Saturday, October 28, 2006

[blogfocus] the concise and the succinct

Featured blogger: The Rock of Israel [together with Shimon Peres in January]

Ladies and gentlemen, the theme today is concise writing and quoting. First, from one of the masters of the quoting style - Stephen Pollard [see photo]: Tee Hee: Poor Macca. Divorcing a one-legged prostitute who accuses him of wife-beating and he's still the boring one out of Lennon and McCartney. Tim Worstall, who has made linking an art form, drily comments: More Tee Hee: Stephen Pollard [steals a line] quotes from Popbitch. Here's a typical Worstall link: Have you seen what The Great Leader has now said? And a typical Pollard: This will make you laugh out loud. However, both have fierce competition for the ConSuc title this week. Read on for that.

[geisha girl] seduction is the name of the game

Cynthia Gralla was a Ph.D. student in comparative literature at the University of California at Berkeley. She spent about six months working as a hostess during visits to Japan in 1999 and 2000 and this is her report on that experience: I was trained in the art of poignant, unrequited desire. One night I was sitting with a youngish Norwegian customer, enjoying a break from the near-constant horniness of the older Japanese men, when he suddenly nodded his head toward Louise, a British hostess. "She's very good," he whispered, his eyes filled with wonder and admiration. More here.

[j j cale] timeless genius

Notorious for his laid-back, rootsy style, Jean Jacques Cale’s influence wasn't only through songwriting - his distinctly loping sense of rhythm and shuffling boogie became a uniquely influential blueprint for many other artists. Cale's refusal to vary the sound over the course of his career, and his healthy suspicion of change-for-the-sake-of-it, has caused some critics to label him as a one-trick pony. But the whims and caprices of fad and fashion have left his timeless genius unmoved and he has managed to build a dedicated cult following with his sporadically released recordings. That, of course, is exactly how his fans want it. Indeed, there would probably be a riot if Cale tried to change now. So what is it about the Tulsa scene that produced Cale's sound in the first place? More here.

[vodka] helps on a winter’s eve – if it’s pure

Perfect example of an MSM beat-up: The headline said: Alcohol poisoning sweeps Russia. Uh-huh. Inside, this had become: Dozens have died in certain disadvantaged areas among poorer members of the population [population 170 000 000]. Only in the very last paragraph do they say: Living standards have improved in recent years, boosted by oil revenues, and average monthly salaries are the equivalent of $US400. But people want to believe the headline, don’t they? Doesn’t matter if it’s distorted or not – it’s a great story. That's all that matters.

[senate] 4 key mid-term races

Mainly for non-Americans wanting a clear statement of what’s going down, political analysts say there are now four key Senate races - Tennessee, Missouri, New Jersey and Virginia. In three of them, formerly-strong incumbent Republicans have lost their political footing. Here is the text of the ctv article on these key races:

[our earth] is it happy just now

Bushfires and snow Downunder

I ask the question, ‘Is our Earth happy just now?’ Consider the report from Downunder: Weeks after one of the hottest October days on record, weird weather again grips southern states. Sleet and snow grip, where weeks earlier there had been fierce bushfires, all with the southern hemisphere summer coming on. Is this normal?

[cheney] the beast emerges yet again

Who was it, around 2006 years ago, who said, ‘By their fruits ye shall know them?’ So here is a man today who thinks nothing of repeated immersion of victims, a man who is undoubtedly the portal behind the White House and what? You’d expect such things from a man who long ago lost his soul. In this process is the US foreign policy, the US social malaise engineering, the current US militarization and the future North America [post 2012] all rolled into one. Research Rummy and the financial boys in the background and the fog begins to clear.

[the world] what we do when we don’t like the facts

One blogger now increasingly drawing me back to his site said: Thereby a man might describe as a persistent myth any fact that stands against his beliefs … [and so] … we find that a mass of men sets about exploding “myths” all over the place, such that a dust and a general disorder is thrown up around every matter, to which it is then difficult to attract clear and calm attention. As I understand him, there is a mass of facts and they don’t always accord with our nice, pat beliefs we’ve developed for ourselves. This leads to the Holcombe syndrome. One such fact is the little matter of who is behind all the trouble in the world. No one will ever accept the facts. They don’t compute. 'Oh, that's just a myth,' we say. Yet rigorous, unfettered, thorough research will confirm the unfashionable truth.

