Anonymous lobbyists rule the world!
Today’s netcast comes from someone else’s laptop, as mine is distinctly ill:
Two Doctors - Could Land Value Tax replace Council Tax in Scotland soon?
Green Ben’s Kemptown Blog - Time to smash the Home Office’s institutional homphobia.
Dreaming of Simplicity – On the value of happiness.
Feministing - Asks what’s wrong with casual sex?
BoRev - Quoth a Chevron Corporation lobbyist: “We can’t let little countries screw around with big companies like this.” Yes, he actually said that, to the media. Anonymously.
Adam Smith was a Socialist - Do politicians need to reflect the electorate (or, rather, demographics)?
Daily Kos - Obama doesn’t have a white working class or Hispanic problem. Just a Republican one.
Tips in the comments or to tips[at]liberalconspiracy.org.
Cleanliness = Terrorism
I return from my break relaxed, refreshed, and having spilled a half a kettle on my foot. So, a midnight post, as I can’t sleep:
Caroline Lucas - The Police deem environmentalists with (bio-degradeable) soap an extremist threat. Will my shower be next?
Pickled Politics - Trevor Phillips learns that the Mail can never be your friend. Unless you’re white, male, Christian and comfortable with regular doses of racism.
The Enemies of Reason - And don’t look to those white, male, Christians for any defence.
London: Mayor and More – Fairness and consistency demands Andrew Gilligan label himself a crony.
Same Difference - On the benefits of multiple choice questions.
Kubatana - E-bay provides a demonstration of hyper-insensitivity.
Soaring - Begins the First Carnival of Women of Colour and Beauty.
Tips in the comments or to tips[at]liberalconspiracy.org.
Pride (in the name of Belfast)
Patrick Corrigan blogs about Belfast Pride. It’s great to see the Belfast politisphere overtly disowning Iris Robinson and her homophobia. Given that NI is one of the most homophobic places in Europe it’s not a minute too soon; although the linked study shows that we on the mainland have much work to do too. Perhaps signing this petition would be a start?
The Honourable Lady Mark Valladares has spotted some dodgy journalism in the Grauniad. There’s an interesting troll in the comments too, displaying all the hallmarks of conversational terrorism.
A Lanson Boy reports on the latest Tory finger-wagging. Apparently “Lad mags” encourage irresponsible behaviour among young men and promote a negative image of women, so instead of providing an alternative, the Tories want to tell people off for “reading” them.
Irony alert: in which I prove how sick I am of hearing about Iain Dale by posting about Iain Dale. YAY for unbridled ranting when half-asleep and nicotine deprived! Still, the results of the poll at the bottom are interesting. You’ll need to get your open IDs out, to vote and/or see the results, folks.
Stephen Fry has cross-posted the latest Dork Talk to his blog.
And finally, if there’s anybody out there not sick of Batman debate yet, Kevin Williamson didn’t like it one bit. And has some rather choice epithets to apply to those who did.
Casting the net: I made it before noon!
Penny Red has a fantastic post on the objectification of women dehumanising us all. I’d caution that even those of us who refuse to “pluck, shave, starve, bleach, shop, polish, powder and wax” still get stared at, and occasionally groped. though. Refusing to engage in expected behaviour is not an automatic protectant against unwanted attention…
Required Reading: The Orwell Diaries, serialised in the form of a blog. Posting in earnest starts on the Ninth of August.
Irony Alert: Amused Cynicism has designed a satirical Beijing Olympics T-shirt, only to have the design vetoed by the people he chose to print it, who are based in the Land of The Free.
Brad Hicks is unsurprised that the anthrax scare in the US was engineered by a mad scientist at AMRIID.
PC Bloggs is unsurprised to be marked as spam.
UK Polling Report and Political Betting both report on a depressing ICM poll for the Lib Dems.
You’ll all be glad to hear that Joe Otten still aten’t dead. I certainly am, since he was the first person to add me on facebook specifically because he was a fanboy of my blog (more have followed, but you never forget your first fanboy 
)
And finally, there’s still one night of the weekend left, so if you’re planning on going out, you might find this handy guide to what the words on club flyers really mean useful. I LOLed.
Honour the gay dead
Welcome to Liberal Conspiracy’s daily look at the blogosphere. After a bumper instalment yesterday, we’ll keep it lean and mean this morning. Feel free to use the comments section to post links to good posts I’ve missed.
Paul Linford – Convinced that Miliband’s article was indeed a play, Linford warns the Foreign Secretary against becoming Labour’s Portillo by being bought off by Brown.
