Bits and pieces make a post
The News International Takeover of the Metropolitan Police
This story intrigues me. There seems to be plenty of evidence that multiple individuals at News International were involved with hacking some hundreds or thousands of mobile phone accounts. The story has mostly been ignored by mainstream media and would probably have died but for the Guardian's continuing pursuit of the issue. The Labour leadership have been really reluctant to touch it and have only really been interested in the Coulson/Cameron connection.
Surely the real public interest story here though is the Metropolitan Police's "investigation" of the allegations. Based on what we already know, and one guesses that that is only the tip of the iceberg, one is forced to one of three conclusions about the Met, none of them particularly palatable. It's not beyond possibility that what we have here is simple incompetence, though given the number of times the issue has been reopened that seems a long shot. Rather more likely is that the Met is scared of messing up it's very cosy relationship with Murdoch's attack vermin. At worst, the Met, or some of it's officers are engaged with agents of news international in a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Clearly an enquiry into both the allegations and the Met's handling of them by someone other than the Met is required. I wonder if there is actually any part of the British state independent enough of Murdoch to do the job.
Ashes and the Future
In just a few hours English cricket fans will be celebrating that rarest of achievements; a comprehensive kicking of Australia on their home turf. England deserve high praise. The batting has mostly been pretty good and the bowling has been at worst competent and on occasions sublime. That said, this is probably the weakest Australian team to take the field, if not ever, then at least in living memory so England shouldn't get too cocky.
The series will end with Paul Collingwood's retirement from the five day game. I think it's a good move on his part given recent batting performances. I don't think I've ever seen anyone make so much out of a relatively limited talent and I think he deserves high praise for that. It does leave England with a real dilemma though. I can't see another batting all rounder in the picture anywhere so some major decisions will have to be made about the balance of the team. I can't see playing with four bowlers and only Pietersen as cover. I guess that means Bell and Prior move up the order and Bresnan, Broad and Swann bat 7,8 and 9. That ought to be a strong enough batting line up and it strengthens the bowling. Rough on Eoin Morgan though!
Cold Souls
Neither lemur_catta or I have much use fortechnology driven movies and the cinemas don't seem to have had much else recently so we were both intrigued when she found Cold Souls; a quirky little British movie about soul trafficking. It's quite dark and very funny. Here's the trailer:
Further Musings on Politics
It may be the subject for a longer post later but I'm starting to think about the longer term implications of a political landscape dominated by parties that are both anti-egalitarian and authoritarian by instinct. The love child of Thatcher and Blair of course. It's not a pretty prospect.
This story intrigues me. There seems to be plenty of evidence that multiple individuals at News International were involved with hacking some hundreds or thousands of mobile phone accounts. The story has mostly been ignored by mainstream media and would probably have died but for the Guardian's continuing pursuit of the issue. The Labour leadership have been really reluctant to touch it and have only really been interested in the Coulson/Cameron connection.
Surely the real public interest story here though is the Metropolitan Police's "investigation" of the allegations. Based on what we already know, and one guesses that that is only the tip of the iceberg, one is forced to one of three conclusions about the Met, none of them particularly palatable. It's not beyond possibility that what we have here is simple incompetence, though given the number of times the issue has been reopened that seems a long shot. Rather more likely is that the Met is scared of messing up it's very cosy relationship with Murdoch's attack vermin. At worst, the Met, or some of it's officers are engaged with agents of news international in a conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Clearly an enquiry into both the allegations and the Met's handling of them by someone other than the Met is required. I wonder if there is actually any part of the British state independent enough of Murdoch to do the job.
Ashes and the Future
In just a few hours English cricket fans will be celebrating that rarest of achievements; a comprehensive kicking of Australia on their home turf. England deserve high praise. The batting has mostly been pretty good and the bowling has been at worst competent and on occasions sublime. That said, this is probably the weakest Australian team to take the field, if not ever, then at least in living memory so England shouldn't get too cocky.
The series will end with Paul Collingwood's retirement from the five day game. I think it's a good move on his part given recent batting performances. I don't think I've ever seen anyone make so much out of a relatively limited talent and I think he deserves high praise for that. It does leave England with a real dilemma though. I can't see another batting all rounder in the picture anywhere so some major decisions will have to be made about the balance of the team. I can't see playing with four bowlers and only Pietersen as cover. I guess that means Bell and Prior move up the order and Bresnan, Broad and Swann bat 7,8 and 9. That ought to be a strong enough batting line up and it strengthens the bowling. Rough on Eoin Morgan though!
Cold Souls
Neither lemur_catta or I have much use fortechnology driven movies and the cinemas don't seem to have had much else recently so we were both intrigued when she found Cold Souls; a quirky little British movie about soul trafficking. It's quite dark and very funny. Here's the trailer:
Click to viewFurther Musings on Politics
It may be the subject for a longer post later but I'm starting to think about the longer term implications of a political landscape dominated by parties that are both anti-egalitarian and authoritarian by instinct. The love child of Thatcher and Blair of course. It's not a pretty prospect.