Friday, October 27, 2006

[love & all that] why we like those whom we like

If you can tell me from where this came, I’ll gladly link: So what were Romeo and Juliet feeling when their eyes met across the proverbial room? Most likely, psychologists will tell you, it was something that's not quite love. "Lust at first sight exists," explains Pepper Schwartz, a University of Washington sociologist who specializes in love and relationships. We all have certain "markers," Schwartz says--certain things that ring our love bells. These might include eye color, a type of build, or even the way someone dresses. It's hard to say how these markers develop, and why certain people appeal to us more than others, she says. But there are theories.

[taliban] if you kill us, we’ll kill ourselves

Tragic logic in this war. A bomb ripped through a bus in southern Afghanistan on Friday, killing 14 civilians as the Taliban threatened to step up already rising suicide attacks and accused NATO forces of genocide of the civilians they were using as human shields. Everything is so wrong about this thing - such devastation, such appalling leaders the country spawns, such consequences, such a cynical agenda. People are slaughtered and the leaders jabber their rhetoric in response.

[blogpolls] do unto others as...

Look, I'm one of the worst offenders, I admit it. Notice something about a poll or a survey and think, 'Yes, must get round to that,' go to the next site and promptly forget all about the poll. And the poor blogger waits and hopes and hopes his friends will submit entries and they fail to. I feel a heel. So now I've acted and I urge you also to put your 5 favourite musicals into Norm immediately and submit the best bit of swearing to Mr. Eugenides. To Serf - examples of EU villainy. To Tim - nominations for Britblog Roundup. Come on, people, let's get our act together.

[excuse for biffo] la tension monte dans les quartiers difficiles

It would have been surprising had the 'disaffected youths' let the occasion go without an uprising. Nothing like an official excuse for a bit of lawless spleen venting and sure enough: In recent days, hoodlums set fire to four buses. Other incidents of arson and ambushes on police have accelerated in the last several weeks. Le Figaro dit: Alors que les incidents se multiplient, les forces de l'ordre se mettent en alerte. Call me hard but I have little sympathy. I came to this country where I now am, work, have friends and live reasonably. Sorry but I cannot see why these people can’t knuckle down and do the same. If I tried that sort of thing on, I'd be deported.

[pm] increasingly likely to be cameron

I wish we could get some hard information. James Cleverly said, a few days ago: I questioned the result of a Mori poll which put Gordon Brown ahead of David Cameron; it just didn't fit with anything that I am hearing on the doorstep. It seems from this Guardian poll I wasn't wrong. Today the Telegraph is running with: David Cameron has moved decisively ahead of Gordon Brown as favourite to lead the next government. It would have to be so. One’s gut instinct says it will be Cameron.

[ikea] how to lose your business in three easy lessons

Hope you have the coffee at the ready, as this might take some time. It’s the story of three separate businesses, all in the food trade and how they either lost or are in the process of losing their custom. One story is mine, one happened to my friend in the US and one is happening now, today, at Ikea. All are 100% genuine. I’ll start with mine – feel free to skip over it if you like. This involves a frozen turkey, some fish and a doughnut machine. More here.

[virginia race] down to the wire for the wrong reasons

What interests me in the tussle between Republican Sen. George Allen and Democrat Jim Webb, a former Navy secretary, for Virginia, were the ‘personal controversies that have all but hijacked a critical contest’ and the possible solution – a seven-year statute of limitations on character attacks. ‘Webb has been dogged by a 1979 magazine article in which he argued that women did not belong in combat or at military academies. Allen is trying to overcome a past fondness for Confederate flags and pins, the noose he once had in his law office — which he said was part of a Western memorabilia collection — and new questions about his attitudes on race.’ It looks as if it will go down to the wire but perhaps for the wrong reasons.

[denmark] mary’s girl child, hopefully

The Danish royal house has announced the Australian-raised princess is pregnant and due to give birth to her second child in early May, 2007. The new baby will be born at Copenhagen's Rigshospitalet (Copenhagen University Hospital) - the hospital in which Prince Christian was born on October 15th last year. Many in Denmark will be hoping the newborn is a girl, as the country is overdue for the birth of a princess, the last being Queen Margerethe's younger sister, Princess Benedikte in 1944.

