http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/en-EUMokoFeed10http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/http://data5.blog.de/design/preview/b1/7225dc8342ba2fdce9c248fee52bf8_160x200.jpghttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/13/13-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6503518/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-13:/2009/07/13/13-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6503518/Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:19:41 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/13/13-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6503518/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Today's card is</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=197022">Daggerclaw Imp</a> - Black - Imp</strong></p> <p><em>The Simic use the claws as scalpels, while the Rakdos use them for tattooing and torture. The Gruul use them to pick their teeth after lunching on the rest of the carcass.</em></p> <p>A kamikaze effort is made today by someone unable to keep their opinions to themselves. Given the stream of Labour women - not all of them tainted by the expenses scandal - lining up to accuse Gordon Brown of sexism or being a "Gordfather" or whatever, I'd hazard a guess that more is to come.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/13/13-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6503518/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>expenses-scandalleadershipgovernmentmagic-the-gatheringlabour-partygordon-brownhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/13/13-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6503518/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/10/10-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6483494/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-10:/2009/07/10/10-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6483494/Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:23:42 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/10/10-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6483494/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Today's card of the day does not bode well for someone trying to keep a lid on something private, discreet or secret.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=20234">Monstrous Growth</a> - Green - Sorcery</strong></p> <p><em>The nightstalkers' little game of tease-the-squirrel suddenly took an unexpected turn.</em></p> <p>Enough said.</p> <p>-----</p> <p>Just a bit of an update - sorry for not linking to the cards yesterday, the links are up now.</p> <p>Also, the BBC have reported nothing unusual happening at <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cambridgeshire/8143696.stm">Jonathan Djanogly's meeting</a> with his Huntingdon constituency. Quelle surprise. We <em>do</em> all know what happened with Andrew Mackay in Bracknell, but this time it seems like Djanogly has got away with it for now; he <em>did</em> repay things before the scandal broke and he did 'fess up. But one hopes he got enough of a grilling to leave him in no doubt what people actually think.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/10/10-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6483494/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>bbcexpenses-scandaljonathan-djanoglyhuntingdonconservative-associationbracknellconstituencyandrew-mackayconservative-partymagic-the-gatheringhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/10/10-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6483494/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-come-join-with-captain-coulson-6480599/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-09:/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-come-join-with-captain-coulson-6480599/Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:18:49 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-come-join-with-captain-coulson-6480599/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>The title refers to an old folk song about ploughing the high seas in search of a better life - and then being attacked and sunk by pirates.</p> <p>Interesting that the Tories have found themselves in trouble over what Andy Coulson did as editor of the News of the Screws, but although people try to excuse Cameron from the issue because he would have known about Coulson before he hired him in 2006, perhaps he didn't know everything. To be fair, I hardly think Coulson would have admitted he did anything wrong before coming to work for <em>Vulpes Vulpes</em>, but the problem is that the Tories have been damaged here by association. I haven't been following the story - having a bit more Me time and looking for another job - but I think it is probably linked to the idea that Pluto in Capricorn is calling Pluto in Sagitarrius to account: the tactics used with impunity in the past are now being laid bare for the public to judge what is going on. Damian McBride was the first casualty of all this. But will Coulson redress the balance and make the Tories look equally foolish?</p> <p>A reading will provide a few answers.</p> <p><strong>Situation: <em>Ascending Aven - Blue - Bird Soldier</em></strong></p> <p>An interesting card. The bird is well armoured and although belligerent, not overtly evil or malevolent in intent. It may be that Coulson is defending himself well or it may also be that he has nothing to be ashamed of, legally at least. But it is still an aggressive looking card - a challenge to the PinS status quo, and a situation where there is still potential for fireworks.</p> <p><strong>Public appearance of Coulson's doings: <em>Clockspinning - Blue - Instant</em></strong></p> <p>Time has moved on and the public are no longer tolerant of politicians' dirty tricks, as Smeargate proved. It's a kind of acceleration of the slippery slope towards the next election, and it could be what the Tories "need" in the way of scrutiny of their own affairs. It's essentially pushing a fast-forward button towards what I feel has been looming over the Tories' head for some time; depending on how Cameron handles being tainted by association with Coulson if he has done something wrong, the buck may even stop with him.</p> <p><strong>Internal reality of Coulson's doings: <em>Brassclaw Orcs - Red - Orc</em></strong></p> <p><em>"Brassclaws were typical Orcs - quick to laud their own prowess in battle, quick to jeer at their opponents, and quicker still to run away when things started to look slightly dangerous."</em></p> <p>A perfect summary for me of what the Tories have been doing for some time. They were taking the moral high ground so much over Smeargate you had to wonder what was in their own graveyards. If Coulson used unethical tactics in his editorship of NotW, has he used unethical, immoral or even illegal tactics while working for the Tories? Perhaps, perhaps not, but this is probably karma rebounding on those that were so quick to jeer during the early spring. For every Damian McBride, there is an Andy Coulson - and neither party now has the moral high ground. Interesting stuff ahead.</p> <p><strong>Roots of the Situation: <em>Thermal Glider - White - Rebel</em></strong></p> <p><em>"The Mercadians are too busy looking down on us to see us coming." - Cho-Arrim rebel</em></p> <p>In other words, the Tories were too busy trying to find dirt on Labour to believe that they were also acting unethically or had people who worked for them who had done so. The "protection from red" mechanic shows clearly that while Labour were unpopular, the Tories believed they were untouchable. As I said, what goes around, comes around.</p> <p><strong>Seeds sown by the situation: <em>Crossbow Infantry - White - Soldier</em></strong></p> <p><em>The crossbow is the ideal weapon for the lazy Mercadians: just point and shoot.</em></p> <p>It may not damage the Tories in the short term but the "lazy" word here confirms my idea that the Tories' own laziness is what will hurt them eventually - Coulson has been found out and may or may not go - I don't see Cameron sacking him at least, Cameron very rarely has the balls to sack anyone, as his behaviour during the expenses scandal has proven - but all this begins to take its toll on both parties, particularly as I have a hunch Norwich North might be an Independent gain if the expenses scandal is what drives the campaign forward. This won't help the Tories at all and the timing is utterly perfect - so perfect that one could think Dolly Draper or Mandy Mandelson must be behind it as revenge for Smeargate. Sad, but probably true, ventures Owlperson.</p> <p><strong>Advice to Coulson: <em>Monstrous Growth - Green - Sorcery</em></strong></p> <p><em>The nightstalkers' little game of tease-the-squirrel suddenly took on an unexpected turn.</em></p> <p>Coincidentally, Mr Coulson is a squirrel totem - and this shows him growing to enormous proportions. If he does keep his job, he has to grow up - he has to play nice, or the public won't like the people he advises.</p> <p><strong>Advice to the Tories/Cameron: <em>Vintara Snapper - Green - Turtle</em></strong></p> <p><em>"The snapper is still when all else moves/And strikes when all are dozing." - Tales of the Vintara Forest.</em></p> <p>The Tories need to lie still and stop bleating - and let Coulson be judged himself, or risk being dragged into this row. It's Coulson's doing as a newspaper journalist, not as a political spin doctor, but if he goes down, he should go down alone - not pulling <em>Vulpes Vulpes </em>with him. Thus the Tories could still jettison him while they have a chance. Unfortunately, of course, Cambo needs him as part of his "team" and thus is standing by him. Most of the time, people who become an embarrassment go very quickly when the person who is being tainted by association<strong> </strong>begins to suffer too, so I don't read too much into Cameron's initial endorsement of him. But a swift decapitation is needed to get them out of this mess too - they need to snap him off and leave him to face the music alone.</p> <p><strong>Warning to Coulson: <em>Tidal Flats - Blue - Enchantment</em></strong></p> <p>The desolation and isolation of this card's art suggests Coulson really is alone, and that if things progress much further he will be abandoned by the Tories. Hopefully for the Tories' sake, the sooner the better; but a lot of people around Cameron are far too sticky for the Tories' own good, and Cameron shows a reluctance to get rid of people who are behaving badly which is a bad omen for government. But Coulson would certainly go if he became too toxic.</p> <p><strong>Warning to the Tories/Cameron: <em>Icatian Moneychanger - White - Townsfolk</em></strong></p> <p>The concerns here are depicted by a figure who gives me the feel of the old slogan beginning "you have been weighed in the balance..." (or <em>mene mene tekel upharsin</em>). Perhaps Cameron should not stick to Coulson too long or he could be found rather wanting.</p> <p><strong>Direction: <em>Merseine - Blue - Enchantment/Aura</em></strong></p> <p>This echoes the idea of the VIII of Swords in the traditional tarot, though without the connotation of the trap being a deadly one. Rather limitations restrict the situation to an outcome which may see the departure of another errant spin doctor. Removing the trap here requires strength, patience and resources, which are there but may or may not be used to greatest effect here. Regardless, the situation is one which is inescapable without a struggle.</p> <p><strong>Solution: <em>Combat Medic - White - Soldier</em></strong></p> <p><em>"Although Icatia's Combat Medics borrowed much of their knowledge from other societies, their skills were their own." - Sarpadian Empires, vol. VI</em></p> <p>Again the situation is soluble; with patience, thought and backbone things will definitely be better if the struggle is joined to get out of the net above with dignity. It's not an issue that is beyond hope for anyone concerned - but the right decisions have to be made without prejudice or arrogance.  Sadly, those two are qualities shared by our politicians of all stripes, so we should not really be holding our breath. </p> <p><strong>Outcome: <em>Icatian Scout - White - Soldier</em></strong></p> <p><em>"Scouting is the art of balancing the need to go undiscovered with the need to get all the information you can. It's only by Leitbur's good grace that I'm still alive today." - Ailis Connaut, Diary.</em></p> <p>This is not do or die for the Tories, but they need to be aware of the pitfalls of association with Coulson and get better at recruiting spin doctors who can do what the scout does - gather information - without it being done in a dishonest or illegal way. The number of white cards in the latter part of the spread suggests it's not Gotterdammerung quite yet. It might also presage a return to honest spin as opposed to dirty tricks - which would be a relief after this spring and summer. But I still don't believe the party will emerged unscathed - it doesn't have a pedigree of doing the right thing over doing the expedient thing, nor does Cameron believe in reining in troublesome members who make him look bad. He may find himself no longer untouchable, but to be fair to him, I think he may raise his game a little bit more in response to this scandal than he would have done otherwise.</p> <p>Game on.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-come-join-with-captain-coulson-6480599/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>magic-the-gatheringexpenses-scandalplutooppositionpeter-mandelsondavid-cameronsagittariuspluto-in-sagittariusnews-of-the-worldconservative-partycapricornnorwich-northgotterdammerungsmeargategovernmentpluto-in-capricornandy-coulsonby-electionderek-drapersquirrels2006leadershipnews-of-the-screwsmene-mene-tekel-upharsinlabour-partyowlpersonhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-come-join-with-captain-coulson-6480599/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-card-of-the-day-the-coulson-affair-6478126/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-09:/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-card-of-the-day-the-coulson-affair-6478126/Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:10:10 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-card-of-the-day-the-coulson-affair-6478126/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>I will dissect the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/09/newsoftheworld-newsinternational">issue with Andy Coulson a bit later</a> but the CotD reading will read for both him and <em>Vulpes Vulpes</em> as they attempt to wriggle out of the universal law of fate that "what goes around, comes around".</p> <p><strong>COULSON:</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=15876">Goblin Berserker</a> - Red - Goblin</strong></p> <p><em>Goblins don't know the meaning of the word "tactics"—or the word "meaning," for that matter.</em></p> <p>And Coulson doesn't know the meaning of the words "ethical journalism", either. Shafted. He's obviously the one in the wrong here, but if it goes to a Met investigation - will Cambo be <em>so </em>eager to endorse him?</p> <p><strong>CAMERON:</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=14511">Counterspell</a> - Blue - Instant</strong></p> <p>This card is the iconic "counter" to most spells in Magic - it, or its reworked variant <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=178092">Cancel</a> (Cancel costs more to use and therefore is slower to come out in a game, making you save it for the really big things your opponent has to throw at you, like a <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=129808">Wrath of God</a>, for instance) has won me a few games recently. To me this says that Cameron is the target of the countermagic - that his drive towards power trying to use Labour's dirty tricks against them (<em>viz</em> Smeargate) has fallen victim to the idea that journalists are never slow to challenge someone who sets themselves up as whiter than white. Cameron can't rely on Labour being hoisted on their own petard - he has to find something else, something genuinely positive to say about politics and policies before Coulson brings him down too.