What’s Up
Rant: Jail Paris Hilton!
It seems that an e-petition to keep the the rich slapper Paris Hilton out of jail has been started.
The petition itself states that: “Paris Hilton did not hurt, injure, or kill anyone or anything, and yet she must do jail time.”
It also claims “She provides hope for young people all over the U.S. and the world. She provides beauty and excitement to our otherwise mundane lives.”
What the…?!
+22Polling Day
Today is local elections polling day throughout the UK.
Traditionally, this is a day where some 70% of us can’t be arsed getting down to our local polling stations to vote.
As someone who makes a point of voting in local, national and European MEP elections, it does strike me as odd that more people don’t turn out for local elections. Even euro elections get a bigger turnout. And yet the local Councillors that are elected in today’s polls certainly have more of a direct effect on our everyday lives than either our MP’s or our MEP’s.
If I was only allowed to vote in ONE election, then the local elections would be my first choice without question; not only are they more relevant to me but of all the elections they are also the least partisan election in terms of party affiliations.
So c’mon folks – it’s a beautiful day. Take a walk to your polling station after dinner. Do your duty and vote – and then stop off at a pub for a well-deserved pint!
You’ll feel better…trust me!
+16Rave: Spain unveils new green power station design
PS10 (Planta Solar 10) is a highly innovative new power station prototype which is being trialled near Seville in Southern Spain.
The futuristic-looking tower that is surrounded by over 600 giant mirrors is able to convert solar energy to geothermal energy, which in turn drives electrical turbines to produce electricity. The Beeb has a video tour of the tower which is well worth a look.
+22UK Bomb Plot
Today’s news that 5 men have been convicted of a bomb plot in the UK is a real result for the work done by the security services, who in the past haven’t always got it right.
Amid a seemingly endless list of political and operational gaffs by some segments of the Home office in recent times, today’s convictions show what can be achieved with the right combination of accurate intelligence, inter-agency cooperation and assistance from a vigilant public.
+14Rant: One rule for us and another for THEM!
Norman Baker – Hero of the HourHeartening news on the Beeb today; Former Conservative chief whip David Maclean tried – and FAILED – to introduce a private members bill to exempt MP’s from the Freedom of Information act.
Thankfully, the bill was effectively thrown out during initial debates (many thanks to Lib Dem MP Norman Baker and a handful of MPs from all parties who managed to talk out the planned bill by making sure the debate continued for five hours, ensuring that the bill now goes to the bottom of the pile of private member’s bills.)
+22Top Marks for Andy!
Andy has outdone himself this year in raising money for Brain Tumour UK.
Not only did he organise a fantastic night out at Loch Fyne in Winchester, but he also persuaded 50 friends, colleagues and complete strangers to join him on the Reading Marathon!
Fantasic job mate! Thank to this and the many other fundraising activities you and many others have organised, Brain Tumour UK will be able to continue improving life for adults and children touched by brain tumours, and to establishing the causes of and finding a cure for the disease.
But the war isn’t won yet! So please help Andy and many other dedicated fundraisers by making a donation to this very worthwhile cause.
+15Trident Followup
Well – yesterday’s vote on Trident went as expected, despite rebellion from 95 Labour MP’s.
The labour rebels can at least hold their heads high this morning. Even a political cynic like me (who always assumes that there is a fair degree of self-interest involved when MP’s rebel against the party line like this), can see that on this issue these men and women voted their conscience. Many thanks and well done.
Conversely, the Tory party support of the Government’s weak position clearly shows that all Cameron’s modernist rhetoric is just that – bullshit rhetoric. The Tories haven’t changed one bit since they were last in power. They are largely still the same bunch of fat gits in nasty pinstripe suits. And given their previous record in power all we could ever expect from them would be a long list of Quangos, several perjury trials, a couple of sex scandals and a huge amount of personal nest feathering (probably with a cones hotline for good measure).
No wonder voter turnout is so bloody low…
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