Sunday, May 31, 2009

Missing Out

Okay, so normally I won't rant about missing church... but what my cousin has told me made me do it. Earlier, they asked me if I would come, and I said I'll pass this Sunday since I'm still worn out by last time's happenings. They left and then my cousin texted me: ate, sayang, hinahanap ka ni Chinito kanina. tingin nang tingin sa sasakyan nyo. sayang talaga. I laughed at it. Siguro isa lang to sa pakana nila para magsimba na talaga ako palagi. Yes, I admit that I am secretly stalking this church guy--he's been in my blog posts since last year...

Super Long Time No Post

Oh yes, I did it again. I failed to post in my precious blog (how cheesy!). Anyway, I just came from a 4-day vacation abroad. Yeah, I’ve been to the land of the chinitos: Hong Kong. And by far, I haven’t spotted any chinito cuter that someone. ;) So the four days was all about merry-making and travel. Let me tell you about my summer class’s ending. It was so good that I got a 2 in my Pol Sc 14. Happy? Of course! Even with a three I’d be happy to have that. And so after al those happy times, it’s time for the hard times: Academic year 2009-2010...

Friday, May 29, 2009

Just Going Round In Circles

On BBC R4 Today, Evan Davis chaired a debate between Miliband and Hague on Europe. Well, it wasn't quite a debate, as such, but they were both on at the same time, and they were both given an opportunity to have their say.As you'd expect, Miliband said Europe is good because it means we get to tackle those famous "global issues".And Hague said Europe could be good, but not the way Labour have been surrendering all our freedoms and cash to it.And...

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Servants' Quarters In Woking

A typical Woking sceneVia the Major, Tyler happens to know a good cross-section of well-heeled Wokingonians. Quite a few of them live in houses that would be described by the Mirror as stockbroker-style mansions. A number even employ cleaners and gardeners. And yet, none of them - not a single one - has live-in servants.What is it with these Tory MPs? According to Sir John Butterfill (surely a direct descendant of Sir Talbot Buxomly above):"I purchased...

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Dictatorship By The Minority

I'm sure you will already know this, but further to recent posts, and just for my own interest, I've looked out the voting figures for general elections since WW2.The blunt truth is that no post-War government has ever had majority support.Not the famous 1945 landslide Labour government.Not Thatcher at the height of her power.Not A-New-Day-Has-Dawned-Has-It-Not Bliar.Not a single one.And yet we have somehow conferred on all of them the powers of...

The Resurrection Of Faith

But surely he was the one who destroyed it in the first placeYesterday we gave Cam 6/10 for his New Politics speech. On reflection that was maybe a tad harsh. Having now heard the panicky, vacuous, response from various Labour ministers and their erstwhile supporters in the press, we'd move Cam up to a 7.Take the detailed analysis of the speech in today's Times by their leader writer and Labour insider, Philip Collins. He attempts to dismiss Cam's...

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Hermit In Residence

At least the rubbish was cheaper back thenSo Manchester Museum has appointed a hermit in residence: "The artist Ansuman Biswas is to live in the museum's Victorian Gothic tower for 40 days and nights – with only a computer modem for company.... On each day of his stay, from the end of June until early August, he will be concentrating on one object, and conducting an online discussion with the public about its significance - and its fate. Some of the objects he selects, some apparently trivial, some highly valued by the museum, may never make their...

The Direction Is Clear

The light that lightensIn these dark hours of our national crisis, Mr Cam steps forward with his programme for political reform:"I believe the central objective of the new politics we need should be a massive, sweeping, radical redistribution of power. From the state to citizens; from the government to parliament; from Whitehall to communities. From the EU to Britain; from judges to the people; from bureaucracy to democracy. Through decentralisation,...

Monday, May 25, 2009

Now Is The Time

Concerned about the MajorHot on the heels of yesterday's outburst, the Major was round again this am. And just like yesterday, he was carrying a newspaper.But today he was very different. No more frothing and wild rolling eyes: today, he was smiling in that stained clarety way of his. But I also recognised a steely glint in his eye - the self-same glint I'd seen when he expedited our neighbourhood heron for crimes against goldfish. Here was a man set for action this day."Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party," he announced....

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Contempt For Democracy

We hate Prince George"Call the dogs off? What a joke!"The Major smacked down his tightly-rolled copy of the Times on Tyler's kitchen table. But for the fact that he already got there some time ago, it sounded like he was being driven to drink."It's precisely because of people like the Chief Druid that we've got into this situation in the first place! Listen, the reason we have such contempt for our MPs is not because we're paying for their duck fetishes and porno films - we expect that. No - it's because they have such contempt for us! They don't...