</p> <p>Like I've been saying for three years now.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-card-of-the-day-the-coulson-affair-6478126/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>oppositionmagic-the-gatheringconservative-partylabour-partyfoxesandy-coulsonsmeargatemetropolitan-policedavid-cameronnews-of-the-worldthe-guardiannews-of-the-screwswrath-of-godhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-card-of-the-day-the-coulson-affair-6478126/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-a-late-story-from-the-expenses-scandal-6478041/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-09:/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-a-late-story-from-the-expenses-scandal-6478041/Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:49:17 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-a-late-story-from-the-expenses-scandal-6478041/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Jonathan Djanogly will today be quizzed by constituents <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jul/09/jonathan-djanogly-au-pair-claim">on his claims for a cleaner and/or a nanny</a> - it seems he employed her as a cleaner but she then advertised herself as a nanny/au pair on a certain website, raising questions similar to what Caroline Spelman was pilloried for last year over her payments from her Parliamentary allowance to her nanny.</p> <p>The issue isn't really the bit about the nanny/au pair business - it's mainly that he only spent three days a month (on average) at the property. (His constituents might also like to question that bit too, whether in fact he is paying attention to Huntingdon properly, a seat inherited from John Major who, according to Owlperson, was much more solicitous of his constituents' goodwill.) £400 a month is quite a lot just for that. As usual it is the amount of money these people can claim from taxpayers in general</p> <p>He is denying any impropriety and claiming that:</p> <blockquote> <p>"I reconfirm my position that my claims were made within the law and the rules of the second-home allowance scheme," he said.</p> </blockquote> <p>and yet:</p> <blockquote> <p>"I will not make any further claims in respect of my second home until the system has been reformed."</p> </blockquote> <p>Yet he was prepared to claim on an unreformed system for all this time. Like so much of the current crop of MPs, the people who are now falling over themselves to suggest reforms are the people for whom it became second nature to claim these sums, for properties which have in some cases (also see Alan and Ann Keen - Labour are far from whiter than white on this score either) remained empty for long periods of time. Djanogly is a millionaire, and, like the Keens with their double salary, it might also be fair to say that he could pay for it out of his own pocket rather than having to claim from the taxpayer. But that's too simple for some people.</p> <p>A card, perhaps, for how Mr Djanogly will fare when he meets his constituents today:</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=158104">Balefire Liege</a> - White/Red - Spirit Horror</strong></p> <p>The card depicts an incorporeal but nonetheless potent and dangerous spirit who gives fillips to both red and white creatures - a nod to the sophistication involved with Djanogly's demeanour and the rage bubbling beneath his constituents' skin. The scandal is by no means over (and Benedict Brogan in the Telegraph last night asked why Djanogly's claim had been missed by Cameron's "strict" audit) - and although the reception will be civil, it will also be mutedly hostile. The spirit of the scandal burns away - but the rage is focussed and curt rather than diffuse and ineffective. Djanogly will run a gauntlet, and will probably survive, but be damaged with the rest of the Parliament of Manure until someone can come in and sort it all out properly.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-a-late-story-from-the-expenses-scandal-6478041/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>magic-the-gatheringcleaner2009parliamentary-allowancealan-and-ann-keenjohn-majorau-pairbenedict-brogantaxpayersconservative-partyparliamentconstituentsann-keennannycaroline-spelmanowlpersonconstituency-associationjonathan-djanoglydaily-telegraphalan-keenthe-guardianlabour-partymillionairehuntingdonexpenses-scandalhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/09/9-july-2009-a-late-story-from-the-expenses-scandal-6478041/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/08/8-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6471230/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-08:/2009/07/08/8-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6471230/Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:40:27 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/08/8-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6471230/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Today's card is again interesting - they always are.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=9842">Spike Hatcher</a> - Green - Spike</strong></p> <p>Something begins strong, but is cannibalising itself either to strengthen others or to keep itself in contention. With the Government putting down a rebellion on the 10p tax rate, Spike Hatcher shows the propensity for regeneration in this context is quite phenomenal, but this warns Gordon and co that such Houdini episodes are ultimately just postponing the agony. Gordon is in command but he is using his finite resources to keep himself going and as such I'm not sure how long he will last once we get some proper discussion and debate going. I have no desire personally to see him go - except down to a proper Tory administration - but it's not up to me, it's up to him to use his strength, resources and +1/+1 counters effectively before they run out altogether. There is a lack on this card of getting any more: when they're gone, they're gone.</p> <p>How much longer Spike Hatcher will keep going, I'm not sure. But the resources are only finite, so Gordon must use them sparingly and, in a political context, try to mollify his jittery party and point them towards the real solution - that the Tories will currently fall at the first hurdle they come to without serious effort on their part to start leading the debate.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/08/8-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6471230/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>oppositiongovernmentmagic-the-gathering2009gordon-brownconservative-partyleadershiplabour-partyhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/08/8-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6471230/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/08/8-july-2009-lego-gets-political-6470778/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-08:/2009/07/08/8-july-2009-lego-gets-political-6470778/Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:08:04 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/08/8-july-2009-lego-gets-political-6470778/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Not sure whether this is funny, sad or something else but Amnesty's Control Arms group on Facebook has thrown up this fascinating blogger who uses Lego to portray human rights abuses and images of genocide.</p> <p><a href="http://www.protectthehuman.com/galleries/darfur">A novel concept</a>. The impact is probably starker considering that the medium used is so novel. I'm actually slightly worried - you don't really know whether to laugh or cry at it, and end up doing the former. <a href="http://legofesto.blogspot.com/">The blog is not as vividly written </a>as the Darfur tableaux shown by Amnesty, a pity because it would otherwise be a very novel way of building a unique political outlook on the world. There could also be a slight conflict of opinion in here - she seems very left-wing and try as I might, I can't get worked up about international politics or the Middle East any more. Coming from a Northern Irish Protestant background I find it hard to see the world totally black and white - I would be for Irish unity but the practical obstacles are much bigger; and Owlie, while sympathising with the Palestinian issue and hating Ariel Sharon with a vengeance, points out repeatedly that Israel has acted mainly in self-defence - up to and including Gaza. The more the Arab states around it target it, the more it is going to go overboard in defending itself; and it is, after all, one of the few democracies that exist in that region.</p> <p>Legofesto doesn't touch on either situation but I find her expression lacking in subtlety, as if one side is always right and one side always wrong. I may utterly despise David Cameron and all he stands for, but I am prepared to admit he has said one thing of more than passing interest and worth in the past three and a half years - "sunlight is the best disinfectant". (It certainly has been over this spring and summer!) Not even Owlie, on the opposite bench, would say that the Cabinet lacks humanity or loves war - neither does the Shadow Cabinet. Although he did at the time vote for the Iraq War, he did come to believe we'd been duped - or that the top brass were duped. Inside Westminster, the debate was much fuller and more complete, and to give Blair some credit over this, up until Hutton and Butler (where he started to become deluded into thinking his judgment was infallible, leading to the cringeworthy interview early in 2006 when he told Michael Parkinson God told him to do it), at the time of the original debate, he came over as insecure and only believing what someone told him to believe.</p> <p>This makes him foolish, in hock to his own puppetmasters and naive, but I don't think anyone did this out of a love of war, except perhaps "What a Dick!" Cheney and Rumsfeld, who can both go to hell.</p> <p>Still, to do the Darfur tableaux, I think subtlety is the last thing anyone needs to have.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/08/8-july-2009-lego-gets-political-6470778/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>iraqshadow-cabinetariel-sharondick-cheneyowlpersonpalestiniansiraq-warisraelmichael-parkinsonhutton-reportgulf-waramnesty-internationalarab-statescabinetsunlight-is-the-best-disinfectantconservative-partygordon-browndavid-cameronlabour-partycontrol-arms2006darfurmiddle-eastdonald-rumsfeldgazafacebookarabsnorthern-irelandbutler-reportlegotony-blairlegofestogodhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/08/8-july-2009-lego-gets-political-6470778/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/07/7-july-2009-the-quango-wango-quee-6465065/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-07:/2009/07/07/7-july-2009-the-quango-wango-quee-6465065/Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:24:36 +0200 <p>Excuse me for the nonsense title but Edward Lear <a href="http://www.nonsenselit.org/Lear/ll/quangle.html">might have been on to something</a> about 21st century government.</p> <p>Andrew Neil steps in with a lucid and - for once! - <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/dailypolitics/andrewneil/2009/07/so_just_what_is_a_quango.html">highly critical (and not just subtly biased) discussion</a> of the Tories' quango bonfire proposals.</p> <p>It's not so much about which quangos protect which vulnerable element of society but about what really is a quango. Good read and quite informative, and restores part of my faith in the media's ability to scrutinise Parliament effectively after the unctuous Kitty Ussher was allowed to sneak past under the BS radar last week.</p> <p>Doubtless quangos need reform and their directors possibly need a pay cut but if we are going to reduce spending in the long run we have to provide a robust programme of tricky reform not just axe bodies which are better off being divorced from government to ensure that political manipulation can't be used to distort their remit.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/07/7-july-2009-the-quango-wango-quee-6465065/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>kitty-ussherandrew-neilspending-cutsgovernmentmediaedward-learparliamentquangosoppositionpublic-spendingquangle-wangledaily-politicsconservative-partybbchttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/07/7-july-2009-the-quango-wango-quee-6465065/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/07/7-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6464699/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-07:/2009/07/07/7-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6464699/Tue, 07 Jul 2009 11:07:29 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/07/7-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6464699/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Today's card of the day may refer to the barrage of spending cuts that seem unwise, naive or criminally insane, depending on whether you have ever been bombarded by arrogant telemarketers that . Getting rid of quangos I think we'd all agree with, but the Tories really need to be questioned as to whether they believe that getting rid of regulators like Ofcom would not cause more problems in the long run. They have lost all sense of good governance in this - not that they had much perspective in the first place anyway - and may cause more trouble in the long run if this is their plan to reduce the national debt.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=2045">Grapeshot Catapult</a> - Artifact</strong></p> <p><em>Recent research suggests these creatures were invented by Urza's and Mishra's original master, Tocasia, and that both brothers used them.</em></p> <p>The bland flavour text here gives us insight into the nonchalance with which the Tories present their programme for spending cuts - but the name of the card suggests it's just not enough to really make a dent in the debt, and the artwork - depicting goblins, not known for their intelligence - suggest it's another crude "vote-grabber" to go after the Daily Mail vote as usual. The absence of any thought into what happens when we vapourise much of the system that keeps the consumer protected against unscrupulous realities of corporate practice which makes it too easy for a company to keep someone on a mobile phone contract when they need to cancel it, for example.</p> <p>Why do the Tories do this? We could say any agency or quango is necessary and protects people from something. But - like the people who make fun of the Health and Safety Executive who don't really realise that the HSE would have a field day with my employer and effectively shut him down if they saw some of the things that he does at his shop - the Tories don't understand that these bodies protect people on the ground from the worst abuses of corporate capitalism. They are taking pot-shots - as in the card - at the framework which makes sure people like me - who certainly won't vote Tory if these policies are taken seriously by the cognoscenti a million miles away from abusive telemarketers and absent health and safety regulations (out of date food is stored in our shop's fridges, rather than removed to the back room, meaning that customers' health is put in danger from possible cross-contamination).