And you thought military action was complicated. The slide on the left (click to enlarge) is just so simple...LINK to NY Times article.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Opiate offensive...
And you thought military action was complicated. The slide on the left (click to enlarge) is just so simple...LINK to NY Times article.
Opiate offensive...
And you thought military action was complicated. The slide on the left (click to enlarge) is just so simple...LINK to NY Times article.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Obvious obscurantism II...
A conspiracy of silence. "They may disagree in public, but privately they couldn't agree more. On the single most important issue facing the country after this election, our politicians think it's better to keep us in the dark." Nuff said. [Link] (Stephanie Flander's blog. BBC economics editor)
Update 11pm (UK): And apparently the media are starting to get frustrated with a lack of relies from politicians. Tomorrow's newspapers courtesy of Tim Montgomerie.
Obvious obscurantism II...
A conspiracy of silence. "They may disagree in public, but privately they couldn't agree more. On the single most important issue facing the country after this election, our politicians think it's better to keep us in the dark." Nuff said. [Link] (Stephanie Flander's blog. BBC economics editor)
Update 11pm (UK): And apparently the media are starting to get frustrated with a lack of relies from politicians. Tomorrow's newspapers courtesy of Tim Montgomerie.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Oligodynamic oscitancy...
Don't be Cruel! Why and how did Labour's election campaign get to this: 'upping the tempo ' this past weekend with an Elvis impersonator?!!
[Edit: 'dead' video/image removed]
If that wasn't cringe-worthy enough the Labour rally joined in singing "The Wonder of You". There are a few - and more relevant - titles to Elvis hits below. Click on the image 'borrowed' from order-order.com to see what Guido's conspiracy theories are to try to explain the inexplicable: "The Brown Nixon Elvis Conspiracy Theory Competition". The first is that:
Well worth a read but a point of order re that first theory: the Nixon/JFK debates are famous 'political debate' history with definite pros and cons of radio versus TV broadcasting! However Nixon didn't actually met Elvis until late 1970: a year when two of the latter's hits were "I've Lost You" and "I Really Don't Want to Know", both titles very appropriate to Brown's and Labour's election campaign. However, the Nixon/Elvis meeting wasn't made public until 1972 (surely nothing to do with the presidential election that year!)...a year which began for Elvis with "Until It's Time for You to Go" and ended with "Separate Ways"."Gordon is living out a Richard Nixon fantasy, he seems himself as a man of substance and policy, like Nixon, facing defeat at the hands of more photogenic and televisual opponents, with Clegg and Cameron playing the role of Kennedy"
My God...it's uncanny. Also, here's hoping BROWN and TOAST doesn't just refer to a Maillard reaction.
os·ci·tan·cy n.
The act of yawning. The state of being drowsy or inattentive; dullness.
oli·go·dy·nam·ic adj
Active in very small quantities
Oligodynamic oscitancy...
Don't be Cruel! Why and how did Labour's election campaign get to this: 'upping the tempo ' this past weekend with an Elvis impersonator?!!
[Edit: 'dead' video/image removed]
If that wasn't cringe-worthy enough the Labour rally joined in singing "The Wonder of You". There are a few - and more relevant - titles to Elvis hits below. Click on the image 'borrowed' from order-order.com to see what Guido's conspiracy theories are to try to explain the inexplicable: "The Brown Nixon Elvis Conspiracy Theory Competition". The first is that:
Well worth a read but a point of order re that first theory: the Nixon/JFK debates are famous 'political debate' history with definite pros and cons of radio versus TV broadcasting! However Nixon didn't actually met Elvis until late 1970: a year when two of the latter's hits were "I've Lost You" and "I Really Don't Want to Know", both titles very appropriate to Brown's and Labour's election campaign. However, the Nixon/Elvis meeting wasn't made public until 1972 (surely nothing to do with the presidential election that year!)...a year which began for Elvis with "Until It's Time for You to Go" and ended with "Separate Ways". My God...it's uncanny. Also, here's hoping BROWN and TOAST doesn't just refer to a Maillard reaction. os·ci·tan·cy n. The act of yawning. The state of being drowsy or inattentive; dullness. oli·go·dy·nam·ic adj Active in very small quantities"Gordon is living out a Richard Nixon fantasy, he seems himself as a man of substance and policy, like Nixon, facing defeat at the hands of more photogenic and televisual opponents, with Clegg and Cameron playing the role of Kennedy"
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The ONS info is confirming many other people's previous predictions: that UK national debt could treble; making things worse is that as debt increases the tax receipts are falling*, down 11% in January. Click on image to enlarge (PDF) the excellent graphic in The Guardian.
