I was sent this in an e-mail by my friend Louise. I don't often pass on these viral things but occasionally there's one that totally hits the spot and this is it. I have no idea where it originally came from, but if the writer wants to be credited, just get in touch:-). I will happily buy you a very large drink of your choice.
Anyone who has ever had any long term interaction with young children will recognise how spookily accurate this is. I particularly liked the sections on dressing and supermarket shopping. I was lucky enough to have one that slept - or at least if she did wake in the night she would just cuddle up to me and go back to sleep again, so there was no "wet bag" experience.
And to anyone who is thinking of having children, don't be put off - there are many, many rewards.
FOLLOW THESE 14 SIMPLE TESTS BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO HAVE CHILDREN.
Test 1 - Preparation
Women: To prepare for pregnancy:-
1. Put on a drressing gown and stick a beanbag down the front.
2. Leave it there.
3. After 9 months remove 5% of the beans.
Men: To prepare for children:-
1. Go to a local chemist, tip the contents of your wallet onto the counter and tell the pharmacist to help himself
2. Go to the supermarket. Arrange to have your salary paid directly to their head office.
3. Go home. Pick up the newspaper and read it for the last time.
Test 2 - Knowledge
Find a couple who are already parents and berate them about their methods of discipline, lack of patience, appallingly low tolerance levels and how they have allowed their children to run wild. Suggest ways in which
they might improve their child's sleeping habits, toilet training, table manners and overall behavior.
Enjoy it. It will be the last time in your life that you will have all the answers.
Test 3 - Nights
To discover how the nights will feel:
1. Walk around the living room from 5pm to 10pm carrying a wet bag weighing approximately 4 - 6kg, with a radio turned to static (or some other obnoxious sound) playing loudly.
2. At 10pm, put the bag down, set the alarm for midnight and go to sleep.
3. Get up at 11pm and walk the bag around the living room until 1am.
4. Set the alarm for 3am.
5. As you can't get back to sleep, get up at 2am and make a cup of tea.
6. Go to bed at 2.45am.
7. Get up again at 3am when the alarm goes off.
8. Sing songs in the dark until 4am.
9. Put the alarm on for 5am. Get up when it goes off.
10. Make breakfast.
Keep this up for 5 years. LOOK CHEERFUL.
Test 4 - Dressing Small Children
1. Buy a live octopus and a string bag.
2. Attempt to put the octopus into the string bag so that no arms hang out.
Time Allowed: 5 minutes.
Test 5 - Cars
1. Forget the BMW. Buy a practical 5-door wagon.
2. Buy a chocolate ice cream cone and put it in the glove compartment. Leave it there.
3. Get a coin. Insert it into the CD player.
4. Take a box of chocolate biscuits; mash them into the back seat.
5. Run a garden rake along both sides of the car.
Test 6 - Going For a Walk
Wait
Go out the front door
Come back in again
Go out
Come back in again
Go out again
Walk down the front path
Walk back up it
Walk down it again
Walk very slowly down the road for five minutes.
Stop, inspect minutely and ask at least 6 questions about every piece of used chewing gum, dirty tissue and dead insect along the way.
Retrace your steps
Scream that you have had as much as you can stand until the neighbours come out and stare at you.
Give up and go back into the house.
You are now just about ready to try taking a small child for a walk.
Test 7
Repeat everything you say at least 5 times.
Test 8 - Grocery Shopping
1. Go to the local supermarket. Take with you the nearest thing you can find to a pre-school child - a fully grown goat is excellent. If you intend to have more than one child, take more than one goat.
2. Buy your weekly groceries without letting the goat(s) out of your sight.
3. Pay for everything the goat eats or destroys.
Until you can easily accomplish this, do not even contemplate having children..
Test 9 - Feeding a 1 year-old
1. Hollow out a melon
2. Make a small hole in the side
3. Suspend the melon from the ceiling and swing it side to side
4. Now get a bowl of soggy cornflakes and attempt to spoon them into the swaying melon while pretending to be an aeroplane.
5. Continue until half the cornflakes are gone.
6. Tip the rest into your lap, making sure that a lot of it falls on the floor.
Test 10 - TV
1. Learn the names of every character from the Wiggles, Barney, Teletubbies and Disney.
2. Watch nothing else on television for at least 5 years.
Test 11 - Mess
Can you stand the mess children make? To find out:
1. Smear peanut butter onto the sofa and jam onto the curtains
2. Hide a fish behind the stereo and leave it there all summer.
3. Stick your fingers in the flowerbeds and then rub them on clean walls. Cover the stains with crayon. How does that look?
4. Empty every drawer/cupboard/storage box in your house onto the floor & leave it there.
Test 12 - Long Trips with Toddlers
1. Make a recording of someone shouting 'Mummy' repeatedly. Important Notes: No more than a 4 second delay between each Mummy. Include occasional crescendo to the level of a supersonic jet.
2. Play this tape in your car, everywhere you go for the next 4 years.
You are now ready to take a long trip with a toddler.
Test 13 - Conversations
1. Start talking to an adult of your choice.
2. Have someone else continually tug on your shirt hem or shirt sleeve while playing the Mummy tape listed above.
You are now ready to have a conversation with an adult while there is a child in the room.
Test 14 - Getting ready for work
1. Pick a day on which you have an important meeting.
2. Put on your finest work attire.
3. Take a cup of cream and put 1 cup of lemon juice in it
4. Stir
5. Dump half of it on your nice silk shirt
6. Saturate a towel with the other half of the mixture
7. Attempt to clean your shirt with the same saturated towel
8. Do not change (you have no time).
9. Go directly to work
You are now ready to have children. ENJOY
LibDig This!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
David Mundell's Banknotes Bill - couldn't he think of anything better?
It seems to be Davids who have done best out of the Private Members Bill ballot this year. Last week I wrote about how Lib Dem David Heath is introducing a Bill to reduce fuel poverty .
Today, Scottish Tory MP for Dumfries, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, David Mundell, announced that he was going to use this magnificent opportunity to improve the quality of people's lives to introduce a bill to compel English retailers to accept Scottish banknotes.
We've all been there, in some florist, or at a newspaper stand south of the border and we hand over a fiver to pay for our purchases and the proprietor screws his nose up and delights in telling us that he (and, let's face it, it usually is a he)can't accept our beautiful Scottish banknotes as only Bank of England notes cut it with him.
When we lived in England, and I know this is nearly a decade ago now, we usually had no problem spending our Scottish notes. We did start to have a problem with £1 notes after they were phased out in England, but most of the time it was fine.
I have no problems with the aims of David Mundell's bill, although I can't really see why the Government can't tag a wee clause onto the bottom of some finance bill if it's really necessary. It's just that it depresses me that this is the height of his ambition.
We are facing the worst economic crisis probably of my lifetime and he's come up with an uncontroversial but basically irrelevant piece of legislation. What about measures to help business, or farmers, or people on fixed incomes who are struggling at the moment as interest rates fall? Were none of the current Tory policies worthy of putting in a Private Members' Bill? Well, obviously I think that, but I didn't expect him to.
This measure is almost like the sort of thing I get annoyed with my husband for. He will think he's been very helpful by cleaning out a drawer that we only ever go into occasionally, but hasn't touched the living room which is looking like a pig sty.
Here's hoping that in the Battle of the Davids, it's the fuel poverty measure, which will make so much difference to people who are struggling at the moment, that prevails.
LibDig This!
Today, Scottish Tory MP for Dumfries, Clydesdale and Tweeddale, David Mundell, announced that he was going to use this magnificent opportunity to improve the quality of people's lives to introduce a bill to compel English retailers to accept Scottish banknotes.
We've all been there, in some florist, or at a newspaper stand south of the border and we hand over a fiver to pay for our purchases and the proprietor screws his nose up and delights in telling us that he (and, let's face it, it usually is a he)can't accept our beautiful Scottish banknotes as only Bank of England notes cut it with him.
When we lived in England, and I know this is nearly a decade ago now, we usually had no problem spending our Scottish notes. We did start to have a problem with £1 notes after they were phased out in England, but most of the time it was fine.
I have no problems with the aims of David Mundell's bill, although I can't really see why the Government can't tag a wee clause onto the bottom of some finance bill if it's really necessary. It's just that it depresses me that this is the height of his ambition.
We are facing the worst economic crisis probably of my lifetime and he's come up with an uncontroversial but basically irrelevant piece of legislation. What about measures to help business, or farmers, or people on fixed incomes who are struggling at the moment as interest rates fall? Were none of the current Tory policies worthy of putting in a Private Members' Bill? Well, obviously I think that, but I didn't expect him to.
This measure is almost like the sort of thing I get annoyed with my husband for. He will think he's been very helpful by cleaning out a drawer that we only ever go into occasionally, but hasn't touched the living room which is looking like a pig sty.
Here's hoping that in the Battle of the Davids, it's the fuel poverty measure, which will make so much difference to people who are struggling at the moment, that prevails.
LibDig This!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Dawning of the Age of Obama
He campaigned as the idealist promising change we can believe in and now Barack Obama is officially able to deliver that change.
The Inauguration Ceremony was lovely, although somebody had better check that he actually is legal given that neither he nor the Chief Justice seemed to manage to get the words of the oath out in the correct order - it should have been faithfully execute, not execute the office of President of the United States faithfully.
The Obama girls looked gorgeous - Malia (10) in royal blue, Sasha (7) in poppy red. Well done to whoever decided not to dress them the same.
I'm not sure about the colour of Michelle Obama's gold creation, but the design of the dress and coat was lovely and she is so serenely beautiful that it wouldn't really matter what she wore.
Hillary Clinton looked relaxed and smiling behind Michelle Obama. I did feel for her and could only imagine what was going through her mind. She seems to have accepted her fate and embraced her new mission with good grace, though. Bill looked healthier than he has for a while, which is a good sign.
Everything ran late, but nobody really seemed bothered. The million people who lined the streets of Washington didn't seem to care.
There was the somewhat sad sight of Dick Cheney being wheeled to the event in a wheelchair after pulling a muscle in his back carrying boxes.
I know that today was all in the spirit of tolerance and divesity and all that but I did have to have one act of rebellion. I did make a point of ignoring the Conservative Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren as he gave the invocation prayer. He holds views on same sex marriage and abortion that I am very uncomfortable with and I wouldn't have chosen him for such a big occasion, but that's water under the bridge.
Aretha Franklin's performance gave me goosebumps. She's done inaugurations before, but this was special. And already it's on You Tube:
Obama's speech still had the idealism and the confidence that we have come to expect from him, but this was tempered with sobering realism and a call to all Americans to give of their best to deal with the unprecedented challenges ahead.
You could actually see George W Bush squirming as his legacy was laid bare in a few well chosen, but very frank words. "Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet"
There were two phrases that I thought were the signs of the new age. "We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." So it's goodbye Guantanamo. The poisonous vernacular of the war on terror is replaced with "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist." Well, I loved it.
And if this is true, then bring it on: "To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect." I hope Israel was listening and will be made to think about the way it consumes the resources of the middle east. It would be good if clean waters flowed in Gaza.
Another theme of the speech was personal responsibility, and embracing your duties as a citizen to help the nation succeed. "For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
The two things I really loved most of all about the speech was the inclusion of non-believers in the list of value systems at one point and the addition of curiosity as one of the "values on which our success depends." I like the willingness to abandon conventions as novel solutions are sought for challenges.
The language was so different from the defiant, destructive stuff we've heard from Bush and Cheney over the years.
It's only day 1, but he's made a good start.
LibDig This!
The Inauguration Ceremony was lovely, although somebody had better check that he actually is legal given that neither he nor the Chief Justice seemed to manage to get the words of the oath out in the correct order - it should have been faithfully execute, not execute the office of President of the United States faithfully.
The Obama girls looked gorgeous - Malia (10) in royal blue, Sasha (7) in poppy red. Well done to whoever decided not to dress them the same.
I'm not sure about the colour of Michelle Obama's gold creation, but the design of the dress and coat was lovely and she is so serenely beautiful that it wouldn't really matter what she wore.
Hillary Clinton looked relaxed and smiling behind Michelle Obama. I did feel for her and could only imagine what was going through her mind. She seems to have accepted her fate and embraced her new mission with good grace, though. Bill looked healthier than he has for a while, which is a good sign.
Everything ran late, but nobody really seemed bothered. The million people who lined the streets of Washington didn't seem to care.
There was the somewhat sad sight of Dick Cheney being wheeled to the event in a wheelchair after pulling a muscle in his back carrying boxes.
I know that today was all in the spirit of tolerance and divesity and all that but I did have to have one act of rebellion. I did make a point of ignoring the Conservative Evangelical Pastor Rick Warren as he gave the invocation prayer. He holds views on same sex marriage and abortion that I am very uncomfortable with and I wouldn't have chosen him for such a big occasion, but that's water under the bridge.
Aretha Franklin's performance gave me goosebumps. She's done inaugurations before, but this was special. And already it's on You Tube:
Obama's speech still had the idealism and the confidence that we have come to expect from him, but this was tempered with sobering realism and a call to all Americans to give of their best to deal with the unprecedented challenges ahead.
You could actually see George W Bush squirming as his legacy was laid bare in a few well chosen, but very frank words. "Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet"
There were two phrases that I thought were the signs of the new age. "We reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals." So it's goodbye Guantanamo. The poisonous vernacular of the war on terror is replaced with "To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist." Well, I loved it.
And if this is true, then bring it on: "To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect." I hope Israel was listening and will be made to think about the way it consumes the resources of the middle east. It would be good if clean waters flowed in Gaza.
Another theme of the speech was personal responsibility, and embracing your duties as a citizen to help the nation succeed. "For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
The two things I really loved most of all about the speech was the inclusion of non-believers in the list of value systems at one point and the addition of curiosity as one of the "values on which our success depends." I like the willingness to abandon conventions as novel solutions are sought for challenges.
The language was so different from the defiant, destructive stuff we've heard from Bush and Cheney over the years.
It's only day 1, but he's made a good start.
LibDig This!
Monday, January 19, 2009
What I'll Miss about George W Bush
I've spent a fair bit of time trying to work out what I'll miss about George W Bush when he leaves the White House tomorrow.
And, do you know what? I can't think of one single thing. I'm just grateful that we've survived the eight years without him going nuclear. I remember watching the awfulness of the 9/11 attacks with shock and horror mixed with fear at what Bush might do in return.
This is a man who allowed torture, rendition flights, waterboarding, detention without trial at Guantanamo Bay, who fiddled while New Orleans was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, who acted in the interests of big business and not the future of the planet, who set the cause of finding cures for awful diseases back years. He has catastrophically damaged the standing of the US in the world and his actions have made us significantly less safe for years to come.
Loads of people, including Stephen, are combining lists of the stupid things he said during his presidency (and what a joy it will be to have a US President who can string an articulate sentence together). It's a bit of an indictment that his gaffes seem to be the only things worth repeating after 8 years in the most powerful job in the planet.
I can usually find something good to say about most people - but not him. Can anyone help me out here?
LibDig This!
And, do you know what? I can't think of one single thing. I'm just grateful that we've survived the eight years without him going nuclear. I remember watching the awfulness of the 9/11 attacks with shock and horror mixed with fear at what Bush might do in return.
