The Gulf Oil Spill: What’s the Worst that Could Happen?

The BP oil spill has been leaking away in the Gulf of Mexico for the better part of two months. It’s already an environmental catastrophe and a political disaster, and we’ve seen numerous attempts to stop it fail, including the much vaunted top kill. Nothing is working, though, and people are beginning to wonder about [...]

By Tom Mendelsohn | The Foreign Desk | Thursday, 17 June 2010 at 1:58 pm

The World Cup vs the American Right

There’s a World Cup on, you’ll have noticed. Depending on your tolerance for empty platitudes, it’s either a joyous carnival of global fellow-feeling, or an excuse to have a month’s sit-down football binge.
Unless, of course, you’re a conservative American media pundit, in which case the whole farrago is a giant four-week excuse to flare your [...]

By Tom Mendelsohn | Sport | Wednesday, 16 June 2010 at 4:04 pm

Gary Brooks Faulkner and his Deadly Mission to Kill Osama

Yesterday, I brought you the news that a middle-aged American man was detained in Pakistan earlier this week, on a mission to finish the job his Government couldn’t: to assassinate Osama bin Laden.
Everything about the tale was a gift: he was apprehended with a pistol, night-vision gear, some heavy Christian reading material and a 40″ [...]

By Tom Mendelsohn | Notebook | Wednesday, 16 June 2010 at 12:53 pm

Signs of the (End) Times

A couple of gloriously nutty Christ-related events for your Tuesday afternoon:
First off, Associated Press is reporting that a 52-year-old American man has been apprehended in the wilds of northern Pakistan, toting a pistol and a 40-inch sword. His mission? To assassinate Osama bin Laden.
Gary Brooks Faulkner, a construction worker, was detained by Pakistani police in [...]

By Tom Mendelsohn | Notebook | Tuesday, 15 June 2010 at 2:58 pm

Cameron in a different light

Here's an astonishing thing doing the rounds: type 'David Cameron side profile' into Google's image search, and have a look at the first result. Then have another look. Rub your eyes, look away, then look back. Pinch yourself; you aren't dreaming.
If you can't be bothered with that, the picture is below. I don't want to [...]

By Tom Mendelsohn | Eagle Eye | Friday, 14 May 2010 at 8:43 am

All the latest in serious, up-to-the-minute political commentary

This just in, from the Popbitch newsletter, an update on David Cameron:
JL writes: "I live round the corner from Dave Cameron, or at least I did until he became PM, and saw him regularly in our local newsagent. The other night he drove [...]

By Tom Mendelsohn | Eagle Eye | Thursday, 13 May 2010 at 1:45 pm

Jon Stewart has another look at our quainte olde politics

American comedian and hero of the Left Jon Stewart has been mean about our elections on his television show again. It's very funny, again.
It won't let me embed the video, so have a look here.
Best line: 'Is it just me, or do these guys look like one of those before and after diet pictures?'

By Tom Mendelsohn | Eagle Eye | Thursday, 13 May 2010 at 1:16 pm

Only in America

I say 'only in America' when I guess I mean 'even in America'. The following video was rleased by Roy Moore, a candidate for governor of Alabama, who wants his electorate to know something about his opponent Bradley Byrne. I don't want to ruin the surprise, so watch it:

I know, right? Byrne [...]

By Tom Mendelsohn | Eagle Eye | Wednesday, 12 May 2010 at 3:47 pm

The coalition on civil liberties

The Conservative/Liberal coalition has published its agreement document this afternoon. You can see it here. There's plenty of interesting stuff in it, and it does really seem to be something of a synergy between manifestos – maybe the Conservatives come out on top in terms of victories, but the Liberals have won some important concessions. [...]

By Tom Mendelsohn | Eagle Eye | Wednesday, 12 May 2010 at 2:40 pm

The press conference just been

Cameron and Clegg just gave their first joint press conference of the 'new politics' era. It was an extremely jolly affair, with journalists rolling in the aisles, and prime ministers and deputy prime ministers staring long and lovingly into each others' eyes.
The parity on display was remarkable – both men answered questions on a [...]

By Tom Mendelsohn | Eagle Eye | Wednesday, 12 May 2010 at 2:07 pm