Umbrella Blog 2

Members

2007-10-16T18:59:00.000+01:00

Blog mechanic is our very own Peter North (North Jnr, as he calls himself) - the creative mind behind the design of the blogs in the Umbrella "family". We set up this blog as a means of keeping readers informed of developments on Umbrella, and to provide user tips and general news about the site and its members.

This is a highly specialist blog set up to discuss and increase the awareness of the growing epidemic of bovine TB in Britain - described by some as a "slow-motion" foot and mouth epidemic, in terms of its economic impact on the farming community. Written by a working farmer, this is well worth the occasional visit.

"Addressing stupidity in Western civilisation," says the author. A mixture of current affairs, commentary and analysis across a wide range of subjects, with the occasional injection of poetry. Includes coverage of and commentary on Middle East affairs and some health issues.

Colin was a committed supporter of the Left. But his studies of modern French and German foreign policy led him to ask hard questions about the real goals of European integration. He was also shocked by the Left's obsessive hostility to Israel and its strategic alliance with Islamists. A radical rethink was in order.

An offshoot from EU Referendum, this blog deals specifically with UK defence issues, with a particular emphasis on equipment, procurement issues and the economics of war. It is very much a campaigning blog, seeking to reduce deaths and injuries amongst British troops deployed overseas.

An Englishman writing from Brussels, "Elaib" as he calls himself, is happy to take the EU's money as a functionnaire in the heart of darkness (aka the EU parliament), while spending his waking hours subverting the European Union. He writes of matters politique and other things.

Originally set up in 2004 to fight the EU constitution referendum, with the Dutch and French "no" votes, this blog widened its scope "to discuss issues related to the UK's position in Europe and the world. It has a strong emphasis on European Union affairs and the current ~~constitutional~~ reform treaty.

A whimsical often frustrated look at modern Britain aiming to, at best, inspire thinking on what this country stands for, what is good about it and what it can do in the future - with some little emphasis on technological development. It is, its author says, a non-partisan blog without portfolio aiming to challenge assumptions.

A quiet corner of the Libertarian Right where you might find from time to time whimsy, idosyncracy and iconoclasm. Come inside, says the author, for a rural antidote to the Metropolitan bubble. A combination of EU commentary, military, current affairs and much more.

An American blogger, Joshuapundit started blogging in 2005. He keeps an eye on the "war on jihad" and the "religion of peace" for us, providing a diet of news and commentary on Middle East and related issues. He writes with sufficient of a international perspective to interest a British as well as a US audience.

Is war the continuation of politics, or is it the other way around? Oliver McCarthy is a London-based blogger who stands for Church, Crown and currency. He attempts in his blog, as he writes, "to track leftwing mischief, deceit, subversion and general weirdness" wherever he finds them. He writes as a Roman Catholic layman.

Originally a market trader, Sunderland-based Neil Herron is now a full-time campaigner - director of the Metric Martyrs Appeal Fund, fighting to retain Imperial measures and of "Parking Appeals", confronting money-grabbing local authorities who are abusing parking law to fill their coffers.

Run by Dr Helen Szamuely, this blog deals with the trials and tribulations of Londoners having to suffer the ego and megalomania of "Hizonna" Ken Livingstone. It also penetrates into the darker reaches of the London Assembly, the home of which known by one and all as "the egg".

A blog to defend the car, its users and its contribution to prosperity and society from increasing, unjustified moral and financial attacks by misguided politicians and so-called environmentalists. Pro-car takes a particularly close look at the "green" issues relating to private car use, the myths and government policies.

Politics and current affairs, centred on Poland and Eastern Europe. Heavy emphasis on Polish domestic politics and also, the increasingly bizarre relationship between Poland and the EU. The author is journalist and lives in Warsaw where he can keep abreast of developments.

Run by Susan Smith, this blog commemorates the life of her only son, Phillip Hewett, killed in Iraq on 16 July 2005 by a roadside bomb while driving a "Snatch" Land Rover. She believes Phillip was badly let down by the government and is campaigning for better protection of Service personnel who are put in harm's way.

The Purple Scorpion is a member of the low tax coalition and thus writes extensively on government waste and allied issues, as well as politics generally and EU affairs. Launched in early 2006, this is a mature blog which offers acerbic and penetrating commentary on the political process.

Described as a 'Free Spirit' by Nigel Farage, a 'Successful Activist' by Roger Helmer, 'Nothing To Do With The Conservative Party' by Michael Portillo and a 'Bloody Fool' by Owen Paterson (for backing UKIP in 2001) Tapestry writes with conviction on topics that stir him. He has been blogging since mid-2006.

