Instant Karma

Some Friday music

Another

The Bird in Hand, another boarded-up pub; this is in Coxheath. Remember I posted a shot of The Blue Bell? Established 1660? Closed down 2010.

Where the economy has got to

Very thoughtful post which points to the current direction of travel for the economy; the backdrop against which this danse macabre is being played out.

"What's shaping the debate though is the economic situation, and in the course of the election campaign that's changed. Let me sum up why:

a) We've had the Q1 GDP growth figures - worse than expected and a danger signal of a double dip recession

b) We've had the March unemployment figures: worse than expected and signalling a jobless recovery - with Job Centre Plus performing the sterling service of reducing the claimant count by shunting people onto courses, but negative job creation.

c) Then we had the IFS report - an authoritative demolition job on the fundamentally dishonest way all the parties have tried to mask the cuts they're forced to inflict.

d) Finally the Greek contagion story rocked the markets, and put points a-to-c into a brutal context. This is what happens to countries who do not spell out credible deficit reduction plans and whose politicians delude themselves about future growth."

Read the rest at Paul Mason's BBC Blog

After the gold rush

A vote for the incumbents in this debacle is like thanking the bloke who stole your furniture and torched your house. The current rhetoric that "Brown and Darling handled it well" ignores their culpability in dropping us in the mire in the first place. Sure it was a global problem but Germany, a country still carrying the massive cost of reunification, is in a position to help out Greece. Even the French economy is more resilient. Brown is uniquely placed to accept responsibility for this lot - he was next door in number 11 and soaking up the adoration when the economy was going well. And while there he sold off the family silver including flogging lumps of the gold reserve in 1999. John Naughton posted about the deficit yesterday and Martin Weller's post focusses on the impact on HE.

Mervyn King is reported to have said that the measures required to manage the deficit would make the party who wins the next election unelectable for a whole generation. This is a legacy of the Blair/Brown years. As a double-header it's possible that Labour will be third in the popular vote for the first time in 90 years. Many will vote Labour because they always have - despite Brown's gaffe with Mrs Duffy - but many more appear to be moving away from tribal loyalty and thinking about voting in a way which doesn't reward incompetence.

Qs

Busking it

Bought some flowers but I don't have a vase! Flowers in a glass

Wordle

A Wordle of my Delicious tags - I really must stop saving the posh stuff. Click the image to see it a decent size.

Weather

Should be playing wag and heading for the coast with a picnic and having adventures

30 years of waiting

"Scotland Yard is to publish a report into the death of anti-racism campaigner Blair Peach, more than thirty years ago."

Not before time!

It's still Saturday

This isn't the best version - Van's is still the one - but the best I could find on YouTube

Saturday music

Cry havoc!

Bedding

It's got beads!

Sunny Tunny

Pie!

Flight ban lifted

This wonderful website shows air traffic and includes information on the flight's departure/arrival points, altitude and call sign. It's interesting just now because it's showing the the first flights vectoring in to Heathrow and Gatwick, as the flight ban is lifted, are coming in from across the Atlantic. This isn't local traffic hopping over from Europe but flights which took off more than six hours ago. Perhaps I'm being cynical but I wonder whether the sudden collapse of the ban and change in the safety advice might have been hastened by pressure from the big carriers and the airports.

Of course now the government have ships of the Royal Navy and a fleet of coaches haring around Europe. There was probably a good deal of positive publicity possible in the PM welcoming holidaymakers as they came down the gangway off HMS Albion (think back to when HMS Hermes came back from the Falklands) but Gordon won't be dashing to Southampton now.

I suppose the election can now retake it's position as the leading news story. Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war.

Ella

Second half

Wonderful piece of music with a great video to illustrate it.

Part 1

I went looking for something else and found this - it's beautiful

Bug

DSCF5422, originally uploaded by nogbad the bad.

Not seen any Harlequins yet but this little was running all over the place.

Cows with guns

Watch with sound and lyrics on (top left). I think I may have posted this years ago but it stands rewatching. Enjoy!

Richard Burton

More music with a literary link. Burton's voice was wonderful and perfect for the narrator in this musical extravaganza. Off to dust off the vinyl and wallow in a bygone era.

For my droogs

I love this song but hadn't seen this video before. More than a passing nod to Kubrick's vision of one of the worlds created by Burgess. Modern youfs might be interested to know that the argot the characters use, nadsat, includes dropping in the word "like" at arbitrary points - a fashion recently in vogue again. And yes, if you don't get the reference you'll have to, like, do some work

Friday music

Because it's Friday and Friday is the new Friday and we have music on Friday

Pudding

Waiting

Outside The Dome

RIP Malcolm

The Sun

has got his hat on!

Greek

Christ Church Gate

I don't think I'll ever get tired of this space - Buttermarket, Canterbury

Beaney

A bit of music because this week Tuesday is the new Monday

Starlings

Pie