This is a man who allowed torture, rendition flights, waterboarding, detention without trial at Guantanamo Bay, who fiddled while New Orleans was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, who acted in the interests of big business and not the future of the planet, who set the cause of finding cures for awful diseases back years. He has catastrophically damaged the standing of the US in the world and his actions have made us significantly less safe for years to come.
Loads of people, including Stephen, are combining lists of the stupid things he said during his presidency (and what a joy it will be to have a US President who can string an articulate sentence together). It's a bit of an indictment that his gaffes seem to be the only things worth repeating after 8 years in the most powerful job in the planet.
I can usually find something good to say about most people - but not him. Can anyone help me out here?
LibDig This!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Aladdin, King's Theatre, Penultimate Performance
I kind of guessed that if we bought tickets for the last but one performance of the pantomime, that there would be some demob happy fun. I somehow don't think that in all performances since the end of November, the music of death has been Cliff Richard's Summer Holiday. Nor did I think that one cast member would sing that they had completely made up the lyrics as they had forgotten them. Nor that the obligatory cute child on the stage would throw up some answers that were completely unexpected to the actors.
My friend had told me that this pantomime was funnier than usual. I didn't think so, and I really felt the loss of Andy Gray, whose performance of the Scissor Sisters "I don't Feel Like Dancing" brought the house down 2 years ago.
The 3D effects throughout the show were good, though.
It was a reasonably traditional telling of the Aladdin story, except for Abanazar, played by Forth One's Grant Stott, getting his instructions from some weird sort of Doctor Who/Blake's Seven Type space command.
I was quite surprised that there was an Abi Titmuss joke. Abi, some may remember, but you are not a bad person if you don't, is the waste of space who once went out with Grant's brother, John Leslie, and the joke was directed at Grant.
It was well worth going and I will be booking tickets for better seats for the same performance next year.
LibDig This!
My friend had told me that this pantomime was funnier than usual. I didn't think so, and I really felt the loss of Andy Gray, whose performance of the Scissor Sisters "I don't Feel Like Dancing" brought the house down 2 years ago.
The 3D effects throughout the show were good, though.
It was a reasonably traditional telling of the Aladdin story, except for Abanazar, played by Forth One's Grant Stott, getting his instructions from some weird sort of Doctor Who/Blake's Seven Type space command.
I was quite surprised that there was an Abi Titmuss joke. Abi, some may remember, but you are not a bad person if you don't, is the waste of space who once went out with Grant's brother, John Leslie, and the joke was directed at Grant.
It was well worth going and I will be booking tickets for better seats for the same performance next year.
LibDig This!
Vince Cable, Petrolhead, on Desert Island Discs
I heard part of Vince Cable's Desert Island Discs programme and, being a big soft lump, was quite tearful by the end of it. This is a man who appreciates the important things in life - love and family - and who is quite happy to wear his heart on his sleeve. His pride in his family, his children in their musical performances, the happiness of his first marriage, and the joy when he met his second wife shone through. He also spoke movingly of his first wife's battle with Cancer and the effect it had on the family.
I would recommend catching up on this programme on iPlayer. Not only is Vince the undisputed economic sage of our times, but he's also a fully paid up member of the human race.
I was also thrilled, as a bit of a tentative petrolhead, to see that his luxury item would be an Aston Martin which he could race at great speed around the island.
LibDig This!
I would recommend catching up on this programme on iPlayer. Not only is Vince the undisputed economic sage of our times, but he's also a fully paid up member of the human race.
I was also thrilled, as a bit of a tentative petrolhead, to see that his luxury item would be an Aston Martin which he could race at great speed around the island.
LibDig This!
Farewell, Tony Hart
I was so sad to turn on the pc to discover that Tony Hart had passed away. What with Oliver Postgate a few weeks ago, it seems like my entire childhood is disappearing.
I have always been utterly terrible at art - straight E's in school, all the way through. That doesn't mean to say that I don't appreciate other people's efforts to teach me how to draw. Or other people's artistic efforts.
Tony Hart was always so lovely and grandfatherly and he made it look so easy. I watched him on Vision On, Take Hart and Hartbeat through the years. He conbined gentleness and creativity - and who can forget the Amazing Adventures of Morph? The painstaking effort it must have taken to put these episodes together never ceased to amaze me.
LibDig This!
I have always been utterly terrible at art - straight E's in school, all the way through. That doesn't mean to say that I don't appreciate other people's efforts to teach me how to draw. Or other people's artistic efforts.
Tony Hart was always so lovely and grandfatherly and he made it look so easy. I watched him on Vision On, Take Hart and Hartbeat through the years. He conbined gentleness and creativity - and who can forget the Amazing Adventures of Morph? The painstaking effort it must have taken to put these episodes together never ceased to amaze me.
LibDig This!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Christian Bus Driver refuses to drive Atheist bus - and gets away with it
Well, I suppose the headline isn't really accurate, as the bus itself probably isn't atheist - it's just the advert it's carrying.
I was amused by the tale of Ron Heather who, as a Christian, felt that he could not drive a bus which had the Atheist Bus Campaign's advert on it. His employer has agreed to accommodate his request.
I can understand Ron Heather's strong feelings. If there were Nestle ads on Liberal Democrat literature, you can bet your life that there's no way I would deliver them. On the other hand, I opposed the idea that a registrar should be able to refuse to perform civil partnerships on the grounds that discrimination against people in same sex relationships has no place in a civilised society.
I have to say that I have never in my life looked at the adverts on the side of a bus and thought that the driver must use or endorse the products. However, I think the bus company have probably taken the sensible line in this case. The irony, is, of course, that the whole reason that the Atheist Bus Campaign started was, ironically, because of religious ads on buses posted by Christians.
LibDig This!
I was amused by the tale of Ron Heather who, as a Christian, felt that he could not drive a bus which had the Atheist Bus Campaign's advert on it. His employer has agreed to accommodate his request.
I can understand Ron Heather's strong feelings. If there were Nestle ads on Liberal Democrat literature, you can bet your life that there's no way I would deliver them. On the other hand, I opposed the idea that a registrar should be able to refuse to perform civil partnerships on the grounds that discrimination against people in same sex relationships has no place in a civilised society.
I have to say that I have never in my life looked at the adverts on the side of a bus and thought that the driver must use or endorse the products. However, I think the bus company have probably taken the sensible line in this case. The irony, is, of course, that the whole reason that the Atheist Bus Campaign started was, ironically, because of religious ads on buses posted by Christians.
LibDig This!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Land Before Breakfast - the Plot against Heathrow's Third Runway
This morning I signed up to become the beneficial owner of that piece of land near Heathrow which some clever people bought to try to scupper the third runway.
To my husband, in case he stumbles upon this, it didn't cost anything, don't panic.
If you feel as strongly as I do that this is an expansion way too far and flies in the face of everything we're supposed to be doing about climate change, do join up too.
LibDig This!
To my husband, in case he stumbles upon this, it didn't cost anything, don't panic.
If you feel as strongly as I do that this is an expansion way too far and flies in the face of everything we're supposed to be doing about climate change, do join up too.
LibDig This!
Tavish speaks out on Salmond "misleading Parliament" row
We have a new and, I hope, regular feature on You Tube - Tavish.TV.
Here, Tavish talks about exactly why it's important for the whole credibility of the Parliament for Alex Salmond to get his facts right before he opens his gob.
LibDig This!
Here, Tavish talks about exactly why it's important for the whole credibility of the Parliament for Alex Salmond to get his facts right before he opens his gob.
LibDig This!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Pink Dog finds Fame
The most adorable Pink Dog in the history of the world ever has been recognised by a wider audience - a mention in the BBC Internet blog, no less.
This comes just a day after Lionel de Livi 's stat meter went almost radioactive after a link from the Guardian.
Rumours hit my ears, though, that all is not well between the fluffy bloggers, with Lionel throwing a huge diva strop at Pink Dog stealing his headlines.
"I'd be happy to give Pink dog the number of my plastic surgeon," said an angry Lionel after 17 glasses of red wine and a gin fizz, "his work has been very badly done and is in desperate need of repair."
Scottish Liberal Democrat conference organisers were thrown into despair tonight when they saw Lionel's list of demands for appearing at a fringe meeting - a dressing room with only purple crocuses, nothing pink to cross his line of sight the whole time he was there, 28 bottles of newcastle brown ale and DVDs of Livingston FC's league performances for the last 10 years to be broadcast on continuous loop in the exhibition area throughout the entire conference. A special meeting of the conference committee is to be convened to discuss the way ahead.
Pink Dog was not available for comment last night.
LibDig This!
This comes just a day after Lionel de Livi 's stat meter went almost radioactive after a link from the Guardian.
Rumours hit my ears, though, that all is not well between the fluffy bloggers, with Lionel throwing a huge diva strop at Pink Dog stealing his headlines.
"I'd be happy to give Pink dog the number of my plastic surgeon," said an angry Lionel after 17 glasses of red wine and a gin fizz, "his work has been very badly done and is in desperate need of repair."
Scottish Liberal Democrat conference organisers were thrown into despair tonight when they saw Lionel's list of demands for appearing at a fringe meeting - a dressing room with only purple crocuses, nothing pink to cross his line of sight the whole time he was there, 28 bottles of newcastle brown ale and DVDs of Livingston FC's league performances for the last 10 years to be broadcast on continuous loop in the exhibition area throughout the entire conference. A special meeting of the conference committee is to be convened to discuss the way ahead.
Pink Dog was not available for comment last night.
LibDig This!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
A chance for Alex Salmond to learn.....
I've been to First Minister's Questions a few times now and, to be honest, I'm not thrilled by the panto-esque bollocks that the half hour usually consists of. Alex Salmond to me has never really taken it seriously as a chance to bring his Government to account to Parliament. He rather impatiently and imperiously swats aside questions rather like you or I would swat away a wasp. He's the showman, putting on a performance, rather than a dignified leader of a government.
Well, Tavish Scott isn't prepared to put up with that any more and has laid down a marker that he is not to be messed with.
He asked recently about the redundancy notices issued to staff at the Scottish Faith Council after a threatened withdrawal of Scottish Government funding. Eck blithely responded that it had been resolved. Swat.
Except that the details hadn't quite been ironed out at that point.
What Eck should have said that the Government was actively pursuing a solution and would come back to Parliament with the details at a later point.
This is in the end of the day a storm in a teacup - but it's an important storm to have.
It's not fair to give what is essentially inaccurate information not just to Parliament but to those poor people in fear of their jobs at SIFC.
I would like to see the First Minister learn from this and be a bit less cavalier about what he tells Parliament. If he says something is resolved, put a bit of flesh on the bones - say how and what exactly his Government has done to resolve it.
He needs to show us that he take Parliament seriously and give it the respect it deserves.
LibDig This!
Well, Tavish Scott isn't prepared to put up with that any more and has laid down a marker that he is not to be messed with.
He asked recently about the redundancy notices issued to staff at the Scottish Faith Council after a threatened withdrawal of Scottish Government funding. Eck blithely responded that it had been resolved. Swat.
Except that the details hadn't quite been ironed out at that point.
What Eck should have said that the Government was actively pursuing a solution and would come back to Parliament with the details at a later point.
This is in the end of the day a storm in a teacup - but it's an important storm to have.
It's not fair to give what is essentially inaccurate information not just to Parliament but to those poor people in fear of their jobs at SIFC.
I would like to see the First Minister learn from this and be a bit less cavalier about what he tells Parliament. If he says something is resolved, put a bit of flesh on the bones - say how and what exactly his Government has done to resolve it.
He needs to show us that he take Parliament seriously and give it the respect it deserves.
LibDig This!
Lib Dem to introduce bill to end Fuel Poverty
Hat tip to Lib Dem Voice for the news that David Heath, Lib Dem Brian Blessed look alike and Somerton and Frome MP is to introduce a bill aimed at ending fuel poverty.
This measure, if it becomes law, would introduce two measures which would make a huge difference to those struggling to pay their fuel bills: an energy efficiency programme and statutory social tariffs to reduce the impact of high energy costs for the most vulnerable.
A worthy measure, worthy of parliamentary support. Let's hope the Government backs it so it has a chance of becoming law.
LibDig This!
This measure, if it becomes law, would introduce two measures which would make a huge difference to those struggling to pay their fuel bills: an energy efficiency programme and statutory social tariffs to reduce the impact of high energy costs for the most vulnerable.
A worthy measure, worthy of parliamentary support. Let's hope the Government backs it so it has a chance of becoming law.
LibDig This!
Tavish Scott leads Scottish Lib Dem vote against SNP "business as usual" budget
Scottish Lib Dem Leader Tavish Scott sent out an e-mail to members and supporters today outlining his reasons for the party's refusal to support the SNP's budget in Holyrood.
Slamming it as "weakest response of any Western European Government, national or devolved, to the economic difficulties we face in 2009", Tavish outlines Lib Dem proposals for permanent tax cuts, pointing out that the Nationalists have the option of varying the rate of income tax north of the border and could, if they choose, give us all a 2p in the pound tax cut. This would put around £330 back in the pockets of the average Scottish family.
Now, I've not always been the biggest fan of the tax cutting culture that seems to have gripped our party, but I'm prepared to give it the benefit of the doubt at the moment as we are dealing with the recession. The SNP's ultra safe budget does nothing to give the Scottish economy the stimulus it needs. They have already made cuts to bodies like Scottish Enterprise when we actually need them more than ever now.
I think our MSPs are right to vote against what is effectively an unambitious and lacklustre budget.
LibDig This!
Slamming it as "weakest response of any Western European Government, national or devolved, to the economic difficulties we face in 2009", Tavish outlines Lib Dem proposals for permanent tax cuts, pointing out that the Nationalists have the option of varying the rate of income tax north of the border and could, if they choose, give us all a 2p in the pound tax cut. This would put around £330 back in the pockets of the average Scottish family.
Now, I've not always been the biggest fan of the tax cutting culture that seems to have gripped our party, but I'm prepared to give it the benefit of the doubt at the moment as we are dealing with the recession. The SNP's ultra safe budget does nothing to give the Scottish economy the stimulus it needs. They have already made cuts to bodies like Scottish Enterprise when we actually need them more than ever now.
I think our MSPs are right to vote against what is effectively an unambitious and lacklustre budget.
LibDig This!
More Tabloid Hypocrisy.....
So, not surprisingly, the Sun adopted a censorious and outraged tone over the Prince Harry incident.
That's right, the Sun was going all politically correct on us. This is, of course, the same paper that publishes semi naked pictures of women every day, but we'll let that disrespect of half the world's population pass just for a minute.
It amazes me that the editors either don't notice or don't care about the blatant hypocrisy of, on one page printing all this finger wagging stuff at Prince Harry and a few pages further on making a great song and dance about David Walliams' holiday activities..
The paper seems to feel that because David had a night out with Dale Winton and Louis Walsh in Miami, it can make whatever innuendo it likes about his private life.
I'm reminded that they also took a swipe at our own Simon Hughes with an article riddled with misconceptions and innuendo simply because he'd opened a public toilet in his constituency. The joke of this was that this story was published in 2006 just around the time of the leadership election, yet the toilet in question was actually opened 12 years earlier.
