I may be going gaga but...

I had occasion to visit the British Library this week.
Little did I know that deep in the bowels this sort of thing was going on.
Still, I have a great weakness for librarians and their work as regular readers know.
I know life is short and there are many important things to do but take 4:23 out of a wet bank holiday to enjoy this and think of the good guys and gals down at your local, library, and don't forget the databases.
Thanks to Bong Bong for the link and understanding about librarians!

Gideon's People

Article by George Monbiot published in the Grauniad and on his website.

People of my social background (upper middle class, public school) dominate every economic sector except those - such as sport and hard science - in which only raw ability counts. Through networking, confidence, unpaid internships, most importantly through our attendance at the top universities, we run the media, politics, the civil service, the arts, the City, law, medicine, big business, the armed forces, even, in many cases, the protest movements challenging these powers. The Milburn report, published last year, shows that 45% of top civil servants, 53% of top journalists, 32% of MPs, 70% of finance directors and 75% of judges come from the 7% of the population who went to private schools (6). Even the beneficiaries should be able to see that this system is grotesque, invidious and socially destructive. (6. The Panel on Fair Access to the Professions, 2009.Unleashing Aspiration. Figure 1f, p18.
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/227102/fair-access.pdf)

I'm not sure his solution would work even if you could prevail upon the universities to adopt such a selection process though the idea of screwing, at a stroke, the ability of the pluted bloatocrats to purchase advantages for their saucepans at the very real disadvantage of others would be welcome.

And now a link for Gideon. See what you missed, poor wee thing!
And of course the common people and their place in the great order of things

Fibet will be tree!

A thought from Bong Bong. What have those guys been smokin' now!
Still, freedom seems to be in short supply around and about.
Poor old Mr Vanunu is headed back to the slammer, read all about it in the Grauniad.
His particular crime involves meeting his girlfriend. What a bummer!
So when you celebrate your Amnes Tea on 28 May, raise a cup of chai for Mordechai and don't forget the yak butter. Go on, go on, go on!

Things change and the whole world is turned upside down.

I want to be free!

Free beer!
Free love!
Free Nelson Mandela with every 10 gallons (sorry 50 litres)!
Interesting meditation on the sloppy thought that

Information wants to be free (IWTBF)

by Cory Doctorow in the Grauniad

It's time for IWTBF to die because it's become the easiest, laziest straw man for Hollywood's authoritarian bullies to throw up as a justification for the monotonic increase of surveillance, control, and censorship in our networks and tools. I can imagine them saying: "These people only want network freedom because they believe that 'information wants to be free'. They pretend to be concerned about freedom, but the only 'free' they care about is 'free of charge.'"

Oh no they don't!

They want open access to the data and media produced at public expense, because this makes better science, better knowledge, and better culture – and because they already paid for it with their tax and licence fees.

Amen. Here endeth the first sermon, and while you're at it where is that free beverage and the dancing girls!

Lady of the Camellias.

So, two thoughts to be going on with.
A camellia, cut down in its prime but not by me, phew!
Herself, once again, came to my rescue.
Things I have learned after the event:-
A nosebleed from one nostril is possibly just a nosebleed.
If it is from 2 nostrils and lasts more than an hour you should go to A&E; probably half an hour ago!

I'm an NHS baby; god bless the NHS and all who sail in her!

Gracias a la vida que me he dado tanto!

And then there were...

One last heave and we're there.
You get at the back Peter and push him.
What's that wee numpty doing on the box?
I thought he was north of the border sh*%%^ng sheep.
What about the rainbow? What about ginger?
Oh F*%k! Here comes the dark Mountain.
Bugger this.

Step out, approach microphone, on my right, not too close...
It has been a privilege...
Not the trappings of power but the power to change...
All my fault...
Tremble lip, catch in voice, glance to right, christ better move on quick...
Get the kids, I'm off to see Brenda.

Walk up the street...
What number was it, 10?
Yes I know it's a bit small, but the weekend drum is ok-ish...
Approach microphone, yes on my left, back a bit, lots of space give em the Dark Madonna...
Strong government...
National interest...
Hard work...
Rebuilding family...
Crisis...
Honest...
Back to door, see that, 10
Cuddle, peck, not too much...
Open the door...
Gus! I'm home....

To rephrase a certain Mr Wislon...
Thirteen years of Tory misrule and we never won the World cup of Football once.
What a waste!

Master of the Dark Arts

I would not want anyone to think that I approve but this YouTube video shows what a master of the dark arts Alastair Campbell is. Appearing entirely reasonable he manages to get Adam Boulton to loose it. As much as a gelded sausage dog with false teeth in hock and chained to his lord and master can loose it, or that you would even notice.

Interesting times; oh what fun!

The Day Tomorrow

Off to the urns tomorrow!

And Giordano Bruno shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he to-day that casts his vote with me
Shall be my brother.

Ah but which way? Just vote, you numpty, just vote; it's a start.
If you feel you have had enough I suggest Johann Sebastian Mighty Bach might lift your spirit and the video might convince you that things are not too bad after all, mustn't grumble!

Let no one believe that there are not evil men out there.

Men who believe we should waterboard the political wing of the NHS en masse.
There are creatures who have enriched themselves with the blood of lambs, allegedly,
and much, much worse.

Democracy, you canna wack it laddy.