Spy pigeons!

Breitbart report some interesting news from the paranoid republic of Iran:

"Security forces in Natanz have arrested two suspected "spy pigeons" near Iran's controversial uranium enrichment facility, the reformist Etemad Melli newspaper reported on Monday.

One of the pigeons was caught near a rose water production plant in the city of Kashan in Isfahan province, the report cited an unnamed informed source as saying, adding that some metal rings and invisible strings were attached to the bird.

"Early this month, a black pigeon was caught bearing a blue-coated metal ring, with invisible strings," the source was quoted as saying of the second pigeon.

The source gave no further description of the pigeons, neither their current status nor what their fate will be.

Natanz is home to Iran's heavily-bunkered underground uranium enrichment plant, which is not far from Kashan...."

I am most intrigued by the "invisible strings", how do they know that there were "invisible strings", how did they spot them?

A South African TV tactic the BBC might choose to copy

David Cameron, George Osborne etc. beware of BBC chairs in future, they may try to replicate what happened to this South African MP during an interview on South African TV.

Who's going to win the US Presidential election?

"To be honest, there’s nothing I want to talk about less than politics. I’d rather vomit and lick it up. I like Obama, but he’s not gonna win. Trust me, I know my people."

Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders

I hope Chrissie Hynde is right but I fear otherwise.

The BBC and their hatred of a Republican run USA and Israel

The BBC "report" on the latest Reporters Without Borders annual report on press freedom around the world. Here are the opening lines of the BBC report, which are all that many will read as they scan the news:

"Security worries can erode freedoms even in democratic nations and undermine press freedom, media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) says.

The warning comes as the group publishes its annual 173-nation index of press freedom around the world.

RSF cited poor rankings by the US and Israel, and called for US political leaders to improve its situation.

Iceland topped the list while the US was 36th. North Korea, Turkmenistan and Eritrea were the lowest-ranked nations.

The Paris-based press freedom body described those three countries as "unchanging hells" in which the population is cut off from the world and is subjected to "propaganda worthy of a bygone age"."

So the two countries that the BBC report Reporters Without Borders have described as having poor ratings are the USA and Israel. The BBC push this point with this sentence:

"Although the US rose from its 2007 position of 48th to be ranked 36th, Israel fell two positions to 46th in the list."

Let's have a look at the data... You can see the report here and I reproduce the list from 1 to 173 at the end of this piece. What is odd though is that the BBC have picked on USA and Israel. Shall we take a look at where Israel's neighbours figure on this report?

66 - Lebanon
146 - Egypt
159 - Syria
163 - Palestinian Territories

How about some other Islamic nations:
69 - United Arab Emirates
74 - Qatar
96 - Bahrein (better spelt Bahrain)
111 - Indonesia
121 - Algeria
122 - Morocco
123 - Oman
132 - Malaysia
135 - Sudan
143 - Tunisia
152 - Pakistan
153 - Somalia
155 - Yemen
156 - Afghanistan
158 - Iraq
160 - Libya
161 - Saudi Arabia
163 - Palestinian Territories
166 - Iran

Now why would the BBC decide to criticize Israel when they rank so much higher than all of their neighbouring countries?


Now let's compare the USA with the world's other superpowers both current and future. The USA are criticised for rising to position 36, so what about its rivals:

118 - India
141 - Russia
167 - China

Now why would the BBC decide to criticize the US when they rank so much higher than their Superpower rivals?


How about one of the BBC's favourite countries, the one that they love to praise for its magnificent health system and all but perfect education system - Cuba? Well they aren't bottom, not quite, placing at 169 - above just Burma, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea.


Don't you find the BBC's reporting of such stories most revealing?



