The Word From Westminster

Can Gordon Brown regain his momentum?

2008-05-19T10:50:00.001+01:00

With Boris Johnson the first Conservative Mayor of London, and heavy local election losses, is Gordon Brown prepared to fight to the finish? Will he risk going down with the ship at the next election or will he resign?

The Prime Minister should start by taking heed of those in the job before him-and not just Tony Blair. He should remember how badly Callaghan's Labour Government fared in 1979, and not delay the election until the last possible moment.

Having read Tony Benn's diaries for the period, as well as commentators at the time, it seems the rot really set in just before the Winter of Discontent. Labour might not have won a spring 1978 election, but it would have been a closer fight. He should not underestimate Charles Clarke or Frank Field; his two loudest critics are also dangerous, particular the clever Field.

How to become more interesting without needing to spin further? Develop a hinterland. Never mind writing books about brave people, take up gardening (Michael Heseltine), sailing (Edward Heath) or teddy bears (Gyles Brandreth). Sooner or later the media will cover it and it will look far more real than "Courage."

Brown should also get to grips with why the party is losing money. He needs to win back paying members and cut down on expensive spin merchants. Advertising is over-rated.

Good performances on television and on podcasts will do far more than tedious banners by roadsides proclaiming guff like "Not Flash. Just Gordon." That slogan will be on the minds of every Labour Party member this Bank Holiday.

When it comes to getting rid of dead wood-something New Labour are often reluctant to do- Jacqui Smith should be the first to go.

Brown needs to end the tradition that New Labour Home Secretaries have of annoying both the police and liberal opinion.

If Gordon Brown can do this and ditch his more ludicrous policies,he might win the next election. But it's a big if and a big might.

This post can also be seen at http://brennybaby.blogspot.com

Is is local?

2008-05-18T10:14:00.004+01:00

Following on from yesterday's food theme (see the original blog here), an article in the Saturday Guardian states that Waitrose is pushing for more local food to appear in some of its branches.

On the surface this cannot be anything but a good thing. The produce has fewer food miles, a safe and known source and supports the local economy. There's also a focus on fresh food; around half the products in store will be so.

But according to the article critics are worried that it will destroy small businesses and independent food retailers like Barry Hamilton.

More unique than the deli-style produce in Waitrose is Barry Hamilton: his small greengrocer's nearby is the only one left in St Neots [the town that is focused on in the article]. He started out with his father 40 years ago and has survived by selling flowers, pet food and plants alongside the fruit and veg.
"You won't get this in Waitrose," he said, pointing to the asparagus. "It was picked this morning." It cost £1.95 a bunch. In Waitrose it costs £2.49.

Small businesses are important to local communities - they provide a focus and an alternative to big supermarkets that offer generic food at cut prices, playing havoc with the income and welfare of our farmers. But at least Waitrose is trying to focus on its locale, instead of forcing the area around it to capitulate to its will.

And I couldn't help but think of Julie Birchill's recent article about the convenience of supermarkets. Its true that the rise of these big food chains may give us less choice in our lives, but they also give us more time. The reason people don't shop at independent food retailers along the high street is because it take too long.

So if Waitrose is giving us a chance to shop in one place, whilst giving us the benefits of a selection of local produce, I for one am in favour.

See the original post at ameliabutterly.blogspot.com

On the Long Campaign

2008-05-07T11:28:00.003+01:00

If the London mayoral elections proved too much for you think yourself lucky that you don’t live in the US.

The presidential elections don’t even take place until November yet Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have been locked in battle over the Democratic Party nomination for what seems an eternity.

Well at least its given the public some time to learn the former’s name.

In such a close fought contest where both candidates have had a genuine chance of winning the nomination neither has dared contemplate throwing in the towel.

Although after last night’s victory in North Carolina for Obama the pendulum may have swung back in his favour for one final time.

One wonders whether the actual presidential election will be as dramatic?

In comparison in Britain our general elections of late have been rather swift affairs.

And this is probably a good thing in this supposed age of voter apathy.

With Labour’s until recent dominance it seems that the campaign trails weren’t that much longer than the opening times of the polling stations themselves.

Maybe just giving those who wanted to vote enough time to cast their ballots and secure another successive victory for Tony and Co.

Such has been the one- sided nature of recent general election campaigns I in fact have more vivid memories of those when I wasn’t actually old enough to vote.

However after last week’s results it looks like the next contest will be a much closer affair.

Full English? Not For Me, thanks.

2008-05-01T18:15:00.004+01:00

I’m sorry but I’m thoroughly underwhelmed by this prospect of an all-English Champions league final. We are being told that this is somehow the greatest thing since sliced bread. I for one am not as thrilled as I supposedly should be and I’m not the only one.

Amongst the entire furore, it’s not lost on me, and I’m sure others will agree, that the two ‘English’ sides competing are the two most disliked football teams in the country. Outside of Stamford Bridge and Old Trafford, would anyone really be happy to see either of these sides lift the coveted trophy?

It’s no secret to anyone who follows the beautiful game that CSKA Fulham would be nowhere without their sugar daddy and to seethe fruit of his labours triumph in his native Russia in a few weeks will produce the kind of irony likely to induce vomiting amongst the watching world.

In all fairness, CSKA – normally the Lords of anti-football – did produce somewhat of a classic against Liverpool during extra time to go through last night. However, let’s not let the final result mask the fact that over 90 minutes, it was the fourth draw between the two sides in 5 games this season.

