freedom costs money - news

Meanwhile, in Ireland

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 19:25:33 +0000

There appear still to be real barbarians in the shape of the IRA and their less than amusing Sooty imitation, Sinn Fein. Quite apart from the original terrible murder the subsequent intimidation of witnesses, the absurd Martin McGuiness urging witnesses not to co-operate with the police but to go to the police ombudsman, the craven sophistry of Gerry Adams (gasp) quite how they could ever imagine that offering to shoot McCartney's murderers would ameliorate the situation is completely beyond me.

Oscars, everyone!

Thu, 03 Mar 2005 19:47:00 +0000

They liked Million Dollar baby.

Theirs is not an opinion that I am going to dignify with any comment.

Rant! The Prevention of Terrorism Act

Thu, 03 Mar 2005 19:32:27 +0000

Since nobody else appears to be going to say anything at all on the subject of the Prevention of Terrorism Act that is currently making its uncomfortable passage through parliament, I will have to have a bash at explaining why it’s wrong wrong wrong and why it’s absolutely imperative that, come the election, everyone uses their vote and gets rid of this lunatic government.

Oscar, anyone?

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 17:22:13 +0000

Here are this years Oscar nominations, apparently picked at random out of a very small hat by people who were late for an appointment.

Here are my inconsequential, impartial, ill-informed opinions:

Commercial

Sun, 06 Feb 2005 14:41:27 +0000

Those of you with more cash than you know what to do with and no grammar skills will be pleased to know that thelanguagehawk.com is up and running at last.

Go there, go there now.

Whaddyamean, Europe?

Sat, 29 Jan 2005 21:14:04 +0000

THIS IS VERY MUCH A WORK IN PROGRESS. THE WAY I SEE IT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A UNIFIED EUROPE EVENTUALLY. I'M GOING TO WRITE ABOUT SOME OF MY (ADMITTEDLY INCONSEQUENCIAL) IDEAS ON HERE AND I'D LOVE TO KNOW WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF THEM. HERE'S THE FIRST BIT OF THE FIRST BIT (BEAR WITH ME - IT'LL BE A WHILE BEFORE I'VE ORGANISED MY THOUGHTS ENOUGH TO WRITE MORE).

Exhaustion of the Punctuation Mines

Tue, 11 Jan 2005 19:52:26 +0000

It seems that the current collapses of grammar and punctuation are not entirely down to the simultaneous collapse of what might plausibly be regarded as an education system. It seems that our literary forefathers have, to put it bluntly, used all the grammar and punctuation up. What we are using now is the poor quality stuff that they thought uneconomical to use.

Europe Fails Again

Wed, 22 Dec 2004 09:16:34 +0000

The European Union as it currently stands is an irritating parody of what it could be, but it is not completely useless.

Or it wouldn't be if anybody there had any courage to do what is obviously the right thing.

Government Health Warning

Mon, 22 Nov 2004 12:55:31 +0000

Researched published this week suggests that the nation could be on the verge of a potentially catastrophic outbreak of Hypochondria. The disease, which can devastate lives as it floods through people's nervous system like a white elephant in a china-shop, has been described as having symptoms ranging from "a bit of a sort of a nebulous ache" to sudden unexplained death.

Victory in the Class War

Wed, 17 Nov 2004 13:10:59 +0000

THIS IS AN ATTEMPT AT SOME SORT OF SERIOUS PIECE. IF YOU'VE GOT ANY SUGGESTIONS (not things like "wensleydale cheese and strawberry jam go well together") PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET ME HAVE THEM

I had a very interesting conversation recently that set me thinking. We were talking about class, and how one could tell whether someone was Working Class, Middle Class or Upper Class.

The Dark Side

Sun, 14 Nov 2004 17:56:36 +0000

I think it would be nice if we had someone on here to put a pro-Bush argument. To give voice to what most of us think of being The Dark Side.

Just by way of balance.

The Other Recent Vote

Fri, 05 Nov 2004 09:12:07 +0000

Although the Americans seem incapable of voting correctly, it seems that those good old denizens of the North-East are.

But where, exactly, is the North-East? (If anybody says "in the North-East of England" a death-squad will be despatched immediately). I live in what I'd consider to be the North-East and yet I didn't get to vote. That would imply that if the North-East assembly had gone ahead and other regional assemblies were initiated I would be in an assembly not for the North-East, but for somewhere else. Where? The South-North-East? The North-East (South)? The Northernmost Midlands?

Auntie McAsser and the War on Terror

Thu, 04 Nov 2004 16:14:34 +0000

Auntie McAsser's prediction of Dubya's victory have been proved not to be incorrect. Now, as one who has criticised Bush, she lives in fear of being the target of one of his Mensa-approved smart-bombs. As such, she has left her cottage home on Stornoway and taken refuge in the complex network of caves that lies deep beneath the Stornoway Shortbread Emporium.

Auntie McAsser Writes...

Mon, 01 Nov 2004 16:51:25 +0000

The Presidential Election in the United States takes place (for those who have not voted by post) tomorrow. Respectable pundits have ceased trying to predict who will win. Step forward Auntie McAsser.

THE ENGINE ROOM WEBSITE'S READY AND WAITING FOR YOU TO CHECK OUT THE BEST GIGS IN TOWN!

Fri, 15 Oct 2004 18:32:53 +0100

The Engine Room's among the best Leeds band nights around and there's now a pretty little website for you to check out! So don't be shy, have a look at http://www.theengineroom.org.uk.