British MPs fail to impress for fringe benefits
Ex MPs get rather nice severance packages after the people chuck them out, and the pensions are eye-wateringly generous. However, perks have been taken to another level in the Commonwealth of Australia: Ex MPs are entitled to 25 free return flights within Oz, for any purpose bar business per year. Current MPs are not exactly doing their bit to rein in public spending either: "Despite a government directive to use frequent flyer points, only three of the 226 MPs did".
More, much more here.
Meanwhile, as seems to be fairly well known, I'm doing 18 Doughty St tonight, 10-12. I'm hoping to make no more a fool of myself than usual.
More, much more here.
Meanwhile, as seems to be fairly well known, I'm doing 18 Doughty St tonight, 10-12. I'm hoping to make no more a fool of myself than usual.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, December 07, 2006 at 7:16 pm.
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Will you report to us tomorrow?
It wasn't pretty, but you were very much upstaged in the fool stakes. I don't think I've seen Tim Montgomerie look so irritated. Do you think Rena will be sacked?
Hang on - important issue here! - how do you become an Australian MP ?- its all very well for you young folk having principles - I need money - but all my life I have been diverted by pretty girls instead.... and boys as well, obviously (Grins in pretended shame)
who was that huge fat fucker?
Rena was rather at sea during the first half of the programme because the young woman, - very pretty, intelligent and sure-footed - just didn't contribute much and Rena and William had to do all the heavy lifting. I think this disconcerted Rena to the point where she progressively lost her nerve and became more anxious and chattery as the programme went on. And then she made a mess of the comments. I think it was just a bad night for her.
The gun issue fizzled out in a miasma of misinformation and leftie assumptions, which was very disappointing. Given that Texas has a population of 30m, the murder and rape rate is comparatively low. And no, Rena, people in Texas do not look to guns to solve issues. There's more money in retaining a lawyer to solve issues. The vast, vast majority don't settle grudges by shooting. They go to court, just like normal people. But to protect themselves in the immediate sense, they have guns. I think it's around 55% own guns. But this creates a comparatively safe environment for none gun-owners because no one knows who is in that 55%.
Also, Texas has the death penalty.
Oh for god`s sake you didn`t say it was tonight. I`ve missed it again , isn`t there a repeat ?
PHITCH do you collect your bon mots , it ocurrs to me they would make an excellent humorous Christmas gift book.Perhaps years from now someone will be saying "Yes I got an A in PHITCH studies, preen preen "
Damn ,damn damn . I am a leper bong bong unclean unclean bong bong. Full details required immediately
Perhaps not the smoothest of nights at Doughty Towers...
I decided to blog this "episode". Will, I'd wait 'til the morning to peruse. Have a good rest.
It's not that bad, you can yake your hand off your face.
PT - Too late dude...
Doughty Towers - v good!
Croydonian was the biz, but Rena successively lost it and I think it was because the woman from the young conservatives should have been more opinionated. She is clearly very intelligent, yet she sat as though a spectator through most of the show, when she was there to be a participant. She didn't respond to anything - either Rena or Croydonian - unless she was specifically asked.
Hopefully, next time she'll be more self-assured because when she did speak, she said interesting things.
V - very kind of you to say so.
She was saying that her thing is more domestic stuff - education and health etc, so we were covering things that weren't really up her street. Still, Rena did have to cope with two missing guests and ID retiring hurt with a head cold.
Yes, Croydonian, and thanks for the information. It was all very disconnected and one could sense that Rena was trying to cope against the odds. She did lose it, although gallantly, and which one of us would not under those circumstances?
Two missing guests, a fellow presenter who has a big following who wasn't available, a reticent fellow guest in the person of the woman from young Conservative outfit, and just one person who was responding?
Really hard. And the younger guest not having questions lobbed at her on her subject, on which she had probably gone to some trouble to be prepared.
Verity, you're too kind on Rena. It's a poor presenter who hasn't done any research on her guests' background or topics of choice and doesn't understand the concept of open questions to facilitate discussion. I thought Donata was quite good when given a topic of interest to her. I mean Rena could at least of asked D a few questions about which any student could offer an opinion (e.g. extremists on campus, top up fees, student debt, Leftie bias at universities etc etc).
C I `m still appalled that I forgot all about it . Isn`t it avaiable in some repeat from . You appreciate that I am light years behind all you media pepes on such stuff .
Assistance ?
Newmania - I understand that Dizzy has tried to record it. You may be in luck.
Verity said:
"the young woman, - very pretty, intelligent and sure-footed - just didn't contribute much"
From what I could see she contributed more than enough.
Apart from a few technical problems it was well worth watching. They should give you your own programme. And it's good to know that you're a secret darts enthusiast!
Having not been able to watch it, the above comments were illuminating. The Texas gun issue I'd like to know more of.
God every time I post on Guido i vbet deleted.I wa sgoing to try to take Phitches comedy crown...fat chance and came up with the folllowingfor the caption competition
Up and down ..up and down .Stop whining dale you can keep sucking my cock until you learn to write a better speech than the one that screwed my career .
And in Public!
Now who could possibly take offence at that ?
Sorry C please ignore me and return to the infinitely more important subject of the Croydonian NWA
( and feel free to delete)
N - NWA? As in the band?
NWO.
Either post properly newmania or not at all !!!G
Yes, I thought Donata was quite good when she was asked a question of which she had some knowledge or on which she had an opinion. I thought she could have jumped in without waiting to be asked specific questions - especially when there was only one other guest. But it can't have been easy.
William did very well at shouldering a lot of the burden, but the presenter was all over the shop. Iain is much more skillful.
Hello, James Higham. What do you want to know about guns and Texas?
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