Our dumbed down education system

Here are some test questions:

"1(i) Give one way a mole, pictured on the right, is suited for digging through soil.

(ii) Where does the energy come from for a solar-powered mole-scarer?


2 Sharon, pictured on the left, is riding her horse. She is wearing a riding hat. Give the name of one organ the riding hat protects.


3 In very cold weather a mixture of salt and sand is spread on roads. Why are salt and sand used? (Tick two correct answers)

(a) salt makes the road white

(b) salt makes the water freeze

(c) salt makes the ice melt

(d) sand dissolves in water

(e) sand increases the friction between car tyres and the road

(f) sand makes the water freeze "

What age are these for? 9 year old children, 10 year old children, 11 year old children?
What subject is this test on?

In fact this is a SCIENCE SAT test for 14 year old children.


Here's some more examples:

"Why are electric wires made from copper?

copper is brown
copper is not magnetic
copper conducted electricity
copper conducted heat


Pupils were shown a star-shaped fossil and asked whether the animal it related to could have been a snail, a starfish, a ladybird or a slug"

Seems a little easy for a SCIENCE test? Well the pass mark was 57% last year and yet only 73% managed to pass the test.

The cream on the cake:

"A spokesman for the QCA's National Assessment Agency, which has responsibility for the SATs, claimed the paper was challenging. "Each test paper takes two years to develop and goes through a rigorous pre‑testing process," he said.

"This ensures that questions effectively assess a broad range of content from across the science curriculum and are challenging and engaging for pupils." "

This government want a stupid and compliant population so they can control the proles for their own good, naturally.

Victoria Derbyshire - the great economist

Victoria Derbyshire (VD) on 5Live this morning when a caller suggested cutting fuel duty retorted along the lines of 'what should be taxed more to make up the loss in revenue, the Chancellor has to get the money from somewhere'. I presume VD just couldn't cope with the concept of reducing public expenditure, a bit beyond most BBC presenters. I have been dipping in and out of the VD phone-in this morning and VD seems a bit fed-up with having to give car and lorry driving proles airtime; I presume tomorrow she will be back on safer territory with something baby or child related or maybe on racism.

Something else to worry about when you fly

The BBC are reporting that:

"An unwitting passenger arriving at Japan's Narita airport has received 142g of cannabis after a customs test went awry, officials say.

A customs officer hid a package of the banned narcotic in a side pocket of a randomly chosen suitcase in order to test airport security.

Sniffer dogs failed to detect the cannabis and the officer could not remember which bag he had put it in.

Anyone finding the package has been asked to contact customs officials.

The cannabis is estimated at having a street value of nearly $10,000 (£5,000)."

Carbon credits, yes, yes, oh my god yes...

Tuesday morning and the BBC obsession with introducing "carbon credits" reaches new heights on the Toady programme. You can almost hear the programme have a collective orgasm as they contemplate the absolute level of control that their friends in "the Party" will have over "the proles".

It's bunting, just bunting

More Health and Safety rubbish reported in The Daily Mail:

"For more than a century, the inhabitants of Hatfield Broad Oak have marked their special occasions with strings of bunting.

In recent decades, the colourful flags have become an integral part of the annual village festival.

But from this year, they will flutter no more.

The bunting has become tangled up with health and safety red tape, and has become too costly - and complicated - for festival organisers to erect.

The annual event in the Essex village, which includes a craft fair, a dance and a dog show and ends today with a ten kilometre run, raises about £10,000 a year for local groups and charities.

Parish councillor Leigh Trevitt, 40, who has lived in Hatfield Broad Oak for 15 years, said the whole village is furious that it could no longer be marked with bunting.

Mr Trevitt, director of a paper company, said an unknown person had complained about the flags to authorities.

When organisers asked permission from Essex County Council’s highways department to put up the bunting this year, they were handed six A4 sheets of paper with conditions.

The string would have to be attached to fixed points on buildings using stainless steel bolts, which would need rigorous testing.

Mr Trevitt said: ‘The conditions are impractical and impossible. Many of the houses are listed so we couldn’t get planning permission to put stainless steel bolts on them.

‘And we could not afford professional installation. I was in the pub and a lot of people were saying we should go ahead anyway and let Highways take us all to court but a lot of the people who organise the festival are elderly and are scared of the bullies.’

He said the bunting had been used in the festival for many years without mishap. A photograph from 1907 shows flags hanging between two buildings.

‘Our village is a little piece of old England and if we are not careful we will lose all our rights,’ he added. Mr Trevitt said he was told that bunting comes under the same category as Christmas lights and that there had been two recent incidents where lights fell down.

An Essex Highways spokesman said: ‘While we sympathise with the organisers of community events these guidelines have been set down after real events where people have been injured.’"

This Health and Safety culture is destroying Britain.

Eighth winner of the weekly "No shit, Sherlock" award

Apparently:

"Iran has secretly paid Iraqi insurgents hundreds of thousands of American dollars to kill British soldiers, according to a leaked government document obtained by The Telegraph.

...

A senior British officer who has recently returned from southern Iraq said that the existence of "Iranian finance teams" in Basra was widely known by the British military and Foreign Office, although always officially denied.

He said: "It suited Iran to arm JAM in order to allow them to have the means to hit us."

Patrick Mercer, the Tory MP and a former infantry commander said: "This report makes it quite clear that Iran is directly involved in funding the insurgency.""

"No shit, Sherlock"

Is there life on Mars?

No there isn't but there is a piece of human technology, watch and listen here at NASA's website that has so much of interest to read and watch. For some Apollo 11 images take a look here, the real story of Apollo 13 here and the story of the first American in space, Alan Shepard here and here.

Confusing cause and effect

The BBC report that:

"New laws to crack down on knife crime could cause increased hostility among young people, the Children's Commissioner for England has said.

Sir Al Aynsley-Green called for more research into the effects of increased police powers."

Let's get this straight, the claim is that clamping down on youths carrying knives could increase hostility amongst youths. Odd, Although I suppose it is true that speed cameras do increase hostility amongst speeding drivers and internet monitoring of paedophile images probably does increase hostility amongst paedophiles.

This sort of woolly liberal thinking is typical of the thinking that has lead to prisoners serving less than half of any imposed custodial sentence, should a custodial sentence actually be imposed. It is the same type of thinking that has lead to prison no longer being a place of correction or punishment and instead being a place where prisoners have their own television and games console. It is the same type of thinking that has lead to society having to understand the criminal rather than sympathise with the victim. It is the same type of thinking that has lead to pensioners living in poverty whilst benefits scroungers have their every whim catered to. It is the same type of thinking that allows some members of a minority religious group to call for beheadings and not get punished whilst someone else can call another minority religious group a "cult" and be arrested. It is the same type of thinking that has lead to just one person in 17 caught carrying a knife being jailed, I wonder what percentage of people carry a knife and are never caught or are caught and let off with a police caution. I could go on and on but I am sure you get the picture and could add your own examples.


Knife crime is an epidemic in this country, in a three month period in 2007 a knife crime was (on average) committed every 24 minutes. The Daily Mail reported that:

"Figures from 37 police forces, published by the Mail on Sunday, showed there were 5,500 serious crimes involving knives in just three months this year.

The statistic equates to one every 24 minutes, around the clock, and includes 55 knife-related murders, more than 2,000 stabbings and almost 2,500 muggings at knifepoint."

The choice seems plain, either we clamp down on crime in this country or we will spiral very quickly into a pit of violent disorder. The problem is that the only crimes our Labour government and its politicised police force are interested in are traffic offences and "hate crimes" against minority groups.

Yet another Barack Obama "mistake"

This time he keeps referring to his location as "Sunshine" whereas he was in fact in "Sunrise". A minor mistake, yes; but remember how Dan Quayle was denigrated over and over and over again for his "potatoe" gaffe. The full story can be read in The Washington Post:

"SUNRISE, Fla. -- At first, it seemed as if Barack Obama might just be speaking figuratively, as is his wont sometimes. "How's it going, Sunshine? Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you everybody. It's good to be in Sunshine!" Obama declared on taking the stage this afternoon for a rally at the BankAtlantic Arena in Broward County, Fla., just west of Ft. Lauderdale.

Obama, who often comments admiringly on the climate and regional aura of his various destinations, may simply have been evoking the warmth of the Sunshine State, which he campaigned in for the first time this week after staying away for months to observe the Democratic Party's primary ban against the state. Or perhaps it was a term of endearment, similar to his recent (and later regretted) use of "sweetie" in speaking to a woman reporter.

But then he said it again, and again -- "When we are unified sunshine, nobody can stop us!" -- and it became clear: Obama thought he was in Sunshine, Fla. But he was not. He was in Sunrise, the name given to this particular swath of South Florida palm trees, bungalows and outlet stores.

If the 16,000 in attendance noticed, they didn't make it known. There was no dropoff in applause as Obama experienced recently when he opened a speech in Sioux Falls, S.D. by declaring, "Thank you, Sioux City!" before realizing that he had named the Iowa city by mistake. Perhaps the crowd here also thought the "Sunshine" might be a figurative reference, or perhaps there is simply less local possessiveness when it comes to a Sun Belt exurb with vaguely defined borders and an even more vaguely defined identity, especially given that many of those in attendance came from elsewhere in the county.