[airbus] jacques strikes gold in china

Airbus Chief Executive Louis Gallois explained: "We have signed a contract for a 150 A320s and a letter of intent for 20 A350s with China, also a framework agreement for a final assembly line for the A320 at Tianjin, starting production in 2009". Latest news a few minutes ago is that they have no intention of closing the European plants. Jacques Chirac's state visit to China was the catalyst for the deal so credit must go, finally, where it is due. Still has some life in him, it seems and he might just have saved airbus. For now.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

[tax protest] blogger’s father in hiding

Had to think carefully before running the photo

Vox Day’s father has the tax police after him for what some see as the wrong reasons. Vox asks: And who is more cowardly, the sheep that go meekly along to the shearer or the one that jumps the fence and runs for the hills? However, one of his commenters puts a worrying point I’m inclined to agree with: I'm guessing your dad has absolutely zero history of being violent, which makes me think that the talk about him being dangerous is rather scary. It almost makes me think that the groundwork is being laid for shooting him.

[gender] boys are a pain from the start

Photo courtesy of Mr Euginedes

This slightly older article is worth the read. Boys are more trouble than girls - and the grief starts from the word go. Delivering a male child is significantly more difficult than giving birth to a female, according to an Irish study of more than 8000 children - the first in the world to consider how a child's sex affects labour. Maeve Eogan, from Dublin's National Maternity Hospital, found the caesarean rate was nearly 50 per cent higher among boys' births - 6.1 per cent versus 4.2 per cent. Other instrumental deliveries using forceps or ventouse extraction were also more common among male births, regardless of weight. Other delightful stats are here.

[all hallows] for those who might not know

Well, that major holiday, All Hallows Day, is coming up on Nov 1st. "Hallows" is the Old English for "holy man"; hence a saint. The French call it Toussaint. It’s traditionally traced to Pope Boniface IV who, between 603 and 610, changed the heathen Pantheon into the Christian church and dedicated it to the honour of the martyrs but some trace it to the time of Pope Gregory III (731-741). Originally held on May 1st, in the year 834 it was changed to November 1st. What exciting things to do on the day? Pray for the Saints and be one. That’s it. Read about the other Oct 31st to Nov 2nd holidays here.

[devolution] in which my take is taken to task

Toque commented on my post decrying the tit-for-tat between Scotland and England: I disagree, the sure sign of a disintegrating nation would be if we weren't having the debate. The fact is that asymmetric devolution is unfair and is having a destablising effect on the Union. Maybe it would have been better if devolution had never happened, or a dual-mandate solution had been proposed, but that is in the past now. At the moment the three main parties are doing nothing, allowing the acrimony to build: Labour has its head in the sand; Lib Dems make conciliatory noises but still hanker after regional assemblies, as do some in the Labour Party, and; the Tories, worst of all, have absolutely no answer. For the past three General Elections English Votes on English Matters has been in the Tory manifesto despite the fact that everyone that has considered it [including me] has described it as unworkable. My thrust [not made clear] was that it should never have happened in the first place and now is the time to reverse it.

[working lunch] canadian take on euro-wines

European wines have a dizzying number of classifications, many designated by whether the grape is grown on the left or right bank of a river, or to the east or west of a particular estate. But wine drinkers in Europe are turning up their noses at Pauillacs and Pomerols in favour of American, South African and Australian wines with simple, easy-to-understand labels. Experts predict that if current trends persist, Europe will soon become a net importer of wine. “The consumer decides what is taken down the shelves in the supermarkets. The consumer wants simple, clear labeling.” Have a lovely working lunch today, everyone – mine goes for three hours in two different cafes! It’s the truth.

[russia] volodya meets the people

Putin’s regular ‘meet the people’ apparently went well. Beginning from 11 a.m. yesterday, Russians gathered at sites around Russia to ask questions to the President. Citizens could call the president or send by SMS or a special website. Nearly 2 million questions, the most sensitive to be studied thoroughly by the cabinet of ministers, included ecology, nuclear tests in North Korea, flight safety, decrease in coniferous timber, support for the machine-building industry and so on. One man asked: “What will become of us and of Russia [after 2008]?” Volodya replied: “I’ll manage to save the most valuable thing for a politician - that is your trust. And using it, we’ll be able to influence what is going on.” Sure he will. Now it's time for Tony and George.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

[third rant] clearly it’s the weather today or something in the water

Still on Vox: It's amazing how similar the goals of the US military [in Iraq] are to those of the old Soviets and Western feminists. Their objectives - always so simple and attainable; all they require is to completely change something that hasn't changed in millennia. There are few things more lethal than a sincere Utopian. Er … how about ‘sincere political correctness’ and ‘enforced equal opportunity’? Actually, how about ‘enforced’ anything?

