Britblog Roundup # 25

Yes, it’s here, as an entire continent drowzes in the sufocating heat and forest fires sweep only 60 miles north of where I sit (scary, eh?) it’s time for the Britblog Roundup.

You can make nominations for next week’s extravaganza by emailing the URL to britblog AT gmail DOT com. Whatever you think best of British and Irish blogging over the week. Our skilled editing staff (Tobias the kitten) will then make sure that all of the good stuff gets posted.

First up this week has to be Bloggerheads. While protesting the fact that they’re not allowed to protest they find that the police themselves are breaking the law. Good one lads!

Curious Hamster on media, terror and perspective. Long piece that has some interesting insights into the symbiotic relationships there.

This Leaden Pall takes issue with an Eve Garrard post over shoot to kill etc. Much of what he says makes sense to me.

Stephen Tall takes on the Sun and wins I think.  Lawless Britain? No, not really.

Five Eighth has gone off to New Zealand to watch some of the rugby. A series of short posts about how he gets on. Not reached the "God I hate mutton" post yet but it’ll come, it’ll come.

Blood and Treasure looks at whether those who shout about Islamic fascism are in fact themselves guilty of fascism. Have to admit, the quotes he’s using are suggestive.

Daniel Davies gets two entries (he, is, after all, know as dsquared) form Crooked Timber. One on the Unite on Terror campaign (he’s agin what they’ve done with the idea) and one on Gorgeous George (short version, "’Anging’s too good for ’im mate").

Mike’s Books has something of a stunner. I knew about the Chago Islanders and their victory in court (you may know them as being from Diego Garcia) but I didn’t know how it was finally resolved. Do go look to see democracy and freedom in action. Not.

Not Proud of Britain has the best comment on those Bedfordshire police rules on how to deal with Muslims. The post title is also a rather mathematical pun.

The Pedant General, Nosemonkey, the PG again and Devil’s Kitchen have been having a bit of argy bargy. I say, steady on chaps, passion and involvement in British politics? Don’t you know that’s the sort of thing we leave to the Continentals?

Liberal England lays out what’s wrong with the education system. He doesn’t quite say it but "Whadda we want? Vouchers! When do we want ’em? Now!" so I assume that by the time of the next election he’ll have changed his site name to Tory England.

SpyOrg asks an interesting set of questions. How many terrorists do you know and how many of such know you? You don’t have to be a weepy civil rights freak (like me) to be concerned over these things.

Ken Owen has a perceptive piece on the state of British blogging. He’s quite correct in stating that we seem to engage with each other’s arguments a lot less than US bloggers do, have a great deal less interactivity. One thing I think would help here is if everyone could actually get trackbacks enabled? That way one would be able to see who is actually engaging in a conversation and thus be able to follow it across multiple blogs. BTW, that’s an instruction, not a suggestion.

Make My Vote Count takes apart Yvonne Roberts and the education system in a most delightful manner. Both sarcasm and irony are employed to good effect. Capital stuff.

Clive Davis interviews Jeff Gedmin, described as the unofficial US ambassador to Berlin. His final answer will raise a wry chuckle from anyone who’s ever lived in or tried to do anything in Germany:

Q - What do you miss most about daily life in America?

Flexibility. Flexibility. Flexibilty.

Third Avenue posts at The Sharpener on what it would really mean if we brought back the 50s. No, not a pleasant thought.

Slightly last week but Twenty Major has the real low down on that IRA announcement. Pure joy.

And that’s it, a slightly shorteneed version of the Britblog Roundup for these dog days of hte news year. Tune in next week, same time, same place, for another version and don’t forget to send in your nominations to britblog AT gmail DOT com.