http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22727903
Tory skeletons are really tumbling out of various closets at the moment, aren't they?
Although in my opinion it is not the racism or business links of individuals that we should be worrying about. Mercer's earlier racist comments are only a shade worse than Mayor Johnson's comic bumbling about minorities and political correctness, which only serves to endear him to the Conservative grass roots support.
Similarly one can't come down too hard on an individual who lobbies for his paying sponsors when his own party simultaneously lowers taxes for the rich and turns a blind eye to multinational's tax evasion while bringing in bedroom taxes for the poorest in society.
However, such scandals can only weaken the Coalition in the next election and they are a welcome triumph for the investigative journalists at the BBC and Panorama.
Friday 31 May 2013
Saturday 25 May 2013
Pohl's experiences in the US Air Force
http://www.thewaythefutureblogs.com/
Frederik Pohl is in the process of writing a series of blog posts on his time in World War II. As one might expect they are wry, witty and do not portray the American Air Force in the most positive light.
The first post especially sheds some light on the mind that came out with the classic 'Gateway'. He notes a night when he saw five planes, crewed by fifty men, destroyed in senseless accidents. Such an event is dwarfed in the magnitude of the Second World War but must have had a profound effect on an intelligent and already slightly disillusioned weather observer.
Frederik Pohl is in the process of writing a series of blog posts on his time in World War II. As one might expect they are wry, witty and do not portray the American Air Force in the most positive light.
The first post especially sheds some light on the mind that came out with the classic 'Gateway'. He notes a night when he saw five planes, crewed by fifty men, destroyed in senseless accidents. Such an event is dwarfed in the magnitude of the Second World War but must have had a profound effect on an intelligent and already slightly disillusioned weather observer.
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Howe vs Cameron
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/may/18/david-cameron-control-geoffrey-howe
Truly scary - not only is this an article by a former Tory foreign minister (and one of Thatcher's closest allies at that) that I almost entirely agree with, Howe seems so disillusioned with the current Conservative leadership that he actively encourages the other parties against them.
Geoffrey Howe is only the latest high profile figure to point out the facts of life to Cameron and Co. Britain's economy, security and influence abroad all depend largely on retaining good links with the European bloc. To throw all of this away in an attempt to claw back a few UKIP voters may be the most egregious display of poor judgement in modern British history. However, the Tory party lurches around the issue with no concern for the damage it does to our prospects for economic recovery and our image abroad.
Truly scary - not only is this an article by a former Tory foreign minister (and one of Thatcher's closest allies at that) that I almost entirely agree with, Howe seems so disillusioned with the current Conservative leadership that he actively encourages the other parties against them.
Geoffrey Howe is only the latest high profile figure to point out the facts of life to Cameron and Co. Britain's economy, security and influence abroad all depend largely on retaining good links with the European bloc. To throw all of this away in an attempt to claw back a few UKIP voters may be the most egregious display of poor judgement in modern British history. However, the Tory party lurches around the issue with no concern for the damage it does to our prospects for economic recovery and our image abroad.
Friday 17 May 2013
UKIP takes flak in Scotland
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22566183
Mr Farange is learning the lessons of his recent electoral success. The first of these is that greater press attention is a risk as well as a blessing.
Up until now UKIP's lack of policies has assisted them in attracting disaffected voters. They have represented a protest vote for those who dislike Europe or immigrants without requiring any further consensus on economic or domestic policy. Now they are expected to have positions on things like Scottish nationalism and, if their trip to Edinburgh is anything to go by, they lack the political maturity or joined-up thinking to deal with them like adults. Instead they end up looking like the amateurs and bigots that they really are.
We will have to see how long Farange's image stands up to the harsh glare of the media spotlight. It is hard to continue to play the easy-going man of the public, beer and cigarette in hand, when your only response to opposing voices is childish petulance and blanket insults.
Mr Farange is learning the lessons of his recent electoral success. The first of these is that greater press attention is a risk as well as a blessing.
