Cllr Bob Piper is suggesting it is odds on that Dave Cameron, Andy Coulson and the CCHQ gang will back down as Black Country Tories decide to stand by their man. Strong stuff with his Rivers of Blood reprise and all.
The confession from the tall man about once kicking a beer-spilling greyhound who spilt beer into a Loch, whereupon it almost drowned was delivered to me at Marie Louise Gardens. Does that ring any bells? There was a bit of a Tai Chi love in and protest going on by the look of it.
UPDATE 11:29 Sunday: The Greyhound spilt beer onto the ground not into a Loch, but got kicked into the Loch. Sorry. Amended.
Perhaps Paddick's selection will Spur Boris Into Action says Top Tory strategist and blogger Iain Dale who finds that over the last couple of months the Bozzer has managed just one press release. But then again ... what's the rush? Boris needn't worry about being seen to be busy. He can just kick off his shoes and produce a book of poetry for the christmas market do some thinking instead.
Oh Iain, no excuses please, this is the SECOND major hiatus in the Boris campaign feed. He only got busy for a few days either side of the selection. Otherwise he's been nowhere. Except peddling around on his pedigree sex machine and sitting on his well cushioned backside.
He said in his application he would spend:
"A good deal" of time on the job.
But his site was deserted between declaring and late in the selection and now again between selection and today's date.
If Boris doesn't get busy and Paddick goes law and order and fairly right wing he could do remarkably well. Perhaps not quite enough to be the one getting Boris' transfers but Boris clearly couldn't give a monkey's about this job and that is communicating itself to the electorate.
Cameron must be really really annoyed at this feckless and disengaged attitude.
Incidentally Suz Blog suggested that Paddick's fellow candidates on the mayoral Lib Dem shortlist were victims of (a) tokenism and (b) being set up. The Libs are even making the Tories look good on Equality.
Earlier this afternoon I went to one of South Manchester's lesser known parks with my sight hounds Ottey and Hooch who are lurchers, or to be more specific long dogs, and Jim (above) who is a pedigree chum of the greyhound variety.
One of the nice things about having a dog or three is the conversations. They can bring the best out in people. Almost wherever you go - perhaps not Post Office depots - people tend to admire the animals, strike up conversations that'd never happen otherwise, and often as not will tell their own heart-warming anecdotes.
With greyhounds and the like people very often express particular pleasure. That they've been rescued when any working days are done. Racing and hunting in particular, but also other working environments can be very cruel masters if and when those key performance indicators falter.
Immediately we got into the park such a conversation was struck up with a very tall chap. He looked strangely familiar. After recognising the breed this giant of a man stated jovially: "I nearly drowned one of those once!" Bit of a double take from me and the three dogs at this point.
But he repeated it. And he went on to explain that a greyhound had once been mooching about like they do among the customers outside a quayside pub. Apparently it bumped him once or twice and spilt a few drops of his precious beer. So this gent kicked it or, as he now tells it, tripped it into the Loch. I kid you not. He kicked a greyhound into a Loch. That would show it not to spill a man's beer.
Greyhounds are emphatically NOT a breed of strong swimmers. Most of them will swim if needs must but they are exceedingly nervous around deep water.
Sounds like in his desire to see the poor creature floundering about - presumably so he could have a laugh into his beer - our hero kicker looked over the quay and noticed the thing was sinking. Frozen with fear rather than swimming. He did fish his victim out. So it could have been worse. Our hero.
When I remember where I recognise him from I'll post again and then perhaps between us we can work out this cruel and heartless and jolly-in-the-retelling dog-kicker is? Meanwhile you'll have to imagine the water in the picture a foot above Jim's head to get the picture.
But don't take my word for it. Have a go yourself. Bit soft focus but I think you'll manage. All you have to do, and I quote, is: "Fill in the grid so that every row and column contains the numbers 1-5. The "greater than" or "less than" signs indicate where a number is larger or smaller than its neighbour."
Persistence pays. But if you need a helping hand you can call the Guardian's solution line on 09068 338 229. Calls cost 60p/min from a BT landline. Provided by ATS, PO Box 788, EC1V 2ZA.
ATS say that although it is "quite easy" they are delighted with today's traffic.