* Burning Our Money has numerous blogposts on tax: just for info, four years ago (!!!) they estimated Britain's losses just to tax fraud and evasion are currently within the range £60-80bn every year. OK, I know that isn't entirely relevant re the reasons for current falls in tax receipts but it does highlight a major part of the overall problem. Paul, I know you're one of those mentioning falling tax receipts but I couldn't find a relevant blogpost (I did look!)!
The ONS info is confirming many other people's previous predictions: that UK national debt could treble; making things worse is that as debt increases the tax receipts are falling*, down 11% in January. Click on image to enlarge (PDF) the excellent graphic in The Guardian.
* Burning Our Money has numerous blogposts on tax: just for info, four years ago (!!!) they estimated Britain's losses just to tax fraud and evasion are currently within the range £60-80bn every year. OK, I know that isn't entirely relevant re the reasons for current falls in tax receipts but it does highlight a major part of the overall problem. Paul, I know you're one of those mentioning falling tax receipts but I couldn't find a relevant blogpost (I did look!)!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Opinionated observation...
Following on from my St. George's Day post, Obliging observance, earlier today, I was trying to figure out why the UK and Ireland celebrate World Book Day on a different date to the rest of the world (btw, I've taken the day off; celebrating an unofficial bank holiday)
April 23rd has long been considered a symbolic date for world literature: two of the world's most celebrated authors, Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare (who are, incidentally, also the world's two most translated authors!) - and putting aside the Julian and Gregorian calendar differences - both died on this day and in the same year (1616) as did "Inca" Garcilaso de la Vega. Catalan author Josep Pla also died on 23rd April. The date also coincides with the birth of Colombian writer Manuel MejÃa Vallejo, French novelist Maurice Druon, Vladimir Nabokov (he of Lolita fame...and ignoring Julian/Gregorian calendar differences again - Russia being amongst the very last countries to change, only about 90 years ago!) and the Icelandic novelist and Nobel Prize in Literature winner Halldór Laxness. Other writers born on this day - not so famous but certainly well known - include Ngaio Marsh (NZ, one of the original four 'Queens of Crime') and Charles Farrar Browne (US, nom de plume, Artemus Ward).
Now given all that - and I'm sure there's more* - it was a natural choice for International Book Day: to "pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity".
So, going back to my point (*yes there's more: dig a little deeper and you find that William Wordsworth and Rupert Brooke - both surely in anyone's Top Ten (or even Top 5!) English poets - also both died on 23rd April!) , given ALL the aformentioned, why did the UK decide to have a different day. I think I know, and IMHO it's not the official 'excuse':
...now, sorry but that's bollocks: don't get me wrong, all those books, quick-read, vouchers, getting children reading etc, that's fine, that's great! But I think it's New-Labour-Tony-Blair smarm speak. "Now HOLD ON" (I hear you say), I know it's a registered charity (although we know that in many cases registered charities are 'government initiatives'...and by pure coincidence that very question is the 2nd of their FAQs) ...BUT, why do I think it's bollocks you ask? Well, there are 35 possible dates for Easter Sunday: from March 22 to April 25: look at this handy graph (2nd graph down, it makes what I'm getting at a lot clearer). April 25th is the latest possible date so even when schools have 2 weeks Easter holiday - with Easter weekend in the middle - the latest the term time break-up is ever going to be is 17/18th April so very roughly 80% or more of all "normal" International Book Days would be in term time."The initiative is so well established in schools here that we want to make sure that the Day happens in term time to really make the most of this opportunity to celebrate books and reading"
You may have lost track by now so I'll say what I think: Tony Blair launched the UK individual different from the rest of the world book day in 1998 as a chance to spin: you remember, the sun always shone, cool Brittania, things could only bet better? Well IMHO this was (a) another great story for Saint Tony and boost the Fab we're so cool and nice look how we're giving book vouchers to children New Labour and (b) a conscious decision purely and simply to NOT HAVE IT on 23rd April (i.e. St George's Day) because New Labour are bunch of inept, corrupt, anti-English slimeball fuckwits (Blair was the eptiome of this) and I hope they get obliterated on May 6th, which incidently, was April 23rd in Shakespeare's day!
