Thanks to the Open Culture Twitter feed (well worth following) for pointing me to this. Curious Alice was released in 1971 and intended for eight- to ten-year-olds. If it seems remarkably trippy to us today, then it did to some at the time. The US National Archives page for the film says: In the 1972 publication, Drug Abuse Films, the National Coordinating Council on Drug Education (NCCDE) criticized Curious Alice for being confusing and potentially counterproductive to drug abuse education. In the report, the NCCDE, an independent organization that received funding from NIMH, evaluated scores of films for scientific accuracy ...
In the first post in the new Golden Dozen Charlotte Henry celebrates "Comrade" Richard Grayson's decision to leave the Liberal Democrats. After inveighing against "leading lefties" and "Socialist Liberal Forumistas", she concludes: "With another leading light of the the (sic.) Lib Dem social democratic left gone, the rest of us can get on with getting liberals elected to make the country fairer and freer."Perhaps this post was just a clumsy attempt at humour, but I fundamentally disagree with its reasoning. Successful political parties bring together people and interest groups with divergent or even blatantly contradictory goals and interests. Unsuccessful parties ...
This afternoon, I had the pleasure of chairing a well-attended meeting of residents in the Logie Estate that took place at the Lime Street Sheltered Lounge. I am most grateful to the three representatives from the Housing Department of the City Council who were guest speakers and who updated residents about the issue of improving the railings across Logie and other Conservation Area matters. We had a good discussion about a number of other issues including concessionary TV licences in sheltered housing - an issue I raised on behalf of several residents recently an on which I will update residents ...
Why on earth would anyone choose to live or work there? Today it's been hot, smelly, noisy, bad-tempered and overcrowded everywhere I've been. Breaking with my normal habit, I picked up a copy of the Evening Standard to read on the train back home to Derby, hoping it might shed some light on why anyone with a desire to have a decent quality of life might want to live there. I'm even more confused than ever after reading it. A selection of articles from tonight's edition: House prices set to soar by 6% – the value of a family home ...
I am immensely saddened that it has become necessary for the Lib Dem whip to be removed for two months from David Ward MP (http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23361380). This could so easily have been avoided, if Mr Ward had properly understood and apologised for the offensive connotations of the language that he has continued to use about Israel, the Holocaust and "the Jews", and if he had clarified his meaning to remove the likelihood that an antisemitic or inflammatory inference could be drawn from his words. His failure to do this left Nick Clegg, Simon Hughes and Chief Whip Alistair Carmichael with no ...
The excellent Mums in the Know have compiled a guide to camps and holiday clubs around Stockport kids can attend to keep them occupied over the summer. You can see their list here. There are a couple I can add to that: Rising Stars Summer Skills Camps – stunts, tumble and dance for boys and girls of all ages at The Kingsway School, 27th-30th August 2013. Manchester Giants Basketball Camp – for boys and girls 8-14, contact the Sport for All Centre in Reddish for details. Know any more – let me know, or add them in the comments.
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 334th 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 (7-13 July, 2013), 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. Farewell, Comrade Grayson ...
A man has been arrested for attempted murder after attacking a 46 year old man with a hammer in the White Hart Pub, Cheadle. Police were called to the pub shortly before 5pm on Thursday 18th July. The victim, who had a serious puncture wound to the neck, has been taken to hospital.
Birmingham City Council is currently (until 30th July) consulting on potential changes along the A41 Warwick Road and Acocks Green Local Centre. The schemes are part of a larger programme called Smart Network, Smarter Choices which is being delivered across the West Midlands. The scheme, on the A41 Warwick Road, includes improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and bus users, such as the provision of pedestrian crossing points, shared use footways and cycle lanes. In Acocks Green Village the scheme includes improvements for pedestrians, cyclists and bus users, such as the reduction of carriageway lanes from 2 to 1 in each direction, ...
I first became aware of the supposedly blood-curdling sporting rivlary between England and Australia at the time of the 1989 cricket series quaintly called, 'The Ashes". Apparently England were the favourites against the worst Australian team in test match history, but the Aussies did have a very annoying theme song played ad(appropriately enough!)-naseum on the glorious free-enterprise televisual feast that is: Australia's Channel 9.... Anyway, apparently the England team was riven with dissent because certain players needed something interesting to put in their autobiographies, beyond, "what a spiffing hundred I played in 198clock" and "I smashed the caydungeon off the ...
