I was interested by the headline on the BBC website saying that "Livingstone Hints at Run in 2012".
What do you think he'll do, the relay, the marathon or something else?
Of course not, this seems to be a reference to whether he will stand for re-election or not in 2012.
Now I don't want to come over all negative, but don't you think Ken would be better advised getting the current election out of the way first?
As someone who backs Ken (and even if I didn't, someone has told me that I do, so I must), the thought of having Boris as Mayor for 4 years scares the living daylights out of me.
I can't believe London would be stupid enough to vote for Boris, but we'll see, won't we?
-
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Having Healthier Meetings
It's very hard to stay fit and healthy when you have meetings every night and basically whenever you have a spare second. Meetings are not good for the physique.
And let's face it, my physique wasn't that great to begin with!
Being a local representative (or being chosen for any elected position) is a great honour, a great responsibility and in most cases a great experience.
I do try and stay as fit as possible. When I was 16 I used to play or train for football 6 times a week - and on my day off, I used to play table-tennis. Now I am lucky to play once every couple of weeks.
And when I try to cram 2 games into a day, or 3 in 2 days, it's a disaster for my poor little body.
And obviously, I use the word "little" wrongly in that instance.
So it's about trying to do regular exercise in my spare time. I have an exercise bike and a rowing machine - no, not that sort of rowing machine - in my room. I like to use them when I can, but take tonight, I go to work first thing in the morning, then get back and have a meeting at 6pm at the Council. I then have another meeting at the Council at 7.30pm that runs to 9.30pm. By the time I get home, I guess my neighbours wouldn't be too happy about hearing my rowing machine clanking backwards and forwards.
So what is the solution?
Well, I jokingly said it at my meeting tonight but it's not a bad idea. Exercise bikes for Councillors to use at meetings. Why not? We can still listen to debates and make interjections, make notes and so forth but do a bit for our health too.
I tell you what, why don't we wire the bikes up to the electricity system so the Councillors can power the lighting and the air conditioning? That would help the environment, and is a green solution!
The only thing you would have to worry about is if some bright spark (pardon the pun) rigged up the bikes so the current flowed the other way. That would be quite a shock, wouldn't it?
I'm sure we'd see a lot more Councillors jumping up and down at meetings one way or the other. :-)
-
(Photo Source: Kirk, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Stationary_bicycle.jpg)
And let's face it, my physique wasn't that great to begin with!
Being a local representative (or being chosen for any elected position) is a great honour, a great responsibility and in most cases a great experience.
I do try and stay as fit as possible. When I was 16 I used to play or train for football 6 times a week - and on my day off, I used to play table-tennis. Now I am lucky to play once every couple of weeks.
And when I try to cram 2 games into a day, or 3 in 2 days, it's a disaster for my poor little body.
And obviously, I use the word "little" wrongly in that instance.
So it's about trying to do regular exercise in my spare time. I have an exercise bike and a rowing machine - no, not that sort of rowing machine - in my room. I like to use them when I can, but take tonight, I go to work first thing in the morning, then get back and have a meeting at 6pm at the Council. I then have another meeting at the Council at 7.30pm that runs to 9.30pm. By the time I get home, I guess my neighbours wouldn't be too happy about hearing my rowing machine clanking backwards and forwards.
So what is the solution?
Well, I jokingly said it at my meeting tonight but it's not a bad idea. Exercise bikes for Councillors to use at meetings. Why not? We can still listen to debates and make interjections, make notes and so forth but do a bit for our health too.
I tell you what, why don't we wire the bikes up to the electricity system so the Councillors can power the lighting and the air conditioning? That would help the environment, and is a green solution!
The only thing you would have to worry about is if some bright spark (pardon the pun) rigged up the bikes so the current flowed the other way. That would be quite a shock, wouldn't it?
I'm sure we'd see a lot more Councillors jumping up and down at meetings one way or the other. :-)
-
(Photo Source: Kirk, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Stationary_bicycle.jpg)
The Mad Attacks Of Racists
So since the announcement of the local elections I seem to have attracted some mad BNP commenter/s to this website. (At least it keeps them off the streets, I suppose.)
Apart from their racist attack on anyone they perceive to be foreign or an immigrant, let's look at their three most recent attack lines against me:
1) Council Tax rises locally are down to Labour and that the services provided are not good enough considering those rises.
A standard attack line, but fatally flawed due to the fact that there is a 0% Council Tax rise in Three Rivers this year!
So even ZERO PERCENT was too high?
I'm sorry but the BNP have nothing interesting or constructive to say about the problems facing South Oxhey. They don't know what is going on locally, have been doing nothing to help local people, and don't have any solutions - except suggesting stopping immigrants coming into the country, which the Council has no control over anyway.
2) We should support the position held by Ashely Mote the Independent MEP for the South East, including his views on the Labour Party.
This is the same Ashley Mote who was sent to prison for being a benefits cheat?
The man who was too right wing even for UKIP? You are having a laugh now, aren't you?
3) The Minimum Wage is not high enough, so we should vote for a party that would abolish the Minimum Wage. What we need is a living wage. Kerron is a "bearded tree hugging liberal, a typical labour candidate" who does nothing on these issues.