The paper has not been above a bit of racist scaremongering itself in the past - warning us all about "migrant crooks" - their words, not mine.
Which group of people will our friendly tabloid be bashing next week?
And, as for David Walliams, I just hope he's having a lovely and relaxing holiday so he can come back and write us some more Little Britain USA.
LibDig This!
That's right, the Sun was going all politically correct on us. This is, of course, the same paper that publishes semi naked pictures of women every day, but we'll let that disrespect of half the world's population pass just for a minute.
It amazes me that the editors either don't notice or don't care about the blatant hypocrisy of, on one page printing all this finger wagging stuff at Prince Harry and a few pages further on making a great song and dance about David Walliams' holiday activities..
The paper seems to feel that because David had a night out with Dale Winton and Louis Walsh in Miami, it can make whatever innuendo it likes about his private life.
I'm reminded that they also took a swipe at our own Simon Hughes with an article riddled with misconceptions and innuendo simply because he'd opened a public toilet in his constituency. The joke of this was that this story was published in 2006 just around the time of the leadership election, yet the toilet in question was actually opened 12 years earlier.
The paper has not been above a bit of racist scaremongering itself in the past - warning us all about "migrant crooks" - their words, not mine.
Which group of people will our friendly tabloid be bashing next week?
And, as for David Walliams, I just hope he's having a lovely and relaxing holiday so he can come back and write us some more Little Britain USA.
LibDig This!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
If only it were this easy.......
I've just found this which suggests that laughter can help to control weight loss. If only it were that simple, that reading George Osborne's speeches, or the SNP Guide to Budgeting would have me in a size 12 before the year was out.
But what if it were true? What would be the laughter equivalent of superfoods to boost weight loss? Clearly, humour is very much in the eye of the beholder. Believe it or not, there are some people who find Roy Chubby Brown funny. I haven't yet forgiven my sister for giving me one of his videos one Christmas, many years ago. She watched him one day and now completely takes my point.
The things which never fail to make me laugh are:
Working with Andrew Reeves because he's one of these people who instinctively knows how to inspire and motivate a team by making them laugh.
Any television appearance by Claudia Winkelman. The woman is just adorably bonkers.
The episode of Friends where everybody finds out about Monica and Chandler "but they don't know that we know that they know that we know.........."
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Any Ben Elton rant about Thatch from the 80s - Saturday Night Live with his ill-fitting glittery suit was wonderful
The episode of Blackadder 2 with the Puritan relations in one room and the drunken party in the other
Virtually any Billy Connolly stand-up.
Unfortunately, any weight loss programme requires self discipline, deprivation, portion control, and if anyone tells you they can do it without being hungry some of the time then they are lying. It doesn't put you in the best mood for laughter.
There was an article on BBC Breakfast this morning where they were saying that half an hour's laughing can be as good for you as half an hour's weightlifting. I will probably just stick to the laughing. Now, where's that Bridget Jones DVD.......
LibDig This!
But what if it were true? What would be the laughter equivalent of superfoods to boost weight loss? Clearly, humour is very much in the eye of the beholder. Believe it or not, there are some people who find Roy Chubby Brown funny. I haven't yet forgiven my sister for giving me one of his videos one Christmas, many years ago. She watched him one day and now completely takes my point.
The things which never fail to make me laugh are:
Working with Andrew Reeves because he's one of these people who instinctively knows how to inspire and motivate a team by making them laugh.
Any television appearance by Claudia Winkelman. The woman is just adorably bonkers.
The episode of Friends where everybody finds out about Monica and Chandler "but they don't know that we know that they know that we know.........."
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Any Ben Elton rant about Thatch from the 80s - Saturday Night Live with his ill-fitting glittery suit was wonderful
The episode of Blackadder 2 with the Puritan relations in one room and the drunken party in the other
Virtually any Billy Connolly stand-up.
Unfortunately, any weight loss programme requires self discipline, deprivation, portion control, and if anyone tells you they can do it without being hungry some of the time then they are lying. It doesn't put you in the best mood for laughter.
There was an article on BBC Breakfast this morning where they were saying that half an hour's laughing can be as good for you as half an hour's weightlifting. I will probably just stick to the laughing. Now, where's that Bridget Jones DVD.......
LibDig This!
Tories get it wrong again
The Tories have put out a new campaign video featuring a very cute baby with the comments that the baby has "his dad's nose, mum's eyes and Gordon Brown's debt."
The shot then moves to the baby being given what is clearly a bottle of formula.
Are we not supposed to be challenging the idea that bottlefeeding is the norm and encouraging and supporting breastfeeding?
All the evidence points to human milk being far superior than anything you could ever manufacture.
I'm not suggesting that the Tories should necessarily have shown the baby breastfeeding, although it would be good to have a society where even Daily Mail readers felt comfortable with that image - just that they send the wrong message by being seen to promote formula feeding.
LibDig This!
The shot then moves to the baby being given what is clearly a bottle of formula.
Are we not supposed to be challenging the idea that bottlefeeding is the norm and encouraging and supporting breastfeeding?
All the evidence points to human milk being far superior than anything you could ever manufacture.
I'm not suggesting that the Tories should necessarily have shown the baby breastfeeding, although it would be good to have a society where even Daily Mail readers felt comfortable with that image - just that they send the wrong message by being seen to promote formula feeding.
LibDig This!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Spellbinding Fun
When I was in Primary 5, I hated my spelling homework. Every week we were given a list of uninspiring words which we had to learn and write a sentence using each one. It was excruciating to have to find interesting sentences with dull words like inflate or distribute. Ok, I might have learned to spell the words, but I hated the falseness of the sentences I had to create. Looking back, it would have been easier to write a piece of prose with all those words in it but hindsight is a fabulous thing.
Anna too hated the spellings and sentences style homework. Then, midway through primary 4, everything changed. Instead of the tortuous sentences, we now have a range of activities which is meant to appeal to every learning style. In the last few weeks we have had buzzing bees - where she has to draw an outdoor picture with 8 bees along which she writes her words, fancy writing, where she writes the words out in all sorts of creative self made fonts, writing the words every which way, backwards, vertically, horizontally, circling all the vowels or consonants within the word, writing each word in the petals of a flower and so on. It's all very creative.
My absolute favourite is back writing, where we have to write the words on each other's back and guess what they are. It didn't take Anna long to twig that if she took a long time to guess, she would effectively just get her back rubbed for longer. I'm actually thinking of making it the standard form of communication in our house.
Fun though this undoubtedly is, I have some reservations. Something within my childhood and its traditional teaching methods turned me into a freakishly anally retentive pedantic bore when it comes to spelling and punctuation. I would argue that this is not necessarily a bad thing. While my literature producing colleagues may burn effigies of me, stick pins in dolls of me and hate me with a passion unrivalled in its intensity for my take no prisoners style of proof-reading, they still keep giving me stuff to check.
I was worried that these new methods did not teach how to use words in context. What use is it to learn the notes if nobody introduces you to making melodies? I probably shouldn't interfere with the perceived wisdom of education professionals but I've added a few games of my own - acting out the words, or just having a talk about what they mean and how you can use them.
Before anybody trawls through this blog looking for spelling mistakes to show me up, I would remind you that I am also human and that some posts may have been written after application of grape to brain. I may have an unforgiving proof-reading eye, and never fail to point out mistakes, but I really am a big softie and have never been horrible to anyone for making a spelling or grammatical error.
LibDig This!
Anna too hated the spellings and sentences style homework. Then, midway through primary 4, everything changed. Instead of the tortuous sentences, we now have a range of activities which is meant to appeal to every learning style. In the last few weeks we have had buzzing bees - where she has to draw an outdoor picture with 8 bees along which she writes her words, fancy writing, where she writes the words out in all sorts of creative self made fonts, writing the words every which way, backwards, vertically, horizontally, circling all the vowels or consonants within the word, writing each word in the petals of a flower and so on. It's all very creative.
My absolute favourite is back writing, where we have to write the words on each other's back and guess what they are. It didn't take Anna long to twig that if she took a long time to guess, she would effectively just get her back rubbed for longer. I'm actually thinking of making it the standard form of communication in our house.
Fun though this undoubtedly is, I have some reservations. Something within my childhood and its traditional teaching methods turned me into a freakishly anally retentive pedantic bore when it comes to spelling and punctuation. I would argue that this is not necessarily a bad thing. While my literature producing colleagues may burn effigies of me, stick pins in dolls of me and hate me with a passion unrivalled in its intensity for my take no prisoners style of proof-reading, they still keep giving me stuff to check.
I was worried that these new methods did not teach how to use words in context. What use is it to learn the notes if nobody introduces you to making melodies? I probably shouldn't interfere with the perceived wisdom of education professionals but I've added a few games of my own - acting out the words, or just having a talk about what they mean and how you can use them.
Before anybody trawls through this blog looking for spelling mistakes to show me up, I would remind you that I am also human and that some posts may have been written after application of grape to brain. I may have an unforgiving proof-reading eye, and never fail to point out mistakes, but I really am a big softie and have never been horrible to anyone for making a spelling or grammatical error.
LibDig This!
Sunday, January 11, 2009
The Prince Harry Fuss
One thing above all else depresses me about the furore over Prince Harry's racist remarks.
I don't think that he deliberately went out of his way to be gratuitously unpleasant. I have actually watched the video and he seems very comfortable and relaxed and didn't seem to be trying to upset anybody.
In the 21st century, it is clearly seen as acceptable to use racist and offensive language in the Army on a daily basis.
Isn't it time to do something about that?
In some ways, Prince Harry didn't ask for the role he was given, and I can almost understand him saying stuff it in public life, but as a member of the Armed Forces he should face disciplinary action for saying what he did.
LibDig This!
I don't think that he deliberately went out of his way to be gratuitously unpleasant. I have actually watched the video and he seems very comfortable and relaxed and didn't seem to be trying to upset anybody.
In the 21st century, it is clearly seen as acceptable to use racist and offensive language in the Army on a daily basis.
Isn't it time to do something about that?
In some ways, Prince Harry didn't ask for the role he was given, and I can almost understand him saying stuff it in public life, but as a member of the Armed Forces he should face disciplinary action for saying what he did.
LibDig This!
So what exactly is the point in protesting?
Both Malc and Jeff have questioned the point of going on protests like yesterday's Gaza march. They argue that it's futile cos it's not going to change anybody's mind and it just leaves the authorities a whole load of stuff to clean up.
While I am not naive enough to think that George, or Gordon, or Tony, or David, or Barack or Hillary are going to say "Wow, look at all those people in the streets. Maybe we should get tough with Israel, I haven't quite lost so much of my idealism that I've turned into Victor Meldrew before my time:-).
These are the reasons why I think standing up for what you believe in and making your voice heard is important:
The Martin Neimoller thing - you know:
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
On a similar vein, there's the old one about All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’
To raise awareness of an issue. There's nothing like 8000 or whatever people with banners walking past you while you do your shopping to make you aware of something. Maybe yesterday's protest caused people to look into the issue, contact their MPs, donate medicine or money to the humanitarian effort for Gaza. I'm hoping that the medicines I gave in will benefit someone in Gaza at some point.
To show solidarity I mentioned yesterday about the Palestinian family who thanked my 9 year old for caring about their country. If that march has given them some comfort, then surely that's a good thing. Also, now that the world is a much smaller place, people in Gaza may get to here that there are thousands across the world who want their situation to change. It can only help community relations in this country. There was a broad band of organisations supporting this demo and improving links between people like the Scottish Islamic Federation and Jews for a Just Peace must be a good thing, surely.
Also in terms of passing things on to the next generation, my daughter has been full of questions about the Palestinians and the history of it all. Thank goodness for people like John Pilger and Robert Fisk, that's all I can say.
Because we can We are lucky to have the rights of freedom of association and to protest against our Government. I just think that when you feel really strongly about something, then you should use this right. It's part of your responsibilities as a citizen to engage in the political process in a way that suits you.
Ok, so somebody might have had to pick up some paint and some shoes as a result of this demo. I think the Police didn't need to be there in as huge numbers as they were. It was all very peaceful and that's not because the crowd was cowed and deterrred by the Police, but because they genuinely wanted to make their point peacefully.
How much vomit and other bodily fluids and violence and general unpleasantness must the Police encounter over the course of a normal weekend? I guess the paint and the shoes were nothing in comparison.
Can anyone think of any other reasons?
LibDig This!
While I am not naive enough to think that George, or Gordon, or Tony, or David, or Barack or Hillary are going to say "Wow, look at all those people in the streets. Maybe we should get tough with Israel, I haven't quite lost so much of my idealism that I've turned into Victor Meldrew before my time:-).
These are the reasons why I think standing up for what you believe in and making your voice heard is important:
The Martin Neimoller thing - you know:
When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
On a similar vein, there's the old one about All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing’
To raise awareness of an issue. There's nothing like 8000 or whatever people with banners walking past you while you do your shopping to make you aware of something. Maybe yesterday's protest caused people to look into the issue, contact their MPs, donate medicine or money to the humanitarian effort for Gaza. I'm hoping that the medicines I gave in will benefit someone in Gaza at some point.
To show solidarity I mentioned yesterday about the Palestinian family who thanked my 9 year old for caring about their country. If that march has given them some comfort, then surely that's a good thing. Also, now that the world is a much smaller place, people in Gaza may get to here that there are thousands across the world who want their situation to change. It can only help community relations in this country. There was a broad band of organisations supporting this demo and improving links between people like the Scottish Islamic Federation and Jews for a Just Peace must be a good thing, surely.
Also in terms of passing things on to the next generation, my daughter has been full of questions about the Palestinians and the history of it all. Thank goodness for people like John Pilger and Robert Fisk, that's all I can say.
Because we can We are lucky to have the rights of freedom of association and to protest against our Government. I just think that when you feel really strongly about something, then you should use this right. It's part of your responsibilities as a citizen to engage in the political process in a way that suits you.
Ok, so somebody might have had to pick up some paint and some shoes as a result of this demo. I think the Police didn't need to be there in as huge numbers as they were. It was all very peaceful and that's not because the crowd was cowed and deterrred by the Police, but because they genuinely wanted to make their point peacefully.
How much vomit and other bodily fluids and violence and general unpleasantness must the Police encounter over the course of a normal weekend? I guess the paint and the shoes were nothing in comparison.
Can anyone think of any other reasons?
LibDig This!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Chat with John Barrett MP
That nice John Barrett, MP for Edinburgh West bought Stephen and I coffee and a mincemeat tart as reward for getting cold and wet waiting till the end of the Gaza rally to hear him speak.
It was great to catch up because I haven't seen him for ages, but I thought this observation he made was worth sharing with you all:
"I was in London at the time of the July 7 bombings. These bombers came from Leeds. We haven't built a wall round Leeds and then started bombing Leeds."
LibDig This!
It was great to catch up because I haven't seen him for ages, but I thought this observation he made was worth sharing with you all:
"I was in London at the time of the July 7 bombings. These bombers came from Leeds. We haven't built a wall round Leeds and then started bombing Leeds."
LibDig This!
