Quondam so-calleder Sunjoy defends the claim that figure skating as a sport. Observant readers will note that I've not included these contests in the World Biathlon Championships review. There's nothing discriminatory about this; I've also ignored aerials, half-pipes, and ski-jumping. All these events are judged subjectively, rather than judged objectively.

As far as I'm concerned, only events where the primary judging criterion can be measured objectively count as sports. Ice-skating, with its panel of judges, is an Entertainment. Not a Sport.

Just to add to the Entertainment value, the new scoring system is not just subjective, it's arbitrary. Twelve judges turn up to the major competitions, but for three of them, it's a Bit of a Wasted Journey, as their marks are ignored throughout the contest. The remaining nine do have their scores counted, via a familiar trimmed-mean mechanism. However, the fact that some information is discarded means it's possible for the outcome of the event to change. A learned paper discusses the phenomenon further.

Does any sensible Sport change its result based on a random selection of who is doing the judging? I thought not.

The mass-start event ended the World Biathlon Championships, and Michael Greis was on good form, finishing ahead of Tomasz Sikora and Ole Einar Bjorndalen. Unusually, Bjorndalen blew up on the final shoot, missing two targets and falling far behind Greis's perfect shot. The ladies' event In the women's 12.5km mass-start biathlon, Anna Carin Olofsson had a flawless race to take gold from Kati Wilhelm and Uschi Disl.

Elsewhere, the rink led by John Gushue scooped the curling gold, the first victory for Newfoundland in the event. Bob de Jong won the 10km speed skating, Clara Hughes the 5km. Julia Mancuso triumphed in the giant slalom, Benjamin Raich the slalom. Andre Lange led the fastest four-man bobsleigh. Anton Ohno won the 500m short-track, Jin Sun-Yu the 1000m. Sweden beat Finland to win the ice-hockey gold, Czechia beat Russia for third.

Katerina Neumannova was first in the ladies' 30km cross-country skiing. And the men's 50km cross-country ended in a sprint finish, as just five seconds separated the top ten skiiers. Giorgio di Centa was first across the line. You don't get this sort of high drama in the piddlingly short 42km marathon, do you?

The final medals table shows Germany on top with 11 golds, ahead of Sweden's 8. Canada (including Newfoundland) came third; though they had 7 golds, as did Austria and the FARCE, the Canyucks had 10 silvers to Austria's 6 and the North Americans' 5. South Korea had 6 golds; Russia, Switzerland, and Italy all had 5.

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posted 27 Feb 2006, 19.19 +0000

So, Channel 4 aired the 100 Funniest Television Moments last night. Only one thing went wrong; most of their selections weren't actually funny. If you're after proper funnies from University Challenge, try the "It's an oak leaf!" exchange. Or any of the foolishly wrong answers that have peppered up the Weeks over the past couple of years. Using the team from New Hall Cambridge is just wrong. They weren't even the worst team to have competed.

On the upside, it seems to be Pilots Day on Nickelodeon to-day, the channel is airing the inaugral episodes of many of their hits. Including new show Instant Star. It pairs well with the Unfabulous, introducing the music of Jill Sobule to thirteen year old girls. Instant Star takes as its (unlikely) premise a late-high-school student who wins a local talent contest and works with a manufactured pop producer. Alexz Johnson wrote her own material, and the song performances are better than the acting. I'm reckoning this is a drama-slash-satire on the shallowness of fame. Hence the icon.

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posted 27 Feb 2006, 19.48 +0000

Ah, how long would it take. Gavin Ayling suggests the following protocol for people in marginal seats:

- if you live in a Labour/Tory seat you can vote Conservative;
- if you live in a Libdem/Tory seat you can vote Conservative;
- if you live in a Labour/UKIP seat you can vote UKIP(!);
- if you live in a LibDem/Labour seat you can vote LibDem.

Are there any Lab/UIP seats? I think not.

No, I'm not convinced that this is going to be the best result for the Vote For Liberty campaign. The objective is to get rid of the authoritarian Labour administration, but not to replace them with an equally authoritarian Conservative administration. On previous form, that means I don't want a Conservative government with a substantial majority.

