I looked recently at the clash between the Obama White House and Fox News Channel (fair and balanced my arse) over the coverage that Rupe’s network was giving the Prez. Fox have been countering, via their Senior Veep Michael Clemente, that there is a difference between news programming and opinion programming. So there is.
But when you consider the hours that Clemente gave for “news programming”, which are 9am to 4pm and 6pm to 8pm, and then match them with the channel’s running order, this makes for revealing reading, as Jon Stewart demonstrated on the Daily Show Thursday night (We in the UK got it on More4 at 2030 yesterday. You missed it? Where were you? Comedy Central may have video available).
Stewart showed that, by Fox’ own definition, the shows hosted by Bill O’Reilly, Greta van Susteren, Sean Hannity, and – it’s that man again – Glenn Beck are not news. Those in the UK that recall Dan, Dan the Oratory Man going on Fox to denounce the NHS may be interested to know that he went on with Hannity and Beck. So that, according to Fox, was not news.
Good to get that one cleared up. Thanks Mike.
Saturday, 31 October 2009
Chopper Cropper – 6
The Afghan helicopter ruckus had quietened down recently, but expect things to kick off again in short order following the revelation that a senior officer killed recently by yet another Taliban Improvised Explosive Device (IED) had pointed out a shortage before his death.
Officer casualties are relatively rare. This isn’t a selfish thing: if the men in theatre lose their commander, the consequences can be disastrous. L/Col Rupert Thorneloe had been in an armoured vehicle when an IED was detonated close by, and it must have been a large one to penetrate the vehicle sufficiently to kill two of the men travelling in it.
Thorneloe was apparently explicit in his assertion that there were not enough helicopters available to move men around, and that he didn’t have access to any of them. The nature of journalism being what it is, after all the coverage of this issue back in August along with the subsequent arguments, the story dropped off the radar, so it’s not clear how the situation is right now.
The armed forces have been hiring helicopters, some of which are Russian built, but whether they are being used to ferry troops is unclear. There may also be more of our own machines in theatre. But one thing is certain: there will still be another round of arguments – expect this to feature in tomorrow morning’s Andy Marr Show.
Officer casualties are relatively rare. This isn’t a selfish thing: if the men in theatre lose their commander, the consequences can be disastrous. L/Col Rupert Thorneloe had been in an armoured vehicle when an IED was detonated close by, and it must have been a large one to penetrate the vehicle sufficiently to kill two of the men travelling in it.
Thorneloe was apparently explicit in his assertion that there were not enough helicopters available to move men around, and that he didn’t have access to any of them. The nature of journalism being what it is, after all the coverage of this issue back in August along with the subsequent arguments, the story dropped off the radar, so it’s not clear how the situation is right now.
The armed forces have been hiring helicopters, some of which are Russian built, but whether they are being used to ferry troops is unclear. There may also be more of our own machines in theatre. But one thing is certain: there will still be another round of arguments – expect this to feature in tomorrow morning’s Andy Marr Show.
Friday, 30 October 2009
The Laws Don’t Work – 5
Some time ago, I put together a short series of posts on the way in which the UK approaches the business of currently illegal drugs. The conclusion was, more or less, that we would benefit from a reasoned debate on the subject, but that this will not occur while much of the tabloid media is ready to shout down anyone making such a suggestion, with politicians of every stripe lining up to sound “tough on drugs”.
Also, the involvement of organised criminality in the drug trade was considered: much of the crime committed across the UK is directly attributable to this. Yet successive Governments still cling to the mantra of being “tough on drugs”, and anyone stepping out of line is likely to receive short shrift. Today has seen a superb example of that behaviour in action.
Professor David Nutt – there’s a gift for tomorrow’s tabloids – has been asked to stand down from his position as head of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs by Home Secretary Alan Johnson. Any other Home Secretary would have taken the same decision: not to do so would invoke condemnation from the most righteous part of the media, such as Paul Dacre, the legendarily foul mouthed editor of the Daily Mail.
What is Nutt’s crime? To criticise the Government’s decision to reclassify cannabis from Class C back to Class B, and to state that classification of drugs was becoming politicised, which latter is a statement of the blindingly obvious. Here, if proof were needed, is an example of the inability of the establishment to engage in a grown up debate on a subject where grown up debate is sorely needed.
Thus we continue with a failed approach to the issue of drugs. Changing the Government will not improve matters: the Tories are stuck in the same rut as Labour.
