To mark the end of the Olympics: There are times in sport when you wonder if you don't spend rather too much of your life bothering with it, and then again, there are moments when you know beyond all doubt... — read the rest

There is a fundamental economic illiteracy about British politics that contradicts the idea that Lady Thatcher brought about a revolution in attitudes in this country. Profit is still too often a dirty word. Just as it is still almost universally... — read the rest

Oh shit, no. I had a shower last night, though. — Chris Tomlinson, British long jumper, after being asked by his wife if he'd had a shave before he met the Prime Minister.... — read the rest

[T]he Tory chuntering class is as stupid and ill-read as its Hampstead lefty counterpart. Neither wishes to test the rectitude of their own tired prejudices against evidence or literature. — Chris Dillow, at Stumbling and Mumbling... — read the rest

He is now quite addicted to alcohol, smokes and has spent a great deal of time over the last nine months asleep. That's Mrs Gardner on her son during his first year at university. She had assumed her son would... — read the rest

This dance of hypocrisy and anti-hypocrisy, the endless round of masking and unmasking that is electoral politics, can be profoundly frustrating and debilitating. — David Runciman, going on to discuss George Orwell and his attitudes towards hypocrisy.... — read the rest

Since he's lost all this weight, Lee thinks he is Brad Pitt, and that's not a bad thought to take with you out on to this golf course. — Chubby Chandler, the manager of golfer Lee Westwood. There's so much... — read the rest

When you're young, days go quickly but the years last for ever. As you get older, it's the days that last for ever but the years that speed by. Only people who are 27 experience both days and years at... — read the rest

[T]he library and what it houses embody and protect the freedom and diversity of the human spirit. To every scholar the library is a personal realm of secret topography. — Colin St John Wilson, architect of the British Library (see... — read the rest

Formerly you shone among the living like the star of dawn. Now, dead, you shine like the evening star among the departed. — Plato. It's the bit in between shining amongst the living at dawn and shining among the departed... — read the rest

'But come, Pinch, before I say anything more to you, just run over the reasons you have for being grateful to him at all, will you? change hands first, for the box is heavy. That'll do. Now, go on.' 'In... — read the rest

A true born Englishman's a Contradiction, In Speech an Irony, in Fact a Fiction. — Daniel Defoe. Increasingly appropriate and relevant, following this report's findings (and see the Economist article here).... — read the rest

I can't explain it. I just like looking at type. I get a total kick out of it. They are my friends. Other people look at bottles of wine or girls' bottoms, I get kicks out of looking at type.... — read the rest

The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one. — Wilhelm Stekel... — read the rest

What you see is what you get. — Louise Lear, BBC weather person, with probably the most useless weather forecast I have ever heard. In other news, everything you see on the television isn't real. Oh, hang on — I... — read the rest

It would be incomprehensible to disrupt the lives of millions of Londoners. — Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, on the proposed 3-day strike affecting the London Underground. But Ken — this happens every day anyway! [This is a totally... — read the rest

Lawyers are all right, I guess... I mean they're all right if they go around saving innocent guys' lives all the time, and like that, but you don't do that kind of stuff if you're a lawyer. All you do... — read the rest

[O]ne should pour tea into the cup first. This is one of the most controversial points of all; indeed in every family in Britain there are probably two schools of thought on the subject. The milk-first school can bring forward... — read the rest

These so-called big stars are people we are supposed to be looking up to. Well they are weak and soft. If they don't want to come because their wife wants to go shopping in London it's a sad state of... — read the rest

I don't go there to just show up and I'm not here to work on my farmer tan and shed a couple of pounds. The whole idea is to win. That's it. — Tiger Woods Update: and that is exactly... — read the rest

The "quotation of the week" has lapsed on arbitrary constant. This post aims to re-introduce it with the following long quotation from Raymond Chandler's The Long Good-bye: There's a peculiar thing about money[.] In large quantities it tends to have... — read the rest

Mr Blair today faced the Liaison committee, made up of the heads of all the select committees, to talk about domestic and international affairs. The discussion ventured on to environment and energy. After giving a hat-tip to Ken Livingstone for... — read the rest

An organisation such as the CEHR will eventually be using its capabilities to support ethnic minorities, disabled groups and people from the gay and lesbian communities to make the most of the opportunities offered by internet blogs. — Trevor Phillips,... — read the rest

Cameron is holding up a mirror which reveals our priorities, and the reflection isn't always flattering. — Nick Cohen on the liberal middle classes. Cohen, ever an engaging, provocative, but generally correct and insightful commentator, also nicely picks up on... — read the rest

