Nadine Dorries MP, Ex-Blogger?

Nadine Dorries the Tory MP has had her blog taken down overnight. Apparently her less than well thought out remarks on the Barclay Brothers having some kind of agenda against British politics has caught up with her. As I said yesterday her new media profile could back fire on her, and it has. I read her blog last evening before I went to bed and I have to say it made pretty dire reading. Having read it occasionally I didn't think it was that well written and having watched her on Question Time a couple of weeks ago my immediate reaction was, thinks she's smarter than she is. She is/was clearly in a bit of a spin over all the Telegraph's coverage and she announced on her blog that she is going on holiday. I think she needs one. I bet David Cameron thinks likewise.

Update
There's a short article by Ms Dorries in the Indy, it does not reflect well on her. She calls what is happening to MPs, "torture" – a very poor choice of words. She also complains that MPs should be paid what they are worth; I think a lot of us feel that too. I get offered some small amounts to write some books, I accept it and get on with it, or I don't and I don't. I'm not complaining, it's the way things are. She's been in the House for 4 years and already she's a fully paid up member of the club.

Judith Miller's Antiques and Collectables

My friend Judith Miller, who writes books on antiques and collectables, appears on the BBC's Antiques Roadshow, has started a blog which you can find at millersantiquesguide.com/blog. Judith's books include the Miller's price guides as well as books on specific kinds of antiques and collectables. The blog is full of tips on collecting, where to go to find bargauns, news from the world of antiques and all sorts of other valuable stuff.

Spam and Chips?

Bryan Appleyard has an interesting post about whether or not the blogosphere overartes its own importance. Well yes of course it does but there is at least, to my mind, an increasing amount of traditional media news that originated from a blog or the wider web. It led me to think of the old adage, Today's newspaper, tomorrow's chip paper' What would the modern equivalent be? Today's email, tomorrow's spam?

Andrew Loog Oldham in the Blogosphere

Everybody Must Get Stoned is an interesting new blog to check out. It's from legendary former Rolling Stones Manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Andrew also co-founded the Immediate label and recorded, amongst others, the Small Faces, John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, Rod Stewart, Chris Farlowe, the Nice, P.P. Arnold, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and Humble Pie. The current blog story relates to the vagaries of the British press and is in Andrew's inimitable style, which those of you who have read his great books - Stoned and 2Stoned - will be familiar with. For me Andrew's writing in his books captures the spirit of 60s London better than anyone else; they're also very funny.