We have added this "Page 3" blog as part of the "family" It is a facility for ourselves and guest authors to write occasional pieces to cover any and all items as the mood takes us - or develop a breaking story or particular issue that demands attention. However, over term, we hope this page will develop its own character and personality.

This blog - in the words of its author, Peter Troy - is about very British (political) subjects by a very (political) British Subject. It is an eclectic mix of general commentary on topical current affairs, regular "Sunday quotes" and local campaigning, the latter very often comprising original material.

Tony Sharp is a Conservative Councillor in Wellingborough, UK. He has blogged about politics since December 2006 and was one of the top 50 UK political bloggers in 2007. He generally focuses on government, domestic affairs, law and order, social justice, the armed forces and Britain's relationship with Europe.

Warmwell has justly acquired a reputation for being the premier source of information on FMD and currently, Blue Tongue Disease, meticulously cataloguing the crises that continue to afflict the livestock industry. The site has migrated from Warmwell.com where the extensive archives can be found.

A new concept in on-line advertising

2007-10-12T19:13:00.000+01:00

As the proliferation on-line advertising increases, readers are developing finely-honed "ad-filters", mentally blocking out the material. As a result, adverts are having to become larger or more intrusive, or designers are resorting to flashing displays or the highly irritating "pop-ups". The net effect is either to drive away traffic or, even worse, alienate readers and potential customers.

No more!

On Umbrella Blog, we are pioneering a new concept in on-line publishing and with it an entirely new advertising concept.

The basis of Umbrella is simplicity itself - an on-line "magazine" composed entirely of blogger-generated content, selected for the scope and range of subjects and the quality of writing and presentation.

As each of our blogger members publish their pieces, a summary and their unique logo appears on the "front page", thus alerting readers to the availability of a new post and providing a convenient link to it (for more about the concept, see here). Umbrella thus becomes a "one stop shop" for the best of the blogosphere.

Now, this is where the revolutionary advertising concept comes in ... we do not have advertisers. The site is "clean" and free from intrusive clutter. Instead, we have sponsoring members. Selected for their relevance to our readers, they are fully integrated with and become part of the Umbrella "family", with their own entries in the members directory. They have their own identifying logo, in the same general format (shape and size) as the other members.

At agreed intervals, they then post on the front page in the standardised format, those posts then appearing with the other posts placed by our regular members. The sponsors' posts, linked either to their company blog or website, may promote a particular product, announce news or developments, or may simply be used to foster brand awareness. There is no limit to the imaginative uses to which the posting mechanism can be put.

Because the posts are integrated with the regular posts, they are more likely to evade the "advert filters", but there is a more important reason why they should be read. As sponsors of the site, and members the "family", those who post on the site engender the good will of the readers, who will know (and be reminded) that it is the sponsors' contributions which make the facility possible and allow it to continue.

Furthermore, if the posts are used imaginatively, to announce genuine news - such as new products, product developments, special offers and the like - they are likely to be treated in the same way as the other posts, offering as they do information on the world around us. This is the very purpose for which our readers come to the site in ever-increasing numbers.

For more details and rates, send us an e-mail via the "contact" button on the sidebar and we will get back to you pronto.

Join us

2007-09-28T16:29:00.000+01:00

If you are a serious blogger, then the reason you started your blog was that you felt you had something to say and wanted other people to read it.

In a crowded blogosphere, however, bringing readers to your site requires huge commitment and time - more than most can devote to the task. As a result, most blogs - even when they no have something interesting and original to say, go unread by all but a handful of people.

That is where we come in.

If you feel you have a blog that has something to say, and you do have something original or interesting to put over, then we will help promote your blog.

This is a genuine offer. There are no strings attached and no hidden agenda - no contract to sign and no commitment to stay on board once you have joined. You can leave at any time.

What does it involve?

We will look at your blog to see if it does offer the reader a perspective worth reading - or has potential. If we agree to accept you, we will need administrative access to your blog to undergo an "upgrade" to bring it into line with the "family" image.

This involves designing and placing an attactive new banner for you, about which we will consult, and only place it when you are entirely happy with it... But, see also here. We may make some technical changes to improve, if necessary, the functionality of your blog, and we will place the "Umbrella Blog" logo in a prominent position on your sidebar.

The content of your blog, links, any adverts and other material, are completely unaffected and there is no downtime.

What then?

Once you are up and running, whenever you post a piece, you send us an e-mail with a link and we will place a notification on our "front page", with your own unique logo panel (which will match your banner), and a clickable link to the piece.

It really is as simple as that.

How do I join?

Click the "contact" button on the left to open an e-mail form, or send an e-mail to RAENORTH@aol.com - and we'll get back to you.