Here's the list from 1 to 173:
Rank Country
1 Iceland
- Luxembourg
- Norway
4 Estonia
- Finland
- Ireland
7 Belgium
- Latvia
- New Zealand
- Slovakia
- Sweden
- Switzerland
13 Canada
14 Austria
- Denmark
16 Czech Republic
- Lithuania
- Netherlands
- Portugal
20 Germany
21 Jamaica
22 Costa Rica
23 Hungary
- Namibia
- United Kingdom
26 Surinam
27 Trinidad and Tobago
28 Australia
29 Japan
30 Slovenia
31 Cyprus
- Ghana
- Greece
- Mali
35 France
36 Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Cape Verde
- South Africa
- Spain
- Taiwan
- United States of America
42 Macedonia
43 Uruguay
44 Italy
45 Croatia
46 Israel (Israeli territory)
47 Mauritius
- Poland
- Romania
- South Korea
51 Hong-Kong
- Liberia
53 Cyprus (North)
- Montenegro
- Togo
56 Chile
57 Panama
58 Kosovo
59 Bulgaria
- Nicaragua
61 Kuwait
62 El Salvador
63 Burkina Faso
64 Serbia
65 Timor-Leste
66 Botswana
- Lebanon
68 Argentina
69 United Arab Emirates
70 Benin
- Malawi
- Tanzania
73 Haiti
74 Bhutan
- Ecuador
- Qatar
- Seychelles
- Zambia
79 Albania
- Fiji
81 Guinea-Bissau
82 Brazil
- Dominican Republic
- Tonga
85 Central African Republic
86 Senegal
87 Ukraine
88 Guyana
89 Comoros
90 Mozambique
- Paraguay
92 Congo
93 Mongolia
94 Burundi
- Madagascar
96 Bahrein
97 Kenya
98 Moldova
99 Guinea
- Honduras
101 Guatemala
102 Armenia
- Turkey
104 Maldives
105 Mauritania
106 Tajikistan
107 Uganda
108 Peru
109 Côte d’Ivoire
110 Gabon
111 Indonesia
- Kyrgyzstan
113 Venezuela
114 Sierra Leone
115 Bolivia
116 Angola
- Lesotho
118 India
119 United States of America (extra-territorial)
120 Georgia
121 Algeria
122 Morocco
123 Oman
124 Thailand
125 Kazakhstan
126 Cambodia
- Colombia
128 Jordan
129 Cameroon
130 Niger
131 Nigeria
132 Malaysia
133 Chad
134 Djibouti
135 Sudan
136 Bangladesh
137 Gambia
138 Nepal
139 Philippines
140 Mexico
141 Russia
142 Ethiopia
143 Tunisia
144 Singapore
145 Rwanda
146 Egypt
147 Swaziland
148 Democratic Republic of Congo
149 Israel (extra-territorial)
150 Azerbaijan
151 Zimbabwe
152 Pakistan
153 Somalia
154 Belarus
155 Yemen
156 Afghanistan
- Equatorial Guinea
158 Iraq
159 Syria
160 Libya
161 Saudi Arabia
162 Uzbekistan
163 Palestinian Territories
164 Laos
165 Sri Lanka
166 Iran
167 China
168 Vietnam
169 Cuba
170 Burma
171 Turkmenistan
172 North Korea
173 Eritrea

US election voter fraud, the Nashville edition

Voter fraud in the USA is rife, just google ACORN if you want details. Today I read on a blog called Innoculated that:

"A few hours ago, Nashville's syndicated radio talk show host Phil Valentine took a phone call from Lynn Greer, one of the two Republican members of the five-member Davidson County Election Commission. Mr. Greer was so angry he could barely control himself. (For the benefit of readers who aren't familiar with Middle Tennessee, Nashville/Davidson County is a Metro area, in which the city and county governments are combined.)

He informed Phil and his listeners that earlier today, someone was bringing in vanloads of non-English-speaking Mexicans with no identification to one of the Nashville early voting locations. Along with the non-English speaking individuals came a bilingual woman to act as their interpreter. She informed the election personnel that she would accompany the voters into the booth, read the ballot for them, and insure that their vote was cast for the candidates of their choice.

