Retrconned Friday

Having forgotten to actually write anything on Friday, I'm shamelessly retroconning. Via Ken MacLeod, here's the New Statesman on the possibility of a privatised political party:

If new Labour became a "limited liability party", it might be possible, he says - not entirely jokingly - to "sell non-core policies, from a customer perspective, as three-to five-year options on implementation in office". These could include policy sales to the nuclear industry or to the green lobby. "This," he points out, "could help ensure that national policies achieve the highest returns. And that could only benefit the shareholders - or, as they used to be known, the party members."

Here's an intriguing idea — going green by observing the Sabbath — from Michael Pollen's piece Don't Give Up in the Guardian:

The idea is to find one thing to do in your life that doesn't involve spending or voting, that may or may not virally rock the world but is real and particular (as well as symbolic) and that, come what may, will offer its own rewards. Maybe you decide to give up meat, an act that would reduce your carbon footprint by as much as a quarter. Or you could try this: determine to observe the Sabbath. For one day a week, abstain completely from economic activity: no shopping, no driving, no electronics.

I like the idea — more time for reading! — but until I'm clear on what the rules are on cooking on the Sabbath, I'm not sure whether I can commit or not.