CR Matters is moving house…

In anticipation of publication of my new book, CR Matters is moving. For my latest posts, please visit the new Live Long and Prosper site.

Those of you who’ve been kind enough to subscribe to my RSS feed and email alerts, and to link to this blog, please be sure to update those links as soon as possible.

Thanks, and see you again over at the new site.

Mitch Benn on toddlers and the international banking system…

The satirical song is a much-maligned art form. Done well and, like the best political cartoons, it can do an amazing job of getting to the humerous nub of even the most complex and depressing news stories.

Take master of the art and wannabe King of Twitter, Mitch Benn, and his brilliant conceit on last week’s Now Show. 

How do you best explain the collapse of our international banking system? Simple! It’s just the same as watching a toddler learn to walk…

(Well, it made me laugh anyway!)

Happy Birthday!

It’s just dawned on me that Friday marks the first anniversary of CR Matters. Blimey, where did this last year go?! Wishful thinking, I know, but it’d be nice to think that the next couple could pass just as quickly…

Authenticity, transparency, trust (and how to destroy it)

Hot on the heels of the fuss over publishing MPs’ expenses, a post from the BBC’s Nick Robinson earlier this week sets out the UK government’s efforts to resist publication of the minutes from several cabinet meetings in the run-up to the war in Iraq – despite a ruling from the independent Information Commissioner, subsequently upheld by the Information Tribunal.

It would seem, then, that the Freedom of Information Act applies to everyone save its authors. And they wonder why there’s voter apathy and a collapse in the public’s trust in politicians!

Calling all you River Cottage fans out there…

One of my old Edinburgh mates has just started up an interesting new venture in the River Cottage mould.

Possessing a rather eclectic mix of skills – as both an outstanding carpenter and a qualified deer stalker – he’s recently completed the renovation of a beautiful old inn in Herefordshire, and is now opening it up to the public as the base for his fantastically titled “Kill it & Grill it” weekends.

As the name suggests, it’s a deliciously simple concept – head out into the countryside, bag yourself the wild meat of your choice, then it’s back home to butcher it, cook it and scoff it.

It’s the ultimate free-range eating experience, with a bit of sport and education thrown in for good measure, and all in some of England’s finest countryside.

To a full-on foodie like me, that sounds like a great way to spend a weekend. If it does to you too, then check out www.fawleyorchards.co.uk for more information.