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Telegraph - China shows a human face with earthquake rescue mission By Con Coughlin

Far from being a member of the remote and autocratic regime that is normally portrayed as governing the world’s most populous country, Wen Jiabao, China’s personable prime minister, has appeared repeatedly on television lending comfort and support to the survivors, making […]

Categories: People and Current Events

The Times - Barack Obama: the new Great Redeemer First it was Kennedy… now the US media are prostrating themselves before the saviour, by Gerard Baker

After listing the past half-centuries “Redeemers of a Troubled Planet” (I can’t believe Carter was ever actually on that list):

The alert among you will have noticed by now that […]

Categories: Politics

The Joy of Curmudgeonry - The Charmed Life of Communism

A single paragraph therein:

Before communism got its name in the 1840s, it was already linked to the ideal — sorry, the unfortunate “necessity” — of revolutionary terrorism, most notably in Babouvism; that is to say, even before Marx and Engels added to its legacy, […]

Categories: History

Telegraph - Joan Collins: the day I said no to James Bond On the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth, Joan Collins offers a lament for the Fleming way of life, and for film roles that weren’t meant to be…

One:

I had my own flirtation with the Bond casting cartel - twice, as a matter […]

Categories: Entertainment

The Corner - “Why Republicans Lose” by Mark Steyn

John McCain has decided in effect to run for president as an Independent. And, given the assumptions about the diminished appeal of the Republican brand, that might not be a bad idea - at least in terms of his own personal ambition. Maybe I […]

Categories: Politics

BBC - Chicago overturns foie gras ban

Didier Durand, one of the Chicago chefs who formed a movement to end the ban, called the decision “fabulous”. “All of us are so excited,” he said told reporters outside his restaurant while holding his duck Nicolai - named after French President Nicolas Sarkozy. […]

Categories: Food

Telegraph - Cherie Blair’s memoirs set a bad example, by Mary Riddell

Cherie Blair’s memoir, published today, is “a Cinderella fairytale of an ordinary Liverpudlian schoolgirl who was transformed into a style icon and cover girl”. Sorry, wrong book. That’s the dustjacket blurb for Coleen (Welcome to My World) McLoughlin, the story of the […]

Categories: Politics

Cuz…

Times Online - UN warns that second Cyclone could hit Burma in next 24 hours

Fighting for their lives with only meagre supplies of food, clean water and medical aid reaching them, the two million Burmese left homeless by Cyclone Nargis may face a fresh pounding by the elements. Citing an […]

Categories: Science and Nature

Ooh, police brutality in Britain.

Watch the police allow themselves to become encircled by the mob and backed against a wall as the mob cries out “You wanna hit a Muslim”.

Curtsy: Damian Thompson, who says it went up on “a leading anti-Islamic website today” and that it’s about three years old, probably from the 2005 election.

Categories: People and Current Events

The Times - Why Hezbollah should be condemned When Israel attacked Lebanon in 2006 the world was outraged. What about Hezbollah now? By Dean Godson (research director of the Policy Exchange think-tank)

After all, Hezbollah is one of the world’s most ruthless clerical fascist organisations - complete with ersatz Nazi salutes and Iranian-style Holocaust denial. […]

Categories: War and Peace

The Times - China and Burma: a seismic shift China responds to disaster with compassion; Burma remains criminally negligent

Two terrible natural disasters have affected two neighbouring countries within eight days. In Burma, the cyclone that left up to 100,000 people dead or injured now threatens the lives of thousands more people because of the […]

Categories: Science and Nature

So Hamas, amongst others, digs Obama.

But then…

Telegraph Blogs - Holy Smoke - Barack Obama ‘could face Islamic execution’, by Damian Thompson

Barack Obama may be a Christian, but in the eyes of the Islamic world he is a Muslim apostate and could face execution if he is elected president. That’s the view of Edward […]

Categories: Politics

The temperature’s rising, it isn’t surprising, she certainly can — can-cannot handle this.

Yahoo Weather - SEVERE WEATHER ALERT

AFTER A COOL AND CLOUDY SPRING IN WESTERN WASHINGTON…A DRAMATIC SHIFT TO HOT AND SUNNY WEATHER WILL TAKE PLACE STARTING THURSDAY. THE HOTTEST LOCATIONS ON THURSDAY WILL BE ALONG THE COAST…WHERE […]

Categories: Science and Nature

Apparently certain cults believe this dancer-sacrifice will extend their lifespan, given the average age of the congregation.

Curtsy: Holy Smoke.

Categories: People and Current Events

The Times - There will be blood around here too LA Notebook: under my feet lies my fortune. But how exactly am I going to get it out? By Chris Ayres

It’s easy to forget that LA was an oil town long before it was Tinseltown. As recently as the 1950s, a young George Bush […]

Categories: Science and Nature