Word reaches me that over the holiday weekend, Gordon Brown went off visiting lots more seats that he's probably going to lose. One such seat was Eltham in South-east London (where I used to live many moons ago).
Seemingly, Brown visited the Coldharbour Safer Neighbourhood Unit and team. Residents there of course know all about the unit because it's never open, you never see the people that work there and don't expect to get anything but an answer phone if you want to contact them - don't even bother trying on a weekend.
Imagine the shock to discover that when Gordon arrived, all police officer and fake police officers were present and the unit was actually open and ready for a photo opportunity. Funny old world politics huh?
Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime but only if the politician is actually present and someone has a camera.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Once more unto the breach....
Morning all, some of you may have been wondering where I've been, and others may not have cared less and said "Thank God he;s not blogging he does my head in!". Well it's been a Bank Holiday weekend right, so decided to take a break with the better half and pop over to Calais for the six monthly booze cruise and boost the French economy.
Some interesting things to note from the weekend that might be of interest and possibly make you weep with laughter (although you my have had to be there). Firstly was the unfortunate moment when I kept talking loudly in restaurant about someone I knew with disparaging terms upon their mental capacity not realising that behind me was someone who had obvious issues with their mental capacity - a genuine "I'll get my coat" moment.
Also, driving an SUV loaded up with lots of boxes of wine through the UK border control and Customs on the same weekend that someone fills an SUV up with make shift explosives in boxes and then dumps it in Times Square, New York, leads to you looking a little bit suspicious. To the female customs officer who stopped me last night, I really do own my car, I really did buy it last year, and honestly, I really did travel onwards to where I said I was going too.
To all the French school children on the return journey who had clearly never been on a ferry before, the sea is big blue and wobbly OK? You can figure that out by looking at it without even getting on a boat. You do not have scream every time you hit a wave or the boat rocks a little bit. Some of us are trying to sleep you know.
Right, now I've got that off my chest, someone in the previous thread asked if, when I was going to be away, if I could possibly do open threads. I'm quite happy to do them, the only problem is moderation is on so I need someone to moderate for me. My main man Croydonian does step in sometimes, but he is not always available, so I guess what I'm saying is "Apply Within" - the role does not pay anything but it does mean you can feel like God and edit people's comments.
Some interesting things to note from the weekend that might be of interest and possibly make you weep with laughter (although you my have had to be there). Firstly was the unfortunate moment when I kept talking loudly in restaurant about someone I knew with disparaging terms upon their mental capacity not realising that behind me was someone who had obvious issues with their mental capacity - a genuine "I'll get my coat" moment.
Also, driving an SUV loaded up with lots of boxes of wine through the UK border control and Customs on the same weekend that someone fills an SUV up with make shift explosives in boxes and then dumps it in Times Square, New York, leads to you looking a little bit suspicious. To the female customs officer who stopped me last night, I really do own my car, I really did buy it last year, and honestly, I really did travel onwards to where I said I was going too.
To all the French school children on the return journey who had clearly never been on a ferry before, the sea is big blue and wobbly OK? You can figure that out by looking at it without even getting on a boat. You do not have scream every time you hit a wave or the boat rocks a little bit. Some of us are trying to sleep you know.
Right, now I've got that off my chest, someone in the previous thread asked if, when I was going to be away, if I could possibly do open threads. I'm quite happy to do them, the only problem is moderation is on so I need someone to moderate for me. My main man Croydonian does step in sometimes, but he is not always available, so I guess what I'm saying is "Apply Within" - the role does not pay anything but it does mean you can feel like God and edit people's comments.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Cameron edged it... just
Just a few thoughts on last night's debate before I pop off out for the day again. All three of them were better than they were in the last better at the beginning, they've clearly all got used to the format now. Clegg was, in my view, edging it at first, but then he kept on repeating things that are now getting annoying.
"Two old parties", "old politics" and, bizarrely as I guess many others will have pointed out, a reference to a Treasury type position of "Vice Chancellor" which I thought existed in Universities or the German Government, but not in the Parliament. He said it twice I think, and, had it been in the Commons he would have got slaughtered for it.
Oddly though, and perhaps because Brown and Cameron had been coached on avoiding deeply personal attacks on slips of the tongue it wasn't. That he said it twice though would have been to much for me and I would've had to point out that the one in the middle who kept saying "do something different" was so different he was making up positions.
Personally, what I didn't like was the way the whole thing was like a neuro-linguistic programming contest to see who could drip they're repetitive little catch phrases into our brains the most.
The general feeling was that Clegg got hammered on immigration by the other two, personally, I thought that whilst he did get hammered by them his argument was actually the most sophisticated because it essentially comes straight out of the drug decriminalisation playbook about how the criminal gangs rely on prohibition or illegal immigrants by operating in a black economy - starve the black economy, solve the problem.
Whilst I say it's the most sophisticated of the arguments, it doesn't really play well with most people, just as the decriminalisation of drugs argument doesn't play well either. The other two rightly hammered him on the assumed logical conclusions of an "amnesty" that you just send a message that if you come to Britain illegally then disappear for long enough you'll be allowed to stay eventually.
So that's it for the debates, finally over and a week to go until polling. The precedent has now been set for debates, but, I'm wondering now how the format, length, and timing will change next time. They seem to have dominated the agenda and created a three way race that means we'll probably have another election within the next year - something that will greatly please the politics junkies and make normal people groan.
