Britblog Roundup # 20

Yes, we have made it to a full 20 of our little roundups of the British and Irish blogging world, that extravagaza known as the Britblog Roundup.

The rules are simple, you nominate posts from blog written either from these Isles or by citizens of them and I glue it all together on a Sunday afternoon when I open up britblog AT gmail DOT com to see what you’ve sent me.  If you come across something good during the week please do drop us a line. There’s no way that any of us can keep up with all of the activity out there so we need your guidance!

First up is Paleojudaica with a detailed look at the idiocy that is the Religious Hatred Bill, now wending its way through Parliament.

Eban at Reaching for Lucidity is less than impressed with the NASA plan to blow a hole in a comet on Monday.

Kate at the Cruella-blog has a rather different take on maternity rights than is usual around here. (Yes folks! this is one of the points of the roundup, that we all break out of our ideological laagers occasionally)

Matt Sellers is all over the decision to bomb Iraq in 2002. He thinks it might have been illegal under international law.

Studi Galeiani uses the current fuss over who is the Greatest Philosopher to widen the field....much modern work is actually being done in film and literature.

Ilkley Rocks is not so much bah’t ’at as extremely, well, go read his views on Yorkshire. Guaranteed to bring a smile to the face of every Lancastrian.

An interesting example of how blogs can converse on a subject, A Plague of Opinion asking here and Ephems of BLB responding here, here and here.

Jarndyce skewers Michael Gove rather neatly.

Jim Bliss has joined The Sharpener and applies his distinctive logic to the upcoming smoking ban in pubs.

Dodgeblogium has solved the problem of immigration. Terribly simple really.

The Law West of Ealing Broadway continues his series of stories from the bench. Yes, it really is true that certain language speakers cannot tell their r’s from l’s. The Pedant General also caught him in this appalling pun.

The Yorkshire Ranter brings balm and succour to my troubled heart. Instead of worrying about ID Cards, religious hatred bills and ASBOs why not simply abolish the Home Office?

On which subject Politicalog would appear to have the same desires concerning polticians.

The Channel 4 news blog invited several bloggers to give their view on the G8 meeting and its importance. (Leading bloggers, indeed!) My favourite line?

The G8 is one of the few groups which truly has the power to change the world at the stroke of a pen.

Really? It’s all that damn simple?

You know, people will blog about just about anything but this is a first for me, blogging about ship’s cranes.

Phil ponders those things which the state does better than private actors. This has been going round for a day or two actually and I’ve been surprised that no one has mentioned defense, something which even libertarians thinks Govt does better.

Liberal England continues his architectural tours, this time the cathedral at Southwell.

Robin has a useful roundup of blogging reactions to Live8. Something more than 11,000 links actually.

Norm of that Blog takes issue with the Observer. Quite rightly so, absolutely scandalous behaviour from Rafael (and to think, I once used to deliver that man’s newspaper! To him, you understand, not just the Observer to Mrs. Jones round the corner.)

Slightly Inperfect (a stunningly wonderful tag line, Operating a Zero Adequacy Policy) is being rather brave, blogging on and through his depression. Go read and maybe drop him a get well soon note.

Clive Davis (who most certainly did not benefit from it, he growing up round the corner from me) is stirring the pot about media nepotism. There is, as he points out, clear evidence that the best way to get published is to belong to the lucky sperm club.

The Garrulous Leporidae follows up some research into GM crops and sparks a fascinating comments section.

Richard Delevan ponders on why a journalist would actually blog, given the other outlets available (and, I would add, write in the absence of pay) for his thoughts.

The N. Irish Magyar is able to divine Bobby Charlton’s true thoughts.

For photos of the march in Edinburgh you will need Freedom and Whisky, well, more than you need them at other times.

And that’s it, this week’s version of the Britblog Roundup. Tune in next week for another version.