Engineering a hung parliament is a very, very difficult task, and I don't think that anyone can suggest it with any degree of confidence. But let me propose some approximate rules of engagement:

1) Where the seat is a two-way fight (roughly, where the second-place candidate is at least 20% ahead of third), choose the better candidate amongst the top two.

2) In a three-way fight (roughly 15% between third and fourth), choose between the top three.

3) In a clearly safe seat (25% between first and second), or in seats where there is no obvious Vote For Liberty, a protest vote for an acceptable fringe candidate with no chance of winning becomes possible. The emphasis is on voting for individuals who will support change, not voting against (or for) any particular party.

4) At Westminster, and perhaps in city government, overall majorities are not a good thing. To get serious constitutional change on the agenda, to ensure that no one grouping is able to ride roughshod over any other, requires a strong and numerous opposition. We can provide the numbers; the opposition must provide its own strength.

5) (This one's very much up for debate.) Would change be best served by a bias towards fourth-party candidates where they are in a winnable position, even where they may not be as VFL-friendly as a major party in a less viable position? Should I be deliberately tilting towards on-message groups like the SNP and PC, even where they're not in a particularly strong position?

Based on these ideas, I'll be looking at Birmingham City Council in the very near future.

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posted 27 Feb 2006, 20.01 +0000

In comments to Monday's tactical vote post, MatGB points out:

To clarify, Liberty Central is not part of the tactical voting campaign; quite important that, it needs to be non-partisan. The tactical voting campaign that may happen has to be independent. It'll just have a fair number of the same people involved.

Very good point, and thanks for clearing it up.

Onwards! The Rowntree Commission reported on Monday, on how to bring power to the people. The report is long and detailed, and will be my bedtime reading next time I try to take a Virgin train to London. However, they've got some recommendations in short form.

1. A Concordat should be drawn up between Executive and Parliament indicating where key powers lie and providing significant powers of scrutiny and initiation for Parliament.

If it looks like a written constitution, and smells like a written constititution...

2. Select Committees should be given independence and enhanced powers including the power to scrutinise and veto key government appointments and to subpoena witnesses to appear and testify before them. This should include proper resourcing so that committees can fulfil their remit effectively. The specialist committees in the Upper House should have the power to co-opt people from outside the legislature who have singular expertise, such as specialist scientists, when considering complex areas of legislation or policy.

Stronger scrutiny of the Commons and Lords is good, but is the select committee the best mechanism to achieve this?

3. Limits should be placed on the power of the whips.

Fine in theory, but it feels very much like a cack-handed way to do it. The underlying problem is the strength of the prime minister, and by extension of other party leaders. The best antidote to large blocs is not to elect them in the first place.

4. Parliament should have greater powers to initiate legislation, to launch public inquiries and to act on public petitions.

No arguments with this.

5. 70 per cent of the members of the House of Lords should be elected by a responsive electoral system (see 12 below) - and not on a closed party list system - for three parliamentary terms. To ensure that this part of the legislature is not comprised of career politicians with no experience outside politics, candidates should be at least 40 years of age.

This'll be (say) 210 members of a 300 member house. I like the idea of a minimum age limit, but I'd go further and disbar anyone who has been an MP (preferably ever, certainly within the last 10 years), or who stood for the Commons in the past few years. I'd also prefer a calendar-based term limit, Lords to be elected for a six-year period, renewable once. Don't see the need for a general Lords election, let vacancies arise as they will. Eventually, the 210 seats will be contested at the rate of one most weeks for six years.

What to do with the other 90 people? That's one Lord per half-million electors, roughly. Let the Scottish Parliament nominate ten people, the Welsh Assembly six, NI Exec three (or whatever is appropriate), and similarly for English regions. These nominees are there for life, but must remain active within the Lords. It's a similar model to the Canadian Senate.