Except of course regular readers will know that I (along with other Labour activists) have campaigned not only for the introduction of the Minimum Wage, but the introduction of a living wage and better workers' rights for the lowest paid. Time and time again - and that is why we not only got better workers rights, sick pay, pension entitlement and Minimum Wage protection for those being exploited, but also increases to the level of the Minimum Wage.
And do you know what, I didn't see one BNP activist out on those protests and campaigns. I wonder why.
The BNP are just a sick joke, the only people they serve are themselves and those who share the same warped view of the world. They can't even make a decent argument for what they believe in.
It's sad really.
-
Apart from their racist attack on anyone they perceive to be foreign or an immigrant, let's look at their three most recent attack lines against me:
1) Council Tax rises locally are down to Labour and that the services provided are not good enough considering those rises.
A standard attack line, but fatally flawed due to the fact that there is a 0% Council Tax rise in Three Rivers this year!
So even ZERO PERCENT was too high?
I'm sorry but the BNP have nothing interesting or constructive to say about the problems facing South Oxhey. They don't know what is going on locally, have been doing nothing to help local people, and don't have any solutions - except suggesting stopping immigrants coming into the country, which the Council has no control over anyway.
2) We should support the position held by Ashely Mote the Independent MEP for the South East, including his views on the Labour Party.
This is the same Ashley Mote who was sent to prison for being a benefits cheat?
The man who was too right wing even for UKIP? You are having a laugh now, aren't you?
3) The Minimum Wage is not high enough, so we should vote for a party that would abolish the Minimum Wage. What we need is a living wage. Kerron is a "bearded tree hugging liberal, a typical labour candidate" who does nothing on these issues.
Except of course regular readers will know that I (along with other Labour activists) have campaigned not only for the introduction of the Minimum Wage, but the introduction of a living wage and better workers' rights for the lowest paid. Time and time again - and that is why we not only got better workers rights, sick pay, pension entitlement and Minimum Wage protection for those being exploited, but also increases to the level of the Minimum Wage.
And do you know what, I didn't see one BNP activist out on those protests and campaigns. I wonder why.
The BNP are just a sick joke, the only people they serve are themselves and those who share the same warped view of the world. They can't even make a decent argument for what they believe in.
It's sad really.
-
Labour's Mini-Revival
I like the smell of a good opinion poll in the morning.
The latest ICM/Telegraph Poll makes interesting reading today.
Yes, the Tories still have a massive lead in the poll - not surprising for the major opposition party, mid-term against a party in it's third term in Government - but there seems to be a mini-recovery for Labour, which I am sure will cheer up a few in the red camp.
The topline figures, with changes from the last ICM poll a fortnight ago, are CON 43%(+1), LAB 32%(+3), LDEM 18%(-3).
However I am particularly intrigued by the Scottish polling. In the Scottish YouGov poll, it showed Westminster voting intentions in Scotland were as follows:
CON 17%, LAB 35%, LDEM 12%, SNP 31% - so a 4 point lead for Labour over the SNP.
However in the Scottish Parliament voting intentions stand at:
CON 12%, LAB 32%, LDEM 13%, SNP 40% in the constituency vote and CON 13%, LAB 30%, LDEM 12%, SNP 33% in the list vote - that's an 8 point lead and 3 point lead for the SNP respectively in the Holyrood elections.
Can anyone think why that might be? Not me. ;-)
-
The latest ICM/Telegraph Poll makes interesting reading today.
Yes, the Tories still have a massive lead in the poll - not surprising for the major opposition party, mid-term against a party in it's third term in Government - but there seems to be a mini-recovery for Labour, which I am sure will cheer up a few in the red camp.
The topline figures, with changes from the last ICM poll a fortnight ago, are CON 43%(+1), LAB 32%(+3), LDEM 18%(-3).
However I am particularly intrigued by the Scottish polling. In the Scottish YouGov poll, it showed Westminster voting intentions in Scotland were as follows:
CON 17%, LAB 35%, LDEM 12%, SNP 31% - so a 4 point lead for Labour over the SNP.
However in the Scottish Parliament voting intentions stand at:
CON 12%, LAB 32%, LDEM 13%, SNP 40% in the constituency vote and CON 13%, LAB 30%, LDEM 12%, SNP 33% in the list vote - that's an 8 point lead and 3 point lead for the SNP respectively in the Holyrood elections.
Can anyone think why that might be? Not me. ;-)
-
Cameron Diaz's Dad Dies Suddenly
TMZ has learned that Cameron Diaz's father died suddenly early this morning.
We're told the 58-year-old Emilio Diaz, a popular resident of Seal Beach, Calif., recently developed the flu which then turned into pneumonia. We hear his death was "shocking" as Emilio was in "terrific health." Diaz is currently filming her upcoming flick "My Sister's Keeper." A source on the set tells us production on the film was shut down today.
Emilio was a second generation Cuban-American who worked as a foreman for an oil company. He had a bit part in his daughter's film "There's Something About Mary" as "Jailbird."
Problems With Admin At Anglia?
Having watched this video tonight, I had to have a little chuckle to myself.
