Bloggers 6, Mainstream Media 1
Douglas Johnson has spotted a minor fly in the ointment of the Tories’ civil liberties pretentions.
Lee Griffin discusses the consumption of alcohol by young people, and finds the mainstream media’s coverage of it somewhat wanting.
SepticIsle comments on the debates in parliament surrounding crime stats.
Pink Dog gives his her own unique perspective on knife Spoon Crime.
Andrew Ducker linked to an article in the Independent about women’s brains being different from men’s, among other things. Brilliant comment from Philip Hodson at the bottom.
And finally, you’ve got one day left to watch Dr. Horrible’s SingAlong Blog for free. I didn’t like it, but every other blogger on the planet seems to think it was fantastic, so…
Casting the Net and bringing in LJ-shaped Fishies
Aaron is leeeeeaaaaving onna Jet Plane this morning, so I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. Tips to the usual address if’n you’m got any, and away we go:
Anna Jane Clare meant to post about Henry James, but ended up devoting most of her post to how the feral underclass is created (NSFW warning: may contain swearing).
Lynne Featherstone has been on t’wireless.
Love and Garbage has less a post and more a treatise bemoaning the MSM’s failure to examine Cameron, especially his speeches to the CBI.
Nicholas Whyte has decided who he’s going to support in the race for Lib Dem party president, and reveals that it won’t be the same person he voted for last time. Despite my detesting the slogan, I’m 4 Ros too (see sidebar). Huzzah for the Blogging Baroness!
Matt Wardman has a challenge for Unity and other bloggers who like to dig for obscure things. His post comparing webstats for newspaper websites and blogs is worth looking at too.
Lizbee has discovered an early Fandom Wank and relates a Tom Baker anecdote. I link to these for those of you who still labour under the delusion that Doctor Who fans, like bloggers, are (and always have been) male.
And finally, those philistines of you who still don’t read Livejournal blogs? Have a look at Livejournal Aqua. The post titles float past as they are posted, hover over them and you get an excerpt; click and the post will open in a new tab (assuming that you’re using Firefox like all sensible persons)
A Bit Eclectic Today…
SnapsThoughts has a photo essay on the fraughtness of union links with Labour. Each image is accompanied by some thought-provoking words. Highly recommended.
Douglas has news of a sexist Tory. In other news, bears are Catholic and the pope poos in the woods.
Spirit of 1976 discovers his inner Clarkson and feels DIRTY.
Sexual Intelligence Blog reports on John McCain’s reluctance to discuss sexual matters. Not in front of the children, dear.
Jonathan Calder is rather cross about curfews, and people who hail them as a success before they even start.
Lee Griffin has some praise for the home secretary’s plans on knife crime.
Feminist SF covers the finale of the most recent series of Doctor Who.
That’s all folks. Tips to the usual address, and I’ll see you Sunday.
White Rabbit Time
I’m late, I’m late… (again) Nobody has emailed us any tips today, and the blogosphere seems oddly quiet, so the links today are a little sparse:
Andrew Ducker wants to know how often his female readers get unwanted attention from men. I’m a barmaid. I may have skewed his results a little.
Spirit of 1976 has a somewhat visceral reaction to June Sarpong’s “Politics and the City” exercise in patronisation website, which I have to say I agree with completely.
Millennium Elephant weighs in on the case of the registrar who won’t do civil unions.
Liz W is worried about the moral compass of the Labour party.
And I have comment on the latest furore in sci-fi fandom over at my blog. With extra added racism!
And I’d Have Gotten Away With It Too, If It Hadn’t Have Been For Those Darn Bloggers…
A short one today, I’m afraid, since I was up until stupid o’clock last night and am knackered
Purple Cthulhu and prominent Brussels-ite Nick Whyte both report on the sneaky Tories being sneaky and urge you to write to your Euro MP before they introduce a Euro Law which could take your internets away. Andrew Ducker has already written, as have many others.
UK Polling Report has realised that young people can’t remember living under the Tories and thus are less likely to be prejudiced against them. In other news, the sky is blue and the Pope shits in the woods.
Jonathan Calder praises the Sunday Times for praising Lib Dem Economic Expertise.
Septicisle approves of an article in the Daily Fail shock!
Smashboredom examines the G8 in group blog Powerswitch.
And The Prydonian Academy has an end of series poll for Doctor Who.
Someone Is Wrong On The Internet
Sorry the netcast is a bit late today, folks. I got caught up in emailing Woman’s Hour and lost track of time. As always, tips to the usual address (although we give no guarantees you’ll be included) and hope you find something of interest in this.
Paul Walter has a handy précis of ConHome’s “How to become a Tory MP” guide. Essentially it involves throwing lots of money at it. *I* thought that was supposed to be the *Labour* way…
Lynne Featherstone calls people who don’t support Harriet Harman’s proposal to allow positive discrimination “Tory Boys”. Thank, Lynne! I assume the penis and blue rosette must have been lost in the post…
Lee Griffin is a Tory Boy like me, then. I particularly like this rabid right-wing point: “If schools want more male teachers then incentives are necessary to increase numbers, not putting a worse teacher in charge of educating our children for the sake of some equality figures.”