Oh, if we're going to elect a majority of the Lords, then we must repeal the 1911 Parliament Act. There's no point in having an elected upper chamber if it will just be able to delay bad laws for a year.

6. There should be an unambiguous process of decentralisation of powers from central to local government.

Devolution back to the people, the only sensible answer to the West-lothian question. Let regions look after the matters that are best looked after regionally, let cities look after their affairs, and reserve to Westminster only matters like defence and foreign relations. Nick a bit of the German constitutional settlement.

7. A Concordat should be drawn up between central and local government setting out their respective powers.

See point 1. Combine with point 1.

8. Local government should have enhanced powers to raise taxes and administer its own finances.

See point 6. The emasculation of local government under the poll tax and council tax has been one of the tragedies of democracy during my lifetime.

9. The Government should commission an independent mapping of quangos and other public bodies to clarify and renew lines of accountability between elected and unelected authority.

10. Ministerial meetings with representatives of business including lobbyists to be logged and listed on a monthly basis.

Good ideas both.

11. A new overarching select committee should be established to scrutinise the Executive's activities in supranational bodies and multilateral negotiations, particularly in relation to the European Union, and to ensure these activities are held to account and conducted in the best interests of the British people.

12. A responsive electoral system - which offers voters a greater choice and diversity of parties and candidates - should be introduced for elections to the House of Commons, House of Lords and local councils in England and Wales to replace the first-past-the-post system.

Yes, very much so. The question is: what. Personally, I think there is a lot of merit in the proportiona l first-past-the-post system, as it retains the ability to get rid of unpopular MPs. There is an argument to include a few non-constituency members representing parties grossly under-represented in FPTP (perhaps two members for 0.8% of the national vote, an additional member per 0.4% - last time, that gives the Greens two, the UIP five, and no-one else anything.)

If one must have a traditional PR system, the best long-term alternative would be the German system of top-up members, played out in twenty-five or so (relatively) small regions of about 1.5 million electors (roughly three times the size of the 79-94 European constituencies). Currently, 1.5 million electors contribute about 18 MPs, we might usefully reduce the size of the Commons by shaving this down to 10 directly-elected MPs plus five top-ups. Or 9+4, allowing for a small float of national top-ups, for the Greens and UIPs who have a broad base with no particular depth.

13. The closed party list system to have no place in modern elections.

And bacon comes from a pig.

14. The system whereby candidates have to pay a deposit which is lost if their votes fall below a certain threshold should be replaced with a system where the candidate has to collect the signatures of a set number of supporters in order to appear on the ballot paper.

An interesting idea - the current deposit system requires a national party to stand for £300,000, and (apart from the big few) get nothing back. Forcing a significant number of electors to back the candidate, perhaps as many as 500, would be evidence of popular support. One could then charge a deposit, refundable if the candidate attracted the 500 backers.

15. The Electoral Commission should take a more active role in promoting candidacy so that more women, people from black and minority ethnic communities, people on lower incomes, young people and independents are encouraged to stand.

Don't like the scent of ethnic tokenism, or diversity-by-quota. Do like the idea of promoting independent candidates, though.

16. The voting and candidacy age should be reduced to sixteen (with the exception of candidacy for the House of Lords).

Equalising voting and candidacy ages, yes. I've no firm view about voting at 16.

17. Automatic, individual voter registration at age sixteen should be introduced. This can be done in tandem with the allocation of National Insurance numbers.

Are NI numbers a proxy for the Identity Register?

18. The citizenship curriculum should be shorter, more practical and result in a qualification.

I've no experience of the citizenship section of the national curriculum, being part of the penultimate cohort to graduate before it came into force. A qualification would enhance the subject's standing amongst pupils and schools, especially if it could count towards the precious league tables.

19. Donations from individuals to parties should be capped at £10,000, and organisational donations capped at £100 per member, subject to full democratic scrutiny within the organisation.

I'd suggest a rolling cap - individuals at 50% of the median annual wage, and organisations at 1% of the individual cap per person.