The Davidson County Election Commission, including its Democrat members, decided that the individuals would not be allowed to vote on the grounds that since they were unable to speak, understand, or read English, they could not possibly be citizens, and therefore were not qualified to vote. In addition, Mr. Greer mentioned that these people were unable even to request the assistance of a translator themselves. Accordingly, Ray Barrett, Davidson County Administrator of Elections, instructed his employees to refuse to allow any of these individuals to vote.

However, someone prevailed upon Mr. Barrett to call the state in order to verify the Commission's decision. Brook Thompson, the Tennessee State Election Coordinator, then ordered Mr. Barrett and the Davidson County Election Commission to allow these non-English-speaking individuals to vote through their bilingual interpreter despite their lack of any sort of identification and total unfamiliarity with the English language.

Phil and Mr. Greer briefly discussed what could be done. They agreed that the only possible remedy would be for the Tennessee Republican Party to file suit in a Federal court. He told Phil that while he intended to urge the state GOP to make the effort, in view of the recent refusal of a Federal court to grant relief to State Sen. Rosalyn Kurita (whose legitimate Democrat primary win was overturned by the big shots of her party in revenge for her vote in favor of a Republican Lt. Governor), he held out little hope that it would be successful. He also noted that even if a court should decide that the votes of these people were illegal, there is no mechanism for withdrawing them. These are not provisional ballots. Once cast, they are inviolate.

There were several more phone calls in quick succession.

First, Brook Thompson himself called up. He told Phil that Federal law requires that these people be allowed to vote with the help of an interpreter if they wish. He pointed out that in some jurisdictions with a higher percentage of non-English-speaking individuals, the Feds require that ballots and registration materials be printed in four or five languages. Therefore, he insisted that he had no choice but to allow these people to vote.

Phil asked him about the requirement that prospective voters must be able to produce valid identification, and Thompson admitted that this is correct. However, he shifted the burden for enforcement back to the Davidson County Election Commission. When Phil asked him if he intended to send someone down to investigate why the ID requirement was not being enforced, Thompson began to stammer and splutter a bit, and finally gave a noncommittal answer to the effect that he'd look into it.

The next phone call was from a woman identified only as Barbara, who is apparently an officer in the Republican Women's organization. She informed Phil that aside from the identification requirement, Brook Thompson is ignoring another legal mandate of which he is definitely aware. She insisted that the law requires that a prospective voter who desires the assistance of an interpreter must personally request such assistance. In other words, the interpreter is not permitted to go up to the election officials and inform them that she intends to go into the booth and help the voter. She explained that the law includes that provision as protection for the voter against coercion and other forms of voter fraud. Unquestionably, Barbara was accusing Brook Thompson of deliberately ignoring that provision of the law, and thus allowing illegals to vote.

Within a few minutes, a man called up who informed Phil that he had been involved in Tennessee elections for 20 years, and was intimately familiar with the applicable laws. He agreed with Barbara, and added that Brook Thompson is not an attorney, and is not an authority on election law, but is a political appointee – appointed by Democrats. This gentleman disputed Thompson's assertion that Federal law mandates that voters be permitted to use an interpreter. According to him, elections are governed by state law, which plainly requires that any voter who wishes to use an interpreter must personally request permission to do so from the election personnel. He vehemently disagreed with Thompson's decision allowing these non-English-speaking people with no valid identification to vote in a Tennessee election.

The caller also informed Phil and his listeners that any voter has the right to challenge any other voter's qualifications. He advised all of us not to depend solely upon the election personnel, but to take the initiative and inform them of any questionable or suspicious activity which we observe at a polling place.

That's where the matter ended for today. Since it's now Friday evening, it is unlikely that there will be any new developments until Monday, 10/20.

Wednesday, 10/22/08, 5:00 AM: As of yesterday afternoon, there have been no further developments. Phil Valentine reported that he has spoken to various law enforcement authorities, and none have been willing to look into this egregious violation of election laws.