Or more, in this case, headline of the day: One in five Home Office statistics are unreliable, says department head — The Guardian (who else could write a headline like that?!)... — read the rest

First off, thanks to Stef for picking up his posting quotient here on arbitrary constant; do remember, though, that I did say his language is appalling... Now to the quotation of the week, which seems entirely apt given the monumental... — read the rest

Ola and a happy new year to all. Apologies to Rich for my appauling posting quotient recently but I did have had serious drinking and partying to do. This sublime quote comes from the genius that is 'The Thick of... — read the rest

Again, apologies for the lack of posts over the last week or so. This post will hopefully see full service and daily posting resume. And what better way to get things going again from this side of arbitrary constant, then,... — read the rest

We do not have a strong educational culture. — Howard Wilkinson on the qualifications of managers in England. It could be argued quite persuasively that there's not much education in football as a whole! Remember, of course, Graham Le Saux,... — read the rest

In preparation for the start of the second Ashes test tomorrow, here's number 6 of 10 possible reasons why England might win in Adelaide: Troy Cooley's reputation as England's finest-ever bowling coach is under threat. All it requires is for... — read the rest

Many people have [argued] that inculcating students with patriotism and ideology is the crucial reason for public education in the first place. Prussia and France, for example, developed state education in part for ideological reasons -- the former to foster... — read the rest

[T]he elitism of the British civil service — notwithstanding the adulation of those viewing it from afar — actually breeds a degree of complacency bordering on incompetence. — Richard Chapman.... — read the rest

I meant to take you darling. Tony Blair, speaking at his monthly press conference (scroll down to 6 November).... — read the rest

An excellent article to finish the week, from which this quotation is taken: [W]hen it comes to the state of the novel, to the future of the novel, I feel rather optimistic. Numbers don't count where books are concerned, for... — read the rest

From Richard Perle, arch neo-con: I think if I had been a delphic, and had seen where we are today, and people had said, 'Should we go into Iraq?', I think now I would have probably said, 'No, let's consider... — read the rest

[Alternative title for this submission: "People looking out for each other" — ed.] If people can't afford to buy their own home it's their own lookout for having a rubbish job - they should have worked harder at school and... — read the rest

I don't make predictions, and I never will. — Paul Gascoigne. I should follow his example!... — read the rest

I chose not to pay because I didn't think that Swedish Television produced good programmes. — Tobias Billstroem, Swedish Migration Minister, on why he didn't pay his Swedish television licence. I know how he feels.... — read the rest

In the light of my recent comments, this seems appropriate: Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others. — Groucho Marx, though could equally have been David "Dave" Cameron... — read the rest

Powerful multinational corporations may control the machinery of the energy community; national governments may control the military forces that defend the world's energy supplies; but at the end of the day, the driving force behind the energy economy, the reason... — read the rest

The meaning of life is that it stops. — Sebastian Horsley reviewing a recent book (via norm). Watching television on a Saturday night, which is what I'm currently sort of doing, makes me feel like life has stopped.... — read the rest

1 I was reading The Merchant of Venice. 2 I was reading 'The Merchant of Venice'. 3 I was reading The Merchant of Venice. The man who cannot see that No 1 is the best looking, as well as the... — read the rest

We must have a soul. That's Gordon Brown — real name James Brown (no, honestly) — on what the Labour party must have beyond policies and programmes. I like Gordon Brown and think (and hope) he will be the next... — read the rest

Obviously I'm denying all allegations that have been alleged against me. That's Sam Allardyce denying he had anything to do with bungs. Out of interest, surely allegations can only be alleged? That's why they are allegations. I suppose they could... — read the rest

Despite my strongly held conviction that the internet holds great possibilities for enabling democratic engagement, I realised the folly of my ways when watching the hilariously brilliant Avenue Q last night. The title of one of the songs was The... — read the rest

I am leaving my current job to take up a new position at the Disability Rights Commission from Monday. As a result of this and my recent house move, I'm afraid posting will be light and irregular here for around... — read the rest

Since you are now studying geometry and trigonometry, I will give you a problem. A ship sails the ocean. It left Boston with a cargo of wool. It grosses 200 tons. It is bound for Le Havre. The mainmast is... — read the rest

Money: There's nothing in the world so demoralizing as money. — Sophocles Never spend your money before you have it. — Thomas Jefferson Today, both of these quotations would serve just as well.... — read the rest

Conventional military operations against states cannot remove the threat of further attacks by networks that no state controls. — John Gray (in False Dawn: the delusions of global capitalism)... — read the rest

