Monmouth MP David Davies angry over IRA hunger strike film funding

The BBC reports that David Davies MP (not the former Shadow Home Secretary) has criticised the use of public money to fund a film about IRA hunger strikers.

He accuses the film of being "sympathetic to the IRA", but unless he was at the Cannes Film Festival I'm not sure how he saw the film, given it's not released at UK cinemas until this afternoon.

The film attracted £120,000 in funding from the Wales Creative IP Fund, but the Welsh company Dragon DI, of Pencoed, were contracted to work on the colouring and look of the film.

Davies says that the money should have been given to transport or good companies, but it's not the first time the Wales Creative IP fund has invested money in films.

The film's international showing should ensure international interest in the Welsh media industry, as well as the Wales Creative IP Fund. Applicants to the fund must be able to demonstrate that a proportion of the production’s budget will be spent in Wales, so the local economy should benefit.

Public money is often wasted. Look at the former Millennium Dome, government spending on taxis and Prescott's many jaunts. I don't think this is a case of waste, however.

When the film comes out, it's depiction of the events of 1981 can be debated by those present at the time and those interested in learning more about those times.

BoingBoing: Bob Harris' photo diary of a trip to the North Korea border

Writer Bob Harris has allowed BoingBoing to run his photos of a trip to the North Korean border, including detailed comments.

Guardian.co.uk:£9m firewall to protect Thai king from online detractors

The Thai information ministry intends to create a national firewall blocking websites critical of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Guardian link.

Milton Freidman by Lanny Ebenstein

Lanny Ebenstein's well-written biography of economist and libertarian Milton Friedman is an excellent example to the influential figure.

Although clearly a fan of Friedman's work, Ebenstein's book is a balanced look at the economist's life and work.

Born in 1912 in New York, Milton Friedman enrolled in Rutgers University at sixteen, where he read John Stuart Mill's On Liberty.

He then studied a MA in economics at the University of Chicago, where he met his future wife Rose Director.

Friedman began teaching at the University of Chicago in September 1946, and Ebenstein praises his teaching methods, quoting positive feedback from his students.

During his lifetime, Friedman published several books, including A Monetary History of the United States, a critique of John Maynard Keynes and Keynesianism.

He also became involved in campaigning for the Republican Party, becoming Barry Goldwater's chief economics advisor during the 1964 campaign.

Friedman was also appointed by President Richard Nixon to the Advocacy Commission on an All-Volunteer Armed Forces.

There is also a detailed examination of Friedman's relationship with fellow libertarian Friedrich Hayek.

Friedman was also a big influence on Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, as well as former Czech Republic prime minister Vaclav Klaus and former chairman of the National Bank of Poland Leszek Balcerowicz.

Unsurprisingly for a libertarian, he supported legalising drugs and school vouchers.

With lots of interviews with key figures and exciting detail on Milton Friedman and his times, this biography is essential for all those interested in economic theory.

BBC News: US rate cut boosts Asian shares

Asian shares and the FTSE have risen sharply after yesterday's Federal Reserve 0.5% rate cut.

Norway and China have also cut interest rates.

Private Eye 1222: The libel tourism bill

There is an excellent article in this fortnight's Private Eye by "Ratbiter" entitled "Auch! It Hurts" about the US Congress's "libel tourism bill".

Much of the article might get me sued if I commented in detail on it here, but I strongly recommend buying a copy.

The current issue is on sale until next Wednesday in most newsagents, at £1.50

BBC pleasingly open about Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross controversy

I am pleased at the amount of debate the BBC has encouraged about the actions of Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross.

The actions of the pair were discussed on BBC News 24 yesterday and on BBC Breakfast News today.

No doubt the subject would have been raised on Question Time if it had not been a US election special. Maybe it'll come up next week.

There is also a Have Your Say asking if the BBC was right to suspend Brand and Ross and one asking if the pair went too far.

The row is also well covered on the BBC News Entertainment section. There is a statement from BBC director general Mark Thompson, information on how the corporation vets shows, and video clips of people for and against the actions of Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross.

Radio Four's PM blog is also asking for feedback.

The BBC's editorial guidelines are also linked.

It is good that the BBC is prepared to give extensive information to its viewers (and users) even when it may make them look bad.

I was surprised I didn't see any outraged yet punning tabloid headlines demanding "They Should Be Sached!" (Andrew Sachs was the "victim").

For those of you unaware of the story, it is here.

Revised Stagecoach Bluebird timetables issued for Scottish bus strikes

UPDATE: Monday 24th November strike has been suspended.

Revised timetables have been issued for Stagecoach Bluebird services in the Aberdeenshire, Buchan, Moray and Inverness areas of Scotland due to strike action.

The first strike date is Thursday October 30th.


Citylink and Megabus services will operate as normal.

Aberdeenshire Council say no alternative transport will be be available to cover any of the affected local rural routes and school transport services.

A council spokesperson said "We have issued advice to head teachers, information to the local media and will update the website to keep people informed and disruption to the community to a minimum during the strike action."

You will need Acrobat Reader, downloadable from the Adobe website, to view the timetables.

480 bus workers, including drivers, cleaners and clerical workers, will strike after rejecting a 9.75 percent pay offer over two years.

Tommy Campbell, Unite T&G regional organiser, told the Evening Express: "“The average wage of a bus driver with this company is £17,500 and the depot cleaners only get £5.75 an hour, so the pay is very low to begin with."

However, Stagecoach Bluebird managing director Charlie Mullen accused the union of having no intention of negotiating sensibly, according to the Press and Journal.

RIA Novosti: Putin to launch own website next year

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will launch his own website in 2009, containing news and information on the premier's life since he took over the prime minister's post in May 2008, RIA Novosti reports.

One of the features of Putin's website will be a timeline with a news ticker and interactive map displaying where the premier is working, the Russian regions and countries he will visit and the agenda for his trips.

Current Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's website, including a video blog is here.

Information on government meetings.

Hotmail has a new look

If, like me, you use Hotmail as your main email account (though I have a Googlemail account too) you may have been switched to the latest release over the past few days.

I've just been switched today, and unlike some of the people leaving comments on the Windows Live Wire, I haven't noticed any downsides.

The new Hotmail does seem a bit faster, and I don't miss the scroll bar at all. It's also nice to get rise of the Full/Classic differences and just have one Hotmail.

The best feature is you can now mark emails as Unread or Read. It's a shame you can't mark all messages in a folder as Read though.

The new colour schemes, including rainforest and purple flowers, are much more exciting than the boring colour options before.

It would be nice if contacts could be imported automatically from emails also, but this might be addressed in a future Hotmail release.

No-one has created a Facebook group complaining about the change, but I'm sure they will in time. I did notice a number of Facebook groups complaining about the number of emails they get from Facebook- which can be changed under the Notifications tab in Account Settings.

The quiet carriage debate on Radio 2

I'm currently listening to Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 and there is a debate regarding quiet carriages on trains.

The train company C2C plans to cover the windows of quiet carriages with a film that will block mobile phone and Wi-Fi signals.

Given that many quiet carriage users are unhappy about the lack of enforcement by train staff of these regulations, and that many passengers react with abuse when asked nicely to end their conversation about the office Christmas party/turn down their Snow Patrol album, I applaud this idea.

However, it is important that C2C (which I admit I've never travelled on) has enough non-quiet carriages (noisy carriages?).

One caller to Jeremy Vine complained she had nowhere else to sit on the train and was told off by a passenger for talking.

Another caller, Rob in Bath, had confiscated phones after people ignored the quiet carriage rule, saying "technology was the only answer." He strongly supports the move.

Christian Wolmer, editor of "Fire and Steam: A New History of the Railways in Britain" blamed British reserve for people not wanting to ask others to be quiet, and said that even whispering on mobile phones can be disturbing. Like Rob in Bath, he has also intervened and says notices are often badly displayed.

The Economist's Gulliver blog raises the problem of notifying the police in an emergency and the noise of train announcements. David Partington in Bolton also contacted Vine to support the latter point.

It is therefore important that an intercom is situated in quiet carriages so that people can communicate with staff in an emergency. They should not use this to complain about noise.

Jeremy Vine does play some great music on his shows. I was feeling a little under the weather this morning but am a little more perky now. He's on Radio 2 between 12:00 and 14:00 Monday to Friday.

You can listen to today's quiet carriage debate on the iplayer.

Telegraph.co.uk: Iceland raises rates to 18%

Iceland's central bank has increased interest rates by a massive 6 percentage points to 18pc, just two weeks after it had eased policy to soften the impact of the country's financial meltdown.

More.

Iceland's prime minister Geir Haarde is confident that financial aid will arrive from other Nordic states.

Kreppanomics: a report in The Economist on the financial crisis in Iceland.

Sheffield Doc/Fest: 5th-9th November 2008

Next month sees a celebration of the documentary genre at the Sheffield Doc/Fest.

The organisers describe Doc/Fest as "a film festival, industry session programme and market place, offering pitching opportunities, controversial discussion panels and in-depth filmmaker masterclasses, as well as a wealth of inspirational documentary films from across the globe."

The delegates will include documentary and factual producers, directors, buyers, commissioners and distributors.

This year, the festival will present a number of films on the theme of Regime Change, to coincide the US presidential elections.

Films shown include Goleshovo, about a Bulgarian village, Kurt and Courtney, about Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, and The King of South Shields, about Muhammad Ali's visit to North East England and his marriage in the South Shields mosque.

Sessions include an interview with Michael Palin, Doc Day Afternoon, a session for A Level students wanting to make documentaries, and an interview with BAFTA winner Molly Dineen.

rights.tv, a specialist consultancy with clients across the independent production and distribution sector, will be running a free legal surgery at the festival.

The 15 minute one-to-one sessions will offer advice on development and underlying rights deals, co-production, broadcaster and talent agreements and distribution and licensing deals.

A keynote speech on the legal future of film will be given by Creative Commons founder and William Neal Reynolds Professor of Law at Duke Law School James Boyle, along with colleague and co-author of Bound By Law Jennifer Jenkins.

Creative Commons describe themselves as "working to facilitate the free availability of art, scholarship, and cultural materials by developing innovative, machine-readable licenses that individuals and institutions can attach to their work."

