Opus on odium...

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It's been a while since I posted anything on Venezuela but this was too good to ignore: Nick Ripe has signed a decree to form a 'Hugo Chavez Institute for Advanced Studies'; this isn't just an institute with Krusty's name but the 'Instituto de Altos Estudios del Pensamiento de Hugo Chávez' (The Institute for Higher Studies of the Thoughts of Hugo Chavez [El Universal]) to further the study and dissemination of ideas, the legacy and values ​​of Hugo Chavez...hmmm. And who better than Adan Chavez (Krusty's brother and the governor of Barinas state where the Institute will be, and who was Minister of Education...red education) to 'run' it.  "First, the profound thinkers to study Chavez opus will have to sift through insults, vulgarity and parables to find some substance..." ..."Still, let's be optimistic and hope that such an advanced institute may finally shine some light on the tortuous and vile mind of Chavez." hat-tip Daniel.

Opus on odium...

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It's been a while since I posted anything on Venezuela but this was too good to ignore: Nick Ripe has signed a decree to form a 'Hugo Chavez Institute for Advanced Studies'; this isn't just an institute with Krusty's name but the 'Instituto de Altos Estudios del Pensamiento de Hugo Chávez' (The Institute for Higher Studies of the Thoughts of Hugo Chavez [El Universal]) to further the study and dissemination of ideas, the legacy and values ​​of Hugo Chavez...hmmm. And who better than Adan Chavez (Krusty's brother and the governor of Barinas state where the Institute will be, and who was Minister of Education...red education) to 'run' it.  "First, the profound thinkers to study Chavez opus will have to sift through insults, vulgarity and parables to find some substance..." ..."Still, let's be optimistic and hope that such an advanced institute may finally shine some light on the tortuous and vile mind of Chavez." hat-tip Daniel.

Overcoming obduracy...

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Jane Austen on £10 notes. Photo: Bank of England.

Sense and Sensibility overcomes Pride and Prejudice, said Emma, presumably from Mansfield Park. One Page In A Library of Millions comments that it is good to see 'Google celebrating the birthday of Rosalind Elsie Franklin' and mentions the 'women on banknote' saga; today we learn that the campaign won in the end: "Jane Austen is to appear on the new £10 note. Most people would agree that she is in the top division of English authors, so it’s a shame that, rather than being celebrated as a novelist, she has now been chosen as a woman, rather less of an accomplishment." [The Spectator], my emphasis.

Overcoming obduracy...

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Jane Austen on £10 notes. Photo: Bank of England.

Sense and Sensibility overcomes Pride and Prejudice, said Emma, presumably from Mansfield Park. One Page In A Library of Millions comments that it is good to see 'Google celebrating the birthday of Rosalind Elsie Franklin' and mentions the 'women on banknote' saga; today we learn that the campaign won in the end: "Jane Austen is to appear on the new £10 note. Most people would agree that she is in the top division of English authors, so it’s a shame that, rather than being celebrated as a novelist, she has now been chosen as a woman, rather less of an accomplishment." [The Spectator], my emphasis.

Overlooking or oblivious...

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OK, it's worth celebrating the first in 77 years but please don't forget to spare a thought for 7/7, the memorial for which, up until only 2 days ago, was disgracefully and shamefully uncared for: despite claims of  "regular maintenance of all our memorials", "it is demonstrative of how the British establishment would rather sweep such events under the carpet, choosing not to remember, but rather, to easily and swiftly forget.". For those who have already forgotten the image is of the 52 stainless steel stelae, erected as a permanent memorial to honour the 52 victims of the 7 July 2005 London Bombings.

Overlooking or oblivious...

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OK, it's worth celebrating the first in 77 years but please don't forget to spare a thought for 7/7, the memorial for which, up until only 2 days ago, was disgracefully and shamefully uncared for: despite claims of  "regular maintenance of all our memorials", "it is demonstrative of how the British establishment would rather sweep such events under the carpet, choosing not to remember, but rather, to easily and swiftly forget.". For those who have already forgotten the image is of the 52 stainless steel stelae, erected as a permanent memorial to honour the 52 victims of the 7 July 2005 London Bombings.

Outstanding ounces...