Problems with admin at Anglia Ruskin University? Surely not.
As you may know, I graduated from Anglia Ruskin University about 10 years ago. It was called Anglia Polytechnic University then - the only Polytechnic in the the country at the time, and I used to joke that it was there on merit - at least now they've managed to change the name, if not some of the problems people experience.
The university itself has been immortalised on TV twice as far as I am aware. Once when Griff Rhys Jones played a lecturer in Wilt (the writer was a lectuerer at the Poly) and once in The Young Ones as "Scumbag Poly" in the University Challenge edition against "Footlights College, Oxbridge".
Don't get me wrong, I loved my university years. The lecturers were great, the courses were brilliant and the staff were always friendly and accommodating. There were no pretentions and the uni years were undoubtedly some of the best of my life.
But the one thing that let it down was admin. Well admin and organisation - two things.
The two week wait for a timetable was not unusual in my day. I can remember in 1995, my first year at university, that one student did not get his timetable till week 6. Now that may sound quite bad, but it is worth remembering that at that we had 12 week terms at that time!
I had presumed that these were passing problems, or that it was a problem experienced by an individual student - indeed I have nothing to suggest the problems were widespread. However what a good university should do is talk to the student and resolve the matter amicably.
The fact that this current student seems to have been threatened with legal action and banned from the campus seems a massive over-reaction. Anglia, please sort this situation out - you currently have a reputation as a good university that puts it's students needs (academic and personal) first - and this row will do nothing for any of the people concerned.
-
(BTW did you know that Tory donor Michael Ashcroft not only went to Anglia back in the day, he has been Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University since November 2001, and has donated £5 million for the university's business school at Chelmsford, now called Ashcroft International Business School. I did, but most people I talk to didn't. I am sure that has absolutely nothing to do with the outrage being expressed on the Tory blogs today.)
Problems with admin at Anglia Ruskin University? Surely not.
As you may know, I graduated from Anglia Ruskin University about 10 years ago. It was called Anglia Polytechnic University then - the only Polytechnic in the the country at the time, and I used to joke that it was there on merit - at least now they've managed to change the name, if not some of the problems people experience.
The university itself has been immortalised on TV twice as far as I am aware. Once when Griff Rhys Jones played a lecturer in Wilt (the writer was a lectuerer at the Poly) and once in The Young Ones as "Scumbag Poly" in the University Challenge edition against "Footlights College, Oxbridge".
Don't get me wrong, I loved my university years. The lecturers were great, the courses were brilliant and the staff were always friendly and accommodating. There were no pretentions and the uni years were undoubtedly some of the best of my life.
But the one thing that let it down was admin. Well admin and organisation - two things.
The two week wait for a timetable was not unusual in my day. I can remember in 1995, my first year at university, that one student did not get his timetable till week 6. Now that may sound quite bad, but it is worth remembering that at that we had 12 week terms at that time!
I had presumed that these were passing problems, or that it was a problem experienced by an individual student - indeed I have nothing to suggest the problems were widespread. However what a good university should do is talk to the student and resolve the matter amicably.
The fact that this current student seems to have been threatened with legal action and banned from the campus seems a massive over-reaction. Anglia, please sort this situation out - you currently have a reputation as a good university that puts it's students needs (academic and personal) first - and this row will do nothing for any of the people concerned.
-
(BTW did you know that Tory donor Michael Ashcroft not only went to Anglia back in the day, he has been Chancellor of Anglia Ruskin University since November 2001, and has donated £5 million for the university's business school at Chelmsford, now called Ashcroft International Business School. I did, but most people I talk to didn't. I am sure that has absolutely nothing to do with the outrage being expressed on the Tory blogs today.)
Joseph A. Palermo: "That Boy's Finger Does Not Need to Be on the Button"
While the putatively "liberal" media hyperventilate about a few words Barack Obama uttered in San Francisco last Sunday, lost in the din were the remarks at a fundraising dinner for Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and his compatriot Representative Geoff Davis who represents the good people of Northern Kentucky. Senator McConnell called Obama "incredibly naive" and Representative Davis called him a "snake oil salesman." But the truly offensive and, yes, "elitist," statement came from Davis when he said: "I'm going to tell you something. That boy's finger does not need to be on the button."
The good news is that Davis's campaign manager, immediately recognizing the racist nature of his boss's words, delivered an unambiguous apology to Obama's Senate office. The bad news is that the reconstituted Solid South under one-party Republican rule has not shaken its old Jim Crow roots.
This incident demonstrates why Obama is a powerful candidate for the general election. I mean, when was the last time you heard a Republican "apologize" for anything that comes out of his or her mouth? The GOP's Southern wing must be careful to silence its instinctive racism. Karl Rove's voter suppression tactics targeting African Americans are well documented. Remember John McCain's "black baby?" How about the "hands" political ad for Jesse Helms or the Willie Horton ad for Bush the Elder? Allen Raymond, the turncoat Republican operative, spilled the beans on the racist tactics the GOP is now expert at deploying.