Perhaps Obama was thinking of one of the many songs that involve sunshine, or perhaps he was just hot and tired. It's been a busy week for him in Florida, and it's very warm and humid. More than 90 degrees. Too much sunshine."

The problem here is racism, or to be more exact the fear of being called a racist. The liberal press is scared to criticise Barack Obama for fear of being called a racist. See my next post for more on racism double standards in the US presidential election.



Thanks to JammieWearingFool for the spot.

Gordon Brown listening

Gordon Brown is fond of telling us that he is listening to our concerns and wants to listen more. Here's a photo of Gordon Brown listening...





Although as the person proffering an opinion is Alan Johnston I am not sure if I would bother listening either.



Thanks to Political Betting for the spot.

Another Barack Obama "mistake"

Further to this article and its predecessor here, reports of another Barack Obama "mistake". This is from Barack Obama's own website:

"When George Bush was elected, he held out the promise that this would change. He raised the hopes of the region that our engagement would be sustained instead of piecemeal. He called Mexico our most important bilateral relationship, and pledged to make Latin America a “fundamental commitment” of his presidency. It seemed that a new 21st century era had dawned.

Almost eight years later, those high hopes have been dashed.

Since the Bush Administration launched a misguided war in Iraq, its policy in the Americas has been negligent toward our friends, ineffective with our adversaries, disinterested in the challenges that matter in peoples’ lives, and incapable of advancing our interests in the region.

No wonder, then, that demagogues like Hugo Chavez have stepped into this vacuum."

Maybe someone should tell Barack Obama that the nasty Hugo Chavez was elected in 1998, when Bill Clinton was still in the White House, a full two years before George W. Bush took over the Presidency. But then facts are of little importance to the man who will bring "change"; no details just "change".

Freeloaders

The release of MPs expenses has engendered much publicity and I will be covering this in more detail soon, but one example caught my eye. This example is that of Health minister Ann Keen, 59, and her husband Alan, 70; MPs for Brentford & Isleworth and neighbouring Feltham & Heston respectively. They are husband and wife so they already get double expenses as they share a property. Not content with that, they decide that Brentford is too far to commute to Westminster from; it's an hour by car, less by train to do that journey. So they have used £175,000 of taxpayers’ money to help buy a flat near Parliament .

The Daily Mail report that:

"The couple bought the flat in May 2002 after spending six months in a London hotel.

In a letter to the Commons’ Fees Office informing officials of their changed circumstances, the Keens wrote: ‘Despite some advantages of hotel accommodation, overall we found it unsatisfactory and have borrowed…to purchase a flat within walking distance of Westminster.’

In an unusual arrangement, they used two mortgages. One loan was for £350,000 from HSBC. The other £170,000 was raised by re-mortgaging their property in Brentford, also through HSBC.

The couple argued that because the second home loan was used to raise equity for the central London flat it should be permissible on expenses.

This was apparently nodded through by officials. The property would almost certainly now be worth at £800,000, according to experts.

As well as the interest payments on their mortgage, the couple claimed £867.57 a month for ‘compulsory’ life insurance premiums attached to the home loans - a practice which has since been banned.

According to the documents, they never submitted a single receipt. Instead, they
sent two sheets of A4 to the expenses department every month, claiming £1,643.50 each month throughout 2002-03 and £1,699 each throughout 2003-04 - almost the maximum payable.

In the five years since they bought the apartment, Mrs Keen has claimed £87,325 under the second homes allowance and Mr Keen has received £87,803 - a total of £175,128.

In the last year for which figures are available, the pair claimed a total of £38,515 under the ACA, which covers mortgage interest, service charges, utility and food.

If they had each separately taken the £38 taxi ride from Westminster to Brentford on every Commons ‘sitting day’ that year, the bill would have only come to £11,000 - £27,000 less.

There is no suggestion the couple broke the rules. However, their case will intensify pressure for reforms of the way MPs pay themselves expenses.

Critics claim they lived so near to the Commons they should only be able to claim the London supplement of £2,700.

The housing allowances system is now under review.

A Department of Health spokesman stressed the Keens’ claims were within the rules.

But Matthew Elliott, of the Taxpayers’ Alliance campaign group, said they were ‘unacceptable’.

‘The allowance should help MPs represent their constituencies, not pay the costs of life insurance or enable them to build up a lucrative property portfolio.’"

Will the Labour freeloaders be handing over the capital appreciation in their part-taxpayer paid for properties? Somehow I doubt it.



UPDATE:
Unsurprisingly, Devils Kitchen has a more robust outlook on the Keen's. He also has the presence of mind and love of history to have quoted part of Oliver Cromwell's speech dismissing the Rump Parliament:

"It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

"Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

"Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone!

"So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go!"

James Purnell backing Gordon Brown to the hilt

James Purnell backing Gordon Brown to the hilt on France 24, an interview entirely in English thankfully.

Watch it here.

James Purnell's comments backing Gordon Brown can be heard from 5:05 to 6:13, the best he can say is that the Conservatives were more split in the 1980s and 1990s.

Gordon Brown - airline pilot!

Daily Referendum has a lovely piece inspired by John Prescott's strange analogy to defend Gordon Brown's sullen demeanour - "When you get on an aeroplane, do you go and look in the cockpit to see if the pilot is smiling".

Daily Referendum imagines:

"Hullo, this is the pilot speaking. We have been informed that our arrival in New York has been delayed. This nothing to do with us, this kind of delay is happening around the world and I'm afraid it's out of my hands. Now, normally this is the point where I would say that there's no need for concern.... but, you see, ah - now how shall I put this? You know that we normally carry enough fuel in reserve for occasions like this? Well erm, we haven't today. Not my fault, you see - we've run out of money. Those fancy new seats you're sitting on cost an absolute fortune and I'm still paying for them. Yes I know they are uncomfortable and the recline function doesn't work, but hey, you've got to admit they look good - at least you'll die in style.

Now here's the rub: we haven't enough fuel to make for another airport, so there is a choice to be made. Do we crash on land or into the sea? I can't decide, I've never been very good at making important decisions. I know that is not an ideal quality when you're looking for a pilot, but I've been pushing to be one for ages and no one else turned up for the interview. So this is what we are going to do. We're going to hold a review. The co-pilot will hand out a questionnaire and we will all vote whether we want to die on the land or in the sea. I can't guarantee we will follow the review's advice, as I believe that on most occasions, I know better. And please note, this is not a referendum - I don't do them.

Please believe me when I say that even though this all my fault, I believe I'm the best qualified person on this plane to crash it. If you do by some wild chance survive this flight, please understand that I have been listening and learning and I hope you will fly with us again.

Good luck."

What's happened to the money?

Labour's massive increase in spending on the NHS has been mostly unplanned and wasted. Confirmation came this week with the news that there had been a loss of around 30,000 NHS hospital beds between 1997 and 2007. Don't worry though as Tony Blair promised in 1999/2000 that there would be an increase by 2010 of 7,000 beds and Tony Blair is world-renowned for his honesty and for keeping his promises.

Obviously the biggest reduction in bed numbers must have occurred in 1997/98 when Prudence Brown was sticking to the wicked Conservative party's spending plans. Well no, the biggest decrease actually happened in the year ending March 2007 when Prudence had opened the floodgates on public spending.

The fact that over the same period as bed numbers were being cut, the number of deaths from MRSA and C-difficle rose by 400% is entirely coincidental. Although I do seem to recall that the investigation into the outbreak of C-difficile in the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells trust area in 2005/6 reported that one main factor that contributed to the spread of the infection was overcrowding amid the pressure to meet hospital waiting targets.

Targets not reality

Not a huge shock but the release by nine government departments of their annual reports has shown that this Labour government has failed to meet two-thirds of its targets. If you thought Gordon Brown was incompetent then take a look at some his possible replacements: Jack Straw's Ministry of Justice missed seven of its targets, Ed Balls' Department for Children, Schools and Families missed eight, James Purnell's Department for Work and Pensions missed nine and Andy Burnham's Department for Culture, Media and Sport missed eight. It is good to see that the new Labour stars are just as crap as their more experienced colleagues.

Amongst the key targets missed were:
- reducing levels of re-offending - target reduce by 5%, result reduce by 0.1%
- halving the number of children in poverty - target reduce by half, result a rise of 200,000
- raising educational standards in secondary schools - does anyone believe any of the figures on educational standards? And they can't even meet their targets with fiddled figures
- reducing health inequalities
- improving the lives of vulnerable elderly people - reducing hospital bed numbers was a big help here
- getting more people to use public transport - ever increasing public transport prices could not have helped here although the amount of extra taxation on drivers was a good attempt to move results their way


Labour great at setting targets, crap at meeting them.

and you think trains on the London Underground are crowded

Thanks to Rachel from North London for the spot.

Oh yes...

