Business as usual for the Blair brand as our mate Tone brings out his new book. Not read it and have no plans to catch what may well be the longest excuse ever written. Nice to see (presumably his publishers) try to generate a little heat by releasing snippets on Blair’s views on Brown. This easy target is a rather sad one, considering man-of-the-people and all round chummy chap Tony and the glum Scot used to pitch themselves as the best of friends. No more cobblers I suppose than these PR punts to avoid Tony’s Tome hitting the remainder buckets, and to limit the damage by Mandy scooping his former Leader last month with his own money-spinning back-stabber.
Vettel Takes Pole for 2010 German GP at Hockenheim
At a little over the half-way point in the 2010 Formula One season, the championship remains wide-open. The performance advantage enjoyed by Red Bull has not so far translated into superiority in the results table, and the big hitters continue to improve with Ferrari looking at their strongest since 2008. McLaren top the tables, thanks to steady work from its drivers and its unparalleled reliability but today’s race in Germany could provide the closest racing yet.
A hugely enjoyable set of 2010 races, laced with controversy over FIA stewarding decisions which could best be described as inconsistent, has managed to retain fan loyalty. Even the Tifosi – not well-served by Ferrari’s struggling performance in the first half of the season – have much to keep their interest, including the return of 7x World Champion and former prancing horse talisman, Michael Schumacher.
It is the Red Bulls of Sebatian Vettel and Mark Webber who have entertained the most. Driver rivalry has been explosively demonstrated with Vettel’s immaturity taking out his teammate in Turkey, leaving the race to the McLarens. The Milton Keynes-based (Austrian) team has dominated qualifying but has not been quite able to translate this into results. Reliability issues are fewer and they should be set fair to challenge the default leadership of the Woking boys. Ferrari too looked very strong in qualifying in Hockenheim, producing arguably the most interesting starting grid of the season so far. The German race could generate a corker of a start with the Ferraris of Alonso and Massa splitting the Red Bulls, with the McLarens sitting on the third row. Button out-qualified Hamilton but Lewis’s impatience could see him storm through the pack at the start, unsettling hard-charging Alonso looking to defend his 2nd place.
Schuie has struggled with the Mercedes package and came in for criticism for rejoining the sport but as the Brawn car improves, so will the wiley World Champion. He has perhaps suffered by comparison with teammate Rosberg which is unfair on the younger driver; one of my tips last year for success, Nico continues to demonstrate that he is a racer.
Home advantage to Vettel on pole; Webber relegated to 4th; Massa and Alonso back in the hunt. A recipe for an exciting start but the pace from qualifying suggests that again the leading pack will streak ahead of the remainder to turn the Grand Prix into 3 separate races, with the Cosworth-powered newbies playing tag at the back. The shortened track will bring traffic into play early on and, lap one incidents aside, it will be pit strategies which will decide the result in the event that a start-line shoot-out fails to materialise. There is also the weather – rain could present an opportunity to win or lose the race in tyre strategy and pit work, but otherwise should not separate the cars performance-wise.
Coverage from the BBC has matured to the point where they have excellent off-race articles, interviews and general lead-up coverage but the in-race commentary continues to drag from Legeard’s lame prose, and Martin Brundle sounding bored. Still missing a character to match Eddie Jordan’s firey pit-lane challenges (Christian Horner – Red Bull Team Principal – brushes off EJ’s jibes and pointed questions with some dignity), the Beeb must liven up the race commentary. It needs someone with the authority of Brundle who can inform the viewer, with some zesty, emotional shouting in the mold of Murray Walker, and a race awareness which helps the viewer (as opposed to leaving the viewer to understand positioning and other off-camera incidents).
So in Germany, Vettel is well placed to take his home race for Red Bull but qualified ahead of Alonso in the Ferrari but only 4 thousands of a second. The half-second lag of the McLarens appears decisive but they have proved they have the start, tactics and reliability needed to win the championship. It remains Red Bull’s to lose.
Qualifying Positions for Hockenheim :
Pos No Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Laps
1 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault
2 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari
3 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari
4 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault
5 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
6 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
7 11 Robert Kubica Renault
8 9 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth
9 4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP 1:16.178
10 10 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth
11 3 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
12 23 Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari
13 12 Vitaly Petrov Renault
14 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes
15 22 Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari
16 17 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari
17 16 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari
18 18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth
19 19 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth
20 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
21 21 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth
22 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes
23 20 Sakon Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth
24 25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth
Having managed to secure an historic entry into the government of the UK, the Lib Dems are now struggling to appreciate the opportunity handed to them despite a less than sparkling endorsement from the electorate. Both Charles Kennedy and Paddy Ashdown are now acting like the parents of a debutante whose virtue was lost too cheaply following the Ball. Commentators are saying that Lib Dem members are uneasy about their role in a Conservative coalition. This week’s special conference could see more whinging from the rank-and-file reportedly nervous that they could be swallowed up by Tory dominance. The evident discomfort of Vince Cable trying to respond to Cameron’s compliments in introducing him as the new Business Secretary is perhaps the most visible example of Lib Dems coming to terms with a new political reality.
How dumb are these people ? This represents a unique opportunity for the Lib Dems to eclipse Labour, despite the batting order of party power indicated by the recent election. The Labour Party is in the throes of electing new leaders, and with candidates like Ed Balls and the Milliband Bros will end up with a complete non-entity in charge; powerless in the face of a resurgent union powerbase. The Lib Dems by contrast need to focus their energies on maintaining their identity within a governing coalition and taking every opportunity to demonstrate their contribution to the electorate. They need a Campbell-figure who can take advantage of the Party’s role to reinvent Liberalism in the eyes of the public. A possibility exists – however slim – to consign Labour to the role of 3rd party in UK politics IF the Lib Dems have the wit to grab it. Time is short and all the signs are they will waste this chance with an extended bout of hand-wringing and petulance which will leave the Tories to demonstrate their leadership. Policy failures could be laid at the LibDem door is they are not careful.
Old hands like Ashdown and Kennedy (reported laughingly as representing the “radical” wing of the Liberal-Democrats – surely a contradiction in terms ?) need to contribute their political experience to the benefit of their party, or keep quiet. All Liberal-Democrats need to recognise the possibility open to them from this entry into government and use it to transform their party in the eyes of the public. Have they the depth and collective intelligence needed to grasp it ? Perhaps they are just too nice ……. but dim.
