British press taking flak from America and Iraq

Double whammy for the British press this week on the international stage.

White House Press Secretaries are generally rather salty characters, but Robert Gibbs' attack on the British press is another indication of the contempt the American establishment has for Britain.

Gibbs said "Let's just say if I wanted to look up, if I wanted to read a write-up of how Manchester United fared last night in the Champions League Cup, I'd might open up a British newspaper.

"If I was looking for something that bordered on truthful news, I'm not entirely sure it'd be the first pack of clips I'd pick up" in response to reports by the Daily Telegraph alleging that President Obama decided not to release new photos of convict abuse at Abu Ghraib prison.

Like The Thick of It's Malcolm Tucker, but without the low cunning. If he had named specific newspapers, I wonder if he could be sued in the UK for libel. I know how harsh our libel laws are.

Here is the link again, just to annoy Robert Gibbs.

One wonders if Mr Gibbs has ever picked up a British newspaper. Manchester United is an obvious choice of team to mention as it is almost a cliche of British football here and abroad.

It is not for the American press secretary to attack the British press. As Nile Gardiner says, Gibbs should apolgise.

The Guardian is also been sued by the Iraqi intelligence services for defamation after a story by Ghaith Abdul-Ahad describing Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's administration as "increasingly autocratic", according to the newspaper.

This seems a rather stupid step for the Prime Minister of Iraq to take. Suing someone who accuses you of leading an autocratic regime does not lend credence to your argument.

Of course, the rehash of the tragic Madeleine McCann case by the tabloids will also cause problems between English-Portuguese relations as well. It surprises me that new angles are still being found by our media.

They might want to take a look at what is going on in Peru instead.

Concern over Plymouth CityBus sell off

In Devon, South West England, there are concerns over the possible selling off of Plymouth CityBus shares by Plymouth City Council.

Up to £940,000 of public money could be spent by the council to investigate selling the company according to the BBC.

The Unite union, which represents workers at Plymouth CityBus, is concerned about job losses and a reduction in service if the sale goes ahead, although these points have been dismissed by the council as "scaremongering".

Control over Park and Ride services, where people park on the outskirts of Plymouth and take a bus into the City, was lost to First Devon and Cornwall three years ago.

Outside of London, Britain's bus services are mostly expensive, poorly run and with questionable investment proposals. I hope that CityBus will not become another such company.

I also think this seems like a huge waste of money. Plymouth CityBus may not be perfect, but is selling off the company the real answer? I doubt this.

Some interesting comments on the proposed sale here.

You can join a Facebook group opposing the sale of Plymouth CityBus here.

London Underground strike from 7pm on Tuesday June 9 to 7pm on Thursday June 11 by RMT union members

A London Underground strike by Rail, Maritime and Transport(RMT)union members will take place from 7pm on Tuesday June 9 to 7pm on Thursday June 11.

The RMT claim that "bosses are threatening to tear up an agreement aimed at safeguarding jobs, and has refused to rule out compulsory redundancies."

Union members voted to strike by a huge margin, with 2,810 voting for and 488 against, although a majority did not vote.

RMT general secretary Bob Crow described the vote to strike on June 9 as "a magnificent result which underlines the anger that has been provoked by management in their confrontational approach on pay and job security. London Underground seems to think that observing agreements is optional, and its plan to cut jobs is simply unacceptable."

Socialist Unity also quotes Crow as calling for talks with London Mayor Boris Johnson.

However, London Underground Chief Operating Officer Howard Collins alleged that "The RMT leadership has failed to engage in any meaningful talks on pay, instead submitting a wildly unrealistic claim - demanding a five per cent pay rise for fewer hours in the middle of a recession.

"This review does not impact on front-line staff working on trains, stations or maintenance and there will be no impact on Tube services.In fact, with all the investment now going into renewing and upgrading the Tube, we will be running more services in future, not less."

Personally, even if many of these jobs are being duplicated, I feel they should have been cut during a time when it was easier to find jobs rather than during a difficult recession. I don't blame the RMT for wanting to strike, and for those who think I'm a "middle class lefty", I'm working on June 9 and June 11 (I usually work from home Wednesdays).

The Tube network will be crowded to bursting during the strike, so leave very early and consider using an alternate way to travel.

Buses will also be crowded, and traffic will be worse during the strike.

Business trip to Belgium

Just got back from an excellent and productive trip to Belgium to visit my coworkers in the ISEAL Brussels office, located in an extremly cool office complex on the rue Fernand Bernierstraat in the Quartier Saint Gilles.

Yesterday was the first time I had ever been to Belgium.

Brussels is a beautiful city with exciting trams and some of the most considerate drivers in Europe. London drivers could learn a lot from them!

On Thursday night after a tasty fruit beer, I had a long walk into the centre of Brussels, and walked back to my slightly grim hotel near Bruxelles-Midi via the Boulevard du Midi.

I ate dinner on Friday night in the excellent Maison du Peuple, near Parvais de Saint-Gilles/Saint-Gilles Voorplan, which does snacks, small meals and alcohol. It also has wifi, which is useful when you have mr office laptop with you.

Another place I recommend seeing is the Porte de Hal/Halle Gate/Hallepoort, a former city gate built in 1381. Although I did not have time to go inside, I had a nice time in the surronding park.

Travelling on the Eurostar for the first time in many years, I noticed how dreary the train seemed compared to the last time I was travelling on it, as well as how difficult it was to find wifi (if indeed there is wifi on the Eurostar).

While St Pancreas station does have free wifi, Bruxelles-Midi does not.

Not as exciting as my other trip this month, but as that was a holiday visiting a friend it's something I don't want to discuss on this blog, as it's more personal life. I had a fantastic time on that trip.

Free Richard Long artwork at some Jubilee Line London Underground stations

Next Tuesday and Wednesday, an exclusive print of an artwork by acclaimed British artist Richard Long will be given away at certain Underground Stations.

The free prints, entitled, One Thing Leads to Another - Everything is Connected, will be given away between 07:00 and 12:00 at the following stations: Stanmore, Wembley Park, Finchley Road, Baker Street, Green Park, Westminster, London Bridge, Canada Water, Canary Wharf and Stratford.

All stations are on the Jubilee Line.

Richard Long's work documents an eight-mile walk he took across the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland in 2007 and the things he discovered as he travelled.

He will also design the cover of the next London Underground map in September.

Sally Shaw, Curator of Art on the Underground, said: "This beautiful work by Richard Long is a window into an entirely different landscape.

"It brings a moment of quiet contemplation to the heart of our busy city lives."

Long has exhibited widely since his first solo show at the Konrad Fischer Gallery in Düsseldorf in 1968. He represented Britain in the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 1976.

New free newspaper sought for London Underground

If that isn't exciting enough, why not bid for the right to give your free paper away on the Underground each weekday morning? Associated Newspapers' contract to give out the Metro is ending, and Transport for London are looking for a replacement.

Richard Parry, Interim Managing Director of London Underground, said: "The free morning newspaper is part of the fabric of city life and a success story for the publisher and our passengers alike.", but I'm concerned about the safety hazard that free newspapers on the floor cause.

