This is totally NSFW, if you’re a dragonfly. It may also cause depression among male viewers. If you’re absolutely sure you can handle XXX-rated dragonfly action, then click on the pleasant picture below to peek through the leafy window and into the dragonfly boudoir.
(Pics taken this afternoon in the botanical gardens of Victoria Park, Bath, with a Fuji Finepix F70 EXR compact digital camera.)
We're almost done with the politics stuff, viewers. Normal WoSblog service will be resumed shortly, but first I thought I might as well share with you an email I received this morning.
Back on Monday, when uncertainty still ruled as to who'd be forming the next government, the website 38 Degrees invited its users to send emergency emails to Labour MPs, urging them not to block any potential "progressive alliance" by vowing to vote against electoral reform, as many threatened to.
The momentum behind a Lib-Lab coalition seems at the time of writing to be slipping away, as one braindead Labour MP or grandee after another comes out to argue against it in front of an eager media. If Labour's 1983 election manifesto was the longest suicide note in history, today's collected BBC News interviews could be among the shortest.
Because here's what happens if Labour retards like David Blunkett, John Reid, Tom Harris and Wee Dougie Alexander scupper this agreement.
1. That the Tories hadn’t offered the Lib Dems anything on electoral reform. The sudden, desperate and resentful least-possible offer of a referendum on the absolutely useless AV (which does almost nothing for the Lib Dems) was a panic reaction to Brown’s game-changing resignation.
At least, it’s statistically probable that you do. The majority – 53% – of votes cast by the British electorate last Thursday were worthless, because they were cast for candidates who didn’t win, and are therefore simply thrown in the bin by the First Past The Post electoral system.
So if you were one of the thousands of people locked out of polling stations across the country on Thursday night, don’t fret too much. Your vote would probably have been completely ignored anyway.
Because the aim was a hung parliament, and we got just about the hung-est parliament possible. The Tories need the Lib Dems to form a majority, Labour needs nearly everyone to form a majority, and the smallest parties could yet have the crucial say. Wow, that's hung. But what now?
I haven't been to bed yet. I may be cranky. But with over 90% of results in, it's not really possible to draw any conclusions from last night's election other than (a) almost everyone in Britain is a pathetic, brainless cretin, and (b) everything about our "democracy" is a sick black joke at our expense.
With just two days until an election that could mark either one of the greatest days in British political history or one of the blackest, we're all a bit nervous about the future. But one thing that's great for easing tension is free cash, and that's what appears to be on offer from Stan James this week.
The terrifying image above is Ladbrokes' predicted map of the UK come Friday morning. (You can find much more detail on it here.) It makes a few questionable assertions and contradicts itself in a number of places (eg Glasgow East), but where's the money?
Big Jock on Ball Of Confusion: “Didn’t Souness say he wished he was English? Surely Farage should be a natural home for this plastic Jock. Him…” Jun 6, 00:08
Chris Downie on Ball Of Confusion: “Souness was a world-class player, but also the biggest hacking bastard the Scottish game has ever seen. A true Loyalist…” Jun 5, 23:39
Hatey McHateface on Ball Of Confusion: “A lot of things were better in earlier times, TURABDIN. Heck, take the Yes movement. Who wouldn’t want to go…” Jun 5, 21:06
Hatey McHateface on A Butterfly On Absinthe: “@Bill Craig If you’re really up for staying as objective as we can: “have no valid historical claim to the…” Jun 5, 21:01
TURABDIN on Ball Of Confusion: “THE ANAGRAM of REFORM is former, i.e belonging to an earlier time. just like its supporters.” Jun 5, 20:43