</p> <p>A sad day for Britain if spending cuts are more important than protecting the vulnerable from corporate sharks. And a sad day for the Tories as they have definitely now lost my vote at the next election. </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/07/7-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6464699/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>consumer-regulationconsumer-protectionquangoshseelectionhealth-and-safetyspending-cutsofcomgovernmentoppositionvotetelemarketerspublic-spendingconservative-partyhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/07/7-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6464699/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/06/6-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6458014/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-06:/2009/07/06/6-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6458014/Mon, 06 Jul 2009 10:43:08 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/06/6-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6458014/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Today's card of the day is...interesting, to say the least. Sorry for not writing over the weekend, but I felt it less easy to write two weekend cards because not much usually happens. This weekend did involve Facebook, MI6 and some rather less-covert-than-expected revelations, but they're gone now, so nothing really did happen. Trust me. It didn't...</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=5831">Rain of Filth</a> - Black - Instant</strong></p> <em>"When I say it rained, it was not small drops, but a thick, greasy drool pouring from the heavens." </em>— Urza, journal Intriguing. Just what this means is fascinating, as I can't see many potentially volatile things happening today, but then, I'm not the one who's got a pile of juicy sleaze scandals on her desk ready to go to press this evening. The mechanics of the card require the sacrifice of resource-producing land to facilitate the production of extra resources (or "mana"), so it could refer to the Rover revelations that are trickling out. We shall see - as you know I'm not good at pinpointing what exactly is going to happen before it does - but don't be surprised if an ooze of leaks occurs at some point today. <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/06/6-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6458014/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>magic-the-gatheringroversleazefacebookmi6expenses-scandalhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/06/6-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6458014/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/03/3-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6441455/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-03:/2009/07/03/3-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6441455/Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:09:10 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/03/3-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6441455/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Today's card of the day is...</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=142363">Goatnapper</a> - Red - Goblin Rogue</strong></p> <p><em>Kith goats are just for practice. The real prize, of course, is a giant's cloudgoat.</em></p> <p>Whatever happens now is a way in, a way of weakening someone in order to get to the real paydirt. It could refer to George Osborne - this <em>could</em> refer to a repeat of Yachtgate; Owlperson is shaking his head but Deep Throat is giving me this so it could be that Owlie is concerned that I am getting too excited while DT knows more about how this develops over a longer period of time. Basically, GO is not in any particular political danger. But the story is largely target practice for bigger game. The expenses scandal, and even Yachtgate, is not over quite yet.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/03/3-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6441455/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>oppositionshadow-chancellormagic-the-gatheringyachtgatedeep-throatexpenses-scandalconservative-partyowlpersongeorge-osbornehttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/03/3-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6441455/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-osborne-to-be-investigated-by-sleaze-watchdog-6437899/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-02:/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-osborne-to-be-investigated-by-sleaze-watchdog-6437899/Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:12:48 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-osborne-to-be-investigated-by-sleaze-watchdog-6437899/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Shame it comes <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/osborne-facing-sleaze-probe-over-expenses-1729051.html">from his local Tatton Labour Party</a> rather than anyone else, as that kind of thing is easily brushed aside as party political motivation. Osborne's CGT issue will not be investigated as this is a matter - apparently - for HMRC.</p> <p>Quite interesting that the Shadow Chancellor will be investigated by the department he may be responsible for after the Tories return to government, but stranger things have happened, such as Alistair Darling claiming tax advice on expenses and essentially getting away with it.</p> <p>I look forward to HMRC being called in but I think the end of the world will happen before that. However, with Pluto in our collective national birth sign, Capricorn, stranger things have happened.</p> <p>A card each for Osborne's past, present and future. An extra card fell out of the pack while I was shuffling, and for tarot readers this card is often important to the situation as a whole, so let's have it as a Situation card and then draw three more cards.</p> <p><strong>Situation - <em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139465">Smokebraider</a> (Red, Elemental Shaman)</em></strong></p> <p><em>"Be silent and listen to your inner fire. Only then can you walk the path of flame."</em></p> <p>In all this, the Tories are being scrutinised before they get a chance to enter government. They have had a fairly smooth ride so far, and since Yachtgate didn't remove him, he has to stand up to the "sunlight" he and Cambo have been assuring us is the "best disinfectant". How he behaves in this will provide a judgement on his suitability to be Chancellor. He should accept this challenge, but too often the Tories are arrogant enough to assume that the characteristics of Pluto in Sagittarius (PinS - henceforth Pluto in Cap is "PinC") - a ruling orthodoxy in the media and a free ride while their opponents are trampled underfoot - still apply. With Pluto entering Capricorn during Yachtgate, the Tories were surprised when their attempts to smear Mandelson rebounded on them. Essentially, this was a sign that the motto for this cuspal era, while PinS is blowing itself out and PinC is beginning to establish itself, that "what goes around comes around" and "he who fights by the sword dies by the sword" means greater balance in the press and greater opportunity to hold people of both sides to account for their actions. Osborne should look on this as a test. If he passes it, great, he is made of good stern stuff and can take on the role of Chancellor easily. If he fails...no dice. The Past/Present/Future spread will give me more of an idea whether he will pass or not.</p> <p><strong>Past - <em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159030">Elvish Promenade</a> (Green, Enchantment)</em></strong></p> <p><em>"The faultless and immaculate castes form the lower tiers of elvish society, with the exquisite caste above them. At the pinnacle is the perfect, a consummate blend of aristocrat and predator."</em></p> <p>Osborne indeed has lived by the sword. He was responsible for spinning against Mandelson, and it backfired because he expected to escape scrutiny due to the assumed media swing to the Tories. He hoped also to assume the mantle of a faultless or even become a perfect - and again the role of a politician in PinS was to be predator or prey. His old boss Howard became prey to Blair, but he and Cambo assumed they would be the predators to Brown. When the scandal hit, they hoped to use it to their advantage - and failed because they were also prey to a media who declared any politician fair game. So Osborne not only was a Perfect - by elvish standards - but assumed the mantle of a predator. Auden quoted the maxim "He to whom is evil done, does evil in return" in a poem about the Spanish Civil War. Sadly, the prey in 2005 is the predator in 2009 - but that maxim is becoming too apparent in the modern Conservative Party, at the expense of any idea of dignity, gravitas and coherent plans for long-term government. I prefer Brown's method of government, and in PinC that style of government becomes more and more necessary to cope with the potential collapses PinC augurs in the world financial system. So we must never assume the mantle of a perfect. But Osborne and Cameron know no better, and have.</p> <p><strong>Present - <em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23019">Duskwalker</a> (Black, Minion)</em></strong></p> <p>Osborne (and, in my opinion Cameron too; since he is wedded to Osborne and didn't ditch him in late 2008 like someone more astute might have done in the wake of Yachtgate) is now corrupted by being part of the winning side, and is hoping to walk forward untested and unjudged into government. Not possible. If the heat of a general election wouldn't get him, the light of the expenses scandal might. The card is still powerful, but this power has been bought in exchange for his purity and incorruptibility. And guess what? He too has CGT bills he avoided. He can no longer stand up to the scrutiny PinC will bring. Even if he wins, he will be tainted, as his leader is, and unlike some of the older generation brought up in power under the forces of Pluto in Scorpio, where real deaths and real rebirths were constantly testing the mettle of Michael Howard and Ken Clarke, among others - the Hillsborough and Zeebrugge disasters, the Lockerbie bombings and Kegworth air crashes, the poll tax riots and other chaos, ending with the cuspal Dunblane massacre, exposed the government to scrutiny, forced their hands and ultimately led to the Tories' downfall. The intervening years have been all the worse for lack of scrutiny of government, and then opposition. But what that leads to is corruption that is now subject to scrutiny. Power for the Tories has come at a price. And the image of choking dust suggests more metaphorical clouds gathering to act as the abrasive scrutiny we all need and deserve.</p> <p><strong>Future - <em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139404">Lammastide Weave</a> (Green, Instant)</em></strong></p> <p><em>"A ribbon torn will ward away dark dreams."</em></p> <p>I'm going to give this a conservative reading and say we will find out Osborne's fate at Lammastide - early August. I can foresee a good ending - for all concerned - but the card points to what it has come to represent for me, and Osborne will have to wait for the judgement on his expenses, as will we, since July is going to be more evasion than actual enlightenment. It is a generous card, so I am allowing Deep Throat to come in and say that Osborne like others will be judged by the general election, but that things will be settled largely before then, so Lammastide is a fair reading for this card and attempts to guess what will happen will have to wait for that time for now.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-osborne-to-be-investigated-by-sleaze-watchdog-6437899/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>predatorcuspmichael-howardshadow-chancellorhillsboroughchancellor-of-the-exchequersagittariusleadershiptatton-labour-partyzeebrugge-disasteroppositionplutoyachtgatehmrcdunblane-massacreaugustw-h-auden2009magic-the-gatheringken-clarkescorpioalistair-darlinggordon-brownexpenses-scandaldeep-throatpeter-mandelsonpluto-in-capricornsunlight-is-the-best-disinfectantpreybiashillsborough-disastergovernmentdaily-telegrapheuropean-elections-2009astrologypluto-in-scorpiozeebruggecgtjulyspanish-civil-warconservative-partypluto-in-sagittariusdavid-cameroncapricornlammastide2008tattongeorge-osbornemediahttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-osborne-to-be-investigated-by-sleaze-watchdog-6437899/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-yet-another-reason-why-kitty-ussher-is-standing-down-from-parliament-at-the-next-election-6436719/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-02:/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-yet-another-reason-why-kitty-ussher-is-standing-down-from-parliament-at-the-next-election-6436719/Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:32:22 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-yet-another-reason-why-kitty-ussher-is-standing-down-from-parliament-at-the-next-election-6436719/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>And they think we're going to believe <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/the_daily_politics/8130498.stm">this</a>. She should be made to stand up before the people who watch Daily Politics and say why she is really leaving, just how much she owes in CGT, and be made to write a cheque live on air.</p> <p>Up until a few weeks ago, Kitty Ussher was the high-flying Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, a job description which needs at least an A-level in Mastery of Tongue-Twisters to write, not to mention say. She resigned from the government because, as Wikipedia states:</p> <blockquote><p>On the 17th June 2009, after controversial details of MP's expenses had been released in the press Ussher resigned, citing a desire to "prevent embarrassment to the government" .Ussher is said to have <em>flipped</em> the designation of her second home from Burnley to South London, in order to avoid Capital Gains Tax estimated at between £9,750 and £16,800 on her Burnley property.</p></blockquote> <p>Essentially, another one caught with her hand in the CGT till. If she really felt this way, why was she a high-flying junior minister?</p> <p>She claims to be leaving Parliament, essentially, to spend more time with her family, and not that her short and relatively inglorious career led her to commit tax evasion with public money. Although not yet a criminal offence, under GB's new ideas she'd face a year in jail. Hopefully if these laws come into effect they will make it retrospective.</p> <p>Bye-bye Kitty. We all know the reasons you're standing down, and you're using the oldest excuse in the book. No need to pretend why you're doing it - people appreciate honesty in their MPs, and unfortunately, you being MP for Burnley might just have given the BNP more votes. Please don't let us face the prospect of a BNP MP...oops, you might already have.</p> <p>The future is dim - the future is Nick Griffin. Hopefully, Labour can turn this one around, but I don't put it past the public mood, and this video does you no favours. In a time when we need truth - however ugly it is - we get another corrupt little porker who thinks she can slide into genteel obscurity. Wasn't that hard to get elected - but how hard will this make Labour's re-election in Burnley next time? One can only guess and hope and pray you don't send us into a re-run of 1933.</p> <p>Let's have a look at this through the lens of the oracle cards.</p> <p><strong>Kitty Ussher - person/MP</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139502">Fertile Ground</a> - Green - Enchantment/Aura</strong></p> <p><em>Pretty, valuable, and delicious - a boggart thief's trifecta.