When is the next one

Off topic for a day.
The Times analysis of last nights election seems to be about right. If only the lib dems had gained just 10 seats, not more or less lost them, political reformers would have been in dream land. Still i did say that if the worst came to the worst, that if the tories got the most seats but didn't have enough to form a majority i could live with that. It's hard to know yet, but this could still turn out to be an election to lose with the financial situation and the hard choices to be made. I was never a fan of Clegg and despite the media narrative of the last month i stll think i was right. I would have prefered someone further to the left.
As for Brown and new labour, they must surely be toast, what will happen in that party i have no idea. One thing that looks likely is the stick in the mud tribalist position that has been led by, oh the irony, Brown, died a death by a thousand cuts. Let's hope the better face of the labour movement gains control from the Blairite abberation that has been in charge since John Smith died.
As for Cameron if he can't do a deal with lib dems, and i still can't see that, it's just a matter of time before he is toast. But will they go for Davis, who, though i didn't think so at the time, would surely have been the better leader to have picked. Or will they move to the right to appease the activist base. If they go right, because whatever else this country is, it's not a radical right country, radical reform will be back on the agenda at some stage. As i speak Andrew Neill has just said the Tory right are deeply unhappy with Cameron and his campaign and have told him there can be no deal on voting reform. Interesting times.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7119287.ece

Greg Hurst of the Times puts forward my view that Clegg was not the leader he was made out to be.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7119318.ece

The spectator's Frasier Nelson reports on the trouble ahead for Cameron.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/5978173/there-may-be-tory-trouble-ahead.thtml

One liberal i'm pretty sure most liberals won't mind losing his seat.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7690092/General-Election-2010-Its-sad-and-disappointing-says-Lembit-Opik.html
But i was gutted that the radically secular Evan Harris lost his seat. He was my idea of a proper liberal.

Are we a first world country or not is the question. I'm not much of an admirer of Dimbleby but he was right to call this a scandal.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/anger-mounts-over-problems-that-left-thousands-disenfranchised-1965663.html

Fergie blames one bad week for costing us the title. It didn't help but it obviously goes deeper than that.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7690858/Manchester-United-v-Stoke-City-one-bad-week-cost-us-the-title-says-Sir-Alex-Ferguson.html

The Glazer's bullshit spin operation continues
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_united/article7118708.ece
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/may/06/glazers-reject-secret-offer-manchester-united

City happy with Mancini, happy days.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/manchester_city/article7118697.ece


Music
Los Campensinos - Romance is boring: A decent album from the Welsh indie outfit. The vocalist doesn't half remind me of someone, but i can't think who. A fair few catchy tacks on it.

Massive Attack - Heligoland: The first three albums by this outfit are all blinders, unfortunately i never got around to hearing the fourth which had mixed reviews. But this is another cracking album which whilst it might not be up to the originality of those first few albums is more than enough to be going on with. I read one review that said whilst it was good it didn't push any boundaries so was there any purpose in it. What a load of pretentious bollocks, that was. So the Beatles should have packed up after Sgt Pepper.

Peter Gabriel - Scratch my back: A covers album that takes its time to grow on you. The arrangements of the tracks are superb and he completely gives a whole new take on each song. But they are all on the slow drawn out side, seeing as though they are all covers it would have been interesting to have a couple of more up tempo covers just to see how that would have worked.

The Magnetic Fields - Realism: This a pretty reasonable effort from Stephen Merrit's left field indie pop US outfit.

Tower of Power - Great American soulbook: Another covers album but this time one that is pretty faithful to the originals. A decent album but i had hoped their more original funky sound would come through, unfortuantely it doesn't really.

TV on the radio - Return of the cookie mountain: Their last album Dear science was my first exposure to them and i absolutely loved it. I had read that it was their most accessible album so far and i can see that after listening to this. This is a good album but feels like an progresion to Dear science.

Various artists - Ghana special: Modern highlife, afro sounds and Ghanain blues 68-91: What a stonking compilation album this. Every track is a winner. There doesn't ssem to be as much of a jazz influence in Ghanaian music as there is in Nigerian afrobeat going off this collection. That brilliant blend of African ryhthym and western rock is still is there alright though. I would plump for this just ahead of Massive attack as my pick of this bunch