Civil liberties and the proposed social media banOccasionally, one has the opportunity to comment on developments across two jurisdictions. The proposed social media ban for under-16s invites reflection on civil liberties, children's rights, and perceptions of government in the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. With both the Irish Republic and the United Kingdom mulling banning teens under 16 from social media such as Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, and more, this piece warns that the solution to what ails young people is to address the root causes, not pursue crude policies like a ban. To begin with, for the liberal parties that both Fianna Fáil, one of ... (more) |
Nina Simone: Wild Is the WindWild Is the Wind was written for the 1957 film of the same name by the Hollywood team of composer Dimitri Tiomkin and lyricist Ned Washington, where it was sung by Johnny Mathis. The wonderful Nina Simone first recorded it for a live album in 1959. This studio version dates from 1966. Bill Janovitz says of it: On a recording by David Bowie and on Mathis' lush original ... it is a romantic torch song; the narrator is haunted by the possibility - one senses more of a probability - that his lover will not "run away with" him. There ... (more) |
Tom Arm's World ReviewUkraine Robots are the future face of war. And Ukraine's dominance in the production of drones and unmanned boats and ground vehicles means that it is well on its way to becoming a defense industry superpower. Drone production is up from 800,000 a year three years ago to seven million in 2025. They enjoy a three to one advantage over the Russians over the top of the range First Person View (FPV) drones. These are drones fitted with a camera which allows the operator to see in real time everything the drone sees. Ukraine is also producing 1,000 fixed wing ... (more) |
Reform blazenly promoting a major donorThe Guardian reports that Reform UK's leading figures have repeatedly promoted a new pothole-fixing machine by the construction company JCB, while the party received £200,000 from the British digger maker. The paper says that several Reform politicians including Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson, Robert Jenrick, Zia Yusuf and Richard Tice have sung the praises of the JCB PotHole Pro machine: At a rally last year in Birmingham, Farage entered the stage on one of the repair vehicles and suggested it would be used in Reform-run councils when the party had taken control at local elections. Describing JCB as "one of the ... (more) |
Delivering in RytonRyton ward in western Gateshead was my destination today. I was there yesterday as well, delivering our Labour and Reform squeeze leaflets. Between the two of us on the patch we delivered 500. Not bad for a morning's work. (more) |
Lead mining remains at Gravels in Shropshire's Hope ValleyIt's time for some Shropshire lead-mining remains porn. This photograph by Dave Croker from Geograph shows the A488 at Gravels in the Hope Valley. The Geograph blurb says:East Roman Gravels lead mine was also known as Wood mine and was owned by the Earl of Tankerville. The Hope brook carved out a valley which exposed many galena veins and in the eighteenth century, adits were driven into the hillside to exploit them. Beside the road is the truncated stone chimney of the ore crusher house. Of the crusher itself, only the foundations remain.The photograph was taken in 2008. The cottages ... (more) |
Alan Moore and Iain Sinclair in conversationWhen I first discovered Iain Sinclair he was obscure enough for me to feel I had him largely to myself. That notion encouraged was by the fact that his early novels - my first was White Chappell Scarlet Tracings- were first published in Uppingham by Mike Goldmark. But that was 40 years ago. Now psychogeography is no longer a novel idea and its big beasts are getting distinctly long in the tooth. So this conversation between Sinclair and Alan Moore, who has fished in the same waters, has a valedictory touch. I used to count Moore, along with Jeremy Seabrook ... (more) |
Why are Jewish people hated by so many people?Recent cases in Golders Green are just an up-to-date reminder of the hatred that some people absolutely show against Jewish people. In the latest case someone stalked the street with weapons looking for someone who looked Jewish and then attacked him. Shame on the Green Party leader who originally condemned the police for their swift and heroic actions before apologising. "Jewish communities are feeling unsafe," but went on to say, "There's a conversation to be had about whether it's a perception of unsafety or whether it's actual unsafety, but neither are acceptable." Let me separate here the difference between being ... (more) |
The Joy of Six 1512Chris Dillow lays bare the stupidity of Westminster politics: "If your final shortlist for a job comprises Mandelson, George Osborne (and maybe Bear Grylls) but not anyone with direct relevant experience such as career diplomats then you've probably not even bothered to do a detailed job description; you've not asked 'what's the shape of the hole we want to fill and who is that shape?' One of the most prestigious jobs in government seems to have been filled with less care than an investment bank would take over the hiring of a junior analyst." "Every child is met at the ... (more) |
Observations of an Expat: Special RelationshipThe phrase "Special Relationship" was coined by Winston Churchill in postwar triumph. It survives today in strain. The call for Britain and America to continue their wartime alliance was a clarion call to defend against Soviet aggression. It worked. The West won the Cold War and in the post-Cold War years the two countries have seen advantage - Britain more than the US—in continuing to cooperate in military and intelligence matters to counter terrorism and rogue states such as Afghanistan. Of course, over 80 years, the "Special Relationship" has had its ups and downs. At the moment, it is having ... (more) |