</em></p> <p>Kitty tried to have her cake and eat it, and was a very promising young MP and minister. She appeared quite a tasty scalp for the Telegraph, and the elements of thievery here relate to the CGT issues. Without a moral compass, the 2005 intake - who could use Blair and Howard for their own gains and dump them when the coast was clear - have been seduced by the cornucopia of what was offered. Most candidates now will learn the pitfalls of such an approach, and one can only hope that the 2009-2010 intake will have learned from their predecessors wrongs. Tasty, fertile - and tempting. One could be referring to Ms Ussher and to Parliament here...but the party's over, kiddo.</p> <p><strong>Ostensible Reasons for Leaving</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=146169">Elvish Branchbender</a> - Green - Elf Druid</strong></p> <p><em>"How do the vinebred feel? Fah! We do not ask the puppet how it feels when the puppeteer bids it dance."</em></p> <p>In the video, Kitty claims to feel that her children only see her on the Parliament channel given the workload. Owlperson advises here: it's possible to balance family life, even as a man, with parliamentary demands, particularly given the family-friendly hours. He confesses to feeling some sympathy for her - and it is no coincidence that "spending more time with the family" was once a genuine excuse to leave front-line politics, even if it became a euphemism for other less savoury events leading to resignation - but this sympathy is outweighed by the sheer incendiary nature of the video given that she was an ambitious minister who suddenly had to find a reason to leave with dignity. If she was operating under the new rules she would have got a prison sentence. So what the Daily Politics is thinking about the intelligence of the people seeing the video, he doesn't know, and why they - who were propelling the expenses scandal forward - are now trying to downgrade it is also anyone's guess. Again, bias gets in the way of revealing unpalatable truths. Perhaps Ms Ussher should be forced to make a second video - this time giving her real reasons for standing down.</p> <p><strong>Real Reasons for Leaving</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=109703">Thick-Skinned Goblin</a> - Red - Goblin Shaman</strong></p> <p><em>The shaman of the tribe is responsible for keeping track of all its treasures, including angry pets, cursed lamps of fiery doom, and CGT bills from HMRC.</em></p> <p>Owlperson's addition. Ussher is just another person caught with her knickers down, a goblin with a knowing smile on her face thinking to Andrew Neil - will this do, Brillo-Pad? The great thing about TV is that the public have very limited right of reply.The even better - and scarier in the context of Burnley - thing is that the public have an extensive right of reply at the next election. Which is coming. Soon. Labour better put pressure on Ussher to do another slot, distance themselves from her, and select a decent successor for Burnley. Otherwise the nauseating spectacle of European election night and Nick Griffin could be repeated. For Westminster. If we don't stop these people hiding behind a benign spending-more-time-with-the-family smokescreen - or if we keep giving them peerages ;) - we will lose a lot more than just a couple of scamming bastards.</p> <p><strong>Outcome for Burnley</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=25523">Wing Storm</a> - Green - Sorcery</strong></p> <p><em>A thousand wings beating as one can choke the sky itself.</em></p> <p>Burnley is going to be in ferment, not necessarily solely because of the video (though the BNP could plausibly do a version like the Downfall parodies, inserting subtitles to show Ussher's real reason - their marketing has got a lot better in recent years and I don't put it past them to do this) but because of the scandal in general. The elder in the picture is confronted by the horde of birds and flying animals beseiging him, which shows to me a public revolt. The green card suggests it may not be the BNP Labour are under threat from here, and it is more likely to show public dissatisfaction with the political system itself than just with the Burnley Labour Party. But the force here is a force for good, not evil, so something must happen to put the BNP on the back foot, if not Labour back on the right one.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-yet-another-reason-why-kitty-ussher-is-standing-down-from-parliament-at-the-next-election-6436719/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>exchequer-secretary-to-the-treasurytony-blairmichael-howardeuropean-elections-2009expenses-scandalmagic-the-gatheringowlpersonlabour-party2009hmrcparliamentgeneral-election-2010bbcdaily-telegraphnick-griffinandrew-neil1933general-election-2005burnleykitty-usshergovernmentdaily-politicsjunior-ministercgtelectionbrillo-padbnptongue-twisters20052010burnley-constituency-labour-partydownfallhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-yet-another-reason-why-kitty-ussher-is-standing-down-from-parliament-at-the-next-election-6436719/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6436344/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-02:/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6436344/Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:30:41 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6436344/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Happy Birthday to my mother. Mustn't forget her present that I bought her in Hereford Cathedral the other week.</p> <p>Today's card of the day is...</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1893">Tidal Flats</a> - Blue - Enchantment</strong></p> <p>Interesting card, not so much because the wasteland depicted in the card suggests the calm after a storm but also that the intricate rules text suggests to me that a lot more is going on behind a flat and bare surface. While the parched atmosphere is inducing lethargy in our politicians, there are still machinations there - you just have to look beyond the surface to see them.</p> <p> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6436344/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>magic-the-gatheringmotherherefordlethargyhereford-cathedralsummer-weatherhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/02/2-july-2009-card-of-the-day-6436344/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/01/1-july-2009-of-all-the-worst-moves-that-could-possibly-be-made-6431210/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-01:/2009/07/01/1-july-2009-of-all-the-worst-moves-that-could-possibly-be-made-6431210/Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:28:59 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/01/1-july-2009-of-all-the-worst-moves-that-could-possibly-be-made-6431210/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>...Michael "Owlbastard" Martin<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/exspeaker-michael-martin-to-get-peerage-1727060.html"> is to get a peerage</a>.</p> <p>Just speechless about this so let's see what my cards say. It's the <strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29782">Leaf Dancer</a> </strong>again. I promise I shuffled the pack but that kind of convinces me that this situation comes into conjunction with the Card of the Day. I can just see the Torygraph front page tomorrow...</p> <p>Martin has slipped passed us under the radar and speared himself a nice, plump "retirement" present that goes beyond any possible semblance of a joke. It's a great Tom Lehrer moment - you know, the guy who said satire was dead when Henry Kissinger received the Nobel Peace Prize - isn't it?</p> <p> </p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/01/1-july-2009-of-all-the-worst-moves-that-could-possibly-be-made-6431210/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>michael-martinhouse-of-commonsspeakermagic-the-gatheringdaily-telegraphgovernmentowlbastardnobel-peace-prizetom-lehrersatirelabour-partyhenry-kissingerthe-independenthttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/01/1-july-2009-of-all-the-worst-moves-that-could-possibly-be-made-6431210/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/01/1-july-2009-card-of-the-day-pmqs-projection-6430242/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-07-01:/2009/07/01/1-july-2009-card-of-the-day-pmqs-projection-6430242/Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:10:11 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/01/1-july-2009-card-of-the-day-pmqs-projection-6430242/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Today's Card of the Day is rather agile and evasive, and since I pulled a similar card for PMQs, I suspect it may have a bearing on what Brown avoids saying rather than what he actually does say.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=29782">Leaf Dancer</a> - Green - Centaur</strong></p> <p><em>"A leaf dancer sweeps through the forest like a spring breeze, evading even the sharpest eyes and ears."</em></p> <p>Brown may find himself out on a limb again but his agility here means he escapes from PMQs with his honour, if not dignity, intact. "Forestwalk" is the keyword on this card, which allows the creature to attack unblocked if the defending player controls a forest card (used to provide green "mana") so the centaur pictured, representing Brown according to Deep Throat, can even land a blow or two on Mr Foxy. But Foxy, being a woodland animal himself, may have other things up his sleeve.</p> <p>As to who wins, I get the green card</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139404">Lammastide Weave </a>- Green - Instant</strong></p> <p><em>"A ribbon torn will ward away dark dreams"</em></p> <p>As such the winner is not obvious but Deep Throat is saying that the PM will at least acquit himself well, if not turn the tables back on <em>Vulpes Vulpes</em>. The dark dreams - for now - are kept at bay, but they are still there.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/01/1-july-2009-card-of-the-day-pmqs-projection-6430242/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>labour-partygovernmentgordon-browndavid-cameronpmqsoppositionmagic-the-gatheringconservative-partyleadershiphttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/07/01/1-july-2009-card-of-the-day-pmqs-projection-6430242/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/30/30-june-2009-wacko-jacko-s-kids-aren-t-his-well-i-never-6428361/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-30:/2009/06/30/30-june-2009-wacko-jacko-s-kids-aren-t-his-well-i-never-6428361/Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:33:22 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/30/30-june-2009-wacko-jacko-s-kids-aren-t-his-well-i-never-6428361/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Michael Jackson's kids aren't his - allegedly. Twitter said so but I seem to have lost the tweet from TelegraphNews and I can't find it on Google. But it was there. Really.</p> <p>Given that <a href="http://img.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2008/02_01/jacksonDM0802_468x416.jpg">this photo shows</a> that his older son is not exactly material for the Black Panthers, I'm not sure I ever believed that they were. Going by Barack Obama, one would expect them to ... well ... how do I put this delicately? ... look a bit more like him as he was at the age of 5.</p> <p>Nevertheless, the tarot never lies. What does the oracle say?</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=184477">Deep Spawn</a> - Blue - Homarid</strong></p> <p>Actually, they may be. The "spawn" idea suggests that Jackson's progeny are deeply bonded to their father and were indeed the fruit of his loins. Debbie Rowe might have given them their looks, but looking at the older boy's nose...yup, that's Jacko in there. Owlperson notes that dual-heritage children are more often than not darker-toned than children of white parents. But there is no guarantee that this will be the case and counsels even that two such children in a row are not unusual.</p> <p>All the same, because they don't look of dual heritage - I'm not convinced that this episode in the long-running saga won't stop here. Pulling a card for the issues around Jackson's children, <strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=136040">Grinning Ignus</a> (Red - Elemental: </strong><em>"Take care what you offer the ignus. Food, perhaps. Coins. But nothing flammable!" - Stovic, village eccentric</em>) again warns of a potential firestorm over this - but only if the plaintiffs in this case are reckless and try to assert their case by ordering a DNA test. For the resolution of the issue here, <strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139679">Rebellion of the Flamekin</a> (Red- Tribal Enchantment/Elemental) </strong>again emphasises that the situation can be won by the party who controls and directs the potential firestorm and can provide absolute proof of their assertions; the rebel issues here mean to me that the insurgents in the situation - presumably the mother - might have an advantage.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/30/30-june-2009-wacko-jacko-s-kids-aren-t-his-well-i-never-6428361/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>debbie-rowemagic-the-gatheringdaily-telegraphtwitterdual-heritagebarack-obamamichael-jacksonhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/30/30-june-2009-wacko-jacko-s-kids-aren-t-his-well-i-never-6428361/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/30/30-june-2009-card-of-the-day-and-norwich-north-by-election-to-be-held-on-july-6424830/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-30:/2009/06/30/30-june-2009-card-of-the-day-and-norwich-north-by-election-to-be-held-on-july-6424830/Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:44:40 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/30/30-june-2009-card-of-the-day-and-norwich-north-by-election-to-be-held-on-july-6424830/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Brown is risking the Norwich North by-election on July 23. He must know something we don't. Having already done a reading for that poll, drawing a card for the reasons for not pushing it back, <strong>Fertile Ground (Green - Enchantment/Aura)</strong> - "<em>Pretty, valuable, and delicious - a boggart thief's trifecta") </em>suggests he believes there is scope to win there and that circumstances are more favourable on the ground. Let's hope so.</p> <p>Anyway, today's card.</p> <p><strong>Elephant Ambush - Green - Instant</strong></p> <p>This image, combined with the idea of "Flashback" - playing a card from your discard pile rather than you hand - suggests to me there is someone who we think is politically "dead" lurking in the wings. How you can hide when you are the size and stature of an elephant is largely beyond me but the idea of an ambush from beyond the metaphorical grave intrigues me enough to leave it to our collective imaginations as to who and what will happen.</p> <p>As for something I noted on my Facebook page last night about the Tories' need to tell us what they are doing, there is a problem when people see them as a possible government but too dependent on not being Labour to govern. My feeling is that - privately - the party has always promised me as an activist that they will be putting forward a proper platform for government "in a couple of months". That "couple of months" has lasted a couple of years at worst.</p> <p>Some people cite fear of the media and Gordon Brown making a mockery of them and using them to deny the Tories a return to government. But the media are much more favourable to the Tories now than they were in 2003-05, and no government has ever been elected without a thorough exposition of their policies or by becoming the focal point for concrete opposition - such as Tony Blair became in 1995-97, particularly with issues such as handguns. By contrast, I don't see the Tories concentrating on anything other than raw statistics - activists on the ground, poll ratings, poll leads - which will evaporate or become disillusioned if they make no more than a cursory nod towards policies in the months ahead and continue to bash Labour's record repeatedly without offering a positive alternative or one constructed with government - rather than just an election win - in mind. Labour had that platform and design for government in 1997, otherwise they wouldn't have lasted so long now. Whether or not you agree with them - and I've said several times the state needs to refocus and allow non-state organisations to develop and grow rather than making people dependent on government bureaucracy - it seems to work.