Also, the involvement of organised criminality in the drug trade was considered: much of the crime committed across the UK is directly attributable to this. Yet successive Governments still cling to the mantra of being “tough on drugs”, and anyone stepping out of line is likely to receive short shrift. Today has seen a superb example of that behaviour in action.
Professor David Nutt – there’s a gift for tomorrow’s tabloids – has been asked to stand down from his position as head of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs by Home Secretary Alan Johnson. Any other Home Secretary would have taken the same decision: not to do so would invoke condemnation from the most righteous part of the media, such as Paul Dacre, the legendarily foul mouthed editor of the Daily Mail.
What is Nutt’s crime? To criticise the Government’s decision to reclassify cannabis from Class C back to Class B, and to state that classification of drugs was becoming politicised, which latter is a statement of the blindingly obvious. Here, if proof were needed, is an example of the inability of the establishment to engage in a grown up debate on a subject where grown up debate is sorely needed.
Thus we continue with a failed approach to the issue of drugs. Changing the Government will not improve matters: the Tories are stuck in the same rut as Labour.
Strike? What Strike?
Before leaving the house this morning, I thought that there would be no postal delivery today, as the postal workers are on strike. But there was a delivery, and I’ve seen several posties out and about during the day, which suggests that support may be less than total.
And perhaps this is a sign that, in an occupation that is not massively well paid, there is a need for some of the workforce to keep money coming in. Even in the days when trades unions wielded rather more power than they do today, postal strikes could be broken: during the time that Sailor Heath occupied 10 Downing Street, the power workers won their dispute over pay, and the miners eventually provoked the three day week and Heath’s “Who governs Britain” election, but the postal workers lost in their attempt to gain a better pay deal.
Maybe this memory is spurring on Baron Mandelson of Indeterminate Guacamole as he watches the progress of the dispute, but doesn’t get involved. Allegedly.
And perhaps this is a sign that, in an occupation that is not massively well paid, there is a need for some of the workforce to keep money coming in. Even in the days when trades unions wielded rather more power than they do today, postal strikes could be broken: during the time that Sailor Heath occupied 10 Downing Street, the power workers won their dispute over pay, and the miners eventually provoked the three day week and Heath’s “Who governs Britain” election, but the postal workers lost in their attempt to gain a better pay deal.
Maybe this memory is spurring on Baron Mandelson of Indeterminate Guacamole as he watches the progress of the dispute, but doesn’t get involved. Allegedly.
Thursday, 29 October 2009
It Was Eighty Years Ago Today
Today is October 29, which, apart from the ever shortening days of autumn, may not suggest anything dramatic, but 80 years ago was Black Tuesday, when the stock market crash of 1929 really took hold.
The market had peaked back in early September of that year, and had been soft in the earlier part of October. The panic set in on October 24, known as Dark Thursday, when there was a sudden rush to sell. This was compounded by the ticker falling behind what was actually happening, so investors were to an extent flying blind. They did know that others were selling, so they too sold. Others could not be contacted by brokers asking them to put up more margin – much of the speculative boom was on the back of borrowed money – so those brokers sold too.
An attempt to steady the market was organised around midday, and Richard Whitney, vice president of the exchange, who was later jailed for embezzlement, went on to the floor of the exchange and bought several million dollars’ worth of stocks. This had a calming effect, but by the following Tuesday, it was rumoured that the stocks bought the previous Thursday were being unloaded. There was again a rush to sell, and again the ticker fell behind the market.
The market fell, with the occasional rally, for around four years, and ultimately by 89% from its peak. The Great Depression followed. Herbert Hoover, who could not, or would not, confront this problem, became a one term President, and Franklin Roosevelt, who had admitted the problem and committed himself to tackling it, was elected in a landslide.
The Hoover Administration, in fact, ran a budget surplus as businesses went to the wall and unemployment rocketed. They did nothing to temper the effects of the crisis. From this came the remedy of Keynes. Perhaps there is a lesson here for anyone advocating balanced budgets and cutting spending in pursuit of that goal.
[For some modern day reflections on 1929, here’s more]
The market had peaked back in early September of that year, and had been soft in the earlier part of October. The panic set in on October 24, known as Dark Thursday, when there was a sudden rush to sell. This was compounded by the ticker falling behind what was actually happening, so investors were to an extent flying blind. They did know that others were selling, so they too sold. Others could not be contacted by brokers asking them to put up more margin – much of the speculative boom was on the back of borrowed money – so those brokers sold too.
