Laptops for all

Plaid's manifesto proposals include

* universal affordable childcare which will help parents back to workand tackle child poverty
* free, nutritional, locally-sourced meals in primary schools
* public ownership of the railway system
* lap tops for school pupils to help create the most modern ITliterate workforce in the world

Has somebody discovered an oil field under Cardiff Bay?

W.O.F.

Huw Edwards has been made a professor at CJS. Tell Jay Wells, he'll be spitting

the obvious link between nuclear holocaust and the 6 Nations

Ah, sports journalism -- it's all about cliche and outrageous analogies. Of which this, from the BBC Wales Sport Six Nations preview, is a prize example:


"Interesting to see that the Doomsday clock, which signifies how close the world is to nuclear disaster, was moved to seven minutes to midnight last week, its "latest" time for nine years.
This could be a week when even the Six Nations is overshadowed if England's clubs go for the nuclear button and opt out of the Heineken Cup along with the French.
Tick tock, tick tock… we watch and wait."

Sargy, Blitzy and Guto

Great new diary about the lobby here. Can't imagine there are that many people who want to read this stuff, and its buried deep in the bowels of Guardian Unlimited, but I love the slightly sozzled, old-school bonhomie to it - until the bit where it starts slagging of Guto Hari. Is that the one who's Tim's mortal enemy? At the rate whoever's writing it - Michael White? - is gunning through the anecdotes, you wonder how long he can keep it going.

The total king of Fleet Street anecdotes is Chris Moncrieff at PA. In this week's House magazine he actually manages to drop in a story about Lord Palmerston being late for dinner with Queen Victoria

Posted by an Australian?

New petition on the No 10 website:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to ensure that all members of Carisbrooke High School Old Boys Cricket Club are awarded MBE's in the event that they complete an Isle of Wight Cricket Board League and Cup Double, for the 3rd consecutive season, during 2007.

Memo to Newsquest galley slaves

From a former colleague inside the evil empire

Over the next few weeks, we will be renovating reporters to make them fit for the 21st century. All reporters will have intravenous drips fitted so they do not have to have lunch breaks or any food breaks - of course, the food that will be fed directly into their stomachs will be cold. Brain surgery will remove all ambition and hope, and fingers will be surgically attached to key boards. Phones will be directly plugged into your ears and will automatically answer. Because of this massive investment in technology, pay will be reduced by 90% as all your food and living needs will be met. The remaining 10% of your pay will go towards your copy of the Oxford Mail. Holidays will involve being unplugged for one day at management discretion. Desks will be adapted into toilets and showers, as well as sleeping pods. The sleeping arrangements will be finalised after a two-months away-day in the Caribbean where senior staff will establish the best arrangements. I am sure you will all join me in celebrating this new exciting development.

Bob Atkins strikes back

Were you guys aware of this?
http://tightandbright.blogspot.com/index.html

Inspired

The tagline for Daily Jews.com - your kosher cultural fix:

All the Jews as it happens - All the Jews fit to print

Saturday Superstore

I'm posting a tiresome amount at the moment. But I've only just seen this story from the Mail about the possiblity of Mike Read standing for mayor. The lack of any proper quotes but one - saying he can't set out his stall yet - makes it sound like the reporter had to really squeeze him hard, but have you ever heard a more laughably mediocre list of vaguely right-of-centre views? My mum could do a lot better. But then she is a Tory MEP. She's not really.

"Mr Read, 56, who made his name as a TV and radio presenter in the Eighties, put tackling crime and immigration and preserving the family unit as his top priorities. He is cautious about Mr Cameron, saying he is "impressed" by him as a person but wants to see more meat on his policies. Brought up in Surrey, his parents voted Tory, and as far as he can remember he always has too. He currently presents a show for radio station the Big L, in Frinton-on-Sea, a bastion of the blue rinse brigade. As yet, his manifesto for Mayor lacks detail. "You can't set out your stall until you know what you're selling," he insisted. He thinks bendy buses are a "crazy" idea as they clog up roads and that the congestion charge is "unfair" on people who forget to pay. He welcomes the Olympics but is concerned about rising costs. He also thinks immigrants should swear an oath of allegiance to the country."

Super Sub

I'm convinced the best journalists are tabloid subs. Hence a mildly amusing piece on The Sun's website gets turned into one paragraph of pure genius on page 27 of the paper:

NO MORE BANGING

A farmer is suing kids

for hurling fireworks at

his ostriches in Bautzen,

Germany - saying it has

put them off mating.

Killer dogs

"The ‘dangerous dogs’ issue has become a scare story for our times, expressing the political and media elites’ innate distrust, fear and loathing of working-class and poor communities. These teeth-bearing, broad-shouldered beasts are seen as being symbolic of sections of society that have no moral anchor or self-control, communities that are selfish, uncaring, beastly."

Interesting piece here about how some commentators are treating the killer dog stories. He makes some good points but I think it's probably wrong. Poor working class men are more likely to own a banned breed than any other part of society. The pretty objectionable commentators he's referring to aren't using this as a snob's code - they openly write about class, chavs and council estates every week. The argument about the effect words like chav have on society doesn't have anything to do with dogs.Of course it's true that deaths from dog attacks are rare - it wouldn't be a story otherwise - but I don't quite see the point of comparing it to horse riding. Yes, that's more dangerous and more popular among the middle classes, but your kid can't die from being attacked by an illegal breed of show pony in the street.

MP Lembit the real booby for ogling my breasts, says student

Lengthy character assassination from one of Sian Lloyd's mates breathlessly written up in the Mail, I missed this over the holidays.