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Saturday 7:30 p.m. BST: no, not ounces but Lions! Just seen the highlights: great win. A halfpenny: no, not the old 1/480th of a pound sterling but Leigh Halfpenny: 85Kg x 32.15 (troy ounces) = 2732.75 x USD1223.8  =  more or less US3,344,340 Dollars...yep, worth his weight in gold! And I doubt they'll be any arguments about him winning the Player-of-the-Series award either.

Outstanding ounces...

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Saturday 7:30 p.m. BST: no, not ounces but Lions! Just seen the highlights: great win. A halfpenny: no, not the old 1/480th of a pound sterling but Leigh Halfpenny: 85Kg x 32.15 (troy ounces) = 2732.75 x USD1223.8  =  more or less US3,344,340 Dollars...yep, worth his weight in gold! And I doubt they'll be any arguments about him winning the Player-of-the-Series award either.

Obstrobogulous ohrwürmer...

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Anna seems to have hit on something: "Hey! You! Get Off of my Shroud!"..."The hierarchy of the Labour Party he knew and loved, the inner sanctum he revelled in, was as grey and wrinkled, as potbellied and knock kneed, as a Rolling Stone. It was on its final journey to the mortuary; bedevilled by debt, in hock to the Co-operative loan sharks; bullied and abused by its ‘carers’ – UNITE; no longer able to live an independent and self-principled life."



Huddled with other 'hard-line left activists' in Left Field ** along with UK Feminista, Tony Benn, Owen Jones, Billy Bragg and Ricky Tomlinson (the latter on about  - ironically - 'Power in a Union') and involved in oh so Radical Round-Up and lefty 'biting satire' seem to have done for Tom s very soon after, he left the field.



** now I know why the BBC send so many staff!

Obstrobogulous ohrwürmer...

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Anna seems to have hit on something: "Hey! You! Get Off of my Shroud!"..."The hierarchy of the Labour Party he knew and loved, the inner sanctum he revelled in, was as grey and wrinkled, as potbellied and knock kneed, as a Rolling Stone. It was on its final journey to the mortuary; bedevilled by debt, in hock to the Co-operative loan sharks; bullied and abused by its ‘carers’ – UNITE; no longer able to live an independent and self-principled life."

Huddled with other 'hard-line left activists' in Left Field ** along with UK Feminista, Tony Benn, Owen Jones, Billy Bragg and Ricky Tomlinson (the latter on about  - ironically - 'Power in a Union') and involved in oh so Radical Round-Up and lefty 'biting satire' seem to have done for Tom s very soon after, he left the field.

** now I know why the BBC send so many staff!

O'Driscoll out...

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Obviously I'm a few days late with this but it's still hilarious: Hitler reacts to the news that Brian O'Driscoll has been dropped from the British Lions team for the 3rd test against the Aussies...

O'Driscoll out...

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Obviously I'm a few days late with this but it's still hilarious: Hitler reacts to the news that Brian O'Driscoll has been dropped from the British Lions team for the 3rd test against the Aussies...

Obvious obscurantism IV...

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Am I the first with this obvious headline? "Unite Ed we stand; Unite Ed we fall."



I somehow get the feeling that had this been Lord Ashcroft being accused of hijacking the Conservative Party election process to select a candidate/s the BBC may have had just a little more than just THIS single report, the headline and preamble of which completely disguise the real story ("Tom Watson quits as Labour election campaign chief"). The real story of course is union influence and control over Labour: the party gets about 8 million quid a year from unions, nearly half of which comes from Unite making it responsible for more than 40% of Labour's entire haul from donations. As David Vance says here, quoting Kipling, "the truthful well-weighed answer that tells the blacker lie"; thinking about it, that could be the BBC's motto sweeping some things under the carpet and whisking up a storm when it suits the agenda.

Obvious obscurantism IV...

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Am I the first with this obvious headline? "Unite Ed we stand; Unite Ed we fall."

I somehow get the feeling that had this been Lord Ashcroft being accused of hijacking the Conservative Party election process to select a candidate/s the BBC may have had just a little more than just THIS single report, the headline and preamble of which completely disguise the real story ("Tom Watson quits as Labour election campaign chief"). The real story of course is union influence and control over Labour: the party gets about 8 million quid a year from unions, nearly half of which comes from Unite making it responsible for more than 40% of Labour's entire haul from donations. As David Vance says here, quoting Kipling, "the truthful well-weighed answer that tells the blacker lie"; thinking about it, that could be the BBC's motto sweeping some things under the carpet and whisking up a storm when it suits the agenda.