An attempt to steady the market was organised around midday, and Richard Whitney, vice president of the exchange, who was later jailed for embezzlement, went on to the floor of the exchange and bought several million dollars’ worth of stocks. This had a calming effect, but by the following Tuesday, it was rumoured that the stocks bought the previous Thursday were being unloaded. There was again a rush to sell, and again the ticker fell behind the market.
The market fell, with the occasional rally, for around four years, and ultimately by 89% from its peak. The Great Depression followed. Herbert Hoover, who could not, or would not, confront this problem, became a one term President, and Franklin Roosevelt, who had admitted the problem and committed himself to tackling it, was elected in a landslide.
The Hoover Administration, in fact, ran a budget surplus as businesses went to the wall and unemployment rocketed. They did nothing to temper the effects of the crisis. From this came the remedy of Keynes. Perhaps there is a lesson here for anyone advocating balanced budgets and cutting spending in pursuit of that goal.
[For some modern day reflections on 1929, here’s more]
At Last The Bill
As I observed recently, events have been in train in the US Senate to move towards getting a Healthcare Bill ready. And now it is indeed ready: Speaker Nancy Pelosi has today unveiled the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which at last brings the possibility for 36 million previously uninsured citizens (more than half the population of the UK) to have cover.
The Bill also includes a public health insurance option, which will mean potential competition for private insurers, as well as provisions to stop insurers abandoning those who get sick – and limiting the financial demands on citizens (what is often termed “co-payment”) to pay for acute or emergency care.
No-one who is interested in the subject need be averse to this summary of the legislation, and I commend it to anyone who seeks factual analysis, rather than the range of speculation and scaremongering that has already done the rounds.
If this bill succeeds, it will mean that the Presidency of Barack Obama has succeeded where Bill Clinton, and even Franklin Roosevelt, have failed.
The Bill also includes a public health insurance option, which will mean potential competition for private insurers, as well as provisions to stop insurers abandoning those who get sick – and limiting the financial demands on citizens (what is often termed “co-payment”) to pay for acute or emergency care.
No-one who is interested in the subject need be averse to this summary of the legislation, and I commend it to anyone who seeks factual analysis, rather than the range of speculation and scaremongering that has already done the rounds.
If this bill succeeds, it will mean that the Presidency of Barack Obama has succeeded where Bill Clinton, and even Franklin Roosevelt, have failed.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
An Unhappy Military Covenanter
Defence spending comes on to the news radar with some regularity nowadays, and more often than not appears in a less than favourable light. But most vehicles built for military use do tend to get used sooner or later. It was not always thus.
Recently, while trawling the local history of Crewe – the exercise is for a photo collection of the town which I have in progress right now – I came across the strange case of the Covenanter tank. This was designed for service in World War 2, and the reason it features in the town’s history is that many of them were built at the Railway Works.
It’s sometimes imagined that, given the UK generally made the most of its scarce resources in the war years, every last item of equipment was pressed into service. Not the Covenanter. Over 1700 built, and almost every one scrapped without seeing service, the consequence of poor and rushed design.
They didn’t even bother with a prototype. Not a good idea.
Recently, while trawling the local history of Crewe – the exercise is for a photo collection of the town which I have in progress right now – I came across the strange case of the Covenanter tank. This was designed for service in World War 2, and the reason it features in the town’s history is that many of them were built at the Railway Works.
It’s sometimes imagined that, given the UK generally made the most of its scarce resources in the war years, every last item of equipment was pressed into service. Not the Covenanter. Over 1700 built, and almost every one scrapped without seeing service, the consequence of poor and rushed design.
They didn’t even bother with a prototype. Not a good idea.
Kings of the Karzai
It is bizarre, but nothing about the involvement of the US in Afghanistan should surprise anyone: the New York Times revealed in an article yesterday that the brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai is apparently being bankrolled by the CIA. Ahmed Wali Karzai is also suspected of being heavily involved in the opium trade.
Part of the money being channelled seems to be paying for the maintenance of a paramilitary force, which doesn’t augur well for any notion of building a coherent state from which the USA can ultimately withdraw, with the confidence that it will hold together.
Also in the less than desirable category is the funding of someone involved in the drug trade, when the US is supposedly moving to cut back what is a lucrative revenue stream for the Taliban.
