Send Andrew & Kim to LA

Voting has gone live in the trip to LA and appear in a Superbowl advert I am a finalist in. Please head HERE to vote for this blog to win. If you want to read the post you are voting for its here.

If you have a site and vote for us we will include you in the “thank-up” round-up/Carnival at the end of it. If we win your link will get a hell of a lot more eyes so tell you friends and lets kick some blog arse!

You can vote every day between now and the 23rd. Vote Dodgeblogium and vote often!

Mentioned on PMQ

This blog with a long name just got mentioned in the House of Commons during PMQs. It was mentioned because of its rather amusing piece on the Berlin declaration. The logo is rather amusing as well.

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A call for fascism?

This letter is a call for fascism and it makes my skin crawl. What really worries me is that comes from youth leader in a parish church.

Sir - I strongly agree with the views put forward by Shaun Bailey (Commentary, February 16), based on his experience as a youth worker in west London. I am a youth leader in a parish church youth club which serves a village community in an affluent white area - very different environments with different problems, but the underlying principles of cause and effect are the same.

I have worked with 11- to 14-year-olds over many years and the young people who come to our group now are more streetwise and “pseudo-adult", exposed to sex and violence in the media and violence, in particular, through electronic games; their conversations show this.

They are aware of their rights but not their responsibilities - behaviour is often challenging. Firm boundaries, together with the knowledge that adults care for them, help break through to the children they really are. Britain puts in place stringent child protection policies and yet provides a social environment that makes our young adolescents vulnerable.

Until action is taken to censor what our young people watch, read and listen to, and until it becomes less cool to behave in a way that models these inputs, the lot of our children will not improve.

Sue Stephens, Windlesham, Surrey

Notice this brown shirt volunteer thinks its the job of the state not the parent to control their children. Is it really a wise idea to have someone with such ideas as leader of a youth group?

IATF RFC continues

The discussion on TCS continues about the relationship between libertarians and Conservatives. There have been some suggestions that libertarians turn their allegiance to the Democrats away from the Republicans. I think this is a bad idea because of one main issue, which could be wrapped up in the smaller government argument, but I believe needs to be stressed. There are many in the Democrats who believe that high taxes are morally right as it is an obligation of the wealthy to pay more. This finds itself in many forms whether its support for the death tax or attempting as often as possible to get the rich to pay twice (at least) on their earnings.

To a libertarian, who basically thinks any tax is a necessary evil at best, this is a complete anathema to them. Republicans, for their many sins, are not as keen to raise taxes. Republicans are more likely than not to have tax cuts under their administration, granted many times they are targeted, and thus closer in ideals to libertarians. Republicans are far more likely to be willing to listen to and in fact believe in flat tax. It is, in fact, the Republicans left that is against tax cuts and flat tax not its right.

On this issue of the ultimate in economics that is tax there is no question that libertarians must side, work with and attempt to influence Republicans.

Vomit bags at the ready?

No I am not talking a bumpy airplace flight but in fact the bumpy ride taxpapers are getting from the sink-hole known as the Olympics. If this is the sort of defence one can expect of it, things could get interesting.

If they can find the money to finance their — and many would argue unjustified — involvement in Iraq, then surely they can finance the extra costs of holding the Olympics, whose principal aim is to promote world peace through uniting the peoples of the world in healthy sporting endeavours.

Ian Blackshaw, Visiting Professor, Centre for International Sports Studies

Considering how badly the cost is spiralling out of control war may actually be cheaper than holding the sporting wank-fest that is the Olympics.

The above defence is almost more inane that the idiotic defence meeted out by Jason Donovan with his “whingeing Poms” rant.

Helen wants to ban this

Visit the site Chairman Helen of NZ doesn’t want to you to be able to visit. She is trying to pressure Google to take it down. What is the site about? Is it child porn or Islamism or something as vile? Nope, nothing of the sort. Its a blog that has been started to detail the abuses that occur under current NZ child protection law. The site is called CYFS Watch and its well worth a visit even if you have no interest in New Zealand what ever. Fight censorship and support them please.

French England better?

Sir – What a pity we rejected France’s offer of a full political union in 1956 (report, January 16). If we had accepted, we would now have a first-class health service, sufficient nuclear power stations for generations, an enviable national rail network, and a generally higher standard of living and better quality of life.

As it is, the legacy of 50 years of Anglo-Saxon ineptitude and internecine political strife has reduced our once great nation to the ridiculed pygmy of Europe.

Mark Corby, London SE24

Yes and the British would be enduring chronic curruption, an Islamist problem where parts of the country are no go areas and regular rioting which is hinting towards civil war.

BBC who needs it?

Rather interesting piece by Charles Moore in the today’s Daily Telegraph on the BBC and its tax on all TV owners. What is most interesting is the comments below the piece that seem to agree strongly with the article. I most enjoy the fact Moore is pointing out an odd quirk of the taxation scheme. Those who are most keen on the BBC are the really old, who consequently don’t pay the tax at all. The BBC tax is not long for this world its just a question of how it will last.

Indies in Italy whinge successfully

The guys over at CMU are reporting that Italian indie record labels have been given quite impressive tax breaks to help with their survival. What is more worrying about the socialistic hand-out to record labels is how its being lauded by EU-wide groupings.

he International Federation Of The Phonographic Industry also backed the new measures, telling reporters: “We’re very positive about such proposals - they are definitely good news for music in Europe. We’re also trying to push other EU governments to initiate similar schemes".

As I made clear in my pamphlet for the ERC the best course of action for government is to let the music business in all its forms get on with it. They should stay out of it and resist their temptation to meddle and pick winners.

Granted the UK already has government meddling in the form of the BBC. But any more meddling from the British government would be a very bad thing.