A victory for The Salford Bay Rowdies on the other hand will spawn no end of sycophantic praise for the team and manager alike. While there is no doubting that Taggart is great manager and has a CV overloaded with success and his team play some sublime football at times – both legs of the semi final being the noteworthy exception – they are a deplorable, arrogant bunch who believe not only that they have a God-given right to success but also consider themselves above the law. See ‘Sir’s’ incomprehensible rantings last Saturday as a case in point.

No-one want to see a team like that succeed.

A moment of magic from Paul Scholes took them through but that aside, the Rowdies were comprehensively outplayed by a visibly unconfident Barcelona side who still managed to outplay their conquerors over both games.

But we are told that because the two teams are from England we should be happy. How can we be happy when we know there is no possibility that they can’t both lose?
Supporting an English club in Europe in a concept lost on me. It seems like something of a bygone era when there were very few clubs in European competition. Back then, it was something important to back a team who really represented the nation against Europe’s finest. The rare triumphs during the nineties were something most of the nation could get behind.

Nowadays the money-machine that is the Champion’s League is more like a watered down version of the old European Cup. Back then, it was a true test of how the best in Europe faired against one another. In the modern era you can finish as low as 4th and have a chance to win the big cup.

How can you support the team representing England when four different teams are doing their best to outdo each other?

Is it really a victory for English football if CSKA or the Rowdies win the trophy by beating one another? Also, explain to me how that is a triumph over Europe? Had Liverpool made the final, they would have done so having not faced a ‘European’ side since the first knock-out stage.

Me? Unpatriotic? Please!

In the final we have one side that are owned by Americans, managed by a Scot, whose best player is Portuguese taking on a Russian owned, Israeli managed team whose top player is from the Ivory Coast. Might I also add their kit is made by a German firm and their sponsor is from Japan! Hardly striking a blow for English football.

Once again, I’m sure I am not alone. Fans of the other 90-odd clubs in the English league surely don’t give a monkey’s about two of ‘our own’ in the final. How does that benefit anyone aside from the two sides involved? They’re the only ones who reap any sort of financial benefit and the gap between rich and poor gets ever wider. This final does nothing for the likes Doncaster Rovers, Ipswich Town, Rochdale or Hull City.

Finally, the amount of trouble in Moscow on that fateful May evening doesn’t even bare thinking about. The CSKA mob’s reputation has been well-documented for years and the Rowdies fans are hardly angels themselves. Add that to the expected heavy-handed treatment from the Russian police and undoubted ticketless fans who will try and get into the Luzhniki stadium and you have a recipe for disaster.

Ironically enough, this so-called great occasion for English football could very well see the kind of crowd trouble we all fear and ultimately may lead to UEFA imposing some kind of sanctions against English clubs. They can’t be too pleased about our clubs monopolising their competitions and will find any excuse to prevent it from continuing.

My Sky News placement

2008-04-29T19:38:00.002+01:00

I have now completed my three week work placement at Sky News New Media. During these weeks I have learned a lot about writing copy, picture cropping and using a content management system.

Although I consider myself more than competant with Adobe Photoshop CS2 and Adobe Photoshop Elements (used at Sky, I have been taught some nice tricks involving creating borders. There are many picture sizes and it is important to attach the right ones! I can use Getty Images, Mediapoint and Reuters to find images and resize them in Photoshop, before adding them to a story or picture gallery.

I have also learned how to write headlines and keep them short. This is a relatively new skill for me, but one I am now confident with. I am able to keep banner headlines to a certain length. I can also caption pictures and source older material to link.

I have used a video camera to film outside shots, and have accompanied a producer and cameraman to a technology show, where I watched them film several interviews.

Sitting in the Sky News studio is a real experience. The computer I was using today was only twenty pages or so from the reporters on air.

I hope to return to Sky News someday and am cemented in my belief that online journalism is a good career.

Another benefit was being able to recieve feedback and discuss journalism with Editoral Development Manager Rob Kirk and the New Media Team.

As with any work experience placement, lessons can be learnt and improvements can be made.I must work on identifying and writing for my target audience, as well as checking the HTML before saving and making sure I always use Wordpad when needed. Banner headlines also need to flow from each other.

Some people have asked me "did you speak to Eamon Holmes?" No.

Next week I will be working on a magazine project. My next placement is at The Architects' Journal in June. I will be doing more online placements after that.

I graduate in early September.

This post can also be seen at http://brennybaby.blogspot.com

Paypal blocks users with "unsafe browsers

2008-04-21T09:10:00.000+01:00

Bad news for those using Internet Explorer 4 or older.

Paypal will block users with these browsers to prevent security breaches.

They will first receive a warning and then they will have no access to the online payment site.

You can upgrade to Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher for free, although download times will vary depending on your internet Connection.

Paypal is also used by e-mail scammers pretending to be from the company.

These people try to trick Paypal users into sending their username and password. Payapl never asks for username or password by e-mail.

Only enter your Paypal information on web pages that begin with https://www.paypal.com.

You can spot hoax e-mails by holding your mouse over the link and checking how the address looks, or by looking at the e-mail it came from.

In the case of Paypal, send these to spoof@paypal.com.

Usually, there will be clues that the e-mail is fake.

Cotton Wool Kids

2008-04-10T00:08:00.002+01:00

A Cutting Edge documentary on Channel 4 tonight will be looking at over- protective parents.

“Cotton Wool Kids” will no doubt raise the same perennial issues.

Such as whether children live in a more sinister world than their parents did at their age, and what has been the role of the media in generating a climate of fear?

In truth these are questions that can never be fully answered.

Despite significant advances in mobile technology making it easier for parents to keep in direct contact with their kids this has not necessarily allayed their fears.

Clearly out of sight does not mean out of mind.

“Cotton Wool Kids” is on Channel 4 at 21.00h.