Those naughty people at Gizmodo have managed to snaffle a copy of the next generation iPhone. You can check out all the inside details here.
Assuming this is not some (very) elaborate prank then the new device looks good. Usual home key, separate volume buttons, a front facing camera, rear cam + flash, and the suggestion of noise-cancelling technology, which gets my vote. Case design has lost its lovely back curves but comes as a more solid metallic core. Gizmodo’s dissection suggests longer battery life too as a complete internal re-design made space for bigger cells.
Their $10,000 Easter present carries a micro-sim cavity on the side so not sure how this will fit in with European GSM/3G carrier subscriber infrastructures. Presumably it just adds to the difficulty with which a user can plug into another device and still use their Apple-friendly airtime deal.
The new design suggests enough improvements including the all-important case design change. This will make the device stand out for the early adopters who Apple rely on. That is, peeps who want to be seen with the latest and greatest. Apple have only privately acknowledged this is actually theirs so no release dates or feature announcements as yet. It’s all conjecture. Looks good though !
No – not a reference to the Icelandic spectre that is giving the ozone layer a brief respite from its usual stream of kerosene contrails but the BBC’s ongoing trip back to the Eighties. Gene Hunt is a god, natch, but its a shame the series is otherwise complete gibberish. Its popularity is solely due to Philip Glenister’s two fingered salute to the cult of political correctness. It endures purely because of his characterisation – the only explanation given the cobblers that is otherwise presented as a storyline. You have to feel sorry for Keeley Hawes who struggles through the pseudo-SciFi nonsense of her quest to return to the here-and-now. Amongst other continuity issues, Bolly is showing few signs of missing her daughter or any part of her former life of the future.
An attempt at menace comes in the guise of DCI Jim Keats (Daniel Mays) who has been brought in as Hunt’s nemesis. The effect falls flat and is now beyond grating. Keats hovers around, irritating the characters and the audience with his cheeky cockney creepiness. No – the popularity of the series rests with the gleeful Huntisms, political flashbacks and nostalgic product placements which endure against competition from a series of lame themes which attempt to justify the drama. Shame really but its hard to see a way to salvage the script, penned by Matthew Graham.
This is the offspring of Life on Mars by Ashley Pharoah which also had the same time-travelling tosh, was sustained by a great performance from John Simm, albeit providing a foil for Hunt’s delicious seventies’ sexist. Even then, the appeal was in Glenister’s character but the story otherwise hung together and moved along. The popularity of the genre-making series is probably what inspired similar flashbacks like Red Riding and the recently released Cemetry Junction.
Not great but still has a dwindling following, due solely to Hunt, this final series will likely fissle out with a ludicrous finale. Worth hitting the red button for Gene Hunt’s pop reel tribute after each show – a collection of Eighties gems from Top Of The Pops with an occasional pearl of wisdom from our 80′s anti-hero. Dunno who writes Hunt’s overdubs for this little treat but they are fun – imagine the Belle Stars as a “bit of posh”. Fire up the Quattro, then, and let’s head off into the nineties.
Who could have called this result ? Jensen Button drives a shrewd race to win the Australian Grand Prix today in Melbourne, assisted by an incident-laden afternoon down under. Sebastian Vettel looked like a winner from pole, staying clear of a few shunts at the start but ultimately succumbing to a repeat of the brake failure that saw his demise during the Bahrain race. The race was not handed to Button, who bravely came in early to switch back to slicks on a track that was barely beginning to dry out. The World Champion slip-slided out of the pits, did a brief bit of mowing the verge before settling down and taking the lead as the field scrambled to switch tyres 3 laps later.
McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton showcased his abilities after a terrible qualifying session yesterday, bringing his car back from 11th on the grid to 3rd and challenging Kubica for 2nd before a disastrous decision to pit for a tyre change. Once again the smart money was on this being the correct move, as the tyres went off for the rest of the field. It was not to be as the occasional damp, off-line parts of the track assisted tyre longevity. Hamilton drove beautifully to bring himself back behind the Ferraris, wasted time whinging on the radio to his crew and crying about the news tyres going off in the bad air behind Alonso. True that the stop cost him a podium and, arguably, a win but the otherwise respectable 6th was useful and a relief given he was t-boned off by a charging Mark Webber; the Red Bull driver clearly frustrated at not being higher up the field in his home GP.
Not much showing from Schumacher as he continues to find his racing legs. Great result for Renault with Kubica in 2nd; Massa looking very unsteady but managing to stay ahead of Alonso but only just. Terribly nice chap Heikki Kovalainen looked relaxed and happy, leading the so-called second tier of Cosworth-powered new teams – good to see him continuing in Formula One.
Vastly more entertaining racing despite a middling BBC coverage. Jake Humphrey continues to mature and helms well, assisted by David Coulthard and Eddie Jordan, keeping the comment and news around the actual race relatively bright and interesting. Radio-hack Legard continues to be a massive irritation, only partially relieved by the presence of Brundle, as this muppet continues to present a masterclass in stating the bleeding obvious and demonstrating a penchant for football-commentator-style incoherence when he finally realises that something of note has happened on the track. Bloody awful and totally detracts from an otherwise pro package from Auntie.
Congratulations to Jensen Button. Thoroughly deserved win from cool tactics, mature decisions and a characteristically smooth drive. Completely vindicates CEO Martin Whitmarsh’s recruitment drive to nab him from Brawn, against the general opinion (including mine!). Great stuff.
Standing by for a little more excitement in the second Grand Prix of the 2010 championship today in Australia. Rain is forecast around 15 minutes from the start which will prompt a flurry of pit stops and perhaps a shuffling of the deck as the teams compete to get in and out of the tight Melbourne pit lane (hampered by the slower 60 km/h speed limit and 55 metre clearance required on releasing drivers back into the lane from the pit). In fact, 10 mins from the start, the rain is now spitting down intermittently and strengthening.
Lewis is languishing in 11th on the grid and clearly rattled by the performance of his team-mate, Jensen, and his own misdemeanors off-track and you have to question Hamilton’s maturity and whether he is missing his father Anthony steadying influence. Once again, Seb Vettel is on pole in the Red Bull with homeboy Mark Webber beside him. Next to Ferrari’s Alonso is Jensen Button in an excellent 4th on the grid and ahead of the Mercedes Brawn pairing of Rosberg and Schuie.
