Daily View 2×2: 27 May 2010

May27

Good morning, and welcome to Daily View on the day which sees New York’s Chrysler Building celebrate its 80th birthday. Completed in 1930, it was the tallest building in the world for all of 11 months, before being replaced by the Empire State Building. After 9/11, it is once again the second tallest building in New York.

Also celebrating birthdays today are the chef Jamie Oliver (who is currently applying for planning permission to build a restaurant in Nottingham I will probably never be able to afford to eat in); West Wing actor Richard Schiff and the Lib Dem MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale Tim Farron. Some have speculated he might be in the running to replace Vince Cable as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats; he tweeted last night that as Vince Cable’s PPS, he got to hear the “Stalin to Mr Bean” gag in rehearsal. Tim is 40 today.

2 Big Stories

Coalition government sets out radical welfare reforms

So says the Guardian headline, anyway, but the article is light on detail if heavy on mood music. A lot of people will be watching anxiously for the detail.

Duncan Smith says he is to propose to the Treasury a radical scheme that includes simplification of the complex benefits system designed to make it financially worthwhile for unemployed people to work, including in part-time jobs.

Concern over human cost overshadows iPad launch

Will you be queuing to spend 499 of your Earth pounds on an Apple iPad on Friday? The Independent has worrying news about the conditions under which the shiniest new gadget is being made.

The American electronics giant Apple was investigating damaging allegations last night that Chinese workers making its new iPad device were subjected to such “inhumane” treatment that some of them took their own lives by jumping off factory roofs.

2 Must-Read Blog Posts

What are other Liberal Democrat bloggers saying? Here are two posts that have caught the eye from the Liberal Democrat Blogs aggregator:

Lynne Featherstone is celebrating Camden Lib Dems’ recent victory
Pretendy Liberal lets David Laws do the talking

Blogger James has a clip from the BBC Parliament service which has David Laws answering an urgent question, and swatting away Labour attempts at attack with all the ease of someone who had been doing this for decades rather than days.

Spotted any other great posts in the last day from blogs that aren’t on the aggregator? Do post up a comment sharing them with us all.

Tweets on 2010-05-26

May26

Ten degrees cooler today. Back to a sensible, bearable sort of temperature. #
@Miranda_Ward Lovefilm tweets are something I turned on – they tell me when to expect new discs in the post, and they got the old ones back. in reply to Miranda_Ward #
RT @TimHarford: The More or Less podcast is up. Please RT if you love More or Less! http://bit.ly/cF2NwY #

Tweets on 2010-05-25

May25

Cost to remove 3ft of double yellow line: £4,800 – mostly on paperwork. #
Listening to a radio presenter yawning at dogs. Hmmm. #
Off to a meeting about a park in my ward. Slightly horrified thinking about when it was I last went into the park. #
I'm books didn't used to be this exciting. http://flic.kr/p/84FU5d #
First weigh in in ages. Not too bad. #
Getting the rubber gloves out for some moonlit foraging for food. #
Watched Sopranos, The – Series 3 – Disc 4: http://LOVEFiLM.com/r/QQyBkH8 #
Watched The Taking of Pelham 123: http://LOVEFiLM.com/r/QQyGsHw #

Tweets on 2010-05-24

May24

Not to sound ungrateful, but anything ever 20 deg is just too hot. #
Well, green fest is hugely busy, lots of interesting stalls and people. #
12seconds – Solar powered gizmos. No shortage of sun. http://tiny12.tv/NYZHJ #
Practicing putting tent up in the garden and wishing we were actually camping. http://flic.kr/p/84ma2z #
10 mins ago, the contents of that entire bag were bigger than the glade. http://flic.kr/p/84pCxu #
Wants to watch Law Abiding Citizen: http://LOVEFiLM.com/r/QQSHojk #

Tweets on 2010-05-23

May23

Wants to watch Burn After Reading: http://LOVEFiLM.com/r/QQSGhjQ #
@alexfolkes Where did you stay? in reply to alexfolkes #
@sarabedford time to dust off the stand mixer! in reply to sarabedford #
Off to hear P sing madrigals this evening. "Ffffair PhPhPhPheeellis Eye saw seeeeeeting all aloooooooone" #
@kayray something something something upanddown upanddown upanddown! #
Auditioning our wedding choir. (@ Chilwell Road Methodist Church) http://4sq.com/97J3vy #
Concert success: more people in audience than in choir! #
Not allowed to twit review the concert so you'll just have to imagine. http://flic.kr/p/845mBB #
Well, that's more than enough upanddown fa-la-la-la coucou toowhittoowooing for tonight. #
Chinese takeaway and jug o' Pimms #dietbedamned #
@agnt_orange It's Michael Mullaney in reply to agnt_orange #
There's a really loud and vigorous Dawn Chorus going on out there today. I suppose I'd better turn in. #

Tweets on 2010-05-22

May22

Hoofing it to Shepshed. #
Avoid Nottm city centre right now – major incident closing Parliament St – involving fire engine, bus and lots of water. #
Well, Shepshed successfully located. Banner collected. Now to find Nottingham again. #
What's this awful retweeting with quotes thing that everyone is doing all of a sudden? Stop it at once! #
P peeved at entirely natural migration of mugs into bathroom. "Take TWO cups of coffee into the shower?" #
Madonna's Secret Age-Defying Skin Care Regimen http://bit.ly/cXx8cr #
This month's Nottinghamshire Queer Bulletin, brands Cllr Unczur as ITMA. http://bit.ly/bWcTh2 #
And last link for a bit – Telegraph reviews Lundy Island, reignites my Wanderlust: http://bit.ly/9oMelm #
Dan Lepard's Fresh ginger coffee cake recipe looks like one to try. Looks easy, tasty. http://bit.ly/bEv6X1 #
@BeauBodOr @dietchef has been helpful with my weightloss. in reply to BeauBodOr #
@BeauBodOr yeah, diet sodas and sugar free jellies do feature quite highly in my diet. Normally more the fruity ones rather than the colas in reply to BeauBodOr #
@BeauBodOr yeah, absolutely. Have even ended up buying more bowls specially for that purpose. Sloshed jelly all over the fridge, tho. in reply to BeauBodOr #
OK, here's today's whinge about pain. My hand hurts. Ow. I ought to have a few days off mousing and texting. Like that's gonna happen. #