"We're just a gleam in lover's eyes, steam on sweaty bodies in the night One of us might make it through, the rest will disappear like dew Pressure building, gettin' hot, give it, give it, give it all you got When that love explosion comes, my, oh my, we want to be someone
CHORUS
Tryouts for the human race, from Burlington to Bonn Ah, we are a quarter billion strong Tryouts for the human race, from twilight time 'til dawn
We just want to be someone
We're the future and the past, we're the only way you're gonna last We're just pawns in a funny game, tiny actors in the oldest play It's an angry sea we face, just to get the chance to join the race Gotta make it, gotta try, gotta get the chance to live and die
CHORUS
We must, we must, we must leave from here We must, we must, we must, we must leave from here Gotta make our play, gotta get away Gotta make our play, gotta get away Gotta make our play, gotta get away Gotta make our play
Let us out of here, let us out of here, let us out of here
We just want to feel the sun and be your little daughter or your son We're just words that lovers use, words that light that automatic fuse When that love explosion comes, my, oh my, we want to be someone
CHORUS"

"I was born a little premature
Mom just couldn't take no more
Had no time to learn to cry
Goodbye, Mama, got to fly
Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye
Entered school when I was two
PhD'd that afternoon
Never entered any sports
Didn't look too good in shorts
Got divorced when I was four
CHORUS:
I've seen everything there is
I've done everything there is
I've met everyone but Liz
Now I've even met ol' Liz
No time for relationship
Skip the foreplay, let 'er rip
You gotta beat the clock, beat the clock, Beat the clock, beat the clock
I did lots of travelling
Parts of me unraveling
The Army then rejected me
Said I had two flat feet
Wore them out when I was three
Too bad there ain't ten of you
Then I'd show you what I'd do
I could cheat on five of you
And be faithful to you too
But there's only one of you
CHORUS"

"This is the number one song in heaven Written, of course, by the mightiest hand It's number one, all over heaven
It's number one, all over heaven
It's number one, all over heaven
The number one song all over heaven
If you should die before you wake
If you should die while crossing the street The song that you'll hear, I guarantee
It's number one, all over heaven
It's number one, all over heaven
It's number one, all over heaven
The number one song all over heaven
The one that's the rage up here in the clouds Loud as a crowd or soft as a doubt Lyrically weak, but the music's the thing
Gabriel plays it,
God how he plays it
Gabriel plays it,
God how he plays it
Gabriel plays it,
God how he plays it
Gabriel plays it, let's hear him play it
The song filters down, down through the clouds It reaches the earth and winds all around And then it breaks up in millions of ways
It goes la, la, la......
In cars it becomes a hit
In your homes it becomes advertisements And in the streets it becomes the children
singing..."

Oh no!

Xenophobia

Devils Kitchen has the details on a worrying aspect of the EU Treaty. It is something that I have discussed before, this equating of racism and xenophobia with criticism of the EU or any of the EU's pet subjects. Iain Dales put it thus:

"It also sets a dangerous precedent. I can quite foresee people arguing in favour of banning so-called climate change denial at some point in the future. The phrase 'first they came' springs to mind."

Timmy put it thus:

"The problem here is that "xenophobia" is defined in the English language as a fear of things foreign. It is sometimes added that it is an irrational fear, but it is indeed fear. Defining xenophobia as a contribution to a criminal act is therefore sedition, that is, a thought crime."

I recommend that you take a look at this earlier piece by Devils Kitchen and then enjoy your freedom of speech for another year at most.

Googling (Update 4)

A few more interesting Google search terms that have lead people to my site recently:

gordon brown fake smile - For which this blog appears in 4th place

bogey eating mental - For which this blog appears in 3rd place

Best line of the weekend

From Iain Dale comes a great line:

"Labour's best chance is to stick with Brown in the hope that he will be able to pull a rabbit out of the bag. But with his luck, any such rabbit would probably be struck down with myxomatosis."

A great turn of phrase from a former political speech writer.

"Labour must ditch Gordon Brown now"

Matthew Parris in The Times has a well reasoned explanation as to why the Labour party must get rid of Gordon Brown if they want a chance of winning the next general election. I feel that he has written this article with the knowledge that Labour will do no such thing as they fear the long fight to replace Gordon Brown and the splits within the party that would emerge from their long period of suppression.

The problem for the Labour party is that Gordon has coveted the position of Prime Minister for so long that he could no more give it up voluntarily than a drug addict could give up his drug of choice. Gordon Brown understands that to leave office without a general election win to his name would destroy his place in history so he will soldier on, hoping for a change in fortune or a self-inflicted disaster to strike the Conservative party; something, anything.

Eurovision Song Contest

I admit it, myself and Mrs NotaSheep are watching the Eurovision Song Contest. Well it's on in the background whilst I blog and Mrs NotaSheep chooses some lingerie or whatever it she does on her laptop of an evening.

With the songs done and dusted, here's my verdict:

1. Romania - boring, not a chance

2. UK - Polished and one of the few songs that could be a hit in the UK but no chance of winning as everyone in "Europe" hates the UK

3. Albania - dire power ballad not a chance

4. Germany - Yikes, not a chance

5. Armenia - Weird dancing, not a chance

6. Bosnia - What the hell was that about, the girl singer looked like a slimmer Cleo Rocos from the Kenny Everett Show and as for the male singer and the backing artistes... bizarrely I think I can still hum it...

7. Israel - Not a hope as Europe hates Israel almost as much as the UK

8. Finland - The winning rock song from 2 years ago was interesting, this one wasn't

9. Croatia - Total crap

10. Poland - Very poor but the telephone lines from Ealing, Hammersmith and other parts West London will be red-hot

11. Iceland - Quite a good hi-energy song

12. Turkey - Not my cup of tea

13. Portugal - Forgotten it already

14. Latvia - What was that, Pirates of the Caribbean (the musical), weird people...

15. Sweden - Blondes have more fun, really...

16. Denmark - very, very catchy and a bit familiar somehow

17. Georgia - The Matrix (the musical)

18. Ukraine - Yeech

19. France - Huh.... and the French are meant to have style?

20. Azerbaijan - What...

21. Greece - Very Britney Spears per Mrs NotaSheep...

22. Spain - That was a joke wasn't it, please tell me it was a joke

23. Serbia - A terrible Eurovision ballad

24. Russia - Desperately average

25. Norway - Quite a fair Eurovision song, strapping singer...


Winners of the films as a musical were nobody, Latvia and Georgia were equally dire.


My predictions:

Greece will give Cyprus 12 points or maybe only 10 points
Cyprus will give Greece 12 points
Sweden will give Norway 12 points
Norway will give Sweden 12 points
The ex-Soviet Union states will vote for each other
The Balkan states will vote en-bloc
The UL will get less than 30 points

The winners will be from one of Poland, Denmark or Norway but bearing in mind the bloc-voting maybe Russia or if not then Ukraine or Greece.



The voting:
UK no politics and surprisingly few points for Poland
Macedonia 12 points to Albania what a surprise
Ukraine 12 points to Russia what a surprise (and the 10 and 8 were hardly shocks)
Germany 10 points to Turkey what a surprise
Estonia Estonia 8, 10 & 12 to Baltic or Baltic bordering
Bosnia & Herzegovina 12 points to Serbia what a surprise
Albania 10 points to Turkey and 12 points to Greece
Belgium 10 points to the Turkish homeland and 12 for Armenia!
San Marino 6 for UK, 12 points would go to Italy had they been there, 10 points for Israel, 12 points to Greece - Obviously nobody has told San Marino not to vote for UK or Israel
Latvia 10 points to Ukraine and 12 points to Russia, I am in shock, mind you would I want to annoy Putin more than I had to
Bulgaria 8 to Armenia, 10 to Greece and 12 to Germany (I am fed-up with typing points...)
Serbia 10 to Russia (a massive surprise) and 12 to Bosnia Herzegvina (a huge shock)
Israel lots of ex-Soviets there so 10 to Ukraine and 12 to Russia
Cyprus ... here we go... 12 points to Greece (typed before she said it, no need for the delete button)
Moldova 8 to Azerbaijan, 10 to Russia and 12 to Romania (shocks all round...)
Iceland (I feel votes for Scandinavia) 10 to Norway and 12 to Denmark (shocks galore)
France (Votes announced in French, song in English) surprising votes
Romania (I sense more votes for Turkey (8), Russia (10) and Ukraine or Greece (12)
Portugal (oldest allies in Europe, could they give us 12? probably not...) 12 to Ukraine (voted on music not politics)
Norway (more votes for Scandinavia?) Sweden only 7, Iceland 8, BOSNIA 10 (are they mad), 12 to Denmark (what a shock)
Hungary (good Balkan solidarity?) 8 Greece, 10 Russia (OK), 12 Azerbijan
Andorra (Spain, France and Spain?) France just 3 (so 12 for Spain?), 10 for Portugal
and yes 12 for Spain
Poland (anyone left there, I thought most were now in West London) 10 to Ukraine and 12 to Armenia (hmmm)
Slovenia (more Balkan solidarity?) 8 Croatia, 10 to Bosnia Herz.. and 12 to Serbia (I am shocked!)
Armenia (Balkan, Russia and Greece?) 8 to Greece, 10 to Georgia and 12 to Russia
Czech Republic (harder to predict - joke!) 8 to Ukraine, 10 to Azerbijan and 12 to Armenia
Spain just 8 to Portugal, 10 to Armenia and 12 to Romania (no idea...)
Netherlands (would be 12 for Belgium..., I predict a lot for Turkey) 10 for Turkey (Firefox locked there ... oops)
Turkey (look Balkan) 8 to Ukraine, 10 to Armenia and 12 to Azerbijan
Malta (needs to stay out of the sun) 8 to Russia (?), 10 to Ukraine (??) and 12 points to Sweden (Can we recall the George Cross?)
Ireland (anything for UK?) 8 for UK, 10 to Poland, 12 to Latvia
Switzerland (that'll be France and Germany) 8 to Albania (?!?!), 10 to Portugal and 12 to Serbia
Azerbaijan (more ex-Soviet and Balkan?) 8 to Russia (shock!), 10 to Ukraine(!?) and 12 to Turkey
Greece (12 or 10 to Cyprus?, 0 for Turkey?) 8 for Spain, 10 for Albania and 12 for Armenia (NOT CYPRUS!) --- It has been pointed out that Cyprus didn't make it to the final and therefore Greece wouldn't vote for them. I didn't think that this minor problem would stop Greece voting for Cyprus; if the positions were reversed I am positive that Cyprus would try to vote for Greece ---
Finland (Scandinavia... and Russia) 5 Sweden, 7 Iceland, 8 Israel (not very Scandinavian), 10 to Russia and 12 to Norway
Croatia (solidly Balkan) Albania 8, Serbia 10 and Bosnia H 12 (what a shock)
Sweden (more for Scandinavia?) 5 Denmark, 7 Finland, 8 Iceland, 10 BOSNIA H(!), 12 Norway
Belarus (12 for Russia and 10 to Ukraine?) 8 to Azerbijan, 10 to Ukraine and 12 to Russia (this is so hard to predict)
Lithuania (Russia, Baltic and ex-Soviet?) 8 to France (a surprise), 10 to Lithuania and 12 to Russia
Russia (will they reward their ex-Soviet friends?) 8 to Ukraine, 10 to Azerbijan and 12 to Armenia (that was a yes then!)
Montenegro (more Balkans) Croatia 2 Armenia 1, 8 to Russia, 10 to Bosnia H, 12 to Serbia (what a shock)
Georgia (more ex-Soviet?) 8 to Russia (just 8, Putin won't like that), 10 to Ukraine and 12 to Armenia (ex Soviet solidarity)
Denmark (Scandinavia and Germany?) 8 to Sweden, 10 to Norway (wrote that before she said it and 12 to Iceland (ditto)