It’s sad, it’s baffling, but as previously noted, not surprising: the US has been greasing palms in the area since the time when the Russians marched in around thirty years ago. The duplicity of the CIA towards those whom it recruited earlier on – such as Osama bin Laden – has already had terrible consequences.
Here is one area where the Obama Administration needs to get a grip, and do it quickly.
Part of the money being channelled seems to be paying for the maintenance of a paramilitary force, which doesn’t augur well for any notion of building a coherent state from which the USA can ultimately withdraw, with the confidence that it will hold together.
Also in the less than desirable category is the funding of someone involved in the drug trade, when the US is supposedly moving to cut back what is a lucrative revenue stream for the Taliban.
It’s sad, it’s baffling, but as previously noted, not surprising: the US has been greasing palms in the area since the time when the Russians marched in around thirty years ago. The duplicity of the CIA towards those whom it recruited earlier on – such as Osama bin Laden – has already had terrible consequences.
Here is one area where the Obama Administration needs to get a grip, and do it quickly.
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Presidential Wordplay
On and on rumbles the argument over the EU President, what the role is, what the appointee would be expected to do, and of course who is in the running. The heat was turned up overnight when the Guardian reported that Pa Broon had asked two of his most senior civil servants to take soundings and maybe even do a little gentle lobbying – for Tony Blair, of course.
Team Brown has now denied that the Guardian report is true, but then, they would say that, wouldn’t they? Meanwhile, Young Dave isn’t happy at all about the idea of a Blair presidency, although he stopped short of echoing William ‘Ague, who said that the Tories would view Blair as Prez as a “hostile act”. Cameron says that a President is an emblem of statehood, which suggests he may have forgotten that the UK is a nation state, and doesn’t have one.
Dave says that the position should be more “chairmanic”. What that? The post, with no formal powers – something I touched upon the other day – looks more of a chairman role in any case. He is, though, unequivocally against Blair getting it, though he’s not mentioning referenda, or digging up “Shagger” Major’s idea of non cooperation (probably as well).
In the meantime, some concern is being raised about the effect of the upcoming Chilcot enquiry on Blair’s future. But this suggests that Sir John will manage something that all the other enquiries have not: getting something to stick to the proverbial Teflon.
Team Brown has now denied that the Guardian report is true, but then, they would say that, wouldn’t they? Meanwhile, Young Dave isn’t happy at all about the idea of a Blair presidency, although he stopped short of echoing William ‘Ague, who said that the Tories would view Blair as Prez as a “hostile act”. Cameron says that a President is an emblem of statehood, which suggests he may have forgotten that the UK is a nation state, and doesn’t have one.
Dave says that the position should be more “chairmanic”. What that? The post, with no formal powers – something I touched upon the other day – looks more of a chairman role in any case. He is, though, unequivocally against Blair getting it, though he’s not mentioning referenda, or digging up “Shagger” Major’s idea of non cooperation (probably as well).
In the meantime, some concern is being raised about the effect of the upcoming Chilcot enquiry on Blair’s future. But this suggests that Sir John will manage something that all the other enquiries have not: getting something to stick to the proverbial Teflon.
With Or Without You
The week started in den Haag in a state of apparent farce: the trial of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, anticipated for so long not least by survivors and relatives of the dead, had to be postponed as the accused didn’t show. Karadzic, who is defending himself, claimed he needed more time to prepare his defence – several months more.
Fortunately, this ridiculous state of affairs was not allowed to continue, and today the trial has started without him. Perhaps a defence lawyer will have to be imposed on Karadzic: there is no way he should be allowed to evade the witnesses, their testimonies, and ultimately the due process of law.
In wars, there is conflict and combat: all participants take casualties. This is the inevitable and unavoidable consequence of such fighting. In Bosnia, however, the actions of the Bosnian Serbs under the political leadership of Karadzic, and the military command of the still free Ratko Mladic, were on several occasions not those of combat, but of the killing fields. Moreover, civilians – especially in the city of Sarajevo – were routinely and deliberately targeted.
Now that Slobodan Milosevic, whose ambition broke apart the state of Yugoslavia, is dead, Karadzic stands as the principal accused. Look well into those eyes: this is the man who spoke of Sarajevo becoming a cauldron, in which 300,000 Muslims would die.
