Via The Virtual Stoa and Early Modern Notes, for today, tomorrow and Sunday only the Oxford University Press are offering free online access to the Dictionary of National Biography, one of the finest academic achievements of all time. Truly superb … Continue reading →

German elections: Some possible scenarios (and interesting discussion in the comments), plus a look at why the German mess does NOT mean that Proportional Representation systems are rubbish (with more good debate/links in the comments – including my solution to … Continue reading →

Read. Now. Then ponder if the next time you see an episode of Are you Being Served? and John Inman minces on to utter his catchphrase you won’t pause for a moment and sigh with nostalgia for a more innocent … Continue reading →

Hopefully nothing – “incident” at Manchester airport… Jarndyce has more – once again, Manchester police manage to arrest someone without killing them. Good work Manchester police! Fancy coming to London and showing our lot how it’s done?

First one of these I’ve seen, but trust anyone but the government to come up with it. My old mates St John Ambulance have come up with a sensible and cunning idea, following their experiences tending the wounded on 7th … Continue reading →

What. The. Pissing. Shit. Is. Going. On. With. This. Fucking. Country? More at Perfect. (I are too busy at the moment, hence delay in picking up on this…) Emigration is beginning to look increasingly appealing. Either that or I’m going … Continue reading →

Via Ken at EU Realist, let’s help some poor PhD student, shall we? Spirit of altruism and all that. Go here and follow the instructions – it’s a survey to check public perception of “the EU�s public diplomacy strategy online … Continue reading →

German elections: If you don’t know what the hell’s going on (which is most people, German or otherwise), you could do a lot worse than this round-up by Alex. Missed it yesterday – good stuff.

This – largely my take on the whole shoot to kill fiasco, with only minor quibbles, differences in interpretation and/or additions. It’s hard to summon up the will to write about it any more, it’s just so obviously been so … Continue reading →

Let’s hope so, eh? Today the wonderful data retention and electronic surveillance proposals put forward by our delightful government are being tabled by the European Commission amid EU-wide differences of opinion over their legality and effectiveness. Blair’s lovely plan, for … Continue reading →

Hmmm… Booze, you say? Free, you say? On the BBC, you say? If you’re a London-based blogger, it may be worth checking out. I shall reserve commitment for the time being, as I can’t remember if I’m meant to be … Continue reading →

It would appear (via la Worstall) that those of you who contributed to my London bombs beer fund a couple of months back in preference to Ken Livingstone’s official Red Cross one made the right choice. Am I seriously more … Continue reading →

This BiasedBBC cross-post actually makes some very valid points. I may have to re-assess my opinion of Auntie.

Look, sorry – I know everyone seems to expect that I’m a wishy-washy pinko liberal peacenik and stuff, but there’s only one way to describe this story – this is fucking cool! That’s what war should be all about – … Continue reading →