Article taken from www.stuartjamesross.blogspot.com on 10/4/08.

Absolut Vodka Ad Outcry

2008-04-07T21:39:00.001+01:00

An advert for Absolut Vodka that shows a redrawn border between Mexico and the USA has caused anger among some Americans.

The ad shows what the countries would look like if the Mexican-American war of 1848 had not taken place.

Some people have asked if an Absolut Vodka ad showing how Europe would have looked if the Nazis had won would have merited the same reaction.

Interesting point.

You can see the advert here

Of course, Absolut could be accused of using the Reconquista (which is a movement dedicated to granting ownership of areas in the Southwestern United States to Mexico, dominated by the Mexica Movement) to sell Vodka.

Absolute's response

PR speak explanation.

Freshly Minted

2008-04-02T09:57:00.005+01:00

The Royal Mint is to unveil a series of newly designed coins today.

It is cited as the first major stylistic change to the pennies in our pocket since decimalisation in 1971.

Yet our coinage has continued to evolve over the past four decades.

Who can forget the introduction of the easily mislaid five pence piece in 1990 as well as the rather continental looking two pound coin in 1997?

The new designs will apparently combine traditional symbols of British identity with more contemporary ones.

The Queen in a hoodie?

With the introduction of the new coins at least Eurosceptics can draw some comfort that this maybe an indication that Britain will still not be joining the Euro for some time to come.

Article taken from www.stuartjamesross.blogspot.com on 2/4/08.

Brian Paddick: Line of Fire: Published Mayoral Candidates

2008-04-01T01:17:00.001+01:00

One of the most unremarked aspects of the 2008 Mayoral elections is that the three main candidates are all published, as well as Left List candidate Lindsey German, who wrote (among others)The Balkans: Nationalism and Imperialism and Socialists and Class .

Ken Livingstone wrote If Voting Changed Anything They'd Abolish It, which I read in 2002.

Apart from the appalling title, it was a reasonable book with great detail on the Greater London Council.

Boris Johnson has written Have I Got Views For You, Lend Me Your Ears (a collection of columns and mystical interviews ,Johnson's Column and his novel Seventy-Two Virgins.

Brian Paddick recently published his autobiography Line Of Fire, which I read last week.

Detailed and honest, Line Of Fire is revealing about Sir Ian Blair , Paddick's use of Urban75 to engage in dialogue as "Brian the Commander", his jousts with the Daily Mail and the death of Jean Charles de Menezes.

The book also gives a history of the Met from the days of the SPG to now.

Writing Line Of Fire with Paddick was Kris Hollington, who also teamed up with Drugs Squad officer Harry Keeble.

Line Of Fire is £8.99 on Amazon.co.uk and shows how suited Paddick is to people management and taking unpopular yet needed decisions.

Two qualities that any mayor must have.

Post also at http://brennybaby.blogspot.com/

Happy Birthday RadioReverb

2008-03-26T08:26:00.001Z

Brighton community radio station RadioReverb 97.2 FM celebrates its first full year on air today.

For the last 365 days it has brought a diverse mix of music and speech to the city of Brighton and Hove.

Between 2003- 07 I was a presenter, producer and company director at the station and played a prominent role in its development from an occasional internet and RSL broadcaster to a full- time 24/7 FM radio station.

In April the station will be holding a special 50-hour continuous broadcast to celebrate its first anniversary on air.

I recently visited Brighton and met with some of my former colleagues still involved with the station.

It was pleasing to hear how it was beginning to find its feet in the real world.
Community radio is a relatively new sector in the UK.

Even as one of the country’s first full- time FM stations RadioReverb’s own current five year licence only became a possibility following the Community Radio Order of 2004.

Located somewhere between commercial radio and the BBC the sector is often misunderstood and sometimes even sneered upon.

Whatever my own career away from the station may hold RadioReverb will always be something I am incredibly proud of.

As with many of my colleagues our involvement took over our lives in an almost obsessional manner.

Run mainly by volunteers who are passionate about radio and giving the local community a voice the station is truly unique.

The story of RadioReverb is a much longer tale that pre- dates March 26th 2007 and I’m sure one day I’ll re- tell it warts and all.

But for now I’d simply like to wish RadioReverb 97.2 FM a ‘Happy Birthday’.

Brighton’s airwaves are a richer place because of you.

Article taken from www.stuartjamesross.blogspot.com on 26/3/08.

Alternative Things I learnt.... sorry, already knew but was just confirmed for me Gland Slam Special.

2008-03-25T00:41:00.001Z

1. Liverpool and to a lesser extent Arsenal have some way to go if they are to seriously challenge the big two.
- Two contrasting problems: For all Pool’s personnel, they lack the talent and for all L’Arse’s talent, they lack the squad. Merger anyone?

2. Footballers generally are quite thick.
- Thank you Mr. Mascherano for turning what was a difficult task for your team into an impossible one. After all that’s been in the news this week, are you really that stupid???

3. Ronaldo doesn’t have to play well to make an impact
- Goal 34 for the season in a game in which he was outshone by Carrick!

