Britblog Roundup # 49

Only three weeks away from our first anniversary edition! Get your nominations for next week’s Britblog Roundup in to britblog AT gmail DOT com.

This week’s first entry simply has to be Mr Free Market and his astonishing discovery of a vicious date rape drug. Simply appalling how such things can happen in a modern society.

Slightly more seriously it looks like Stephen Pollard might have some problems. This post, further explained by the Virtual Stoa, and then this news at Pickled Politics. Could be a libel suit coming which will be interesting news for him when he comes back from Jerusalem (my spies tell me he was on the same plane as Melanie Phillips, make of that what you will).

The big news in today’s papers was of course the Oaten/rent boy story. Which makes this rumination on the various leadership contenders speeches moot, but still interesting, from The Apollo Project. Mikey’s Tent of Reality is on the latest ramifications of the story. Well, speculations, more accurately.  Who and what else is there in the Lib Dem bag of tricks?

If you’re wondering what all the Orange Book stuff is actually about (other than commercial sex of course) then you’re in luck because Joe Otten’s got a series of posts, chapter by chapter, on whether it is in fact right wing or not. (Sadly, he finds it isn’t.-Ed) Actually, this set of posts would repay close study. This is spot on:

Care should be taken when mixing the public and private sectors, that the common good is benefiting from the invisible hand, rather than, as often seems more likely, the dynamism of the private sector is crushed under the dead hand of the state. Initiatives such as PFI are at best only loosely related to the operation of free markets. They are more closely related to corporatism. The private sector does not get things right by magic, but under the pressure of competition. If only the state is buying, stupid buyer that it is, there is no competition, and there is very little reason to expect good value.

If you are interested in what the Lib Dems were discussing before this then Liberal England has the in house news.

If you’re not interested in the Lib Dems but are in the prostitution side of the story then Small Town Scribbles has more on the New Stateman’s discussion of the subject.

Back to Lib Dem politics and Ken Owen is asking who he should vote for.

And to round out our Lib Dem coverage (hey, they are having an election you know) Suzblog looks at Geo. Galloway on CBB.

For something completely and wonderfully different try Nutgroist. A stand-up gig with a difference.

I’ll admit that I don’t quite get this one (just what is "Catchphrase"? ) but I’m told this is the funniest cartoon of the past 10 years over at Staining the Internet.

Arctic Monkeys? Not really my bag (as in papa’s got a new one) but according to No Rock and Roll Fun their secret is that they, err, use the internet.

Our Mr. AI Dodge is unhappy with London Transport. Perhaps rightly so.

If this isn’t an oxymoron, a witty and articulate NHS Manager.

Wat Tyler reports on the world’s largest IT project. Ever. Could be 50 billion quid and rising. For our dear and much loved NHS of course (It’s the Wonder ofthe World you know!)

Jarndyce on the morality of collateral damage. Set the bar a great deal higher than it currently is is the conclusion.

Something very good at The Sharpener on political betting. In response to that Jackie Ashley column bewailing the practice. Mr. S&M is also very good on this. Odds are prices and prices convey information, so what’s not to like?

McManus gives us the proper and correct response to Noam Chomsky’s visit to Ireland. Oppression everywhere. Twenty Major also has views. Strong ones, as you might imagine.

Something odd about the Leicestershires and the Darbyshires. Who is spoofing who? (Or is that Whom and who? Who and whom? Whom and Whom? Gaaah.-Ed) Surely somebody must be?

Anglo Saxon Chronicles wants to try the impossible. Googlebombing Google itself. Thankfully he’s desisted from that and just makes fun of someone instead.

Natalie Bennett finally gets a response to one of her very first blog posts. Just what had this guy done  to get hauled up on a gibbet? Her theatre review almost leads to a supporter on one actor doing the same to her.

Stop! No, seriously, Wait! Go here. Rawandan Survivors. 10 years on, the stories of those who survived the genocide. Heartbreaking.

Nee Naw on another depressing story of human iniquity. A happier ending, true, but not a rosily perfect one as we might like.

RatLab goes socialising. With TB researchers. Not a great success.

A newish blog. Camden Lady. Men and women use the internet differently. Good conclusion.

The House of D on the difference between the Brit and US Christmas tales, stress in London and spiky heels. Just about everything you could want in a post actually.

History, Other, on things to love. Like only two rigidly scheduled hours a week.

The Law West of Ealing Broadway has two great shorties. No, no descriptions, just go read them both.

An Englishman’s Castle has what must be the correct recipe for today. Didn’t we use to call this snoek?

Sortapundit gets interviewed and makes his regular appeal for dosh to send him to Mongolia. Sample:

Q. What are you, nuts?

A. Clearly, yes.

Clive Davis checks out the school league tables in the town we both grew up in. Not good.

And that’s it! Back next week for another Britblog Roundup, in the interim the normal right wing vituperation will resume and so until then...

Toodle Pip!

day.