During yesterday's program, Phil spoke by phone with Quin Hillyer, Associate Editorial Page Editor of the Washington Examiner. Quin's paper just published his column Quin-essential cases: No Righting Voting Wrongs in Ohio covering similar voting irregularities in Ohio.

When Phil informed Quin of these recent occurrences in Nashville, his first reaction was a gasp of surprise. He then remarked, "This election is being stolen right from under our noses."

Phil is now trying to formulate a plan for some sort of direct action designed to force the relevant authorities to do their jobs. He's been successful in such efforts in the past. For instance, he was responsible for the famous 2001 horn-blowing mass demonstration at the Tennessee State Capitol which resulted in the defeat of then-Gov. Don Sundquist's proposed income tax. Whether he'll be able to devise a successful strategy this time remains to be seen, but if I were a betting man, I'd be putting my money on Phil."

I have reproduced the whole article as, if true, it seems to need spreading far and wide.

It seems to me that the Democrats, having convinced themselves that "Bush stole the election in 2000", are now prepared to do anything to win this election. In previous elections I could have been persuaded that this was all down to local activists and nothing to do with the party leadership, now I am not so sure...

BBC Have Your Say top recommended comments on the George Osborne story

As at 17:00 on Wednesday 22 October, these were the most recommended comments, spot the one agreeing with the BBC line of attack?

"This is a non story. No money was passed to the Conservatives therefore no rules were broken.

Irrespective of whether or not money was asked for, NONE was received.

We all know how Mandleson works. And this has his nasty stench around it.

Stuart forster, London

Recommended by 329 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 07:14 GMT 08:14 UK

Why? Blair didn't over the £1 million Formula One pay off. Mandleson didn't after he had to leave government twice - before being brought back to spread nonsense like this.

harry portsmouth

Recommended by 263 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 07:18 GMT 08:18 UK

Labour really are scraping the barrel now! For gods sake stop the tittle tattle, look in a mirror, call a General election, move aside now, whilst we still have a country left!

Darryl Milligan, Wallasey, United Kingdom

Recommended by 256 people




Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 07:05 GMT 08:05 UK

He's started, the prince of darkness arrives and the innuendos and accusations start. Osborne may have made an error of judgement, but any of us has been guilty of that at one time or another. But with friends like Rothschild who needs enemies. All this is over Osborne questioning why Mandelsson took a job with this incompetent rabble when only weeks before he was mouthing off about McClown.Before anyone starts ranting, up until a few weeks ago I was a labour supporter for 45 years, never again.

Maximus, Boxgrove UK

Recommended by 225 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 07:05 GMT 08:05 UK

Look, if the media had got hold of this story BEFORE Mr Osborne walked away – and it was the media interest that made him decline the money, then maybe it is worth a story. The fact remains that NO MONEY CHANGED HANDS. You can tell that Mandelson is back in office – the king of sleaze and spin and New Labour cover-ups.

I hope Brown faces an enquiry for his "FUNDAMENTAL MISJUDGEMENTS" of the economy over the last ten years.

Hurst Vanrooj, Sheffield, United Kingdom

Recommended by 216 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 07:02 GMT 08:02 UK

Muck raking by Mandleson. What exactly has Osborne done other than have a beer on a yacht whilst on holiday, something most of us would like to do. He took no money, unlike Labour with Eccleston etc. I fail to see the story in this. It's just an attempt by Labour to get their friends in the media, especially the BBC, to try and deflect some of the flak Labour should be getting at the moment with regard to their mismanagement of the economy. Come on BBC, you are supposed to be impartial.

[handsomeDrProd], England

Recommended by 212 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 08:21 GMT 09:21 UK

Well, what is becoming apparent is the impartiality of a once
great organisation the BBC.

When Cameron made a fantastic speech on the economy last week, it was news story 4 or 5 , not even a headline.

Now this hogwash is centre stage when homes are reprocessed, pensioners are on the breadline, Britain is heading for a police state, shame on the BBC, it was only a matter of time before the state took over the BBC.