The “Clearance Culture and the Future of Film” will be held on 7 November at 4.15pm and is free for Doc/Fest delegates. Limited members of the general public will also be able to attend.

Tickets for Doc/Fest events and the Ten/Doc pass (for 10 individual tickets) can be booked at the Showroom Cinema Box Office in Paternoster Row, Sheffield, or by ringing 0114 275 7727.

Single tickets cost £5.50 or £4.50 concession, with Ten/Doc passes costing £44 or £36 concession. There are also parties, including a roller disco.

You can also follow the events on the Doc/Fest blog or on Twitter (sheffdocfest).

The Sheffield Doc/Fest website also has accommodation suggestions and cheap food.

Looks fun, I wish I was there.

If you attended the Doc/Fest, feel free to post your experience of the festival below.

The festival is in association with the Independent.

Dispatches: Don't Bank On The Bailout

Last night's Dispatches focused on the recent bank bailout and the growing financial crisis.

City speculator Hugh Hendry blames the banking establishment and the government for the current economic problems.

He accuses banks of "throwing caution to the winds" by dabbling in schemes they did not understand, including playing the stock market.

The real problem now is that banks are not lending to each other.

LIBOR, the London Interbank Offered Rate, shows how much banks charge each other to lend money. The rate has shot up, a vivid sign that lending has come to a halt.

The reluctance of banks to lend to each other has caused problems for businesses such as Contactum, as loans have been cancelled.

Contactum were forced to bring in a four day week for a short period and had to lay off 20 workers.

Many people are also being made redundant. Castle Clay Sales has had to lay off 50% of its workforce. Unemployment is 1.8 million. By 2010, it is preditced to be above 3 million.

America:

Travelling to America where the crisis began, Hugh Hendry examined the US billion dollar bailout of Wall Street.

People are taking money out of banks in America and "putting it under the mattress" or deciding not to buy homes.

The Dow Jones Industrial Index has recorded some of its worst one day falls ever.

With stock trading being mainly delivered by human emotion, as broker Ted Weisburg explained, wrong moves are usually made during panic.

The decision not to rescue Lehman Brothers is rightly held up as the worst mistake of the whole crisis.

"Dr Doom", Professor Nouriel Roubini, was mocked when he predicted financial meltdown in 2005. No-one is laughing now.

Roubini says banks must be punished, and that the government must take charge.

The credit agencies, which gave AAA ratings to bad loans, are also responsible. Standard and Poor have now downgraded 2/3 of their ratings, which Hugh Hendry describes as "too little too late."

A multi-billion pound package is considered to bail out the housing market, which will add even further to national debt, already too big for the US debt clock.

In 2009, 2 million homes are estimated to be repossessed across America.

Harvey Pitt, former chairman of the Securites and Exchange Commission, says the current regulatory model is two centuries out of date.

Hendry says investment and retail banking must be separated, and banks must never be allowed to lend more than they have.

The Bank of England:

He urges the Bank to cut interest rates from the present 4.5% to 2% or lower. Only one member of the Monetary Policy Committee, David Blanchflower, has voted for constant cuts.

One member, Tim Besley, even voted for increased interest rates in July and August, while his colleague Andrew Sentence opposed the recent 0.5% rate cut.

On the 15th May 2008, Mervyn King had promised no rate cuts before 2010, which enraged Hugh Hendry. Now the MPC is looking at cutting rates further, although they may still not be cut enough.

Public sector debt in the UK is rising and will reach £91 billion by 2011.

An age of austerity, mass unemployment and probable public sector spending cuts is on its way.

The downturn will be the longest since 1929.

I do take issue with Hendry's final point, that "we all got carried away with cheap money."

I've always been prudent with my finances, spending little and saving as I go along.

The same is true for everyone I know.

Wonderful documentary apart from that. On 4onDemand until Monday 3rd November.

SearchEngineLand: Wagging the Long-Tailed Dog: Search Behavior & The Economy (US)

An interesting article on how search behaviour changes in a recession.

Via slewfootsloop, who highlights this quote:

Here’s the problem: while the overall search volume numbers are likely to keep climbing, the nature of those queries is likely to shift in response to macro behavioral trends. Here’s how it works: a barrage of news stories about global economic meltdown causes consumers to get nervous and rein in spending. They don’t shop as much, and even when they do, they buy fewer goods and/or shop less often. This doesn’t necessarily cause them to spend less time online (God forbid) or search any less. It just means they search for different things. So the number of purchase-related queries may decline while the number of information or entertainment-related queries increases. This, in a nutshell, is what I believe is happening right now.

Icelandic protest photos and Youtube from Icelandic bloggers

Dori Sig, an Icelandic blogger, has some excellent photos of Icelandic protests against Landsbanki and Gordon Brown.

Here is one of Dori's videos of the protest, from October 25th:


Halldór Sigurðsson also has some good photos.

More information.

Maestro: Greenspan's Fed and the American Boom by Bob Woodward

Bob Woodward, one of the pair of Washington Post journalists who broke Watergate, has excelled with this detailed account of Alan Greenspan's time as chairman of the Federal Reserve.

After forming Townsend-Greenspan, an economic consulting firm that closed in 1987, Greenspan became an advisor to many CEO's.

In 1968, he was an economic policy advisor to Republican presidential candidate Richard Nixon, and Greenspan was asked to chair the President's Council of Economic Advisors in 1974, continuing into the Ford presidency.

In 1987, he was appointed chairman of the Federal Reserve by Ronald Reagan.

Woodward's fly-on-the-wall writing style brings to life the discussions, arguments and powerplays between Greenspan and three administrations.

We learn how the former chairman handled the 1987 stockmarket crash, the 1991 recession and the Mexican crisis of 1994.

Greenspan disappoints George H.W. Bush "I reappointed him and he disappointed me" but impresses Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, as well as former President Gerald Ford.

Woodward also narrates more personal details, including the pressure other members of the Federal Open Market Committee, the monetary policymaking body of the Federal Reserve System, felt to agree with Greenspan and the chairman's desire for George H.W.Bush and Bill Clinton to win reelection in 1992 and 1996.

Maestro is positive about Greenspan's effect on the American economy, portraying Greenspan as a fixer who was wise enough to know how to finetune the markets.

For an alternate view of the former chairman read Bubble Man: Alan Greenspan and the missing 7 trillion dollars by Peter Hartcher, the Political and International Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald.

Recently Alan Greenspan admitted his doubts about the free market.

Sorry for being away yesterday

I was visiting one of my relatives at King George's Hospital in Ilford, Greater London.

After using the toilets, I'm even more of a supporter of bringing back Matron. One cubicle had its seat ripped off and toilet paper on the floor, while the lift was dirty also.

Why we can't follow Scotland I don't know.

Together For London: New social networking site for Londoners to share ideas

The site Together For London has been created by Transport For London to encourage residents to share ideas about improving the city.

It follows a poster campaign to convince travellers to be more considerate of each other.

I was sceptical that the campaign would work at the time, and remain so. However, this site seems a lot more effective at helping London.

Members are able to create campaigns, discuss ideas in (fully moderated) forums and create polls to gauge support.

The most popular campaign on the site, which I fully support is "Cyclists - obey red lights!" by LadyMuck5, followed by the Together For London campaign.

You can also create T shirts with Together For London characters and purchase them in the online shop.

Sign up here.

It would be nice if sites like this were created outside London.

Maybe local newspapers could run discussion forums asking people to post suggestions that others could comment on.

One current site that does this, although run by mySociety not a newspaper, is FixMyStreet.

BBC News: Texts tackle HIV in South Africa

The BBC reports on how Project Masiluleke will send free text messages to people to encourage them to be treated for AIDS.

More.

Fifteen ways to save money during the recession

Gordon Brown has admitted a recession is under way, and stock markets are falling faster than George Osborne's reputation.

However, there are ways of saving money.

1. Make sure your house is properly insulated. Install PVC seals under your doors to prevent draughts and fit a hot water jacket on your water tank. The Energy Saving Trust is full of top tips for saving money on fuel bills.

2. As discussed on Wednesday, reading your meter yourself instead of relying on estimated bills could save you £50 per quarter. You can find more information on saving money with heating bills here.

3. Don't leave items on standby. For £20, a Standby Saver will turn off items on standby that are plugged into it.

4. Use the bus instead of the car. Most bus companies now have details online of local routes. Multi-journey cards can save money.

5. Buy own brand supermarket produce. Don't be tempted to buy food placed nearest the checkout and look for discounted produce. Make sure you check use-by dates, however.

6. Shops often charge for plastic carrier bags. Iceland sells excellent canvas bags for £1, and Sainsburys also sells reuseable bags. The Co-Op's flowery bag is naff though.

7. Charity shops sell cheap books, tableware, clothes, handbags and furniture. Some also stock CD's, tapes and DVD's. Most towns have at least one charity shop.

8. Want to read books for free? Join your local library. Many of the books reviewed on my blog have come from libraries. You can search library catalogues online.

9. Join a Freecycle group to receive items for free.

10. Credit cards = debt cards. Pay off and cut up.

11. Look for vouchers in the newspapers and magazines you buy, as well as at the checkout.

12. Use Skype to talk to people instead of a mobile or landline phone. The call is free, but the other person will need to have Skype installed on his/her computer as well. You might want to be careful if you are living in Germany, though.

13. Cook your own food instead of eating out. Here are recipes for soup and bean burgers. More here from Jamie's Ministry of Food.

14. Fit energy saving lightbulbs throughout your house. If your workplace is struggling with bills, suggest them to your line manager.

15. Students can get discounts on software here and computers here. Many universities also do deals with companies for cheap software.

This post was copied without my consent onto another blog site. This is the original version of this post. If you have copied this post without attribution, please remove it.

BBC News: How to cope during the downturn

A very good article from BBC News on how to cope during the (probable) recession, with information on savings, repossessions, debts and pensions.

Tips for businesses here from 2001.

A lot of credit card companies, such as Vanquis UK, will spam you with emails offering credit cards. Delete these emails and DON'T get a new credit card.

If a company contacts you six times in two days, like Vanquis did with me, it's probably not in your best interests to do business.