... is the randomness of the discussions generated by the regular short gaps in play. Inspired by this quote it's interesting that you see humble pie as a savoury dish (meat and potato, steak and kidney etc). I always imagined that humble pie to be more of a dessert, potentially served with custard. from the BBC live text commentary, then, I present a poll: View Poll: Humble Pie [IMG: comment count unavailable] comments
Heart on a hill beneath a tiger skyOver rippling fields swallows flyFootsteps echoing this path once moreAll the way round Glastonbury Tor Finally getting back to my Glastonbury Tor pictures, now trying oils to go with the watercolour, progress so far today in photos below. Kitchen table studio... ....Glastonbury Tor in summer. The Dragon Pool In the shadows of the hillSubmerged but not slumberingYou fear its heat upon your skinThe fiery breath lingering But the dragon is not here for youYou are too small to catch its eyeAnd it's always best to let it restWhere dragons like to lie And ...
[IMG: Had all those staff cooped up in 70 Whitehall who are responsible to the deputy prime minister been listening to LBC 97.3 this morning (which I'm sure they weren't of course; far too busy) they would have heard their boss announcing a dispensation from the usual rules of Whitehall attire, and giving them permission to turn up to work tomorrow in shorts. The DPM didn't even lay down any ground rules, so it seems it really is dress-down Friday time. Hawaiian shorts. A classy little three-quarter length denim number. And of course flip-flops and sandals. Or perhapsa less ...
Yesterday, I debated the ongoing situation in Syria, and the effect on women, on Voice of Russia radio. Debating Russia: the new PR war in Syria Tags: Syria, Syrian rebels, Syrian opposition, Syrian civil war, Syrian politics, Russia-US relations, Panel Discussions, World Peter Lavelle 17.07.2013, 19:20 While the civil war in Syria continues and ...
Today the Coalition Government has - once again - confounded its critics. Despite the ongoing challenges in our economy, crime continues to fall. Criminologists and Labour politicians have repeatedly pointed to the country's economic troubles and insisted we would see a rapid increase in crime rates. The most pessimistic forecasters warned of an explosion in criminality that would undermine the very fabric of our society. And yet today we hear that crime in England and Wales is at its lowest point since the independent crime survey began in 1981. The facts speak for themselves. Crime has been lower every single ...
So, the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act got given Royal Assent yesterday and, while I'm happy at the general idea of people in same-gender marriages being able to marry, I'm not singing Dancing Queen and waving my pride flag just yet. Because the legislation contains a rather insidious prejudiced open secret: the spousal veto. The lovely Sarah Brown, who should be thanked for her tireless campaigning for trans marriage equality, has a brilliant blog post about it here. I don't want to duplicate her too much, so if you haven't read it, do so now. And while government ministers and ...
[IMG: Beppe Grillo] I'm a bit of a sceptic when people go "Beppe Grillo, internet, revolutionise politics, woo woo". (Can you guess from that introduction?) One reason is that populist parties have come from nowhere to dramatic electoral success many times in the past, before social media, before the web, before the internet, before computers and even before electricity came along. In itself, seeing the success of the Beppe Grillo movement in Italy doesn't tell us that social media has changed anything much regarding politics. A second reason is that, so far, Beppe Grillo's Five-Star Movement has had just one ...
To tidy up a few loose ends, now that the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013 is an Act and not merely a Bill, here is a summary of its effects on the trans community. None of this takes effect until the necessary procedures are put in place and the Secretary of State gives it the green light to go ahead – that's not currently expected to happen for at least a year. As things stand, the first same-sex marriages will happen before the trans-related provisions are put into effect. It is also possible that procedures in practice will differ slightly ...
I'm pasting below an advertisment for what sounds like a great scheme for 16 or 17 year olds with few exam passes but with a willingness to learn. It's a pre apprenticeship training scheme with Liverpool University which is part course and part work placement. There's an information event in early August but they won't take any applications after 31 July so the deadline is quite tight. Anyway, there's a phone number towards the end of the pasted on bit for enquiries. (pasted on info from Liverpool University and partners starts here) Are you aged 16-17 (Not in Employment, Education ...
The BBC reports on the outcome of a meeting between David Ward, MP for Bradford East, Nick Clegg and Alistair Carmichael: Liberal Democrat MP David Ward has had his party's whip withdrawn over controversial comments he made in the lead-up to Holocaust Day in January. Mr Ward said "the Jews", who had suffered during the Holocaust, had inflicted "atrocities on Palestinians in the new State of Israel" within a few years. He also posted a tweet at the weekend, calling Israel an "apartheid state". Mr Ward is said to be "disappointed" by the Lib Dem leadership's decision. The MP for ...
