Come on Miliband - I've defended you every time the newspapers have tried to present you as a clueless moron because the press always does that to any Labour leader who isn't actively pursuing right wing policies.
However, it's going to be hard to do so when you appear intent on jumping on the Conservative's 'goad the Scots into voting for independence' campaign. It might win a few votes in the more bumptious areas of Little England but basically it is up to Scotland whether they stay or go and antagonising them is only likely to push more towards a 'fuck England' attitude.
Scot-baiting is an even worse move for Labour than for the Conservatives as the left can actually expect considerable amounts of votes north of the border. The Conservatives have little to lose but Miliband risks killing the goose that lays the golden eggs and marginalising Scottish voters.
Saturday, 9 August 2014
Tuesday, 22 July 2014
Welcome to a better Utopia
So I've finally finished watching the first series of Utopia and made a start on the second and I have to say that it represents a real step up in quality.
I did like the first series -which combined originality with a great cast of interesting characters and carefully skirted the line well between humour and horror. However, in getting you used to the distinctive style and ideas of the world of Utopia it adopted a fairly claustrophobic and samey plot. Once you got past who was betraying or misleading who at any one time it was simply a fugitive storyline with the same few characters becoming progressively more brutal in their efforts to stay out of the hands of the Network.
The first episode of series 2 shakes things up nicely by taking us back to the origins of Janus. The young Milner and Carvel, along with their unfortunate spouses, are a breath of fresh air after we have got used to following such a restricted group of characters. Definitely one to watch with Wikipedia on in the background though. Spotting the links between the actions of the Network and the real events of the 1970s is good fun and I always enjoy seeing British alternate history done well.
While I fully expect a return to the present day in future episodes it's nice to see the directors find their feet enough to take some risks with novel formats. Bring on the rest of the series!
I did like the first series -which combined originality with a great cast of interesting characters and carefully skirted the line well between humour and horror. However, in getting you used to the distinctive style and ideas of the world of Utopia it adopted a fairly claustrophobic and samey plot. Once you got past who was betraying or misleading who at any one time it was simply a fugitive storyline with the same few characters becoming progressively more brutal in their efforts to stay out of the hands of the Network.
The first episode of series 2 shakes things up nicely by taking us back to the origins of Janus. The young Milner and Carvel, along with their unfortunate spouses, are a breath of fresh air after we have got used to following such a restricted group of characters. Definitely one to watch with Wikipedia on in the background though. Spotting the links between the actions of the Network and the real events of the 1970s is good fun and I always enjoy seeing British alternate history done well.
While I fully expect a return to the present day in future episodes it's nice to see the directors find their feet enough to take some risks with novel formats. Bring on the rest of the series!
Saturday, 5 July 2014
Serious fraud office commits serious fraud
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/red-faces-at-serious-fraud-office-over-taxmans-fine-9574906.html
Look up irony in a dictionary some time and you may find a link to this article. Of course with the Tories traditional massaging of awkward statistics I doubt they will let this blatant rule bending persuade them that corporate and institutional tax avoidance may be more of an issue than those pesky benefit cheats.
Look up irony in a dictionary some time and you may find a link to this article. Of course with the Tories traditional massaging of awkward statistics I doubt they will let this blatant rule bending persuade them that corporate and institutional tax avoidance may be more of an issue than those pesky benefit cheats.
Saturday, 21 June 2014
Pope Francis vs Renton
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/20/pope-francis-dont-legalise-drugs
I think the new (and generally fairly groovy) Pope Francis has been reading Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. Compare the Pope's speech to the International Drug Conference:
"I would reaffirm what I have stated on another occasion – no to every type of drug use. It is as simple as that … But to say this no, one has to say yes to life, yes to love, yes to others, yes to education, yes to greater job opportunities. If we say yes to all these things, there will be no room for illicit drugs, for alcohol abuse, for other forms of addiction."
With the infamous heroin justification speech delivered by Renton in Trainspotting:
“Choose a life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers... Choose DSY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit crushing game shows, stucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away in the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself, choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that?”
Notice a certain similarity in logical structures and theme?
I think the new (and generally fairly groovy) Pope Francis has been reading Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. Compare the Pope's speech to the International Drug Conference:
"I would reaffirm what I have stated on another occasion – no to every type of drug use. It is as simple as that … But to say this no, one has to say yes to life, yes to love, yes to others, yes to education, yes to greater job opportunities. If we say yes to all these things, there will be no room for illicit drugs, for alcohol abuse, for other forms of addiction."
With the infamous heroin justification speech delivered by Renton in Trainspotting:
“Choose a life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers... Choose DSY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit crushing game shows, stucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away in the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself, choose your future. Choose life... But why would I want to do a thing like that?”
Notice a certain similarity in logical structures and theme?
Saturday, 10 May 2014
Redshirt Runthrough Rejecting Preferential Treatment (RRRPT Part 2)
As I explained in my last post I'm attempting to pursue a path through Redshirt where advancement comes from merit alone rather than schmoozing with the right people. Inevitably this will lead to social pariah status and eventual death but hey, you've got to stick by your principles right?
I booted the game and went through the limited character creation process selecting a male Human character wearing the reddest of shirts. However, 'Edgar Friday' as I named him, has a friendly smile and a slightly stylish hair do so I'm not entirely resigning myself to the predicted lack of social life yet.
As for the 'About Me' section. 'I HATE corruption!' seemed to fit the bill.