I would like to see Transport for London considering ways to stop communters leaving them on the ground, as long as it won't be like that awful Together for London campaign.

Mock attack on North Korea

The despotic state of North Korea has recently been in the news after they launched a second nuclear test.

Here Noah Shachtman comments on preparing for war with North Korea.

First Oxford Working Class Bookfair on Saturday 20 June at Ruskin College 11 am - 6 pm

Ruskin College is well known for providing education to adults who have no formal educational qualifications as well as its links with various trade unions.

On June 20, it will host the First Oxford Working Class Bookfair, which will include talks, workshops and films.

Those attending include Richard Seymour of Lenin's Tomb, who is also speaking at Sussex University this Thursday in Room 133 Arts C, Malcolm Hopkins from the radical bookshop Housemartins and David Reuton, who has written a history of the Anti-Nazi League.

There will also be a commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of the 1909 Ruskin College Student Strike and the Red Shirts, a group set up to oppose Oswald Mosley's fascist Black Shirts.

Ruskin College is located in Walton Street, and the Oxford Working Class Bookfair will take place from 11 am to 6 pm.

Directions to Ruskin College can be seen here.

Sunderland Working Class Bookfair:

The 4th Sunderland Working Class Bookfair will take place on Saturday 13 June from 11am to 4pm at Museum Vaults,33 Silksworth Row,Central Sunderland.

There will be an event marking the 25 anniversary of the Orgreave picket during the 1984-5 miners's strike.

New .be Facebook scam

Last week I recieved a message from one of my Facebook friends asking me to check out orangefan.be.

I didn't click the link, which proved to be the right choice.

Mashable's Pete Cashmore reports than anyone recieving a message with just a .be site in it should delete it.

If you know the person sending the message, you should probably warn them that their Facebook account has been infected.

One commentator on the Mashable story asks why Facebook have not alerted their users to this problem via a message on profiles (such as the "Connect to Facebook from your phone" box currently on the top of my profile) or on the Facebook Blog, which currently has changes to the Facebook Gift Shop as the most recent post.

It's a fair question.

Ironically, .be is the domain for Belgium, which I will be visiting later this week on a business trip.

Examiner.com also reports that people should also be wary of clicking on .at sites sent on their own in a message.

.at is the domain for Austria.

Should the BNP be banned from the Queen's garden party?

The Daily Mail reports today that Boris Johnson is trying to prevent the British National Party's leader Nick Griffin and GLA member Richard Barnbrook from attending the Queen's garden party.

Do we really want to play into the hands of whinging BNP activists trying to paint the party as something people are afraid to let speak or mingle with the elite?

A ban on Richard Barnbrook and Nick Griffin will simply lead to the BNP claiming an Establishment plot.

As the Guardian's Dave Hill points out, Richard Barnbrook is an elected member of the Greater London Assembly and he can bring whom he wishes.

Most articles on the British National Party have a number of comments from BNP supporters, some of whom seem to believe that the best way to change an opponent's mind is to insult them.

The party has a very internet-savvy policy and has probably warned its members to reply to articles critical of the BNP.

It is up to the Palace to decide who goes to the Royal garden party and stuffs themselves with swan vol-au-vents and peanuts, or whatever is served at the event (I wasn't invited. Again.)

If Mr Griffin or Mr Barnbrook let loose a bigoted slur while admiring a particularly nice water feature, and one of the other guests reports it to the media, perhaps more members of the public will realise how unpleasant the British National Party really is.

Victoria Coren puts it far more wittily than I do.

What to wear to the Queen's garden party:

If, unlike me, you ARE invited to the Queen's garden party, this link from the moneysavingexpert.com forums may help in giving tips on what to wear.

A summary:
Never wear anything above the knee or too low cut.
Wear comfortable yet smart shoes, not very high heels.
Cameras are forbidden.
Wear a shoulder handbag, not a clutch bag. Easier to curtsy (this only applies to women. Men bow.)
You will also receive comprehensive instructions beforehand.

I would add that chewing gum, smoking a rollup, turning up in fancy dress, riding a penny farthing or being sexually aroused are frowned upon, and the latter will result in you being arrested.

Pictures of the Queen:

For some reason, another Daily Mail article about BNP candidate Eddy O'Sullivan's offensive Facebook profile also has a picture of the Queen appearing to sleep during the opening ceremony of the Leigh Sports Village near Manchester and another one of her looking at baked beans.

If you enjoy deeply boring pictures of our tedious head of state, click here.

Lovely weather this weekend

I am aware that this blog is full of negative posts about current affairs, society and my day to day life!

In an attempt to cheer things up, I should say that this weekend has been one of goregous light blue skies and warm weather.

The British cliche that bank holidays are full of rain and traffic jams does not seem to be holding up here!

Aside from spending some of the holiday dealing with looking for a studio flat or one bedroom flat in North London, I've also taken out some nice books from the local library, including a history of the Transport and General Workers Union.

In April, I also started drinking the popular beverage tea after twenty three years, a nice addition to an hour or so of reading.

My latest Twitter follower

Of my Twitter followers, a number of them seem to be spam accounts that are closed down rapidly.

My latest follower is a spam account called "Sherri288" who "Loves Making Money On Twitter".

Her single tweet boasts "Get 17,000 Followers On Twitter Fast, I Did It And Am Making Money With Twitter"

Number of followers her account has? 28.

At the risk of leaving myself open to further spam, I'm also flat hunting in North London. I'm looking in areas such as Archway, Highgate and Kentish Town. If you know of a good studio flat or 1 bedroom flat, why not email me?

Will CCTV in the classroom help restore order?

Henry Porter praises the children of Davenant Foundation School in Loughton, North East London, who walked out of lessons where CCTV cameras were present, in today's Guardian.

The Waltham Forest Guardian, which is still my local paper for the next six weeks, reports that the school said "the equipment has been installed in two classrooms to capture footage showing examples of best practice in the profession, and would not be used without pupils' knowledge."

Henry Porter disagrees, saying "there is no valid argument for this kind of surveillance, as [Epping Forest MP Eleanor] Laing ought to know."

I don't like Porter's implication that those who disagree are wrong. I wonder if he has read some of the comments from teachers claiming that CCTV would help them against unfounded accusations by pupils.

One excellent blog on how hard it is to be a teacher in Britain is Scenes From The Battleground.

In one disturbing blog post, some of the bizarre and sometimes career threatning accusations children make are highlighted. Children these days are also keen to pretend that they are not responsible for the havoc they create.

Some commentators on Henry Porter's article sneer at the teachers. Andyv, who I can't imagine has ever dealt with children says "No, surveillance cameras are just liddism, ie trying to keep the lid on seething resentment. Why do we have seething resentment? 30 years of the me,me, me society.

The trouble you are experiencing in the classroom is the symptom of a much wider and deeper malaise within or society. Better to cure the underlying disease than just suppress the symptoms."

It is true that the rise of greed has contributed to turning out horrible children. In the Sixties, children delighted in nice things and were creative.

Rising unemployment in the late Seventies, early Eighties and mid Nineties, not to mention the latest financial crisis, has helped lead to social decay.