Icelandic protest site created over British anti-terrorism law useage

The website "Icelanders are NOT terrorists" has been launched to protest the use of British anti-terrorism laws against the country.

The site, in British and Icelandic, claims that the use of these laws "is in effect having a devastating effect on nearly all Icelandic companies and destroying the Icelandic economy at a critical time".

Prime Minster Gordon Brown and Chancellor Alistair Darling are accused of seeking short term gains, lying about Iceland being bankrupt, and hindering attempts to repay UK savers with money in Icesave.

They are also blamed for growing anti-Icelandic feelings.

"Icelandic companies all over the world have been chastised, Icelandic people have been harassed abroad, students have been forced to abandon their studies, Icelandic pension funds have lost a great deal of their assets and the imports of everything from food to pharmaceuticals to Iceland has been restricted."

"Icelanders are NOT terrorists" (Íslendingar eru ekki hryðjuverkamenn) is also concerned that a lack of foreign currency from exports will halt food and medicine payments, and calls on British citizens to sign the petition in solidarity with Iceland.

The site hosts a petition, which has been signed by 41 015 people, over 12% of the population of Iceland.

A number of photographs have also been sent in protesting the British Government's actions.

They are similar to the photos sent to the "Sorry Everybody" site after George Bush was re-elected in November 2004.




Picture credit: Lukka Sigurdardottir

One of the site's founders, musician Ólafur Elíasson, was quoted in the Iceland Review as saying "“We believe this is a realistic strategy to have extensive influence on the British public, who have not at all been informed of the truth of the matter."

Judging by the opposition of former FSA head Howard Davies and some of the British press to the move, I would have though Gordon Brown would have to respond to these comments soon.

The clamim that Iceland would not compensate savers has also been questioned by the FT.

More Icelandic protest photos.

Techcrunch:Microsoft Chugs Along In The Third Quarter,But Its Online Business Is Still Sucking Wind

Microsoft released its third quarter earnings today. Erick Schonfield takes a look.

BBC: Broadband users reach their limit

The BBC reports on how one million UK consumers have exceeded or are close to exceeding their broadband limit as desfined by useage caps, despite the fact that many had signed up to "unlimited broadband" deals.

ThinkBroadband, Broadband Watchdog and uSwitch may be useful sites if you are concerned about your broadband package.

Top Social Networks by Country

Want to know what the social network de jour is in Australia?

Interested to know what people are using to interact in Japan?

This map from Oxyweb is a clear representation of the most popular social networks in October 2008 by country.

I'm surprised Bebo was the most popular social network in the Republic of Ireland.

Data was taken from Alexa on October 16th.

Via Digital Inspiration.

Tickets still on sale for Adrian Sudbury memorial show this Sunday

A charity musical will take place this Sunday at the London Palladium in memory of Adrian Sudbury and Dr Donna McCormick, who both died of leukaemia.

The Huddersfield Daily Examiner reports that the production of Me And My Girl, the most performed musical comedy in the history of West End theatre, will be put together in 48 hours.

Guest hosting will be popular entertainer Les Dennis and comedian and author Mel Giedroyc, one half of Mel and Sue.

The pair will introduce the performance before the 7:30pm opening.

All profits will be donated to the Antony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust.

You can see the show's website here.

Tickets can be booked by calling 0870 890 0145, online, or at the London Palladium Box Office in Argyle Street.

Prices range from £17.50 - £35.00 and booking online does include a fee.

The nearest tube is Oxford Circus (Bakerloo Line, Central Line, or Victoria Line) and buses stopping on Oxford Street are 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 15, 16A, 23, 25, 53, and 73.

You can also take the train to Charing Cross or use a car park.

WealthConnect: Social networking site for wealth management professionals

WealthConnect is a social networking site for those working in the field of wealth management.

The site offers the change to write your own blog, interact with others in the forums, create and vote on polls, and post items that others may be interested in, including your own wealth management product.

It would be nice if WealthConnect offered more in the way of a preview, with some screenshots. However, it seems like a worthwhile tool.

With the rise of Twitter and blogging in the corporate world, I am sure WealthConnect will become very popular.

You can read more at Swordplay.

Dispatches:The Truth About Your Energy Bill

On Monday Dispatches investigated why domestic energy bills are so high, as well the effect of price rises.

The effect on the general public:

The average family pays £1300 a year for their electric and/or gas supply.

We were shown two typical families, the O'Briens and the Cridlings.

The Cridlings, who live in Oxford,are several thousand pounds in arrears and have taken in a lodger to try to make ends meet.

The O'Brien household, who live in Liverpool, have three children who eat up energy through games consoles and the television. Their mother Stephanie is struggling.

Ann Robinson from uSwitch has been enlisted to save both households money.

Estimated bills are part of the problem.

You can spot these as they have an "E" against them.

You need to read your meters yourself and then ring the energy company with your readings.

Otherwise you could be paying £50 per bill too much, according to Energywatch.

Changing supplier requires care. You should check as many comparison sites as possible and prices differ depending where you live - another postcode lottery!

Ann Robinson of Uswitch says change supplier once a year or more.

Prepayment meters cost £160 per year on average more than a normal meters.

Direct Debit also saves money, as it is the very cheapest way of paying.

Many meters are old and some are faulty. Electricty smart meters may help. They send a reading to the supplier every half an hour, and you see your daily useage amount.

People cut their consumption by 15% when they know how much they use.

You can already buy a Standby Saver, which turns off applicances when they are left on standby. They cost £20.

Why have prices risen?

The supplies of gas from the North Sea have declined sharply, meaning that more and more is imported from Norway. The price of gas from Europe is linked to the price of oil.

Over the past five years, the profits of the six main energy companies have totalled £5 billion per year, while prices have risen 120%.

Derek Lickorish, of the Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, is also concerned about price rises in 2009.

Shareholder profits have increased by up to 20%.

However, Dr Gary Felgate, an industry spokesman, say that energy companies must make a profit as they cannot be bailed out, unlike banks.

He says there are significant differences in tariffs, and refused to comment on the findings of Energywatch.

Allan Asher of Energywatch has accused energy companies of "tacit collusion", though Dr Garry Felgate denies this.

Ofgem have highlighted failings but have concluded the energy companies are competitive.

They refused to give Dispatches an interview and clamed they would consult with the industry.

The lack of storgage facilies for gas in Britain has also been highlighted as a huge problem. Power stations and industry could be cut off if supplies were cut off for even a fortnight.

Some companies, including Welsh Power, are concerned new power stations are not being built fast enough.

Clearly there is a huge problem of increasing fuel poverty. Unless we look at increasing the number of offshore wind farms, and the Government finally gives the go ahead for a Smart Meter in every house, I fear poverty will increase over the next months.

Highlands and North East Scotland bus strikes planned during October and November

The BBC reports that Stagecoach Bluebird staff in the Highlands and North East Scotland will take part in five one day strikes following a Transport and General Workers Union ballot.

The Scottish bus strikes will take place from 4am on 30th October and 5th, 11th, 21st, and 24th November.

Full details are still awaited, but Aberdeenshire Council have warned that there will be disruption to children's travel to and from school.

First Bus drivers in Scotland are also to be balloted over industrial action, following the rejection of a pay deal.

More at the Scotsman.

In other news, a proposed London bus strike today (22nd October) has been suspended for twenty four hours.

Metrobus was granted an injunction in the high court, and Unite, the union which represents transport workers, are seeking legal guidance.

London bus strike on October 22 called off

The BBC reports that the London bus strike planned for today has now been called off.

A legal challenge by Metrobus has meant that the Unite union, which represents bus drivers in London, are seeking legal guidance.

Other bus companies, including Metroline and East London Buses, had threatned to pursue legal action as well.

Read more at the BBC link.

paperticket.co.uk has been shut down

The website paperticket.co.uk has been shut down by Metropolitan Police Service's Computer Crime Unit under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

According to the BBC, those who used credit and debit cards to buy their tickets may be able to obtain a refund from their card issuers.

Shari Vahl, who investigated the story for BBC Radio 4's You and Yours, said: "I understand paperticket.co.uk has received more than £2.5m from people's credit cards since it started up earlier this year.

"Last Friday morning alone £120,000 is believed to have been taken from people's credit cards."

BBC report.

People who have bought tickets from paperticket.co.uk should call Consumer Direct for advice on 08454 04 05 06.

The Mirror's investigative reporter Nick Sommerlad has more details on those behind the ticket site.

Book review: Tim Harford's The Undercover Economist

Anyone looking for an accessible guide to economics should read Tim Harford's excellent book, which uses real life examples to inform.

The Undercover Economist examines the reasons behind pricing using the example of coffee, as well as the price of renting and how coffee can be used to make money, including the profit motive behind Starbucks selling fairtrade coffee.

Harford also examines the benefits of the market and non-market systems in everyday life, and explains how economics could solve traffic problems.

The Undercover Economist also compares impoverished Douala, Cameroon, with wealthy China, to explain the reasons why there are rich and poor countries.

The poor infrastructure and endemic corruption of Cameroon are keeping the country poor, while China's change from Great Leap Forward despair to free market has made it rich.

Harford also offers a defence of globalisation, saying if all countries only make what they are best at making, there will be fewer offshore relocations.

The Undercover Economist is a though-provoking book, which provides interesting details about practical economics as well as the theories.

Harford has also written The Logic of Life.

BBC: Mortgage lending slump continues

The Council of Mortgage Lenders has reported that the decline in mortage lending has continued.

Total lending was £17.7bn in September, down 10% from August and 42% lower than September 07.

Crime mapping fears are unfounded

The Indepedent has reported concern by the Police Federation that crime maps will give valuable information to criminals.

There is also concern that house prices and insurance premiums could be affected by crime mapping.

I disagree.

Although specific offences may occur more often in one area than another, it is unlikely that there will be no officers focusing on other offences.

Besides, there is a whole criminal underworld out there. Do criminals really only know who is doing what where through crime mapping?

As for house prices, people have always researched a new area before moving there.

It's not hard to tell, by reading local papers or asking residents, how dangerous a place is.

Insurers also have this information as well.

I feel that crime maps have no significant downside and fears are unfounded.

They will allow citizens to hold police superintendents to account and will provide a useful resource for journalists.

