@stephentall’s weekly Twitter updates for 2011-12-02

by Stephen Tall on December 2, 2011

  • My pre-show #xfactor prediction: Janet and Mischa in bottom 2. Based on this evening I should only be half right. (Notwithstanding Ireland.) #
  • I think Carol Decker and Gary Barlow are making Harry Hill's job too easy. #fight #
  • Marcus: nice guy but, ouch, that was off-pitch. Not Janet bad, but still. #xfactor #
  • Phew, Christmas has been delivered. http://t.co/qDSXkWO6 #
  • Though I have to say the cats were more excited by the boxes than the contents. http://t.co/2obrM7yw #
  • 'In praise of … Sir Michael Scholar' via @guardian http://t.co/8oiHVWDC. And more to the point: 'In justified rebuff to fact-lite Boris' #
  • Don't panic! Economist takes sensible look behind the 'OMG Uni applications down cos of £9k fee hikes' headline-hype http://t.co/WdY3nzpb #
  • Interesting speculation about what Woolf inquiry into LSE Gaddafi donations will conclude http://t.co/FPseNDmg (1 of 2) #
  • Strikes me LSE/Gaddafi problem was less the donation itself (UK govt was advising closer Libya links) but Uni's due diligence failures. #
  • 'A Point of View: The Oxbridge interview' http://t.co/q6zgM2nk Mary Beard on the reality, not the media caricature. #
  • Sutton Trust report: schools for poorest 20% of pupils 4X more likely to be inadequate than those for wealthiest 20% http://t.co/Ua5OIVi6 #
  • Increasing numbers of wealthy women will have big impact on fundraising & wealth management >> http://t.co/JNBd6JEE #
  • Will be v interesting to see the direction Dan Corry gives New Philanthropy Capital as its CEx in years to come http://t.co/oEbLgy7Z #
  • Congrats! 'Cambridge raises £1.2b in fund drive' http://t.co/R0RrIbdW (Tho a little odd to stress accumul wealth as f'raising will continue) #
  • Currently reading… the Wall St Journal's Nov philanthropy section http://t.co/aHSrmV2q < some fascinating articles. #
  • FT's Philip Stephens on Coalition's 3-pt political Plan B to defend economic Plan A http://t.co/TeP9bMkE & why Lab still has no alternative. #
  • There now follows my sole tweet on why I don't support today's strike action… #
  • Public sector pensions, including mine, should not be subsidised by private sector workers paid less & with less adequate pension benefits. #
  • @mjturner1975 But we do know that future govt liabilities exceed funding. If pensions not cut back then taxpayers, incl poor, pick up bill. in reply to mjturner1975 #
  • Woolf Report into LSE/Gaddafi donation published http://t.co/zZiOKYEu (tho I admit I've not read all 188pp yet). #
  • Do Uni bursaries work in attracting poorer students? asks CentreForum http://t.co/3XYeQk2v (Key to bursaries I think is student retention.) #
  • Ahh, nothing quite says it's the festive season like a CCTV camera on top of the work Xmas tree http://t.co/dC1OezTX #
  • Mili-E at PMQs today: "… people who earn in a week what the chancellor pays for his annual skiing holiday". Erm, what? #labourmathsfail #
  • @DaleMCox Question for me is: who foots the bill? That's not about public/private sector: it's about not making the poor pay for my pension. in reply to DaleMCox #
  • @VaughanRoderick That makes more sense. But I suspect Mili-E knows much more about the cost of skiing hols than dinnerladies' wages. in reply to VaughanRoderick #
  • @DaleMCox Tho my salary isn't increasing at same rate as state pension liabilities (believe me). Agree reform's long overdue. in reply to DaleMCox #
  • *sighs at Twitter for Clarkson backlash* Why do people feign outrage at mundane celeb comment schlock? Cd you be any more Daily Mail? #
  • Eminem had it right in Rain Man: "You find me offensive? I find you offensive
    for finding me offensive." #clarkson #
  • @tonybrett But USS employer contribution one of most generous in UK – thanks to the taxpayer. in reply to tonybrett #
  • #SackClarkson Whatever. It would just add kudos to his brand. #
  • I like this phrase > RT @NottsProfSteve best strategy re: Clarkson is what George Brown called a 'complete ignoral'. #
  • @mjturner1975 Ah, you spotted my cunning ruse to lure in the unsuspecting climate change-denying PC-gawn-mad brigade & then spring it on 'em in reply to mjturner1975 #
  • 'Africa’s Wealthiest Make Notable Gifts in Their Countries' http://t.co/uFaapTlU via @philanthropy < incl a 9-fig US$ donation. #
  • Interesting (for Oxford folk) > 'A peek at Exeter College’s new ‘third quad’' http://t.co/pEB3ESWt via @smartplanet. http://t.co/KCPRiUGn #
  • @alexvtunzelmann They're real, REAL TOFFS, I tell you. in reply to alexvtunzelmann #
  • "Gary Oldman is two weeks younger than Gary Numan." Lines like this are why I subscribe to @popbitch. #
  • "From Q mag: Nero have USB stick containing every episode of I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue going back 20 years." h/t @popbitch << want that USB #
  • Good luck to #intheblacklabour http://t.co/Ng9d4QSk. Tho the LibDem part of me hopes Labour leadership continue to ignore financial reality. #
  • @pollytoynbee What about the doubling in library volunteers (from 10k to 20k) – that not a sign of Big Soc in action? in reply to pollytoynbee #
  • 'Lab urged to stop dithering over deficit reduction' http://t.co/RPWjjAr0 via @patrickwintour Sadly for Lab, Balls does tactics not strategy #