My moment is yours, Ed Balls Ed Balls can delight the nation by losing tonight, as I did in 1997. Don’t worry: life’s better on the outside Michael Portillo The Guardian Ed Balls addresses a crowd in Morley town centre. Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/PA In the last two weeks my name has been in headlines for the first time in years. Will a cabinet minister suffer the humiliation of losing his seat in the full glare of national publicity, as I did in 1997? Will he (oh please, please yes!) endure “a Portillo moment“? My name is now synonymous with eating a … Continue reading Balls Up! Options for Ed Balls?

Exposed underwear does not reveal sociopathic intent Even Obama has vilified the low-slung trouser wearer. It’s open season on young chaps with idiosyncratic apparel Zoe Williams guardian.co.uk An 18-year-old from Bedford named Ellis Drummond has secured a surprising win over those lords of conformity, the Crown Prosecution Service. They attempted to include in his Asbo an injunction against wearing his trousers too low, so showing his pants, and wearing a hood. People are always on about being able to see young men’s pants: there are laws in American towns that specify the amount in inches of undercracker that is considered … Continue reading Time to let low-slung trouser wearers be….

First of all what is an abaya? For those who dont know, its the black “overcoat” or “cloak” Muslim women wear over their normal clothing when they are in public. In KSA it is obligatory for everyone, even the non muslims and western women to wear it. Actually I recently found out that there is no specific law that stipulates it is a MUST. And for sure it doesnt say anywhere it has to be BLACK. I really hate being part of the masses. Everyone looks the same here. In Riyadh most women cover their faces too, so these women … Continue reading Why my abaya is blue..

By Issandr El Amrani Today the New York Times pointed out that Hosni Mubarak turned 82 yesterday, and is still bunkered in Sharm al-Sheikh where he is recovering from his operation and receiving foreign dignitaries. The president’s continued convalescence far from the capital underscored the frailty not just of the man but of a nation with no clear political plan for who will govern should he die or step down, political scientists here said. The president has been back to work, meeting with foreign leaders and even giving a national address on Sinai Liberation Day. But he did not give … Continue reading Mubarak’s health

british arabs and the 6 may general and local elections Arab engagement in the British general and local elections by Susannah Tarbush [Arabic version published in Al-Hayat on 26 April 2010] Despite the growing presence of Arabs in Britain, their participation within the mainstream political system, whether as activists or candidates, has not been very apparent. Now, in the general election to be held on 6 May, there is the very real prospect that for the first time ever a candidate of Arab origin will be elected as an MP in the British Parliament. He is 30-year-old Bassam Mahfouz [pictured … Continue reading Some British Arab candidates for May 6th Elections

140 Freaking-Awesome Prom Fail Photos According to the movies, prom is supposed to be the most magical, wonderful night of every student’s young life. From the anticipation over who will be crowned prom queen to the stress of pinning on a corsage without stabbing your date, everyone eagerly awaits this night. But for some people this night of dreams turns into a Facebook album of horrors. Here are 140 people who should have skipped the excitement and stayed home. http://coedmagazine.com/2010/05/03/140-freaking-awesome-prom-fail-photos/ Continue reading Awesome Prom Fail Photos

The reasons and causes—territory, ideology, WMDs—may change with the times, but our lust for it is eternal. Theodore Roosevelt wanted a war, and almost any war would do. In 1886, when he was a 27-year-old gentleman rancher in the Dakota Territory, he proposed raising “some companies of horse riflemen out here in the event of trouble with Mexico.” He wrote his friend Congressman Henry Cabot Lodge: “Will you telegraph me at once if war becomes inevitable?” In 1889, while agitating for military “preparedness,” he wrote British diplomat Cecil Spring-Rice: “Frankly, I don’t know if I should be sorry to see … Continue reading Why Men Love War

What a chore: 12 councillors decide to go on ‘fact-finding mission’ to LAPDANCE club By Luke Salkeld Mission: Coun. Jim Flashman is leading his fellow committee members on a ‘fact-finding’ trip to lap-dancing clubs As meetings go, it is certain to be more interesting than a discussion about pot-holes or bus shelters. But a council’s decision to fund a ‘fact-finding’ mission to lap-dancing clubs has been slammed as ‘appalling’. The conscientious group, from Cornwall Council’s licensing committee, will visit strip clubs to see, up close and personal, what occurs inside the venues. Although the precise number of poles to be … Continue reading 12 councillors decide to go on ‘fact-finding mission’ to LAPDANCE club

Residents remove spoof ‘dogging’ sign at Cotswolds beauty spot Residents living near a Cotswolds beauty spot have torn down a spoof road sign advertising a notorious ‘dogging’ site. telegraph.co.uk The sign on the Cirencester bypass at Birdlip, near Gloucester Pranksters put up the official looking notice on the Cirencester bypass at Birdlip, near Gloucester, pointing towards the Barrow Wake viewpoint – which has gained a reputation for public sexual activity. David Parkinson, a resident who ripped the sign down, said thath the site’s repuation had made it a “no-go zone” for local people. “The reputation of this area does tend … Continue reading British Public flocking to Cirencester bypass at Birdlip, near Gloucester for sex outdoors?