Opinionated observation...
Following on from my St. George's Day post, Obliging observance, earlier today, I was trying to figure out why the UK and Ireland celebrate World Book Day on a different date to the rest of the world (btw, I've taken the day off; celebrating an unofficial bank holiday)
April 23rd has long been considered a symbolic date for world literature: two of the world's most celebrated authors, Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare (who are, incidentally, also the world's two most translated authors!) - and putting aside the Julian and Gregorian calendar differences - both died on this day and in the same year (1616) as did "Inca" Garcilaso de la Vega. Catalan author Josep Pla also died on 23rd April. The date also coincides with the birth of Colombian writer Manuel MejÃa Vallejo, French novelist Maurice Druon, Vladimir Nabokov (he of Lolita fame...and ignoring Julian/Gregorian calendar differences again - Russia being amongst the very last countries to change, only about 90 years ago!) and the Icelandic novelist and Nobel Prize in Literature winner Halldór Laxness. Other writers born on this day - not so famous but certainly well known - include Ngaio Marsh (NZ, one of the original four 'Queens of Crime') and Charles Farrar Browne (US, nom de plume, Artemus Ward).
Now given all that - and I'm sure there's more* - it was a natural choice for International Book Day: to "pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity".
So, going back to my point (*yes there's more: dig a little deeper and you find that William Wordsworth and Rupert Brooke - both surely in anyone's Top Ten (or even Top 5!) English poets - also both died on 23rd April!) , given ALL the aformentioned, why did the UK decide to have a different day. I think I know, and IMHO it's not the official 'excuse':
...now, sorry but that's bollocks: don't get me wrong, all those books, quick-read, vouchers, getting children reading etc, that's fine, that's great! But I think it's New-Labour-Tony-Blair smarm speak. "Now HOLD ON" (I hear you say), I know it's a registered charity (although we know that in many cases registered charities are 'government initiatives'...and by pure coincidence that very question is the 2nd of their FAQs) ...BUT, why do I think it's bollocks you ask? Well, there are 35 possible dates for Easter Sunday: from March 22 to April 25: look at this handy graph (2nd graph down, it makes what I'm getting at a lot clearer). April 25th is the latest possible date so even when schools have 2 weeks Easter holiday - with Easter weekend in the middle - the latest the term time break-up is ever going to be is 17/18th April so very roughly 80% or more of all "normal" International Book Days would be in term time."The initiative is so well established in schools here that we want to make sure that the Day happens in term time to really make the most of this opportunity to celebrate books and reading"
You may have lost track by now so I'll say what I think: Tony Blair launched the UK individual different from the rest of the world book day in 1998 as a chance to spin: you remember, the sun always shone, cool Brittania, things could only bet better? Well IMHO this was (a) another great story for Saint Tony and boost the Fab we're so cool and nice look how we're giving book vouchers to children New Labour and (b) a conscious decision purely and simply to NOT HAVE IT on 23rd April (i.e. St George's Day) because New Labour are bunch of inept, corrupt, anti-English slimeball fuckwits (Blair was the eptiome of this) and I hope they get obliterated on May 6th, which incidently, was April 23rd in Shakespeare's day!
Obliging observance...
Enjoy St. George's Day, celebrate it even though we do not know much about St. George. We do know that there has been a resurgence and rebirth of our Patron Saint as a cultural entity and identity most probably due to actual and perceived attempts to ignore, sideline or belittle England and the English.
So what to do? What to believe about this "not even English" soldier when even more than 1500 years ago details was vague: Pope Gelasius in 496 stated that George was among those saints "whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose actions are known only to God" (presumably referring to the legend of St. George and the Dragon). Yet he is venerated in many Christian denominations and numerous cities, regions and countries, which is quite extraordinary considering, as previous mentioned, and as Gelasius' quote reveals, next to nothing is known about him for certain. Borrowing heavily from GodzDogz we can examine what he was renowned for: martyrdom, which isn't simply dying for what you believe in...