Its a wonderful season already in terms of the driver / team mixes, including a welcome return from Schumacher. The racing has been less inspiring and it can only be hoped that the weather spices up the Aussie event. Off we go…..
The Grid
1 5 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault
2 6 Mark Webber RBR-Renault
3 8 Fernando Alonso Ferrari
4 1 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
5 7 Felipe Massa Ferrari
6 4 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
7 3 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
8 9 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth
9 11 Robert Kubica Renault
10 14 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes
11 2 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
12 16 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari
13 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes
14 22 Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari
15 10 Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth
16 23 Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari
17 17 Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari
18 12 Vitaly Petrov Renault
19 19 Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth
20 18 Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth
21 24 Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
22 25 Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth
23 21 Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth
24 20 Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth
Today’s letter in the Guardian from 95 experts in industrial relations is misguided at best. They are reported as crediting BA’s Chief Exec Willy Walsh with union-breaking tactics and state that “victory” for the company would mean a “unilateral management prerogative” which would ride roughshod over workers’ rights. Probably true but these academics do need to get out more.
The up-front reason for the strike as suggested by Unite is because BA were attempting to bring in working practices at Heathrow without consultation. Yet these same working practices are already in operation – with union agreement – at Gatwick. BA is making a loss and had the highest cabin cost base of any airline in the world (average wage £30,000 per annum versus non-BA average of £15,000). Far from the reverse, this strike is an attempt by the union to break the management. It makes far less sense than, say, the potential dispute from the Rail Union RMT and militant bruvva, Bob Crow – who at least can point to safety as his pretext.
So British Airways will fall under industrial action again today and it is not clear precisely what Unite expects to achieve on behalf of its members. The union leadership will no doubt feel justified by the letter to the Guardian, however absurd its assertions. Having felt a twinge of nostalgia for old union leaders and Communist Party of Great Britain comrades like Mick McGahey (NUM) and Hugh Scanlon (AEU) – the architects of some of the big strikes of the 70s and 80s – it seems the principles of militancy and self-promotion they upheld are alive and well in the union leadership of today. Step forward Tony Woodley of Unite (2009 salary, pension and expenses £122K+) and Bob Crow of the RMT (£120K). Heroes of the working class indeed. Woodley’s Unite chum, Derek Simpson takes the brass-neck award: According to an article in the Times last year, he received nearly £200,000 in pay and benefits, with his pay package increased 17 percent in 2010. He also has the right to stay in his £800,000 house in Hertfordshire until he dies. Check out the pay of the rich and shameless here.
Channel 4 broadcast a documentary on the work of the RAF’s 99 Squadron in Afghanistan this evening. The production from IWC Media looked at the use of the C17 Globemaster as a flying intensive care ward, shuttling critically wounded service personnel from Afghanistan back to the UK. This is the work of CCAST – Critical Care in the Air Support Team – operating into Camp Bastion and Kandahar.
Not unexpected was the professionalism of the CCAST medics and the aircrew. It was refreshing to see the huge Globemasters employed in more humane tasks – the more familiar image is of these ‘trash haulers’ flying into RAF Lyneham with the bodies of fallen troops prior to the moving processions through the village of Wooton Bassett. The documentary touched on this, as well as the ferrying of new troops with recent surges back into hostile territory.
The pilots – often derided by their fast jet colleagues – played down their own abilities, seeing themselves as glorified bus drivers and belying the skill needed to bring a 200 ton aircraft down from 30,000 feet into hostile territory within minutes. Business Class this ain’t. There is no VIP lounge at Kandahar or Camp Bastion. There are numerous steely-eyed nutters watching for a chance to take out one of 99 Squadron’s finest.
Appropriately, the interviews concentrated on the medical teams and the soldiers cared-for by them up in the air. The team looked extremely tired at the end of each trip, knowing that their mandated 24 hour crew rest could be recinded if a mercy dash back to the warzone was needed. The effort of the loadmasters and medical teams in equipping the aircraft to care for the critically wounded was demonstrated, with a more human element to this programme. There was much comment from all focussing on the sense of loss, the obvious escalation in the violence of the work in Afghanistan (last year, CCAST carried out more than 120 medical evacuations – double that of 2008). But they commented too on their sense of cameraderie with their patients – men they may never meet again. Unusually, the patients interviewed spoke little of CCAST and more of comrades less lucky than themselves with what seemed to be survivors’ guilt.
The producers could have taken a much different tack. Unlike other Afghanistan documentaries seen and reviewed here, this was a calmer presentation. There was less overt sentimentality or drama for its own sake – despite the subject matter – and the viewer comes away informed and lifted by the work of the RAF.
Andrew Marr had the pleasure of George Osborne’s company on his Sunday morning show on the Beeb today. The Shadow Chancellor treated us to more waffle about the “… values …” of a Tory government – but no actual plans. Particularly irritating was the deflection of questions on specifics by continually spouting that he knows the electorate best and what we really want is the end of a Labour government. So “Labour Out” then, at any cost.
Is it fair that the Conservatives cannot be specific (about cuts in public services, for example) without more economic data ? Seems reasonable but surely they could posit something more tangible than George’s “specific examples” ? They come across as being scared of being called out (again) by government economists who disparage any figures they generate (prompted by the likes of Darling and Brown who inappropriately used Treasury civil servants to rubbish previous Tory pronouncements).
Marr’s guests Greg Dyke and Jane Moore had already raised the interesting Sunday Times headline that Brown is on track for retaining power – the result of a YouGov poll which sees the difference between the two nags in this electorial race dropping to 2%. A prominent Labour-loving headline from a News International brand is certainly a bit of a surprise !
As the interview progressed, I felt Osborne did say more. The problem with this – and Osborne is not alone – is that to the viewer, the die is cast when he has spent 10 minutes already NOT answering the question. By the time he gets to telling us something, we have stopped listening.
So once again: what do the Tories have in store for us ? When are they going to say something tangible and stop blowing raspberries and going ‘nah nah nah’ to Labour ?
What will a Conservative government really do to the BBC ?
How will promised tax reductions (in inheritance and corporation tax) be paid for ?
What plans do the Conservatives have for electoral reform ?
What plans do the Conservatives have for reforming MP’s remuneration and standards in public life ?