[north america] foi request puts 1,000 new pages online

About 1,000 documents obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request to the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America show the White House is engaging in collaborative relations with Mexico and Canada outside the U.S. Constitution, says WND columnist and author Jerome Corsi. "The documents give clear evidence that the Bush administration has created a 'shadow government,'" Corsi said. The documents can be viewed here, on a special website set up by the Minuteman Project. Read more here. [Source: Vox Day]

[britain] this is the thin edge of the wedge

Oh how I wish Doughty Street was accessible over here - I wanted to see the devolution and English Parliament debate. First off, of course Scots voting on English issues [but not the reverse] is right out. What is very worrying is the tit-for-tat being seen and all the old grievances being aired again. It's like a time warp and is the sign of a disintegrating nation. By the time the Scots wake up that it was better united and the English stop moaning about carrying them [hasn't every great nation done so with its 'smaller brothers'], a very different issue will be upon us [this post and the next]. Rant continues here.

[presidency] cheney says hillary could do it

Dick Cheney will soon have to meet his Maker to explain all he has done but one thing no one doubts is his shrewdness as a political operator. When he said on Tuesday he thought Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton could win the White House in 2008 and that a potential Democratic opponent, Sen. Barack Obama, was too inexperienced, he was quite appreciative of his enemies, a dangerous trait. And after all, he is in the Club which pre-decides such things. "I think she could win. I hope she doesn't. I disagree with her on nearly all the issues, but nobody should underestimate her. She's a very serious candidate for president." Cheney himself wasn’t interested. "I made my decision a long time ago, and it's firm, final, fixed, irrevocable". Natch. He has other pots to stir.

[google] and the rich get richer

Google is to allow web publishers and bloggers to put custom searches on their sites, in a move that could make searches more relevant to consumers and allow the company to charge more for advertising. The new Google Custom Search Engine relies on the same underlying database but allows individual users to set up personalised online searches. The words ‘allow the company to charge more’ seem relevant here.

[britain] rule britannia, not rule anglia

James Cleverly was to speak last evening about an English Parliament and so on and yesterday, on his blog, I left this comment: The problem with an English parliament is dissolution of the union. Apart from the clear disadvantages for Scotland and the other home countries, there would be a 'to hell with the English' attitude more so than now. LBJ said of Hoover, 'Better to have the bastard inside, pissing out than outside pissing in.' This is how all great empires have gone – fragmenting the more the centre has had to carry the fringes, heavy influx of population from the colonies, softening of the national resolve. Britannia became an Empire as a whole empire, not with just one part of it. The culture which arose is heavily English but not completely.

[politics] on the fuzzying of border zones

There are two prolific commenters, dsquared and dearieme, who roam cyberspace, dropping their pearls of wisdom and the latter, yesterday, dropped a particular pearl of wisdom on Chris Dillow’s blog: 'Equality of opportunity': why must the left always talk in extreme, often belligerent, terms? Why must we have equality, why must this be maximised, that eliminated and t'other never happen again? How about just trying to move in a desired direction, with this improved, that ameliorated and t'other reduced in frequency? What a wonderful basis for an international stance, one can't help thinking. National borders could be deliberately fuzzy - sort of mixed zones, as it were, hardening slowly as they move towards their own centres, local culture emphasized. I really think these are my politics.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

[blogfocus wednesday] grouped by theme

Blogger of the week for his NHS commentary

This evening’s Bumper Issue Blogfocus loosely groups bloggers according to themes and the problem is now acute of how to get round everyone and adequately represent them. Old hands will nod and mutter, ‘Wondered how long it would take him to wake up to that,’ and yet ... and yet. So, to the first topic, National politics and Tom Paine kicks off here: Link: Guardian Unlimited The Guardian Cameron's approval ratings slide. This is sad, but not surprising. The British people just don't need another Tony Blair. More bloggers here.

[heart attack] moderate drinking reduces men's risk

I have to post this in its original form: Even as studies have consistently found an association between moderate alcohol consumption and reduced heart attack risk in men, an important question has persisted: What if the men who drank in moderation were the same individuals who maintained good eating habits, didn't smoke, exercised and watched their weight? How would you know that their reduced risk of myocardial infarction wasn't the result of one or more of these other healthy habits? Full report here.

[foreigners] £1000 fines for illegal workers

Romanians and Bulgarians caught working illegally in Britain after their countries join the European Union will face a £1,000 on-the-spot fine, it was revealed today. The Home Office's threat of tough penalties was part of a package designed to reassure the public that a vast new wave of immigration will not be triggered by January 1's EU expansion. Naturally, those two countries have threatened reprisals. Exact details of the new laws here.