George, in the face of temptation (offered excessive wealth to renounce his belief) darkness, persecution, extended and brutal torture, chose death rather than do what was not right (he also gave away all his possessions to the poor when he realised what his final fate would be)."Martyrdom is now an ambiguous and misunderstood phenomenon. If it simply means 'dying for what you believe', what makes that laudable and holy? It is certainly not laudable and holy if such a demise inflicts suffering and death on others, or if it is a deliberate taking of one’s own life removed from the context of threat and persecution in faith."
The first known mention of St George in England was by Bede in the 8th Century, and as mentioned in the 9th Century in Alfred the Great's will: "Saint George and his feast day began to gain more widespread fame among all Europeans, however, from the time of the Crusades".
So why is this Roman soldier - of what today would be Turkish and Palestinian descent - defining my country’s soul, why is George patron of England? Not because he defines who England is, but because he exemplifies what we should be: charitable, tolerant, brave, compassionate, honourable, Christian."As a soldier he would have known battle, faced the possibility of death. This is not the issue. His submissive, passionate action, defying soldier’s orders, maintained compassion in the face of tyranny and justice at the risk of dishonour and treason. This is the example that so many have found in our patron saint, that sudden rush of love that falls on those born again in the Spirit, that at the last, changes one’s life."
Obliging observance...
Enjoy St. George's Day, celebrate it even though we do not know much about St. George. We do know that there has been a resurgence and rebirth of our Patron Saint as a cultural entity and identity most probably due to actual and perceived attempts to ignore, sideline or belittle England and the English.
So what to do? What to believe about this "not even English" soldier when even more than 1500 years ago details was vague: Pope Gelasius in 496 stated that George was among those saints "whose names are justly reverenced among men, but whose actions are known only to God" (presumably referring to the legend of St. George and the Dragon). Yet he is venerated in many Christian denominations and numerous cities, regions and countries, which is quite extraordinary considering, as previous mentioned, and as Gelasius' quote reveals, next to nothing is known about him for certain. Borrowing heavily from GodzDogz we can examine what he was renowned for: martyrdom, which isn't simply dying for what you believe in...
George, in the face of temptation (offered excessive wealth to renounce his belief) darkness, persecution, extended and brutal torture, chose death rather than do what was not right (he also gave away all his possessions to the poor when he realised what his final fate would be)."Martyrdom is now an ambiguous and misunderstood phenomenon. If it simply means 'dying for what you believe', what makes that laudable and holy? It is certainly not laudable and holy if such a demise inflicts suffering and death on others, or if it is a deliberate taking of one’s own life removed from the context of threat and persecution in faith."
The first known mention of St George in England was by Bede in the 8th Century, and as mentioned in the 9th Century in Alfred the Great's will: "Saint George and his feast day began to gain more widespread fame among all Europeans, however, from the time of the Crusades".
So why is this Roman soldier - of what today would be Turkish and Palestinian descent - defining my country’s soul, why is George patron of England? Not because he defines who England is, but because he exemplifies what we should be: charitable, tolerant, brave, compassionate, honourable, Christian."As a soldier he would have known battle, faced the possibility of death. This is not the issue. His submissive, passionate action, defying soldier’s orders, maintained compassion in the face of tyranny and justice at the risk of dishonour and treason. This is the example that so many have found in our patron saint, that sudden rush of love that falls on those born again in the Spirit, that at the last, changes one’s life."
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Olympic offal...
How many times has Crash Gordon and New Labour trumpeted the number of jobs that the Olympic construction sites would offer. Last year the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) claimed "Local people are given priority in accessing training and jobs on-site through local job brokerage services in the local area,". Now, we hear that just one in eight jobs on the Olympic site have gone to local British workers! The London Evening Standard reports that:
The ODA agreed to release the local employment figures under the Freedom of Information Act after a six-month campaign by a shipping industry worker and local East End resident David Isted. [Link]"the Olympic Delivery Authority has been forced to reveal that just 828 workers out of the total 6,277 workers on the Olympic site are Britons who live locally in the most revealing snapshot of employment on the site."
