Highlights
Count Binface and electoral theatre
Don’t be a costumed loon — It’s trivially easy to stand for Parliament in the UK. Any loon can do so. You need ten electors to nominate you and £500 for a deposit – and it’s actually been getting easier. The deposit was introduced in 1918 (£150 – quite a lot of money then). Before […]
I hate this
But does it matter? — I don’t usually say that sort of thing here. I try to be more measured, less personal. I’m talking about the police face recognition vans obviously. This might not surprise you: I mean that I don’t like them. I’m an old git after all, a man who’s written here before […]
Where is my patriotism?
Come, love of country, fill my heart… — I do love Britain. I guess I love England more. London most of all. I hope that in my life I’ve honoured the place I live and not disgraced it or undermined it (I support England and GB in sporting events – I fly a little flag […]
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Xmas toys: good and bad. Number 1 – Geomag Panels
How’s this for topical? A Xmas entry in mid-January! Every year we buy a small mountain of toys for our children and about half of them turn out to be…
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Keane on Keane
When I was young and a bit scary-looking I used to hitch-hike round the West of Ireland and I once spent a couple of nights in a small town in…
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Let’s hear it for 40-ish blokes
My wife is always telling me that our generation is now in charge. Although I seldom, these days, feel very in charge (I’m doing my best, though. Me: “yes. It…
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New year’s resolution: unload that big pile of review copies
Here’s a list of geeky books I’ve currently got for sale over at amazon.co.uk. Go on. Buy some. They’re all brand new and every single one is cheaper than you’ll…
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Tsunami fund raisers should accept Paypal
I’ve been looking around for an agency accepting Paypal donations towards the various Tsunami appeals. I suspect there’s millions locked up in Paypal balances that could be made useful if…
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Overcoming donor fatigue
On the Today Programme the other day Bill Clinton suggested, even before the magnitude of the Asian disaster became clear, that the big donor Nations should divide up the affected…
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Stick this lot in your iPod
A jewel of a programme about Blake’s Jerusalem from Tom Paulin (probably overwritten by next week’s show by now – drop me a line if you want an MP3) and…
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Your tax dollar in action…
I’ve been meaning to blog this for ages but I just haven’t been able to form the words in my head. Why? Anyway, I’ve been helping a sort of loose…
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Fixing pensions
Pensions are important and will be for a long time (how about the indefinite future? Or at least until you can get uploading on the National Health). I find myself…
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Trying to keep it together…
I give you a snapshot of the pre-Xmas domestic disarray round here. I’m feeding the kids Friday evening and notice that the pretty little red plate that I’ve given to…