You can see the Metropolitan Police's crime map here.

andydickinson.net:Free tips for successful newsrooms

Journalism tutor Andy Dickinson, who teaches Digital and Online Journalism at the University of Central Lancashire, shares some thoughts on making your newsroom more successful.

More.

France 24: IMF investigates Strauss-Kahn over sex affair

IMF chief and former French finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn is being investigated over alleged abuse of power involving a a subordinate.

More.

Alexander Armstrong to host Countdown

Comedian Alexander Armstrong has verbally accepted the job of hosting Countdown.

It was suggested in our household that Ben Miller, Armstrong's comedy partner should take Carol Vordeman's vacant role, dressed as the old lady in the Cafe sketch from the Armstrong and Miller show.

This might be a bit strange though.

UPDATE: The job has now been given to Jeff Stelling.

Blogging scholarships for US citizens and permanent residents

Alfred Hermida reports on the launch of College Scholarships' third annual blogging scholarship for US citizens or permanent residents.

Eligable blogs must "contain unique and interesting information about you and/or things you are passionate about" and their writers must be attending full-time post-secondary education in America.

Blogs must be submitted by October 30th.

More at College Scholarships.

BBC News: Indian airline sector "to shrink"

Air India boss Raghu Menon has told the BBC that half of India's airlines might disappear during the downturn.

More.

Jet Airways, India's largest private airline, has reinstated 1900 staff following protests.

Victoria Line Online Question Time: 23rd October

Next week Victoria Line passengers will be able to take part in an online question time with the line's General Manager John Doyle and his team.

The event will take place at tfl.gov.uk/questiontime between 17:00 and 19:00 on Thursday, 23 October.

It would be nice if other parts of Britain had transport managers as accountable as this.

Indeed, it would be nice if other parts of Britain had as good a transport system as London.

Why can't we have regulated bus networks outside Greater London and journey planners for each region?

The Victoria Line is currently being upgraded, meaning it closes at 10:00pm on Monday to Thursday evenings until Thursday 20 November inclusive .

Replacement bus services run as follows:

Service A: Finsbury Park - Manor House (for the Piccadilly line) - Seven Sisters - Tottenham Hale - Blackhorse Road - Walthamstow Central.

Service B: Victoria - Pimlico - Vauxhall - Stockwell - Brixton.

Guardian's Black History Timeline: Parts Four and Five

Thursday's timeline

The years 1865 to 1945 are covered by the timeline, including the Zulu victory over the British army at Isandlwana in 1878, the first black mayor elected to Battersea in 1913 and the Pan-African Conference in 1945.

There are also profiles of activists such as Claudia Jones, who helped found the Notting Hill Carnival in 1959,Martin Luther King, and Doreen Lawrence, who campaigned for justice for her son Stephen, murdered in 1993.

An interview with Sam King, who founded the Windrush Foundation and was on the boat of the same name, fills the bottom left.

Friday's timeline:

The years 1945 to 2008 are covered, including the "wind of change" when African states gained independence from Britainin 1957, the Nigerian Civil War and the election of Nelson Mandela as the South African president in 1994.

There are profiles of Barack Obama, boxer Muhammad Ali and writer CLR James, as well as a small feature on black politicans.

You can see the posters online linked here.

Further reading, including Windrush: The Irresistible Rise of Multi-racial Britain (by Mike and Trevor Phillips), The Oxford Companion to Black British History (David Dabydeen, John Gilmore and Cecily Jones) and Black History for Beginners (Denise Dennis) is also listed.

This is the best free gift the Guardian has ever produced.

I was moved at the amount of history here not taught in schools or on mainstream documentaries.

I would love to make a documentary series about black history through the ages.

Comment on part one

Comments on parts two and three

John McCain and Barack Obama roast each other at Alfred E.Smith memorial dinner

From the Alfred E.Smith Memorial Dinner, a fundraiser for Catholic charities.

The dinner was named in honour of former New York Governor Alfred E.Smith, the first Catholic presidential candidate.

Obama roasts McCain:

McCain roasts Obama:

BBC:Spanish airline LTE International suspends flights

LTE International, a Spanish airline, has suspended all its flights due to severe financial difficulty.

The airline stoped taking bookings Thursday night.

UK passengers due to fly to Birmingham and Glasgow airports from Tenerife with LTE will now fly to Manchester airport with Monarch Airlines.

Coaches will then take passengers to Birmingham and Glasgow.

More here.

Cosmos Holidays, which many of the British holidaymankers had booked with, is now trading as Monarch Holidays.

You can contact Monarch Holidays here.

TechCrunch: Kaixin001: China’s Apple of Social Networks

Former Idealab developer Alan Rutledge reports on Chinese social network Kaxin001 and compares it with rival Xiaonei, which resembles Facebook in design, if not accessibility or functionality.

Read the article here.

Kaixin001, the latest newcomer to the Facebook clone wars in China, is China’s fastest growing social network having amassed a staggering 7.5 million users in the first 5 months since it launched in May 2008. The site tripled Twitter’s traffic reach in the month of September alone and is currently the 250th most popular site on Alexa worldwide.

Tip'd: new site for digging finanical stories

This week Tip'd launched, a site which enables financial bloggers and financial journalists to submit financial stories, ideas and advice and vote on the most important and valid ones.

The site's co-founder Muhammed Saleem gives more details in an interview with The Industry Standard site.

Tip'd has a number of categories including commodities and personal finance.

There are 571 members and 373 published stories currently. The site is free from clutter and has an RSS feed (though no Twitter feed or Facebook links).

The Tip'd team blog here.

Free downloads offered by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam

To celebrate The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra's 120th anniversary, the BBC, in association with the RCO and Dutch public broadcaster AVRO is offering ten free downloads until 24 November 2008.

A new download will be released each day until 24 October.

The list of downloads is here. So far only 1-3 have been uploaded to the Radio 4 site.

1. Franz Schubert - Symphony no. 8 ‘Unfinished’
2. Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony no. 2
3. Felix Mendelssohn - Symphony no. 4 ‘Italian’
4. César Franck - Symphony in D minor
5. Gustav Mahler - Symphony no. 1
6. Antonin Dvorák - Symphony no. 8
7. Camille Saint-Saëns - Symphony no. 3 ‘Organ’
8. Jean Sibelius - Symphony no. 2
9. Anton Bruckner - Symphony no. 8
10. Johannes Brahms - Symphony no. 2

Medianetwork reports that you need to give your name, address and email address to download the music.

The files are MP3s and encoded at 320 Kbps.

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra is named after the concert hall in Amsterdam where it is the resident orchestra. The first concert was in November 1888.

The Roman Epic: Robert Graves' I, Claudius

I'm currently spending my quieter evenings curled up with a copy of Robert Graves' I, Claudius, a fictional autobiography of the Roman emperor.

It is a brilliant book, one that envelops you until you feel you are sitting watching Roman rulers and their family plot and scheme.

Claudius, the narrator, is a harassed survivor. Scorned by his family, he is not seen as a natural ruler and occupies most of his time writing history.

The result is this chronicle, which depicts the reign of his grand-uncle Augustus, his uncle Tiberius and his nephew Caligula.

Of course, I, Claudius is based on fact. There really was a Tiberius Claudius Drusus, who was treated like a pariah by his family and Roman nobility.

Graves' writing is wholly believable, from the relatively benign rule of Augustus, to the cruel rule of Tiberius and finally the deranged and corrupt rule of Caligula.

Although Claudius is liberal in attitude, he is a firm supporter of slavery and the barbaric games, and is often prepared to put the continuation of Roman rule before his own comfort.

Claudius' desire to survive pays off, although it has cost him dearly. He becomes Emperor at the end of I,Claudius after a rebellion against the weakened Caligula.

I,Claudius does not shy away from depicting the cruelties and idiocies of life in Ancient Rome, and is packed with battles, plots and the history of the Romans.

It is a wonderful read.

BBC News: Google shrugs off slowing economy

The BBC reports that Google has seen a 26% rise in profits, leading to a 7% rise in shares.

Jeff Jarvis offers some theories why.

BBC News: Survey shows recession "looming"

The BBC reports that a Scottish Chamber of Commerce survey shows business confidence at a record low, with a predicted recession.

This follows an earlier British Chamber of Commerce survey calling on the government to cut interest rates to head off a recession.

Movilla High School Strike Talks To Begin

On Monday I reported on a strike at Movilla High School in County Down by teachers who refused to teach an allegedly violent pupil.

The strike is still on, but it has been reported that talks will be held between It the South Eastern Education Library Board and the NAS/UWT union.

According to the Belfast Telegraph, the Northern Ireland education minister Caitriona Ruane and the education committee at Stormont have called for a resolution.

Union representatives say picket line morale is high, according to 4NI.

Guardian's Black History Timeline: Parts Two and Three

The Guardian's Black History posters have continued to be very informative about events in history that many readers will be unaware of.

Tuesday's poster deals with the years 1596 to 1787, and includes the expelling of Africans in Britain by Queen Elizabeth I and the legalisation of slavery in 1672.

A political pressure group to combat slavery, the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, was not formed until 1787.

The murder of 132 Africans by Captain Collingwood the year before helped to galvanise support for forming the Society.

Another timeline covering America looks at the years 1965-1977, including Martin Luther King, the Black Panthers and the TV series Roots.

There is also a box commemerating 60 years since the Windrush, a ship which carried the first large group of West Indian immigrants since World War Two.

The bottom timeline, covering twentieth-century Britan, also examines the recruitment of Caribbean nurses into the National Health Service and the "Rivers of Blood" speech by Tory MP Enoch Powell in 1972.

Also examined are the lives of Ignatius Sancho, a black composer and letter writer, and Toussaint L'Ouverture, who led the only successful slave rebellion, leading him to take control of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican republic.

Wednesday's poster deals with 1791 to 1864, and mentions the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 1807, the total abolition of slavery in 1834 and the first Anglican black bishop, Samuel Ajayi Crowther.

American history from 1983 to 2008 is marked, including the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the Million Man March and Barack Obama's nomination as Democratic presidential candidate.

The British timeline runs from 1977 to 2008, and includes the National Front being prevented from marching through east London, Viv Anderson, the first black footballer to play for England, and Paul Boateng, the first black cabinet minister.