Today, a minority of incompetent and feckless parents turn out fashion obsessed pop culture junkies who revel in not thinking for themselves and not considering the future.

However, it will take generations to fix the rot, and in the meantime our underpaid, hard working teachers deserve protection.

I don't like the idea of cameras in the classroom, but I am starting to wonder if there is no alternative if we want to avoid teachers deserting an increasingly hostile profession.

Of course, other measures such as smaller class sizes and better discipline need to be brought in, and there will be an initial period when the cameras are disruptive.

All children, parents and teachers need to be aware that the classrooms have cameras and who can view the footage, as well as who can access the recording equipment

Where cameras should not be used is in a school such as Davenant Foundation School, which has an excellent behavioural record.

I do not believe that children should be filmed to "show examples of best practice in the profession". I believe that they may have to be filmed so teachers can expect fair treatment.

While I disagree with his latest post on universities, Frank Chalk also writes an excellent blog on education. In this post, he also discusses how children can make false complaints against teachers.

No more John Prescott jokes please

Just watched last week's Have I Got News For You (episode 4 of series thirty seven) with Rolf Harris, Julia Hartley-Brewer of the Express and the excellent Andy Hamilton.

The usual "Prescott is fat" jokes, this time focused around breaking toilet seats, and even a rather odious comment on Prescott's bulimia by Hartley-Brewer.

She obviously regards a serious eating order as a laughing matter, as many of the audience did as well.

Why is it acceptable to snigger at someone because of their weight? Those who regard the BBC as a politically correct haven should explain why jokes about the overweight and those with eating disorders were broadcast last Friday night.

Andy Hamiliton was as usual funny without becoming odious, unlike Julia Hartley-Brewer's playground spite.

It would be nice if the BBC didn't help to encourage the bullying of the overweight or those with eating disorders, but then I guess it's okay for licence payers' money to fund the increasing viciousness of British culture, especially among the young.

This once razor sharp satire series has become a banal shadow of its former self. I have the Very Best of Have I Got News For You DVD, and the quality of the episodes pre 2002, when Angus Deayton was fired, is a sharp constract to the current drivel.

For those who say that Deayton had to go because he "became the news", what about guest hosts like Gordon Ramsey or even Joan Collins who hogged the show with jokes about themselves?

I haven't watched all of tonight's, but I hope Prescott's weight or eating disorder is not a target.

Watching the first half, some interesting revelations about the vile James Purnell, about who I found quite a funny blog while writing this post. Reginald D Hunter is quite good and it seems on better form than the past few episodes of series 37.

Have I Got News For You needs more political satire and less attacks on weight and eating disorders. It needs more intelligent and funny guests such as Andy Hamilton and David Mitchell (who will be on later in the series) and less people such as Julia Hartley-Brewer.

Someone on comedy forum Cookd and Bombd made that people like Hartley-Brewer are allowed to spout bigoted tripe, but when comedian Mark Steel was on he got taken to task by Ian Hislop.

Stephen Fry is mostly wrong on MP's expenses

Pinknews.co.uk has a story on Stephen Fry attacking the "revolting" public anger over MP's expenses in an interview with the Big Issue:"We think that what’s wrong with the country is not us, but the person next to us. We prefer to say it’s the fault of some Scot who happens to be the Prime Minister – that’s just not the way the world works, in my view."

Fry also claims that journalists are just as bad, saying "Where do journalists get off trying to pretend that it’s somehow worse to fiddle your expenses if it’s the taxpayers’ money than if it’s Rupert Murdoch’s?"

He has also made similiar comments on Newsnight.

While it is true that MP's expenses claims are getting more press than equally (or even more) shocking stories such as the 3,000 arson attacks on schools since 2007, this does not make the British public revolting for being concerned, nor does it make us hypocrites.

Most people I know are happy to pay a bit more tax to improve public services. The majority of my friends either do not drive or live in areas with poor public transport links. I know very few hypocrites.

Fry's main point is that people are angry over the expense claims than other political corruption. People are capable of being outraged about more than one thing at a time. Of course there are more important news stories, and people care about them as well.

I'm annoyed about the expense claims as well as the waste of money on the 2012 London Olympic Games and identity cards, lax sentencing and the pointless and energy-wasting electronic propaganda screens at the end of Brick Lane near Aldgate East tube, to name four.

If they are not being covered by newspapers, it may be because they don't fit in with the newspaper's editorial line or they might annoy advertisers (two of the five filters of news).

As for journalists, I do not believe that Rupert Murdoch's money would go towards funding schools or hospitals if not used for expense claims, unlike taxpayers' money. Journalist Louise Bolotin also makes the point that the era of expense claim extravagance in the media is no longer.

While a minority for journalists may be claiming unjustified expenses for lunches or taxi rides taken outside of their work, how many are claiming for bookcases or moats?

Fry's negative views on the British also ignores the legion of people who volunteer for charities and who treat others with respect. Most British people are decent and honest, but a minority ruin others' lives and hog the tabloids' headlines.

The idea that people on high salaries can claim outrageous expenses while paramedics and police officers struggle to do an equally (if not more) worthy job on under £30,000 is odious.

I am glad this scandal has finally been exposed. I believe that those who represent the public have a special duty to be honest and free from corruption, particularly those who lecture people on benefit struggling to find a job, such as James Purnell.

Stephen Fry is a talented and clever man, but on this issue I strongly disagree with him, and those who say that MP's salaries need to be high to attract talent, as if people only do jobs for the money involved. And as for those who say that they did not break the rules: the rules themselves are immoral.

In fairness, he did also say "By all means tell the story – it’s a very important story to tell, and I’m not sympathetic to the MPs at all. I don’t think they’re sorry, I only think they’re sorry they’ve been found out." It seems that the response to the story is what has annoyed him. Isn't it good that people are becoming less apathetic and not just caring about rubbish like Big Brother or what Jordan is doing.

Many are not just angry at the waste of public money but at the destruction of trust in the British political system. This has provided a real boost to the vile British National Party, which is expected to do well in the Euro elections.

I also agree with his comments on Newsnight that we should not stop voting. Despite the desires of Antifa, I do not believe that not voting will stop corruption. The question is, what will?

One point Fry has not made which I would add is that some MP's did not make unjust expenses claims, but are being treated like they did.

I would also add that the Telegraph's response to Stephen Fry, by Liz Hunt, has been rather nasty.

Alexander Chancellor has an excellent reply to Stephen Fry's article in the Guardian.

I would add that while I disagree with Stephen Fry on this issue, I agree with him on a fair few others.

Guantanamo Bay closure halted

The BBC reports that the US Senate has voted by 90-6 to block the transfer of 240 inmates and provide funding to close the camp.

This story, unlike ones on Susan Boyle appearing on the Simpsons, pop star Michael Jackson delaying his tour dates to find more time to rehearse, or the cancellation of the hit and miss My Name Is Earl, was not one of the Most Popular Stories on the BBC at time of this posting.

The news is becoming more and more celebrity saturated. The free papers that litter the Central Line each evening are usually open at stories of rude pop stars and boorish comedians.

I understand escapism is needed in tough times, but it is also important to keep up with the real news, that which actually affects people.

This is real life, not Hollyoaks.

