Wednesday's Selection

I dearly wish computers were less helpful. Right now my spellcheck is in French and I have absolutely no idea how to change it. How does it know I'm in France and why does it think I've suddenly become a native speaker. Anyway, it's useless to me now as very little of what I type is in the proper French, so my computer thinks it's all wrong.

• When the Westborough Baptist church are being picketted by the KKK the mind starts to boggle.
• Georgian London has an interesting post on riots past.
• A little while ago Earwicga wrote an interesting post on how gender specific work in international development can sometimes be less than worthless.
• The London Assembly has warned that the focus on frontline policing may actually reduce their capacity. I think this goes for all public services frankly.
• Damascus gay girl writes on the Syrian government's offer of amnesty for her and other dissidents, as long as they behave from now on.
• Reuters reports that the US congress may vote on withdrawing US troops from Libya. A scheduled vote has been delayed. "Democrat Dennis Kucinich, the resolution's disappointed sponsor, suggested the vote was dropped because it might have passed". The Republicans say they may yet bring it back to the table though.

Misc

• A friend of mine is involved in Cable Street to Brick Lane a film project charting 75 years of anti-fasicsm in the East End. Looks good.
  
• James Graham advises theLib Dems not to take any more Lords seats until its democratic. Seeing as these are the only new seats they'll be winning for a while it seems a bit foolhardy to me.
  
• Left Foot Forward have spotted that a right wing think tank commited to shrinking the public sector is not adverse to taking its own slice of the public pie.
  
• It seems that former Met officer Ali Dizeai was probably phone hacked by the News of the World. I wonder if they've reported that his conviction was unsafe yet?
  
• Britain is preparing bunker buster bombs for assaulting Libyan command positions - which includes Tripoli I suppose. Remember when we bomb cities it's called liberation.
  
• The TUC have published a report showing that corporation tax cuts do not create jobs.

A few blogs to highlight

• I've been reading a week is a long time for ages now, Jo felt I should show it some love. Happy to oblige.
  
• I may not have linked to Ann Pettifor's blog, Debtonation, before but well worth following.
  
• Matthew Butcher blog's at A place to write. Do check it out.
  
• A scanner dispairingly is new to me but looks really good.
  
  
• Labour's Dave Harris in Colchester has a blog that is a useful example of how a hard working local councillor can use their blog for solid local news.
  
• And last but not least women of the sky a fun little blog on astronauts, aeronauts and assorted interesting people.
  

Today's Misc

• Sometimes it takes 36 years to clear your name. See George Davis.
  
• I thought Cath Elliott's piece on the rape debate was one of the more thoughtful pieces.
  
• For all the fury Clarke-gate created we seemed to miss things like the closure of domestic violence courts.
  
• This piece on whether feisty women in film are making the world a better place is interesting.
  
• Hangbitch writes on sexual abstinence.
  
• It seems Boris Johnson has not been entirely truthful about UK Uncut. Tut, tut.

Selected items

• Where are the women in rebel music?
• Old news but irritating. Scottish Wind farms paid to stop producing energy.
• An interesting piece by Priya Shetty on how misogynist practices prevail.
• Musings of a teen Green says Clegg is shining right now. He has a point.
• Notes from the Fink Club False Economy meeting by Natalie.
• Paul Merton is wondering whether he's allowed to call himself working class.

Some selected links on Ken Clarke, etc.

• Top Soil is a consistently excellent blog. Today they have a post keeping it clear on date rape.
• Sunny points out that getting tough on crime is a Tory trap.
• The Fawcett Society on why the government must be clear on rape.
• The Guardian editorial calls for Ken Clarke to stay. Well worth reading.
• Unity has a really useful piece on the simple facts Clarke got wrong.
• Jenny Rigg has a poll examining the issues on the whole affair.

New blogs

I've not welcomed any new blogs recently (even if they aren't always technically 'new' except to me);

• Young and Well Red is a new member of the Greens in Plymouth. He explains his decision to join here.
  
• Dorky Mum is an Edinburgh green who writes about all sorts.
  
• Marxist-Lentilist has to win a prize for best blog name.
  
• Awkward Ed Miliband Moments is a lovely, lovely photoblog.
  
• Politics, poetry and equality is a newish blog who I hope will soon get into the swing of things.
  
• As is Green Politics Sustainable Futures and Hearts and Mines.

If you're blogging and you think I haven't 'noticed' you yet, feel free to leave a comment to let me know.

Selected good news items

It's been a while - so let's catch up with some good news;

• Ali Dizaei has been released from prison. I've been following his case for some time and am convinced Mr Dizaei has been the victim of a systematic injustice at the hands of his former employer, the Metropolitan Police. I couldn't be happier although I have little hope those responible will be brought to book.
  