Amnesty Blogs – The 4,000th member of the US military to die in Iraq was, the Pentagon assures us, a model soldier and a hero. Of course it doesn’t want you to know that he was also gay.
donpaskini – Inviting you to share a giggle at a crack-pot post on ConHome, which claims a Conservative administration would improve your Waterstones experience. Alas, it was a Friday afternoon… Tories get cranky and more stupid as the weekend approaches.
Mike Power – Today’s netcast a bit content-light? Try Mike’s “PaperRound”. The best (and worst) of today’s press.
Pinch. Punch. 1st of the month
Welcome to today’s netcast. Rather worryingly, I’ll kick-off with news that the Pakistani security agency may have been involved in the bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul, back in July (NY Times). This has several potential implications for the complex and combustible region, and should be watched closely. Now, onto the bloggery!
Chicken Yoghurt – Justin is unimpressed with Miliband’s “coded” twitterings. Grow a ball-sack, Miliband. He’s also cheesed off at the gossipy political hacks, who construct piss-poor narratives out of such tosh. They should all be thoroughly ashamed of themselves.
Scribo Ergo Sum – See Ali Gledhill’s job-application to be one of the above gossipy hacks. ;o) Ali suggests that Miliband may have overplayed his hand, and could be out on his ear in a month, or worse, be given the treasury. Ha! That’ll teach the uppity git.
Sunder Katwala/OurKingdom – Alas, gossip and plots will get Labour nowhere. The party needs a candid debate about where it’s going, and why it even wants to stay in power. This is the real meat of Miliband’s article.
Compass Youth – Joe Cox evangelises that the road to Labour’s salvation is leftward. continue reading… »
The season of reflection
Back to the usual schedule, welcome to Thursday and the cusp of the best month in the year. You can check out my extended list that will be up on my blog, and I’m sure Jennie would encourage you to lambast me about my lack of ability to see the supposed sexism in the new Batman film. Tips to the usual place, or in the comments!
The bleeding heart show – Neil has a great insight in to the female side of our prison population
Neil Harding – Is it time for Labour to take hold of the English Parliament idea and run with it?
Peter Kenyon – Peter rues the missed opportunity for giving Brown credibility from the start.
Max Dunbar – Religion only does good, right?
Ministry of truth – It’s the Mark Brewer saga, and it’s still going. Let’s not forget this is still going on.
Open Democracy – The ongoing Ethiopia situation should perhaps shame some of those concerned over the rising cost of driving to work.
John Pugh – Watch out, the next scourge is coming. Time to ban exercise weights for the burden they place on the NHS.
Casting back:
Antonia’s blog (2005) – A look back at a view on school selection.
All sorts of goodness
Welcome to today’s netcast. Doug is away this week, so I’m afraid some of us are working overtime. Today I drew the short-straw, so you’ll just have to like it or lump it. 
) There is loads of good stuff on the blogs today, here is just a taster..
Green Peace has set up a new blog, Nuclear Reaction, to call the nuclear-power industry on its massive subsidies, questionable practices, and rampant propaganda. Justin is writing a great deal of the content, so they’ll be no shortage of snarky asides. Recommended.
donpaskini – With Labour on the ropes, the Tories are becoming more emboldened, and the carefully painted mask is beginning to slip. A dark cloud is gathering…
Wonderflonium – A warning to Scottish-based feminists thinking of voting for the SNP.
The Yorksher Gob – Our Jennie gets to grips with why she’s against positive discrimination. Good stuff.
The Daily (Maybe) – Jim has news from the Green Party leadership contest. Yes, there will be a contest. continue reading… »
Labour: Defining “shaky ground” since 2004
Doug is off, perhaps stalking monstrous vampire rats, or maybe curing AIDs, either way you’re stuck with me for today. As usual you can check out extra links on my blog.
CiF/Polly Toynbee – Labour have announced a set of new policies, it’s just a shame that only a handful of them are more exciting than shelled peas.
The bleeding heart show – But if you don’t like your fur labeled real, is there really any get out clause?
Neil Harding – Neil explains why he feels democracy isn’t being served in modern times.
Jo Christie-Smith – Where to find female political blogs? Under the stairs? The third floor of the empire state building? I just don’t know!
Max Dunbar – Basically, just because you’re religious doesn’t make you good. Case in point: Spanish inquisition.
CiF/Julie Bindel – Julie sees the benefits in changes to murder law, it seems very few don’t.
