Back

I want to reflect a little on elements of the visit - at ten days, our longest for a few years. But here are a few items I immediately picked up on returning, or indeed a day or so before returning.

1. The UCU saga that resulted in the brief disappearance of Harry's Place, with some strong posts at Engage, regarding the exclusion of David Hirsh from the activists' list of UCU. David replies here and proceeds here. An assessment by Robert Fine here. DSTPW is no friend of Harry as Harry has become and comments. It is instructive to see the UCU defending the right of people to make the occasional mistake of linking to the KKK fascist David Duke. Bit tactless, they suppose, but, hey, even Duke must be better than an Israeli scholar.

2. Can't miss this of course. Michael Palin's long lost little sister nominated by John McCain. I received an email tipping her to be picked many hours before the news broke at the BBC. Dunno how it's done. She sounds an interesting bundle of potential contradictions. Member of National Rifle Association, supported gay legislation but against gay marriage. Pro-life feminist. Astute move by McCain. For now.

3. And this, the sentencing of a man who knifed a BNP supporter who had been harassing his family. Victim's wife calls for justice. I cannot quite feel her pain. The BNP make great play of being the white working man's party. Er, no. They are racist fascist excrement in suits.

Reflections in another post then.