What could be simpler: five categories, each with five links. And it’s Friday.

5 most-read stories on LDV this week

1. A good reason for Gordon Brown not to have an early general election (14) by Mark Pack
2. By-election roundup for 10 December 2009 (9) by Helen Duffett
3. Tory candidate Zac Goldsmith accused of avoiding £5.8m tax as non-dom (74) by Mark Pack
4. Derby North: hung parliament territory? (11) by Peter Welch
5. Tory councillor in Cheltenham defects to Lib Dems (6) by The Voice

5 active LDV Members’ Forum threads

A Sustainable Population Policy
Very cheap telephone canvassing
“Climategate”
How much does it cost to be a Lib Dem candidate
“Shut up and pay up”

5 most recently active groups on ACT

1. Digital Britain
2. ENGAGE – The Lib Dem Policy Network
3. Say No to Trident
4. East of England Liberal Democrats
5. Friends of the Lloyd George Society

5 top non-Lib Dem LibDig postings to look at

1. 50 reasons why global warming isn’t natural | New Scientist
“Excellent debunking of the Express / ConHome list of 100 claims” – submitted by markpack.
2. No, Simon Cowell is not a saviour | James Graham
‘”The public perception of MPs and X Factor contestants is remarkably similar: both are regarded as vapid, essentially interchangeable, only in it for the money and the glory, bitchy, having laughable hairstyles and as all coming from the same school. Would getting MPs to go the extra mile and dress up as Ghostbusters really make that much of a difference?’ – submitted by markpack.
3. Scepticism’s limits | Economist
“The Economist’s “Democracy in America” blog shreds a climate change sceptic/denialist’s argument and moves on to question whether scientific scepticism should mean remaining open-minded to arguments that have already been discredited many times before.” – submitted by Niklas Smith.
4. Deniergate: Turning the tables on climate sceptics | New Scientist
“DA critical eye is turned on the arguments used by those who don’t believe in man-made climate change” – submitted by markpack.
5. Cameron’s odd attitude taxes our trust in him | Rachel Sylvester – Times
‘I can only conclude that Michael Ashcroft is the only Conservative in the country that David Cameron is frightened of,” says one frontbencher.’ – submitted by markpack.

5 recent Lib Dem tweets

>> kwisstan RT @jpshaddock: Lord Ashcroft is the majority shareholder in Watford? He really does like throwing money at rubbish clearly.
>> joswinson for my friends south of the border who don’t get to see the Irn Bru Christmas advert on the telly http://bit.ly/56tj7j
>> jamesgraham RT @newscientist: Anthrax on heroin leads to deaths http://bit.ly/5dm5GB » this is one of those ‘don’t mix grain and grape’ things isn’t it?
>> MarkReckons The first rule of amnesiac club is, er, hang on… #firstrules
>> stuartbonar LibDem ppc @markblackburn has spotted a link betw’n LibDems in power & snow levels. Want a white Christmas? Vote LibDem http://bit.ly/7DoUDb

That’s yer lot, folks, from this latest bite of the LDV Friday Five (ish). Let the weekend commence in 5-4-3-2-1 …