Cllr John Leech MP (above) as originally stitched up photographed by the South Manchester Reporter. This delightful portrait, looking his best, has been added to the blog despite normal aesthetic standards by popular demand here.
NOTE ON COPYRIGHT: Miles Barter has been on moaning about copyright. This pic and others is used on this not-for-profit blog with whatever attribution is available. And a link. I don't have a budget to pay and nor is anyone making any cash from the use. But this helps the owner's business by driving traffic to their site and improving the performance of their click through and pay view adverts and so on. Clearly the photographer is not getting any extra payment for such use but gets a credit where known and a link to their business site if relevant.
If Miles wants to campaign in the area of bloggers and the MSM and copyright he might start by getting the MSM to pay story tips and the bigger bloggers - who do make money - to pay for leads, stories, quoted words and images generated by the rest of us.
Young people from my neighbourhood, including the daughter of the house of love, are starring in a Fair Trade fashion show THIS SATURDAY. Clothes from local makers and retailers, wines from Co-operative stores.
Tickets just £3 or £1:50 concessions including a glass of mulled wine. Doors at 5pm, Catwalk from 6pm. Say Pants to Poverty!
Perhaps, who knows, Lucy Powell and John Leech will strut their stuff in a special guest finale? Local bloggers are welcome to use the web advert top left.
Speaking of Health Hoaxers Stephen Newton offers a balanced analysis of the area's Mental Health Breakdown. Some talking cures are offered in comments.
South Manchester Distorter Reporter have eyes like hawks and sticky out ears and social networks to die for as they pick up exclusively on Manchester Withington Labour PPC Lucy Powell's super soaraway facebook popularity. Lucy Powell (above) has 248 friends and counting.
By contrast the Reporter's hard hitting investigation revealled that some folk are relatively exceedingly unpopular (two friends) and don't take such a good photo to boot. Embarrassing for them as a recent BBC Report that the Lib Dems are supposedly the most effective users of the network.
Lucy Powell can be found at facebook here. For the sake of fairness in the race for the constituency we would also link to Leech. But sadly Cllr John Leech MP - infamous for his Christie Hospital Closure Hoax - has pre-emptively and dishonourably resigned from facebook.
It's a start. He should resign as part-time Councillor and MP with an apology for disgracefully hoaxing vulnerable chemotherapy and radiotherapy patients and the residents of the constituency that their lifeline was closing.
ORIGINALLY POSTED: 8:00AM
Second training run in two days! Five miles and no stresses and strains. Could this be the start of something big? Or rather the opposite as those stubborn pounds fall off. Just three months and a week to debut in M50 racing category.
Only downside of zipping rather than strolling through the countryside is less wildlife observed. On Tuesday on Chorlton Brook I saw the same brilliant kingfisher (pic: Paul Gale) on six successive stops on his beat. Two of the stops fully ten feet above the water; which was unexpected. Electric blue and rust made rare-ish house wren and grey wagtail pale into brown and yellow insignificance.
Way back when I painted a kingfisher for Art O Level to the theme "Gone fishing". Had to do it at lunchtimes as "academic" kids couldn't take art otherwise. We were supervised bizarrely by a PE Teacher and successful Rugby Coach name of Jock Learmonth. Coarse scrummaging he knew well, but art and birds?
He suggested one day that I might have worked out the plumage detail from looking at a picture rather than from life. This was of course true. And Chorlton Brook kingfishers are no different from the rest of them. Not good portrait sitters.
Jailhouse has a story about a simple and low cost method of reducing jail suicides while Radio Five Live put me onto the sad fact that on average some 17 US veterans are killing themselves every day meaning that in the past EIGHT MONTHS more have died at their own hand than in the Iraq War to date.
This includes a considerable proportion of over 50s who were conscripts in Vietnam, and Korea or WWII vets, as well as younger volunteer soldiers from the latest military adventures.
Question Time: Goodness me these two are big pants. Huhne's stories of a few Town Halls with pragmatic Lab-Con administrations seems extraordinary given the number of Lib-Con arrangements. Hardly any Lib-Lab arrangements.
Time to switch over. This is awful. Vince Cable is far better than either of them.