Gaza Protest in Edinburgh - an emotional afternoon
I'm just back in and am thawing and drying out after the Gaza march and rally in Edinburgh. Due to a meeting over-running this morning, I didn't catch up with the march until it came back on to Princes Street after the trip to the US Consulate.
I was really pleased to see so many people had turned out. The Police estimate was around 5000 but it looked and felt like more. Bob reckoned that there would have been at least 6000 when the march formed on East Market Street.
I found Bob, Anna (who had been very good for the almost two hours she was out in the cold) and Stephen pretty quickly. Bob and Anna soon went off to get something to eat but Stephen and I continued on to the rally at the Ross Bandstand. Bob and Anna actually met a Palestinian family in Pizza Hut who, when they saw the Palestinian flag Anna was carrying, thanked her for caring about their country. She now feels that she did something worthwhile today.
Bob and Stephen both commented on the excessive number of police taking photographs of participants. The march was very well behaved and peaceful so I'm not quite sure why this was so necessary, particularly in an area of town that already has huge coverage with CCTV cameras.
There was only one MP there at the rally - John Barrett, Liberal Democrat member for Edinburgh West. He was the last to speak and we stuck it out to the end, despite the cool, dry Winter's afternoon turning nasty. By the time we left, it was pouring with rain and there was a really driving wind. Stephen had to get out the strawberry lip balm at one point for himself.
The rally started though with a child of around 7 or 8 going up on stage and starting a chant "George Bush where are you? We want to throw a shoe at you" which apparently they had made up on the way round. She made the whole crowd laugh.
We heard from a huge variety of speakers from trade unions, Jews for a Just Peace, the Scottish Islamic Federation, a doctor talking on the phone direct from Gaza describing the humanitarian crisis, MSPs Sandra White and Pauline MacNeill and John Barrett.
One telling point made by the Scottish Islamic Federation speaker is that they would unequivocally condemn any bombings by terrorists in any western country as they don't advocate violence by anybody - yet the US fails to condemn these appalling raids on Gaza.
Pauline MacNeill spoke about how she had gone to observe the elections which saw Hamas come to power in 2006. She said that Hamas wouldn't have been her choice, nor many other people's, but they were the legitimate choice of the Palestinian people and the influential countries in the world needed to engage with them. Pauline was the first person to really help me to understand the plight of the Palestinian people over 20 years ago when she was President of NUS Scotland and I was just a naive and innocent first year student.
John spoke about how he had asked Gordon Brown about the number of civiians who had been killed in Iraq since the war there had begun and how he had been given the chilling answer "it's not for us to count these things." He reiterated how Nick Clegg had been the only UK leader to speak out against the Israeli action and called for a million people to take to the streets when Barack Obama visits here in February to show our opposition to these awful attacks by Israel in the same way as we did for the Iraq war. He said that everybody who felt strongly about this should go and visit their MP and reminded us that Gordon Brown's constituency was only a little bit to the north and Alistair Darling's was 5 minutes away from where we were.
The more I have looked into this the more passionately I feel for the plight of the Palestinian people. The Israelis have spent a fortune raining down bombs on these poor people. They force them to live in appalling conditions, often without electricity or running water. What if they spent the same amount of money giving them schools, hospitals, clean, safe water and reliable electricity? That humanitarian gesture would do so much for the cause of peace.
Let's hope that once Obama takes office he uses his authority to take action to end this, so that we never again have the disgraceful display we saw the other night when the US abstained on a relatively tame resolution calling for a ceasefire.
LibDig This!
Friday, January 09, 2009
Israel accused of War Crime in Gaza
So, just imagine it. You're a Palestinian family, in your home, such as it is, probably without electricity and running water. You're absolutely terrified of it being destroyed by the Israelis in one of their vicious air assaults.
Then an Israeli soldier comes to call - tells you to get out for your own safety and leads you to another building.
With a sinking feeling you know that you'll lose everything that you own as your house will be destroyed, but at least you'll all be safe.
Then, within a day, Israeli shells start pummelling the so called place of safety.
Maybe your family isn't going to survive this after all.
Scaremongering? Exaggeration?
Not according to the Guardian.
Whoever is responsible for this heinous act, which killed 30 including 9 members of one family, needs a one way ticket to the War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague. Immediately.
LibDig This!
Then an Israeli soldier comes to call - tells you to get out for your own safety and leads you to another building.
With a sinking feeling you know that you'll lose everything that you own as your house will be destroyed, but at least you'll all be safe.
Then, within a day, Israeli shells start pummelling the so called place of safety.
Maybe your family isn't going to survive this after all.
Scaremongering? Exaggeration?
Not according to the Guardian.
Whoever is responsible for this heinous act, which killed 30 including 9 members of one family, needs a one way ticket to the War Crimes Tribunal at the Hague. Immediately.
LibDig This!
Who needs a geek?
The sole purpose of this post is to see if I've been successful in creating a Twitter feed for this blog so that all posts appear on Twitter.
It took me ages to figure out, but I think I've done it. Had to kiss a lot of frogs along the way - what a palaver!
We shall soon know if it works if this post updates.
LibDig This!
It took me ages to figure out, but I think I've done it. Had to kiss a lot of frogs along the way - what a palaver!
We shall soon know if it works if this post updates.
LibDig This!
Justice Done for Trump Councillor
I am not surprised, but am delighted nonetheless, that my friend and Aberdeenshire Councillor Paul Johnston has been cleared by the Standards Commission of any breach of the Councillor's Code of Conduct in connection with remarks he made in opposition to Donald Trump's controversial planning application.
Paul took the very brave step of reporting himself to the Commission rather than wait for Aberdeenshire Council to do it.
I don't know all the ins and outs of the dynamics of the Aberdeenshire Council Lib Dem administration, but I have known Paul, Debra Storr and Martin Ford for a very long time and all 3 of them are dedicated, honest and thoroughly decent public servants.
All 3 now languish either on the fringes or outside the Aberdeenshire Council Group. Until I heard Martin Ford speak at the Scottish Liberal Democrats conference in February last year, I hadn't really understood why he had used his casting vote to refuse the application when he could have saved himself a lot of personal grief by voting to defer the decision, which was the only other option available at the time. He explained so well that it was the proper procedure that he should do that and that any other applicant would simply have lodged an amended application.
Martin was stripped of his key planning chairmanship. A few months later, Paul was threatened with the Standards Board by the Chief Executive of Aberdeenshire Council so he took the matter there himself. In a breathtakingly unjust act of pre-judgement, his fellow councillors decided he was guilty before the investigation was complete. Debra's actions at that meeting, supporting Paul, led to her eventual resignation before she was expelled from the Group. Aren't her actions, defending him from what was essentially a kangaroo court, in the DNA of anyone calling themselves a Liberal?
Now, a lot of water has gone under the bridge since the rejection of Trump's application. A lot of arguments have been had, toys have been expelled from prams at a huge rate of knots.
However, it is time to draw a line under all of this and move on. I believe that it's vital that Paul, Martin and Debra play a full role in the Lib Dem Group again. We can't afford to lose good people like them.
LibDig This!
Paul took the very brave step of reporting himself to the Commission rather than wait for Aberdeenshire Council to do it.
I don't know all the ins and outs of the dynamics of the Aberdeenshire Council Lib Dem administration, but I have known Paul, Debra Storr and Martin Ford for a very long time and all 3 of them are dedicated, honest and thoroughly decent public servants.
All 3 now languish either on the fringes or outside the Aberdeenshire Council Group. Until I heard Martin Ford speak at the Scottish Liberal Democrats conference in February last year, I hadn't really understood why he had used his casting vote to refuse the application when he could have saved himself a lot of personal grief by voting to defer the decision, which was the only other option available at the time. He explained so well that it was the proper procedure that he should do that and that any other applicant would simply have lodged an amended application.
Martin was stripped of his key planning chairmanship. A few months later, Paul was threatened with the Standards Board by the Chief Executive of Aberdeenshire Council so he took the matter there himself. In a breathtakingly unjust act of pre-judgement, his fellow councillors decided he was guilty before the investigation was complete. Debra's actions at that meeting, supporting Paul, led to her eventual resignation before she was expelled from the Group. Aren't her actions, defending him from what was essentially a kangaroo court, in the DNA of anyone calling themselves a Liberal?
Now, a lot of water has gone under the bridge since the rejection of Trump's application. A lot of arguments have been had, toys have been expelled from prams at a huge rate of knots.
However, it is time to draw a line under all of this and move on. I believe that it's vital that Paul, Martin and Debra play a full role in the Lib Dem Group again. We can't afford to lose good people like them.
LibDig This!
Scottish Parliament backs Gaza ceasefire call
The Scottish Parliament yesterday backed calls for a ceasefire in Gaza and recognised the work of charities and NGOs trying to help improve the plight of the Palestinians.
The text of the motion was
S3M-3179 Nicola Sturgeon: The Humanitarian Disaster in Gaza—That the Parliament expresses its concern over the loss of all lives in the conflict in Gaza; joins the international community in calling for a ceasefire; acknowledges the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Gaza; recognises and welcomes the role being played by those in Scotland involved in the humanitarian response, and supports the work of all charities and NGOs in Scotland that are responding to this situation.
and it was supported by everybody except the Tories. How you could actually fail to support something calling for a ceasefire is beyond me, but they managed it.
Jim Tolson, MSP for Dunfermline West, and Hugh O'Donnell, who went to Gaza in November on a Parliamentary visit were the Liberal Democrat contributors and I thought that their contributions were worthy of reproducing here.
Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): Like millions of other people, I am absolutely shocked by the huge scale of the Israeli attacks that have been taking place since 27 December and which we have seen on the worldwide television news. With 1.5 million people crammed into the Gaza strip, high levels of civilian casualties were inevitable. There is no credibility in the Israeli statement that the Palestinians have used people as human shields, because it is impossible to have human shields when so many people are crammed into such a small space anyway.
In December, I attended the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on Palestine. The feedback from Hugh O'Donnell, Sandra White and Pauline McNeill on their audacious boat trip to Gaza was absolutely heartbreaking. There was also feedback from Palestinian people, many of whom had suffered for years in their homeland at the hands of the Israelis. There was feedback, too, from aid workers who had been attacked and harangued out of Gaza, and from Scots who had lived in Gaza and had felt that in many ways they were living under occupation. We heard heartbreaking points from all. We heard that no spare parts are allowed for sewage systems and how Israeli gunboats force fishermen to remain close to the shore and to fish in waters that are contaminated with sewage, which inevitably contaminates the food chain.
I decided to be no armchair supporter. I was sufficiently moved to join 2,000 demonstrators in Glasgow last Saturday. A cross-party group of MSPs was there in support of the demonstration, although there were no Tories. The demonstration, which was on behalf of and in support of the people of Gaza and Palestinians worldwide, was peaceful but vociferous. The heartbreaking news about what has been going on in Gaza, particularly since 27 December, was well elocuted by many. I cannot condone the rocket attacks on Israel, but the Israeli response is utterly disproportionate. All violence must stop now and not just for three hours per day. Violence breeds violence and only a democratic settlement will bring lasting peace.
Nicola Sturgeon was absolutely right that almost all Scots are concerned about the situation. As she said, the violence is shattering and hopes for a long-term peace are the way ahead. I back those sentiments fully. The motion's focus on charities and NGOs pulling together is the right approach. The one point on which I agree with Ted Brocklebank is that that is one response that Scotland can make, whereas we cannot act on many other matters. Nicola Sturgeon also referred to the MSPs' trip to Gaza in November. That was a brave and audacious attempt by our colleagues to provide aid. They definitely managed to do that and I am glad that they did. At the end of the day, as Nicola Sturgeon said, we hope that the Parliament will speak with one voice on the issue. It is crucial that we do so.
Pauline McNeill was one of the members who went on the trip to Gaza. She talked about how Scotland can respond to the crisis in humanitarian ways. We heard much about that at the demonstration last Saturday. People can comment here and elsewhere on what is happening to try to ensure that the Palestinians' story gets out to a worldwide audience. We can also comment on the scale of the suffering, which has been going on for many years and not just since 27 December. Pauline McNeill rightly suggested that the public expect us to add our voice to that of others. The world focus must be on an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. Some Israelis, and even George Bush, have denied that there is a humanitarian crisis. There is no credibility whatever in that statement. I am glad that Mr Bush is going, but I wish that I could believe that the Israeli Government will be more reasonable in the future. I do not hold out too much hope of that.
Ted Brocklebank's speech was sad indeed. Although he deplored the tragic deaths of civilians in Gaza, including those of 200 children, he soured the debate somewhat, which was rather sad to witness. Hamas is not just a militant organisation—no more than the Tories are in the Parliament. It is unfortunate that Ted Brocklebank took that line. My colleague Hugh O'Donnell, who took part in the trip to Gaza, made a good speech. I am glad that he congratulated the organisations that are taking practical steps to help people in Gaza. The Liberal Democrats' UK leader, Nick Clegg, has called on the UK Government to stop arming the Israelis. I certainly back that call.
Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): The Palestinian people are paying a dear price for Europe's guilt about what happened to European Jews. I find Mr Brocklebank's comments completely inappropriate but unsurprising, given the fact that the Conservatives did everything that they could to prevent the debate from taking place, notwithstanding what the cabinet secretary said.
I congratulate all the organisations in Scotland that are taking practical steps to help the people in Gaza. Even those of us who were there recently can have only a limited understanding of what has gone on in the past two weeks. We have watched in horror as the conflict in Gaza has claimed innocent victim after innocent victim. We have watched the UN schools, for which the Israelis have the co-ordinates, being completely destroyed. The past two weeks have been a telling indictment of the international community. We have an outgoing United States President who is giving Israel carte blanche to do what is being done to the people of Gaza and, regrettably, an aching silence from the President-elect. We also have a European Union that is encumbered by clumsy decision making and confused messages.
Nevertheless, there is a glimmer of hope, which has been referred to by other members. It is the short respite in the bombing that has been promised by Israel, along with the talk of a cease-fire. The three hours to which Nicola Sturgeon referred is barely enough time to do anything—let alone to feed a population of 1.5 million—but it is a start, even if it is intended only to deflect growing international criticism of what Israel is doing.
As other members have said, Israel has every right to defend itself, but its current approach is self-defeating and conveniently ignores the roots of its existence in the Stern gang and Irgun. There is no more a military solution to this situation than there was to the situation in Northern Ireland. We must get the sides to talk to each other. We were brave enough to talk to the Irish Republican Army, so why can we not make the Israelis brave enough to talk to Hamas and Hamas brave enough to talk to the Israelis?
The overwhelming use of force by Israel and the unacceptable loss of civilian lives are radicalising moderate Palestinians. We are now seeing Hezbollah launching attacks from Lebanon.
Britain must condemn unambiguously Israel's tactics, just as it has rightly condemned the Hamas rocket attacks. We must lead the European Union towards using its economic and diplomatic influence in the region to broker peace. That includes, if necessary, cancelling the preferable trade agreement that it is currently negotiating with the Israelis.
Finally, the world's leaders must accept that the response to the election of Hamas has been a strategic failure. Attempts to divide and rule the Palestinians by isolating them and collectively punishing an innocent civilian population in Gaza will not succeed. No terrorist organisation has ever been bombed into submission. To secure peace in the middle east, Hamas must turn its back on its terrorist activities to help to create Palestinian unity and Israel must recognise that the people of Palestine have as much right to exist on that land as the Israelis do. In Scotland, we must do all that we can to support the humanitarian efforts for the civilians in Gaza.
