Boris says awesome things...

Simon Hoggart, a witty writer for The Guardian (and in my opinion a columnist second only to the estimable Boris), details Boris’s “coming of age” in the Commons: A Fragmentary First Draft of History for Boris. Well worth a read over a Marmite sandwich.

What was Yahoo’s response to my last post? A resounding “Hell Yeah!”. They’ve picked Boriswatch as their Pick Of The Day for last Saturday. You can still see it on their main page, and it’s also archived for eternity here. Boris, are you watching?

You like Boris, I like Boris, we all like Boris. And that, in short, is why Boriswatch is hitting the peak of Borismania - featured in The Mirror (without consent, but hey…), linked by hundreds, viewed by thousands, all of which sets the visitor counter off a treat. 10,000 Boris followers make a pilgrimage to this site every month!
And may I salute you all from the very bottom of my astoundingly empty wallet. May your very mouths be escrusted with the jewels of Boris’s prose. I hope that in the coming weeks and months Boriswatch will be embellished; Boris Postcards, more Boris Quotes, more Boris facts, many more visitors to the Talk Boris forum - Boris would be so proud…

As I seem to have “touched a nerve” with my comments regarding my agreement with Boris’ column and comments on exam standards, I wish to draw attention to my additional comment (see “comments” below the original article). For those that wish further information on Boris’ idea of a single exam board (rather than the QCA and further exam boards), this website - http://www.cone-campaign.co.uk/Exam%20Standards.html - is jolly thorough.

In this mornings Telegraph Sarah Sands ( I have no idea either…”but I am happy to be elucidated”) claims that Boris is an “inspired choice for the arts”. Well said. She also describes how Janis Street Porter feels she would have been a better candidate. She (JSP) says of Boris, “you are not as funny or ironic as you think”. I personally find her teeth and glasses “richly comic”.

In Boris’ own column he talks about the rampant inflation of exam grades. Boris begins his oration with a platonian scene setter: the school speech. I wish to reassure Boris that, in private at least, many teachers (I included) agree whole heartedly. It is a worry how little they actually know and and how little they can remember. Here is a revelation that may shock…candidates for GCSE Geography do not have to write an essay in any of their exam papers or coursework and hence, the PGCE does not think it required to teach the kiddy winks how to write one. Many pupils struggle to write more than a few hundred words. Infact, many students struggle to read a few hundred words without their concentration wavering. Boris…keep making these noises…exams are easier! Coursework is a dodle! They’ve got it easy!

Boriswatch visitor Matthias has found the first reference at Amazon to Boris’s rumoured new fiction novel Seventy-Two Virgins. I, frankly, am bursting with excitement - can Boris do fiction as well as fact?

Well, it seems we’ve got a little community firing up on Boriswatch! Several new signups to the Talk Boris forum, and this guy seems to have the right idea - as do all of these guys… Thanks, you great Boriswatchers you…

The Mirror visits Boriswatch - Pleasingly, this article on Boris’s Arts Manifesto appears to have quotes lifted directly from this very site! A brief mention would have been nice, but hey, at least we’re spreading the Boris word…

Boris Johnson and the art of getting it wrong - Boris unfortunately scores a lowly 7.5 out of 20 in an Arts test, but the article has a good point to make - whatever failings Boris makes can be laughed off as “typical Boris”. A shrewd move by the Tories…

Boris’s dad, can you believe, in on Have I Got News For You tonight (Friday at 9.30pm on BBC1), chaired by William Hague. I, for one, will be grabbing the nearest bucket of popcorn and settling down for a gander.