Election Day & Rudyard Kipling

It's early election day morning and I will soon be out on the door-steps of Cardigan delivering the faithful 'Good Morning' leaflet with supporters in the town.

Tonight, I'll be attending the count and I am now more than versed in the 'count night' etiquette. My first major election count was for the corresponding Welsh Assembly election in 2003. I've since attended every election count in Ceredigion apart from for the 2009 European elections (I wanted a rest from the count so I could stay in and watch the election results come in on TV for the first time since 2001!).

I've won a few and I've lost a few. I was there when we won the Westminster seat from Plaid Cymru in 2005 and again when we increased our 219 majority to one of 8,324 in 2010. I was obviously there when I was first elected to Ceredigion County Council with a majority of 18 in 2004 and again when I was re-elected in 2008 with 86% of the vote.

I've also been there when we've fallen short - in the 2003 and 2007 Welsh Assembly elections in particular.

Tonight, I'll be hoping to see us overturn that Welsh Assembly run as we have had a great campaign with a great candidate in Elizabeth Evans so I am genuinely hopeful for a good result.

But I've been on the winning side and the losing side enough times now to realise that when it comes to election counts, there's one man who epitomised the mindset that is required on entering the counting hall more aptly than anyone else.

As Rudyard Kipling eloguently put it in 'If',

"If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same"

Because at the end of the day this is just an election and win or lose, life carries on.

I felt that very profoundly yesterday when I took a break from campaigning to lead a commemorative dedication ceremony in remembrance of Lance Sgt Dave Greenhalgh who lost his life in Afghanistan during my Mayoral year in February 2010. Yesterday, the community of Cardigan, his friends and family and the British Legion dedicated a bench in his memory in Victoria Gardens, in the shadow of our Cenotaph. It was a simple and yet moving ceremony. The Legion had 4 proud standards present and after the 2 minute silence and the Kohima Epitaph, I led the civic element of the ceremony and invited Dave's friends and family to speak in his memory. At the end, both I as the then Mayor and our current Mayor Cllr Mair Morris, whose Mayoral charity for this year takes in the 'Help for Heroes' fund, officially unveiled the bench by lifting the Union Jack from it to show to all, Adrian Lewis' wonderful work in putting together this wonderful bench.

So after a moving ceremony as that which I helped lead yeaterday, it does put everything into perspective.

I will be out campaigning today to do my very best to ensure that our fantastic candidate Elizabeth Evans has the best opportunity of being returned as the new Assembly Member for Ceredigion over the next 24 hours but an event such as that which was held in Cardigan yesterday, instills in you great humility.

So having found myself at both ends of an election result, I know how it feels to win and how it feels to lose. But then there's no greater loss than the sacrifice of giving your life for your country.

So whatever the result over the next few 24 hours, it'll be the people who will have spoken and it will be their result that we supporters of all colours will have to abide by. As politicians, we like to feel that we are doing our best to move our country and our communities forward. But there are those on the battlefield who are doing the same but the result of which, can be very different.

So I will go about my duties today with a great sense of gratitude for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our tomorrow and for the very democracy in which we now ask local residents to participate.

A Vote for a New Politics in Northern Ireland - Vote Alliance

It's been all-go for me on the Welsh Liberal Democrat front over recent days, weeks and months and there's just days to go before polling day.

But whilst I'll be doing my best to elect Elizabeth Evans to the Welsh Assembly here in Ceredigion, there'll also be elections around the country in England, Scotland and not forgetting, Northern Ireland.

There, I'll be keeping a particularly keen eye out on developments as one who has a deep interest in Irish politics. I'm particularly hoping for a good night for the non-sectarian Alliance Party. They are the Liberal Democrats' sister party in that part of the Union but more importantly than that, they are the sensible, liberal voice that Northern Ireland desperately needs to move the country forward from the divisions of old.

Here is a short, and I think, very innovative clip that the party has used in the run-up to these elections (apologies for it not being totally in sync - that's my fault, not the Alliance Party's fault!).



After winning a historic election last May in Belfast East and in doing so, electing the first ever Alliance MP to Westminster in Naomi Long, I hope to see them further consolidate and grow their presence in the Stormont Assembly this coming Thursday.

Northern Ireland needs the Alliance Party.

Good luck to them on Thursday.

Osama Bin Laden's Death - Obama's Victory & Pakistan's Shame

Almost 10 years after the 9/11 attacks, America got its man.