Victoria Line strike between 9pm Wednesday 20 May and 9pm Thursday 21 May

There will be a strike on the Victoria Line between 9pm Wednesday 20 May and 9pm Thursday 21 May.

Victoria Line passengers are advised to seek alternate routes, and other Tube Lines will see an increase in usage.

The strike has been called by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union over allegations that Tube doors are opening on the wrong side, putting the public at risk.

The RMT also demand the reinstatement of sacked driver Carl Campbell and an end to the alleged victimisation of RMT activist Glenroy Watson.

Tfl deny that their staff and the public are at risk, and claim that the row is over the suspension of Carl Campbell rather than safety, with London Underground's Chief Operating Officer Howard Collins saying: "This dispute is not about the safety of Victoria line trains, which have been operating well and safely for 40 years, during which time the RMT have never raised this as an issue...It is London Underground, not the RMT, that is defending the safety of passengers and staff."

A third strike will take place on 18 June, also by staff at the Seven Sisters depot.

Blogger Annie Mole also reminds us that the RMT ballot for strike action across Tfl over safety disputes, pay and breaches of disclipline closes on the 28th of May.

New anti-BNP campaign by Tim Montgomerie and James Bethell of ConservativeHome

ConservativeHome founder Tim Montgomerie and the former Conservative MP for Tooting,James Bethell, have launched a new campaign against the British National Party.

You can see a Youtube video from NothingBritish below:



The campaign has been praised by Harry's Place founder David T, while Adloyada doubts its effectiveness.

Another important resource in the fight against the British National Party and the rest of the far right is Epping Forest BNP Watch, which covers the antics of the BNP in North East London.

The British National Party are exploiting the dismal corruption among the three mainstream parties and trying to pretend that they are the answer.

They are not. Voting for the BNP as a protest vote will not send a message to the three main parties. Those who are the most corrupt don't care who you vote for if it isn't them.

A BNP victory will, however, send a message to those outside Britain that we are a backward, bigoted island.

It will destroy the hard-fought rights of homosexuals, lead to ever more incompetence
in administration than now, and lead to misery for those who have a different colour skin.

And would you vote for a political party whose mayoral candidate can't even hang the flag of Essex the right way up, or whose members denounce anyone who criticises them as "a bunch of f****ng lemmings who have the historical memory of a goldfish" (scroll down to Lee John Barnes' comment of the 15th May at 10:06 am?

British politics is in its worse state for decades. We need a strong political party to take on the BNP. Mainstream politicians claiming money for second homes should be ashamed at how their greed has benefited the British National Party.

Incidents such as the complaint by chef Hasanali Khoja that he was forced to cook bacon while working for the Metropolitan Police are also useful for the British National Party.

One side point: The BNP are surprisingly good at using new media. They have a number of blogs and have embraced Youtube. Like many corporations, they have a number of people keen to monitor blogs and post supportive comments.

It is also alarming that the British National Party website is the most visited political site. However, the BNP are always a good subject for stories, so many of the visits could be from journalists.

Book Review: ¡Hugo! The Hugo Chavez Story From Mud Hut to Perpetual Revolution by Bart Jones

I picked up ¡Hugo! The Hugo Chavez Story From Mud Hut to Perpetual Revolution from the excellent Music and Goods Exchange, 34 Notting Hill Gate, West London, one of London's best affordable bookshops.

Bart Jones arrived in Venezuela soon after the failed coup attempt of 2002, when Chavez and fellow army officers tried to overthrow the government of President Carlos Andrés Pérez.

He met Chavez after his release from prison in 1994 and began researching his book in 2003, managing to obtain another interview with the president and vice president (then Jorge Rodriguez).

¡Hugo! The Hugo Chavez Story is a very pro-Chavez account, although it is critical of him on rare occasion.

Jones clearly views Chavez as a good president, although he is disappointed with his lack of tact on some occasion.

The book is scathing about the previous administrations, including the corrupt Carlos Andrés Pérez, as well as the reaction of the United States, in particular former President G.W.Bush, to Chavez's rule.

It is excellent at providing a study of Chavez pre-Presidency, including his fascination with South American liberator Simón Bolívar and his life in the military academy.

His years as President are also well documented, with extensive discussion of the oil strike of 2002, the failed coup and his relations with his people.

The book is simply brilliant in providing a history of Venezuela and showing the inequality that caused people to vote for Chavez in 1998.

¡Hugo! The Hugo Chavez Story is a fantastic and mostly well argued book, but although it discussed many of the criticisms of Chavez, and was critical of his 21st Century Socialism project, I would also recommend reading other sources to get a more balanced picture.

While Bart Jones is a reliable source, having spent many years in Venezuela and interviewed Chavez and many Venezuelans, I feel that he does not examine enough the reasons why some do not like the President.

Although these posts were written after ¡Hugo! The Hugo Chavez Story was published, some Harry's Place bloggers view Venezuela as being full of anti-semitism, and are also critical of human rights in the country.

Is Bart Jones' book, which in all other areas is a must-read, a fair depiction of the life of Hugo Chavez or a whitewash?

Many who, unlike Bart Jones, have not been to Venezuela interpret Chavez's rule based on their politics.

The devotees of Indymedia, such as Voz de la Nueva Colombia (Voice of the New Colombia) regard him as a force for good.

Those of a more conservative view, such as the Republican Right in America, as well as liberal bloggers on Harry's Place, regard him as a demagogue.

Certainly, Chavez's attempts to regulate the media seem extremely heavy handed, although Bart Jones defends this by pointing to their biased coverage of the 2002 coup against Chavez.

Read ¡Hugo! The Hugo Chavez Story for a gripping and factually correct account of Chavez's life, but keep an open mind as to how benevolent the President of Venezula really is.

Has the London Evening Standard improved?

Last week, I blogged on the free issue of the newly relaunched London Evening Standard and how poor I thought it was.

On Wednesday 13, while on my way to view two flats near North London, I also managed to pick up a copy, which I thought was a vast improvement.

The London Evening Standard website has a number of newsworthy London stories, including Lambeth council paying drug dealers for information, progress on the Crossrail transport link and the horrific attack on a witness in the trial of the murderers of Sunday Essiet.

The comment section is also vastly improved, with an excellent column by the wonderful writer and journalist Will Self on the taxi wars in London (which I was not aware of) and little drivel such as seen in Monday's free edition.

The London Evening Standard also has a Twitter account, by which its 154 followers can view news headlines.

So maybe the free edition was simply targeted at status-obsessed celeb lovers. However, I think its tedious content was a mistake, and am glad to see an improvement.

French unions call for day of protest on 26 May

Unions in France have called for a day of protest on 26 May and 12 June, according to France vingt-quatre (France 24),to call for job security.

From the evening of Monday 25 May until early Wednesday 27 May, workers at the state owned SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer français) rail company will be on strike.

France has officially entered recession, after its gross domestic product (GDP) shrunk by 1.2% in the first quarter according to INSEE (National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies).

Still, France's predicted growth isn't as negative as in Britain, where unions are currently marching in Birmingham, West Midlands, against job cuts.