Pete Lyons, Wigan

Recommended by 199 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 07:08 GMT 08:08 UK

No inquiry needed, what is there to inquire about? So far as I'm aware, no money ever changed hands, and this is a fuss over a deal that never was. If you want an inquiry, how about an inquiry over [swoon, socialist hero!] Gordon Brown's mishandling of our economy?

No doubt, this is part of Labour's propaganda fightback against the Tories. I expect it will be fully aided and abetted by the woefully left-wing biased BBC.

Peter, Cambridge

Recommended by 195 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 08:23 GMT 09:23 UK

As per usual the biased BBC are getting over excited about this story,and giving it blanket coverage.

kerry lester

Recommended by 188 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 08:22 GMT 09:22 UK

Why are the press not putting Mandelson under the spotlight. He is another member of government, not elected by the Electorate, put into office by a Prime Minister who will not call an Election and responsible for the current state of our country.
I am far more concerned about what Brown et al are doing apart from piling more debt on the tax payer.
It is obvious Mandelson is back with the 'Sleaze and Innuendo' brigade. Remember all the 'Whitewash' enquiries we have had uner Labour.

[regalPHOENIX]

Recommended by 174 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 08:05 GMT 09:05 UK

Is the BBC the official propaganda channel of the Labour Party?

Fussing over a petty squabble like this really stinks when you consider the way Labour are ruining the country.

Honest John, Earth

Recommended by 173 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 07:11 GMT 08:11 UK

Only if Tony Blair is prepared to come back and answer to the House on the Formula 1 donation and if we can finally have the truth on Cash for Honours.

Martin, Reading

Recommended by 170 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 08:08 GMT 09:08 UK

No laws were broken and the 'bombshell' letter from the main protagonist has been amended THREE times.

Instead, there is real economic bad news, it seems the BBC is doing the government's bidding in keeping it off the airwaves.

Add to the mix that one BBC journalist is potentially facing an SFO investigation for their part in insider trading that seems to spill over in their reportage.

Osborne had a bad day and credibly gave a full account.

Big deal.

Now, how about some proper news?

Mike Thomas, London, United Kingdom

Recommended by 161 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 07:11 GMT 08:11 UK

Does anyone really give a 'monkeys' if Osborne asked for money ?
With the state of this country at the moment, if all MP's have to concern themselves with is utter trivia like this, it's a pretty sad state of affairs.
I'm no Tory fan, but for God's sake, we should be sorting out why cancer sufferers are denied medicine, why there is a virtual breakdown of law & order, why there is uncontrolled immigration, why old people can't afford to heat their homes etc etc etc
It's pathetic.

Chris, Guildford

Recommended by 151 people



Added: Wednesday, 22 October, 2008, 07:01 GMT 08:01 UK

I am stunned by the ease with which the obscenely rich egos can manipulate our media. Even the question asked here is a corruption.
I ask you "can I give you some money". You say "no". This is surely a discussion about money being gifted! Of course Osbourne cannot answer... either way he looses. The media are then conned into a ridiculous frenzy that frankly is a mega bore.
Further YOU corrupt the question into something not being doubted!! And I thought the BBC had improved of late, geez.

JR Gibson, Telford, United Kingdom

Recommended by 135 people"

The George Osborne story (update)

I have been too irritated by the BBC's coverage of Corfu-gate today to comment until now. The BBC have crossed a line over their coverage of this story; they chose to minimise their coverage of the claims about Peter Mandelson and then pushed the George Osborne story to the top of the news agenda. The reasoning is obvious and it stinks to high heaven.

Some people are taking comfort in the fact that the most popular comments made by those people commenting on the Have Your Say question about this matter "Did Mr Osborne show a lack of judgement? Should he face an inquiry? ...?", show that people are seeing through the spin, I do not. I believe that most people assume that the BBC has to be unbiased and therefore trust what the BBC reports, those who comment are a very small percentage of BBC viewers.