LibDig This!
The text of the motion was
S3M-3179 Nicola Sturgeon: The Humanitarian Disaster in Gaza—That the Parliament expresses its concern over the loss of all lives in the conflict in Gaza; joins the international community in calling for a ceasefire; acknowledges the unfolding humanitarian disaster in Gaza; recognises and welcomes the role being played by those in Scotland involved in the humanitarian response, and supports the work of all charities and NGOs in Scotland that are responding to this situation.
and it was supported by everybody except the Tories. How you could actually fail to support something calling for a ceasefire is beyond me, but they managed it.
Jim Tolson, MSP for Dunfermline West, and Hugh O'Donnell, who went to Gaza in November on a Parliamentary visit were the Liberal Democrat contributors and I thought that their contributions were worthy of reproducing here.
Jim Tolson (Dunfermline West) (LD): Like millions of other people, I am absolutely shocked by the huge scale of the Israeli attacks that have been taking place since 27 December and which we have seen on the worldwide television news. With 1.5 million people crammed into the Gaza strip, high levels of civilian casualties were inevitable. There is no credibility in the Israeli statement that the Palestinians have used people as human shields, because it is impossible to have human shields when so many people are crammed into such a small space anyway.
In December, I attended the cross-party group in the Scottish Parliament on Palestine. The feedback from Hugh O'Donnell, Sandra White and Pauline McNeill on their audacious boat trip to Gaza was absolutely heartbreaking. There was also feedback from Palestinian people, many of whom had suffered for years in their homeland at the hands of the Israelis. There was feedback, too, from aid workers who had been attacked and harangued out of Gaza, and from Scots who had lived in Gaza and had felt that in many ways they were living under occupation. We heard heartbreaking points from all. We heard that no spare parts are allowed for sewage systems and how Israeli gunboats force fishermen to remain close to the shore and to fish in waters that are contaminated with sewage, which inevitably contaminates the food chain.
I decided to be no armchair supporter. I was sufficiently moved to join 2,000 demonstrators in Glasgow last Saturday. A cross-party group of MSPs was there in support of the demonstration, although there were no Tories. The demonstration, which was on behalf of and in support of the people of Gaza and Palestinians worldwide, was peaceful but vociferous. The heartbreaking news about what has been going on in Gaza, particularly since 27 December, was well elocuted by many. I cannot condone the rocket attacks on Israel, but the Israeli response is utterly disproportionate. All violence must stop now and not just for three hours per day. Violence breeds violence and only a democratic settlement will bring lasting peace.
Nicola Sturgeon was absolutely right that almost all Scots are concerned about the situation. As she said, the violence is shattering and hopes for a long-term peace are the way ahead. I back those sentiments fully. The motion's focus on charities and NGOs pulling together is the right approach. The one point on which I agree with Ted Brocklebank is that that is one response that Scotland can make, whereas we cannot act on many other matters. Nicola Sturgeon also referred to the MSPs' trip to Gaza in November. That was a brave and audacious attempt by our colleagues to provide aid. They definitely managed to do that and I am glad that they did. At the end of the day, as Nicola Sturgeon said, we hope that the Parliament will speak with one voice on the issue. It is crucial that we do so.
Pauline McNeill was one of the members who went on the trip to Gaza. She talked about how Scotland can respond to the crisis in humanitarian ways. We heard much about that at the demonstration last Saturday. People can comment here and elsewhere on what is happening to try to ensure that the Palestinians' story gets out to a worldwide audience. We can also comment on the scale of the suffering, which has been going on for many years and not just since 27 December. Pauline McNeill rightly suggested that the public expect us to add our voice to that of others. The world focus must be on an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. Some Israelis, and even George Bush, have denied that there is a humanitarian crisis. There is no credibility whatever in that statement. I am glad that Mr Bush is going, but I wish that I could believe that the Israeli Government will be more reasonable in the future. I do not hold out too much hope of that.
Ted Brocklebank's speech was sad indeed. Although he deplored the tragic deaths of civilians in Gaza, including those of 200 children, he soured the debate somewhat, which was rather sad to witness. Hamas is not just a militant organisation—no more than the Tories are in the Parliament. It is unfortunate that Ted Brocklebank took that line. My colleague Hugh O'Donnell, who took part in the trip to Gaza, made a good speech. I am glad that he congratulated the organisations that are taking practical steps to help people in Gaza. The Liberal Democrats' UK leader, Nick Clegg, has called on the UK Government to stop arming the Israelis. I certainly back that call.
Hugh O'Donnell (Central Scotland) (LD): The Palestinian people are paying a dear price for Europe's guilt about what happened to European Jews. I find Mr Brocklebank's comments completely inappropriate but unsurprising, given the fact that the Conservatives did everything that they could to prevent the debate from taking place, notwithstanding what the cabinet secretary said.
I congratulate all the organisations in Scotland that are taking practical steps to help the people in Gaza. Even those of us who were there recently can have only a limited understanding of what has gone on in the past two weeks. We have watched in horror as the conflict in Gaza has claimed innocent victim after innocent victim. We have watched the UN schools, for which the Israelis have the co-ordinates, being completely destroyed. The past two weeks have been a telling indictment of the international community. We have an outgoing United States President who is giving Israel carte blanche to do what is being done to the people of Gaza and, regrettably, an aching silence from the President-elect. We also have a European Union that is encumbered by clumsy decision making and confused messages.
Nevertheless, there is a glimmer of hope, which has been referred to by other members. It is the short respite in the bombing that has been promised by Israel, along with the talk of a cease-fire. The three hours to which Nicola Sturgeon referred is barely enough time to do anything—let alone to feed a population of 1.5 million—but it is a start, even if it is intended only to deflect growing international criticism of what Israel is doing.
As other members have said, Israel has every right to defend itself, but its current approach is self-defeating and conveniently ignores the roots of its existence in the Stern gang and Irgun. There is no more a military solution to this situation than there was to the situation in Northern Ireland. We must get the sides to talk to each other. We were brave enough to talk to the Irish Republican Army, so why can we not make the Israelis brave enough to talk to Hamas and Hamas brave enough to talk to the Israelis?
The overwhelming use of force by Israel and the unacceptable loss of civilian lives are radicalising moderate Palestinians. We are now seeing Hezbollah launching attacks from Lebanon.
Britain must condemn unambiguously Israel's tactics, just as it has rightly condemned the Hamas rocket attacks. We must lead the European Union towards using its economic and diplomatic influence in the region to broker peace. That includes, if necessary, cancelling the preferable trade agreement that it is currently negotiating with the Israelis.
Finally, the world's leaders must accept that the response to the election of Hamas has been a strategic failure. Attempts to divide and rule the Palestinians by isolating them and collectively punishing an innocent civilian population in Gaza will not succeed. No terrorist organisation has ever been bombed into submission. To secure peace in the middle east, Hamas must turn its back on its terrorist activities to help to create Palestinian unity and Israel must recognise that the people of Palestine have as much right to exist on that land as the Israelis do. In Scotland, we must do all that we can to support the humanitarian efforts for the civilians in Gaza.
LibDig This!
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Clegg hones Lib Dem Election Team
Nick Clegg reshuffled his front bench team today in what will probably be the last change of roles before the General Election.
I personally was delighted to see Steve Webb go back to Work and Pensions. He's done well at Environment and Climate Change, but he is Mr Pensions and knows everything there is to know in that complex minefield. I actually don't understand why he was ever moved in the first place and I am sure we will benefit from his expertise in this important area.
Top Lib Dem MP Blogger Lynne Featherstone is to head up the as yet unformed New Technology Board to make sure the Party is maximising its use of available technology. Lynne's personability combined with Innovation Director Mark Pack's technological brilliance is probably a partnership made in heaven. Richmond MP and transport specialist Susan Kramer leaves the shadow cabinet to head up the campaign against the Heathrow expansion. Jenny Willott gets what can hardly be called a promotion from Work and Pensions, where she has been effective, to Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whatever that does. I hope it's a mechanism to allow her more influence in the General Election campaign. I have had a lot of time for Ms Willott since she stood against Paul Holmes for the Chesterfield selection 10 years ago. I was obviously on Paul's team, but we were so impressed with Jenny that we did phone canvassing for her when she first stood for selection in Cardiff Central.
My major observation about all of this is that key and able women seem to have been given jobs outside the key Shadow Cabinet positions while, on the other hand, we have Simon Hughes, (who it's impossible not to love, so I'm not slagging him) brought back into the Shadow Cabinet after 4 years as President. I'm wondering what exactly Nick is saying here. It could be that Lynne's Jenny's and Susan's roles do become high profile, but generally being a spokesperson for a Parliamentary brief is the way to get the media to notice you. Time will tell.
LibDig This!
I personally was delighted to see Steve Webb go back to Work and Pensions. He's done well at Environment and Climate Change, but he is Mr Pensions and knows everything there is to know in that complex minefield. I actually don't understand why he was ever moved in the first place and I am sure we will benefit from his expertise in this important area.
Top Lib Dem MP Blogger Lynne Featherstone is to head up the as yet unformed New Technology Board to make sure the Party is maximising its use of available technology. Lynne's personability combined with Innovation Director Mark Pack's technological brilliance is probably a partnership made in heaven. Richmond MP and transport specialist Susan Kramer leaves the shadow cabinet to head up the campaign against the Heathrow expansion. Jenny Willott gets what can hardly be called a promotion from Work and Pensions, where she has been effective, to Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, whatever that does. I hope it's a mechanism to allow her more influence in the General Election campaign. I have had a lot of time for Ms Willott since she stood against Paul Holmes for the Chesterfield selection 10 years ago. I was obviously on Paul's team, but we were so impressed with Jenny that we did phone canvassing for her when she first stood for selection in Cardiff Central.
My major observation about all of this is that key and able women seem to have been given jobs outside the key Shadow Cabinet positions while, on the other hand, we have Simon Hughes, (who it's impossible not to love, so I'm not slagging him) brought back into the Shadow Cabinet after 4 years as President. I'm wondering what exactly Nick is saying here. It could be that Lynne's Jenny's and Susan's roles do become high profile, but generally being a spokesperson for a Parliamentary brief is the way to get the media to notice you. Time will tell.
LibDig This!
Scotland Wide Gaza Demo this Saturday
Hopefully we will have more luck at attending this demo on Saturday. It's Scotland-wide and being supported by everyone from the Stop the War coalition to Scottish Jews for a Just Peace to the Muslim Council of Scotland.
The Meeting Point is East Market Street at 12.30 pm and march to the US consulate, then back to Princes Street for a rally with speakers.
Don't forget to take in date medicines, sealed in their original containers, to send to Gaza.
LibDig This!
The Meeting Point is East Market Street at 12.30 pm and march to the US consulate, then back to Princes Street for a rally with speakers.
Don't forget to take in date medicines, sealed in their original containers, to send to Gaza.
LibDig This!
What sort of pathetic apology for a human being am I?
I mean, I haven't bought a guitar
Nor have I cleaned the house,
or bought milk, though I was in Morrisons an hour ago and forgot.
Although I don't have the technology to join in with this meme, I am surprised that nobody has added the verse "I'm sorry I haven't delivered the leaflets."
Is this because although we are all sad enough to waste tonnes of time on the internet, we always make sure our leaflets are out there first?
If you have no idea what I'm talking about and are intrigued, have a look here.
Pink Dog's response is my favourite, but nothing new there:-)
LibDig This!
Nor have I cleaned the house,
or bought milk, though I was in Morrisons an hour ago and forgot.
Although I don't have the technology to join in with this meme, I am surprised that nobody has added the verse "I'm sorry I haven't delivered the leaflets."
Is this because although we are all sad enough to waste tonnes of time on the internet, we always make sure our leaflets are out there first?
If you have no idea what I'm talking about and are intrigued, have a look here.
Pink Dog's response is my favourite, but nothing new there:-)
LibDig This!
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Nick Clegg calls for end to arms exports to Israel
I am very heartened to see Nick Clegg being very firm in today's Guardian, saying unequivocally that we must stop arming Israel.
In this European election year, it was also good to see him show the important role the EU could have in helping to resolve the crisis, and in fact stating that the removal of the EU presence in Egypt in response to Hamas' election was counter productive in that it has made it easier for those who are firing rockets at Israel to obtain them.
Oh, and Happy Birthday to both Nick and my cousin David, who is celebrating his first birthday in his new home in Canada.
LibDig This!
In this European election year, it was also good to see him show the important role the EU could have in helping to resolve the crisis, and in fact stating that the removal of the EU presence in Egypt in response to Hamas' election was counter productive in that it has made it easier for those who are firing rockets at Israel to obtain them.
Oh, and Happy Birthday to both Nick and my cousin David, who is celebrating his first birthday in his new home in Canada.
LibDig This!
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Two New Millennium Bloggers
No, this isn't a reference to our favourite elephant but congratulations to two stalwarts of the Scottish blogging scene, Jeff and Fraser who today have made their thousandth posts on their blogs.
I like reading both of them and hope that they're good for at least another thousand posts.
LibDig This!
I like reading both of them and hope that they're good for at least another thousand posts.
LibDig This!
Israeli Bombs kill 40 at UN School in Refugee Camp
I'm saddened to see that there has been no let up in the Israeli assaults on Gaza. Then again, why should there be when they are getting away with such indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks?
They need an incentive to re-think what they are doing, otherwise more innocent lives will be needlessly lost.
LibDig This!
They need an incentive to re-think what they are doing, otherwise more innocent lives will be needlessly lost.
LibDig This!
Sunday, January 04, 2009
A thoughtful persepctive on the Gaza situation
An old friend of mine, Adrian Cruden, posted the article below on Facebook last night. I thought it was brilliant and deserved circulating to a wider audience. I first knew Adrian through Scottish Young Social Democrats back in the day. He's now with the Greens and stood in a Council by-election for them a couple of months ago in Dewsbury.
"they will bring upon themselves a bigger shoah (holocaust)", by Adrian Cruden
A tiny area, packed with tens of thousands of people in cramped, inadequate, decaying buildings; with no one allowed in or out; water supplies cut and barely enough food allowed in; with one of the highest rates of infant mortality and deaths in childbirth…packed in together, with a mighty army surrounding this place to keep its inhabitants incarcerated, the head of the army proclaiming that soon he will unleash a holocaust on that place.
Where is this? The Jewish ghetto in Warsaw in 1941? Or Vilnius in 1942?
It could have been – but it is neither. It is Gaza, squeezed between Israel and Egypt. And the time is…now.
Gaza is a strip of land 25 miles long and 4 miles wide, with 1,600,000 people squashed into its confines. They are nearly all refugees or the children and grandchildren of refugees – the Palestinians thrown out of their lands in what is now Israel in 1948.
After the peace accords signed in 1993, the territory fell under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority, which also has jurisdiction over various enclaves in the West Bank. In both areas, however, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), retained military control and withdrew from Gaza only in 2005.
