[Johnny Brown]

Yeah, I was trying to think of a climbing analogy but gave up. Modern british climbing all seems a bit arbitrary in comparison.

[dave]

Like pulling on at the tor and topping out at woodwell? Souns awesome.

[Oldmanmatt]

140mtrs of digging?
That would have to be some tottering sea stack.
Or Century Crack?
I mean, what kind of super human nut job would climb that?

[Jaspersharpe]

Daily Mail admits to behaving like the Daily Mail:

http://blog.dave.org.uk/2011/11/winterval.html

[Jaspersharpe]

Police authorised to shoot protestors in London:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/07/plastic-bullets-available-student-protests

[Jaspersharpe]

Sarko and Obama fail to learn from "Bigotedwomangate". 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/08/sarkozy-obama-netanyahu-gaffe-microphone

[SA Chris]

Merkel and Sarkozy share views on Berlusconi



(sorry if this is a repost)

[Oldmanmatt]

Sarko and Obama fail to learn from "Bigotedwomangate". 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/08/sarkozy-obama-netanyahu-gaffe-microphone

Nice to know they are human, though.
Now if they could only translate that into policy...

[SA Chris]

Forgot someone mentioed this to me last week.

Nice CNN report live from Cannes - see map

[fried]

Police authorised to shoot protestors in London:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/nov/07/plastic-bullets-available-student-protests

and other affronts

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/08/met-accused-scare-protesters-letter

[Fultonius]

Did anyone see Panarama last night? Think I'll have to try and catch it on iPlayer tonight.

Sounds like it was particularly biased:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2011/nov/08/energy-bills-panorama-renewables

[Jaspersharpe]

Bravo for the Big Society!!!

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2011/11/08/bedworth-suicide-pact-couple-found-lying-side-by-side-92746-29739580/2/

[Jaspersharpe]

This is really good about what Berlusconi stepping down may mean for Italy:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/nov/10/berlusconi-exit-italy

I've read this guy's book The Dark Heart of Italy and it's excellent.

[Oldmanmatt]

Ah...
One has just embarassed one's self.
I nearly pissed my self with laughter at the "malice breaking through", passage...
Got my breath back and remembered, I'm sitting alone in Costas; with everyone staring at me...

[Jaspersharpe]

Lansley forced to reveal report. Big news.......

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/politics/article-24008861-lansley-ordered-to-reveal-secret-health-report.do

[mrjonathanr]

Nice one Jasper.

It {the dept of Health}also defended non-disclosure on the grounds that it could "deter from full, candid and proper deliberation of policy formulation and development".

Orwellian, or what? ('proper' = 'from a position of public ignorance such that our policies which would be otherwise unacceptable are naively unopposed')

[aLICErOBERTSfANkLUB]

Maybe the EDL should just rebrand themselves as "The Keystone Criminals"?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8885128/EDL-members-arrested-on-Armistice-Day.html

[Stu Littlefair]

Nice one Jasper.

It {the dept of Health}also defended non-disclosure on the grounds that it could "deter from full, candid and proper deliberation of policy formulation and development".

Orwellian, or what? ('proper' = 'from a position of public ignorance such that our policies which would be otherwise unacceptable are naively unopposed')

To be honest, they've got a point here. I you're developing public policy it makes sense to have lots of discussion *within the department* about the possible negative effects of your policy. The argument against making these discussions public is that if ministers are afraid these documents will later be used against them, then govt departments have an incentive to avoid thinking about, or discussing, unwanted side effects of their policies. This is hardly going to lead to well discussed policies etc. it's exactly the same rationale which justifies collective responsibility for the cabinet.

Not that I agree with the reforms at all, but I don't want to encourage ministers to avoid thinking about the negative aspects of their shiny new policy, for fear of being beaten around the head with their discussions later on...

[mrjonathanr]

It's a valid point Stu, I accept that principle. However these so-and-sos are privatising by stealth and have plenty to hide. I want to know.

[Jaspersharpe]

Best headline I've seen in a while:

Schoolyard Penis Seen From Space

[chalkyjim]

Awesome. We spray painted 'dick' above the allotted car park space for the 'head'. Not sure if it made google earth though. Good skills boys.

[iain_cbr]

it reminded me of this fine upstanding young fella-me-lad...:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/blog/2009/mar/24/penis-drawing-roof-google

[slackline]

Insidious BBC Digital Rights Management of HD content

[slackline]

"I'll have the birds-nest salad please" 

[Jaspersharpe]

As pointed out by slackers on Twitter, this is a complete and utter disgrace:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/nov/16/young-jobseekers-work-pay-unemployment

This is slavery:

The 1926 Convention's definition of slavery was broadened to include forced or compulsory labor in 1930 in the ILO Convention (No. 29) concerning Forced or Compulsory Labour (article 2.1):

"...all work or service which is exacted from any person under the menace of any penalty and for which the said person has not offered himself voluntarily."

What's almost as bad as the people being forced to work for no pay is that we're actually funding it through the benefits system. So instead of Tesco et al paying people to do work for them (and the people paying tax), we're paying them and Tesco etc get free labour.

How is this in any way good for anyone apart from the (already massively profitable) companies involved? How has it come to this?