No spam on the progress of the buggin g publicity prank. Presumably they don't need to do so as the Gauardianhas picked up the item. t-shirt page So now 'm obliged to check out thier website unaided by my online snitch. Hmm... what do we have here?

Kitty Killer found via Chicken Yoghurt.

According to one of my spammers, eBay have removed the MI5 bugging device from auction after a whopping verified bid of $3000.00. No matter, if you are loaded with spare cash you can give it to me instead still purchase the item at Sinn Féin books online store.

I suppose we can console ourselves that the Republican movement is keeping itself busy by doing some online mischief rather than killing people. Pranks not bombs, that's what I say (I'm such a goon for this type of nonsense, it's like participating in some bizarre form of Celtic Kitsch).

All I can say is that I hope my Deep Throat spammer isn't pulling my plonker.

Speaking of Deep Throat, have I told you my Baader-Meinhof story yet? No? Well you're going to have to wait for that one.

Some of the comments I have heard about last night's Dispatches seem unfairly harsh. The thing is progs like last night’s are aimed at ordinary people, not politics/media geeks like ourselves.

As far as I’m concerned it was a fairly ok piece of mainstream reporting. Granted the prog didn’t show anything groundbreaking. Even so there was something interesting in just seeing some of the tactics being employed.
What impressed me were the tiny details. Such as the amount of American internees involved. It looked like they were recording TV programmes on to disk as opposed to VCR’s. Whenever I seen a face blurred out I was trying to guess who they were. What also struck me was how much the spontaneous pseudo-protestors looked like a bunch of squeaky clean, limp-wristed, middle-class, bruschetta-munching, chinless wankers.

(update) Justin has done a lovely item on last night's prog here.

Speaking of bugging devices, if you go to Manchester have a look into the People's History Museum and you will see one that was placed in the CPGB's old offices in King Street, EC2.

From what I understand, it was found behind some old wood panelling but the associated text has no mention of this.

"This surveillance 'bug', discovered by builders in February 1975, was probably used by MI5 to spy on Communist activity. Former MI5 officer Peter Wright may have planted it, as in his book, 'Spycatcher', he describes concealing a 'bug' at Communist Party headquarters. The government did not admit responsibility for the device.

The Party issued this statement after its discovery;

"The Communist Party protests most strongly at the fact that this device was illegally installed in its premises. We are a legal political party not engaged in any conspiratorial activity and, like every other party we have the right to hold our committee meetings behind closed doors".

"not engaged in any conspiratorial activity"? Yeah, right.

(Found in Sinn Féin offices Belfast, Ireland)

"This auction is for part of a British MI5 bugging device (approx 10.5 inches by 6.5 inches) found hidden in the floorboards of a Sinn Féin office in Belfast in September 2004.

Included is a handwritten letter of authentication from Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams.

The handwritten letter has been framed and there is a display board for the device.

Legal Notice: This device no longer works and cannot be modified to work. It is solely a historical artefact and has no functional abilities.

This is a unique opportunity. A historical item such as this has never before been made available and it’s highly unlikely that it will happen again.

The auction is being run by the Sinn Féin Bookshop on behalf of Sinn Féin. All money raised will help Sinn Féin and our campaign for Irish unity and freedom.

The handwritten letter by Gerry Adams reads as follows:

On September 13th, 2004, at a very sensitive time in the peace process, a sophisticated bugging device was found hidden in Sinn Féin offices in Connolly House, Belfast. This was the second device found in Belfast within ten days. Martin McGuinness and I returned the Connolly House device to the British Prime Minister Tony Blair during the peace talks in Leeds Castle, England.

When we were leaving that meeting I held on to a section of that device. Since then I have been in correspondence with various elements of the British system to establish who authorised this electronic surveillance operation. In January 2005 Eliza Manningham-Butler, head of MI5, admitted that MI5 bugged Connolly House.

This note is authentication by me that the section of the bugging device which it accompanies is part of the Connolly House device which was returned to Mr. Blair...(continues)"

I have no idea how Sinn Féin got my email address but at least it's a novel bit of spam.

I thought when I read the above remark at Harry's Place they were commenting on the extremely favourable pensions that MP's awarded themselves not too long ago.