Chicken Yoghurt – Apparently Nuclear energy tickles.
Casting Back
Political Betting (2004) – Have Labour ever recovered?
RIP Lord Russell-Johnston of Minginish
The main news today is that Lib Dem Peer Lord Russell-Johnston of Minginish passed away last night. Here are a couple of blog reactions: Ros Scott; Stephen Glenn; Duncan Borrowman; Jonathan Fryer.
John Prescott has discovered that there’s this thing called the intertubes, and on it people do something called “blogging”.
Andrew Rilstone discusses the political implications of farting aliens, and Steve Bell, and Yes Minister. Absolutely reccommended.
Pink Dog (who is definitely not male) has uncovered more shocking stuff about Spoon Crime.
Amused Cynicism discusses the prospect of Scottish Independence.
And finally, something I was directed to by a friend: Life With Aspergers is written by an Aspie man and is very useful for understanding the mindset of people with Asperger’s Syndrome. The linked entry is from April, and is about how Aspies deal with love and other intense emotions, but the whole blog is very interesting.
Bumper Sunday Morning Netcast
Because everyone in the world has been to see The Dark Knight this weekend, I was expecting the intertubes to be quiet aside from reviews… How wrong was I?
James Grieves picks a fight with feminists. I think he has a good point, but I didn’t see it for a while because the red mist descended due to his patronising and condescending tone. Perhaps both sides in this debate could do with trying to preach to the opposition instead of the choir?
Dreaming of Simplicity wonders why Labour gives out special favours to groups which fund other parties?
Prolific Diarist talks about Veganism and her political reasons for adopting it.
SmashBoredom has done the maths on the Climate Change Bill and found the lacuna.
Jonathan Calder discusses the “if you wear a short skirt you’re asking for it” attitude to crimes other than rape, and especially David Cameron’s bicycle.
Lizbee has some tips for aspiring authors – political or otherwise – from the viewpoint of a bookseller.
Septicisle’s review of the weekend papers is worth a glance, especially the Torygraph link..
And finally, don’t forget to listen to the Doctor Who Prom which I am listening to as I type (see also here, here, here, and here)
A ship adrift in the ocean
The Guardian is reporting that senior ministers are imploring the PM to stand down. It’s hard to envisage Brown resigning the post he coveted for so long, and I suppose this is cruel irony, considering the way he repeatedly attempted regicide while he was chancellor. The blogosphere, naturally, is raging. Feel free to post links to your own rants below. You know you want to…
Dave Osler – The infrastructure just isn’t there to resuscitate Labour if it slips into a political coma. The base is crumbling, and British socialism “remains organically incapable of serious politics.”
Dreaming of Simplicity – Chronicling New Labour’s demise is all the rage. This example features much doom-mongering and hyperbole, but then, things are pretty bad, no?
Craig Murray – Wow. Murray has a whole belly-full of bile for Labour in East Glasgow. His bitterest gall is reserved for New Labour Candidate, Margaret Curran. continue reading… »
Yet another kicking
Welcome to the NetCast, Liberal Conspiracy’s daily… yeah, yeah. Whatever. You all know what we do here, and it should be even less surprising what will be the big story of the day, as news breaks that the SNP have emerged victorious in the Glasgow East byelection by 365-votes. Only a year ago, Glasgow East was the sort of constituency that would vote for rabies if it wore a red rosette. Labour’s collapse in less than a year, has been quite spectacular.
Iain Macwhirter/CiF – Iain lays down a heavy layer of stats (a 22% swing. Labour’s 3rd-safest seat in Scotland. 25th widest majority nationally), and claims that, “If they can’t hold the line here, then Labour cannot hold the line anywhere”. He also asks what this defeat means for the union?
Vino S – It was a vote against Labour, but is was also a vote in support of the SNP’s government north of the boarder. We shouldn’t get carried away about a byelection, though.
Lindylooz Muze – Linda Jack wonders if the SNP’s momentum is now unstoppable?
Liberal Burblings – If Brown were a horse, he would have been shot by now. continue reading… »
Batman rules, no matter what the CiFers say
Welcome to casting the net. I’m a little late today after a long night at a work social. Remember to leave your links in the comments or email them to tips[at]liberalconspiracy[dot]org, and check out my other musings. My extended list won’t be on until tomorrow most likely. Final words from me now: Comment is free? Sort your act out, we don’t need gagillions of articles about Obama and Batman when there is interesting stuff happening on our doorstep.
