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October 30, 2005

Britblog Roundup # 37

Here we are, once again, ready to plunge into the seething ferment that is the UK and Irish blogosphere to bring you the best, as nominated by YOU the readers, posts of the week.

As ever you can make suggestions for next week by emailing to britblog AT gmail DOT com. Any subject, any viewpoint (don’t let my stinking right wing libertarianism put you off) we just want to see the good stuff out there, the things we may have missed.

First up is a powerful piece from International Rooksbyism. I’m not going to describe it, you should read it whether or not you agree with any conclusions.

Another one of the occubloggers (occupational bloggers? Did I just coin that word? According to Google apparently I did) to add to the list, this time a London Underground Stationmaster, here talking about chasing the contractors around on the night shift. There’s also his mother out there blogging from the corner shop and raising money for the Make a Wish Foundation (A grand? Out of the Welsh? Congratulations indeed.)

Postman Patel has a piece on Uzbekistan by Craig Murray our former Ambassador to that country. Very much worth a read and as someone who’s worked in the CIS for the past 15 years I don’t find any of his description of business practices in the least abnormal. Which is one of the problems, of course. I am similarly unsurprised by the stories of torture although obviously repelled. The whole site is worth a scroll around.

Tampon Teabag on the smoking ban in pubs. I rather think he’s got it just right:

From the outset, New Labour's goal has been to find a compromise by which the government would continue to pry into other peoples' lives and boss them about,...

Twenty Major with another report from Dublin. One of these days he’ll tell us something truly unbelievable.

Martin Stabe on the law as it applies to bloggers and other online publishers. You might not like it, you may not even believe it, but we’re governed by the law where the readers are, not where we are. Worth remembering that.

Jamie K at Blood and Treasure picks up on the meme wandering about of "whither British blogging". I think he’s bang on in his description and I’ve no doubt I’ll steal it at some point. A saloon not a salon.

On an Overgrown Path with a neat little piece of town planning.

Tim shows quite how nefarious those rude country folk out Devizes way can be.

Stephen Tall writes in from Planet Lib Dem with a serious and sensible point. The recent Education White Paper is missing an important ingredient. School vouchers. The much vaunted parent power desired will come from purchasing power.

Liberal England is writing on the same subject and wants to try and work out exactly what a "Liberal" education system would look like. He’s also less than impressed with some Lib Dem MP’s takes on the matter.

Philobiblion asks "Where are the women in computing"? One answer given is that the sheer number of geeks uncomfortable with hte presence of women makes it an unappealing career but the question deserves a serious answer. After all, the first programming language was written by a woman. (Ada, Countess Lovelace if you must know, Lord Byron’s daughter I think.)

Natalie also has another intallment of her Diaries of a Lady of Quality posted and some delicious 19th century gossip.

A quick report on a relaxing weekend at the parentals in the countryside is followed by this comment from Chunky Monkey (and yes, I can reveal that in the book out in only 19 days [buy at the top right hand corner!] Ms. CM reveals all about her colonoscopy):

The last time I went home, I was chased by some fat methed-up rednecks for having short hair.

It’s an exciting life, eh?

Break of Day in the Trenches provides a detailed review of Battlestar Galactica. Not so much of the show but what it means from a history researcher.

Mind the Gap on that idiot competition by Zoo magazine to win a boob job for your girlfriend. I have to admit I don’t understand it either. How does any male manage to keep on living after saying "Yes, you’re lovely but your tits are all wrong"? Why is he not, within moments, sporting a large hatchet through his head? Either of them?

Jo Salmon notes a local councillor calling for the legalization of prostitution in Oxford. I’d note further that said Councillor is a taxi driver who ferries Johns at times. Not exactly a disinterested party.

GrumpyOldBookman has some excellent advice for wannabe novelists. As novels are about emotion it might be worth actually doing some research into what scientists are saying and have found out about emotions. You will also want to read the wonderful comment on this post. The third one. Makes me want to buy the novel. As does his comment here.

The Filter is simply brimming with good stuff this week. Start here with a discussion of the minimum wage and then go scrolling.

In meta blogging news Ken Owen wants to start a sportsblogging roundup. Here’s the announcement and entries to him please.

Once More has the Conservative Bloggers Roundup number 3, Wat Tyler (sorry, permalinks don’t work today) has a Bloggers for Davis Roundup and Pickled Politics has the Anglo Asian news of the week. If you’re running or launching something along these lines do let me know so that I can include it.

And that’s it for this week. Entries in for next to britblog AT gmail DOT com and until then:

Toodle Pip!

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Comments

It's a bit short this week, isn't it?

Posted by: N.I.B. | Oct 30, 2005 2:09:53 PM

Give him time - Tim often posts an initial selection of 5-6 items to start us off and then adds another batch of goodies a bit later on.

Posted by: Unity | Oct 30, 2005 2:16:50 PM

There is a round of Lib Dem Blogs for October on the Apollo Project blog (and look around and you will find September's top ten in the archives.

Posted by: Peter | Nov 1, 2005 10:18:47 AM