Seems this march and the French days of action weren't important enough to Indymedia posters for them to mention it (Having said that, some of the notices currently on there are important and informative, including a protest to support Tamils).

Earlier days of action took place in France on 19March and 9 January.

The Daily Telegraph, which has done a great job in helping to expose the greed of many of our MP's, has some interesting reports on Minister for Work and Pensions James Purnell claiming expenses on a flat to which his girlfriend allegedly contributed.

Wordle:Fun way to create tag clouds

Something I learnt while on a call with my colleagues at ISEAL today: Wordle is an extremly fun way to create tag clouds.

Tag clouds can be used to show some of the main topics on a website or simply to create a nice work of art.

Simply enter some text, a URL or RSS/Atom feed to make your own tag cloud.

You can see some examples on the Wordle site.

I nearly got Wordle confused with another useful tool just now called Doodle, which can be used to schedule meetings.

Both Wordle and Doodle are free to use.

Homophobic abuse of footballer Sol Campbell highlighs the need to support International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia this Sunday

March 17 will be International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia, and I have just read some stark reminders of the intolerance that gay people face in British society.

Footballer Sol Campbell, who plays for Portsmouth Football Club and is gay, was abused by a large number of Tottenham Hotspur fans last year.

Some of the abuse was homophobic, including two men who shouted "come on gay boy, that's my gay boy", according to Sky News.

Those who shouted homophobic abuse should be banned from football grounds for life, as well as being made to carry out community service and write to Sol Campbell to apologise.

The rise of the vile British National Party will also lead to an increase in homphobia, with a list entitled "Liars, buggers and thieves" smearing homosexual members of parliament.

There is a wave of homophobic bullying in schools as well as a number of homophobic attacks which often recieve little publicity in the British press.

You can support the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia this Sunday by taking part in the events around Britain.

In Liverpool, according to Pink News.co.uk, the rainbow Pride flag will be flown from the town, while the Lord Mayor Cllr Steve Rotheram will give a book of condolances to gay teenager Michael Causer, who was murdered in 2008.

New grassroots site for Orange Book Liberal Democrats

The Tories have Conservative Home, Labour have Labour List and now the more economically conservative wing of the Liberal Democrats, known as "Orange Bookers", have a grassroots website.

Liberal Vision is intended "to bring together all LibDem supporters who support lower taxes, a smaller state and an extension of personal freedom." A subsidery of the think tank Progressive Vision, the site is open to Liberal Democrat supporters, and one does not have to be a Liberal Democrat member to post.

Guido Fawkes says how good it is that "the grassroots of all parties now have genuine independent sites which do not care for their representatives misbehaving."

There are some interesting articles on who should head the Audit Commission and rumours about the UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).

Liberal Vision is better than the British National Party's pathetic efforts.

The News of The World highlights racist puppet Billy Brit, created last year.

Some interesting comments in December 2008 from Edmund Standing of I Kid You Not, when the puppet was first revealed.

An feature in Article Magazine comments on how both the British National Party and Hamas use puppets to indoctrinate children.

Journalist Roxana Saberi has been freed

Some good news from Iran.

Journalist Roxana Saberi has been freed and reunited with her parents, Reza and Akiko Saberi.

Her eight year prison sentence on spying charges was reduced by the Appeals Court to a two-year suspended sentence, according to Associated Press journalist Ali Akbar Dareini .

The trial took fifteen minutes,according to Little Green Footballs.

Rupert Murdoch considers charging for News Corporation's online content

Report from today's MediaGuardian that Rupert Murdoch, who owns The Times, The Sun, The Sunday Times and The News of the World in Britain, is considering charging people to read the sites.

No word whether the Sky News website, also part of News Corporation, would be part of these plans should they bear fruit.

Tristan O'Carroll in Media Week claims that the 21% decline in ad revenues for Rupert Murdoch's British newspapers was responsible.

In the Independent, Stephen Glover supports the plans, while the Daily Beast's Stryker McGuire has more details from a "knowledgeable source".

Free London Evening Standard today

Coming home on the Jubilee Line from Green Park underground, I noticed that the Evening Standard clutched by commuters had "Free-Today Only" above the masthead, and has been rebranded the London Evening Standard.

I managed to pick up a copy as we reached Stratford.

On Page 2, there was a letter from the editor Geordie Greig, claiming that today was a "new beginning" for the paper, and that the London Evening Standard will be "fair, independent and will celebrate the capital".

Greig also promises that there will be a new section every day. Pictured are Trends, Fashion, Style and Sex, Health and Beauty, London Life and Film and Music.

While the layout of the website has improved, the content has not.

I agree with Adam Timworth's excellent blog post, where he says "all it did for me was convince me not to shell out for the Standard ever again."

The old Evening Standard was worth a read. This issue has a few decent stories, such as coverage of Robert Clack School's turnaround in Dagenham and a report by Nicholas Cecil on pressure by MP's on House of Commons staff, but too much of it focuses on stories that do not affect most people in London.

Does the man or woman on the Kentish Town or Lewisham omnibus care about the love life of a City tycoon called Brian Myerson (which was seen to be front page news, as opposed to the expenses claims of Tory MPs on page five) or a raid on Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge?

I find the commentators in today's paper nowhere near as good as the usual ones like Nick Cohen, and even the letters page is dull.

The Business section is still good, however,as is the crossword. The international news section is passable, but do people buy a newspaper covering London for international news? They buy it for news on London, and I feel that this is what is lacking.

I wouldn't pay 50p for the London Evening Standard as it stands. As you can see from this blog, I am not interested that a millionare bought a £40 million house for £18 million, or that the awful Tesco supermarkets had their tills shut by an IT update.

Here is an exciting quote from the latter article

Customer Jenny Turner was at the Saffron Walden store. She said: “Nothing was running at all. I gave up and went to Asda.”

Wow.

Maybe I am being unfair, but I preferred the old Evening Standard to the one I read tonight.

If the London Evening Standard is to compete with the Metro, London Life and thelondonpaper, it needs to appeal to the everyday Londoner.

It needs coverage of crime, education, health, the environment, politics (and I note that politics is treated as sport with "Match of the Day" headlining a report on Prime Minister's Questions).

Let us hope the paper improves, otherwise people will simply stick to free papers, adding to the mess on London Underground trains each evening.

Government push ahead with Identity Cards

Despite the current financia crisis and the threat of cuts across public services, the Government is still determined to roll out their costly Identity Cards.

Manchester has been selected as the pilot area this autumn.

Local residents who want an ID card can apply for it online and then attend the city's passport office, for fingerprinting, photograph and a possible interview, but cannot register the card at local shops or post offices.

In 2010, students opening bank accounts will be "offered" ID cards along with the chance to get themselves into debt by signing up for a credit card.

Interesting only students are being targeted in 2010. No doubt Labour would be to concerned about targeting non-students, worried about losing their votes.

If Labour wins the next election, it will allows MPs a vote on whether ID cards should be compulsory for all UK citizens over the age of 16, depending on the success of pilot projects. There will now be three databases instead of one.

Identity fraud costs the UK £1.7bn a year, according to the Home Secretary, but ID cards will cost £5 billion according to Home Office figures, and between £10bn and £20bn according to the London School of Economics.

