tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67038162012-01-20T19:58:08.200ZPara Ingles VerOccasional observations and reflections on politics and societyGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.comBlogger6501100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-26198458325451280922012-01-20T19:58:00.000Z2012-01-20T19:58:08.205Z
Brazil under Dilma
My latest
reflections on Brazil and its foreign policy are now up at the Ideas blog. I haven’t written there for awhile so it was
about time that I did so. It was only
after I sent it in that I realised I had written something else of Brazilian foreign
policy, only a few months earlier and based on the workshop we had at the LSE
in the summer. So the next Latin
Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-48138724495954736092011-12-06T21:23:00.002Z2011-12-06T21:53:41.647ZJournal uncertainty
I’m coming to the conclusion that academic journals are like London buses: you wait ages for one to reply to your submitted article and several all reply at the same time. So it has happened in the past couple of weeks when several journals sent decisions on papers I submitted, one from last month, another in July and two others after I made the changes requested by the Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-17710905351764441342011-12-06T21:16:00.000Z2011-12-06T21:16:04.120ZThoughts on Brazil's development model - shared in public
It was a flying visit back to London at the weekend for the Latin America 2011 conference. This is an annual event organised by the various solidarity groups and bringing together activists and academics. I had been invited to present on the Brazil panel, along with Joaobe Cavalcanti (an Anglican priest based in London who is also the Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-80523743301451740272011-11-02T11:52:00.002Z2011-11-02T11:52:48.800ZWater as resistance
There seems to be a general thread across different aspects of the Palestinian ‘development’ domain. This was brought home to me at yesterday’s workshop, hosted by Birzeit’s International Studies department, on water resources and management. There were a couple of interesting presentations about the situation facing the Palestinians. Indeed the most interesting were those Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-47302391994347066832011-10-09T11:23:00.004+01:002011-10-09T11:42:04.208+01:00Todos somos palestinos
Last night a friend was showing me the video she was making of the rallies in support of the Palestinian Authority (PA) president Abu Mazen's homecoming following his speech at the UN. It was full of people waving Palestinian flags and posters of the leader himself. Many of them were wearing the black and white checkered Palestinian scarf known as the keffiyeh.
Then thisGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-29339314405192379032011-10-09T11:09:00.001+01:002011-10-09T11:42:26.412+01:00Some reflections on gender
At the moment I'm preparing a presentation for a workshop and the launch of a report on gender equality and development which we're hosting with the World Bank next week. This should be interesting and details of the findings that my colleagues worked on at the beginning of the year make for interesting findings. Granted, the fieldwork was collected in Rafah (Gaza) Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-3491930762773655532011-09-20T21:42:00.001+01:002011-10-09T10:58:39.584+01:00Looking to New York
You would have to have been locked away in solitary confinement not to know that this week is when the Palestinian state juggernaut goes to the UN and seeks international recognition of the fact. Walking across Clock Square (or is it now Arafat Square?) my friends and I came across the work team putting up a stage and sound system. Palestinian flags made up the bunting Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-45815333795697111842011-09-17T10:11:00.001+01:002011-09-17T10:16:18.499+01:00Palestinian politics, unity and the role of religion
I attended the first day of Muwatin’s (the Palestinian Institute for the Study of Democracy) two-day conference on the Arab revolutions and the political and intellectual challenges stemming from them yesterday. I won’t be able to get to today’s presentations as I have other commitments. Although the quality of the presentations and Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-55086941767993371632011-09-10T11:43:00.001+01:002011-09-10T11:45:20.524+01:00Between fact and fiction?
Flitting back and forth between Ramallah, Birzeit and Jerusalem, I don't normally come up against the occupation. However, during Friday night some settlers wrote abusive grafitti on the walls outside the main entrance. One can only imagine that they are trying to provoke things, ahead of the UN vote later this month. Needless to say, the feeling in the university Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-25161611425086057672011-08-09T19:56:00.001+01:002011-09-10T11:12:53.699+01:00Achieving Palestinian statehood
[I'm on a roll today: two pieces after months of little action here. That said, the following consists of some thoughts that have been brewing in my head over the last couple of months, so it was fairly easy to put them down.
UPDATE: An edited version of the article below has gone up at the Ideas blog here.]
In just over a month the question of whether a Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-63697418494807279952011-08-09T10:47:00.004+01:002011-08-12T11:52:20.983+01:00Where are the current social protests going?
[The following article is now up at the LSE Ideas Centre blog. Although I can't tell if they've edited for length.]
Tents on Rothschild Boulevard, Tel Aviv
When the history of the present is eventually written, 2011 may well be most closely associated with the ‘Arab spring.’ Attention will undoubtedly centre on the revolutions of Tunisia and Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-54912839090767374192011-08-02T14:09:00.001+01:002011-08-09T09:12:51.869+01:00On Brazil's global rise
(Last month I was a participant at a conference on Brazil and the Americas in the 21st century. It was jointly hosted by the LSE Ideas Centre and the Fundação Getulio Vargas. I wrote a summary of my thoughts based on the participants' contributions along with some reading I did in the following weeks for a project I'm aiming to do. I had hoped that the piece would have Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-40890071700045558692011-08-02T13:58:00.000+01:002011-08-02T13:58:46.009+01:00Donors and Palestinian development
Back in June I was part of a seminar hosted by the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) at Birzeit University to consider alternative forms of development in the occupied Palestinian territory (OPT). This is an issue which has vexed us for much of the time that I’ve been involved with the CDS, including a conference that was put on in September last year.
The Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-73486337594645601692011-06-15T10:55:00.000+01:002011-06-15T10:55:28.759+01:00The Arab spring and its conceptual challenges
I haven’t been posting lately. This is partly because I have been focused on writing the first drafts of some papers that I intend to spend the summer revising before submission. But it’s also to do with the fact that I took an extended trip, to Jordan and Egypt. In Cairo I attended a conference on the Egyptian revolution at the American University Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-6188365299181985822011-03-02T09:20:00.000Z2011-03-02T09:20:46.762ZSlipping standards?
It seems that having a PhD does not go well with politics as events in Germany and Libya seem to attest. While most criticism is bound to be directed at the individuals concerned, I find myself wondering what the supervisors and examiners were - or rather, weren't - doing in all of this. Didn't they question the dissertations in front of them? Didn't they notice the Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-5142620832417550082011-02-28T09:07:00.002Z2011-06-15T10:57:11.661+01:00Palestinians and Israeli reality
One of my criticisms of the Israeli peace camp has been that it does not seem entirely familiar with development taking place on the ground, within Palestinian society. In making that claim I am being rather sweeping and possible unfair; it may well be that there is greater awareness of the nuances within Palestinian political and social life by Israelis than I Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-91923588139939588862011-02-26T09:50:00.002Z2011-06-15T10:57:41.762+01:00A tale of disconnection
The last two days have offered an interesting juxtaposition between the reality of the occupation and the relatively disconnected nature of the Israeli peace camp. Both were troubling.
Yesterday I was in Hebron where there were protests against the closure of Shuhada Street in the old city. Nearby the Israel army provides a round-the-clock presence for 400 settlers who Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-11201665126478306102011-01-24T08:19:00.001Z2011-06-15T10:58:13.303+01:00First thoughts about the Palestinian Papers
Of course, it can’t go without saying something about the leak of the Palestine Papers by Al Jazeera and the Guardian yesterday. I must find time to work my way through some of the documents. But what are the implications likely to be in both Palestine and Israel? Like Jonathan Freedland in the Guardian, I’m inclined to think that the fallout will be Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-7823276104260738922011-01-24T07:55:00.003Z2011-06-15T10:58:39.869+01:00Envisioning Palestinian economic policy
There were three papers presented at the MAS conference on Sunday. Two were general, one by Samir Abdullah that examined the development gap and internal distortions between the West Bank and Gaza and the other by Numan Kanafani, which proposed some models to achieve economic integration between the two areas. A final one, by Abd Al Fatah Abu Shokor, Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-68561302504942385072011-01-24T07:52:00.001Z2011-06-15T11:00:43.508+01:00Fayyad at MAS
I don’t usually find it useful to go to a meeting or conference to listen to a politician; you can usually find what they think or have said elsewhere. Besides, if it’s a public forum they are less likely to be particularly candid, especially if there plenty of cameras and microphones in front of them. That said, they do have a pulling factor, which the most insightful academic in Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-66903624325451975472011-01-09T01:57:00.001Z2011-06-15T10:59:15.009+01:00Hamsters and peace
Back in August I attended a couple of seminars in Jerusalem on security and border issues between Israel and a future Palestinian state, which I’ve blogged about previously. The central challenge among the (Israeli) presenters was how to ensure security for Israel without any direct form of control.
It’s not a new question. I was struck by this as I was digging through the Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-91943395214312993602010-12-20T12:35:00.000Z2010-12-20T12:35:40.435ZLooking at the last year through new eyes
Having shivered my way through subzero temperatures in Vienna last week for the purposes of knocking heads and putting together a research proposal that will hopefully see funding for up to three years, I also had time to reflect on public perceptions to the first outing of the paper related to the conflict and development project I’ve spent the best Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-12091024966604524882010-12-08T09:57:00.000Z2010-12-08T09:57:42.580ZA gulf of misunderstanding?
One of the most striking things about the ‘process’ in this part of the world is the disconnection between Israelis and Palestinians when it comes to envisaging the future. This was most visibly brought home to me during the German-sponsored IPCRI conference, ‘Peace Begins with Jerusalem?’ at the Ambassador Hotel yesterday afternoon. It was during the final session, Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-86026459928710973012010-12-02T08:32:00.000Z2010-12-02T08:32:49.729ZNo change
Despite the hiatus on this blog, I have been writing elsewhere, for the LSE Ideas Centre and the online Spanish magazine, Global Affairs. Much of the reason for the silence here is the absence of any seminars or presentations that I have gone to over the past few months. Much of this is the result of bad timing for me, having other commitments, visitors, etc. In fact, when I arrived Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-68556668416139633332010-08-10T08:30:00.000+01:002010-08-10T08:30:29.156+01:00Border assumptions
A bit late in coming, but an interesting discussion last week between Nizar Farsakin and David Newman regarding the future borders of Israel and a Palestinian state – the most recent IPCRI event. Farsakin used to work at the Negotiations Support Unit in Ramallah and is now at the JFK School fo Government in Harvard (a place I can only dream of working at!) while Newman is Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-47599597286594702722010-07-24T09:42:00.000+01:002010-07-24T09:42:56.749+01:00Two cheers... but still missing something
I haven't mentioned yet how pleased I am with the BBC's new website. Not because it's more spaced out, bu the fact that they have finally separated the Americas in two, with Latin America and the Caribbean separate from the US and Canada.