Here's today's hand-picked selection that caught my interest... The Tories think they're winning - but it's the coalition that is beating Labour Must-read stuff: "Cameron must redefine as victory something the Tories have tasted once before as defeat." http://bit.ly/194qsz1 Don't give Alan Turing a pardon. Give him a plinth | The Times Excellent article from @mattwridley > Don't give Alan Turing a pardon. Give him a plinth | The Times (£) http://thetim.es/13lKDUS The Tories think they're winning - but it's the coalition that is beating Labour Great line from @rafaelbehr: "Crosby has made the Tories good at hammering but not ...
I have gained quite a dim view of Partisan Party Politics over recent years. I just cannot get my head around the notion that defeating the other team is the sole reason to get into Politics, get elected and the basis of every issue. The ability to define yourself as the opposite to them is hardly productive. Politics is not about Party over everything, it is about the people you represent and how you do it. I find the whole politicisation of serious issues and problems within this country such as the deficit and the serious problems of the NHS ...
We have all experienced it, long waits to get through to government or local council officials whilst listening to musak or even worse an automated voice telling us that we are important to them. Now the National Audit Office has put a figure to what it costs us to sit around twiddling our thumbs, especially when the relevant department is using a higher rate phone line. According to the Independent, callers to government departments paid £56m on higher-rate phone lines last year despite a drive to reduce their use,. The figures show that £26m of this figure was spent waiting ...
Excellent piece on why London's financial centre needs to be part of the European common market, by my friend Mark Field, Conservative MP for the Cities of London and Westminster. I wish more of his Tory colleagues thought the same way! The City is one of Britain's most valuable assets and central to its success [...]
Watching Andy Murray storm to victory over Novak Djokovic on centre court, I couldn't help drawing some unlikely parallels with one of my own passions - the plight of religious education. Like Andy Murray, RE has suffered from outdated perceptions. In Murray's case an off-the-cuff comment to a tabloid journalist in 2006 unfairly implanted the perception of a grumpy, vehemently anti-English Scotsman in the eyes of millions. RE has suffered from a similar misrepresentation. Some people would like you to believe that the subject is about indoctrination and teaching young people to be religious. Often these views are simply outdated, ...
Bloggers attending the SLF Conference in Manchester on Saturday 13th July have posted comments. Some of them interviewed Steve Webb over the lunch break. A Question of Fairness by Mark Jewell Interview with Steve Webb at the Social Liberal Forum Conference...Read more ›
Here's my most recent Ham and High column about the Whittington Hospital Last week, the Whittington Hospital Board released their revised strategy for the Hospital's future. And it is certainly an improvement on their first attempt! The Whittington Hospital Board sure did give us a scare in January, when they announced that they would be selling hospital buildings and reducing staff and beds - without any public consultation . As well as being a local MP, the Whittington is my local hospital, and has been for decades. Like everyone, I was concerned and fearful about the Hospital's future. The local ...
It looks like the end of wasteful council advertising in local newspapers might be in sight. A Lib Dem initiative which could save Cornwall Council up to £360,000 each year has found favour with Eric Pickles. The spending in question is on statutory planning, licensing and highways advertising in local newspapers. Many bits of the council's business have to be advertised in local newspapers in a prescribed format. That format is pretty boring and isn't really designed to draw readers in. In my opinion it is money very badly spent, but the council has no choice over it. Now Lib ...
The balance of power between citizens and government is constantly shifting. In recent decades it has shifted by and large in favour of the state. New means of surveillance have made it easier to keep an eye on us, and new mechanisms for maintaining secrecy, primarily privatisation, have enabled them to keep secrets from us. In both cases the primary factor involved in surveillance has been the enormous increase in the amount of data available. This creates problems as much as solutions. While I am wholly against any extension of powers of surveillance, and certainly not the catch all type ...
For those of us in Manchester for SLF Conference one of the highlights was Vince Cable's speech, which it has to be said raised as many questions as answers. As a result Liberal Left supporter John Cole was moved to write this letter.