[olly north] the 80s make a comeback

Good to see Oliver North back in Nicaragua to give the Liberal Party's Jose Rizo a bunk up. The issue is that Daniel Ortega, of Sandinista fame, could be returned to power in November, if the opinion polls can be relied on. Keep your eye now on Iran in the 80s roadshow which won't go away. [Photo courtesy The Age]

[highway patrol] curbing speeding or making money

Colin Campbell has a piece which might just make you chuckle, on how four young men in Australia had a scam going, causing the traffic police to send speeding fines to themselves. Now the law-abiding amongst you will see this as outrageous, as you will no doubt feel about radar detectors and the like, almost mandatory over here where we live. The question which seriously needs answering is whether the efforts of the police are for the curbing of speeding and thereby saving lives or whether it’s all about creating revenue.

[faith schools] minette marrin misses the point

Minette Marrin, whom I greatly respect, is not right here: Even those who would much prefer a secular system, as I would, still feel they owe a lot to the great ethical and aesthetic traditions of faith schools. And there’s some evidence that religious state schools are better than others, both academically and pastorally. But faith schools are a British anomaly. It should be possible to agree that for various reasons, many of which are politically embarrassing, the time of state-funded faith schools is past. Why? The state-sanctioned religion is Christianity and in particular the C of E. Any religions outside of this with attendant schools, of whatever hue, are faith schools. The C of E schools are the state and therefore, of course, they must remain.

[edinburgh] war on dog doos

You all know the sterling Freedom and Whisky of course but I only discovered it yesterday and immediately was referred to Ewan Aitkens who had written this: I cannot understand why people let their dog’s foul not just pavements but football pitches, parks, verges, playgrounds and all the rest of it. It is a despicable, disgusting disrespectful action and I despise it and those who don’t clean up after their dogs. It’s like letting some one defecate in their front room. Public space is shared space and to ruin it like that is simply unacceptable. It’s about the most anti-social act I come across…It is individualism in the extreme. You’d have to agree with him, wouldn’t you think?

[house of lords] your time is coming once again

How would you like to have a name like: Thomas Galloway Dunlop du Roy de Blicquy Galbraith, 2nd Baron Strathclyde? The man in the photo does and it gives one a warm feeling of solidity, of safety somehow. He’s the Lord Chancellor [I refuse to use the altered terminology] and should be one of the chief advisers to the Sovereign in this fair land.

[aging] the dilemma of the elderly

Reported by Conservative Home some days ago: "David Cameron will today promise to end the 'national disgrace' of the elderly being separated from their families and sent to die in care homes he calls grey ghettoes. The Tory leader will pledge that a Conservative government would shake up the housing laws to make it easier for old people to live with their loved ones." - Daily Mail One hopes it really will amount to more than pre-election words but I can’t see how he’ll change the practice. The problem stems from how the middle-aged view the elderly and how far they deal with the ‘burden’ they see old people as being. I really hope against hope that Cameron can make a difference.

Monday, October 23, 2006

[house of lords] modest proposals for the restoration of same

Edward III would turn in his grave at the Lords Destruction Bill intended to be presented shortly. The US has a grand system, suitable for the US but Britain still has the vestiges of its own time honoured system. Thus I present a small selection of the Lords Preservation Proposals for your perusal: Firstly, the House of Lords is to be known, in perpetuity, as the House of Lords and the Woolsack remains untouched by grubby comm--- sorry. Next, a selection of proposals on Composition, Law Lords and Bills here.

[sublime noise] what is your fondest memory

"It must be generally admitted that Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is the most sublime noise that ever penetrated the ear of man," wrote E.M. Forster in Howard's End. Sublime … yes. But how about this: Leeds’ Lord Mayor, members of the Clothworkers’ Foundation and music enthusiasts from across the region heard Murray Perahia’s virtuoso performance of Schubert’s Impromptu in E flat. Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor David Sugden, said: “We are honoured and privileged to have witnessed such a sublime performance in this stunning hall.” So what is the most sublime noise you’ve ever heard, by whom and where? Brahms’ Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano or perhaps Juan Garcia de Salazar’s Dixit Dominus?

[political correctness] raising its ugly head in glasgow

More than surprised that the blogforce north of the border didn’t pick up on this one: I am delighted that Glasgow City Council is going to outlaw sexism. I really despise being referred to as 'hen' and feel there is no place for this level of offensive disempowerment. I'm actively involved in trying to rid the church of exclusive language, and would like to see certain words banned such as brethren.....and yes, I'd like to see the end of the word chairman. Chairperson is absolutely fine. That comes from some hen called Helen, in reaction to the GCC’s Lovely Liz and reported by, of all people, Vox Day in the US of A. Political Correctness. Excuse me one moment - I need to find a bucket.