Tweets on 2010-05-21

May21

Stephen Tall nails it. http://ldv.org.uk/19611 <<< this. #
If previous Jamie's Restaurant in Nottingham planning link didn't work, go here: http://bit.ly/bKyJJa and enter this code: 10/01549/PFUL3 #
Someone's gone a bit mad with the spray paint outside the guildhall. http://flic.kr/p/83CFjf #
Hooray! Finally, a tenant for the ill-fated Trinity Square complex. http://flic.kr/p/83CFZA #
A-briefin' and a-trainin' (@ Nottingham Council House) http://4sq.com/cwhENE #
Factoid from training: dead people have human rights. #
Sitting on the bus home remembering I drove in today. #
@sarabedford … with your foot? 🙂 in reply to sarabedford #
"There, I Fixed It" have a picture of a river on fire. http://bit.ly/cuYjmM #

Tweets on 2010-05-20

May20

Anthony Nolan Trust are organising a bone marrow donation event on 2 June between 2 and 7pm in Nottingham Council House. #
They say it's a 10 minute spit test. You don't have to donate marrow there and then. #
What sounded like unusual staggering sexism from a Lab cllr turned out to be a football joke. #
Planning application for demolition and rebuild Victoria Leisure Centre just passed. I voted against. #
Better news, though: demo and renovate scheme for former County House on High Pavement passes. New annexe to boutique hotel. #
Now a series of amendments to existing plans: each only just enough to need a new application. #
@CllrIainRoberts there's always iPlayer – we're enoying Monty Halls Great Hebridean Escape and/or Edible Garden these days. in reply to CllrIainRoberts #
What is the UK best at? CCTV, apparently. http://bit.ly/blzRqp #
Grant Shapps: "I don't believe Government should ever come along and make things more complicated." << hmm, let's remember this. #
@mawawa not technically, but those voting against and those abstaining did ask for their to be recorded. Basically: assume party lines. in reply to mawawa #
Browsing the planning application for Jamie Oliver's new Nottingham restaurant. http://bit.ly/9XiWin #

Tweets on 2010-05-19

May19

@stephmog @LuceKD I like Bill Bailey's name: he calls motorway services cathedrals of despair. in reply to stephmog #
Wants to watch Up in the Air: http://LOVEFiLM.com/r/QQSIsGc #
Wants to watch Juno: http://LOVEFiLM.com/r/QQSGsWY #
@thermalsatsuma huh, you neither, mopmob – pressures of time? in reply to thermalsatsuma #
@rfenwick that sounds highly dangerous. Amazon One-Click is expensive enough! in reply to rfenwick #
@rfenwick I think there are already apps that can read barcodes and take you to a website for price comparisons, is that good enough? in reply to rfenwick #
@rfenwick you could always <30 rock> soak them in vodka and insert them</30 rock> in reply to rfenwick #
Wondering how many times I have to blink before I stop getting 2 MB scratchpads and have all my messages. << will make sense to cixen only. #
@ramtops resigning conferences somehow seems a betrayal. I'm going to keep blinking until there are new messages in gourmet 🙂 in reply to ramtops #
@enitharmon they do know now and are thinking of you and sending best wishes – and had been worried at the quiet. in reply to enitharmon #
RT @jesus Knock knock. <<< it's really, really hard not to reply to that. #
@jonathanfryer @helenduffett your's don't have enough Ns. in reply to jonathanfryer #
@helenduffett That's ok, I'm getting married to Lust Weapon. in reply to helenduffett #
@jonathanfryer that looks a little dodgy to me. Revoke access to it. It thinks everyone's 34. in reply to jonathanfryer #
Oh, no, not just Law & Order getting cancelled, but Better Off Ted as well – that thing was great! #
@jamesgraham what about McNally and Huhne laying down the law re HRA at conference? Didn't give themselves much wiggle room. #
@caronmlindsay wish I was. Must get my sleeping pattern regularised. in reply to caronmlindsay #
RT @Documentally I just got THE text message from Spinvox telling me I will be unplugged from the service in a couple of days. << me too 😦 #

Tweets on 2010-05-18

May18

@dr_nick oh, erk, no, really? #
Oh, borzhemoi, today did not go how I planned. #
@adamrio yay, congrats! in reply to adamrio #
Gotta get me some nettles. http://bit.ly/cchG4W #
@adamrio don't mind if I do. in reply to adamrio #
RT @hughmcguire Twitter, pls stop being so distracting: Amazing Fetal Animal Pics: http://bit.ly/6R8frG << that's both cute and icky. #
@BeauBodOr @hughmcguire I'd have thought – partic on those animals that have litters – that individual babies would be packed in closer. in reply to BeauBodOr #
@BeauBodOr no!? They've been thinking about it for ages but always come back from the brink. What will Jack McCoy do now? in reply to BeauBodOr #
@BeauBodOr that's a real shame. 😦 in reply to BeauBodOr #

Niles's Blog

Teaching, food and other random, infrequent wibblings