Links

2007-09-21T19:28:00.028+01:00

Adam Smith blog

American Thinker

An Englishmans Castle

Common Agricultural Policy

Defence Industrial Base

Global Warming Politics

I love my carbon dioxide

Information dissemination

Iraq the model

Is it fair?

Jim Greenhalf

Jim Miller on Politics

Keep your EU promise

Kien Verzet

L'Ombre de l'Olivier blog

Lene Johansen blog

lfb-uk

Little Green Footballs(Blog)

Very British Subjects

Watts up with that?

Wolf howling

Worldwide War Pigs

Editors

2007-09-21T15:18:00.000+01:00

Dr Helen Szamuely

Helen is Head of Research at the Bruges Group, co-author of EU Referendum blog and author of Conservative History blog as well as editor of the Conservative History Journal. She is the co-author with Bill Jamieson of A 'Coming Home' or Poisoned Chalice? and with Dennis O'Keeffe of Samizdat, both published by the Centre for Research for Post-Communist Economies (CRCE).

She has also written briefing papers on enlargement and other matters to do with Eastern Europe for the CRCE and has appeared on the media, including internet media, to speak on subjects to do with the European Union and post-Communist affairs.

At times, she has worked and still works as a researcher and brief writer in the House of Lords.

Dr Richard North

Formerly a local authority official and then private consultant and journalist, Richard spent four years in the European Parliament as research director for a political group and now works as a political researcher for Westminster MPs.

With an original background in food safety, he became a relentless opponent of excessive bureaucracy and has fought some notable campaigns on agricultural and farming issues, working with trade groups in those sectors. That involvement brought him into mainstream politics and he has since widened his scope. He now campaigns on a much wider front, not least for better armour and equipment for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Richard works closely with Christopher Booker, the well-known Sunday Telegraph journalist, and has co-authored three books on European issues with him: The Mad Officials, The Castle of Lies and The Great Deception. He has also published his own book on The Death of British Agriculture and is shortly, again with Christopher Booker, to publish a new work, Scared to Death – an anatomy of the scare phenomenon.

About us

2007-09-20T22:29:00.000+01:00

Umbrella Blog is a unique concept, bringing together like-minded bloggers under one "umbrella", in a form that is both stylish and user-friendly.

The front page (Umbrella 1) acts as a combined notice board and contents page, telling visitors what has been posted, with links to the actual pieces. Through this, it provides easily accessible reference to our "family" of blogs, while the format gives the reader enough information about each post to enable them to decide whether they want to read more.

That way, Umbrella Blog is a convenient time-saver and a quick source of information, removing the need to trawl through a large number of blogs yet enabling readers to pick up information they might otherwise have missed.

Already, we have eleven blogs in the "family", including our own Umbrella 3 (Page 3) which is intended to cover a wide range of subjects in its own right. As the "family" expands, we aim to cover a full spectrum of general and specialist issues, providing a complementary overview of the issues of the day, with analysis and insights that the MSM rarely offers.

For individual bloggers, the great advantage of Umbrella Blog is that they are released from the tyranny of daily posts - the need to keep the blog "alive" in order to encourage a regular flow of readers. Shortly after they post, the details are shown on Umbrella 1, providing the "notice board" for those who might not otherwise have visited their sites.

Within the "family" we are working on developing an overall image, so that each blog has a familiar "feel" to it, without in any way stifling individuality and creativity. Each blog remains unique and is under the complete control of its author(s). There is no editorial "line" and we exercise no control over content or subjects chosen by individual bloggers.

What we are trying to do, though, is improve quality. There are many bloggers who have something genuine and original to say, but whose messages are lost because of poor presentation. Thus, we require a minimum standard of presentation and then offer technical support, mentoring and occasional harrassment, all to ensure a consistency in one thing, and one thing only, a professional approach to presenting the message.

Thus, this is also an evolving experiment. We are taking bloggers into the family, whose output is not always of the quality we would like, but work with them so that they can "up their game" and thus get their message heard.

Behind the scenes, we are working on some technical innovations, including integrating the forum into the family but, the "techie bells and whistles" are secondary. This is about bloggers, first and foremost, getting their message in front of their readers in a professional and readable form.

What do we get out of it?

Apart from the enormous satisfaction in seeing a good job well done, we anticipate that the hits generated on the front page will be enough to sustain a realistic income from advertising, which will help support the administrative effort behind running the blog. However, we also have innovative ideas about how this should be done, in a way that will complement, rather than intrude on the site.

Potential advertisers and sponsors can contact us via the "contact" button on the sidebar.

Welcome to our "family".