And now for something 'somewhat humorous'

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The Podcast Network Signs John Cleese For Video Podcast
The Podcast Network (TPN) has announced the signing of English actor, writer and comedian John Cleese for an exclusive video podcast series titled “Headcast.” Cleese describes the show as “a somewhat humorous, somewhat more thoughtful, [a conduit that] gives me a chance to sound off in my old age.” A free version will be made available over the next few months on The Podcast Network and a premium version will also be available. The show will be produced by UK new media company Funk, which currently produces audio podcasts for Clease.
As Cleese hasn't been 'somewhat humorous' for years I'll be interested to see what he comes up with in his Videocasts.


Be Undressed Ready My Angel

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I'm not going to start blogging about Burma (or Mynamar, if you prefer the name favoured by the military regime, Russia and China) because I know sweet F.A. about what's going on there (beyond the stories of the fate of Aung San Suu Kyi that, like most people,  I've read over the years) and there is no shortage of opinion out there already. But I have noticed one thing that keeps popping up on right-wing blogs and that is that many of them are calling out prominent left wing sites for 'ignoring'  this story.  Even when they do mention it, like Lenin, the RWingers don't seem to like like the tone, as Mr Eugenides points out here.  Lenin is perfectly capable of taking care of himself and, to be frank, for him, dealing with MrE must be like shooting fish in a barrel.  The complaints would carry more weight if searches of these RW sites didn't demonstrate, in most cases, a complete absence of posts on Burma until about a week ago. 

Bandwagons, for the jumping onto, etc...



Yo, Blair!

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Tony Blair's Amazing Misadventures

I've just finished reading Geoffrey Wheatcroft's brilliant polemic on what he refers to as `the most dishonest and disastrous prime ministership of modern times'.

I know that the book has  been out for a while and I'm sure all the serious political bloggers out there have read it by now but if you haven't and you normally steer clear of political essays please think again about 'Yo, Blair!'.

This small, pocket-sized, extended essay can be consumed in one short sitting and if, like me, you fantasize about seeing Blair dangling from a lampost, this could well be the most enjoyable book you read this year.
From the Guardian Review:

Blair deserves a filleting delivered so skilfully that one scarcely notices that its victim has, in a sense, escaped. The 'genius' and the 'magic' of Blair are mentioned, scathingly, but the emphasis on his flaws provides few clues as to why such a master of deceit and folly retained the capacity to persuade a cabinet and legislature to endorse a war that many, Wheatcroft included, correctly forecast as a bloodbath-in-waiting, lacking any criterion that might render it just or legal. Blair the monster is held fully to account in this timely book. Blair the magus - and that trait lurks somewhere in his make-up, for how else could he have beguiled so many for so long? - is left for some other judge to unravel. It won't be history. Any Prime Minister who so flagrantly perverts its natural course may hope in vain for a kinder verdict than this one.


A Doctor with no surgery

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Bringing back the housecall (kottke.org)
Dr. Jay Parkinson M.D. emailed in to tell me about his new medical practice in Williamsburg. He's got no office (housecalls only), takes appointment requests via SMS, email, or IM, handles some follow-ups over video chat, and specializes in the 18-40 age group without traditional health insurance. The goal, states Parkinson, is to "mix the service of an old-time, small town doctor with the latest technology to keep you and your bank account healthy".

Read the whole thing. It's wonderful stuff. I like this Doctor!

Who'd have guessed?

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The picture that dashes the hopes of Kate and Gerry McCann


Well, not if they had the sense to have completely ignored this latest 'sighting' of their missing daughter.

But all is not lost. Luckily there were two children in the photo allowing speculation over an earlier missing child, Denise Pipitone. Obviously these Moroccans are into child abduction in a big way! Personally I thought the 'woman' in the hat had a look of Glenn Miller about 'her'. Mmmmm. I think I'll have a word with Interpol.

I may have posted this before but it bears repeating. Some years ago in the US a very attractive, blonde young woman disappeared together with her very distinctive open-topped, pink-coloured car (complete with personalised number plates). Several years went by during which time 'sightings' were reported in almost every state from Alaska to New Mexico. These were sightings of the woman, her car or both. Every report was followed up by police and every investigation led absolutely nowhere.

Then, a cold-case team was set up and the case was reopened. The team decided to look closer at a previous suspect and, to cut a long story short, ended up excavating an area of land owned by the man where, lo and behold, they found the missing woman's pink car with the remains of the woman still inside it. She had been abducted in her own vehicle, raped and murdered and buried, all within the space of a few hours. She had never even left the car and during the time when dozens of sightings were being reported all over North America her body was slowly rotting in the very same car people everywhere were swearing blind they had seen being driven around.

Unless a body is found these sightings will go on for years and years. There will be tabloid images of the 'What Maddie might look like now' kind every few years. Lord Lucan is still regularly spotted almost 33 years after he disappeared, the latest incident involving a hapless , homeless 'lookalike' Brit living in New Zealand.

After all, it sells newspapers.



UK Webhosting - Who cares?

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We use goods and services made and provided all over the world. If there is one area of activity which is perfectly compatible with a global market it is web hosting. Leaving aside large corporate customers, who might have complex requirements, there is no good reason for most webmasters to host their sites with a UK based company. Just on cost alone the UK companies loose out.

So, as much as I would welcome any changes in UK libel laws which might have prevented the take down of the sites of Craig Murray et al,  being realistic and faced with a parliament stuffed with lawyers I think, as my old friend used to say, we've got two hopes...Bob Hope and no hope.

But so what? Who cares? If there wasn't a perfectly acceptable alternative there might be a case for getting all worked up over a change to the law (even though I think it would be an exercise in urinating into a strong breeze) but there is an alternative. So fuck Fasthosts and fuck all the rest of them. Use one of the several thousand webhosts out there that cannot be forced to remove your site or any material published on it merely by the threat of legal action in the UK.

Although, let's be honest, nobody's going to get a mention in the next Britblog Roundup for posting: "use a US webhost" are they?