There is unsurprising rejoicing around the western world and particularly in America on the news that US Special Forces successfully targeted and killed Public Enemy No.1 in Pakistan.

Whilst it can not be said that Osama Bin Laden headed the central operations of Al-Qaeda now, his death as a figurehead of this terrorist cell is still a significant and symbolic victory for the west in their war which began in Afghanistan in 2001.

It all began under President Bush but under his watch, Bin Laden slipped through his fingers. The folly of an illegal war in Iraq also took the eye off the ball and gave Bin Laden a free-er hand to continue his reign of terror than he should've had.

Obama's Victory
But it's under Obama's Presidency that he has finally been killed. Obama will benefit significantly from this and he needs it.

The loss of the House of Representatives at the mid-terms to a resurgent Republican Party has dented Obama's ability to govern domestic policy and in the midst of a tentative economic recovery, this is a perilous position in which to find himself.

But in foreign policy, he is still very much the man with his hands on the levers of power. This successful execution of a long-planned operation will give Obama's administration much needed kudos just as the build-up to the Presidential primaries begin to gather momentum.

Pakistan's Shame
But whilst Obama will take credit for what has been achieved, it must be remembered that this isn't the end of the matter when it comes to Al-Qaeda. The terror cells still exist and whilst they may not be as strong as they have been in previous years, they still pose a threat.

But where does this threat emanate from? Afghanistan's President Karzai will feel vindicated this morning at the fact that his protestations to the west that Bin Laden was not in the Afghani hills turned out to be true.

For it is now clear that it was indeed neighbouring Pakistan that harboured the west's most wanted criminal. He was found in a fortified compound on the outskirts of Abbottabad in north-west Pakistan - just 62 miles from the capital Islamabad.

The compound was barely some 200-800 yards away from the Pakistan Military Academy, an elite military training centre, which is Pakistan's equivalent to Britain's Sandhurst.

So what does this say about the Pakistani authorities' military intelligence? It is inconceivable that they were unaware that Bin Laden was on their door-step. The fact that the US went in and undertook the operation without pre-warning the Pakistani Government says it all - they clearly had no faith in them to tell them for fear that they may warn those in the compund about the impending strike.

It does seriously question Pakistan's words of comfort when it purports to support the west's campaign against the fundamentalist extremism that has been central to the past decade's war in this part of the world.

This is a day to be thankful but at the same time, it raises more questions about Pakistan's relationship with the west and with the USA in particular.

Bin Laden may be dead, but this story is not yet concluded...

RIP 'Whispering' Ted Lowe - 'The Voice of Snooker' (1920-2011)

Do you believe in fate?

If not, then the sad news that the 'Voice of Snooker', 'Whispering' Ted Lowe passed away this morning at the age of 90 is an incredible coincidence.

For today sees the first session of the World Snooker Championship final being played between John Higgins and Judd Trump. How apt it is then, that the most famous name in snooker commentating history, passed away at this moment - at the climax to his sports' competitive year.

Lowe became prominent as the commentator for the popular BBC TV show Pot Black from 1969. He went on to become the 'voice of snooker' and led the commentary in many tournaments. He also commentated in what is generally regarded as snooker's greatest ever final, that between Steve Davis and Dennis Taylor in the 1985 World Snooker Championship.

Here is Lowe's commentary of the first ever televised century break by Joe Davis in 1962 followed by his famous commentary in the final stages of that epic encounter between Davis and Taylor in 1985, including his observations on that encounter, over 20 years later.





He was known for uttering the occasional on-air gaffe, similar to motor racing commentator Murray Walker. His most famous quote was probably "and for those of you who are watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green". He also once told viewers that Fred Davis, struggling to rest one leg on the edge of the table in order to reach a long shot, "is getting on a bit and is having trouble getting his leg over".

Lowe retired after the 1996 World Snooker final, although he briefly joined in the commentary for the 2005 World Championship final between Matthew Stevens and Shaun Murphy.

His famously measured, but quietly dramatic style with his husky, hushed tones came about by accident. As he said in a BBC interview in 2007,  "I was scared to death commentating on Joe Davis, who was a God to me. Of course, sitting in the crowd I was terrified they would hear what I had to say, so I started whispering. The producer loved it."

RIP Ted

My Internet Stat Porn Monthly Report (8) April

This is my eighth monthly round of blog figures for anyone who is remotely interested in who reads my little blog. These stats for the month of April come courtesy of google analytics.

Despite a slight reduction in blogging this month, April has nevertheless been by most read month to date.