What are the key foreign policy plans that the Conservatives wish to pursue ?
Foreign policy specifics, please: Afghanistan, Iraq and Europe would be a start. Israel, Gaza and the Falklands would also be nice to know. Come on William (Hague) !
Maybe we will hear more as the Tories gather in Brighton for their last hurrah before the election. Hope so. With luck, perhaps today’s middling media coverage will prompt Cameron to be more positive and less patronising in talking to voters. If not, he needs to learn that all Labour need do is sit back, say little and they will win. The latest Labour tactic of scaremongering about a return to a “right-wing” government under the Tories is working. Cameron needs to counter it – but with policies, not pouting.
OK – so this subject is getting a fair bit of blogosphere babbling at the mo. Does not make it a bad idea, of course, so I thought I would chuck in a few words of my own on the matter.
A “Robin Hood Tax” has generally been taken to describe a tax on the Banks and, twitchy but mislead that we all are, it has not been embraced wholeheartedly. It may be seen as kicking them when they are down. Complete bollox, of course, and I am sure the righteous-indignation meter is starting to peak frequently. Background is that a minor campaign for a version of such a tax is starting to get twittered, blogged and generally pushed via the internet. A neat little video from Richard Curtis and starring Bill Nighy is doing the rounds – scroll down to watch it.
Sounds like a winner to me. A few fractional points on each Bank transaction that does not involve an individual – presumably sparing personal accounts but not so sure about company current accounts – would be applied. The video suggests this would raise over £100billion (I am guessing per year). With a £700billion plus public spending overdraft, this sounds like a cracking move.
I wonder which of the political bands of merry men will jump on this bandwagon first. Certainly the Tories need to do something sensible and quickly, as whichever idiot Cameron has advising him should be fired PDQ ! The Eton Rifle’s playground attacks on Brown of late smack of desperation – the public already knows what an egomaniac Brown is and they are looking to the opposition to provide some genuine policies. On this latest performance, Cameron Ain’t Cutting It. Today, I would not vote Conservative ….. and I actually want to. Go figure.
So, I await with interest a more thorough analysis of the Curtis/Nighy Robin Hood Tax proposal from wiser souls. If you spot a decent article then please add a link as a comment to this article. (Click on the article headline and scroll down the page to find the comments box).
Last Monday saw the broadcast of Afghani reporter, Najibullah Quraishi’s film of his time spent with elements of the insurgency in the north of the country. It included footage of operations against local government forces, as well as frank and open interviews with Islamic units – typically members of al-Qaeda linked islamist groups, mainly Hesbi Islami. This largest group is inspired and commanded by Gulbudin Hekmatyar, a former darling of the undercover war against SOviet occupation aided by the USA and Britain.
For most of the presentation, Quraishi appeared to be granted amazingly open access to all the fighters – the only coyness observed came from the Arabic members who seem to drive the various operational insurgent groups, albeit through the command of locals. Emphasising the Wahabist influence which gave birth to these guerilla groups – mainly from the Russian occupation – these people tended to come from Saudi Arabia and Yemeni.
There were a number of points made clear by this different film. There is a gulf between the central Afghan government with its Western sponsors, and these self-styled freedom fighters. Certain insurgents stated they would lay down their arms when the “kaffir” (non believers) leave Afghanistan. Others – and one suspects these are the manipulative foreign elements from Yemen, Saudi etc. – said this was merely the place for jihad; when they won, the fight moves on to the Middle East and Europe (where the West “feels too safe” at the moment).
Scary stuff but nothing particularly consistent or new in the message. What did strike the viewer was the aquiesence – even support – from the local population. Locals may have been cowed or coerced – but Barnaby Kay’s narration suggested there was no evidence of this. Hence, the central government is deluding itself in its strategy to see the Taliban starved of indiginous support. The cameraderie within each fighting unit seemed strong, whilst the operations illustrated were not altogether professional or cohesive. These were guerillas, after all. One wonders whether, given something else to do with their lives, they might consider a different path ? Far from raving nutters, these bands of lethal and focussed fighters were seen in the film as dedicated, clear thinking and in for the long haul.
Certainly this film suggests that neither the staying or leaving of ISAF forces would make little effect to the lives of ordinary Afghans. There may be some support for the argument that our presence there reduces terrorist efforts at home – at least by keeping the hardline Arabs embedded on this battlefield. Otherwise, the film did not guve me any ideas or hope for the situation there, and the wider extremist issues facing the world. Given its point of view, it is worth a look for those interested in understanding more about the Afghan situation. Catch it on 4oD and approach with an open mind.
The ‘iSlate’ hubbub increased with the official launch (although not yet for sale) of Apple‘s iPad device in San Francisco yesterday. It is looking very much like an upscaled iPhone, although its eBook reader and store – iBook – is a new take on the e-reader-craze which seems to be gathering steam. Lack of multi-tasking and the usual Apple lock-ins on certain media formats (lack of Flash, video codes support etc), will probably not hold it back and the price tag is very amenable, putting the device back within the realms of subsidised SIM / contract deals offered by mobile providers. But therein lies the rub.
The blogosphere seems even-handed about the new device – celebrated twitterer and blogger, Stephen Fry, is being wined and dined as a new expert, having attended the SF launch and blogged his charming review. It will be a hit, without doubt. However, the mobile providers face a significant conundrum. The iPhone was very much a winner for the exclusivity afforded to the likes of O2 and AT&T – drawing huge numbers of new mobile subscribers and allowing Telefonica/O2 to breeze past Vodafone for the top provider spot in the UK. It was not without its difficulties, though. O2 struggled to adapt its provisioning and customer service infrastructures to meet expectations and volumes but moreso, their underlying data network has woefully underperformed (with a similar story for the Yanks via AT&T). This prompted O2 to block free tethering when it was provided by Apple under OS 3.0. The real problem for them was that the iPhone generated a (reported) five fold increase in data traffic which their network was simply not built to support. A complex mix of EDGE and HSDPA/3G infrastructure, O2 has had to manage data use through marketing and technological traps to avoid saturation. My point is that the iPad represents another huge leap in data demands for any mobile network. Nagging users to switch to WiFi wherever possible or penalising those that draw more data through the air than others ain’t gonna cut it.
