On the way to London. People drinking beer on the train is not an uncommon sight. But on the 0844?!
Month: July 2006
-
Why Europe has mild winters
and, no, it’s not the Gulf Stream.
-
Blasphemy
An American church unveils a reimaigining of the statute of Liberty. After all, who needs liberty when you have God (or his worthy ministers) to tell you what to do?
-
American myopia
Even the New York Times, normally fairly broad in outlook, occasionally slips. In this article on the Mexican election, the issues are summed up as:
At stake in the contest is whether the country remains on a conservative track and stays a firm United States ally or joins a trend that has brought several leftists to power in Latin America in recent years, weakening Washington’s influence.
Wow, is that it? No other issues other than how Mexico relates to the US? Who’d have thought it?
-
Bypasses don’t cut traffic
The BBC reports that three major bypasses, including one in Polegate, have failed to reduce traffic by the amount planned for. All three have now reached the traffic levels predicted for 2010.
Meanwhile, in a distant country with a sensible transport policy, the reopening of the five-station Larkhall railway line in Scotland has exceeded its own estimates, carrying 38% more passengers than predicted in the first six months.
-
Partisan tinkering
So the Conservatives’ Democracy Taskforce have come up with: banning Scottish MPs from voting on English issues. Two questions:
- Aren’t the Tories meant to be the party of the Union?
- Isn’t democracy about more than populism and partisan gerrymandering?
-
Acronym Fight!
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)versus
Mother I’d Like to … (MILF)