Results:
Russia win due to politics as predicted
UK come equal last as predicted
How did Bosnia & Herzegovina get that many points


Politics not music; one question why should the UK fund this event? I suppose if we didn't then we wouldn't even make the final in the future.

Sounds like even Terry Wogan has had enough... Mrs NotaSheep certainly has, she has been asleep for the past hour!


The Russian winning song really reminds me of something else, a ballad from not that long ago - I will ask Mrs NotaSheep in the morning.




PostScript:

Mrs NotaSheep asked why is it called a "green room", so I Wikipedia'd it:

"A green room is a room in a theatre, studio, or other public venue for the accommodation of performers or speakers when not required on the stage.

...

The most widely accepted origin of the term dates back to Shakespearean theatre. Actors would prepare for their performances in a room filled with plants and shrubs. It was believed that the moisture in the topiary was beneficial to the Actors' voices."

UPDATE Donal Blaney has a nice article on the Eurovision Song Contest and I was active in his comments section.

"Crewe, rock-solid Labour since 1945, even during the dark days of the 1980s..."

From the "unbiased by charter" BBC came this quote from a reporter on their 6pm news today:

"Crewe, rock-solid Labour since 1945, even during the dark days of the 1980s..."

"dark days", please explain BBC...

Israel & South Africa

A discussion on Biased-BBC set me thinking and I posted the following in the comments:

"Two groups of people can do no wrong in the eyes of the BBC: black South Africans and Palestinians. The former being the people whose cause so many of the BBC grew up demonstrating and organising boycotts for, the latter the people they have adopted as they need a cause after the "good guys" won in South Africa. The use of the phrase "apartheid state" to describe Israel is no accident, it helps bind the new cause to the old. As a result, two groups can do no right in the eyes of the BBC: white Afrikaners and Israelis."

The result is in

I asked earlier this week

"Who will last longer in their current job? Avram Grant or Gordon Brown...?"

Unfortunately the answer is Gordon Brown as Chelsea have today terminated Avram Grant's contract as Chelsea manager.

Reality and the UK Treasury

The Telegraph report that (my emphasis):

"The International Monetary Fund last night warned the Bank of England not to cut borrowing costs for the foreseeable future, adding that it might lose control of inflation if it did so.

It said the Bank must be ready to raise interest rates from their current five per cent if there are any signs that wages are starting to soar.

The IMF also gave warning that Alistair Darling may have to raise taxes in the next Budget, because of the state of public finances."

And the reaction of the UK Treasury:

"A Treasury spokesman said: "The UK economy is strong and resilient, with strong fundamentals such as low debt, and record levels of employment.""

Just as in the mid-1970s I think the IMF have a better grasp of the state of the UK economy than an appallingly inept Labour government.

"Safety experts have said the tree is too much of a risk to children for it to remain"

Words all but fail me:

"For 150 years, it has stood in splendid serenity on the village green, harming no one and pleasing many.

Over the decades, the monkey puzzle tree at West Cross, near Swansea, became a much-loved local landmark.

But now it is facing the chop … because, in modern Britain, the needle-like points of its leaves are deemed a danger to health and safety.

One expert likened the effect of the needles to being pricked by a hypodermic syringe.

‘Every effort is made in this day and age to prevent children playing with discarded syringe needles,’ a report stated.

‘Every effort must be made to prevent children coming into contact with these potentially, equally sharp needles.’

But a campaign to save the 50ft tree, also known as a Chilean Pine, has been launched by residents, who insist the prickly foliage is not likely to present the same risk of spreading infectious diseases as a discarded syringe.

The protest is being led by Mike and Carol Crafer, who are threatening

to sell up if the tree – which stands in front of their home – is axed. ‘It’s another case of health and safety gone mad,’ said Mrs Crafer, a 49-yearold mother of two. ‘The tree’s needles are not that dangerous – comparing them to syringes is ridiculous.

‘The tree is part of the local landscape and has been for a century and a half. It rarely sheds its foliage and there are plenty of volunteers here who would be happy to clear up the needles.’

Her husband, a 57-year-old sustainability manager with Thames Water, said: ‘This is a crazy decision to cut the tree down.

‘We have put this to the test by trying to prick ourselves with the needles, but have not been able to – that’s how dangerous they are.’

The Crafers led more than 30 banner-waving residents in a protest against Swansea Council’s decision to cut the tree down,

The council brought in two independent health and safety experts who both advised to give the monkey puzzle the chop, especially since a new school is being opened nearby.

A council spokesman said: ‘Safety experts have said the tree is too much of a risk to children for it to remain.

‘One expert likened the tree foliage to discarded syringe needles and warns they pose a probable risk of serious injury to children. The authority could find itself defending any litigation, should this arise.’

However, Martin Caton, MP for Gower, Swansea, yesterday said the decision ‘stinks’.

He added: ‘ I urge everyone who cares about the quality of their environment to protest against this council plan.’"

The unasked question - HOW?

THe Telegraph report:

"A man who claims to have had sex with 1,000 cars has defended his "romantic" feelings towards vehicles.

Edward Smith, who lives with his current "girlfriend" – a white Volkswagen Beetle named Vanilla, insisted that he was not "sick" and had no desire to change his ways.

"I appreciate beauty and I go a little bit beyond appreciating the beauty of a car only to the point of what I feel is an expression of love," he said.

"Maybe I'm a little bit off the wall but when I see movies like Herbie and Knight Rider, where cars become loveable, huggable characters it's just wonderful.

"I'm a romantic. I write poetry about cars, I sing to them and talk to them just like a girlfriend. I know what's in my heart and I have no desire to change."

He added: "I'm not sick and I don't want to hurt anyone, cars are just my preference."

Mr Smith, 57, first had sex with a car at the age of 15, and claims he has never been attracted to women or men.

But his wandering eye has spread beyond cars to other vehicles. He says that his most intense sexual experience was "making love" to the helicopter from 1980s TV hit Airwolf.

As well as Vanilla, he regularly spends time with his other vehicles – a 1973 Opal GT, named Cinnamon, and 1993 Ford Ranger Splash, named Ginger.

Before Vanilla, he had a five-year relationship with Victoria, a 1969 VW Beetle he bought from a family of Jehovah's Witnesses.

But he confesses that many of the cars he has had sex with have belonged to strangers or car showrooms.

His last relationship with a woman was 12 years ago - and he could not bring himself to consummate it, although he did have sex with girls in his younger days.

Mr Smith, from Washington state in the US, kept quiet about his secret fetish for years, but agreed to be interviewed as part of a channel Five documentary into “mechaphilia”. He is shown meeting other enthusiasts at a rally in California

Talking about how his unusual passion developed, Mr Smith said: "It's something that grew as a part of me when I was a kid and I could not shake it.

"I just loved cute cars right from the beginning, but over the years it got stronger once I got into my teenage years and was my first having sexual urges.

"When I turned 13 and the famous Corvette Stingray came about, that car was pure sex and just an incredible machine. I wanted it.

"I didn't fully understand it myself except that I know I'm not hurting anyone and I do not intend to."