• Six other men have been released from jail because they were, well, innocent. They've been locked up since September for plotting to kill the Pope, even  though they didn't.
  
• Alisdair Thompson who was arrested on a UKUncut demonstration in Edinburgh is out of pokey and safe and well. His crime. Carrying a banner. No, really.
  
• The Indian elections have seen a big movement forward in terms of women's representation.
  
• At least someone has some sense over Madeline McCann. Jenny Jones talks sense.
  
• Credit where it's due the government has done something good by preventing vulture funds using UK courts against developing world countries.

Selected items

In the absence of any coverage of the Royal Wedding (I mean this is important! Why aren't the papers covering it?) we have some selected items from the internet;

• CORRECTION: I previously said that this was the Welsh Greens election broadcast, but in fact it was a a web info-film on the how the voting works. Still lovely, but the actual broadcast is completely different. The greedy beggars have got two great election films under their belt.
  
  
• Two new Green bloggers; Hearts and Mines, and Green Politics Sustainable Futures.
  
  
• Monsters and Critics look at the pragmatic new German Green premier.
  
  
• The end of Communism in West Bengal. From Pickled Politics.
  
  
• Socialist Unity have a shocking transcript of some Lib Dem telephone canvassing.
  
  
• And finally after the great union march against the cuts Martin Wicks asks where we go now?

Selected items

• In case you'd like the full set of Green Party election broadcasts we have Scotland, England, Wales and N. Ireland.
• Alasdair Thompson looks at whether Liberty love the police a bit too much.
• The Chile they are exhuming ex-President Allende.
• Astonishing. London Green Fair has a Miss Earth competition.
• At Obsolete they discuss mission creep and Libya.
• What does the world need? Eco-friendly tanks.

Selection Box

• In Canada the Greens have guns. Be warned.
  
  
• OKCupid rejects complaint in the only way they know how - with style.
  
  
• Following up on the strike school story. The head has been suspended. At last.
  
  
• Climate rush have been dodging fares for the common good.
  
  
• It seems that environmental protection is 'red tape'. Grrrr.
  
  
• The first post of a new blog, good luck to all who sail in her: Green Politics: Sustainable Futures.

Today's selection box

• How the ancient Romans made MSG. Yum?
  
  
• It appears the number of BNP candidate numbers has plummeted, and the Lib Dems are also having trouble. Oh dear.
  
  
• Australian Green Cate Faehrmann tries to learn lessons from the recent NSW elections. Hmmm.
  
  
• Short video from Israelis who say they defy the ban on protest. Yes.
  
  
• Just because it's a council house doesn't mean it's not yours. Right on.
  
  
• Natalie at the Third Estate talks about my third favourite topic. Autonomism. Oh yeah.
  

Monday selection

• France introduces its new bill to emancipate women by arresting two women.Rest assured they are now fully liberated in the cells.
  
  
• With the elections gearing up pity the poor Labour candidate who mucked up his papers and has missed his place on the ballot paper in Blean Forest. Good luck to Green candidates Alexander Murray and Zoe Scandrett in their lone fight against the two parties of coalition.
  
  
• So come first of August - are we occupying Monaco?
  
  
• The Home Office has been forced to pay compensation to a trafficked woman it deported instead of helping.
  
  
• Keith Flett has a great little post on moral and physical force in the progressive movement today.
  
  
• Reuben has written another excellent post, this time on the safety of public sector workers.

Thursday selection

• Lovely picture from the Scottish Election on STV. A new generation of MSPs take the baton.
  
  
• We have a useful PR tip for the nuclear industry here.
  
  
• Luna17 has 6 blind alleys and 6 ways forward for the anti-cuts movement.
  
  
• Happy blog birthday to Paperback Rioter - one today.
  
  
• HarpyMarx was at the Ian Tomlinson inquiry and has written a comprehensive report.
  
  
• Alisdair Thompson writes against social mobility. I'm with him on this - if slaves can become slave masters it doesn't mean you've challenged slavery, only justified it. We have to be for equality and justice - well, that's my view anyway.

Today's Selection

• A video on why you should take part in the High Speed Rail consultation. Ignore the low tech levels and listen to the step by step arguments.
  
  
• Talking of videos, there's a nice little video on why the cuts are the wrong answer.
  
  
• Channel Four have an interesting article on whether AV would make any difference to election results in this country.
  
  
• Brighton Politics takes a look at why Labour are trying to paint Caroline Lucas as an evil witch.
  
  
• Congratulations to the new leader of the National Union of Journalists. First time the post has been held by a woman, although Jeremy Dear will be a hard act to follow.
  