To encourage people to sign up, the cost will be capped at £30 for two years, according to the BBC, and will then rise to £60.

Given this Government's record with databases, I don't trust them to deliver ID cards safely. I don't believe they will be worth the money and I believe that criminals will be able to get round them.

It is far more important we refurbish our crumbling state schools, increase funding for the emergency services and spent money on public transport (and in London, that means improving transport in South London. Too much work citywide only took place because of the 2012 Olympics. In Manchester, tram extension work is also needed.)

Besides, ID cards won't be much of a protection when our courts are still handing out soft sentences to vermin.

Join No2ID and oppose ID cards. Meetings are taking place next week in Winchester and Lanarkshire, with meetings in Derby, Hackney and Kingston upon Thames the week after. Find your nearest group here.

Labour don't deserve to win the next election. I'll be voting Liberal Democrat, as the Tories will be as bad if they get in.

One day strike by lecturers today at London Metropolitian University

Today there is a one-day strike by lecturers at London Metropolitan University, with picket lines outside the campus buildings in Holloway Road, Aldgate East,Moorgate in and Whitechapel.

There will also be a rally from 1pm to 2pm in Holloway Road.

The strike is protesting 550 proposed job cuts, taking place after the revelation earlier this year that the university recieved over £50 million in funding it was not entitled to after inflating the numbers of students attending the university in the past four years, by failing to report some students dropping out.

Vice-Chancellor Brian Roper resigned in March but will remain on the payroll until the end of the year, according to the East London Advertiser.

A Universities and College Union (UCU) ballot on Thursday 30 April found that 64 percent voted for strike action and 71 percent voted for action short of a strike.

According to the UCU, the cuts will mean, among other things, the dismissal of up to a quarter of the staff, libraries short-staffed and possibly closed, several courses closed and many others severely hit, outsourcing of IT and Media support, restrictions on module choices and less contact time with staff.

The UCU demand that there is a thorough investigation into the current financial crisis, no redundancies, a thorough and independent review of current governance and no victimisation of union members.

You can follow the protests against job cuts on the Save London Met Uni blog.

According to the Islington Tribune, a march is planned on 23 May, leaving Highbury Fields at 11am and ending in Tower Building, Holloway Road.

The UCU also highlight the successful campaign to force Doncaster College in South Yorkshire to reconsider cutting 160 jobs, implying that the same could happen in London Met.

I wonder why those involved in the deception aren't being forced to pay back the money, rather than innocent people losing their jobs.

The UK's further education sector has some really bad management, and in many universities people at the top get away with running them into the ground.

Yemeni authorities accused of banning the printing of seven newspapers

Yemeni authorities have been accused of recently banning the printing of seven independent newspapers, including Al Diyar, Al Share, Al Masdar, Al Nida, Al Mustaqilla, Al Watani and Al Ayyam.

An official government statement has claimed that the newspapers published material "harmful to the national unity".

The Yemeni authorities have also been accused of detaining Al Ayyam employees, shut down the newspaper's website and imposed a siege on its offices.

The Yemeni information ministry denied closing seven papers, according to the BBC, and said it had only ordered the withdrawal of one edition of one of the papers.

According to Article 19, which campaigns for free expression, the government has been unhappy with the publication of photos of clashes between government forces and opposition groups in the south.

An opinion piece by Munir Al-Maweri, published in Al Masdar, called on Yemenis in the north to show solidarity with their brethren in the south who are disgruntled and marginalised by a high rate of unemployment and poverty, and to demonstrate against the regime’s policies.

According to the BBC, at least seven people have been killed in clashes between the security forces and anti-government protesters in the southern area of Yemen.

The piece, which appeared on the confiscated issue of Al Madar on 5 May, called on President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down to allow unity between north and south.

Dr. Agnès Callamard, the Executive Director of Article 19, said: "Article 19 and HOOD [National Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms] call upon the Yemeni Authorities to put an immediate stop to these intimidating tactics against journalists and newspapers, and return the confiscated newspapers copies immediately."

A piece by Maysaa Shuja al-Deen in Arab Media and Society examines why there has been so little media coverage of the conflict in Yemen.

Appeal for information about European Mediation Limited scammers by City of London Police

The City of London Police are appealing for anyone who has been the victim of European Mediation Limited, wound up on 5 May on the grounds that it served to operate against public interest, to contact Detective Constable Parkinson on 0207 6016984.

European Mediation Ltd claimed to provide a service to victims of boiler room fraud, which involves the sale of worthless shares to investors.

Detective Inspector Alan Kalbfell said: "Boiler room related fraud is becoming increasingly common and the City of London Police are investigating more and more cases.

It is important for anyone who feels they have been a victim of European Mediation Ltd to contact us. Their information could help with our investigation and we could be able to provide them with advice and assistance."

A 66 year-old man from Rochdale was arrested by Greater Manchester Police on April 21 on suspicion of fraud by false representation and money laundering.

Last month, four men were sentenced to prison at Southwark Crown Court for their role in a boiler room fraud scam that conned 500 investors out of over £2.4 million.

The City of London Police advise that people considering investing in a company should look at the Financial Services Authority guidelines for investors and take independent advice.

Anyone who has been a victim of this type of fraud should read the City of London Police's guidelines, which also contain information on how to report boiler room fraud.

Kindle for Textbooks launched by Amazon

A larger version of the Kindle, which allows users to read books online, has been created for those wishing to read newspaper or academic texts.

Some universities in America, such as Case Western Reserve University in Colorado, have given some students Kindles and given some textbooks.

I hope the students had a choice on what to use. Learning at university is different for every student. Some people prefer textbooks, some prefer reading on an electronic device.

During my English Literature BA at Sussex University, or my MA in Journalism at Westminster, I wouldn't have wanted to use a Kindle.

I enjoyed sitting on the green outside Arts A or on the beach in Brighton reading a paperback copy of H.G. Wells' The Time Machine or a selection of war poetry.

Where I can see an increase in the use of Kindles, though, is among students who have to carry around heavy textbooks, such as science students.

When studying science at school at GCSE and A-Level, I had to carry a heavy textbook for each. I would imagine science students at university have several to carry around.

English Literature students such as me also had the option of buying books cheaper in second hand bookshops. Although science textbooks can be bought cheaply at a selection of bookshops and on Amazon.co.uk, the likelehood of a cheap science textbook is less than a cheap novel.

However, I wonder if Kindles will be adopted on a significant basis. Many students may not be able to afford to pay for the Kindle in one go, and universities are unlikely to have enough money to buy Kindles for students.

There is also the issue of students worried about being mugged for their Kindle. Some universites in England are not near the safest of areas, and people know that students may have expensive gadgets brought from home.

1979 General Election coverage on the BBC iplayer

Until Monday 11th May, the 1979 Election Night coverage and the Morning After programme are on the BBC iplayer.

This is fantastic and a glimpse into a very different Britain.

For me, the strangest part was seeing Robin Day (who presented Question Time before David Dimbelby) smoking a cigar while talking to the camera. You wouldn't get that now.