Stonewall, yes that lot, have been crowing with victory over the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act. Celebrity friends have been pouring gratitude upon them and fawning over "man of the moment" Ben Summerskill as if he was the Messiah (and not just a very naughty boy). Perhaps we should pin this law wholly upon Stonewall as another mark against them. During the process of the consultations on religious civil partnership implementation and then same-sex marriage Stonewall moved from "Meh" through supporting only civil marriage to accepting the Government's plans for religious and civil marriages. At no time did they lead the ...
http://pinterest.com/pin/164803667586944309/ Best use of the Cone of Shame I have ever seen (fao @WYPDogs) http://t.co/R9UHR2NoUt (tags: (from twitter) ) posted The Blood is The Life 17-07-2013 http://t.co/KfmRSTILOY on #dreamwidth (tags: (from twitter) dreamwidth ) BBC News - How to sleep in hot weather We've had heatwave in Yorkshire for a week and a half, of course, but it only matters when it hits the South East... (tags: ) Same sex marriage becomes law - News stories - Inside Government - GOV.UK We have to wait a YEAR before people can actually use this? On the plus side this will ...
Thu 18th
09:52
Nostalgia from the days when many TV programmes had three minutes of opening and closing credits
...Nowadays you get a few seconds in a box in the corner, overlaid by trailers and goodness knows what. And this clip, from Howard's Way, includes the classic line from "Jack Rolfe" delivered with superb aplomb by the great actor Glynn Owen: SOMEBODY'S NICKED MY BLOODY BOAT! The music from the series was written by Simon May, who also wrote the Eastenders theme music. [IMG: Post to Twitter] Tweet This Post
"No nation has ever produced a military history of such verbal nobility as the British. Retreat or advance, win or lose, blunder or bravery, murderous folly or unyielding resolution, all emerge clothed in dignity and touched with glory. Every engagement is gallant, every battle a decisive action, every campaign produces generalship hailed as the most brilliant of the war. Other nations attempt but never quite achieve the same self-esteem. It was not by might but by the power of her self-image that Britain in her century dominated the world." So said the American historian Barbara Tuchman about the British retreat ...
[IMG: john leech] Good news for Manchester Withington MP John Leech from the Manchester Gazette: At a packed awards ceremony at the House of Commons tonight, south Manchester MP John Leech was presented with the first ever "Lib Dem MP of the Year" award for his work with deprived and minority groups. He received the award from House of Commons Speaker John Bercow at an event organised by the Patchwork Foundation. The Patchwork Foundation is the first BME charity to ever give awards out, following nominations from members of the public, and applications considered by an independent judging panel. John ...
[IMG: rsz_shops_lpool_rd_nth_3] [IMG: rsz_shops_lpool_rd_nth_2] [IMG: rsz_shops_lpool_rd_nth] I spotted the above probelms recently and have asked an officer of Sefton Council to try to track down the owner of the wall and hard standing concerned so that reapirs can be undertaken. It is in fact the frontage of a short row of shops in Liverpool Road North Maghull between Gordon Ave and Granville Ave. Whilst the hard standing and wall is private land the reality is that the area is a public place. I hope we can find the owner and get things sorted out soon.
Science in the 1970s and 1980s was strident, funny and up for a fight, sometimes with itself. Have we lost its vision? A raised fist of solidarity against oppression held up behind a chemist's flask: a striking, slightly humorous image that playful juxtaposes images of political revolution and scientific work which are generally kept apart. It was the cover of last year's Geek Manifesto. But it was also the logo for two magazines of the 1970s socialist science movement, Science for the People (based in the US) and Science for People (from the UK). Looking back at these earlier radicals, ...
As reported in last night's Evening Telegraph, I have expressed concern at another travellers' illegal encampment springing up on Tuesday, this time on land at the far west of Perth Road, understood to be owned by WL Gore Limited. There are about dozen caravans are parked on the site, which sits on the north side of Perth Road immediately east of the end of the road at the junction with Riverside Avenue. I have received several concerns from residents about another encampment springing up and I have been in touch with council officers about this to hopefully ensure there is ...
The Welsh Labour Government needs to use the last week of the Assembly term to focus on tackling the growing gap between England and Wales in terms of help offered to first time buyers to get onto the housing ladder. New figures from Shelter show in some parts of Wales young people are waiting up to 15 years before being able to afford to buy their own home. Evidence to the Assembly's Communities Committee from the National Federation of Builders Wales, the Federation of Master Builders Wales and the Home Builders Federation all made it clear that the main obstacle ...
Here's the agenda for next Thursdays meeting of Bar Hill Parish Council. It's slightly different than normal in that after the Open Forum (which is an invitation to anyone who wishes to attend to have any issue they want discussed by Councillors) there are three interviews for the vacant Councillor positions. A G E N D A Open Forum Interviews - 7.00pm - John Doland - 7.10pm - Catherine Foley - 7.20pm - Simon Munford To receive apologies for absence and any declaration of interest Approval of minutes To approve minutes of Parish Council Meeting held on 20th June 2013 ...