He added: "There are moments way out in the middle of nowhere when I see a little car parked and I swear it needs loving.

"There have been certain cars that attracted me and I would wait until night time, creep up to them and just hug and kiss them.

"As far as women go, they never really interested me much. And I'm not gay.”

Mr Smith is now part of a global community of more than 500 “car lovers” brought together by internet forums."

"New Labour has just nicked all the Tory rhetoric. The policies haven't changed. Gordon Brown is running out of people to tax."

"The Tories have spent the last fifteen years moaning that New Labour has stolen all its policies. This isn't true. New Labour has just nicked all the Tory rhetoric. The policies haven't changed. Gordon Brown is running out of people to tax."

That's from a rather excellent review of Gordon Brown's book "Moving Britain Forward: Selected Speeches 1997-2006". The review is by Dominic Hilton and can be found here on the Social Affairs Unit web site.

Here are a few more extracts from the review:

"Close your eyes and picture an overall-clad Gordon Brown driving a forklift truck into your hallway and removing your assets. Now there's no need for you to read this book."

"To my aching mind, the defining feature of the New Labour governments has been their endlessly repeated insistence that they, and only they, can clear up the messes that they have made. Every fucked-up initiative has been quickly followed by the launch of another fucked-up initiative to resolve the previous fuck-up. The intended result has been an incremental creep of the state. And the state is chockfull of creeps."

"Moving Britain Forward is littered with glimpses of New Labour balls. There is nothing that Gordon Brown will not readily co-opt and pass off as his own thinking. If you took Brown at his word, you'd think he invented flexible economies, mobile capital and competition between suppliers, and was the first to dare question the proper role of the state (after which he naturally draws the wrong conclusion). The Tories have spent the last fifteen years moaning that New Labour has stolen all its policies. This isn't true. New Labour has just nicked all the Tory rhetoric. The policies haven't changed. Gordon Brown is running out of people to tax."

"Even when a policy has been shown to be a colossal cock-up, Brown says we must:

not allow setbacks to discourage us [but] strive even harder - our determination not diminished but intensified.

If the leeches didn't work last time, we'll just up the dosage of leeches."

Do read the whole review for a fuller flavour of the fool in Number 10.

1980s music video time

Theo Spark put up Transvision Vamp's "Baby I don't care" and I just had to respond with "I want your love" ... that purring voice still does things to me...


and whilst I am at it... here's another 1980s group fronted by a peroxide blonde...





That's The Primitives with "Crash"



Of course neither Wendy James nor Tracy Tracy can really compete with Debbie Harry ...

In the same vein as the Exeter failed bombing

It is a rather sad indictment of my expectations of Labour Britain that I have not commented on the Exeter bombing of the Jewish owned Giraffe restaurant by a Muslim bomber. I will draw your attention to this article on the BBC website:

"A prisoner has pleaded guilty to making threats to blow up one of Europe's largest shopping centres with three limousines packed with explosives.

Saeed Ghafoor, 33, of Southampton, made the threat to a prison officer while at HMP Haverigg in Cumbria on 7 February.

The former English teacher appeared via video-link at the Old Bailey charged with threatening to cause criminal damage at Bluewater in Kent.

...

Ghafoor was in prison serving a 12-month sentence imposed by Southampton Crown Court in January for threats to kill his sister and assault.

...

He said: "Mr Ghafoor made the threat and it was treated seriously.

"We do not know if he could have carried it out. It was not a bomb hoax. It appeared on the face of it to be a serious threat by someone who was not happy."

...

He said he was protesting at the involvement of British and American troops in Afghanistan.

He was seen by the prison imam, who formed the impression that Ghafoor was susceptible to brainwashing.

After his arrest, a psychiatrist told police he had no mental disorder, said Mr Arnold.

He was remanded in custody for reports before sentencing next month."

We should not be reassured that so many of these Islamic terrorists seem to be inept, one day one of them will suceeed and just as on 7/7 many innocent people will die, many more will bear the scars and injuries for a very long time and even more will have to mourn the dead and deal with the injured. And just like after 7/7, the Labour government that caused the problem with its insane immigration "system" will spout platitudes about caring and dealing with the root causes whilst in reality doing nothing other than improving their own security and reducing the freedoms of the innocent whilst paying Osama bin Laden's "spiritual ambassador in Europe", Abu Qatada, to stay in England.

Motorist told flag could be racist

Yet another story from the "what on earth do the police think they are doing" file. This is Wiltshire report that:

"A TEENAGE motorist was told to remove an England flag from his car by a police officer because it could be offensive to immigrants.

Ben Smith, 18, was driving back home to Ingram Road in Melksham on Thursday evening after filling up with petrol, when the officer stopped him on a routine patrol.

He checked the tax disc and tyres on his Vauxhall Corsa but when he noticed the flag of St George on the parcel shelf he told Mr Smith to take it down.

Mr Smith, who works for G Plan Upholsterers on Hampton Park West, said: "He saw the flag and said it was racist towards immigrants and if I refused to take it down I would get a £30 fine.

"I laughed because I thought he was joking, but then I realised he was serious so I had to take it down straight away. I thought it was silly - it's my country and I want to show my support for my country."

Mr Smith had recently installed new speakers in the parcel shelf of his car and wanted to cover them up so they did not get stolen.

He used the flag and laid it out flat on the shelf so it was not obscuring his view out of the rear window.

But it was only there a couple of days before he was stopped by the officer at about 9.30pm close to Melksham Enterprise Park and made to take it down.

He said he is used to getting stopped by the police because he is a young male driver and is often mistaken for a boy racer'.

But he thought it was "a bit strange" to be asked to take down the England flag when the officer found nothing else wrong with his car.

PC Dave Cooper, of Chippenham Road Policing Unit, said he had never come across an officer asking someone to remove an England flag from their car because it could be racist.

He added: "It all depends on the context of a stop. If they are going past a lot of Polish people, for instance, and abusing them, then we possibly would ask them to take the flag down."

He said there would be no police log of Mr Smith having been stopped with details of what was said to him, as there was nothing wrong with his car.

He added the officer could have been based anywhere around the county and just made an independent stop."

You can pretty much guarantee that:

a) the police would not stop a Polish man from displaying the Polish flag in his car
b) the police would not stop a Scottish man from displaying the Scottish flag in his car
c) the police wouldn't come to Mr Smith's house to investigate the theft of his new speakers from his parcel shelf, should they be stolen


and the police wonder why they have lost the support of many people in this country...

What's this story alluding to?

Fox News report that:

"STOCKHOLM, Sweden — Swedish police arrested two maintenance workers on suspicion of sabotage after they tried to enter a nuclear plant Wednesday with traces of the explosive used in the London terror bombings in 2005, officials said.

Police experts with bomb-sniffing dogs were dispatched to search the Oskarshamn nuclear power plant and examine the substance, believed to be triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, which can be extremely dangerous even in tiny amounts.

"It's not something you use at home," Anders Osterberg, a spokesman for plant operator OKG, told The Associated Press. "We're not dealing with toys here."

The two men were contractors hired to perform maintenance work on one of the plant's three reactors, which was shut down on May 11 for an annual checkup, plant spokesman Roger Bergman said. One of them was initially described as a welder, but plant officials later said his occupation was not clear.

Police did not release their identities, but said one was born in 1955 and the other in 1962. The older suspect was "known to police" from prior investigations, police spokesman Sven-Erik Karlsson told AP. He declined to give details.

The men were brought in for questioning after they arrived for work early Wednesday at the power plant, located about 150 miles (250 kilometers) south of Stockholm. The men were stopped because one of them was carrying a plastic bag that was found to contain traces of TATP in a security check, police said.

Bergman said the second man was arrested because "there is some uncertainty about who owns the bag.""

Do read the rest of the story...

The Daily Mash may have a solution to the problems of the Middle East

The Daily Mash may have a solution to the problems of the Middle East, they report that:

"A MASSIVE silver dome should be placed over the Middle East until all the explosions have stopped, the UN secretary general said last night.

Following predictions the region would soon be rife with nuclear weapons, Ban Ki-Moon unveiled plans for a huge dome approximately 2500 miles across.

The dome would be built in a South Korean shipyard and towed by supertankers to the Indian Ocean. It would then be heaved into place until it covered Lebanon, Israel, Gaza, Syria, and much of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran.

Outlining his new peace plan, Mr Moon said: "Once the dome is in place we expect about 12 to 18 months of constant explosions, followed by silence.

"We will then lift up the edge of the dome and have a peek to see if there are any heavily armed psycopaths still alive.

"If so we'll just chuck in a few sticks of dynamite, slam the dome back down and wait for the big boom."

If the plan is successful Mr Moon said the dome could be melted down and made into napkin holders or placed over the United Kingdom, 'until they learn how to have a drink without beating the shit out of each other'."

What is George Galloway suggesting here?

The Spectator reports that George Galloway included the following passage in an address that was shown on Al-Jazeera on 15 May. What is he suggesting the Palestinians do, is he suggesting an invasion of Israel?

