The Joy of Six 1586Jonathan Freedland argues that the Greens' anti-Zionism motion is yet another attempt to tell Jews what they should think: "In each generation, those making such demands of Jews believe they are acting in a righteous cause. The Christian persecutors of the Inquisition were sure that they were honouring Jesus; today's Greens are certain they are advancing the cause of anti-racism, even as they would hound and defame and shame a tiny minority." "Money matters in politics, especially if you have a lot of it. Alistair McAlpine understood this all too well. 'If you've got £1 million or £2 million to ... (more) |
What do Britain's death-penalty cheerleaders have to say about Christa Pike?When I was a little boy the whole of the United Kingdom knew when someone was going to be legally executed by the state. Hangings, which was the method used, were only carried out very rarely and indeed the UK has always had a very low murder rate compared to other countries especially the United States of America. They were always carried out at 8:00 in the morning and at 8:10 the newsreaders of the Today programme would solemnly read out the official death proclamation. It may reside in my childish imagination, but it seemed to me at the time ... (more) |
This is Lorelei: Billy Come BackFor most of his life, Nate Amos made music just to get through the day, writes Jazz Monroe in the Guardian: There was plenty of it: dozens of self-produced albums and EPs uploaded - since his This Is Lorelei project launched in 2012 - to what was then a plucky, independent platform called Bandcamp. Now 35, he is perhaps the quintessential Bandcamp artist: part bedroom-pop whiz, part alt-country troubadour, part indie rock rascal with a big, heavy heart. His peers treat him like a lost folk hero from a bygone era. And his new album as This is Lorelei? The ... (more) |
A Week in Politics #8Julie Calder (Photo: Scottish Lib Dems) Here is another weekly round-up of the news, this week with far more jeers than there are cheers. Cheers for Julie Calder, our fantastic candidate in Wick and East Caithness who won a fantastic victory with a massive 50.4% of first preference votes - 20% up from 2022 - and in the SNP council leader's own ward, too! A thoroughly welcome result and a reminder that local campaigning deserves its place alongside the Westminster headlines. Congratulations to everyone who knocked on doors, delivered leaflets and helped get voters to the polls. Cheers to Andy ... (more) |
Tom Arms' World ReviewThe Brazilian presidential elections could presage a major shift in Western Hemispheric politics. At issue are the rabidly pro-Trump conservative policies of Flavio Bolsonaro v. the more independent-minded and left-leaning incumbent President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva (Lula). Flavio is the 45-year-old son of former president Jair Bolsonaro who is serving a 27 year prison sentence for attempting to overthrow the government and conspiring to assassinate President Lula. At the top of the younger Bolsonaro's manifesto is the promise of a pardon for his father. He also wants to lower taxes; do away with at least ten government departments and ... (more) |
Reform continue to block journalists from doing their jobThe Mirror reports that the Reform UK leadership of a council which blocked a journalist who reported on a pensioner's row with the local authority is being urged to U-turn. The paper says that Local Democracy Reporter Eddie Bisknell told how an 81-year-old woman won a legal battle with Derbyshire County Council over a garden fence, but Reform UK's administration, which runs the local authority, now says it will not engage with the journalist after what it characterised as "a prolonged period of concerns": The decision has prompted a backlash, including from the Society of Editors (SoS), which champions press ... (more) |
A ghost sign near Parliament Hill FieldsI've just got back from London after a walk and boozy meal with Liberator friends. On the walk, I spotted this ghost sign near Parliament Hill Fields. (more) |
Turns out I was worrying about the Gell-Mann amnesia effectEmbed from Getty ImagesI suggested a couple of days ago that: Becoming very knowledgeable about a niche subject is worrying, because you find much that has been published about it is wrong. And then it become more worrying, because you suspect this is true of every subject if only you knew. A reader kindly sent me a link to an old Wikipedia page on the Gell-Mann amnesia effect: The Gell-Mann amnesia effect is a claimed cognitive bias describing the tendency of individuals to critically assess media reports in a domain they are knowledgeable about, yet continue to trust reporting in ... (more) |
Observations of an ex pat: Stormy Red SeaOh, for the days of the British Empire. A protectorate in Egypt and Sudan. British troops at both ends of the Red Sea — Egypt and Suez in the west, Aden and Somaliland in the east. Trade flowed relatively freely between Europe and Asia. Today's picture is less simple. The immediate problem is the conflict between the Iranian-backed Houthis on one side and the internationally recognised Yemeni government and its Saudi allies on the other. But it is far more complicated than that. The Iran War has increased the importance of the Red Sea as an alternative outlet for Gulf ... (more) |
Exploring the history of old Tottenham with John RogersJohn Rogers takes us on a tour through the history of Tottenham in North London, partly in search of St Loy's Well. The walk's blurb on YouTube says: Starting at Bruce Castle one of the two largest Tudor houses in Greater London making Tottenham an important centre of London history. Our Tottenham history walk then takes in All Hallows Church, Lordship Lane Rec and talk about Tottenham resident Luke Howard and his classification of clouds. We then visit Luke Howard's home in Bruce Grove. Walking down the ancient High Road Tottenham we talk about the various royal associations as we ... (more) |