The poster also examines the orator Sojourner Truth and Paul Robinson, a singer political activist who was banned from leaving America in 1952 due to perceived links with Russia.

As always, you can find the posters linked here.

I urge you to read them online or to buy the Guardian tomorrow and Friday.

You can learn history you've never heard of before. Why is there no BBC Four documentary covering this?

Comment on part one

Comments on parts four and five

Guido Fawkes: Credit Crunch : Irish Politicians Lead with Pay Cuts

Guido Fawkes reveals how Irish politicians are setting an example by taking pay cuts.

Sadly I doubt that any of the three main parties will follow their example.

Canadian general election won by Conservative Party

Although there has been little media coverage, there has recently been a general election in Canada.

Stephen Harper's Conservatives have been re-elected, without a majority.

The opposition Liberal Party lost 19 seats while the Bloc Quebecois, which wants a separate Quebec, gained two seats.

The Economist has more analysis.

This comment, reported by Al-Jazeera, does seem a bit smug.

"Every other incumbent government in the Western world is in serious political trouble with the economic situation," Jason Kenney, a Conservative MP, said.

"Ours is probably the only one that could be re-elected, let alone with an increased mandate."

The New York Times reports on the Liberals' post-election rethink.

Ryanair accuse Private Eye of breaching trademark

Picking up a copy of the latest Private Eye yesterday, I noticed a letter from Jim Callaghan on the letters page.

No, ex Prime Ministers aren't writing in from beyond the grave, this Jim Callaghan is the director of legal and regulatory affairs at Ryanair.

The letter accuses Private Eye of breaching Ryanair's trademark, and says they will not initiate legal proceedings if the Eye donate £1000 to the charity ORBIS Ireland.

It does astonish me that Mr Callaghan is being so heavy handed.

Private Eye used Ryanair's name in a satirical advert joking about "cheap frights".

The magazine frequently uses spoof trademarks and newspaper mastheads (banners) to make jokes. Indeed, there is a Daily Mirror spoof masthead in the current issue.

No one would think this was a real advert from Ryanair.

The Eye have referred the good director to the case of Arkell v Pressdram, where the Eye gave the reply "F*** off".

You can see more about Ryanair's trademark enforcement here.

Back blogging today

Sorry I wasn't blogging yesterday. I had a four hour journey each way and was very busy. I'm back now.

Have you heard the one about the Tory MP, the hole and the stuffed foxes? Read more here.

BBC's iplayer to be platform neutral

The BBC Internet Blog reports that the BBC and Adobe have formed a partnership to make iplayer content avaible on all platforms later this year.

More.

French port officials strike on October 15th will mean severe delays on Kent roads

A threatned strike by French port officials means that ferry traffic will be unable to berth at either Calais or Boulogne from 7am tommorow.

Lorry drivers and motorists travelling through Kent are being warned that they will experience severe delays during October 15th, and are advised not to travel if possible.

People living near Ashford and Maidstone should also consider alternatives to avoid congestion.

Kent Police will have to implement Operation Stack, which involves parts of the M20 being used to queue lorries that are travelling towards France, to avoid gridlock across Kent's roads.

Phase one means the closure of junction 11 (Hythe) and junction 12 (Cheriton) coastbound, with a contra-flow in place to allow traffic to continue to flow in both directions while lorries are queued coastbound.

Phase two means the closure of the M20 motorway coastbound between junction 8 (Leeds Castle) and junction 9 (Ashford West). Non-freight traffic is diverted onto the A20.

Information for lorry drivers:

Lorry drivers will join one queue for Eurotunnel and NorfolkLine services. Those for other ferry operator services will be queued separately and can expect extended delays.

A freight ticketing system will operate in the Stack queue, with strict enforcement conditions, operated by both police and the Port of Dover.

Any lorry driver arriving at Dover without the correct ticket will be turned away from the port and told to drive back to the rear of the M20 freight queue.

Travel by Eurostar or sea:

P&O (08716 646464) and SeaFrance (0871 22 22 500) voyages to Calais will not operate while the port is closed by industrial action.

NorfolkLine (0870 870 1020) will however still operate sailings from Dover to Dunkerque.

Sailings from Ramsgate will also be unaffected.

Eurotunnel (08000 969 992) will continue to take freight and people who have already secured bookings, although services are restricted following the fire in September.

Assistant Chief Constable Allyn Thomas said: "It is unfortunate that we are facing this situation, but the best advice I can give is that should the strike proceed if you can stagger your journey, car share, work from home or not make a trip unless it is absolutely necessary then you can do your bit to help keep the county moving and open for business."

Techcrunch:Microsoft’s Next OS To Be Called “Windows 7″. Seriously.

From Techcrunch.

Microsoft has announced that the latest version of Windows, due in the next couple of years, will be called - drumroll please - Windows 7. It’s about time Microsoft adopted a naming system that might actually make some sense to users, but I can’t wait for hordes of customers to start asking if they somehow missed Windows 1 through 6.

More.

I wonder if Microsoft feel they will get more attention with odd product names. Maybe, after the relative unpopularity of Windows Vista, they should call their latest product New Windows, like the Labour Party rebranding in 1994.

Aren't most people still using Windows XP or a different operating system?

I'm writing this on a computer running Windows XP, and I've no desire to upgrade to Windows Vista.

Windows 7 will need to be pretty good for me to buy it.

Welsh-only police car signs wanted by Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom

David Copperfield on the Policeman's Blog notes that Richard Brunstrom, North Wales' idiotic Chief Constable, has called for the word "Police" to be removed from police cars, as people might view the police as symbols of English oppression.

You can read more on this at the Daily Telegraph.

Brunstrom uses a classic debating technique - if you can't argue against a point, insult it. He describes the possibility that people could die if patrol cars only carried Welsh words as "false arguments" and "arrogant nonsense".

However, how many visitors to the United Kingdom know the word for police in Welsh is Heddlu?

There are now emergency cars for paramedics, coastguard, the fire service and blood transportation. Will visitors know that the cars with a blue light and "Heddlu" on it is a police car?

Are locals really that bothered by an English word on a patrol car? Would this be the start of a slippery slope, where public money must be spent on issuing notepaper without the word "police" on it.

The Welsh Language Board have warned Richard Brunstrom he will be in breach of the Welsh Language Act.

David Jones, the MP for Clwyd West and Shadow Minister for Wales, is also opposed to this daft idea.

As David Copperfield notes, Mr Brunstrom would do better focusing on real crime.

Incidentally, last year the North Wales Police authority called for 1,500 local people to tell them what the police force should be doing. I hope they launch a similar exercise this year.

Happily, it looks like North Wales Police have no intention of carrying this policy through.

BBC News:Up to 1.7m people's data missing

The data of 1.7 million people who have expressed interest in joining the armed forces has gone missing, reports the BBC.

Is there anyone who hasn't had their data mislaid?

Guardian's Black History Timeline: Part One

This week the Guardian is publishing a series of rather exciting posters on black history.

Some people sneer about black history, but this timeline proves them wrong. Today's poster packed full of fascinating information.

Some of it I already knew, but some I did not. All of it is well selected.

For example, there is a paragraph on the first ethnic minority MP, Dadabhai Naoroji, who was elected in Finsbury Park in 1892, as well as Olaudah Equiano, who wrote a controversial history of his life as slave and freed man.

I remember studying the latter's autobiography for my English degree at the University of Sussex.

Mary Seacole, a nurse who saved many lives during the brutal Crimean war, and Zenobia, a former Syrian queen, are also well documented.

Each poster has a little bit of the timeline of black history, starting today with AD 43-1562.

Events such as the establishment of the Kingdom of Ghana and the rise of Islam and Africa are marked.

Colour-coding is nice and breaks up commentary on the US, historical and literary figures.

More here with a link to the poster.

Look out for it in the Guardian all this week, or read it via the above link (as a PDF on the Guardian subsite)

Comment on parts two and three

Comment on parts four and five

Telegraph.co.uk:Sarah Palin porn film made by Larry Flynt

From telegraph.co.uk

Pornography baron Larry Flynt has filmed an adult movie about Sarah Palin, with a look-alike standing in for the Republican vice-presidential nominee.

The Hustler founder has made an X-rated movie using an adult-film actress who resembles the governor of Alaska.

Flynt's team had posted an anonymous advert on the website Craigslist just days after Mrs Palin took the Republican convention by storm last month.

You can see the Craigslist ad here (may not be work safe) or read more at the Telegraph.

Adult film star Nina Harley has been cast as Hilary Clinton, according to TMZ.

Knowliz: Man asked Nature to be Beautiful. God said, be it so!!!

Some beautiful autumn photographs via the technology blog Knowliz.

Amnesty International releases film opposing 42 day detention

Human rights organisation Amnesty International has released Sleepwalk,a new online film opposing 42 day detention, which you can watch below.

The film, by Oscar-shortlisted directors DarkFibre, features an exclusive soundtrack by The Orb and a voiceover by Christopher Eccleston.

A "mass sleepwalk" is also taking place in Leeds tonight to launch the film.

It starts in City Square at 7.00pm, and a dressing-gown and slippers are recommended.

Blogger and 7/7 bombing survivor Rachel North will be speaking at the launch.

You can sign the petition against 42 day detention here.

Sleepwalk:

County Down teachers on strike over pupil assault

The BBC reports that twenty five teachers at Movilla High School, in County Down, have gone on strike after they refused to teach a pupil who allegedly assaulted a teacher.

The teachers claim they have been stopped from teaching whole classes while the pupil is present, and they have had their pay docked.

More here.

If the allegations are true,one wonders why the pupil cannot be taught in a secure unit, or at the very least in another school.

I'm on the teachers' side here.

BBC News:UK banks' £37bn bail-out unveiled

The BBC reports that the government is to inject up to £37bn of new capital into Royal Bank of Scotland, Lloyds TSB and HBOS.

This means those in charge of Royal Bank of Scotland and HBOS will be stepping down.

The new chief executive of RBS has been announced as Stephen Hester, who is currently a non-executive director.

Telegraph:Revealed: the truth about Tony Blair's role in the Ecclestone Affair

Documents have been released to the Sunday Telegraph about former prime minister Tony Blair's role in Formula One's exemption from the tobacco advertising ban in 1997.