"All my life I believed that Palestine could be liberated by the Kalashnikov and the armed struggle alone. This was a mistake. We need the Kalashnikov. We need the armed struggle. This is the hammer. But we need also an anvil. The hammer is necessary to defend yourself, to strike your enemy. You must never let it down, never let it fall from your hand. But it cannot make something alone. What is needed is an anvil, and that anvil has to be mass movements of the population, of the people. The most inspiring event, of the last – we can say – 40 years, since Karameh, was when the people of Gaza, with their bare hands, in their thousands tore down the walls of their prison, and poured out of the siege into Egypt."

Can you spell delusional?

Listen to Tamsin Dunwoody claiming that the Labour vote held up yesterday. Apparently it was extra Conservative voters not a reduction in the Labour vote, hmmm:

Labour vote in 2005 general election - 21,240
Labour vote in 2008 by-election - 12,679

So that's 8,561 less votes in 2008 compared to 2005; how is that a Labour vote "holding up". With mathematical skills like that, Tamsin Dunwoody could be the next Labour Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Conservative Target seats

UK Polling Report have a list of "the two hundred seats where the Conservative party needs to overturn the lowest percentage majority to win the seat. These are not necessarily the seats where it will be easiest to do so, or the seats that the party will actually be targeting at the next election. In seats marked with an asterisk (*) the Conservative party is currently in third (or lower) place." Crewe and Nantwich was at number 165 and not a real target, here's the list:

"1. Finchley and Golders Green 31 Swing required: 0.05 %
2. Crawley 37 Swing required: 0.05 %
3. Croydon Central 317 Swing required: 0.35 %
4. Battersea 336 Swing required: 0.4 %
5. Aberconwy 243 Swing required: 0.4 %
6. Harlow 357 Swing required: 0.45 %
7. Milton Keynes South 483 Swing required: 0.5 %
8. Hove 450 Swing required: 0.5 %
9. Romsey and Southampton North 462 Swing required: 0.55 %
10. Cheltenham 515 Swing required: 0.55 %
11. Eastleigh 530 Swing required: 0.55 %
12. Dartford 583 Swing required: 0.65 %
13. St Austell and Newquay 630 Swing required: 0.8 %
14. Westmorland and Lonsdale 836 Swing required: 0.9 %
15. City of Chester 813 Swing required: 0.9 %
16. Stroud 1007 Swing required: 0.95 %
17. Bristol North West 1075 Swing required: 1.05 %
18. Loughborough 1138 Swing required: 1.15 %
19. Carshalton and Wallington 1044 Swing required: 1.25 %
20. Cardiff North 1146 Swing required: 1.25 %
21. Hastings and Rye 1205 Swing required: 1.3 %
22. Chippenham 1260 Swing required: 1.35 %
23. Calder Valley 1346 Swing required: 1.4 %
24. Hereford and North Herefordshire 1297 Swing required: 1.45 %
25. Stourbridge 1285 Swing required: 1.45 %
26. Taunton Deane 1702 Swing required: 1.5 %
27. Colne Valley 1535 Swing required: 1.5 %
28. Corby 1517 Swing required: 1.55 %
29. Brighton Kemptown 1213 Swing required: 1.65 %
30. Perth and North Perthshire 1521 Swing required: 1.65 %
31. South Basildon and East Thurrock 1467 Swing required: 1.7 %
32. Vale of Glamorgan 1664 Swing required: 1.8 %
33. Swindon South 1565 Swing required: 1.85 %
34. Northampton South 1386 Swing required: 1.85 %
35. Dorset South 1812 Swing required: 1.85 %
36. Milton Keynes North 1862 Swing required: 1.9 %
37. Stafford 1800 Swing required: 1.95 %
38. Watford 1148 Swing required: 1.96 %*
39. Angus 1601 Swing required: 2.1 %
40. York Outer 1821 Swing required: 2.25 %
41. Redditch 1948 Swing required: 2.3 %
42. Broxstowe 2267 Swing required: 2.35 %
43. Burton 2134 Swing required: 2.4 %
44. High Peak 2332 Swing required: 2.5 %
45. Pendle 2180 Swing required: 2.65 %
46. Carmarthen West and South Pembrokshire 2063 Swing required: 2.7 %
47. Birmingham Edgbaston 2187 Swing required: 2.75 %
48. Bury North 2236 Swing required: 2.75 %
49. Wolverhampton South West 2252 Swing required: 2.8 %
50. Ribble South 2686 Swing required: 2.85 %
51. Dumfries and Galloway 2922 Swing required: 2.85 %
52. Tamworth 2569 Swing required: 2.95 %
53. Derbyshire South 2733 Swing required: 3 %
54. Torbay 2755 Swing required: 3 %
55. Cleethorpes 2642 Swing required: 3.05 %
56. Harrow East 2647 Swing required: 3.1 %
57. Swindon North 2832 Swing required: 3.3 %
58. Sutton and Cheam 2870 Swing required: 3.3 %
59. Worcester 3144 Swing required: 3.4 %
60. Bradford West 2580 Swing required: 3.55 %
61. Richmond Park 3649 Swing required: 3.6 %
62. Great Yarmouth 3055 Swing required: 3.7 %
63. Hendon 3005 Swing required: 3.75 %
64. Brentford and Isleworth 3471 Swing required: 4 %
65. Cheadle 3950 Swing required: 4 %
66. Eltham 3174 Swing required: 4.1 %
67. Bedford 3476 Swing required: 4.1 %
68. Brigg and Goole 3347 Swing required: 4.1 %
69. Portsmouth South 3181 Swing required: 4.25 %
70. Stevenage 3451 Swing required: 4.25 %
71. Rossendale and Darwen 3752 Swing required: 4.25 %
72. Halifax 3438 Swing required: 4.35 %
73. Dudley South 3126 Swing required: 4.4 %
74. Northampton North 3483 Swing required: 4.5 %
75. Westminster North 3021 Swing required: 4.55 %
76. Edinburgh South 405 Swing required: 4.55 %*
77. Blackpool North and Cleveleys 3540 Swing required: 4.65 %
78. Southport 3838 Swing required: 4.65 %
79. Wirral South 3724 Swing required: 4.7 %
80. Newton Abbott 4573 Swing required: 4.75 %
81. Leicestershire North West 4477 Swing required: 4.75 %
82. Wyre Forest 4574 Swing required: 4.75 %
83. Lincoln 3844 Swing required: 4.8 %
84. Leeds North West 911 Swing required: 4.8 %*
85. Nuneaton 3843 Swing required: 4.85 %
86. Bolton West 4075 Swing required: 4.9 %
87. Ochil and South Perthshire 688 Swing required: 4.95 %*
88. Halesowen and Rowley Regis 4140 Swing required: 5 %
89. Brecon and Radnorshire 3905 Swing required: 5.1 %
90. Dover 5061 Swing required: 5.2 %
91. Gedling 4876 Swing required: 5.25 %
92. Keighley 4852 Swing required: 5.25 %
93. Carlisle 4069 Swing required: 5.3 %
94. Bolton North East 3581 Swing required: 5.35 %
95. Plymouth Sutton and Devonport 4305 Swing required: 5.35 %
96. Dewsbury 4924 Swing required: 5.4 %
97. Warrington South 5062 Swing required: 5.45 %
98. Pudsey 4751 Swing required: 5.45 %
99. Mid Dorset and North Poole 5270 Swing required: 5.45 %
100. Stirling 4767 Swing required: 5.45 %
101. Devon North 5377 Swing required: 5.5 %
102. Oxford West and Abingdon 5525 Swing required: 5.65 %
103. Dudley North 4145 Swing required: 5.7 %
104. Elmet and Rothwell 6295 Swing required: 5.7 %
105. Poplar and Limehouse 3942 Swing required: 5.75 %
106. Camborne and Redruth 4119 Swing required: 5.75 %*
107. Reading West 4980 Swing required: 5.8 %
108. Tynemouth 5532 Swing required: 5.85 %
109. Ipswich 5274 Swing required: 6 %
110. Waveney 5936 Swing required: 6 %
111. Morecambe and Lunsdale 4935 Swing required: 6 %
112. Tooting 5190 Swing required: 6.1 %
113. Chatham and Alyesford 4800 Swing required: 6.1 %
114. Lancaster and Fleetwood 4056 Swing required: 6.1 %
115. Barrow in Furness 4836 Swing required: 6.25 %
116. Weaver vale 4750 Swing required: 6.35 %
117. Warwick and Leamington Spa 5266 Swing required: 6.4 %
118. Cornwall North 5477 Swing required: 6.45 %
119. Gloucester 6068 Swing required: 6.5 %
120. Hampstead and Kilburn 1134 Swing required: 6.5 %*
121. Berwickshire Roxburgh and Selkirk 5901 Swing required: 6.5 %
122. Argyll and Bute 5636 Swing required: 6.5 %
123. Stockton South 5696 Swing required: 6.6 %
124. Cornwall South East 6043 Swing required: 6.6 %
125. Thurrock 5501 Swing required: 6.6 %
126. Truro and Falmouth 5131 Swing required: 6.65 %
127. Sefton Central 5542 Swing required: 6.65 %
128. Bath 5578 Swing required: 6.7 %
129. Hammersmith 5646 Swing required: 6.75 %
130. Derby North 3552 Swing required: 6.8 %*
131. Kingswood 6354 Swing required: 6.85 %
132. Hyndburn 5504 Swing required: 6.9 %
133. Renfrewshire East 6657 Swing required: 7 %
134. Lancashire West 6084 Swing required: 7.05 %
135. Brighton Pavillion 6523 Swing required: 7.1 %
136. Colchester 5864 Swing required: 7.15 %
137. Amber Valley 6068 Swing required: 7.2 %
138. Vale of Clwyd 4726 Swing required: 7.25 %
139. Moray 5676 Swing required: 7.3 %
140. Luton South 5700 Swing required: 7.35 %
141. Telford 5516 Swing required: 7.4 %
142. Winchester 8044 Swing required: 7.45 %
143. Batley and Spen 6814 Swing required: 7.45 %
144. Leeds North East 6599 Swing required: 7.6 %
145. Newport West 5458 Swing required: 7.65 %
146. Workington 5867 Swing required: 7.7 %
147. Warwickshire North 6698 Swing required: 7.7 %
148. Ellesmere Port and Neston 6612 Swing required: 7.75 %
149. Edinburgh North and Leith 2153 Swing required: 7.75 %*
150. Coventry South 6552 Swing required: 7.9 %
151. Wakefield 6537 Swing required: 7.95 %
152. Chorley 6918 Swing required: 8 %
153. Harrogate and Knaresborough 7811 Swing required: 8.05 %
154. Erewash 6893 Swing required: 8.1 %
155. Norfolk North 8177 Swing required: 8.15 %
156. Norwich South 3129 Swing required: 8.15 %*
157. Sheffield Hallam 7722 Swing required: 8.15 %
158. Luton North 6437 Swing required: 8.2 %
159. Sherwood 6722 Swing required: 8.2 %
160. Bristol East 7379 Swing required: 8.25 %
161. Edinburgh South West 7242 Swing required: 8.25 %
162. Bassetlaw 8126 Swing required: 8.25 %
163. Norwich North 6696 Swing required: 8.3 %
164. Dagenham and Rainham 6581 Swing required: 8.35 %
165. Crewe and Nantwich 7494 Swing required: 8.4 %
166. Gower 6703 Swing required: 8.5 %
167. Copeland 6828 Swing required: 8.75 %
168. Lewes 8928 Swing required: 8.8 %
169. Blackpool South 5882 Swing required: 8.85 %
170. Bridgend 6022 Swing required: 8.9 %
171. Aberdeenshire West and Kincardine 7471 Swing required: 8.95 %
172. Kingston and Surbiton 9048 Swing required: 9 %
173. Ealing North 7693 Swing required: 9.05 %
174. Middlesbrough South and Cleveland 8061 Swing required: 9.2 %
175. Southampton Test 7548 Swing required: 9.3 %
176. Exeter 9208 Swing required: 9.35 %
177. Oxford East 205 Swing required: 9.55 %*
178. Blackburn 8016 Swing required: 9.6 %
179. Harrow West 7829 Swing required: 9.65 %
180. Twickenham 9965 Swing required: 9.65 %
181. Yeovil 9413 Swing required: 9.65 %
182. Delyn 6644 Swing required: 9.75 %
183. Feltham and Heston 7760 Swing required: 9.75 %
184. Aberdeen South 1348 Swing required: 9.8 %*
185. Birmingham Selly Oak 8354 Swing required: 9.8 %
186. Clwyd South 6185 Swing required: 9.85 %
187. Plymouth Moor View 7907 Swing required: 9.9 %
188. Hazel Grove 7723 Swing required: 9.95 %
189. Nottingham South 7234 Swing required: 9.95 %
190. Slough 8146 Swing required: 10 %
191. Birmingham Hall Green 4191 Swing required: 10.05 %*
192. Newcastle under Lyme 8108 Swing required: 10.2 %
193. Walsall North 6669 Swing required: 10.2 %
194. Cardiff West 7861 Swing required: 10.25 %
195. Arfon 93 Swing required: 10.3 %*
196. Cannock Chase 8655 Swing required: 10.3 %
197. Birmingham Northfield 8179 Swing required: 10.35 %
198. Southampton Itchen 8484 Swing required: 10.45 %
199. Stretford and Urmston 8181 Swing required: 10.5 %
200. Walsall South 8123 Swing required: 10.5 %"


