Six of the Best 262

Amanda Taylor welcomes the difference that social media is making to local government: "For example, last Monday’s Cambridge South Area meeting, held in Cherry Hinton, was attended not only by the professional reporter Chris Havergal of the Cambridge News, but by three local bloggers apart from myself."

"Being a junior coalition partner is far from a bed of roses and the next general election a tough challenge for the Liberal Democrats, there is really no historical evidence from either Britain or Ireland to justify a conclusion that 'coalitions are always disastrous for the smaller party'." Eaten by Missionaries suggests the Liberal Democrats are not doomed after all.

Millennium Dome is outraged (in characteristic style) at the news that Stephen Gough, the 'naked rambler', has been locked up yet again.

"There’s a reason that we have the police. They are (largely) accountable, and they are given the monopoly on violence ... That is right and proper. Now we've started farming this out to any thick necked Jimmy with a smirk, and we’re the poorer for it." Split Pediment examines the implications of the increasing privatisation of public space.

Environmental Graffiti has a selection of images of crumbling Soviet military installations. They were taken by  Italian photographer Eric Lusito.

Another photographer is celebrated by Retronaut. Edward Linley Sambourne was chief cartoonist of Punch in the Edwardian era and the blog presents a selection of his street photography showing women's fashion in those days in Paris and London.