Chicken Yoghurt – Vote now in the unboycottable “worst political blogs” list!
UK Liberty – In some countries I’m sure the level of intimacy the state wishes with us would be seen as kinky.
Same Difference – Sarah walks about the condescending ways of “including” people.
The progressive/Emma Jane-Cross – If you see a person getting beaten up on a virtual street, don’t turn a virtual blind eye.
Liberal Burblings – The Max Mosley victory is a much greater victory for all.
Bristol Blogger – MPs such as those in Bristol are all happy for banning happy hour…just not their happy hour.
Casting Back
Blogger1947 (2006) – Stan is only asking for consistency, god damnit!
The Mail: A very, very confused novel?
Welcome to Wednesday’s netcast:
The Enemies of Reason - suspects rather a lot of plain old-fashioned racism in the coverage of knife-crime.
The Daily (Maybe) - The Sun, certainly, would seem to be guilty of the above.
Five Chinese Crackers - As would the Mail. It’s not a newspaper. It’s a particularly epic fantasy novel, composed by twisting and excaggerating the truth out of all proportion until it fits the narrative.
Program your own Mind - Jacqui Smith doesn’t quite seem to realise the alienating power of authoritarian domestic policy. As usual, then.
Penny Red - on bipolitics and the fourth wave.
Robin Lustig - Radovan Karadzic’s arrest says more about the nature of change in Serbia than improvded detection techniques.
J. Arthur MacNumpty - A little suggestion for the Labour Party in Glasgow East; don’t complain about letting in the Thatcherites when they’re already in Number 10.
Tips in the comments, or to tips[at]liberalconspiracy.org
I Blame the Church
Rather eclectic and early this morning. But, I need to leave early, so:
Splintered Sunrise - Iris Robinson equates homosexuality and sodomy with paedophilia. And Gordon Brown would rather work with her party than the Labour backbenches.
Feministing - justifiably finds Time Magazine’s fetishization of prepubescent girls sexuality very creepy.
Sarah Wildman - How, precisely, does Bush plan to cut abortion rates by restricting contraception and sex education? Note, as in both of the above, the (corrupting) role of religious dogma.
This is Zimbabwe - reacts to the Memorandum of Understanding between Mugabe and Tsvangirai.
An Onymous Lefty - Will Kevin Rudd restate Australia’s opposition to the death penalty – or do what any other self-respecting post-New Right leader would do, and cower before the pollsters?
Machine Gun Keyboard - AP assumes bloggers are an amorphous mass, and leaps at them. Could they misunderstand the internet any more?
The DisAbled Feminist - reacts to the success of the Southall Black Sisters campaign for survival.
Dreaming of Simplicity – considers electoral reform in the UK and France.
Tips to tips[at]liberalconspiracy.org, or in the comments.
Here Go MY chances of ever being Blog of the Year…
Iain Dale wants your votes for political blog of the year. I’d be very amused if nobody at all voted, but there’s little chance of that, and I’d probably be more amused if lots of liberal and leftie blogs made it into his charts. Vote Mortimer! Of course, for your vote to be eligible, it has to be for a blog that’s already on the TP blogroll. You can submit blogs to the blogroll here.
Pee Zed Tee, meanwhile, has reviewed La Dale’s Total Politics magazine, and found it high on gloss, but light on meaningful content, and slightly parochial. How Cameronesque…
Political Betting deconstruct the idea that Gordon is better off than John Major was at a comparable point in the parliament.
Rhythmaning reviews Channel 4’s documentary on The Qu’ran.
Adrian Sanders MP has news and comment on the MP’s expenses saga.
James Grieves indulges in some churchly point-and-laugh at Scribo Ergo Sum.
If Tuesday is Soylent Green Day, is Sunday Hangover Day?
Spirit of 1976 has found a secret video exposing the Gay Agenda to Take Over the World.
Steph Ashley can’t understand why everyone quotes Iain Dale as if his views actually matter. I share her mystification on this.
Alix Mortimer compares Lib Dem and Tory campaign slogans and (surprisingly!) finds the Tory one somewhat wanting.
Dreaming of Simplicity wants to pee on Aaron’s bonfire in linking to this article on Digital Spy about the BBC’s commercial impacts.
Aberavon and Neath Lib Dems examine the Tax Credit train wreck.
And finally, Lady Mark Valladares has been up in my neck of the woods. He (and Ros) will be in Bradford today and I shall, if I can drag myself out of bed, be going to have a cream tea with them. The perils of Lib Demmery…
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)
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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