Hanging Matters 2 : Chads, Lynch Mobs and other Cruel and Unusual Punishment

Florida is famous for Jeb's hanging chads that didn't quite see Dubya home in 2000, it was the crooked computer voting, over-enthusiastic de-registration of voters, and old fashioned intimidation that won through in the end.

And though lynching is the typical summary justice (and injustice) methodology of the frontiers and later of the deep south, hanging has not been much favoured in judicial killings in the USA in modern times.

Gary Gilmore was executed by firing squad in 1977, keeping his ole blue eyes in good shape, which was a cue for a song. This was the first such killing after a hiatus of around 10 years starting a couple of years after we stopped stringing people up here in Blighty.

Others fried, choked or were put down with poison. There are some interesting historical facts and figures here.

Texas' greatest serial killer Dubya was a real TexasStar but proud little brother Jeb has had a frustrating time trying to keep his tally up. Both have both been outstanding supporters of the death penalty in principle. But after all Jeb's trials and tribulations with electoral machinery it is difficult not to sympathise with his difficulties now with the mechanical tools of his torturer's trade. The poor lamb slammed his gubernatorial opponent for killing too few people, but has ended up killing even less.

First, a prisoner got a voltage that made his ears and indeed the whole of the rest of his head burn like a KKK cross. So they had to stop doing that. And now tragically Angel Diaz took a full 34 minutes to die from toxic chemicals designed to burn up his vital organs inside his body. They had to kill him twice. And now they've had to stop using that method too.

If they are going to persist with all this depraved killing in Florida they may yet have to bring back the rope after all. There is I think a man in England somewhere who has built an excellent business making flat pack scaffolds for export to the Middle East and other judicial death zones. He may be delighted to find that he can now go west too.

The death budget could also be for the drop. Just now it is estimated that a judicial killing in the sunshine state costs between five and six times the amount of life imprisonment.

Hanging Matters 1

The possibility of a hung parliament is interesting the punters here. The above is a useful taster and is based on the new parliamentary boundaries.

This is NOT Leech Watch

Clearly this new blog is NOT (mostly) about watching the Withington Lib Dem pretender John Leech MP. There are others doing this far better than I could ever hope to. Which is not to say Mr Leech has any support at all from myself. He appears to be, as your starter for ten, a fibber, a hypocrite and a bully. As I reported here this morning I have spotted "Withington Observer" making mostly reasonable points about Mr Leech's performance in various places. This morning I spotted this perfect renouncement, connected by a foolish Leech to a Transport debate.

I thought to myself that as long or as short as Mr Leech is an MP he can expect to be reminded of his appalling and apparently seriously over-funded campaign. In particular his dishing out highly misleading "hoax" leaflets to patients, many of them terminally ill, in the chemo- and radio- therapy waiting rooms at Christie Hospital.

Incidentally, he also chews gum as he mumbles incoherently, and he scowls constantly with a face-like-a-slapped-bottom in most of his public appearances. But these things we could forgive. His essential lack of principles we cannot.

Like Pulling Teeth? Gummy Lib Dem Leader Reminisces: In Bed with Sexy Cameron: The eBay poll

Ebay is a marvellous marketplace. In these days of marketisation a few clicks of the mouse can help determine how rare or common as muck a commodity may be.

"Billy no mates" or "life and soul of the party" perhaps?

We try finding 'Ming Campbell' on there, but alas not a soul. But, hurrah, 'Menzies Campbell' brought one link ... to an ever so interesting sounding 1981 treatise by this old gentleman titled "Dentistry Then and Now". For some reason this delightful tome was 'privately published'.

Onwards and upwards ... a staggering (not) eight items worldwide for the Tory chancer 'David Cameron' including, when I first tried this sophisticated poll of polls, a delightful $13.00 pictorial pillow case with something a bit iffy about 'between the sheets' printed thereon. Alas now sold out. But they'll be back. No sign of a policy to get wet about between them. But good at boasting of "between the sheets" appeal.

The only trendy 'Dave Camerons' are a pair of ice hockey souvenirs.

Not to be outdone 'Gordon Brown' powers in with 40 listings including a handful related to an eponymous American football player.

Topping the pile for now we have Mr Tony with fully 180 items listed worldwide, all of them for our guy and not some sporting simulcrum.

But who's the man? The Rt Hon Margaret Thatcher that's who with an awesome 260 items. Count 'em!

Clearly eBay polls can go up and down and all bargains are on a "while stocks last" and "first come first served" basis.

Commercialisation of Compass

Irony is not dead. Hurrah. Those awfully nice "lefties" at Compass are now hawking an EDM about the commercialisation of childhood. Well done!

The Compassites drafting this baby will have had a little chuckle by tipping their hats to commercial merchandisers with their shameless branding IN the EDM title itself with a neat bit of reinforcement by brand placement in the body of the advert, ahem I meant parliamentary motion, to boot.