My main grumble with the previous version had been that too often Latin America was overshadowed by 'American' Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-3768801907985007192010-07-22T08:10:00.003+01:002010-07-22T08:11:43.367+01:00Securing Security?
Another IPCRI event on ‘Israeli and Palestinian Security Concerns in the Peace Process’, at which the panellists were Rami Dajani of the Palestinian Negotiations Support Unit and Shlomo Gazit, a former IDF general in charge of running affairs in the occupied territories after the 1967 war.
I tend to think that both sides know full well what the others want and that what’s Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-16728927872931644882010-07-20T07:49:00.001+01:002010-07-20T07:49:21.889+01:00After the freeze
It’s been awhile since I updated this blog and almost a week since I attended the IPCRI event in Jerusalem regarding what happens after the Israeli settlement freeze policy comes to an end. Along with the ever present Gershon Baskin, the Palestinian negotiator, Khalil Toufakji, and the Ha’artez journalist, Akiva Elder, were on the panel.
The central message that came out of theGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-271130534913835162010-05-12T13:13:00.002+01:002010-05-12T13:21:53.933+01:00Coalition comments
Watching a British election from abroad is strange and never more so than now. If ever Britain seemed foreign, this would be the time.
I have mixed feelings about watching the Lib Dems entering into coalition with the Tories. Although I’m a largely detached member of the party and less tribal these days, I do identify myself as on the left. So watching the deal being struck Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-63428016915583154302010-05-12T13:10:00.002+01:002010-05-12T13:10:51.882+01:00 Rich man, poor man
Israel’s accession to OECD membership on Monday may be seen as a defeat for the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. It lobbied hard to prevent Israel’s entry. If nothing else, it demonstrates the importance of picking those battles that are winnable. That the OECD member states were largely silent in the months before the decision was ominous.
At Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-56843254225242674822010-05-11T09:51:00.000+01:002010-05-11T09:51:35.559+01:00Observations on Hamas
I attended a lively discussion on Italian journalist Paola Cardini’s new book, Hamas: From Resistance to Government, last night. Providing comment and questions were Amirah Hass (Ha’aretz) and Joharah Baker (MIFTAH).
While the presence of women on the panel was encouraging, it was unfortunate that Cardini didn’t provide a brief overview of her book. The nature of the Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-74533733866626484652010-05-06T11:22:00.000+01:002010-05-06T11:22:16.299+01:00What's left of the peace camp?
I’m not sure that I learned much from yesterday’s IPCRI meeting on rebuilding the Left in Israel (at least that was the original title, but it was changed to rebuilding the ‘peace camp’ after media protests from as far afield as New York questioning why the Finnish government was paying for such events).
Although all claimed to be speaking in a private capacity, Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-70591793476688232822010-05-04T10:09:00.000+01:002010-05-04T10:09:44.508+01:00Choosing between boycotts
It’s a bit slow I admit, but I may as well provide notes on the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) meeting organised by the Carter Center that I attended last month. The two presenters, Hazem Jamjoun and Hind Awwad, provided the context for the current BDS movement and its achievements and developments to date.
Hazem noted that the Oslo process and second intifadaGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-61625339846052993272010-05-04T09:11:00.003+01:002010-05-04T10:10:03.116+01:00No jobs for the boys
I have another observation to make about the boycott movement, namely what forward thinking is actually going on. My sense is very little.
My other question to the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement at last month’s meeting concerned the options available to Palestinian workers after this year when they are going to be stopped from working in the settlements. Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-44110154515639159442010-05-04T08:39:00.000+01:002010-05-04T08:39:48.824+01:00To and how to engage?
There were two points that I found interesting about the discussion following Rosemary Hollis’s presentation.
The first came from a Palestinian who arrived late and was critical about Britain’s role (or rather non-role) in the Middle East and on the peace process. Actually it was rather hard to follow, if not contradictory. I think I can summarise his points as follows:
1Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-7048241314249873262010-05-04T08:37:00.002+01:002010-05-04T08:37:36.156+01:00It's the fault of New Labour?
Rosemary Hollis’s presentation of Britain in the Middle East in the 9/11 era felt odd. I’m not used to Britain being presented as a strange and foreign country, but that was certainly the case last night in Jerusalem.
She noted that contrary to what many might feel in this part of the world, the Middle East is not at the centre of Briton’s political attention, Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-73695978123035535792010-01-21T11:20:00.000Z2010-01-21T11:20:31.890ZWas 2009 really an 'Obamanation'?