Read more here.

Just in case you were missing him.

Gordon Brown must cut waste, not public spending

With local councils across Britain having money tied up in Icelandic banks, it looks like severe public spending cuts will be taking place during the next two years.

However, Gordon Brown is well placed to find money from the the public purse, judging by a story in the Observer's Pendennis column.

Oliver Marre reveals that the Department For Work and Pensions spent £2,024,431 on taxis in the financial year 2007-8, while the Department for International Development spent £141,228.

A good way to show that Brown has decided to show political courage would be to legally require Transport for London to allow MPs and civil servants free travel on London buses and the Underground.

No doubt Tfl could spend less on ridiculous campaigns to recover this money.

There could also be a bike rental scheme in place as well.

This would then mean that government departments could be banned from spending money on expensive taxis, unless the person in question was disabled or a visitor.

We also need an £80,000 cap on the salaries of those in the public sector.

There will always be people happy to carry out high-up jobs for this amount, and internal promotions will often find someone competent.

However, the Labour Party is not concerned with saving public money and seems to have little understanding of how to obtain votes, so neither of these suggestions will take place!

Yourpostcard spam virus

If you recieve a message from the address new@your-postcard.net,delete it.

The email claims "You have received a postcard from a family member!You can pick up your postcard at the following web address"

The web address link will lead to a site that installs a virus on your machine.

Holding the mouse over the link revealed the link is to a site ending in ".sk" that has nothing to do with postcards.net.

Messages from www.postcards.net should also be deleted.

The real 1001 Postcards site is at postcards.org.

BBC News also warns there is an increase in fraudsters sending emails pretending to be from your bank. Here are some tips.

Youtube: McCain's "My Fellow Prisoners" gaffe

John McCain slips up, as reported by the Huffington Post.



While it's not the worst gaff anyone could make, it is quite funny and if Barack Obama made it, thousands of McCain supporters would have this comment on T-shirts.

In the interests of fairness, the Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire blog reports this Obama gaff.

“Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it,” he said to a crowd in Oregon.

Ann Leslie at the Woodstock Literary Festival

To the picturesque North Oxfordshire village of Woodstock for a talk by veteran journalist Ann Leslie.

Situated in the charming St Mary Magdalene Church, the talk was an enlightening glimpse into Ann's very eventful career.

Currently writing for the Daily Mail, she came to journalism by accident after a conversation in a pub.

She told us about her interview with Muhammed Ali, where she had to punch him to get his attention, and how she secured an interview while on the campaign trail with then-Governor George W Bush by gossipping whenever he walked past her.

When discussing American politics, she blamed former president Bill Clinton for starting the subprime mortgage crisis, as he forced the banks to lend to impoverished minorities who could not normally afford mortgages.

Ann advised any foreign correspondents to read the books, watch the films and listen to the music of the country they are covering, in order to get inside the mind of those who lived there.

She also told us that many of the people she regarded as heroes did not have the consolation of fame or riches.

Her book, Killing My Own Snakes, is out now for £20.

If you want to know more about Ann's experiences abroad, life as a journalist or ever her attempted seduction by David Niven and Salvadore Dali, it's well worth the money.

I'll review it after December 25th, as I've asked for my signed copy to be one of my Christmas presents.

Until then, you can read a review by Johann Hari.

Got your Sarah Palin costume?

Ricky's Halloween in New York is selling a Sarah Palin Halloween costume for $22.99, including glasses and a Miss Alaska sash.

Via Alana Taylor.

BBC America to show Greg Palast investigation of US stolen votes

Tonight at 6pm and 10pm Eastern Time, BBC America will show Greg Palast's investigation into voting fraud during the 2008 election campaign.

You will also be able to watch it at Greg Palast's website from Friday.

Youtube trailer below:

BBC Reporter Palast follows the path of investigation laid out by civil rights attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. - encountering along the way the Republican Party lawyers, funders - and Karl Rove. The GOP charges that the Democrats have registered five million fraudulent voters, a claim backed by a recent US government report. Palast meets the report's author - who claims her words were turned upside down. And they went to court to stop her from speaking out.Democrats don't have clean hands either, as Palast discloses: from the Acoma Pueblo, we find Natives (almost all Democrats) who've had their ballots illegally junked by local Democrats.

The Times:Relations in deep freeze as Iceland denounces UK’s ‘unfriendly’ action

From The Times

Britain and Iceland engaged in a full-scale diplomatic spat yesterday as leaders of the two countries traded angry words about the handling of the financial meltdown...No warships have been dispatched to the North Atlantic but there is no longer any doubt that the financial collapse in Iceland is becoming the worst crisis in relations between London and Reykjavik since the Cod War of the 1970s.

You can see here how much your local council has invested in Icelandic banks.

Alistair Darling has described the councils involved in this sorry Icelandic saga as "informed lenders", and is hinting they may not be covered by the protection for individual savers, even though this will put services at risk.

Thanks, Darling.

Techcrunch: Previous Post Real World Got You Down? IBM Invites You To A Virtual Forbidden City

IBM, in partnership with the Palace Museum, has released a virtual version of China's Forbidden City.

Screenshots and more information at Techcrunch.

BBC Four: Super Rich: The Greed Game

"Banking common sense had been abandoned".

This week on BBC Four Robert Peston looked at how the super rich have helped to cause the credit crunch.

Many of Britain's super wealthy became rich through the supply of credit increasing due to low US interest rates, allowing a huge borrowing spree.

In an attempt to make more money, individuals with terrible credit histories were allowed to borrow money for homes - called sub-prime mortgages.

These loans were not kept on the books, but sold at a profit to investors far away and given excellent ratings.

Every time these were sold on, banks made a profit.

Structured finance, where loans are mixed together to nullify the worries of investors worried about risk, contributed to the problem.

This has led to multiple home repossessions and many failing to repay loans, causing the current financial turmoil, where no bank wants to lend money.

Meanwhile, the super rich are still doing fine, knowing governments have to bail them out.

Super Rich: The Greed Game interviewed a number of key financial players and connected the dots between greed by the wealthy and the credit crunch.

The programme is on the iplayer until Tuesday 14 October.

Google News now availble in Telugu: Google తెలుగు

You can now read Google News in Telugu.

Telugu is spoken mainly in Andhra Pradesh, in Southern India, and is one of the country's 23 official national languages.

It has 80 million native speakers and is one of the most spoken languages globally.

There is even a Telugu TV channel in India and an assocation of Telugu speakers in Scotland.

The BBC has more.

Telugu alphabet.

This Victorian Playground: PC Michael Pinkstone

Michael Pinkstone's book This Victorian Playground is a revealing tale of the reality of frontline policing in Britain and the current mess we are in.

The police are struggling to find time and manpower to help people with real problems, while the feckless and idle waste police time with exaggerated problems nightly.

Form filling and pointless emails mean police officers are sending most of their time inside the police station. Even when a crime has not been committed, an officer attending must explain why this is so. The CRAPPIES computer system needs constant updating, wasting more time.

The obsession by the government with detections means that police are encouraged to arrest people even when the victim does not desire this.

The courts are in a mess as well. This Victorian Playground gives the example of a man who damaged a hotel room, abused and attacked staff and snorted cocaine, but received only a caution.

Pinkstone calls for officers to be allowed to use their discretion and for more officers to work on the frontline. He wants an end to bureaucracy and for an end to the victim culture.

This Victorian Playground is full of dark humour (the best kind) and eye-opening accounts of incidents encountered by frontline police officers.

There is also riveting discussion of diversity, the current social mess and Pinkstone's former career as a teacher in Britain and Kuwait.

The book is published by Melrose Books at £14.99. The ISBN is 978-1-906050-63-4. A sequel, Arriving in the Van, has also been published.

Michael also blogs at Don't Mess With Me...I'm From Luton.

Finextra: Barclays creates over 200 call centre jobs in Liverpool...but plans to cut jobs in other areas

While this sounds like great news, Barclays is also planning to cut 2,000 technology jobs in the UK, moving 1,500 to Singapore, India and Hungary.

24 hour London bus strike planned on Friday 10th October 2008 from 3am (lots of bus numbers)

Transport for London reports that First and Metroline bus drivers may hold a 24-hour strike starting at 3am on Friday 10th October 2008.

Metrobus drivers have now cancelled the planned strike. Metroline drivers in the Brentford garage are working as well.

Routes affected in North London are:

4, 17, 32, 43, 46, 52, 82, 84, 98, 107, 113, 134, 139, 140, 182, 186, 189, 204, 206, 209, 214, 217, 232, 240, 251, 260, 263, 266, 271, 274, 302, 316, 332, 383, 384, 390, 603, 605, 609, 626, 632, 640, 643, C2, and H12
Night routes: N5, N16, N20, N52 and N98

Routes affected in West London are :

6,7,# 9 (Heritage route only), 10, 16, 18, 23, 28, 31, 70, 79, 83,90, 92, 95, 105, 143, 187, 205,207, 210, 223, 224, 226, 234, 245, 282, 295, 297, 326, 328, 331, 414, 427,460, 487, 607, 611, A10, C11, E1, E3, E5, E6, E7, E9, E10, PR2, U1, U2, U3, U4, U5 ,U10, W5, W7, W8 and W9
Night routes: N10, N18, N28, N31 and N207

South London routes are operating as normal as Metrobus drivers have cancelled their planned strike.

Routes affected in East London are:

# 58, 67, 91, 150, 165, 179, 191, 193, 212, 215, 231, 236, 252, 259, 299, 308, 309, 323, 339, 341, 357, 365, 370D, 385, 389, 399, 476, 488, 498, 616, 646, 649, 650, 652, 656, 679, 686, 692, 699, D6, D7, D8, RV1, W6, W10, W11 and W12
Night route: N91

Contact the Tfl travel information team on 020 7222 1234.

Tube routes throughout London are likely to be VERY busy that day, as will London Overground and other railways.

The bus strike will last until 3am Saturday 11th October 2008.

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BBC News: US debt clock runs out of digits

One for the "you couldn't make it up" section, which seems to have been balloning lately.

The National Debt Clock in New York will have to be replaced as it cannot display the full amount of debt.