So the iPad looks wonderful and raises the already impressive App Store game that Apple have pioneered so beautifully. I feel it hammers a few more nails in Microsoft’s coffin but, my prejudices aside, the real challenge will be for the mobile operators that jump at the chance to market the new device with an airtime contract. Will their networks be able to cope with the coming of the iPad ? Can those providers with weak capacity growth, legacy pre-3G radio or just not enough IP transport be able to resist the marketing allure and customer draw that the new device represents ? I am of course making the assumption that the iPad will be marketed predominantly as a mobile smartphone under customer-retaining long term contracts – seems likely. There must be a few large network operators sweating with glee (if such a thing is possible)
Stop Press: If you actually make your way through the Steve Jobs’ launch video (link above) then he does announce that Apple has already cut an airtime deal with AT&T for the iPad in the USA (jump to 1 hour and about 12 mins into the vid). The deal looks pretty good – with an Unlimited usage package for $29.99 a month. (Other country deals to be announced by June / July. Hopefully a UK network deal will be similarly priced but – based on my arguments above – I would not bet on it.). I am not sure how practical the iPad is as a telephone; I doubt it is intended to replace the iPhone in any sense. I assume therefore that the AT&T deal is data-only. It includes unlimited use of AT&T’s WiFi network in the USA – similar to the deal in the UK by O2 whereby they included tie-ins with The Cloud and other WiFi aggregators in order to persuade users to offload data traffic from the core 3G network.
Another significant announcement is that individual apps in the iWorks Suite will be available from the App Store for $9.99 each. I have not used these apps on my Mac but the presentation was impressive. Assuming the iPad can become a serious business tool then Microsoft could be severely under threat – iWorks making Office look decidedly dated, slow and lacking in user-friendliness.
To while away a few minutes of boredom, become your own political PR guru and design a new Cameron poster, courtesy of Andy Barefoot. What fun ! Just need a Labour/Brown version now (for balance, natch !).
“If we communicate for 2 minutes only
It will be enough ….”
In a brief follow-up to my recent post on “Into Tomorrow”, comes the news that Paul is about to release a new album – Wake Up The Nation. 14 brand new tracks including collaborations with such names as Bev Bevan, and a reunion with Bruce Foxton from The Jam.
Release date yet to be announced. Check out the link above to the main Paul Weller site for details.
Amidst the revival of the backward Unite union’s attempts to convince their cabin crew members at British Airways to strike, it is worth repeating some of the material the press has unearthed about this bizarre dispute. The background to Unite’s recommendation for strike action – which was endorsed by members wholeheartedly in a vote before Christmas – are BA’s plans to implement working practices already in force at Gatwick, at Heathrow. Apparently the union was a bit miffed at not being consulted. It has since been reported that they were consulted but blocked the new working stipulations in a rather 70′s flexing of their shop-steward muscles.
These lunatic lemmings seem hell-bent on damaging the airline despite an economic crisis which the airline industry feels all the more acutely. I was lucky to chat with BA employees and customers to get their views. According to those I talked to, the high vote for strike action last year was due in part to the fact that the Unite members assumed they were voting for occasional, low-key actions as opposed to an all-out, death-match permanent strike. As Unite got kicked in their collective goolies by the High Court in the UK, a Christmas strike was averted but not before the damage to BA’s reputation was done – particularly amongst its North American customers. So these left-wing muppets are having another go in an exercise that seems more about the egos of the union representatives than it really does about protecting their members.
BA Cabin Crew earn on average almost double their counterparts at other airlines. Attempts by management to reduce the level of staffing on their flights to manage the impact of this inflated cost-base are also being given the 2-fingered salute by Unite. For example, a typical 747 flight requires 16 cabin crew; BA are asking to reduce this to 15. Redundancies are already happening; those cabin crew looking to keep working and to move into ground roles are being faced with the rude realities of pay cuts as they lose their flight allowances. BA Pilots have already accepted a pay cut, arguably because their larger salaries can accommodate a little pruning.
Willy Walsh has responded to the threat by asking non-crew to volunteer to fill-in for striking cabin crew and is actively asking for applicants to undertake training. You cannot fault him for trying to get ahead of the game and, above all, avoid the large scale cancellations that will prompt fliers to switch in advance (as I did over Christmas – sampling the lesser charms of Continental to ensure I could get back to Blighty for a family do). Sadly, customers booking ahead cannot predict the availability of BA flights so will naturally plump for another airline. Will they, like me, return ? Possibly.
Consider the backdrop to this sorry affair. Japan Airlines (JAL) went into receivership today. Surviving airlines are rushing to find allies in code- and cost-sharing agreements in order to survive. Analysts have responded positively to the pending BA-Iberia merger and are reportedly seeing this as the dream ticket in the industry. The British Airways’ reputation for quality means they stand to gain most from any recovery in corporate travel spending. (Certainly my clients in the City are now resuming air travel with gusto). All of this is now jeopardised by Unite’s ridiculous exercise in futility. See their press release, in response to Walsh’s call for internal support, which includes the following gem:
“Tony Woodley, Unite joint general secretary, said: “This is a provocative attempt by BA to disrupt negotiations. It is inconceivable that BA should even be thinking of running its airline – the national carrier – with scab labour who have had only minimum training. This shows contempt for professionalism of cabin crew.”
It is indeed “… inconceivable that BA should even be thinking of running its airline….”. That – of course – is the job of those pillocks at Unite. I do strive to keep a certain level of professional analysis and perceptive comment here at BabbleTalk; so please forgive the following observation: Tony Woodley – you are a complete tosser ! I bet your salary is sorted should BA go down the crapper or get taken over by a foreign airline. Well done !
Receiving some small media attention is the decision to allow the first criminal trial to be decided by a judge alone – that of 4 alleged armed robbers due to start this week – as the Lord Chief Justice decreed last year that jury tampering in this case was a real threat. This is the thin end of the Criminal Justice Act 2003 whereby those nice NuLabour types decided that a right enshrined by Magna Carta was a tad too difficult for them to manipulate and oh so terribly expensive – leaving them less millions to squander on Infrastructure UK, Partnerships UK or some other bloody quango-money-pit-do-nothing jobs-for-the-Labour-boys.
I only spotted this from an article by Lord Jezza (Jeremy Clarkson, for it is he) hidden away in today’s Sunday Times’ News Review. It was also reported again by Marcel Berlins in the Guardian. Perhaps there are too many other crises vying for our limited attention these days to warrant getting any airtime but this for me is a terrible turn of events.
