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November 15, 2006

The Chuck Colson Award

Chuck_colsonI am starting a competition, in fact a new thread for this blog. It's for all of you - Britons, Americans, wherever you live - with an interest in the politically obscure and trivial.

But I don't start things unless I have a decent chance of winning them myself. So before you start rating yourself let me just tell you a few things that will put you in your place:

  • A few years ago, while walking down the street near my London office, Chuck Colson walked straight past me.
  • I was the recipient of a large, hideously ugly, mother of pearl gift from Yassir Arafat.
  • Art Laffer drew a Laffer curve for me on a napkin.
  • I possess the autograph of Aslef union leader Ray Buckton.
  • I have spoken on the telephone with Dom Mintoff, the former Prime Minister of Malta.
  • I have shaken hands with Alexander Dubcek.

Ray_buckton Here's the competition. I am looking for all contact - spotting in the street yesterday, autograph collected in your youth, meeting held with, picture taken with, gift received from, or whatever - with political figures.

Now famous is fine but semi-famous is even better, faintly ludicrous is best of all. Pictures are particularly welcome, especially if they show the semi-famous figure doing something prosaic. Bruce Babbitt shopping for a new television would be ideal.

Either post your "spot" in the comment section or send me an email with picture to commentcentral@thetimes.co.uk. There will be suitably obscure and ludicrous prizes, although winning, of course, isn't really the point. I'll also be updating you as all those great entries come rolling in.

(UPDATE: see the best entries so far here)

(UPDATE: After the massive response, I give you the best entries of the week)

(Another UPDATE: A photo special)

(Yet another UPDATE: David Grossman of Newsnight with a photo that will be hard to beat)

(Ah hem, UPDATE: Jumping around on Karl Rove's bed)

(WE HAVE A WINNER! The grand finale of the Chuck Colson Award 2006)

Posted by Daniel Finkelstein on November 15, 2006 at 06:14 PM in Chuck Colson Award | Permalink Bookmark and Share

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Listed below are links to weblogs that reference The Chuck Colson Award:

» Awesome from Stephen Pollard
I suppose I can't really complain, since I am the one who squealed and revealed our little private joke in the pages of The Times: Along with a couple of friends, I have a rather sad interest in long-forgotten political... [Read More]

Tracked on November 16, 2006 at 10:47 AM

» Competition, Competition! from Tim Worstall
Danny Finkelstein (pbuh) is running a competition over at The Times. Which political figures have you met? Got an autograph from, dined with, walked past in the street? And do you have pictures either of the person or the event? [Read More]

Tracked on November 16, 2006 at 02:09 PM

» The Times Competition from rossparker.com
Batfink has a competition for political spots running at the Times blog. Two of the bloggers I read have entered, so I thought I would have a go. Met, presented to and dined with the President of the Domincan Republic, Leonel Fernandez, ... [Read More]

Tracked on November 17, 2006 at 10:03 AM

Comments

The Chuck Colson Award

Chuck_colsonI am starting a competition, in fact a new thread for this blog. It's for all of you - Britons, Americans, wherever you live - with an interest in the politically obscure and trivial.

But I don't start things unless I have a decent chance of winning them myself. So before you start rating yourself let me just tell you a few things that will put you in your place:

  • A few years ago, while walking down the street near my London office, Chuck Colson walked straight past me.
  • I was the recipient of a large, hideously ugly, mother of pearl gift from Yassir Arafat.
  • Art Laffer drew a Laffer curve for me on a napkin.
  • I possess the autograph of Aslef union leader Ray Buckton.
  • I have spoken on the telephone with Dom Mintoff, the former Prime Minister of Malta.
  • I have shaken hands with Alexander Dubcek.

Ray_buckton Here's the competition. I am looking for all contact - spotting in the street yesterday, autograph collected in your youth, meeting held with, picture taken with, gift received from, or whatever - with political figures.

Now famous is fine but semi-famous is even better, faintly ludicrous is best of all. Pictures are particularly welcome, especially if they show the semi-famous figure doing something prosaic. Bruce Babbitt shopping for a new television would be ideal.

Either post your "spot" in the comment section or send me an email with picture to commentcentral@thetimes.co.uk. There will be suitably obscure and ludicrous prizes, although winning, of course, isn't really the point. I'll also be updating you as all those great entries come rolling in.

(UPDATE: see the best entries so far here)

(UPDATE: After the massive response, I give you the best entries of the week)

(Another UPDATE: A photo special)

(Yet another UPDATE: David Grossman of Newsnight with a photo that will be hard to beat)

(Ah hem, UPDATE: Jumping around on Karl Rove's bed)

(WE HAVE A WINNER! The grand finale of the Chuck Colson Award 2006)

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