Greater democratic scrutiny is needed - I could mention a number of organisations that claim to support no particular party, but have a) campaigned against particular parties, and b) circulated their members with achievements claimed by the Labour party with the message "We trust you will consider this when casting your vote." In all but name, that's a donation to the party.

20. State funding to support local activity by political parties should be introduced based on the allocation of individual voter vouchers. This would mean that at a general election a voter will be able to tick a box allocating a £3 donation per year from public funds to a party of his or her choice to be used by that party for local activity. It would be open to the voter to make the donation to a party other than the one they have just voted for.

Good grief, how confusing. As this is for local elections, I would suggest distributing the cash in proportion to votes cast at local elections.

21. Text voting or email voting should only be considered following other reform of our democratic arrangements.

There must always remain an option to cast a ballot in the box. I'd also suggest that the practice of numbering the papers (theoretically making it possible to trace a vote back) cease.

22. The realignment of constituency boundaries should be accelerated.

The gap between reviews is currently 10 years, so the 2005 election was fought on the population distribtion circa 1991. I'd cut the gap to seven years, and see what falls out. I'd also insist that cities lose their extra representation.

23. All public bodies should be required to meet a duty of public involvement in their decision and policy-making processes.

24. Citizens should be given the right to initiate legislative processes, public inquiries and hearings into public bodies and their senior management.

A large petition, perhaps 5% of the electorate. There would have to be some measure of closure, though - once the national or regional parliament has made its decision, the matter cannot be re-opened by the public for a period.

25. The rules on the plurality of media ownership should be reformed. This is always a controversial issue but there should be special consideration given to this issue in light of the developments in digital broadcast and the internet.

26. A requirement should be introduced that public service broadcasters develop strategies to involve viewers in deliberation on matters of public importance - this would be aided by the use of digital technology.

Here's a remarkable idea: extend the existing concept of BBC Parliament to provide live and recorded coverage of regional and devolved parliaments, and local councils. The technology exists to webcast council meetings live, and to provide video on demand. Why it's not used, I don't know.

27. MPs should be required and resourced to produce annual reports, hold AGMs and make more use of innovative engagement techniques.

And to deliver this report to all constituents? Ram it down people's throats.

28. Ministerial meetings with campaign groups and their representatives should be logged and listed on a monthly basis.

29. A new independent National Statistical and Information Service should be created to provide the public with key information free of political spin.

30. "Democracy hubs" should be established in each local authority area. These would be resource centres based in the community where people can access information and advice to navigate their way through the democratic system.

Good ideas all.

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posted 01 Mar 2006, 21.17 +0000

There's been a bit of a scandal involving Tessa Jowell and her husband, David Mills. Mr Mills is accused of taking bribes from the government of Italy, and from his business partner (and Italian prime minister) Silvio Berlusconi.

Much of the problem stems from the way that David and Tessa seem to have been the front for a money-laundering operation. Why else would one re-mortgage your home for £400,000 with an off-shore bank, and then clear the debt, in cash, barely a month later?

In signed confessions, Mr Mills has said that the money came from Sr Berlusconi. He's intimated to his accountant that the money was a bribe for evidence given in court to keep the Italian out of prison. Here's Mr Mills' explanation for what happened.

Quite frankly, I don't claim to understand half of this. What I do get is the following impressions, whether they have any basis in fact or not:

1. Silvio Berlusconi has bribed his way out of prison.
2. The bribe was paid to Tessa Jowell's husband.
3. Mrs Jowell has benefitted from her husband's ill-doings.
4. Labour wants to cover this up. Why else would one appoint the extremely partisan Gus O'Donnell to head an inquiry?
5. Labour wants to cover this up. Why else leak the findings a day before they're published?
6. Labour wants to be seen as the party of sleaze. Why else clear Mrs Jowell on the grounds that her hubby didn't tell her about the provenance of the gift.

It's clear that Tessa Jowell is acting in a manner that brings the office of Minister of State into disrepute. It is not enough to be clean; a minister must be seen to be clean.