Anthony Hook thinks that the age discrimination proposals might be ill-thought-out too. continue reading… »
Reactions to Doctor Who Broke My Brain
I have spent about five hours so far collating reactions to last night’s Who and am still not done yet, so if this is a bit disjointed, blame Russell T Davies. When I’ve finally done I’ll be making Liberal use of this and picturing Rusty in the role of Boss.
Tips to the usual address: all submissions will be considered, although there’s no guarantee of inclusion.
Andrew Hickey has a great post about why the Lib Dems’ current strategy is completely arse-about-face, which neatly encapsulates my own feelings on the matter and chimes with Mike Smithson’s recent post too.
Stuff White People Like dissects Godwin’s Law: “all human beings can be neatly filed into one of two categories: People I Agree With, and People Who are Just Like Adolf Hitler.”
Shakesville reports on a fiscal fly in John McCain’s soup.
On my blog there are tips for those who wish to pile the pressure on Heinz like Lynne F. continue reading… »
Even a stopped clock tells the right time twice a day
It’s a dark day for me as a Liberal, but I find myself in agreement with the Daily Fail. I despise the Mail, and pretty much everything they stand for, but Harperson’s Equality Act definitely has a sting in the tail.
In my view, Positive Discrimination is still discrimination and it is wrong. Even in this limited way, endorsing discrimination perpetuates it, rather than eradicating it. It adds vast amounts of resentment for little perceivable benefit.
continue reading… »
From Total Politics to Total Burnout
Is there a blog we should be reading, or a post that you think we should link to? Email us your tips to tips@liberalconspiracy.org
Iain Dale’s Total Politics site has launched, and revealed its editorial team. It’s actually quite interesting, and appears to be very well funded too… Why no, these grapes are sweet and tasty, why’d you ask? (Hat tip, Mark Pack at LDV). Oddly they don’t appear to have linked to us from their political blogs directory, but then, as a top ten political blog we’re hard to miss, and the blog directory is so badly-constructed, it’s possible they have linked to us and I just haven’t found the link
Andrew Rilstone writes about how a writer’s writings are distinct from and yet linked to the writer as a person and that person’s political views. Brilliant post (and not just because he says The Shadow Over Innsmouth is better than The Call of Cthulhu), but does contain rude words: proceed with caution.
PC Bloggs turns her ever-acerbic eye onto government in the latest of her occasional series on 21st Century Policing. If I could make PC Bloggs a Home Office advisor…
Political Betting are wondering if the Labour Party will lose their deposit in Henley.
Lynne Featherstone is a big blubbing girly – and this entry is so lovely it turned me into one too. Get your tissues out, and I won’t tell anyone that you needed them.
BluJay posts in the cheerfully-named So Very Doomed group blog about the difficulties that we in the developed world will have obtaining food if things don’t change drastically and soon.
Slightly Warped posts pictures of a fire in a cave in Uzbekistan that’s been burning for 5 years (so far) and is known as the Door to Hell. (Hat tip: Neil Gaiman)
Casting the Net: Firefox, Vibrators, and the Police
Tomorrow is Download Day. I’ve been using the Firefox3 beta for some time now, and I’m very impressed with it. If you’re using IE and fancy giving it a shot, you may as well do it tomorrow and be part of a world record attempt. Click the button for the link:
Lynne Featherstone talks about the difficulties of relying on the NHS to provide you with independent movement.
Spirit of 1976 has suddenly discovered an urge to try Khat – why? Because the Tories want to ban it.
The Times has a fascinating article on the history of Vibrators, and how the humble Personal Massager reflects the changing attitude of society to women.
Smash Boredom has a convincing argument that Robert Mugabe is right about something.
PC Bloggs has a very affecting tale of police resources spread too thin. I can’t recommend her blog enough.
And finally, Feminist SF reviews the weekend’s episode of Doctor Who in a rather weary manner.
Rush Rush Rush Busy Busy Busy
Am in a bit of a rush this morning as am the the Fantastic Films Weekend in Bradford and overdosing on Peter Cushing. And possibly booze also. With that in mind, today’s Casting the Net might be a bit rough around the edges… All views expressed are the views of the author, not of the site, etc.
Andrew Ducker links to a very interesting article about how people read on the web. Everybody who writes for the web ought to read it, and the comments. Yes, even the contributors to this fine site. I felt the tl;dr reaction coming on me about half way through it, which is a bit ironic, but that’s because this is mostly stuff I have heard before.
Adrian Sanders MP has news that we are subsidising the aviation industry to the tune of £10bn a year. Yes it’s a MySpace Blog. No, I don’t get why his constituents like it either, but apparently they do.
Jonathan Calder has the same point of view as me on the Davis situation. Of course, we’d be screwed if we ran as well, but which way are we MORE screwed? I suspect Lib Dems will be arguing about this for some time.
