Taking Out The Trash

Now we are five

Daughter number 3 arrived at 5.10pm at the materinty unit at Chippenham hospital. Weighing in at a healthy 7lb 15oz she and mum are fit and fine.
But I'll probably be a little light on the blogging for a few days.

Banged up

News of Barry George's acquittal of Jill Dando's murder should be of no surprise to anyone who has looked at the woefully inadequate evidence.
He seemed like another oddball who had been carved out as the patsy.
Mike Naughton and colleagues at the UK Innocence Project have done some good work on this case. Their work and of aligned groups is due some better recognition.
The silver lining is that the jury system once again showed it can work. I know it was a jury that convicted George in the first place but, generally, I think 12 people picked from the community have got the nous to understand evidence and sieve the motives of witnesses.
I back them against proposals to cut juries and leave justice to our 'betters'.

York Notes for nutters

Thanks to donpaskini for spotting this summer madness . . . an article that seriously poses the question: Will a Conservative government bring about a change in English literature for the better.
It includes such well-sourced and open-minded arguments as:

the current generations of leftist writers producing mindless drivel of cultural pap have put many more people off reading than they have attracted.

and

the UK literary industry (both state-funded and private) has long been (mis)managed by leftists

I think a Conservative government would spark an avalanche of creativity - but not one they will enjoy. Once the Cameroons get their teeth into the social security budget, education and the health service they'll be plenty to inspire artists. Anger is good for the creative juices; just look at the Iraq War. Do they expect a Dance To The Music of Time for the 21st century to come out of it? I think we'll get updated versions of this.

Democratic Society

Came across this blog from the Democratic Society which:

"exists to support political participation and improve democracy."

They've turned up some interesting items (I liked this on the chicken and egg debate about journalism and political coups). Well worth keeping an eye on.

Night of the living dead (part 2)

Allotments, planning applications, funding requests and co-opting a new councillor. Another typical agenda for last night's (Thursday 31 July) parish council meeting.

The biggest relief was not having to sit through another update on the proposed unitary council for Wiltshire.

The last one went on for an hour and it was like a scene from the Night of the Living Dead by the time the earnest man from county hall had finished his spiel.

You can read the rest of my latest post on the Total Politics web site here