And what about the high-flying Republican governor of Mississippi Haley Barbour? He's a former chair of the Republican National Committee, and he is always yucking it up with the Council of Conservative Citizens. The CC of C is the reconstituted "White Citizens Councils" of yesteryear during the era of racial segregation, and guess what, they're all Republicans. George W. Bush campaigned for Barbour in 2003 even though the CC of C had splashed photos of Barbour attending one of their barbeques all over its web site.
I guarantee you that if Obama is the Democratic Party's nominee the CC of C types inside the Republican Party are going to be difficult to muzzle because the thought of a black man with his "finger on the button" is just too much for them to bear. Congressman Geoff Davis just exposed the tip of the iceberg.
I'm So Worried About The Baggage Retrieval System They've Got At Heathrow
As something of a worrier by nature and a fan of Monty Python, I have always enjoyed the Terry Jones song I'm So Worried.
As a youngster listening to this song, I probably shared many of the fears being sung about in the song. However I never really got the reference to "the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow". This was mainly due to the fact that we could never have afforded to fly anywhere when I was that age - the most exotic holiday I can remember was the annual trip (by train and boat) to the Isle of Man - so the observation rather went over my head.
It's funny how 30-40 years on the song is probably at its aptest this week. You take your luggage to Heathrow and it ends up in Milan!
How post-modern, we are now getting to the stage where your luggage gets a better holiday than you do as a passenger.
Yes, I'm so worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow. :-/
Let's just hope it's not a "terminal" problem. ;-)
-
As a youngster listening to this song, I probably shared many of the fears being sung about in the song. However I never really got the reference to "the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow". This was mainly due to the fact that we could never have afforded to fly anywhere when I was that age - the most exotic holiday I can remember was the annual trip (by train and boat) to the Isle of Man - so the observation rather went over my head.
It's funny how 30-40 years on the song is probably at its aptest this week. You take your luggage to Heathrow and it ends up in Milan!
How post-modern, we are now getting to the stage where your luggage gets a better holiday than you do as a passenger.
Yes, I'm so worried about the baggage retrieval system they've got at Heathrow. :-/
Let's just hope it's not a "terminal" problem. ;-)
-
Alicia Keys Backtracks On Gangsta Rap Conspiracy Claims
NEW YORK — Alicia Keys says she's not a conspiracy theorist. In a statement issued Tuesday, Keys said she was clarifying "comments that were made during my recent Blender magazine interview since they have been misrepresented."
According to an interview in the magazine's May issue, the 27-year-old singer says: "`Gangsta rap' was a ploy to convince black people to kill each other. `Gangsta rap' didn't exist." She also is quoted as saying that she wears a gold AK-47 pendant around her neck "to symbolize strength, power and killing 'em dead."
"We stand by our story," Blender spokeswoman Kate Cafaro told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
"My comments about `gangsta rap' were in no way trying to suggest that the government is responsible for creating this genre of rap music," Keys said in a statement issued by J Records. "The point that I was trying to make was that the term was oversloganized by some of the media causing reactions that were not always positive. Many of the `gangsta rap' lyrics articulate the problems of the artists' experiences and I think all of us, including our leaders, could be doing more to address these problems including drugs, gang violence, crime, and other related social issues."
As for the AK-47 remark, Keys said Tuesday that AK-47 is a nickname given to her by friends "as an acronym for Alicia Keys and a metaphor for wowing people with my music and performances, `killing 'em dead' on stage. The reference was in no way meant to have a literal, political or negative connotation."
When AP attempted to reach Keys last week about the Blender interview, her publicist, Theola Borden, said the singer was on vacation and unavailable for comment.
The multiplatinum star behind the hits "Fallin'" and "No One" most recently had success with her latest CD, "As I Am," which has sold 3.4 million copies, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
___
On the Net:
Blender:
http://www.blender.com/
Alicia Keys:
http://www.aliciakeys.com/
Are Watford Flagging?
So the eyes of the world (and the news media) turned to Watford today - that doesn't happen every day.
I am sure you are as interested as I am in what went on, so here is a quick summary.
Watford versus Coventry City at Vicarage Road stadium...
You may think with the long win-less run Watford are on at the moment that Aidy Boothroyd, and the powers that be at the club, may be panicking a bit - but not a bit of it.
It was therefore completely coincidental that with public support on the terraces beginning to ebb away as quickly as confidence on the pitch that the club invested in thousands of yellow Watford flags to be draped over the fans seats when they came in.
It was also a risky gesture. Yes, a victory and the fans would wave them joyously in the air singing the team's praises, but a defeat would surely have seen fans telling the club exactly where they could stick their flags!
The flags themselves gave a rather interesting message - aside from the one about the board panicking about the fans losing the faith with project Boothroyd - emblazoned with the phrase "Who are we? Watford". Given the poor run of late, and the awful nature of the fare being served up "Why are we Watford?" may have been more apt.
Self belief is something that Aidy has in abundance. He probably just thought that the fans needed a little shoring up ahead of the game against such a strong opposition, languishing as they are just above the Championship relegation zone. And therefore we didn't just have the flags, we had Harry the 8ft Hornet mascot striking a penalty into the (empty) net at the Rookery end before performing a carefully executed slide in the mud towards the advertising hoardings before running in amongst the fans on the terraces.