Meanwhile Suz Blog has an assessment of the Paddick selection (above) that is most interesting. The suggestion is that shortlisting Chamali Fernando and Fiyaz Mughal was both race card playing - a scrap thrown to the Equality lobby - and setting up sitting ducks for Paddick to thrash.
Former Man Wit Lib Dem PPC Yasmin Zalzala continues to post on average once a week on this race cards we have known thread.
To paraphrase: More than three years after Lord Hutton published his Inquiry report, the death rattle of Dr Norman Baker MP simply won’t go away.
Baker's book is now, finally out.
Following Dorries' ridiculous performance in trying to get religious nutters doctors some kind of priority in abortion discourse it looks like Dale's listening to similar voices among the law industry in respect of the incitement to hatred protection proposed to protect the gay community.
Unity doesn't mince words in either case.
It is quite extraordinary for a former director of BUPA - which offers abortion services - to be railing at what she calls the abortion industry. Even if she did once answer "Jesus" to a BBC question asking for her hero. Putting her in line for the same padded cell as Dr Ian Paisley (fan site) and calling for "Jesus!" in response.
Quite extraordinary too for an out gay man to be sharing a contorted position, ostensibly for free speech though far from it, with judgemental and/or homophobic bible bashers.
This story suggests to me that rather than supporting the old anti-Israel = anti-Semite meme the Muslim Council of Britain were reducing it to absurdity by their own counter claim.
Northern Rock's Blackbird is attempting to take these broken wings and learn to fly in "Project Wing". Although the FT and others uploaded or pointed to the acquisition document Schillings - remember them? - have seen to it that the document has been taken down (above). Very likely after Mr GuF pointed it out so very cleverly. Catch it if you can.
Though I suspect that the Executive Summary - the document being suppressed - doesn't say much that is non-standard or not already in the public domain.
Dizzy is in a tizzy with something of a dog bites man of a story. It's about a company called Geronimo, part of the Tribal Group as it goes, billing £9.5M from government over the last nine years. The firm apparently employs a Labour insider and by Dizzy's implication this has something to do with their getting this work.
Tribal and Geronimo seem to be extremely effective full service advertising and communications agencies specialising in public sector recruitment and public sector marketing. The majority of whose billings are - assuming they follow the usual industry model - to pay for media and other costs on behalf of their various clients. Not for their own costs, never mind profits.
So, over nine years they've billed over nine million pounds. One million a year. A tiny drop in the public sector advertising and PR ocean. But of which say, and I'm guessing fairly wildly, 80% is cost of media? Say 16% overheads? And 4% or approximately £45,000 per year is profit? Is that the story?
Meanwhile Saatchis and others with links to the Tory Party have similarly received a large volume of public sector contracts. Haven't they? Where's the beef?
Various clients for the Tribal group include, you'll be pleased to know, loads of Tory-run authorities round the place. They are a highly effective advertising agency and this is as much of a non-story as the one Dizzy is not running about Saatchi and other Tory-linked organisations also getting loads of contracts.
What is the total volume of public sector recruitment and marketing contracts? What proportion does £9.5M over nine years represent? Which other agencies are winning public sector contracts? Are other parties also represented among the non execs and execs in the advertising and marketing industries? Where is the story here?
UPDATE 17:37: I've added an extra sentence at the end of paragraph one to make this comment self sufficient without a burdensome trip to Dizzy's.
A masturbatory voyeur and persistent sock puppet "Wanker Watch" was on in the early hours commenting that we'd missed the amazing shock-horror knock-me-over-with-a-feather-duster story of Dale's hat in the circus ring for a determined pass at Ms Ann Widdecombe's coveted seat. Maidstone and the Weald.
In fact we had it exclusively ten weeks ago, and nine weeks ago, and seven weeks ago and we officially called a halt to the tease on Sunday.
Obviously if the shy and retiring Iain put himself forward at all - and he is on the "Eh?" list - he was highly likely to apply for this one, possibly for Rochester too, as he lives in Kent and is a bosum buddy of Ms Widdy. Obviously too he would have preferred that autumn election he continuously pimped on his blog. Then he might have been slotted right in as Widdy changed her mind at the church door and decided to retire there and then. Or Iain could have been her trusty agent and inherited the earth soon afterward as a shoo in who knows ever blade of the turf. Now there'll be a tough selection contest.