4. Gerrard does
- No goals but outshone by Carrick!

5. Liverpool keepers must have “errors against Man Utd” written into their contracts...
- Dudek’s Jersey (see what I did there?) handed over to (and presumably dropped by) Reina

6. Mediocre Rowdies players must have “goals against Liverpool” written into theirs
- Silvestre, O’Shea and now Brown

7. Liverpool would never lose to United if there was no such thing as the corner kick, set-piece or crossing in general

8. Arsenal play pretty, free-flowing, attractive football which is not effective enough...

9. CSKA Fulham play dull, uninspiring, direct, long ball football which is!

10. Arsenal will never be able to defend against Drogba... ever!
- Can’t even blame Senderos this time around...

11. L’Arse are also one dimensional bottlers who will also never be able to shut up shop at 1-0 so should never have even tried

12. CSKA Fans are the most fickle, uneducated morons in the world and don’t deserve the success, team or manager they’ve got.
- I’m glad Sky mockingly highlighted this. These so-called fair-weather fans were telling a manager who has taken the club to the quarter finals of the champions league and still in with a shout of the title (in his first season might I add) that he doesn’t know what he’s doing. All this while in the middle of making what proved to be a match-winning tactical change. 10 minutes later these same morons are cheering like they’ve won the world cup! I’m sure 9/10 of this spoilt lot couldn’t even tell you what life was like under the late Ian Porterfield. Of course, they didn’t even watch football back then...

13. Most officials are inept

This wonderful attempt at analysis can also be found at The Ibyss

Responsible Journalism

2008-03-19T13:48:00.002Z

The unprecedented apologies in the Daily Express and the Daily Star over their treatment of the McCanns highlights that responsible journalism is still key even in an age of multiple news providers.

Growth of unregulated user generated content has led to fears that anyone with access to the internet can write what they like without reprisal.

This may be to some extent true but the majority of bloggers and vloggers out their will not command anywhere near the same number of subscribers as traditional news outlets.

If professional journalists are to maintain their overall ‘superior’ status to online amateurs it is important that they continue to adhere to the codes of conduct that govern their trade.

In any form of journalism trusting what has been said is vital.

Article taken from www.stuartjamesross.blogspot.com on 19/3/08.

Nine peers a-blogging.

2008-03-17T10:39:00.003Z

Nine peers are blogging about their work and the House of Lords.

Lords of the Blog went live on Monday 17th March.

It's quite funny that the BBC's See Also leads to Lords bridge team "stuck in lift" and Some Lords "would like sick pay".

Not the image the blogging peers would want to project.

It's easy to navigate and the entries are detailed. There is a search bar and good links.

Given that over 60 million blogs are no longer posted to, according to research found by a colleague, I hope the Lords keep blogging.

A survey allows you to evaluate the blog.

Lord Soley on blogging:

In 2003 I started a blog as an MP. I regarded it as a success and it certainly attracted some interesting debates.

It was important for me because it enabled me to talk direct to people without first finding a media outlet. I saw it as a meeting room without walls. There are problems for an elected representative however. The more successful your blog is the more time consuming – and time matters for MP’s! You also have to decide whether to answer all the points or just those from constituents or just let the blog run itself with occasional inputs from the MP.

Over the last 12 months I have let my blog drift into gentle decline with only occasional posts. But down in the Westminster forest something was stirring. I had talked to the Hansard Society and to the House of Lords Library and Information department. The result? A new Lordsoftheblog has emerged blinking into the daylight! The Hansard Society has been a good midwife!

Article at http://brennybaby.blogspot.com/

Identity Card Plans Revised By British Government

2008-03-10T20:37:00.002Z

Given the recent data problems facing the Government, it seems that they are trying to re-work their identity card plans.

The introduction of biometric passports will be delayed from 2010 to 2012, and you won't have to get an identity card at the same time.

Non-EU Nationals will still be issued with compulsory identity cards this year.

This is one year before people with high-security roles, for some odd reason. Do the Government view people from Africa or South America as more likely to commit terrorism than an airline pilot or army explosives expert?

However many concessions the Government make, I won't support the plans and will avoid registering.

People will come up with a way to fake ID cards just like they did to get round chip and pin. The money that the scheme costs should be spent on frontline services in the fight against terrorism: the police, the NHS and the prisons.

And who trusts the security of the database linked to the cards after the problems with other government databases?

Shelve ID Cards, Gordon, and you might have money to spend on our police force, which is losing people at a drastic rate.

Article at http://brennybaby.blogspot.com/

Sweet FA

2008-03-09T23:54:00.001Z

March 8th 2008 was a great day for Schadenfreude.

Schadenfreude, quite simply, is a German expression meaning ‘taking pleasure from the misfortune of others’. In football, Schadenfreude takes place on an almost daily basis. How many times have you been at a match and been delighted to hear that your arch rivals have lost, even if it has no barring on the fortunes of your own side?
Yesterday’s FA Cup results are a fine example of this. Up and down the country, fans were united in their unconfined joy to see the Salford Bay Rowdies and CSKA Fulham surprisingly both crash out against unfancied opposition, thus sparing us another snorefest that was last year’s final between the two sides.

At Old Trafford, The Rowdies dominated an extraordinary match against ‘arry’s Pompey side but profligacy, heroic defending and dodgy refereeing saw them lose out to a late Sulley Muntari penalty after Milan Baros was felled my Tomasz Kuszczak.

Over the past few weeks, L’Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been labelled a whinger, moaner etc in the aftermath of the infamous Taylor-Eduardo incident. Many ignored the fact that Wenger retracted his outburst and chose to crucify him as if he is the cause for all the wrongs in the world. Meanwhile Martin Taylor was lauded as some kind of Martyr. The whole disgusting episode just reinforced the idea that fans, media and pundits alike choose to prioritise petty footballing rivalries over common sense and the fact a professional footballer was nearly crippled.

My point? Simply that I await the fall-out of Sir Taggart’s and Golum’s (Quiroz) rantings about the referee Martin Atkinson and the borderline slanderous remarks and Keith Hackett. Will they be slated in the same way Wenger was? Unlikely.