As Clarkson says, Jury Duty is a pain. Having done it when I was a single parent, it could not have come at a worse time for me. However, there was a feeling of ‘the system works’ and ‘having done one’s duty’ on its completion. It is good that it takes effort; that it is out of the dirty hands of politicians and away from the whim of the nutter. Above all, it is crucial that the presence of a jury means that the ‘executive’ has less chance to influence the ‘judiciary’ – and the result of a trial – unduly. That independence is potentially more under threat – although it would be interesting to hear the views of Britain’s judges on the matter. I know there has been some discussion on the presence of juries in complex technical cases – such as fraud in the financial markets or hacking/technological crime. Perhaps we could adopt a Grand Jury approach ? A group of 12 wise-and-true are at least called upon to decide whether a trial is eligible for judge-only decisions (of course then those chosen to serve may well plump for judge-only to get themselves off the hook to serve in the trial-proper…). Tricky stuff.
Sure, the right to a jury was withdrawn in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. I am not sure it was a fine day for freedom but the circumstances may well have been appropriate. Dunno. For sure, the trial of allegedly gun-toting thieves in London sounds like run-of-the-mill stuff and, protection of jury members aside, no reason to forego one of King John’s key come-uppances.
I doubt this issue will hit the radar in any big way in the run up to the election but I will be looking to see what the parties have planned for Criminal Justice reform, if anything. Perhaps those nice people at 38 Degrees might look into it ?
US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, has apparently been briefed by Google on their plans to remove censorship of search results on their Chinese site. This could lead to the banning of the search leader from far eastern shores and their withdrawal from China. Google are further claiming that operating in possibly the strongest economy in the world has its drawbacks, aside from Beijing’s insistence on massaging the results of any searches. Specifically, that Google’s servers are constantly threatened by hackers, along with those of other companies operating in the country, and lays the blame for this squarely with the Chinese state. PC Pro reported that the cyber-attacks culminated in the compromise of the email account details of at least 2 human-rights activists.
Within hours of reports that Clinton has asked China to explain the allegations, the White House appeared to be isolating her by saying that the administration had left its response “to Secretary of State … who is scheduled to give an address on Internet freedom next week”. Presumably in an attempt to avoid pissing Beijing off, they are trying to climb back onto the fence.
That the Chinese State uses hacking techniques as part of its intelligence arsenal is not exactly news. I worked for 2 years with a major Chinese supplier of telecommunications and networking equipment. I was deeply suspicious about some of the software that was provided and my attempts to block access by their ‘engineering’ teams drew accusations of racism, mis-trust and fraud. Charming ! Admittedly, there was little proof – just a feeling – and network traces proved little. I doubt any data would have revealed much anyway as the company failed to get significant traffic flowing – mainly as a result of the poor quality of the system – but it did generate a little paranoia in my otherwise trusting soul.
That said, I have also dealt with the more traditional Chinese economy by using factories over there to produce goods for sale over here. Quality was occasionally suspect but the people I dealt with were straight and for the most part responsive. Keen to do business with Europe, they enjoyed the bargaining and pretty much met their promises. Don’t paint the people with the same brush as the State.
If Google’s actions do result in them being kicked out, it will be interesting to see the effects – if any. They have been slagged off for their original decision to kow-tow despite the defense that any online visibility for the people of the, er, People’s Republic is better than none. Certainly, I would hate to be the poor sod grappling with the security of my servers out there. Lest we forget, physical borders have no immediate presence within cyber-space so the fact that certain Minions of Mao may be hacking local servers should wake the world up to the fact they are probably doing similar nasties to networks across the globe.
In the words of the Great KiddyFiddler himself:
“All reactionaries are paper tigers. In appearance, the reactionaries are terrifying, but in reality they are not so powerful. From a long-term point of view, it is not the reactionaries but the people who are really powerful.”
So to the second installment of Ross Kemp’s mission to the Middle East on Sky One and his time in Israel had a very different feel to the first programme’s trip to Gaza. Perhaps reflecting the westernised, more affluent nature of the country, this felt far less sensational and risky – more Michael Parkinson than Jeremy Bowen.
The production started poorly with limited shots from a taxi which gave no real flavour of the impact of the sites Kemp was visiting – places where terrorist ‘spectaculars’ had been perpetrated to devastating effect by suicide bombers of the ilk depicted the previous week. This was frustrating, as were the pieces with members of the Border Defense force and the Police which revealed little in terms of threats, history, politics or even progress.
The apparent religiously-driven settlers – whereby 500,000 Israelis now illegally occupy homes in territory denied to Israel by the UN and various peace accords – are perhaps the equivalent of Arab extremists elsewhere. Or so I thought until Kemp described the Ultra Jewish Orthodoxy – particularly in West Jerusalem – who consider their own Police to be Nazis and detest any secularist tendencies from their government. As Kemp points out, faced with such extremists within one’s own ‘ranks’, it is no wonder that Israel is as much threatened from within. Pity then that he chose to avoid any attempt to interview Jews on the Ultra right; restricting himself to the nutty “Queen of the Settlers”, Daniella Weiss who arrogantly and depressingly stated that “…Arabs will never have a state of their own…” because “God gave it to us”. Does this not sound strikingly similar to rhetoric of the Islamic extremists ?
The taxi driver who featured at the start – Amos Levy – was an interesting chap who lost his 17 year old daughter to such an attack in 2002. Despite the obvious pain, Levy appeared phlegmatic and almost resigned to the presence of perpetual conflict in Jerusalem. Amplified at their daughter’s grave, he felt that there will never be peace because of the endemic hatred. This segment was dominated by his ex-wife Abigail whose contributions I was about to dismiss as she was understandably distraught. However, she said something which I thought was particularly revealing: the conflict was “…not about land, it was about hate”. Whereas the earlier sections on land-grabs, settlers and UN illegalities got me thinking about action against Israel to stop these geographical injustices, her words made me realise how pointless that would be. What is really needed is what Kemp infers at the close – a community led approach which brings all parties together to speak out against the extremists on both sides.
Not much to take away from this other than a lingering sense of depression that a ‘solution’ is unlikely down the current path being followed by all parties, including the international audience. I wonder whether a new political party or movement – inclusive, which acts to bring the community together to solve problems regardless of their origin or religion – is ever possible. To achieve what was done in Northern Ireland in this part of the world would be a true miracle.