I wonder how many of these Labour and LibDem MPs are worried about their jobs now?

Where's Gordon?

Harriet Harman has been doing the round of the radio and television interviews this morning, but where's Gordon?

Is he hard at work designing ever cleverer stealth taxes?

Is he thinking of new ways to ruin the UK?

Is he maybe plotting a re-launch, he hasn't had one for over a week now?

Is he sitting in the Number 10 bunker, moving his non-existent troops to ensure victory?

Is he listening to his loyal minions reassuring him that he is still the much loved leader of the country?

Is he designing a new "Tory toffs" campaign?


UPDATE:
He has apparently been visiting St Thomas's hospital in London; I think this was a planned political visit rather than a visit for some tranquillizers.

Will he answer any questions from reporters as he leaves? That's a NO then...

But he did do some interviews in the hospital and very impressive he was too; the same pat phrases as he uses in every interview, PMQs exchanges and indeed everywhere. I think the public have finally cottoned on to the fact that Gordon Brown is not the greatest UK Chancellor of the Exchequer ever, but in fact a hopeless pillock.

Just call 999

From Random Acts of Reality a report on one night's callouts for a UK ambulance crew:

"Here are the calls we took, along with their need for an ambulance or A&E treatment.

* A two year old with a bump on their head after falling over. Needed neither ambulance or A&E. Was a 'blue light' response.
* A twelve year old with a cut finger. Needed A&E treatment but he and his mum could have walked 200 yards to the tube station that would drop him off outside A&E. It didn't need an ambulance.
* An emergency transfer from one maternity department to another. we got there before they were ready but the transfer otherwise went well. Needed an ambulance and hospital treatment. Was perhaps rightly a 'blue light' response.
* A young man with a sore throat and temperature for four days, had taken two of the antibiotics that his GP had given him. Needed neither ambulance or hospital treatment. Was a 'blue light' response.
* A teenager with back pain after drinking and smoking pot at a nightclub. Was a 'blue light' response, needed neither ambulance or hospital treatment.
* A woman, new to this country, with a blocked ear which meant she could hear her heartbeat. Another 999 call that apparently warranted a 'blue light' response.

Not a busy night in the grand scheme of things, but it was enough to keep us away from our station."

Victoria Derbyshire has to face the truth

Radio 5 Live and Victoria Derbyshire has to face up to the fact that her views, and those of her left-wing friends and colleagues, are not shared by many in this country. I think the next hour could be enjoyable in a car crash radio sort of way, Victoria Derbyshire really does sound fed-up, bless her, her little liberal-left mind just can't cope. VD is currently sounding incredulous that "we" don't know what all of the Conservative's proposals for the economy are. VD is also denying that Northern Rock is costing the tax-payer any money, quite funny really.

"Tories snatch Crewe from Labour"

"Tories snatch Crewe from Labour", that's the BBC's headline re last night's by-election result. An interesting choice of word "snatch", sounds a bit sneaky or a bit of a fluke. Meanwhile the press report it differently:

The Telegraph - "Crewe and Nantwich by-election: Edward Timpson victory a blow for Gordon Brown" - a generally pro Conservative paper
The Times - "Disaster for Brown after Tory landslide" - a generally pro New-Labour paper
Sky - "Labour's Crewe Cut: 'Brown Doesn't Get It'" - a generally pro New-Labour media outlet
The Independent - "Labour's wipeout: Tories win Crewe and Nantwich by-election" - Pro Labour newspaper
The Guardian - "Brown facing meltdown as Labour crash in Crewe" - pro Labour newspaper
Sub headlines off "Tories overturn 7,000 majority" and "Swing indicates election disaster"
Daily Mail - "Tories win Crewe by a landslide leaving Brown in desperate fight for survival" - generally pro-Conservative paper albeit with an often pro-Gordon Brown editorial line
The Sun - - "Crewe cut for Gordon Brown" - a pro-Labour newspaper albeit one gradually moving to the winning side at the next election
The Mirror - "Labour suffer by-election defeat in Crewe" - pro-Labour paper - with the following as the first line "The Conservatives last night swept to a resounding victory in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election."

So that's just the BBC who choose to portray the Conservative victory as some sort of sneak win or fluke.


UPDATE:
The BBC have now "stealth edited" the headline so it now reads " Tories hail 'remarkable victory'", maybe the BBC have had to react to the fury of myself and others in the blogosphere.

Harriet Harman on the Toady programme - Live blogging

A lovely journalistic conversation between John Humphrys and Nick Robinson and then the interview with Harriet Harman, I can hardly wait to hear what platitudes she comes out with.

Not a judgement on campaign or two candidates, but on family finances
"Grubby campaign" - What your people on their ground were saying
Campaign didn't affect result.
Do you regret the immigration campaign? Harriet Harman goes onto ID cards for foreign nationals. "I make no bones... we lost... sending a message to the govenment... we will listen..."
"Helped 22 million people and put £2.7 billion ...into economy... family finances"

The catchphrase for the day is "finally finances"

"beyond compensating.... way beyond that... people still have concerns"

"Address ... soncerns... family finances..."
Increase fuel supply internationally, ... help people with insulation, improve (yet again) public transport...
re oil "demand has edged up but supply has not"
"22 million people in a better situation... background of difficult international..."
"Gordon Brown... experience..."
"Let the work of change begin"???
"I remember the state of the economy when Gordon Brown took over... he has turned the .. around... no economic commentator is predicting that our economy will shrink" REALLY!
"Very unclear what the Tories stand for... think about people's concerns... we are in ofice, in government..."
"When will men in grey suits.. will turn to Gordon Brown?"
"Solidly behind Gordon Gordon Brown...."

