Sheridan sues News of the World!

And the Metropolitan Police!

No editorial from me. Ma heid’s pure spinnin’

From The Guardian

The former Scottish socialist leader Tommy Sheridan is taking legal action against News International and Scotland Yard after his personal details emerged as part of the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

The disgraced former MSP has instructed his lawyers to pursue the NoW and the convicted private investigator Glenn Mulcaire for breach of privacy after details about his home address and mobile phone were found in two of Mulcaire’s notebooks in a police raid four years ago.

Sheridan is planning legal action against the Metropolitan police for failing to tell him he was on Mulcaire’s target list. He is the latest public figure to start proceedings in the hacking affair.

Sheridan is considering joining a separate judicial review against Scotland Yard being taken out jointly by a number of Mulcaire’s targets – including the former deputy prime minister John Prescott and the former Met assistant commissioner Brian Paddick – for failing to warn them they were suspected targets for phone hacking on behalf of the NoW.

Mulcaire’s documents naming Sheridan only came to light after his solicitor, Aamer Anwar, won a court order instructing the Met to release them in December 2009.

Anwar said: “Mr Sheridan wants to know who instructed the hacking, why wasn’t there a full and transparent investigation by the Metropolitan police and why wasn’t he informed. It wasn’t just one occasion: it’s on two separate occasions. This won’t be an action for damages; it’s an action to find out what went on. It’s in the public interest to find out what’s going on.”

And More Readers’ Emails

From ‘abruti’ – another in the ‘ElephantCant’ series. Thanks again to Brian and Phil for this one they did last month:

AnElephantCant believe that it’s winter
He just didn’t expect it this year
It’s only December
In Scotland remember
So much for the season of cheer

The railways are quite a fiasco
The roads are all covered in ice
Scotland grinds to a halt
But it’s nobody’s fault
Do councils plan with a roll of the dice?

In Scotland we have only two seasons
Neither of them particularly warm
In August you know
There isn’t much snow
Just some rain and the occasional storm

But when winter comes round just like clockwork
Our leaders are shocked to a man
We’ve run out of grit
Oh isn’t this rubbish
Is it too much to expect some sort of plan?

More Readers Emails

Once again from regular BLFP ‘spotter’ John O’Hare:

The Associated Press
Saturday, January 1, 2011; 2:08 PM

BUCHAREST, Romania — Romania has changed its labor laws to officially recognize witchcraft as a profession, prompting one self-described witch to threaten retaliation.

The move, which went into effect Saturday, is part of the government’s drive to crack down on widespread tax evasion in a country that is in recession.

In addition to witches, astrologists, embalmers, valets and driving instructors are now considered by labor law to be working real jobs, making it harder for them to avoid income tax.

For months the measure had been debated, protested by witches and mocked by the media.

On Saturday, a witch called Bratara told Realitate.net, the website of a top TV station, that she plans to cast a spell using black pepper and yeast to create discord in the government.

Scottish Football Latest!

More Rafferty

This is from the Stealers Wheel album Ferguslie Park (1973) The vocal range is stunning. A rare Rafferty performance as there are no harmonies.

Cracking sax solo.

This one is from the eponymous Wheel album which featured Stuck in the Middle. Late Again features Joe Egan on lead vocal and Rafferty on harmonies.

There’s also this news report from the BBC (five minutes in) which includes film of David ‘Kid’ Jensen presenting Gerry with an award. He has the demeanour of a man dragged away from the bar to collect a raffle prize.