At that point I thought Harry may have ripped his oversized furry head off to reveal he was Aidy, but no such luck.
Still the "entertainment" continued. A man with an air powered bazooka started firing Watford t-shirts into the crowd. The words "health" and "safety" flashed large in my mind. Could you imagine someone being struck with one of these and then suing the club for a few thousand pound in the courts for the strain, injury and stress caused by such an incident.
If Danny Webber had still been at the club, the injury prone striker probably would have got injured and missed the rest of the season just by looking at the man firing a bazooka!
The crowd looked on rather bemused. The problem hasn't been with the affable nature of the manager and his players, rather the poor performances on the pitch and a lack of decent results (meaning a lack of points). In fact Aidy may well have been better served by sticking Jordan Stewart, Nathan Ellington or Steve Kabba into a bazooka and firing them into the hands of the waiting fans - that would have pleased far more people, and would have been cheaper to do as a simple good will gesture.
With the flags, the performing mascot and the t-shirt firing bazooka, I did wonder at this point whether we were going to go the whole hog and have unicycling jugglers at half time - but fortunately this was not necessary as by this point Watford had taken the lead through Ellington's mis-hit 25 yard effort that pee-rolled into the net in slow motion.
However even Watford players seemed unable to believe that they might actually win a game, and in the second half a rather toothless Coventry were allowed to draw level. In fact they had numerous chances to win the game - one particularly gilt-edged chance 10 mins from time, that proved costly as Watford retrieved the ball and went up the other end, waited for a defender to completely miss the ball and Tommy Smith ran in a flukey winner.
Boothroyd must have sighed in relief. Otherwise you feel the bill for pre-match entertainment at the Barnsley game in midweek could be astronomical! However the important thing is the long win-less run is over and tomorrow is a new day.
Oh yes, in other less important news a bunch of world leaders - including the Prime Minister - were speaking at a conference at The Grove in Watford. However I don't think any of them managed to make it to the game.
I bet they are kicking themselves for missing out on a free flag/t-shirt!
-
I am sure you are as interested as I am in what went on, so here is a quick summary.
Watford versus Coventry City at Vicarage Road stadium...
You may think with the long win-less run Watford are on at the moment that Aidy Boothroyd, and the powers that be at the club, may be panicking a bit - but not a bit of it.
It was therefore completely coincidental that with public support on the terraces beginning to ebb away as quickly as confidence on the pitch that the club invested in thousands of yellow Watford flags to be draped over the fans seats when they came in.
It was also a risky gesture. Yes, a victory and the fans would wave them joyously in the air singing the team's praises, but a defeat would surely have seen fans telling the club exactly where they could stick their flags!
The flags themselves gave a rather interesting message - aside from the one about the board panicking about the fans losing the faith with project Boothroyd - emblazoned with the phrase "Who are we? Watford". Given the poor run of late, and the awful nature of the fare being served up "Why are we Watford?" may have been more apt.
Self belief is something that Aidy has in abundance. He probably just thought that the fans needed a little shoring up ahead of the game against such a strong opposition, languishing as they are just above the Championship relegation zone. And therefore we didn't just have the flags, we had Harry the 8ft Hornet mascot striking a penalty into the (empty) net at the Rookery end before performing a carefully executed slide in the mud towards the advertising hoardings before running in amongst the fans on the terraces.
At that point I thought Harry may have ripped his oversized furry head off to reveal he was Aidy, but no such luck.
Still the "entertainment" continued. A man with an air powered bazooka started firing Watford t-shirts into the crowd. The words "health" and "safety" flashed large in my mind. Could you imagine someone being struck with one of these and then suing the club for a few thousand pound in the courts for the strain, injury and stress caused by such an incident.
If Danny Webber had still been at the club, the injury prone striker probably would have got injured and missed the rest of the season just by looking at the man firing a bazooka!
The crowd looked on rather bemused. The problem hasn't been with the affable nature of the manager and his players, rather the poor performances on the pitch and a lack of decent results (meaning a lack of points). In fact Aidy may well have been better served by sticking Jordan Stewart, Nathan Ellington or Steve Kabba into a bazooka and firing them into the hands of the waiting fans - that would have pleased far more people, and would have been cheaper to do as a simple good will gesture.
With the flags, the performing mascot and the t-shirt firing bazooka, I did wonder at this point whether we were going to go the whole hog and have unicycling jugglers at half time - but fortunately this was not necessary as by this point Watford had taken the lead through Ellington's mis-hit 25 yard effort that pee-rolled into the net in slow motion.
However even Watford players seemed unable to believe that they might actually win a game, and in the second half a rather toothless Coventry were allowed to draw level. In fact they had numerous chances to win the game - one particularly gilt-edged chance 10 mins from time, that proved costly as Watford retrieved the ball and went up the other end, waited for a defender to completely miss the ball and Tommy Smith ran in a flukey winner.
Boothroyd must have sighed in relief. Otherwise you feel the bill for pre-match entertainment at the Barnsley game in midweek could be astronomical! However the important thing is the long win-less run is over and tomorrow is a new day.
Oh yes, in other less important news a bunch of world leaders - including the Prime Minister - were speaking at a conference at The Grove in Watford. However I don't think any of them managed to make it to the game.