Sir Taggart’s main area of contention was the fact his side weren’t awarded a penalty during the early exchanges. While it probably was a bad decision, does anyone really believe that it changed the game? The Rowdies had many chances to win the game and didn’t take them. To single out that one incident is ridiculously short-sighted. As for the complaints about bad tackles, I love the way Wayne Rooney’s horrible lunge on Niko Kranjcar was conveniently ignored by The Rowdies and the press alike.

But that’s not to take away from the brilliant Pompey defending. Sol Campbell has had an interesting relationship with The Rowdies in his career. He once scored a brace in a 2-2 draw for Spurs and won the title at Old Trafford in his first season at L’Arse. However, he has also received two seperate FA bans for incidents in matches against The Reds (the first of which costing him an FA Cup final appearance) and was wrongly adjudged to have fouled Wayne Rooney in the infamous match that ended The Gunners’ record unbeaten run.

Today, the England man can smile after exacting a measure of revenge by putting in arguably his best performance since joining Portsmouth two summer’s ago.

Meanwhile, in sunny Yorkshire, the football story of the season was about to unfold as Championship strugglers Barnsley were preparing to take on CSKA Fulham.

Having beaten Liverpool at Anfield in the last round, I very much doubt that anyone thought Lightning would strike twice. Unfortunately for CSKA, The Tykes were very much of the opinion that it does!

CSKA couldn’t get into their stride on a poor pitch and Barnsley probably had the better chances in the first half. Unfortunately, their finishing was very much of Championship standard.

The hapless Kayode Odejayi was booed by his own fans last week after just 2 goals in some 30-odd appearances since joining The Tykes last summer.
Of course he was going to score the winner.

Cue some real backs to the wall defending in closing minutes and a pitch invasion by some very happy Yorkshiremen at the final whistle.

While it was undoubtedly Barnsley’s day, CSKA need to take a good long hard look at themselves. For the second time in a matter of weeks, they’ve failed to show up in an important cup game and all the recent talk of Quadruples has fallen shorter than even their diminutive manager.

Avram Grant has lost games against The Rowdies, L’Arse, and the two recent cup games. While he has gone about his business in the league and Champions League fairly unnoticed, his ability to handle pressure in the ‘Big Games’ is questionable. He’s failed all the big tests he’s had to face so far and while I feel the criticism he gets from spoilt CSKA fans to be somewhat unfair, he’s certainly does not look up to the task of fulfilling Peter Kenyon’s world domination dream.

The Barnsley win was particularly satisfying coming off the back of John Terry’s boastful assertion earlier in the week that CSKA can ‘play anyone off the park’.

So after years of putting up with The Rowdies and more recently, CSKA dominating English football and churning out matches like last year’s cup final, it will be a breath of fresh air on Saturday May 17th to see a couple of new faces battling for the famous old trophy.

Bianca Bohl, Cobden Club, Monday February 25

2008-02-28T13:58:00.001Z

The Grand Hall of the Cobden Club in Ladbroke Grove looks more like a film location than the usual sticky-floored dive that most gig-goers are used to.

This is probably appropriate for Westminster student, Bianca Bohl and her 6-piece band.

Bohl's ensemble fill the high ceilinged hall of this private members club with sumptuous music fit for the cinema.

Audience members, numbering around 100 are drawn to the candle lit, leather furnished areas set back from the stage.

This creates an awkward gap between the crowd and the band.

You can tell the German front-woman feels this distance when she says, “I feel like a reverend up here”.

Her black necktie on white shirt and wide brimmed Stetson hat do nothing to dispel the image of a Southern preacher and nor do biblical lyrics such as, “change your ways and repent”.

Pinning down the Bianca Bohl sound is a difficult task but the array of instruments employed by the band may go some way to explaining their expansive music.

Piano, trumpet, trombone, cello, violin, slide guitar and the more traditional drums, bass and guitar all featured here.

It takes a fine touch to blend this many sounds and musicians without muddying the waters and the classically trained Bohl has this touch, with each element of the music giving something extra to the overall sound.

Bohl's voice has a sweetness and range which comes into its own as she hits the higher notes.

Parts of the gig are quiet enough to hear a pin drop, while others are loud and almost rabble rousing like the gypsy-esque ending, reminiscent of Gogol Bordello.

The sound swells from the quiet to the loud effortlessly, as if this tight band is being conducted.

Their togetherness bridges the physical gap between the musicians and the crowd, who offer rapturous applause at the end of the performance.

This blog can also be viewed at www.thewordfromwestminster.blogspot.com

Sacre- Blue

2008-02-27T21:11:00.004Z

French President Nicholas Sarkozy has a given a new meaning to being sworn into office.

The President turned the air blue after a man at an agricultural fair refused to shake his hand.

In an interview with the newspaper 'The Parisien' Sarkozy said he should have held his tongue but stopped short of making an apology.

The paper has since claimed that it was in fact Sarkozy's office that had added the insult onto the film footage they posted on their website.

Well that's what they could've sworn.

Article taken from www.stuartjamesross.blogspot.com on 27/2/08.

Reporting mental health and suicide

2008-02-25T22:29:00.001Z

One in six people in Britain are mentally ill, yet press coverage of mental health can often be insensitive and ignorant.

A famous example of this is the Sun’s infamous “Bonkers Bruno” headline, which forced the paper to issue an apology after complaints by readers.

Over half the number of journalists are concerned about the way their media report mental health.

It is therefore important that journalism students understand how to report mental illness.

Our journalism class was lucky enough to attend a seminar this morning given by speakers from Shift; the Department of Health funded campaign to tackle stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness.

There is a negative perception about mental health, fuelled by the media and aspects of popular culture.