[faces] mirror, mirror, on the wall ...

Let's face it, you can't hope to get anywhere today unless you're photogenic. So who's the most photogenic of these, in your opinion?

[windows] ie 7 is coming whether you want it or not

This article is important enough to run in full: Attention, Windows XP users! Big changes are coming to your computer, and if you’re not paying attention, the biggest one may come regardless of whether you want it. Last week, Microsoft made the latest version of its Web browser, Internet Explorer 7, available online. On Tuesday, the company will post to the Web its newest music and video player, Windows Media Player 11. You’ll be able to download Internet Explorer 7 at www.microsoft.com/ie and Media Player at www.microsoft.com/mediaplayer. Even if you don’t grab IE7, it’s going to come to you. More here.

[baseball] smudgy hands talk of the day

If you’re a Brit, then you might not see how smudgy hands could be a top headline: Twenty-three consecutive runless innings in the postseason have suddenly turned Kenny Rogers into a money pitcher. But televised images of a smudge on his left hand have some wondering whether the Gambler is playing with loaded dice. Then: A couple of the Cardinals' hitters said the ball was acting funny. Still mystified, then came this: Since 1988, there have been three instances of players being suspended for using pine tar. Finally I understand. Globe & Mail Article here.

[bush] george and his new world order

David and Robin Whitney’s The American Presidents [Guild America 2001] is seen as one of the definitive works on the US Presidents, widely recognized as taking a line as far down the centre as possible, even verging on the pedantic at times. Yet even within the documentary record, surprising things can pop up. "A new breeze is blowing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn. The totalitarian era is passing, its old ideas blown away like leaves from an ancient, lifeless tree." This lyrical utterance was by GHW Bush on his inauguration, surprising really, coming from the slightly grey fuddy-duddy emerging from Ronald Reagan’s shadow. It was to prove to be more than a one-off anomaly. Read more here.

[obama barack] next us president or not

What’s with this Obama Barack [45]? He told NBC's Meet the Press: I am still at the point where I have not made a decision to - to pursue higher office but it is true that I have thought about it over the last several months. Obama entered the national spotlight as the keynote speaker at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, winning the Senate seat that November with 70 percent of the vote. Last month he was the main speaker at Sen. Tom Harkin's Iowa steak fry, an annual political Democrat event. "He took it by storm, like a rock star hit the place," said Trippi, who has been working in campaigns in Iowa since 1979. You felt it. It was not just his speech. It was the way the crowd surged around him ... You couldn't move if he was in the area. If he entered the race, you can’t help but think he might do well against Hillary and Condi. More here and here.

[famous enigmas] kaspar hauser

The story of the wild child who appeared from nowhere is interesting enough in itself but when coupled with the attempts on his life which could equally be explained as suicide, then the plot thickens. Add to that research suggesting he was a crown prince and there is indeed an enigma. I’ve grappled with this one for years and was reminded of it with my own attacks on the weekend – see what you think. Story is here.

[btq saturday] behind-the-quote

Ruskin had a dispute with Whistler over 'art' and said: I have seen and heard much about Cockney impudence before now; but never expected to hear a coxcomb ask two hundred guineas for flinging a pot of paint in the public's face [1877]. He was referring to Nocturne in Black and Gold. Whistler replied: No, I ask it for the experience of a lifetime. The winner is 'anonymous' and thanks for the entry.

[current enigma] why people refuse to respond

If you take your traffic and divide it by the number who respond to things like BTQ and various polls, it’s a very small fraction. One top blogger wrote about his own competition: I'm still waiting on a lot of you, waiting for your entries …Don't let me down. I don’t know why people won’t join in these things but they steadfastly refuse. It’s not that they won’t take the time – my blogging e-mails are about 200 in the week and the occasional comment is even left on a post but quizzes and polls – people just refuse to do ’em. Do you have a theory about this?

[weekend] attacks and blockages

The new e-mail appears to be working fine - please don't use the oasis address as it's now confirmed that it's blocked by 'them' and I absolutely refuse to play their game. There was also another attack yesterday - hence no posting until this morning but we'll press on. Thank you and sorry to anyone who checked in yesterday and found nothing. I hope to make up for it now.