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posted 02 Mar 2006, 20.38 +0000

The Lib Dems election result has come through, and it's a win for Ming. Another piece of earthenware in a leading position. Excellent. Some leadership election campaigns electrify the party. Some just sit and fester until they finish. As an outsider, the LD campaign has definitely been in the latter category. There may have been discussion of policy, but nothing to set the nights on fire - and goodness knows we've needed it.

In Canada, we note one of the tips for the Liberal party leadership ... Mr Kennedy.

Tory-watch

Is this evidence of a genuine change in the Conservative party? Stephen Dorrell, not exactly a wimp when he was in cabinet, has spoken in favour of the public sector.

We are committed to the importance of wealth creation. There is no purer form of wealth creation than good health or a broad education. Both healthcare and education are wealth-creating activities and should be regarded as such.

We have been poor at expressing our ambition for these services; we have been defensive about them. We should be explicitly committed to the growth of these services and demonstrate we are excited about them.

We should not regard them as something that we have to deal with as part of the price of being in politics. It is part of the reason for being in politics to be engaged in the delivery of better quality public services.

One swallow doesn't make a summer, but the question we need to ask: will the Tories be any worse at what they do than Labour's continued tinkering and half-baked reforms?

Cliff notes

Proof that Radio 2 is the new Radio 1: they've invited notorious drunkard Cliff Evans to host their drive-time show from the start of next month. Couldn't they find someone a bit more credible, like Uncle Mike Stand? There's now no reason to listen to the channel between 2pm and 7pm, a huge chunk out of the day's schedule.

The dumper beckons

According to Wired magazine, it's weally, weally difficult. Bunkum. Try Majestic 12, with its unique Only Looking At The Useful Bits filter, and the Still In Alpha cool.

We would, at this point, like to plug the new Popjustice podcast. Only we can't. In their infinite* wisdom, the smart-arses have decided to release it only in M4A format. This is a vendor-specific format. It's like producing a magazine of interest throughout the world, but only selling it to Australians. No-one in their right mind would do that ... oh.

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posted 02 Mar 2006, 20.59 +0000

So, Mister Tony Blair reckons that he had a conversation with God before invading Iraq. We got in touch with The GOD Organisation; their president was unable to return calls, but we must thank the very helpful secretary who was working the press office this morning. So, spokesdeity, did the British PM contact you?

"Ah, yes, The GOD Organisation does hae a record of Mister Blair's correspondence."

And what did you say to him?

"No, I can't tell you what we said. It's covered by our usual client-deity confidentiality clause."

But did you send some sort of message to him?

"It is The GOD Organisation's standard practise to send a response. This case was handled according to our usual protocols."

What form did this message take?

"Again, the client-deity protocol prevents us from discussing the exact forms we use. Do remember that The GOD Organisation prides itself by moving in mysterious ways."

Did your organisation use a burning bush?

"(laughter) No, the burning bush metaphor was one of our less successful devices to attract attention. That was over 4000 years ago, and we've become much, much more subtle since. Though it may be an idea we'll reconsider as a publicity stunt"

Ms Loki, thank you.

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posted 04 Mar 2006, 15.20 +0000

A disclaimer: I have no particular opinion on the seal-hunt off the Atlantic Coast. But I do have a position on a fair argument.

Paul Fab Macca Whacky Thumbs Aloft!!! McCartney popped up on this morning's Larry King Live (Still, But Only Just). His purpose in being there was to spend half an hour putting his side of the argument about the Newfoundland seal hunt. Over and over, a partisan video credited to The Humane Society of the United States was aired, including some very emotive footage of clubs being used to kill the animals. Now, what locus do these foreigners have in the Gulf? Historians will recall that Newfoundland voted by a mile not to join the United Stations in 1949.

If Mr Fab Macca - or his wife, Screech-Owl Mills-Macca - wants to dispute the opinion of vetinarians, who say that the killing is done in as humane a manner as possible, then let them produce evidence. All we got from this was further confirmation that Mr Fab Macca is not capable of presenting a fair and balanced position.

