My last post from Blogger

Just a final note (from Blogger) to say I have decided that after eleven months of using Blogger for weblogging to use another service. Blogger has been left something to be desired for a considerable amount of time for me, anyway.

My new blog (still known as 'The Current Outlook') is located here. Please update your links, favourites, diaries, brains, whatever.

Tonight's Any Question's line-up announced

Tonight's edition of Any Questions? comes from Hall Grove School, Bagshot in Surrey. Jonathan Dimbleby will be presenting.

The panellists:

• Lord Falconer (Labour)
• Tim Yeo MP (Conservative)
• Don Foster MP (Liberal Democrat)
• Christina Odone (columnist for The Observer)

I look forward to tonight's debate.

TV: Question Time

Charles Clarke was completely defeated with regards to control orders. It was rather surprising just how far he was overwhelmed.

I was stunned by the claim by Clarke that 'the price of freedom is eternal vigilance'. Shami Chakrabarti pointed out that sentiment is for us the British public to keep watching people like Charles Clarke and the Prime Minister, the people who want to take our freedom away much more effectively than any terrorist bogeyman like Al-Qaeda.

Home Office's "anti-terror" laws go before the House of Lords today

Controversial terrorism plans, including putting suspects under house arrest, go back before the Lords later.

It's easy to deride and mock those who sit in the House of Lords. I'm not going to mock them. They are the only safeguard the British people have against the full force of this Government. I hope they don't fail us.

Tomorrow's Question Time line-up announced

Tomorrow night's edition will be broadcast from London and will centre on the subject of home affairs - Law 'N' Order. The panel has undergone a reduction from five members to four.

The line-up:

• Charles Clarke MP (Labour)
• David Davis MP (Conservative)
• Mark Oaten MP (Liberal Democrat)
• Shami Chakrabarti (director of Liberty)

I will be looking forward to this.

Christmas in August

This was a lovely drama. It's about a photographer Jung-Won (Han Suk-Kyu), who is quite young. He is suffering from a terminal illness. He strikes up a platonic relationship with Darim (Shin Eun-Ha). He realises though that he does not have enough time left to see his relationship with her through and is haunted by the knowledge that he will die and leave people behind him.

It's quite a sad movie, yet rather upbeat too. It doesn't go over the top by screaming and shouting but instead goes for the subtle technique. Christmas in August is a wonderful little film. I liked it.

Survey says politicians are among the most sleep deprived people

Politicians are among the most sleep deprived people in society, a survey has suggested.

Diddums. It's no wonder they don't sleep properly when they behave as they do. They don't have a lot of sympathy from me in any case.

My House in Umbria

I decided to go and see this at the cinema tonight.

A railway carriage is bombed, apparently by terrorists. Some of the people in the carriage die but four survive, one of them being Emily Delahunty (Maggie Smith), a British writer. Emily decides to invite all four survivors: an old British general (Ronnie Barker), a young German political reporter (Benno Fürmann) and a small American girl, Aimee (Emily Clarke) to her lovely home in the Umbrian countryside to recover. Emily spends most of her time drinking and doing nothing. Her childless professor uncle Tom Riversmith (Chris Cooper) is notified and he turns up. He's no-nonsense and dislikes her rather carefree, drink-filled lifestyle. She tries to get him into bed and he shatters her dreams.

That's about it. It's all very well mannered but the film achieves nothing. Nothing happens. The film essentially achieves nothing instead of loads of lovely shots of the Umbrian countryside. It would probably be better on a Sunday afternoon in front of the TV as it certainly isn't suited to the cinema. My House in Umbria is made up of scenery porn and little else.

My House in Umbria has some wonderful scenery but sod all else.

Government denies Shadow Home Secretary's 'backtrack' claims on "anti-terror" law

The government has denied claims by Conservative shadow home secretary David Davis that it is to backtrack on controversial anti-terror legislation.

I would think they'll still want to get some kind of cross-party support. I do worry about the Liberal Democrat's position on this worrying piece of legislation. Mark Oaten appears to be far too aligned with the Government on this and, in my opinion, is failing in his job to stick up for the beliefs of their party.