Sky One had low-keyed the build-up to Ross Kemp’s latest trip to a conflict zone – perhaps as the period prior to tonight’s first of two parts was the Christmas holidays. Regardless, I watched with low expectations that Kemp would provide much insight into the origins of the conflict or the true realities of life on the strip. The opening scenes exaggerated my impatience for some explanation into the geography and history. I became frustrated. But then Kemp got busy ……………..
Rattling off the sorry statistics of the January retaliatory attacks by Israel into Gaza, he confirmed the targetting of schools and political infrastructure in Gaza by the IDF (Israeli Defence Force) last January. Kemp amplified the view of the local UN rep that this went beyond any practical attempt to limit the elected government of nominated terrorist organisation Hamas to otherwise wage war on Israel. Whilst perhaps not exactly news, the destruction of 200 schools followed by the blockade of the territory could perhaps be seen as beyond any justification. When Ross dipped into the economic consequences, the folly of the policy becomes clear. In parallels with the short-sighted efforts in Iraq – where the triumphant coalition promptly put the world’s 4th largest standing army on the dole and released over 1 million highly trained armed men to an indistinct future – Israel’s blockade ensured the closure of an inland port responsible for 10,000 jobs. These jobs alone provided the means for support for 10,000 families suggesting a figure which is approaching 10% of the entire territory. Ignoring the death and injury, this economic pressure alone is subjugating an already poor and bewildered population.
It was difficult as a removed viewer to watch as Kemp was shown an active operation to plant an IED targetting Israeli Special Forces. I am not sure if this constitutes propoganda, journalism or immoral voyeurism but it certainly caught my attention. Kemp asked many questions of these operatives of Islamic Jihad but never a straight “Why … ?”. You might argue that the objectives of their campaign are obvious. I don’t and I feel it was the burning question and one which – in next week’s show – he will hopefully ask of the Israelis.
Kemp then interviewed a group of affected children and provided the most poignant and altogether scariest observations of the 60 minute slot. All the children were clear in their desire to die in any cause against “the Jews” for two reasons: one to avenge loved ones killed in front of them but also because they saw Paradise as infinitely better than what they were forced to live through on earth. This kind of belief – deftly illuminated by Kemp’s otherwise blunt style – demonstrates the ‘rationale’ behind the desire to martyr oneself. It is less about jihad or even faith – more about escaping the misery of their current existence. Growing within such youngsters, you could see through this programme how it would take root into adolescence and prevail amongst youths with little other reason to carry on living. Horribly informative stuff. Surely the Israelis must see the counter-productivity of their tactics ?
To end, Kemp was hurriedly invited to meet another military / terrorist faction. I would not have gone near this potential trap with an armoured tank division but Kemp characteristically dived in – and I have to concede that it was hard to discern any element of stage-managing this for the cameras. I was horrified to see Ross marshalled into a makeshift tent to witness the recording of a martyrdom video by a 24 year old Law graduate. I am sure there will be protests about this element of the documentary but it was dreadfully compelling. The viewer could look into the eyes of this devout young man as he stood there dressed in explosives and – not too convincingly – declared his commitment to die and seek the deaths of others. Again, Kemp drifted around actually asking the chap outright why he was doing this. To his credit, Kemp did attempt to elicit whether the young man saw his potential act as peace-making. No surprise that the depressing answer was of course, no.
I am still trying to make up my mind about the programme. Sensational ? Sure – but in a revealing, terrifying and deeply saddening way. Immoral ? – in my view not. There is some insight here. This is not the explanatory political documentary I have written about before as something I want to watch. Yet, the production – from Tiger Aspect / Mongoose and helmed by Olly Lambert – went so much further than I expected. Kemp himself said – rather like Jeremy Bowen’s report for BBC Panorama last year – that he had no answers to offer. Yet he did go further than Bowen in suggesting that the Israeli policies were incomprehensible and indefensible. Let’s see how he tackles the Israelis next week.
BBC Four re-ran a 2006 retrospective of the career of Paul Weller before Christmas which caught my attention. The 90 minute cycle struck chords as much for its parallels with my own life as the music and Paul’s career to date. From The Jam, into The Style Council and onto various solo adventures through various music styles, Weller’s life also picked its way through world events which influenced my life, politics and musical tastes. That is not to say we were in sync; in fact, his musical and political leanings were in perfect opposition to my own growing pains and experiences. Paul and I finally came together with the release of Wild Wood in 1993 which for me became a singular musical experience – an album I played end-to-end and over-and-over.
Stepping back, the gently biographical presentation included lengthy contributions from his Mum and Dad and reflected his warm, Woking upbringing with the family support which underpinned his success. His father was his manager through the band years of Jam and TSC and a key figure in his life (John Weller sadly died last year). Some minor resonances with the likes of Ian Curtis whose stable, polite and pleasant background belied the angry-man stage presence which diffused Joy Division and which, likewise, became the subtitle for Weller’s Jam. As a writer, Weller majors on meaning before he tackles the melodies. His lyrics come first, followed by the score, whereas I was always captured by the music before I even considered the words.
I had bought or stolen most of the vinyl that The Jam released at the end of the 70s and the start of the 80s but, strangely, I am not sure that (then) I really liked it. More a product of my fascination with the Mod resurgence at the time, I remember preferring Two Tone and the softer influences of Ska than the harsher, Tory tones of the Jam. The band was pushed into politicisation – prompted to publicly support the Conservatives at the 1979 election. I was firmly a Callaghan fan as part of my emerging political awareness at 13 years old, and virtually distraught at the coming of Thatcher. Come the Falklands and the subsequent patriotic outpourings, Weller and I swapped sides again as he closed down The Jam and whistled up The Style Council. He changed and embraced a new musical and political ethos with the TSC coming out for the Labour Party, CND and other trendy, left-wing causes – and at the same time poncing ostentatiously round Paris. Keeping to our opposing life choices, I was writing teenage treatments in praise of monetarism and despairing at the naivete of nuclear disarmament, whilst discovering the softer delights of The Eagles, ELO and Steve Winwood. The contrasts continued as he moved into romantic stability with his TSC vocalist – the wonderful Dee C Lee – at a time when my Too Much, Too Young marriage was disintegrating following the birth of my son.