Launch of the Transatlantic programme’s first year report on Obama and US foreign policy and some insightful observations from the panellists last night. Chatham House’s Robin Niblet’s said that any US president would find engagement difficult. Even American allies are not as willing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt. Rob Singh pointed out that Obama has Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-22339263075647237492010-01-20T14:37:00.001Z2010-01-20T14:38:44.469ZJoined-up thinking, comparatively speaking
Launch of the Institute for Government’s report on achieving more joined-up and effective government this morning. It does provide a useful contribution with new material and research, including cases from other countries (of particular interest to me as a comparativist), even if though its conclusions and recommendations reflect common wisdom.
That Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-45127604293357527352010-01-20T14:23:00.002Z2010-01-20T14:38:12.976ZAccounting for Brazilian migration
To a workshop/seminar on Brazilian migration in the UK last night: some interesting statistics, including indications that around 60% of the population is here illegally and that the number entering really began to increase from 2002 on. This would make sense, especially given Brazilians’ greater visibility beginning in that year through the new media and Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-91848418285390677442010-01-18T11:48:00.002Z2010-01-18T11:48:59.563ZA return to 1970?
Sebastian Piñera has been elected as Chile’s next president. For the first time since democracy returned in 1989 the Right has finally managed to win a majority share of the vote. Alongside the expected internal criticism within the centre-left Concertación coalition and demands for the heads of the Christian Democrat and Socialist parties to resign, questions will be asked Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-57436151264379792442010-01-11T18:37:00.003Z2010-01-12T11:05:14.831ZAnticipating a Piñeira victory
By this time next week Sebastian Piñeira could be Chile’s president-elect. If so this would be the first time in 20 years that the country had a right-wing politician in that position.
Piñeira’s leading position for the second round should not be surprising. Although President Michelle Bachelet continues to receive good approval ratings, she has not been able to Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-43057903325733600312010-01-05T14:07:00.000Z2010-01-05T14:07:13.558ZThe viva: a year on
In a couple of days' time it will have been a year since my PhD viva. How much have things changed since then! My new year goals for 2009 effectively ended after that date (OK, a few days later, when I finished making the revisions that needed doing), since I hadn't made any plans beyond completing the PhD (so really the viva should count as a 2008 holdover...).
In the Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-40316111221619147662010-01-05T13:52:00.000Z2010-01-05T13:52:40.117ZNew Year resolutions
Ok, so I'm a few days late, but things haven't changed that much! So here goes:
1. stop worrying about finding a job (that was 2009)
2. do things that I want to do, even if they're not going to lead directly to anything (I have a couple of things lined up for the first half of the year)
3. come up with some resolutions for the second half of the year (some time over theGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-18058256207186473782009-11-16T17:01:00.000Z2009-11-16T17:01:10.103ZA perspective on PhDs and prostitution
It was one of those illicit pleasures, but I rather enjoyed reading the Belle de Jour blog from time to time over the years. That I did so was despite a sense that its point was lost after she stopped being a call girl. I put it down partly to the fact that she started blogging around the same time as me and for relatively similar reasons (prostitution for Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-85632451802102135932009-10-28T11:50:00.001Z2009-10-28T11:50:43.001ZThe sheep in wolf's clothing?
I don't know whether this will be appear on the LSE Ideas Centre blog today (I hope so), but just in case (not), I'm attaching it here as well. Some reflections following my attendance at Rafael Correa's speech at LSE last night:
"Tony Blair’s star seems to be rising, not just in Europe but globally. In Europe he is currently the frontrunner for the post of EU Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-33612594130987117532009-10-23T10:57:00.000+01:002009-10-23T10:57:39.455+01:00The next logical step
In some ways it was exactly what I expected. I think it made sense to have Nick Griffin on Question Time last night as it finally exposed his and his party's loony ravings to a wider andience. That said, that he was on effectively overshadowed the rest of the week's news and discussion. And did it help that the other guests and audience (which seemed much less white thanGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-75287334599110942342009-09-29T11:50:00.000+01:002009-09-29T11:50:00.567+01:00Election Uncertainty
One reason for restarting this blog has been the silence from other media regarding my work. Back in June I penned a piece for the Guardian's 'Comment is Free' section reflecting on the relationship between elections and civil society but which received zero interest. Moreover, given the recent and apparent fraud in Afghanistan's election, it still seems relevant. And here IGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-85935068116448775282009-09-29T11:48:00.000+01:002009-09-29T11:48:28.663+01:00Latin American contemplation
At the request of a friend, I've also penned a few articles, either book reviews or surveys of (Brazilian local) elections over the past couple of years. For those who find such things of interest, they can be found here:
Viva South America! http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/3am-brasil-viva-south-america/
Open Veins of Latin America http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-83369805563668508072009-09-29T11:31:00.000+01:002009-09-29T11:31:42.093+01:00Latin America and the 'credit crunch'
Earlier this year I had a small job taking notes and writing up a report about the financial crisis and its impact on Latin America that was sponsored by the Foreign Office and hosted by the Insitute for the Study of the Americas. This went up on their website in July and with the anniversary of the Lehman Brothers' collapse this month, it seems appropriateGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-8458496029857199812009-09-29T11:29:00.000+01:002009-09-29T11:29:33.639+01:00Other work I've been doing
Even if some of my writings aren't easily available at the moment, I do have some other material that is up on the web. This includes two projects that I worked on for the LSE during the three years I was doing my PhD. They included a project on social scientists' attitudes to digital repositories (i.e. online databases which house both publications and the research Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-81602202625464817442009-09-29T11:25:00.000+01:002009-09-29T11:25:32.516+01:00Other writings (and shameless self-promotion)
The past few years has also resulted in a few other publications, either online or in print that I've been working on. Alongside the PhD I've published a few articles related to my research, including on social democracy at both state and national level in Brazil and on left-wing education policy across the region.