I bet they are kicking themselves for missing out on a free flag/t-shirt!
-
Jamal Dajani: Obama Bin Laden?
Here we go again! Dean Singleton, a publisher, founder of the NewsMedia newspaper group and chairman of the board of the Associated Press news agency, had a question for presidential candidate Barack Obama about his policy on Afghanistan.
"Can you imagine shifting a substantial number (of US troops from Iraq) to Afghanistan where the Taliban has been gaining strength and Obama Bin Laden is still at large?"
I thought Obama handled it well as he calmly replied, "I think that was Osama bin Laden."
Mr. Singleton clutching his head, answers: "If I did that, I'm so sorry."
Now Obama could have said, "It's Obama you moron." But he did not. Or he could have fired back and screamed, "Now you know why people are bitter...because of idiots like you." But he didn't.
Anyways, Arab media was entertained...
Jamal Dajani produces the Mosaic Intelligence Report at Link TV
Watch: Obama a Winner in the Middle East
Local Elections - Temporary Alterations
As we are now into the local election period, I am legally obliged to put on an "imprint" on this site - which I have done above - but it is worth saying:
a) This website is not a campaign website and should not be treated as such. The views contained in it remain my own personal views and are not necessarily the views of the Labour and Co-operative Parties, or other individuals, bodies or organisations I have connections to.
and
b) The imprint will come back down after the election, no matter the result.
Interesting that I have a BNP candidate standing against me - clearly they didn't have the intelligence/ability to stand in the wards they claimed they were going to.
Racism will never win the day and, as I have said previously, I hope that people in South Oxhey unite to defeat the vile BNP - as they always have done in the past.
-
(Image Source: The Labour Party)
a) This website is not a campaign website and should not be treated as such. The views contained in it remain my own personal views and are not necessarily the views of the Labour and Co-operative Parties, or other individuals, bodies or organisations I have connections to.
and
b) The imprint will come back down after the election, no matter the result.
Interesting that I have a BNP candidate standing against me - clearly they didn't have the intelligence/ability to stand in the wards they claimed they were going to.
Racism will never win the day and, as I have said previously, I hope that people in South Oxhey unite to defeat the vile BNP - as they always have done in the past.
-
(Image Source: The Labour Party)
Vote Match - They Are Thinking What You Are Thinking
Ever wondered which of the London Mayoral candidates you have most in common with?
Now, if you need someone to tell you how you might vote, you can take the test here.
Apparently if I did have a vote (which I don't), then I would vote for Ken Livingstone (which I can't), but if I did (which I won't), that is something I knew already.
As I say, brilliant invention.
-
(Photo Source: Ruddyell and G-Man, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Kenlivingstone.JPG)
Now, if you need someone to tell you how you might vote, you can take the test here.
Apparently if I did have a vote (which I don't), then I would vote for Ken Livingstone (which I can't), but if I did (which I won't), that is something I knew already.
As I say, brilliant invention.
-
(Photo Source: Ruddyell and G-Man, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Kenlivingstone.JPG)
Bravo: We're More Than Just "Runway"
Ms. Zalaznick played it cool and earnest during her network's upfront presentation to press this morning in New York. Of the lawsuit NBC Universal filed last week against the Weinstein Co. over the rights to "Project Runway," Ms. Zalaznick could only officially offer a "no comment." She pointed to reports from yesterday's Lifetime upfront, during which Harvey Weinstein offered three years of servitude to Jeff Zucker as a peace offering for moving Bravo's top-rated show to Lifetime.
"Harvey [Weinstein] was supposed to be here, but as you reported yesterday, Jeff [Zucker] has four kids to take to school, cars to drive and all those windows to clean, so he may not make it," Ms. Zalaznick said.
"Project Runway" will be back for one more season on Bravo in July. Also coming this summer are new seasons of "Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List," "Flipping Out" and "Shear Genius," with second seasons also on deck for "Top Design," "The Real Housewives of New York City" and "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style," slated for later in the year.
What's Your Favourite Eurovision Song?
I am a big fan of the Eurovision Song Contest and can't wait for the final next month in Belgrade (although I understand new European country Kosovo will not be taking part).
Yes, it's kitsch and a bit rubbish but isn't that one of the reasons we love it? (Well, that and Terry Wogan ripping it to shreds every year!) But I thought it might be fun to ask readers what their all time favourite Eurovision song is.
For British entries I find it hard to see beyond the brilliant dance routines and Spanish holiday entertainer costumes of Brotherhood of Man with Save Your Kisses For Me, or the sheer 80s-ness and skirt ripping of Bucks Fizz's Making Your Mind Up.
But outside of UK entries, my favourite from all my years of watching is undoubtedly Denmark's high-tempo folky foot-tapper from 2001, so I thought I'd share that with you.
Rollo & King - Never Ever Let You Go.
A Barenaked Ladies style track that somehow failed to win, despite having great harmonies, great lyrics, a harmonica interlude by a guy in a leather jacket, a beautiful woman doing a theatrical stage entrance halfway through and (most importantly) someone jauntily strumming a ukuelele!