Norfolk Blogger meanwhile, thinks that if the polls are right, Labour should run. Of course, he is relying on the pre-Davis resignation polls…
Political Betting reports on the predictable Lib Dem poll squeeze (and much smaller Labour poll squeeze) on voter intention for a general election after we stupidly supported David Davis we didn’t field a candidate in a single issue election.
In the interests of balance: Why we shouldn’t support David Davis
What David Davis did today was not unprecedented, but it was something quite rare. However, I would urge caution on rushing headlong to leap into bed with him and give him our support.
continue reading… »
Your Mom Had Groupies
Michelle Schwartz was incensed by some very sexist adverts for Canadian Club Whiskey. She did a parody of the advert from a feminist perspective, and then lots of other people joined in. This link is graphics-heavy, but brilliant. I think I like Your mom was a pilot
best…
Lib Dem Jo has been listening to Hazel Blears on the radio. She’s a braver woman than me. I can’t listen to Blears for more than a few seconds without falling into a frothing rage, but Jo managed it for a whole phone in!
Snuffleupagus, an inner city teacher, talks about her incredulity that one of her colleagues is blithely indifferent to her daughter going to a school in Special Measures.
Stephen Glenn has news for the Northern Irish health minister: the “treatment” that she advocates to “cure” gay people doesn’t work. He knows, because he’s been through it. Three times.
Brad Hicks is a big ball of hope and fear when he listens to Obama speak, and thinks that people calling it a “cult of personality” dismissively are missing the depth of his generation’s feelings on the matter.
Cobalt warns American women not to be seduced by the siren song of McCain, with reams of reasons.
And finally, Charlie Stross has posted a “how to behave” guide for commenters on his blog. It’s good general advice for how to behave on the internet.
My Own Little Bunny Rabbit…
Welcome to Casting the net, Liberal Conspiracy’s daily web review. As always, please feel free to share your own recommendations in the comments.
Brad Hicks and Meral Ece have two contrasting reactions to Hillary’s concession of the Democrat candidacy. Brad is full of righteous anger, Meral was more inspired.
The BBC reports that some MPs have realised that ID Cards could threaten privacy. In other news, the sky is blue, and the pope shits in the woods.
Over at my blog, a reminder of what we are actually talking about with the 42 days detention plan. Especially depressing in the light of the ICM poll that we reported here yesterday.
Jonathan Calder has tactical suggestions for Lib Dems on how to deal with David Cameron – we should hug him, and stroke him, and cuddle him, and sing to him, and call him Dave; PeeZedTee, meanwhile, has advice for Gordon Brown.
Lynne Featherstone, the relentless reformer, wanted to lower the voting age to 16; the Tories had other ideas.
And finally, Neil Gaiman and Philip Pullman are both getting involved with a campaign to say no to age banding on children’s books.
Monday Morning Warm Fuzzies
MinneSattva has been bitten by the science bug, and has found a lovely article evangelising science and the scientific mindset in the New York Times (which gave me the warm fuzzies, so it did).
Steve B reports good news for religious tolerance: the seminary which trains 80% of Muslim clerics in the UK has issued a statement saying they wish to stamp out terrorism, to general applause from their students. More warm fuzzies from this entry, then.
Stephen Glenn has hollow derisory laughter for the idea that Gordon Brown has principles.
The Peak Oil Community is discussing alternatives to oil now we’re running dangerously low.
Jonny Wright thinks Yasmin Alibhai-Brown has gone bonkers.
Same Difference has a report on the charity event to get wheelchairs up Ben Nevis
Oh, and the Britblog Roundup is up at Philobiblon.
Weekend’s important blog stuff
The Daily Mash has posted about the government’s plan to lose any remaining Labour voters It’s funny because it could be true – well, up until the kicking people in the groin part, anyway.
Jonathan Calder publicises Mark Oaten’s ill-spelled and emotional refutal of the Political betting.com article about his future.
Brad Hicks has an in depth examination of institutional racism in the Missouri traffic police. Bearing in mind that Missouri is supposedly the LEAST awful state for getting pulled over for Driving While Black, this is very worrying.
Septicisle spies Rupert Murdoch positioning himself to support Obama and wonders how this will affect Fox News.
Millennium Elephant doesn’t believe in the “give him enough rope and he’ll hang himself” trope with regard to Mr Cameron
And finally, because Doctor Who is important, The Livejournal Doctor Who Group has a dissenting voice on how great Saturday’s episode was. At least this means that Lawrence Miles is not alone…
You can read articles through the front page, via Twitter or rss feeds.
» How bad is the feline obesity crisis?
» Why don’t MPs pay back tuition fees instead of increasing ours?
» Obama is right to slam BP – and why capitalists should too
» Why does Phillip Blond see civic cohesion as a security issue?
» So what if the Labour candidates went to Oxbridge?
» Last night’s Labour hustings: will it get interesting or turn to torture?
» It’s now down to Ken to win London for Labour
» The Labour people need
» Blog Nation: what would you like to see discussed?
» The Labour leadership’s token contender.. and it’s not Diane Abbott
» In defence of these fraternal nominations
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