Last June Zed Books published a Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-80800108888802654432009-09-29T11:12:00.000+01:002009-09-29T11:12:34.873+01:00Accounting for my absence
Since I stopped this blog I have spent most of that time researching and writing my PhD, which I passed earlier this year. However, I noticed during the course of it that a number of my respondents had their own blogs, which suggested that I should get back to mine at some point. One of those, Jose Joaquin Brunner, an academic and former official in the Chilean Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-41077171285168970682009-09-29T11:07:00.000+01:002009-09-29T11:07:00.538+01:00Return of the Blog... For Now.
Hi and welcome back. I doubt anyone's reading this after all the three-year 'sabbatical' I've taken from this blog - although there were good reasons for doing so. At the time I last wrote I felt the blog had lost focus. I'd originally set it up as an election campaign blog (back in the heady days when IT was supposedly going to change politics) and eventually Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1154100565486185722006-07-28T16:27:00.000+01:002006-07-28T16:29:25.586+01:00Massive apologies!Yes, I've been slack. There's no excuse. More than two monthe since my last posting. But I fear it may continue for awhile yet. Am off to Brazil next week to start my fieldwork, with stops in Rio, Sao Paulo and Brasilia. The last few months have been taken up with preparing for the annual upgrade (passed thankfully), seeking funding for the impending trip and trying to get Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1147263113888247612006-05-10T13:08:00.000+01:002006-05-10T13:11:53.890+01:00I do hereby declare...It won't come as any surprise that last week I managed not to be elected as councillor for Spitalfields and Banglatown. I polled 354 votes - not so bad given the lack of campaigning I was able to do and the three winners' totals of between 850-900 or so.It's a relief it's over though. Not just because it means I have Saturdays free again! Last Thursday I went down to the Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1147262929731239422006-05-10T13:07:00.000+01:002006-05-10T13:08:49.733+01:00The cheque's in the mail?Managed to get my request in for conference funding last week. Now we wait and see. Meanwhile I'm still waiting to hear whether I'll get any money to help cover transport costs to Brazil this summer...Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1147262828195388792006-05-10T12:58:00.000+01:002006-05-10T13:07:08.220+01:00Debating social democracyThe Latin American research seminar is also up and running again as well. Last week I presented my chapter on differences within and between Left and Right in Latin America and its implications for education policy. I had an audience of around 6, which was heartening, although I had to explain my way through the project and the way I intended to do it. Not everyone hadGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1147262281276964622006-05-10T12:44:00.000+01:002007-06-27T09:36:08.459+01:00First year round-upsIt's been awhile, so time for a roundup of the various research projects being undertaken by first year Government Department students. Two weeks' worth to be getting on with, so here goes!Last week Eva-Maria Asari presented her ideas on multiculturalism in Canada and Estonia. She wants to examine how minorities are treated and the way they relate to state policies. Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1146418087134598842006-04-30T18:18:00.000+01:002006-04-30T18:28:07.156+01:00Something just landed on me...Today's picture is of a colourful Amazonian grasshopper that decided to take a breather on our boat earlier this month.Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1146131902314317612006-04-27T10:51:00.000+01:002006-04-27T11:05:21.063+01:00Euro-monitoring in GreeceFirst seminar of the summer term brough Zivanna Mourmouri to the class to present her research on the Europeanisation of Greek public space. Instead of being on Monday the seminar has been shifted to Wednesday for this and next week. Consequently there was plenty of time lost as people wandered around, trying to find the right classroom, since we had relocated as well!Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1146045572138701572006-04-26T10:54:00.000+01:002006-04-26T10:59:32.140+01:00On the stepsToday's image is of the Carmo steps in Salvador's Pelourinho. This was where the film O Pagador das Promessas (The Promise Keeper) was filmed in the early 1960s and is still one of my favourite Brazilian films - sharp comedy and social commentary rolled together.Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1146045226835643742006-04-26T10:39:00.000+01:002006-04-26T10:53:47.210+01:00On the ballotAttended two seminar yesterday related to elections. The first was at the ODI where George Philip (LSE), Victor Bulmer-Thomas and Duncan Green (Oxfam) all spoke about the Latin American elections. Is it a turn to the left and if so is it substantial or only skin deep. I managed to arrive late and missed George's contribution. But the general impression given was that while Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1145795954500319922006-04-23T13:34:00.000+01:002006-04-23T13:39:14.503+01:00SaudadesYes, I'm pining a bit for Brazil - the beaches and a more relaxed existence (probably due to the fact that I know I have work and studies to be getting on with).In the absence of any prospect - at least until the summer (fingers crossed), I attach a photo of one of the more beautiful places I've been to: an image of Jericoacoara at sunset (thanks Pati).Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1145795620529774152006-04-23T13:29:00.000+01:002006-04-23T13:33:40.530+01:00Anglified BrazilianaTo Guanabara club/bar in the evening for my brother's birthday party. Yet having been in Rio just a few days ago, the vibe was definitely less Brazilian than one might expect.Sure, Guanabara has gained a reputation as arguably the most vibrantly Brazilian venue in London. And perhaps if you haven't been to Brazil - or it's been awhile since you were last there - it may catchGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1145795347243034032006-04-23T13:25:00.000+01:002006-04-23T13:29:07.246+01:00Election round-upYesterday was one of the two (possibly three) ventures into the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward election. Along with my two colleagues we visited several estates and houses near Hanbury Street to plug ourselves. We had a leaflet with details about ourselves and the party (although one of the leaflets had a statement about me that was slightly out of date). No matter though. Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1145795106906155302006-04-23T13:20:00.000+01:002006-04-23T13:25:06.916+01:00A-begging for moneyIt looks like being ridiculously expensive to get a flight for Brazil this summer. A quick check of online travel agencies suggests around £800-£1000. Quite steep. The last time I sought a flight to Brazil in the summer (August time) it was around £550 - and that was considered expensive three years ago. Presumably it's something to do with the fuel tax?Which makes it all Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1145531354158698302006-04-20T12:07:00.000+01:002006-04-20T12:09:14.160+01:00Time to be off?Only one other thing to say after my absence. Despite carrying around my digital camera for three weeks in Brazil, it's was only on the last flight home that the LCD screen cracked. Added to that the hot water in the kitchen is not working while the shower is barely a trickle. Meanwhile the bank has charged for going over my limit and refuses to allow me an increase.With a Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1145531229640981552006-04-20T12:03:00.000+01:002006-04-20T12:07:09.653+01:00Back to business as usualI'm back after a three-week absence. I was away in Brazil, ostensibly for a friend's wedding in Rio before then heading out to the Amazon with friends for some serious slumming. Then back to Rio via a detour in the African-feeling city of Salvador. Plenty that could be written about - and which might appear gratuitous and boring to some. I reckon the best way to Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1143459081849677052006-03-27T12:24:00.000+01:002006-03-27T12:31:21.860+01:00Not much change?Last Friday the Uruguay economic and finance minister, Danilo Astori, was in town. He presented the details of that country's economic programme to a group of LSE students and finance journalists. Francisco, my supervisor, introduced Astori and hinted at some discussion to come on the nature of the Frente Amplio government and it's centre-left identity.Although that would have Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1143454438109652282006-03-27T11:03:00.000+01:002006-03-27T11:13:58.123+01:00Sunday night non-dramaCaught Pinochet in Surburbia on the Beeb last night. I had been looking forward to it, although I was mildly disappointed. I think it was the comination of styles that it took: part drama and current affairs documentary.The acting seemed slightly wooden - probably something to do with the characters outlining the details of the arrest and its aftermath to each other in theGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1143453796712699932006-03-27T10:59:00.000+01:002006-03-27T11:03:16.713+01:00Unspoiled?Looking at East End Life, the local council newspaper that circulates around Tower Hamlets, I see the objections being made about Crossrail seem to be bearing fruit. Hanbury Street and Mile End Park were going to see chaos with boring taking place there and the spoil shifted to the park. According to the council mouthpiece though, it's being suggested that this will not now happen Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1143453539218384742006-03-27T10:50:00.000+01:002006-03-27T10:58:59.230+01:00Smile to the camera...Yesterday all the Lib Dem candidates standing for election in Tower Hamlets came together. We took over the whole of the Clifton Restaurant at the bottom of Brick Lane where we all met each other for the first time and listened to the process for nominations. In fact that is the priority this week, with each candidate needing 10 residents to sign their forms. Luckily for Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1143112416840126922006-03-23T11:09:00.000Z2006-03-23T11:13:36.843ZOn the trail once againAs if disappearing until after Easter, having a PhD proposal to write, new job to work out and various funding requests on the go (yes, I'm seeing whether the Department will support my application for an ESRC award while awaiting a decision on the Harold Wingate request from a month ago - but I'm not holding my breath), I've also entered the election race again for the Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1143112156324328272006-03-23T11:05:00.000Z2006-03-23T11:09:16.326ZEnd of term, new job...Last week I saw my supervisor about my first chapter. Apart from a few tweaks things look OK. So now I have to get on with a 3000-word proposal outlining how I will carry out the project, including methods, fieldwork, etc. These two pieces of work, and a chapter outline, will need to be submitted for the first year review by 19 May.It's a couple of months away and I'll Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1143111898047702242006-03-23T10:52:00.000Z2006-03-23T11:04:58.063ZFinal seminar updates of termYes, I've been slack of late. Term finished last week and I never updated details of the final seminars of term. Both were extremely interesting, with Emanuela Hedayat presenting on a project she's going to do comparing and contrasting Costa Rican exceptionalism with Uruguay and Chile. In particular she wants to place Costa Rica as unique in terms of its Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1141811769752253932006-03-08T09:55:00.000Z2006-03-08T09:56:22.566ZNo surprises at the top, but further down...Yes, I know I’m nearly a week late, but I suppose I should comment on the new leader.What depresses me most is our new moniker: we’re all Mingers now.As for whether he’ll be a good leader for the Lib Dems, no doubt he’s a ‘safe pair of hands’. But I can’t help but think that there is something slightly odd about us claiming to be the party of youth andGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1141811459821698102006-03-08T09:50:00.000Z2006-03-08T09:50:59.823ZNew