Farage, just another pol

Rupert Murdoch has long had a low opinion of David Cameron, although they had something of a rapprochement before the last election when Cameron dropped in on Murdoch’s yacht Rosehearty in the Mediterranean. So Murdoch’s dinner with Nigel Farage, the UKIP leader, on Tuesday was a calculated insult to the Prime Minister.
That is intriguing.
But Farage’s eagerness [...]

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Saturday, 9 March 2013 at 11:22 am

Is Spongebob Squarepants the new Che Guevara?

Number 903 in the long running series of Questions To Which The Answer Is No is asked by Vice, which appears to be a rich source of such questions.
Spotted by Jonathan Freedland.
Della Mirandola saw number 904 first:
Could Ed Miliband be Labour’s Margaret Thatcher?
Asked by Andy Beckett in The Guardian.
Amazon special offer: download the QTWTAIN e-book [...]

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Friday, 18 January 2013 at 10:20 am

Could climate change turn humans into hobbits?

Number 901 in my long-running series of Questions To Which The Answer Is No (QTWTAIN), asked by my esteemed former colleague, Geoffrey Lean, at Telegraph Blogs.  First spotted by James Worron.
My QTWTAIN e-book is still only £2.29 at Amazon, cheaper than a 240g tub of pomegranate seeds from Ocado.
Number 902, spotted by Gaby Hinsliff, was [...]

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Saturday, 12 January 2013 at 4:00 pm

Was Hitler Really a Fan of Gun Control?

Fine contribution to my series of Questions To Which The Answer Is No from Mother Jones. Number 899. Spotted by Clive Davis.
And a warm welcome to the series, in at number 900, to Bjørn Lomborg, who asks:
The End of Pasta?
Spotted by Matthew Burchall.
Which is by way of introducing the offer of the year: the Kindle [...]

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Friday, 11 January 2013 at 2:05 pm

Is World War II Still Being Fought?

Number 895 in the series of Questions To Which The Answer Is No is asked by Frontpage magazine.

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Monday, 31 December 2012 at 11:35 am

Is the Snowman a Masculine Role Model for 2013?

From The Times last week, number 894 in the inexhaustible series, spotted by Alex White. (With bonus point for “role model”, which is, of course, on the Banned List.)

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Monday, 24 December 2012 at 12:37 pm

“Mayan apocalypse: are there any facts behind this doomsday scenario? (No)”

An unusual example of a Headline Which Answers Its Own Question in the Guardian’s US News Blog, spotted by my esteemed colleague Paul Bignell.

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Saturday, 22 December 2012 at 12:11 pm

Can you teach a baby to read?

Spotted by Rob W. He probably didn’t know he was entering a competition, but he has won a signed copy of Questions To Which The Answer Is No.

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Friday, 14 December 2012 at 10:16 am

Are Hobbits Blue Labour?

Joe Oliver wins a signed copy of Questions To Which The Answer Is No for spotting this fine double example of the form: Is the Shire one nation? Are hobbits blue Labour?

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Friday, 7 December 2012 at 12:41 pm

Rentoul’s Little Shop of Stocking Presents

Just what someone needs for Christmas. The book Questions To Which The Answer Is No. Just to remind you what it is about, here is a question asked by New Zealand television:
Can you teach a dog to drive?

Number 885 in my series, spotted by Paddy Briggs, who has already won a signed copy of the book. [...]

By John Rentoul | Eagle Eye | Thursday, 6 December 2012 at 4:15 pm