(Hat-tip Iain Dale: British Jobs for Foreign Workers)
Olympic offal...
How many times has Crash Gordon and New Labour trumpeted the number of jobs that the Olympic construction sites would offer. Last year the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) claimed "Local people are given priority in accessing training and jobs on-site through local job brokerage services in the local area,". Now, we hear that just one in eight jobs on the Olympic site have gone to local British workers! The London Evening Standard reports that:
The ODA agreed to release the local employment figures under the Freedom of Information Act after a six-month campaign by a shipping industry worker and local East End resident David Isted. [Link]"the Olympic Delivery Authority has been forced to reveal that just 828 workers out of the total 6,277 workers on the Olympic site are Britons who live locally in the most revealing snapshot of employment on the site."
(Hat-tip Iain Dale: British Jobs for Foreign Workers)
Outing odd opinions on opposition...
Over at Guido's there is a surprising conclusion drawn to the very interesting vote-mapping taken from The Public Whip: looking at the different voting a pattern of all MPs in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 Parliaments the surprising conclusion (and odd opinion IMHO) is that the Lib-Dems are voting increasingly with the Conservatives. Guido says,
Now with that I agree (I also agree with Guido's conclusion...interesting times!), and the voting together in a literal sense is true, BUT the idea and implication that these parties are voting 'on the same side' because they agree is simply not true (IMHO!); the reason why the voting patterns have moved closer, almost coinciding - it is apparent that all the other parties and independents (the green squares) are also voting with the Conservatives - is that they were all united in opposition to New Labour's gross dereliction of duty with lick spittle lobby-fodder chickens toeing the party line, no matter what line that was; trampling democracy, trouncing debate, ramming through ill thought-out, liberty-cramping and positively dangerous legislation."The parties respective policies are closer now than they have been for over half-a-century. Cameron is telling the truth when he says that he is a liberal-conservative. Nick Clegg is a former Cambridge Conservative who is now a Liberal. They fact is they are both instinctively liberal metropolitan modernisers."
Outing odd opinions on opposition...
Over at Guido's there is a surprising conclusion drawn to the very interesting vote-mapping taken from The Public Whip: looking at the different voting a pattern of all MPs in the 1997, 2001 and 2005 Parliaments the surprising conclusion (and odd opinion IMHO) is that the Lib-Dems are voting increasingly with the Conservatives. Guido says,
Now with that I agree (I also agree with Guido's conclusion...interesting times!), and the voting together in a literal sense is true, BUT the idea and implication that these parties are voting 'on the same side' because they agree is simply not true (IMHO!); the reason why the voting patterns have moved closer, almost coinciding - it is apparent that all the other parties and independents (the green squares) are also voting with the Conservatives - is that they were all united in opposition to New Labour's gross dereliction of duty with lick spittle lobby-fodder chickens toeing the party line, no matter what line that was; trampling democracy, trouncing debate, ramming through ill thought-out, liberty-cramping and positively dangerous legislation."The parties respective policies are closer now than they have been for over half-a-century. Cameron is telling the truth when he says that he is a liberal-conservative. Nick Clegg is a former Cambridge Conservative who is now a Liberal. They fact is they are both instinctively liberal metropolitan modernisers."
Outstanding oeuvre...
Well, not quite an operatic opus but fair play to all involved: great video on Play Political HERE of a version of the Bucks Fizz hit "Making your mind up" involving politicians and bloggers from all parties, with of course the important message: make sure you VOTE!
Outstanding oeuvre...
Well, not quite an operatic opus but fair play to all involved: great video on Play Political HERE of a version of the Bucks Fizz hit "Making your mind up" involving politicians and bloggers from all parties, with of course the important message: make sure you VOTE!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Something new changing the landscape; a few days ago we witnessed something different to what has gone before; something unexpected and utterly amazing: no, not Nick Clegg, although the Lib Dems have been dormant for a while it seems - until now - but not for 200 years, unlike the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland which woke up last month with a light and lava show before dozing again until a few days ago. Now, the continuing eruptions of ash is causing massive disruption and travel chaos throughout Europe (and a knock-on effect globally) on a scale I've never seen in my lifetime; there's enough on the news so suffice for me to just post the incredible image below (click to enlarge); it is "lightning caused by electrical discharge within the ash column". Taken from the Stromboli Online of the Swiss Education website. More, equally impressive pictures HERE.
