Britblog Roundup # 11

Yes, it’s time once again for the Britblog Roundup, the collection of great posts from the four nations on our fair Isles. Don’t forget that you can send in your nominations for next week’s to britblog AT gmail DOT com. Whatever you think needs to be drawn to wider attention, great posts on any subject, any viewpoint, just written by someone either resident or a citizen of these Isles.

First up is PooterGeek with an exquisite satire of a piece from the Guardian. Absolute proof, if any were actually needed, that there’s a lot more great writers out here than there are in there.

Jim Davila, at Paleojudaica, has a long post about the outrageous decision by one of the University Unions to boycott Israeli academia. There have been various cries of outrage about this but Jim’s post is the most fully informative.

Gareth is already bored of politics (and there’s another 5 days of the election to go yet) so he recommends The Angry Chimp on how to grow triffids (excellent) and The Cross of St George on accoutrements for your dog.

The Obscurer has a good review of a good book, a potted history of the British cinema. It wasn’t all just Hammer and Ealing you know.

John Wards at The Constitutency of Durham North West bearded the Government Chief Whip over the decision to invade Iraq. One can agree or not with his (and her) position, but thisis what electoral politics should be all about, the high and mighty actually having to listen to the people for once, one on one.

Norm Geras of NormBlog is actually giving away money! Yes indeed, slide over to his place, make your prediction on the election result and you might be the lucky winner! (NB, if it’s the Tories who win then Polly Toynbee’s head will explode. A good enough reason in a noble cause perhaps?)

Paul Colletti gives the Scottish Nationalists a right good whacking. noting that an independent Scotland in the EU hardly matches up with the example they give of Norway....which is, of course, not in the EU.

Tom Fuller is spot on about France. A huge number of things to bash about the place and the people but they do seem to have got health care right. Others should take note.

The New Economist on what will happen if France votes down the EU Constitution. A muddle but not a disaster seems to be the conlcusion.

Jarndyce has a personal account of meeting the justice system and uses it as a starting point for a righteous bashing of Nu Labour. According to him, it is all about civil liberties. He also introduces me to the word "masturblog" which I think perfectly captures a certain set of posts, a quite beautiful addition to the language.

Nick Barlow with more evidence that our Dear Leader, a certain A Blair, is a liar. (Nick old boy..he’s a politician and we can see his lips moving. Ed.)

No Matter Who You Vote For has one on Greenpeace invading Prescott’s home, nice photos and all. It is rather grand that place, isn’t it?

The Filter has an interesting piece on one size fits all policies. Slightly econ geeky but the logic, to my mind, is inescapable. There are a few things that we know, know absolutely, and thus there are a few policy prescriptions that are indeed, one size fits all.

EU Serf manages to find something so absurd that I didn’t actually believe it at first. The way the new EU Constitution has been written means that even arguing that it might need to be changed in future is illegal. A must read.

Blood and Treasure has had several good pieces this week but this discussion of Wayne Rooney and Colleen is simply superb.

Harry’s Place has been the spot over the past few weeks for information on Respect, George Galloway’s party. Not a pretty lot in all.

Slugger O’Toole responds to Mark Lawson’s piece on British blogging. It’s an interesting take on where Brits are different from the US.

John Band (like a lot of us) has put up that article from the Guardian that got censored. As the old saying goes, the internet routes around censorship.

Tom Coates looks at the history of blogging (Tim Berners Lee’s page as the first blog?) as he recounts a speech he gave at a Six Apart event.

Chris Lightfoot has another one of his estimation quizzes up. Just how much do you really know about the UK. I’d say that anything over 60 points is doing pretty well.

Mick Hartley picks up something I haven’t seen eslwhere. Apprently Gorgeous George is on the verge of a divorce....and has been telling his wife that the stories of his having affairs are the product of " unnamed intelligence agencies".

Guido Fawkes has a fun little snark at a slight misnomer.

James Hamiton tips us to and discusses what looks to be a fabulous documentary series, Electric Edwardians. May well be worth getting the DVD.

Johnny Billericay on the shocking level of crime today. His usual innimitable take I mean.

The Policeman’s Blog gives us the actual numbers on crime. Cases investigated, arrests and so on, form the position of the average copper doing his year’s work. Fascinating.

Stumbling and Mumbling on why he’ll not vote. Marvellous:

The Greens offer two out of three. But they’re not asking for two-thirds of my vote; they want all of it. And besides, I don’t what to identify with a party many of whose members consider Michael Moore, Naomi Klein and George Monbiot to be intellectual influences.

And that’s it, that is the Britblog Roundup for this week. Enjoy the long weekend and don’t forget to send in your nominations for next week to britblog At gmail DOT com.

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