Rev. Stuart Campbell on Why genocide is brilliant: ““I’ve been a loyal reader and fan of this blog for well over a decade, but I’m done. Our government…” Jun 5, 19:54
Rev. Stuart Campbell on A Butterfly On Absinthe: ““Stu, I’m surprised and disappointed in your remarks on this issue.” Seems to me what you have an issue with…” Jun 5, 19:50
David on Ball Of Confusion: “The Protestants of Larkhall need something to cheer about tonight. They’ve just hired Russell Martin – a vegan Buddhist footballer…” Jun 5, 18:46
twathater on Ball Of Confusion: “I think the daily rectum is going for a reverse psychological position to voters, denigrate the man whilst shoving his…” Jun 5, 18:43
Hatey McHateface on Why genocide is brilliant: “Ah ken fit ye mean, Donald. The Humous boys could end the ongoing genocide by the weekend. But they don’t…” Jun 5, 18:15
Hatey McHateface on Why genocide is brilliant: “It’s not blokes revealing their “fangs” in supposedly safe places that our women folk are concerned about. It seems clear…” Jun 5, 18:06
Skip_NC on Ball Of Confusion: “You’re just trolling “Jammies” Kelly now, aren’t you, Stu? The paragraph that begins “If there’s anyone in Hamilton…,” is just…” Jun 5, 18:06
sarah on Ball Of Confusion: “If a very low turnout we might know the result before 11.00 tonight!” Jun 5, 18:05
Captain Caveman on Why genocide is brilliant: ““an in Scots – yer nivver ower auld tae lairn!” No, Alf, that’s not “Scots”, that’s English mate. Albeit with…” Jun 5, 17:24
agent x on Ball Of Confusion: “We will know the result in the morning. Will be interesting.” Jun 5, 17:11
robertkknight on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: ““If the majority of Scots wanted independence they simply need to vote for it overwhelmingly” Are you suggesting 50%+1 isn’t…” Jun 5, 17:03
Northcode on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: ““The Scottish independence movement, Liberate Scotland, Salvo, Liberation.Scot…” Should have read: “Professor Alf Baird, The Scottish independence movement, Liberate Scotland,…” Jun 5, 16:54
Northccode on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: ““The Scottish independence movement, Liberate Scotland, Salvo, Liberation.Scot…” Should have read: “Professor Alf Baird, The Scottish independence movement, Liberate Scotland,…” Jun 5, 16:52
Alf Baird on Why genocide is brilliant: “an in Scots – yer nivver ower auld tae lairn!” Jun 5, 16:48
PhilM on Ball Of Confusion: “Perhaps we need to petition the parliament to consider legislation to ban Graeme Souness and anyone with a similar bubble…” Jun 5, 16:43
Cuphook on Ball Of Confusion: “By the weekend we’ll see articles from the usual guardians of the discourse likening the SNP and Reform and denouncing…” Jun 5, 16:21
Northcode on And No Great Mischief Should They Fall: ““…independence is the number one priority for the Scottish people and enjoys 99% support across the country.” I didn’t think…” Jun 5, 16:15
Aidan on Ball Of Confusion: “Purdah doesn’t mean that media organisations have to remain politically neutral in the run up to an election. It just…” Jun 5, 16:08
Mark Beggan on Ball Of Confusion: “Souness used to be called something else if I remember correctly. It rhymes with meaness but begins with a P.” Jun 5, 16:05
sarah on Ball Of Confusion: “Don’t purdah rules apply to Holyrood elections? Or are all votes in Scotland free of purdah rules, as in 2014…” Jun 5, 15:38
diabloandco on Why genocide is brilliant: “Blimey Alf , you have your very own James Kelly to contend with , seems all he ,she or it…” Jun 5, 15:12
lothianlad on Why genocide is brilliant: “off topic question…. whats the connection with sturgeon, irons and lavander sheets?” Jun 5, 14:55
Alf Baird on Why genocide is brilliant: “Fear is why the national party sought its ‘accommodation with colonialism’ (Fanon) and became ‘neutral’ on independence, causing the rupture…” Jun 5, 14:25
Bill Craig on A Butterfly On Absinthe: “Stu, I’m surprised and disappointed in your remarks on this issue. Zionist Israel wants the land, all of it, not…” Jun 5, 14:17