34% of people think a person with mental health problems will be violent, yet less than 1% of murders are committed by someone with a mental health problem.

Suicide is also a huge social problem, with six thousand people taking their own lives every day in the United Kingdom alone.

We carried out a role-play (I strongly dislike role-plays, but this one had value), where one of us played the part of a journalist and the other the part of a woman called Susan with clinical and post-natal depression.

Our job was to come up with sensitive questions and a good headline. Since “Susan” had worked three jobs and had been discriminated against in two of them, I thought it was important to have job discrimination as the story’s hook.

Journalists and those who discriminate against the mentally ill should remember that anyone can be a sufferer at any time. In the past three years, a close family member has been diagnosed with severe depression after two suicide attempts and a friend of mine who had bipolar disorder killed himself after jumping from the roof of a church in Oxford.

Better reporting:
1.Avoid using words like "schizo" or "nutter".

2. Do not refer to people by their diagnosis.

3. People are patients in secure psychiatric hospitals, not inmates. They are discharged, not released.

4. Do not use the phrase "committed suicide". Suicide is, thankfully, no longer a criminal offence.

5. Make sure methods of suicide are not described in great detail.

6. Always offer a helpline number. The Samaritans can be contacted on 08457 90 90 90. Their postal and e-mail contacts are here.

7. Make sure you speak to an expert to check facts. Mind and Rethink both have press offices.

8. Don't try to suggest a simple cause for suicide: it is complex.

9. Keep up to date with PCC and Ofcom guidelines.

10. Make sure you encourage greater openess about mental health issues, and support anyone who is mentally ill or suicidal. For example, they should be interviewed in a neutral place, not their own home.

Carling Cup Final Review

2008-02-25T00:22:00.000Z

On cup final day, the result is more important than the performance. Tottenham Hotspur provided both as they deservedly won their first trophy this century after outplaying CSKA Fulham at Wembley today.

While the game wasn’t the most exciting as a spectacle (when are cup finals ever?), a heroic Spurs fightback saw them peg back the holders after going 1-0 down to a Didier Drogba free-kick in the first half.

CSKA have not had their full compliment of players for some time. Today saw the return of ‘Fwank’ Lampard (Lumpo’lard?) and John Terry. Add that to the fact the club’s African contingent were all back gave Avram Grant with one of those selection headaches that managers up and down the country would love.

The CSKA bench consisted of Joe Cole, Michael Ballack and Alex. The term ‘embarrassment of riches’ has never been so apt.

Spurs started like a house of fire (if a house on fire is considered a good thing...) with Keane almost opening the scoring after just 25 seconds. Only a typical John ‘No regard for my own well-being as long as we don’t concede’ Terry block prevented the Lilywhites taking the lead while the national anthem was still ringing in everyone’s ears.

The first half continued in this vein. Tottenham were dictating the play as CSKA struggled to find their feet. I say this in the most literal sense as players falling over almost habitually. The over-zealous groundsman at Wembley had clearly over-watered the pitch beforehand. Of course, some players don’t need any such invitation to hit the deck. Didier Drogba was a frequent victim of the sniper in the crowd and I’m also sure I saw Jermaine Jenas rolling around clutching his face after bumping into Ricardo Carvalho. I was later assured that I was wrong as English players don’t dive apparently.

The Drog’s inability to stay vertical won his side a dangerous free kick on the edge of the Tottenham penalty area following a reckless challenge by his fellow countryman Didier Zokora. CSKA had missed 2 free kicks just minutes earlier so you’d think Zakora would have known not to make a silly challenge.

Then again, this was Didier Zokora!

The good Didier made him pay as he curled his shot around the wall into the bottom corner of Paul ‘Not as fat but equally not good’ Robinson in the Spurs goal. ‘Robbo’ was one of the few Spurs players not to come out with much glory. Having flapped at many a corner I’m going to quite harshly suggest he could have at least attempted to save the free-kick. He was on that side of the goal and shuffled across leaving the area exposed for Drogba. Not taking anything away from the free kick mind.

There wasn’t much to write home about either side of half time as CSKA reverted to the containment strategy that has become the norm at The Kremlin (Stamford Bridge) in recent years.

Tottenham were in control but struggling to find the breakthrough. Ramos tried to change this up by introducing Tom ‘Slim’ Huddlestone to add something extra to his attack. This proved to be a success but before that, a word on the substituted Pascal Chimbonda. There’s disappointment and there is being a twat. Chimbonda skulked off down the tunnel without so much of a glance at the bench. Lo and behold, when his side won, who was there in the middle of all the celebrations? You guessed it. Far be it from me to reinforce negative borderline racist stereotypes but what is it with the French moaning and sulking this weekend???

Back to the game and it was ‘The Hud’ who was directly involved in the Spurs equaliser. Having controlled a cross into the box, the bouncing ball struck Wayne Bridge on the arm. The linesman frantically waved his flag signalling the offence and Mark Halsey pointed to the spot. It may have been slightly harsh on Bridge but after his theatrics (2:12 – looks for the linesman before falling over) in last year’s final which resulted in Arsenal’s Emanuel Adebayor being wrongly sent off after a case of mistaken identity, you have to feel it was a form of poetic justice for the England man.

Berbatov rolled the ball into the net from the spot and the Tottenham half of Wembley stadium was rocking. 1-all and the north Londoners were in the ascendancy. They were unfortunate not to get a winner in normal time thanks to the ineptitude of, shock, horror, Didier Zokora. The Ivorian found himself bearing down on goal with just minutes to go. His touch let him down and he struck a weak shot straight at Cech. However good fortune saw the rebound fall back at his feet but with the goal at his mercy, he struck high and wide. Didier Zokora has never scored for Tottenham and if he can miss chances like that, he probably never will.