Up until now UKIP's lack of policies has assisted them in attracting disaffected voters. They have represented a protest vote for those who dislike Europe or immigrants without requiring any further consensus on economic or domestic policy. Now they are expected to have positions on things like Scottish nationalism and, if their trip to Edinburgh is anything to go by, they lack the political maturity or joined-up thinking to deal with them like adults. Instead they end up looking like the amateurs and bigots that they really are.
We will have to see how long Farange's image stands up to the harsh glare of the media spotlight. It is hard to continue to play the easy-going man of the public, beer and cigarette in hand, when your only response to opposing voices is childish petulance and blanket insults.
Thursday 16 May 2013
Rage against the simulation - Source Code
(Spoilers ahead)
So I finally got around to watching the network premier of 'Source Code' last night. I remember being intrigued by this film when I saw the trailers but never got round to watching it at the cinemas.
It didn't quite live up to the hype but it made a solid effort. Surprisingly for a film that could have ended up with a very intricate plot, the best scenes were right at the start. The structure of the film means that you initially share Colter Stevens confusion. You are thrust into the middle of conversations that you didn't hear the start of and are confronted with a new twist or revelation whenever you seem to be getting a handle on the plot.
However, after this promising start it becomes a lot less tight and settles into predictability. Inception showed how a film can present original ideas and remain innovative by changing the rules on the fly. Instead with Source Code we are confronted with unimaginative twists (of course Colter was dead/dying all along - it's a standard scenario when characters wake up unexpectedly inside a technological virtuality, especially if we are forewarned that their last memory is being shot at while in a helicopter). The film also focuses more on the relationships between the characters (some off screen) which, while engaging, are nothing out of the ordinary. The motivations behind the bombing are left rather vague and the villain remains undeveloped with the ending generating more questions than it answers.
Nevertheless, worth a watch, just don't expect to be kept guessing throughout the whole film.
So I finally got around to watching the network premier of 'Source Code' last night. I remember being intrigued by this film when I saw the trailers but never got round to watching it at the cinemas.
It didn't quite live up to the hype but it made a solid effort. Surprisingly for a film that could have ended up with a very intricate plot, the best scenes were right at the start. The structure of the film means that you initially share Colter Stevens confusion. You are thrust into the middle of conversations that you didn't hear the start of and are confronted with a new twist or revelation whenever you seem to be getting a handle on the plot.
However, after this promising start it becomes a lot less tight and settles into predictability. Inception showed how a film can present original ideas and remain innovative by changing the rules on the fly. Instead with Source Code we are confronted with unimaginative twists (of course Colter was dead/dying all along - it's a standard scenario when characters wake up unexpectedly inside a technological virtuality, especially if we are forewarned that their last memory is being shot at while in a helicopter). The film also focuses more on the relationships between the characters (some off screen) which, while engaging, are nothing out of the ordinary. The motivations behind the bombing are left rather vague and the villain remains undeveloped with the ending generating more questions than it answers.
Nevertheless, worth a watch, just don't expect to be kept guessing throughout the whole film.
Thursday 2 May 2013
More bitcoin madness ...
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2013/05/02/crafty-mining-esports-leagues-secret-bitcoin-slaves/
Is anything about this newly popular digital currency not entirely insane?
Hard to tell where this will go to be honest. Ethically it is all very grey area as people's resources have been harnessed for the gain of others without their consent. However, it is hard to see that any major harm has been done to the users and the application of laws to such online situations is always messy.
However, these are exactly the sort of kinks that need to be worked out if bitcoin is to develop any real utility except as a novelty and mild political statement.
Is anything about this newly popular digital currency not entirely insane?
Hard to tell where this will go to be honest. Ethically it is all very grey area as people's resources have been harnessed for the gain of others without their consent. However, it is hard to see that any major harm has been done to the users and the application of laws to such online situations is always messy.
However, these are exactly the sort of kinks that need to be worked out if bitcoin is to develop any real utility except as a novelty and mild political statement.
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