You may already know that plasticbag is one of my favorites, and of course, not just mine but many people love Tom’s insights. This one, however, has made me laugh for several days. I truly believe the site features some great writing (the line, “I do dirty things with men!” in Tom’s prose is superb).

On the subject of doing “dirty things with men”, Tom Cruise has won a $10 million judgment against a porn star who claimed he had a homosexual encounter with the actor [ABC News] and Tory leader IDS (which always sounds like a computer company to me) will attempt to reduce his party’s feuding over gay rights by allowing his MPs a free vote on Section 28 [The Independent].

Why does Tom feel he needs to settle these claims in the courts? So, they are not true. Big deal. And so what if they were? It’s the thinking that suggests there’s something wrong with being gay that’s almost as wrong as section 28 which lead to a wave of bullying in schools (Stonewall). I wish all political parties would condem the ridculous ruling but the Tory free vote is, at least, a small step in the right direction.

On this day…

2005: Daily Links
2005: For The Love Of London
2003: Hooked on LBC
2003: Low Low Cost

Human rights or world cricket?

“If England had pulled there is the possibility that they could be blackballed from the ICC. World cricket could split.”

OK, so it’s not quite that black and white but I do feel this talk of English cricket losing all this money is somewhat irrelevant. Either it’s morally right to go to Zimbabwe or it’s not. If it’s not right then the contracts shouldn’t matter. Does anybody stand up for their principles anymore?

Links: Sporting Life | ECB

On this day…

2004: Helsinki Snow

A lot of the blogs I read regularly have highlighted STAND and there seems to be a lot of negative feeling about the introduction of identity/entitlement cards in the UK. I am very undecided as I think they could make so many things easier.

It’s disappointing that there are not more privacy controls in place to make illegal use/access of the data a criminal offence. It’s also very worrying that there doesn’t seem to have been more debate about them and greater publicity surrounding the consultation period. I feel it’s important to add my voice but do I have time to sensibly consider my own thoughts on the matter? I just don’t know what to say. [consultation]

On this day…

2006: links for 2006-01-12
2005: Garden State
2005: links for 2005-01-12
2004: Hiddent Stuff
2004: Make Me Write

Top story, as journalists are heard to say, is the discovery of the poison ricin in a flat in London. Obviously, a very worrying find but I am not sure what we, as individuals who live in London, can really do. However, there is one thing I am sure about – talk shows and newspapers will be looking for somebody to blame. I wonder how long it will take to blame the “illegal immigrants”, the refuees or even the channel tunnel. I don’t expect it will be too long after that before we hear that it is really a government consipiracy to back their “war on terror” or keep us living in fear. At this stage nobody really knows what the inention of the posion was but one thing is certain – the fear of this kind of attack will cause anger, hate and blame. If we are not careful then those who seek to launch this kind of attack will have won long before they actually do anything.

On this day…

2006: Brokeback Mountain
2006: Gotta Go Back In Time
2005: 2004 In 100 Pictures
2004: Hello Dermot and Mark Fans
2004: Oops, She Did It
2003: Jeremy Vine
2003: A Blog?