</p> <p>Perhaps the Tories know this - that they don't have a credible alternative to Labour's bureaucracy yet. They have a scheme for short-term cuts, yes, and a reduction in spending, yes - but not how to spend the reduced budget in such a way that existing statist necessities like a . In many places they are indistinguishable from Labour or propose fairy flim-flam like a Minister for Quality of Life. They don't understand the modern age and, as I've said several times, don't understand that the world has moved on since they were last in government. Blair adapted to the conventions set up by Thatcher and Major, but established conventions of his own. The Tories understand this, but they do lack awareness of the extent to which the public sector has evolved under Blair.</p> <p>It's no longer a case of "I want my country back". It's a case of "We want to move our country forward in a different way".</p> <p>So what are those different ways? The Tories still don't apparently know except "let's cut off resources we can't afford". They need to get more in-depth and more mature before they will convince the public that not only are Labour dead, they are also obsolete. I don't think that will happen if they hide their manifesto until polling day in a general election, or want an election before one is fully ready.</p> <p>(Owlperson says it isn't because they have had to change direction so many times in the last few years - due to the recession - that what worked in 2006 doesn't work in 2009 and thus the bulk of the policy is still subject to the changing economic times. As a loyal Tory but a former government minister, most of the above is what he thinks the Tories still need to understand, let alone distill into practical policy, and he thinks that the support for the Tories in his constituency is still not deep enough among the marginal parts to be assured at an election, though the main opposition for him is Liberal Democrat. Extrapolating his ideas on to the national picture, the Tories will certainly pick up seats but not reassure people that they are competent enough to govern instead of Labour to get into overall government. He predicts a small Labour majority with questions as to whether the LDs will lose seats to the official opposition - but not enough and in not significant enough places to wreck Labour's fourth election victory.)</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/30/30-june-2009-card-of-the-day-and-norwich-north-by-election-to-be-held-on-july-6424830/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>conservative-partyelectionopposition2005facebooknorwich-northgordon-browngeneral-electiondavid-cameronlabour-party1997magic-the-gatheringgovernmentpublic-spendingowlpersonliberal-democratshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/30/30-june-2009-card-of-the-day-and-norwich-north-by-election-to-be-held-on-july-6424830/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/29/29-june-2009-card-of-the-day-6418987/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-29:/2009/06/29/29-june-2009-card-of-the-day-6418987/Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:36:05 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/29/29-june-2009-card-of-the-day-6418987/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Today's card of the day is</p> <p><strong>Grinning Ignus - Red - Elemental</strong></p> <p><em>"Take care what you offer the ignus. Food, perhaps. Coins. But nothing flammable!" - Stovic, village eccentric.</em></p> <p>Today's card of the day suggests something flammable may be offered to the Ignus - but will he take it?</p> <p>KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/29/29-june-2009-card-of-the-day-6418987/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>magic-the-gatheringhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/29/29-june-2009-card-of-the-day-6418987/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-ian-gibson-s-labour-successor-chosen-for-by-election-6415755/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-28:/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-ian-gibson-s-labour-successor-chosen-for-by-election-6415755/Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:52:35 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-ian-gibson-s-labour-successor-chosen-for-by-election-6415755/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>LabourList reports that <a href="http://www.labourlist.org/chris_ostrowski_is_the_labour_candidate_for_norwich_north">Chris Ostrowski has been selected as their candidate</a> in the marginal seat of Norwich North, vacant after Ian Gibson pulled the plug on himself over the expenses scandal and then resigned to cause problems for Gordon Brown - largely of his, and his fellow pilferers', making of course.</p> <p>I can't find a date for the by-election yet, presumably the writ has not yet been moved. Owlperson says that he would make by-election writs be moved on the vacancy of the seat automatically for six weeks later - to avoid the parties punting difficult by-elections into the long term future, like Glenrothes last year.</p> <p>So let's look at a tentative spread for what might happen here then. Wary of my inability to predict Glenrothes' result itself, I'm not going to say who might win, though no doubt the astrologers will be posting about it as it is a Labour-Tory English marginal, just as Nantwich and Crewe was but much more likely to go Tory as it was Conservative-held between 1983 and 1997.</p> <p><strong>LABOUR - incumbency</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=142363">Goatnapper</a> - Red - Goblin Rogue</strong></p> <p><em>Kith goats are just for practice. The real prize, of course, is a giant's cloudgoat.</em></p> <p>This could refer to Gibson's stewardship of the seat, but it also suggests some irregularities, as if the seat was "stolen" last time; my articles on electoral reform give neither me nor Owlperson real hope that Norwich was immune to such tactics. So Gibson's tenure might have ended just at a time when the Tories were kosher enough not to be manipulated out - not to, to put it bluntly, have their votes chucked in the bin. The balance of the goblin shown clutching the goat in question is also balanced on a precipice already, showing that even if Gibson won legitimately, he still had a tenuous hold on the seat anyway. Therefore I would expect it to go Conservative at the by-election without too much trouble. Whether it will or not I'm not necessarily going to call.</p> <p><strong>LABOUR - candidate</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=146165">Seedguide Ash </a>- Green - Treefolk Druid</strong></p> <p><em>"May you shade three generations of seedlings."</em></p> <p>I think Labour have chosen a good candidate here; someone with potential and someone with genuine ability to win the seat under good national circumstances. The gentle nature of the card's blessing suggests Ostrowski, even if he doesn't make it into Parliament, would be a good candidate for Labour to foster elsewhere at a general election.</p> <p><strong>LABOUR - prospects</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=142354">Aquitect's Will </a>- Blue - Tribal Sorcery - Merfolk</strong></p> <p><em>There is nowhere on Lorwyn that the Merrow Lanes cannot go.</em></p> <p>I'm not going to come out for either party, but this is a positive, fluid card, which gives Ostrowski a decent chance at the seat, and a smooth and penetrating campaign which reaches far into the corners of the electorate. While the card is indeed blue, it looks a calm, peaceful campaign for Labour and is perhaps a better omen than I necessarily expected to draw.</p> <p><strong>CONSERVATIVES - history of the seat</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1904">Elven Fortress</a> - Green - Enchantment</strong></p> <p><em>"The size of the obvious Fortress walls often misled foes. Actually, the Elves enchanted the forest itself to provide the first line of defense with tangling vines and stinging thorns." - Sarpadian Empires, vol III</em></p> <p>The Tories regard the seat as an established base in Norfolk and would like to think that winning it would make victory more certain in 2009-2010, because it has in the past swung to their side during a governing period. The Tories believe, moreover, that it should be theirs by right, as Norfolk, along with a lot of southern, eastern England is quite naturally Conservative in outlook and thus Labour here are an aberration. A short-sighted image - the seat only went Tory in 1983 after a long Labour history - but an image that is arguably needed to muster the confidence required to win here.</p> <p><strong>CONSERVATIVES - candidate</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=184700">Night Soil </a>- Green - Enchantment</strong></p> <p><em>Some said killing the Thallids only encouraged them.</em></p> <p>The general aura around this card for me is that the Tory candidate will be a lot less edifying a character than Ostrowski, and a lot more willing to fight dirty than Labour. Still a green card, so still room for potential, creeping like a fungus over the constituency. But a base card filled with the idea of human waste products and perhaps not the best image for a wannabe MP.</p> <p><strong>CONSERVATIVES - prospects</strong></p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139674">Scarred Vinebreeder</a> - Black - Elf Shaman</strong></p> <p><em>For disfigured elves, there are few choices between death or nettlevine.</em></p> <p>No comment. A black card, so at best a kind of pyrrhic victory. Some sort of companion to the idea of Night Soil, and with Labour's prospects side by side, I'm not sure the Tories will necessarily pull it off. I'm still reluctant to back Labour outright here, but for the moment it doesn't seem that the Tories really go about this campaign the right way and suffer as a result. That said, the creature here gains strength at the expense of someone else; but this strength is short-lived and expensive. So there is no virtue in the party's gain, if indeed it is a gain at all.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-ian-gibson-s-labour-successor-chosen-for-by-election-6415755/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>expenses-scandalmagic-the-gatheringowlpersonchris-ostrowskiby-electionian-gibsongordon-brownnantwich-and-creweglenrothesnorwich-north2009conservative-party1997labour-partylabourlistnorwich1983http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-ian-gibson-s-labour-successor-chosen-for-by-election-6415755/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-card-of-the-day-6412607/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-28:/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-card-of-the-day-6412607/Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:41:07 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-card-of-the-day-6412607/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=143372">Fistful of Force</a> - Green - Instant</strong></p> <p>This card of the day can be reasonably taken to refer to the Alan and Ann Keen chapter in the expenses scandal, which with the green border and "natural" motif suggests to me that the power in the people is stronger here than their rulers can imagine. The squatters have not won conclusively - I would imagine the Keens will launch a suit in defence of their property - but again here we see the people these MPs have abused striking back at their misappropriated property. Although the squatters may not have known what they were actually doing - their cause is not to highlight the expenses abuse, but campaign for a larger goal of no border-crossing restrictions (still relevant to us because we have not yet joined Schengen) - the "clash" mechanic on this card demonstrates that they have scored a larger victory than they thought they might because of the hot issue of expenses and their abuse.</p> <p>Way to go, fellas.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-card-of-the-day-6412607/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>expenses-scandalno-bordersalan-keeneurocommunismann-keensquattersalan-and-ann-keenmagic-the-gatheringhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-card-of-the-day-6412607/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-keen-as-a-whistle-or-maybe-not-6412520/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-28:/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-keen-as-a-whistle-or-maybe-not-6412520/Sun, 28 Jun 2009 13:24:33 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-keen-as-a-whistle-or-maybe-not-6412520/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>The twists and turns of the expenses scandal continue. Alan and Ann Keen have now found out that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/labour-mps-expenses/5671339/Squatters-take-over-empty-home-of-Mr-and-Mrs-Expenses.html">squatters have moved in</a> to their derelict "first house", which was allegedly being refurbished - while the Keens claim on their "second" home in Westminster.</p> <p>I did begin a reading for the Keens during the week but I lost it when my computer decided to refresh the screen without warning. I will just pull a single card for this, as Owlie and Deep Throat suggest it is a mere sideshow rather than a rolling news topic. The Keens are apparently the Labour equivalent of Nicholas and Ann Winterton, but the article concentrates on the No Borders movement, and Owlperson remarks that although he is as a Conservative pro-immigration controls, he nevertheless is not sorry that the people involved have invoked their legal right to move in to the empty property and shafted two of the most audacious expenses claimaints at Westminster. Poetic justice.</p> <p>Pulling a card for <strong>The Keens, </strong>we get <strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=1977">Farrel's Zealot </a>(White - Human Townsfolk): </strong><em>"Farrel, a former priest, believed Icatia was far too complacent towards the Order of the Ebon Hand". </em>But our Farrel in this case has seen what goes around, comes around - the zealous claims on expenses have come back to haunt the couple and symbolise not only the largesse expended on frivolities but the power of the people to reclaim their property from greedy MPs.</p> <p>For the <strong>squatters</strong>, I get <strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=184711">Thallid</a> (Green - Fungus)</strong>, the iconic card which symbolises the encroachment of natural forces on those trying to hold them back; the active and wholly appropriate reclamation of follies by the people ruled from their discredited rulers.</p> <p>For the <strong>future of the situation, </strong>I get <strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=184491">Icatian Phalanx</a> (White - Human Solider): </strong><em>"Even after the wall was breached in half a dozen places, the Phalanxes fought on, standing solidly against the onrushing raiders. Disciplined and dedicated, they held their ranks to the end, even in the face of tremendous losses." </em>The Keens will assert their property rights on the squatters, though the card here suggests defence rather than offence. Looking at the image on the card, the youth and femininity of the soldiers does suggest to me, however, that the initiative lies with the young people involved in this situation - the squatters who are taking direct action - though apparently unaware of the wider British political issues involved; they sound like the descendants of the old Euro-communist movement, and have an international flavour - and their understanding of the law will prevail over those who are manipulating it for their own greed.