For those really interested there is a chemical composition of the ash and the gas composition and flux report from the Institute of Earth Sciences HERE.
Mother Nature - just letting us know who's boss.
Something new changing the landscape; a few days ago we witnessed something different to what has gone before; something unexpected and utterly amazing: no, not Nick Clegg, although the Lib Dems have been dormant for a while it seems - until now - but not for 200 years, unlike the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland which woke up last month with a light and lava show before dozing again until a few days ago. Now, the continuing eruptions of ash is causing massive disruption and travel chaos throughout Europe (and a knock-on effect globally) on a scale I've never seen in my lifetime; there's enough on the news so suffice for me to just post the incredible image below (click to enlarge); it is "lightning caused by electrical discharge within the ash column". Taken from the Stromboli Online of the Swiss Education website. More, equally impressive pictures HERE.
For those really interested there is a chemical composition of the ash and the gas composition and flux report from the Institute of Earth Sciences HERE.
Mother Nature - just letting us know who's boss.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Only one option IV...
Cuts, cuts, cuts. But nobody's telling us how much they must really be; to be honest I think nobody really wants to listen! In case anyone missed it David Starkey was telling it how it is on the BBC's This Week programme. "They stopped government doing things...". Well worth a listen. (hat-tip Not a sheep).
UK debt is mounting by half a billion a day and that our of course this means debt interest payments are also sky-rocketing "by 2014-15, even on the government's optimistic projections, they will be £3,000 pa for every single household".
Note that HMT is the source! "One day we know there will be a terrible reckoning." Image and hat-tip Burning Our Money.
Also, off on a tangent, we can even blame Brown for the cost of petrol: the devaluation of the GBP - like all the borrowing and printing of vast sums of new money - "was an important element to protect an economy under tremendous pressure..."
"Brown has for his own short term political reasons blocked any credible medium term plan to be put forward to deal with the UK’s fiscal crisis. This adds daily to the level of pressure on the currency. International investors and the rating agencies understand this dynamic well and require the Pound to fall if they are to continue to provide funds to cover Brown’s borrowing. The situation is unsustainable, dangerous and rapidly deteriorating."
Only one option IV...
Cuts, cuts, cuts. But nobody's telling us how much they must really be; to be honest I think nobody really wants to listen! In case anyone missed it David Starkey was telling it how it is on the BBC's This Week programme. "They stopped government doing things...". Well worth a listen. (hat-tip Not a sheep).
UK debt is mounting by half a billion a day and that our of course this means debt interest payments are also sky-rocketing "by 2014-15, even on the government's optimistic projections, they will be £3,000 pa for every single household".
Note that HMT is the source! "One day we know there will be a terrible reckoning." Image and hat-tip Burning Our Money.
Also, off on a tangent, we can even blame Brown for the cost of petrol: the devaluation of the GBP - like all the borrowing and printing of vast sums of new money - "was an important element to protect an economy under tremendous pressure..."
"Brown has for his own short term political reasons blocked any credible medium term plan to be put forward to deal with the UK’s fiscal crisis. This adds daily to the level of pressure on the currency. International investors and the rating agencies understand this dynamic well and require the Pound to fall if they are to continue to provide funds to cover Brown’s borrowing. The situation is unsustainable, dangerous and rapidly deteriorating."
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Jury Team commissioned YouGov to discover how people would vote when given the opportunity to do so in various referenda. They found that 60% of people in England were in favour of setting up an English parliament, with only 20% against. The chart below represents opinion across the whole of Britain, including Scotland where 41% were in favour of an English parliament (2058 adults surveyed in September 2009).
Support for an English parliament is strong. In fact support for an English parliament is stronger than support for the Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat parties. And according to the polls conducted by YouGov [PDF] on behalf of The Jury Team support for an English Parliament is stronger than support for proportional representation.
