Irony Alert: the Occupy protests are Cameron's Big Society in action

Mike Harman

Compare:

“What this is all about is giving people more power and control to improve their lives and communities.” – David Cameron on the Big Society.

It’s taken longer than the PM would have liked, but it seems like the Big Society might be finally getting somewhere.

Kent MP is having none of Mayor Johnson's new estuary airport

Mayor Johnson made a speech today warning of economic stagnation if London doesn’t increase its air capacity, and pushing the idea of a massive new airport in the Thames Estuary.

Mark Reckless is the Tory MP for Rochester and Strood, and he doesn’t like the idea one bit. Here is his very strong rebuttal. It concludes with a tasty barb.

“Now is not the time to borrow money for vanity projects.”

Quite why I interpret this as a slight on Mayor Johnson I leave for others to discern. Reckless makes a strong substantive case against the airport on grounds of cost, the existence of better alternatives, and the unconscionably ruinous environmental effects that plonking a massive airport in the middle of the Thames estuary would have. It’s a terrible, terrible idea. Stop it.

Mark Reckless – Thames Estuary Airport: Wrong For Kent, Wrong For Britain
BBC – London mayor Boris Johnson argues case for new airport
GLA’s pro airport PDF – A new airport for London
Snipe – Boris’s new airport plans dubbed ‘ridiculous’ by Kent Tories
Snipe – Thames estuary airport idea is the daftest pie in the sky

You can never get away from the sprawl

I was once struck by one of the football pitch line painters reading Think and Grow Rich on a tree stump.

Bow roundabout gets its cycling safety review

The blue paint suggests that you’re in a dedicated cycling lane. You’re not, you’re on a small bit of road that happens to be painted blue.

Here's the live feed from Occupy Wall Street

History doesn't stand still

It moves all over the shop.

First this, from the Diamond Geezer:

The London Stone is moving. You know the one – the ancient stone in Cannon Street, the rock that legend says is linked to the destiny of our capital city. It’s being removed from behind the grille on the shop opposite the station, and relocated to an office block down the road.

Now this, from Peter Watts:

Next week, Museum of London Archaeology will begin a three year project that will put the Temple of Mithras back where it belongs, and restore it to something closer to its original form.

The remarkable thing about both these monuments is that this isn’t even their first move. They’ve been shunted about right left and centre. Do stones lose value when wrenched from their ancient beds? Not in London’s case it seems, perhaps because there’s so much history everywhere that something old will always feel meaningful, however newly it is laid.

Diamond Geezer – The London Stone is moving
The Great Wen – Secret London: the Temple of Mithras goes back where it came from

Occupy LSX get ultimatum to leave by 1800 today. Or else...not very much

The City of London Corporation have issued an ultimatum. If it’s not complied with, there could well be…another ultimatum. Legally this process must be followed, but it’s clear that this protest is not going to end without police dragging people across the Cathedral steps. It’ll make quite the news report, especially if they do it against the backdrop of the St Paul’s Christmas lights. Stay tuned.

Evening Standard – Protesters vow to fight eviction

City AM - chronicle of the apocalypse

Do you ever pick up a Metro on the way to work and flick impatiently to the showbusiness pages, only to fling it disgustedly to the floor as you realise that you’ve actually picked up City AM and you’re reading an interview with an iron futures trader?

This happened to me this morning. But then I got bored, picked up the paper and gave it a whirl. Big mistake. Here are a few of the headlines.

Merkel: Euro crisis worst since WW11
UK set for a decade of deleveraging
US stocks dented by Europe worries
Industry declines in the Eurozone while Portugal falls even deeper into recession
Insurers see disaster costs mount in 2011

OH GOD OH GOD MAKE IT STOP PLEASE MAKE IT STOP.

Future historians take note: the decline and fall of our civilisation was chronicled here.

Runners, jumpers and throwers invited back

Everyone else told to do one.

Source: London To Host 2017 World Athletics Championships by Londonist

There's no question that "Shamon Chicken" is how Michael Jackson would have liked to be commemorated

Tonight’s Come Dine with Me features Keith Preddie, from Croydon.

“The Michael Jackson fanatic served a halloumi and chilli salad to start, “Shamon chicken” (with mozzarella in tomato sauce) for his main and “Dirty Diana” (banana delight, chocolate sponge and cream) for pudding.”

The starter sounds delicious.

“Guest Sarah-Marie Palmer [said] she would not serve his food to people in prison, her worst enemy or a dog.”

Source: This is Croydon