Cardboard swingometer instead of graphics, and I feel that the old sets gave less potential for presenters to turn an election night programme into stupidity (the Calamity Clegg graphics a few years ago being a case in point).

Denis Healey trying to put a positive side to Labour's loss of office is rather amusing, as is the boos Mrs Thatcher recieves as she is interviewed by the BBC before going to cast her vote.

One rather outrageous comment: the announcer saying that the slums cleared in Salford, during Frank Allaun's result, can be assumed to have got rid of "Labour voters". Stupid stereotypical comment. Do people in poor housing only vote Labour? Do Labour voters mostly inhabit poor housing?

Check it out at the iplayer.

Debate over council papers

Does anyone actually read the free paper the council puts through their letterbox? I regard mine, the Waltham Forest News, as one-sided propaganda and put it straight in the recycle bin. Have read the first one, both not the next three issues.

I don't regard council papers as a trustworthy or viable source of local news.

Waltham Forest's council paper, for example, wouldn't cover a real story on how the council destroyed 239,344 library books between 2005 and 2007, or how the council has recently been attacked for spending £75,000 a year on a 2012 Olympics officer.

It was the local paper, the Waltham Forest Guardian, which carried those stories.

The council paper might have interesting adverts on local events, but much of it is written to praise the council. Same for Cherwell Council's leaflet in Oxfordshire. Had a look through its ten or so pages many times. Aside from the budget breakdown, no real news.

No letters page, sports coverage (to any extent) or columnists in council papers either.

Trusting a paper produced by your local council on local events is like trusting a paper produced by Whitehall on national events.

As Paul Bradshaw says, local councils should be finding out how to connect with people using new formats, not pre-selected information.

Council reporting is also paid for using our council tax. The right wing papers are furious that everyone must pay the BBC licence fee to watch a television, yet I have seen few complaints about the use of council tax on council freesheets.

Consider that distribution to all houses in each borough must be paid for as well as the cost of producing the council paper.

Some people are unhappy with the standard of local newspaper reporting. However, local papers are the only source that I can think of of trustworthy (to a degree) local news.

I've done work experience on two local papers, the Swindon Advertiser and the Bucks Herald. Both papers were staffed by principled and likeable journalists who cared about the local community and had good contacts.

The former carried out an important campaign to save Swindon's speedway track when I was there in 2006.

Whether local papers go wholly online, change the model of their advertising, or find another way to survive, I hope they do.

Private Eye's Rotten Boroughs, which only has a page an issue on local councils, and blogs such as BIGNEWS MARGATE are the only alternate sources of local news I can think of.

The problem with the latter is that not all areas have a local blogger reporting weekly on local issues, and many people still do not have regular internet access.

If local papers do not survive, where will people go for local news? Will community activists produce online freesheets, or will blogs on local news become more common?

Whatever happens, I do not believer council papers are a viable alternative. Councils should be communicating important events in the future, not reporting on news as if they were a local paper.

An interesting blog by someone who helps a local authority with online communications is Al Smith's. His tweet on the Online Journalism Blog is positive about council newspapers.

You can see some thoughts on council papers on the Online Journalism Blog.

There has also been an attempt to tag council papers on delicious.com.

More cuts reported at Sussex University: First Linguistics, now Archaeology

Following the threatned closure of the linguistics programme at Sussex University, where I studied my BA,it has now been reported that the archaeology department is facing cutbacks.

According to Hannah Pini in Sussex University's student newspaper The Badger, the existing undergraduate level certificate in Practical Archaeology and the more recent MA in Field Archaeology will be withdrawn for new admissions for 2009/10.

Hannah Pini also notes that last year,the Certificate in Archaeology, Diploma in Archaeology and BA in Archaeology and Landscape courses were also withdrawn, and that the Centre for Continuing Education (shortly to be relaunched) will stop award-bearing programmes in most subject areas.

The closure of the Linguistics Programme at Sussex University is currently being opposed by a vigorous campaign, including prominent experimental psychologist, cognitive scientist and author Stephen Pinker.

Over 2,700 students have signed a petition opposing this closure.

It is very disappointing that so many cuts are being made to academic departments. I wonder where else money could be saved. The amount of money spent by Sussex University on changing its logo in the past makes me think that other areas could have lost money in order to save academic degrees.

At Westminster University, where I studied my MA, the future of the BA Ceramics course is currently under review, and applications for the next academic year are not accepted.

The Ceramics Student Action Committee is opposing the proposed closure in 2013.

Threat to lifelong learning at Sussex:

Hannah Pini also notes that the Centre for Continuing Education (shortly to be relaunched) will stop award-bearing programmes in most subject areas.

Cuts to lifelong learning courses are taking place across Britain's universites. To oppose this, you can join the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learing.

Oppose the British National Party on June 4th

A while ago I blogged that the British National Party were not as much of a threat as they have been made out to be by Labour ministers.

I am now wondering if I was slightly wrong. Although I still believe they will never gain any real power, there is one factor I overlooked.

Little Green Footballs highlights former cabinet minister Peter Hain's warning that if the British National Party win six seats in the European Parliament, they could get European Union funding of £2 million.

Just think what the British National Party could do with £2 million. It could sent round dozens more vans with BNP posters round towns, hold some badly attended fetes, or it could spend so much money on propaganda that it doubles its support and stirs up race riots.

Sadly, the Epping Forest BNP Watch has become read-only, otherwise I could post some interesting stories from there.

If anyone from Epping Forest BNP Watch is reading, I wouldn't mind being able to read the blog, and I won't copy/link to anything unless you want that I do.

I don't know how likely it is that the racist, homophobic British National Party will win six seats at the June elections.

However, it seems likely that they will pull out all their stops to do so, as this could open the door to a more powerful BNP.

So get down to the polling station on June 4th, and make sure you use your vote to oppose the British National Party (although the Tories' dalliance with the homophobic Polish Law and Justice Party make them unfit to represent us in Europe as well).

In related news, a member of the National Front in Glasgow has admitted threatening to blow up Glasgow Central Mosque and execute a Muslim a day unless all Mosques in Scotland were closed.

While the British National Party and National Front are two different parties, it does show you what some on the far right are capable of.

And to all those who believe that they represent an alternative to expense fiddling, what's to stop a BNP MP (ugh) doing that same as Jacqui Smith?

As I said on 10th April, when discussing how the British National Party adopt populist policies to draw focus from their racist ones:

Does anyone really think that a British National Party in power would establish worker co-operatives, for example?

As for their crazy idea that all citizens should keep a rifle and ammunition in their homes, I wonder how much support that will have. What happens if a binge drinker comes home and shoots his rifle at passing traffic?

Restaurant Review:Jamie's Italian, 24-26 George Street, Oxford

To the luxurious Jamie's Italian restaurant in George Street, in celebration of my sister 's 18th birthday next week.

The restaurant is run by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who I've admired ever since his Jamie's Ministry of Food series set in Rotherham up north.

Jamie's Italian is also in Bath, Kingston Upon Thames (SW London) and Brighton (near the seafront).

Started off with some wonderful wild mushroom ravioli as a starter, followed by some Torbay sole (with some Polenta Chips and Bean Salad with Herb Shoots as a side).

