Read All About It, Andy Burnham Kidnapped!

Sort of.

Mike Butcher, who blogs about technology and start-up businesses at Techcrunch, has claimed the username “andyburnham” at Twitter, the short-form blogging service, in an attempt to educate him about some “essential truths” of the internet.

FT

This kind of activism is entertaining, but you can’t help feeling that the only people who will be aware of it and appreciate it are those who already understand why Burnham’s ideas are shit.

Can we leave yet?

Animal Rights = Animal Shite

What fresh madness is this? On the front page of the Telegraph is a claim that there is a ‘row’ over the Earl of Wessex swinging a stick at two fighting dogs and possibly,  just possibly, hitting one, once. One assumes the Telegraph phoned up the animal rights campaigner to whip up the story. Surely no-one really believes this is worth reporting? Am I cruel to my dog when I swing my boot at her to get her out of a carcass she’s rolling around in? Is it cruel when I smack her for not responding to my call?  The Telegrah should be ashamed for this sort of story, but given the headlines they see fit to print these days, shame seems to have fled.

Don’t Read This Crap

Le Cock Sportif

Sarkozy has been quoted as saying that we will not have a strong Europe without strong nations, which seemed to be an attempt to back away from a federal state. I believe it is, and I think there are a few signs that the euro-elite recognize that their federal plans are not likely to succeed. Little things like the backtrack on the weights and measures legislation, the Lib Dems retreating on the euro, Chris Huhne saying that Toben should not be extradicted despite passing the legislation that made it clear he should (I assume pressure was brought to bear diplomatically on Germany, which is how this farce of democracy really works) all point to a retreat. The financial crisis has given them a card to play, but the deck is stacked against them.

Whatever the case, the fact that Europe is a mechanism for satisfying the egotism of politicians remains so. There is no surprise that the biggest supporter in this country for the idea of a European President was Tony Blair. Sarkozy’s ambitions in that regard are obvious. His performance in the European Soviet also shows he is not averse to using the euro-patriotism of the MEPs to get what he wants. His attempts to push the Czech’s out of their presidency have taken another step up with news that he is refusing to attend the ceremony for handing over power to them. It is a clear attempt to create an alternative authority in the EU, with France at the forefront. Coming after his attempt to create an unofficial ‘economic government’ of Europe it shows an alarmingly cowboy approach to international relations. Even if the federalists dreams are over, there are great dangers to the webby morass of powers throttling Europe.

Mail Blog

Speechless

Not literally, obviously, otherwise this blogpost wouldn’t exist. In fact it would be a performative contradiction.. Nonetheless, I find it very hard to write anything about such a hideous example of what our country has become. I don’t understand how anyone involved in dealing with this case in the civil service could sign their bit of paper moving the case along. You’d resign wouldn’t you? You’d have to? Or would it be more than your job was worth?

To my mind, rather than any hatred for the Gurkhas, this shows the petty-minded attitude to the rules that has become entrenched in this country. No-one is willing to go against the regulations and say that something is wrong. It’s too easy to shift the blame onto the rules and avoid taking responsibility.

Colour Sergeant Krishnabahadur Dura, of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, based at Shorncliffe Barracks, Folkestone, died last month in the Musa Qala district of Helmand Province when the vehicle he was travelling in hit a roadside bomb.

Now his widow Uma and the couple’s two young daughters face deportation.

source

Crappest Excuse of the Year Award

The BBC came under fire for referring to the murderous cunts who attacked random strangers in India as ‘militants’ instead of ‘terrorists’.

A BBC spokesman said: “This is nothing to do with political correctness. We are not calling them freedom fighters. We are call them bombers or militants. The fact is terrorist does not have a universal meaning. It translates as freedom fighters in certain languages. We are not alone in not calling them terrorists.”
Read that again. He says that they didn’t use the word ‘terrorist’ because the word for ‘terrorist’ in some other language also means freedom fighter. Eh? Stick to worrying about the English meanings guys, if you want to keep your jobs. Although I fear it may be too late.

Sunday Silliness

This is video from a police car’s camera, in Edmonton, Canada.

The Serjeant-At-Arms

According to Joshua Rozenburg, this is the reason Green was arrested:

It seems clear to me that this was to allow the police to search his various homes and offices. Section 32(2) of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 allows the police to search not only an arrested person but also “any premises in which he was when arrested or immediately before he was arrested for evidence relating to the offence for which he has been arrested” — although there are limits to this power.

The police are not allowed in the Palace of Westminster without the express permission of the Serjeant at Arms. This is a post which has been traditionally given to a military man. If you are a Labour supporter, you will need to be told that this is because military men can NOT be pushed around by the police, who have no right to be in our Parliament.

Labour decided to appoint a woman. Of course they did. I remember the glee of the Toynbees of this world at the opening up of the old boy network to an, er, old girl. Someone who used to work as a civil servant in the Department for ‘Education’ and ‘Skills’, and for an advertising agency. Can anyone see what the problem is?

Once again Labour have shown themselves to be childish hooligans with no respect for the traditions of centuries which ARE THERE FOR A REASON.

The serjeant at arms has allowed the police to SHAKE DOWN the office of an MP, and to rifle through the PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE OF HIS CONSTITUENTS.

She must resign. Now. And never again shall a non-military man be appointed to this job. The Speaker too must go. He had the authority to block the police and he didn’t do so. Labour are a disgrace. As Cromwell said, “You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately … Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!”

Civil War

But it is hard to avoid the impression that it was meant to be a warning to others. If there are others, perhaps in the Treasury, they may sleep a little less comfortably tonight.

This charming little sentence comes from the pen of Comrade Webster in the Times, a man who couldn’t find his arse without Peter Mandelson to help him. It is a frank admission that Brown’s government have arrested an opposition MP in order to warn off those who leak information embarrassing to the government. Just read that sentence again. What on earth are they thinking?

The unelected, pathological liar we have been saddled with as PM by the Labour Party, who won 36% of the vote at the last election, and 22.5% of the electorate, has way overstepped the line. Smith, Home Secretary, must resign, and if Brown knew, he must go.

Communist Party Shits in Woods

Shocking news, comrades. The Revolutionary Communist Party has declared that national control of economies should be a thing of the past.

“I do not believe in the sustainability of a small floating currency. Look at the pound, it’s being attacked,” he said in interview with the Daily Telegraph.

“The euro is a good move. People have to abide by the Maastricht criteria, so it imposes discipline. Other options are less palatable if you really want to become a big strong economic union.”

…

Mr Tsang, as always wearing his signature bow tie, said it will be impossible for the Far East to launch its own currency union until China makes the renminbi convertible. This is not yet remotely on the agenda.

But it will be. Then of course, the currencies could all combine. There’d need to be a government to control it of course. Sort of a world government. One economy, one government, for the future of all.