I admire both Iain Dale and Tim Ireland for their immense contribution to political blogging in the UK.
Politically I am much closer to Tim, and this blog simply would not exist without his original and continuing technical support, given freely. That is true of several other high profile blogs as well. He is a kind and generous friend. He is also a an inspired blogger.
Iain, on the other hand, raised the profile of blogging through dedication, access, professionalism and being on what for now is the winning side in party politics. And Iain can write very well.
So I view the real bitterness of the current feud between the two of them as a crying shame.
I was worried about exposing so much of myself in my posts on bipolarity, particularly with regard to hypersexuality. There is undeniably an element of embarassment in revealing inner feelings. But I am cheered that this is not nearly so embarassing as Iain Dale’s listing of his hundred favourite pop songs. I am still giggling. Cliff Richard at No 1? Maybe Iain can join Tony Blair on his holiday’s in Cliff’s villa.
https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=6214838&postID=637274325927897345
You will be relieved that I am not going to give you my top 100, but this would probably be my number one.
Maybe Tim will be kind enough to fix your blog so that it’s possible to click on an item title, prioritise it as the top post, and then go straight to the comments instead of having to scroll all the way down to them as one does now.
As for your hyper-whatnot, I admire your honesty but not your timing. Saying all that immediately before you give evidence to the Joint Committee strikes me as dotty bordering on reckless. But I suppose that’s a feature of biploarity.
If there’s one thing that tickles me pink it’s arguments in blog comments about music, people’s favourite tracks/songs and the quality or otherwise of them.
People sneering at those who dare to say that they like Barry Manilow, or Celine Dion. Arguments about the merits of the Rolling Stones versus the Beatles.
Music is a matter of personal taste and there are no rules about personal taste. I spent years studying classical music, but I used to listen to Roger Miller for fun and relaxation.
And I could never stand Frankie. 🙂
You’re probably better off not posting a list. But I’m going to pop over and see what Iain posted, because you’ve gone and made me curious.
No, it’s a strategy
“I admire both Iain Dale and Tim Ireland”
Tim Ireland is someone you look upto.
Iain Dale is something you look down upon.
Sorry, George, I look straight at everyone!
“Sorry, George, I look straight at everyone!”
So do I Craig…but not when it comes to what they represent.
Iain Dale is a terrible pillock and his treatment of Tim has been very, very poor.
His musical tastes represent perhaps the barreness of his intellect and moral fibre.
“His musical tastes represent perhaps the barreness of his intellect and moral fibre.”
There we go again.
I see that Iain Dale missed the best song…
http://tinyurl.com/dnf8x2
Clearly not one of his favorites.
I find it very hard to see Iain Dale as anything other than a shallow propagandist for the Conservative party. The only reason why he is considered a ‘blogging expert’ is for the simple reason that he has gone to great lengths to publicise himself as exactly that. He has had some considerable success with this charade due to rampant cronyism and because he promotes views that are broadly in line with the narrow margin of opinion permitted by the mainstream media.
His blog is completely woeful. There is no attempt to explain, to analyse, to research or uncover. No arguments setting out a vision, a problem or a solution are marshalled save a puerile form of Reaganomics, one that suggests the writer doesn’t quite grasp the issues at stake.
In the mid-70’s when the New Right was in it’s embryonic stage, the idea content of its pundits, from Friedman to Hayek to Keith Joseph, from critics of the 60’s alternative lifestyle, to psychologists, sociologists to scientists, was vastly superior and a vastly more powerful intellectual challenge to the left. You could have a proper debate – an argument – you could in effect ‘get closer to the truth’ through discussion and maybe even understand why the New Right attacked the left and learn something from it.
Dale’s blog is just a catalogue of some of the most disappointing, pitiful, intellectually wretched opinion pieces I have ever read. And I have read The Daily Mail.
What a lovely crew of readers you attract, Craig!
The wonderful thing about the blogosphere is that there is no correct way to blog. Everyone does it differently. Rothermere thinks my blog is woeful. 100,000 others a month disagree with him. Who’s right? No one. Because there is no right answer.
100,000? Would that be visits or visitors? Besides, I did not say that you were not a successful propagandist Iain. Quite the contrary.
I am not familiar with Iain Dale’s blog, although tabloid racist “Gaunty” is promoted on it, so I am not sure it is something I will be bookmarking soon. Conservatism is one thing, but one should really draw the line at promoting angry, reactionary conduits for corporate-friendly media.