Great atmosphere too, as the contest was in Copenhagen that year - although Estonia ended up winning with a much inferior song. Another example of rigged voting no doubt, that still pains me to this day...and they say it's all trivial? ;-)
Now, where did I put my ukuelele...
-
Yes, it's kitsch and a bit rubbish but isn't that one of the reasons we love it? (Well, that and Terry Wogan ripping it to shreds every year!) But I thought it might be fun to ask readers what their all time favourite Eurovision song is.
For British entries I find it hard to see beyond the brilliant dance routines and Spanish holiday entertainer costumes of Brotherhood of Man with Save Your Kisses For Me, or the sheer 80s-ness and skirt ripping of Bucks Fizz's Making Your Mind Up.
But outside of UK entries, my favourite from all my years of watching is undoubtedly Denmark's high-tempo folky foot-tapper from 2001, so I thought I'd share that with you.
Rollo & King - Never Ever Let You Go.
A Barenaked Ladies style track that somehow failed to win, despite having great harmonies, great lyrics, a harmonica interlude by a guy in a leather jacket, a beautiful woman doing a theatrical stage entrance halfway through and (most importantly) someone jauntily strumming a ukuelele!
Great atmosphere too, as the contest was in Copenhagen that year - although Estonia ended up winning with a much inferior song. Another example of rigged voting no doubt, that still pains me to this day...and they say it's all trivial? ;-)
Now, where did I put my ukuelele...
-
Campbell Brown Shows Off Baby Eli At Kiran Chetry's Baby Shower
I didn't even know you got a shower for your second baby!" said American Morning anchor Kiran Chetry, surveying the scene at a baby bash thrown in honor of her impending arrival. Chetry's CNN coworkers joined her for party at New York City's Sparty, where they enjoyed an eco-friendly afternoon of manicures, massages and plenty of baby talk.
MPs Videoed Swinging
With all that news of Nick Clegg-over possibly sleeping with up to 30 people, you have to worry when you hear that a couple of MPs have been videoed swinging.
But watch the evidence here.
It's a relief, isn't it?
I bet all those journos were just hoping beyond hope that one of them fell off - although I like Andy Burnham's heckle as Ed Balls jumps off:
"Can you hear the wood creaking there?"
With friends like that, eh...
Anyway, how smooth is Ed Balls' dismount? Two related questions:
1) Has he done this before.
2) Can we make it an Olympic Sport before 2012.
-
(Photo Source: Jon Pallbo, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:A_playground_swing.jpg)
But watch the evidence here.
It's a relief, isn't it?
I bet all those journos were just hoping beyond hope that one of them fell off - although I like Andy Burnham's heckle as Ed Balls jumps off:
"Can you hear the wood creaking there?"
With friends like that, eh...
Anyway, how smooth is Ed Balls' dismount? Two related questions:
1) Has he done this before.
2) Can we make it an Olympic Sport before 2012.
-
(Photo Source: Jon Pallbo, http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:A_playground_swing.jpg)
Arlen Specter Cancer Returns: Hodgkin's Disease Discovered By Doctors
"Senator Arlen Specter today announced that he has been diagnosed with an early recurrence of Hodgkin's disease," the senator's office announced in a statement today. "Hodgkin's disease is a cancer of the lymph system."
Senator Specter's recurrence was diagnosed based on a routine follow-up PET scan (Positron Emission Tomography) which showed small lymph nodes in his chest and abdomen. A follow-up biopsy of one of the chest lymph nodes was positive for recurrence. A bone marrow biopsy was negative.
Senator Specter has had no symptoms of Hodgkin's disease aside from the PET scan findings. Based on the location of the recurrence and the absence of symptoms, his lymphoma is considered stage IIIA. This is significantly less advanced than his Hodgkin's disease when it was originally diagnosed in 2005, when it was stage IVB. At that time, he was treated with 6 months of ABVD chemotherapy, and obtained a complete remission which lasted 3 years. Senator Specter will now receive the Stanford V protocol of chemotherapy weekly over the next 12 weeks.It is expected that Senator Specter will continue to perform all the duties of his office as well as his activities associated with his candidacy for re-election.
Senator Specter's oncologist, John H. Glick, M.D. of the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, said: "Senator Specter has an excellent chance of again achieving a complete remission of his Hodgkin's disease. Senator Specter's early diagnosis of his recurrent Hodgkin's disease has a five- year survival rate of 60 percent. He is in superb physical condition, with a normal physical examination and blood work, no symptoms of disease, plays squash regularly and follows a careful diet." Dr. Glick is Professor of Medicine at Penn and a nationally renowned expert in Hodgkin's disease.
Senator Specter said: "I was surprised by the PET scan findings because I have been feeling so good. I consider this just another bump on the road to a successful recovery from Hodgkin's, from which I've been symptom free for 3 years." Senator Specter had successful surgery for a brain tumor in 1993, which recurred in 1996 and was successfully treated. In 1998, in the middle of a re-election campaign, he underwent bypass surgery and post-operatively suffered cardiac arrest, from which he fully recovered. "I've beaten some tough medical problems and tough political opponents and I expect to beat this too. I look forward to getting through this treatment and continuing to serve the people of Pennsylvania," Specter said.