Presumably Mr Dale will be less likely to post-tosh-without-thinking for the duration of the selection. And if selected for ever and ever. So, a mighty day for blogging and bloggers.
He even says he will not be blogging a running commentary. This assertion probably has about as much weight as when he said he wouldn't be blogging any more opinion polls.
Hey ho. Official Announcement here - featuring a gratuitous and deeply offensive sex slur from Widdy. Graphic adapted rather rustically from Bloggerheads who saw young Iain as a Norfolk straw chewer.
Speaking of Blog awards we've been holding this story over since Saturday in case of a light blogging day. That's today. Continued misrepresentation by Nadine Dorries MP on how well she did or did not do in the British Computer Society's MP Awards is a wretched signal of Tory dishonesty. They're rotten tricksters and shamen root and branch. Nad's blog is obviously of very low technical quality. And then there is the drivel that's written on it. But she tied in the "Highly Commended" category with George Galloway whose site is on the face of it also underwhelming and of mediocre quality. We thought we'd take a closer look.
The hottest of hot news stories is from January 2007. The list of Parliamentary Achievements show EDMs and last one is ... January 2007. Top diary date on the site is Sunday 13th May 2007. And the last Article and last Speech listed are December 2006 and October 2006 respectively. Last Article in the Tower Hamlets Reporter is also October 2006. Finally the list of Video and Audio links loops back to Events (May 2007).
We will be asking the BCS Press Office something. How can a site that - apart from the self-aggrandising Home Page - is on average around 12 months out of date possibly be "Highly Commended" by conscientious judges?
George Galloway is actually making Tory Dorries look good here! Unlike the close relative of a Conservative MP with a very problematic web page featured here. Like parent like daughter.
Lovely to see an anti-war, anti-neo-con blog putting the right wing tosh and/or swearblogs of Dale, Fawkes, Referendum and Devil's Kitchen to the sword in the 2007 Blog Awards, UK Category. Guardian columnist Neil Clark offers thanks and praise but it has all gone quiet over there.
Mr Dale pimped the poll like a good 'un but slumped from an early lead to fourth with Fawkes and Devil's Kitchen fifth and sixth. EU Referendum just headed Kickette for second. But Neil Clark had 60% more votes than either of these and more than double Dale's tally.
Graphic from 2007 Weblog Awards where it animates joyously and links to the other four starters. Hat tip to The Exile, our Manc in Mexico. An unusual swearblog of the left. Parental Guidance.
Unity has bought Cameron's flirtatious Miss Rape Speech a few drinks and seems to think he can now have his wicked way with her. Fisking away like a lusty gamekeeper. Relying on implied consent. Channel 4 thought she was asking for it too. But they were far more gentle.
PHOTO: Persistent ne'er-do-well, hoaxer and cheat "Lord" Archer's Conservative Policy Focus Group (above) was said to have turned rape into an entertainment.
Cheech and Chong: Up in Smoke, That's Where They're Gonna Be. Hopi Newmoon Sen tells the truth and shames the Tory devils. Johnson's campaign is up in smoke. But he don't care. There's no point in asking, You'll get no reply. Etc. Boris is on strike and writing a little pot boiler for yuletide stocking filling. Dave's not a happy bunny though his airmiles are accumulating nicely.
News from West London 1:
Dr Rupa Huq has revealled that Vivendra Sharma has already named and bigged up his successor. Business as usual for the foreseable in Ealing Southall.
News from East London 1: (Respect Press Release, dated 12 November)
*** George Galloway was declared Respect's candidate for Poplar and Limehouse on Thursday 8th November by the Tower Hamlets Respect Committee. His was the only nomination for Poplar and Limehouse when nominations closed on 19th October.
News from East London 2:
*** At the same meeting four candidates were shortlisted for selection for Bethnal Green and Bow - Councillor Shahed Ali, Mr Hasanat Hussain, Councillor Abjol Miah and Tower Hamlets Respect Vice Chair Ms Farhana Zaman. Selection will take place at a meeting to be addressed by George Galloway MP and others on Sunday 25th November, 5pm, Madani Girls School, Myrdle Street, E1.