Characteristic of Paul Weller is that – musically anyway – he never looks back. And me ? Of course I beg to differ. I am rediscovering The Jam and loving them. Being at school in Slough and frequently competing with the privileged kids ‘up the road’, “Eton Rifles” always resonates and “Start!” gets me pogo-ing dangerously round the living room. Even hearing the occasional Style Council track prompts a degree of comfy nostalgia. Paul’s divorce and return to writing which prompted “Wild Wood” and then “Stanley Road” finally unites us. The programme revealed this later incarnation of Weller as mature, comfortable and relieved (that he still had ‘it’). Gone is the almost pompous posing of the TSC years, as are the shy, clipped stutterings of the younger man – Paul talks confidently and calmly to camera as a man who is enjoying life and sees his journey continuing.
“Into Tomorrow” then is all about my life as seen through the career of Paul Weller. I am convinced by this documentary that Paul is my best mate …. but we’ve never met. As opposites, we would probably punch each other. As fellow travellers through the 80s and 90s, we might perhaps just kick back and get pissed down the pub – bitching about Blair, laughing at Foot or Kinnock, and bemoaning Thatcher. Of course, I would ask the usual NME crap about Jam reunions, TSC justifications and Wild Wood influences. Weller would no doubt spit back with thinly disguised disdain and wry humour at my lack of cred; before we burst out laughing.
The programme content is compelling (and not just because of its parallels and contrasts with my own life). Director Stuart Watts and Editor Duncan Hill have cut together a charming stroll through Weller’s career which lacks any lofty pretence. It stops short of Studio 150 and 22 Dreams and hence could do with an update but for those like me who hanker for reminders of the 80s, well worth catching on iPlayer.
The bigger European sites for booking late deals to travel are all much of a muchness. Digging a little deeper, which fare fairer and which deal dearly ? Planning a Christmas break, I took a quick punt on Opodo, Expedia and the market-making Lastminute.com. My mission was to pick either a week in the sun or 7 nights in the Big Apple. Here briefly are my experiences:
Worst of the bunch – LastMinute.com
The golden calf reared by Martha Lane-Fox and Brent Hoberman was my first stop to seek a quick and inexpensive getaway. The simpler layout on hitting the site is welcoming and the Flash adverts draw the eye towards some interesting packages. However, the initial looks were deceiving. Having dug into New York breaks without luck, I was tempted by the many adverts for Egypt all-inclusive packages. Pre-Christmas, I skipped through the links to be presented with a tempting array of sun, sea and sand options at tempting prices. Once I got far enough to determine the particular combination – and this exercise had taken 15 to 20 minutes – I was maddeningly informed by the site that the selected package was “…no longer available …”. This outcome was so common that I was beginning to think the site had a major bug so I did a few random flight searches which succeeded. The ‘draw’ of the package deals, then, proved to be a set of frustrating mirages. Lastminute.com adds in insurance and Carbon Offset automatically to the final itinerary (can be removed) and whatever package I selected, the price always jumped by a few pounds from the original quote for no other apparent reason. As with prior experiences on this site when searching for theatre and weekend jaunts in the UK, I will steer clear of LM in the future.
Middling Opodo
As much an aggregator with a less sophisticated interface, Opodo.co.uk yielded results with a relatively simple mechanism to customise the selected combinations of flights and hotels. Slow but steady, the system initially told me it had “… no packages for New York City” but then going via its City Breaks links generated over 100 hotel + flight combinations at reasonable prices. More fool them that I had to persevere with the site to get what I wanted. Flight selections in particular were sporadic and complicated – sometimes including layovers where I had asked for direct only. A poor selling site, then, but with a reasonable yet slow interface.
Best of the bunch – Expedia.co.uk
Expedia was a snap. Straight to a list with a suggested package that, whilst not the cheapest, was pretty close to my ideal. I could quickly run through the hotel and flight combinations and adjust my booking to create the perfect package. The jump to hotel details was smooth and informative. The combined itinerary was well presented with options available but not automatically added (unlike Lastminute.com) so that the base price is what was quoted on the initial search. So impressed, I added in limousine collection and helicopter trips which were not especially cheap but added finesse to a reasonably good deal. (I plumped for this and committed my credit card. The limo service in particular was excellent and avoided hassling with cabs on reaching Newark – having arrived 2 hours late amidst the worst East Coast snowstorm this year.) The onwards links to airline, hotel and ancillary booking systems were seamless and for the most part, transparent.
Neatly executed, honest and clear. Expedia is to be recommended.
Thanks to political blogger Iain Dale, who twittered the latest on the Trafigura saga. The New Statesman reports that the BBC have apparently pulled all reference from their website to their Newsnight piece on freedom of speech and the Minton Report in response to pressure from lawyers, Carter Ruck.
Worthy of a look. The material includes Paxman interviewing Mark Stephens – a ‘media lawyer’ and a Trustee of the Index On Censorship – alongside Matthew Nicklin – a barrister specialising in media cases. I am not sure what prompted the BBC’s latest timidity but I do hope this story rebounds back into the limelight so the shameful practice of limiting reporting of parliamentary affairs (let alone genuine, global public interest stories) is stopped. Trafigura must be rueing the retention of Carter Ruck with their rather extreme tactics pushing the polluting petroleum producer back into the media – assisted by Britain’s antique libel laws (i.e. old, quaint, useless and very expensive).
Thanks to Dani for this excellent contribution : Political Spin – How It Is Done !
It’s all in the wording you see. It just all depends on how you look at some things…
Judy Wallman, a professional genealogy researcher in southern California , was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that Congressman Harry Reid‘s great-great uncle, Remus Reid, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Montana in 1889. Both Judy and Harry Reid share this common ancestor.
The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory:
The only known photograph of Remus shows him standing on the gallows in Montana territory in 1889
On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription: ‘Remus Reid, horse thief, sent to Montana Territorial Prison 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Montana Flyer six times. Caught by Pinkerton detectives, convicted and hanged in 1889.’
So Judy recently e-mailed Congressman Harry Reid for information about their great-great uncle. Believe it or not, Harry Reid’s staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:
“Remus Reid was a famous cowboy in the Montana Territory . His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Montana railroad. Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the railroad. In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the renowned Pinkerton Detective Agency. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honor when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed..”
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