Fortunately, this ridiculous state of affairs was not allowed to continue, and today the trial has started without him. Perhaps a defence lawyer will have to be imposed on Karadzic: there is no way he should be allowed to evade the witnesses, their testimonies, and ultimately the due process of law.
In wars, there is conflict and combat: all participants take casualties. This is the inevitable and unavoidable consequence of such fighting. In Bosnia, however, the actions of the Bosnian Serbs under the political leadership of Karadzic, and the military command of the still free Ratko Mladic, were on several occasions not those of combat, but of the killing fields. Moreover, civilians – especially in the city of Sarajevo – were routinely and deliberately targeted.
Now that Slobodan Milosevic, whose ambition broke apart the state of Yugoslavia, is dead, Karadzic stands as the principal accused. Look well into those eyes: this is the man who spoke of Sarajevo becoming a cauldron, in which 300,000 Muslims would die.
Monday, 26 October 2009
They’re Not Finished Yet
Just because the media on this side of the Atlantic hasn’t been paying much attention to the Obama Administration’s push on healthcare reform doesn’t mean that it’s gone quiet.
In fact, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is on the case right now. The number of votes is significant: getting sixty Senators behind any legislation prevents the opposition from filibustering. And, given the ferocity of Republican dissent, there is no doubt that they have a filibuster ready to deploy.
I’ll be keeping an eye on this one.
In fact, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada is on the case right now. The number of votes is significant: getting sixty Senators behind any legislation prevents the opposition from filibustering. And, given the ferocity of Republican dissent, there is no doubt that they have a filibuster ready to deploy.
I’ll be keeping an eye on this one.
Fair Shares?
Today, the Rt Hon Gideon George Oliver Osborne, heir to the seventeenth Baronet, made his well trailed announcement on bank bonus payments. The basic thrust of his idea is straightforward: any bonus of more than 2,000 notes has to be paid in shares. Sounds reasonable. But a regular visitor to Zelo Street had already been in touch to point out that this kind of scheme has a downside.
Bonus payments made in company shares are commonplace in the USA, and that has implications for many UK workers, if their firms are based (or, as current speak likes to put it, headquartered) in the US. Some share bonuses are substantial in size, and human nature being what it is, their recipients have hit on a way of making them yet bigger: take actions which will get the share price moving upwards.
And those getting the biggest bonuses are invariably in that rare position: being able to influence policy directly. This they do. The result is, generally, that those at the bottom of the pile get worked harder (also known as “sweating assets”), along with less generous conditions of work, together with the occasional pay cut. This kind of behaviour plays well with investors, who then favour the company by buying their shares. Investors and management are both happy.
However, the continual handing out of tranches of shares in lieu of bonus payments has a drawback: it dilutes the capital base of the company. So what? Well, the effect of more and more shares being issued merely to keep within bonus rules, rather than on the back of actual growth, is likely to put downward pressure on their price. So management have to take yet more action to keep the value going up. No prizes for guessing who gets to take the hit.
Of course, those bonuses could – make that should – be paid out of profits, but if the law says they have to be paid in shares, the temptation is routinely to print shares and leave the profit alone: after all, the more profit available for share dividends, the better the price commanded by the shares.
Not only has Young Dave’s pal not touched on any of this, neither have Labour or the Lib Dems. As with the credit crunch and bank bailouts, politicians generally pick it up as they go along. They then tell of the correct calls made, of economies steadied and jobs saved.
But they tend not to lead.
Bonus payments made in company shares are commonplace in the USA, and that has implications for many UK workers, if their firms are based (or, as current speak likes to put it, headquartered) in the US. Some share bonuses are substantial in size, and human nature being what it is, their recipients have hit on a way of making them yet bigger: take actions which will get the share price moving upwards.
And those getting the biggest bonuses are invariably in that rare position: being able to influence policy directly. This they do. The result is, generally, that those at the bottom of the pile get worked harder (also known as “sweating assets”), along with less generous conditions of work, together with the occasional pay cut. This kind of behaviour plays well with investors, who then favour the company by buying their shares. Investors and management are both happy.
However, the continual handing out of tranches of shares in lieu of bonus payments has a drawback: it dilutes the capital base of the company. So what? Well, the effect of more and more shares being issued merely to keep within bonus rules, rather than on the back of actual growth, is likely to put downward pressure on their price. So management have to take yet more action to keep the value going up. No prizes for guessing who gets to take the hit.