A tricky interview for Harriet Harman and John Humphrys did actually press her. Maybe the BBC now realise that they cannot suck up to Labour too obviously now, for fear of what the Conservatives might do to the BBC if they are the next government. Some fear at the BBC is a good thing if it stops their pro-Labour propaganda.

Al-Dura (the BBC finally update their coverage)

Only in the Europe section and no headline link from the main news front page.

"Some observers who had been allowed to see the full recording had said it contained various scenes of boys pretending to be injured."

You can almost hear the anguish in the BBC's collective voice as they have this article squeezed out of them.


For a more detailed reprot Honest Reporting have a good article.

The Lisbon Treaty

The Lisbon Treaty is still on my agenda, and here is an interesting post and discussion from "The Quiet Road" that is well worth a read.

"hard to argue with them"

John Humphry's on the Toady programme this morning just after the 7 o'clock news referred to Conservative claims with the phrase "hard to argue with them". That contrasts starkly with James "If we win the election" Naughtie's remarks in 2005.


The tone off the Today programme is very "down", I doubt that much champagne was drunk at the BBC last night.

Al-Dura BBC update!

Don't be daft, this is still the last article on the BBC about the Al-Dura case. It dates from November 2007, I wonder if the BBC will report the results of the French court case it does discuss in the article.

Is this satire or could you imagine Alan Johnson, Ed Balls or Hazel Blears proposing this with a straight face?

The Daily Mash report that:

"THE legal age for masturbation is to be raised to 18 as part of a series of measures aimed at tackling binge-wanking among teenage boys.

Supermarkets are to be banned from two-for-one pornography promotions, and all magazines will have to be purchased through special checkouts staffed by intimidating, attractive women.

Any pictures of naked breasts or private areas will have public health minister Shona Robinson's head superimposed on them and a speech bubble saying: "Eat healthy!"
Ms Robison said: "We want to make binge-wanking as socially unacceptable as drinking blood or setting fire to children.

"At the moment masturbation is an integral part of Scottish culture. This process will be long and hard, but I am determined to pull it off."

All aerobics videos are to be banned apart from health secretary Nicola Sturgeon's forthcoming Suzi Quatro Workout, which was declared "mind-numbing" after repeated viewings by the lower sixth at Merchiston Castle School in Edinburgh.

According to the Executive's latest guidelines, adults can have up to three personal hand interactions per week without causing any great harm to their health, apart from a degree of short-sightedness and bad breath.

But medical evidence shows that any self-pleasuring by those under 18 is certain to lead to blindness and ugly disfigurement before the onset of middle age, while binge-wanking will lead to total derangement within months.

The British Medical Association said the Executive did not go far enough. Bill McKay, of the BMA's Scottish Masturbation Committee, said tougher action was needed to deal with what he called a "stroking time-bomb".

Roy Hobbs, A&E consultant at Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary, said: "If Channel 4 shows another Kylie special we will simply not be able to cope.""

Is this satire or could you imagine Alan Johnson, Ed Balls or Hazel Blears proposing this with a straight face?

This is a public service announcement (without guitars)

In case Gordon Brown does decide to break the habits of a lifetime and do the decent thing and resign following the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, here are the latest odds on who will succeed him as the next permanent leader of the Labour party:

David Miliband 5 - 2
Ed Balls 6 - 1
John Denham 6 - 1
Alan Johnson 6 - 1
Jack Straw 7 - 1
James Purnell 8 - 1
Jon Cruddas 10 - 1
Hilary Benn 16 - 1
A Burnham 16 - 1
Yvette Cooper 16 - 1
E Miliband 16 - 1
Harriet Harman 20 - 1
Douglas Alexander 20 - 1
C Flint 25 - 1
Charles Clarke 28 - 1
Jacqui Smith 50 - 1
Ruth Kelly 50 - 1
Tony Blair 250 - 1


There are some very under-priced candidates there, Yvette Cooper, Ed Miliband and Caroline Flint leap out as no-hopers and Ed Balls at 6 - 1 is a joke. The only one worth a punt at the listed odds would be Andy Burnham.

Looking through the list I think the best result for the Conservatives, after Gordon Brown staying on of course, would be Ed Balls or Jack Straw.

Microsoft Office 2007 getting you down?

Microsoft Office 2007 getting you down? Productivity reduced due to "The ribbon"? There is a solution, I have just found Toolbartoggle, looks like it might be worth a try.

Al-Dura (update - and maybe an end)

Further to my previous coverage of the "al-dura" case in France, news reaches me that the French court dismissed the charges against Philippe Karsenty yesterday. I await more details but I doubt that I will get any from the BBC who have kept all but completely quiet about this court case., after all nobody is allowed to cast aspersions against the BBC's beloved, saintly, Palestinians.


The Augean Stables have some more information and will be carrying updates as soon as thy become available.

"What a waste", and I do mind

How many people are the Labour government expecting the UK taxpayer to pay for to attend the Beijing Olympics? Let's see, Gordon Brown and Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell, I suppose Culture, Media and Sport Secretary Andy Burnham as well. Maybe a couple of PPSs as well; say eight people in all.

The actual figure is nearer 50 and that's just those we know about. In addition to the three named above the following will also be attending on our behalf (!):

Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe
Trade Minister Lord Jones

The above five will indeed be backed up by at least one private secretary and "press office support", although the Prime Minister's team will be much larger - I presume whoever is Prime Minister will make no difference to this.


That's not the end of it though, here are some more freeloaders:

Six "observers"
17 staff from the Olympic Delivery Authority
a "small number" of officials to forge trade links and represent UK interests (and to watch the sport and enjoy the banquets)
The chief executive of Sport England
The director of property for Sport England
Eight people from UK Sport


Seems reasonable? Actually, no it doesn't but snouts in the trough need regular feeding.

Fauxtography

I have covered this subject before but have just found a new article that I think deserves wider reading. It is a piece entitled "A Concise History of the Fauxtography Blogstorm in the 2006 Lebanon War" and can be found at the American Communication Journal.

The article includes a handy definition of fauxtography:

"fauxtography refers to visual images, especially news photographs, which convey a questionable (or outright false) sense of the events they seem to depict.1 Apart from the clever word play evident in the term, it is shorthand for a serious criticism of photojournalism products, both the images and the associated text."

The only thing missing from the article are example photos, for that you should take a trip over to the following:

Wikipedia for coverage of fauxtography in the Lebanese War

EU Referendum has one of the best articles on the "Qana incident"

EU Referendum has another piece on "green helmet guy" and "stretcher alley"

EU Referendum with the first of their articles on "green helmet guy" and links forward to subsequent articles

The Wall Street Journal including the "dead man sitting up" story

Hot Air including the exposing of what was actually on fire and it wasn't an Israeli plane or the result of a bombing raid, absolute "rubbish". Also many good links to more examples

Drinking from home

Little Green Footballs with their take on "green helmet guy"

The Jawa report

Isreally Cool re black hat guy



It is a shame that these examples do not receive more coverage on the BBC or other biased western media, until they do it is the duty of all honest right thinking people to spread the word.



UPDATE:

I see that A Tangled Web has covered the same story today and has some interesting links as well, some of which I had seen but forgotten to put in my piece.

Here's an interesting document

Here is an interesting document, take a read.

"All the expenditure and activity to reduce youth crime has had no measurable impact. Claims of significant success are overstated."

"All the expenditure and activity to reduce youth crime has had no measurable impact. Claims of significant success are overstated."

That's the verdict of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies at Kings College London.


I believe that similar conclusions could be made about most of this Labour government's expenditure increases over the last 11 years.

Labour propaganda/brainwashing

It seems that Sky will be showing a new eight part series following immigration officers carrying out their duties. The series will acknowledge the co-operation the Government has given to Steadfast Television (the production company). What they will not acknowledge is that the Home Office will have spent £400,000 of taxpayers' money to make the series. I leave you to make up your own minds as to the rights and wrongs of this issue.

Who will last longer in their current job?

Avram Grant or Gordon Brown...

I am sorry to report that Theo Spark is losing it

Theo Spark at The Last of The Few is clearly losing it. He is showing this fine Shania Twain video...




but has not taken the opportunity to show the video that inspired it - so I will, here's Robert Palmer and Addicted to Love

More Barack Obama "mistakes"

Further to my recent post about Barack Obama and his 57 states in the USA comments, do watch the video, I have found a long list of other such "mistakes" - take a look at this Michelle Malkin post.

Strangely the BBC seem completely uninterested in covering any of these events, how unlike their gleeful coverage of any slip by George W. Bush and Dan Quayle for example.

An interesting graph

Dizzy Thinks has an interesting graph comparing the Conservative party's opinion poll ratings 1992-1997 with those of Labour 2005-2008. Quite a close correlation but I wonder if with Gordon Brown at the helm the Labour party's ratings will start to drop even closer to the 20% base-line...