The Jury Team commissioned YouGov to discover how people would vote when given the opportunity to do so in various referenda. They found that 60% of people in England were in favour of setting up an English parliament, with only 20% against. The chart below represents opinion across the whole of Britain, including Scotland where 41% were in favour of an English parliament (2058 adults surveyed in September 2009).
Support for an English parliament is strong. In fact support for an English parliament is stronger than support for the Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat parties. And according to the polls conducted by YouGov [PDF] on behalf of The Jury Team support for an English Parliament is stronger than support for proportional representation.
Monday, April 12, 2010
In other news Gordon Brown says that the Labour party would be 'useless and relentless performers' and were 'ready to answer the call of the few, cha.' He also pledged 'fare taxes' and 'to erase the minimum wage'. Well, that's what I heard. ;-)What we will not hear much about though, to judge by the way this campaign has gone so far, is debt, the black hole that deepens with every deficit. Or DEBT! as it rightly should be written every time. It’s as if the parties and leaders have decided to ignore the issue for the duration, for fear of putting off the voters. From Labour this is no surprise. Gordon Brown has no interest in being interested in the issue, and even considers it an economic virtue, a price worth paying to save us from economic collapse. To address DEBT! and what must be done about it would be to draw attention to his record of spending recklessness dating back to the good times of 2002-3.
Nick Robinson asks if election manifestos matter while Iain Dale shows that, beyond any doubt, Labour's Manifestos aren't worth a damn.
In other news Gordon Brown says that the Labour party would be 'useless and relentless performers' and were 'ready to answer the call of the few, cha.' He also pledged 'fare taxes' and 'to erase the minimum wage'. Well, that's what I heard. ;-)What we will not hear much about though, to judge by the way this campaign has gone so far, is debt, the black hole that deepens with every deficit. Or DEBT! as it rightly should be written every time. It’s as if the parties and leaders have decided to ignore the issue for the duration, for fear of putting off the voters. From Labour this is no surprise. Gordon Brown has no interest in being interested in the issue, and even considers it an economic virtue, a price worth paying to save us from economic collapse. To address DEBT! and what must be done about it would be to draw attention to his record of spending recklessness dating back to the good times of 2002-3.
Nick Robinson asks if election manifestos matter while Iain Dale shows that, beyond any doubt, Labour's Manifestos aren't worth a damn.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Organ options. Obscene oncology outrage...
The other is an absolute disgrace, "Labour hit by cancer leaflet row." [Times] Labour start to sink further than even we thought they could. More from Dizzy (who posted a great blog on this political football last week) and Iain Dale. Apparently Labour have since said they 'would never specifically target anyone with a medical condition' and yet, by complete coicidence, that's where their leaflets went. As Dizzy says in his update:
Highly targeted marketing or a crude, tasteless, despicable, crass political low?People wondering how they managed to target these people, it was done by using anonymous data mashup from Experian to work out roughly where someone with cancer lives. They hold anonymous hospital data with postcodes and medical diagnosis. Think of it like a shotgun being targeted at a door but the pellets spread out and hit many targets in a specific area.
However, saying this, one of the people that received the mailshot did so whilst her 50 neighbours sharing the postcode did not. So perhaps from a data point of view there is slightly more to this than meets the eye.
Update 12/04/10: There's more (Hat-tip Conservative Home) "In a related development, the Times' Sam Coates has posted a shocking story online about how Labour have obtained GPs' confidential email addresses and are contacting them to try and get their backing at the election."
Organ options. Obscene oncology outrage...
The other is an absolute disgrace, "Labour hit by cancer leaflet row." [Times] Labour start to sink further than even we thought they could. More from Dizzy (who posted a great blog on this political football last week) and Iain Dale. Apparently Labour have since said they 'would never specifically target anyone with a medical condition' and yet, by complete coicidence, that's where their leaflets went. As Dizzy says in his update:
Highly targeted marketing or a crude, tasteless, despicable, crass political low?People wondering how they managed to target these people, it was done by using anonymous data mashup from Experian to work out roughly where someone with cancer lives. They hold anonymous hospital data with postcodes and medical diagnosis. Think of it like a shotgun being targeted at a door but the pellets spread out and hit many targets in a specific area.