Of course, those bonuses could – make that should – be paid out of profits, but if the law says they have to be paid in shares, the temptation is routinely to print shares and leave the profit alone: after all, the more profit available for share dividends, the better the price commanded by the shares.
Not only has Young Dave’s pal not touched on any of this, neither have Labour or the Lib Dems. As with the credit crunch and bank bailouts, politicians generally pick it up as they go along. They then tell of the correct calls made, of economies steadied and jobs saved.
But they tend not to lead.
Sunday, 25 October 2009
No More Speed Czechs
Not long after the Czech President, Vaclav Klaus, appeared to relent on his decision to stall on the signing of the Lisbon Treaty, the subject of the President of the EU has been doing the rounds yet again. The boy Miliband went on the Andy Marr Show today, firstly to quash the daft idea that he would be after a berth over in Brussels (a rumour that has had the right leaning froth brigade generating yet more froth), and secondly to bat for Tony Blair.
The Prez business is generating a lot of column inches, not to mention the attention from the blogosphere, but what nobody seems to be asking is whether the post is anything more than a figurehead, someone who would be a roving ambassador for the EU, its number one salesperson.
Fortunately, the consistently thoughtful Nosemonkey’s EUtopia blog has checked out the new post. And some interesting conclusions are drawn: for instance, the post is for just two and a half years – half the term length of both the President of the European Commission (Jose Manuel Barroso at present) and EU High Representative (currently Javier Solana). It has no formal powers. It doesn’t end the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will continue to be held for six months at a time by each member state.
I can only echo the conclusion made by Nosemonkey: it’s a meaningless position, and we’re getting the whole thing out of proportion.
No change there, then.
The Prez business is generating a lot of column inches, not to mention the attention from the blogosphere, but what nobody seems to be asking is whether the post is anything more than a figurehead, someone who would be a roving ambassador for the EU, its number one salesperson.
Fortunately, the consistently thoughtful Nosemonkey’s EUtopia blog has checked out the new post. And some interesting conclusions are drawn: for instance, the post is for just two and a half years – half the term length of both the President of the European Commission (Jose Manuel Barroso at present) and EU High Representative (currently Javier Solana). It has no formal powers. It doesn’t end the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, which will continue to be held for six months at a time by each member state.
I can only echo the conclusion made by Nosemonkey: it’s a meaningless position, and we’re getting the whole thing out of proportion.
No change there, then.
Funny Old Game
Worst run of Liverpool results for decades, criticism of manager Rafa BenÃtez (and, on the subject of lack of firepower, justified), the thought of yet another season not at the top of the pile, and the next game just happens to be Man U.
And then guess what – the Red Devils get sent back home empty handed, and the title race is still close, with those teams just four points apart. Interesting to see that Nemanja Vidic loves going after the Reds so much that he came away with one – three sendings off in three. And Michael Owen nearly featured, but didn’t.
BenÃtez has figured one thing out very well: things can be going badly for your team, but if you turn over Man U, the fans will love you for it. The man from Parla ain’t daft.
And then guess what – the Red Devils get sent back home empty handed, and the title race is still close, with those teams just four points apart. Interesting to see that Nemanja Vidic loves going after the Reds so much that he came away with one – three sendings off in three. And Michael Owen nearly featured, but didn’t.
BenÃtez has figured one thing out very well: things can be going badly for your team, but if you turn over Man U, the fans will love you for it. The man from Parla ain’t daft.
Friday, 23 October 2009
And Then He Was Gone
And there I was thinking that, with the Drivers’ Championship settled, that would be that for F1 this season. Perhaps it’s his manager’s brinkmanship, but the story that Jenson Button may be off to McLaren won’t be happy viewing for Ross Brawn.
At first the thought of the last two world champions lining up together looks like the ideal partnership. But the last time McLaren hired the reigning world champion, that was Fernando Alonso, and it ended with neither of their drivers getting the title, together with the removal of their constructors’ championship points and a hefty fine for being caught in possession of an awful lot of supposedly confidential data from rivals Ferrari.
Button and Lewis Hamilton can’t both be top man at McLaren. And if Button thinks that Hamilton will be as friendly and easy going as Rubens Barrichello, he’s got another think coming. Lewis is a very determined bloke: he’s seen off Alonso, and if he has to, he’ll see off Button.
Jenson might be best advised staying put.