Having blogged a record 42 times in January and 40 times in February, I was down to just over one a day in March with 33 posts. Now in April, I blogged 30 times and yet, my stats were the best yet.

Despite the slight drop in blog posts, the viewing figures have broken a number of my records to date. In April, I had a total of 3,971 absolute unique visitors to my blog - up on the total of 3,764 in March, beating my previous best of 3,926 in February, and substantially up from 2,370 in January, 1,702 in December, 1,024 in November, 701 in October and 597 in September. The 3,971 visitors made 4,335 visits to my blog in April (compared to the 4,237 in March, my previous record of 4,308 in February, 2,668 in January, 2,180 in December,1,396 in November and 1,107 in October) and viewed 6,239 pages (compared to 6,121 pages in March, a still record of 6,447 in February, 4,240 in January, 3,435 in December, 1,991 in November and 1,711 pages in October).

The top 10 stories by direct page views that you've read this month were:

1. 'The King's Speech' - The Book Vs The Film (SPOILER WARNING!)
2. Has Mark Webber Blown It?
3. Will Kate and William Pay for My Wedding?
4. The Aberfan Perspective
5. Labour's Leighton Andrews' Extraordinary Live TV Coco Pops Outburst
6. The Deputy Prime Minister - Putting Ceredigion on the Map
7. A Thought-Provoking 80th Birthday Poem
8. Apology to Karen and Richard Carpenter
9. Alan Partridge's Mid Morning Matters on North Norfolk Digital Radio! (episode 11)
10. My Sport Personality of the Year - Phil 'The Power' Taylor

A typical mix of politics, sport, entertainment, music and the movies then.

Of the 10, only 1 was written this month - the other 9 are popular blog posts written in months past that continue to attract hits.

Against my expectations, My 'The King's Speech' - The Book Vs The Film (SPOILER WARNING!) blog post has topped the monthly poll for a 4th consecutive month. My Has Mark Webber Blown It? post continues to go strong (every time there's a Grand Prix predictably!) going back up to No.2 and making the top 5 for the 6th consecutive month despite having never made the top grade.

Meanwhile, my Will Kate and William Pay for My Wedding? blog post of last November shot in at No.3 due in large part to to the Royal Wedding last week. My The Aberfan Perspective post also continues to go from a renewed strength to strength despite being written last October and was my 4th most read post in April. Most incredibly, in at No.7 was my A Thought-Provoking 80th Birthday Poem which has come from nowhere to make my Top 10 despite having been written on September 10th!

The only blog post written this month to make the grade was of Nick Clegg's visit to Ceredigion on the campaign trail in The Deputy Prime Minister - Putting Ceredigion on the Map.

Of all of the blog visitors, 12.18% were through direct traffic (down from 13.76% in March), 43.21% came from referring sites (down from 51.05%) and 44.61% via search engines (up from 35.19%).

My top 10 referring/search engine sites for the last month were (with change from March):

1. Google (No Change)
2. Facebook (No Change)
3. Blogger.com (No Change)
4. rialtocr.blogspot.com (No Change)
5. Twitter (No Change)
6. Lib Dem Blogs (No Change)
7. Lib Dem Voice (No Change)
8. Ask (New Entry)
9. Yahoo (-1)
10. aol.com (New Entry)

An International Blog!
The visitors to my little blog came from 94 countries/territories this month - up from 88 in March, 85 in February and 68 in January (with a cumulative total of 129 countries/territories having supplied visitors to my blog to date).

The top ten countries to date are as follows (with position change from March & % of total views):

1. United Kingdom (No Change) 50.2% (+0.6%)
2. United States (No Change) 16.2% (+0.8%)
3. Germany (+1) 3.3% (-0.2%)
4. Canada  (-1) 3.2% (-0.5%)
5. Ireland (No Change) 2.4% (-0.4%)
6. Australia (No Change) 2.4% (-0.2%)
7. Poland (+1) 1.4% (+0.4%)
8. Brazil (+2) 1.3% (+0.1%)
9. Thailand (-2) 1.3% (-0.3%)
10. Holland (-1) 1.3% (=)

It has continued to be a very cosmopolitan blog.

Honourable mentions must also go to those 9 new countries/territories that have provided its first viewers to my fledgling blog this April. Lybia, Iran, El Salvador, Barbados, China, the Aland Islands, Guadeloupe, Senegal and Bermuda have all supplied their first readers to my blog during the past month!

Fair play to them all, and to you all, for putting up with my ramblings!