In the spirit of collaboration with the Coalition Government and a welcome to the epoch of happiness measurement, here are the first results. It's been a tumultuous start:
Lembit Opik. Happiness rating fell by ten points. He was bitten by a snake. The snake is making a full recovery.
Wales; Happiness plummets 18 points and in free fall following the country's assault by coalition. No electrification of Welsh railways in £8billion spend; following the unfair closure of Newport Passport Office, cancelling of North Wales Prison and St Athan Training Centre, abandoning Severn marine power, cutting funds to S4C etc.
Howard Flight: falls by 67 points. Promising career was self-garrotted in 2005 by confession that Tories planned cuts, now survives as peer-in-waiting in spite of his neurosis that the poor are breeding new voters and rearing them in veal crates in marginal constituencies..
School students; Happiness boost of 17 points, exhilarated by joy of embarrassing coalition.
Sarah Palin; Happiness drops by 97 points after Tea Party admiration of North Korea was revealed to an adoring world.
Ed Miliband: Happiness up two points -the same as Labour's lead in the polls.
Wolfgang Wodarg: Happiness up 30 points as news that winter excess flu deaths in UK fell 30% proving Wolfgang's claim that swine flu was generally benign and eliminated deadly mass killer swine flu.
Alun Cairns AM / MP: Happiness collapse in chaotic Dragons Eye interview when 'feedback' drowned the questions and he tried to answer questions that had not been asked. The interview was meant to put the boot in another channel.
I will expecting part of the £2 million happiness cheques in the post shortly.
Mynydd Seion celebrates.
Had a great evening at a Welsh language lecture to celebrate the 175th anniversary of Newport's Mynydd Seion Chapel.
The Emeritus Professor John Gwynfor Jones delighted with a vivid picture of life in Newport in the 1830s. In the year of the Chartist rsing one chapel expelled two members because they joined the Chartists. Other Chapels and Churches worked to support the movement.
The story of the survival of the Welsh language has been a triumph. It was struggling to survive in 1835. Now more people speak the language of heaven than ever before.
Next week the celebrations continue with a concert with Meinir Helyn at 7.00 on Saturday December 7th, and a People's Messiah on Sunday December 5th at 7.00. Contact 01633 243700.
"neurosis that poor may be breeding new voters"
On the contrary, those with the neuroses about the breeding amongst the lower orders were the Fabians. The Left has a long ignoble history of eugenics.
All I can see is widespread unhappiness on the Left that their superweapons of accusing people of "racism" or "attacking the poor" have lost their potency.
Posted by: Kay Tie | November 25, 2010 at 11:03 PM
"..the poor are breeding new voters and rearing them in veal crates in marginal constituencies.."
That made me laugh out loud.
Though to be fair, although his turn of phrase (and presumably frame of mind) is deeply offensive, somewhere in that muddle of fear and loathing is an arguable point that benefit-life currently has an element of security to it that working-life (especially at the lower-paid end) lacks.
I don't suppose he'll consider that encouraging employers to provide secure low-skilled jobs for the poor might be the solution here, though. Let's hope IDS' proposals work out well.
Posted by: DG | November 26, 2010 at 11:43 AM