WHAT'S NEXT: INNOVATIONS IN NEWSPAPERS

I got a few minutes ago this message from The Times of London.

Well Lord Mandelson, “The Princess of Darkness” (a poor soul now trying to stay under the political sun after losing the power) sells excerpts of his memories to The Times, not to The Guardian or The Observer.

And Rupert Murdoch plays in a big way this exclusive content adding some extra video and graphic features in order to tell the market that if you are a “club member” you have some “membership perks”.

Good move!

Today, in a letter to the editor:

“Sir, Has the World Cup been a disaster? Yes, it has. My parrot has learnt to mimic the vuvuzela”

Dr. Alun Stedman Stevenage.

At 14:42, London time.

In a brilliant leader (The Lehman Collapse: One Year On The market economy has survived a panic born of bankers’ hubris) The Times of London says:

The principal fault in the crisis lies with the bankers.

They failed to understand the risks that they took on and thereby almost toppled the Western financial system.

It is a measure of the resilience of capitalism that, by luck as well as judgment, the market economy has survived their handiwork.

Spot-on!

In 2007, I posted a long series about newspaper boys, but this time I am sharing with you images from my own collection, including the last one, a picture of our son Tam David, selling the London Evening Standard last May during the Chelsea Flower Show.

As you know, I collect cheap newspaper memorabilia, mainly via eBay.

Thing like newspaper boys in pictures, postcards, porcelain, iron or bronze.

Today, I got my latest find from a seller in Manchester, a huge rubber floor mat with this precious message:

…whatever you do, read THE GUARDIAN.

Any pictures or leads are welcomed!

London’s Big Ben celebrates today its 150th birthday.

A projection wishing the bell a happy birthday will be broadcast on the south side of the 315-foot tower at about 10 p.m. (2100 GMT)

Listen here to the iconic bell.

You can watch LIVE streaming coverage here of the Olympic Torch run in San Francisco, beginning at 1 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Wednesday, April 9th.

And breaking news from London: Gordon Brown, UK’s Primer Minister, will NOT attend the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in China.

(Photo by AFP)

From AP:

In central London, excited shoppers flooded Apple’s largest store for the gadget’s 6 p.m. launch. The first buyer out of the store was 20-year-old architecture student Tom Jasinski, who said he had been waiting outside for 26 hours.

“It was worth the wait,” Jasinski said.

Yes Tom, it is great!