Archant goes through good times and bad times when it comes to reporting local democracy and elections. Currently, under the present Editor and team, they are having a good time. Shaun Lowthorpe and Dan Grimmer are like the Statler and Waldorf of the City (there goes my favourable coverage) but are doing an excellent job. At the moment they are previewing 2 wards per day in the lead u to the poll....

BILLIE HOLIDAY : TRAGEDY AND DEFIANCE By Terry Liddle Ask the man on the street to name a famous woman jazz singer and it’s a fair chance he would name Billie Holiday. Even my 16 year old neighbour, who is into ear-grinding noise of the worst sort, has heard of her. And I’ve just been seen by a nurse in her thirties who loves Billie Holiday’s songs. Looking at Billie Holiday&rsqu...

I wasn’t going to blog about that foul little man’s foul little book, or the tongue bath the Guardian are giving it. But this extract on the death of John Smith struck me: Of course, I had no knowledge that...

It works because the KPA goosestep has that dainty little half step in the middle. Via. I trust the sight of the young people refreshes you. Elsewhere, here's your fetish for tonight. No, go on. It's safe for work.

I had another trip to Kingston (Hull) last week, a place I like more each time I see more of it. Echoing the London elephants, Kingston is currently full of toads. I found this one outside the Hull Truck Theatre.

Bloody buggering Sky, I swear there’s a conspiracy to piss me off. Two months ago they buggered up my internet connection and then buggered up my phone fixing my broadband. I spent several days arguing with them over the phone that the problem was at the exchange, not my equipment or my phone, the micro

If the government provides everyone with a decent safety net and enough money to live on, then more and more people will be able to think about more than just getting through to the end of the week. They'll get the confidence to apply for jobs, they'll be in better health and even have a little bit of money to spend on studying and developing their skills. This isn't some wild-eyed ...

Due to a slight delay in the schedule of the good folks working on my house, my internet access is currently very limited at the moment - meaning I am blogging from my phone (not cool). Hopefully the huge stack of articles on my laptop will start publishing over the weekend. Sorry for the unexpected break in blog content. -RaymondPublished with Blogger-droid v1.5.5.2

Still raucous, hedonistic and bullshit-intolerant, Kitchen Confidential author and celeb chef Anthony Bourdain serves up more scrumptious food stories in Medium Raw.

I was surprised by the recent letter from Cllr Nigel Dix regarding his fellow True Wales "No Campaigners". Lets not forget Cllr Dix will be delivering leaflets next year for the "No Campaign" bought and paid for by right wing donators from UKIP, BNP and the Tory party. What a political Mercenary Cllr Dix is becoming.