadership. The spring conference cannot be abolished without a constitutional ...
Many people are extremely anxious about Eric Pickles's intention to allow this ruinous development. If you would like to express a view please go to our petition survey here.
Five Myths About Health Care outside the US Interesting link illustrates both what Americans believe about their healthcare system and things we can learn in other countries too. (tags: ) If you want to get in shape, ditch the lady weights and hit the iron - Telegraph The one thing that bothers me about this is "I promise it won't make you butch and bulky" - erm. I love doing weights. But they DO make me look like Sylvester Stallone. It's just that I quite like that. (tags: ) Manchester honours the woman behind the pioneering music of Doctor Who ...
Sat 12th
08:33
So why is the Conservative Leader's budget not the same as the Leader of the Conservatives' budget?
It seems like Cornwall Conservatives are bidding to out-omnishambles George Osborne with their budget. On Wednesday, the Leader of the Council - Conservative Jim Currie - published his administration's finance proposals for the coming year. They are looking to find about £6.3 million of front line service cuts (despite the promise made last year that there would be no need for additional savings this year). They also propose a rise in council tax of 1.97% after two years of freezes. But last night it emerged that there will be a different Conservative budget which will seek a further year of ...
Two years after Dundee City Council first considered the biomass application for the city, I have said it is high time the matter is finally resolved and that the biomass proposal is rejected once and for all. Almost exactly two years ago, I seconded an attempt at the City Council to oppose a biomass application on the River Tay in the east of Dundee, on the grounds of the adverse impact on air quality, the impact of the plant on visual amenity and the effect of heavy goods vehicles passing through residential areas to service the facility. The SNP administration ...
Played at Dens Park, after Ronnie's funeral:
The Welsh Labour Government does not have a business case for purchasing Cardiff Airport, according to a Freedom of Information Request by the Welsh Liberal Democrats. When asked for a copy of a business case for the purchase, and a copy of any preliminary plans for development of the airport in relation to its purchase, the Welsh Government responded by saying that is has checked its "records and can confirm that the Welsh Government does not hold any information which fits the description given in your request." Since the Welsh Labour Government first announced its intentions to buy Cardiff Airport, ...
Les Misérables is one of my favourite musicals. Although it is over a decade since the last of my four trips to see it, I still know huge chunks of by heart. I have, therefore, been looking forward to seeing the film version. I didn't necessarily intend to go on the day of release but, somewhat spontaneously, I decided to go last night. Earlier this week, it received 8 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Hugh Jackman), Best Supporting Actress (Anne Hathaway) and Best Original Song. Good news, I thought. The film has stuck almost completely to the stage ...