The Conservative Party have to accept that Gordon Brown's calling for bipartisan policy making is a sham, he has no interest in being bi-partisan just in reducing opposition and trying to tie the opposition into his new policies. With Peter Mandelson and Derek Draper back in harness the attacks on the Conservative Party both overt and covert will increase in number and ferocity and will be backed up by a willingly compliant BBC.

The Conservative party have a choice; either carry on as they are and hope that the general public see through the drip, drip, drip of the attacks on the probity and competence of the Conservative Party and its leaders or go on the attack. And when I say attack I mean attacking hard Gordon Brown's appalling record of ruining this country's economy, attacking over and over again the sleaze that has been at the heart of this Labour government almost from day one and attacking the BBC for its bias. The Conservative leadership have to understand that the BBC hate the Tories almost as much as Gordon Brown does and that the BBC will work almost as hard to destroy them as Gordon's chums will. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson are planning a three month or so campaign of mud-throwing to be followed by a snap General Election if the polls look to be moving in their favour.

The decontamination of the Conservative brand was acceptable to the BBC because it meant that the Conservative party accepted the BBC line that the brand was contaminated. It also meant that David Cameron had to appear soft and liberal and cuddly to please the BBC's agenda. Unfortunately the time for Conservative cuddliness has passed, David Cameron, George Osborne, William Hague etc. must show some steeliness and willingness to get their fists dirty and slug this one out. David Davis must be made Party Chairman and let loose on the Labour record.

The news agenda is once again being set by the Labour party and the BBC, the Conservative party must retake control of this agenda.

The Labour party and the BBC are not unbeatable but to beat them the fight must start in earnest and it must start this week.

Indian moon mission - Chandrayaan-I launched successfully

The Times of India reports:

"Carrying over a billion hopes, India's maiden lunar mission Chandrayaan-I began its historic journey to the moon today when an indigenously developed rocket placed the spacecraft into the Transfer Orbit "perfectly".

India becomes the sixth nation, after the US, Russia, European Space Agency, China and Japan, to send a mission to the moon."

I love the way that Indian papers are still patriotic. Is that something the British media could learn from?

Apricot launch a new piece of hardware!

I never thought I would see the day; Apricot a computer company I thought was dead and buried is announcing their new Picobook Pro, their new ultramobile PC. I used to work quite a lot on Apricot PCs back when they were sort of IBM PC compatible, the Zen I remember quite fondly so it's good to see them back. Who will be the next to make a comeback, Televideo?

The BBC and the George Osborne story

I can't remember the last time I have heard the BBC sound so cheery about a news story. At last they have a good old fashioned Tory sleaze story to run with and they are going to squeeze every last drop out of it. Odd how they pay so much attention to this story and that of Caroline Spelman but so little to the original Peter Mandelson story, Peter Hain, Keith Vaz or the Tony Blair/Bernie Ecclestone revelations.

So PMQs tomorrow should be interesting, Gordon Brown will have his devastating sixth "answer" prepared and ready to unleash whatever the question, maybe David Cameron should ask his first five questions and forego the sixth, that would confuse Gordon Brown...

Meanwhile recalling Peter Mandelson to his Cabinet looks to have been a rare Gordon Brown master-stroke; the "Prince of Darkness" has taken just a week to work his magic. From now on, aided and abetted by the BBC, Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson will try and change "the narrative" to their advantage and see if the political landscape can be changed enough to make the conditions favourable enough to call a snap Spring 2009 general election.

The twenty first winner of the weekly "No shit, Sherlock" award

This week the winner is Sir Ken Macdonald, the current Director of Public Prosecutions although he will retire in 10 days time. He is reported to have said that the state was poised to take powers to keep information on everyone and "we might end up living with something we can't bear."

"We need to take very great care not to fall into a way of life in which freedom's back is broken by the relentless pressure of a security state."

