Change

i'm getting sick of the promise of 'change'.
Obama went on about change, has he changed the world? No. It's rubbish, and it's pissing me off. It's not change we need, it's jobs. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs. That's all it's about

tonight's debate

Cameron: change, change, change (empty words)
Clegg: the old parties, change, political point-scoring (empty words)
Brown: he won't answer the question (policy/"substance")

personally, i did actually think Gordy did well. he was obviously nervous, especially at first but fair play. it shows he's human as anyone would be shitting themselves given yesterday.
i'm biased, i think Labour have the arguements i most agree with. I've seen the Chancellor's debates and 2 leaders debates.
the thing is, i'm not like most people. i look most at policies while others don't. it does annoy me, but there you go. people are different.
i think Labour has got the best answers going forward. yes, they have been in power for 13 years and haven't made everything perfect, but they've made this country more the way i would like it to be and i think they should be entrusted to take us forwards

Rating agencies: Who made them so powerful?‏

"Perhaps I am being over-squeamish, but it doesn't feel democratic or sustainable that the fiscal fate of nations and currency zones - and indeed the perceived strength of the financial system - rests on the analytical verdict of three private-sector research firms, the financial record of which has in recent years not been unblemished. "

Indeed. I'm not convinced by the need for greater competition. It may well be the best answer, and maybe the Bank of England, European Central Bank etc. may need to take over this role. The conflict of interest is staggering, and their awful record with regards to the recent financial crisis means they did their jobs far worse than national governments, yet the governments pick up the bill while S&P etc. carry on stuffing themselves with the good shit. It's an excellent example of where the power really lies in the world because there's not a damn thing most people can do about it, but we are the ones who pay. And who will take them on? no-one I fear

news with tits out

Quote of the day

Old faultlines persist among parties on how to help poor through tax changes

Taking this as read should be one hell of a boost to Labour. On the richest and poorest their 'attack lines' are proven true. Their main worry could be the middle classes, but is anyone REALLY going to vote for a Lib Dem government? Hopefully not.
Overall, it almost reads like Labour propaganda, which should be great for Labour. The trouble is that weighty policy things like this may matter less than who's wife wears what and stupid things like that.
I just hope the public are smarter than the media give them credit for. Breath not held

Gordy and mrs Duffy

Fuck it, go on my son.
Give em hell

county cricket

What a brilliant piece.
I'm inclined to agree.
I personally think that counties should be allowed 2 or 3 non-English players then left to themselves. i don't like the age restrictions etc., they should just play what they believe to be their strongest teams in order to keep the standard as high as possible

funny

Julian Cook, professor of football at Reading University, said: "I'm not sure how this affects the title run-in but what we can say is that from now on when people think of Man United and a quivering, purple arsehole, it won't necessarily be Sir Alex Ferguson."

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/sport/sport-headlines/neville-and-scholes-to-spend-summer-camping-in-the-mountains-201004192652/

brilliant

Anti-Glazer protest targets firms in Old Trafford's corporate seats

I think it's really sad to see supporters and owners at odds with each other like this. The owners should run the club with the support and consent of the fans, but it's the opposite.

David Bond's Blog: The true extent of Pompey horror show‏

The real nasty side of Portsmouth's debt is that
"local businesses and services who make up the list of trade creditors owed a total of £5m.

These are football's real losers. Companies and individuals who now face being paid only 23p in the pound of what they are owed because footballers and football creditors get paid in full first from the proceeds of any sale of the club.

They include:

The St John's Ambulance (for match day medical services) - £2,701
King Edward VI School (for training ground hire) - £41,714
Landscape Printing Systems (for printing equipment) - £949.33
Portsmouth City Council (taxes) - £28,690"

Disgraceful how those who most need the money are denied it so that super-rich football clubs and organisations get to jump the queue.