So to extra time. Within four minutes, Jermaine Jenas floated a free-kick into the box where a poor Pter Cech punch rebounded off the head of Jonathan Woodgate and bounced oh so slowly into the goal to give Tottenham a deserved lead. The marking by CSKA was amateur. I’m still not prepared to buy into the recent hype around Jermaine Jenas but I had to admit he did make ‘Fwank’ look quite average in the middle of the park during the course of the game.

Even the introduction of Ballack and Joe Cole wasn’t enough to inspire a fightback. CSKA dominated as they tried to find an equaliser but couldn’t penetrate the Spurs defence. The final whistle eventually came and Junde Ramos reinforced his reputation as a cup specialist.

People will cynically tell you that the Carling Cup doesn’t matter. That Tottenham’s jubilation at the end of the game was unwarranted.

This is slightly unfair as the win (despite Zokora) means Tottenham are guaranteed a place in Europe once again next season – something they can’t be sure of obtaining via their league position. Also, for a club so starved of silverwear every trophy is important. Beating CSKA and making John Terry cry must have also been quite enjoyable.

I love Valentine's day... honest!

2008-02-15T15:20:00.006Z

Valentine’s Day makes me sick, I just wish I’d kept that to myself and not told the girlfriend.

If you were out on Thursday night, I’m sure you all saw it – supposedly lovesick couples, fawning over each other everywhere you turned.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not averse to public displays of affection and have been prone to wretch-inducing behaviour myself.

What really gets my back up though is that you never normally see widespread smooching and hand holding apart from on Valentine’s Day.

I cannot believe that the stars and the moon coincidentally line up each year on February 14, supernaturally creating a desperate need for people to declare their undying love to the nearest person who will listen.

Social convention and the wide availability of oversized teddy bears have the remarkable ability to squeeze love from cold-hearted human stones.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not averse to public displays of affection and have been prone to wretch-inducing behaviour myself.

What really gets my back up though is that you never normally see widespread smooching and hand holding apart from on Valentine’s Day.

Suddenly everyone is gazing into each other’s eyes like opticians on ecstasy.

If you feel similarly to me I only pray that you were wise enough to bottle it all up inside and buy the goddamn roses.

Apparently, girls don’t get such a kick out of Valentine’s Day when their boyfriend keeps telling them what a ridiculous concept it is in the weeks leading up to February 14.

This blog can also be viewed at www.jamesfordham.blogspot.com

My Name is URL

2008-02-13T07:58:00.006Z

One thing puzzles me about the growth of the Internet and that is what will happen when we run out of new web addresses?

This may be a long way off but it is only possible to stretch the plausibility of language so much before the words will become erroneous.

A bit like that last sentence in fact.

I mean, who would want to own a domain called rxgqz.com if they were unable to obtain the name they originally wanted?

Incidentally apologies if you are thinking of owning this domain.

There is after all only a finite possibility of what names people can give their websites be it personal or professional before the URLs they are forced to use become unwieldy or worse still forgettable.

Names are seldom unique be they those of people, products, or businesses.

But whereas in the past it was only necessary for those within a relatively small community to identify you the internet has made contact with the wider world inevitable.

The number of websites in existence is exponentially growing, and the more there are the less opportunities there will be for you to obtain the name you desire.

As a result of this a whole new language has been born and continues to develop in accordance to the necessities of the Web.

Inventive hybrids, acronyms and downright bizarre words now enter into our daily language, and which are often associated with the names of new brands.

This creativity with language can’t continue forever.

Of course domain names are bought and sold allowing companies and brands to change identities as often as they once did in the past.

However it is those domains alluding to common everyday interests that will continue to possess the greatest allure.

Hats off to those enterprising web pioneers who snapped the most sought after URLs early on in the internet's infancy.

Sex.com, Football.com and Music.com are three examples of globally appealing URL names that spring to mind, although in no particular order of preference I would like to add.

I myself wanted to call this blog simply 'Stuart Ross' but had to include my middle name in the title as my preferred choice had already been taken.

Increasingly I find that I am not always able to have the same name to identify myself online as I do in the physical world as there are inevitably several Stuart Rosses out there.

Or should that be Rossi?

I imagine those in the know have already solved this conundrum regarding naming URLs and the like, and it is probably something as unimaginatively simple as altering codes and file extensions.

Article taken from www.stuartjamesross.blogspot.com on 12/11/07.

The 39th Step - A step too far!

2008-02-10T12:54:00.000Z

Never underestimate the lengths at which people are prepared to go to line their pockets.

The Premier League and all 20 money grabbing chairmen slash pigs have revealed that they are willing to explore the possibility of introducing an extra round of games in the Premier League to be played at various venues around the world. Yes, in the week we pay tribute to the victims of the Munich disaster, a suggestion to get more football players on planes. Talk about sensitive timing.

What will happen they say is that rather than taking an existing fixture and moving it abroad, they will instead create a NEW round of fixtures where teams are randomly drawn to face off before the match is whored off to the highest international bidder. All games are rumoured to be played back to back over a weekend and no doubt Sky will be creaming themselves at the prospect.

Yes, you read that right. The blood-suckers want to create a 39th league game in the season and completely devalue their own competition by creating a situation where the playing field is no longer a level one.

What do I mean? Well, take this season. Wigan and Reading are battling against relegation. If 'Game 39' pitted Man Utd against Wigan and Reading were drawn against Derby then how would that be fair on the Latics? This 'Wildcard' Game (Thats's What Sky could call it: WILDCARD WEEKEND) makes a mockery of the competition.