The first part of the game played pretty much as usual. As a lowly 'Transporter Accident Cleanup Technician' you are generally too busy finding those initial friends and working out where the cafeteria is to engage in too many career machinations.
The first aspiration I was given after making friends with Astra was to become the 'Transporter Accident Supervisor' which nicely meshed with my own plans. All went relatively smoothly - I had to throw somebody who had rejected my friend request to the slavering aliens on an away mission to save my own skin and had one minor cock up at work but I soon purchased the 'Venlithian Beach Resort poster' that raised my Assertiveness enough for promotion.
A beneficial side effect was a relationship request from a 'Hull Painter' named Jennifer Jepson who I had played a few games of chess/tennis with in a futile effort to raise Assertiveness cheaply. All in all a pretty promising start although it is early days yet!
I booted the game and went through the limited character creation process selecting a male Human character wearing the reddest of shirts. However, 'Edgar Friday' as I named him, has a friendly smile and a slightly stylish hair do so I'm not entirely resigning myself to the predicted lack of social life yet.
As for the 'About Me' section. 'I HATE corruption!' seemed to fit the bill.
The first part of the game played pretty much as usual. As a lowly 'Transporter Accident Cleanup Technician' you are generally too busy finding those initial friends and working out where the cafeteria is to engage in too many career machinations.
The first aspiration I was given after making friends with Astra was to become the 'Transporter Accident Supervisor' which nicely meshed with my own plans. All went relatively smoothly - I had to throw somebody who had rejected my friend request to the slavering aliens on an away mission to save my own skin and had one minor cock up at work but I soon purchased the 'Venlithian Beach Resort poster' that raised my Assertiveness enough for promotion.
A beneficial side effect was a relationship request from a 'Hull Painter' named Jennifer Jepson who I had played a few games of chess/tennis with in a futile effort to raise Assertiveness cheaply. All in all a pretty promising start although it is early days yet!
Friday, 9 May 2014
Redshirt Runthrough Rejecting Preferential Treatment (RRRPT Part 1)
So it's a while since I've posted anything about computer games and I know that too many posts about history and politics can get a bit tedious (with the sole and major exception of anything with 'World War 2' in the title according to the site's viewing statistics).
So I tried Redshirt when it came out. Frankly it is mediocre at best. Some of the jokes are pretty funny the first time you see them and the grind is alleviated by your initial uncertainty about what the hell you are meant to be doing and the constant carrot of future promotions and relationships to work towards.
Recently I've got back into it and it has hit something of a sweet spot. I've played through twice and won both times through careerism and buying my way out respectively. Rather than seek one of the three other ways of winning, however, I plan to pursue a far more straight laced method.
Anybody who has played the game will know that the best way to get promoted is to be friends with (or even better to be sleeping with) one of the many tentacled aliens or gelatinous cubes who occupies a high ranking recruitment position. Instead of wasting valuable time meeting all requirements you can then merely focus on one aspect and trust to nepotism for the rest.
I'm rejecting this path for my next attempt. Instead I'll see how far I can get on merit alone (and whether this leads my social life to enter a catastrophic free fall). First chapter should be up shortly!
So I tried Redshirt when it came out. Frankly it is mediocre at best. Some of the jokes are pretty funny the first time you see them and the grind is alleviated by your initial uncertainty about what the hell you are meant to be doing and the constant carrot of future promotions and relationships to work towards.
Recently I've got back into it and it has hit something of a sweet spot. I've played through twice and won both times through careerism and buying my way out respectively. Rather than seek one of the three other ways of winning, however, I plan to pursue a far more straight laced method.
Anybody who has played the game will know that the best way to get promoted is to be friends with (or even better to be sleeping with) one of the many tentacled aliens or gelatinous cubes who occupies a high ranking recruitment position. Instead of wasting valuable time meeting all requirements you can then merely focus on one aspect and trust to nepotism for the rest.
I'm rejecting this path for my next attempt. Instead I'll see how far I can get on merit alone (and whether this leads my social life to enter a catastrophic free fall). First chapter should be up shortly!
Thursday, 1 May 2014
Labour take on the landlords
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27225421
Positive noises from Labour on controlling the unfair renting market in Britain which helps ensure that the young and poor are increasingly edged out.
As for the Conservative response it is frankly unbelievable. "The only way to raise people's living standards is to grow the economy, cut people's taxes and create more jobs." says Grant Shapps. Can he really be so obtuse as to believe that every tax rise in history has had negative effects on the quality of life of the general population?
If so I assume he would also have opposed the formation of the NHS, taxation funded as it was, along with the inevitable tax rise that came with each of those patriotic British wars against foreign (and/or fascist) intervention that the Conservatives usually praise so much.
I guess he only really opposes tax rises when they are for the wrong reasons - such as reducing inequality or controlling market forces.
Positive noises from Labour on controlling the unfair renting market in Britain which helps ensure that the young and poor are increasingly edged out.
As for the Conservative response it is frankly unbelievable. "The only way to raise people's living standards is to grow the economy, cut people's taxes and create more jobs." says Grant Shapps. Can he really be so obtuse as to believe that every tax rise in history has had negative effects on the quality of life of the general population?
If so I assume he would also have opposed the formation of the NHS, taxation funded as it was, along with the inevitable tax rise that came with each of those patriotic British wars against foreign (and/or fascist) intervention that the Conservatives usually praise so much.
I guess he only really opposes tax rises when they are for the wrong reasons - such as reducing inequality or controlling market forces.
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