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-keen-as-a-whistle-or-maybe-not-6412520/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>no-borders-movementdeep-throateurocommunismalan-keenann-and-nicholas-wintertonowlpersonlabour-partyann-keenann-wintertonwestminsterdaily-telegraphimmigrationhounslowconservative-partysquattersexpenses-scandalmagic-the-gatheringnicholas-wintertonalan-and-ann-keenhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/28/28-june-2009-keen-as-a-whistle-or-maybe-not-6412520/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/27/27-june-2009-alan-milburn-to-stand-down-at-the-next-election-6405361/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-27:/2009/06/27/27-june-2009-alan-milburn-to-stand-down-at-the-next-election-6405361/Sat, 27 Jun 2009 15:19:16 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/27/27-june-2009-alan-milburn-to-stand-down-at-the-next-election-6405361/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p><a href="http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/article.aspx?cp-documentid=148215217">Sadly not missed</a>. Perhaps Labour's demigod - or demagogue - of nasty spin and possibly holds the world record for spending the least possible time with his family - resigning after the foundation hospitals near-defeat and coming back just over a year later to help Tony Blair fight off Michael Howard. Gasp! He will be in his early 50s after the next election. So not old enough and experienced enough to be considered for leadership then. Poor Alan, perhaps he will spend more time with those 5 other jobs he has.</p> <p>A card? All right then. If we must.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=143684">Summon the School</a> - White - Merfolk</strong></p> <p><em>"When merrows talk, listeners grow fins."</em></p> <p>Milburn did have the gift of the gab and the clause "Return Summon the School from the graveyard [or discard pile]" suggests that just maybe we may not have seen the last of him, even if he does put himself beyond reach after the election. Just like Tony Blair has dabbled in extra-parliamentary politics (in the hope of returning some day? Chance'd be a fine thing, Deep Throat is adamant he has no chance of getting the job of President of Europe), Milburn is not finished yet and like some people I could mention - but won't - is now putting himself out of the running of normal business so that he is untainted and can return later.</p> <p>Deep Throat doesn't fancy his chances, but still, Milburn doesn't know that, does he?</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/27/27-june-2009-alan-milburn-to-stand-down-at-the-next-election-6405361/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>tony-blairmichael-howardlabour-partyspin-doctorgeneral-electionfoundation-hospitalsalan-milburnhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/27/27-june-2009-alan-milburn-to-stand-down-at-the-next-election-6405361/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/27/26-june-2009-card-of-the-day-and-the-lammastide-weave-6404681/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-27:/2009/06/27/26-june-2009-card-of-the-day-and-the-lammastide-weave-6404681/Sat, 27 Jun 2009 13:17:52 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/27/26-june-2009-card-of-the-day-and-the-lammastide-weave-6404681/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Today's card is interesting in terms of the overall arc of events.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=158121">Elvish Harbinger</a> - Green - Elf Druid</strong></p> <p>Again, an interesting "portentous" card which suggests a more feminine outlook than her Giant companion, which has come up a couple of times in the past. She is also quite seductive looking, which may suggest more sleaze (which is what I'm getting from Deep Throat).</p> <p>Speaking of Deep Throat: A card pulled yesterday in a general off-line spread sets an important date as being <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lammas">Lammastide</a> - August 1; there <em>is</em> an eclipse on August 5 which ties in to this too. While this is during the recess, Deep Throat suggests that Nick Clegg is not the only one - see posts passim - who wants Parliament to continue over the summer this year to sort this constitutional-ish crisis out. Although the initial chaos has abated, we are in to the period in which the party leaders seek to manipulate the mood for their own interests.</p> <p>Given the card for the Situation is so interesting, let's have a look at the events surrounding August 1-5.</p> <p><strong>Situation</strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139404">Lammastide Weave</a> - Green - Instant</em></strong></p> <p>Lammastide is at the time of a neo-pagan festival, and both derive partly from Lughnasadh, one of the four mediaeval Irish festivals which come from the original Celtic pagan practice. It is traditionally connected with the harvest and its name refers to the Christian tradition of the "loaf-mass" or bringing for blessing the first crop of wheat and the bread made from it. Thus the metaphorical connection with harvest here holds the connotation of those under scrutiny beginning to reap what they have sown during the spring - and beforehand.</p> <p><strong>Occurrences</strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=146169">Elvish Branchbender</a> - Green - Elf Druid</em></strong></p> <p><em>"How do the vinebred feel? Fah! We do not ask the puppet how it feels when the puppeteer bids it dance."</em></p> <p>The public witness - and understand - what is really going on here. After a couple of months where both parties have striven to lessen the impact and redirect the agenda away from the recent scandals, another event or series of events occurs to shake down those trying to manipulate the common good for their own ends. Either the public feel they are the puppets manhandled by their rulers, or our rulers themselves begin to feel like mere pawns in a much bigger gain. Although columnists on astrology seem to be left-wing and swayed by the apparent innocence of anti-capitalism and anti-financialism, and towards charismatic figures like Barack Obama, here I feel the pendulum will go in the opposite way to reveal charlatans and reveal which ideologies or issues have been manipulating us for the ends of people more powerful - or just with that appearance - than ourselves.</p> <p>By the way, to those who say Obama can solve the world's problems - not many now, I suspect - the eclipse at his inauguration and the stumble he made part way through may hold longer-lasting clues to his fate than we may assume here.</p> <p><strong>Underlying currents</strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159196">Thorn Thallid</a> - Green - Fungus</em></strong></p> <p><em>"The cooling climate forced the Elves to experiment with new food sources." - Sarpadian Empires, vol. 1</em></p> <p>Now I get why in the last explanation I felt climate change had something to do with this, though at an oblique and possibly metaphorical level. With this week forecast to be one of the hottest this year, that seems nonsense. However the cooling climate and the fungus here relate to a slow and steady decay in the processes that govern us. The underlying element is that the attempts to bull-sh*t their way out of trouble are beginning to turn sour and manifest themselves in ways which would have been unthinkable under normal Pluto in Sagittarius rules. It no longer holds together because of the power of the last few months to jolt a society out of complacent inertia and into a situation which is different and uncomfortable. Pluto in Capricorn last time destroyed Britain's empire in North America, at least in the southern half. Now it's our turn to feel political revolution because of a changing - political - climate.</p> <p><strong>Obstacles to this change</strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=77922">Scuttling Death</a> - Black - Spirit</em></strong></p> <p>This card involves the "sacrifice" of a creature - the death of a creature you control in the game to pay for some other effect which would bring you good fortune. In a way, politics tries to surrender something up so that the continued gravy train can roll on. (I'm not necessarily talking about expenses, I'm more talking about the status quo which is comfortable both for New Labour as a whole and their Tory clones.) It is as if here one era - both astrologically and politically speaking - is struggling to hold back another. Neil Giles notes that the last 14 years have been largely about discussion and debate, with words speaking louder than actions and communications being used to control. Now, finally we get to have those words manifest in concrete possibilities - but the old era, knowing that these manifestations will undoubtedly lead to much less power for their chosen communication barrage, is fighting to hold it back. Why else would David Cameron - arch Pluto-in-Sagittarian - want a general election so quickly on his terms if he did not want the summer to subject him to the rigorous scrutiny he demands of Labour? And yet he has the bigger bill than the Prime Minister to pay back.</p> <p>Manipulation and communication is given one last throw of the dice here to try and hold things back from physical and administrative destruction.</p> <p><strong>Overcoming this obstacle</strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139494">Oakgnarl Warrior</a> - Green - Treefolk Warrior</em></strong></p> <p><em>"Roam as you will, your roots remain in the strong earth of your Rising."</em></p> <p>Again, the momentum here is far too strong for the efforts above to hold it back. History never stays still. Governments can never wholly manipulate themselves, nor can Oppositions, even ones ahead in the polls on paper. (Janet Daly cautioned a while ago that this support was as soft as, oh, Lancashire cheese.) The direction now is too pressing to hold anything back, even with another scapegoat to throw on the altar.</p> <p><strong>Directions afterward</strong></p> <p><strong><em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=111079">Nightshade Assassin</a> - Black - Human Assassin</em></strong></p> <p>A swift and brutal end to the situation with what is achieved at Lughnasa (funny, I'd always thought <em>Dancing At Lughnasa </em>referred to a place until I read the article on it today) being a finality for someone or something (hedging my bets here but Deep Throat believes it's the former). The idea of madness - a mechanic on the card allowing you to play the card if you would otherwise have to discard it - is something else to take into account - what happens will obviously happen for a reason, but the finality of it all will seem as if the party which effects this change will have gone loopy.</p> <p>Deep Throat is telling me which one, but I would prefer to meditate on that a bit later and close off this reading now.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/27/26-june-2009-card-of-the-day-and-the-lammastide-weave-6404681/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>conservative-partyleadershipexpenses-scandalplutopluto-in-sagittariussagittariusdeep-throatprime-ministerlammastideinaugurationneo-paganismbritainlughnasaceltsjanet-dalygordon-browngovernmentbritish-empirenorth-americaleader-of-the-oppositioncapricorneclipsemagic-the-gatheringirelandlabour-partyoppositiondavid-cameronpluto-in-capricorncheeseneil-gilesusabarack-obamahttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/27/26-june-2009-card-of-the-day-and-the-lammastide-weave-6404681/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/26/26-june-2009-card-of-the-um-evening-6400265/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-26:/2009/06/26/26-june-2009-card-of-the-um-evening-6400265/Fri, 26 Jun 2009 21:47:52 +0200 <p> <br> </p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" alt="Bookmark and Share" width="125" height="16"></a><br> </p> <p></p> <p>Oops. After promising a card a day again, I failed to upload one today so we will just have to see what this evening holds. Just listened to the end of Any Questions (Radio 4), as asinine as ever with all the parties in point-scoring mood. Shock, horror...Hilary Benn just promised spending cuts. Hold the front page. Tessa May showed the Tories in excellent form as she pledged to singlehandedly balance the budget by cutting...erm...the ContactPoint database (now that will really make a difference) and got into an argument with David Dimbleby which still shows that the BBC is biased against the Tories but doesn't seem to want to make the first move against Cambo the Magnificent.</p> <p>All quiet on the Pluto in Capricorn front then.</p> <p>But does the Magic card tarot have Any Answers for us?! ;)</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139397">Goldmeadow Harrier</a> - White - Kithkin Soldier</strong></p> <p><em>"It's a proven fact that sling-stones from the dawn side of the riverbank sail the farthest and truest." - Deagan, cenn of Burrenton</em></p> <p>A little may go a long way with the above discussion (since this is the only political news I've heard all day - been working on my CV in between consulting my own personal owl-astrologer-person Jerrold Donington - I'll take this card as a reading for Any Questions). A single stone can fell a giant - just ask Goliath - but although we can see both the shooter and the victim, we can't quite see how strong the momentum is behind any particular issue right now. Nevertheless, as Deagan says, what starts out as innocent questioning now may become hotter and hotter an issue as the summer progresses. Just like individual MPs - Derek Conway, the perennial Nick-and-Ann Winterton show, Jacqui Smith - gave us a little bit of gossip over their expenses but nothing too dramatic or too dangerous until the whole hive was kicked over, so questions of public spending - and public spending cuts - may not seem too drastic or even too controversial an issue right now, but with a whole lot of planets lining up in increasingly dangerous positions in the near future, who knows what will spark off another feeding frenzy? Deagan might just live to regret throwing that one small pebble.</p> <p>Regarding my own opinion over ContactPoint - I do believe there is a big issue over the surveillance society, and it needs to be explored properly (I might get round to writing on it here as well, by which time I hope I shall have an ID card). Nevertheless, I feel the reasons for setting up a database such as this are genuine and necessary, and that the Tories need to properly explore the need for some sort of networking between authorities to protect children and not just say they would abolish it outright. I know it is slightly unfashionable to be pro-"surveillance" (and I know at work I am the subject of a camera so good my employer largely uses it for telling him what sweets we need to replenish the chocolate counter), but although I don't approve of the idea "...if you don't have anything to hide..." I don't personally feel threatened by it. Maybe it is my subconscious taking care of nagging doubts, but Owlperson says it is largely him and largely because I <em>don't </em>have anything to hide. Like all subconscious reactions, I don't approve or disapprove. It just <em>is</em>.</p> <p>Oh and one other thing. Owlperson asks, "What kind of  a word is '<a href="http://childrenoversurveilled.lse.ac.uk/">surveilled</a>' anyway?!"</p> <p>My answer: the sort of word the people who are opposed to it have to come up with to justify an LSE seminar on the subject.