Whatever next? Health EDMs, sponsored by Serco? Prison EDMs, sponsored by Serco? Transport EDMs, sponsored by Serco? Arms Trade EDMs, sponsored by Serco? No! that would be ridiculous. Next thing Serco will want to be running our Hospitals/Prisons/Trains/Weapons Industry (delete as appropriate).

They are? Oh dear. But probably better at it, and a damn sight more subtle with their profile, than those fluffy ex-Project Compassites would be.

Now if they were to be brave and endorsed John McDonnell MP, who appears to have a very reasonable set of policies that Compass are supposed to support, then I'd be more interested. But as it is they seem to feel they can be anti-war, anti-occupation, anti-marketisation, anti-privatisation but pro-coronation.

If Gordon is only required to make accommodations with the rump of the Blairites (should that be kiss ass?) then he will move to the right and not to the left as promised between all the lines. There MUST be someone pro-peace and essentially socialist on the ballot paper for leader, just as I suggested after the Great Leader's conference speech in Manchester.

If Compass don't translate their fine words on such matters into serious deeds they will have failed completely.

The Last Post

Manchester City Council has according to the CWU been by far the most proactive local authority in opposing the Network Reinvention scam being run by the hatchets now running the post Office. MCC commissioned NEF to report on Adam Crozier's hatchetry and the result can be downloaded here. Obviously the whole thing has been driven by the damaged goods fascists, the class-war tories and the two-faced liberals who backed the EU directives that have led to the Post Office business being split up and subject to franchises, closures and competition from all and sundry. And although Labour MEPs opposed this it must be said that New labour have been prepared to see this played out,

Top of the Tree

John Pienar was wittering on Radio 5 Live on Thursday about Mr Blair's interview with the rozzers. John suggested that as Mr Blair was Top of the Tree he was bound to be interviewed, this was certainly not the great and horrendous event that some hackneyed Tory commentators would suggest. And to be honest it is hard to believe that no previous PM has been interviewed or spoken with in connection with some criminal investigation or other. Is the assertion that this is a _first_ reliable?

But anyway, JP hastily realised it was coming up for winter solstice and added that TB may be top of the tree but wasn't dealing in baubles, glass balls or other decorations. And it goes without saying that this top of the tree gag was not a dig at Mr Tony's virile heterosexuality as repeatedly covered by Minette Marrin of the "tabloid" Times.

Obviously baubles are the things which are not in any circumstances *sold* but which are inevitably recommended for party supporters who may or may not become working peers at some level. Why wouldn't they be under the existing system?

Millionaires can provide their millions to parties for fun, or for what they may think they'll get in kudos or access, but this certainly will not include baubles. I've heard this from a source close to the top of the tree. Root and branch we're opposed to baubles for loans and that's official. Unless they're really gifts.

The whole thing is obviously corrupt as fuck.

Let's see an end to the Lords like this perhaps. Particularly the heredi-tory peers with their superior blue blood and all. Let's have a real end to all this patronage.

Patronage which is in play in all the main parties, though far more Labour supporters appear to be refusing honours than any other group.

Chris Paul: Introduction

Hello all. I'm not about to post my total CV - it's where you're at, not where you're coming from after all - but it may help you dear reader to have some idea with whom you are dealing - who you are dealing with - whatever, to have some information.

Many years ago I got a starred First Class Honours degree from a "respectable" red university. While I was there I was top dog in the Athletic Union for several years taking part in ten different sports, captained a national universities team, and also was twice in "team Mancunion" when we won the Guardian-NUS paper-of-the-year thing.

Leaving college after some extra post grad twiddlings I was a co-founder of City Life Magazine which was a determined alternative to the Manchester Evening News. Having failed to bankrupt our workers' co-op with their shenanigans the MEN bought the title. But after 17 years running the thing very badly for most of the time they merged it into their daily paper and obviously I took part in the NUJ protests at the closure.

Work continued with a parallel life running all the recruitment advertising and helping set and police Equality and Diversity policy for an excellent local authority, and later helping with the Olympic Festival in 1990. Part of the long game for this.

The nineties were spent raising money and defining strategy for arts and media organisations in Manchester, the UK and Europe along with continuing to manage bands, promote shows and campaign for peace and justice.

In November 1997 IDEA, one of these projects became my main focus and I successfully invented a number of training concepts, created a good few jobs, and did some tasty property deals.

Right now I'm looking after IDEA, continuing with various *charidee* and regeneration activities while looking around for further projects to excite me.

Over the years my writing and/or my news tips have been published in all sorts of places: Cosmopolitan, Red Pepper, The Observer, Labour Left Briefing, Athletics Weekly, The Guardian, PC Weekly and so on and so forth.

If you can pay good money or present a good cause I'll be very happy to write something, almost anything for you. And I'm also interested in opportunities to analyse, synthesise and add value for your organisation. Please contact me with work or story tips.