Friday, May 22, 2009

Cometh The Hour, Cometh The George?

Think of England GeorgeThis week's reports from the IMF and Standard and Poors (see yesterday's post) have piled the pressure on George.The IMF says he must be much tougher than Darling in tackling the build-up of debt. And he must place the emphasis on cutting expenditure rather than raising taxes.S&P threatens to remove the UK's coveted AAA credit rating if:"... we conclude that, following the election, the next government's fiscal consolidation...

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Stable To Negative

Are we sure this is a Magic Punch Bowl?*Another day of grim debt news.The latest monthly borrowing stats are appalling. Net debt has now surged to 53% of GDP, up from 36% just two years ago.And this morning credit rating agency Standard and Poors has moved HMG's credit assessment from stable to negative, something that immediately whacked the financial markets. S&P now says there's a one in three chance of an outright cut to the UK's credit...

We Can't Have An Election Because...

So let's see if I've got this straight. We can't have an immediate election because...Chaos would ensue (Gordo yesterday)The parties are agreed they have a sacred duty to put things right before asking voters to choose... er... between the parties (Hattie this morning)Parliamentary committees must opine on weighty matters before voters can possibly be trusted to make their own judgement (Tony Wright, last night)MPs need time to decode the latest...

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Your Support Needed

No chaos here1. Frank Field For SpeakerFrank Field has long been one of BOM's heroes (see many previous posts eg here). And now amid the wreckage, he stands as one of the few MPs with the experience, the character, and the moral stature to take over as Commons Speaker.Clearly, we voters get no direct say in this: our MPs see themselves not as mere delegates, there to do as we say, but as representatives, there to do as they damned well please until...

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

I Blame The System

Wrong systemSo the ultimate Man of System blames The System.According to Gordo, The System governing MPs' pay and rations is a failed system. It is A System that has failed to prevent MPs systematically fleecing us for their own personal profit.So his solution is - yes - A New System.And the key element of his new system is that MPs' pay and rations will henceforth be determined and policed by An Independent Statutory Body.An Independent Statutory...

Er... Still No Deflation

Down, but hardly outThe latest CPI release shows inflation is still alive and well: deflation is nowhere in sight (ignore the interest rate distorted RPI).True, the 12 month inflation rate has fallen from 2.9% to 2.3%, but in the midst of the deepest recession since 1427, that's still over the government's 2% inflation target.And when you look at the detail beneath the headline, you find food inflation still bounding along at 8.6%, housing and household...

Monday, May 18, 2009

An Expensive Shot In The Foot

"I am pleased the Court has recognized the work of the Commission" - John Wadham, Group Legal Director at the Equality and Human Rights Commission In case you missed it, a tax-funded quango has just succeeded in further undermining the fighting capacity of our armed forces.The Equality and Human Rights Commission has spent an undisclosed, but doubtless considerable, sum of our money pursuing the sad case of Pte Jason Smith, who died of heatstroke...

Get Ready For The Inflation Tax

Aharrrhh Jim lad, no good ever came of a-pumpin' up the money supplyThroughout the ages, highly indebted governments have turned to the inflation tax to bail themselves out. By ramping up inflation, they impose an effective tax on all who hold any form of government debt fixed in money terms.So if you hold £1,000 in I Promise to Pay the Bearer on Demand tenners stuffed under the mattress, 2% pa inflation means that by the end of the year it's only...

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Running Sores

Slightly held-up in the Smart Procurement GatewayLast week brought updates on two of BOM's longest running sores: the interminable scandal of defence procurement, and the moneypit that is the 2012 Olympics.Defence procurement scandalThe Public Accounts Committee published its annual update on the MOD's 20 largest procurement projects. And the story is all too familiar (see previous posts gathered here). Despite the introduction of a deckchair rearrangement...

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Really, I’m Fine

  this is my Taiwanese Song of the Month :) [Hot Shot Code (Hot Shot OST) Track number 6] --------------------------------- 真的, 我沒事 - 符致逸 On and on the pain goes on And it wouldn't just wouldn't die 我竟遠比想像中軟弱且無能為力 對你的眼神選擇了逃避 恨自己 恨自己 On and on the pain lives on It's hurting so much more 就讓我被悔不當初的罪惡吞去 懲罰過後能否帶來解脫 I'll be fine I'll be fine So many cried listening to God 讓堅強不只是種偽裝 So many lies listening to you 天亮後 I will be fine On and on the pain goes on and I...

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