What do we want from a blogger? Surely an incisive mind, sound values an eye on the issues and a sharp quill. And surely that is represented here this evening: 1 I don't recall the last time Fabian Tassano had it wrong, certainly not this time:
MPs fear the control order regime attempt to get round civil liberties by using “prisons without bars” is in danger of becoming a public laughing stock, since six of the current seventeen terror suspects subject to orders have managed to disappear.
Dr Reid is threatening to "opt out" of a key part of the European human rights convention. Such a move — which can only properly be justified by war, or a public emergency threatening the life of the nation — will represent a new round in the continuing struggle between ministers and the courts the public, over liberty versus the fight against terrorism goal of creating a police state.
7 Vox Day is called many things, not least by Michelle Malkin but what can't be denied - the boy can write. Here he looks at a survey:
Some 25 over-65s, with an average age of 70, took part in the study and trained at a gym. Not only did they acquire new strength, but the molecular machinery powering their muscles became as active as that seen in people of 20 or 30....
… and comments:
This is clearly a sign to go for the Holy Grail: the 21-inch guns. If you're already a mental freak of nature, why not become a physical one as well? I've always wanted to have an excuse to get into a confrontation with police and shout "my arms are more powerful than your guns!"
I have noticed that people who lift weights regularly do tend to look significantly younger than their age. Not in the face, but in how their body looks and how they move. And for women, I've seen 50- and 60-year olds who have butts like 17-year old girls, or at least what 17 year-old girls used to look like before they all got fat.
3 The Flying Rodent is not for the faint of heart [or hand]:
After all, nobody knows more than me what unpredictable and capricious creatures young women can be.
I recall an incident that occurred a couple of years before I met Mrs. Rodent, discussing sexual fantasies with my then girlfriend in the wee small hours of the night.
"I think think it would be quite sexy to, you know, watch each other playing with ourselves," said my ex-girlfriend, the cheeky thing that she was, and probably still is.
"Really?" I said, a little intimidated and embarrassed by the prospect, "Well, yes, I suppose it would be quite sexy, wouldn't it?"
My ex giggled, quite thrilled with her naughty suggestion.
4 Mr. Eugenides is extremely hard to encapsulate in a paragraph. Under the heading "We have to have some secrets, Darling", he opines:
Freedom of information has proved its worth since it was introduced, but there have been persistent straws in the wind suggesting that it's working just a little too well for ministers' liking.
Then follows a letter from Alistair Darling, whom Mr E describes thusly:
[N]ot since Norman Lamont has a minister so closely resembled a badger.
... and comments:
Of course, the significance of this is ... rather what it tells us about the likely fate of FoI under the next Prime Minister. Darling doesn't scratch his nuts without consulting Cyclops first. If this is what the monkey thinks, we can be sure the organ-grinder takes a similar view.
5 Croydonian, the anti-October Bank-Holidayist, has some frightening news:
Because the Osmonds are reforming. More here, but readers of a sensitive disposition may well want to ensure that sound is off before proceeding. Apparently they are marking 50 years in the biz, although I find the maths a little troubling as I can find no reference to their having done anything prior to the 60s, and in order for them to be a plurality, the second oldest would have been six at the time of founding.
6 You might wonder at the inclusion of Tim Worstall here, already a mega-blogger and the simple answer is - because he's good. First he takes the Croydonian to task:
The Croydonian thinks that the TUC's suggestion for an October Bank Holiday is a really bad one. I think it's bloody brilliant. October 21 st please. Celebrate it with a march from the square to Waterloo station, making sure that we invite the French Ambassador.
... then later tackles recycling:
So, the question becomes, why are we setting up this vastly expensive system of anaerobic biodigesters, insisting on homes being repositories for rotten food, when we have already solved the problem? Stick it all in a hole in the ground and collect the methane?
7 Whilst he certainly gets traffic to his excellent blog, I still regard Political Umpire as sadly under-rated - he should be as well known as a Worstall or a Dale:
Today I phoned Birmingham City Council on their general contact number. As expected, an automated voice message came first. It explained to me that the call may be recorded for training purposes, then started to list my options. It said something to the following effect:
"If your call is regarding anti social behaviour, press one.
If you have a general inquiry, press two."
Should I draw any inferences from the order in which those two instructions appeared?
8 The problem with my blogrolls is that Blogpowerers are not in the Blogostocracy roll. That's because they're in the Premier roll. But for that, Chicken Yoghurt would be straight in there. Here he presents the best selling album by Flatus Quo:
[I]n tribute to the departing Tony Blair, he and many of his friends have put together an album of Status Quo covers. It’s dedicated to Britain’s voters and is titled ‘Quo Vadis?’ Here’s a sneak peak of the track listings.
1. Down Down - The Labour Party Membership
2. Something ‘Bout You Baby I Like - Tony Blair and Rupert Murdoch
3. Break The Rules - Peter Mandelson and David Blunkett
4. Roll Over Lay Down - The Parliamentary Labour Party
5. Gonna Teach You to Love Me - Gordon Brown
6. Whatever You Want - Tony Blair and Rebekah Wade
7. Roll Over Lay Down (reprise) - The Parliamentary Lobby Journalists
Tuesday Blogfocus will be different in that it looks at two bloggers only at some small length. Hope to see you then.
Today is the Second Day of Whitsun or Pentecost, a Christian holiday and a bank holiday in 