If I were scoring this under the Question Muck rules, then Danny Williams (Premier, Newfoundland-Labrador) is the clear winner. He got barely a third of the air-time granted to Fab and Screech-Owl Macca, and put his case in a calm and rational manner. Bonus points for getting a mention in for the over-fishing by the Spanish trawlers on the Grand Banks. Screech-Owl got a lot of muck, for butting in on the conversation and generally acting like an arse.

Loser, though, is CNN's reputation for impartiality; this was a 30-minute uninterrupted fund-raiser for the advocacy group, without an equal 30-minute rebuttal.

Two other points: Fab Macca, you will find that Charlottetown is on Prince Edward Island. Which is not part of Newfoundland. It's like saying that the Macca's home on the Mull of Kintyre is in Wales. And Larry King, you will find that the correct way of pronouncing the province's name is not New Finland, it's new-f'nd-LAND, emphasis on the final syllable, to rhyme with understand.

Does OFCOM cover impartiality on CNN?

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posted 04 Mar 2006, 15.43 +0000

How Soccer Works. A guide for any new-comers to the continent.

A parking space is 17% more expensive than the car that sits in it, claims an economist.

Board Game Club, UK.

The Edge of the Forest, a publication about young adult literature. Any link between the two items above is purely deliberate.

In actual news

Nancy Burden does a far better job of showing up Fab Macca's piss-poor argument. As my biology teacher was fond of saying in a cod-Chinese accent, "Mind like parachute: work best when open."

Duty-free limits will rise from the start of next year. Air travellers will be able to bring in goods to the value of €500 per trip (currently £340). The limits on perfume and toilet water will be lifted, but a new maximum of 16 litres of beer will arrive. The wine allowance will double to 4 litres, but tobacco will remain at a mere 200 cigarettes. Car and boat travellers will only be able to import €220 of goods; this does not apply to travellers from Norway and Switzerland, but does apply to those arriving on cruise ships.

Mrs Tessa Jowell has split from her husband of 25 years. Mr David Mills, the husband in question, is suspected of taking a bribe from corrupt Italian politician Sr Silvio Berlusconi. Those cynics who suggest that Mr Mister Tony Blair gave Mrs Jowell an ultimatum - your husband or your job - are clearly barking up the wrong tree. Woof.

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posted 05 Mar 2006, 13.45 +0000

Sunday saw the occasional Lebrecht Live debate on the Third Programme. Are we being overwhelmed by the visual? asked the cultural critic.

Yes, is the short answer. The only news stories that make the television - and hence permeate public consciousness - are those with arresting visual images. It's difficult to talk about electoral reform, education reform, or the state of the NHS in pictures, so television doesn't try, and that dominates the agenda. Same in the arts, where the basic format for a classical concert is with the staging and lighting of a rock gig. It's not enough to see fifty smartly-dressed people playing their instruments, they've now got to be bathed in moving coloured lights.

M'learned friend Lucy Cat. muses

we are all media drowning, don't you think? all a product of our generations and the pop culture that exists, or existed, in our lifetime or adolescence or sometimes in the not so far before lifetimes. most of all the conversations we all have, and the ways in which we find ways to connect to each other, exist in this realm -- especially in a venue like this, i think.

Well, yes and no. It is terribly easy to see oneself purely in terms of a grand unifying culture. "Everybody" sees the same commercials, "everybody" hears the same music, "everybody" smells the same perfumes. But accepting that state of affairs is to hand oneself over to the Grand Cultural Hegemony of our days. There is nothing wrong with those individual elements that make up the GCH. But put them together, and they start to become a fence, binding us in.

Why should we care for the actions of someone who is only known because they're never themselves? Why should we be constrained to a particular pattern of notes, never deviating from a few rhythms and scales? Why should we believe only the evidence of our eyes, and not engage our brains to think in depth?

In the light of that, I shall take considerable latitude in interpreting Lucy Cat.'s questions.

1* what was the last song you heard?
2* sing something (or at least share a lyric).