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/26/26-june-2009-card-of-the-um-evening-6400265/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>owlsowlpersonplutocapricornbiaslabour-partypublic-policypublic-spending-cutsnicholas-wintertonjacqui-smithany-questionsbbcgovernmentcontactpoint-databasedavid-cameronsnowy-owlsexpenses-scandalany-answersjerrold-doningtonhilary-bennmagic-the-gatheringpublic-spendingconservative-partypluto-in-capricornderek-conwaydavid-dimblebysurveillance-societyann-wintertonhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/26/26-june-2009-card-of-the-um-evening-6400265/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-michael-jackson-is-dead-6392291/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-25:/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-michael-jackson-is-dead-6392291/Thu, 25 Jun 2009 23:52:03 +0200 <p>Can't really believe it but...just for the records.</p> <p>Not a fan - in fact I was really cut up when Jarvis Cocker got arrested for mooning him onstage at the Brit Awards in 1996, about Jarvis that is not about the so-called King of Pop - but it's trickling out although <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8119951.stm">as of now </a>the BBC still has him "gravely ill in hospital", on its static html site at least rather than on the live stream, which is reporting his actual death.</p> <p>No cards, no nothing, not a real issue but...just unbelieveable.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-michael-jackson-is-dead-6392291/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>michael-jacksonbrit-awardsdeathking-of-popjarvis-cockerbbchttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-michael-jackson-is-dead-6392291/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-now-i-m-not-one-to-complain-but-6391876/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-25:/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-now-i-m-not-one-to-complain-but-6391876/Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:28:33 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-now-i-m-not-one-to-complain-but-6391876/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>(as Sally Smedley of Drop the Dead Donkey notoriety said to Sir Peter over <em>duck a l'orange...</em>)</p> <p>But did you see the Ten O'Clock News?! The only thing less palatable about the way they suggested the Conservative Party's modernisation project had stalled...talk about understated bias and contempt.</p> <p>Personally I'd rather they stuck to criticising Foxy directly and stopped messing with the necessary modernisation (however superficial it appears to have been) but at least they made the point that the expenses scandal is not over yet. And that's official.</p> <p>A card perhaps. Again, a single card from Gatherer.</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=74317">Ambiguity</a> - Blue - Enchantment</strong></p> <p>Couldn't have put it better myself. The twisted rule text on this card is because it was from the <em>Unhinged</em> spoof set published in mid-2004, but it is referring to the subtle and rather difficult way of checking the political barometer here - it is all in the nuances of the report rather than the direct, hard-hitting, "David Cameron today resigned in favour of the Vodalian Mage because he just couldn't hack it any more". Oh well. On we go.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-now-i-m-not-one-to-complain-but-6391876/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>ten-oclock-newsfoxesexpenses-scandalconservative-partysir-peter-viggerssally-smedleyresignationvodalian-mageunhingedmagic-the-gatheringbbcdavid-camerondrop-the-dead-donkeyduck-islandhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-now-i-m-not-one-to-complain-but-6391876/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-john-rentoul-on-the-iraqi-death-toll-since-6388655/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-25:/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-john-rentoul-on-the-iraqi-death-toll-since-6388655/Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:59:16 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-john-rentoul-on-the-iraqi-death-toll-since-6388655/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>Leaving nasty party politics for a moment, John Rentoul claims the government is <a href="http://johnrentoul.independentminds.livejournal.com/103175.html?view=115463#t115463"><em>overestimating</em> the death toll in Iraq</a>.</p> <p>Yes, you heard it right. A major liberal newspaper's main political correspondent and blogger is actually saying that <em>fewer</em> people than the government thinks have died since the Coalition forces went in to Iraq in 2003. Which is counter-intuitive and thus perhaps an example of rather selfless regard for the truth. It would be further in Rentoul's own interests to claim that there was a massive bloodbath in Iraq and up to a million people have been killed - but no, apparently Miliband is wrong to claim that "many hundreds of thousands" have died, and the true figure is more like 100-200,000 dead since hostilities began in February 2003. (Let's say ~150,000.)</p> <p>I've left a comment as "Owlqueen" on the post suggesting that a fuller truth may come out when the Iraq War finally gets its own enquiry this coming year. Hopefully there is going to be not only an inquiry but the usual mountain of press reports on how Iraq has fared and is faring since the invasion. Magic had a word for it - <a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=23216">Coalition Victory</a>. This is not a random pull - but a card which came out before 9/11 (I believe) - from a set called <em>Invasion </em>- which suggests to me that life does often imitate art with . If it had come out after the 2003 invasion, I would have said there was some kind of conscious or unconscious satire element. But before? Interesting. There is, according to Owlie, a whole other dimension to the human collective subconscious which anticipates major global events in pop culture before they happen, leading to life appearing to imitate art. According to Owlie, it is more a case of our minds foreshadowing great events ahead and planning for them subconsciously, so the shock is lessened when they arrive. Divination is a way of exploring this consciously and deliberately; however we seem to do a lot of it in literature, particularly in literature such as mass-market swords-and-sorcery where the mind deliberately imagines alien situations and alien landscapes. We end up with previously unimaginable events - such as 9/11 and the fallout from that - being predicted and then sadly coming true.</p> <p>Back to Rentoul: Owlperson and Deep Throat both concur that this may be our Sigiled Paladin standing up for the truth, so there is no need to pull a card for it. I hoped I might pick a diamond out of the rough to find our Pal for today. Of course David Miliband still comes in for a bit of flak, but at least someone seems to be acting contrary to expected interests and expected intentions. Maybe there really is hope.</p> <p>More later on.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-john-rentoul-on-the-iraqi-death-toll-since-6388655/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>divinationmagic-the-gatheringinvasion2003the-independentdavid-miliband911coalition-victorydeath-tollforeign-secretaryiraqjohn-rentoulgovernmenthttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-john-rentoul-on-the-iraqi-death-toll-since-6388655/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-payback-time-and-the-card-of-the-day-returns-6387372/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-25:/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-payback-time-and-the-card-of-the-day-returns-6387372/Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:15:38 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-payback-time-and-the-card-of-the-day-returns-6387372/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p>David Cameron is making himself and others pay back <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5634600/MPs-expenses-Conservative-MPs-to-pay-back-up-to-250000.html">£250,000 in excessive expense claims</a>. He claims not to be interested in a witch-hunt - which is a shame because I think the public want one from his Shadow Cabinet, just as Brown has had his miscreants summarily removed. Divisions have erupted because the central party has been looking privately for more scapegoats to be sacrificed from among the backbenches, evidently seen as an excuse to impose "foxy" candidates on seats. Whether this is right - as sitting MPs are the ones causing the problems - or wrong - because of the obvious lack of resignations from within the party putting off normally loyal commentators such as Peter Oborne - is still to be seen, but it might not be seen to be enough, particularly when the leader himself is implicated with his own mortgage claims and has only so far paid back a tiny fraction of what he reasonably owes the taxpayer.</p> <p>A card, you say? How about... (from the Random Card on the Gatherer database)</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=39655">Spitfire Handler </a>- Red - Goblin</strong></p> <p><em>"Wait till Toggo sees this!"</em></p> <p>Goblins are not renowned for their sensitive handling of things, and tend to spit fire - and have it back-fire. While this is not perhaps the biggest danger in the situation the volatility of the situation's handling suggests to me a lot more will have to be done later to shore up the party if the leadership continues to mess with the constituency chairmen and long-serving MPs; though I hold no sympathy for MPs that would be facing deselection under these moves, anything that begins to rock the boat for the Tories as much as they assume this will damage Labour is - personally speaking - to be welcomed. Owlie can't take a view on it himself, but he notes that part of the problem Michael Howard faced at the end of his leadership term was that he tried to fiddle with party procedures and unnecessarily centralise decision-making within the party for short-term political ends.</p> <p>And Cameron is still not really to be punished properly over his own misclaims. Payback is the very least of what he should do, but even Hazel Blears wrote that cheque and was not spared the axe, at least from the Cabinet. With an ornery group on Facebook dedicated to getting rid of John Redwood from his Wokingham seat, I'm not sure whether the public will relax just because £250,000 has been repaid. It should never have been claimed in the first place, and the only reason why Cameron and his cronies are saying that the rules were flawed are because they got caught. Sorry is no longer good enough.</p> <p>----</p> <p>I will be doing a card a day for another while, just to see whether things are hotting up or cooling down. This will still be a random Magic card, again from the Gatherer Database. I'm enjoying using them as an oracle for something that is clearly visible to me, and they seem to work reasonably well and reasonably consistently. Onward.</p> <p>For today, 25 June 2009, we have:</p> <p><strong><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=174958">Sigiled Paladin</a> - White - Human Knight</strong></p> <p><em>Each sigil marks the recognition of a great deed and signifies a duty owed to the one who granted it.</em></p> <p>There is an honour about today that hasn't been seen in a while - someone, somewhere, steps forward and does the right thing without asking. The nobility of the card goes beyond petty party politics, and involves some sort of gesture that is recognised as more than just that. It is a bit like Justice in the tarot - that karma begins to work for the good of the situation and the good of all rather than in narrow partisan interests. It's not going to be spectacular, nor is it going to be something negative like a resignation or someone being found out and sacked, nor does it relate to the above story about the Tories' payback day. But it stands outside the fray and makes the whole situation inside the Parliament of Manure seem even worse.</p> <p>By the way, we are now into Sun in Cancer, which means things should get a lot more fluid and we will begin to make a bit more headway before Leo appears to start the wildfires later on. Don't expect much from this sign - it normally governs the winding down towards the long summer recess - but the intensity of this spring's events suggests to me that after airy and the less coherent aspects of Gemini things begin to coalesce again into something more viscous and definable. The trend is still downward, but after the elections things begin to settle into recognisable patterns.</p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-payback-time-and-the-card-of-the-day-returns-6387372/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>conservative-partysun-in-leomagic-the-gatheringconstituency-chairmengoblinsleadershipgovernmentfoxespayback-timeeuropean-elections-2009labour-partygeminijohn-redwoodpeter-oborneparliament-of-manuresun-in-cancergordon-brownmortgagehazel-blearsdaily-telegraphexpenses-scandaloppositionfacebookmichael-howardsuncancerdavid-cameronleosun-in-geminiroger-galeconservative-constituency-associationsowlpersonhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/25/25-june-2009-payback-time-and-the-card-of-the-day-returns-6387372/#commentshttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/24/24-june-2009-making-a-bit-more-magic-part-4-david-cameron-6382412/tag:parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk,2009-06-24:/2009/06/24/24-june-2009-making-a-bit-more-magic-part-4-david-cameron-6382412/Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:42:33 +0200 <p> digg_url = 'http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/24/24-june-2009-making-a-bit-more-magic-part-4-david-cameron-6382412/'; <br> </p> <p><br> <a href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250"><img src="http://s7.addthis.com/static/btn/lg-share-en.gif" width="125" height="16" alt="Bookmark and Share"></a><br> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Nothing really to say on this – so on immediately with our latest reading for <em>Vulpes Vulpes</em>’ prospects over the summer. As I said, I don’t think Cameron has so far shown he has much strategic resources to be the Vodalian Mage – the surprise twist in the tail of this long hot Parliament. He may surprise me, but given that the VM needs the element of substance and surprise – and Foxy’s interventions have been at best wholly predictable and wholly superficial – I’m not 100% sure that he can be at all.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>READING: DAVID CAMERON – PROGNOSIS OVER THE SUMMER</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Situation</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139483">Moonglove Winnower</a> – Black – Elf Rogue</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>Winnowers live to eliminate eyeblights, creatures the elves deem too ugly to exist.</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>This to me encapsulates Cameron’s whole period of leadership – the elimination of anything he personally deems doesn’t fit. While this can sometimes be a tactic and strategy that is necessary to bring together a disparate and divided coalition into an efficient machine capable of government, the element of black in Cameron’s first card suggests this is not actually what is right for this situation, nor does it bode well for the situation Cameron is in. If this card was white, I would say he was going the right way to unite the party, but his conception of unity is trying to destroy or persecute those that don’t fit and warping the concept of party discipline into something that drives his personal beliefs – ugly as they are – into a position for personal gain. The “Deathtouch” is still deadly, but for how much longer Cameron can act this way after the events of the spring depends largely on how long he can go without revealing any depth or substance of what he wants to do. His own business affairs were shaky in the run-up to the European elections, and his tactics now have not changed – he will say anything, do anything, pledge anything purely to gain a short-term advantage. I don’t believe this can sustain him in government and after the surprises of this spring I think Cameron is on the rampage – but losing the control needed to govern properly. Time will tell what happens but Black does often speak for itself.