Drug policy remains a truth free zone

So with the sacking of David Nutt drug policy remains a truth free zone for Labour, and also for the Tories, as Chris Grayling says it was inevitable. Solutions aren't easy, but our politicians are paid to deal with difficult issues, and they're just dodging this one.

Motion sensitive lights

Theoretically I'm in favour of motion sensitive lights. Very good energy savers. But, now that I work in an office building that has them, I realise that they are work control devices. You're just settling down on the bog for a good read and the light goes out. You wave your hands around, but you can't turn it on again from inside the cubicle.... You have to go back to the office.

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "motion sensitive".

Trafigura travesty

In case you missed it, the Parliamentary question that the Guardian is not allowed to report on:

61 N Paul Farrelly (Newcastle-under-Lyme): To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of legislation to protect (a) whistleblowers and (b) press freedom following the injunctions obtained in the High Court by (i) Barclays and Freshfields solicitors on 19 March 2009 on the publication of internal Barclays reports documenting alleged tax avoidance schemes and (ii) Trafigura and Carter-Ruck solicitors on 11 September 2009 on the publication of the Minton report on the alleged dumping of toxic waste in the Ivory Coast, commissioned by Trafigura.

One rule for them...

From the Telegraph:

"Last night, the Lib Dems, who are confident that they avoided the worst excesses, stepped up pressure on the Conservatives by calling on George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, to pay an estimated £55,000 in capital gains tax which they claim he avoided.

"Lord Oakeshott said: "George Osborne's catchphrase at the Tory conference was 'We're all in this together'. Perhaps he should make that 'except Conservative shadow chancellors and founder members of the Cameron club who flip their million-pound properties to dodge a £55,000 capital gains tax bill.'"

Alan Grayson on American healthcare

With a hat tip to Next Generation Front Left, Alan Grayson deserves every minute of airtime he can get.