"No shit, Sherlock"

Porn on the plane

Delta airlines are bringing in wifi internet access on some planes, but The Register report that:

"The skies are looking bleaker for those who like to enliven dull plane trips with a bit of internet porn - Delta Airlines has announced it intends to filter "inappropriate" websites on its planned airborne Wi-Fi service.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Delta had said it "planned to rely on flight attendants to handle inappropriate situations". However, it's now decided to scrub that idea, and is "working with Wi-Fi provider Aircell to use a system to block inappropriate content"."

Why is it that any technical innovation immediately has the "no porn" brigade out in force? Why do they imagine that people will start browsing for porn when on a plane? Do the airlines currently check people's laptops, mediaplayers and portable DVD players for porn before take-off?

Please let adults be adults and trust to discretion; who in their right mind would choose to look at porn at 36,000 feet whilst sitting six foot away from five strangers? On second thoughts, don't answer that.

A missive from the educational front-line

To Miss With Love has another great posting that is well worth a read if you want to know what is really going on in our schools rather than believe what the Government tell you.

It's the EU again

I blogged recently about how an EU directive was behind Geoff Hoon's internet monitoring database. I queried yesterday whether the government could, even if it cared to do so, allow companies to delay their VAT payments for six months; as I believed EU legislation would prevent them. Today I learn from Devils Kitchen that my piece about random breath testing of drivers also has an EU angle, apparently:

"Says Ad Hellemons, also Dutch Assistant Commissioner of Police, talking to BBC Radio Five Live Five: "This is the first time the European Commission has made such a recommendation. The vast majority of member states already carry out random breath tests. We can’t understand why governments would want to protect drink-drivers".

"The European Commission has made it clear that they expect this recommendation to be followed. If not they will try to make it a directive". There you have it—you will do as we "recommend", or we will make it compulsory."

When will the three main UK political parties stop pretending that they make the laws, admit that the EU are in charge and either restructure Parliament accordingly (we don't need 650+ MPs any more, how about 200) or leave the EU?

Joe Biden with a scary prediction

ABC News report that:

"Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., on Sunday guaranteed that if elected, Sen. Barack Obama., D-Ill., will be tested by an international crisis within his first six months in power and he will need supporters to stand by him as he makes tough, and possibly unpopular, decisions.

"Mark my words," the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. "It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

"I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate," Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities."

Oh super, what can we look forward to Joe? Russia invading the currently independent Baltic countries? Al-Qaeda/Taliban attacks on US and British bases in Iraq, Afghanistan and/or Cyprus? Iran launching a missile attack on Israel? Hamas/Hezbollah setting off dirty bombs in Tel Aviv? Al Qaeda setting off dirty bombs in New York, Washington, London?

I really don't like the way the rest of this decade is shaping up... Where would be safe to sit it out?

Why do politicians "believe" in global warming?

Why do politicians "believe" in global warming when it is patently at best an exaggeration and at worst a complete con? Harmless Sky has an answer, or rather 12 of them, do take a look at them all but here are a few:

"1. Talking about climate change is the nearest a politician will ever come to risk free politics. If you don’t believe me, just name one politician whose career has been damaged by joining the crusade against global warming. Proclaiming your intention to cut greenhouse gases by 99.9% before the end of next millennium is so much safer than suggesting a date for troop withdrawals from Iraq, or promising to sort out problems in the National Health Service.

5. Politicians who have achieved ministerial office quickly learn that the campaign against climate change requires new departments, more staff, bigger budgets and new quangos for their friends to run. In other words it is very good for business, if you are in the business of maximising your power and influence.

6. Politicians who hold forth about the economy often run into trouble because they don’t know very much about economics, and economists love putting politicians right. This can’t happen with climate change because the only people who can challenge your more exaggerated claims authoritatively are climate scientists, and why would they do that when their funding depends on global warming?

9. There are obvious fiscal benefits; lots of scope for new taxes and some of them not too obvious either. And you can reassure people that these taxes have nothing to do with ‘black holes’ in the public finances too, its really all about changing climate wrecking human behaviour."

Now does the BBC tactic make sense?