Elections to the Palestinian Parliament in 2006 brought Hamas, a fundamentalist Islamic religious party, to power, its electoral triumph defeating the previous regime of the PLO-Fatah party of the late Yassir Arafat. Although if I was a Palestinian I think I'd not want much to do with Hamas, it was nevertheless the clear choice of the Palestinian electorate (under the title "Change & Reform" http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/p/palestine/palestine2006.txt ). Yet the EU and USA joined Israel in refusing to recognise or deal with them – democracy it seemed mattered to the West only as long as it produced the right result. After clashes between supporters of Hamas and Fatah, the Palestinian lands fractured, with Hamas in control of Gaza and Fatah in control of the West Bank territories.
Israel began a blockade of Gaza, restricting food and water and medicine. The densely populated territory suffered greatly as a result, and a UN report just a few weeks ago found massive addiction to painkillers and antidepressants among all age groups as the only things which helped the inhabitants cope with day to day life. Gaza is a ghetto just as much as the ones the Jews of Poland were crushed into ahead of their deportation to the gas chambers.
Under the circumstances, it seems of little surprise that some Gazans resorted to firing homemade rockets with fertiliser incendiaries into Israel. Over the last six years, this led to 19 Israeli deaths. Hamas encouraged this, and Israel responded – with massive raids by its airforce and its army, the fourth largest in the world. Several thousand Palestinians have been killed over the same period (around 2,300 in Gaza alone, including nearly 400 children). Past Israeli tactics have included bulldozing rows of houses in the close quarters of Gaza, often with little or even no notice to the residents. Now, tonight, their army has launched a land assault.
Earlier today, like thousands in cities around Britain, I joined about 350 others to march and protest in Leeds City Centre to call for peace in Gaza. Under a steel grey sky, in the bitter chill of an early January afternoon, we walked along the Headrow as shoppers watched, most of them seeming mildly bemused by this interruption to their post-Christmas Sales shopping, a few more hostile, shouting abuse, especially at the Muslim women in their headscarves. The police filmed us carefully every step of the way.
Why should it matter? Why does it matter, what happens hundreds of miles away?
Aside from the moral and ethical case, if these are not enough, there is the self-interest of stopping violence between humans: what happens there could happen anywhere, given the right (or wrong) conditions. And with its arms supplies to Israel, the UK is more involved than probably any of these shoppers might imagine.
The USA bankrolls both the Israeli army and pumps a huge economic subsidy into Israel - some estimates as high as $5.5 billion pa. ( http://www.hotpolitics.com/tax4israel.htm ) In addition, the UK is one of the IDF’s arms suppliers ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/apr/06/israel.armstrade ). Both could exert a huge influence on what is happening if they chose. But both Bush and Brown (and of course the Middle East Peace Envoy, Tony Blair) have at best equivocated, somehow putting the puny rocket attacks on a par with the assault launched by the fourth most powerful army in the world; more than that, they have effectively backed Israel to the hilt, leaving little room for hope they might broker true and just peace.
US President, George Bush, has claimed this latest bloodshed is the inevitable and justified Israeli response to Hamas terrorism: Barak Obama, by his craven silence at this critical time, has in effect endorsed this view, even although the first shots were fired several weeks ago by Israeli forces and although as far back as 29 February, the Israeli Defence Minister was promising to unleash a “shoah”, a holocaust, on Gaza.
http://www.counterpunch.org/cook03082008.html
That the Israeli elections are only a few weeks ago and the poll ratings of the two Government parties – Kadima and (shame on them) Labour – have soared since the offensive began is clearly more than coincidence. Likewise, this can be seen as Bush’s last anti-Muslim hurrah, a proxy assault by his allies rather than the no longer possible assault on Iran he dreamt off, just as his dad, Bush senior, invaded Somalia at the equivalent point in the dying days of his Presidency in 1991/92. Just as Clinton was incapable of sorting out the mess in Mogadishu, it seems hard to see how Obama will ever draw peace out of the Palestinian pyre.
But then perhaps that would suit some of these scheming politicians – for Hamas is very much the creation of the Israelis. Back in the 1980s, PLO-Fatah, a vaguely socialist, wholly secular party led by Yassir Arafat, was in the ascendancy among Palestinians and recognised around the world as their legitimate voice. Israel decided on an approach of divide and conquer and so began to sponsor, fund and train Hamas as a religious alternative for Palestinians in order to undermine Fatah and Arafat. That Hamas went on to win the elections and subsequently for the Palestinian Authority to be effectively divided in two is something that will suit those who wish no peace that involves Israel surrendering an inch of land. It may bring no peace or security, but the low grade incursions Hamas makes into Israel may well be seen as a price worth paying by those who seek endless confrontation.
(US article - "Hamas: Son of Israel" - http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=8449 )
Today, one speaker hit the nail on the head for me: when he saw children weeping amid the ruins of their homes, he thought of his children; when he saw an old woman bleeding in a hospital, he thought of his own mother; when he saw houses turned to rubble, with people trying to dig their neighbours out, he thought of his own neighbours. I think it is this, the commonality of suffering, that should bind us together in campaigning for peace - by marching, by writing to MPs, emailing newspapers, by talking to any who will listen.
Only by accident are we born where we are born; but we are all part of humanity, and there is only one earth. What happens anywhere should concern us all – enough at least to stop shopping and start shouting.
The land attack has begun – there will be more demonstrations in the UK and around the world in the days to come. These will all be chances for us to make our voices heard to save Gaza, and all of us.
When the Nazis came for the communists
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
- Pastor Martin Niemoller
Shout loud - peace and justice almost happened before; we can make it happen again...
LibDig This!
"they will bring upon themselves a bigger shoah (holocaust)", by Adrian Cruden
A tiny area, packed with tens of thousands of people in cramped, inadequate, decaying buildings; with no one allowed in or out; water supplies cut and barely enough food allowed in; with one of the highest rates of infant mortality and deaths in childbirth…packed in together, with a mighty army surrounding this place to keep its inhabitants incarcerated, the head of the army proclaiming that soon he will unleash a holocaust on that place.
Where is this? The Jewish ghetto in Warsaw in 1941? Or Vilnius in 1942?
It could have been – but it is neither. It is Gaza, squeezed between Israel and Egypt. And the time is…now.
Gaza is a strip of land 25 miles long and 4 miles wide, with 1,600,000 people squashed into its confines. They are nearly all refugees or the children and grandchildren of refugees – the Palestinians thrown out of their lands in what is now Israel in 1948.
After the peace accords signed in 1993, the territory fell under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority, which also has jurisdiction over various enclaves in the West Bank. In both areas, however, the Israeli Defence Force (IDF), retained military control and withdrew from Gaza only in 2005.
Elections to the Palestinian Parliament in 2006 brought Hamas, a fundamentalist Islamic religious party, to power, its electoral triumph defeating the previous regime of the PLO-Fatah party of the late Yassir Arafat. Although if I was a Palestinian I think I'd not want much to do with Hamas, it was nevertheless the clear choice of the Palestinian electorate (under the title "Change & Reform" http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/p/palestine/palestine2006.txt ). Yet the EU and USA joined Israel in refusing to recognise or deal with them – democracy it seemed mattered to the West only as long as it produced the right result. After clashes between supporters of Hamas and Fatah, the Palestinian lands fractured, with Hamas in control of Gaza and Fatah in control of the West Bank territories.
Israel began a blockade of Gaza, restricting food and water and medicine. The densely populated territory suffered greatly as a result, and a UN report just a few weeks ago found massive addiction to painkillers and antidepressants among all age groups as the only things which helped the inhabitants cope with day to day life. Gaza is a ghetto just as much as the ones the Jews of Poland were crushed into ahead of their deportation to the gas chambers.
Under the circumstances, it seems of little surprise that some Gazans resorted to firing homemade rockets with fertiliser incendiaries into Israel. Over the last six years, this led to 19 Israeli deaths. Hamas encouraged this, and Israel responded – with massive raids by its airforce and its army, the fourth largest in the world. Several thousand Palestinians have been killed over the same period (around 2,300 in Gaza alone, including nearly 400 children). Past Israeli tactics have included bulldozing rows of houses in the close quarters of Gaza, often with little or even no notice to the residents. Now, tonight, their army has launched a land assault.
Earlier today, like thousands in cities around Britain, I joined about 350 others to march and protest in Leeds City Centre to call for peace in Gaza. Under a steel grey sky, in the bitter chill of an early January afternoon, we walked along the Headrow as shoppers watched, most of them seeming mildly bemused by this interruption to their post-Christmas Sales shopping, a few more hostile, shouting abuse, especially at the Muslim women in their headscarves. The police filmed us carefully every step of the way.
Why should it matter? Why does it matter, what happens hundreds of miles away?
Aside from the moral and ethical case, if these are not enough, there is the self-interest of stopping violence between humans: what happens there could happen anywhere, given the right (or wrong) conditions. And with its arms supplies to Israel, the UK is more involved than probably any of these shoppers might imagine.
The USA bankrolls both the Israeli army and pumps a huge economic subsidy into Israel - some estimates as high as $5.5 billion pa. ( http://www.hotpolitics.com/tax4israel.htm ) In addition, the UK is one of the IDF’s arms suppliers ( http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2006/apr/06/israel.armstrade ). Both could exert a huge influence on what is happening if they chose. But both Bush and Brown (and of course the Middle East Peace Envoy, Tony Blair) have at best equivocated, somehow putting the puny rocket attacks on a par with the assault launched by the fourth most powerful army in the world; more than that, they have effectively backed Israel to the hilt, leaving little room for hope they might broker true and just peace.
US President, George Bush, has claimed this latest bloodshed is the inevitable and justified Israeli response to Hamas terrorism: Barak Obama, by his craven silence at this critical time, has in effect endorsed this view, even although the first shots were fired several weeks ago by Israeli forces and although as far back as 29 February, the Israeli Defence Minister was promising to unleash a “shoah”, a holocaust, on Gaza.
http://www.counterpunch.org/cook03082008.html
That the Israeli elections are only a few weeks ago and the poll ratings of the two Government parties – Kadima and (shame on them) Labour – have soared since the offensive began is clearly more than coincidence. Likewise, this can be seen as Bush’s last anti-Muslim hurrah, a proxy assault by his allies rather than the no longer possible assault on Iran he dreamt off, just as his dad, Bush senior, invaded Somalia at the equivalent point in the dying days of his Presidency in 1991/92. Just as Clinton was incapable of sorting out the mess in Mogadishu, it seems hard to see how Obama will ever draw peace out of the Palestinian pyre.
But then perhaps that would suit some of these scheming politicians – for Hamas is very much the creation of the Israelis. Back in the 1980s, PLO-Fatah, a vaguely socialist, wholly secular party led by Yassir Arafat, was in the ascendancy among Palestinians and recognised around the world as their legitimate voice. Israel decided on an approach of divide and conquer and so began to sponsor, fund and train Hamas as a religious alternative for Palestinians in order to undermine Fatah and Arafat. That Hamas went on to win the elections and subsequently for the Palestinian Authority to be effectively divided in two is something that will suit those who wish no peace that involves Israel surrendering an inch of land. It may bring no peace or security, but the low grade incursions Hamas makes into Israel may well be seen as a price worth paying by those who seek endless confrontation.
(US article - "Hamas: Son of Israel" - http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=8449 )
Today, one speaker hit the nail on the head for me: when he saw children weeping amid the ruins of their homes, he thought of his children; when he saw an old woman bleeding in a hospital, he thought of his own mother; when he saw houses turned to rubble, with people trying to dig their neighbours out, he thought of his own neighbours. I think it is this, the commonality of suffering, that should bind us together in campaigning for peace - by marching, by writing to MPs, emailing newspapers, by talking to any who will listen.
Only by accident are we born where we are born; but we are all part of humanity, and there is only one earth. What happens anywhere should concern us all – enough at least to stop shopping and start shouting.
The land attack has begun – there will be more demonstrations in the UK and around the world in the days to come. These will all be chances for us to make our voices heard to save Gaza, and all of us.
When the Nazis came for the communists
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
- Pastor Martin Niemoller
Shout loud - peace and justice almost happened before; we can make it happen again...
LibDig This!
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Who the hell is Matt Smith?
Wow. That was a bit of a shocker.
I was getting so annoyed with the build up, though. Any other time, you would love to see these old clips of previous doctors and episodes, but there came a point when I was screaming, at nobody in particular, "just f***ing tell us". We knew it wasn't Paterson Joseph within the first 10 seconds, cos they said it was somebody young, which just made it all worse.
And then all of a sudden, with no fanfare, this strange hairstyle attached to a quite beautiful face pops up, and your eyes are drawn to the caption "Matt Smith, Eleventh Doctor".
I expect his will be one of the most googled names of the day. I didn't recognise him immediately, cos I'm rubbish with faces, but when they showed the clips of Party Animals, I remembered how much I'd enjoyed his performance as Danny as the sane head trying to keep a rapidly disintegrating minister together.
Anyway, hats off to Mr Moffatt and co for keeping us all in suspenders so well. I think Matt Smith has potential. It shows something about the confidence of the production team that they are willing to cast someone who isn't a household name to take over after the highly successful Eccleston and Tennant years.
I can't say that I'm looking forward to seeing him in the role because that would be wishing David Tennant's time away, and I don't want to do that, but I do wish him all the best, and I'm sure that all we Who fans in the Lib Dems and beyond will have much to say when he finally takes control of the Tardis.
LibDig This!
I was getting so annoyed with the build up, though. Any other time, you would love to see these old clips of previous doctors and episodes, but there came a point when I was screaming, at nobody in particular, "just f***ing tell us". We knew it wasn't Paterson Joseph within the first 10 seconds, cos they said it was somebody young, which just made it all worse.
And then all of a sudden, with no fanfare, this strange hairstyle attached to a quite beautiful face pops up, and your eyes are drawn to the caption "Matt Smith, Eleventh Doctor".
I expect his will be one of the most googled names of the day. I didn't recognise him immediately, cos I'm rubbish with faces, but when they showed the clips of Party Animals, I remembered how much I'd enjoyed his performance as Danny as the sane head trying to keep a rapidly disintegrating minister together.
Anyway, hats off to Mr Moffatt and co for keeping us all in suspenders so well. I think Matt Smith has potential. It shows something about the confidence of the production team that they are willing to cast someone who isn't a household name to take over after the highly successful Eccleston and Tennant years.
I can't say that I'm looking forward to seeing him in the role because that would be wishing David Tennant's time away, and I don't want to do that, but I do wish him all the best, and I'm sure that all we Who fans in the Lib Dems and beyond will have much to say when he finally takes control of the Tardis.
LibDig This!
A Day of Anticipation, Excitement and a bit of disappointment
The disappointment comes from the fact that I am here at my laptop and not in Edinburgh going round the Winter Wonderland after going to the demo against Israel's increasingly appalling action in Gaza. I have got a bug the details of which you are best left ignorant. Unfortunately, though, it looks as though I will have further opportunities to demonstrate as the Israelis just seem to be getting more and more aggressive. Presumably because they can.
Anyway, the anticipation is because of the annoucement in less than two hours of the name of the actor who is to replace David Tennant as Doctor Who. Names such as David Morrissey, Paterson Joseph, Catherine Zeta Jones (what on earth was Russell on when he suggetsed her?) and Lesley Sharp have been thrown into the ring at various points. All the smart money is on Paterson Joseph. I've only ever seen him in Survivors, and thought he was very good, so I could live with him.
