It’s President Barack Obama!
And a green toilet plunger!
On Saint Patrick’s Day!

Yes, it’s a real picture.

The Guardian reports:

A massive unexploded second world war-bomb began to tick as experts worked to defuse it, police said today.

The 1,000kg-device (2,200lb) was found in a river at Sugar House Lane, near Bromley-by-Bow tube station, in east London, on Monday.

Army disposal experts from the Royal Engineers were brought in to make the half-century-old weapon safe. Police said that at one point during the operation the bomb began to tick, but stopped again when it was doused with liquid.

A 200m exclusion zone has been put up around the scene, causing some delays to travellers in the area and forcing businesses to be evacuated.

Speaking at the scene today, Commander Simon O’Brien said the bomb had also leaked unknown substances.

He said: “This is the largest world war two bomb to be discovered in the past three decades.

“It measures approximately the size and length of a man, and weighs around 1,000kg.

“Royal engineers and partner agencies have been incredibly heroic and have worked extremely hard to defuse the bomb.

“We are all working to resolve this issue with minimum disruption to Londoners as soon as possible.”

Police said cordons would remain in place until tomorrow, as work on the bomb continues.

Transport for London said the District and Hammersmith & City tube lines would be suspended at Bromley-by-Bow from 9.30pm tonight until 10am tomorrow.

The train operator C2C said there will be no services from Fenchurch Street after 8.50pm tonight and limited services in the morning.

No experience required, though good sporting knowledge an advantage particularly an understanding of the Offside Rule.

Good communication skills and infacta command of the English language useful.
…
A good memory is essential.

[http://www.recruitireland.com/job/?jobID=10012942]

Sammy Duddy, who died on October 17 aged 62, had a rather unusual curriculum vitae for a member of the Loyalist paramilitary Ulster Defence Association in having been a drag artiste who went by the stage name of Samantha.

During the 1970s the self-styled “Dolly Parton of Belfast” became well known on Belfast’s cabaret circuit, presenting a risqué act in Loyalist pubs and clubs, dressed in fishnet tights, wig and heavy make-up. Once he even performed for British troops on tour.

“I wore a miniskirt many a time,” Duddy remembered, “but it was usually a long dress, a straight black wig, a pair of falsies I bought in Blackpool and loads of make-up to cover my freckles. The darker the mascara the better, and scarlet lipstick, because I was a scarlet woman.”

…read more.

Coupled with the arrival of many new faces in the building, this seems to suggest that Gordon is going to pay Liz a visit any day now. Wonder what odds they are offering down at the local bookies?

Edit: Well I was wrong, no election this year or perhaps even next year. It does mean that Labour are stuck with many boxes of election literature and a bunch of new chairs in their office. Oh well.

More on this over at twentymajor.net.

15 British marines get arrested by Iranian forces. The Iranian’s say they were in Iranian waters, the British say they were in Iraqi waters. While this is going on, a supposedly spontaneous demonstration occurs outside the Foreign Ministry in Tehran. The crux of the demonstration appears to be that the people want the marines to be executed. The western media quite happily print pictures of the protest, which of course gives the imprssion that the Iranian people, like everybody else in non-western countries, like nothing better than a nice day out burning flags, holding placards and shouting stuff.

Strange thing is though that this was a protest by Iranian people, in the capital of Iran, outside an Iranian government ministry. The people were apparently requesting that the Iranian government take a particular course of action, so we are to believe that the protest was for their benefit – the western media have been covering it as such.

So, can someone explain to me why the signs they were holding up were in English, not Farsi?

On the day of Ireland’s victory over England in rugby’s 2007 Six Nations Championship, that famous group of bright sparks that is Republican Sinn Fein staged a protest.

A protest against foreign games.

This picture says it all.

[courtesy of slugger and The ToryGraph]