Oh yes, I think Cameron won the debate in the end but was looking shaky at first. Brown just isn't suited to the format and I think he looks tired and deflated somewhat - understandable after the whole "bigot" thing. The next week should be very interesting now we're back into traditional campaign territory.
P.S. Best gaffe off the night was Brown at the end, who, thanks to a bit of a stutter and his accent, really did sound like he said Cameron was going to give tax cuts to the "richest cunts" in the country - I double-taked when it happened.
"Two old parties", "old politics" and, bizarrely as I guess many others will have pointed out, a reference to a Treasury type position of "Vice Chancellor" which I thought existed in Universities or the German Government, but not in the Parliament. He said it twice I think, and, had it been in the Commons he would have got slaughtered for it.
Oddly though, and perhaps because Brown and Cameron had been coached on avoiding deeply personal attacks on slips of the tongue it wasn't. That he said it twice though would have been to much for me and I would've had to point out that the one in the middle who kept saying "do something different" was so different he was making up positions.
Personally, what I didn't like was the way the whole thing was like a neuro-linguistic programming contest to see who could drip they're repetitive little catch phrases into our brains the most.
The general feeling was that Clegg got hammered on immigration by the other two, personally, I thought that whilst he did get hammered by them his argument was actually the most sophisticated because it essentially comes straight out of the drug decriminalisation playbook about how the criminal gangs rely on prohibition or illegal immigrants by operating in a black economy - starve the black economy, solve the problem.
Whilst I say it's the most sophisticated of the arguments, it doesn't really play well with most people, just as the decriminalisation of drugs argument doesn't play well either. The other two rightly hammered him on the assumed logical conclusions of an "amnesty" that you just send a message that if you come to Britain illegally then disappear for long enough you'll be allowed to stay eventually.
So that's it for the debates, finally over and a week to go until polling. The precedent has now been set for debates, but, I'm wondering now how the format, length, and timing will change next time. They seem to have dominated the agenda and created a three way race that means we'll probably have another election within the next year - something that will greatly please the politics junkies and make normal people groan.
Oh yes, I think Cameron won the debate in the end but was looking shaky at first. Brown just isn't suited to the format and I think he looks tired and deflated somewhat - understandable after the whole "bigot" thing. The next week should be very interesting now we're back into traditional campaign territory.
P.S. Best gaffe off the night was Brown at the end, who, thanks to a bit of a stutter and his accent, really did sound like he said Cameron was going to give tax cuts to the "richest cunts" in the country - I double-taked when it happened.
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Light blogging....
Off to Oxford cancer unit today and tomorrow with Mrs D for the last lot of tests so blogging will be light to none.
Debate tonight though, see you later
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Brown begs for forgiveness
I don't know, I turn Sky off and start watching the Sopranos and Gordon Brown is nice as pie to a lady on camera saying she has a "good family" and that it was "nice to meet her"; then, forgetting the microphone was still on his jacket, gets in a car and calls her a "bigot" and sounds very pissed off that he even had to speak to her.Ironically, the conversation was along the lines that the news would run on the story because it was about immigration. Well, he was at least partly right, they are playing his video over and over again on the news, but not becuase of that conversation but because of his.
Gordon Brown is, as I type this, apologising personally (40 minutes or so) to the woman for his comments, and CNN and Fox in the USA are now running the story too.
Basically we have a really bad day for Brown and a bloody great day for this grandmother's purse thanks to Fleet Street.
What I find myself wondering though is what the response would be to the story if it was brought to us in the traditional form of an "unanmed source"? It would be denied of course and called a smear or "tittle tattle". This story actually gives strength to those sort of stories in a way, especially in relation to Brown.
Does anyone believe that he would be having an epiphany in private and apologising to this woman if he hadn't been caught saying it? Of course he wouldn't.
Thing is, the real story here should be what Peter mandelson has said in his spinning. Without a hint of irony, Mandelson said to Sky News that "sometimes you say something you simply do not mean" - surely that is the real story here? Mandelson admits he speaks with forked tongue!.. OK, maybe not.
UPDATE: Brown came out and says that he is "mortified" about what he said whilst smiling? WTF? He's just made it worse surely?
Brace yourself before clicking
It's perfectly safe for work, but if you have speakers be prepared for..... well.... God it's so very very wrong.Ready? Are you sure you're ready?.... Good.... Now go and visit Greg Knight's Tory campaign website.
I'm telling you now, it shouldn't be allowed and there should be laws against it!
Hat Tip: Shane Greer
UPDATE: If the jingle is not working then it may be a browser plugin issue. You can download the jingle here instead.
Police quango hides millions on consultancy spending?
Don't Panic and Heyden Prowse have excelled themselves with this one. The police quango the National Policing Improvement Agency (NPIA) in the spotlight.Mandelson forgets manifesto details?
Peter Mandelson has just told Gary Gibbon that there has never been a promise for electoral reform through a referendum before. Has he forgotten the 1997 Labour Manifesto he helped write?
We are committed to a referendum on the voting system for the House of Commons. An independent commission on voting systems will be appointed early to recommend a proportional alternative to the first-past-the-post system.Fib or memory loss?
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