But why does that matter? As long as we are making more money then the integrity of the league doesn't matter.

The funny thing is, while it is touted as a more 'lucrative' venture, how much much interest is Sunderland v Derby in Shanghai actually going to generate? Without causing offence to the lower half of the Premier League the only games that the overseas fans with actually give a damn about, initially at least, will be those between the so-called Big Four - and even that wont happen as another addition to this genius idea will be to see that the top five in the division are seeeded so that they don't have to face each other.

Many have cited that the success(sic) of the NFL at Wembley shows that Premier League football can be franchised in the same way. Why am I not surprised that after the war in Iraq that this country would continue to validate their decisions based on what the Americans do? So much for British independance.

The Premier League is the representative football league of England. That snake Richard Scudamore talks about 'The Globalisation of the Sport' as if it is the responsibilty of the Premier League to promote football worldwide. Correct me if i'm worng but don't these countries have their own football league set-ups?????? Also, these countries and provide easily afordable feeds to the point where watching Top-flight English football abroad is more accesable than doing so over here. But that's another rant entirely.

What really worries me is how before this exception becomes the norm? What about when the suits decide that they want another game aborad? How long before Tottenham are playing in China one week and then The States the next? Rest assured, this 'inovation' is not going to be a one-off!

But hey, money-talks which is why it is no suprise to hear that vile smut-peddler David Gold championing the idea.

But it's just not Gold. I've wondered for a while why the there has been such an influx in foreign ownership in this country. Running a football club rarely turns over significant profit so why do Americans want to buy Derby County for Pete's sake? The answer is now very clear. The cash cow is fertile and ready to be milked.

The days are fast running out when we will consider the Premier League a competition. We are on the brink of a travelling circus. What next? Franchising? How long before Wigan relocate to London... or New York!!?? How soon before Cristiano Rondalo is making 'Special Guest Appearances' for Middlesborough as they take on Arsenal in Melbourne?

Fans need to have their voices heard. There are very few out there that see this as a good idea. The gap between rich and poor is only set to widen. I wonder what fans of AFC Bournmouth think of these plans?

But what can we do? Mass protest? How about some chants? Vocal protests are always welcomed. Imagine 75,000 people at Old Trafford, 60,000 at the Emirates, 40,000 at Anfield all singing in unison "NO SURRENDER TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE" or "WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED" to express our displeasure at the raping of the English top flight. If for just one game next season every fan up and down the country agreed not to attend Premier League matches then maybe the fatcats might get the message. Unlikely though.

A petition is going around (which I recommend everyone reading this to try and sign), Football365 are starting a campaign and there is also a facebook group although how effective they will prove to be in the long run is anyone's guess.

If and when the change is implemented, I hope they just break away with no promotion or relegation. The Football League could then function independantly as the country's premier footbal competition for the real fans of the game and the 'International Premier League' can do what it likes wherever it wants. They can make as much money as they want and travel from country to country promoting themselves (Harry Redknapp has already made comparisons with the Harlem Globetrotters). Mind you, if they gorged themselves to death I wouldn't care as I wont be watching.

Taken from The Ibyss. Originally posted 07/02/08

Theoretical Girl and The Equations, White Heat, 7/2/08

2008-02-07T23:40:00.001Z

If a friend who has been playing a musical instrument for 6 months invites you to see their first gig, it is reasonable to assume that you will lie to them when they ask what you thought of the performance.

On Tuesday night I went to a club in Soho expecting to find about 15 to 20 friends and family waiting to see their loved ones make offensive noises in a newly formed band.

When I got to Madame JoJo's however, I was to discover a thronging club, full of achingly cool scenesters, hanging around for the music to begin.

What is more, I find out that my friend's band are headlining the popular White Heat night.

A few weeks ago somebody asked the friend how she was progressing on the bass guitar.

She said, "not bad but I can't play it standing up yet".

Now, here she is, about to perform a gig to about 250 people with a bunch of musicians she met a week ago.

The band in question are called Theoretical Girl and The Equations.

My girlfriend and I were more nervous than Julianna, praying that she wouldn't fuck up.

Once I overcame that, I found myself really enjoying what are a great girl group with a really engaging front woman.

Her between-song reparte was charming and funny.

Next week they are appearing on Mark Riley's BBC 6 music radio show and they have an Italian tour in April.

They got a 4 star review in The Guardian AND, they even have a roadie!

Some people make me sick.

The upshot of all this was that I didn't have to lie when asked what I thought of her performance.

I can't wait to see them again now.

This blog can also be found at www.jamesfordham.blogspot.com

Kosovan Independence

2008-02-06T15:21:00.000Z

The shift towards Kosovan independence could lead to a resurgence of similar nationalist sentiments across the globe.

That’s according to Dr James Ker- Lindsay an expert in international conflict.

Momentum towards the creation of a separate ethnic Albanian state independent from Serbia has grown significantly following the election of Hashim Thaci as Prime Minister in the province.

The region had been reasonably stable following the rise of ethnic tensions within the Balkans over a decade ago.

Yet despite the presence of international peacekeepers thoughout the more volatile parts of the former Yugoslavia, the issues of identity that helped enthuse rivalries have not disappeared.

As Serbia looks to build greater links with the European Union it may have to reluctantly accept not only greater Kosovan autonomy, but perhaps inevitably its secession.

Fears of an Albanian superstate in the region may be unrealistic but Dr Ker- Lindsay says the re- drawing of the map could have much wider repercussions.

Article taken from www.stuartjamesross.blogspot.com on 6/2/08.