[blogfocus saturday] genesis of the bloggers

1. Iain Dale, who incidentally doesn't make it easy to access his old material, is having an identity crisis, as can be seen in the banner above and asks whether anyone can design a new banner for him. That's the latest post but his earlier efforts show that many issues are the same today as way back then:

To understand why this country should question its whole relationship with the EU click on this link. I defy even the most ardent Europhile to defend this.

2. Mr. Eugenides did not begin with much fanfare but with a nevertheless interesting observation of the Tory leadership race at the time:

According to an article in yesterday's Sunday Telegraph, many of the members of the Cornerstone Group of "traditionalist" Tory MPs are considering backing David Cameron. Full story can be found here. If true, this is a big blow to DD. He's trying to paint himself as the heir to Thatcher whilst DC is the heir to Blair - a gross oversimplification, but a convenient one. And, like all good caricatures, it has at its heart a kernel of truth. Cameron seems sure to win the contest - but it's an open question whether or not the party membership would be so keen if they truly understood what he has in mind for the future.

3. In what I thought a neat little piece on Arnie, Vox Day did two amazing things - pumped iron and got no comments. For a 100+ commenter, that seemed a little strange:

In honor of Governor Schwarzenegger's election - I didn't and don't support his political career, but I still like him as an example of what determination can do for an individual - I hit the triceps hard today. After my normal workout, I added a symbolic six reps with the 100-pound dumbell. I figure Arnold would appreciate that sort of homage instead of the usual toast or whatever. So, *grunt* here's to the new governor!

4. Jonathan Swift went out on a limb and predicted what would happen in 2006. How did he do?

Condoleeza Rice will win the 2006 Presidential election.

There won’t be a single terrorist attack in Wyoming.

The Baltimore Colts will win the Superbowl.

Dick Cheney will resign for health reasons and President Bush will choose Joe Lieberman as the new Vice President uniting the country.

American troops will leave Iraq except for the ones necessary to keep order and prevent civil war.

The stock market will soar to 10,000.

5. The Tin Drummer has made a comeback [how's that for a scoop?] but here he writes of the cultural blog to be:

I had intended this to be a cultural blog, full of literature; however at the moment I am drinking rather more than I am reading. And I wanted to make a defence of beer, by which I mean ale, bitter; what is sometimes dismissed by people as "warm beer". This makes me laugh. You don't drink red wine at 2C, so why drink a flavoursome, malty, hoppy, tangy, fruity beer at such a low temperature that you can barely taste anything and your tongue is numbed as it goes down?

6. The ex-globetrotting CityUnslicker got straight down to the issues when he began and at the same time displayed that idiosyncratic spelling he's now come to be known and loved for, along with Tiberius Gracchus:

Today I wanted to briefly air my thoughts on immigration and employment in the UK today. The MSM have been reporting for the last few days on the large numbers of immigrants that the UK has accpeted since 1997. In general they have tried to avoid giving any real insights into the issue and instead have taken simple ideological stances on the statistics produced.

7. Like Iain Dale, another blogger with the extremely annoying habit of not providing archives, Jocko, aka Colin Campbell, aka Adelaide Green Porridge, aka everything else under the sun, gives us the wordy Count Up:

Early one morning in early May 2006, it will be 01:02:03:04:05:06. Only once in your lifetime. And that's all for now folks.

Don't forget that it's 68 days until Hannah's birthday as well.

8. Saving the lady with the capitalized post titles for last, here she is, the incomparable Welshcakes, whose latest post contains some surprises, as does her take on STORMY WEATHER:

Well, not really. This morning it rained hard for about five minutes and there was loud thunder without lightning, which always frightens me to death. [I wondered if, this time, it was old Pluto having a noisy sulk. Perhaps he is going to abduct Persephone again in revenge for losing his status?] If you are out and get caught in a summer storm like that, it is much too hot and sticky to put on one of those raincoats-in-a-bag beloved of the British, and everyone stares at you if you do, as it is evidence of the kind of forward planning that Italians don't go in for. Besides, where's your pazienza? - Just wait a minute and the rain will stop, as suddenly as it came.

If you have pazienza, I'll be back Wednesday evening with another Focus. Ciao, baby.