Music: Joaquin Phoenix: The Letterman Remix

Damn. This is sooo funk-eee.

Music: R'n'B does climate change

I love this.



Actually has decent lyrics. Lots to laugh at but lots to admire too.

'Sucessful online politics needs community organisers'

So much 'stuff' in the Guardian's interview with Thomas Gensemer of Blue State Digital (Obama campaign) that it's virtually a transcription.

Nothing new on the ideas front (for there - for here there are stacks) but all put extremely well (Gensemer's a great salesman). Such as his criticism of the way British parties are currently approaching new media.

"They have focused too much on gimmicks and what they can sell to the press," he says. "Now Labour MPs are using Twitter, but the political capital that went into getting a couple of MPs to Twitter probably wasn't worth it. Prescott's petition on the bankers has 15,000 signatures, but what are they asking people to do? You could have asked for different things that would create a greater sense of engagement. None of this is a technology challenge; it's an organisational challenge, being willing to communicate with people."

And this point, about whether it woz the web wot won it, which continually gets lost:

"It comes back to the fact that we elected a president who used to be a community organiser, and that's a very different mentality from other campaigns".

Finally, a UK blogosphere political viral

Unfortunately (IMO) it's this one:



'Downfall'? Yawn. Done. To. Death.

The one I posted earlier addressing the subject is much funnier.

In case you're wondering what this is about (and who'd blame you), this is about Derek 'Dolly' Draper, noted NuLabour guru, attempting to 'do' blogging and failing. Despite the Guardian comparing his efforts to the USA's #1 blog, Huffington Post.

And, most notably, Draper being (humiliatingly) out-classed online by John Prescott. Which is saying something. (Prescott has more entertainment value and, as I noted, for one thing, the required humility).

Hence, 'Draper's Downfall' — this rather 'inhouse', pedestrian viral — 'tis all over the UK political blogosphere, as there's nothing like the storm in the proverbial teacup. However it's a very rare UK sourced viral — which says volumes about the actual weakness of said blogosphere.

If you want to see just how laughably weak UK viral vid is check LabourList's excruciating attempts at spoofing the Camerooons.

Transparency. Leadership.

Much talk in the UK about how government can be made more 'transparent'. Frankly? I'm yet to be convinced of much real follow through on this subject with new fangled digital techniques, exciting as they may be.

But if you want an example of how to lead in this, here it is:



When have you ever heard a UK politician talk like this?

Family Guy Spoofs Christian Bale

Oh my. That was quick.

Sortof safe for work.

NSFW: Cursebird

One more thing you can do with Twitter.

HT: Ingrid

The effect of Jacqui Smith on 'Fitna' views

This is the increase in blogs posting Geert Wilders' film after Jacqui Smith gave it the 'oxygen of publicity'.

Now at 1,279,896 views.

Serious point. This film contains images which are filtered from 'western eyes' but circulate widely in the rest of the world. This doesn't just mean images of terrorist aftermaths but images of wars we support. Images which turned public opinion against the Vietnam war. Images which allow us to judge wars.

Fitna attacks a religion but all religions have ancient texts which can be misinterpreted. Wilder's problem is in attacking a people rather than an ideology. He critiques Muslims rather than just Islamists. But he does not advocate violence.

Smith, in banning him, is a hypocrite. Not least because she allows violent homophobes entry. And the 'bounce' he enjoys from her actions demolishes her stated purpose.

Cute animals: kingsford the pig

Kingsford Goes to the Beach - Watch more amazing videos here

What's not to like?

This way madness lies ....

Another Thatcher legacy? Or Gordon's?

From a post to the PSF Noticeboard:

Can Local Government accounting be simplified to make day-to-day management of services more businesslike and easier? Do we really need to employ accountants in order to have the IT department charging the HR department for the PC that is sitting on someone's desk in a corner of a room? If someone takes an air freshener to a different building is it really a cost to the organisation?

The poster asks: 'Does it make analysis of the true cost of services difficult?' Er, doh.

Gawd, I hate bureaucracy ...