A Brilleaux idea

You'll have online petitions shoved at your on an almost hourly basis of course - 'save the pickles!'; 'ban fretwork!'; 'spend taxes on making me pretty!' and so on.

Here's another one for your consideration: Focal Point Gallery are campaigning for a statue of Dr Feelgood's Lee Brilleaux in Southend-on-Sea.

Did I mention it's going to be 300 foot tall and covered in Gold?

[Hat-tip: StereoSanctity]

Dunstable rallies to save its Heart

Even after years of having been abused and rebranded by Global and the previous owners, Dunstable's Heart FM is still held in high esteem by its local audience. They're, understandably, upset at the suggestion that their local station is going to be shunted off to the godforsaken hell that is checks paperwork Milton Keynes.

So far, the campaign hasn't progressed beyond the not-actually-doing-anything of a Facebook page, but the organiser is heartfelt:

Jo Dawkins, 39, of Pitstone, launched a Facebook campaign to halt the move. The web page now has more than 750 followers and is growing daily.

She is worried that the move could spell the end of all the local news the station normally reports on.

The mum also fears for the popular presenters who currently front the show.

It does demonstrate that the localness of the local stations is precisely what makes them special to the audience. Global may or may not take any notice of the Facebook page, but perhaps they should be listening to the free focus group they've got here.

Bragg turns up at a bank on Saturday morning

Continuing his one man protest against the banks, Billy Bragg went to the HQ of RBS today for a gathering.

Alright, it's not a one man protest. He's got a massive Facebook team behind him. But everyone knows friends on Facebook are imaginary, right?

Seriously, though, Bragg had a fair point to make:

After the event, the singer-songwriter said: "I'm doing it to draw attention to the fact the bankers seem to think it's business as usual now.

"They're starting already to talk about paying the kind of excessive bonuses that got us into all this trouble in the first place, whilst the rest of us are being softened up for public service cuts.

"Considering that this hole in the public purse has been caused by the bailout for the banks, the bankers should be leading the way in making economies."

The bankers have been busy economising, though: if they hadn't carefully cut back the amount they were lending to individuals and small businesses, cut back the interest rates paid on savings products. Why, bankers have simply cut everything they possibly can.

Apart from bonuses.

Billy Bragg: Not talking with the taxman

Billy Bragg is mad as hell, and not taking the RBS bonuses lying down. In fact, he's decided to not pay his taxes until it's "sorted out" - which seems a bit vague as a campaign slogan: ("What do we want? The bonus situation at the RBS to be sorted out! When do we want it? As soon as practicable but certainly before the next budget, assuming the election isn't called in the next couple of weeks...")

Actually, the campaign's main aim is for no RBS bonuses at all; and Bragg's NoBonus4RBS Facebook is calling for an old-fashioned letter writing campaign. On the basis that the citizens of the nation are, effectively, shareholders of RBS. Because they play taxes. Only Bragg isn't going to pay his taxes until it's sorted out. So he won't be an effective shareholder... um...

Kirsty MacColl's mother ends campaign

Nine years after the death of Kirsty MacColl, her mother Jean is dropping the campaign to find out what really happened:

[H]aving finally exhausted all legal avenues to bring to justice the man she believes is responsible for the death, Guillermo González Nova, one of Mexico's wealthiest businessmen, Jean has abandoned the Justice for Kirsty campaign which has sustained her through intense grief.

The campaign raised funds through "the most wonderful fans" to pay for the costly expenses of Jean's legal battle. "But it felt dishonest to go on, to keep asking for money, when we don't feel we've got a chance," she said.

Although she is winding up the campaign, it doesn't mean that Jean has accepted the frankly risible official findings into her death, nor that she'd not be interested in any development which might get closer to the truth.

R Kelly: This might just be ruining Christmas in a different way

I'm happy to support any campaign which sets out to try and throw itself under the wheels of the X Factor juggernaut, but can't help feeling that if you're going to campaign for an alternative number one, R Kelly might not be the stalking horse to go for.

Against Trump

Donald Trump's bemusing desire to ruin the Scottish countryside by building a golf course on the coast is generating a pleasing amount of local opposition: There's a gig in support of the campaign this Friday, 25th, at the Aberdeen Blue Lamp. No word on who will be playing, but local artists of all types are involved.

Elton: My silence wasn't golden

Elton John has decided he's going to be a bit more vocal about the whole gay thing from now on:

"I have to speak my mind because as a gay man now I have a responsibility to. I sat back too long. I mean when (AIDS charity) Act Up were going in and trying to change the face of AIDS awareness in America because nobody else was doing it, I sat back and did nothing.

"I don't know why I didn't do anything. I just look back and question myself. Well why didn't you do something more positive then?"

We wonder, too, Elton. Could it be because back then it still involved making a stand and risking your neck, whereas now it's not career-damaging?

Bono fears a "generation of cynics"

Yeah, Bono. Whatever.

Bono has popped up, as expected, hanging out with the other multi-millionaires at Davos - a bit of business here, round of golf there, quick speech and then lunch. He was mainly there, of course, to "put pressure" on the politicians to ensure they kept the already piss-weak promises he and Geldof let them get away with at Gleneagles.

Apparently, Bono thought a matey photo-op and a bit of joking about with Tony Blair would be the best way to draw attention to the failure to follow-through:

GUITAR-loving Mr Blair, set to step down this year, got excited as Bono said: “Let’s start a band when you leave.” The PM, who played in student band Ugly Rumours, said: “I thought great, at last!” But Bono added: “You know, to save Africa — we can be a band.”

Ho-ho.

Bono is worried that if things don't carry on looking like they're being done, it might breed a "generation of cynics". And you know why he's worried - imagine if a generation of cynics turned up outside Davos demanding real change. That could really put him off his golf-swing.

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