  
• Lastly, Reuben at the Third Estate has a nice little piece on the state of blogging today.
  

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Today's Selection: French edition

Readers in the Home Counties reassure themselves that there will be no pictures of black people in this post.

• There's an excellent debate on the hijab between Salma Yaqoob and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown here, where Yasmin utters the incredible phrase "The French are racist" for doing something she agrees with but for the wrong reason.
• The burka ban is about to come into force and Islamophobia Watch have noted the criticism Sarkozy is getting for trying to broaden the debate.
• The European Union has rapped France over its immigration policies.
• The French local elections have seen a massive shift away from Sarkozy. Comparing the 2011 results with the 2008 results we see the Greens vote double to 8.2% putting it higher in the polls than the Communist Party or the other left regroupments. Sadly while Sarkozy's vote dipped the far-right vote rocketed from just over 4% to over 15% as their new leader has tried to detoxify the FN.
• Red Pepper says we should look to France for strategies to beat austerity.
• And lastly Air France have revealed how aviation could be greener. No, they have.
  

The AV debate begins

Campaigning is beginning in earnest on the voting reform referendum. Party bigwigs, including Caroline Lucas got together to launch the Yes to AV campaign this week. By coincidence the Green's own Darren Johnson took part in a Radio Five Live experiment and managed to come an impressive second under AV (and a mere third under FPTP).

Out of the interesting people who are opposed to AV this week we have; David Owen, Paul Kenny of the GMB, Greater Surbiton, Paul Anderson, and Prospero.

Out of the interesting people who are in favour of AV this week are; Darrell Goodliffe, The New Statesman, Left Foot Forward, the Guardian editorial, and Daniel Knowles of the Telegraph.

There's also an interesting set piece debate in the Daily Mirror, the Spectator says things are getting nasty in the cabinet and the Economist just makes it all more complicated.

Martin Kettle thinks AV could make the Greens a force to be reckoned with. Newsnight are comparing how the two campaigns are using their freepost leaflets. No to AV will be launching next week.

A second little round-up on the march and direct action

There's been a lot of stuff written in the last week about last Saturday's demo and the various direct actions around it. As it's been a slow blog week for me I've not really kept up so here are a few of the posts that are worth reading on the subject - although there's plenty more out there to choose from too;

• We have a few firsthand accounts of the feistier bits of last week's anti-cuts march at paperback rioter, Jane Watkinson, beyond clicktism, Jack Ray, Dave Osler, Shirley Ford, Darrell, Doc Richard, march the fury, Adam Ramsay the black bloc, and this interesting video account.
  
  
• From the anarchist side: Solidarity Federation wrote an open letter to UK Uncut which is worth reading and in turn Brighton Uncut responded to both of them. Political Dynamite also carries a report from the 'Radical Workers Block'.
  
  
• After the surreal experience of the Daily Mail attacking participants for being posh, a policy I assume they'll be extending to the Royal Wedding, Dave Osler came to the defence as did the excellent Kate Smurthwaite. HarpyMarx defends the tactics as does Beth.
  
  
• Madame Miaow thinks Dave Nellist gave the best speech on the day, Conor muses on Miliband's speech, which was always going to be weird as he's in favour of cuts.
  
  
• A major win for UKUncut who also received some very welcome backing from unions and NGOs after criticism of them following Saturday's demo.
  
  
• On the broader movement Gregor Gall asks what's next, Owen on why unity is not the most important thing in the world.

Mini-march round-up

A few bits and bobs on yesterday's march;

• Madame Miaow has pictures and thoughts. As does Harpy Marx, Cath Elliot and Mary Hamilton.
• Political Dynamite carry a report from the bike block.
• UKUncut explain why they targeted Fortnum and Mason. You can also watch footage from said event. Plus Alex Pinkerman on CiF.
• A few Green Party reports from Green Christian, Flesh is Grass, Stockwood Pete, Derek Wall, Adrian Windisch, Caroline Lucas, Jeff, Green Sheen (Belfast) and probably loads I've missed (comment and I'll add them, as per usual)
• The press give their views Paul Mason, Al Jazeera, Nick Cohen, Guardian.
• Groovy medic Tajasel gives her unique report of the day.

Let the Coalition government tremble - we are mustering our forces (best sign from march here).

Some more misc.

• Sarah Palin's popularity - state by state. Oh my.
  
  
• The Scottish Greens launched their campaign today. Oh good.
  
  
• The London Greens have some interesting poll news. Oh La La.
  
  
• At Top Soil they're taking Monbiot to task over nuclear. Oh boy.
  
  
• Esta vivas looks at alternatives to the dominant agricultural model. Oh Oh.
  
  
• Good luck to Ali Dizaei today. Oh you're going to need it.