News from East London 3:
*** There will be a Respect Renewal Conference this Saturday from 11am to 5pm at the Bishopsgate Institute, opposite Liverpool Street Station. Addressing the conference will be a number of prominant politicians and others including George
Galloway MP, Councillor Salma Yaqoob, Councillor Hanif Abdulmuhit, Councillor Abjol Miah, Professor Tariq Ramadan and many others.Azmal Hussain is urging all Tower Hamlets Respect members and supporters to come to the Renewal conference. For further details click on http://respectrenewal.org/index.php
News from East London 4:
*** Kevin Ovenden, parliamentary assistant to George Galloway MP, was appointed the new joint secretary of Tower Hamlets Respect, to replace Jackie Turner. Tony Collins was appointed treasurer to replace Kambiz Boomla. Both appointments were approved by the Committee meeting last Thursday.
Pickled Politics reports that Spain may have a Socialist government but is still under the Royal Jackboots. Two journalists get fined £2,100 apiece for lampooning royal procreation and a socialist baby bounty law providing €2,500. The story dates from the summer when El Jueves ran a cover cartoon showing a Royal coupling. Copies were snatched from newstands nationwide and sequestered.
Basically the Prince is saying that if he gets his wife pregnant it will be the first proper work in his life. Not very funny. The BBC have more. Cartoon Unexpurgated.
Someone has upset Mr Dale by saying that his internet TV station is on the wane, withering, wittering, wasting away.
Utter rubbish! As you can read right here. Hardly any live shows any more but lots of best ofs and reruns. That's not a tale of decline now is it?
When 18DS comes back properly from its collapse from this short period of coasting downhill it'll have a new name, new presenters to ensure it is non-partisan and also a new studio, new Chief Executive and a whole lot more newness to boot.
Guesses on presenters? - Presumably from other wings of the Tory Party, Nadine Dorries and Letitia Cash perhaps? - We're hearing that Tim Ireland and John Hirst have sadly ruled themselves out.
Interesting post and comments here from Mark Pack on Lib Dem Voice. Mark is taking someone to task for wrongly and repeatedly using the term "transcript" when referring to the "court clerk's notes" in the Miranda Grell case. Unfortunately they also slightly misdirect on the matter of how to obtain a copy of the same.
By the same token one of Mark's colleagues gives a load of evidence based on what happens in the case of voluntary magistrates sitting. This case was heard by a "Stipe" or as they are now termed District Judge so that's a mistake too I think. I continue to encourage Lib Dems to support the fact that our legal system has the right or the leave to appeal within it.
As shown in the Lesley Molseed murder trial, which ended yesterday, even the most serious investigations and trials stuff up from time to time. I support appeals in theory and in practice. I hope that reasonable and mature members and supporters of other parties come to feel likewise.
UPDATE 12:03: Andy Mayer has agreed in a comment here that he does indeed support the appeal process. He believes other Lib Dems may also support that appeal process. I confess myself mightily relieved.
Guido shows just how all over the place the Tories are on Europe - with a pathetic silent dog whistle to UKIP and BNP isolationists - HERE.
"We would not let matters rest there" says vague Mr Hague the last tory leader but two. This is the man who when he was that leader - just seven years ago, yes, four in seven years - promised Ashcroft would come clean and come home and pay "tens of millions" of personal tax here.
Vague Hague appears to have misled us on that one. Or plans changed. Or, whatever, what he said didn't happen. What's more we still shop with pounds!
Why would anyone believe Hague in this matter either? And why is what he says will happen "not let matters rest there" so impossibly, completely, POLICY NOTHINGNESS? Low calories in any european language.
Who is that bloke doing the major "jazz hands" at the back? There always seems to be one Tory making hand gestures.
Right wing Libdemologist blogger, candidate and green inker Andy Mayer has posted this on the Miranda Grell case.
From my point of view Cllr Grell - who was convicted of a serious electoral offence which could lead to her being barred from office - has every right to appeal a court's decision, is exercising that right, is being backed by her employers, and also by the political party she belongs to. Also I would imagine by many local people who have found her an effective councillor and knowing her have little confidence in the evidence presented against her, or the District Judge's decision.