American national debt passed 10 trillion dollars at the end of last month.

A regulary updated figure can be seen here.

Egyptian newspaper editor recieves presidental pardon

Ibrahim Eissa, the editor in chief of the newspaper Al-Dustour, recieved a presidential pardon earlier this week.

He was sentenced to two months in prison last month after publishing articles in August 2007 speculating on the health of President Hosni Mubarak.

In one article, Eissa stated:"The president in Egypt is a god and gods don’t get sick. Thus, President Mubarak, those surrounding him, and the hypocrites hide his illness and leave the country prey to rumors.

"It is not a serious illness. It’s just old age. But the Egyptian people are entitled to know if the president is down with something as minor as the flu."

Egypt’s penal code criminalizes ‘insulting the president’ and defamation of government under the pretext of public interest and national security.

Three other editors of newspapers critical of the Egyptian government have been prosecuted in the criminal courts.

They are Adel Hammouda of Al Fagr, Wael el Ebrashi of Sawt al- Umma and Abel-Halim Qandil of Al Karama.

The human rights organisation Article 19 has welcomed the release of Ibrahim Eissa and has called on the Egyptian government to immediately halt the imprisonment of journalists for publication crimes.

Article 19 has also urged the Egyptian government to reform its penal code, which contradicts standards set under international treaties signed by Egypt.

Source: Article 19

Confessions of a Fake Sheik: Mazher Mahmood

I've been reading a number of exciting books lately, which I'll be reviewing over the next two weeks.

Confessions of a Fake Sheik, by News of the World reporter Mazher Mahmood, is one of them.

It's a fast-paced story of an investigative journalist who exposed celebrities, paedophiles and Royals while disguised in Arab robes bought for £9.99 in Birmingham.

Mahmood, who comes across as a principled and canny reporter, has faced down the Czechoslovakian secret service, death threats and even armed criminals.

Aside from the Sheik, he's assumed other identies, even pretending to be a sex offender to entrap a puppy-loving paedophile.

In this book, he reveals his meetings with Paul Burrell, Freddie Shepherd and John Fashanu, as well as his video surveillance of Jerry Springer in a rather unusual threesome.

An astonishing 232 people have been convicted as a result of Mazher Mahmood's diligent investigations, including people smugglers and kidnappers.

As one judge said, this sort of investigative journalism is in the best traditions.

Confessions of a Fake Sheik is often shocking, sometimes heartbreaking and always great fun.

The detail is meticulous without ever becoming boring.

It's out now at £16.99 (hardback).

BBC News: Central banks cut interest rates

Six central banks, including the Bank of England and European Central Bank , have cut interest rates by 0.5%.

In response, British mortgage providers have cut the cost of home loans.

Facebook group for Oxford residents

Sadly, although there is an Oxford University facebook network, the town of Oxford only has a Facebook group.

If you live or have spent much of your life in Oxford, you can join the Oxford Facebook group here.

There are currently over 10,000 members. Facebook have told the group's creators, Joe Nicholls and Mikey Smith, that if 100,000 people join they may consider giving Oxford its own network.

Why British counties can't have a network if there are no large cities I don't know.

Why not an Oxfordshire network?

5,000 people have also joined a group petitioning for an Oxford network.

I feel the 10,000 facebook group is better, however.

We need action on disability hate crimes

Disabled people across Britain are being bullied, attacked and sometimes even killed because of their condition, as the Independent reported on Monday.

This is a terrible situation, and one that I doubt the dead duck of a Labour government will resolve.

I feel that more education is needed to inform children about people with disabilites, including talks in schools.

Children should be informed that bullying of disabled people will report in punishment.

It would also be good if there were more blogs by people about their disabilities.

You can read the BBC's Ouch blog here.

There is a list of blogs from disabled people around the world here.

Arthritic Young Thing and Fangworld are two good ones.

If you know any more, in particular British ones (as I am blogging about disabled people in Britain here), please post.

I also think it is important for there to be a clearly identified liason between police and disabled people, a sort of community leader of the disabled for each town.

Not for the sake of political correctness, but so disabled people too nervous of reprisals can contact their representative, who can then speak to serving police officers.

Police officers who want to know more about how disabled people can be protected could also ask the representative without worrying about how their questions might be perceived.

We also need to end this kind of thinking:

In one case, where Brent Martin, 22, was kicked, punched and beaten to death last year for a £5 bet, appeal court judges in June even reduced sentences for his killers – William Hughes, 22, Marcus Miller, 16, and Stephen Bonallie, 17 – because Mr Martin's murder was not "sadistic".

These steps might help reduce the fear of disability, which Disability Now editor Ian Macrae thinks is the key factor.

The Economist: First, do no harm. Do bosses need their own Hippocratic Oath?

The Economist examines if management needs it's own Hippocratic Oath, which has been proposed by Harvard Business School professors Rakesh Khurana and Nitin Nohria in their article It’s Time to Make Management a True Profession.

No place to hang out your washing?

One industry that may become more profitable during the recession is the home security.

Unemployment is rising, meaning that crime will rise as people have less to do and less money to spend.

Nick Cohen provides evidence of this in his book Pretty Straight Guys, pointing out that the British Crime Survey shows that crime rose by 11% a year between 1991 and 1993 at a time of high unemployment, whereas it fell by 6% per year between 1995 and 2000, when unemployment fell to pre-1979 levels.

Police officers are leaving the force to work abroad due to low morale and low pay, and the form-filling culture means that many are at the station filling in reports.

Police blogs reveal the shocking state of 21st century policing.

I predict that over the next twelve months, sales of burglar alarms, "Beware of the dog" signs, CCTV cameras which you can connect to your television and steering wheel locks will rapidly increase.

BBC News: Government to unveil bank rescue

A rescue package will be announced for UK banks in the next few hours, after steep drops in banking shares.

Jon Snow on Channel Four News said "The world has turned on its head" when reporting this.

Over in Iceland, Landsbanki, the second largest bank, has been nationalised.

Liverpool Daily Post.co.uk: Defaulting tenants to be shamed as rent ‘dodgers’

Sign of the times:

SIGNS naming and shaming those who have fallen behind with their rent will be put up outside dozens of homes across Merseyside in the next few weeks as landlords feel the bite of the credit crunch.

Two homes have so far had the signs – which say “rent dodger lives here” and have a shadowy image of a man running away – put up high on the houses, and more are expected to follow.

More at the Liverpool Daily Post.

Will residents realy care that they live near people who haven't paid their rent?

The story also mentions a possible legal issue.

The Liverpool Daily Post site does need better links between opinion and news pieces, and the word "commercial" doesn't have a hyphen in it.

Putting "OPINION: PAGE 8" is no good for the web edition, and I can't turn physical pages to find the related opinion column.

Actual comment pieces on the Legal Week blog, rather than a copy and paste of news stories, would also be good.

The Interactive News Map is nice, however, as is the "Get Involved" menu.

Guardian.co.uk: Oxford v Cambridge: battle of the podcasts

[Oxford and Cambridge universities] are simultaneously publishing about 450 hours of free audio and video podcasts of lectures, films and admissions guides for people to download to a computer or MP3 player. They will be available from iTunesu, the download provider's university portal, where American institutions have been broadcasting their academic wares for some years. Both universities will provide podcasts advising students on applications, how to choose a college, and how to prepare for an interview.

More at the Guardian, including Donald MacLeod's podcast on this development.

What are gilts?

Gilts, or gilt-edged stocks, are British government bonds.

Most are redeemable (dated), but a few have no fixed repayment date.

Those that do are divided into shorts (less than seven years), medium dated (seven to fifteen) or longs (fifteen or more).

Gilts are listed on the London Stock Exchange,and currently managed by the ominous-sounding UK Debt Management Office (DMO),part of the Treasury.

They are seen as secure, because as the DMO points out, "the British Government has never failed to make interest or principal payments on gilts as they fall due."

What affects gilts?

Gilts are affected by the Uk's financial outlook. A poor economy will mean few will be repayed.

The pound's strength is one example of a factor affecting gilt prices.

"Harry and Paul" was not racist about Filipinos

The Phillipine Foundation has complained that the BBC comedy show Harry and Paul's sketch about a Filipina maid was "completely disgraceful, distasteful and a great example of gutter humour."

It hs called for the "re-education of the BBC", and has created a petition, which I shall link for posterity.

The Phillipine Embassy has also complained to the BBC, as well as the Press Complaints Commission.

I watch Harry and Paul weekly, and have seen the sketch in question.

There is no racism intended.

The sketch attacks the attitudes of the conservative middle classes.

Indeed, it can be seen as a fantasy where Mondeo Man keeps Northerners as pets, litterbugs are shot, and everyone votes United Kingdom Independence Party.

Almost a satirical dystopia.

I can think of several comedians who use racist material. Harry Enfield and Paul Whitehouse are not among them.

Asda's "seasonal" promotions

Light aside here. I bought a sandwich from Asda yesterday and my till receipt had "NIVA suncream at £2" just below the barcode.

Despite the fact it's October and less and less people can afford to travel abroad due to the financial crisis.

There's no place like Asda. For misguided optimism.

BBC News: UK economy 'already in recession'

The British Chambers of Commerce survey has found confidence has collapsed in both manufacturing and service sectors after surevying 5,000 businesses.

They have called on the government to cut interest rates.

More at the BBC.

When will this end? Will Gordon Brown and Alistair Darling benefit from Mandelson's presence?

Surely the Bank of England must cut interest rates soon?

Photos:British warship on the Thames and Tower Bridge

Some photos I took in July before my Daily Express internship:

A British warship on the Thames, with City Hall in the background.










Tower Bridge.

Is Barack Obama on course to win?

The Washington Post claims the world financial crisis has given Barack Obama a clear lead over John McCain.

Obama, who has not pledged to only take public funds, unlike McCain, also has a much larger "war chest", over four times McCain's $84 million limit.

With his running mate Sarah Palin a gift to satirists, can McCain narrow Obama's lead?

Even Republican stratigist Karl Rove predicts a narrow Obama win.

Still, the Democrats must not be complacent. Elections can swing on a single event.

The Economist: Shake it all about

Stamford University's Quake Catcher Network are asking anyone with a laptop to help them detect earthquakes - and all you need to do is download some software and join the network of volunteers.