Chance favors only the prepared mind. — Louis Pasteur... — read the rest

It was one of the most remarkable things. — Richie Benaud on Shane Warne's mesmerising leg breaker (the "Ball of the Century") delivered to Mike Gatting in the first test of the 1993 Ashes series... — read the rest

No stranger to mangling his words, George W. Bush shocked the world yesterday by making a statement many thought was to the point and without obfuscation: The irony is, what they really need to do is to get Syria to... — read the rest

Staying on the football theme (with a hint of Rumsfeld for good measure) comes this peach: The biggest problem is that people who were supposed to control the whole system were controlled by those people they were supposed to control... — read the rest

You have to allow yourself to lose control from time to time. — Eric Cantona on Zinedine Zidane's sending off in the World Cup final. He should know.... — read the rest

I don't know why we are here, but I'm pretty sure that it is not in order to enjoy ourselves. — Ludwig Wittgenstein... — read the rest

Having already delivered what could be the quotation of the year, Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari is in danger of turning the quotation of the week category into his own stomping ground with this peach ahead of tonight's World Cup... — read the rest

He should not have been there.— Lord Tebbit on David "Dave" Cameron's appearance on the Jonathan Ross show, in which Ross asked "Dave" whether he had ever had [pleasured himself] with Margaret Thatcher in mind.... — read the rest

Not just quotation of the week but a possible contender for quotation of the year:Jesus Christ may be able to turn the other cheek but Luis Figo isn't Jesus Christ.— Luiz Felipe Scolari, Portugal coach on Luis Figo's headbutt of... — read the rest

Even if equality of opportunity is fully achieved, all that has happened is that each of us starts off on the same rung of the ladder. There is still a ladder, and for most of us what we shall be... — read the rest

A relevant quotation of the week, courtesy of Mr Jim Taylor, in preparation for the 10k run arbitrary constant will be undertaking on SundayI am still looking for a pair of training shoes that will make running on streets seem... — read the rest

And after brandy, taken in sufficient quantity, [your stomach] says, 'Now, come, fool, grin and tumble, that your fellow-men may laugh – drivel in folly and splutter in senseless sounds, and show what a helpless ninny is the poor man... — read the rest

I never meant to say that the Conservatives are generally stupid. I meant to say that stupid people are generally Conservative. I believe that is so obviously and universally admitted a principle that I hardly think any gentleman will deny... — read the rest

Note: this is a guest post by Paul Wright The Bible is not the authorised code of a society managed by priests and preachers for their private purposes, but the set of human words through which the call of God... — read the rest

The west, imposing its own sensibilities on the world through a totalising globalisation, can only be impoverished if there are no radically different voices, grounded in other certainties, to call it into question.— Tim Winter... — read the rest

Philosophers have always tried to show that we are not like other animals, sniffing their way uncertainly through the world. Yet after all the work of Plato ad Spnioza, Descartes and Bertrand Russell we have no more reason than other... — read the rest

[R]ising dissatisfaction with the "system"... does not result primarily from poorer performance by that system. Rather, it stems from a rapid escalation of our aspirations as to what the system's performance ought to be... What is not improving is the... — read the rest

The result may offer short-term relief for the Liberals, but they ran a shameless anti-government campaign even though they are part of the government in Scotland.— Alex Salmond SNP leader... — read the rest

For those who believe, no evidence is necessary. [F]or those who don’t believe, no evidence is ever enough.— Medium Colin Fry... — read the rest

A quote of the week special, this week, with two contributions from Mr Jim Taylor:America could not found a whelk stall.— Simon Jenkins reviewing My Year in Irak If you want to spend an evening getting pointlessly panicked and disorientated... — read the rest

[I]ntellectuals in politics are a distinct minority. The political sphere is instead dominated by career politicians who early have learned that a profound and frequently reiterated respect (whether genuine or feigned) for the wisdom of the average voter is a... — read the rest

Some things are true, even if George [W.] Bush believes them.— Thomas Friedman (via the old normblog)... — read the rest

I thought I should go and see it but I then got in a taxi and was heading somewhere else... I then thought, 'You just live your life. You've got to come and see that whale'. — Shameen Khan... — read the rest

The flaw in the modern myth is that it tethers us to a hope of unity, when we should be learning to live with conflict. — John Gray (in Al Qaeda and What It Means to be Modern)... — read the rest

Anyway, work is not the word I would apply to what I do. Work is too large a term, too serious. Workers work. The great ones work. As for us middling men, there is no word sufficiently modest that yet... — read the rest