Overall, we know about as much about what's going on as when as we did when I woke up eight hours ago. Things we do know: the Lib Dems got screwed, probably by the sustained 2-week barrage of media lies about them. Troll-like ex-home secretary Charles Clarke lost his seat, which is delightful. Pro-science campaigner … Continue reading Update for Brits who’re just waking up
Author: John B
John Band is a London-raised, Sydney-based strategy consultant, data analyst and writer. He has experience ranging from blue chips to start-ups across the media, business information, strategy and technology consulting industries.
Not sure if these are downloadable, but listening on the radio I was really struck by the difference between Gordon Brown and David Cameron's speeches on winning their constituencies. Mr Brown is in the wrong job, and needs to resign tomorrow no mater what the final results, but the speech was heartfelt, interesting, passionate and … Continue reading Quick thought on speeches
It's lovely to see Peter Robinson, the head of Northern Ireland's DUP (the Paisley-ite, hardline Unionist party), losing his Belfast East seat to non-sectarian Alliance candidate Naomi Long. Anything which makes NI less sectarian-driven has to be a good thing... The thing which makes it even funnier, by which I mean "if I was properly … Continue reading Semi-informed Northern Ireland poli-blogging
my copy of Faith No More's best known single won't play any more #epicfail # i can't get funding for my remake of Spartacus #epicfail # i've been multiplying two mathematical constants both together and by the speed of light, to no avail #epicfail # I always think of the Auteurs' Tombstone when passing the … Continue reading What I’ve been up to, week ending 2010-05-02
Tomorrow morning, someone's going to cheese-grate away the surface of both my corneas, then remove the sub-surface tissue with a FRICKIN' LASER. a) wish me luck; b) I'll be drugged up and more or less blind for a couple of days, so unlikely to be up for much Internettery. Have fun without me and play … Continue reading Blinding
I'm quite enjoying the ban - off to meet up with a friend who's supposed to be back in the UK, but instead is loafing in Sydney # has been the general manager of a large establishment, but still never would've thought they'd have put him in the Good Squad. # derives pathetic childish joy … Continue reading What I’ve been up to, week ending 2010-04-25
I've been challenged to state what policy goals I'd actually favour: * Unlimited migration of people with A-level equivalent qualifications, or any non-academic skills in demand (defined as "more than no job adverts specify this, and it can be quantified") in the country of relevance. * Equal tax on all "getting more assets", whether house, … Continue reading Apart from more pies and shorter hours
Whilst I'm not quite willing to go to dsquared's levels of defence of unpopular bands, I can't quite believe that in my last, trolly, incoherent post the only thing I've so far been picked up on is suggesting that Paul McCartney's solo output is better than John Lennon's. That wasn't part of the trolly incoherence … Continue reading Three Paul McCartney songs that are better than anything John Lennon ever did
Paul McCartney was always my favourite Beatle. Not only because of his superior songs, although Jet is better than any of John Lennon's solo output. But also because he never followed the absurd craze amongst arty types of "pretending not to be middle-class" (this is a middle-class home, whatever Mr Lennon's pretensions). Today, I've been … Continue reading A working class hero is nothing to pretend to be
So there's yet another alcohol-bashing study out. This one says [*] that sports stars' drunk behaviour has no impact on young adults' drinking behaviour (that's 'over 18s', or 'legally responsible adults'), but that alcohol marketing does. This isn't surprising. Of course alcohol marketing makes people drink more of the brand being marketed, otherwise people wouldn't … Continue reading Missing the point on booze marketing, again