I quite like the way the BBC are doing this - announcing a special Dr Who Confidential 24 hours out and live streaming it onto big screens across the country - so if we had been in Edinburgh I'd have nipped across to the station to watch it.
One hour, 38 minutes and counting......
LibDig This!
Anyway, the anticipation is because of the annoucement in less than two hours of the name of the actor who is to replace David Tennant as Doctor Who. Names such as David Morrissey, Paterson Joseph, Catherine Zeta Jones (what on earth was Russell on when he suggetsed her?) and Lesley Sharp have been thrown into the ring at various points. All the smart money is on Paterson Joseph. I've only ever seen him in Survivors, and thought he was very good, so I could live with him.
I quite like the way the BBC are doing this - announcing a special Dr Who Confidential 24 hours out and live streaming it onto big screens across the country - so if we had been in Edinburgh I'd have nipped across to the station to watch it.
One hour, 38 minutes and counting......
LibDig This!
Friday, January 02, 2009
9 for 09
I guess it's my turn to try the fortune telling lark. It will be interesting to look back on 31st December and see how many of these actually come true. I suspect this will be more Sybil Trelawney than anything else, although she did get it right once..........
Anyway, here goes:
1 Obama will have a brief honeymoon and then his popularity will drop like a stone as the recession bites in the US and he fails to magic it all away when he takes office. He has already tried to manage expectations about this - in his victory speech he said that he couldn't do it all at once, but I suspect that people will want too much, too soon from him. I think any blip will be temporary as he has the communication skills to deal with it and things will be better by the mid-terms in 2010.
2. There will not be a UK general election in 2009. I don't think the polls are clear cut enough to make Gordon think it's worth the risk. Once he calls the election, there will be a particularly vicious, dirty scrap between Labour and the Tories south of the border which will probably endear neither of them to anybody. Nobody can really predict the outcome and literally anything could happen and I doubt that he would want to take the risk. I think Gordon should announce that he's going in April 2010 and introduce legislation for fixed term parliaments and have done with it.
3. The Liberal Democrats will make steady progress throughout the year. This might not come out so much in the polls, but more in the preparation and continuing the structural changes we need within the party. I think that we will do better than we think in the European elections.
4. Tavish Scott already hit the ground running as Scottish Lib Dem leader in 2009 and will establish himself as the true opposition leader in Holyrood. Annabel is too schoolmarmy and Iain Gray too boring to make an impact. In Tavish we have a warrior with Viking tenacity and fight in him - watch this space as he makes further dents in the Salmond ego and shows the SNP Government up for its failings.
5. Having screeched to a halt in Glenrothes, the SNP juggernaut actually starts to go into reverse. Questions will be asked about what exactly they have achieved, and if they fail to move on key issues such as their extra national income tax, their illiberal plans to stop 18-21 year old adults buying alcohol in off licences and the joke that is their Scottish Futures Trust to name but 3, then they are going to come seriously unstuck.
6. Unless someone takes Israel by the scruff of the neck and says, ok, unless you stop your disproportionate and aggressive behaviour, we are not going to give you any more money/weapons/invites to the White House for tea and sandwiches etc, then the situation in the Middle East will get a whole lot worse. Obama and Clinton need to give the Israeli Government a good talking to, and threaten them if they have to. It will be better for everyone in the Middle East in the long term if they do.
7. The banks will end free banking on current accounts in credit and start charging either a monthly fee, or a charge for every transaction. The last few months has proved that they simply don't care about public opinion and they don't really get what they have done wrong. It's time to make sure that the necessary regulations are put in place to avoid their irresponsible behaviour from putting the economy in jeopardy again. If they won't act in a sustainable way by themselves, then they have to be forced to.
8. A major broadcaster will throw all their toys out of the pram in spectacular fashion after being prevented from doing something perfectly legitimate, but mildly outrageous, because of fears of a Daily Mail Brand/Ross style backlash.
9. Homelessness reaches crisis point as repossessions and evictions force families onto the street and local councils simply can't cope with the demand for emergency accommodation. Preventative action now might help, but I suspect people will have to endure incredible misery before something is done to help them.
10. On a lighter note, the Pet Shop Boys new album will be fabulous, as will the new Harry Potter film. And David Tennant's departure from Doctor Who will be spectacular and emotional. Don't ask me who the new Doctor will be - although I suspect it won't be either David Morrissey or Lesley Sharp. Oh, and Andrew Lloyd Webber will produce a fabulous and very catchy song for Eurovision, which will still get trashed in the competition because of political voting.
Now, those were the predictions, but what are my hopes for this year? World peace and an end to poverty go without saying.
1. Obviously, and most importantly, that Bob, Anna and I get through the year happily and healthily.
2. That Anna continues to do well at school and grows in confidence, quirkiness and curiosity. While I would like her occasionally to just do what I ask without entering into debate (and some of it can be high quality stuff), I don't want to subdue her questioning of authority or her sense of fun.
3. That Powder Puff the hamster will be joined by two new rabbits in the Spring time - this will happen if Anna continues to look after her as well as she has done up until now.
4. That both Bob and I manage to lose some weight and get fit. I know that this is not going to happen by magic and we have to eat better and take more exercise to make it happen.
5. That I manage to get some sort of balance between home and the Liberal Democrats and that I finally get around to tidying the house on a regular basis. But there's always something better to do, a book to read, a place to go, a blog post to write...
And that we find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, find a unicorn in our back garden one morning and definitively discover that the moon is made of cream cheese, cos they are all as likely.
6. That the BBC does not muck around with Strictly too much. Let's not have them pick the young, fit and beautiful exclusively. It's a Saturday night light entertainment show, not a dance competition. Part of its appeal is that the likes of you and I can think that we might just be able to learn to dance. If they can all do it from the start, then we might as well give the show back. They obviously need to sort out the situation with ties on the leaderboard, but they shouldn't diminish the role of the judges, who should continue to speak their minds. I would put the results show back on to Saturday though - I can never wait until Sunday to find out what's happened and it always leaks.
7. That Louis Walsh gets a playmate on the X Factor. He has at times been like a wee lost soul this year without Sharon who was his partner in outrageous and often very funny antics. Oh, and for people not to get stressed when their favourite gets voted off one of these tv programmes - that's kind of the whole point, and there's no point in raising it in Parliament if you don't like the result.
8. That Andy Murray finally makes his mark on Wimbledon.
9. That the whole ridiculous notion of a Team GB football squad for the Olympics in 2012 gets kicked into the long grass where it belongs.
LibDig This!
Anyway, here goes:
1 Obama will have a brief honeymoon and then his popularity will drop like a stone as the recession bites in the US and he fails to magic it all away when he takes office. He has already tried to manage expectations about this - in his victory speech he said that he couldn't do it all at once, but I suspect that people will want too much, too soon from him. I think any blip will be temporary as he has the communication skills to deal with it and things will be better by the mid-terms in 2010.
2. There will not be a UK general election in 2009. I don't think the polls are clear cut enough to make Gordon think it's worth the risk. Once he calls the election, there will be a particularly vicious, dirty scrap between Labour and the Tories south of the border which will probably endear neither of them to anybody. Nobody can really predict the outcome and literally anything could happen and I doubt that he would want to take the risk. I think Gordon should announce that he's going in April 2010 and introduce legislation for fixed term parliaments and have done with it.
3. The Liberal Democrats will make steady progress throughout the year. This might not come out so much in the polls, but more in the preparation and continuing the structural changes we need within the party. I think that we will do better than we think in the European elections.
4. Tavish Scott already hit the ground running as Scottish Lib Dem leader in 2009 and will establish himself as the true opposition leader in Holyrood. Annabel is too schoolmarmy and Iain Gray too boring to make an impact. In Tavish we have a warrior with Viking tenacity and fight in him - watch this space as he makes further dents in the Salmond ego and shows the SNP Government up for its failings.
5. Having screeched to a halt in Glenrothes, the SNP juggernaut actually starts to go into reverse. Questions will be asked about what exactly they have achieved, and if they fail to move on key issues such as their extra national income tax, their illiberal plans to stop 18-21 year old adults buying alcohol in off licences and the joke that is their Scottish Futures Trust to name but 3, then they are going to come seriously unstuck.
6. Unless someone takes Israel by the scruff of the neck and says, ok, unless you stop your disproportionate and aggressive behaviour, we are not going to give you any more money/weapons/invites to the White House for tea and sandwiches etc, then the situation in the Middle East will get a whole lot worse. Obama and Clinton need to give the Israeli Government a good talking to, and threaten them if they have to. It will be better for everyone in the Middle East in the long term if they do.
7. The banks will end free banking on current accounts in credit and start charging either a monthly fee, or a charge for every transaction. The last few months has proved that they simply don't care about public opinion and they don't really get what they have done wrong. It's time to make sure that the necessary regulations are put in place to avoid their irresponsible behaviour from putting the economy in jeopardy again. If they won't act in a sustainable way by themselves, then they have to be forced to.
8. A major broadcaster will throw all their toys out of the pram in spectacular fashion after being prevented from doing something perfectly legitimate, but mildly outrageous, because of fears of a Daily Mail Brand/Ross style backlash.
9. Homelessness reaches crisis point as repossessions and evictions force families onto the street and local councils simply can't cope with the demand for emergency accommodation. Preventative action now might help, but I suspect people will have to endure incredible misery before something is done to help them.
10. On a lighter note, the Pet Shop Boys new album will be fabulous, as will the new Harry Potter film. And David Tennant's departure from Doctor Who will be spectacular and emotional. Don't ask me who the new Doctor will be - although I suspect it won't be either David Morrissey or Lesley Sharp. Oh, and Andrew Lloyd Webber will produce a fabulous and very catchy song for Eurovision, which will still get trashed in the competition because of political voting.
Now, those were the predictions, but what are my hopes for this year? World peace and an end to poverty go without saying.
1. Obviously, and most importantly, that Bob, Anna and I get through the year happily and healthily.
2. That Anna continues to do well at school and grows in confidence, quirkiness and curiosity. While I would like her occasionally to just do what I ask without entering into debate (and some of it can be high quality stuff), I don't want to subdue her questioning of authority or her sense of fun.
3. That Powder Puff the hamster will be joined by two new rabbits in the Spring time - this will happen if Anna continues to look after her as well as she has done up until now.
4. That both Bob and I manage to lose some weight and get fit. I know that this is not going to happen by magic and we have to eat better and take more exercise to make it happen.
5. That I manage to get some sort of balance between home and the Liberal Democrats and that I finally get around to tidying the house on a regular basis. But there's always something better to do, a book to read, a place to go, a blog post to write...
And that we find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, find a unicorn in our back garden one morning and definitively discover that the moon is made of cream cheese, cos they are all as likely.
6. That the BBC does not muck around with Strictly too much. Let's not have them pick the young, fit and beautiful exclusively. It's a Saturday night light entertainment show, not a dance competition. Part of its appeal is that the likes of you and I can think that we might just be able to learn to dance. If they can all do it from the start, then we might as well give the show back. They obviously need to sort out the situation with ties on the leaderboard, but they shouldn't diminish the role of the judges, who should continue to speak their minds. I would put the results show back on to Saturday though - I can never wait until Sunday to find out what's happened and it always leaks.
7. That Louis Walsh gets a playmate on the X Factor. He has at times been like a wee lost soul this year without Sharon who was his partner in outrageous and often very funny antics. Oh, and for people not to get stressed when their favourite gets voted off one of these tv programmes - that's kind of the whole point, and there's no point in raising it in Parliament if you don't like the result.
8. That Andy Murray finally makes his mark on Wimbledon.
9. That the whole ridiculous notion of a Team GB football squad for the Olympics in 2012 gets kicked into the long grass where it belongs.
LibDig This!
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Caron's Blog of the Year 2008
I meant to put this in my review of last year and then forgot. It's clearly going to take more than the dawn of a new year to resolve my scattiness issues.
Anyway, I've spent more time in the blogosphere this year than ever before and I have some firm favourites. For inimitable insight combined with just the right amount of geekiness, there's no rival to Stephen. For Victor Meldrew chic, where better to turn than my tribute blog? I hope that he returns to full time blogging in the New Year. If I want to read something sensible about US politics, Paul or Duncan can always be relied upon to deliver the goods.
If I want good, serious analysis of the international situation, particularly as regards Russia and Eastern Europe, or the challenges facing the financial markets, I look no further than Cicero's Songs
Outside the Party, nobody delivers insults and right wing bile better than Mr Eugenides, even though (and he'll kill me for saying this, he's a really nice bloke in real life. What worries me is that I've agreed with him twice this year:-)
Tom Harris, although he occasionally spouts the creme of Labour bollocks, has led the way for the Labour Party in engaging with the blogosphere and I can forgive his occasional patronising claptrap because most of what he writes is done with good humour and he also does a whole load of X Factor and Doctor Who stuff.
Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting can always be relied upon for good debate, and he does occasionally try to wind me up. I also read Mr MacNumpty for a good Nationalist perspective on life as well as debate on Strictly Come Dancing.
I miss Kezia Dugdale very much for news from a Labour perspective, but Yousuf has been good for debate and is willing to speak out, particularly on issues like the Israeli action in Gaza.
There are so many others I could mention - Costigan Quist is rapidly becoming a favourite for his humourous and irreverent take on life and liberalism.
I can only pick one favourite, though, and for me, this one stands head and shoulders above the others. Step forward Jennie, whose Yorksher Gob is original, occasioally outrageous and outstanding. If you want to combine the Lib Dems, Star Trek, Doctor Who and Harry Potter, to name just some of the things she writes about, you could do no better than make the Yorkser Gob a daily must read.
LibDig This!
Anyway, I've spent more time in the blogosphere this year than ever before and I have some firm favourites. For inimitable insight combined with just the right amount of geekiness, there's no rival to Stephen. For Victor Meldrew chic, where better to turn than my tribute blog? I hope that he returns to full time blogging in the New Year. If I want to read something sensible about US politics, Paul or Duncan can always be relied upon to deliver the goods.
If I want good, serious analysis of the international situation, particularly as regards Russia and Eastern Europe, or the challenges facing the financial markets, I look no further than Cicero's Songs
Outside the Party, nobody delivers insults and right wing bile better than Mr Eugenides, even though (and he'll kill me for saying this, he's a really nice bloke in real life. What worries me is that I've agreed with him twice this year:-)
Tom Harris, although he occasionally spouts the creme of Labour bollocks, has led the way for the Labour Party in engaging with the blogosphere and I can forgive his occasional patronising claptrap because most of what he writes is done with good humour and he also does a whole load of X Factor and Doctor Who stuff.
Jeff at SNP Tactical Voting can always be relied upon for good debate, and he does occasionally try to wind me up. I also read Mr MacNumpty for a good Nationalist perspective on life as well as debate on Strictly Come Dancing.
I miss Kezia Dugdale very much for news from a Labour perspective, but Yousuf has been good for debate and is willing to speak out, particularly on issues like the Israeli action in Gaza.
