Robbie Williams just settled a sodding great contract with EMI. A label that obviously has not learned from the Mariah Carey debacle. He is interviewed on Sky news about it, and what is he wearing? A nice suit, sans tie, a sensible casual outfit, or an Armani 3 piece? Nope, a bloody Motley Crue t-shirt! I wonder if good ole’ Robbie has decided to go hard(er) rock…makes sense; he has done the swing thing and rock is on the way back. Classic Rock circulated a rumour for April that he was going front a band that would be GnR without Axl; who knows, might have given the boy an idea? Or maybe he has recruited the rest of Motley as his backing band, after all, the police are after their singer Vince “Hollywood’s Best Driver” Neil.

Sasha has written a clever screed about the sordid political machinations in New Jersey. The Democrats are whingeing because their boy has pulled out of the race. The jackass has been found guilty of fraud, and the voters reacted badly to his crimes. The Dems want to bend the rules and get a replacement in (Bill Bradley being rumoured to be the ringer choice); the Republicans think the law should be followed. This one is on its way to court, for sure!

Inspired by a post from the awesome Lileks.

Thanks to the jumped-up oiks that run the tube unions striking again; my close-personal-female-friend-who-is-not-my-girlfriend was unable to attend the excellent Hughes-Turner Project gig last night. Look for a review of the gig to appear on Blogcritics today.

The sl…er�, I mean, Edwina Currie is now saying she is “re-writing history” and doing her media rounds to set the record straight. Today she has adopted a martyr attitude, no doubt stung by the accusations she is hurting a whole bunch of people just to sell her shi…er, I mean, new novel. Don’t take my word for it; go read the whole sordid interview. Needless to say, the Beeb is reporting on this story with much glee.

Wouldn’t it be nice if some nice older dear from the Tory Party smacked Ms Currie across that grinning mug of hers. Maybe they could start some anti-Currie organisation. T.ory W.omen A.gainst T.arts might be an interesting choice?

“Mrs Currie gives a romantic, if clich�d, account of a love affair”. So says the BBC. And they say romance is dead? Having sex with someone outside of marriage is not romantic; it is sordid and nasty.

Oh yes and we finally know how Major shut Edwina Curry up…

My left-wing friend, James Crabtree, has a written a call to arms to his fellow lefties. He feels that the left is being mauled repeatedly by the right/libertarians. He believes there is ” a war to be won.” I was pleased to be able to help James write his piece for the New Statesman. He promises to write another article with more quotes from people like me. I understand from James that Steven Pollard had a good laugh over my “blogging is crack” quote

Rather interestingly, the left (especially the far-left) have always been slow to take up the internet. The extreme right, on the other hand, jumped on it instantly. I can remember Nazi-racist loons had BBSs going in the early days of the home computer and modems.

[It has come to the attention of the WebMistress that this fine blog is banned from view at Will Hutton’s Work Foundation; why this should be is beyond MommaBear’s comprehension, as the content seen here is above reproach. ]

Not to be outdone, the South Africans have gotten on the fraud bandwagon as well:

From: “MR. DANJUMA YUSUF”
Date: Wed Oct 02, 2002 11:22:51 AM Europe/London
To: andrewiandodge@mac.com
Subject: Urgent Assistance & Investment

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL & URGENT.

I am a native of Cape Town in South Africa and I am an Executive Accountant with the South Africa MINISTRY OF MINERAL AND ENERGY First and foremost, I apologized using this medium to reach you for a transaction/business of this magnitude, but this is due to Confidentiality and prompt accessreposed on this medium. I have decided to seek a confidential co-operation with you in the execution of the deal described Hereunder for the benefit of all parties and hope you will keep it as a top secret because of the nature of this transaction. Within the Department of Mining & Natural Resources where I work as an Executive Accountant and with the cooperation of four other top officials, we have in our possession as overdue payment bills totaling Fifteen Million, Five Hundred Thousand U. S. Dollars ($15,500,000.) which we want to transfer abroad with the assistance and cooperation of a foreign company/individual to receive the said fund on our behalf or a reliable foreign non-company account to receive such funds. More so, we are handicapped in the circumstances, as the South Africa Civil Service Code of Conduct does not allow us to operate offshore account hence your importance in the whole transaction. This amount $15.5m represents the balance of the total contract value executed on behalf of my Department by a foreign contracting firm, which we the officials over-invoiced deliberately. Though the actual contract cost have been paid to the original contractor, leaving the balance in the Tune of the said amount which we have in principles gotten approval to remit by Key tested Telegraphic Transfer (K.T.T) to any foreign bank account you will provide by filing in an application through the Justice Ministry here in South Africa for the transfer of rights and privileges of the former contractor to you. I have the authority of my partners involved to propose that should you be willing to assist us in the transaction, your share of the sum will be 25% of the $15.5 million, 70% for us and 5% for taxation and miscellaneous expenses. The business itself is 100% safe, on your part provided you treat it with utmost secrecy and confidentiality. Also your area of specialization is not a hindrance to the successful execution of this transaction. I have reposed my confidence in you and hope that you will not disappoint me. Endeavor to contact me immediately my e-mail address whether or not you are interested in this deal. If you are not, it will enable me scout for another foreign partner to carry out this deal I want to assure you that my partners and myself are in a position to make the payment of this claim possible provided you can give us a very strong Assurance and guarantee that our share will be secured and please remember to treat this matter as very confidential matter, because we will not comprehend with any form of exposure as we are still in active Government Service and remember once again that time is of the essence in this business. I wait in anticipation of your fullest co-operation. Yours faithfully, DANJUMA YUSUF

Please, direct all resopnd to Email: danyusuf700@spinfinder