More from The Economist.

Mudflats: McCain Palin Rally vs. Obama Biden Rally in Anchorage! The Blow by Blow

I found this excellent Alaskan blog today, which had an interesting post on the difference between the Republican and Democrat rallies in Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska.

Guardian's Alistair Cooke booklet (also online)

Today the Guardian is giving away a free booklet with some of Alistair Cook's reports from America, as well as a piece by his daughter.

You can read them online here.

Guardian booklets do have a lovely design. I collected the Great Speeches in 2007, and they always drew my attention first when I unfolded the newspaper's sections.

1964 General Election night on BBC Parliament: Then and now

Last night BBC Parliament showed the 1964 General Election night coverage with Richard Dimbleby.

Fresh-faced Leader of the Opposition Harold Wilson, who went on to become the brightest and best Prime Minister since 1945, faced Alec Douglas-Home, widely seen as a "caretaker" Prime Minister.

No graphics, no ticker or studio bloggers. There was much more focus on presenters and displays were adjusted during pieces to camera.

No landslide as in 1983 or 1997: a majority of 4 was claimed by the Labour Party.

As now, the big issue was the economy. In 1964, devaluation of the pound was a hot topic.

Iain Dale's Diary has some interesting comments from people who took part in that Election.

You can see more coverage from various election nights, along with party polictical and party election broadcasts, at James Alexander's Youtube page.

BBC Global News to launch six new Youtube channels

BBC Global News has signed an agreement with Youtube to add BBC video news channels in Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Persian and Urdu to the BBC World News channel, launching by the end of 2008.

Video news stories will run daily across the different channels, and each one will be tailored to its audience, according to the BBC's press office.

Jim Egan, Director of Strategy and Business Development, BBC Global News, said:"We are very pleased to extend our relationship with Google through the planned launch of six new channels, offering video news to YouTube's users in Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Persian and Urdu.

"This deal reflects BBC Global News' determination to reach and engage with audiences across the world in unique and pioneering ways."

BBC Global News includes BBC World Service, BBC World News and the BBC's international facing online news services, and provides a focal point for audiences around the world.

Poynter Online: Deep Reporting, Engaging Stories on This American Life

Steve Myers praises the reporting of the documentary show This American Life and interviews Alex Blumberg, one of its producers.

You can read the article here.

I heard it on the Howard Frankland.

That's when, as I drove that bridge on the way to work, the subprime mortgage mess made sense to me. That's when I heard from a man who borrowed $540,000 he couldn't pay back, the ex-bartender who bought and sold mortgages like that one, the young college grad drinking Cristal champagne bought with commissions from selling investments made up of such loans.

I didn't hear from these people in a typical news story. It was another podcast of This American Life, the documentary radio show better known for David Sedaris than news analysis.

Podcasts of This American Life here.

What are the forex markets?

Forex markets are foreign exchange markets, where currencies are traded.

They are dealt in by most major banks and foreign exchange brokers.

The largest foreign exchange market is London.

The value of a curreny depends on how much the country which uses it is spending abroad relative to how much it is earning abroad.

A country with a strong currency will be eanring more than it is spending aborad, and will have low inflation.

High interest rates will also attract investors by increasing returns.

Currencies are measured in the Financial Times currencies, money and capital markets pages.

Tip: Sorting your Google Reader in alphabetical order

I see a lot of blog comments asking "How do I sort my Google Reader alphabetically?".

Simple.

Click "Options" at the bottom left of the window, next to "Manage Subscriptions" .

Click on the first option: "Alphabetical".

And it's done!

Wire to the soul: Thoughts on The Wire Series Four

This week I've been spending some of the few leisure hours I have watching Series 4 of the Wire, probably Home Box Office's best ever show.

The Wire is far more than a US cop show.

Although the first three series focused on the Baltimore police, they also depicted the lives of drug runners and dock workers without resorting to stereotypes or generalisations.

Indeed, the show is not primarily about crime. Nor is it about solely American problems.

It is about the decay of institutions due to venal leadership (Clarence Royce, William Rawls) and the failure of any attempts to change the decline (Hamsterdam, Colvin's schools program).

The Wire's refusual to offer a Friends-style view of America extends to its characters. There are no heroes and few villans.

Police officers are prank-playing, hard-drinking workhorses who dislike picking up the phone in case another body has been reported.

Teachers keep the windows closed to reduce disruption in the classroom by making pupils drowsy.

Politicans promise change and then look at the huge budget deficit.

As David Simon, one of The Wire's creators, said in a letter to fans:

If you followed us for sixty hours, and you find yourself caring about these issues more than you thought you would, then perhaps the next step is to engage and to demand, where possible, a more sophisticated and meaningful response from authority when it comes to such things as the drug war, educational reform or responsible political leadership.

The Wire is about the America we pay for and tolerate. Perhaps it is possible to pay for, and demand, something more.

Series Four (spoilers below):

Series Four has expanded the focus to take in the Baltimore education system, which struggles to motivate children involved in the drug trade.

Former police officer Roland Pryzbylewski is now teaching at turbulent Edward J. Tilghman Middle School, while mayoral candidates Tommy Carcetti and Clarence Royce are battling to run the city.

Meanwhile the Major Crimes Unit and Homicide try to solve some of the crime caused by the drug trade, resulting in the former being shut down.

Series 4 is as brilliant as the first three, and the better for its slightly wider range.

Peter Mandelson returns to government

Gordon Brown still has the power to surprise.

Peter Mandelson is expected to be made Business Secretary with a seat in the House of Lords, according to BBC News.

I wonder if he'll score a resignation hat-trick.

Ian Blair has resigned

Three Blairs. Two have resigned. Lionel must be worried.

Planet India: Mira Kamdar

Anyone wanting to find out more about one of the world's most important emerging markets should read Mira Kamdar's Planet India.

This striking book is extremely informative on India's infrastructure,development and culture.

Kamdar has researched India in great detail, helped by her fluency in Hindi.

Planet India paints a picture of India as a country of contrasts, from its gleaming coastal cities with shopping malls and mobile networks to rural areas without phone lines or electricity.

India's nuclear capabilities and AIDS epidemic are also discussed, as is the caste system and India's globally popular film industry, Bollywood.

There is useful detail on education in India and the rise of industries such as computing and animation.

The book also examines the relationship between India and the United States, including the contribution of Indians in California's Silicon Valley.

The Elephant and The Dragon is another good book on India and its economy, which also provides extensive detail on China.

What are takeovers?

A takeover is when one company bids for another.

This bid may be agreed (both directors have decided it is in their mutual interest),defended (the company being bid for tries to fight the bid) or contested (two companies bid for the same company).

A defended takeover is also a hostile takeover.

For a company to take another over, at least 50.01% of the company being taken over's shareholders must sell their shares or accept their offer.

The company bidding can make a cash offer or a paper offer (share exchange offer).

Market purchases, whereby the bidding company has purchased shares in the company bid for via the stockmarket, may be involved.

Hostile takeover:

A hostile takeover is when a bidder bypasses the management of the company he is bidding for and appeals directly to the shareholders.

Hostile takeovers are more risky for the bidder than friendly (normal) takeovers.

Bid conditions:

Certain conditions, also known as acceptances, must be met for the bid to work.

If the bid is referred to the Competition Commission, the bidder must withdraw.

There is also a bid timetable of 60 days.

If the bidder cannot gain control within this time, he or she must wait another year before trying to bid again.

Media Bloggers Association launces legal advisory and liability insurance program for bloggers

The Media Bloggers Association (“MBA”) announced today that it has launched a comprehensive program to provide bloggers access to the same sort of legal and financial resources long available to traditional media organizations including BlogInsure, a first of its kind liability insurance program for bloggers which provides coverage for all forms of defamation, invasion of privacy and copyright infringement or similar allegations arising out of blogging activities.

More at the Media Bloggers Association site.

BBC 3 documentary by Love Productions at Oxford Union

To the Oxford Union in Frewin Court, central Oxford, to be an audience member for the filming of a new BBC 3 series on self-confidence.

Five nurses, each suffering from a lack of confidence, gave a fifteen minute talk about themselves, and then answered some questions from the thirty or so audience members.

A worthwhile morning as our comments on their talk helped boost their self esteem, and they were able to talk about their problems and improve their public speaking.

They also encouraged them to think about the reasons for embarking on a week of challenges to improve their confidence, as well as whether to take the next challenge.

The challenge the women were discussing today will be taking place on Friday in London, but I won't spoil the surprise.

The programme is made by Love Productions. I'm not sure when it will be broadcast but I'll try and write something here.

If anyone wants to know who I am when you watch it, I was sitting near the speakers on the side benches furthest from the door, wearing a black jumper and black jeans.

Other programmes in the series include teachers and health and beauty workers.

The Oxford Union

I haven't been in the Oxford Union before, and my first thoughts on entering were how it reminded me of the Houses of Parliament, with a Speaker's chair against the wall and a table with two chests which I presume are symbolic.

The door to the hall also has "ayes" on the right and "noes" on the left, which is how students vote.

Obviously I couldn't take photographs that morning, but I saw busts of Michael Heseltine and Harold Macmillan, as well as a portrait of the late Benzair Bhutto.

Heseltine and Bhutto were both Presdients of the Oxford Union. Had the First World War not broken out in 1914, Macmillan would have been as well.

Aside from the two benches on opposite sides of the speaker, resembling the benches of the House Of Parliament, there are seats facing the speaker near the back, as well as the balcony.

Reportr.net: BBC appoints blogger-in-residence

Internet executive Steve Bowbrick will be blogging for BBC Future Media & Technology for six months, as reported at Reportr.net

Steve already has some interesting ideas about the BBC and technology, and he writes interesting, varied and well-written posts.

The blog, on the BBC's readiness to share content, can be read here.

Finextra.com: UK online banking fraud soars

Industry losses from online banking fraud increased a massive 185% in the first half of the year to £21.4 million, according to figures released by UK payments association Apacs.

More.

Google News in Polish/Google News w Polsce

Google News is now avalible in Polish, bringing the total number of lanauges it can be read in to 23.

Polish speakers can read more on the Google Poland blog.