Ice cubes in the fire

He doesn't just sing!

I know this is rather overdue, but I've been away from the PC for a few days. I thought I'd bring all your attentions' to another article penned by Thom Yorke (lead singer of Radiohead, if you didn't know) about the whole Hutton Report affair/mess/whatever:

This is a theatre of the absurd. It has left everybody I know shaking their heads in disbelief and anger. Such a performance should make us all deeply nervous about the future of Britain. While Blair wishes to draw a line under the whole episode, I hope this doesn't happen. Sometimes a story will end up being told, no matter how many times they try to close the book.

Incidentally, I spent Sunday in Oxford, touring the colleges to help me choose which one I will (very, very hopefully) be calling home in a year's time. And guess what I saw scrawled in pink chalk on one of the walls...

Hutton is bollox

I know I'll be right at home.

Now that's rebellion...

If you have to blame any rebel, blame Nick Brown. Until this morning, his opposition to top-up fees was based on principle, or so he said. This afternoon, his friend the Chancellor (another Brown) asks him to jump, and all he can do is plaintively ask 'How high?'

But Nick Brown is an honourable man...

Pyrrhic?

So. Blair has his bill. Fees for UK universities will be raised in 2006. And Blair has held on to his job. I'm not quite sure what to make of the government's majority-of-five victory today. People left, right and centre seem to be predicting that this will seriously weaken our Prime Minister, perhaps even fatally. I'm not convinced. I've lost track of the number of times we've been told that this latest setback, this latest humiliation could spell the end of the Labour leader. My gut impression is that Blair's job is secure for the time being. He'll have to make some changes to the way he treats Parliament, but his own job is safe.

Plus, according to The Sun, the Hutton Report will come down on the government's side, condemning the BBC and clearing Tony Blair of 'duplicitous wrongdoing'. We'll know for sure tomorrow, but things are looking up for the PM.

Anyone know who the good guys are?

I don't even know what to think about this. I suppose that as with all things, Shakespeare put it best:

A plague o' both your houses!

I really don't know what to think.

"Democrats lash out at Bush"

Just what I like to hear...

Illuminating!

If you really want to see what the Iraq war has cost, look no further than this.

'One nation under God'

Via The Friday Thing:

94% of adult Americans believe in God

86% of adult Americans believe in miracles

But here's the real kicker -

48% of adult Americans think their nation enjoys special protection from God

And yet this is the same country I want to live in. Eh...

Mildly Worrying

Am I the only person who saw this?

Sunday Herald: A van loaded with depleted uranium, which can be turned into a 'dirty bomb', has been stolen sparking a nationwide hunt in the United Kingdom.

The van contained 15 kilos of the nuclear waste. A police memo warning of the theft and headed 'Stolen Depleted Uranium' reads: 'Your attention is drawn to a stolen white Citroen Berlingo diesel van index T11 WOS. Vehicle stolen from Purfleet, Essex on 07.07.03

'When stolen, vehicle contained 15kgs of depleted uranium. This material may become radioactive if ignited. Vehicle must not be approached by police.'

And am I the only person who's worried? I mean I know we're all going to die in the end, but...

A (thoroughly predictable) development

Apologies that blogging has been very light (or non-existent) today, but I've been rather busy doing other things, such as playing the sublime SimCity 4. However this headline from BBC News Online caught my eye:

Iraq weapons 'not likely to be found'

Apparently very senior figures, "right at the top of Whitehall" have informed the BBC that they no longer expect WMD to turn up in Iraq, surprising exactly no-one. However what is important is that officials have been confirming this to the press, apparently contradicting Blair's statement that he is confident that such weapons will be found. So now we have the leak, can we expect some discussion of the implications for Bush, Blair and that troublesome argument between the Beeb and Premier Campbell?