The stakes are very high. This is the first time this law has been applied. And an appeal seemed inevitable given the verdict.
Mr Mayer is complaining about all of this. One might imagine from his post that Lib Dems - at least the green inker right wingers among them - do not believe in the right to appeal or the possibility of wrong decisions ever being made.
Guido has nothing on the debunking of Cameron's deeply inaccurate, even mendacious rape statistics by Channel 4 Factcheck. But he appears to be claiming that Blair's staff and office and other costs are supported to the tune of £400,000 by the British Taxpayer. Blair is Getting £400,000 a Year in Expenses Just a teensy bit of help with office costs at the expense of the British taxpayer. Well he has two offices, one in Jerusalem and another in Mayfair.
Looks like G's just following the example of mendacity set by Dave and George. Clearly as Mr GuF knows only too well Blair's expenses re his Middle East Envoy role are largely if not fully being met by his employers, clearly Mr Blair's commercial activities are washing their own face expenses wise, and clearly Guido is jealous.
CAMERON DEBUNKED: HERE. David Cameron's claim today that Britain is worst nation in the European Union on rape convictions is given 3.5 out of a possible 5 for inaccuracy. While he did warn at one point that "we need to be careful with statistics" he clearly did not heed his own advice.
This debunking by the independent researchers at Channel 4 is not to say that the situation on rape case management, prosecution and conviction is acceptable. But neither is the David Cameron, George Osborne or Tories in general approach to arithmetic, statistics and propaganda.
MEANWHILE: In a reported rape case nearer to home from 2005 which did not go to trial LOL will repeat an enquiry made to the GMP Press Office. This was by both ourselves and by crack journalists at at least one local newspaper. That paper did recently report a tardy trial in another rape case. After more than six years had passed (clipping above).
We knew the name of the officer who interviewed the accused and the name of the accused's Mackenzie Friend too. Which the newspaper did not as far as we know. The newspaper got a firm denial that any interview had taken place. Was it a conversation then? Or giving a witness statement? So when do the police think it is OK to be disingenuous and evade a question like that?
C4N VOCABULARY: Jon "Malaprop" Snow appeared to invent two words during the course of an Interview with Sir Christopher Meyer. These were "aboded" meaning based and "cohesing" meaning joining with. Good work!
Cllr Kerron Cross offers me the chance to catch Cllr John Leech MP doing something right. KC knows I've been trying to do this for more than two years now. I'd like to pour some KC sunshine on John Boy. But it has been a struggle. There was that near miss when he condemned Cluster Bombs. But it all went horribly wrong.
Kerron is bashing Dale for Ashcroft defending (and Aitken distancing) which of course get a roasting at mine too. McLeech was unwise I think to accept a World Cup ticket or tickets from McDonalds but he did give it/them back and he did register it properly.
But where I think the McDonalds McMPs have fallen down is in that extraordinarily silly McJobs McEDM. McDonalds were already running campaigns on the web and in store and in print using the "McJobs" handle and "McOpportunities" too. These MPs simply gave them some below the line publicity by swallowing a gert big dollop of PR McSauce.
And in a recent Hocus Focus there was further McFood for thought as Mr Leech did not oppose a shop development at a petrol station site which has a McDonalds on it. While attacking Tesco just because they are Tesco. Picture will follow.
New Facebook Group Is Divi Dave the Poshest Pioneer? continues the story of the Tory grab for Co-operative Values and rush to Run Down Manchester. Over at Manchester Confidential Jonathan Schofield joins the blast with an analysis of just how wrong the Tories are.
Good stuff. But we're still lacking a publication or even a single mainstream media reporter proactively prowling the corridors of power. Sitting through hours of dull committee meetings. Ferreting out the stories. The sort of "Town Hall Watch" provided in East London by Trial by Jeory with a Banksy story and a blast for a useless committee too. 
Ted mostly communicates with bloggers back channel but the fact he is ground zero of the Respect-SWP explosion has brought him some prominence of late.
He has recently revealled and on being challenged backed up splinter-Respect overtures to both Lib Dems and Labour in Tower Hamlets. And according to this splash at Hold The Front Page motor mouth Ted has been on the East London beat for just a couple of years.