month, new jobI’ve started a new job. Always daunting when this happens. Last week I was explaining my job to my successor at my last position. Even if it was relatively quiet towards the end at least I had the security of knowing what I was meant to do.Now I’m starting a new job at the LSE. It’s a specific project in the library, doing survey work on how researchers access datasets. I’mGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1141811234608680932006-03-08T09:46:00.000Z2006-03-08T09:47:14.610ZKnowing less as we know moreAs I mentioned, Lula is in town for a state visit. Typical that it should happen more than 2 years after I left working in Parliament. State visits mean that all party leaders meet the visiting leader and I had hopes that I would be able to brief Charles Kennedy on Lula, the PT and Brazilian politics in general before that meeting. Maybe even get a chance to meet Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1141810876079947302006-03-08T09:40:00.000Z2006-03-08T09:41:16.080ZSame policy, different thinkingI disappeared early from the seminar this week as I was told about a meeting at very short notice up at the Institute of Education. Fernando Haddad and some education ministry officials were in town, ahead of Lula’s state visit which is currently taking place here in London, and I had the opportunity to hear the minister speak.Unfortunately the earlier discussions Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1141810373213965992006-03-08T09:23:00.000Z2006-03-08T09:32:53.236ZRawls, Habermas, Korea, minorities and Indonesians...OK, no long post about recent seminar presentations. But I will offer a flavour of the last two weeks - or at least try to!I'm no political theorist and I was suffering from a self-inflicted night of debauchery the previous day, but last week's seminar saw James Gledhill and Muriel Kahane discuss their work. Muriel is working on minority Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1140778106950586222006-02-24T10:45:00.000Z2006-02-24T10:48:26.950ZChangesTwo good bits of news over the last week. First, I've finally got a new job. This is a project based in the LSE library looking at how researchers are using e-resources and databases here. The project is a national one, tying up other university libraries in the country. I start in March when my current job finishes and - ideal for me - it's two days a week.Second, I'll be presenting aGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1140777915163924952006-02-24T10:41:00.000Z2006-02-24T10:45:15.163ZDifferent starting points, same outcomeAlso managed to fit some time in last week to attend a seminar up at the Institute of Education on higher education policy and reform in Argentina and Chile. Quite interesting, if only as a comparative reference for my own work. The impression I gained was that both countries are moving towards a more market-oriented system for HE, but from different Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1140777658572653842006-02-24T10:34:00.000Z2006-02-24T10:40:58.573ZNothing to worry about?I don't get out much when I'm putting together a paper for my supervisor, but I was able to sneak out for a round-table discussion hosted by the Mexican Society at the LSE. The topic was the upcoming presidential elections in that country and academics and pollsters were present.It seems that the standard bearer of the Left, Lopez Obrador, is in the lead and barring any Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1140777239364916342006-02-24T10:17:00.000Z2006-02-24T10:33:59.380ZLong-winded seminar round-upApologies for the slow blogging lately. I'm in the middle of putting together the final third of what I hope will be my introductory chapter and literature review and I'm trying to get it in for my supervisor by the end of today!So yes, two weeks' worth of first year seminars to comment on. Last week Josue Fiallo presented his proposal, which will examine judicial Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1139571251159971212006-02-10T11:18:00.000Z2006-02-10T11:34:11.193ZSeminar roundupsYes, I’m afraid I’ve been slack lately. Something about getting on with my own research (I’m handing my supervisor a paper on the Latin American Right today for discussion on Monday). Consequently I haven’t been too good at mentioning what we’ve been up to in the first year seminar.To run through them briefly: last week it was Omar El-Mougy’s turn to present his ideas on the Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1138280996069635882006-01-26T13:06:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:44:47.536ZOfficial: North is SouthCame across this yesterday in the LSE events list:"When an Inuit leader attending international climate negotiations saw campaigners dressed as polar bears to highlight the effects of global warming, she demanded to know what right they had to speak on her behalf. Today developing countries are putting innovative proposals on the table that represent a sea change in Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1138280089380567172006-01-26T12:45:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:45:02.556ZA break from the cynicism...Well done to Simon Hughes for admitting his homosexuality. Society has changed sufficiently that no-one should really care whether or not a politician is gay or what he or she does in their private lives.Unlike some twit whose blog I read this morning, claiming that the country's not ready for a gay prime minister and on that basis he won't be supporting him. It's Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1138279511371354602006-01-26T12:42:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:45:17.780ZJustice, Al Capone-styleIn a delicious irony Pinochet's daughter, Lucia, is apparently seeking asylum from 'political persecution' in the US.Of course, this 'political persecution' has nothing to do with human rights abuses, torture, disappearances. No nothing like that. No, she, like the rest of the Pinochet family, is being investigated for tax evasion.Excuse me if I don't shed a tear.Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1138203692554768342006-01-25T15:35:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:45:33.420ZReflections on the Lib Dem raceSo now we're down to three. Like most people, I was absolutely flabbergasted when I heard Mark Oaten had not only stepped down from the leadership campaign, but also the home affairs brief.Not sure there's really anything to say.But of the three remaining, it's going to be a tough call decising who should be the next leader. Simon Hughes got the activists' supportGuyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1138203315502410212006-01-25T15:27:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:45:48.533ZBefore the firing squadOn Monday it was my turn to face the music. There's something slightly uncomfortable sitting in front of a class of about 25. all of whom have read your paper and are about to tear it to shreds.Yes, it was my day in front of the Government Department's first year seminar.Actually, it wasn't as bad as I expected. No-on took great issue with the main thrust of my argument, Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1137579136446058042006-01-18T10:09:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:46:02.963ZSpare any change?As if it's not enough that I'm working two days a week and trying to get my paper ready to present next Monday, I've also got to think about applying for new jobs and seeking funding for my studies. So far I've applied for several (less well-paid) jobs when my current position finishes at the end of February, while last night I completed a full day in front of the computer Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1137578968576595962006-01-18T09:54:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:46:16.693ZPaper presentations updateSo a quick update on some of the papers presented this term so far over the last week.Last Thursday Daniel Lin presented a paper on Chinese legal culture, which appears to be part of a project relating to differences between Chinese and Japanese perspectives on law and how this relates to their political cultures. Always a tricky subject to get onto, I think, with Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1136980766726631922006-01-11T11:47:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:46:31.570ZThe students are now in charge...Term began again on Monday and this time it's the turn of the students to present their own work. Since the first year PhD seminar has taken this shape, it's only those of us on the MPhil/PhD programme in the Government department that have to attend. Consequently there's noticeably fewer students there, since the MRes people have departed.First up were Andre Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1136980040459981422006-01-11T11:42:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:46:45.153ZSuch hypocrisyInteresting how Charles Kennedy was slated by sections of the media and his party for being an alcoholic. In particular were those who said that seeking help for only two months did not mean that he had faced up to his problems and instead it was just the start.So what exactly am I to make of Kate Moss? Front page of one of the newspapers this morning is an image from her first Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1136979746104425652006-01-11T11:39:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:46:59.263ZWas I dreaming this?In my half sleep this morning I heard on the radio that scientists are claiming those just waking up have less capacity for concentration than if they're drunk or been up for 24 hours. Apparently the grogginess can last for up to two hours after waking up.I can just see the newspaper headline: 'Sleep is bad for you: official'.Sometimes I wonder what the point of it all is...Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1136799108419825662006-01-09T09:28:00.000Z2006-01-27T12:47:10.646ZWho's in?So he's bowed to the inevitable and gone. Well, it never looked likely that Kennedy would be able to continue as leader, even if he had got the members' endorsement. Look at Iain Duncan Smith's experience for that.Of course having a party affiliation means that when you attend a social gathering everyone asks you for your opinion on it. And judging by the Fox and Grapes crows in Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1136643907649936332006-01-07T14:17:00.000Z2006-01-07T14:25:07.650ZWill no one speak up?Just looking at the Lib Dem website, I see there's been absolutely nothing posted since Thursday. What's going on? Could it be that the press office doesn't know what to say?After all, I'm curious to know how the party's responding officially to media reports that nearly half the Parliamentary party have no support in Kennedy. Presumably there's civil war within Cowley Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1136643415198966642006-01-07T14:07:00.000Z2006-01-07T14:16:55.210ZNo substance at all?Wow, they're all breaking cover now, aren't they? To think, just a month ago it was all rumour and innuendo - now you can't switch on the radio or the TV without finding at least five Lib Dem MPs desperate to comment on the CK crisis.And that included that old showboater, Andrew George MP. My one or two readers will recall his unsuccessful attempt to get the fisheries Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1136543268737799922006-01-06T10:22:00.000Z2006-01-06T10:27:48.740ZThe bevvied leading the blandOne last Lib Dem-related item - and then I promise to shut up.God knows why I still continue to receive briefings from the youth section of the party (I'm turning 30 in less than a month - surely that makes me middle-aged to these people?!), but I do despair of it. Their latest statement on Kennedy is worthy of the Politbureau:Liberal Democrat Youth and Students Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6703816.post-1136542916134451162006-01-06T10:12:00.000Z2006-01-06T10:21:56.146ZThe world turned upside down...Nine years ago, when I first took a course on Latin American politics the neo-liberal order was in full swing and characters like Menem and Fujimori were running the show. A decade later and all the talks about the rise of the Left and indigenous rights.I thought that was the appeal of studying that region's politics rather than British politics.That was until Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17854839236434857958noreply@blogger.com0