Zadok the Priest, one of Mr Handel's anthems for the coronation of Geo. II. It's one of the most vibrant, most regal pieces of music, shouting God save the King! Long live the King! to stirring, uplifing chords. And it's thoroughly patriotic, without being really associated with any country.

Legal MIDIs of the work are available through Classical Archives; those of you with an ear for the individual parts may find this page of interest.

3* what new (or new to you) artist/band do you currently have mad love for?

How Literature Works does exactly what it says on the tin. It's a 100-episode guide for the recreational reader - people in reading groups would be a good example - who love reading but may not have studied it in any formal sense. It doesn't tell them what to read, but rather how to get the most out of their reading - and hopefully, by the end will have given anyone listening the confidence to venture outside their comfort zone, take on Ulysses, and win.

Scripts - yes, it's reading, you've got to read it - at the Oneword website.

4* where do you get your music news/reviews/updates (online or offline)?

The Stage tells what is happening in the world of the performing arts. I particularly appreciate the reviews, for they are amongst the least biassed around.

5* what film(s) do you think would be forever changed if you took away, or changed, the music within it?

It is possible to play Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? in complete silence. Possible, but if you have the option to play with the original music, it's a whole lot better.

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posted 05 Mar 2006, 14.01 +0000

Nagpur: England (393 and 297/3d) drew with India (323 and 260/6)

A very good game of cricket saw a patched-up England team come far closer to the win than looked possible. With regular captain Michael Vaughan out injured, and established stand-in Marcus Trescothick absent for family reasons, the captain's job fell to Freddy Flintoff. The visitors were left reeling at 244/7 at the end of the first day, in spite of 60 from debutant Andy Cook. But Paul Collingwood, a man who has been on the fringes of the England team for the past couple of years, and his first test century will surely cement his claim to become an established part of the order. Collingwood was left on 134* and steered England to a more respectable 393.

Jaffer (81) and Dravid (40) had a great stand of 129 for the second Indian wicket, but once they were parted, the innings fell to pieces, dropping from 140/1 to 190/7. But Kaif (91) and Kumble (58) restored some respectability to the score, and the Indians finished on 323.

England accelerated for their second innings, piling on 297/3 in just over two sessions. Cook was again in strong form, making 104*, with Pietersen's 87 from 110 balls a classic little knock. Declaring on their total left India 368 to win, and for two sessions it looked as though both sides were happy to accept the draw. After tea, the Indians went on the attack; Jaffer brought up his century, but fell within moments. Dravid made 71, and Tendulkar 28* from 19 balls. In the end, bad light stopped play with India on 260/6 with 14 overs left.

In the final analysis, a better result for England than they could have expected, and it's great to see Cook and Collingwood press their claims for inclusion in such a fashion. Flintoff was off his game, taking 3/147 in 46 overs.

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posted 05 Mar 2006, 18.35 +0000

All change! All change! In Germany, the pairing of Eros and Anastacia gets the almost-inevitable best-seller, keeping the ultra-hip Rosenstolz (Ich bin ich, wir sind wir) in second place, and boy-band Us 5 in third. Zucchero has the new number one in France, Baila morena pushes Amine to second, with Diams in at 3 with La boulette. Marie Serneholt has the highest new entry in Sweden, That's the way my heart goes is in second place. Most of the rest of the continent has that crap from Madonna in pole position.

*20 NE Najoya Bejel - Gabriel
 19 18 Amine - J'voulais
 18 14 Natasha St-Pier - Un ange frappe a ma porte
 17  9 Juanes - La camisa negra
*16 NE Fall Out Boy - Sugar we're going down
 15  7 Bob Sinclar - Love generation
*14 NE Corinne Bailey Rae - Put your records on
 13  8 Coldplay - Talk
 12 re Shakira - Don't bother
 11 10 Mattafix - Big city life
 10 12 Melanie C - First day of my life
  9  5 James Blunt - Goodbye my lover
  8  4 Tina Arena - Aimer jusqu'a l'impossible
  7  6 Depeche Mode - A pain that I'm used to
* 6 13 Eros Ramazzotti / Anastacia - I belong to you
  5 11 Arctic Monkeys - When the sun goes down
  4  3 Sugababes - Push the button
  3  2 Sugababes - Ugly
* 2 NE Madonna - Sorry
* 1  1 Kelly Clarkson - Because of you