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Public Appearance </span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139502">Fertile Ground </a>– Green – Enchantment/Aura</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>Pretty, vulnerable, and delicious – a boggart [or goblin] thief’s trifecta.</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>The bloom and cornucopia on the card is belied by the flavour text – Cameron is still marginally on top but he is also vulnerable – as vulnerable as Brown – to events and predators. My overall belief is that this situation has no real victor currently in place; the events of the spring confirmed to me that both parties would suffer from what was to come if what Owlperson has been trying to tell me for two years or so would be able to come about. So here the public still seem fairly well-disposed to Foxy, with the caveat that he is also vulnerable from the threats lurking ahead during the summer and his success or failure is still dependent on the whims of a thirsty press and public.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Media appearance</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=143388">Nameless Inversion</a> – Black – Tribal Instant/Shapeshifter</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>Just as a changeling’s influence can have dramatic effects, so too can its sudden withdrawal.</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>This points to a waning in Foxy’s influence over the press as the judgements are made on expenses – <em>Vulpes Vulpes </em>initially profited from the scandal by being seen to do something about it, proposing some vapidly promising ways of diverting the public’s attention from his own affairs and those of his comrades, and trying to persuade people he was better equipped to deal with things after an immediate election. Then he crashed in the polls and failed to radically better Michael Howard’s results at the European elections. I haven’t seen many polls since then – trying to de-tox enough to get on with my own life – but I would imagine the media no longer sees him as their great white – or even reddish-brown – hope. The situation is in flux, and can change rapidly. And it’s another black card. All is not well in Foxy-land either, we just may not yet see it. What a surprise.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Inner reality – personal</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=142358">Stonybrook Angler</a> – Blue – Merfolk Wizard</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>“Water is in the air, the trees, and the earth. Understand its motion, speak its language, and the subtle currents that flow through all living things will fall under your command.”</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Foxy is not stupid. He does know how to act, in the same way Tony Blair did. He does understand the currents and tries to swim with them, and knows – like a good magician – how to fool the public, and how at times to genuinely impress without giving them too many ideas as to how he does it. But this changeability might be useful in opposition; he may need to solidify and build on this to make sure he is ready for his desired election. Again, a Merfolk Wizard, but not our Vodalian Mage, who frightens and impresses – and kills – with surprise and direct action. If Foxy can come up with something from this introspection (I feel this card means he is always looking for ways to present himself as bigger and better than Brown without having to come up with the goods; and this is a particular issue at the moment), then he can actually be the VM. If not, then not.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Inner reality – party</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=145812">Gilt-Leaf Seer</a> – Green – Elf Shaman</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>Desmera blinded her seers so that her beauty would be the last image burned in their memories. The act only deepened their insight.</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>The damage done to the Conservatives only makes them stronger and wiser. If this power can be controlled by Foxy, so much the better (for him at least). But if he has blinded them in some way, then the party knows who did it, and what they need to restore their sight. By manipulating and breaking his party in to their communal harness, Foxy may think he has made sure of their loyalty; but I’m not sure that the party does not at the same time resent this imposition. Peter Oborne took a stand against the sleazebags in Cameron’s Shadow Cabinet – but no-one save Andrew Mackay has been sacked, unlike the mass destruction of Brown’s own Cabinet. This may be an issue Foxy has to face at some point. The party is still blind – but this produces a way of viewing the world which relies on feelings rather than conscious vision. The dangers here are latent, but could surprise if things get too bad later on.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Roots of his situation</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139674">Scarred Vinebreeder</a> – Black – Elf Shaman</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>For disfigured elves, there are few choices beyond death or nettlevine.</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Another Black card. Cameron has to work harder now, is what I’m getting from “Deep Throat”, because he has produced a legion of disaffected Tories beneath the parapet of public view. If the Nameless Inversion becomes too great, they could cause problems; they already in effect have, but I’m getting from Deep Throat as well that there is still too much holding the party together which needs to be loosened before things can really get going. Nevertheless, he adds that this blackness in Foxy’s cards – where Gordon had mostly red (chaos) and green (deeper power and solidity), <em>Vulpes Vulpes</em> has too much black, even so far, to be really confident of anything greater than current output. While the disaffected have not made their move, Foxy is safe. But when they do, he’s toast.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Seeds sown by his situation</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139452">Thieving Sprite</a> – Black – Faerie Rogue</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Deep Throat, who has made himself audible because he says I am more relaxed, more switched off to external influences (the barrage of press information or other people’s opinions, mainly, but also non-political personal issues such as worrying about indigestion, gastric flu or my boss from hell) and more receptive to information from above, says that this represents that more difficulties for the Tories over their money matters are on the way; and he says the issue of second jobs that I saw plastered over Page 2 in the Sun on Monday was not a red herring by any means. Thievery was not just confined to Labour, and Cameron’s refusal to clear out the dead-wood in the Shadow Cabinet may still plague him. He is unable to resist more meddling and more intransigent reluctance to give up the perks of the job. DT also says that the sacrificial backbenchers were not enough for Cameron to really fill the electorate with confidence that he is the one to sort things out. Nevertheless, for the time being, DT says, I should not get excited about the ultimate defenestration yet.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Advice</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span><span><strong><em><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139508">Runed Stalactite</a> – Artifact/Equipment</em></strong> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>When a changeling adopts a form no other changeling has taken, a rune appears in the caverns of Velis Vel to mark the events.</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>The key to this card is innovation and ingenuity, particularly in the area of policy. It is something the Tories just lack, and what will win them the election and distance themselves from sleaze. We’ve been asking the same question for three and a half years, we get a different answer every time, and nothing seems to add up, but we might as well keep asking him while he is around to answer us. The advice, in other words, is the same as it always has been – stop relying on tactics and start thinking long-term, governmental strategy.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Warning</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=140194">Wren’s Run Packmaster</a> – Green – Elf Warrior</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>This is the gathering of forces, and in an ill-dignified aspect, it is the gathering of momentum against rather than for the leader as he currently leads. The disaffection of the Vinebreeder above can and will gather momentum if the advice is not taken and innovation is not made in policy terms to match Labour’s ability to come up with a new initiative every day and add more elements to its overgrown state. Without a coherent answer, the pack will gain new members, and since the wolves’ bite will be deadly, I would advise Fox to start running, fast, in the opposite direction.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Direction</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=118878">Skittering Monstrosity </a>– Black – Horror</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>Most living things were weakened and stunted in the ruinous aftermath of the Phyrexian invasion, but a few grew more horrid than ever.</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>As with last night’s reading for the Conservatives as a whole, the only way for the moment is down – the intensification of the corruption, the short-term tactics that only lead to winning the election rather than governing decently, the arrogance and sleight of hand which I have come to expect from Foxy. If he is the Vodalian Mage, then he will know how to deal with this Monstrosity. But since it came up in the Party’s cards, and is now in his cards, I think he is connected with the degeneration rather than the regeneration.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Solution</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=139465">Smokebraider </a>– Red – Elemental Shaman</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>“Be silent and listen to your inner fire. Only then can you walk the Path of Flame.”</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Cameron needs to be able to grasp the flaming nettle here – mixing my metaphors to keep in with the cards rather than the English language – and do what no Tory leader has yet done – prove himself to be skilled at governing rather than winning. He does have the capability – his inner fire – but he doesn’t have the skills to launch a better strategy than just keeping quiet and hoping he can manipulate press and public to get into the driving seat. The expenses scandal and his reaction suggests to me he needs to promise something solid and substantial – but his inner fire is currently spent trying to manipulate and plot against a new Speaker chosen by Parliament. What is alien to him seems to be acceptance of the neutral elements of government because they don’t work in his direct personal or political favour. It’s his loss if he doesn’t learn to harness the inner fire, and it eventually guts him as a result.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Outcome</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159030">Elvish Promenade</a> – Green – Tribal Sorcery/Elf</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>The faultless and immaculate castes form the lower tiers of elvish society, with the exquisite caste above them. At the pinnacle is the perfect, a consummate blend of aristocrat and predator.</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Deep Throat counsels that this card means something different to when it came up for Gordon in the context of preening but over-ambitious juniors lining up to replace him. Foxy has no such problem; there are no contenders seriously vying for his job. However it does represent leadership issues, with personalities not so much clashing as conspiring in the event of difficulties to come. The depth of the cold malice inherent in this card is chilling. When it comes, it will come swiftly and coherently; but the weight of personal issues here means that as with the Cabinet, the corruption will be cleansed away (perhaps unwittingly) and the best can come out of this seemingly evil situation.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Significant events: June/July</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=159030">Boggart Sprite-Chaser</a> – Red – Goblin Warrior</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>“Auntie pointed out to the faerie how much mischief a flying boggart could wreak, and a beautiful new friendship was born.” – A Tale of Auntie Grub</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>The card shows a union of disparate interests in such a way as to make the Tories the ones to watch over the summer. Again the colour is red and the element of chaos is inserted into the situation; wild abandon trumps cool, clearheaded thought. It is this loss of control that shows the Tories to be just as bad as the government when it comes to internal politics; it is born not perhaps of frustration (although there is enough of that about) but also of high spirits leading to too much frivolity rather than too little. Something that seems innocent can turn deadly, and because this is Cameron’s cards in particular we are looking at rather than his party’s, it erodes his authority.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span><span>Significant events: August/September</span></span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><em><span><span><a href="http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=145800">Mournwhelk</a> – Black – Elemental</span></span></em></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><em><span><span>It hoards Lorwyn’s rare sorrows.</span></span></em></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>An ending on a black card again does not sit well with Tory plans. “Rare” sorrows suggests that what no longer seems to fit with Tory success develops into something rather unfortunate; and discarding in the mechanics suggests an ending rather than a beginning.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span>Poor <em>Vulpes Vulpes</em>. Amen.</span></p> <p> <small> <a href="http://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/24/24-june-2009-making-a-bit-more-magic-part-4-david-cameron-6382412/#comments">Comments</a> </small> </p>shadow-cabinetleadershipmagic-the-gatheringgovernmentvodalian-magegordon-brownsleazepeter-oborneowlpersonoppositioneuropean-elections-2009daily-telegraphdavid-cameronexpenses-scandalthe-suncabinetfoxesandrew-mackaymichael-howarddeep-throatconservative-partytony-blairhttp://parliamentoffowls.blog.co.uk/2009/06/24/24-june-2009-making-a-bit-more-magic-part-4-david-cameron-6382412/#comments