I have blogged before how the BBC have moved away from denigrating David Cameron and the Conservative party to denying them the oxygen of publicity. Mike Smithson on his Political Betting website postulates:

"As site regulars will know I have theory, based on nearly three years of records, that the single most important driver in the CON-LAB poll numbers is the amount of media coverage that Cameron gets. If he’s been making the headlines or leading the bulletins then his party’s ratings go up - if he’s been blanked out of the news agenda then there will be a decline.

This is about the quantity of coverage not the quality.

So if I am right a big factor behind the recent moves back to Labour has been that the economic crisis has been so overwhelming that the Tory leader has found it hard getting a look in. He even missed his weekly opportunity last Wednesday when at the last minute Brown decided to go AWOL from PMQs - a move that I feel we have not heard the last of."

The birth of another "Brownie"

The excellent Fraser Nelson writes at The Spectator about Gordon Brown's latest "Brownie":

"He’s done it. I blogged a while ago about how Gordon Brown lost his battle to have Northern Rock struck off the books, causing trouble for his oft-repeated Brownie that he has reduced debt from 43% to 37% of GDP. In August, the ONS showed National Debt was 43.3% - and had actually been at those levels for a year. So what was Brown to do? Last week, I reported a rumour that he’d ordered up a new debt series to exclude NR. I said something daft at the time, like “he couldn’t – could he?” Well, he did – and in fact he had by the time I blogged.

There is now a new measure entitled “National Debt excluding Northern Rock,” code HF6W. It shows the figures Brown needs - 43% to 37% - thus helping him claim he can afford the bank bailout. And he’ll be repeating it non stop. I smelled a rat when Harriet Harman used the 37% figure in the Commons. Brown is careful with his Brownies – and her mentioning it in parliament indicated that a new debt series had indeed been born. As so often, I underestimated him.

His new debt series has already replaced National Debt (RUTO, may it rest in peace) by HM Treasury in its monthly data series. So - presto! At the stroke of a statistician’s pen, Northern Rock has vanished. Now Brown can get back to lecturing the banks about their immoral methods of debt concealment and lack of transparency."

You almost have to admire Gordon Brown's chutzpah; were it not for the fact that aided and abetted by the BBC he might actually persuade gullible people that the economy was not drowning in debt. The Conservatives will try and publicise this "Brownie" but will they get the airtime? Maybe David Cameron could bring this up at PMQs on Wednesday, assuming Gordon Brown deigns to turn up, but can his team devise a killer series of questions?

Sarah Palin or Serra Paylin?

Who's Nailin' Paylin? The Exile has the details and the download of part of the porn film, "Who's nailing Palin?" starring not only the Sarah Palin lookalike Lisa Ann but also a Hillary Clinton lookalike. I believe that later on a Condoleezza Rice lookalike makes an appearance. The clip shows Serra Paylin doing her best for US/Russian relations...

You can read the "script" here.

The Daily Mash have the measure of Yvette Cooper

The Daily Mash on top form:

"BANKS TOLD TO STOP BEING SO OBSESSED WITH MONEY

THE government last night urged Britain's leading mortgage lenders to relax and stop thinking about money all the time.

Chief secretary to the Treasury, Yvette Cooper, said she wanted the banks to think of their customers as delicate flowers that need to be nurtured or they could lose all their lovely petals and die.

She added: "Stop taking people's houses away. It's, like, where they live, you know?

"So what if they signed a legally binding contract agreeing to pay you without fail every month? Why are you so obsessed with money? It's really ugly and it makes me not want to be around you."
Dr Roy Hobbs, an economist at Leeds University, said: "I am slightly concerned the second-in-command at the Treasury does not appear to know what mortgage lenders actually do.

"Unless they are able to collect money every month from the mortgage holders and, if necessary, repossess the house in order to recover the loan, they're really nothing more than some headed notepaper and a lot of people sitting around playing Tetris."

Cooper insisted: "We all need to recalibrate our humanity. Property is just a state of mind."

A spokesman for the Royal Bank of Scotland said: "No it's not.""