The Manchester Evening News possibly wouldn't run some of Ted's nitty gritty detail stories if they got them. The late lamented City Life's "Citizen" column covered the territory well until the GMG take over, but then less so. Most of the politically interested blogs are somethingly partisan.
Covering more than twenty local authorities in and around the City of Manchester the editorial stance appears to be that niggles and rucks within political groups - even in the bigger authorities - are almost without exception "too parochial". The local free papers, also owned by GMG, often affect a similar disdain in the other direction. This makes for a strange news or at least gossip defecit. None of them spend the time looking under stones for stories. Press releases set the agenda.
Dave Ottewell's useful blog would probably be the place to find these kinds of stories if the paper did carry them at all.
Dave was a busy boy yesterday: Poppies, Card Fraud, and Ken and Blair.
This last being perhaps the most debateable. But this is a sort of cutting edge in a local print media that is mostly owned by one company, mostly seriously under-resourced in both scribblers and snappers, and which has been quite robust in dealing with (i.e. seeing off or buying up) potential competition.
The Guardian Media Group also have interests in much commercial radio and are the owners too of the ITV-lite type of "Community TV" that is Channel M. At the time of the City Life closure I was told in no uncertain terms by representatives of the Scott Trust - the ultimate owners of a big slice of Manchester's media - that the local management rule. With or without reference to the Trust's ideals.
GRAPHICS: Pioneers and Bullingdon Boys juxtaposed at Facebook Divi Dave group. Banksy added the Council name and logo to some new work. Just hours after Ted Jeory reported a clampdown. Some conflicting views on the Banksy menace then emerged at the authority. Making as well as breaking the news. Photo: M BrooksRob Logan, East London Advertiser.
Ha ha ha. This Harry Enfield video is of course absolutely hilarious in its proper context. Because we know HE is joking. But where it is embedded makes it unfunny. ID often isn't joking. If he makes a fuss "typical of you", "pathetic" etc I'll probably post the proof.
Top Gear have just done the Policeman with the bus exhaust pipe story. And also pointed out that registering your vehicle as a mini cab in London costs £27 for a year. Whereas congestion charge costs £40 per week. And being a minicab gets you off the congestion charge, allegedly. UPDATE: 12/11 20:40 SKY NEWS has more.
This graphic, after Bloggerheads first appeared many moons ago, early in a sequence of stories foreseeing the Maidstone selection attempt. Tom Watson has taken the baton and is especially taken by adverse Conservative Home commentary on the candidate's "weight" i.e. "light" and his statistics - not so clever last time out.
Political Penguin adds to the clamour outing Cameron for shoplifting Labour and Co-operative ideas with quite a run down of the "Conservative" thoughts based on the famously "Conservative" Spain and Sweden examples of school co-operativisation. The ones already cited in various Labour Government material - some published and, Political Penguin dares suggest, raided by thieving Tories.
What's this? Our fine feathered friend suggests applying the logic to ALL schools:If you want to be really radical, instead of just proposing that parents can take over the local LEA run school, how about extending it to all schools? If the parents of the local Grammar or private school feel their kids would be better served by cooperatising the school then surely you’d be in favour of enabling them to do so? It is parent choice after all that’s the determining factor here? Nah, didn’t think so.
Perhaps I'll take a proper read of those Johnson/Balls documents.
After all I don't support a Hospital by Hospital co-operatisation under the bitter pill of the Foundation Hospital. I'd rather have universal high quality than illusory choice at the margins and the so-called postcode lottery.
It could be attractive if all parents or future parents in a catchment area for a cluster of existing schools - as opposed to those lucky or rich enough to have children in a particular school or feeder - could form a consumer co-operative for all those schools. An accountable local agency - such as a Council, why not a Council? - could then be responsible for delivery.
Sitting where I am over a three miles radius I'd be able to co-operatise a cluster including inter alia Manchester Grammar School, Manchester HS for Girls, Withington Girls, St Bede's College and a good Islamic High School. Let's do it! Let's go fully comprehensive! Co-operatively! Now!
News of Penguin's roast Cameron was at Tom Watson's.
New Liberal Conspiracy seeking co-conspirators, cells and channels.