At first the thought of the last two world champions lining up together looks like the ideal partnership. But the last time McLaren hired the reigning world champion, that was Fernando Alonso, and it ended with neither of their drivers getting the title, together with the removal of their constructors’ championship points and a hefty fine for being caught in possession of an awful lot of supposedly confidential data from rivals Ferrari.
Button and Lewis Hamilton can’t both be top man at McLaren. And if Button thinks that Hamilton will be as friendly and easy going as Rubens Barrichello, he’s got another think coming. Lewis is a very determined bloke: he’s seen off Alonso, and if he has to, he’ll see off Button.
Jenson might be best advised staying put.
Reflections on the Departure of the Number 88
So Question Time has come and gone. As I predicted earlier, BNP Oberscheissenführer Nick Griffin was indeed the fish in the barrel, and he ended up getting shot. But whether the sight of the odious Griffin getting his views shot to bits counted for or against him is still being hotly debated, despite the subject of the shooting making a complaint to the Beeb about his treatment.
One regular visitor to Zelo Street, who had been out and about at the time of the broadcast, felt that many of last night’s pub goers were actually sympathising with Griffin, even though he was losing each and every argument – “Dubya Bush Syndrome” as he put it. It’s an interesting point: Griffin is not daft, as you would expect from a Cambridge graduate.
But some of his potential electorate identify with him, because they think that he’s being put on for not being as educated as the establishment. The Beeb did a vox pop in Dagenham today and some of the responses support the idea of Griffin being the victim.
However, there is one undisputed winner from the show: Question Time can normally expect to pull in two million viewers. They got eight million last night.
One regular visitor to Zelo Street, who had been out and about at the time of the broadcast, felt that many of last night’s pub goers were actually sympathising with Griffin, even though he was losing each and every argument – “Dubya Bush Syndrome” as he put it. It’s an interesting point: Griffin is not daft, as you would expect from a Cambridge graduate.
But some of his potential electorate identify with him, because they think that he’s being put on for not being as educated as the establishment. The Beeb did a vox pop in Dagenham today and some of the responses support the idea of Griffin being the victim.
However, there is one undisputed winner from the show: Question Time can normally expect to pull in two million viewers. They got eight million last night.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Sorry, Don’s Not Playing
Back in April, I reflected on the loss of the British Grand Prix to Silverstone, the circuit that had hosted the race back in the year that Formula 1 was founded, 1950. I was never confident that Donington would shape up as an alternative, especially given the local road network’s difficulty coping with crowds smaller than could be expected at a Grand Prix.
So it came as no surprise when, at the end of September, the news came through that the Midlands circuit had been unable to raise the finance. Now, it seems that, even after Donington was given more time to come up with the goods, it has been unable to do so.
What now? The only realistic option is for Bernie Ecclestone to open talks with Damon Hill and his pals at the BRDC – and for the British Grand Prix to return home.
To Silverstone.
So it came as no surprise when, at the end of September, the news came through that the Midlands circuit had been unable to raise the finance. Now, it seems that, even after Donington was given more time to come up with the goods, it has been unable to do so.
What now? The only realistic option is for Bernie Ecclestone to open talks with Damon Hill and his pals at the BRDC – and for the British Grand Prix to return home.
To Silverstone.
A Cautionary Tale – 4
As I discovered after returning from Amsterdam last month, the industry that feeds on the contents of airline passengers’ checked luggage is still flourishing, either here or in the Netherlands – or maybe both. I also discovered that the various law enforcement offices were apparently not minded to do anything about it. In fact, the only folks willing to lend a hand were those selling replacements for the item stolen.
The missing item was my LumpCam (tm), which I had been using to record the sights of the various cities visited during the year, and its disappearance is the sole reason that my ever growing Fotopic site has no record of the highlights from visits to Amsterdam, den Haag and Rotterdam.
What evidence do I have of the utility of carrying another camera on my travels? Well, there was the Castle, Tyn Church and Charles Bridge in Prague, and Schönbrunn Palace, the Hochstrahlbrunnen, and Secession Building in Vienna. And the big wheel that was in the Third Man.
So missing the photos that had been painstakingly assembled during my stay in Amsterdam, and not having anything done about it, caused me to take the matter further. As investigations are proceeding, I’ll say no more on that front, except for one positive piece of news.
The Police at Liverpool John Lennon Airport have been in touch, partly to get some details, partly to apologise for the earlier behaviour of their colleagues at Allerton, and partly to confirm that the theft is not merely being taken seriously, but is being investigated.