For pudding, I had the lovely Ultimate Chocolate Banana Brownie.

I would recommend all of the food that I ate, aside from the Bean Salad with Herd Shoots which I found a little bitter.

I can't remember everything my family ate, but I know my mum and sister both enjoyed the chargrilled Catherine Wheel Sausage and all three enjoyed the sorbets.

Upside:

The service was wonderful, with charming waiters and waitresses.

Food was recorded via an electronic device (not sure what it was called, maybe it's something unique to the catering trade), which meant that orders could be sent straight to the kitchen as soon as they were taken.

We did not have to wait long between courses, and as we arrived at 6pm we did not have to wait very long for a table. As parties of less than 6 do not book, people queued up along George Street from 7pm.

Downside:

It was pretty expensive, so I'd only recommend going there for a special occasion

The one irritation was the music, which was a little too loud and bland (although I'm not a fan of recent music, so it could just be me). Reading one review on dailyinfo.co.uk, it seems to be policy to have the music at that level. Judging by the reviews, the restaurant has improved.

The selection of drinks was slightly limited (no cider) but I had a nice orange juice and then drank water during the main course and dessert.

This is something that happens in a lot of High Street clothes shops, but I wouldn't expect it in a restaurant.

According to our waiter, who was excellent (as were all the staff), Jamie hasn't been in the Oxford restaurant in the past nine months, but I think he is going to come in next month.

The place is expanding into a former record and video shop that I used to sometimes browse in.

Reporters without Borders members on hunger strike for Roxana Saberi

Journalist Roxana Saberi, jailed for eight years for alleged spying for the USA, is on hunger strike in protest.

This week, members of Reporters Without Borders in Paris have been on hunger strike in Paris (outside the Champs-Elysées) and in New York.

According to Malaysia Today, the New York hunger strikers are also calling for the release of American reporters Laura Ling and Euna Lee, held in North Korea.

Reporters Without Borders sections in Belgium, Canada and Spain will be joining the protest in the coming days.

It is good that people are highlighting Roxana Saberi's imprisonment.

Ten worst countries to blog in

Although Britain's libel laws are geared towards the powerful and in urgent need of reform, they aren't as bad as the countries featured on this list.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has created a list of the ten worst countries to blog in, with Burma heading the list.

Other countries include Tunisa, with President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali warned writers against examining government "mistakes and violations" in March this year, and Cuba, where twenty one writers were jailed for alleged acting against the "integrity and sovereignty of the state."

Thanks to Adrian Monck for the link.

People who dismiss anything that they don't agree with: Dogmatic comments

In between eating my dinner and getting rid of a Sky Digital salesperson who chose a strange time to call, I've been reading Harry's Place, in particular this post, which rather annoyed me with its attempt to imply that most people on the May Day March were extremists.

Then I read Indymedia, which is always a good source of news (but with a block of salt), and read this vile response to a decent post attacking the human rights policies of the government of Iran.

While I still feel that the post on Harry's Place was unfair and of dubious intent, I can understand why some people dislike the Left.

According to the nameless commentator, any criticism of Iran is "New Labour Nazi propaganda", and that "Various terrorist organisations, organised and funded by the security forces of the USA and UK, are responsible for the anti-Iranian text, regardless of the truth about actions by the Iranian government".

I wonder if this commentator regards myself as a terrorist, a New Labour supporter or a Nazi (I'm neither), given some of my posts on Iran and the fact that I regard no regime as free from criticism.

He also regards Saddam Hussain's regime as lovely, saying "the actions of the anti-Saddam groups were revealed to be operations ran by MI5, CIA and (ironically enough) the security services of Iran."

The commentator also tries to imply that British people have no right to criticise Iran by bringing up the sentencing of three people for attending terrorist training camps, which he tries to dismiss as "running around the local woods with paintguns", and does not seem to know that they took place in Pakistan.

You see, this person is outraged selectively. A human rights abuse only bothers him when it takes place in Europe, America or Israel.

While those places are by no means utopias, and indeed have had their fair share of wicked governments and dubious foreign policies, they are not the only places that have carried out dubious deeds.

Not that most defenders of the Iranian government care, but Delara Derabi was executed today, having been sentenced to death in 2005 for murder, even though Iran’s Head of the Judiciary,Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi, ruled two weeks ago that nothing should happen in her case for at least two months.

Not that most defenders of the Iranian government care, but over one million Iranians were been arrested between May 2007, and May 2008 for violating the state dress code.

And would people be allowed to use Indymedia in Iran, a state that has banned Facebook and Youtube and censors more Internet sites than any other nation except China?

According to Amnesty International, Iran has executed 140 people so far this year.

If this was America we were talking about, there would be furious comments on Indymedia. When it comes to Iran, there is very little, if any comment.

Then again, the commentator seems to have contempt for the rationale of Indymedia, saying "We know that a large number of posts on Indymedia UK come straight from high level New Labour Nazi propaganda departments".

I just like the idea of Gordon Brown and Jacqui Smith completing a press conference on terrorism and marching into a room full of people wearing jackboots, brownshirts and armbands writing posts on Indymedia about Iran.

Because the government has pushed Indymedia to the top of its priorities when it comes to getting the message out.

Human rights abuses should be criticised wherever, whenever, they occur.

The type of person who opposes human rights abuses in the West while attacking anyone who criticises human rights in Iran, is a hypocrite, just as those who decry homophobia in Britain but try to silence discussion of homophobia in Iran are hypocrites.

A far less extreme example is a small minority of the tens of thousands of Gurka supporters, who want to stop desperate asylum seekers from settling here, talking of "New Labour's Somalians" on the Daily Telegraph's comments area and not caring about the human rights abuses in Somalia.

If the nameless commentator ever reads this post, he can decide if I am a terrorist or a Nazi.

(To me, making that decision sounds like an adult version of the wonderful television programme Mr Benn, far better than much of the rubbish currently on television).

I have now passed a course in Basic First Aid with the Red Cross

So this week has been fairly typical (with one or two exceptions), aside from the fact that I have now completed a Basic First Aid for Appointed Person, allowing me to serve as the appointed First Aider for the ISEAL London office.

The course, taught by the Red Cross, was held at the lovely Britannia Hotel in Canary Wharf. A nice change from Leytonstone and Brick Lane, although the shops were too pricey for me!

Thanks to the excellent tutoring of the course leaders, I was able to learn how to give CPR (when a person is unconscious and not breathing) and how to put someone in the recovery position (when a person is unconscious and breathing).

I also know how to treat a nosebleed (head tilted forward not back, remember the Labour Party motto), how to treat someone who goes into shock, how to treat severe bleeding and how to spot the signs of a stroke (the Face, Arm, Speech, Test).

Now I will be helping draw up First Aid Policies for the London office with our Operations Manager. I have already given him a booklet on First Aid regulations to help with this.

First Aid is an essential skill. My friend Mark says that all people taking their driving test in Germany have to learn First Aid, but I would go further than that and make First Aid part of the National Curriculum.

I would also advocate that strong pressure be put on independent schools to make them teach it as well.

What would you do, the next time you see someone unconscious or bleeding badly? Would you know how to help them?

Sign up for a First Aid course.