It's all change in the UK, as the Smash Hits Chart is no more. In its place comes The A-List Chart, which combines singles, airplay, and albums to determine the week's biggest acts for a slightly older audience. This week: the Sugababes. Hit 40 UK, the former Network Chart, continues to be based on sales and airplay. Apparently, Radio 1 is still doing a countdown based on sales, but all we seem to get when it's billed is two pricks yammering on. After Easter, the Fresh Forty will launch, aimed at urban music fans. So expect Joss Stone to be a mainstay.

On the actual survey, the latest reality show reject is Chico, and he's having his five weeks of fame as It's Chico time enters at number one, selling 50,000 copies. The intensely naff Pussies are number 2, with CBR dropping to three, and Madge's pile of manure down to 4. Orson's No tomorrow, the missing link between self-important Kerrang and the kids' station Capital Disney, is in at 5. The Feeling have had huge airplay for the rather tepid Sewn, and are rewarded with a number 7 entry. Shakira's Don't bother enters at 9. Miss of the week belongs to the Love Bites, who suffer the Curse of the Popjustice Podcast, He's fit can only enter at position 48. On the albums list, Corinne Bailey Rae enters at the top spot, Ne-Yo's in at 14, the Sugababes and Johnny Cash make good climbs.

Here's the good stuff on the singles listing:

 3  2 Corinne Bailey Rae - Put your records on
 5 NE Orson - No tomorrow
 9 NE Shakira - Don't bother
12  9 Source - You got the love
14 NE Charlotte Church - Moodswings
16 10 Fall Out Boy - Sugar we're going down
20 NE Graham Coxon - Standing on my own again
22 NE Rakes - All too human
23 NE Mystery Jets - The boy who ran away
24 14 Dead or Alive - You spin me round
34 27 Kelly Clarkson - Because of you
37 30 Arctic Monkeys - When the sun goes down
41 25 Boys Aloud - I predicate a riot
46 33 Jesse McCartney - Beautiful soul
47 23 Delays - Valentine
48 NE Love Bites - He's fit
51 46 Arctic Monkeys
        - I bet you look good on the dancefloor
53 37 Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats
54 21 Maximo Park - I want you to stay
56 38 Ashley Simpson - Boyfriend
59 41 Sugababes - Ugly
61 44 K T Tunstall - Suddenly I see
62 56 Sugababes - Push the button
64 51 Boys Aloud
        - Every day I love you less and less
66 29 We Are Scientists - It's a hit
68 NE Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
        - In this home on ice
71 57 Kelly Clarkson - Since you've been gone
73 re New Order - Blue Monday

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posted 05 Mar 2006, 19.36 +0000

The winter's over. For much of southern England and south Wales, it was the coldest winter since 1996-7; for northern England, north Wales, and south Scotland, the coldest since 1999-2000. North-east Scotland saw the coldest winter since 2003-4, and north-west Scotland was colder last winter than this. Only in a small area of southern Hampshire and Dorset did the Met Office's prognostication of the coldest winter in a decade come true.

That's not to say that this week wasn't cold, with lying snow on most mornings.

27 Mo cloud                2/ 6, 1.5
28 Tu rain o/n, sun        1/ 5, 2.0
01 We sun                 -1/ 6
02 Th sun, snow showers   -2/ 5, 1.0
03 Fr sun                 -4/ 5, 1.0
04 Sa sun, snow showers   -3/ 5, 1.5
05 Su sun, snow showers   -1/ 8, 1.0

A full 54; degree heating days this week, the winter's total goes to 651½. This year is now certain to be colder than last; the corresponding figure for 2004-5 was 566½/677½. 651.5 degrees was achieved on 14 Apr last year, an increase of fully twenty-one days on last week.

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posted 05 Mar 2006, 19.49 +0000

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