Ellee Seymour has links under her masthead to a nice set of Remembrance Sunday images. And some Scandalous Dead Dog Art that I may come back to.
Partner's just back from ringing half muffled bells at Rostherne. And there is a ceremony beginning at the University of Manchester quadrangle. We were gathered there for a jollier occasion last evening. Will blog about that later.
From near the other end of the spectrum to Ellee politically Dave Osler has interesting reflections on family ties to war. And (Update: 15:59) from somewhere in between Tim has dire warnings on public poppy wearing.
ANZAC Chocolate Sable Red Popsicles from Bron Marshall.
The British Computer Society have apparently highly commended three of 40 MPs shortlisted for their website awards. According to a fascinating report a week ago in the local Sunday paper for one of the lucky winners. Also now on that lucky winner's own shiny "award-winning" blogsite.
All three have naturally enough featured in dispatches here at Labour of Love. Two of them as it goes in the last few days. Though not in fact for their amazing web design.
The "winners" according to the article are the sites of : Boris Johnson MP produced by web and blogstar Tim Ireland, hence caught up in Creosotemanov-gate, and actually fairly worthy of acclaim for function if not content. It works in all regards. It is well written. It is accessible. And it gives an insight into the blubbery grey jelly of nonsense inside its author's head. Then there's the strange effort of George Galloway MP. And finally and very much stranger there is the over-promoted Nadine Dorries MP.
Ms Dorries has translated this high commendation into a claim that she is named, and I quote, "Princess of the Blogs". The Mad Nad site, and very explicitly the blog she is allegedly Princess of, is a technological horror story. Poor navigation, no permalinks, now no comments, and close to the most air-headed "content" imaginable.
So, who on earth were the judges for this contest of site design, reader engagement and accessibility?"The awards were judged by an expert panel which included Quentin Letts, parliamentary sketch writer for the Daily Mail, and Patrick Wintour, political editor of the Guardian."
No expense was spared in getting top computer experts don't you see? Letts is the one who writes hilariously of "well stroked pussy" in connection with a female MP. In his own desperately unamusing family blog at The Mail. The Guardian's Wintour is pretty much dyed in the wool old media as far as I know. There are others too, one or two with a modicum.
But I must say I was gob-smacked, whoever the judges are. Could this be true? Is Nads among the three top Websters in the House? The leading girl blogger?
Or has the Mid Beds MP perhaps been less than full and truthful in her disclosures? Did she really win anything? Never mind being dubbed "Princess of the Blogs" by the rather staid gentlemen and ladies of the BCS.
Ooops, do you know what? That sixth sense does come in handy at times. The winner was ... certainly NOT Nadine Dorries. Or Boris. Or George. It was in fact that estimable rabble rouser from Plaid - Mr Adam Price MP/AS.
So, Nads must have won some other sub category then? Well, er, no, sorry. The BBC report that Labour managed a clean sweep of the three category prizes:
Health Secretary Alan Johnson's website won the accessibility award (Other finalists: Malcolm Bruce MP, Adam Price MP). Paul Flynn's won for design (Other Finalists: Boris Johnson MP, Mike Wood MP). And colleague Derek Wyatt won for engagement (Other finalists: Richard Spring MP, Tom Brake MP).
So, was Nads the leading woman in the awards at least? "The Princess of Blogs" as she would have it? Sadly no. She was not. Lynne Featherstone MP joined Richard Benyon MP as the two overall runners up. Nads was roughly speaking joint 13th in the pecking order with Gorgeous George.
The Miliblog got some early press but played no part in the final analysis. In what looks horribly like an accusation of tokenism I'm told that insider nerds and geeks tongues are wagging ferociously that Nads was sneaked through ONLY as a token "other woman" and "radically chick lit at that". In a man's world.
I should get one of my chirpy researchers to email the BCS and test that hypothesis for me. These fourteen MP blogs were, I'm told enthusiastically - though perhaps not entirely reliably - chosen from just 40 of all extant MP sites that met the minimum requirements for accessibility. Meaning that 600 or so were even more pants than some of these.
Arguably 13th Equal. Which is quite a lot of places below Featherstone's joint second. Well isn't it?
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