The missing LumpCam (tm) may well, given the passage of time, remain missing. But if the Police manage, through their investigations, to put a stop to this industry, some good will have come out of the exercise.
More updates as and when ...
The missing item was my LumpCam (tm), which I had been using to record the sights of the various cities visited during the year, and its disappearance is the sole reason that my ever growing Fotopic site has no record of the highlights from visits to Amsterdam, den Haag and Rotterdam.
What evidence do I have of the utility of carrying another camera on my travels? Well, there was the Castle, Tyn Church and Charles Bridge in Prague, and Schönbrunn Palace, the Hochstrahlbrunnen, and Secession Building in Vienna. And the big wheel that was in the Third Man.
So missing the photos that had been painstakingly assembled during my stay in Amsterdam, and not having anything done about it, caused me to take the matter further. As investigations are proceeding, I’ll say no more on that front, except for one positive piece of news.
The Police at Liverpool John Lennon Airport have been in touch, partly to get some details, partly to apologise for the earlier behaviour of their colleagues at Allerton, and partly to confirm that the theft is not merely being taken seriously, but is being investigated.
The missing LumpCam (tm) may well, given the passage of time, remain missing. But if the Police manage, through their investigations, to put a stop to this industry, some good will have come out of the exercise.
More updates as and when ...
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Out Of Order – 4
Another day, more complaints, and no sign yet of contrition or apology from the legendarily foul mouthed Paul Dacre, editor of the Daily Mail, or his so far unrepentant columnist Jan Moir.
The number of complaints to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) over the unpleasant Mail hatchet job on the memory of the unfortunate Stephen Gately has now passed 25,000, and the latest notable addition is that of Gately’s record label Polydor. The singer’s family have not yet made a decision on whether to add their weight to the numbers.
Are we any closer to an apology? Doubtful. Who will make it, if one comes? Well, there’s one person who won’t be apologising – and that’s Paul Dacre.
The number of complaints to the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) over the unpleasant Mail hatchet job on the memory of the unfortunate Stephen Gately has now passed 25,000, and the latest notable addition is that of Gately’s record label Polydor. The singer’s family have not yet made a decision on whether to add their weight to the numbers.
Are we any closer to an apology? Doubtful. Who will make it, if one comes? Well, there’s one person who won’t be apologising – and that’s Paul Dacre.
Realignment of the Wrong – It’s Getting Fraught
Out there in the blogosphere and within the press, right leaning pundits are starting to push back against the accusations being made against the Tories’ leader in the European Parliament (EP), Michal Kaminski. As I noted previously, Kaminski’s stance, as well as his past, has brought criticism.
Now it’s the turn of the Obama Administration to voice concern: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to host Shadow Foreign Secretary William ‘Ague in Washington. And Hill is under pressure to say something about Young Dave’s new pals in the EP. Moreover, the US would find it far easier to have the UK in the European mainstream: if we were at the fringe of the EU (or not in it at all), what point would there be in the so-called “Special Relationship”?
And what the Tory supporting punditry has to remember is that, while many parties across the EU have members who have done questionable things in the past, Michal Kaminski is their leader in the EP now, and the stance he has taken, and which has generated all the flak, is the one he is, more or less, taking now.
In the background, of course, is the thought that the Tories’ new EP grouping is another box to tick off with their new supporter, Murdoch the Interfering Foreigner, while Hillary Clinton is representing an Administration which has set itself on a potential collision course with him.
As Private Eye might have said, “I wonder if the two are in any way related? I think we should be told”.
Now it’s the turn of the Obama Administration to voice concern: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is to host Shadow Foreign Secretary William ‘Ague in Washington. And Hill is under pressure to say something about Young Dave’s new pals in the EP. Moreover, the US would find it far easier to have the UK in the European mainstream: if we were at the fringe of the EU (or not in it at all), what point would there be in the so-called “Special Relationship”?
And what the Tory supporting punditry has to remember is that, while many parties across the EU have members who have done questionable things in the past, Michal Kaminski is their leader in the EP now, and the stance he has taken, and which has generated all the flak, is the one he is, more or less, taking now.
In the background, of course, is the thought that the Tories’ new EP grouping is another box to tick off with their new supporter, Murdoch the Interfering Foreigner, while Hillary Clinton is representing an Administration which has set itself on a potential collision course with him.
As Private Eye might have said, “I wonder if the two are in any way related? I think we should be told”.
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