There are so many others I could mention - Costigan Quist is rapidly becoming a favourite for his humourous and irreverent take on life and liberalism.
I can only pick one favourite, though, and for me, this one stands head and shoulders above the others. Step forward Jennie, whose Yorksher Gob is original, occasioally outrageous and outstanding. If you want to combine the Lib Dems, Star Trek, Doctor Who and Harry Potter, to name just some of the things she writes about, you could do no better than make the Yorkser Gob a daily must read.
LibDig This!
Ros Scott's first message as President
Ros Scott's first message as President (oh, how good does that sound) is here as a reminder that hard work really does pay off. It's great to see her plans for the future and to have confidence that she will be a full time president who will devote her time to growing the party and supporting campaigns and activists.
One telling thought from her earlier post. Apparently her 3 week stay at home over Christmas is the longest she will have been there since the Summer of 2007, which shows the personal sacrifice she has made for her campaign.
LibDig This!
One telling thought from her earlier post. Apparently her 3 week stay at home over Christmas is the longest she will have been there since the Summer of 2007, which shows the personal sacrifice she has made for her campaign.
LibDig This!
Some Reflections on 2008
I should have done this last night, but was distracted by an invitation to visit some real people, which you should never turn down.
We had great fun with Stevie and the girls, his brother Kevin, brother-in-law Ally and his girlfriend Kay. I don't think I have ever heard such ecstacy in my whole life as when Stevie finally worked out how to score a goal in Football on the Wii. The extra time alone was 3 times more than the match had been, and the resulting celebrations made the stuff that goes on in a real football pitch seem very tame and polite.
Anyway, we all really missed Anne, who was working last night.
The last year which started in the McGinnigle house, 2006, was a really good one, so here's hoping that they have worked their magic again.
But on to the serious stuff. A quick look back on the year just gone - Caron's awards, voted for nobody but myself and so entirely subjective.
First, a word about sexiest politicians awards. Men, Obama has this one sown up for hte forseeable, so the rest of you, even Nick Clegg, are just going to have to look into your mirrors and weep.
Now, on to the serious (ish) stuff:
Defining Moment of 2008 has to be Obama's acceptance speech. I could have picked any moment in September when Robert Peston was more famous than Simon Cowell and God, but let's be optimistic.
In case you missed it, here it is again - a treat and a defining moment probably in the whole of history, not just this year. It was remarkable that a man who I was at best lukewarm to at the beginning of the year actually managed to get under my skin and make me like him. Still not sure on the substance, though........
UK Politician of the Year - has to be Vince Cable for his wise and prescient comments on the economy. He saw the financial meltdown coming for years and spoke with more credibility and authority in outlining our proposals to help the economy recover in a sustainable way. His challenge for 2009 is to turn this into success for the party.
Scottish Politician of the Year - Tavish Scott, who, in 4 short months, has done a great deal to build the profile of the Scottish Liberal Democrats after a couple of tough years. He has led the way on tax cuts and HBOS and has started to make much needed changes in the party. It's good to have a leader who has a very clear vision of what he wants to achieve and how he wants to go about it. His challenge for 2009 is to galvanise and motivate the Party to deliver a winning campaign for George Lyon in Europe.
Scottish Political Moment of the Year in terms of media headlines, honours would probably be shared between the SNP's narrow victory in the Glasgow East and then Labour's convincing win in Glenrothes, bringing the Nationalist juggernaut to a screeching halt. I have to offer a health warning for the appalling language, and I clearly have no sympathy with the sentiments expressed, but the viral videos prepared by both sides in a parody of the film Downfall, shows how bitter and twisted they can both be. I'm not embedding them but if you want to watch them, here's the Glasgow East one and here's the Glenrothes one. I will confess to some moments of mild hilarity when first watching them, but, like a fast food burger, any feeling of satisfaction is quickly over.
However, I would give my award for moment of the year to the Scottish Parliament for voting down the SNP Government's ludicrous and illiberal proposals to prevent under 21s buying alcohol in off licenses. It shows that the Parliament is still capable of working together to vote down illiberal proposals. Let's hope that this idea is now quietly forgotten.
Political Campaigner of the Year
This one has to go to Baroness Ros Scott, new Liberal Democrat President. Who on earth would have thought, 18 months ago, that a humble Peer would beat one of the best known names in the Party. It's a tribute to her sheer hard work in travelling the length and breadth of the country, supporting local campaigning here, there and everywhere combined with use of the best the internet has to offer. And, by the way, her campaign database software is the basis of the future. Her comprehensive victory was well deserved and I feel that the Party is in safe hands for her term.
Congratulations to her and the Honourable Lady Mark for starting as they mean to go on, by continuing to support local campaigns, in particular Grace Goodlad's campaign in East Wickham at the moment.
Political Villains of the Year I'd go for the Democratic Unionist MPs for voting with the Government on 42 days' detention proposals. Of course, the decision to, later in the year, abandon proposals to extend UK abortion laws to Northern Ireland was completely coincidental. The proposals were ultimately defeated by the House of Lords, forcing a humiliating Government climbdown.
Coward of the Year
The BBC for cravenly buckling to the Daily Mail lobby over Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. Stupid and insensitive though they were, the BBC should have been more robust in defending itself.
My personal favourite moments of the year, in my life
Watching Anna perform confidently on stage in Mallorca so many times during our holiday.
Going out with my husband to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary
Watching Anna in her choir Christmas concert
Trying on inappropriately high heeled shoes with my niece Emma when she came to stay the other week.
Sitting up and live-blogging the US elections, however stupid that may have been in terms of being exhausted the next day.
Low Points of the year
The darned virus from which I have still not fully recovered, which laid me low in mid November.
Breaking down on the way home from the Glenrothes count.
Trashy TV Moment of the Year
For this one, I've considered John Sergeant quitting Strictly, which took all the headlines for days and was even mentioned in Parliament, the Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue spat on the X Factor where her tears saw the sweet and good natured Louis hysterically branded a bully in most of the press and the Strictly voting fiasco which propelled Tom Chambers from certain elimination to winning the series. However we have to go back to May for the Winner - the Kosher Chicken fiasco from the Apprentice. If this is typical of the stupidity of future entrepreneurs, then we are all doomed:
LibDig This!
We had great fun with Stevie and the girls, his brother Kevin, brother-in-law Ally and his girlfriend Kay. I don't think I have ever heard such ecstacy in my whole life as when Stevie finally worked out how to score a goal in Football on the Wii. The extra time alone was 3 times more than the match had been, and the resulting celebrations made the stuff that goes on in a real football pitch seem very tame and polite.
Anyway, we all really missed Anne, who was working last night.
The last year which started in the McGinnigle house, 2006, was a really good one, so here's hoping that they have worked their magic again.
But on to the serious stuff. A quick look back on the year just gone - Caron's awards, voted for nobody but myself and so entirely subjective.
First, a word about sexiest politicians awards. Men, Obama has this one sown up for hte forseeable, so the rest of you, even Nick Clegg, are just going to have to look into your mirrors and weep.
Now, on to the serious (ish) stuff:
Defining Moment of 2008 has to be Obama's acceptance speech. I could have picked any moment in September when Robert Peston was more famous than Simon Cowell and God, but let's be optimistic.
In case you missed it, here it is again - a treat and a defining moment probably in the whole of history, not just this year. It was remarkable that a man who I was at best lukewarm to at the beginning of the year actually managed to get under my skin and make me like him. Still not sure on the substance, though........
UK Politician of the Year - has to be Vince Cable for his wise and prescient comments on the economy. He saw the financial meltdown coming for years and spoke with more credibility and authority in outlining our proposals to help the economy recover in a sustainable way. His challenge for 2009 is to turn this into success for the party.
Scottish Politician of the Year - Tavish Scott, who, in 4 short months, has done a great deal to build the profile of the Scottish Liberal Democrats after a couple of tough years. He has led the way on tax cuts and HBOS and has started to make much needed changes in the party. It's good to have a leader who has a very clear vision of what he wants to achieve and how he wants to go about it. His challenge for 2009 is to galvanise and motivate the Party to deliver a winning campaign for George Lyon in Europe.
Scottish Political Moment of the Year in terms of media headlines, honours would probably be shared between the SNP's narrow victory in the Glasgow East and then Labour's convincing win in Glenrothes, bringing the Nationalist juggernaut to a screeching halt. I have to offer a health warning for the appalling language, and I clearly have no sympathy with the sentiments expressed, but the viral videos prepared by both sides in a parody of the film Downfall, shows how bitter and twisted they can both be. I'm not embedding them but if you want to watch them, here's the Glasgow East one and here's the Glenrothes one. I will confess to some moments of mild hilarity when first watching them, but, like a fast food burger, any feeling of satisfaction is quickly over.
However, I would give my award for moment of the year to the Scottish Parliament for voting down the SNP Government's ludicrous and illiberal proposals to prevent under 21s buying alcohol in off licenses. It shows that the Parliament is still capable of working together to vote down illiberal proposals. Let's hope that this idea is now quietly forgotten.
Political Campaigner of the Year
This one has to go to Baroness Ros Scott, new Liberal Democrat President. Who on earth would have thought, 18 months ago, that a humble Peer would beat one of the best known names in the Party. It's a tribute to her sheer hard work in travelling the length and breadth of the country, supporting local campaigning here, there and everywhere combined with use of the best the internet has to offer. And, by the way, her campaign database software is the basis of the future. Her comprehensive victory was well deserved and I feel that the Party is in safe hands for her term.
Congratulations to her and the Honourable Lady Mark for starting as they mean to go on, by continuing to support local campaigns, in particular Grace Goodlad's campaign in East Wickham at the moment.
Political Villains of the Year I'd go for the Democratic Unionist MPs for voting with the Government on 42 days' detention proposals. Of course, the decision to, later in the year, abandon proposals to extend UK abortion laws to Northern Ireland was completely coincidental. The proposals were ultimately defeated by the House of Lords, forcing a humiliating Government climbdown.
Coward of the Year
The BBC for cravenly buckling to the Daily Mail lobby over Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. Stupid and insensitive though they were, the BBC should have been more robust in defending itself.
My personal favourite moments of the year, in my life
Watching Anna perform confidently on stage in Mallorca so many times during our holiday.
Going out with my husband to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary
Watching Anna in her choir Christmas concert
Trying on inappropriately high heeled shoes with my niece Emma when she came to stay the other week.
Sitting up and live-blogging the US elections, however stupid that may have been in terms of being exhausted the next day.
Low Points of the year
The darned virus from which I have still not fully recovered, which laid me low in mid November.
Breaking down on the way home from the Glenrothes count.
Trashy TV Moment of the Year
For this one, I've considered John Sergeant quitting Strictly, which took all the headlines for days and was even mentioned in Parliament, the Louis Walsh and Dannii Minogue spat on the X Factor where her tears saw the sweet and good natured Louis hysterically branded a bully in most of the press and the Strictly voting fiasco which propelled Tom Chambers from certain elimination to winning the series. However we have to go back to May for the Winner - the Kosher Chicken fiasco from the Apprentice. If this is typical of the stupidity of future entrepreneurs, then we are all doomed:
LibDig This!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Clegg calls for EU action against Israel over Gaza
Glad to see that our leader, Nick Clegg, is urging the EU to suspend a proposed co-operation deal with Israel.
It would be a start and a major signal that a significant body of international opinion opposes Israel's continued and disproportionate action in Gaza.
LibDig This!
It would be a start and a major signal that a significant body of international opinion opposes Israel's continued and disproportionate action in Gaza.
LibDig This!
Middle East Peace Protests in Scotland this weekend
For all who are interested in the cause of Middle East peace, there are demonstrations in Edinburgh and Glasgow this weekend.
We hope to be going to the Edinburgh one, depending on how Bob is, to show our opposition to the thoroughly disproportionate and indiscriminate Israeli action.
Sending the bombers in is not going to bring about any sort of lasting peace and will only breed greater resentment and carry on this hatred for anothe generation. It has to stop somewhere, and the international community has a responsibility to take action.
Saturday 3 Jan, Gaza Protest, (Glasgow)
12noon outside Lloyds TSB, St Vincent Street Glasgow and then assemble for demo at Blythswood Square, 2pm Supported by Scottish PSC and Stop the War Scotland
Saturday 3 Jan, Gaza Protest, (Edinburgh)
12 noon, Foot of the Mound, Princes Street, Edinburgh Supported by Scottish PSC and Stop the War Scotland
LibDig This!
We hope to be going to the Edinburgh one, depending on how Bob is, to show our opposition to the thoroughly disproportionate and indiscriminate Israeli action.
Sending the bombers in is not going to bring about any sort of lasting peace and will only breed greater resentment and carry on this hatred for anothe generation. It has to stop somewhere, and the international community has a responsibility to take action.
Saturday 3 Jan, Gaza Protest, (Glasgow)
12noon outside Lloyds TSB, St Vincent Street Glasgow and then assemble for demo at Blythswood Square, 2pm Supported by Scottish PSC and Stop the War Scotland
Saturday 3 Jan, Gaza Protest, (Edinburgh)
12 noon, Foot of the Mound, Princes Street, Edinburgh Supported by Scottish PSC and Stop the War Scotland
LibDig This!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Congratulations, Andrew Reeves.....
....on being noticed by Iain Dale, the Tory one, finally, despite your wonderful blog having been around for quite some time.
You don't blog often enough, but I love reading it when you do.
Edit just to say that I've just looked on Iain Dale's directory, and he has you twice:-)
LibDig This!
You don't blog often enough, but I love reading it when you do.
Edit just to say that I've just looked on Iain Dale's directory, and he has you twice:-)
LibDig This!
If it were anyone else but Israel...............
....carryng out airstrikes, killing innocent civilians, there would be talk of military intervention, UN resolutions, sanctions, possible invasion and war, lines in the sand and "this will not stand."
Why do they always get away with it?
I'm not sticking up for Hamas, by the way - their record at pursuing peace isn't great. Chosen by the Palestinian people out of frustration after decades of oppression and being ignored by the international community, they are not a bunch of cuddly teddy bears by any stretch of the imagination.
Someone, somewhere, has to make this stop. President-Elect Obama, Secretary of State Designate Clinton, I think this means you.
LibDig This!
Why do they always get away with it?
I'm not sticking up for Hamas, by the way - their record at pursuing peace isn't great. Chosen by the Palestinian people out of frustration after decades of oppression and being ignored by the international community, they are not a bunch of cuddly teddy bears by any stretch of the imagination.
Someone, somewhere, has to make this stop. President-Elect Obama, Secretary of State Designate Clinton, I think this means you.
LibDig This!
Facebook gets in a lather about breastfeeding
Hat tip to Morgan for re-alerting us to the issue of Facebook deleting photographs of nursing mothers posted to members' individual photo albums on the social networking site.
I fail to see how a breast, mostly obscured by the back of the baby's head, could be offensive to anybody. And if some people do have an issue with it then they don't have to look at them.
It's time for Facebook to grow up and be more discerning about what it considers to be obscene.
LibDig This!
I fail to see how a breast, mostly obscured by the back of the baby's head, could be offensive to anybody. And if some people do have an issue with it then they don't have to look at them.
It's time for Facebook to grow up and be more discerning about what it considers to be obscene.
LibDig This!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