However, saying this, one of the people that received the mailshot did so whilst her 50 neighbours sharing the postcode did not. So perhaps from a data point of view there is slightly more to this than meets the eye.
Update 12/04/10: There's more (Hat-tip Conservative Home) "In a related development, the Times' Sam Coates has posted a shocking story online about how Labour have obtained GPs' confidential email addresses and are contacting them to try and get their backing at the election."
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Optimistic opinions...
Optimistic opinions...
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
Outstanding...outstanding...
Roughly translated: Messi is above all Messi FC. He made a nightime snack of Arsenal with a spectacular monologue of football and goals; the team, struck by injuries, suspensions and a congested timetable, needed a figure like Messi. The night called for a saviour in times of resurrection and the Flea appeared.Messi es sobre todo Messi FC. Se merendó al Arsenal con un monólogo espectacular por sus jugadas, por sus goles, por su ascendente sobre un equipo rebajado por las bajas, exigido por el calendario, necesitado de una figura como la de Messi. La noche pedÃa un redentor en tiempos de resurrección y apareció la pulga*.
Messi es un genio del fútbol. Acabada la jornada, recogió la pelota y no será noticia hasta el próximo partido. Que nadie le pregunte nada ni busque sus declaraciones porque la pulga solo se explica en el patio de recreo
Messi is a football genius. After the game, he picked up the ball and he won't be news until the next game. Nobody asks him anything nor look for him to say anything; [and with reference to him being like a child only interested in playing]: the Flea says it all on the playground.
Update: great Getty image HERE of the kid taking his ball from the playground and the beaten bigger kids looking pissed off!
Outstanding...outstanding...
Roughly translated: Messi is above all Messi FC. He made a nightime snack of Arsenal with a spectacular monologue of football and goals; the team, struck by injuries, suspensions and a congested timetable, needed a figure like Messi. The night called for a saviour in times of resurrection and the Flea appeared.Messi es sobre todo Messi FC. Se merendó al Arsenal con un monólogo espectacular por sus jugadas, por sus goles, por su ascendente sobre un equipo rebajado por las bajas, exigido por el calendario, necesitado de una figura como la de Messi. La noche pedÃa un redentor en tiempos de resurrección y apareció la pulga*.
Messi es un genio del fútbol. Acabada la jornada, recogió la pelota y no será noticia hasta el próximo partido. Que nadie le pregunte nada ni busque sus declaraciones porque la pulga solo se explica en el patio de recreo
Messi is a football genius. After the game, he picked up the ball and he won't be news until the next game. Nobody asks him anything nor look for him to say anything; [and with reference to him being like a child only interested in playing]: the Flea says it all on the playground.
Update: great Getty image HERE of the kid taking his ball from the playground and the beaten bigger kids looking pissed off!
Outrageous overspending III...
...say Spiked. I suspect it will be more because they spent a record of 30 million quid in January...a million quid every day. That record lasted until February when the spent 35 million! Comically Labour say they will reduce this by 25% over two years...well it went up 35% in 08/09 and another 10% this year so they're not really promising much are they? Pure coincidence the election is due. Arseholes."Despite the recession, the government spent £211million on advertising in 2008/9, a 35 per cent increase on the previous year. That looks set to rise to £232million in 2009/10. The advertising industry has hailed the government as its 'lifeblood' and has rewarded the Central Office of Information (COI) with numerous accolades, including 'advertiser of the year' and 'advertiser of the decade'"
Outrageous overspending III...
...say Spiked. I suspect it will be more because they spent a record of 30 million quid in January...a million quid every day. That record lasted until February when the spent 35 million! Comically Labour say they will reduce this by 25% over two years...well it went up 35% in 08/09 and another 10% this year so they're not really promising much are they? Pure coincidence the election is due. Arseholes."Despite the recession, the government spent £211million on advertising in 2008/9, a 35 per cent increase on the previous year. That looks set to rise to £232million in 2009/10. The advertising industry has hailed the government as its 'lifeblood' and has rewarded the Central Office of Information (COI) with numerous accolades, including 'advertiser of the year' and 'advertiser of the decade'"