Specter recently published a book, "Never Give In: Battling Cancer in the Senate," chronicling his long-time struggle with Hodgkin's disease. During an appearance on "Hardball" with Chris Matthews earlier this month, Specter brought along a photo of himself shaking President Bush's hand to illustrate one of the lessons of his book.
In the photo a bald and visibly ill Specter can be seen shaking hands with a clearly reluctant Bush, who noticeably keeps his distance with his arm fully extended. "He's keeping you at arms length," Matthews laughed. Why was he doing so? Specter offered several theories of what might have been going through Bush's mind at that moment, for example: "He's the chairman, I guess I got to shake his hand."
Watch the clip.
MSNBC
Why MPs Halls Of Residence Will Not Catch On
With all the debates about Parliamentarians and their expenses at the moment, I was rather interested about the idea that was being mooted about creating halls of residence accommodation for the MPs.
Actually, only moderately interested, because there is no way on earth it is actually going to happen - even if MPs agreed to it (which they won't), the cost to provide the accommodation would be extortionate.
But for some reason it seems that cost has long gone out of the window as a prime motivator for suggested changes to the Parliamentary expenses system. Some people for example just want to show that expenses are not being abused - and don't actually care about any saving to the tax payer at all.
Take Theresa May's suggestion that to stop a minority of MPs "abusing" the £400 second home allowance (and when I say "abuse", I use that term in the sense of using an allowance completely within the rules that are set out) - she thinks the way that you stop that is to give all MPs a salary rise so they don't feel they have to abuse the system.
It is the rules that actually need looking at, not the perceived "abuse" of them, but May's proposal would actually cost the taxpayer more - and those MPs "abusing" the second home allowance would still be able to spend £400 on the things they did before (or anything else they want) and it's OK because it won't be termed as expenses!
The same is true with those advocating buying or building accommodation in Central London to house 65o-odd MPs and their families. How much do the Taxpayers' Alliance think that this idea will cost? I would have thought billions of pounds on current estimates. And then a massive sum on top for security measures to protect such an obvious terrorist target outside the secure area of the Parliamentary Estate. I suspect that the cost would be far higher than allowing MPs to claim for hotels in London or a contribution to the mortgage on a second home that we currently have.
And wouldn't having all these MPs living in halls of residence be a disaster waiting to happen?
Can you imagine elected members sitting around till 3 in the morning listening to Bob Marley and The Levellers, as David Cameron comes in and tells everyone to listen to his new whizzo album by The Smiths? Fine dining in the Commons replaced by snack bars selling kit-kats and pot noodles as people get the munchies? Debates in the House about who ate all the cheese in the fridge (that was clearly labelled), who's turn it is to top up the electricity meter and who's turn it is to do the washing up?
I think Parliament, and the country, should be saved from such a spectacle - but if it goes ahead, expect Endemol to want to buy the rights to televise a fly on the wall programme presented by Davina McCall/Dermot O'Leary. :-/
-
(Photo Source: Havaska, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hotnoodle.jpg)
Actually, only moderately interested, because there is no way on earth it is actually going to happen - even if MPs agreed to it (which they won't), the cost to provide the accommodation would be extortionate.
But for some reason it seems that cost has long gone out of the window as a prime motivator for suggested changes to the Parliamentary expenses system. Some people for example just want to show that expenses are not being abused - and don't actually care about any saving to the tax payer at all.
Take Theresa May's suggestion that to stop a minority of MPs "abusing" the £400 second home allowance (and when I say "abuse", I use that term in the sense of using an allowance completely within the rules that are set out) - she thinks the way that you stop that is to give all MPs a salary rise so they don't feel they have to abuse the system.
It is the rules that actually need looking at, not the perceived "abuse" of them, but May's proposal would actually cost the taxpayer more - and those MPs "abusing" the second home allowance would still be able to spend £400 on the things they did before (or anything else they want) and it's OK because it won't be termed as expenses!
The same is true with those advocating buying or building accommodation in Central London to house 65o-odd MPs and their families. How much do the Taxpayers' Alliance think that this idea will cost? I would have thought billions of pounds on current estimates. And then a massive sum on top for security measures to protect such an obvious terrorist target outside the secure area of the Parliamentary Estate. I suspect that the cost would be far higher than allowing MPs to claim for hotels in London or a contribution to the mortgage on a second home that we currently have.
And wouldn't having all these MPs living in halls of residence be a disaster waiting to happen?
Can you imagine elected members sitting around till 3 in the morning listening to Bob Marley and The Levellers, as David Cameron comes in and tells everyone to listen to his new whizzo album by The Smiths? Fine dining in the Commons replaced by snack bars selling kit-kats and pot noodles as people get the munchies? Debates in the House about who ate all the cheese in the fridge (that was clearly labelled), who's turn it is to top up the electricity meter and who's turn it is to do the washing up?
I think Parliament, and the country, should be saved from such a spectacle - but if it goes ahead, expect Endemol to want to buy the rights to televise a fly on the wall programme presented by Davina McCall/Dermot O'Leary. :-/
-
(Photo Source: Havaska, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hotnoodle.jpg)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)